Chapters

Library Magic
Common Thread
Royal Warning
Broken Seal
Topsy Turvy
Stopping Time
Identity Crisis
Epilogue: Night Star's Report
Open Book

Library Magic
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Drocsid

Library Magic

Library Magic

Persistant Pinkie Pie interrogated my preferences in anything that blew by her mind. What's my favorite color? Blue. What's my favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate Chip. What was my favorite vegetable? Onion. She circled around me with an abundance of energy.

When there was a break in Pinkie's questions, Applejack grabbed the opportunity and said, "You never answered my question from earlier."

I asked, "What question?"

"Where are you from?" Applejack replied.

All the months I stayed in my house, the specific question of where it was partaining to the rest of Equestria never came up. My mother's house lied somewhere north from Ponyville, but I never carried a map to see where my house was inconjuction with hers. I simply chose a direction and walked until I came across a nice spot to settle.

I picked a beautiful place to call home far away from civilization. The sounds of nature developed such a relaxing atmosphere. Like the chimes that played in the wind where I lived before, I spent hours listening to the melodies of the birds. My little house resided inside a dead tree, intertwined with another tree full of life. I stripped the inside remains of the tree and carved two separate levels. The bottom level acted as my bedroom and the top level directed as my study room. Although the top of the tree decended to the ground, the adjacent tree's branches provided my needs for shade and shelter.

Despite my intentions in discovering my new home, I felt ashamed to make mention to it in front of Applejack. The only project I completed was an uneven chair formed out of fallen branches. Even the window was merely a hole in the wall. Instead of describing all the details, I simply stated, "I live in a treehouse."

Pinkie said, "What a coincidence. So does Twilight."

My legs slowed to a halt. "Wait, Twilight lives in a treehouse too?"

Pinkie replied, "That's what I said."

My legs propelled onward. "So that's where we are heading?"

Applejack said, "You can see the top of the tree from here."

The closer we walked to the library, the more beautiful it became. Unlike my decaying home, the tree was vibrant and alive. Green leaves covered the top. Delicately designed windows encased in multiple portions of the tree. Two balconies stretched out from the tree's branches.

When the entire tree came into view, I asked Applejack, "This is a library?"

Applejack grinned. "This is where Twilight Sparkle lives. There are all sorts of books inside."

"Does she welcome all kinds of ponies?" I asked.

Applejack responded, "You betcha'."

Before we could knock, a baby dragon swung the library's front door wide open. He gripped a small purple bag hanging over his left shoulder filled with art supplies. His quick motions suggested he had other things on his mind. "Oh! Hi Applejack. Hi Pinkie Pie. Hi other pony."

Applejack said, "Slow down, Spike. Where are you rushing off to?"

"I'm on my way over to Rarity's. Her and Sweetie Belle agreed to try out some new fabrics." Spike browsed through his bag. "They told me to pack some dye, along with some other things. There is supposed to be a surprise waiting for me when I arrive."

Applejack pointed inside the house. "Is it alright for us to go on inside?"

"Twilight wouldn't mind." Spike glanced into the house and back towards us. "She has been busy working on another one of her crazy experiments all morning. I better get going."

"Tell me how the surprise went!" Pinkie Pie said.

Spike walked off and waved farewell. "I will."

Watching a baby dragon leave a pony's house with a small bag strapped over his shoulder definitely wasn't the first unusual thing I've encountered today. I've encountered one of the Elements of Harmony. I watched a wagon literally explode in pieces. Even the magnificence of Ponyville's own library was a marvel in itself. I must have accepted the fact that anything was possible at this point in time.

Once the three of us meandered inside, the vast spectacle of amazing things in the main room boggled my mind. Shelves chiseled along the interior walls held an abundant supply of books. A nicely carved ladder leaned near the staircase. A few books were scattered on the floor. A large wooden head rested on top of a small platform above the round table in the center of the room. Different sized vials containing mixtures of bubbling liquids rested on the table.

A tear rolled down my face. The room reminded me of the first time I found a nearly identical library in my young years. My peers usually poked fun of my unusual behavior. So I fled to a place they never visited. A place of solitude. A place filled with books.

"Maybe if I added... No, that won't work."

Twilight Sparkle was preoccupied with her work. She levitated a red quill above a small ink container next to a parchment by the staircase. She inscribed different elemental combinations while carefully reading a chemistry compendium that rested on top of a book stand. Twilight mumbled in her search for a solution.

Intrigued by the experiment, I accidently fumbled over a small book on the ground. The sound alerted Twilight.

Twilight placed the quill down into the container. "Spike, is that you?" You know how dramatic Rarity gets when you..." She turned around and was startled by our presence. "Oh Applejack, what brings you here? Weren't you selling apples in the market today?"

Applejack tapped the ground and tugged on the saddlebag's strap. "Well, fancy you asked."

Twilight stepped towards me. "And who might you be?"

"This is..." Pinkie Pie briefly paused. "Oh silly me. I never found out your name."

I hesitated in my response. My role model stood in front of me. I always envisioned it in my head, but never believed it possible. "Hi. I'm Twi... I mean... Twilight, I'm Moonlight."

"Nice to meet you. Are you here visiting Ponyville? Did you need my help with anything?"

Applejack grabbed hold of the strap and placed the bag on the ground. She pulled my book out and gave it to Twilight.

Twilight looked at the book's cover. "What's this? Elements of Harmony? Where did you get this?"

I said, "That's actually my book."

Applejack said, "I found it laying next to-"

We were interrupted by the sound of one of the vials fizzling over onto the table. Twilight quickly dropped the book on the floor and rushed over in a panic. "No no no no no. My vial! What did I do wrong this time? Let me see. Where did I leave that green book?"

Twilight's book rested near the top of the stairs. It floated over next to her. Twilight grabbed hold of the book and laid it on the ground. She turned over a couple of pages. "Oh, thank you."

Bewildered by her statement, I asked "Thank who?"

Twilight looked at me and smiled. "You, silly. You are the only other unicorn in the room."

"U.. Unicorn?" I stuttered.

My hoof shook as I placed it above my forehead. I felt a small circular cone poking through my mane. I searched for metal, glass, water, anything that casted a reflection. "Do you have a mirror somewhere, Twilight?"

"By the bed."

The mirror confirmed it. A horn protruded from my head. I continued poking it in disbelief. "No. It's not possible. There is no way." I turned and faced Twilight. "So, that was me? I levitated the book?"

Twilight mixed a couple of the vials together in attempt to settle the chemical reaction. "You don't know? Didn't you concentrate your magic on the book?"

"Yes. Maybe. I don't know. I mean. I didn't know I was a unicorn."

Pinkie Pie said, "You didn't know you were a unicorn? I could have told you that?"

Once the bubbles stopped pouring out of the vials, Twilight approached me by the mirror. "What do you mean?"

I meditated over the situation and touched the mirror. "The last I remember... I was a pony. Just an ordinary earth pony. No magic at all."

Twilight Sparkle's reflection appeared in the mirror next to me. "You mean you somehow transformed into a unicorn?"

Applejack said, "You were a unicorn this morning."

"It must have happened before I arrived in Ponyville when I heard Discord's voice," I stated.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "This again?"

Pinkie Pie asked, "What happened?"

Applejack said, "Moonlight believes he heard Discord's voice."

Twilight leaned forward. "Is this true, Moonlight?"

I walked to the center of the room and gazed at the book on the floor. "I don't know. It sure sounded like him." I picked the book off the ground and retraced the event this morning. "I wish I could remember more. There was the voice. Then the book shocked me. I was pulled into the emptiness of space. Then I saw Applejack. Could I have been transformed and then teleported to Ponyville?"

Pinkie Pie said, "Sounds mysterious."

I watched Twilight place her hoof on her chin. "What are you thinking?"

"Why does what you described sound so familiar?"

Twilight Sparkle walked to a bookshelf and browsed through various science books. She grabbed one off the shelf with her magic and flipped it open.

I stepped by her side and peered at the book. "You heard this before?"

Twilight gradually turned the wrinkled pages one at a time. "When I was a young filly, science and mathematics fascinated me. I also had a keen interest in learning more about magic. After I became Celestia's prodigy, I eventually grew to understand how to control my magic."

I asked, "What does this have to do about me?"

"Not too long ago, I stumbled across this book in my studies: Predictions and Prophecy. It acts as an appendix to the history of Equestria." Twilight pointed at a notation on the current page. "Here's something. Temporal Dimension - see Obscure Unicorn History page 87."

Applejack asked, "Do you have that book, Twi?"

"I believe I gave that book to Spike to read. I wonder what he did with it."

I said, "We can help you look for it."

Pinkie Pie checked downstairs in the basement. Twilight searched in around the beds. Applejack shifted through the books on the shelves. I glanced at the crevices and nooks on the floor.

Pinkie Pie popped her head out from the stairwell. "Not down here."

Twilight stretched her leg underneath the bed. "Not here either."

I pulled myself out from beneath a square table. "Do you think it is on the roof?"

Twilight walked up the stairs to the balcony above the treehouse. She returned with the book. "Found it. It was by the telescope by Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy."

We huddled together as Twilight placed the book on the table. She opened it and turned over to page 70. "This chapter revolves around the many mysteries of Starswirl the Bearded. Inserts of his journal are stored here." Twilight flipped through until she reached page 87 and read the account.

I entered my study room today only to notice a peculiar pegasus hiding behind one of my bookcases. The pegasus was cowering in fear. I asked her questions in an attempt to find out what she was doing there, but she was too terrified to respond. She kept muttering the same words over and over, 'I just want to go home.' When I asked for a name, she responded with 'Sumica'. She had green hair and a deck of cards for her cutie mark. When I returned from patrolling the room for any suspicious behaviour, she vanished without a trace.

Applejack asked, "Is that it?"

Twilight reviewed the rest of the account. "It just goes on in explaining possible theories of the incident, such as space distortion, conjuration, and time travel."

I lowered my head. "That doesn't explain much."

Twilight skimmed over to the next page. "The chapter ends with how he passed the knowledge down to Clover the Clever, one of the founders of Equestria. We would have to obtain his journal inside the Canterlot Archives for additional information."

I said, "Thanks for trying, Twilight."

"If I recall correctly, his journal described in more detail of his investigations in alternate teleportation methods without the use of unicorn magic."

"Can I visit the Canterlot Archives?"

Twilight shook her head. "The archives are in Canterlot. You would need special permission from the princess."

Applejack flicked her hat back. "Time travel? Space distortion? Sounds like a bunch of science talk to me. And you understand all of this, Moonlight?"

"More or less."

Applejack asked, "What about you, Pinkie?"

She just smiled and replied, "I have no idea."

I grabbed hold of the book's side and turned the page back to review the account once more. "You think Sumica turned into a pegasus the same way I turned into a unicorn?"

Twilight said, "There is no telling."

Pinkie squeezed in from the other side for a look at the account. "I wonder what her cutie mark stood for."

I frowned at Pinkie's statement and glimpsed at my flank. I bore no cutie mark.

Applejack nudged me in the shoulder. "What's the matter?"

I plopped down on the ground. "I'm never going to get a cutie mark."

Twilight reassuredly said, "Don't put so much emphasis on a marking. Ponies will treat you the same, with or without a special talent."

I leaned against my hoof and played with a small pebble on the floor. "That's what I'm afraid of." I shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe Discord did me a favor."

"If it makes you feel better, I can petition a letter to Princess Celestia. Maybe she can help shine some light on the situation," Twilight remarked.

Hope poured into my eyes. "Really?"

Twilight said, "We'll have to meet up with Spike. He's probably at the Carousel Boutique by now."

Applejack walked to the door. "I'll leave my saddlebag here, if that's alright with you Twilight."

"Sure."

Pinkie closed the book and noticed my book still on the ground. "What about your book, Moonlight?"

I came up next to Applejack. "You can just leave it, Pinkie. I have a feeling I'm going to be returning back to this place real soon." As Twilight walked up next to me, I examined the lab on the table. "What about your experiment, Twilight? You just going to leave it?"

Twilight smiled. "It's fine. I was trying to find a mixture that would keep our drinks cold throughout the day. Zecora helped me with some of the herbal ingredients, but it still isn't right. There is still too much carbination."

Pinkie said, "I just use ice."

Common Thread
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Common Thread

Common Thread

"You don't have to do this for me, Twilight," I said, "The princess probably has other pressing matters to attend to."

"Princess Celestia cares for all of her subjects. You are no exception."

Applejack said, "And this isn't like losing a cart full of apples. She will want to hear about it."

Pinkie Pie said, "Besides, this way we get to see Spike's surprise."

We approached a very prissy building with simple designs displayed on the outside of the structure. The pointed roof held two small pony statues. The building was neither flashy or unique. The building appeared similar to a small castle tower built with fabric instead of stone.

"What's the name of this place again?" I asked.

Twilight stepped inside. "The Carousel Boutique."

Unlike's Twilight preservative house, the insides of Rarity's place glowed with sparkles and extravagant colors. Clotheslines held designer outfits near the door. Stools faced a series of counters with mirrors to the left. A closed red curtain hung to the far end of the room. An archway concealed stairs leading to a second floor. Three mirrors encircled around a small platform to the right.

The room must have been hit by a tornado. Several untidy clothes were disposed on the floor. All the drawers were opened. Spike had his arms stretched out towards Rarity. We caught the two of them in the middle of a conversation.

Rarity paced the floor. "Something is wrong! I can feel it. What could it be, Spike?"

"Don't worry so much. It will come to you. You'll figure it out."

Spike could barely move. Pieces of fabric were stitched upon his chest. They were arranged in the form of a small tuxedo. His claws barely stuck out from the extended arm holes. One pant leg stretched farther than the other. An unraveled tie wrapped around his neck.

The sparkling glitter from the gowns on the clothesline grabbed my attention. I strolled over and browsed through the outfits. The dresses were beautifully designed and captured the best color combinations. I ran my hooves through the smooth texture and was mesmerized by the small ornaments stitched in around the borders. My poor family could never afford such high-quality material, but I admired the creative artwork stitched into such a simple thing.

Pinkie Pie's voice stole my attention. "Whatcha' lookin' for?" she asked as she followed next to Rarity around the room.

Rarity responded, "Inspiration."

"Is that all?" Twilight disconcerted.

Applejack approached the platform and asked Spike, "How long has she been like this?"

Spike whispered, "Since I arrived."

Rarity dugged through a drawer. "Maybe the three of you can help me."

"You mean the four of us?" Pinkie replied.

Rarity paused in her search. "Four?" She turned around and noticed me by the door. She asserted the largest expression on her face. "IDEA!" She lept in front of me.

Rarity was beautiful. Her gorgeous mane flowed smoothly down the side of her face. Her radiant blue eyes revealed a gentle, passionate soul. The brief smiles on her face showed an enthusiastic, lovable heart.

I comfortably said, "Hi Rarity. I'm Moonlight."

"Uh huh."

I watched Rarity circle around me. "What are you doing?"

Without hesitation, Rarity pushed me over to Spike. "I need you on stage, now."

I stepped up on the stage and watched Rarity in action. She used her magic to pull up items laying around the room. Bottles of dye, thread, and fabric floated near the ceiling. A pair of scissors cut through some silk. A needle pierced the thread and connected a couple cloth pieces together. The material then was placed on my legs and back. The whole time, Rarity rambled on without a break.

"How long have you been in Ponyville? Oh, that will do nicely. What are your measurements? Oh nevermind, I'll find out. What do you think, turquoise or cerulean? Maybe I should try for royal blue. Definitely the royal blue. Do you think the collar should lay down or bend around the neck? I guess it depends on the occasion. Yes, this will work. It has to! It is perfect!"

"Help me," I moaned.

Spike replied, "Just stay calm. She gets this way sometimes. It will be over soon."

Rarity stopped moving. "What do you think?"

I detected that she was finished with her work. I turned towards the mirrors and was surprised at what I saw. "I really like it."

"Good!" Rarity ripped the pieces from my body and placed them on a pony mannequin. "Fancy Pants is going to love the new outfit."

"Uh, Rarity?" I asked with a dumbfounded gaze in my eyes.

"Oh, right. Moonlight was it? Did you need me for something?"

"No," I replied.

"Then why are you here?" Rarity asked.

Twilight said, "We needed to borrow Spike for a moment if you don't mind, Rarity. We need to send a letter to Princess Celestia."

"Oh, go right ahead."

Twilight asked Spike, "You got a scroll handy?"

"I always bring one with me just incase."

As Spike jumped off the stage, Rarity shouted, "Be careful! The suit is very fragile right now."

Spike waddled over to his bag and pulled out a scroll and quill. He proceeded to write down every word Twilight spoke.

"Dear Celestia,

We have had the privilege in welcoming a new visitor in Ponyville. His name is Moonlight Sonata and requests your assistance in an unusual predicament. It appears that Moonlight heard a threatening voice and believes it originated from Discord. It is also suggested that Moonlight arrived here through some form of vortex that somehow transformed him in the process. We would like your input on the manner and await your response.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle."

Spike sent the letter and placed the quill back in the bag.

"That was very well put," I commented.

