Twilight discovers she and all her friends have had alicorns living inside their bodies since they were born.
When Princess Celestia calls Princess Twilight over to Canterlot to 'talk', Twilight knows something's up. She brings her friends, but Celestia requests and audience with Twilight. Alone.
Celestia explains about the great alicorns of old, and how an alicorn's spirit is different from other ponies'. Alicorn spirits live forever, but they need a host once their original body dies.
One of the hosts were in that room.
Follow Princess Twilight as she goes on a quest of self discovery... to defeat the greatest villain of them all.
It all started when Celestia told me I was possessed.
Wait. That came out wrong. Let me start again.
My name is Twilight Sparkle. I used to be your average run-of-the-mill unicorn, but quite recently I spontaneously grew a pair of wings, and was named princess. I am a lavender alicorn with an indigo mane with pink and purple stripes, and my cutie mark is a sparkle.
My Element of Harmony, Magic, was transplanted into my new crown, but I don't want to brag.This recording is for all of the ponies who need to know what happened to me and my friends. It is about our adventures trying to defeat the greatest villain of them all. It is about how I am possessed.
Rainbow Dash is telling me to move on. I suppose this magical recording must have an ending...
Anyway, I was in my home, the Golden Oaks Library, with my assistant, Spike. He was cleaning the kitchen while my friend Rainbow Dash was giving me flying lessons.
Rainbow is a cyan-blue pegasus pony, with a tousled rainbow mane and tail. She is the fastest pegasus to ever come out of Cloudsdale(or so she says) and the only pony able to perform a Sonic Rainboom. I had just gotten my wings two weeks ago, so she was helping me learn how to fly.
"Now, when you jump, you spread your wings and glide, and flap them once or twice," she instructed.
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" I asked as I looked down to the ground below. We were on the balcony coming from my bedroom, at least two stories up.
"Nah," Rainbow waved off my question. "I do it all the time from places ten times higher than this. Two stories is nothing!"
"For an experienced flyer like you!" I protested. "I just got these wings, remember?"
"Do ya want lessons or not?" the pegasus demanded.
"Yes, but--"
"Then jump!" she shouted, giving me a push off the balcony.
"RAINBOW DASH!!!" I screamed. I opened my wings in a futile attempt to glide, and flapped wildly.
As I regained my thoughts, I put all of my energy into my horn. Panic kills a spell. Right before I was turned into a Twilight pancake, my body was enveloped in a magenta aura, and I gently set myself down on the dirt road.
"Twilight, how many times do I have to tell you?" sighed Rainbow Dash, landing next to me. "No magic! This is a flying lesson!"
"How many times do I have to tell you?" I snapped. "I don't want to be KILLED!"
"Aw, I wouldn't have let you hit the ground. I was on my way down to catch you when you used that freaky magic of yours!"
"Well, maybe if you had flown faster-"
"If I had flown faster what?" she dared.
I didn't know what to say. We had never fought like this before. So I stomped back into the library, fuming, and plopped down next to the wooden horse statue that dominated the center of the room.
Spike heard me come in and rushed towards me, holding a scroll in his claw.
"Twilight! This came for you!" he chose his words carefully, seeing that I was angry.
"Thank you, Spike," I said. "Please read it."
"My faithful student: I request for you to come to Canterlot immediately. We have something to talk about. Princess Celestia," he read.
I wondered what that could mean. Spike mirrored my thoughts.
"Why does she want you to come to Canterlot?" he asked me.
"I don't know," I said, but my mind was somewhere else. "Let's get the girls. If she said immediately, then it must be Elements of Harmony important."
"I'll get Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and, um, Rarity," he offered a bit sheepishly. Everypony knew that he had a huge crush on the snow-white unicorn.
"No, I'll get Pinkie Pie," I said, remembering my argument with Rainbow Dash. "You get Rainbow."
"Okay," he said before sprinting off towards Fluttershy's cottage. As I galloped to Sugar Cube Corner, I pondered what the princess wanted to talk about. It must have been important, but what?
As I entered the sweet shop, Pinkie Pie was giving Ditzy Doo some muffins.
"There you go!" the light pink earth pony giggled. "15 Lemon Surprise muffins!"
"Thanks, Pinkie!" said Ditzy, then she skipped out of the bakery, eating one of her muffins.
"Hey, Twilight!" Pinkie called. "Want a muffin? We've got some left!"
"Pinkie, Princess Celestia sent me a letter summoning me to Canterlot immediately," I explained as quickly as possible. "Do you want to come?" I already knew the answer.
"Yes!" the pony bubbled, before jumping clean over the counter. I shook my head at her, then we continued onto Sweet Apple Acres.
We found Applejack bucking apples, as usual, in the orchards.
"Well, howdy there, Twilight, Pinkie! Nice of ya'll to stop by for a visit. Granny Smith's makin' some mighty good cider inside. Care to sample some?" she said. The orange earth pony gestured to the barn with her hoof.
"Sorry, Applejack," I said. "The princess sent me a letter today, summoning me to Canterlot immediately. Do you want to come?"
"Of course I want to come, Twilight! Why, I'd never miss out on somethin' like this!" she beamed. Her green eyes sparkled as she tipped her hat at me. "Anythin' for you, princess," she teased, knowing that I didn't like to be called princess.
"Come on, silly fillies!" Pinkie bounced back to the road. "Last one to the train station is a rotten apple!"
"You're on!" Applejack whooped, chasing after the pink earth pony. Her blond ponytail flapped as she galloped down the road.
"Girls, this is a serious matter!" I shouted as I chased them through the town. Everyone stared at me. I suppose it must have looked very strange to see their princess galloping through the town after her friends.
When we got to the train station, the others were already there.
Rainbow glared at me, but I ignored her.
Fluttershy had brought Angel Bunny with her, and he was nesting in her light pink mane.
Spike labored under Rarity's bags, though he was too busy giving the unicorn goo-goo eyes to complain. I raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything to Rarity about it. It was his problem if he wanted to be her servant.
"Twilight, darling, why did Celestia summon you to Canterlot?" Rarity demanded. "Spiky-Wiky wouldn't say a thing."
"I told you!" he said. "I don't know!"
"He's right." I gave the baby dragon a small smile. "We don't know why she summoned us. All we know is that it is something important, and that it might have something to do with the Elements..." I trailed off as I realized something. "We forgot the Elements of Harmony!" I gasped.
"I'll run and get them," Spike offered, but I shook my head.
"That'll be too slow," I muttered. You're a unicorn, I told myself, though this voice didn't sound like mine. She sounded older, wiser. Use your horn!
My horn glowed magenta as I levitated the box with the Elements inside towards me. The train was coming. I could see it.
The jeweled box zipped towards us as the train pulled up. As the conductor pony shouted "All aboard!", the box landed right next to me. Just in the nick of time.
With the Elements securely floating behind me, I entered the train to Canterlot. Little did I know that I wouldn't be going back to Ponyville for a long, long time.
As I trotted to the castle, the Elements floating behind me, I looked back at my friends. The ponies were grinning, chatting, and looking at the window displays in the store fronts. Nopony could tell that we were on urgent business with the princess.
Since our fight, Rainbow and I had kept a tense silence all the way from the train station. None of our friends asked us about it, which was good, because I don't think that I could talk about it without getting super angry about Rainbow pushing me off the balcony.
Rainbow just told me that she wouldn't have pushed me if I wasn't such a wimp. Well, excuse me if I don't feel like plummeting to my death.
Anyway, we walked up to the castle doors. I pushed them open with my magic, nodding at the guards that flanked the doorway, and strode inside.
The castle is majestic. There is no other way to describe it. As the great columns and arches spread above you, it is all you can do not to look up and gape. [And no, Applejack, I am not overdoing it with the description. That's how I feel every time I go in there.]
The throne room doors are the most beautiful doors I have ever laid eyes on. They are engraved with swirling patterns that circle around the great gems inlaid in the polished wood. And the centerpiece is a great ruby cut in half and set in the crack where the two oak doors meet.
Now even Rarity is saying I'm overdoing the description. [C'mon, guys, I don't interrupt this much when you're telling the story.]
Anyway, as I rapped one of my hooves against the doors, I heard Celestia behind them.
"Come in," she said in a warm, welcoming tone.
As we strode through the throne room, coming to a stop at the thrones, Celestia's face morphed into a frown.
"You brought your friends?" she asked in a flat monotone.
"Y-yes," I stammered. "We figured that whatever you wanted was important, like the Crystal Empire, and you needed all of the Elements--" I shut my mouth as Celestia raised her hoof for silence.
