Friendship is Powerful

The sun is slowly making It's way beyond the horizon as i walk the usual walk towards my humble abode. I'm tired, like any day when i get home from my usual run through the park. It's been a while since i started this routine, but It sure as hell has paid off. It's been around 4-5 years now, and i can't say I'm disappointed in myself.

I used to be such a slack. A dirty couch-potato with no other interests than my own satisfaction. What does that mean? Well, i could sit around all day, only caring about what's best for me, and completely ignore anybody that was around. When i say anybody, i mean my family. I sort of had a lack of friends at the time.

My life as a couch-potato started around the age of 13 until i turned 17. Looking back at that time period.. I start shivering and beating myself up for ever acting like that. However, turning 17, something just hit me. I have no idea what, but something sure did, because that's when my world turned upside-down. (I won't say I was the one that made the final decision, as my Father felt happy to help me create a system that would work.)

After a while of getting used to pushing myself, i, to my great fortune, started loosing weight. That did it for me. After I realized what i could actually do, my schedule dramatically took off, meaning i was pushing myself probably much harder than i in reality should have, but nobody seemed to mind it, as it could only be good for me. Now, looking back, I'm happy i did all of that. I take a moment to look down at myself while walking through the trail in the little forest area right around the corner of my street.

"Not too shabby." I chuckle to myself. I look back up, now feeling a skip in my step as i wandered down the trail.

Back when i was finally as fit as I guessed i could be, I just needed to keep it up. I kept pushing, and I added more to my schedule. Something I've always wanted to be able to have in my brain-storage. The ability to defend myself. I naturally used the mostly empty garage, set up some stuffed dummies with a lot of my old clothes I didn't need anymore, given my much smaller size. The dummies themselves, were from life-saving tests at school. I'm sure you all have one, or used to anyways.

All that being said, I'm pleased with the result. Although i only trained myself to defend myself, I feel I've gotten the hang of It. Why would i want to learn how to defend myself? Well, let's just say that things happened in school. Call it paranoia. My childhood wasn't anything special, so let's just leave it at that. I won't go and brag about it though. I wasn't that good. But i could stand my ground whenever I would end up in a bad situation.

Why would I care to tell you about me becoming a better person, physically and mentally? It's pretty much the biggest and most exciting thing that has happened in my life up until now.

It never was anything special about me.

A tall figure stands in a big empty room in front of a round stone table. On the table, is some sort of a magical presentation of a human boy walking happily along a forest trail. The dark figure is wearing a cloak with a hood, covering the face of It's owner. The tall being smirks at the image in front of him.

"There he is. He's nothing but a fragile piece of meat. This will be over shortly." A deep, raspy voice comes from within the hood of the being observing the human.

"With him gone.. they will never be able to fully utter the power of the elements. In time, they will be unable to stop us without it. We have waited for so long, and soon.. the time will finally come. It has been foretold for centuries now, and this is the closest we can get to the description given to us from the 'Ones Before'." The tall, dark being turns to face two other creatures standing behind it, listening.

"My friends, you must make sure this is dealt with. We can not risk to loose this connection, so do it with haste." The being asks the other two. The two, also cloaked and hooded, share a glance, and a barely visible smirk forms within their hoods.

"It will be done." They both reply. The tall being at the table slowly turns back to the presentation of the human on the table, and grabs the edges of the table, laughing. The laugh echoes through the big room, and the two other beings behind him vanish in a dark portal created with unknown magic.

"Soon, the fourth will be set free. And then we can do what we have not been able to all these centuries. It will be our turn. And Equestria.. shall burn." The tall being grips tightly at the edge of the table, scratching it up with his left appendage, and an evil laugh echoes through the room once more before the magical presentation vanishes and engulfs the room in darkness.

I continue to walk along the trail. I take a moment, as usual, to admire the beautiful scenery. The sun is now barely visible behind the trees. Suddenly i feel a bit light headed. I clutch my head with my left hand, trying to shake away the sudden feeling of slight migraine. I feel strange, almost like.. somebody was watching me. Not in the kind of way that would mean they're just hiding in a bush close by, but in a way that is very hard to explain. Almost like there are ghosts or spirits surrounding me and watching my every move.

