Stroke of Luck

by Gboyd

Arc 1: A Broken Spark Chapter 1: Return

'Acquaintances are the ones we know the best; close friends we know the least. ~Anonymous

World building, that's what it was. She rubbed her temples. Her eyes blurred at the pieces of paper littering her desk like white cotton clouds. It was allot. And that didn't even count the stacks of paper around her desk on the floor. The candle flickered low, forming a puddle of wax in the holder. She sighed, and twisted around to face the balcony of her chambers. The moon shone brightly, a bright beacon in the dead of night. Shadows flitted by every now and then. They could be the Night Guard, or just plain bats.

It was strange when she thought about it. Usually when one heard the fluttering of wings in the dead of night, they would freak out in fear. But for her, it was different. The night was a beautiful masterpiece, the stars pinpricks of light to lead your way; the moon your nightlight, and the shadows your blanket. It made her feel safe, comfortable. She didn't exactly know why, but it never really bothered her. Maybe she was closer to the Night Princess than she thought. Of her nation, as far as she knew, she and Luna were only ones who truly understood the night.

She let out a soft groan, tailbone sore from sitting for so long. She needed a break. She scooted back from the mahogany desk, picked her way across the room, ignoring the important scrolls she stepped on and made her way to the balcony. She leaned on the railing and let the wind blow across her face.

Shadows stretched long and lonely across the plains and meadows. The shadows made a black, silvery quilt over the land, snugly fitting the mountains at their base. Below her, lights on in houses made pinpricks of light dotting the land, similar to the stars in the sky above her. She looked in her favorite direction.

Directly down and across, slightly to the west, lay the best place in the world. She squinted, allowing her imagination to recreate the Great Hall in the center of the town. Moonlight winked off Ponyville's trade-mark statue. She could see, over the orchard hills, one window on in Sweet Apple Acres. Someone was still up. Across the street on the other side, she studied a slightly pink, silvery building. There was still a light on in there too. She really wasn't all that surprised. Of her and her friends, she and Rarity were usually the only ones who tended to pull all-nighters.

She leaned against the railing, wings relaxing and draping a warm blanket across her back as the temperature dropped. She kept her gaze on the small town's light. They flickered at her like fireflies, beckoning her to come home. She nuzzled her wings, excitement bubbling up in her chest at the thought of returning tomorrow. But just as quickly, a reminder pricked her conscience at amount of paperwork still on and around her desk. She loved to do administration. But paper piling on day after day for a full week can do a number on one's psyche. Exhaustion picked that exact time to plop down on her, and she yawned, realizing just how tired she was. She gazed wearily at the beige material still littering on the floor. There was still allot she hadn't done. She still had three days to finish it, but that didn't even skim the amount of work she'd have to deal with once arriving home.

Well, it was late, and she needed to get some rest. She chanced a glance back at Ponyville, yearning to see her friends again.

A clinking sound drew her attention away from the view, and she whipped around to face her bed chambers, startled. China hit stone, making a small chime on the floor, and her mail slot was waving. Curious, and less alarmed, she picked her way across and over the boring work on the floor and headed for the door.

A teacup sat on the floor, still full. She cocked her head at it, surprised. Granted, it was the servant's job to refresh royals, like herself, with tea or other necessities while they were working. They weren't commanded to do it---it was a common courtesy. But at this time of night? As the servants should be in bed by now.

"Huh," she thought. "That's a little odd. But some tea will help me sleep, at least." She lifted the cup with her magic. it was still warm, fresh. Her tired body tingled. She found herself looking forward to escaping from this world to the next, where no paperwork plagued her from dark corners. "Thanks, whoever you are. I'm going to get some sleep tonight!"

She changed, wrapped a robe around herself and, still holding the tea, sat gingerly on her bed. Her body sunk into the soft cloud mattress, and she cooed with delight. it was all so warm and soft. Her lavender feathers brushed her face, and she let loose a giggle. She could go to sleep right here, right now. On that note---her eyes shot open and she shot a playful glare at the west wing of the tower, where the Night Princess lived. Luna was probably just trying to make her go to sleep. Typical. Twilight chuckled and took a sip of her tea.

Peppermint with just a touch of honey. Just the way she liked it. She smiled. Those servants really knew what they were doing. It brought back memories. Her mother would make tea just like this, whenever she was sick, or scared. A lullaby began to play in her head, the same mysterious one that always lulled her to sleep in the dead of night. She could see Luna's magical aura in her mind's eye, pulling the covers over her and coaxing her off to sleep. She giggled softly again, as sleep overtook her.