"I need to speak with you, and it is important, but may I ask your friends to leave the room for a few moments while Princess Twilight and I speak alone about something?" The alicorn smiled warmly at the other ponies, but they looked miffed all the same.
"Well then, Princess." Rainbow almost spat out the words at me. [Oh, don't try to take the microphone now, Rainbow. It's my turn.] "I guess we'll be leaving. Come on, girls!" she strode out of the room with my other friends, and then slammed the doors. It tore my heart to see her so angry at me.
Celestia raised an eyebrow. I could see in her eyes that she was curious about what was going on, but she didn't want to ask.
"It was nothing, Princess," I sighed. "We just had a little, er, disagreement about something." She nodded.
"Keep your friends close, Twilight," she said wistfully.
"So, Princess Celestia," I ventured. "What was that you wanted to talk about?"
"Ah, yes," she snapped back from Memoryland as I awaited her answer. "I have one last lesson for you--a history lesson."
"You mean about the three pony tribes? The age where Discord ruled Equestria? King Sombra's rule over the Crystal Empire?" I inquired. I love history lessons!
Pinkie says that that makes me sound like a nerd. I guess it does...
Anyway, Celestia shook her head. "Before either of those. This is a lesson on the time nopony but Luna, Discord, and I know about, as we are the only survivors from that time. It was when Luna and I were just young fillies. A very, very long time ago.
"It was during the Draconiquus War, when the world was ruled by alicorns, much like Luna and I. They were everywhere, but most are dead now. They were all killed off by the draconiqi, Discord's ancestors. He was a baby then, a foal. We were ignorant and naive to the war raging around us, as our mother and father kept us safe in the castle. The same castle in which the Elements of Harmony were hidden.
"There weren't many alicorns at that time. There never were. The only alicorns that I remember coming to the castle at all were six noble alicorns. My mother and father, Imperia and Astros, were the rulers of the world at the time. These ponies were their guards, you might say. They were all killed in the draconiqi invasion.
"But alicorn spirits are different then regular ponies'. Since alicorns live extremely long, though not forever, their souls last even longer. After an alicorn body dies, their spirits carry on, in a different host body. They insert the perfect host they find right when they are born, and affect the way the pony looks, acts, and even the race of host pony. Most of the time, these hosts don't even know that they have a deity inside them.
"Hosting an alicorn can even give the host the opportunity to become an alicorn themselves. And only a true alicorn from the ancient days can tell if somepony is a host," Celestia finished.
"Oh," was all I could say. How do you expect me to react to a story like that?
"One more thing." The princess's face was stony.
"More?" I asked in wonder.
"I have sensed an alicorn host." She looked down at me gravely, as if she was saying I am going to send you to save Equestria again.
"W-what?" I stammered. A host for an alicorn soul?
"And they are standing in this very room." Celestia's eyes dared me to try and guess who it was.
"Standing here? But there's nopony here but..." I trailed off as I realized what she was saying. "Y-you mean..." I staggered back, holding my head with my hooves. "No, no no no!" I shouted.
"That's right, Twilight." Celestia looked down at me with those calm, pink eyes. "You are hosting an alicorn. You are a goddess."
Chapter 3: The Secret(That We Never Really Knew We Had)
Hey. Rainbow Dash here. Sorry about Twilight's total drama queen ending there, and her rambling.
Before I continue the story, let me clarify a few things about the balcony-incident.
[Oh, no. You are not getting this back now. It's my turn.]
Now, to business. I did not push her off the balcony, I only gave her a helpful shove towards the edge to give her confidence. I didn't know that she would pitch off the edge, and if she did, that she would just open her wings like we've been practicing. Not her freaky horn-magic.
Fast-forward to the present. Now you know why I was so angry at Twilight.
When I said that we were leaving, I lied. The rest of us were just waiting outside the throne room while Twilight and Celestia had their little "talk".
I was pacing in front of the enormous doors, impatient for Twilight to come out. The others kept their distance from me, sensing that I was in a bad mood, which was fine by me. The last thing I needed was for somepony to stick their nose where it didn't belong.
Anyway, I got impatient pacing, and went to listen in on their conversation.
"Uh, Rainbow?" Applejack looked nervous. "I don't think that you should listen in on that there conversation. It's supposed to be, uh, private?"
"Relax, Applejack." I shrugged and kept listening. "I won't get caught."
As I moved my ear along the wood, I caught occasional snatches of conversation. History, alicorns, Imperia, Luna, etc. I didn't really understand what I was listening to until I caught a good reception.
"--have sensed an alicorn host." Celestia's voice carried through the thick doors.
"W-what?" Twilight sounded confused. I wondered what they were talking about, and what alicorn hosts were. I kept listening.
"And they are standing in this very room," the princess continued.
"Standing here?" Twilight repeated. "But there's nopony here but... y-you mean..." she trailed off, and there was the sound of hoofsteps, like she was backing up. "No, no, no, no!" she cried.
"That's right, Twilight." Celestia's voice was hard as rock. "You are hosting an alicorn. You are a goddess."
I heard the sound of Twilight flopping on the marble floor, and I imagined her crying in shock, staring at nothing. It, surprisingly, wasn't that hard.
"Your friends can come in now," Celestia continued. I felt the doors shift beneath my cheek, and tried to scramble backwards, but it was too late. I did an epic face-plant in front of everypony.
"Told ya'," Applejack whispered as she trotted past me. I glared at her smug, orange face.
"R-Rainbow Dash?" Twilight looked at me, and I saw her eyes were red. "W-were you spying on us?"
"Ye-NO!" I yelped. "I was, ah, inspecting this door. I thought there was a scratch on it, but I was wrong, he he..." I trailed off. What a pathetic lie.
[You weren't supposed to agree with me, Twilight.]
"She was eavesdroppin'," Applejack cut in. Twilight giggled, despite her ragged condition.
Princess Celestia turned to me. "So you know why you're here," she said in that hard, stern voice. I gulped.
"Uh, you told Twilight about alicorn hosts, and how she was one..." I glanced at Twilight, whose brief smile had now disappeared.
"That's not all of it." Celestia turned away, staring at the domed ceiling. "There were six guards of Imperia and Astros. Twilight is one of them. Can you guess the other five?"
Twilight looked around at the rest of us, desperate for an answer, but I was drawing a blank. This was egghead stuff. Why would I study history?
"I-I don't know, princess," Twilight stared at the floor, a blush forming on her cheeks.
Suddenly, Pinkie raised her hoof. I hadn't heard from her in a while, which was odd. I hadn't even thought about her unusual silence.
"It's us, isn't it?" she asked in a grave tone that was not the Pinkie Pie I knew. More like her freaky alternate self. I shuddered as I remembered her talking to the turnips.
Celestia nodded, still not looking at us. I could not believe this was happening. I was possessed?!?
"Get her out of me!" shrieked Rarity, turning in circles frantically.
I sat down, thinking about the information that had just been dished out to me.
"What are their names?" Twilight nearly whispered to Celestia. The white alicorn snapped out of her trance and focused on her student.
"You are Arcana," she said. She turned to the rest of us. "Applejack, you are Probita, Fluttershy is Benevolentia, Rarity is Liberalis, Pinkie Pie is Risumna, and you, Rainbow Dash," she turned to me last. "You are Fidelita. These goddesses do not control you, only reside in you mind since your birth. They are the reason you are who you are, what you look like, your special talents, and even the reason you are the Elements of Harmony."
Uh, Fidelita? I thought, feeling really silly. Anypony home?
Hello, Rainbow Dash, said a voice in my mind, though it wasn't mine. It was deeper, older, wiser.
"Somepony get a can opener," I cried. "I've got an alicorn in my head!"
"You communicated with her directly?" Celestia's eyes lit up. "That's excellent progress!"
"Excellent progress indeed, Celestia," said a voice from nowhere. "By explaining to these playthings about their riders, you have alerted me to their presence. Great job!"
"Who are you?" I shouted into the darkness without thinking. I zipped up to the shadows, and was about to go in, but Fidelita's voice stopped me.
No, she warned. We do not dwell in darkness. Reluctantly, I heeded her warning and backed up.
"I am your worst nightmare," the evil voice said. "I am the most ancient spirit of all, like nothing you have ever faced, Fidelita. I am the creator of the world."
"I am not Fidelita!" I snapped. "She's just hitching a ride for a little bit!"
"Oh, right, I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash," that cold, evil voice said. The shadows kept spreading across the room, and my friends were pressed into a corner, trying not to touch them.
