Prologue: An Unforeseen Event
In an unknown world far off from Equestria, a battle was being ensued against two entities, one of heavenly light, and one of demonic darkness and as the battles got longer, the more disastrous the battleground became. Thunderclouds roared throughout the battle, planets being destroyed, and disasters happening everywhere.
"This ends now, I shall send you back to where you came," said a mysterious voice.
"If its hell, then I'd be glad to be there, you good-for-nothing angelic entity!!!" said another mysterious voice.
After they exchanged their hatred towards each other, they continued their endless battle, both are exhausted and are resorting to their best and most powerful magics.
"Suffer and die, your God cannot protect you."
"My God will always be there for me, you do not have the right to judge him, begone, hellspawn."
Both cast their magics at each other and collided with immeasurable power being even with one other and keep their footing from the recoil from their magic. As they continue, their magics are about to explode with them along, and noticing that their magics are about to cause one, try to go away from it but to no avail. They get caught in it and are gone in an instant after the event ended.
"What the? Where did they go?"
"I can't seem to locate them. Please tell they didn't die, I don't want to think about that."
"No, I don't think so. He isn't so easy to defeat even in that explosion. I just pray that he is somewhere safe."
"I just hope you're right, you are his son."
???
Somewhere around October 20
"Ugh, my heads hurt, I wasn't expecting our magic to cause a huge explosion like that. Where am I?" the mysterious fellow couldn't see anything throughout this forest making him feel lost in the forest. As he walks through, everything he sees was harder to see, even a simple tree was difficult to see in this place. He uses a illumination spell to light the dark forest and keeps on tredding through. He notices some water and tries to drink some water when he noticed that he has hooves instead of hands. "What the? How come I have hooves?" He looks at the water and sees that he is a pony. "Holy, I'm a pony with wings and a horn, how come I'm a pony with those features? Maybe this place must have turned me into a pony, it seems possible as multiple worlds that I have been has either good, bad, or just weird benefits. As he ponders about his current state of being, he is beginning to have an unusual feeling that he was here before, "Why does this place seem so familiar?" The mysterious person walks through the forest wondering where to go. With each passing second he is adjusting to the new body and checks each of its features. Along the way, he sees a house. It looked like it came from a tribal land wondering if he can get some anwsers as to what just happened, "Finally, maybe I can get some answers from whoever is living here. He knocks on the door and finds a zebra opening the door.
Zecora was surprised to see a pony wandering the Everfree Forest especially at the night where the monsters living in here roam freely, none the less, she's curious as to who this pony is. "Hello, stranger, I ask to you, why are you wandering the Everfree Forest at night when you know that wild creatures roam freely at this time?"
"Well, I am, uh, just wandering i guess, I am Nicolas, and you are? (Wild creatures roaming the place at night, now where have I heard of that before?)" She answered one of his questions and that was where he is, in the Everfree Forest, that sounded less intimidating then what he had in mind and also sounded familiar.
"I am Zecora, please come in." She opens the door for him. When he enters, she is surprised that he is an alicorn. Nicolas comes in awe to find lots of unique items he never seened before and yet wonders why they look so familiar to him.
"Thank you Zecora, tell me, where am I, I need to know where I am at and how did I get here." Nicolas was desperate to find out where he is and what has caused him to be in this form.
"You do not know where you are? You are in Equestria, my darling, how could you have not known where you are, unless you are from a different world?" Zecora was curious about this pony more from the answer, but what made her more curious is that he is an alicorn that doesn't know where he is at.
"Yes, I am from a different world and I'm wondering how did I get... Wait, did you say, Equestria?" Nicolas asked just in case if he heard it wrong as that name sounded too familiar with his mind thinking about it.
"Yes, I said Equestria, what about it?"
"Equestria, Equestria, Equestria," Nicolas was trying so hard to remember that name then it struck him, "...WHAT!?! I'm in the EQUESTRIA? The one place where a war between the alicorns and the chaosbringers almost made them go extinct and only two alicorns fillies survived the ordeal?!?"
"Yes, why does that shock you and how did you know about the war when you said you were from a different world?" Zecora was more curious now from that sudden outburst and the fact that he knows about the war.
"Because I was in that war," Nicolas was shocked to be at the one place he never got to visit in over 5 millennia. He wonders what kind of changes happened to this glorious country that he tried to protect. "Zecora, tell me, what happened during my absence from that war to now."
