The Filly of the Apocalypse
Unicorn spells, hundreds of them. For each spell I find, I grow more desperate. The ever-growing pile of books had long ago fallen over, spilling into the other half of the library. The speed at which I operated would be unmatched by even the legendary Rainbow Dash; not that she mattered anymore. I stopped caring for the condition of the books, each one I would toss more violently into the pile. Each cover a book of spells designed for unicorns. I fluttered my wings in annoyance as I finally finished up with the section on enchantments. Looking up, I sighed. I had nearly twenty more subjects of magic to sort through.
With each title I read off I grew more and more bitter. Bitter, I hadn’t been born a unicorn. Bitter that I was stuck in here, searching for a way to fix things. I knew there was no actually fixing things, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try. It didn’t mean I was going to sit here, day after day, growing more bitter by the moment. I had lost, but I was still going to try. What else was there to do with myself? If only I could fly, I thought. Then I chuckled without mercy at the horrible irony until the sides of my ribs ached.
“What’s the point in flying? Nothing,” I said to nopony in particular.
Scowling, I grabbed another stack of books and read off the titles. “Music Spells through the Ages.” I tossed that book into the pile, hoping to damage it as much as it had dashed my hopes to pieces. “Sight Spells and their Uses,” I growled and slammed it on the ground, then bucked the thing into the pile. “Mind Manipulation.” Pausing I gave it a once over, then tossed it behind me, hoping the book would burn in Tartarus. I breathed in steadily, looking over the sheer volume of books I had yet to search through. I didn’t wish to even go into the other rooms, but I knew there were more. There were many more.
I flipped through thirty more books, each one being more hopeless than the last. Each book’s contents was no different to me than the alphabet was to a newborn foal. Spells as much as anypony would read, more than even Twilight Sparkle would even dare read. Spells lost to the ages, just as she was lost to me. Spells I could not ever hope to learn or cast. Archived for a purpose, yet meaningless as they had been rendered useless.
“What’s the point in being a pegasus? Nothing.”
What I wouldn’t give for the book I had been searching for, more than Rarity ever would. Not that she gave anypony anything anymore. I flipped through a hundred more before realizing just how tired I felt. I glanced out a nearby window, one that had been violently broken open. My only means of escape, since the doors in the library had been sealed shut magically. A magic that never seemed to waver or break. The sun didn’t appear to have moved. Funny, that, considering my exhausted state. I yawned, then promptly laid my head on the table and drifted off.
I didn’t dream through my slumber. I had long since lost the ability to do so. I wasn’t sure why, but I’m sure I had my ideas. Magic was a funny thing after all. Always being used, always being needed. Never missed, except when it was gone. Was it magical to dream? I used to think so. I used to believe in so much, to dream so much.
“What’s the point in dreaming? Nothing.”
I glanced out the window, thankful to see the sun still shining out. As if nothing had changed. I ate a quick breakfast, then went back to my task. More books. The big Magical book for Pranksters. I’d give anything for all of this to be a prank. For Pinkie Pie to jump out and announced that she got me as she rambled on about the ramifications of pulling off such an epic feat. I’d give anything to hear one of her jokes. All I heard was silence and wind.
The honest truth was that this wasn’t a joke. It would never be funny even if I could fix things. I don’t think I’d ever laugh again. Applejack could see that plain as day, but you didn’t need to be an Element of Honesty to understand this. You just had to look at my eyes. Ever tired from constantly reading tomes and books that failed to help. Applejack probably would have seen that it were hopeless and given in, but the alternative wasn’t something I could stand. Applejack would hate the truth, if she still had breath.
I glanced through another dozen books and then paused on the last one. The Magic of the Pony Tribes. I tapped my hoof on a few times and gently set it aside on a nearby table. While it wasn’t what I was looking for exactly, it did describe magic that wasn’t just unicorn spells. A rarity in this library as I only had three books and two tomes on said table. I had read through these dozens of times, they were just a whiff above worthless. I wouldn’t dare toss them, though, as they may contain the key to what I had been after.
