Blinding sunlight brought an unwelcome throbbing to Bright's eyes, compounding the pounding migraine that pulsed in unison. He groaned in discomfort and clenched his eyelids shut tighter, trying feebly to block it out. It turned out to be fruitless and he scowled irritably. Bright forced himself to take a deep breath and relax in hopes that the pain would bleed itself away.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the painful pulsing faded to a dull throbbing. Bright hesitantly cracked open his eyes and blinked, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light. In the back of his groggy mind, he realized that he was on his back, and lying on something soft. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't the tennis court ground.

What am I laying on? I thought I was outside... he wondered. Outside, when...I...I...!

Suddenly, the memories roared back and he shot up. The timberwolf--no, he was Filtiarn--, those weird images...and that voice...

Bright looked around. He was sitting upright on his bed, in his room...how the hell did he get here? The sapphire stallion groaned and heaved himself out of his bed, only to fall muzzle-first into the floor, which only served to detonate more pain to the front of his face.

Goddammit...why? he bemoaned silently. Bright looked back and tried flexing his feet with little success, leading him to the conclusion that they were stuck with pins and needles.

Growling, Bright gritted his teeth and dragged himself over to his desk chair, seething over the fact that he looked for the whole world like a pathetic, paralyzed cripple. He reached the base of the swivel chair and was in the process when--

BANG!!

--the door to his bedroom was flung open and slammed into the wall, forcing the sapphire colt to jump in shock. He lost his grip on the chair and face-planted into the unforgiving floor for the second time.

Snarling, he whipped his head and glared at whoever was at the door, then his face slackened in surprise at who it was. Rainbow Dash had her arm against the door and her face shined with an odd mixture of misplaced anger and joyous relief, as was the other six familiar mares behind her.

"Oh, hey girls." Bright said cheerfully. "What's up?"

"WHAT'S UP?!" Rainbow yelled. Bright was shocked back onto his feet by her tone. He didn't know what could've set her off like that.

"I should be asking you the same bucking thing, buddy! Care to explain what the hell happened to you back on the tennis courts??" she demanded. Bright stared at her, not at all following. Whatever she's referring to, it's probably got to do with that weird vision I saw... he thought.

"Sorry, I don't remember..." he said somewhat calmly. "It was kind of a blur." Rainbow wasn't satisfied, though. Pointing an accusatory finger at him, she angrily said, "A blur?! Bright, you almost exploded! Don't scare us like that again, you hear me?!"

The stallion blinked, perplexed. Did I make them worry about me? What DID happen?... He sighed, then fully faced her and walked to the rainbow-maned mare until the tip of her finger hovered before his chest. He gently took her hand, making her face heat up and change into a bright lilac.

"Look, I'm sorry that I scared you all, but I promise that it was not at all my intention and I hope you can forgive me."

Still blushing, she looked down at the floor and nodded slightly. Bright smiled a little, then let go of her hand. All of the ponies stood in an awkward silence for a time, until he cleared his throat.

"So...what did happen to me, anyways?" he asked, looking towards the other mares. They didn't answer him at first. The fact that they wouldn't meet his eyes very much unnerved him; they acted as if what Rainbow said was true.

"Girls it's alright, I'm not gonna be mad." he reassured them. Twilight hesitated, then shakily took a step forward and looked up at him nervously.

"Promise you won't...freak out, or something?" she asked weakly. Bright gave his word, and she sighed. "What Rainbow said is somewhat accurate: your body almost...um, almost annihilated itself from sheer magical e-energy..." Bright gulped audibly. "Where...where did that come from? I mean, even if I'm pissed off, I can't possibly...possibly pulled that much energy."

"T-The paramedics couldn't t-trace it's source, b-but it was really, really old...and desperate." She turned back at Bright, waiting for that inevitable shift to utter horror at what had transpired. She blinked in surprise when she found him wearing a thoughtful, yet worried expression instead.

"Where could it have come from? Ancient, yet in pain....a lot of it, if the amount of energy is anything to go by." he mused quietly. "It couldn't have been the Greybeards, their Thu'ums aren't meant to communicate through mental links...no, not the Locust either. That's far outside of their nature to beg the help of a random pony, even if they're dependent on us for sustenance..."

