From the Ashes

by Ruki44

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Tragedy, Big Macintosh, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad, Main 6, Lyra, Princess Luna, Bon-Bon
Length: 11540

Selene, a young unicorn bard, is determined to show not all legends die so easily.

Once upon a time, alicorns ruled the land of Equestria. They were worshiped as gods and goddesses and were the subject of admiration by all. However, as time passed the dragons grew more resentful of the alicorns' prominence and power.

So, they declared war on the alicorns.

It was a long and bloody struggle, but in the end the dragons won with the death of the last alicorn. With the fall of the alicorns, it didn't take long for the dragons to conquer the rest of the world and rule it under an iron fist.

That was 1000 years ago.

Now it is present day, and a young unicorn bard named Selene stumbles into the peaceful hamlet of Ponyville. She enchants the town with her singing of tales of a time before the dragons ruled the world and the races didn't live in fear. Her stories spark the rebellious spirit which have been repressed by the ponies since the death of the last alicorn.

Soon, Ponyville is attacked by dragons who have gained intel that the leader of a rebel movement had been staying there. Selene manages to save the town which has accepted her as one of its own, but not before many are injured and some die.

Now, Selene finds herself leading a movement she never meant to create. A movement to overthrow the dragons. A movement to show dragons that not all legends die so easily and can easily rise from the ashes to burn again.

Published 2012-03-15 20:34:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-10-20 00:53:18 UTC

Prologue

Once upon a time when the world was still young there lived a vast horde of races, many of which only live in mythology today. Out of these ancient races, three reigned supreme: the alicorns, chimeras and dragons.

For years each race dominated their own area, living in harmony with one another. As time passed, newer races began to show up and fill the world. These new races looked up to the ancient races in admiration. Over time, some of the races began to look towards members of the ancient races for guidance and leadership.

Earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns began to follow the eternal alicorns. Griffins, cockatrice and manticores took their allegiance among the rest of the chimeras. Over time small city-states began to form. The most prominent was the land of Equestria ruled by the alicorns.

The alicorns became more and more powerful and prominent the more Equestria flourished. Soon, Equestria became the central hub of the world, and the alicorns began to be worshiped as gods and goddesses not only by the ponies who they ruled, but by foreign races as well.

It didn’t take long before the alicorns were the prominent race worshiped and respected by all. Even the once prominent chimeras respected their alicorns neighbors. Besides, ruling wasn’t their thing. They preferred the freedom to live life freely. With the alicorns in charge, they were able to do just that as long as they didn’t cause unnecessarily trouble.

Every race was content.

All but one race that is.

The dragons.

Dragons are proud creatures. They were insulted that the alicorns have gained prominence and power while they slowly withered away in the memory of the world.

So, they sought to fix this transgression. They started attacking the lands close to them.

They started by burning down the forests of Cervidas before flying over the Emberbrace Mountains (with a quick genocide at Himallama on the way) to Camelu. As the camels fought desperately against the dragons, the zebras, knowing they were next, pleaded with the alicorns for help.

The alicorns responded by declaring war on the dragons. Backed up by the rest of the races, a desperate war against the dragons began.

It was a long and bloody struggle. While the other races were making social advancements, the dragons were making military ones. They easily won battle after battle, leaving a complete path of destruction in their wake.

However, the alicorns refused to back down. Even though battles kept being lost, the alicorns fought valiantly. They eventually found a way to kill dragons easily; a well placed stab to the heart and the dragon went down. Even if it didn’t kill them out right, the rapid blood loss made them easy targets. Armed with this knowledge, they started pushing the dragons back.

The dragons couldn’t accept this. They’ve come too far to lose now.

So, they started a campaign for the complete eradication of the alicorns. They hunted down each and every single alicorn and systematically took them out.

Now, the alicorns were not going to take this lying down. They fought valiantly. Other races backed up the alicorns. The staunchest supporters were the chimeras, who over the years had formed a strong alliance with their sister race.

However, it wasn’t enough. Even with the alicorns and chimeras power combined, and the help the lesser races tried to provide, the dragons were too good at the art of war. At the art of murder. At the art of genocide.

They wiped out all the alicorns and chimeras. With the two ancient powerhouses gone, the rest of the races fell out of line and eventually gave in to the dragons.

Since then, it has been 1000 years and the dragons have ruled the world with an iron fist. No race in their right mind has gone against them since the Great War. Any rebel or rebellion is met with a swift death.

However, ancient forces which have been sleeping for the past 1000 years are beginning to awaken. A new chapter in the world history is about to begin.

The Mysterious Mare

Rain fell heavily upon the once proud nation of Equestria. It was nothing unusual. It was rare to see a sunny day since the death of the last alicorn 1000 years ago. Since then, an eternal grey plagued the land.

However, a lone figure cloaked in a worn brown mantle didn’t seem bothered a bit by the torrential downpour. The figure was traversing the wild Everfree Forest, carefully making its way through the mud and the muck, all the while avoiding wild animals which were rumored to lurk in the trees.

“Hm, I could have sworn there was an earth pony settlement around here somewhere last time I was in the area.” The voice of the figure was clearly feminine. Looking up at the sky the figure scowled. “Stupid rain. I can’t get my bearings in this type of weather. What’s the point of using stars as a guide if you can’t even see the damn things?”

Muttering vulgarities under her breath, the figure continued the trek through the wilderness.

The figure just wanted to find the village which was supposed to be nearby. It had been so long since she had slept in a comfortable bed instead of the cold (and often wet) ground.

“Who!” The sudden break in the silence besides the beat of the rain startled the figure, causing her to jump and yelp in surprise before slipping in the mud. The hood which was keeping her head dry slipped down to reveal a young unicorn with a light blue mane with piercing blue eyes to match. Her coat was a dark purple and it blended in with the darkness of the forest.

