Chapter 1 - New Hellos & A Very Heavy Book

Chapter 1

New Hellos

&

A Very Heavy Book

5 Years Ago

Class had finally ended. As the rest of his classmates filed out of the room, Chip took an extra moment to organize his cluttered saddlebags, shifting maps and books around between the two bags to make the load more balanced. Chip had just finished organizing his bags when the last of his classmates exited the classroom and made his own way towards the door when he heard Professor Page, an elderly unicorn pony with a kind smile, and small round spectacles. He had a dark grey coat, purple eyes, a cyan mane, tail, beard, and a black robe worn by all of the university’s professors.

"Chip, Would you mind staying but a moment?" Professor Page casually beckons with his spectacles and a cloth floating in front of him by magic, just having finished cleaning his glasses.

Chip stopped and turned back to the old unicorn before walking over.

"Sure, Professor, What's up?" Chip asked.

"I have a favor to ask of you. Could you please return this book to the Canterlot library? I promised an old friend I would return it when my class was over. Sad to say I'm not as fit as I once was." Page chuckled at his own expense.

Chip smiled and nodded happily to his teacher. He'd usually used the campus library and had never been into the castle proper before. He was too excited over the new old legend he had just heard during class. Perhaps he could talk to this 'old friend' and see if he could read and study more about the legend.

Chip nodded accepting the task. Professor Page levitated the book up over to Chips back, (the only place it would fit.) and set it down on the young stallion. Chip grunted at the immense weight of the old book and tensed up his legs to keep himself from collapsing. How could a book weigh this much! he thought to himself. Professor Page slipped the key on a flimsy string around his neck and With a strained smile chip turned and very slowly made his way out of the classroom taking one step at a time. This thing has to weigh a ton! he thought as he walked down the hall step by heavy step, more or less sliding each hoof forward one at a time.

Chip stopped by one of the side passageways after something caught the corner of his eye. Turning his head he grinned and struggled his way over to the wooden box cart. Chip grunted as he lowered himself down and tilted himself to the side a bit to let the heavy tome slide off his back and land with a heavy and rather loud THUD onto the flat platform of the box cart.
The book not only looked heavy but was heavier than it should have been. The large tome easily could cover his back with its solid silver front and back cover. Sturdy hinges on the spine and intricate engravings on the front cover. The back cover he could not see but just assumed that it had similar engravings on it. The lock on the front looked rather complex for something needing such a simple key to unlock it. Now that Chip though about it even he could feel a strong power emanating from the tiny key hanging about his neck on its flimsy length of string. The gems around the lock were beautifully cut sparkling diamonds holding a power all their own, but for what purpose he did not know. The fact that he could feel the power emanating from the book showed just how powerful the spells bound to it were.

The cart gave a heavy groan at the weight it wasn't expecting. Chip's eyes opened wide as he saw the wooden bed of the cart visibly bow downwards a good inch or two. He grit his teeth and watched for a moment expecting the cart to collapse at any second. When the cart didn't break he let out a sigh of relief. Walking around behind the cart he reared up and hooked his fetlocks over the push bark and leaned into it expecting it to move with him. With a hind leg lifted to take that first step he grunted as nothing happened. He leaned fully into the pushbar and dug both hind hooves into the marble floor pushing with his fore. He tried various ways to push the cart from leaning his side against it to straight on bucking it, still it would not move.

Panting Chip examined the flexed cart from wheel to body. The wheels were free and the bed wasn't dragging on the ground. There is no physical way it's that heavy. He thought to himself, scratching the back of his head with a forehoof. He walked back around the cart to the pushbar.

"I'm going to need rope...Or a chain." Chip thought aloud.

He dug around in his left bag, and with a shout of triumph pulled a rope out, glad he always kept his small adventuring kit with him. Others would laugh but he didn't care. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it! With a grin Chip fastened the two ends of the rope to the cart and draped the loop over his chest. He took a deep breath and pushed forward, pulling the cart a full two hoof steps.

"Okay...He hates me." Chip muttered aloud, thinking of Professor Page.

Chip grunted as he ever so slowly pulled the cart out into the open air and the warm sun and clear sky.

Slowly Chip pulled the cart along the path towards Canterlot Castle. The castle was actually divided into three parts side by side, inside the walls. On the western side of the castle was Canterlot University and its associated buildings and minor library. The middle section was the castle itself, where the Princesses lived. The right was the West Hoof Guard Training School. Odd name considering its on the east side of the castle. The whole area inside the castle walls was a testament to pony architecture, with its tall white marble walls, towers, and gold trim (Solid gold trim, most likely.), beautifully cared for lawns and gardens. The school, military school and castle, had to be just under a thousand years old but still looked as if it was just completed.