"Thanks," Twilight responded.

We patiently waited in hopes Celestia would quickly respond. Nearly a minute passed before something broke the silence.

A small unicorn entered the room. "What is going on here?"

Pinkie Pie shouted, "Surprise!"

Rarity shouted, "Sweetie Belle! There you are!"

"Why is every pony just standing around? Did I miss something important?" Sweetie Belle looked at Spike's outfit. "You started without me? Why didn't you wait?"

Rarity replied, "I did wait, but you never returned. Where did you go?"

Sweetie Belle rapidly bumped her hooves together. "I went to the store. Nowhere else."

Rarity deepened her voice. "Sweetie Belle, what did you do?"

"Well, I went to get more paint like you asked, but the store was out of red. Then I remembered that we had some at the clubhouse. Only..."

"What?" Rarity asked.

Sweetie Belle glanced around the room. "Uh, you see. Scootaloo and Applebloom were there and..."

Applejack exclaimed, "Applebloom? What was she doing there? That gal was supposed to be bringing me more apples!"

"She did get the apples, but we got to talking and... well, I guess time got away from us."

Applejack stomped the ground. "I'm going to have to have a little chat with Applebloom the next time I see her."

Spike burped up a sealed letter. He pulled back his shirt's arm and picked up the scroll. He broke the seal and read it outloud.

"My faithful student Twilight,

Contrary to how unusual your letter was worded, I did not find it surprising. Recently, I have been receiving the same kind of reports from the Canterlot guards. They heard mysterious whispers from within the Canterlot Archives. I have personally coordinated an investigation and found something strange within the Starswirl the Bearded wing.

The entire room was spotless, not a thing out of place. The books and scrolls were neatly placed on the shelves and arranged in sequence. Please gather your friends and meet me in the library. I feel there is more to this mystery than meets the eye.

Yours, Princess Celestia."

Pinkie Pie said, "Woho! Field trip!"

"This can't be a coincidence," Twilight said.

"She didn't say anything about me," I pouted.

Pinkie Pie poked me in the side. "Don't be that way. I can cheer you up!" She made goofy faces at me. I couldn't resist smiling at her silliness.

Sweetie Belle excitingly asked, "Can I come?"

Rarity responded, "I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle. It's far too dangerous. I need you to watch the store while we put a stop to whoever is making this mess... I mean stop whoever is cleaning up this mess... Why is this a bad thing again?"

Twilight responded, "Maybe Celestia will tell us when we arrive."

"We still need to get Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash," Applejack commented.

Sweetie Belle said, "Rainbow Dash? She bumped into us back at the clubhouse. She was rushing to meet up with Fluttershy."

Applejack said, "Then I guess we'll catch the both of them at her cottage."

Spike flopped in his outfit. "Wait! What about the suit?"

Rarity smiled. "Oh Sweetie Belle, do you mind finishing up here?"

Sweetie Belle grinned. "Yay!"

We neared a charming cottage near the Everfree Forest. We passed over a small bridge. A trinkling creek flowed underneath our feet. The birds churped in their little houses. I smelled the sweet aroma coming from the flower garden. We noticed Fluttershy outside looking off into the distance with her pink hair twirling in the wind. A snapping twig frightened her into a bush.

"Fluttershy! It's us!" Twilight shouted.

"Oh, you startled me," Fluttershy meekly said while peaking her head out.

"What were you doing?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy stepped out of the bush and strolled closer to us. "I was waiting for Rainbow Dash to return."

Rarity looked past Fluttershy. "From where?'

Fluttershy turned and pointed in the direction she faced earlier. "That way. Why do you ask?"

Pinkie Pie responded, "We are helping Moonlight."

"Moonlight?" Fluttershy asked.

Fluttershy's kind eyes met mine. I scratched the back of my head and stared at the ground. Fluttershy's timid and quiet nature mirrored my own sentiment. Although not as fearful as she was, I still lacked the nerve to properly introduce myself. I didn't move. I didn't say a word.

Applejack pushed me towards Fluttershy. "Well go on."

Fluttershy's mane fell in front of her face. Her cyan eye was focused on the ground. I felt embarrassed and tucked in my head. I overheard Rarity whispering behind me.

"Which one is Fluttershy? I can't tell them apart."

Pinkie Pie softly replied, "She's the one with wings."

I gained the courage to wave at Fluttershy. "Hi," I said in the softest tone without breaking into a whisper. I blushed and pulled back my hair.

Fluttershy returned with a smile. "Hello."

"Ok..." Twilight said trying to break the awkward moment, "So what did Rainbow Dash want, Fluttershy?"

"Oh, she wanted to show me something and flew off. I'm starting to get worried. She should have been back by now."

A feeling overwhelmed me. Something was off. There were currently four ponies standing around me when there originally was five. I observed the ponies' colors - yellow, white, purple, and orange. We lacked a certain pink pony. "Where is Pinkie Pie?"

My friends looked around. "Where did she go?" Applejack asked.

"I found her! I found her!" Pinkie Pie shouted from the distance.

We dashed toward the sound of Pinkie Pie's voice. She stood underneath a large tree with her head looking up. Tangled in the top of the tree was Rainbow Dash. Her leg was caught between two branches.

"Rainbow Dash?" Applejack shouted.

Rainbow Dash unnervingly replied, "Oh, hi guys."

Twilight leaned her head back. "What are you doing up there?"

Rainbow Dash sat up and rapidly waved her arms in an effort to reach her leg. Rainbow Dash collapsed her body when met with failure. She sarcastically remarked, "The tree looked lonely, and I figured I would stay awhile and keep it company."

Pinkie Pie blatantly replied, "Really? Because it looks like you are stuck."

Rainbow Dash stretched her wings out to try and twist her leg out of the tree. "I'm not stuck! I'm just...a little... bit..." She stopped when she ran out of strength. "Ok, I'm stuck. Fluttershy, a little help?"

Fluttershy lifted herself up into the tree and pulled out Rainbow Dash's leg. Rainbow Dash fell down to the ground. Her nimble head spun around for a few seconds. She grabbed hold of her head and rubbed it. "Thanks, Fluttershy."

"Your welcome." Fluttershy helped Rainbow Dash up from the ground. "So what was it you wanted to show me?"

Rainbow Dash brushed off the dirt from her body. "Well I wanted to show you Tank's new goggles, but a certain pony, that will go unnamed, bumped into me and I fell into this tree."

In the distance, I heard the sound of a spinning fan. A tiny turtle, or tortoise perhaps, attached to a fancy mechanical device slowly descended towards the ground. He wore a cute aviator cap and goggles. His legs dangled in the air, and a smile creeped up on his face.

"There you are, Tank." Rainbow Dash lifted off into the sky and proudly pointed at Tank's spiffy goggles. "See! Aren't they awesome? He is officially 20% cooler."

"They look smashin'," Rarity replied.

Rainbow Dash scratched her chin. "What are you all doing here, anyways?"

Twilight said, "Princess Celestia wants to see us all in Canterlot."

"What for?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Be better if we tell you the whole story on the way over," Twilight responded.

Fluttershy played in the dirt on the ground. "Does that mean I'm going too?"

"Is something the matter?" I asked.

Fluttershy propped her head up. "Oh, nothing. I wanted to see Junebug about getting some flowers for the garden, but I can go another time. It's no trouble."

I looked Fluttershy in the eye. "How about I come and help you in the garden when we get back?"

Fluttershy stretched her wings out. "Oh, that would be lovely."

Rainbow Dash frowned. "Sorry, Tank. Looks like I'll have to make a rain check."

Tank nodded and puttered his way back from which he came.

Pinkie Pie waved farewell. "We'll see you again at our weekly Pony Pet Playdate."

Royal Warning
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Royal Warning

Royal Warning

Royal Warning

The train screeched to a halt. Hot steam poured out of the engine. The passenger cart's door slid open. Two guards with spears watched us enter into the train station. We had arrived at Canterlot.

Canterlot bristled with action. Nothing compared to the glimmering shine from the mighty buildings that towered over our heads. The streets were not paved with gold, but the beautiful landscape in around the city clearly made up for it. Fancy ponies minded their own business in the food markets. Cheerful unicorns with large backpacks climbed up the long stairs to a magic school. Royal guards patrolled outside the Canterlot Archives. Pegasi lept from the top balconies. One pegasi watched us through a telescope from the city's tallest building.

We followed Twilight up a flight of stairs into a building looking over the ballroom. Princess Celestia stood by a large hourglass looking outside a large window. A couple books from the nearby bookcase laid spread out on a table.

"Princess, you wanted to see us?" Twilight asked.

Celestia turned with a grin on her face. "It is good to see you all again. I only wished the conditions were better."

Princess Celestia's majestic stature overwhelmed me. Standing a mere yard in front of me was the being with the power to rise the sun each day. Her height and magnificant mane astounded my senses.

Rainbow Dash asked, "Have you found out anything?"

Celestia lowered her lip. "I'm afraid not. There just doesn't seem to be any explanation."

I stepped forward and bowed with a malcontent expression on my face. "Uh, princess?"

"You must be Moonlight," Celestia sympathetically responded, "I apologize if I did not address your concerns in my letter. Please be assure I meant no disrespect, but there were more pressing matters I had to attend to the moment I received the letter.

"However, the timing of your arrival in Ponyville correlates to the same time of the guard's reports in the Canterlot Archives. I can better assess the situation once we discover the root of the problem."

Applejack asked, "What do you want us to do?"

"I need a new set of eyes. Go to the archives and see if you can find anything useful. Twilight, do you remember the way?"

"Yes, princess."

All the ponies headed for the front door. Princess Celestia walked to the window and lamented something to herself. I tried tossing a question at the princess but was quickly interrupted by Applejack. "Leave her be. If she wanted to tell us, she would have."

We followed Twilight across the main road towards the Canterlot Archives. The stationed guards allowed us to pass through the front gate.

"Starswirl the Bearded wing is just down this hall," Twilight said.

Rarity searched the neighboring rooms. "It is strange to see a place like this left empty."

Rainbow Dash asked, "And where are all the guards?"

Applejack concurred, "That is what I'm worried about."

Twilight cautiously entered into the dark room. "In here."

Inside existed a library filled with rows of bookcases. The shelves were stocked with wrapped scrolls and different proportioned books. A single mirror reclined upward to a large hourglass in the middle of the room.

The abnormal condition of the room had all of us astonished. It matched what Princess Celestia stated in her letter. Not a single item was left on the floor. All the books stood upright on the shelves. Not a single cobweb or rusted scroll could be seen. I watched as each pony reflected the same pattern of thought.

Rarity wiped the floor and looked at the bottom of her hoof. "This place is spotless."

Rainbow Dash touched the ceiling. "Even the ceiling is clean."

Pinkie Pie stared at her reflection on the floor. "I bet you can eat off of this floor."

"Why put so much effort in cleaning this room?" Twilight looked at each of the bookshelves. "Not one book is missing."

I approached the large hourglass and watched the sand pour down into the base. The constant stream of particles relaxed my frame of mind. The peripheral of my sight became fixated on only the hourglass.

As my eyes grew tiresome, I heard indistinguishable whispering in my ear. The sand dropping in the hourglass slowed down to a crawl. My head drifted onto my shoulder. I recognized Applejack's voice in the background, but her words blended together into a single, solitary sound. The entire experience disappeared when a pony touched me in the side.

"Moonlight, are you alright?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm alright. I was just admiring this hourglass."

"It certainly brings out the room."

That moment, I noticed something unusual. The particles inside the timepiece had begun flowing in the opposite direction. "Uh, Twilight. The sand. Twilight!"

All the ponies rushed to the center of the room. They all witnessed the defiance of gravity as the particles of sand poured upward into the top. Then after a few seconds, the flakes stopped moving completely. There was a perfect balance of sand in both sections.

Darkness crept out from the hourglass. The only things visible were the hourglass and each other. Then, a voice called out to us.

Confident is the one that raises the sun at dawn.

Every pony sees her as the one to count on.

Light touches the earth and warms the pony's land,

Eternally watching the world in a grain of sand.

She is going to be in for a big surprise.

The elements will not help her when the time arrives.

I only need one more thing to help me stop her.

A rare kind of magic is what I'm after.

...and then I shall bring order to this land.

His last words echoed as light returned in the chamber. The sand proceeded to flow normally once again.

"What was that?" Applejack shouted.

"We all heard that, right?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings. "That sounded like Discord!"

Rarity responded, "You think he has returned?"

"Do you think he'll bring some more of that chocolate rain?" Pinkie Pie oddly remarked.

Every pony expressed their concerns except for Fluttershy. "Where is Fluttershy?" I asked.

A book plopped on the ground. In the corner of the room vibrated a large pile of books. Fluttershy's eyes peeked through a hole in the stack.

Pinkie Pie hopped in front of the stack. "Oh cool. You made a fort!"

Rainbow Dash pushed aside a few of the top books. "Come on, Fluttershy. I don't think a fort made out of books will help you."

"Maybe they will," Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash squinted. "Seriously?"

"Not the fort. The books," Twilight reiterated, "We may not know what Discord is up to, but this room is filled with ancient knowledge from his era."

"Shouldn't we first tell the princess what happened?" I asked.

Twilight nodded. "Yes. She is probably waiting for us to return."

"Princess!" Twilight shouted.

Princess Celestia exited a building outside the royal gardens. "What happened, my little ponies?"

Rainbow Dash said, "We heard it!"

"What did he say?" Celestia asked.

Twilight said, "We are in store for a big surprise."

Pinkie Pie expressed, "Not a ha-ha surprise, but more like an uh-oh surprise."

Princess Celestia scanned through each one of us. Her wings bowed to her side.

I asked, "What is it?"

She turned and entered back inside the tower. "Come with me. I need to show you all something."

We followed Princess Celestia inside the tower. The structure was built similar to the library in shape and form. Cabinets pinned against the corners of the first floor while beds rested on the second floor. The shade from the nearby trees darkened the room. A royal guard's armor was propped up against the staircase.

We climbed the stairs and approached a pegasus on the bed. He tossed and turned underneath the sheets. Sweat dripped profusely down his face. He sporadically gritted his teeth. His wrinkled brown hair spread over the pillow case.

Twilight touched the bed and looked up to Celestia. "What happened?"

"This happened about the time I received your letter. I've spent hours caring for him." Celestia's horn emitted a bright light that filled the room. She touched the pegasus on the forehead. The guard took in deep breaths and relaxed his muscles. "I've tried my best to keep him stable."

I asked, "Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?"

Celestia responded, "What is happening to him is still a mystery to me. The guards reported that they heard Discord's voice, but his body still stands frozen in the gardens. I took the necessary precautions of restricting access inside the archives and keeping a keen eye on the city. I don't want this happening again."

Twilight asked, "But if it isn't Discord, then who?"

Celestia shared her thoughts. "I don't know. For all we know, the threat may be feeding off our fear. That is why I chose to keep this secret. I don't want this spreading beyond the city guards."

The guard grabbed hold of the sheets. His state worsened.

Celestia straightened the blanket near the back end of the bed. "My magic barely has any effect on him. I'm not sure what else I can do."

My feet slid back as I gripped the floor. I wanted to help, but didn't know what to do. In an instant, a shallow light repelled out from my horn over the guard. He opened his eyes and lifted himself up out of the bed. "Princess Luna!" he shouted as he quickly passed out onto the bed again.

Princess Celestia charged the door. "Quickly! Follow me."

We chased after Princess Celestia through the gardens and past the Canterlot Archives. She reduced her persuit when passing over a small bridge to the city's edge.

"Why are we stopping?" Twilight asked.

Celestia answered, "We have to be careful. There aren't any guards posted beyond this point."

We approached a small staircase that wrapped around the mountain. The rickety steps held strong enough for us to proceed. We advanced to a small balcony overlooking the city. On the balcony were some small flower pots and a couple of miscellaneous pictures.

Twilight whispered, "What are we doing here?"

Celestia tilted one of the pictures frames. The wall behind it revealed a hidden passageway.

"A secret entrance?" Rarity asked.

"I never knew about this place," Twilight stated.

Celestia explained, "That is because this place has been empty for quite some time. We built it long ago, just after defeating Discord. It was a place where Luna could rest during the day without being disturbed.

"After the banishment of Nightmare Moon, we enclosed this place. It stayed that way until Luna returned and reclaimed her home once again." Celestia snickered. "Between you and me, I think it is better this way. She still hasn't quite learned how to control that royal voice of hers."

Inside revealed a large and beautiful room filled with decor. A small fireplace softly lit the room. An engraved mural was embedded into one of the walls. Several tethered banners and aged paintings stretched out across the other wall. A mirror hung from beside the fireplace. A few steps led to another portion of the room just out of view from the entrance.

As we stepped inside, we heard Luna shout, "Stay back!"

"Luna," Princess Celestia said in a serious tone.

We carefully moved down the steps and noticed a soft bed pushed to the far side of the room. The blanket imprinted with small moons and stars shook against the wall.

"I'm warning you!" Luna shouted as she pushed the covers up in the air.

