Chapters 1: A Land Named Equestria
GOOD HEART
Special thanks to:Rekibob & TheBlueDreamMaker
“…the last defense will be from here to there, surrounding the southern entrance of the Everfree Forest nearby the old train station,” said Celestia while drawing a line on a map of Ponyville with her hoof. Her face seemed tired and her eyes reflected sorrow, a deep sorrow that nopony has ever seen in her before.
“That’s our last option, and if this plan fails…”
“No Princess! This plan can’t fail. We still have the Elements of Harmony and you as our ruler, remember?” said Twilight while she tried to look Celestia in the eyes. The unicorn's words tried to cheer her up.
The Solar Princess wouldn't dare gaze at Twilight, not after all the things Equestria has suffered in the past months. With a tear in her eye, Celestia leaves the building in which both ponies were planning the city's defense.
“Just look at the city Twilight, just look at it…” cried Celestia while she pointed to some of the destroyed buildings of Ponyville. Anger mixed with impotence could be heard in her tone.
“My duty was to protect all of you, but I’ve failed, I’ve failed my subjects, my family and now you,” said the white princess with tears on her eyes while she looked down at Twilight.
“I don’t deserve to wear this crown… I don’t deserve any of this luxury,” cried the Solar Princess while she cast away her crown and her golden necklace with the help of her magic.
The pain and the feelings were rushing inside Celestia’s mind and all what she could do was sit on the ground
“I… I could… I could’ve fought with them…” sobbed Celestia while she continued with her bitter crying.
“No Princess, none of this is your fault. There was nothing you or I could do so please, stop blaming yourself,”
“You know, I still remember the day when I received your letter, asking me to come to Canterlot immediately
“A chariot pulled by some of your pegasi guards was waiting for me outside the library and when I arrived at the city, the ponies were fleeing in one direction, all of them guided by you.”
“If it had not been for you princess, none of them would have escaped safely,” said the purple unicorn.
“Really…? Do you really think so?” asked Celestia, sobbing a little.
“Of course princess, all of them fled to safety in other cities and shelters thanks to your leadership so now is our turn to do all we can to defend ourselves.”
“Now we need our princess, our fair and kind ruler, to guide us in this our first, but not last, defense against the Dark King,” replied Twilight while she picked the royal crown and the golden necklace from the floor with her magic, putting them back on Celestia’s head and neck.
“You’re right Twilight, these ponies need somepony to rely on and now is not time to cry. It's time to fight back
Twilight using her magic again, approaches Celestia with a white tissue for her to wipe away her tears.
“Thank you Twilight, I really needed to talk with somepony,” said the Solar Princess while she smiled for the first time in months, and it was to Twilight, her only friend.
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie arrived from the northern part of the town, all of them wearing their respective Element of Harmony.
“All the ponies are evacuating Ponyville through the northern pass and now we can fight without worrying for them,” said Rainbow Dash with a grin on her face.
“Excellent, you all know what to do and remember, whatever happens do not break the position, understood?”
“Yes ma'am!” responded the five mares in unison.
In that moment, Rarity noticed that something was in the sky heading towards the circle of ponies from the horizon and it was gaining speed very quickly.
“Everypony, look!” shouted Rarity to the other ponies while she pointed at the object with her right hoof.
After a short instant, the mysterious object in the sky took the shape of one lunar guard carrying Princess Luna on his back.
The pair tried to land near the circle of ponies, however, they crashed on the ground due to their weight while attempting a maneuver to reduce their speed. Celestia trotted to their aid immediately, followed by Twilight and the other ponies.
The guard and the Lunar Princess were breathing very fast, a sign of their exhaustion.
“Griffin Lands… Fillydelphia… Las Pegasus… Deer Empire… and Dragon Alliance are lost, all of them defeated,” said Luna with anxiety and fear between her fast respirations.
“...an hour ago, Cloudsdale succumbed and there was nothing I could do. Huey helped me escape, I’m so sorry sister…” replied the Lunar Princess, this time, with tears in her eyes.
“Impossible! Are you sure?!” asked Celestia to her sister who was lying on the soft grass.
“It’s true your majesty, we barely escaped from Cloudsdale…” replied the exhausted guard.
“But… but there was something else princess, something I think I saw during the city siege that is too terrible to say…” said Huey when suddenly a loud crack came directly from the Everfree forest, interrupting his words.
Birds started to flee in all directions while some pines trees started to fall one by one. A dark cloud started to appear from above the tree line, moving very fast towards the town and their current position.
“It’s here… ” said Luna.
“Protect the villagers sister, please do what I was not able to…” replied Luna right before fainting over the green grass.
“Luna…? LUNA?!” asked desperately the Solar Princess, but no answer could be heard from her sister.
Twilight in that moment shot a few sparkles into the sky with her magic, giving the signal to Cheerile to toll the school’s bell as hard as she could. This was the signal for everypony to leave town immediately. Their last defense has started.
As the gloomy sound of the bell echoed throughout the city, all the remaining ponies started to panic and flee
“Luna, please sister, speak to me…” said Celestia with sorrow to her sister.
“Princess, it’s time to get into our positions,” said Twilight trying to focus Celestia’s attention in the battle plan they made. However, she could not see or think about anything else other than Luna, who lay unconscious in the grass.
“Don’t worry your majesty, I’ll take Princess Luna to a safe place,” said the lunar guard trying to calm the white alicorn. Celestia nodded and returned with Twilight and her friends into the half circle at the front entrance of Ponyville.
Huey took Luna and started to carry her away from the group of ponies when suddenly, Pinkie Pie approached them and after a brief exchange of words, both returned to their previous directions.
“I sent them to Sugar Cube Corner’s basement. They will be safe there,” said Pinkie to Celestia, trying to calm her too.
The dark cloud started to get closer to Ponyville and its size engulfed every pine tree in the forest. A laugh of some kind could be heard from the inside of the cloud, laughing louder and louder as it came closer.
“Alright mares, prepare your elements!” shouted Twilight as she and her friends formed a half moon position
The Elements of Harmony started to glow one by one on each pony's neck and after all of them were enlighten,
“Alright, as soon as the Dark King shows himself, I’ll shoot a beam of pure light right into him,” said Celestia with determination.
At that moment, the dark cloud started to exit the forest. From it, the laugh grew louder.
From very deep inside the cloud, a bluish light could barely be seen in the thick darkness.
“DO YOU REALLY THINK THOSE PUNY AND INSIGNIFICANT NECKLACES WOULD DEFEAT ME?” a gloomy voice bellowed from the inside of the dark cloud.
“WELL, WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!” bellowed the voice again, but this time, the distant light started to come closer and closer until it was right before them, making it's form recognizable.
“No… Twilight,” sighed Celestia. With horror the Solar Princess turned her face to Twilight’s, right before
*********
“Hey you, purple one. We are finally here, WAKE UP I SAY!” shouted an old unicorn stallion while he moved Twilight with his hoof.
After some effort trying to open her eyes, Twilight finally woke up and picked up a small bag with her magic.
“From here, what road should I take to Alicornia?” asked Twilight to the old stallion.
“That’s an easy one little pony. Just take the path that's paved with brown stones and you’ll be there in 2 days,
“I almost forgot, with how much you paid me, I'll let you take this lantern on your trip,” replied again the unicorn as he picked one from his wagon.
“Don’t worry, it’s already filled with enough oil for 3 days,” added the stallion.
“Thank you,” answered Twilight as she took it from him with her magic.
“I don’t know what intentions you have in Alicornia purple one, but let me warn you something about alicorns.
“In other words, Alicorns cannot be trusted, don’t forget that little pony!” shouted the old stallion as he put back on his saddle and started to trot away with his wagon.
The sound of the metal pans and spoons clanging together could be heard as the old merchant wagon started to move away.
Twilight stood still in the middle of the dirt path while she watched the old stallion trot away. When she couldn't see him anymore, she started her long path down the brown paved road as she was told to.
This road in particular was perfectly straight. It ran through a deep forest and over small rivers. However, it was longer than the day and before Twilight knew it, the night had appeared in the sky. This forced her to stop and make camp for the night.
From her bag, Twilight took out a blanket made with several pieces of cloth. She then filled her empty bag with leaves and grass, making what it appeared to be a rudimentary pillow.
The rusty lantern illuminated the hollow oak tree in which Twilight decided to spend her first night on the brown paved road. Before long, she drifted off to sleep. A new dream started to play in her mind.
“…where am I?” asked Twilight to herself as she woke up in the middle of a green prairie, surrounded by mountains in the distance.
“Celestia, where are you princess?”
“Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Spike?”
“Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie where are you?” asked again the unicorn.
No voice answered her cry. The blowing wind was the only thing she heard. Twilight looked around, but she couldn’t see a single soul, house, sign or road. She was completely alone in the middle of that natural beauty.
A storm could be heard in the distance. Gray clouds started to cover the blue sky. When she looked up,
Twilight started to run through the tall grass, looking for shelter. After a long trot through the prairie, she saw
The windmill was damaged and it gave Twilight the impression that it had been abandoned for a long time.
When Twilight finally arrived at the wooden door, she used her magic to open it.
Some leaks trickled down from the ceiling of the windmill. Twilight sealed a few of them with some wooden planks she found inside. Now the windmill was dry enough to shelter her for the rest of the storm.
With the leaks patched, Twilight decided to explore her temporary shelter. Beneath a pile of broken wooden cogs, the purple unicorn found what it appeared to be a chest. Twilight used her magic again to open it and see what it contained.
“An old used candle… a very old bag… a broken compass and what it appears to be a scroll map of some kind. Interesting…” said the purple unicorn to herself.
Twilight put a wooden plank over a barrel, forming a makeshift table for her so she could fully open the scroll map. As the map slowly opened, Twilight couldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing.
“This isn’t Equestria, this is… PONYA!!!” shouted the surprised unicorn.
In that moment everything started to fade just as Twilight opened her eyes again. Another dream about her past life ended, just like the ones she has been having since her arrival to Ponya many months ago.
Rested and ready to continue her journey, Twilight packed her things and her lantern back in the bag.
Just as the old merchant said, the talented unicorn spent two days traveling the path and finally by the sunset of day two, Alicornia and its famous Clock Tower could be seen from the distance.
“Finally, I’m almost there, almost there…” said Twilight to herself as she continued trotting towards the giant wooden city gates.
The storm finally stopped after a few hours, allowing Twilight to exit the ruined windmill. Before leaving,
As Twilight trotted away from the windmill, she couldn’t stop thinking about her discovery.
“I’ve never heard or read about a land called Ponya in any of my books, nor the cities that map indicated,”
After some time later, the old windmill couldn’t be seen anymore and the green prairie ended in front of a dense forest. Only pine trees could be seen, but no signs or roads again.
The unicorn felt lost so she decided to stop for a moment to take a look at the map once again.
“This black cross must be marking the location of that windmill, meaning that up here is this city called Aero.
“I guess that my only option is Reins Harbor. It is, apparently, the closest city to my current position,” said Twilight while looking at the old scroll map.
After putting the map back inside her bag, Twilight continued her path now inside the forest, hoping to find a road or a sign of some kind, something that could help her indicate in which direction she was trotting.
Many hours later, very deep in the forest, the gifted unicorn found what appeared to be a small river that ran between some of the trees’ roots. To see what direction the water was flowing, Twilight took a leaf with her snout to later drop it above the water.
When the leaf fell, it moved over the water to the left. Apparently to the same direction of the sun’s current position in the sky, meaning that the river flowed to the west which was the direction of Reins Harbor and the sea.
Now with some real information about where to go, Twilight followed the river bank in the same direction of the leaf until the sun disappeared in front of her and the moon appeared behind her.
Finally after a long and exhausting journey through the forest in the middle of the dark of the night, the purple unicorn reached the outskirts of Reins Harbor. A unicorn town dedicated to the sea and the commerce.
“Those lights, that must be Reins Harbor!” Twilight shouted with happiness as she trotted to the city entrance
As the gifted unicorn started to get closer and closer to the town square, music could be heard.
Merry laughs and music, accompanied with the sound of the sea, were the first familiar sounds Twilight
“Wow everypony, look at that nocturnal beauty over there!” shouted one of the musicians
“Hey you purple one, isn’t it too late for a beauty like you to walk alone in the city?” asked another musician
“Pardon me, but is this Reins Harbor?” asked Twilight to the trio of musicians as she approached to them.
