Twilight Sparkle found a Phoenix on her tree one day. The problem was....these Phoenixes had been declared extinct. Of course, anypony with a phoenix had to go through consequences....
Equestria had changed. The High Echelon ruled it. It was made up of Discord, Chrysalis and Sombra. The Dark. If there was one thing they were against, it was phoenixes. Nopony knew why. What happens when Twilight Sparkle, finds one in a tree one Winter?
The Path to the Phoenix Keeper Phoenix in the darkness, Orange in the leaves, Blind one comes leading, Through the fog and trees. Through the haunted forest, Beyond the aching hills. Darker grows the eventide, Deeper grows the chill.
Fire and Ice, Fire and Ice, Fire-Phoenix will guide you, With its golden eyes.
Ancient Dark is rising On the highest bridge, Wolves of Dark are running, On the distant ridge. Beware the eyeless creatures That would have your soul. Choose the burning sunlight, Choose the path of gold.
Fire and Ice, Fire and Ice, Fire-Phoenix will guide you, With its golden eyes.
Journey to the mountain, Flee the fortress old, Wings of fire will save you, From the killing cold. Two will make the journey, Old one gone before. To the crystal tower, Through the crumbling door.
Fire and Ice, Fire and Ice, Fire-Phoenix will guide you, With its golden eyes.
Phoenix Keeper is summoned, Atop the frozen plain, Phoenixes and wizards gather, To fight the Dark again. Two will make the journey, Fire-phoenix in hoof, Seek the moonlit tower, As Darkness sweeps the land.
Fire and Ice, Fire and Ice, Fire-Phoenix will guide you, With its golden eyes.
“Tell me a story about the fire-birds, mum,” Tia begged as Queen Galaxia tucked the filly into bed alongside her sister, who was already sleeping soundly.
“You mean the Phoenixes?” Galaxia teased her daughter, with a look of amusement on her face.
The pink maned filly nodded enthusiastically as she leaned in closer in anticipation.
“Well,” the Queen smiled, “Legend has it that Phoenixes come from a place far, far away. Farther than the eye can see, past the Crystal Mountains, and the seas. The fire-phoenixes, or Solar Phoenixes, came from the North, while the silver phoenixes, or Lunar Phoenixes and Ice Phoenixes, come from the South.”
“Lunar? Like Luna!” Tia giggled at the sudden realization.
Queen Galaxia smiled, “Like Luna indeed. The phoenixes will fly to Equestria every 100 years, to perform mating rituals, since magic is needed and Equestria is full of magic. However, sometimes, a special phoenix might find something ever better than a mate.”
Tia’s eyes glimmered in excitement. Having heard this story tonnes of times, she knew what was to come. The interesting part.
“The great wizard Moonshine, an ancestor of Starswirl, believed that on rare occasions, a Phoenix would be able to connect to and bond with a specific pony, as partners and friends. This pony must be of a pure heart and soul, and must be skilled enough in magic. Moonshine believed that this connection was made the moment both pony and phoenix was born, a connection through the ages of time, so mysterious and rare, yet so special.”
“What happens next? What’ll happen?” Tia squealed, her tiny wings flittering in excitement.
“Well, Tia, since phoenixes are known for their loyalty, they’ll be a friend for life. And they can help with any harder spells for the wizards.” Galaxia said, repeating the story she knew by heart.
“However, it is said that only one phoenix can have that special connection. The phoenix can only be partners with a pony with magic so rare and powerful that too much could mean the end of Equestria. The phoenix must therefore help that pony to harness its own magic and control the magic. The pony chosen has to keep the whole of Equestria united and safe. The pony who is chosen by the Phoenix is referred to all as the Phoenix Keeper. The Keeper guards over all in Equestria, as is his or her duty. The Phoenix Keeper maintains harmony in the land, and is the most powerful pony wizard of all.
“Even more powerful than you, mum?” Celestia asked her mother, tilting her head to the side slightly.
“Of course, my dear,” Queen Galaxia said, starting to stand up. “Starswirl the Bearded holds the power of Phoenixes and Ancient magic of Fire and Ice in his hooves.”
The Queen stood up completely, and kissed both her fillies’ foreheads sweetly and affectionately as she started to walk away.
