The Hidden Story 2.0

by Cryogenii

Twilight Sparkle Takes Her Place

In the roomy suite atop a tower at Canterlot Castle, golden sunlight streamed in through the tall, arched windows, casting a warm, inviting glow across the polished floors and ornate furniture. The air was scented with the subtle fragrance of fresh flowers from a vase, and the gentle hum of whispered conversations drifted in from the gardens below. It was a space that was both tranquil and scholastic.

This calm atmosphere was abruptly shattered as the front door to the suite was thrown open with an energetic burst of magic. An overexcited, purple unicorn entered the room with a wide-eyed look on her face. The tranquil ambiance was instantly replaced by her manic energy, marking her arrival with a flurry of activity.

Twilight Sparkle, still breathing heavily from the gallop to her chambers, rushed up the stairs to her numerous bookshelves. She was in a state of feverish excitement, as her mind was slowly forming connections between fragments of information that she'd absorbed from numerous dusty old books over the previous month's of study.

"Spike! Spi-ke?," She called, suddenly spotting the baby dragon lying where the door had cast him, "Spike!"

There was an answering groan from her ward, who sat up rubbing his bumped head. He picked himself up, bemusement etched across his face at the state his carer was in.

"There you are. Quick, find me that old copy of Predictions and Prophecies," Twilight told the juvenile dragon. She paused as she noticed a squashed present impaired on the dragon's forked tail, "What's that for?"

"Well, it was a gift for Moon Dancer, but…," Spike answered, letting the sentence hang in the air.

"Oh, Spike,” sighed the agitated unicorn, ”you know we don't have time for that sort of thing."

"But we're on a break!” protested the dragon, although Twilight ignored him as she levitated vintage tomes, bound in cracked leather, scanning each one in the hope of finding what her instinct was searching for.

"No, no, no... no, no, no!" Gasped Twilight in increasing exasperation, "Spike!"

"It's over here!" Spike called out, from the top of an extremely long ladder as he waved the required volume. He didn't have time to release it before Twilight's levitation spell dragged him crashing to the ground.

"Ah!" Twilight smiled triumphantly, as she rushed to place the book on a lectern, "Elements, Elements, E, E, E... Aha! Elements of Harmony, see: Mare in the Moon?"

Spike sighed, as he started gathering up the discarded books from where Twilight's levitation had discarded them. "Mare in the Moon? But that's just an old ponies' tale."

The unicorn ignored him as she poured over the copy of "Predictions and Prophecies", an anthology of various outdated and dismissed prognostications by long dead ponies. "Mare, mare... aha! The Mare in the Moon, myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria, defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon."

The pages of the ancient tome were yellowed with age and brittle under her hooves. Twilight's eyes scanned them eagerly, her heart quickened as she stumbled upon a passage in Clover's first prophecy that mentioned the Elements of Harmony. With a triumphant laugh, she realised she had found a direct reference to the powerful artefacts mentioned in the legend of Nightmare Moon.

The passage was a worrying foretelling of an ancient danger, that would bring disaster to her home:

"Beware, Equestria, of the longest day,
For it will be the return of a foul display.
The Mare in the Moon, from icy embrace,
Shalt escape that prison, resume her place.

The stars shall aid the escape from her cell,
And the kingdom shall tremble under the spell.
For she brings with her an everlasting night,
And all of Equestria shall be plunged into fright.

The longest day of the thousandth year,
Shall be the day when her reign shall reappear.
Fearth not, for there doth be still hope,
For one shalt arise, with strength to cope.

The Elements of Harmony, shall be their guide,
To face the darkness, and turn the tide.
But more shall come, with hearts pure and true,
Joined in friendship, to see battle through.

With friendship as their weapon, they shall fight,
And vanquish the darkness with all their might.
And though the night mayth be long and cold,
The dawn shalt break, a new day to behold."

Twilight let out a shocked gasp, "Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal! Spike, do you know what this means?"

