Chapter 0: The Past Revisited
Chapter 0: The Past Revisited
TS’s Journal Entry:
Day 1- I don’t usually record my own thoughts for fear that somepony might think of them as construed and irrelevant, but being in the position that I am now I feel as though I should leave some records of who I am and how things were and are. So let’s skip the long winded intros and overused dramatic lines and get to the point. My name is Twilight Sparkle, though many don’t call me that any more. Most refer to me just as TS; my initials obviously, though many don’t make the connection. I am one of the two only alicorn princesses left; the other being Luna. We are of the highest degree in Equestria, of which we rule over every portion and make sure that everything is kept in order and serenity. But things…..haven’t been going as “pleasantly” as it could. There is so much that has happened in Equestria. All starting back at my coronation.
Before my honor and selection by princess Celestia to become a new alicorn the ponies down in the towns of Ponyville , Manehatten, Canterlot, and others had disputes on how things in the royal palace were being govern. Some were saying that Celestia had more power than her two “underlings” and ruled more then she should. Some believed that the other two princesses should have more power over the land then she who raises the sun. Others say the princess has gone on for too long and that it was time for a new central ruler. Maybe even a non-alicorn to step up and rule for once. And then there were those, like me, who stayed under her wisdom and light and followed her rules and regulations as if it were my top priority. It was thanks that and my studious nature that made the princess interested in me and how I would grow in the near future. It was because of her I got a great education, a wonderful place to call home, and even my little assistant, Spike. Later when I got older she would be responsible for sending me to Ponyville to learn the values of friendship; something I had neglected as a child. And while down there I would actually meet five others: Rainbow Dash (Pony of Loyalty), Applejack (Pony of Honesty), Rarity (Pony of Generosity), Pinkie Pie (Pony of Laughter), and Fluttershy (Pony of Kindness). These ponies would not only show me the magic of friendship by becoming my friends. They would show what things there is to life if you put yourself out there and explore the possibility.
After about two years of living down in Ponyville and going through many types of difficulties I had finally accomplished the final task the princess was looking for to complete my training in friendship; thus allowing her to change me into an alicorn. Of course, such an occasion needs a coronation to swear in the new authority that was about to be added in. And after all was done and everything was passed and recorded down in the Great Hall I had finally become a princess. Unfortunately, this happiest of occasions to ever happen in mine and everyone else’s lives would soon turn to a vile, sour time to ever be marked in history.
The arrival of a new princess in the palace riled up the stirring crowds down in the towns and cities. Although many agreed that Princess Celestia should step down as the main ruler, even more agreed that there should be ruler that isn’t an immortal alicorn. The thought of another eternal life to take over and rule for centuries to come was too much for some to bare. Some took it so far that some even started to revolt and protest to the act of making me a new ruler, but the princess denied their words and continued on with regular duties. This went on and on and on for nine months until one day early in February. One of the guards who was protecting the inside of Celestia’s chamber cracked into the outside pony’s acts and controversial words and attacked the princess. As powerful as the princess was she had not anticipated the sudden turn in her royal guard and suffered a severe stab wound to the chest. She got sent to the royal hospital and while out of commission I was in charge of keeping the castle stable. Though, I wasn’t sure if I could keep the place under control by myself, so I asked for the assistance of my friends to help me in my task.
Another month passes of this madness. The revolts and rebellion against us turned into a full on war for power and authority. My brother Shining Armor lead the task force and the Canterlot army to repel the growing forces and hopefully try to get the situation handled, but the masses were too large in number for our forces to handle. I was back at the palace discussing with my friends the matter that was taking place. We were all distraught about the events that were being ensued and we wanted them to stop. But although we all wanted these things to happen so that we could go back to our former lives, we all also had different views on the matter going forth. Each said something or thought of something that the at least one or two of the others would completely disagree with. And with each disagreement came a fight to see who was right. I’m afraid to say that my friends differences and outlook on the problem led to them starting to turn on each other. This war that we were discussing-that separated once good friends and neighbors to fowl enemies- is now splitting us and making us see ourselves as unfit company. They fought and fought at each other. Screaming in each other’s faces that their view was the correct one to see. Even I was yelling for everyone to see it from my point of view. Rainbow was arguing with Rarity, I was blowing my tension off on Pinkie, and even Fluttershy was actually speaking out and going against Applejack. We all yelled at each other for what seemed like hours until finally Rainbow Dash, fed up with everything, decided to leave. Turning her back on us and flying right out of the castle. Not long afterwards Rarity and Applejack did the same, then Pinkie, and then finally Fluttershy. All my friends had left and abandoned me and each other. They didn’t want to see one another ever again and just decided to go off and face this problem their own ways. I never saw them again.
