Broken Pieces

Chapters

Prologue: The Beginning of the End
We Can't Have Cake at a Time Like This!
What's Life Without a Little Fun?
A Battle Fled

Prologue: The Beginning of the End

The night air hung still around the circle. The crickets chirped wildly, the clock tower in the distance signaling that midnight had arrived. The pony at the center circle, covered in black robes, raised her hoof, the chatter that had been in effect immediately silenced. The only sounds heard now being the crickets, and the howl of the wind, brushing harshly against the trees.

The center pony spoke up, her voice loud and without hesitation. “My followers! My people! You know why we have gathered here tonight. We are in celebration of our ruler! Though celebration in the sun seems to be more adequate, we cannot praise out there. It would burn us, and not a speck of us left . Tonight, we rejoice over our God!”

The circle of members applauded, hooves tapping on the ground in an uproar. Again, the pony in the center raised her right hoof, silencing everypony. “And on this night, we shall bring forth a new era of life! For every pony that has been under the dark rulers spell, this will be their revelation! Their pathway to eternity! All hail the Solar Empire!”

Again, the crowd cheered ecstatically. The pony that stood on the altar stepped off of the stage, replaced with a young pony, shaking and obviously scared. This was the pony’s initiation. Her first meeting, she wasn’t sure what to do, surrounded by all these cult members. Instead, she let herself be pushed around, the hooves and the shouts frightening her to pieces. On stage, she looked cute. Her strawberry-colored hair shone in a glower under the moon’s rays, her cutie mark illuminated by the lanterns that sat in the grass at the center of everypony.

For hours, she was quizzed on everything, from Celestia to even her friends. The cult knew better than to let secrets go unheard. From the experience heard of Nightmare Moon, it was known that secrets made a pony vulnerable to the other side’s capture. This pony would be no mistake. When questioning had ended, the cult officer stepped up onto the stage, defiantly speaking to her subjects again.

“As dawn approaches, we must chant! Welcome the newest member to the Solar Empire! To a new li!”

The ponies all sang the choral in unison. Each voice was drowned by another, all sounding the same to the young filly at the altar. The louder the chorus got, the brighter the altar seemed to glow.

In fact, it wasn’t the altar glowing, but the sun, which rose slowly behind the young mare. She was too busy with her eyes closed to notice it.

“Ruby Star! Ruby Star! Ruby Star!” The crowd kept getting louder and louder with each second passing.

The leader of the group had set up a contraption parallel to the sun’s rays: A large stick, made from a tree branch, with a hole in the shape of a sun carved out. She walked up to the altar, positioning Ruby in such a way that the sun cutout would hit her directly on the flank.

“S-stop it! I can’t do this! Please!” Ruby whimpered out her words, carried away by the sounds of all the other ponies. The only one who listened was the dark leader, bright in color, who turned to face Ruby.

“You have come this far. Celestia needs you, as now you are part of her empire. Do not take it too seriously. We need you, Ruby Star. Fulfill your destiny.” She walked off of the altar, her eyes becoming narrow as she walked away.

Her own name was Black Sun. Her story was simple. Having been chosen by Celestia as a young filly, she was to lead the Solar Empire in tyranny against the New Lunar Republic. It was said that Black Sun had been as old as Celestia herself, but many people, even her followers, didn’t believe it. Either way, today was bound to be the day that Black Sun had been waiting for. Everything had been arranged perfectly, and even Celestia knew not of what was to come.

“Everypony, we welcome our newest member, Ruby Star!”

The sun glazed through the hole in the wood, landing on Ruby’s flank. It instantly began to burn, a mark being imprinted within her, erasing her cutie mark and replacing it with the image of a sun. Her tears fell to the altar, her screaming inaudible among the cheers of the crowd. Black Sun looked up towards the sky, watching Celestia fly from her tower.

It was known that today would mark the Eve of the Summer Sun Celebration, and Celestia was to fly to all the towns to make sure everything was set for the raising. On this morning, her first stop was Manehattan, directly in the path of the sun. Black Sun looked down, a devilish grin on her face.

The smell of burnt flesh wafted through the air, suddenly interrupted by a silhouette among the pattern. All the ponies looked up to behold Celestia flying for the sky. Nopony noticed what was occurring with Ruby Star, screams now able to be heard to the edges of the Everfree Forest.

Celestia herself looked majestic flying through the sky. She was heading over to Manehattan, ready to make sure that all the decorations for the show were presentable. Everypony knew that she would fly over the sun on the eve, to give a reckoning of what was to come. It was marveled by ponies across Equestria, and a treat to take part in.

A part of her looked different as she fluttered over her keeping. She seemed duller than usual, her coat gleaming less brightly than it ever had. What nopony saw was the ray of light that travelled down the sun’s ray, still beaming on Ruby Star, hitting her directly in the flank. When they heard a loud thud, they all finally turned around, gasping simultaneously.

Ruby Star had been thrown from the altar, now just a heap on the floor. Her breathing was quick-paced, but the ponies weren’t worried about her. They were more worried about her looks.

Her naturally scarlet coat was now a bright red, her mane shining yellow in the sun. A trail of smoke rose up from where her cutie mark had once rested, which had been replaced…..with a moon.

In the crowd, voices were enraged. ‘She’s a spy! A Witch! We must burn her, Sun!!!!”

Hushed voices played telephone throughout the entire cult, as Black Sun rose up onto the altar. “She is not cursed, my subjects! The one we have been waiting for has arisen! Ruby Star is the key to our victory! She will lead us into war!”

Black Sun had expected this. She knew, from years of talking with Celestia, that if an initiation was interrupted by Celestia herself, then-

“Black Sun, my lord, we must leave! Others are coming, and from what Dancer said, they do not look happy…”

Black Sun looked Derpy straight in the eyes, pride being replaced with anger. “Grab the Chosen One!!! She must be kept alive! Any soldiers in the clan, you must stay back and fight! May Celestia be with you!”

All the others ran off, in the direction of Canterlot Castle, as fast as they could. They were being rushed, and it wasn’t a very happy time, being hurried along with an initiation, especially one so special as this one.

Ruby Star had passed out, now being carried on the back on one of the most faithful members of the group, Cannon. Most of the ponies in the cult had only a first name, save the special ones. It was priority, as if another pony were to find out their true identity, a lot could be at stake. Nothing was to go wrong.

Running through a forest that the cult of the Solar Empire had known for centuries proved to be helpful, easily keeping them hundreds of yards from the marauders that were in pursuit of a long-time hated cult. Fruitlessly, most of the group ran out of the forest. They all turned around to face a lone colt who was stumbling over the branches of the thick brush, apparently quite new to this. Nopony dared go in to guide him, and all had to watch as the killers came close. An arrow was seen whizzing through the forest, until it struck the colt in the neck.

The others wasted no time. It appeared that every soldier that had been on the front lines was now part of no-man’s land, and not a soul would dare to stick around to find out what had happened to the others.

~~~

Setting Ruby Star on the bed, the whole gang crowded around her, intent on her first reaction when she woke up. Black Sun tried to push the others away, but her attempts were in vain, the pushes becoming persistent until Black Sun was forced to give in.

“Do you think she made it….

“What happened to her

“Did anypony notice her coat changed colors?”

Ruby Star’s eyes fluttered open, quickly becoming wide with realization. “Where in Equestria am I!? What happened!? You hurt me!!!”

Black Sun put a hoof over the chatty pony’s mouth, hushing her gently. “Now, Ruby Star, this is a little hard for you, I know, but you have to listen to me.”

Ruby, as if in a trance, silenced herself, readjusting on the couch. She winced in pain, a quick stream of blood rushing to her flanks. She looked down and yelped quietly, but did not say a word, afraid she would be punished for it. She just glanced up at Black Sun, water in her eyes, and nodded to her, a single tear dropping onto the floor of the cottage.

“You have been chosen by Celestia, as I was long ago, to lead the Solar Empire to power. We do not know why she chose you…” Black Sun blinked quickly twice, muttering something inaudible. “But, we do know that you bear the mark of a Lunar Republican.”

Everypony’s eyes made their way to the moon on Ruby’s flank. “It is like something that I have never seen before, and it can only be the gift of our Goddess.”

Ruby stopped tearing up, tears replaced with revelations. “W-what am I?...”

“Part of us. Part of the Empire. We have inducted you, and I now must do something which I will take great pride in doing.”

Black Sun’s horn glowed a stunning golden color, the light being transferred to Ruby’s body. She was lifted into the air, blood dripping from her flanks. As it pooled, a bubble formed around Ruby, enveloping her in a way that no pony could see what was occurring inside of it. Black Sun spoke up again, her words loud and clearly heard.

“Bringer of day.

Light of my heart.

I welcome thee and I set thee apart.”

Her eyes were as golden as the glow from her horns now. A wave of energy was being strung to the bubble, stars in the night sky.

“New prophet of us.

You shall never grow old.

Now accept your path,

as your story unfurls!”

A large energy burst swept through the building, probably covering near all of Equestria. The ground rumbled, and a bright shine emanated throughout the hut, blinding all the ponies within.

As the energy subsided, all the ponies were rubbing their eyes, waiting for Ruby to speak up again. No voice was present in the room, and both Black Sun and Ruby Star were missing.

As the ponies sat in wonder, a little figure could be seen through the window. It appeared to be Black Sun, or at least her cloak, that was visible, a large object on her back. Headed straight for the Ponyville.

