A Future Worth Saving

by Flashgen

Chapter 7

The moon hung silently overhead as Twilight and her friends made their way through the overgrowth of the Everfree Wilds, their path barely illuminated by the silver light that shone down through the canopy above. It had been two days since their departure from Gallant Hollow with enough provisions to last them a week’s journey, and the conditions they faced were thankfully not as rough as they had expected. While their destination was deep enough into the Wilds that it had remained uncharted by any pony for hundreds of years, the map Twilight had taken from the library before their departure was more than sufficient to bring them close to Ponyville, or at least what they hoped was its location.

Underneath the tangled roots and vines of trees Twilight barely made out the burned-in images of hoofprints and debris within the cold dirt, as if they were a warning sign to any travelers of the disaster which occurred on that spot so long ago. Her sight shifted between her friends as her mind had begun to rebuild their old home piece by piece. They had just passed Sweet Apple Acres, its crop replaced by decrepit and rotting foliage that bore little more fruit than a lifeless rock, and as they entered the outskirts of the town, everything fell back into place.

Under close inspection they could see the remains of fountains and statues, degraded or crumbled, yet not completely destroyed by time’s passage, buried beneath a tangled weave of vines and roots. The arrived near the center of the village, Ponyville’s once massive town hall at now nothing but a mound of ash and dirt at their hooves. Applejack sighed as she rubbed a hoof along the ground and examined the black marks it left on her coat. “It’s hard ta believe... even after so long, some of it’s still here.”

Rarity tried her best to avoid the large piles of soot and ash as she rested her hooves next to an overturned log. Her saddlebags opened up at the glow of her horn as she pulled out a small canteen of water. “I’m more amazed its taken us more than a day to get this far, it’s like that map is less help than Rainbow Dash when it comes to sewing. Oh, no offense darling.”

Dash only rolled her eyes as she rested on a sturdy limb of a nearby tree. “Oh, believe me, none taken... Are you sure this map is even going to help Twilight? I mean we have no idea where that Castle or Temple or whatever it’s called is from here. And if we go in the wrong direction we’ll be wandering for days!”

Applejack looked up at the pegasus, taking her own canteen from her saddlebags. “We haf ta trust in Twilight here Dash... I know it’s been awhile since we went through that part of the Everfree Forest, but it can’t be too hard to retrace our hoofsteps, right Twilight?”

Twilight looked down over the map as she attempted to make heads or tails of its contents other than the directions they had already followed. “I suppose so... I mean we headed west when we left Ponyville before, so if we follow the path that’s, maybe still there, it shouldn’t be so hard, right?” She tried to offer a smile of confidence to her friends as they all took a moment to rest.

Pinkie Pie dug into a small sack from her bag as she pulled out something that closely resembled a clump of burnt dirt and quickly shoved it into her mouth. The others only offered her odd looks as she swallowed it with some difficulty. She let whatever “flavor” it held sink in before she spoke up, “Hmmm, too crunchy, and bland.” She picked out another as she repeated the process.

Fluttershy walked up to her with a small look of concern. “... How can you keep trying those Pinkie? I mean your baking can, uhhh, wait until we get back, can’t it?”

“Awww, but I spent weeks making all of these, and I didn’t want to try them until they’d sat for a while, you know, to see if they held onto any flavor.” She easily swallowed another one, mumbling through crumbs, “Too chewy, and muddy, but it might work...”

Twilight folded up the map before placing it gently into her saddlebags once more. “We need to get moving again soon. Every second we waste is another that Nightmare Moon is getting stronger.”

Rarity sighed as she rubbed her hooves together, “But we’ve been walking for a day straight already. I feel like I’m going to collapse if we go any further.”

Applejack nodded, looking around the square. “I hate to say it, but I think Rarity’s right this time, sugarcube. We need a good night’s sleep on our shoulders if we’re gonna make it there safely. Maybe the library is still in one piece, I mean it did hold together for our little ‘nap’ and all...”

It only took a few minutes before the group found themselves at the large hollow tree they had awoken in a month earlier. Its walls were still kept rigid from vines, weeds, and roots in the time they had been gone. Somehow even more had managed spring up, covering it inside and out in a vain attempt to conceal the hole they left through. As the others tried to lay out blankets amongst the dim light Twilight and Rarity provided, Twilight moved along the wall, her hooves pushing away some of the vines that concealed the tree’s past. She was surprised to find that some of the books were still intact after so long, or at least their bindings were. As she pulled out one of the books, opening it slowly, she was only greeted by the crumbling of paper as it fell to the floor in a fine mist. With a begrudging sigh, Twilight placed the cover back in its home and joined the others.

As everypony drifted off to sleep amidst the tree’s walls, Twilight’s thoughts were back with the village they had left behind: her students she had left under their own tutelage, the friends and lives they had all left behind at a moment’s notice, and the ponies they were meant to protect that didn’t yet believe in them. Then there was Ponyville: the friends they had abandoned, the ponies they would never see again, the home that rested as rubble under their hooves now. In one fell swoop they’d walked away from a life they held so dearly, right into the remains of one they had been torn away from. The last thought that passed her mind as sleep overwhelmed her was a simple one: “It won’t happen again...”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the six awoke from their slumber and prepared for another day’s journey in Ponyville’s ruined town square, Twilight took another look around the shelves of the library, hoping she would find something in readable condition. It was only a few minutes before she stumbled on what had started everything: “The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.” The words along its spine remained legible after so long, and she prayed it would not crumble like the others as it slid out of the bookcase and floated in front of her. With a deep breath and her eyes sealed shut, she let her magic slowly open the pages. She was honestly surprised when it was intact, as new and crisp as the day she had found it on Nightmare Moon’s return. She was even more shocked when it opened to a page with a neatly-folded note, untouched by age or decay.

As the book rested on the floor and the note unfolded, she was greeted by the all too familiar writing of her teacher, Princess Celestia:

To my Faithful Student Twilight,

I know that in time this letter will reach your eyes, even if it takes longer than I care to imagine. Yes, the worst has happened, and while I fear for my subjects’ safety in this dark hour, I must make sure that this reaches your door before I cannot act any further. The path you must follow is a more dangerous one than you can imagine, and with more obstacles than you will be able to count, but the strength you and your friends possess will bring you to your destination in time, I am certain of it. Remember, the magic of friendship can weather the fiercest storms, pierce the strongest armor, and brighten the darkest night, but only if you trust in it.

The sun will rise again, and you will be its dawn.

With Hope,

Princess Celestia

As Twilight started to fold the letter and place it in her bags, she saw dark lines appearing along its back. After a few moments they began to piece themselves together, one after another, until before her eyes was a map; its markings led west, with an ‘X’ marked at the end of a winding path. In all her life she wouldn’t have imagined the Princess could have seen all of this happening, and yet been unable to stop any of it. Was it all merely a back-up, some plan designed solely if she should fail in battle against her sister, or were she and her friends truly the only hope she had? She tried to stifle her doubt as she stepped out of the tree and found her friends waiting for her. Rainbow Dash flew down from the canopy, shaking a few leaves off her wings as she landed next to Twilight. “What took you so long?”

Twilight wiped a small tear from her eyes as she held up the note. “Just finding a map for us. I don’t know how accurate it will be after so long, but the Princess left it for us. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but we have to trust it...”

The others nodded amongst one another before they started moving, their heads held high at the stroke of luck, though Dash seemed a bit skeptical as they trekked deeper into the Wilds. “How do we know it isn’t some trap Nightmare Moon left for us? We can’t just trust some words written on a scrap of paper that just happens to be intact in a library after a thousand years.”