The unicorn looked upwards to see an owl perched on the branch above her. Scowling and giving it her best glare, the unicorn picked herself up again.

“Stupid owl,” she muttered, eying it as the rain quickly washed away the mud which had affixed itself to her. The owl just simply stared back. Breathing a sigh in resignation, the unicorn gave the owl a wry smile. “You wouldn’t happen to know of a pony settlement around here, would you?”

The owl seemed to regard her for a moment before it spread its wings.

“Who!” It chirped once again before taking off, flying up a bit before looking northward. The unicorn raised its eyebrow. “Who!” The owl chirped again, this time more insistent then the last. A smile crept across the unicorn’s face when she understood what the owl was getting at.

“Well, I’ll be,” she murmured. “It seems I have a guide. Please lead on.” The owl nodded its head before giving one last hoot, gliding northward, keeping a slow enough pace so that the unicorn could follow it through the obstacle course the Everfree Forest and rain had set up.

When the unicorn began to see lights, she began to tear up. Finally, some shelter. She could imagine the soft beds and warm sheets already.

The sheets would be fuzzy to fight off any cold which may slip through the cracks of the window. A small hearth would be in the corner of the room with a fire crackling inside. The bed itself would be softer than any cloud, and when she finally laid down her body would just sink down.

“Who!” The owl’s screech brought her back into reality. Looking over, she noticed it was giving her a look that seemed to say “will you focus?”

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, feeling self conscious for a reason she didn’t quite understand. For a wildlife creature, it seemed to be highly intelligent. The unicorn hadn’t seen another wildlife animal like it in many years. The owl seemed to shake her apology off as it glided towards town.

Passing past several buildings, the unicorn couldn’t help but notice there wasn’t an inn in sight. She felt herself frown when she realized this notation. While travelers weren’t exactly commonplace, they weren’t so rare that an inn wasn’t needed.

This lead to her next point of concern. Where in the blazing sun was she supposed to stay if there was no inn? She couldn’t exactly go up and knock on a door asking to spend the night. And while she had gotten used to sleeping in less than desirable weather conditions, she would like a couple days where she can be like other ponies and sleep in a warm bed, sheltered from the elements.

She stopped following the owl and looked around what she inferred was the town square.

“Jeez,” she murmured softly, a tang of depression in her voice. “I guess I won’t be staying here very long.”

“Who?” She looked up, forgetting about her owl guide. She gave it a serene smile.

“I’m sorry; I can handle myself from this point on. I do thank you for your help.” The owl regarded her one last time before giving a final hoot and flying off. Watching the owl go, the unicorn sighed in resignation before slowly walking over to the overhang of the tall tower in the center of the pavilion. Leaning her back against the wooden wall, she stared at the moon which stared back, mocking her.

“Perfect, just perfect. I get to a town only to find no inn. And I am certainly not going to sleep on the street like some sort of bum,” she muttered to herself. Sleeping outside in the wilderness was one thing. Sleeping out in the middle of the town was quite another. “Guess I’ll only be staying until I get something to eat.”

While food was never a pressing issue for the unicorn, she did like to indulge herself on something other than berries and roots while in a civilized area. She was a sucker for hay fries.

The clip clop of hooves broke the unicorn’s fantasy of hay fries. Perking her ears slightly, she wondered who else besides her would be foolish enough to be outside in this torrential rainstorm. Squinting her eyes, she could see an outline of a figure. She could only watch in confusion as the figure looked around the plaza before it finally settling its gaze in her direction.

There was a moment of silence between the unicorn and the figure standing out in the rain. The tension between the two could be cut by a knife. In this day and age it was always best to be wary of strangers. You never knew who would stab you in the back. The unicorn hunched into a fighting position and a few light blue sparks escaped from her horn.

“Ah!”

Like that the silence was broken by the figure, who upon realizing that yes, another being was stupid enough to be out in weather like this, sprinted towards her.

The young unicorn could only watch in shock when the other figure turned out to be a light purple unicorn who appeared to be the same age as her own. Her dark indigo mane with a strand of pink was mashed down due to the rain, covering her violet eyes.

“Oh my, so you must be the lost unicorn Owlowiscious was talking about,” the unicorn said finally, sympathy ringing in her voice after a moment of the two unicorns staring at each other. “You’re all soaked. Good thing I was still up when Owlowiscious came to fetch me. Most ponies aren’t up at this time of night, let alone in this kind of weather. Oh, where are my manners? I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

Owlowicious? Could she be talking about her owl guide? What in the sun’s name was going on here?! First she gets lead by an owl to town, and now a unicorn appears in this weather? Over the years she has learned to watch her back, but this unicorn didn’t even seem to see her as a potential threat. Was this town in such seclusion that this unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, didn’t have a sense of self-preservation? Or was this foal just that trusting?

“Pleased to meet you Miss Twilight,” the young unicorn said finally after a few moments in shock. Twilight looked at her with a calculating gaze. Well, at least she had half the mind to not trust her blindly.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing outside in this time of night?”

“I was looking for an inn. It seems this settlement doesn’t have one. So, I decided to wait until morning and set out again after a meal.”

“Why did you come all the way to Ponyville in the first place? We aren’t a big town like Canterlot.”

“I’m a traveling bard. I tell stories for a living. I was hoping-“ That was far in the explanation the unicorn got before Twilight Sparkle cut her off.

“A bard? Stories?! How wonderful! We haven’t had a traveling pony stop in Ponyville for many years, and I don’t know when the last time was when we had a bard!” Twilight gushed before becoming thoughtful. “In fact, I didn’t know bards still exist.”

“A lot of ponies believe that about a lot of things I’m afraid,” the unicorn replied with a wry smile. Much to her surprise, Twilight seemed to become a bit downcast after her retort. Did she offend the other unicorn in some shape or form?

“Yes, that is true,” Twilight murmured looking down. “I certainly know how it feels.” This pricked the unicorn’s curiosity. What in the name of the blazing sun did Twilight Sparkle mean by that?