~~~

Twilight was serene. She had spent the whole day organizing her books in preparation of the princess’ visit to Ponyville. She had given Spike the day off, which he gladly accepted to use as a free rest period. Twilight had just put the last book on the shelf, smiling at the success of her hard day’s work. Quietly, as not to awake Spike, she crept to her kitchen, grabbing a quick glass of water from the sink.

She sat down on her bed, the latest Daring Do book sitting beside her.

The library was normally the place to commute with her friends. It was a large library, big enough to fit a whole town in preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration. She even planned to hold a party, like the first night she had spent in Ponyville, when Pinkie went out of her way to do so, and annoyed Twilight in the process.

The books, of all shapes and sizes, were lined up neatly in categories among the tens of shelves she had in her library. At night, she would stare at the walls, photos of her friends littering the free space.

She smiled at all the photos, memories flooding her of past times, and thoughts of what times were to come. She smiled, a happy tear rolling down her cheek softly. She was in a faze from the photos, too entranced to notice that something was about to burst through her door.

Black Sun ran into the library as fast as she could, half-heartedly throwing Ruby on the ground from her bubble, wrapping her in the black cloak that encompassed Black Sun’s body. This revealed a lot of her own body. Sun’s cutie mark depicted the sun, obviously different than Ruby’s mark in many ways. Black Sun also had a large flesh wound across her stomach. by now, it was nothing but a scar, and a damn good one it was, at that.

“Somepony...please...help us. This mare needs to rest and get powerful magical help, NOW!”

The sound of another pony shouting had both awoken Spike and taken Twilight out of her reveries. “What’s going on!?” She yelled down to Spike.

“It seems like there are two ponies here. One is a unicorn with a large body wound, and the other is unidentifiable under all those clothes.”

Twilight rushed to the top of the stairs, staring down at the two intruders that had entered her library. Upon sight of Black Sun, she narrowed her eyes, a growl forming in the very back of her throat. “What...are...you...doing here…..”

Black Sun looked up at Twilight, a frightened look in her eyes. “Hey there, Ms. Sparkle….I’m sorry to come in it’s just…..a new prophet has been chosen today...and she needs a LOT of rest right now….”

At that moment, Twilight forgot all about her past with Black Sun. “We need to get her in the safe room, fast.” She lifted a hoof under Ruby’s covered body, nudging Black Sun to aid her.

With both of them working together, Ruby Star was on the bed in the basement in no time at all. Ruby groaned,a light shining in from the robes. “S-somepony….I need….water…”

As Spike brought down a glass of water, they lifted up the veil on Ruby, all stopping to gasp, Spike dropping the glass. It shattered on the hard concrete floor.

Ruby’s eyes were sunshine, livening up the room and bringing flowers to grow around her. All the other ponies stopped and bowed to her, which puzzled Ruby. Why were they bowing to her? “Can somepony tell me why you all are acting like I’m a god…?”

They all held up a mirror to her, and even Ruby couldn’t help but gasp.

She looked different, and her eyes had changed color. Now her coat was a gleaming white, her mane a flow of golden beauty.

“W...what am I?”

All stared back, and only Black Sun answered her question.

“You, Ruby Star, are the harbinger of Celestia’s powers.”

Author's Note

Hehe, this is a fanfiction I'm going to dedicate to all of my friends. They have pushed me so hard to continue working, while inspiration has just been so low because of other's remarks and the way my life has been. I really hope you all enjoy this story. You all have an amazing day :)

We Can't Have Cake at a Time Like This!

“W-what!?” Ruby screamed, “I can’t do that! I’m not even part princess!!!”

Black Sun looked down in shame, her eyes shining red. “It was me. I planned for everything that happened. I even planned your initiation for the same day as the Eve of the Summer Sun Celebration…”

Both Twilight and Ruby looked at her in shock, simultaneously replying, “Why!?”

“For so long, we have lived in Celestia’s light. When Luna returned, we were cast out, the New Lunar Republic gaining members by each passing day. For years, we have lived under her shadow, and I realized that our group would not survive long, as our death count rises each day. When Ruby Star came to me, asking to be part of our faith, I could not deny. I formulated a plan from reading all of the spell books Celestia had granted upon me. Without her knowledge, I set up the initiation for the Eve of the Summer Sun Celebration, as Celestia would shadow the sun early morning. This, in turn, would transfer Celestia’s royal powers over to whomever was standing on the altar at that moment. It just happened to be you, Ruby Star. You are half-princess now. There’s nothing that can reverse it yet.”

Ruby didn’t know how to respond. The glow in her eyes revealed no emotion whatsoever, and she just stood up. As she began to walk off, Twilight stood in front of her. “You can’t leave!!”

Ruby became scared, afraid of what another pony would do to a mare with so much power.

“I have to study you!!! This is amazing!!! A mare-turned-half princess through the sun’s rays!! Sit! Sit! SIT!!!”

Now Ruby really was scared! This pony, Twilight, that blocked her path, was going crazy over her and her glowing eyes. Ruby just charged, knocking Twilight over and running up the stairs. “I’m not special! Leave me alone!”

