This is Our Paradise

by Raimundo1941

Chapters

After the Curtains Dropped
Into the Past
Right and Wrong

After the Curtains Dropped

“Woohoo! They totally loved it!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie as the six friends made their way out of the backstage and into the long hall. The immense room that until a few minutes was crowded with ponies now appeared before them completely empty.

The cool white light of the moon made its way quietly through the tall crystal windows that flanked the small group.

“I’m just glad it’s finally over,” said Fluttershy, still in scared tone.

“Simply magnificent! Without a doubt one of the best performances I've ever seen,” expressed Rarity right before being interrupted by Rainbow Dash.

“Magnificent? Is that really all you can think of? Did you see how everypony cheered at the end? I was super-ultra-extremeawsomazing!” she argued, always in her characteristic overconfident tone.

“Now quit it Rainbow, everypony did a great job! It was a team effort, I told you before this isn't the Rainbow Dash Show.”

“Applejack is right RD” continued Twilight “Only when we work together can we achieve this level of success. Didn't you learn anything from the play?”

Rainbow twisted her head away from her friends in shame. As the group crossed the great double doors into another part of the castle, an immaculate white hallway illuminated occasionally by beautiful candle lamps on both sides, the sad look on Dash’s face banished when they found themselves in the warm and loving gaze of Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria.

In her heavenly and almighty grace, the most exalted of rulers in equestrian history slowly approached the group of ponies, to which the six friends promptly responded with the most solemn vows they could after the demanding evening of hard work the play had meant for them.

The alicorn who holds all other ponies destinies on her hooves spoke first; “Hello Twilight, and hello to all your friends as well. I wasn't expecting to see you girls still around this late after all you've done tonight. You are still on time for the after party, if you wish to attend.”

Every year, after the Hearth’s Warming Eve play was over, a party, hosted by the princesses, was held on the castle grounds. It’s open to all ponies, with the only restriction being the available space to house all guests in relative comfort.

“But I’ll understand if you would rather retire to your rooms for rest for the night,” the Sun Princess concluded. With her reputation as Ponyville’s greatest party pony in mind, Pinkie Pie wasted no time to respond to her ruler’s offering.

“And miss the Hearth Warming Eve party? You can never be too tired to attend the Hearths Warming Eve party! Let’s go!” Hadn’t she been speaking with Princess Celestia, the pink-maned earth pony would have run to the party, leaving only a cloud of dust behind her, and even if she had forgotten to who the shining figure standing regally in front of them belonged to, Twilight would have stopped her where she stood with one of her spells; the unicorn could not allow such act of disrespect towards her mentor, not from her friends, not from anypony.

“Princess, we would be honored to go to the party,” said Rarity, who wasn't about to miss this chance of mingling with some of Equestria’s most important ponies, who would surely be attending.

“Well then, I won’t delay you any longer. If anypony deserves to have a good time, is the six of you.” With those words the group felt allowed to leave, so they relaxed, although not too much as to the point of being loud, and regaining their normal postures began walking down the hallway.

Twilight Sparkle seized this opportunity and slowly made her way next to her teacher “Princess” began the faithful student “I wanted to thank you for the chance you gave us of leading this year’s play, I know the one held here at the castle is the most important one. Are you happy with the results?”.

“My dearest Twilight, I couldn't be more pleased with what I saw tonight; you and your friends represent all this night means,” answered she who rises the Sun each day, and then continued; “Tonight we gather to remember how important it is for us to coexists in peace, not only among Unicorns, Pegasi or Earth Ponies, but with all other races as well, whether it be Griphons, Zebras, Buffalos or any other”.

“Those were truly difficult times, weren't they Princess?”

“Indeed they were Twilight, it was a time when nopony was safe, nopony knew if they would wake up once they went to bed or if they would have anything to eat if they did. It was a time when nothing was certain, a time when ponykind stood on the edge of Tartarus dark abyss.”

The music that beaconed them towards the party was becoming louder with each step they took down the long, white hallway. The warm orange glow kept emanating from the candles on each side, casting a blanket that shielded them from the cold snow outside. The world: white, tranquil and quiet on the other side of transparent crystal windows. Undisturbed. In peace.

“It really was miracle, a blessing."

“What do you mean, Princess?”

“It was a miracle that those poor ponies found this land; it must have been like finding paradise, don’t you think Twilight? Just imagine; all you know is hardship, pain and suffering, a life of constant conflict on a cruel world. Many of those ponies had to watch idly as their families succumbed to the unforgiving winter cold. Countless colts and fillies left without parents. You can’t grow up in a world like that without thinking that the Creator owns you something, and you want that debt to be paid with interests.”

Her Serene Grace, Princess Celestia, stopped in front of one of the tall windows. Her faithful student always by her side. Both looking contemplatively into the infinite night sky, as if by doing so they could see far into the past and deep into those ponies’ souls.

Luna’s sister continued; “Then you arrive to a land where everything is perfect and pure; never again will you be hungry, or cold or afraid at night. Don’t you see it, Twilight? It was because they found Equestria those old ponies changed; they tore their land apart and destroyed it, lost it forever under the unforgiving snow. Now, they are given a second chance, and refused to make the same mistake twice.”

