Chronicles Of Divine Equestria 1: Temple of the Spirit

Chapters

1: The Road to Canterlot
2: The Royal Council of Magic and Mythology
3: Tea and Treasure

1: The Road to Canterlot

CHRONICLES OF DIVINE EQUESTRIA
EPISODE 1: regarding THE TEMPLE OF THE SPIRIT and the RISE OF THE SUNDER
CHAPTER 1: THE ROAD TO CANTERLOT

The mountains towered high above the green valley below, surrounding it like a pointed gate of looming protection. A strange haze hovered in the early morning air which glimmered in the sunlight before evaporating with the rising sun of this strange and far-off land. Down below in the valley were lush fields of green trees and tall grass dancing to the silent symphony of the soft easterly winds. Far off in the distance, through the low clouds, a large stone city jutted from the side of the tallest mountain and hung over the forest directly below. It was hard to see it at times from the valley, but at certain times of the day the sunlight would glimmer across the beautiful white walls and violet-trimmed turrets. A series of waterfalls fell from the city straight down into a great lake in the forest, out of from which flowed a river which ran directly into the green fields to the south.

The inhabitants of the great valley below resided among the many hills and rivers which seemed to meet in the center of the valley. A small city rested peacefully entwined between the many hills. Many houses lay scattered more scarcely toward the edge of town. Their English-looking architecture proving that they were made up of the many natural resources nearby, deviating toward a more elegant look which was obviously the joyful color choices and bright windows lit by candles and torches within.

This cheery village was called Ponyville. And, as the name hints, the inhabitants are ponies. For about a hundred years the village has thrived on the wonderful resources of this land and has continued to do so through even the toughest times. The cobblestone streets ran wildly between buildings and houses, out of which many of Ponyville’s inhabitants are just emerging for the day. In the town square, a very large and extremely old tree looms near the Town Hall. Cut into the tree are a number of gold-trimmed windows and rods by which, in pink clay pots, hang many a species of shrubbery and flower. The light blue windows gleamed as the rising sun reflected each drop of morning dew on the panes and the birds began to fly out of the thick branches, singing mildly to each other and flapping their wings in the breeze. This great tree has been hollowed. Many, many years ago, it was turned into the town library but more recently, a certain violet unicorn has moved in with her dragon and now claims the library as her home.

And inside the tree the sun’s golden beams were creeping through the curtains and filling the room with a glimmering ruby red: the color of the wood inside the tree. On the second floor of the tree house, the purple unicorn stirred in her sleep, the sun beam tracing the edge of her chin through the window. She turned to the other side as brightness filled the room, causing her to squint. Next to her bed in a wicker basket lays a young purple dragon, snoring as usual. His green spikes heave up and down with each deep breath which indicates he is having a good dream. With one last sleepy stir, the unicorn turns back the other way and her pillow slips from under her head as she unconsciously edges it closer to the bed. The pillow lands on the floor with a soft thud sending dust silently into the sunbeams which cast across the room and illuminate each corner of the loft.

“Hmmphh…” The unicorn begins to groan and stretch her legs, pushing the blanket off the bed as well. “S-Spike…? ...ughhh what time is it?” She sat up lazily and leaned on her elbow as she glanced at the small purple dragon wrapped in a blanket.

“Spike… you need to wake up, now.” The unicorn’s gaze turned into a frustrated glare. Raising her body over the edge of the bed, she landed on all four hooves then walked over to the basket and nudged it.

“Spike, I know you want to sleep, but we have a big day today.”

“Hmph!” Spike the dragon turned away from the unicorn and grunted, trying to hold onto the dream he was having. “Twi-Twilight, it’s not even… it’s not even 8 o’ clo…” But the dragon had fallen back to sleep again. This time, Twilight kicked the basket hard enough so it would tip and Spike spilled over the other side with his blanket and favorite belonging, a turquoise gem. In a flash, he scooped up his precious gem and held it close to him.

“Twilight! My gem Rarity gave to me! You should be more – “

“I’m sorry Spike, but you weren’t waking up fast enough. We have a lot of stuff to do before we leave later.”
“Where are we going? I didn’t know we – “

“We’re on royal business today. I know it’s the weekend but I got the letter last night from Princess Celestia…” Twilight walked over to the window and looked north to the stone city built on the side of the tallest mountain. “She will be expecting us by noon.”

With those words, Spike stood quickly and scooted his basket aside leaving the precious turquoise gem inside it. He rubbed his eyes before speaking.

“Why are we going to Canterlot? It must be important.”

Twilight looked a little grave and looked out the window again.

“I don’t know Spike, but whatever it is I can’t let the Princess down. She needs me and I need to show her she can rely on me. So let’s pack up for the journey and we’ll leave by 11. I’m thinking we’ll take the train too.”

She turned around at Spike who was already climbing down the short ladder off the loft which led to the bedroom floor below. She jumped down and trotted over to her wardrobe and using her horn, which allowed her to use unicorn magic, began to pull out rain clothes – just in case – and a saddlepack for the journey. As the items hovered across the room, Twilight turned around and also used her horn to levitate her travelling map off the desk and into the saddlepack. Her horn stopped glowing as she sat down at her desk and grabbed a fresh sheet of parchment to write a letter to the princess. Before writing she turned around toward Spike who was making a lot of noise now.

“Spike, what are you –“ But she stopped speaking when she saw that Spike was reading, out loud, the letter Princess Celestia had sent the night before.

“Twilight, it says we’re going to Canterlot ‘to investigate something of great urgency’. I wonder what the urgency is…”

Twilight turned back around and used her magic once more on her quill to write the letter to the princess.

Dear Princess Celestia,
Spike and I are planning on leaving Ponyville by express train to Canterlot at 11 o’ clock a.m. and I will also bring a few nights’ clothes to wear in the case that our visit is extended. We plan on saying goodbye to the others before departing. It shouldn’t take long. See you at noon!

your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

She rolled the paper and sealed it with the royal “C” seal which meant it was exclusively for Princess Celestia. Spike grabbed the letter and took a deep breath before letting out a small wisp of green flame which magically burned the letter and sent the particles straight to its receiver. Somewhere in Canterlot, the princess would see the letter formulating out of thin air before reading it.

Twilight Sparkle started walking down the steps to the library floor and Spike followed close behind. As they both headed into the kitchen, the unicorn spoke.

“I wonder if what the princess wants to discuss has anything to do with that strange flash of blue light you saw in the sky last night, Spike…” It was almost a question. Spike didn’t answer because he knew Twilight was just thinking out loud, but he still considered it anyway.

“Well,” He began. “That light could’ve been anything. But who knows? Maybe it was fireworks from Cloudsdale, or lightning?”

Twilight stopped and seemed to consider this. She opened a small metal cooling unit and pulled out a basket of fresh fruit and bread and began to prepare a small breakfast for the two of them. She recalled the night before as Spike was getting his basket out to sleep and she sat at her desk downstairs, facing away from the north window of the library. Spike had let out a small but audible yelp as he ran down the stairs describing what he had seen in between Ponyville and Canterlot to the north: a swift, bright blue flash behind some clouds that briefly lit up the night sky. The flash was noiseless and looked like someone had drug a light across the sky, like lightning falling. Well, at least that’s how Spike described it.

Twilight placed a glass tray on the table and sat across from Spike who had tied a cotton napkin around his neck. The tray had an array of breakfast foods and snacks from diced fruit to cheese, dandelions to strawberry pie, and of course a teapot containing Twilight’s favorite: blueberry and honey tea. None of this food, however, was for Spike. He ate sweets and junk food for the most part, but gems and ice cream were his favorite things. Spike reached past all the pony food and grabbed a bowl of crushed rubies and emeralds, then poured hot sauce into it and started spooning the shards into his mouth.

“Blehhh! Ugh, Spike! You eat like a, well… like a dragon!”

Twilight tried to ignore the revolting jewel and chili sauce soup by looking down at her plate of pie and fruit and chewing louder to hide the noise of Spike’s slurping.

Spike giggled between bites. “Hah, oh Twilight, don’t you know,” He took another bite of the soup. “… that ah lub jewels more th’n borig frewd.” Gulp! He swallowed hard. “Uh, sorry … well fruit is boring. That’s what I meant anyway.”

And with that, he started shoveling the jewels into his mouth before drinking down the last of the hot sauce and emptying the bowl.

Twilight didn’t like it when Spike talked through a mouth full of food, but ignored him as she continued eating. Spike got up to clean his bowl. She was also concentrating on a book she was reading called Ancient Equestrian History: Antiquities of an Empire before the Tri-Union which talked about some of the earliest races of horse and pony long before the rule of the Tri-Union: Earth Ponies, Pegasus, and Unicorn. The Tri-Union had discovered the land of Equestria thousands of years ago when the races needed a new land to live in. But this book talked about the races of the Antiquities’ era; races of mammal and beast who ruled hundreds of thousands of years ago. Twilight Sparkle thought this book was very interesting. It was extremely old and none of the schools taught antiquity to the fillies, not even at Canterlot. Reluctantly, Twilight had to put the book down and go out if she was to have enough time to say goodbye to her good friends and still make it to Canterlot on time.

“Spike, we’re got to hit the road soon. It’s 10 o’ clock now and we still need to bid farewell to the others.”

She looked back Spike who was slinging his backpack over his scaly shoulder, and then she tightened her saddlepack with her mouth and opened the door with her magic, shutting it and locking it behind the waddling purple dragon.

“Right,” She said. “Let’s go.”

“Hey Twilight, what’s up?”

A pink pony was speaking to Twilight Sparkle and Spike as they walked into the central plaza of Ponyville. Twilight looked around her toward the familiar voice and where it came from. She saw a bright pink tail hanging out of a tree and concluded that Pinkie Pie, the cheerful, hyper-active pony of Ponyville was sitting in the tree.

“Hey Pinkie Pie! Uhhh …” her eyes scanned Pinkie’s partially hidden body amid the branches and smiled sheepily. “What exactly are you doing in that tree?”

“Oh darn it! I thought I had you fooled!” Pinkie looked genuinely disappointed.

“What are you talking about Pinkie Pie?” Twilight knew that Pinkie was always extremely random and completely unpredictable, so she went along with it.

Pinkie looked at her with confusion and scrunched her little nose. “I thought you might fall for my disguise. Didn’t you think I was Fluttershy?”