Both ponies that stared up the stairs were thinking the same thing, “She can’t go out alone….she’ll be captured…”

~~~

Ruby ran along the streets, trying her best to keep her eyes shut. She didn’t want anypony to touch her, let alone look at her. Would they think she was a monster? What was happening to her?

She ran for at least ten minutes, traversing Ponyville at top speed. She was surprised that she hadn’t bumped into another pony already, as this had to be a large town. She slowed her pace, finally looking out into where she had gone. The first thing she noticed was the sounds that surrounded her.

She heard her hooves echoing across the place she was standing in. The water dripping on all sides of her gave an eerie impression, just like the one she had experienced last night with the Solar Empire. Birds of all sounds were squeaking their hoarse sounds, and she even heard a timber wolf howl in the distance.

She was in the middle of the Everfree Forest.

Of course there would be no other ponies around. No soul dared to enter this forbidden forest without at least five other partners. Now she was alone in the middle of the most dangerous place (to her knowledge) in Equestria.

Ruby whimpered, the fear that she had felt the night before returning. She closed her eyes for a minute, trying to process the easiest path out of here. Obviously the best way would be to retrace her steps.

But where had she entered this beast from? Which direction did she come running from? Everything looked the exact same to her, and it all scared her poor soul to pieces.

“Hey, I think I heard something over there!”

The voice made Ruby jump. Somepony was here to save her! She felt relieved, turning around with a smile on her face. What she saw didn’t exactly make her want to stick around. The group that had chased them through the forest yesterday was back, searching for any pony who remained from the cult meeting only the night before.

Ruby started to run, no sense of where she was going. She only wanted to be anywhere except for here. Her pants became louder with each large step she made. Root over root, bush over bush she trot, avoiding all obstacles in her path. The voices grew louder, the sounds of twigs crunching under all of their hooves intensifying with each step.

It sounded as if the whole group were males, judging by the distance they gained on her with each second. She couldn’t continue to run for much longer. Her vision had started to blacken, the spots of vision in her eyes growing dim. Her pace began to slow, her breaths replaced with coughs, and then she started to throw up. Before she could finish, her body slumped over in a haze, basically giving up. The voices grew, until the stallions stood by her side gallantly.

“I found her, you guys! Over here!”

Ruby could barely respond, her words coming out in short puffs. “I’m not...going to hurt...you...please...spare me…”

The other ponies weren’t convinced. All were screaming names at her. Most of them involved witchcraft. The pony with the most brilliant armor took his sword between his lips, his words barely heard to any pony except for Ruby. “I’m sorry...for Twily…”

And then they were gone. Ruby didn’t move, her body trying to restart. She felt as if her body was going to shut down. Just as suddenly as she had fell over, her body jolted. A wave of energy burst through her, and she found the strength to stand. Looking down at her body, half covered in filth from the ground, it began to glow, rising into the air.

“W-what…”

Ruby looked around frantically. In the thick brush, she could not seem to find who was casting out the glow that was engulfing her body. The golden light that shone from her being began to brighten, until the whole forest was illuminated in the warmth of Ruby’s glow. She closed her eyes, the warmth bring back memories of times she had played with her sister.

She remembered the times of old, before Ponyville, where she and her sister used their magic to joke around with all the settlers that were arriving. The more she remembered, the brighter the light inside of her grew. Thoughts of the sun, and how she had practiced moving it day by day, flooded her mind. She could take no more, screaming all at once. “STOP!”

Then she sat up from the ground, breaths in short, rapid bursts. Whatever had just happened, it was amazing. She had never felt anything like it. The only reason she had wanted it to end was because it felt too good for her. She needed to get out of here, and quickly. If those ponies were to come back, she would be in a heap of trouble. She did NOT want to be around when they returned.

She wandered around for a short while. It appeared that the forest was changing on her. She was sure that she had passed the same trees twice already. It appeared that all of the trees had faces on them, and it kind of freaked her out. In her reality, they looked more funny than scary. She just laughed at them as she passed by, making her own little faces at them. She was busy wandering, and didn’t notice the box that lie in front of her.

THUD!

Jumping up, hooves in front of her, Ruby was ready to attack. No pony was going to get her this time, or even get close to her! “Hmm….” Looking down, Ruby let out a sigh of relief. Looking down at the box, she felt as if she had seen it somewhere. It was just a plain three by three cardboard box

She half-expected something to pop out and frighten her. Had she placed this box here? She couldn’t remember. Why did it look so dang familiar to her? She took no hesitation in opening it. She lifted the large flaps carefully, holding her head back in case something were to explode.

Looking down, she saw a cake. There was only one word inscribed in the deep blue frosting: Luna.

Luna...Luna...like the Princess? Was this a cake for Princess Luna? What was it doing all the way out here, in the Everfree Forest? Was somepony messing with her mind? Were they watching her!?

She spun around in a circle twice, making sure that there were no peeping eyes through the brush of the forest. “Might as well take the cake. Not like Luna will ever find it here, anyways…” When she looked down, the cake wasn’t there, and a pathway opened up in front of her. Walking through it, she found that she was, once again, on the outskirts of Ponyville.

Did the Forest just help Ruby get back?

She sighed, walking into Ponyville, past SugarCube Corner. If she had been here before, why did she have to come back? There were already two ponies who were probably out to get her here. Maybe she should go to the castle. Celestia had to know what was going on with her.

It was settled. She would grab a few necessities from her home here in Ponyville, and then she would be off to Canterlot castle. Eat, sleep, and then leave on the next train. Her first stop would be home...right on the other edge of Ponyville.

~~~

Ruby’s house was a bright shade of green. She had named it after her mother, Sodapop, a couple years back, about the time that she died. It was said that Ruby’s house was enchanted with a protection spell from her mother, who would protect her even after death. So far, no intruders had gotten in, so there must’ve been something at work.

She took the key to her house from the secret panel in the doorknob, jiggling the key a few times in the lock. It always got stuck, and was almost impossible to pull from the keyhole. After a few tries at pulling at the key, she reverted to jiggling it around. All at once, the key broke into two pieces.

“Awww dang….another one broken...when I get back I really have to get a locksmith about this…”

She stepped into her house, clandestinely stepping over each floor tile with furtive notions. The electricity had gone out months ago, and she never seemed to get the time to pay her bills. For this reason, she always thought she had to step sneakily into her own home.

Once she had made it up the stairs, she sighed again, knowing in her heart that she would never see this home again. Her place was Equestria, not just being limited to Ponyville. She stepped into her room, the posters on her wall all seeming to stare at her. The posters themselves were littered with none other than Shining Armor. He was her hero...used to be. Trying to kill her had made her lose all respect for him.

Before doing anything else, she began to thrust her hooves at the posters, attempting to basically rip them to shreds. Once all that was left were scraps of litter, she fell onto her bed, grabbing her pillow to her face.

Crying had always been easy for her. Her whole life, she had been different from every other pony. While all the other ponies wanted money and friends, Ruby had only cared about the work. She lived in the back of the classroom throughout all of her schools. What were friends without knowledge? That was her motto.

Now, she was even more of a freak than before. She knew all the other ponies would make fun of her even worse than they had a few years ago. It was then that she remembered a pony who, throughout all of her school years, never took time out of her day to hang out with an other ponies. Twilight Sparkle seemed almost exactly like her.

Twilight studied constantly, and she didn’t have very many friends. The only difference was that Ruby Star believed that Twilight secretly plotted against Celestia. She obviously worked for the New Lunar Republic. Ruby would never stoop to that level.

She looked up, eyes fierce. Her whole life, she was letting ponies push her around! Well, that wasn’t going to happen anymore. Her magic would be strong enough to overcome any pony who stood in her way. Wait a minute...she didn’t have magic! She harbored it, but obviously she couldn’t cast it! That would be crazy.

She slumped over again. She knew that ponies would continue to hurt her for the rest of her life, and she was prepared for it. If need be, she could just run away...or leave this world altogether. She didn’t object to either plan, and finally crouched up on the bed. Yawning like a cat, she hopped out of bed, deciding her daily “nap” was over.

She grabbed her sun hat and her family photo album, letting them fall into the saddlebags she gingerly placed upon her back. Taking one last hopeful look into the room, she shut the door behind her, placing a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door handle.

Walking back down the stairs, weights held her hooves to the stairs. It felt like hours had gone by by the time she had reached the final platform, stepping off. She did a slow canter to the kitchen, only stopping in to grab a couple of hay bars. Finally ready to go, she held her head up high. Walking out the door that day, she felt like a new mare, ready to start a new life.

~~~

The train wouldn’t arrive for nearly twenty minutes, and there was really no time to waste. Ruby grunted in anger, her voice nearly silent. Taking a rest on the bench closest to where the train cars would stop, she settled herself in, her mind racing with questions that she would ask Princess Celestia. But what would she tell her?

“Hey there, Princess. It is an honor to be in our presence. I have come to discuss serious matters with you. One of your most faithful subjects, Black Sun, has tricked me. I have now stolen half of your powers!”

Oh, Celestia, did that sound stupid. Nothing she could say would make the punishment she was doomed to receive any better. Ruby told herself that everything would work out in the end. It had to. She could feel her thoughts being interrupted, a heavy being sitting beside her. Looking over, she noticed a stallion, about twice her age, sitting down and chewing on a straw of hay.

“Ummm, hi there.” The stallion looked over, unresponsive. His red coat gleamed in the sun, half blinding Ruby. She couldn’t really be one to argue, her dazzling white coat reflecting the sun even worse. His cutie mark was a large apple. His mane was awny orange, tinted with the slightest of brown, as if he had been working in a field all day.

“Have you been working in dirt your whole life? You look dreadful!” By the time the words had emerged from her lips, she realized they couldn’t be taken back. Those were some horrible things to say, yet she had still said them.

“Eeyup.”

That was all he had to say!? Wow, this colt was a real bummer. She had nothing more to say to him. She certainly knew he was staring at her. She had become quite attractive, least to say. Then again, it could just be that her eyes were a sparkling gold color, which wasn’t quite normal for a pony.

There wasn’t much time to think, as the sounds of the train whistle echoed off from the distance. Every chugging movement along the tracks could be heard, everypony yipping at it and whistling. The train screeched to a halt, all the ponies at the station bombarding the door. All the ones on the train weren’t so enthusiastic, shoving their way through the crowd to enter the town that Ruby now wanted to leave.

As soon as all the other ponies were on board, the conductor gave one last call to the ponies still waiting at the station. “All aboard the Ponyville Express! Next stop, Canterlot!!” At the word Canterlot, Ruby jumped up, flying into the train car.

The ride on its own was fairly slow, and, from reading the schedules, it would be a couple hours until she would arrive at Canterlot, with minor stops along the way. The bumps in the track made a calm setting for Ruby. The ponies quietly conversing, mixed with the sounds of the train rolling through the grass plains, sounded like music to her ears. She fell asleep instantly, her mouth upturned in a smile.

