Piles of copper, relentless winds and the flaming horizon stood as proof to the summer's demise. The season of change was here and while some were already looking forward to winter, others contemplated the wonders it brought.
Autumn turns the wide plains of summer in fields of golden stardust under the moon's watch and hazy landscapes as the sun hovers above the clouds. It is the death and the rebirth of a natural dynasty, starting life from scratch, taking away the many and bringing back the few, the forgotten. All that has been lost appears once again under the orange canopy, under the reign of fall. It brings balance to the world, and with it, harmony. Many are those that couldn't live without it, it's coming, it's farewell.
There are though some that just can't see any good in it, as it is the season their world was shattered to pieces. Order changed in autumn, the many remained, they, the few, were forgotten.
Twilight was in the castle's library. Scattered around the room, fallen from their place, books mimicked the outside world. It was the result of many hours of classification by name, importance and theme, all undergone by the princess. She was busy with various duties but yet here she was, taking care of it. Could have she asked somepony else to handle the task? Maybe, but her bookshelves were for her hooves only to mess with, she just couldn't trust anypony else with this task.
It is then when the library's big doors opened with a squeak and Pinkie dived in through the gap.
"Hi Twily", she yelled.
"Hi Pinkie, what brings you here?"
Pinkie raised on her back legs, put on a serious face and answered the question the best she could.
"What were you doing tomorrow ?"
Twilight looked confused. She stood still for a few seconds with Pinkie smiling before her.
"You mean yesterday?"
"No silly, I do mean tomorrow."
"Well, I am going to get my library in order now that I have some spare time, why?"
Pinkie stepped down. She displayed two large puppy eyes and frowned.
"Well, if you don't want to come to Pinkie's reunion ... that's fine."
"Your family reunion, oh, well I could come, I'd actually love to, but isn't it only for family members ? I mean, I doubt..."
Pinkie raised once again and grabbed Twilight by the neck with her hoof, dragging her closer.
"Say no more... You see, my family is fairly big. Last year though not many of us came, even I missed it because some postpony was late with my invitation. This year it's no longer a family reunion, it's an everypony we know reunion. It's going to be me, my parents, my sisters, an uncle or two and ponies from the village and, of course, everypony I invite. A party is a party and nopony in town would miss a Pinkie party, especially now that I moved to Ponyville !"
Twilight pulled herself out of Pinkie's embrace.
"An everypony you know reunion ? Well, in that case I just can't refuse."
"Seriously ? That's just great."
"Of course. Also, do you want me to bring anything for the event ?"
"Meh, I got it all covered, but if you think you have something really cool to enhance the party I am going to set up, than go on, everypony will appreciate. Others will help too, my mom for example made the cake. I pretty much forgot how it tastes since I left and I just can't wait to have a bite. Well, I got to go now Twily, but I'll come tomorrow to pick you up, that unless you don't want to travel there with me, now, do you?"
"No, no, of course I do, you know what they say, the journey is sometimes..."
"On a red brick road ?"
"Uh, no, I meant that the journey is the destination."
Pinkie giggles.
"Oh , silly, my town is not the journey, it really is a red brick road, what made you think otherwise?"
"Well... never mind, we have a deal, just come pick me up tomorrow, will you ?"
"Okie dokie lokie, see you than!" , replied an exalted Pinkie.
In a matter of seconds, she turned around and skipped through the tall doors, leaving her friend wonder where she's headed in such a hurry.
Nevertheless, Twilight continued trying to make sense of the mess in the library, falling asleep only when moonbeams started pouring through the window and on the soft bed.
The next day, Pinkie showed up at the castle and greeted Twilight as she was descending the staircase, waving at her friends. Spike followed behind her with a large rucksack weighting him down.
Applejack looked around as if she had to count a hundred ponies instead of her five friends and moved her hoof through the air, mumbling some unintelligible numbers.
"Well, it's all of us, what next, Pinkie ?"
Pinkie dashed out of sight for a few seconds just to come back with a wagon pulled by four ponies.
