//------------------------------//
// Visions 
// Story: Memories 
// by Sun Aura 
//------------------------------//

		Anywhere else it would be a fairly beautiful night, but in the Everfree Forest you rarely see the sky. Even on a bright day the thick canopy of leaves make it look like evening, at night you might forget the moon is there. Most ponies would have a lit torch or a light spell, a dangerous game as it becomes a beacon. I guess what I was doing was cheating. When my eyes are closed, I can see everything around me, and every creature, pony or monster, was a bit of color. I could not tell what they were, only their size. I had been able to avoid most creatures.
My luck ran out. A small creature emerged from the bushes. I thought it would be something simple, but I heard its cry. Out of instinct I shut my eyes even tighter, and I ran ignoring the colors that blurred by. I did not get far before seeing three familiar colors; one was green, one was orange, and the third was a dark, almost red, pink. I turned sharply and ended up jumping out at the three of them. 
“What are you three doing here?” I demanded when they calmed down from my scare.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders Chicken Rescuers!” The caped fillies cheered in response.
“We were stayin’ at Fluttershy’s place when one of her chickens got loose,” Applebloom explained.
“What are you doing here?” Scootaloo asked.
“It is not important right now,” I told her. “The forest is dangerous for even adults!”
“We made it here fine,” she muttered. 
Just my luck. Seven adults nearly die on their way in, but a group of fillies manages to get close to the heart of the forest without any trouble. I was about to take them back to Fluttershy’s when I heard the noise again behind us. 
“Change of plans!” I exclaimed. “Run this way! Now!” I took off in the direction of the castle. I heard them following me.
“What about the chicken?” Sweetie Belle asked, trying to keep up with me. I grumbled to myself about the fact that fillies run slower.
“Bad idea!” I answered, slowing down enough so that they would not lose me. “Very bad idea! That creature is a cockatrice! They look a bit like chickens so you would probably be attacked before figuring it out!” 
I saw the castle up ahead. It was just as it had been last time I was here. White stones faded to gray, vines growing up the side, any wood doors having long rotted away. I saw the wonder on their faces as we crossed the rope bridge.
“What is this place?” Scootaloo shouted to me.
“I’ll explain inside!” I answered back. 
I grabbed the stone doors in my magic, pulling them open. I was glad this was protected. A hydra or an ursa would probably get in, maybe a very determined manticore, but we would be safe from most of the Forest’s creatures.
I tried to look at the three of them, but everything was fuzzy. It was those like looking through a broken stained-glass window, colors mixing, shapes obscured. My head was pounding. We were in the throne room, just like last time. 
I saw Sweetie Belle looking at me, very concerned. I think she was trying to see what was wrong, but I could barely form words. My vision was clearing, but not how it should. The fillies were disappearing, but other ponies were quickly taking their place. Torches were lit, the hall was decorated, I began to hear their voices. 
It was like the window shattered, leaving me in a place I did not know.
I could feel a warmth from this room, not just from the fires lit, but the warmth of life from these halls. I noticed that the dull gray stones were now polished white. The ponies in the room were decorating for a party. There were two Alicorns, one in the center and one flying around putting up streamers, a few Unicorns, Pegasai, and Earth Ponies, and even a few Zebras. There were some types of ponies I did not recognize, some were insect-like, some seemed like living gems. There was even a creature I had never seen anything like; more accurately, he was a Chimera of sorts, not the lion, snake and goat type, but I could count somewhere around ten different animal parts. He seemed to be hindering progress, currently untying the ‘Happy Birthday’ banner.
My focus shifted to the Alicorn in the middle of the room. I had seen her statue in the graveyard, the name ‘Azura’ written on the pedestal. Her resemblance to Cadence was more than just the face. Her coat was pink, though a few shades darker. And the blonde, pink, and purple mane was also tipped with black. 
Her blue eyes scanned the room. I had seen that look before, but it had been worn by the Grand Master of Parties. She was making a checklist in her mind, not stopping until everything was perfect. This need for perfection was not out of wanting it for herself, but because she wants it to be perfect for someone else.
“Star!” She yelled to a gray Unicorn by the thrones. “Blue balloons go by Luna, the red ones are for Mira. Amber, put the yellow flowers by the door. Onyx! Take Ambrosia and get more streamers. Go through the kitchens, turn left, third door on the right.
“Be right back,” replied one of the gem-ponies; his coat was almost as black as my own, though his mane was blue. I did not think he was talking to Azura when he spoke, as he gave a quick kiss on the cheek to a red-maned mare next to him. He nodded to one of the insect-like ponies, a orange-maned stallion, and the two of them ran off to what I assumed was the kitchen. 
The creature above us could barely hold in his giggles as he finished with the rope holding the banner. It fell slower than I thought it would before landing on top of Azura. She struggled with it for a second but quickly got it off.

“Dissi!” she screamed in half-hearted annoyance, or maybe exasperation. He just cackled with glee. “Can you stop for one night and be helpful?”
“If you manage to get him to stop messing with you, I will eat every single thing cake, cookie, and pastry Frosted makes for the party!”
That was my voice! That was my own mouth moving! I tried to ask what was going on, but my mouth would not move from its laughing grin. Even my hooves seemed rooted to the ground. This was not time travel, nor was it a simple vision of events captured by some spell. I was in somepony’s memory. I stood where they stood, I said what they said. 
I began to piece things together. I could still feel my wings and my horn, so I was still an Alicorn; I assume if I was a different type of pony I would not be able to feel them, as this is somepony else’s memory. I was taller than the mare in front of me, and she was taller than the other ponies, again like Cadence. I could see familiar red-orange at the edge of my vision. If I had to take a guess, this was a memory from the mare Celestia named me for, the Feria that died nearly two thousand years ago.
“You will eat all of them anyway!” teased the other Alicorn as she glided down from the ceiling. “Frosted gets to do double the work for your sweet tooth!”
“And she will make triple as we can eat it all again the next day!” I giggled in response. “And are you to tell me that it was not you I saw covered in frosting at Circus’s party?”
I studied the white mare. She was taller than I was right now. Her mane was pink and had waves and curls, but it seemed to flicker; it light up with magic every now and then, floating in the air and adding blues, greens, and a little purple. It was her eyes that let me recognize her. Those purple eyes I had seen many times. I had seen them crinkle in laugher and I had seen them swim with ghosts of the past. This was different completely. Here, Celestia was free, no burdens upon her soul, no regrets or loneliness, just joy.