“Well, you are welcome to stay with me Miss, oh my I don’t seem to know your name.”

“You may refer to me as Selene.”

“Well then Miss Selene, why don’t you spend the night at my place?” Twilight Sparkle offered. “And then in the morning, you can tell your tales in the town square. I would love to hear what you have to say, and I’m sure other ponies would love that as well.”

Selene bit her lip a bit worriedly.

“Are you sure I wouldn’t be putting you out?”

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it. I would be more than happy to accommodate you,” she assured her, laughing her worry away. “Anyways, follow me. The quicker we get indoors, the better.” Selene nodded, thanking whatever gods were out there for this stroke of luck in her mind.

Twilight lead Selene through the town before stopping at a humongous tree with glass windows embedded in several limbs and the trunk. A red door was carved into the bottom of the tree.

Selene raised her eyebrow a bit. While she was no stranger to the concept of having a home in a tree, she was unaware ponies have taken up the practice.

“I know it is a bit different,” Twilight remarked as she opened the door. “But it makes it that much easier to find. Anyways, do come in.”

Selene took a step inside, taking a good look of her surroundings. Books lined the walls. All the walls. It was almost like it was a library. No wonder she took immediate interest when she mentioned she was a bard.

“You certainly have a lot of books,” Selene remarked as Twilight closed the door.

“Of course,” Twilight quipped. “This is the library.”

“Ah.”

Well, that explained a lot.

“Anyways Selene, may I take your cloak?” Even though it was an innocent, polite question, it made Selene freeze for a fraction of a moment.

“Thank you, but if you don’t mind I would like to leave it on,” Selene replied with an easy smile. Twilight regarded her with suspicion for a good minute as Selene kept the smile. Finally, she dropped the issue with a shrug.

“OK, suit yourself. Anyways, I hope you don’t mind, but I didn’t have time to set up a guest bed for you.”

“Oh, do not worry about it. It is more than enough you are offering me shelter. I cannot express my thanks enough.”

Twilight Sparkle chuckled as she gestured for Selene to follow her to follow her up the stairs. Picking up a blanket and a pillow with her magic, she dragged out a bed from who knows where. Landing the bed next to an unmade one with a star patterned blanket (Selene could feel her lips twitch into a smile at the design of the fabric) Twilight dropped the blanket and pillow on it.

“You can sleep there for tonight,” Twilight told her as she climbed into the unmade bed. “Normally, I would insist on a sleepover, but I am tired, and I assume you are too. I’ll wake you in the morning when I go down to the square.”

For some reason Selene felt she dodged a bullet with the sleep over bit.

“I cannot thank you again,” Selene told Twilight as she climbed into the bed which was provided for her. “You are being most generous. I only wish I can pay you back somehow.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Twilight reassured her. “I’m glad to have somepony in the home again even if it is for a short while. Good night Selene.”

With that odd statement, Twilight turned off the lights. Selene shook her head and used magic to pull the blankets over her body, thankful for the warmth they provided.

“Good night Miss Twilight Sparkle.”

The Bard Selene

The sun hit Twilight’s face, prodding her awake. With an irritated grunt, Twilight pulled the covers over her head in a desperate attempt to block out the sunlight. However, it did no good; she was already awake.

Sighing in defeat, she sat up in bed and glanced off to the side. Selene, the mysterious unicorn claiming to be a bard, was sleeping soundly on her back and a small pool of drool was collecting at the base of her mouth. The bright sun didn’t even seem to faze her a bit. But that was probably because she was traveling all night in the storm.

“Miss Selene,” Twilight prodded the sleeping unicorn gently. “Please do wake up. The sun has risen.”

“Go away Winter,” Selene slurred as she rolled over on her side. Twilight raised an eyebrow at the other unicorn’s antics. Last night she seemed defensive and wary. Now here she was at Twilight’s mercy, dead to the world. She was tempted to use the mind reading spell, but she had promised never to use it unless she was in dire circumstances. Every pony needed a place of refuge, and the mind was the holiest of them all. That’s what her teacher told her at any rate. At times she wondered why she was taught it if she could never use it.

“Miss Selene,” she insisted shaking the unicorn more forcefully wondering what went through the unicorn’s mind. She seemed more of a mystery then the party pony who worked part time at the Sugarcube Corner.

“Huh?” Selene’s electric blue eyes met with her own violet ones as she finally woke up. “What’s going on?”

“It's morning. We should head into the square.” Selene stared at her blankly for a moment.

“What?” Selene’s half-asleep confusion made Twilight want to facehoof. Honestly, how the unicorn managed to survive up until this point was completely beyond Twilight. And Rarity and Applejack thought she was bad.

“We should head into the square, so you can tell your stories.” Twilight narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “You do have stories to tell don’t you?” It wouldn’t be the first time she was lied to. Applejack and Rarity said she was too kind for her own good and that she should be on her guard more. But she had been shown kindness in the past to make her into the pony she was today, so she was determined to do that for any pony she came across.

“Of course I do.” Twilight noticed with a hint of dry amusement that the moment Selene’s story was called into question, she immediately woke up. “What do you want to know?”

“A lot of stuff,” Twilight admitted as she levitated Selene up (the shocked look on the other unicorn’s face was priceless) so she could make the bed. “But I will try to withhold my questions and burning desire for knowledge as of right now.”

The bed made, she let go of Selene who landed on the sheets with a “meep.”

“You are a very talented magician Miss Twilight Sparkle,” Selene told her as she slid off the bed, brushing her cloak off. Bits of dust flew into the air; Twilight wasn't surprised. How it wasn't dirtier was beyond her though. “It is not easy to multi-task when using magic.” Twilight, however, just waved Selene’s praise away.