~~~

Hours later, Ruby woke up, gasping for breath. The dream she had wasn’t much, but enough to choke her in her sleep. All that had happened was that Luna showed up, urging her to visit the castle, and then, she was trapped. The cardboard box that contained her was even more powerful than she had imagined.

No matter how much she struggled, it felt like she would never get out. When the box had finally burst open, she woke up. The strangest part was that, in her dream, she had a horn. That was impossible, considering she was an Earth pony! Standing up, she went to go to the restroom to make sure she had no horn.

The bathroom was actually quite nice, for a train. The floor was covered in tile, as her own home was, and it smelled of fresh roses. This was, by far, the prettiest bathroom she had ever been in. It was even laced with silver on the walls!

She walked fervently up to the mirror. Everything seemed okay, and her head definitely did NOT have a horn protruding from it. She turned away, pleased with herself, when something caught the corner of her eye. She turned back to the mirror, this time positioning her body sideways. Of course something had to be wrong. Something was always wrong.

Coming out of her back, on either side of her body, was a pair of wings, white as snow. Each feather was shining and glittery, just as her mane had become only a day ago. “Why am I getting punished for Sun’s sins?” was all that ran through her mind. She didn’t even know how to fly, let alone open her wings. The more she tried to spread the little devils on her back, the more they seemed to glue to her skin.

It was worthless. For the time being, they didn’t want to open, and she wasn’t going to force them. Just as she was about to egress the bathroom, the train came to a halt, thrusting her into the mirror. The mirror cracked, and Ruby looked up in hopes that it wouldn’t shatter. Fate, though, had a different idea, the mirror raining down upon her.

Minus the minor cuts and scrapes, she seemed to be okay. Rising, Ruby limped from the restroom, grabbed her things, and exited the locomotive.

The town was huge!

No words could describe how she felt at this moment. This city was at least ten times larger than Ponyville is or ever will be. In the center of it all stood her destination, Canterlot Castle. She found it fit to wander around first, as it seemed nopony could enter without at least one souvenir.

After at least an hour of window shopping, she finally settled on a store, titled “Antiquites Galore!” It seemed like a neat place, full of life and old treasures that beckoned every passer to it’s alluring collection. Wandering around the shop, she noticed everything, from old pocket watches to what appeared to be an old pony’s dentures. “Ew...who would take this??”

The store was definitely bigger on the inside. She saw a man in a bowtie with a store manager’s badge on, and decided to ask him about his personal preferences. He responded with a British accent.

“Well, if I had to say, I’d say that timey-wimey thing over there,” he pointed, “But if you want simple, I’d recommend that book!”

Ruby took a quick scan around to see where he was pointing, then it caught her eye. It was a blue book, in the shape of an old phone box. Nothing was written on it, but it felt important in her hooves, like it belonged with her. I opened it up to a random page, reading aloud.

“Ruby Star proceeded to open the book, deciding if this was a good read or not. Surprised at the contents, she quickly slammed it shut, throwing it at the British manager, Doctor Whooves.”

“Ack!! What in Equestria!?...”

She closed the book quickly, throwing it halfway across the store. “Ouch! What in bleeding Equestria did you do a thing like that for!? You’re paying, not me!”

Ruby ran, quite quickly, over to Doctor Whooves, checking if he was alright. “Yea, yea, I’ll be fine, just don’t go messing with my things. Do you want the book or not? I find it quite interesting…”

In the end, after a few minutes of haggling with this strange pony, Ruby thought it best to buy the book. It had her name in it, therefore she needed it. She put twelve bits on the counter, picking up her book.

She didn’t actually want to read it. It had already depicted her future once, so why wouldn’t it again? Would she really want to know what was going to happen to her? “Well...one more peek couldn’t hurt…”

“She seemed to get quite caught up in her book, not noticing the taxi was heading straight for Ruby, who had been standing in the middle of the road.”

Ruby looked up and shrieked. It was true! The taxi was coming straight for her, signaling a head-on collision. Jumping out of the way as fast as she could, the cab missed her by only mere inches. She couldn’t read anymore. She wasn’t going to die before reaching that castle, not on this day.

Tucking the book away in her bags, she ventured on, this time committing herself to the castle. Nothing else would distract her!

~~~

From so far away, the castle seemed miniscule. Up close, though, Ruby was scared. The doors to this place seemed to be at least twenty Rubies high! She was afraid to knock, or even to come close. All around the castle perimeter, guards were stationed at their posts. They all stood so straight, no muscles moving.

Upon walking in front of a guard, Ruby found out that the guards really never moved. No matter how many faces she made, or how many times she poked them, they remained inactive. It was insane. What kind of training did they give the Royal Guards? Mind control training? Sheesh…

She couldn’t turn back now. She had gotten here, and the next train wasn’t bound to leave until tomorrow. Then again, she could just book a hotel for the night...no! She had to see Princess Celestia!

She closed her eyes, the protective feeling of the darkness surrounding her making her feel comforted. Eyes sealed, she walked forward, prepared to push the doors to the castle inward. She hit her face on the metal knocker, opening her eyes and realizing that this was a pull door. Rolling her eyes, she pulled open the door, taking her first step into the unknown.

~~~

Ruby Star took large steps, trying to act as regal as she could be. She held her head up high, and kept her back straight. She felt funny, but if this was people in the castle walked, then she would have to as well. She noticed another pony trotting around frantically, and went up to ask her about the Princess’ room.

“Umm...it would be down the hall on your right. I wouldn’t think you’d miss the throne room after that.”

Ruby thanked her, walking away in a more normalized manner. She took the hall on her right, as instructed, and, looking down it, she understood why this path was the way to the Princess’ chambers. This was the longest hallway she had ever seen. There was seemingly no end to it.

“No better time than the present to get things done…” she thought as she started her journey down the hall. Every door she passed looked the exact same. The white colors with the unique golden designs on each door intrigued her. Each design seemed to get more awesome the further she made it down the hall. She passed an eagle, a dragon, and then even a depiction of Discord, the God of Chaos.

She couldn’t imagine anything cooler than this castle.

Finally, after what only seemed like a couple of minutes, she came upon a large, oval-shaped door. This was, with no mistake, the Room of the Two Sisters. With a brave heart, she strode into the room. Celestia sat upon her throne, looking down upon Ruby. It was as if Celestia herself knew that Ruby Star was coming, and even anticipated her arrival.

“Hello, Ruby. You’ve come to see me?”

Ruby was just as surprised as she was relieved. Princess Celestia didn’t seem to be angry, nor did she seem to know what was going on. While it did worry Ruby, it was more of a relief to her. She wouldn’t have to explain anything at all to the princess.

“Yes, Princess, I have. Recently, I joined the ranks of the Solar Empire-”

Celestia seemed to narrow her eyes at this. In truth, the Solar Empire was a touchy subject for her. When she had originally banished her sister to the moon, Luna’s followers revolted against Celestia, and she was forced to send them far away. Now, they were returning. Celestia was not in the mood for this talk.

“And it would appear that your student, Black Sun, has gone corrupt. She has been thinking of many new ways lately to plot against Luna and destroy both her and the New Lunar Republic. I have come to you to ask that you help me bring Black Sun to justice.”