Twilight looked completely lost as she recalled her yellow-bodied, pink-hair Pegasus friend Fluttershy. “Umm … no I didn’t think you were Fluttershy.” Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. “Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and say goodbye. Spike and I are going to Canterlot on royal business.”

Pinkie Pie looked surprised and jumped out of the tree. She trotted over to Twilight Sparkle and sat near Spike. “Howdy Spike!” She said in her joyful, high-pitched voice. “So Canterlot, huh? Can I come?”

Twilight looked a little reluctant to tell Pinkie Pie she couldn’t, so instead said something else.

“Maybe next time, this time is just going to be a short visit.” Twilight put on a face of boredom, pretending she was dreading to go to the royal capital city. “Honestly, I’m just going to be working.”

But Pinkie wasn’t convinced. “Oh, oh! I want to visit the palace! I don’t care where we go or what we do!” She was now jumping in place and raising her voice. “Oh, pretty pinkie please?”

Twilight looked into Pinkie’s eyes and frowned. She didn’t want to let her down. To her relief, their unicorn friend Rarity came around the corner alongside Fluttershy. Rarity’s pure white body and glamorous, amethyst-colored hair danced against her face as the two ponies trotted toward them. Fluttershy’s soft smile was enough to brighten anyone’s day, and her flowing, soft-pink hair covered one of her eyes. It was obvious that Fluttershy was a little more composed than the others and one of the most caring ponies in all of Equestria.

“Oh, hello Twilight. And hello Pinkie Pie.” said the yellow mare. Then she spotted Spike sitting on the floor playing with his tail. “And hello Spike.”

“Yes, hello Spike! Twilight, Pinkie Pie, it’s great to see all of you on this heavenly day.” said Rarity, smiling as she pushed her dazzling mane to the side.

At the sight of Rarity, Spike rose to his feet and timidly greeted her. “H-hello Rarity, it’s great to see you too…” His voice seemed to trail off as his smile brightened with each word. It was obvious that Spike had a crush on Rarity. Twilight roller her eyes and greeted Rarity and Fluttershy, then explained to them her business with the princess. They both gasped softly and spoke urgently, worried that it was something which needed immediate attention.

“I’m sure it’s just some research or something Princess Celestia needs me to help with. I'm probably going to be working with the Royal Council of Magic and Myhthology.” Twilight reassured them.

“What exactly does the council do, darling?” said Rarity, looking confused.

“Well,” began Twilight. “It’s kind of complicated and hard to explain. I guess it’s a just a meeting of minds who are all knowledgeable with magic and its history.” She smiled as she spoke, not quite sure what the council did either. “Well, I’m sorry girls but I really need to say goodbye to Applejack and Rainbow Dash too. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone so I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”

“Okay, Twilight, do take care.” Said Rarity waving as Twilight waved back before walking away with Spike trailing behind her.

“Bye Twlight!” squeaked Pinkie Pie. Twilight laughed. “Goodbye, Pinkie Pie!”

“Goodbye Twilight, please take care.” said Fluttershy, but she was speaking too softly as usual and Twilight hadn’t heard her.

“Oh, dear …”

Twilight Sparkle and Spike the dragon continued to walk the road northward in hopes that she’d meet up with Rainbow Dash in the park. Rainbow Dash was a light blue colored Pegasus with a rainbow mane and deep, magenta eyes. Her tomboyish attitude and high spirits made her seem like a very prideful pony. The truth was that not many ponies seemed to understand her at all, and her entire life she had been alone in the world to make her dreams come true. She was also the fastest flyer in all of Equestria. Twilight commonly met up with Rainbow Dash in the park where she would be doing tricks in the air while Twilight read from a book: doing what they both loved to do. But in this case -- as Twilight noticed while walking through the hedges in the park -- her encounter would be a little bit different.

She spotted Rainbow Dash lying on her stomach in the grass across from Applejack, an orange pony with blonde hair and little freckles on her cheeks. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were also friends with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, but when it came to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, they were always either in "friendly" competition between each other or arguing over who was faster, stronger, and better at being an athlete.

Applejack was strong just like Rainbow Dash because she owned the local farm near Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres, and the hard work had made her one the toughest – yet still humble – pony around. Rainbow Dash on the other hand was strong and stuck-up about it; always afraid to lose and never afraid to prove she was good at something. But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t a good friend, she just got carried away – a lot.

As Twilight trotted toward them, she noticed that they were arm wrestling. Their hooves locked together and front arm muscles straining against the strength of the other pony. It was almost painful to watch for Twilight who noticed the beads of sweat running down their foreheads. Their groaning and huffing grew louder as the end of the arm wrestling match came to a close with Applejack twisting Rainbow Dash onto her back as she pushed her arm to the ground.

“Hah! Gotcha, sugarcube!”said Applejack through her thick, farmpony accent. She rose to her hooves and raised her chin, chewing a grain of wheat with humble diginity.

“What?! No, no. I saw you lift your tummy off the grass, AJ! There’s no way!” Rainbow Dash once again was getting angry because she lost. Her wings started flapping violently as she hovered above Applejack and glared at her, speaking through a hoarse, malicious whisper. “I want a rematch.”

“Hey girls!” Twilight strode into the clearing in the park and smiled, pretending not to have seen anything they were doing. But it wasn’t helping. Rainbow Dash was already standing in front of Twilight, telling her about what happened.

“Twi, I just had an arm wrestle match with Applesmack over here …” she spat the syllable out toward Applejack who was smiling, sitting on the grass patiently. “…she totally cheated! She lifted her stomach off the grass to pull my arm down! Ugh, I can’t believe it!”

Rainbow glared at Spike who obviously was not listening.

“Rainbow, I’m sorry. Just have a rematch.” Said Twilight, but winced at the sour look Rainbow gave her. “Look, I have to go to Canterlot with Spike. The princess needs me to help her with something, although I’m not sure what.”

Twilight looked at the ground and seemed to be thinking about why she was going. “But… well, I won’t be back anytime soon. I came to say goodbye.”

She smiled at Rainbow Dash first who seemed to be calming down. The competitive fire in her eyes went out and she stopped hovering and landed in front of Twilight, her face softening.

“Do you know when you’ll be back?” asked Rainbow innocently. By this time, Applejack was walking over toward them. “I mean, you won’t be gone that long right?”

Twilight looked confused at their worry. “Well, no. At least, I don’t think so.” She stopped speaking, her mouth still open and her eyes glancing from Applejack to Rainbow Dash. “Why …?”

Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack then back at Twilight. “Well… we had planned on going with Zecora to Mareocco.” She smiled sheepishly. “It was supposed to be a surprise -- just us three.”

Twilight recalled their Zebra friend Zecora who had come from a desert land across the sea called Mareocco. The ponies didn’t get to see her much since her hut was in the dangerous Everfree Forest. But Twilight – who loved to learn about anything and everything – would have jumped at the idea of travelling to a different land.

She wrinkled her nose and asked, “Why not the other three?”

Applejack giggled. “Fluttershy is too scared, obviously.” Rainbow Dash laughed too. “And, well, Rarity rarely ever wants to spend more than a few minutes in the sun. She said that Marocco sounds like o’ land lackin’ hospitality an’ proper fashion.”

Applejack rolled her eyes at as she spoke those words.

"And Pinkie Pie," began Rainbow Dash. "Well, she doesn't want to leave her store for that long."

“Oh…” Twilight’s voice trailed off in desperation. “I’m sorry girls. Maybe I’ll be back in time. Who knows?” Her voice sounded sad, but given the look on the other two mares’ faces they seemed to understand.

“Don’ sweat it, sugarcube.” said Applejack. “There’ll be time plen’y.”

“Yeah, it’s alright. Honest.” Rainbow Dash patted Twilight on her back. “If anything, we can put it off until you return.”

“Alright girls,” Twilight felt more relieved. “I’ll be seeing you when I get back.” As she turned to walk away the other two ponies announced their so-longs.

“Take care Spike! See ya, Twilight!”

“Safe travellin’ to the both of ya!”

Spike looked back at them and waved.

The blue pegasus and orange pony had turned toward each other as Rainbow grabbed Applejack by the mane and said with cruel determination.

"I want a rematch..."

It was already mid-day when Twilight Sparkle and Spike finally boarded the Ponyville train to Canterlot. Although they were running late, Twilight’s mood was brightened by the realization that within an hour, she would be in the beautiful capital city of Equestria. The pair had taken a seat in the first-class compartment near a group of high-end ponies who appeared to be discussing important business of sorts. Their greased hair and steamed suits looked like fragile glass, their pomp hats and glistening jewelry made Twilight decide it best not to start any conversation with them.

“Is it alright if I sleep, Twilight?” said Spike. “I’m still really tired and you’re probably going to be reading anyway.” He looked down at the book Twilight had spread on the table between them.

“Sure Spike, if you want to that’s fine by me. I’ll wake you when we reach Canterlot station.”

“Thanks, Twi,” said Spike as he spread his plump, purple body across the booth.

Twilight indulged herself in her book "Ancient Equestrian History: Antiquities of an Empire before the Tri-Union" which she found more than fascinating. She was at a part in the book which talked about an empire called Gallopoli which fell more than a twenty five-thousand years ago. The stuff that Twilight read in her book took place so long ago that she was not even sure if it was truth or mythology. Either way, she found it to be fascinating.

“Spike…” Twilight nudged the snoring purple dragon. “Spike, wake up. We’ve arrived.”

He lifted his head sleepily and looked into Twilight’s excited eyes.

“We’re at Canterlot, Spike!” said Twilight, almost hopping with anxiety and smiling. “C’mon, we’ve got to meet the princess!”

She pulled Spike out of the booth and both of them began to make their way to the nearest exit.

Stepping out in Canterlot was like walking into heaven itself. The gleaming, shiny cobblestones, the solid-white buildings, the wide array of eloquent foliage and decorations; all beautified the capital city with jaw-dropping magnificence. Twilight had been to Canterlot many times. As a matter of fact, her and Spike grew up here and Twilight Sparkle spent her school years as the personal protégé of Princess Celestia herself. But none of that seemed to make a difference to Twilight Sparkle or Spike; they never once arrived and didn’t marvel at the elegance of the city and savored every moment spent within its golden walls.

“I wish the others could be here with us,” said Twilight sadly. “Pinkie Pie would love the candy shops here, and I bet Rarity wouldn’t ever leave one of those fashion parlors."

