From the Ashes

"Come on Fluttershy," a young blue pegasus with a multi-colored mane growled as she pushed a yellow pegasus with a pink mane towards the library where the party Pinkie Pie had joyfully announced would be. "We promised Pinkie Pie we would be there."

"But we don't know anything about this pony Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy replied fearfully, pushing her hooves into the ground, determined to stay far away from the normally quiet library.

"Pinkie said she was a bard," Rainbow Dash grunted, obviously frustrated with the other mare. "Anyways, do you really think Pinkie would throw a party for a bad pony?"

"Yes."

Rainbow Dash stopped her pushing to think about it. Fluttershy felt a sense of relief wash over her. If she could just reason with Rainbow Dash, she wouldn't have to go. However, much to her chagrin, Rainbow Dash started pushing her again towards the library.

"It doesn't matter," Rainbow Dash decided. "Besides, you should save the judgment until after you meet the new pony. I'm sure she isn't scary at all."

Fluttershy could only meep in protest, but she knew there was no turning back now. Besides, they were so close and Pinkie could probably sense their presence. She wouldn't be surprised.

Over the years, ponies have come and left Ponyville. There was a few like Lyra and Twilight Sparkle who came from Canterlot to live in Ponyville, but it was typically the other way around. Ponyville, although secluded with far more freedoms then the cities, wasn't the best place to live economically.

It came down to freedom or having the guarantee of bread on your table every night for dinner. And not surprisingly, a lot of ponies chose the bread.

"Pinkie Pie, we're here!" Rainbow Dash announced as she pushed Fluttershy through the doorway. Somehow, they must have reached the library when Fluttershy was lost in her thoughts. Pinkie Pie bounded up to them, hyper and happy as always.

"Hey Dashie, Fluttershy, I'm super duper excited you can make it!" She squealed, giving both a bear hug.

"Of course we would make it Pinkie Pie," Rainbow Dash assured the party pony, before looking around. "So, where is this new pony anyways?"

"She's over there with Lyra, Bon Bon and Twilight," Pinkie Pie explained. "Go say hi. I need to put more cakes on the table. Never can have enough cake!" With that being said, Pinkie Pie bounded off.

"Come on," Rainbow Dash encouraged her gently. Fluttershy sighed and gave in. She might as well get it over with. And perhaps Rainbow Dash was right. Maybe the new pony wasn't scary.

The two pushed their way through the crowd before they finally saw the librarian, musician and candy maker talking to a unicorn with a brown cloak that covered her entire body. You couldn't even see her cutie mark, if there was one. Already this pony was beginning to make her fill uneasy. But before she could back out, Rainbow Dash announced their presence.

"Hey there!" The small group turned, and Fluttershy now had her eyes locked with the mysterious unicorn. They were an electric blue that made Fluttershy feel a bit uneasy and the intensity which was in them made her want to look away. But for some reason she couldn't.

"Hello," much to Fluttershy's surprise, the pony's voice was smooth and while it wasn't loud, it certainly carried.

"Hey guys," Lyra greeted them cheerfully as Twilight Sparkle gave a polite nod and Bon Bon waved. "Glad you could make it." Turning to the unicorn, Lyra gestured to both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

"This is Rainbow Dash, our top weather mare," she told the unicorn as Rainbow Dash puffed her chest out in pride. "And this is Fluttershy, our veterinarian." Fluttershy could only meep a greeting.

"Pleased to meet you both," the unicorn told them politely. "You can call me Selene." Fluttershy was confused a bit by Selene's choice in words. However, she was too afraid to question her. There was something about the unicorn which made Fluttershy feel she was larger than life itself.

"Well Selene," Rainbow Dash was obviously not intimidated by Selene, and Fluttershy couldn't help but feel jealous of the weather mare's bravado. "What brings you here?"

"I assume you have heard I am a bard," Selene told her smoothly. "I tell stories for a living. I wasn't planning on spending more than a day here, but Missus Lyra and Twilight Sparkle convinced me to stay another day."

"Her stories are amazing," Lyra gushed. "She asked me if I would play accompaniment, and everybody in the square stopped to listen!"

"Your wonderful music deserves just as much praise," Selene assured Lyra, a kind smile coming over her face.

Fluttershy kicked the ground shyly. Selene didn't seem like a bad pony, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to get to know her better. After all, she wasn't as forthcoming as Twilight Sparkle, who even though was a very nice pony, sometimes frightened Fluttershy with her zeal. Plus there was something in Twilight's eyes that just spelled danger. It took her a whole year before she could carry on a normal conversation with the librarian.

"What kind of stories do you know?" Fluttershy asked, before suddenly becoming self-aware. "I mean, if that is alright with you." Much to her relief, Selene just laughed softly.

"Feel free to ask me any question," Selene assured her gently. "Anyways, I can tell you any story you wish to know."

"Even animal stories?"

"Of course."