"H-how do you know my name?" I'll admit it, I was scared. Just a little, though. I could totally take this guy.
"I told you, I am all-knowing. I am the creator of the night! And I will make it so the night will last forever!"
"Uh... yes, Lord-All-Knowing-Creator-of-the-Night-Guy," I faked a bow, though my hitch-hiker was pushing at me to fight. "Listen, that's a bit lengthy, so what's your name? We should probably shorten that up so your excellency's subjects won't mess up on your name, right?" I grinned.
"Rainbow! What are you doing? Run!" Twilight shouted from behind me, but I ignored her.
"Ah, yes, you're right, Fidelita," Lord-All-Knowing-Creator-of-the-Night-Guy mused. "My name is- wait." he paused, and I desperately prayed that he wouldn't call my bluff.
He did. "You tricked me!" he roared, and the shadows came rushing at my friends like a tsunami, while Fluttershy, Twilight, and Celestia struggled to lift Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie into the air. They needed me.
Fight him, Fidelita urged. Let me take control, and we can defeat him forever.
You mean YOU'LL defeat him forever. This is my fight! I snapped.
We grappled for control of my mind, which gave me a huge headache.
"Stay away from us!" Celestia shouted at the chuckling darkness, and shot a beam of light at it. When it hit, the darkness sizzled and retreated, and it seceded into the corner, where it belonged.
Pinkie stuck out her tongue at it for good measure.
Suddenly I was exhausted. I sunk to the ground, and Applejack caught me before I could collapse.
"Sister!" A royal blue alicorn swooped into the throne room, her eyes full of fear. "Thy heard you shouting! Are you okay?"
"Luna." Celestia greeted her younger sister. "We have a major problem. He is back." Luna nodded, then got under Applejack to hoist me up.
"Sleep, Rainbow," Celestia murmured, touching my forehead with her horn. It made me really drowsy, and my eyes started to close. "Standing up to a neigh-sayer of that power would make any lesser pegasus pass out for hours. You need rest."
And as I drifted into darkness, the last thing I saw was Celestia's horn glowing with golden magic.
I was looking down at my own body. I mean, I shimmered like a mirage, but a sleeping me was lying in the bed in front of me. I shook my head to clear it, but I didn't wake up.
I felt a tug on my tail, and there was this breezy-thing pulling me towards an open window. I didn't know what was going on, but I decided to let the wind take me somewhere. After all, it was just a dream.
The wind whisked me through Canterlot castle until I was floating on the balcony. The sun was just going down, which was funny, since last I remembered it was late afternoon.
"Hello, Rainbow," said a voice, and I turned to the other side of the balcony. There, watching the sunset, was me.
Uh, let me rephrase that. She looked just like me, but there was a spiraling horn coming from her forehead, and she was much taller than me, about Celestia's size.
"Fidelita?" I asked. Don't ask me how I knew, the name just popped into my head.
The alicorn nodded. She turned her head to me, and I saw my eyes. Same magenta irises, same determined sparkle, just different shape.
"Why are you here?" I demanded.
"I am able to appear in your dreams because we are connected, Rainbow. I have lived in your mind since you were born," she said with a smile.
"Did my parents know about this?" I asked with strange calmness. None of this surprised me very much. Ever since I was little, there has always been a voice in my head telling me to aim higher, offering encouragement. Now I knew who she was.
"No. They have always seen you as their little Rainbow Dash, and nothing more. Little did they know that without me, you wouldn't even be Rainbow Dash, the only pegasus able to do a Sonic Rainboom. You wouldn't even look like you," the goddess explained.
"What do you mean by that?" I demanded. She chuckled, and it dawned on me that she had expected me to do that.
"If I hadn't chosen you as my host, you would look like this." Fidelita's horn glowed magenta, and she conjured up an image of a hot pink pony with a royal blue mane and tail, with three hot pink lightning bolts on her flank.
"You would've been named Firefly, and you still would've been able to fly fast, but not even close to what you are capable of now."
"If you'd suddenly leave my body, would I become Firefly?" I asked. Honestly, this was all very interesting to me. Not able to do a Sonic Rainboom? I can't even imagine.
She chucked again. "No, you would still be Rainbow Dash, just without me, you would never achieve your true destiny," she said.
"What true destiny?" I asked, but her face was fading.
"I cannot say. But our time is up," she smiled once more, her voice growing fainter. "Now, wake!"
My eyes snapped open into the dawn light. It was all too bright at first, but then I made out seven figures sitting at a table, drinking something. It smelled good, and my stomach growled.
"Oh, good, you're up," said Twilight casually, as if she were saying Oh, good, you finished your book. "We were just discussing our situation."
"Without me?" I asked.
"We're sorry," Fluttershy said softly. "You've been out all night, and we didn't want to disturb you-"
"Good," I interrupted. "because I've been disturbed enough already."
I described my vision of Fidelita on the balcony. Twilight seemed deeply troubled by the news.
"You're trying to say that I would not be me without this goddess inside of me?" Rarity inquired. I nodded gravely. She gasped with fear.
"I can' believe it," muttered Applejack.
"Ooh! Who would I be, who would I be?" Pinkie squealed.
"I don't know!" I exclaimed. "She only said who I would be!"
Fluttershy sank into her seat while the others stared at me, and I realized that I might have been a bit too harsh.
[Oh, shut up, guys.]
"Guys, I'm sorry," I sighed. "This is all a little strange for me. I didn't mean to snap at you."
"It's strange for all of us, Rainbow," soothed Twilight. "But we'll figure it out, like we always do."
"And you will need to begin your quest immediately if there is any hope for Equestria." Celestia strode into the room, looking grim.
"A quest?" Twilight stared up at the princess with her purple eyes.
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Will it be like a test?"
"If one more pony rhymes, I'm going to be sick," I grumbled.
"Sorry. When do we begin?" Twilight turned back to the princess.
"Right now. I have had Spike pack your bags already." Celestia gestured to the doors, where the dragon was carrying six saddle-bags. "The fate of Equestria is yet again in your hooves."
Chapter 5: We Go On a Quest(And It's FUN-A-FUN-FUN!!!)
Hi! Pinkie Pie here! Dashie finally let the rest of us narrate!
Ooh! I can't wait to hear my voice on this thing! *tons of strange noises in the microphone that the author doesn't know how to spell*
Everypony's telling me to move on and stop screwing around. [You guys are no fun.]
Anywho, Celestia had Spike pack our stuff, and then sent us to the edge of the Everfree Forest. I remember when we first met, and AJ made that remark about candy apples. Candy apples are good, aren't they? So are chimmy cherries.
I didn't really know why we were going into the Everfree again. Why would anypony want to live in there(except for Zecora, but she's a zebra, so she doesn't really count as a pony.)? Celestia obviously knew what was going on, but she wouldn't tell us one itzy-bitzy little thing. Maybe she was keeping a secret for somepony and made a Pinkie Promise? If that was the case, then I didn't want to hear anything. Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise. Nopony.
Back on track, we were walking towards the big, scary forest. I heard tons of little noises coming from the woods, but I wasn't scared. I had been in there before tons of times!
Twilight kept asking Celestia to explain more about who the new bad guy was, but she kept her mouth shut. The princess seemed troubled by this guy.
[I'm tired of calling him that. Can I just say his name?]
Twilight says that I will ruin the story if I give away his name too early. I'm going to call him Mr. Evil-Black-Smokey-Guy instead.
Anyway, Celestia seemed troubled by Mr. Evil-Black-Smokey-Guy. She kept looking into the shadows, and insisted Luna stay behind at all costs, though she really wanted to come. I thought the bad guy was the guy who caused Luna to turn into Nightmare Moon.
As we got to the edge of the trees, the sun was right above our heads.
"Are we there yet?" I asked.
"For the last hundred times you've asked, it's been no," sighed Rarity. "This time, however, it's yes!"
"Good!" I bounded to the edge, but Risumna's voice stopped me.
Stop! she said, and her voice sounded a lot like mine. You can't go in there!
"Why not?" I asked out loud.
"Pinkie, who are you talking to?" Twilight looked bewildered.
I pointed my hoof at my forehead. "Her."
"Oh," she muttered. I could tell that she still wasn't okie-dokie-lokie about all this.
HE lives in there, Risumna warned.
Who? I asked.
We do not speak his name, she said. No matter what I did, I couldn't get her to spill the beans. And I was hungry!
Right, getting off track. Sorry.
