Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn. The younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects: all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night.
One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn.
The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had left her vulnerable to malicious dark spirit that transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: The Elements of Harmony! With their power the eldest was able to separate her sister from the nightmare, but the spirit had already drained her of most of her strength. After a long and painful battle, the two sisters were able to use the elements and their remaining power to seal the nightmare into the moon.
Drained of all their power and life force, the sisters embraced one final time as the faded from the mortal coil. First to go was the eldest who had given all to save her dear sister's soul, and as she breathed her last, the Elements of Harmony shattered into crystal shards. The youngest joined her beloved sister soon after but not before giving this prophecy.
“On the longest day of the thousandth year, the nightmare returns, but worry not little ponies, fore when she who is the dawn and dusk and she who sparkles in the noonday sun are found, so too will the sisters be found again.”
---VVV---
With a small sigh, the well worn and slightly damaged book was closed and a young unicorn mare rose to her hooves to stretch. She had a lavender coat with a dark blue mane with streaks of purple and pink through it, on her back she wore a worn brown cloak with the hood down and an old saddle bags that looked like they might ripe at any moment. It was early morning and she had wanted to get a little reading in before she went to work, but now her free time was over and if she didn't hurry she would be late for her job so after putting her book into her bags and putting up her hood, she set off at a brisk trot.
As she trotted down the road, her mind once again wandered to how had come to this.
---VVV---
Power, overwhelming power. Try as she might, magic had always been difficult to squeeze out of her little horn but now something wrong. She had been trying to get her magic to turn the page of her book when a loud thundering noise scared her and now... it...just ...wouldn't ...STOP!!
I'm scared, I'm scaredI'm scaredI'm scaredI'm scaredI'm scared....
mommy
daddy
HELP ME!
“Twilight!”
Her parents were there, calling out to her, trying to reach her through the chaotic magic storm bursting out of her but were making little progress. Eventually their luck ran out and a bolt of magic struck them before they could dodge, throwing them into a wall over twenty feet away, before blasting them again.
The last she saw of her parents was her mother cradling her father as blood dripped from the back of his head before they were hit the second time, leaving only a thick black scorch mark and a blood stain on the wall.
---VVV---
Twilight's pace slowed, her head bowed as a few tears fell from her eyes. That was many years ago when she was still just a little filly. She had blacked out not long after her parent's death, when she came to, her home had been totally destroyed. The book was the only thing she could find in the wreckage that was intact. When the city guards finally arrived on the scene, all the found was filly Twilight cradling the book, sobbing quietly.
The orphanage that took her in was nice enough, she never went to bed hungry or was too cold in the winter, but there was always an underlying fear whenever she was with the caretakers or the other children. They knew what she had done and while they were never mean or outright ran from her they all acted like she could blow up at any moment.
And so, at the age of 8, Twilight quietly packed up her book and a few meager supplies, and silently left in the dead of night.
Since then Twilight had traveled from town to town trying to find work and a place to stay. She had been incredibly lucky so far, especially in the beginning, to have found plenty of good ponies who would take in a starving and exhausted filly, even if for only a day or two, and that she had been able to resist resorting to thievery to get by. But...
No matter where she went, or how far away from her home town of Canterlot she was, somepony always seemed to learn about her accident. And even though she had sworn to never use magic again, the fear would set in and she would set off to the next town, trying to outrun her past.
Twilight shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had arrived here in Ponyville only about a week ago and got a job helping the Apple family at their farm. The work was hard but the bits were good and hopefully she wouldn't have to worry about leaving town for a good while yet, she needed to save up the bits to get a new winter cloak this year, even if it meant going hungry for a few nights.
But none of that matters right now, cause if I don't get to the farm in the next two minutes, they're going to dock my pay!
With her head back in the present, Twilight broke into a gallop, praying she wouldn't be late.
---VVV---
“I'm here!” Twilight called out as she arrived at the big red barn, dropping off her saddle bags at the doors and pulling down her hood, though she kept the cloak on.
“Bout time ya got here missy!” The Apple family's eldest daughter, an orange coated, blond maned earth pony with a worn but well kept cowboy hat called Applejack hollered back as she towed a wagon full of empty apple buckets out of the barn. “Any later and we woulda had to make good on our threat ta cut your pay!”
“Sorry...” Twilight cringed back, avoiding eye contact.
“Now none of that, chin up sugarcube we got a long day ahead an a lot ta do! Now then, today Big Mac is up in town workin the stand so that means its just you an me buckin the apples an we need to get least fifty trees worth done today so lets hop to it.” Applejack said as she headed out towards the groves.
A small shy smile escaped Twilight as she got infected by her boss's enthusiasm.
“Yes ma'am.”