Bright's mind was whirring quickly, running through all of the races that could the message could have come from. The Necromorphs, the demons of Marae, the changelings. None of them fully fit the description he'd compiled, though: The Necromorphs would've wanted to consume Equus, not help it. Thousands of years ago, Peacekeeper Andrew Dareios saved Equus from being absorbed by Omega, leader of the Blood Moons, and by proxy the Necromorph race.

The demons of the Marae kingdom only cared about fucking each other senseless(don't ask, just look it up). Plus, they'd proven over and over again that they were content as they were now. Even Lethice, their queen, publicly stated their desire to be largely left alone herself. Considering how much admiration the Marae citizens held for her, she spoke for all of them.

As for the changelings, not only did they lack the mental abilities to perform such a feat, Chrysalis was a female. The first voice Bright had heard was a male's. Besides, after what the Elements did to her and the Changeling Empire a couple years ago, it's impossible to think that Chrysalis could have enough power to threaten the world like she used to.

"Bright...Bright! BRIGHT!!" Applejack's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He started and looked at her. "Y'alright, sugahcube? You jus' blanked out on us." she asked kindly.

Bright nodded. "Yeah, I was just thinking who might've sent me that message." Twilight and the others hummed in thought, wondering as well who the mysterious, desperate being was.

"So Bright....what, what did you see?" Fluttershy almost whispered. He faced her and opened his mouth to reply, but another voice behind her interrupted him.

"Yes, we'd like to know that as well, Bright."

Everypony whirle around and stared at the dorm room's entrance. Standing there the Principal and Vice-Principal. Both of their eyes were unusually piercing, lancing out towards the poor young stallion.

"P-Principal Celestia! Vice-P-Principal Luna!" Bright yelped. "W-What are you doing here?" Celestia's muzzle crinkled into an amused smile.

"I think you will find that you'll be asking that question many times, Mr. Scales." she answered. "Though given the circumstances surrounding your current condition, that should come as no surprise."

"Mares, would it be alright if you give Mr. Scales and us some privacy?" Luna questioned. Nervously, the seven younger mares nodded and shakily hastened to vacate Bright's bedroom. When the door closed, Celestia and Luna's horns glowed white and blue, respectively. They glowed and pulsed irregularly for a few long moments, then they faded back to normal.

"We've cast spells around this room so none of the information you tell us may leave without our permission." Celestia explained. "So, Mr. Scales, would you please explain to us what you bore witness to earlier?"

Bright sweatdropped and fidgeted nervously, refusing to meet their indifferent stares. "W-Well...um, there was a lot of pain, first off..."

Luna nodded. "A common reaction when an immense amount of energy is pressed upon one's consciousness. What else?" She trotted over to him and put an arm over his shoulder comfortingly.

"Don't be afraid Bright. We promise that nobody save those who you choose to relay this to will ever know of it." she reassured him. Slowly, Bright cleared his throat and continued.

"I saw...one, no two, two dark-furred ponies...I think they were ponies. They--they were standing over Canterlot, then Ponyville. Everything was on fire..."

"Go on, Bright. It's okay." Luna whispered. Bright took a shaky breath, then said "Then, there was a...a group of gemstones. They came together and shot some...some sort of blue beam..."

"We don't mean to be overbearing Bright, but we have reason to believe that what you've experienced may yield some valuable information regarding an ancient prophecy." she said kindly. Understandably, Bright stared at her in disbelief. "A prophecy? What does what I felt have anything to do with some random prediction?"

"Bright, please do try to exercise some seriousness. This isn't just a random prediction we're referring to. This one in particular is the Prophecy of Doom and Unity."

"Oh...what a comforting title." he jested weakly. "What...what is this prophecy?"

Celestia replied, "The Prophecy of Doom and Unity tells of the return of the two worst beings borne of Equus."

"King Sombra and Nightmare Moon." Those names alone lowered the temperature of the room ten degrees, and the atmosphere immediately turned much more tense. Bright's pupils shrank somewhat, and his mouth felt full of sawdust.