I waited for the others to catch up while I argued with the goddess. Dashie zoomed ahead and was about to go into the forest, but Applejack nipped her tail.
"Woah, nelly. Slow down there," she said through a mouthful of kaleidoscopic tail.
"Applejack's right," Twilight intervened. "We should all go in together."
"Aw, I could take 'em!" Rainbow held up her hooves like a boxer's and punched the air. Twilight rolled her eyes. But then Rainbow Dash said something that made her freeze.
"At least I'm not chicken!" the pegasus glared at Twilight, daring her to back down. Kind of like what Daring Do would do, only Daring wouldn't dare disagree with a princess, because that's one of Do's don'ts, and...
[Guys! Give it back!] *scuffles*
Rainbow Dash thought it would be okay to snatch the microphone away from me while I was distracted.
Back to the story. Rainbow Dash made that snooty remark, and now Twilight was fuming, and everypony was looking confused.
"Rainbow Dash," Twilight said in a dangerously calm voice. "There is no need to let this little feud descend into insults."
"Oh?" Dashie's smirk kept getting wider. "Well then, I'm sorry, I won't hurt your little egghead-"
"Hey, guys?" I cut in nervously. "Uh, we should really get going..."
"Pinkie's right," Rarity whinnied, pawing the ground. "That thing is still out there, and it won't stop being a nuisance unless we defeat it!"
Celestia flinched at the word defeat. She obviously had some sort of connection to Mr. Evil-Black-Smoky-Guy, but wasn't willing to share it. Instead, she looked us all in the eye, and gave my friends The Stare, Fluttershy style.
"Now is not the time, nor is this the place," she said sternly, like a mare scolding her fillies. "You must begin your quest, or Equestria will be destroyed by the one that created it."
"Who?" Twilight dared to ask, looking sheepish that she had acted like a spoiled filly in front of her mentor.
Celestia only shook her head. She gazed at us all, wished us luck one last time, and flew off before Twilight could interrogate her any further.
"Well, she's Captain Sunshine," Dashie grumbled, and we set off into the Everfree Forest.
The Everfree was boring. [Well, I'm sorry if that sounded short-sighted. That's how it was to me.] There was nothing but darkness, ferns, and insects swarming us. Twilight and Rarity lit their horns to penetrate the blackness, but it didn't do much good.
Having a goddess in your head has it's pros and cons. Risumna guided me past sinkholes, tree roots, and patches of Poison Joke. As we went past that, she kept cracking up.
Do you remember when your tongue swelled up? she giggled. And you couldn't sing the Evil Enchantress song?
Like I said, it has its pros and cons.
Anyway, as we navigated through the underbrush, Twilight tried to keep up a conversation.
"I think we should start at the castle ruins," she explained as she ducked under a moldy tree branch. "From what I'm getting, this villain probably has something to do with Princess Luna, since Celestia made her stay in Canterlot. It should be this way..." she rambled on, even more than me!
"Yeah, yeah," Dashie yawned. "How could we forget the way? We've been in this forest a million times!"
"But the Everfree Forest is different from, say, Whitetail Woods. It's magic," Twilight sighed. "So it's always changing, growing, expanding."
"What are you, a dictionary?" the pegasus groaned. "Look, it's right through-"
Her hoof went slack as her jaw dropped. We were faced with the exact same clearing as we were when we first started this trek!
"Like I said," Twilight said matter-of-factly. "Magic."
"Enough gloating," AJ butted in. "If what you're sayin' here is true-that this here forest is magical- then how do you know where we're goin'?"
"I... I don't, actually," Twilight hung her head while Rainbow stuck her orange tongue at her.
"Y-you mean we're... lost?" Fluttershy stammered. She squeaked and hid behind Rarity's legs, while Applejack tried to coax her out.
"I-I have to say... yes, we're lost," Twilight said in a small voice.
"Oh, come on!" scoffed Dashie. "We can't be lost!"
"I'm afraid we are," Twilight said solemnly.
"Eek! What was that? Help!" whimpered Fluttershy.
"I know, I know," muttered Twilight. Probably to Arcana, her godly hitchhiker.
Hey, uh, Risumna? I asked. Any advice?
For once, she was quiet. Some help.
"What now?" Rarity started to swoon. I feared that she would faint dead away. Thankfully, she didn't.
"We keep movin'," said Applejack.
"Right!" I bounced. "We're never going to find that old castle just standing around here, silly fillies!"
"Pinkie Pie, not now!" Rainbow snapped. "We're trying to find which way to go!"
"Hey! Look at me! I've got an idea!" I hopped at the back, trying to get somepony's attention.
"Well, that trail looks dangerous," muttered Twilight.
"Hellooo? I've got an idea!" I repeated.
"But that path is dark, and scary, and full of trees..." Fluttershy whispered.
"Guys! I know which way to go!" I yelled.
"Pinkie Pie, dear, we're trying to concentrate!" Rarity finally looked at me.
"But I know how to find the way!" I said to her.
"...but we've already been that way!" Applejack sighed.
"What if we mark the path we've taken with a rock or something, and if we get back here we know not to take that path!" I chimed.
"I've got it!" Twilight exclaimed. "We mark the path we've taken with a rock, and then if we get back here, we just take a different path!"
"But that's what I just-" I protested.
"Perfect! Twilight, mark that rock over there, by the second path," Rarity instructed.
"Uh!" I sighed. They were never going to listen to me.
Twilight's horn glowed magenta, and soon there was a glowing mark embedded into the rock in the shape of Twilight's Element of Harmony.
"Why does it get to be your symbol?" Rainbow complained.
"Rainbow, we don't have time for this!" Twilight groaned. "Just deal with it, okay?"
I wondered if they had had a fight or something.
"Great! Let's go!" I trotted to the path, but was stopped suddenly by Applejack pulling my tail back.
"Settle down, Sally. We're in this together," she said.
"Then let's go!" I tried to go into the woods again, but AJ held fast.
"Pinkie's right," Rarity said, strutting past me. "The longer we dawdle here, the more that thing can plan an attack!"
"A-attack?" Fluttershy whimpered. "Eek!"
"Fluttershy, get out of my tail," Rainbow grumbled, disentangling Fluttershy from herself.
"Come on, girls! We've got a shadow monster to get rid of!" Twilight shouted, and the rest of us cheered.
And we set off deeper into the forest.
We were hopelessly lost now. The path didn't lead us back to the clearing. It was like a maze in there, sometimes the paths so thin we had to walk single file. We couldn't let our guard down in there, for fear of being attacked by one of the many monsters in the forest. It was scary!
Poor Fluttershy hid in Twilight's tail and refused to come out, so it was like a train. Rainbow Dash flew next to us, looking bored at the rest of us "land ponies". Meanwhile, I was having a great time! This was like a big adventure!
As I hopped around, enjoying the scenery, something in the shadows caught my eye. It looked like a stallion, either that or it was my imagination. I ignored it. The others would call me crazy anyway.
The path broadened up into another clearing, but this one was different. While the last one had three paths branching off, this one had five.
We chose one. It was the most overgrown, and Twilight said that the oldest part of the forest would have the ruins. Twilight marked the path, and we set off again.
Suddenly, I saw daylight up ahead.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Daylight? But how? We were supposed to be going to the heart of the forest!" Twilight gasped.
"I don't know about you," Rainbow shrugged, "but I welcome open space any day. This maze is making me claustrophobic." And with a burst of rainbow light, she zoomed to the light.
"Me too." AJ and Rarity both took off after the pegasus, followed by Fluttershy.
"Wait-" Twilight called after them. She looked at me, but I was already gone, zipping to the sunshine.
When I got there, I nearly crashed into Applejack. She was standing still, staring at something. So were Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.
"Oof!" I grunted as Twilight smashed into my back.
"What are you guys staring at?" she asked. I jumped to see above their heads, but came immediately down after the sight registered in my eyes.
"Why are those ponies in pens?" I asked nopony in particular.
"I don't know, Pinkie," whispered Applejack.
"Oh! Look at their bland coats!" cried Rarity.
"They don't have cutie marks," murmured Fluttershy. "Does that mean they don't have any talents?"
"What do you think, Pinkie-" Twilight froze when she saw me. "Pinkie, no!"
I had bounced right on up to the strange ponies.
"Hi!" I said. "I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name?"
They ignored me.
"Hey! Look at me! Look at me!" I said, trying to get their attention. "Loo-loo-loo! Wee-ooh-wee-ooh!"
They still ignored me.
"Tough crowd," I muttered.
"Pinkie! Get back here!" hissed Rainbow Dash in my ear. I hadn't even heard her approach.
