//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Time in Stone (needs editing) // Story: Light in the darkest hour // by DerpyEngi and Redd //------------------------------// 500 hundred after imprisonment People waste a lot of time. Then they wish for more. More minutes in their hours. More hours in their days. More days in their years. More years in their lives... The funny thing about time is, is you don't make the most of every, single, moment, then you dont deserve a, single, extra, second! That's the rule I've come to live by in my life in stone, a statue, a prize! Put in the royal gardens like some sort of trophy, a trophy to be held in the air and say "I win!" My statue shamed with the name Betrayal! As she betrayed me! how she put me aside and cast me in stone! I've already been sitting here for 500 hundred years! I was barely holding on my sanity! Sein came back, which I thank any deity out there for she was one of two things keeping me sane. She usually came every year or so teaching me about the spirit that resides in all of my kind, teaching me how to use it. The only downside was I could only use it when Sein was around or else it would put a serious strain on me, so as of right now the only thing I could do was talk to my neighbor, Discord. He's the other reason I'm not insane right now, the draconequus was not evil that much I can tell you. He was betrayed like me, driven mad in his grief, his lover letting him go just because other ponies feared him, then sentenced into a stone prison by that very pony he loved because he looked like a threat to Equestria. Key word, looked! He was on the verge of insanity when Sein first came and linked our minds, I felt everything he had felt in the past, and he felt everything from my past. It was frightening how similar our pasts were, he had come here as the last of his species, met the royal sisters then got betrayed by celestia on Luna's birthday and he had also given them both a gift, Luna and Discord had been like brother and sister before he got imprisoned, and well... you know my story. I was having a nice chat with Discord, when something surprising happened. Discord how do you use chaos magic? you know it would be like explaining the world to an ant, right? I have time well okay then, first yo,-- he was cut short as a phoenix landed in front of me. "Hello Ori," the phoenix said. --u tell me who that is Discord finished. If could have I would have been wide eyed. She was alive, sitting right there in front of me. Oooh I know it's that Philly you talked about, isn't it? Discord asked playfully. Yeah... it is, I said half mindedly, hello Philly, I was to focused on Philomena to notice what discord was saying. "Long time no see," Philomena said as she smiled a sad smile. Yeah... I said still in awe that she was alive. "I miss you so much," she said as she hugged me with me still in the same position that i was in 500 years ago. I miss you too Philly, if I could, I would be crying, she was right there so close, yet so far. "We had some good times, didn't we?" She said as she began sobbing quietly. ... "remember when you got your ears stuck on a branch while we were racing?" I thought back to the time Philomena and me were racing back to the castle, then a branch came out of nowhere while I was in mid air and I some how got stuck. yeah.. I do, I said. Discord was silent, letting me be in peace while Philomena was crying on my cold shoulder. This was breaking my heart, not only was Philly crying, but I couldn't do anything about it. "I just wanted to say happy 500th birthday Ori," she said as she broke the hug. I smiled internally and said Thank you. I knew she could not hear me, but it help eased my pain to pretend she could "I found a family to live with about 250 years ago," Philomena said a small smile appearing on her face, "I thought you wanted to know." 250 years ago? How long do these ponies live? "of course the ones that found me are dead, but I am a family pet and they take good care of me," Philomena explained. That... explains it, I said in realization "I gotta go now though, I'll be back for your next birthday, goodbye Ori," she said sadly as she flew of. I'll find a way out of this prison Philly, just wait and see, I will find a way I said as she flew of. I have to find a way. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 999 years after imprisonment I can finally do it! I can finally free myself, all I need to do is get 6 ponies with different virtues. Kindness, the one who cares. Generosity, the one who will give everything to see you happy. Loyalty, the one who will stand by you. Honesty, the one who will keep the truth but not hide it. Laughter, the one who will not rest if you are down. knowledge, the one who will not ignore the facts and will not twist the truth. Those are the virtues that must be present so I can be freed. now to just get them here, Discord? I asked yes~? Discord cooed. any ideas on how to get them here? There was a pause and then Discord answered well you do have that light magic stuff, so why don't you use that to lure them here? I thought about it for a moment good point now let's see, I said and I began to focus on the enchantment. Six orbs of light appeared in front of me, and i sent them off to find the six ponies that would free me from this hellish prison. To be honest I was exhausted, casting light magic without Sein around is like opening a jar with only your hands, you get really sore afterwards. Philomena should be Back tomorrow, hopefully the light orbs will bring the ponies here before she leaves. I will be free, just in a few more hours I will be free. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy (POV) 3rd person "What a nice day" Fluttershy said with a smile on her face. She was on her way home when she noticed a yellow light floating towards her. "Is that a firefly? No they don't glow at daytime, so what is it?" She asked herself as it started to fly away, she followed it out of curiosity and a strange urge to follow it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash (POV) 3rd person Rainbow Dash was finally moving out, she had gotten a cloud house in ponyville. "Aw yeah! This house is going to be so awesome!" she said her tone of voice going high pitched in the end. Then she noticed a light blue light floating towards her. "Huh? What's that?" She asked as she felt an urge to follow it. "Guess my awesome house can wait a little longer," she said as she began to follow it. Then she noticed her old friend fluttershy following a yellow light. "Hey Shy! Long time no see," she said as she flew down to meet her old friend. "Oh, hello there Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy greeted happily. She then got a curious look when she saw the light blue orb of light float in front of Rainbow, "so you're following a light too?" Fluttershy asked. "Yeah I was just moving in then this light just floated in front of me and I felt a strange urge to follow it." "It was the same for me, I was walking home and... Wait, youre moving in? To where?" Rainbow Dash grinned, "to Ponyville!" She proclaimed proudly "I'm moving into a sweet clou,--" Dash was interrupted as Fluttershy took her in for a bearhug. "You're moving into Ponyville! I'm so happy!" She shouted. "Can't... Breathe," Rainbow struggled to say. "Oh, sorry Rainbow," she apologised. Rainbow and Fluttershy continued their conversation as they followed the orbs of light. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AppleJack (POV) 3rd person Applejack was strolling through Canterlot as she saw a orange orb of light float towards her, then it stopped and floated away. "Well I'll be," she said as she felt the urge to follow it. Applejack only shrugged and followed the orange light, she was on a stroll, a very boring stroll so why not? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinkie Pie (POV) 3rd person Pinkie was hopping down to sugarcube corner when a pink orb floated towards her. She frowned and said, "You know this is already getting old right?" Pinkie I told you no fourth wall breaking until I post a comedy story. She smiled and said "Oh, ok!" She followed the orb, and every one that was around her were questioning her sanity. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rarity (POV) 3rd person Rarity was shopping for some fine fabric for her new fashion line, it was going to be marvelous. Then a white light started floating towards her. "No! not now! I'm too young and fashionable to die!" Rarity cried out dramatically, then the light stopped and started floating away and she felt the urge to follow it. Rarity embarrassed beyond belief followed the light, trying to get as far away as possible. the ponies in the store staring at her while she left. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight Sparkle (POV) 3rd person Twilight was reading a book as usual when she noticed a purple light floating in front of her, then it floated away and Twilight felt an urge to follow it. Curiosity took over and Twilight followed the light. When she had been following the light for some time it stopped in the middle of the Canterlot Gardens in front of a familiar statue "Betrayal" she remembered how Celestia used to tell her stories about the statues and this one she remembered well. She and Celestia had a great nightmare night and she told her a story about Betrayal, about how she corrupted Luna to become Nightmare Moon and turned her pet bird against her, Then how she used a cockatrice to seal her in stone. So why did the light bring her here? Actually she had never seen the statue before, she had only seen pictures of Betrayal, all of which looked menacing , so she began to examine it. That was when she noticed Betrayal looked like she was... Crying? Why would a monster like Betrayal cry? Then she noticed a voice coming from behind her, she turned around and looked for the source of the voice. "And then I was all like, waffles? Are you crazy!" A pink earth-pony said excitedly while an orange earth-pony and a white