Chapters Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End
The smell of fire, sweat, and blood filled the night skies over Canterlot. Neither the moon, nor the stars appeared in the night sky, for only the blaze of the invader’s torches and illumination of unicorns' horns quelled the surrounding darkness. The city walls were guarded by a legion of unicorns taking pot shots at the massive hordes that got too close to the moat of the unicorn capitol. On the high towers and on the cliff face, Royal Canterlot unicorn sharp shooters fired bolts of lightning at gryphons and pegasi patrols that might get close enough to consider an aerial assault.
On the dark grassy fields two minotaurs loaded a large boulder, the size of a small shed, onto an enormous earth pony catapult. A dark red earth pony mare stood between a small campfire and the just-loaded catapult. Off the glow of the fire, you could distinguish her dark red coat from her light brown cloak which barely covered her dark orange mane, and just make out her cutie mark with four apples on it.
She looked behind her to see that the two minotaurs had successfully loaded the catapult properly and were now dumping crude oil onto it. She then looked over to her target; two miles away, was the wooden draw bridge for Canterlot. Though it was very dark, her vision had long since adapted to the lack of light and her memory of close calls also confirmed her aim was true. She looked over to another Earth pony and nodded. From the warm glow of the torch he held in his mouth, you could see his honey colored coat, and his red mane. He, like the mare in front of him, also had an apple cutie mark on his flank. The stallion tilted his head so the flame of the torch lightly tapped the fire onto the oil coated rock, setting it ablaze.
The mare closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. She trotted over to the lever and gave it a pull. The last part of her job was the worst, watching the sky light up and hoping for the best. With a loud ‘wooph’, the fireball was lobbed into the air and sailed towards the gate. The apple mare looked on with giddy anticipation as her fireball, unlike the many others that flew alongside hers, was about to hit its mark, only to be disappointed when her projectile was wrapped in a purple glow, instantaneously stopped and harmlessly set aside. The apple mare sighed and waited for the next boulder to be loaded.
On top of the Canterlot gates, a purple mare by the name of Twilight Sparkle let out sigh of relief as her horn dimmed, losing its purple hue. She lifted a trembling hoof up and wiped some of the sweat from off her brow and onto her robes; a traditional set of soft blue cloth worn by the high mages of the Stardust Clan.
“Greetings Lady Sparkle,” a voice called out from behind her, “how do you fare at this hour?”
Twilight looked over her shoulder to find a familiar face. After recognizing a medium build stallion, with a sea foam coat and a mane and tail of mint green and white, she redirected her gaze back to the camps of the invaders.
“You are a strange one Baron Heartstrings. From the first day since the ensuing revolution within Canterlot, your behavior is as if nothing were amidst, still finding time for pleasantries such as titles and idle chatter, but here I am, only now fully adjusted to my new duties.”
“It must be from taking comfort in knowing such a beautiful and capable mare is in charge over defense of the gates.” Heartstrings cooed as he trotted over to Twilight’s side.
Had this been anypony else, Twilight would have blushed furiously, and likely tripped over herself, but she was used to this sort of flirting from the stallion.
“Oh, Baron Heartstrings, such the charmer,” Twilight said in a playful, mocking tone, “Hadn’t not for the fact we grew up together, I might have swooned at your words like so many other mares have, before you would have taken me on an ‘expedition’. I am curious how thou always got a different mare to explore the same beach cove with you on each weeks end and come back with nothing, but a long smile on your face. Did you ever find what thou were looking for?”
“Unfortunately, any remaining legacy of the sea ponies has still eluded my watchful eyes, leaving much work to be done and many more trips to be had,” Baron Heartstrings chuckled, “but thou still have yet to answer my question.”
Twilight sighed, “I don't think I can keep this up for much longer.” She looked over to the field hospital behind her. Lined up outside the tents were many unicorns either bathed in sweat or coated in blood. Some old veterans were wearing their outdated guard uniforms, while others weren't given armor to begin with. Young or old, they were all unfit for duty, be it from magical exhaustion or from pushing back the latest raid that was attempted on Canterlot’s walls.
She sighed, “Then again, I don't think any of us can.”
Baron Heartstrings looked over to the sight of the wounded and sighed as well while Twilight returned to her vigilant state overlooking the gate.
“Oh, I think thou art correct once again, Twilight. This whole upheaval was doomed at the start with the failure to capture Star Swirl and his apprentices. It was still worthy of sufferage as to relinquish without resistance, the sun, moon, and stars would be worse than the troubles we suffer now.”
Twilight was about to answer when a blaze of light hurdling towards her caught her attention. She elicited a high pitched ‘Eeep’ before she grunted with effort to stop yet another blazing boulder that was heading straight for them. Meanwhile, the baron didn't even register the near loss of his life and trotted to face the horizon to the right of Twilight.
“I’m not a doomsayer nor am I a member of the Sky Houses, but I can see it plainly as I can see the sun rising over th-”
The sun was peering over the horizon, casting its rays of warmth over the land, but its very sight froze every unicorn in place. Harpo and Twilight, along with every other pony withing Canterlot's walls was in a state of shock over the sudden arrival of the sun. There was no signal by the high council’s that they would raise the sun, which only left one impossible option. The fears and suspicions of the three ruling aristocratic families were finally confirmed.
Then there was a break in the silence as the invading, multi-racial horde let out a large cheer. The cheers soon turned into shouts and commands as the enormous horde started scrambling into formations. Rows and columns of Earth ponies formed, clad in golden armor with lances strapped to their side. The minotaurs started gathering for their line of heavy steel claymores and mauls. They were grouping into a single herd, ready to stampede and let loose their barbaric fury. Meanwhile the sky was filling up with wings of Gryphons and Pegasi filing in V-formations below the cloudlines like angry nest of bees. 'They are going to make their final push'.
Baron Heartstrings was brought out of his trance when he had to avert his eyes from the harsh glare of the sun. His mind was in a state of panic before he returned his sights to the purple mare by his side. He put both of his front hooves on her shoulders snapping her out of her shock. His voice came sharp and quick, and tone was serious.
“Now listen here Twilight, I need you to go over to the main chambers of the Royal Castle, demand to meet with whoever is highest standing and get yourself into an teleportation chamber as soon as possible. You art a very important unicorn Twilight Sparkle, so I doubt that they would deny you access to a safe place right away.”
Twilight inquired, “But Harpo, what of my post?”
Harpo turned his attention to the enemy movements across the moat outside of the Canterlot walls. “Don’t worry about the gate. I may not have the power nor the skill you possess when it comes to magic, nor do I hold a rank as high as thine, but I am still capable mage and leader, if I do say so myself. Which I do,” He assured her.
“But Harpo, I can’t, I shan't let you to die doing my duty,” Twilight said with a mixture of concern and determination. Harpo turned his gaze to Twilight, almost becoming trapped by her lovely, lavender eyes.
He closed his eyes, “Twilight, don't you remember what I’ve been telling you all these years?” He then opened his eyes, now burning with a new-found passion, and gave Twilight a sly grin,
“I’m going to live forever.”
He kissed Twilight on the forehead, before shoving her off, “Now go! And please stay safe!”
Twilight heard her friend yelling out commands to the Unicorn Guards who were stationed at the front walls as Twilight made a gallop for the heart of Canterlot. All around her madness consumed the city as stallions and mares were either heading off to their posts to die valiantly or their families to hold them tight one last time.
Everypony knew that it was the beginning of the end.
Author's Note
~~First off, "Ye Olde" speak dialogue sucks to write.~~Sapphic for editing this monster.
Chapter 2: The End of an Era
The city was ablaze with panic. Stallions, mares, guards and civilians alike were dashing through the street in a flurry of fear. The screaming of loved ones, the yelling of orders, the speeches of doomsayers, and the whispers of prayers all meshed together in Twilight's ears as she made her way through the chaos to the center of Canterlot's glory, in Queen Platinum's castle. Her home was one of the most oldest structure on the mountains, built twenty-five years ago as a display of power to their avian brothers at the time. The pegasi were outraged by the audacity of the Unicorns to claim the mountain range, the natural home of the pegasi. In retaliation, pegasi from attempting raid on the structure, but their efforts were in vain. But now the symbol of unicorn dominance has become the last stand for the unicorn hierarchy.