I felt a sharp tug on my tail, and I was pulled back into the forest shade.
"What in Equestria were you thinking?" demanded Rarity. "Those ponies could be dangerous!"
"How?" I asked. "They can't even talk!"
"Really?" Fluttershy sounded interested.
"Yeah! Come and see!" I bounced back to the pen, this time with the rest of my friends in tow. Twilight still looked nervous, but she followed anyway.
"Hey, Twi, you don't have to follow us if you don't want to," Applejack said.
"No, I just think we should stay together," she replied.
I stopped at the edge of the pen, and showed the ponies to my friends with my hoof.
"Excuse me, sirs and madams, but if you'd be so kind as to tell my friends and I what you are doing in that pen..." Rarity smiled at the ponies with no avail.
"Hey!" shouted a gruff voice. "How'd you get out?"
When I turned, I saw a figure on the hillsides standing on two legs and holding a long tube. It didn't have any fur except on the top of its head.
And then the thing charged.
Chapter 7: Humans are Brutes(Some of Them, Anyways)!
Hello, darlings. Rarity is here. I feared I would never get my turn!
Now, where were we? Oh, that's right, with the human charging at us.
We were all frozen, with that thing charging toward us. I glanced at the ponies in the fenced area. They looked simply frantic, the poor dears.
"Run!" Rainbow shouted. Easy for her to say. The rest of us couldn't fly as fast as her. We took off as fast as we could, but the human was gaining.
Oh, how do I know it was a human? Easy. Twilight told me all about them.
Fluttershy was cowering in Twilight's tail. I knelt down to try and calm her down, but the human was getting closer rapidly. Fluttershy was absolutely refusing to come out, so I picked her up with my magic and tossed her to the edge of the forest. Twilight ran after her, with Applejack tagging alongside her.
I was about to follow when I felt a terrible tugging on the scruff of my neck. I looked up to the face of the human, grinning evilly at me. I shrieked, and the ponies in the pen whinnied nervously.
"We're sorry!" they said.
"Rarity!" Twilight shouted over their neighing. She gazed at me with sad, regretful eyes. She started to come forward.
"No!" I choked against the human's hooves. "Go!"
Twilight locked eyes with me one last time before running off into the woods with our friends. And then a hood was shoved over my head.
I was blind. The human shoved me into what felt like a grassy meadow. With the black fabric covering my muzzle, I had trouble breathing, and his jostling to keep me moving was of no help at all.
I imagined what my hair must have looked like from all this-ugh-nature. It was probably encrusted with mud, with little leaves and twigs sticking out from it. I imagined a birds' nest in my beautiful mane, like Fluttershy's original dress for the Gala.
Sorry, getting off track. Where were we?
The human shoved me into the meadow, then yanked the hood off of my head. I gazed around, the sunlight blinding at first. My first glance of the place was the fence. I was in the pen with the bland ponies! I wrinkled my nose at the, ah, the droppings that were strewn across the field.
I would not become accustomed to these horrid conditions! I, Rarity! But as I turned around to give that human a piece of my mind, I discovered that he was gone, and the gates were closed.
Close by was a house. The human walked up to it and opened the door with one of his front hooves. Greeting him was a little filly human. As soon as the stallion shut the door, the filly rushed out to the fence. I noted how she didn't touch the actual fence, and the little wires that ran along the beams. I had no idea what those were, but I wasn't keen to touch them and find out.
I trotted up to the little filly. Her eyes filled with wonder when she caught sight of my horn. There were no unicorns in the field. These humans had probably never seen one.
"Hello, deary," I said.
The filly gasped. "You can talk!" she exclaimed.
"Why, of course, darling!" I said. I gestured to the other ponies. "They can, too."
"No, they can't," the filly nearly whispered. "They're just average horses. But you're a unicorn! A real live unicorn!"
"Yes, darling-" I started.
"Can you do magic?" the filly interrupted excitedly. She looked around ten to eleven years old.
I used my magic to lift her up into the pen, and she squealed in delight. I smiled to myself. Fillies will be fillies.
"What's your name, dear?" I asked as I set her down.
"Molly!" she said with pride. Her blonde pigtails bounced around her head with every movement.
"I'm Rarity," I said. A grin tugged at my mouth.
"There were other horses with you," said Molly. "One was flying really fast, and one was wearing a hat, and one had a crown on her head..."
"Those were my friends," I said, a tinge of sadness in my voice. I gazed at the woods. Twilight was probably frantic. Fluttershy would be scared out of her mind. The others would be worried sick. I had to get back to them.
"What are their names?" Molly's eyes gleamed.
"Well, there's Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie- she's hilarious. And Applejack and Fluttershy, too," I listed in a bland tone. I kept gazing at the woods, as if saying my friends' names would make them appear.
"Wow," Molly said in wonder. "I used to hang around ponies like you, but not anymore."
"What were their names?" I asked, glancing at the woods again.
"Well, there was Surprise, Gusty, Shady, Fizzy, Galaxy, Wind Whistler, Heart Throb, Sweet Stuff, and Gingerbread," said Molly, counting them off on her 'fingers'. "Oh yeah, and Posey! Me, my sister, and my brother used to hang around the ponies, but then Megan got too old to go to Dream Valley, and said that ponies were for little girls. So now I don't get to see my friends any more." She slouched a little bit.
"Well, dear, I may not be Posey, but you can come visit me in Equestria if you want! I live through the forest in the town called Ponyville, and so do all of my friends! Just look for the Carousel Boutique, and if you don't know where it is, just ask one of the ponies for help. They are all very kind." I smiled as the human's face lit up in delight.
"Thank you, Rarity."
"But first, I have to find my friends and get back to Ponyville," I continued.
I didn't have to explain any more. Carefully avoiding the poo in the field, Molly quietly opened the gate, allowing me to run free. But before I left, I lit up my horn and took the only available material besides the poo; the grass. Quickly I weaved the grass, then set the carefully crafted shape onto Molly's hoof- no, hand. [Rainbow Dash, you spoiled the drama! No, I did not tell you this before; now let me finish this part of the story!]
And then I ran into the forest, thinking about the grass in Molly's palm.
Taking one last look back to the field, I saw the little filly gazing through the trees at her new friend, carefully tucking the little, green diamond into her overall pocket.
Turning around, I galloped into the forest's depths without looking back again.
As I run through the Everfree Forest, my mind races. Part of me is thinking about Molly. I'd never seen her in Equestria before, but she'd said she'd seen ponies like me before. Another part is about my friends. I probably would never find them. My main focus, however, was on the names Molly mentioned. I had never heard of those ponies before.
Strangely enough, I felt a special connection with two of her friends. Posey and Surprise, and though I had never seen them before, I immediately thought of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. It was probably nothing, but I still couldn't help thinking about them.
I also wondered about my promise. Well, dear, I may not be Posey, but you can come visit me in Equestria if you want! Looking back on it, I wondered how I was going to keep it. Based on the initial appearance of this new villain, I probably wouldn't have made it out of this forest alive.
No! I thought to myself. Rarity is not a promise-breaker!
"And if Celestia is my witness," I shouted out loud, "I will get back to Ponyville, if not for myself, then for Molly!"
Suddenly I heard a noise in the bushes. I dared to hope it was my friends.
"Who's there?" I shout to the rustling bushes. When I cautiously edged forward, the bush went silent.
Gently I poked it with my hoof. Out ran...
...a chipmunk. I jumped as the little thing ran between my legs, into the safety of the woods.
Well, at least it wasn't that shadow pony, I thought. But it sure did scare the life out of me.
Slowly I looked around. I could swear I'd seen that tree before, the one with the moss on it...
As I turned to look behind me, I saw a light, resting on a pen. With bland colored ponies grazing inside it. And a little blonde human filly arguing with a red-maned colt and a blonde mare.
I groaned. I had been running in circles for at least ten minutes!
[Stop laughing, all of you. It's not funny!]
The nerve. Anywho, I turned back to the tree with the moss. Maybe if I marked the path...
No, Rarity, Liberalis said. Do you remember the Flutterbat incident?
Yes, how could any of us forget? I responded. What does it have to do with anything?
What was that signal you used? she prompted.
You mean my pony-signal?
Yes.
Now I was really confused. What do I do with it?
You use it. It has your cutie mark, does it not?
You want me to use it?
Yes. Wasn't that clear?
Know-it-all, I thought. She stayed silent, so I thought about the spell that summoned the beam of light. It was simple, but I barely used it. It was a wonder I remembered it at all.
