Twilight's Turning, Part 1: Uncharted Territory
Chapter 1: A Terrible Mistake
Chapter 1: A Terrible Mistake
Every attendee made their way toward the large chamber doors and away from a very distraught lavender unicorn who had just been harshly told off by her sibling, Captain Shining Armor. He didn’t seem to enjoy the sleep-deprived Twilight Sparkle accusing his bride-to-be, the Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, of evil. Not only was Twilight overwhelmed with regret, to make things worse, she had beenuninvited to her brother and best friend’s wedding.
“I’ve made a mistake… What ever possessed me to say those awful things about Cadence?” she asked, quickly realizing the sheer amount of emotional damage she had caused her family and friends, witnessing this sort of treatment towards a loved one.
Thoughts of guilt and sadness rushed to Twilight’s head as she contemplated what she had done. After what seemed like a millennia, Twilight Sparkle decided that she should spare everypony the burden and leave. She took a deep breath in and slowly made her way to the castle exit via the halls.
* * *
Princess Cadence laid down on her bed, stifling her tears. Though however comfortable the royal guest quarters were, it wasn’t what she needed to ease the sadness she felt. All she could think about was the filly she used to know becoming a paranoid wreck. Twilight had faced some terrible creatures when fulfilling her role as Celestia’s protege, Cadence thought, but I had no idea how it had changed her. Cadence began to wonder how to confront Twilight about her behavior and make amends. She never meant to offend anypony, or be rude. Was I really that rude? she asked herself.
In a moment, Shining Armor gently, but briskly, opened the door to Cadence’s quarters.
“Are you okay?” he asked, approaching his bride with a concerned frown. Cadence gave a weak smile.
“Yes, I’m fine. I guess,” she answered with uncertainty. Shining’s eyes shifted as he sat next to the pink alicorn.
“Seriously, I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She’s been behaving strangely all day.” He looked her in the eyes. “And when she went off on you like that, I could tell she wasn’t the little sister I knew.” The more Shining thought about the incident, the more sadness could be seen in his eyes.
“Shining, are you okay?” The Princess of Love gave her groom a concerned look. Shining leaned into Cadence.
“I’ll be fine. She’s not attending the wedding, so she won’t even be around to mess it up.” Cadence frowned at him.
“Not attending? She has to! She’s very important to both of us, no matter how rude she acted earlier.” She sighed, shifting her eyes to the floor. “I did go somewhat overboard with the wedding planning. Maybe I was the one being rude.” This comment caused Shining Armor to jolt upright.
“No! You saw what she did! And tried to-”
“Shining,” interrupted Cadence, “you can’t honestly say I’m completely blameless in this. I was thinking, she hasn’t seen me in so many years and then she has to see me act like that; it’s no wonder she blamed me for being evil.” Shining considered her point before standing up.
“You know, you’re right.” He turned back towards his true love and smiled. “I’ll talk to her in the morning, okay? First thing.” Cadence smiled and nodded in agreement.
“Sounds like a plan!” The princess stood up, leveling her muzzle with her significant other, and planting a kiss on his lips.
* * *
Twilight soon found herself deep in a forest with a multitude of different species of trees, no one identical to any other. She didn’t recognize this part of the Everfree forest and right now, that was a good thing. Some alone time would help her cycle through this grief. Though, she would have the hardest time getting over Shining Armor uninviting her to the wedding. It was a once in a lifetime event for her BBBFF, one that she would never get a chance to witness again. If Cadence is as good of a match for Shining Armor as I know she is, thought a tearful Twilight, then they will be together for the rest of their lives.
Twilight found a clearing where she could see nothing but raw forest all around, lay down, and began to cry, letting her emotions take the reins. She cried and cried, until she just couldn’t cry anymore.
“What’s next, Twilight? Happy thoughts?” she asked herself. “Cadence was so nice to me as a filly. Her and Shining are getting married… I’m happy for them.” That’s what she told herself, but she couldn’t be convinced of it. She couldn’t help but to feel upset that she was excluded. She had no chance in convincing herself that she would be happy with how things turned out. She wasn’t ready to accept it yet. The forest was soon overcome with evening shadows and darkness as Celestia’s sun left and Luna’s moon rose. Twilight used a light spell to keep the clearing bright.
