The New World (Cancelled)

by Yin or Yang


Dream Walker

Apple Bloom opened her eyes and climbed out of bed. The events of yesterday were still fresh in her mind, but as she approached the door that led her out of her bedroom, something felt odd. Everything was where it should be, but Apple Bloom couldn't shake this strange feeling tingling inside of her. Apple Bloom opened the door and trotted downstairs to the living room, which was a large couch, two comfy chairs, a fireplace, and a carpet with the symbol of the Apple Clan plastered on it. Sitting on the middle of the couch was someone Apple Bloom never expected.

"Princess Luna?" shrieked Apple Bloom. "What the heck is going on?"

Luna slowly arose from the couch and approached Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom looked up at Luna's smiling face and was distracted by her flowing mane, which looked more akin to a miniature galaxy than a mane.

"Hello, Apple Bloom," said Luna. "You are actually dreaming, and I have entered your dreams to talk with you in private."

"What? How?" Apple Bloom's mouth was agape, her pupils fully dilated.

"That's not important. Besides, I've entered the dreams of your friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. I figured it was only a matter of time before I showed up in yours."

"What do you want to tell me?"

"Just a few things. First, you should know that there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. I heard about the trouble you nearly got in. If you weren't saved your belly would have a huge black and blue mark on it, and we'd all rather not see you with that."

"Sorry, it's just I want to live a life of excitement, and my family life doesn't exactly give me many opportunities to do that."

"Have you thought about why your family is concerned for your safety?"

Apple Bloom closed her eyes shut and tried to formulate an answer to Luna's question. Idea after idea rushed through Apple Bloom's mind, but when she opened her eyes, all she could say were three words, "I've got nothing."

Luna patted Apple Bloom's head gently, who felt surprised at how smooth Luna's hoof decoration was. "It's because your family cares very much for you and wants you to be okay. You are still very young, and when you grow up, you'll be able to go on as many adventures as you want. You just need to grow a little bit more before tackling the bigger challenges."

Apple Bloom sighed in disappointment. "But I want to go on a cool adventure now."

"No need to whine, as you can do many interesting things that do not put your body at risk. I know we'll meet again someday, but for now, I must depart."

"Wait, Luna, I have more questions. Like-"

"Apple Bloom," a familiar voice yelled.

Apple Bloom shot out of her bed fully awake. Next to her was her dear sister, Applejack, who had a stern expression on her face.

"Apple Bloom, school is starting soon, and I don't want ya to be late," said Applejack in an intimidating manner. "If you would kindly get ready so you can make it to class on time, that would be much appreciated."

"Sorry sis, I'll get ready in a jiffy."

Apple Bloom dashed out of her bedroom as quickly as she could and into the bathroom located nearby, cleaning up and getting ready for another day of school.


Apple Bloom, through sheer luck, made it to school in the nick of time. She took her seat and Sweetie Belle, who sat behind her, waved. Apple Bloom waved back to her friend with the same amount of enthusiasm. The classroom was already filled and a geriatric earth pony named Grinding Gears entered the classroom with a wooden cane on one hoof and started teaching.

"Good morning class," said Grinding Gears, his voice sounding like one that would belong to an ancient wizard. "We have some more history lessons to do today, so let's take attendance and begin." Once the teacher took attendance, reading their names just as Spring Leaves would do in the other class, he began his lecture.

"Today's lesson covers the history of King Sombra." The students picked up their pens, ready for another day of note taking. "Many believe Sombra to be this embodiment of evil, but did you know that he actually didn't start out that way?" A light blue pegasus colt raised his hoof high in the air. "Yes, Thunderstorm?"

"If Sombra wasn't evil once, how did he behave? Because let me tell you, I don't buy this Discord is reformed crud."

"We will get to Discord eventually, but as for your first question, Sombra was a paladin that served for the military shortly after Celestia and Luna rose to power."

Apple Bloom paused for a brief moment upon hearing Luna's name. She thought a little about what Luna had told her in her dreams, but kept writing once the thought had passed.

"Anyways, Sombra led a charge against what is called the Crystal Empire. The emperor of this land was a very powerful dragon, not to mention a very cunning one as well. The charge was working, but when the emperor took the upper hand for a brief moment, he gave Sombra a choice. He promised to let Sombra slay him and restore peace to the land, at the cost of being cursed the following year, or he could flee, but be promised that his friends would live. Sombra wanted to end the war, no matter how much it may hurt him in the process, so he took the first option, and he managed to enjoy the benefit of his friends living as well. Unfortunately, he did not know what the curse had in store for him."

