CHAPTER 3: GATHERING THE HEROES: RARITY, PINKIE PIE, RAINBOW DASH, AND TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Manehattan. The finest metropolitan city in Equestria. Next to Canterlot, it was a bastion of culture and refinement, home to many ponies who lived the high life, although there were still middle and lower-class ponies who had to work with what they had.
That was before the war against the Crystal Empire.
Now, Manehattan has become an industrial strongpoint where the Royal E.U.P. Guard’s weapons and equipment were manufactured. Resources from other settlements, such as Baltimare and Fillydelphia, were delivered to the factories of Manehattan, where they were used to make uniforms and armor, forge weapons, and construct catapults and the like. The ponies of Manehattan worked hard in the factories, doing what they could to help in Equestria’s war against the Shadow King.
This industrial powerhouse made it a vital target for Sombra, who sent his armies to invade Manehattan and other cities in eastern Equestria, cutting them off from the rest of the kingdom, in hopes of crippling Equestria’s war effort. For a time, it seemed to work, the Crystal Warriors fighting the Manehattan Defence Corps into a stalemate. But after the Battle of Borealis Fields, the army sent to invade Manehattan was called back into Imperial territory, sparing the city from a grim fate.
But many inhabitants of the city were still weary, knowing that Sombra’s armies would eventually return.
Of course, even if they did, that would be no surprise to Rarity, the unluckiest unicorn in Equestria.
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Rarity, former resident of Ponyville and now one of Manehattan’s many uniform makers, was in the mess hall with the rest of her workmates, wearing the look of a pony who was watching her dreams and hopes slowly die, eating yet another tray of dry carrots, celery, and apple sauce. She was so use to the bland taste by now, it practically became natural to her… at least barely. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve eaten this gruel, she said, and I’m still not used to it.
Rarity sighed after swallowing another bite of her meal, staring off into space, her eyes full of sorrow and self-pity.
A long time ago, Rarity was a mare who had big dreams. When she was just a filly, she dreamed that one day, she would be the greatest fashion designer in all of Equestria. Ponies from everywhere would come to her boutique to buy the most spectacular outfits they had ever seen, courtesy of Rarity Unicorn, one of the greatest, trend-setting fashionistas in the history of fashion. She would have boutiques all over Equestria, each one dedicated to selling the latest outfits to the entire kingdom. And eventually, she would have enough bits to be among the social elite in Canterlot, while working charity.
But that changed one day in her foalhood, on the day of the School Play.
She was put in charge of designing the costumes, and she did her best to make them the greatest costumes Ponyville had ever seen. During the tryouts, where the rest of Rarity’s classmates were practicing for the play, they had tried on the costumes Rarity had made for them. She hoped her teacher would find them spectacular, but instead, she considered them nice.
Nice was not enough for a pony like Rarity when it came to designs. She needed them to be spectacular, extravagant, fabulous, even.
With the play being tomorrow, Rarity worked hard to make the best costumes she could think of. But no matter what she tried, it wasn’t enough. She nearly gave up her dreams, when her horn began to glow, dragging her out of Ponyville and into the middle of nowhere. A part of her wondered that maybe, just maybe, she was being taken to her destiny. Eventually, her little odyssey across Equestria came to an end, and she was brought to the one thing that still haunted her to this day: A rock.
The unicorn’s eyebrows furrowed as she remembered that… embarrassment. It had to have been a joke, she thought, a sick, twisted joke. My horn must have been on the fritz that day.
Her expression then became one of sadness when she remembered what happened next.
After returning to Ponyville in a huff, Rarity continued making the best costumes she could think of. She hoped to Celestia that they would be enough to strike the audience with awe on the night of the play.
Sadly, her prayers went unanswered. On the night of the play, she watched as her classmates danced in (what she considered) dull and uninteresting costumes on stage. The audience was amazed, yes, but not in the way Rarity had hoped. She wanted her designs to wow everypony, to strike them with awe. Instead, they were just…. Nice.
After the play, she gave up on her dreams of becoming Equestria’s greatest fashionista.
Then came King Sombra and the Crystal Empire.
When news spread of King Sombra attacking Vanhoover, Rarity volunteered to go to Manehattan to help in the war effort, as a seamstress, making uniforms for the Guard. She figured that if she wasn’t meant to be a part of the fashion world, she could at least use her abilities for something useful.
Every day, she worked tirelessly like all the other uniform-designers, creating uniforms with each military branch and special unit in mind. She was at least thankful she was allowed to use really good colors. Although green wasn’t a color she was particularly fond of.
Green is the last color I would use to design military attire, she thought to herself.
She was also there when the Crystal Army laid siege to Manehattan. She never forgot the sight of the Crystal Barrier emerging from the ground, in an attempt to cut off Manehattan from the rest of Equestria.
She looked around her, observing her fellow workers. All of them had looks of sadness on their visages, their eyes filled with pain. Rarity couldn’t help but pity them. Poor dears, she thought to herself. I wonder if they had dreams they abandoned, too. She wanted to help them. In fact, she wanted to help everypony in Equestria. But she felt there was nothing else she could do.
She wasn’t really into fighting, considering it uncouth and barbaric. Then again, it’s not like she had any other talents.
A tear began to roll down her face. Throughout her entire life, she suffered humiliation after humiliation. First her costumes failed to take the audience’s breath away, then she gave up on her dreams all together, then Equestria was attacked by an Empire she up until the event didn’t even know existed, then Sombra tried to cut off Manehattan from Equestria, thus nearly crippling their supply routes, and now she was here in a dusty old factory, eating bland, dry carrots, tasteless celery, and sour, disgusting slop that barely passed for applesauce.
Well, at least the milk tasted good. Rarity had to admit that was a definite plus.
“You’d think they’d at least make the cider taste good.” A voice said next to her.
Rarity turned to the direction of the voice, and saw her co-worker, Miss Pommel.
Miss Pommel was an earth pony mare. Her coat was a light amber gray, and her tail and mane were cyan and a light opalish gray. Her eyes were light cyan in color. She wore the same uniform as the other factory laborers did, consisting of a gray jumpsuit and headscarf.
She held an empty glass in her hoof, possibly the one that was filled with the cider that Rarity heard her mention. She looked at Miss Pommel, and then back at her milk. After a moment of thought, she decided to hand it over to Pommel. The earth pony looked at the glass, confused, and then she turned to Rarity, who had a soft smile on her face.
“Rarity?” She asked. “You’re… you’re giving me your drink?”
“Yes,” She said. “Everypony here already knows this place has the worst cider in Equestria, and the milk here is practically the only thing here that’s not so bad, it would make a rat vomit.” Pommel was hesitant at first. But she smile, and eventually picked up the glass and gulped down its contents like a thirsty Timberwolf. She put the glass down, sighing with content.
“That’s better,” She said. “Takes away the bad taste in my mouth, too.” She turned to Rarity, smiling for the first time since possibly forever. “Thank you, Rarity,” She said. “I never thought you could be so generous.”
“Anything for a friend.” Said Rarity.
Just then, they heard the sound of hoofsteps heading in their direction. The two mares turned to see the foreman of the factory, Mr. Stripes, a large earth pony in a black tuxedo, walking towards them.
Rarity’s eyes widened in fear. Her boss was here. And he was walking right toward her and Pommel.