"W...what?" he squeaked. She nodded solemnly.

"What the fu--!?" Bright tried to say, but Luna pressed a hand over his mouth, silencing him. "Hold Bright. You have yet to hear the rest of the prophecy, which goes as such:

The King and Queen of Darkness, punished in Hell's maw,
will arise once more, to carve the world they saw.
The world will burn, and Equus will fall,
unless the Eight Unity Keys converge, to end it all.

Six keys lay in the realm of cruel irony.
Their holders already know how to be wary.
The seventh key sleeps in the Lost Foal's fires,
and the final key is sealed in the icy bosom of the Predecessors.

But alone, the sacred keys will be for naught,
Without the help of the True Juggernaut.
Into the Kasindr Sanctum, in the heart of the Betrayed One's lair,
the Keys' holders must descend and be wholly prepared.

Bearers of the Keys, however, be cautioned
of the winding path that is infected by darkness.
A single misstep, one wrong move,
And the world will be forced to turn to their Doom."

A ringing silence followed Luna's recitation of the prophecy. Bright could barely keep his mind coherent at all, much less remain calm. Sweat poured from his body and dampened his fur, while terror and dread did the same to his mood. A million questions whizzed through his reeling brain. Who were the seven Keys? Who was the True Juggernaut? Why the hell was there a damn WARNING at the end of the prophecy?! Only one managed to squeeze out of his jaws though.

"Why...why me?"

Celestia sighed. "Luna and I wish to know that as well Bright. We're both very sorry for having to dump all of this onto you, but we feel that it's better for you to know the possibility of this rather than be unprepared for if we truly need you." Bright's jaw worked, but no other sounds came out.

Nopony could blame him, though. How often is it that you find out that you're POSSIBLY part of some world-changing, apocalyptic battle against two fucking-insane beings?!? Stumbling, the blue stallion clung to his chair for support, breathing heavily. It was all he could do to not faint.

"Bright...I'm so sorry for this." Luna apologized softly. "Neither of us wanted to burden you like this..."

Despite it all, despite his fear, shaking, everything, Bright held up a shivering hand. "I-It's...f-f-fine...I think." he stuttered. "But...why do you trust me with this? What does this have to do with my vision?"

Celestia sighed loudly and closed her eyes, angling her head downward to the floor. "Bright, we didn't wish to burden you any more than we already have, but I suppose there is no way around it." Luna looked at her sister with an odd expression, then wilted softly in understanding and mimicked her.

"When this prophecy had first been uttered, certain individuals were divulged the signs to look for when the prophecy has been set into motion. One of them was a pony who experienced a powerful vision after they tamed the Oakskinned Canine." Bright stared at her and groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Please don't tell me that I was the unlucky bastard who happened to heal the ONLY supersized Timberwolf in the world." he sighed. They didn't respond, but their expressions were answer enough and the stallion shook his head in exasperation. "Again: why me?"

"Bright, maybe it's time you stop asking why you were chosen to be a part of this prophecy." Luna said firmly. "The fact remains that you were chosen, and it might behoove you better to seek out how to fulfill it."

"...fine." he sighed heavily. Bright slumped in his chair and glanced up at them. "Anything else I should know?" The stallion looked at them in a strangely comprehensive mixture of weariness and apprehension.

"As a matter of fact, there is. Because of your role, you will need to set out on a quest to seek out and obtain the eight Keys of Unity." Luna said blankly. Bright gave her an equally dry stare. Celestia fixed a calm glare at the young stallion, speaking with iron seriousness: "Do not think that you will collect them alone. If you recall from the prophecy, there will be seven others."

He nodded solemnly and heaved a loud sigh. "Alright," he said in resignation. "Would you happen to know who and where they are?" Luna blinked at him and pointed with a thumb at the door. Flashes of blue and white wreathed it for a split second, then it swung wide open. The seven mares piled against the door tumbled unceremoniously onto the ground with a series of yelps.

Bright just stared at them in surprise. He asked, "Hi girls...uhhh, why were you trying to lis--" He froze and looked at the pile of ponies in sudden shock, his mind clicking.

