My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Wish Weaver : Chapter 1
A Wild Alicorn Appears!
Equestria – Some time after today
As the old saying went ‘the more things changed, the more they stayed the same’. For the four years Twilight Sparkle had been a resident of Ponyville that was a concept that had been demonstrated to her with alarming regularity. Since she’d first been summoned from Canterlot she had experienced the trials of forging friendships that would last a lifetime, faced monsters and enemies that would’ve cowed even the bravest stallion, been crowned as a princess of the realm and been made to search the deepest recesses of her soul to find what her true calling in life was. In spite of all that, however, it seemed the day-to-day facets of her life refused to follow all the major developments that had befallen her.
On this particular day it had been a case of the usual schtick: finding books on significant subjects of study, prioritizing them for reading, then organizing them on the shelves of her library. The only new twists in the tale were that said library was not in her usual home as that had long since been destroyed by the maniacal Lord Tirek, and for the first time in a while, the alicorn pony had had to ponder if this was still a task that required her undivided attention.
“That’s all you could find, Spike?” She asked as her dragon helper hauled in the final stack of singed literature.
“All that could be still be considered legible. If you want to go dig through the ashes again I’m sure there’s plenty of scraps that you could make a fun word game with.” Spike groaned. He didn’t mean to be so short with his friend, but Twilight had had him searching the charred remains of their previous residence for hours, and now the dragon was just a tad grumpy, in addition to being sooty, hot, dirty and tired. “Seriously Twilight, did we have to waste an entire day on this?”
Twilight sighed as she levitated one of the burnt tomes and began to flip through it.
“The knowledge stored in these pages has proven invaluable time and time again. Who knows how much has been lost forever in Tirek’s fire? We have to try and salvage what we can.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I got that part. I meant did WE, meaning you and I, have to waste the day on this?”
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Everyone else is busy setting up their own sections of the castle.”
Spike slapped his hand over his face. “I meant couldn’t we have called in some of the Royal Guards to do it instead? See if any of Chrysalis’ changelings are available to help? You know, flexed some of that new princess power?”
Twilight tried to look offended, but Spike still caught the betraying flutter of her wings that she had been contemplating the same thing.
“You’re the one that wanted to indulge more in the regal responsibilities remember?” The dragon continued, earning himself a THUD! as Twilight dropped the book.
“Princess Celestia and Luna assured me they had things well in hand for today. Yes I may now be a princess, but that does not give me the right to shirk work onto others. I have to…” She looked around at the grand throne room of her new residence: a sprawling castle that had been gifted to her and her friends after they’d managed to banish Tirek back to the depths of Tartarus. “This place is as much my home as it is Applejack’s, Fluttershy’s, Rainbow Dash’s, Pinkie Pie’s or Rarity’s.”
“Or Discord’s. He’s living with us here too.” Spike reminded, taking some small satisfaction when the alicorn winced.
“Yes, regardless, I have to do my part to get this place up and running. A ruler cannot hope to maintain a kingdom if they can’t even keep their own house.”
Spike nodded in agreement. “And a royal retainer, or whatever that makes me, can’t be expected to be seen when they’re covered in soot and grime. If it’s alright with you, I’d really like a chance to clean up now.”
Twilight looked uncertain as she gazed to the myriad of books the two had rescued from their old place. There was so much work left to do yet she could not deny that Spike had already done more than his share.
“I guess this can wait till tomorrow. Why don’t you go bathe, then I believe Rarity could use your help.”
The mention of such a name promptly banished all negativity from the dragon’s mood. Despite his dirty, sodden state, Spike ran from the throne room with a noticeable spring in his step, leaving a brightly beaming Twilight in his wake.
“And once again, all is forgiven.” She quietly lauded her tact then turned and departed for the upper floors. The smell of ash and burnt paper was getting a little strong. Some fresh air and a little time with the night’s sky would probably raise her mood a bit.
Flying like the graceful winged beauty she was up through the castle, the purple toned equine emerged onto a deck mounted above the roof. As the cool night’s breeze hit her in the face, Twilight felt instantly refreshed.
And then, just as instantly, she felt her spirits brought back down when a pained groan welcomed her arrival.
“Hark! And who is this that disturbs my suffering at such an un-GOD-ly hour?” The writhing silhouette that lay prone across the deck turned to view the pony. “Ahhh the lady herself, Princess Twilight! Come to extend your good company to a tortured soul?”
As the shape uttered another groan, Twilight rolled her eyes.
“Are you feeling okay, Discord?” She stepped forward and beheld the dracoequine was splayed out on a pink and yellow toned sleeping bag, with a thermometer in his mouth and an ice bag on his head. “What is this?”