She could hear her heart beating faster than normal.
Mr. Stripes didn’t normally come to personally meet his employees. But when he did, it was usually for either two reasons: to give them a promotion… or to fire them.
Rarity and Pommel exchanged horrified glances at each other, already anticipating the mammoth stallion’s intentions. As soon as he got closer, the mares immediately dropped to their knees, holding their forehooves together in a pleading motion.
“PLEASE, DON’T FIRE US!!!” They both wailed together. Mr. Stripes stopped, giving both of them an odd look.
“Why are you two begging?” He asked, confused.
“Please, please, don’t fire us!” Wailed Rarity, albeit melodramatically. “We’ve tried our best to make the most practical uniforms, but you have no idea how hard it is to concentrate when you’re sweating so much, you could fill an entire reservoir! We’ll try harder, just don’t kick us out! This is the only job I have! Please? Please?! OH PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE!!!!”
There was an awkward silence, as everypony in the mess hall turned to the direction of Rarity’s outburst. Mr. Stripes was silent for a moment… and then he laughed out loud. Rarity and Pommel’s expressions of desperation quickly became ones of utter confusion. “What?” Rarity asked flatly.
Mr. Stripes continued laughing like a hyena. “ME? FIRE BEST WORKERS IN FACTORY?!” He said between laughs. “Ohohoho, that is good one, Miss Rarity! You are funny mare!”
The two mares blushed with embarrassment, although, Rarity was even redder.
“No, no, no, no, Rarity,” Said Mr. Stripes after regaining his composure. “I am not here to fire you and Miss Pommel. I am here to tell you that you have visitor. He says he was sent by Princess Celestia to find you. He did not say why he wanted you. Said he wanted to see you personally. Come, follow me.”
Mr. Stripes made his way out of the mess hall. Rarity shared a final glance at Pommel, who nodded, before she trotted after her boss.
Perhaps her luck was finally changing for the better.
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Rarity stepped into Mr. Stripes’ office, where a gray unicorn stallion in gold and red armor was waiting. He had a silver mane and tail, as well as light blue eyes. His cutie mark was a silver shield and helmet. He saw Rarity and smiled.
“Ah, Miss Rarity, I presume.” He said.
Rarity stood stock still, a nervous look on her face.
“Yes, sir,” She managed to say. “May I ask your name?”
“I am lieutenant Iron Vigil, of the Canterlot Royal Guard,” He answered. “I am sure your employer has already told you why I’m here.”
“You’re… you’re here on behalf of P-P-Princess Celestia to find me.”
“Is something wrong, ma’am?” Asked Iron Vigil
Rarity smacked herself across her face, bringing her back to her senses.
“Sorry, sir,” She apologized. “Let’s just say this is happening so fast, and I’m still trying to comprehend what’s going on.”
“I see,” said the Stallion.
“Although,” Rarity began. “I would want to know why a lieutenant of the Royal Guard would be sent to look for me. This isn’t a draft, is it?”
“I’m afraid I can’t go into full detail,” Said Iron Vigil. “Other than that Princess Celestia wishes to see you in Canterlot.”
Rarity’s eyes widened in shock. Did he just say what she thought he said? Princess Celestia wanted to see her? She didn’t know what to think about that. Surely the Princess would prefer invite somepony of high stature, rather than a member of the working class like herself.
She pondered for a while. It seemed a little strange… but then she realized that she’d have an audience with the Princess. The thought brought a smile to her face. She turned to face Vigil.
“Lieutenant,” She said, “I would be greatly honored to accept the Princess’s invitation!”
“Excellent,” Said Iron Vigil. “I’ll be waiting outside for you, whilst you get ready.”
The stallion stood up from his seat and left the office, Rarity and Mister Stripes watching him leave. Rarity then looked back at Mr. Stripes.
“Mr. Stripes,” She said, rubbing her leg against her other one nervously. “I hope you’re not too disappointed in my decision to leave. I know I’ve been Employee of the Month for three years straight, but too be perfectly honest, I believe I can do more than making uniforms to help the war effort.”
Mr. Stripes smiled. “I understand, Miss Rarity,” He said. “I don’t know why Princess wants to see you, but if she thinks you can help, I certainly hope you can.”
Rarity smiled. She was glad that Mr. Stripes understood her feelings. He may have been gruff and harsh, but at least he had a good heart.
“Rarity?” Asked a voice behind her.
Rarity turned around to see Pommel.
“Oh, Miss Pommel,” She said, surprised to see her co-worker. Pommel smiled shyly, pawing the floor with her hoof. She was nervous.
“Hi, Rarity,” Said the amber earth pony, “I just wanted to say good luck out there. You’ve made my time here a lot better ever since you came to Manehattan. I just hope that you’ll come back soon. You’ve been a good friend, and I don’t want to lose you.”
Rarity smiled as she pulled Pommel into a hug.
“Oh, Pommel,” She said. “It’s nice of you to say that. And you’ve made my time easier, as well. Don’t worry, darling. I’ll be back once I’ve finished business in Canterlot.”
Mr. Stripes cleared his throat, gaining the two mares’ attention.
“I hate to break tender moment,” He said. “But guards are waiting. Miss Rarity, go to your quarters and pack your things. And be careful. We wouldn’t want to lose employee of the month, would we?”
“Of course, Mr. Stripes,” Said Rarity as she and Pommel parted. Rarity gave Pommel a wink before she left for her quarters to prepare.
Hours passed, and Rarity was outside, carrying a sack of essentials over her back. She observed her surroundings, looking for Iron Vigil. Soon she spotted him, accompanied by two guards, next to a lamppost at a curb. She hurried rushed towards them. Iron Vigil saw her and smiled.
“Glad you could join us, Rarity.” He said.
“But of course,” Said Rarity. “A chance to see the greatest city in Equestria and meet the Princess? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“We’ll take the train to Canterlot, then,” Said Iron Vigil. “Thankfully, the railroads were repaired after the Crystal Barrier destroyed them.
Rarity nodded, and the four walked off to the direction of the train station. Rarity felt a new feeling wash over her. It was one she hadn’t felt since she was a foal. Determination. She felt like a new mare already, ready to do whatever it took to protect Equestria, and everything and everyone she cared about. She didn’t know why the Princess summoned her, but she would find out.
And besides, she thought, this might be a chance to visit Sweetie Belle.
Unknown to her, two suspicious ponies were watching her. One was a female earth pony; she had a pale orchid coat, a curly, violet mane, and brown eyes. The other was a male earth pony; he had a light chartreuse greenish gray coat, a mane with different shades of vermillion, and dark tangelo eyes. They were Suri Polomare and Svengallop.
“Canterlot?” Asked Suri.
“Why is that pony going there,” Asked Svengallop, “And why would Princess Celestia want to see her?”
“I don’t know,” Suri asked. “But we’re going to find out. We might gain very vital information for the Empire.”
She reached a hoof into her scarf, and pulled out a purple glowing crystal. It was a teleportation crystal, used to transport ponies to wherever they wanted to go. Svengallop reached for the crystal, but Suri swatted away his hoof. The stallion scowled.
“Not fair,” He grumbled. “Why do you get to use the crystal?”