They stood in front of that window for some time, until Twilight finally realized her friends were long gone and were most likely already at the party, wondering where she was. She then figured it was better if she went and meet them, although the unicorn knew this conversation wasn't over yet, for there were so many things she wanted to know about those first ponies who reached Equestria. It intrigued her, consumed her. “Probably the excitement of having to star on Hearth’s Warming Eve most important play,” she though “It will pass in a few days.”

“I won’t delay you Twilight, you better hurry or you’ll miss the party. Go have some fun, you have earned it.” With those words, the teacher released her student, who trotted the rest of the way, finally reaching the great hall where her friends awaited.

“About time you showed up Twi, what kept you so long?” asked Rainbow Dash “Is everything alright?"

“Yeah, don’t worry, I was just having a talk with the princess about what Hearth Warming Eve means, that’s all. Everything is fine.”

The party continued just as planned; everypony had a wonderful time enjoying of the incredible music and games, just like with the overly delicious food and drink. Twilight and her five friends enjoyed themselves to the fullest. Like everything good in the world, the party eventually came to an end, and the six friends retired to their rooms for the rest of the night.

Twilight Sparkle laid on her bed, the lights out but the curtains open. The moon light entered the room in the form of narrow beams, just like silver strings shinning gently as they hang over a pool of clear water while a warm wind blows.

Her body remained still, but her mind did not; the tale of Equestria’s first days revolved around inside her head like a tornado; spinning around a thousand different ideas at a time. She wondered how would it had been like living during those awful times. She tried to imagine herself as a small filly, alone in her bed thinking about death “Will it finally come for me tonight? Will I have to endure another day of suffering? The dead are lucky; for them it’s all over.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The air entering her nostrils somehow felt colder than just a few minutes ago.

She opened her eyes and exhaled.

Now she sees herself as a young mare; she’s afraid, she has no family, all her friends are dead, she’s all alone to fend for herself on an unforgiving world. Every day is a constant struggle against hunger. She witnesses as ponies from all tribes fight against each other to obtain some half rotten food. She finds herself contemplating suicide; “Give up Twilight, this world is just not worth living.”

Another deep breath and now she’s back inside her comfortable room, inside Canterlot Castle. If she gets hungry, thirsty or cold, all she has to do is pull the soft velvet string hanging to the right of her bed and she would get whatever her heart desired in just a second. Everything she could ever need or want in reach of her hooves, just like that; she didn't had to fight or beg to receive a few scraps.

She spent the next minutes reflecting on how amazing it must have been to those ponies to find a place like Equestria. After all that struggle, all that fighting, all that suffering and death, now all of a sudden you find yourself in paradise; a real paradise. “This is a gift from the Creator, our reward for having survived through all that hardship. After everything we've been through, we can finally rest,” Twilight whispered.

And with one last deep breath, Twilight’s mind drifted away into Dreamland.

The Moon gave way to the warm and bright morning Sun, and through Twilights window it was now Celestias’ light that made its way inside her room, like a tidal wave, flooding every corner. After a few minutes, Twi finally found her way out of the Dream Realm and into the real world. Almost immediately after she opened her big magenta eyes, as if they had been waiting outside the bedroom for a hint to enter, a couple of maids gently opened the door, each levitating a tray carrying all sorts of sweets and delicacies from the most faraway corners of Equestria; this is Canterlot Castle after all.

“Good morning, Miss Twilight” said one “We bring you your breakfast.”

Into the Past

“What a perfect way to start the day!” Twilight had enjoyed her delicious breakfast wrapped inside the soft and warm blankets of her bed. A gorgeous world awaited her outside; the temperature was perfect, not too cold or too hot. The snow, which now sparkled under the Sun, seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see, which is pretty far away considering the fact that Canterlot is nestled on the side of one of Equestria’s tallest mountain. She completed her morning routine and exited the room.

The hallway was empty. Unlike the one where she and Her Royal Highness had their conversation just a few hours before, this one had red carpet and walls covered with wood. This gave the hallway a much warmer, homier look. The only window, that separated it from a large square balcony, was located on one end. The different bedrooms were distributed on both sides. Small chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were used to illuminate it during night and day.

Twilight made her way down the hallway. Because of the carpet that stretched its whole length, her hoofsteps didn't made a sound. She reached the stairs that opposed the only window there, and went down, reaching a bigger, brighter hall with an access to the castle gardens. Twilight headed outside.

The beautiful Royal Garden presented itself to her. With no other pony in sight, she had it all for herself. The snow covering the cobblestone path had already been swept away. It lead through the garden and to several other entrances to the castle.

Being all alone inside this secluded space filled Twilight with a sense of tranquility; it was just her and her thoughts now. And what was Twi thinking about? She thought of last night talk with her divine mentor, Princess Celestia. Her interest had only increased during the night; she craved for knowledge, ancient knowledge. She wanted to find out all about Equestrias’ founders. She had already made her mind about it; for now, this was going to be her main project.

Twilight approached one of the many wooden benches that surrounded an impressive three-level fountain, which now hibernated, waiting silently for spring's arrival. She sat down, contemplating the sleeping garden around her, and lifting her head up to the sky, bathed in the day star's warmth.