Kindness no longer existed, it no longer needed to exist. So why did I feel even worse about her? I thought back to what I knew of Fluttershy, there wasn’t much. She was a shy mare, so shy one would think she secretly contained the ability to make you forget she were there. Funny as I time grew on, the memories of her felt stronger than ever. While the rest faded to the sands of time. I could remember every detail of everything she did, well, of the stuff I had seen. I remember her being a hero and I remember her tucking me into a bed one day. Like a mother would their child. I remember feeling loved and I remember being forced to hold in my tears while she did this. Of being so happy, as if Rainbow Dash had got me into the Wonderbolts. Most importantly, I remembered that she was gone. Leaving only me.
“What’s the point in kindness? Nothing.”
I tossed a few more books behind me. Each one describing the construction of unicorn spells, even dark spells, but nothing I needed. As the days dragged on, I began to wonder just what I needed. I knew the issue. I knew how it occurred, just now hot to fix it, to reverse it. Time travel was the first thought that kept popping into my head, but I kept reading, that it was impossible to change the past. You could certainly travel to the future, just not the past. I had yet to find a book that even mentioned going back in time as anything but impossible. So that idea had been tossed out with the very books that dashed that hope.
My next thoughts turned darker, to something that was meant to be very illegal for a very good reason. Necromancy. If they were all gone… why not bring them back? I could focus on the six ones that could help me the most and from there they could figure out a way to solve this crisis. To fix my nightmares and set everything right. Necromancy was, at least, possible which put it on my very short list of possible solutions.
I had yet to come up with anything else. Nothing concrete and nothing that didn’t come directly out of a comic book. I figured I would just, eventually, find something that I hadn’t thought of in one of the many tomes or books. Not that I can practice necromancy without a horn to speak of. I couldn’t do much of anything without a blasted horn. Just read, speculate and sulk in my memories.
Magic is a very funny thing, though. While I couldn’t cast functioning spells, I could learn alchemy. Apple Bloom had taken it up occasionally, after meeting Zecora. With alchemy, any creature could become an effective spell whirling demon. Sort of… I reminded myself, bitterly. It had its weaknesses, as one using potions could not travel into the future. One couldn’t levitate dozens of objects around you or teleport. Most of its uses pertained to enchantments or maybe something to toss at your enemies to harm them. Necromancy was also banned in Zecora’s native homeland. Which meant learning this form of magic would do me no good.
A part of me wanted to try it anyway. Anything to remind me of that silly filly, Apple Bloom. The one who always had a smile on her face or was willing to try something dumb just to earn her cutie mark. I knew it was dangerous territory, just lingering in the past for the sake of a few happy moments of peace. I knew it wouldn’t help me, in the end, but a part of me wished I would try. Maybe I’d earn my mark finally? I glanced down to my flank and felt like chuckling once again. To laugh again at something that wasn’t even remotely funny.
“What’s the point in special talents? Nothing.”
After tossing the final book on a rack, I decided that I should finally get up and look around. I figured going in order was best, but it wasn’t helping me any. So, reluctantly I stood up and surveyed my surroundings. I was stuck in a large room that looked to have more enchantments on it then Princess Celestia’s crown. Rows of books were inaccessible, thanks to an everlasting forcefield which preventing anypony from touching them. I hadn’t even hoped of reading their covers, as the field covered this too. That was the other thing on my list, figuring out how to disable those.
Aside from the shelves, there were various artifacts. One was a giant hourglass, as tall as the room. I wasn’t sure of its purpose, I just knew it seemed to be perpetually ticking down. Beyond this were the pile of books I had made. So tall was the pile that it had spilled over into another room, making a mountain of books I had to climb over. I swiftly crossed the threshold into a much plainer room. It had more books, of course, not much else. Oh, and a doorway that had a forcefield on it. Just more for the list.
The first few shelves were completely worthless, magical cooking recipes. I had half a mind to knock them all over but slowly distanced myself from them. The next shelf was entirely dedicated to Time Travel. I steadied my nerves, then bucked the whole thing over. It came crashing down with a thundering drop, making the floorboards beneath me shake, like my anger. I had so many more shelves to go through, so many more books and tomes I knew just hid no real answer. But I kept searching for one anyway.
“What’s the point in stopping? Nothing.”
Indeed I had no point in giving up. I usually felt as if I had no point in going forward either. It only took a single thought to the alternative that kept me pushing forward and kept me in a constant state of fear. With every shelf, I knock over the angrier I grew. If there was one thing that felt stronger than my anger, it was fear. A fear I would never find a solution, fear that it was already over with. I chuckled at this. If it wasn’t for what had happened, I wouldn’t be here. It was already over with, but I just didn’t feel right in facing it without trying.
