Premonitionist

Chapters

Prologue 1: How the Premonitionist Came to Be
Prologue 2: Returning Home
Prologue 3: Sir Magnos Hoofwell
Prologue 4: The Challenge of Being There

Prologue 1: How the Premonitionist Came to Be

Prologue 1

How the Premonitionist Came to Be

In the beginning, in a distant land further than you’ve ever imagined, there was a mighty nation known as Dussk. In those days, the land was shapeless and without form. The lesser ponies cowered in fear of the mighty Lords of Darkness who could bend the landscape and change all of reality by will alone.

Out of desperation, the ponies sought out an elite vanguard of unicorns known as the Premonitionists. Using their magic and insight, they created order out of the chaos and banished the Lords of Darkness in a struggle that nearly destroyed all of creation. From the ruins a beautiful new city was constructed, as well as a council who declared peace throughout the land. And though the ponies pleaded and begged, the Premonitionists declined the Crown of Leadership, but never did they abandon their friends of Dussk.

For as time passed and the kingdom flourished, the Order of Premonitionists knew that the Lords of Darkness were out there and patiently awaiting their...

“Twilight Sparkle!”

The young alicorn princess looked up from her book just in time to see Princess Celestia coming towards her room from down the hall. Just as she was entering the open door Twilight scrambled to hide the book from view and tried to look natural as her loving mentor came to pay her a visit.

“Good evening, my little pony,” said the princess, with all the pride and happiness in the world. “I wanted to stop by and personally congratulate you on a job well done.”

Twilight Sparkle wasn’t sure how to react. The book was safely hidden away but she was nervous and besides herself. Celestia must not have suspected anything if she hadn’t already noticed Twilight’s sheepish grin and sweaty brow.

After the young alicorn got ahold of herself she swallowed her fear and tried to make sense of her mentor’s words. “Pardon?” she asked, politely.

“Dealing with the parasprite infestation in Canterlot’s business district, of course,” Celestia chuckled. “While me and Luna were preoccupied with duties in Manehattan I would never have gotten back in time to save everything we risked loosing.”

As soon as Twilight remembered the incident she felt greatly relieved that Celestia’s visit wasn’t concerning the book that she 'borrowed'. The young princess nearly forgot altogether about the book as she got down from her bed and recalled those events from earlier today. It made her blush to think she had actually saved Canterlot.

“It... it was nothing princess, really,” she said.

“Not to me it isn’t,” Celestia smiled. “And neither is it nothing to all the loyal subjects who owe you their gratitude and thanks. I seem to recall a young pony who was also unsure of herself when another such invasion nearly destroyed all of Ponyville.”

Twilight blushed some more. “My magic wasn’t nearly as good back then as it is now,” she mentioned.

Celestia stooped down, closer to the younger princess so Twilight could see her smiling face. “And it will only continue to keep getting better, so long as you never forget the most important thing there is to know.”

Twilight still felt humbled, listening to praise from the pony who was her mentor since she was just a filly. But setting aside her humility, she paused and reflected on the events of today. “I... I guess I did alright,” Twilight said, partly to herself.

At that, Celestia touched a hoof to her face and made the young princess see the pride shining in her eyes. “You did just as good as I would have done, had I been here in your place.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you princess.”

Celestia then stood up straight but kept her eyes trained on her student. “All your studies have made you a pony I feel truly proud of. There might even come a time when you don’t need me anymore as a mentor.”

Twilight became alarmed. “What? Don’t say that princess!” she exclaimed.

Celestia raised a hoof. “Calm yourself Twilight. It was only a joke,” she chuckled. She stooped down again and nuzzled Twilight to show how truly proud she was of her. After she stepped away, Twilight felt glad that somepony was so proud of her for doing such a good job.

After Celestia felt there was no more she needed to say she turned away and went towards the door. “It is late Twilight,” she said. “Have a good evening.”

Just as she was leaving Twilight suddenly remembered something. “Oh, Princess Celestia, I almost forgot!” she spoke out.

The princess stopped at the door and looked back at her student. “Yes, Twilight?”

“A minute ago you said that I would keep getting better at my magic, so long as I never forgot one very important thing. You didn't quite mention what that one very important thing was supposed to be.”

Celestia smiled with amusement. “I must have forgotten where I was going with that thought. Clumsy of me,” she chuckled. “I only wanted to mention that you are a wise and thoughtful young princess, Twilight Sparkle. In the chaos and the hardships of being a good leader, one must always be careful not to loose sight of who they really are.”

Before Celestia could continue Twilight suddenly got the wrong idea. “But, princess... are you suggesting I’m...”

“Not at all!” Celestia smiled. “You are an exemplary student, Twilight Sparkle. I know in my heart that you will always be the same little filly I trained as my personal apprentice. No amount of experience or power could change the pony who you are on the inside. You will always have my confidence, Twilight.”

Twilight felt gladdened to hear those kindly words. “Of course princess,” she smiled.

Celestia nodded. “Now off to bed,” she said. “You’ll be going home tomorrow. Your Ponyville friends will be excited to see you after you’ve been gone for so long.”

Twilight agreed. As Celestia departed from her chambers the young princess stood and waited until she was sure her mentor was gone. After her hoofsteps faded well out of earshot, Twilight spun around and threw back the covers on her bed. She then jumped on top of the book she had been hiding there and hugged it tightly.

“Oh thank goodness Celestia didn’t find you,” she cheered. “Who knows how she would have reacted if she had.”

Just as she was saying that, Spike suddenly appeared at the door. Overhearing nearly everything from the previous conversation, the baby dragon was quite puzzled as he came inside. “Twilight, Princess Celestia comes in to congratulate you on a job well done and the first thing you do afterward is hug a book?”

Twilight was startled before she noticed it was only Spike. After realizing how ridiculous she must have looked she put the book down and went to talk with him. “Spike, would you please not tell Celestia anything about this?”

“Anything about what?” the dragon wondered.

Twilight looked away; wondering how to explain it to him. “That book I was hiding... well, I kinda borrowed it from the restricted section.”

“The restricted section!” Spike said in alarm. “Does the royal castle even have one?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh honestly Spike. You’ve been working in Canterlot libraries all your life and you didn’t even know we had a restricted section?”

“Well, maybe there’s a very good reason I don’t know,” Spike shrugged. “Maybe that’s why it’s restricted. Why’d you take a book from there anyways?”

Twilight used her magic to levitate the book and bring it in front of her as she considered it. It hardly seemed like a special book at first glance. It was a reasonably big manuscript with a brown cover and a few words etched in the front. From an angle Spike read the title. ‘The Legends of the Premonitionists,’ it said. He did not recognize the book out of the thousands Twilight made him sort through, but something about it told him he would have remembered seeing it before; if he had.

Twilight stared at it with dreamy eyes and seemed lost in thought for a moment. “I was browsing through the restricted section, going through books that were reserved for only the most important unicorns in the academy. After I got my wings Celestia decided I was ready and gave me permission to do extensive research on bottomus roots.”

“Bottomus roots?” Spike giggled.

Twilight glared at him. “It’s serious business. You’re not even allowed to touch one of those roots until after graduation.” She paused before finally getting back on subject. “Anyways, while I was doing a little more browsing I happened to stumble upon this unpublished book which I flipped open and read. I skimmed through a few pages before I realized I couldn’t put it down and I had to read all of it!”

Spike scratched his head. “Uh huh...” he frowned. “And what exactly is this book about?”

Twilight suddenly faced him with a wide grin. “It’s a fiction book!” she exclaimed.

“In the restricted section?”

“Yes!” Twilight cheered; not realizing the strangeness of it like Spike did. “And this is one is amazing!” she continued. “I mean... it’s not pretty amazing like Mary Sue Grafton or Maretha Williamson! No sir! This story is closer to the amazingness of A.K. Yearling and Jade Singer!”

Spike was hardly finding this interesting as Twilight continued explaining it to him. “This story is an epic science fiction/fantasy masterpiece! It’s an amazing book about another world very different from our own! It’s about a civilization who had to adapt with magic and technology unlike anything you ever imagined.”

“I’m imagining quite a bit,” Spike said with his arms crossed. “Twilight, I had no idea you were into science fiction. I mean... who cares? Magic normally takes care of the day to day chores easily, right? That’s why science fiction stories aren’t very good sellers.”

“Maybe, but I never mind a good story about other worlds with less magic than Equestria,” Twilight smiled. “You see, in the fictional kingdom of Dussk, they live on these floating islands. Getting between places is very difficult, so they built a whole civilization in the sky with airships and another original invention called an ‘air-plane’.”

“Sounds kinda cool, but I’m still not all that impressed,” Spike remarked.

“And that’s not all!” Twilight interjected. “The most important detail of all are the legendary Premonitionists!”

“Premo-who?”

