Knights of Equestria: I'll See You on the Other Sideby Glow StickChaptersI: Through the MirrorII: Twilight and PonyvilleIII: The Light of Luna's MoonIV: First LessonsI: Through the MirrorKNIGHTS of EQUESTRIA: I'll See You on the Other Side Chapter I: Through the Mirror It had been many years since Alicorn Princess Celestia last entered the crystalline hallways of the Rainbow Friendship Kingdom Castle, the heart of Ponyville. Before she entered, she paused to turn around and look at all the town had become. In fifteen short years, the town had grown from a small country village beside the mountains to a rolling community bustling with creatures of every kind. It was early in the morning, yet the citizens of the town were all ready for the day. There was a cool breeze that flowed through the mountains, along with fresh dew that coated the plants with a chilly layer of moisture. High along the side of a mountain to the north was Canterlot, the country’s capitol city. It was built in the center of the country long ago and could be easily seen by all of Ponyville. Unlike Ponyville, it has changed little. There used to be wooden buildings with straw roofs, but now stone and brick dominate the streets. She stood there for quite some time and allowed the wind to brush through her waving, multicolored mane. The bright sun felt good against her white coat, a refreshing change from the icy winter that was around just a few days before. When she had her fill of the spring morning, she entered the castle equipped with a tan saddlebag. Colorful crystal structures surrounded her as she stood in the central chamber, a rotunda with a deep purple floor. Six pinkish crystal thrones formed a circle around the center of the room; one throne had a smaller seat beside it. In the very center of the room was an elevated map of the country, Equestria. Each throne, apart from the smallest, was marked with a specific symbol for the pony that was to sit upon it. Although the castle was still lived in, the thrones often remained empty as those ponies lead different lives. It had been a short time for Celestia, who has been alive for over one thousand years, though the fifteen years that passed since the castle’s erection have taken a toll on those who were directly involved. When she flew into Ponyville earlier, Celestia noticed only one thing that remained the same- Twilight’s old home, which was a library inside a hollowed-out tree. It was destroyed during a devastating battle ten years before and had become something of a landmark. Celestia had arrived a few minutes early, and not long after she made her way into the throne room, an old friend entered the room and stood beside her. The clicking of the newcomer’s hooves have her presence away, and Celestia turned around suddenly to greet her old student, Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle, it’s good to see you!” The purple Alicorn smiled and gave a small bow to her mentor. Her golden crown glistened in the light, held up high alongside her unicorn’s horn. Through the years, she had grown taller and larger than her friends, a result of her Alicorn status. Her wings were strong and agile; ready for the fiercest storm. She was no longer the child Celestia once knew. Yet, she was still not as tall as Celestia, or Celestia’s younger sister, Luna. “It’s so good to see you!” Twilight exclaimed as tears ran down her cheeks. “We really should get together more often,” Celestia replied as the two briefly embraced. When the embrace was completed, Twilight wiped the remaining tears away with her hooves and asked her friend, “How is everything back in Canterlot?” “More boring than usual, my friend,” Celestia let out a small chuckle and continued, “I miss the days when some disaster lurked around the corner every week. It’s like it was long before we met, when the world was at peace.” Twilight paused for a brief moment, recalling the letter she received from Celestia only one day prior. The words in the Princess’ letter sounded as though something terrible was about to happen. Before she could inquire, Twilight looked carefully at the Princess’ face and saw a peculiar expression, one that she had not seen in many years. Her brow was pressed inwards and covered her purplish eyes in shadow. Her mouth curved in a slight frown. Celestia looked carefully over the map of Equestria in the center of the room, focusing on Canterlot. In a quiet voice, Twilight asked, “Princess, is there something wrong?” Celestia returned to face Twilight and answered in a gentle voice, “No, but there is something we must attend to. Follow me to the Mirror.” The two walked down a side hallway in the castle, and into a small library with many levels of dusty, old books. In one corner was a contraption Twilight built long ago, but had not used in many years. It was a mirror, which was built to be a portal to another world using several magical devices. The book that powered it originally belonged to Celestia, though fifteen years ago it was given to Twilight. Since, it was returned to Celestia only to be reunited with the mirror once more. Celestia levitated the thick book out from her saddle bag and placed it atop the contraption in a designated holder. Instantly, the machinery attached to it began to glow a bright purple. The mirror was functional once more. “Sunset Shimmer’s book?” Twilight inquired. She recognized the red and yellow sunset marking on the book’s cover. “Yes. For so long, it has lain dormant on our shelves, but not long ago, I received a message from her.” “Is she all right?” Before answering, Celestia took a pen from her bag, opened the book to a page near the back, and inscribed the word ‘now’ onto the page. She then closed the book and answered Twilight, “Yes, she is.” “I don’t understand. What’s going on?” Then, with a bright flash of light, a light orange unicorn with a bright red mane stepped into the room from the rippling surface of the portal. Sunset Shimmer, a similarly colored unicorn with red and yellow locks of hair in her mane, came through seconds after the first. The two unicorns stood before the two Alicorn Princesses. Sunset bowed before them upon seeing Celestia, and to imitate her mother, the younger unicorn did so as well. A smile crossed Celestia’s face. When the two stood back up, Sunset greeted Celestia and Twilight by saying, “It’s good to be back, Princesses. I’ve missed you both.” To herself and very quietly, Sunset’s daughter muttered, “They’re real!” “Sunset, you’re actually here!” Twilight exclaimed. With a burst of energy, Twilight ran up to Sunset and wrapped her right hoof around her neck. Sunset then nuzzled Twilight against her cheek. She stopped and turned her attention to her daughter, who remained next to the mirror. “Twilight, Princess Celestia, let me introduce you to my daughter, Sol.” Sol, the younger unicorn, smiled and approached the two Alicorns unsteadily; all the while she kept looking at everything around her. Standing before the radiant Celestia, Sol said to them, “It’s great to finally meet you. My name is Solar Shimmer, but everyone calls me Sol. I can’t wait to get started, Ms. Twilight!” “Sunset, Celestia, I’m still confused. Why is she here in Equestria?” Twilight asked. “Do you remember when you were my student, and how I taught you about magic and friendship?” Celestia asked Twilight. “Of course I do! All that’s happened is because of your lessons!” “Twilight, Solar Shimmer is to be your student just as you were mine.” Twilight raised her hoof and shouted, “And you didn’t think to warn me about this?” “I do apologize, Twilight, but I, too, found out about Solar Shimmer’s interest only a few days ago. I understand if you cannot be her mentor. I can do it, myself. But, I thought you’d love the idea.” Twilight thought for a few seconds and kept her head low. Solar Shimmer watched eagerly as Twilight announced her decision. She answered, “Fine, I’ll do it. Is there a book on mentoring I should read?” Solar shouted and exclaimed loudly, and embraced Twilight with a crushing grip, “Oh, thank you so much, Twilight! You don’t know how much this means to me.” Quietly, Twilight muttered to herself, “No, I think I do.” “Take care of her, Twilight. She’s been wanting this for so long,” Sunset added, smiling as she stood next to the mirror. She tried to hide her face in shadow, but Twilight could see tears collecting underneath Sunset’s eyes. “Sunset, you’re leaving already?” Sunset shrugged and replied, “Not just yet. Can I have a moment alone with Sol before I go?” “Of course,” was Twilight’s reply. Celestia and Twilight returned to the throne room, leaving Sunset and her daughter in the library. Celestia’s frown returned as she once more looked over the map of Equestria. In the distance, Twilight could hear the two talking. Then, after a hissing noise ceased, the orange unicorn stepped out of the library and into the hall. She walked slowly to the Princesses and stopped in their presence. Thin tears streamed down her face and collected under her chin. She hung her head low and stared at the floor before looking up at Twilight, giving her a forced smile. “I’m sorry, in my excitement; I forgot she’d have to leave.” Twilight placed her hoof gently on Sol’s shoulder and pulled her in closer. “It’s all right,” Twilight replied, and added, “You’ll see her again.” Suddenly, Celestia stomped her right hoof and said, “I must return to Canterlot. I trust you two will be all right?” Twilight nodded. After Celestia left, Twilight took Sol to an upper portion of the castle and showed her into the guest wing. It was rarely used, yet when the door was opened, there was little dust in the main living chamber. Sol walked inside and sniffed around to get a better feel of her new pony form. Twilight watched Sol struggle to perform basic magic spells, such as levitation. Sol, not knowing how to do them, failed at her attempts. With a smile, Twilight told Sol, “I can teach you how to use magic, if you want.” Sol turned to face her new mentor, “I’m sorry for all of this. My mom told me about Equestria, and I didn’t believe her at first until I saw her book. I just wanted to see it so badly! But, now that I’m here, I don’t want to become an even greater burden.” “I understand, Solar, I’m not used to this, either. I’m not sure what to do first.” “If my mom’s stories are true, I’m sure you’ll be great at it.” “How much has she told you?” “She told me all about her time in high school, and how you came through the portal and saved everyone, twice. Although, she was very reserved about anything before that. Do you know why?” Twilight shook her head and replied, “No, but she’s always been like that. I can’t believe it’s been so long.” II: Twilight and PonyvilleChapter II: Twilight and Ponyville The day was still young and not wanting to lose any time, Twilight told Sol, “Come with me.” Sol eagerly followed Twilight out of the guest room and through the main doors of the castle. Once under the direct sunlight of the morning sky, Sol gasped in amazement, gazing out for miles past the mountains and over the clouds. The steep slopes of the mountains around Canterlot, the fluffy patterns of the white clouds, and the softness of every blade of grass at her hooves was something not entirely new, just different. As she took in the crisp Equestrian air, her heart raced with a strong