“Mum…? D-do you think I could be a Phoenix Keeper one day?” Tia asked softly.
The Queen turned, and smiled at her daughter. “Maybe, Tia, maybe. You’ve a great heart and soul, and you’re bound to have powerful magic if you continue Magic Practice. You’re destined for greatness. Maybe one day, in the next century, you’ll find a Phoenix. Then, maybe, you’ll have a chance to be a Phoenix Keeper.”
Celestia smiled as she snuggled into her bed contentedly.
Queen Galaxia looked at her daughter with affection and love.
“The greatest one Equestria has ever known.” She murmured. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **10 Years Later**
Princess Celestia sighed as she trod along the familiar path in the forest. The Everfree forest, to be more specific. It was the 3rd month since her mother’s death. Queen Galaxia had been killed in battle against leaders of the enemy party. The other party came from farther than Galaxia had thought. ‘From the dark lands of the Beyond, where souls are as dark as coals and hard as stone’, according to what Queen Galaxia told her generals and armies. The enemies came from the Outerlands, where magic practiced was darker than anypony in Equestria knew. The leaders of the army were Discord, Chrysalis and Sombra. All were known practitioners of Dark Magic, which was forbidden in Equestria. Discord wasn’t even a pony; he was what Queen Galaxia called a mutation, made up of various parts of animals and creatures. That was just /weird and creepy/.
The battle between both armies raged on, with Starswirl the Bearded and Celestia as well as Luna taking charge of the armies since Galaxia’s passing. Both parties had already set their territories, and the most important thing now was the City of Canterlot.
Why must there be so much war and fighting?
The Princess traced her steps along the same dirt path she’d walked on for many times, but more cautiously than ever. Who knew what strange creatures or supporters of the Dark laid silently among the dense plants, watching vigilantly, just waiting to attack?
Celestia stopped at a small rock in the shape of a tombstone, with a small swirled pattern carved finely onto it. Even though she was a Queen, and she had power and riches, Queen Galaxia had always believed in keeping things simple, including her burial spot. “In case I do…pass on, I want it simple. I may be called a Queen, but I’m just a normal pony like everypony else,” the Queen had said once. And she did Celestia shuddered, recalling what had happened. She could remember how Lieutenant Sombra had charged, piercing his sharpened and armoured horn into her mother’s side. He had delivered a simple yet effective death blow. Her mother was doomed.
That’s how he was promoted, and became one of the leaders. That rotten pony, with a heart as dark as his mane Celestia thought bitterly, clenching her teeth. She was about to vent her anger on a tree nearby by maybe casting a spell on it when she heard a soft, melodic whistle.
The white mare froze. What was that sound? It was like the soft tinkling of the bells in Starswirl’s hat, but with a melody. With a soft swish, something came gliding down towards Princess Celestia.
It landed squarely on the tombstone, causing the swirl—strangely—to glow a soft white. Celestia looked at the creature in disbelief.
It was a Phoenix.
The phoenix let out another soft whistle, but this time it sounded urgent. Somehow, Princess Celestia understood. She had been chosen. This Phoenix, Philomena, had been chosen herself to have Celestia as her partner to harness the power of Light, against the Dark.
The time had come for a new Phoenix Keeper.
Celestia’s stomach churned and her heart dropped. It meant… Starswirl the Bearded, her mentor and teacher, was dead.
That night Twilight saw the small, lean silhouette of a pony, standing beneath the Phoenix tree, she thought that maybe the shadowed figure against the moonlight was nothing more that a figment of her imagination or the result of a spell of sorts. It didn’t quite occur to her that the pony standing against the tree was real. As far as Twilight knew, nopony real had ever come to the Phoenix Tree.
The shadowed pony, who was facing Twilight, tilted her head to the side slightly, peering at Twilight and taking her in. That’s no ghost or enchantment, Twilight thought, shivering slightly as a result of the cold wind. Twilight shook her head, her head feeling dizzy and weak and feeling feverish. This field, the one which both ponies were currently treading on, was hers. Including the large oak tree, which stood grandly in the centre. The river below too, as well as every single rock and plant around, and the borders of the Forest on the other side. But no more than the boundaries Twilight had set. But those that were within the range of her territory, it was all hers. Every inch and centimetre of it.
