My Little Pony: Winds of Change

by Raven_Eye

Episode 1: The Journey Begins

Canterlot

Windshear was in the royal armory looking through the various types of armor and weaponry he could choose from for his journey, he was getting an ear full from the blacksmiths and the other soldiers about their personal favorite items in the armory. Windshear heaved a heavy sigh, he turned to face the group of soldiers who were chatting his ears off.

"Look everypony, I appreciate what you're all trying to do here, but, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. I need to travel light across who knows what, in unbearable heat. So I need nothing but the basics."

"A very wise approach." came a new voice in the crowd.

The group turned to the newcomer and quickly fell to their knees.

"You honor us with your presence Princess Luna." he responded while taking a deep bow.

"Walk with me." she commanded.

Windshear stood back up and quickly trotted up beside her, ever the diligent soldier, he kept a polite distance from her, listening carefully, he kept his mind clear, refusing to allow things he had heard about her to cloud his impressions of her, except her beauty, it was too difficult for him to ignore or push out of his mind, all he could do was force his eyes to remain straight.

"I have heard many things about you since we last spoke Windshear. My sister and the other guards all speak highly of your skills. Is it true you're able to create tornadoes all on your own?"

"I did it once my Lady. I haven't been able to do it again. No matter how hard I tried."

"Is it also true that you defeated six well armed Gryphon bandits near Trottingham all by yourself?"

"That's an exaggeration my lady, I had help and we didn't defeat them all."

"The way I heard the story, your comrades had all be defeated and were lying unconscious in the clouds. While you defeated six bandits."

"No my Lady. At the end it was actually four against one, and I only got three of them. The last one escaped and I was too badly hurt to go after him. So instead I decided to let him go and go help my comrades. We caught up with that Gryphon later and finished the job."

Luna continued asking Windshear about some of the feats credited to him in the stories she had been told as they continued down a long hallway in the castle, the pair approached a large door protected by two of Princess Luna's personal guard, they quickly opened the door for them and they proceeded inside.

"Nopony is perfect Windshear. Not even my sister and I. We've both made mistakes, though, I made the worst mistakes in my life, my sister never stopped loving me, nor I her. They say that power corrupts, and that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but I learned in my life that isn't necessarily true. My sister never abused her power, but I did."

Windshear peered about the room carefully, it was a library much like any other in the castle, but it was also a reliquary of strange artifacts, most of which Windshear couldn't identify. He followed Princess Luna all the way to the back where they came upon two jeweled hoof bracers.

"Take these items for example. You see, the world wasn't always the peaceful and serene place it is now. Everything we have now, ponies had to fight, bleed, and die for. But the challenges they faced were often more than their capabilities could overcome, that was true, even for me."

"Even for you my lady?"

"Yes, even for me. These bracers have magical powers which not even my sister and I fully understand. But when they are worn, they can greatly amplify your talents. I used these to help defend Equestria against many great evils, but then I misused them in my jealous rage to prevent my sister from bringing about the day, which in turn forced her to use the elements of harmony to banish me to the moon."

"I'm sorry my lady."

"No need to be sorry Windshear. It all worked out for the best. But what if I told you I wanted to entrust these bracers to you?"

Windshear's otherwise professional composure was lost as he suddenly began to choke on what he had just heard.

"To, to me? Why? Do you doubt I'm able to handle the task you've set before me my Lady?"

"No, that's not what I mean Windshear. When my sister told me that book was stolen in my absence, I knew that no good could come of it. So I set about trying to determine what has been done with it. I discovered that the Abada, Lucien, had been quietly raising an army, training other Abada to use the secrets contained in the book. You see, Abada aren't as naturally powerful as Unicorns, but they do have a strong affinity for manipulating nature, in their homeland, the people depend on them to help grow crops. But with the knowledge in that book, they've been able to overcome their natural magical limits and amplify their powers to where they can control other natural forces, earth, wind, water, even fire."

"To what end my Lady?"

"Manipulating the natural elements will give them unimaginable power in the world. Imagine if they invaded Equestria, and took control of the clouds, the water, the very earth we stand on. The ponies would be entirely at their mercy. I hope to resolve the situation peacefully, Equestria hasn't had a war in more than a thousand years, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to sit back quietly and wait to be destroyed."

"I follow you my Lady, but I still don't understand why you'd want to give these to me."

"It's quite simple Windshear. If push comes to shove, I strongly believe it would be in our best interest if you had power. Real power."

"Princess, I..."

"You've experienced violence in profound ways, you've accomplished great victories and never let it go to your head. You've seen with your own eyes the horrors which could be unleashed with the power of that book. I'm confident that come what may, you won't make the wrong decisions on how best to handle the situation."

"I'm touched by your confidence my lady but I'm not sure I'm capable."

"You are capable. Ponies have a deep desire to preserve the balance of life in the world, something not every other culture has inherent in them. That isn't a bad thing on their part, it doesn't make them any less wise than we are, it just makes them different. But if anything should happen to upset the balance, I'm counting on you to be the instrument of my will, and set things right."