anticipation. “Where are we going, Princess Twilight?” Twilight let out a brief chuckle and remarked, “You don’t have to call me Princess, you know. Just ‘Twilight’ is fine.” “Twilight?” “We’re going to my house,” Twilight said, continuing with, “I don’t live in the castle much since I have a family, now.” As they stepped into Ponyville, Sol was somewhat surprised to see so many ponies cramped into such a small town. The dirt roads connecting the blocks of colorful brick buildings could barely contain the carts, wagons, and bustling ponies going about. Most of the ponies were at the market vendors near the outside of town, but the shops within the brick boundaries were filled as well. Many of these ponies were travelers, indicated by the constant crowds gathered at the local inn. “It’s so busy, Twilight. Has it always been like this?” “No. Stay close to me. My house isn’t far.” It was a suffocating crowd, ponies of every color and kind, and even many nonponies, surrounded Sol. She felt different from them, separate, yet she knew that no one knew who she was. Apart from her lack of a cutie mark, there was no physical difference between another pony and herself. As Twilight ordered, Sol stayed close to her mentor and always kept her in sight. They weaved their way down a large street and at the corner, stopped at one of the older buildings; a colorful shop with pink doors, a chocolaty brown roof, and what appeared to be a cupcake built in the top center of the structure. The weathervane attached to one of the thick support beams was an ironwork pony holding a peppermint candy cane. The wooden sign held out over the door had words written in a foreign text, a set of drawn symbols that the ponies could read. Sol whispered to Twilight, “What does that say?” “We’re at Sugarcube Corner.” “Is this where you live?” Twilight chuckled loudly and remarked, “No! My friend, Pinkie, lives here.” The two walked inside. The bell hanging over the door rang when it was hit. Sol looked carefully about and noticed how most of the pillars supporting the ceiling were spirals panted in alternating red and white stripes. On the counter before them, there was an enormous pink cash register, glass containers, and rows upon rows of baked goods. There was a fresh scent of orange and other fruits coming from the back rooms where the oven and kitchen would be. Then, from behind the counter came a pink, wingless and hornless pony with an even pinker mane so curly that the curls were hardly noticeable. “Hiya, Twilight! What can I get’cha? Who’s this?” exclaimed Pinkie, who exaggerated almost every word with an intense burst of excitement. She gasped heavily upon seeing Sol’s face, someone she had never met. “Pinkie Pie, this is Solar Shimmer. She’s Sunset Shimmer’s daughter.” “Wait,” Pinkie began, narrowing her eyes as she thought, “Sunset Shimmer’s back here? Hasn’t it been like, a really, really long time?” “No, Pinkie. Remember the mirror I made long ago?” “Ooh, I remember! I came up with the idea!” was Pinkie’s cheerful reply. “Yes, you did. Well, Solar, here, came through earlier. I’m her new mentor.” “Ha-ha! You aren’t going to, like, go all crazy over tests like you used to, are ya?” Twilight gasped, “I did not get all crazy over tests!” she paused, realizing that she was standing on only her forelegs. She set her hind legs back to the floor and added, “Well, anymore. In any case, I need your help, Pinkie.” “Ooh, ooh! A welcoming party?” “Exactly!” replied Twilight, swinging her right hoof around in agreement. “I need you to round up the rest of our friends so they can all greet Solar. We need her to feel welcome.” “Umm, Twilight?” Solar interjected. “Hmm?” “I’m not that big on parties. Too much attention.” Twilight paused for a moment and asked, “Pinkie, can you make it not like a usual party? Something that welcomes her to Equestria without too much attention?” “Huh, well, I can certainly try. Where will it be?” “At my house.” “Okie dokie! I’ll get it set as soon as I can! 150 percent satisfaction guaranteed!” Twilight chuckled, “Thanks a bunch, Pinkie!” The door bell jingled when they walked out of the shop. Once more, they were amongst the bustling crowds of the town. Sol commented quietly to Twilight, “She seems fun.” Twilight, smiling, rounded the corner, passing Sugarcube Corner, and continued until they came to the remains of the Oak Tree Library, which had been fenced and left as it was. All that remained was the burnt stump. A few of the charred books that surrounded the devastation had been placed in the stump’s center. There was a golden plaque attached to the fence, but like the Corner’s sign, Sol could not read it. “What happened here?” “I used to live here, but a powerful being destroyed it. That’s how I got that castle.” “What happened to this being?” “His name was Tirek. He gained power by absorbing it from magical creatures. He escaped from Tartarus, but thanks to my friends, we were able to return him there under Cerberus’ watch.” For just a brief moment, Sol spotted a frown cross over Twilight’s mouth. When the moment passed, Twilight continued to smile. “Wait, Tartarus is real?” Twilight raised her eyebrows and chuckled, “Of course it’s real.” “It isn’t where I came from.” “Well, there’s more where that came from. Let’s go. Not much farther.” They continued walking and made a few turns down smaller roads before stopping once more at the other side of town. The house at the end of the road was two floors tall, supported with creamy colored bricks at the base with wooden beams running through the walls, had what looked like a straw roof, and pink doors similar to those at the Corner. A black iron wrought fence surrounded the house and a small staircase completed the pathway from the road to the door. Sol could see two reddish chimneys and about ten shining windows on the face of the home. As they approached the door, Twilight used her magic to pull out some mail from the purple mailbox at the gate. “You live here?” “Mhmm.” “It’s a beautiful house. How much did it cost?” “It was cheap since I’m a Princess. Bills. Bills. Bills. Junk. Bills.” “If you’re a Princess, why don’t you live in that castle?” Twilight opened the gate and continued up to her front door, “Oh, I still visit. Things to do. I admit, things have been rather boring, lately.” The front door creaked open and swung back, slamming into the wall when Twilight tried to open it. The sudden bang startled Sol and made Twilight blush. “Sorry,” she said quietly. The two stepped inside. Sol’s hooves tapped repeatedly against the hardwood flooring. She saw furniture like tables, seats, and a couch. There were also several bookcases filled with books of every size and color. Unlike the Corner, there were no outrageous colors or overly fancy designs. The home was rather plain to Sol, although she enjoyed the simplicity. Twilight raced to the base of the staircase that went to the second floor and shouted, “Midnight! Get down here!” “Who’s Midnight?” Sol asked. Before Twilight could answer, tapping of a pony’s hooves could be heard moving down the stairs. A female voice muttering softly came with it. A unicorn with a dark blue coat and a shimmering cerulean blue mane appeared before them. Her mane, like her mother’s, sparkled in the light and gently waved almost constantly, whether or not there was wind. She was not an Alicorn, yet her stature was greater than what Sol had seen in most other female ponies. She stood firm with a serious expression on her face, with no smiles or grins of any sort. On her flank was a glowing, white star surrounded by a silvery crescent moon. “Who is she?” Midnight inquired. Her voice was soft, direct, and rarely presented a grammatical error. “Midnight, this is Solar Shimmer. She’s my new pupil.” “What about me?” “Hmm, I haven’t thought about-. Maybe I can teach both of you together.” Sol extended her left hoof toward Midnight and said, “Pleased to meet you.” “Likewise,” Midnight looked at Sol’s flank and did not see a cutie mark. “Where’s your cutie mark?” Sol looked back at herself, and caught a glimpse of her flank in the corner of her eye and replied, “I don’t have one, yet.” “I guess we’ll have to fix that,” Midnight replied. “Can you do any magic?” Sol shook her head and answered calmly, “No.” “Midnight, Pinkie and the others should be coming later,” Twilight said. Midnight looked at her mother and asked, “Why is that?” With a subtle huff, Twilight answered, “A welcoming party.” Without another word, Midnight Sparkle left the room and returned upstairs. Sol heard a door shut, followed by the sound of things rustling around. Twilight put her hoof around Sol’s neck and told her, “That’s my daughter, Midnight. She’s probably cleaning her room. Don’t let her get you down. I’m sure you’ll be the best of friends.” “Are you sure, Twilight? She seemed jealous to me.” “Well, remember, she just found out. Give her time. We’ll get used to it eventually.” III: The Light of Luna's MoonChapter III: The Light of Luna’s Moon Later that evening, Pinkie Pie kept her word and invited Applejack; her son, Apple Slice; Rarity; Fluttershy; Rainbow Dash, her daughters; and three other ponies as old as Sol, to Twilight Sparkle’s home. The group, though still close, had not saved Equestria like they used to in quite some time. The Six hugged and giggled when they all met. Rainbow Dash, who kept her competitive nature, was surprised to find that Twilight had grown since the last time they met. At first, it was only by small increments, but now there was a sizeable difference. “You just keep getting bigger!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she hovered in the air to reach Twilight’s height. Since the time of Tirek, Rainbow’s mane had grown longer and the rainbow colored striped blended together more to create what looked more like a watercolor painting. Her magenta eyes widened and her cerulean blue coat shined from a recent race. “I’m still not nearly as tall as Princess Luna, though,” Twilight swiftly remarked. “Will you get to be that large?” “I’m not sure. Princess Cadence did.” Before the party officially began, Pinkie brought cake, cupcakes, drinks, and minor decorations to scatter all over Twilight’s home with the help of the Cakes. To comply with Sol’s wishes, there were no presents or anything overly flashy. Still, when all was done, pink, purple, and orange streamers adorned the rafters and railings. Confetti cluttered the floor. Welcoming napkins and plates were set beside the concessions in the kitchen. Everypony chattered and talked closely, apart from the three newcomers whom had never met the Six. “Hello, who are you?” Twilight asked the three, who stood together at the door when they arrived. Each of their written invitations were held in their mouths, which were set aside by Twilight as they came in through the door. “I’m White Noise,” said the female silver-colored unicorn with a bright, white mane. Her tall eyes glowed a tremendous blue stronger than any color Twilight had seen. “Diamond Promenade,” answered the female crystal Pegasus with a sparkling silver coat and blue mane. Like other crystal ponies, her coat shimmered, sparkled, and glowed when seen in any kind of light. The last pony to introduce himself was a tan earth pony named, “Sandy Shores.” His physique was larger than the others, particularly in his shoulders, neck, and back. His muzzle was widened, his nose sturdy, and his hoof steps were capable of shaking the floor. “Pinkie invited us,” Diamond added. “I’m not entirely sure why, though.” “Come in, anyway! There’s cake and punch. Make sure to meet Solar Shimmer, she’s over there! She’s really friendly. It seems Everypony is forming a line to meet her,” Twilight pointed her hoof toward Sol, who was talking with Applejack and her son, Apple Slice. Applejack had just finished shaking Sol’s hoof so fast that it became invisible for ten full seconds. Apple Slice was much younger than Sol, about the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders during the raid of Tirek. “So, yer from the past that mirror in Twi’s castle?” Applejack asked Sol, bending her eyebrows. “Yes. My mom told me all about this place, but I never fully believed her, until now.” “Well, that’s sumthin’.” Applejack, too, had changed over the years. She kept her hair shorter, always with her trusty hat. Working on the farm at Sweet Apple Acres was hard labor, but all of the work kept her legs and back strong. Apple Slice, though still a young pony, had already begun to help his mother work the orchard. Like his mother, he gained his cutie mark at a young age. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and her daughters met with Sol at the same time after Applejack left. Fluttershy, as usual, kept most of her face hidden away under her thick locks of pink hair. When she would speak, her soft voice was barely audible amongst the other voices and sounds inside the house. “I’m, I’m Fluttershy,” Sol finally heard. Fluttershy stared down at the floor and patted her hoof against the wood. “Nice to meet you, Fluttershy!” Sol exclaimed with a wide smile. With her head still aimed downward, Fluttershy smiled back. “And I’m Rainbow Dash!” said Rainbow Dash, abruptly. She flew into the air and presented Sol with a small flip before hovering. The flapping of her feathered wings circulated the somewhat stagnant air through the room and knocked over a few streamers and cups. “Careful, Rainbow!” Twilight shouted from across the room. “Hehe, sorry, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash grinned heartily, exposing all of her teeth. “Nice to meet you, too. You’re really good at flying!” Rainbow landed, and scratched the back of her head with her hoof and chuckled lightly. “Well, it’s a hobby of mine.” When Rainbow stood straight, Sol noticed the blue and yellow vest she wore, and upon her breast, a peculiar golden badge. “What’s with the badge?” Sol asked, pointing her hoof at the badge. “Oh, this?” Rainbow inquired as she looked down. She answered in a clear and weighty voice, “I’m a member of the Wonderbolts!” “Ooh! But, I’m not sure who they are.” “They’re a group of elite fliers. It took mom many years, but she finally joined,” answered Rainbow Dash’s eldest daughter, Rainbow Bright. Solar looked over both of Rainbow Dash’s daughters, but only found similarities with Rainbow Bright. Like her mother, her coat was a deep cerulean blue, her eyes were reddish, and her mane was spiky, uneven, and was colored with rainbow stripes. Sunny Sky was her younger daughter, who had a thicker yellow coat with a shiny black mane. She also wore round glasses. “This here is Rainbow Bright!” Rainbow Dash announced, “She’s a flier like me!” “I’m hoping to be a Wonderbolt, too,” Rainbow Bright added with a smirk. “And,” Rainbow Dash continued as she reached her hoof around her other daughter, “this is Sunny Sky!” “Hello,” came her soft reply. “It’s great to meet you all!” Although there was never a set pattern, all of the guests who wanted to meet Sol had formed something of a line. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were next, followed by the three other ponies Pinkie invited. The others waited elsewhere in the room and sipped on juice while snacking on crackers and daisy sandwiches that were brought when the party began. A record had been playing over the phonograph quietly the entire time, but Sol hardly noticed. Her hoof was still sore after Applejack’s violent hoofshake. When Rarity approached, Sol quickly noticed her flowing, purple mane with styled curls and blue hairclips. Her eyelashes were properly done over, her purple eye shadow was fresh, and her coat glistened in the light. Her smile lit up the room as she greeted Sol with an inviting embrace, and once done said to her, “Your mane is just gorgeous! You must come by my boutique and let me make you a new dress! But, oh, where are my manners? It is a pleasure to meet you! I’m Rarity.” “That sounds like fun, Rarity!” “I’m so curious, darling. What is it like on the other side of the mirror?” “It’s nothing like this! I’ve only been here a short time, but everything is incredible. Everyone here has been so nice to me.” “I’m glad to hear it, but I must move along. There are others for you to meet!” Rarity walked past Sol, smiling at her, and made her way to the other side of the room. Before Sol could take a short breath, Pinkie burst onto the scene and grabbed Sol with a powerful embrace that let more air escape the unicorn’s lungs. “Hiya, again!” With intermittent coughs, Sol muttered, “Hi, Pinkie.” “Hmm? Are you okie dokie? You look all tired.” “No, just need to catch my breath.” “Aww, did I squeeze you too hard?” With a smile, Sol nodded. Pinkie gasped loudly and grabbed Sol once more for an apology hug, which only hurt worse. Seeing Sol’s pain, Pinkie tapped her on her shoulder and sped off to join the rest of the party. The three whom Pinkie invited were next, and spoke to Sol all at once. Diamond began, explaining to Sol, “Hi, Solar Shimmer. Pinkie invited us to come here.” “Yeah,” White Noise continued, “We don’t really know anyone here except Pinkie.” “That’s all right. I’ve been saying it a lot today, but I’m glad to meet all of you. What are your names?” The three told her their names. “Diamond, why is your coat so, so shiny?” “I’m a crystal pony from the Crystal Empire.” “The Crystal Empire? What is that?” Twilight came up behind Sol and quickly recited, “The Crystal Empire is a city in the north where a powerful crystal heart gathers love and friendship from the ponies that live there so it can protect all of Equestria from harm!” With widely opened eyes, Diamond responded, “Yeah, that.” “Twilight, did you even breathe?” Sol asked. “Hehe, kinda.” Twilight left the group, blushing, and returned to Fluttershy and Applejack by the concession stand in her kitchen. As she sipped apple juice, Applejack asked Twilight in a hushed voice, “Do ya think all this’ll be safe? Remember what happened to Sunset Shimmer.” “I remember, but Sunset changed. And right now, Solar doesn’t even know how to levitate.” “Well, if ya need anythin’, let me know. I’ve been busy as it is ever since Big Mac moved on to Appleloosa. Oh, by tha way, where in tarnation is Midnight?” “She was down here earlier. Last I checked, she was cleaning out her room. I don’t know what for.” Diamond, Sandy, and White Noise continued talking to Sol later into the evening. As the sun inched closer and closer to the horizon, the sky grew darker until the twinkling stars could be seen. When the sun had been lowered by Celestia, Princess Luna in Canterlot raised the moon high into the night sky. With the late hour, the guests felt it was time to head out for the night. By then, most of the Ponyville crowds had gone and chimneys were lit for warmth as everyone settled in for the night. “Goodbye! I hope to see you again soon!” said Rarity. Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Bright both shouted, “See ya, Solar! Stay Awesome!” However, Sunny Sky simply said, “Bye.” Applejack, Apple Slice, Pinkie, and Fluttershy shouted their farewells at the same time, making one unintelligible cluster of words. All that remained were the three. “We should be heading out, too. Maybe we can all hang out sometime?” Sandy asked the group. His question was met with approving responses. They soon left, leaving Twilight alone with Sol in the living room of her home. The streamers were still stuck in the rafters and cups half-filled with punch had been left on her counters. Sol helped put things away by knocking cups and trash into a bin Twilight elevated beside the counter. Once all was done, Midnight came down the stairs and confronted her mother and Solar, who were very fatigued from the party. All of the talking and greeting left Sol’s voice hoarse and her hooves sore. “How was everything?” Twilight asked once the cleaning had been completed. “It was great,” Sol began, but let out a bellowing yawn before she could continue. “Sounds like you’re ready for bed?” Sol nodded fiercely, but asked, “Where will I sleep? Back at the castle?” “I can take you there if you want,” offered Twilight. “Wait,” Midnight held out her hoof and suggested, “Solar can sleep over here for tonight, if that’s all right.” Sol glanced at Twilight, who gently nodded with a smile. The girls raced upstairs and slammed the door to Midnight’s room shut. As Twilight figured, Midnight had been cleaning her room out by shoving most of her junk under her bed or into her closet, leaving the floors mostly presentable. Her bed was wide enough for the two of them and was covered with a flannel blanket, black in color. Sol looked all about Midnight’s room and saw pictures pressed between the spaces of her mirror and the wooden base of which held it in place. There were lamps and books lying all around. Midnight said little before turning out the lights. The two took to the bed and laid there quietly as the moon shined intently through the window that faced north. Within minutes, Midnight was asleep, yet Sol stayed awake to stare endlessly at the moon. Her heart was pounding and all the while it grew worse. Ultimately, she closed her eyes and calmed her breathing. She slept peacefully into Luna’s night. IV: First LessonsChapter IV: First Lessons When the Equestrian sun rose the following morning with orange rays extended over the entire sky, a rooster from afar cawed loudly and awakened Sol from her deep slumber. She opened her heavy eyes, blinked several times to adjust to the light, and let out a bellowing yawn as she stretched her hind legs, fore legs, and back. She looked about the room, which was still dark as the sun had barely entered the sky off the mountainous horizon. Already, there were carts rolling down the paved roads, pulled by early-bird ponies all ready for the new day. With a groan, she fell back to the bed and shut her eyes. Her ears, however, were still wide open and let in every minute sound from beyond the walls of the house. She opened her eyes again, but continued to lie down on the bed with the covers halfway over her body. Her new fur coat kept her rather warm. Beside her slept Midnight Sparkle, who was wrapped tightly in a cocoon of the blankets with a pillow wedged underneath her head. All the while she lay there, she thought about her mother. Before the two had gone through the mirror, Sunset warned Sol about the many Equestrian dangers, from destructive magic to mythical beasts that roamed the wildernesses. All was so foreign, yet when she made her way through the streets, she saw many ponies who featured significant similarities to people she knew from her own world. The entire mane six, she realized, she had met on the other side as they, too, were all friends from