This was strange. Other than Celestia, I should not know the ponies in this room. As I looked at their faces, it was like seeing somepony from long ago, like a childhood friend you forgot until they day you both ran into the same building to escape the rain. I did not know their names or their favorite things or what their lives were like, but I recognized them, I knew their faces, their coats, I knew the way their bodies moved during different emotions. 
The weirdest thing was how they interacted with me. Celestia was teasing me, or the ‘Previous Feria’, I was used to that, she had known me my entire life. What I was not used to was being able to tease her back in the same way, I had only known her for a small part of her life. Azura’s interaction with me was different too. There held a certain casualness that I have only had with some of my closest friends. The medley of a creature she was yelling at earlier, who had by now come down from his fit of giggles and had draped his arm over my shoulders, was said to only listen to me. Was the ‘previous Feria’ closer to him than others were?
“I hope Luna enjoys tomorrow’s party,” Celestia said. 
“Me too!” Azura exclaimed. “I mean, she said she wanted something quiet, but how ‘quiet’ does she mean? We cannot just not invite somepony to make it quieter. I have a surprise for her though! After the main party we can have a small little thing of just the nine of us. And we can tell them about the Super Special Secret Surprise Project of Awesomeness!”
“Azura!”  The ‘Previous Feria’ cut her off. “The point of the ‘secret’ part of ‘Super Special Secret Surprise Project of Awesomeness is that nopony is supposed to know about the Super Special Secret Surprise Project of Awesomeness.”
“Is that what you five have been working on?” Celestia wondered. 
“If either of you try to find out before tomorrow, you will be wearing more colors than Circus!” the ‘Previous Feria’ threatened, looking up at the creature with his arm around ‘her’. She even lit her horn for an added effect.
The creature just smirked at us. He snapped his talon and his coat and scales turned a rainbow of colors. He acting like nothing had happened. The rest of us busted out in giggles that would last a few minutes.  
The world began to fade again. The world shattered like breaking glass. When my vision faded back in, I was on the floor of the castle. From the ruined gray stones and the three, still blurry, fillies looking down at me, I could tell I was back in reality. 
My breathing was stabilizing as I tried to stand. I felt shaky, but I should be good. I wanted to go home, to just lay down and not think about anything at all. I could not do that yet.
“I am sorry,” I said, my voice wavering but staying okay. “How long was I-?”
“Just a minute or two,” Sweetie answered. “Are you okay? You felt warm, like maybe you were sick. You really shouldn’t be running around when you’re sick.”
“I am fine, I think,” I replied. “I do not think I am sick. It was not from that.”
“Then what in tarnation was it?” Applebloom burst out. She and Scootaloo seemed to have been just as worried, even if they did not show it as well as Sweetie Belle.
“I am not completely sure,” I answered her. “I think it might have been residual magic or something that latched into me and created a vision of sorts. It happens around this place apparently. When I was here last time when we defeated Nightmare Moon, something similar happened. I did not pass out from it before, though. Just overlapping images and senses of déjà vu.”
“Is that your special talent?” Scootaloo wondered, suddenly interested.
“Not at all,” I chuckled. “My talent is actually a little confusing.”
“How can a talent be confusin’?” Applebloom asked. “You’ve already got your Cutie Mark.”
“Just because I know what my talent is does not mean I know what I am doing,” I stated. After a pause where I figured out that made no sense, I continued. “Basically, I know what I can do. When I close my eyes I see things. I use it to find my way in the dark without a light, or to find ponies hiding from me. Objects are just basic outlines so that I do not run into them, but every creature is a moving thing of color, and I can see everyone.”
“You can see ponies’ colors,” Scootaloo repeated. “What color am I?”
“You are a dark, pinkish-red,” I told her. “Sweetie is green and Applebloom is orange. An interesting factor is that I can also see ponies that nopony else can see. You have heard that Mrs. Cake is going to have a foal soon, right?”
“Rarity mentioned it to me,” Sweetie answered. “She said she might make a tiny little outfit for the newborn.”
“Exactly,” I continued. “For the last few months when I saw her I saw the normal pink colors, but I saw a small blue and a brown within that pink. I could see she was going to have twins before she even knew she was carrying them. I still do not know exactly what those colors are or why each pony is what color, but I now that it is my talent.”
“At least ya know about it,” Applebloom sighed, glancing at her own flank. “Must be nice to have a Cutie Mark.”
“It depends on the talent,” I replied. “Sometimes it has to do with expectations. Not everypony gets what they expect. I know Fluttershy did not know she had a talent for talking to animals before she had to, so what did she expect it to be? Some get disappointed. Besides, having a talent is not the most important thing, it is what you do with it.”
“How can somepony do somethin’ different with their Cutie Mark?” she asked. 
“Some are more on a set path, but others can be used in many ways,” I explained. “For example, Rarity’s talent is gem finding. She uses it to make her outfits, but potentially she could find gems and just sell them to the highest bidder or she could use them in sculptures. Once you find your talent, you have to find a way to use it. Our destiny is set to use the talent, but we are free to decide our fate of how it happens.”
“Magic is actually fairly unpredictable,” I continued, “especially Cutie Mark magic. Everypony finds their talent, even something as unpredictable as a Cloudsdale-born Pegasus  having a talent for talking to animals. When the world thinks we are ready, it will push us in our direction. The really interesting is how many times talents and naming go hoof-in-hoof. Like how Lyra plays a lyre, or how the Cakes make cakes. Sometimes it does not apply, like with Pinkie and her talent to make ponies smile, and other times, like with that mare Octavia, you can guess her talent is musical but you do not know its exact manifestation. I think you fall into the unknown type though, so I cannot be much help.”
“And even if you could, you’d tell us to wait,” Scootaloo grumbled. “What is this place anyway?”
“This is the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters,” I said, ignoring the obvious subject change. “It was once home to seven Alicorn Princesses. Each were talented in magic; it would take a group of Unicorns the size of Ponyville to do what they would every day. They were also Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”
“How ancient is ‘ancient’?” Applebloom asked, her eyes roving over every structure. “Ain’t most ‘ancient’ places supposed t’ be all ruined and stuff. This one’s in really great condition.”
