The Mary Test Diaries, Episode 1: "Where Am I?" Part 1by MathewSwiftMLPChaptersPrologue: A Genius's MistakeChapter 1: Crescent Moon? Really?Chapter 2: The Core of the ApplePrologue: A Genius's MistakeI'm unlike any other girl in my neighbourhood. I'm even unlike my own sister, Susan, even if we are family. I was always the quiet one, the lonely one, and the smart one. Okay, scratch that "smart" bit. Me and my sister are the smartest teenagers at Porkbelly Tech. My interests are like my sister: science, technology, and ...*sigh* ...Gil Nexdor. But I have something that couldn't match Susan's interest: creating stories and art. I took advanced Literature classes at the Institution and passed, though barely. The truth is... I never have time to create anything on my own. My mind can make up all kind of stories, featuring princesses, cowboys, even talking appliances, but where am I? I'm always stuck in a big metal laboratory, surrounded by inventions that nearly destroyed the town, multiple times, thanks to my care-free little brother, Johnny. Even my appearance isn't like my family. I always curl my scarlet-red hair into a swirl, kind of like a cinnamon roll, and I always clip it together with a crescent moon barrette. The moon also appears on my creamy-yellow t-shirt, smack in the middle of my rib cage. I guess also prefer to wear baggy blue pants, rather than a mini-skirt, which is what Susan wears regularly. I wish I could name myself a different, because Mary Test doesn't suit me at all. If I can rename myself, I could be Moon, Thorn, or Violet, just not Mary. But that's my name, don't wear it out. Sometimes, I stay up until late in the night, in my bedroom, listening to my sister snoring, admiring the moon and stars, shining bright outside, out in the never-ending navy-blue sky, from outside my window, thinking to myself. "Isn't It Great To Be Different?" It was early in the morning, about seven. I silently got up from my mattress, and placed my glasses on my face. I stared out the window, and I just woke up long enough to see the moon settling below the city's buildings. It was so beautiful, and I knew nobody on this planet could've moved the moon, if they tried to. I placed on my sapphire earrings I carved out of a jewel mine from school, and pinned them to my ears. They sparkled into the final moonlight of the night as I proceeded to dressing myself and traveled down the staircase for my day. I was turning a sprocket with my five-eighth wrench, as Susan was welding the metal together, on our newest invention, the Attention-Attractor A57. It simulates the brain-waves of the target to manipulate his/her short attention span. To put it in short terms, we can make someone look wherever or at whatever we want. Why can't we just make something else to get Gil's attention, like a dress, maybe? I just shrugged my shoulders, and continued onto my work. A few minutes later, my little brother, and his canine friend, came bursting into the lab, as I broke my hand on the machine from fright. "WHAT THE F--?! Johnny, could you let us know when you're running in here?" I yelled, as I felt my now-injured hand. "My bad," Johnny replied, then turned to Susan. "Anyway, I need a thingie that can turn one thing into another." "You mean, a Transmogrifier?" I asked. "Whatever." Susan just finished her welding and lifted her helmet. "Ha! We didn't even make one, and if we did, we wouldn't give it to you!" "Oh, really?" "Really?" "Let's just call it curtains for this, Sue, and make Johnny a Transmogrifier." I suggested, and Susan gave me a death glare. If looks could kill, I'd be dead by now. Her face is telling me to shut up, or die. "How about no?" She finally replied. "I've been working on this since I was little, so - -!" SINCE SHE WAS LITTLE?! Are you joking? I'm not allowed to do my own things, but YOU ARE?! My face was turning scarlet, as it was matching my hair. "YOU'VE been working on it!?" I shouted. "If that's true, then why I helping you?" "Because I asked you to, you idiot!" Susan shouted back. Our eyes were meeting, with anger and jealousy (me.) "I never get to do things on my own!" "Neither do I, but you don't hear me whining about it, do you?" "That's because all you want to do is write stupid stories!" "What's wrong with that?" "I believe in true fact! I believe in history, not the supernatural and fantasies, like you! Quit being such a child!" "I'm not going to argue about this. I'm leaving!" "FINE!" was all I heard from Susan, when I turned to face the door from the lab, and walked towards it. I tripped as soon as I reached the door and slipped on some spilled chemicals and landed in a capsule, on my head. I felt a goose bump, from where I hit my head, heard the door lock on its own, and looked around. The inside of the capsule was familiar, it was the capsule we used to materializer our failed inventions, and the massive machine was charging. Wait... WHAT??! "MARY!!" Susan was yelling on the other side of the door, using all her might to open the door. "MARY!!" "QUIT SAYING MY NAME!!" I shouted, at the top of my lungs. "SHUT IT DOWN!!" "WE CAN'T! THE PROCESS HAS BEGUN!" I placed my hand over my heart, in shock and despair. I was going to die, and my little fight with Susan, was the last thing that I ever will do. At my despise, a orange light was forming above me. "Mary," Susan placed her hand on the glass window of the door, her eyes full of tears and sorrow. I placed my hand on hers, and cried too. "I'm sorry." I smiled, and nodded, and shut my eyes. I hoped for the worst, and felt tears falling from my cheek. "I'm sorry, too." I felt an intense burst of electricity, and vanished from Earth... No POV Susan was looking through the Materializer door, clear, salty drops, falling from her eyes, for she just saw her own sister, being vanished from existence. Johnny and Dukey placed each hand on each shoulder, comforting the crying teenager, ash she continued to sob. "Mary..." She said, through huge amounts of sobs. "...What have I done?" Chapter 1: Crescent Moon? Really?Chapter 1: Crescent Moon? Really? Twilight Sparkle POV Grabbing a copy of "Equestrian History 101," I trotted to the field outside of her dormitory, and laid under an oak tree, beside a river, aqua, clear and blue, trailing along to the outskirts of Canterlot. I opened the book and read until page 309, when I found something interesting. As time grew on, the younger sister grew relentless. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shrouded and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger sister refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon! She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Regretfully, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her permanently to the moon. The elder sister took responsibility for both sun and moon, and harmony has be in balance in Equestria for generations since." I looked at the term "Elements of Harmony," and thought what in Equestria are the Elements of Harmony? "I know I've heard of those before," I said, looking up into the sky. "But where?" A moaning voice, nearly drowned out my words. I swear to Celestia, if anypony makes fun of my recalls again... I trotted around the tree, and saw a pony, a white unicorn mare, moaning in what looks like pain. Her mane was cherry red, with light pink highlights, and it was curled into a cinnamon bun-like design. Her cutie mark was a creamy-yellow crescent moon, with a blue star in the mouth of the moon. She was moaning louder, and for the first time, I didn't know what to do. Should I get a doctor? I should, but she can't just lay here, moaning in pain. Regretting to do it, I carried her with my magic, and placed her on my back. Maybe I can find a book about health remedies, to help her. I trotted quickly, and I heard the mare's voice whisper, as I trotted faster. "I'm sorry, too." This was bad, so I trotted faster, but I ran into other ponies. I recognized them as Colgate, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine, who recognized me instantly. "There you are, Twilight!" Twinkle said. "Moondancer is having a get together at the west castle courtyard. Wanna come?" "I can't." I replied. "I gotta help somepony. Bseides, I've got a lot of studying to catch up on!" I quickly zoomed past them, and trotted to my dormitory, which is high atop of the Canterlot Observatory. The doors were opening slowly, but I slammed through the opening, calling for Spike. "Spike? SPIKE?!" I looked down and saw Spike, my dragon assistant, in a daze. "Quick, find me a remedy book and that old copy of 'Predictions and Prophecies'." I placed the mare on my bed, beside the door, and she was settling in on my blankets. She was still moaning, and it looks like... She was crying. Tears were falling down her cheek, and she started to sob. I have to hurry. Or Spike, in this case. "Spike, hurry!" I shouted, and saw Spike, struggling to get something off his tail. "What's that for?" "Well," Spike turned to the object. "It was a gift for Moondancer..." I rolled my eyes. "Oh, Spike, you know we don't have time for that sort of thing." "But we're on a break! Who's that, anyway?" Spike pointed to the mare and handed me a book 'Health Remedies and Me.' I searched through, and found something that could work: a spell, which would wake a pony from a deep sleep. I used my magic to hold the mare's nose. She gasped, and became awake. She looked around, but then, she looked at me, in complete confusion and shock. "W- Where am I?" she asked me, but instead of answering, I asked her something else. "Who are you?" Mary Test POV What is going on? First, I had a fight with Susan, I was materialized from the Materializer, heard cries from my family, and now, I'm alive, and in the presence of a purple unicorn,with a violet mane, done in Susan's style, with a baby dragon beside her. I looked around and not even the lab can match the magnificence of this place. It was decorated beautifully, and there were hundreds of books on each shelf. "Where am I?" I asked the pony, but she did something that both was impossible and that still didn't answer my question: She answered me. "Who are you?" she asks me. I thought it was safe to introduce myself, before anything gets bad. "I'm Mary Test, and I wish to know who you are and how I ended up here." I noticed the dragon chuckling under his breath, and I asked him. "What's so funny?" "Your name!" The dragon bursted out laughing, and I saw that even the pony was also trying not to laugh. "Aaaaaand what's wrong with my name?" "That's a pretty odd name for a unicorn, isn't it?" The pony answered. "I must say that Mary Test is a ..." Suddenly, I clued in. "Wait... WHAT?!" I ran to the massive mirror beside the massive doors, but fell over. Equines can walk on all fours, I thought, and saw my reflection. I was a indeed a unicorn, a white mare, with red hair, styled in the way it was back home. I also noticed I wasn't wearing my glasses, but now that I can see, I didn't need them anymore. As I saw more of my pony form, I noticed my crescent moon on my flank, alongside Susan's star, and I cried a little. Now that I think about it, Mary Test does sound like a weird name for a pony. "Hang on," I said to the purple pony and the dragon in their tracks. "That's just what my friends call me. My name's..." This was my chance. I can finally get rid of my name, and find a better one. Maybe I could name myself Thorn, but i guess my flank tattoo is the key to finding my name in this world. I guess... "Crescent Moon." Am I serious? Too late now. "That makes more sense, I guess," The pony replied. "I'm Twilight Sparkle." I almost laughed at this, but I showed no sign of it. I guess if I have a weird name, everybody - - er - - everypony here does. "I'm Spike." The dragon beside Twilight called. I rubbed my head with my hoof. "What happened?" I asked Twilight and Spike. "I found you behind a tree, and you were moaning in your sleep. I brought you to my dormitory, and assisted you." Twilight humbly said. Behind a tree? Something doesn't add up here. "Uhh, thank you?" I responded. "I hope I wasn't a bother or anything?" "Not at all." Twilight smiled. "Are you alright, Miss Moon?" "Yes, thank you again. Can I help you with anything?" "Well, no, but if you want, I need help finding a certain book when somepony should've found it by now!" Twilight glared at Spike, who took three seconds to get the message. He bolted to the nearest shelf, and I followed. How am I supposed to get books from way up high? Wait, I'm a unicorn! I could use my magic. D'uh. And I read from the Harry Potter books that magic is like an extension of your body. I guess now my new horn is a part of me. So I pretended to just grab the book with my hands, which I found the book. "'Predictions and Prophecies,' was it?" I said, holding the book with a teal-colored aura. I guess your magic here is the same colour as your eyes. "Thank you, Crescent." Twilight said, and I interjected. "Please call me Mary." I said back. Twilight was searching for something in the book. I was wondering what she was looking for. "Aha! 