//------------------------------// // A stallion's tale // Story: A filly's tale 2 // by Deathsia //------------------------------// A STALLION'S TALE Applebloom stared in shock at her daughter's ability to read this unreadable book. “H-How are ya doing that?! Say somethin!” Applebloom exclaimed as she rushed over to her daughter only to be halted by Sweetie Belle. “Wait! This may be the only way we can find out about the elements of harmony!”  Sweetie Belle whispered to the farm pony. “But-But look at her! She's talkin as if she's possessed or somethin!” Applebloom exclaimed as she continued to stare at her daughter while her motherly instincts were screaming at her to stop her and protect her daughter from whatever was possessing her right now. “I don't like this any more than you do Bloomy but Sweetie Belle is right, this may be our only chance to find out about the elements of harmony. If it looks like she's in pain at any point I'll yank her away from the book okay?” The farm pony did not answer right away but she did look as if she was considering her options. “Fine, but if anythin happens to her Scooty, you and Sweetie Belle are gonna learn a whole new meanin of the term, Ticked off momma” Applebloom replied ending her sentence on a threatening note. Roseheart however continued to read from the book seemingly not hearing a word. January 31st 1875 B.E. I thought it may be wise to keep a log of my day to day activities in case I may produce any offspring. Though I suppose this would be may be a tad tedious for a grand wizard such as myself, I find keeping a record of my work to be of the utmost respect towards future generations whom may read this long after I am gone. After the defeat of Lord Blackthorn The Reviled, it was soon revealed that he had a son, because I was the one who personally defeated him, I felt compelled to take responsibility for his son and make sure the child did not follow in his father's footsteps. I plan to take the boy in as my apprentice and teach him to use his magical talents for the good of mankind. Though I have no intention of becoming a father figure to the boy. I prey that with my guidance he will not repeat his father's mistakes. March 13th 1880 B.E. Most of today was spent lecturing my apprentice on the importance of keeping one's mind and soul in constant harmony with one another when using magic. Merrick has tremendous talent as a wizard, more so than any I have encountered. Considering who his father was, that is no surprise. Though he has often asked me about his blood parents, I have not told him for fear it may affect his studies. When he is old enough, I will tell him. April 1st 1880 B.E Today was a day I will not soon forget. Merrick had stumbled upon a book containing dark magical spells that I had misplaced. I felt the surge of dark magical energies from my study and feared the worst of what was happening. When I came into the library, my worst fears were confirmed as I looked at Merrick. Dark magicks surrounded him as if driven by an unseen force. But this is not what scared me the most, the boy was in complete control of this dark magic despite the fact that dark magic almost always possesses the caster. I pleaded with him to cease this dark magic immediately but it's power seemed intoxicate the boy's judgment. It fell upon me to dispel his magic with my own... Merrick now sleeps soundly in his bedroom though I fear what effect today's events will have on him and his studies in the magical arts. October 15th 1885 B.E. Merrick is now in his teen years and despite the day to day hardships that come with raising a teenage boy, his studies seem to be coming along at an exponential rate. I foresee him becoming a fine wizard in the future. I admit that despite my earlier decision to teach the boy and keep myself distant from him, I have become rather attached to him. Just today, he called me “Dad”. I must say that this was completely unexpected and despite the fact I had decided to keep myself distant from the boy, I find myself seeing him as a son rather than just an apprentice these days. September 19th 1887 B.E. I have had it with the boy! What on earth makes him think that transfiguring a cat into a Manticore is an acceptable form of magic?! It started out as innocent experimentation. I did my best to tutor him on the respect for living creatures but in the last two years, he has seemed to ignore any and all of my guidance! I don't know what to do with him. If this keeps up I may have to expel him from my library to prevent farther damage to his studies. This is the last thing I would ever want to do to him... December 10th 1889 B.E. Today is a grim day indeed. I'm afraid I will no longer be keeping a log of my teaching of Merrick since he is no longer my apprentice... I didn't want it to come to this, I still feel to this day that I have wronged him but I know that this is the best for him and myself.  I wish it had not come to this... “Who the hay is this? We still don't know who it was who was teachin him anythin or anything about the elements of harmony.” Applebloom remarked curiously. “There are still plenty of pages left in this book, I'm sure we'll hear something about the elements of harmony soon.” Sweetie Belle replied. “We know one thing though, Discord didn't start out evil like we all thought he did. He was just a young colt who got involved in magic that he shouldn't have.” Scootaloo remarked before she turned to continue listening to Roseheart. 