---VVV---
It was growing dark by the time they finished with the days chores. It was only Twilight's third day on the job and she was still trying to get into the rhythm of farm life, but she didn't once complain about the hard work even now that was completely exhausted. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the strange glances Applejack had been throwing at her all day, but she was too tired to really think about it.
“Well that's it for today sugarcube, tomorrow starts bright'n early so get a good dinner and plenty o'rest ya hear? “
“Yes ma'am.”
Twilight's tired voice is so low Applejack has to stain to hear it causing her to frown.
“Ya know you're welcome ta come share dinner with the family, and we do have a room ya could use so ya wouldn't have ta worry bout be on time no more...”
This shocked Twilight out of her lethargy for a moment. It wasn't the first time the offer was given to her and it was oh so tempting, but...
“No no nono! I'm fine really, I... I already found a... a nice place to stay. And I wouldn't want to impose really...”
“Uh huh,” it was the same response she always gave, Applejack probably didn't believe a word of it, but she didn't press the issue. Instead she turned and walked into the barn with a “wait here a min.”
Twilight considered bolting, but thought better of it and after slipping into her saddle bags, fidgeted nervously as she waited. Applejack came out a minute later with a bulbous brown paper bag and held it out to Twilight.
“Here.”
Twilight took it a little nervously, not sure exactly what was happening. She opened the bag to see it was full of apples, quite a few of them too! She closed the bag and tried to give it back.
“I..I can't accept...” Applejack silenced her with a look, took the apples, and purposefully put them into Twilight's saddle bags.
“You can and you will. That cloak may hide it most o'the time but I saw plenty today. You're too skinny, no meat on them bones. What've you been eaten lately? Grass? Ya need ta be eatin more then that if you're gonna keep pace on the farm.” She turned to walk towards the farm house, the lights inside giving it a warm glow against the dark sky, before she turned back one last time. “I won't say it no more since ya seem intent on not taken it, but know that ya will always be welcome at the table from now on. You're a friend, and us Apples always take care of our own.” She finished and enter the house, out of sight.
Twilight stood there in the dark for a minute more before turning and walking away, tears in her eyes. She wanted to take that offer so badly, so much it physically hurt to walk away, but... she knew it was the right thing to do. She couldn't afford to get attached, not to the Apple family, not to Ponyville, not to anypony. Because soon enough they would find out and she would have to leave, and it would hurt so much more if she did take that offer, because then they would become friends.
And that would make her heart hurt even worse.
---VVV---
That night, in a small cave near the Everfree forest, Twilight gazed up at the night sky as she ate the apples Applejack had given her as well as some wild flowers she had chanced upon. She loved watching the night as the moon slowly crossed the sky, though a part of her was annoyed by it as well. Twilight didn't know how she knew but she knew... the night sky was a complete mess. Beautiful, but still a mess. The stars weren't in the right spots, constellations all but gone, and the moon was just a bit too fast. At that speed there would be another eclipse in a few months.
Twilight sighed and forgot about such thoughts, after all it wasn't like she could do anything about it. Finishing off the last apple, she brought out her book for just a little reading by moonlight before getting some sleep for tomorrow's busy day.
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria,...
Twilight tried to hide a yawn that had worked its way out of her mouth: it had been a very tiring week. Day after day of bucking apple trees had finally caught up with her, so Applejack had given her the day of... sort of. Instead, she was manning the apple cart in the town square. It was just after 4 PM, and the Fall sun was just starting to dip towards the horizon. It had been rather awkward at first. The townsfolk kept giving her odd stares as she and Applejack set up the stall and the customers kept looking at her shabby old cloak as she served their orders, but she had pulled through. Now there was only one hour left until closing time.
There hadn't been very many customers today, but hopefully that wasn't entirely her fault. Applejack had mentioned something about some town tradition, running with leaves or something. All Twilight really got out of it was that Sweet Apple Acres was closed that day so she wouldn't get paid. She still had about 30 bits to save before she could order the winter gear she needed and even then it could take awhile to finally be made. At the rate she was going, it might not arrive before winter does.
Twilight let out a quite sigh before putting on a smile as another customer came up to the stall, 'Maybe I could get another job for a few days, just till I reach my mark... no. The farm work is too tiring to put any energy towards anything else. I'm fit but I'm no earth pony. I can't even ask for an advance since it's not like the farm is booming or anything. I'm surprised they hired me on as it is!' Twilight sighed again sadly and looked at the clock set up in the square.
As was usual in these situations, time seemed to crawl by slowly. There was still a half hour left and the square was deserted. The only ones out there were the other stall workers; and even they were closing up early. Twilight resisted the urge to do so as well, she might be a loner and a wanderer, but she took pride in always doing the jobs she got correctly: it was the only thing she felt she could take pride in.
She was now the only pony in the square, standing a silent vigil at the stall. She glanced at the clock again, 'Only a few more...'
