Twilight sat at a table, holding a cup of tea. Black rose petals were falling from the darkened gray sky where there was only the sight of a cloud. The wind blew gently in the world of where she was sitting in. A large manor was separated from them by a large garden where the plants had all died and only left it's lifeless branches. This was the world of a mare who had lost the very last drop of happiness within her and died of it's drought. She looked down into her porcelain cup where the tea was cold and was the color of blood. She pondered to herself about how she managed to reach the conditions of which she was in.
Twilight looked across her and saw a mare in all black clothing. Her waist was tight but appeared as if she were wearing a corset. Her forelegs were covered in the black garment with velvet cuffs at the very end of it. Her coat color was a lovely purple. This mare she was sitting had her face covered by her a black veil and it was a thick one. Not even Twilight could see through it.
The mare eventually spoke up in her voice, "I thought the only alicorns were her majesty Celestia and Luna. I don't remember there being a third one." Her voice echoed through the ghastly world, it was hardened by the depression that corrupted within the speaker but was gentle and light.
"Well there are actually five now, one of them is actually my sister-in-law." Twilight spoke. Her voice compared to the mares did not ring through the world that she was in, instead it traveled as it normally did.
"Good heavens! You all must be fighting over all of the power within Equestria."
"Well actually, we live in harmony together and we've united all of Equestria together." Twilight gave a sheepish smile to the mysterious mare.
"I remember this 'harmony' idea. I thought it was stupid at the time but now, I realize I think it was what my husband I needed." She looked down at lap and paused for a moment. Twilight looked at her with caring sentiment. The moment was then interrupted. "I apologize your majesty. We have all of the time in this world as so long as I hold this memento my husband gave to me. Now tell me, how did you get here?"
"Would you like the long story or short story?"
"I'll make some better, warmer tea than what we have. Like I said we have all of the time."
"Well. Where do we begin?" Twilight placed a hoof under her chin, "Yes! It all started just a week ago..."
Twilight was trotting down along the halls in the grandeur that was her castle. Purple crystals made for the walls within the hallway. Windows adorned the crystal walls letting light in, if there was sunlight. Outside the gloominess of the clouds dominated the sky today, covering the world in its gray sheet of darkness. The pegasi must be preparing to create rainfall within Ponyville was what Twilight assumed.
Twilight was the Princes of Friendship at the time and she was responsible for the authority over a large portion of Equestria. She was partly responsible for being sent to certain places to solve various problems, whether it be resolving a family feud in the northern parts of Equestria or resolving the matters of those who had lost their cutiemarks. She was wherever she was needed. But today presented a different case, today she was needed at her home. The Castle of Friendship and backwards in time too.
As she passed the doors leading to the room containing the map of Eqeustria she noticed that fog was slipping from under the door. It was quite peculiar and she certainly hoped it wasn't another one of Starlight's antics. To see her betray them the very first chance she gets would be not only rude but make her extremely untrustworthy. As Twilight opened the door, the fog sat her knees. The room around was normally lit (which was very low lighting when she was not using the room) and the map was still there. She didn't hear a voice but a panting of what almost sounded like a dog. She squinted her eyes, yet couldn't find aything.
A mysterious voice spoke, "Who are you?" The voice sounded stout and almost had a British accent to it. "What are you doing upon the estate?"
"This is my castle. Theres no estate here I'm afraid. If you're looking-" Twilight was cut short when the mysterious voice spoke.
"Hmph, must have gotten an upgrade. Family has gone far I presume." Right after the voice said this a mysterious shadow appeared right in front of Twilight upon the cutiemark map who had approached the table during the short lived conversation. "I like cloudy weather, really makes me feel alive."
Twilight jumped and let out a scream, she took a short moment to catch herself. She looked at the mysterious thing of what appeared to be a shadow of a dog. It's eyes glowing of electric yellow yet had no pupils within them. "What are you? Are you some kind of monster?"
The mysterious shadow turned it's head sideways as if it were a normal dog. "You could say that to my peer, the foalsitter. Adored foals yet foals were scared of her." It appeared also that his lips also moved his words as if the dog was speaking itself.
"What do you mean foalsitter and where did you come from?" Questioned Twilight.
"I came from a place beyond your comprehension. But that is all of my time available I'm afraid. I must now see to my lord." The mysterious shadow of the dog got up and then walked to the edge of the table and then suddenly dissipated into the thin air. The fog also seemed to be dissipating today. As soon as the lighting returned from the state of dimness to brighter lights she noticed that their was a note left on the table. She approached the table once more and looked at it and it appeared to be a torn page. It read as followed.
The Foal's Nursery Rhyming Book
Use this only during the day to teach your foal to think better and to analyze details:
"What is gloomy and sad looking yet helps us keep alive during the year?
