> 1000 years before me > by Orange Glass > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter one > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ahh. The smell of fresh night air after being trapped on the moon for... Luna probably knows that. Or is it nightmare moon now? Though the castle is in a very bad state it seems. In any case it's best to recap what just happened to me. First night was lasting longer than expected, then fighting happened between the two sisters, and when I walked into the elements room, Luna/nightmare moon tried using me as a shield before we got hit by ... Something. Then it was cold, dark, and allfully quiet. Now I'm finally back where we where hit and now I hope to get to civilization. "Best not daudle any longer." I say out loud to myself and began to go outside. It was a bit difficult due to the debris of the castle and a few wings had collapsed as well. "I always enjoyed a good challenge." I say out loud after seeing yet another collapsed hallway. But something felt off and after running into the collapsed hallway a few more times, it came to me. "I think I am going in circles. No clue how this happens. Best lay down a trail of some sort.... Magic? Good option, but I'm no good with spells. I'm no star swirl. Rocks? To many around to notice where the trail is. Hey, is that a real sword?" I say getting it from a statue. "I could use this to draw a line on the floor." I was happy and start doing just that and soon I found where I looped onto myself. "Well, this is where I looped. Time to go back." I turn around and head the way I came and finally I found my way to the throne room. "At least I can't get lost now." I say as I trot to the door and finally get outside... Only to be faced with six mares. "Who are you, and why are doing at the castle?!" The rainbow mare asked. "Orange Glass, and I was just exploring the old castle. Didn't find any potion ingredients though. Such a shame as well. I was hoping to find something." I replied. "Why would you want potion supplies?" The purple one asked confused. "Well, it's kinda my talent after all." I reply to her. "Just look at my cutie mark if you don't believe me." And a few did just that seeing my potion bottle cutie mark. "Orange Glass was it? Where have I heard that name from?" The purple one says thinking out loud "Twilight dear, we don't have time for that. Remember we need to get the elements of harmony." The white mare says. "Oh! Right. Just be careful going back" Twilight said as they continue onward. Though the pink mare took out a notebook from her mane and wrote something down. "Wait for me ok girls?" She says before going after them bouncing. "Okay.... That was weird." I say to myself and followed the forest trail as I exited it , the sun began to rise up signaling the start of a new day. "Well, at least I found a town here." I say to myself. "And I probably need to stop that habit of speaking out loud to myself. I bet it's going to get me in some trouble." Then after a few minutes the 6 mares come back with the two princess'. And the pink one set up a party for Luna's return in less than half a minute I bet. I was thinking about going to them when I saw Luna was alone again. So I walked to her and decided to concert her. I sat down next to her and began speaking. "Good morning princess Luna. I noticed you were a bit lonely by yourself. A mare like yourself needs a friendly face to talk with." "Indeed. It is my pleasure to see again Ms Glass. How is life treating you you..." Luna says trailing off not wanting to go further. "I would say... It was what you went through. Cold dark and only yourself to keep company. But now that your free, I hope things change for the better and you don't let your past demons take over you once again." I say back "I hope things change as well. Though your potions where what made a few pranks of mine funnier. I wish I had more." Luna replies remembering the good times before nightmare moon happened. "How about the one that made Celestia "lose" her mark? If you have the stuff for it, I could wip it up in a few minutes." I suggested to her. Luna then teleported onto the table what I needed and after a minute or two I had finished it. "Just pour this in a cup and have her drink it. The results should be shocking." I say seeing Luna getting an empty cup and putting the potion in it. "I shall give it to my sister then. I wish you well Glass. It was good talking to you again so soon after I got free." Luna then went to Celestia and she soon drank every drop of it. And after a short minute her cutie mark faded away. "Princess! Your mark has gone!" A random pony exclaimed. Soon enough she noticed that it was indeed gone and scanned the drops left in the cup. "Luna... I see your tendacy to play pranks hasn't changed one bit. Though you do need to work on your timing." Celestia said and found out that negating the potion was a bit harder than what she expected. "Now, how did you aquire this potion? I know there isn't a potion shop in this town." "Let's just say an old friend of mine gave it to me with an *Orange Glass* so to say." Luna replies giggling. "Orange Glass you say? But she's been gone for as long as you been banished." Celestia said looking at the crowd before her eyes went wide when she looked straight at me. "Should have booked it..." I say finding myself teleported over as both princess' looked me over. "It is you Orange Glass. How are you still alive?" Celestia said in surprise "I knew I heard that name before. You where the best potion maker before nightmare moon happened. No pony could do what you did for over 200 years." Twilight