After hearing those intrepid words, the musicians stop playing and smiling. Their look changed to a very serious one, making the silence prevail between them for a few moments right before breaking it with their laughs again.
“I’m afraid so purple one, this is the disgusting, old and salty town of REINS HARBOR!!!” shouted all three musicians at the same time while they continued playing their instruments.
“Excuse me, but I’m… I’m new in town so can you please tell me where’s the Town Hall or where can I find your mayor?” asked Twilight to the musicians.
“Sorry purple one, in here we don’t have Town Halls or mayors. We only have a forepony called Mr. Mallord.
“Thank you,” said Twilight as she trotted away from the musicians.
As the purple unicorn cantered through the streets of the town, she started to think about the musician’s words. Another thing that caught Twilight’s attention was the style and architecture of the city. It reminded her of Trottingham, also a unicorn town dedicated to the sea commerce.
Some moments later, at the end of the street near to a quay, a very tall and black frameworked Inn was standing in front of her. The building was three stories high in some parts of it and it seemed more like a mansion rather than an Inn.
Twilight opened the doors with her magic and just when she put a hoof inside, a loud creak came out from the wooden floor and it echoed inside the building. The sound was only responded by a loud shout from the other side of the room.
“I’M SORRY DEAR, BUT THE INN IS FULL FOR THE WEEKEND,” shouted a voice with anger.
The purple unicorn couldn’t help notice something special about the voice that replied to her rash entrance. Its tone, making her think something she was about to prove.
“I’m sorry, I’ll return later… Rarity,” replied Twilight, hoping to see what happened next to such daring answer.
“Don’t worry dear, I forgot to put the sign outside the door,” replied again the very feminine voice, now with a nicer tone.
There was no doubt about it, that pony was Rarity and Twilight could only feel happiness because she finally found one of her friends, at least that was what she thought at the beginning.
“Canterlot”, “Carousel boutique” and “Ponyville” were a few words that appeared in the enigmatic conversation between the two former friends. All those words, all those places now seemed strange to this Rarity because they were, somehow, memories of things that had never happened for her.
“Oh dear, I don’t know what to say because I have never seen you before in my entire life. But you speak about me and those places you know so vividly that it makes me feel intrigued,” said Rarity while she was listening to Twilight’s speech.
“Diamonds are my favorite jewel, that’s no secret because my cutie mark has seven of them, but my attraction to fire rubies as the way you describe it, is something impossible for you to know. I mean, not even my friends know about that!”
“And if you, somehow, know so well my personal likes, then that means that your story is true… somehow, I guess. However, I can’t explain why you are here or why you still have those memories about us being friends in… Ponyville,” the white unicorn replied doubtfully.
“Me neither Rarity, because this doesn’t makes any sense and I was hoping that finding one of you would give me the answer to this problem,” said a very disappointed Twilight.
“I appeared in the middle of a green prairie when a storm was just about to begin. So I trotted away searching for a shelter when I found an old windmill in ruins. In it, I found this map…” said the purple unicorn while she took out the scroll map with the help of her magic.
“I assumed that the X marked the windmill’s position, so I decided to go here because it was the nearest city.”
“Finding you was something out of my plans, because honestly, I didn’t know what to expect or do after I arrived in here,” said Twilight.
“And you did good dear, because Aero is a city that no earth or unicorn pony has ever seen or set hoof in. Pegasi are no longer seen around these days, not like in that Ponyville of yours.”
“Alicornia, on the contrary, is a city forbidden for any of us because only alicorns are allowed to live there. All the other races have not been welcome since ancient times. That’s what I’ve heard from the travelers that have stayed in my Inn.”
“And now, about this right section of your map. This is what we all call The Wilds. A land unknown to any of us because no pony has ever travelled that far and the races that might live there are, well, unknown,” replied Rarity while watching and pointing the map with her left hoof.
“If I appeared in this land and you are also here, then that means that probably the rest of our friends are in other cities. And maybe, just maybe, I could find Princess Celestia and Princess Luna down here in the south, in Alicornia,” said Twilight while she pointed now with her hoof the scroll map.
“Probably yes darling… I’m not sure,” replied the generous pony.
For a small moment, the former friends stood in silence while they looked at the map, thinking about all the words both have said in such short time.
Finding Rarity was pure coincidence for Twilight, but to find the rest of her friends and probably the princesses in such far and scattered places, sounded very risky and there was no guarantee of actually finding them if Twilight decided to travel around Ponya.
A new dilemma appeared in front of Twilight, but this time, the solution didn't seem clear. There was no map or guide of what she should do in order to not only understand why she was in there, but to also to find a way to return to what she called home, Equestria.
However, from all the possible risks and guessing, the location of Celestia and Luna in Alicornia was something that looked more accurate. After all, Rarity revealed that such city only contained alicorn citizens.
The night went on while the both former friends continued talking about Equestria and how the other Rarity liked to make the most superb and elegant dresses anypony had ever seen. The talk ended when the moon disappeared across the horizon, giving space to the sun to claim his throne up in the blue sky once again.
“I guess you don’t have anywhere to stay or go, right Twilight? So why don’t you stay and I’ll give you your own room and even a job if you want. So, what do you say?” asked Rarity with happiness.
“You can use the money I’ll pay you to hire some merchant to take you with him around Ponya while you search for the rest of us. Who knows, you might even enter Alicornia and find these princesses of yours. By the way, unicorn merchants are the only ones allowed to enter the Eternal City,” said the white unicorn.
“Thank you Rarity, I’d be more than honored to accept working with you. It's curious how your former self and now you, are both generous with the others,” replied Twilight with affection.
Now with a place to stay and with a plan, Twilight decided to stay in Reins Harbor with Rarity. She would stay until she had gathered enough money in order to pay a journey throughout Ponya.
After working very hard in the Inn and in the dockyards lifting barrels, making dinners and cleaning some windows for three months, Twilight gathered the money to pay her first trip around Ponya and probably, her trip to return home.
“Well Twilight, after all these months together, I'm happy to have had the opportunity of meeting you. Now we are best friends, again, but seeing you leave today is something hard for me to accept… But you have to find your friends and return to where you belong, your home in Equestria.”
“I’m pretty sure that with your intelligence and talent, you’ll have no problems out there… But in case you don’t succeed, you’ll always be welcome in here,” said Rarity with some tears in her eyes.
“We may never see each other again, but I’ll always remind you as the pony who came from Equestria, where ponies of all kinds live together in harmony and peace.”
“Until next time Twilight, so long…” said for the last time Rarity while she waved at Twilight, who was now on board of a merchant wagon destined to Gallop Town, an earth pony town inside The Wilds.
Reins Harbor and all its experiences now were memories, alongside other ones inside Twilight’s mind.
*********
Twilight spent many months traveling around Ponya. Many ponies, many cities and many experiences appeared during her quest while she searched for her friends in that new mysterious land.
From Deer Lands to Aero, from Griffin to Dragonia, the talented unicorn visited every town and city she could. Sleeping inside hollowed trees or outside the cities’ walls, working as a cargo pony or teacher, Twilight gathered more money to continue funding her quest.
Sometimes, in her dreams, the purple pony could see her old friends and all her memories from her house in the library. Her days of childhood with Cadence or the days she used to spend with her mother visiting her family at the beach.
Every time these dreams ended, Twilight couldn’t help to drop a tear right before packing her things and continuing with her travels. There was no time or room for the busy pony to surrender and cry because she had a quest to fulfill.
Occasionally, between the stops, Twilight liked to talk with her merchant partners about her past in Equestria and all the things she learned about friendship. These talks ended in big smiles or laughs from the talented pony's audience, because after all, some ponies couldn’t buy the idea of different ponies living together.
After traveling to uncountable places, one day outside a furniture store in Uninopolis, the gifted unicorn heard a merchant talking about travelling back to his home nearby the famous brown paved road that lead straight to Alicornia. For the first time in months, Twilight found a real opportunity of traveling to the city of the alicorns.
Some words were interchanged between the old merchant and the purple pony and after getting an agreement of a payment of 100 tails for the trip, the final part of Twilight’s quest was about to begin.
Two weeks and a half were spent to finally arrive to what someponies called “the hard gates”, better known as the front gates of Alicornia.
The feelings of the distant dark days in Equestria, her arrival to Ponya in the middle of a prairie, finding one of her friends and meeting all the ponies that went on and off during her travels around Ponya, started to pop inside Twilight’s mind while she gazed up at the massive and ancient wooden doors of the Eternal City.
All her effort, all her worries and all her hopes tied in one single thought, the possibility of finally finding Celestia and Luna inside the city and probably, her only chance to return home. Despite her previous failures attempting to find her friends again, Twilight remained hopeful because this was the only place she hasn’t visited before.
Armed with courage, Twilight knocked at the small wooden door carved inside the great walls. After a small moment, one alicorn guard opened the tiny peephole.
“Too late little pony, the market is now closed so if you want to sell your goods inside, you’ll have to return tomorrow at first hour in the morning just like the rest of your pony partners,” said the guard.
“Well, I’m not a merchant, but I’m looking for two alicorns that might live in here,” replied Twilight to the guard.
“Yeah right, like if of one of you is a friend with one of us. I’ve been guarding these gates for over 900 years and I’ve never heard such silly story.”
“Go away and stop bothering little pony,” said the guard right before closing the tiny peephole in a rush.
“If I tell you their names, will you believe me?” asked Twilight, hoping to be heard.
The peephole opened again, just like it closed a few seconds ago, in a rush.
“Well, this is going to be interesting because I know the names of every alicorn that lives inside our city. Go ahead and try, amuse me with your ignorance,” said the alicorn guard to Twilight.
“If what you’re saying is right mister, then you should know the ones I’m looking for. A white tall female alicorn with a multicolored mane with a sun in her flank called Celestia. She and her small sister called Luna, this one with a moon in her flank,” replied the gifted unicorn to the guard’s challenge.
“Nice try pony, very nice indeed but there’s no one in here with a multicolored mane or a moon as her cutie mark. By the way, we're all are tall in here because we are alicorns you foal!” said the guard for the last time right before closing the door of the peephole again.
No matter what else Twilight tried to tell them, the guard didn’t open the door again, forcing her to retreat away because the night was about to begin.
Under a short cedar tree very near to the stone bridge that led to the city gates, Twilight prepared herself to go to sleep using her pillow full of leaves and her patched blanket once again. The sound of the Clock Tower’s bells could be perfectly heard, even at the distance of the talented unicorn’s position.
Right before losing her consciousness, Twilight heard a very familiar voice that immediately made her stand. This voice was recognizable for her because she has heard it since she was a little filly, it was Celestia’s voice.
“Thank you and see ya on Monday. I’ll bring you fresh bread from the bakery,” said the white alicorn to the door’s guards as she exited the city.
Due to the darkness of the night, Twilight’s vision was troubled and she couldn’t identify if Celestia was alone or accompanied. Still, thanks to the gates’ torches, Twilight was able to recognize her tall slim silhouette crossing the bridge.
Was she a princess? Would she remember Twilight? All this questions were boiling inside the purple unicorn’s mind and after all the months she has spent searching for her, it was time to seek some answers.
Twilight followed Celestia with caution. She didn’t want to scare her with her presence because, after all, she was just a stranger in the middle of the night following her with unknown reasons.
After trotting for ten minutes, the alicorn exited the dirt path and entered a garden surrounded by a short wooden wall. After crossing the small garden, Celestia entered into the house at the end of it.
Twilight in a rush opened the garden’s tiny door, crossed the garden and knocked the door of the house. After some time later, the door opened with magic.
There was no doubt about it, that house belonged to Celestia because in front of the little pony, there stood the Solar Princess in the door, looking down at her with curiosity.
The expression of Twilight was more than happiness, because after all her efforts and time spent, she finally found the pony that might have the answers to solve the mystery of Ponya and the uncertain fate of Equestria.
“Princess Celestia, finally, I’ve found you….” said Twilight to the white alicorn as tears of happiness came out from her eyes.
A deep silence between the two ponies emerged, to be accompanied only with the sound of the crickets, the owls hooting and a full Moon up in the sky because the real night was about to begin
The sun appears in the horizon, showing its first warm sunbeams to fade the cold darkness from the previous night. Light starts to cover every mount and valley, every house and palace from east to west leaving no place without light.
The arrangement of colors and temperature has marked the beginning of a new day, a new day in Ponya and once again, Alicornia opens its doors to receive all the merchants and travelers that are seeking for an opportunity in the big city, the City of the Alicorns.