I feel uncomfortable, and slightly (very) paranoid, and i decide to jog the rest of the way to the clearing that now has appeared just ahead of me.

I finally arrive at my street and head towards my home. I keep thinking about the wierd feeling i got before i left the trail. What was that all about? I used to be sort of paranoid, i guess, but It's never hit me in a way like that before. I try to put my mind elsewhere, so going back to thinking about my past could probably be my best chance at this exact moment. I think about how fast the time is actually going. You know, life in general. I mean, for God's sake, I'm turning 22 next week! I've gotten in a pretty good relationship with my family since my horrible time as a younger boy, so that's also a plus. My mom has a steady job, my father actually sort of won in the lottery last year. He might have just won around 100 or so dollars, but hey, what are the odds? We might have just spent most of it on celebrating it. The little things in life keeps you going. It's good for the soul, as my grandfather used to say. He died a while ago, bless his soul.

A police car speeds by.

I will never forget the great memories me and him had with each other. Trips on his boat, fishing, crab hunting, all that jazz. This was actually the only thing i liked doing in my life as a couch potato. He was my best friend, so you could imagine how i took it for the first couple of weeks. It felt like i lost my very best friend, and well, it sort of was like that anyways. Although I'm not the most social man among us, I've managed to make SOME friends. Not too many, but at least I've got some people that i can always count on when i need them. I think my good attitude has helped with that, which has also changed since i got out of my home more. Nature and It's beauty gave me a different image of the world. It made me happy, and I wanted to share it. Who doesn't like making friends? Spending time with them and doing what you love with the people you love?

Another cop car, followed by two more.

I wouldn't blame myself for not having that many friends. I'm happy with what I have, and anyways, there aren't a lot of people my age out here anyways. Our street is so far out of reach from any cities and big areas, and honestly, I love It out here. The green grass, the beautiful nature, my lovely daily tour route that has so many beautiful things along it. I could easily say that i find new things every day as i walk/run along it.

A firetruck passes by.

I keep my eyes on the sidewalk. It's always so quiet and peaceful out here, nothing ever happens. Ever. I wouldn't give this place up for anything. I've lived in a city once, and let me just say that I can never get used to it. I know some people feel like they can't live without the noise that goes on all day and all night long, but I'm perfectly fine without it. Out here.. It's just perfect. Everything smells wonderful here too. The smell of freshly mowed grass, fresh air, smoke..wait, what?

A firetrucks' sirens awake me from my train of thoughts, and I jerk my head away from the sidewalk and look at the speeding truck. I now look forward to where my house is, and I see.. I see smoke. I see a horde of firetrucks and cop cars outside of my home, and they're closing in on me. Not as in they were coming towards me, but my legs had started moving. I was running like the devil was poking my back with his fork, towards my home.

As i was running, i felt tears in my eyes. I didn't know if it was from the smoke or... the fright i was feeling. Am i dreaming? No, i felt the heat take me in as i got closer. I sped past the crowd of people standing outside, and using my trained skill, i got over the obstacles in my way to get inside of my burning home.

Only one thing was on my mind. My family. My mother, father and brother. I didn't see them outside, so my senses acted on instinct. Find them.

I heard shouts from behind me, from people trying to stop me from entering the burning deathtrap, but I didn't care. I slammed into the front door, instantly coughing, seeing nothing but smoke. I put my hoodie over my mouth, and ran inside.

I yelled for my family. I checked every room, evaded fire, sometimes falling debris.. Nothing in the first floor. I ran over to the stairs and bolted up, barely getting out of the way for some of steps giving in under me.

Once in the second floor, i instantly see my room, mostly destroyed. All of my things, my memories, everything burning slowly. I take my mind off it for now, there are more important things. Keeping my mouth covered, i remove it for a few seconds to yell some more. I keep busting down each door, but i was unable to open the door of my brothers room. I yell his name, without an answer.

I hear a faint gasp behind me, and look down the small hallway to see my father splayed out, halfway out of my parents' room door. He had a carpenter-knife in his hands, seemingly slipped out of his hands as his grip is loosened on the knife. I bolt over to him and yell at him. No response. By this point, I hear the faint yells of somebody downstairs, none of which i can recognize. Most likely the firemen.