“It’s not all that difficult with practice,” she admits, leaving out her special talent is magic, nudging Selene slightly towards the door. She wanted to hear Selene’s stories, and she couldn’t do so if they were dawdling here. “Now come on, let’s go.”

The walk into the town square was interesting. Everypony who was out and about stopped to stare at the duo, more specifically at Selene. However, the bard seemed unfazed. Which was good, Twilight mused. It would be bad if a public performer got stage fright easily.

"You seem to be the popular one," Twilight noted, attempting to make conversation.

"I wouldn't say popular as much as a novelty. I am not something ponies see everyday, am I?" Selene's words once again were filled with bitter humor, and she seemed to be the only one in on the joke. More than anything at the moment, Twilight wished she could get Selene's silent jokes. However, all she could say was,

"No, I suppose not Miss Selene."

The two fell silent. Soon they reached the town square. Twilight could see Rarity and Applejack trying to sell their wares. Both were struggling. Ponyville was a small town, so everypony's income wasn't much. Both got most of their income from their monthly visits to Canterlot.

Although to be fair, both would be faring much better if their respective younger siblings weren't terrifying all the customers away.

"Who is that pony over there?" Selene's sudden inquiry caught Twilight off guard, and she looked to where Selene was pointing at.

It was a young unicorn about the same age as her with a light blue coat and mane, although her mane had a single white strand near her ear. She was playing a lyre, the same instrument as her cutie mark. Twilight searched her mind for a moment; she knew who she was. She had come to Ponyville a few months before Twilight had because she lost to Octavia as the primary musician of Canterlot.

"Lyra," Twilight said after a minute, the name finally coming to her. "She plays here every day."

"She is quite good," Selene remarked thoughtfully. "Lots of potential."

"I suppose so," Twilight agreed noncommittally; she really didn't know much about music. Nor was she really interested to learn at the moment. All she wanted to do was hear Selene's stories. And was Selene walking towards Lyra? Flabbergasted, Twilight followed.

"Hello Miss Lyra," Selene called out softly just as Lyra's song ended. Lyra seemed to shrink back a bit once she noticed the bard. Well, Selene did seem have an intimidating aura. Not a threatening one mind you. She just intimidated.

"Hello, uhm," Lyra's eyes shot back and forth nervously. Twilight stepped forward to help the poor musician out.

"Her name is Selene," Twilight said kindly. "She came into town last night. She's a bard."

"Well then Miss Selene, nice to meet you," Lyra said finally, looking unsure of herself. She still seemed a bit frightened, but a little less so.

"That was Equestria's Dream just then, am I correct?" Selene asked pleasantly. This surprised both Lyra and Twilight. Twilight had no idea Lyra was playing anything in particular.

"Yes, how did you know?" Selene chuckled.

"I love music," she explained, waving her hoof a bit. "And I must say, you have a lot of raw potential. A bit rough around the edges, but nothing experience can't fix."

"I-" Lyra stumbled across her words before finally settling on what she wanted to say. "Thank you, but I'm not that good."

"I speak nothing but the truth," Selene commented with a shrug. Lyra smiled at this.

"Well Miss Selene, is there anything I can help you with?" Lyra asked amused.

"Well as Miss Twilight Sparkle already told you, I am a bard," Selene started off, pausing for a moment allowing for Lyra to nod her head. "As such, I tell stories for a living. However, stories are vastly more interesting if they had music to accompany them, no?"

"And you wish for me to play accompaniment to your stories?" Lyra asked. Selene grinned and nodded her head.

"Precisely; after all, music also benefits when words are sung to it." Lyra paused for a moment, the words sinking in.

"You do nothing but speak the truth," Lyra admitted with a chuckle. "So be it, I will play accompaniment to your story. Is there a particular song you were hoping for?"

"Do you know I'll Do My Best?"

"I do."

"Will you be so kind to play that one for me please?" Lyra smiled and nodded before beginning to play.

The melody made Twilight think of wide open fields and roaring rivers. It was a beautiful piece, and Lyra's rendition was flawless. Each note she played brought hope to Twilight's heart. After a few moments, Selene began to sing.

She sang of Commander Hurricane, a pegasus commander back during the Great War a 1000 years ago. She sang of his deeds, his victories, his losses. She sang of his strides to protect everypony across Equestria from the dragons. She sang of his death, and the lasting efforts his struggles had brought everypony even today.

Twilight was enthralled. She had known Commander Hurricane from merely what was whispered in school. He was a great pegasus, that much was certain. But Selene painted a picture so vivid that instead of some war hero that died in a fruitless struggle 1000 years ago, he became a real pony. His struggles were real. For those brief three minutes which Lyra played and Selene sang, she felt the Great War wasn't a lost cause.

She raised her hooves to clop against the ground, but somepony beat her. Pausing for a moment, Twilight noticed that Selene and Lyra's performance had gathered quite a crowd. Pretty much all the business in the town square had stopped to listen to them.

"Encore!" One pony yelled out, and soon the word was repeated. Demanding. Lyra looked at a loss. Twilight was amazed. How did they gather such a crowd in such a short time?!

Selene, however, was not shocked. She looked at Lyra with a small smirk.

"The crowd demands another one," she said, her voice light. "Best not to disappoint them, no?"

"No," Lyra agreed in a squeak, looking around. Twilight couldn't blame her. She probably never had this many ponies come to listen to her music. No, that wasn't right. She never had this many ponies come to stop to listen to her music.

So, Lyra played another song, and Selene sang. The songs ranged from unlikely alliances and friendships to tragedies that left even the toughest pony bawling. Between Lyra's heartfelt music and Selene's attention to detail, the stories became real and the ponies in them, alive.

After two hours did it finally come to an end. As ponies walked away grumbling in disappointment, Lyra had tears welling up in her eyes.

"Miss Selene," she sniffed. "I have never had that many ponies come to listen to any of my songs. Nor have I ever had anypony stay as long as they did. Miss Selene, you must come back tomorrow."

