What is a normal day in Ponyville? Twilight was not to for sure any more. With Ponyville just finished with restoring itself from Tirek's rampage, the town was quiet. After all it's been through with Discord, Vines growing from the ground, the parasprite invasion and so on, non-normal days came more often than the normal ones. So what is the normal days; The ones that happen the most or the ones that didn't cause a panic or destruction?
Either way, the days went on without too much trouble. Twilight was inspecting her list of new books and the books themselves in her new library. She usually had Spike help her but she decided to let him spend some time with his favorite mare. She checked and rechecked all the book's codes and made sure everything was in order. Just as she placed the last book on the shelf, a gust of wind blew in and cause her list to fly right in her face.
"Gah! Rainbow Dash! How many times do I have to tell you to-" ,she was cut off when she didn't see her prideful friend in the room. "use the door. That's odd, Rainbow usually has something to say when she barges in." She sighed and rolls up her list. Just as she was trotting up to the table, she spots an aged book laying on the floor. She carefully levitates it and inspects the cover. The History of Heroes. 'That's odd. I don't recall any book like this on the list. Did I miss it? Oh no! Did I miss anymore!?', the panicked alicorn said while pulling out the list and triple checking every book. All were listed except one...the old book that started this whole conflict.
"Rainbow Dash!", Twilight shouted, thinking this was a prank from her brash friend. She began to trot outside her Library and out into town square. She trotted down and looked up at the sky to see any clouds nearby but none were found as easy as she hoped. She decided to check with the Only person who may know where she is, since they were partners in crime of pranks...she trotted to Sugarcube Corner. The scent of fresh baked goods grew stronger as she got closer to her destination. She was hit with delectable smells as she entered the bakery. She found her target who was behind the counter, selling to consumers. Before Twilight could move, she was immediately hug from behind by the same mare who was behind the counter. Since the whole Pinkie Sense incedent, Twilight never question how Pinkie did what she did.
"Twilight! It's been like forever since I saw you last!" screamed the pink poofy mare.
"Pinkie, you saw me this morning.",Twilight explained.
"Yeah but that was like a forever ago. So what brings you here? Oh wait! You want me to throw you a surprise party again!" Pinkie said jumping up and down.
"How would it be a surprise then?" Twilight questioned.
"SHHHH! Nopony knows", Pinkie said holding her hoof in front of of Twilight's muzzle. Twilight removed her hoof and levitated a book in front of Pinkie.
"This is why I'm here. Is this one of Rainbow's pranks?" Twilight explained as Pinkie eyeballed the book as if were a new flavor cupcake. She giggled.
"Sorry Twilight but I don't think this is one of Dashie's prank." Pinkie said as she returned to the counter to resume her job.
"How can you tell?" Twilight asked
"Dashie's hoofprint isn't on it. Plus, your library doesn't even have open windows." The pink mare said, giving a grey pegasus a bag of muffins.
"How did you know I found it in my library?" Twilight asked, looking at her suspiciously.
"Well, duh. Where else are books found?" Pinkie said. Twilight decided not to question it anymore. She said farewell to her energetic friend and go home. She layed the book on her bed as she went to go freshen up in a warm bath. Soothing as it was, Twilight couldn't help but think where the book came from. If it wasn't Rainbow then who put it there without her seeing them or hearing any motion. She was sure the door was closed behind her. The only pony capable of doing this job was Pinkie...but she was working today, so she couldn't have done it. There was no trace of teleportation either. She hopped out of the tub and dried herself thoroughly until she was "pristine" as her fashion friend would say.
The sun was setting and Spike returned to make dinner for him and Twilight. Twilight was scanning the mysterious book and jotting down any notes on to what the book had to offer that she didn't recall...so far the scroll laid, unused. Everything in the book was something she knew even before she was Celestia's pupil. That is, until she found a page at the end of the book. The bottom half of the page was missing (Breaking Twilight's heart). The picture showed the top half of a blue male unicorn with a brown mane. the title said SaintCrusade: The Unknown Prince.Twilight never heard of any prince named SaintCrusade. The page said that he lived during the Princesses reign a millennia ago. He had the strength of 50 Earth ponies and wielded magic that Starswirl could not match. She didn't believe what she was reading. She already checked the carbon dating and it showed it being in that era with out alterations. She decided to scan through the latest history book on anything on this mysterious unicorn. Not only did she not find anything that even spoke of him, but there was literally, not much recorded during the princesses reign. There were key events like the defeat of Discord and the vanishing Crystal Empire but there was nothing else.