Spike quickly looked from a jewelry shop to Twilight at the mention of Rarity’s name, his feelings for her getting the better of him. “Yeah,” he said. “I agree. I’d love to see Rarity again.”

Twilight giggled at the thought of her friends all having a great weekend spent together in Canterlot, but then she remembered the task at hand.

The two began to venture up the spiraling street which climbed toward the Royal Palace where the sister princesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, ruled Equestria. Twilight’s older brother was a part of the administration; he was the Royal Commander of the Equestrian Guard. His name was Shining Armor and Twilight’s heart skipped a few beats at the thought of seeing his beloved brother again.

The sound of Twilight’s hooves hitting the cobblestones was drowned only by the roar of voices and laughter as she and Spike walked through Canterlot Plaza. Cafes and shops bustled with ponies who were enjoying themselves among friends on this lovely weekend afternoon. Stage performers juggled horseshoes and awed the crowds with eye-popping tricks and stunts. And of course, the wonderful smells that crept out of the restaurants and coffee shops puckered Twilight’s nostrils and induced her longing for some scrumptious Canterlot cuisine.

After passing through the plaza, Twilight and Spike came to the palace gates which towered high above the cobblestone street before it. A pair of Royal Guards stood before the closed gate, beyond it Twilight could see the massive gardens and the white castle further on. She timidly walked up to the one of the guards and spoke.

“Excuse me, I have been summoned by the princess from Ponyville to speak with her. It must be urgent,” She looked up at the towering, steel gates. "I-is the princess in danger? The gates are closed...”

The guard looked at her and spoke to a stallion on the other side of the gate. “Seabring, this must be Twilight Sparkle. Please open the gate.” His deep voice was firm but calm.

He glanced at Twilight Sparkle and blinked his welcome to her as Seabring, the gatekeeper, moved the steel gates apart just enough to let the two pass.

“Nice helmet!” said Spike as they passed Seabring. Twilight shushed him and the gatekeeper smiled slightly.

The hedges in the garden were cut into the shapes of different creatures and objects which were scattered symmetrically about the grass amidst an array of benches and fountains. Twilight noticed the top of a tall, thin statue of a strange animal with limbs and bodies from different animals all making this single creature. Some ponies didn’t know it, but Twilight knew that this stone figure wasn’t a statue at all, rather it was a magical encasement of the Apoxi Master of Chaos, Discord, a Draconequus, who had attacked Equestria a little over a year ago. Memories of that incident flashed through her mind and she shuddered, continuing her slow trot toward the palace door.

As she approached, the two guards opened the heavy wooden doors beneath the large white, marble archway for Twilight and Spike as they walked into the Great Hall of Canterlot Palace. With a dull thud, the doors closed behind them as they looked onward at the spectacular scene before them.

2: The Royal Council of Magic and Mythology

CHRONICLES OF DIVINE EQUESTRIA
EPISODE 1: regarding THE TEMPLE OF THE SPIRIT and the RISE OF THE SUNDER
CHAPTER 2: THE ROYAL COUNCIL OF MAGIC AND MYTHOLOGY

Twilight Sparkle gazed around the beautiful Great Hall inside Canterlot Castle with Spike standing next to her, his eyes dazzling at the decorations. The hall had been decorated recently to welcome back the new royal bride and groom from their honeymoon, now it was filled with majestic violet and royal red tapestries, hollies and sunflowers lining elegant clay pots filled to the brim with white roses. White candles were alight all over that fueled a tiny pink flame. Although the festivities of the bride and groom’s return was over, Twilight still marveled at their fresh beauty as if they had been put there for her and Spike’s arrival.

The bride and groom of course were Twilight’s older brother Shining Armor and Princess Celestia’s niece, Princess Cadance. It was only a few months ago that Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike had been at the wedding – with a surprising turn of events. To say the least, it was an incredible experience and the realization that Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were now only a short walk from the castle in the palace quarters made Twilight even more excited than she was already. Of course, she was still on royal duty and had to fulfill Princess Celestia’s wishes before she thought about visiting her brother, let alone leave the city at all.

As if on cue, a small door in the center of marble catwalk that overlooked the entrance to the Great Hall opened slowly and a tall, kind looking mare looked down at Twilight and Spike. She shut the door behind her before speaking.

“Ah, my faithful student Twilight Sparkle,” said the Princess. “It’s so good to see you and Spike again in Canterlot.”

She began to walk down the curving stairs to the floor below, her light pink, blue and green mane flowing softly behind her. Her mane was always floating silently around her pure white body. She was an Alicorn, a heavenly Guardian of the Earth. Her tall, slender figure shifted side to side as she descended the stairs. Her golden tiara with its amethyst centerpiece and golden horseshoe boots around her hooves, the princess looked like an angel to say the least.

Twilight loved seeing Princess Celestia because she had grown up with her after being admitted into a school for the magically gifted. As the princess’ personal protégé, Twilight had become very fond of the princess and even saw her as a best friend, although now she was family through Shining Armor’s marriage. Still, Twilight respected her in her highest esteem for who she was: Princess and ruler of Equestria.

“It’s so good to see you again princess!” Twilight bowed as she spoke.

“Yeah, it’s good to see you Princess Celestia, the Great Hall looks awesome!” said Spike as he bowed as well.

When they looked up they saw the princess rising up from a bow as well. “I can’t believe you’re my in-law, Twilight Sparkle.” The princess almost sounded disbelieving. “It didn’t quite dawn on me until your brother and Cadance returned from their honeymoon. It saddened me when I realized how long it has been since I’ve hugged you, Twilight, as a friend.” She looked lovingly at Spike as well. “You too, Spike. The Royal Palace quarters are just as much yours now as they are mine. So feel free to stay in Canterlot whenever you’d like however long you wish.”

The princess reached out and hugged both of them. Twilight felt smothered and blushed.

“Oh gosh! Why, thank you princess!”

Princess Celestia nodded her welcome. “On the other hoof, we have important business to tend to.” She turned to walk back up the stairs to the catwalk as she motioned with her hoof for them to follow. “Shall we proceed to the council chamber?”

Twilight Sparkle and Spike humbly trailed the princess up the stairs, but they went through a different door than the one they had seen the princess come through earlier. The princess’ tail flowed gracefully behind her, its great length making Twilight and Spike step to the sides of her so as not to step on it.

“Twilight,” The princess sounded grave and serious. “What we are about to discuss might seem a little beyond you at first. But I’ve called you up here because you have a talent in unicorn magic that no one else in all of Equestria could even dream of controlling.”

The princess looked back, smiling. She glanced at Twilight’s flank with a knowing look, and then looked back. Twilight knew what that look meant. Twilight glanced at her own flank as well, remembering the symbol of twinkling stars which magically appeared there when she was a young filly. It was her cutie mark. Every pony gets one when they discover their special, unique talent. Twilight’s cutie mark represented her power to control and manipulate magic. It was made up of six six-sided stars: five white ones around a large pink one. Twilight seemed beside herself with humility, knowing that the princess of Equestria called her here because she needed her skills with magic.

“We’ll be meeting with the Royal Council of Magic and Mythology in a few minutes.” continued the princess. "So try to keep up with the conversation. These are very sophisticated and smart unicorns. A few of them are pegasi and are very old.” Princess Celestia chuckled as she open a large wooden door. “Well, not as old as me.”

As the door swung open Twilight Sparkle walked steadily inside the oval-shaped room which was the council room for the meeting. The pure white marble floor reflected the hundred-foot high ceiling and shimmered in the sunlight which beamed through the four gigantic windows high above the ponies below. In the center of the room was an oval table made of white stone and trimmed with gold and violet paint, around which sat about twenty ponies; a mixture of unicorns, pegasi, and of course Princess Celestia, who was an Alicorn. In the center of the table was a small two-level circular shelf which had on it what appeared to be very old tomes. Twilight figured they must have relevance in this particular meeting.

Princess Celestia went to the head of the table where another Alicorn was sitting. Although much darker, Twilight Sparkle knew this to be Celestia’s sister Princess Luna. Together they ruled Equestria with equal power. Her dark velvety body resembled the color of the night sky, her ocean blue eyes glowed even in the light and she wore a blue mantle around her body which was silver and blue. Princess Luna was the Guardian of the Night and it was obvious because of her cutie mark: a crescent moon in the center of what looked like a splash of blue paint.

Twilight took a seat near the princesses and Spike sat in a chair to her right. The unicorns and pegasi around the table looked serious and preoccupied but still friendly. Few seemed to notice her; the ones who did just looked at her briefly and then to the princess, waiting for the meeting to begin. Twilight counted twenty-two occupants altogether – eleven of them were pegasi – who didn’t include Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Spike, or herself.

“Welcome every pony.” Princess Celestia spoke with a friendly tone, but did not invite any room for conversation. “We have a great deal to discuss today. This meeting may well go into the night, part of the meeting will be spent apart from each other as we have much work to do. Some of you already know what has happened, but many others are uninformed. So may I allow Princess Luna to stand and discuss our situation before we get started?”

With that, Princess Celestia sat as Princess Luna stood simultaneously. Luna cleared her throat and looked down, wisely preparing her words before speaking. She opened her voice and spoke, every single pony in the room listening intently.

“Last night I noticed a strange alteration in the night sky. As the Guardian of the Night, it is my duty to watch over the land after the sun goes down. For tens of thousands of years I have held the power of the night – it has become my second nature; the moon, the stars, the vacancy of light and the shadows cast about are all a part of my celestial soul.”

There was a hint of innocent pride in Luna’s voice, almost passionate.

“But it was last night when I noticed a faint but surely substantial change in the night sky.” There was a murmur in the room which lasted for a second. Luna resumed speaking, her voice more anguished and fearful. “A magical star in the sky has gone missing.”

Now the unicorns had started speaking louder than before. Twilight heard one say “Is that even possible? Can a star simply disappear?”

“This star is no ordinary star,” continued Luna, her voice silencing the room. “Much knowledge of its significance has deteriorated with time. The name of this star is Avari; the name is of an ancient language much older than Equestria. For something like this to simply disappear overnight is stunning. This star possesses a magic much further than any pony could ever dream of comprehending. Without this star, Equestria is at risk of a magical imbalance in the world which could threaten the fortune of our very existence.” The council gasped at these words.

Three of the pegasi looked at each other then back to Luna, waiting for her to continue. Spike was tapping Twilight's side to get her attention.