“I believe its main parts are somewhere around sixteen hundred,” I answered. “Though its oldest buildings, like this one, are close to two thousand. And it is not in that good of a condition. It’s falling apart, really.”
“Ya’ see that hole up there?” she pointed with her hoof to a spot in the ceiling. “Look at the bricks. If they had gotten old and fallen, the whole brick would’a gone with it. Those up there are all busted. Somethin’ broke ‘em.”
I looked closer at the spot she indicated. She was right, probably an ability she learned because of how many times her barn had been broken. Some of the brick had deteriorated from weather, but I believe the original shape was circular, definitely not made my natural causes. It looked too circular to have been made by a creature breaking through. I would guess it was a blast of magic. 
“I bet there’s a spot,” Sweetie Belle began. She ran up the hall to the spot in front of the thrones. “Right here!”
I was about to tell her not to shout when I realized she had not shouted. Her voice did not squeak like it did when she was loud. She was talking normal, yet I could hear her as easily as if she were right next to me. 
“How are you doing that?” I noticed I had to shout my question for her to hear me. The three of us made our way to where she was.
“Some places have a spot where the walls make your voice louder!” she replied. “Town Hall has one, and so did the place my cousin got married at. Miss Cheerilee said it was something called acoustics?”
“I thought it was some kind of magic,” I said. “I have only seen those with horns standing in spots like that I guess.”
“Whose thrones are these?” Applebloom asked, looking at one on my far left, though it was to the right of anypony sitting in the throne.
At first I believed the throne to be like most of the outside, overgrown. As I looked closer I could see it was all stone. A large block had been carved into vines and tree bark. I could see a few flowers near its top.
“I only know as much as Celestia has told me, but I will try to guess,” I said. “This throne belonged to a mare named Flora. I heard that she was stubborn, and she was amazing with plants. Tia said she was blunt with her opinions, but the Element of Honesty usually is.
”This one was Mira’s,” I continued, moving to the side. This throne was also stone, but it was carved into shapes of animals; I saw a bunny, a dog, even a dragon. “She was the peacekeeper, able to diffuse arguments between anyone. She had been the Element of Kindness.”
“Who was this one?” Scootaloo shouted, her patience finally wearing thin.
I walked to where she stood. All the way on the other end of the row, was a throne that looked to be made of clouds. No, it was made of clouds, enchanted to keep its form like the structures in Cloudsdale. I smiled when I realized who it was.
“Of course you would pick this one!” I laughed. “This belonged to Tornata, an overconfident and foolhardily brave. She always defended her friends. Her Element was Loyalty.”
My teasing was not lost on her. The filly’s fascination with my friend was very well known by most of the town.  It was only natural that she was drawn to the throne of the Bearer  of the same Element. Applebloom had done the same for her sister’s Element, and I could see Sweetie standing in front of the throne for the Element of Generosity. 
The throne next to Tornata’s was interesting. It was made of colorful gems and crystals. Somehow, it seemed like the pattern was random, yet I could see coherency in it; if you start from one crystal, the colors next to it are its contrast, and the colors next to it, moving out man making a full rainbows of colors.
“Azura sat here,” I continued. “She was strange. She liked to combine magic and inventions, and she created a lot of ways for those without a horn to use the same tools as a Unicorn. She had her own system for everything, so anyone who did not know the system thought she was an unorganized nut. She bore the Element of Laughter.”
“I will let you guess on the two on the sides of the middle,” I said, sitting a bit away from the row’s center.
These two thrones were simple, and it was easy for me to see who they belonged to. The one that was on my left, or if I were on the middle throne it would be the right, was solid gold, a picture of the sun engraved into the chair’s back. Its opposite was similar, though the metal was silver and its symbol was that of a moon. 
“Princesses Celestia and Luna?” Sweetie Belle guessed.
Exactly!” I grinned. “I will go easy on you and tell you that Celestia was the Element of Generosity while Luna wielded the Element of Magic. Luna was always the better spellcaster. I bet if Tia had become whatever her version of Nightmare Moon is, the fight would have been more evenly matched before the Elements came into play.”
“And the last throne?” Sweetie asked. 
The throne she indicated was in the center. It was simple stone. Only the top was decorated, the stone having been carved into flames. Only the three in the middle had a warmth to them, almost radiating heat. It sounds silly to say, but it felt like the throne was calling me. Not with words, but I could hear a ringing in my ears that my mind said could only be stopped by sitting on it.
“This is the mare I know the least about,” I answered finally. “Celestia named me after this mare, and from the one statue of her I have seen, I assume it was because of a similar appearance. That is probably why I asked about her the least; the heartbreak felt fresh. Anyway, she was my Element, too, the Element of Love.”
An odd section of the wall caught my eye. As I walked closer, I saw carvings on it. Taking notice of the seams, I realized it was a door, though there were no knobs or handles. A door like this should open to a spell, but I did not want to waste time trying out different ones.
“We should be going now,” I said, tearing myself away from both the door and the throne still calling out to me. The three of them protested, but I cut them off. “It is very late, far past any of your bedtimes, and I did not forget that you snuck away from Fluttershy to come into the Everfree Forest.”
“We were trying to help a chicken,” Sweetie pouted as I herded them toward the door.
“You never told us why you were in here!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “If it’s so dangerous why’d you come in?”
“I came to see the castle,” I retorted. “And I have many tricks for avoiding the forest’s monsters. I am also trained in various types of combat, so if I were unlucky enough to greet a monster I would be able to fight, though I can also run or fly away fast enough if needed.”
“Okay, but if you came to the castle surely you want to see more than just this one room?” she suggested. “We can totally help you look around!”
“On another day you can come back,” I said. Their faces lit up. “Not too soon, I would like to see what dangers lurk these halls before inviting others, but I was planning on bringing a group of ponies here later. I think you deserve to be with that group.”
They kept talking of the idea of exploring; maybe even getting their Cutie Marks for it. We were across the rope bridge by the time they began to talk about something other than coming back. Most of our conversation was me convincing Sweetie not to try and use her horn for light. I might be able to maneuver around monsters, but it only works if they do not know we are here. 
“Girls? Girls!” I heard a frantic, yet familiar, voice yelling from above.
“Fluttershy?” I called up toward the voice. The yellow Pegasus landed in front of us, still panicking.