Many wagons full of precious items forms a perfect line outside the city, all of them waiting to be granted the pass to enter and sell their goods in the marketplace, the heart commerce of Ponya.
“Were they in the main road or the eastern road?”
“Perhaps… no, I’ll take the main road,” said a white alicorn to herself right before entering the main path, she was leaving her home. This path is made of brown stones that lead directly to the Alicornia’s main gates.
Right before reaching a stone bridge near a river, the tall alicorn finally sees what she was looking for, a bunch of colored flowers that lied beneath an old pine tree, very close to the river bank.
With lots of caution and leaving a box she was carrying in one side of the path, the eternal being approaches to the tree and takes some scissors out from one of her pockets. She is using a colored apron.
One by one, she cuts a total of seven flowers, forming a small colored bouquet with them using her magic. She keeps the scissors and the bouquet inside her apron and grabs the box she was carrying, continuing her path towards the city.
“Hello, it’s nice to see you again because… well, where would I go to buy my favorite carrot cake if it’s not in your bakery?” asked one of the front doors’ guard, a gray old alicorn while he smiled at the pony with the box.
“And speaking about cakes, may I ask you which one are you talking with you today?” asked again the guard.
“This one is a strawberry cake, but it’s not finished because I run out of strawberries at home,” replied the white alicorn.
“I see, well, if you do a carrot one please let me know,” said the guard while he opened the wooden gate with his magic, allowing her to enter the city. The eternal being just smiled and nodded while she trotted away from him.
One of the many things that Alicornia is known for around the wild lands of Ponya, is for being the only modern city because it contains a complete sewerage system, many beautiful fountains in every garden, libraries full of books, academies ready to receive students and most importantly, a Clock tower that is the symbol and proud of the city from ancient times.
The city is home of many alicorns, but not home of other type of ponies such as unicorns or pegasi because alicorns, as a society, are a very close one that doesn’t like to receive foreigners beyond the business relations of the marketplace.
Knowing that, the white alicorn decided to approach to a crying blue unicorn that was lying in the floor of the marketplace. She was crying because one of her wagon’s wheels was broken and nopony was hearing her calls for help.
“Excuse me, but I couldn’t help noticing that you have a broken wheel. Mind if I take a look?” said the tall alicorn to the small blue unicorn in the ground.
“N-no, not at all… thank you,” replied the sobbing pony.
“I see the problem, the axis is chipped and that broke the wheel…”
“It needs to be replaced. So, if you want, I can give you the one of my cart. It’s over there in that bakery of the third corner,” said the eternal being.
“Really…? And how much would it cost me?” asked the sad unicorn.
“Oh no, I wouldn’t dare to charge you so please, accept it for free. What do you say?” replied the eternal being.
“In that case I’ll accept your generous offer, thank you,” said the little unicorn.
Both ponies pulled the broken wagon over the bakery’s back alley while the other alicorns of the street watched them surprised and confused. These kinds of scenes are not very common inside the Eternal City.
“While I change the axis, would you like a slice of cake while you wait?” asked the alicorn to the little blue pony.
“Oh no, I’m causing you enough troubles for today and now I’m delaying you from opening your store,” replied the unicorn.
“Don’t say that, it’s not a problem and I’m happy to help you. Please, go inside and tell me what slice you would like,” said the tall alicorn while she opened her store’s door with the help of her magic.
“Baked Dreams” is what the wooden hanging sign of the bakery said in pink letters, right above the large glass shopfronts of the building. Inside the store, the unicorn pony couldn’t help noticing all the details and decorations such site contained.
“My bakery is always open from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 21:00 in case you’re interested little pony. Now, what slice would you like?” asked the white alicorn.
“I… I don’t know. What cakes do you have in your store?”
“Today I’m selling chocolate, vanilla and mint cakes. And perhaps a strawberry one if I find more of them to finish it,” said the eternal being while she put her box over a table.
“By the way, do you think these flowers I just cut from the road would look beautiful if I put them in here near the window?”
“I guess… but you mentioned something about strawberries. If that’s so, well, what a coincidence because one of the many things I like to bring for trading are strawberries.”
“So, what about if I trade your axis for 27 pounds of my finest strawberries? They come directly from Uninopolis,” suggested the little unicorn.
“...I would feel a lot better if I can give you something as a payment of your kindness, so please accept them.”
“By the way, what is your name… if you don’t mind telling me?” asked the unicorn before exiting the store towards her broken wagon that lay in the back alley.
“My name is Celestia, and yours?” replied the alicorn with a smile on her face while she put the flower bouquet inside a jar with water near a window.
“I’m Trixie, nice to meet you Celestia,” said the unicorn, replying also with a smile.
From that moment forth, time flowed like water and just when the Clock Tower’s hour hand struck 18:00, the powerful bells of the ancient machine were heard throughout the city, marking the end of another day.
In the western gate of the city, Celestia and Trixie prepared to say goodbye to each other because now they were friends. Her wagon now was fixed thanks to the help and kindness of the eternal being.
“Thank you so much for your help today, I’ll not forget your kindness Celestia and perhaps we might meet again in the future,” said Trixie.
“Yes, perhaps… why not?” replied Celestia with a smile on her face.
Trixie started to trot away into the horizon as she pulled her wagon with her, followed only by the sun and after a few moments later, both could not be seen anymore.
The impending darkness of the night returned and it was time for Celestia to return inside the city, there was work to do in her store.
The tall alicorn started to think about her new friend as she trotted towards her bakery through the gray streets of the city. All she could think about was all the amazing stories about all the places Trixie has visited during her travels.
After the slow trotting, Celestia reached her store again. Before entering, the “CLOSE” sign is put at the door’s glass as she opens the door with her magic.
The light over some candles starts to enlighten the dark interior of the store because the alicorn was about to spend the rest of the night finishing her newest cake for tomorrow’s customers.
The majestic Clock Tower, now covered with the veil of the moon’s light reflection, struck 22:00 and its bells echoed again. This happened right before Celestia proudly finished the sweet treat she has been working on for several hours.
After saying goodbye to her guard friends at the entrance, Celestia finally was heading back home in the middle of the night. Her path was illuminated only by the fireflies on each side of the road.
Celestia finally was back and inside her house, she prepares herself to go to bed when suddenly, somepony starts knocking at her door.
“Who could that be?” said Celestia right before trotting to the entrance. After opening the door with the help of her magic, the white alicorn gazed down at the purple unicorn pony that was standing in front of her.
“Princess Celestia, finally, I’ve found you….” said the little pony with tears on her eyes while she gazed up at her.
*********
The sound of the crickets chirping and the owls of the nearby forest hooting, were the only noises that could be heard after the enunciation of Twilight’s words.
The Moon continued up in the night sky, being the only witness of the mysterious meeting between the two ponies, the two former friends in Equestria.
“I’m sorry little pony, but I’m no princess and I don’t know who you are or why are you here. Perhaps you are mistaken with the address and the pony you were looking for is in other place.”
“Sorry, but I can’t help you,” said the eternal being right before trying to close the door with her magic. Twilight, in a rush, put her hoof in the door’s frame to stop Celestia’s attempt.
“Wait princess! I know that my presence might look strange to you and my intentions are unclear, but I know who you’re so if you just let me…”
“I’m sorry, really I am, but I have never seen you before in my entire life and it’s already late. Sorry…” replied Celestia for the last time right before closing the door in front of Twilight.
Twilight tried to speak through the door but after seeing that the white alicorn refused to answer, she decided to leave her house and return to the tree where she left her things right before she followed Celestia.
As the talented unicorn trotted away disappointed, Celestia was looking at her through one of her window’s curtains, wondering why she knew her name and why she insisted in calling her a princess when she wasn’t one.
Twilight gathered all her things back into the old bag. She returned to the house of the white alicorn but this time, the purple unicorn was about to try a new strategy to force Celestia to listen to her.
Instead of knocking the door again, Twilight decided to sit down in front of her garden’s entrance and remain there, just sitting. Her look was directed to the forest trees in front of her, not to the house.
Celestia continued looking at her through the curtains and she couldn’t believe that an unknown pony refused to leave until she had spoken with her.
“I can’t leave her outside in this cold… but I don’t know her intentions. She knew my name… even though I’ve never seen her before. There’s something special in her, something very strong I’ve never felt before…” said the white alicorn to herself as she continued looking at the gifted unicorn.
Twilight still felt tired for crossing the brown path, so she couldn’t help falling asleep while she continued waiting for Celestia outside her house. The cold of the night battled against the anxiety of finally finding Celestia, making her stay instead of leaving to find a better place to sleep and try again some other day.
“No… I must stay, Celestia is… here,” babbled the unicorn pony.
The tiredness in Twilight’s mind and body started to win and just when the small pony was about to quit, a blanket covered her back. Celestia finally exited her home and brought a blanket to the little pony, inviting her to enter her home.
“Please, enter and I’ll give you a room for you to spend the night purple one,” said Celestia while she helped Twilight trot inside the house.
The white alicorn carried the almost unconscious unicorn to one of her house’s spare rooms. After putting her in a lone bed, Celestia covered her with a soft blanket and trotted way, leaving her alone to sleep in peace.
“Thank you… princess,” babbled Twilight for the last time before getting asleep.
Celestia smiled and closed the room’s door with her magic.
*********
Some birds started to sing as the dawn of a new day arrived slowly from the depths of the landscape. Twilight waked up after such difficult night and the first thing she saw in front of her, was a small table with a breakfast on it, accompanied by a magicwritten note of Celestia.
“GOOD MORNING LITTLE PONY, I PREPARED YOU SOME BREAKFAST.
HOPE YOU LIKE IT AND DON’T WORRY, YOUR THINGS ARE INSIDE THE NIGHT TABLE RIGHT TO YOU.
I’LL BE WAITING FOR YOU IN THE BACKYARD BECAUSE I’M MORE THAN INTERESTED IN TALKING WITH YOU. -CELESTIA ♥”
After eating the delicious breakfast the alicorn prepared, Twilight went downstairs.
The talented pony couldn’t help gaze at all the things that were inside the house. Flower bouquets, colored carpets, wooden rustic tables and lots of paintings decorated the interior, very different to what Twilight was wonted whenever she visited the Canterlot’s Palace back in Equestria.
These decorations felt so cozy and so beautiful that Twilight couldn’t believe it was Celestia’s house.
“Hey there, I’m over here in the garden!” shout the eternal being inviting her to come closer while she pruned a flower bush in her backyard.
Twilight exited the house and started to trot towards the former Solar Princess, who was wearing a very colorful apron just like the day before.
“My, princess... your mane is black and your cutie mark… your cutie mark now is a heart,” said Twilight because for the first time since her arrival, she finally was looking at the other Celestia.
“Hey, about that, I would like to know why do you keep calling me a princess and why do you know my name?” asked Celestia with a spirit of inquiry while she continued with her gardening duties.
“Before I answer you princess…”
“Celestia, please.”
“Sorry, Celestia, I would like to know why did you help me last night? I thought you didn’t care,” replied the talented unicorn.
“Well dear, I felt bad about leaving you outside in the cold. Besides, you seem to know me from somewhere even when I can’t recall you. It would’ve been wrong to treat you like that, whoever you were to me,” said the eternal being.
“I see.”
“Now that I’ve answered your question, will you now answer mine?” asked again Celestia while she continued working in her garden.
“Seems fair… but before I tell you my name and who I’m or where do I come from, let me warn you that what I’m about to tell you might sound crazy and strange, but it’s the truth…” replied Twilight with a little fear about her host’s reaction.
“Ok…” replied Celestia, turning her face to Twilight as she stopped from doing her previous activity. Her full attention now was focused to hear the little pony’s story.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle and you’re princess Celestia, the Ruler of Equestria…”
*********
“Wow Twilight, your Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness recipe was a total success in my bakery!”
“Everypony is asking me for one, even the wife of the city’s mayor and it's all thanks to you and your good advices,” said Celestia with a smile to Twilight.
“I’m happy to know that princess, but the real credit goes for my friend Pinkie Pie and her bosses’ bakery talents. She only taught it to me as I taught it to you,” replied with nostalgia the gifted unicorn.