“Pre-mon-i-tion-ists!” Twilight told him. “They were legendary warriors who fought evil tyrants known as the Lords of Darkness. They were ancient villains so powerful they made Discord look tame by comparison. They could change reality on a whim, and the Premonitionists were mages tasked with preserving reality by using their magic for the purist of intentions. They could never lie or be untruthful. Everything they did was meant to keep ahold of the real world so the Lords of Darkness could never change it and rise to power again.”

“The Legends of the Premonitionists is an amazing book that covers a huge amount of history, from the creation of this magical world to the eventual fall of Dussk. It goes into a great amount of detail, describing whole islands and continents with all different kinds of ponies and all different kinds of heroes. Some go on epic quests while others fight the forces of darkness it terrible battles. There’s hope and there’s struggle and there’s tragedy... I could go on for hours.”

Spike was getting that impression as he stood there and listened to her. After it seemed she had explained everything, the baby dragon stepped forwards and made his first observation. “If you know so much already, how come the bookmark is at the start of the book?”

“Oh... I was skimming through a few pages to get a feel for the story till I realized several minutes later how much I was enjoying it,” Twilight nervously replied. “I was about to read it from the beginning before the librarian nearly caught me and I was forced to leave. Thankfully, I managed to smuggle the book with me.”

“And maybe you should return it,” Spike told her. “Twilight, if the library finds that a book is missing they’ll probably want it back.”

“They’re not going to miss it,” Twilight chuckled. “Besides, I’ll have this book read before they even notice it’s gone.”

“Or, maybe I could stroll downstairs right now and help them notice a little sooner,” Spike joked.

“Or, maybe I could tell Rarity about that horseshoe box full of love notes you keep between rows R through S at the Ponyville library.”

Spike gasped. “Twilight, you wouldn’t!”

Twilight suddenly reached her hoof around his shoulder and held him close. “Of course I wouldn’t,” she smiled. “I was just joking. I would never embarrass you like that Spike.”

The baby dragon needed just a moment to realize his friend was being sincere. “Thanks Twilight,” he smiled.

After she removed her hoof from his shoulder Spike looked up at the book again and was still puzzled. “So what do we do with it?” he wondered.

“Just give me until I’m done reading it,” Twilight assured him. “After I’m finished with it I promise I’ll give this book back.”

“Okay, if you say so,” Spike shrugged.

“I know so,” Twilight nodded.

After saying that, Spike stretched his arms and remembered how late it was. “Well, I’m off to bed if you don’t need me for anything else. Your last to-do list was a real work load.”

He turned and approached his basket in the corner. As he crawled inside Twilight realized how hard the baby dragon must have been working to prove he was still her number-one assistant. When his head was laying against his pillow and he fell asleep, Twilight levitated his blanket over to him and tucked him in. After he was laying all snuggly and cozy, the princess noticed how cute he looked before she realized it was time she got some sleep herself.

Twilight turned and got into her own bed, before she suddenly remembered the book. Unable to resist, Twilight opened it back to the first page and started from the exact sentence she left off on.

For as time passed and the kingdom flourished, the Order of Premonitionists knew that the Lords of Darkness were out there and patiently awaiting their return. For that reason, they passed their knowledge down from generation to generation should that fateful day ever come.

Prologue 2: Returning Home

Prologue 2

Returning Home

Early the next morning, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and the rest of Twilight Sparkle’s friends arrived early at the station platform and were anxious to be there when Twilight returned from Canterlot. As they waited there wasn’t much commotion, except among the Cutie Mark Crusaders who accompanied them. While everypony was busy minding themselves the three fillies were jumping about, talking about how they’d get their cutie marks.

Rarity was exhausted listening to them after she spent all last night fillysitting them. When their high pitched voices were finally getting to be too much the older unicorn decided to confront one of her friends about it. “Applejack, do be a dear and promise me these three fillies won’t be sleeping another night at the boutique,” she pleaded. “While I was trying to work last night it was simply a disaster trying to keep an eye on each and every one of them.”

“Sure thing Rarity, no need to ask,” the orange earth pony nodded. “We already discussed the arrangements. The Cutie Mark Crusaders would spend one night at your place, then one night at mine, and then one more night at Rainbow Dash’s.”

The rainbow colored pegasus was listening in and swooped down as soon as she heard her name being spoken. “Oh yeah! During the sleep over I’m going to make their school break the most awesome break ever!” she cheered.

Rarity couldn’t express how grateful she was to hear those words. “Anything to keep those little fillies away while I’m finishing this large order of dresses,” she said. "I'm of course happy for my little sister but my work must really take priority now."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders overheard everything and were excited they still had two more sleep over nights with each other to play and get their cutie marks. The ivory white unicorn, Sweetie Belle, cracked her voice with excitement. “We’re going to stay over at Applejack’s tonight! What shall we try getting our cutie marks in? Racing cows or hatching chickens?”

Apple Bloom considered it. “I dunno,” she muttered. “All the morning chores I do with the cows and the chickens hasn't already gotten me my cutie mark.”

The pegasus, Scootaloo, jumped into view with brash excitement. “I bet we’re going to get our cutie marks at Rainbow Dash’s place! No pony is more awesome than her!”

Applejack suddenly interrupted. “Don’t get ahead of yourselves girls,” she smiled. “I’ve got us a fun filled evening tonight that might make you reconsider Rainbow Dash’s place.”

Rainbow Dash was alarmed. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” she protested. “You saying a sleep over at your place would be more exciting than mine?”

Applejack knew that she should have known better than to argue but her competitive instincts began to do the talking for her. “Maybe I am better at throwing a sleep over, and maybe I’m not!” she responded. “It’s not a competition Rainbow Dash! It’s about my little sister and her friends!”

Rainbow Dash knew that Applejack was trying to sound rational but the two of them knew that their rivalry was changing this into something else. A wicked grin crossed Rainbow Dash’s face and Applejack smiled as well. The game was on and they were determined to see who could throw the better sleep over, just as soon as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were ready.

But while they were debating, Fluttershy stood alone near the ticket office where she opened a letter she had been meaning to read all morning. The envelope was in her hooves and the yellow pegasus was tearing open the seal when Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared beside her.

“Hey Fluttershy! Watcha got there?” the cheerful earth pony wondered.

“Oh, Pinkie...” Fluttershy stammered. “I was just going to read this letter.”

“Ooh, a letter!” Pinkie exclaimed. “What’s it say?”

“I, uh, don’t know,” Fluttershy hated to admit. “I was going to read it this morning before you came to my cottage earlier than planned and invited me here to the train station.”

Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to pick up the subtle hint Fluttershy was giving her as the pink earth pony looked over her shoulder and studied the envelope. “From a ‘Sir Magnos Hoofwell’,” she read. “Who is he?” she exclaimed. Suddenly, she leaned closer and gave her friend a subtle wink. “Is he a certain special somepony?”

“Um... no,” Fluttershy frowned. “He’s just a nice old hermit who lives near the Everfree Forest. He doesn’t talk much to anypony, but we are very good pen pals.”

When Rarity overheard them the unicorn couldn’t help feel like Pinkie was snooping a little too deep for once. “Pinkie, don’t you know it’s impolite to butt into another pony’s personal life when they clearly don’t want to share it?” she stated.

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Fluttershy smiled. “Mr. Magnos is a very nice pony. He lives alone in the wilderness and has no friends. He helps the woodland creatures like I do and he's brave enough to go into the Everfree Forest, even when I'm not.”

Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I thought there was something suspicious!” she exclaimed. “No wonder I didn’t recognize his name. I know just about everypony in Ponyville, but maybe if he lived far away outside of town it would be no surprise if I’ve never heard of him before, right?”

Rarity nodded. “Fluttershy, you must introduce us to this fine stallion one of these days,” she said.

Fluttershy seemed to have mixed feelings. “I’m... not sure,” she muttered. “He likes his privacy... but maybe he won’t mind.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash overheard and they also thought it sounded like a good idea, but it wasn’t long before they turned their attention to the railroad track and realized the train wasn’t even in view yet. “Where is Twilight’s train?” Applejack wondered. “It seems to be runnin’ a tad late.”

“Ah, Twilight will be here soon enough,” Rainbow Dash smiled. “You know Twilight. She’s never late for anything.”

The first great return of the Lords of Darkness was a terrible struggle for the Premonitionists who were unprepared for the enemies who had grown stronger in their exile. Since their banishment, the Lords of Darkness became more powerful than ever and found ways of overcoming the mighty warriors in a second great war that would change this age-old conflict forever.

After many great battles, when the struggle for Dussk was finally at its worst, it became necessary for the Premonitionists to inquire of their enemies and find unconventional means of defeating them. In the struggle, the Premonitionists discovered the leader of the Lords of Darkness, the oldest and most mysterious one of them all. He became known as Lord Titanus, which became a name that many would come to fear throughout the land.

Despite the apparent hierarchy that existed within their ranks, the Lords of Darkness were hardly ones for organized strategy. Regardless, their power was unmatched and they killed fifty Premonitionists for every one of them that was destroyed. It later became the idea of the young Master Osiris to drive the Lords of Darkness to desperation rather than death.