I wiped some sweat off my coat and took a swig of water. It hadn’t even been a month and already the days were growing warmer. The sun was kept in its frozen state, high in the air, illuminating the castle and the windows. Plants and trees had started to wither away, desperate for a single drink of water. Just as desperate as I felt for a single book that would aid me.
The next few shelves made me pause entirely. The first few titles told me everything I needed to know: Dark Magical Tomes and Spells. I had once heard it was best to fight fire with fire. Would their dark magic help? Could dark magic counter more dark magic? Considering the magic had come and gone, I sincerely doubted it. Still, if there was one place I was to find information on Necromancy, this was the place.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t just flip through these at a quick pace and then discard them. Many were written in an older tongue that took a bit longer to understand. It was the kind you’d hear Princess Luna speak in and often I found myself repeating sentences in my head. A few also warned that these books were not mere text, but had enchantments and traps laid about, thus the caution in bucking them out of my sight. The first line that mentioned necromancy didn’t exactly instill hope. It mentioned how it was practiced by rogue mages who had broken away from the empire hundreds of years before the rising of New Canterlot. When found out they were executed for their crimes and all evidence and knowledge of their transgressions were wiped from existence.
This didn’t mean there weren’t others who tried, it just meant my impossible task would be rendered more impossible. I had only sorted through four of the dark tomes within a two hour period. I figured, by the end of my searching, I’d have a few curses preventing me from seeing or hearing. That was saying something as I only had a few shelves I could search through, the rest had those force fields on them with warnings not to go tampering with them if I knew what was good for me. I tapped my hooves on a table for what felt like hours, pondering my next move.
“What’s the point in unguarded books? Nothing!”
I had to find some way past the magical barriers. I didn’t have many unguarded books left, but I already knew they were worthless. As I started to pierce through the next book my mind began to wonder, as it often does, how much time I had left. It wasn’t as if the food was growing anymore. The castle kitchens would eventually be drained of their stock, forcing me to either die of starvation or to abandon my quest. Growling, I stood up and flipped my book shut.
Outside the room, I quickly began to take inventory of what I had left. Three bags, I had three full bags of food remaining. Water was easy enough to come by, though not enough to water plants in hopes of growing anything new. I began to breathe a bit quicker as my anxiety spiked. I had three bags of food, which didn’t leave me near enough time to accomplish my goal. My thoughts whirled back to the kitchens, but it then just occurred to me I hadn’t actually double checked if anything was left. Last time I had merely grabbed what I could and ran off. Again my breathing pace increased while my heart thumped faster and faster. I could very well be out of food very soon. Three bags remained.
Three bags that couldn’t even hope to sustain me long enough to search the entire library.
My body began to shake, my wings twitched and I began to bite down on my lip. When my teeth drew blood, I snapped. I whirled around and bucked the first bag backward. Foodstuffs spilled out all over the floor. Feeling some much-needed adrenaline, I whirled back and ran back into the other room. Ignoring my bleeding lip, I glared at the shielded doorway. The doorway I would need to get into, I presumed. I actually wasn’t even sure what would happen when you touched a forcefield. I had never tried.
Ignoring my own safety, I brought my forehoof forward only to have it flicked back with a nasty shock. Sucking on my hoof and ignoring the added blood from my mouth, I slumped down and sighed. Three bags, it was all I had left. My eyes scanned the doorway, I saw a bright purple colored shield that let you see inside. It illuminated the surrounding gemstones that had been punctured into the surrounding doorway. One would think all you would need to do is remove the gemstones to remove the barrier and they’d be correct. The trouble wasn’t how to remove the gems, it was how to do it without burning your hooves off. The barrier not only protected the way in but also surrounded the gems by washing over them. One-half of the gems were on my side, while the other through the room. That left the barrier split down the middle.
“What’s the point in keeping ponies out? Nothing!”
I growled and quickly picked up a nearby book, I then tossed it into the doorway and watched as its pages were singed off one by one. What remained of the book, when it reached the other side, was a smoldering pile of… well, pages. I considered doing something incredibly desperate. It would damage me beyond repair, but as long as I gained entry, who cares?