Zecora was also shocked that this alicorn was in that war and survived it yet not knowing what had happen after that war, unfortunately, her knowledge of the past was empty as she never red books about the past, "I'm sorry, but I cannot help you on that, my knowledge of the past is blank and I was never at that time where you came from."
"Oh, that's okay, I wonder how Celestia and Luna are doing after that war, they must so devastated after the loss of their parents." Nicolas mourns from the fact that he never got to see the two young fillies in a long time. "Tell me, are they still alive?"
"Yes, they are still alive, in fact, they rule Equestria and control the sun and the moon together."
"Really? I'm so glad to hear that, but that tells me..."
"Yes, exactly what you are thinking, you and the princesses are the last pure ones of the alicorn race."
"Oh, that was to be expected." Nicolas feels like a dark cloud was over him after so many bretheren lost their life trying to protect their land, and to the fact that both Celestia and Luna's parents, King Terra and Queen Aethena, died but he was happy that both the fillies, or should he say, princesses are alive.
"Come now, it is getting tiring, we should be getting to bed so you can see them once again."
Yeah, that would be great." Nicolas falls into a deep sleep though one thing still lingers in his mind where is his nemesis and if he is here when will he strike, as of right now all he can think was seeing them once again for old times.
Unbeknownst to Nicolas, his nemesis is in the land of Equestria finding this land to be much more promising for wanton destruction; however, he does not like the form he is given right now, "Looks like the spell affected me as well, damn it, I look ridiculous with this form, I look like something from a kids show. Forget that, I have some planning to do to this soon-to-be-not-so-peaceful place, Nicolas. I know you are here, you cannot hide forever." The demon then disappears into the cold and dark night.
Zecora's house
October 21
Nicolas wakes up and smells a somewhat nice smell that permeates the house and notices Zecora doing something with her cauldron, then after that is trying something. Curious he askes what she is cooking and what is she looking for, "Good morning Zecora, what are you making and looking for today?"
"Good morning, I am trying to find the Seed of Truth, a friend of mine asked me to make a, how should I say this, a 'cure' for one pony in Ponyville."
"Why, what caused it to be sick and what kind of disease does it have?"
"The 'it' is a filly named Apple Bloom, and she has cutie pox."
"Cutie pox? I thought that disease was extinct?" Nicolas know all the diseases and infections in Equestria, thanks to Zecora for bringing back his memory in a flash, and was right about the cutie pox. How did a filly get cutie pox?
"Yes, well, apparently, she received it when she made a potion of her own that allowed her to get her cutie mark using a flower I was planning to use for this potion, but the potion she made gave her more cutie marks resulting in her having more than one cutie mark."
"That makes sense, but one thing makes me wonder, why does she want her cutie mark now? Couldn't she wait until she finds her special talent?"
"She was very impatient. She wanted that cutie mark more than ever, because if I recall correctly. She and two of her friends are always bullied by two other fillies."
"Wow, I can understand that, well, if I get the chance, maybe I should meet them, just for some inspiration."
"That is not a bad idea. By the way, aren't you planning to go visit the princesses now?"
"I do plan to, but not yet. I want to time it right if you know what I mean."
"I see what you mean, good luck on your visit to them." Zecora was beginning to like Nicolas's personality but put it aside so she can concentrate on making this concoction for herself, then deliver the Seed of Truth to Apple Bloom.
"Thanks Zecora, good luck on finding that seed." Nicolas goes out into the opening and takes a deep breathe and flies to the grand city where the princesses are at, Canterlot. As he was about to fly, he feels an evil presence on Equestria, the presence was something he recognized all too well, his nemesis is on Equestria, but he can tell he was tired from their last battle, he was thinking to himself, "So you too huh? Well I'm not gonna hold back on you next time we meet, next time it's going to be a fight to the death." Nicolas flies out of the Everfree Forest and heads to Canterlot to reminisce with them, this time, for good times.
Before he flew, Zecora manage to get his attention before he got too far, "Nicolas, before you go I need your assistance."
Nicolas flies back down to her house, "Yes, what is it? Does it have to do with that potion you're brewing?"
"No, it is not that, did you not say that you want to see the three I mentioned about?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"I manage to find the seed and was planning to go untiI I remembered this. Do you want to see them while I deliver the seed? It might be a good time to meet them all."
Nicolas never thought about that at all, this may be a good time to catch up with what's going on, "You know what, that isn't a bad idea, might be a good time to meet the young fillies."
"Yes, it would be a perfect opportunity for you."
"Are there any colts with that group? Because I haven't seen one in a long while, a colt, haha, how long has it been since I last saw one?"