Every night, Twilight would sit under the Phoenix Tree, alone. Just to brood, read or think, or even just to relax. She had a secret hope (or dream, rather), that the Guardian of the Phoenix, also known as the Phoenix Keeper, might tread this path and come this way some day, but that never happened—not yet, at least—and the pony by the tree sure wasn’t the Phoenix Keeper. Twilight felt the need to chase this strange mare away, tell her that she had no right to come to the Phoenix Tree, but the shivering caused the words to get caught in Twilight’s throat, locking the harsh words inside.
Twilight stared at the other pony, observing her more closely. The pony was a Pegasus, with her wings spread out in a defiant sort of way, holding a defensive pose, with a feisty glare to match. She was leaner than most of the ponies Twilight had met before, but she seemed fit and rather athletic. She had a cyan coat, and her purple eyes gleamed, with a slight sense of mischief. Her mane was messed up—to say the least. It was actually a pretty rainbow coloured mane, but it was unkempt, with strands sticking out everywhere.
Twilight had never, ever, seen somepony so disorderly and messy. The rainbow-maned mare looked moody and—to be completely honest—self-centred and egoistical. Maybe it was just Twilight’s opinion. Anyway, back to the Pegasus. Where had she come from? Not from town, that’s for sure. Maybe from the outskirts or those big cities? She definitely wasn’t a mutation of any sort, but she wasn’t from near here either.
Without a word, the rainbow-maned mare took a threatening step forward, glaring at Twilight with those piercing magenta eyes of hers, a haughty expression on her face. Looking into the mare’s eyes, Twilight could tell that the Pegasus was the scary type, but not a usual kind of scary. She was scary in a different way. The way her eyes gleamed—they held a lean, hungry look. The Pegasus looked dangerous.
Twilight felt a sudden wave of anger bubble in her for some reason, yet felt nervous at the same time (and slightly afraid of the mare, too). She gritted her teeth and took a step forward courageously, but no words came out of her mouth due to the nervousness. The Pegasus drew herself up higher, trying to make herself look scarier and more threatening. Not that she wasn’t already, Twilight shuddered slightly.
“You don’t have any parasprites near you, do you?” Twilight asked hesitantly and softly, feeling a wave of uncertaincy. The Pegasus’ eyes flashed, probably in annoyance. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she snapped, jutting out her chin defiantly. Twilight could tell that the Pegasus was starting to get irked by her questions and behaviour. Was she really that annoying?
“Parasprites are bad luck. They’re a nuisance, and apparently they fortell death and possibly destruction, according to my guardian Trixie,” Twilight told her in a matter-of-factly tone.
“Death doesn’t scare me,” the Pegasus huffed, a superior look appearing on her face. She then tilted her head up towards the top of the tree. “What’s up there?” she asked, and Twilight noticed her tense her muscles so her shivering wasn’t that obvious. Trying to act tough, Twilight realized, smirking to herself. Twilight watched as the Pegasus’ eyes travelled up to a small, flame coloured phoenix perched calmly upon a high branch of the tree, still as a rock.
Twilight froze. She couldn’t know about him. Nopony did. The fire-phoenix was her secret. Since last winter, she had kept the phoenix hidden in her tree, away from prying eyes and nosy ponies. Because you see, fire phoenixes didn’t exist—not officially or to the government, at least. The Solar Phoenixes had been declared extinct, and all other phoenixes had been kept away in dark, locked chambers in Canterlot. The thing was, nopony knew why. Why the government did so, or why they were against all kinds of phoenixes. ‘It’s for the safety of the ponies’, according to the Government’s spokespony, Miss Mare. If any Lunar Phoenixes were found, one would be required to inform the Royal Canterlot guards (who were posted all around Equestria) as soon as possible, so that they could get rid of the nuisances.
“It’s um….just an owl,” Twilight stuttered, lying through her teeth. She hope that the Phoenix hadn’t heard that; he’s be terribly insulted by that statement. “It lives here, in this tree. It’s my Tree. I call it the Phoenix Tree, ‘cause I used to hope that maybe a Phoenix or the Phoenix Keeper would come along this path,” Twilight said, trying to think of a way to change the topic. She hoped that the Pegasus would just believe her and leave or something.