“Thank goodness!” she exclaimed. “We have to leave now! There’s a cockatrice on the loose!”
All kinds of swear words flew through my brain. If any of those fillies had a mindreading talent they are learning a lot of colorful language. I had forgotten about that creature. 
“Why are you here?” Fluttershy wondered, bringing me out of kicking myself.
“It is a long story,” I sighed.
“She found us out here and showed us this beautiful castle back that way!” Sweetie exclaimed. “She said we might come back again sometime!”
Fluttershy gave as much of an annoyed look as was possible for her. It said ‘you brought them someplace like that? Why not bring them home?’
“I was running from that cockatrice when I found these three,” I explained. “The castle is guarded against monsters, especially ones that can fly faster than these ones can run.”
“That makes a lot of sense when I think about it,” she said.
“Yeah, well I could not think much, especially when,” A thought struck me. Not a thought, but more like a minor version of the headache I got when I entered the castle. “Fluttershy, I need you to take them home now.”
“Aren’t you coming?” they asked in unison.
“Not yet,” I answered. “I still need to investigate a few things. I will be fine on my own, and you can stare down any monster that comes your way.”
I ran off before any of them could protest.  I headed back to the castle. As I neared my destination, I kept feeling like I needed to be there, I had to be there.
I was lucky to not run into anything. Even without the threat of a creature jumping out at me, I felt scared now. Here, I was alone. 
I felt that headache start up again. No, headache was not the word for it. It was like that feeling of trying to remember taking on a physical pressure in my mind. I wondered if I would black out again as I walked through the doors.
I went straight through the room and past the thrones, focusing on the door. I studied the carvings. There were many symbols on the door: two hearts, a swirling pattern with stars scattered in it, a compass rose and a crescent moon. 
I ran my hoof around the edge of the door, hoping to find something. I heard a click when I reached the bottom. A physical lock had been undone, but something was telling me that there was a spell keeping the door in place. I reached out to the feeling, grabbing onto it. It was not a pressure like before but a gentle push where I needed, maybe because I invited the feeling in. My horn sparked, casting a spell I did not recognize.
The door opened, air once sealed away rushed out. I stared into the darkness, scared yet invited. Spiral stairs led downward. Lighting my horn again, I walked on. I was not afraid of finding a monster here; anything that was inside when the door was sealed has been long dead.
It was not too far down to go, but in my loneliness it felt longer. As I tried to figure out what was down here, I felt that push again. I connected to it and let my magic work itself. Everything was bright now. I blinked at the change, but tried to look around. It seemed like ponies had lit torches in intervals around the room.
As my vision cleared, I saw there were no torches. There were gems and crystals set in the sconces instead. The spell I had used was one I now recognized, a simple light spell; I had seen Unicorns at the school in Canterlot experimenting with charging small gems with spells, but never had I seen anypony make it work properly, especially not to this extent.
The gems cast colors everywhere, but most of them were whites, oranges, and yellows, giving a similar effect as a flame, but without its flicker. This room was huge, nearly the size of the throne room, and just about as bare. Dust covered the floor and empty bookshelves. 
Interestingly, one large crystal stood at the end of the room, remaining unlit. I approached it cautiously. Everything left in here had been moved, so why was this left alone? The crystal almost seemed to glow brighter, and I found myself staring into bright blue eyes.
I stifled a scream as I jumped backwards nearly tripping over my own hooves. The thing in front of me looked like a projection of sorts, but it was coming from the crystal instead of a pony caster. Coming back to rational thought, I realized this was the mare from when I blacked out. Azura, I believe I had called her. She looked about the same, though her mane was crystallized, probably just an effect from the projection. She began to speak.
“Is this thing working?” she asked. Her voice was clear, as if she really were standing in front of me.  “Well, if somepony is watching this is did work! Anyway, this is my newest attempt at keeping records, almost like Zyanthi’s  journal. Well, we had a journal, but considering it was quite flammable, I looked into other options.
“Firstly, I would like to cover how this works, since it is our records and all. I have always been able to absorb and amplify magic by casting it on crystals, but those are for one time only uses, and I need something permanent. Right now I am using a projection spell on this crystal, and if it works properly I will have a record of my work what will not get knocked into a fire pit.”
“I already said I was sorry!”  came a stallion’s voice. The speaker did not appear, so I assumed he was just in the same room when she recorded. 
“It does not change the fact that Evening had to spend all day fixing it!” Azura shouted over her shoulder. “And watch your own project! If you leave that on the heat for too long it will-!”
An explosion of sorts sounded from her message, followed by a few interesting swear words. Her form flickered as she began to leave the message’s frame. I had to wonder, I have seen ponies just recently beginning to experiment with crystals and gems in magic, but this mare was from about two thousand years ago. She appeared again, though this seemed to be an entry from a different day.
“Two days from now it my sister Luna’s birthday,” she said. “We have planned our biggest project since the Elements of Harmony! It is similar in a sense, but the Elements’ power is mostly as an offensive tactic. This is more of a defense. I cannot say more on it now, in case someone figures out how to work this. I will update with exact details after the party!”
Her form flickered again. I assume that means the end of an entry. I began to wonder more. It seemed that she helped create the Elements of Harmony. No, she said she was talented at using magic with gems, she probably made them, or at least made the necklaces and tiara. 
Her form stopped flickering, but she still moved. Her body was trembling, and her eyes looked like she had not slept. I saw tears streaking her coat, not just down her face but patches on both shoulders. I wanted to grab her, to hold her close and assure her that everything is fine, the only thing that stopped me was the knowledge that this was just a projection.
"Today was Luna’s birthday,” she said, her voice no longer vibrant. “No, by now it is the next day. I wish that day never happened. We had set up for a party; we planned to laugh and dance and eat as much as we could, then we were going to reveal our project. That was our plan, yet things happen. I-I still cannot believe she’s-“
She chocked back a sob; her body shook harder, tears forming in her eyes again. When I blacked out earlier, had she not said that they were setting up for Luna’s birthday party? It had to be the same one she meant now. What could have possibly happened that day? I lifted my hoof to her shoulder before remembering that she was not real.
“Feria is dead!” she finally cried out, freely sobbing now. My eyes widened as I felt my own breath catch. “Star, Evening, Morning, and I, we were h-heading down to the w-workshop. We got t-to the throne room a-and she was j-just lying there! Sh-she was, her b-body was, in a pool o-of blood, her neck w-was- Oh stars I do not even want to think about it!