The tea cup slipped form her grasp, and china shattered on marble. Tea the color of molasses bloomed, splotches of black on the once spotless floor. Her wings fell to the floor, touching the still-warm liquid. The tea stained her lavender wings, a blotch were it shouldn't be. A magical aura did indeed pull the covers around her and tuck her in, but it wasn't Luna's blue. It was red.

He pressed his ear against the door, three-inch thick wood and five feet away from the princess, listening intently for the soft snores that were sure to come. Instead, he heard china shatter and flinched. A realization came over him, and he mentally pumped a fist in victory. The teacup was on the floor, and his mission had been a success. He gently lifted her up in his red magic and tucked her in. A sharp tapping sounded behind him.

He turned and bowed low. Strange words echoed off the hall walls, a language that did not belong to Equestria. "Nee Sticlyn (My king)," he said, "stien shin docordare. Ire minta stare-kin hy'nde (she is contained. Your plan is working perfectly)." The moon had placed a finger through a window above him, and a claw reached out from the shadows, scratching the floor. The claw left a mark on the flawless floor, and the mark bled a liquid eerily similar to blood. He watched it intently, eyes wild and crazed. "Pord-ore est en lisch courtzenta roen rinked. Stien neen galen ge-u-dee cungeral-engal a dierha Harmonare (I put fourteen drops in the drink. She won't be returning to the other children of Harmony anytime soon)," he whispered. He froze, feeling the same claw slowly pierce his shoulder. It inched up his skin, cracking his armor like a knife slicing through cheese. The metal caressed his skin, passing and pausing at the tendon holding his cerebrum. He remained frozen in fear, willing the claw to release him. It did, melting back into the pitch black of night with a zing.

He sighed in relief. His master was pleased. "Narcen, zin-chishe me Scorepan, avim-mit Loaylty. Yerne me meer (Soon, Scorepan will be no more, If I know Loyalty. And I always know)." He reached out with an arm, searching for nothing. His arm appeared in the moonlight, a scar, an aberration. He smiled at the difference. This country loved accordance and order, didn't they? They would soon be receiving a wake-up call like non-other. Tirek's past threats and Discord's games? Hah! Child's play. But this, this was no game. And they would find that out the hard way. Only they weren't the players. They were the game-board.

An evil smile cracked the night in two, opposite illusions blending in perfectly. A voice hissed from the darkness, deep and grating, a voice that could make the greatest and worst of nightmares turn and run.

"Dae-call-ese." (Excellent)."

***

Three sharp raps sounded on the old wooden door. "Commin,'" came a muffled voice. Rarity cringed, hearing crashes and bang and what sounded like plates shattering. The old screen door squeaked open, revealing a ruffled Applejack, still in her night clothes.

"Wassa matter?" she yawned. Rarity smiled sheepishly.

"Terribly sorry darling, but I was so excited that I just couldn't wait!" Applejack rubbed her sleepy eyes and leaned against the door frame, squinting at Rarity through confused slits of emerald.

"Excited fer what?" Rarity allowed a huge grin to light up her face. She pushed Applejack back inside, and raced by her. Applejack leaped back, only to hauled up the farmhouse steps, directly towards her room.

"Whoa, Nelly! Hey now!" she yelped in surprise. Rarity snatched an outfit from the antique dresser and shoved the farm girl in the adjacent bathroom with a quick, "just get dressed, darling."

Applejack, catching onto Rarity's contagious excitement, dressed quickly, and did her morning routine in record time. She stepped out, and was yanked into a rapid (and by rapid, I mean painful) hair brushing by Rarity and this time, she allowed herself to be pulled down the stairs, and out into the dewy early morning air.

"Now what in tar-nation are ya all brushed up fer?" she questioned, now wide awake. Rarity didn't reply. She merely shut the screen door, and just stared at Applejack intently. Applejack nearly rolled her eyes at the expression her friend's face. She knew this look all too well. It was one of those 'I'm-not-going-to-tell-you-you're-just-going-to-have-to-guess-darling' looks. Applejack decided to humor her.

She racked her brains. Not finding any answers, she studied Rarity's hyper-active sapphires irises for a moment. A realization came over her, and she was tempted to face-palm at how stupidly obvious the answer was, and how long it took her to get it. Excitement and pure joy bubbled in her veins, so much that she wanted keep smiling and never stop, and she briefly wondered if this was how Pinkie felt twenty-four seven. She grabbed Rarity's shoulders.

"Twi's back!?" She nearly shouted. Rarity's smile was all the answer she needed. Applejack tossed her Stetson in the air with a good country whoop and set off at a dead sprint for the crystal castle lying just over the hill, Rarity on her heels; neither heeding to the fact that the sun had barely risen.