'Elements of Harmony...'" She read. "...See 'Mare in the Moon?'" "Mare in the Moon?" I heard Spike speak from the other end of the room. "But that's just an old pony's tale!" I couldn't help, but chuckle under my breath, but Twilight caught me. She gave me the exact same glare that Susan gave me before I came here. Haven't I gotten in enough situations as strange as this? Anyway, Twilight looked up this 'Mare in the 'Moon.' " 'Mare in the Moon,' " Twilight found the page and read aloud. At least I can get some info about this place. " 'myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria. Defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend says that on the first day of the thousandth sun, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring upon night time eternal!'" If you ask me, that doesn't sound so bad, since it's summer. Maybe later, I will ask Twilight on how the seasons change here. But now isn't the right time. "Spike, Mary, do you know what this means?!" Twilight asked, frantically. "No." Me and Spike said together. "Take a note, please, to the princess." I just noticed Spike writing with a quill on a roll of parchment. " 'My dearest teacher, my continuing studies of pony magic have brought to inform me that we are on the precipice of disaster. ' " "Hold on?" Spike looked confused. "Preci-?" "Threshold?" Twilight corrected, but from what I can tell, Spike was still confused. "Threee--?" I chuckled a bit, and turned to Spike. "It means something bad is about to happen." I smiled. So did Spike, and he wrote down what I said. Twilight looked at me with pride, but then proceeded with her letter. " I just found out that the mythical 'Mare in the Moon' is in fact Nightmare Moon, and she is about to return to Equestria, and she is about to bring about night time eternal. Some thing must be done, to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true. I await your quick response. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." Hold the phone... a student of a princess?! I came to the right place for help, then! "Twiiiiiiii liiiiiiiiiiiight Sparrrrrrrrrrkle!" Spike signed the parchment. "Done!" "Good! Send it!" Twilight answered. "Now?" "Of course!" "I don't know, Twilight. Princess Celestia's a little busy, getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration." Summer Sun Celebration? Doesn't he mean the Summer Solstice? "And it's like, the day after tomorrow!" "That's just it, Spike!" Twilight interrupted. "The day after tomorrow is the first day of the thousandth sun! It's imperative that the Princess is told right away!" Spike was confused at 'Imperative.' "She means important." I told the little dragon, as he rolled up the parchment and burned it, but the smoke was lime-ish-green color and it didn't turn to thin air, it flew out the window. That was amazing. "It's on it's way!" Spike humbily chanted to Twilight. "But I wouldn't hold your breath." "I'm not worried, Spike." Twilight said, smooth as silk. "The Princess trusts me completely. After all the years she's been my mentor, she's never once doubted me." "I could help you with this 'Nightmare Moon' situation, Twilight." I volunteered. "You would?! Thank you, Mary!" Twilight cheered, and hugged me! At that, Spike burped fire, and the flames formed into a scroll, similar to the one Spike just sent seconds ago. Talk about speedy delivery. "I knew she would want to take immediate action!" Twilight was growing happier. Spike took the scroll, cleared his voice, and read the scroll so that Twilight and I can hear what it says... "'My dearest, most faithful student, Twilight," Spike read aloud. "'You know that I admire your diligence and that I trust you completely...'" Twilight nodded. "'... but you must simply stop reading those dusty, old books!'" The smile on Twilight's face instantly vanishes, as Susan would do if she was proven wrong. I hope Twilight is right, but mostly, I hope she really was wrong. I don't wanna get mixed up in all this 'eternal night' business. But if it is true, I will do all my best to assist Twilight and Spike on this journey. Twilight Sparkle POV This has been an off-day for me. First, I was proven wrong by Princess Celestia, who told me that Nightmare Moon is just and old pony's tale, and now tomorrow, I have to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in some town called Ponyville. Then, I looked over, to see Spike, snoozing next to Mary. At least I'll have them for company. There's something strange about this mare, though. She calls herself 'Mary Test,' and she says that it was a nice name? And she walks as a baby filly does. I gotta learn more about Mary, but for now, I gotta focus on the prophecy and my research of the Elements of Harmony. The fate of Equestria depends on it! But I hope the Princess was right. Maybe it is an old pony's tale. Chapter 2: The Core of the AppleChapter 2: The Core of the Apple Mary Test POV I woke up, on Twilight's bed, and I saw the unicorn, asleep on her desk, piled with about a hundred books across the desktop. I got used to being an equine, more quicker than I expected. I trotted over to Twilight and shook her awake. Her eyes were baggy tired, and she didn't look too good. "You don't look too good, Twilight." I told her, looking at the books, being used as a pillow. "Oh, hey, Mary." She croaked. "I've been up all night, researching the Elements of Harmony." Say what? "Elements?" I asked. "What are they?" "That's the problem! I have no idea! Apparently, they're the only things that can stop Nightmare Moon, but the information is nowhere to be found!" "Have you tried using Google?" Hopefully, that will help her. "What's Google?" asks Twilight. You ponies don't even have any technology?! Damn. "Never mind." Then, came a knock on the massive doors. Twilight used her magic to open it, and in came a pony in golden armour and he had a black coat. I can tell that he was a male, because he was muscular and his muzzle was more larger than Twilight's. "Miss Sparkle," He said. He sounded just like the General back in Porkbelly. "Her majesty has called upon a chariot for you and your dragon." "Thank you, General." Twilight used her violet-coloured aura, and placed a few extra books in her saddlebags that Spike prepared the following night. He even prepared a teal saddlebag for me. "Thank you, Spike." I said to the little dragon. "Don't worry about it, Mary." Spike smiled. "What are friends for?" Friends. The one thing I never had in Porkbelly. I smiled back at the little reptile, when Twilight called from the hallway. "Come on, Spike and Mary!" We raced each other out of Twilight's room and into the hallway which lead to a golden chariot, being pulled by two Pegasus soldiers. Spike won, so he rode up front with Twilight, while I was in the back of the chariot, reading a story called 'Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone.' From the appearance of the font and the author A. K. Yearling, it must be a mix between Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. I settled in comfortably and told Twilight and Spike all about my latest adventure.