Rarity sighed as they trudged along the darkened path, “It’s not like we have anything else to follow darling. Besides, if she were laying in wait to pounce on us I’m sure somepony would’ve taken notice after this long.”

Fluttershy looked between Dash and Rarity. “But... Dash does have a point. I mean it all seems too much like a coincidence when you think about it... Maybe we shouldn’t just be, well, following it blindly, but that’s just what I think...”

Applejack shot a glance at Dash behind her. “I keep tellin’ ya ta stop bein’ such a downer bout this whole thing, now you’re makin’ Fluttershy worried. It’s not like we wouldn’t a’ gone off in this direction anyway.”

As the bickering only intensified, Twilight tried to stay focused on the map before she turned back to everypony, still trotting forward. “Girls! We don’t have time to argue about all of this. I know Celestia wrote it, it has to be from her, and arguing about it is only going to set us back more than we already are, so if you could ju-.”

She was cut off as Applejack rushed to her side. “TWILIGHT!” It was only as Twilight turned back to her front that she noticed the sharp drop only a few feet ahead, concealed by a few bushes. As she skidded to a stop she swallowed hard, offering a bleak smile to Applejack.

“S-see? That’s the kind of thing that can happen because of this...” She peered over the small brush to get a look down the cliff’s edge. It wasn’t so steep after a few feet, but it was obviously too much for them to climb down safely. “I think we’re going to have to find another way down there girls...”

Pinkie Pie looked around at a nearby hill that jutted up behind them and the large open valley that was at the bottom of the cliff face as she rubbed her chin lightly. “It seems so familiar...” It took only a moment before she hopped in place, shouting, “Aha! I got it! I got it!” Everypony looked at Pinkie with a confused look, before their gazes shifted back to their surroundings.

Applejack tapped a hoof against her chin before speaking up, “I think Pinkie’s right... this is where that cliff fell apart.” She took a chance to prod her hoof lightly against the ground, inching towards the edge, “Though it’s a mite more stable now thankfully... Don’t supposin’ you girls wanna take a leap ah’ faith?” Applejack held back a chuckle at as Twilight and Rarity raised an eyebrow in her direction, “Didn’t think so...”

Fluttershy spoke up after a few moments, pushing some brush aside to peer through, “I-I think there’s a cave over here... I-I don’t know if it will go anywhere.” The others trotted over to the brush, seeing the entrance to a small cave just around the corner. Its entrance appeared just large enough for them to fit into, though on closer inspection it appeared to widen several feet in. Twilight stepped forward, her horn flickering to life as she shined a light into the cave.

“It looks like it goes down, though I don’t know how deep it is. Still, it’s better than trying to get down from that cliff,” Twilight said, stepping into the cave as her friends followed one by one. Twilight’s horn grew brighter as the pale moonlight faded behind them. Their timid hoofsteps echoed through the cave before fading into the distance, splitting off into every direction as the girls began to pass tunnels jutting out of the passageway, some of them ending in dead ends within their view, while others looked to go on for a while.

Rarity let out a sigh as she looked around the cave walls, dripping lightly with moisture, “Are you sure this is the right idea? I mean we have no idea if this even has an exit.”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Then we’ll just go out the way we came. I don’t think the entrance is going to just disappear or something.”

Fluttershy spoke up from the back of the pack, “B-but what if we go down the wrong path on the way back? W-we could end up lost down here forever. Or worse...”

“I doubt there’s much worse than that,” Rarity added, moving up behind Twilight, “Maybe there’s some other way?”

Twilight turned back to face Rarity, trying to keep a smile on her face. “I doubt that... the cliff wasn’t too steep, but still, I don’t want to risk it falling apart underneath us.” Twilight stopped in her tracks as she heard a light rumbling down the tunnel, the rest grinding to a halt behind her. It only lasted for a few moments, but it was enough to grow doubt and frowns on the group’s faces. Applejack let out a sigh of relief as the rumbling stopped, stepping up to the front of the group.

“I’m sure it was nothin’ girls,” she said with an unsure smile before moving forward again, “We need to keep movin’ so we can find a way outta he-” Her words were cut off as the rumbling returned, more forceful and closer than before, as rubble and dirt started to filter down off the ceiling. It was only a moment before the small pebbles were replaced by large chunks of rock, the top of the cave closing in on itself between Applejack and her friends. She quickly galloped away from the cave-in, hopping to avoid any damage should the rest of the tunnel suffer the same fate.

It took a few moments for the dust to settle as Twilight got back on her hooves, the light at her horn returning as she regained focus. “I-is... everypony alright?” She was greeted by nods as they looked around, Twilight counting in her head as she scanned over her friends. “W-wait, where’s Applejack? A-Applejack?!” The group quickly jumped to their hooves, trying to call for their friend.

The orange pony let out a groan, rubbing her head lightly after having dived into a small split from the tunnel. She could hear the muffled yells in the distance, her gaze drifting up to the pile of rubble a few dozen feet away from her. She took a moment to shake stars out of her vision before stumbling over to the wall of rock, barely visible in the darkness. She shouted to try and carry through the stone, “T-Twilight? Girls are you there? Is everypony okay?”

Twilight dashed over to the wall. “Applejack, thank Celestia you’re alright. W-we’re okay over here, but...” She looked up towards the ceiling, a few loose rocks falling down the length of the cave-in. “I don’t think we can dig through this Applejack. H-hold on, we’ll try and find someway around.”

Applejack let out a sigh, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea Twi... We ain’t got an idea of what caused this, and if it’s even gonna happen again, but-” She turned back away from the wall, squinting into the empty darkness. “I can’t exactly see much over here, so I guess y’all are gonna have ta take a chance. Just, take it easy girls... I don’t wanna be stuck in this cave too long.”

Twilight turned away from the wall for only a moment, nodding to her friends. “Just stay put Applejack, I’m sure one of these tunnels leads to the other side of this wall.”

Applejack could hear soft whispers fading into the distance as her friends trotted down the tunnel. She shook her head for a moment before laying down on the cold floor, rubbing her eyes with a hoof as she strained to see anything in the darkness. It was several minutes before she heard the quiet pattering of hoofsteps in the distance, snapping her head up quickly as she saw a small flicker of light down the tunnel. She jumped up to her hooves, moving forward with a smile on her face. “Girls! Glad y’all found a way aro-”

Applejack stopped in her tracks as she was greeted with the sight of a young colt trotting up to her, a dirtied pair of goggles over his eyes, with soot and dirt matting his light brown coat and red mane. Along his flank were two heavy saddlebags, and a small arm of metal jutting out from his right side, holding meekly onto a small lantern. He tried to suppress a chuckle as he moved up to Applejack, pushing the goggles up with a hoof, his green eyes locked on her. “I think you might be a bit incorrect on that.”

Applejack kept her legs tense, backing up a few inches as her eyes adjusted to the light, squinting as she tried to stare the strange colt down. “W-who’re you? What’re you doin’ down here?”

“I could ask the same to the mare that looks like she’s going to tackle me into a wall...” The colt sat down on his flank, pushing the lantern over his shoulder before reaching into his saddlebags and pulling out a large piece of parchment. He unfolded it on the floor, a mesh of lines of varying color barely visible in the dim light as he grabbed a crude pen attached to its side, making a simple mark on the map before looking up at Applejack, “Yew knowf-” The colt blinked, stopping to place the pen down on the map before he continued, “Sorry. You know these caves are... kinda dangerous.”

Applejack remained wary, her eyes focused on the colt, though her stance relaxed as she spoke, “We... Me and my friends aren’t from around these parts.”