Surprisingly, the clearing was free of monsters. Something about the many different types of trees carrying different herbs warded monsters from this part of the forest. Perhaps they’re allergic, thought Twilight, or they can’t stand the smell. Feeling safe, Twilight decided to make herself comfortable and review spells to keep her mind off of the events at Canterlot.
The tactic worked, and she found herself enjoying the practice. Eventually, she began to fall prey to sleep and her eyelids grew heavy. The light from her horn began to dim until it was completely out, just like the unicorn casting the spell.
Two pairs of slitted snake-like eyes hidden in the nearby bushes observed the unicorn as she slumbered.
“Now?”
“Now.”
Two pony-sized dragons darted like lightning from their hiding place and blitzed the unicorn. One took a thick coil of rope to bind her legs, while the other placed a paper sticker on Twilight’s horn. The commotion woke the unicorn, but not before it was too late. It didn’t take her long to process the situation, given how rough the dragon was with the rope.
“Stop it! Get off of me!” she cried out. “Help! Somepony help!” She attempted to escape with a spell to untie the rope, but to no avail. Her teleportation spell wasn't working either. In fact, the attempted use of such a spell caused the sticker to react and cause a painful migraine to bloom. Twilight Sparkle became helpless without her magic. After all, magic and friendship were the most precious things she had, and now both were taken from her in the same night.
Twilight fought and squirmed as much as she could; her captors just watched and let the pony wear herself out.
“Worth the trip, eh?” one dragon said to the other. “She’d fetch a high price as a slave!” In a low tone and a grin he added, “or a trophy wife back home.”
Back home?, thought the worn pony, Where’s back home? I don't even recognize this species of dragon. She scrutinized the reptilian creatures, trying her level best from her position to discover anything that might give her a clue. No books she had ever read described anything like these dragons. The equipment they wore was foreign as well, with belts made of a tough brown material.
Her heart stuttered when she realized the belts were leather, the tanned skins of other living beings. She had read about leather in a few very old tomes and the process required to make it. The very idea made her ill. Twilight didn’t want to think about what might happen to her while she was held captive by these depraved creatures; yet, she found herself imagining a fate far worse than death.
She suddenly missed the disapproval of her friends and family, however harsh.
End of Chapter 1
Twilight's Turning, Part 1: Uncharted Territory
Chapter 2: Holding On
Twilight Sparkle barely opened her eyes to a small amount of sunlight hitting her face from above. Once her senses started to wake up, she could smell the brine in the air, and feel the warmth of the sun overhead through a hot, metal grate. Twilight Sparkle could barely examine her surroundings, but she could at least guess she was enclosed by strong, wooden boards. Even though there was enough room, she didn’t even bother making an attempt to stand, as her legs were still tied together; that and she took a beating from the devious creatures that kidnapped her. The floor lumbered beneath her in a constant sway. She could only make one conclusion as to her whereabouts; the ocean.
She began to hear heavy breathing nearby. She couldn’t see where it was coming from, due to the fact her new room was very closed off.
“Is anypony there?” she asked, her voice cracking from the surging pain in the chest. She waited for a response, but was met only with more heavy breathing. “Hello?” she asked.
“Be quiet in there, or I’ll pull you out of there and lash you myself!” boomed a voice from, what Twilight could guess, the main deck of the large wooden sea craft. She didn’t want to experience their punishment again. If she spoke out, or so much as sneezed wrong, these creatures would beat the idea of freedom out of her again. Then she heard a whisper from the wall.
“Don’t talk. Rest.” The voice said. The heavy breathing continued. The bedraggled pony didn’t question her. At this moment, that voice was the closest thing Twilight had to a friend right now. It gave her a slight glimmer of hope, but her observations so far seemed to indicate that these dragon-like creatures just kidnap innocent creatures for slaves, or trophy spouses. The chances of her seeing the body of that voice were inevitable, but the chances of her getting to know that being were slim, as they would most likely be separated quickly after this voyage. It made her feel sick, though vomiting would likely not happen, as she had not been fed in four days.
Four days in captivity. Four days of loneliness. Four days of wishing she had just stayed at the castle. Four days of the immense fear of what awaits at her next destination. All she could think about was how much she missed her friends, and how she would never see them again. Her memories of Celestia’s warm, soothing smile as she would teach Twilight magic, and how she may never see that sight again. Her family, her friends, and her neighbors; she may never know their warm smiles on their face and the joy they brought always brought. She closed her eyes, letting the darkness embrace her, she listened as the breathing of her new hosts filled the air, soon falling into a deep slumber as her final thought was of a lit candle.
