Chapters Art credited to dragk.deviantart
Prologue
* * *
A letter, lost from the Equestrian manuscripts, deep under the existence of Canterlot itself:
How do such things come to be? A destiny, found to be a dead end without a purpose. Was there
a reason for my teaching? Or was I...not the prophesy proclaimed? I thought I had found what I was
here for, but that turned out not to be. I thought I had found the answer to bring ALL together in
Harmony again...but it seems I have brought nothing.
Nothing but devastation.
Maybe Princess Celestia is right after all. Maybe I was a mistake.
Maybe she will find a student more qualified than I.
"The rest of the letter is torn from here," said a smooth, calm tone in the darkness. A pair of shimmering eyes stared at the manuscript, blinking in the pale blue light from the owner's magic above, but only then did they close. "I wish I would've known who had written it."
"You wouldn't have known either way," said a sympathetic voice behind the reader with the torn scroll. "This letter seems younger than a thousand years."
"Still," replied the first voice, "I wish I would've known the writer. This note has baffled me since the moment I returned and found it here in this ancient library." She was referring to the study full of books and scrolls with spells of all kinds, known and mysterious, scribbled on them. The place was full of dust from a long while's wait, but without the grimy layer the place would've been very tidy, which was unfamiliar to this reader with the scroll in her magic.
It was this tidiness, this note she was holding, that made her wonder who else had been in the room after she had left.
"Well, I'm sure the Princess would know something about this," said the second voice. "We could get her-" The first stopped her by turning around violently.
"Cadence," the mare said to the companion sternly, "Celestia must never know of this place. You can't tell her." Princess Cadence gave a questioning look.
"Wh-why not?" she asked.
"The great Star-Swirl the Bearded showed me this place, and he entrusted me in it's security," said the first. "All of his most elusive and confidential spells are kept here, and nopony has ever imagined a place existed. Only he and I, and it need be that way."
"But Celestia is major leader of Equestria, shouldn't she have such a right as well?" asked Cadence. "I don't understand why this can't be brought to her attention." The first mare tightly rolled up the note she was holding, tying it with an extra ribbon that was lying on a dusty desk just next to her. She set the scroll down and sighed, then facing Cadence with her brilliant eyes.
"I don't know why Celestia can't know for sure," admitted the mare. "But one thing I do remember clearly is the great wizard's command that he had given me about a thousand years ago."
"And what is that?" inquired Cadence. The mare looked deep into her memories as she quoted the old wizard.
"'Do not, by any means, reveal these secrets to your sister.'"
Picture credited to mlpwikia
Chapter Two
Applesause!
* * *
Twilight stepped off of the train and just about got her face blown off.
"YAAAAAAY! TWILIGHT AND SPIKE ARE BACK FROM CANTERLOT EVERYPONY!!!" yelled the most cheerful, but crazy voice that just about blew off the rest of Twilight's head that wasn't gone from the noises and excitement already. Spike just stood by her side like a statue, his scales shaken up.
A cricket chirped. Twilight's hair, which had blown clean up in a straight line, fell back into place as she stared into the dark center of a blue cannon.
"Ugh," Twilight moaned. Now she was happy to be home, but was a little exhausted from all the action. A pink earth pony jumped around Twilight faster than the alicorn could blink, her magenta, cotton candy-like hair bouncing in a gnarled flip with every hop.
"So," began the pony, "howwasequestria?DidyouseePrincessCelestia?Ofcourseyousawher,sillyme!DidyougettoseeALLofthecastle?Iknowy-"
"PINKIE PIE!" Twilight yelled to keep the pony from gibbering on. Pinkie stopped right in front of her, blinking at her with her playful sky blue eyes.
"Hee hee! Sorry, I just got TOTALLY EXCITED!" she yelled so loud that it echoed off the buildings. Spike looked as the echo faded, taking notice that the station, the town, everywhere it was deserted.
"Hmm, looks like I stand corrected, Twilight," said the dragon, taking a step forward and showing his observation. "Maybe nopony likes you anymore after all." Twilight saw the bare town and felt about the same way. But before any sad thoughts entered her mind, Pinkie put a hoof on her shoulder.
"That's silly!" she said. "Of course we all remembered about you! Everypony's just-" Pinkie then shoved her hoof in her mouth mid-conversation. "Mmmmmffnmgh!"
"Pinkie?" asked Twilight.
"Errr! I can't tell you!" Pinkie shouted. "Uh, sorry Twilight, but, uh, hey! Will you meet me a Sugarcube Corner at sundown today?!" Twilight closed her eyes and silently laughed, understanding the situation and making connections.
Pinkie Pie. Surprise Return Party. It was obvious.
"Well, okay!" responded Twilight knowingly. "I'll be there!" Pinkie gave her a wide grin.
"GREEEAT! We'll all be expecting you there! ...oh, and of course you too, Spike! Everypony's invited of course!" PInkie Pie then let out a huge gasp. "OH MY CELESTIA! I HAVE STUFF TO DO!!!" Pinkie sped off, wheeling her blue Party Cannon away with her. "See you guys later!" And with that, she vanished around the corner.
"Wow," said Spike, almost in relief. "Looks like you didn't nee the whole town's welcome. Pinkie Pie was enough."
The pair then decided it was best to head back to their home to relax a while before the "party" at Sugarcube Corner, and since they hadn't been back home for two weeks. With Ponyville silent, Twilight assuming everypony was at the Corner, the dragon and alicorn strolled through the streets and back to the center of town, where a large oak sat firm in the square. This wide tree was hollow in the inside, a full library and home filling it up with various porches and windows peeping through the branches of the trees. This library was Twilight's sanctuary, her bed, her comfort, her study. This library was the place where Spike knew there was food and sleep ready when he needed it.
The two creaked open the door, which almost felt unfamiliar considering how long they had been gone, however, Twilight flickered on the lights and was welcomed by the sight of her home.
And then she gasped.
"So.....disorganized !" she exclaimed in disgust.
"It's just as you left it," stated Spike.
"Yes, but my methods of organization change from time to time, Spike," Twilight said. "And it's dusty ! Look at how filthy this place turned out while we were gone!" Spike smeared his finger on a nearby table. Nothing. He rolled his eyes.