unicorn groaned, they all had a different colored light in front of them. She was going to ask them why they were here, but somepony beat her too it. "So, was everypony just following a floating orb of light to canterlot, or is it just us," a cyan pegasus asked with a yellow one following her, they too had a light floating in front of them. Twilight just stood there for a moment not sure of what to say, then she finally spoke up, "It seems that whatever created those lights wanted us here but I'm not sure why." "Darling I don't think any of us know why, but let's first introduce ourselves, shall we?" the white unicorn suggested "I'll even go first, hello my name is Rarity," the white unicorn said. "My name is Applejack nice ta meet ya'll," the orange earth-pony said. "My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can just call me Pinkie," the pink earth-pony said excitedly. "My name is Rainbow Dash the fastest flier in Equestria!" the cyan pegasus announced proudly. Twilight hesitated but eventually said, "hi my name is Twilight Sparkle." "My name is Fluttershy." "uhm sorry what?" Twilight asked. "Uh, my name is... is that a Phoenix?" the yellow pegasus asked. Then Twilight's light began to glow brighter and shot a beam at Betrayal, soon the others followed suit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ori's (POV) 1st person I felt the stone prison around me crumble, and with a loud bang... I was free. I stretched, and boy did my limbs crack. "It's good to be free," i said and every one or in this case pony stared in awe. Except one, Twilight looked at me with horror like those guards so many years ago. "ORI!," I heard someone shout behind me, I turned around to see Philomena flying towards me at breakneck speeds. Wait, thats not good, as soon as Philomena was no more than a foot away from me she came to a screeching halt, then hugged me, I didn't hesitate to return the embrace. I broke the hug only to see that she was crying, not tears of sadness but tears of pure joy. I smiled and said "I'm back and I'm not leaving, not now, not ever." Then I heard someone Teleport, I looked away from Philomena to see it was Celestia. And she was angry. Not a second later she fired a magic bolt straight at me, I jumped up in the air and kicked it away, it hit the ground a few feet away... And exploded. "That would have killed both of us," Philomena said. I was angry I was really angry, I waited for her to fire again, I wanted her to fire again so I could reflect it straight back at her. But she didn't, she just stood there an angry scowl on her face. I put on my own scowl and started walking towards her. "Get behind me my little ponies," Celestia said, still calm yet angry. The six ponies did as they were told and stepped behind their ruler. I stopped my ears perked up at the sound of... music? I turned my head to the side to see Discord... moonwalking towards us? Discord reached us and bowed "thank you thank you you're too kind," he said a smile on his face. Celestia's eye twitched. Pinkie clapped her hooves and laughed "*snort* hahahaha, hehehe *snort*," The other five just looked at her and glared. "Sorry, bad time?" she apologised with a sheepish smile. "no, not a bad time at all Pinkie" Discord said still smiling a toothy smile and turned his head to Pinkie, "I needed to know if somepony still had a good sense of humor." Celestia shot another magical bolt, but this time at Discord. With a snap of his talon it was gone. He looked back at Celestia and his smile dropped, "hello Tia," he said the last word littered with venom. "It's been a loong time, how have you been? I've been really busy being petrified, you know AFTER YOU TURNED ME TO STONE!" Discord shouted, he snapped his fingers. Celestia looked up in horror to see her horn was gone, she looked at her back to see her wings were gone too, she looked at her subjects too see they also had their wings and horns removed. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be trapped in stone for a thousand years?!" "oh right, you don't! because i didn't turn ponies into stone!" Discord said then pointed at me, "and isn't it an odd set of circumstances that you traped her in stone on Luna's birthday! Just like me!" Discord lowered his voice but it was still angry, "you put an innocent sentient creature in a cage after it gave you a gift, left it heartbroken, then a few hours later come back with something to turn that creature to stone, for crimes it did not commit." Discord teleported straight in front of Celestia and added, "twice!" "Crimes it did not commit?" Celestia asked Darkly. "yes" Discord answered sternly. Celestia's mane and tail lit ablaze with anger "She corrupted my sister!" she shouted. "How?" Discord asked calmly. Celestia paused at that "what?" "How did Ori corrupt your sister?" he asked more sternly. An unsure look fell upon Celestia's face, "I... I don't know" Celestia answered, the inferno that was her mane and tale fading away. And with that Discord Teleported me, Philomena and himself away.