Taking a deep breath, she filled her lungs with cool, clean air. After holding it in for a few seconds, Twilight exhaled.

With renewed strength, she bounced off the bench and hurried back inside.

Throughout the years, before embarking on a new project, Twilight had found that, by performing this ritual, it was easier for her to spend the long sessions of study fully concentrated and in complete isolation.

Whether she was in Ponyville, Canterlot or any other city, it didn't really mattered; she was always able to find a spot like the one she had just been in. Ponies took great pride of their many parks and gardens; designing and tending them with enormous care; from the humblest of Manehattan’s backyards to Canterlot Castle’s impressive Garden of Statues, they all were equally special.

After she found herself back inside the castle, Twi slowed down, and wondering, she asked herself the question every researcher made before starting an investigation “Where do I start?” The obvious question had an obvious answer “The Royal Library, of course!”

Canterlot’s Royal Library, a most familiar sight for Twilight Sparkle. The building dated back to the foundation of the city. Although separated from the castle itself, the library was still considered a part of it. The base was shaped like a square, and it rose six floors above the ground, crowned at the top by a huge circular dome. The outside walls were made of sparkling white marble, while the dome was golden and shinned with the Sun. Tall spires sprawled from the structure’s corners, each was named after a famous equestrian researcher or scientist, all ending at the top with a dome of their own.

This magnificent spectacle amused Twilight Sparkle. Ever since her earlier years as the Princess’ protégé, whenever she approached this amazing edification, her heart felt a renewed love for study; during those long night of endless work, whenever her resolution faltered and was about to yield to the many pleasures of sleep, the young scholar pictured this image inside her head; a lighthouse, a beacon, like four candles that Princess Celestia lit every morning with her star, calling out to everypony who wished to extend his or her understanding of the universe countless mysteries.

The entrance to the Royal Library was beautifully decorated with the most exquisite golden incrustations. They surrounded a large, heavy double door. After crossing the portal, visitors found themselves inside a round hall, being surrounded by the masterfully carved statues of prominent ponies, the library’s only permanent residents. Over the statues heads, on the wall behind each of them, was a brief inscription detailing who that pony was and why he or she had earned the honor of being immortalized in immaculate white marble.

One last set of double doors was all that separated Twilight from the accumulated knowledge of thousands of years of pony civilization.

As those last doors opened, the characteristic odor of old parchment slapped Twilight right on her face. Behind her, she heard the door’s hinges squeaking as it closed. Before her, row after row after row of bookcases, filled with the most varied tomes and scrolls on all subjects known to ponykind, were presented to her.

Inside this great hall she could see many other ponies studying or working on their own projects; Unicorns levitating huge stacks of books, pegasi flying from one bookcase to another, just like bees going from one flower to the next, searching the top shelves for that sneaky tome that always found its way around their frantic search efforts, a couple of ponies checking out some tomes from the General Collection, librarians pushing small carts filled with books through the narrow corridors of bookcases. All of this happening in the most absolute silence; it felt surreal.

Just another normal day inside the nation’s most important library.

Twilight Sparkle approached the stairs in front of her, commencing her descent into the main part of the library. At the center was a large, heavy desk made of dark wood. On the other side, a small group of librarians tended to the different needs of the many visitors; whether needing help finding a specific tome, to giving directions on how to reach the bathrooms, didn't really mattered, those kind ponies stood there always willing to assist.

Twi made her way to the desk and positioned herself in front of one of the librarians, a young unicorn mare. On top of the desk, a bunch of official looking forms were stacked one on top of the other in small columns. A couple of quills were lying next to the stacks. Hanging above her head was a wooden sign carved with the words “Please be Respectful; Silence”.

“Good morning, Miss Twilight, it’s been a while since your last visit. How can I help you today?” greeted the mare.

“Hello Inky Quill. I’m starting a new research project and was wondering if you could help me find some books on a specific subject.” It would be a surprise for anypony who knew Twilight finding out she didn't know the locations of the many different collections by heart. Even Her Majesties’, Princess Celestias’ most faithful student needed help navigating the Royal Library; that’s how vast it was.

“It would be my pleasure,” answered Inky Quill. “What are you looking for?”

Twilight explained; “See, I’m looking for anything about Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

“Well, let’s see.” The librarian pony turned around to face a large wardrobe-like structure that was divided into many tiny drawers labeled from A to Z. She ignited her magic and a light green aura surrounded the handle of the drawer with the letter H, puling it out and bringing it down to ground level. Inside the long and narrow drawer were small cards detailing all subjects that started with the letter H.

“Well, it seems we have a lot of different things about Hearth’s Warming Eve,” and taking a deep breath, she began; “Song compendiums, different adaptations of the play scripts, different treaties about the art related to the holiday, papers, essays, history books, some biographies, even a few graphic novels and coloring books,” and with a small smile, she finished “Although maybe you’re not interested in those.”

“I might check those later. Now, I think it’s best to start with the history books.”

“Are you searching for a particular author?” inquired Inky.

“Hmm, no, not really, just give me a list of everything you have.” The librarian made a note on a piece of parchment that was lying around and handed it to Twilight.

“These are the ones on our General Collection. If you need any help, Miss Twilight, come find me; I’ll be right here.”