* * *
A grey pegasus, in polished golden armor, made his way through the throne room towards a frowning Princess Celestia.
“There’s yet no sign of Ms. Twilight Sparkle in Los Pegasus,” reported the stallion. Princess Celestia nodded slowly.
“Move your search party to the city of Manehatten and assist with the search there. Report to Captain Shining Armor. He is leading the search for Twilight Sparkle in that region.” The pegasus saluted her before doing an about face and trotting out the door with priority.
Princess Celestia closed her eyes, and thought about the last thing she said to her most faithful student.
“You have a lot to think about,” she said out loud. Those words rang through her mind every minute since the morning Twilight Sparkle could not be reached. Those words nagged her so much that they demanded to be spoken.
After wallowing in pity for a few moments, she approached her map of Equestria that had been repurposed specifically for the search for Twilight Sparkle. Nearly all of the main locations, notable remote areas, forests, landmarks, and treacherous badlands have all been marked with an “X.” The more that appeared on her map, the more she doubted that her studious apprentice would ever be found. She hesitated before she put an “X” over Los Pegasus on the map. If Twilight Sparkle really wanted to be alone for this long, she is smart enough to hide from all the guards, but for the entirety of Equestria being on the lookout for such an esteemed pony, she should have been spotted by now.
The princess stared at the map, wondering just how many other places Twilight could possibly be. A thought crossed her mind. What if she had left Equestria? There’s not much I can do at that point, thought Celestia. She pondered her options. After a few moments, she took out a quill, ink, and scroll and began to write. Surely it would help to write to her political contacts to keep an eye out for the missing Twilight Sparkle.
* * *
In the outskirts of Ponyville, the clouds were getting thick and grey, blocking out the sunlight and blue sky entirely. Many pegasi had been scrambled to search for the missing unicorn, so there were less ponies left to regulate the weather, allowing said storms to slip away into the sky.
After spending the past few days searching around one likely location for Twilight to run to, the unicorn’s friends used their intimate knowledge of the area near Ponyville to assist in the search for their friend; their efforts proved fruitless.They did not want to stop there, though. They would keep searching until the day they die. It was the least they could do for their best friend, though there were doubts that they would ever find her
“How could we have just left her there alone?” the pale yellow pegasus pondered amongst her friends. “If we had stayed with her, maybe she would still be here. What if she’s hurt? What if…?” Fluttershy’s face fell, obviously assuming the worst. She began to sniffle, then her emotions snowballed causing her body to force a quiet wail for her dear friend. “Oh, Twilight…”
“Now, dearie, our Twilight is resourceful. I’m sure she’s doing just fine, wherever she is, and she’s just resting peacefully, somewhere discreet, to get away from the stress of the wedding and all.” Rarity forced a smile, hardly believing herself. She agreed with Fluttershy. How could we leave her there, she thought, she has been known to go off the handle over things.
“What if we never find her? What if she’s gone… FOREVER?!” screamed Pinkie Pie. “I can’t NOT throw her parties! That would be rude to stop! Then what if she never comes back and I throw all these parties for her and she never shows up and everypony is sad?!” The pink pony finally stopped to take a breath, then let her head down until it hit the ground.
“Now don’t think like that, gals. We’re sure to find her if we just keep lookin’!” Applejack had been trying her hardest the past few days to keep everypony from breaking down; not that the loss of their dear friend had not taken its toll on her as well. Even if one of us followed her we wouldn’t be in this situation right now, thought the orange farm pony. Suddenly, a cyan blue pegasus crashed down by the group.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash!” exclaimed the marshmallow white unicorn. “Please tell us you found her! Or something that will tell us where she’s gone.” The newly arrived sky blue pegasus’ face said it all, small tears forming in the deepest crests of her eyes.
“We couldn’t find anything from the air,” she said. “I was hoping you guys would have something.” The news from the pegasus caused them all a great, visible pain. A few tears were shed, though all of them were trying their hardest to believe that they would see Twilight Sparkle again someday. Even through all of the doubt, Applejack raised her head with a new look of determination, and with a couple tears proudly dripping down her face, she stood tall.