"Ugh! This will take forever to rearrange!" shouted Twilight, grabbing all the books and things in the room with her magic. Spike tried to retort, but the pony had already thrown everything to the floor, ready to be organized again. She started sifting through books and things. "I'll have to start the process now if I'm going to make it to Sugarcube Corner by sundown tonight!" Spike walked up to the frantic Twilight.
"Orrrr," he began.
"Or what?" asked Twilight, letting the books continue sorting in her magic as she turned to Spike. The baby dragon cracked his knuckles and picked up a nearby feather duster.
"I can clean up this place while you take a break," he suggested.
"Really?" asked Twilight, her eyes widening as she dropped all she was holding. "Spike, you don't have to do this."
"Eh, I need to," he said, commencing his dusting. "While you've been working your flank off in Canterlot I've been doing nothing but sitting around and eating pie with Soarin' and-"
"Wait, what ?!" said Twilight. Spike cowered a bit, realizing he had said too much. "You said you were at the Canterlot park!" Spike laughed nervously.
"Well, I was going to the park, but then I met Soarin' because he was off on a break." Spike continued to dust again. "Said something about Spitfire working with a new recruit and she gave him a break. So he came to Canterlot, was on his way to his favorite pie place, we ran into each other and...things fell into place from there." Spike stopped his story when he noticed Twilight still looked stressed. He placed a claw on her shoulder.
"Look, you've been stressed enough in Canterlot as it is," said her friend. "Why not just take a breather?" Twilight processed it in her mind, then sighed.
"Okay, I guess it sounds reasonable, and I might as well look for friends anyway, meet up with them you know!" Twilight began trotting to the door. "You sure you can handle this, Spike?"
"Heh, I've cleaned this library plenty of times!" said Spike confidently. "Leave it to me!" Twilight smiled, and left the library knowing it was in good claws and knowing that a break really was a good idea for her. Besides, her friends probably missed her so much, and she missed them even more.
But during her search...nothing. Nopony. Not even her friends roamed in Ponyville. (She didn't check Sugarcube Corner of course, but she assumed that if Pinkie was making her a surprise party, that it would be rude to barge in.) Still, Twilight assumed her friends would at least stick around for a second before the "party".
"What is this?" she asked herself. "No Rainbow Dash? Well, the sky is clear, she did her job...but Rarity's boutique was closed, and Fluttershy's cottage empty too, so I'm guessing they're all with Pinkie." Twilight then looked in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.
"Well, I can always see Applejack if Pinkie hasn't stolen her either," perked Twilight. Happily she strode down the path towards the farmlands, enjoying the sun on her face and the breeze in her mane. She almost started to even hum to herself. Anything to get her relaxed. This was her break, after all.
Twilight closed in on the farm, when something just didn't seem right. It was the air. Twilight didn't know what was strange about it, but then she figured out that it smelled abnormal. It smelled blunt, rustic, not terrible but not a good smell. It was dirt, the scent traveling through the wind, and as Twilight got closer the pungent smell became more prominent.
"Talk about the smell of spring," said Twilight to herself. "Still, I don't remember Sweet Apple Acres smelling this...dirty." She continued to travel over a hill, and on the other side where the farm was, the pony found her answer. Most all of the apple trees in one section of the land were completely uprooted out of the ground. This to any regular pony would seem like a natural disaster, but not to Twilight.
It was hard to think so when the trees were floating in mid-air and hanging upside-down !
"What in the name of Equestria is going on here?!" she yelped. There was nothing else for her to do next but sprint for the farmhouse and burst in the front door to warn all of the Apples. Twilight was so concerned that her last two weeks' training of etiquette flew out the window.
"APPLES OF ALL AGES!" she exclaimed in the doorway. "YOUR TREES ARE BEING DESTROYED!" Twilight stood there out of breath until she realized that nopony was there but Big Mac. The stallion was snuggled up on the couch with an ice pack atop his head, his expression telling Twilight that she was slightly insane.
"Oh, Big Mac, thank goodness!" said Twilight as she ran over to him. "Your trees! They're...they're upside-down!" Big Mac blinked, then casually he pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose.
"Eeyup," he then said in a sick tone, sniffling.
"I know, and...wait, why are you not concerned?" asked the mare. "Do you already know this is happening?"
"Eeyup."
"And...you're not worried?"
"Nope."
"Um..." Twilight stood there, like she was in a weird dream. What was she supposed to do next?
"If ya don't mind," interrupted Big Mac from Twilight's confusion, "I'm down with the fever. Need my rest." Twilight snapped out of her bewilderment and grinned.
"Oh, yeah, um, sorry about that, you know, that I barged in then," stuttered Twilight. "I was just concerned is all. Floating trees really aren't the norm here, you know, and I was just concerned."
"Ya'll can talk to Granny instead," suggested Big Mac before sneezing. "She's out in the barn." Twilight nodded politely.
"Of course, thank you," responded Twilight. "Oh yes, and I hope you feel better too."
"Eeyup."
Twilight casually walked out of the door, but once she was out of Big Mac's sight, she ran as fast as her hooves could take her to the barn. This wasn't right. How could Big Mac, sick and unable to perform his duties, not be concerned that the Acres were going berserk? Was he just out of it? Twilight didn't know, and the sooner she talked to Granny Smith about the matter, the better. Swiftly the pony opened the barn door to find that the old mare was there. She was sitting at a small table in the middle of the barn, a chess board on top of it.
Twilight's jaw dropped.
Granny Smith was playing chess with Discord!
Picture credited to mlp.wikia
Chapter Four
Discordantly
* * *
"Check mate!" Granny Smith called out like the generic old lady playing BINGO would. "Beat you again, you ol' lizard!"
"Oh, what a terrible shame!" Discord said, throwing an arm over his eyes and acting all dramatic. He then realized that Twilight had come into the barn. He came next to her as a paper bag with eye-holes appeared on his head.
"I keep losing to an old mare," he said. "The worst is I'm intelligent, and I thinks she's lost a couple of marbles." He pulled the bag off his head as literal marbles fell out of it and onto the floor. Twilight, however, was not amused, and shoved a hoof in his face.