Princess Celestia eased her stance as Princess Luna's face popped out from underneath the covers. Her hair glistened over the side of the bed. Luna rolled over, blissfully unaware of her surroundings.

"She is sound asleep," Rarity remarked.

Princess Celestia tapped against the sheets. "Luna. Wake up."

"Five more minutes sis'."

"I need to talk to you."

Luna faced us and saw the number of ponies in her room. "What are you all doing here? Am I invited to another party?"

Celestia said, "No, Luna. I was wondering if you noticed anything suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Luna sat upright. "Why do you ask? Is this about the cake incident?"

Bypassing Luna's question, Celestia stated, "Then all is well."

Luna asked, "What is the matter with you?"

Twilight said, "We thought you might have been in trouble. The guard shouted your name and-"

Luna said in a more serious tone, "Guard? What guard? Who's causing trouble?" She lept to her feet. "Point the way and I'll show them a thing or two why they call me the Princess of the Night."

Unlike Celestia's motherly concern and strong will towards her subjects, Princess Luna seemed high-spirited and bold. I thought her princess status would have made her more timid and delicate. Instead, she showed a more daring and rambunctious attitude.

Applejack waved her leg up and down. "Easy, princess. We just wanted to see if you were hurt."

Luna stretched her legs out and rocked her shoulders. "Everything feels alright to me. What's this all about?"

Celestia responded, "There has been a disturbance inside the Canterlot Archives."

Rarity said, "We heard a voice come out from the Starswirl the Bearded wing."

Rainbow Dash said, "We thought he came after you."

Luna closed one eye and looked at the ceiling. "Isn't that the room named after the same fellow that disappeared long ago?"

Celestia asked, "Do you remember anything special about the room?"

Luna pondered a little and then responded, "No. Nothing special, but I do recall how hard it was moving that giant hourglass. Maybe visiting the room again would help job my memory."

Before leaving Luna's room, Pinkie Pie asked her, "What happened with the cake?"

Luna grinned. "Oh, nothing."

The two guards outside the Canterlot Archives allowed us passage. Luna browsed the hallway and inside the wing. "That's odd. I remember this room being bigger." She rubbed her hoof across one of the shelves. "And a lot dirtier too."

Twilight pointed at one of the bookcases. "We thought the intruder might have been after the books."

Luna replied, "There is a lot recorded here, but nothing to fuss over."

We roamed around as we intently waited for Princess Luna to say something meaningful. Rarity dabbled with her mane in front of the mirror. Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle shifted through the fallen books from earlier. I cautiously pondered over what happened in front of the hourglass.

Without my knowledge, Luna had walked up next to me. "I don't think we have properly introduced."

A little shocked, I replied, "Oh, um. Moonlight. Moonlight Sonata."

"Princess Luna. Charmed." She motioned her head toward the hourglass. "What were you looking at?"

I scratched the back of my neck. "Nothing. Its just. Something about this hourglass."

Luna glared and stepped towards the hourglass. "Funny, I don't remember placing this here."

Celestia, along with the other ponies, came up to the middle of the room. "What is it?"

Luna placed her legs on the hourglass and exerted enough strength to slide it across the floor. A golden seal was revealed underneath.

Twilight tilted her head and looked at the seal. "There is an inscription: For the safety of Equestria, no pony should ever open what was sealed below."

Celestia took a defensive posture. "Luna, you feel that?"

Luna stood in a similar fashion. "Yes."

That moment, my vision blurred. My eyes tired and my body weakened. My legs collapsed beneath me. My head pounded against the floor. The last thing I recalled before losing consciousness was Pinkie Pie's big eyes as she shouted, "Moonlight!"

Broken Seal
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Drocsid

Broken Seal

Broken Seal

I gradually opened my eyes and shocked to see myself in a comfy bed. I pushed aside the soft covers. My face brightened. I was home, inside my very own room.

I stepped off the side of my bed and roamed around for a few minutes. As my hoof ran across the edge of the bed, I noticed something peculiar in the mirror hanging up on the wall. My horn had disappeared. When I straightened my hair, I didn't feel anything sticking out of my forehead. There was a steady sound of dripping sand that filled the air. It came from the miniature hourglass model placed on the corner of my cabinet. I poked the metal frame and watched it rattle on the golden pedestal.

Then, all feeling of comfort left my body. The straps on my school bag laying by the door rattled against the rough wind that chilled my legs. The strong current flipped the hourglass upside down. I passed through my room and entered into the kitchen. On the counter laid a half-eaten strawberry cupcake. I ran my hoof across the small plate it was resting on. I dismayed at a thought that triggered in my head. "Mom?"

I heard a cackle from outside the house. I hurried to the front porch. There my mother stood frozen in fear of the black flame that rose from the ground. Two eyes popped through the smolders. A crescent smile grew underneath. A claw reached out from the smoke and touched my mother's forehead. Her body's vibrant colors gradually faded away.

I rushed out to meet her, but lost hold of the ground. As if a trap door gave way, the earth peeled away underneath me. I tumbled blindly through the dark abyss.

I woke up back in the Canterlot Archives. With my sight still a bit dazed and my head barely off the ground, I saw Rainbow Dash kneeling down next to the princesses across the room.

"He's coming to!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"Not so loud Pinkie," I mumbled.

I planted my front hooves on the ground in an attempt to stand up, but my legs buckled under the pressure. Pinkie Pie's concerned face appeared in front of my eyes.

"Easy there," Pinkie stated, "You don't want to strain yourself."

I gripped both sides of my head. "What happened?"

As my vision cleared, I perceived Luna and Celestia in the same deplorable state I was in. Rarity and Twilight laid motionless on the floor. Fluttershy and Applejack patiently waited over for them to regain consciousness. I felt sick to my stomach. My head hurt just as bad as when I smashed into the apple stand.

Fluttershy gripped Twilight's hoof. "Oh, please get up." Fluttershy was relieved when Twilight kicked her legs. "Oh good, you are waking up."

Rarity pressed her hoof against her head. "Did some pony catch the cart that ran me over?"

Pinkie Pie asked, "What happened to you guys?"

Applejack commented, "Whatever it was, it seemed to have affected just the unicorns."

Luna gasped for air while rising off the floor. "It was... a magic drain."

"That's... not possible," Twilight uttered.

Applejack stated, "It certainly explains things, but where did it come from?"

Pinkie Pie hopped to a hole in the center of the room. The etched seal had disappeared and revealed a stone staircase leading down to a basement level. "I bet it came from down there."

Despite her condition, Twilight Sparkle exerted all her strength in standing up from the ground. As sweat droplets rolled off her chin, she wandered over to Pinkie Pie. "We have to go down there and-" Twilight lost her balance and collapsed. Pinkie Pie grabbed hold of her before she fell down the hole.

"Not in that condition," Applejack said.

"Luna? Is there a way to get your magic back?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"We might not be able to reverse the spell, but there is a way to accelerate the healing process. My memory is a bit fuzzy. Sis', do you remember that restore spell?"

"No, but we might be able to find a copy of it somewhere in this room."

Pinkie Pie saluted. "On it!" Within a matter of seconds, she returned with a scroll and laid it in front of Celestia. "Here you go."

Rainbow Dash playfully nudged Pinkie Pie. "How do you keep doing that?"

"You just have to know where to look." Pinkie grinned. "It was under R."

Princess Celestia used her nose to roll the scroll open. She spent a minute reading its contents and then closed her eyes to meditate. The tip of her horn glowed bright yellow. The sunlight from the window intensified, filling the entire room. The warmth from the sun rays restored enough strength for us to stand.

Twilight stretched her legs. "Thanks Celestia. That feels much better."

Princess Celestia spread out her wings. "Just don't overexert yourself."

I ambled next to Twilight by the staircase. "What do you think is down there?"

"The truth," Princess Celestia stated as she approached behind me.

The air thinned as we entered into the stone cavity below the main room. Both Twilight and Celestia lit the way. A dark room emerged at the bottom of the stairs. Its shape reflected the form of a heptagon. Near the jagged, purple crystals sticking through the crag, a few rotting bookcases leaned against the stone walls. An old book rested center on top of an decaying table near the end of the room. A narrow indentation singed clean through the dusty tome and table.

A voice echoed in the room. "You fell right into my trap."

The book flipped open and generated a wind current that began pulling us in. The ponies held their ground, but the current swept me off my hooves. Applejack lept forward and grabbed hold of me.

"Don't let go!" I shouted.

The strength of the current was too much to bare. The current plucked Applejack's hat off her heat. It slammed into my face. I felt my grip slipping. Then, the whirling stopped. My body dropped down to the floor. I pulled Applejack's hat away from my face. "I think this is yours," I stated as I offered it back to her.

"Thanks," Applejack said as she placed the hat back on her head.

The voice reacted in a more casual tone. "Using your magic to close the book. How could such a simple plan be foiled by a simple pony."

Twilight responded, "We know you are here! Come out where we can see you!"

The voice mocked, "Please, be a little patient. I put a lot of effort into that plan. Ok, I'll admit. It wasn't the best plan, but a good plan nonetheless."

Using her Canterlot voice, Luna shouted, "Show yourself!"

The voice responded, "Is that you, Princess Luna? I recognize your loud shouting from anywhere. Or, are you still Nightmare Moon? It has been awhile and I want to make sure I get it right. Sometimes, I have a tendency to forget things when trapped for a millenium or two."

Luna slanted her head. "Discord?"

"You wound me. No, I am not Discord. I am the one and only..." The gems in the room emitted a purple light. Black smoke rose above the book on the table. "Ordain!"

Rainbow Dash asked, "Ordain?"

My heart skipped a beat as the smoke dissipated. Ordain looked identical to Discord except his image was symmetrically shaped. Otherwise, he retained the same deer antlers, lion's paws, wings of a pegasus, and legs of a lizard.

Ordain flailed his arms around. "Yes. Ordain."

Rarity asked, "So you're not Discord?"

Ordain slapped himself in the head. "No, I'm not Discord. He's the spirit of chaos... or disharmony... whatever, same thing. I'm Ordain, the spirit of order."

"Could it be," Luna muttered, "after all these years?"

Ordain pointed at us. "And I'm going to make a few corrections around here."

Applejack asked, "What does that supposed to mean?"

Ordain replied, "So many things wrong in the universe. It's my job to fix 'em."

The sudden silence made every pony uneasy. We put up our guard in a defensive position and braced for the unexpected.

Ordain tugged on his black goatee. "I think I know where to start. Those colors. They are all wrong."

Ordain clapped his paws together. When he slowly separated them, a fracture ripped open in the fabric of space. Like weaving magic thread, Ordain enclosed his paws together twice more through the hole. Electricity flowed around his paws.

He grinned and exerted his paws towards us. "The pink one will go first."

Lightning shot out of Ordain's paws and hit Pinkie Pie. She carelessly watched her colors seep out of her body. Pinkie's body turned white, and her mane was left tinted a shade of yellow.

"Stop this, Ordain!" Twilight shouted.

"Don't worry. You shall be next."

Ordain closed his paws behind his head and pounded on the magic tear in front of him. Two transparent panels appeared, one on each side of Twilight Sparkle. The panels mirrored Ordain's movements as he crossed his arms. They quickly slid through Twilight and disappeared. Her darker violet color disappeared and replaced with a sheer white color.

"Change us back!" Twilight shouted.

Pinkie Pie admired over the changes. "I don't know, Twilight. I kind of like being white. I look like a giant marshmellow!"

Rarity looked over at Pinkie Pie. "Now wait a minute..."

"And now, you look just like your mom," Pinkie commented.

Twilight restated, "Ok... change me back."

Ordain ignored Twilight and turned his head toward his next subject. "The rainbow one. Yes."

"No!" Rainbow Dash yelped.

Ordain retracted his arm to his side. As he pulled it forward, a book flew across the room and slapped him in the face. He rubbed the side of his face. "Ow, that hurt."

"That is enough!" Luna shouted using her Canterlot voice.

"Oh be quiet," Ordain remarked. He cupped his left paw into his right. A spark flew out and landed on Luna. She rapidly moved her legs to check her vitals. Everything seemed normal.

Luna reacted with a haughty expression, but there were no sounds from the words she conveyed to Ordain. She mouthed a few more words before she quickly covered her mouth in fright. Princess Luna had become mute. Ordain redirected his attention back at Rainbow Dash when another book flew in from the opposite side of the room.

"Stop this now!" Celestia shouted.

Ordain dropped his arms to his side. Electricity sewed the magic rift up as to repair the dimensional space tear. A smug grew on Ordain's face. "Oh, look. It's the princess. What do you want me to do? You want me to stop? Ha! What if I say no? Hmm."

Celestia discharged a beam of light from her horn. An invisible barrier around Ordain absorbed the blow. He cackled as Princess Celestia stopped her attack. Luna knelt down in preparation to charge Ordain.

I briefly dashed forward and stopped with my head held high. "Why are you doing this?"

Ordain walked around the table. "Why? Because things have been changed, manipulated, and destroyed. I'm just trying to repair the damage. Fix what is broken. Isn't that right, Moonlight."

"How-"

"So much chatter! Where was I?" Ordain slapped his knee. "Wings! Right."

Ordain initiated another rift. He clapped his paws once, twice, and then quickly lifted them upward into the air. Light from the rift blinded our eyes. After a few seconds, we saw Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash all had lost their wings. Luna stomped the ground as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash cried out in horror.

Applejack exclaimed, "What gives you the right to-"

"The right? Oh, the pony is telling me about rights. Why do you care? Your friends are just like you now," Ordain remarked.

Pinkie said, "Just because our friends can fly and we can't, well without a little ingenuity, doesn't mean you can just take their wings like that."

Rarity said, "It is what makes them unique. Same applies to unicorns."

"You're right," Ordain shrugged, "I guess I'll have to take your horns away too."

Ordain inserted his paw into the rift and pulled out a magic sword. He struck the air generating an electric strike that hurled towards us. Luna jumped between us and repelled the strike with a force field. Ordain grew angry and transformed the sword into a spear. He jabbed the spear into the ground. Eight spears randomly tore through the room, but were repelled by Luna's force field.

"I'm touched, Luna. You do remember me and you still had enough wit to stop my attacks," Ordain shrugged, "Oh well. I can always turn my attention elsewhere, Ponyville perhaps?"

Ordain's image blackened. Luna, Twilight, and I charged forward but were only able to run into the puff of smoke he left behind. Luna shortly collapsed on the ground.

"Luna!" I exclaimed.

Celestia sat down and comforted Luna. "You'll have to stop pushing yourself like that, Luna. That being said... thanks."

"We have to stop him!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"But how? He's too powerful," Rarity responded.

I walked around Celestia. "Luna, do you know Ordain?"

She nodded in response.

Twilight asked, "Perhaps you can write down how you know him and..."

Princess Luna shook her head and motioned Celestia to help her up. She approached the book on the table and flipped it open. All the pages were blank. Luna temporarily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She gestured us to follow her up the stairs.

We slowly ascended back to the main room. Luna walked over to one of the bookcases by the window and browsed the selections. After a few minutes, she dropped one on the ground for all to see.

"Is that a journal?" I inquired.

Luna cracked open the book and slowly turned the pages one at a time. Certain chapters mentioned the origins of unicorns and pegasi. Other chapters listed talents found among the ponies of Equestria.

As Luna slowed down, Twilight recognized one of the illustrations. "That's Starswirl the Bearded!"

Celestia responded, "He helped the city more ways than one. He excelled in his duties as a guardian."

"A guardian?" I asked.

Twilight responded, "Kind of like my brother. A type of ancient captain."

Luna turned to a page and poked it with her hoof. The opposing page displayed a picture of the Elements of Harmony. Twilight read the top of the page.

The monsterious beast came up out of the swamp and surprised me. It was a hydra! I stood my ground and let out a quick swipe of my...

Luna tapped lower on the page. Twilight began reading again.

The next night, I was approached by a mysterious creature shrowded in a black cloak. My instincts told me to take defensive measures, but my curiosity said otherwise. Before taking any action, the creature dropped a letter on the ground. Inscribed were details on the location of the legendary Elements of Harmony. Before inquiring about the letter, he vanished. A puff of black smoke was all that remained. The only name provided was the signature on the bottom of the letter - Drocsid.

"That sounds like Ordain!" I remarked.

Luna turned over a couple pages. Twilight continued reading.

My joy for the victory of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna over Discord was short-lived. Concerns over Drocsid weighed heavy on my mind. Why leave the letter? Why hide his face? Later that night, I approached Luna of my anxiety. She laid my worries to rest when she agreed to personally seek out guidance among my comrades. Her wings would make traveling much easier than my bare hooves. I pray she returns safely, for the sake of Equestria.

Rarity said, "That explains a few things."

Rainbow Dash added, "But we still don't know how to stop Ordain."

Luna combed her hair back and looked at Celestia.

"Any ideas, princess?" Twilight asked.

Princess Celestia paced the floor. She circled around the hourlgass and walked down the room's aisles. She looked out the window and then stepped back to us. "What about the book?"

"The book Twilight just read?" Applejack asked.

"No, the book downstairs," Celestia reiterated.

