Prologue
Pugnabit pro nobis
Several years had passed since Twilight was crowned a Princess, Her room at the Canterlot palace was dark, and she awoke periodically to check on Spike; who still suffered from the bad memories of their past trip to the Badlands. Twilight never told her Ponyville friends what they saw there, and had hoped the bad memories would fade; but they hadn't. She wasn't losing any sleep, but the recurrences of these memories had begun to hamper her days. She would often wake up more tired than when she fell asleep, and would without reason; snap at her friends in remorseless fits of anger and rage. Often scaring everypony around her, but once she saw that Spike was again fast asleep, she laid her head down on the soft feather pillow and dozed off herself.
Twilight tossed in her sleep as a vision, once again plagued her mind; she could not make heads or tails of what she saw through somepony's eyes that weren't her own. A heavy breath, a sound that resembled breathing through a leather sack; and a blurred vision of a ruined city. The individual ran down a hallway, an odd object that looked like a weapon in his hands with small red cylinders slipped on the sides. He tripped and fell at the foot of a set of high stairs, looking back Twilight saw a large, shadowed figure cautiously approach her as if stalking for a kill.
She stood up and a hot, blinding light filled the room with a loud explosion; a hissing and screeching as the figure ran back down the hallway and disappeared. Approaching a roof Twilight saw a bright sky, filled only with what appeared to be ash. Another loud roar, a flash of light and blood; Twilight awoke screaming, sweat matted her coat and mane. There was a soft knock on the door, "come in..." She said with a harsh, raspy voice.
Princess Luna walked into the room, "Is thou alright?"
Twilight shook her head. Reliving the same memories and new ones over and over had begun to take their toll on her spirit. "Things won't ever be alright, until these visions stop; isn't there anything you can do? Something we haven't tried yet?"
Princess Luna shook her head, "I'm afraid i've tried everything i know. What appears to be happening is the spirits from the Badlands is leading you somewhere else, somewhere that may hold the key to these visions." Twilight looked down, sighing. "I-I have no idea what they want." Princess Luna looked around,
"I think i know where thou needs to go, but we must first converse with Celestia. Gather your friends and have them meet us on the Foyer in the Royal Library, tomorrow; after breakfast." Twilight nodded, and Luna placed her horn on Twilights forehead; her horn glowed a dark blue as she placed a sleeping spell on Twilight. "Rest now, young one; and may only pleasant dreams fill your thoughts."
The next morning, Twilight and her friends sat at the breakfast table; Twilight looked down at her sunflower petal and lettuce with ranch dressing and sighed. "Darling~ are you alright? You haven't taken a single bite of your breakfast." Rarity chimed, placing her hoof softly on Twilights shoulder. "You haven't exactly been the same since that trip to the desert a few years ago, it was just after that whole mess with Discord." She said quietly, her face bearing an endearing look.
"Ya'll don't good so good there Twi, have ya not been sleepin well?" AJ asked, sipping from a glass of orange juice while she enjoyed her fried peppermint and cabbage sautee. She had been very worried about Twilight over the recent months, she'd seen the wear and tear Twilight was putting herself through in studying all her various books and scrolls, as if she was looking for the answer to a lost mystery. "If there is anythin' any of us can do to help just let us know Twi" AJ said with a smile, resting her hoof on her friends.
Twilight shook her head, "Its just from over working on my studies, i'm sure i'll be okay after a while. But we had better finish our meals, the Princess' wanted to speak to us in the Library and we wouldn't want to keep them waiting." Twilight choked down her meal as best she could, taking a large drink of water from the cup beside her before everyone got up and proceeded to the Library. She dusted the crumbs from her breakfast off her coat with a white handkerchief and trotted out of the room.
Spike walked out of the bedroom and spotted Twilight heading for the Library. "Twilight, wait for me!" Said the little purple and green Dragon and he raced off to her side. "I see you haven't been sleeping so well yourself." He chimed, resting his clawed hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure it out Twilight, there has to be an answer somewhere in the Royal Library, it has the worlds largest collection of ancient history and magic." He said with a level of enthusiasm. He trotted next to his friend and soon the others followed behind.
Once inside the Library and on the Foyer, Princess' Luna and Celestia came out from behind a bookshelf. "Are you sure about this Sister?" Celestia asked, as Luna walked next to her; a large scroll hovering in midair between them surrounded by the same dark blue aura. Luna sighed with aprehension, laying the scroll down on the table. Spike climbed onto a high stool and looked over the scroll that remained perfectly rolled into a long cylindrical shape.
