Chapter 1: The Journey Begins
Twilight Sparkle was tired. Not in the, 'I had a bad day' kind of way either, in fact today was a good day. She had made up with some of her oldest and long forgotten friends in Canterlot, many of which, to her embarrassment, lived in Ponyville with her and she never knew. Minuette and Lyra.
She had made up with them after realizing she had all but abandoned them, especially Moondancer in a crucial point in her growth towards friendship. Had she known, she might have taken the time to go to her party, but then, would she have been able to stop Nightmare Moon?
Would she have met her friends?
How would have things gone had she not been there?
As she dwelled on these thoughts, she got on the Friendship Express to Ponyville with Spike at her side and Pinkie Pie. The pink earth pony once again, true to her calling, helped give a pony a smile and helped make a new friend with her party. Spike sat beside Pinkie as they chatted away the hours leaving Twilight deep in thought.
How many other friends had she forgotten over the years? Had she many more that she couldn't remember?
Had she made many enemies due to this short sight?
It was all so maddening to her. It was nice that she made up with her friends in Canterlot, but how many others were suffering due to her negligence? She thought hard and for several hours she thought about not just ponies she did remember, but also the ponies she didn't extend her friendship to.
The former was far shorter than the latter of the two, but what startled her was just how long that list was. Rather both were. But her most recent accomplishments were at the expense of others. At least it was in her mind. Her thoughts dwelled on Sunset Shimmer, Gilda, that teal pegasus from Rainbow's flight school, Hightime, and even her old nemesis Trixie.
Trixie.
Possibly her greatest failure with Moondancer being a very close second.
No, Trixie was her greatest failure. She never once tired to help the unicorn or any of the others for that matter. The list went on and on, and as it grew, so did the heavy feeling in her heart. She had no right to call herself a Princess of Friendship when there was so many missed opportunities. Ponies calling out, but she turned a blind eye to them, or pawned them off to others.
No, she had to make a change for the better. She had to reach out and try to help all of these ponies and non-ponies alike. Sure, Gilda made up with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, they had told her of their previous adventure, but Twilight felt she had done a grave injustice to so many others. Now she was going to set it all right.
She sat in her cart while Spike and Pinkie slept soundly beside her. She pulled out a parchment and her portable inkwell and began to make a list of all lists she would ever make. The friendship list.
The list was long and she didn't have time to finish it before she had arrived to Ponyville. Though the list was short, it was still incomplete. She'd have to make it as she went along for sure, she had spent more time trying to remember the ponies she knew and the names kept popping in her head as she went on. It was going to be difficult tracking most of the names on this list, but she felt that it would be all worth it once she made amends to them.
She had grown much since her coronation, and she was sure many would outright reject her. Many would take time to help, some would even be easy, but what upset her the most as that there was the chance many might not accept her friendship. And that was hard to accept, but it was a consequence of what she had done, and it was time to pay that piper.
But this was something she had to do.
She exited the train with a determined look on her face as she gave a quick hello to everyone as she headed straight to her castle. She made a long check list as she went along to make sure she had everything she needed for her long journey ahead. But before she left, she had one stop to make before leaving.
The list of her gear prepared, long before she arrived, thank you Camping Essentials 101, and a Guide to Survival and You!
Twilight smiled as she trotted along to her castle and waved to everyone who greeted her along the way, not stopping to talk for she had her most important mission to accomplish. She had to seek out her old friends, enemies, acquaintances, etc.
It didn't take long to gather all of her equipment she needed to begin her journey. She checked her list twice to make sure she had everything. Seeing all was ready she had to make one last stop before she went on her journey. In the main council chamber, Twilight's cutie mark began to glow, pulsating with a blight magical glow.
Sitting at her throne, the magical map of Equestria came forth from the solid floor below. It still amazed her how this giant edifice came from the ground and could recede back into it leaving not a trace of its existence. Slowly it arose, with a loud crackling sound of rock reshaping into another form as the map rose and took shape of landmasses she was familiar with.