By the time Chip reached the castle gate, he was panting heavily. Chip stopped at the bottom of the castle steps and stared in horror. Two guards watched the horror stricken earth pony curiously, one Unicorn and one Pegasus. Chip was sure that the armor the guards wore had an enchantment to make them all appear the same, Pegasi, white with blue manes and tails, while unicorns were dark grey with the same style of mane and tail color. He had no idea how he was going lug the impossible book up that many steps, heck he didn't even know how he made it this far, the book seemed to defy the laws of known physics. Looking around for something he could maybe use as a sled, his eyes fell on the two guards staring at him.

"Uhh...I don't suppose I could trouble either of you for some help?" he said with a pleading look using the best puppy eyes he could muster. The two guards looked at each other and shrugged.

Thirty minutes, four Unicorns, two Pegasi, and two Earth Ponies including himself later, the tome and now thoroughly ruined box cart were at the top of Canterlot Castle's main entry steps. With any sense of caring gone, he used one side of his saddle bags as a platform and pulled from the other. The damn thing is getting heavier! He pulled and yanked and tugged as hard as he could but could only manage to get it to the center of the main hall, the throne room doors not twenty feet from him. Deciding he had had enough, he looked around for a guard or someone he could ask to check the library for whoever it was who was supposed to take the blasted book.

Just as Chip stood, about to go down one of the halls in search of someone to either guard the book or find the one he was to deliver it to, the throne room doors opened. Chip's jaw dropped at the sight before him, a vision he had only dreamt of. Her coat the purest of white, and eyes of light pink. She sported both wings and a horn. Her mane soft pastel colors, both mane and tail long and flowing in a wing he could not feel. Upon her head was a golden crown and on her neck a necklace of the same. Before him stood his Princess of the Sun, Princess Celestia herself, larger than life...literally, she stood as tall as two ponies easily. In all his life Chip had never seen Celestia so close, let alone her younger sister Luna, heck no one had seen the Night Princess since her return just a few weeks prior.

Chip stared dumbfounded, completely at a loss for words with one hoof atop the ancient tome and his jaw hanging open. It's the Princess herself you fool, say something, say something smart!

"Duhh...." Nailed it! Celestia brought a wing forward covering her mouth as she giggled softly "I see you have brought my book back." She said, an obvious conversation starter. Chip snapped his jaw closed with a click and swallowed hard before replying

"Huh? oh, yes your majesty! Professor Page asked I returned it to someone in the Canterlot Librar...Wait your book?"

The princess smiled giving a nod " Yes, my little pony. I had shown that book to Professor page seeking his advice, though upon seeing a specific entry he begged me to use it in a lecture for his archaeology class. I assume you enjoyed the lesson?"

The princess kept her warm smile and kind eyes on Chip making him blush. To be this close to the princess was a childhood dream come true.

"Yes, your highness. It really piqued my interest. I mean I have heard many of the old stories, some that have even come to pass such as Nightmare Moon and Discord. This one though...its like...like....I don't even know how to describe it! There is just so much mystery surrounding it. Where did she go, what were her reasons, is she even still alive. Just so much I want to know...actually..." Chip paused, drawing the princess's full attention

"Yes, my little pony?" Celestia said, encouraging Chip to continue.

Chip traced a circle on the marble floor with a hoof tip before settling it flat and looking up into her eyes, her soft, kind eyes. Celestia looked into his own eyes as he looked up and saw many things within them, passion, excitement, curiosity, but most of all determination.

"I...I want to learn more about her, of Tempest I mean. I want to find out what happened to her." Chip said finally, some of his shyness fading away.

Celestia's horn glowed with a golden magical aura and lifted the book in the same aura towards herself. Chip watched in amazement as she carried the book in her magic with ease whereas with him it took a whole team just to get it to the top of the steps.

"How...How can you lift it? It took eight of us to move it up the stairs." Chip Opined his voice rife with incredulity.

The princess could only smile as she looked back at him beckoning him with a wing to follow

"The weight of the knowledge in this old tome is a heavy burden to bear. If you are unable to cope with what it holds then it will inevitably crush you beneath its weight." Celestia calmly said.

Chip blinked and slowly nodded as he followed along behind her "Thats ...wow...deep." The princess giggled again leading him through the throne room to a side passage, and deeper into the castle.

