Chapter 1: The Empty Room
The Empty Room
By Wanderer D
Chapter 1: The Empty Room
o.0.o
The hall had been quiet for almost half an hour before the door was pushed open once more and Luna walked in. Again.
The two Earth Pony Guards standing on either side of Princess Celestia's room glanced at each other before looking at the creaking door as it slowly closed behind her.
Princess Luna stepped into the hallway again, barely sparing them a glance, or giving any indication of her intentions, despite this being the sixth time that night she had gone through the exact same routine.
Just as before, she walked towards them, only to stop a few paces away to stand right in front of a blank wall, gazing at it with unusual intensity.
The two guards exchanged looks again. When one was about to speak, the other one shook his head. Grumbling a bit, the first guard settled back to his post, both pretending aloof disinterest while they surreptitiously observed the recently re-instated Princess.
After a few moments of study, Luna started pacing, keeping her sight on the wall. The two guards followed her with their eyes, getting more and more nervous as she would stop and stare, muttering to herself before resuming her pacing.
“Hey,” one of them started to whisper to the other from the side of his muzzle, “do you think she's going ma—”
“Damn it all!” Luna suddenly roared, stomping her hooves on the floor hard enough to crack the stone under them and making the two guards jump in fright.
The ensuing crash alerted Luna to what happened and she sheepishly watched a helmet roll past her. “Eh... hehe... sorry.”
The pair looked at her bewildered until the door behind them creaked open and Princess Celestia walked out of her room, eyes heavy with sleep. “Luna?” She shook her head, blinking owlishly.
Her eyes slowly opened as she became more and more awake, and finally settled on the two guards who were still holding on to each other and blushing so hard their coats looked as red as a tomato. She arched an eyebrow and the two hastily separated to stand at their posts at either side of her door.
Still looking a bit embarrassed, Luna levitated the helmet that had rolled past her earlier. “Sorry sister,” she said, trying to place the helmet correctly on the nervous guard’s head.
“What happened?” Celestia asked, trying to stifle a yawn. “It's very early, Luna.”
Luna sighed. “I know, I know, it's just... there is something amiss.” Her hoof swept in the direction of the empty hall. “I know I haven't been here for a thousand years, but... didn’t you design a room right next to yours when we were thinking of having Canterlot Castle built?”
Celestia blinked. “What? I don't remember any rooms next to mine.”
“But... I'm sure of it,” Luna said, making her way to where she thought it should be, right in front of the wall she had been staring at earlier. “Did you redesign the layout we worked on back home while I was gone?”
“No...” Celestia said, walking up to her. “But, Luna, are you sure you're not confusing this hall with one in the old castle?”
Luna shook her head. “I distinctly remember there being a room right here. You must consider, sister, that while I was trapped in the moon, almost no time passed for me…” Her voice softened a little. “It was mostly the Nightmare that lived through the lonely exile.” Her eyes returned to the wall and her voice followed suit, until it was back to full strength. “I can almost see the door. I’m sure of it.”
Celestia turned and stared at the wall. Her eyes narrowed. She peered closer. Her left eyebrow twitched and then curved inquisitively. “No... I don't think there ever was anything there, Luna.”
Luna groaned. “I feel something here, sister! Truly!”
Celestia blinked, looking at her sister's stern expression. “I can see that, Luna, but there is nothing there.”
Luna groaned and, exasperated, glanced towards Celestia’s room. “You two, guards. Come here.”
The guards looked dubious, but a Royal Order was, after all, a Royal Order. There was a reason the words were always capitalized.
“Yes, your highness?” one asked.
“Look over here and tell me what you see,” Luna ordered, pointing at the blank wall.
The guard stared at it. “I see... a wall, your highness”
“Me too,” the other added, then, as if suddenly gaining comprehension he smiled triumphantly. “I also see granite blocks, making the wall.”
When it looked like Luna was seriously considering kicking the guard in the face so hard he would meet the celestial body named after her, Celestia felt like she had to interrupt.
“Luna, there is nothing there, really. You must be confused,” Celestia said kindly. “Maybe you're tired. It’s been a lot of work, catching up with history, taxes, and the new ways of ruling.”
“Sister,” Luna grumbled. “Look at them. Guards. Look at where I am pointing.”
Celestia decided to humor her sister. After a moment, she frowned. “My loyal guards, please, look to where my sister is pointing.”
Both of the guards looked up, confused. “We are, your majesty.”
Celestia looked at Luna, who had a smug smile on her face. “I see,” she whispered, eyes widening in surprise. “There is some sort of compulsion-spell making them not look at the spot you are telling them about.”
