//------------------------------// // chapter 6 // Story: Twilight Then, Twilight now // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// Six: Then... "Fluttershy, would you please try and keep up?" "I-I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. I'll try to go faster," Having left Ponyville several hours ago, the six mares, dressed in fur-lined parkas, were crossing the mountains to the northern country. The Purple mountains north of the capital were a cold and chilling environment; only the heartiest of Ponies lived in the chalets and mountain villages of this frozen wilderness. The six of them moved slowly across the snow-covered peaks, the two Pegasus ponies walking instead of flying, so as not to be knocked out the the sky by the harsh winds. Right about now, even the brave rainbow dash wished she were at home, in front of a fire. "I-I- s-so c-c-c-cold my h-h-h-hoofsies are going to f-f-freeze." Pinkie Pie whimpered, through chattering teeth. "This is just awful!" The shivering Rarity agreed. "How much farther, Twilight?" "Try and hold it together, girls!" Twilight yelled back at the other five. "Just a few more hours, and we'll be in Tambleon!" "Ah hope we get there soon, Twi." Applejack snorted. "Ah don't know how much longer we can last in this cold!" "Hah-choo!" Fluttershy sneezed daintily. "This cold is giving me a cold... I don't know if I can make it, girls." "They say this place is haunted, ya know." Rainbow Dash told Fluttershy. "That there is a strange spirit who guards these mountains called 'his elevated eminence'." "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack snapped. "Don't start teasin her again!" The Blue Pegasus ignored her. "Maybe he'll come after us for invading his mountains! o-o-o-o-o-h-h-h-h!" The Frightened yellow pegasus quickly froze up, and began to whimper. "Knock it off, Dash!" Twilight Sparkle yelled back. "Fluttershy, I've read about this spirit. The old legends say he was a a living mountain... a grump and a grouch, brought to life by discord to torment ponies who came into his domain. But the princess sisters created a mystical artifact called the heart stone, and it gave him postive emotions. Ever since then, he has protected these mountains from evil." Fluttershy opened her eyes, and smiled. "Thank you, twilight. I think I'll be okay now. If a big, strong mountain is looking out for us, I'm sure we'll be all right." The Purple Unicorn smiled back. "Come on girls, we'll be out of this cold, and into the warmth soon." The six mares picked up their pace, trying to make it to the gates of Tambleon before nightfall. ... "This is insane! Why won't she even listen to my proposals?" Midnight was angrily pacing back and forth in his laboratory at the Luna Academy, having returned to Tambleon after speaking with the moon princess. All of his notes and spells were scattered all over the table in front of him. His assistant, a brown donkey named Bray, watched him pace from the side of the room. "Try not to upset yourself, master." Bray whinnied reassuringly. "It's not your fault Princess Luna does not see your brilliance." "It was that blasted Sky Runner!" Midnight snarled angrily. "His influence is blinding Luna to the value of the rainbow of darkness and it's power!" Both Midnight and Sky Runner were the top two Unicorns at Princess Luna's court. When she was first purified of Nightmare Moon, few others trusted Luna, believing her to be a menace. The two friends, then students at Princess Celestia's school of magic, befriended her, and encouraged her to establish her own nocturnal court. After they were booted by Princess Celestia for promoting "Radical new theories and research", Luna rewarded their friendship by recruiting the two of them to be the top researchers of her new University... and two of the major ponies in her royal court. Together, the two had come up with a spell that gave blind ponies twinkling gemstone eyes, restoring their sight. But the idea had been shelved for more research when it was discovered that the twinkle-eyed ponies would pass on the jewel eyes to their offspring, turning the creepy effect into a genetic trait. After that setback, the two had parted ways, and had gradually become rivals in the months since. Perhaps the biggest reason the two friends had drifted apart was thier diffening opinions on how far to go to achieve a desired goal. "And how will you show her the benefits of your wondrous new creation." Bray inquired. "If she will not even let you demonstrate it's power?" Midnight though for a moment... he would need a way to show Luna that he was right. It was then that a rash, bold idea crossed his mind. "My good Bray." Midnight whispered. "Is there not a band of brigands across the border, in the Griffin Kingdoms, who have been giving the Griffins no end of trouble?" "W-why yes, master!" Bray replied, nodding excitedly. "A pack of Troggles led by rebellious goat. Named... Grogar. I believe." "And if these thieves were to say, launch a raid on Tambleon... and my wondrous creation could drive them off... would it not prove to the Princess Luna of the Rainbow of Darkness's worth?" "Yes, master, but...how will the Grogar be convinced to raid the city?" Bray asked. confused. "Keep an eye on things here, my severant." Midnight replied with a grin. "I have some business up north, in the Griffin country." ... Now... "Tell