When the mysterious Lord Titanus finally joined the ranks and took up arms with his fellow demons, the Premonitionists finally had their chance to destroy the fearsome king of their enemies forever. Unfortunately for the Premonitionists, the power of Lord Titanus was drastically underestimated and three hundred warriors marched to their deaths in the struggle that would come to be known as The Battle of Shadow’s Peak.

But, in their darkest hour, a mysterious stranger appeared who offered an alternative solution. Through brilliant trickery, the stranger approached Lord Titanus and lured him into a trap that vanquished his evil forever. After his demise, the conflict turned in favor of the Premonitionists who fought back their fierce enemies in the greatest struggle history ever witnessed. But after the Lords of Darkness were banished back into the nether realm the Premonitionists did not rest for a moment.

For many years afterward they searched for the explanation behind Lord Titanus’s disappearance but nothing could be found; not even the stranger who first tricked the mighty king. As it became more and more likely to the Premonitionists that their greatest enemy was truly dead they declared a day of celebration throughout the land and everypony was happy. For many eons afterwards the land of Dussk saw a new age and flourished in prosperity.

Twilight Sparkle was enjoying the train ride home to Ponyville; sitting back and reading the book she hadn’t been able to put down since earlier that morning. But after she had been reading for nearly an hour she finally stopped and began flipping back and forth to random pages. Beside her, Spike was sitting comfortably and enjoying the view before ruffling of the pages began to bother him. After it looked like Twilight was getting frustrated the baby dragon turned around and asked her about it as politely as he could.

“Twilight, what are you looking for?” he asked.

“Just... something,” the princess responded. She paused for a moment. “Spike, something has been bothering me all of a sudden. The Legends of the Premonitionists has detailed stories about many Lords of Darkness, but I can’t find very much written about Lord Titanus.”

Spike couldn’t pretend he knew what she was talking about, but got straight to the point. “Is it really that big a deal?” he wondered.

Twilight looked at him and needed a moment to think about it. “I suppose it is,” she decided. “Lord Titanus, according to the book, was the king of the Lords of Darkness. The story describes him as very evil and very powerful, but there are not a lot of details surrounding this character who seems very important. Just as soon as Lord Titanus is introduced the writer suddenly erases him from the book and I can’t find any further mention of him anywhere. If I was the brilliant writer behind this book..."

Twilight paused to consider the possibility. "... well, I would give myself a pat on the shoulder for being so brilliant, but I wouldn’t just throw away a good character like that, don’t you agree?”

Spike was beginning to feel a different type of concern. “I really think it’s about time you return that book Twilight,” he said nervously. “I think it’s one thing to bring a restricted book home with you, but I’m beginning to feel like you’re obsessing over it maybe a little too much.”

“Obsessing?” Twilight laughed. “Spike, I’m not obsessing. I know in my heart that this book is fictional and nothing about it is real. I’m just excited that I have something new to read about and I’m really enthusiastic.”

“Okay, if you say so,” Spike shrugged.

Suddenly, the conductor at the front of the train made an announcement. “Next stop, Ponyville!”

“That’s our stop!” Spike said with excitement. He got up from his seat and beckoned Twilight to do the same. “You coming?”

“In a minute, just let me finish this chapter.”

The train came to a screeching halt beside the Ponyville train station and all of Twilight’s friends waited there anxiously to see their friend come down from the passenger cars. Steam hiss from the engine, blanketing the platform in a thick fog for a moment. When the steam began to clear Twilight’s friends looked and saw the alicorn princess descending from the train.

“Twilight!” they all called.

“Hey girls,” she responded.

Before she saw it coming, Twilight was tackled and nearly knocked over when they all came running to give her a big welcome home hug. After her initial shock, Twilight smiled and hugged them back. “Aw girls. I was only gone for three days. You couldn’t have missed me that much.”

“No way Twilight!” Pinkie declared. “A day without you is like a Sparkle without the Twilight!”

Her little wordplay confused Twilight, just as much as it confused everypony else, but they ignored Pinkie and got back to the matter at hoof. To them, it felt good to be reunited with Twilight, their friend, and for her to be back in Ponyville where she belonged.

It wasn’t long after Twilight exited the train that Spike came out as well. In his arms he had a huge pile of luggage that nopony noticed, until he tripped on the very last step and all the bags suddenly came tumbling down on top of him. When they heard the loud crash everypony turned and looked with concern.

“Spike!” Twilight worried.

“I’m alright!” the baby dragon declared. His claw was the first thing to appear as he climbed out. After his head poked out he breathed a sigh of relief. “Geez, there’s always one more bag than you think you can handle.”

Everypony began crowding around him and helped the baby dragon unbury himself. After everypony had picked a bag to carry Twilight used her magic to take the rest and Spike was freed. Twilight then took a quick inventory of her belongings and was relieved that nothing seemed lost.

As she was doing that, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle checked to make sure Spike was okay. “Are you hurt?” the yellow earth pony asked.

“Anything broken?” Sweetie belle wondered.

“No, I’m fine, really,” Spike insisted. “Thanks for asking anyway.”

While Twilight was distracted with her luggage she didn’t notice Fluttershy picking up a stray book that happened to fall from one of the cases. The shy pegasus wanted to hand it back, before she realized Twilight seemed preoccupied.

“Um... Twilight?” Fluttershy whispered.

But, after Twilight finished checking her luggage she turned to her other friends and said, “Come on everypony! Let’s head over to my place. I’ll tell you everything about my trip over lunch.”

Everypony nodded and agreed that sounded like a good idea, except for Fluttershy who was still trying to get their attention. “Uh... Twilight, I think you dropped something,” she insisted. It wasn’t long before the shy pegasus became curious and inspected the book for herself.

But, upon reading words on the cover Fluttershy gasped in surprise and forgot her own shyness. She suddenly came around and stood in Twilight’s path with the most anxious look in her eyes. Twilight and her friends stopped; alarmed to find her standing in their way.

Fluttershy had trouble containing her surprise as she spoke. “Twilight,” she began, “did you know Magnos Hoofwell made a book?”

Twilight’s friends were just as confused as the alicorn herself was. “Magnos Hoofwell?” Twilight wondered.

Fluttershy suddenly realized that she should maybe have explained herself a little better before getting in their way like she did. “Magnos Hoofwell and I are good friends,” she mentioned. “I’ve known him for a while but I didn't know that he wrote a book. I was just trying to give this back to you, when I happened to see his name written on the cover.”

Suddenly, Twilight noticed the book she was carrying. “Fluttershy!” she gasped. “Where did you get that?”

Fluttershy held the book at hoof’s length for everypony to see and they all gazed upon it. ‘The Legends of the Premonitionists’. Just underneath the title they read Magnos Hoofwell’s name and nopony knew what to say, except for one.

“Wow... how super exciting!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Your very special somepony wrote a book Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy’s timid nature began to take hold again upon hearing that. “Um... he’s not my special somepony,” she blushed. “He’s just a friendly old hermit who keeps to himself on the far side of the Everfree Forest.”

“Fluttershy!” Twilight cried. The alicorn suddenly jumped forward and snatched the book out of the pegasus’s hooves, much to everypony's surprise. Twilight held it close and tried to hide the title from view, before she turned around and realized how ridiculous she must have looked. Everypony was staring at her, shocked and surprised, before Applejack stepped forwards.

“What’s gotten into you sugar cube?” the orange earth pony frowned.

Twilight tried to contain herself. She couldn’t laugh this off, and she definitely couldn’t lie to her friends if she had any sort of respect for them. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and decided there was no point in hiding it. With a heavy heart, she looked at her friends one at a time and tried finding the words to apologize to them.

“Fluttershy... Applejack... everypony, I’m sorry for how that must have looked,” she frowned. “It's just that this book... It’s possible I’m maybe not supposed to be reading it. While I was in Canterlot I kinda ‘borrowed’ it from the restricted section.”

Pinkie Pie suddenly jumped into view. “The restricted section!” she exclaimed. “Last time you and I broke into the Canterlot archives I didn’t recall any restricted section!”

Twilight glared at her. “Thank’s for making that public knowledge Pinkie Pie,” she said sarcastically. She quickly got back on subject. “It’s harmless, really. This book is a work of fiction. For all intents and purposes, I can’t tell why it’s locked away in the restricted section but I couldn’t help myself. Though I snuck it out and brought it with me all the way from Canterlot castle, I’m nervous what Princess Celestia would think of me if she found that I had taken it.”

Everypony paused and considered what they had just heard from their friend. Even Twilight reflected on her own words and realized Celestia could be angry of what she had done if she ever found how many rules she already broke. All her friends exchanged glances and wondered what they would do about this. After Twilight felt like she had made a real disappointment of herself, Applejack suddenly stepped forwards and put a hoof on her shoulder.

“Hey, don’t get yourself all worked up over nothin’,” she said, with a gentle and compassionate smile. “If you want us to also keep it a secret for you Twiligh’, then we won’t tell. Ain’t that right?” she asked everypony else.