“Not only them,” Luna said after a moment of hesitation. “You as well, sister.”
“What?!” Celestia reared up, taking several steps back to stare at Luna. “But... that can't be! The only other pony that could cast such a spell is you!”
Luna nodded. “And I didn't,” she said, before glancing at the wall. “I am sure the door is there, so, if you'll excuse me...” She quickly turned around and using her considerable strength kicked the wall with all the power her hind legs could muster.
The sound of snapping wood filled the hall, and for a moment, Celestia thought that she had seen something. She concentrated harder as her sister kicked a second time.
‘There!’ Just as her sister's kick had connected with the invisible door, a mirror-like sheen had flashed right in front of her eyes, just for a second.
Concentrating her magic she waited for her sister's third kick and cast the strongest dispel she could conjure quickly enough.
The spell and the damage to the door were too much for the illusion trying to protect it. With a crack that shook the hall, the spell broke into ephemeral, crystal-like pieces that were visible to the naked eye for a moment before evaporating into nothing amidst the broken pieces of a once-black-lacquered door.
A pulse of energy flowed from within the room, before disappearing completely, making both princesses frown with worry.
The guards standing behind them stared in surprise at the sudden appearance of a room where there used to be nothing but blank wall, but to their credit they recovered immediately, unsheathing their swords and approaching it carefully.
“Wait,” Luna ordered. “My sister and I will go first. We don't know if there is any more magic in there that might affect you.”
The guards looked slightly nervous at the prospect, and fell back after Celestia herself nodded. “My sister is right. No doubt others have felt the energy being released and heard the ruckus. Guard the entrance to the hall,” she said looking to the one on the left. Her eyes fell on the remaining guard. “Summon Captain Lance immediately.”
When both nodded and left to perform their duties, Celestia and Luna slowly made their way to the door and carefully kicked in the last pieces of the strong wooden door before walking inside, their magic illuminating the inside.
“W-what does this mean?” Luna gasped, looking around in wonder and some measure of horror as her eyes turned to her sister.
Celestia had sank to her knees, tears flowing freely as she looked around the room. “I don't know but-I, I can't stop crying...” Her hooves came to her eyes; she was confused and scared, but even worse, there was a horrible, sinking feeling inside of her, as if something very important had suddenly gone missing. ‘No,’ Celestia thought, ‘It’s been missing for a long time, I just never noticed…’
Luna was shaken by her sister’s obvious pain and fear. She hadn't seen anything of the like since she had turned into Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago. ‘How things have changed, she thought. When I turned, I felt nothing but disgust at Celestia’s pain and loss, and now… her thoughts trailed off, unwilling to ponder her dark past any longer.
She opted to make her way slowly around the room, avoiding the small hoof-carved bookshelf, the little table, the wooden blocks... until she stood in front of an empty white crib standing next to a small cabinet filled with tiny dresses and baubles.
The room still had the feel of magic in it, and whatever that spell from before had been, it had preserved everything just like it had been the night or day the room had been closed and hidden. From the lack of dust and the perfect state of the items around, down to the sense of loss.
On the sheets of the crib she could even see the wrinkles around a small empty space, making it the absence inside even more obvious. Next to a small pillow lay two small dolls, one of which, with a pang of sudden, nostalgic pain, she recognized as herself; the other one was, of course, a doll in the likeness of Celestia.
She looked back at her sister, who was looking at the room grasping for understanding, head turning to and fro, searching for clues, tears still streaming out of her eyes. “There must be something!” Celestia whispered desperately. “Some object, some sign... why was this hidden? Why does it hurt so much, Luna?” She looked at her sister, eyes wide.
Luna cringed, there was so much pain in those eyes.
She had to ask.
She hated to ask, but she had to. It was the elephant in the room: the question that would break her sister, but also, perhaps, help her think. Maybe even nudge her memories and allow her to remember some detail they had to have missed so far.
“Sister…” Luna spoke up, drawing those hurting purple-pink irises to her. “Did you ever have a filly?”
o.0.o
The Great and Powerful Trixie growled, looking at the map she was levitating for the umptheenth time. She had followed the directions on it perfectly! Trixie looked around her, trying to figure out her position through the dense vegetation of the deep forest, and finally admitted to herself she was lost.
Very lost. Completely, utterly, absolutely, undeniably, definitely lost. She was so lost her compass was not even trying to point North anymore.
It had given up on her. Just like all her fans.
The Great and Powerful Trixie also admitted that she had no idea what to do now, but promised herself that if she ever saw the Earth Pony that had sold her the useless map in her hooves, The Great and Powerful Trixie would make the bastard pay! Oh yes. And he would pay soooo hard. Because nopony humiliated or scammed The Great and Powerful Trixie and lived to tell the tale… unscathed.