0001 Month unknown N.E. It's hard to imagine, but I write to this log now not as a human being but as a equine horse. It had taken me a complete year to master this new form of magic. Earth as we know has been forever changed. I can barely keep track of the months anymore. Months of hiding from the armies of my apprentice who now goes by the name of Discord. Most water is undrinkable now unless you wish to become a slave to Discord's will. It rains that cursed water every day now, polluting more and more of our world's vital resource. Celestia has assigned me as head of the magical research team to help find a way to counter his dark magic. I haven't the slightest clue of where to begin. I have lost access to my library of magical knowledge, I and my research team am constantly on the run from execution squads and the like, and to make matters worse, one of my research team made the mistake of drinking the cursed water just yesterday. We had no choice but to... Kill them. In light of this tragic event however, we did learn one thing new. Everyone who has been possessed by Discord's magic seems to have a magical link with one another telling them everything they have learned. This explains why our location is never kept a secret for long despite the fact we have dispatched many before they could run off to tell of our location. We will use this information to plan our hiding spots accordingly. 0005 Month unknown N.E. We are no closer to finding out how to stop Discord than we were four years ago and time is not on our side, many of us are in our elder years and we may have to resort to age magic in order to continue our research despite the fact that we have turned nothing up as of yet. 0050 Month unknown N.E. Celestia and Luna have both decided that since this world has been forever changed that they should rename it. I myself disagree with this as human kind should not cater to this mad creatures new world. But we did discover something about the two. They have not aged a day since our world was changed. We have begun to suspect that they may be immortal. 0109 Month unknown N.E. One hundred and nine years... Where has the time gone? Regardless, I myself have made a breakthrough in our studies. At least I hope I have. I have discovered a location in a forest we have dubbed “The Everfree Forest” due to the fact that despite the creatures that live there, the forest itself defies the unnatural laws of this new world. Perhaps this was the earth's way of keeping apart of itself pure. But I degress, I have gone off subject here. What I have discovered in the Everfree forest is a doorway to another world. A world that seems to transcend time and space. It was here I discovered a mare who said she could promise me the knowledge to create something called “The Elements Of Harmony” but at a price. I left after informing the mystery mare that I would ask my fellow research team and come back with an answer. Not shockingly, my entire team instantly agreed that any price would be worth the power to defeat Discord. I however was not so sure. Regardless, I plan to return to the mystery mare and accept her offer later this week. “Wait an apple-buckin second! The elements of harmony were created by this stallion?!” Applebloom exclaimed in shock. “Looks that way... lets hear the rest. There are a few more pages still.” Scootaloo replied before she turned back to the book and listened to what Roseheart was saying. 0110 month unkown N.E. It has been a year since I've written anything,though given the time lapses in this log, this is nothing short of standard due to the lives we live now. The elements of harmony are nearing their completion and though the results look promising, I did note several oddities in the knowledge I was bestowed with. So I went back to the mare and asked her what these oddities were. She once again asked for a price for this knowledge. I accepted her offer without hesitation and learned something very disturbing about the elements of harmony. Unlike any other magical items created in our time, the elements of harmony choose a new bearer the moment the previous ones passes on or no longer represents that element. Furthermore, if the elements are used alone rather than in unison.... Roseheart seemed to trail off and then her eyes snapped open in shock and looked about herself. “Momma, what was ah doin?” The filly asked looking confused now. “N-Nothin sweetie. You just zoned out for awhile thar.” Applebloom said quickly upon realizing her daughter had snapped out of her trance. “Horseapples! Just when it was getting to the important part!” Scootaloo whispered to Sweetie Belle and slapped a hoof on the floor in frustration. Now do you understand? Rosealoom had once again appeared behind the four startling the heck out of them with her words to which the three stared at her confused. “Understand what?” Scootaloo asked as she eyed the unicorn suspiciously. Rosealoom's eyes then fell upon the filly. “It seems she was unable to convey the information that was most important.” The mare remarked and then looked to the window outside as if she was staring at somepony and narrowed her eyes before she turned to face the four again. ------------------------------------------ MEANWHILE IN AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION... “Horseapples that was close! That buffoon almost blew the lid on information that could have possibly hindered my plans.” The Jet-black mare remarked as the green glow in her eyes slowly faded. “Won't she tell them herself though?” Octavia asked curiously. “She wouldn't dare. It would cause them to ask many questions that she doesn't want to answer.” The Jet-black mare replied with a sneer. “However this chain of events has gone unseen even by me which should be impossible. How could he still exist? How did that mare