Propheciesby that_taco_guyChaptersThe BeginningThe ChangeThe RealizationThe CeremonyThe Olden ScrollsThe MeetingThe LetterThe RevelationThe BeginningIt was a horrible day. My girlfriend hates me, my boss wants to fire me, and I don't know what to do. I stumble home, holding back tears. Getting to my apartment, I open my mailbox, expecting an empty hole. As the little door creaks open, I see nothing but an empty box. Then my eye catches something. It's a letter at the back of the empty space. I pull it out. It's a blue letter with a strange return address, “22 Filly Lane, Canterlot, Equestria”. It's addressed to me, so I shrug. Opening the door to my apartment, I throw the letter on the table. I find all of my girlfriend's belongings gone. Figures. She wouldn't give me notice of leaving. I guess it's dinner for one tonight. Opening the door to the fridge, I find out it's empty. I groan, as I forgot that I had to go to the local supermarket to get some food. I guess it's takeout tonight. I walked to the phone, only to see that my girlfriend took that too. That's not hers. I sigh and reach for my cell phone. I dial the number of the local Chinese restaurant that my friend's parents own, only to find out that they're closed for Chinese New Year. Damn it. Pizza place? Too expensive, and they delivery guy hates me. Taco place? It's about 5 blocks away... I look outside, only to find out that it's raining cats and dogs. My jacket isn't good enough to keep me dry in that kind of weather. The other restaurants deliver, but they're expensive as hell. I guess it's dinner for nobody tonight. I sit on the couch to watch some TV. I flip through some channels. Soon I settle on a channel that's airing some kid's show. Seems interesting. It's about some ponies and friendship and magic, maybe, but too much stuff is going through my mind to capture it all. I watched until the last 5 minutes, but then I promptly fell asleep. My eyes fluttered open. I was lying on the ground. I lifted my head and looked at my surroundings, trees, plants, birds and grass. “Hello?” I call out. I try to get up, but my hands appear to have something over them, like a casing or something. I roll over. I try to get up again. I soon realize that my hands and feet are now some round hoof shaped things. Shocked, a creature of some sort comes up to me. Dark blue body, flowing mane, a feminine composure, It looks like a horse... but with wings... and a horn? A Unicorn? I try to scoot back, but my new hoof-hand-things aren't working as efficiently as I expected. She comes towards me, with her head held high, and making her steps known. I try to scoot back more, but these damn things aren't working. She puts her...hoof?... on my chest. Finally, she speaks. “You are chosen, Jacob.” She says. How does it know my name? “You do not know it yet, Jacob, but you are the one who will save Equestria.” Equestria... that sounds familiar. But from where? The envelope! “You are going to be one of the leaders of the Canterlutian revolution.” Canterlot...? “You, Jacob, are going to be the Savior of all of Ponyville.” Ponyville? Savior? I can't even save myself! I finally manage to mutter words out of my... mouth? “Who are you ? What do you want from me? Where is Equestria?” “All in good time, Jacob. You have been chosen. You will know soon.” She responds, as she walks away. “NO! WAIT! I NEED TO KNOW MORE!” I shout. Everything starts spinning and fading away. “NO! NO! NO!” I exclaim. I gasp as I awake. What just happened? I stand up, trying to get a bearing on my surroundings. My apartment, TV is on, playing the Late Nite show. I peer towards the clock. 2:03 AM. I've been asleep for a while. I feel rested, but still uneasy. Running to my room, down the hall, I grab my computer chair and sit at my computer. I press the power button. It hums and clicks like it should, and the boot screen comes on. I login and get into my browser. I go to my favorite search engine. The screen reads: [Type in search query here] I type in: Equestria And hit enter. The page loads, and I click on the first result I see. The page leads to a Wikia page on a TV show, it's called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I think it's the same one that I had watched before. I read more on Equestria, and more on what the show is about. Canterlot, Equestria, Ponyville, it's all there. All of what the pegasus said in my dream is there. I sit back in my chair. Maybe