“We gotta keep lookin’! We won’t give up on her, right girls?” In an almost fluid movement, all of them met Applejack’s bold green eyes and did their best to raise their heads to her level. Even Fluttershy, who was still silently letting the tears flow with steady lungs, managed to feel Applejack’s determination.
* * *
Twilight woke up to the sound of deep loud bells. After the first few rings, she could hear one of her captors shouting.
“Give the sails some slack! We’re approaching the dock!”
“I am, I see it!” the other snapped back. However curious Twilight was about this new land, it wasn’t worth getting kidnapped and beaten within an inch of her life to see it. There must be a reason she had never heard of it. Maybe no pony who had come this way had lived to tell about it. Or maybe it was so great that they decided to stay, she thought, attempting to convince herself that there was a silver lining to this darkness.
Many long minutes had passed before she felt the watercraft thump against another wooden structure. She caught the movement of the two dragons through the grating, jumping to tie the ship down to the dock, and took a tentative gulp, never looking forward to being moved by them. They usually had a spear pointed at her, even though she couldn’t move. She’d get poked just for looking at them funny. Twilight had since learned to always lower her gaze when she was being handled by the dragons.
Whoever was in the block next to her was removed first. Twilight tried her hardest to get a good look at her, feeling sympathetic attachment to the unfamiliar being. All she could tell was that she was a little larger than a pony and had a rounder body.
The dragons had taken Twilight’s closest thing to a friend away, but they took an awfully long time. The scholar pondered why. Maybe she was purchased already and is being sent elsewhere. Whoever bought her must be meeting the dragons here to pick her up and they’re running late. They must be waiting for them, she thought. She hoped for the best for the other creature, as she understood the torture she had to endure.
Twilight’s captors returned.
“Who knew Equestrian cow would pay so well? Two gold pieces for the whole thing!” Each of the slavers held a shiny gold piece and each slipped it into their leather satchel, just happy as can be. Twilight on the other hand felt her heart shrink and seize up. These dragons just marked that cow for death! All for a couple of shiny coins. The pony felt like crying, but her muscles would not let her. She was petrified by her fear and anguish.
The dragons then pulled the grate off of Twilight’s mobile prison and lifted her out with complete disregard to her comfort, rattling her around enough for her to realize just how numb her extremities were and just how roughed up she had become. The new air around her had reinvigorated the stench of the blood and urine that her fur had soaked over the past few days. She felt ill enough to vomit, but she held it back. The dock itself seemed secluded and empty except for a couple of other docks and ships, and just one small building that probably belonged to a port master. She could guess that this wasn’t a regular dock. She hoped it wasn’t.
Before she could process her surroundings properly, she was tossed into a shiny metal cage bolted atop a simple wooden cart. She nearly yelped in pain, but she was getting used to being tossed around by now. However, she grunted when they tightened the binding rope on her legs. The rope that bound her had only recently removed the superficial skin on her forelegs.
From what she observed from her wheeled prison, she was in a desert. There were a few palm trees on the beach and going forward there were nothing but heat waves and a sandy sea. Her cage did not protect her from the heat, and she had already been cotton-mouthed since the boat ride. She was bound to get water from the slavers at some point, but with the sand gusting in her face, that moment would not come soon enough for her. After all, if she died, they would have done all that work for no profit, which was obviously all they cared about. Then came some thoughts: Just how much is a pony worth out here? Will I go for more or less because I’m a unicorn? Wait a second, she thought. Am I actually considering my worth to them?
Twilight attempted to relax, but insanity had already set in, her head pounded, and her body ached. The world around her was new and the fear of what was coming was very real.. She couldn’t be sure of anything right now; her fear had overcome her rational thought.
A disturbing point came to mind: How much more do I have to endure? How much more can I endure?
Twilight shut her eyes, the hot dry winds carrying little grains of sand brushed against her mangled fur, her thoughts carried, I must find a way to escape… Can I escape? Is it even possible?
End of Chapter 2
Twilight's Turning, Part 1: Uncharted Territory
Chapter 3: A New Life
In Equestria, there were still small, scattered storms. Most of the searching pegasi had been reassigned to cloud duty. The storms were so bad in some places that the search parties couldn’t see a meter in front of them; and some storms caused such strong winds that they could propel debris and unprepared ponies alike into each other. The winds weren’t the only issue though; lightning striking the ground was much more common than usual, and it was an unnecessary risk given the resources at Princess Celestia’s disposal.