"Th-they're...you've gotta be kidding me..." Everything about these mares he knew before had been shattered. THEY were the Elements of Harmony, the ones who turned Discord to stone, who eradicated Nightmare Moon during her attempt to return to power, who defeated Tirek the centaur?!

"I...you...that...WHAT?!" he finally yelled. The Mane 7 flinched at his tone of voice and looked at the sisters for an explanation.

"Umm...h-hi principals, Bright..." Twilight stammered. "J-J-Just what's he freaking out about?" Celestia fixed a level gaze at her and coolly answered with "That you, barring Ms. Shimmer here, are the Element Bearers."

THAT got the mares' attention quite well. In a flash they scrambled back to their feet and gawked at her. "But ma'am, why would you tell him that??" an astonished Pinkie said.

Luna swiftly answered. "Because the time has come for the Elements of Harmony to be used again. However, Mr. Scales will have to aid you in order to restore balance to Equus."

Silence prevailed over the room for Celestia knew how long. A pin dropping would have sounded deafening in that moment. When the fragile but thick blanket of stillness was shattered, the culprit was not one who had contributed to the conversation the entire time.

A loud thunk could be heard from Bright's window, making everypony jump in surprise. They all exchanged looks and Bright got up to check it out. He got to the window just fine, but when looked out of it, he yelled "Shit!" and quickly pulled his head back and doubled down in...

...laughter.

The other mares were confused as to why he was laughing, but just then a giant wooden snout poked its way through the new opening, nose quivering from the multitude of smells. The snout wiggled around and strained to get in, but the creature's body following it kept it out. Filtiarn had arrived. Evidently he'd smelled his way to Bright's dorm and, recognizing the Principal and Vice-Principal's smells as well, was trying desperately to get in. Loud scratching and crunching could be heard from outside as he tore up the roof simultaneously.

The sheer ridiculousness of the situation forced them into laughing fits, to which Filtiarn tried harder to wriggle his way in futilely, earning even more raucous laughter from the ponies.

The hilarious circle continued until everypony managed to settle down enough to breathe. Bright managed to calm Filtiarn down enough to make him lie down on the roof somewhat complacently. His tail still wagged energetically, making rhythmic bumps from outside, but not too loud to be a nuisance. Probably.

"Well...I guess we needed that." Rainbow commented, to which all heads nodded in agreement, some smiling again. Bright said, "Sooo...principals? About the prophecy."

"Yes Mr. Scales? What is it?" Celestia asked. The stallion fidgeted for a bit then asked, "If I have to complete a quest and go out to gather these, uh keys, then how will this affect my studies?"

The older mares hummed in thought before Luna replied, "I suppose that you will be exempt from your studies."

"Next question, is it alright if I contact some people on this?" Celestia nodded gently in response. Without another word, Bright pulled out his phone and dialed a number. He waited for a few seconds before a distinctly male voice issued from the receiver.

"Hey Sky, what's up bruv?" Bright said jovially. "You doing good, how's research? ...mm I see." Pinkie and Rainbow leaned in a little to catch more of the mystery stallion's voice, but to no avail.

"What?? Dude you're a fucking idiot for that, so don't blame it on your dad. Hey listen, I've got a favor to ask...yeah, that kind.....yeah, uh-huh.....okay, I'll see you within 30 minutes, alright? By the way, I'm bringing some uh, classmates. Just a heads-up....what? Oh yeah, there's seven of 'em......shit, I know Sky, I know. They're essential to this as well. Thanks man, I owe you--no you dingus, don't you deny it I OWE you! Okay, good-bye."

He hung up and turned to face them, grinning childishly. "Alrighty then, I got our destination in mind." Sunset cocked her head at him, confused. "Aaaaand that would be...where?"

Bright just smiled and said "Steele Industries."

Author's Note

Three years...

Three years for me to figure out how to keep this story going. For so many times I feared that I would have to cancel, yet I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wanted to give you guys a longer chapter, but finally I said "screw it" and ended it on this cliffhanger.

I humbly beseech you for your forgiveness for this transgression.

Thank you so much for understanding, and I'll see you in the next chapter.