"I-" Selene started, looking unsure of herself. Twilight knew that as a bard she was uncomfortable staying in one place for very long. But in those two hours she had never been pulled into a story quite like that before. It was enthralling. She must hear more stories. She simply must.

"Please Miss Selene," Twilight begged. "I loved your stories so, and so did everypony else. And of course you are welcome to stay at my place for the duration of your stay. Your home is my home." Twilight could see Selene was wavering. So did Lyra.

"Please Miss Selene," Lyra pleaded, giving her the most pathetic look she could possibly manage. She looked like a hurt puppy. Selene sighed in defeat.

"I suppose one more day won't hurt." Twilight and Lyra cheered, giving each other high fives.

"Excellent!" Twilight jumped a bit in shock at the arrival of a new voice. Turning around, she could see the pink pony from Sugarcube Corner staring at all of them, her blue eyes brimming with excitement.

"That means you'll be able to make it to your party tonight Selene!"

"I-uh, what?" Selene was flabbergasted. Twilight couldn't blame her. Dealing with the baker left anypony like that. Despite living in Ponyville for three years now, Twilight was still shocked by whenever the baker showed up unannounced like that. Or was doing any of her antics. Nothing about her made sense.

"A party," the baker said slowly, as if she didn't make herself perfectly clear the first time. "For you. I'm the number one party pony you know. See?"

The baker pointed to her cutie mark, which was three balloons, before continuing on.

"Anyways, I saw you and knew at once you were new in town, so I thought to throw you a welcoming party. It's not every day we get a pony like you come through here."

"Thank you, uhm-" Selene began before the baker cut her off again.

"Pinkie Pie."

"Miss Pinkie Pie, but I don't want to trouble you." At this, the baker, no, Pinkie Pie simply laughed.

"Trouble me? Psh. I do this stuff all the time," Pinkie Pie assured her, at which Twilight and Lyra mumbled in agreement. Pinkie Pie was known for her parties. Then, much to Twilight's surprise, Pinkie Pie got serious and looked Selene dead in the eyes. "Besides, you need to stop taking all the burden on yourself, you know." Straightening back up, the mirth was once again back in her eyes as she skipped, no, hopped away.

"See you at eight! Twilight's place!" She yelled over her shoulder as Selene simply looked after her retreating hopping back, shocked. Twilight laughed nervously as Lyra mumbled something about letting Bon Bon know there was a party going on, so she better not make a heavy dinner before walking away. (Not before thanking Selene once again though for playing with her.)

"She's an odd one, isn't she?" Twilight offered sheepishly. "She always says the oddest things." Although, like always, Twilight burned to understand what she meant by her words. The only ponies who seemed to understand the baker were her best friends (both pegasuses) Rainbow Dash, a weather mare with an ego and Fluttershy, the vet. Even then, most of the time they simply accepted her words with a shrug, or to quote Rainbow Dash, "You're so random."

"She's different," Selene agreed, quickly composing herself. "But not in a bad way." She paused a moment before smiling.

"I can't wait for this party. It's been so long since I celebrated anything."

Although the wry humor note was in there, this time there was more of a melancholy pitch to it. Twilight hummed in agreement as she wondered once again what went through the unicorns head. Whatever it was, she mused, it must be sad.

The Lonely Pony

"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.

Honesty

Applejack sat in the shade next to Rarity as Selene and Lyra did their daily duet. Today's song was about an unicorn named Starswirl the Bearded. Twilight nearly shattered a few eardrums when she squealed with glee, realizing who the song was about. Startswirl the Bearded was one of her heroes, the normal one at least.

Normal for Twilight that was.

"They're good," Rarity remarked off hand as Applejack just grunted. The duo finished their song, and the crowd around Selene and Lyra broke into a roaring applause calling for an encore as per usual. But the rule was one song at noon otherwise the flow of business would be severely disrupted. And Ponyville could use all the business it could get.

"I don't trust her," Applejack told Rarity as she watched Twilight chat with Selene and Lyra, an excited spark in her eyes. A spark which hadn't been there since she moved to Ponyville three years ago. "Somethin is off about her."

"Darling, stop being such a stubborn mule," Rarity chided the farmer. "She is different because she has simply been living a different lifestyle then the rest of us. Remember when you lived in Manehatten for a year? Despite your best efforts, you could never fit in, could you? It's the same deal with Miss Selene."

"No it ain't," Applejack insisted, frustrated that the fashion diva simply couldn't see. Just the way she talked sent warning bells off in her head. She always had a knack for knowing when a pony was lying, and Selene was lying with every word she spoke.

The funny thing was she was lying by using the truth. Applejack couldn't make heads or tails of it. And it infuriated her to no end.

"Well, what basis do you have to suspect her then?" Rarity shot back. Applejack opened her mouth, before closing it again. She couldn't explain what she felt to Rarity because she couldn't understand it herself.

The biggest suspicious thing she could accuse Selene at the moment of was that she never took of her cloak. Apparently according to Twilight, she never took it off even when she slept. That was just weird.

But Twilight explained that Selene had been sleeping in the wild under harsh weather conditions and needed the cloak to keep warm and dry. Nopony could break habits like that so easily. Especially when it came to survival.

It was a valid argument, and Applejack was forced to accept it.

But it made Applejack feel a bit better that Rarity was upset about the cloak too, although it was for different reasons. She lamented it was a crime against fashion, and actually got down on the ground and begged Selene to allow her to make a different one. Selene, however, gave her an apologetic smile and told her that the cloak had sentimental value to her, and she couldn't just replace it. And Applejack could understand that too.

"You can't think of a thing, can you?" Rarity accused.

"It's a feelin'," Applejack grumbled, refusing to let the subject drop.

"You cannot prosecute ponies on a feeling," Rarity said exasperated, the rising frustration evident in her voice. It was the same voice she used on Sweetie Belle when she was doing her utmost trying not to strangle her younger sister for messing things up.