"Don't play innocent with me , mister!" she accused. "I know what you're up to!" Discord flipped upside-down and hung himself on the ceiling.
"Well, I'm up on the ceiling, if that's what you're wondering," he said in an obvious tone.
"No, I mean with the apple trees, Discord!" Twilight spat angrily. "You...you ..."
"Ain't he somethin'?" Granny Smith said, entering the conversation, but at the same time leaving the barn with the chess set. "Who would've known that you could get 'em apples just as fast by flippin' them trees! Heh! Glad he's here to help since Big Macintosh is down with the flu and such." She then went off on a tangent while leaving the barn, slowly making her way back to the house. Twilight watched her make distance, then turned to Discord in shock, but with irritation.
"You're helping ?!" she asked. "What have you got going on, Discord?" The draconquus began packing a random small suitcase, pulling things out of nowhere and shoving them inside of it.
"Well, if it makes you comfortable that I leave and have this poor old mare defend for herself, I suppose I'm up with that, Your Highness ," he said sarcastically. Discord began to stride out of the door with the suitcase when Twilight let out an annoyed sigh.
"Ugh, get back in here," she said grumpily. Instantly Discord slithered back in. He made a hammock appear in the middle of the barn and reclined.
"You know, I'm very fond of this barn," Discord said like he wanted to lighten the mood. "It's quite roomy."
"Yeah yeah, blah blah blah," said Twilight. She realized that there seemed to be no harm in Discord staying at the Apple Farm. As long as he put the trees back he wasn't a major problem. Besides, Twilight was getting nowhere but frustrated. She turned to leave.
"What?" asked Discord in an offended tone. "Leaf ing so soon?" A pile of leaves tumbled out of nowhere on top of Twilight. She groaned loudly.
"Yeah," she said rudely. "I am leaving." She shook the green, flimsy objects off of her coat and began to pick them out of her hair and wings. Discord whisked next to her and plucked a leaf out of her feathers.
"Hm, you're quite far in your studies now, aren't you Twilight?" he asked, looking closely at her silky wing. Twilight rapped at his wrist.
"Don't touch me!" she demanded. "And yeah, I'm far into my studies. I'm a princess now! Why are you concerned?" Discord made a treadmill appear. He jumped on it and started walking on his hands.
"No reason," he said, somehow shrugging as he walked. "I was just wondering. I'm always interested in what Celestia's up to." Twilight narrowed her eyes. Something still didn't sound right to her.
"So you are?" she said. "And why are you so interested." Discord sat there motionless, like he was looking for an excuse, when he made a giant watch appear out of thin air.
"My goodness, Twilight, look at the time!" he said in shock. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" Twilight stopped and realized the time of day. Sundown! Sugarcube Corner! But...Discord. However...her friends! She would have to wait on the interrogation and get her answers later.
"Yeah," she grumbled in response. "Doesn't mean you're off the hook, though, buddy." Twilight abruptly turned around and head for the door, only to have Discord block her path.
"What?" she asked, her mood worsening.
"Twilight," he said, "I'm just going to spill the beans for you." He spilled a random can of brown beans. "You're going to a party, right? I heard Pinkie Pie set it up, and I'm sure that you saw it coming. And about it...well I was wondering...if I could join you-" Twilight shoved him away.
"Ugh, now you tell me, you spoiler!" she yelled. Now, Twilight really did see the party coming all along, however she just really. Hated. Discord. "Why do you have to get into my business all the time!" She continued to march out the door, stomping her hooves as she went. Twilight then slammed the barn doors and scoffed. She had a party to go to.
Discord stood in the dark barn alone with an umbrella that rained on him from the inside.
Chapter 5: Home Sweet Home
Art credited to wingflyte.deviantart
Chapter Five
Home Sweet Home
* * *
Twilight furiously ran through the evening air and past various shops in Ponyville. Maybe it was because Discord got her worked up. Maybe it was the stress of everything, with her coming home from two weeks of hard work. Either way, she knew that her mood needed to brighten up, even if she had to put on the happy mask. There were so many ponies dying to see her, including her own friends, and she just didn't want to disappoint them.
Twilight soon came up to the front steps of Sugarcube Corner. She trotted through the front door, and naturally, as she expected, the room was pitch black inside. Twilight walked in just a little bit further. She winced and folded her ears down, waiting. Any second. It would come...any moment...there would be a giant "SURPRISE!". But it kept on remaining silent. Nothing. Twilight began to wonder if she heard Pinkie right and if she was in the right place.
"Hello?" Twilight called out into the silence. "Pinkie? Applejack? Anypony?" But there was no reply. Just hallow silence. Using her magenta magic, Twilight sparked her horn and looked around. The entire place was normal and was even decorated with all kinds of party things Pinkie would usually have in her cannon. But there was nopony there. It was like they were there, but everypony had vanished!
"This is odd," Twilight said to herself aloud. "Pinkie Pie would never ditch on a party like this. And I swear all of Ponyville was here. But-"
"They're gone," came a dark tone from in the room. Twilight about jumped, but quickly turned around to face a dark navy shadow. Like stars, two turquoise eyes shone in the blackness.
"Princess Luna?" asked Twilight, confused. "What are you doing here? Where is everypony?" Luna took a few steps closer to Twilight. The pony was able to see the Regal Sister's face as she came into the light of her magic, and it looked solemn and grave.
"I have come to bring you a message," said Luna. Twilight then realized that the princess had finally grasped modern English, however, still had an accent like she was speaking in the royal dialect. "All of Ponyville has been wiped out. A disaster has occurred. I am sorry but...they are all gone." Twilight stared straight at the other princess, trying hard just to swallow and hold back from screaming. She may not have believed this from anypony else, but this was Princess Luna.
"G-gone?" she whispered, trying to hold back tears and screams. Luna nodded.
"I'm afraid so," she said. "It is wise for you to head home, however, Twilight Sparkle. The night holds danger, and I alone should deal with it. Rest. I shall meet you in the morning, hopefully with answers and clues to this flabbergasting vanishing." With that, the princess lifted herself with her smooth wings before shifting herself into a dark mist, leaving Twilight standing in the dark, tears in her eyes that shimmered from the light of her magic.
