S4 CH 14: Journal
Twilight paced back and forth on the train. She KNEW she should get some sleep. Spike and Rainbow were trying to sleep in the train’s beds. But she couldn’t. SHE WAS TOO EXCITED! Her brother was FINALLY getting married.
Sure, she knew they were getting married but now she KNEW they were getting married! There was even a date! She was going to go help them plan! IT WAS SO EEEEEEE! This was going to be the best wedding EVER!
So long as she didn’t think about the fact Moondancer would be alone with Nightmare Moon for a week, she was pretty sure she could just keep being excited. Soon they’d be in Ponyville and some of her friends would be joining her and then EEEEEE!
“How can you possibly be this hyper?” Rainbow grumbled. “We were up all night. It’s like… a full day or so to get there. Get some sleep.”
“But my brother is getting married!” Twilight said excitedly.
Rainbow gave a light yawn and pulled her pillow closer. “Sleeeeeeep. Ugh. Maybe I should have waited and caught up with the others. Is she always like this when she travels, Spike?”
“Eh,” Spike said with a shrug. “Only when there’s research at the end. Wait, there isn’t going to be research, is there?”
“You know, you didn’t have to come with me,” Twilight said sheepishly. “And no, there’s not going to be any research.”
“Was gonna have to come up eventually,” Rainbow said with a shrug. “Besides, Shadowfang and Lightning are going to meet me there. We didn’t really want you traveling alone anyway.”
“Lightning?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah,” Rainbow said. “Shadowbolt-in-training. Not quuuuite as good as me, but pretty good. My break is almost over and well, not a lot of ponies better for representing the Shadowbolts at a royal wedding than the one mare willing to give old moony butt a buck to the… face… eh… heh… errr…”
Twilight just cocked an eye at her.
“Sorry,” Rainbow said sheepishly.
“I don’t think it technically counts as a royal wedding,” Twilight said. “Cadence isn’t a princess now.”
“Not officially,” Rainbow said. “But pretty much everypony knows WHO she is. The Shadowbolts can’t officially offer a representative without angering Nightmare Moon. But when the sister of the groom just happens to be good friends with the only pony who can perform the sonic rainboom, it’s a pretty good cover.”
“You’re going to perform a sonic rainboom?!” Twilight yelled, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.
“Well, obviously,” Rainbow said with a smirk. “One of the only hoofful of weddings that’ll ever have one, too.”
“What? Who else’s is going to have one?” Twilight asked.
“My friends, obviously,” Rainbow said before lifting her head from the pillow. “Now. If I could get some sleep?”
“Fine, fine,” Twilight said before pausing. “Wait, what’s wrong with me traveling alone?”
“Uhhhhh…” Rainbow trailed off before making fake snoring sounds and rolling her back to her.
“Spike, what did you tell them?” Twilight asked.
“Don’t think it was me,” Spike said.
“Zzzzzzzzz snoooooooore snarf snorrrrrre…” Rainbow said.
Twilight wondered if she should tell the pegasus that snoring ponies didn’t usually say the word snore. “I can travel fine on my own.”
“I mean, last time we went on a train we kind of… well…” Spike motioned to his eye.
Twilight blinked for a moment before sighing. “Really? You get abducted one time and now nopony thinks you can travel…” she muttered. “I’m going to go get some breakfast, want anything?”
“Sleep,” Rainbow muttered. “Also, not the first time you’ve been abducted. I don’t even think it’s the fourth.”
“Some sapphires if they have any,” Spike said. “And pretty much… she probably has a minor in it.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Twilight said before rolling her eye and trotting out from the sleep car and towards the meal car. She decided to keep her mouth shut about the fact she did, kind of, have a minor in it. Dragon negotiation, technically, but it was kind of like abduction. Sadly, she’d never been abducted by a dragon. Well, she supposed fortunate.
Twilight couldn’t help letting out a soft sigh of relief once she made it to the meal car. There were a few ponies in there, some guests, a few guards and the staff. No ancient tyrannical kings She walked over and sat at the counter before looking over the menu and quickly ordering some hay cakes.
Far better than her last trip, at least. She barely even got any looks. It was--
“Twilight Glow?” a voice asked.