* "Hey, Mary," asked Spike. "Can you grab that scroll that Princess Celestia sent?" "Sure." I grabbed Twilight's saddlebag, and searched for the scroll. If it weren't rolled up, I wouldn't have found it. I took the scroll and gave it to Spike, who quickly unrolled and read to Twilight the rest of the message. "My faithful student, Twilight," he read. "There's more to a young pony's life than studying. I'm sending you to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location, *Ponyville.** While there, I have another essential task I need you to complete: make some friends!*" Twilight groaned at 'friends'. Why does Twilight not want to have friends? "Look on the bright side, Twilight." said Spike. "The Princess arranged for us to stay at a library. Doesn't that make you happy?" At that point... "YES!" Twilight screamed with joy. "You know why?" The both of us shook our heads. "Because I'm RIGHT! I'll check on the preparations as quick as I can, then we'll head to the library to research about the Elements of Harmony!" I raised a hoof. "Then, you're going to make friends like the Princess asked?" I asked. "She only said to check on preparations. Besides, the fate of Equestria doesn't rest upon me making friends." We saw a small village, which I can assume must be Ponyville. There were other ponies of various colours and kinds. I can even see a pink pony hopping from the distance. I'm so glad I don't need my glasses. The chariot landed and the guards neighed in arrival. We hopped out of the carriage and Twilight thanked the guards. Spike backed my theory. "Maybe the ponies of Ponyville have interesting things to talk about." He said to Twilight. Just then, that pink pony I saw from the carriage ride trotted to us. She had blue eyes, a poofy mane and tail in a neon-pink and the picture on her flank were three balloons. If my picture is my moon and Susan's star, what does three balloons represent? While Twilight stood there, full of fright, I nudged her with my hoof, for support. "Come on, Twilight." I humbled. "Just try." She gulped and clenched her teeth. "H-hello?" Almost as fast as Johnny on his skateboard, the pink mare then jumped in the air, letting out a loud *GAAAAAAASSSP!* and sped out of our sight. Twilight rolled her eyes in relief and sarcasm. "Well, that was interesting alright." She said, and trotted ahead. Spike, then turned to me, and asked me, "Mary, can you tell me about how you fought off those Mexicolts to save your sister?" It felt like only a few minutes when we arrived at our first stop in Ponyville. Small, but peaceful town. "Okay," Spike checked the scroll. "Summer Sun Celebration Overseer's Checklist. Number One: Food Preparations, Sweet Apple Acres." Then, we turned and saw a magnificent farm. I thought it was a mansion for a split second, because of it's incredible design and signs of architecture. Then, a simple, but loud "YEEE-HAWWWW!" scared the living cells out of me. As well as Twilight and Spike. "Let's get this over with." Twilight sighed. We approached an orange Earth pony, with green eyes,a head of blonde hair, stuck in a ponytail (Comedy Drum) with a golden-orange coat. Her flank has a picture of three apples on it. Now I can see what those pictures mean. It represents on what each pony does best. "Hello," Twilight introduced herself to the pony. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is my assistants, Spike and Crescent Moon, and..." I suddenly felt being flung into space and back again, as the pony began to shake our hooves. "Well, howdy-do, Miss Twilight and Miss Moon," The pony greeted, while we're holding on for our lives. She may have a southern-accent, but she almost sounds like me. "Ah'm Applejack. We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like makin' new friends!" She finally stopped shaking our hooves, but I can barely feel mine. It felt like my injured hand back from the lab. Don't cry, Mary. Don't even shed a tear! Twilight startled at 'friends' again. "FRIENDS?!" "So, what can Ah do ya for?" Applejack asked. "Well, the Princess sent me and Crescent to check on preparations for the Celebration." exclaimed Twilight. "And you're in charge of the food?" I asked. "We sure as sugar are. Would y'all like ta sample some?" My stomach growled as an agreement. Twilight nodded. "As long as it doesn't take too long." Applejack ran to barn, and I heard a cow bell being rung into the field, and then... Youtube Video An earthquake began to take place, but as we looked behind, we found out where that quake was coming from. About a looooooooot of ponies, coming right at us! They weren't Unicorns or Pegasi, but they were fast, and we were dragged off of our hooves, to a gigantic picnic table, filled with even more ponies. I sat between a pink Earth pony, with a green mane and green eyes, and a tall, muscular red stallion, with a wooden trough-puller around his neck, with a carrot-blonde mane. "How about Ah introduce y'all to th' Apple family?" Applejack asked. "Thanks, but we have to hurry!" Twilight said. Applejack just introduced them anyway. A long list of relatives later... "...Big MacIntosh, Apple Bloom aaaaaaaand Granny Smith!" AJ finished. Twilight spat out the pie, while I enjoyed my piece. It was delicious! I was going to ask for more, when Twilight found her ability to speak. "Well, I see that the food situation is under control, so we'll be on our way." "Ain'tcha gonna stay fer brunch?" said a creamy yellow filly sadly. She was cute, with her pink bow and her red mane, but her Bambi eyes pout was so freaking adorable! I suddenly felt bad. "Sorry," said Twilight. "But we have an awful lot to do." The entire farm was looking down, upset. I looked at Twilight. "Please, Twilight?" I asked her. She sighed and said only one response. "Fine." The lot of the Apple Family cheered with excitement, and so did I. I guess this whole trip won't be such a bust!