"How about I treat you to some tea so you can rest and catch your breath for a while." Celestia said still maintaining her stride.

The whole walk to the Canterlot Castle Garden was filled with smalltalk. The princess would ask Chip what he thought of his school and his teachers, to which he would give a positive response. He liked the school and the professors. It was a good university, and the only one with a full Archaeology course. The two arrived at the gardens to find a table set out in the sunlight with two servant mares standing beside it. Celestia and Chip took their seats at the table with Chip looking almost like he was both ready to bolt from nerves or explode from excitement. When the two were comfortably situated at either side of the table on the soft white cushions, the old tome resting in the grass right beside the princess, the two servants went to work levitating a small plate, tea saucer and cup in front of them both, followed by two cookies each while the teapot was settled in the center of the table with a bowl of sugar cubes.

The gardens were beautiful, a neatly trimmed grass lawn with statues and gardens littered about giving the area a sense of life that allot of ponies in the city just could never quite accomplish. Towards the back end of the garden was the gardens hedge maze rumored to hold a beautiful fountain in the center. The maze itself was just about legendary for being so simple. On Nightmare Night however, the term simple was thrown out the window since Celestia herself enchanted it each year for a competition. First pair to the center gets a nice bag of bits. Sounds simple enough except for one problem, the hedge maze changes its layout every five minutes wherever a pony currently isn’t. The maze going from a simple five minute walk to the center to an endless abyss of twists and turns.

Picking up the teapot in her golden magic, Celestia proceeded to fill both cups. She picked up her cup and nodded to Chip who hastily lifted his own and took a sip. Both of Chip’s ears perked up at the sweet taste of honey.

“Uh, thank you for having me your majesty.” he said softly, the skin under Chip’s cheek fur burning as he blushed.

Celestia only smiled and nodded sipping her own tea before setting the cup down, “What made you choose archaeology?” She asked simply with genuine curiosity.

Chip could only really shrug as he responded “Well, I can’t really say it was because of the mystery of the unknown because it really isn’t. Honestly when you get right down to it, it was my dad, eheh. When I was five, my dad got me a book for my birthday, Daring Do book one first edition straight from the author herself because my father was a writer as well.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow a fraction of an inch at this “Oh? What was his name?” She asked to which Chip just grinned proudly “Granite Stone, author of the Sun Runner series.” Celestia’s ears went to full attention straight up at this. “Your father wrote the Sun Runner series?” She just smiled at my nod and sipped her tea to hide and stifle a giggle, “I must say, that is my favorite series of science and fiction. To sail the stars on a magical ship and let the sun’s light fill its sails” she looked up at the sky almost wistfully. Chip let the nervousness die down, he saw the look on the daydreaming princess’s face before bringing her back down to the present to continue his story.

“Anyway, when he gave me the Daring Do book, he told me that if I could read it to him before bed each night without help, he’d get me anything I could imagine for hearths warming eve. The ideas of what I wanted overwhelmed my young mind at the time.” Chip laughed.

“So, every night before bed my father would come to tuck me in and have me read to him. Kinda reversed, I loved it. I read every night and struggled until by mid book I could flow through the story with little to no pause. Then a week before hearths warming eve he asked me, of everything you can think of, what do you want most?” well I replied with the only thing I wanted most, the complete collection of Daring Do.” Chip grinned at the princess. “He kept his word and on hearths warming morning, I opened my presents and found all four books. Little did I know that the author was still writing them. So every year, even to this day, my father sends me the first edition of the latest Daring Do book.” Chip and the princess shared a laugh, ate a cookie and sipped their tea.

Celestia imagining the story smiled warmly, having always loved family stories like that above all else. “That does not sound like the end of the story though.” she said.

The princess kept her sentences short but they always asked more than was said. Chip could only nod and chuckle grinning.

“Nope! The books only planted the seed, I guess you could say. I wanted to have adventures like Daring Do, so me and my friends made some up within this very city. When I was about nine or ten is when it hit me hard.” He said with a frown, though it perked into a smile so quick that it caught the princess off guard. She motioned for him to continue, almost eagerly.

“Did you hear the story a long time ago about six foals who got lost in the Canterlot tunnels?” Chip asked, to which Celestia gave a slow nod, not completely sure where he was going with the question but wanted to hear more.