the past. Not more than five or so minutes after the sun had first risen, she heard faint thumping hoofsteps coming nearer from down the hall before they knocked thrice upon Midnight’s bedroom door. Sol did not reply, and shut her eyes as though she had just awakened. The knocking came again and was followed by a female voice, Twilight, who said in a hushed tone, “Girls? Are you awake?” Sol was about to answer when she heard rustling from Midnight’s side of the bed. Midnight slowly awoke and groaned as she smacked her lips. She then yawned with a brief stretch. She leapt out of bed and answered, “Yeah, mom,” with a forced cheer in her voice. Sol followed Midnight’s lead and stumbled out of the bed. The untouched wooden floor felt cold to her hooves and sent a shiver down her spine, a simple feeling that was all too familiar. “Are you all right?” Midnight asked as she brushed her mane. Her hairbrush, Sol noticed, floated in the air; carried by a light blue aura coming from her horn. “Yes,” was Sol’s reply. After a few seconds of silence, Sol then asked, “I’m curious. Why don’t you have wings like Twilight?” Midnight raised her right eyebrow and tilted her head toward Sol. “My father was not an Alicorn,” she answered. “Ahh, sorry.” Midnight turned her head quickly back towards her dresser and responded, “It’s all right.” Her eyebrows bent inward and a frown momentarily crossed over her lips. She looked at herself in the mirror before turning her attention to a charred photograph, framed and sitting upright on the dresser. Twilight returned a few minutes later and opened the door. Her mane was tangled and disheveled, unlike the day before. Small bags formed under her eyes and there were alternating patches of rough fur all over her purple coat. “What do you girls want for breakfast?” she asked. “Anything is fine,” Sol replied. She looked over at Midnight, who still had her attention on the picture. Twilight saw what her daughter was doing, yet continued, “Oatmeal?” “That’s fine,” both girls answered simultaneously. Twilight smirked and told them, “I’ll get to it, soon.” She then asked, “Did you sleep well, Sol?” Sol nodded and said, “Yes.” With a vibrant smile, Twilight said, “That’s good. Come down when you’re ready. I’ll make breakfast in about half an hour.” Twilight then left and shut the door. When she was gone, Midnight turned away from the picture and continued to brush her mane. With her magic, she pulled brush through her blue mane, yanking sternly whenever she felt a knot. Each section of her mane that she brushed began to glow and wave about like her mother’s. “Do you want to take a shower or bath?” Midnight asked. She set her hairbrush back on her dresser when she finished and approached Sol, who was still standing beside the bed. “No,” Sol replied, “I don’t think I need one, but can I use your brush?” “Of course.” Midnight grabbed the brush with her magic and tossed it onto the bed. Sol stared at the brush for a few seconds, trying hard to use levitation magic. None of her attempts were successful and not even a glow appeared on her horn. “Um, how exactly do you levitate things?” “Here, I’ll do it for you.” Midnight picked up the brush and pushed the bristles through the tangled strands of Sol’s mane. Once each section had been detangled, Midnight placed the brush down and said, “I think I’m done.” The two walked over to Midnight’s mirror. Seeing herself in pony form, Sol frowned as she moved her head from side to side. Her eyes were larger, which brought out her brightly colored yellow eyes, although all of her other physical features were drastically different. Her ears pointed upward, her nose was now part of a small muzzle, she now had a tail, she stood on four legs with a vertical back, and she no longer required clothing to go around in public. “It looks great,” Sol commented. Most of her wavy mane hung down to the right side of her face, though a few locks kept to the other side. Her tail had also been brushed, revealing a single lock of hair that curled around beside the main strand, which waved like her mane. The deep colors of the red in her mane brought out the pale orange of her coat, much like in her other world. There were several small pictures shoved into the crack between the mirror and the wooden base, but all of them seemed to be of friends or places around Equestria. Her eyes panned over from the mirror to the picture in the frame. She quickly identified Twilight due to her wings and horn, and recognized a much younger Midnight being held by another pony, a male, with a grayish coat. She could not identify the setting, however, as she had seen little of Equestria. Midnight saw that Sol was looking at the picture, and quickly said, “I’m not sure when she plans to do anything, but my mom can teach you how to use magic. Teaching others is not a strong skill of mine.” Sol nodded and looked away from the picture. “Are you ready?” Midnight asked. After she finished speaking, Sol heard a low rumbling come from Midnight’s stomach. The feeling of hunger was mutual between the two. “Let’s go,” Sol replied. Before leaving the room with Midnight, Sol quickly glanced back at the mirror. She followed Midnight down the stairs and into the kitchen. A few pieces of confetti remained from the party the day before. She felt a chilling blast of air come from a vent in the ceiling felt goose bumps form all along her sides and back. She looked around the kitchen and the living room, but found no sign of Twilight. Sol turned to Midnight and asked, “Where is Twilight?” “She’s probably taking a shower. Want something to drink? I have juice.” “Sure.” A few minutes later, Twilight stumbled down the stairs with a white towel wrapped around her mane. Warm droplets of water covered her shining purple coat, and she smelled all over of flowers. Immediately, she entered the kitchen and pulled out a glass jar filled with dried oats from the pantry beside the dishwasher. A blue curtain covered the small window over the sink, but the street could barely be seen through it. The sun kept moving higher in the sky. Twilight scooped some of the oatmeal with a wooden spoon and tossed the spoonfuls into three ceramic bowls. She then added fresh and cold milk from the refrigerator near the kitchen entrance. To save time, Twilight heated each bowl with her magic and stirred the warmed mixtures with the same wooden spoon. The ponies sat down on the red pillows set on the floor beside the table, each with a bowl before them. To Sol’s surprise, Midnight was able to pick up the bowl using only her hooves. “How did you do that?” Sol asked, pointing her hoof at Midnight, who was still holding the bowl. “Hooves, how do they work?” Midnight snidely remarked. “After breakfast, we’ll begin your first lesson, Solar Shimmer,” Twilight said before she began to eat. “We’ll go to the Castle just outside Ponyville. Before you learn spells and magic, you’ll need to learn how to read Equestrian characters.” “Why is that?” Sol asked. She mimicked Midnight’s grasping of the bowl using her hooves, but dropped the bowl after lifting it only a few inches. Luckily, nothing was spilled and the bowl sat upright. Twilight blew lightly on her oatmeal and replied, “Equestrian magic is often formed using lines of words called spells. You have to ponder on these words to make things happen. Once they are learned, they become more automatic and you can just do them at will.” “So, to use them, I have to read what they say?” Sol added, trying once more to lift the bowl. “Exactly! Don’t worry. Our letters aren’t that difficult.” Sol wrapped her right hoof halfway around the bowl, and with minimal effort, lifted it from the table and to her face. “Hey, I did it!” she exclaimed. Later that morning, the three arrived at the Castle outside of Ponyville and made their way to a small room near the guest wing. There were several filled bookshelves packed with magic spell books lining the walls, Equestrian tapestries depicting Princesses Celestia and Luna beside each of the two windows, and unlit candelabras in every corner in addition to the diamond-like light fixture in the center of the slightly arched ceiling. There were two large and circular tables, with pillows beside them like chairs, placed near the windows. Twilight quickly entered the room and pulled out several books from each bookcase. She slammed the tomes down on the table closest to the window overlooking Ponyville. Canterlot could be seen by all of them off in the distance. Twilight, with a deep grin, sat down at the table and flipped through the pages of each book to specific passages, and set them in a row before a seat on the other side. “Sit, sit!” Twilight ordered, looking closely at Sol. Sol sat down by the books and looked down at the words. Each of the passages Twilight pointed out were written in English, though strangely worded. “These books should help you read our letters. Most of our spells are written in them, as they have magical characteristics,” said Twilight. “To optimally read magic, one must first and completely master the native Equestrian characters with which to read magical spells,” Sol began to read aloud, “Most of the aforementioned magical characters in the native Equestrian language base are often rather exaggerated versions of the written letters in this modern Equestrian written text, where with visible pictures in the form of pen or brush strokes, there added to make each written one unique and nearly obvious to the reader in definition.” Sol then looked up at Twilight and said, “I’m confused.” “Sorry,” said Twilight with a reassuring smile, “these books are rather old. Keep reading and it should explain each character.” As Sol kept reading, Midnight sat down beside her mother and asked, “What should I do?” “Oh, that’s right!” Twilight exclaimed. She leapt from her seat and ran over to a bookshelf, and jerked out a black book from the top shelf. Another book wedged next to it fell to the floor without Twilight noticing. She slammed the book onto the other table and used her purple magic to open the book to a passage, revealing a page-long spell written in the Equestrian characters. Opening her eyes up wide, Midnight Sparkle pushed her head in closer to look more thoroughly at the words on the page. “One’s heart, pressured with an eternal anxiety, strives to forgive and to love and to show, to carry the burdens of our world; a soul with strong words and feelings to often violently ignite the way of the truth, revealed through our actions and carried out by our dreams and aspirations, until the day the world ceases to be,” Midnight recited carefully. Sol looked up briefly from her book to watch Midnight stand there in total silence. Midnight kept her eyes open, and after ten seconds or so of the silence, formed a blue glow around her unicorn horn. Gnashing her teeth and grunting heavily, she made the glow stronger until a quickly rotating sphere ignited and burst around in a spiraling reddish light that absorbed her horn entirely. Sol felt the blazing heat from across the room and halfway shut her eyes, yet she could not turn away. With a short cry, Midnight shut her eyes and shook her head. The flames swarming around her vanished, leaving only a cloud of grayish smoke that gathered around the room. “What- what was that?!” Midnight exclaimed with a hoarse voice as milky tears ran down from her eyes. Twilight smirked and answered, “Flames of the Sorrowful Alicorn.”