"What is gloomy and sad looking yet helps us keep alive during the year? Pssh it's obviously clouds." She took a brief moment to think, "But what do clouds have to deal with that mysterious dog that could speak?" Twilight pondered upon the mysterious dog. The fact that the the... Thing could dissipate into thin air and reappear out of thin air. It was mysterious that was for sure. To add even more upon it there was the fact that the mysterious dog could speak as if it were just a normal pony. It also talked about a "lord" and an "estate". There were ever two monarchs in Equestrian History and they're still alive. Twilight has never heard of an "estate" in Euqestria before, she knew they existed far long ago.
To add even more upon this mysterious engagement the dog was simply a shroud, she hypothesized that if she placed her hoof through the dog then it would simply phase through it. The knowledge of being able to summon dark creatures on command could only be available to one pony, Sombra. Former tyrant of the Crystal Empire, but they defeated him in the liberation of the empire though. Thus ruling out the possibility of Sombra returning for revenge. But what it could it be? A new foe of Equestria? Or was it a hallucination that only she could see for herself? There were so many questions within Twilight's head, but there weren't enough answers to these questions.
Twilight eventually exited the cutiemap room and entered the hallways. She stared down at the floor, trying to solve the answers to these questions that lingered in her mind once more. As she trotted the halls of her castle she heard the hoofsteps of somepony. She raised her head and looked around. Eventually something turned the corner and it was Applejack.
Applejack was Twilights companion all throughout her time in Ponyville. Whether it be dropping her off a cliff to enduring the most chaotic of times she was there. This rightfully gave her the title of "The Element of Honesty." She was an honest friend and she never told a lie towards anypony.
"Applejack?" Spoke Twilight from across the hall.
"Howdy Twilight, just came here to check if you were available." She began approaching Twilight as she spoke, "I was wondering if I could use your help at the farm." She gave a slight smile to Twilight, "I know you're not big on farm work but maybe you could, you know," Applejack gave a nudge toward Twilight, "loosen up those muscles!"
"Actually Applejack I need your help." Twilight spoke in a (something) manner. She eventually began pacing around Applejack and stopped right in front of her.
"Are you alright Twi'?"
Twilight placed a hoof on her chin and then took a deep breath. "Listen, Applejack, I met this strange creature. It was a shroud... A shroud of a dog. It didn't attack me at all. It just stood there looking at me and then it spoke like a normal pony. It mentioned the words 'estate' and 'lord'. I know it sounds crazy but I am not joking. The shroud was a dog and it spoke like a normal pony. To add more on that it said that it come from 'a place beyond your comprehension'."
Applejack looked at her as if Twilight went completely insane in less than a minute. Her face was filled with the emotions of questioning, disgust, and confusion. "Twilight, are you okay? Did a donkey nail you right in the head with it's kick?"
Twilight gave a large sigh and began walking past Applejack. "I knew you wouldn't believe me. It just sounds crazy I will give it that. Maybe it was a dream."
Applejack looked at her with eyes that were filled with regret and spoke, "Im sorry if I offended you."
"I know it's true, it wasn't a dream. It wasn't some hallucination, my senses were all in place. It damp with all of the fog around the scene. I heard the dog through my very ears. I saw him with my eyes and the air smelled of pine. This wasn't a dream Applejack." Twilight's voice seemed to adopt tones of anger within it, each word she spoke sounded more and more filled with anger. "I'm going to see Celestia about this. I'm deciding into investigating this. You're not going to come, neither you, or my friends. Something tells me that I am about to jump down into a very, very deep, rabbit hole."
"Twi' you can't just cast us out. We are friend and-"
"the decision is final. I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but I want to know about what happened here that incited that shroud to come. Friends can be great assitance in times of need. But I feel this is a matter that only an alicorn capable of casting time spells is able to investigate."
"Time spells?!" Exclaimed Applejack, her mouth gaping wide open and her pupils shrinking. "You can't just go back in time. It will mess things up! Starlight was able to change time because... Well, who knows?! What I'm trying to say is that you can't do this Twilight!"
"It is final and you can't revert my mind, whether you like it or not." Twilight let out a gust of air from her nostril and began walking away from Applejack. The two departed from the scene in bitterness but instantaneously were filled with regret of how they treated each other so poorly. Twilight turned her head back at Applejack who was still walking away from her. Twilight let out a sigh and lowered down her head to her knees and continued to walk the halls. She continued doing so until she finally reached her chambers.
Twilight opened her chambers and sluggishly wandered to her desk and sat down in the chair in front of it. She looked at all of the papers in front of herself and gave out a loud groan. She retrieved a paper and a pen and began writing upon the pieces of paper. Slowly and surely she began drifting off into sleep. It was quite the interesting and fatiguing day for her from meeting that mysterious dog that seemed to be conjured by the powers of dark magic to getting into a fight with one of her best friends. Slowly her head began its approach to the top of the table. Once she finally rested her head on the table a spell of sleeping was casted upon her immediately.