Apple Bloom suddenly remembered what Applejack told her concerning the whole Tirek mess six months ago, and how Princess Twilight was given an important choice somewhat like what Sombra went through. The similarities were eerie, but she passed it off as a coincidence and kept taking notes.

"The following year, Sombra began to feel hungry for power and as time went on, he descended into madness. He managed to take control of the very same land he once freed, and the last bit of consciousness his old self still had could only watch as he himself became a dictator. It was there he wrote one final letter to Celestia and Luna before the curse completely consumed him, pleading that the royal sisters defeat him so that he did not plunge the world into chaos. The sisters agreed and arrived to defeat him just after he had become fully consumed. Any questions?"

The bell rang to indicate that the lunch break had began, and just as in Spring Leaves' class, all of the students stormed out the door, relieved that they could let their brains rest for a while before having to head back to work. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were both curious as to how yesterday went for the other as well as for Scootaloo.


The lunch table included Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo as usual, but also included Featherweight, Rumble, and Silver Spoon. Not everybody was happy in regards to who was at the table. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo still distrusted Silver Spoon, and everybody sans Apple Bloom was not a big fan of Featherweight, though the degree to which their dislike defined their opinion of him varied. Featherweight grinned smugly, everybody at the table staring intently at him.

"You should've believed me," said Featherweight, who felt like he was a king. "I managed to-"

"Don't forget about me," interrupted Apple Bloom.

"Ahem, Apple Bloom and I tagged a wall with the Symbol of Hope in the unicorn district, and nothing went wrong."

"Well we did almost get crunched by a speeding cart until a pony saved us."

"Who was that pony?" asked Scootaloo, who started to pay attention to Featherweight's story when she heard Apple Bloom mentioned being saved. "I bet it was Rainbow Dash, she's so awesome."

"Actually it was some mare named Spitfire."

"Ha," yelled Rumble as he jumped out of his seat on the verge of dancing. "What did I tell you, Scootaloo? The Wonderbolts are awesome as well."

"I don't mean to change the subject, but what is this about?"

"Rumble and I have a bet," said Scootaloo confidently. "I'd take her to one of Rainbow Dash's shows and if I convinced her that Rainbow Dash is better than the Wonderbolts in every conceivable way, he'd owe me twenty bits."

"Don't forget you'll owe me twenty bits if I'm right," said Rumble.

"Let's change the subject for a bit," said Featherweight. "I've got a cool quest we can do on the weekend, and I'll need all the help I can get."

"Oh boy, here we go again," muttered Rumble.

"I've heard rumors about a hidden temple, and I'm gonna go explore it."

"Where is it?" asked Apple Bloom.

"The Everfree Forest, but that's no longer a problem. Thanks, Twilight Sparkle. Anyways, there is supposedly a mysterious secret about this temple, and I'll need a group of ponies to help me along the way. Are you in?"

The five other ponies shook their heads in unison, all knowing that Featherweight may be trotting down the path of no return and into the realm of sheer stupidity. Featherweight raised his eyebrows up and down in a hypnotizing pattern, acting in complete denial of the evidence in front of him.

"You'll be joining me eventually. You may not think it now, but you most definitely will."

"Whatever." Apple Bloom cleared her throat and turned her attention towards Rumble. "So Rumble, who is this Spitfire? Before you say anything, yes, I don't know."

"I'll keep it short and simple," said Rumble, who cleared his throat. "Spitfire was the last Captain of the Wonderbolts. She is an extremely intelligent mare, but she can become tough as nails if the situation calls for her to be strict. Despite this, she apparently thought she didn't deserve the position of captain, and shortly before the last Equestria Games, the rumor was that she moved the ever popular Soarin to the position of captain, only for his first decision to be putting Spitfire back as captain, which he received unanimous support for from the other Wonderbolts."

"Do you know why?"

"I'm not a psychic, so no."

"Well, Rumble," said Scootaloo, "I know for certain that when I take you to Rainbow Dash's show, you'll know why this Spitfire is an emotional train wreck. Wait, I think I might have been a bit rude there. Sorry about that." Scootaloo blushed at her social blunder, trying to remind herself in her head that she should think before speaking.