I: Through the MirrorKNIGHTS of EQUESTRIA: I'll See You on the Other Side Chapter I: Through the Mirror It had been many years since Alicorn Princess Celestia last entered the crystalline hallways of the Rainbow Friendship Kingdom Castle, the heart of Ponyville. Before she entered, she paused to turn around and look at all the town had become. In fifteen short years, the town had grown from a small country village beside the mountains to a rolling community bustling with creatures of every kind. It was early in the morning, yet the citizens of the town were all ready for the day. There was a cool breeze that flowed through the mountains, along with fresh dew that coated the plants with a chilly layer of moisture. High along the side of a mountain to the north was Canterlot, the country’s capitol city. It was built in the center of the country long ago and could be easily seen by all of Ponyville. Unlike Ponyville, it has changed little. There used to be wooden buildings with straw roofs, but now stone and brick dominate the streets. She stood there for quite some time and allowed the wind to brush through her waving, multicolored mane. The bright sun felt good against her white coat, a refreshing change from the icy winter that was around just a few days before. When she had her fill of the spring morning, she entered the castle equipped with a tan saddlebag. Colorful crystal structures surrounded her as she stood in the central chamber, a rotunda with a deep purple floor. Six pinkish crystal thrones formed a circle around the center of the room; one throne had a smaller seat beside it. In the very center of the room was an elevated map of the country, Equestria. Each throne, apart from the smallest, was marked with a specific symbol for the pony that was to sit upon it. Although the castle was still lived in, the thrones often remained empty as those ponies lead different lives. It had been a short time for Celestia, who has been alive for over one thousand years, though the fifteen years that passed since the castle’s erection have taken a toll on those who were directly involved. When she flew into Ponyville earlier, Celestia noticed only one thing that remained the same- Twilight’s old home, which was a library inside a hollowed-out tree. It was destroyed during a devastating battle ten years before and had become something of a landmark. Celestia had arrived a few minutes early, and not long after she made her way into the throne room, an old friend entered the room and stood beside her. The clicking of the newcomer’s hooves have her presence away, and Celestia turned around suddenly to greet her old student, Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle, it’s good to see you!” The purple Alicorn smiled and gave a small bow to her mentor. Her golden crown glistened in the light, held up high alongside her unicorn’s horn. Through the years, she had grown taller and larger than her friends, a result of her Alicorn status. Her wings were strong and agile; ready for the fiercest storm. She was no longer the child Celestia once knew. Yet, she was still not as tall as Celestia, or Celestia’s younger sister, Luna. “It’s so good to see you!” Twilight exclaimed as tears ran down her cheeks. “We really should get together more often,” Celestia replied as the two briefly embraced. When the embrace was completed, Twilight wiped the remaining tears away with her hooves and asked her friend, “How is everything back in Canterlot?” “More boring than usual, my friend,” Celestia let out a small chuckle and continued, “I miss the days when some disaster lurked around the corner every week. It’s like it was long before we met, when the world was at peace.” Twilight paused for a brief moment, recalling the letter she received from Celestia only one day prior. The words in the Princess’ letter sounded as though something terrible was about to happen. Before she could inquire, Twilight looked carefully at the Princess’ face and saw a peculiar expression, one that she had not seen in many years. Her brow was pressed inwards and covered her purplish eyes in shadow. Her mouth curved in a slight frown. Celestia looked carefully over the map of Equestria in the center of the room, focusing on Canterlot. In a quiet voice, Twilight asked, “Princess, is there something wrong?” Celestia returned to face Twilight and answered in a gentle voice, “No, but there is something we must attend to. Follow me to the Mirror.” The two walked down a side hallway in the castle, and into a small library with many levels of dusty, old books. In one corner was a contraption Twilight built long ago, but had not used in many years. It was a mirror, which was built to be a portal to another world using several magical devices. The book that powered it originally belonged to Celestia, though fifteen years ago it was given to Twilight. Since, it was returned to Celestia only to be reunited with the mirror once more. Celestia levitated the thick book out from her saddle bag and placed it atop the contraption in a designated holder. Instantly, the machinery attached to it began to glow a bright purple. The mirror was functional once more. “Sunset Shimmer’s book?” Twilight inquired. She recognized the red and yellow sunset marking on the book’s cover. “Yes. For so long, it has lain dormant on our shelves, but not long ago, I received a message from her.” “Is she all right?” Before answering, Celestia took a pen from her bag, opened the book to a page near the back, and inscribed the word ‘now’ onto the page. She then closed the book and answered Twilight, “Yes, she is.” “I don’t understand. What’s going on?” Then, with a bright flash of light, a light orange unicorn with a bright red mane stepped into the room from the rippling surface of the portal. Sunset Shimmer, a similarly colored unicorn with red and yellow locks of hair in her mane, came through seconds after the first. The two unicorns stood before the two Alicorn Princesses. Sunset bowed before them upon seeing Celestia, and to imitate her mother, the younger unicorn did so as well. A smile crossed Celestia’s face. When the two stood back up, Sunset greeted Celestia and Twilight by saying, “It’s good to be back, Princesses. I’ve missed you both.” To herself and very quietly, Sunset’s daughter muttered, “They’re real!” “Sunset, you’re actually here!” Twilight exclaimed. With a burst of energy, Twilight ran up to Sunset and wrapped her right hoof around her neck. Sunset then nuzzled Twilight against her cheek. She stopped and turned her attention to her daughter, who remained next to the mirror. “Twilight, Princess Celestia, let me introduce you to my daughter, Sol.” Sol, the younger unicorn, smiled and approached the two Alicorns unsteadily; all the while she kept looking at everything around her. Standing before the radiant Celestia, Sol said to them, “It’s great to finally meet you. My name is Solar Shimmer, but everyone calls me Sol. I can’t wait to get started, Ms. Twilight!” “Sunset, Celestia, I’m still confused. Why is she here in Equestria?” Twilight asked. “Do you remember when you were my student, and how I taught you about magic and friendship?” Celestia asked Twilight. “Of course I do! All that’s happened is because of your lessons!” “Twilight, Solar Shimmer is to be your student just as you were mine.” Twilight raised her hoof and shouted, “And you didn’t think to warn me about this?” “I do apologize, Twilight, but I, too, found out about Solar Shimmer’s interest only a few days ago. I understand if you cannot be her mentor. I can do it, myself. But, I thought you’d love the idea.” Twilight thought for a few seconds and kept her head low. Solar Shimmer watched eagerly as Twilight announced her decision. She answered, “Fine, I’ll do it. Is there a book on mentoring I should read?” Solar shouted and exclaimed loudly, and embraced Twilight with a crushing grip, “Oh, thank you so much, Twilight! You don’t know how much this means to me.” Quietly, Twilight muttered to herself, “No, I think I do.” “Take care of her, Twilight. She’s been wanting this for so long,” Sunset added, smiling as she stood next to the mirror. She tried to hide her face in shadow, but Twilight could see tears collecting underneath Sunset’s eyes. “Sunset, you’re leaving already?” Sunset shrugged and replied, “Not just yet. Can I have a moment alone with Sol before I go?” “Of course,” was Twilight’s reply. Celestia and Twilight returned to the throne room, leaving Sunset and her daughter in the library. Celestia’s frown returned as she once more looked over the map of Equestria. In the distance, Twilight could hear the two talking. Then, after a hissing noise ceased, the orange unicorn stepped out of the library and into the hall. She walked slowly to the Princesses and stopped in their presence. Thin tears streamed down her face and collected under her chin. She hung her head low and stared at the floor before looking up at Twilight, giving her a forced smile. “I’m sorry, in my excitement; I forgot she’d have to leave.” Twilight placed her hoof gently on Sol’s shoulder and pulled her in closer. “It’s all right,” Twilight replied, and added, “You’ll see her again.” Suddenly, Celestia stomped her right hoof and said, “I must return to Canterlot. I trust you two will be all right?” Twilight nodded. After Celestia left, Twilight took Sol to an upper portion of the castle and showed her into the guest wing. It was rarely used, yet when the door was opened, there was little dust in the main living chamber. Sol walked inside and sniffed around to get a better feel of her new pony form. Twilight watched Sol struggle to perform basic magic spells, such as levitation. Sol, not knowing how to do them, failed at her attempts. With a smile, Twilight told Sol, “I can teach you how to use magic, if you want.” Sol turned to face her new mentor, “I’m sorry for all of this. My mom told me about Equestria, and I didn’t believe her at first until I saw her book. I just wanted to see it so badly! But, now that I’m here, I don’t want to become an even greater burden.” “I understand, Solar, I’m not used to this, either. I’m not sure what to do first.” “If my mom’s stories are true, I’m sure you’ll be great at it.” “How much has she told you?” “She told me all about her time in high school, and how you came through the portal and saved everyone, twice. Although, she was very reserved about anything before that. Do you know why?” Twilight shook her head and replied, “No, but she’s always been like that. I can’t believe it’s been so long.”