Looking across at them, Twilight saw everypony nodding their heads in agreement and the young princess couldn’t remember the last time she felt so indebted to somepony else. Seeing all their smiling faces, it made her truly happy to have such great friends.

After a moment, Fluttershy remembered that this was all because of her. She tried to hide behind a lock of hair as she stepped forwards. “I’m... I’m sorry Twilight,” she whimpered. “I didn’t think...”

Twilight suddenly interrupted. “Oh, don’t worry about it,” she said encouragingly. “It’s not your fault that you found the book Fluttershy. It just happened.”

After a pause, an interesting question crossed the young alicorn’s mind. “By the way, you were mentioning that you knew the writer of this book,” she said.

“Oh, yes!” Fluttershy smiled. “He’s a very nice person. We don’t see each other much but he writes me letters every so often.”

Twilight found herself curious to know more about this writer, Magnos Hoofwell, as she stood herself up and tucked the book away. “What do you say we talk more about it on the way to the library?” she wondered.

Everypony nodded in agreement and then they made their way off the station platform and back into town. After three days being away it felt good to be home in Ponyville.

Prologue 3: Sir Magnos Hoofwell

Prologue 3

Sir Magnos Hoofwell

Nothing much in Ponyville changed since Twilight was last home. While everypony was together for lunch at the library all of her friends were just glad to have her back from her trip to Canterlot. Unsurprisingly, Applejack and Rainbow Dash spent much of their time avoiding each other as they considered how they'd throw a better sleep over. Since it was Applejack’s turn this evening to fillysit the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rainbow Dash would simply have to wait her turn but they had plenty to do in the meantime.

Twilight Sparkle took the time to catch up on all the latest news concerning her home as well as her friends. Though there wasn't much to report it was still a pleasure just being together with them. After her friends left and the hours passed well into the evening Twilight didn't waste a second before sitting down and returning to her book. Though her friends agreed not to tell how she 'borrowed' it, the young princess preferred to keep The Legends of the Premonitionists to herself until she was done. When night was upon the village Twilight brought the book with her to bed and continued well into the night.

Soon after the Lords of Darkness were defeated for the second time the Order of Premonitionists discovered a new kind of weapon that would change the face of war forever. In the depths of the Zenheart Jungle an ancient temple was discovered with mystical powers in it. Waker, the young apprentice who found it, explored its dungeons and spoke with great enthusiasm of the things he found inside.

Floating platforms and gravity defying traps seemed contradictory to the state of decay that the temple was suffering after decades of neglect. Waker didn't immediately realize that the magical presence actually came from the Lords of Darkness, so entered the temple without fear. By taking advantage of his peculiar surroundings, he came out of the temple with a most interesting find.

Waker became the first Premonitionist to discover the art of World Building. He learned inside the temple that by enchanting the writing in a book, a Premonitionist could literally enter the book and experience the sights, sounds and feels like they were actually in another world. This art was an immediate controversy among the Premonitionists who believed using such magic defied their own sacred traditions. But, the much older head of the order, Master Osiris, was the first to defend this form of magic and believed mingling in this art would prove beneficial.

When he was proven right, the art of World Building was adapted into a powerful tool that became apart of the Order of Premonitionists, used time and time again against the Lords of Darkness who never stopped scheming their return.

The rooster was crowing when Twilight Sparkle realized just how late into the evening she had been reading. Under the covers of her bed her horn was glowing and she was about half way through the book when a beam of sunlight came in through the window.

Quickly slamming the book shut, she threw back the covers and saw the sun coming over the hills. Even though she had been awake all night she didn’t feel the faintest bit tired as she sat up. Beside her bed Spike was snoring in his basket and everything was normal as it should be, except for her.

“Oh my gosh, I’ve become just like Rainbow Dash reading a Daring Do novel,” Twilight muttered to herself.

But as she was saying that, Twilight looked down at her book and considered it. The young alicorn couldn’t remember the last time a book captivated her imagination quite like this. Everything about the book was so inspired and original, she felt almost like there was something more to it; something special she couldn't put her hoof on.

She picked up the book and smiled with satisfaction, right before something slipped out from between the pages. With surprise, Twilight looked down and saw a thin metal tag that plopped onto her bed. “A bookmark?” she wondered to herself.

Twilight lifted the thin metal tag with her magic and took a closer look. The item that she found was silver colored with an intricate pattern engraved into it and a gold rim along the edge. She knew this trinket that fell from the book had to be very valuable; especially when she considered the red jewel encrusted on the top. But as she studied it a dozen questions came flooding into her mind.

“Where did you come from all of a sudden?” she wondered to herself. “Were you hiding in the book all this time?”

It seemed hard to believe, especially since she recalled skipped back and forth a lot through the pages. She didn't know why this strange bookmark hadn't fallen out sooner but it seemed there was no explanation, except that she had simply missed it.

Twilight turned the bookmark over and realized that there was writing engraved on the back. Curious, she read it aloud. “To my brother, Magnos. Wherever you are, I will never forget you or the bond that war and tribulation has forged between us. Love, Raritas.”

After finishing, Twilight Sparkle paused and considered the words she had just read. It didn’t take her long to realize the value of the item she had found. “Oh my gosh... this bookmark belonged to the writer of the book himself,” she said aloud. “Magnos Hoofwell.”

Twilight could tell from the writing alone that this trinket must have meant a great deal to its owner. She hardly knew anything about Magnos Hoofwell and even less about this brother he apparently had, but it seemed she had stumbled upon something very special to them. With this silver and gold bookmark in her possession, Twilight wasn’t sure what she was meant to do with it. When she considered the options it didn’t seem right to keep the bookmark; even to hide it away where she’d never have to lay eyes on it. The alternative solution came to her quickly, but it sounded silly the moment it crossed her mind.

“Would Magnos Hoofwell be bothered if I paid him a visit, even if I was just returning this to him?” she wondered. As she was saying that the answer came to her quickly. “Of course he would," she mumbled. "If he didn't value his privacy I doubt he'd be a hermit living in the middle of nowhere.”

But as Twilight looked at the bookmark again she tried imagining how upset Magnos must have been to loose something so precious. The words on the back of it sounded very meaningful and she wondered how much the two brothers missed each other when the writing was first engraved. She didn’t know what circumstances surrounded those words but Twilight understood what she needed to do after reading them again.

Getting out of bed, she recalled everything Fluttershy told her from the day before and got ready to leave. “I guess I’m paying Magnos Hoofwell a visit,” she said. After quickly brushing her mane and making herself presentable, she took the silver bookmark and departed out the library before Spike was even awake.

“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll be back soon,” she told the baby dragon. At that, she closed the door behind her and started towards the Everfree Forest.

The gallop to Magnos Hoofwell’s house was considerably further than Twilight first imagined. Only after she left the boundaries of Ponyville did it occur to her that she had wings. Twilight took to the skies and went high above the Everfree Forest, covering a lot of distance quite quickly as she flew. As she passed above the tree line she scanned the wilderness for the cottage Fluttershy told her about. Though her memory was sketchy Twilight hoped it wouldn't take long to find the place Magnos Hoofwell lived.

After going five minutes in the direction she assumed was correct Twilight suddenly spotted a cottage against the side of a mountain, just outside the forest like she remembered Fluttershy mentioning. Guessing that it had to be the place, the princess descended from the air and landed on the ground a short distance away. The hillside she landed upon seemed very remote to her. There was no civilization for miles; just the forest and the mountains. Nopony could be expected to find this place without flight; or maybe knowledge from the woodland creatures like Fluttershy had.

When Twilight turned her sights to the cottage she cocked her head to the side and hummed. “Not too bad,” she thought aloud. “For a hermit pony, not too bad at all.”

Approaching the door, Twilight felt a little afraid that something scary might jump out at her, but bravely raised a hoof and knocked. After her hoof tapped against the wood she backed away and waited patiently for somepony to answer. Nothing happened for nearly a whole minute, which seemed strange.

When Twilight Sparkle began to feel impatient she approached again and knocked a second time. “Excuse me, Mr. Magnos Hoofwell!” she called. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and I wondered if I might have a word!”

Suddenly, Twilight heard the sound of glass shattering and nearly jumped with surprise. She heard ruckus inside the cottage, right before the door swung open and an older unicorn stepped out.

When the two of them saw each other, Twilight didn’t know what to say. She assumed she was looking at Magnos Hoofwell but he wasn’t exactly the hermit pony that she pictured him to be. He was a tall, tannish colored unicorn with a long grey mane that seemed messy yet handsome. Though he was at least twice the princess's age, when he looked down at her Twilight seemed to recognize a lot of energy and fire still left in his aging body.

Magnos Hoofwell wasn't shaggy or dirty at all. It embarrassed Twilight that she assumed so much before meeting him. Quickly forgetting about her preconceptions, Twilight went ahead and introduced herself. “Magnos Hoofwell? Hi. My name is Twilight Sparkle.”

