The blackened sky above Ponyville was sporting a crescent moon, signaling Luna was doing her job. It was partially obscured by clouds, but clouds weren't a big deal to everypony considering it was snowing. Hearths Warming was just around the corner and everypony was excited for the big day. The foals were the most excited, and their parents always said that kids got so nutty this time of year.
A few ponies were walking the streets, but many were inside sleeping. There were a select few that liked the cold weather outside, and decided to take a stroll. One such pony was a young pegasus mare by the name of Amber Star. Amber certainly lived up to her name, having an amber colored coat. Considering how beautiful she was, one wouldn't think it'd be hard for her to get a coltfriend, but considering she was a social recluse, no one wanted to talk to her. But, then, maybe she was a social recluse because no one wanted to talk to her... At any rate, her sapphire eyes reflected the moonlight perfectly, and her teal mane with red highlights was perfectly done in a style similar to that of Rainbow Dash. With the exception of the few small flecks of snow in it. To complete the ensamble, she had a pair of perfectly good wings tucked at her side.
She walked past a news stand and looked at the headlines. They were the same as always, the griffons had either taken another town, crossed the border, or killed another Celestia knows how many troops. It was sad... It seemed that the griffons would stop at nothing to take over Equestria.
Walking in the opposite direction from her, she spotted her friend. Her best friend, since kindergarten. They had always been very close. Almost like sisters.
"Hello..." Amber said sheepishly.
"Hello Amber..." Her friend replied back, waiting for a response. "Lovley evening out isn't it?" Still nothing...
"Yeah. It is." she finally said, speaking up.
"The kind of weather that makes you want to curl up into a tight ball, maybe grab some hot coco, and read a book."
"Yeah."
"You know... I have a interesting book. It's an autobiography but uhh... It's pretty interesting. Ever heard of Lightning Strike?"
"Yeah! Wasn't he that government agent?! He was so famous! It was a shame he died..." She suddenly stopped when she had realized she had talked a lot.
"Yeah, he had a great reputation for being both kind, and generous, but yet he was ready to do the deed if it came to that."
Amber pawed at the ground sheepishly. "I heard he once saved the Princess's life."
"He did. If you want I can lend you the book. It's perfect weather for it, not to mention it's very interesting. And it just so happens I have it with me. Here." Her friend said hoofing it to her.
"Umm... Thanks." Amber said, not wanting to say no, but not exactly wanting to take her friends book.
"Thanks. I'm looking forward to reading it." She said, tucking the book under her wing.
"I should really get going now. Enjoy the book." Her friend said trotting away, her hooves making soft crunching sounds. The only sign she was there being a series of hoof prints in the snow.
Amber looked at the book curiously. It looked really elegant, like the princess herself had written it. She knew that Lightning was a pretty rich stallion, but not this rich. Looking at the title of the book, "Memoirs of Mr. Strike", which was inscribed in golden ink, it hit her like a bombshell. She had the one that Mr. Strike himself had hoof written. She was excited, and curious about the book, so she decided to go home.
Her small house on the interior of Ponyville could hardly be described as luxury, but at least it was a roof over her head. It looked like a typical Ponyville residence, nothing standing out about it in any way. Entering her house, she plopped her plot down on the couch and stared out the window at the snow landscape.
Gingerly picking up the book, she opened it to the first page and read.
It was a wild and stormy night, and the rain beat on the windows of a large hospital building in Cloudsdale. It wasn't the best hospital in Cloudsdale, but it didn't matter. You see, this was were I was born. Now, my mother wasn't married when she uhh... Bred... With my "father". And if you're smart, you know that as soon as a mare gets pregnant and their colt friend is unmarried to her, he usually leaves. And that is just the case here. So, my mother, being single, was left to pretty much birth alone at the hospital with the exception of the nurses and the doctor. Pretty unfair. But, life isn't fair, so oh well.
So without coin into too much detail, I was born. To put it simply of course. I mean, my Mom almost died during child birth, but, that's not important, right? Of course it isn't... It didn't help anything... Ahem... So, that's the start of my story. The start of my living hell...
Amber closed the book, getting tired suddenly. She decided to go to bed, but when she got up to go to the bedroom, the book fell out of her hooves. Sighing and going to pick it up she noticed a page that had fallen out partially. She pulled it out and looked at it, seeing it was blank.
"What is this?" Amber asked herself.
She felt the page out of curiosity. It felt like it had ink on it, but nothing was there.
"Impossible, unless... Invisible ink...? What was he up to..."