Twilight weaved through the gathering crowd of ponies who were waiting to enter the castle, and found twenty guards holding back a sea of desperate ponies, and only letting a small trickle at a time walk into the structure making it more possible to control flow of traffic within the halls. When Twilight moved to the front of the crowd and met the guards holding the line, they recognized her robes and rank and gave her a small gap to enter the palace before closing back into one line.
The purple mare trotted through the grand stone arch and past a set of giant wooden doors, her aim being a path to the left that went along the side of the fortress.
She continued along the path in hopes to find the Clan Stardust high council quarters, and report to them before asking to leave for the teleportation chambers. On Twilight's left, she could see arrow slits built into the walls of the castle for shooting at any flying threat to the fort. While she was moving down the empty halls she could see glimpse and glimpse again, of the battle raging on on the cliff side of the mountain, as pegasi and gryphons were dodging and weaving away from bolts of lightning being thrown, with varying degrees of success. Twilight could hear every shockwave of the thunder that was being cast from the cliff guards, and sometimes even the screams of some unfortunate flyer. Despite being the avian invaders being held back, the intensity of their drive only made Twilight worry more.
As Twilight neared the end of the hall, signaled by old oak double doors and the guards posted in front of it, she could hear loud muffled voices from the council room ahead. As she approached these guards they, like the ones that were outside, recognized Twilight's rank and nodded to her.
With her clearance, she open one of the doors slightly, as to not interrupt the rather heated discussion going on.
After the door closed behind her, Twilight saw a big, bright, light blue head of a stallion in the center of the rather large council room. Underneath the large projected image was a large stone table surrounded by many robed figures, with varying degrees of anger noted on their face, unlike the stallion they were talking to, who was wearing a smile of a cool demeanor.
The large head spoke in a very smooth fashion, "I am very sorry about your local troubles, but I simply cannot spare my forces on a failing rebellion. My heart goes out to you for I support your noble cause, but I simply cannot afford to expend my power to push back the inevitable."
A mare of high position addressed the head with agitation and desperation, "You cannot sit idly by, Sombra. We gave you position your position in the old Heartland, and now you must use that position to send aid. This is more than simple titles at stake here. This is the very fabric of unicorn society becoming undone. Our very position in nature is being stripped."
An older stallion with his hood up, thus concealing his face in shadow, spoke up, "If we combined our Sky Council's forces with an army from the Heartland, we could blow through the Coalition's defenses and kill Sunny Rays and Blue Moon, thus ending this entire conflict."
"I'm sorry, but I cannot simply muster up all of the Heartland's forces on a whim and send them to fight and die for a ponies that have abandoned their ancestral home," Sombra said in a false forlorn voice, "That would just be unethical for me as the, very recently placed, sovereign to put the interests of my political allies over that of the lives of my little ponies."
This time a different elder stallion spoke up in anger, "Damn you Sombra, we know very well the state of the Heartland and the type of research you are conducting. When we finish this conflict, your political allies will be speaking again with you very soon and you'll definitely have more pressing worries than that of your ponies."
"Very well. We can speak of this after thy exile from... what is the Coalition of Equal Ponies going to call the land now... Equestria? And before you ask, my home will not house refuge for the Queen's usurpers. I hear she is rather miffed about this entire incident as it is, and I wouldn't want that type of attention from her. Now if you will excuse me, I have an Empire to run and I believe you all have some running to do yourselves."
As the face faded out of sight, a few of the council unicorns used their magic to light the torches on the wall, revealing the faces of a the many councilmen there. Among these bearded, wise, stallions and mares, was the Leader of the Noble House Stardust and Member of the High Sky Council, Star Mapper Bright Shadow. He was a big and rather toned for a unicorn. He had tan fur and an amber mane and beard. He held his head up high, and looked into space searching for answers, while the many councilmen argued amongst themselves. Twilight approached the stallion, with hesitation from the intense aura of strength and respect that surrounded him. It intimidated her, as it did to so many other unicorns who were not of equal standing, or physical height. But slowly she did made her presence known to him.
He stirred from his focus and looked down toward the purple mare, "Twilight Sparkle, we were about to send somepony to retrieve you, but it seems you are already one step ahead of us. What brings you to these chambers?"
"I.. uh.. well, I was told to come to the castle and request a... uh, ask to use the long distance teleportation chambers."
"By who's order's?"
"Umm, Baron Heartstrings, sir. He took charge over my post when the sun rose."
Bright Shadow gave a short humorless laugh and looked off to the side, "That stallion." He smiled and shook his head, "From sleazy poet to knight in shining armor in a matter of moments. Perhaps there is more to the tail chaser than I thought. "
He sighed before looking back to Twilight, "Nevertheless, he must have already came to the same conclusion as the Sky Council. We have already been evacuating the high ranking members of the Helios and Lulamoons. We were just wrapping up the last order of business before making our way there ourselves."
He looked up from her to address to the other members of the room and spoke loudly over their conversations, "Members of the High Council," at this, the room had ceased all conversation and all eyes were on Bright Shadow, "since the last order of business here has been conducted I would like to remind thee that is nearing our time to leave. We will make our way to the teleportation chambers and reconvene for another meeting with the remaining pieces of our forces into the western fishing village of Vanhoover." He paused for a moment before reciting the ending procedure to all formal Stardust gatherings that demanded his presence, "Until we realign the stars once more, meeting adjured. "
Soon the robed ponies opened the doors and walk out the double doors, at a fast but dignified pace. Twilight was about to follow suit, when she felt a strong hoof on her shoulder holding her back. Bright Shadow, didn't speak and just looked over her, until they were the only ones in the room.
"Star Mapper Bright Shadow, why..."
"Twilight Sparkle, I have something to give thee, and thought it best to present this to thee alone." He reached into a pocket within his robes and took out an medallion. It was round and flat stone around the edge, but in the center was a smooth, dull copper dome with a white symbol in the middle. "This is the medallion of the Arch Magus of the Stardust Clan. This has been passed down from Arch Magus to Apprentice since the dawn of Unicornia. It is a symbol of your rank, your wisdom, your strength, and your honor. You are a very special unicorn Twilight Sparkle. I might not have told you this then, but you have surpassed my magical prowess by years and your mastery of the arcane may be a match that of StarSwirl himself, though he would never admit."
Twilight eyes were wide from shock and wonder. She knew she would reach this rank one day, but... "What of Night Light, sir?"
Bright hesitated, "I, must apologize Twilight, but thy mentor was, silenced in his chambers by a traitor within our ranks, which we could only capture after the fact. It is with a heavy heart to bestow this to you so soon and under such ill circumstances, but in a time so many plights, it is a relief to find such capable hooves to take up the mantle and responsibilities of such a high position."
Bright used his magic to hold it forward between himself and Twilight, "It carries with it the wisdom of a thousand generations of the greatest mages to ever grace the Earth. The secrets it hold can allow one to rewrite destiny itself. Take this and wear it with pride wherever destiny may take you. You are the greatest achievement of the Stardust Clan, know that you can accomplish anything and every achievement you perform and challenge you overcome will be reflected as an honor unto us all."
Twilight was caught in awe of the moment and took quiet, shallow breathes. She reached out to grasp the medallion with her magic. The reverence it held with Twilight and many unicorns across all of Unicornia was that of a religious relic. This alone was more treasured than any dragon's personal cave of gold or the buffaloes' stomping grounds. As she took the amulet closer to her, the medallion reacted to its new owner's presence and a golden chained lit up from the amulet and reached around Twilight's neck, before light dimmed out. She released her magic and let the medallion fall to her chest. Its weight magic felt deeper, and her senses have been sharpened. Her astonishment of shocked her, but not in a physical sense. Her mind was opened wider, her this symbol had made her swell up with pride and renewed strength.
She looked up to see Bright Shadow smiling at her with a deep sense of hope.
"The Medallion of the Arch Magus doesn't always react to it's owner, but when it does feel that the new title bearer is worthy, it may share its power and wisdom from time to time. Thou hast not just inherited the most coveted relic the Stardust Clan, Twilight, but you have also acquired a strong ally."
Twilight couldn't fathom the depth of his words, but cherished them none the less.