“Hi!”
Twilight jumped, startled at the noise, before she looked at the bright pink pony in front of her... the pony that was totally not there not even two seconds ago. Twilight quickly glanced around the square again to confirm that it was empty and she wasn't just going crazy before she turned back to the pony in front of her.
“Oh, um, hello miss. W-would you like some apples before the stall closes?” Twilight put on a big nervous smile, not entirely sure the pony before her was real, or if she had finally gone mad.
“Nope! I'm not here for apples right now, I'm here for YOU!” The pink pony leaned in uncomfortably close, her eyes all big and shiny with the worlds biggest smile on her face, though it just looked incredibly creepy to Twilight.
“W-w-wha...?”
“My name is Pinkie Pie, and I know everypony in Ponyville, but I was walking by and saw the apple stall but no Applejack, or Big Macintosh, or Applebloom, or even Granny Smith! Instead I saw you and I've never seen you before and if I've never seen you before that means your new and if you new that means you haven't met anypony and at first that made me so sad but then I realized that if you were working the stall that meant that you have met other ponies, or at least the Apples family, so you were friends with them and that made me super happy and then I decided to introduce myself so that we could become superduperextraspecialawsome best friends!!!! So what's your name huh huh huh???”
Twilight had been slowly backing away from the overly enthusiastic pink monstrosity through the whole speech but Pinkie stayed with her the whole time. She ended up backed into a wall and cornered.
“O-oh um, m-my name is Tw-twilight Sparkle, u-um... hi?
This seemed to be the right, or wrong, depending on how you look at it, thing to say as the pink mare got a wild glint in her eye as she took a huge breath of air and launched into a long rambling speech that came out too fast for Twilight to make any sense of. Something about... bananas?... and rainbows?... she heard the word cupcake and maybe sugar in there multiple times... at least she thought she did. Twilight wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.
DING...
DING...
DING...
DING...
DING!
Salvation!
“Oh would you look at that!” Twilight yelled loudly over Pinkie's rant. “Work day's over! I've got to get the stall back to the farm now! I'd loved to stay and chat but got to go!”
Twilight back ran to the stall, kicked the wheel jack, slipped into the harness and ran as fast as she could go.
Pinkie watched as Twilight fled, sadly wondering what went wrong as she mentally went over her meet-a new-pony-make-a-new-friend check list before giving out a loud gasp: she had forgotten the break out into a random song part! How could she forget that, it was her favorite!
'There's only one way I could possibly make up for such a terrible mistake... a PARTY! But I'm going to need help if I want it done in time...'
Pinkie turned and charged out of the square like a mare with a mission yelling her war cry...
“RAINBOW DASH!!”
---VVV---
Twilight slowed to a stop off to the side of the road and slipped out of the harness. After one last look to make sure Pinkie hadn't chased after her; she let out a sigh of relief. After resting for another minute, Twilight slipped back into the harness and continued on her way at a much slower pace. It was still a beautiful day out and she wanted to enjoy it before the sun set.
'Besides,' she thought 'Applejack won't mind if I take the longer way back.'
---VVV---
“Ya wanna throw Twi a welcome party?” Applejack quirked an eyebrow at her giddy pink companion. “Ya do realize she's been here for 'bout two an a half week now, right sugarcube?”
“WHAT?!” Pinkie gasped in shock. “She's been here THAT long? How have I not met her before? Why didn't anypony tell me? THE PARTY IS SOOO LATE NOW!!!”
“Well I can't rightly say,” Applejack tapped a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “She told me that she's been stay a somepony's house in Ponyville, but won't say who.” Applejack shrugged, “But then, Twi's not exactly what you'd call a social pony.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean for as long as she's been here I've been able to really talk ta her maybe three times. Everything else is 'yes ma'am' this or 'no ma'am' that. All I really know bout the girl is that she's always wearin that old cloak a her's, reads that book she carries round with her whenever she can, that she's stronger than most unicorns, an that she always finishes what she starts. Oh an that she doesn't use 'er magic. Ever.”
“Huh?” Pinkie tilted her head quizzically, “What do you mean by those last two?”
“Just what I said. It's sort of a tradition on the farm to start the new workers with more than they should rightly be able ta handle. Weeds out the ones who don't really want ta work here an just want the bits. But she took that heavy load an finished it, worked straight through her breaks an well past when Mac an me ended for the day, but she got it done. An she hasn't used any magic at all any time she's been here. Never told her not to or nothin, wouldn't mind at all if she did.” Applejack paused as a thought occurred to her, “Speakin of Twi, She really should be back by now...”
“She left with the stall in a big hurry earlier like something was chasing her, but I didn't see anything... What if she was attacked by ninjas!!”