“I-I remember screaming. That might have b-been all four of us. We tried t-to keep the others from seeing her like, like that. Evening and Star h-had to set up barriers because they kept trying to get in. E-eventually someone broke through, but I did not pay attention to whom. 
“They a-are all having different reactions. Most are solemn, crying and staring at the ground as they walk. Luna, she l-locked herself in her room. Morning and Evening are trying to comfort everyone, but they can only do so much. And Dissi is, he s-seems to be having different stages. 
I remember seeing him when we found her, after someone broke though o-our barrier; he was shouting and screaming something, but I could not hear him through my sobs. H-he held on to her, clinging to her in his hysterical state. Since then he’s been either hiding away, probably crying like the rest of us, but it is his rage that scares me. He was yelling and breaking things earlier. His magic is going out of control changing objects and colors and-“ 
She shuddered, shaking off the thoughts. ‘Dissi’ was a name I recalled from the blackout. No, not just a name, but a creature. I wondered who exactly he was, why this scared her. Is it not natural for some to be that upset when someone dies?
“There is one question that needs answered,”  Azura stated. “A blade to the throat is nowhere near a ‘natural’ death. Someone killed her, and we have no idea who or why. We cannot even find whatever was used. Luna agreed to dreamwalk tomorrow night, to try to find who could have done this. I am terrified. Can I handle the idea that one of our family did this? Can I handle the retribution they will face from us? What will I do if we do not find out?”
With that, she flickered again and left me with the image of her tears. I sat down, my breathing heavy and my heart quickening. I shuddered in the cold that washed over me. I knew most of the first Alicorns were dead, and I saw the grave in the courtyard, telling me how young the previous Feria was when she died. I never could have thought that someone could have murdered her.  
Before I could do anything, the message stopped flickering. Azura appeared again. Before, I would have placed her age somewhere around my own, maybe a little older. She was mostly the same, but I could see tiredness in her face like that on ponies my friends’ parents age, though a fair bit worse. Her coat was lighter and her mane had added gray to its multi-hued length. 
“I have not entered anything here for a long time,” she said. “It has been centuries. The eight of us discovered our Immortality when we did not begin to grow old and gray like the rest of our family. There should have been nine of us. When Feria was killed, I would always console myself with the fact that if there were an afterlife we would be together, and if not then I would not feel the pain any longer. I hope that if an afterlife exists, it is a world like our own, but a place where no one gets hurt, where we cannot die. Luna compares the idea to that of her Dreamworld, but I have not seen it.
“We thought we could not die. There was even an incident maybe a year after Feria’s death with Bolero, Nocturne, and Serenade. Flora got what should have been a fatal wound, but her magic healed her. I kept trying to figure out why it did not work for Feria; she was different like the rest of us Immortals. The best I can figure it that something stopped her from using her magic so that she could not heal herself. Now I wonder that even if she were killed would she still be alive? Would she even be with us?
“So much has changed. Most of our friends have died, though out of the first of us, so far every death was from old age, except for Feria’s. Those who still live are no longer around all the time. My sisters are in separate castles, even I have left my home for my own Empire; Only Celestia and Luna remain back at our castle, but I hear they have plans to move to a new city. Dissi kind of travels around, though I know something is very wrong I cannot do anything more than wait for him to break. The Dragons have their own separate colony; they seem to live for a few hundred years, but they are growing old, even if it is at a much slower rate. Chryssi left too, which was something Tornata was upset about for weeks. And four of us are, well we will be going home soon.
“We have found a way to end our Immortality, if we truly want. There is no real spell or given words, just the realization that we want something else that our Immortality cannot give us. Tornata was the first to give it up. She fell in love with a Pegasus named Hurricane. She wanted to spend her life with him, with the children they had, instead of spending the rest of eternity without them. Flora was next, falling for an Earth Pony named Puddinghead, and Mira has a Unicorn named Jade Mist. 
“If you have seen my previous entries, you will have probably guessed that I am the same, I gave up my Immortality. It was not until I met Stone Symphony that I wanted to give it up. I would rather spend one mortal life with him than go on forever without. I feel free, in a way. I hope I will be able to see my friends again, my brilliant, fantastic, and marvelous friends.
“So far, no one else had been Immortal. Not even my sister’s children are, though two have been born Alicorns so far. My own daughter, Lazuli, it one too, but she is too young for me to really know if she will live forever. I do not expect her too. And I can only wonder when the remaining four of us will give up their Immortality.
“That leads me into why I made this message. That incident I mentioned, out of habit we tried to use the Elements of Harmony against them. We had not even pulled them out of their hall since months before her death, but we hoped their power would knock some sense into them. We did not get a chance. The Seventh Element, the Element of Love, Feria’s Element, was broken; the gold was snapped in two and the gem shattered. The others are usable, even with other bearer’s deaths. I think it is because they left on their own terms, but their power is severely weakened. They did not have enough power to help, and we.... Starswirl had to...
“But that message is not for this crystal. This message is to say that if there is a need for the Element’s power, someone can take them from where I am about to hide them. I cannot say it for just anyone, yet I can give the words that will lead you to their resting place; ‘The sun, moon, and stars will guide your way’.
“This will probably be my last entry,” she began to cry again. There were no sobs like last time, but just silent tears down her face. “I would like to apologize to all those I left behind, and to those I will never meet. I hope that if there is somewhere after death, we can meet there. I apologize to Feria. I was never able to find out who killed you. We tried and tried again, but we never could do it. They are probably dead by now. Maybe I will learn if I see you again? Most of all, I would like to apologize to the four remaining Immortals. Chryssi, Tia, Luna, Dissi, I love you all. I am sorry for leaving you too, but I hope that one day you will understand why I did. Whether you are together or apart, be happy. Smile and laugh! Remember us all, but do not get so caught up in the past that you forget what you have now. 
“Goodbye, everyone. Goodbye, my friends. Goodbye, my family.”