“Because the last time I let you use it,” Said Suri in an annoyed tone, “We wound up in a dragon’s stomach. I spent weeks washing stomach acid out of my mane.”
“Oh.” Svengallop simply said, remembering that embarrassing episode.
Svengallop scooted closer to Suri, placing a hoof on her shoulder, while the mare closed her eyes, concentrating on the crystal. The crystal began to glow white, and in a flash of light, the two ponies vanished.
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Foal Mountain was among the largest mountains in Equestria. It was a mountain full of gold and other precious metals. The metal deposits convinced ponies to construct their mines there, where they would extract the metal to be made into bits, tools, and other things. However, Foal Mountain was also said to be home to strange creatures and other mysteries, such as the mysterious Blue Light, said to lead miners astray. It was also here where an E.U.P. Guard base was constructed, close to the Imperial border. The mountainous terrain had protected it from enemy ground assaults, and enchanted anti-aircraft spires defended against aerial attacks. It was from here the Equestrian army launched their offensive at the Borealis Fields.
And it was also where 1st Lieutenant Pinkamena Diane Pie of the Rock Trooper Corps and Captain Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts were assigned to.
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The pink earth pony mare was at the Rock Trooper Corps barracks with the rest of her unit, polishing her helmet she recovered from the battle after it was knocked off by a Crystal Warrior.
It had only been a day since the battle, and the 7th Rock Regiment, or Lucky Sevens, as they were nicknamed, took this time to relax from fighting Sombra’s armies. Like the Wonderbolt Squadrons, they had proven to be highly instrumental in the battle, utilizing stones, rocks, and boulders against the enemy, as well as intercepting boulders launched by Sombra’s catapults.
Pinkamena and her sister Maud were particularly noted for their bravery, having rescued Captain Dash from being crushed by a boulder pushed from a cliff by two of Sombra’s soldiers. Out of the entire regiment, the two possessed the strongest hooves among the Rock Troopers, spending foalhood working on the rock farm. A lifetime of rock farming had also toughened Pinkamena, making her stoic and calm, almost emotionless.
Her stoic demeanor was considered unnerving by most of her comrades-in-arms, making it uncomfortable for them to even stand next to her. Maud, however, was undeterred by her sister’s usual behavior, as were their other sister, Limestone Pie, and Flinthoof and Buster, two earth pony stallions who also fought in the war.
She was thankful that the four weren’t afraid of her. True, she pretended that she didn’t care what people thought about her, but deep down, she wanted them to see her as a fellow warrior, rather than some soulless machine or monster, and she was most certainly neither of those.
Pinkamena did have emotions. Her life on her family’s farm simply made it difficult for her to express them (of course, it made expressing emotions difficult for the rest of her family, as well).
Of course, this wasn’t the only thing that bothered her.
What did bother her was that despite their victory yesterday, King Sombra was still alive. His personal army may had been pushed back into Imperial territory, but it was only a minor setback. Sombra still controlled much of Equestria, gaining more ponies to recruit into his ever growing ranks of Crystal Warriors, and according to military intelligence, he was gathering mercenaries from other races, such as griffons and Diamond Dogs. This meant that they would still have to fight.
Pinkamena hoped they had severely crippled the Empire’s chain of command, but it was more of a sting from a bee. Even when the victory allowed Equestrian forces on other fronts to recapture lost territory, it would only be a matter of time until the Crystal Armies struck back.
She thought about the rest of her family back on the farm: her mother, father, and younger sister, Marble Pie. While she, Maud, and Limestone joined the Rock Troopers to fight the Crystal Empire, Igneous Rock Pie, Cloudy Quartz, and Marble stayed at the farm, gathering rocks to send to the front for use as ammunition. She hoped they would be safe. The thought of Sombra killing them, or worse, turning them into his slaves, made her stomach churn.
I will protect them, she thought, even if it costs me my life.
She then turned to see Maud Pie bandaging up her foreleg, an injury she received from the battle. Her stare softened. From the beginning of their careers, Maud had been there for her, protecting her from anything Sombra threw at them, and she protected her in return. They wouldn’t have gotten so far if it weren’t for each other, or for Limestone. Limestone was still grumpy, although the war may have made her angrier than ever. Despite this, she showed she still cared about her sisters, especially when she singlehoofedly took down a crystal golem that tried to crush them back at the Defense of Hollow Shades.
Still, she was worried for them. If Maud or Limestone were to die, Pinkamena would never forgive herself.
Maud noticed her sister staring. A look of concern crept on her face.
“Pinkie? You okay?” She asked. Pinkamena was awoken from her trance.
“Oh. Sorry, Maud,” She said, her voice calm as ever. “I was just thinking.”
Maud got up from her bed and trotted over to her sister, sitting down next to her. “Thinking about what?” She asked.
“About our family,” answered Pinkie. “I’m worried about them. I know we beat back Sombra yesterday, but he’s still alive. And with him around, they’re in danger.”
Maud gave her sister a comforting smile and wrapped a leg around her shoulder. “I understand, Pinkie,” She said. “I’m worried about them, too. Believe me, the last thing I want is Sombra brainwashing them. But that’s why we joined the Guard in the first place: to protect the ponies we love.”
Pinkamena nodded as she remembered her promise. She then remembered something else.
“But that’s not the only thing I’m worried about,” She said. “There’s also the possibility of you and Limestone getting killed. Every time we fight, we risk losing each other, and I don’t think I can forgive myself if anything happened to any of you.”
“I feel the same way, as well,” Said Maud. “That’s why I’ve been risking everything to protect you two. After all, we’re sisters.”
Pinkamena wanted to smile, but she couldn’t. She was too hardened by all of the pain the war had brought her, and by the hardships her family went through on their rock farm. Still, she was moved by her sister’s words, even if she didn’t show it. Maud, however, could tell her words were having an effect on her.
“I see you still don’t smile.” She said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
“There isn’t much for me to smile about.” Her sister bluntly replied. Maud pulled her into a hug. “Well,” She said. “One of these days, I’m sure you will.”
“Maybe someday…” Said Pinkamena.
“So sweet. It’s a sister moment.” Said a male voice.
The two mares turned to see two earth pony stallions. The first had a bright red coat, a goldish yellow mane and tail, and cerulean blue eyes. The second had a lime green coat, a sapphire blue mane and tail, and amber eyes. They were Flinthoof and Buster, members of Pinkamena and Maud’s squad.
“Flinthoof, Buster,” Said Pinkamena, slightly surprised by the two brothers’ sudden appearance. “I see you’re doing well.”
“Yep,” Said Buster, a proud smile on his face. “And it’s the best day ever, because we just pushed back King Sombra!”
“That was yesterday.” Flinthoof said.
“True,” Answered Buster. “But it’s still our greatest victory.”
“He’s right,” Said Maud. “This our biggest victory since the war started. With Sombra back in the Crystal Empire, we’ll be able to take back stolen ground.”
“It won’t be easy, though,” Flinthoof said. “Sombra isn’t one to leave his major strongholds unguarded.”
“Ha! I can take anything Sombra’s goons dish out!” Buster boasted.
Pinkamena, Maud, and Flinthoof rolled their eyes. Buster always was a blowhard, but they had to admit, his skills were admirable.
“Anyway,” Continued Flinthoof, “We were on our way to the training room to improve our skills. We were hoping you’d come with us.”