“Huh?” Twilight asked before glancing over at a strange purple unicorn. “Errr. Yes?”
“I’m Hope,” the mare said before giving a sheepish smile. “Could I ummm, get your autograph?”
“W-what?” Twilight asked. “O-oh! Right, yes. I… huh.” The books slid over to her, however, made her pause. Nightmare Moon’s and Tirek’s.
“I hope that’s okay,” Hope said before offering her a quill.
“It’s fine,” Twilight said softly. “I uhhh, was just thinking I need to get two others out soon.” Discord’s book was at least… as done as she imagined it would ever be. He was an enigma wrapped in maple syrup and glow-in-the-dark gummy worms. But she had gathered what she could. The changelings she wanted a bit more info on, to see how this rehabilitation plan of hers would work out. It seemed to be going well so far, at least. She needed to write Gilda a message to make sure Thorax was fine. So much just happened all at once, she just hadn’t had time to fully process it.
“You… are Twilight Glow, right?” Hope asked.
“Oh, sorry!” Twilight said before signing the books on the inside cover. “It kind of, well, sorry. Its been a busy couple of weeks. Months. Years. It has just been busy.”
“I imagine so,” Hope said with a small smile. She picked up the books before pausing. A moment later the two books disappeared and a new book appeared, one with a blue cover. “I want you to have this.”
“Huh?” Twilight asked, taking the book and turning it to the side. “Err, I’m not—“
“Please,” Hope said. “When you get the chance, just read the first page. If you don’t read anything past that, I understand.”
Twilight nodded before glancing up again. “Okay. I’ll give it a look.”
“All I can ask,” Hope said.
Twilight nodded before opening the clasp on the side of the book and reading through the first few lines.
‘The crystal guard said I was alone out in the wastes just north of the empire.’ A journal of some kind? She sighed and kept reading. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to read a fan’s work. Honestly, if she had the time for it she would have read all of it. But she had so much to do already. Starting with amnesia was pretty common, though. She hoped she could give some good feedback, at least.
‘Sombra. It was the only name I could remember when the guards found me.’
Twilight froze. She looked up, but Hope was gone. No. No no no no. NO. She scanned the page again, reading through it as fast as she could. It couldn’t be--
It was.
It was Sombra’s journal. She closed the book and got to her hooves. “Did you see where that unicorn went?” she asked the pony behind the counter.
“Huh? Sorry, Miss Glow, I’m cooking,” he said.
“Did anypony see where that unicorn went? The purple one?” Twilight asked.
One of the guards raised their hooves. “Err, she went that way, Miss Glow. But--”
Twilight didn’t wait for him to finish. She grabbed the book in her new magic and galloped after her.
------
Hope wasn’t on the train. Twilight had gone over every car, but there was no sign of the mare. She’d even asked a few of the guards to help her, but if the mare had been there she was long gone. Teleportation, she supposed. But off a moving train? That couldn’t have been easy. And why?
The only clue she had, now, was the book. So much for getting any sleep today. Meh, she could sleep after she read all of it. Maybe.
Twilight gave a light yawn before she started to read through the journal. For once, one of the ponies she wanted to study had already done half the work for her. She wondered if he’d give her permission to release this as a side thing, under his name of course and…
Twilight blinked a few times before shaking her head. This was her chance to learn more about Sombra and the umbrum, she couldn’t get distracted over licensing. Unfortunately for her, it seemed that his view on them was only slightly more knowledgeable than her own. He saw them as monsters and himself as their king. He’d once believed himself a pony who would one day become a monster, but he’d only had one friend. Radiant Hope. Judging by his description, it was that same pony she’d met.
It did give her hope, however. The journal painted a far different picture of the unicorn than she’d met. In fact, it seemed he didn’t even want to be a monster, to hurt ponies. He felt it was just his destiny. Though, she supposed she could understand why. While she didn’t know much about the umbrum, they sounded absolutely nasty. The yearly festival causing him such terrible pain likely hadn’t helped, only to have the pain finally stop and for him to lose his closest friend in response. Something like that could leave anypony vulnerable, only to be told he was a monster after. She honestly felt a little bad for him.
But if what this journal said was true, not another deceit, then he could be reasoned with. He could be saved. He could--
Twilight’s eyes widened when she came to the end of his entries… and the beginning of Radiant Hope’s.