She stood there for a few moments in horror before pulling herself into the outside air. She stood for a second, looking at the moon, which Luna must have risen after the heartbreaking news. Twilight just couldn't believe it, no matter how many times she denied it while walking slowly to the library. How could they all disappear so fast? What was the disaster that had happened? She didn't know, and felt she wasn't going to get sleep that night. Tiredly and depressed, she opened the door to the library and walked in.
"SURPRISE!!!" The lights suddenly flashed on. Twilight was instantly blinded but then dropped her jaw when she realized that everypony in Ponyville was packed inside the library! Every inch of her home was decorated too, like it had been prepped for hours! The pony stood there motionless until Princess Luna walked up to her, smiling.
"But...but...but..." stuttered Twilight. That was when a gust of air came out of nowhere, almost crashing into the mare. Twilight caught a glimpse of a rainbow streak before she was faced by Rainbow Dash's magenta eyes, which seemed to laugh. The cerulean pegasus put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
"Heh, bet you thought we all died, didn't you?" said the flyer. Twilight looked at her, then at Luna, to see that both of them were snickering. Obviously this was some kind of trick, and Twilight stuck her nose in the air.
"What, me? Fall for something like that? No way!" she replied.
"Suuure," said Dashie, rolling her eyes. "Luna told me the whole story, Twi." The pegasus flew over and nudged the Moon Princess. "She's got the makings of an actress, doesn't she?"
"Yes," agreed Luna, extremely proud. "And I do believe I am doing fine in my studies of this...pranking! It it fun indeed!" The princess then brohoofed Dash and the two started laughing. Twilight grinned and shook her head, when a burst of excitement struck her face.
"Aren't you super duper ali-uper excited, Twilight?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed to Twilight. "I was going to throw the party, honestly, at Sugarcube Corner, but then Dashie got the prank idea, and you know I couldn't resist a prank, but we realized that if she told you the 'news' or if I did, you would've seen it coming but then Princess Luna joined us and she was so interested in the idea of pulling pranks so we took her in and taught her all about it and she did a really good job, don't you think?!" Pinkie stood there grinning when her eye caught on some pudding at the snack bar.
"Be right back," she said as she zoomed off. Twilight laughed. Oh, Pinkie. The princess decided to continue greeting other ponies in the library, when a shock of perfume flowed in the air. Twilight was greeted by a sophisticated, pearly white unicorn with luscious plum curls.
"Oh, Twilight, how fabulous it is to see you again!" said the unicorn, who was one of Twilight's close friends, Rarity. She hugged Twilight only to pull her back and get a good look at her. "But goodness! You look extremely exhausted! It must be all that studying! Such hard work you put up with Twilight! Oh, and in fact, I got you a little something for the occasion!" Using her blue magic, Rarity brought out a small gift, which to Twilight's delight, was shaped like a book. The alicorn unwrapped it.
"Oh my goodness!" Twilight exclaimed. "You got me Fashions of the Ancient Royals and Wizards ! I didn't know this existed!"
"Yes, well, I knew you liked books," said Rarity, "however, I had to use some of my knowledge to get you one you possibly didn't have, so I got you this!"
"It's great," said Twilight. "All these instructions on how certain robes and gowns were made." She flipped through the pages. "It's such a new perspective!"
"Oh, yes, and that's the other reason for why I got it!" said Rarity with a squeal. "If by any chance you want anything made for you in this book, just give me a call!" She pranced off to enjoy more of the party. Right afterwards Twilight turned around just to run into a blonde earth pony with freckles dotting her face. It was Applejack, and she grabbed the brim of her hat at the sight of her friend.
"Howdy, Twi!" she said enthusiastically. "Gee, haven't seen ya in a while! How'd studying in Canterlot go?"
"Long and drawn out," said Twilight. "But it was very useful."
"Well that's good to hear," said Applejack. "Things here have been a little more difficult. See, Big Mac caught the flu last week, been downright sick with the nasty fever ever since. The farm needed gatherin' so bad, us Apples tried gettin' more help! We called family, cousins from afar. Heck, we even shouted out for those hooligans Flim and Flam, just anypony who could buck or pick apples! But nopony helped, they've all been darn to busy!"
"Yeah, I noticed," said Twilight, grumbling. "And you settled for Discord."
"Don' remind me," said Applejack, furrowing her brow. "Ah had to hire him 'cuz Granny Smith said so, and 'cuz Fluttershy was goin' on 'bout givin' him second chances and I was gettin' worried she'd use the Stare next. But it doesn' mean ah'm happy with it, 'specially with all them trees goin' haywire." Suddenly a crash came from the side of the room. The two friends stopped to turn and see the snack table turned over. Pinkie Pie was there, not noticing the situation and still in the pudding bowl, but stuck under the tablecloth and sprawled all over the place was a blond-haired pegasus tangled up in the mess.
"Oops, my bad," she said, her wall-eyes looking sad. "Just wanted a muffin." Applejack shook her head.
"Heh, that's the third time that's happened tonight," she said. "Better put out those extra fritters then, I'll catch up with ya'll later, Twi!" Applejack bounced off to help clean up the mess. That was then Twilight heard a small voice and two frail hooves hugging her.
"Oh Twilight!" exclaimed a gentle yellow pegasus. Her pastel pink hair fell over her face as she ran to embrace her friend. This soft pony could be nopony else but Fluttershy. "I'm so glad you're back! I've missed you ever so much! Why, I'm so happy, I could cheer!" She took in a deep breath.
"Yay."
"Hello, Fluttershy," said Twilight with a smile. "Having fun?"
"Oh yes," she said brightly. "Especially since you're back now! I was so lonely while you were gone!"
"Lonely?" asked Twilight. "What about everypony else?"
"Well," said the pegasus, twiddling her hooves, "Pinkie Pie's been having to babysit a lot for Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Rarity was busy making another line of outfits for Sapphire Shores. Rainbow Dash, you know, has been in Cloudsdale an awful lot right now. Applejack's been having to care for her farm, and so has Discord." She gave Twilight a sad look.
"I'm sorry," sympathized Twilight. "Well, I'm back now, so everything's good, right?"