Maud turned to Pinkamena. “What do you say, Pinkie?” She asked.
Pinkamena was silent for a minute, and then she stood up. “Let’s go.” She said.
They were about to leave, when the door swung open, and pegasus stallion stepped in. He had a cobalt blue coat, a black and white mane and tail, and dark brown eyes. He wore the blue and gold jumpsuit and armor of the Blue Wings, an elite air cavalry squadron commanded by Commander Stratos himself. The pegasus approached the four earth ponies, his stoic expression unchanged, until he stood face to face with Pinkamena. The pink mare stood with an unreadable expression.
“1st Lieutenant Pinkamena Diane Pie of the Rock Trooper Corps 7th Regiment?” He asked.
“Yes?” Asked Pinkamena, her expression unchanged.
“I am Lieutenant Starchaser of the Blue Wings Squadron,” Said the Pegasus. “I have been sent by Commander Stratos to find you.”
“How come?” Asked Buster.
“That’s classified,” Starchaser answered. “Just know that Princess Celestia herself wishes to see both 1st Lieutenant Pie and Captain Dash in Canterlot.”
Pinkamena’s eyes widened. This was an unexpected turn of events. Why would the Princess want her and Captain Dash to go to Canterlot? It must have been something important.
She turned to Maud, who glanced back at her.
“What do you think, Maud?” She asked.
Maud was silent for a moment, and then, she nodded. “Princess’s orders, little sister,” She said. “Go with the lieutenant.”
Pinkamena faced Starchaser. “I’ll go.” She replied.
“Follow me,” Said the pegasus. “I’ll take you to the airship. We’ll wait there until Commander Stratos Captain Dash.”
Pinkamena nodded and the two walked for the door. Pinkamena cast one last look at Maud before closing the door.
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Rainbow Dash walked down the hall, making her way to the interrogation room where the crystal pony mare was staying in, Soarin, Surprise, Wave Chill, High Winds, and Fleetfoot following her.
She had just got back from checking on Misty Fly, who was knocked unconscious by a Crystal Warrior during the Battle of Borealis Fields. The mare had suffered a concussion which would take a month or two for her to recover from. It saddened Rainbow Dash that Misty Fly would be incapacitated for so long, but she was relieved that she didn’t die. She lost more than enough friends to this war. Especially Spitfire.
The prismatic pegasus was still angry with herself that she couldn’t save her commander from the traitor, Wind Rider. Had she been faster, she would have gotten to them in time. She was supposed to be the Wonderbolts’ best fighter, and yet she couldn’t be there to help Spitfire. It was the same as before, like at Hollow Shades and Trottingham. The Wonderbolts 1st Squadron barely survived a Crystal Warrior attack at Hollow Shades, Lightning Streak was badly wounded. Rainbow Dash had managed to rescue him, but he would never be able to fight again. She blamed herself for that, as she blamed herself for Thunder Flash and Stormflight dying at Trottingham.
And now, she blamed herself for Spitfire’s capture.
True, she was at war, and she should have expected ponies to die or be taken prisoner by the enemy, but at the same time, watching her fellow Wonderbolts fall at the hooves of mind-controlled slave soldiers hurt her. So she wanted to protect as many of them as she could, not caring whether she died or not. After all, she knew what she was getting into.
But watching Spitfire be defeated by a Wonderbolt she had once admired and being powerless to do anything made her aware of her own limitations.
She had failed her.
She had failed Lightning Streak.
She had failed every Wonderbolt in her squadron who was killed or injured throughout the war.
The same way she failed another pony years ago, back when she was a filly.
Soarin’ and the others noticed the captain’s pained look in her eyes. He exchanged sad glances with Fleetfoot.
“Poor Dash. She’s not taking Wind Rider’s betrayal very well.” Said Soarin’.
“Can you blame her? Wind Rider was one of her heroes growing up,” Said Wave Chill. “She’s gotta be devastated after finding out he jumped ship and joined Sombra. To be honest, I can hardly believe it myself.”
“He was an inspiration to all Wonderbolts,” Fleetfoot added. “Even Spitfire looked up to him. Hay, even I thought he was a living legend.”
“Why would he turn against Equestria, anyway?” Asked Surprise. “It goes against everything the Wonderbolts stand for.”
“Probably to save his own flank,” Said High Winds, a hint of anger in her tone. “As far as I’m concerned, the Wind Rider we knew is long gone. When I see that back-stabbing snake, I’ll make him pay for what he did to Spitfire.” She pounded her forehooves together to emphasize her point.
Rainbow Dash seemed to have heard her.
“You’re not alone, High Winds.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper, but audible enough for her squad mates to hear. “I want a shot at him just as much as you do. Maybe even more.”
A feeling in Soarin’s gut told him that the latter was more accurate. Out of the entire squadron, Rainbow Dash was the one who looked up to Spitfire the most. She was like an older sister to the cyan pegasus. She tried her best to make her proud, to be just like her.
At Rainbow Falls, she thought that by defeating Sombra, she would gain Spitfire’s praise, in addition to ending the war. Instead, all she accomplished was losing a chunk of her left ear, gaining a scar on her left eye, and losing her left wing.
Since then, the medics had fitted her with a prosthetic wing. It was a tad uncomfortable, but at least it was light enough to allow her to fly again, and sturdy enough to withstand g-forces.
It wasn’t the same, though. She missed her old wing. Where once there was a wing of flesh and blood, there was nothing more than a cold, steel, featherless replacement. She lost count of how many times she preened her wing feathers, only to remember that the ones on her left were fake.
Whenever she took flight, she would feel the wind blow through the feathers on her right wing, but feel nothing on her left.
It also chafed a little, and she had a difficult time sleeping, as it had a habit of spreading outward. It felt like it had a mind of its own at times.
But back on subject, after having her wounds treated, she was later confronted by Spitfire, who scolded her for her brashness.
Of course, she had also told her that she was the best cadet she had in her squadron, and to lose her would have dealt a heavy blow to the Wonderbolts.
Spitfire was known for one thing: She always cared for the well being of her troops, and tried to get as many of them through battle alive as she could.
As the war raged on, Rainbow Dash fought as hard as she could, no longer interested in glory, but in protecting Equestria. Or rather, she was even more determined to protect it. Eventually, she earned the rank of captain, becoming one of Spitfire’s subordinates, an honor which she was proud of. She was then given command of Wonderbolts 1st Squadron, and Spitfire never regretted the decision since.
But now with Spitfire as Sombra’s prisoner, Rainbow Dash was uncertain whether or not she could follow in her commanding officer’s hoofsteps. Soarin’, however, believed that she had what it took.
The stallion cleared his throat as he began to change the subject.
“So, uh, Captain,” He began. “Why exactly do you wanna talk to that crystal pony we rescued?”
“I need to find out how we can undo Sombra’s control over the crystal ponies on a larger scale,” She answered, not once looking in Soarin’s direction. “And chances are, she knows the answer. Besides, we might find out how to stop Sombra for good, too.”
“I sure hope so,” Said Surprise. “I haven’t slept well for a long time, knowing Sombra’s brainwashes his soldiers and forces them to fight against their will.”
“It’s the fact we’re forced to off them that makes me sick.” Shuddered Fleetfoot.