Holding the list with her magical grasp, the young researcher began her walk towards the General Collection, the biggest and most visited section of the library. As she walked down the long corridor, her eyes met many other ponies working on their own projects, all of them were immersed in a book, scroll or both at the same time. Every now and then, she could see a “Quiet” sign hanging from the ceiling by delicate golden chains.

She kept following the corridor until finally reaching the General Collection section. Levitating the list in front of her, she began the hard work of gathering each and every book and scroll detailed on it. It wasn't long after she started that a huge stack of books appeared in front of her, and she hadn't even made it through half the list. This would have scared any other pony, but this was Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celiestia’s most faithful student, so instead of feeling intimidated by the task at hoof, she gratefully accepted this most generous offering of knowledge.

It must have taken Twilight about an hour and a half to finally gather all the different books and scrolls from her list. With that part done, now came the second part, the one she was most exited to begin. She made her way to one of the hundreds of the library’s work stations, as they were called; it was just a large wooden table surrounded by matching wooden chairs, but they served their purpose.

She made herself comfortable on one of the chairs and levitated a random book from her pile. The book made its way quietly through the air and landed slowly in front of Twi. She began; “A Theory on the Origins of Hearth Warming Eve.” After going through several pages of the book, a look of disappointment appeared on the unicorn’s face. It talked about the many ways of celebration that were seen around Equestria, it said nothing about the ponies that first arrived to this country’s virgin shores.

She placed the book down on the table and took another one from the pile. The same look of disappointment; same thing, different subject. “Alright, third time the charm” she said, but unfortunately it wasn't; another book to the discard pile. Four, five, six, ten, twenty, it didn't mattered; with each new book Twilight picked from the pile came a new disappointment.

Finally, just when the Sun was beginning to disappear in the horizon, she placed the last of the books on the discard pile. Turning her head, she stared speechless at the huge stack, and after taking a deep breath, heaved a long sigh. “Could this be true?” she asked to herself. “After going through dozens of books, I still can’t find what I’m looking for?” Most ponies would listen to this and let out a loud *gasp*, wondering how was it possible for anypony to go through more than just a few books in one day, but time and experience had given Twilight an incredible speed, at least when it came to reading books; Equestria’s Best Young Reader.

Beaten, Twilight made her long, silent way towards the exit, her sight locked on the carpet-covered floor as she walked down the narrow corridor. As she was passing by the counter, Inky Quill stopped her.

“How was your search, Miss Twilight?” inquired the librarian as she stepped to the other side of the counter and gathered her things before heading home.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find what I was looking for. I just can’t believe it; I went through Celestia knows how many books and scrolls and not one, NOT ONE of them talked about the first ponies that arrived to Equestria!”

“Well, miss,” began Inky, while putting away a green coat inside an also green saddlebag “You shouldn't give up just yet, you know? There are still the ones inside the Special Collection.”

Lifting her head, Twilight looked at Inky with a surprised look; “The Special Collection! You would let me inside Canterlot’s Royal Library Special Collection?!”

After giving a slight step back, Inky responded “Well, I can’t let you inside the collection without permission of one of the princesses; there are some pretty unique tomes in there.”

The library’s Special Collection was placed in a completely different wing of the building. It wasn't impossible to gain access to the area, although most of the ponies that were allowed inside came from Equestria’s most important universities and learning centers, or ponies working on some personal project with friends on high places.

Suddenly, a gentle chime was heard throughout the whole library. “Looks like the library will be closing in a few minutes, Miss Twilight, we should make our way to the exit before the doors are locked.” At night, the library doors were secured by the Royal Guard with a magical lock extremely difficult to break, leaving everyone still there locked inside until the next morning. Despite what most ponies could think, many chose to stay inside working the whole night. Even Twilight had pulled an all-nighter or two. As grim as it might sound, the atmosphere inside the library during those nights was spectral, like a cemetery.

“Ok Inky, lets head outside,” replied Twilight, and then asked “Can I walk with you?”

“Sure!” answered Inky with enthusiasm. Both mares went up the stairs and into the rotunda, chatting about this and that. When they finally found themselves outside, the Moon already shinned bright atop the celestial vault.

“Inky, you work here, tell me; how many ponies have you seen being allowed inside the Special Collection?”

“There aren't many ponies who are allowed inside. As I told you before, you need a special permit from one of the princesses to go in.” Inky continued, trying to comfort Twilight. “But you of all ponies shouldn't be afraid, you are Twilight Sparkle after all, wielder of the element of Magic and Her Highness personal protégé.”

Looking to the kind librarian in her eyes, Twilight said “You’re right, Inky. Thank you. I’ll come back after I talk with Princess Celestia, but right now, I think I’ll go to bed; I’m kinda’ tired.”

“I’ll open the doors to the collection to you myself, Miss Twilight. Have a good night.”

Twi wished a good night to Inky Quill as well and then parted ways with the young librarian unicorn. After a short walk under the moonlight, she was back inside the castle. Silently, she went up the stairs and into the single-windowed corridor. A cool breeze welcomed her. She reached her room, opened the door and walked inside. She didn't lit the lamps, just fell on her bed, over the covers. As her eye lids came together, hiding her beautiful magenta eyes, she took a deep breath and yielded her mind and her body to the night. Releasing the air inside her lungs with a long, uninterrupted sigh, Twilight Sparkle fell asleep.