"Now come, we will speak over your new responsibilities and what is to be expected of you later. We still have to make our way to Vannenhoover."
Chapter 3: The Great Escape
In the long stone hallways of Canterlot the rapid clopping of hooves echoed, as two unicorns raced to their destination. Outside the castle when there was previously a battle the size of a small skirmish, had erupted into a full blown assault, as pegasi and gryphons filled the air and lightning rumbled recklessly through the air. Through the tall, glass windows along the hall, you could peek and see glimpses of the unicorn cliff top defense slowly losing the battle along their western walls.
Archmagus Twilight, still adorned with her soft blue robes and golden necklace with an old, circular, white amulet around her neck, paused as a larger, tan colored, unicorn stallion caught up with her; his amber beard and mane lined with sweat, but he persevered nonetheless. He wore his traditional azure robes, decorated by many bold blue stripes that identified him as Star Mapper Bright Shadow.
They continued down their path, until a white pegasus mare burst through the ornate windows at shocking speed and slowed to a hover in front of the two unicorns. Her coat was white as snow and had a poofy, blonde mane. She had a weird cutie mark of three ovals attached to squiggly lines. The most odd part was the metal cylinder tube she held with her right forehooves and rested it slightly against her hip. Attached to the back of the odd tube was a string that was tied around the mare's left hoof.
Quickly the mare shouted out, "Surprise!"
Her surprise, however, was not enough for the sharp reflexes of Twilight Sparkle. She swiftly wrapped the mare in a magical grasp and launched her into the wall at neck break speed. There was sickening crunch, before the mare peeled off the wall in a cartoonish fashion and groaned. She then hastily threw her victim out of the window along with her strange weapon. The large, tan unicorn looked to his left at Twilight who had just broken her hasty battle stance to silently standing by for orders, "Come now Twilight, time is a luxury we no longer carry. We still move to the teleportation chambers"
They galloped on through the halls till they reached a room they entered was big, though rather bare; it was circular with many unicorns in many different armors according to their original masters' personal army, each one standing by to support the castle where they needed to be. Though they put on a brave face when they saw Twilight and Bright Shadow, the smell of fear and worry permeated the air. News that all of the royalty had abandoned the castle was circulating quickly. Even if there had been a slow movement of ponies out of the city for the past week, the retreat of their leadership had dropped hope.
When they saw the Star Mapper walk into the room, clearly on the way out of Canterlot, the moral in the room dropped even lower. Bright Shadow acknowledged this internally, before asking for the highest ranking officer in the room, "Who's in charge of defense of the keep currently?"
"Sire," A stallion called out in ornate silver armor with ornate gold trimming embedded in it. He wore a gilded, royal red cape that sagged slightly above the knees, attached from the left shoulder piece. He had a soft yellow fur coat and as this stallion, unlike the rest of the soldiers, had his helmet off his short, red and yellow mane was plain to see.
The officer approached the "Marshal Blinding Glory at your service."
Bright Shadow quirked an eyebrow, "Marshall, if I am not mistaken shouldn't that duty belong to the Prince Silver? Where is he currently?"
"The Prince delegated the responsibility of the Canterlot Castle to me, sire."
Bright Shadow furrowed his brows and thought to himself, "Of course. What should I have expected of a pampered prince?"
The Bright Shadow looked around him at the forlorn stallions that surrounded him. The most recent push had only started less than an hour ago, and already they looked defeated. If he was to give the rest of his clan time to retreat, he must make the line hold, for as long as possible. Too much work was left in the Sparkle's halls, not to mention their personal dwellings beneath the castle despite their preparations.
He sighed to himself, before addressing Blinding Glory, "Field Marshall, as Star Mapper I'm taking command of the Canterlot defenses from now on."
Heads that were looking down were briskly looking toward the middle of the room. Blinding Glory himself looked shocked to see such an important pony volunteering for a suicide job.
"Sire?" Was his shaky and unsure response.
The tan unicorn spoke up, intentionally loud enough for the room to hear, "Did I make myself unclear? I will be taking command over Canterlot's defenses until further notice. It would seem as though the prince made an error in procedure when he decided to join the rendezvous outside of Canterlot. His duty was not to join our forces on their return to Canterlot, but I will have terse words for him when he arrives to a keep still under Unicorn control."
Slowly the spirits of the guard started to rise. Twilight however had concern laced in her voice when she asked, "Star Mapper, are you sure of this? What about the rendezvous?"
"I'm sure the council will make it back home without my presence. They already have enough horsepower as it is, but just in case, I'll send thee to make sure they come home with haste."
Twilight smiled softly as she bowed her head, "I will prepare for the return home as soon as I arrive in Vanhoover."
"I have faith in you," Bright Shadow said himself with a warm smile, "now go Twilight. The sooner thou take thy leave the sooner thou can make thy return."
Twilight looked up to him and nodded, before heading to the higher levels of the west wing of the fort to the teleportation chambers. Behind her as she left she could hear Bright Shadow already taking charge and yelling orders. She continued to gallop down empty halls, with the occasional pony in uniform galloping past her.
At the middle of a hall she made a turn to the wooden double doors she was looking for. She entered through the doors to see three hooded mages in brown linen robes. The tallest of the trio, a dull gray mare with a bit of her black mane visible looked over at purple unicorn with a dull voice, "Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight looked around the room at the many markings on floor and wall while answering the mage, "Yes, ma'am"
The mare continued to speak in a monotonous tone, "Good, and what of Lord Bright Shadow?"
Twilight hesitated momentarily, "He- Lord Bright Shadow has made the decision to stay behind."
The gray unicorn sighed, "Very well. You are the last pony to send today," she nodded to her aides, before looking to Twilight, "Have you gone through a heightened teleportation spell before?"
Twilight shook her head and the mage sighed again, "It is a simple process. You are to remain steady in the circle," she pointed a hoof toward the chalk lines etched out with numerous arcane symbols inside a white circle in the middle of the room, "while we perform the spell. You shalt not talk, nor move, for the spell is incredibly difficult to cast properly and mistakes give way to many uncertain results. Now come."
The gray mare ushered Twilight to the middle of the glyph in the center of the room. Teleportation is hard spell to cast for long distances and require a couple of unicorns and summoning circle, created through meticulous calculations and precise etching of symbols and overlapped shapes that happens to help mages channel objects through the aether. The spell was difficult and required immense concentration, though Twilight has only heard this from others as she hadn't dedicated time to learn it, since it usually required a decade or two of study to achieve the skill required to navigate the aether planes.
Twilight took her position as did the transport mages as well around her at equal distances between them with the gray mare directly in front of her and the other two behind her to her left and right. She stood silently as the mages closed their eyes and started channeling their magic into the chalk lines giving them a bright blue glow. The mages started to hum a single note together as they continued to cast the spell. Twilight stood still, her mind wandering to all the possible accidents that could occur through teleportation magic. Such as being materialized on a cloud. Or being thrown into a dragons den. Or turning solid inside of a tree. Or-
'No! I can't continue to torture myself like this. I won't entertain those wild fantasies that will not happen. I will simply think of other things. Such as uhm...'
Twilight's thoughts were interrupted when a loud crash came from outside the wooden double doors. The shattering of the glass window outside interrupted the concentration of the mages as they all turned to exit. The loud yelling of orders in a foreign tongue could be heard, filling Twilight with fear.
The gray mage addressed her colleagues, "It is too late to stop at this point. Should we cease we're all doomed from the negative feedback and souls will be lost. Continue the spell!"
She didn't bother to order Twilight to not act, for Twilight's body couldn't act even if she wanted to. Soon the doors burst open with a trio of gryphons clad in chain link armor and crossbows.
Immediately, upon seeing unicorns casting magic through their horn, the gryphon soldiers shot at the three mages, all the bolts hit their mark, killing the unicorn stallion on Twilight's left and the gray mare in front of her in a gory mess; an arrow lodged between her eyes, however there was a restrained groan of pain from a voice to her right, from a unicorn she couldn't look over to see; the stasis wrapped around her was forcing her to stare down the gryphon intruders as they charged toward forward with their swords.
Twilight had slain a pony before as well as watch a companion fall in the heat of battle, but it pained her to witness the sacrifice of others or more so the inability to do something about it.