“Twilight?” His voice hinted his skepticism. When Twilight looked down at him, Spike’s mouth opened to say something then closed. Spike looked scared.

She heard a unicorn next to her mumble “A magical star…?”

“How do we know a missing star like this one could cause an imbalance in our – how did you put it? – existence?” A pegasus was speaking with an accusing voice, his eyes glowering at Luna as he stood up to make himself and his voice noticed above the others.

“Because,” exclaimed Luna. Her raised voice immediately hushed the room. Celestia stood up beside her sister to show she was supporting her. “This star is of ancient magic. Almost all ancient magic left behind in this world possesses a power that binds and holds the world in place. Surely you of the council should know this!” Luna was clearly frustrated. “It was the ancients who created this world! We believe that this star was left behind for some important reason beyond our knowledge. It is well known that the star has a magical property about it. That is why we have always kept a close eye on it.”

The council erupted with questions again. The pegasus who had previously questioned Luna was now sitting calmly, sulking in his chair.

“Are there other magical stars?”

“What kind of power do you think the star possesses?”

“What language is the star named after? Why is it called Avari?”

“Please calm down,” said Princess Celestia, rising up beside her sister. The council fell silent, save for a few scattered whispers. “The reason why we have gathered here is to see if we can figure out why this star has disappeared. We know that this situation may seem a bit frightful, but we still of have the balance of the day and the night in our control.”

The room went quiet as everypony looked to Celestia and Luna with admiration.

A light blue unicorn with a feather cutie mark and silver hair stood up. She humbly spoke, her horn glowing as she used her magic to open a book in front of her.

“With all due respect, your highness, what shall the council do to uncover Avari’s many mysteries?”

Celestia looked to her sister.

“That is a good question, Wind Dancer. Princess Luna will instruct some of you in the research of this star’s constellation. From what we do know about this ancient power, the star’s magic was bound in the constellation.”

Wind Dancer, the light blue Unicorn, spoke once more. “So it isn’t just the star that is magical?”

“Yes, although we do not know whether the rest of the constellation is.”

“What is the name of this constellation?”

Princess Luna used her magic to bring one of the books toward her and, using her hoof, turned the dusty pages to a star map. Reading for all the council to hear, she said:

“The constellation is known as the Lord, although it is sometimes called the Redeemer.”

“How many stars make up the constellation?” said an olive green Pegasus.

“There are six stars total.” said Princess Celestia, glancing over to the book in front of her sister. “But we only know that Avari is a magical star, maybe even binding the constellation together. But we can only know for sure with further research.”

“So please,” continued Princess Luna. “Gather as much information as you can. All of you are welcome to use the Palace Library at any time or the books here if need be. If all of the unicorns would come with me please. Pegasi stay her with Wind Dancer, if you will.”

Princess Luna started for the door with a handful of unicorns going with her.

“I would ask for the company of Nebula, Shimmer Stone, and Twilight Sparkle in the private sector of the castle’s library.” said Princess Celestia. She looked at Twilight and Spike as she spoke. “I have something I’d like you to do, this task I’d prefer to explain in the library.” She stood and walked toward Twilight motioning for her to follow.

The council adjourned and the unicorns and pegasi – with the exclusion of Twilight Sparkle – stayed behind in the library as they gathered their things. Twilight assumed that Shimmer Stone and Nebula would be meeting them in the library in due time.

Down a flight of stairs and through a corridor, Princess Celestia led Twilight Sparkle and Spike in the Castle Library which was unoccupied and silent. The wooden door closed softly behind them, a small thud echoing against the white walls of the castle. A single circular stained glass window reflected dazzling colors onto the velvety carpet in the center of the circular room. The picture in the ancient window depicted Princess Celestia and Princess Luna many years ago. Their tasks of controlling the day and night portrayed in the glass. Spike walked over to a table below the window and sat in a chair. The princess walked between the bookcases apparently looking for a particular volume of ancient Equestrian astronomy. Twilight just stood in the middle of the room and waited for the princess to return.

Just then, the door opened up and two Unicorns walked in. They looked at Twilight with a friendly gaze and trotted over to her.

“You must be Twilight Sparkle,” said one of the unicorns who was a dark gray color. Her hair was curling, mixed with pink and blue colors. Her cutie mark was what looked like candy, resembling a sparkling stone. “I am Shimmer Stone.”

“Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight kindly. “Spike is my helper.” She tilted her head toward the table where Spike sat, now reading a book.

The other unicorn came forward. She looked much older and wiser, but kind still.

“Hello Twilight Sparkle. I am Nebula. It is an honor to work with the princess’ personal protégé.” Nebula smiled at Twilight’s reddening cheeks. Nebula’s body was magenta. Her mane and tail were silver with beauty and grey with age. Her pink eyes were full of life and she wore a silver brace around her neck which symbolized her seniority in the council. Twilight realized she must be a very old unicorn.

“Great! We are all here.” Princess Celestia came around the corner of tall book case, four large tomes hovering around her as she used her magic to guide them to a large wooden table beneath the window. “We should probably get started now. I’ve gathered you three in here because I need your skills with magic for the time being.”

She let the books set on the table as the ponies took their seats. Spike walked over to their table with his book and sat between the princess and Shimmer Stone.

“Let me just say this: I have a personal belief that the star that went missing is much more significant to the balance of life in Equestria than you may realize.” The princess paused to let that sink in. “I know Luna has noticed this as well but I’m sure she won’t mention it unless she absolutely needs to.” She sighed audibly and looked between Nebula and Twilight. “This star, Avari, is much more magical than ever imagined. Look at this.”

She opened one of the books to a page she had marked previously. On the ancient page was a drawing of a tall, slender unicorn. But it wasn’t a unicorn because it had wings. Twilight realized it was an Alicorn like the princess.

“This,” began Celestia. “Must be who we are looking for…”

Twilight looked at Nebula, obviously confused. “This star is an Alicorn?”

“The Alicorn is a star.” Princess Celestia opened another book as she spoke. “There are old Equestrian legends of certain stars actually moving around in the sky. No pony knows why or how this one got there. But it is truly magical in every sense.”

“So there is more than one of these magical stars…er…Alicorns?” said Shimmer Stone.

“Presumably there are more, but for now we’ll just settle with the fact that there is one.” The princess looked at Twilight. “I fear that something has gone wrong with this star. Magic is a complicated energy, and only those who have been given the power to use it can understand its potential. There is no way in Equestria this star would just die out.”

“Are you saying these stars are alive?” asked Nebula, respectfully. “Or does this Alicorn in the book represent the power of the star? And if the star is – or was – alive, then are you saying some pony…killed it?”

Princess Celestia smiled. “That’s quite a few questions. Well, in a sense, yes the star was alive. Magic is alive at all times. I don’t doubt that you knew that. And I believe that this Alicorn we see here – who, assuming the star was named after her power and magic, is named Avari – does represent the star. She is the star.” She looked down. “In other words, yes, Avari is dead.”

There was a moment of silence before Twilight spoke.

“But what if it…I mean “she” is still alive? What if the star is still in the sky? You said that they move…”

“Those are both good questions Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia through her dazzling smile. “But the stars have always been in the same place for thousands of years. If and when they moved, it was so little that it went unnoticed. Like I said, magic is alive at all times. If Avari is dead, then her power would have remained. We Alicorns can feel the energy of magic. Alas, there is no sign of her power where the star once was. My belief is that the star – I mean Avari – is simply not there anymore.”

Twilight looked down at the book on the table and the picture of the tall Alicorn.

“However,” said the princess. “I call you all here for your skills with magic. We are going to try to find the star. Maybe it is still in the sky. The possibilities are endless with magic.”

Twilight Sparkle had so many questions to ask but couldn’t seem to mouth even one of them. She just didn’t understand any of this. This must be very ancient Equestrian history because she had never heard or read anything about stars in the sky which harness magical powers; ones that were alive.

“I may be an old and wise Alicorn,” continued the princess, humbly. “But I am no scholar. I cannot speak very many languages, and if you look closely at this book…” she pointed below the picture of Avari. “There are writings here which look like an ancient language. One that I am positive none of you know. But with magic, I believe we may be able to translate it.”

Nebula looked at Twilight Sparkle and Shimmer Stone, a look of confidence flashing across her eyes.

“I’m sure we can do it, your highness.”

Princess Celestia stood back as Nebula grabbed the book and turned it so it was facing the three Unicorns.

“Are we ready?” asked Shimmer Stone. “Nebula, would you start the spell? We’ll join in one at a time so the magic isn’t too concentrated at first.”

Sighing deeply, Nebula closed her eyes as her horn glowed in preparation for the spell.

“I am going to use an agnosco verbum spell which should translate the words on this page into Equestrian,” said Nebula. “I hope you both know how to control this spell, because it may in fact translate the words into a completely different language. Or they may just disappear altogether. Okay, right…” she focused on the ancient book once more. “Let us begin.”

For a moment, Nebula’s horn glowed purple as she concentrated on the spell in her head. Her horn hovered above the open book and began to hum distinctly -- magic dust started to gather around her horn. Nebula looked stressed within seconds – the spell was a complicated one – and Shimmer Stone immediately began to use her horn as well. Both of them were now glowing light blue and Twilight watched the foreign text on the musty pages glow. Finally, she joined the other two Unicorns.
Closing her eyes Twilight recited the spell in her head and focused on the text, picturing the book in her mind. She could feel the familiar sensation of weightlessness whenever she used a powerful spell, the humming from the three Unicorns’ horns was now a screeching buzz. The force of the spells pulled the magic dust – which was always present in Equestria – toward the unified horns which were now glowing and forming a single blinding light at the ends. Twilight Sparkle felt the magic begin to fail.

Where is the sign that the spell was a success? She thought to herself.

That is what most Unicorns relied on to know when a powerful spell was complete. It was inexplainable, but the spells themselves were magic thoughts which were powered by the Unicorns’ knowledge of the spell and when the spell was finished, one had the strange feeling of success, sort of like the one you get when you complete a thought you had started but couldn’t remember earlier, or have a brilliant idea.

But Twilight didn’t feel like she had completed the spell. Now her head was beginning to throb painfully and she could hear Shimmer Stone groaning beside her. Suddenly, she felt an airy feeling and heard Spike say something.

“Twilight! Your cutie mark!”