"Shouldn't we take the train ?", asked Rainbow.
"Oh, no, it's not too far, and besides, no train stops there."
Rainbow raised from the ground, hovering over it and pointed at the carriage.
"I can fly faster than these ponies can carry us ! I mean... no offense mates."
"None taken.", replied one of the stallions.
"Come on Dashie, you'd miss the beautiful landscape if you were to fly there. And, besides, somepony told me that the journey is sometimes the destination.", said Pinkie.
"Whoever told you that isn't too smart."
"Get over it pal, we don't have the whole day to sort this out.", said Applejack.
"It's not my fault you can't fly !"
"Oh, like I couldn't run faster than these... Uh..."
"Don't bother...", the stallion rolled hie eyes.
"It's going to take us several hours !"
"Could you be more pessimistic ?"
"No."
"Every cloud has a silver lining, Rainbow.", Twilight replied.
"Like what ?"
"Like, being with us..."
"Right..."
"Pretty please ! Just this time.", Pinkie stared in Rainbow's eyes.
"Oh, fine, but this time only.", replied Rainbow Dash as she landed back on the ground.
The six started their journey, first on the paths surrounding Ponyville and then on a truly red road. It was surrounded by an open plain with orange grass sprouting from the dry soil. All was bathed in the sun's bright light, shining on the clear sky.
After three hours Pinkie raised up and addressed everypony.
"Well, we are almost there, friends, this is where I spent my life when I was just a filly, isn't it wonderful everypony ?"
All of them looked at the plain covered with patches of sand and a couple of trees. It looked so not Pinkie Pie, but it was her home, so everypony nodded, all except Rainbow Dash that saw the boring landscape and exclaimed.
"Pinkie, you said this place was worth visiting, why the heck would you drag me over here when there is nothing to see ?"
Everypony stared at Rainbow, hoping she would get the point and stop insulting Pinkie's birth place. However, Pinkie admitted what had just been said.
"It really isn't what you expected, is it ? But hey, it's not so bad, we have the roundest hills in all of Equestria, oh and the old Smokey, the geyser."
"I would like to see this wonder of nature", said Twilight.
Pinkie pointed at a hole in the ground on the side of the road.
"Now you can, it's right there !"
"Well, then could we take a break here and wait for it to erupt ?" ,replied Twilight, raising the corner of her mouth.
Pinkie frowned and moved her hoof aimlessly on the wagon's floor.
"This geyser is really old, so old it forgot how to erupt."
"Oh, well than, it's still great, I haven't seen one for ... "
"It's just a hole now, Twilight !", Rainbow interrupted.
Pinkie raised her head and smiled.
"You know what friends, just wait to see the rock farm !"
Rainbow rolled her eyes and replied with sarcasm. "I can't wait to...", at which point Applejack shoved her out of the way.
"I am sure she's just as excited as we all are, sweetheart !".
Pinkie smiled once again and they continued their journey to her home.
The sun was at it's brightest and no clouds were to be seen. A yellow dust engulfed the carriage as it closed the distance to the grey point in the horizon. It was a hill covered in rocks, casting a long shadow on the surrounding lowlands.
The wagon stopped in front of a wooden gate, behind which stood a house like those back in Ponyville. It opened and a grey mare with a dark turquoise mane came out greeting the group. Pinkie hugged her, then focused on her friends.
"Let me introduce you my dear mother, Cloudy Quartz !", than she headed towards the entrance and presented her whole family as they came out to meet them.
"These are my sisters Marble Pie and Limestone Pie, oh, and how could I forget my dad, Igneous Rock Pie.
Quartz opened the door wider and looked towards everypony.
"Well, what are you waiting for ?"
All of them came inside, trotting forward till Pinkie turned three hundred and sixty, ending their march in the middle of the courtyard.
"Pinkie, where is everypony, and ... about that gift I have for you ?" , asked Twilight when she realized they were alone.
Pinkie turned her head towards her friend to reply to the question.