me, Twilight." Wind Whistler asked candidly. "Have you ever heard of a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle?" "Of course I know of her... she was a Hero of Equestria! She was the leader of the band of Ponies that defeated the menaces of Discord and Nightmare Moon!" The question surprised the pink unicorn a bit. "She was Princess Celestia's greatest student... and the ancestor of the entire Twilight clan- myself included." "Why'd you ask about something like that?" Glory asked curiously. "Did you find something in the excavation related to her?" As they enterd the center of what had once been Ponyville, Twilight and her friends looked around in awe. Half-toppled brick walls and roofless buildings surrounded them, and the uncovered cobblestones of what had once been main street had been unearthed during the dig. On the spots where buildings no longer stood, were more pits surrounded by ladders and digging tools. "Wow, this place is really intact, for having been abandoned 500 years ago." Firefly commented, flying around and looking at everything. "The town continued to exist for two centuries after the death of Princess Celestia, though it entered a steady decline." Wind Whistler replied. "What you see on the surface is from that final phase of life here, when they were building houses and buildings from stone, and trying to fortify the town. The Ponyville from the time of Celestia's death was the layer below that." "And the Ponyville from Twilight Sparkle's time, two centuries earlier, was two layers below that one." Galaxy added. "And it was at that Level, in the fossilized remains of a tree, that we found... this." They held up a magically sealed and preserved box in front of Twilight, which clearly was over a millennium old. Bearing the crest of the house of Twilight-an open book on a sign-shaped shield-upon it's lid. Lowering her horn, Twilight used her magic to break the seal, and opened the box with a click. "It's... a letter..." Twilight said ominously. "For me..." "For you?" Medley asked, puzzled. "But how could anyone from the past...know you?" "Well, lets see what this thing says." Twilight said with a laugh. The other ponies crowded around the pink Unicorn as she translated the text from the ancient tounge; To my Descendant, whoever you may be... I write to you from across the ages... to both greet you, and ask for your help. I first learned of your existence though a vision in the everfree forest, where I saw a vision of you and your friends (Is that a descendant of my friend Applejack? She looks just like her...) Anyway, I believe a great threat has emerged that threatens both the world you live in, and the one I live in. What kind of a world do you live in, I wonder? I'm sure Princess Celestia has kept Equestria in order, and that magic and technology have far advanced beyond anything I could possibly imagine. Still, I don't even know if you believe in visions anymore... but you have to trust me! I don't know what the nature of this danger is, but I believe it may have something to do with Princess Luna. I am now on my way to the city of Tambleon to investigate a matter for my mentor, but I will try to contact you again soon. Or.. if you are somehow able to reach back through the ages, please try to contact me. If you are of my blood, oh mare of the future, I have no doubt you will help me to save both of our worlds. I have faith that we, along with our friends, can once again pull Equestria back from the edge of disaster. If you find this letter, please help me save your Eqestria... by helping me save mine... Kindest Regards, Twilight Sparkle ... Applejack was sitting on a hill, overlooking the field of muddy pits that was once Sweet Apple Acres. She just stared ahead silently, as Bow Tie trotted up and sat down beside her. Besides Twilight, Bow Tie was Applejack's closest friend, and often watched her daughter for her while she was out picking apples. "Applejack, are you all right?" Bow Tie asked. "Look, I know you're from the Apple Clan... and seeing your ancestral home, and the bones of your ancestors dug up like that- has hurt you deeply. But don't hate Galaxy and Wind Whistler for it, they don't mean any harm." "Those were the bones of Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Applebloom." Applejack whimpered, "Bow Tie, those weren't my ancestors... they were my family." "WHAT?" Bow Tie yelled in surprise, wide eyed. "But...but Applejack! that would make you over a thousand years old!" "One thousand and nineteen, to be exact." Applejack replied with a smirk. "Normally a mare doesn't give her age... but in my case, I don't really think it matters anymore." "But how...?" The Blue earth pony asked, dumbfounded. "There's no way you could've lived that long!" "Let's just say... I had magical accident." Applejack replied cryptically. "It did wonders for my aging." Before either pony could continue, they heard a dragon roar over their heads. They both looked up at her in horror. "Strydons!" Bow Tie Shrieked. "And they're carrying Troggles!" "But I thought we destroyed Tirek!" Applejack wailed. "There's no way he could've survived the Rainbow of Light's attack on his chariot!" "Somebody forgot to tell him that!" Bow Tie yelled back. "Hurry up, AJ! We gotta get back and warn the others!" The two earth ponies galloped quickly towards the Ponyville ruins.