It was around this point that I had gotten a message from one of my last loyal guards that Princess Celestia was………dead. Her wounds were almost completely healed and she would have made it back to maybe help me in trying to stop this, but one of her nurses, who was part of the revolting pack, had been slipping small doses of poison in her IV tube. Not enough to kill her all at once, but to gradually make her weaker and weaker over time until finally her body gave up on itself. Once she was dead and the news of her passing got out the whole land of Equestria shook of all the ponies screaming in cheer the so called “tyrant” was now dead. This, however, only last for a couple of days because now that she was officially dead everyone wanted to become her new ruler. With this now on everypony’s mind the war out break got bigger and more devastating. There were now three different groups of ponies that were fighting for their beliefs. First, were the Saliniods. They believed that Equestria should be governed by the ponies themselves, instead of living under an autocratic leader. They are led by a pony named Charcoal, a former royal guard that broke away from his promise to serve and overturn the unjust rule. Next are the Anti-ots. These group of ponies believed that there should still be an all-powerful ruler, but one that isn’t an alicorn. They believe that if there is a pony that isn’t an eternal alicorn then they can handle the ponies problems better because they understand the mortal follies they go through. The leader of this group is Trixie. She got the position after the last leader “mysteriously” disappeared. Even after that Trixie got into the ponies hearts by telling them of her past and guarantying that they would win against the inferior groups. She may be a boastful gal, but she can trick and persuade any pony she wants into what she has to offer. The last group is of my army, The Rebels. We fight for trying to get everything back to the way it was. All we want is for peace to be restored and for the lad to return back to its former glory.
One year of this has past and no progress had been done. The once peaceful land of Equestria was now a waste land. It was an open battlefield where anything went. No rules. No restriction. No regulation. It was animal warfare out there and I had no control over what happened. I was in a stressed state of mind and a feeling of hopelessness came looming over me. I was so depressed and sad to see so many dead and injured. But at the same time I was mad. Hate filled even. I wouldn’t let anypony come into my chamber and just sat there staring at the walls in anger and thinking about this world war we were in. This anger I had made me do things that I still regret today. Things that I can never take back and undo no matter how hard I try. It made me hurt so many innocent lives. It made me destroy once beautiful landscapes and natural scenes into dumps and cesspools. I even hurt my only friend left, Spike, by telling him he was a worthless runt and that he was just an expendable slave that could be replaced at any time. And he left. How can I blame him? I’d leave too if the pony who acted like family to you your whole life said you were a worthless slave, but I couldn’t. I was restricted to the castle walls under war policies, but why did they matter. No pony was following war policies and look where we are. A desolate flat plain scattered with blood and gore at every corner.
I don’t know what to do……I’m lost……and helpless…..I’m alone. With no sense of faith or direction left………it’s just me……and only me…….My name is TS, and this was my past revisited.
Next time on World- Chapter 1: TS
Chapter 1: TS
TS’s Journal Entry:
Day 2- As I continue to write the events of now and then I see just how much time I’ve spent being stuck in this castle. Ever since the coronation I’ve been confined to the walls of this place doing nothing but giving orders to what should be done. I haven’t really done anything but give commands . And the more I think of how inactive I’ve been the more I feel that I should be doing something on the outside then in the inside. Maybe…..I can get out.
I remember being in my chamber. It was around noon, but due to the amount of fires and smoke clouds outside it looked a lot like it was midnight. I was sitting in the princesses old thrown looking at the door that led out to the hallway. I was deciding whether I should just leave and start participating in the on slot of mass destruction or stay in the comfort of my protected palace. I knew that as a princess it was my duty to protect those under me and bring peace to all parties of the land, but I just didn’t have any insight as to how to do this. Plus, I doubted that the ponies below would listen to the mare that caused this outbreak to begin with. Even with all this negative perspective flowing through my mind I still felt that I owed Equestria a chance to get its hooves back on the ground. How I would do this is beyond my comprehension, but when I find out how I will latch hold of it and get prepared to use it at any time.