A treacherous voice inside Trixie's head, however, reminded her that she was so lost that it would be pretty much impossible to meet the pony in question ever again.
Trixie, however, quenched that thought with so much force she passed out.
o.0.o
When Trixie woke up again, she had a splitting headache. It was also nighttime. “Might as well try to figure something out before Trixie has another… incident,” Trixie muttered, casting a quick cantrip to tell the time.
About two hours away from dawn. She then remembered that she also had a cantrip spell to know which direction she was facing. Her horn glowing with magic, she concentrated—only for her magic to fail and shower her in sparks.
“Yaaaah!” The Great and Powerful Trixie squeaked in surprise. “What the hay? What the hay?!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “A silly compass, Trixie can understand! But a spell!? A spell?! What, in the name of Tartarus, is going on here?!”
A soft, rumbling growl quieted The Great and Powerful Trixie, who looked around fearfully, turning in place, trying to find its origin.
“Who dares?” a deep, hissing voice made its way towards Trixie, echoing around her. “Who dares awaken the Guardian?”
Trixie blinked, then looked down at the map on the ground, where a circled red “X” marked a spot in the middle of nowhere with the words “Temple of the Guardian” scribbled next to it.
“Oh.” Who knew? The Earth Pony that sold her the map had actually given her what she wanted. The Great and Powerful Trixie mentally removed him from the list of ponies that would suffer her wrath.
A slithering sound around her snapped her back to the present. “I await your answer, little pony...” the voice hissed in her ear.
Fearfully, she turned around but there was nopony there. Her eyes roamed the silent forest and she tried to speak, but faltered.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened up, looking defiantly into the darkness between the trees. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has awakened you, Guardian. I made my way here through challenges that would have made any other pony shrink in fear! Facing dangers that none but The Great and Powerful Trixie would have been able to overcome!”
“And what does 'The Great and Powerful' Trixie want with The Guardian?”
Trixie frowned.
The Guardian had said her name in a way that sounded... condescending.
But no, no, it couldn't be.
The Great and Powerful Trixie would never be treated condescendingly. She was the only one that deserved to look down on others.
“Guardian! I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, have come here to learn from you the ancient Magicks of Equestria!”
A low rumble shook her and she looked around confused until she understood. The Guardian was laughing! At her!
Trixie mentally added him to the list of ponies or whatever it was, that would suffer her wrath.
“Little pony...” the voice hissed, amused. “Little, little, pony.” The Guardian chuckled. “Do you know who it is you have awakened?”
“Well, duh,” The Great and Powerful Trixie snorted. “The Guardian. You said so yourself.”
Mist slowly started to gather around her hooves. “Yes,” the voice said. “But did it ever occur to you to wonder... the Guardian of what, exactly?”
Trixie opened her mouth to answer, but then slowly closed it. She had not, in fact, wondered what the Guardian she was looking for actually guarded.
“Uh... Trixie guessed you guard great power?” she ventured.
There was a pause. “Well... Yes, I do,” the voice said eventually. “But, that is not all... I possess great power, true, but it is not for poniessss to learn to use.”
“Dammit,” Trixie swore adding the stupid earth pony to her mental list again. “Are you sure?” she asked hopefully. “Trixie had heard that you had vast knowledge. Surely you can teach Trixie something?”
There was silence again.
This time though, even the slithering and rustling around her had quieted down to nothing, and a sense of dread slowly started to descend on her. The Great and Powerful Trixie shifted nervously, asking herself if this had been a good idea after all.
The Guardian spoke. “Yes. I suppose there is something I could teach you, oh Great and Powerful Trixie.”
“Really?!” Trixie smiled genuinely, fears forgotten. “Trixie can’t wait to learn something to prove to everypony that The Great and Powerful Trixie is not somepony to mock!”
Trixie debated whether or not to take the earth pony and the Guardian off of her list, but decided to wait until she learned the new magic. If it was cool and powerful, she would take them off; if not... well... they didn't need to know anyway until she exacted her revenge.
“Yes,” the voice said, once again whispering in her ear and sending shivers up her spine. “I will teach you now… the one knowledge ponies can learn from me. The knowledge of fear.”
Slowly, The Great and Powerful Trixie turned around and looked up. And up. Until she could see the face of the Guardian. For a moment she stared at... it. And then, like a snapping whip, the Guardian’s jaws descended on Trixie.
Her screams echoed in the jungle, scaring the wildlife until, finally, they quieted down.
o.0.o
Twilight Sparkle jumped in her bed when Spike belched loud enough to wake her up. On the way down she completely missed the mattress and crashed next to the still-snoring baby dragon.
