Storm of the ages and a new dawn

by Shadow Firetail

Rating: teen
Tags: Sad, Tragedy, Adventure
Length: 7757

A young alicorn colt was left to die in the everfree forest. Twilight and Applejack heard what sounded of terror and distress. As they ran to discover the heart wrenching sound, it ended as suddenly as it began. They didn't give up the search.

A young alicorn colt was left to die in the everfree forest. Twilight and Applejack heard what sounded of terror and distress. As they ran to discover the heart wrenching sound, it ended as suddenly as it began. They didn't give up the search and they eventually found the baby. The sight that befell them was even more heart wrenching than the sounds they heard earlier.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-14 13:04:41 UTC

Tea party

    It was the day of a tea party that would change the lives of all of Ponyville. The day began like any other day and all was peaceful. The sun shining, all the beautiful birds singing their little hearts out, and best of all was the tea party that they had weekly with Fluttershy.

   Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy had a weekly tea party to relax. Twilight was in charge of bringing the plates and cups, Applejack was in charge of making the little tea cakes,  Fluttershy was in charge of making the tea. What the trio didn't know was the day was going to be a lot different later on.  Twilight and Applejack were having a nice long chat about the Apple farm. Twilight  said " Hey Applejack, I think I may have found you a way to load your apples faster and get them into storage".  Applejack intrigued with the idea asked" How would that be possible?"

    Twilight said" You can create a conveyor belt and load the apples onto it and you can build the conveyor belt to run from each tree to the farm." Applejack replies" It sounds like a good idea but there are too many trees to do that". Twilight thought long and hard about what Applejack said and Twilight finally agreed with Applejack. The party lasted well into the night. As Twilight and Applejack were walking home, a freak storm hit. This storm was unlike any other they saw before. While walking by the everfree forest, they heard the sounds of a creature in serious terror and distress. They ran as fast as they could to find the creature but the sound it was making ended as soon as they began. This made them run even faster than before because they feared that whatever the creature was, it did not have long to live. About an hour after they began their search, they found the creature. The distressed animal was an alicorn colt of the darkest blue almost black colored coat with same colored mane. Applejack picked up the alicorn colt while Twilight used her magic to create a force field around the trio to defend them against the elements.

    The trio took thirty minutes to get to the Ponyville Hospital. While they were running to get the alicorn some medical attention, Twilight kept using her magic to monitor the young colt's pulse. When they arrived, Applejack yelled" Somepony there? We need a doctor right now!!" at the top of her lungs. As soon as Applejack had finished, a nurse and two doctors ran to see what was happening. Twilight began to tell the doctors how they found the young alicorn in the everfree forest. The doctors got the colt to the emergency room where they gave him some medicine and took some X-rays to see if there were any internal injuries like broken bones.

      Satisfied that there were no internal injuries, the doctors wheeled the colt to a normal room. Twilight and Applejack ran to see how he was doing. What they saw broke their hearts. The colt which had a coat of midnight blue now had a coat of charcoal grey. Tubes and wires hooked up so many that you lost count. Twilight said that she would watch over her young colt. The next day arrived to the sound of a long steady beep. This woke Twilight with a start and Twilight screamed for a doctor's help. A doctor came in and was able to stabilize the young colt. Pinkie Pie went to visit Twilight but when she got there, Pinkie's mane inflated then deflated as she saw her friend weeping and at the sight of the young colt. Pinkie left because she was unable to help her friend. As she left, Pinkie had an idea. She ran to find Spike so he could write a letter to the princesses for her.

     Meanwhile at the library, Spike just finished his chores about the library when a pink whirlwind burst through the door and just about ruined everything he had done. He was about to get mad at Pinkie until he saw her. Nothing could make Pinkie's mane go flat unless it was really bad. Spike asked her what was up and Pinkie replied " Spike, I need you to write a letter to the princesses for me. Ok"?Spike said" Ok". Spike grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment. Spike says" Ready". Pinkie then began her letter.

"Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

         I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Twilight really needs your help. Yesterday Twilight and Applejack found an alicorn colt that was left to die in the everfree forest. While Twilight got the colt to the hospital, this morning was a close call to losing the colt. Twilight really needs your help in this situation. I was there this morning and Twilight didn't look too good.

   I'm hoping you will be able to help Twilight and the colt.

   Your loyal subject

          Pinkie Pie.