“New to the Wilds or just... here? And, what do you mean we exactly?” The colt tilted his head to the side, looking past Applejack at the wall of rock. “You seem to be alone at the moment.”

“We were goin’ down this tunnel when a cave-in started for no reason... They’re supposed to be tryin’ ta find a way around it, though I don’t exactly know how that’s goin’.” Applejack’s stern look faded as her lips turned to a frown.

The colt rubbed his chin, looking down at the map as his hoof moved across it, tracing lines. “Well, there aren’t many way they could of gone... All the splits stop past here except for a few, but there’s enough ways to put them anywhere.” He looked back up at Applejack with a smile. “Tell you what, I know this place pretty well, probably more than your friends at least, let me just see if I can map out a few things and...”

The colt became lost in his thoughts as he muttered to himself as he looked back at the map. Applejack glanced back at the wall, shaking her head. No... I ain’t got any idea who the hay this colt is... and I’m sure the girls can find their way here soon enough, but I can’t just go sittin’ here for days. What if he’s some kinda spy from Equestria, or somethin’ worse... Applejack looked down at the colt, who had finally stood back up on his four hooves, placing the map back in his saddlebag.

“Look... I know it’s pretty odd to be finding a colt out in the middle of nowhere, so...” He held out a hoof, a thin smile on his lips. “The name’s Dig... well, kind of a title-slash-nickname thing, hobby too. I’m a... scavenger, sort of. I come out here looking for scraps of history or something that some half-wit noble or scholar’ll be interested in... I know it sounds silly, but there’s a lot to find out here... I-I’m not out to steal from you or anything I-I just want to help.”

Applejack looked the colt in the eyes, her breathing slowing before she began to turn her head from side to side. “I... I know you mean well.” And every fiber of my being is sayin’ not to trust you... Applejack echoed in her mind, “But...” Her hoof moved up, pressing against the colt’s before shaking it up and down lightly. “Name’s Applejack... nice ta meet ya Dig. Let’s hope you do know your way round her like ya say you do, I don’t want my friends showin’ up here without me around.”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a few twists and turns, that’s all. We’ll find them no time, I promise.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dig sighed, trotting slowly in front of Applejack as he glanced around the cave, “You know, I’ve actually found some stuff in these caves before... though they’re always changing every time I come here. A lot of ponies don’t come out this far on superstition. They say some... tragedy happened and the whole place is haunted now. I don’t believe it per say, but there’s plenty to find. Gotta be something digging all these tunnels but, well, I never see it.”

It had been nearly thirty minutes since the two had left the cave-in. Applejack had kept her guard up around Dig, despite her acceptance of his offer for help, but her mind kept wandering to thoughts of her friends somewhere inside the endless tunnels. She was only brought back to reality as the colt stopped suddenly in front of her, her head nearly knocking into a saddlebag as she ground to a halt. “Wait... w-why are we stoppin’?”

The colt flexed an ear idly before turning back to Applejack. “They’re close. Applejack, thank you... for trusting me that is.” He reached into the saddlebag, pulling out a small satchel, tied shut by a knot at its top. “I-I found this a few days ago around here. I really don’t think anyone would be interested in it, but... I think it’s a good sign of appreciation.” He slowly undid the knot, the cloth falling to reveal what appeared at first glance to be a few pebbles in the faint light.

“I found them over by where some ponies say there used to be a village and, I know it sounds crazy, but I think they’re seeds. Amazing that there used to be something like that out here... and that they’re still in one piece. Must of been petrified to last this long. You ummm, you seem like the patient type... I mean you’ve had the patience to stand walking around with me while I’m rambling. So, maybe you’ll value these more than somepony who expects them grow...”

Applejack slowly reached for the satchel in Dig’s grasp, her eyes locked on the small seeds in the dim light as she dropped to her hind legs. Her eyes started to well with tears at a closer inspection of the small curves, and her mind only came to one conclusion. She tried to hold back tears as she clenched her eyes shut, resting the small satchel on the floor as the lantern’s glow fading from her eyelids, replaced by a faint purple light in the distance, and a familiar voice calling out to her.

“Girls, I think that’s... Applejack! Applejack is that you?!”

Applejack’s eyes snapped open as she looked up to the sight of her friends galloping at her. She was quick to rise back to hooves and trot over to the others, her lips turned up to a smile, “Girls, thank goodness I stumbled onta y’all.”

The others looked perplexed as Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Umm, Applejack I thought it was too dark to go wandering around here... and that is a wall of rocks back there from the looks of it.”

“What are ya talkin’ about Dash? I’ve been-” Applejack glanced back over her shoulder, greeted by the same wall of rocks she had thought to have left with Dig close to an hour before. Her smile faded for a moment as she shook her head, holding a hoof to her forehead. “I... I musta, dozed off waitin’ fer y’all I guess...”

Twilight stepped up past Rainbow Dash. “Sorry Applejack, we stumbled on the way out before we found you so we took a while to make sure we could find our way back. It was Rarity’s idea to leave some crumbs behind, and thankfully Pinkie brought enough of those... ummm, ‘treats’ for us to find you.”

“Eh, they were only a first pass,” Pinkie commented, taking a bite of another smoldering crumb of food. “Hmmm, surprisingly salty.”

The others shook their heads with a smile as they began to trot away from Applejack, whose focus was still on the cold wall of rubble. Her gaze shifted down as she turned to follow her friends, barely catching the glimmer of the satchel out of the corner of her eyes. Her mouth hung agape as she timidly reached a hoof out, surprised when it didn’t fade from existence before her. With a smile she tied a knot in the satchel and wiped a tear from her cheeks, galloping to catch up to the others.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was not long before the girls were greeted by the pale moonlight at the end of their path, emerging from the cave into a vast valley. They could barely see the cliff above their heads as they trotted forward, the path out of the valley thinning as trees jutted out from the nearby rocks, their rocky path soon giving way to the familiar overgrowth and forest of the Wilds. It was not long however before a faint fog was visible in the distance, growing thicker with each timid step the group made.

Twilight closed her eyes for a moment, her horn glowing in an attempt to pierce the thickening veil. “Stay close girls... we don’t want to get separated in all of this...”

The group closed into a tight circle, trying to keep their eyes focused on the path ahead, Twilight’s horn barely lighting the way more than a few feet ahead. Fluttershy kept at the back of the path, the eerie wind blowing through trees setting her on edge as her eyes darted from side to side. Her mind twisted the faint images of trees through the fog into nightmarish figures, the whistling of the wind into the pattering of hoofsteps, and the shiver along her spine into eyes peering from the shadows.

Her eyes shut tight as she started to slow down, her voice barely carrying through the fog, “Ummm, g-girls? M-maybe we should just w-wait until this fog clears so that there’s n-nothing spooky or... s-scary or...” She swallowed hard to clear her throat. “D-dangerous that jumps out at u-” Fluttershy opened her eyes slowly, her face twisting into a look of terror in seconds as she was greeted by the empty fog in front of her.

Her shaking increased as she timidly continued forward, eyes darting around the fog, her voice carrying little weight as she was overcome with fear, “G-girls? I-... this is some kind of p-prank right? I don’t really think it’s a... good time for that.” Fluttershy tried to squint through the fog, hoping to find the faint light from Twilight’s horn in the distance to ease her woes. Instead, she was greeted by the silhouette of a tree growing closer in the veil, a small circle of clear air around its towering form.

Fluttershy inched towards the tree, eyes darting from side to side. “T-Twilight? Rarity? A-... anyone?” Fluttershy nearly jumped back from the gnarled roots as she saw a small pair of auburn eyes, followed shortly by a flash of red as they disappeared around the bend. Her curiosity began to peak as she approached the large roots, peering around the trunk. “H-hello? I-it’s okay... I won’t h-hurt you.”