"Oh, Twilight, don't be silly, I am the one in charge with the party. The other guests will only arrive later today.
Pinkie skipped towards a wooden table supporting several big boxes with stringers, balloons and various decorations. She shoved them all off, then pointed at it.
"Presents go here."
After that, she proceeded to empty the containers with everypony helping her at the job. By the time Maud Pie came, followed by other guests, the place looked wonderful. Igneous Rock made a big bonfire, while Cloudy Quartz placed punch, sweets, marshmallows and a big cake on a nearby table.
By evening all was set. The place was colored in the warm lights of flames and wonderful moonbeams. Most of the Pie family was here, and those from the nearby town could meet old friends and make new ones. Rarity and Igneous Rock discussed about his collection of various crystals and minerals, Applejack found new friends in the local farmers, Pinkie stayed with her family and Flutershy had an interesting conversation with this stallion who's pet shop had more critters in store besides rocks. All in all, the event was going according to plan. Pinkie just made a toast to her good old friends and it looked like it was going to be a long night.
Twilight retreated from the crowd to take a rest, as pie, cake and dancing didn't go well together. She laid over a haystack near the edge of the hill. At the light of a torch, she grabbed her present for the reunion and opened it. There were some magic fireworks she took from a fair for a special occasion. She had in mind to light them soon, make the skies shine to everypony's joy.
Twilight got up, but before going to her friends to make her proposal about their use, she took one last look at the dark valley opening before her. The farm was like a beacon in the middle of a sea of shadows. The lone trees' silhouettes leaned over the horizon like pillars to the sky.
It was than when Twilight noticed them starting to blur ! A purple fog appeared where the sky and ground meet. It sparkled like a living flame. Twilight couldn't comprehend what she was seeing, as the thing approached the hill with ever increasing speed. When it started ascending the slope she froze in fear, everything darkening around her. All was forgotten, the danger, her friends, her thoughts. All she could see were six stars far into the distance.
Time started to flow again, all lights faded but one, alone in the empty sky.
The mist was right under her hooves when it flew straight up to heavens and off to the stars, forming a colored cloud in its path, that greyed out and started to grow. Twilight threw the fireworks back on the table and sprinted to her friends. When she reached them, they seemed unpreocupied by what they had seen, that if they truly did see it.
"What happened ?"
Applejack turned towards her friend.
"Pardon me ? What's wrong dear ?"
Twilight looked around as everypony walked calmly. She started to question her sanity when she realized it was all in her head and hesitated to answer, leaving Applejack to wonder why she'd bother her in the first place.
"It was, it was, ... it was nothing, I just thought I saw something. It doesn't matter now."
Pinkie jumped in front of Apple, that was now more confused than ever.
"You look worried, Twily, as if you had seen a ghost."
Twilight gazed upon the dark cloud in the sky and ignored Pinkie's reply, leaving her lean her head curiously.
"Are you exhausted Twily ?"
Pinkie's question remained unanswered.
"Twily ?"
Twilight snapped out of her trance, shaking her head vigorously.
"You're right ... maybe I should take some rest."
"Wait, you mean it, you really are exhausted, I am right ?"
"So I'd say."
"So you'd say ? Sure you didn't see a ghost or two ?"
"I am quite sure of that."
That being said, Pinkie showed Twilight an old barn and told her she could take a nap inside if she truly felt tired, than returned to her party host duties.
Igneous Rock was about to say goodbye to several ponies that put on their long coats and prepared to leave home when Cloudy Quartz came by his side and showed him the clouds that twisted their shady bodies of coal in the wind. He said he knew for sure it wasn't going to rain and Quartz approved him, though she seemed unconvinced. If only they knew how thunderstorm clouds look like...
Midnight came. The blue moon was covered by a grey fog, true ghost of the sky, there to cast a dark shadow over the land. The ponies started to feel drops on their backs and soon realized a storm was inbound.