Right and Wrong

Twilight Sparkle slowly opened her eyes. "What time is it?" she asked to herself. Letting out a long *yawn*, she turned her head to the right, then to the left and one last time to the right. "Just ten more minutes and then I'll get up". She closed her eyes again and went back to sleep. That last day's long work session had left Twilight exhausted. She was fully aware that she still had to convince one of the princesses to grant her access to the Special Collection section, but figured she still had a few minutes to relax.

Those ten minutes went flying by, so did the next ten minutes, and the next, and the next. By the time Twilight awoke from her sleep, an hour had passed. "Oh buck!" she screamed, as she jumped out of the bed and rushed to the nearest window. Judging by the Sun, it was already pass noon. After realizing she had slept through the entire morning, she quickly made her way inside the bathroom, hastily washed her face and brushed her mane. After making herself presentable, Twilight left her room.

Just like the last couple of times, the hallway was completely empty. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she gave herself to the task of finding Princess Celestia. While she searched castle's many halls and rooms for her mentor, Twilight suddenly bumped into her friends. "Twilight!" began Applejack in a surprised tone; "Where have you been? We haven't seen you since the party!"

"I'm sorry, girls, but I've been a little bit busy with a new research project and now need to find Princess Celestia", said Twilight.

"Have you been so busy you don't have time to say "Hi" to your best friends?" Rainbow Dash asked in anger."Why are you so eager to find the princess so badly anyway?"

"Rainbow Dash! don't be so harsh with Twilight!" said Rarity, rushing to the defense of her unicorn friend."Just look at the poor thing! You can tell she's been working extremely hard, probably didn't had any sleep." she concluded, while pointing her hoof at the notorious bags under Twilight's eyes.

"Yeah, and besides, are you really that surprised about this? It's hardly the first time we've seen her so immersed in some project that she forgets about the rest of the world" said Applejack bluntly, her element showing maybe a bit too much, at it happened every once in a while. She couldn't help it.

"Please forgive me Rainbow, but try to understand; yesterday, I spent the entire day inside the Royal Library trying to find any information about the first ponies that came to this land," explained Twilight. "And you know what I found? Nothing! I found absolutely nothing!" she yelled.

The young researcher took a couple of steps back and, staring at the marble floor, inhaled, filling her lungs. After taking a few moments to calm down, she continued; "I went through Celestia knows how many books and scrolls; the stack was enormous. I learned about music, dance, art, the play's costumes and scripts, from Manehattan to Vanhoover, but there was not a single word about the actual events that lead to the foundation of this country".

"And that's more important than being with your friends because...." said Rainbow Dash as she glared at Twilight. The group remained quiet while they waited for the unicorn to respond.

After hearing those words, a look of surprise appeared on Twilight's face. "How can you even ask that Rainbow Dash? Do you really not see what this could mean?" She approached her friends and cleared her throat; she wanted them all to understand the reason of her frustration. "No pony knows how it truly happened. We know ponies were suffering, fighting and dying. We know they tore their old world to pieces. We know they ended up here and thrived. We know the "what" but we don't know the "how". I need to get to the bottom of this, I need to know, I must know how we came to be what we are today".

"Can't you say it was because of the magic of friendship or the Elements of Harmony and forget about it?"Rainbow asked.

Twilight turned around to look at her friend, and wasting no time, she responded "That's impossible, Rainbow; this happened before the elements, before even Celestia and Luna".

"But does it really matter, Twilight?" inquired Applejack "You said it yourself; this all happened so long ago, before the princesses' time. Maybe the reason you didn't find anything, is because there is nothing left to find".

"I won't give up that easily. There are still the books inside the Special Collection. That's why I'm looking for Princess Celestia; I need her permission to get inside".

Twilight saw as a sad expression appeared on each of her friend's faces. For her, the importance of this particular project was obvious. She just wished she could make her friends understand. "Girls, the repercussions of what I find can change the way we see ourselves; it's not just for me I'm doing this, but for everypony."

"You know we have to go back home today, right Twilight?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I assume you're not coming with us.

Twilight just nodded, confirming her friends suspicion.

All six friends remained silent for a few seconds, still, speechless, just staring at eachother. None of them was sure of what to say. Suddenly, Fluttershy broke the silence and, raising her hoof to point at something behind Twilight, said "Look Twilight, there's the princess. Aren't you gonna go talk to her?"

Twilight turned her head and spotted Princess Celestia, escorted by a detachment of guards, as they entered the throne room. Twi wanted to rush to meet her before her attention was required on some of the court's more official matters, but she didn't feel right just leaving her friends like that.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Just go already!" said Rainbow Dash, still angry at her friend. "The rest o us will be fine". After saying that, the pegasus turned around and started walking away.

Twilight knew that nothing she said then could could calm down Rainbow Dash, so after waving a goodbye to her friends, she left to meet with her mentor. She caught up with them just as the group crossed the doors into the castle's magnificent throne room.

"Princess Celestia! I'm so glad I found you. I need to talk to you".