Twilight simply adored and loved phoenixes—they were her passion and only love, apart from books, of course—and she was especially fascinated by the fire-phoenixes, also known as the Solar Phoenixes. She had learnt tons about the Phoenixes from her former guardian Luna. To have a Solar Phoenix appear out of nowhere onto her tree was nothing short of a miracle.
The Pegasus frowned as she stared intently at Twilight. “I’ve never seen an actual fire-phoenix before.” She said, but her voice sounded smug, as if she was definitely sure it was a fire-phoenix.
Neither had Twilight, actually—not until this Solar Phoenix turned up last Winter, with a scroll in her beak. Twilight had been fearful at first, since Solar Phoenixes only appeared in legends and myths created by the High Echelon—stories of fear and darkness. After observing the phoenix though, Twilight deduced that he was probably harmless. He was unique, with eyes that glowed softly, and feathers that seemed to be made out of fire at the edges. Twilight didn’t mind that he was rather scruffy, and tiny compared to fire-phoenixes described by Luna—his whole being seemed to give of a soft, glowing light, the kind of soft, red-orange glow that Solar Phoenixes were famous for. It was the kind of light that Twilight imagined the bright afternoon Sun to radiate, if only she dared to and was allowed to look at it.
“I told you, it’s not a Solar Phoenix,” Twilight insisted. “It’s nothing more than an owl.”
The Pegasus paid no attention to Twilight at all. Instead, she continued to stare upwards at the phoenix. Twilight wished she had a stronger voice and more confidence. If she was louder, the Pegasus might actually listen. Instead of ignoring Twilight. But then again, it was Twilight. She had no friends of any sort. At all. But if the mare had heard her, she might have listened to Twilight, and maybe even help to decipher the message or something.
But then again, the message was a secret, and so was the mystery of Twilight’s fire-phoenix. Telling the Pegasus anything might be risky. She might contact other ponies, and then Twilight’s secret would be out. Plus, what if she was sent here by authorities, to spy on Twilight or watch the tree?
“Real fire-phoenixes don’t exist,” the Pegasus said slowly, but then her lips formed a sly smile, “Or, at least, that’s what they want us to think.” She gave Twilight an enigmatic look, causing Twilight to stiffen slightly.
Alarmed by her shrewd statement, Twilight looked away. How much did this Pegasus know about fire-phoenixes? As much as Luna did? According to the textbooks, countless numbers of bird species had perished during the Great Destruction. The books stated that fire-phoenixes were a part of the unlucky ones. All of them disappeared during the Destruction.
But Luna had told Twilight that not every single fire-phoenix had been killed off, or destroyed. They had been dispersed by the Dark Brigade, and they were just weakened, in waiting for the Phoenix Keeper to appear. One day, Luna had told Twilight, they would all come together to fulfil an ancient prophecy, and bring back the Song of the Phoenixes. The Song could only be completed with phoenixes of all species, and was a sort of healing, soothing song of peace and love. However, as Twilight grew older, she’d started to wonder if that was true—or had it been another story made up by Luna to make her go to bed?
Twilight felt the need to impress the stranger, and the words just came out of her mouth before she could stop herself, “My….owl….eats mice and small birds, you know? He swallows ‘em whole! He’s really awesome, isn't he?”
“You wanna know what I think?” the stranger tilted her head slightly, and even in the dark, Twilight could see that her eyes were gleaming with amusement. “I think that this isn’t an owl. Not at all. I can tell just by looking at it; it’s definitely a real life fire-phoenix!” she paused for a dramatic effect, “It’s the last Solar Phoenix in the whole of Equestria!”
Her fiery gaze landed on Twilight, as if daring Twilight to deny the statement. Twilight looked down, and shifted from hoof to hoof uncomfortably, feeling more anxious than ever. There was absolutely no way to trick this Pegasus, she realized. She was way too smart.
“You won’t tell anypony, right?” Twilight studied her face, searching for a sign that she was trustworthy and won’t spill the secret. The phoenix soared downwards, and landed on Twilight’s hoof, which was stretched out the moment the phoenix left his perch. The phoenix blinked at Twilight slowly, his eyes glowing slightly, brighter than usual. She rubbed her nose against his fluffy, warm feathers, feeling his heart beat steadily.