“I’m pretty sure she’d be proud of seeing how everypony enjoys her delicious recipes. Because if it wasn’t for her, my bakery wouldn’t be as successful as it has been for these months. ”
“And precisely about that Twilight, as a small gift to thank you for your help, I brought you some of the books you asked me for from the public library. To be honest, I’ve never entered it there in all these centuries,” said the white alicorn as she put the old books in front of Twilight using her magic.
“Mr. Fenderson told me your maps would arrive in a few days because the ones you want are quite rare, so please be patient.”
“Oh yes, I almost forgot. I took the liberty of buying you some quills, ink and even some paper scrolls so you can do all the notes you want. I’m pretty sure you don’t need my help, but in case you need an extra helping hoof, I’ll always be around for you,” added the alicorn while she put with her magic too the last items in front of the gifted unicorn.
“Thank you princess… I mean Celestia. I really mean it because now I’ll be able to start studying the reasons of my arrival. I’m pretty sure that there must be a clue somewhere in these history books that’ll lead me to an answer,” replied Twilight.
“No need to thank me sweetie, I’m happy to help you in what I can,” said a very happy Celestia with zest to reply the small pony words.
“I’ll be in the kitchen preparing dinner and who knows, maybe I’ll do your favorite one…” giggled the eternal being right before leaving the small living room with Twilight and the pile of books.
As soon as the former solar princess left the room, Twilight couldn’t help start thinking about this “other” Celestia and how different she was from her former self while she gazed at the dancing fire inside the stone fireplace of the house.
All the time Twilight spent with Princess Celestia, was only during her studies and classes in the School for Gifted Unicorns
There were some special events, like the Hearth’s Warming Eve festivities, when Twilight returned home with her parents and brother in order to celebrate the holidays with them rather than staying with Celestia in the Academy or the palace.
In all her years of studies and “closeness” to the former Solar Princess, Twilight never had a real opportunity of knowing her a little better and deeper. Not until she started living with her, this “other” Celestia.
Since her first Summer Sun Celebration, Celestia meant to Twilight a symbol of courage, honor and loyalty, making her a hero of some kind for the gifted unicorn, inspiring her studies when she was a little filly.
In the end, the differences between the two alicorns were more than just the different activities both ponies could perform,
But there was something else, something she started to notice with the time spent living in there, the kindness in the eternal being. No matter what different activities each one of these alicorns were involved in, they always showed kindness and wisdom towards the others.
These were the ideas that roamed inside the gifted unicorn’s mind as she continued gazing at the dangerous dance of the flames inside the stone prison.
While Twilight watched this spectacle, on the other side of the house, Celestia could be seen baking some dough inside a bowl with her magic while she whistled a very sweet tune.
“Dinner’s ready!” shouted Celestia with happiness after a couple of minutes of hard work in the kitchen. The interior of the house started to smell delicious.
The sweet call for food made Twilight retract from her trance, making her put away with the help of her magic some of the lent books Celestia brought from the library in order to get up.
“Thanks, I’m coming,” replied Twilight with a big smile and an empty stomach.
Frogs are swimming in the nearby ponds and birds are flying between the old rooftops of Alicornia. Green grass and small rivers covers the entire region. The sun looks radiant from the heights because all the fluffy clouds have just sailed away into the horizon.
This beautiful landscape soon reaches its end because storm clouds start to cover the once blue sky above the city of alicorns. Just as the storm messengers cover the region, the giant stone Clock Tower struck 15:00, making its bells be heard throughout the entire city.
At the same time the chimes echo, some alicorns canter through the streets towards the Great Square in front of the royal palace, north town. The ambience is soaked with curiosity and fears, ignoring the weather above them.
“That’d be 20 wings, please,” said Celestia with a smile to a customer who intended to buy a chocolate cake from her bakery.
“Sorry Luke, but do you know where is everypony heading?” asked the eternal being to her customer while she grabbed the golden coins with the help of her magic.
“Didn’t you hear? Today at 15:30 the town mayor is going to tell us if we enter into the war or not. Everypony has been talking about that the entire week since the kidnapping,” replied the surprised customer to his friend.
“I see, thank you Luke,” replied the white alicorn with sadness.
Just as the young customer left, Celestia started to think about the words she just heard. She couldn’t help feeling worried. A war, after all, sounded like a very serious problem for the entire region to her.
To find out more about the city’s decision, the eternal being decided to close her bakery and follow the crowd to see what she could find out from the gathering north town.
“Please everypony, quiet, quiet now!!!” shouted the town mayor to the crowd, standing in a rudimentary podium made of some wooden crates and barrels so everypony could see him.
“The decision has already been made, because as we all know, Alicornia...” said the mayor, trying to explain what it appeared to be some sort of paper scroll nailed to a stone column behind him.
Celestia finally arrived to the square, but due to the quantity of villagers gathered in there, the white alicorn stood very far from the stone column in the middle. This caused her to have some trouble in hearing the mayor speak.
“What? What is he saying?” asked Celestia.
“Hush now, I can't hear with you talking!” replied a nearby alicorn.
Abruptly, everypony started shouting all manner of things at the mayor. The mayor just flew back to the palace behind him with his guards. Some alicorns started to retreat away from the square while others started to discuss between themselves.
In the middle of the bitter arguments, Celestia trotted towards the stone column because she wanted to read what the paper scroll contained. Up in the gray sky above them, a thick rain started to fall gradually over the crowd in the square, making all the disputes disappear because everypony started to retreat.
The white alicorn continued with her slow trot towards the column in the middle of the storm, standing right there where everypony had just left. In big black painted letters, a menacing title informed Celestia the decision the city has made.
“WAR!” the wet scroll map stated.
“Oh, no…” said Celestia to herself. She could only sit over the wet tiles of the floor as she regretted the decision of her fellow villagers. Mistaken as raindrops, tears came out from her big eyes.
The rain continued falling from the heights and from the distance, the Clock Tower’s bells started to be heard once again. This time, its sweet tune was silenced by the powerful strokes of the thunders.
*********
Not much is known about alicorns and why these mystical creatures possess the abilities and strength of all the different kind of ponies. But it’s said that Alicornia was founded centuries ago when a young alicorn found an unclaimed evergreen land in the Wilds surrounded by forests and crystal rivers.
The young alicorn invited his equals to found a city in the discovered land and it was then when the great empire of the alicorns started. All the different and scattered alicorn tribes from Ponya finally found a single place to make their homes with their families.
As a reward for his noble acts, the young alicorn was chosen to rule the new city as the Emperor of the alicorns. Since then, he has ruled the land as the only legitimate deity for the task.
Over time, Alicornia growth in wealth and power, making it a target for the western nomad unicorn tribes or the pegasi pirates from north. The city, soon, built walls and formed an army to defend itself from the raids.
From all the attacks the city has suffered, the most remembered one is the Great Fire of the year 735 of the fourth age. Started by earth ponies merchants, the fire consumed the city and the royal palace in hours, leaving only the exterior walls standing.
When the emperor and his fellow villagers returned to the city remains, they found a brown stone from the old palace which survived the heat from the fire. The stone was intact and its colors were still vivid despite the charcoal over it.
With it, the ancient Clock Tower was built alongside with the reconstruction of the city. The Clock was meant to be a symbol of pride and hope for the alicorn race because “no matter how grim things could be, there’ll be always hope of a better future as long as we have faith in ourselves…” read Twilight in a history book Celestia brought for her.
“Wow, so that’s the meaning of the Clock Tower for them….” said Twilight to herself as she closed the book with her magic. Amazed with the story, the talented unicorn stood there for a moment to think about what she had just read.
Suddenly, the house’s door was opened and Celestia entered.
“You’re back!” shout Twilight with excitement as she got up from the carpet and trotted towards the former solar princess.
“I was reading the history of your city and it’s surprisingly similar to Canterlot’s…”
“Princess, you’re all wet, what’s wrong?” asked Twilight as she looked up at Celestia’s sad face. The eternal being’s face reminded her of the sad look on the other Celestia when they were in Ponyville.
“I’ve some terrible news Twilight….” said the white alicorn with sorrow.
*********
No bird, cricket, frog or owl could be seen or heard since the official announcement of the Eternal City's involvement in the war against other cities. Now, the only thing one pony could hear was the metal hooves of the soldiers striking the ground as they cantered through the city streets and its exterior paths.
One of the many things that also changed since the war declaration, was the permanent prohibition of unicorns inside the city whether they were merchants or not. The once crowded Market Place became a desert, rarely stepped in by even citizens of the city.
The lack of commerce brought a famine for all the shops in Alicornia, because commerce was their only way of getting raw materials to work with. Many stores were forced to close and many others seemed to be heading to the same ending. Only one month had passed.
Luckily, Baked Dreams was one of the few stores that still were able to sell their goods during these hard times. With Celestia’s bakery being the only one available in the entire city, her work started to double, making her need more help.
“But princess, I mean Celestia, I’ve no bakery talents like you do. I’m only good at reading, practicing spells and even making experiments but no baking, trust me,” said the gifted unicorn to Celestia in the living room of the house.
“I know you’re good at studying, I’ve seen it, but I really need some help. Please, it’d mean a lot to me because I’ve always wanted to teach somepony else what I can do,” replied the tall alicorn with a smile to Twilight.
“Alright Celestia, I’ll do it but I’ll need some lessons first or something because I don’t know anything about cakes, cookies or bread…”
“Ha-ha, of course little one!”
*********
“Thank you for coming, enjoy your cake!” shout Celestia to a customer while she waved at him from the bakery’s door.
When the customer couldn’t be seen anymore, the white alicorn looked both ways before getting in. The door closed with the help of her magic. Purple drapes came down from the ceiling to cover every window and front shop of the bakery. The store’s front and backdoor were locked.
“Alright Twilight now it’s safe, you can come out,” said Celestia.
From a wooden cabinet inside the kitchen, the talented unicorn came out from her hiding spot. Twilight had been helping Celestia for two weeks now in her bakery. Whether cakes or cookies, the purple unicorn learnt to make all kind of baked sweets thanks to the lessons of Celestia.
“Wow princess, I still can’t believe how many ponies you’ve met because you always call them by their names,” said with excitement the purple pony.
“Well of course Twilight, because when you have a store for as long as this one, you get the chance of meeting everypony. Sometimes, you can even get to know their likes, dislikes and even hobbies,” replied Celestia with a smile.
“For example, Mach likes to carve birds in small pieces of wood to kill time. Theo hates mint, but his wife loves it so whenever he buys some cookies for her, I like to include some butter cookies for him to enjoy at home.”
“Everypony is different and everypony has something to offer, even when we sometimes can’t see it…” said Celestia, this time, with a little sadness.
Twilight noticed her change of attitude because her face took on a very serious tone. The talented unicorn started to notice some time ago this kind of behavior in her friend whenever they started talking about themselves.
“Princess, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you since I first met you, but I’ve been afraid of asking you because it might hurt your feelings…” said Twilight with a serious expression on her face, caring about Celestia’s reaction.
“I know what you’re going to ask me, I can feel it, but I don’t want to talk about it…” replied the tall alicorn, moving her face in other direction trying to avoid looking at Twilight. Her voice now sounded sadder than a few moments ago.
“I’ve tried not to mention it to you hoping you would never ask me, but whenever you talked about it in your stories of Equestria and Canterlot, I understood that my efforts were futile because you already know about it…”
“From that moment forth, I tried not to show you my true feelings every time I heard your stories… but I guess I can’t hide forever…”
“Princess, where’s your sister Luna? Why isn’t she with you or in this city?”
“What happened with her?” asked Twilight.
“Luna… Luna was my little sister, just like in your stories but many centuries ago, one day, she started to feel overshadowed by me… so she decided to escape from our home,” said Celestia with tears on her eyes, this time, looking down at Twilight.
“That was a thousand years ago I think… since then, I’ve never seen her again and I don’t know where she is or what does she does these days…”
“I’ve thought many times in selling all of my possessions like this bakery and my house in order to travel around Ponya and search for her. But whenever I was about to do it, my mind reminded me that outside these walls, we are not welcome in any city because we are considered their enemies for some reason.”
“Also if I moved to another city or place, I thought, she’d never find me so I decided to stay and never leave Alicornia since then. The months became years and the years centuries and just like that, before I knew it, a thousand years passed right before my eyes.”
“But then, when I started to lose hope, you appeared one day in front of my house telling me you know me from a place called Equestria in which I was a princess alongside Luna, my sister.”