"Of course, Twilight, but we must be quick; there are some pressing matters that require my urgent attention".

"After our talk from two nights ago, I decided to investigate about Equestria's first inhabitants," Twilight began explaining. "I started by searching the Royal Library's General Collection, but to my surprise, all my efforts were fruitless". She suddenly stopped talking when she noticed a strange look appear on Princess Celestia's face: her eyes narrowed, her joyful smile disappeared, she turned her head and was now staring straight at Twilight.

"And what do you need of me, my faithful student?" Her voice sounded deeper, more severe.

Twilight felt a bit intimidated. She couldn't understand the reason behind the princess' sudden change. She was ready to back down when her love for the truth and her desire for knowledge made her change her mind, and with renewed resolution, she went straight to the point. "I want access to the library's Special Collection section".

Staring down at her, the princess asked "And what makes you think you will find what you're looking for inside the collection, Twilight?"

"There has to be something out there about those ponies; records, drawings, writings, anything. This search is about finding out who we are, who I am". And staring back at the princess, she concluded; "I won't give up until I'm sure I've chased every lead and exhausted every possibility".

Calm returned to Princess Celestia's face, and with a kind voice, she said "Twilight, you can't allow this pursuit to control you. The mission you've imposed upon yourself its extremely hard: those events happened so long ago. What if you find nothing inside the collection? Will you live an unhappy life, chasing an impossible goal?"

As they slowly approached the opulent throne from where the princess presided the court sessions, Twilight answered her ruler's question; "I'm aware of how difficult this research is going to be, and that as time goes by, I'll become more and more immersed into it, but thats the way it should be, Princess. This investigation is one of the most important ones I've started so far. It means so much to me. Of course I'll be sad and disappointed if I end up finding nothing inside the collection, but if there is something, anything that could help me in there and I don't even try to find it, I would never forgive myself."

The guards escorting Princess Celestia took their position on both sides of the massive throne. The teacher and her student had almost reached the base of the stairs that lead up the platform where the royal chair rested.

"Twilight," spoke the white alicorn, "what matters is who we are today. You are becoming obsessed with something that happened thousands of years ago; this cannot end well, for if you keep starring at the path that you have traveled, you wont be able to look at what lies ahead. Think about what happened between me and my sister; what do you think would have happened had we kept fighting? Could any of us rule this nation if we hadn't agreed to leave the events from one thousand years ago in the past were they belong?"

"But Princess!" yelled Twilight. The ponies inside the throne room turned around without exception to look at what was happening; they were appalled at such act of disrespect. When she saw the horrified expressions on those ponies faces, she apologized to the crowd with a single, quiet "Sorry." But the unicorn was not sorry; she was surprised: surprised that her beloved mentor could't see the real importance of this investigation or how much it meant for her.

Trying her best to keep her emotions at bay, and being extremely careful with her tone, Twiight turned her head to look at the princess and continued; "But Princess, this is different to what happened between you and Princess Luna. I don't understand; this was before your time too. Don't you want to know what happened back then?"

Lifting her hooves, Princess Celestia began her ascension towards the throne. Twilight remained at the bottom of the stairs, still, silent. While her eyes tracked her mentor as she moved up, her mind tried to understand the princess supreme indifference. Twilight could predict what the answer to the question she was about to ask was going to be. Despite this fact, she opened her mouth and asked anyway; "Princess Celestia, I'm begging you, can you please allow me inside the library's
Special Collection?"

Sitting up high on her magnificent throne, looking down at all creation, the most exalted of rulers in equestrian history stared at her student below, and with a solemn voice spoke; "I'm very sorry, Twilight, but I cannot let this become an obsession. That's why I won't allow you inside the collection. I know my decision disappoints you, but I also know that it won't stop you from looking for the answers you seek. Just remember, before doing anything, that I love you and I care about you. This is for your own good."

Twilight remained still before her ruler, looking up at her from the bottom of the sparkling marble stairs. She felt so powerless, so insignificant, so empty.In a second, the princess crushed all her hopes. He thought back at her discussion with her friends mere minutes ago; she was so sure about the princess understanding her motivations to pursuit in this particular quest. In the end, it had all been for nothing.

A single whisper was all that came out form her; "...princess..."

"You're going to have to excuse us now, Twilight," said Princess Celestia as she signaled her secretary, who made her way to the alicorn's side carrying a briefcase in her mouth, filled with official documents. "There are many official matters that require my attention. We can talk some more another time."

Defeated, Twilight Sparkle turned her back to the impressive throne and slowly made her way towards the exit, staring at the floor the whole time. "How is this even possible?" she wondered. The princess had turned her request down; not only that, but it was clear to Twilight from her mentor's words that she would not help her with anything regarding this particular project. "What now?" she asked herself. "What should I do? Where do I go?" All this questions now haunted her relentlessly, and there was nothing she could do to make them go away.

Twilight reached the throne room's huge double doors. A couple of soldiers from the royal guard were standing on each side of the portal. One of them, an unicorn, used his magic to let the mare out. Immediately after Twilight had exited the room, the doors closed behind her making a loud noise that was heard throughout the whole castle. Thinking back at the discussion she had with her friends before she met with Princess Celestia, Twilight whispered softly; "So this is how it feels to be left alone be the people you care the most. Now I understand Rainbow Dash." A lonely tear streamed down her left cheek.