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes to look and saw that all three of the unicorns were hovering about a foot in the air. She looked backed to see that her cutie mark was glowing and the princess was looking in awe at her. The text was glowing so brightly that Twilight had to close her eyes again. She felt her hooves touch the marble floor and her thoughts returned to her again. She relaxed and hung her head, the humming fading into an echo and the magic dust, which was glowing silvery with the gathering of energy, disappeared.

The unicorns breathed heavily and rested against the table. Shimmer Stone held a hoof to her head and wiped a bead of sweat from her cheek. As she sat back into the chair, Twilight Sparkle saw that the words had now appeared in Equestrian, although much smaller in size than the text before it.

“Incredible, magic is!” exclaimed the princess. “Well done indeed! Twilight, I believe your special talent with magic may have completed the spell.” Celestia pointed to Twilight’s cutie mark and Nebula and Shimmer Stone looked as well.

“So,” said Nebula with a smile. “Your cutie mark represents magic? Fascinating!” Nebula brushed her mane, which was now a little frizzy and over her eyes, to the side. “I have never met a unicorn with such a talent.”

“No wonder you are the princesses’ protégé.” Shimmer Stone was looking at Twilight in admiration, then glanced at Celestia. “Why is she not in the council?” She said this in a half-joking way. The princess knew the answer but said nothing about it.

“Princess,” said Twilight who had started reading the translated book. “This is remarkable!”

The three Unicorns, the Alicorn, and Spike gathered around the old tome and read the small print which looked as if it had just been scribed in ink a few minutes before. The text read as follows:

Almost in the center of the sky is the constellation known as “Vulcan, the Lord and Redeemer of Súndero”. It is comprised of six valiant stars; each containing the soul and power of their respective guardians. Many years ago six mighty Alicorns, each of whom were granted powers by the Life Gods, sacrificed their physical existence for an eternal duty as the Balancers of Time and Space; a duty which could only be broken by those who gave them that power or one with equal. It is with their unity in the stars do they imprison the powerful warlord Vulcan, who once ruled Súndero but was defeated; imprisoned so his tyranny may never return to the land. Even as I scribe this, it was only last year when these occurrences took place. The unity of the Balancers of Time and Space in the sky keeps the soul of Vulcan alive but powerless. And so it is that these stars and their respective souls are known as the Malistare, who represent the scale of Time and Space.

Twilight knew that the others were done reading the first paragraph of the page because they all leaned back slightly and looked up. The silence that followed was a sign that all five were deep in thought about what they had just read.

The constellation was a barrier! Thought Twilight. This is incredible! The star that is missing, Avari, may have broken the seal to the barrier. But what does it mean about the unity of the stars keeping this Vulcan alive? No, not alive completely, just his soul.

Twilight looked down at the book again and reread some of the paragraph.

It says the six Alicorns sacrificed their physical existence and were bound as stars to guard the soul of Vulcan. It says they are also the “Balancers of Time and Space”. But…

Her thoughts were interrupted.

“This is extremely hard to believe, although…” The Princess spoke grimly. She was looking down at the book, eyes closed. “I will not deny its truths. This, as you may know, is ancient history; much older than anything ever taught in any Equestrian school.”

“But how could we have not known of this stellar imprisonment right above our land?” Shimmer Stone spoke quickly, almost angry with growing fear. “How is there a soul kept in the sky to begin with? It’s physically –"

“It is magic”, interrupted the princess. “and it is beyond even Alicorn powers. Alas, I wish it wasn’t true.” She turned her head toward the window and looked out over the capital city. Sighing, she looked down and raised her voice so the others could hear her clearly. “I do not know who this Vulcan is, or was. But I feel that if this so-called legend is true then Equestria may not be safe. Princess Luna may have found out something we have not. It’d be best if we joined her again.”

Nebula and Shimmer Stone rose as the princess walked back to the table and said her farewells. As Twilight Sparkle and Spike started for the door, the princess called back to them.

“Twilight, Spike, please come here.” She sounded worried. But there was still a strength left in her voice. It gave Twilight confidence as she stood beside the tall Alicorn.

“Twilight…” The princess looked down into Twilight’s eyes and smiled gently. “I thank you for your help today, I doubt we could have gotten anywhere without your talents.” Chuckling softly, she continued. “It was in the next room over that I asked you to become my protégé almost fifteen years ago. I still remember that day, the look on your face, and even Spike sitting in a pile of eggshells.” She nodded toward the purple dragon who was blushing and looked away.

“Oh gosh, princess! Don’t embarrass me.”

“Princess,” said Twilight. “I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t tried to enter your school that day. I feel like the luckiest mare on the planet! Being able to live in the castle and receive the highest education any young filly could ask for. It was you, princess, who gave me the confidence to use my magic the way I did earlier with the translation spell.”

Princess Celestia smiled and laughed. “Of course, it was my pleasure dear.”

“But I have one question, princess” continued the purple unicorn. “How did you come about that book? And why did you pull it out when we came into the library?”

Smiling, the princess responded. “Doing what you do best, Twilight Sparkle: studying. I have been reading these books for thousands of years and that is one of the few books I’ve never been able to read, and never been able to translate it. Of course, when we figured out the star Avari was missing, I remembered that book and the ancient, articulate pictures in them of the many hundreds of constellations above Equestria. Luna’s fascination with stars led me to believe she’d know what the book was saying or at least have an idea of what the stars were. All she knew was that the constellation – the one drawn in the book, called Vulcan – was deeply magical. And its many mysteries have been clouded because of the loss of that language and the other volumes. As you read according to the scribe of that book, Vulcan’s soul was sealed in the constellation just of few days prior to the day those words were written in the book. That language must be many, many years old.”

“It’s just a bit hard to believe I guess, about the stars sealing up an ancient leader – tyrant at that. What if he is free? What if he wants to hurt the leaders of our time? What if he wants to hurt you?”

Unfortunately, the princess looked more saddened than ever. Looking down at the table where the book lay closed, Princess Celestia said nothing but instead looked lost in deep thought. Knowing the answer to her question, Twilight Sparkle told the princess what they both feared the most.

“We’ll need to fight back, won’t we?” It was almost a whisper, like the words , if spoken any louder, would break the peaceful lifestyle that the thousands of Equestrians so deeply loved and appreciated. The country had not been at war for decades and now its inhabitants were on the brink of uncovering what could be a very real and very ancient threat.

“Yes,” responded the princess. “We’ll just have to fight.”

Suddenly, Princess Celestia raised her head and spoke a little more cheerily. “Fortunately, Vulcan is only one pony. Without any followers or an army he wouldn’t stand a chance against the Royal Equestrian Military.”

Spike perked up at these words. “With all due respect, what are you so worried about then? Why all the gloom and doom?”

“Because,” said the princess. “Vulcan is ancient. He is probably an Alicorn, or something more powerful. Ancient magic is what created this planet and keeps everything balanced. It is ancient magic that holds nature and all of the elements together. Gravity, air, wind, the clouds; it is all magic beyond anything we possess.” She stopped and lowered her voice once more. Leaning down toward Spike, she stroked her hoof across his head. “Unless we can understand fully where this magic came from or how to fight it, I think that even one ancient Alicorn – Vulcan – could accomplish anything he wanted to do. But I will not let him conquer us, though he may fight us. We just don’t know enough about Vulcan or the constellation, or any of the powers that bound him to his imprisonment.”

The princess started for the door, motioning for Twilight Sparkle and Spike to follow.

“Let us go to Luna and see what she has found. Maybe we can put an end to this threat before it formulates into a dreadful reality.”

3: Tea and Treasure

CHRONICLES OF DIVINE EQUESTRIA
EPISODE 1: regarding THE TEMPLE OF THE SPIRIT and the RISE OF THE SUNDER
CHAPTER 3: TEA AND TREASURE

The light blue pegasus flew as fast as she could toward the edge of the Everfree Forest where her fillyhood friend lived. Out of all of the other five of her best friends, Fluttershy was definitely the closest. Rainbow Dash had known Fluttershy since they were fillies and, both being pegasi, went to Cloudsdale School of Flight. It was about fourteen years ago when Rainbow and Fluttershy had met – a little unceremoniously, admittedly. Still, the pegasi loved the friendship they had between each other and looked forward to the days when they could go for a casual flight around Ponyville and enjoy each other’s company. As Rainbow Dash flew over Sweet Apple Acres where Applejack lived she looked out for the tree cottage which the quiet, yellow pegasus called her home. Fluttershy’s love for all animals drew the many woodland creatures to her peaceful abode which sometimes made it easy for Rainbow Dash or any of the others to tell whether Fluttershy was home or not. And as the tree cottage came into sight, Rainbow Dash spotted a group of rabbits gathered outside of the front door which meant that Fluttershy was inside.

Landing softly, Rainbow Dash walked over to the door and knocked. Apparently she hit the door a bit too hard because at the first knock, a soft squeal echo from what was probably the kitchen and out through an open window.

“Oh dear…” Rainbow could hear the pegasus talking to herself inside.

“It’s me, Rainbow. Can I come in?”

“Um, one minute please. Oh gosh…”

Rainbow heard a clank and an apology to whom she thought was to Fluttershy’s pet rabbit, Angel (who really wasn’t an angel at all). Sighing, the blue pegasus turned to looked around the property as she waited for Fluttershy. The serene, looming trees nearby marked the border into the Everfree Forest which was home to many strange animals. Being the wimp she was, it was a mystery why Fluttershy insisted on living near the border to such a mysterious landmark considering many smaller, nicer creatures roamed the nearby fields.

Scattered around and hanging above Fluttershy’s porch were many plants of all strange shapes and colors. The serene silence which was laced by the soft humming of the wooden chimes was broken only by the front door opening slowly and Fluttershy’s head poking out. She looked cautious, almost frightened.

“Finally! Are you going to let me…uh, Fluttershy? What’s the matter?”

“I hear strange noises…”

Rainbow Dash held still to listen but all she could hear were…

“Fluttershy, those are the wind chimes. Your wind chimes!”

Straightening up and slowly opening the door, Fluttershy spoke with a sheepish smile.

“Oh, right. Well, come inside Dashie. I was just cleaning when you knocked.”

With a hint of impatience, Dash thanked her.

As the wooden door closed softly behind her, Fluttershy walked into the kitchen as Rainbow launched herself into the air before flopping onto her favorite chair and closing her eyes, letting the wind from outside blow through her hair and the sounds from the hundreds of chimes fill the sunny living room. The open window swayed softly. The shadows which rested on the floor and walls were cast only by the strange-shaped plants outside the window, the brightness of the sun reflected off the wood of the inside of the beautiful tree.

