Skipio woke up in the everfree forest, in a tree. She was a light brown unicorn with a dark brown mane. She started climbing down. Her hoof slipped on a branch and she fell in the mud with a loud thump. She stood up, levitated the mud off her coat, and started down the path to the right. The trees started thinning out and she emerged on the outskirts of a small town. As she clopped into town a hyper pink pony run up to her looked her up and down gasped and ran off screaming “There’s a new pony in town.” Skipio just stared after her in confusion. A lavender alicorn walked up to her with a sympathetic look on her face “sorry about pinkie pie, she does that every time she sees a new pony, oh and my name is twilight sparkle.”
Skipio just looked at with an expression that clearly said “don’t worry about it.”
“Can’t you talk?” twilight asked. But skipio was already gone. She was running as fast as she could toward a large tree at the center of town, as she reached the tree she opened the door and dashed inside. She turned in a circle looking for the light. The light suddenly flashed on and a loud shout of “surprise!” pretty much gave skipio a heart attack. She screamed like a filly and fell on her back as the pink pony pinkie pie shoved her nose in her face. “Hi I’m pinkie pie!” skipio shoved off the pink pony and ran out the door for all she was worth. When she thought she was far enough away she looked behind her. The six ponies who had been at the front of the crowd were chasing after her.
“STOP, you’re missing the party!” said pinkie. Skipio started panicking and her horn lit up and teleported her to one of the few empty houses in ponyville. “Where did she go” asked pinkie.
“Don’t worry pinkie,” said twilight “I can follow the magic stream.” Twilight’s horn glowed magenta and they all teleported to the same house. Skipio turned around and saw them. A magic sword appeared next to her.
“Uh, sugar don’t worry we don’t mean you no harm just put the sword down.” Said applejack uncertainly.
The brown pony snorted and said “oh and, you just expect me to believe that.” “First that maniac tackled me, then you all chased me like I was some criminal.”
“I don’t think that was exactly what happened.” Said twilight. “I think what actually happened was that pinkie pie was a little too excited, and we were chasing you because you ran away from the party and we wondered if you were ok.”
Skipio seemed to calm down and her sword disappeared. “Ok maybe I overreacted a bit, but as you all know I’m new in town.” “You wouldn’t happen to know where we are would you.”
“Wait you don’t where we are?” asked rainbow dash in a bewildered voice “where have you been for the past I don’t know several thousand years?”
“I don’t know, I just woke up in that forest at the edge of town about an hour ago.” Said Skipio. “Oh where are my manners, my name is Skipio.” The main six introduced themselves.
“You have a very interesting name Skipio that was the name of the first queen of equestria.” Said twilight.
“It was?” “I had no idea, well really I don’t know anything about history.”
“So what do you know?” asked rainbow dash.
“Well I know sword play, how to speak equestrian, how to walk, what’s okay to eat, and I know an extensive amount of spells.” Said skipio.
“You know how to sword fight, that is SO AWSOME!” said rainbow dash in her normal demeanor of only caring about cool things. Skipio sat down and sighed.
“Well I guess I have a lot to learn.” Twilight looked at her with sympathy.
“Well if you do know that much about magic I should be easy to teach you. And it helps that I run the local library and have unlimited access to the canterlot library.”
“Thank you twilight!” said skipio relieved. And that was how Skipio found herself as one of the gang.
Twilight looked up at the door and smiled, for today was Skipio’s last history class. Followed up by a long report due next week. She trotted up to the library’s front door and opened it with her magic, to see the smiling face of her brown coated friend. It had been nearly a year since she had met the elements of harmony. She had a job teaching the local fillies and colts fencing, and as a hobby she wrote songs.
"Hi Skipio!" said Twilight.
"Hello Twi!" chirped Skipio.
"As you know this is your last lesson in equestrian history, well besides the report. we will be learning about the four years or so before you woke up in the Everfree." said Twilight excitedly, it was almost time for the lecture!