She was greeted by a small red fox, cowering behind a heavy root as it let out a whimper. Its weight shifted uneasily, trying to stay off of its front legs which bore a darker shade of crimson along their length. Fluttershy reached a hoof over her mouth as she tried to inch closer. “Oh my, y-you’re injured.” The fox whimpered in response once more, shuddering as it tried to back away. “No, please don’t run, I-I have something that will fix you right up.”

Fluttershy laid down a few feet from the fox, lifting a saddlebag off of her flank before she reached inside, pulling out a small satchel. As its contents of bandages, gauze and poultices emptied onto the damp ground, the fox timidly approached them, sniffing lightly before slinking back. “D-don’t worry, they’re good for you. Well, at least they’re good for all the ponies in the Hollow...” Fluttershy patted a hoof lightly on the ground next to her as the fox approached, laying down at her side.

It only took a few moments for Fluttershy to clean the pair of wounds and wrap gauze securely around them, a small pin keeping them help together around the fox’s legs. The fox gave a small sniff to its dressings before prodding the root with its paws. After a few moments it jumped forward, nuzzling against Fluttershy’s front hooves. The pegasus smiled before standing up, “See? All better... Just, ummm, don’t go doing anything dangerous, okay foxy?”

The fox’s ears twitched lightly as it looked behind Fluttershy, quickly darting away from the tree. Fluttershy stood up quickly, trying to follow the fox, but its form faded suddenly into the fog. “N-no, wait, you can’t be running around yet!” Fluttershy turned around, making out a dim light breaking through the fog. She donned her saddlebags, galloping at the glow as she heard the distance shouts of her friends growing closer.

Twilight’s voice was the loudest of them, shouting into the thick veil, “Fluttershy?! Fluttershy are you out there?!”

The pegasus trotted out of the fog, seeing her friends gathered in a tight circle. Pinkie and Rarity were quick to rush to her side, hugging her close. Rarity sighed in relief, “Oh Fluttershy, we were so worried about you darling. Where ever did you run off to?”

Fluttershy’s ears flattened as she looked down. “I-I’m sorry, I just... got a little scared and... I’m sorry.” Fluttershy looked back up as a small gust of wind started to pick up through the path, the fog thinning enough for the group to see the path they had taken from the valley, though the tree Fluttershy had visited was oddly out of sight.

Twilight’s horn dimmed as the moonlight returned to illuminate their path, moving away from the others to get her bearings. “Well, that’s a good stroke of luck for us. Come on girls, we need to get moving before it rolls back in.” Twilight and the others began trotting down the path from the valley, while Fluttershy took one glance back to the treeline, barely making out what looked like two small eyes peering back at her. With a smile she rushed over to the others, shouting for them to wait.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a few minutes before the path thinned as the trees grew closer on either side of the group, moonlight fading as Twilight’s horn illuminated itself once more. The group was shocked when the path split into two before them, either path twisting and turning amongst the trees, blocking their destination from their sight. Twilight looked down at the map, shaking her head. “This doesn’t make any sense, this isn’t anywhere on this map.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, rolling her eyes lightly at the unicorn, “Well neither was the treacherous cliff or the foggy valley, was it?”

Twilight stared back over her shoulder at Dash for only a moment before rolling up the map. “We have no idea where these go, but we have to pick one. Which one do you girls think is the right one?”

Pinkie Pie tried to stifle a giggle as she hopped up to the fork in the path, pointing a hoof down the right split. “Duh, the right path is obviously to the right. What other way would it be?”

The others looked between one another, their eyebrows raised in confusion as Applejack shuffled a hoof nervously against the ground. “Ummm, Pinkie Pie? I think yer logic might be a bit, uhh, off there.”

Twilight stayed focused on the map as the others gathered around her, peering over her shoulder. “Well, I suppose just picking one of these paths should be fine. I mean what’s the worst that could happen right?”

Rainbow Dash floated up to the fork, staring down the left path. “Oh, probably just some deadly trap, an ambush, maybe us going in the wrong direction for, you know, forever? Yeah, let’s just go and chance it huh?”

Rarity glared at Dash with Twilight, a small tinge of irritation in her voice, “I don’t think that kind of... negativity is welcome right now dear. I say we just, flip a bit or something. I mean honestly, it’s nothing to fret about.”

Twilight nodded, turning around to look at the others. “Right... let’s just go down the left and-...” Twilight blinked, looking over the others before raising an eyebrow. “Umm, where did Pinkie Pie go?”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pink filly hopped steadily down the turning path, humming lightly to herself with a grin across her lips. She giggled, talking to herself as she continued along, “Oh, I’m sure they’ll figure it out eventually. I mean it’s so obvious.” It wasn’t long before her ear flicked, her hops grinding to a halt as the she heard the faint echo of crying in the distance. Her smile bent itself into a thin frown as a hoof ran across her chin. “Who could be all the way out here and crying? Oh my gosh! What if Fluttershy got lost again?! Oh no!”

Pinkie galloped down the path, the faint sorrow growing in intensity as a she saw a small blue pegasus curled up into a ball on the muddy path, tears matted across her cheeks. Pinkie’s advance slowed as she called out, “Hi! Are you lost?”

The filly’s head jerked up, darting around to find the source of the greeting before her blue eyes met with Pinkie’s. She rose to her hooves, trying to back away. “N-no! I’m not lost I just...” Tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she looked away from Pinkie. “I’m just p-passing through.”

Pinkie blinked, her frown turning back to a smile as she hopped to the filly’s side, wrapping a hoof around her shoulder. “Well that’s silly, why would you be passing through a scary place like this? You should be off at your home where it’s safe, or going to a friend’s home where it’s safe, or just going somewhere where it’s safe. Unless there’s somewhere safe around here. Oh! If there is can you show me?! Me and my friends are looking for something.”

The filly tried to squirm out of Pinkie’s grasp, her frown turning to a smile despite her efforts to keep a solemn disposition. “I... ummm, I know where I’m going and-”

Pinkie’s grip loosened as she jumped in front of the filly. “Oh, that reminds me! I don’t even know your name yet. I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?”

The filly’s eyes darted away from Pinkie, though she managed to move herself into the pegasus’s gaze with each shift. It wasn’t long before she conceded defeat. “I-I’m Cumulus... everyone in the village calls me Cumi though, but, I don’t like it.”

Pinkie Pie giggled, pulling the filly close again, “That’s silly, you shouldn’t hate the names friends give you. Unless they’re mean names, but if they’re from friends how could they be mean?”

Cumulus looked down, trying to pull away from Pinkie again. “I... don’t really have any friends.”

Pinkie moved her hooves to her mouth, a gasp slipping from her lips for a moment. “No no no no! That can’t be true! Everypony has to have some friends.”

“Well I don’t...” The filly moved away, sniffling as she laid back on the ground, “That’s why I ran away...”

“No, there has to be somepony you could be friends with. Nopony should ever be without a friend. Never ever ever!” Pinkie moved away from Cumulus, clearing her throat as she started to rummage through her saddlebags. The blue pegasus looked on in confusion as a record player popped out from its contents, spinning up and filling the air with a simple tune.

Everypony needs a friend, someone to help them out

With no one to be your pal, all you’ll do is sit and pout

Finding one isn’t hard, you just have to take a look

Searching far and wide, here and there, even inside a... book?