"Story Main Theme"
Amber stared at the paper for some time, then set it down to look at the book for possible answers. Opening it, she looked through the worn pages quickly, not seeing anything about a paper with invisible ink. Closing the book and trotting over to the paper, she looked at it blankly. Then, suddenly, the paper started to move. It floated around the room like it was on strings. Deciding to follow it, Amber noticed it stopping over a burning candle.
Confused, and terrified that it would catch fire and burn her whole house down, she galloped up to it. Looking at the piece of parchment, she noticed that it was no longer blank but held a map, with a caption under it reading:
"Should the Phoenix turn to ash, or the Nightingale be captured, this will lead you to help."
Amber tried to make out the strange caption, and where the map would end up taking her, but she wasn't very good at navigation or riddles. Seeing that she would need help, she grabbed the paper and galloped out the door, making for the one pony she knew could help.
Twilight was sleeping soundly in the library, dreaming about magic, impressing the princess, and most of all, books. Twilight never understood why people wanted to count sheep, when they could count books. Books where like, the greatest things in the world!
Twilight started having a nightmare, though. One about a blue pegasus stallions death. Strike's death. She had seen it with her own eyes. It was shocking, seeing a stallion so good at avoiding death to the point that everyone forgot he was mortal, actually die. It was strange seeing him get shot up and fall over dead... It didn't seem to make any sense, almost like it was impossible, yet possible at the same time.
Just then a fast, heavy series of knocks on her front door aroused her from her half slumber, half mind rant. Considering the time of night she considered not answering it, but because of the slight chance of it being the princess, she decided to answer.
"I'm coming!" Twilight shouted groggily. Slowly making her way out of bed and heading to her bedroom door, she tripped over a table. Cursing under her breath she got up and headed for the front door, unlocked it, and opened it angrily.
"What do you want?" Asked a sleepy, confused Twi.
"Well, Miss Sparkle, I have this book. And... It's hard to explain but..."
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm closed." Twilight said apologetically.
"But it's not just any book. This is Mr. Strikes autobiography. The original one." Amber said.
Twilights eyes went wide. "Can I see it?"
"Of course." Amber said, hoofing her the book.
"Amazing... The handwriting, the golden ink... The inscription..."
"But that's not the problem. The problem is this." She said hoofing her the map.
"It's blank." Twilight stated, simply.
"Hold it over a candle and you'll see." Amber told her, motioning to one of the candles in the library.
"What do you mean? It's not like it's got invisible ink on it, right? Heh..." Twilight said, staring into Ambers eyes, which were deathly serious. "Hehehe... Oh my Celestia, there is invisible link isn't there?!"
Amber just nodded solemnly.
Twilight, not believing her ears, galloped inside to one of her lit candles. The flame danced in the dark room, seemingly happy to help in the solving of this mystery.
Amber, who was standing in the cold outside, let herself in and stood behind the lavender mare. Considering the nature of the situation, she knew Twilight wouldn't mind.
"Impossible... 'Should the phoenix turn to ash or the nightingale be captured, this will guide you to help'?" Twilight read. "And this map... It leads no-where..." She said even more confused...
"Every map leads somewhere..." Amber deadpanned.
"Well, technically it leads somewhere. But that somewhere is in the middle of nowhere." Twilight stated, exasperated.
"Why would it lead nowhere unless there was something there?" the brown mare asked.
That was a valid point. There had to be something there. If only a plank of wood with an arrow on it, or even Strikes dead body... Maybe his weapons stash. Whatever it was, it was where the map lead.
Giving the map back to Amber, Twilight yawned. "I'll ask the princess tomorrow."
"I'll be going to bed. Let me know what she says." Amber said, heading for the door.
"Alright. I'm sure she'll know something. Anything..." The lavender mare stated nervously.
"I hope so.... I really hope so...." Amber said, worriedly, closing the door.
Play this while reading prologue.
Destiny... A funny thing it is... It can take the unlikliest of ponies, and put them in the unlikliest of circumstances... Well, or so it seems. Unless the they are the likliest of ponies, and are in the likliest of circumstances, because they were made for them. It seems that, in my experience, destiny never has in mind what you did for your life. All it cares about is what it has planned for you. It's very selfish. Or, does it only seem selfish because what it wants, isn't what we want?
I have no idea personally. Then again, does anypony? I'd like to think that destiny knows when we need a little push... But, sadly that's no true. Or so I thought... Until the unlikliest mare, from the unlikliest of places, was led on an adventure. An adventure that would change her life, and Equestria's future, forever.
Author's Note
So, another Idea I had. Tell me how it is.