The first thing to form was the mountains, then from them came the valleys and rivers throughout Equestria. Then the forests and plains, followed by the cities and towns. Even the smallest of outhouses was seen if one took the time to look. Twilight beamed with delight as the shape of her cutie mark ran over several positions on the map. Taking not of them all she placed her now marked map into her saddlebags and eyed the map.
She thought of how and where to begin her journey. It was going to be long and may take many years... years.
She thought about that. What would her friends say to that? Her family? Perhaps she could bring them along? No, they each had their own responsibility. As much as she hated to admit it. There was no way she could just abandon her friends. Not like she did last time. But this time was going to be different. She would tell them of her plan. But would they let her go?
She didn't have to wait long before the answer came rushing in like a hurricane through a beaver dam. Rather a rainbow maned pegasus plowing through the doors and a sea of ponies rushing in surrounding her throne.
Her fiends.
The Element Council was all here, including Spike, circling the lavender unicorn asking her questions. So many question.
"Everypony please calm down!" she yelled, silencing her friends. "I have an important announcement to make. I'm leaving Ponyville for a while to go on a journey and-"
"WHAT!?"
Applejack stepped forward to her friend. "Twi, what do you mean a journey? Has your cutie mark told you there was a friendship problem somewhere?"
As, if on que the map pulsated as Twilight's cutie mark flew to a specific point over Pinkie Pie's family rock farm pulsating like a blinking beacon. Pinkie stared at the cutie mark in awe.
"HI MOM AND DAD!" she yelled at he small farm, waving at it.
"Girls, please let me finish." Twilight said adjusting herself in her seat. "I have to go on a long journey, I don't know when I'll be back. But I want you all to know that I'm not leaving Ponyville forever." She looked at he map taking note of the rock farm. Her cutie mark then split into several smaller pieces falling all over Equestria at the points she had already marked.
"As you can see. I'm needed all over." Twilight stated sadly. "please understand that I want you to help me but_"
"Darling we understand." Rarity intervened.
"What? We do?" Rainbow asked looking cross. "I thought we stick together for these kinds of things!"
Twilight flinched at the harshness of her blue friends tone. "Rainbow I'm sorry I want you to come I really do."
The pegasus leaned back hovering over the map. She stared at Twilight's cutie mark for a while and gave it a contemplative look. She then shook her head as a thought crossed her mind.
"Why not take some of us Twilight?" she suggested.
Everypony looked at her oddly. "What do you mean Rainbow?" Applejack asked not seeing the connection she made.
"I'm not sure I follow darling." Rarity added.
"I think I do." Fluttershy said timidly. Eveypony turned to her making her squeak involuntarily at the attention."I think what she means is instead of taking us all with you at once, why not take those of us most convenient to your travel?" she more asked than said.
Everypony thought about this and Pinkie let out a loud obnoxious gasp! Her body stuttered and spazzed as she lifted off the ground like a levitating buzzer going off. She smiled while doing so, giving her a very comical appearance.
That's a great IDEA!" the pink pony cheered. "I've been wanting to see my parents and sisters for so long now! Oh Twilight can I come along too? Please? Please, please, please PLeassssseeeee?"
The unicorn rolled her eyes at her friends antics but gave a hearty chuckle nodding her head. "Sure Pinkie. I can think of no better friend to begin my journey with." she said earning a scoff from Rarity. "Why don't you go get packed up pinkie? I have one last thing to take care of before I leave. Fluttershy?"
"Yes, Twilight?" the yellow mare asked looking to her friend.
"Where can I find Discord?"
As if the heavens aligned that moment, Discord's disembodied voice cackled as his head slowly faded into existence, without his body.
"AHAHAH! Twilight Sparkle, you called?" he asked wiggling a large uni brow that formed on his head, before splitting into his usual two. "What can I do for you my friend?"
Twilight stood beside him with a very serious look. He furrowed his own brow at the intense look on her face.
"Is something wrong, Princess?" he asked in his sarcastic voice.
"I need to ask a big favor of you Discord."
"What do you need of me?" he gave her a curious look as did the rest of Twilight's friends.
"I know what you can do Discord. And I want you to show me something." Twilight said looking up at him with, fear? Discord was sure it was something she was afraid of but what could she want to see that invoked fear? More over, why would she want that? It didn't take long for him to find out the answer.