"No," called the dragon over his shoulder from where he was perched atop another rickety ladder, overbalancing in his attempts to squeeze the oversized books back onto the shelves. The loss of concentration made him tumble from the vertiginous height, but Twilight caught him before he could find the ground for the third time in as many minutes. She handed the little dragon a quill and parchment.

"Take a note please, to the Princess…" Twilight said, with a determined look on her face.

---

Princess Celestia sat in her chambers, her gentle smile reflecting the cosy warmth of the private space. With a sense of quiet satisfaction, she read Twilight Sparkle's letter. The young and diligent pony had accomplished the seemingly impossible—she had found Clover the Clever's first prophecy just in time. Thankfully she'd managed to follow the carefully laid out trail of academic breadcrumbs that the princess had strategically placed over the preceding months.

Princess Celestia reclined and let out a deep, relieved sigh. She felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, as if she had been bearing a metaphorical peytral far heavier than the ceremonial golden one she wore. Her diligent planning had led to this crucial, climactic point. It felt like sitting through a three-hour opera, patiently waiting for the final few lyrical stanzas to unfold the ultimate twist of the plot.

For any being as old as Celestia, steadfast patience was a virtue that became cultivated and grew over the centuries. However, the events leading to this moment had tested her resolve to the limit. Yet, in this pivotal juncture, it seemed that her carefully laid plans were finally coming to fruition, and the pressure on her was beginning to lift.

The ancient seer's words, penned in the distant past, had foretold the return of the Princess of the Night from her exile. Celestia marvelled at the incredible farsightedness of Clover, an accomplished figure in Equestrian history. Although that particular founder of Equestria had lived and died long ago, she had written an account of the Princess of the Night's return from exile. Whilst this feat of clairvoyance seemed impossible in its farsightedness it was not unexpected from one as accomplished as Clover.

Twilight Sparkle's ability to bring together the intricacies of astronomy, archaic language, and long-dead calendar styles was a testament to her unparalleled intelligence and unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Her relentless curiosity drove her to explore every facet of the world, unravelling mysteries from the past with a zeal that was unrivalled.

A soft chuckle escaped Celestia's lips as she contemplated the upcoming return of her sister, Luna. The notion that Luna's return would be dictated by a fixed amount of time, beyond even Celestia's command, amused her. The decision to announce this particular Summer Sun Festival as the millennial one had been her choice, a decision rooted not in the exact count of years but in the symbolism it held. No other living pony knew the precise number of years that had passed, and Celestia found herself indifferent to the accuracy of the count. The one thousandth summer sun was simply the one when her plans came to fruition.

Only a peculiar cult, which regarded her as a living goddess rather than a powerful monarch, had successfully calculated the date of the true millennium and only then on the third attempt. Their two previous failed attempts of apocalyptic predictions, had thankfully rendered them less credible. There was to be no apocalypse, but a stage managed means to reintroduce her sibling from the legends that had built up around her.

In the grand scheme of things, the passage of time was a mutable concept, a notion that both fascinated and amused the immortal princess. For her, the ebb and flow of centuries was like a river, ever-changing yet constant in its course. As the Summer Sun Festival approached, Celestia knew that the events it heralded would reshape the destinies of Equestria and its ponies, guiding them toward a future only she could foresee.

Yet, there was a distinct aspect of Twilight's character that had raised concerns: her apparent disregard for the living ponies around her. It seemed that she was most fascinated by the lives of others only when they had been gone for at least a couple of centuries. This form of ancestor worship was, without a doubt, a troubling character flaw. However, Princess Celestia couldn't help but see the silver lining in this quirk, as it served her needs perfectly for the plans she had set in motion.

A second, more subtle smile graced Celestia's lips as she contemplated her role in Twilight's life. In a sense, she was an ancestor herself—a living relic of an age long past, and perhaps the one aspect of her existence that held the most fascination for her diligent student. It was a thought that crossed Celestia's mind from time to time, making her wonder when exactly she had transitioned from a contemporary to a living relic.