Windshear gazed into her eyes as she spoke to him, his thoughts drifting back over his soldier's life, the good times, the bad times. He believed he understood what it was she was saying, but still had some reservations just the same. Yesterday, all he wanted to do was an honest day's work, for an honest day's pay and never have to think about his life as a soldier, or the pain he felt at the thought of having failed his most revered Princess Celestia. But now he was being offered a chance for a clean slate in his service to others. Even though Celestia told him he didn't let her down, it didn't erase the fact that he himself believed he had failed her when she most needed him. He wasn't about to repeat that failure, he took a deep breath and mustered his resolve.

" I accept my Lady. I won't fail you, or Equestria!"

Luna looked into his eyes, pleased to see the fiery resolve which had filled them.

"Remember Windshear. There's what you want to do, and what you can do. These bracers will change that over time. When you need them, they will help you. But they won't do anything for you unless you can do it for yourself."

Windshear looked to Luna with a confused look, "I'm not sure I understand my Lady?"

"In time, you will." she replied before she levitated the bracers from their resting place and put them on Windshear's front hooves, he tightly shut his eyes as they made contact with him, he didn't know what to expect, but let out a sigh of relief when he wasn't shocked by the surge of power he believed was most likely to occur, this drew a giggle from Luna who then smiled at Windshear.

"I need to go attend to my student now, she's waiting for me in my chambers. But before I go, one last question for you, are you sure it's wise to bring your friend, what was her name, the musician?"

"Octavia."

"Yes, Octavia. Is it wise to bring her along?"

"Probably not my Lady. But she isn't the kind of pony you can say no to."

"She must mean a lot to you."

"She's my best friend."

"I understand. I'm sure it'll all work out for the best."

The two had exited the great reliquary and proceeded down the hall. She dismissed Windshear who then proceeded to get back to his preparations. Luna continued down the hall, getting lost in her thoughts as she proceeded up a flight of stairs.

Her thoughts drifted to her sister Celestia, she wondered how it was so easy for her to bring out the best in everypony she ever had dealings with, especially her student Twilight Sparkle, Luna thought back to the recent Nightmare Night celebration and couldn't help but smile, that pony brought out parts of her she had thought long lost, and now she was eager for this opportunity to do the same for the two ponies she had taken into her service.

Perhaps her student Trixie could become just as wonderful as Twilight? As Luna arrived at her chambers, she heard yelling from the other side of the door, her eyebrow raised in curiosity before she entered and saw Trixie standing on a table giving a long winded monologue about her own importance as Princess Luna's student, and of the many adventures she has yet to embark upon, Luna shook her head and sighed. Perhaps not.

Trixie was startled by Princess Luna's entrance, she quickly mustered a big bright smile and a loud squee to try and divert attention away from what she had been caught doing. Luna sighed and walked in, she lay down on a lavish carpet and instructed Trixie to take a seat nearby. Trixie eagerly trotted up and sat herself down, paying careful attention to the Princess.

"What exactly are you capable of?"

Trixie smiled brightly and took a deep breath before Luna put her hoof up.

"Think about it carefully first." she instructed.

Trixie took a long moment to let her imagination run wild. She'd thought back to all the magical shows she'd put on, but then she came to think more carefully about the 'great' feats of magic she had performed and compared them all to the stories she had told about her great feats and let out a disappointed sigh.

"Exactly." said Luna, "When you get right down to it. You're just a Unicorn, like every other Unicorn, except, you seem to have a talent for showing off rather than actually accomplishing anything significant."

Trixie sighed, she wasn't going to be able to refute the Princess assertion, she knew it was all true. She bowed her head and remained, silent.

"I've done some checking up on you Trixie, you're a walking disaster. Everywhere you've gone, you've caused nothing but trouble."

"Yes It's all true Princess. I'm a failure. I'll understand if you don't want me to be your student anymore."

"I wasn't finished. In your shows, you seem to put together some very interesting combinations of enchantments, and as I understand it, last night you managed to disrupt the Abada's spells, allowing Windshear to defeat him. Quite an impressive feat considering the magical forces which were in play. You have ability, of that I have no doubt. But you need training and experience to make the most of your gifts. To that end, I have something for you, which will help you get started."

Luna used her magic to bring out an old book from a nearby chest and set it down in front of her new student. Trixie's eyes fell upon the book with wonder as she read the cover, 'The Arts of Defensive Magic' by Midnight the Protector. Trixie peered back up at Luna with a curious expression.

"I don't understand? I'm sure I probably know most of these spells?"

"I doubt that Trixie, this book was written two thousand years before you were born, it's been locked away in my private collection ever since my banishment to the moon. This book was used to train the greatest of our Unicorn soldiers, ponies who fought and died to help create the world we live in today. Those Unicorns could ward off dragon's fire, they could repel magic so foul, I wouldn't even want to describe it to you. I believe you'd have much to learn from it. You'll need it if you hope to protect your comrades against the magic the Abada now posses, not to mention the many other dangers of the outside world."