Lying to the princess hurt Ruby, but she felt that it was the right thing to do. If she figured out that her power had been taken, she would be furious, and probably banish her to the moon as well. Celestia didn’t say much.

“Well, my student, I can’t help you. A corruption of power is why we have the Elements of Harmony. They are here to protect us, and, if need be, I will step in.”

Ruby stepped back, a little bit shocked. Did Celestia just say that her job was not to protect her people? That was messed up on so many levels! How could a princess not care about her subjects? Maybe...maybe it was all just a test! Maybe she wanted to make sure her people were doing good, so when she left this world, they would be able to manage on their own.

She looked up as Celestia pulled out a box, similar to the one she had seen in the forest. In fact, Celestia loved cake! Ever since she had attended Pinkie’s party in Ponyville, she couldn’t get enough of it. Luna told her that she would gain weight, but Celestia refused to listen. She just kept calling Pinkie, once a week, to bring in some more cake. Celestia pulled out two plates and used her magic to serve both her and Ruby a slice.

She levitated Ruby’s piece down to her, taking care in every bite she took. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed pretty enticed by this cake. Ruby didn’t know what the big deal was, deciding to try a bite for herself. The flavor exploded in her mouth.

A combination of raspberry and vanilla, the cake was delicious. Each bite proved to be better than the last, and both cake-loving ponies had their eyes closed, savoring every single bite. They were too wrapped up in their cake, both startled when the door to the chamber burst open.

Luna hurried herself in, each breath a pant. She took a moment to regain her breath, then spoke in a somewhat angry manner. “We cannot have cake at a time like this! Have thou not heard of the great fire that has bestruck Manehattan? We must attend to it, sister, at once!”

Celestia swallowed her cake calmly. It appeared that this was not the first fire that had occurred recently. She set down her plate and stood up. “Ruby Star, you must go now. I have business to attend to…”

Really!? Corruption wasn’t a big issue, but a small fire was!? Ruby was now enraged. Princess Celestia was a scroll of riddles. Ruby just stood on the windowsill, opening up her new wings. Then she looked down at where Manehattan lie.

Her eyes widened, finally coming to know of why Celestia chose this issue to combat. Half of Manehattan was on fire, most of what appeared to be the decorations now burnt. The screams were imminently heard from the castle, and Ruby heard a whoosh, turning around to find that Celestia had teleported away.

In an instant, the fire was gone. The remaining portions of town began to crumble, and the ponies that were bound to still be on fire continued screaming, their voices stinging her ears like a pack of wasps. Ruby couldn’t stand pain. It was too much for her heart to handle, and if she had to hear anymore screams, there was no doubt that she truly would jump off of the castle windowsill.

Then she remembered her wings. How could they have opened now? When everyone was in trouble, and she was mad at Celestia, they had seemed to open automatically, like a reaction. It was strange, having wings. Were they always unresponsive unless ponies needed saving? It didn’t seem like it, as all the pegasi could fly like a breeze.

When she heard the familiar sound of a teleportation spell, she knew that Celestia had returned. Spinning around, her eyes widened at Celestia’s face. Covered in ashes, she looked terrified.

“This fire was of no accident. A whole group of members from the Solar Empire have been burned by the Republicans. You must hurry, at once, to Manehattan.”

What's Life Without a Little Fun?

Ruby couldn’t begin to imagine what had happened! The Solar Empire had set fire to most of Manehattan!? Why would they do that? Was the war really that bad? Had Ruby caused this…?

She didn’t have time to think. As soon as Princess Celestia had told her about the mass fire, she found herself right in the middle of it all.

“W-what!? Celestia!? Take me back! Please…” Ruby began to cry, knowing that soon she would see many of her friends here in Manehattan.

Ruby had actually grown up in Manehattan. She hid most of her past life from all of her friends in Ponyville. It wasn’t that it was so bad that it was to be kept secret. She just didn’t want to remember the incident that had happened right before she moved.

Looking up, Ruby gasped. Everything was charred, and the bodies of ponies long gone stung the air with their stench, composed of burnt flesh and smoking hair. All townsponies that hadn’t been smoked to the bone gathered around the small apartment building that had been turned into an inferno just moments before.

The head pony of the town rushed in. There was not actually a mayor of manehattan. All the ponies just looked up to one another.

“Is everypony okay!? Has any pony that lives been hurt?” Not a peep erupted from the crowd.. All around. loved ones cried over the deaths of family. Children screamed for their parents, their tears erupting a river onto their parents, now gone to Heaven.

Ruby only looked around in horror. Why would anypony be so bold as to kill at least one hundred ponies? “Those damn Republicans…”

Her face squinted, only slightly, trying to keep the tears in. She knew she had to say something to these ponies, if only that she was sorry. Walking up in front of them all, Ruby stood tall, her voice echoing across the lands.

“Citizens of Manehattan, my name is Ruby Star. I am a member of the Solar Empire. Now, I, from Celestia’s castle, have witnessed this travesty against you. I am sorry to say, the dead are assumed to all be part of the Solar Empire. I take the blame for this fire. I hold within me a power like none other.

“I cannot imagine what you are going through. My own mind is clouded with ignorance of the past. I do not mean this in an insulting way, but as a hopeful one. A hope that your loved ones will be remembered. We all desire to bring them back, but we also know that it would be impossible to do so.

“I promise to bring these miscreants to justice. They have brought a great damage on us all. For now, we shall mourn. A ceremony will be held, and you all protected. It will be hard, I cannot deny, to live like this forever. For now, I advise you all to move to another town, while yours is rebuilt on my behalf. My friend, Princess Twilight, resides in Ponyville. She will help you all, of that, I am sure.

“Please, have no fear. These deceivers will live no more. Or my name is not Ruby Star.”

Ruby Star twitched, a huge shock jolting her body one way. She gave a shaky smile, standing somewhat hesitantly on the stage.

“What just happened? That was a small power surge...I’d better watch out.”

Ruby watched as the crowd’s buoyancy increased. All the ponies stomped their hooves, a smile beginning to return to their faces. Ruby beamed back at them, starting to slowly walk off stage. Inside, she was in a state of absolute terror. How had she even had the courage to go up there!?

Right now, it really didn’t matter. Ruby had to get out of here. Whoever had set off this fire was obviously superior to Ruby. She had just lied to the whole town of Manehattan. What would happen to her if she didn’t live up to her words?

Backing up, Ruby bumped into another pony. "Oh, my ba-"

Her mouth was covered. She looked up into the eyes of an unknown assailant. The voice that came from the mouth of this kidnapper was feminine, slightly southern.

"If ya'll know what's good fer ya, keep yer mouth shut, kay?"

Ruby just nodded her head. What was going to happen? Was she going to die!? She couldn’t die now! She was chosen, right?

The unknown villain trailed behind Ruby, leading her to a destination unknown. For a while, they walked across the city, eventually leaving the town to trek the plains. An hour later, they were in a castle, far from most of civilization.

Ruby knew about this place. She didn’t exactly remember what book it had been found in, but this was the “Castle of the Two Sisters.” Originally, both Luna and Celestia resided here together. One day, Luna went crazy for power, turning into Nightmare Moon. Apparently, Celestia fought valiantly. She had not wanted to do it, but in the end, she had to banish Luna to the moon for 1,000 years.

It was odd, finally seeing this place in person. It was bigger than Ruby had expected, and it was supposed to be secret.

“If I may ask, now that we’re away from the crowd, why are we here?”

The invader spun Ruby to face her, taking off her mask. Ruby recognized the face. This pony owned the Apple farm, didn’t she?

“Yer ‘ere ‘cuz Princess Luna wants to see ya.”

Princess Luna wanted to see Ruby? That made no sense. The princess on the opposing side of the war never talked to a member from the enemy. The only logical explanation could be that it was, in truth, Princess Celestia, and this apple-bucking mare was lying.

She was lead into what seemed to be a once beautiful throne room. The drapes, lined with the finest material, were ragged, cut to shreds, most likely in the battle of the sisters. The concrete floors were cracked, chunks sticking up, jagged. On the far wall there sat two chairs, woven with the finest velvet. It wasn’t hard to deduce that these chairs were the main seating place for Princess’ Luna and Celestia.