A couple of years back I had originally thought of a plan to use the Elements with my friends to show everypony what it meant to be united and be treated as friends, but that plan went downhill after my own friends left me in the dust never to be seen again. I constantly wondered how they were and how their lives are now. Since that fight we haven’t kept track of each others whereabouts. Where are they and how are they defending themselves? I mean, I’m not calling them completely defenseless. RainbowDash is the fast thing alive and can create storm clouds and tornadoes if she has too. And AJ; she was the strongest of all of us. She could buck hundreds of ponies off her land and not break a sweat. As for Rarity, she has magic on her side, which gives her a high advantage over others; and Pinkie was the most spontaneous pony around. She can sneak up on you and disappear in the blink of an eye. And although Fluttershy isn’t much of a fighter I’m sure having the forces of the forest behind you is a good backup measure incase anything goes wrong. So with everything my friends have, whether it being natural ability or the assistance of other forces, it is probable that they can survive on their own. But the problem that I saw with my friends after our break-up is that they didn’t have any sense of direction as to what they were going to do. I was always the leader of the group, especially in a crisis like this. Without somepony to lead them to the right objective they would have went down the wrong path and headed towards the pit of failure. Not to say they can’t handle their own lives and make their own decisions, but when something like this happens you need to know what to do and you need somepony to help you to do it. You can’t do everything alone. I know. I was and probably still am thinking the exact same things they are.
I was sitting in my chair pondering all these things at once and wondering how to set all these things straight when slowly I see my front doors open. I look to see who it was, as I never have any presence enter my room, when I see that it was Luna stepping in. She had this dark expression to her face and she creped in to the chamber slowly and with her head down. As depressed as she looked I just watched her creep in with no emotion. I was just so used to ponies coming up and falling to the ground at the hooves of someone else and just crying. I just had no words to say to that or this. She continued up to me, still with her head down and I still just look down on her with nothing to say. It was like that for a good five minutes before either one of us spoke to the other. “Luna,” I started to say, “why are you so…..sad?” She finally looked up at me and I finally saw the tears going down her face. I had never seen her cry except for when somepony died. So for her to be here and crying at my hooves means it probably wasn’t good. “Luna,” I asked again, “Why are you crying?” She whipped her tears away and looked at me straight in the eyes. “Princess Twilight; as much as it pains me to tell you, I’m afraid that……t-that…….” She started to choke up at what she was trying to get across. She calmed herself down again and tried where she left off. “I’m afraid that during battle with the Anti-ots….you brother Shining Armor was….was…” “Was what?” I interrupted now worried about my brother. “What happened to him Luna? Was he captured?” She shook her head, no, at that. “Was he injured? Is he in the hospital?” She shook her head again in disagreement. There was another option that I could say, but I didn’t want to say it and find out it was true. But I knew if I didn’t find out now, it would surely be later. “Is he dead?” said with a low, straight forward voice. She nodded her head in agreeing with the statement. My brother was dead.
An hour past by sense I got the news and just laid in the middle of the floor looking up at the ceiling. Although I had realized most of my past mistakes were made in anger, right now I felt as though my heart was in the fiery pits of hell. I was furious. I felt like I hated everypony again. I wished they would all burn and feel the same pain I did. Though, I realized that they were probably feeling even worse pain then I did. I just…..it’s hard to be in battle and be hurt yourself, but it’s even harder to hear constantly that ponies you know and love and hold close to you are getting injured and even dying every day and you can’t do anything about it. That is what makes me angry. That is what infuriates me in the deepest part of my being. I had years to solve this; almost a decade and I couldn’t come up with a single full-on plan. I read every book on tactical procedure and warfare and looked closely at every little detail that they said specifically to pay attention too, but still my mind couldn’t come up with a good plan. I watch out my balcony every day and see the seas of bodies lifeless on the ground, making rivers of blood that lead to nowhere and still I have no clue as to what I should do. I feel as though my mind has failed me. I feel like I’ve failed me. I feel like I’ve failed everyone.