Everypony got inside as the cold tears fell. With no way back to Ponyville through the deep fog, Pinkie rushed her friend inside. She lit a candle as they entered the barn where Twilight rested. It was still pitch black in the old building and nopony could see a thing until a powerful light flew through the window, followed by the celestial drums.
Rarity closed the large oak doors behind her just before a cold gust of wind blew a window off. Applejack grabbed a small stool and held it in place of the glass. The barn shook continuously to everypony's fear. Twilight woke up just in time as a beam of solid wood fell from the ceiling. She blasted it in two pieces that were caught by Rainbow and a brown stallion. A lightning bolt struck the table on which the fireworks were, with a white flame blinding everypony and the picket fence starting to burn, fueled by the dried hay.
Minutes after that, it stopped raining and the wind ceased blowing. Twilight and her friends opened the barn's doors and looked around. Trees were buried in the mud, the fence and a small shack burned to the ground and the barn seemed to collapse. A pony with a long coat was running up the slope yelling.
"Are ya' all right ?"
He came to Twilight and started asking her questions in an hasty manner.
"Are you fine ? I saw what happened, is everypony safe, isn't anypony hurt ?"
Twilight noticed that his clothes were dry, untouched by the rain that fell.
"Why aren't you wet ?"
The stallion rose an eyebrow.
"So, you didn't realize ? It only rained over the hill, I could see the clouds rotating around the farm, releasing lightning strikes and pulverizing the roof of your barn. Something blew up too ! What was that ?"
Twilight looked at the small fuming crater standing where the table used to be.
"It was my contribution to the party, the magical fireworks of doom ..."
"Oh come on Twily, don't be to hard on yourself, I didn't like that shack anyway, and besides, what if they exploded inside the barn ?", said Pinkie.
"No, it's my fault, I should have told you, not about the fireworks, but about ... uh, this was under no circumstances a natural storm and I saw it coming ! Remember when I said I saw something, it was some kind of purple fog, maybe a spell of sorts. I didn't tell you as I thought I had hallucinations caused by exhaustion, but I didn't, it was real, and all this could have been prevented if only I trusted more in myself."
Everypony watched Twilight while Pinkie walked by her.
"Are you sure ?"
She sighed and gazed the rising sun's red glare blazing in the horizon. The sky was clearing and a ravine opened in the clouds above, pouring warm beams of light over their heads.
"Yes, I am. This was magic and something caused it. No matter what it was, there is more from where it came and we can't let it hurt anypony else."
"Wow, wow... stop right there, you want us to go search for wild storms ?", quickly replied Rainbow.
"Yes, it must be dangerous, and why this sudden change of heart ? You seem to have taken this upon yourself to solve before thinking it through. What if it was something temporary ?", continued Applejack.
"Apple, she took it upon us all !"
"How's that ?"
"Well, she said 'we', and besides, I wouldn't let her go alone no matter what !"
Twilight smiled.
"Thank you everypony for your support, but you haven't seen what I did. It was ... unique."
Rarity leaned her head.
"Like, the good kind of unique ?"
"I don't know, but what creates a thunderstorm can't bee good."
"Than, it's bad."
"No, no, it felt cold and dark, but yet somepony with such power could have done worse if intended. Why would it just try to scare us ?"
"We don't even know if it was a somepony ?", said Applejack.
"If it wasn't than we are safe, but can you truly know ? It was magic like I've never seen. I almost felt it talking to me ! ... It almost seemed to me it had a mind of its own. The thing came crawling from that direction, charging the hill ever faster.", said Twilight while pointing at the horizon.
Fluttershy was confused, questioning what kind of experience could have Twilight's explanation deviated from.
"Talking to you ?"
"I can't explain. You will have to take my word for granted."
Spike faced the princess, crossed his arms and leaned on the barn's wall.
"It's not for the first time you would misjudge, Twilight. I don't mean I don't trust you... If you are in, I am too, just make sure it's true what you are saying."
"I felt what I felt. I can't be absolutely certain I wasn't dreaming, but you saw the storm."