The crystal dimmed, and her form disappeared. I found that tears were running down my face as well. I felt like I could not breathe. My body was trembling. Why did her story affect me like this? I know it should be normal for somepony to feel terrible about another’s problems, but this was not normal. I did not know this mare, so why did this tale make me feel like this? I have been in situations where ponies tell me about the worse of their lives, yet I never feel like this around them. With her, I wanted to pull her close, to tell her everything is alright, to assure her that no matter how bad things are they can get better, and I wanted to mean it, to make it happen. 
I ran. I ran away from that room, out of the castle, and into the Everfree Forest. I was scared of this, and confused to why it was happening. It was not just the message that bothered me, but the blackout. I saw somepony’s memories, memories from the night before she died. I kept crying as I opened my wings and took off. I began flying towards Canterlot. I wanted answers. Celestia should know what is going on, and if not she could at least give some comfort to my panic.
*                                                            *                                                                              *
It was a little after sunrise by the time I got to the castle. Celestia could be nearly anywhere. Looking down, I could see the Lunar and Solar guards changing shifts, silver and gold armors mixed together. Some ponies only had half their armor on, the illusion spells that made them uniform were not activated yet, or currently deactivating in the case of the Lunar guard. 
I stumbled as I landed, hitting the ground much harder than I meant to. In front of me were the Guard Captains exchanging reports of what happened during the night. The Lunar Captain took notice of me first. 
“Good morning, Princess!” she exclaimed, getting into an immediate salute. The Solar Captain followed her lead. I looked between the Unicorn and the Pegasus. The illusion on the stallion’s armor did not matter much as he matched the guard anyway, but the mare’s illusion was only half on; her head was its normal cream and her mane blonde, but the rest of her was gray with a blue tail and the trademark bat wings of a Lunar Pegasus instead of her normal feathers.
“How many times have I said you do not have to do that when I come around?” I said. I had to smile at the familiar conversation. “Good morning, Gale Strike. Good morning Shining Armor.”
“Are you okay?” Gale asked. I probably looked terrible after last night. 
“I just did not get much sleep,” that is not a lie, right? “I spent the whole time running around then flying. Do you know where my sister is?”
“I think both of them are in the astronomy tower,” Shining replied. “Is there anything else you need, Princess?”
“No thanks. You can go back to work now,” I turned to leave before looking back over my shoulder at him. “Really, Shining, you do not have to call me ‘Princess’ every time. Especially now.  I got a letter from Cadence a few weeks back that says you will be joining the family soon!”
I smirked at the surprised look on his face. He began blushing furiously as Gale congratulated him. I continued on my way through the castle and up the tower. By the time I got to the door, I was trembling again.
I knocked on the door before walking in. It was quite a sight, seeing the Sun and Moon Princesses together again. Celestia looked as she always had, her white coat shining and her mane flowing with magic. I remembered that memory I saw, her mane was a normal pink instead of solidified magic. Luna was different than when I last saw her; her coat was a darker blue, and her mane was longer and darker too. It was not like the ethereal mane Celestia was known for, but I had a feeling it would get there.
“Feria!” Celestia exclaimed. I wonder if it was just surprise from seeing me here, or if I still looked terrible. Luna Quietly turned away. Considering I look like somepony she knew to be dead, that does not come at much of a surprise.
“I-I am sorry to interrupt,” I said shakily. “I- I just…”
“Come with me,” she said, standing up and walking me back into the hall. She looked back over her shoulder. “I will be back in a minute, Luna.”
She closed the door and we started down the way. I made it half way before breaking down. I just stopped and began shaking. I felt Celestia’s wing over me. It was a few minutes before I calmeddown enough to speak
“I-I went back to your old castle in Everfree,” I said. I could see a question in her eyes, the one I did not truly know the answer to. “I do not know why I did. Ever since I went there with my friends I kept wanting to go back, like I had to go back. When I first got there, I blacked out. I saw a dream of sorts. More like a memory, but it was not my own! I left for a bit, but I came back and I found the door behind the thrones. There was this large crystal and-“
“You activated the crystal?” Celestia asked. “I didn’t think you knew the spell.”
“I do not know how I did it,” I insisted. “I felt the same thing I felt when I blacked out, and I just let it work. It was so simple, like riding a bike again after not doing it for years. I just reached out to it, and my magic did something that felt like I had done it so many times.”
“And it played Azura’s messages,” she continued for me. “Tell me more about the blackout. What happened in that ‘memory’?”
“I saw if from somepony’s point of view,” I told her. I tried to take in how calm she was being. “It was like I was her. I felt every move she made from the steps she took to the way the wind blew through her feathers, I even felt when she lit her horn. When she talked to them it was my own voice. You were there, and so was Azura. There were a few other ponies some were types I do not know.  Names, she called them ‘Star’, ‘Onyx’, and ‘Ambrosia’. And a creature that was some type of Chimera, though one I have never seen, even in books. She called him ‘Dissi’. We-we were all talking and laughing. We were setting up for a party, Luna’s birthday party she said. I just want to know what is happening.”
“I’m not sure what to think,” she replied. “I remember the night you saw, but I do not know how you saw it. That was the night the previous Feria died.”
“The night she was killed,” I corrected. “You can say it, I know. The message told me. I never knew.”
“I should have told you,” she agreed. “I kept putting it off. First I told myself it was because you were too young, then by the time it really hit me that you aren’t a kid anymore, you were in Ponyville. I would like to look into memory magic later. Maybe it is the connection to the Element that let you see that?”
“I do not think that is it,” I said. “None of the other bearers were pulled to the castle, nor did they see the previous bearers’ memories. Something else is going on.”
Everything got darker. The sun just rose, did it not? Why is it so dark? I tried to focus on Celestia, but even she faded out. How can she not notice? Does she not hear the ringing in her ears? I realized what was happening. I tried to call out to her as everything went dark.
I could tell I was in a memory again. Darkness surrounded me. It felt so cold, like tiny daggers piercing my coat. I lit my horn, or rather, the pony from the memory lit her horn. I was outside somewhere. I looked to the sky, seeing neither day nor night, just more of that darkness. Why did I find it so terrifying? I could feel grass beneath my hooves. To my right was water, though I could not tell if it was a lake or a slow river. I was much closer to the ground; my body was much younger, maybe four or five for most ponies I think. 
