Entry One, Afternoon
I have taken up this journal in hopes that, should what I have done, and continue to do, becomes so triv commonplace that I am no longer able to feel sufficiently poor grief and shame at their doing, then that I should at least recognize my actions for what they are from an intellectual and moral standpoint.
That said, before I forget, I should put to the memory of these pages how I came across this book and quill before the memories completely fade behind my work yet to come.
An unfortunate case, I decided to see if I might burn off some of the excess energy that I had acquired at the dawning of today’s sun rather than continue my work as the nocturnal minded citizens went to sleep.
On a side note, I am growing more concerned with my new body, I have yet to manage any true sleep and fear possible delet damaging effects it may have on me.
And so, risking the use of nightmare-sand to bring me out into the desert, not trusting my own sense of direction, I found the wreckage of a great covered-wagon, a merchant’s as much as I could surmise past the destruction. Much of the wares seemed to revolve around papers, inks, bindings, and the like, and much from what I could see from what was left scattered in the sand around me, and in this I found a blank journal and a quill, which I have now found seems enchanted to hold great amounts of ink in it, and scavenged them for myself. But just as I was about to leave my foot brushed against a hoof in the sand, and to make a gruesome story short there are now two unmarked graves within the desert that were not there before, though much of the lifting and digging were done by my sand, which I think has gotten bigger since last night. Though, whether I was able to manipulate these bodies due to their being dead or my newfound belief-energy, I am both unsure an unwilling to test further.
^^^
Trotting through the stone portal, I was greeted to the mingling of scents of spring as the outcropping of uncarven wall slid silently back into place, hiding, again, the secreted room on the small outcropping of Canterlot's mountainside. Stepping down the smooth cut stairway, luminescent buds hanging from the wall vines provided a pleasantly pale yellow light to guide me, comparably dimming as I came to an archway covered by hanging vines that shimmered with the colors of spring, and blocking the greater light behind them.
Parting the vines with a small push of magic, briefly incorporating a thin sparkle of teal into their leaves, I stepped through to the cavern. In truth, I was still hard pressed to believe my sister's secret garden had been grown without the aid of natural light, even as my gaze drifted skyward to a ceiling of netted vines so tightly woven that the shining buds, much like their cousins in the entry tunnel, gleamed down shafts of light like summer through the treetops, illuminating the quiet path of flowering trees all the way to the glistening, lily covered spring in the center.
She sat there, eyes closed, head held just above the surface of the water, her shimmering mane twining about the lily pads, no doubt meditating on her guard’s report. Sitting down upon the grassy shore, I waited, she never kept me waiting, not even in jest, though hopefully that will change in the future. Turning to more pleasant thoughts, I gave gaze to the pink, crystal petals of the nearest tree, remembering how flabbergasted I'd been to see such a specimen out of The Crystal Empire. This had been the first place she took me once I was recovered enough to leave my bed after my... true return to Equestria. She was quite proud of this place, as she should be, having grown it all within the bowels of the mountain herself, using her innate celestial powers to simulate the required synthesis in tandem with a slew of earth pony enchantments that I was only now just beginning to fully comprehend.
Pushing off from the submerged rock, Celestia turned towards me, oaring herself to shore with her wings. What the nobles would think to see their heavenly princess swimming like a young pegasus, dipping her nose beneath the water to blow bubbles I daren't guess, but such foalish actions could only bring a smile to my lips, glad of sharing such trivialities with my sister once more.
Reaching the edge of the pool and pulling herself up smoothly beside me, her mane, weighted with water, wavering from forearm to gaskin, she peered into my eyes and said, “What are your plans dearest sister?” stretching her left wing about my shoulders and wither.
I knew she would ask this, especially given my all too recent actions against The Nightmare, having reappeared and twisted the Element of Generosity into a foul incarnation of Nightmare Moon, how I'd strove to finish it alone and without aid. How I'd forgone sleep this past morning upon my return from the impromptu Night Court session.
“I shall call upon the Elements of Harmony and, together, we shall strike upon our enemy as a whole, putting an end to The Nightmare or whoever else has decided to take up its mantle."
“Then I shall await your triumphant return,” she smiled, brushing her muzzle against my cheek, furthering the embrace with a second wing. "Not so fast," she added as I tried to disengage, the sound of magic alighting on her horn as bits of steam began to rise from her sodden fur, giggling softly as I squirmed out of her heated grasp lest my mane turn as frizzled as her own.
***
“BRAAAAAAAUUUUUARRRRRRGH!!!!
‘Always something. And right when was on the cusp of a fourth configuration.’ I sighed, wheeling away from the worktable on my chair, the schematics for a three-dimensional puzzle flying at the sudden displacement of air and just as handily caught in a cloud of gentle magic. Closing my eyes to the illuminant amethyst byproduct as the animating energies suffused the prototype schematics, sending it back neatly into the cabinet under file heading of ‘Hobbies’ subsection ‘Brain Teasers’ using a modified version of Ship Shapes's organization spell, I sent a brief push of thaumic energy into updating the redundant copies before carefully pushing my chair back into place. Perfect. Even the timing. I had designated this time-block as free-time, so, really, there really couldn't be a better time for something unexpected to happen.