"Just saying, I believe you."
Igneous Rock looked once again at his property. He could not understand why anypony would unleash destruction upon a rock farm. Even if it was a natural event, why here ? He wanted answers just as much as Twilight did, and was determined to get them. He pointed towards the same direction the princess had.
"There's an old forest in that direction. Nopony lives there. Nopony feels welcome around the arid landscape."
"But where could it come from than ?"
Igneous Rock turned towards her to answer.
"You just pointed a direction so that spell could be from beyond these lands. There are some ruins in the forest though. I would start there if I were you."
"Ruins, there ? I don't know of any civilization to have settled here before us, and I should."
"We don't either, but yet there they are, with no back story to tell. Furthermore, there's no map of the region so you will have to find them on your own. Will you ?"
Twilight stepped by the edge of the hill, ruminating on her next decision. Was curiosity going to triumph over fear ? She turned around, facing everypony that was waiting for a verdict, her verdict.
"So we will, than. Get ready everypony, we are headed that way !"
"Excellent !", was Igneous Rock's reaction, that had put a lot of hope on Twilight.
"Could we leave tomorrow ? I don't know about you, but me and the rest are tired after a sleepless night.", said Spike, followed by a collective nod.
"Oh, I see. If you truly are tired... It can wait."
"Until than, we'll make sure you have all you need.", replied Quartz.
"Oh, and we'll need so many things ...", continued Pinkie.
The next day they were ready. Twilight, Pinkie, Apple, Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Spike took the long road to the nameless forest, one that's name had been forgotten. It took them the whole day to get there and by that time everypony felt like bedding down. A camp was set at the forest's entrance and plans were made to explore it as soon as the sun rises.
The very next day, Twilight laid down a map of Equestria with the forest in question crudely represented. She moved her hoof back and forth to call everypony by her side.
"Pinkie, you'll be headed east, Rarity, you go west."
"What about me and Fluttershy over here ?", asked Applejack.
"Applejack, you're going northeast, Fluttershy, I need you to come with me northwest, understood ?"
"We'll search this forest wide and long.", nodded Applejack.
"So be it, if you find something of interest report back to Spike. Oh, by the way, Spike, you must guard the camp while we are gone.
Spike was having a nap between two old trees. He raised up his hand and gave Twilight an approving thumbs up.
"I am glad to hear that, but where is Rainbow?", replied Twilight.
Spike yawned and pointed at the tent.
"Wake her up for me and tell her to go north, will you."
"Sure thing !", replied Spike while turning around.
Everypony journeyed into the forest in their respective direction, with Rainbow and Spike remaining stationed at the camp.
A couple hours later, Rainbow woke up and came out through the opening in the tent. She looked around and rose her eyebrow as her friends were missing and the campfire was smoldering slowly among the copper leaves. She turned around and noticed Spike behind some trunks. She walked up to him, stomped the ground with the hoof and yelled:
"Spike !"
Spike jumped up, looked left and right, saw Rainbow and fell back to the ground.
"What's going on ?", she continued.
Spike rose up.
"Everypony left searching for the ruins or something. You'd better get going too, east ... I mean north, yeah, north."
Rainbow leaned towards him.
"What ?"
Spike scratched the back of his head before pointing at the woods.
"I, I had to wake you up, but I overslept myself. Twilight and the rest spread out. You were assigned a direction too, that being as I already said, north.
"So, I must go north ?", asked Rainbow.
"Yeah, kind of."
"You tell me what's going on right now, and make sure it makes sense !"
"OK, OK ! Twilight and the rest headed out to search for the spell's source. You have to go north and report back to me if you see something. And, sorry for not waking you up."
"Let's hope those extra hours of sleep help than. Take care of yourself."
"I will !", replied Spike while Rainbow ventured into the woods, well, it's hard to call them so as it was a mere plain with dead trees scattered all over the place. It was under no circumstances a forest so dense as the Everfree or those in the north. Furthermore, autumn had just started and while most of the trees in Equestria still had their golden leaves hanging on their shoulders, rustling in the wind, these were empty. It's not like they didn't have them in the first place, as the ground was covered with a brown carpet.