After Spike finished writing Pinkie's letter, He ran to find Twilight. When he finally got to the hospital and got to the room Twilight was in, Princess Celestia was there with Twilight under her wing. For the first time in his young life, Spike saw his adoptive "mother" looking vulnerable. This worried him greatly. Princess Celestia heard footsteps coming down the hall and stop right outside the door.  Princess Celestia opened the door using her magic and discovered Spike standing there.  Princess Celestia thanked Spike for sending Pinkie's letter to her immediately. Before the princess left, she gave one command to Spike. Princess Celestia said" Before I leave, I have an important task".  Spike replied while raising his hand in a salute" Yes mam". Princess Celestia began again. " Spike, before I leave, I have an assignment for you. I need you to look after Twilight for me. Can you promise me that you will look after her??" Spike again replied with a salute" Yes mam."

Satisfied with Spike, Princess Celestia teleported back to Canterlot.

    Spike curled up around his mom and fell asleep. Twilight awoke the next morning to Spike curled up around her.  With her eyes full of passionate love, she said " Thank you, Spike." Twilight then gave him a kiss on his head.  Twilight went to go find Pinkie Pie to say thank you to her for helping her out. Pinkie Pie ran over Twilight by accident because her Pinkie sense told her something would be happen at the hospital. Once Pinkie finished relaying what happened to Twilight, Twilight teleported back to the hospital. The alicorn colt's condition had begun deteriorating. Spike woke up to the alarm of the flatline and screamed for a doctor. The doctors took the colt to the ICU.  When Twilight reached the floor they were at, she felt something was wrong. She ran quickly to find the room only to find Spike there with eyes wide with pain and terror. Spike was picked up by Twilight and he began to weep in earnest. Twilight's shoulder was soaked with tears. The next horrifically slow hours went by almost without a problem. Due to the past couple days Twilight became a little weaker. She stayed up with the colt at night to make sure he would be ok. Fluttershy went to check on her at the hospital. The sight that befell Fluttershy brought her to tears. As she walked into the room, she saw Twilight by the bed. Twilight's luscious lavender coat had become a duller grayer shade.  Twilight needed to get some rest but the doctors told Fluttershy that Twilight wouldn't budge. The only decision that would help would break Fluttershy's heart. She was given no choice except to use her stare on Twilight.  Fluttershy knocked on the doorframe to the room Twilight was in. Twilight woke with a start and then saw it was Fluttershy. Fluttershy asked " Twilight, why don't you want to go home and get some rest?" Twilight replied " I want to be here for the colt when he wakes up. The condition he was in was terrible when Applejack and I found him. I care too much for this colt. I don't want anymore harm coming to him." Fluttershy finally understood what was going on. This brought a huge smile to her face. She went to go find a nurse to tell her that she knew why Twilight wouldn't leave the colt's bedside.

    When a nurse saw Fluttershy beckoning towards her, she went to see what was wrong. When the nurse heard what Fluttershy had to say, she gave a happy and hearty laugh. For all of those that lived in Ponyville knew that Twilight was an avid bookworm. After speaking with the nurse, Fluttershy went back into the room. Fluttershy said" Twilight. Twilight, I need to to look at me." Twilight looked Fluttershy in the eyes. Fluttershy hypnotized her with her stare and gave her a single command. Fluttershy said" Twilight, you will go home and rest and be back here tomorrow." Fluttershy's command fell like the weight of the mountain on Twilight's ears. Twilight walked out of the hospital as if in a trance. As soon as she got back to her home, Twilight passed out on her bed. Twilight entered a dreamless sleep where minutes turned to hours.  The next day arrived and Twilight discovered that she was home. Curious as to why, she replayed yesterday's events in her mind. The last pony she remembers was Fluttershy. Twilight was furious when she discovered that Fluttershy used her stare on her after she said she wouldn't use it on her friends. Twilight ran to see if Fluttershy was still at the hospital. As she reached the colt's room, she heard Fluttershy singing a lullaby. Twilight walked in as to not interrupt Fluttershy. After she was done, she asked Fluttershy to speak with her in the hall. Twilight yelled at her saying" How could you use your stare on me? After you promised you wouldn't use it on your friends". Fluttershy answered " I used my stare on you to help you." Twilight skeptical at the recent information asked" How did your stare help me?" Fluttershy responded" I used my stare to make you go home to get some rest. Even now isn't its usual color. Just look at yourself Twilight, you're hurting yourself just to be close to him at all times."