"Well, you were gone for a long time, but never mind that, let us meet Apple Bloom. I hope the cutie pox hasn't gotten worse for her."
"Agreed, let us make haste." Nicolas and Zecora head out of the Everfree Forest and head for Ponyville. Along the way, Nicolas casts an invisibility spell on himself so that the citizens don't see him. They see her galloping wondering what she was galloping for. They see Apple Bloom along the way and Nicolas is shocked to see this poor filly with the cutie pox, "Zecora, will that seed work on her?"
"I am not so certain that it will, but we must give it a try." She looks at Apple Bloom and notice that the cutie pox was getting worse, "Apple Bloom, in order to be cured of the cutie pox, you must tell the truth. This seed grows only when the people there are telling the truth, it may cure the cutie pox you have."
Apple Bloom did not want to tell the truth, but with passing moment a new cutie mark appeared. She was getting tired from doing all of the things, she had to do it even it means being laughed at by those two bullies, "I took the Heart's Desire and used it to conjure up that potion I made." The seed began to grow but it needed more truthful answers in order to bloom. "I also stole the Heart's Desire without asking your permission," The seed had but one more truth needed in order for it to bloom then out of nowhere.
Pinkie Pie decided to tell the truth as well, though she was wondering why she had to do it, "I did a lot of things I think that are bad," PInkie Pie said a lot of things that made Nicolas almost faint at hearing all of them, "And that all of the things that I kept *squee*" Pinkie Pie hopped back to Sugarcube Corner in a happy manner.
The seed finally bloomed into a wonderful flower. After that she ate the flower quickly and it did what it was supposed to do, it cured her of cutie pox, "Yay! The cutie pox is gone. Sorry Zecora, I wanted the cutie mark so badly, I decided to make a potion of my own that would allowed me to get a cutie mark using the Heart's Desire you mentioned about, I'm really sorry."
Applejack was very pleased that she managed to see her sister in good condition after that, "Now, it's all right, but like I said, you'll find out what your special talent is sooner, okay sugar?"
"Yes, Applejack, and I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused Twilight."
"It's nothing to worry about. I'm just glad that the cutie pox is gone. Well, I'll be helping Applejack with the apples of hers so please try not to be a burden okay?"
"Okay, Zecora, can you forgive me for what I did?"
"It is all right, but now you must be cautious about what you make. You deserve a punishment for this, Nicolas, what kind of punishment should she receive?"
Apple Bloom was confused about who Zecora was talking to, "Uh, Zecora who are you talking to? Ah don't see anyone else but you."
Zecora turns around to find Nicolas gone, "Nicolas, tell me you did not use an invisibility spell on yourself."
"Yeah I did. I only did it because I was worried that the citizens might be shocked to see another alicorn besides the Royal Sisters."
"Yes, I see your point."
"By the way, who was those three with Apple Bloom? I manage to get their names, but I want to know them a little bit more."
"Those three you will meet again. That I am sure of."
Apple Bloom was so baffled right now with Zecora. She was talking to something but wasn't so sure who or what she was talking to, in fact, it was driving her nuts just seeing this, "ZECORA, who are you talking to!?!"
"Zecora jumped a little from that sudden outburst, "Sorry Apple Bloom, I forgot about you, let us move to a different location for now. Do you have any ideas where it would be a good spot for us to talk?"
Apple Bloom was thinking of a good place then she remembered the CMC clubhouse, "Oh, we can go to the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse, it should be a good place to talk."
"Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Nicolas asked Zecora about it.
"Oh, well, that is hard for me to describe. It would be better for you to learn it from Apple Bloom and her friends." Zecora and Nicolas follows Apple Bloom to the clubhouse. With each passing minute, Nicolas sees the changes that happened to Equestria while he was gone until they have reached their destination.
"We're here." Apple Bloom calls to the other cutie mark crusaders that are in the clubhouse.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle hear Apple Bloom from outside and head outside to meet her. "Yo, Apple Bloom, what took you so long?"
"Yeah, what took you so long? I had to deal with Scootaloo's chatter about her time with Rainbow Dash, it was getting rather annoying."
"Hey, at least I actually had something to talk about compared to last time we were together." Scootaloo countered the argument back from Sweetie Belle, "By the way, why is Zecora with you?"
"She wanted to talk with me alone, is it all right that they listen with me?"
"It is all right. Come now, let us head inside so no one can see and hear what I wish to talk about." Zecora heads inside the CMC's clubhouse. As she closes the door and all the windows, she began to talk again to Nicolas though to the CMC, it feels like she is talking to herself, "Nicolas, you can be visible again if you wish to."