Pinkie Pie rushed down the stairs and retrieved the book. Celestia held up the book and meditated over the whole matter. "What is Ordain trying to accomplish? That is what troubles me. If we can piece together his motives, we might be able to put a stop to his plan. I will round up the guards. Luna, you can-" Luna kicked open the doors and charged out.

Rarity stated, "She recovers fast."

Celestia smiled. "My sister can be very stubborn sometimes."

Princess Celestia turned the book over to Twilight. "Here Twilight. See if you can figure out more about this book."

"Right," Twilight Sparkle said, "We will find a way to stop him. Pinkie..."

Pinkie interrupted, "Call me Whitee."

Twilight said, "Ok?... Whitee. Since you are so good at finding things, see if you can look for a scroll or something to get us back to normal."

"What about us?" Rainbow Dash asked, "We're not just going to sit idly by."

"Without a unicorn, we have no chance of stopping his attacks," Applejack said, "no offense, Rarity."

"None taken."

Twilight Sparkle said, "That is why you aren't going alone. Take my brother with you. You should be able to find him with Cadance at the observatory."

I asked Twilight, "Do you really think he will help us?"

Twilight Sparkle responded, "When it comes to protection, he is the best. I know from experience. He didn't become captain of the guard because of his looks."

Rarity said, "He sure looked good in that uniform he wore to the wedding."

All the ponies looked at Rarity.

"What? The red worked really well with his blue mane." Rarity walked outside to try and diffuse the awkwardness. "Come on. I know the... way?" She opened her mouth wide and sat on the floor.

Pinkie hopped next to Rarity. "Cool!"

Topsy Turvy
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Drocsid

Topsy Turvy

Topsy Turvy

Topsy Turvy

"What's wrong Rar..." Applejack's mind drifted as she realized what distracted Rarity and Pinkie outside the room. "Oh my."

Canterlot had changed. Every single building looked identical in the same circular shape and splashed with the same golden color. The streets ran straight, not a pebble out of place. If a pony drew a line down the middle of the road, both sides would perfectly parallel each other.

Rainbow Dash jerked her leg out. "How are we going to stop Ordain now?"

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash. "How are we going to find the observatory?"

Applejack pulled her hat to her chest. "How are we going to get out of here?"

The extreme challenge of navigating through the terrain scared me. I no longer cared about stopping Ordain or finding a way out. I simply wanted the path of least resistance. "Uh, how about I stay here with Twilight?"

Applejack placed her hat back on her head and looked directly at me. "Oh come now. You aren't going to let a little bit of change scare ya'?"

"Well no, I..." I lowered my head down to the ground. I had hoped the ponies would have allowed me to stay. Instead, Applejack saw right through my words.

Princess Celestia walked around and faced me. Her presence lifted my spirits. "Moonlight... what does your heart want?"

Tension built in my head. All my options rushed through my head. I could stay behind with Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie in search for a way to reverse Ordain's magic, but my heart compelled me to chase after Ordain himself. Getting through Canterlot would definitely be difficult. Why should I be so fearful? Princess Luna didn't waste any time considering her options. Was there another option I wasn't considering? "Celestia, what about the pegasus in the tower? Can we search for him?"

"I'm sorry Moonlight. All of Equestria is in peril. You can search for him by yourself if you wish, but Ordain is our priority right now."

My heart was distraught. Leaving my friends to handle the problem by themselves was not an viable option for me. "I, uh... no, that's alright."

Rainbow Dash jittered in place. "Come on! Let's go."

Princess Celestia nodded. "I'll search down the alleyways. You all can search down the main road."

Pinkie Pie waved farewell. "You all have fun!"

"Pinkie!" Twilight shouted from inside, "Come help me!"

"No Pinkie here. Just Whitee."

Rainbow Dash and Applejack rushed on a little bit ahead of Fluttershy, Rarity, and I. I was surprised to see how exuberant Rainbow Dash was even without her wings. I knew Applejack was capable of running long spurts with those strong legs of hers. They stopped short in front of a fork in the road.

I tried to catch my breath. "Slow... down... Rainbow Dash."

"You don't get out much, do you?"

"I'm not used to trotting this fast," I responded.

Ahead of us were three passageways. Nothing differentiated between them over the horizon.

Fluttershy said, "Which way should we go?"

Rainbow Dash responded, "I don't know. What do you think, Moonlight?"

"What makes you think I know?"

Rainbow Dash waved her arm in the air. "I don't know! You're the bookworm."

The group's eyes were glued on me. In all my days, I never gave out orders to other ponies. My leadership skills were lackluster. I glanced between each road but failed to find any ultimatum. "Right... no left... no straight."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Make up your mind!"

I smurked, "Can we just go back the other way?"

Rarity responded, "You mean where we came from?"

Raindow Dash said, "How about this? I'll go left. Applejack and Rarity go right. Fluttershy and you go straight."

"That works," I added.

As the other ponies ran down the other roads, Fluttershy and I headed down our assigned middle road. No ponies were seen on the barren street. The buildings stretched out past our sight. Not a single door was open. The whole city seemed too artificial to be real. It was terrifying.

"Fluttershy?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

I glanced between both sides of the street. "Are you scared?"

Fluttershy responded, "Ye..e..ah. Are you?"

"Terrified," I responded without hesitation.

Oddly enough, having Fluttershy by my side provided me with the necessary comfort to press forward. I felt relieved to know I wasn't the only pony to react with such fear and anxiety. In a sense, it brought me courage.

I stopped to ask for Fluttershy's opinion. "What do you think we should do?"

"Whenever I'm lost, I ask for directions."

I randomly chose a house on the side of the street and politely knocked on the door. "Hello? Is there any pony home?"

There was no answer. We attempted knocking at the next house and the one after it. Still, no pony answered the door.

I looked at Fluttershy. "Let's try one more."

I knocked on the door. The door slowly opened.

Without seeing their face, a pony nervously asked, "Hello?"

I replied, "Please, can you tell us-"

The pony quickly shut the door.

"I guess we aren't the only ponies afraid." I turned around and slanted my head. "Come on, Fluttershy. Let's keep going."

The sun rose high over our heads. The constant heat bore down on my face. There was no change to the long stretch of stone pebbles underneath us. I lost focus of our objective and sat down. "We are never going to get out of here."

Determination emitted from Fluttershy's face as she knelt down beside me. "Moonlight. Don't give up. I'm sure-"

"What's the point?" I asked.

Fluttershy cheerful eyes gleamed with hope. "You may think we are alone out here, but we're not. There are ponies out there that are counting on us." She grabbed hold of my hoof. "One pony can make all the difference."

I wiped away the water that filled in my eyes. "How do you know?"

Fluttershy helped me up. "There was a time Rainbow Dash needed my help pulling the water up into Cloudsdale. No matter how much I tried to run from my fears, she never gave up on me. That's why we can't give up either. Ok?"

I bobbed my head. "Ok."

Fluttershy and I continued our pursuit through the city. A few minutes later, we approached a crossroads. We noticed a figure walking down the street on the left side. As the pony came closer, we spotted the rainbow-colored mane. It was Rainbow Dash. The three of us circled around each other with confused expressions on our faces.

Rainbow Dash pointed to both of us. "But... How... You..."

I poked Rainbow Dash a couple times on the nose. "Are you some sort of hallucination or illusion? You are Rainbow Dash, right?"

Rainbow Dash objected, "How do I know you aren't some sort of changeling playing tricks on me?

Fluttershy exclaimed, "Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Ok, but I know I went straight! How did I end up here?"

A couple of figures appeared from the opposite direction. It was Applejack and Rarity conversing about how they felt about the whole situation.

Rainbow Dash quickly pulled up her legs and dropped them again. "OH COME ON!"

I tried to restrain from laughing over the humor of the situation. "Hey there!"

Applejack responded, "Well looky here. We all ended up in the same place! How quaint."

Rarity said, "I assume you didn't find any sign of Shining Armor or Cadance anywhere either?"

The three of us shook our heads in a fluster.

Rarity meandored down the last road left untraveled. "I guess we should make our way down this way." Rarity stopped to ponder over a sound from the distance. "Wait, do any of you hear that?"

I placed my hoof over my eyes to see where the sound was coming from down the road. Two bright lights shined just near the horizon. "What is that?"

Rainbow Dash squinted her eyes. "I can't tell." She stepped forward and waved us forward. "Come on. Let's go see what it is."

As we descended, we distinguished two separate ponies walking towards us. One of the lights repelled off a unicorn's guard uniform. The other light reflected from the other pony's crown.

We finally were able to distinguish their words. Applejack lifted her front legs in high spirits. "Well I'll be. It's Shining Armor and Cadance."

"I hope we find a way out soon. My legs are aching," Cadance stated.

Shining Armor responded, "Hey look, dear! It's Applejack!"

When they reached a few yards from us, I knew Twilight Sparkle told the truth. Here a bold stallion stood in front of me decked in royal attire. Although his mane soaked full of sweat, he showed pride in his eyes and passion in his demeanor.

Cadance was no different. Despite having the capability of using magic and flying, her precious jewelry revealed a sense of nobility and discernment. The demonstration of her affection to Shining affirmed her love and respect for others.

Rainbow Dash yanked her leg around. "Shining! We have been looking for you all over the place. Where have you been?"

"Well, we were in the middle of the Canterlot gardens. Not sure after that."

Cadance glimpsed at Rainbow Dash's back. "Where are your wings?"

Rainbow Dash knocked back her head. "Ugh! Ordain."

"Ordain?" Shining Armor rubbed the side of his cheek. "I don't recall that name."

I asked, "Are you familiar with Discord?"

Cadance responded, "You mean Discord, the spirit of disharmony and chaos? The same one that caused my petunias to squirt water or flipped my house upside down? Yeah, I know him. Why?"

I responded, "Well think of Ordain as his complete opposite but just as bad. Instead of wanting a world full of chaos, he wants to bring in a new world order."

Shining asked, "So this Ordain fellow is the reason why Canterlot is this way?"

"Yes," Rarity responded, "We were hoping you would help us stop him."

"But we need to find a way out first," Fluttershy added.

That moment, a door opened from one of the houses. A unicorn sighed and turned back around to the building. He used his magic to lift the nails up out of the hinges. The entire door fell onto the ground. A royal guard exited the entryway and pushed it out onto the front yard.

The unicorn wiped his forehead and stared up into the sky. "We are never going to get out of here." He quickly glanced over at us and prodded the guard. "Sir! Look!"

The guard adjusted his helmet and ran to meet us. "Shining! I'm so glad I found you!"

Shining adjusted the position of his legs in a more resolute fashion towards the guard.

The guard glanced at Cadance and quickly bowed. "Princess." He redirected his attention back towards Shining. "Ponyville is in trouble."

Shining Armor lowered his eyebrows. "Ponyville?"

The guard responded, "Aye sir. We had hoped to find Celestia and inform her ourselves, but we got lost in this maze." The guard watched the unicorn walk up next to him. "Mind telling us where we are sir?"

"Why, you are in Canterlot," Shining replied, "Mind telling us where you two came from?"

The unicorn responded, "Uh, Ponyville... sir."

Cadance pointed down the road. "You came from Ponyville... from inside that house?"

The guard turned halfway around. "Come on, I'll show you." He proceeded to take us to the closest house. He opened the door and lead us inside. The house was completely barren except for a nearly identical door on the opposing side of the room. "These houses act like gateways. When you open a door, it seems to take you to another random location." The guard pulled the inside door ajar that revealed another room.

Rainbow Dash leaped outside around the building. "Impossible!"

Rarity yells, "What is it Rainbow Dash?"

"There's no door out here!"

The guard explained, "The door only appears inside the house."

Shining Armor asked, "You said you were from Ponyville. Can we return there from where you came from?"

The unicorn dropped his head and covered his face. The guard gripped the unicorn with his leg. "Don't worry. It wasn't your fault." He looked up at us. "What we didn't know at the time was that when you shut the door, the pathway breaks to another location. We have been tearing down the doors ever since." The guard eased his leg onto the ground and walked to the front of the house. "Here, I'll show you where we've been."

As the ponies headed out of the room, I decided to close the door. Immediately after the door shut, I heard a knock at the door. Surprised, I barely pulled the door open. "Hello?"

The sound of my own voice responded, "Please, can you tell us-"

I quickly jammed the door shut.

Applejack peered around the corner. "You comin' Moonlight?"

"Yeah."

I trotted my way over back to the group. They were already in the process of retracing the guard's steps through the house. Four rooms connected along the path. A door rested against the wall in each room. Light shined forth at the end of the hallway.

We exited outside to a small circlar road touching five cottages. The guard directed us to the cottage without a door and through another three rooms that were joined together.

Rarity asked, "How far does this go?"

The unicorn responded, "Not much farther."

At the end of the hallway was a row of houses very much like the ones we traveled through. A few doors were leaned up against a couple of the houses. Two guards attended to the pegasi hooked up to the reigns of two chariots.

As we approached them, one of the guards turned around a smile on his face. "Jade! Did you find her?"

"No, but I did manage to find a few ponies who can help."

The guard's eyes widened. "Shining! Princess Cadance!" All the guards bowed at their presence.

Cadance cordially tapped the guard's chin. "Enough with the formalities."

The guard eased his shoulders and lifted his head up. "I'm so glad to see you both. A couple of pegasi landed here during one of their patrols."

Shining asked, "Can they take us to Ponyville?"

One of the pegasi said, "Yes, but the carts can only hold up to six passengers."

Shining counted the number of ponies in the group and then looked at Cadance. "Will you be able to fly alongside us?"

Cadance stretched out her wings. "As long as it isn't too far."

"It's not," the pegasi responded.

"I'm sorry to leave you all behind," Shining said to all the guards.

Jade smiled. "We'll be fine. Go. Ponyville needs you."

As the pegasi readied their wings, Shining Armor ordered, "Alright. Every pony take a seat."

We squeezed into the chariots. The pegasi launched us into the air. As the view of the ground shrunk, we noticed something parculiar.

"Look at that!" Rarity shouted.

The ground we walked on no longer stretched flat the way we knew it. The houses and roads curved around each other in a giant sphere. From the sky's perspective, the guards stood sideways.

I said, "No wonder we all ended up in the same place. We were walking in circles!"

Rarity responded, "You couldn't tell that from the ground."

The rest of Equestria rested flat on the ground. The houses appeared normal, without any discoloration or malformations. All the houses were shaped congruently into the same form of style - a simple one-story house with a pointed roof. One road extended through all of the houses, from what used to be Canterlot, to where we knew Ponyville resided.

"Down there!" Shining Armor shouted.

The main road diverted into a grid pattern around a large sum of houses. Ponies scattered and hid to the edge of town. Ordain slithered through the alleyways until he noticed our presence. Electricity flowed through his body.

"What is he doing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Soon after, we passed through a large fluffy cloud. The wings of Cadance and the pegasi deteriorated. The chariots plummited to the ground.

"Hangon!" Shining Armor shouted as we screamed in terror.

A flash of light flickered out of Shining's horn. Beneath us appeared a solid pink sheet of translucent magic. We softly bounced on top as if it was made of jello. When we were clearly out of harm's way, Shining retracted his magic.

"That was close," Shining Armor said.

I gave Shining a quick hug. "Thanks Shining."

"Don't mention it."

The guards pulled out from beneath the reigns and jiggled their backs in response to losing their wings. Cadance wrapped her hoof around and tapped on her back. "My wings!"

Ordain's laugh carried through the town. He pointed and mockingly said, "I would think you would have learned by now. Wings are for the birds, not ponies like you." He lightly slapped himself in the head. "Oh that's right! You're not supposed to have horns either!" Gusts of wind encircled him as he clapped his paws together.

I shouted, "Quick Shining!"

Shining prepared himself as Ordain prepared his attack. His horn glowed the same time Ordain clapped his paws together again. Ordain tossed transparent throwing starts into our direction but were cut short from a summoned force field.

Ordain stomped his feet and then threw his paws up over his head. "Again with the magic! I just don't understand. How was my brother able to deal with this?" He rocked his head side-to-side. "I guess Discord was always the better one at getting things done."

I suprisingly asked, "Discord is your brother?"

Ordain flipped his paw upward. "Come now! Don't you see the resemblance?" Ordain posed as if he was in a photo shoot. "As much as I liked my brother, we never did see eye-to-eye. Never understood what was going through his crazy mind. I mean... exploding chocolate milk? How much more random can you get?"

Rainbow Dash pounded her hooves into the ground. "We will stop you!"

Ordain patted his chest and pretended to be shocked. He threw his head back and gave out a large cackle.

Applejack said, "I don't get it."

Ordain breathed in deep and exhaled, "How?"

Rainbow quickly shouted, "The elements of harm-"

Ordain interrupted, "Harmony? Is that what you were going to say? Is that your answer to everything? Are you even sure they will work against me?"

Rainbow Dash hesitantly replied, "Well I did until you asked me that."

He rubbed his beard and looked around at the buildings in Ponyville. Ordain's mind drifted to another matter. "These houses are too pointy." Ordain generated a magic blast of bright light that expanded through the town. As it faded away, Ponyville's buildings were reformed as giant blocks of wood. There was no sign of Ordain.