it's all just another dream? But... this was so REAL. It was like I was there. I get out of my computer chair and go to bed. The ChangeI awake. I don't know where I am. There is a dark room with a lamp above room. An all too familiar voice says, "Drink this." I'm handed a vial. I grab it. "What is it?" I question. "Just drink it." She says. I down the liquid. It tastes like cherries, cough syrup, liquor and something else bitter which I can't make out. I start to cough. "It's working." Another voice whispers from the darkness. "We've never used a formula this strong before." The familiar voice says. I'm coughing more violently now. "We've never had the chosen one with us. We need him. Now." Another voice says. I'm coughing even more violently. Oh, God, is this blood? My body starts to shake violently. My hands and feet start to tingle and shake. "He should have passed out by now." The familiar voice says. My brain feels like it's exploding. My heart is pumping at about 200 BPM. "He's strong. He is the one." Another voice says. My face is twisting and contorting in convulsive ways. And then I passed out. Again. The RealizationI awoke. What a horrible dream. It was so gruesome. My eyes flutter open. Wait. This isn't my bed. I lift my head up. These aren't my sheets. I then notice my new appendages. I lift these round long things and realize that they are attached to my body. I throw the covers off. There is a round long gray body thing with round long things at the end. And a tail. I then realize those are attached to my body too. I open my mouth, but I realize that's different too. I scream as loud as humanly- well... whatever I am- possible. Screaming at the top of my lungs, a familiar face walks in the door. "So, I assume you are awake." The dark colored winged unicorn presumes. "WHAT IN THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME?" I scream. "You're the chosen one, James." She calmly explains. "I didn't want this! I don't want to be here! I want to go home!" I cry. "There is no choice in this, James. The elements have chosen you. You will save us." She continues. "Free you from what? Insanity?!?!?" I blared. "Look at yourself, James. You are new. You are one of us. You are free from those human limitations that you had. You have magic on your side now." "I DON'T CARE! I JUST WANT TO- Wait... magic?" "Yes, James. Take a look in the mirror." I try to get out of bed. I fall on the ground. I can't hold in it in anymore. I start sobbing. A strange force envelopes me. It's a dark shade of purple mist. It lifts me up and helps me up on my... feet? Hooves? It also helps me clean the tears off of my face with my new appendage. I sniff. It helps me walk. Step by step. It stops me in front of a mirror. I look at myself. I am dark. Very dark. I have a horn. Wings. An alicorn. I study my mane. I'm so... different. A new me. A revelation. "The potion we used was a very fast acting one. You might have some transformation marks lefy, but they'll wear off. Eventually." She commented. "A potion did this?" I asked in disbelief. "Yes. A very strong one, in fact. Formulated by our finest mages." Starting to look at her more closely, she seems... sad. As if I had done something wrong. Is she OK? She clears her throat. "The ceremony is about to begin, James. I'll help you get ready." She declares in a matter-of-factly kind of voice. "How?" "Like this." The dark purplish glow surrounds me again. I notice that there is a glow surrounding her horn, as well. The glow helps me get some gold necklace on, along with a dark blue regal robe that goes around my back. Then I finally realize; "Wait... this is YOU?" "This is me, James. This is magic. You will learn as well, in time." I try to walk again. Bad Idea. I fall and try to get back up. "I... I just... I just can't." "Can't what, James?" "Walk." "One hoof in front of the other. That is about all the help I could give you." I try once more, but slowly. One hoof in front of the other. I'm soon... ugh... "trotting" around the room. "Good job!" She encourages. I stop. "I don't know your name. You never introduced yourself." She straightens herself out. "I am Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria." She proclaims. I immediately bow. "My princess, I'm sorry for my behavior, I was so rude in your presence, I-" "Silence, James." "Yes, my princess." "We must go to the ceremony." The CeremonyI walk through the halls. "These