“He’s a brave one,” Twilight smiled at the Phoenix proudly, causing him to puff out his chest slightly. Twilight took a deep breath, thinking if only she could be as brave as the phoenix. “I found him in this tree last Winter,” Twilight added, “ He had so much ice on his wings that he looked nothing like a fire-phoenix.”
Twilight didn’t tell the Pegasus how she’d been so terrified at first, thinking that the bird might try to attack her.
“Its wing’s sticking out, it looks weird,” the Pegasus commented bluntly, eyeing the fire-phoenix’s right wing. Why in Equestria was she being so critical and all? “Can’t you tell? He’d been in a fight!” Twilight snapped, trying to steady her voice and calm herself. “He can hardly fly! Coming down from the tree was a miracle in itself. That wing of his has to mend. I bring him anything that he could eat, like mice or bits of food; he’s not able to hunt for himself.”
“So, that means that the Phoenix is stuck here, isn’t it?” the mare asked, her eyes fixed on the Phoenix. “It can’t fly away, even if it wants to.”
Twilight shrugged. She could often sense that the Phoenix did want to fly off, swift and far, away from the little Phoenix Tree. That all he was waiting for was for his wing to heal, to mend, before he’d fly away. What Twilight didn’t tell the mare was that she was afraid—afraid that the phoenix would one day fly away and not return, leaving Twilight alone.
They stood there in silence, as the minutes ticked by slowly. The Pegasus fidgeted, slightly uncomfortable about the silence. Twilight could see her gaze travel, taking in the tree, the phoenix, and the large field they were in and the plants around. Twilight frowned. /Had she said too much?/
“I won’t tell anypony.” She declared at last. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
Twilight looked up at the mare’s bright magenta eyes, surprised and relieved at her response. The phoenix fluttered from her hoof, flapping frantically and awkwardly in the air, before landing on a branch beside the Pegasus, letting out a whistle that sounded smooth and soothing, like the soft tinkling of bells. Is he trying to tell me something? Twilight wondered. Maybe that I should trust this mare?
“Who are you?” Twilight asked the Pegasus curiously. “Why are you here?”
The Pegasus, who’d been stroking the phoenix gently with her wings, whirled around, the same familiar glare piercing Twilight once more. She puffed out her chest like the phoenix had, and said in a superior tone, “My name’s Rainbow Dash! The fastest flier out there, trust me. Totally fearless! My mum said that I was as fast as the Greek God Hermes, from the myths of the ‘humans’ my friend Lyra talks about.”
Twilight arched an eyebrow, startled by her fierce and quick reply. And the arrogance in her voice, too.
“I know about the myths,” she told Rainbow Dash. Luna had read them to her once, from a dark tattered book with stars swirling on it. She tried to remember stories about the god Hermes.
“Rainbow Dash, that’s me,” the mare smiled, more friendly now. “You can call me Rainbow, it’s less formal and shorter too. Plus, it sounds cool. Like the goddess of rainbows, Iris.”
Twilight returned a small smile, thinking that she’d been worrying needlessly. The High Echelon would never hire somepony as loud and talkative as Rainbow Dash. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, Twilight for short.” She jerked her head to point to across the field. “My house is at the top of the hill, across that small stream. I live with my parents, at the end of a dead-end street.”
Rainbow Dash looked at her, frowning slightly, as if she was deep in thought. “What are you doing out here, in the middle of the night?”
Twilight’s face burned in embarrassment. “I’ve got my reasons,” she mumbled, looking down and wishing that Rainbow would stop looking so hard. “Plus, I could ask you the same thing.”
“You could,” Rainbow Dash agreed, stretching her wings. “But I asked you first,” she added smugly.
Twilight frowned. How did she have an answer for absolutely everything? “My parents don’t actually know that I come here every night,” she admitted. “If I did, they’d probably be really upset and disappointed in me.”
The phoenix whistled softly, the sweet sound being carried by the wind; so soft that one might mistake it for the wind itself. It was the sound Twilight loved the most. Sweet, calming, soothing. Her face fell slightly though, her shoulders drooping just slightly. How could she tell Rainbow that for the past three years, the darkness was all that she had known?
Trixie squinted at the figure approaching her slowly and called out, “Is that you, Twilight?” Trixie set down the wand she’d been studying and stood up from the sofa.