But as she was speaking, the pony at the door just stared with a confused expression plastered across his face. After listening to her he turned his eyes to the side; like he was maybe expecting somepony else. “Um... are you lost?” he asked.

Twilight Sparkle frowned. “Uh... no,” she replied. She smiled again. “I came all this way to pay you a visit because I think I’ve found something of yours that I’d like to return.”

Magnos Hoofwell still looked confused. It wasn’t long before he noticed her wings and suddenly realized who he was dealing with. “Wait... you’re a princess?” he gasped.

Twilight was embarrassed that he took notice. “Well, yes. I am a princess. Princess Twilight Sparkle, at your service.”

“This is very curious indeed,” Magnos frowned. “Is your visit regarding official business?”

“Um, no,” Twilight insisted. “I just wanted to pay you a visit concerning the book you wrote.”

Suddenly, the unicorn jumped with alarm. “My book!” Magnos exclaimed. There was a hint of hostility in his voice before he brought himself back under control. After taking a deep breath, he spoke slowly and chose his words carefully. “What... exactly about my book?” he wondered.

Twilight began to feel very awkward in his presence; like maybe this brilliant writer she had admired up till now was maybe dangerous as well as crazy. When she studied his confused expression the young alicorn began to feel that this visit might have been a bad idea. But after giving herself a moment to think she slowly reached under her wing and showed him the reason why she came. When Twilight was holding the gold and silver bookmark in her hooves Magnos Hoofwell looked down and gasped with amazement.

“Sir Magnos, I found this in your book,” Twilight told him. “Naturally, Mr. Hoofwell, I would never intrude on your privacy unless I thought it was important. When I found this bookmark, coming to you and returning it seemed like the sensible thing to do. Does it look familiar to you at all?”

Magnos Hoofwell looked like he could scarcely believe his eyes. When he looked at the bookmark something suddenly changed. After an internal struggle seemed to distract him for a moment, he looked up and suddenly became like a different person. “I am sorry Princess Twilight, you must forgive me,” he unicorn replied. “I’m not used to be visited here in the wilderness by strangers. If you'll allow me to start over... I am, indeed, Sir Magnos Hoofwell. My dear princess, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Twilight could scarcely believe her eyes. Magnos seemed like a complete gentlecolt and in a moment's notice became very friendly and charming. Twilight slowly began to recognize the kindly stallion that Fluttershy described him to be. But, since she was still unsure about him, she decided to cut straight to business.

“Mr. Hoofwell, can you tell me about this bookmark?” she asked. "Does it belong to you?"

“Yes, it does. Thank you very much for finding it for me,” he responded.

He came forwards and Twilight felt nervous of Magnos as she stepped away. But after the stallion stopped just within hoof’s reach, he calmly took the bookmark from Twilight and looked down at it. He was so amazed that it looked like he was going to cry for a moment. After holding back his tears, he looked again at Twilight and held the bookmark for her to see.

“Do you know what this is?” he asked her, in a much calmer, gentler voice. “This is a seeker’s tag. It’s a valuable tool. I will confess, I have used it in the past as a bookmark and have gotten it lost on occasion. But Princess Twilight, you have no idea how happy you’ve made me for returning it. Ever since I lost it nine years ago I have searched tirelessly to get it back. Never thought I’d see it again.”

Twilight nodded. “Uh huh,” he frowned. “So... if it's not a bookmark, can you tell me what a 'seeker's tag' is supposed to be?”

Magnos Hoofwell chuckled. “Oh, that’s not important,” he said. “I will say this, Princess Twilight. You’ve done me a tremendous favor. I wish I could tell you how happy this makes me feel... but maybe later. Tell me again where you found it?”

“In your book,” Twilight responded, “the one I found locked up in the library in Canterlot castle. Mr. Hoofwell, for a while I have wanted the privilege of meeting you. Now that we're here, I wanted to say how much I admire your writing. The book you wrote about the Premonitionists and the world of Dussk is a really good read.”

Magnos did not seem to appreciate that as much as he appreciated the return of his seeker’s tag. “And... where exactly is the book now?” he wondered.

At that moment, Twilight felt conflicted. Though she couldn't explain why it would be wrong to read a harmless work of fiction she still realized it was wrong to take The Legends of the Premonitionists from the restricted section. If Magnos Hoofwell was aware she borrowed it without permission she didn’t know how he’d react.

In one heart-wrenching moment Twilight decided to lie. “It’s still there, in the library,” she assured him. “I, uh, found it interesting but put it back as soon as I was done with it. But I did, however, find the seeker’s tag... as you call it... and showed it to Celestia. She agreed that after I found it you’d probably like it returned. Honestly, I don’t know why she decided your amazing book would be locked away in the restricted section, but I'm happy I had the chance to read it.”

Upon hearing that, some sort of inner struggle seemed to distract Magnos for a moment. But, the stallion looked at Twilight again and nodded approvingly. “Then I suppose there was no harm done.”

Twilight frowned. “What do you mean?” she wondered.

Magnos smiled. “It wasn’t Celestia’s idea to lock that book in the restricted section, I assure you. It was my own.”

Twilight almost couldn’t believe it. “But... you’re such a talented writer!” she exclaimed. “The mythology and the stories in your book are amazing! There’s so much mystery and so much suspense... there are dungeons and lost secrets, monsters and warriors...”

Magnos chuckled with amusement. “You are quite the enthusiast Ms. Sparkle,” he smiled. “Do you read a lot?”

“Why, yes I do,” Twilight nodded. “I absolutely adore it! Reading seems to be the most under-appreciated art nowadays. Nopony takes the time anymore to just sit down with a good book.”

Magnos modestly shook his head. “I guess we both see eye to eye where books are concerned,” he said. After a pause, he took a breath and changed the subject. “Princess Twilight... thank you again. I owe you a debt for finding my seeker’s tag.”

Upon hearing that, Twilight realized she liked Magnos. Despite his confusion earlier, he was actually very nice and considerate. There was still a lot she had yet to learn but he seemed like a genuinely good person.

Magnos was about to return to his cottage when he stopped and looked at Twilight again. A curious idea crossed his mind. “Princess Twilight, maybe if your not busy would you care for a cup of tea?” he asked.

“Oh... I’m not so sure,” Twilight frowned.

“I don’t mean to pressure you!” Magnos insisted. “Princess Twilight, I really can’t tell you how much it means to have my seeker’s tag back. I don’t often get visitors either. If it wasn’t too awkward a request, I’d love to have you for some morning tea and then we could talk some more. I’m probably not the best host in the world but if you didn’t mind...”

Twilight paused and considered Magnos Hoofwell’s request. Indeed, it was strange to be invited for tea by a pony who lived in the middle of nowhere. But, when she looked at Hoofwell she recognized the brilliant writer that she admired by the way he spoke and the way he acted, despite his crazy moments.

Figuring that she could maybe spare a few minutes Twilight nodded her head and agreed.

“Fluttershy, yes I remember her,” Magnos nodded. “Always shy and timid. She writes to me every so often about her struggles and her concerns and I write back with advice and words of encouragement. I don't expect that my letters help every single time I write to her but I do wish the best for that young pony. I hope that one day Fluttershy becomes the strong and willful mare that I know she was meant to be.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded and was pleased Fluttershy was friends with the author she was getting to know. But after she felt like they had discussed Fluttershy enough the young princess took a look around the cottage and found she was impressed. It wasn’t fancy, but it was very clean and had a warm feeling about it. Twilight sat at a small table in the center of the room that was meant for only one pony, but Magnos arranged it neatly enough to have the both of them sitting down.

The older stallion was standing across from her and was busy preparing a pot of tea while Twilight was observing her surroundings. The room she sat in served as everything, from a dining room, to a living room and even a kitchen. There was hardly room enough to walk around, but Magnos seemed to manage. The only other space he had in the cottage was a bedroom which he kept locked behind a door. Twilight imagined that Magnos kept his secret writing space behind that door as well but was too embarrassed to ask.

The decorations in the living room, though, were quite interesting to Twilight. Magnos made use of every bit of wall and every inch of shelf. There were pots and pans, as well as fancy tins with exotic spices inside. There were also herbs hanging by threads from the ceiling and a stove that stood by itself next to a pile of wood.

While Magnos was busy brewing the tea and trying to be a good host, Twilight took notice of his cutie mark for the first time and tried to get a closer look. She thought it looked kind of suspicious but it resembled a long sword with two hoof gauntlets holding the handle; proud and dignified. It hardly seemed to be the cutie mark of a writer or a hermit pony, but she didn't pretend like she was an expert on the subject.

A question soon crossed Twilight’s mind, which she hoped wasn’t too personal. Taking a breath, she asked, “So why exactly do you live out here in the middle of nowhere, Mr. Hoofwell?”

“What do you mean?” Magnos asked.

Twilight Sparkle frowned; figuring the question should have been easy enough to understand. “You’re a great writer and you’re a unicorn. If you moved to Canterlot you could be a celebrity,” she told him.