"Right!" Fluttershy perked. Twilight, then at that moment, realized that music had been playing, because it had suddenly stopped. She turned her head when she heard a growing argument fire up in the back of the library. A white unicorn with messy blue hair and snazzy shades was bickering with a grey, black-maned pony.
"Ouch, that was so on purpose!" she yelled.
"No it wasn't," said the more classy pony collectively. "I needed my elbow space, and that annoying wub of yours was in the way. Again."
"Well, then, take a couple steps to the side, 'Tavia, 'cause this is what the ponies wanna hear right now!"
"What are you saying? This rappy, poppy, hip-hop rubbish may be well in your eyes, Vinyl, but it certainly has no class to belong in a royal's welcome home celebration!"
"It's a party ."
"Whatever."
"Well then what do you suggest, smarty?"
"Chopin, obviously, it's very sophisticated."
"Show pan? What the heck is that?!"
"CHOPIN!"
"Have the pronunciation your way, I'm playin' what the ponies want!" A fight then broke out. Many records were broken, strings were snapped. The ponies nearby just backed away as Twilight watched in confusion.
"Stop fighting!" yelled Pinkie, bursting in with chocolate all over her face. "Make peace! Make peace!"
"Not after Vinyl turns that obnoxious wub of her off!" said the grey pony, Octavia. She slammed a huge button. The unicorn, Vinyl Scratch, stood agape as her glasses fell off her face.
"You just set off me BASS CANNON!" she yelled. After that...
Huge explosion.
Yes, but everypony did make it home safely that night, but not after many apologies from the careless musicians. Twilight's anger from earlier resurfaced as she stood in the empty library after all the other ponies went home. She growled as Spike nervously laughed.
"Don't worry, I'm on it!" he said as he started to sweep in the awkward silence.
Picture credited to mlpwikia. Edited personally.
Chapter Six
The Book
* * *
"Twilight!" Spike yelled at the break of dawn from the alicorn's small bed. Usually this was abnormal, unless Spike was really serious about something, because he was always the last one to stir.
However, Twilight was still exhausted from the day before and lazily sat up from her pillow, her mane in a gnarled mess.
"Errgh, what?" she said, her eyes grouchy and droopy. Suddenly she threw herself out of the bed, her sheets flying and her hooves landing onto the floor. She briskly rushed about her room and started using her magic to comb her hair, remake the bed, wash her face, while she was panicking.
"Holy stars, if you're awake, then this must mean that I slept in!" stammered Twilight. "It must be mid-afternoon already! Oh my gosh, I have so much to do and I just spent half the day sleeping and-"
"Calm down Twilight," said Spike, making his efforts to stop her. "Actually it's seven AM, which is the wrong time of the day for me to be up." Twilight dropped everything in the room and turned to Spike.
"Then why were you waking me up so early?" asked Twilight. "You know I like to get up at seven fifteen , right?"
"Yeah, I know," responded Spike, "but Princess Celestia just sent me a letter. She probably wrote it before her sun duties or something, and probably sent it early to us so we can get started on it. I think it's a task." He took out the scroll in his claw and held it out to Twilight, who grabbed it in her magic. Carefully she opened the letter and read aloud what was inside.
"My dearest Twilight ," she read, "Today is an important and different day for you to advance in your studies. However, instead of me being the one teaching you, you will be the one... to teach Spike?" Twilight looked at the parchment closer.
"What?" asked Spike, half curious but half nervous. "W-what's there to teach me ?"
"Manners," responded Twilight.
"Really?" groaned the dragon.
"No, I was kidding," giggled Twilight, "but I'm not lying when I say that the princess wants me to teach you something today that will benefit all of us. It says here that Celestia wants me to teach you how to send things to her as normal, but not just scrolls. Celestia wants me to teach you how to send to her...BOOKS!" Happily Twilight pranced over and pulled out the largest book in the library, a huge grin lining her face. Spike gulped.
"B-books?" he quivered.
"Yep! Books."
"Can't we, you know, advance slowly ? We could start with a pamphlet, then a newspaper, then-"
"Nope, we're starting with books! Celestia says so!" Twilight stated. Then she looked closer at the note. "Oh, wait. It looks like I'll need to send you a certain book, not just anything." She shoved the giant book she had earlier in the shelves. Spike exhaled.
"I hope Celestia wants a picture book," he said.
"Well, let me find it and see," said Twilight, beginning to search through the shelves with her magic. She went through at least half of them before looking completely frustrated.
"Ugh, I can't find it! Spike!"
"Yes?"
"Have you seen the book The Sun's Colors ?" she asked, peeking over a pile of manuscripts. Spike clicked a claw.
"Oh yeah!" he said. "As a matter of fact, I was reading it last night. It's a really great bedtime story, if you ask me. Well, technically it isn't for bedtime, but it's a mythology book about a mare who would paint the skies when the sun would go down, and the story always puts me to sleep. Here, let me go get it for ya!" He stumbled up the stairs as Twilight put all the reject books back into the shelves. She then rolled what Spike said through his mind. Why would Celestia need a mythological book, or as Spike saw it, a bedtime novel? Maybe Celestia was just going to check out a good story, Twilight concluded.
"Uh, Twilight," Spike then called from upstairs. "The book, you know? It's not here."
"Ha, nice try, mister," called Twilight back, "but you're doing this spell today whether you like it or not!"
"No, I'm serious, Twilight!" Spike said with concern while appearing at the top of the steps with his pillow. "I leave it under my pillow every night, but it's not there anymore!" Twilight furrowed her brow.
"Are you sure you didn't lose it last night?" she inquired.
"Nope, I read it, I'm sure!" Spike said. "After I cleaned up the mess of the library, I went to my bed and read a chapter, and then I put it under my pillow! Serious!"
"Now Spike," said Twilight in a stern tone. "Be honest. It's not like the book is going to randomly vanish, I mean-" Twilight then stopped in her tracks, making a very very disgusted face. She grunted and then grabbed Spike with her magic. The dragon dropped his pillow as he was placed on Twilight's back. The pony then began walking out of the door.
"Uh, Twilight?" asked Spike. "Where are we going?"
"Well, something tells me that the book isn't here in the library," said Twilight angrily. "I just know it's somewhere else."
"And, that place would be..." said Spike, still confused.
"Fluttershy's Cottage."