Twilight closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them to look at the dully lit parlor. She’d been sleeping in her bedroom for most of the afternoon. Unlike other mares her age, Twilight never went out during the day. Three years ago, she’d been diagnosed with this rare disease. The doctors had said that she was allergic to ‘Sun particles’. Any other light was okay though, other than the rays of the Sun.
For Twilight, the darkness was all that she needed. Maybe that’s why I’m called ‘Twilight’, she thought, shrugging.
The drapes and curtains had been drawn tightly together, secured from top to bottom with a pin so that no sunlight could seep in. Trixie trotted around the kitchen, humming to a song by the famous Fluttershy Choir, which was playing.
Ancient Dark is rising on the highest bridge, Wolves of Dark are running, on the distant ridge. Beware the fiery killers, that would have your soul, Choose the temperate city domes, with their lights of Gold.
Twilight groaned in annoyance internally. Most of the songs these days were about the massive dome cities that were going to be built for ponies all over Equestria. Personally, Twilight found their lyrics silly and inane. The Ponies’ Dome Construction Scheme was nearing completion, which meant that soon everypony would move out of the towns and such to live in the domes, all surrounding and near the City of Canterlot.
Why, she wondered, did those songs include all those scary parts? They gave her a feeling of terror and dread, hearing about all those wolves are Darkness.
Gingerly, Twilight trotted into the parlour. “I had another nightmare,” she announced, shuddering slightly. Her problems seemed to be getting worse and more frequent.
“Have a seat, Twilight.” Shooting her a concerned look, Trixie walked over to the sofa sat down, motioning for Twilight to do the same. Having been cooped up in the kitchen for hours now, the Unicorn reeked of sharp spices and coffee. “I hope you’re not having one of your…funny turns.”
Bleary-eyed, Twilight flopped down onto the sofa beside Trixie, resting her head in her folded hooves. Shadows, thrown by the spluttering flames from the fireplace, leapt across the walls. Twilight could smell the scent of burnt food wafting from the kitchen, probably, another one of Trixie’s ‘experiments’ and ‘new special recipe’. Twilight Sparkle was a rather thin pony, with a neat and straight mane, and a horn that was considered ‘too small’, according to Trixie. She had her mother’s incredibly straight mane and her father’s large, round eyes.
Trixie had always remarked that Twilight’s face looked like it had the look of worry etched onto it permanently, due to her insecure nature and her perfectionist-behaviour. True, she was worried what others thought of her, and was easily terrified by unfamiliar ponies and had to have everything done her way, in her definition of ‘perfection’.
“Breaking news,” the news announcer, Miss Lyra’s, voice came from the news-mirror that had recently been purchased. “In an emergency session last night the government passed the Sealed Borders Act, and all Equestrian borders will be closed until further notice. This action comes after threats from hostile lands that have yet to be named and indentified. Under this act, nopony is allowed to enter or leave Equestria without High Echelon permission.”
Puzzled, Twilight’s head shot up, listening intently, but Lyra had already moved on to the weather in Equestria. Why would the government want to cut them off from the rest of the world?
“Why are the borders closed?” Twilight looked up at Trixie, confusion evident in her eyes.
“Not to worry, Twilight. The High Echelon knows what’s best for the ponies of Equestria. It knows what it’s doing. Remember, it’s the government’s job to protect us,” Trixie answered hurriedly. “Puzzling, I’d say, the way those injections bring on those nightmares of yours.” She added, changing the subject entirely and successfully. “Would you like to tell me about your dream?”
Twilight hesitated for a split second, before shaking her head. “No, I wouldn’t.”
Her mother had often said that Trixie had a thankless job, and that Twilight should see things from her point of view as well. But Twilight resented the way Trixie seemed to be overly interested in her life, always quizzing her about her nightmares, pressing for even the finest details.
“Very well then,” Trixie huffed, sounding a bit hurt. “Have it your way.”
When Twilight was little, she had the most magnificent dreams, with mysterious towers, enchanted trees and phoenixes soaring all around in the sky. She remembered those as the Good dreams. Ever since she was diagnosed with her disease and started taking medication and injections, those dreams ended abruptly. All that was left of the night, were unimaginable nightmares.