It told of how her training in healing magic had eventually gained the attention of the princesses and she believed, perhaps, one day she would have joined them. But after her betrayal of her friend, she’d always felt lost. After learning incredible magic, she’d left the princesses. She’d finally returned to the Wastelands to find any piece of her home, or perhaps answers.
She had found them. In the form of the umbrum. For over a thousand years, though she wrote that time passed strangely there and she doubted a thousand years had passed in their realm, they had kept her captive. Taunted her. Tormented her. Then something strange had happened, the umbrum had fled, deeper into their prison. The very lock that had kept them sealed had been shattered… but they had hidden far away, attempting to escape deeper into their prison rather than fleeing it. She fled while she could and a new lock was sealed behind her, though it was far darker than she ever remembered it.
Nightmare Moon. Twilight shuddered when she remembered that particular battle. To think the umbrum would flee deeper into their prison to hide,
From there she had managed to travel to the Crystal Empire. Or, rather, what remained of it. All she found were ruins and the remains of the Crystal Heart. While she couldn’t repair it, she did gather the pieces and this book.
It would have taken ages to find a settlement, but midway through the journey she had encountered a shade. It had taken her to Canterlot, recognizing her as another crystal pony. She then learned about the new world she was in. The magic used to transport her had been similar to the magics of the umbrum. From there she had studied, using Twilight’s books as a guide.
She had realized, most important of all, that Sombra wasn’t dead. On top of that, she believed she could help the shades. Free them from the curse on them.
Twilight’s eyes widened when she read the last page.
‘Twilight Glow, if you’ve read this far, please understand why I had to do this. If I had told you directly, I couldn’t guarantee that you would believe me. Nor did I believe I would have time to explain everything. I can only hope that you are the pony who read all of this.’
‘From what I’ve read in your books, you are a pony who can see the good hidden behind the monster. The umbrum may be evil, but Sombra is not and he can be saved. I don’t know if you will believe me or not, but I can only hope you will.’
‘More than that, though, these is one final thing I must do. It has taken a long time, but I think I’ve found a final tool I need to break the curse on the shades. A powerful relic connected to the umbrum. Once I’ve found it, we will meet again. I can only hope what I’ve determined from my research is true and you are the pony I believe you to be. I know it’s a gamble. But I have to take it.’
She couldn’t believe it. How did she--
“Well, if this doesn’t work, I don’t know what will,” Spike said. “SORRY TWILIGHT!”
“Ow! What? Why are you yelling?” Twilight asked. “I’m right here.”
Spike froze and then just stared at her. He was holding a pan and a wooden spoon in his hands.
“… Why do you have those?” Twilight asked.
“Seriously?” Spike asked.
“Huh? Where is everypony?” Twilight asked when she realized nopony else was in the car with them aside from a concerned looking cook and guard. Wait, was it night again? She glanced out the window before her eyes went wide. “W-what is THAT?” she asked.
High overhead there was a strange, rainbow-like circular wave. Coming from it was what looked like a lightning bolt, flying off into the distance.
“That’s what I was trying to tell you!” Spike said. “We’re here! And, apparently, that’s a sonic rainboom!”
“What? Rainbow did a sonic rainboom?” Twilight asked.
“No, she didn’t,” Spike said. “That’s why she took off.”
“Why didn’t you get me?” Twilight asked.
Spike stared at her before, finally, banging the spoon against the pan. It took her a moment to realize… oh yeah. Maybe she’d been a little too focused on the book.
“R-right… sorry…” Twilight said sheepishly.
Spike just sighed and face palmed.
------
Gilda flicked through her mail with growing ire. Stupid bucking earth pony. She swore when she got her talons on Twilight she’d shake her enough to get some common sense into that skull. Where was she? How many more letters did she need to send before she got the hint? How had she not even responded yet?
The griffon took another slow, deep breath. No. The mail systems were still in turmoil. Maybe Twilight just hadn’t gotten the letter yet. She was under Nightmare Moon’s nose as well, maybe she was trying to be subtle. Either way, though, she was losing her patience. She had no idea what was happening to Thorax and neither did he, so their only real chance was that egghead.