are the castle halls. Many a pony has passed through here. But only few were worthy of even coming in here at all..." Princess Luna states. "Princess, what is the ceremony about?"I ask. "You, James." "Me?" "You are the chosen one." "I don't know..." "Trust me, James. It's in the olden scrolls." "Olden scrolls?..." "You'll learn later." "OK." The Princess leads me out to the platform. A large crowd has formed in front of the stage. I blush. There is another pony on stage, a large white alicorn with a flowing mane of all the colors of the rainbow. We all walk to the center of the platform. Luna walks up to her and whispers, "Do you think he is the one, Tia? The one who will fulfill the prophecy?" "Only time will tell, little sister." The white alicorn replies. Wait, they're sisters? Does that mean that there are two princesses? The white alicorn speaks to the crowd. "Citizens of Equestria, I present to you... a human."She begins. The crowd gasps. "But this is no ordinary human. He is one of us. He is the next prophesied Savior of all of Equestria, as in the olden scrolls." She continues. The crowd starts to murmur. "As the olden scrolls indicate, the Prophesied Ceremony must be performed for this pony to receive his cutie mark, and his name." She states. The crowd starts to look at me. I blush again. The alicorn starts to say something in a foreign language... "Etiam hodie signa deorum vindicarent quaeritur implere hanc prophetiam, in nomine Equestriano, et principes eius. Dii tribuisset mannulus caracterem pulchritudo, et nomen ejus." Luna walks up to me. "She's my big sister, Princess Celestia. She is asking the Gods for a blessing on you, to provide you an Equestrian name... and that the prophecy can be fulfilled... in its entirety." She explains, the last part sounding sad. "Are you well, Princess?" I ask. "Yes, I'm all right." "Exitus." Princess Celestia finishes off. Immediately, my necklace starts to glow. It's lifted up about half a meter, along with my body. I am now standing upright, and proudly. The sky starts to get cloudy and lightning starts to flash along the sky, with the boom of thunder following it. A voice booms out from the sky. "We find favor in thine plea, Princess. We bestow upon this human the gifts predestined for the human. We will help him fulfill all that has been prophesied. His name shall be one of great importance in thine kingdom, and so he shall be called... Eclipse. Our blessings are upon this chosen one." The Voice proclaims. "All hail the Gods of Equestria. We are glad with thine blessing." Princess Celestia responds. "All hail the Gods." The crowd recites and bows. I bow as well. "We now anoint the prophesied one, for the Gods have accepted him." Princess Celestia proclaims, as she dips her hoof in a liquid and places it on my forehead. Eclipse. That's me. The crowd cheers and starts chanting, "Long live the Gods! Long live Equestria!" But Princess Luna isn't chanting anything. Instead, she's sitting there... is that... tears? She's crying? The Olden ScrollsI awake. Last night was interesting. There was a festival going on, Nightmare Night. The children dressed up as they do on Halloween back home, in funny costumes. The saying is that Nightmare Moon comes down from the moon every year to eat up the people, and their candy offerings help her not to eat them. Somepony told me that Princess Luna used to be Nightmare Moon, when she was exiled to the moon for 1000 years. Exiled? Why? My stomach aches. I think I ate too much candy last night. And drank too many Equestrian "adult beverages". Those Pinkie Screwdriver things are GOOD. So, yeah. I'm hungover. As a pony. I slowly drift back to sleep. Then, I start to dream. I'm sitting at a large room, decorated like a castle, with many a pony sitting around the table. They start to speak. "Eclipse. Wake up." "Go see the princess, Eclipse." "Eclipse, Princess Luna needs you now." "Sire?" "Eclipse. Awaken." "Sir Eclipse, I need you to wake up." "Eclipse... Wake up." "Sir, please wake up." "Eclipse, wake UP!" The last voice echoes in my mind. That was odd. I groan as I awake. There is a white pegasus standing at the door of my bedroom. He's wearing a very regal uniform, with gold trimming. Another Royal Guard. He stands high and proud. He bows when I look at him. "Sir, I am sorry to have awakened you, but her Majesty, Princess Luna, needs to have an audience with you, my lord." He declares while standing