Applejack leaned on one of her front legs. "He might not be Discord, but he sure acts like him. Nothing he does makes a lick of sense."

Rarity nodded. "I agree. It is like he lost his mind."

As Shining Armor dispersed his shield, I couldn't help but reflect upon Rarity's notion. Ordain lured us into his trap and drained our magic, but now he doesn't have the capability in focusing on a single subject for more than a minute. Could it have to do something with the torn book? He's too conniving to be so spontaneous like Pinkie Pie. What really happened all those years ago? At that point, I wonder if Twilight Sparkle found anything useful in the library by now.

Applejack observed me in deep meditation. "What is it, Moonlight?"

"Just thinking over what Celestia said earlier."

"Fluttershy, are you all right?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Fluttershy gazed into the distance. "My house."

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. Now isn't the time-"

Fluttershy pointed into the distance. "No. My house."

Rainbow Dash tilted her head and stared to where Fluttershy pointed. "How is that possible?"

All the ponies turned their attention to the building at the end of the road. Fluttershy's cottage remained intact and unharmed by Ordain's magic. We ambled closer to investigate.

Rainbow Dash poked the house. "I don't understand."

"Her house looks the same," Applejack noted.

Rarity peered around the cottage. "And so does the Everfree Forest."

As our eyes focused on our curiosity, we heard a voice come up behind us. "Excuse me. I didn't want to interfere. Can any pony tell me what is going on here?"

We turned and shouted in unison, "Zecora!"

"Houses turning into blocks of wood? This all seems very strange. I don't think you ponies expected your town to change."

Rainbow Dash asked, "Hey Zecora. Did anything change in the Everfree Forest?"

"Nothing changed as far as I know, but that was all a bit ago."

Applejack asked, "Did you see any creatures enter into the forest. Maybe with paws of a lion or legs of a lizard?"

Zecora responded, "Hmm. I do recall one passing me by. He fled into the forest with a determined look in his eye."

Shining Armor asked, "Can you show us the way?"

Zecora wandered to the entrance of the forest. "The pathway through the forest is something I'd never forget. Perhaps we'll catch up to this fellow before sunset."

As Zecora led us through the Everfree Forest, we pondered over what secrets Ordain kept from us. The idea made all of us on edge, especially Fluttershy and Cadance. The setting of the sun didn't make things any easier.

Spooked, Cadance asked, "Why hasn't the forest changed?"

Rainbow Dash responded, "Maybe Ordain is afraid of it."

Shining Armor tugged close to Cadance. "Or perhaps there is something here he doesn't want changed."

Fluttershy rapidly glanced past the tree tops. "You think he is watching us?" She heard the rustling sound of the bushes in the wind and jumped close to Rainbow Dash. "Eek!"

Rarity stepped into a puddle of mud and examined the bottom of her hoof. "Why he wouldn't want to change this place is beyond me."

Zecora stopped at a split in the road. One pathway followed up the mountain. Another led directly to a cave. The third one routed into the swamp.

Rarity asked, "Now where do we go?"

Before Zecora could answer, Cadance pointed to the side of the road and screeched, "Look out!"

A large tree tumbled down to the middle of the crossroads. We all jumped in opposite directions to avoid being crushed. Rainbow Dash jumped out of the bushes and yelled, "There!" A shadowy figure dashed closer towards the mountain. We chased after him towards a small cave.

Rainbow Dash prepared to charge after him when Shining Armor blocked her path. "Wait, Rainbow Dash."

"He is getting away!"

Shining Armor looked in the opposite direction into the cave. He whispered, "Maybe this is what he wants."

Applejack checked the mountain area adjacent to the cave entrance. "I don't see another way in."

Cadance inspected the ground and lifted up her right leg. "Do you think he is sending us into a trap?"

As the ponies searched for alternate plan of action, something caught my eye. A small twinkle of light reflected out of the cave. My curiousity gravitated my body towards the shiny trinket. I carefully stepped ever so slightly into the cave. My head pitched upward to a rumbling sound.

"Do you hear that?" Applejack watched rocks tumble down the mountainside. "Every pony clear! It's a rockslide!"

As all the ponies darted away from the entrance, I rolled deeper inside the cave. Rocks piled up on each other. I watched as light completely diminished from outside. "Help!" I cried while scratching against the barrier with my front hooves. "Let me out!" I barely caught the subtle sounds from outside.

I tried to break free from the darkness. I bucked against the stones, but my strength did not move them an inch. I pounded on the rock and yelled, "Rainbow Dash! Applejack!" I placed my mouth against the wall. "Can anyone hear me?" I snapped my ear to the enclosure in an attempt to better hear the vibrations from outside. Nothing. I heard nothing.

Though the situation seemed bleak, I sat and waited by the rubble hoping my friends would prevail in creating an opening. Seconds went by. Minutes passed. I had to accept the fact that I was alone. The virtue of patience in this situation was futile. No amount of lingering would change that.

The darkness creeped inside of me. I felt the beats of my heart pound through my entire body. The moldy smell of the tunnel burned my nose. The humid air chilled my legs. My sight remained unchanged whether I kept my eyes open or not.

My greatest fear resided further in the cavern and there was no option in turning back. The last thing I wanted to do was face an evil manace alone. I relied heavily on my friends to support me in my time of need. Can I overcome such an obstacle?

Eventually I worked up the nerve to at least move my legs deeper into the tunnel. I carefully waved ahead of me each step of the way. No sight was a detriment. I never knew which direction to proceed through.

A small fragment of light propelled through the tunnel lighting the way. The closer I encroached onto the light source, the clearer I could see around me. The passage widened until I entered a large room. A staircase led down to another room on the left and a hole down another portion of the mountain breached through the stone wall on the opposing side. The middle of the room contained a small book with a metallic frame. It occasionally shined light from the moon through a small crack in the ceiling.

Before I could open the book, the illumination of the room faded. The howling wind blew through the ceiling. Ordain's deep voice echoed around the chamber.

"Everything is going according to plan."

Stopping Time
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Drocsid

Stopping Time

Stopping Time

My heart raced. My nerves tightened. My mind consistantly switched between the options to fight or flee. In the darkness of shadow, my petrified body refused to move. Fear fused my legs to the mountain's bedrock. Cursed my alert ears as the silence drove me to insanity.

My nimble eyes adjusted to what dim light remained in the room. However, the moon's glow barely shined past the hole in the ceiling. My brown pupils failed to distinguish the highlights of any shapes. Only the color black prevailed.

Trapped in the room with Ordain, I awaited in horror to hear his voice once more.

"You are exactly where I want you."

Sweat poured down my face. I stared into the void. "Wha...What do you want?"

"I want you to LISTEN!"

Lightning struck within the chamber, but the clash of thunder did not follow. For a split second, I perceived Ordain's eyes directly in front of me. His finger erected mere inches from my pressed face. Ordain forced upon me only one viable option. I heeded his advice and listened attentively to his words.

"My plan was simple. All I needed to do was take out the competition. Sure, I didn't want Discord killed. I merely wanted him... out of the way. It was by sheer chance that a couple of princesses had the same idea. If the Elements of Harmony was all they needed to defeat him, then having a little birdy tell them where they were located was all that had to be done. I simply had to wait in the Everfree Forest and drop a letter to the first pony that came along."

I stomped the ground. "So you were the one-"

"DON'T INTERRUPT!"

His voice shouted out like thunder that reverberated against the stone walls. His roaring voice intensified so greatly that I covered my ears and quivered in a tiny wrapped ball on the ground. As the vibrations in the room diminished, so did the shaking of my bones. Before complete silence could settle inside the room, Ordain resumed his story.

"It was a success! With Discord encased in stone, it was my turn to rule. Everything was going great... well... except for the fact that now the princesses were the ones ruling! Relinquish one leader, and a successor soon follows. I was the one next in line! It was me!

"I had no chance in stopping both of them at the same time. I had to separate them. I had to find their weakness. I had to infiltrate the city and find a way. It was sheer coincidence that about that time, the same pony from before came walking into the forest.

"I followed him back to his place hiding in the shadows, but the cautious pony trapped me in his room. He confronted me about the letter, but I denied him answers. He gave out a warning strike, but I ignored it. I tried to escape, but he magically pulled me back. He pinned me to a table and held me there as he made his way out of the room. He momentarily released his grip in order to write an inscription on a seal. That was when I made my move."

"You monster! What did you do?"

Ordain chuckled. By clicking his tongue, he mimicked four seconds of the moving bowels heard from a grandfather clock.

"I didn't kill him if that was what you were implying. I merely sent him to... another time, but that pony was very resilient. He resisted the effects of the spell just long enough to trap me in that stupid book and seal me away. It was years before I could figure out a way to exert my consciousness outside the book, but the seal was a whole 'nother matter. Had to figure out a way to bypass its incantation."

"What does all of this have to do with me?" I asked.

Ordain replied, "Breaking out of the book was the easy part. All I needed was some magic. Breaking the seal was the hard part. No ordinary magic would do. I found that out when I selected my first subject. Princess Celestia was too cautious. Princess Luna was too loud. That is when I came up with a plan - bring a pony from another world. Breaking the fabrics of time and space is my forte, you know. "

"That means..."

What originally hindered the moonlight now vanished from sight. The darkness inside the damp cavern receded. Ordain, the book, and the cavern walls appeared in my sight.

Ordain tapped his index finger in the air. "But there is one more thing you need to do for me."

I watched Ordain's smile grow larger. "What?"

Ordain quickly stated in one breath, "I want you to restore my memory."

The terror in my face instantly turned into confusion. "What?"

Ordain rocked his head around as he twirled his finger counterclockwise in the air. "It must have been how the book was torn." He rubbed underneath his horns with the tips of his fingers. "I am having a hard time remembering things. I noticed it when I was in Ponyville." He popped his eyes wide open and drove his finger into my chest. "Now use your magic and fix me!"

The imposing threats Ordain threw upon me were all an evil facade. In truth, he needed my help. The only impending problem with Ordain's request was it required something out of my control. "I... What?"

"Just do it!"

"I don't know how-"

Ordain raised his arms in the air and shouted, "What do you mean you don't know how!"

I honestly replied, "I don't know how to use magic."

Ordain slapped himself in the face. His rage intensely built in his words as he impatiently asked, "What does that supposed to mean?"

Without being able to assist Ordain, I feared I may have unintentionally put my life in jeopardy. Fortunately, an open tunnel rested on the other side of the room. All I needed was a distraction.

As I slowly inched my way towards the tunnel, I answered Ordain, "I don't fully understand my powers. The only pony I know that has the power to restore memory is Twilight Sparkle."

Ordain groomed his beard. "Twilight Sparkle, eh?" He paced the floor and mumbled words to himself. He turned his back and faced the wall.

I quietly stretched my hoofs around the book and snuck past Ordain. As the shadow of the tunnel encroached over me, I bolted as fast as my legs could run.

A few seconds later, I heard Ordain's voice echo inside the mountain. "Noooooo!"

I glanced over my shoulder as I ran towards the exit. Outside, I instantly gripped my hooves against the ground. Another false step would have led me over the nearby cliff overlooking the Everfree Forest. Black smoke poured out from the pathway behind me. When it luminescended under the moonlight, the fog disspated. Ordain fabricated from among the vapors.

Ordain distended his fingers and pulled out his arms. "Where do you think you are going?"

I closed my eyes and shivered. Then, a hopeful voice shouted, "Not so fast Ordain!"

I opened my eyes. Ordain clenched his paws into fists and lowered his head. He turned around. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Shining Armor, and Cadance readied themselves for battle on the beaten path that followed around the mountain. I brushed past Ordain and lept behind Shining.

"I don't have time for this!" Ordain clapped his paws once.

Shining Armor reacted by summoning an encased force field completely around us.

"Give it up! It isn't going to work!" Rainbow Dash confidently shouted.

"You assume too much." Ordain clapped his paws twice. A cosmetic sphere of magic formed in front of Ordain. Then, Ordain clapped his paws through the ball three times. The last one clashed louder than the others.

Cadance observed the change in Ordain's attack. "What happens when he claps three times?"

The sound of the clap rolled up the mountain side, followed by a rumbling explosion of rocks. Ordain transformed himself back into a puff of smoke and wisped away. Shining's incandescent shield still hovered around us.

Cadance remarked, "It's a rockslide. We need to get out of here!"

Shining's pink shield moved in conjuction with his horn. As our group descended down the side of the mountain, rocks kept clipping against his shield. Shining bounded one eye shut in response of the pressure from the debris. Fluttershy briefly closed both her eyes when a giant boulder broke loose a section of the road.

We passed through the bluff and cleared the rockslide. Shining Armor led us deeper into the confines of the Everfree Forest. Our bodies gave way at the crossroads.

Shining Armor dropped his shield. He bent one knee onto the ground and looked at Cadance. "That was too close."

Rainbow Dash massaged her ankle. Her mouth cringed. She looked away from her legs as she pressed firmly against the skin. "I think I might have pulled something."

Fluttershy glanced around the group. Her mane was completely separated and wriggled. She stretched her body flat out on the ground. "Is... every pony ok?"

As the ponies recuperated from the strenuous pursuit down the mountain, the subtle rustling of bushes near the broken tree's bark attracted my attention. I helplessly watched as Ordain peaked out his head and stared at me. Without moving his eyes, he lowered his jaw and touched his upper lip with one finger. His finger slowly moved upward towards the sky. Above our heads were two transparant gloves holding up an enormous boulder.

I slid my front legs inwardly. My nostrils flared. I rapidly shook my head. I refused to acknowledge Ordain's next plan of action.

Ordain sleekly passed behind the bushes. His magic evaported. Without the support of Ordain's magic, the boulder quickly plummeted.

I rapidly turned my neck around. "Shining!"

I dared not to observe the next few seconds. My own legs consolidated around me. Fluttershy's scream pierced my ears. The threat of death seemed impervious; the end of my life appeared imminent. Everything relied on stopping that boulder.

Then, something unusual happened. Silence. No trees brushing against each other in the wind. No terrifying screams. Only silence. As my ears perked up and my eyes widened, I observed my friends frozen in place. The boulder remained weightless above my head.

A distinct sound rose from across the way. As I veered my sight around the thick trees, I beheld a familiar face. "Luna!"

Shocked, Luna momentarily released her magic. For a split-second, the boulder came closer to the ground. Princess Luna grinded her teeth and shoved holes into the ground with her hooves.

Her eyes teared as she bared resistance in tilting her head. I deciphered her motion and rushed over to the group. One-by-one I pulled the ponies to a safer location. When the last pony cleared the boulder's path, Luna liberated her magic and exhaustively collapsed onto the ground. The boulder slammed in the middle of the crossroads, and Fluttershy's screaming resumed.

"Fluttershy!" I shouted.

Fluttershy mouth slowly closed, and her eyes staggered open.

Rainbow Dash stopped trembling. Her head swung around to access the situation. "What happened?"

Cadance walked over to the rock and tapped against its exterior. "What did happen?"

I walked away from the group and pushed away a couple tree branches. "It was Luna."

"Luna?" Shining Armor excitedly rushed around the trees. As he approached upon her presence, his head drooped low. "Oh Luna. Was this your doing?"

Cadance mirrored Shining's sentiment. When Luna didn't respond, Cadance stated, "Luna. Please." She rubbed her head against her stallion's side. "Oh I hope she's ok."

Luna regained consciousness and exerted effort in standing upright. The incredible drain on her magic became apparant. She sluggishly tugged on her body's brittleness. Luna lifted her head up and cracked a smile.

"Princess?" Shining Armor asked, "Can you speak?"

Luna casted her eyes down. She scratched against her right leg.

Shining turned towards Rainbow Dash. "What's wrong?"

"She can't speak," Rainbow Dash responded.

Cadance wrinkled her forehead. "It was Ordain, wasn't it?"

Fluttershy meandored over and tilted her head up at Luna. "That's ok. We'll get you back to normal. All of us will."

Luna grinned and wrapped Fluttershy around her front legs.

Time regulated to normal speed. The rush of conjoining events halted. One question popped in my mind. "Hey Rainbow Dash. Where are the others?"

Rainbow Dash replied, "After the rockslide, well, the first one, Applejack got really hurt. The stubborn gal wanted to press on, but Rarity convinced her otherwise. They decided to head back with Zecora to her place. We could hear your voice coming from inside the cave, but we couldn't make out anything. We decided to follow up the other pathway around the mountain. That is when we saw you and Ordain come out."

Cadance added, "What happened in there?"

Blinded by fear and the darkness, my memory lacked most of the details while traversing through the cold cavern's terrain. I remembered wiping tears away when stooping down by the entrance. I recalled my intuitive mind losing hold of itself while crawling down the morbid tunnel. Ordain's story also converged through my brain. The last segment of the past few hours included my daring escape.

Without my friends to guide me, I selfishly searched for my own safety. I realized the terrible mistake I caused to distract Ordain. I wanted to bite my tongue and hold back the truth, but I knew my newfound friends cared too much about each other. "I ran into Ordain. He needed help."

Rainbow Dash rocked her head back. "Ordain needed... help?"

