Chapter 2
June 19th, 999 CE
Canterlot Park
11:15 am
The future Alicorn of Friendship is not being a very good friend at the moment.
Canterlot is abuzz as everypony prepares for the Summer Sun Celebration. Even though it isn't going to be held in the city this year that doesn't mean that those that call Canterlot home aren't going to have some fun. All the shops are open as their proprietors hurry to fill orders, the long hours seeming less an ordeal thanks to all the bits that now overflow the registers. A little extra work now means a better life tomorrow. Those that don't have to work treat the days before the big event as a holiday and happily spend time with those they care about even as they prepare for the parties they are going to throw. Young fillies and colts happily dash about playgrounds, reenacting Starswirl the Beard's battle with the dreaded Sirens of Horseshoe Bay while teens of both genders work up the nerve to approach a mare or stallion they hope will be their special somepony. Adults too get in on the action, having lunches with dear friends and reconnecting with those they had lost touch with.
Twilight Sparkle isn't the only one to be in the park this day but she certainly is the only one who’s chosen solitude over companionship. The members of her study group had asked her to join them for lunch but Twilight pleaded off, her mind focused on other matters. She’d also received an invitation to her friend Moondancer’s Pre-Summer Sun Celebration Party and while she promises to attend the issues that plague her have already forced those thoughts from her mind. It will take a full year for Twilight to remember and deal with the ramifications. (1)
What is drawing all her focus is a well-worn book from her childhood.
While many in Canterlot like to brag about their ancestry Twilight Sparkle isn’t one of them. If she did, however, she would easily trump all but those within the royal family. Though many falsely believe her to be a descendent of Clover the Clever Twilight is, in fact, a member of The House of Stars, which was founded a thousand years ago by Captain Silver Star, commander of Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard. A legendary figure in Equestria, Silver Star was known as the ‘Warrior Poet’ for his skills not only as a battle commander but as a writer. After years of service Silver Star suddenly retired from his post and moved to Prance where the House of Stars would remain for 350 years until they would return to Equestria and Canterlot. The House of Stars became a strong fixture within the Capital with many members of the House service Princess Celestia throughout her rule. (2)
This long lineage has caused the House of the Stars to gather up a large amount of odd trinkets and mementos, one of which Twilight has selected to read. Though it looks rather impressive, what with its thick embossed cover, beautifully rendered hoof-drawn images, and flowing calligraphy, the book is actually little more than a bedtime story for foals. Twilight herself has heard the tale many times growing up, though it always seems to change every time she hears it. Twilight’s mother and father, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, each put their own little spin on the tale, changing up lines or adding new events and surprises. This was the first time Twilight has actually read the tale, as written, for herself.
The story ‘The Tale of the Two Royal Pony Sisters’ is based on the myth of the Mare in the Moon and seeks to explain the dark shadow that appears on the lunar surface. Though there is no author listed it is held by some within Twilight’s family that the tale had been set down by Silver Star himself. It tells of how Princess Celestia once had a sister who controlled the moon just as the Princess controlled the sun(3) and for a while the land had thrived. But then the younger sister allowed her jealousy to get the better of her and attacked her elder sister, seeking to extend the night. This greed and rage transformed her into Nightmare Moon, mistress of the night. Princess Celestia battled the enraged mare and finally banished her to the moon, thus why the shadowy shape of a mare’s head can be seen by all.
What Twilight finds different, when compared to how others had told her the tale, is the little differences. Silver Star praises Luna’s night and speaks of it not as something dark and sinister but something of utter beauty. He also appears to place much blame on the ponies of Equestria rather than the Mare in the Moon; his writing of them is filled with bitterness as he describes them ignoring the night. When it comes time for the battle Twilight is surprised to find two major changes. First and foremost is the idea that the younger sister was transformed into Nightmare Moon rather than always being her.
But what most draws Twilight’s attention is the mention of the Elements of Harmony. The words seem to tickle her brain and it bothers her that she can’t dredge up the memory. Twilight prides herself on being able to absorb information quickly but finds at times it impossible to sift through all her knowledge and locate a particular fact or idea that she needs; it will only be years later, as a princess, that Twilight will develop the ‘mind palace’ she is now famous for using.
