//------------------------------//
// Ancient Memories 
// Story: My Little Pony: Rise of the Heartless 
// by Flarinite 
//------------------------------//

	It was night.  A large, deep blue stallion with a long silver tail galloped through the trees, sporting a black hooded cloak.  He was followed closely by a white mare with a flowing pink mane, wearing golden armor that glinted in the moonlight.
The stallion skidded to a stop, motioning for his companion to do the same with an outstretched hoof.  She stopped and turned to him.
“What’s the matter?” she whispered apprehensively.
From the shadows cast by the moon, creatures of darkness began to emerge.  Some of them were small and bug-like in appearance, with short antennae and small feet with small sharp claws.  Some of them were taller and vaguely simian in build, with long legs and arms ending in sharp claws, with long, crooked antennae sprouting from the tops of their heads and blue veins running through their bodies.  They all had the same empty yellow eyes, and surrounded the two ponies, staring hollowly at them.  For a few moments, nothing moved.
The monsters all attacked at once, rushing at the two ponies.  The stallion threw back his hood, and his horn glowed intensely.  A column of pure white light erupted from it, splitting into six and circling him quickly in an expanding ring.  The monsters caught in its path vanished in puffs of darkness.  The columns grew more brilliant as the circle became larger, until everything was bathed completely in the blinding light.


O	O	O	O


Fortune and Lucky shot up out of bed simultaneously, letting out short yells.  They looked at each other in confusion as a light flickered on from across the room.
“What’s wrong?  What’s going on?”  Twilight was staring at them, her bloodshot eyes wide.  Spike leapt out of bed and grabbed a scroll, brandishing it like a sword as he rubbed his eyes.
“Nothing,” Fortune said slowly, not breaking eye contact with his sister.  “Just… a weird dream.”
“Me too,” Lucky said, cocking an eyebrow at her brother.
“Thank goodness,” Spike yawned.  “I was afraid I was going to have to save you ponies from an intruder all by myself.”
“Well, you can put away your sword, Sir Yawns-a-Lot,” Twilight said grumpily.  “Try and go back to sleep.  It’s not even light out yet, and you have to be well-rested for when the Princess comes to visit tomorrow.”
“Yes, Twilight,” the twins said in unison as they lay back in bed.