Strange as it was, Rainbow didn't care at all. Maybe nature was more diverse than ponies had seen by now. There were other trees in Equestria that tended to have their leaves taken by the cold gust of wind that descended every early autumn from Canterlot, but these were even earlier as if their rusty jewels had been kept in place by nothing else than cheap glue or tape.
Rainbow kept going as she was driven by curiosity. Soon, she discovered a path. Such a road made out of leveled soil should have been invisible, as leaves would cover it, but this one was magically clear. No leaves, no rocks, no nothing were there to stain its simplicity. Maybe somepony swept it a while ago. Who would take care of such a thing is a good question, why it's there in the first place is just as curious. All these were soon to be answered when Rainbow stumbled across a log cabin posted just where the path ends. "A clean road equals an occupied house", Rainbow thought, so she did what every sane pony would do, peek through the window.
Rainbow carefully positioned herself under the cabin's sole window, grabbed the sill and pulled her head over it. She saw a pony's forehead and quickly pushed back. At a second glance she saw that the mysterious pony had his or her back turned to her, so she raised even more and looked in the room. A cauldron bubbled, releasing a purple glow. Rainbow carefully studied it and the markings scribbled in the steel. It looked like a star with seven corners, or maybe it was just a drawing of several intersecting shapes. Nevertheless, she was stuck looking at the cryptic symbol ...
She than turned towards the pony just to realize it has been staring at her this whole time with two pale eyes. Rainbow got struck by fear when these started to glow and quickly dashed back, opened her wings and raised to the skies, all under the mysterious mare's deep stare.
Twilight and Fluttershy were wondering the forest for hours. After such a tiresome search, they ended up sitting down on a boulder covered by ancient moss.
"Are you sure there is anything here ? According to your map we almost reached the end of the forest.", said Fluttershy.
"If it's not here, then it's beyond."
Fluttershy looked down at the ground.
"I ... hope we find it soon.", she said while kicking a pebble that laid at their feet. "I just ... I hope it's nothing dangerous."
"I have a feeling that it's more than that."
Fluttershy turned her head away from her.
"I see.", she said with a faint tone.
"I am sure it's nothing we can't overcome ...", she ended suddenly when a nearby bush started to shake vigorously with Fluttershy jumping up and hiding by her friend.
A small brown rabbit crawled out of it, flailing his long ears in the air. Fluttershy popped her head out behind Twilight and took a short look at the small animal, then dashed towards it, leaned down and watched him closely:
"Oh, it was just a bunny. What are you doing here little thing ?"
The rabbit raised his paw and pointed in a direction as if he had something to show the two. Twilight's jaw dropped as she saw the critter's curious gesture. Fluttershy turned her head slowly towards the princess:
"I think he wants us to follow him."
"You do? What do you think he wants ?", replied Twilight.
"Oh, animals usually come to me with problems, I guess he has one too. A caving in his tunnels maybe. It wouldn't hurt anypony if we took a look."
"I guess it wouldn't, but make it fast."
Fluttershy nodded in response and they both followed the rabbit. Soon an opening appeared before them. It was a circular surface paved with grey bricks. A short pillar stood in the center, looking as if it had been sliced. Just like before, the area was completely clean, with the occasional patched of grass sprouting between the stones.
"What do you know ?", said Fluttershy while looking around her."
The bunny skipped to the middle and looked at the two ponies insistently.
"Could this be what we've been looking for ? How ... convenient.", said Twilight while glancing the place.
"I know, right.", Fluttershy replied while approaching the critter that waited for them.
"He must have heard us talking about it and wanted to land a hoof ! How nice of you little thing.", she said while trying to grab the bunny. Suddenly, it hissed and bit Fluttershy, making her retract her hoof:
"What the ...", she exclaimed as the critter's fur darkened.