Ruby stopped in the center of the room, on the emblem that once meant peace and harmony. Today, she recognized peace and harmony as six elements, taken to the form of six friends. The country mare stepped out, leaving Ruby all by her lonesome in the room. The closing of the door echoed through the deserted halls, ricocheting back to Ruby’s ears.

It was a joke.

Ruby started to believe that nothing was to come. Some mares from the Republic probably set her up to be here, and she was probably going to die. Turning around, she came face-to-face with none other than the number one enemy.

Princess Luna towered a foot above Ruby, staring down at her. Ruby looked up, cowering down, no match for the large princess who stood in front of her. Her voice was even worse, shouting above the normal tone for any pony.

“RUBY STAR, I SEE YOU HAVE TAKEN TO JOINING THE SOLAR EMPIRE!!!”

Ruby became terrified. She was going to die here, and at the hands of the pony who she had wanted most to avoid. “Y-yes, Princess Luna, I have. I would hope that is not an issue to you…” Her face twisted into a smile, her fear protruding from every angle.

“A PROBLEM? I DO NOT CARE WHO YOU DECIDE TO JOIN!! I CARE ONLY ABOUT THE MARK ON YOUR FLANK!”

Ruby had totally forgotten about her new cutie mark. She turned to her side, revealing the moon of Princess Luna on each flank. She appeared to be a member of the New Lunar Republic, which was, in fact, untrue.

“I understand why you would be interested, Princess, but I’m not special. It’s just a mishap. I’ll get it changed next time the Solar Empire meets.”

“THAT WILL NOT BE NECESSARY. I WANT YOU TO WORK UNDER THE COVER FOR ME!”

Undercover? For Princess Luna? Why would she even...that made no sense! She would always be loyal to the Goddess of the Sun, would she not?

“I-I’m sorry, Princess, but I can’t. Princess Celestia is my guardian, and I must follow her word.”

Ruby Star wasn’t going to hear any more of this. Pushing aside her fear, she stepped past Luna, walking out of the door and down the hall.

“BUT DO YOU NOT HAVE MY MARK!? YOU WERE DESTINED TO BE MY SUBJECT! I WILL TRAIN YOU!”

Ruby Star briefly looked back, muttering small words, only audible to Luna. “I will never be your student, Princess Luna.”

And she was out the door. It didn’t matter to Ruby. She didn’t want to be one of Luna’s children of the night. She didn’t want to live in the shadows, as she was now. Her choices were unlimited, but she had chosen her path. It wasn’t going to change just because she was different from everypony else.

For one final moment, Ruby looked back at the castle. She saw Luna standing at the front doors, looking sadly at her. For a second, Ruby actually felt sorry for her. A thousand years on the moon must’ve been hard, even for a princess.

Turning back to the path ahead, Ruby had a lot on her mind. She would be thinking for hours.

~~~

On the outskirts of Ponyville, Ruby contemplated whether she should go in or not. If she did, ponies would surround her with questions. If she didn’t, she would probably never see her friends again.

When she originally left, she told herself that she wasn’t going to come back. For the days missed, her heart was strung up, being pulled every which way. Nothing was right, and nothing was wrong. It was just a big jumble of mismatched ideas.

Ruby turned to face the bakery that Pinkie Pie so lovingly baked her treats in. She saw the six friends all gathered around the counter, sharing treats with one another. Looking in, she saw a pony she didn’t recognize.

Pinkie was conversing with this strange pony. The mare herself had a purple mane, a rock lying inside of her pocket. She never seemed to smile, but her and Pinkie seemed to converse, a lot.

Ruby sighed. Her life had gone downhill, and she didn’t have anyone to come back to. She had no choice but to turn around, away from Ponyville. Her tears were mottled by the night, her figure descending over the hills.

A couple of hours later Ruby stopped. Looking up, she realized that she was lost. There were no lights around, save for the moonlight, and howls could be heard from behind her, quite far off. Without a sense of direction, Ruby didn’t know what the nearest town was nor where it was.

Just as suddenly, the moonlight changed. It shifted from its downward position to a full beam on Rubys’ left. Turning left, she noticed that the beam illuminated a city far off in the distance. Shrugging, Ruby decided to migrate to the city, no matter which one it may be. It was her only shot at surviving the night.

The walk was incredibly slow to Ruby, when in reality, it only took about half an hour. Halfway through her journey, though, a voice spoke softly inside of her head. “Find the traitors. Come to me.”

Ruby stopped, quite abruptly, in her path. She could’ve sworn another pony had just spoken to her. “Hello? Is somepony there?”

The voice continued to whisper, the same words flowing into Ruby’s head time and time again.

“S-stop it! I don’t want your advice! Stay away from me!”

She began to run, still on the path of the moonlight. No matter how fast Ruby ran, the voice kept whispering to her. The closer she got to the dim lights of the city, the louder the voice got. It was an unrecognizable voice, and Ruby was freaking out.

“SOMEPONY HELP ME!! THEY’RE FOLLOWING ME!”

Not a single pony came from their houses to investigate the loud yelling that could probably have been heard for at least a mile.

Ruby continued to scream, running through the streets of a town until she came upon the only place with lights on. Forgetting her manners, Ruby bursted in, slamming the door forcefully behind her.

The voice stopped, only one more sentence fading from her thoughts. “What’s life without a little fun?”

And just like that, the voice was gone. Ruby’s eyes fluttered open, a sigh of relief coming from her mouth. Finally, she had time to observe her surroundings. Over time, Ruby had developed a sense to quickly assess the situations she was in. The strange thing was that she had never even thought of where she was standing before. Now, she couldn’t enter a room without noticing every little detail it had to offer.

The room was dimly lit, only illuminated by a candle that sat on top of a wooden desk. The desk was ornate, probably new, with papers scattered across its surface. A fireplace, newly furnished and most likely never lit, held a ship in a bottle on its mantle. The room itself was fairly small, and the only other object in the room was a mini refrigerator that could hold at least three meals for a pony.

Ruby’s stomach burbled, only then making her notice how hungry she truly was. Stepping carefully over a broken floorboard, Ruby used her mouth to open the fridge. The handle was almost too small to fit in her teeth, but somehow she managed to find a way to open the door.

There was nothing inside the fridge. All the shelves were bare, and not even a speck of food was left. It was as if this fridge was never touched, just like the rest of the room.

Ruby was just about to close the fridge, when a small twinkle hit her eye. It wasn’t the twinkle of an ice cuber, or even just the light in the fridge turning off. She looked closely at the contents of the fridge, just then realizing that there was a compartment above all the shelves.

It was fairly hard to open. After failing numerous times to open it with her nuzzle, she resorted to using her front hooves. It took her quite a few times, but finally she hit the right edge, throwing open the drawer. It flung back, hitting her in the face.

“Ouch...well, I sure am smart…”

Ignoring the bruise on the right side of her face, Ruby peeked into the drawer, its contents filling her eyes with wonder.

There was only one food in the drawer. All of the wrapped food had one word labeled on their silver foil: “Chocolate.”

Right now, Ruby didn’t care what it was, or where it came from. Picking up one of the chocolate bars, Ruby took it all into her mouth, chewing and swallowing it, wrapper and all. Aside from the papery taste, she really liked it. She took a couple more into her stomach, making a grossed out face after each of them. When she had had her fill, she put the drawer back in its place, yet again with a lot of failure, and turned to face the door.

To Ruby’s amazement, the door was gone, and now there was a book on the table. It looked strangely similar to the journal she had seen Twilight carrying so often, with only one slight difference. The cover design was that of the emblem for the two sisters.

All of a sudden, the world spun around Ruby. Her eyes became a dizzy mess, orienting themselves after she fell on the floor. She didn’t really know how long she had been on the floor, but when she got up, a strange sight met her eyes. Celestia was sitting at the desk, her horn illuminated and a quill floating beside her. She was writing in the book that was on the desk, speaking each of her words as she wrote them.

“My beloved sister,

Your presence still lingers, as if you are watching me from above, from the moon. I am so deeply sorry for what I have done to you. I had feared your power, and I was a coward. I had no choice but to banish you, as I have never wanted to see you leave like I had to tonight, I write to you from my secret room, of which you know well. Sister dear, I miss you so deeply, and I long for your presence. I am so sorry, I truly am.”

Celestia stopped writing for a moment, tears filling her eyes. She cried, whispering Luna’s name over and over again. When she wiped away the tears, the page was already wet, and she once again floated her quill to the pages, her words flowing like the breeze of the trees on a cool fall afternoon.

“My past haunts me, and I know of the power that you are capable of. That is why I am leaving, not to return for a long time. I understand that when you return, things will be different between the two of us. We will stand united, but our views will be different. I cannot change this, but I can assure you that this will happen.

“And this, therefore, is why I must leave. It is too painful for me to stay. So, in a few hundred years, a mare will be born, under the last name of Sparkle. I will transfer some of my power over to her on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration. Twilight Sparkle will become a princess, as we are.

“And then, before you return, I will be gone. You will never see me again. Dear sister, I will love you, forever and always. Do not forget me, or the sacrifice I have made for our kingdom.

Your beloved sister,

Princess Celestia”

This couldn’t be true. Princess Celestia wasn’t a coward. Ruby knew all about the battle that the two sisters shared on that fateful night when Nightmare Moon was banished. Princess Celestia fought valiantly against Nightmare Moon, did she not? When she looked up, Princess Celestia was gone, the book having been lost with her.

The door had reappeared, and Ruby jumped out, hoping to catch a glimpse of the quickly fleeing princess. No pony was in eyesight, and Ruby felt slightly confused. She had just seen Princess Celestia writing to Nightmare Moon, who had been defeated only years before by...Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

Could Twilight really be the mare that Celestia had mentioned? Had Ruby seen a painting of the past, stroking itself as time progressed? Would that make Twilight a princess? Wasn’t she a part of the Republic!? This just didn’t make any sense!! There was only one way to find out. She would have to go back to Ponyville, and question Twilight.

As soon as this thought crossed Ruby’s mind, a bright flash hit her eyes. In the sky, a large star flew upwards, and blinded Ruby. Just as suddenly, it hovered to the ground and was gone. Ruby wasn’t able to see, and she blacked out, in the open.

Her body fell slowly, and her eyes fluttered as she hit the dirt. “Don’t...take...me...please…”

A Battle Fled

It was a horn.

Staring into the mirror, Ruby realized that she now not only had wings, but a horn as well. She didn’t really know where it came from, but what she did know was that she was an alicorn. An alicorn!

Her body lit up, a large wave of electricity flowing through her, the power surging to her brain, her heart beating fast. When she fell to the floor, her hair was slightly brown, cooked from the shock.

The rest of the room was completely white, one window shining bright sunlight into the room. Ruby crossed the small space to stare out the window. She stared into nothing. It was the same nothing that she had beheld for many years, now.

Her memory wasn’t like what it used to be, but she knew why she was in here.

She had singlehandedly taken down the New Lunar Republic, taking Princess Luna’s power in the process. Just a normal Earth pony, she couldn’t handle the alicorn magic that surged through her. She had gone crazy, making a rampage on Equestria. That was when they came and took her away to this room.

For years, she stared at white walls, listening to the screams from the war that echoed in her head day and night. Where had it all gone wrong?

She remembered when Twilight Sparkle became a princess. She remembered rising up against the Republicans. But when did she have the time to kill that many ponies!?

She continued to peek out the window, looking at the dark sky and the Earth that seemed so far away.

Celestia had banished her to the moon, just as she had done with her sister. But she didn’t deserve it! She was only following her destiny! Princess Celestia was a fraud, and Ruby Star was going to expose her!

Ruby’s large horn lit up, her wings spreading across the expanse of the room. She screamed in rage, the walls bursting into feathers around her, the night sky illuminated in such a way that it could be seen from light years away.

Except, as soon as all the feathers fell to the ground, another house appeared around her. It was hopeless. Until the spell wore off, she was cursed to live in this house for her sentence. She did get the daily three meals and a bed to sleep on at night, but it didn’t amount to Equestria.

She had loved all of her friends, and she was only doing what was right. Did it really make sense that she would get banished, when Celestia herself said she wasn’t to get involved? She sighed, sitting down on the bed, just large enough to fit her in a sleeping position.

She was banished for less than Luna had been, only getting a sentence of 500 years, but it was definitely more than enough time to think over the things she had supposedly done.

She was thinking about a new way to escape when she heard a knock at the door, which had suddenly appeared right next to her. It wasn’t able to be opened, but it had a small slit that she could poke her eyes through. Opening it, she hesitantly called out.

“H-hello? Is somepony here with me?”

She didn’t hear a response back; Only a letter flew through the small slot. The writing on the front was neat, her name printed in fine letters on the front. She rushed to the crack to find the pony, but none stood there, and the slot slowly closed up.

Without much hesitation, she rushed herself to the letter, slashing it open with her horn. 200 years of solid nothing hadn’t been very exciting, and this was new to her. There wasn’t much writing on the inside, save a few fine words.

“You have to wake up, Ruby Star.”

Her eyes widened, her screams returning.