However, her thoughts swiftly refocused. Fatigue may have coloured her perception earlier, but she couldn't afford to be anything less than clear-headed at this pivotal moment. Now was the time to guide Twilight Sparkle onto another path, to set in motion the next stage of her intricate plans. Twilight needed something that she had, until recently, disregarded: friendship. Specifically, she needed friends who embodied the precise properties required to activate the Elements of Harmony. The princess knew that she had found the perfect group, and her meticulously planned Summer Sun Festival would provide the ideal opportunity to bring them together.

With her strategies falling into place, Celestia continued to weave her intricate web of influence and guidance, ensuring that every piece of the puzzle was set in motion for the impending reunion of the Elements of Harmony. What Twilight hadn't seen, and maybe should never see, was the sequel that Clover the Clever had written to the prophecy she had read. Only one copy of this text existed, which was kept in the hidden, locked and magically sealed part of the royal library's restricted section. A prophecy that was addressed to a single being, one for whom Clover had some specific but impossible advice across the ages:

"Sun Princess, thou art strong and fair,
But in thy heart, a belief thou dost bear.
That day must reign supreme, over the night,
And so thy sister's rule, thoust doth fight.

But beware, for in thy quest to maintain the light,
Thou may overlook what's needed for the night.
And in that void, chaos may arise,
Bringing to ruin what thou dost prize.

Oh Princess, thy fate is set,
The longest day, do not forget,
Too many years have come and gone,
And now 'tis time to right the wrong.

A third party find, with qualities rare,
Who can bring closure to this affair.
One who stands betwixt and doth see,
The strengths in both light and dark's majesty.

That one must rise, who knows the way,
To rule with friends, both night and day.
With the qualities rare, to bridge the divide,
And bring harmony to all by Equestria's side.

So heed my words, Princess, and search with care,
For the one who can both lead and share.
And with them in thy place, balance shall reign,
In Equestria, forevermore, without pain."

Celestia couldn't help but ponder the timing of Clover the Clever's prophecies. Had she penned these visions of the future before even meeting the two young sisters who would become the rulers of Equestria? Or was it possible that this gift of foresight had only been acquired after years of friendship and collaboration with them? Either way, the thought was disquieting, the notion that such a wise and gentle soul might have been compelled to keep their knowledge of the future to themselves, knowing full well the trials and tribulations that lay ahead for the royal sisters.

In the aftermath of Sunset Shimmer's abrupt disappearance, it had felt as though everything was in ruins. Celestia had invested countless hours coaching and training the young unicorn, who had displayed the most remarkable magical potential in all of Equestria. The focus had been on honing her leadership skills, preparing her to potentially command the royal guard in battle, even if that potentially sacrificed Luna in the process. However, where Celestia had utterly failed, was in grasping the true nature of Clover's guidance.

The great philosopher hadn't been directing her toward the making of a military general but a leader of a profoundly different kind. One who could unite others through friendship, compassion, and the magical bond of the Elements of Harmony. It was a lesson that Celestia was now determined to ensure her new student, Twilight Sparkle, would not overlook.

The realization that she had been oblivious to the significance of the young filly's name was a private source of embarrassment for Celestia. She had been too self-absorbed to notice that "Sunset" only referred to one interaction between day and night, whereas "Twilight" stood precisely between day and night, and night and day. It was a symbol that now held profound meaning for her.

The question that loomed was whether Twilight Sparkle could learn her final lessons in time. Celestia had previously tasked her with fostering a baby dragon when she was just a filly herself, a responsibility that had taught her about bearing great weight. However, friendship was an entirely different realm, and Twilight remained a stranger to it. The success of the impending reunion of the Elements of Harmony would hinge on Twilight's ability to master this crucial lesson on the first try.