“Well, those six foals were my friends. During one of our adventures, we stumbled across one of the entrances to the tunnels and wandered in, in search of adventure. Boy did we have an adventure, lost for two days!” Chip laughed and took a bite of his second cookie, taking a moment to let the suspense build, but Celestia took over narration “I remember the story. Six foals lost after entering the city tunnels. Four guardsmen entered the tunnels and searched for four hours before coming back empty hooved. That was when I was notified of the situation and mustered the entire city guard. For two and a half days we searched before the six were found, having come up one of the other entrances.“ Chip nodded as he listened to her and smiled, taking over the rest of the narration for himself.

“Well, we were lost and crying in a large room until we all fell asleep from exhaustion. When we woke up it was the same until I got fed up and took the lead. We walked and walked for hours, which I found out later was at least half the day before we found an exit. My friend Crystal Springs and I pushed and shoved and bucked at the door until it finally gave, blinding us in sunlight. Heh, our opening the tunnel door ended up knocking a guards pony for a loop. In the end he took us back to our homes to many hugs and very long groundings, though not before my friends pointed out that I had finally gotten my cutie mark, a compass.” Celestia smiled warmly as she listened and sipped her tea.

“I never really understood though. I mean, It took me a while to realize that...well...I always knew where to go. Something deep down inside me always nudged me in the right direction”

This of course got the princess’s attention, though it didn’t show on her face. She set down her empty teacup, followed a moment after by Chips own cup.

“That is quite the tale my little pony. Come, after hearing your story, I believe I have something that may interest you.” Chip’s ears perked fully as he stood to follow the princess.

“Where are we going your majesty?” He asked, to which she only responded with a smirk as she lead him through the castle halls.

The princess used her magic to open a door at the end of the hall, leading.. to... another hall (oookay..). This hall however glowed red and yellow and all the color of the rainbow from the sun shining through stained glass. Looking around, Chip stared in awe at the stained glass windows, each representing a different event in Equestrian history going backwards the further down the hall they went.

The first image Chip saw was the battle of Princess Sparkle and an evil centaur depicting a lavender Alicorn firing a beam of magic at the evil centaur’s chest defeating him with a beautiful tree castle…. Thing in the background. Tree castle, really? The next image was of Princess Twilight’s ascent to being an Alicorn. The stained glass windows images went back further and further in time from Discords capture and Nightmare Moon’s return to her capture which was preceded by a blank normal window. The next window was an image of a tormented Princess Luna transforming into Nightmare moon. The front half the tormented and crying princess with the rear being black with leathery bat-like wings and a fully eclipsed moon in the background.

Celestia and Chip stopped before an old worn tapestry, Chip examining its every detail. Celestia’s horn glowed for but a moment before her magical aura pulled the tapestry aside revealing a dark tunnel with stairs leading downward.

“Umm...where are we going your majesty?” Chip asked curiously.

“You’ll see.” She replied simply, motion for Chip to proceed her.

Chip lead the way down the stone steps, torches lighting themselves as they passed until they reached a large heavy metal door, made of a strange silvery metal with a blue shine. Celestia stopped beside Chip and smiled motioning to the door with a large wing.

“Welcome Chip, to the Canterlot Vault.” Chip being rather observant noticed that she used his name.

“Wait, how do you know my name?” Celestia only smiled looking back at the young stallion.

“I know the names of all my little ponies.” She giggles turning back to the large door, horn alight with the golden aura of her magic, an identical aura shrouding the massive door before it creaked and groaned and with a loud KERCHUNK started to swing inward revealing a pitch black room within.

Chip stepped slowly into the large room with Celestia following him. Upon reaching the center of the room, every torch within lit at once, blinding Chip for a moment. When his eyes adjusted he stared in awe at the vast piles of bits at the end of the huge chamber, with artifacts in alcoves and on pedestals lining the sides of the room.

The princess smiled as she stepped up beside Chip and looks around the room taking it all in before spotting what she was looking for. She trotted over to the left side of the chamber to a pedestal with Chip in tow. The pedestal held what looked like a silver cloud necklace with a silver chain connecting at both ends of the cloud. In the center rested a teardrop or raindrop shaped diamond gem at the bottom center of the cloud pendant.

“Is this one of the Elements of Harmony?” Chip asked curiously.

Celestia only shook her head as she stared at the pendant on the pedestal, a look of sadness in her eyes. “No, this belonged to a close friend and the object of your curiosity.”

“Do you mean this belonged to Tempest?” Looking up at Celestia, Chip saw the sadness in her eyes and looked back to the pedestal. He opened his muzzle to try and talk to her but closed it as she started speaking.