"And that includes the story of how you became an alicorn right?" That was the story Skipio had been dying to hear ever since Twilight had told her what an alicorn was. Twilight nodded and brought out the diary she and her friends had kept and started talking. but before she had even completed her first sentence, Spike ran into the room holding a scroll, slipped on the diary Twilight had left on the floor, and crashed into the wall on the opposite wall. Both mares turned to look at the baby dragon as he sat on the floor rubbing his head and groaning. He held out the scroll and mumbled.
"From... Celestia...urgent... read now." Twilight giggled and took the letter in her magic. The smile disappeared as she unrolled and read the letter. A panicked look now dominated the purple pony's face. She dropped the letter and began running around the library, hurriedly shoving numerous things into her saddle bags. Skipio stood up and looked at her friend in worry.
"Uh, so what does Celestia want?"
"She said that she wanted to see you and me in canterlot ASAP!" Twilight almost screamed. Skipio picked up the letter in her luminous green magic and quickly scanned through it.
"But Twilight, she said that we don't need to bring anything!"
"I know but she might decide to give me a test!" said Twilight starting to hyperventilate. Skipio calmly walked up to her friend and slapped her across the face. Twilight's concentration broke and the seven or eight things flying through the air crashed to the ground.
"Twilight im sure you have nothing to worry about," said Skipio as she grabbed a brush from the floor and straitened Twi's hair "Wouldn't Celestia have told you she was going to give you a test?" Skipio finished. Twilight sighed and nodded a small smile forming on her face.
"Thanks Skipio, nothing can get me out of panic mode, well besides a good slap."
"Good, now that we that settled the princess did say asap, so lets get going." Said Skipio smiling . They left the library and made their way across town to the train station.
THREE HOURS LATER
Twilight and Skipio stepped of the train and onto the platform, where they found a royal chariot waiting to take them to the castle. Skipio oohed and she and Twilight climbed into the chariot. Thew guards ruffled their wings and took of toward the palace. Ten minutes later they landed at the front gates. Skipio thanked the guards and the two friends walked through the castle to the throne room. when the large gold doors opened Twilight and Skipio saw Celestia sitting on her throne with white unicorn standing next to her. "Shining!" Shouted Twilight excitedly as she ran to hug her brother. "What are you doing here?" Twilight asked as she pulled away from the hug.
"Well Twilly, its part of what Celestia needs to tell you two." Shining Armour said smiling at his little sister. Celestia cleared her throat to regain the attention of the siblings.
"Yes, and since you came all this way to hear it i believe we should start." Said princess Celestia politely. "The first order of business i think is more suited for Shining Armour to explain." The solar monarch said nodding at the white unicorn.
Shining nodded back and turned to Skipio. "I'm gonna cut to the chase, ever since Twilly and her friends were dubbed the council of friendship, they are a large target for enemies of Celestia. As we all know Celestia has come to love those six ponies as her own. Its no secret enemies and rivals of equestria know that if anything happened to them that it would emotionally weaken and spiritually break the princess. So we have decided to begin a royal guard for the former element bearers, and as the most experienced with battle and such, we can not think of anypony more qualified to be the captain of the friendship guard then you." Skipio looked shocked at the proposal.
"I.. well...I...uh." She stuttered "Well im gonna need to think about it." Skipio finally said. Celestia smiled and nodded in understanding.
"When you have made you decision send me a letter." The solar monarch said to the brown unicorn.
"Thank you!" Skipio said relived.
"But there is one more thing. At the borders of Equestria, in the Sahorsa Desert it seems an entire castle has risen from the sand. it is very old, it predates the three tribes in the hearthswarming tale. I would like you two to investigate how it came to the surface, and to determine who it belonged to. So i would like you to become archeologists.
"Of course princess!' said Twilight ecstatic at being able to acquire new knowledge.
"You will find a team ready to give you supplies and information in the courtyard." said Shining Armour. The two friends nodded and left the princess and prince of the crystal empire to discuss things.