The board was now set though, and all the pieces were in place. The upcoming Summer Sun Celebration was to be held in the town closest to the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters. In her role overseeing the preparations for the festival, Twilight would have the opportunity to meet the ponies who appeared most likely to embody the Elements of Harmony. This would be the moment when the bonds of friendship could be forged, and the elements harnessed to fulfil Clover the Clever's prophecy.

Celestia wouldn't directly interfere in the fateful events of that upcoming night, but she knew that she had to be close by, ready to act if necessary. There was a lingering fear that Luna might still betray her, and Celestia had to be prepared to stop her, even if it meant destroying her. It was a chilling thought, one that had been buried in her heart for centuries.

Would she be able to do it, though? She had condemned Luna to exile all those centuries ago to make a statement, but now she faced the grim possibility of having to end her sister's existence instead of returning her to eternal torment if redemption was not possible. These conflicting thoughts weighed heavily on her, but Celestia's sense of compassion, which had deepened over the centuries, was not something Luna knew of. It was a complex and painful position for the Sun Princess who had grown to regret her actions so long ago, that had estranged the sisters.

The princess cast aside her doubts, as she'd need to make sure events went according to her plans before there'd be any need for such decisions. She picked up a quill, making a start on what would need to be a hastily written, but very important letter:

"My dearest, most faithful student Twilight. You know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely but you simply must stop reading those dusty old books…"

---

Twilight Sparkle began her journey to Ponyville in a state of abject terror. The pegasus-drawn chariot had no back, leaving only hoof widths of space between her and a sheer drop to the unforgiving ground below. She would have much preferred taking the train or even a hot air balloon, but Celestia had insisted that the royal guard should provide her with the fastest possible mode of transportation. The Princess hadn't mentioned why she wanted Twilight to travel to rural Equestria, other than to suggest that getting away from the cloistered atmosphere of the castle libraries would be good for Twilight's health.

Twilight had initially been overwhelmed and surprised by feelings of anger and betrayal when Princess Celestia had so casually dismissed her concerns about the return of Nightmare Moon. For a brief moment, the thought of defying Celestia's will and refusing to leave Canterlot had crossed her mind. However, her unwavering devotion to her mentor had ultimately won out.

Twilight had never felt the need to doubt Celestia's judgement before. The centuries-old alicorn ruler had always guided her with wisdom and care, and Twilight had to believe that Celestia knew what she was doing. Despite her doubts and fears, she trusted that her princess had a plan in place and that everything would become clear as events unfolded.

As the initial fear began to wane, and the minutes turned into hours, Twilight found herself beginning to enjoy the breathtaking view of Equestria from above. The lush, rolling hills and serene landscapes stretched out beneath her, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the beauty of her homeland. Spike, seated next to her, had been utterly unphased by the mode of transport and enjoyed the experience, his excitement evident in his wide-eyed gaze.

A hearty belch from her dragon companion heralded the arrival of another letter, and not the motion sickness that might otherwise accompanied such a trip. Spike unrolled the new scroll and began reading.

"My dear Twilight, there is more to a young pony's life than studying, so I'm sending you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location: Ponyville. And, I have an even more essential task for you to complete… make some friends!"

Twilight let out a pained groan as she listened to Spike read the letter. She couldn't believe her ears. Make some friends? That was the last thing she wanted to do. Her entire life had been dedicated to her studies, and now, Celestia was asking her to socialise? It felt like a betrayal, especially now when she held genuine fears that Equestria faced an existential threat.

Spike looked towards where Twilight was slumped, scowling at the landscape, "Look on the bright side, Twilight. The Princess arranged for you to stay in a library. Doesn't that make you happy?"

"Yes, yes it does. You know why?" Asked the unicorn, suddenly becoming more animated "Because I'm right! I'll check on the preparations as fast as I can, then get to the library to find some proof of Nightmare Moon's return.

"Then... when will you make friends, like the Princess said?" Stammered Spike, uneasy at the thought of disappointing the Princess.

"She said to check on preparations." Stated Twilight, "I am her student, and I'll do my royal duty, but the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends."