Relics of the Past

by StardustSprinkle

A Giant Machine Pony

A long, long time ago, before the formation of Equestria. Unicorns, Pegasus and Earth Ponies were at war with each other. As the tide turned against her kingdom, Princess Platinum commissioned the creation of a giant machine pony. Earth tumbles beneath its' hooves, and all creatures bowed down before its' might. As the three tribes made peace, Equestria was created. As war ceased, the metal giant was laid to rest and was forgotten by the pony kind.

"Another one of those, I see," Spike comments after reading Celestia's letter: "Seems like I really need to read more books."

"This doesn't have anything to do with more books!" Twilight shouts as she trots around the room nervously: "How do I not know that? I've read hundreds of books! I should at least remember something about a big metal horse!"

"Geez, Twi," Spike mumbles: "Calm down, the world isn't ending."

"It could be!" Twilight shouts, after teleporting behind Spike and wrapping her front legs over Spike's shoulders: "Equestria as we know it could cease to exist! Just because of me! Spike! Do you know what that means?"

As the grip of the purple alicorn tightens, Spike's sight starts to fade. In a desperate attempt at saving his life, Spike tries to kick Twilight but to no avail due to the length of his legs.

"Spike!" Twilight shouts as her iron-grip contracts even further: "It's all my fault!"

A giant ball of green flame burst out of Spike's mouth at this crucial moment, followed by a letter sealed by the royal stamp.

"A letter from Princess Celestia!" Twilight lets go of Spike before teleporting again to catch the priced parchment before it reached the floor: "Sorry, Spike, are you ok?"

"No!" Spike shouts after regaining his posture.

"Oops?" Twilight replies as her ears perk up: "I'm sorry, Spike. It's just...I can't believe I missed it!"

"You might want to check that one out," Spike dust himself off: "The one Celestia just sent you?"

"Oh, right!" The purple alicorn unfolds the letter: "Um...this is unexpected. Ok. Right. Of course."

"So, spill it," Spike asks: "What did they say?"

"Well," Twilight replied, eyes still focused on the writings of her mentor: "So not many ponies really know about it. Even Celestia and Luna forgot about its' existence until...well, now. Since it's impossible to transport something that anywhere else, they just want me to destroy it with this spell."

"Which spell?"

"This one," Twilight flip the scroll in Spike's favor: "And they warned me not to use any other spell on that thing."

"That's odd," Spike pushed the letter away: "If that's something conjured up the unicorns, surly a spell here or there would be ok, right?"

"I don't know," Twilight takes a deep breath: "But I will need the help of some pony else. Spike, I will be gone for the rest of the day. Do not throw any wild parties while I am out, got it?"

"Ma'am, yes ma'am," Spike says as he crosses his fingers.

---

"So, what are we gonna dig this time?" Applejack asks as she touts alongside Twilight.

"No idea," Twilight replies: "Hi, Rainbow, can you see anything up there?"

"I might be seeing things," Rainbow squeezes her eyes: "Is that a horn over there?"

"How big is it?" Twilight asks.

"I need to take a closer look," Rainbow says: "By the way, did they tell you exactly how big is that thing?"

"Well," Twilight opens her bag and pulls out the letter from Celestia: "According to Princess Celestia...it's big enough to make the earth tumble."

"I hope you know what you are talking about," Rainbow says before dashing off: "BRB!"

"BRB?" Applejack frowns: "What the hay is that?"

"Be right back," Twilight says, putting the letter away.

"But you are here," Applejack raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Twilight replies: "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"What does BRB mean?"

"It means..."

Their conversation was cut short as both mares heard an unholy zap sound accompanied by Rainbow Dash's scream.

"Did you hear that?" Twilight panicked at the thought of her friend being electrocuted like a fly on a bug-zapping racket.

"I've got a bad feeling about that," Applejack says before springing into action: "What are ya waiting for?"

"R-right!" Twilight replies before catching up to AJ with several teleportation spells in a roll.

It took Twilight and Applejack a fair amount of time before finding an unconscious blue pegasus with burnt feathers on the ground.

"Dash!" Applejack calls out: "Twi, she's out cold!"

"No worries," Twilight says as she left Rainbow up: "This spell should work..."

As the violet-colored magic field slowly transforms into rings of light, Rainbow finally opens her eyes: "Wha...?"

"Oh, good," Twilight lets out a sigh of relief as the rings dissolve: "It worked!"

"Twilight?" Rainbow asks as she sits down and covers her forehead with a hoof: "What happened?"

"We heard a zapping sound," Twilight explains: "You were flying towards a hornlike structure, right? That might have triggered some kind of defense mechanism."

"I'm just glad you are ok," Applejack reaches out a hoof: "Your feathers were all burnt off. If not for Twilight, y'all would be out of commission for weeks."

"Thanks, Twi," Rainbow says, taking the earth pony's hoof: "You might want to be careful around that thing."

"I sorry, Rainbow," Twilight apologizes as she gazes the hornlike structure erect from the ground: "This is certainly unexpected."

"Just how big is that thing?" Applejack asks.

"From the looks of it," Twilight says: "The horn alone is about...at least a few hundred hooves!"

"Y'all don't say," Applejack lets out a whistle while holding onto her hat: "So, are we digging it up or what?"

"Actually," Twilight's horn glows ever so brighter: "I'm destroying it right here and how."

"You better," Rainbow says while starching her wings: "That thing is way too dangerous!"

With a flash of magic, the horn starts to crumble before disintegrating into the sand.

"Wow," Twilight says: "That was way easier than I thought it would be."

"Only if you don't make it so sandy," Rainbow complains while spitting out sand.

"Hehe, sorry," Twilight apologizes as a force field covers the three mares: "I also wasn't expecting sand."