Still, I knew what that particular burp meant, though I would never breathe a word to anypony that I had come to know what each of Spike’s particular belches signified, and most especially not to Rainbow. Not that it mattered. Even if she did, I already had obfuscating data on sonics and dragon physiology with a few studies speculating into how their range of sound mimicked that of bats but on a lower pitch, so-
“Ooof, oh hey Twilight, looks like you got a message from Celestia,” Spike said, already giving me the ‘I-know-you-got-lost-in-thought-and-didn’t-even-realize-you-left-your-laboratory’ smirk.
“Thanks Spike,” I said, levitating the proffered scroll towards me while trying to ignore my growing blush while he tried to stifle a good natured giggle in kind. I ended up breaking down first though, leaving us laughing for a full fifteen and a half seconds before I regained enough control to look at the seal.
“Huh, that’s odd, Celestia normally uses a golden seal on her letters, but this one is silver.”
“Maybe she’s got some new stationary?” Spiked shrugged.
“Hmm, maybe,” I said, and gently pried the seal off and before reading.
Dear Princess Twilight,
A matter of the utmost urgency requires your immediate attention.
I would ask for you and your fellow Elements of Harmony to once more band together in aid of Equestira and its citizenry.
Please, rendezvous at the Ponyville train station and board the first train for Riydah.
I shall meet you en route with further detail.
Yours Truly,
Princess Luna
***
“I swear if Discord’s gone evil again I’m going to shove my hoof so far up his-”
“RainbowDash. Really. You needn’t resort to such language,” Rarity huffed, lounging on her simple train seat, “although, if he has gone off to the deep end, and so soon I might add, I might just be inclined to join you. Still, I’m quite sure his show of contriteness was genuine, right dear Fluttershy?”
“To tell you the truth I’m a little worried about him. He really hasn't been himself since," she gulped, "Well, you know. And," she straightened up, "as far as I can tell, he hasn't used a single bit of chaos magic during our weekly tea-parties since. Not even so much as triple loop-de-looping the tea from the pot.”
“Ooh, speaking of parties do you think we’ll be having one once we reach Saddle Arabia? ImeanI’veneverbeen buuuuuuuut I DO know it’s reeeaaally hot there, so first thing we have to is stock up on ice-cream.” Pausing for what should have been just been an exaggerated breath, Pinkie looked behind herself, and, in an almost off-hoofed tone, said, “huh, twitchy tail.”
At that, the conversations abruptly halted as everypony dove for cover, and not a moment too soon as bright flash of indigo gleamed briefly through the private car. Blinking the spots from their eyes, it was Twilight who, teleporting herself out from the cramped space under the surrounding divans, stood up to bow, as Luna said, “I’m sorry for the brief message, but…” she paused, gazing out into the empty room, save for the recently crowned Princess of Friendship.
“Sorry,” Twilight winced, waving urgently for the girls to come back up, “Pinkie, eh, heard you coming, so we made sure to give you enough room so you wouldn’t have to worry about falling on anypony.”
“Ah, thank you Twilight, and to you Pinkie Pie,” Luna replied, nodding to the Element of Magic and the Element of Laughter in kind, “ but I’m afraid my past may once again have come to bite me, as I suspect The Nightmare has once more found a host for its corruption.”
“WHAT?!” they gaped in unison.
“That’s crazy!” Rainbow frowned, throwing her hooves out in front of her, “We blasted it good last time! How can it be back?”
“You know this isn’t your fault right?” Fluttershy said, her sudden confidence stealing everypony's attention, as the yellow mare as draped a hoof to Rarity's back.
“Yeah,” Applejack said, gently hitting her on the back, knocking the white mare out of her thousand-yard stare. It was no mystery to guess how Rarity still felt about the time she had allowed The Nightmare to possess her for fear of being replaced by her friends, and would ended up starving them to death had it not been for the actions of a corrupted moon minion in possession of an abnormally strong heart and his choice to do what was right. “Besides, you know what they say about the third time being the charm and all. H’and I’ll bet we beat that nightmare in record time too.”
“Thank you,” Rarity breathed, blotting her eyes on a monogrammed handkerchief as everyone, Luna included, embraced her. “Still, back to the matter at hoof yes,” she said, her weary smile reassuring her friends as they seated themselves along the minty divans.
“Indeed,” Luna nodded. “Last night, the capital city of Saddle Arabia was stricken with fear-laden dreams. But, while The Nightmare’s previous actions have always been to quickly dominate a small region, fortify it, and then begin a rein of conquest," gaze hardening, "We are wary of this sudden change in tactics, but neither do we wish to allow it time for its plans to come to fruition.”
Everypony sat in silence as Luna's words weighed upon them, though perhaps not as heavily upon The Element of Loyalty as she continued the circle around the limiting air-space of the, admittedly, roomy car before she fell to a hover beside her friends, still near to Rarity, and, cracking her neck said, “So, what exactly is the plan then?”