There was no pony in sight. The sound made by Twilight hoofsteps as they came into contact with the mirror-clear floor echoed, increasing the feeling of loneliness that now filled the young unicorn. She wondered aimlessly around the castle, going from one room to another.

For what seemed like hours, Twilight walked without the slightest idea of where she was going. The rooms she knew as the back of her hoof now seemed unfamiliar, so different from what she remembered that at one time, she thought she could get lost inside this beautiful gold and marble labyrinth. And what a perfect analogy it was, because that's exactly how Twilight felt inside; she was lost with not the slightest idea where to go.

The white light that made its way through the tall crystal windows changed; now it was orange. Twilight lifted her head and inhaled a deep breath. The cool and refreshing aromas of the night could already be felt. For a brief second, she regained control of all her senses and woke up from her semi-conscious state, enough time for her to realize where her subconscious had taken her. She now stood in the middle of the hall that lead to the rooms and to the gardens. To her right, the stairs that lead up to the single window corridor, and to the rooms where she and her five friends had been so kindly accommodated by the princesses during their short stay at the castle. To her left, the royal gardens; the same gardens where Twilight had sat down in front of the three-level fountain and prepared herself for what she was sure would be an exiting journey of self-discovery, just the day before.

With two options now before her, Twilight wasn't sure what to do or where to go. It didn't mattered. In the end, she didn't care. Suddenly, a cold breeze opened the delicate crystal doors to the garden, letting itself inside. The impertinent wind quickly made its way across the hall, reaching Twilight in a fraction of a second. Without asking her permission, it gently caressed her side, from the end of her tail to the tip of her horn. The unicorn responded to this intrusion only by closing her eyes.

Welcoming the invitation, Twilight walked outside. The beautiful light of the dying sun shinned upon the garden, painting it with a warm orange tone. Once again, she was the only breathing being standing in there, alone with only her thoughts to make her company.

Twilight walked slowly over the cobblestone path, heading towards the huge fountain in the middle of the garden. She sat down on the same bench than last time.The wood was cold and damp, most likely because of the snow that melted over it earlier. Searching her memory thoroughly to be sure nothing was would be left out, she went through that day's events; how she had overslept, when she was looking for the Princess around the castle, the conversation with her friends, the way she and Rainbow Dash argued about her "excessive" commitment with the investigation, how her friends had left for Ponyville without her, the conversation with Princess Celestia, and how it had ended so terribly for her.

She thought about all of this, over and over again, trying desperately to understand what she had done to screw things up so badly. The answer eluded her:

"What am I doing wrong? I'm searching for the truth. How can that be a bad thing?"

"Maybe it really is a bad thing. I mean, if it wasn't, then why everything turned out so horribly?"

"My friends think I care more about ponies who died thousands of years ago than about them. But that's not true! or is it? the fact is that I'm here in Canterlot and not with them back home."

"Princess Celestia says I'm becoming obsessive. Is she right? How couldn't she be? she's the Princess."

"I guess the truth is not as important as I thought it was."

Twilight reflected on this matters for a long time. At one point, she lifted her head to look up at the sky and saw the Moon had already came out. She was so immersed inside herself she had no idea what time it was. "It can't be that late," she thought. She got off the bench and began walking back inside the castle, when she realized she was not longer the only one in the garden. "Princess Luna!" she exclaimed.

The night alicorn was standing right in front of Twilight, her regal figure looking straight at the young unicorn. Luna approached her and spoke: "A good night to you, Twilight Sparkle. Tell Us, what are you doing outside so late? Enjoying of a soothing midnight stroll?"

"Not really," she answered "I was just siting here, thinking about something, and I guess I lost track of time. I had not idea it was this late. I actually arrived here when the Sun was setting."

"It must have been something very important if it is keeping you awake at night. There is something troubling you, Twilight Sparkle. Tell Us, We want to help."

Twilight began explaining; "Well Princess, after the Hearth Warming Eve play, I had a talk with Princess Celestia about who those ponies really were. The desire of understanding where we come from started building up inside me, so I decided to find out about it. I searched the Royal Library's General Collection, but to my surprise, I found nothing. As I left, a friend of mine who works there as a librarian, suggested that I should look inside the Special Collection, but..."

Princess Luna finished Twilight's sentence; "But you needed permission from Celestia or Ourselves."

"Yes," concluded Twilight. Then, she told the princess about her conversation with her friends and with Princess Celestia. "I just don't understand why none of them would support my research. What I might find could change the way of how we see ourselves today as ponykind. Why don't they care about the truth? How can they not care about knowing where we come from? How we came to be who we are today?"

"We are sure Our sister had a good reason to deny your request."

"But I don't undestand. Why Princess Celestia wouldn't want me to search the Special Collection? This happened long before her time too. Isn't she curious about knowing what happened? She told me it was like what happened between you and her one thousand years ago."