“I secretly enjoyed hearing your stories because I could picture her with me in that Summer Sun Celebration or at Nightmare’s Night. But I always ended remembering that these memories weren’t part of my reality…”
“Oh princess, I’m sorry,” said Twilight as she hugged Celestia, trying to relieve the pain from her mind just like she did some time ago in Ponyville right before her arrival.
“Don’t be little one, I might look sad but I feel better, somehow… curious,” said the eternal being with a smile on her face again while she cleaned her tears with a tissue.
“Thank you Twilight, I really needed to talk with somepony…”
*********
A full moon watches over the night sky of Alicornia. The Clock Tower continues counting the slow and infinite pass of time through its metal gears and giant bronze bells. Torches lights the city streets and a lone wooden wagon can be seen outside Baked Dreams, right in the back alley.
“Twilight, are you ready?” asked Celestia to her friend.
“Yes princess, just give me a minute!” shouted the talented unicorn from the inside of the bakery.
“Done princess, I just put the rose essence in the top shelf,” said Twilight as she exited and closed the door behind her using her magic.
“Alright, let’s go home,” replied Celestia as she opened a secret compartment in the wooden wagon using her magic so Twilight could hide in it. This way, the purple unicorn was able to enter and exit the city without worrying for the fierce patrol of the guards at the entrance.
With the decoy wagon ready, Celestia started to pull it across the streets of the city towards the large front gates. Twilight couldn’t see anything inside the secret compartment, but she could hear the sound of Celestia’s hooves trotting and the wooden wheels hitting the stones of the floor.
Just when both ponies were about to leave the city behind, a well-armed squad of alicorn guards intercepted them. Eight guards surrounded the wagon while they hold lanterns with their magic to enlighten the road and the cart. A ninth guard approaches to Celestia.
“Good night there. I’m Arador, the leader of this squad and we have orders to inspect your wagon tonight,” said the alicorn guard, watching Celestia’s reaction.
“Good night! Of course you can check it, please, go ahead…” replied the white alicorn trying to not to make him suspicious about her or the cart.
“Say, why are you pulling an empty wagon outside the city at this time of the night? Is anypony outside waiting for you to come?” asked again the guard while he surrounded the old wagon.
“Oh well, that’s because my house it’s outside the walls nearby the forest,” replied Celestia with a smile even when he couldn’t see it.
“Wait, you live outside? WHY? Isn’t the city good enough for you?” asked Arador while he returned to Celestia in a rush. His face looked angry.
“Oh no, it’s just that I… I prefer having more space, that’s all…”
“Aha, and the wagon?”
“I used it for bringing my material from home to my bakery in the city…”
“You know what Miss White Alicorn, I think you’re lying to me… so you wouldn’t mind if I and my guards here take your wagon away, right?” said Arador while he and the other guards approached closer to Celestia and the cart.
“What? No, you can’t do that and you are not allowed to take it!”
“I’m innocent and I’ll protect it…” replied Celestia as she stood in front of Arador without fear. Her only worry now was to protect Twilight from them who lay helpless inside the decoy wagon.
Suddenly, another alicorn guard landed near them, interrupting the argue.
“Stop it Arador! She’s Celestia and I've known her since she was a little filly. She’s one of our best citizens so let her be!” said Mach, an old guard who apparently knew Celestia for a very long time.
“What do you know Mach? This wagon might be holding illegal supplies for our enemies out there and perhaps she’s part of them,” replied the angered guard.
“No way, she has always been loyal to us so you better leave now or I’ll report you with the mayor,” replied Mach, this time, putting himself in front of Celestia.
“Fine, I’ll leave but this isn’t over…”
Just when the young guard and his troop were about to leave, a loud sneeze was heard coming out from the wagon. Twilight sneezed. Mach stood still, so does Arador because he finally understood what was going on.
“Who’s in the cart, TRAITOR?!” shout the young guard to Celestia as he unsheathed his sword with the help of his magic. The rest of the guards did the same, all of them except Mach. The old alicorn guard backed away, looking down.
“Twilight, hang on!” shouted Celestia to the gifted unicorn right before shooting a powerful flash with her horn to momentary blind all the guards. As the guards tried to recover from the spell, the white alicorn trotted away from them as fast as she could trying to escape with Twilight in the cart.
After a short instant, Arador and the rest of the guards recovered their sight and started to chase Celestia in the middle of the night.
“Hurry, she’s trying to get away!” shout Arador as he took off towards the fugitive pony. The rest of the guards followed him immediately.
Celestia was trotting over the brown path trying to get away from the city as far as she could. Meanwhile, Twilight came out from her hiding spot. The gifted unicorn could see from the back of the wagon how the flying guards approached to them closer and closer.
When the alicorn guards were close enough to the couple of fugitives, they started to shoot at them magic spells trying to stop them. Celestia dodged them as she continued trotting with the cart.
The multicolored spells impacted the ground near Celestia and Twilight. These became more and more precise when one of them, suddenly, impacted one of the wagon’s wheels.
In that moment the cart abruptly impacted the ground, making Celestia lose her balance and trip over the stone path with Twilight. The chase was finally over and the guards approached to the fugitives.
Celestia couldn’t stand, she was too tired and hurt from the chase just like Twilight. The wooden wagon was completely destroyed from the fall.
“Twilight, I’m so sorry…” said the white alicorn with tears on her eyes just as the guards surrounded them again with their lanterns.
“Celestia, you’re under arrest for treason…” said Arador as he took out a pair of iron shackles from his armor using his magic.
*********
“Enter now pony!” shouted an alicorn guard as he threw Twilight inside a dungeon cell back in Alicornia. Twilight, quickly, tried to stand up when the jailor closed the gate.
“Tell me, please, where are you taking Celestia?” cried Twilight trying to find out about the destiny of her friend. Both ponies were separated during the arrest.
“You mean the traitor? If she’s not here in my cells, she was probably sent to The Forbidden Wilds… but if I were you, I would care more about myself because you’ll never leave this dungeon purple pony,” said the jailor while he placed the cell keys on his saddle bag with his magic.
“Until next week little pony…” said for the last time the guard as he trot away from the cell, whistling.
Twilight tried to knock down the gate, but it was futile. She wasn’t that strong and her magic was disabled before she entered the cell. The gifted unicorn tried to look for a gap between the bars or the cell’s bricks, but her efforts were fruitless.
The only open space she had besides the iron bars, was a small window up in the stone wall. By stacking her bed and a small barrel she found inside her cell, Twilight was able to look through the tiny window.
“I can’t see the Clock Tower nor the forest. I must be in the northern part of town,” she said to herself from atop the improvised stair.
Unaware that she was being watched, Twilight descended and when she turned her eyes to the corridor, she finally gazed at her strange visitor.
“Normally beds are used to sleep, but not as ladders purple pony…” said an alicorn guard curiously from the corridor to Twilight as he approached the cell’s iron bars. He was different from the one that put her inside the cell.
“I… I needed to know in what part of the city I am,” the gifted unicorn replied with fear as she approached to the iron bars too.
“Why? Do you intend to escape little pony?” asked the guard, but no answer came from Twilight.
“Tell me, what would you do if you were free once again?” asked again the alicorn.
“I… I must find my friend. She was arrested with me last night and I’ve not seen her since then. Her fate worries me…” replied Twilight, sobbing a little.
The guard stood still. He continued watching at the talented unicorn’s reaction, but he spoke no more words. The silence between the two strangers reigned, leaving only the sound of the crickets be heard.
“…well, this was interesting but I have to go now. Take care little pony,” said the guard before trying to leave Twilight’s cell. While he trotted away, the alicorn guard tripped with one of the stones from the floor. Some of his items fell from his armor.
Twilight noticed that some of the dropped items were a knife and what it appeared to be a wooden carved figurine of some kind. The gifted unicorn remembered something and approached in a rush to the bars.
“The wooden carving… you must be Mach, correct?” asked Twilight with excitement.
“Yes, but how do you know that?” asked the intrigued alicorn as he picked his items and returned to the cell’s bars.
“Celestia told me you like to carve birds in your spare time…”
“You were the guard who defended her from Arador last night, right?”
The alicorn guard refused to reply. Perhaps it was the excitement or the fear he was feeling in that moment while hearing such words. Mach could only look down at Twilight with amusement.
“I don’t understand, why you? Why you and not some alicorn else…?” replied the old guard as he continued gazing at Twilight.
“Everypony was astonished during the trial last night by the way Celestia talked about you. No pony could believe it, an alicorn being friend of a non alicorn pony like you.”
“I mean, we’ve never heard or seen such a thing in centuries!”
“But then, before she was taken away, she said something that made me question my life and my relation with the others. Something you taught her...”
“Friendship.”
“I’ve lived in here since the Clock Tower was built, but I’ve never made any friends…”
“I used to think that Celestia and I were friends, but the truth is that I’ve only know her between those brief moments every time she crosses my door. Friendship is more than just talking, it’s about caring like she did with you on the trial…”
In that moment, the alicorn guard shot a powerful spell at the door, making it come down. Twilight was now free thanks to the actions of Mach, who only stood on one side of the corridor looking down.
Twilight exited the cell and approached to the old guard. He was sobbing a little while he continued looking down at the floor, ignoring Twilight’s direction.
“Thank you my friend,” said the talented unicorn as she tried to hugged him. Mach stopped crying as he hugged Twilight back. From the window of the cell, the sound of the Clock Tower’s bells started to be heard.
“Oh no, four o’clock! Hurry little pony, we must rescue Celestia!” said Mach with fear as he looked down at Twilight.
“But where? The guard who put me in here told me she was sent to the Forbidden Wilds? What does that means?” asked the gifted unicorn.
“The northeastern desert, The Forbidden Wilds. That’s where we used to send our prisoners when they were sentenced to the exile,” replied the old alicorn.
Noises started to be heard coming from the opposite side of the corridor.
“My, guards are coming and once they find out about your escape, they’ll chase you to return you to this dungeon,” said Mach as he trotted to the opposite side of the corridor towards the noises.
“I’ll stop them and I’ll give you enough time to flee out of the city limits… but you must take the map I have in my station at the main gate. It’s the only map of the desert that exists nowadays…”
“Follow the hall, then go to your right and trot all the way over the city walls. Here, the copper key opens the chest…” said the guard as he threw to Twilight his keys with the help of his magic. The talented unicorn caught them with her magic too.
“GO NOW and good luck… my friend,” said Mach with a smile on his face before trotting to the corridor with the noises.
Twilight started to trot to the opposite side when suddenly, she stopped at something that caught her attention. Up in the middle of an archway, the royal palace’s emblem was stenciled.
“That emblem… it’s a blue heart just like the one from the Crystal Empire…”
“…the Crystal Heart!!! That was Sombra’s weapon when he attacked us in Ponyville back then. The Elements and the Crystal Heart disintegrated in the air when our powers struck at the same time…”
“This land… this land is Equestria without harmony!”
“Harmony... CELESTIA!” said Twilight to herself in the middle of the corridor.
Shouts and the sound of a lot metal hooves trotting started to be heard more and more loudly, making Twilight exit her trance after the revelation of what she just has discovered.
Twilight continued trotting as fast as she could over the city walls towards Mach’s station to get the map. The sun was starting to hide in the horizon behind the Clock Tower.
With a lot of caution and using the shadows of the afternoon sun, Twilight got the map and flee the city without being recaptured. The talented unicorn headed northeast towards the dry and vast desert known as the Forbidden Wilds.
The waning light of the evening started to hinder Twilight, giving her have trouble with her sight and orientation. After trotting over a dirt path for a couple of hours, the talented unicorn saw a distant light coming out from the base of a couple of dead trees.
“Argh, I hate when that thing gets lost!”
“It’s like it knows I need it and it hides from me, NOT FAIR!!” shouted a blue unicorn with anger while she seemed to be searching for something lost between some barrels and wooden crates nearby a merchant wagon.
Twilight approached to the worried and very angered pony with caution.
“Excuse me miss, but I… TRIXIE?!” shouted Twilight with excitement as she recognized her former rival.
“Umm, do I know you from somewhere?” asked Trixie with curiosity as she stopped her previous quest. The blue unicorn approached to Twilight.
“Actually yes, but now is not the time to explain. I need to know what path I should take to the desert. So, do you know which one Trixie?”
“…sure I do, but why do you want to go there? It’s all hot during the day and it has nothing other than sand and rocks for miles around… Unless you’re trying to get some desert flowers, isn’t that right?!” replied Trixie with happiness and a smile.
