Chapter 1
It was a peaceful night in the land of Equestria, the longest day of the year in celebration of the sun rising in the morning, the gift given to them by their leader every day . Though this celebration was more than just to embrace the beauty of the day, oh no, there was far more to it than that.
However, there was going to be more than what was planned, for four relatively small meteorites were on a crash course with four different parts of Equestria. The pegasi of Equestria that were in the way of the falling objects made a beeline out of the way. Finally, the four meteorites hit, making small craters at the impact spots but surprisingly not hurting anypony.
Some inhabitants of the areas around the craters decided to investigate them, they knew it meant something big is going down, they all had a gut feeling about it, tonight was the Summer Sun Celebration. In truth the deeper meaning of the event was never clear to them, they could have never suggested that their leader coming out to raise the sun got anymore deeper than just raising the sun. For a moment they considered that possibly these meteorites was connected to the event. Hopefully it was another feat the Princess had done to make tonight's event different than the years before.
One of the meteorites starting moving, like it was breathing, then what seemed like four legs came out of the large husk of rock, what came from it next was fire from two ends of it. The rock started changing a bit, morphing from what was a rather large rock into what looked like an earth pony. It was a stallion, but he was alien, covered in some sort of black rock, a lava-like substance dripping through the cracks and burning the grass at it's feet. The ponies backed up in fear. Whatever it was it was definitely not of Princess Celestia's doing.
He came up out of the crater, mane, tail and eyes burning brighter than before like he owned the whole place came out of the crater, looked at the people and what appeared to be a mouth started moving from the head of this stallion. “Where am I?” he asked.
“In between Everfree forest and Fillydelphia…” answered one of the ponies in the crowd. Though back in this stallion's time all questions asked by a leader were metaphorical and never meant to be answered, it seems that as the centuries passed that the ponies didn't even know who he was. Not like they should though but it was always best to learn from history, this mare would be spared for now.
The rock and lava seemed to fade into the hairs of the stallion as he took on a normal pony form, his fur stayed as black as the rock that was previously his hide, the fiery pit of his sockets became real eyeballs as his pupils glowed red like fire, and his cutie mark that appeared on his flank were three spears with bare pony skulls perched on them. His mane and tail were still as red as the fires that used to be them, he became shorter in his transformation but his muscular build and height still intimidated everypony that looked upon the scene. He didn't look much different as he did in his previous form.
“I can tell that none of you remember me, it has been so long so I do believe I understand, yet I don't. None of you were alive or even thought of one thousand years ago when your precious Princess banished me to your sun. But soon you all will know me. Whether you like it or not.” He looked at all the ponies around him; they all shifted uncomfortably as each met his gaze. He looked at the ponies calmly with his very hateful eyes, sadly he only wished that they would see him differently but they couldn't help themselves but shake.
The same mare who answered his question before decided to answer where the stallion was. Not just out of fear of what could happen to her, but to break the tense silence that engulfed everypony around them. “Who are you?”
The stallion just smirked, revealing white teeth that would fit better in the jaw of a normal stallion rather than this one. Maybe there was more under the skin aside from what they were seeing, hopefully, “I am only the carrier of a mantle. The Mantle of which that represents the sins of your violence, your hatred, your anger, and yet it represents your love. This Mantle is that which represents violence that the world has seen yet you have not. But for now until I say otherwise, I am War. And you are not safe.”
He stood on his hind legs, neighed loudly, transformed back to the rocky form he used to be, and slammed the hard ground with his front hooves. War proceeded to charge off into the east, leaving behind a trail of fire that burned down the grass and trees he passed. He knew the place his mother had told him and his brothers to go to, a place to show themselves properly to the citizens of what was to be their country again, he could only hope he got there first before the others.
Earlier that day a young purple unicorn was trotting away with her bags on her side. She wore a happy expression, looking forward to her intense studying session. She was stopped on a bridge by three other unicorns, “There you are Twilight,” the mare in the middle called out, sounding relieved, “Moon Dancer is having a little get-together in the west-castle courtyard, wanna come?”
The three mares moved their heads slightly forward, awaiting Twilight’s response.
Twilight was taken aback by their gesture, “Oh sorry girls, I got a lot of studying to catch up on.” She gave an awkward smile and hurried past them, breaking into a run and leaving the disgruntled mares muttering behind her back.
Twilight returned to the library, empty of other ponies. She rushed inside with the same urgency she displayed outside, not realizing that she had hit Spike -her small dragon assistant- with the door, and started looking through the books. “Quick," she said, "Find me that old copy of predictions and prophecies."
"What's that for?" she asked, pointing at a box pierced by Spike's tail.
“Well, it was a gift to Moon Dancer, but...” he took off the gift box from his tail and watched the teddy bear fall out, along with the stuffing. It wasn't much of a gift anymore.
“Oh Spike, you know we don’t have time for that sort of thing.” Twilight was clearly disapointed by Spike’s plan for the day.
“But we're on break!” exclaimed Spike.
