• Published 28th Apr 2013
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Alluvion - journcy



The Mane Six must weather the flood. Sequel to Collision Course, and the next step of the Enervation Sequence.

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III - Canterlot; Library; Alert

+ + +

Shlshh, Shlshh, Shlshh

+ + +

Canterlot was a curious city.

Twilight Sparkle looked down on the city of her birth from one of the towers of Canterlot Castle, where she and her friends had arrived earlier that day from Ponyville. They had of course gone immediately to the castle to see the Princess, who had thanked them for coming so quickly and put them up in the tower that Twilight presently stood at the top of.

And Canterlot was curious city. Who would put a city on a mountain? What could possibly inspire the construction of the capital of a nation against the tallest peak in the land? Of course, Twilight knew the answers, but that didn’t really make the question any less ponderable.

She also knew that she should stop wasting time and get back down to her friends and the Princesses, who were not waiting for her per-say, but would certainly appreciate her presence sooner rather than later.

But Twilight found herself oddly reluctant to leave the small room she stood in. A calm had come over her, standing high above the rest of the world, looking out at the city and the rain, the rain that poured even harder here than in Ponyville…

In fact, the Princess seemed to think the rain was worse over Canterlot than anywhere else in Equestria, Manehattan included.

Canterlot was a curious city.

+ + +

Down in the throne room, Princess Celestia greeted her six newest guests once again.

“Hello, my little ponies,” her voice rang out. “You all know why you are here. I wish for you to be at hoof in case a situation requiring the use of the Elements of Harmony may arise. I have sent a message to Cloudsdale as well requesting the presence of Rainbow Dash, and am told she should be in shortly…”

As if on cue, a soaking-wet and bedraggled Rainbow Dash slammed through the doors to the throne room.

“Oh! Hey, guys!” Her attention turned to the ruler in the room. “Sorry I’m late, Princess. I guess your guards were a little bit late and I was getting bored, so I kinda flew here on my own, and with the storm and all…” She trailed off, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. She looked back to her friends. “And sorry to you guys for not telling anypony other than Fluttershy where I was going. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be gone, and I didn’t think anypony would notice. I’m here now, though!”

She walked forward and was greeted by her friends and Spike, who all assured her that it was of course fine, and then they quieted down and looked back to Princess Celestia.

The Princess nodded down at the new arrival, smiling. “No apologies necessary, Rainbow Dash. You arrived with perfect timing. Do you know why you are here as well?”

“Yep! We gotta be ready in case there’s something to blast with the Elements, I saw your letter.”

“Good. Now, my little ponies, I do not require your services as of present; you are free to travel Canterlot as you wish. You may go.” The seven turned to leave. “Twilight Sparkle. I request that you stay with me.” Twilight stopped, as did Spike. “No, Spike, you may go with the others.” He turned to look at Princess Celestia inquiringly, but her calm gaze reassured him and he hastened from the room. Twilight turned as well.

“What do you need, Princess?” Twilight said.

“I wish for you to aid in discovering the root of this issue. Luna is presently working in the Archives; I’m sure she could use your help.”

“Yes, Princess. I will go at once.”

+ + +

Standing in the doorway to the main room of the Archives, Twilight gasped another breath. Perhaps galloping the whole way hadn’t exactly been called for..?

Finally catching her breath, she trotted further into the massive library.

“Princess Luna?” she called, her eyes searching in the mild gloom for any sign of the darker Princess. “Princess Luna?” she repeated.

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle,” the Princess intoned, emerging from a shadow behind Twilight. Twilight jumped, landing facing the newly-discovered Princess.

“O-Oh! Hello! You startled me!” Twilight stammered.

“I apologize, Twilight Sparkle. I meant no alarm,” Princess Luna said, in her still-slightly-stilted tone.

“That’s fine, Princess,” Twilight said. “So, Princess Celestia told me to find you here and help with your research?”

“As I asked her to. I have made some progress, but it is slow going. I hoped your skills would aid the effort. Would you like to see the notes I have taken thus far?”

“Yes, of course,” Twilight said, beginning to switch into research mode. Something flickered in the back of her brain, something that connected this situation to another, some like déjà vu…

She suddenly recalled a scene from her dream—she had spent hours in these very Archives, just reading anything Spike brought her, trying to block out the pain of her losses… Until… She shuddered, and reminded herself that it was just a dream.

Just a dream.

+ + +

The next morning…

+ + +

Sitting up with bleary eyes and a rather terrible bed mane, Twilight groaned at the light streaming through her window. To say it had been a late night of studying was putting it very, very lightly, and the color of the light informed her that it was not far past dawn. The clock next to her bed reinforced the notion.

Twilight slumped out of bed, dragging her hooves every step of the way down from the tower to the dining hall—though she tried her hardest not to make enough noise to wake anypony else up.

While many things, Twilight Sparkle was not a mare to go back to sleep.

Arriving in the hall, Twilight was surprised to find it already occupied by no less than three ponies—Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and…

“…Pinkie Pie?” Twilight said, her voice a tad scratchy, like the rest of her.

“Oh! Hi, Twilight!” Pinkie said, her voice entirely too energetic and high-pitched, at least to the unicorn’s ears. “We were just having breakfast—come on in!”

Twilight stared at the odd scene for a moment longer, before doing exactly that, doing her slouch up to the table and heavily taking a seat next to the chipper pink pony.

A waitspony swept out to ask her what she wanted for breakfast, and then she was engaged in the conversation.

Princess Celestia turned to her. “Luna tells me you were of great help last night.”

Twilight blushed. “Oh, I just read over what she had already done, for the most part. I didn’t contribute all that much.”

Princess Celestia smiled. “Either way, I feel I must thank you and your friends again for coming here to Canterlot. Knowing that we have our best defense at hoof is-“

She was interrupted as the door to the chamber slammed open. In the hall stood a royal guard, a determined look on his face.

“Princesses!” he barked. “I’m to alert you the situation in Manehattan requires your attention at once and that flooding in several other coastal cities has worsened to the point that evacuation is required.”

The Princesses were on their hooves at once.

“Luna, see to the situation. I will gather Twilight’s friends.” Her sister nodded solemnly, before moving quickly to the door and following the guard down the hall.

Princess Celestia turned again to Twilight.

“It seems we will need you after all.”