“I’ve tried so many times to get one of those, but they’re so hard to find and I always run out of water before I can even reach The Salt Caves…”
“Which, by the way, were used in ancient times as shelters by the banished alicorns during their exiles. Cool, hah?”
“Salt Caves?! Tell me, where can I find these?” said Twilight as she fully opened the scroll map she had in front of Trixie with the help of her magic.
“WOW, where did you get this?! This map, wow, it’s of the desert!!!”
“I’ll give you 2000 tails for it!” said the blue pony with a grin on her face.
“Sorry, but I need it to rescue my friend from the desert so please, show me where are those caves…”
“Fine, they should be here over this dry river… right here, see?”
“Excuse me, but is this related to the armored alicorn convoy of last night?” asked Trixie as she gazed at Twilight while she rolled back the map.
“An alicorn armored convoy?! YES, which direction did they go?!”
“Not so fast missy. I’ve helped you more than enough so you can get desert flowers, but what about me? I also need items to trade you know?” said the blue unicorn, this time, with an even bigger grin than last time.
“I’m not getting any desert flowers, BELIEVE ME. Celestia was sentenced to exile and she’s the only pony who can prevent the war in Ponya,” replied Twilight with a very serious expression.
“CELESTIA?! You mean the white kind alicorn that lives in Alicornia?”
“Yes… do you know her?”
“Of course, she helped me once when my wagon broke in the middle of the Market Place. She was so kind to me, I’ve not forgotten that…”
“Then you must help me Trixie! There’s no need of a war if we find her!”
“But didn’t you hear? The deer, griffin and unicorn armies started heading towards Alicornia a week ago. They’ll arrive soon and their plan is to siege and attack the city until it surrenders… That’s what I heard in Uninopolis three days ago.”
“I made a small stop in here because I was about to flee East before the armies arrived to this lands. I tried to warn Celestia, but I failed since we are not welcomed inside Alicornia anymore,” replied Trixie, worried while she continued looking at Twilight.
“So the armies are already heading here. My, no pony inside Alicornia has been warned…”
“Trixie, listen to me. I know is hard to understand but Celestia is the only pony who can prevent this war and the consequences from it.”
“Please, help me…” said Twilight, trying to convince the merchant pony.
“Celestia helped me in my hour of need and now is my turn to help her…”
“The armored convoy went that way and returned at sunrise,” replied Trixie while she pointed at Twilight the direction.
“Take this lantern. It’s the best one I own because it works with magic, not oil.”
“To increase its power, just focus your mind and the lantern will do the rest depending on how much light you need,” said the merchant pony as she took the lantern from one of her crates.
“Take this saddle too.”
Twilight grabbed the items with her magic and attached the saddle with the lantern and the map to her back.
“When you find Celestia, please tell her that I’m sorry for not being able to do more than these small actions…”
“There are never small actions Trixie, thank you!” said Twilight with a smile.
“Hurry purple pony, the armies shall arrive at sunrise so you have until then to find her and bring her back to the city. I’m not sure if your plan is going to work, but if the war can be prevented, then it’s worth trying it.”
“I’ll stay here until sunrise in case you need me, but with that map, I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine. Until next time…?”
“Twilight, my name’s Twilight Sparkle.”
“Twilight, I’ll never forget that name. So long…” said Trixie for the last time as she waved at the gifted unicorn while she trotted away from her.
The sun was now completely gone from the sky, giving space to the Moon and its night to cover the entire land with its darkness. The final countdown had started for Twilight before the different armies invaded the city limits by dawn.
*********
Forest trees couldn’t be seen anymore as Twilight approached to the dry desert. The talented unicorn could still feel the heat of the day in her hooves as she stepped over some of the rocks and sand on the ground.
Finally after trotting for a couple of hours, Twilight found the solitary and vast desert. The gifted unicorn took out the scroll map and took a small moment to study it before entering.
She kept it and took out the magic lantern Trixie gave her to start her search in the middle of such loneliness. Twilight called out to Celestia in case she was near her position as she trotted inside the region.
Just as was expected, there was nothing more than sand, rocks and some small knee-high bushes around the inhospitable landscape. The Moon was the only witness who watched Twilight as she trotted with her lantern.
Making some stops to catch her breath or check the map again, the gifted unicorn continued and didn’t stop because she had a quest to fulfill. Over time, the minutes became hours and Celestia was still missing.
“According to this map, there should be a stone bridge over here…” said Twilight as she approached to a dry riverbank that crossed the desert in front of her.
“The map must be wrong, there’s no bridge in this section…”
“Oh no, I’m running out of time! How am I supposed to cross?” said again the talented unicorn as she looked up to the Moon.
“I can’t use my teleportation spell because I’ve never been on the other side and it doesn’t work like that. Celestia once warned me about that…”
“…perhaps if I use the stones from the bottom… NO, they’re too small!” sobbed Twilight as a she cast away the lantern with her magic.
When the lantern fell in the sand, a loud crack sounded as if there was something buried there. The gifted unicorn immediately stood up and approached the semi buried lantern.
With her magic again, Twilight lifted the lantern and attached it to her saddle. In the hole left behind, Twilight noticed what it appeared to be a wooden sign of some sort. With her front hooves and magic, the talented unicorn took out the sign.
“This is alicorn language, I can’t read it.”
“But I do understand this symbol from the bottom. I remember seeing it in one of the books Celestia brought me from the library. It’s a symbol for magic…”
“Maybe if I…” said Twilight right before shooting a powerful magic beam towards the gap in front of her. Immediately, a secret stone bridge was revealed.
“Yes! The book was right, alicorns like to fool non alicorn ponies. LET’S GO,” shout the gifted unicorn with excitement as she crossed the bridge and headed towards the caves Trixie marked on the map.
*********
“According to Trixie’s mark, the caves should be over here in front of that rock formation…” said Twilight as she kept the map in her saddle once more.
The Moon was ahead in the middle of the night sky. Time was running out.
From this moment forth, Twilight started to trot a lot faster towards the rock formation because behind it, the Salt Caves lay.
Before Twilight reached the place, something printed in the sand caught her attention. The gifted unicorn’s trotting abruptly stopped.
“Hoovesteps…”
“They look like they were recently done. I better follow them,” said Twilight as she changed her direction and followed the mysterious prints.
As the gifted unicorn pursued them, the rock formation started getting closer and closer. When Twilight finally reached the place and turned her head trying to continue following the path, her eyes found what she was looking for.
“PRINCESS CELESTIA!!!” shouted the talented pony as she trotted towards the white alicorn. Celestia was lying in the sand beneath a rock ledge.
The eternal being was almost unconscious, but she could still hear Twilight’s voice calling her. Celestia looked tired and exhausted from wandering alone the entire day before in the hot desert.
“Twilight… Twilight is that you?” asked Celestia with a weak voice. Her once colored apron now was dirty and torn. Her black mane looked messy and tangled too.
“Yes princess, I’m here, I’m here to rescue you...” said Twilight with tears in her eyes as she gazed down at her.
“Twilight, please, forgive me for putting you in risk before…”
“I should’ve never asked you to help me in the bakery… but I… I…”
“Hush now princess, you need to save your energy,” said Twilight trying to interrupt Celestia’s weak responses.
“…I wanted to teach you my knowledge because you’re my family now…”
Twilight in that moment stood quiet and let Celestia continue with her low and weak responses. The eternal being could be seen fighting for consciousness.
“I lived in a complete and eternal loneliness until you arrived at my door that cold night…”
“…you’re like a daughter to me…”
“Twilight, I love you…” said Celestia for the last time right before finally fainting in Twilight’s arms.
Twilight in that moment finally understood Celestia’s attitude towards her. All the details, all her advices and all her efforts trying to help her return home, were part of her motherly love towards her.
Perhaps the Celestia from Equestria felt the same way, Twilight thought, but only in this world her feelings towards the gifted unicorn were clearer.
“I used to think when I was little that you didn’t like to spent time with me, but now I finally understand you Princess. It wasn’t me, it was the motherly feelings you felt for me every time I was around you that made you decide to send me away with Cadence.”
“Cadence once told me something similar you did with her too…”
“Now that I think about it, we both reminded you, somehow, of your so long missed sister, Princess Luna… ”
“In Ponya or in Equestria, you continue being the same pony no matter the color of your mane or the shape of your cutie mark. You’ve always been a good heart Celestia…”
As Twilight hugged the unconscious Celestia, the first sunbeams of the dawn started to enlighten the dark interior of the rock ledge. Time finally expired for the gifted unicorn.
“Let’s go princess…” said Twilight right before disappearing with Celestia in the middle of a magic spark.
*********
“Oh no, dawn is already here and Twilight has not returned from the desert,” said Trixie, worried for the fate of her friends as she gazed at the first sunbeams of the day entering through the middle of the trees.
“It doesn’t matter, I’ll wait for them a little longer before I flee from here…”
The moment after Trixie said that, Twilight and Celestia appeared in front of her. Both ponies looked dirty and full of sand.
“HOW… HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!” asked the amazed blue unicorn.
“Trixie come here and help me, Celestia is unconscious…”
“Well, of course!” said Trixie as she trotted towards Twilight. Both ponies carried Celestia and put her over a couple of wooden crates.
“What happened to her? She doesn’t looks so good,” said the merchant pony with grief.
“They let her go in the middle of the desert to wander alone.”
“Trixie, do you have any medicine or something like that for her?”
“Sure, I’ve exactly what she needs…” said the merchant pony as she cantered towards the interior of her wagon.
*********
“Thank you Trixie for everything. I could have never rescued Celestia from the desert without you.”
“Oh, well, I… I’m glad I was useful.”
“Now it's your turn, please stop the war. So long…” said Trixie for the last time as she trotted away with her wagon towards the forest. Celestia and Twilight waved at her until she couldn’t be seen anymore.
After saying goodbye to her friend, the eternal being and Twilight started to trot towards Alicornia. In the middle of their trotting, both ponies started to talk.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do what you told me Twilight…”
“You don’t know how my fellow villagers feel about the city and their surroundings. We have lived in Alicornia for over 2000 years, I think.”
“Giving the city away just like that is not going to be easy…”
“I know princess, but during my travels when I was looking for my friends and you, I visited many cities. All of them can’t compare with Alicornia and that was probably their reason to kidnap your emperor.”
“Probably, but that doesn’t explain their attempt to siege us with their armies…”
“Asking for a ransom would’ve been a lot easier rather than arming their soldiers and make them canter from their hometowns to our distant city.”
“That’s what I think…”
“You’re right about that, but I feel there’s something else in this, something I can’t explain…”
“Well, don’t worry little one. The important thing now is warning everypony inside the city to leave before it’s too late. So, let’s hurry, shall we?”
“Of course princess!” shout Twilight as she followed Celestia.
*********
“Look Twilight, there are no guards at the door nor on the upper walls. This is strange, I’ve never seen something like that…” said Celestia as she pointed the lonely gate from a bush.
“Let’s enter then,” replied Twilight.
By using a special spell, Twilight disabled the door’s lock and opened it. Both ponies entered the Eternal City with caution.
After getting past the gate, Celestia and Twilight started to hear what it appeared to be cheers coming from the Great Square. At the same time, the Clock Tower’s bell started chiming in the distance between the happy cheers of the alicorns.
“That’s weird Twilight, it’s already 8 o’clock and no pony is outside cleaning their windows or sweeping the street…” said the white alicorn as she gazed at the empty streets of the city.
“Look Princess, flags…”
“Are you celebrating something special today?” asked the gifted unicorn with wonder as she pointed the purple flags over the streets and alleyways.
“No, nothing but those purple flags….”
“What about them, Princess?”
“I think the Emperor has returned…” replied the eternal being with a smile on her face as she looked down at Twilight.
“It seems that there’ll be no need of making a war after all…”
“But I thought he was kidnapped by the looming armies.”
“So did I…”
*********
Gathered in the Great Square in the north of town, all the alicorn citizens of the city cheered and rejoice as they gazed at their ruler cantering out from the royal palace’s gates towards them.
“Your majesty, we missed you so much!” shouted an alicorn villager with excitement from the middle of the crowd.
“Long live the Emperor!” shouted another villager from among the crowd.
While the citizens continued with their acclaims, Celestia and Twilight approached to the square from an alley. One happy alicorn was standing nearby them.
“Excuse me sir, but what’s going on?” asked Celestia to her fellow villager as she approached to him.