The loud groan turned into a scream of pain, as the surviving mage poured all their magic into one last burst. There was a bright white flash of light and a loud explosion a split second before everything went dark.
Queen Platinum was perched at her throne ready for the defiance against the new pact set in motion. She sat on a large stone throne on an elevated floor with steps that lead to the rest of the room. The large stone chambers surrounding her were lit with columns of torches and the light cleverly reflected around with the use of large well place diamonds, used to display power and wealth as well as useful for lighting up the room when night falls and only the moon and stars peer through the stain-glass windows high above the ground. A red carpet was laid in front of her, but despite it's bright color contrasting the marble floor, it was swallowed up in the sea of muttering ponies before her.
Lined up by her sides was her personal contingent of guards provided by her friends in Manehattan and Cloudsdale , though the armor could not mask their anxiety. They could feel the hostility in the air, making them even more on edge. Outside in the halls however, the Pegasus and Earth Pony guards patrolled, though most made their rounds short so they would pass the grand hall doors should anything go wrong tonight, when the rabble she's invited in were openly speaking words of treasonous intent.
They were talking ill of her. Of course they were. It didn't take a genius to guess why they were whispering among themselves. She tried to not let it get to her. To not make her nervous. To not second guess herself. But she there was no return. She knew this was how it was suppose to be. Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead have made their move, Clover the Clever had crunched the numbers, and Starswirl has chosen to follow with them. It's been two weeks since her meeting with the Pact of the Three Tribes in Manehattan and a week since her return. There was so much time to prepare, but no amount of time can prepare for the dawn of a new era, whether she tries to fight it or not. The only option she, the Queen of Unicornia, could choose was to side with this new pact in place as to preserve as much Unicorn prestige as possible, but of course the noble families would not take things as peacefully as she would. This hard decision making was one of the reasons why she was given this responsibility over her siblings in the first place.
Queen Platinum's attire was rather reserved this night. Usually she would wear elaborate gold, silk dresses and her favorite, lavish diamond and silver crown as to compliment her snow white fur and her beautiful, soft grey mane, but tonight she stuck to a simple tastes with her old purple robes and gem encrusted platinum crown.
She looked to her aides for comfort in such dire moments. Close to her right side was Clover the Clever looking as stoic as possible, even in those gaudy, commoner robes despite her best efforts. His dark blue fur and green mane made him a sore sight for her eyes, but she's become more complacent with his unattractive appearances, for she had convinced herself that underneath his unsightly exterior was a diamond in the rough. He may not have been born with prestige, but he did like to act noble when troubles were closing in. She regained her proper posture. Of course if that bumpkin from nowhere could act strong in times of strife, surely she was capable of five times the mettle. The in her heart was relit. He always did this to her. It's the biggest reason she kept him around for so long despite always grinding her with hard questions.
She looked to her left and saw Star Swirls' uncaring demeanor as he stood slouched. That stallion. It wouldn't have killed him to at least own up to this. He did put more than a small hoof in these matters, he could at least acted like he cared. But of course that old recluses' displeasure for Equestrian society would have him look anything but dour and miserable in all matters when he's not being locked up in his shack in the middle of nowhere. At least he decided to show up for all it's worth. He really should thank her for giving him Clover and his two best disciples, Blue Moon and Sunny Days, but he's too stubborn for that.
Then there was the contingent of her personal guards all spread out among the premises, with the new Earth Pony and Pegasi additions she added. That's what the whispers were for. In front of her were the gathered families from all of Canterlot's nobility, guild heads, and their entourage. Among them, there were the family of Helios, stallions and mares wore red capes gilded with gold treads and shiny, steel ceremonial armor meant only for the rarest occasions. They displayed a rich royal and righteous front to all those who beheld their sight. Their power laid with the sun and thus they've garnered more of a personality resonating to the identity in their magic, a bluntness of raw magical force and virtue. Their real power though is linked to their connection with the Harmony Gems. These relics were made from pieces of gemstone said to be blessed by Faust herself, and thus they guard it with their lives and use these powers to do her bidding. Their zealotry is the center for all ponies and beings, as they act with extreme predjeduce and act rather high and mighty.
Then there were the Lulamoon's fashioned in their regular dapper black and blue dresses and suits. They prided themselves on dignity and decorum. Tasked with the movements of the moon, they rule during the night. Their power in the darkness also has been rumored to the nature of their affliction. It has been commonly spread they were vamponies; beasts that devoured the blood of fellow ponies to fuel a demonic power and give them enhanced physical strength. And by all accounts those rumors were correct. However, despite how unpleasant having these blood suckers are, there has been a pact in place for the longest of times to keep a symbiotic relationship between their clan and Unicornia's interest. If lesser rumors were to be believed, the pegasi were working with something similar, however those suspicions have not been confirmed yet.
If it weren't for the Stardust Clan they'd have the night completely to themselves. The Stardust Clan were the third of the nobility trio. For most of the families in Canterlot, they cared about royal blood, authentic lineages, and formal treaties, while the Stardust Clan couldn't care less. No, they were the odd ones who could care less about title and luxury. Instead they praised eugenics. They were more concerned about breeding a more powerful offsprings with a higher magical capability, supposedly making every generation more powerful than the next, even going as far as to pool in peasant unicorns. They were odd, maybe even dangerous, but their meticulous mastery over charting the stars was unmatched. Maybe an Earth Pony, a Pegasus, or even peasant Unicorn might not see the importance of where the stars are, but for the Canterlot unicorns it meant the world. Which way stars aligned could give a unicorn strength and power with the right set-up at the right time. These Cosmic Leylines are secure the unicorn dominance over their Unicornia and the Crystal Empire, and since stars naturally fall out of place everyday and couldn't be straightened back into the same place for too long, they took up the mantle to configure a new star formation each week and maintain it.
Of course she expected this sort of response, though she couldn't expect such a rapid response with all of the families and guilds already rallied. Not only a week since the ratification of the testament of the six companions and the courts were outraged. She was rather pleased to have Clover here as well as her own private forces for such an occurrence. Two hundred ponies strong and yet she was still felt outnumbered and outgunned against the ranks of the rowdy company.
And finally the leaders of this excursion stepped forward from the masses. Head of the Helios Clan, Fiery Skies stood tall and proud amongst his kin. Then, Moon Dancer, the Mistress of the Night for the Lulamoons, stepped forward in her lacy, black dress. Though shorter in stature compared to most stallions, she was known to have a venomous anger that would lash out blindly, though luckily she seemed more fair-minded mood now. It was a strange calm air around her though, which wasn't comforting as Queen Platinum would like. Finally, Star Mapper, Bright Shadows, the noble mage. The only among a group of mad sorcerers who had a modicum of respect for social pleasantries, not that it means much when he condones, or as she's heard, outright leads some of those dark experiments, but for what it's worth, he is the only connection to that blasted family that she can hold a conversation with. These three together made up the Sky Council, a group that was formed to represent the queen as well as step up to the queen. They're combined weight should be enough to overpower her authority, though this had only been theoretical up until now.
Fiery Skies spoke first, not even willing to hide the anger in his voice, "We cannot condone this sort of... madness, Queen Platinum. What this Harmony Alliance of yours proposes is wholly unacceptable. And what more unacceptable is you not even fighting back against this."
Queen Platinum was prepared for that one, "The Alliance was formed in a state of emergency, when not only could the Earth ponies not grow food, but the Pegasi could not control the clouds and the Unicorn could not sustain heat in the freezing winter. It was matter of disaster not for any one tribe, but for all ponies, and thus banding together has made us stronger. Strong enough even to disband the windigoes' hold on the elements and combat them out of our lands forever."
"However, it is not enough to work together when we are a hairsbreadth away from disaster that we act in unison. This tribalism must come to an end. We must set aside our rites and tradition in order to step forward into a more balanced world. Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead have already made it clear, that from their standpoint Unicorns hold the most sway in all matters without condition. Their concerns are that, without any way to control the sun they are still pray to our whims. Their concerns I feel have some merit."