Trixie nodded and opened to the first page of the book, she began to read while Luna observed her carefully. After a long while Trixie attempted the spell described, her horn began to glow intensely, she'd never attempted such an intricate spell before, she gritted her teeth and groaned in frustration she struggled to get the spell cast, finally after almost a minute of intense concentration the spell finally took form around her, it was a transparent, colorless magical shield which surrounded her, the only hints of its existence were sparkles which appeared around it from time to time.

"I think I did it!" she said excitedly.

"Very good Trixie. The barrier is the foundation of all the defensive arts you're going to learn. The next step is to practice until you can cast it as easily as you would perform levitation on objects. Once you've mastered it, you'll need to learn the different enchantments you can place on the barrier which determines what it will guard against."

"You mean I can't create a barrier that will protect against everything? And this barrier will protect against nothing?"

"Exactly. Now that's your lesson for today. You'd better go get ready to travel."

Trixie stood up and took a deep bow before picking up her book and leaving the room. As she wandered the halls of the castle she let out a delighted squee of joy before trotting down the great hallways, smiling blissfully. It was the first time in a long time she'd felt a sense of true accomplishment, one she didn't have to exaggerate in anyway, she was the first Unicorn in thousands of years to use that spell, that alone was a major accomplishment in and of itself. Then there was the fact that Princess Luna had entrusted such a magnificent tome to her, Trixie jumped for joy at the thought!

Later that afternoon, at Long Tall Sally's Jazz Club. Octavia was getting an ear full from her band mates.

"Octavia, darling, have you gone completely mad?!"

"Indeed, I can't even find the words to express how out of character this all is for you!"

"I'm sure you're only pulling our legs. Right? Please tell me you are. Because this is crazy talk!"

Octavia sighed deeply before speaking up.

"Yes, I'm serious about this. I'm just not happy with my music anymore. I need some change, I need to get some experience to put new emotions into my sound. Can't you all understand that?"

"I'll tell you what I understand. You're so head over hooves for that Windshear character that when he tells you he's going away for what could be a long time, you instantly decided that you had to go along with him, and you're just trying to rationalize your decision with these excuses about your music, and this need for life experience."

Octavia covered her ears with her hooves, she was instantly seething with a blinding rage, she stood up and slammed her front hooves down onto the table with all her might, shocking the entire club into silence.

"Oh shut up! All of you! If you can't understand what it is I'd like to accomplish, then perhaps you do all deserve to spend your lives in the most boring venues, playing half heartedly for a herd of hoof and mouth diseased elitist snobs who'll never truly appreciate the music that fills their useless ears! Maybe I want to break my routine, maybe I want to fulfill a dream of standing on the top of the highest mountain I can find, and to play my cello from deep inside my heart, and imagine that I'm playing for the entire world! Why shouldn't I take the opportunity to experience that? And all the better that I'd have my very best friend at my side to share those glorious moments with! Someone who, unlike any of you, has stood by me through all my best, and worst moments and never let me be anypony but me! Damn you all!"

Octavia picked up her cello and stormed out of the club through a standing ovation and words of encouragement from the many patrons, leaving her now former band mates behind in shock and disbelief. As she exited the establishment, she heard yet more applause, but this came with a familiar voice.

"Suddenly, I don't think it's such a bad idea to have you along." said Windshear, to which Octavia simply smiled.

"You know that Cello is staying here right?" said Trixie who had walked up beside Windshear.

"Oh no, the cello comes, if we end up with too much baggage, we can just leave you behind." replied Octavia with a snicker.

"Pffft! Excuse you? Don't tempt the wrath of the great and pow..."

Windshear quickly cut her off, "Oh put a sock in it. Both of you. The cello is coming, so just come to peace with it Trixie."

Windshear took the cello from Octavia and loaded it up into a nearby wagon, Octavia smiled as she eyed the back of the Wagon, Windshear had evidently packed it with the cello in mind. He asked her if there was anything else she would have liked to bring, Octavia thought about it for a long moment before shaking her head, she had everything she needed, her whole reason for even going was to leave life as she knew it behind and experience the world, to do that, all she needed was her cello, and her friend.

The three seated themselves in the wagon and Trixie used a come to life spell to get it moving without the need of anyone to pull it. Trixie was a master of using that spell to get a wagon going where she wanted it to go, she'd used it to travel all over Equestria when she was doing her magic shows, the only difference now was, she'd be using the spell to go a lot further than she'd ever gone before, the idea thrilled her immensely.

"So where do we go now?" asked Octavia.

Windshear smiled and pulled a map out from behind his seat, he spread it out across both of their laps and pointed to the port city of Canterbury along the Bridle Shores bay. Octavia smiled at the map of the entire known world, she couldn't wait to see those places for herself. Octavia had traveled all around Equestria with her band, playing in different villages, towns, and cities, but as she looked over the map, Equestria seemed so small when seen against what's really out there.