I added, "He said something about needing to restore his memory. I told him Twilight Sparkle could-"

Rainbow Dash slowly crept towards me with her eyelids lowered. "Twilight Sparkle? You told Ordain that Twilight... What were you thin-" Rainbow Dash eased the tension her shoulders. "What I meant to say was why does Ordain think any pony would help him."

I replied, "You weren't there Rainbow Dash. Ordain... he has way to play with your emotions."

Fluttershy stated what every pony was thinking, "So what now?"

Shining Armor adjusted part of his royal garment. "We chase after Ordain, once again."

I pointed at Shining. "Yes, but how are we going to make it back to Canterlot?"

"Doesn't do us any good just standing around here. We can at least make it back to Ponyville to start with," Shining replied.

Rainbow Dash pounded one hoof against the other. "Right! Let's get there as quickly as possible!"

The changes in Ponyville remained intact. Blocks of wood inhabited the entire town. Emptiness filled the stagnant streets.

Before we ventured too far through the town, one of the hollow buildings collapsed. A couple of familiar voices shouted from around the corner.

"I will never help you!" Twilight Sparkle shouted.

"And give me back the cake!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

We rushed over to observe the chaos. Both ponies stood in aggressive stances. Their colors returned to normal. Out amongst the debris rose Ordain doing his best to maintain balance.

"And the rest of Sugarcube Corner!" Pinkie Pie added.

Shining Armor's eyes widened. "Twily!"

"Shining!" Twilight Sparkle rushed over and hugged her older brother. "I was worried about you."

"My little sister... worried? That will be the day," Shining Armor sarcastically remarked.

Rainbow Dash ran next to Twilight and gazed at her mane. "Hey, you got your colors back!"

Pinkie Pie hopped over with a giant grin on her face. "Story time!"

Twilight leaned over and gazed at Ordain barely moving from within the wreckage. She turned her attention back to the group. "When you guys left, we looked for anything that could change us back to normal."

Pinkie leaned her head to the side. Her eyes shifted around looking for what grabbed Twilight's attention. She quickly glanced at Shining and said, "That's when I told her to check downstairs."

Twilight alternated between glancing at Pinkie and the group. "I took Pinkie's advice and went downstairs. None of the abandoned books helped. I searched for clues and noticed small cracks along the wall. I asked Pinkie to check if there was anything behind the wall."

Pinkie smiled. "And that's when I bucked a hole in the wall!"

I asked, "What did you find?"

Twilight responded, "The wall ended up being brittle enough to break loose. We found a small room with an empty bookcase. It turned out to be a dead end but had me wondering if there were similar hidden rooms in the basement."

"Arg!" Ordain popped out from the debris and charged Twilight. "You will do what I say!"

Twilight politely nodded and raised her hoof up. "Hold on for just a moment." Using magic from her horn, she picked up Ordain and tossed him through another unrecognizable house. "I told you stay down!" She brushed her mane back and asked, "Where was I?"

"To the part where I broke the fourth wall!" Pinkie Pie excitedly stated.

"Right. We eventually encountered a room containing a small table and a magic book filled with different kinds of counterspells. These were not any ordinary spell that repelled. The writing revealed a unique way to remove magic altogether. However, they only work when targeting live subjects"

Pinkie rocked her body side-to-side proudly shouting, "I volunteered to be the first test subject!"

Rainbow Dash's face lit up. Her eyes sparkled and teeth shined. She rushed up, gently bumping me to side. "Does this mean I can get my wings back?" she asked with her legs bouncing in place with utmost excitement.

Without saying a word, Twilight Sparkle lowered her head and closed her eyes. Light illuminated from Twilight's horn and out from Rainbow Dash's body. In an instant, Rainbow Dash's wings were restored.

"Yes!" Rainbow Dash exploded with energy into the air. "Woohoo!"

Princess Luna gracefully walked over with dignity and a big smile on her face. With another flash of light from Twilight, her wings and voice returned. "Huzzah! We are so glad to have returned!"

"Not again!" Ordain shouted through the wooden rubble.

Cadance watched Ordain slide a couple planks off of him. "Hurry Twilight. He's getting up again."

Twilight restored Cadance to normal and proceeded to focus her magic on Fluttershy. As Twilight performed her spell, Ordain broke his arms free and began encapsulating a magic sphere. Ordain clapped his paws together but was unable to attack from being blinded by a giant flash of light from above.

Fluttershy happily shouted, "Philemena!"

From amongst the clouds flew in Philemena and Princess Celestia. "That is far enough!"

Twilight quickly inserted, "Oh and we bumped into Princess Celestia too."

Ordain's temper blazed. After he regained his sight, he grunted and used his power to draw up lava from underneath the ground. As the lava seeped through the town, Ordain used the opportunity to slither back into the Everfree Forest.

Rainbow Dash chased after him to the rim of the forest before noticing a small band of ponies trapped by the boiling lava. She pointed down at the ponies and shouted to the group, "We need to get these ponies to a safer location!"

Fluttershy gracefully flew over and helped Rainbow Dash lift up the ponies to a nearby hill. Twilight Sparkle hopped over the lava and gazed into the Everfree Forest. Shining Armor and Cadance directed any ponies to the western boundary of Ponyville. Pinkie Pie stood over the lava and blew at it.

As the temperature rose, I grew both curious and impatient in my lack of contribution to the group. I turned to Princess Celestia. "What can I do?"

Princess Celestia noticed Twilight's urgency to chase after Ordain. "Twilight!" When Twilight leaned her head back at attention, Celestia added, "Take Moonlight and Pinkie Pie. Find out what he's up to." She turned her attention to Princess Luna. "We'll handle this here."

Pinkie Pie bounced over the streams of lava without missing a beat. I cautiously rocked my legs and jumped over the large channel that formed between Twilight Sparkle and I. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna dug a trench that led the river of lava outside the town.

Twilight Sparkle hopped over the lava and bolted to the edge of forest. "Quick! I saw him go this way!" Both Pinkie and I trailed closely behind her.

We chased Ordain through the thickets and onto the original path Zecora used for my group. I've never knew Twilight to be so determined in pursuing the enemy. She courageously evaded tree branches and glided through bushes without any hesitation. Pinkie and I had trouble keeping up with her pace.

As we entrenched closer to the mountain, Twilight's zealous legs tapered to a halt. She sloped against the large boulder in the middle of the crossroads and peered towards where the cavern's entrance originally resided. "There he is."

Pinkie and I witnessed Ordain placing both his arms upon the rock exterior. Pinkie remarked, "What is he doing?"

Ordain stepped back and generated a large explosion that ripped open the tunnel. He briefly looked behind him and crawled inside. Twilight walked around the boulder. She leaned to the side and waved us on.

I whispered, "Wait Twilight. We can't go in there."

Twilight abruptly turned around. "Why not?"

I said, "He just did this not too long ago. He lured me inside and pinned me down."

Twilight responded, "We just can't let him escape."

Unbeknownst to us, Pinkie Pie meandored through the chipped rocks on the ground and stepped one hoof into the tunnel. "Oh look! Shiny! Hey Twilight!"

I raised my eyebrows and galloped closer to the mountain. "No Pinkie!"

"But there is something in here!" Pinkie responded.

I predicted Ordain would summon another rockslide like before. I rushed to save Pinkie from the impending disaster. However, the mountain did not budge. No eerie smoke screen or special effects. No dangerous trap or confrontation. The whole situation proved unusual and out of the ordinary.

Twilight Sparkle hurried over to Pinkie and I. "What is it Moonlight?"

I rubbed the back of my neck and gazed up the side of the mountain. "Ordain. He. I mean."

"Moonlight. You. Confused?" Pinkie asked.

"I don't understand. Ordain caused a rockslide here last time. I figured..."

Twilight placed her hoof on my shoulder. "It's ok, Moonlight. Ordain probably has other tricks in mind for us." She placed her leg on the ground and walked deeper into the tunnel. "Come on. Let's see where Ordain went."

As we entered deeper into the murky cavern, Pinkie said, "It sure is dark in here." When light gushed forth out from Twilight's horn, Pinkie happily responded, "That's better."

Twilight led us down the hollow tunnel. "What is this place?"

"Not anywhere I'd like to stay," Pinkie said.

The uneasiness I experienced before completely passed over me. Pinkie found joy in laughing in the face of danger, and Twilight courageous nature drove her to further persist the dangers without any physical signs of hesitation. With both ponies protecting me, I actually felt the powerful expression of friendship overturn my anxiety.

The three of us entered inside the main chamber. Only the burning stars of the night sky and the reflective surface of the moon shined through the skylight. Twilight's glow multiplied the visibility of the room a hundred fold. She stumbled upon the tome laying in the middle of the room. "What is this?" She opened the book. "I don't understand. This is..."

My curiousity prompted me to lean closer next to Twilight. The precious time to examine the book earlier escaped me. "What is it? What does it say?"

Pinkie tilted her head and replied, "Kogocool joekaxno okahun-"

"What?" I grabbed hold of the metallic bordering and attempted to read the book myself. "Let me see that."

Twilight passed the ancient book to me. "I've never seen anything like it."

Within the pages inked together characters and symbols completely foreign to the standard writing I grew up with in Ponyville. The following composition filled only the top portion of the page:

.kogokew jokaxno |=| .okahun ni koxke jokajno yivuP .neihunogusok xnu htvijni kew opih jkowwe neep otH .thpkuf xnu owiq thkew jvnikz naj otH .xqkef jith kofem jvnith kaeW

.cufu hmofj oz cup aec kuow kew jkiuwwu kioth thif vniqxnop xiegU .|~| we kuoqy cuhj eh vninkuf oth xoot ,uikhjoalO we chowuj oth keW .ojoth kaegox eh xorooj ogut jvniqovnuty oth ,xnuq kioth nema oynuovnog keW

Staring upon the mysterious writing, I asked, "Do either of you know what this is?"

Pinkie randomly bounced her head around with her eyes closed. "I have no idea."

Upon closing the book, Twilight replied while shaking her head side-to-side, "In all my reading, I have never come across anything like this."

The abrupt shouting from down the careen surprised us. Ordain's barely-noticeable shadow moved across the top of the stairs. His jumbled words tickled our ears. The only sentences we made out were 'What was it?' and 'Why can't I remember?'

Twilight placed the book inbetween her legs and sluggishly moved closer to the staircase. We followed close behind as she quietly stepped into the small chamber down below. The barren room had a small glint of light peeking through a deep crack on the opposing wall. Ordain mumbled to himself as he paced the floor.

As we proceeded further in, part of the step crumbled beneath Pinkie's hoof. Ordain froze with his back facing us. "I asked you nicely. I need you to restore order to things."

Twilight gripped the book harder. "As I told you before, my magic can't help you. This is more than trying to remember something you forgot. Somewhere along the way, you lost a piece of yourself. I can't restore what isn't there anymore."

Ordain pointed behind him. "But you can. That book you have is the secret to my past. Read its contents. Tranfer the knowledge directly into my mind."

Pinkie Pie bluntly asked, "Why not just read it?"

Ordain turned around and slithered in front of Pinkie with a stretched-out arm. "I can't do that either. I've forgotten how to read it."

Twilight pulled the book out and examined the cover. She looked up and glared into Ordain's eyes. "Why are you so determined? What is so important?"

Ordain retracted his arm and placed his paw upon his chest. "You might think this is some silly game, but it's not. Something is going to happen. I can feel it." He bore down the ground with his glistening eyes and whispered, "I'm afraid."

"Of what?" I asked.

"I don't know," Ordain softly replied.

The important decision of helping Ordain in his time of need relied entirely upon Twilight. Ordain's trickery extended beyond my mental capacities. I doubted his intentions but sympathized his emotional detachment with the world. The sincerity in his voice persuaded me to rethink the possibility of actually providing assistance in recovering his lost memories. However, Twilight's magic held the key in restoring Ordain's memory.

As Twilight comtemplated a resolution, magic engulfed the book and moved it mere inches in front of Ordain. Surprised, Twilight swiftly spun her head at me and exclaimed, "Moonlight, what are you doing?!"

"What do you mean?"

I soon realized that my magic forced the book out of Twilight's hooves. I concentrated in canceling the affects of my horn, but the glow only intensified. The hard cover flipped open. Air pulled through the crumbling wall. It picked up the dust particles within the chamber and sucked them into the book. The steady current remained strong as it briskly tugged against Ordain's fur.

Ordain braced himself against the current. He glanced between the three of us. "So this is your answer?" He leaned forward. "So be it."

Ordain tipped forward. His body disappeared into the book. A shred of sentimentary rock harpooned through the wall. The crack broke loose and tore through the sandstone. The tome's pages shut close and fell with the back facing up.

The chamber shook relentlessly as bits from the ceiling collapsed around us. I ran up the steps as Pinkie's entire body twitched. Twilight lunged forward but jumped back when a long stretch of slate crashed between her and the book.

"Come on Twilight!" I shouted at the top of the stairs.

"But the book!"

A loud roar emitted from above our foreheads. Small chunks of the staircase crumbled under the pressure of cave-in. Pinkie reached her hoof out to Twilight. "You have plenty of books to read back at the library!"

Twilight lept up and grabbed hold of Pinkie's hoof as the steps collapsed underneath. When we dashed to the middle of the main room, we noticed both tunnels were completely blocked. As we looked for a way out, Princess Luna's voice echoed above us. "Don't worry, Twilight Sparkle!"

We looked through the skylight and saw the sky-blue glossed hooves of Princess Luna digging around the hole. She rapidly switched to a more abrasive manner of slamming her hooves against the stone's exterior. A second pair of cream-colored hooves beat in unison with Luna's.

"Don't you worry Moonlight!" Princess Celestia shouted.

Pinkie Pie stomped in place. "Oh pickles! Hurry!"

We hugged against the wall as the princesses broke through the ceiling. Along with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, they helped lift us out of the mountain. We safely landed on the ground as we watched the bedrock enfold inside the embankment.

"Is it over?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight responded, "Let us find out."

Identity Crisis
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Drocsid

Identity Crisis

Identity Crisis

Contrary to what we believed, Ponyville did not return back to the town we loved. Things appeared broken and twisted, just as they were before. Shining Armor and Cadance waited within the town limits. All the flustered ponies flocked together in disbelief.

"I don't understand," Twilight stated, "We defeated him. Shouldn't things have returned back to normal?"

Celestia replied, "What has been altered could not have been so easily been undone with his disappearance alone."

Shining Armor asked, "What are we missing?"

"These! Ow... Ow... Ow...," Applejack said while hopping forward on her hind legs. Her brown hat rested slightly off balance on her head. One of her front legs was bandaged with a delicately wrapped white cloth. Her other leg held tight around the back of Rarity's neck. She carried a small woven tacklebag over her left shoulder. The brown markings on its side resembled the treasures Zecora kept from her native land.

"Easy with that leg!" Rarity exclaimed, "Zecora said it would still take another day to heal."

"AJ! Rarity!" Twilight rushed over and skipped a step over next to Applejack. "Are you to alright?"

Applejack replied, "I'm fine. My leg could be better."

Applejack looked at Twilight and then directly at the bag. Twilight reached into the sack and pulled out a large tome. Its binding pretruded out with black dragonscales, and a black encrusted head of a dragon covered over the front.

"What is this?" Twilight asked.

Applejack replied, "Open it."

Twilight unlatched the book's scarlet fastening and opened it. Inside laid the Elements of Harmony. "The elements!"

Applejack's eye twitched as she tried moving her wrapped leg. "Zecora found it in amongst her books while fixing up my leg. Ordain must have hidden it there when we weren't looking."

Twilight pulled out Rarity's and Applejack's necklace and secured them around their necks. Rainbow Dash pulled her necklace out and wrapped it around her neck. She turned around and passed on Fluttershy's necklace.

As Fluttershy strapped her necklace on, Twilight grabbed hold of her crown and gently placed it upon her head. She reached down and pulled out the last necklace with blue gems in the shape of a balloon. She glanced around the area and said, "Pinkie? Pinkie! Has any pony seen Pinkie?"

Pinkie popped up behind Twilight. "Surprise! I mean, present!"

Twilight lost hold of the necklace. It flung over near Pinkie Pie. The rate of her breathing increased dramatically. "Don't do that, Pinkie!"

Pinkie Pie snapped her hoof into the air and caught the necklace. She slipped the necklace around her neck and gleefully smiled.

As the ponies corralled together, I raised my hoof out to Twilight. "Wait! How do you know this will work? Ordain said, 'The elements of harmony won't work.'"

Twilight confidently stomped her hoof into the ground and lowered her head. "We represent the Elements of Harmony. If we could put a stop to Ordain, we can do the same to his effects." She raised her head up and smiled. "Besides, it won't hurt to try."

I felt the manes of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna brush against my sides. Shining Armor stretched his leg around Cadance next to me. We watched and waited as the six ponies proudly stood beside each other.

The colors of the rainbow emitted from each respectiveful gemstone. The magnificant rays shot up into the air and joined together above Ponyville. As the wavelengths arched downward, the colors turned into dust that fell to the ground.

