P R O L O G U E - The Beginning of a Golden Age
P R O L O G U E
September 9th, Year One
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“Twilight, eyes up Twilight!”
The plum-coated princess moans in her bed, snuggling in her plush blanket. She yawns, gives a little stretch, then buries her head back in her pillow. She ignores the nudging hooves against her back.
“Twilight Sparkle, I need you awake now.”
The soft, but commanding voice seems to get through to her, and now the fledgeling princess is squinting her eyes.
“Princess Celestia?” She manages, straining her might just to form the words. “Why is it so bright? It's...”
Twilight looks to her night stand, looking at the jeweled clock. The numbers glow, and the sleeping princess reads them.
“Twelve past two. I know, Twilight. But please, this is important.”
At the mention of importance, Twilight forces herself to rise out of bed. She sits up, stretching her wings and conjuring a faint light from her horn. Her majesty, Princess Celestia, is standing over her with a disturbingly serious demeanor. Twilight's expression is one of concern, and she begins to speak. She stops herself when she notices Luna and Cadance standing outside beyond the doorway. Immediately, the youngest alicorn forces herself out of bed.
“What's going on?! Has something terrible happened? Please tell me Tirek hasn't escaped again! Is it an asteroid? A mutated Feather Flu strain? Zombie epidemic?!”
“No, Twilight, it's--”
“Discord! He's gone rogue! The sun's exploded! And now there's two suns... DOUBLE SUNS! No? You're right, Maretian saucers and tripods... or, or, the streams! Somepony's crossed the streams...”
“Twilight!”
“The Rapture--”
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Celestia's voice booms. Twilights wings fall to her sides, and Celestia resumes her quiet, loving demeanor. “No disaster has occurred.”
Twilight looks at the other two princesses.
“As the rulers of Equestria, and the Crystal Empire, it is our duties to welcome foreign ambassadors, dignitaries, and emissaries. As it stands, one such individual has arrived today, in Ponyville.”
Twilight Sparkle, the vanquisher of Nightmare Moon. Defeater of Discord. The light in Tirek's Darkness. Solver of a thousand problems. To call her was synonymous with calling a heroine to solve a national crisis. She may not have become egocentric over these trials, but when Twilight was sought after it was usually due to something timely and important. Therefore, to be awoken in the middle of the morning? Just to meet a foreign diplomat? Even she had to admit a touch of aggravation.
“Of course, your highness,” she grumbled. She tried not to grumble too hard, though. She was a princess after all. Regardless of the inconveniences, she had a duty.
She didn't always have to like it, though.
“Princess, who in their right mind is demanding an audience this early in the morning?”
“Thine questions shall answer themselves in time, Twilight Sparkle. Suffice to say, words alone... fail... to describe the task that awaits thee.”
Twilight turns to Luna, who is eying her. Not out of anger, but in consideration. Twilight had seen such a gaze before, when Celestia and Luna had summoned her for the purpose of freeing the Crystal Empire in the first place. It had been a test of her abilities, an important one. Seeing that same look implied this was another. In her mind, Twilight knew now, instantly, that this was far more important than she had considered.
“Twilight,” Celestia prompted quietly. “We have endured many things this age. I'm glad to know that it ended with you.”
Twilight Sparkle had been heading for the door, but she stopped dead in her tracks.
“Princess Celestia, what do you mean?”
Her mentor smiled. “For so long, Luna and I had labored to make Equestria a utopia. A refuge. A place where ponies could live and prosper. But we have not always been successful in our efforts.”
“Princess...”
“Where we have failed, you and your friends have come together to wield the Elements of Harmony. To end suffering and evil when it arose. You've made a statement to greater powers. You've proven that ponydom is worthy of something greater. This age, it has come to a good end. As it does, a new age now begins.”
“Celestia,” Twilight pleads with a surreal sense of worry. “What's all this about a new age? And you still haven't explained why it's so bright. What is that--”
“A Golden Age, Twilight. A foundation of peace and prosperity, where new generations can only bloom and thrive. New ages, with new studies, new places to call home. And opportunities to share the magic of friendship--”
“Sister,” Luna interrupted. “It awaits.”
Celestia nodded, but she didn't want to let Twilight go. Every task she had given the newest princess of Equestria was completed in the best possible way. But the task she had for her now? It could determine the fate of all ponydom in only the most extreme of ways. She hugged Twilight with the warm embrace of her pearly white wing, and motioned her to follow. Twilight was more than confused, it was obvious to tell. But she was proud of her, she was never let down. Even when Twilight Sparkle seemed wrong, she was still right.
Twilight Sparkle was ready for this.
The princesses made their way to the foray of Twilight's jeweled castle, her new seat of power. Celestia opened it, the door glowing with a golden aura as it swung out. Ponies were already out and about, in their pajamas and talking nervously amongst themselves. The presence of the Royal Guard made for some comfort, but not much. What comfort it brought, however, was outweighed by the fact that the Royal Guard needed to be present at all. Which was more concerning than comforting. Everypony was downright confused.
“Twilight...”
The pony in question turned back towards the door. Spike had been rubbing his eyes, wondering why four princesses were standing out of the doorway. He was about to ask, when he looked up. And his question answered itself. Twilight saw his sleep fade away, replaced with paralyzing terror. Twilight could hear other ponies questions as she made her way outside.
“What is it?”
“Why is the moon so close?!”
“It's not the moon, the moon's off in the distance! See?”
“Has it come to destroy us?”
“How is it staying up like that?”
"Maybe... maybe it's made of cream cheese!"
She looked around at the ponies in the streets. She looked back at Spike. They were all looking up. She saw her closest friends racing to her, past the healing remains of the tree library that had been her home in years past. They were still dressed in their own pajamas, too. Their attentions were torn between Twilight's presence, and the sky above her. Then, Twilight recalled the light all around her. Ponyville, at fifteen past two in the morning, was glowing from something above. Which, of course, made no sense whatsoever because sunrise was hours away. She couldn't resist any longer, so she turned her attention above her.
She was silent for the longest time.
“Princess Celestia?”
“Yes, Twilight?”
“Why is the sun hovering right above Ponyville?”
“It isn't the sun, Twilight.”
A grand ray of light rained softly over the princesses. It encompassed the four, but shrank gradually over Twilight herself. The massive white sphere in the sky, large enough to dwarf all of Canterlot a hundred times over, shined a luminous aura around any creature under its form. It wasn't the moon, that was for certain. But you could certainly see something this big from space. And it was hovering directly above the meek and humble town of Ponyville.
“It's called,” Princess Celestia declares, “the Traveler. And it would very much like a word with you.”