said realization hitting her. "Was I really that good?" I say out loud. "But to answer your question, I was used as a shield as a rainbow light came straight for Luna here." "You mean to say that you were sent to the moon with Luna?" Celestia said still in shock. "So... I wasn't talking to a ghost, or memory. It was really you." Luna said hugging me. "I'm not your stuffed animal you know." I say but I didn't want to ruin the mood more so I hugged her back. > Chapter Two > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After a few minutes of hugging, we separated. "So, *looks at celestia* best potion maker for my time?" I ask and say. "I knew I was good, but was I really that big of a deal?" Celestia smiles and nods. "No pony was like you. Always thinking, experimenting, using strange items, the list goes on. No pony could do what you could for I'd say, 628 years. And even then it was with zebras helping them." I was surprised hearing that. "Zebras you say?" I chuckle. "In a 1000 years, a lot sure can change. Though, I wonder if that family is still around? I do still owe a Dept to pay." Luna and Celestia look surprised by that statement. "You owe a family a favor, or is it bits?" Luna asked courious "I wasn't even aware of something like that. Please tell us what you did." Celestia said wanting to know more. "Well, I owed Blank Slate and his wife, Glowing flower for helping me out with getting rare plants and materials for my potions. Last I knew, Glow was getting sick in the mornings." I reply to their questions. I then see Celestia thinking about something, and pointing her hoof around. "Well, I got some good news for you then. I remember those ponies and their family as well. That family lives in Canterlot. The one of a hooful of good Noble families who aren't stuck up." Celestia replies with a smile "Well, thats a good start then. Mind if I come along with you both?" I ask hoping for the best Luna smiles. "Of course you can come. It'll be great to be with you again." "Hope you can endure more testing. I still have a ton of ideas in my head." I reply back. I see Celestia face go to a "oh no, not this again" looking face. Knowing what I did over the years pre trapped, I don't blame her. After the party wounded down, I was in a charriot by myself and the princess in a different one by them selves. "Dang capacity limit." I muttered to myself annoyed. I look out towards the ever growing city as we get closer to it. "Well new life, here I come charging in at... How fast are we going?" I ask to the pony carrying the charriot. He just replies, "average speed miss." "Thank you. Ahem. New life, here I come at average speed." I say finishing my sentence and putting my hoof into the air ready to face whatever came at me. I take a good look at the city below us and quickly ball up. I soon found out I had scared of heights. "Seems I wasn't ready for everything just yet." After a few more minutes of flying we land at the castle, and I get of the charriot. > Chapter Three > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After I got off the chariot, I waved bye to the Pegasus who carried me. "Time to begin a new life it seems" I say outloud. "Welcome to our new castle Glass." I hear Celestia say as she approached from where they landed. "Need any help getting around the castle?" "Knowing I know nothing about it, that would be a great help." I say smiling. "Guards?" Celestia says outloud as a few guards approach from seemingly nowhere. "Please show mis Glass to one of our guest rooms. her situation is a tad complicated and we need some time to sort a few things out. Make her feel welcomed and that she has access to the brewing room." "You have a brewing room? Talk about an expensive amount of equipment you have. Or did things get easier to make over the last 1000 years?" I ask knowing what it costed me back then just to get started making potions. "It's not all that bad now, but some ingredients are still quite expensive to get or make." Celestia replied I understood and followed the guards to the guest room. **TIME SKIP** Soon I got settled into my rather large room which now that I can think about this kind of stuff, was like a small house. Probably bigger than my small house and workshop combined. then I went to the door and saw the guards that where posted in front of the door in case I needed anything. So, I decided to do what I do best. "Excuse me, but could you get me a few things?" I say in a friendly voice "Depends on what you need" the guard replies "I just need books about potions and potion making. Modern ones of course. And could I get some tea and snacks as well? I like to enjoy them while reading." I say and explain to the guard. they think about it for a moment and one of them nods and asks a passing maid to get what I wanted. Which, while convienient, was not what I was hoping for. So I have my books, tea and snacks. Then I decided to learn about what improvements they have made over the last 300 years if what Celestia said was correct. **ONE STUDY SESSION LATTER** “Wow, just wow... guess she wasn’t kidding about me being the best pony.” I say out loud after reading up on the so-called advancements that they made. It was clear that nopony could hold a candle to what I achieved back then. It was all simple stuff like, lasting longer, effective quicker, ingredient substitution, and so on. “Guess I’ll have to make improvements weather they like it or not. I’m going to fulfill my dream and make it a reality.” I exclaim to myself as I get fresh paper, a quill and decided to get started on recreating my notes as best as I could. > Chapter 4 