“What’s the point in…” I trailed off when I realized something, something so obvious that I felt stupid for even think of it now. The shielding on the doorway was the exact same as on some of the shelves I had knocked over. Hesitantly, I turned around to face them. I spotted one and noticed that it had begun to give off a buzzing noise, muffled by overturned books and parchment. Breathing heavily, I kneeled down and examined the underside of the shelf. Sure enough, the shield was still buzzing. The same shield that just burned a book to ashes. I smiled wickedly.
Breaking the shelf into a small enough piece for me to carry took longer than I thought. I had pried, bashed, bucked and even crashed it into other things. Eventually, I wore it down and I was able to pry off that protected shelf from the others. Oddly it still shone brightly, ensuring me that the spell would not break. Laying before me was a shelf that was never meant to move. The books inside would be safe, considering they were locked to the wood. On the other side of the shield was the gemstones embedded into the polished wood. I figured if I had just pried them off, then I could get at the books, but that wasn’t the point of my plan.
For the first time in a long time, I smirked. “What’s the point in doorways? Nothing.”
I picked up the shelf, with some difficulty and slowly cantered over to a nearby wall. Shrugging, I slowly edged the shelf over and was rewarded with a buzzing noise, followed by some smoke. I figured nopony would have been stupid enough to try any of this when the palace had been full of guards. It took a lot longer than I would have liked, and when it finally cut a full hole to the other side, I almost let it slip through. With a near-perfect rectangular shaped hole, I leaned it back until it was back with me on the other side. Sighing, I continued downwards right before the hole.
After what felt like hours, I had burned a full-sized hole, big enough for me to climb through. With a loud thump, I dropped the shelf and panted for air. Thankfully, the force field from the doorway wasn’t smart enough to detect a new hole to fill up, allowing me to pass through freely. I promptly jumped through the other side and landed. The very second my hooves felt wood, it gave way, making me plunge downward. I tried to open my wings, desperate for any form of protection from Gravity’s force, but I wasn’t quick enough. With a sickening crunch, I hit the ground and blacked out.
Upon waking up, I felt like crying and laughing. I felt so much pain in one of my wings that I was almost certain it would be ruined for life. Looking around I appeared to be in a dungeon cell of some kind; two holes where torches once burned were off in the distance. I could barely see, but thankfully the shelf had come with me.
“How in Tartarus are you in one piece?!” I whailed at it, angry that I had fallen in the first place. For all I knew, the shield would be unable to burn through bars, leaving me to die in this cell alone. I tried getting up, but even moving felt like a chore. An excruciating burning sensation shot through my side when I finally managed to stand. I stumbled over to the shelf, then promptly fell over onto my other side. There wasn't much pain, but it gave me the idea that perhaps I should take it easier before I attempt my escape. Scowling, I looked to my damaged wing and groaned.
I saw a blood-soaked coat and my damaged wing didn’t look orange anymore. Looking over, as I bit down tears, I accessed the damage. A more skilled individual would be able to fix it up in no time. If they still lived. Ignoring the pain that had started to build, I glanced down to a necklace I had been wearing. I stared at it, taking in every detail. A glorious golden wing with ancient equestrian writing on one side, and a sparkling gem on the other.
“Wh- what’s the point…” I muttered, feeling dizzy from the ever-growing pain.
I slumped down, succumbing to the pain. I let tears flow freely, a dam that had been sealed up for so long, suddenly bursting. Time was irrelevant in a world where the Sun refused to move. In a place with nopony else to speak to. I cried for what felt like hours and for all I knew, it had been.
“Apple Bloom… s-sorry…” I managed to choke out, then kept crying. I knew it was stupid and it wasn’t as if I was dead, or worse, I had lost my wing. But it sure felt like it. I was just so sick of feeling hopeless and this big mistake wasn’t helping me feel any better. I needed to cry, even if I didn’t want to.
For all I knew the cell doors were enchanted to prevent the shielded display case’s magic from helping me. For all I knew I was trapped, destined to starve to death in a dirty, dark cell.
In my haze, I tried to recall the last time I had seen my friends alive. We were the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The memory was so fuzzy, I wasn’t even sure if I was imagining it or not. It was certainly far before any of this had transpired.
“Hey, Scoots!” Sweetie came barging into the clubhouse, while I quickly stuffed a few blankets behind me, blushing.