"Dragons do it all the time," Applejack muttered darkly.

"You aren't a dragon, now are you?" Rarity snapped, standing up. "Now listen here Applejack; if you are going to accuse a pony, at least have some proof. Innocent until proven guilty. No need to lower ourselves to the level of ruffians."

With a tail swish, Rarity walked away, no doubt to leave Applejack to think about what she had told her. That and to make sure her boutique was still standing; she had left Sweetie Belle alone unsupervised.

"Proof huh," Applejack muttered as she stood up. That shouldn't be too hard. There had to be somewhere where Selene slipped up. Contradicted herself maybe.

Applejack was looking out for the safety of Ponyville. And she was positive Selene was a threat to that safety.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Applejack couldn't find a single thing to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that would warrant her distrust of Selene. This pony was good, Applejack was loathe to admit. Most liars slipped up somewhere, but Selene hadn't.

She had been watching her all day, and the unicorn's most suspicious behavior was running away when the Cutie Mark Crusaders had started to harass her on how she got her cutie mark (or if she even had one). But that was a normal reaction for any pony in Ponyville. Her younger sister and her friends were a bit much to handle a lot of the time.

But it opened an excellent opportunity for Applejack to talk to Selene.

She found her at the local cafe, happily munching on some hay fries.

"Hello Selene, mind if I join ya?" Applejack asked pleasantly. Selene looked at Applejack, and Applejack noticed her eyes were intense as always. Selene always reminded her of Twilight in that regard. As if they were staring at something far in the distance.

"Please pull up a chair Miss Applejack," Selene said, gesturing towards the chair across from her. Applejack eased into the chair, giving the bard a grin.

"You can call me Applejack, Selene," Applejack told her. "I'm not one fer fancy talk."

"Well then Applejack," Selene said with a smile as she levitated some hay fries up to her mouth, nibbling on them as she studied the farmer. "How may I help you today?"

"Well, first off I'd like to apologize fer ma sister and her friends," Applejack started off. "They've been itchin' to get their cutie marks as soon as possible, and they've been causin' mischief while doing so. They come off a tad strong, but they are really good ponies at heart."

Selene chuckled as she shook her head.

"It is quite alright Applejack," Selene said as she ate another hay fry. "There is no need to apologize. I should be the one apologizing for running off on them like that." Applejack chuckled and shook her head. Even if she wasn't the most trustworthy pony, at least she had manners. Nor did she give off the impression of being a sleezeball.

"Nah," she said with a grin. "That's actually a normal reaction fer folks around here. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." This elicited an eyebrow raise from Selene, and she placed the hay fry she had been levitating back down on the plate.

"What would you like to talk to me about?"

"I don't trust ya." No need to beat around the bush. Selene looked taken aback for a moment before she started to laugh, much to Applejack's befuddlement. After a minute of laughing, she was able to calm down to actually talk.

"I'm glad," Selene said, a smile on her face. Applejack was expecting a lot of things, but this wasn't one of them.

"Yer glad?" Applejack asked in astonishment. "What in tarnation makes you so glad about not being trusted?" Selene scratched her head a bit with her hoof, pausing a moment before answering.

"It's the best way for survival," she said finally. "If you know how to watch your back, you won't be stabbed there. Especially in this day and age; you don't know which one of your neighbors will turn you in to the dragons."

Applejack is surprised by Selene's answer. But it makes sense in a way. Especially coming from a pony of Selene's background. Selene no doubt has had to be constantly looking over her shoulder. According to Twilight, this is the longest Selene has stayed in one place in a long while.

Plus, now that she thought about it, ponies who traveled were the most paranoid ponies. She knew when her and Rarity traveled to Canterlot they were always looking behind them, just waiting for something to attack them from behind. Even while in Canterlot, they were always suspicious of the citizens.

"I guess that makes sense," Applejack admitted finally. "But if that's the case, why ain't you more paranoid?" Selene chuckled a bit.

"Who says I'm not paranoid?," Selene asked her with a grin that seemed to be hiding some sort of inside joke. "I live in fear every day. I'm just better at coping with it then other ponies I suppose."

"Well, ya don't need to be afraid here," Applejack told her forcefully. "Ponyville ain't like the big cities; we don't have dragons here breathing down our back. So, stop being so darn elusive and be fully honest fer once!"

Selene look downcast at Applejack's words, and she shook her head slightly.

"I'm afraid I cannot comply with that wish," Selene told her, a regretful look on her face. "I have my reasons. However, if I may be so selfish to beg you to believe this one thing; I mean no harm to anypony."

Applejack frowned a bit. She was telling the truth. As usual. But as usual, there was something behind it. It wasn't malicious, but it still made her worry.

"I'll give ya the benefit of the doubt," Applejack told Selene finally. The bard nodded once and smiled.

"That is more than fair." Applejack slid out of the chair.

"I'll still be keeping ma eye on you though," Applejack warned. Selene once again smiled gently.

"I know."

"Have a good day Selene."

"You as well Applejack."

As she walked away, she ran into Rarity. The fashion diva fell into step with her as Applejack walked back towards her farm. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Rarity decided to speak up.

"I saw you talking to her," Rarity informed her. Applejack just grunted. "What were you talking about?"

"I told her I didn't trust her, and she said she was glad," Applejack said simply as Rarity arched an eyebrow, silently asking the farmer to continue. "We got a talking to trust and survival. I told her there is nothing to worry about here in Ponyville, and she should open up. She said she couldn't do that, but asked me to believe her that she means nopony no harm."

"Makes sense," Rarity told her, a small smile forming on her lips as she looked forward. After a moment's pause she continued. "I honestly think she is like Twilight." Applejack looked at Rarity, confused by the sudden topic change.

"Well, yeah both are book worms," Applejack said slowly. "But I don't know what that has to do with what we were talking 'bout." Rarity sighed and shook her head dramatically.