“I don’t know,” Wave Chill added. “Killing them actually seems mercifully compared to what Sombra did to them.”
Soon, they arrive at the door to the interrogation room, greeted by Fire Streak and Silver Lining. The two stallions saluted Rainbow Dash, who saluted in return.
“At ease.” She said, and the two Wonderbolts lowered their hooves. “How’s our guest?”
“She’s a little gloomy,” Said Fire Streak, “But other than that, she’s physically unharmed.”
“Gloomy isn’t the word I would choose,” Said Silver Lining. “More like depressed.”
“Is she at least in the mood to talk?” Asked Dash.
“I dunno,” Fire Streak shrugged. “She looked like she was in the mood to end it all.”
Rainbow Dash was silent. She didn’t like the sound of that. But then again, it didn’t surprise her. If she was brainwashed by Sombra and forced to kill everypony she knew and cared about, she would have wanted to take her own life as well. That, or snap Sombra’s neck. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for the mare.
“I want to speak with her personally,” She said. “I have questions that need answers.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Said Silver Lining.
The stallion opened the door and Rainbow Dash stepped inside, the door shutting behind her. Right in front of her sat the crystal pony she freed yesterday at Borealis Fields. Her coat was a dull blue in color, and her mulberry mane and tail were also dull, the mane itself straight and hanging down. It reminded Rainbow Dash of Pinkamena’s mane a little. On her flank was a cutie mark in the form of a golden laurel. Her dull blue eyes were empty and lifeless. They were the eyes of a mare who had all of the hope and joy sapped out of her, and left with nothing but sadness.
The sight made Rainbow feel sympathetic. What did Sombra do to these ponies, she mentally asked herself.
She approached the crystal pony, who slowly raised her head and looked the captain in the eye. Rainbow Dash sat in the chair in front of her, placing her hooves together.
“Hi.” She said, trying to make herself sound as friendly as she possibly could. The last thing she wanted was for the girl to think she was in danger.
“Hello.” The mare said. Her voice was monotone and lifeless, devoid of any emotion, save for depression. Rainbow Dash brushed it off. She couldn’t afford to be unnerved. This was much too important.
“My name is Rainbow Dash, Captain of the Wonderbolts 1st Squadron,” She continued. “What’s your name?”
“Sapphire Joy.” The mare answered.
Sapphire Joy. Sapphire Joy. Considering her mood, the ‘joy’ part was misleading. Dash dared not mention that, though. She didn’t want to feel insulting. She was, however, surprised how compliant she was, for somepony who was going through interrogation.
“Anyway,” She began, “I’ve got some questions that need answers. Answers that’ll help us in our war against King Sombra.”
Sapphire Joy flinched at the mention of Sombra. Rainbow felt a pang of sympathy in her heart, seeing her like this. Regardless, Joy complied.
“First off,” Began Rainbow Dash, “Sombra’s mind-control helmets. How does he make them, how do we break their control on a wide scale?”
A tense silence filled the room, until Joy spoke.
“He is using an advanced spell that gives them the ability to channel his power into the wearer, bending them to his will. But I don’t know how we can break the spell on all of them at once.”
Rainbow’s heart sank. She didn’t like what she heard. She hoped there was a better way to free Sombra’s slaves without having to break open their helmets one at a time.
“Do you at least know how Sombra can be defeated?” She asked. In her mind, she was desperately hoping the pony knew. Sadly, her prayers went unanswered.
“I’m sorry,” Said Joy. “But I can’t remember.” That last word made Rainbow’s ears perk up. Remember, she thought, could it be? She furrowed her eyebrows, as she felt suspicious. She slightly leaned forward, and asked, “Do you remember anything? Anything about life in the Crystal Empire before Sombra? Anything at all?” Jewel Joy’s expression remained unchanged as she answered.
“I’m sorry,” She said. “I wish I could help you. But I can’t seem to remember anything before Sombra came into power.” Just when she said those words, memories flashed through her mind. Terrifying memories. Memories of the Empire resurfacing after so long, King Sombra surrounding it and regaining his physical form, crystal ponies put in chains once more, King Sombra placing control helmets on them all, and finally, his dark words echoing in her mind: “You will serve me as you once did… forever.”
The crystal pony gasped in horror as she leapt from her chair, falling to her knees. Her breathing became heavy, her heart racing. “But I remember his return,” she shuddered. “All those awful things he forced us to do through our helmets. We couldn’t stop ourselves. We couldn’t control ourselves.” Tears streamed down her face.
Rainbow Dash pondered what happened, until finally, the pieces fell into place.
Sapphire Joy’s memories were being repressed. She didn’t know how, but Sombra must have used his magic to repress Joy’s memories of the Crystal Empire prior to his reign. She could not remember the Empire in its Golden Age, but she could remember it when it was first under Sombra’s tyrannical rule, and she remembered it when it came under his rule once again. And chances are, Sombra had also repressed her memories of how he could be stopped. If Joy’s memories were repressed, there was a very good chance that was the case for all of the other crystal ponies. And judging by her words, while they were under the control of Sombra’s helmets, they were complete aware of things happening around them, including their bodies moving against their will, moving at the will of Sombra, like puppets on strings. Rainbow Dash could feel her forehooves shaking with anger.
However, she composed herself, relaxing. She looked at Joy, pity in her eyes. The crystal pony looked up at her. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you,” She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. “I know.” Said Rainbow softly.
The pegasus stood up from her chair, and helped Joy back onto her hooves. The two walked to the door and Rainbow opened. They stepped out, greeted by the other Wonderbolts, who noticed the tears running down Joy’s cheeks. “What happened?” Asked Fleetfoot, concerned.
“She doesn’t have any information on how we can free the crystal ponies, or defeat Sombra,” answered Dash. “In fact, she doesn’t even remember the events prior to Sombra’s reign. Sombra must have repressed her memories, including how we can win this war. She does, however, remember Sombra’s reign.”
“That would explain the tears.” Said Fire Streak.
“So, you’ve questioned her for nothing?” High Wings asked?
“I wouldn’t say for nothing,” Said Dash. “I did learn that Sombra’s suppressing the memories of his slaves. He must be doing it for a reason.”
“What kind of reason?” Asked Surprise.
“If I were to guess,” Dash answered, “It’s so we can’t figure out how we can stop him.”
Just then, they noticed a familiar pegasus approaching them.
Dash’s eyes widened as she saw Commander Stratos making his way toward the Wonderbolts.
Immediately, she stood to attention, her squad mates following suit. Stratos returned the salute.
“At ease.” He said.
The Wonderbolts lowered their hooves. Rainbow Dash gave the commander a welcoming smile, which Stratos returned. Dash and Stratos had first met each other during the Battle of Whinnyapolis, where the Wonderbolts and Blue Wings proved instrumental in defending the city from Imperial forces. Since then, the two had respect for each other.
“It’s good to see you again, commander.” She said.
“And it is good to see you again as well, captain.” Said Stratos.
“To what do I owe the honor?” The young pegasus mare asked.
“Princess Celestia has asked me to bring you to Canterlot to meet with her,” Answered Stratos.
Rainbow’s eyes widened. An audience? With the Princess. She didn’t know what to say. It had been days since their last encounter, when Celestia saved her from Sombra. Since then, she had felt indebted to the Princess. She admired Celestia’s courage, her strength, her valor, and her determination. She was a kind, caring, wise, and just ruler, who always put the lives of her ponies before her own. There was no other ruler that Rainbow Dash would rather fight for.