"Em, Twilight?" Applejack points her hoof toward the machine pony: "You might want to check it out."

As the purple alicorn's attention was directed towards the center of the storm, a giant awakens from its' slumber. As the shadow of a unicorn rises from the ashes, the earth itself shivers from fear, and mountains topple in front of its' strength.

"Oh my Celestia..." Twilight murmurs as the machine giant's horn rapidly regenerate.

"Just how tall is that thing exactly?" Rainbow asks as her ears flop down.

Twilight replies with a shaky voice: "Tall enough to block off sunlight?"

"Oh, horse apples," Applejack stomps the ground: "We've gotta do something!"

"Right," Twilight sighs as papers and pen flow out of her bags: "I will write a letter to the princesses and..."

"Forget about it!" Rainbow shouts as the machine pony starts moving: "We need to get the hey out of here!"

"Right!" Twilight says: "Stay still!"

With a burst of lavender-colored magic energy, the three find themselves in Twilight's Castle.

"SPIKE! I NEED YOUR HELP!" Twilight screams on the top of her lungs as soon as she sets hooves in the crystal palace.

"TWILIGHT!" Spike's muffled scream can be heard from the hallways.

"Spike!" Twilight opens the door before the dragon crashes into her.

"Oof," Rainbow avert her eyes: "That's a nasty crash."

"Twilight, Lightwil...Twilight!" After shaking off of the stars above his head, Spike shaves a scroll onto Twilight's face.

"Wha..." Twilight struggles to compare the situation as each of her eyes rolls in the opposite direction.

"It's a letter from Celestia and Luna!" Spike continues despite Twilight's confused state: "It says here that Ponyville needs to be evacuated immediately!"

"Right!" Twilight gets up: "Applejack, Rainbow Dash, assist me!"

"Alright!"

"You got it!"

"Actually," Spike says: "The town is already empty. The princesses sent this letter so you can get out with every pony else."

"Well, that's anti-climatic," Rainbow starches her wings: "Too bad I can't fly just yet. My wings are...Ouch!"

"The Wonderbolts are in action now!" Spike opens the curtain as Rainbow messages her wings: "Just look outside!"

---

As the machine giant gets closer and closer, the finest of the Pegasus finally take action and engage their enemy head-on. Unfortunately, their efforts are greeted with the force field that welcomed Rainbow Dash earlier. After a series of ungodly zapping sounds, the machine pony prevails.

"Welp," Applejack takes off her hats: "They are mighty brave ponies."

"Ah..." Rainbow's jew hang low: "The Wonderbolts..."

"Oh, what should I do?" Twilight bangs her head against the wall in defeat: "It's all my fault! But what did I do wrong?"

"Umm, guys," Spike breaks the silence: "I think we should..."

"Sparkle!" An almost heavenly voice declares as the door was bucked open: "Come with me! The rest, seek refuge!"

"Princess Luna!" Twilight gasped: "Thank goodness you are here!"

"There's no time for this!" Luna says, pushing Twilight outdoors: "We need to go, now!"

"The Wonderbolts..."

"They are fine. I saw them being transferred into hospitals," Luna says as Rainbow stares outside with a blank expression on her face: "But I doubt they will be flying anytime soon."

"You go alone, Princess," Applejack says, waving a hoof in front Rainbow's eyes: "I doubt she's listening. But no worries, I will take care of this!"

---

"So I did nothing wrong?" Twilight asks as the pair of alicorn landing.

"No," Luna takes a cube out of her beg: "In fact, we are at fault. My sister and I underestimated its' capabilities."

"So what are we going to do now?"

"Princess Cadence is reading through Princess Platinum's journal as we speak," Luna says as the cubes start to flow in a deep blue color: "My sister will stay in Canterlot while keeping in touch with Cadence."

"Wait," Twilight asks: "Is that the Lunar Cube?"

"Indeed," Luna answers: "Although this artifact bears the power to banish any being to an alternative world, it still is powered by magic. The machine in front of us can break any spell cast upon it and be immune to it ever since. If we are correct, Princess Platinum has a spell that can disable the giant. And if she can find it on time, we might be able to put an end to this nonsense."

As Luna speaks, a beam of golden light streams through the sky.

"It's the Bow of Sun!" Twilight trots up and down in excitement.

"It's the Bow of Sun!" Luna pulls her hair in distress.

The machine giant lifts its' head up, adjusts its' position before unleashing a powerful beam of magic to counter the powerful relic. The damage caused by this clash can only be paralleled by the battle between Twilight and Tirek.

"We are doomed!" Luna face-hoofed: "That fool!"

The earth shakes as a pair of gigantic wings burst out of the machine giant's back.

"Now that's a solar eclipse," Luna says sarcastically: "Too bad we can't banish it to the moon!"

"Wait, I'm getting something!" Twilight scratches her horn as a ball of smoke breaks out of it, bringing a letter written by Celestia's own hoof.

"Finally!" Luna snatches away the scroll before Twilight can lay a hoof on it: "Ok, uh, ok."

"Um, hello?" Twilight whispers: "What did it say?"

"Here," Luna shows Twilight the scroll, as her horn glows: "Stay here!"

A ball of light emerged from Luna's horn and was sent flying in the direction of the machine pony by the alicorn. As it slowly sinks into its' metal body, the machine pony slows down before altogether ceasing action.

"Have at thy!" Luna shouts with her royal Canterlot voice before throwing the cube at the giant. With the blank of an eye, the towering giant is banished to another world.

"Well, that's good to know," Twilight sighs: "But how are we gonna repair all these damages?"

"I don't know," Luna lands in front of Twilight: "But don't worry, Celestia will pay for everything, including your castle."

"My castle?"

"Don't look," Luna lets out a sigh: "Applejack, Rainbow, and Spike are all safe. You can sleep in my room tonight if you want to."