I keep shaking my unconscious father, getting nothing out of him. I notice blood from under him, i turn him around and i see a big scratch across his chest, and his throat is.. slit. The sight of this made me want to vomit, but the feeling of sickness was replaced with tears flowing down my cheeks. I start to panic. I cry into my dads shoulder, telling myself I'm just dreaming. My eyes shoot open, and i quickly look inside the room he was poking out of. My parents room. I instantly wish i didn't look.

What i saw, will forever haunt me.

At the bed.. was my mother. She also had the same scars across her body, barely visible over the amount of fire surrounding her.

My parents... are... dead...

I lift myself up, in utter shock, and disbelief. Why..? Where.. my brother?

I snap out of my shocked state, and bolt back to my brothers door. At this point, I'm at the door like an animal. Realizing It's locked, i back up a bit and ready my right foot. I smash it in with the most force the underside of my foot can deliver.

Inside, by the window, lies my brother. The window is open, but my brother is lying below it... lifeless.

I grab my head with my hands, i back out of the room, and end up in my own. The fire is now all around me, and my life is flashing before my eyes. My lungs feel like they're about to implode, and my eyes sting. I had to be dreaming. I pinch myself, hard, nothing. I'm shaking violently and i fall to my knees. I'm now sitting here, inside my room, crying, shaking, feeling the fire surround me.

"I... Please... Please let this be a dream..." I slowly start sobbing, tears hitting the floor under me. I look at my hands, and i feel an immense pain inside of my body. My heart aches, so does every bit of my body. All sound around me is gone, and time slows down. I could barely make out the sound of the approaching firemen, probably still trying to get to the second floor.

I still sit there, in the remains of my room, as the fire is spreading. I feel something under me as i continue to sob. My legs are burning, probably from the fire that's burning under me. All to me is gone at this point. There is only me, and the fire. I look up at my roof and i scream. I release all that was left inside my lungs.

When I'm done emptying myself, i look back down towards my door. I make out a shape walking in my door frame, still hard to see given all the smoke. The figure that i thought was a fireman, were quickly washed away as i make out the shape more in detail. What i notice most of what i see, is an evil, hellish smile only the devil himself could create, and i look down to see a claw. My mind connects this claw with the scratches on my parents. The figure slowly closes in on me, eyes glowing blood-red, still giving the painful smile.

The feeling under me comes back, and before i know it, the floor collapses. I feel myself fall, expecting to be engulfed by the flames that was lying just below me. I never hit the first floor. I only felt the feeling of falling, never hitting the ground. I felt dizzy, and my eyes slowly closed, leaving me in the hands of the darkness.

It was a quiet night in Canterlot, like any other night. The Royal Guards were patrolling the castle grounds and the inside of the castle as usual. Nothing ever happened at night, but they could not take any risks.

In the sleeping chamber of her Royal highness, Princess Celestia, noises of frustration could be heard. Princess Celestia was shifting in her bed. Sweat was pouring down from her coat, and her hair was a mess. She was having  a nightmare. This was not something to take lightly, as the Princess of the Sun close to never had any nightmares. When she did, it could only mean one thing.

In the highest tower of Canterlot Castle, a dark-blue Alicorn watched as her night engulfed all of Equestria. Her beautiful night-blue, and flowing mane shone in the beautiful moonlight. She always loved to stand up here, releasing all of her worries and stress into the night.

Tonight however, she felt troubled. Something was not right. She closed her eyes and focused on the strange feeling that had gotten to her.

She saw her sister. She was having a nightmare. Princess Luna felt worried, as the last time Celestia had a nightmare, it proved to be a vision. That was long ago, long before the time of Nightmare Moon. It was when the Crystal Empire was being controlled by King Sombra.

Luna shook off the memory, and focused on trying to enter her sisters dream. That was her duty, after all.

Luna's eyes shoot up, and she immediately rushed off towards her sisters chambers. She passed the Guards, whom exchanged worried looks towards each other, and a few of them took off after their Princess, in case danger was about to unfold.

Upon reaching her sisters chambers, she bolted in in time to see her sister wake up with a shock. She looked terrified, and in all honesty, she looked like an absolute mess.