Magnos turned away from the brewing pot and gave Twilight a very curious look. “You make a fair point,” he nodded. But after a moment, he turned away and continued brewing the tea. “The truth is, I never wanted to become a writer. I’m not that creative a pony.”

“But you seem very creative to me,” Twilight interrupted.

“I know, but me and Princess Celestia made an agreement,” Magnos explained. “You see, I asked her many years ago for a favor. Before I was an old hermit, like you see me now, I used to be a soldier. I fought many battles and suffered many tragedies.”

“Many tragedies... from what?” Twilight exclaimed.

“Trust me,” Magnos chuckled, “the world has not always been a safe and peaceful place like Equestria now. After most of my friends left I chose a life of exile so I could escape from it all.”

Twilight lowered her head. “I’m so sorry,” she frowned.

But upon hearing that Magnos turned around, levitating a tray with his magic and facing the princess with a kindly expression. “Don’t feel so glum,” he told her. “It’s all in the past. Nothing to be ashamed of.”

After saying that, he put the tray down on the table and revealed the setup he had been preparing. When Twilight saw it, it seemed quite humble but surprisingly nice. On top of the tray was a steaming pot of tea, along with clean napkins and an assortment of sandwiches and cookies. A tiny glass with a flower sticking out finished the ensemble he was trying to create.

“Go ahead and have a cup,” Magnos told her, offering to pour the tea for her. “It’s my own special blend. It’s all I could make with the wild herbs that I find in the Everfree Forest but maybe it will be halfway descent for a princess such as yourself.”

Twilight was curious as she took a cup and saw the reddish brown tea inside. After taking a sip, words almost failed her. “Oh my gosh, that’s very good,” she said. “And all of this is from the forest?”

“Yup, every last leaf,” Magnos nodded as he took a sip from his own cup.

After Twilight enjoyed the tea she put her cup down and returned to the subject from before. Although it seemed like Magnos would rather avoid some of the details she wondered how much more he would be willing to share.

“So... taking care of animals,” she chuckled, “that’s not really your special talent, is it?”

Magnos frowned. “I suppose not,” he said. “My cutie mark makes it a dead giveaway, right?” He paused for a moment. “Taking care of the animals isn’t something I do regularly, but I have helped Fluttershy on a number of occasions mending the hurting woodland creatures. It does give me something to pass the time.”

Magnos quickly changed the subject. “But of course, I suppose you’re wondering why I waste my time out here in the wilderness when I could be making a fortune as a writer.”

Twilight was embarrassed to admit she couldn’t stop thinking about that. After a pause she replied, “Yes, I have been wondering.”

Magnos nodded. “My book is not meant to be an entertaining best seller,” he explained. “It was meant to be therapy. You see... I’ve experienced many terrible things in my day and I’ve retreated out here to the wilderness so I would never have to be reminded. Nightmares used to haunt me in my sleep and I began writing that book until the nightmares went away. It took quite a while but it worked in the end.”

Twilight understood perfectly. She would have done the same herself, but she was still brimming with questions. “So how did it end up in the library?”

“That’s where Celestia comes in,” Magnos continued. “It would have been a shame if all my work was lost, so I lent it to her for safe keeping. As soon as I die of old age I asked her if she could publish it. As soon as I’m gone, I expect my book shall give other ponies something to think about when they’re considering the horrors of war.”

“But... that seems like such a waste!” Twilight protested. “Why not publish it now and enjoy the praise everypony else is sure to give you.”

Magnos looked away and smiled with amusement. “No, that would only be a painful reminder of everything I’ve been trying to forget,” he told her. “Princess Twilight, I do appreciate your enthusiasm. I’m glad you enjoy it, but my book is better off in the Canterlot library... until the time is right.”

Twilight was nervous to admit that the book wasn’t there. She still had it, but Magnos didn’t have to know that quite yet.

With a smile, Magnos pushed the tray closer to her. “Care for a sandwich to go with your tea?” he asked her.

“Sure,” Twilight nodded. After taking one and having a bite she asked another question that had been on her mind for a while. “So who is Raritas?” she wondered.

“Raritas?”

“Yes, you know, the name on that bookmark I returned to you,” Twilight mentioned.

When Magnos realized that he had heard her correctly he seemed troubled, but looked up at her again with a smile. “Raritas was my brother,” he told her; holding up the seeker’s tag for her to see. “We were close, very close. Sometimes it feels painful to dwell on it, but not since you found the seeker’s tag. Thanks again.”

Twilight nodded. “So is he still around?” she asked.

“No... I lost him.”

Twilight suddenly realized her mistake. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be,” Magnos replied. “It was a long time ago. Now that my seeker’s tag has finally returned to me after all these years, I feel like I have him back now. Thank you so much Ms. Sparkle. I wish I could tell you how much this means to me but I don’t know if I can.”

“It was... really nothing,” Twilight smiled. “I guess it was just lucky that I found it and one of my friends happened to know where you lived.”

“Despite everything you say Princess Twilight, this favor was definitely worth a little more than nothing,” Magnos told her. After a moment, he put the seeker’s tag away and looked across at Twilight again. “Thank you very much. I must say, this is a rare opportunity. I don’t often get to serve tea for a fine young mare like yourself. You are a very nice person, Ms. Sparkle.”

Upon hearing that, Twilight blushed but was also charmed. Although they didn’t seem to have much in common they continued talking for a while and enjoyed the tea until Twilight decided it was time to go. Feeling like he had wasted enough of her time, Magnos wished her a fond farewell and the princess flew back to Ponyville. After a most delightful morning it was time for life to go back to normal again.

When Twilight Sparkle finally returned to Ponyville she descended from the air and found that she arrived just as everypony was getting their day started. Ponies were walking up and down the streets and Twilight knew she'd find the Golden Oaks Library just a few blocks down.

Trotting along home, Twilight Sparkle didn't think anything could go wrong... until something landed with a thump right in front of her. Jumping with surprise, the princess looked down and saw a stack of paper bound together like a manuscript. After nearly hitting her on the head, she was curious where such a random object could have fallen from.

With a cross look, Twilight turned her head upward and searched for the one responsible. “Derpy Hooves, if you accidentally dropped anything else on me by accident I swear I’ll...”

But when Twilight looked up, the mailmare wasn’t there. Nopony was. There wasn’t even a ledge or a tree that the manuscript could have fallen from. Just open sky and not even a cloud anywhere to be seen. Twilight looked down and wondered where a perfectly harmless manuscript could have fallen from.

Feeling suspicious, she picked it up with her magic and tried reading it. “What is this?” she wondered, partly in disgust. “It doesn’t even have a title.”

It was, indeed, strange. And yet, there was something ominous about the manuscript. Twilight had trouble putting her hoof on it but she had the most peculiar feeling. The pages were a light grayish color and the writing was a very unusual font for a typewriter. Twilight kept the manuscript just within hoof's reach as she considered what to do with it. After giving it some thought she took the pages under her wing and continued on her way to the library. Later, she was sure there would be time to make sense of this.

Prologue 4: The Challenge of Being There

Prologue 4

The Challenge of Being There

Rainbow Dash blazed across the sky leaving her signature rainbow trail behind as she did all sorts of amazing tricks for her morning practice. She did loops, barrel rolls and other amazing stunts. Scootaloo gawked in amazement like she always did when the pony she idolized went speeding passed. The younger pegasus leaned over the stretch of cloud that comprised Rainbow Dash’s front step and couldn’t contain her excitement as she watched. When Dash went zipping passed again Scootaloo tried waving.

“Hey, Rainbow!” she called. “Way-ta-go! Don’t stop!”

But suddenly, Scootaloo leaned too far and couldn’t stop herself from falling.

“Oh... oh no! Rainbow!”

The young filly fell from the floating house and cried for help as she went plummeting towards the ground. As soon as her screams reached Rainbow Dash the cyan colored pony stopped in midflight just in time to see the pegasus as she fell. With a gasp, Rainbow Dash spread her wings and dived towards her.

“Don’t worry Scoots! Imma coming!”

Scootaloo couldn’t hear as the wind blew passed her ears. After seeing the ground approaching she closed her eyes and tried flapping her tiny wings to get some lift. She couldn't fly, but if she could get enough air to slow her descent maybe she could cushion her fall. It was a stretch but it was the only thing she could do. But just as the strain on her wings was bringing her to tears, Scootaloo was suddenly scooped up and found herself in Rainbow Dash’s hooves.

It took Scootaloo a moment to realize she had been saved when she saw the ground moving away from her. She looked up into her mentor's smiling face and threw her hooves around her neck. “Thank you Rainbow! That was scary!”

Rainbow Dash was glad as she spiraled up to her house and landed gently on the clouds. After putting Scootaloo down she looked down at her friend; concerned but also glad she wasn't hurt. “Scoots, you gotta be careful!” she told her. “When I’m not there to save you, you can’t get yourself into trouble like that!”

Scootaloo lowered her head in disappointment. “I'm sorry Rainbow Dash. I really didn't mean to fall like that."