II: Twilight and PonyvilleChapter II: Twilight and Ponyville The day was still young and not wanting to lose any time, Twilight told Sol, “Come with me.” Sol eagerly followed Twilight out of the guest room and through the main doors of the castle. Once under the direct sunlight of the morning sky, Sol gasped in amazement, gazing out for miles past the mountains and over the clouds. The steep slopes of the mountains around Canterlot, the fluffy patterns of the white clouds, and the softness of every blade of grass at her hooves was something not entirely new, just different. As she took in the crisp Equestrian air, her heart raced with a strong anticipation. “Where are we going, Princess Twilight?” Twilight let out a brief chuckle and remarked, “You don’t have to call me Princess, you know. Just ‘Twilight’ is fine.” “Twilight?” “We’re going to my house,” Twilight said, continuing with, “I don’t live in the castle much since I have a family, now.” As they stepped into Ponyville, Sol was somewhat surprised to see so many ponies cramped into such a small town. The dirt roads connecting the blocks of colorful brick buildings could barely contain the carts, wagons, and bustling ponies going about. Most of the ponies were at the market vendors near the outside of town, but the shops within the brick boundaries were filled as well. Many of these ponies were travelers, indicated by the constant crowds gathered at the local inn. “It’s so busy, Twilight. Has it always been like this?” “No. Stay close to me. My house isn’t far.” It was a suffocating crowd, ponies of every color and kind, and even many nonponies, surrounded Sol. She felt different from them, separate, yet she knew that no one knew who she was. Apart from her lack of a cutie mark, there was no physical difference between another pony and herself. As Twilight ordered, Sol stayed close to her mentor and always kept her in sight. They weaved their way down a large street and at the corner, stopped at one of the older buildings; a colorful shop with pink doors, a chocolaty brown roof, and what appeared to be a cupcake built in the top center of the structure. The weathervane attached to one of the thick support beams was an ironwork pony holding a peppermint candy cane. The wooden sign held out over the door had words written in a foreign text, a set of drawn symbols that the ponies could read. Sol whispered to Twilight, “What does that say?” “We’re at Sugarcube Corner.” “Is this where you live?” Twilight chuckled loudly and remarked, “No! My friend, Pinkie, lives here.” The two walked inside. The bell hanging over the door rang when it was hit. Sol looked carefully about and noticed how most of the pillars supporting the ceiling were spirals panted in alternating red and white stripes. On the counter before them, there was an enormous pink cash register, glass containers, and rows upon rows of baked goods. There was a fresh scent of orange and other fruits coming from the back rooms where the oven and kitchen would be. Then, from behind the counter came a pink, wingless and hornless pony with an even pinker mane so curly that the curls were hardly noticeable. “Hiya, Twilight! What can I get’cha? Who’s this?” exclaimed Pinkie, who exaggerated almost every word with an intense burst of excitement. She gasped heavily upon seeing Sol’s face, someone she had never met. “Pinkie Pie, this is Solar Shimmer. She’s Sunset Shimmer’s daughter.” “Wait,” Pinkie began, narrowing her eyes as she thought, “Sunset Shimmer’s back here? Hasn’t it been like, a really, really long time?” “No, Pinkie. Remember the mirror I made long ago?” “Ooh, I remember! I came up with the idea!” was Pinkie’s cheerful reply. “Yes, you did. Well, Solar, here, came through earlier. I’m her new mentor.” “Ha-ha! You aren’t going to, like, go all crazy over tests like you used to, are ya?” Twilight gasped, “I did not get all crazy over tests!” she paused, realizing that she was standing on only her forelegs. She set her hind legs back to the floor and added, “Well, anymore. In any case, I need your help, Pinkie.” “Ooh, ooh! A welcoming party?” “Exactly!” replied Twilight, swinging her right hoof around in agreement. “I need you to round up the rest of our friends so they can all greet Solar. We need her to feel welcome.” “Umm, Twilight?” Solar interjected. “Hmm?” “I’m not that big on parties. Too much attention.” Twilight paused for a moment and asked, “Pinkie, can you make it not like a usual party? Something that welcomes her to Equestria without too much attention?” “Huh, well, I can certainly try. Where will it be?” “At my house.” “Okie dokie! I’ll get it set as soon as I can! 150 percent satisfaction guaranteed!” Twilight chuckled, “Thanks a bunch, Pinkie!” The door bell jingled when they walked out of the shop. Once more, they were amongst the bustling crowds of the town. Sol commented quietly to Twilight, “She seems fun.” Twilight, smiling, rounded the corner, passing Sugarcube Corner, and continued until they came to the remains of the Oak Tree Library, which had been fenced and left as it was. All that remained was the burnt stump. A few of the charred books that surrounded the devastation had been placed in the stump’s center. There was a golden plaque attached to the fence, but like the Corner’s sign, Sol could not read it. “What happened here?” “I used to live here, but a powerful being destroyed it. That’s how I got that castle.” “What happened to this being?” “His name was Tirek. He gained power by absorbing it from magical creatures. He escaped from Tartarus, but thanks to my friends, we were able to return him there under Cerberus’ watch.” For just a brief moment, Sol spotted a frown cross over Twilight’s mouth. When the moment passed, Twilight continued to smile. “Wait, Tartarus is real?” Twilight raised her eyebrows and chuckled, “Of course it’s real.” “It isn’t where I came from.” “Well, there’s more where that came from. Let’s go. Not much farther.” They continued walking and made a few turns down smaller roads before stopping once more at the other side of town. The house at the end of the road was two floors tall, supported with creamy colored bricks at the base with wooden beams running through the walls, had what looked like a straw roof, and pink doors similar to those at the Corner. A black iron wrought fence surrounded the house and a small staircase completed the pathway from the road to the door. Sol could see two reddish chimneys and about ten shining windows on the face of the home. As they approached the door, Twilight used her magic to pull out some mail from the purple mailbox at the gate. “You live here?” “Mhmm.” “It’s a beautiful house. How much did it cost?” “It was cheap since I’m a Princess. Bills. Bills. Bills. Junk. Bills.” “If you’re a Princess, why don’t you live in that castle?” Twilight opened the gate and continued up to her front door, “Oh, I still visit. Things to do. I admit, things have been rather boring, lately.” The front door creaked open and swung back, slamming into the wall when Twilight tried to open it. The sudden bang startled Sol and made Twilight blush. “Sorry,” she said quietly. The two stepped inside. Sol’s hooves tapped repeatedly against the hardwood flooring. She saw furniture like tables, seats, and a couch. There were also several bookcases filled with books of every size and color. Unlike the Corner, there were no outrageous colors or overly fancy designs. The home was rather plain to Sol, although she enjoyed the simplicity. Twilight raced to the base of the staircase that went to the second floor and shouted, “Midnight! Get down here!” “Who’s Midnight?” Sol asked. Before Twilight could answer, tapping of a pony’s hooves could be heard moving down the stairs. A female voice muttering softly came with it. A unicorn with a dark blue coat and a shimmering cerulean blue mane appeared before them. Her mane, like her mother’s, sparkled in the light and gently waved almost constantly, whether or not there was wind. She was not an Alicorn, yet her stature was greater than what Sol had seen in most other female ponies. She stood firm with a serious expression on her face, with no smiles or grins of any sort. On her flank was a glowing, white star surrounded by a silvery crescent moon. “Who is she?” Midnight inquired. Her voice was soft, direct, and rarely presented a grammatical error. “Midnight, this is Solar Shimmer. She’s my new pupil.” “What about me?” “Hmm, I haven’t thought about-. Maybe I can teach both of you together.” Sol extended her left hoof toward Midnight and said, “Pleased to meet you.” “Likewise,” Midnight looked at Sol’s flank and did not see a cutie mark. “Where’s your cutie mark?” Sol looked back at herself, and caught a glimpse of her flank in the corner of her eye and replied, “I don’t have one, yet.” “I guess we’ll have to fix that,” Midnight replied. “Can you do any magic?” Sol shook her head and answered calmly, “No.” “Midnight, Pinkie and the others should be coming later,” Twilight said. Midnight looked at her mother and asked, “Why is that?” With a subtle huff, Twilight answered, “A welcoming party.” Without another word, Midnight Sparkle left the room and returned upstairs. Sol heard a door shut, followed by the sound of things rustling around. Twilight put her hoof around Sol’s neck and told her, “That’s my daughter, Midnight. She’s probably cleaning her room. Don’t let her get you down. I’m sure you’ll be the best of friends.” “Are you sure, Twilight? She seemed jealous to me.” “Well, remember, she just found out. Give her time. We’ll get used to it eventually.”
III: The Light of Luna's MoonChapter III: The Light of Luna’s Moon Later that evening, Pinkie Pie kept her word and invited Applejack; her son, Apple Slice; Rarity; Fluttershy; Rainbow Dash, her daughters; and three other ponies as old as Sol, to Twilight Sparkle’s home. The group, though still close, had not saved Equestria like they used to in quite some time. The Six hugged and giggled when they all met. Rainbow Dash, who kept her competitive nature, was surprised to find that Twilight had grown since the last time they met. At first, it was only by small increments, but now there was a sizeable difference. “You just keep getting bigger!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she hovered in the air to reach Twilight’s height. Since the time of Tirek, Rainbow’s mane had grown longer and the rainbow colored striped blended together more to create what looked more like a watercolor painting. Her magenta eyes widened and her cerulean blue coat shined from a recent race. “I’m still not nearly as tall as Princess Luna, though,” Twilight swiftly remarked. “Will you get to be that large?” “I’m not sure. Princess Cadence did.” Before the party officially began, Pinkie brought cake, cupcakes, drinks, and minor decorations to scatter all over Twilight’s home with the help of the Cakes. To comply with Sol’s wishes, there were no presents or anything overly flashy. Still, when all was done, pink, purple, and orange streamers adorned the rafters and railings. Confetti cluttered the floor. Welcoming napkins and plates were set beside the concessions in the kitchen. Everypony chattered and talked closely, apart from the three newcomers whom had never met the Six. “Hello, who are you?” Twilight asked the three, who stood together at the door when they arrived. Each of their written invitations were held in their mouths, which were set aside by Twilight as they came in through the door. “I’m White Noise,” said the female silver-colored unicorn with a bright, white mane. Her tall eyes glowed a tremendous blue stronger than any color Twilight had seen. “Diamond Promenade,” answered the female crystal Pegasus with a sparkling silver coat and blue mane. Like other crystal ponies, her coat shimmered, sparkled, and glowed when seen in any kind of light. The last pony to introduce himself was a tan earth pony named, “Sandy Shores.” His physique was larger than the others, particularly in his shoulders, neck, and back. His muzzle was widened, his nose sturdy, and his hoof steps were capable of shaking the floor. “Pinkie invited us,” Diamond added. “I’m not entirely sure why, though.” “Come in, anyway! There’s cake and punch. Make sure to meet Solar Shimmer, she’s over there! She’s really friendly. It seems Everypony is forming a line to meet her,” Twilight pointed her hoof toward Sol, who was talking with Applejack and her son, Apple Slice. Applejack had just finished shaking Sol’s hoof so fast that it became invisible for ten full seconds. Apple Slice was much younger than Sol, about the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders during the raid of Tirek. “So, yer from the past that mirror in Twi’s castle?” Applejack asked Sol, bending her eyebrows. “Yes. My mom told me all about this place, but I never fully believed her, until now.” “Well, that’s sumthin’.” Applejack, too, had changed over the years. She kept her hair shorter, always with her trusty hat. Working on the farm at Sweet Apple Acres was hard labor, but all of the work kept her legs and back strong. Apple Slice, though still a young pony, had already begun to help his mother work the orchard. Like his mother, he gained his cutie mark at a young age. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and her daughters met with Sol at the same time after Applejack left. Fluttershy, as usual, kept most of her face hidden away under her thick locks of pink hair. When she would speak, her soft voice was barely audible amongst the other voices and sounds inside the house. “I’m, I’m Fluttershy,” Sol finally heard. Fluttershy stared down at the floor and patted her hoof against the wood. “Nice to meet you, Fluttershy!” Sol exclaimed with a wide smile. With her head still aimed downward, Fluttershy smiled back. “And I’m Rainbow Dash!” said Rainbow Dash, abruptly. She flew into the air and presented Sol with a small flip before hovering. The flapping of her feathered wings circulated the somewhat stagnant air through the room and knocked over a few streamers and cups. “Careful, Rainbow!” Twilight shouted from across the room. “Hehe, sorry, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash grinned heartily, exposing all of her teeth. “Nice to meet you, too. You’re really good at flying!” Rainbow landed, and scratched the back of her head with her hoof and chuckled lightly. “Well, it’s a hobby of mine.” When Rainbow stood straight, Sol noticed the blue and yellow vest she wore, and upon her breast, a peculiar golden badge. “What’s with the badge?” Sol asked, pointing her hoof at the badge. “Oh, this?” Rainbow inquired as she looked down. She answered in a clear and weighty voice, “I’m a member of the Wonderbolts!” “Ooh! But, I’m not sure who they are.” “They’re a group of elite fliers. It took mom many years, but she finally joined,” answered Rainbow Dash’s eldest daughter, Rainbow Bright. Solar looked over both of Rainbow Dash’s daughters, but only found similarities with Rainbow Bright. Like her mother, her coat was a deep cerulean blue, her eyes were reddish, and her mane was spiky, uneven, and was colored with rainbow stripes. Sunny Sky was her younger daughter, who had a thicker yellow coat with a shiny black mane. She also wore round glasses. “This here is Rainbow Bright!” Rainbow Dash announced, “She’s a flier like me!” “I’m hoping to be a Wonderbolt, too,” Rainbow Bright added with a smirk. “And,” Rainbow Dash continued as she reached her hoof around her other daughter, “this is Sunny Sky!” “Hello,” came her soft reply. “It’s great to meet you all!” Although there was never a set pattern, all of the guests who wanted to meet Sol had formed something of a line. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were next, followed by the three other ponies Pinkie invited. The others waited elsewhere in the room and sipped on juice while snacking on crackers and daisy sandwiches that were brought when the party began. A record had been playing over the phonograph quietly the entire time, but Sol hardly noticed. Her hoof was still sore after Applejack’s violent hoofshake. When Rarity approached, Sol quickly noticed her flowing, purple mane with styled curls and blue hairclips. Her eyelashes were properly done over, her purple eye shadow was fresh, and her coat glistened in the light. Her smile lit up the room as she greeted Sol with an inviting embrace, and once done said to her, “Your mane is just gorgeous! You must come by my boutique and let me make you a new dress! But, oh, where are my manners? It is a pleasure to meet you! I’m Rarity.” “That sounds like fun, Rarity!” “I’m so curious, darling. What is it like on the other side of the mirror?” “It’s nothing like this! I’ve only been here a short time, but everything is incredible. Everyone here has been so nice to me.” “I’m glad to hear it, but I must move along. There are others for you to meet!” Rarity walked past Sol, smiling at her, and made her way to the other side of the room. Before Sol could take a short breath, Pinkie burst onto the scene and grabbed Sol with a powerful embrace that let more air escape the unicorn’s lungs. “Hiya, again!” With intermittent coughs, Sol muttered, “Hi, Pinkie.” “Hmm? Are you okie dokie? You look all tired.” “No, just need to catch my breath.” “Aww, did I squeeze you too hard?” With a smile, Sol nodded. Pinkie gasped loudly and grabbed Sol once more for an apology hug, which only hurt worse. Seeing Sol’s pain, Pinkie tapped her on her shoulder and sped off to join the rest of the party. The three whom Pinkie invited were next, and spoke to Sol all at once. Diamond began, explaining to Sol, “Hi, Solar Shimmer. Pinkie invited us to come here.” “Yeah,” White Noise continued, “We don’t really know anyone here except Pinkie.” “That’s all right. I’ve been saying it a lot today, but I’m glad to meet all of you. What are your names?” The three told her their names. “Diamond, why is your coat so, so shiny?” “I’m a crystal pony from the Crystal Empire.” “The Crystal Empire? What is that?” Twilight came up behind Sol and quickly recited, “The Crystal Empire is a city in the north where a powerful crystal heart gathers love and friendship from the ponies that live there so it can protect all of Equestria from harm!” With widely opened eyes, Diamond responded, “Yeah, that.” “Twilight, did you even breathe?” Sol asked. “Hehe, kinda.” Twilight left the group, blushing, and returned to Fluttershy and Applejack by the concession stand in her kitchen. As she sipped apple juice, Applejack asked Twilight in a hushed voice, “Do ya think all this’ll be safe? Remember what happened to Sunset Shimmer.” “I remember, but Sunset changed. And right now, Solar doesn’t even know how to levitate.” “Well, if ya need anythin’, let me know. I’ve been busy as it is ever since Big Mac moved on to Appleloosa. Oh, by tha way, where in tarnation is Midnight?” “She was down here earlier. Last I checked, she was cleaning out her room. I don’t know what for.” Diamond, Sandy, and White Noise continued talking to Sol later into the evening. As the sun inched closer and closer to the horizon, the sky grew darker until the twinkling stars could be seen. When the sun had been lowered by Celestia, Princess Luna in Canterlot raised the moon high into the night sky. With the late hour, the guests felt it was time to head out for the night. By then, most of the Ponyville crowds had gone and chimneys were lit for warmth as everyone settled in for the night. “Goodbye! I hope to see you again soon!” said Rarity. Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Bright both shouted, “See ya, Solar! Stay Awesome!” However, Sunny Sky simply said, “Bye.” Applejack, Apple Slice, Pinkie, and Fluttershy shouted their farewells at the same time, making one unintelligible cluster of words. All that remained were the three. “We should be heading out, too. Maybe we can all hang out sometime?” Sandy asked the group. His question was met with approving responses. They soon left, leaving Twilight alone with Sol in the living room of her home. The streamers were still stuck in the rafters and cups half-filled with punch had been left on her counters. Sol helped put things away by knocking cups and trash into a bin Twilight elevated beside the counter. Once all was done, Midnight came down the stairs and confronted her mother and Solar, who were very fatigued from the party. All of the talking and greeting left Sol’s voice hoarse and her hooves sore. “How was everything?” Twilight asked once the cleaning had been completed. “It was great,” Sol began, but let out a bellowing yawn before she could continue. “Sounds like you’re ready for bed?” Sol nodded fiercely, but asked, “Where will I sleep? Back at the castle?” “I can take you there if you want,” offered Twilight. “Wait,” Midnight held out her hoof and suggested, “Solar can sleep over here for tonight, if that’s all right.” Sol glanced at Twilight, who gently nodded with a smile. The girls raced upstairs and slammed the door to Midnight’s room shut. As Twilight figured, Midnight had been cleaning her room out by shoving most of her junk under her bed or into her closet, leaving the floors mostly presentable. Her bed was wide enough for the two of them and was covered with a flannel blanket, black in color. Sol looked all about Midnight’s room and saw pictures pressed between the spaces of her mirror and the wooden base of which held it in place. There were lamps and books lying all around. Midnight said little before turning out the lights. The two took to the bed and laid there quietly as the moon shined intently through the window that faced north. Within minutes, Midnight was asleep, yet Sol stayed awake to stare endlessly at the moon. Her heart was pounding and all the while it grew worse. Ultimately, she closed her eyes and calmed her breathing. She slept peacefully into Luna’s night.