***

A prismatic streak thundered along the dirt to Ponyville, blowing back the grasses and yanking the leaves off their trees. The streak turned a sharp right and headed straight for a little cottage at the edge of town, not paying any mind to panicking citizens diving to get out of the way.

The streak screeched to a stop directly in front of the door. Rainbow Dash rushed forward and knocked on the door. "Fluttershy! Hey! Open up!"

The door opened, and Rainbow rushed headlong into chaos and red and yellow eyes. She was immediately spun out. She recovered quickly however. "Hey Discord, good to see ya," She greeted. "Where's Flutters?" She looked and spotted a quivering ball of the yellow feathers in the corner. Dash fluttered forward and pulled the timid pegasus to her feet.

"C'mon Flutters! We're gonna miss her!" Fluttershy peered out from behind a curtain of pink hair.

"Miss w-who--EEP!" Fluttershy squeaked in fright. She was pulled out the door.

"Thanks Discord! Owe ya one!" And with that, she and Fluttershy were gone, leaving a fading a rainbow trail and a very bewildered draconequus.

Discord stood in the doorway and scratched his head. "What.... did I just see?" No one answered him. The green screen in the corner had no answers and his shadow just shrugged. "Hmm....." Discord began pacing, a question mark bobbing above his head all the while.

As if on cue, a pinata dropped from the ceiling with a loud sneeze. Discord snapped, causing the question mark to turn into a light bulb. "Aha! Of course!" He whipped and faced the pinata, throwing a bear paw and claw out. "Happy times ahead!" The pinata bulged and threw up, candy landing on Fluttershy's hard-wood floor. Discord leaned over and studied lollipops, taffy and other candies with concern. "But also sad times...." he said sadly, as if the pile of jumbled sweets made perfect scense to him. The pinata sneezed again. Discord perked up, and slowly turned to face the reader. "Aha, ah, ah...." he chuckled. He pulled up the carpet, sucking the green screen, the pinata, and his shadow into chaos. "Can't be giving you spoilers, now can I?" He winked and gave the reader a salute. "I'll see you soon! Toodles!"

***

Rarity and Applejack pushed and shoved their way through an already growing crowd of excited citizens. Much to their disappointment, they found themselves at the end of a literal line. A very long line. Rarity crossed her arms and frowned.

A ear-splitting squeal sounded behind them, and both turned to see a pink blur headed straight for them. Despite the suddeness of her arrival, the two couldn't help but grin. You couldn't keep yourself from smiling when Pinkie Pie was around.

Once she reached them, Pinkie gave them both bone-crushing hugs and bounced in circles around them, talking a million miles an hour; saying something about throwing a 'Welcome-back-Twilight-from-boring-writing-work-you're-late-dummy party'.

Applejack thought about it. She was late, wasn't she? Twilight was usually punctual. No, punctual was an underestimate; you could set your clock by her. But Twilight was two weeks late by her return due date. Applejack could comply by a few days tardiness, heck, a few days were understandable. But this was Twilight she was thinking about. The mare was never late for anything. Something had definitely come up. Well, they were sure to hear about once they greeted her. Applejack craned her neck above the crowd, trying to spot the gold doors. It was covered up by heads. She groaned. If they got to see her today.

"WE should be the ones to greet her first," an irritable voice snapped. Applejack's thoughts exactly. "Not the rest of these dweebs around here." Applejack looked up, about to scold her, but Fluttershy beat her to the punch.

"Nevertheless, " she began, shooting the ruffled prismatic pegasus a glare, "it's no reason to be mean. Or possessive." Applejack turned around and shot a look at Rainbow, and sent the smile meant for her to Fluttershy. Fluttershy returned the smile and gave her a tight squeeze. Rainbow threw her hands into the air.

"Sorry! She promised me a night race over a month ago and by darn I'm gonna get it! I've been waiting for two weeks. I'm not gonna wait much longer."

"Here, here," Rarity chimed in. She fanned herself. "Honestly, I do wonder what's happened to keep her." Applejack patted the frustrated pegasus.

"Don' worry non, sugarcube. Everythin'll turn all-right."

Rainbow scuffed the earth with a hoof, her magenta eyes burning holes in an otherwise dirt road. "I don't like my plans being ruined," she muttered.

"What plans, silly?" Pinkie asked, wanting to be a part of the action as always. Rainbow shrugged.

"I dunno. I thought we'd read some Daring Do, catch up; maybe go for a fly or something." Rainbow didn't meet Pinkie's eyes. Pinkie didn't notice. Applejack, however, did.

She knew there was something wrong with her friend. She also had a sneaking suspicion that Rainbow Dash was lying. Go for fly. Please. There was more to it than that. Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Ya sure 'bout that?"

Rainbow's head snapped up. Her face registered surprise for split second, then she went back to her tough facade. "Whatever."