Rainbow perked up suddenly and sniffed.

“What’s cookin’, Flutters? Smells like –“

“It’s a pumpkin stew and some…oh dear I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Rainbow laughed. “It’s alright Fluttershy, go on.”

“Well,” she began, looking back at the kitchen. “I’m also cooking some yummy eggs.”

Fluttershy obviously noticed the look on Rainbow’s face because she added, “I know you don’t like eggs. Those are for Angel. Where is he anyway?”

Fluttershy turned and went back into the kitchen calling for the little white rabbit. In a few moments the rabbit hopped out of the kitchen and bounded up the spiral stairs to the second floor, sneering and licking his fingers followed by Fluttershy rushing out of the kitchen, brushing her flowing pink hair aside.

“Oh, shame on you Angel Bunny!” She said in a soft, but firm, tone. “Sneaking tastes of the stew! And while we have guests? The nerve!”

Rainbow giggled at Fluttershy’s attempt to sound assertive but it was impossible with that little voice of hers. It was obvious that Fluttershy was content with her scolding of the rebellious bunny because she perked her chin up and walked into the kitchen with triumph.

“Fluttershy, what kind of tea do you have? I mean, I’m not much of a tea-drinker but, what the hay? I hear you have a pretty sick brew.”

The yellow pegasus called from the kitchen in a barely-audible dialogue.

“I have some Totterfew leaves and Honeybark grains which I usually mix, if that’s alright with you.”

“That sounds perfect! Thanks, Flutters.” Rainbow Dash had no idea what Totterfew or Honeybark was at all. Smiling widely, Fluttershy peaked out of the kitchen doorway.

“Anytime, Rainbow. I’m glad you could make it today after all for some lunch. I know that the others are all busy and with Twilight gone, it’s not exactly easy finding somepony to spend the afternoon with.”

Rainbow nodded as a gesture of her pleasure to be there. Out of all of the places to be on a peaceful, sunny, summer afternoon in Ponyville, Fluttershy’s cottage was the place to be for relaxation and friendly fellowship with friends.

The others did not plan on dropping by and Rainbow Dash knew this as well as Fluttershy, but they always cherished the times they could spend alone. Their fourteen-year friendship was reflected by Fluttershy’s kindness and Rainbow Dash’s loyalty toward Fluttershy and the rest.

As the afternoon slipped into the evening, and after a late lunch of pumpkin stew, spiced eggs, Sweet Apple Acres’ Cinnamon Spiced Pie, and of course the Totterfew tea, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy decided to relax on the balcony which overlooked the fields opposite the front of the cottage. Because it was on the second floor, it gave the pegasi a spectacular view of the lush Equestrian fields and the rolling hills and jutting mountains beyond. The day was perfect. The breeze was soft and, as the sun began to enter the first stages of its setting, the friends agreed to go for a casual flight over and around the fields and watch the sun set.

Upon a lonely hill the two pegasi sat on a large tree stump in silence, the extravagant colors of Equestria around shimmering against the horizon, reflecting off the blowing leaves. The faces of the friends slowly turning to grey until finally all that they could see were the starlit fields around them and the soft glistening of Rainbow Dash’s and Fluttershy’s hair in the moonlight. The pale blue fields were still and silent with the absence of wind and now the birds had all gone to their nests in the trees of the forest, their joyful songs replaced by the solemn monotony of the cricket’s chirp. A thick mist began to gather about the two friends who were now curled up with one another on the large tree stump, having fallen asleep while discussing deeply the many things on their minds.
It wasn’t until Fluttershy woke up that the silence was broken. Of course the dark surroundings of midnight Equestria scared her and she violently shook Rainbow Dash to wake her so she could cease the yellow pegasus’ fears. As Rainbow Dash stirred, Fluttershy sounded less frantic now that she had another mare to talk to.

“Wake up Dash! It’s already midnight!” Fluttershy spoke softly in a half-whisper like she was afraid to wake some dreadful creature in the darkness so far from her cottage.

Rainbow rubbed her head and pulled her mane out of her eyes to take in the view of the starlit fields around them. She had not meant to fall asleep for so long, actually she had not meant to fall asleep at all. But Rainbow’s and Fluttershy’s discussion about someday visiting Cloudsdale to catch up with some pegasus friends had led them into a nostalgic conversation of their past and growing up in Cloudsdale. Eventually the two of them fell asleep where they sat. Now they would need to fly through the heavy fog back to the cottage.

“Ugh, Fluttershy I was having a good dream. Why did you have to wake me up like that? I’m not a snowglobe!”

“I’m sorry Dashie, I – uh –“ she seemed to be taking the scolding offensively. Rainbow had a tendency to exaggerate things.

“I woke up and saw that it was dark and cold and scary and –“

“There’s nothing to be afraid of Fluttershy, we’ll just need to fly low and pay close attention to the trees, then we’ll find your cottage, alright?”

“Well, alright…but, Rainbow? D-do you th-think that there are – well, I don’t know – m-monsters out here? Like a Two-Toothed Tetherhawk, or a ferocious, fierce, Forest Fox? Or –“

“There’s nothing like that out here, Fluttershy, those only stay in the Everfree Forest. C’mon, let’s get going.”

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and started to fly away backwards so she could make sure her timid yellow friend wasn’t going to stay behind. It was a wonder why Fluttershy built her cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest when she was afraid of almost all of the creatures who lived within it, not to mention the trees themselves.

Rainbow Dash turned around midflight, content that Fluttershy would keep up. She flew slowly over the span of field over which they come. Through the thick, low fog they could see the tops of the trees and the edge of the forest. A drenching mist was in the air but no sounds, although they constantly stopped to listen to the environment for any indication of where they were or who might be nearby. It was about ten minutes later when they realized something odd on the ground below them.

Even though they couldn’t see the grass or boulders or bottoms of trees because of the mist, they knew that there was a strange deviation in the ground. Three very large trees were leaning slightly as if they were sliding downward or the ground on which they stood had decided to rise into the air. Whatever the reason was, Rainbow noticed it and, after some difficulty, convinced Fluttershy that they should go and check it out.

It was only after the pegasi had landed that they realized it was a large hole in the ground and the trees were leaning inward toward the hole. It looked as if the ground around the trees’ roots gave way into the hole, at the bottom of which was a large pile of dirt which had probably gathered when the sides of the hole had given in.

“I don’t like the looks of this.” Said Rainbow Dash, a little too gloomily for Fluttershy’s liking who took the opportunity to voice her fears.

“Me either, this looks like the doing of a Giant Sniffing Dirt-Digger! We should get out of –“

“Fluttershy! Please…” Rainbow’s stare silenced Fluttershy and needed to same no more. Instead, she flew further down into the hold and landed on top of the mound of dirt in the center.

“Hmm, this hole is about as big as Twilight’s tree house. I wonder what could’ve made this.”

“So you agree that something made it?” Fluttershy sounded frantic, almost hysterical.

“Would you settle down, featherbrain? All I’m saying is that this is not natural.” Dash looked below her at her hooves, then the dirt. “I wonder if there’s something buried here, like somepony tried to hide something.”

“Whatever it is, Rainbow, I don’t think we are meant to find out.”

“Oh come on! This is exciting, isn’t it?”

With that Rainbow started scraping all four of her hooves at the soft earth pile, looking intently for something she wasn’t even sure was in the dirt to begin with. But the prospect of an adventure in the cold, looming fog beneath the stars was enough to get her imagination going. Not in fear like Fluttershy, but in excitement and determination. It was who she was and she wanted to create an adventure, even if there was none.

“Rainbow what are you looking for?” Fluttershy was now much more calm and sat on the edge of the hole, looking down at Rainbow Dash who was now digging swiftly and furiously.

“I don’t know but there’s got t’be something buried here, I’m almost sure of it.”

“Do you think it’s a treasure? Like a box of gems?” Now the yellow pegasus was getting a little excited and smiled as she spoke. “Maybe it’s where Rarity gets her gems for her dresses! O-or maybe someone stole them and buried them here…”
she sounded fearful again and looked around warily. “B-but that means they will be coming back for them, right?”

“Oh please, Fluttershy, it’s more likely to be a grave!”

Although she was joking, Fluttershy squealed and held her hooves to her mouth, purposely sliding down the side of the hole to get to the bottom where Rainbow was eight feet below. She was almost at the bottom of the dirt mound when something hard clanked against Rainbow’s hoof.

The two pegasi stared at the pile of dirt – what was left of it – and realized that there was something buried in there.

Although Rainbow Dash was looking for something in it, she still seemed awestruck that she had been right. But what could it be? There’s no way that it was buried treasure or a box of gems, not in this kind of hole which was exposed the way it was. Maybe it was an ancient, abandoned mineshaft which had collapsed many years before; that would explain the trees caving in; but then why so far from the mountains? The dirt was still a few days fresh and soft. Fluttershy stood and inched closer, her curiosity making her forget her fearfulness.

Rainbow gathered her wits and used her hoof to scrape the same place where she had hit whatever it was in the dirt; and whatever it was, it was solid, so she scraped slowly and intricately, careful not to hurt her hoof.

After a few moments Rainbow’s hoof had moved aside a large clump of dirt and Fluttershy let out a yelp. Rainbow’s heart gave a great leap and began to pound against her chest, her eyes widening in fear.

There, sticking out of the dirt was the head of a pony!

“Whoa!”

Rainbow Dash jumped back away from the buried pony and stood by Fluttershy not really knowing what to do. The pony stared at them, apparently buried in the soft dirt and unable to move from its sideways position like it was sleeping. But it was not sleeping. Its eyes were glistening in the starlight and the closed mouth held no expression of happiness, fear, or malice. It was staring at the pegasi who were now staring back, not knowing what to do or say except see what the pony would do next. But it did nothing, nothing at all except lay there in the dirt and stare with those shiny, unblinking eyes. Finally, Rainbow heard Fluttershy speak.

“W-what…what is th-that…?”

Rainbow could not say anything; there was a lump of terror in her throat that she could not swallow down or cough up. Instead she shook her head. Fluttershy could not hear her voiceless answer. Suddenly, the moon was hidden by a large dark cloud and the hole, fog, and hills all around were engulfed in darkness. Although the pony trapped in the dirt was not moving, Rainbow Dash hated the feeling of being in the hole with it, knowing that, although she could not see it, it was staring at them relentlessly. Quick as lightning, she grabbed Flutteshy’s flank and began to flap her wings, intent on getting as far away from the pony in the dirt as possible.