     Twilight thought about Fluttershy's words. She finally understand what  she is saying. Twilight gave Fluttershy her permission to go and she would stay and look after the colt. Twilight began to sing a lullaby in a language unknown and as old as time. The language sounded like a creek flowing over smooth pebbles. While she was singing, the doctors flocked to see her. As she continued singing, her magic turned from purple to a deep blue and began to encircle the colt. The magic was healing him but the cost to Twilight was great. The energy to imbue her magic into her song and the changing of her magic's color left her unconscious. The doctors rolled in another bed and put Twilight on it and wheeled it next to the colt's. The doctor sent a message to the princess and within five minutes, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia were there. As they made their way to Twilight, the sound of the flatline and a scream made them run even faster. The princess and the doctors arrived to watch the last few moments of Twilight in her raw blue power form. The cost of using her magic to stabilize her colt was great, leaving her unconscious. Princess Celestia used a revival spell to awaken Twilight. Twilight cried into her teacher's shoulder and Princess Celestia shed tears for she could sense the pain her student was in. The flatline began to sound again making Princess Celestia jump back as her student showed her raw power form to stabilize her colt again. Princess Celestia levitated her precious student onto her bed. She ordered two of her royal guards to look after her. Shining Armor and Phoenix Twintails. When Twilight woke up, she discovered that her brother and his first in command where there. Shining Armor ran to his sister as soon as he heard her wake up. Twilight and Shining Armor cried as they held each other. Phoenix Twintails also shed tears at the happy reunion. Shining Armor ran down to the cafeteria to pick up lunch for the three of them. As he got back, he saw Twilight stroking the colt's mane. For the first time ever, he saw Twilight as a mare, not his sister. Her maternal instincts were growing in. The more Shining Armor thought about it, the more he believed she would make a great mother for the colt. When Twilight saw her brother watching from the door, she blushed the most adorable shade of red. They began to eat lunch. When they finished, Phoenix said " I'll take the trays down for you captain." Shining Armor nodded his agreement understanding the underlying meaning to what Phoenix had said. Twilight and Shining Armor were talking until the all too familiar sound reached Twilight's ears. She screamed and began to glow as blue as the deepest blue sapphire. After Twilight's magic stabilized her colt, she passed out in mid air and her brother caught her. Shining Armor laid his sister on her bed and called for Phoenix.   Shining Armor spoke with Phoenix and told him that he needed to Canterlot to inform the princesses that he feared his sister has been poisoned. After hearing this, Phoenix teleported to Canterlot. When Phoenix found the princesses, Princess Celestia was mad. She had ordered him to stay and guard Twilight. Phoenix said he had an urgent message from Shining Armor. This new bit of information quieted Princess Celestia down. She said " Speak." Phoenix replied" Princess Celestia, Shining Armor believes that his sister has been poisoned. He requested you get there so he could tell you why he thinks so."

     Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Phoenix teleported immediately to Shining Armor who was in tears. Princess Celestia walked up to Shining Armor and laid a comforting wing over him. Princess Celestia asked Shining Armor when he was calm down enough what made him think that his sister had been poisoned. Shining Armor replied" I've seen my sister in her raw power form many times. Each time she was never knocked unconscious." Princess Celestia listened to his fear and ordered a doctor to be found. Phoenix ran off to do what was asked. Ten minutes later, Phoenix returned to the princesses with a doctor in tow. The doctor asked" Princess Celestia, what do you require?" Princess Celestia replied" I need you to do a full blood test. I need you to discover if my student has been poisoned." Upon hearing the word poisoned, the doctor ran to get several  syringes.  Fifteen minutes  and six vials of blood later, the doctor was done and hurried off to the lab.

The good news and the bad news.

After the doctor left with his blood samples, the gathering heard a rustle. They looked to Twilight and saw she was waking up. Princess Luna went to find a doctor or a nurse to check on Twilight. Ten minutes later she found a nurse who wasn't busy. When the nurse saw Princess Luna, she bowed so her muzzle touched the ground. Princess Luna said" Please rise, I need your help". The nurse asked" What is the problem?"  Princess Luna replied" Our friend Twilight Sparkle just woke up from blacking out" the nurse knowing who twilight was ran to her room. She looked over all of Twilight's vitals and saw they were ok. The nurse asked Twilight" How do you feel?"  Twilight replies" Tired, sore, and a little hungry."

     The nurse gave a big grin. She said" Ok. I'll order you up some food and see what I can find to ease your discomfort." Twilight replied" Thank you. I appreciate it very much." The nurse left soon after. While Twilight was awake Princess Celestia had some questions to ask her. Princess Celestia asked " Twilight, where were you when you found the colt?" Twilight replied in the everfree forest. Applejack and I heard cries of distress coming from there. When we got there, the cries stopped as suddenly as they began. That is when we searched even faster because we knew whatever it was didn't have much longer left to live." Princess Celestia asked" Why did you grab the colt and not just leave him there?" Twilight replied with shock" He was a colt, not much older than a few months. I promised myself I would take care of him." Princess Celestia just smiled. Twilight asked" Princess, Why are you smiling?" Princess Celestia said" I'm just realizing how much my little student has grown up."