Wait, I thought, shutting off the magic. I still think I should mark the trees I pass by, so I can find my way if I need.
Excellent plan, Liberalis agreed.
Drawing from the magic again, I branded the moss-tree with a blue-glowing diamond. That way my friends will know which way I've gone, too.
Next, I summoned the blue beam. My cutie mark shone against the clouds. Looking back to the pasture, I saw Molly's brother and sister looking up and pointing to the signal, and Molly sticking her tongue out at them. I stifled a giggle, then started to move.
Be careful, Liberalis warned. Your beam will also attract enemies.
Now you tell me that! I mentally shouted at her. I started to gallop, the pony-signal moving above as I did.
I stopped at the edge of a thick patch of wood. If I went in there, the pony-signal would be blocked by the trees. I marked the edge with the blue-diamond on one of the trees, then went inside, shutting off the beam.
It was dark.
[Well, I know that kind of goes without saying. Please, just let me speak.]
Marking trees as I went, I tripped over brambles often. They were quite thick here.
Suddenly, I thought of Pinkie's grandmother's riddle.
Where the brambles are thickest, there you will find, a pond beyond the most twisted of vines.
This couldn't be it... could it?
Relax, Rarity, I thought to myself. The Mirror Pond is on the other side of Molly's farm. Pinkie would've had to go through it if it were here. Still, I kept an eye out for a large rock covering a hole.
The towns-ponies were always talking about what had really happened to Pinkie's clones. Some would say that the real Pinkie is trapped in the pond, while the Pinkie here is an impostor. Others say that the clones come out of the pond sometimes, and they couldn't get past the big rock. I was starting to believe them.
Stopping suddenly, I slapped myself across the face.
"Ow!" I yelped.
Be quiet! Liberalis commanded.
Did YOU do that?!? I demanded, outraged. Celestia said that they weren't in control, my hoof.
I had to, she said. You weren't listening. There's something out there. I can feel it.
My heart almost stopped. What?
I think it's the dark presence. I have an idea of what it is, but I cannot say.
Just in my head couldn't hurt, I prompted.
It's bad enough that you're leaving trail markers. Saying his name, even telepathically, will alert him of your presence for sure.
Can you describe this He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named?
Yes. He was a great king in the time of the great alicorns of old-
So, your time? I interrupted.
Yes. He was my king. He had two fillies with his wife, Queen Imperia.
Princess Celestia mentioned that name. Does she know Imperia? I asked.
Yes, Liberalis said. Imperia was Celestia's mother.
So that means that You-Know-Who is...
Celestia's father.
Liberalis stopped speaking and let it sink in. Celestia's father... I couldn't believe it. That monster in the throne room... was the fair princesses' father?
[Do I have to do a chapter? Applejack hasn't done one, maybe she should...oh, alright.]
My name is Fluttershy. I...I don't really know where to start here. I guess what happened after Rarity was captured could work... at least I hope it does, I don't want to make anypony mad because I accidentally skipped a part!
After Twilight, ah, 'helped' me into the forest, we were all upset. I can't speak for everyone in the group, but I can say that I felt like a dozen buffalo had stamped on my chest and smashed my heart to pieces. I missed Rarity already...
Twilight sighed. "I know we're all upset about Rarity, but she said that we should keep moving. I'm sure that she'll be okay," she said.
She looked at Pinkie Pie as she spoke. I noticed that her mane had partially deflated. I hoped it didn't go full-out flat. I remember the last time that happened. Rainbow Dash had never fully explained what she meant by her comment about being replaced by a bucket of turnips, but I could easily imagine Pinkie Pie talking to one.
Am I doing okay so far? I hope I am...
Applejack looked up from the dirt. "Well, I think we should go on without Rarity. She may be gone, but that doesn't mean that we're gone, too. For Celestia's sake, I think that should make us more encouraged to go on, and continue this darn quest. We didn't come all this way for nothin'! This new guy, he's gonna pay for takin' her away. We can't let him get away free of charge! We won't let him get away! For Celestia! For Equestria! For Rarity!"
Slowly, the others perked up. Even Rainbow Dash came down from the treetops.
"Now, who's with me?" Applejack stuck her hoof out in front of her.
"I am," said Twilight, placing her hoof next to Applejack's.
"I am," said Rainbow Dash. I noticed that she looked slightly over at Twilight with a glare, but I didn't say anything.
"I am," said Pinkie Pie, her mane going back to its normal state.
"I am," I said finally.
Lifting our hooves in the air, we all shouted two words:
"For Rarity!"
"Let's face it. We're completely lost," moaned Rainbow Dash, floating right above us.
"Now, don't you go being the pessimist, Rainbow," Applejack said, but I could tell that she was starting to lost hope, too. We all were.
Even though I'd worn my Element of Harmony many times before, it was starting to feel like a ten-ton weight around my neck. We'd been walking for Celestia knows how long through the dark, dank, and dreary landscape that was this part of the Everfree Forest.
Rainbow Dash groaned, then flew above the treetops yet again. I supposed that she hated confined spaces, being an athlete, but everyone else looked like they were pretty upset over her ditching them over and over for the open sky. Of course, I only assumed they were, I wouldn't want to judge something as serious as that based on a facial expression. Then they'd be mad at me, and then they wouldn't be my friends, and--
Twilight says that I'll be alright. [Well, if you say so...] Back to the story.
Suddenly, Rainbow shouted out from above. "Fluttershy! Get up here, quick!"
I flew up as fast as my wings could carry me, wincing slightly as the branches whipped my face. I wondered what Rainbow had seen to sound so worried.
"What?" I asked as soon as I reached her side.
"Do you see that?" she asked shakily, pointing at something on the clouds. It was a bright blue circle, with something inside it...
"Rarity's pony signal!" I gasped.
Rainbow sighed. "Good, I thought I was hallucinating for a second..."
"That means that she's right..." I searched the mass of trees for the tip of the cone of light forming the pony signal at the top. It seemed to be moving into a deeper section of forest. "...there!"
"What's goin' on up there?" Applejack called from below. Twilight came bursting from the trees, shaking slightly in her flight. I guessed that she still hadn't gotten it down yet.
"Is everything all right?" she asked in a worried tone.
"It's Rarity!" Rainbow said. "Her pony signal's right... hey, where'd it go?" It was true. The pony signal had disappeared.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Twilight said curtly. "I don't see any pony signal."
"I did!" I said. "It was there, really! She must have shut it off!"
"Where was it?" Twilight demanded. She seemed to trust me more than she trusted Rainbow Dash for some reason.
"Right there, close to the house with the weird two-legged things," Rainbow said.
"We need to go find her!"
I was surprised at Twilight's outburst. She had said in the first place that we should go on. Now she wanted to go back? [Not that I don't trust you, Twilight. I know you thought it was for the best.]
"C'mon, let's go tell Applejack and Pinkie," Rainbow said, and zoomed off before we could answer.
"Wait, Twilight!" I called at her. "Right before it disappeared, the pony signal moved a little. Rarity's probably moving around, which will make it more difficult for us to find her."
"We still have to," Twilight said softly. "I'd never forgive myself if I just walked away from a friend, knowing there was a chance to help her."
I nodded, and together we descended into the forest.
Rainbow had apparently told the others about the pony signal, as they were already anxious to get going in the direction of Rarity. I smiled slightly. Rarity was lucky to have friends like these.
The weight on my chest lifted as we set out. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and I wanted to reach it, to be done with the quest, to go home. But I knew that we were still a long way off from our goal, and we hadn't seen even a glimpse of the hidden enemy since the incident in the throne room. Even my godly hitchhiker, Benevolentia, was excited. She kept buzzing around my head like a fly, commenting on things every second.
Why are you so excited? I asked her. You can see Liberalis any time you want!
Since I am a part of you, my emotions mirror yours, she answered. I don't control it, you do.
I sighed, trying to calm down my excitement so she wouldn't be so annoying, but I couldn't help it. I wanted my friend back so badly.
As nightfall approached, my exhaustion caught up to me at last, and no amount of hope could keep me going. I had a feeling the others were tired, too.
"Why don't we take a break?" suggested Pinkie at last. "I'm so tired I could fall asleep next to an angry manticore!"
"I agree," I said. We had just landed into yet another clearing, where the canopy opened just enough so you could see the sky turning a gentle purple.
Everyone yawned, and as we spread out our supplies, Twilight organized a night watch.
"We need to be on guard at all times," she explained. "That thing could attack us while we're asleep, and we'd never know what hit us! I'll take the first shift. Any volunteers for the next?"