“I’m getting out of here! C’mon, Fluttershy!”

“B-but Rainbow, what if she’s trapped?”

“I don’t think she was alive Flut –“

“Oh, p-please d-don’t pull me so hard, Rainb –“

“I said we’re leaving! I don’t like this at all!”

The pegasi were now flying as fast as they could toward the cottage.

“Something didn’t feel right about that pony. They way she looked…did you see? It was like she was alive?” Said Rainbow Dash.

“But she wasn’t moving! She looked like she had turned to stone!” Responded Fluttershy.

“That’s true, I noticed that too.” After a few moments’ thought, Rainbow Dash had an idea. “Hey didn’t you tell me there’s a creature in the Everfree Forest that turns ponies to stone if you look at them in the eye?”

Fluttershy squeaked. “Oh my, yes! Yes there is! It’s – “

“No time, Fluttershy. We’ll talk about it later, just follow me and stick close!”

None of them said anything or even cared to fly up above the fog in order to find the cottage, they just wanted to get home. Rainbow flew extremely fast but not nearly as fast as she was able knowing that she could easily leave her best friend behind. She knew Fluttershy was right behind her so Rainbow just kept going, trying to forget the image of the unblinking pony, eyes wide open, mouth closed and emotionless. She shut her eyes to blink away the image but when she opened them she saw the cottage through the fog only a few feet from her, but it was too late. She flew through the open window and into Fluttershy’s kitchen before slamming into a bookcase lined with pottery and cookbooks. Fluttershy must’ve been following Rainbow closely through the fog because she made it through the window and hit the cottage wall inside the room. Rainbow heard a crash to her left and, as she lay underneath the bookcase which had fallen on her, she saw a few picture frames fall down and break apart.

For some reason, the room looked extremely dark and it was moving oddly around. Dash’s mind felt like it was shutting off and her head felt heavy. Fluttershy wasn’t moving at all. Rainbow Dash laid her head down on the wood floor, the bookcase on top of her small body. She managed to squeeze her head out from under the bookcase before closing her eyes and losing consciousness, the image of the buried pony with that lifeless, penetrating stare burned into the back of her eyelids and therefore fully alive in her unconscious dreams.

“Applejack! Applejack!”

The sound of Applebloom’s frantic shouting made Applejack drop her rake and run outside the barn to see Applebloom, her younger sister, and Big MacIntosh, the oldest sibling who was a large, strong dark red stallion.

“What is it Applebloom? What’s the hurry?” Applejack spoke quickly, her southern accent blending her words.

“It’s Angel, Fluttershy’s bunny! He hopped all th’way over here and tried getting’ my ‘ttention! And Big Mac and Granny Smith – “

“Applebloom, settle down. Ah c’n hardly understand yer mumble jumblin’!”

“But Big Mac can’t understan’ Angel and – “

“Where’s Angel now?”

“But they can’t understand Angel but ah think ah do, somepony’s in trouble. Hurry, Applejack, we gotta – maybe it’s Fluttershy, or – oh c’mon Big Mac, go to Fluttershy’s cottage!”

Big Mac sensed the urgency in Applebloom’s voice and took off to the south toward Fluttershy’s cottage on the edge of the Everfree forest. But Applejack, who had a hooffull of experience with Applebloom and her friends’ pranks, knew better than to just listen to whatever her little sister had to say. Instead of prancing off after Big Mac, Applejack looked around fervently for the small white bunny who apparently had delivered the message of urgency to Sweet Apple Acres.

But instead of finding the bunny, Applejack saw Pinkie Pie and Rarity trotting over to the barn.

“What’s the matter, Applejack? We heard Applebloom’s voice and realized something must be wrong.”

Rarity’s voice was calm but serious, the polar opposite of Pinkie Pie’s excited hopping and inability to pay attention to the other two mares.

“Hey there Rarity, Pinkie Pie...” Applejack gave a courteous nod, then told them what Applebloom had said.

“Goodness, I wonder if the others are alright!” Rarity stared at the sky in horror. It looked as if she was hoping to catch sight of Rainbow Dash flying amidst the scattered white clouds.

“Hmm, sounds to me like they’re playing a game!” Pinkie Pie jumped when she squeaked the word “game” and Rarity glared at her.

“I don’t think this is a game, darling. Fluttershy could be hurt. Too bad we can’t fly there. Let’s get moving, I think that if we –“

“Just wait a fetchin’ minute! Applebloom doesn’t exactly have the smoothest slate as far as trust goes. Ah can’t tell ya how many times I’ve fallen for hers and Scootaloo’s pranks! Ah’ve got work t’do and frankly I don’ think –“

“Applejack,” Rarity turned a stern look toward the orange earth pony. “Maybe we should check on Fluttershy, just in case.”

Applejack looked back at the barn and back at Pinkie Pie who was convinced Fluttershy was playing hide-and-go-seek, then sighed impatiently.

“Alright, let’s hurry up then. If she is in trouble then we’d best not waste any time!”

As an afterthought, Applejack ordered Pinkie Pie to tell Granny Smith, the eldest member of the Apple family, where they were going.

“Okie dokie, you can count on me!” Pinkie Pie skipped off to the Apple house calling at the old mare’s name.

In the meantime, three mares turned and started southward in the late wake of Big Mac who by now had reached the cottage. And when he did, he saw what looked to be a normal scene around the door to the treehouse. Many animals of all kinds had gathered outside the door and, when Big Mac approached the steps, the animals did not scatter. But something was a little different. The forest creatures looked scared, concerned, even edgy or nervous like they were waiting for somepony.

Big Mac avoided the unmoving animals around the welcome mat and abandoned the courtesy of knocking by opening the wooden door slowly and looking around the living room. Everything was neat and tidy, but the couches seemed a little ruffled. There was even a slight hint of tea in the air and the familiar smell of Sweet Apple Acres’ Cinnamon Spiced Pie (which Big Mac personally baked himself on some occasions). Nothing really seemed too suspicious. It looked as if Fluttershy had gone out for a stroll in the fields or east into town to buy some ingredients like she usually did this time of day. Big Mac knew she did because Fluttershy would always stop at Sweet Apple Acres to pick up cabbage and celery for Angel and a crate of apples for her homemade pies.

As Big Mac pulled his head out and began to close the door he realized something else. Something very suspicious and out of the ordinary: an eerie breeze was blowing from the kitchen which caused the door into the kitchen to creak. The large red stallion decided to enter and check it out, and he opened the door all the way to allow his large, muscular frame to pass, a strong breeze entered and blew the kitchen door open revealing a book lying open on the floor, its pages turning little by little as the warm breeze passed through the doorway. Big Mac approached the kitchen. His eyes went from the book to what looked like pieces of broken glass, then to a whole pile of books on the ground amidst broken picture frames.

Underneath the books, lying on top of the glass was the unmistakable form of Fluttershy’s thin, yellow body. Her face was down in the glass, the majority of her body was buried beneath the cookbooks, her flowing, pink hair lay strewn and dirty, its distraught look resembled that of a frayed piece of yarn. On the other side of the pile of books was a bookshelf tipped over and beneath were the books which had once been neatly organized.

Just as Big Mac crouched down to start removing the books from atop the buried Fluttershy, he heard the urgent hoofsteps of Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and his younger sister Applejack. He looked back through the door and also saw Angel beside Applebloom, all of them looked worried and stared at Big Mac, their expressionless faces and slight frowns asking for answers from the stallion. Applejack knew that Big MacIntosh didn’t talk much so she asked him straight away.

“Is Fluttershy in the kitchen? Is she in there?”

“Eyup.”

“Is she alright?”

Big Mac said nothing, but instead looked back at the silent, yellow mare beneath the books and began to scoop aside the glass and push the books off of her. His silence was the answer the others were dreading. They all raced forward into the kitchen, looking in horror at the mess on the floor and the body of Fluttershy which was now much more exposed thanks to Big Mac’s efforts. It wasn’t long until the unconscious pegasus was lifted up and out of the room and placed gently on the couch. Her mouth hung open and her body sported a few cuts and held onto pieces of woods which splintered her tender thighs. Her hair was frizzed and covered in dust and dirt, her eyes closed and relaxed. No emotion or sign of life came from the yellow mare, but Applejack was sure she was alive.

“Fluttershy…?” Applejack spoke softly. Tears welled in her eyes. She had not given up on her friend but the sight of Fluttershy in this state was too much for the orange mare to bear.

“Fluttershy, dear, if you can hear us please say something.” Rarity tried to wake her as well, touching her delicate cheek and moving aside a strip of hair.

Applebloom started to sniffle but tried hard to hold it in. Suddenly, Fluttershy’s mouth closed and a quiet, groggy moan came from her throat. It sounded agonizing and it set Applebloom over the emotional edge. In seconds the filly was crying.

“Fluttershy? Can you hear me?” the choked voice of Applejack filled the quiet cottage. “If you can hear us, please s – “

“Mhh…”

Fluttershy let out another moan, this time obviously trying to say something.

“Mhh…mmm…my…my…”

“You’re what, dear?” Rarity sounded frantic. “What is it?”

“M-my head...”

With those words the others looked at Fluttesrhy’s head, Rarity ran her hooves through the forest of pink, searching for any sign of wounding or harm, but found none. Applejack felt over the right side of Fluttershy’s forhead and noticed a bump as large as an apple.

“Rarity can you take Applebloom out front, please?”

The pearl-white unicorn obviously didn’t like the idea of leaving Fluttershy but did not object as she too knew that Applebloom shouldn’t be in the room at that moment. When she returned she saw Applejack huddled beside the pegasus while Big Mac waited patiently on the other side of the couch, looking down at his hooves.

“I think we should take her to Doctor Whooves, it could be bad.” Applejack’s words hit Rarity like an arrow. What if Fluttershy was in peril? How bad was it? What had happened? Did something fall on her? Or did something from the forest attack her? The Everfree Forest was a very dark and dangerous place with creatures relentless and unimaginable. With all these thoughts racing through her mind, Rarity decided to ask a few of the questions she could manage to speak.