   Twilight taking this as a compliment smiled and said" Thank you." The doctor who took the blood samples heard Twilight was awake and ran to her room. A little out of breath, he said" Twilight, Princesses. I've got the test results back. It turns out you are indeed poisoned." The princesses and Twilight just stare at the doctor dumbstruck. Princess Luna voiced the two questions that everypony was thinking. She asked " How was she poisoned and with what was she poisoned?" The doctor replied " She was poisoned by injection and she was poisoned with a chemical only lethal to unicorns like Twilight and the princesses."

   Princess Celestia asked" What makes you say only lethal to a few ponies? Why isn't it lethal to any other unicorns?" The doctor said" I said that it was lethal for a few ponies because of the way it kills. It seems to activate upon the massive release of magic like what Twilight's been doing with keeping her colt stable." Princess Celestia grew a frown because after hearing the explanation for the doctor's choice of words, she knew who they were. Princess Luna saw her sister's distress and asked to speak outside.

  Princess Luna asked" Sister, why have you a frown?" Celestia replied" Because while you were away, I've ran into the same poison." This made Luna angry. She also drew parallels between her sister and Twilight. Celestia caught her gaze and asked if everything was alright. Luna replied " No. Not everything's alright." Her anger in her voice and the pain and sadness made Celestia realize what her sister feared. Assassin. Somepony hired an assassin to kill Twilight. The troubling thing is now who and why. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ordered two more of each Luna and Celestia's  guards to stand watch over Twilight.

    Word had soon spread of what happened to Twilight. When Applejack,  Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie heard, they flocked over to see her. When the five arrived, they found her asleep. They waited in her room to be their when she woke up. Two hours later, Twilight woke to the sight of all her friends asleep in the extra chairs in her room. Shining Armor saw Twilight awake and ran to her. Shining Armor asked" Hiya Twiley, How are you feeling?" Twilight replied" Better, but I'm a little hungry." This exchange woke Applejack  who overheard that Twilight was hungry. She said" Howdy sugar cube, how are you doin?" Twilight gave her the same answer she gave Shining Armor. Applejack said" I thought I heard ya'll say you're hungry. I'm glad because I brought you some apple fritters and a small apple pie." By the end of the conversation, everyone had woken up. It turns out that each made a part of a meal for Twilight. Rarity made her some tea sandwiches, Pinkie Pie made her some cupcakes, Fluttershy made her a nice green salad with sunflowers, Rainbow dash made her a get well card since she couldn't cook. This made Twilight's eyes tear up. Applejack saw this and said" Hey Twilight, you ok?" Twilight answered " Yeah I'm ok. I'm just really happy you're all here."

   Twilight took a moment to look over at her colt. The doctors put him in a medically induced coma to help him heal and get better sooner. Applejack asked Twilight" How's are colt doing?" Twilight told her that the doctors had to put him in a coma and that the good news is that there were no internal or external injuries. The only bad thing was that the colt had an extremely bad case of pneumonia. Applejack was thankful that that was all. Pinkie Pie said" Twilight, if you are going to keep him, he needs to have a name." They all agreed that he needed to have a name. Twilight said" I've got the perfect name. Phoenix Starlight."

  They all agreed that it was a good strong name. Pinkie said" Now the only thing to do now is throw him a new name and welcome to Ponyville party." All Twilight could do was role her eyes and just chuckle."

   A few days later, Phoenix flatlined yet again while in the coma. The sound of Twilight's weeping reached the ears of the trees. They told Zecora about what was happening. Thirty minutes later, Zecora walks into Twilight's room. Twilight woke with a start. Zecora said" Now don't you fret my little filly, I've made you a cure that will make you feel chilly." Zecora gave Twilight a potion to drink. Zecora walks over to Phoenix and says" With this potion and with this spell, together combined will make you well."  Zecora said the spell in her native language. Twilight could feel the power in her words. After the spell was said, Twilight noticed that the potion turned from white to red. Twilight asked Zecora what the potion and the spell was. Zecora said" That my little filly is a question for another time sleep now for this is my last rhyme. As soon as she said this, Zecora disappeared and Twilight's eyes began to close. The next morning came and she was greated by a joyful sight. Phoenix recovered during the night. Phoenix nustled beside Twilight and uttered one word. Mommy. Twilight began to glow as she smiled. The doctor noticed and went to see what happened. The doctor saw the colt nustled by Twilight and asked why she was smiling and how the colt got to her bed. Twilight said" He walked over and climbed up. I'm smiling because he called me mommy." The doctor smiled. Twilight told the doctor that his name is Phoenix. The doctor nodded his approval and went to go correct the paperwork. The doctor asked her how he was up and walking. Twilight said" Zecora gave him a potion that was enchanted to help him heal. She also gave me an antidote for the poison." That shocked the doctor. He thought there was no cure. He sent for Zecora. As she arrived, she was met with spears. The doctor taking his loyalty to extreme demanded how she knew a cure while he couldn't find a cure. She said" A cure there is for the poison that ailed Twilight, but this for a cure is a shocking sight." Twilight heard the exchange and ran to Zecora. The doctor stood dumbstruck as Twilight appeared in front of Zecora. The guards lowered their spears and backed away.