~~~

She sat up, the air crushing her under its weight. She was still in the field of the town she had fallen in. This time, though, the bustling sounds around her made it evident that she wasn’t alone.

The blazing lights of the signs around her advertised everything, from neon light signs to spells of the highest power.

Ruby reached up to her forehead with her hoof, surprised to find that there was no horn there. In her dream, she was an alicorn, trapped on the moon. She remembered thinking that she had killed tons of ponies in the war of the empires.

Ponies trampled around her, all shouting at her to stay away from the road as if she was a drunk. She stood up, her eyes adjusting to the bright lights that hadn’t been there when she blacked out.

The first thing that she noticed was the abundance of trees surrounding this area. She stood up, focusing on trying to figure out where she was. By the large amount of words on each sign, it wasn’t very hard to tell where she was. The most noticed of the signs was the one that advertised apple cider.

“Coming straight from Sweet Apple Acres to your beautiful city of Baltimare, we bring you fresh apple cider! It’s the best around. Only two bits a mug!”

So she was in Baltimare, huh? This was the city that Celestia stayed in when Luna took over and began to reside in Ponyville?

Looking around, Ruby didn’t even know where to go. Her best option would be to go to Princess Celestia once again and help her locate all members of the New Lunar Republic.

She couldn’t think straight, the sounds of ponies fighting filling her ears. She turned around to face the fight, gasping at the sight.

On one side of the fight, ponies with suns on their flanks stood, wood in mouth. On the other side, ponies with moons on their flanks stood bravely, their horns glowing. It was kind of weird. All of the ponies in the New Lunar Republic, save one, were unicorns. The only one that wasn’t a unicorn was their captain. The one leading them all was a Pegasus, her rainbow mane poking out from her helmet.

Ruby Star recognized her instantly. The pony under the helmet was Rainbow Dash, Equestria’s leading weather pony, her being the fastest and all. It was no wonder the Solar Empire was being demolished. Most of the strongest ponies in Equestria were part of the New Lunar Republic. First it was Twilight Sparkle, and now Rainbow Dash was on Luna’s side!

Ruby Star ran up, right before all began to charge, and screamed at the top of her lungs. “STTTTOOOOOOOPPPPP!!!”

All of them stopped, snarls on their faces, to look at Ruby, who had just interrupted a huge battle. Ruby opened her mouth to speak, interrupted by a scream as she saw a spear fly through the air towards her. She closed her eyes, a tear falling down her cheek. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes, hearing the sounds of every other pony gasping. She saw a lot of pink surrounding her, the spear lying on the ground in shattered pieces.

There was a protective spell around her, and the only one to blame was herself. Her body was lit up, the large bubble encasing her shielding her from the outside elements. Now she had time to talk, and talk she did.

“Ponies of the war, why do we fight? We have taken sides so that one princess can stand to rule across Equestria, but that is not the plan. The princesses rule together happily, and we have taken this battle to a whole new level.

“I, myself, am on no side. Both sides have caused enough strife in Equestria, and have caused many casualties in the process. I know you all mean well for each other, but is it worth the lives of every other citizen for one princess to rule instead of coexist?”