"I am, she must know; she is already involved whether we like it or not." Rainbow Dash flew up to the Princess' "Involved? Involved in what?" She asked. "Twilight, I think its time for you to inform your friends of your expedition to the Badlands." Luna said, resting her wing on Twilight's head, "And in order to understand the problem; sometimes we must go back to the beginning" She said with a dark tone of voice.
"You never did tell us what happened out there Twilight" Fluttershy chirped, walking up to her. Twilight sighed, hoping to never speak of what they saw. How could she tell them that they saw flashes of memories of a war long passed, a sky now so familiar that was filled with fireballs as tall as the eye could see; how was she supposed to describe the horrors of seeing what she thought to be mare's and colts and even small filly's be cut down by merciless killers.
"When me and Spike got to the city, we expected nothing but some ruined buildings, maybe some artifacts we could bring back to research and study." She looked down, her eyes filled with fear, terror and pain. Remembering the shadows that spoke to them, the giant machines that held living beings inside; machines of war and destruction. Of something called "The United Confederacy" But deep down, Twilight felt there was more to the story, how could a civilization as advanced as what they saw just turn on each other without a valid reason? All this rolled in Twilights head all at once and threatened to steal her consciousness as she took deep shallow breaths.
"But what we saw instead, was death, fire, pain and suffering on a level that would make anypony wish they were dead. We saw, we saw entire families murdered; Soldiers giving their lives on the line for their families, friends and each other." She said "And we saw a fire ball that wielded so much power it could reshape entire landscapes. And just before the fireball reached the city, i saw two enemy Soldiers who only seconds before were out for each others blood, stopped fighting and saluted each other." She began to cry, "What i saw was horror, and before we left; the spirit that showed us the visions gave me something and said "Remember, and then she city swallow itself whole; Spike won't tell me what he saw when he looked back" She looked at the small Dragon, who shined away; tears filling his eyes.
"We couldn't Help them Twilight? Why couldn't we help them?!" Spike yelled, his claws pulled into balled fists as he hit the marble wall in front of him; he didn't feel the pain at first; and instead just looked back at Twilight and then to the now, new blood splotch on the wall where he hand had hit, and a soft dripping down filled the small area as a light, but steady stream of red made its way down his hand and onto the floor.
Princess Celestia watched the small dragon and the blood on his hand as it pooled on the floor; "I doubt you could have helped them if you wanted to Spike." Celestia said, walking up to him; her hand briefly touching his hand and the aura of white and gold magic surrounded the wound. Magically mending the cut, afterwards she placed a soft motherly kiss on the scar that occupied the back of his hand. "These beings have been among the dead for such a long time, what has happened to them is in the past and can no longer be changed.
"But...we have magic, can't we just go back and time and keep the whole thing from ever happening?" Spike pleading, grabbing onto Celestia's coat. He looked at her, his eyes filled with utter desperation. "I know we can't go back for very long, but even a minute and we could save that mare and her filly; they were killed without rhyme or reason, its not right!" He pleaded, pounding his hands on her side.
Princess Celestia nodded, "no Spike; its not right. But neither is abusing our power of magic. If we did go back in time to change the course of history; then Equestria may not be here as we know it today. Changing time for even a minute, taking an object out and replacing it with a new one; or taking one person or saving a person could have dire consequences for the future my little Dragon." She said quietly, magically lifting him onto the table. "But there may be another way to help them."
Pinkie sighed, looking at her; "Gosh, i'm so sorry Twilight; we never knew." She said sadly, hugging her friend dearly; slowly kissing Twilights forehead. "I'm sure there's a reason to why it happened." Twilight smiled, she nearly forgot about the bags under her eyes and the empty stomach. Her friends were always there for her, and that made her smile; she could count on them for anything. And she would do anything for them.
Aj nodded, "Ah reckon this is why ya brought us all together after all this time?" AJ said, looking at the giant scroll ontop of the table, peering at it with one eye open. "Ah guess this scroll has some super powerful spell that can release their souls from their eternal torment and such?" She said quizically, looking at everyone around the table.
Celestia sighed; "Not exactly, while you all are the protectors of Friendship, you are all foremost friends; and the place we are sending her, Twilight will need all of you." She nodded to Luna, who unrolled the scroll to reveal a large map, the map held the names and locations of all recognizable places in the world and pointed with a quill to an area far to the north eastern mountains.