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4 Potion basics "Lets see if I can remember the basics of potion making. Its been 1000 years since I made my last one after all, and a refresher wouldn't hurt." I say and then clear my throat. "To begin with, most potions need a base of some kind, in the way I make it, its water. Holy water, dirty, regular, magical, and more. Then there's the categories I put the potions into. The way I sort them is body, arcane, physical, and other. To start off with, body has the most sub class' as there's a lot you can change. Such as the horn, wings, mane, tail, eyes and so on. Arcane effects one one magic. And as such is very hard to make and get right. Physical stuff mainly refers to endurance, strength, swiftness, and so on. These are relatively easy to make but also easy to detect with the magic spell. this way they can't be used in competitions. And any that don't fall into these broad categories goes into other. I believe thats potions 101 done. Class is dismissed." I smile and let out a yawn as being awake for over 1000 years. So I got in my bed and fell asleep for the rest of the night. **NEXT DAY** It was the next day and after waking up and getting ready I find that the guards wanted me to follow them. So hats what I did. Soon I was in quite a large dining hall with a warm breakfast waiting at a spare seat. After taking my place on said seat I dug right into the food eating the very tasty breakfast. to my left was where Luna and Celestia where enjoying their meals as well. But soon Celestia began to speak. "So Glass. What do you want to do now that your out and about once more?" She inquired "Probably the same thing as before. Experiment with potions, open a shop maybe, and settle down in a new town as well. Don't get me wrong, being in the capital was quite good for getting stuff and making connections, I don't have any here. Which reminds me of a few more families who owe me favors and some I owe as well." I state recalling them after thinking about it. "Mind telling me the families who owe you and who you owe as well then?" Celestia asks. I just nod and start giving a small list on both familes of who I owe and who owes me. "Though not sure if I can call upon those favors now... except for maybe one which you helped." Celestia looked puzzled and then remembered. "You are talking about the life debt they owe you for saving the wife and kid, right?" I just nod. "Since it was a magic bond it should still be in the descendant of the family most likely." I say hopefully. "I can also easily find out who has it as well." celestia said lighting her horn up and checking "That's a surprise. Seems my student and captain of the guard have a trace of the original spell I casted way back then. What would you like to do." "Well for starters I would like to meet them if at all posible." I stat to her "I will make a few arrangements then. Should be ready in a few hours at most." celestia said. "I will send them to your room when they get here as well." "Thank you very much. I shall be waiting for their arrival." I say smiling and then head to my room to wait for them and NOT getting lost on the way as well. > Chapter Five > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wait in my room after making my way there, curious about these two ponies and what they looked liked. But soon enough three ponies came on in, first was Luna, which really surprised me. I winder what brought her here? Then next to her was a purple unicorn pony that I met at the castle and town. And then there was a white unicorn stallion who didn't look to bad. Already taken by the looks of things though. "Luna its quite a surprise to meet you hear." I say to her. "Well, I wanted to talk about the old times and about this bond as well. After all, I was there when the bond was set after all." Luna said taking a seat nearby joined by the other two. "This Is Twilight sparkle, she was Celestia's student and the new holder of the element of magic. And this Is Shining armor, big brother and captain of the solar royal guards." The two of them smile before twilight went first. "Can I ask you a few things as well during this?" "I see no trouble in answering questions as long as you can answer mine as well." I said to her. "Well, first question is whats with this bond?" Twilight asks "this relates to a family I helped over 1000 years ago. As you know I was the best pony potion maker during that time. And during a week, one of the plauges passed through the capital. I was quite busy making healing potions and cures for all the familes. While I did do this out of kindness, *looks at luna* you and your sister did pay for that." I said "It is only natural. You single hoofedly saved every one there at that time. Though we did only do this magic bond with only that one familly." she pointed out "That's because the wife went into labor before I could cure her of the plague. That sure tested my skills, saved both the foal and the wife as well. That's why I had the bond done. I saved both lives that day when they surely both would've died." I explained to both of them. "Now then, I believe my first question would be... what are you willing to do for me?" "Depends on the task really." twilight replied and shining nodded in return agreeing. "My turn now. I hear you can make a lot of potions, how many can you make?" shining asks " "Hmm.. I lost count after my thousandth failed try." I answered honestly. "Though my successful number of potions are a lot less around 100 to maybe 200 on the high end. A lot where custom made though. Now then... my next question should be...."