It was now midnight and the moon was full, though I couldn’t actually see it because of all the smog. I only knew because Luna was with me and told me it was a full moon tonight. We stood out on the balcony looking out on the land; looking past the endless gore and seeing into the distance. We were side by side and not saying a word as we just enjoyed the sound of silence for once. It was just so rare now a days. The simplest of pleasures just seem to be the greatest of gifts now; and we would take every minute of it as we could. So we stood, looking out in the distance for a while before I decided to break the silence and begin what was plaguing my mind. “Luna,” I began to say, “do you ever feel …hatred towards the ponies down there?” She turned to me with a questioned expression and then turned back to the view. “Hatred, you say?” She asked sounding slightly profound. “Why do you ask Twilight?” “Well, for the longest time I’ve had a burning temper in my heart. And I’ve felt so mad at everything; and I didn’t know why. I eventually got my temper back in control, but ever since you informed me that my brother…….you know, I just felt the fire building up again.” I saw her close her eyes, as if she was thinking about all the words I had just said. She then reopened them and turned to me with a subtle smile. “My child, I know exactly what you are feeling.” She said softly. “You above all remember when the news was spread that my sister had passed.” I did remember that day. Another day I wish I could forget, but is burrowed deep in my mind. “When I got news of this I was sad and depressed. I felt as though part of my soul was ripped from inside me. But that was nothing compared to how I felt when I found out the reason why she died. At that point I did feel this hatred you describe and I too wanted vengeance towards those who went past the boundaries of good and bad. I wanted them to go into the darkest corner of the land and live the rest of their lives in endless misery; just like I felt I would be. I was lost and broken, and I felt like I was now alone.” Her words were exactly describing how I was. It was like talking to a second me. “But then that all washed away one day. I was flying through the ruins of an abandoned town when I looked down below and saw something move. I dove down to get a closer look and by the time I had hit the ground I saw it was a small little, young colt. Couldn’t have been no older then six. He was crawling on the ground softly yelping in pain; because as I soon noticed his back legs were brutally burned. He couldn’t walk and was dragging his full weight by his front legs.” This sounded horrible. That poor little child. How could he just be left alone in an abandoned town with no help? “I walked up to him and asked if he was okay. A stupid question to ask after noticing his condition, but it was just a common thing to ask. I remember him turning to me and looking at me with a stray face before he asked ‘Are you here to kill me?’ It was at that moment that I realized that I couldn’t be mad at them. I couldn’t feel anger for them, because inside I knew that everypony out there was just a small scared child whose innocence had been taken away. Inside they are scared of what is going to happen, but on the outside they could care less as to what they do, as long as they go on living. And if they die or are at the hooves of death then they don’t care what happens on the outside, but I can tell that on the inside they’re screaming for their lives. So in the end, did I feel hatred? Yes, but it went away after finding a reason to go back and find a way to end this. For you see Twilight, even though you feel that anger now in the end I know that you will find a cause to go back to those who have made you lose faith.”
At that she left the balcony, flying high in the sky without turning back. She had left me with something to think about. Something to let my brain rap around. Although I understood her message and what she was trying to pass on I could not understand or find that thing that she described. I already understand the feelings everypony is feeling. I already know that how they act is a product of how they oppositely feel on the inside. I already know that I should give everypony a second chance to redeem themselves and become peaceful once again. But I don’t understand what she meant by finding a cause. At least, I didn’t until I went back to the chamber. I went back to my chair to go off into my thinking and continue the non-seizing pondering that was in my head when I noticed something that I had never noticed before. As I was walking to my thrown I noticed something sticking out from behind. It looked like a box, but what was inside was beyond what I could guess. I pulled it out from behind the chair and as expected from an old box it was covered in dust. I blew on the top and sides as I made the cube less grimy when I saw letters on the side appear. Letters is what it said on the side and my curiosity as to what was in there was at its peak. I opened the box and saw it was full of papers. I decided see what they said and unfolded one of them. It was then when I started reading the first words ‘Dear Princess Celestia’ that I realize that these were my letters that I had sent back when I was a student. I read each letter and the message that each conveyed. I just read and read in the dark, empty room as a pile of letters gathered around me. With each one seen a smile grew and I remembered the great time I had and the events that had been taken before I wrote them. Eventually I got to the bottom, which contained one final letter. And as soon as I saw the inside I began to cry. Not tears of sadness, but tears of happiness. The first letter I ever sent. And at the bottom was big picture of me and friends. All of us, so cheerful and light hearted. So close, and still together. All the memories and all the times we had just seemed to flow back and it made me realize that I wouldn’t be who I am or even have these wonderful memories if it wasn’t for them. For once, I stopped thinking with my head, and started feeling with my heart. I finally knew what Luna was saying. My cause, my purpose, was to recreate the strong bonds that ponies had with one another and to see eye to eye without conflict. It was clear to me now what I had to do. It was clear what my mission was. Not to stop the war, but to start the harmony. But the only way to do that is get my harmony back. I can’t do this alone, and there’s only five other ponies and a little assistant that can help get to where this place needs to be. I need my friends back. And I’m on a mission to find them at any cost. I left the castle three days ago and have been on my two hooves trotting nonstop to get to my destination. My first stop: The Carousel Boutique.
Next- Chapter 2: Whiplash