“H-hey, Sweetie. Uh, what’s up?” I asked, trying to sound casual. I was also attempting to stuff the blankets as far into the corner as possible. The clubhouse wasn’t exactly the cleanest it had been, so I was hoping she wouldn’t notice.
Sweetie quirked a brow to me, but instead of saying anything she looked around. She seemed to notice the mess, but then her eyes narrowed on our table. It was covered with unopened food. “You going on a camping trip or something?”
“N-no, just, I was hungry is all. Yeah.”
She nodded. “Hungry… yeah. Uh, listen, me and Bloom were wondering if you wanted to come over to my house tonight? We could have a sleepover! Do you wanna?” She pushed and instantly I nodded. “Great! Oh, but you’ll need to bring a sleeping bag,” she said casually then began to canter away.
Drat!
Thinking quickly, I glanced back to my blankets and brought them out. I rolled them into a neat pile then called out to her before she could leave. “Uh, I don’t have one, but are these okay?” I offered, lifting up a couple of blankets and pillows. I had felt caught so off guard, I failed to realize my mistake just a second too late.
She glanced back, frowning the entire time. “Uh, s-sure. Blankets are just fine. But where…” she then trailed off, seeming deep in thought. I gulped. “Yeah, those are fine, Scoots! I’ll see ya later!” She went to open the door, as I sighed in relief, but then stopped again. Without warning, she ran back to me and hugged me tightly. Before I could respond, she ran off, winking at me. I could only stare at the doorway, with a soft smile on my face.
“Heh… heh… she knew, didn’t she?” Not that it mattered anymore and I doubt it mattered then. She probably wanted to help me but thought better of it. Thinking if she got other parents involved, that I may get sent away. She was too sweet for her own good, or my good. “She must have known… Sweetie loved hugging, but that one felt different. It felt real.”
I started to feel dizzy, causing me to scowl. Now or never, Scoots. I looked down to the necklace, then glanced back to the still active shelf. A part of me felt like I had already given up, but another willed me to stand back up. “No point in doing this without a patch up. If I’m not awake… or alive, that would sure suck.” I chuckled, then sighed and looked to the shelf. It took a few tries, but I was able to kick it forward a few feet until the shield hit the bars. It left a small enough hole for me to escape, so I ducked under and continued on. I left the shelf behind.
The dungeons weren’t actually that large. A few other cells and a small hallway that eventually lead to an unlocked door. Soon I was back in the castle, more lost than ever. “Hmm, I’m probably near the captain’s room. I bet he has a first aid kit, hopefully.”
Feeling my vision double, I did my best to push forward at a quickened pace. I didn’t want to push myself too much and risk passing out. It wasn’t the worst injury I had ever had, but I still felt sore enough to pass out. If this was shock, I think I enjoyed it. I wasn’t thinking of impending doom, or what was at stake. I was simply living in the moment like I used to. Instead of the fear of failing, I simply felt passive. It took me a while to find a single doorway; the hallway I found myself in was massive. I went to knock, but then stopped myself and chuckled. “Heh, stupid Scoots. Nopony's home…” I said in a singsong voice. The dizziness had started to really take hold which caused me to stagger every few steps. More blood poured from my wounds, causing me to quicken my pace again. I cracked the door open, not really bothering to look at my surroundings. It took me a long while to find the kit I needed, but thankfully it was there.
“We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders…” I muttered, attempting to sing while I stitched myself up. I winced with each thread that went through my side, surprised that I was actually managing it in my state. It took a long, long while to close everything up. But a lifetime of injuries on a scooter and patching myself up seemed to pay off. I wasn’t exactly sure if I had done a good job or not, but it wasn’t bleeding and with any luck, it would remain uninfected. Feeling a bit better, I dropped the supplies on the ground, then promptly passed out.
I dreamt of nothing that “night”. There was, after all, nothing waiting for me when I woke up. Just pain and more books. Possibly more traps, still active somehow. It was the same dream I had every time I closed my eyes. A dream of an endless void, a dream of my fate. I never wished to give up, so why did I dream of doing so?
I woke up sometime later, with the worst headache of my life. I felt thirsty, starving and I felt pain. Looking over I found the bandage well intact with no significant bleeding. It was time to get back.
“What’s the point in maps? Nothing… if I wasn’t lost.” Sighing I chose a random direction, after leaving the office, and quickly darted ahead. After finding several locked doors, and wishing I still had the shelf, I eventually found the throne room. It wasn’t a place I ever needed to visit, so when I had initially discovered it, the place went ignored. I stared at the two thrones and lingered over to them. “Maybe this leads to the library wing. I’m sure somewhere around here must.”