     When Twilight turned to speak to Zecora, Zecora spoke first. She said" Why my dear Twilight, what happened to make your spirit so bright?" Twilight told her about Phoenix waking up and climbing into her bed and how he called her mommy just before he fell asleep. Zecora said" I see now that the love they share is both true and pure, last night I was unsure."

    Zecora told Twilight that when she got out of the hospital to meet her at her hut. It wasn't until a few weeks later that Twilight and Phoenix were released. Twilight showed Phoenix around town. They went to see Applejack. While  at Applejack's farm, the cutie mark crusaders asked Phoenix to join their ranks. He shyly agreed. Applejack and Twilight watched on with amused and loving expressions. Unfortunately Phoenix wasn't exactly up to snuff because he passed out while running to catch up to the cutie mark crusaders.

  With a worried expression, Twilight picked up Phoenix with her magic and put him on her back. She carried him all the way home. He was so light and frail that Twilight began to cry. When she made it to the library, she called for Spike. She had Spike send a letter to the princesses stating that they were out of the hospital and were at home. Fifteen minutes later the princesses teleported into the library. They saw how Phoenix was asleep. Twilight told them how the cutie mark crusaders recruited him to join their ranks, but he passed out while trying to catch up with them. Twilight asked if Princess Luna could watch over him while Twilight went to meet Zecora. When Twilight finally reached the hut of Zecora, it was nearly noon. Zecora opened the door and welcomed her in. I've made a few more vials of the potion for Phoenix and several vials of that antidote.  I need you to give half of the vials of antidote to the princesses. Twilight readily agreed. She also asked for one to be given to the doctor at the hospital. He was to be asked to study and recreate it.

   Twilight readily agreed again. When they were done Twilight left. It was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon when Twilight returned home. The sound of tears hastened Twilight. When she reached her house, Phoenix was crying and when he saw Twilight he ran into her hooves. Twilight curious as to what was upsetting him asked. She wasn't prepared for the answer she received. Phoenix said" I thought you abandoned me like my birth parents did. When she heard this, she broke into tears and told him" I'd never leave you". He slowly began to stop crying. Twilight said" Phoenix, I've an errand to run. Would you like to come with me?" Phoenix was so excited that he immediately said yes. They rode in a taxi to the train station. Once there, they boarded the train to Canterlot. Along the journey, Twilight fell into a deep sleep. In her mind a black void appeared. A few minutes later, the black void changed. Instead it was the Canterlot throne room. She watched as the impending meeting played itself out. An arrow hit Phoenix causing him to die in her dream. Twilight woke from her nightmare with a startled cry and reached for Phoenix. Phoenix never seen Twilight so frightened. As they approached the castle, Twilight put her hoof around him and told him to stay close. Twilight told the guard that the princesses were expecting them.Twilight and Phoenix  were received almost  immediately. They were granted access to the throne room to wait for the arrival of the princesses. What once caused Twilight's heart great joy now caused a severe sense of dread. Five minutes later Princess Luna and Princess Celestia walked in. They each took their throne and sat. When they had finished sitting, Princess Celestia had noticed that Twilight had Phoenix with her and also noticed that Twilight was literally hovering over him. She seemed very protective of him. Princess Celestia asked" Twilight. Why did you want to speak with both of us? How did you and Phoenix recover so quickly? Why are you standing almost on top of Phoenix?"

   Twilight replied" As you both know of my friend Zecora, she made an antidote for the poison which was inside me and she also made a special medicine from her homeland for Phoenix. After we were released from the hospital, I remembered a promise to Zecora. She said"  I have a gift for you and your princesses. When you leave this hospital, see me at my hut. I went to Zecora's and she made several vials of the medicine she gave Phoenix. She had also made several vials of the antidote for the assassin's poison. She bade me to give a vial of the medicine for Phoenix and a vial of the antidote for me to the hospital to recreate it. The rest of the antidotes were for you and Princess Luna."