"Not that darling," Rarity told her in a voice one might take when addressing a very small child. "I mean both have stuff to hide, but they may be hiding it because they are simply trying to protect those around them. Of course this is all just a theory."

Applejack hummed a bit, thinking on Rarity's words. She didn't think of that scenario, and it made sense she supposed. It would explain away Selene's odd behaviors very nicely.

But what was so big a secret that Selene had to hide that if it ever got out every other pony would have their life in danger?

Rebel

Rainbow Dash was supposed to be clearing the skies today. Emphasis on supposed to be. Instead the cerulean mare had stretched herself across the clouds, using them as a makeshift bed like the one she had in Cloudsdale

If she had been in Canterlot, or any other major city for that matter, she would be punished for her rather lackluster attitude in doing her job in the timeframe dragons felt was "reasonably prudent." Something which Rainbow Dash disagreed with due to the fact dragons liked to keep a tight control of their environment to the degree they had specific times for everything. For example, according to her schedule, Ponyville was supposed to get a rain shower at 3:23 p.m. - which was 20 minutes ago incidentally.

But it didn't really matter. She lived in Ponyville where no dragons bothered coming to. There was nothing really in Ponyville of any interest to the dragons for them to deem it worth their attention. The biggest thing the small town had going for it was Sweet Apple Acres and Rarity's boutique, but Applejack and Rarity went to Canterlot each month to sell their wares, so there was no need to come to Ponyville for the goods.

Rainbow rolled over slightly and peered over the edge of the cloud to watch the ponies below go about their daily routines. She noticed Selene out of the corner of her eye, and grinned a bit. The unicorn pony stuck out like a sore thumb. Her cloak helped a lot, but Rainbow knew a rebel when she saw one.

Her grin grew even wider when Selene suddenly turned and looked right back at Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow didn't have to be on the ground to know Selene's electric blue eyes were boring into her magenta ones. She gave a lazy wave and Selene, after a moment's hesitation, waved back.

Yup, definitely a rebel. Rainbow Dash wouldn't mistake one of her own.

Twilight noticed the interaction between the two because she looked up and frowned when she saw Rainbow Dash goofing off. Again.

"Rainbow Dash, we were supposed to have a rain shower 20 minutes ago!" Twilight yelled up to her, worry betraying her irritated tone. Even after living in Ponyville for these past three years, Twilight still couldn't get used to the slow pace the small town operated on.

"I know! I'll get on that," Rainbow assured her. As if to prove her point, she hit the cloud she was perched on with her hoof, dumping the water all over Twilight and Selene. While Twilight Sparkle glowered at her, Selene didn't seem to mind as she simply shook her mane, water droplets landing on the ground below. "See! Rain shower!"

"You will never get into the Wonderbolts at this rate!" Twilight shouted back even though both knew if any pegasus had the best chance of being the next Wonderbolt, it was Rainbow Dash. Everypony knew this. At least, everypony in Ponyville. One of the major downsides of living in a small town was it was hard to get your name out there.

Selene turned to Twilight and asked her something, which Twilight responded to with an eye roll and a slight shake of her head. Rainbow was slightly curious to know what they were talking about, but based on the conversation it no doubt had to be about Rainbow's dream.

She wondered idly if Selene knew about the history of the Wonderbolts.

The Wonderbolts weren't always a racing team which flew for the amusement of the dragons and other races. They used to be the ace aerial force back during the Great War. They were super important, especially when the alicorns started to be hunted down. The pegasi were the one of the few races that could actually fly, and any pony who could fly at the speed of the alicorns was considered invaluable.

The Wonderbolts used to be lead by the alicorn Natsu of the Summer before she was grotesquely murdered by the dragons in the fight of Seaddle. After Natsu of the Summer's fall, the leadership went to her younger cousin Luna of the Moon who lead the Wonderbolts up until her mysterious death at Shimmerwood.

Luna of the Moon's body was never recovered. For many years there had been rumors that Luna was still alive and in hiding, but after 500 years of searching the dragons decided that she was dead; the explosion she was involved in was massive and even managed to burn through dragon scales - which were quite thick at the time - and she was always a bit of a hot head. There was no way she would keep quiet for all this time while ponies were suffering.

That and the whole fact when they stormed Canterlot, her elder sister, Celestia of the Sun, was beside herself with grief. Apparently the moon had risen by itself. That was a sure sign of Luna's death; once an alicorn died, whatever they were in control of wouldn't need a pony's guiding hoof anymore.

After the war, the Wonderbolts in an act of humiliation were forced to race around a track and perform tricks for the amusement of others. The once proud aerial fleet was nothing more than a prestigious racing team was now nothing more than a glorified circus act.

That's why Rainbow Dash wanted to join the Wonderbolts. She wanted to return them to their formal glory as the aerial force of the ponies. She wanted to lead them in a rebellion against the dragons, proving once and for all that ponies, especially the pegasi, were a force to be reckoned with.

She had even done the research in order to draw up the old uniforms of the Wonderbolts. It was still a work in progress, but Rainbow wasn't worried. She still had plenty of time. She still needed to get into the Wonderbolts and become its captain. By that time, the design would be finished, and be 20 percent cooler.

Maybe Selene would be interested in helping, Rainbow thought as she watched the two walk towards Sweet Apple Acres. After all, she knows a lot of stuff about the Great War.

Making the note to stop by the library later to harass the unicorn, Rainbow Dash stretched, the bones in her wings cracking. Looking around, she smirked a bit. While catching up with her duties as weathermare might leave any lesser pony stressed - especially after wasting away half the afternoon - Rainbow was more than up to the challenge.

I'll have everything done in 10 seconds flat.

-o--o---O---o--o-

"Hey eggheads!"

