Marking the Generations – Part One

by Glimbursts

Chapter Five – Summons

Sometime after the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle as ruler of Equestria.

There was a hive of activity as creatures of all kinds filed into the large main hall of the School of Friendship. Starlight Glimmer stood watching from the wings of the main stage as more and more creatures arrived. Her heart was pounding faster and faster, she breathed deeply and exhaled slowly a few times trying to keep calm.

“Nervous?” a familiar voice said from behind her.

“What do you think Trix?” Starlight sighed, turning to look at Trixie Lulamoon, her friend, and the school's Guidance Counsellor. “It’s my first time welcoming back all the students as Headmare, and there are more students than ever before.”

“Not our fault that this is the greatest school in Equestria and everycreature wants to study here,” Trixie smiled. “You’ve got this Starlight. You’ve already proven to be an excellent Headmare and both I and Sunburst have your back.”

Sunburst, the Vice Headstallion, smiled. “Exactly, it’s not like you haven’t stood in front of the whole school before. Just do as you have always done.”

Starlight smiled at her two friends, she didn’t know what she’d do without them. She double-checked the time and looked back at them gratefully before taking a deep breath. “Well, here goes nothing.”

The room filled with applause as she walked out to the lectern in the middle of the stage. Once there, she waited for the crowd to settle before starting.

“Good morning everycreature. For all you new students, I’m your Headmare Starlight Glimmer and I’m excited to welcome you all to the School of Friendship. It’s the start of a new school year and I hope all of you are excited to learn all there is to know about friendship.”

She paused as a ripple of applause and hoof stomping went through the gathered students.

“Why thank you,” she smiled gratefully. “Again, for all you newcomers, I'd like to introduce you to your Vice Headstallion, Sunburst, and your Guidance Councillor, Trixie Lulamoon.”

Another round of applause erupted as Trixie and Sunburst walked out onto the stage.

“Now, I know some of you have been asking about Professor Twilight and if she will still be teaching here. I am sorry to say to those who enjoyed her classes that she will not, at least not full-time. I’m sure you will understand she has her hoofs full now she’s ruling Equestria. However, I am pleased to say that she will be coming here for special lectures and talks whenever her time permits.”

There was a collective sigh from some of the older students. “Don’t worry everycreature,” Sunburst added. “We’ll be making sure that as many of you as possible can attend any events involving Professor Twilight.”

“I’m also pleased to say that your other professors, including Professor Fluttershy, are still here taking classes,” Starlight continued. “Speaking of classes, they are starting shortly so please start making your way there. Enjoy your time learning here at the School of Friendship.”

There was a loud applause before the students all started filing out of the hall and heading to their first lessons of the year. Once they were all gone Starlight turned to Sunburst and Trixie and took a deep breath.

“There you go, you did that excellently,” Sunburst grinned.

“Nothing at all to worry about,” Trixie added. “Now, are you three still interested in seeing my latest magic act this evening?”

“I wouldn’t miss that for anything,” Starlight grinned.

However, Trixie and Sunburst suddenly looked concerned. “I think you might need to reconsider that,” Sunburst sighed, pointing at Starlight's flank with his hoof.

Starlight frowned and looked to her flank. Her cutie mark was glowing, with smaller versions radiating outwards. “What? Really? We can still be called by the map?”

Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer and her friends were sat around one of the tables in the cafeteria at Canterlot High School. Each was consuming various breakfast items of food and drink before their first lessons were due to start.

“I cannot believe this is our last year together darlings,” Rarity moaned as she sipped a cappuccino.

“Yeah, I don’t want it to end,” Pinkie Pie moaned before devouring a breakfast cupcake.

“Any y’all worked out what you’re doing after this year yet?” Applejack asked. “I mean, I’m pretty sure I’ll be helping out on the farm full-time.”

“I got some pretty sweet results from the Soccer Academy over the summer.,” Rainbow Dash smiled. “I’ve already got some try-outs lined up which means I should hopefully start playing full-time next year.”