With that, Fluttershy automatically decided she liked Selene.

"Oh, do tell me one, I mean if that's OK with you," Fluttershy pleaded as the other ponies looked at Selene with the same pleading eyes. Selene scratched her head a bit before answering.

"All right I suppose. Would a story of how the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor came into being be satisfactory?"

"Yes." Much Fluttershy's surprise, she wasn't the only one who answered Selene's question. Twilight Sparkle had an excited, almost maniac, gleam to her eyes. Fluttershy wasn't quite sure what to make of the unicorn who ran the library. Nice as she was, she still terrified her sometimes. This was one of those times.

Selene began to tell a story of a lonely pony who had no friends to play with. Her family was always busy and the other ponies didn't want to play with her because she looked different. Each night she would wish upon a shooting star to have a friend to play with.

This went on for many years, and the little pony grew up. As she grew up, she managed to get some friends. She stopped wishing upon the shooting stars, her wish granted.

The lonely pony was happy for many years.

Then one day, all the friends the lonely pony made died from a mysterious illness that was sweeping across the land. The lonely pony was devastated. She didn't understand why her friends died and she didn't. So, once again she prayed on the shooting stars, this time for friends who would never die, just like the stars above.

A goddess was listening to the lonely pony, and moved with pity, the goddess granted the lonely pony the wish she so desired. She made the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major come to life to play with the lonely pony.

The lonely pony was delighted. She played with the Great and Little Bear every day. As her other pony friends she made succumbed to the strange illness, the Great and Little Bear never left the lonely pony because they were made of stars and were made to be eternal.

However, the lonely pony never once considered she could be affected by the strange illness. However one day, the lonely pony disappeared. The Ursa Minor and Ursa Major were confused. They looked all over for the lonely pony. They looked and looked and looked. However, they couldn't find her. She, like all her pony brethren, must have fallen victim to the strange illness.

Their job was done, but the Ursa Minor and Ursa Major could no longer return to the sky. They didn't want to return to the sky. Instead, they became inhabitants of the land their friend once loved so dearly and vowed to protect it in memory of the pony for which they were given life for.

When Selene finished her story, Fluttershy found herself sniffling. It was very moving, and the characters vividly drawn. With Selene's description she could easily picture the star bears in her mind despite never seeing one in her entire life.

"That was very..." Fluttershy paused, searching for the best word she thought would give the story justice. "Nice."

"Thank you," Selene told her with a smile. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I wish more pony stories, especially pre-Draconious ones like you told earlier, were around," Twilight Sparkle lamented with a sigh. "Instead, all we get is stories on how great the dragons are."

There was a lot of awkward shuffling from the ponies in the room. Fluttershy was one of them. It wasn't like they disagreed. Just none of them were brave enough to voice the opinion out loud. There was still that constant fear of you didn't know who was listening. Twilight Sparkle was from Canterlot, she should know better then anypony what would happen if the dragons caught you talking like that.

They especially disliked it when ponies even mentioned the word "alicorn." If there was a word that guaranteed death, that was it.

"Well, part of my trade as a bard is to know those stories," Selene spoke up. The room was quiet. There were ponies left who knew what it was like before the dragons ruled? Fluttershy was convinced they were all wiped out around 700 years ago. Seeing all the ponies shocked faces, Selene went on to further explain herself.

"I'm sort of what you would call an underground bard; I know the stories which have been passed down in whispers. It is my job to keep them alive so the next generation of ponies will know them."

"You need to tell all those stories." Unsurprisingly, it was Twilight Sparkle who spoke up. However, much to Fluttershy's surprise, other ponies voiced murmurs of agreement.

"Yeah."

"I want to know what life was like under the sun."

"Perhaps if we knew, we could finally be free."

Fluttershy shrank back into herself in fear. It was no secret that a lot of ponies, even if they didn't voice it out loud, hated the dragons. They were always looking for a way to overthrow them. Fluttershy was afraid that the Solar Empire movement which had taken the Canterlot underground by storm would work its way into Ponyville. Even though she wasn't happy under the dragons, she didn't want to do anything which would rock the boat.

However, much to Fluttershy's horror, the voices became louder and louder. However, what finalized it was Rainbow Dash.

"Then its decided," Rainbow Dash announced. "Selene will live in Ponyville, so we can learn our history before the dragons." Roars of approval rang out and quickly arrangements on the matter began to be made.

"She should teach a history class at the school."

"No way, she should continue playing with Lyra in the town square. Way less suspicious if we have an inspector come."

"Perhaps a night class at the library could work out?"

As the ponies excitedly made plans, Fluttershy drew into herself with horror. She had an awful feeling about this. She knew something was going to happen later on, and it was going to be all of Selene's fault, even if she didn't intend it to be.

She had just rocked the boat, and with this regime, that's one thing you wanted to avoid at all cost.

And even though Fluttershy didn't know it, Selene was thinking the exact same thing.