"I will," Applejack yawned.
"I'll take third," I volunteered, partially without thinking.
"Fourth!" Rainbow called from across the clearing.
"Pinkie Pie, will you take the last one?" Twilight asked. There was no answer. "Pinkie?"
As I looked behind Twilight, I saw that Pinkie was already laying on her blankets, fast asleep. Everyone laughed, then we all settled into our blankets for the night. It had been a long day.
Almost instantly, I was cast into a deep sleep. Sadly, it wasn't peaceful. Not in the least.
I was flying. This wasn't a unique experience for me, but I still wondered where I was. As I looked around, I saw somepony was flying next to me. No, not somepony... me. But at the same time, a complete stranger.
She was as tall as Celestia, with a meadow-yellow coat surrounded by cute little bluebirds. Her light pink mane floated around her head, bedecked with a small tiara and many flowers. A spiraling horn protruded from her forehead, while glorious wings spread from her back. I knew instantly who she was.
"Benevolentia," I said. Her teal eyes twinkled.
"Fluttershy, do you know why I'm here?" she asked. It was weird hearing her talk without her voice echoing in my head.
"No," I admitted. If she truly had been in my head for my entire life, she would know if I lied.
"You need to know what would have happened to you if I had not chosen you as my host. Since I'm not all that great at words, I'll just show you." Her horn glowed teal, and suddenly I wasn't flying. I was falling.
I flexed my shoulder muscles desperately, but nothing happened. Glancing at my back I saw that Benevolentia had made my wings disappear.
I let out a scream, and flailed my forelegs wildly. The ground was coming closer, and closer, and closer...
I closed my eyes, waiting for the ground to hit me. Instead, I felt a gentle floating sensation, and my hooves touch the ground.
Carefully opening my eyes, I looked around. I was in a grassy field filled with flowers of all different types. Looking at my back again, I realized I was an earth pony now, though still me.
Benevolentia landed next to me, smiling softly.
"This is what you would have looked like if you were not Fluttershy, but Posey," she said.
"Posey?" I was extremely puzzled. "But what does that have to do with animals and my special talent?"
"Posey's special talent is not animals."
"What...?" I looked at my cutie mark. Instead of three butterflies it was... three tulips. "Is Posey by any chance a gardener?" I guessed.
"Yes, you would have been, if I had not chose you," Benevolentia said. Suddenly her warm smile faded. I mean literally faded. When her face came back into view, it expressed worry.
"Something is happening. You must wake," she said worriedly.
"But--"
"Wake!"
I sat up with a start, sweating profusely. I clutched my hooves to my sides, relieved to find my wings still in place. I was not Posey. I was Fluttershy.
"Uh.. Fluttershy?" Applejack said, poking me awake.
"Is it time for my shift already?" I asked sleepily. Then I noticed all of the ponies were awake also. I gulped. Something is happening.
"Uh... no."
"What is it?"
"You'll be happy to see this, but I'm still a little puzzled 'bout what she's tryin' to say... er... just come see this, will you?"
As I untangled myself from my blankets, I saw all of our friends surrounding something by the fire. I had a sneaking suspicion of what was going on, but I didn't dare to hope too much.
As the crowd cleared, I gasped.
"Hello, Fluttershy, dear," said Rarity casually. "Care to sit down? It's time you heard the full story."
"The full story?" I asked, mouth agape. Everypony else was looking shocked as well. First, Rarity had come back, and now she was going to tell us some weird story right off the bat?
Rarity simply nodded. "But first, how about a little supper? I'm starving."
"What did those darn humans do to you, girl?" demanded Applejack.
"Actually, one of them let me go if I promised to let her come to Equestria," Rarity said.
"And you did?" Applejack snapped.
Nodding again, Rarity sat down and started munching on some of the food we brought. I sat down next to her, settling my wing comfortingly across her shoulder. I didn't understand how she could be so calm after what she must have gone through. If it had been me, I would have been mentally scarred for life.
Rarity says that she probably is mentally scarred for life. I guess that she just doesn't show it as much as I do.
"So what happened to you?" I said softly.
"Well, I stawted off twapped in da pen--"
"Swallow first, silly!" Pinkie giggled.
"Sowwy," she said, grinning sheepishly. Swallowing, she tried again.
"Well, I started off trapped in the pen. Then one of the humans--a little filly--walked up to the gate and sat there staring at me. When I trotted up to her and said hello, she acted surprised to hear me talking. She explained how the other ponies couldn't talk like I could, nor were any of them unicorns.
"She said that her name was Molly, and she and her two siblings used to go to a place called Dream Valley, and meet all of their pony friends. She mentioned a few of them, Gusty, Posey, Fizzy, and Shady. Anyways, she said that she had always wanted to go back to their friends, but now that her siblings were older, they say that ponies are for little girls and that they imagined all of their adventures together.
"I offered to let her come back and meet me in Ponyville, and then she let me go. And then I found you guys," she finished.
I was stunned. Rarity had gone through all that in about ten hours? And poor Molly! I wondered who Gusty, Fizzy, Posey, and Shady were.
Suddenly, I gasped.
"What is it?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Do you see something?" She flew off to check the bushes across the campsite.
"N-no," I stammered.
"Then why did you gasp?" Twilight said.
"I just remembered something--a dream."
"Well, tell us all about it!" Rarity exclaimed. Everypony was staring at me.
"W-well, you know how Rainbow Dash had a dream where her alicorn visited her and told her about her life if Fidelity hadn't chosen her as a host?"
"You mean you had one of those, too?" Rainbow said, grinning. "I'm glad I'm not losing my marbles!"
"You and Fluttershy could both be going crazy!" Pinkie pointed out.
"Oh." Rainbow's mood immediately deflated.
"Well, go on, tell us about your dream," Twilight encouraged, smiling gently.
"Uh... well, Benevolentia kind of... turned me into an earth pony."
"You're kiddin'!" Applejack interrupted.
"Princess Celestia did say that an alicorn spirit could change the race of the host," Twilight said thoughtfully.
"Otherwise, I stayed the same, except for my cutie mark, which turned into three flowers," I continued. "She said that I would have been a gardener instead of an animal caretaker, and that my name would have been... Posey," I whispered.
"I'm sorry, darling, could you say that again?" Rarity asked. "For a second I thought you said 'Posey'!"
"I did," I squeaked.
Rarity started shaking her head.
"You mean to say... that you were goin' to be the pony that that filly, Molasses or somethin'--"
"Molly," Rarity corrected.
"Whatever. You mean to say that you were goin' to be one of those ponies?" Applejack asked in disbelief.
I nodded.
"Oooh, I wonder who's gonna get the dream next?" Pinkie squealed. "I hope it's me! Maybe I'll be Shady! Or Gusty! Or--"
"Speaking of which, who were you going to be again, Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked.
"Somepony named Firefly," Rainbow said.
"Molly didn't mention any 'Firefly'," Rarity said.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something lurking in the bushes near where Pinkie Pie was bouncing excitedly, comparing which name sounded the best to herself. It looked like a black snake, but as I took a closer look, it was more like a tendril of smoke, creeping steadily toward Pinkie's hooves. It was darker than the blackest night, and as I stared at it, a cold feeling snaked up my neck, and I felt like all the happiness was being sucked from my body.
"Fluttershy, what's wrong?" Rarity asked me. "You're cold as ice!"
That snapped me from my trance. "Pinkie!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "Look out!"
She jumped out of the way just as the smoke struck, right where she had been standing a moment earlier. As it retreated back into the fern brush, I could see the dirt where it had landed was black and smoking. I cringed at the thought of what could have happened to Pinkie Pie.
"What was that?" Twilight exclaimed.
"I don't know, but whatever it was, I think that we should move on," Rainbow said in a shaking voice.
"Pinkie, are you all right?" I asked. As she looked up from staring at the patch of blackened earth, I could see that her pupils had shrunk to the size of pinpricks, and were filled to the brim with fear.
"Y-yeah.." she said. "L-let's go, before that t-thing comes back."
"Come on, we've already packed your things," Rarity said gently. As I got up, I had a feeling that something was missing from the group, but I couldn't place it. It doesn't really matter, I thought.
"Hey, Rarity, as we walk, could you tell us that full story thing that you mentioned before we started getting into that identity stuff?" Rainbow Dash said from above.
"Oh, right, of course." She snapped from some kind of trance and cleared her throat. "Well, Liberalis is going to be feeding me these words, so this is news for me, too. I suppose we should start at the beginning...