Luna hurried over to her sister and put a comforting hoof over her drenched shoulder. "Sister, are you alright?" She asked, looking very worried for her sister. Celestia was staring off into the distance, eyes wide open, soaking in her own sweat.

"I've just.. h-had a terrible n-nightmare, sister." Celestia mutters. She looked over to her sister, who gave her a serious, but supporting look.

"Sister.. you know as well as me that this was not just a regular nightmare.. but a vision." She stated.

Celestia looks at her sister, still a little in shock, trying to pull herself together. She slowly tries to get her mind together and think about what she had seen. Luna is looking her over with a very worried look on her face. She hated to see her sister so.. scared. She barely ever saw her sister like this, and she was happy that she saw so little of it. It sort of scared her too in a way.

Celestia made her way out of her bed, with a determined look on her face, her horn lit up. "Sister, were you able to see?" She asked Luna. Luna baked up a bit to let her sister get up next to her.

"Yes sister. But what do you think it could mean?" Luna asked, looking at her sisters horn, wondering what she was about to do.

"Then you must help me, Luna. We must act quickly!" Celestia's horn shines more brightly now. Luna looks at her, in question, but does as her sister tells her to do. She lights up her horn.

The two alicorns step out on Celestia's balcony. The Royal Guards stay behind inside the room, unsure of what is going to happen. Celestia and Luna's horn now shines bright as they both close their eyes and focus on the event that had unfolded within Celestia's mind. Time slows down, and they felt something pulling through their very existence. Like someone opened a door in their minds and walked in.

The princesses was engulfed in an aura connected with both their magic. The light radiating from them could probably been seen even from Manehattan. The Guards had to cover their eyes as this happened.

After what seemed like hours, they both returned to their normal state, and the light they both created faded away. Celestia felt a wave of relief hit her. She sighed, feeling exhausted from the magic she had preformed. Luna looked over at her, still slightly confused about the whole thing.

"Sister.. do you know what's happening? What exactly did i help you doing?" Luna asked her, waiting for her sister to fill her in with what was going on.

"If what i feel is correct, this could very well decide the fate of Equestria, dear sister." She said, looking at a very confused Princess of the night.

"I..-" Luna said before Celestia raised a hoof to stop her.

"Come Luna, for even you have not been informed about this. This is ancient knowledge, kept deeply hidden from any soul to find out about. It seems it was not as sealed off as i thought." Celestia said as she walked her sister back into her chambers, closing the balcony door behind her. As the two sisters walk off into the castle, a shooting star shoots across the night sky.

There is a silence like no other in the outskirts of Ponyville. The peaceful wave of calmness flows through the beautiful night air as most of the residents in the small village is fast asleep. Outside a little from most of the houses, lies a gigantic cloud mansion, floating above a little hill. Most ponies knows this to be the home of the Pegasus pony known as Rainbow Dash. The fastest filly in all of Ponyville, maybe even all of Equestria.

She dreams of becoming the best, and that also means she needs to become one of the Wonderbolts. A team of Pegasi that preform all sorts of stunts around all of Equestria. By this one statement, It's fairly easy to tell that Rainbow is a pony that loves attention. She is very proud of all her hard work, and wants it all to pay off one day. She believes in herself, and her friends are mostly happy with her self-confidence. Then again, it goes out of hoof from time to time.

Usually, even standing under her cloud home, at night a very clearly and audible snore can be heard from the cloud mansion. Not tonight though. The rainbow-maned Pegasus lays with her hooves behind her head, below her home, staring into the open night sky. She couldn't sleep tonight, for some reason, and decided to take a chance with the night-sky, maybe even spotting some wonders the night has to bring.

Her magenta eyes stare off into the distance, waiting for something to happen, trying to catch some sleep while lying there. Why can't i sleep tonight, she asks herself.

Finally in what seems like forever, she let's out a tiny yawn, feeling at least a little tired. She figures it must be around 3 am at least. She was about to get up, as she sees something zoom across the night-sky.

"Oh boy, a shooting star!" She says, sleep already gone from her thoughts. Rainbow loves to see the things she have still missed out on in her life, this being one of them. She can finally cross this as a thing she have finally seen. However, she waits for more. She was not let down.