Luna’s moon had risen for the 22nd time since Twilight Sparkle had been lost.
Princess Celestia observed her map carefully in her private quarters, exhausted and sleep-deprived. Over the past few weeks, the texture of the map had changed. The many “X”s on the map made it barely legible as the princess struggled to find an unsearched nook or cranny.
In three weeks, have we really searched all of Equestria? There was literally nowhere else to look; even the bottoms of the lakes had been scanned. Celestia’s political contacts have even reported no sightings of the missing mare. The worst part was Celestia would have to deliver the bad news to Twilight’s friends and family.
Princess Celestia did not want to give up on the search. More than anypony knew, she wanted to continue, but she couldn’t keep the guards searching fruitlessly. Equestria needed defenders now more than ever.
Twilight Sparkle was the Element of Magic. Without all of the elements present, they were worthless, and Equestria was without its greatest defense; and the loss of Shining Armor as the Guard Captain was sure to follow. The princess pondered the situation. If she calls off the search, Shining may leave the guard, and would not use his magic to defend Canterlot, should it be attacked. She’s seen many officers leave for personal matters in her time, but the problem at hoof was much more complicated than a simple family issue.
The princess conjured a scroll and inked quill in front of her and began to write the first of many letters to Twilight’s friends and family, starting with Shining Armor.
* * *
The air became cooler. Twilight looked up. Impressive stone walls and buildings towered above, dwarfing her cart, and creating a rather impressive amount of shade from the desert sun. The very next thing Twilight Sparkle had realized, the sandy, wooden cart made a sudden stop. Almost instantly, a small, rather odd green dragon stuck its head near the bars by her nose. As the thing muttered to itself, a nervous chill ran down Twilight’s spine.
“Equestrian, unicorn, female,” he mumbled, looking over the disheveled, rancid equine. The dragon reached his tail in and poked the unicorn. “Starved, unable to fight back from the looks of it.” After his examination of Twilight, he pulled his head from the cage and walked to the front of the cart, where two, impatient dragons stood, waiting for their bounty. “I’ll give you fifty silver pieces for her!”
“No way! We went through a lot of trouble getting her here! We won’t take any less than one gold piece and fifty silver!”
“I’ll give you that for undamaged goods. You idiots are always bringing me slaves who have no worth around here! How can I sell something so broken? Hm?!” The smaller dragon put up a fight, obviously unafraid the opposition.
“Fine then.” The two kidnappers looked at one another. “One gold piece.”
“Fifty silver!” The crazed shopkeeper stood by his price.
“We brought her all the way from the pony land capital! One gold piece!” the others boomed.
“That makes no difference to me. A pony is a pony! Fifty silver!” the little one repeated.
While the two parties continued to bicker, Twilight felt another shiver run down her spine. She tilted her neck and shifted her eyes towards the back of the cage, only for them to be met by a smiling white-scaled dragoness with a pair of bright blue eyes. A few strands of sky blue hair dangled directly in her face.
The new party, whose nose had breached the boundaries of the cage, gazed into Twilight’s eyes for an uncertain amount of time. This dragon seemed rather clean for living in the desert. Twilight gazed back, questioningly, until the silence the was finally broken.
“You poor thing… Do you want to get out of there?” she asked.
What a stupid question, thought Twilight, of course I want out. But into whose custody?
Twilight nodded to the best of her ability. At this point, she decided anything was better than the nightmare she currently lived in. If being cooked by the sun wasn’t enough, her captors starved her and beat her when she spoke out of turn, and had, thus far, denied her basic rights as a pony. She also could not wait until she’d be able to take a bath and rid herself of the sand and filth covering her coat and greasing her hair.
The dragoness grinned.
“I’ll get you from them.” The dragoness then raised her head above the cart. “I’ll give you seventy-five silver pieces!”
The two kidnappers turned their heads to the newcomer.
“Now we’re talking, young lady! You offer a better deal than this cheapskate here.” One of them pointed back to the smaller dragon, who was now panicking. He’d never had a customer try to swipe product directly from the deliverer like this before. He decided to cut back in.
“Eighty silver!”
“Eighty-five!”
“Ninety!”
“Ninety-five!” The dragoness grinned smugly at the smaller dragon, while the slavers held their own proud smiles. The green dragon glared back at his feminine opponent before grinning himself.