"Well, the show is after class, so I guess we'll find out soon."

"Um, can I add something?" asked Silver Spoon nervously.

"Sure," said Sweetie Belle, rubbing Silver Spoon's back to encourage her new friend.

"I'm sorry to have kept this news to myself, as I probably should have told you from the start, but I've been told that the princesses are considering pressing major charges against Discord for his role in the incident six months ago. The charges are supposedly for what is called in Equestrian law "unforgivable crimes", which are the only crimes that can be punished with execution if the defendant is found to be clearly guilty. It's only a rumor at the moment, but if anything comes up, I think it would be wise to follow the story if anything major happens."

The other five ponies gasped, shocked at hearing the news. After all, they do recall being told that Discord looked like he was going to get out of this without any consequences. They were curious as to how Discord would respond, but since he was always being watched by someone, he probably wouldn't do anything too drastic. The bell inside the cafeteria rang and the students all trotted back to their classrooms to continue the school day.


School finally ended and Scootaloo and Rumble met by the flagpole, both of them with huge grins on their faces. Once they shook hooves to confirm that they were not backing out of the bet, the two traveled to the town square, where Rainbow Dash would be performing. At the town square, a conglomeration of ponies had already formed, many of them excited to see Rainbow Dash perform her daring feats. Scootaloo and Rumble squeezed their way to the front of the crowd and saw a light blue pegasus with a rainbow mane flaunting her skills. She took off from the ground and did a series of extremely fast maneuvers. Barrel rolls, loops, weather manipulation, and her signature move, the Sonic Rainboom, were all a part of her act. She landed on her hind legs and the crowd went ballistic. Scootaloo's eyes were glowing like stars, but Rumble stood there, and while she couldn't deny the fact that Rainbow Dash was an extremely agile flier, she had seen more impressive tricks from the Wonderbolts. Scootaloo looked over at her friend and was shocked to see him smiling, but it was clearly not because of Rainbow's tricks. It was because he knew he would be twenty bits richer in the future.

"Rumble, how can you honestly believe that Rainbow Dash isn't the best flier by a mile?" asked Scootaloo in a confused tone of voice.

"Because while her speed is impressive, there is much more to stunt flying," replied Rumble. "Working with other pegasi perfectly is one of the greatest skills of stunt flying, and having a legendary ability, as cool as it is, does not make you the best flier."

"Come on Rumble, just admit that I won."

"Well then, I'll just add a bit for every day you wait to pay up, how about that?"

Scootaloo sighed and reached into her saddlebag, pulling out a small sack of twenty bits. She tossed the sack to Rumble, who gleefully accepted. Rumble trotted up to Scootaloo and patted her on the head in a friendly manner.

"Don't let it get you down, Scoots. Besides, at least I know that Rainbow Dash is a great flier, just not the greatest."

"I'm fine with it. I guess I'll-"

"Wait up," a voice yelled. The voice belonged to Featherweight, who was holding a golden medallion in his hoof. Featherweight grinned at seeing Scootaloo and Rumble focus on his medallion like a cat focusing on a ball of yarn. "Wanna know where I got this nifty medallion? Then you're gonna have to join me on my expedition, because where we're going is where I found it."

"On one condition," said Scootaloo, staring intensely at Featherweight. "If you can assure me there is no danger and I get to keep some of the treasure, I'll come along."

"No danger whatsoever." Featherweight nodded, looking more like a salespony for every second that went by.

"Okay then. Why don't I believe you?"

"I guess you'll have to remain disappointed. No memorable experiences for you. Goodbye, pal."

Featherweight trotted off into the distance as Scootaloo and Rumble looked on, neither of them particularly fond of the surprisingly persistent pegasus. Rumble turned his head towards Scootaloo and smirked.

"What's up with him?" asked Rumble. "He seems to really want some company."

"He's a daredevil," answered Scootaloo. "As insane as he is, I'm not stopping him."

"Say Scoots, I have a request." Rumble's voice shifted to a serious tone. "How about we go out to the Sky High Restaurant and I'll introduce the owner to you? His name is Soarin, which should sound familiar. You should be able to connect the dots as to why I'm requesting this."

"I don't see why not, but the food had better be good."

"Goodbye, Scoots."