* * *
Fluttershy cringed as a bluejay squawked like an ostrich. The other jays ad sparrows in the shy pony's singing bird choir lost some of their feathers and jumped on the branches they were perched in.
"Oh dear," said Fluttershy, shaking her head and turning her attention to the bluejay. "It looks like you haven't been practicing, have you?" The bird shied his face from her view, covering his beak with a wing.
"Thanks okay," the pony comforted. "I'll just sing and practice with you for a while, and when you're ready again, we can bring the group back together and keep going. Does that sound alright?" The bluejay smiled, the other birds chirping in agreement.
"FLUTTERSHY!" A frustrated yell called from the path, startling both the pegasus and her bird choir. Of course, all of her feathered friends sped off into the sky and to the comfort of the clouds and other trees high up.
"Well, okay, maybe later then," she said sadly as she watched them vanish into the air. The shy pony then turned to the pathway that led away from her house to see Twilight trotting towards her, looking rather annoyed, with Spike on her back, who was extremely confused.
"Oh, hello Twilight," Fluttershy said softly with a smile. "Hello Spike. Can I help you with anything?" Twilight marched herself up to the pegasus' face.
"Where's Discord?" she demanded.
"Well, he's just inside napping, I think," said Fluttershy, a little taken aback from Twilight's mood. "I think Sweet Apple Acres tired him out yesterday." Twilight didn't really catch the last bit. She had already made her way past Fluttershy and had a beeline drawn out to the cottage. Fluttershy looked back at her as her hooves stomped angrily to the front door. She then turned back to see Spike, who had hopped off Twilight's back before the alicorn strode away in anger.
"I'll, um, stay here Twilight!" called Spike. Of course, Twilight's frustration ignored him. Fluttershy turned to the dragon.
"Is, um, Twilight okay?" she asked, still in shock from her friend's attitude. Spike shrugged.
"Beats me," he said. "I think she's got a bone to pick with Discord, though. I mean, I don't blame her. He's sort of a jerk every so often, you know."
"Well, I don't think so," disagreed Fluttershy, "and I hope Twilight isn't too strict with him. He's been awfully down in the dumps lately."
"Really? Why?"
"I...I don't know..."
* * *
"Discord!" shouted Twilight as soon as she set hoof in Fluttershy's cottage. Discord was in the center of the main room wearing the most ridiculous pair of spectacles that made his eyes seem to enlarge to alien size, and he was reclining in a large brown chair...that was hanging from the ceiling. He opened one of his closed eyes, looking uninterested.
"Ugh, what is it now , Twilight Sparkle?" he asked with a yawn. "Can't you see that I'm busy enjoying a mid-morning nap?"
"Hardly," conflicted Twilight crossly. "You're up on the ceiling."
"Yes, well that gets the blood flowing to the head," he stated. "Besides, I bet you've never bothered to look at the world from a completely different angle."
"You're ridiculous!"
"Hm, I suppose you're right," pondered Discord. "I should've sat on the west wall. Now that's a point of view!" Twilight, however, batted her wings and flew up to his flipped face.
"Stop stalling, I know what you did, you thief!" she accused.
"Wha? Me?! A thief?!" gasped Discord innocently, a black mask appearing on his face for a second. "That certainly has a few holes in it, don't you think?"
"Oh give up with the act!" said Twilight, who was getting fed up with the spirit. "I know you've stolen a book from my library just like you've stolen my spells weeks back! Now where is it? It better not be eaten already!" Discord raised an eyebrow, but soon removed the spectacles from his eyes, closed them up, and slunk to the floor, upright again.
"Oh, you are such a clever pony, Twilight Sparkle," said Discord with sarcasm. "I still can't believe you hold grudge to those events, even after I've been reformed. You must think that I'm still the bad guy who takes all your things!" He then made his body turn color to black and white stripes like a prisoner as handcuffs appeared on his wrists.
"Take me away, then!" he mocked. "I'm sure I've stolen everything you lost in that clunky library of yours!" Twilight stopped to think. Now Discord was just being plain difficult, and she still hadn't gotten close to making him fess up. If she could just find a reason he would need the book she was missing...
"Well, Discord, say you did happen to take the book," said Twilight, hoping to get somewhere. "Why would you?"
"Depends on the book, really," said Discord, normally his chaotic self again. "Science I plant into the ground to grow sponges. Fiction I enjoy skipping across the lake while holding my breath to watch them explode.But spell books, those I eat, mainly because they have a much better tang to them than any other genre."
"Well, what about..." Twilight thought about how Spike described the book earlier. "What about a bedtime story, one about a mare who painted the skies?" Discord yawned and made a set of markers appear like a deck of cards in his hand.
"Oh, I'd color in that one," he said lazily. Twilight practically jumped and fainted on the spot.
"WHAT?! REALLY?!"
"No, not really!" said Discord, becoming annoyed. He also began to fell boredom and was moving a meatball on a strand of spaghetti like a yo-yo. "Why on earth would I need a boring book like that?" He threw the yo-yo in his mouth and ate it.
"Hm," thought Twilight. She decided to go out on a limb. "You were very interested in my studies with Celestia yesterday." Discord was playing with the bristles of a random broom.
"Yeah? And how does that relate to this?" he asked.
"That book," said Twilight, "is the one that Celestia needs from me today. And who better to know and stop such a thing that you." Discord's face grew serious.
"Well played, Twilight, you're beginning to think for a change," he responded. "I did happen to know all about that." Twilight jumped in the air and flew up to Discord's nose.
"SO WHY DID YOU TAKE IT?!"
"Well, to assure you, I didn't take it for fun," he said, crossing his arms. "And I did not eat it either." Twilight landed back on the floor as Discord turned his back on her. He looked at his hands as he spoke.
"You do know that the copy of The Sun's Colors that you have is the last one in existence?" he said. Twilight didn't know, but that wasn't going to stop her intentions for the book.
"So?" she asked.
"So?" repeated Discord. "Do you even know what's in the book, Twilight Sparkle?"
"Just a bedtime story, plain myth," she said, getting annoyed at the fact that Discord was going somewhere pointless with the topic. She just wanted the book back to send to Celestia.