Time was going faster than usual. I do not know how I was able to measure time as no days went by, but I knew 
Time was going faster than usual. I do not know how I was able to measure time as no days went by, but I knew that about every fifteen seconds was a day. Every few minutes, a new foal would appear. The first was a Pegasus, then a Unicorn who lit her horn in an attempt to give us light. The third was an Earth Pony. The next two were those types I had seen in the other memory, a pony like a bug and a pony like a gem. Following them was a Zebra.
One day, just before what I assumed to be morning, a bright light appeared. It was kind and warm, so different from the darkness we knew. When the light subsided, there was another filly, an Alicorn with a white coat, a pink mane, and familiar violet eyes. 
The new filly lit her horn, attempting to join the Unicorn and I. Instead of just creating a small light, the sun rose into the sky, which turned a clear, lovely blue. We could see the world around us. We were in an empty field of sorts, the water nearby was a river. 
Later into the day, the foals begged the new Alicorn to keep the sun up. She shook her head and put it down, releasing us into that dark cold again. I could not hear their words, but she seemed to be saying that it would not be right, that something else will be there soon, but she would bring it back tomorrow.
Every day was now marked by a rising sun, yet their night still had no moon.  The pattern repeated, a Pegasus, a Unicorn, and Earth Pony, a bug pony, a gem pony, and a Zebra. I still did not know where they came from, it was just one moment they were there with us. We seemed to introduce ourselves, though I did not know how we got our names.
The next light brought another Alicorn. This one was a very light purple, and her mane was a stormy gray. She looked around at us before leaping into the sky. She circled her hooves as the air around them seemed to condense.  A cloud appeared where she was. As she bounced on its top rain came down, drenching those beneath her.
It followed the same pattern for weeks. Pegasus, Unicorn, Earth Pony, bug pony, gem pony, Zebra, Light. It happened three more times, each light bringing an Alicorn; one was pink with a multicolored mane, the next was a brown one who made trees and plants pop up all around us, and the sixth Alicorn was more yellow orange, her presence bringing many other creatures out of the forest, including dragons and griffons. 
The pattern changed. After the next Zebra, no bright light appeared to give a new Alicorn. The pattern repeated as usual, but no bright light appeared. Instead, the bright light appeared on the next week. She was similar to the bug ponies, but not exact. Her wings were larger and her horn longer.
The bright light appeared the next week, throwing all ideas of a pattern out the window. None of us knew what to make of this creature, a younger version of the medley of a creature from the memory at Everfree.  I, or rather, the pony this memory belongs to, offered her hoof to the creature, like they had done for all the others. He took hold of it in his talon.
Calculating the time, I realized a year had probably passed for them. Less than half of that year was spent in the sun. The foals convinced that filly to try to keep the sun up instead of setting it at night. I could see the strain on her, but she assured us it was fine.  We had a full twenty eight hours of sun before we could not stand it; everything kept getting hotter and brighter, we got even less sleep than we got in that cold darkness. She lowered the sun the next night.
As the sun began to set, the light appeared once more. A deep blue Alicorn filly appeared from it. She watched the setting sun and lit her horn. I watched the moon rise, I felt the cool night air a great change from the sun’s heat and that darkness’ stabbing cold.  I watched the filly pay attention to the sky, making stars and constellations, pictures anypony asked to see in the night sky. 
It was just about a year by now.  These foals spent a year in either harsh sun or total darkness, no real shelter or comfort or even parental supervision. Some even spent time without the sun, just the comfort of other ponies. 
As I watched the sun rise on the day lapping a full year, my eyes closed. I could see their colors. I was still in the memory, this was something she was doing. She could see them like I would. 
My eyes shot open while my limbs flailed upon realizing they could move again. Looking around I could see that I was in my old room back in the castle. It seemed so empty now that most of my things were in Ponyville. A few things stayed, toys from my foalhood and some of the fancier outfits that I would not need.
I heard a voice next to me. Celestia was standing at my side. I assume she had brought me in here, I think she was asking if I was alright? I was still a bit disoriented. I began to wake up enough to feel things; I could feel tears drying in my coat, and my throat burned.
“How long was I out?” talking did not help, but I wanted answers.
“Just a few hours,” she said, levitating a glass of ice water toward me. I drained it in seconds, thankful for its coolness.”You yelled a lot while unconscious, screaming the names of some ponies. Normally I would not think much of it, but I think you have only heard four of those names before you fell asleep. They were the names of those of us who were Created.”
“Created how?” I demanded. “You are not making sense, Tia! I do not want riddles! I just want to know what is going on!”
“First, tell me about your dream, while it is still fresh in your mind,” she replied. 
There was an emotion in her voice I could not place. Was it fear? Maybe it was a glimmer of hope. Whatever it was, I knew I could not argue this with her. I sighed in defeat.
“There was a darkness, horrid and terrifying,” I began. I recounted every detail of what I saw, and every single feeling that went through me.  She let me speak without interruption, and at the end gave support in the form of a kind embrace. I leaned into her for comfort. As terrified as I was of what was going on, she had lived through the things I saw. As real as it felt for me while I was out, she had actually lived through that year.
“Everything you saw did happen,” Celestia said pulling away. “I don’t know how you are doing it, but that was the creation of the First Ponies of Equestria. It is an event very few creatures remember.”
“Those were the names you shouted,” She continued, walking to the window. “You were watching from the eyes of the previous Feria, though I have no idea why that memory was triggered here, a place where she has never been.  But the real question is why you’re seeing this.”
“Can you… Can you please stop referring her as ‘the previous Feria’?” I whispered. I did not wait for a response before continuing in a panic. “It was just that, when I was in the memory she did something only I can do. She looked into that other world Tia. Everypony is just a blob of color, but I can tell who everypony is. That ability, my appearance, seeing those memories, and from what I can tell from the memories a very similar personality. I cannot think of her and I as two separate ponies.”
I could not tell the reaction on her face. Maybe she was shocked, or maybe she was about to admit me to an asylum. I was one more memory away from admitting myself to an asylum. 
“I can’t rule that out,” she finally said. My ears perked up; did she just say she might believe me? “It seems incredibly illogical, and it might just be the vain hope of one who wishes to have who she lost, but Alicorns have not followed most rules of magic too well.
“I wish I could give you a straight answer,” she continued, turning back to me. “But the only research we have on even the potential idea of reincarnation is from Phoenixes, and I don’t think it’s the same. Though I can get a few of the Gifted Unicorns on a research team to try. You have an suggestions on who should be on that team?”