For the dozenth time she considered writing a letter to Rainbow and seeing if she could get her old friend to just kidnap Twilight, but that’d probably only make things worse. As much as she loved the obnoxious rainbow blur, subtlety was NOT her strong suit.
“Awwwww…” Thorax said, making her glance over at him. She rolled her eyes. He was covered in cinnamon roll icing. Again. How could a creature that could literally gain the limbs of any creature in existence be a more messy eater than the creatures who just ate with their hooves?
Gilda rolled her eyes and nudged her cinnamon roll towards him. “Here,” she said. “I’m not really hungry.”
“You’re nervous,” Thorax said.
“Stop tasting my feelings,” Gilda said before tossing her mail in the garbage. All junk, anyway.
“I wasn’t this time,” Thorax said. “I’m just getting better at being able to tell.”
“TEEEEEEEN SHUN!” Smooth’s voice echoed through the tent before she trotted in.
Gilda glanced back and just rolled her eyes. Only Thorax, Glimmer and Legendary got to their hooves and saluted. Nadra picked up a grape and threw it at her, Coldstone and Bouncing Breeze were so busy snuggling in the corner she doubted they even noticed and Ash and Red Heart hadn’t even shown up for breakfast.
The grape bounced off Smooth’s forehead and the pegasus cocked an eye. “Really? Is that how you treat your superior officer? I have half a mind to have you court-martialed.” Any authority or respect she may have hoped to earn from those words were a lost cause as she was still in her heart-covered pajamas.
“If you had half a mind I’d question where you managed to pick up the other quarter, because it obviously wasn’t yours, you oversized feather duster,” Nadra said dismissively. “It’s not noon yet, shouldn’t you still be in bed?”
“Ahhh, if only,” Smooth said sadly. “In fact, last night I was in bed, having the most delightful dream about an apricot named Billy and--”
“Just get on with it,” Gilda said. “Otherwise we’re giving your cinnamon roll to Thorax.”
Smooth gave a soft sigh. “Fine, fine,” she said before sliding into her chair at the head of the table. “I’ve got good news and bad news. Oh. Right, at ease you three.”
Gilda rolled her eyes when Thorax, Glimmer and Legendary finally stopped their salute. She’d need to talk with Thorax about that, he really shouldn’t be using either of those two as an example.
“Following the recent events,” Smooth said. “It appears that my command here will soon come to an end.”
“You’re being banished?” Nadra asked.
“Imprisoned?” Gilda asked.
“Demoted?” Legendary asked.
Smooth rolled her eyes. “You all really know how to make a pony feel loved, you know that? No, none of those. The captain’s coming back. Red and Ash left last night and said they’ll buy us some time to clean up before she gets here, but--”
“You’re only telling us NOW?!” Gilda asked before jumping up. “What’s WRONG with you? Thorax, come on. We need to clean our tent.”
“My side’s plenty clean,” Thorax grumbled softly.
“Fine, I need you to help clean up my side,” Gilda said before rolling her eyes at the excited look on his face. Only he could be so happy about ‘helping’ like that.
“Relax,” Smooth said dismissively. “Last time I saw her she couldn’t even stand. We’ve got plenty of time. She probably won’t even be here until long after—”
“Breakfast?” an icy cold voice that sent chills down their spines said. Slowly every head turned towards the entrance of the mess tent. Captain Lavender Petal stood there, in full uniform. However, she looked slightly different from before. A long scar snaked down her neck under her armor and her horn and coat, once solid black, had dimmed to a dark, ashy gray.
All of them got to their hooves and talons, saluting quickly. Even the emergency ipecac duo had pulled away from each other to salute.
“C-c-c-captain,” Smooth said softly. “Y-you’re, errr, b-back already? I… I…” She wilted under the gaze of her commanding officer.
“Out of uniform,” Lavender said. “Again.”
Gilda didn’t dare move. The captain wouldn’t hurt them, she was sure. Probably. Maybe. But there was something about her right then. The way her eyes scanned over them. That terrible, foreboding presence that warned them of coming disaster. It felt as if it was ramped up to eleven. Or maybe they just weren’t used to it.