O	O	O	O


Princess Celestia walked through the castle, heading to a rarely-visited wing.
I hadn’t been in that room in almost a thousand years, until those twins appeared, she though somberly.  Now I find myself going nearly every day.
She came to an unassuming wooden door set into a wall, which contrasted sharply with the grandiose double doors that marked the halls of the rest of the castle.  A brass plaque on the door read ‘Hall of Memories.’
Celestia nudged the door open and stepped in, the door swinging shut behind her.  The hall was much like the rest of the castle; spotless white walls and a marble floor.  There were no windows, however; instead, magical balls of light floated in the hall, moving about almost as though they were alive.  They parted as Celestia walked down the hallway, regrouping behind her.
The walls were adorned with large photographs of ponies, many standing with the Princess.
Ah, my old friends.  She sighed.  Time is not kind.
The photographs eventually gave way to painted portraits.  The austere faces of generations past stared down at Celestia, and she looked up with a hint of a frown.
She reached a marble door at the end of the hall with a hole in the center.  The words ‘Chamber of Repose’ were etched in the stone.  Celestia lowered her head, almost reverently, and inserted her horn into the hole in the door.  A thin beam of light in the shape of a heart pulsed on the face of the door before it slid into the wall beside it.  The Princess stepped into the room, and the door shut behind her.
The room was perfectly circular, and the walls were a dark grey.  Copies of Celestia’s cutie mark were displayed in white light on the walls, each with a chain-shaped path of light running down from it to the floor, where they all met at a raised platform in the center.  The platform itself radiated a bright light.  Atop it stood a black suit of armor, adorned with a dark blue cape.  The princess folded her legs beneath her and sat, looking up at it in silence.  The helmet stared back down at her.
“I miss you.  I miss you every day.  I thought I’d finally moved past it, but ever since I found those twins…”  She averted her eyes, as though the empty suit of armor was judging her.  “They’re nothing like you, you know.”  She looked up at the armor once more, smiling sadly.  “You were always so serious, so no-nonsense.  Though, to be fair, those were much darker times.”  A single tear ran down her face.
“Look at me, the ruler of Equestria, crying like some little schoolfilly.”  She was silent for a few moments, just staring at the armor.  “I don’t know if I can go through this again.  Not without you.  And those twins, they’re just kids.  They may wield the Keyblade, but they don’t know anything about war.  I’m the only pony still alive who’s ever even been in a war.”  She sighed.  “I just wish that I had you to go through it with.”  She chuckled.  “What am I saying?  I can’t just sit here wishing things were different.  Things are the way they are, and I have to deal with it.  I just hope that he isn’t behind this again.  If Luna ever finds out that–”
Celestia heard a faint voice calling her name.
“I guess it’s time for me to go.”  She stood.  “If you’re out there watching me, I’m sure you’re laughing it up.  This probably looks pathetic, me lying here talking to a hunk of metal.”  She smiled softly.  “But you couldn’t possibly know how much it helps.”
She turned and left the room, the door sliding shut behind her.  She walked briskly down the Hall of Memories, opening the wooden door and stepping out into the castle proper.  In front of her, a pegasus guard was calling her name.  She quietly shut the door behind her, and silently floated over to the guard.
“Hello, Sunbeam,” she said as she landed behind him.  She giggled as he jumped in surprise and reflexively aimed his lance at her, dropping it and blushing when he realized what had happened.
“Please forgive me, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing.
“Oh, come now.  It was just a joke.”  Sunbeam righted himself, replacing the lance in the sheath on his armor.  “Besides,” she said seriously, “if you’d attacked me I could have turned you into a fine mist in the space of a second.”  Sunbeam stared at her, dumbfounded.  She laughed again.
“Gotcha.  Again.”
“O… of course, Your Majesty.”
“So what do you need me for?”
“It’s almost noon,” Sunbeam said.  “I’ve come to retrieve you for your trip to Ponyville.”
“Oh, thank you.  I’d almost forgotten.”  They began walking back toward the throne room.  “I suppose you’ll be flying me?”
“Not today, Your Majesty,” he said regretfully, unfurling a bandaged wing.  “I pulled a muscle the other day.  Doctor says I should stay off of it for a week or so.”
“My my, it seems like your best days are behind you,” Celestia teased.  “Perhaps you should consider retirement.”
“Well, we can’t all be omnipotent immortals,” the grey pegasus ribbed.  “And as for retiring, you know there’s no way I’d ever leave your aide, Princess.  As Admiral of the Royal Fleet, I–”
“Yes, yes, I’ve heard your speech before, Admiral,” Celestia interrupted, still smiling.  “Frankly, everypony in this castle has.”
They walked in silence for a few moments.
“Princess, may I ask you a question?”	
“Of course, Sunbeam.  I’m always open to questions from my most trusted advisor.”
“What exactly is in that room past the Hall of Memories?  I’ve never actually seen you go in or come out, but there must be something in there.  I mean, you don’t have to answer if I’m out of line,” he added quickly.
“Curiosity is never out of line, Admiral.  As for what’s inside…”  Celestia turned her head away.  “Just… more memories.”
“I see,” Sunbeam said, unsatisfied with the vague answer but unwilling to press further.
They arrived at the throne room.  Two pegasi waited on the balcony, harnessed to Celestia’s chariot.
“Don’t let the kingdom fall to pieces while I’m gone, all right, Admiral?” Celestia called over her shoulder as she mounted the chariot.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Your Majesty.”
The chariot took off, and Sunbeam waved goodbye as it disappeared over the horizon.