The outrage of the crowd became audible as a low murmur started to rise up, the queen had to raise her voice above the crowd, "We are giving thought to a plan that shall let the new alicorns-"
The nobles cries of disapproval bursted again, letting lose even louder cries of disapproval, "some degree of control over the sun, moon, and stars-"
Queen Platinum was practically yelling over the cacophony of anger, "in order to keep an impartial keeper of order-"
"Heresy!" Yelled Fiery Skies, "this is heresy against all that Unicornia stands for! We have been give a duty by Mother Faust to uphold the balance of day and night. As long as Unicorns have trotted the plains, we have had our horn pointed to the sky. It is not a privilege to participate in the rise and fall of the sun, but our place in the cosmic order."
"We still have some control over the day and night, it is only that we share this power with the alicorns, so-"
The disdain in Fiery Skies voice dripped with venom, "That they might rip our hold out from under us as soon your council of inferiors sees fit. We can see the writing on the wall."
Queen Platinum leveled her eyes and locked them with her opposition, "The pegasi and earth ponies see Canterlot as nothing, but a cornerstone of oppression. If we do not alleviate some of our powers, we might find it harder to keep the friends we have."
It was then that Moon Dancer moved forward, her chilling calm voice called attention to all in the room, "Let us not forget what happens should anypony, or anycreature neglect it's duties. We have seen how the Diamond Dogs have lost their connection with the earth or how the gryphons have lost control over their clouds. Their greed and warmongering respectively have left their elements' call in neglect, and thus, the elements have neglected their calls in turn. The power that allows Earth Ponies tend to fields and Pegasi push clouds is not an ancient one. The original ponies have never been as powerful as we are today and it is only because we have taken the mantle of caretakers. Should we neglect our duties, then we mind as well write out that we are severing ourselves from them wholly."
Fiery Skies chimed in behind her, "And I'd rather die killing a hundred crows and cattle, then to give up the sun."
The guards of the Six Companions tightened their grip on their spears. The Captain of the Guard and Star Swirl took their leave outside the room to gather all the ponies in the halls to ready themselves if it got worse. Queen Platinum herself could see the tension rising as murmurs of agreement were starting to stand against her. She was losing them. She looked to Bright Shadow who has been quiet the entire time. He noticed her glance with an even gaze. Before he could even open his mouth, she already knew where he stood. The Stardust Clan had nothing to gain in this. That was the end of the story for them. That was the end of the story for all of them.
"I would never trust the Stars with anypony outside of my family. I assume the same of my family."
She was desperate. Perhaps a bargain may work to their sensibilities would work, she thought. She offered aloud, "But, if the alicorns could be your family as well? Have they not already been initiated during their stay here?"
Bright Shadows looked between his companions and then back to the Queen, "Perhaps they have received some schooling, a bit of research, but will never fully be family if they also pawns of your Alliance."
"Then perhaps the world will see a day without our guidance."
There was a pause, before Moon Dancer grimly spat out, "You are treading very thin ice here. Do not press that avenue of thought."
"No, we might be facing a time where we are cornered in and if we do not adjust, we will not survive. Not unlike the windigoes, but this time from our very own kind. We are on the verge of crisis, and you all haven't treated it as such."
"Oh, we are very aware of the danger this poses on Unicornia. It is a threat of war on society itself, if not on the very being of what it is to be a unicorn."
Bright Shadows spoke up to follow the pace of his peers, "Now Princess we all know where we stand, but what will you do now? You've negotiated and talked with the Alliance as well as the Sky Council. Where does the Princess of Unicornia stand?"
Queen Platinum took a deep, shakey breath before she said on a very shallow facade of confidence, "It is with a heavy heart for the greater good of our children and children's children to give them a feasible future than any illusions of glory."
Fiery Skies rose up onto his hind hooves to stand above the crowd, "Then you have condemned yourself to never see the fruits of our labor."
As he pointed one hoof out, time slowed to crawl. His foreleg slowly ascended with great force, but despite the effort, it was a snails pace in Queen Platinum's eyes. His face was frozen in a expression of rage and defiance, if not given the circumstances, his stance might have been seen heroic at one point and time, but now, only the abrupt stillness of time could stop her muscles from shaking from the intensity. All behind him, she could see the families take stance to charge, a few not even bothering to reach for their swords and went straight to charging their horns. They all looked prepared, perhaps before they even walked in they planned a coup. It was a very real possibility with the severity of these negotiations, but now it was reality.
Maybe it was impossible to compromise from the beginning. Too much religious importance, too much political power at risk, and every Unicorn born in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire was told from birth that the stars, the moon, and the sun was their heritage, perhaps it was foolish from the start. Her guards seized up and muscles tensed ready to spring out and defend her, though for some it was already too late to save their own lives. Clover seemed to be conjuring something, though her magical knowledge was not expansive enough to read whatever intricate spell he was manifesting into his translucent aether ring gathering at his horn. The Queen's eyes moved again to scan the room and looked once more before the carnage began. The mighty righteous anger from the clan leader of Helois, the sudden burst of draconic frenzy from the Lulamoon matriarch, had Queen Platinum trying to gasp for breath. An animal part of her screamed fear into every one of her senses demanding to flee for her life, but before she could succumb to panic, she managed to register one detail out of incoming carnage. Bright Shadow's as well as his small entourages calm demeanor. He had only brought a few of his clan's best to represent themselves, but that shouldn't mean much. While his companions were at least ready to fight, Bright Shadow merely stood still staring back at her very soul with listless eyes, as if her life didn't matter. Her, the queen of Unicornia and member of the Harmony Alliance and Six Companions, didn't matter . If she could guess that their fore-planning this series of events would happen and her escaping mean nothing, then what could... her eyes dilated. Though Lulamoons were quite literally a cold, blood sucking demon with a weak spot for bloodlust, they always had a respect for the Stardust Clan's immaculate ability to be cold, calculating monsters to anyone outside their pack.
Time returned back to Queen Platinum. Fiery Skies forehoof leveled parallel to the ground, he gave a deep bellow, crying out his order. "Seize her!" He yelled, leaping forward into the fray of guards moving to intercept him before he could reach the matriarch. Then the crowd exploded into a cacophony of magical chaos. The magically charged nobles let off a flurry of spells all at once. Lightning, pillars of fire and ice, all rained down on the poor stallion guards in their immediate vicinity, killing some instantaneously. Some were left a charred, molten hole splitting their face, others were impaled from the spine, and others dropped dead on sight; the testament to the swift reckoning of Unicornian might.
"Right once again, Commander Hurricane. The saying still holds true today," Queen Platinum whispered in her awe, "Unicorns always strike first."
Those not dead and had the nerve to still charge, let off a roar to push back the crowd and form a line between the Queen and her usurpers, and then those behind them held fast behind them to support. Earth Pony guards stood strong with high towershields they carried on their back and built a makeshift wall in front of them. Pegasi crossbow bolts showered in from the clerestory, shattering the windows and raining down on the crowd, killing the few in the crowd not swift enough to conjure a magical barrier above themselves. A few unicorns were about to return fire through their magical barriers when a sudden purple fog descended upon the room from the ceiling, though it had no physical origin. The outraged crowd's energy was slightly drained, the stomping was less harsh, and the yelling, though loud was slightly duller.
Clover was beading sweat focusing intently on gassing the chamber with some sort of sleeping formula. Queen Platinum was impressed with his quick performance and clever reaction, but the apprentice of the wisest unicorn alive was still out of his league. As if struck on the head the green unicorn was thrown back onto his haunches. She looked down on the crowd, through her wall of soldiers and saw Bright Shadow's condescending look. He whipped his head around and cut back into the crowd to disappear. Finally, the queen was set into motion to act fast or else all is for naught.
She yelled out to a shaken Clover, demanding he follow her. Quickly, she ran out the door, soon with her friend in tow, to leave the fighting to the guards. The two raced away as Earth Pony and Pegasi soldiers continue to rush past them to help with the conflict, but soon she found herself with contingent of stray guards in tow following her. She didn't address them even if she did know they were there.
"What are we doing? Shouldn't we quell the rebellion back there?" Clover asked frantically his adreniline running high.
"The battle is already lost," Platinum relied coldly, "We are too grossly outmatched even with all this horsepower. What the brave stallions in the throne room are doing is buying us precious time to escape."
"Then what are we doing here. This corridor leads..." His sentance drifting off.
"To Blue Moon and Sunny Rays."