The expression on the princess face turned serious, her eyes narrowed, her voice deepened, although she refrained herself from using her Royal Canterlot Voice; she wanted her next words to remain only between them. "We know what Our sister meant by that, Twilight Sparkle. Let Us ask you something; What would you do if you had done something so bad, so terrible, so unspeakable, that if anypony found out, it could mean Equestria would change forever? We are not talking about Nightmare Moon, but about something that happened before those sad times. It took Us and Our sister one thousand years to come to terms after Our transformation, and only because you and your friends, the Elements of Harmony, made it possible. Had you not been there to stop Us, we would still be fighting with each other, We can assure you that."

"What?" asked Twilight "I...I don't know how to answer that."

"Us and Celestia didn't know what to do either." Luna was still looking straight at her. "Listen to Us, Twilight Sparkle; its not that your friends do not care about the truth. They think they already know it. For centuries, ponies have used the Hearths Warming Eve play to explain the first settling of these lands. For most ponies, that's enough to understand the past. They believe it, and never question it." The princess walked to Twilight's side. "You, on the other hoof, are different. Your inquisitive nature compels you to find the truth for yourself; not the truth Us or Our sister want you to believe, but the real truth."

Upon hearing those words, Twilight opened her eyes as wide as she could; her body's natural response when hearing such mysterious statement. "The truth you and Princess Celestia want us to believe?! Princess, what, in the name of Equestria do you mean?!" she asked.

Luna got even closer to Twilight, they were now only inches away. The princess of the night prepared to answer her question, and whispered the next words into the unicorn's ear. " Celestia and Us already know the truth. Twilight Sparkle. This secret is so horrible and sad, that we thought it was in everypony's best interest to keep it hidden."

"What are you talking about, Princess? What secret?" Twilight's mind was trying desperately to understand. A million questions flying around at the same time inside her head.

"Celestia only wants everypony to be happy. But We think its time to bring closure to this matter, just like it happened with Nightmare Moon, and the first thing We must do is allow the truth be known, no matter how awful it is."

Poor Twilight Sparkle was shocked. This was even bigger that what she initially thought. She just stood there, speechless, her sight locked on an undetermined point far away, deep in the infinite space. After a couple of minutes, witch seemed like hours to her, the unicorn opened her mouth and said: "Princess Luna, how can I accomplish this task without Princess Celestia's help? What if she gets angry? What if she decides to banish me to the Mo...." Twilight suddenly remembered who she was speaking to and ended the last sentence abruptly.

Princess Luna placed her wing over her and embraced the unicorn in a warm, loving hug. "Hush now, Twilight Sparkle. You won't have to walk down this path alone. We will be by your side, guiding you."

"Where do I begin?" she asked to the princess of the night.

"You were right about one thing; not everything from that time was lost. There is something that survived the centuries and can tell you everything; every bit of the awful truth. We will allow you access to the Royal Library's Special Collection, where its now being kept, hidden away from curious eyes."

"I'm not sure what to say, Princess," confessed Twilight nervously, with a trembling voice." At first I was so sure about wanting to do this. Now that I've learned its even bigger than I imagined, I'm not. To be completely honest, I'm scared. I don't know if I want to learn this terrible, horrible truth"

Luna brought Twilight closer to her chest. Pressing her ears on the soft, dark fur,the unicorn could now hear the alicorn's heartbeat; it felt so calm, so soothing, so incredibly maternal, she felt instantly reassured. There, both alone in the empty garden, under the white moonlight; nothing could harm them.The princess then continued; "We know that, and We won't lie to you, Twilight; this is going to be extremely hard and, if you do not want to continue, We won't force you. But you must ask yourself; do you really want to quit? We are giving you a chance no pony before has ever had. If you don't do this, who will?"

Twilight lifted her head, looking into her princess' eyes. With a firm but quiet voice, she said; "Alright, Princess. I'll do it." And with those words, the young unicorn mare's destiny was sealed.

A smile appeared on each of the ponies faces. With renewed spirits, the couple stood there, both of them burning every small detail of that gorgeous moment into their memory's; that ground-breaking moment that would define their future: the sleeping garden surrounding them, the gentle breeze embracing them, the quiet atmosphere enveloping them, the cool moonlight shinning on them.

Had any of them known a spell to freeze time, they would have used it without any second thoughts.

After she sensed both of them had finished recording the moment, Princess Luna said; "You are one of the braves mares We have ever known, Twilight Sparkle, This path won't be an easy nor a pretty one. You are about to embark in a journey of self discovery that will, in one way or another, have repercussions for every single pony in Equestria. Whether it be for the better or for the worst, the truth must be revealed to all, by you."

The mares abandoned each other sides, finally leaving that beautiful moment in the past. The princess spoke one last time; "Go now and rest, Twilight Sparkle. You must prepare yourself for what you are about to discover. And remember that, no matter what you find, it is never a mistake to search for the truth. You are doing the right thing."

Twilight started walking towards the castle. One floor above, her bed awaited. Her hoofsteps over the cold cobblestone path were firm and secure. The love for the truth now burned inside her chest with renewed strength. It felt like she could set the entire world ablaze with it if she so desired. As she crossed the crystal doors, she turned around, and witnessed Princess Luna as she spread her wings and took flight, heading to an unknown destination.

The unicorn spoke for the last time that night; "Thank you, Princess."

Twilight went back inside the castle and, without looking back, closed the sparkling crystal doors with her magic.