The music stopped as Pinkie rubbed her chin, shaking her head lightly. “No... it doesn’t work really well... Umm, let’s just skip the song.” Her hoof nudged the record player aside as she turned back to Cumulus, whose sniffling and tears had been replaced by a smile and a light snicker under her breath. Pinkie smiled in returned as she hopped forward, pulling her up to her hooves. “See? It’s not so hard to cheer up. Just turn that frown upside down, those tears into cheers, and those sniffles into, ummm... wiffle balls? Raffles? Truffles? Those are tasty, do you guys have truffles where you come from?”

Cumulus rubbed her hoof across her cheeks, whipping tears away as she smiled, “I just... nopony ever seemed like they wanted to be-”

“Now don’t ever think like that! You have to have something in common with somepony. Maybe you both like art, or parties, or grass... Lots of ponies like grass, that should be easy.” Pinkie smiled as she moved back to the record player. “But you should leave here for sure, I mean your chances of finding anypony to be friends with out here is pretty slim. Well, except for me, but I wanna be everypony’s friend... Unless they’re meanie pants.

Pinkie turned on the record player again as she turned back to Cumulus. “Hey, do you wanna help me with my song?” She was greeted by the empty path, tilting her head for a moment before shrugging “I guess she decided to head off. I hope she’ll be okay.” Pinkie Pie returned to the player, turning its volume up as she mulled over the song in her mind. There has to be something good that rhymes with look... she mused before hearing the patter of hooves approaching along the path.

Pinkie turned around, face to face with her friends as she waved a hoof at them. “Oh, hey girls! I was wondering when you’d finally get here. I told you the right path was to the right. And don’t worry, there wasn’t anything dangerous down here, just somepony who needed a little help.”

Twilight blinked, looking between Pinkie and the record player. “Ummm, Pinkie... What are you talking about? And where did you get that thing from?”

“Well obviously I was going to need music if I had to cheer somepony up with a song... Though I don’t think the song really did it so much, but it all worked out for the best anyway. See how I found the right path?”

Twilight looked at the others. “But Pinkie we haven’t even seen if this path goes anywhere.”

Pinkie Pie held back another giggle as she pointed at some hoofprints on the ground, leading towards the group from the other end of the path. “If these prints came from the other side it has to go somewhere right? Besides, if you turned around and walked down the left backwards it would technically be your right, so maybe they were both right.”

Dash shook her head as she started to float down the path. “Let’s just get moving... My head is hurting trying to even understand that.” With a few odd glances at Pinkie the group headed forward once again.

It wasn’t long before the sound of rushing water carried itself to the group’s ears, the path opening to the familiar river they had once crossed. Its banks had grown as its width and depth had shrunk. It was no longer a challenge to cross like they had experienced before, especially without a serpent throwing a tantrum in their way. It only took a moment for group to cross, though Rarity stayed close to the shore afterwards.

She cleared her throat, looking at the others as they came to a halt, glancing back at her. “Oh, girls, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind stopping for a moment, would you? We’ve been out here in this muck and well, I think this is the best opportunity I’d have for a chance to... clean up.”

Dash groaned as she dragged a hoof across her face, “Are you serious? We have somewhere important to go! We can’t stop to take a bath...”

“Well excuse me for wanting to stay hygienic out here with this filth. I’m only considering my safety and, well... sanity. Do you know the horrible things dirt and germs can do to you? Let alone to one’s coat. Oh, it’s dreadful just to think of it.”

Twilight patted Dash lightly on the shoulder. “Look, we’ve been walking for a while. Maybe a few minutes of rest could do us all some good.” The group started to rest their saddlebags on the ground before Rarity cleared her throat. “Oh? Is something wrong Rarity?”

Rarity stared blankly at Twilight and the others. “A bit of privacy would be nice, if it isn’t too much... trouble.” With a few groans they picked their bags up once more, trotting towards the treeline and out of sight. Rarity smiled to herself as she laid her bags down, her magic pulling a small cup from its contents as she trotted into the river. She took her time, trying to work out as much of the matted dirt and mud from her hooves and coat.

As she drew close to finishing, she heard a small rustling from the tree line, her eyes rolling in irritation as she sighed, “I’m not finished yet girls. If you wouldn’t mind being a little patient, please?”

Rarity’s gaze shifted to the brush, just as a young colt stumbled from its confines onto the dirt. She tried to hold back a shriek as her hooves struggled in vain to cover some portion of her body. It was only after his body laid still for several moments that she jumped out of the river, rushing to his side. His coat of dark yellow was nearly snuffed out by the rough patches of brown and black armor strapped around his flank and haunches, his mane of orange and red ragged as he gasped for air.

“Umm, s-sir? Are you alright?” Rarity asked the colt, nudging a hoof at his flank meekly. “Oh dear, you must be parched and starving with that look on your face. Just stay right there.” Rarity trotted back to the river, recovering her saddlebags before dropping them back to the ground next to the colt. He tried to shift his body, rolling onto his back as Rarity pulled out a small bag of rations and a canteen, holding it to the colt’s lips as he tried to chug it down.

“My goodness, whatever are you doing out here in this condition? It’s simply dreadful.” Rarity moved the canteen away, replacing it with the small napkin full of grass and mulch, which the colt quickly consumed.

He tried to stifle a cough before breathing a sigh of relief, his voice strained, “T-thank you m’lady... It’s... a good sight to see such helpful folks out here.” He winced in pain before rolling over, rising up to his hooves with a bit of trouble. “I-I got separated from some friends. I’ve been trying to find my way back, but these Wilds are just, well, confusing on the mind. I’ve been out of supplies for nearly a day and... I heard the river and voices, hoping I’d find somepony.”

Rarity tried to keep the colt steady, her hooves running across his coat, trying to check for a wound under his armor. After finding nothing serious, she spoke up, “Well you happened to be lucky for today dear. How far are you from home?”

“I-I’m not sure... we were a day out when we got separated, and it’s been 3 days since then... I didn’t travel too far each day, but I think I can find my way back in the same time, if not shorter...”

Rarity smiled, her horn glowing as her saddlebags lifted from the ground, resting on the colt’s back gently, “Then you’ll need quite a bit in case you get lost again.”

The colt shook his head, looking at Rarity in disbelief. “No, I couldn’t take all of this, leaving somepony like you out here with nothing.”

“It’s no worries darling, I have more than enough friends who can help me. You are the one that’s alone out here. I’d suggest you get moving soon though. We’ve gone through some rather unpleasant weather on our way here.”

“B-bless you m’lady. You’re truly a saint.” With a small wave the colt departed, leaving Rarity next to the river alone. It took a moment before she trotted to the tree line, following a set of hoofprints to a clearing where her friends were resting.

“All done girls. And from what I recall we shouldn’t be too far now, right?”

“I hope so Rarity,” Twilight said, picking herself off of the ground. “Let’s get moving girls, I’d rather we get there before anything else rolls into our way.”

Dash hovered up into the air. “Oh come on, what’s the worst that can happen, we’ve already made it this far. Just a quick trip over that bridge and we’re home free!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack looked to Dash, nudging a hoof into her side. “Just a quick trip over eh? That’d be all well an’ good if it were still here.” She looked out over the open chasm, two sets of rope tied to the other side of the gap, though what it was attached to was blocked by a thick fog.

Dash rolled her eyes as she lifted off of the ground, flying out over the gap. “Yeah yeah, I’ll get it fixed in a jiffy, piece of cake.” Her wings fluttered as she flew down into the small chasm, searching through the dense fog for the remains of the wooden bridge along the cliff wall. It took a bit for her to get close for fear of crashing into the side, but she could make out its worn form, still holding together after so long.