Author's Note
To be continued eventually
Chapter 4: A Familiar Place
A great thud shook the ground, and with that the sounds of birds flying away. The cries and yells of primal animals had ceased and the forest around her was silent, to where not even the smallest insect would make a sound. All that could be heard was the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.
Twilight attempted to recapture her breath after such an exhausting endeavor. To participate in fending off a hydra would likely earn the gratitude and respect of many and at least one stallion would offer to buy you a drink, but killing a hydra that was six stories high, singlehoofedly could only be told in the tallest of tales.
But here, the Archmagus of House Stardust leaned against one of the lifeless heads of the mighty beast in the middle of an open area of grass surrounded by tall, large redwoods. Her mind became calm in the small peace she was given after her battle, long enough to observe her surroundings.
The life is aggressive, the plants are poisonous, the skies harsh and untamed, the air pungent and damp. The magic in the air draws, naturally, only to the will of fairies. It is every bit as cruel as I remembered.
"Faust damn you, Everfree Forest!" Twilight yelled straight up as to address, not the trees or the sky, but to the entire area as a whole.
Twilight remembered her last expedition to the Everfree Forest. She wanted to uncover the mystery of the odd pseudo-dampening effect the forest had on magic, but it would not give up its secrets so easily. Due to her rank and the help of her benefactors, she was able to raise funds enough to bring forty unicorn guards, an assortment of mercenaries and adventurers, and small team of researchers to take a trek deep within the hostile territory. The exposition was meant to take 3 months, but it soon turned to four weeks. While there had been no fatalities, there were many injuries and the morale was constantly sapped by the four weeks of non-stop rain and constant attacks by the wildlife. It did not help, that their expedition leader was also starting to address the forest as an entire entity, one which she was constantly talked aloud to.
Twilight was forced to retreat out of the Everfree with nothing, but a half-baked theory about timber wolves and fairy magic, something that would not bode well with the endorsers of the expedition. She vowed to return one day, but it seems the forest would not allow her to return on her own accord.
The ponies in the chambers seemed like they were rushing my teleportation, it is not impossible to think that the interruption of the gryphons would give the Everfree enough wiggle room to pull me here.
"You art cunning, patient, and strong, Everfree!" Twilight spoke aloud, "A worthy opponent to be sure, but your manipulations and surprises will gain thee nothing, as your champion here has already failed, and I have no intentions of letting thee weather me down any further!"
And with that Twilight turned her head down to the earth and looked for a sign to lead her out of the Everfree and make her way to the rendezvous point with the rest of her clan. The peace the Everfree gave Twilight broke more and more with every step she made, as her hooves caused a crisp sound of crushing the wild grass slowly bringing the forest back to life. The buzzing of insects became audible again. Then came the roars and howling of predators. Even the birds began to come back into earshot. Soon the wilds returned to its stride.
Twilight walked at brisk pace, but in a way that showed confidence, as if trying to show the forest her defiance and establish some sort of charge over her enemy, but truth be told she had no clue where she was going.
She took a direction at random, as there is no way to discern a way out of the Everfree Forest, and walked that way. Compass needles go wild in these areas and the direction of the sun might not be reliable anymore, as it wasn't being controlled by the council schedule. Sunny Rays and Blue Moon were able to observe the duty of the unicornian council, but there were no guarantees how they would handle their new powers. The stars may aid her escape, but there is no telling when the night would appear or even if it was night, if there'd be clouds to ruin her plans. So with no other option than to wait for her nemesis's next move, she chose to simply head in a straight line until she reached the forest edge.
It was crafty pulling me here like that. Vigilant as always; it's tendrils always looming, waiting to drag me back here. I cannot blame the chamber mages for this. They did their jobs as well as they could have. I hope they receive a warm welcome in Elysium.
Her thoughts went to the friends and family during the siege. Though none of her mentors or tutors were killed, the Star Dust Clan, while it was very large and had many members had a tight sense of kinship and responsibility. Her clan was an odd group. Loose morals. Very different traditions from most of Unicornia. But nevertheless, the one core element of the clan was kinship within the clan among every member. Every member was hoof chosen for their prowess in magic of course, so the respect was always forthcoming when everyone had a benchmark of acknowledgement for simply being included. Even though Twilight was very shy, she always felt comfortable around anyone who was part of her family. Most of the time, outsiders were treated amicably, but not with the same degree of respect or love. How could they if they would never understand.
Twilight's thoughts turned to her friendship with Harpo and all of the times they spent together. The only pony outside of her clan that she would even talk to, yet he was a special one. Day after day, Twilight's studying would be interrupted by a colt and dragging her into some adventure. Her reminiscing was interrupted abruptly by a bad feeling she had.
She jumped back and took up a defensive stance. Her body low to the ground and her eyebrow furrowed, she looked in all directions. She had to stay on guard, as the Everfree Forest was very fierce and always to strike without mercy. On her many trips she made on her own into the Everfree, she learned that paranoia and caution were one in the same here.
She waited with her body low for seconds...
Which then turned into minutes...
Which then became half an hour, before she finally resolved to move on. She relaxed and stood up again, before she was about to take a step forward.
"To be alert and cautious here is good, but I don't think you belong in this neighborhood."
Twilight jumped around at a dizzying speed, returning to her battle stance and looking for the source of the voice. What she found instead was a pony-ish thing with black and white stripes, standing directly behind her. The striped creature smiled and quickly apologized, "I am sorry, dear child, no need for alarm. Be at ease, for I am not here to bring you any harm."
Twilight’s face remained stony and calm, but her mind was racing in confusion. This odd pony, well, wasn't quite a pony. Though its figure resembled an Equestrian, the proportions just weren't quite right for an earth pony.
Nevertheless, now, in this sort of place, there was no room to be relaxed. She kept an eye on this thing, whatever it might be, and continued to assess the situation.
The noise around her dimmed just a bit, but never died down to total silence.
"This thing is...comfortable here. No danger as far as I can tell. I don't like that," She thought.
It was unlikely that whatever was standing in front of her was some trick by the Everfree itself, but perhaps some unknown native creature, or maybe a victim of the hexing flora. It was always better to fear the dangers you could trust your own senses about than the ones that sneak up on you.
Twilight would take a manticore over a invisible snake any day.
"State your name and purpose here," Twilight demanded.
It bowed its head slightly and moved its leg across its chest, "I am Zecora, from a home far away, but I have made this~” She said, gesturing to the wilderness around her “~my place to stay.”
Turning back to Twilight, she continued, “I heard quite some loud trouble being made, so I thought to take a look, and offer my aide."
Twilight stared down Zecora, "Tis an odd place to settle down, don't you agree? There are much better, safer places to stay then this accursed forest."
"The land here is wild and free. To live in peace with nature, where else should you be?" She paced around Twilight slowly, "I live here, making incantations and brews, for helping zebras...and ponies too." She added with a sly smile.
After Zecora finished, Twilight looked intensely at the stranger, emphases on strange. She was caught in both disbelief and suspicion.
"Interesting," She whispered, still studying Zecora with a curious eye, "Never have I met a poet as dedicated to cheap rhyme and rhythm until now." she stared for a moment, not realizing her rudeness, before catching her new acquaintance's smug face and quickly rescinded, "er, not cheap, I mean. I apologize. I meant to say-"
"Worry not, for your words were not acidic. I would say it's rather refreshing, for once, to have a critic," Zecora chuckled. "I may talk odd, perhaps that much is true, but those claims are rather weak, coming from you." Zecora finished, giving another small, sly smile.
"Maybe from a global purview, you might find yourself standing among a considerate amount of peoples you might call your peers. But as long as my hooves dig into Unicornia soil, I will have you know, I am the native to this country and hold right over indigenous dialogue and linguistic articulation. Have we an understanding, madam?" Twilight said with a huff.
She typically wasn’t so blunt, but time was of the essence, and she had no time to gently guide her way through the striped creature’s games.
"If you wish to sound like you are right, do not use a tone so quick to fight," Zecora said in a condescending, almost disappointed, tone.
Twilight audibly groaned and slapped a hoof over her eyes, sagging her head before perking up and quickly changing mood.
"Forgive me then, so that we may put this matter behind us. Debating over who sounds odd is not my priority, though any other day I am more than willing to argue this matter further. I, however, have other duties to attend to. I bid you farewell, Zecora."