"Discord, I want you to show me what life would have been like had I not come to Ponyville." Twilight asked him.
Everypony gasped, even he did. Of all the things he expected her to ask of him, he didn't expect in his wildest dreams, and they were really out there, to ask such a thing of him.
"Twilight, darling! Why every would you want that?!" Rarity exclaimed shaking her friends shoulders.
"AH have to agree with, Rares, on this one." Applejack said coming between the two unicorns. "I don't right see what this has to do with what you're doing."
Suddenly, Rainbow's head came close to Twilight's blocking her vie said for a pair of very angry magenta eyes. "Yeah! What's the deal!?"
But her friends didn't dissuade her. She pushed past Rainbow and looked straight into Discord's eyes. The look on her face said it all to him. She was serious and this meant she wouldn't take no for an answer.
"I warn you Twilight Sparkle," he gave a very aggravated tone, rubbing his chin with his eagle claw. "There are things even I wouldn't wish on another pony. I urge you to reconsider, as the God of Chaos, normally i'd give in to such a request for the shear humility that'd come from it. But as you're my 'friend', I urge you to reconsider. Somethings are best left to the unknown."
She considered this. There was a time when she thought all knowledge was beneficial with no regard to the consequences of it. Now, after everything that had happened she knew better. But she wasn't going to give up now. She wanted to know. She had to know. She gazed into Discord's eyes, pleadingly.
"Please, Discord. I won't blame you for what happens, but I must know." she stood firmly in front of him. "Show me."
"Very well." the massive monstrosity reached for her with his lion paw, and one time tapped her on the head. Her eyes became white and she donned a stoic expression. Her friends watched, wondering what she was seeing.
"Don't say I didn't try to warn her." Discord said stepping away from her.
Before anypony could ask what he meant, Twilight screamed like she was afraid, then she laughed, cried, laughed again, and all manner of emotions passed through her. In the end she had a very pained look on her face, a look that said she'd witnessed some great epic tragedy of the ages.
Discord snapped his claws and the white from Twilight's eyes disappeared making her normal color return. Her friends surrounded her asking her several questions, but she gave no answer.
"Twi, what'd you see?"
"Darling, why were you so upset?"
"What happened in there?"
"Are you OK, Twilight?"
"Was there a party?"
As the questions went on she stepped forward, in a mechanical motion. Her body was numb from what she saw but she pressed on. Faceing Discord, she lunged at him, pulling him into a death grip hug. He smiled patting her on the head as she sobbed into his chest. An odd feeling overcame him. For the second time in his life, he felt he did the right thing.
It felt good.
This was what friendship was about. And Twilight saw what she needed to go on her journey. Pulling away from her friend, she wiped her tears away and looked over to her concerned friends.
"I love you girls. I really do. Never forget that." she hiccuped reaching for them.
Her friends all came to form a large group hug, with her and Discord at the center of the giant mass of ponies.
"We love you to Twilight." Rarity sighed pulling herself closer to the mare nuzzling her.
"We'll always be there, and never leaving you to hang." Rainbow dded.
"And no matter what, you know we are here for you."Fluttershy continued.
"And you know ya'll can come back fer help." Applejack added, rubbing her head in a noogie.
"Thank you. All of you." she cried rubbing her eyes. "I will remember o ask for help when I need it. But I want you to understand there will be times I must take the task alone for my own growth. But I will not take the whole journey alone. I'm glad you'll all be here waiting for my return. I love you girls."
"We love you too." they all replied in unison.
Breaking apart, Twilight rubbed her teary eyes and looked to Pinkie who was all saddled up and ready to go. "Ready to go Pinkie?"
"You know it Twilight!" she hopped excited exploding confetti everywhere.
"Alright then, let's get going!" she turned to face everypony else. "Farewell my friends! We shall return!"
The others wished them well as they made their way to the train station. Catching the next train out of Ponyville, Twilight and Pinkie sat in their car together with all their gear, wondering what wondrous adventures, and friendships lay across the next horizon.
