//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: Into the Memories // Story: MLP Fanfic The Sun, Moon and Stars Book One: The Truth behind a Fantasy Tale // by Astrello //------------------------------// As the group come to a large private study behind a portrait of Star-Swirl, The Bearded, Luna and Celestia close it behind them and face the others. Their voices quiver as they speak. What they have planned is unknown. "We haven't done this in a long time, but we think it is better to show you than tell you. Now Twilight this spell that Luna and I are going to perform is very, very advanced magic. You must not try to replicate it until Luna and I properly teach you, understand," Celestia says to her pupil, Princess Twilight Sparkle. The lavender unicorn mare princess nods and silently watches with the others as Luna and Celestia draw complicated symbol in the floor with their magic. Never has Twilight or her friends seen such a labor intensive spell. An hour or so later it is finished, Luna and Celestia wipe their brows with a cloth with their magic. "Alright, is every pony ready? Yes? Good. Alright a few moments a portal will open, when it does, each of you must step into it, one at a time. Any more and things could go horribly wrong. Once the first pony enters the portal, the subsequent ponies most wait 10 minutes before follow after the previous one. We will be going in last, in order to make sure that the portal remains stable. If the portal begins to have problems anyone that has entered must return immediately or they will be trapped in this memory. Now, Applejack would you like to go first," Luna asks the farm pony. Applejack swallows and steps toward the circle as a glowing silver archway appears. She turns briefly to the others and tips her hat. Her emerald green eyes flash in the light. "Well, see ya'll on the other side. Just be careful, ya'll. Well, here goes nothin'," the farm pony says taking a deep breath, before leaping into the archway. Rarity is the next to approach the portal. Her dark purple eyes gleam as she turns to face Celestia and Luna. Her legs tremble as she stands beside the glowing archway. "I am sorry Princesses, but did you just say that this archway may collapse? I'm not so sure I want to do something so dangerous. Sweetie Bell would be devastated if I didn't come back. Are you sure there is not another way to show us than a spell that you haven't tried in a long time," she asks. Luna and Celestia turn to one another and start speaking to one another. After a few minutes they turn to face Rarity. Their eyes sparkle in the light emulating from the archway. "We promise that you will return back here. The archway is completely stable and secure. Everything will be fine," they say. Rarity swallow and nods. "Alright if you say so Princesses. It is a truly beautiful archway and you did put in all that work. Well here we go," she says leaping into the archway. Pinkie Pie steps toward the archway and places a hoof through it. As it vanishes she giggles and withdraws from the archway before placing it back in and withdrawing it several more times. What seems frightening and worrisome to others is just fun for the pink party pony. Then with a hop and skip she jumps into it. Twilight and Fluttershy are left alone with the Princesses now. Twilight, the lavender unicorn mare princess turns to her mentor, Celestia. Just a little bit ago the Princesses had said that they have done this before. What did they mean? What had they used this spell for before? Could it have something to do with their little brother, Prince Astrello, that was currently away with Rainbow Dash? She doesn't have much time to think about this as her thoughts are interrupted by Fluttershy's nervous voice. "Umm, Twilight, do you want to...," the timid yellow pegasus mare says. Twilight turns to her timid friend and smiles, nuzzling her affectionately with her head. "It's alright Fluttershy if you are nervous about going into the portal, I'll go next. Take what time you need to be ready. I'm sure Celestia and Luna are more than willing to help out in any way that they can," Twilight Sparkle says, before slowing stepping into the archway and vanishing, like the others. Luna trots over to the frightened pegasus mare and nudges her, gently toward the archway. "It'll be fine, Fluttershy. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Twilight are all waiting for you on the other side. I promise that nothing bad is going to happen," the lunar princess says, her eyes sparkling in the light. "Well if you say so, Princess. I guess I have nothing to fear, then. Well here, I go," she says, closing her eyes and leaping in. "Oof, gotcha ya, Fluttershy, Applejack says with a smile as she catches her. See, we're all here, safe and sound. That wasn't so bad was it, girl," she says. Fluttershy shakes her head. "No, it was actually was not," she says with a small smile. The pegasus mare pauses with the rest of her friends to take in their surroundings. They are in a large chamber with a single large crystal chandelier that is lighting up the room. The floor that they are treading upon is smooth and glassy, making it shine in the golden glow of the hanging chandelier. There are an assortment of small tables in each of the four corners of the room, with no more than two or three wooden chairs beside them. There are empty music stands beside perfect rows of seats, arranged in a particular order to accommodate those that would be occupying them. There is also a large empty stage with thick velvet curtains, that are closed and tied with golden rope. "Where are we do you think," Applejack asks. Rarity chuckles a little before answering. "Why, we are in a Ballroom of course. This floor that we are on currently is the dance floor. Those perfect rows of seats with empty music stands are for the orchestra, the tallest stand being that of the composer, of course. As for the small dinning places in the corners, well not everyone is going to want to dance, and besides, those that do dance, wouldn't mind a drink or a bite to eat now and then," Rarity says. "Well of course, Applejack says rolling her eyes in mild annoyance. How in tar'nation would we have know that, Rares? We don't go to as many special occasions as you do," she replies with frustration. "Oh, right. Sorry about that darling. I just got a little carried away is all," Rarity says apologetically. "That's all right, Rares," Applejack says to the white and violet unicorn mare. "Now all we have to do is wait for Luna and Celestia," Twilight says. The others nod in agreement and watch the archway. A few minutes later, the two princesses, step out of it. Trotting over to the five mares, they speak. "Alright, every pony ready to go?" "Just about Princesses. Just one question. Where exactly are we," Applejack says looking around again. Luna breaks the silence. Her deep blue eyes sparkle in the chandelier's light. Stepping forward The Princess of the Night speaks. "We are all inside The Palace, in the royal ballroom to be precise. This is the ballroom, where Luna and I first danced with the ponies of Arabia. However this is a separate world entirely. In fact we are within Astrello's only memories of us," she says. Twilight and the others are taken aback by this explanation. Applejack takes another look at the scene before her, as does remaining four. They are amazed at all of this. "Amazing, to actually be in another person's memories... its just beyond belief," the group says. "Yes, it really is. Luna and I came up with it a long time ago, but..." Tears stream down the Sun Princess' cheeks. Luna gently dabs away at her older sister's falling tears before continuing where she stopped. Certain things could not be altered from the past, no matter how much we wished them to be. We could not stop our little brother being taken from us. We still lost him," she says her tears joining that of Celestia. Dabbing her eyes with a levitated cloth, she turns to her sister, who is dabbing her own eyes with a cloth and nods. Twilight trots over to Celestia and places a hoof on her shoulder. Her violet eyes are filled with genuine concern and remorse. The Princess is more than just her friend but her beloved mentor as well. She then moves over to Luna, doing the same. "I'm so sorry Princesses, for your loss. What happened? How was He taken from you," the unicorn mare princess asks. Luna, the younger of the two princesses dries her tears and swallows. Raking the smooth ballroom floor with her hooves, she takes a deep breath before speaking. Her sapphire blue eyes are brimming with tears that are just waiting for the dam of her eye lid to break. "You and the others will learn the truth soon enough, Twilight. For now silence is best for myself and Celestia. This was hard enough for us to do the first few times, but doing it again after... We are suffering even as we speak. Please let us not speak of this again. All will be revealed to you in time, curious one," The Princess of the Night says, swishing her mane and returning to her older sister, Celestia's side. The unicorn mare princess, Twilight open her mouth to say something but her friend, Applejack places a hoof on her shoulder, shaking her head. She nods toward the alicorns and gently nudges her away from them. After she is a good distance from the two, the farm earth pony speaks. "Leave 'em be, Twi. This has to be very hard for them. Especially knowin' that that can't change what they want to. To know that they are just gonna' lose him anyway, not matter what they do," Applejack says. Twilight