While I walked around the two thrones idly, I noticed something about them. “Are those…?” I glanced down, and to my amazement, I found two crowns seated underneath them. One for Luna and one for Celestia. I grabbed the golden one and tipped it over my head. “Princess of the ponies, huh? I guess I am now. What joy…”
Sighing again, I picked up a toppled over stone piece. Parts of the wall had crumbled, but not enough to see outside. Shrugging, I tossed it at a nearby stained glass piece, shattering it. “Okay, where am I? Where is that dang library…”
It took me but a moment to spot the building in question. I could see where I had broken a window to climb in. “Huh, closer than I thought. This really isn’t the biggest castle in the world…” I looked closer than sighed.
“I’m not getting in the back door… but the doors were locked…” I trailed off and tried to think of some way of getting in. That didn’t require me heading back to the cell just to get the shelf. I was feeling so miserable that I would probably pass out at any moment, without food or water at least. Feeling frustrated, I kicked the leg of Luna’s throne. “Why does everything have to be locked?!” I yelled out to nopony.
I kicked the throne again and grunted, doing my best to keep my anger in check. It wasn’t working well. I nearly yelled as loud as my voice would carry, when something happened. A bright red light shot out from me, blasting a hole clean through the seat. I could only stare in shock for several moments, my body unmoving and my mind unthinking. After a few minutes, time seemed to catch up with me. Slowly I glanced down to my wing pendant and saw a dim glow slowly fade to nothing. I looked it over one last time, in shock; my thoughts gleaming back to when I had first obtained it. I remembered walking in on Rainbow Dash, seemingly staring off into space. Like she had been contemplating something for a good long while.
“Hey, kid!” A mare suddenly called out to me as I entered said mare’s house. I jumped out of my skin, finding her face to face with me.
“Uh, hey, Rainbow! What’s up?”
“Well…” She drew out in a tone I was familiar with. “It’s funny.. heh…” She seemed to hesitate and all I could do was tilt my head in confusion.
What was the matter? Though, I did have a sinking feeling something was very wrong. It hadn’t exactly been the most peaceful month. Lately, ponies had been disappearing to the point where it was becoming extremely difficult to ignore the fact. The adults kept telling us not to worry and things would be set right, but if even Rainbow Dash seemed nervous, something big was wrong.
“It’s… not that funny, but, uh, remember when I told you not to worry? That things are okay?” She pressed on, causing my stomach to lurch. I meekly nodded. “Right, I was wrong, you should worry some. You need to be on your guard, Scoots. I-I know you’re not used to me looking panicked, but I am. A lot of us are…”
I idly played with my hoof, looking down. “I know…” I muttered. To me, it hadn’t exactly been a secret. She didn’t know, but I lived on my own. You tend to notice the mutterings of ponies when sneaking around their homes at night.
“You do? Oh… well, here,” she said and suddenly pushed into my vision an odd trinket. It happened so fast it felt like she didn’t hesitate. But why? It looked like a real treasure, something you wouldn’t give to a little filly. A bright crimson gem was planted in the middle of it.
“Wh- what is it?” I hesitantly poked it, feeling real gold on my fur.
She frowned but pushed it forward. “Just take it, now,” she commanded.
I gave her a deep frown but didn’t move out of fear. I had never seen her act like this.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Alright, how about I tell you a little story?” She didn’t wait for me to respond and simply began speaking. “I used to know this mare. She…, well, I didn’t know her that well, but she was one of the coolest and most awesome pegasuses I ever knew. She was brave, smart, talented, but a bit on the reclusive side… uh, it means she kept to herself,” she clarified.
I nodded, I could certainly understand that.
“She adventured, explored, did what was right, just because she could. Everything was going swell for her, until she came across this amulet, this… trinket.”
My eyes were glued to it, I couldn’t look away if I wanted to. I was a sucker for stories told by Rainbow, even bare ones.