“Oww...” she moaned, giving the sleeping reptile a glare that slowly melted away when he grumbled in his sleep and turned. She chuckled. ‘Really. Who could stay angry at such a cute—
Her thoughts were interrupted when a scroll bumped her just behind her horn, making her go cross-eyed for a second.
Shaking her head, she levitated the scroll with her magic, noticing that the seal was not Princess Celestia's, having a silver moon on it instead of the usual golden sun symbol.
“I've never received mail from Princess Luna...” she whispered, opening the scroll. “Explains the late hour, though,” she chuckled, noticing that it was still dark outside.
When she was about to read the scroll, the door to her balcony was kicked in.
“What the...” Twilight shot to her feet. With a flash of her horn the candles in the room were ignited. “Rainbow Dash?! What are you doing here at this time of night?!”
Breathing heavy, Rainbow Dash looked at her and shook her head. “Twilight,” she gasped, “it’s not... nighttime!”
Twilight blinked. “Dash, you are clearly mistaken. Just look outside. The moon's still up.”
“I know that!” Rainbow Dash snapped, having finally regained her breath. “But it should have been gone by now! Everypony's in a panic!”
“What?” Twilight walked to a small water clock she had received as a present from Princess Celestia. She stared. It was eight AM. “But that's...”
“Everyone is starting to think that Nightmare Moon has returned!” Rainbow Dash said, and in the distance, Twilight could finally hear the confused shouting.
Remembering the scroll at the mention of Luna's alter-ego, Twilight quickly returned to it and read as fast as she could.
Rainbow Dash paced around as she observed her friend. “Twilight?” she asked as the unicorn's hold of the scroll ended abruptly. The piece of parchment fell to the floor next to the still snoring Spike. “Are you okay? You look pale.”
“I-I need to go to Canterlot,” she said shaking her head, still in shock. “The Princesses need me. Immediately. They've already sent the chariot.”
“What?!” Dash's eyes followed her friend as she started packing things with her magic, still obviously in a daze as she was trying to pack Spike, bed and all, into her bag. “But... if the moon is out... it has to be Luna! You can't go there!”
“Dash!” Twilight said, her magic twisting Spike upside down and trying to force him into the bag. “Princess Celestia can't bring the sun up! They need me there!”
“Then you are not goin' alone, sugarcube,” a very distinct voice said from the entrance to her room.
The pair turned around to see Applejack, flanked by Rarity and Fluttershy standing at attention with Pinkie Pie bouncing behind them.
“Y’all didn’t think we would not head straight here when the sun didn’t rise, did you?” Applejack asked with a smirk. “Why, Ah don’t think any of us ever doubted you’d head straight out into the night, looking for Princess Celestia.”
“And really, darling,” Rarity quipped. “Who in their right mind would pass a chance to visit Canterlot?”
Twilight’s hyperventilating slowed down as she felt her fears fade and the feeling of security and unity with her friends strengthened. She nodded, smiling a bit shakily but with more confidence than before. “I-thank you... please go get ready, I need to finish packing and write back to Princess Luna.”
The others nodded and prepared to leave, but were interrupted by Twilight’s urgent voice. “Girls… please hurry.”
o.0.o End Chapter 1 o.0.o
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Wooo first!
I had a few moments of complete and utter confusion when I saw that this story had updated.
Granted, it's been awhile since I've re-read the Empty Room to begin with, but at least this chapter does indeed seem 'tighter', so I guess it's a good thing.
This is definitely going to be worth the reread.
3704567
Don't worry, he's just reposting an old story for more views. It's good to be a mod.
Welp, this will be fun...waiting for the chapters to come out AGAIN so I can reread them..
Ah well, hopefully it'll be worth the wait.
3704567 3704635 Story's being rewritten. Blog has details.
Can you skip the D&D joke ending now?
3704506 2 and a half year to late for that
Hmm. I have mixed feelings about this.
3194217 wrote "... That means her full name is Trixie Tricks.
"
Which makes me want to ask her how much she charges for her um... 'services'.
I think this is better than the original so far.
3705045
Are you kidding? The D&D ending was awesome!
Refreshed and cleaned up makes this a nice chapter and I await for more.
This room is much emptier than I remember it. Story rewrite?
3704635 uh, no I'm updating the story, not posting it as new. But given your usual attitude I can see why you'd readily accuse me of breaking the rules. I guess it's also good to be a jerk.