“One entire gold piece!” Twilight’s kidnappers laughed.
“Deal!” replied one of the slavers. Twilight’s heart sank.
Just kill me now, thought the broken unicorn.
“One gold piece and 10 silver!” interrupted the dragoness. The slave keeper growled at her.
“Fine! I can’t make a profit off of her if I went any higher. I give!” The keeper reluctantly left the group to their deal.
The dragoness reached into the leather sack she wore and placed the equivalent of her bid in silver on the cart. The slavers unlocked the cage and took the silver. They quickly removed Twilight and dropped her on the ground.
“Enjoy your slave, luv!” With that said, the dragons grabbed their cart and bolted away, finally rid of the burden that was Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight groaned loudly as her heroine rushed to remove the rope. The magic sealing sticker didn’t seem to be an issue to either of them at the time.
“Are you okay, dearest?” asked Twilight’s new acquaintance. To the newly released pony, she sounded a bit like her old friend, Rarity, but with a higher pitched voice, and more of a Trottingham accent.
Twilight groaned yet again. In the time she had been caged, she hadn’t gotten to speak very much, so it became difficult for her. But she tried and managed to form words.
“Thanks… Name?” she said, weakly. The dragoness smiled at her.
“My name is Snow. I saw you and just had to get you out of there, you poor thing. Could I have your name?”
My name? Twilight thought. The worn down pony had not spoken her name in many, many days. She had almost forgotten it until Snow had asked.
“Tw-T-Twi… Twilight,” she spoke, feeling like she had a brace in her mouth. It was after Twilight attempted to speak that she realized most of the muscles in her extremities may have atrophied, making it very difficult to get around for a while.
“Twilight! That’s a beautiful name!” She smiled, gently helping the pony up and catching her dreadful stench. “Let’s get you home. We’ll need to clean you up at bath time. Until then, I bet you’re hungry.”
“Mhm,” was all she could say. The tough times were over for Twilight Sparkle. She was one step closer to going home to Equestria where she could make amends with her friends and family.
I can’t wait.
* * *
Shining Armor stared at the ceiling of his private quarters in the castle of Canterlot. Though his pillows were some of the most comfortable in all of Equestria, he hadn't once slept well since his little sister went missing.
“Where could you be, Twily? Are you really that upset with me that you’d leave for weeks and not tell anypony?” He paused. “It’s all my fault.” He sniffled, then he turned his face into his pillow and screamed, “Where are you?!” as tears flooded directly into the pillow.
At that very moment, Shining felt that there was nopony in the world who knew his pain. Nopony who could comfort him; not even Princess Cadence.
When the sobs subsided, he noticed that a scroll lay on his bedside table. He had hoped that it came from the table’s private channel that Celestia would use to send him orders. He brought it up in front of him and gaped at the words on the page.
Dear Captain Shining Armor,
It is with great regret that I inform you of my decision to pull the Royal Guard from the search for your dear sister, Twilight Sparkle. Please understand that I did not make this decision lightly. I have not given up hope, as I do believe that Twilight’s friends alone have the strength and resolve to find her.
As hard as it may be for you, I need your help here, in Equestria, keeping Canterlot safe. Without Twilight Sparkle’s Element of Harmony, Equestria is in grave danger. Equestria needs all of its protectors until Twilight Sparkle is found and brought back into Equestria.
I am terribly sorry for your loss.
Yours truly,
Princess Celestia
As his eyes scanned each successive line, the angry furrows in Shining's forehead deeped. “What?! How could she?” The grieving unicorn dropped the scroll on the floor and jumped out of bed. “Asking me to stop looking for my sister? Never!” He growled with force in his lungs.
The Captain packed his essential belongings, including a picture of him and Twilight Sparkle, into a saddlebag. He didn’t even bother keeping quiet as he trotted out of his room, through the hall and out of the castle.
Who’s going to stop me?
* * *
Dearest Friends of Twilight Sparkle,
I am filled with regret to inform you that the Royal Guard will no longer be assisting in the search for Twilight Sparkle. We no longer believe she is in Equestria. Due to the loss of the Element of Magic, Equestria needs its guards more than ever. Regardless of these facts, I do not wish to give up the search for her entirely.
