The Four Horsemen

Using her magic via the use of horn, Twilight flipped to the next page of her book to read more about the Four Horsemen story.

"Chapter 71," the purple unicorn continued reading. "The Four Horsemen's disappearance was not the only crisis that Withersham suffered in a long time since their economy collapse years prior. The kingdom was still und..."

"TTTWWWIIILLIIGHHTTT, I'M BACK!" A voice ranged out from downstairs of the library.

Twilight Sparkle pauses her reading and recognized who it was that called her. It was her No.1 assistant and friend Spike, a baby purple and green dragon that Twilight magically hatched from an egg during her school entrance exam back when she was a filly. Realizing that Spike is home, the purple coated unicorn gets out of her bed and stretches her body and legs to feel more relaxed. She trots down the staircase of her room and checks the clock on the wall and notice something is wrong on the time.

"Oh no." Twilight gasped. "It's evening already and I haven't prepared the stove to cook dinner."

She gallops down the stairs and enters the main reading room where she sees Spike carrying two brown bags of groceries, one bag containing fruits and vegetables while the other a bag of cookie dough and chocolate chip. The baby dragon greets Twilight Sparkle with a warm smile right before entering the kitchen to put the groceries away.

"Hey Twilight!" Spike said. "I brought the food you asked me to get from the marke..."

"No time, Spike." Twilight interrupted as she entered the kitchen to turn the stove on. "I need you to help me get dinner ready. Grab two pots from the sink, put water on it, and put them on the stove. I'll prep the food once they start boiling."

"Um...what are we having for dinner?"

"I told you earlier: vegetable soup for tonight's dinner get together. Now hurry up and get the pots!"

Spike, not knowing why Twilight was such in a hurry, did exactly what she said. Putting the groceries on the dinner table, Spike walks to the sink and opens the bottom cabinet to grab two pots for Twilight. The purple unicorn uses her magic to grab a kitchen knife and cutting board and place them on a counter next to the stove. Next, she used her magic again to grab the vegetables that Spike bought earlier from the market: some potatoes, carrots, celery sticks, onions, turnips, and tomatoes. With the veggies in place, uses the kitchen knife and start cutting the potatoes into tiny bits.

Spike, still dumbfounded, asked Twilight question, "Uh...Twilight? Are you okay?"

Still cutting the vegetables one at a time, Twilight responded, "Yes I am, Spike! Why?"

"I'm just asking. Did something happen to you when I was gone."

"No. I was just upstairs in my room reading a book and I completely forgot about my scheduled time for getting the stove ready."

"Oh! What book were you reading?"

After finishing the potatoes, Twilight used her magic to place them inside one of the boiling pots and starts cutting the rest of the vegetables. "Oh you know. It's just a book that I was reading. That's all."

Spike frowned in disappointment. "Again! What book? Don't tell it's that "legend" or "legacy" or "ludacri..."

"Legacy of the Four Horsemen!"

"Yeah! That's the title...oh wait...*facepalm* ugh, Twilight! You've been reading that book again this week?"

"What's the problem with that Spike? It's a great biography book about the legendary four stallions that defended Withersham from an evil sorcerer."

"I know but that's not the point! The point is that after Princess Celestia gave you that book two months ago, you've been so obsessed with it you refused to read anything else. I mean, you read it more than 241 times and always been babbling about how 'fantastic' the story is written. Though, I read it once but I never got past Chapter 32 where that white unicorn Air...uh...Aerial...um whatever his name is did his training for the royal guards while the other stallions went their own separate ways with their duties. The first thirty chapters is about the four of them in as colts earning their cutie marks and this evil gargoyle wanted to assassinate the king but gets thrown out of the village before he had to. What I want to know is: where is the action? The suspense? The love? When I read a story, I want to be entertained, not read about how four stallions getting randomly chosen and family drama between all four of them. To be fairly honest, the whole story is just too long and too boring for me to read and I can't stand it.."

Twilight finished cutting the rest of the vegetables and placed them all inside each boiling pot. She takes out the cookie dough and chocolate chips from the other grocery bag.

"Now, to make some cookies. Come and help me out, Spike."

The purple dragon shook his head in disgust as to know why Twilight did not reply on what he just said. He grabbed the cookie dough and stood right next to the purple unicorn who took out a cookie tray from the sinks' lower cabinet and placed it on the dinner table.