Prologue: A Genius's MistakeI'm unlike any other girl in my neighbourhood. I'm even unlike my own sister, Susan, even if we are family. I was always the quiet one, the lonely one, and the smart one. Okay, scratch that "smart" bit. Me and my sister are the smartest teenagers at Porkbelly Tech. My interests are like my sister: science, technology, and ...*sigh* ...Gil Nexdor. But I have something that couldn't match Susan's interest: creating stories and art. I took advanced Literature classes at the Institution and passed, though barely. The truth is... I never have time to create anything on my own. My mind can make up all kind of stories, featuring princesses, cowboys, even talking appliances, but where am I? I'm always stuck in a big metal laboratory, surrounded by inventions that nearly destroyed the town, multiple times, thanks to my care-free little brother, Johnny. Even my appearance isn't like my family. I always curl my scarlet-red hair into a swirl, kind of like a cinnamon roll, and I always clip it together with a crescent moon barrette. The moon also appears on my creamy-yellow t-shirt, smack in the middle of my rib cage. I guess also prefer to wear baggy blue pants, rather than a mini-skirt, which is what Susan wears regularly. I wish I could name myself a different, because Mary Test doesn't suit me at all. If I can rename myself, I could be Moon, Thorn, or Violet, just not Mary. But that's my name, don't wear it out. Sometimes, I stay up until late in the night, in my bedroom, listening to my sister snoring, admiring the moon and stars, shining bright outside, out in the never-ending navy-blue sky, from outside my window, thinking to myself. "Isn't It Great To Be Different?" It was early in the morning, about seven. I silently got up from my mattress, and placed my glasses on my face. I stared out the window, and I just woke up long enough to see the moon settling below the city's buildings. It was so beautiful, and I knew nobody on this planet could've moved the moon, if they tried to. I placed on my sapphire earrings I carved out of a jewel mine from school, and pinned them to my ears. They sparkled into the final moonlight of the night as I proceeded to dressing myself and traveled down the staircase for my day. I was turning a sprocket with my five-eighth wrench, as Susan was welding the metal together, on our newest invention, the Attention-Attractor A57. It simulates the brain-waves of the target to manipulate his/her short attention span. To put it in short terms, we can make someone look wherever or at whatever we want. Why can't we just make something else to get Gil's attention, like a dress, maybe? I just shrugged my shoulders, and continued onto my work. A few minutes later, my little brother, and his canine friend, came bursting into the lab, as I broke my hand on the machine from fright. "WHAT THE F--?! Johnny, could you let us know when you're running in here?" I yelled, as I felt my now-injured hand. "My bad," Johnny replied, then turned to Susan. "Anyway, I need a thingie that can turn one thing into another." "You mean, a Transmogrifier?" I asked. "Whatever." Susan just finished her welding and lifted her helmet. "Ha! We didn't even make one, and if we did, we wouldn't give it to you!" "Oh, really?" "Really?" "Let's just call it curtains for this, Sue, and make Johnny a Transmogrifier." I suggested, and Susan gave me a death glare. If looks could kill, I'd be dead by now. Her face is telling me to shut up, or die. "How about no?" She finally replied. "I've been working on this since I was little, so - -!" SINCE SHE WAS LITTLE?! Are you joking? I'm not allowed to do my own things, but YOU ARE?! My face was turning scarlet, as it was matching my hair. "YOU'VE been working on it!?" I shouted. "If that's true, then why I helping you?" "Because I asked you to, you idiot!" Susan shouted back. Our eyes were meeting, with anger and jealousy (me.) "I never get to do things on my own!" "Neither do I, but you don't hear me whining about it, do you?" "That's because all you want to do is write stupid stories!" "What's wrong with that?" "I believe in true fact! I believe in history, not the supernatural and fantasies, like you! Quit being such a child!" "I'm not going to argue about this. I'm leaving!" "FINE!" was all I heard from Susan, when I turned to face the door from the lab, and walked towards it. I tripped as soon as I reached the door and slipped on some spilled chemicals and landed in a capsule, on my head. I felt a goose bump, from where I hit my head, heard the door lock on its own, and looked around. The inside of the capsule was familiar, it was the capsule we used to materializer our failed inventions, and the massive machine was charging. Wait... WHAT??! "MARY!!" Susan was yelling on the other side of the door, using all her might to open the door. "MARY!!" "QUIT SAYING MY NAME!!" I shouted, at the top of my lungs. "SHUT IT DOWN!!" "WE CAN'T! THE PROCESS HAS BEGUN!" I placed my hand over my heart, in shock and despair. I was going to die, and my little fight with Susan, was the last thing that I ever will do. At my despise, a orange light was forming above me. "Mary," Susan placed her hand on the glass window of the door, her eyes full of tears and sorrow. I placed my hand on hers, and cried too. "I'm sorry." I smiled, and nodded, and shut my eyes. I hoped for the worst, and felt tears falling from my cheek. "I'm sorry, too." I felt an intense burst of electricity, and vanished from Earth... No POV Susan was looking through the Materializer door, clear, salty drops, falling from her eyes, for she just saw her own sister, being vanished from existence. Johnny and Dukey placed each hand on each shoulder, comforting the crying teenager, ash she continued to sob. "Mary..." She said, through huge amounts of sobs. "...What have I done?"