O	O	O	O


“Fluttershy, how’s your bird chorus?”
“Oh… they’re ready…”
“Applejack, Pinkie Pie, how’s the food coming?”
“Relax, sugar cube, it’s comin’ along jus’ fine.”
“Rarity, the decorations–”
“Honestly, Twilight, you need to stop hovering!  You’re quashing my creative energy!”
Twilight ran around Sugarcube Corner in a frenzy as the ponies prepared for the Princess’ visit.  Fluttershy stood outside with her bird chorus, Applejack and Pinkie Pie worked in the kitchen, and Rarity hung elegant ribbons and bows on the walls.  Rainbow Dash leaned back in a chair, sipping on a glass of berry juice.
“Rainbow Dash!  Why aren’t you helping?”
“What do you need me to help with?  It’s not like this is an airshow or something!”
Twilight sighed in exasperation.
“Seriously, Twilight, you need to take a chill pill.”
“But the Princess is coming!”
“It’s just an informal visit,” Rarity said as she affixed another silver bow to the wall.  “She even said in her letter not to go to any trouble.”
“And there aren’t even any parasprites this time!” Rainbow exclaimed.
Pinkie burst out of the kitchen with her sousaphone.  “Parasprites?  Where?”  She began playing, and Twilight quickly shoved a hoof into the bell.
“Pinkie, stop fooling around and finish the food!”
“Jeez, Twilight, you really need to relax,” the pink pony scolded.
“And coming from Pinkie, that means something.”
Fluttershy poked her head in the door.  “Uh, Twilight?”
“What now, Fluttershy?” Twilight yelled.  Fluttershy squeaked and dove out of view.  Rarity clicked her tongue reproachfully and went to the door, as Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight.
“Oh, Fluttershy, Twilight didn’t mean to yell,” Rarity said.  “Now, what was it you wanted to say?”
“Um, just that… the Princess is here,” she said, pointing behind her.  Celestia stood next to her chariot.
“The Princess is here?”  Twilight zoomed out of the store, bowing before Celestia.
“How nice to see you again, Twilight.”  Twilight stood and smiled, nudging Fluttershy with her hoof.
“Oh!  Right…”  Fluttershy raised her hooves, and began conducting her chorus.
“Twilight,” Celestia said.  “I thought I said not to go to any trouble for me.”	
“Oh, it was no trouble at all, Your Majesty,” Rarity said, bowing.  “Please, do come in!”
As they entered, Rainbow Dash was helping the two earth ponies to carry all the food they’d made to the table.
“Oh my, I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat all of that,” Celestia said.
“No worries, Your Princessliness!  Pinkie Pie can take care of it!” Pinkie exclaimed before leaping at the table.  Applejack caught her tail in her teeth, and the pink pony fell to the floor.
“Hold your horses, girl,” Applejack chuckled.  “You can finish it off after the Princess has eaten her fill.”
“So, how is everything?” Twilight asked.
Celestia looked around in confusion.  “Everything’s great.  Except…”
Twilight’s face fell.  “Oh no!  What’s wrong?  Is it the ribbons?  I told Rarity, use gold, not silver!  Or is it the food?  I knew they should have made something besides desserts!  Or–”
“It’s none of those things,” Celestia said.  Twilight looked around; Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were glaring at her.  Twilight chuckled nervously.
“Uh, sorry?”
“Well, what’s wrong, Princess?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Where are Fortune and Lucky?”
Twilight’s face froze, and her eye twitched.
“Oh no!  I forgot to tell them to meet us here!”  She dashed out of the store, leaving the other ponies staring after her in confusion.
“Of all the things she was getting worked up about, that wasn’t one of them?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, blowing her rainbow-colored mane out of her eyes.


O	O	O	O


Fortune and Lucky sat on their bed, waiting for Twilight.
“She was supposed to get us an hour ago,” Lucky grumbled.  “We don’t even know where we’re supposed to be going.”
“I’m sure she’ll show up.  She probably just got held up.”
“Or forgot.”
“Anyway, Lucky,” Fortune said, changing the subject.  “You said you had a weird dream last night too?”
“Yeah.”  Lucky picked her head up.  “There were two ponies.  One of them was wearing gold armor, and the other one was wearing a black cloak.  They were running through some forest, and–”
“–And then a bunch of monsters attacked them, right?”  Fortune and Lucky stared at each other.
“Weird.  We both had the same dream,” Lucky said.
“Think we should ask Twilight about it?”
“What would she know about it?”  Fortune shrugged.
“And anyway, we won’t get the chance to ask her if she doesn’t hurry up and get us!”
As if on cue, Twilight burst through the door, eyes wild.
“Whoa, are you all right?”
“I’m great!  Come on, let’s go!  The Princess is waiting at Sugarcube Corner!”
“What?  She’s already–”
“Less talking, more running!” Twilight said, galloping out the door as quickly as she’d come in.  Fortune and Lucky raced down the stairs and out the door after her.
“You know, I like Twilight a lot better when she’s not stressed out,” Fortune said.
They finally arrived a Sugarcube Corner, where the others were sitting around the table, waiting for Twilight and the twins.
“Princess!” the twins exclaimed as they ran up to her.
“Hello, Fortune, Lucky.  How have you been?”
“Awesome!” Fortune said.  “Ponyville’s great!”
“What about you, Lucky?”
“It’s… not bad.”
“I told you you’d grow to like it if you just gave it a chance,” Celestia said, smiling.
“Enough chit-chat!” Pinkie said.  “Let’s eat!”
“So, how are your studies going?” the Princess asked the twins once everyone had gotten their food.
“Great!” Fortune mumbled around a mouthful of cake.  He swallowed.  “In the past week, we mastered the three Advanced Firaga, Thundaga, and Blizzaga spells!”
“Wow, only a week?  That’s impressive.”
“Twilight’s a pretty good teacher,” Lucky said.
“Aww, thanks, Lucky!” Twilight said, turning away from her conversation with Rarity.  Lucky grumbled.
“She wasn’t supposed to hear that.”
“Oh!  Princess, can I ask you about something?”
“Of course, Fortune.”
“Well, Lucky and I both had this really weird dream last night, where–”
“You had the same dream?”
“From what we can tell,” Lucky said.  “There were two ponies, one of them in golden armor and the other in a black cloak, and they were running through a forest.”
“And then these shadowy monsters attacked them, and the one in the cloak threw off his hood and these beams of light appeared, and all the monsters disappeared.”
“We were just wondering if you have any idea if the dream means something.  We probably wouldn’t have thought much of it if we hadn’t both had the exact same dream.”
“Well,” Celestia said, frowning.  “I don’t know about those two ponies, but those monsters sound an awful lot like the Heartless.”
Everyone else stopped their conversations and stared at the Princess.
“Th… the Heartless?” Fluttershy stammered, twisting her long pink mane nervously around her hoof.  “You mean, those monsters you were talking about before?”
“The very same.”
“So… what does this mean?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Celestia said.  “Just… try not to dwell on it.  Keep focusing on your studies, all right?”
“All right.”
“Anyway,” Celestia said, swallowing her last piece of cake.  “I should be on my way.”
“Aww, don’t you want to stay for dessert?” Pinkie asked.
“The Princess has royal duties to attend to,” Twilight explained.  “Besides, how much more dessert can one pony eat?”  Pinkie responded by gulping down an entire cake in one bite.
“…Right,” Celestia said, chuckling.  “Anyway, it was so nice to see you all again.  Next time, I should have gifts for the two of you,” she said, turning to the twins.
“Wow, I can’t wait!”
“Speaking of next time,” the princess said, turning to Twilight and smiling.  “Don’t make such a big fuss about everything.  When I make an informal visit, there’s no need to overwork your poor friends.”
“O… of course, Princess,” Twilight said sheepishly.
“Until next time,” Celestia said, as she climbed into her chariot.  The two pegasi took off, and they disappeared over the horizon as the eight ponies waved goodbye.
“Phew,” Twilight sighed.  “That was a close one, huh, girls?”  She turned to face four of her five Ponyville friends, who all glared at her.
“Uh… sorry.  I guess I got a little carried away.”
“Aw, we forgive you, darling,” Rarity said, and they all hugged her.
“I still can’t believe you forgot about us,” Lucky grumbled.
“Sorry about that.”  Twilight frowned.  “Hey, where’s Fortune?  And Pinkie?”
Applejack laughed.  “I think they’re inside takin’ care of the leftovers.”