Applejack cocked her head. Something big was really rubbing Rainbow wrong. And she wanted to know what it was. Her suspicion of the lying grew stronger. Applejack bit her lip. So focused was she reviewing the past weeks events that she barely noticed a faint, red shimmering aura slowly form around Rainbow. When she did notice it, she blinked, and it was gone. "What the hay?"Applejack took a step back, startled. Had anyone else noticed the aura? She glanced around. No one else seemed to have. She relaxed and studied the prismatic pegasus, willing the aura to come back. It did, shimmering ad faint ad red as ever. Applejack let loose a soft gasp. Rainbow WAS lying! Where had this come from? Did this have something to do with her being the Bearer of Honesty?

"Best be discreet 'bout this," she thought. "Don' want the whole world ta know she's lyin'."' She took a step forward and gently poked Rainbow on the shoulder. "Yer lyin', sugar."

Again, Rainbow looked surprised. "How--"

Applejack put a finger to her lips. "I can SEE it, hon. What is it---"

Rainbow turned a light shade of reed. She hissed in a breath.

"I TOLD you--nothing!" Her outburst caught the others' attention. Rainbow ignored them. "And now you can supposedly can tell I'm 'lying'? Does that make you a genius?" she spat. Applejack bit down the snark in her throat and carried on with same calm expression.

"Even if I could, ya looked away when Pinkie asked what yer plans were. That a dead give-away. Lyin' 101." Applejack placed a hand on her shoulder. "What's the matter, sugar?"

Under Applejack's understanding gaze and the concern of her friends, Rainbow relented. She sagged, then lit into the air. "I had some time to spend with her, all-right! I've been so busy this past year with the 'Bolts and these Friendship missions that I haven't gotten the chance to chill with her one-on-one. You know, something more than a five-minute long conversation and quick hug. Maybe, oh, I don't know? Relax? Read a book with her?" She released a sigh. Her voice was quiet, husky with emotion.

"I'm going to Las Pegasus for a show this Friday, and then the 'Bolts are going to edge of the southern border to meet military stations there. Something about the southern kingdoms causing trouble up in the north." She dropped to the ground, all signs of her tough exterior gone. By this point, she had all fours' undivided attention. "That's serious business. There could be betrayal on both sides-- bloodshed! We could get hurt!" Tears stung magenta eyes, but Rainbow no longer cared. She sniffed. "This was my last chance to spend time with her! That's important to me, and I had it all planned out. We would do whatever I wanted to do-- we would read some Daring Do together, I would treat her to a show; we could go for a race or a fly; and then we could go do whatever she wants to do, and I don't how egg-headed it would be." Rainbow angrily wiped her cheek and sniffed. "She wanted to go star-gazing in a special place she did when she was a filly, and she mentioned that Princess Luna had taught her to do something cool the last time we talked. I wanted to see that. I promised!" Her voice cracked. "I don't break my promises." Tears carved a path down her cheeks and she sniffed, crossing her arms and refusing to make eye-contact. Her voice wobbled. "This mission..... I-I might not come back. I'm scared! I.... I wanted to say g-goodbye in my own s-special way if.. if I w-wasn't coming back."

With that, Rainbow collapsed, sobbing. Instantly, the others curled around her and boosted her up. The girls were silent, not knowing what to say. Even Pinkie was at a loss for words. Rainbow wasn't the type to just pour out her heart like that, and they were sure know how to respond. Applejack rubbed her friend's back as Rainbow released her pent-up emotion.

Hours passed by in a matter of minutes, and the girls didn't talk like they usually would. Instead, time was spent studying the road or sun inching ever so slightly the sky, while chatter rose and fell like the waves of the lake nearby. The more time passed, the more nervous the girls felt.

Finally, tension rose to the brink, and Pinkie voiced what they were all feeling. "AWW! C'mon! How long does this have to take? I have to be back at Sugarcube Corner in, " she checked her watch, "five hours ago." She groaned. Rainbow put a hand to her forehead.

"Why are we so nervous you guys? We're Twilight's best friends; we shouldn't be feeling like this!" The others agreed, but no one had a response. It was the big question on all their minds. Why were they all so nervous? What had happened to them? Why did they feel like their friendship was ..... ending?

Comments

[Dark Rose 777]

Hey, I am absolutely LOVING what you put up so far, the 4th wall break with Discord was comedy gold, and the way you switch emotions in the blink of an eye is really interesting. The characters don't lose their personalities to fast, the mature and serious side of your versions is refreshing to read. I'm tots keeping an eye on this story. I love reading and I noticed there were a lot of grammar mistakes, (that's to be expected, this IS your first story) I was wondering if I could help you edit your story.
~ Dark Rose