Bothered by the mention of the Elements, Twilight decides to leave the park and return to her tower. On the way she briefly encounters her study group friends who, unaware that Moondancer personally invited her to her party, ask if Twilight wants to come. The future Alicorn of Friendship lies, stating she has “a lot of studying to catch up on” and continues on her way, much to the annoyance of her friends.
Twilight’s current residence is the Student’s Tower, which is located in the farthest south-western corner of Canterlot Castle with the other guest towers (4). Though legend stated that the tower had been built by Starswirl the Bearded for his apprentice Clover the Clever, the truth is that the Student’s Tower is much younger than believed, having been constructed in the year 102 CE on order of Celestia herself. Throughout the years the princess saw the tower updated and improvements made upon it, including indoor plumbing and the construction of an astronomy window. This has led to some debate to the tower’s age as, save for a single brick located near the main door, not a single piece of the original tower remains.
The Student’s Tower has been the home of Celestia’s personal students for centuries and each has left their mark upon it; it is tradition for a student, later in life, to gift the tower with a new addition. Bubbleblow saw to the expansion of the master bath while Steadyhooves helped design the automatic cooling runes that keep the tower and its occupant comfortable during long Canterlot summers.
Twilight Sparkle has bucked the trend and already begun to add to the tower during her time as a student. With the Princess’ permission she has started a personal library within the tower, collected rare and obscure titles that might help a student in their studies. This has seen the tower, which before her time was quite open and spacious, become cozier as dozens of bookshelves were installed and quickly filled with books.
It is one particular book that is on Twilight’s mind as she rushes into the tower. She is so consumed that she doesn’t even realize she’s thrown the door open and struck her #1 Assistant Spike.
The baby dragon has been with Twilight since she became Celestia’s student; his hatching was, in fact, the final part of Twilight’s entrance exam. Set up to be a ‘No-Win Scenario’, the ‘Dragon Hatching Test’ was used to see how potential students would react to failure and thus help the professors gauge how best to teach a new unicorn filly or colt. Twilight, in a burst of accidental magic, hatched the egg to the shock of the professors, being the first to do so since the egg had been brought in 30 years earlier. Twilight raised Spike and the two have developed a unique relationship that is part sister/brother, part mother/son, and part teacher/student.
Spike is use to Twilight’s sometimes manic behavior and does not begrudge her for so rudely striking him. When she does finally notice he refuses to comment on it as his concern is on the present he’d gotten for Moondancer, which has now become damaged. Nor does he become upset when Twilight, feeling guilt that she is abandoning her friends and frustrated by her inability to remember what she’d read about the Elements of Harmony, harshly informs him they have no time for parties and other foolish things. Instead he loyally sets to work finding the text Twilight needs.
“Of all those I have met in my life Spike is the most important,” Twilight will state during her toast at the drake’s 25th birthday party. “Everything that I am is because of him… he kept me sane, he kept me humble, he kept me alive.”
The book Spike brings her, Predictions and Prophecies, is a rather odd book for Twilight to have. During her time as Celestia’s student Twilight’s learned that there are two schools of magic. The first is hard magic, which refers to understood spells whose effects are known and rarely vary. An apple-to-orange spell will always turn the apple into an orange. A teleportation spell will always teleport you. The spells have a strict set up and a strict outcome with little wiggle room. The second, soft magic, deals with spells that are more fluid and those end results have more possibilities and may be left to interpretation. Scrying, divination, and potion making fall into the soft magics.
Though Princess Celestia tried to get Twilight to study the soft magics the purple unicorn simply found herself unable to embrace them. During the first few years of her life her family moved about Equestria as her mother, a gifted inventor, had taken up positions guest teaching at several universities. The inability to stay in one place caused Twilight to seek out stability in other places, namely in daily habits and strict schedules. These traits she carries on into her adult life and she is likely to become frazzled if an unexpected delay or action occurs. For Twilight life is about order and the soft magics simply don’t offer that.