Then, as quick as it started, it ended. The captain gave a sigh before trotting towards the breakfast table. She gripped a muffin in her magic before glancing back towards them. “At ease. I will be performing a full inspection at noon. I expect the camp to be in the same shape I left it in. Private Gilda, Private Thorax, has there been any recent developments on… this situation?” she asked, motioning towards Thorax.
“No, ma’am,” Gilda said quickly.
“Very well,” Lavender said before turning towards the exit. She then paused. “Lieutenant Smooth Tongue,” she said.
“Y-y-y-yes ma’am?” Smooth asked shakily.
“Have you been in my tent?” Lavender asked.
“O-o-only to get necessary paperwork, ma’am!” Smooth said. “I’m reckless, not suicidal. Err, ma’am.”
“And Private Thorax’s paperwork?” Lavender asked.
“I had Glimmer take care of it!” Smooth said quickly.
“Good,” Lavender said. “All of you have until noon.” She then trotted out of the tent. However, when she stepped out into the daylight she stumbled a step, pulling back for a moment before taking a deep breath and then walking back outside.
After a few moments Smooth gave a low groan. “I am so dead.”
“You are definitely dead,” Nadra said. “Can I have your stuff?”
“No, you can’t you striped bandit,” Smooth said. “Seriously? I’m going to die and this is what you have to say?”
“Eh, she seemed less murdery than I expected,” Nadra said. “Besides, maybe I’ll get a promotion if you’re gone.”
“Reallllly know how to make me feel special,” Smooth said. “How is she back so quick? I thought we’d have all day! She couldn’t even walk!”
“Oh, relax,” Gilda said. “She gave us until noon. How mad could she be? Thorax, how about you? What do you think?”
“Huh?” Thorax asked, glancing towards her. He then shook his head. “I don’t know. I mean, she didn’t feel mad. But… she didn’t really feel like… anything.”
“That’s good, right?” Smooth asked, her voice filled with hope.
“Maybe?” Thorax said with a shrug. “It’s probably nothing. I’m still learning how all of… this works. Things taste different. So it’s probably just that. We should get started on cleaning before she DOES get mad.”
Gilda couldn’t help but narrow her eyes on the changeling, though. He was hiding something, he seemed more focused on where the captain had went than the cinnamon roll in front of him. More than that, he looked worried. It was subtle, but she was finding him a lot easier to read these days.
At least she’d get a chance to question him soon, once they started cleaning her tent. Who knew, maybe they’d get lucky and the captain was a fake. It’d be a lot safer for them then.
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Really? Sundancer.
What's mext? Venus dancer?
11584484
What?
Huzzah! It returns to us!...
Looking forward to more when it comes out.
Oh my. Is that a changeling infiltration I see?
Have you ever wrote a scene where you forgot Twilight is an Earth Pony in this story? Like you accidentally wrote she used magic for something and then remembered she doesn’t have a horn and had to scrap that scene.
The seems like Sombra still got hope.
Ahem. ...
First, yes, a minor. Of course.
Second ... just what does Twilight secretly wish for, what sort of deep inner feelings [Warning: Comment exceeds rating, and terminated]
Thirdly ... Did Thorax become a color ling?
Fourth: Reforming for Sombra? Hmm ...
Looks like we have two big surprises here: first, a pony from the time of the original crystal empire; second, another pony doing sonic rainbooms.
Ooooo so you're incorporating the comic canon about Sombra's origins! Love that Hope may find the answer to freeing the shades. I admit I've forgotten what was going on with Thorax since it's been a while since I've seen them. I am intrigued at the suggestion that Lightning Dust might have figured out how to Sonic Rainboom! Looking forward to the next chapter whenever it comes along :D
11585297
Yup. Intended it for a while, since I'd already done some of Chrysalis, really liked the idea of Sombra's. Also, it explains so much more than just... randomly really strong unicorn that the show started to lean towards. A shame they never did more with it, always hoped they would.
11585073
Twilight's deep inner feelings... a warm cup of cocoa, a good book (or seventy-five) and a weekend to just study... And yes, Thorax is bright and colorful now. Well. Colorful now.
11584873
.... Yes. More times than I want to admit. XD
11584769
Mayyyybe.
11584565
It will... come out in spurts.
Eeeee gilda!!!