She was shocked when she reached out to grasp it and felt a gust rip past her, nearly knocking her into the jagged cliffs. She was quick to turn around, shouting into the fog, “Who’s there?! Show yourself.” Another gust moved through the air towards Dash, which she barely noticed and dodged before it sliced into the cliff face, chipping a small bit of rubble off which fell into the endless abyss. Her front hooves shuffled back and forth in front of her face. “Come on, are you scared of fighting me face to face? I’m not gonna run away from a challenge.”

The fog began to thin in front of her as Rainbow Dash came face to face with pegasus adorned with black armor. Her mouth formed a thin smirk at Dash’s response. “Of course not little filly. Though I don’t think fighting a defenseless foal is the best option to test my skills now is it?”

“Who are you calling defenseless, huh?! You think I can’t handle myself, that I can’t take you on?!” Dash’s gaze tapered down to a glare as her body leaned down, prepared to charge at her foe.

“Now that’s the tenacity I like to see in my prey, but I wonder if you can back it up with your own two wings.” The armored pegasus whipped her wings forward quickly, sending another gust at Rainbow Dash, but she only managed to impact the wall once more. As Dash tried to charge forward and push the pegasus into the cliff wall, she only moved out of her path with a laugh. “Is that as fast as you can go? This is going to be easier than I thought. Try and catch me if you can featherweight.” The pegasus dashed off deeper into the fog and left Dash with a sneer on her face.

“Featherweight?! I’ll show that lit-” She looked back at the remains of the bridge the hung from the wall before she glanced back up, the moonlight barely piercing the thick fog. A fight was just what the pegasus wanted, and Dash was more than willing to provide it, but now wasn’t the time.

With a sigh and one last look into the fog where the pegasus had fled, Dash hovered over to the hanging rope and gripped it in her mouth before she shot up to the other side of the gap. It only took a moment before the ropes were taught, turning to face her friends with a smile. “Sorry about that girls, just a bit hard to see down there.” As the others started across the bridge, Dash took a moment to collect her thoughts before following them.

Through the thick fog and over the rickety bridge the six fillies walked, just as they had a thousand years before, and were greeted by the sight they had long since forgotten: the ruined walls and deteriorated towers of the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, somehow not completely swallowed whole by time’s passing. As they drew closer to its walls and the stone gate passed over their heads, they were greeted by a large open room, filled only with the statue that had once held the “Elements of Harmony,” or at least the stones that bore their symbols from ages past.

Twilight looked around the room as she approached the statue, the letter from her saddlebag a foot or so in front of her, “What are we supposed to be looking for? Is it something? Someone? The Elements were destroyed when we fought Nightmare Moon, so it can’t be those... So what could it be?” A hoof brushed along her chin as she examined the letter for any kind of clue it might offer, or hoped that something might magically appear out of thin air to offer them guidance. Her focus was broken as she heard Pinkie Pie shout out something from behind her.

“A combo! I feel a combo coming on...” Pinkie’s tail twitched for only a moment before her ears began to flop, followed by a shudder along her spine. Everypony looked nervous and Applejack appeared ready to take cover under the nearby statue as Pinkie simply blinked. “Huh... I haven’t felt that one in a while.”

Twilight’s eyes darted around the room as she moved to Pinkie’s side. “Well? What does it mean? Is it something bad, something good, something at all?!”

Pinkie rubbed her chin as she traced her tongue along her lips. “Hmmmm, don’t remember, but I’m sure it’ll come to me.”

A roar pierced through the air like a crash of thunder, everypony poised on their hooves for whatever was on its way. The roar was followed by the flapping of wings, the feeling of heat in the air, and the crash of one of the nearby towers into a chasm. The ponies only caught a glimpse before the beast towered over their heads. It was a dragon, its large emerald eyes fixed on them through the shattered remains of the Castle’s roof. Its dark scales gleamed in the pale moonlight, contrasted by bright spines along its back. Its neck craned down into the room, his face only inches from Twilight as smoke drifted out of his nostrils.

Twilight tried to keep her composure as the dragon stared intently at her before it shot a glance at the other five. Her mind was overcome by fear, but somewhere amongst the tempest of doubt she held onto the hope of who she prayed it really was.

The dragon’s glare and grim visage was replaced by a smirk as its neck reared back out of the room. “Well, well, well. I never thought the day would come.” His voice echoed through the silent halls, a deep bass that assaulted their ears. He started to laugh at Twilight and her friends’ expressions as he looked up at the moon, “Oh come on, it hasn’t been that long for you, has it?” He leaned back down to Twilight’s level, though nowhere near as close to her as before. “To forget your number one assistant that is.”

“S-s-SPIKE?!” Twilight gasped as her eyes went wide at the realization, her fear replaced by joy as she jumped forward, tears rolling down her cheeks, “It really is you! I-I hoped, some part of me knew, it just had to be you!”

“I guess I have changed a lot since the old days huh? Though you all look the same as before. I guess that’s to be expected, given the circumstances.”

Dash flew up to Spike’s side and nudged a hoof lightly into his thick scales. “Well, glad you beefed up a bit over the years there Spike. Can’t say we aren’t gonna need a little muscle with what’s on the way.”

“I was just glad after the runes started going off that it was really all of you... There have been so many that just stumble in, false alarms...” Spike shook his head lightly, “But no, that’s not what this is about. You guys need to get on board, we’ve got somewhere important to be.”

Rarity looked up at Spike with a small chuckle, “Surely you don’t mean... riding on you, Spike? I mean, I’m sure you can get us where we’re supposed to go, but it’s just-.”

Spike laughed, accompanied by a small puff of smoke from his nostrils, “Don’t worry, it’s a smoother ride than you’d think.” He turned around and let his tail rest on the ground to provide them a path onto his back. “Trust me, it’s important...” As each pony slowly climbed onto Spike’s wide back, he glanced at Rainbow Dash, still in the air at his side. “Don’t want to join Dash?”

“Ehhhh, no thanks Spike. No offense but I prefer my own two wings to someone else’s. Besides, I can race ya there.” She flew in a small circle to get her wings stretched.

“That’s going to be a bit hard not knowing the way, don’t you think? But you’re on Dash, I have been practicing out here with nothing to do, so don’t expect a pushover.” He made sure that everypony was secure on his back before his wings flapped heavily, lifting off from the ruins. The flight was almost as smooth as Spike had promised, though his attempt at outpacing Rainbow Dash managed to upset that stillness a few times.

The Wilds looked so different from above as Twilight glanced over Spike’s side. She barely made out the lights of several villages in the distance, including Gallant Hollow at the base of the mountain they had traveled from. Granted, the lights could have been mistaken for anything from so far away, but the other lights she spotted could not. They were past the borders of the Wilds in Equestria, the land they once called home, and the one they now called an enemy. It wasn’t long before they faded from sight and Spike began to land at the entrance to a large cave.

Spike let his passengers off before he moved inside, his heavy footsteps causing the ground to shudder in response. Around a few dark turns the ponies were greeted by a bright light, right before their silence was broken by a squeal of excitement from Rarity, “My goodness Spike! How ever did you find so many jewels?!” She quickly rushed forward from the others to inspect the pile as Applejack and Dash rolled their eyes.

Spike moved into the large open cavern and took a seat against a smooth wall which showed signs of wear. “Don’t go getting envious of them Rarity. I mean it is my dinner for the next year or so.”

Twilight moved up to Spike’s feet, her neck craned to keep eye contact with him. “Spike, you said there was somewhere important we had to be? Is this it?”

Spike nodded, “It’s actually to meet someone.” His tail moved behind the large pile of gems and emerged seconds later carrying a small crystal ball in its grip. He gently placed it between the ponies before he moved his tail away.