Twilight began looking around the books again, no longer paying attention to Spike as she sifted through them, pulling off books from the shelves with the magic of her horn, “No…no…” She become steadily irritated as she looked book after book until finally she shouted, “SPIKE!”
“It’s over here.” Spike was on top of a ladder, holding the book she was looking for in a claw. The second Twilight saw the book, she grabbed it with her magical aura, and since Spike was holding on to it, he was pulled along with it, crashing into the floor as Twilight face an 'ah'. She trotted away as Spike sighed as he began to pick up the books Twilight left laying around.
“Elements…elements...elements…aha!” said Twilight, flipping through the pages of the book. “The elements of harmony!” Twilight rejoiced for a minute, settling down to read the book, clearing her throat and began.
“See Mare in the Moon?” read Twilight quizzical.
Spike couldn’t help but overhear Twilight reading while putting all the books away. “Mare in the Moon? But isn’t that an old pony’s tale?”
Still, Twilight couldn’t help but go further into the book, looking up the Mare in the Moon legend. “Aha, the Mare in the moon, and the Four Stallions of Apocalypse?” read Twilight in even more confusion. Despite the title she kept on reading, “There was once a pony who wanted to rule over all of Equestria, alongside her four sons of sin and furthermore the rest of the world too. They all were defeated by the elements of harmony and all of them were banished and sealed inside the moon. Fate has it by the longest day in the thousandth year, Nightmare Moon and her four sons: War, Death, Pestilence, and Famine will take over Equestria bringing eternal suffering and night, plunging Equestria into a zone of true darkness.”
Twilight couldn’t help to believe that such a thing would be possible, she was not one to listen to legends but none the less, it was something that she in her being believed should be looked into. She noticed Spike falling and managed to catch the kid on her back just in time, it was a soft landing for Spike, relatively at least but Spike wasn’t complaining. “I need you to write a letter to the Princess Spike.” said Twilight.
“I don’t know Twilight, the Princess is awfully busy preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration, I don’t think she has the time for a little letter.” Said Spike.
“Trust me Spike, being her pupil and how she trusts me totally and completely, I think she might have the time to hear a little bit of what I have to say.” Said Twilight, handing a quill and parchment to Spike. He didn’t disobey Twilight but he was a little worried what Princess Celestia had to say, furthermore, Twilight began to speak.
“Dear Princess Celestia,
After reading an old pony legend I couldn’t help but worry about it so I send this letter to you in urgency. The Summer Sun Festival and the upcoming one being the thousandth one and also longest day of the year, made me worry of the return of the five ponies from their imprisonment from the moon, and as the legend implies, plunging Equestria into True Eternal Darkness. I advise we take any action necessary in order to prepare for their return, if it does happen. I know that it’s an old ponies tale but…well I just can’t help but to worry over something as heavy sounding as this.
Your Faithfull Pupil, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Got it down Spike?” asked Twilight after finishing instructing Spike what to write down on the parchment.
“Yup, just got done too.” Said Spike. He took a deep breath and green flame came out of his mouth and burning the parchment into a crisp, only to find it turn into a green mist flying out of the window.
“Now all we have to do now is wait.” Said Twilight, confident the princess will pay heed to her and what she had to say. Then all of a sudden Spike burped up a letter from the princess, faster arrival then the two thought it would take. “I knew the princess would listen, now could you read it to me please?” Twilight walked over to the large glass window and looked out of the window looking pleased.
“Dear faithful pupil Twilight Sparkle,
You know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely,” Upon hearing words Twilight Sparkle felt confident that the princess most likely is taking her seriously. “But you just got to stop putting your nose in those dusty old books.” Twilight immediately felt the confidence from before that the princess took her serious was already long gone. “I understand such concern, prophecy’s like this aren’t meant to be taken lightly, especially since I lived during the time from which this prophecy was written in. But this is the kind of matter that only I should deal with it, not you. You’re a young mare, life at your age isn’t ALWAYS about studying and it always does pain me to see you spend your time doing so. This is why I send you on the following assignment: to check in on the celebration planned to be taken place in a town called “Ponyville” while you’re at it, please make some friends, this is also another assignment, it never hurts to try such a thing and I am confident everything will be in place for you that way things will work.
From, Princess Celestia.” Spike finished reading as he saw Twilight just looking out the window, thinking to herself.
“Why in the world would the princess tell me to just make friends? I have no time for such things.” thought Twilight Sparkle. She knew she was right, the fate of Equestria doesn’t depend on the social skills of one pony, if so then she would have taken up the sword and doing so but deep down she truly thought that it wasn’t necessary. She always was at studying, and never thought she would deal with such things, none the less she took up the assignment of keeping track of Ponyville.
“Alright Spike we’re heading out, grab whatever essentials you need and we’ll head out in 20 minutes.” And in less than a heartbeat, Spike left, happy to be out of the library of a dorm room Twilight had set up. She always somewhat knew what the princess would set her up in, she was never always clear but Twilight always figured them out in the end, like any other pony that would take up such things from the princess. Though she will still not understand why she could make friends, and why she was told so to begin with.
Whatever the reason was, she knew she’d figure out in time.