"Did you hear what I said Twilight?" Spike asked. "About the Four Horsemen story being bor..."

"I heard you, Spike." Twilight cut him off after being annoyed while grabbing the cookie dough from him and adding chocolate chip to them.

"So what do you have to say about that?"

"First of all, Spike. As much as I can respect your criticism on the book, what I can not respect is that you have to judge me for my interest in reading it. The Legacy of the Four Horsemen isn't a boring book and the reason why I said the story is fantastic is because on how deep and emotional this story is written. It's like the author of the book was with the Horsemen during their times growing up and writing down everything that they were doing like Colt Daring growing herbs and Silver Iron making armor for the guards. As for the action, that happens later in the story but like all stories, it must have a plot that will keep readers wanting to know about the characters, their backgrounds, a conflict, a resolution, and a happy ending. I just got past Chapter 70 where the Horsemen fought Black Mist and they all turned into stone and to make things worse, they got sucked by a cyclone and it took all five of them to whereabouts unknown. Finally, to correct you, Spike, the unicorn's name is not Aerial! It is Ares Maverick, a unicorn representing Leadership from King Icarus' Gems of Peace."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "The what's uh peace?"

Twilight puts the cookies in the oven and lets them bake. "The Gems of Peace. It's like the Elements of Harmony except these were created by King Icarus and his wizard Star Dust. They're gemstones that harness the power to destroy Black Mist and any other evil entity that threatens ponykind. While Ares' gem represents Leadership, Silver Iron's gem is Bravery, Colt is Confidence, and Piston Ace is Spirit. They used these stones to destroy Black Mist but they were unsuccessful and were turned into stone when Black Mist got the upper hand on them."

Twilight and Spike exit the kitchen as the food was cooking. The purple unicorn uses her magic to grab a feather duster while the purple dragon grabs a broom and dust pan. The two of them began to clean the main reading room of the library before their guests arrive in two hours.

"So where did this cyclone dropped the Horsemen off to?" Spike asked Twilight while sweeping the floor.

"I'm not sure." Twilight responded. "It said in the book that the Horsemen and Black Mist statues were never found but it's a possibility that the statues can be found in Ponyville."

"Ponyville?"

"Yes! After 100 years of searching, nopony has ever found them but according to eyewitness accounts who were alive at that time when they saw the cyclone, it traveled far west from Withersham and vanished somewhere around Ponyville."

"Oh please!" Spike said not amused. "You believe that? Come on, Twilight. This whole story is nothing more than ponytale or a joke to fool all ponies."

"It's no joke!" Twilight responded with a bit of frustration. "The author of this book claim it is a true story just like the Mare in the Moon story that happen a long time ago and you somehow believed that."

"I did because I was there when it happened."

"So why are you skeptical about the Horsemen legend?"

Spike finished his sweeping and heads back into the kitchen to check on the food. "Until I see proof, I'll believe it but until then, I'm not buying it."

Twilight groaned in anger. "Fine! Don't believe it all, Spike. Someday, you'll see the truth right in front of you!"

After another hour, the vegetable soup and cookies were finally done and both Twilight and Spike got the dinner table before their guests came by. As soon as the table was set, there was a knock at the front door.

"Go get it, Spike." Twilight politely asked. "It must be them."

Spike goes to the door and opens it. In front of him, he was greeted by five other ponies that happened to be friends with him and Twilight. Two pegasi, one cyan blue with cutie mark of a cloud and rainbow like thunderbolt with a rainbow colored tail and mane and the other pegasus that is yellow with a pink tail and mane with a cutie mark of three butterflies; two Earth Ponies, one orange with a yellow tail and mane and has a cutie mark of three apples and wearing a cowboy hat while the other Earth pony is pink with a dark pink mane and tail and has a cutie mark of three balloons; and a white unicorn with a mane and tail colored indigo and a cutie mark of three light blue diamonds. They are Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity.

"Hiya girls!" Spike greeted.

"Good evening, darling." Rarity happily said. "We're here for tonight's dinner get together."

"So serve us some grub cause dis here pony is starving." Applejack said.

"Sure thing, ladies. Come on in."

A/N: Stay tune for the next chapter.