“Oh a most horrid turn of events. I was helping Fluttershy wallpaper her room when suddenly the most horrendous pain overcame me! I felt perhaps the work had exhausted me so I came up here for some nightly air, but ooooooh I fear it has only made my condition worse, leaving me with nothing save for the cold, unfeeling light of Princess Luna’s moon for company!”
Twilight narrowed her eyes in disbelief. “Seriously, Discord? You’re not just trying to get out of helping us?”
In a blinding flash, the chaotic being was suddenly at Twilight’s side, with one arm wrapped around her neck and the other clasped upon his brow.
“Princess Twilight, I beseech thee! How could you think I would dare to even dream of deceiving any of you? After all we’ve been through together?”
Now finding herself gasping for breath, Twilight awkwardly pulled herself out of Discord’s chokehold and glared at him. ”Shall I answer chronologically, or alphabetically?”
The dracoequine keeled over in a dramatic display of feebleness. “Oh such wounding words! And to think of all the effort I put in to serving my friends, this is the gratitude I get!”
He coughed and moaned as if in the most unimaginable agony. Twilight politely turned around and tried to lose herself in the beauty of the stars till she heard a very overacted collapse upon the deck and deemed the theatrics had now been completed.
“So what? Did a tatzlwurm sneeze on you again or something?”
“This is no mere pestilence carried disease! I feel myself racked by a great disturbance in the magical force, Twilight. As if thousands upon thousands of voices are continually crying out, only to then be silenced.” Discord ominously groaned. Twilight nodded slowly.
“Uh huh. You do know that this IS a rather unusual time right? Now that Celestia and Luna have their powers back they’ve got to get things all shifted around so they’re properly in order again. Of course there’s going to be magical disturbances!” She argued. Seeing his thespian skills were not being effective, Discord stood up and spat the thermometer out of his mouth.
“I’m serious, Twilight! Did you not notice something unusual about the last few days? That the amount of daylight and nighttime has been in constant flux?”
Reminding herself the importance of appearing indifferent, Twilight took a deep breath.
“As I just said. When Celestia and Luna gave me their powers it…well it threw a few things out of whack. They have to re-establish the state of Equinox where the sun and the moon are out for an equal amount of time. It’s nothing to panic over, just a mild hiccup.”
Taking the ice bag off his head, Discord massaged his temples. “Well something is still amiss. I’ve been having these constant, nagging sensations that the magical flow of Equestria is being manipulated by something. It’s like splinters in my mind, driving me mad.” He stuck a finger in his ear and pulled out a handful of wood chippings.
“Well you can rest assured that the problem will soon be mended. Princess Celestia is planning to have a nice ceremony to commemorate Equinox since it should be upon us at the same time as the start of Autumn. A few more days and everything will be all right again!” Twilight smiled proudly as the night’s breeze did her the service of picking up so her mane flowed like silk in its currents….
…except then, just as before, something happened to put things off. She sensed something was tickling her coat, raising the hairs like she had an itch. Scratching idly at her neck, Twilight shook her head vigorously as the feeling intensified. She looked up again at the sky and blinked as a sudden flash of lightning split the stars like a sheet. Very unusual considering there wasn’t a cloud to be seen.
“Discord?”
The chaos entity meeped as thunder roared all around him. “Okay, speaking with total truthfulness now, I have nothing to do with this!”
Lightning crashed down all around the castle, spawning from seemingly nowhere to rattle the walls and make the air sizzle with heat. Now properly panicked, Twilight bolted back inside, shooting back down through the floors like a comet.
“Ponies! I need you all to meet me in the throne room!” She yelled. Reaching the doors to the aforementioned area, Twilight threw them open and allowed herself a moment of relief to see her friends had already expected her call.
“What in hoo-hollerin’ heck is going on here, Twilight? One minute I’m paintin’ the guest area ahll nice an’ quiet, then suddenly it’s like the evening before the zap apple harvest!” The Stetson wearing brown earth pony cried. Next to her, the blue toned pegasus with a rainbow colored mane spread her wings and winced.
“You think that’s bad? I was outside checking the runway the Wonderbolts were going to use for their shows here. If I’d been any slower getting back in I’d be extra crispy right now.” She said. As if further proof were needed, the lightning slammed into the ground like a machine gun, making the windows around the throne room clatter from the explosive reverberations and giving everyone quite a jump.
“Oh no, I just set Angel and the others down in their cages for the night! If the lighting strikes them…” The yellow toned pegasus with the pink mane covered her mouth with her hooves. Beside her a stylish white one with a deep purple mane craned an ear.
“Hold on…I think I hear something…” With a remarkable display of bravery, she walked over and pressed her head to the shaking windows. “Yes, in between the lightning strikes…it sounds like….well, kind of like how fireworks sound.”
Displaying the same sort of bravery, or perhaps ‘recklessness’ might have been a better word, a sixth pony toned entirely in pink trotted over and let herself be battered by the assault of flashing light and explosive cacophony.