"Think that way, then, Twilight," he said, walking off to a large reclining couch in the cottage. "Think whatever you want, actually. But I'm not letting Celestia get the book, whether you like it or not." Twilight stood flustered, then grumbled. Discord was acting really stupid. All she wanted was the dumb book!
"You...YOU..." she began. Suddenly a volume landed at her feet. She looked at it closely. It was the book, only with had strange symbols, no words. She looked up at Discord, who had dropped it there.
"What's this?" she asked in disgust.
"It's a decoy book, completely fake and has absolutely nothing to do with the book you want," said Discord like he was giving instructions. "However, it's completely in Chaos language, so no one can read it. Send this to Celestia instead, so that you can advance in your so-called lessons. That way we both get what we want." Twilight instantly shoved the book away.
"Do you honestly think she'll accept this garbage, Discord?" said the alicorn angrily.
"Yes, because Chaos is a real language after all, she just can't read it to know this is a fake." Twilight glared at him. "OH just do it, for crying out loud!" Twilight saw that Discord got really angry about this. She even realized that he had stopped creating little distractions anymore, that he was fully focused on this. Was he serious?
Angry and confused, Twilight picked up the book with her magic.
"I may not know exactly what you're up to, Discord, but I've got my eyes open," she said while heading for the front door. Twilight angrily left the cottage with the book, completely irritated, but picked up Spike and decided to complain to him about Discord's rottenness all the way back to the library. The Spirit of Chaos, however, stood back in the silence of the cottage, arms crossed and watching the pony leave.
"Oh, you'll see eventually what I'm up to, Twilight Sparkle," he muttered quietly to himself. "When the day comes of your ever waited for test, you'll know for sure..."
Chapter 1: The Return Home
Art credited to mysticalpha.deviantart
Chapter One
The Return Home
* * *
Twilight Sparkle bounced on her hooves all throughout the moving train car. So many things were running through the young alicorn's mind, that she could hardly think, let alone sit down for a second. For weeks she had been frantic, mainly because of her new gift of wings and the opportunity of a princess.
She really disliked it, in all honesty.
"Twilight, would you just calm down for a little bit?" asked a young annoyed voice from the seat of the train car. Here sat a baby dragon about half of Twilight's height, alias Spike, and he was getting fed up with Twilight's overreactions to everything lately, especially today's.
"Oh, Spike, I don't know if I can," replied the young pony's strained voice. Her violet eyes darted about as fast as her legs went, her velvety navy and pink-streaked hair fluttering atop her head with every move she made, her crown hardly keeping it together. Twilight was stuck with stress and mess and everything in-between, and was definitely not coming to the point of sitting still.
Spike couldn't stand it any longer. He hopped down from the bench he was sitting at. He looked around. Luckily nopony else decided to ride the Express today. He attempted to grab at Twilight's tail and stop her, but failed miserably and felt the hair slip through his claws, planting his nose to the floor. However, he was able to get back up and shove his arms in Twilight's face.
"Twilight, for the love of Equestria, take a chill pill and listen, okay?" he said irritated. "I already told you this back in Canterlot and many times before: Your friends still love you for who you are! Got it?" Twilight pulled back from Spike.
"No, that's the thing, Spike, I'm different, I'm not who I am anymore!" said Twilight. "I'm a princess now, royalty. I have more duties than ever, and what's worse, my friends may think I've changed as drastically as my physical appearance."
"I thought we covered this weeks ago when you jumped to an alternate world," said Spike, rolling his eyes.
"Ugh, you keep forgetting that when I entered the human world, there were human alternates of my friends, remember? They're not really exactly the same." Twilight was referring to an event just recently she had encountered when a strange and former student of Celestia's had stolen her royal crown and with it the key to the Elements of Harmony. Twilight had to follow the stranger to a human-version of her world just to get it back, along the way meeting identical copies of her friends.
But they weren't really Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash, her true friends. They hadn't been through years of friendship with her, and had met Twilight after the change. It wouldn't have mattered.
"In a way they are," said Spike. "Look, Twilight, have your friends ever left you because of anything you have done or become? They know who you really are and know that you're you, and will always be the same Twilight Sparkle that they once knew as a unicorn." Twilight sighed and looked at the ground. She turned her head to the window, stared at the outside world through the glass whisking by, then turned back to the baby dragon.
"I guess I'm just afraid they'll think I'm...better than them. Now that I'm a princess, you know?" Spike welcomed Twilight's sorrowful expression with a grin.
"Aw, you know that won't happen," said the dragon. "Especially with RD. Why, no matter what you are she's always the most awesome one around, remember?" Twilight looked a little more bright.
"And Pinkie Pie, she might think you are better than her, but she thinks that about everypony. And so there are her parties..." Twilight smiled a bit.
"And don't forget Fluttershy," continued Spike. "She's always going to love you no matter what, even if you happened to turn into a frog. She might've even loved you more if that happened. And if Applejack thinks anything, you know she'll always tell you about it." Twilight grinned at the encouragement Spike was giving.
"But really, you also don't need to worry about Rarity," said the dragon, focusing hard on Twilight's esteem for the moment and refraining to solely daydream of the unicorn herself. "She's probably got new dresses for you waiting at her boutique to try on, now that you're a princess and all." Twilight giggled at that.
"You know, with that thought," she responded, "maybe I should be a bit concerned." Twilight sighed. "You know Spike, you're right, I shouldn't be so worried. After all, if any of them changed, I still would be their friend too. I just can't believe I had been away so long." She sat down, exhausted, on the train bench. Spike followed after her.
"Yeah, two weeks," said the dragon. "It was a doozy. I got tired just watching you go through all that training business." For two weeks, Twilight had to spend her time with Princess Celestia in Canterlot, learning the basics and etiquettes of being royalty. Most of it was basic, but some of it was a little confusing and intimidating, like politics of Equestria, empire and the kingdom's structure, that sort of thing. Twilight even had to learn how to use her wings a bit for certain basic spells that enhanced an alicorn's magical performance, but the pony had troubles getting her hooves off the ground as it was.
Twilight stared out the window for a while longer, beginning to find the surroundings more familiar. She and Spike were almost there, after a long trip away...
They were almost home.