“Yes, she gave it to me before she left as a promise she would return one day” Celestia’s horn still glowing brought forth the book hovering it to the floor in front of Chip before lifting the cloud pendant and offering it to him with a nod. “Open the book to the back cover and you will see an indentation of this pendant. Place it in that spot.”
Chip gave a slow nod and pulled the key from around his neck. He slipped the key into the books lock and gave it a turn, unlocking it with an audible click causing the metal latch to flip open and clack against the ground. Opening the book he flipped to the back of the old worn tome and saw the last few pages were blank before reaching the back cover and seeing the cloud shaped indentation. Reaching up chip took the pendant from Celestia’s magical aura and placed it in the indentation. The book glowed silver and lifted into the air hovering just in front of Chip at the perfect height for him to comfortably read. The back pages flipped back six pages where ink began to appear as if written by an invisible quill. Chip looked up at Celestia who only nodded sadly for him to read. Looking back, Chip began reading as the invisible quill revealed something hidden from all.

“I, Princess Celestia, Now the sole ruler of Equestria write this entry on these final pages in hopes of one day finding where a close, dear friend of mine fled during the final battle against my dear sister Luna.
Having augmented the pendant in design and adding enhancements I decided to honor Tempest’s wishes of self exile until the day Equestria was without hope. I have enchanted the pendant so that when fully assembled it will lead whomever possesses it directly to where she has fled.
With further thought I have decided against seeking Tempest out and to allow her her exile. While I do not agree with her leaving, I do believe it was necessary with what I had witnessed during that final dreadful battle against Nightmare Moon.

The pendant was augmented to separate, and so I chose to split it up amongst those that assisted during the war. While keeping the cloud for myself, I chose to give the left tornado to the Griffin King in thanks for his proud warriors. The right tornado to the royal family of Saddle Arabia for contributions of of medicine and food. The lightning bolt I gave to the Greatmother, the oldest of dragons who in turn gave me but a single egg to watch over and care for.

The pendant has but a simple history, no special glorious history for it was but a simple gift to a friend. Tempest was the greatest general of the Pegasus and Equestrian army and air corps. She possessed extraordinary control over local weather and taught her subjects to maintain their own weather. She became so powerful in that focus that without anyone knowing, she has ascended to become an Alicorn. Due to the current conflict of the time, I had awarded her the title of Imperator or princess if you will, of the cloud city states, and this pendant was a gift not to symbolize her becoming a ruler of her own people but for accomplishing that which none have accomplished. It was a simple gift of congratulations, and I felt I could have done more, but she said her thank you and how much it meant to her.

It warmed my heart to see her happy, and broke it to see her realize what she had become, leaving me to fight my sister alone.

So to whoever I have chosen to read this, please find Tempest and show her that there will always be a place in Equestria for her.”
Chip tilted his head, one ear flopping to the side squinting at the final words on the page “Wait that wasn't written there.” It was that moment Chip realized he wasn’t reading but reading along with the Princess’s reciting the passage from memory.

“Wait, you want me to find her?” Chip looked up at his Princess in surprise.

Celestia only smiled back, sadness etched on her face making her look much older than a few minutes ago. “Yes. Of all the ponies I have met throughout my long life, I have met but one who could carry the weight of the past, let alone one with such determination to return such a weight back where it belongs. You could have left the book when it became too heavy for you, but it was not a compass that drove you, it was your heart.

Looking up at his princess, Chip stared at her not knowing what to say “W-what about my classes?” he asked, obviously wanting to go but not wanting to neglect his studies.

“Consider this your final before you graduate.” She said with an amused smirk

Chips eyes widen as excitement fills him to the ears at the thought of going on a grand adventure, an adventure of the utmost importance given to him by none other than the Solar Princess herself! Chip grinned like an idiot nodding his head vigorously at the opportunity of a life time.

“Of course I will! I mean how often does one get such a request from the Princess herself?” Chip asked still grinning like an idiot

Might wanna tone it down a bit buddy.
Shush you! Let me have my moment.
Fiiiine…
Wait why am I talking to myself?
…
“Its a bit more common than you would think. I shall go prepare a letter for you and your journey. Go make your preparations.” The Princess chuckled.

Chip nodded, turned and bolted for the door before skidding to a halt and tripping over the vault door’s lip. He quickly got back up and returned to the Princess offering her a bow and an apology before turning and bolting out once more th.

Princess Celestia waited a moment until she was sure he was out of earshot. Unable to contain it any more she broke out into a giggle at the excited earth pony before breaking into full out laughter at the sight. She wiped a feather under an eye and smiled happily “I apologize, my dearest friend for going back on my word, I hope that the magic of friendship can offer you the peace I was unable to give you back in those times…”