But still, she was curious as to why Celestia would wish to see her. It would have made more sense for her to summon Spitfire, who was the overall Commander of the Wonderbolt Squadrons. But then she remembered: Spitfire wasn’t here.
Sadness crept into the blue mare, as the memory of Spitfire being defeated and captured by Wind Rider came back to her.
“Is something wrong, Captain?” Asked Stratos.
Rainbow was awoken from her thoughts. “Um, nothing, sir,” She said quickly. “I was just curious as to why the Princess would want to see me of all ponies. Surely, she’d want to see somepony higher up in the chain of command.”
“Normally, she would,” Said Stratos. “But this is different. You’ll find out once you are at Canterlot Castle.”
“Can you at least tell me if it’ll help us against the Empire?” Rainbow Dash asked. She respected Commander Stratos. Not only was he an officer of higher rank than her, but he was also a highly capable fighter. But if there was one thing she didn’t like, it was when he kept secrets from her. She had been fighting for so long, she was starting to lose faith that Sombra would ever be defeated, and her failed attempt to gain information on how to defeat him made her doubts only worse. She needed to know if there was hope.
“You always were impatient, my girl,” Said Stratos. “Don’t worry. Princess Celestia will fill you in on all the details.”
Rainbow sighed. Somehow, she knew he would say that. She wasn’t one for waiting, but she had no choice. And she wasn’t normally one to disobey orders, especially not after what Sombra did to her.
“Alright,” She said. “I’ll go.”
She turned her attention to Soarin’.
“Soarin’, you’re in command of the squadron while I’m absent,” She said, her expression firm. Soarin’s eyes widened.
“Me?” He asked. “Why me?”
“Because you have experience,” answered Rainbow, “With Spitfire captured, and me at Canterlot, someone has to take command, and you’re my best choice.”
Soarin’ was about to protest, until Rainbow placed a hoof on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.
“You can do this, Soarin’,” She said. “I know you can.”
Soarin’ was silent for a moment, but then his worried expression became one of determination as he nodded.
“I won’t let you down, boss,” He said, a confident smirk on his muzzle. The two stared into each other’s eyes before snapping back into reality, embarrassed. Rainbow removed her hoof from Soarin’s shoulder as she turned to follow Stratos. “Dash,” She heard Soarin’ say, causing her to glance back. “Be careful.”
Rainbow smiled. She always appreciated Soarin’s concern. With a final nod, the young mare trotted after Stratos.
Soarin’ heard the others holding back their laughter. He turned to face them, eyeing them suspiciously.
“What’s so funny?” He asked.
“Hehe. Nothing, sir.” Snickered Wave Chill.
“Hey, Soarin’,” Said Surprise, “When you and Captain Dash have your wedding, can Fleetfoot, High Winds, and I be your bridesmaids?”
She, Fleetfoot, and High Winds giggled together, and Soarin’s face turned red like a tomato. He then came to his senses and scowled.
“She’s not my girlfriend!” He said, stomping his hoof. The others simply smirked, giving their newly appointed sub-commander knowing looks.
*******************************************
Rainbow Dash and Commander Stratos were already in the hangar, making their way to Bay 14, where Stratos’s airship was docked. Dash took her time to observe her surroundings. Throughout the hangar were all kinds of balloons, dirigibles, blimps, gliders, and gyrocopters. There were also a few biplanes here and there.
Of course, most of these vehicles were used by unicorns and earth ponies. Pegasi, being natural fliers, had no need for them, but an airship was a more reliable means of transportation when traveling to major cities such as Canterlot.
Rainbow Dash had ridden on hot air balloons and blimps before, but she had never ridden an airship. She heard they were really powerful, serving as the Equestrian Royal Air Navy’s aerial battleships and transports. Pegasus air troops were known to take off from them, giving them better altitude.
Soon they arrived at Bay 14, where Stratos’s ship waited for them. It was a large ship. It was colored gold and dark blue, with the flag of Equestria emblazoned on the balloon. The flag itself was light blue, with the sun and moon in the middle. surrounding the sun and moon were two alicorns, one white, and the other dark blue.
Rainbow Dash had been told that the two alicorns were Celestia and her sister, the image of them forming a circle representing their shared status as rulers of Equestria. At least, their status was shared, until the younger sister’s banishment to the moon.
Rainbow Dash didn’t know all of the details in the legend. She never was one for reading.
They noticed three ponies standing at the door to the airship’s gondola, waiting for them. One of them was Starchaser, Rainbow recognizing him by his black and white mane. The other was an orange pegasus stallion with a blue mane and tail and blue eyes, wearing the flight suit of the Blue Wings. The third one was somepony Rainbow Dash never expected to see: Pinkamena.
She and Stratos approached the three, Starchaser and the other stallion saluting when they saw them. Stratos returned the salute as he faced the orange stallion.
“Lieutenant Flash Sentry,” He said. “Is the ship ready?”
“Yes, Commander,” Said the stallion, named Flash. “We were just waiting for you and Captain Dash to return. “
“Wait no more, then,” said the commander, a smirk on his face. “Now that we’re gathered here, let’s climb on board and make our way to Canterlot.”
The four ponies climbed into the gondola, Starchaser closing the door behind them. Rainbow Dash and Pinkamena took their seats, Dash herself viewing the hanger from the window. Stratos turned his attention to the earth pony at the controls.
“Take us up, helmsstallion.” He said.
The stallion saluted and began to pull an assortment of switches and controls. The rotors spun to life, and the airship lifted up off of the ground, the skylight above opening. Soon, the ship was out of the hangar and flew away from the Foal Mountain base, making its way for Canterlot.
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash looked from her window at the ground below, contemplating recent events. The past years were very hectic for her. She was used to fighting Crystal Warriors, but now that Sombra had formed his newest air cavalry legions, things had gotten more complicated. Mind controlled pegasi, whether they were crystal ponies or enslaved Equestrians, were dangerous fighters in the sky, yes, but due to the spells placed on them, their thinking was usually limited. But the Storm Riders weren’t mindless slaves. They were willing soldiers of the Crystal Empire, perfectly capable of thought. And such opponents were much more dangerous than brainwashed warriors.
This coupled with the capture of Commander Spitfire made things look grim for Equestria. But Rainbow Dash had to be strong. She would not allow feelings of doubt cloud her will to protect her kingdom. She had proven time and time again to Equestria that she would not abandon it. But still, the thought of Equestria losing to Sombra haunted her mind. She knew what it meant if the King of Shadows managed to finally conquer all of Equestria. And that was something she could not and would not allow. Her only hope was whatever Celestia needed her for was something that would help them win this war.
She noticed a recruitment poster on the wall next to her. It was a recruitment poster for the Wonderbolts, displaying Commander Spitfire in her blue formal uniform pointing her hoof at her, the words “I want you for the Wonderbolts” printed in bright red letters underneath her. Rainbow narrowed her eyes, her expression one of determination.
I promise, Spitfire, she thought, I won’t let you down. I won’t give up until Sombra’s defeated. I don’t know what Princess Celestia has in store for me, but whatever it is, I’m willing to take on any challenge.