IV: First LessonsChapter IV: First Lessons When the Equestrian sun rose the following morning with orange rays extended over the entire sky, a rooster from afar cawed loudly and awakened Sol from her deep slumber. She opened her heavy eyes, blinked several times to adjust to the light, and let out a bellowing yawn as she stretched her hind legs, fore legs, and back. She looked about the room, which was still dark as the sun had barely entered the sky off the mountainous horizon. Already, there were carts rolling down the paved roads, pulled by early-bird ponies all ready for the new day. With a groan, she fell back to the bed and shut her eyes. Her ears, however, were still wide open and let in every minute sound from beyond the walls of the house. She opened her eyes again, but continued to lie down on the bed with the covers halfway over her body. Her new fur coat kept her rather warm. Beside her slept Midnight Sparkle, who was wrapped tightly in a cocoon of the blankets with a pillow wedged underneath her head. All the while she lay there, she thought about her mother. Before the two had gone through the mirror, Sunset warned Sol about the many Equestrian dangers, from destructive magic to mythical beasts that roamed the wildernesses. All was so foreign, yet when she made her way through the streets, she saw many ponies who featured significant similarities to people she knew from her own world. The entire mane six, she realized, she had met on the other side as they, too, were all friends from the past. Not more than five or so minutes after the sun had first risen, she heard faint thumping hoofsteps coming nearer from down the hall before they knocked thrice upon Midnight’s bedroom door. Sol did not reply, and shut her eyes as though she had just awakened. The knocking came again and was followed by a female voice, Twilight, who said in a hushed tone, “Girls? Are you awake?” Sol was about to answer when she heard rustling from Midnight’s side of the bed. Midnight slowly awoke and groaned as she smacked her lips. She then yawned with a brief stretch. She leapt out of bed and answered, “Yeah, mom,” with a forced cheer in her voice. Sol followed Midnight’s lead and stumbled out of the bed. The untouched wooden floor felt cold to her hooves and sent a shiver down her spine, a simple feeling that was all too familiar. “Are you all right?” Midnight asked as she brushed her mane. Her hairbrush, Sol noticed, floated in the air; carried by a light blue aura coming from her horn. “Yes,” was Sol’s reply. After a few seconds of silence, Sol then asked, “I’m curious. Why don’t you have wings like Twilight?” Midnight raised her right eyebrow and tilted her head toward Sol. “My father was not an Alicorn,” she answered. “Ahh, sorry.” Midnight turned her head quickly back towards her dresser and responded, “It’s all right.” Her eyebrows bent inward and a frown momentarily crossed over her lips. She looked at herself in the mirror before turning her attention to a charred photograph, framed and sitting upright on the dresser. Twilight returned a few minutes later and opened the door. Her mane was tangled and disheveled, unlike the day before. Small bags formed under her eyes and there were alternating patches of rough fur all over her purple coat. “What do you girls want for breakfast?” she asked. “Anything is fine,” Sol replied. She looked over at Midnight, who still had her attention on the picture. Twilight saw what her daughter was doing, yet continued, “Oatmeal?” “That’s fine,” both girls answered simultaneously. Twilight smirked and told them, “I’ll get to it, soon.” She then asked, “Did you sleep well, Sol?” Sol nodded and said, “Yes.” With a vibrant smile, Twilight said, “That’s good. Come down when you’re ready. I’ll make breakfast in about half an hour.” Twilight then left and shut the door. When she was gone, Midnight turned away from the picture and continued to brush her mane. With her magic, she pulled brush through her blue mane, yanking sternly whenever she felt a knot. Each section of her mane that she brushed began to glow and wave about like her mother’s. “Do you want to take a shower or bath?” Midnight asked. She set her hairbrush back on her dresser when she finished and approached Sol, who was still standing beside the bed. “No,” Sol replied, “I don’t think I need one, but can I use your brush?” “Of course.” Midnight grabbed the brush with her magic and tossed it onto the bed. Sol stared at the brush for a few seconds, trying hard to use levitation magic. None of her attempts were successful and not even a glow appeared on her horn. “Um, how exactly do you levitate things?” “Here, I’ll do it for you.” Midnight picked up the brush and pushed the bristles through the tangled strands of Sol’s mane. Once each section had been detangled, Midnight placed the brush down and said, “I think I’m done.” The two walked over to Midnight’s mirror. Seeing herself in pony form, Sol frowned as she moved her head from side to side. Her eyes were larger, which brought out her brightly colored yellow eyes, although all of her other physical features were drastically different. Her ears pointed upward, her nose was now part of a small muzzle, she now had a tail, she stood on four legs with a vertical back, and she no longer required clothing to go around in public. “It looks great,” Sol commented. Most of her wavy mane hung down to the right side of her face, though a few locks kept to the other side. Her tail had also been brushed, revealing a single lock of hair that curled around beside the main strand, which waved like her mane. The deep colors of the red in her mane brought out the pale orange of her coat, much like in her other world. There were several small pictures shoved into the crack between the mirror and the wooden base, but all of them seemed to be of friends or places around Equestria. Her eyes panned over from the mirror to the picture in the frame. She quickly identified Twilight due to her wings and horn, and recognized a much younger Midnight being held by another pony, a male, with a grayish coat. She could not identify the setting, however, as she had seen little of Equestria. Midnight saw that Sol was looking at the picture, and quickly said, “I’m not sure when she plans to do anything, but my mom can teach you how to use magic. Teaching others is not a strong skill of mine.” Sol nodded and looked away from the picture. “Are you ready?” Midnight asked. After she finished speaking, Sol heard a low rumbling come from Midnight’s stomach. The feeling of hunger was mutual between the two. “Let’s go,” Sol replied. Before leaving the room with Midnight, Sol quickly glanced back at the mirror. She followed Midnight down the stairs and into the kitchen. A few pieces of confetti remained from the party the day before. She felt a chilling blast of air come from a vent in the ceiling felt goose bumps form all along her sides and back. She looked around the kitchen and the living room, but found no sign of Twilight. Sol turned to Midnight and asked, “Where is Twilight?” “She’s probably taking a shower. Want something to drink? I have juice.” “Sure.” A few minutes later, Twilight stumbled down the stairs with a white towel wrapped around her mane. Warm droplets of water covered her shining purple coat, and she smelled all over of flowers. Immediately, she entered the kitchen and pulled out a glass jar filled with dried oats from the pantry beside the dishwasher. A blue curtain covered the small window over the sink, but the street could barely be seen through it. The sun kept moving higher in the sky. Twilight scooped some of the oatmeal with a wooden spoon and tossed the spoonfuls into three ceramic bowls. She then added fresh and cold milk from the refrigerator near the kitchen entrance. To save time, Twilight heated each bowl with her magic and stirred the warmed mixtures with the same wooden spoon. The ponies sat down on the red pillows set on the floor beside the table, each with a bowl before them. To Sol’s surprise, Midnight was able to pick up the bowl using only her hooves. “How did you do that?” Sol asked, pointing her hoof at Midnight, who was still holding the bowl. “Hooves, how do they work?” Midnight snidely remarked. “After breakfast, we’ll begin your first lesson, Solar Shimmer,” Twilight said before she began to eat. “We’ll go to the Castle just outside Ponyville. Before you learn spells and magic, you’ll need to learn how to read Equestrian characters.” “Why is that?” Sol asked. She mimicked Midnight’s grasping of the bowl using her hooves, but dropped the bowl after lifting it only a few inches. Luckily, nothing was spilled and the bowl sat upright. Twilight blew lightly on her oatmeal and replied, “Equestrian magic is often formed using lines of words called spells. You have to ponder on these words to make things happen. Once they are learned, they become more automatic and you can just do them at will.” “So, to use them, I have to read what they say?” Sol added, trying once more to lift the bowl. “Exactly! Don’t worry. Our letters aren’t that difficult.” Sol wrapped her right hoof halfway around the bowl, and with minimal effort, lifted it from the table and to her face. “Hey, I did it!” she exclaimed. Later that morning, the three arrived at the Castle outside of Ponyville and made their way to a small room near the guest wing. There were several filled bookshelves packed with magic spell books lining the walls, Equestrian tapestries depicting Princesses Celestia and Luna beside each of the two windows, and unlit candelabras in every corner in addition to the diamond-like light fixture in the center of the slightly arched ceiling. There were two large and circular tables, with pillows beside them like chairs, placed near the windows. Twilight quickly entered the room and pulled out several books from each bookcase. She slammed the tomes down on the table closest to the window overlooking Ponyville. Canterlot could be seen by all of them off in the distance. Twilight, with a deep grin, sat down at the table and flipped through the pages of each book to specific passages, and set them in a row before a seat on the other side. “Sit, sit!” Twilight ordered, looking closely at Sol. Sol sat down by the books and looked down at the words. Each of the passages Twilight pointed out were written in English, though strangely worded. “These books should help you read our letters. Most of our spells are written in them, as they have magical characteristics,” said Twilight. “To optimally read magic, one must first and completely master the native Equestrian characters with which to read magical spells,” Sol began to read aloud, “Most of the aforementioned magical characters in the native Equestrian language base are often rather exaggerated versions of the written letters in this modern Equestrian written text, where with visible pictures in the form of pen or brush strokes, there added to make each written one unique and nearly obvious to the reader in definition.” Sol then looked up at Twilight and said, “I’m confused.” “Sorry,” said Twilight with a reassuring smile, “these books are rather old. Keep reading and it should explain each character.” As Sol kept reading, Midnight sat down beside her mother and asked, “What should I do?” “Oh, that’s right!” Twilight exclaimed. She leapt from her seat and ran over to a bookshelf, and jerked out a black book from the top shelf. Another book wedged next to it fell to the floor without Twilight noticing. She slammed the book onto the other table and used her purple magic to open the book to a passage, revealing a page-long spell written in the Equestrian characters. Opening her eyes up wide, Midnight Sparkle pushed her head in closer to look more thoroughly at the words on the page. “One’s heart, pressured with an eternal anxiety, strives to forgive and to love and to show, to carry the burdens of our world; a soul with strong words and feelings to often violently ignite the way of the truth, revealed through our actions and carried out by our dreams and aspirations, until the day the world ceases to be,” Midnight recited carefully. Sol looked up briefly from her book to watch Midnight stand there in total silence. Midnight kept her eyes open, and after ten seconds or so of the silence, formed a blue glow around her unicorn horn. Gnashing her teeth and grunting heavily, she made the glow stronger until a quickly rotating sphere ignited and burst around in a spiraling reddish light that absorbed her horn entirely. Sol felt the blazing heat from across the room and halfway shut her eyes, yet she could not turn away. With a short cry, Midnight shut her eyes and shook her head. The flames swarming around her vanished, leaving only a cloud of grayish smoke that gathered around the room. “What- what was that?!” Midnight exclaimed with a hoarse voice as milky tears ran down from her eyes. Twilight smirked and answered, “Flames of the Sorrowful Alicorn.”