“That sounds exciting,” Fluttershy smiled.

“Yeah, that’s brilliant Rainbow,” Sunset agreed.

“What about you Sunset? Fluttershy asked. “I’m going to College to study zoology.”

“I’m unsure, the trouble is I don’t really know what I want,” Sunset admitted. “That is, I’m mostly worried about the equestrian magic that’s here. So, I suppose what I really want is to be able to keep finding and resolving that. However, nothing I find fits. Then there’s still the option of returning to Equestria and studying magic there.”

“You sure they’d have you back?” Twilight asked.

“Princess Twilight said so herself,” Sunset replied. “She’s taken over Princess Celestia’s School of Magic and said I could become her personal student, much like Starlight Glimmer was. But I don’t want to give up my life here and all of you.”

“Well, looks like Equestria is calling you anyway,” Pinkie Pie smiled, pointing to Sunset’s bag. "They must be spying!"

Sunset gasped as she spotted a familiar glow from her open bag. Reaching in she opened the book whilst it was still glowing.

“Looks like a long message,” Applejack commented. “What does it say?”

“I think it’s some sort of summons,” Sunset said looking confused.

She waited for the glowing to stop before reading it again, holding up a finger as she spotted her friends leaning in. They waited in suspense as her eyes ran back and forth.

“Well, what does it say?” Rainbow Dash grumbled.

“It’s not Princess Twilight’s normal horn writing,” Sunset replied. “It’s some fancy script writing which I’ve never seen before and it’s difficult to read. I...I think it’s telling me I need to go to Princess Twilight’s Castle in Ponyville, immediately, for a vitally important matter.”

“That sounds serious,” Pinkie Pie blinked. “Maybe world ending, or earth-shattering, or pony patting.”

“Pinkie Pie darling, I doubt patting ponies would be an issue,” Rarity sighed. “Nevertheless, it sounds serious.”

“I’m going,” Sunset responded determinedly as she packed her bag.

Twilight jumped to her feet, pointing to the clock. “But the bell,” she exclaimed. “Lessons will...”

“…have to wait,” Sunset replied, getting up and heading to the door. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. This could be really important, possibly for both worlds. Why else would they want me?”

“Then we’ll come with you,” Rainbow Dash smiled, getting up too.

Sunset stopped, one hand on the door before looking back at her friends, sorrow filling her eyes.

“No Rainbow, the summons is just for me,” Sunset replied sadly. “Besides, I don’t want you getting in trouble for skipping class too. Hopefully, it won’t take long, say I got sick or something. I’ll see you all as soon as I can.”

With that, Sunset hurried out the door. Feeling worried, not just for what the summons could be but also for how she’d just run out on her friends. She hoped they’d understand.

She reached the portal under the old statue outside the school just as the bell for the first lesson rang out. She sighed before entering it and feeling the normal disorientation.

In Equestria, Spike was pacing back and forth next to the mirror that contained the portal. Claws pulled behind his back he was muttering to himself. Suddenly, he jumped as the mirror portal suddenly activated.

He watched as Sunset appeared, now transformed into her pony form. She balanced on her hind legs precariously until one slipped down one of the steps in front of the mirror. Sunset gasped as she tottered backwards, forelegs flailing. Managing to arrest the backwards movement she fell forwards and finally landed on all four hooves.

“Few, I never get used to that,” she admitted. “Maybe a ramp here would be safer.”

“You’re here?” Spike gasped. “We thought we’d have to come and get you. Twilight’s coming. She’s just got to deal with something first.”

“Well, she is the ruler of Equestria now,” Sunset smiled. “Wait where are we?”

Sunset looked around the room, it wasn’t the usual study that she’d appeared in previously. It was still filled with books, but the walls were white.

“Oh, we’re in the Castle in Canterlot,” Spike replied. “Twilight had the mirror moved when we did.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Sunset smiled before she noticed a glow coming from behind her.