With that, the proud unicorn marched off confidently, her nose held too high to notice the shrub she ended up trampling over. It only took the smallest snag of a root to bring her chin to the moist dirt below.
It took seconds for her to see her error; in this terrain, she was the foreigner.
Twilight stood up and wiped the rich soil from her chin, pulling branches aside and leaning around a tall oak to see the zebra still watching with a patient smile.
"Ummm... might I ask-" Twilight began, though was quickly interrupted.
"You may." The zebra cut in.
Twilight opened her mouth to continue again, but paused instead. She squinted hard at the odd hermit, miffed even. The smug smile answering her glares did nothing to charm her over, but for the sake of time, she dropped it.
She sighed and continued on, "-Ask, if you know which way is Vannenhoover?"
Zecora shook her head and raised a hoof, "This Vannenhoover I do not know, but there is one place that you can go." She turned some amount of degrees and pointed, "It is a town just over yonder, I can take you there if you wish, lest you wander"
"Eh- thank you. I've wandered this accursed place for far too long than I'd like in one lifetime. I don’t have much on my person with exception of my robes and my saddlebags. Is there any form of compensation you wish for? We can negotiate a price, but it may take a month's time before it might be delivered to you. Though it’s imperative I reach the walls of Vannenhoover." Twilight began to ramble, shushing only to the sight of a raised, striped hoof.
"Do not worry, for I will not decline. And hold your promises dear, since I will not fine. A common courtesy is not worth just a bit, for whole cup of friendship, not even the largest vaults can fit." The zebra rhymed.
Twilight gave a small bow. "Your generosity is very appreciated, and something I will not forget anytime soon. But time is short short and my family is expecting me, the journey from the Everfree to my rendezvous will take long as it is."
"If time is short, then let us not delay, for you have another obstacle at Ponyville in your way," Zecora said as she started to walk slowly onto a dirt path trail, with Twilight soon following suit.
The two began, was that the hermit chose her paths depending on the flow of the flora. The dirt path Zecora lead on was flanked with invasive vegetation cluttering the area giving little personal space, but the zebra seemed to glide effortlessly through the path covered with low hanging trees and colorful flower groves.
Twilight ducked under a branch, staying close to her guide to ask questions, "What would that be? Monsters? Bandits?”
"Since you are on a deadline I feel you might mind, but the ponies in this town are very kind." Zecora said, suddenly jumping onto a rock. In front of Zecora, a large, stone creek-bed laid out before them, etching a small river carving through the rich forest landscape. Finally Twilight could see the sky after an hour of treking through constant brush. She took a moment to enjoy the uncondensed air and wiped a sweat from her brow. Just for a moment she was almost tempted to drink the water before her, but thought better of it knowing her surroundings. She knows what's in the soil here.
"They will sit you down and offer you to stay, and will try to make you linger there to play." She called, leaping onto another, more larger, rock of the creek while Twilight struggled to keep her balance on the boulder she had gotten onto.
"No hooks nor bait, these ponies play it straight." She called, steadying herself while wiggling in anticipation for her last series of jumps.
And with a hop, skip, and a jump, the zebra found herself on the shore of the creek bed, letting the mossy pebbles covering the bank serve as her cushion.
She looked back to Twilight, who watched her in agitated anticipation.
"They work hard, they play hard, their hearts are of golden, but they will have you lounge and relax, even if your time is stolen."
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, the bookworm lowered her body to pounce. She exhaled one final time, and then leaped, coming to the first, solid landing. Quickly, without giving a moment's pause, she moved with her momentum onward to the next small platform - with a more shaky landing. And from there, she made her final leap and just barely didn't make it. Her hind legs splashed into the icy river water, sending shivers down her spine. The shock of how cold the small, shallow stream was more than enough to send her out of the water and walking off a little farther than Zecora, before stopping and waiting for her guide.
Her mood was dampened, but she tried to push her sourness aside and remain objective. When Zecora took the lead again, Twilight couldn’t help but ask.
"If the ponies of this town are likely to impede on my progress, what would be the best course of action to expedite my visit?" She asked, her head wandering as it lingered at the sights of flowers in full bloom.
Zecora wordlessly began climbing up the roots of an old, overgrown elm tree. After reaching the base of the tree, she seemed to think for a second, before continuing her climb up and onto the branches of the mighty tree.
"Steady your tongue, but talk with your heart, for that is where these ponies always like to start." She said vaguely as usual.
Twilight was so caught up in trying to decipher the zebra’s riddles, that she didn’t even question the Zebra’s ethics of climbing up a tree and tight-roping across its branches. Slowly and carefully, Zecora balanced along the tree branch, and even more slowly than that, walked down the branch. Tossing her head to the side for just a second, Twilight followed her gaze and looked down over a field of sparkling blue flowers, shining bright and waving gently in the wind like the sea itself.
"If luck and reason are not by your sides, look for the library where Sunset Shimmer resides." Zecora finished, lightly jumping to the center of the branch, showcasing her faith in its strength.
Twilight put a hesitant hoof on the thick tree branch, testing it before putting weight on it, "And I am to assume that this Sunset pony will help me with little delay?"
Zecora stopped in her tracks along the makeshift bridge, putting her own hoof to her chin.
"She is rational and fair, though you must look out for the pink mare."
Zecora droned on about how this pink pony was a fun crazed party animal, who would suck Twilight into a sea of madness. Twilight was already rolling her eyes. "Joy, joy," she deadpanned.
More and more it seemed like there were so many strings attached. She was used to a family-like community within her clan, but this town sounded more and more like an insane asylum - like the one in the south end of the guild basements. Everything in this town was to be scrutinized and subjected to analysis. And judging by how close it was to the Everfree, the idea that it was under the effect of magical properties was not out of the question.
Hopefully these ponies are much more cooperative.
All she needed was a map, some supplies and she'd make the journey. A simple process really.
Chapter 5: Stranger Places
"Apple peasant!"
Applejack looked behind her, to find the purple unicorn in an odd, elaborate grey robe galloping after her from the prairie beside the forest.
"Hold on, Apple peasant"
Twilight galloped briskly to Applejack and slowed to a light canter upon approach. The look of inquisitive bewilderment adorn Applejack's face was palpable. Twilight however couldn't notice the mood and went straight to asking Applejack, "Excuse me, Apple Peasant, but I am in need of directions. I am on a search for the settlement known as Ponyville. Is it possible for you dictate to me, an accurate set of instructions to lead me to my destination?"
Applejack was stuck in a moment of hyper analylization. Her mind was rapidly racing to both take in every detail that was setting off in front her as well coming up with any situation where this bizarre pony has any place in reality.
"uhhhhh.."
Twilight gave an impatient forced smile, before her eyes lit up in discovery, "Oh, you're one of those slow learning mares, even for Earth ponies," Twilight said in earnest sympathy, "I've heard of you, but never seen one in person. Well, uh, sorry for bothering you. I'll be going this way then."
Twilight turned away, while Applejack grimaced smacked a hoof to her face. She wiped her hoof off her face and then pounded it in the ground. "Now just wait one apple buckin minute".
Twilight gave a patient nurturing smile, "Yes?" only to elicit more ire from Applejack.
"First of all, I ain't no 'Apple Peasant'. My name's Applejack, you hear?"
"Well I was half right," Twilight muttered under breath.
"Second of all, I'm not the 'slow', wierdo pony here; what with your costume on, running through the Everfree Forest?"
Twilight looked behind her at the parting she came from the forest through and then back to Applejack. She had to admit that anything having to do with that accursed place must be suspicious to which she did understand the apple peasants remarks, however she could not let anypony know her plan lest things get complicated.
She mulled her head around thinking of how to best mince her words, "I… am on… an official Unicornia… endeavor."
Applejack rolled her eyes and snorted, "Right, and I'm Chancellor Pudding Pop, welcome to Equestria."
"Are you daft?" Applejack furrowed her brow and jaw dropped. Twilight sighed, "I shouldn't wasting my time entertaining such a delusional mare."
"Now don't you go acting oblivious on me!"
"Call me impressed," Twilight backed up in shock, "That must be a big word for you."