Slowly, the train hissed as it stopped on the tracks, creeping into Ponyville Station. The duo hopped onto the floor and began to walk towards the door, ready to exit when told, when a playful noise came from the other side of the train door.
"What the?" said Spike. "Have they got a parade outside for you?" Twilight chuckled and shook her head.
"Oh, please, Spike, that can only be one thing," she said. "Pinkie Pie."
Chapter 3: Chaos and Harmony
Art credited to cloudshadezer0.deviantart. Edited personally.
Chapter Three
Chaos and Harmony
* * *18 Years Ago* * *
A stranger dodged his way through the twisted labyrinth maze of the Canterlot Gardens, hoping to remain hidden, especially from Celestia's sight. However, dusk was falling upon Equestria, the last rays of sunshine taking their leave, so the stranger had not much to worry about being spotted. He looked up at the sky, the clear blues fading into black and many other colors. Darkness crept over the land as the shining face of the Mare in the Moon looked down at her children.
A dash of color flew across the horizon. The stranger's eyes followed it. It reassured the sun's graceful slumber, painting the skies in pinks, yellows, and purples, hiding magic in the clouds and whisking beams of many hues throughout the atmosphere. It then stopped, looking in the direction of the labyrinth. The stranger knew it was his turn, and held out his hand. He felt the anticipation however wanted to stall more. He could snap his fingers at any moment, but couldn't.
Be bold , rang a friendly, innocent voice in his head. It was too much. He just couldn't do it. The drive had left him long ago. The stranger ended up falling back on a stone bench, putting his arms down and sitting there with a pitiful sigh. He looked up. Celestia had now joined the figure in the sky, addressing the figure warmly before setting the sun once and for all. The princess then rose the moon higher into the sky, and with a brush of magic brought forth the stars, signaling night had come.
The princess then flew back to the figure in the sky, bid her goodnight, and then floated back to the castle, ready for rest. The figure hovered for a minute, watching the ruler leave, and then once the Sun Princess was out of sight, the figure flew swiftly to the ground, right in the direction of the stranger. She landed light on her hooves, trying not to make a sound. With confused eyes she looked at him.
"I don't understand," she said quietly. "You held back." The stranger grimaced.
"Oh...I had to," he admitted. "Truthfully I've been dying to use my magic for years, but you know that Celestia is still connected to the Elements of Harmony...and if she saw, got a hint, you know exactly what would happen."
"She could've assumed I was trying a new spell on the sunset today," said the first. But the stranger sighed.
"I just didn't want to take any chances." He flicked a piece of loose hedge with his finger, almost sounding ashamed of himself. The first, however, walked up to the bench.
"Aren't you all about taking chances, risks, trying something new for a change?" she asked.
"I guess that was all sucked out of me many years ago," he responded. "Besides, living life incognito for the past couple weeks hasn't been exactly fun if you ask me." The first scrunched her face.
"I'm getting tired of all this. You need to be accepted for who you are, not what you are. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to go to Celestia and-"
"Oh no you can't possibly do that!" retorted the stranger. "She'd imprison me again in a heartbeat, considering she still has all the Elements under her wing. That and you'd probably get banished as well. It would all be a big mash of-"
"Chaos?"
"Well that's more like organized punishment , really," said the stranger. He frowned and crossed his arms. "And that's what everything is turning out to be, I'm afraid. One neatly complied plan spiraling for disaster for us all." The first put her hooves on the opposite side of the bench.
"This just isn't fair, not at all," she said. "It's all Celestia's fault for being so ridiculous, so judgmental, and the world for believing her and..." Her voice was growing more intense, when it finally broke into a cry. "No...no it's my fault. It's all my fault! I should've waited to free you, maybe after Celestia didn't have the Elements so that she couldn't hurt you. Now we're in danger and..." The stranger put a hand on her shoulder. He hated to see her upset.
"Technically it's Celestia's fault then," he reassured. "Wasn't she the one who told you to free me?"
"No," the pony said sadly. "It wasn't." She sat there for a long moment before muttering, "I...I'm sorry but...I lied about that." The stranger was taken aback.
"What-"
"The princess sent me to that cave...to DESTROY YOU !" she yelped. "Celestia was concerned that you would rise against her to power, she told me that you were evil, that you made people miserable! I believed her too, but when I got to the task...I just couldn't !" The stranger sat motionless.
"Hm, now this doesn't make any sense," he said. "You were sent to destroy me. You believed I was evil. But instead you...freed me?" He gave her a quizzical look. "Why? I mean, I was a prisoner, and you just turned me loose on the world like that. You could've ended me there, turned me in any time, but you didn't." He rubbed his head. "Now this logic I'm not understanding, it's blatant chaos itself to me but just...why ?"
"Because," said the first, "I couldn't just kill you off. I wanted to know really who you were. I had to know and...it looked like you needed a second chance. I wanted to give you one, let you have another say before I really believed anything and...well..." She ran up and hugged the stranger unexpectedly.
"I wanted to be your friend, Discord," she said. The stranger sat motionless, silent.
"F-friend?" he uttered as if the word was new to him. He stared off into the distance, trying to digest the idea. He had a friend. Someone who cared about him, and after all the years of hardship, he had never been in the situation before.
"Princess," said Discord as he patted the pony on the head. "I am...truly taken aback. I've never really been accepted like this before." The princess looked up at him.
"Well, I do," she said. "No matter what anypony says. Not even Celestia." She then walked over and sat on the bench next to Discord and with a strange curiosity, looked up at the moon.
"I wonder," she said. "I wonder if the Mare in the Moon is alone too."
"What?" asked Discord. He looked up at the moon like it was a bug. "I thought that was a silly rock formation."
"It isn't," said the princess. "I heard in legend that there really is a mare up there trapped in the moon."
"Must be as confined as we are," stated Discord.
"Well, I heard that in about eighteen years at the Summer Sun Celebration she will return," continued the princess with her eyes sparkling. "And you know what, Discord?"
"What, princess?"
"I'll be waiting for her," she replied. "I won't leave her behind without somepony who cares for her." She felt a warm feeling, that of friendship. Wanting friends and other ponies to have friends as well. It was feeling she basked in all her life...
But is was taken away. By a brilliant light. It had come and found them, and all was chaos that night...