"A long time ago, before Discord's reign, the Crystal Empire, or even the events of Hearth's Warming Eve, there was nothing. Just a dark ocean of pure chaos. No sun, no moon, no stars, and definitely no ponies. Until, out of the sea, walked two ponies; the two great alicorns, the King and Queen. Together, they used their magic to lift land out of the water, harmony out of chaos. They crafted the sun and moon to give the land light, and ponies to walk on it. All of these ponies had both wings and horns. This was the golden age of the world.
"There were creatures other than ponies that the alicorns created, too. There were only ten ponies in all the earth, and they were very lonely. The Queen loved the ponies very much, so she created other animals to keep them company. With the animals being the embodiment of Harmony, the forces of Chaos tried to create animals to match Imperia's. They created the draconiqui, creatures with all of the traits of the Queen's animals, and with an evil attitude to match.
"The draconiqui invaded the ponies' land, sparking a great war between the two species. The main warriors were the six ponies who served as King and Queen's personal guards; AKA us. All of the alicorns and draconiqui killed themselves off in the war; except for the King and Queen's children, Celestia and Luna, and Discord, who was the son of the draconiquus leader, Eris.
"Celestia and Luna became the princesses of the world, later named Equestria, and lived happily together. At least, up until the night Luna transformed into Nightmare Moon.
"Now, as you all already know, the alicorns' spirits were transferred into different hosts. However, the King and Queen's spirits' were much too powerful for a normal pony to take in; they'd burn up on the spot. They needed true alicorns from the past to take as their hosts. The Queen chose Celestia and the King chose Luna.
"Up until Luna's transformation, the King and Queen were happy and content staying in their daughters' bodies; they would give them advice on how to rule the kingdom. But when Luna started feeling resentment and jealousy towards Celestia, the King's feelings mirrored her's. He started hating the Queen and Celestia just as Luna did, and when she finally transformed, he turned into a monster, too. He built his own body and escaped Luna just as she was banished into the moon... and wasn't heard from since."
We all waited for more, but Rarity remained silent.
"So that's it, then?" Rainbow Dash demanded.
Rarity nodded. "Liberalis doesn't know anymore."
"Are you sure you don't know anything else?" Twilight asked.
Rarity hesitated a moment, then nodded again. Twilight didn't seem to notice her bite her lip right afterwords. I raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't pry anymore.
"So... now what?" Pinkie Pie asked. Ever since the attack, she had remained silent, though she didn't lag behind. Now her voice was unsure, even scared. I didn't know what to think of that.
"We need to find where this villain's lair is," Twilight said. "Then we can defeat him with the Elements of Harmony and send him back to whatever dark abyss he came from."
Again, I had the feeling that we had forgotten something, stronger than before. I realized that the familiar weight around my neck was missing as I turned around to look back at the path.
My head spun. I couldn't believe that we had forgotten those priceless artifacts. I guess with the shadowy thing tryin' to kidnap Pinkie, we were sort of rushin', but I still beat myself over the head with a mental club. How could I have been so stupid?!
And of all the ponies to forget, it had to be me. Applejack. The glue that holds our friendship together, even when times are tough. Even though they didn't say it, it was pretty obvious that they all depend on me. Now, I had to go and screw everything up by forgetting the only artifacts in Equestria that could save us in the most dangerous part of said country. How could I have been so stupid?!
All of my friends are sayin' not to beat myself up about it. I guess I should, but I can't. One thing about me is that I can't let somethin' go until it's all fixed. Forgettin' the Elements of Harmony is probably somethin' you can't fix.
We all galloped back the way we came faster than a worm in an apple during harvest. Me and Rainbow were in the lead, as always, but for some reason Pinkie Pie wasn't on our tail like when we usually ran(which was surprisingly often). Instead, the poor filly was laggin' behind. She kept lookin' over her shoulder ev'ry two seconds, and slowed down to run backwards. I slowed my pace just slightly until I was side by side with her.
"What's the matter with you?" I asked, still cantering slowly.
"I'm afraid that big beastie will come back and eat me for brunch!" Pinkie said. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and full of so much fear, you could probably fill up the barn back home.
No, I thought. Don't think about home. That'll make you sad, AJ.
"Don't worry!" I replied. "It's probably after the Elements, which is why we have to hurry!"
"Oh, I know that!"
"Then why are you lookin' back there if you know it's not comin' after you?"
"I dunno," she said. "Force of habit, I guess."
I forced myself not to think about what that statement meant and to keep running. I looked into her eyes again.
A thing I learned about Pinkie is that she hides nothin' from you. Her emotions are always on display if you look into her eyes. This time, however, I saw that she was deliberately pointing her head forward.
I imagined locks and chains surrounding her, locking her feelings away in the deep recesses of her heart. I could almost see them, and I imagined that if I uncovered the truth, those locks would shatter into a billion little pieces.
Pinkie says that I have a more vivid imagination than her sometimes. Now that is somethin' I can believe.
"Everypony, start searching!" Twilight called. I hadn't even realized we had arrived.
Pinkie was still looking around, and even skitterin'. I tried to think of what to do to calm her down. As I thought, I started to look on the edge of the forest for where the Elements might have gone. If this mystery-stallion did take them, then he would have left some sort of trail. Pinkie stuck close to my side.
I bent down to sniff shrubs that looked sort of trampled, and my hat up and fell off my head. I kept my rope tucked away in there, so I saw it as I picked it up.
Then it hit me.
"Pinkie, if it means somethin' to you, we can tie ourselves together. That way, if the baddie comes back, then we won't be separated."
Her eyes lit up. I tied a firm knot around her torso, then connected the other end to my own. There was one thing on the back of my mind that was botherin' me, but I didn't share it. It would have spooked her again.
What if the creature broke the rope?
I shook my head to get rid o' those bad thoughts. That was white whale thinkin'. Hunting it would destroy me.
Pinkie nudged my shoulder with a hoof. She pointed at a small bush, rustlin' up a storm. She squeaked a little as I crept up to the shrub and pulled aside a few branches. Inside was a... bunny.
"It's just a fuzzy li'l rabbit, Pinkie," I said. "Calm down. It's not gonna hurt you."
Pinkie laughed nervously. "Oh, AJ!" she replied. "I totally knew that the whole time! Hehehe..."
The bunny hopped up to me and chittered rapidly. I called Fluttershy over.
"Oh, my, Angel!" she said, pickin' up the rabbit in a hug. "What are you doing here? You should be at home!"
Angel Bunny talked up a storm with Fluttershy. Now, I can't speak rabbit, but whatever he said, Fluttershy's face kept gettin' darker and darker.
"Oh..." she whispered when Angel was done. "That's bad. That's very, very bad."
"What?" Pinkie asked. "What's he saying?"
Fluttershy gulped. "He says... he says that something is happening to Ponyville. There are big shadows everywhere. Ponies are going missing, including..." She looked at me sadly.
"Just spit it out, sugarcube," I said. My heart startin' racin' just lookin' in her eyes.
"Including Apple Bloom."
My heart stopped racin', and sank faster than a Cragodile in the ocean. "A-Apple Bloom?" I stuttered.
Pinkie put a hoof over my shoulder. Fluttershy wouldn't meet my eyes. My brain wouldn't believe it, but I knew in my heart that it was true. Apple Bloom was gone.
Fluttershy continued. "He says that the missing ponies are mainly earth ponies, with several pegasi and unicorns gone, too. He mentioned a few... Cloud Chaser, Lyra Heartstrings, Carrot Top, and Mr. Cake. They've just vanished overnight."
Pinkie Pie looked distraught when Mr. Cake was mentioned, but I couldn't bear to look at anything but the ground.
"I'd... I'd better go tell the others," Fluttershy muttered, puttin' Angel on her back. "I'm so sorry, Applejack."
She slowly walked away. I watched her tell the others. I watched their faces dawn with surprise, then sadness. I couldn't hear anything. I just watched.
Dimly I noticed that Pinkie's hoof had left my shoulder. In slow motion, I felt the lasso 'round my waist tighten. Suddenly, I was on my back, and everything was real.
I could hear Pinkie screamin' behind me. I clawed at everything, anything with my hooves, but we were movin' too fast. The branches stung my face as they whipped by. I shouted for help, but it was too late. We were too far away.
The rope dug into my stomach, cutting off my breath. I kept knockin' into trees, and they left me dazed every time. I started seein' black spots in my vision. Pinkie's voice became tinny and far away, then it stopped altogether. I slammed into a large oak tree, and then everythin' was gone.