“Isn’t that amazing?! Our beloved Emperor returned from his kidnapping!” said the citizen with excitement as he looked at Celestia with a smile.
“We were all asleep when the city’s barker shouted the good news. Then we were called to gather here to welcome our kind ruler from his long and cruel capture…”
As Celestia continued talking with her fellow villager, Twilight couldn’t help noticing a large flag frapping in the wind from one of the rooftops of a house. The light of the morning sun enlightened it in a special way.
“That flag…” said Twilight to herself as she gazed the moving streamer.
After watching it for a while, Twilight’s face drastically changed. Her ears dropped down and her eyes now reflected a deep horror as she started to back away from her spot.
As the gifted unicorn backed away from Celestia, the eternal being was finishing talking with her fellow villager. She ignored her little friend’s attitude.
“Well Twilight, it seems that the Emperor was… ARE YOU OK?!” asked Celestia with deep concern as she finally noticed her friend’s feelings.
“Is there something wrong little one?!” asked the white alicorn again, but no answer could be heard coming from Twilight. The gifted unicorn stood still in the middle of the alleyway while tears started to came out from her eyes.
Worried, Celestia approached to the petrified pony. She put herself in front of Twilight’s lost sight, hoping to make her react.
“Twilight, please, what’s wrong?”
After seeing Celestia’s face, Twilight seemed to react from her trance.
“The flag… the flag…” babbled Twilight as she pointed the distant streamer with her left hoof.
Celestia turned her head towards the direction the talented pony was pointing. After seeing the flag, the white alicorn’s head returned to watch down at Twilight.
“Yes, that’s our flag…”
“…what’s wrong with it?” replied Celestia, doubtfully, because she didn’t understand what her friend tried to tell her.
“Princess, we must get out here IMMEDIATELY!!!”
“We are all in great danger…”
“What do you mean? I don’t understand you Twilight!”
“…It seems that I was not the only one who came from Equestria…” said Twilight as she cleaned her tears with her arm.
Twilight’s face now seemed angry and her eyes reflected fury as she gazed up at the royal deity among the crowd. The Emperor was standing atop a wooden stage in the center of the square while he also seemed to be looking at her.
“WELL LITTLE PONY, YOU GOT ME. CONGRATULATIONS!” bellowed the royal deity as he looked down at Twilight.
After hearing such cold and mysterious sentence, everypony stood still and the cheers from before stopped. Small sighs and whispers started to be heard among the villagers. They didn’t understand what was happening.
“I’M GLAD TO SEE YOU AGAIN…”
“IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO SEE AND OLD FRIEND, DON’T YOU THINK?” bellowed the Emperor with a grim smile as he descended from the stage towards Twilight.
Thundering gray extended wings, sharp horn and imposing long legs covered with a golden armor, the alicorn’s emperor cantered among his subjects. As the deity trotted among them, everypony made a reverence.
“Princess, make sure everypony leaves town safely to the north. In the desert you all will be safe…” said Twilight as she continued looking up at the approaching menacing royal deity.
“What do you mean?! You're scaring me…”
“I’ll give you some time, but I’ll be not able to stop it forever…” said the gifted unicorn right before the Emperor finally stopped in front of her.
Twilight turned her head.
“I’m not sure how it happened, but I’ll not let you harm these ponies KING SOMBRA,” shouted Twilight as the true identity of the Emperor was finally revealed.
Celestia in that moment understood everything.
“DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME THIS TIME WITHOUT YOUR PRECIOUS NECKLACE?”
“WELL, WE’LL SEE ABOUT THAT…” bellowed Sombra right before changing his alicorn form. After the transformation, the Dark King now resembled a dark abysmal cloud, just like the one that attacked Ponyville in the past.
After roaring like a beast, Sombra lunged towards Twilight.
Right before she was covered with the thick cloud, the talented pony turned her head towards the frightened Celestia. The white alicorn was looking down at her with tears in her eyes as Twilight turned her head.
“Goodbye Princess…” said Twilight for the last time as she started to get lost inside the abysmal cloud of Sombra.
*********
“See those stars? Well, they’re called constellations Twilight and if you use your imagination, you can form figures with them,” said Celestia to Twilight as both ponies looked up to the night sky from one of the palace’s gardens.
“Princess, what about the Moon’s drawing?” asked the little filly.
The Solar Princess stood quiet for a moment.
“…that’s… that’s the Mare in the Moon…”
“Princess, are you ok?” asked again the little Twilight because Celestia turned her head after answering.
“Yes Twilight, it’s just that I… it doesn’t matter,” replied the Solar Princess with a smile towards the small pony.
Twilight in that moment yawned, her eyes seemed tired.
“I think we better go now little one,” said Celestia as she carried the little filly back to her bedroom inside the royal castle.
After a small canter through the castle’s courtyard and some corridors, Celestia entered Twilight’s room and put the small sleepy filly gently in her bed. The Solar Princess later covered her with a blanket.
“Night-night little one…” said Celestia with a smile on her face.
“Good… night… princess…” replied Twilight before falling asleep.
“I’ve not forgotten you….” said the talented unicorn as she opened her eyes right before Sombra’s cloud covered her entirely.
*********
“FLEE NOW, FLEE WHILE YOU CAN!” shouted a frightened alicorn as he attempted to escape the city while pulling a wagon full of his belongings.
Right before the Dark King and Twilight disappeared from the square, everypony panicked and started to flee the city with their respective relatives and goods in all kinds of directions fear advised them to.
The royal guards were unable to control the situation, they were too scared. While chaos and fear boiled inside the Eternal City, the Clock Tower’s bells accompanied the scene now with a gloomy echo.
Just when a couple of frightened alicorns tried to open the southern main gates, their eyes finally gazed the surrounding menace that lay outside their city, the invading armies.
Many different campaign war flags flapped with the wind alongside its holders, the enemy soldiers, hundreds of them. Unicorns, deers and griffins, all of them waiting to siege the city at any moment.
“WE’RE SEIGED, WE’RE SEIGED!!!” shouted one of the alicorns to his fellow villagers trying to warn them from the imminent menace of outside.
In that moment after hearing the alicorn’s frightened cries, everypony started to panic even more than before. This time, villagers started to leave their belongings behind so they could escape in time.
The sky by that moment was completely gray as storm clouds covered the entire region. In the visage of the Clock Tower and the clouds, the reflection of Twilight’s spells battling the Dark King could be seen.
While looking at her frightened friends and the enlightened sky, Celestia started to feel something she has never felt in her entire life. For her, somehow, the scene seemed familiar and despite what she knew was happening or was about to happen, she felt mild.
Fear also invaded her, but in the middle of such chaos and panic, the need of helping her scared neighbors was stronger than all her worries and need of escaping.
Celestia, without hesitating, flew towards the middle of the Great Square and landed on the wooden stage where Sombra stood moments before. With a strong voice, the white alicorn started to talk to the frightened crowd.
“LISTEN TO ME NOW EVERYPONY…” shouted Celestia.
“Today we find ourselves in the toughest times of all. Our Emperor betrayed us, just like our mayor. Both have left us in here at the mercy of the invading armies from outside the city walls…”
As Celestia continued with her speech, alicorns started to stop fighting and fleeing to nowhere. Instead, they approached to the square to hear the white alicorn’s words. Soon, the square was full again.
“I’m also scared, terrified, but that’s ok because there’s nothing wrong with that. We love this city more than all the gold we possess because we have lived in here since ancient times.”
“We've felt that this is the only place where we belong, but that isn’t true. We belong to ourselves and to our family and friends no matter where they are.”
“Yes, we can try fighting to defend our city. But I say, let’s leave and live…” said Celestia to the gathered crowd in front of her.
“But where can we go? The exits are surrounded or locked…” shouted one alicorn from among the crowd.
“North…”
*********
“What in the name of Ponya can be happening over there?!”
“I don’t know sir, but I think I can see what it looks like a unicorn pony fighting some kind of shadow monster right in the middle of the field…” said a deer soldier to his general as he peered through a spyglass.
“A unicorn you say?!”
“Is he part of Clarence’s knights?”
“I don’t think so. He isn’t wearing any armor sir….”
“I see… Pines, go with the other generals and inform them of our discovery.”
“Yes sir, right away!”
*********
As the powerful lights continued to illuminate the whole stormy sky over the city, all the alicorns started to flee Alicornia in one single major line guided by Celestia and the royal guards at the front.
“Celestia, there’re still a few alicorns inside the city that aren’t willing to leave their belongings behinds…” said Mach as he landed nearby her. He was the old guard that helped Twilight escape from the dungeon.
“Alright, I’ll return for them, but make sure nopony breaks the line!” shouted the white alicorn to his friend as she took off towards the city.
While flying, Celestia couldn’t help watching with fear the frightening flashes in the sky that Twilight’s and Sombra’s spells caused. The sound of their spells striking between them and into the ground could also be perfectly heard no matter the distance.
“Twilight, please, hang on…”
After landing back in the almost empty city, Celestia gazed at the last stubborn villagers that still tried to take their belonging with them.
“YOU FOALS! We have to get out of here, there’s no time to lose!” shouted the white alicorn to the last mulish villagers.
“I can’t leave this, it belonged to my mother…” replied one citizen as he tried to carry his heavy mahogany grandfather clock with his arms.
“Me neither Celestia, I need my maps and telescopes for my studies,” said another stubborn alicorn as he tried to pull his broken wagon.
Suddenly, one alicorn guard landed nearby Celestia.
“YOU HEARD HER, THERE’S NO TIME TO LOSE YOU FOALS!” shout Arador, the alicorn guard that arrested Celestia and Twilight before.
“Alright…” cried the remaining villagers as they finally left their belongings on the street and took off towards the line with the rest.
“Hello Celestia, I felt that you would need some help with them…”
“About what happened, I… I wanted to tell you I’m sorry…” said the young guard while his ears dropped down, just like his face.
“Don’t worry, I know that you were only doing your job…” replied the eternal being with a smile to the regretful guard.
“…WELL, I think there’s no one left inside the city and it was thanks to you…”
“Incredible, I never thought I'd see our precious city likes this, empty, as if no pony ever lived in here before…” said Arador with nostalgia.
As both ponies gazed at their empty streets and alleyways with sadness, the illuminated sky above them stopped. Celestia abruptly looked up towards the now calmed stormy sky.
“Twilight…!” shout the eternal being with horror.
“Arador, make sure everypony gets to the desert…” said Celestia for the last time as she took off in a rush towards the main entrance of the city. The white alicorn could sense that her friend now was in great danger.
*********
“Twilight…?” “I’m in the living room princess…” “What’s that little one?” “It’s a card, I made it for you because today is you birthday… right?” “Sure it is, but you didn’t need to bother for me Twilight…” “It’s nothing, really…” “Wow, did you really make this up by yourself?” “Of course! Cadence taught me how to make them many years ago.” “So, do you like it…?” “This is the most precious gift I’ve ever received from somepony, thank you.”
“Princess, are my cookies done yet?” “Let me see…” “Oh yes! Pretty good for a beginner I must say. Congratulations Twilight.”
“Where am I?” “You were left in the middle of the desert and I just brought you back from it…” “How do you feel now, princess?” “Pretty good… thanks…”
“…It seems that I was not the only one who came from Equestria…” “Goodbye princess…”
“Hang on Twilight, I’m coming to rescue you…” cried Celestia as she remembered some of her memories with Twilight while she rushed over the city.
After finally getting to the main entrance’s massive doors, the eternal being gazed down at the field in front of her. At the distance, the abysmal cloud of Sombra could be seen battling the invading armies that surrounded the city.
Right in the middle of the field very near to the brown paved road, Celestia found Twilight lying in the grass. The wind blew her mane, but she wasn’t moving.
The eternal being landed near her almost defeated friend, who still had her eyes open as she gazed at the moving grass and flowers nearby her. All her energy had been expelled in her fight with Sombra.
“TWILIGHT!” cried Celestia with tears in her eyes as she approached her friend.
“Princess…”
“I’m here now, I’m here…”
“Do your friends escape safely?”
“Yes, all of them fled safely to the north and it was all thanks to you...”
Twilight smiled after hearing that.
“…sorry for not being able to stop him, but he's too strong, even for me…”
Celestia stood quiet as she looked down at Twilight with tears on her eyes.
“It’s all over now, the Dark King triumphs again…”
Sombra’s laugh could be heard at the distance as he continued battling the invading armies. Twilight turned her head towards Celestia’s sad face.