Chapter 1: Crescent Moon? Really?Chapter 1: Crescent Moon? Really? Twilight Sparkle POV Grabbing a copy of "Equestrian History 101," I trotted to the field outside of her dormitory, and laid under an oak tree, beside a river, aqua, clear and blue, trailing along to the outskirts of Canterlot. I opened the book and read until page 309, when I found something interesting. As time grew on, the younger sister grew relentless. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shrouded and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger sister refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon! She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Regretfully, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her permanently to the moon. The elder sister took responsibility for both sun and moon, and harmony has be in balance in Equestria for generations since." I looked at the term "Elements of Harmony," and thought what in Equestria are the Elements of Harmony? "I know I've heard of those before," I said, looking up into the sky. "But where?" A moaning voice, nearly drowned out my words. I swear to Celestia, if anypony makes fun of my recalls again... I trotted around the tree, and saw a pony, a white unicorn mare, moaning in what looks like pain. Her mane was cherry red, with light pink highlights, and it was curled into a cinnamon bun-like design. Her cutie mark was a creamy-yellow crescent moon, with a blue star in the mouth of the moon. She was moaning louder, and for the first time, I didn't know what to do. Should I get a doctor? I should, but she can't just lay here, moaning in pain. Regretting to do it, I carried her with my magic, and placed her on my back. Maybe I can find a book about health remedies, to help her. I trotted quickly, and I heard the mare's voice whisper, as I trotted faster. "I'm sorry, too." This was bad, so I trotted faster, but I ran into other ponies. I recognized them as Colgate, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine, who recognized me instantly. "There you are, Twilight!" Twinkle said. "Moondancer is having a get together at the west castle courtyard. Wanna come?" "I can't." I replied. "I gotta help somepony. Bseides, I've got a lot of studying to catch up on!" I quickly zoomed past them, and trotted to my dormitory, which is high atop of the Canterlot Observatory. The doors were opening slowly, but I slammed through the opening, calling for Spike. "Spike? SPIKE?!" I looked down and saw Spike, my dragon assistant, in a daze. "Quick, find me a remedy book and that old copy of 'Predictions and Prophecies'." I placed the mare on my bed, beside the door, and she was settling in on my blankets. She was still moaning, and it looks like... She was crying. Tears were falling down her cheek, and she started to sob. I have to hurry. Or Spike, in this case. "Spike, hurry!" I shouted, and saw Spike, struggling to get something off his tail. "What's that for?" "Well," Spike turned to the object. "It was a gift for Moondancer..." I rolled my eyes. "Oh, Spike, you know we don't have time for that sort of thing." "But we're on a break! Who's that, anyway?" Spike pointed to the mare and handed me a book 'Health Remedies and Me.' I searched through, and found something that could work: a spell, which would wake a pony from a deep sleep. I used my magic to hold the mare's nose. She gasped, and became awake. She looked around, but then, she looked at me, in complete confusion and shock. "W- Where am I?" she asked me, but instead of answering, I asked her something else. "Who are you?" Mary Test POV What is going on? First, I had a fight with Susan, I was materialized from the Materializer, heard cries from my family, and now, I'm alive, and in the presence of a purple unicorn,with a violet mane, done in Susan's style, with a baby dragon beside her. I looked around and not even the lab can match the magnificence of this place. It was decorated beautifully, and there were hundreds of books on each shelf. "Where am I?" I asked the pony, but she did something that both was impossible and that still didn't answer my question: She answered me. "Who are you?" she asks me. I thought it was safe to introduce myself, before anything gets bad. "I'm Mary Test, and I wish to know who you are and how I ended up here." I noticed the dragon chuckling under his breath, and I asked him. "What's so funny?" "Your name!" The dragon bursted out laughing, and I saw that even the pony was also trying not to laugh. "Aaaaaand what's wrong with my name?" "That's a pretty odd name for a unicorn, isn't it?" The pony answered. "I must say that Mary Test is a ..." Suddenly, I clued in. "Wait... WHAT?!" I ran to the massive mirror beside the massive doors, but fell over. Equines can walk on all fours, I thought, and saw my reflection. I was a indeed a unicorn, a white mare, with red hair, styled in the way it was back home. I also noticed I wasn't wearing my glasses, but now that I can see, I didn't need them anymore. As I saw more of my pony form, I noticed my crescent moon on my flank, alongside Susan's star, and I cried a little. Now that I think about it, Mary Test does sound like a weird name for a pony. "Hang on," I said to the purple pony and the dragon in their tracks. "That's just what my friends call me. My name's..." This was my chance. I can finally get rid of my name, and find a better one. Maybe I could name myself Thorn, but i guess my flank tattoo is the key to finding my name in this world. I guess... "Crescent Moon." Am I serious? Too late now. "That makes more sense, I guess," The pony replied. "I'm Twilight Sparkle." I almost laughed at this, but I showed no sign of it. I guess if I have a weird name, everybody - - er - - everypony here does. "I'm Spike." The dragon beside Twilight called. I rubbed my head with my hoof. "What happened?" I asked Twilight and Spike. "I found you behind a tree, and you were moaning in your sleep. I brought you to my dormitory, and assisted you." Twilight humbly said. Behind a tree? Something doesn't add up here. "Uhh, thank you?" I responded. "I hope I wasn't a bother or anything?" "Not at all." Twilight smiled. "Are you alright, Miss Moon?" "Yes, thank you again. Can I help you with anything?" "Well, no, but if you want, I need help finding a certain book when somepony should've found it by now!" Twilight glared at Spike, who took three seconds to get the message. He bolted to the nearest shelf, and I followed. How am I supposed to get books from way up high? Wait, I'm a unicorn! I could use my magic. D'uh. And I read from the Harry Potter books that magic is like an extension of your body. I guess now my new horn is a part of me. So I pretended to just grab the book with my hands, which I found the book. "'Predictions and Prophecies,' was it?" I said, holding the book with a teal-colored aura. I guess your magic here is the same colour as your eyes. "Thank you, Crescent." Twilight said, and I interjected. "Please call me Mary." I said back. Twilight was searching for something in the book. I was wondering what she was looking for. "Aha! 