All three are confused at who Zecora was talking to at the moment wondering, was she going a little crazy today?
"All right then." Nicolas reveals himself to the CMC, all the while are they in awe to see another alicorn besides the princesses and someone they know.
"Wow, that is so cool, another alicorn." Scootaloo was practically jumping up and down seeing Nicolas.
"That is something, where did you come from?" Sweetie Belle just couldn't hold back the question that was popping up in her mind
"Yeah, where did you come from, are you another student to the princess?"
"A student to another princess? Oh, you must be talking about my old students princess Celestia and Luna."
The CMC was shocked to hear that they had a mentor before. Sweetie Belle was the first one to ask about this, "YOU, you were the mentor to the Royal Sisters?"
Nicolas can tell from this young filly that she was desperate to know if he was right or not, he was happy to see ones reaction from this statement, "Yes, I am a former mentor to Celestia and Luna. I had been gone from this glorious world for almost 5000 years ever since the war that almost brought the alicorn race to extinction."
They almost fainted after hearing that from an alicorn, "5000 YEARS!?!" All three were again, surprised to hear that. "That is so awesome, can you tell us what you were doing after all those years being gone?"
"Woah, hold it. I can't tell you girls all of that."
"AW." all of them were sad about it, but putted it behind for now, "Well can we tell you about what we do?"
Nicolas did wanted to know what they were doing when he heard it, "Cutie mark crusaders"? He was tempted to know that much about it, "Yes, I'd like to know about what you do."
All of them were happy that they get to someone what they do, but first they had to get two other members that were missing from this, "Sure, just let us get Nyx and Twist okay?"
"Sure, I'll be waiting."
The CMC left the house and went in search of Nyx and Twist with haste.
While they were at it, Nicolas got the chance to talk about the punishment that Zecora had in mind, "So Zecora, what was the punishment you had in mind for Apple Bloom. I mean if you have one in mind."
Zecora was deciding about that was unsure if these are good enough, "I thought of two, which do you think is right for her? Let her do chores for Applejack, or help me out all day without rest?"
"Why are you asking me about this? You are the one deciding, you go which one is best."
After lots of thinking about it, she got a good punishment for Apple Bloom. Not too hard or too tiring for Applebloom to do, "I've got the perfect one for her, now all we have to do is wait for them."
After what seems like hours passed, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo finally return with their friends Nyx and Twist, "Got them here, now we can start telling you what we do."
"What took you girls so long to find them?" When Nicolas sees Nyx for the first time, he was flabbergasted. An alicorn that has a color scheme similar to Luna, right in front of his eyes, "An alicorn with her colors, my word."
"Well, apparently, they had something important to do with their parents so they told us that they can do it by almost sundown and they Pinkie promised us."
When Nyx enters and sees another alicorn besides the two sisters, he was surprised to see him. He was more shocked then any of the CMC members. Without even thinking about it, he asks straight away, "Who are you? Where did you come from?"
Nicolas was still frozen over a young alicorn colt. He heard the question from Nyx over time, "Uh, what, oh sorry there. My name is Nicolas and I'm from the old city of Canterlot, well used to. All the sudden changes from the time I was gone for 4000 years has made me miss out on a lot of events if you what I mean." Nicolas is still surprised that an alicorn colt is living. Did Celestia or Luna married someone that is or isn't an alicorn and made this colt? No, that cannot be the right answer, this colt has magical strength equal to someone he knows. Perhaps, once he grows up to be an adult alicorn, he will find out the answer himself. "Oh right, now that you have everyone here, tell me what are the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders's goal?"
"What do the Cutie Mark Crusaders do? Well, what do you think?" Apple Bloom started things off with a question back at Nicolas.
"What we do is something that everyone should know." Scootaloo came in after Applebloom for their answer to Nicolas.
Sweetie Belle came in after Scootaloo finished her line they were practicing for, "It's for every blank flank who wants them now." All three were very worried for both Twist and Nyx as they never got the chance to memorize their lines for this moment.
Twist never got the chance to memorize her line for this introduction to the Cutie Mark Crusaders due to the fact that she was very busy with all of her stuff and she just recently became a Cutie Mark Crusader after the events leading up to Nyx's transformation back into a colt, she decided to come up with her own lines for this, "For all the blank flanks all around the world, we are here to help them."