But Rainbow Dash smiled as she put a hoof around her. “Hey, don’t sweat it,” she nodded. “You did awesome. You were nearly about to make it... I mean, cushioning your fall before you hit the ground and got hurt. That was some quick thinking you did.”

Scootaloo hadn’t thought about it, but it was a good idea at the time. “Yeah, I was great! Maybe with more practice I’ll finally get off the ground and be doing tricks like you!”

“Sounds good to me,” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “I could help you practice, but not before the party I have planned for you this evening.” Suddenly, the pegasus remembered the sleep over she was supposed to be hosting this evening and also wondered how yesterday's sleep over went. “How was your sleep over at Applejack’s, by the way?” she inquired. “You didn’t do the same boring stuff that you did at Rarity’s place like braiding hair, did you?”

“Oh, no,” Scootaloo smiled. “Me and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were hanging at the Cutie Mark Crusader’s club house when Applejack came by and said it was time to call it a day. So we went to her place and helped her make apple strudels and apple fritters. That was before Pinkie Pie showed up.”

Rainbow Dash was feeling rather smug, up until she heard that last sentence. “Wait, did you say Pinkie Pie? Where did she come from?”

“I don’t know,” Scootaloo shrugged. “But when she came over we had a party and had the bestest time ever!”

Rainbow Dash paused. The more she tried thinking about it the more frustrated she became. It all made sense to her when she considered the circumstances. She could picture Applejack trying to entertain the Cutie Mark Crusaders last night with apples and baking. To a farm pony, of course it would seem like perfect entertainment, up until she realized her idea of fun wouldn't be nearly exciting enough for three young fillies. So to help her throw a better sleep over, it would make sense if Applejack invited Pinkie over to make the evening more eventful. Since Rainbow Dash and Applejack were competing to throw a better sleep over, it made sense that Applejack would pull such dirty trick to get a few points ahead.

Rainbow Dash was grinding her teeth; frustrated that one of her friends would do something like that. Even worse, Rainbow Dash was painful aware that she’d have to work incredibly hard to find some way of topping a Pinkie Pie sleep over.

While she was thinking this it didn't take Scootaloo long to notice how upset her mentor looked. “Rainbow Dash, what’s wrong?”

Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered Scootaloo and tried to ignore any thought of Applejack. The pegasus knew she had other responsibilities to worry about. “Ah, don’t you worry about a thing,” she said as she pat Scootaloo on the head. “I’ll throw you the most amazing sleep over you've seen yet; you can count on it.”

The pegasus turned went towards her house. After Rainbow Dash opened the front door Scootaloo followed her inside, before a curious thought crossed her mind. “By the way, is it even possible for ponies beside us pegasi to come into your house Rainbow Dash? Earth ponies and unicorns like Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle can't have a sleep over at your place if they can't walk on clouds, right?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled as she closed the door behind them. “You may not have noticed but my house is actually pretty solid,” she replied. “Have you noticed the floor and the walls are made of wood and timber. The only clouds I have are the ones holding the house in the sky.”

Scootaloo looked down below her hooves and was surprised she had never noticed it before. Pegasus architecture was more solid than she first imagined.

But just as she was about to say something, both ponies were surprised when they heard a knock at the door. They were inside for only a moment and didn’t remember seeing anypony coming. Shrugging off her initial surprise, Rainbow Dash opened the door and saw the familiar walleyed pegasus who worked the mail route.

The mailmare known as Derpy smiled a wide grin as she introduced herself. “Hello, I am looking for a Ms. Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow Dash stood there; figuring her mane and her tail should have made it a dead give away... for the second time this week. “That’s me,” she said.

“Oh goodie!” Derpy cheered. Quickly reaching into her bag she retrieved a letter and showed it to her. “I have a special delivery for you. It’s got a stamp on it, so I know it’s super important.”

Rainbow Dash took the letter and looked at the return address. When she saw the name of the sender a look of concern suddenly crossed her face.

But, Derpy was too happy to notice. “Well, my work is done!” she cheered. “Till next time, I’ll be signing off!”

At that, she turned and flew away to continue her route, not even bothering to close the door as she left. After she was gone, Scootaloo approached the older pegasus and noticed the way she was looking down at the letter. “What is it Rainbow Dash?” she wondered.

The cyan colored pony didn’t know whether to be nervous or excited as she read the name on the envelope a second time. “It’s from the Wonderbolt Academy,” she replied. After carefully tearing it open she retrieved the letter and read it to herself.

“Oh no...”

“What, what is it?”

“The Academy wants me to report in this evening to practice drills,” Rainbow Dash explained. “They expect me to be there all night.”

Scootaloo quickly realized the problem. “So does that mean the sleep over at your place is canceled?” she wondered. “Can’t you write back and say no?”

“These are the Wonderbolts!” Rainbow Dash told her. “They'll never take no for an answer.” She gave herself a moment to think about it. "I'm... I'm going to have to cancel the sleep over."

Scootaloo’s ears dropped. This wasn’t just quality time with her friends she was missing but also quality time with Rainbow Dash. This was the one sleep over she was looking forward to the most. “But... there must be something we can do!” she said.

Rainbow Dash needed to think. She was fond of Scootaloo, and all the Cutie Mark Crusaders for that matter. But because Applejack had the nerve to cheat by inviting Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash couldn’t bring herself to just let it go. Quickly checking her options she came to a solution that seemed questionable, but maybe the only solution she had.

Twilight Sparkle was storming through The Legends of the Premonitionists quickly. She was two thirds the way through by the time she realized there wouldn’t be anything left when she'd reach the end. She was sitting at a reading table, waiting for Spike to come with an early lunch since she wasn’t very hungry for breakfast after her visit with Magnos Hoofwell.

Twilight closed the book, just as Spike appeared from the kitchen. When the baby dragon saw that she had stopped reading a smug grin crossed his face. “Twilight, this is the first time you put the book down since you got it,” he said.

But Twilight didn’t think it was amusing. “Right Spike,” she frowned.

Spike realized at that moment that something was seriously troubling her and came to see what it was. “What’s wrong Twilight?” he asked as he put lunch on the table.

“Nothing. I doubt you'd understand anyways.”

Spike felt hurt that his friend would think that way of him. He paused and realized the joke he tried a second ago was probably too insensitive of him. He exhaled and was determined to show he was still her number one assistant, and friend. “It’s okay Twilight, I promise I won't laugh if you tell me."

Twilight closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry Spike,” she said, turning to look at him. “It’s just... The Legends of the Premonitionists is nearly done and as soon as I reach the last page the story is going to be over. After I’ve already invested so much of myself into this book, what am I supposed to do when there’s nothing left of it to read?”

Spike began to feel Twilight’s pain, but he was suddenly distracted by something else he remembered. “You did promise that you’d return the book as soon as you were done with it. You won't forget, right?”

Twilight felt cross that Spike would remind her now of all times, but didn’t scold the dragon for being corrected. It was true, she was approaching the ending and I would nearly be time for her to return the book and never see it again. She looked at The Legends of the Premonitionists again and finally considered this rationally.

“As soon as I’m done with this I suppose another really good book will simply come along and then I'll forget all about this one,” Twilight shrugged. “I know that I'd rather not forget about The Legends of the Premonitionists, but I know I will honor Magnos Hoofwell's wishes.”

Spike’s mouth was stuffed with peanut butter and hay sandwich as he stared across at his friend. “Who?” he wondered.

“Oh, never mind!” Twilight responded.

Spike frowned and considered where Twilight Sparkle had disappeared to this morning when he first woke up. Although he decided not to ask, Twilight decided herself that he wouldn't need to know until it was important. She kept her visit a secret and Spike was content to just have early lunch before getting back to work. Twilight looked down at her own sandwich and levitated it with her magic.

But, just as she was taking her first bite there was a knock at the door and Twilight turned. “Who could that be?” she wondered. She turned to Spike. “We are closed for re-shelving day, right?”

“Don’t remind me,” Spike groaned.

Twilight got up from the table and went across the library to see who it could be. When she reached the door she opened it with her magic and was surprised to see Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo there.

“Hey Rainbow. What brings you here?” she smiled.

“Twilight, heh heh,” the older pegasus grinned, “this is going to sound like incredibly short notice but I had a favor I wanted to ask.”

“A favor?" She paused. "A favor to do what exactly?”

Rainbow Dash had trouble finding the words, since asking for help was a real blow to her ego. “Scoots and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were supposed to be staying at my place this evening for a sleep over, like they did last night at Applejack’s. But, the Wonderbolts just wrote and they need me today to practice drills and I can’t say no.”

Twilight frowned. “That’s too bad.”

“You said it,” Rainbow nodded. “Listen, since I can’t fillysit tonight would you mind doing it instead?”

Twilight somehow knew that question was coming. “Gee, I don’t know Rainbow,” she replied. “I am going to be busy. As soon as I’m done with re-shelving day I’ve got letters to write to the Princess.”