"Here in Rushia; there is a place, long forgotten and long since sealed by the Czar, as well Princess Luna and I over Two-Thousand years ago. At the time, the same mysterious energy field that Twilight encountered threatened everypony in Rushia with a mysterious illness. At first we thought the reappearance of the city in the Badlands was just a coincidence, that is until this lost city appeared again as well, just a few days ago." Celestia looked around to each pony at the table. "And by going there to investigating the city, you may just find a way to end the suffering of these lost souls.
Rarity smiled, looking at Twilight; resting her hoof on her friends back. "We all may not be as young as we once were, but we are all friends and if Twilight needs us now; we are all here for her." The others nodded happily, standing around Twilight. Luna looked at them each, "You all must tread carefully, not just in travel but also in the city. The streets are filled with nightmares that would make Nightmare Moon cower in fear, you must all stand by each other; protect each other and most of all, care for one another. If you are ever in doubt, look to these and remember what you all mean to each other."
Luna said, handing them each different items; each item bore the design of their cutie marks. Reminding them of the Elements of Harmony that brought them all together so long ago. "We will send a detachment of Royal Guards with you for security, if anything should happen you must not become separated or the city will tear your body and soul apart."
Rainbow Dash stood on her haunches and punched her hooves in the air in front of her. "Not to worry your majesty, if anything even tries to hurt us or Twilight; i'll give it the ol' one, two!" She said a little too enthusiastically, knocking over a small bottle of into that rolled over and off the table; spilling its contents on the floor. "Umm, sorry." Rainbow Dash exclaimed, quickly patting the ink down with a napkin she brought with her from breakfast.
Luna smiled, "Atleast you still have your spunk dear Rainbow Dash; and i wouldn't be surprised from the Wonderbolts new Commander. You have the spry, talent and leadership that would make Spitfire proud. But just remember everypony; what you will encounter in that place is something that will wreak havoc on you from the inside out, it will make you question yourself, your loyalty and your safety."
"if its that dangerous, why dont we ask Discord if he will come help?" Fluttershy asked, looking at everyone.
"Did someone say my name?" A familiar pop filled the air as the tall Draconequus appeared between Luna and Celestia; hugging them dearly. His eyes averted to everyone and then down to the map, noticing a spot marked that he cringed at. "No...NO! You cannot go there!!" He yelled at everyone present. "If you go to that city, you will unleash an evil far greater than even Tirek; that place is somewhere even I will not go to." He said, his voice filled with terror and dismay.
"And why is that Discord?" Twilight asked, wrapping her wing around him.
"Because what lies in that city is something so powerful it will make my little tirades seem like a day in fun land, it will unleash pain and suffering the likes of which have never been seen by any being that ever walked this Earth." He exclaimed, "I cannot physically stop you from going. But i cannot go either, however i will offer this" He snapped his fingers and with a small flash of light, a small silver pendant that seemed to shine in the light.
Twilight's horn glowed lavender and the small pendant glowed as it levitated in front of her puzzled expression, she rotated the necklace over and over again and on both sides was a strange symbol and familiar looking muzzle-less skull, she had noticed this same design marking several areas in the Badlands city. Did it have special meaning? Perhaps it was a way of alerting others to nearby hide outs or safe areas, or maybe it was the mark of a protectorate; maybe something like the Royal Guards.
Twilight also looked down and noticed a book and some sort of flat red object with a black stripe on one side appear on the table a moment later. Discord picked up the thick black book "Inside this is the only known record of the verbal and written language of the people that inhabited the city and the world before we know it as it is today. This necklace and this object here will have great importance should you need it, all i can tell you is that they will grant you the power of a thousand fire spells and not your precious Elements of Harmony can match the power this can obtain" He said holding the small object in his hand, setting it down on the table.
"You must take great caution girls" Princess Celestia said in a worried voice, "the guards will do their best to protect you; but it is up to each of you to look after each other."
Twilight and everyone nodded and proceeded to their rooms to pack and prepare for the journey ahead; each with their own theories.
"Then i guess its up to us girls, we can't just sit here and let those spirits relive their horrible experiences over and over; and if what ever is making them do it wants a fight; we'll make sure the Elements of Harmony are there to protect them." Twilight said, with a vengeful tone behind her voice. Using her magic she collected the map and objects from the table. And together, Twilight, Rarity, AppleJack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie trotted out of the Library to start a new adventure.