This was probably one of the first ten pony stories I have read... ah, good old times. I will definitely check out the new version sometime later
I quite enjoyed the story the first time through, but I don't need an alert every time a revised chapter is posted. Do I need to un-favorite it to avoid that?
3706438 Yes, you will.
Once again, sadness must darken my soul, reliving the bedroom/nursery scene...
3704567 and over 900 comments. And 1865 favorites. And more than 2268 referrals from EqD. And also being story number 53 in the site. Yeah, this is not a deleted-resubmitted story, bro.
3704635
he is nothing like that at all.
I can't wait to read one of my favorite stories all over again
Oooooooooh - a rewrite of The Empty Room! This is gonna be good.
Hm, a rewrite? I'm game.
I remember this!
Hmm, I thought I hadn't read this story, but I certainly do remember reading this first chapter way back when. I must have gotten distracted 2 years ago and never continued reading it. Well, now's as perfect a time as any to catch the tale. I look forward to the rewrite, D.
This was actually the first story I read on this site. I'm glad to see you're revisiting it, and eager to see where it goes, since its what got me into reading fanfiction in the first place.
And like a bullet from a gun of emotion, we set off.
Well, I'm glad to see this getting the touch up it needed (especially the early chapters) and I look forward to reading it all over again (for the like fourth time now) with the small changes.
Very gripping, sinister start! I really appreciate that even though this a 100,000+ word epic, you waste no time into jumping right into the thick of things and presenting us with a whole slew of interesting mysteries (honestly, if I didn’t already know how good you are at juggling lots of different storylines all at once a la Sweetie Chronicles, I’d be tempted to say that it was too busy). Luna’s old room fills me with dread. Nothing good is going to come from opening that door…
That bit made me laugh out loud! And got me a few weird looks when I read this earlier in the staff canteen in work. I hope Trixie somehow – somehow – makes it out of this alright, though I’m not holding my breath.
So, How much of this is gonna be re-written? Like a few bits and pieces or pretty much the whole thing? Either way is great for me.
-Although, I did love the D&D bonus chapter
I don't know how much are you going to change, improve and tweak the story, but I remember that it was really good when I first read it, and I don't mind reading it again.
Yes! Rewrites abound! Can't wait for the rest of it Wanderer!
3707090
Awesome to see this story getting a facelift, by the by. I'm looking forward to rereading it for the umpteenth time. 
Wait, EqD referrals count toward something on this site? Man, that just screws over us clop writers...
I personally loved the first version of this story.
I loved the plot, every twist and turn in the story, it kept me interested to know what would happen next, and that is all that matters when you are reading a story or a book. It must be good enough to keep you interested and never make you want to stop reading it.
I look forward to see how different this version is, but i can't help to ask, what will happen to the old version? Has it been erased?... I hope not...
I hadn't finished reading the old version!!! i was so into it, now what will i do.. I dont like this at all. Please put it back up. Im not saying dont do a re-write but... maybe just not, you know... over the old one!!!
okay, okay I admit that i was a little sceptical and annoyed, since i hadn't finished this story yet. but i have read into it and see that you know what your doing, I trust and hope, that this is much much better than the first go-around. That by the way will take some doing, as i was deeply into this fic; If i could hold it, i wouldn't put it down.
OH MY GOODNESS A 130k WORD CHAPTE- oh, it's just the old version.
Never mind.
I have to say something, because it's nipping at me and it won't go away.
I'm extremely proud that you are going back to take time and tune up your story. I'm doing the same with my own, as it's the least I can do for the people who read the crappy versions of it. However... I'm not sure I approve of your methods.
Maybe I don't quite understand the rules or maybe I'm just ultra anal retentive and I don't like to feel like I'm abusing the system. As I am updating my own story I put up a sign on the chapter saying it's under reconstruction. Maybe I could have unpublished the story and republished it slowly as it was being done, but I didn't want people to not be able to read it and it feels a bit off for me to do that, even if some of the chapters do have major revisions, and some stories are changed so much I guess the option is there when it is needed. I dunno. Maybe I'm just not a fan of the unpublish/republish system.
I just... it just doesn't settle well in my stomach that you've condensed the story into one chapter and are redoing it and publishing the new chapters as they are done. Just feels like advertising the same story twice.
Glad you are redoing it though. The ending kind of confused me.
Holy shit...
This is already off to a magnificent start...
So many questions... So. Many. Questions...
And... I'm suddenly not sure I want the answers...
~Skeeter The Lurker
I think this is a definite improvement over the original first chapter. Reading the first chapter in the original was disorienting, and this rewrite was definitely executed more cleanly. You understand more definitively where the story is going. Need to stop reading and go to sleep, but I forsee great improvements for the rewrite.