Twilight never saw this coming as she never paid attention to this era. She was busy with the Pre- Classical and Starswirl eras. She scanned her entire library until she discovered that there was visibly nothing. Dinner was served but was more hectic as Twilight couldn't help but think there was a reason as to why there was a lack of information of this era.
"Your food is going to get cold, you know." Spike said, looking a little concern and annoyed as Twilight was frantically staring at the book.
"I know Spike but I can't just shake this feeling that something was purposely erased from the history books and this was the sole surviving book that no pony saw to remove." Twilight said as she finally ate her dinner.
"Maybe, that book is fictional or at least that page."Spike trying to convince Twilight that this is nothing to worry about.
"That can't be right. The carbon dating showed being there as the rest of the pages and the book had to be approved to a committee before being published." Twilight said as she paced around then stopped in her tracks as an idea sparked. "I know. We can go to the castle ruins tomorrow and search the entire library.
"But that place is huge. It would take us a week to look through that.", the small dragon complained.
"We'll have our friends help us and that should quicken the pace." Twilight exclaimed and was now less frantic and more excited. The day drained her as well as her #1 assistant. They decided to call it a day and drift off to sleep.
"Sister, what is ever the matter", the snow white alicorn said as her sister finished raising the moon. Normally, Luna doesn't smile as often as her sister but something was wrong in her eyes. It shows pain, but not from Nightmare Moon. It was was the look when you lost some pony close to you.
"I can still feel him sister. He has not left us and it keeps growing." , the Princess of the Night said with undisguised sadness in her voice. Celestia knew she was talking about but she dare not tell her sister yet that her friend was not only alive but an enemy to Equestria. She hoped for a normal day but she too knew the time grew near.
Prologue (How the Tree of Harmony came to be)
Long ago, when Equestria was starting to burst with life, Alicorns were the only living horse that existed. They frolicked all day and gazed at the stars at night. No Alicorn had to use their magic since a special kind of creatures did it for them… Angelic Alicorns. These Alicorns were given orders to grow fruit, make weather and bring the sun and the night sky by the creator. For 100 years, the land was fruitful, and the Alicorns lived in perfect harmony, until one day. An Angelic Alicorn believed that since he was given a big job and he could do it alone, he thought he could do more. He began to expand his use of power. However, when he did, sharp horn grew all over him and he believed he was more powerful than the creator. He began to corrupt the regular Alicorns and taught them to use powerful magic. Seven other Angel Alicorns; Generos, Kindnis, Loyas, Honestry, Luaghni, Magicnos and Sacrificous grew worried and so they decided to warn the Creator. The creator had foreseen what was taking place and told the Angel to go to the center of the land and there would be a tree that sparkled like a diamond. There they would make the Elements of Harmony. On their way to the center of Equestria, corrupt Alicorn armies attack the Angels. Being the most powerful one of the Angels, Sacrificous told the other to go and create the Elements while he stalled the army. By doing this, the elements were created but one was missing. The Element of Sacrifice. Sacrificous gave his life to the creation of the Elements of Harmony. Not all of him died though. The Creator turned his spirit and energy to a gem that only an Alicorn with an Angel's pure heart can use it. After the creation of the elements, The creator was mad on what the Alicorns did. He called down on his corrupted creations and told them that since they believed that they didn't need him or the Angels, he would give responsibility to the ponies to bear the land to grow, control the weather and raise the day and nights. He also made every Alicorn different, by removing their horns, wings or both. Each type was given a specific task to control. In one area, south of the land, laid a sanctuary to the creator and his forgotten Angel. From the power of the Creator, His son the Savior and The Sacred Spirit, The Sanctuary was kept hidden and would remain pure from the world, so long as the ponies would remain loyal. As for the Dark Angel. He was banished to the center of the sun. However, every 3000 years, his power builds up and he moves both the Moon and the Sun and binds them into one, which allows his creations and his corruptible temptations seep to the land to rein terror. A prophecy foretells that the last eclipse will have a red moon and a blue sun and he will rise to reap the land, unless a wielder of the element of sacrifice can stop him.