Before they could react, it turned into a raven and flew atop of the pillar stub. Silence fell as Fluttershy backed off near her friend:
"Twilight ... ?"
The trees started to grow, the copper jewels burned and green leaves flourished once again on their bare trunks. A purple fog thrusted its way in the opening and circled the two like a giant snake, darkening the sky and leaving its fang as the white moon. It slammed the ground and turned into dust, filling the place with celestial powder.
Twilight and Fluttershy kept silent in the starry night.
"What just happened ?", mumbled Fluttershy as she slowly raised her head.
Twilight didn't answer. She stood still ruminating at what had just occurred. Among the newly appeared trees' trunks, pale white lights started to glow. They emerged from the foliage in the form of ghosts and flew swiftly to the center of the ring. Light passed freely through their ghoulish bodies as they span and morphed into transparent ponies, hollow projections of the past, each in a corner of the circle.
One of them, an earth pony, had light blue fur and eyes with a darker wavy mane. Three ice shards represented her cutie mark. She smiled at the unicorn that stood by her side, a mare with a black coat and pale eyes. Her flank had a new moon, almost shining on the dark fur. She took an old book from a pile next to her and showed it to the first pony.
"This is when we met.", she said while pointing at the book.
"I ... I remember.", she answered.
"What are you looking at ?", said a grey mare with unusually large wings and a tornado on her flank, as she flapped them once to dash behind the two. She grabbed the book's corners and dragged it towards her. The dark mare opposed this act, so she flapped her wings once again in order to equal her strength. To the grey pony's surprise, the other one let go, making her roll on the forest floor till she hit a tree.
"How do you like that ?", she laughed.
The grey mare grabbed the book that now stood at her hooves and browsed it:
"Oh, it's that journal again."
"What's wrong, Wind Slasher ?", the dark mare replied.
The pegasy raised on all fours and continued:
"Nothing, just, isn't it getting old for you two?"
"You should never forget your past, Slash.", she replied with the blue pony nodding behind her.
"Sure ...", Wind Slasher rolled her eyes.
"What would you know with those poor grades in equestrian history ?"
"I don't need to know such things, I write history, and besides, this thing is about you as a filly, not epic equestrian history."
"Are you seeing what I do ?", Fluttershy whispered to Twilight.
"I am !", she answered.
A red unicorn approached the three. She had a tall stance and a scarlet mane, with a flame as her cutie mark:
"Are you making fun of Slash and her lesser understanding of the world ?"
"You can be sure they do. Wait, what ?", replied the pegasy.
"I am in !", said the red unicorn.
"Have fun !", the dark mare added as she magically teleported the journal back to her.
"This isn't fair. It's three versus one. Holy, you'll back me up, will you ?", Slasher addressed to a white pegasy that studied a map in the other corner of the ring. She had a long mane with a pink tone. Her cutie mark represented a halo encasing a star.
Holy Halo raised her head from the paper:
"I don't have time for your nonsense, ask Snowflake."
"She's already against me !"
"I don't care."
"But ...", Slasher replied while leaning her head.
"I don't care at all !"
"So, about your grades ...", Scarlet continued.
"Don't you dare start too.", Slasher said while raising her hoof towards the unicorn in an aggressive manner.
Twilight walked towards the ponies.
"What are you doing ?", Fluttershy spoke with a faint tone, as she watched her friend's movements.
"They can't see us, they aren't here, they are an astral projection.", Twilight replied while approaching the center of the ring, the pillar.
"I hope so!"
The crescent moon was made out of boiling limestone, a curved crevasse in the sky. It brought life to the particles of dust that danced around the pillar, falling and rising in a serene waltz.
A beige coated mare woke up from her deep sleep. She had a curly golden mane covered by a weathered straw hat and her cutie mark was a lightning bolt in a crystal sphere. The mare shook her head vigurously and looked up at the celestial body hanging on the sky dome.
"It's time yet ?"
"No, go back to sleep.", Holy answered promptly.