“Ooooh yeah, it’s like those mortars they set off at the games. Oooh maybe someone is throwing us a surprise housewarming party! Or a Pre-Equinox Party! Except those were both supposed to be my jobs! Oh no, Cheese Sandwich must be back for another round to see which of us is the best party planner!” The pony rapidly exposited, going from confused, to pleasured, to terrified in a matter of seconds.
Seeing a somewhat more rational mind was going to be needed here, Twilight cleared her throat and stamped down on her own fear.
“Ponies, ponies, please! Let me think for a second.”
Twilight began pacing the room, trying to shut out the clashing symphony of destruction outside.
“This can’t be Lord Tirek making a return, can’t be King Sombra…Discord’s already pledged his innocence…this is something new.” She concluded, looking to the west side of the room. Peering through the windows, the alicorn noted something even more amiss with the scenery. “And…it seems to be incredibly localized. I can see Ponyville in the distance, and there’s no lightning or anything hitting over there.”
Everyone turned to join Twilight, and thus earned themselves a collected state of blindness when the whole world outside went white. Before her vision bled out entirely, Twilight caught the faintest inkling that the room was liquefying around her, before she found herself rolling on the floor and rubbing at her eyes.
“Ahhhhh, sainted apple stars! Ah cayn’t see!” Applejack scrambled to get back to her hooves, only to hit the floor again as a violent tremor shook the castle to its foundations. “What the heck is happening outside?”
Blinking frantically, Twilight whimpered as the world swam like a kaleidoscope around her eyes. Color and light danced together, mingling but refusing to mix into something coherent. Rubbing again, the alicorn wobbled onto her hooves, breathing in relief as things became clear, and she could slowly make out the shapes of those around her.
“Whatever it is…I think it’s over now. “ Rainbow Dash commented. “Least, I can’t hear anything any more.”
Perspective returned to the assembled equines, letting them take stock of their surroundings. Dust has fallen onto the thrones and spidery cracks were laced all through the stones set into the floor. Looking to the west side again, Twilight shook her head as she beheld what appeared to be the windows swelling outward, like a sheet of rubber being blown by a jet of air. Just like rubber they also quickly snapped back into solid, immobile masses, prompting the alicorn to wonder if she was still seeing things.
“Well thank goodness. I was worried all the lightning was going to frizz up everyone’s mane, and right after I got us all looking so perfectly presentable!” Rarity exclaimed. “So what was that? An earthquake and thunderstorm combined?”
Approaching the windows, Twilight peered through them, seeing the castle courtyard was looking unnaturally normal, as if the unholy phenomenon had given it a miss. Just beyond that, however, she spotted a pillar of smoke, and a red glow seeping through the hedges.
“Whatever it was, I think it’s safe to investigate now. Stay here you all. I’m going to just take a quick peek.”
The purple equine dashed out of the throne room before any reply could be voiced. Rushing through the courtyard she stopped dead as a giant crater greeted her. Looking around the circumference of it, the alicorn’s first thought was how perfect the symmetry was. It wasn’t like something had impacted upon the ground, but rather that the ground itself had just been vaporized, leaving nothing but a burning void.
As the smoke cleared, Twilight’s second thought was that despite telling her friends to stay put, she was most certainly not alone. There was something moving in the center of the crater, something with a body that reflected the moon’s light with an almost blindingly bright finish, and eyes that glowed with the brilliance of sapphires as they turned to stare directly at her.
Scrambling back in shock, Twilight felt herself trip and tumble onto her side as the entity stepped towards her. Cracking the glass like coating that had been formed from the immense heat, it made short work of climbing up out of the crater, pausing at the edge as she rolled over and stared back with a look of utter disbelief.
Standing before her was another pony, another alicorn to be precise, yet one that had no business being on Equestria. Her body was plated in silver metal, similar to armor, except as Twilight looked her over she could see hints of glowing wires underneath the plates and heard the whirr of mechanized servos indicating the entity was actually some sort of machine. Her wings bore the same metallic appearance, as did her horn. Her mane was a flowing mass of illuminated coils, almost like power cables, but much more sturdy looking, and glowy. All in all, she could easily have passed for a masterpiece of modern art, except art tended to be found in galleries and didn’t move around like it was alive. It certainly didn’t have a knack for spontaneously appearing in one’s front yard and scaring the daylights out of everyone.
As Twilight gaped in amazement, the mecha-alicorn cocked her head. A beam of red light shot out of her horn and caught her sprawled counterpart in it like a net.
“Wha….what? Who….” Twilight nervously fought to form words, to try and communicate with this strange apparition. Narrowing her eyes, the entity cocked her head in the other direction and a visor folded out over her eyes.