I wish to formally ask for your help in ascertaining her location. I believe that through your bonds of friendship, as well as your unique connection to her as the remaining Elements of Harmony, you will be able to find your friend beyond the boundaries of our home.
I do not anticipate this being an easy task, so it is with only the greatest of humility that I ask of this of you – and I ask it as your friend, and hers.
Yours Truly,
Princess Celestia
* * *
Applejack quietly gathered her belongings in a saddlepack, successfully keeping anypony from waking in the process.
“Sis?”
Almost successfully.
“Applebloom?” Applejack turned her head to her little sister, who stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. “What are ya doin’ awake? Go back to bed,” she commanded, keeping her voice low.
“Why are you awake, Applejack? And what are ya packin’ for? An adventure?” She asked, trying to peek behind her sister and into her bag.
“No. Just go! It’s important, okay?”
“What’s important?”
“The- Oh, alright.” Applejack took a deep breath. “Me and the gals are goin’ to set out to find Twilight. Equestria can’t be searched anymore, so we’re goin’ outta the country to try and find some clues as to where she might be.” Applejack continued packing, not noticing the tears that began rolling down Applebloom's face.
“How long will you be gone?” She asked, already knowing she won’t like the answer.
“Ah don’t know, sugarcube. As long as it takes.” Applejack started to cry herself. She approached Applebloom and embraced her. “Ah love ya Applebloom.”
“Ah love you too, Applejack.”
* * *
A gathering of many surprisingly domesticated animals faced a petite yellow pegasus. The moon shone brightly upon the gathering, and especially upon an angry white bunny at it's head. "I'm sorry Angel," Fluttershy said, "but with Twilight gone, all of Equestria could be in danger. I mean, imagine, there could be ghosts, or monsters, or all sorts of other scary things!"
The white bunny gave the pegasus a disbelieving stare.
Fluttershy's shoulders fell. "Ok, fine, there are a lot worse things than ghosts. But you know that Equestria couldn't survive without the Elements of Harmony if another monster like Discord showed up."
The bunny stared up at her for a few seconds before hanging his head in defeat.
“I knew you’d understand, Angel. The rest of you… I’m going to miss you all so very much.” All of Fluttershy’s animal friends suddenly surrounded her in a big hug, keeping her in the center.
After the long goodbye, the animals released her and, with a wave, she began trotting off into the forest. The animals all scattered, except for one which quickly bounded up to Fluttershy and gave a light tug on her pink tail. Fluttershy turned to see two huge sad eyes staring up at her.
"No, Angel, I can't stay." Fluttershy turned to go, but felt that gentle tug on her tail again. She turned once more. "Angel.... I really must be..." She paused.
Angel wasn't there.
Fluttershy felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked to her side and saw a white bunny that was now nestled in her saddlebag, staring at her with wide, hopeful eyes.
Fluttershy debated for a second, then sighed before relenting, "Okay, you can come along." Then she added, a bit more cheerfully, "Besides, I might need some help if I encounter something scary on the way." Her wing stretched slightly and patted Angel on the head and his ears perked up. "Now we really must be going, I can't be late for this meeting with everypony else."
Fluttershy happily trotted into the forest, cheerily chatting with her fluffy companion.
* * *
“No more parties until we find Twilight,” said the pink, curly-maned pony as she closed up yet another box of party supplies. Since her time away could not be determined, she figured it would be best to make sure everything was out of the way for the Cakes.
“Buuuuuuuut!” Pinkie Pie not-so-gracefully loaded her party cannon into her black hole of a saddlebag. “I can still throw one when we find her!” As Pinkie looked through her bag, she didn’t seem to notice that all of her “essentials” were, in fact, party supplies.
“I think I have everything.” She suddenly frowned. “If Twilight were here, she could tell me if I did or not. She was always good at telling me those things.”
The party pony took a deep breath and let out a sigh before hopping up the stairs and out of Sugarcube Corner to meet with her friends.
* * *
A few prismatic hairs fell to the ground as a flying blue creature darted around them. The pegasus, light beaming off her multi-hued mane, threw odds and ends into a rucksack in the middle of the room. Dashing from place to place, her flight slowed only slightly as she finally grabbed a few juice boxes, closed up the rucksack, and sped out the door.
“We’ll find you, Twilight. Whatever it takes!” promised Rainbow Dash.
* * *
“I’m going to miss you, Rarity. Come back soon, okay? I want to go to the Sisterhooves Social with you next time it comes around, alright?” The small white filly hugged her older sister tight.