"I was bein sarcastic"
There was a long drawn out awe of understanding, "Ohhhhh, you were merely acting the fool in jest ." Twilight playful smacked the side of her head. "Right. Earth Ponies do that too. I, uh, actually was convinced you were just a loon from the conviction in your role."
Applejack closed her eyes and forced the corners of her mouth up as hard as she could, "Mmm."
"However, that doesn't help me whatsoever. I approached you with an important matter at hoof." Appplejack released a breath already exhausted from the conversation.
Twilight looked Applejack seriously in the eyes, "Do you~. Know where~. I can find~. A cartographer~? All I need is a map."
Applejack spread her mouth to a stressed line and shook her head. She wave a hoof up and then pointed down the trail, "Ponyville's over there. Look for the library. It should have what ya need"
"To whom does this library belong to?"
Applejack replied, "Uh, everypony I guess."
"Really?"
"Eyup."
"Odd… so anypony can simply enter and browse to their heart's content?"
"Eyup."
Twilight nodded slowly, "Okay then, well thank you then, Apple, uh, Jack. Your cooperation is appreciated." She waved off and cantered ahead of the still cart leaving a befuddled and annoyed apple peasant behind.
She muttered to herself, "What an odd mare. Perhaps, the rest of this Ponyville is ill effected. To think the Everfree might have an effect this wide outside of the forest parameters. Or maybe it's the drinking water."
Twilight cantered on the dirt-paved road, her field of vision reduced to almost null due to winding road flanked high on both sides by apple trees. However upon reaching the peak of a hill the view of Ponyville revealed itself instantly. Twilight smiled and continued onward towards the settlement, almost with a skip in her step, however as soon as she made it into town, things started feeling weird.
The hatched roofs of the houses, the streets littered with ponies, the distant sound of working ponies everywhere. All these things felt normal, but looking upon the details, things felt off. The streets were cleaner, the air was not as smelly, the ponies looked cleaner, the rich vibrant atmosphere of pleasant and inviting cheer was in the smiles of too many ponies. And most importantly, how naked they all were in comparison to herself. Being naked was not taboo at all, however, most ponies needed that extra layer of protection from the elements. Twilight gave a slant eyebrow, peeking her eyes everywhere to study this strange phenomenon, however she wouldn't be able to give it much thought or else risk getting absorbed in her work. For now she could only chalk it up to something from the Everfree leaking into the local well.
"However, it seems they are enjoying it. Will write more on this later," she whispered to herself in a subconscious slip up. Little did she know the affect her preccence was making, as a gap formed around her where she went as ponies thought better to pass around her than confront her with questions about her weird getup
At last she was getting to point where she could no longer progress any further intown without direction. She looked left and right for any apparent sign that could give her clue, but she found none. She scratched her chin when from above someone said, "Hey, you lost?"
Twilight jumped and sanpped into a defensive position, to spot a rainbow maned pegasus lying on a low hanging cloud. "You're new here, right? Need any help?"
'Right, these are just well meaning locals,' Twilight thought. She relaxed and smiled, "Of course, I seem to be in need of assistance. There is supposedly a repository for books under public domain and I need to retrieve the means of navigating towards… a certain destination." Twilight made sure not to guve any more hints to the unicornian redevoire than neccessary
Rainbow Dash gave her a befuddled look, "So you're looking for the library?"
"Yes, exactly, my good pegasus."
"Well, the library's over that way," the local motioned with a hoof, "Want me to show you?"
Twilight smiled, "I would happy to take up your offer"
The pegasus rolled off the cloud and fell to the ground on her hooves, "By the way, I'm Rainbow Dash, Future Wonderbolt and best flier in the world"
"Twilight Sparkle, Apprentice to the Archmagus of Clan Stardust and Student of Magic", the unicorn said automatically. She put up a hoof only for Rainbow to hoofbump her and move past her
"Nice to meet ya. Follow me." Twilight looked at her hoof and then to her pegasus guide before bringing up a note. 'Must be a local custom'.
As they walked down the cobblestone streets, Rainbow looked behind her, "So, 'Student of Magic, huh? That means you're from Canterlot, right?"
Twilight gave a cautious look over to Rainbow Dash. "Yes."
"Cool."
Twilight pursed her lips and furrowed her left brow.
"Thank you?"
"Nah, I'm just thinking about Sunset Shimmer. She's from there and went on a brief trip there to take care of some business. She should be back in a few days I think."
Wait. A the mare that Zecora told her about went to Canterlot recently? What if she's an ally to the Alliance? Would she break Twilight's cover upon arrival? Or was she part of the resistance to the alliance?
"Ahem, did your friend, this 'Sunset', say what kind of business she was on?"
Dash kept walking while she looked up to think.
"Uh, I think she mentioned something about family. I don't remember. It's typically that or she's meeting with the Princess"
Twilight nearly froze. 'Meet with the Princess'. It's very, very possible that this mystery friend is some collaborator with Princess Platinum. One thing is very clear: She must leave town long before this Sunset gets back. 'Confound you Zecora. The aid you sent me to would have skinned me if I sought her out.'
"Alright, here we are."
Twilight was snapped out of her panicked stupor and was shown a tree in the middle of town. A tree house. The silliness of it, really took Twilight off guard as she started with a snicker, "T-that's the library, pfft?"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, Golden Oaks Library. A 'treehouse'".
Then from a snicker to a giggle, then full blown laughter. Twilight's legs gave out from under her and she was left to bellow as she laid.
"You know, it's not that funny"
"Hew, wew. No, not that. It's just. It's a tree, and then to make the books you work it into pulp and then paper. And so then paper for the books are put back into the tree," Twilight wiped away a tear, "Hehehe. Very clever."
Whilst Rainbow Dash gives Twilight a look, the unicorn had already brought out her notes and started jotting away. She mumbled, "Tree Library Idea: a location to store books inside the existential origin point."
Twilight looked tapping her chin with a smile, "Might need to conscript earth pony laborers to accelerate the growth."
Rainbow Dash squinted at Twilight, but brushed it off. Ponyville typically attracts a certain crowd. All they'd like to hope for is that with enough time, they'll mellow out on their own or leave.
After finishing her notes, Twilight walked toward the library with Rainbow Dash in tow. Twilight reached for the handle and pulled, only to be met with resistance. She tugged a second time, only to be denied again. She turned towards the pegasus and asked, "Isn't this supposed to be open to the public?"
Rainbow Dash just shrugged, "Well, somepony has to watch the place for it to be open. Sunset and Spike are technically the librarains so, I guess since they're gone, it's closed."
Twilight shook her head, "Oh, that will not do. I need this information now." Thus Twilight's horn glowed and an aura surrounded the hand of the door.
"What are you doing? Is that some sort of unlocking spell?"
"I would use something of that nature if Starswirl didn't guard all his work like a Diamond Dog. No, I am simply making due with what I have."
At first there was a gentle push, but quickly the wood started to splinter around the lock, until finally section was pushed through the door completely and floated lightly inside. Twilight then gave a gentle tap on the door and the hinges creaked ever so.
Rainbow Dash gave a weary look to the property damage. "I don't think you're supposed to do that."
Twilight walked into the dark interior of the library only lit from the windows that had semi-open curtains. The smell of old paper wafted straight from the shelves into the nose of Twilight, who savored the fragrance as if it were expensive perfume. "Unless it’s the personal property of the Princess, there is very little that a mare of my position is bounded against."
"I still don't know about this"
"Hush your doubts. The Stardust Clan will compensate the keeper for the damages later, now give me some peace while I find what I'm looking for."
Twilight looked along the shelves carved into the very shelter itself and looked for a map. However after reaching from one half of the semicircular room to the other side, she felt a bit perturbed when she noticed something. She reached with her a magic a book at random and brought the spine to her face. She squinted and furrowed her brow. Then she turned it over and looked inside and pressed her face against the page. Her anguish only amplified now as she lifted her head and flipped the page. And another page. And another one. And another one.
She turned to Rainbow Dash who had been watching from the doorway, "What language are these written in?"
Rainbow Dash tilted her head, "Equestrian?"
"What?"
"Equestrian."
Twilight just stood with a look of utter bafflement. "Well, whatever you call this blasted collection of garbled symbols, I CAN'T READ IT!"