Each pony looked at one another, shrugging their shoulders. Ruby’s eyes brightened, the realization that she was making a difference really kicking in.

“You’re crazy! Only Celestia will rule Equestria!”

This single comment sent every other pony into an outrage. They all raised their weapons, charging once again towards each other. Ruby ran out of the way, watching as the bloody fight began. Swords smashed against each other, the loud clangs echoing over the street. Stones flew on both sides, hitting the others square in the head.

Ruby watched as ponies from both sides fell down, their blood flowing into the drains. Heads butted together, the sounds of screams ringing into her ears. She watched as her friends fell. The only pony not hurt was Rainbow Dash, who flew above them all, dropping lightning bolts on unsuspecting ponies’ heads.

The smell of charred fur hit Ruby’s nostrils, making her cringe her face in disgust. A tear fell onto the ground beside her, and she raised a hoof to her forehead. She was saluting all of her fallen brethren, dying for the greater good of Equestria. She knew that the Solar Empire had no chance against Rainbow Dash and the New Lunar Republic, so she opened her wings and flew away.

~~~

“Discord, why do you not help me? I desperately need it!”

Ruby had been hearing these voices in her head for hours. They didn’t really bother her as much as they gave her a headache. She didn’t know where they originated from, as she had never heard them before. She tried her best to ignore them and continue her flight, but they became increasingly louder with each flap of her wings.

What surprised her more than mysterious voices in her head was the fact that she had learned to fly so quickly. She had achieved her wings a short time ago, and she was already basically an expert on flying, even if just slowly.

When the town of Canterlot was in sight, she flew down to the ground, determined to walk the rest of the way. As soon as her hooves touched the ground, the voices stopped. She was relieved, but also worried. Could something worse be coming now that the voices stopped?

For a short period of time, she walked in the light of the dawning sun, enjoying the warmth on her bright coat. The grass gave way to life once again in the comfort of the sun’s rays. The extravagant colors of spring sang to Ruby, her face becoming mellow with the world around her.

The castle was just up ahead, and she was going to walk in and march straight to Celestia. No matter what, Celestia would lead the revolution and save all of Ponykind. She took one step into the colorful field of flowers-

And stepped right into the throne room of the crystal empire. Princess Cadence stared down at Ruby, her face a look of pure shame.

“Ruby Star, leader of the Solar Empire. You have disappointed the rulers of Equestria.”

Now Ruby was really confused. She had disappointed them, but exactly how did she hamper their spirits? She looked up to Cadence, an odd look on her face.

“Princess Cadence, I am very sorry if I offend you, but how did I vex the Princesses? I have done nothing.”

Cadence stood up, stepping down with her husband, Shining Armor, to stand in front of one very scared Ruby Star. “We know that you were at the marred battle in Baltimare. As leader of the Solar Empire, it is your duty to fight with them. Instead, you watched as your army was destroyed, and then you ran away.”

Ruby’s pupils went small. It was true. She had run away from a battle, but not because she was scared. She didn’t want to fight. All she asked for was peace within the two sides, and that was a lot to ask for.

“Princess, I cannot fight. It is against all that I find true to battle and kill the ones who I have known for so long.”

Princess Cadence brought her head down, shaking it slowly from side to side. “Do you know how many are gone, because of you, Ruby Star? I almost lost my husband to the Solar Empire! It’s a wonder I’m even conversing with the likes of you! Get out of my castle!”

Her horn flared up, and Ruby was back outside, but not where she was before. She found herself in a desert, surrounded by apple trees. It would be a wonder for her not to know this place. She was in Appleloosa. And now, she was surrounded by the one type of pony that she never wanted to be affiliated with. Cowponies…

All around, she heard “Howdy” and “Welcome to Appleloosa.” Her headache wasn’t getting any better, and she was being crushed to death by a bunch of ponies who were a little bit too social. This brought back memories of her days with Twilight. One time, at the Grand Galloping Gala, everything went to discord when Twilight and her friends destroyed most of the event. It made her happy, as it was always too boring for her, but still made all the other guests a little irritated.

For a second, Ruby thought she was going to die, but then a voice spoke out above the rest. “All right now, everypony, it’s time fer dinner! Let’s get off the young lass and she can join us.”

Ruby felt relieved, jumping up to hug the pony who had saved her. Opening her eyes to face the savior in the eyes, Ruby jumped back, half knocking into the dirt. The pony who had saved her was the exact same pony that had kidnapped her just the other day. AppleJack was in Appleloosa!

“H-hello again, AppleJack. How have you been?”

“Why, I’ve been mighty fine, Ruby! It’s good to see ya again! What brings ya ta Appleloosa?”

Ruby smiled, realizing that AppleJack was no longer a threat to her. “I don’t really know, AJ. I was just at the Crystal Empire, talking to Cadence about the Solar Empire, when I found myself here, in Appleloosa. I guess I can stay for some food, as long as it’s not all apples.”

AppleJack laughed, putting a hoof around one of Ruby’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, sugarcube, we have hay, too!”

They both laughed, making their way to the mess hall for some grub.

~~~

“...and then I said that’s an apple, not an orange!”

All the ponies around the large table burst out in laughter. It wasn’t fun to be laughing about Pinkie Pie, but Braeburn sure knew how to tell a good joke. Ruby stood up from the table, her stomach hanging low. She was full from that hearty meal, and she was ready to make her way back to Canterlot Castle.

“Does anypony know which train will take me back to Canterlot?”

With that remark, everypony, yet again, crowded around Ruby, all trying to give her directions on which train to take and at what time she was to take it. Her best bet was to go to AppleJack, and that she did.

“Hey, AJ, which train will get me to Canterlot the fastest?”

She just laughed and galloped off, Ruby following, very slowly, behind her. Once she reached the train station, AppleJack shoved a couple of tickets into Ruby’s mouth.

“These tickets will get ya there the fastest, but unfortunately, due to a water shortage in Appleloosa, the train is rerouted to stop a couple miles from ‘ere! So I got ya a ride to the train stop!”

She pointed to a cart, two stallions pulling, and shoved Ruby in. With a yip and a holler, they were off to the train stop.

“YEEEEEEEHHAAAWWW!!! I’ll be seeing ya ‘round, Ruby!”

Ruby waved a shaky hoof to AppleJack, bouncing up and down as the cart hit at least a million rocks. By the time they arrived at the station, Ruby was on the verge of being sick. She stumbled out of the cart, the ponies walking by having to catch her to make sure she didn’t fall over. Thanking them, she walked over to the platform, awaiting the train’s arrival.

Her eyes darted back and forth, suddenly being aware of how much all the ponies stared at her. It wasn’t her weight, that was for sure. She had probably burned off all of those calories by now. Ruby turned to the pony next to her.

“Hey, why are all of you staring at me?”

The mare next to her had the accent of a snooty pony, probably from the town of Manehattan.

“Well, not to alarm you or anything, but did you ever notice that you’re an alicorn, my dear?”

Ruby Star sat up straight, reaching both hooves to her head, only to feel the smooth texture of a horn protruding from her head. Her dream was coming true! She didn’t want to be banished to the moon!

She jumped up, holding in silent screams. To stop herself from attracting attention, she took a cupcake from a pony nearby and shoved it in her mouth. It calmed her down just enough so that she could run to a bathroom.

Staring into a mirror, she didn’t think she looked half bad. The horn was a pretty cool addition, and she had to agree that it went well with her white coat. Another large power surge made her jump, her hair standing on edge. It didn’t bother her anymore, having gotten used to being struck with power. She felt bigger than the rest of the ponies when she was filled with power. It made her feel alive.

She felt the ground shaking, a loud whistle in her ears. She knew the train was coming, and she couldn’t miss her one shot to Canterlot. She hurried out of the bathroom, just in time to climb onto the train.

As soon as the train was off, Ruby began to relax. Her troubles were over for the next couple of hours on her way to see Princess Celestia.

“Hold up! Get on the ground, everypony, and no pony gets hurt!”

Ah, great...the universe wouldn’t let me off the hook for even one measly second...

Author's Note

Yet another chapter successfully completed! Please enjoy, all of you! I cannot wait to write another soon! Oh, and thank you all for inspiring me to write this :)