She then pulled something out of her uniform’s collar and looked at it. It was her Wonderbolt Captain’s badge, in the form of a gold lightning bolt with wings.
“Altius Volantis,” she whispered, reciting the Wonderbolts motto. “Soaring Higher.”
*******************************************************
Out of all the districts in Canterlot, the Clover District was one of the most notable. Named after the apprentice of Star Swirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, the Clover District was famous for its libraries, museums, schools, universities, academies, and colleges. The most notable school was Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, where unicorns who possessed highly powerful magic went to learn how to use their abilities for the betterment of Equestrian society.
When the war started, many families who came to Canterlot settled in the Clover District, seeking shelter from Sombra’s armies. Indeed, the majority of Ponyville’s population had settled her in search of sanctuary.
While most of the city of Canterlot lived in fear of Sombra’s looming threat, the ponies in the Clover District felt more secure, since the district was one of the closest to Canterlot Castle. As such, they felt secure in the presence of Princess Celestia.
Of course, the Clover District was also home to a certain lavender unicorn, who would be known as one of Equestria’s greatest heroes. One who would lead the other five against Sombra, and with their help, put an end to his reign of terror once and for all.
Her name was Twilight Sparkle.
******************************************
Twilight Sparkle, the librarian of the Orichalcum Library, was going about her regular runs sorting out all of the books and putting them in their proper places. She did so with a tired look on her face.
The young unicorn had spent another week without sleep, studying her books. But she wasn’t looking for simple spells. No, she was looking for any information on dragons.
Ever since she had failed her entrance exam years ago, she was obsessed with finding out how to use her magic to hatch a dragon egg. She searched through every book she had at home, but so far, she had no luck.
There were very few written records of ponies encountering dragons. Even Star Swirl the Bearded, a unicorn whom Twilight admired since foalhood, had written little about dragons in his notes and memoirs. Apparently, dragons were too fearsome for anypony to fully study. Of course, since dragons we massive reptiles with wings and the ability to breathe fire, any rational pony would avoid one if they could help it.
Despite these setbacks, Twilight’s determination prevented her from giving up.
Every night, she would search tirelessly in her books for any written event where a unicorn had successfully hatched a dragon egg. Alas, her attempts proved fruitless. Every. Single. Time!
To say it frustrated her would be an understatement.
She would never forget that day. The day of the Entrance Exam.
Ever since she was a foal, Twilight had always possessed a talent in magic. In Comet Tail Magic School, she was the top student. In every class, her grades were the best. She had the highest score on every test.
Then one day, her parents enrolled her in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. That was the greatest moment of her life.
She impressed her teachers in every way, passing every test they gave her.
But to finally enter Celestia’s School, she had to pass one more test: she had to hatch a dragon egg.
She tried her best. She put her heart and soul into trying to cast a spell that would solve her challenge.
But, sadly, she never could.
That test was the one thing she needed to pass to achieve her dream.
And she failed.
Since then, she had been living a life of near-solitude, her parents, brother, and doll Smarty Pants her only company, in addition to her boss, Ebon Quill, the head librarian, Moondancer, her old friend from magic school, and Sunburst, a unicorn stallion from a distant village who possessed a vast knowledge of spells.
When the war started, she later became acquainted with a unicorn filly named Sweetie Belle, whose family moved from Ponyville to Canterlot in search of safety from the approaching hordes of Sombra, while her sister (Rarity, Twilight believed her name was) went to Manehattan to work as a uniform maker.
She rarely talked with Sweetie Belle, seeing as she herself had to work at Orichalcum Library, not to mention her never ending quest to find a spell powerful enough to hatch a dragon egg.
Apparently, her parents believed that she would succeed, because they requested that they kept the egg. Celestia gave them permission, saying that the egg might be important one day in the future.
As far as Twilight was concerned, that future was her becoming one of the greatest mages since Star Swirl the Bearded. Or, at least, the first unicorn to hatch a dragon egg.
Until then, she would spend every working day at the library, organizing books, making sure they were in the right places.
Of course, such a task would be much easier if she hadn’t spent all night reading through her books for a spell nopony believed existed back home.
Twilight fought to remain awake as she continued shelving books in the history section.
She lost the battle, as she instantly fell asleep, leaning against the ladder she stood on, the book she held in her purple aura plummeting to the floor.
To say she was exhausted barely scratched the surface.
But she didn’t have to worry about sleeping for long.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The booming voice of Ebon Quill, curator of the library, echoed throughout the room as he entered. Thankfully, nopony else was there.
With a surprised yelp, the lavender unicorn bolted awake, her sudden movement causing the ladder she was on to pull away from the shelf. She was wide awake, now, holding onto the ladder for dear life, as it stood straight up in the middle of the aisle. She swayed dangerously to and fro, until it turned immediately to face the shelf to her right and fell, with her screaming along the way, bumping into another book shelf, knocking it down and into another book shelf. The process repeated, until eventually, all of the shelves in the room fell like dominos.
Twilight saw the results of her stumble, completely dumbfounded (and horrified) by what she just did, surrounded by fallen books and shelves.
“Not again.” She mumbled softly, cringing with embarrassment. She then saw her boss, Ebon Quill. He was a tall unicorn, with a brownish-orange coat and yellow mane and tail, with brown eyes. On his flank was a cutie mark in the farm of a quill and inkwell. He wore a black coat, white dress shirt, a black bow tie, and spectacles. His left eye twitched with anger as he glared at his bumbling, young employee.
Twilight smiled sheepishly as she stood back up, facing her irate employer.
“Um, hi, Mr. Ebon Quill, sir,” She said, nervously. “Didn’t even see you there.” A nervous chuckle escaped her lips.
“Twilight Sparkle,” Said Ebon Quill, his voice dangerously low. “This is the seventh time this month you've fallen asleep on the job. And then, after you woke up from your sleep, you made a mess of my library… for the TWO HUNDRED AND TENTH TIME! LOOK AT THIS MESS! GIVE ME SPHINXES! TITANS! BASILISKS! FURIES! Anything but you! Compared to you, the monsters in Tartarus are harmless bunnies!”
Twilight’s smile dropped and her ears flattened against her head at Ebon Quill’s sudden outburst.
“S-s-sorry, sir,” She whimpered. “I-i-i-it was an accident.”
Ebon Quill calmed down, his expression unreadable. Although Twilight could tell from experience that he was still mad.
“An accident?” He repeated, giving a slight chuckle. “No,” He said. “When somepony trips and falls over, that’s an accident.” He then gestured around the room with his hoof. “This,” he continued calmly, before raising his voice yet again, “Is a DISASTER!!!”
Again, Twilight’s ears flattened against her skull. Considering how often Mr. Quill shouted at her, it was a miracle she hadn’t gone deaf.
The old unicorn heaved an exasperated sigh. “Every day it’s the same old thing with you,” He continued, “Every time you come here, you decide to sleep on the job. And when you actually are awake, one of either two things happen. You either start daydreaming, or you make a mess of my library!” He sighed again. “Why do I keep you around?!” He cried out.
It was then, when Twilight stood up straight, an air of confidence surrounding her. “Well,” She answered, “That’s simple. I’m highly skilled at organizing, and can memorize every section where each book must be put.”