The mare smiled:
"Why are you always so irritated ?"
Holy kept marking various locations on her map, leaning her head even more than prior to the question.
"Yesterday you asked Rose to bring you that map from the nearby town. Rose did and she got no 'thank you' from you. Rose doesn't mind, but she's sure you have stress problems. Your birthday's a month from now, would you like a nice party this time ? It would be healthy for your ... sanity.", the mare said while making silly gestures with her lime eyes.
"No, and stop referring yourself in the third person. It's pointless.", she replied.
"I can't help myself, it's too much fun watching your reaction to it. It's your fault.", said the beige mare as she giggled silently.
"Than I won't give you satisfaction, Sand Rose."
"Leave her be and get over here, Sandy.", said the dark one as she called her with a hoof's gesture.
Rose trotted all the way to the other side of the circle, where her friend was waiting. She leaned towards the mare and looked in her purple eyes.
"What do you want, Shadow Mist."
Shadow levitated a piece of chalk in front of Rose.
"You know what to do."
"Aye, aye !", she saluted in a mocking manner and carried the item to the edge of the circle.
"Go on !", Shadow shouted, at which point Rose bent over and started to drag long lines from one side to the other.
Twilight noticed the act and followed Rose as she drew on the old paving.
"Sure we can't just draw six and do it like that ?", Rose asked.
"She'll come, no worries.", Shadow replied.
"She just likes to make her entrance ... I personally wish she wouldn't.", continued Holy.
Scarlet rose her head.
"It can be done without her ? I vote for 'let's do it' if so !"
"It can't be.", said Shadow.
"Damn it !"
Snowflake looked at Rose's drawing.
"Looks just like a snowflake !"
"Sure does, honey."
Twilight stopped and rejoined Fluttershy by the pillar. She looked around curiously:
"What the heck ?"
"What's wrong Twilight ?, asked Fluttershy.
Rose finished her work and sat on the edge of a white chalk triangle.
Twilight rose her eyebrow.
"You look worried."
"We better move away from the center."
"Why ?"
"Just do it."
"Sure, everything you say."
The two found cover under an oak that spent his life at the ring's edge. The paving was shining under the effect of moon's bright light. It sparkled like a large pearl in the middle of the forest, almost blinding Fluttershy and Twilight with its radiant nature. The six occupied their positions in the seven corners of the star, with one staying vacant. A whirlwind started around the central pillar, that emitted an aura of light as if the flame of the sun would have possessed its static body and would now open its eye in the center of midnight.
Shadow Mist yelled.
"Is she here already ? It's about time !"
The moon turned red as hot steel, smoldering slowly in the dark sky.
"It's now or never, where is she ?", the mare asked while leaves flew erratically around her, waving her mane.
A male voice could be heard from the other side of the circle, among the trees.
"She's not coming !"
"What ?", Scarlet turned her head towards the tall shadowy figure now posted in a trunk's umbra.
"She betrayed us ?", Scarlet asked staggered in place by the shock of the voice's words.
"She left you ! If only I reached you sooner ...", the voice ended, vanishing in the strong light that sprouted from the magical heptagram. A pulse of energy came from the pillar, lighting the whole sky.
"But, I remember ...", Shadow whispered.
A harpoon of solar rays flew to the moon, latching itself to the celestial body.
The dark mare turned her glowing eyes towards the two that watched silently in the shadows.
"Do you remember, element of magic ?"
Soon white light engulfed her as ever more powerful blasts of light continued to emerge from the pillar. They rose in frequency until everything began to flash, turning night day, igniting the sky and scorching the trees in a burning purgatory.
"Do you remember ?"
An implosion of all light ended the flames abruptly, with all the apparitions turning to dust, flying peacefully in the red sunset's flares.
Twilight stood in shock looking at the white pillar. She turned the head towards her friend.
"We must go!"
"But, but ... what happened here ?", said a confused Fluttershy.
"I know what happened, we ... we forgot something."