Dash raised an eyebrow at the crystal before she turned to Spike, “Ummm, I don’t really feel up to playing fortune teller after all of this trouble, Spike. If we’re supposed to meet someone, shouldn’t it be face to face?”

There was a bright flash of light from the orb as it hovered a few feet above the ground, a faint echo emanating from it that transformed into a voice, calm and clear, “I’m afraid that won’t be possible at the moment Rainbow Dash.” Its owner was affirmed as Princess Celestia’s face appeared within the orb, a glow of white and gold around her.

Twilight pushed Dash to the side in an attempt to get closer to the Princess’s image. “Princess Celestia, but how? I thought you were captured, or... worse.” Her hoof shuffled against the floor at the thought of the Princess being gone forever.

The orb turned to face her, Celestia’s face offering a smile to her student. “It’s very good to see you and your friends Twilight Sparkle, but I’m afraid it’s not so simple. I am merely a fragment, a piece of the Princess which she tore from her mind and soul in preparation for Nightmare Moon’s return. Luckily, Spike was able to perform a few tasks for her, including caring for me these many years.”

Spike bowed his head. “It was my pleasure, Princess.”

Twilight’s face was affixed with a look of confusion at the “Princess’s” words. “Something like that... how could she have done that? It would’ve taken most of her magic, she could’ve defeated Nightmare Moon.”

“Celestia was aware that if Nightmare Moon had taken the steps necessary to remove you and your friends from her reach, then she had plans to deal with her as well. Her only option was to ensure that if, or when, you should return, you would have the tools necessary to combat Nightmare Moon.” The orb rotated, allowing Celestia’s visage to glance at the six fillies. “And now that you have come here, it is time you know exactly what transpired on that day a thousand years ago.”

Celestia’s horn within the sphere glimmered with the same golden light the orb emanated. An image appeared in the air above, a light blue mist that twisted itself into an image of Twilight’s library. “I do not know the entire circumstances surrounding it, but Twilight, you and your friends were trapped within your home in Ponyville. A spell almost as ancient as the world itself was cast by you, and placed you all in a stasis. Because of the spell, no pony was able to enter or affect the library in which you six resided for some time, though the spell’s effect did fade on the tree before it did you. The Princess was unsure how long the spell would last, but she was immediately aware of the perpetrator and their motives.”

The image shifted to Canterlot, and the throne room within its walls gleaming with golden light. Celestia was seated upon its throne, her gaze locked upon Nightmare Moon at the room’s entrance and the dark shadow which grew from her mane. “Nightmare Moon had returned once again, and sought to bring about the same endless night she wished for twice before. However, she had assistance this time, a unicorn of strong magical talents and a heart, mind, and soul easily bent to her will.”

Fluttershy looked up at the image that seemed so real above them, “Who would do something like that, to help someone so dark?”

“It was somepony you are all too familiar with unfortunately, whose hatred was a seed cultivated to fruition.” The mist shifted again as a young blue unicorn hovered above them, a wand with dust trailing its path along her flank, “Trixie, the unicorn that you and your friends had driven from Ponyville in embarrassment. How she came to find Nightmare Moon, or was twisted to her will is beyond my knowledge, but with Trixie’s aid, Nightmare Moon was able to remove Celestia’s magic, the only thing that kept me linked to her.”

The mist shifted to Nightmare Moon’s visage with images of destruction behind her, each one fading and replaced anex with each passing moment. “Without Princess Celestia to oppose her, Nightmare Moon brought about the night she had longed for, and came to rule Equestria, and the world followed after. You are no doubt aware of how the world stands now. Equestria is ripe with oppression and corruption at its core, infecting everything it touches, and in the Wilds ponies hope to hide for the rest of their days in solitude and fear.”

The mist faded as the glow from the orb dimmed. “And so here you all stand, the Elements of Harmony, the symbols of hope and freedom that will be the banner which unites this world against Nightmare Moon.”

Dash stamped a hoof on the ground. “And how are we supposed to do that? We don’t have weapons, and there are only so many ponies in the Wilds. We can’t just make an army appear out of nowhere.”

“But you can build one. Equestria’s enemies may be subverted, but they are not gone entirely. You will have to travel far and wide in order to find those that will aid you, and the path will not be an easy one. However, I do have a few gifts that may help. The first is a means of transportation. In the ruins of Canterlot, buried deep in the mountains is a gateway, a portal once used as a means of traveling to far-off nations. Princess Celestia was able to use it for diplomatic reasons. However, you will need a key, which is your second gift. Spike, if you please.”

Spike nodded as his tail moved back behind the pile and returned with a large book in its grasp. He held it up to Twilight before placing it gently on the ground. It was colored solid white and adorned with gold and gems. At its center was a bright golden sun, shaped to match Celestia’s cutie mark. Twilight’s horn glowed as she lifted it up to her and flipped through the pages. “This... I’ve seen this before. This is Princess Celestia’s spellbook, but... no, no I can’t take this, I don’t-.”

“You must, Twilight. Princess Celestia herself had Spike take this from Canterlot, for you. She alone wanted to entrust it to your hooves.”

Twilight wiped a tear from under her eyes. “T-thank you, Princess.”

“And there is one last gift, for all of you. While I do not have the magic that the true Princess Celestia possesses, I was given enough to unlock your potentials.”

Applejack looked between everyone before she gazed up at Celestia’s image, “Potentials? I don’t think we know exactly what yer talkin’ about Your Highness.”

“You’ll see in a moment Applejack, though I think you all may want to close your eyes.” They were only given a moment before a flash of golden light enveloped the entire room. Everypony could feel the weight of their saddlebags vanish from their shoulders, only to be replaced with something else. For Applejack and Rainbow Dash it felt heavy, though not constricting, while for Rarity and Pinkie Pie it felt somewhat lighter their bags had been, and for Fluttershy and Twilight it almost felt like a feather was draped across their shoulders. As the flash faded and the normal light returned to the cave’s recesses, they were greeted by the sight of one another, adorned with armor, each different from one another.

Applejack stood covered with silver plate on her entire body, accented by sections of alabaster, and three orange apple crests at the front of her armor, with a golden sun seated behind it like a shield. The armor tapered off around her neck, but as she looked at the others it expanded and formed a helmet around her face, giving her enough vision to still see clearly around her. She reared back on her hind legs with a small grin on her face. “Now this is better than them leather scraps by a long shot!” She was shocked when the side of her armor expanded the same as the helmet had, and a spear grew out from her side, glistening in the light of the cave. “And that ain’t half bad neither.”

Rainbow Dash had sections of light plate on her legs and body, colored silver like Applejack’s, but accented with streaks of blue instead of white. A red thunderbolt on the foreground of a golden sun sat on her chest. Her armor expanded the same as Applejack’s to form a light helm on her head that opened in the back to let her hair flow freely. On her wings were a similar material that easily bent with the flexing of her wings. As she fully flexed them and took a glance at her armor, a series of blades shot out underneath. Each blade was thin enough to move easily in the wind, and were all colored differently: on her right wing were red, yellow, and blue, and on her left were orange, green, and violet. As she drew her wings back to her flank, the blades receded in the blink of an eye. “Oh yeah, definitely cool.”

Rarity’s armor was not as heavy as Applejack’s or Dash’s, but it did cover most of her body, colored a glowing white that reflected the dim light of the cave like a mirror. At her front were the three purple diamonds of her cutie mark against a golden sun, just as the others, but at her back was a small white gown flowing over her flank and hind legs, cut off just before it reached the floor, with a small quiver attached to her side. She looked over herself with a smile on her face. “Well, this is quite fashionable, though I doubt how useful it’s all going to be on the battlefield.” As she moved her hoof up to the diamonds at her front, portions of her armor separated into various shapes and stretched out from her body, reflecting the light as they moved like mirrors and lenses. Rarity’s horn glowed to remove one of the arrows from the quiver, her eyes examining it as it floated in front of her. “And it has been a few months since I used one of these.”