“Ivy, if she can spare the time,” I answered. “Melon Mint seemed to have good, if not out there, ideas too. She might help.”
She began pacing, thinking of who else should be on the team. I almost could not believe this. She was not only taking me seriously, she was making it a priority, hoofpicking ponies to help.
“As for the memories,” she nodded. “I know of a pony who make be able to help you. Convincing her that this is a good idea without getting her hopes up is another matter. I suggest you go back to Ponyville for the time being, and stay there. 
“Knowing you,” she did not let me protest, “you’ll want to go right back to that castle and explore. You were lucky enough to be in the castle when you blacked out. If you had done that in the forest, who know what could’ve happened. The magics left in that forest are dangerous anyway, even for you.”
I stayed quiet for a minute. She was right; as soon as I calmed down I would have walked right back into the Everfree. It was practically a miracle I did not blackout and get attacked by some monster.
“Alright,” I agreed. “I will stay in Ponyville, for now, if you answer two questions. First, why are you doing this much? Not that the effort is not appreciated, but surely you have other things to do than just help me. You have a kingdom to run, yet ever since I was little you put things off for a bit.”
“The last time I ignored something about my sister, I lost her for one thousand years,” she answered. “I did not want it to happen again.”
I felt almost guilty for asking. It was hard for me to think about a time when Celestia could ignore sompony’s feelings to that extent. I shook it off, that was one of those ideas meant for later, like when I cannot sleep.
“Next question,” I sighed. “If that memory is from Equestria’s beginning, why do history books say different? Why do our history books say everything is different? I knew ponies who thought you were the only Immortal Alicorn, and that Luna was a myth. What happened?”
Her expression darkened. Times like this remind me of just how old she is, how much history she has seen made. It was a little terrifying to think about.
“Ponies do not like to remember darkness,” she said. “The rewrite history, make it sound nice and decent, they fit it all into a box al nice and neat, not bothering to think about the mess. Those who remember the truth die, or they give up on trying to keep it alive. Even a Princess can’t control her subjects when they truly want something.”
We made our way down to the main courtyard. I wanted to ask more questions, but I think I have learned enough for today. She insisted a guard escort me back, should I black out again. I told her she was worrying too much, but I went along with it anyway. At least she let me pick which guard to take.
I chose a Pegasus, as I wanted to fly back. I looked at my choices. Crimson was interesting, and Archer is always fun. In the end, I chose somepony I had not met. It would be nice to have a conversation that would not get too personal after a day like today.
“So,” I began mid flight. “What is your name?”
He stumbled a bit in the air. I tried to stifle my laughter at his shock. The other guards knew me well enough, but the newer ones are still confused when I talk to them. 	Though usually the only real attention they got from a Royal about their personal life was Blueblood hitting on them. 
“Iridescent Blade,” he answered. 
“Nice name!” I commented. “What do you look like without the Armor Enchantment?”
“It’s not really relevant,” he mumbled 
“Come on!” I laughed. “The only guard I have seen that did not need the enchantment is Shining. I want to know!”
“Fine!” he sighed, rolling his eyes. He grabbed the helmet from his head and the spell around it broke. The brown coat darkened to a rich mahogany while his mane lightened to white. Something was a little off about it.
“Your mane seems to be changing colors!” I exclaimed. I turned my wing and spiraled around him to get a better look. “Over here it looks like a light blue, but down here it’s orange! Now it’s pink!”
“It’s actually all of those,” he replied, putting the helmet back on. “It’s a lot of very-light-almost-white colors. It just appears different with what I wear and the lighting. Anyway, we’re almost to Ponyville, so I guess I’ll say goodbye soon.”
Before I could answer a blur of colors rushed up in front of us, nearly knocking Iridescent off course. 
“Where have you been?” The colors I now recognized as Rainbow Dash demanded. “Fluttershy’s had us looking everywhere for you! Twilight’s going nuts thinking you’ve been eaten by some monster! They’re probably already back at the library by now!”
“What are you thinking!” Iridescent shouted at her after he was sure he was not going to fall out of the sky. “You nearly gave me a frigging heart attack!”
I had to laugh at their argument. After the night I had it just seemed so normal. No spastic memories or hidden truths were weighing on their mind. They were just two ponies having an argument over recklessness.
“Thank you for the escort, Iridescent,” I said, stopping their fight in their tracks. “Since we are back in Ponyville territory, I believe your mission is completed. Please tell Celestia I am safe. Maybe I’ll send you a letter sometime?”
“I’ll tell her,” he answered. With a smile, he added, “And I look forward to a letter.”
I grinned back as he took off. Rainbow and I spiraled downward, and by the time we reached the library he was a spot in the distance. When I opened the door it felt like I was tackled by a tree.
“Oh my goodness! You’re okay!” Fluttershy exclaimed. I counted heads in the room and saw six ponies and one dragon. 
“What happened?” Twilight asked. Her mane looked disheveled, like she had been running her hooves through it for hours. “Fluttershy said you ran off in the Everfree forest, but you didn’t show up this morning.”
“I am sorry,” I sighed. “I was exploring the castle in Everfree, and I found some things.”
“Was there a monster hiding in there?” Rarity asked. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they were using the structure as a nest.”
“No, there are wards in place to prevent that,” I said. I wondered how to explain it to them; I cannot lie to m friends, but even I do not know what is going on. “What I found was information. I was not able to process it properly on my own, so I flew to Canterlot. Celestia is trying to help.”
I could not read their reactions. I guess they were just trying to process what I had said, to figure out what I had omitted. I do not think I would mind if they did not believe me. It might keep them safe.
“Hey! Cheer up!” Pinkie squeaked. “Investigating sounds fun! I can’t wait to get started! Oh! What do I bring? I know where to get a magnifying glass! And I can make snacks! What kind of cupcakes go with mysteries? I was thinking chocolate and mint ones with strawberry frosting and little fondant puzzle pieces on top!”
“Y-you want to help?” I asked. I was not sure I had heard her right.
“Of course we do!” Applejack replied. “Ya need help with this.”
I could not hear the rest of their agreements. I was smiling like an idiot. I could feel the warmth of their support. They did not just believe me, they believe in me. As we walked to our homes, I took a moment to enjoy that feeling. I was as warm as the sun shining on my face. I knew this was something I would never have to do alone.