Crouching beside the couch next to Applejack, Rarity spoke very sweetly to Fluttershy, trying to calm her but still get what info she needed out of her. The curiosity and unanswered questions were unbearable.

“Fluttershy?” Not expecting an answer, the unicorn spoke so low it was barely a whisper. But Fluttershy managed to squeak out a response.

“Yes…Rarity…?”

“Fluttershy, oh I do hope you’re alright! What happened? How did you get hurt?”

“Th-the window…it…it…we…”

“We? You and Angel?”

“N-no…no…me and R-rainbow…Rainbow Dash.”

“Rainbow Dash?” Both Applejack and Rarity softly exclaimed their surprise.

“Well,” began Applejack. “Where is she now? Where did she go?”

Fluttershy opened her heavy eyes and looked around the room, not moving her head. She looked like she was panicking, apparently looking for her childhood best friend.

“Y-you mean she left? Where did she go?”

Rarity exchanged glances with Big Mac.

“She was never here, darling.”

“Y-yes, yes she was. I mean, she is…oh, oh my gosh! She must still be in the kitchen! Oh-oh gosh!”

Fluttershy tried to launch herself off the couch and instead fell clumsily into Applejack’s arms who looked up at Big Mac with an urgent, yet determined face and ordered him into the kitchen while settling Fluttershy back down on the couch. Her breathing was faster and she began to perspire, her ruffled hair causing her to look so bedraggled and worn down that it was impossible not to feel a stab of pity for the pegasus; her eyes filled with tears and a soft, pathetic squeak of urgency and whimpering for her friend, her wings tucked tight to her sides in fright.

There was the sound of a quick grunt and wood sliding against wood from the kitchen. Within a few seconds, Big Mac came back pulling Rainbow Dash beside him, trying to be gentle with her but finding no other way to move her except to drag her.

Rainbows mane was dirty and sticking in all directions, the yellow part of her mane was barely distinguishable from mud. Her eyes were closed, her cyan body covered in cuts with a few large bruises where the bookcase had crushed her. It was a sad sight and it made Fluttershy cry aloud when she saw her friend lifted slowly and put upon the chair next to the couch. Rainbow’s body flipped to the side, facing the back of the couch. Her tail hung dramatically off the chair, her strong leg muscles visible in the soft glow of the sun as her legs were stretched over the edge of the chair.

Applejack got up and tried to flip Rainbow back over. The orange pony’s eyes were red, tears dripping from them. Although it was obvious Applejack was beyond grief for her friend, Rainbow didn’t make noise. The unconscious, blue pegasus’ silence cause Applejack to get angry. she spoke aloud and was angry at Rainbow Dash.

This was her friend! Not even a day ago they had been wrestling in the park; they had always had friendly competitions with one another. Now Appplejack’s emotions came out in anger at her friend.

“Rainbow! Rainbow wake up!” Her voice shocked the others. Applejack’s thoughts were on the permanent loss of her friend, her emotions coming out in angry accusations of the unconscious pegasus.

“Rainbow, you stupid mare! Why? What happ’ned? You’re tough, wh-why? Oh mah goodn’ss you make me angry. All of your little stunts, what could you have possibly done to put yourself and Fluttershy in such danger?”

Applejack buried her face in Rainbow’s mane and sobbed loudly, speaking about Rainbow through hiccups and choking frustration.

“Wake up, Rainbow! We need you! You can’t just leave like this, you can’t leave Fluttershy. Oh…oh my you look…” AJ giggled. “You look terrible…well, you always do. You’ve never been one to brush your mane, have you?”

Rarity and Fluttershy were still holding each other close, not sure what to say. Applejack surely believed Rainbow was beyond the physical care of any doctor. She believed that Rainbow Dash was gone and her sadness came out in anger. Rarity was crying softly while Fluttershy held Rarity close, not sure what to do next; not sure whether or not to believe that Rainbow Dash was gone.

Rarity used the current silence to speak; soft words, as though afraid to interrupt.

“Applejack? Maybe we should take both of them to the doctor now.”

Rainbow Dash stirred, a small, weak voice spoke from the muffled cushion of the back of the chair. Even though her voice was always raspy, it sounded more scratchy than normal.

“I don’t need a stinking doctor, Rarity.”

The others looked at each other in amazement. She was alive! But what happened to her? Why, after being crushed by a large bookcase, was she alright now? She was well enough to make more of her constant jokes and jibes at the others! Her denial for medical attention was normal for Rainbow Dash whose pride, although mostly contained, made her feel like she shouldn’t show any weakness. And as she sat up, she turned around and smiled at the others; a sad smile of relief and happiness. Putting her hoof to her head her eyes went from Rarity to Fluttershy. Rainbow’s eyes no longer looked happy and her sheepish smile left. A look of anguish smothered her face, looking at the yellow mare and her wounds.

“Huh…are you alright Flutters?” Rainbow Dash felt guilty, but was worried about her best friend either way.

“Oh, Rainbow…” A tear fell from Fluttershy’s cheek. “I’m with all of you, and as long as we are safe…I’ll be alright.”

Smack!

“No thanks to you, Rainbow!” Applejack swung her mighty hoof against Rainbows shoulder, knocking her against the chair’s arm. Rainbow’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Applejack’s fury could not be contained.

“You put your friend in danger, Rainbow! Look at her! What were you doing? Was it another one of your tricks?”

“Applejack,” Fluttershy’s soft voice was barely audible. “P-please, it wasn’t h—“

“And what makes you think that this is funny? Don’t you smile at me, Dashie! You and her could’ve been killed! What if Fluttershy was cooking? There could’ve been a fire! What were you thinking, flying ar—“

“What in the name of Luna are you talking about?” Rainbow Dash straightened herself and made an angry face at Applejack. They were always fighting, but Rainbow could not take these horrible accusations.

“Applejack, for you information, I wasn’t doing another stupid trick. We were getting away from…from…well, we were in a hurry and couldn’t see where we were flying.”

“It was late, Applejack,” The other pegasus piped in. “It was late, and there was fog, and we flew through the window and I hit the wall, I think Rainbow hit my bookcase with all the cookbooks in it. Oh dear, please don’t be mad a—“

Applejack’s confused face was voiced only by Rarity’s curiosity.

“What exactly did you say you were flying away from?”

Rainbow Dash exchanged a strange look with Fluttershy.

“We never said anything about that.”

“Y-yes you did, I heard you say that. Rainbow, what are you hiding? What were you doing flying out near the forest at night? You know it’s dangerous! I just –“

“Look, it’s nothing. Alright? We were j—“

“What are you two hiding?”

Rarity’s face could only be compared to that of a scolding mother’s: her eyebrow was raised and her lips pursed. Applejack’s face was angry, her jaw set in a determined effort to keep her mouth shut.

“It’s…Rarity, it’s nothing. We just had a flying accident. That wasn’t the front door to the cottage like we thought it was.”
“Y-yeah, so we ended up going through the kitchen window instead.” Fluttershy let out a nervous giggle. “K-kinda silly, don’tcha think?”

Applejack rose and walked over to Big Mac who was just about to open the door to check on Applebloom. Finally, she spoke her thoughts and did not sound happy at all.

“At first I thought something truly horrible had happened to both of you. But I guess it’s just a matter or irresponsibility. Your irresponsibility, Rainbow!”

“Wh-what?! Why me? I didn’t make her –“

“Fluttershy may not be a good flyer, but you probably drew her into this. You know she can’t fly well. As a matter of fact,” AJ crossed her arms and leaned against her brother. “Fluttershy rarely flies at all!”

Rainbow looked down at the floor. She was overwhelmed by a swarm of thoughts and anger toward Applejack’s blame. This was not her fault! How could Applejack be so accusatory? She didn’t know the whole story…

But why didn’t Rainbow just tell her? Fluttershy obviously understood that she did not want any of the others to know, but it did not seem like Rainbow Dash even knew why she wouldn’t say anything about the trapped pony in the dirt. It didn’t seem real – the pony and the crater and the frantic flight home – but it was, and they had the bruises and cuts to show for it.

Rainbow decided to take the blame while she cleared her mind of the situation. Something told her to not say anything about what happened the night before.

The sound of Applebloom’s voice snapped Rainbow Dash out her thoughts and back to her accuser; Applejack locked eyes with Rainbow before looking away and sighing.

“Applejack, Zecora is here.” Said the little filly on the porch.

AJ kept her arms crossed but used her shoulders to push herself off of her brother and walked over to the door and opened it. The sight of Applebloom with Zecora brought back some memories that had involved the two of them almost a year ago. But this time the circumstances were different. Zecora walked in and locked eyes with Rainbow Dash, looking knowingly from pegasus to pegasus.

Zecora was a zebra who lived in the Everfree Forest. She came to Ponyville province many years ago before Twilight Sparkle moved to the city from Canterlot. Zecora had come from a far-off land across the sea and with her she brought her country’s customs, knowledge, history and practices. For a while the citizens of Ponyville were apprehensive about Zecora’s visits to their city but soon learned that she wasn’t at all much different from the rest of the many earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns.

“Hello friends, I’ve heard of your plight. But I never expected to see such an awful sight. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, I am glad you’re okay, for the thing you saw has made you this way.”

Zecora always spoke in rhymes. In the country she came from, she was a Medicine Mare, a zebra tribe member who works with potions and remedies that can cure, cause, and counter almost anything in and outside the equestrian body. All Medicine Mares speak in rhymes, for they believe that it is through the power of rhyming lyric that one can organize their thoughts correctly and speak effectively.

“Thing? What thing, Zecora?” Applejack wanted to know exactly what the zebra was talking about.

Rainbow Dash felt uncomfortable at the thought of AJ and Rarity knowing about the night before and hoped Zecora would not tell them if she knew.

“A mystery to me, no, I do not know. But these mares have seen a life in death’s throes. A spark and ash from a fire back home, told me to come to the aid of the alone.”

The mares and Big Mac were trying to follow what she was saying.

“If it is true that they saw what they saw, then the legends are true, the stars will not move on. It seems that they have fled from the sight, of neither dead nor dying, unblinking eyes.”

Rarity, Applebloom, Big MacIntosh, and Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash and then to Fluttershy, searching for answers on their confused faces. There was no denying that what they saw was real. It had seemed like a dream to Rainbow Dash, but it was true. And whatever it was, it wasn’t something one could dismiss; not when the wise Zecora visited the victims of a nightmarish night. She had been told to go to them from a spark and cloud of ash.