Suddenly, many shooting stars repeatedly shoot across the skies as she stares off, completely stunned by the display. She wanted to go wake up all her friends, but didn't want to miss this, even though she could get them all up and make it back to her house in ten seconds flat.

However, something becomes odd. One of the stars goes slightly slower than the others. No, A LOT slower, which makes it look like a UFO or something, flying across the sky. She sits up on her hind legs, staring with curiosity at the object moving across the sky and.. growing.

Yep, It's heading this way. Fast.

Rainbow started to panic. What was she going to do anyways? If this thing was going to land in Ponyville, how was she going to have enough time? All she could hope was that Twilight might have something to stop a disaster like this from happening. Now having a plan, Rainbow takes off like a spring, and goes full speed towards the Golden Oaks Library.

The Ponyville library is dark, much like the rest of the town at this hour. Inside is the silent snore of a lavender Unicorn, and a baby dragon curled up in a basked next to the Unicorn's bed. The two of them apparently having dreams of their greatest pleasure. The Unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, seems to be muttering something about books.

Go figure.

The baby dragon, Spike, keeps shifting in his basket while drooling, muttering something about somepony named 'Rarity'.

The silence is broken, as a loud crash is heard from the balcony at the second floor, the one below the sleeping area where Twilight and Spike are. Twilight jerks up form the bed while Spike rubs a tired claw at his eye, and yawn. Twilight doesn't have a chance to even look to where the noise came from, as her vision is completely covered by a rainbow.

"Twilight! Something big is about to happen! You need to come outside the library RIGHT NOW!" Rainbow literally screams into Twilight's sleepy face. Spike is now utterly confused, and is still rubbing his eyes.

"Uhh.. Rainbow?" Twilight asks, just as confused as her assistant. Rainbow decides to not waste more time as she wraps both of her Cyan hooves around her Unicorn friend, and bolts out the way she entered. She plants Twilight on the balcony and points a hood in the direction of interest.

"There's something coming this way. Fast! You need to do something Twi!" Rainbow talks loudly as Twilight now stares at the object in the sky, slowly growing larger and larger. Her eyes widen at what she sees, and she looses herself for a moment. Rainbow notices this and shakes her friend, trying to get her out of it, but It's no use.

The object grows larger, and It looks like It's about to wipe out both her and Twilight. Just as they though they were doomed, the object seemed to land at the mountains, far out of Ponyville. They feel the ground shake and a loud crash could be heard as the object lands into the side of the mountain.

Rainbow takes a moment to relax and sighs in relief that nopony was hurt. She would never want her friends to be hurt. That would be her end.

"Rainbow.. what was that?" Twilight asks, seemingly frightened at what just happened. Rainbow turns to her with a look of worry on her face.

"I was just laying outside, looking up the the stars, when this thing suddenly starts coming closer, i thought it was gonna land here or something.. so i figured you might know what to do." She looks between Twilight and the crash area.

"I.. It happened too fast, Rainbow.. I'm sorry i couldn't-" She is interrupted by Rainbow.

"Nothing to be sorry for Twi, I'm just glad nopony got hurt." She smiles at Twilight, who returns it.

By now some Townsponies leave their front door, confused about what had waken them all up at this point in the night. Some of them, shrug it off like it was nothing, while some keep looking around for something out of the ordinary, probably waiting to see if anything is going to happen again.

"What do you.. think just happened?" Rainbow asks Twilight, looking out at the ponies slowly backing into their houses again.

"I'm not sure, Rainbow, but we're all going to find out, first thing in the morning." Twilight says, having a determined look on her face.

"Rainbow, I need you to gather out friends at dawn. We have to leave as soon as possible, in case somepony got hurt out there." She tells her friend.

"Will do Twi, I'll see ya then." She replies, as she bolts off from the balcony, taking off towards her home, possibly going to get ready, as it seems she will not be able to close her eyes anymore tonight. Twilight probably won't either.

"Twilight.. what's going on out here?" Asks a confused Spike as he joins Twilight on the balcony.

Twilight looks worriedly over at her friend. "Spike, I need you to send a letter for me."