She looked around and was surprised to see her cutie mark was glowing, smaller versions of it radiating outwards from the centre. “What’s this? What's happening?” she asked.

The door suddenly opened, and Princess Twilight walked in. Looking down at her saddlebag as she tried to fit something in with her magic. “I hope we find her quickly Spike,” she said absently. “Starlight’s scroll sounded ominously vague.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Spike replied. “She’s already here.”

“What?” Twilight replied.

She looked up and saw Sunset standing before the mirror and smiled.

“Oh, that’s excellent,” Twilight grinned. “Wait, how did you know to come?”

“A message in my journal,” Sunset replied. “It was written in some strange script and told me to come to your castle immediately. Has this got something to do with it?”

Sunset turned so Twilight could see her cutie mark flashing and Twilight nodded.

“We need to get to the map immediately,” Twilight replied walking over. “The fastest way will be a teleport.”

Sunset blinked with surprise as Twilight’s horn glowed and teleported all three of them away.

Meanwhile, Starlight paced back and forth in the throne room at Twilight’s old castle in Ponyville. Her cutie mark was still glowing as it had been previously. The door to the room opened and Twilight walked in, followed closely by Sunset and Spike.

“…so those called come to the map to see where they need to go to fix the friendship problem,” Spike smiled. “When the problem is fixed, your cutie mark will start glowing again.”

“So that’s what the summons I got is about then?” Sunset asked. “But why would it want me?”

“That’s all part of the fun,” Spike grinned. “You don’t know why until you get there.”

“The problem is working out where we’re going,” Starlight responded, pointing at the map. “That’s not normal.”

They all looked at the map, there were two cutie marks. Starlight’s and Sunset’s but they were not circling one specific place. They were running around the very edge of the map, directly opposite each other. They completed several full revolutions before spiralling into the centre. Once there, they intersected and spiralled outwards again before continuing around the outside.

“Any idea what it means?” Starlight asked looking at Twilight.

“No clue,” Twilight admitted. “When your scroll said it was acting strangely. I thought it was because Sunset was in the human world. I hoped it would go back to normal when she arrived in Equestria.”

“But she’s here and it hasn’t,” Starlight sighed. “Good theory though.”

Sunset walked forward to the map. Fascinated to see it fully active for the first time, even if it wasn’t working correctly. She reached the edge and blinked as she thought she saw it flicker.

“So, what do we do?” Starlight asked. “We can’t exactly go around with our cutie marks flashing. Normally it stops when you depart for the place where the problem is.”

“Kind of hard when that appears to be everywhere in Equestria,” Spike agreed.

“Starlight, maybe we could try the spell that fixed it last time?” Twilight suggested. “You know, after you, ahem, broke it.”

“We could,” Starlight pondered. “But I’m not sure if that would work, it was dormant last time. This time it’s trying to work but isn’t working correctly.”

“Right but didn’t you say there was a way to reverse the spell as well?” Twilight remembered. “You said if it didn’t work, we could undo it. Maybe we do that first and then cast the spell the same way as we did before.”

“Like turning it off and on again?” Sunset smiled. “Classic way to fix broken technology.”

“That could work. Problem is, we’d need the others for that and they’re teaching right now,” Starlight pointed out, walking closer to the map. “But maybe we could…”

As Starlight got nearer to the map there was a sudden flash taking them all by surprise. A gust of air erupted outwards from the map, dust and debris being flung away. Then, two tendrils of white magical energy sprouted from the centre, wiggling around in the airflow.

“What’s it doing?” Sunset gasped. “Is that normal?”

“No, it’s not. Get away from it,” Twilight replied.

Before anypony could react, the two tendrils whipped around towards Sunset and Starlight, looping around their necks. They both screamed and shouted as the tendrils went taught and started pulling them towards the map.

“Starlight! Sunset!” Twilight shouted as she fired magic from her horn at one of the tendrils. However, it had no effect and the billowing wind suddenly intensified, forcing both Twilight and Spike backwards and impacting the wall.