“It stumped her. Her, one of the best archaeologists Equestria has ever seen. Her, the brave, intelligent adventurer. She had no idea what it was, where it came from or even what it did. She wanted to leave it be, leave it alone, but she didn’t. She snatched it up and took the thing with her, not knowing if it was dangerous or not. Not knowing if it would help her or hinder her. It helped, it helped so much that she was beginning to think it was not of this world. That an otherworldly or godly creature crafted it. It protected her, but eventually, she decided to give it to me--”
“Why?” I couldn’t help but interrupt and ask, wanting desperately to know just why anypony would give up such a treasure.
Rainbow took on a painted looking expression but nodded. “She didn’t need it anymore. I did, though, that’s all that matters. I want you to have it. Times are dangerous, Scoots, please… take it.”
I couldn’t comprehend how such a tiny trinket could protect you from anything. How did it work and who made it? If one of the greatest archeologists to brace Equestria couldn’t figure it out, what hope did I have? Reluctantly, I grabbed it and donned it over my neck. “Uh, thank you. I mean it, Rainbow, thanks.”
“Sure thing, kid. Sure...”
I laughed, but only a bit. “I had to have… imagined that,” I muttered feeling disconnected from reality for that moment. I shook my head and chalked up what had just happened to my exhausted state. Or I would have had I not touched the hole I had just created. It was searing hot and I had to pull it away as quickly as possible. “Or… that was magic. I used magic, yeah. Totally nothing wrong there,” I said, a bit of my old personality bubbling up for once.
I tentatively touched the gem and found it was still warm to my hoof. “Magic…” I nearly laughed again, but my hopes were dashed as quickly as they came. Even if it was magic, even if I could do the impossible now… it wasn’t going to help. I had found no spells in my searching that had even come close to what I needed. Unicorn or not. Necromancy would only be an option if I had a real scroll to help me out. I sighed and leaned against the throne. “I can do magic now…” I muttered, focusing on the amulet. I focused on a pebble and, to my shock, it levitated uneasily up into the air. I watched it glow a bright red, apparently the color of my magic. I doubted most spells would be as easy to learn, but I had heard tell that levitation was something that just came naturally to unicorns. Or, in my case, a pegasus with a weird amulet thing. It dropped, though, when I stopped thinking about it.
“What’s the point in magic?” Without the right spells… “Nothing…” I banged my head on the throne, over and over. I couldn’t think of what else to do. Magic wasn’t just some wish fulfillment experience, even if Twilight Sparkle had made it seem so. “Banned… why did it have to be banned?!” I roared. “Those stupid princesses think they knew so--” I stopped talking as a thought struck me. It was a passing thought, something you would maybe idly think of, then stop just a moment after. Something that wouldn’t normally help you out, just a silly thought. However, it was worth a shot.
I bolted from the chamber room, a destination in mind. I hadn’t been to where I wished to be in ages. There wasn’t a reason to go there, until now. I passed through countless hallways, stairs, and passages. Eventually, I found a massive circular room, with a moon etched onto the ground. Beyond it was a chamber door which lead to Princess Luna’s chambers. “If they were banned, I doubt they’d keep them in that old library. They’d want them hidden away, under their protection,” I said, nearly smirking. It was a long shot, but considering how Princess Luna and Celestia operated when they were alive, it seemed sensible. They were always overprotective of their ponies. I shook my head of these thoughts and entered.
Inside I found a rather bare place for royalty. A large bed, a balcony, and a reading desk. Next to it was a simple chest that looked far dustier than everything else. “Bingo!” I knew it was a long shot, but maybe they thought they were safe in there? Maybe they thought nopony would be stupid enough to steal from royalty. Instead of some grand vault, they would keep them where they thought would be the safest. No lock or traps greeted me, just an old chest that slid open swiftly. Inside I found, to my delight, various scrolls and parchments. Several books as well. It took me a while to read through everything. Interesting stuff, mind control spells, blackmail on various leaders and all sorts of goodies that would make Twilight jealous with envy. “No Necromancy,” I said, glancing down at the final book. It was an old rustic looking thing, no title and I wasn’t even sure if it ever had one. “If this isn’t it…” I sighed and broke off my thoughts there.
I brought it into my trembling hooves, forgetting for the moment that I could now levitate books. Upon opening the book, I gasped. There on the front page was a very detailed drawing of a rotting corpse along with an arrow that pointed from it to, apparently, the same pony now alive and healthy. There beneath this glorious piece of art was instructions on how to perform the ritual. I slammed the book shut then smiled wickedly.
“What’s the point in death? Nothing.”