That was the only warning Selene and Twilight Sparkle got as Rainbow Dash kicked open the door to the library. The weathermare snickered as the books enveloped by the pink glow of Twilight's magic lost their hue and crashed on the librarian's head. Selene merely glanced up and the books which now covered Twilight like a coat of fallen snow glowed blue as they were stacked neatly next to Twilight.

"Rainbow Dash, right?" Selene asked with a small smile tugging at her lips as Rainbow sauntered in, looking around. "What can we help you with?"

"Yes, what," Twilight huffed as she jutted out her lip and blew her mane out of her face.

"Well, as Twilight probably mentioned, I want to join the Wonderbolts," Rainbow started off as she pulled a rolled up piece of parchment from the woolen bag she commissioned Rarity to make for her some years back. Spreading the paper out in front of the two unicorns, the carefully drawn designs - although they were still rather crude since design was never Rainbow's forte - of the old Wonderbolt's uniform came to their attention. "My dream is to become captain and return to them to their former glory."

"You mean the aerial force against the dragons?" Rainbow looked at Twilight, her brow furrowing as her lips pulled into a frown.

"Of course. I don't plan on living under the dragon's rule for the rest of my life," she snapped as she hit the paper with her hoof. "That's why I need to make sure the uniforms reflect the Wonderbolt's awesomeness during the time when they were respectable and not some circus act!"

"That is a dangerous senti-" Twilight's warning was interrupted by Selene.

"You are mixing up the design." Both ponies turned their eyes to the bard who only looked up at them, only then realizing she spoke aloud. Giving a sheepish smile, she pointed to the coloring of the costume. "When Natsu of the Summer was in charge, the uniforms were indeed a crimson red like you have drawn here. This was to elicit fear in the dragons and represent their blood being spilt. However, after her death and Luna of the Moon's subsequent take over, there were some changes to the costume, which you can still see in the Wonderbolt's attire today. The most notable being the change from red to a dark blue. The reason for this was to better conduct raids on the dragons during the middle of the night. However, the armor you have drawn was more reminiscent of Luna of the Moon's reign. You have also mixed in some of the more modern attire - notably the goggles."

"Really?" Rainbow asked as she nudged Selene out of the way, lowering her head as her eyes roamed across the paper. She supposed it made sense considering the only real references she had to go off of were old paintings. "Well, which was the best?"

"Both had their merits, but if you are going to lead your own uprising, you should develop a costume which you think is best instead of copying that of the past," Selene suggested as Twilight looked aghast, her mouth wide open and moving, yet no words came out.

"How can you encourage her?" Twilight yelled finally, her eyes looking ready to burst from her face. "A small group of pegasi will not be able to fight off all the dragons by themselves! They'll be slaughtered!"

"You don't know until you try! Besides, dragons have grown weak and flabby after a 1000 years of uninterrupted rule. One surprise attack, and we can take this land back for ourselves! I don't want to live in fear anymore Twilight!" Rainbow roared, her voice growing louder, neither party noticing the entire library had begun to glow a light blue.

"I don't want to see you die, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight screamed right back, her violet eyes glistening with tears. The admission caused Rainbow to falter for a moment. She didn't think Twilight Sparkle liked her, let alone cared about her fate. Twilight's shoulders shaking, Rainbow could only watch in shock as Twilight slid to the ground as snot dripped out of her nose like a leaky sink. "By Celestia, Rainbow Dash, do you ever stop and think? You are always slacking off or charging into things - you will be slaughtered before you can make a difference. This isn't like the Great War where we had alicorns by our side - we are all alone!"

"That's not true, Twilight," Rainbow said, her voice getting softer as she took a step forward, hovering awkwardly over the now sobbing mare. She never did well when people started crying. Waterworks always made her uncomfortable. With Fluttershy at least it was beat the crap out of whoever was bullying her. This situation was new to her all together. "We have each other. Come on, stop crying. Please?"

Regardless Twilight ignored her plea and Rainbow looked over to Selene for help. The other mare just shook her head.

"I'll walk you home."

Rainbow looked to the sobbing Twilight, whose fur was beginning to get waterlogged, before turning her attention to Selene and nodded. Rolling up her design and slipping it back into her bag, she allowed Selene to pass her by, following her outside into the clear night sky.

"I hope nobody heard that," she admitted after a pause, looking nervously back at the library. She was caught up in the moment, but now that her head had cooled some, she realized how much danger she not only put herself in, but Twilight and Selene.

"Worry not. I put a silence charm on the library," Selene assured her, and the while the uncomfortable beating of Rainbow's heart did not diminish, the tension left her body. "Nobody besides us three heard a thing, and I doubt any of us will turn in the other for what was discussed. After all I am an underground bard, and Twilight clearly has an interest in the time before the dragons. I don't think Twilight is against your dream, just-"

"My way of going about it. Yeah, I got that much," Rainbow snapped before sighing again. "Sorry. That wasn't fair to you. By the way Selene, what made you decide to become a bard anyways? "

"Well, the minute we forget our own history is the moment we truly have lost," Selene replied, her voice slow and thoughtful as if she hadn't been asked the question before and was only now just thinking up an answer.

"That makes sense," Rainbow lied but decided it wasn't really worth thinking about too much. Selene's reasoning was her own, and as long as it made sense to her, that's all that really mattered. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you around. Thanks for all the help, and tell Twilight I'm sorry for making her cry and shit."

"I will and don't mention it. I'm glad I could help. It gives me hope for the future that maybe we truly will regain our freedom," Selene said wistfully as she stared up at the moon. Rainbow followed her gaze, looking at the mare shaped pattern which had been etched into the moon's surface for as long as she could remember. Legends said after Luna of the Moon's death at Shimerwood, her spirit was sealed on to the moon. Rainbow thought it was bullshit of course, but if she was honest there were times she dreamed Luna of the Moon came back to help fight the dragons.

"We will, Selene," Rainbow said confidently as she flapped her wings, lifting herself in the air. "We will."