“I’ll be back as soon as we find Twilight, okay? This is a mission of the utmost importance!” Rarity smiled at her. “But you are my little sister, and that has its own special kind of importance.” She gave her a small peck on her forehead and nudged Sweetie Belle towards their parents. “Be good for mom and dad, okay?”
“I will,” replied Sweetie.
Rarity waved, and the family waved back as Sweetie made her way to her parents.
The scene played continuously in her head while she readied for departure.
“We could go through snow or desert, alike. Hmm…” The white unicorn held up seven unique styles of scarves. She had to pack for all kinds of weather, but she couldn’t bring her entire wardrobe with her.
“I got it! Infinity scarves!” She tasked herself to loading her saddlebags, making sure to pack six sets of snow gear with infinity scarves. “They can be used to cover the mouth in a desert or keep warm on a snowy mountain.”
Six pairs.
“Twilight…” She looked at the dominantly purple outfit she had made for Twilight in the past and shed a tear. “We will find you, darling.” Rarity still packed a scarf for Twilight, but left the extra set of snow gear out.
The unicorn, more determined than ever, levitated her saddlebags to her, as she closed up her shop for what felt like the last time.
“I’ll be back though someday.” She walked out of the building, locking the door behind her, and hanging up a sign that said “Closed until further notice.” She slowly trotted away.
* * *
The weary purple unicorn opened her eyes to see herself in a large stone room with wooden floors and a wooden ceiling. The room itself was a combination of different rooms; different rooms to ponies anyways. In one corner was a crude stove and some cabinets with a small sink. In another corner, a small wooden dining room set looked right at home. A nice, green diamond-shaped rug lay in the center of the room. A flight of stairs with crude wooden railing took up an entire wall. Fortunately, the bathroom in the corner had its own set of stone walls and a door to it. It didn’t have a bath in it though.
“What would you like to eat?” Snow flipped a switch and illuminated the room. It was funny to think that she lived in a place that looked run down but she had electric lighting.
The dragoness set Twilight at the dining table, making sure she could keep her balance, making note to wash the furniture later. Snow made her way to the kitchen area and, using a match, lit up the stove. “What do you eat where you’re from?”
Twilight took a deep breath in, attempting to speak, but Snow cut her off.
“Vegetable stew okay?” she asked, looking back to the dazed pony.
“Mhm.” Twilight nodded in response.
“One vegetable stew coming right up, dear!” Snow prepared the produce while the stove heated the water in the pot. Meanwhile, Twilight attempted to gather her thoughts and assess her current situation, which she still had not figured out completely yet. All she knew is she was close to death in some far away land. But she struggled to place exactly where she was.
Where is Equestria? Where is here? Why is Snow so interested in me, a pony? Are my friends even looking for me right now?
* * *
“We gotta find Twilight fast, y’all. We are her last hope and we’re not gonna fail!” The orange earth pony stood tall on the bridge leading away from Ponyville, above the rest of her friends. Applejack always knew what to say to inspire a crowd. Though it wouldn’t take much to inspire her friends. They all knew what was at stake.
“Whatever’s happened to her, we’ll find her and bring her home!” piped Rainbow Dash, who darted herself into the air.
The other three friends cheered, all at different volumes.
“For Twilight!”
The friends all started their journey to the north.
* * *
Twilight Sparkle nearly inhaled her third bowl of stew with her new dragoness companion looking at her wide-eyed.
“Poor thing.” Snow couldn’t help but smile at her though. After the contents of the dish had disappeared, Snow gathered the bowl from Twilight’s front, and rinsed it in the sink. “It’s almost bath time.”
The mention of the word “bath” made her ears perk up.
“Bath time?” She looked immediately at Snow.
“Yes. Each household without its own bath may sign up for a scheduled bath time at a local bath house.” Snow made her way to Twilight’s side. “Is it that way for ponies?”
Twilight closed her eyes, smiling. She shook her head.
“Ponies have own baths,” she replied, still barely able to speak properly. The thought of even getting to rinse off made the unicorn giddy.
Maybe this won’t be so bad. The food is pretty good, and Snow seems really nice. Maybe I can get myself in shape and get back home, thought Twilight. Until then I suppose I’m stuck in uncharted territory.
End of Chapter 3