- Princess Twilight Sparkle? - The alicorn queried, formally, soberly, and yet in a voice that was disarmingly feminine.
Sadly, Twilight did not have time to contemplate the speech patterns of her new arrival. No sooner had she heard herself be addressed by one unknown to her, than the alicorn had charged up a magic attack and blasted her counterpart square in the face. The unnamed alicorn went flying back into the crater, crashing into the opposite side and tumbling back down in a smoking, sparking heap.
Gasping, Twilight jumped back up, staring at the twitching body with renewed shock, possibly disgust at what she’d done. Suddenly she jumped clear into the air, not from what was happening in front of her, but from what came from behind.
“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called as the poor pony whipped around and looked like she was about to have a heart attack. “What’s happening? We heard you screaming like you were in trouble.”
The rest of the Mane Six rushed to their friends’ aid as she settled down and raggedly got her breath back.
“I…I was….I don’t know. I came out and that…that was there.” She said, pointing to the smoking alicorn. Recovering from their surprise, the ponies jumped into the crater and examined the strange beast.
“What in tahr-nayshun? Is this what was causin’ the light show?” Applejack asked.
“I don’t know. It just stepped out in front of me….and…and….” Twlight looked away guiltly as Rarity examined the scorch marks on the alicorn’s head.
“Twilight…is this from a magic blast?” The white equine queried. “Did you attack this poor thing?”
“It…it knew my name! I’m sorry, I panicked.” The purple pony grit her teeth as her friends continued to look over the comatose creature.
“Well…this is definitely a pony. But it’s not like any pony I’ve ever seen. Actually this reminds me of that machine you used to test my Pinkie Sense.” Pinkie Pie noted, brushing the alicorn’s tail aside and looking at her flank. “Specially this, look at this pony’s cutie mark.”
Everyone beheld the most unusual symbol gracing the creature’s flank. It could best be described as a circle intersected by three lines made up of ones and zeros.
“Huh, that almost looks like…” Without thinking Rainbow Dash reached out to nudge the mark with a hoof. She immediately regretted this when it lit up in blue neon, and the previously still alicorn sprung back into action.
“ACK! Wha..woah woah!” The blue pegasus scrambled back from the sparking equine. With a shrill series of beeps and whirrs she attempted to get back up…then Twilight put her out of commission again with another magic blast. Even though this time she tried using less power, the mysterious pony slumped back into lifelessness, her eyes going black and more sparks shooting out from between her plates. The crater fell silent as everyone braced themselves for the worst, only to find the worst never came.
“Geez, Twilight, was that really nesuh-ssary?” Applejack asked, more out of surprise than anything else.
“Well yeah, that thing was about to attack me!” Dash shot back.
“Was it? It looked more to me like it was just trying to get up.” Fluttershy commented. “Actually…did it do anything threatening at all to you, Twilight?”
Extinguishing her horn, Twilight looked at the metal equine and felt an even worse sense of shame wash over her.
“Well….no…but I…I…” The purple alicorn gagged on her words, her head slowly dipping as if it was too heavy for her neck. “I think I overreacted.”
Rather than admonish her, the other ponies looked unconvinced.
“I don’t know about that, Twilight. It certainly didn’t give you much chance to react otherwise.” Rarity mused. This did little to disperse her friend’s shame.
“Still, I had no reason to...” An idea struck, and the purple alicorn found the will to stand tall and authoritative again. “Help me get this thing inside the castle. I’ll see if I can determine where it came from, and what it’s doing here.”
This earned a lot of dubious stares.
“You sure?” Dash asked hesitantly. “We have as much proof that this thing IS dangerous as we have that it isn’t.”
“It’s not. I just feel it.” Twilight assured. Silently she prayed she was right as the ponies carefully heaved the limp alicorn up and carried it back into their residence. “If nothing else I owe it an apology at least.”
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Elsewhere across Equestria…
With barely constrained excitement, a dark red earth pony adjusted his glasses and stepped out of a tent. He was a young and rather dapper lad with a telescope etched on his flank and a mane and tail as black as the night around him.
“So when will I know if my wish has been granted?” He asked to an unseen being within the tent.
“Soon, young pony. Keep your ear to the ground, and you will have your answer soon!” A mystical voice replied. Swallowing hesitantly, the red stallion nodded and resumed with his excited air.
“I shall do just that then. Thank you, Miss Calypso!” He said while trotting off towards home, dwelling on having just exhausted another avenue for his lifelong pursuit and gotten the same rather ambiguous response. Ah well, the tent dweller hadn’t given him a definite negative so that was at least better than the previous ponies he’d sourced. He’d just have to wait and trust that she’d do as she said, and in the mean time, while his ear was to the ground his eyes would be on the skies that he so coveted.
So much was about to change, and so much was to stay the same.