    After hearing her story, Princess Celestia was about to call for Zecora, until she realized one missing answer. She asked" Twilight, why are you standing almost on top of Phoenix?" Twilight said" I fear that it wasn't my life that the assassin was after. I had a dream on the way here that made me fear for the life of my son." The Princess was satisfied with her answer and didn't push for more details. Both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia combined their powers to summon Zecora there.  A few minutes went by and then there was a flash of light that temporarily blinded everypony. Once everypony could see clearly, they noticed Zecora was standing there. When Zecora's gaze fell upon the Princesses, she bowed low to the floor. Princess Luna said" Rise Zecora of the Everfree. You have done us a great service. You do not need to bow to us." Zecora said" I thank thee dearly, for your friend is my friend clearly." Luna noticed that Zecora only talks in rhyme, well most of the time. She decided she will ask Twilight later.

   Princess Luna said" Dear Zecora, I thank you for saving the life of my friend and my sister's student. I also wish to thank you for healing Phoenix and making us some of the antidote you gave Twilight. I'm sorry that you felt you were unwelcome in Canterlot but now you will be able to travel to Canterlot when you wish to speak to us." While the conversation was going on, Twilight heard a whoosh of a curtain being pushed aside. Twilight jumped and pushed Phoenix out of the way of the assassin's arrow. Twilight took the poisoned arrow for her son. She gave the greatest sacrifice. Luckily though, the arrow only sliced the skin open a little bit. But the poison was already in her blood stream. Zecora said a spell causing the assassin to get struck by lightning behind him, causing him to fall into the throne room. When Phoenix saw the assassin, his skin turned as white as the first winter snow. It also seemed to shine like a diamond. He walked toward the assassin and was about to kill the assassin. Phoenix then felt a hoof on his shoulder causing him to calm down. Princess Luna levitated the attacker towards her and removed her hood. The attacker was Windshimmer. A notorious assassin, an extremely expensive one at that. Zecora said Princess Celestia, You need to put her in the dungeons." Princess Celestia agreed and called for guards. When the guards arrived, they took her and threw her so hard against the dungeon wall that it knocked her unconscious.

      After the attack, Phoenix ran in search of Twilight. He found her hooked up to tubes that were trying to flush out the poison. Phoenix sent a telepathic call to Princess Luna who relayed it to Zecora. Fifteen minutes went by when the princesses and Zecora finally arrived. When she saw the type of poison, she knew the antidote. Zecora had the doctors go fetch some herbs for her. When the doctors came back with all the ingredients she had asked for, there was only one thing left on her list. After Zecora finished mixing all of the ingredients, She asked the princesses for help. Princess Celestia asked" Zecora, what do you need us to do?" Zecora replied" I need both of you to focus all your magic on this beaker to change the color of this mixture from blue to maroon, then Twilight will awake but not to soon."

   The princesses left Twilight in the care of Zecora.  It was a few hours later when Twilight came to, but she quickly fell back asleep. Princess Luna asked" Zecora, why didn't Twilight stay awake?" Zecora eased her fear by saying" The poison that was on that arrow was an extremely potent poison. I've managed to give her the antidote  in her I.V drips. Now all she needs is rest."

     The princess gave Zecora a hug and left happily to tell her sister the good news. While in her deep sleep, Twilight remembered her dream. As she remembered, her body glowed for a few moments and then went back to normal. Zecora saw this and went to see what caused Twilight to glow. As she arrived, Zecora noticed an oddity with Twilight. She had not one but two cutie marks. Her star cutie mark for her magic and a green eye with a golden aura. This symbolizing she was a seer. Blessed with a gift for seeing the future.

     She sent for Luna who teleported there at her urgent request. She asked Luna to watch over Twilight while she sleeps. While she watched over her dear friend, her eyes began to water. A few minutes later, Luna began to weep. A guard heard Luna weeping and sent for Princess Celestia. Celestia teleported in behind Luna and laid a wing over her sister. This gesture brought Luna around on her and gave her a hug. Princess Celestia never seen her sister so distressed. Luna's heart was breaking in two. Twilight called out for Luna in her dreams. Being the goddess of the night and of dreams, heard her call. She went into Twilight's dream. The pain Twilight was feeling from the poison was monstrous. Twilight found Luna and ran to her. Crying out in terror, pain, and despair. Princess Luna laid down by Twilight where she laid in her dreams and raised a raven black wing and covered Twilight protectively with it. Using her magic, Princess Luna transformed Twilight's nightmare into a lovely peaceful dream. You could hear the quiet little river flowing over smooth stones, the birds singing their little hearts out, and the flowers blooming all around. Twilight ran through the fields like a little girl trying to fly. Luna left Twilight's dream after she was satisfied that Twilight would be ok. Princess still looked after Twilight because of Zecora's request to do so.