But on this day the soft magics are needed. Within the book Twilight finds what she has been looking for: the Elements of Harmony. She finds, however, the entry lacking, as it offers little information concerning the Elements. It does suggest she see a section entitled ‘The Mare in the Moon’. Twilight is unsure about this, as she has already once found her understanding of the old legend altered thanks to Silver Star’s writings, but Twilight’s thirst for knowledge drives her forward and she turns her attention to what the prophecy book has to say.
Twilight finds that much of tale set within Predictions and Prophecies coincides with Silver Star’s telling. What differs is the ending; while Silver ended his story with Celestia reigning and Nightmare Moon trapped Predictions goes a step further, recounting a prophecy concerning the Shadow Mare:
‘On the longest day of the thousandth year the stars shall aid in her escape and she will bring about night eternal’(5)
Had she merely read the prophecy on its own Twilight would have written it off as the mere ramblings of a pony seeking attention at best and drunk off her plot at worst. But it is the confirmation in her family’s own book, written by the founder of her house himself, that gives her pause. The Summer Sun Celebration is only a day and a half away and Twilight knows this one is to be special, due to it being the 1000th celebration. Though she feels a brief moment of worry about bothering the Princess with such things during such a busy time, Twilight decides it better to send a letter to Celestia concerning her findings and hopefully get permission to spend her time investigating the matter further.
Her mind made up, Twilight commands Spike to take a letter.
What Twilight doesn’t know is that what she has just read is a poor translation. Originally written by Isis the Farseeing in what is now Saddle Arabia, the prophecy was translated by Equestrian ponies who did not understand some of the verb and noun usage Isis was using. Thus Twilight does not realize that the final line concerning Nightmare Moon reads a bit differently:
‘And the House of the Stars shall set her free and she shall rule the night once more’ (6)
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Is this story a history book written centuries in the future? Even if it isn't, I trust you to make a cool story.
Edit: Hmm. I take back the cool and replace it with Cool and Radical. (I think I understand the difference. Cool is just cool. Radical is the stuff that chalanges and forces contemplation. I think. Does that mean that I could be Rainbow's pet? No dirtiness intended.)
Took me a minute to fully understand the unabridged prophecy, and how it actually came true. Can't wait to read some more!
The style takes a bit to get used to, but I'm liking this. I liked the small mention of Tydal and how the prophecy is just a bit different than it was in canon.
Bare your blade and raise it high
Someday soon...
The Dawn Will Come.
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That is very much the style and design. As you will see in later chapters, the author is able to cull from interviews and events well after the first episode to fill in the gaps about what is happening that we didn't know about or didn't see in the pilot.
I'm quite surprised that potions are soft, I would have thought they were fairly constrained in that one mixture would have a certain effect.
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Most of them will be created... like Twilight giving a lecture or a biography written about Cadence.
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Ah, but potions can be altered, little things added or changed to increase effects or decrease downsides.
Count me intrigued.
This is something similar to what I wanted to do myself in my early fandom days. However, I never managed to get a coherent story out of the source material.
I'll be waiting for the next chapter.
6692380
The present tense is common in historical thriller novels like what I am doing here.
It makes it feel like you aren't reading a rehash... doing it in present tense really changes the feel.
6693169 That it does. I will have to get used to it though.
Very interesting. I look forward to more.
6699227
Next chapter should be up within a day or two.
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6703088
Actually, the title was inspired by this line:
That speech, right where I started it, is what I kept in my head after my mother passed away and what I repeat to myself when I feel depressed and the pain seems too great.
That actually makes a lot of sense, I mean, it's obvious that Twilight's parents are pretty well off if they could send her to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, she's got a whole library tower to herself, and she's never seemed to be in any financial trouble.
I've actually seen that concept before, in a Star Trek novel, more specifically, a Deep Space Nine novel, and well, Dr Bashir's genetically enhanced intelligence is slowly being reverted and his "mind palace" is slowly being boarded up.
UseD to. Common mistake.
I will tell you, the way you have this written makes it very weird to read. I kinda wish it was strictly past tense because that's more comfortable IMO.