“Aw, come on Twilight!” Rainbow Dash pleaded. “Rarity and Applejack have already done their part! I can’t back out now!”

“You’ll have to,” Twilight stated. “You’ll just have to find a way of telling them. Say you can't fillysit and ask if one of them wouldn't mind doing it another night.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t like that; especially since she once possessed the element of loyalty.

Twilight Sparkle didn’t like the words she was speaking either, since it wasn’t like a true friend to abandon somepony in need. After wrestling with the issue for a moment she realized she couldn't do that to Rainbow Dash. If she was able to help, she didn't see any reason why not.

“Okay Rainbow Dash, no big deal,” she sighed. “I’ll just move re-shelving day to tomorrow. If it's really that important than I'll watch the Cutie Mark Crusaders for you, just this once.”

“Thanks Twilight!” Rainbow Dash smiled. She turned to Scootaloo, who looked disappointed. “Just make sure you and the rest of the CMC have the most awesome time you can! Got it Scoots?”

But Scootaloo wasn’t enjoying this plan at all. “Rainbow Dash... I wanted to spend the night at your place!”

“Hey, I’ll arrange another sleep over some other time, I promise, but I can’t disappoint Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom either. It’s about you three! If you don’t want another sleep over than you’ll be missing out and school break might as well be over with. This is the best I can come up with Scoots.”

Twilight also felt sympathetic for the younger pegasus as she stepped forward to show her support. “Don’t worry Scootaloo, I promise we’ll have tons of fun at my place.”

Scootaloo still wasn’t feeling any better, but was forced to admit Rainbow Dash and Twilight did have a point. With a sigh she looked up at her idol. “Okay Rainbow Dash, as long as you promise another time...”

Rainbow Dash held her close and gave her a nuggie on the head. “You bet squirt!” she chuckled. After a moment, she looked at Twilight again and remembered one other thing. “By the way, can you make sure the sleep over you’re throwing is going to be extra, extra exciting?” she wondered. “You see... Applejack kinda threw a really awesome sleep over last night and I’ve been meaning to top her...”

Twilight immediately got the message and looked at her friend, crossly. “You want me to come into the middle of this challenge you two created for yourselves?” she remarked.

“If you don’t mind,” Rainbow Dash smirked.

Twilight shook her head and almost couldn't believe she was agreeing to this. “Okay, bring them over as soon as you're ready to leave Rainbow Dash and I’ll take care of everything.”

“Gotcha!” Rainbow Dash nodded. “See you this evening.”

At that, she took her leave and closed the door. Twilight stood there and took a moment to consider what she had just agreed to. This afternoon she would be fillysitting, which wasn’t the worst favor she could’ve been asked. It was still pretty last minute and she became nervous of her schedule.

Spike, meanwhile, overheard the whole thing. “So we’re having Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo over this evening?” he wondered.

"Apparently so," Twilight told him. "Spike, you're officially off the hook. No re-shelving today."

Spike almost couldn't believe his own excitement. "Awesome!" he cheered.

But Twilight gave him a cross look and the baby dragon grinned sheepishly. "Oh... I mean... that's bad news. Whatever will we do with all this free time we have now?"

Twilight chuckled. "What indeed?" she wondered.

Twas at this point in history the High Council of Evedurr began having their disagreements with the Order of Premonitionists. After the Lords of Darkness had returned for the forth time and it was believed they were all defeated at long last, it crossed the council's mind that maybe the Premonitionists had outlived their purpose. Master Osiris, who had now lived for many hundreds of years, realized he was dying but he knew he couldn’t allow the Premonitionists to leave defenses down while the land of Dussk reached its Golden Age. Turning to his most favorite student, Jiro, the head of the order pushed to make his pupil the next leader of the Premonitionists as the time of Osiris came to an end. What happened next became a matter of great controversy.

It was getting late and the sun was about to set as Twilight Sparkle closed her book again and realized how close she was to the end. There were only a few pages left. The alicorn frowned and wondered where the time had gone. She had read stories about the creation of Dussk, four great wars, at least fifty heroes and still couldn’t get enough of it.

But at that very moment, she was startled when she thought she heard knocking at the door and remembered that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were supposed to be coming by. It felt like only a few minutes ago she agreed to fillysit them, yet here they were now.

Getting up from her seat, she opened the front door and saw Rainbow Dash already dressed in her Wonderbolt’s trainee uniform. The three fillies were with her, here to be dropped off. “Hey Twilight,” the rainbow pony grinned.

The princess didn't even have time to reply before Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle came running passed her and began prancing around the library. “Hey Sweetie Belle, did we ever try getting our cutie marks as librarians?” the younger earth pony wondered.

“I think so,” the unicorn replied, “but I don’t remember how it ended.”

When Twilight saw their excitement it made her chuckle with amusement. But when she turned to Scootaloo she noticed the young pegasus didn't seem as enthusiastic as her friends did. Rainbow Dash noticed as well and tried cheering her up. “Hey, don’t sweat it Scoots. We can plan another sleep over some other time.”

“But, you were going to show me all your cool moves Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo sobbed. “We were going to hang out, read a Daring Do book together and have popcorn!”

Rainbow Dash was realizing how much Scootaloo idolized her, as well as how desperate the filly was to have quality time with just the two of them. It disappointed her all-the-more that it couldn’t be tonight like they wanted. “You’ll have fun at Twilight’s,” she spoke. “Don’t worry squirt. As soon as I get back we’ll figure something out.”

Rainbow Dash then looked up at Twilight. “You got them, because I really need to go before I run late?”

“Don’t worry Rainbow,” the alicorn replied. “I promise I’ll take care of them.”

“Awesome. See you later.”

At that, she took to the skies and sped away. After Rainbow Dash had passed over the horizon and out of view Twilight guided Scootaloo inside and closed the library door behind them. The younger pegasus was not looking forward to this evening as she dragged her hooves behind her. Although Twilight hoped to be encouraging to Scootaloo, she was startled when she came inside and saw Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle out of control.

In the short time they had been here she found the two fillies standing over a pile of books knocked from their shelf. They both stood there with very sheepish looks on their faces. “Sorry Twiligh’,” Apple Bloom frowned.

“We were trying to find a place to store this book, when suddenly we started an avalanche,” Sweetie Belle explained. She lowered her head. "I guess there's a very good reason why we didn't get cutie marks as librarians the first time we tried this."

But as she was talking, Twilight noticed the book Sweetie Belle was referring to and recognized it as the manuscript she remembered finding earlier that morning. The very manuscript Sweetie Belle wanted to help put away was the same one that appeared out of nowhere and nearly hit Twilight on the head. The alicorn was still unsure where the bounded papers had fallen from and was a little uncomfortable that Sweetie Belle was handling it.

But after getting over her initial shock, Twilight breathed a calming sigh and beckoned the fillies away from the fallen books. “Girls, it’s nice that you want to help but the library is already pretty tidy.”

Apple Bloom frowned. “So then what are we supposed to do this evening?”

Twilight quickly arranged the books with her magic and had them re-shelved in no time. “Actually, I have lots of things in mind for tonight,” she smiled. “I just read the Dangerous Book for Fillies. It gave me lots of good games and ideas we can try this evening. Then when it’s time for bed I’ve got a great story for you girls I can read.”

Sweetie Belle turned and looked at Scootaloo. “That sounds like fun!” she exclaimed.

But Scootaloo wasn't all that excited. “Yeah... fun,” she groaned.

“Don’t be so down cuz Rainbow Dash couldn’t fillysit us tonigh’,” Apple Bloom interjected. “It ain’t her fault Scootaloo.”

“Yeah, but even after she decided to take me under her wing we still haven’t been doing much of anything together,” Scootaloo sighed.

Twilight couldn’t help but smile. Listening to the fillies going back and forth sounded like a friendship lesson that was about to be learned. Maybe later this evening there would be an entry added to their journal, but only time would know for sure.

After placing every book back where it belonged Twilight had only the mysterious manuscript left and wondered where to put it. Although it was safe on the shelf before, the shelf felt like only a temporary place to store it. Now that she had it again in her hooves, Twilight began reconsidering the place she wanted it to be kept.

As her eyes darted between the library shelves and the manuscript, she was started when she thought she spotted a familiar word. She scrolled down the manuscript until her eyes confirmed what she saw. “Premonitionist!” she read aloud.

It was almost too freakish to be true. The made up word was there; written into the manuscript the same as in her book, The Legends of the Premonitionists. It was almost like seeing a ghost and Twilight nearly stumbled back in surprise. “How... how is this possible?” she wondered.

But it wasn’t long before there was another crashing sound and Twilight saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing on yet another pile of toppled books. “Oh... sorry Twiligh’,” Apple Bloom frowned. “Is The Dangerous Book for Fillies supposed to be under T for The, or D for Dangerous?”

Twilight completely forgot about the manuscript as she shook her head and realized what a long night this was going to be. With a smile, she realized she was looking forward to it; whatever it was sure to bring.