A new power for the coming storm

Zecora was given a room close to the one Twilight was resting in. She wanted to be close if something else were to go wrong amidst Twilight's recovery process. Princess Luna and Princess Celestia traded places frequently to allow the other to get some sleep. After the second day of Twilight not waking up, Luna became extremely worried.  Zecora cast a spell upon Twilight to aid her in her recovery process and the same spell caused Twilight to wake up. Many tears of relief and happiness were shed with in the next hour. When all had calmed down a bit, Princess Luna addressed Twilight directly. Princess Luna said" Twilight Sparkle," Twilight meekly said " yes princess." The princess continued" You are to remain here in Canterlot until we solve this heinous crime committed against you and your foal." Twilght began to worry. What about her friends? Do they know I'm ok? Can I see them? Are they ok? How is Spike? How is Phoenix? These are all of the thoughts that were running rampant through her head. Gifted with the ability of going into dreams and controlling the night,  Princess Luna could also hear thoughts. Princess Luna cold hear her frantic thoughts about all those she cared about. Princess Luna calmed Twilight  down by saying" Twilight, all of your friends are ok. Spike took care of the store. I sent a message to Spike saying the following:

    " Dear Elements and Spike,

            Twilight has been injured and being taken care of by Zecora, my sister, and I. I really would like you here when she wakes up. I'll leave her to tell you the details of the events that have transpired should she so choose. This is a matter of great relief and of grave importance. Twilight should wake up sometime later tomorrow.

     Yours truly

            Princess Luna"

After Luna told her what she wrote to Spike and the other elements, she heard familiar voices coming down the hall. You could hear Applejack's thick southern draw asking where Twilight was. The doctor refused to give up that information. This made Applejack really really mad, as she was about to apple buck him into next week, Princess Luna walked over to them. " Follow me ladies and gentledrake" said Princess Luna" Twilight is right over here." When they all got to the room, the Twilight seemed a pale and extremely fragile. So fragile that it looked like if you touch her, she would shatter. A rather refined voice piped up" Twilght darling, are you alright?" Twilight nodded her head. A tough sporty voice asked" Yo Twilight, what happened to ya over here?" Twilight wasn't in the mood to tell that story so she asked Princess Luna if she could since she was there as well.

    "Well it began when she was on her way here. Along the train route here, she fell asleep. During her sleep she had a vision. While she asked to meet with us, we noticed that Twilight was more on edge than she usually is. She told us about her vision and the request made to her by Zecora. While my sister and I were speaking with Zecora, Twilight heard a faint whoosh of the curtain being drawn away. All the sudden she jumped and pushed Phoenix out of the way. Twilight caught the arrow intended for Phoenix." Gaps of horror went up around the room." The arrow was laced with an extremely deadly poison. Thankfully Zecora was here to help her. Her knowledge of antidotes and medicines haven been proven invaluable. She saved Twilight's life." Applejack said" Well ah hope that killer ain't gonna cross my path. I'd beat him silly." Princess Luna said" She'll never cross your path. She is in the dungeons. I need you to stand watch over Twilight and Phoenix. I need you to promise me that you won't go looking for her attacker. By the way, it was a her and not a him." All their jaws dropped at that little fact. When they finished gathering the intel on Twilight, they split into two teams. Team watches over Twilight first while team two looks for Phoenix. He wasn't in his room nor in Twilight's room.

     About two hours later they found the unscious body of Phoenix Sparkle.  When they brought him in on Applejack's back, Twilight grew furious. She was getting tired of somepony trying to kill her son. Twilight was becoming unbalanced. Twilight went into her raw power form and brought him back from being unconscious. His memory had been lost due to the beating he recieved.  Twilight now was out for blood. She wanted to know who was after her foal and her.  Zecora  heard what Twilight wanted. Zecora made a special mint tea for the assassin. It will make her tell you the truth whether she wants to or not.

      Princess Cadence heard what happened to her little sister and set out from the Crystal Empire to see if she was alright. She arrived in Canterlot after a few days. When she arrived, Princess Cadence immediately sought out Twilight. When Cadence found her, she stopped because of how frail Twilight appeared. But her curiousity on her condition got the better of her.

     Twilight shouted with glee when she saw her foal sitter entered her room. Cadence and Twilight did their signature hoof shake" Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap those hooves and do a little shake." They both laughed for a few minutes afterward. Cadence then went serious on Twilight. Princess Cadence asked" How are you feeling? Do you know who hired the assassin?" Twilight yawned and replied" I feel exhausted and I don't know who hired the assassin for my foal Phoenix." Cadence looke at Twilight and then at Phoenix, she then stated" Twilight, you have had quite the adventure. I look forward to hearing all about it," Twilight nodded. Cadence continued" but for now you need to rest."

     Princess Cadence was greeted by both her cousins when she reached the throne room. Hugs were given to all around. Princess Cadence asked Celestia" Where is this assassin? I have much desire to speak with her." Princess Celestia showed her towards the dungeon cell the assassin was in, or used to be in. When they arrived, the assassin managed to break out of her cell. They teleported to Twilight and Phoenix and locked her door.