know that he still did exist? Something is going on behind the scenes and I am going to find out what!” “Your darkness?” Octavia asked looking confused by her mistresses words. “I have somewhere to be, you are to take no action until I return, are we clear?” The Jet-black mare said looking at Octavia now. “Understood your darkness.” Octavia remarked with a bow. The Jet-Black mare then disappeared in a flash of black magic... ---------------------------------------------------------- “I must be going.” Rosealoom replied and abruptly disappeared in a flash of magic. “What in the blueberry buck was that about? She asks us if we understand somethin and then disappears without tellin us what?” Applebloom remarked looking completely baffled and annoyed by the current situation. “I don't know either, but this makes me want to finish reading this journal even more now.” Scootaloo replied and sighed. “Wait a second, ya hear that?” Applebloom asked curiously as her left ear twitched straining to pick up the sound she had heard before. “Hear what?” Scootaloo asked curiously. A jet black filly Alicorn charged through the halls of Canterlot castle frantically avoiding attacks by an unknown source.... “Sounds like offensive magic bein used.” Applebloom remarked curiously as she opened the door the library and began to walk down the hall. Scootaloo was soon to follow as did Sweetie Belle and Roseheart. “Applebloom! Help me!” The farm filly's head snapped in nearly every direction it could physically perform in a few seconds as she looked about herself. “Did y'all hear that?” She asked. “No.” Sweetie Belle replied simply. “Applebloom....help!” “There it is again! Ya can't tell me you didn't hear that!” Applebloom exclaimed as she looked at her two friends who looked at her now with equally concerned expressions. “Are you sure you're okay honey?” Scootaloo asked as she walked up and placed a hoof on Applebloom's shoulder. “Shh!” she hissed as she strained to hear the voice again. “Please, save me Applebloom!” “It's comin from thar!” The farm filly exclaimed as she ran down the hallway to which the other three followed her. “Whose voice did you hear?” Sweetie Belle asked curiously as she four made a left turn only to halt in shock as a jet black Alicorn filly slammed into the hallway wall and scrambled to dodge a magical beam of magic as it hit the wall behind her and sent her flying forward and right in front of the four. It was then much to Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle's shock that Rosealoom herself stepped from behind the corner, horn glowing as she glared at in their direction. “There you are.” Rosealoom said, her voice seething with hatred as the Alicorn filly looked at the unicorn with terror-filled eyes for a moment before she looked at Applebloom. “Applebloom, please protect me!” She pleaded. “That's the voice Ah heard ealier! She must have been talkin to me usin magic!” Applebloom remarked in shock and then saw that Rosealoom's horn had begun to glow again and moments later fired a beam of magic at the Alicorn filly. Without thinking, Applebloom leaped in front of the filly and used her element of harmony to project a shield which blocked Rosealoom's attack.“What in tarnation are ya doin?! She's just a filly!” Applebloom exclaimed with a glare the mare. “That thing is no more a filly than a changeling is a pony!” Rosealoom's retorted as she walked a few feet towards the five and her horn glowed once again. “Now step aside.” She said, her voice and expression saying she was dead serious. “I was sent by princess Celestia to help you! Please don't let her kill me!” The filly pleaded. “The princess?! She's broken free from her stone prison?!” Scootaloo exclaimed in shock. “All lies! Don't let that thing trick you Applebloom! Now step aside and let me get rid of it!” Rosealoom shouted her horn still glowing. “I'll explain everything later, for now, just protect me from her!” The filly replied as she looked at Rosealoom. “Applebloom, please listen to reason. That thing says nothing but lies and deceit. It will be-” “Ah've heard enough from ya! Ah ain't lettin ya hurt this filly!” Applebloom roared cutting off the unicorn as she glared at Rosealoom. Rosealoom simply stared at Applebloom for a time until her horn stopped glowing and sighed heavily.”So it begins again...” Rosealoom remarked softly as she walked away. “Wait, what starts again?” Roseheart asked curiously only she never got her answer as Rosealoom disappeared in a flash of magic. “I can't believe an element of harmony would try to harm an innocent filly.” Scootaloo remarked in a stunned tone. “Never mind that for now, what were ya sayin about bein sent by Celestia to help us?” Applebloom asked as she looked at the filly. Before she could reply however,  a stamped of hooves could be heard running about the halls. RUN FOR YOU'RE LIVES! CANTERLOT IS UNDER ATTACK! These three words shouted by a random pony caused all three mares to stand up in alarm. “Is it Chrysalis again?” Scootaloo asked curiously. “Ah don't know, but we have a job to do Scooty, so lets go!” Applebloom exclaimed then turned to face her daughter. “You stay here with Sweetie Belle okay honeh? Ah don't want ya to be caught in the crossfire.” “Okay...” Roseheart replied though she looked worried now. The farm pony then looked at Sweetie Belle with a similar worried expression. “You'll protect her right?” “With my life, don't worry about us, go!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed with a reassuring smile to which Applebloom and Scootaloo rushed out the hall and quickly ran outside followed by the Alicorn filly unknown to the two...