Pinkie Pie was covered with small bits of cloth, blended together to look like a jester’s costume colored in pink, yellow, and blue. The similarly colored balloons of her cutie mark against a golden sun hung from her neck as a small medallion, twisting lightly from its chain as her hoof nudged it. Against her flank sat two small saddlebags, each adorned with a theatre mask against a pink background: Tragedy on her left flank, and Comedy on her right. Pinkie quickly took them off and placed them on the ground in front of her as she proceeded to open them. Everypony seemed shocked as Pinkie nearly shoved a leg shoulder deep into the ‘Comedy’ bag, digging around for several moments before she pulled it back out. In her grasp she held onto a small plastic figure which was shaped to look like her, though it did a horrible job at it. “My hair doesn’t look like that,” she mussed before tossing it back onto Spike’s pile of gems.

Fluttershy’s body was adorned with an elegant gown, colored to match her yellow coat with small vines and flowers embroidered on its length in a mix of white, green, and purple. Underneath was a small layer of white leather, and at her front it was emblazoned with the three pink butterflies of her cutie mark, against the background of a golden sun. Fluttershy felt a small heat from the crest as it glowed with a pink light. She felt somehow stronger amongst its glow, as if its warmth revitalized her. “This... it’s beautiful.”

Twilight looked between the others before she turned to herself. Along her flank was a simple robe of white and gold, and atop her head, just behind her horn, was a golden tiara, but not the one that had appeared on Nightmare Moon’s defeat. Instead, it was Princess Celestia’s, or at least shaped in the same form, with Twilight’s cutie mark at its crest in a gleaming mix of purple and white. Around Twilight’s neck was the same large golden necklace that Celestia wore as well, and with a smile she looked back up at the floating orb, “Thank you, Princess Celestia. These are... they’re amazing.”

The orb started to shudder in the air before it came to rest on the ground, its bright light dimming as Celestia smiled up at Twilight, her voice straining to continue, “Well, that has taken more out of me than I expected. Spike can lead you to the ruins of Canterlot, but you will have to split up to reach your destinations effectively. The gryphons of Aeolus have been the start of many rebellions over the years, and while the zebras of Savanra abandoned their northern grasslands at Nightmare Moon’s invasion, rumors say they are still alive within the oases of the vast deserts of the south. However, you and Spike, Twilight, will have somewhere special to travel.”

The others looked at Twilight with perplexed faces as Celestia continued, “On the other side of this world, on the far side of the sea lies a small chain of islands, known for millennia as Kraulith. It is there that you will find the ancient home of the five tribes of dragons, an area of peace and refuge far away from the other races of this world. Since Nightmare Moon’s reign began, not a single dragon has been seen outside of Kraulith, and I want you and Spike to attempt and recruit them to this cause.” Celestia grunted in pain as the orb’s glow began to flicker, “You have to leave now, time is of the essence. I will remain here to collect my strength again.”

Twilight moved closer to the orb and leaned down to stare into Celestia’s image as it flickered within the ball. “Please, Princess, there’s so many questions that we have to ask, we-.” Twilight stopped as the crystal ball was clear once again, deaf to her pleas. With a sigh she raised her head back up, looking at the others, “Then... I guess we have to go. Spike, we’ll need to go to Gallant Hollow first to tell them about what’s going on. Can you take us there first?”

He nodded, “Of course Twilight, I’ll be waiting outside, whenever you’re all ready to go.” The ground once again shook with Spike’s footsteps as he left the cave. Twilight gave a short glance to the Princess’s spellbook on the cold ground before she grabbed her saddlebags a few feet away from her, freeing enough room to place it snugly inside.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sky above Mare Umbra was filled with the crashes of thunder and flashes of lightning as rain crashed down heavily on its cobble streets. Within the slums of Dark Side the ground melted into a soup of mud while ponies tried feebly to stay warm within trembling shacks. The recesses of Castle Nightmare offered some refuge from the bitter cold, but even its guards at the peak of its walls and towers, steadfast and vigilant in their watch, shivered in the torrential downpour.

Illuminated by the flashes of lightning, slowly approaching the iron gates of the Castle, was a dark blue carriage pulled by a pair of pegasi, dressed entirely in black. As they touched down outside of the gates and waited for its doors to part, a figure stirred inside of the carriage, brushing sleep from their eyes as a faint yawn resonated from within. Once under the cover of the Castle’s main entrance, the two pegasi detached from the chariot and moved to the side.

A figure cloaked in a blue and black shawl stepped from the chariot, and walked towards the Castle’s doors. “Rip, Tear, you can take your leave for now. I won’t need your assistance for quite some time.” The two pegasi bowed before they flew off to one of the guard towers, leaving the pony to herself. As she walked through the massive doors and through the winding halls she was greeted with bows at every turn. Before long she arrived at the throne room, with Nightmare Moon and her guards to greet her as she kneeled in front of her.

Nightmare Moon smiled at the cloaked figure, “Ah, it’s good to see you again. What news do you have to bring me?”

The figure rose to her hooves as the shawl removed itself with a faint magical aura. Locks of silver glistened in the faint light against her light blue coat as she grinned at Nightmare Moon, a hoof adjusting her cloak, “Nothing of interest, Your Highness. The pathetic rebellions were nothing before the might of the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“I expected nothing less. You’ll be pleased to know that Foulric and Mossrow are on their way to Wilds at this moment, and our problem will be solved soon.”

Trixie’s face contorted to one of shock and anger as she shouted, “What?! You let those pathetic generals take the honor of dragging that pathetic unicorn and her friends to your throne?! I’ll have to depart now to show those precious little Ponyvillians what’s been waiting for them all these years.” Trixie turned to leave the throne room quickly.

Nightmare Moon’s mane billowed with fury as she glared down at Trixie. “No, you have things to tend to here. Besides, your vengeance can wait until they lie broken on this floor. Amber is preforming less than admirably at her task, and she will need your assistance to ensure things go correctly.”

“What?! The Great and Powerful Trixie being stuck on some senseless science project instead of out on the battlefield? Besides, Foulric can’t see more than the medals on his fluffy, feathered chest, and Mossrow is more obsessed with showing up his peers than fighting an actual battle.”

“Enough Trixie!!! You have your orders, and you will follow them. The final hour is drawing close and I will not have anything slip out of my grasp at this crucial hour. I am fully confident in Foulric and Mossrow’s abilities.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cold air of the night sky whipped past everyone as Spike made his way towards Gallant Hollow with Twilight’s directions. Rainbow Dash was busy trying out her new armor, and was more than capable of making her usual aerobatic maneuvers, even with the odd plates attached to her wings. In fact the entire set almost made them easier to complete as she performed a few rolls around Spike’s torso with ease. “Man! These are incredible. How come we didn’t get this cool stuff the first time we beat Nightmare Moon? You know, not that my necklace wasn’t totally awesomer than all yours already.”

Twilight and the others could barely hear Dash over the roar of the wind as they drew closer to the distant mountain with each passing moment. It was only as they neared it that their attention was drawn to something else. Smoke. The same smoke they had seen on the day they had awoken, but this time there was more of it, and it was coming straight for them.

Comments

When is the rest of the story coming out?

More, please!

[Flashgen]

500

I've been distracted by work/PMVs for a bit, but I'm planning to have at least 3 chapters released this week at once (I'll post them here as soon as I send them to the EqD queue, so you'll get a peek first :) )