As the light dissapated, Twilight's mouth opened wide. The power of the elements had no effect. The buildings remained intact as blocks of wood.

Pinkie Pie said, "Shouldn't that have worked?"

Twilight looked at Princess Celestia. "I don't understand. If that didn't work, what are we supposed to do now?"

Princess Celestia turned to her sister. "Luna, you know more about this that I do. Is there something here we are missing?"

Princess Luna gaited her way in front of me in a royal fashion, carefully laying each hoof flat in each one of her steps. "You need one more pony."

Rarity said, "But there was always six elements of harmony. Are you saying there is a seventh one?"

Princess Luna raised her leg in objection. "No, I'm not saying that at all. I'm merely implying you need the addition of another pony's special talent." She lowered her head and blissfully asked, "Moonlight, do you remember earlier, in the Everfree Forest?"

Rainbow Dash interloped, "You mean when one second the boulder was about to crush us and the next we were safe and sound?" She glanced between Princess Luna and I. "Yeah, what did happen back there?"

Luna explained, "The situation seemed bleak. That moment, I chose to slow down time."

Rarity exclaimed, "You can do that?!"

Princess Celestia playfully said, "Luna. I'm surprised at you. I never knew you could do that."

Luna bobbed her head and smiled. "You don't usually stay up that late. That ability draws off, not just from my own strength, but from the power of the moon. Slowing down time takes an extreme amount of concentration, leaving me almost completely immobile."

"Doesn't sound like a very useful spell," Twilight replied.

Luna continued, "Ah, but it helped Moonlight. His horn generated that same kind of power."

"My horn was glowing?" I asked.

Luna contained from laughing. "Yes, Moonlight."

"I don't understand. What does this have to do about the Elements of Harmony?" I asked.

A sudden spark of electricity appeared behind me. The surge tore open a hole through the fabrics of space and time. Within seconds, the small tear hollowed out into a black circular portal of emptiness. As if a drop of water descended upon its center, a ripple swiftly propelled outward to the boundary of the gate. A distorted image of the northern night sky appeared within its confines. Suction, created by the newly-developed portal, swirled around me.

"What is that?" Applejack asked as she grabbed hold of her hat.

The strength of the current pulled me off the ground and dragged me into the void. My last sight of Ponyville was of Princess Luna lunging forward before the portal disappeared. I became disoriented and nauseated from the constant spinning of the stars around me. Fortunately, the speed of my rotating gradually slowed down to a halt.

Without ground beneath my hooves, nor the movement of stars around me, my exact positioning in space appeared futile. There was no telling whether I completely stopped or progressively floated in one direction towards some unknown destination.

Everything seemed fine. My breathing remained constant. My body held completely intact. There were no burns or bruises, no stinging cuts on my skin. Besides being torn away from my friends, the scenery proved quite peaceful. Drifting in the depths of outerspace both frightened me and peaked my curiosity.

Thoughts raced through my mind of how such a phenomenon could have occurred. The generated portal emerged very much like the one from before I arrived in Ponyville. However, this time it popped up without a book. It's possible Ordain escaped and relinquished my assistance in helping reverse his creations. The event happened just when Princess Luna tried telling me something about myself.

As I searched for a clue, I heard the sound of static electricity. With a flash of light, a blue box appeared in front of me. "A phonebooth?"

The doors slid open, and a voice echoed out of the inside chamber. "These are the coordinates, but this can't be right! It's in the middle of nowhere."

A brown pony with an hourglass-shaped cutie mark walked out of the booth. He held a tiny strap of paper with some numbers written on it. The pony and his machine resembled a character with the same descriptions in a fiction I kept by my nightstand. A unique being that crossed different dimensions with an alternate way of measuring time.

The pony walked towards me as if crossing over on an invisible platform. As a flying comet quickly flashed through behind him, he tossed the paper over his shoulder and shrugged. "Oh well."

I failed to construct a coherent question and jumbled over my own words. "Who?... What?... Where?..."

"When and why are perhaps the two questions you should be asking," the pony replied.

"You don't happen to be the doctor?" I asked with a confused look on my face.

"Yes. You may call me Doctor Whooves if you wish."

"No!" I objected, "This is impossible. You are scientifically impossible."

With a smurk on his face, Doctor Whooves replied, "Don't be telling me I'm impossible, or anything for that matter."

I said, "You can't be him. He isn't real."

"Sure I am," he replied with no hesitation.

I flaired my legs around. "No really... you are who?"

"It's pronounced Whooves."

I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. "No. I mean. Who are you exactly?"

"There are a few possibilities."

I carefully listened as I imitated the Doctor's stance and felt something beneath my hooves. "Alright..."

Doctor Whooves cleared his throat and waved his left leg into the air. "For one, I could be the very doctor you know that travels all over the place. Through time even. Whether you read certain records of my account or heard witness testimonies, they are all completely accurate. Whatever myth you think I am is simply untrue."

"Or?"

Doctor Whooves planted his left leg down and switched over to his right. "I could very well be Starswirl the Bearded but only recognized now as... the Doctor. Ordain flung me into the future, but I used my knowledge of time to make it back to Ponyville using this device. When I noticed you went missing, I used the device to search you out."

"...Or?"

Doctor Whooves pointed at me. "Well we must not exclude the possibility that the stress of the entire situation could very well be warping your mind. I could simply be a figment of your imagination, here to sort things out for you. You could be hallucinating this whole thing."

The notions Doctor Whooves admitted to me blew my mind. True, the entire experience seemed a bit too surreal. Perhaps I only dreamed of leaving Ponyville. Maybe something knocked me out cold. However with my nerves shot and the synapses in my brain not making valid connections, the only thing I could do was shout, "What is going on here?!"

The Doctor calmly replied, "I'm glad you asked. There are a few possibilities on that too."

Waiting for another boggling response, I replied, "Fine. Tell me."

Doctor Whooves explained, "You may very well have been sent to another plane of existance, a form of limbo as it were. A portal formed when you struggled to make a decision about yourself. This area gives you time by yourself to ponder over things."

"Wait, what?"

Without a hitch, Doctor Whooves pressed on and explained, "There is always the chance you might have been knocked unconscious, and this is all in your mind. The ponies back in Ponyville could very well be trying to wake you up this very moment."

"You really aren't going to tell me what-"

"Or you used your powers on accident and traveled to a nice place in the galaxy to watch the shooting stars pass you by. Seriously, this is a nice spot."

The idea I personally teleported myself to an odd location grabbed my attention. "So what do I need to do to get home?"

Doctor Whooves wrinkled his eyebrows and mouth. He held back his thought as he uttered, "You... have to be the one to figure that out."

"WHAT?" I shouted, "Do you know?"

"Yes."

I said, "Then just tell me."

"I can't," Doctor Whooves replied.

"Why not?"

Doctor Whooves replied in an agitated state, "It won't help!"

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleeeeeease?" I asked with the biggest grin on my face.

Doctor Whooves rolled his eyes and sighed. Clearly my begging broke him. I knew he wouldn't leave without providing the necessary information for me to go home. "Alright," he said, "But only I am allowed to ask questions. You are only permitted to answer. Agreed?"

I nodded in agreement.

The Doctor asked his first question, "It is my understanding you live somewhere by Ponyville, correct? Have any friends?"

I had a hard time understanding the Doctor's line of questioning. Knowing I lived by Ponyville must have been an educated guess. Perhaps he wanted to know my biography to further understand my motives. I did acquire new friends in Ponyville, but the basis of his question must have partained to where my home resided. "I... don't really have any friends where I live."

"Occupation?" Doctor Whooves asked.

I felt like I was being interviewed for a job. I had no line of work, or type of employment. I lived alone. I carved wood out of necessity and read books with my spare time. "I really don't have one."

Doctor Whooves slowed his voice with his next question. "If you could go anywhere right now, where would you go?"

"I want to go back to Ponyville," I replied quick and direct.

"Are you sure?" Doctor Whooves promptly asked.

"...Yes."

Doctor Whooves shook his head. "You don't seem so sure."

The moment Doctor Whooves asked me the question, I replied without hesitation or thought. Nothing really mattered more than returning Ponyville back to normal. I cared about the ponies too much to skimp out on their time of need. In truth, my original goal of returning home had faded much away into the recesses of my memory. "Well...I kind of just wanted to go home."

"Which home?"

I cleared out the gunk in my ear that may have distorted Doctor Whooves' question. "I'm sorry, what?"

Doctor Whooves raised his voice. "I am the one asking the questions!" He paused to see if he had my attention. "You were living in a treehouse. What made you come to Ponyville?"

"How do you know about that?" I asked.

My lack of cooperation showed in Doctor Whooves voice. "Just answer the question."

I replied, "Ordain pulled me through a portal."

My answer pleased Doctor Whooves. With a slight grin on his face and twinkle in his eye, he asked me a troubling question with two simple words, "Did he?"

"Well I certainly didn't do it," I replied.

"Are you sure?" When I hesitated in my response, he continued saying, "What I've learned from my travels is to never assume anything. Anything is possible. Let us say for a moment that Ordain didn't do it. Let's say you did it. Why? What were you doing that moment?"

"Nothing."

Undoubtedly Doctor Whooves didn't believe me, but he played along by asking, "What happened with the book at Twilight Sparkle's place?"

Doctor Whooves knew too much about me. I had to ask, "Have you been following me?" With a simple glare from his face, I knew I wouldn't get an appropriate answer. Instead, I simply replied, "I just wanted to help Twilight Sparkle."

"What about the boulder?" Doctor Whooves asked.

I replied, "I just wanted-"

"Do you see where I am going with this? Doctor Whooves interjected.

The belief I had a unicorn's extraordinary power before turning into one sounded preposterous. By the questions posed by Doctor Whooves, I knew he tried implying that. I refused to accept something completely and utterly insane. "That doesn't prove anything."

Something happened inside of me as if my heart suddenly ripped apart. I collapsed on my knees. I gripped my chest. Pain seared through my body in an instant.

Doctor Whooves pressed on ignoring my current state. "It proves your abilities activate everytime you wanted to do something for another being. It is what makes you, you, the you to the very microscopic little cell of you. You are here, because you refuse to accept who you are. Essentially, a tantrum."

As the pain vanished, I rose up and stared Doctor Whooves in the eye. "I am not. What you say makes no sense."

Doctor Whooves paced across my point-of-view. His hurried speech demonstrated how impatient and forceful he wanted me to accept his argument. "You are one stubborn pony, you know that? Think! What is your talent?"

"I don't have one!" I shouted from the bottom of my soul.

A tear rolled down my cheek. My aching heart felt empty of purpose like the vastness of space around me. I never received my cutie mark. I never knew what to do in my life. I never knew what was right or wrong. I followed every pony else like an empty vessel.

Happily, Doctor Whooves comforted me. "Your talent is illumination. Just like the moon. Ponies see the moon everyday and are captivated by its shine, but they forget that the light doesn't originate from itself. Through diffuse reflection, the moon reflects sunlight onto Equestria."

"When you meet a pony, you tend to do the same thing. You reflect their personality and feelings. You certainly have other traits, but they don't necessarily shine through. Ponies know there is another side of the moon, but they don't see it. Yet, it exists. If they really want to see the entire moon, they would have to get closer and better acquainted with its properties and-"

I interrupted Doctor Whooves' rambling, "I thought music was my talent."

He replied, "Maybe you are just good with math."

The more I thought about it, the more I accepted the idea. I've almost always acted nearly identical to the ponies around me. "So whenever I saw a pony in trouble, I was able to use my powers to help them?

Doctor Whooves replied, "Precisely."

I stated, "That must be what Luna was trying to tell me. My power comes from others."

"A form of refraction, yes."

I said, "So if I see something that needs to be done, my horn will make sure it happens?"

Doctor Whooves waggled his hoof. "More or less."

A gust of wind blew past my mane. A portal with an image of my treehouse had appeared behind me. Electricity flowed around the outer rim of the wobbling tear. The circuit broke out and shocked my system. The pain forced me to my knees.

"Moonlight! Listen! You have to stop struggling. When you make a decision, believe in it," Doctor Whooves reassured me.

"I... want to help," I uttered while contending with the pain received by the bolt of lightning, "No... I can help."

A second lightning strike shot out of the portal. Before it could surge through my body, my horn glowed bright purple. The yellow stream of light redirected to my horn. The resulting clash repelled the volts back at the portal. The picture blackened and changed to an image of Ponyville.

The unusual tingling sensation of diverting electricity strained all from the tip of my horn to the edge of my tail. I looked at Doctor Whooves and asked, "What just happened?"

Doctor Whooves pointed at my flank. "That is what happened."

An interesting marking flashed forth upon my body. It resembled three separate gray rays of light pouring down onto a ripple of water below. The dispersion gave me a cutie mark of my very own to admire.

Doctor Whooves brushed his hooves together and raised his shoulders up. "Well, I think I accomplished what I was sent here to do. Mission successful."

As Doctor Whooves slid open the door to his phonebooth, I shouted, "Wait! I'm still not sure how to use my magic."

"Twilight Sparkle can help you with that. The rest will come naturally... in time."

I stepped towards the portal, but one last thing prevented me from entering. I turned my head back to the Doctor and said, "Thank you. I'll never forget this."

"What did I do?" Doctor Whooves replied, "I merely asked a couple of questions."

The door to the phonebooth closed shut and disappeared. I turned back to the portal and slipped through its jelly-like exterior. In seconds, I returned back to Ponyville. The crescent moon on Princess Luna's chest stared me in the face.

"Uh, Moonlight?" Princess Luna awkwardly asked.

I looked up at her face and blushed. "Sorry," I whispered as I slowly backed up.

The faces on my friends lit up. One after another they shouted, "Moonlight!"

Twilight asked, "What happened?"

"Nothing much. Space. Lightning. Portal. And my cutie mark!" I shouted as I shook my rump.

"Nice," Rainbow Dash stated.

Princess Luna lowered her head and looked me in the eyes. "Then this means you have found out your true potential."

Applejack asked, "But how does this help Equestria?"

"You'll see," Princess Luna stated, "Girls, ready for another strike. Moonlight, position yourself in front of the blow."

With the ponies circled around and their eyes glowing bright, energy poured out of their bodies and flowed directly at me. With a swift helping of magic, my horn acted as a prism and transformed the colors into a solid beam of white light that transversed across Equestria. With one fell swoop, the land returned to its former glory.

"It worked," Twilight said astounded at the results.

Luna said, "You performed wonderfully, Moonlight. Ordain's dark magic may absorb each of the Elements of Harmony, but the combination of them all actually transforms them into something completely new, something powerful enough to penetrate even his alterations."

"YEAH!" Pinkie Pie rushed over to the Sugarcube Corner and hugged the outside wall. "I missed you so much." She ran inside and exited with a large tray of cupcakes. "Who wants cupcakes? I do!" She slammed her head against the tray and inhaled one of the cupcakes. "Mmm. You guys want some? They're good!"

Rarity walked over to Pinkie Pie and picked up a cupcake. "Don't mind if I do."

Shining Armor smiled as Rarity partook into the cupcake's strawberry frosting. "I wouldn't mind having one too."

Princess Luna and I watched as our friends each received a cupcake from Pinkie Pie. When they distanced themselves from us, I looked up at Luna and said, "Thanks Luna for believing in me."

"All you needed was a bit of encouragement."

My eyes softened. "To think... saving all of Equestria...on my shoulders."

Princess Luna leaned next to me and whispered, "Actually Moonlight if you didn't come back, I was going to do it." My mouth opened wide. She turned and winked at me. "Let's keep this our little secret."

Cadance lifted a cupcake into the air. "Moonlight, you want one?"

"Just a minute!"

My adventure had come to an end. Hiding from the unknown brought me shame. Seeking a life of solitude only perpetuated my anxiety. Running from the truth ushered in pain. Fear plagued me for far too long.

When the decision came, I made my choice - to be with my friends, not in isolation. They are the ones who care about you. They are the ones that bring the best out of you. They are the ones you never forget. That is what matters.

Epilogue: Night Star's Report
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Drocsid

Epilogue: Night Star's Report

Epilogue: Night Star's Report

My name is Night Star. I serve under Shining Armor's command. I am a high-ranking officer in charge of protecting the city. My role is to investigate trouble within Equestria and report it to Princess Celestia.

I serve Shining Armor through thick and thin. I was there when Nightmare Moon striked. I was there when Discord striked. I was there when Chrysalis striked. My goal is to make sure the citizens are safe.

But the one time that changed everything was when Shining Armor got married. To accommodate his new lifestyle, he assigned me the role of temporary captain. It was my duty to watch the skies. It became my duty to watch over the guards.

My assignment wasn't too hard. Some days, it actually became quite boring. Ponies coming and going into the city. Watching ponies arriving on the train station. Watch the Canterlot Archives. Most of the action was outside my jurisdiction.

However, everything changed when Shining Armor had me watch the Starswirl the Bearded wing. I wasn't supposed to let any pony walk into the Canterlot Archives. That day, I heard a voice. It spoke to me in the form of a riddle. I made my report of the incident to Princess Celestia. She entered inside to investigate, but wasn't able to come to any conclusion.