“Never mind, I think I know what happened.” Applejack drawled as she gave Pinkie a lidded stare. “Either way she'll be back soon, how'll ya get the party set up before she gets here? She never stays after works done, no matter how many times we invite her ta dinner.”
“No worries about that! We just need to clear an area in the barn real quick so we can set it up once Rainbow Dash gets here with the decorations! I didn't have time to invite anypony so we don't need to clear that big of an area.”
“Well if we're gonna do this lets get started.” Applejack pushed open the barn door and walked inside followed by a bouncing Pinkie Pie... followed not a minute later by a rainbow streak, which was then followed by a muffled crash.
“Gosh darn-it Dash! Learn ta brake would ya!”
---VVV---
The sun was just setting as Twilight plodded up to the barn and slipped out of the harness. She looked around but didn't see Applejack or Big Macintosh anywhere, so she shrugged and pushed the apple stall into its spot by the barn and grabbed the leftover apples in a basket to put away in the barn.
“giggle”
Twilight stopped just as she was about to push open the barn door. She lowered the basket and pressed her ear to the door. Voices came through, too muffled to tell what they were saying, but too happy sounding to be work related. Carefully, she nudged the door open a crack and peered through. There was Applejack setting up an old record player, that Pinkie Pie was there too, along with a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, setting up decorations in the spaces available. Big Mac was there too, pushing some hay bales out of the area to make more room.
'Wonder what they're going to celebrate,' Twilight softly closed the door, careful not to disturb them. 'That leaf running thing isn't for two more days... is it somepony's birthday?' She pushed the basket of leftovers to the side so it wouldn't be in the way. 'That'll be fine until tomorrow.' She quietly walked over to her old saddle bags and slipped them on, tightening the belt with her teeth. With a silent “goodnight” she started off toward her cave lodgings.
“You know that party in there is for you, right?”
Surprised, Twilight jumped slightly and looked back to see the blue pegasus from before hovering lightly at the open door to the barn, the light spilling out onto the ground below. The pegasus was giving her an expectant look.
“What do you mean?” Twilight whispered. “As nice as the Apple family is they wouldn't just throw a party for no reason, and I don't even know you or the pink one. How could it possibly be for me?”
“It was Pinkie's idea.” The blue mare landed on the ground and walk a few steps towards Twilight. “She was pretty broken up that you ran away from her earlier, so she wants to throw you this party as a I'm sorry/welcome to Ponyville thing. I'm Rainbow Dash by the way.” Rainbow Dash waved a hoof in greeting.
Twilight just stood there, dumbfounded, her thoughts in complete disarray. 'A party?... for... me? No pony's ever... why would they...? Could they really......?'
'no'
'NO'
'I... I have to stay strong. I'll be leaving all too soon, getting attached will just make it painful for... for everypony... I've got to get out of here...'
Rainbow Dash flinched in shock as tears started to run down Twilight's cheeks.
“H-hey...” Rainbow Dash reached out with a hoof to Twilight.
Twilight pulled her hood over her head.
“...Sorry.”
And with that, she was gone, bolting down the road into the night. Rainbow Dash thought about chasing after her, but she was no good with emotional mares. Instead she turned back to the barn. Somepony had to break the news to Pinkie. She walked back to the barn door, dreading the coming conversation.
“Dashie I thought you were getting the plates from the house!” Pinkie cried out as Rainbow Dash walked back into the barn. “Hurry! She could be here any second now!
“Sorry Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash lowered her head. “Party's cancelled. The guest of honor just ran away.”
“...what...?” Pinkie's voice came out softly. She came down onto all fours from where she was hanging some confetti, her mane seeming to loose some of its puffiness.
“I saw her peek her head in earlier and gave the excuse with the plates to go check it out. When I got out there she was already packed up and leaving. When I tried to explain and invite her in, she just...” Rainbow Dash sighed. “She just started crying and ran away.”
Pinkie just plopped down where she was, her mane totally deflated with the sound of a popped balloon, a look of complete sorrow on her face. Apple jack and Big Mac looked on as the happy occasion turned sour in an instant. Apple jack turned to her big brother.
“I'm really start'n ta worry bout that filly.”
“Eeeyup...”
---VVV---
Twilight had calmed down by the time she reached her cave, convinced that she had made the right choice. For once she was glad she didn't have work for the next two days, tomorrow being the day of the week they always had off, and the that leaf run or whatever: it would be a nice little buffer to this fiasco. Dropping her saddle bags and collapsing onto her bed of straw and grass, Twilight closed her eyes. What had been a peaceful day had turned hectic and emotionally draining, all she wanted now was sleep.
“ggggrrrrrrrrr”
That is, until she heard THAT! Jumping back to her hooves in an instant, Twilight turned to face the darkest part of the cave, where the growl had originated. What she saw was a pair of glowing green reptilian eyes, watching her from the darkness.
“gggGRRRRRRR!”