'Elements of Harmony...'" She read. "...See 'Mare in the Moon?'" "Mare in the Moon?" I heard Spike speak from the other end of the room. "But that's just an old pony's tale!" I couldn't help, but chuckle under my breath, but Twilight caught me. She gave me the exact same glare that Susan gave me before I came here. Haven't I gotten in enough situations as strange as this? Anyway, Twilight looked up this 'Mare in the 'Moon.' " 'Mare in the Moon,' " Twilight found the page and read aloud. At least I can get some info about this place. " 'myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria. Defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend says that on the first day of the thousandth sun, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring upon night time eternal!'" If you ask me, that doesn't sound so bad, since it's summer. Maybe later, I will ask Twilight on how the seasons change here. But now isn't the right time. "Spike, Mary, do you know what this means?!" Twilight asked, frantically. "No." Me and Spike said together. "Take a note, please, to the princess." I just noticed Spike writing with a quill on a roll of parchment. " 'My dearest teacher, my continuing studies of pony magic have brought to inform me that we are on the precipice of disaster. ' " "Hold on?" Spike looked confused. "Preci-?" "Threshold?" Twilight corrected, but from what I can tell, Spike was still confused. "Threee--?" I chuckled a bit, and turned to Spike. "It means something bad is about to happen." I smiled. So did Spike, and he wrote down what I said. Twilight looked at me with pride, but then proceeded with her letter. " I just found out that the mythical 'Mare in the Moon' is in fact Nightmare Moon, and she is about to return to Equestria, and she is about to bring about night time eternal. Some thing must be done, to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true. I await your quick response. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." Hold the phone... a student of a princess?! I came to the right place for help, then! "Twiiiiiiii liiiiiiiiiiiight Sparrrrrrrrrrkle!" Spike signed the parchment. "Done!" "Good! Send it!" Twilight answered. "Now?" "Of course!" "I don't know, Twilight. Princess Celestia's a little busy, getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration." Summer Sun Celebration? Doesn't he mean the Summer Solstice? "And it's like, the day after tomorrow!" "That's just it, Spike!" Twilight interrupted. "The day after tomorrow is the first day of the thousandth sun! It's imperative that the Princess is told right away!" Spike was confused at 'Imperative.' "She means important." I told the little dragon, as he rolled up the parchment and burned it, but the smoke was lime-ish-green color and it didn't turn to thin air, it flew out the window. That was amazing. "It's on it's way!" Spike humbily chanted to Twilight. "But I wouldn't hold your breath." "I'm not worried, Spike." Twilight said, smooth as silk. "The Princess trusts me completely. After all the years she's been my mentor, she's never once doubted me." "I could help you with this 'Nightmare Moon' situation, Twilight." I volunteered. "You would?! Thank you, Mary!" Twilight cheered, and hugged me! At that, Spike burped fire, and the flames formed into a scroll, similar to the one Spike just sent seconds ago. Talk about speedy delivery. "I knew she would want to take immediate action!" Twilight was growing happier. Spike took the scroll, cleared his voice, and read the scroll so that Twilight and I can hear what it says... "'My dearest, most faithful student, Twilight," Spike read aloud. "'You know that I admire your diligence and that I trust you completely...'" Twilight nodded. "'... but you must simply stop reading those dusty, old books!'" The smile on Twilight's face instantly vanishes, as Susan would do if she was proven wrong. I hope Twilight is right, but mostly, I hope she really was wrong. I don't wanna get mixed up in all this 'eternal night' business. But if it is true, I will do all my best to assist Twilight and Spike on this journey. Twilight Sparkle POV This has been an off-day for me. First, I was proven wrong by Princess Celestia, who told me that Nightmare Moon is just and old pony's tale, and now tomorrow, I have to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in some town called Ponyville. Then, I looked over, to see Spike, snoozing next to Mary. At least I'll have them for company. There's something strange about this mare, though. She calls herself 'Mary Test,' and she says that it was a nice name? And she walks as a baby filly does. I gotta learn more about Mary, but for now, I gotta focus on the prophecy and my research of the Elements of Harmony. The fate of Equestria depends on it! But I hope the Princess was right. Maybe it is an old pony's tale.
Chapter 2: The Core of the AppleChapter 2: The Core of the Apple Mary Test POV I woke up, on Twilight's bed, and I saw the unicorn, asleep on her desk, piled with about a hundred books across the desktop. I got used to being an equine, more quicker than I expected. I trotted over to Twilight and shook her awake. Her eyes were baggy tired, and she didn't look too good. "You don't look too good, Twilight." I told her, looking at the books, being used as a pillow. "Oh, hey, Mary." She croaked. "I've been up all night, researching the Elements of Harmony." Say what? "Elements?" I asked. "What are they?" "That's the problem! I have no idea! Apparently, they're the only things that can stop Nightmare Moon, but the information is nowhere to be found!" "Have you tried using Google?" Hopefully, that will help her. "What's Google?" asks Twilight. You ponies don't even have any technology?! Damn. "Never mind." Then, came a knock on the massive doors. Twilight used her magic to open it, and in came a pony in golden armour and he had a black coat. I can tell that he was a male, because he was muscular and his muzzle was more larger than Twilight's. "Miss Sparkle," He said. He sounded just like the General back in Porkbelly. "Her majesty has called upon a chariot for you and your dragon." "Thank you, General." Twilight used her violet-coloured aura, and placed a few extra books in her saddlebags that Spike prepared the following night. He even prepared a teal saddlebag for me. "Thank you, Spike." I said to the little dragon. "Don't worry about it, Mary." Spike smiled. "What are friends for?" Friends. The one thing I never had in Porkbelly. I smiled back at the little reptile, when Twilight called from the hallway. "Come on, Spike and Mary!" We raced each other out of Twilight's room and into the hallway which lead to a golden chariot, being pulled by two Pegasus soldiers. Spike won, so he rode up front with Twilight, while I was in the back of the chariot, reading a story called 'Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone.' From the appearance of the font and the author A. K. Yearling, it must be a mix between Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. I settled in comfortably and told Twilight and Spike all about my latest adventure.