pauses and takes one last look at the two princesses, before turning away, joining her friends. Levitating a notebook from her saddlebag, she scribbles some notes into it, before returning it. Twilight, then starts looking around, interested in their current surroundings. The sound of galloping hooves on the carpeted floors grows closer and closer, by the minute. Luna and Celestia look toward the cracks of the closed main double doors. Turning the others, they swiftly beckon them toward the stage. As the group rushes toward the stage, there is a loud clang of metal as some chairs are knocked over. Two shadows gather around the doors. As the older sister, ushers them behind the crimson, velvet curtains, Luna watches their back. Celestia and the others freeze in fear as the silence is broken by the sound of voices. "What was that? Something doesn't seem right. What do you think," the first pony asks. "It sounded like some chairs being knocked over, to me. I swear this room was empty when we locked it. Something must be wrong," the other pony whispers. "That's what I thought, it was. Quickly, unlock the doors. We need to get in there," the first pony says firmly. Loud rattling of the doorknobs can be heard and then there is the feared click of metal as someone places a key into the keyhole, turning it slowly, unlocking the doors. The small crack of the doorway grows larger and wider. The clip-clop of two sets of hooves against the beautiful marble floor, fills the very room as the group enter the Royal Ballroom. "Quickly, there is no time to lose, behind the curtains, everyone. I'll be there shortly, she says, before tiptoeing over to the fallen chairs and swiftly but quietly setting them back up. The clip-clopping of the hooves is getting closer and closer. Even in the dim lighting of the chandelier Twilight and the others can make out the forms of the two ponies. Luna, quick they're coming, Celestia whispers. The Princess of the Night dives behind the curtains just as the lights of the chandelier grow brighter and brighter, till all the room is illuminated by it. Two royal guards stand in the middle of the Royal Ballroom floor. One is obviously a pegasus by the folded wings at its side. The other must be a unicorn because of the glowing horn. "I'm sure I heard something, just a minute ago. You circle around from the back to the front. I'll start here and we'll meet back at the doors, alright," the pegasus says the unicorn. The unicorn nods and heads off, while the pegasus starts in the middle. He scans the area, searching for some clue that there are in fact intruders. Stepping toward the table where Luna fixed the chair, he pauses. He notices that there are scuff marks on the chair. "Where did these come from, the pegasus stallion wonders. However then he finds marks on the floor itself. Ah ha, someone was here. They knocked over some chairs and set them back up hoping that no one would notice. Now, where could they have gone? They can't be far," he says, before starting his search. Behind the curtains of theater, Luna, Celestia and the five members of the main six remain hidden behind the thick velvet. Applejack slowly peeks her head out of the curtains to look. As one of the guards turns to look in her direction, she quickly vanishes behind the curtains again. "How is tar'nation are we going escape this? This one guard is really, really intent on catching us. Who knows how much longer, these two will be the only ones searching for us? Any minute they are going to sound the alarm and more guards will come," Applejack says. Princess Celestia and her younger sister, Princess Luna turn to look at one another as Applejack and the others look toward them worried about their current situation. This alternate world that they are in is a creation from my memories and theirs but the rules of time travel still apply. The dangers of being seen by others, including Celestia and Luna's alter selves remains a threat to them all. For Celestia and Luna however, the biggest danger and threat to them is the strong temptation to try to alter certain events for the better, despite whatever consequences that may occur as a result of such actions. The pain of what is to come still tears cruelly at their hearts. Twilight and her friends have no idea of what is going on within the two alicorn princesses, as they brave going through this again, just so that she and the others, know just why they remained silent for all these years. Silence is all that can be heard as The Mane Six, excluding Rainbow Dash, wait for an answer. Just as the two alicorn princesses turn to speak to the others, something interrupt them. Turning toward the sound of hooves on wood, they freeze. The curtain that they as well as the rest of the group are hiding, slowly begins to open.