       Woke up by the commotion, Twilight asked" What is going on?" Princess Celestia said" Windshimmer escaped. We think she may be on her way here." This news given by Princess Celestia changed Twilight. She charged up her horn with dark magic. Princess Celestia saw this and wondered where she learned this. Five minutes later, Twilight's magic shield she placed around her unconscious Phoenix intercepted an arrow. Following the arrows trajectory, Twilight shot a bolt of dark magic at the assassin. It caught the assassin in her right leg breaking it. You could here the cry of pain from the assassin. Twilight was debating on whether or not just to kill her. The strange thing is that this assassin was a male going by the name Shadow Lance. He had orders to kill Windshimmer and Phoenix. After this information, Twilight charged up her horn with a healing spell to fix his leg. She charged up her horn again but this time with a memory loss spell. The spell worked as Shadow Lance walked out and was never seen again. Twilight turned to see all three princesses staring at her flank. She looked herself and discovered that she had two new cutie marks. Her green eye with the golden aura and now a yin yang symbol.

      After Zecora walked in, Twilight began to glow a blue color. While in this aura, she gave a prophecy.

    "A storm of new enemies will arise

    A battle will decide who lives and dies

   Fear not the battle is not yet

   But beware the battle may be soon

   That you can bet"

  After the glow left Twilight, she collapsed on the floor. Cadence used her magic to lift her onto her bed. The princesses decided to heed Twilight's words of warning. A battle was not to be taken lightly just because there hasn't been one in Equestria in ages. Twilight woke the next morning to the faces of her concerned friends. Freaked out, she gave a startled yelp. After she calmed down a bit, the princesses asked" What do you remember about yesterday?" Twilight answered" Not much really. The only thing I remember is you teleporting in here and saying the assassin escaped and I put a protective barrier around Phoenix." Satisfied with her answer, the princesses left to consult with Princess Luna. After all, Luna was the goddess of dreams and prophecies. When her sister told her about the prophecy, Luna wrote it down in a book of prophecy. Princess Luna made her way down to see Twilight. When she arrived, Twilight was interrogating another assassin. Levitated in a bubble, everytime the assassin didn't give her the answer she wanted she would send a strong electrical shock causing the assassin to scream out In pain. Twilight finally got some answers from her less than desirable means of interrogation. Twilight requested another audience with the princesses. As Twilight walked into the throne room levitating the bubble carrying the assassin in it all the princesses stopped and looked at the assassin.  Princess Celestia asked" What did you learn from him?" " I learned about a secret cult that was thought to have died out long ago and why they're after my son." Twilight replied.

      They put the assassin in the dungeons in a cell designed especially for strong magic users like Twilight  and the princesses. No one can break out of there unless they knew the counter spell and had the key. Twilight wanted to go home. Before she left the princesses assigned a royal escort consisting of Shining Armor, Shining Silverblade, drake, Springsong, and Snow Lily.

   The entire town of Ponyville heard what happened at Canterlot. They left her alone to rest and recover. The next week Pinkie Pie decided to throw a welcome to Ponyville party for Phoenix.

Memory returns

Phoenix regained his memory about a few days back. A spell combined with a magic potion healed him and brought his memory back, thanks to Zecora and Princess Luna. Tears of joy were shed that day. After the doctors heard about his memory returning and they did a few tests, the doctors said they could go home in a few days.

      Twilight wrote to the girls. She wrote the following letter:

     Dear girls

           The doctors said since Phoenix got his memory back and is doing a lot better, we can go home in a few days. I can't wait to get home to see Spike again. I really can't wait to get home. Spike has been behaving pretty well with Rarity, I trust?

                                    Sincerely your best friend

                                             Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight used a spell that Princess Celestia taught her. About fifteen minutes later, a message appeared.

         Dear Twilight,

               Howdy sugar cube. That is great news about coming home soon and better news about Phoenix getting his memory back. As for your question about whether or not he's behaving himself with Rarity, you know he's like a lovestruck pony with her. Rather kinda adorable, don't ya think?

     Pinkie is getting ready to throw a welcome to Ponyville party. We anxiously await your return.

                                                                               Yours truly

                                                                               Applejack

A few days after receiving the reply, Twilight and Phoenix left for home. When the Canterlot Express arrived in Ponyville, they discovered that Rarity, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were there to greet them at the station. Hugs were given all around and then the group formed a protective barrier around Phoenix. The group guarded Phoenix all the way home from the train station. After they were settled in, Pinkie Pie left in a hurry to finish making the arrangements for their party.