Hours later, I heard the voice again. This time I called one of the guards to come in with me. It was a mistake. We were blinded by a bright light as the voice spoke out to us.

Leave this place and never return.

Unless you want to be strucken with madness.

No pony will stand in my way.

A princess will fall by my sword.

I rushed to report my findings to Princess Celestia. When her and I returned, the guard was laying down in pain. Princess Celestia tried to heal him on the spot, but her magic had no effect. She took the guard and hid him away in a tower. She told me not to tell a soul of the matter.

Days had passed since the incident. Shining Armor and Cadance were at the observatory when I was pulled into duty. I was to patrol the streets of Canterlot. I made my rounds when it happened. A shockwave that cleared the entire city. All the buildings were rearranged, and I had lost my bearings. I flew up in the air to take a look. That was when I saw the creature pass by me.

I flew down in search for the guards. They were spread out all over the city. They had all shared the same experience I had. I searched out Princess Celestia, but she was no where to be seen. That was when I noticed Shining Armor and Cadance talking to some ponies down below. I reported my status and offered a means of transportation for them.

As they had left the city, Princess Celestia had come by and asked me of my status. I told her what Shining told me. She was unaware of how widespread Ordain's influence had over Equestria. She informed me she would return back to the Canterlot Archives to check in with Twilight's progress.

Night had fallen and I feared the worst. I went to search for Shining Armor. He was no where to be found. I returned back to Canterlot and gave my report to Princes Celestia. She had told me to transport Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie safely to Ponyville.

I was there when Moonlight used his magic to restore Equestria back to normal, but I wasn't there when he trapped Ordain. Princess Celestia commanded me to check the rubble where Moonlight had imprisoned Ordain. There was no opening and the rubble was too heavy to move. I checked all around the mountain, but could not find a clearing.

As I flew back down into the Everfree Forest, I found a strange pegasus matching the description in Shining Armor's report. I followed her back to the entrance of the cave. In a flash, she had disappeared. I reported my findings to Princess Celestia.

A month had passed since the incident with Ordain. There was no sign of the creature and no sign of the pegasus I saw in the forest. Princess Celestia ordered me to assist Moonlight in finding room accomodations in Canterlot. I humbly obliged.

I assisted Moonlight in the past couple months. He and I had become close friends. I still worried about Ordain breaking free, but I knew Moonlight would be there to help us if that time ever arrived.

Open Book
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Drocsid

Open Book

Drocsid

Open Book

"I see you."

I woke up in a fright. It was a dream. No, it was a horrible nightmare. His bright eyes burned in my retinas. The voice echoed through my head. No matter how far I ran, I could still feel his presence. His very shadow changed the way I viewed myself. His actions caused me to question everything. Why did he have to slither into my peaceful life?

A cool breeze nudged against my door. The wind tickled the tips of my ears. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I listened to my heart pound through my chest. The beats raced like an enthusiastic drummer on opening night. The sound of rustling leaves grabbed my attention. I opened my eyes and looked above my home. The giant tree branch covering over my place moved alongside the wind. The sun peered through the clouds and brought warmth to my face.

My thoughts cleared as I reminisced around the room. My prized collection of history books were held in a wooden bookcase to my right. The rickety staircase I carved inside the tree's interior followed the wall up to the second floor in front of me. My grandmother's quilt placed on top of the crudely-designed chair by the window to my left.

My dainty home may not have appeared glorious, but it contained all the possessions my wagon could carry. Leaving my comfortable home behind was more difficult than I ever imagined. Nothing tore me apart more than the hug my mother gave me before I departed.

The clouds covered up the sun, and a cold wind tore through my house. I braced myself against the force of the wind. The door slammed shut, and a few of my books fell off the top shelf. One of the books broke open on the floor. The wind turned the pages to the center of the book.

"Moonlight."

The voice rang through my ears again. What I heard in my dream echoed in my room. The cloud's shadow casted fear in my heart. Facing the unknown challenged my wits. Being alone in the darkness made me uneasy.

The silence outside meant that the wind dissipated, but the unusualness of there being no sound at all made me twitch. There were not any crickets chirping or birds singing. Not even the sound of leaves falling to the ground. I leaned backwards in hopes the tension would release. The creaking floor below broke the silence.

I forced my heart to be at ease. My imagination must have been playing tricks on me. It had to be the sound of the wind brushing up against something. It only sounded like the calling out of my name.

I picked up one of the books that had fallen off the shelf. The unique engraving on the cover revealed it to be The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.

I reached down to pick up the opened book when an electric shock forced me to retract. Electricity sparked through the outer rim of the book.

"Sonata."

The voice called out to me in a louder tone. This was not the workings of any concept I conjured up. There was definitely something happening in my home.

I hesitantly asked, "Hello? Is some pony there?"

Lightning shot out of the book. Small circular lights resembling stars in the night sky appeared at the end of each strike. After the sixth one materialized, it became apparent they formed a symmetrical oval pattern. The image of the room between them distorted beyond recognition until the color black was all that was left.

The voice grew louder and entertained me with a riddle.

Ponies sealing me away was a big mistake.

Opening my prison will be a piece of cake.

Not even The Elements of Harmony will be able to stop me.

You will be the last thing I need to set me free.

I stepped backwards as sweat poured down my face. "No. It can't be."

The sound of the voice agitated my nerves. It paralleled the voice I tried to forget. The cry could have only belonged to the spirit of disharmony, Discord.

An image of a town came forth out of the blackness above the book as vigorous typhoon engulfed inside the room. The strong current pulled me towards the portal. I gripped my hooves into the ground in an attempt to fight against the suction. Alas, my best efforts were in vain. The gust flipped me into the air and dragged me along with the book I dropped on the ground into the abyss. The sight of my room shrunk until it disappeared entirely.

I rapidly spinned around in the darkness. The dizziness made my eyes grow weak. The rotating book in the emptiness was the last thing I remembered before I lost consciousness.

I arose to the loud sounds of heavy chatter. My head was throbbing, and my back ached. I moved my legs in an attempt to stand up, but my body was too weak to hold any traction. I could feel the roughness of wood splinters underneath me. When the ringing in my ears subsided, I was able to distinguish the words spoken around me.

"Where did he come from?"

"I wonder if he is alright."

"He just appeared out of nowhere!"

I felt woozy. My head continued to spin. I opened my eyes and saw a crowd of ponies standing a few feet in front of me. They talked among themselves, trying to piece together what really happened. Behind them were small buildings with a couple market stands setup. Beside me were indeed long flanks of wood with a large bushel of apples that had poured out. There were a few cuts and bruises visible on my legs, but nothing too serious.

What happened? Where am I? Why are there so many ponies around me? Was I pulled into a book? What happened to my room? Is this a dream? Was that really Discord?

Questions flooded my mind. I was stunned and overwhelmed. There was no clear explanation to what was happening. The severe pain felt too real for the whole thing to be a dream, yet it was clear I was no longer in my own house anymore. A couple of the ponies spoke out of the crowd.

"Are you ok? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"What in tarnation is going on here?"

The latter pony's voice grabbed my attention. I carefully watched the pony step through the crowd. She wore a brown hat and freckles on her face. She demonstrated a powerful look in her eyes as she viewed the debris at the scene.

"What happened to my stand?"

"He fell from the sky, Applejack!"

"Well, he ain't a pegasus. He can't fly."

Applejack is what the pony referred her as, but it couldn't be the same mare from my book. She didn't demonstrate any form of magic or was highly esteemed by the other ponies. She seemed normal like any ordinary country girl I've met before.

Applejack stepped forward and spoke in a caring, yet disconcerting tone. "Are you alright, hun? Care to explain how you ended up on top of my apple stand?"

Words escaped me. Too long had it been since I last spoke to another pony. Even when I was young, my mother always informed me to watch what I say to others. She also warned me never to say anything that may be regarded as offensive or leave a bad impression. What I said could either be encouraging and uplifting or possibly tear open a wound. Her words I kept in my heart and respected ever since.

Applejack extended her leg to help me up. I fumbled my leg out of the debris in response. With all her strength, she pulled me up to my hooves. The large smile on her face gave me comfort.

With me up on my legs, I saw Applejack's face up close. Her blonde hair was nicely braided to her left side. Her ears lowered underneath her hat in an agitated state, but her green eyes showed sincerity. A small patch of dirt clinged to her chin. A lime saddlejack laid over her back. Her face glowed under the sunlight.

Without putting too much thought I said, "You sure are pretty."

Applejack eyebrows lowered. "What you say?"

"I mean..." I quickly said while gathering together a more proper introduction.

A small pause filled my speech. Nothing came to my mind in what to say to Applejack. I played with the dirt below in hopes the whole situation would go away.

Applejack lowered her head down so I could see her face. "Let's start with a name."

"I'm Moonlight... Moonlight Sonata," I said in a more confident tone.

"Well Moonlight, are ya' new to Ponyville?"

My mother and I actually lived on the outskirts of Ponyville. We only visited the town on special occasions. I rarely initiated a conversation to its residents. I lacked the courage.

I was more concerned with why I was in Ponyville. The distance must had been a day's walk from my current home. "I really don't know how I got here."

Applejack asked, "What is the last thing you remember?"

"A voice. I'm pretty certain it was Discord. He said something about the Elements of Harmony," I replied.

"Discord?" Applejack exclaimed, "I think you bumped your head a little too hard there!"

Despite being a little disgruntled at Applejack's response, what she said might have been the truth. Without fully understanding the situation, there was no telling what really happened. Still, there had to be a reason why I ended up in Ponyville.

Something grabbed Applejack's attention down beside me. "What's this?"

She picked up the book that drifted with me in the darkness. The book held mostly together, besides a few torn pages hanging outside the bordering. Applejack opened the book and glanced at the title. "Elements of Harmony?"

"It's one of my favorite books. It references the ponies' qualities that help inspire me."

Applejack lifted her chin up and blushed. "Well shoot. That means a lot to me."

"You mean?" I asked with a blatant look in my eyes.

"You lookin' at the element of honesty. Figured every pony knew that by now, but it's not something to be worked up about," Applejack responded.

Applejack returned the book to me. I repeatedly glanced between the book and Applejack. My original assumption proved wrong. The pony conversing with me represented the Element of Honesty. She stated it herself.

"Were you heading to the library, Moonlight?" Applejack asked.

"The library? Why do you ask?"

Applejack pointed at the book. "If you were interested in knowing more about the Elements of Harmony, you can visit Twilight Sparkle. She knows more about them then the rest of us ponies."

I asked with a grin on my face, "The Twilight Sparkle?"

Applejack said, "Well, you know Twilight. She's probably catching up on her reading, heh, like she usually does."

Twilight Sparkle was the pony that inspired me to seek out my own courage. I was there when with the other ponies during the Summer Sun Celebration when Nightmare Moon arrived. Her glaring eyes and booming voice terrified me. Twilight Sparkle was the only pony I saw that stood up to her. Her determination of bringing an end to Nightmare Moon's reign brought chills down my spine.

Because of Twilight, I made the decision to leave my home in search for that same type of courage. Even after months in isolation, fears still weighed heavy in my sleep. In my heart, I knew it would be impossible for me to ever return. Maybe it was time to talk to some pony about my concerns. Perhaps Twilight could further assist me.

My eyes searched on the ground for my next line of thought. "Wait, I don't know where the library is."

"You don't know where the library is?" Applejack grabbed hold of her hat. "Well, I guess I can help you with that."

With the book still in my grasp, my eyes scanned for a solution to my predicament. "Do you have room in your bag to carry my book?"

Applejack reached out for the book. "Sure."

She slid the book into her bag and turned towards the crowd. Applejack stepped up to the crowd and motioned me to follow. My poor legs could only manage one step at a time. The ponies dispersed as Applejack and I departed from the wreckage.

Applejack waited for me to come closer to her side before proceeding any further. "Where are you from?"

No affirmative answer left my mouth. The warmth Applejack displayed to me may have cheered up my spirits, but my timidity kept me quiet. Yet the more she interacted with me, the more she became trustworthy. Eventually as I learn more about her, my personality would blossom.

Applejack never did ask me for compensation. She seemed more concern with my well-being. My consciousness bothered me. "I'm sorry about the apples."

Applejack looked past me at the destruction of her apple stand. "That's ok," she sighed, "Applebloom should be coming back with more apples here pretty quick. Not sure what I'll do with the stand, though." Applejack squinted her eyes. "Where is that gal anyways? She should have been back by now."

Ponyville's charming qualities remained intact. Smiles shined from every pony's face. Maybe if I focused less on my own personal problems, the negativity residing in my heart wouldn't appear so threatening. Instead, my critical assumptions of worst-case scenarios always overcame me.

The joyous nature of the town's conversations peeked my interest. Observing and listening to how every pony reacted to each other was always a redeeming quality I kept to myself. The subtle ways they moved their legs or bobbed their head revealed more than the words they expressed in everday dialogue. Of course when I talked to ponies up close, I primarily focused on my own actions. Never would I be overcritical or highlight another's faults.

My only problem with analyzing others had to come forefront when their reactions exhibited a form of randomness like the next pony I encountered. This pony's curly hair exploded in all directions. Her gestures spontaneously bursted out in her speech. Her head never stayed in one place. It moved in sequence to what she said outloud. Even the pink pony's speech hinted to the unusual fast processing power of her train of thought.

"And then I came up with a brilliant idea. Instead of having to choose between a cheesecake or a cupcake, why not combine the two? It will be a cheese cupcake, or wouldn't that be a cup of cheesecake?" The odd pony spotted us from the distance. "Hey Applejack!"

Applejack waved to the pony. "Well hey there, Pinkie Pie. Aren't you supposed to be at Sugarcube Corner?"

"Only when I want to."

Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and smiled. Bounteous amount of energy gushed outward as she hopped over to meet us. After she stopped bouncing, her eyes opened as high as they could go. "Can it be? A new pony?"

Applejack placed her hoof out towards me. "Yes, this is-"

"Hold that thought! I'll be right back!" Pinkie interjected with utmost excitement.

Faster than a blue bird in flight, Pinkie Pie dashed around the corner and reappeared with a pink wagon. Balloons were drawn on the sides, and there was a giant red button in front. When she pressed the button, a dramatic carnival display popped out from the wagon's top. Flags twirled and trumpets blared.

My mouth progressively widened as Pinkie Pie broke out in song.

Welcome welcome welcome

A fine welcome to you

Welcome welcome welcome

I say how do you do?

Welcome welcome welcome

I say hip hip hurray

Welcome welcome welcome

to Ponyville today

As Pinkie said the last line of the song, she slid on her legs with open arms. After a brief pause, Pinkie said, "Wait for it."

Nothing happened. After a couple seconds passed, Pinkie's and my patience ran out. She bowed her head low and jumped to her hooves. She turned around and scratched her mane. "Huh, I was for sure it wou-"

That moment, the wagon erupted in a huge explosion. Cupcake pieces flew out in all directions. There was no telling where the rest of the wagon went. There wasn't a wagon piece left.

Pinkie Pie stretched her front legs in the air. "Wow! That never happened before. I should do that more often. That was the best finale yet!"

Although Applejack was rightly concerned with our safety, my only response was to applaud Pinkie Pie's performance. If a pony could find joy in something so explicitly destructive to their own possession, how could they fault with any of my actions. Besides, the sheer chaos that exploded in front of my eyes exhilarated every fiber of my being.

"That was great!" I limped towards Pinkie Pie and hugged her. "You are awesome."

Pinkie Pie responded, "I told Rarity my cupcakes would be a big hit!"

I retracted my arms and stared her in the face with specks of cupcake all over. "Oh, Pinkie Pie. You sure are one funny goose."

"No silly, I'm a pony."

Applejack asked, "You know Pinkie Pie?"

The awkward situation I placed myself in disclosed a new revelation I never thought possible. For a moment, all my fears faded away. No active pondering or careful planning. My reaction pushed through effortlessly. My feelings and emotions pulled me to do something out of my element.

I wandered helplessly alone in my house seeking guidance from the books I read a thousand times. My days became dull and boring. I chose to be an outlaw in the wild running in circles for the truth. Perhaps chaos was what I desired, or maybe I craved the attention of the destruction it created. On another note, generating long-lasting friendships with ponies like Pinkie Pie could potentially fill the void in my life.

"Well, no." I relaxed my legs. "I'm sorry if I overreacted, Pinkie."

"Sorry? For what?"

Clearly, clueless Pinkie did not find my hasty affection as offensive. She probably admired my feedback. Unsure about Applejack's feelings on the matter, I verbalized my emotions. "You two are just so welcoming. It has been awhile since I felt this way."

Applejack said, "Aw shucks. Don't you worry your little head."

Pinkie licked the pieces of cupcake off her face. "And if you ever want more suprises, all you have to do ask!"

Applejack tightened the strap on her saddleback. "Now let's see about getting you to the library. It is just over this hill."

Pinkie asked, "Oh, are we throwing a surprise party for Twilight?"

I wiped the dust off my leg. "How about you come with us, Pinkie?"

Pinkie exclaimed, "Oh, tell me, is it a surprise party for me? That would be awesome!"