* "Hey, Mary," asked Spike. "Can you grab that scroll that Princess Celestia sent?" "Sure." I grabbed Twilight's saddlebag, and searched for the scroll. If it weren't rolled up, I wouldn't have found it. I took the scroll and gave it to Spike, who quickly unrolled and read to Twilight the rest of the message. "My faithful student, Twilight," he read. "There's more to a young pony's life than studying. I'm sending you to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location, *Ponyville.** While there, I have another essential task I need you to complete: make some friends!*" Twilight groaned at 'friends'. Why does Twilight not want to have friends? "Look on the bright side, Twilight." said Spike. "The Princess arranged for us to stay at a library. Doesn't that make you happy?" At that point... "YES!" Twilight screamed with joy. "You know why?" The both of us shook our heads. "Because I'm RIGHT! I'll check on the preparations as quick as I can, then we'll head to the library to research about the Elements of Harmony!" I raised a hoof. "Then, you're going to make friends like the Princess asked?" I asked. "She only said to check on preparations. Besides, the fate of Equestria doesn't rest upon me making friends." We saw a small village, which I can assume must be Ponyville. There were other ponies of various colours and kinds. I can even see a pink pony hopping from the distance. I'm so glad I don't need my glasses. The chariot landed and the guards neighed in arrival. We hopped out of the carriage and Twilight thanked the guards. Spike backed my theory. "Maybe the ponies of Ponyville have interesting things to talk about." He said to Twilight. Just then, that pink pony I saw from the carriage ride trotted to us. She had blue eyes, a poofy mane and tail in a neon-pink and the picture on her flank were three balloons. If my picture is my moon and Susan's star, what does three balloons represent? While Twilight stood there, full of fright, I nudged her with my hoof, for support. "Come on, Twilight." I humbled. "Just try." She gulped and clenched her teeth. "H-hello?" Almost as fast as Johnny on his skateboard, the pink mare then jumped in the air, letting out a loud *GAAAAAAASSSP!* and sped out of our sight. Twilight rolled her eyes in relief and sarcasm. "Well, that was interesting alright." She said, and trotted ahead. Spike, then turned to me, and asked me, "Mary, can you tell me about how you fought off those Mexicolts to save your sister?" It felt like only a few minutes when we arrived at our first stop in Ponyville. Small, but peaceful town. "Okay," Spike checked the scroll. "Summer Sun Celebration Overseer's Checklist. Number One: Food Preparations, Sweet Apple Acres." Then, we turned and saw a magnificent farm. I thought it was a mansion for a split second, because of it's incredible design and signs of architecture. Then, a simple, but loud "YEEE-HAWWWW!" scared the living cells out of me. As well as Twilight and Spike. "Let's get this over with." Twilight sighed. We approached an orange Earth pony, with green eyes,a head of blonde hair, stuck in a ponytail (Comedy Drum) with a golden-orange coat. Her flank has a picture of three apples on it. Now I can see what those pictures mean. It represents on what each pony does best. "Hello," Twilight introduced herself to the pony. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is my assistants, Spike and Crescent Moon, and..." I suddenly felt being flung into space and back again, as the pony began to shake our hooves. "Well, howdy-do, Miss Twilight and Miss Moon," The pony greeted, while we're holding on for our lives. She may have a southern-accent, but she almost sounds like me. "Ah'm Applejack. We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like makin' new friends!" She finally stopped shaking our hooves, but I can barely feel mine. It felt like my injured hand back from the lab. Don't cry, Mary. Don't even shed a tear! Twilight startled at 'friends' again. "FRIENDS?!" "So, what can Ah do ya for?" Applejack asked. "Well, the Princess sent me and Crescent to check on preparations for the Celebration." exclaimed Twilight. "And you're in charge of the food?" I asked. "We sure as sugar are. Would y'all like ta sample some?" My stomach growled as an agreement. Twilight nodded. "As long as it doesn't take too long." Applejack ran to barn, and I heard a cow bell being rung into the field, and then... Youtube Video An earthquake began to take place, but as we looked behind, we found out where that quake was coming from. About a looooooooot of ponies, coming right at us! They weren't Unicorns or Pegasi, but they were fast, and we were dragged off of our hooves, to a gigantic picnic table, filled with even more ponies. I sat between a pink Earth pony, with a green mane and green eyes, and a tall, muscular red stallion, with a wooden trough-puller around his neck, with a carrot-blonde mane. "How about Ah introduce y'all to th' Apple family?" Applejack asked. "Thanks, but we have to hurry!" Twilight said. Applejack just introduced them anyway. A long list of relatives later... "...Big MacIntosh, Apple Bloom aaaaaaaand Granny Smith!" AJ finished. Twilight spat out the pie, while I enjoyed my piece. It was delicious! I was going to ask for more, when Twilight found her ability to speak. "Well, I see that the food situation is under control, so we'll be on our way." "Ain'tcha gonna stay fer brunch?" said a creamy yellow filly sadly. She was cute, with her pink bow and her red mane, but her Bambi eyes pout was so freaking adorable! I suddenly felt bad. "Sorry," said Twilight. "But we have an awful lot to do." The entire farm was looking down, upset. I looked at Twilight. "Please, Twilight?" I asked her. She sighed and said only one response. "Fine." The lot of the Apple Family cheered with excitement, and so did I. I guess this whole trip won't be such a bust!