"Goodbye, Rumble."


The sun set in the sky and night came, and during the middle of the night, Apple Bloom was tossing and turning in her bed, whimpering something inaudible. She was having a nightmare, and in this nightmare, she was at a scorched wasteland, and a red cloud with the disgusting face of Tirek was chasing her, getting closer and closer for every step Apple Bloom took. The cloud laughed as Apple Bloom desperately tried to run away, her hooves crushing the dead leaves she galloped over.

"Foolish child," it said sinisterly. "I shall destroy all of Equestria, and you shall be its latest victim. Your blood will join all of the other ponies that I have drained. Say goodbye, Apple Bloom."

Apple Bloom turned around and looked at the red cloud, but appearing from nowhere, Princess Luna slashed through the red cloud with an impressive black sword, her cutie mark inscribed on the blade's crossguard. The red cloud vanished and replacing the horrifying landscape was a much more peaceful garden with pink flowers, butterflies, and a smoothly flowing river. The beautiful scene calmed Apple Bloom, her soul soothed by the melodic chirping of the birds and the warm, gentle breeze. As Apple Bloom regained her composure, she remembered that she wanted to ask Luna some questions, and now seemed like an appropriate time to do so.

"I hope that nightmare didn't frighten you," said Luna. "While I may have power over dreams, I cannot be in multiple places at the same time and I can only enter the dreams of ponies I have met in the real world."

"Luna," said Apple Bloom. "I want to ask you, why do you enter the dreams of other ponies?"

"It's because this ability is a leftover from my brief stint as Nightmare Moon." Luna could feel a melancholy rush through her as she recalled the dark events of her past. "I had this amazing ability of entering dreams that would go to waste, so I decided to use it to help troubled fillies and colts that I had met. I know that I can't help everyone, but knowing that some ponies will not follow the same depressing path I took a thousand years ago is comforting."

"I can see where you are coming from. Anyways, I was told that the princesses were considering charging Discord with committing one of the "unforgivable crimes". Is that true?"

"It is, and all we are waiting for is approval from Twilight and my sister. Once that is set, we send out someone who is stronger than Discord to go capture him, and he will be placed on trial."

"How does the trial work?"

"Discord will be rendered immobile by the strongest anti-magic spell, a spell only possible by combining the powers of the Grand Council. The Grand Council consists of all of the leaders that make up our world. They currently consist of myself, Celestia, Twilight, Cadence, King Gryphus XII of the Griffon Kingdom, Chief Thunderhooves of the Buffalo Tribe, and Queen Pupa III of the Changeling Tribe."

"The changelings? They invaded Canterlot."

"True, but Chrysalis is currently in an unknown location at the moment. Nobody knows where she landed after being blasted away. Some say she reappeared, but there are no confirmations. After the changelings' defeat, Pupa III agreed to pay for any damages caused, and she is currently dabbling in methods of gathering food that don't depend on feeding on love. She isn't a friend of Equestria at the moment, but she's behaved long enough to not be an enemy. Anyways, if charged and captured, Discord will face the Grand Council at Mount Alicorn. The Grand Council will work with a group of law experts and if found clearly guilty, Discord will be executed. If found guilty, but there isn't enough proof to know if he is definitely guilty, Discord will serve a sentence in Tartarus. If innocent, Discord will be let go."

"Sounds a bit complicated. How will this affect us?"

"I wish I knew the answer. Only time will tell."

"Well then, thanks for being the exposition pony."

"You're welcome. I may be a princess, but I swore to serve the populace. Goodbye, Apple Bloom."

"Goodbye, Luna."


In the unicorn district, a group of ponies were washing away the Symbol of Hope that Featherweight sprayed on the wall a day ago. With them was Golden Jewel, seething with rage, and next to her were three unicorns, each with a tattoo of Discord's face and a tattoo of crossed unicorn horns on their front legs. These three unicorns were unicorn supremacists, and one of them was the father of Golden Jewel, trying to formulate who would tag their house.

"Please tell me that you can get rid of this barf before Prince Blueblood's wedding," whined Golden Jewel.

"We totally will," said her father, who had a gruff voice. "Besides, if anyone tries this trick again, I'll give them a scar they'll never forget."

"Sir, what about the rumor that Discord will be put on trial?" a unicorn asked.

"Doesn't matter, but I'll be furious if he's guilty."