It was Nyx's turn to do the last hurrah and she was struggling about what to say. She was desperate to think of a line that would fit well with their motto right now, then Nyx remembers how the line went even though she only had about 3 seconds to look at the whole thing, "And for everyone who does have a cutie mark, we will help them so long as they are a member."
All of the CMC members synchronized after Nyx, "We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Apple Bloom was glad that they manage to get that right on their first try. She sees Ruby from her window even though it was closed and waves hi at her. Ruby waves back at her and leaves the clubhouse back to the Everfree Forest.
Though Nicolas was happy with the CMC's performance, he cannot shake off the feeling that, for some odd reason, he felt that something ethereal was around this house. When he looks at one of the closed windows, he notices a ghost of a young filly waving hi back Apple Bloom, then leaves the clubhouse leaving all the sense of residual energy coming off of her. He wonders who or what that filly is. He draws his attention back to the CMC's performance, "Excellent you five, that was magnificent."
All of them are happy to hear that from Nicolas even though they don't know him by a long shot, "Thank you sir, did you get what we do?"
"Yes, Apple Bloom and I have to say, that has to be something worth doing. I hope that the three of you get your cutie marks. As for Twist and Nyx, congrats on getting your cutie marks."
"Thank you, is there anything else you wanna tell us?"
"Yes, I almost forgot to tell you five something. Don't tell your parents that you saw me."
"Why not?" all of them synchronized.
"I want to meet them personally and I don't want rumors to spread that another alicorn beside the princesses and Nyx here is walking around, if you know what I mean."
"Oh, we get it now. We promise. No wait, we Pinkie promise, cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
"What was that? A Pinkie promise? If so, where did you learn that from?"
"Like what the name suggests, we learned it from Pinkie Pie. We never ever break a Pinkie promise, its like the number one rule for this kind of promise."
"Oh, well that figures, anyway good night, Apple Bloom you are staying. Me and Zecora want to talk to you."
"Aw, well good night girls." The other CMC members left the clubhouse saying their goodbyes to her. Apple Bloom was scared to hear what was coming from Zecora, "So, what is my punishment?"
"You will be getting no punishment from me today."
"Huh, why not? Ah took the Heart's Desire without your permission. Ah should be punished for it."
"Now, hold on there Apple Bloom, there is no reason to hurt yourself like that. You told the truth and that what's all that matters, okay? Telling the truth is harder to do than not telling it. I went through that same situation before and trust me it was difficult to tell the truth. That is the reason why you do not need a punishment today."
"Really, thanks. Oh is there anything you wanted to ask?"
"Yes, may I rest here just for today?" Nicolas was getting sleepy just from staying up for that long.
"Sure, you can rest here for the night."
"Thank you Apple Bloom, have a good nights rest."
"You too, Mr. Nicolas." Apple Bloom left in a gallop back to home.
"Well, guess I don't have to stay with you Zecora, good night."
"As to you, have a good night sleep." Zecora walks back to her house in a calm manner even though in the nighttime, creatures that are ferocious come out in the night most often.
Inside Ifrit's Volcano
10:00 P.M.
As Nicolas fell into a deep sleep, his enemy was preparing for his attack on Equestria, "Ah, the warmth from the volcano should help me warm up. I hate the cold, not to the point where I would curse to the sky." He scurried through all of the history books he can find about this world and finds some intriguing information, "Oh, apparently, a war broke out between the alicorns (whatever that's supposed to means) and," When he continues to the monsters that the alicorns were fighting, he was put in a devilish mood of happiness, "Oh, the chaosbringers. I like the sound of that name. They must have caused some sweet chaos. I can't wait to resurrect them back for their graves, Nicolas, you are going to be in for a surprise by the time I strike this pathetic world." When he goes deeper into the books he finds more information involving the six, "Huh? Who are these six?" He notices the trinkets that they are holding and looks deeper into the book. When he finds them, the name of these things almost made him gag, "Elements of Harmony? Bah, just the word harmony is enough to make me sick. How come almost every world that I fight him in, they always have something that help him evolve? Even worse now I might have to deal with these six if he ever joins them. Ugh, this is going to be much to be much more difficult then what I had in mind."
In the CMC's clubhouse
7:00 A.M.
"*Yawns* wow that was a good sleep I had." Nicolas goes out and breathes in the fresh air. Nicolas still wonders who was that spirit that was at the clubhouse from last night. Maybe he might get the chance to ask Apple Bloom and Applejack who that spirit was but as of right now, he wants to visit his two most beloved students of his. He flies off into the clear blue sky not knowing that dangers await of his enemy's return.