“Please princess, promise me you’ll escape with your friends…”
“I… I will, I promise…” sobbed the eternal being with tears on her eyes.
“Curious, I arrived here in the middle of a prairie and now, I’ll leave the same way…” said Twilight as a tear fell from her left eye.
Celestia in that moment closed her eyes and dropped to the floor. The eternal being started to cry in a deep and harsh bitterness as she gazed down at her defeated friend.
The sorrow of the white alicorn was so strong that the earth beneath her started to move like an earthquake. A powerful lightning storm started over the stormy sky of the region. The wind increased its speed as the thunders impacted the ground.
Celestia stand up from the grass.
“You gave everything for us Twilight, no matter if we were your family or friends…”
“Now… now is my turn. Let me wield some of your power my little friend…” said Celestia as she tilted her head until her long horn touched Twilight.
Twilight’s body started to glow with some kind of light. Suddenly, the gifted unicorn opened her eyes again. After opening them, Twilight stood again in the middle of the moving grass.
Celestia now was trotting away from her as her body radiated light in a powerful aura. Twilight couldn’t believe what she was looking at right in front of her.
“Go to the city now. You’ll be safe there…” said Celestia with her eyes glowing as she turned her head towards Twilight.
Twilight nodded and trotted away towards the city.
The Dark King ignored what happened as he continued battling the invading armies. In that moment, Sombra was holding one helpless soldier in the air and right before he attacked him, a powerful light beam cut his foggy appendage.
King Sombra screamed in pain as he turned his vicious eyes towards the direction of the beam.
“YOU!” bellowed his voice with anger.
“Yes, me…” said Celestia as she stood in front of him while light continued radiating from her body and eyes.
“I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONE FOR GOOD DEEP IN THAT DESERT!”
“BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER, NOW I’LL FINISH WHAT I STARTED…” said the Dark King with a grim smile as his serpent tongue toured his snout.
“You’ll try…” replied the white alicorn with a smile too.
After hearing such an intrepid answer, Sombra roared again and tried to lunge towards the eternal being. Right before he could even reach her, Celestia disappeared in the middle of a powerful spark, blinding him temporarily.
The Dark King tried to recover his sight, but he was unable to at first.
Finally after a small moment, he recovered it and tried to look around for Celestia, but he couldn’t find her anywhere in the field.
“UP HERE YOU MONSTER!” shouted Celestia as she flew above the field while she looked down at him with anger.
Sombra looked up and roar as he watched the white alicorn flying.
“LET’S SEE HOW YOU DODGE THIS!” shouted the Dark King as he shot a powerful dark spell towards Celestia.
As the spell approached to the white alicorn, she stood unmoving and received the attack without getting hurt.
“IMPOSSIBLE!” bellowed Sombra.
More powerful dark spells started to come out from his red horn, but all of them ended the same way as the first one. They all were stopped by Celestia without even moving.
After seeing how futile his attacks were, the Dark King decided to lunge again towards the eternal being by using his alicorn form.
From a wall in the city, Twilight gazed with amazement the duel between the two powerful ponies. She could feel on her hooves the energy of the duel and the attacks of Sombra.
“Oh no!” cried the gifted unicorn as she saw how King Sombra in his alicorn form lunged towards her.
“This is for Twilight, for all my alicorns friends, for the innocent armies gathered here today and for all the ponies you harmed in Equestria before getting here…” said Celestia as she shot from her horn one final powerful beam of light towards the Dark King.
As the light descended to him, Sombra started to feel the power of the upcoming light as he started to dissipate in it. Right before he completely disappeared in the light, one last powerful growl was heard. The Dark King was finally defeated.
Celestia landed in the middle of the field as the light from her body and eyes started to dissipate, just like the stormy sky above her. For the first time in months, the sky now covered the region with its peaceful and radiant blue.
Cheers of rejoice could be heard coming from the nearby soldiers, all of them saved by the white alicorn. Their gratitude could be heard among their cries of joy.
Twilight trotted towards Celestia, who was looking up at the blue sky with a smile.
“Princess!” said the gifted unicorn as she hugged one of the eternal being’s legs.
Surprised, Celestia looked down at Twilight and also hugged her.
“I’m glad to see you are ok Twilight…”
As both friends hugged with tears in their eyes right in the middle of the field, up from the sky three balls of light descended towards the white alicorn.
“Twilight, look!” said Celestia as she pointed them.
When Twilight looked at them descending, her eyes and face filled with joy.
“The Elements, they’re back!”
As the light balls continued descending, the Clock Tower’s bells could be heard once again in the middle of the cheers of the soldiers. But this time, its tone sounded merry as it has never been heard before.
*********
“Are you ready little one?”
“Yes… I think so…” said Twilight as she followed Celestia in the middle of the street.
“Oh, I almost forgot!” said again the gifted unicorn as she returned to lock the door of Baked Dreams before continuing with their canter.
“Wow, the city looks happier than ever with all the new travelers and citizens…”
“You’re right, we’ve never been so happy since we decided to open the gates to everypony around Ponya.”
“Our stores are open again, so is the marketplace!”
“Everything seems to be going perfect, but most importantly, we can now share our knowledge with the others."
“Remember when I told you that you were a princess in Equestria? Well, now look at you. You’re a princess again!”
“Yes, it was such a nice surprise to be elected the new ruler of the city.”
“I don’t know anything about ruling a land, but I think I’m doing it ok.”
“Sure you do!”
“…I’ll miss working in the bakery, but now I’m a princess and I must look for my subjects!” said Celestia with a smile as she trotted outside the city with Twilight.
“And finally, here we are…”
“What’s that princess?”
“That little one, is a statue we’ve build in order to commemorate all the things you made not only for us, but for all the inhabitants of this land,” said the eternal being as she revealed the statue by using her magic.
“DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF TWILIGHT SPARKLE
THE PONY WHO CAME FROM EQUESTRIA THAT TAUGHT US THE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP AMONG US, THE INHABITANTS OF PONYA. MAY THE SPIRIT OF HER LESSONS ENDURE IN OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE COURSE OF TIME.”
“WOW PRINCESS! I don’t know what to say!!!” said Twilight as she read the plaque of the statue while she blushed.
“It’s the least we all could do for you…”
“Princess… umm, I don’t understand something. Why is it dedicated to my memory when I’m still around here…?”
“The surprise that I talked about you wasn’t this statue…”
“IT ISN’T?! Then what was it?”
“Please, come with me…”
*********
After exiting the city towards the brown paved road, Celestia stood still in the middle of the field as the sun started to hide behind the horizon. While Twilight reached her friend, the Clock Tower’s bells started to be heard once again.
“I don’t understand Princess, what’s your gift?”
“This…” said Celestia as she summoned with her magic the elements that descended from the sky. They appeared surrounding her in a second.
“The Elements of Order, what about them princess…?”
“Would you like to return home?”
“WHAT?!”
“You heard me. I think I’m able to send you back to your land with the power of the Elements because they’re, after all, the ones responsible for the order and harmony of this land.”
Twilight stood quiet as she gazed up at Celestia while the elements spun around her tall silhouette.
“You belong with your family and friends in Equestria, not here…”
“You don’t want me here anymore?”
“NO TWILIGHT, things aren’t like that…”
“I’d like you to stay in here forever with us…. But I can’t stop thinking about an idea that has haunted me since I thought it some weeks ago.”
“Before you arrived at my door that distant night, I lived in a complete loneliness. So, I thought, if I’m the reflection of another Celestia that lives from where you come from, then that also means she lives with the same loneliness as I was…”
“And there are also your friends. They need you just like your parents and brother does because you’re part of them…”
“It wouldn’t be fair for me to ask you to stay here when they need you back to be part of their lives…”
“No matter how much I wish you to stay, you must return where you belong…” said Celestia as some tears started to drop from her eyes.
“I was terrified when I thought that I was not going to be able to see you ever again, but then, I remember that I’m not alone anymore because now I’ve friends and many subjects that seem to love me.”
“After realizing that, all my worries and insecurities disappeared just like the florets of a dandelion flying in the wind…”
“That’s why I’m here in front of you today Twilight.”
“I understand now and you're right. I’ve not seen my brother or my friends in such a long time…” sobbed Twilight.
“Ok princess, please, send me home…”
“You know, I’ll miss the sound of that Clock Tower and this beautiful land so much…”
“But I’ll miss you more than anything princess,” said Twilight as she looked up at her tall friend with tears in her eyes.
“I’ll miss you too…” sobbed Celestia.
“…but don’t be sad little one because once you get back, you’ll forget all of this like it never happened…”
“No princess, I’ll never forget the time I spent in this magnificent land in the company of such amazing and wonderful ponies like you.”
“Twilight, before you go, I’d like to ask you one last favor….”
“Yes, what is it?” asked the talented pony with wonder.
Celestia in that moment took out a small box she was hiding. The box contained a small letter attached to it.
Twilight grabbed the box with her magic and gave a quick glance to it.
“I see… very well.”
“Thank you, thank you for everything Twilight.”
“I just did what I thought was necessary...”
“No, you did more than you can ever imagine because without you, we would all still continue living in our distant and lonely lives locked inside our city.”
“You taught us to stop being frightened of others so the real friendship could emerge from our hearts.”
“That’s also why I would like to give you today, the chance of returning home to your friends and family again.”
“I’ll never forget you little one, my friend, the only one I ever had in my lonely life…”
“So long Twilight…” said Celestia with a smile for the last time as the Elements of Order started to spin a lot faster than before around her.
“Goodbye Princess…”
*********
“Oh shoot, it’s too hard to think in new recipes…”
“Wow Twilight, are you ok?” asked Pinkie Pie with wonder from her window atop the Sugarcube Corner.
“Hey Pinkie! It’s been so long since I saw you…” shouted Twilight with happiness as she looked up at her friend with a smile.
“…but we saw each other yesterday you silly!”
“Hey, by the way, do you happen to know a new recipe for a cake?”
“Me? No… WAIT, I do!”
“What about a cake of roses?”
“Is that even possible?!”
“Yes it is and I can teach you as soon as I return from Canterlot…” said Twilight as she trotted towards the train station of Ponyville.
“Sure, thanks!” giggled Pinkie as she waved at her friend right before entering her room.
*********
“It’s almost sunset, she must be up on the balcony…” said the gifted unicorn to herself as she cantered through the royal palace in Canterlot.
Suddenly, Twilight stopped in the middle of the stained glass corridor of the palace.
“HAHA, so Spike saved us, amazing!” said Twilight while she smiled from seeing the stained glass of Spike defeating King Sombra.
“Hey Twilight, what art thou doing here with such haste?” asked Princess Luna as she cantered through the stain glass hall towards Twilight.
“Princess Luna! I’m so happy to see you again!”
“…but we saw you yesterday at tea time…”
“For me, it was an eternity…”
The lunar princess blushed.
“Excuse me Luna, but where can I find Celestia?”
“She is over there, on the balcony…”
“Thank you,” said Twilight as she trotted away from Luna.
Princess Luna stood in the hallway thinking about Twilight’s words. Her serious face changed to a happy one as she trotted away from the hall.
“Princess Celestia…”
“Twilight, what are you doing here? Is everything ok?” asked the Solar Princess as she turned her head towards the gifted unicorn. She was looking at the sunset alone.
Twilight couldn’t help dropping a tear as she looked up at her friend.
“I missed you so much…” said the gifted unicorn as she hugged Celestia in one of her long legs.
“Really? But we saw each other yesterday while we drank some tea just like every Tuesday…”
“Twilight, are you sure everything is ok?”
“Now it is…”
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot… here.”
“My, a letter and one small strawberry cake!”
“How did you know? It’s my favorite cake from all!”
“A very good friend told me…” replied Twilight with a smile as she looked up at her friend.
Problems and conflicts are part of the daily life, but alongside them, there have always been good and caring people that have tried to balance the situation by doing what they knew needed to be done.
Celestia wasn’t the only good heart of the story, because if it weren’t for Rarity’s, Trixie’s and even Twilight’s actions among other characters of the story, Ponya would have never been saved from its fate.
And just as the Clock Tower of Alicornia stated on its plaque: “no matter how grim things could be, there’ll be always hope of a better future as long as we have faith in ourselves…”
So remember, there will always be kindness in this world because there will always be someone with a GOOD HEART.
THE END