Both Starlight and Sunset tried blasting the tendrils with their own magic. However, the tendrils wrapped around their bodies further before lifting them from the ground. They soon found themselves held above the map in mid-air.

“What’s happening!” Sunset cried.

“Twilight!” Starlight shouted. “Help!”

Suddenly white magical energy erupted from the edge of the map table. Hurtling straight upwards and seemingly through the roof of the castle, although there was no effect on the roof itself. Twilight and Spike gasped as they realised Sunset and Starlight were trapped within it. They could hear them screaming for help but were powerless to do anything.
Inscriptions of clock faces and gears appeared within the magical energy, spiralling upwards with the flow. Then, there was another blinding flash of considerable intensity that forced Twilight and Spike to shield their eyes. Then they heard Starlight’s and Sunset’s shouts growing distant before the light dissipated. Rubbing their eyes, they both look at the map with astonishment, there being no sign of their two friends.

Starlight and Sunset cried for help as they found themselves travelling upwards in a tube of white magic. The same inscriptions Twilight and Spike had seen on the outside appeared and rotated around them. They failed their legs wildly as an invisible force pushed them upwards. Instinctively, Sunset started zapping at the energy, but it had no impact.

“Maybe we shouldn’t upset whatever spell this is,” Starlight suggested.

“Good point,” Sunset gasped. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to work is it?”

“Nope, this has never happened before,” Starlight grumbled. “Nothing about this has happened before so stop asking if it’s supposed to do these things.”

“Sorry, I’m just new to being summoned to save the world,” Sunset replied. "Normally things find me."

“It's not...” Starlight sighed. “Doesn't matter, let's hope we get through whatever this is and come out the other side together.”

Suddenly, the tube disappeared, and they found themselves floating in an endless void. They looked around and could see images of clocks, gears and their cutie marks floating around randomly.

“I can see a light,” Starlight pointed out.

“It’s getting closer, maybe it’s where we’re headed,” Sunset replied hopefully. “At least it’s not as disorientating as the trip between CHS and Equestria I suppose.”

“I remember the first time I met you,” Starlight chuckled. “You came flying out of that portal so fast.”

“Yeah, that was the roughest I’ve experienced,” Sunset replied. “I just wish we knew what was happening.”

Slowly there was a flicker in front of them, like a projection trying to materialize. Suddenly, a pony appeared, one that looked familiar but different at the same time. Sunset narrowed her eyes before gasping. “Princess Twilight?”

It certainly looked like Twilight, but it was not the Twilight they were both familiar with and had left behind. She was a lot older, her body looked more like Princess Celestia’s in size and stature. Her mane and tail even featured the same long wispy nature that moved in the breeze. However, her facial features were much older with lines of wrinkles deep and pronounced. She had a knowledgeable look to her, like somepony who’d lived for many, many years.

“Yes, Sunset Shimmer, I am Princess Twilight Sparkle. However, I am not the freshly crowned one you have just left behind. For me, that event was many, many moons ago. In fact, I am coming to the end of my time and need both your and Starlight Glimmer’s help. I’ve had to make a hard decision, one I hoped to avoid making.”

“What decision?” Starlight asked.

“That is not important right now,” Twilight continued. “Just know that what I have done is the best I could to safeguard Equestria in the short term. However, it is the long-term future of Equestria that I want you to help, far from my own time. I need you both to help the ponies of that future to rediscover friendship, rediscover harmony and exist in unity.”

“Unity,” Sunset echoed.

“Indeed,” Twilight continued. “You must help them identify the Elements of Unity and ensure they come together to save Equestria from a threat that I have been unable to fully defeat alone. Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, I know that you both can do this. Know your path home will become available when all is done.”

They gasped as the image of Twilight vanished. Still floating, hoofs flailing, they looked at each other with confusion as they were engulfed in a blinding white light.

Comments

[Draco Dei]

Huh... I had implicitly ASSumed the trip would be one way. Maybe because the story description didn't mention the map...