“Yes,” Mr. Quill said bluntly, “And it’s a shame your pros are outweighed by your cons: laziness, absent-mindedness, and clumsiness.”
Twilight frowned, a slight growl in her throat. She was far from lazy, absent-minded and clumsy. Although, staying up studying might have put a strain on her. She had plenty of rest, but when it came to working at the library, she might as well have been cursed.
Her angry scowl was replaced with a look of fright when Ebon Quill glared at her. “Now,” He said, “Since you managed to make a mess of the entire magical history section, I want you to straighten it up.”
Twilight’s eyes widened as she glanced around the room. She and Mr. Quill were completely surrounded by knocked over bookshelves and scattered books. “You want me,” She said. “To straighten up all of these book shelves… by myself?” The last part came out as a squeal.
“Yes,” Hissed Mr. Quill, “I don’t care how you do it, I don’t care how long it takes, clean up this MESS!”
With that, the curator stormed out of the room, using his magic to slam the doors behind him, causing a book to fall off a leaning shelf and land on top of Twilight’s head. “Ow!” She yelped, rubbing her head. She then looked over the sea of knocked over shelves and scattered books. She let out a long, exasperated groan.
This was going to be a loooooooooong day.
******************************
After five, laborious hours of cleaning up the magical history section, Twilight Sparkle was finally free to leave the library. She heaved a long sigh of relief, finally free from having to reorganize every book she already organized. Normally, she liked reorganizing things, but when it came to Ebon Quill, reorganizing was a chore.
Then again, she did have a habit of falling asleep and knocking things over, so, admittedly, she wasn’t completely innocent. She couldn’t help it. She spent countless nights looking for powerful spells that could hatch a dragon’s egg, as well as historical references of unicorns actually achieving such a thing. If she found that spell, maybe she could finally succeed where she failed that day, and impress Celestia enough to become her student.
She sighed sadly, her ears drooping, as she continued walking, her cloak flowing in the wind. She observed her surroundings. She had walked down these streets before. She knew everything in this part of the city. The Clover District was full of ponies she knew, but she was acquainted with only a few of them. Her mother, her father, Shining Armor, Moondancer, Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, Lyra Heartstrings, Sunburst, and Sweetie Belle and her family were the only ones who cared about her. In fact, they were the only ones who acknowledged her. The rest of the ponies ignored her, like she was invisible. And the ones that didn’t stopped to call her “the Canterlot Outcast”.
Such words cut like a knife. She tried to ignore their words, but deep down, she felt that they were true.
Maybe I’m better off alone, she thought, it’s not like anypony would want to be friends with a pony who couldn’t get into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.
She stopped walking as she just remembered what she thought.
Friends.
She never had many friends as a filly. The closest she had were Minuette, Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, Lyra Heartstrings, and Moondancer. But four of her closest friends had already left to join the E.U.P. Guard, while Moondancer was preparing to leave for training, herself. And recently, Sunburst, had left for training himself.
Of course, having been more concerned with books, she never had time to make more friends. Besides, it wasn’t like the other ponies in her neighborhood were willing to be friends with her. They looked down on her, saw her as a failure for not being good enough to enter a school for gifted unicorns. Instead of becoming an accomplished mage, let alone Celestia’s student, she was reduced to being a librarian, not that she minded. In fact, working at the library meant she had plenty of books to read. The problem was that Mr. Quill wouldn’t allow her to even touch the books unless it was to organize them. He probably thought they’d burst into flames in her hooves if she opened. As far as he was concerned, Twilight Sparkle was a living, breathing, natural disaster.
Even though he had a hoof in today's disaster, this time, thought Twilight, with an annoyed look on her face.
As she continued walking, her mind swirled with new thoughts. Maybe there was something for her beyond Canterlot. Maybe her destiny wasn’t here, but out there.
I’ll find out someday, she thought.
Soon, she was at the door to her house. Although, it was more of a mansion, considering how wealthy her family was. She knocked on the door and it opened, revealing her mother, Twilight Velvet. Twilight Velvet bore a resemblance to her daughter, only her coat was light gray, her mane was purple and light gray, and her eyes were an arctic blue. On her flank was a cutie mark in the form of three purple stars. Velvet smiled when she saw her daughter.
“Welcome home, Twilight,” She said, pulling her daughter into a hug. “How was work?”
“The usual.” Said Twilight in a casual, albeit depressed manner.
“I see…” Velvet said in a sad tone. “You should really get some sleep, darling. You’re never going to get Mr. Quill to like you if you keep making a mess of things.”
“I know, I know,” Said Twilight. “It’s just I spent my entire life dreaming about getting into Celestia’s School and become a great mage like Star Swirl the Bearded. And when I failed the exam… I just know I can get that egg to hatch. Maybe when I do Celestia will take me under her wing.”
“Twilight…” Velvet sighed.
Just then, Shining Armor entered. He saw Twilight and smiled.
“Hey, Twily.” He said.
“Shining Armor!” Called Twilight.
She rushed to her older brother, and the two embraced.
“I’ve missed you so much, B.B.B.F.F.!” Said Twilight, referring to her brother by the abbreviation she gave him.
“I missed ya too, kid.” Shining Armor replied.
The two then parted, Shining Armor composing himself.
“What brings you here?” She asked.
“Princess Celestia sent me,” Her brother answered. “She wants to see you at the palace.”
Twilight was silent for a moment. After a few minutes, she finally found her voice.
“Princess Celestia… wants to see me?” She asked.
“Yep.” Answered Shining Armor.
Twilight’s eyes widened. She was speechless once more for a few moments. She then grinned from ear to ear, and jumped into the air, joy coursing through her entire being as she let out one big, “YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!” She started jumping around Shining Armor, saying “Yesyesyesyesyesyes” as she did so, a big grin on her face. For the first time since she failed the entrance exam, she was happy. It happened. Not the way she expected it to, but it happened. Finally, she stopped bouncing, but her smile still remained.
“Sooooo….” She began. “Does she want me to retake the entrance exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns?”
“Well, no, not exactly,” said Shining Armor. “But it is something important. She’ll explain it once we get there.”
“Oh,” Said Twilight, rubbing her right foreleg against her left. “I see. Safety reasons, right?”
“Yep,” Said her brother.
Twilight nodded. She was curious as to why Celestia wanted to see her, but she understood why her brother couldn’t tell her at home. After all, there was always a chance Sombra’s spies were watching.
“I’ll get your things ready,” Said Velvet. “And you might want to take the dragon egg with you. Celestia did say it was important.”
Twilight nodded as her mother went up the stairs. Soon, she returned, carrying Twilight’s saddlebags in her mouth, said saddlebags filled with Twilight’s belongings, including a purple dragon egg. Velvet placed the bags on Twilight’s back, careful not to damage the egg inside.
“There you go,” Said Velvet. “Now you’re ready.”
“Thanks mom,” Said Twilight. “And goodbye.”
“Bye, sweetie.” Said Velvet, hugging her daughter.
After an exchange of goodbyes, Twilight and Shining Armor were off, making their way to Canterlot Castle. As they did, a little unicorn filly noticed Twilight and waved at her. Twilight recognized her. It was Sweetie Belle. She smiled and waved back.
Twilight followed her brother to the castle, not knowing that she was about to embark on a journey.
A journey that would determine the fate of Equestria.