upright, again. "Tell her I'll be on my way." I respond groggily. "Yes, my lord." He replies. "And, sir?" "Yes, my lord?" "Why are you calling me 'my lord'?" "You are of great importance now, sire. You are the-" "Yeah, yeah, the chosen one." I clear my throat. "You are dismissed." "Yes, my lord." "And stop with the 'my lord' crap, it's annoying me." "Yes, my-... sir." "Good." I get out of bed and look in the mirror. I look horrible. My eyes are baggy, and my hair is a total mess. Not to mention I seem hungover, which I am. I go into the bathroom. The bathroom is very large, has white tile with fleur-de-lis gold trimmings. I step into the bathtub, which has a shower, as well. There's some soap on a soap holder, brand new, a loofah and a washcloth. I take a short shower, trying to scrub my... body very well with the loofah. Surprisingly, I'm getting the hang of these hoof-things... whatever they're called. I step out and try to dry myself off, dropping the towel on the floor every 5 seconds. These things are hard to use, these... hoof... things. I step out of the bathroom, and put on a royal collar, as instructed last night by the Royal Guard who accompanied me last night to my quarters. It has a dark spot as the centerpiece, surrounded by streaking light. That's an Eclipse, all right. I sigh. I guess that's my name now. Eclipse. At least it sounds catchy, more or less. I step outside my quarters, and the same royal guard is waiting there for me. "Her Majesty is waiting for thee, my lo- sire." The Guard states. "Just call me 'Eclipse', man." I suggest "Yes, si-... Eclipse... sir." "We'll work on it. "Yes... Eclipse." "Better." I walk down the hall. Large beautiful stained glass windows line the hallway. They seem to depict ponies doing acts of greatness. "What are the stories behind these stained glass windows?" I ask. "This, sir, if of Princess Luna returning to the Earth after the Elements of Harmony destroying Nightmare Moon. This one here is of the Elements of Harmony destroying Discord once again. This next one is about the Elements of Harmony themselves; who they are and what they represent." He explains. "They? The Elements of Harmony are ponies?" "Yes, sire." "Eclipse." "Sorry... Eclipse, they are the new embodiments of the Elements, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkamena Diane Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. They destroyed Nightmare Moon and Discord with the Element's combined power." "Thank you." "Anytime, sire." "Eclipse." "Yes, Eclipse. Sorry." "It's OK." We arrive at the chamber door of Princess Luna. "I will wait out here for you, si-... Eclipse." "Thank you." I knock on the door with my hoof. "Enter." Princess Luna says from the inside. I slowly open the door, and I see the Princess sitting in front of me. I bow, and look up. This is the first time I really notice her. She's beautiful. Her mane flows in the wind as the breeze picks up. She looks at me with those beautiful teal eyes. They're so dark... mysterious... sad... loving... it's just about everything you could think of. She's... wonderful. I clear my throat. "You requested an audience with me, my Princess?" I ask. "Yes, Eclipse. I have a gift for you. It is something of great importance. But..." "But, what, your Majesty?" "This is something between us both, you understand, Eclipse? I shouldn't be giving these to you. No one, and I repeat, No one should know you have these in your possession." "Of course, my Princess." "Under no circumstances shall you ever show these to another Pony, unless it be me." "Yes, my Princess." The purple glow appears around her horn again, and she brings a heavy book towards me. "This is the gift, Eclipse. Use it wisely. You are to read it, and understand the words in this book, you understand?" "Yes, Princess." "Euclideon!" She calls outside. A Royal Guard walks in. "Take this to Sir Eclipse's chamber. And do so quickly." She instructs. "Yes, my Princess." He replies as he takes the heavy book away. "You may leave now, Eclipse. I hope this gift will help you in your path." She says. "Yes, my Princess." I reply. "May the Gods bless you." "And, you as well, your Majesty." "You may go now." "Thank you, your majesty." I walk back to my chamber and see the book sitting at the desk. I read the title of the book. "Deorum Libri." I open it up with my hoof. The cover is heavy. At about the third page, I see the words: "Book of the Gods: A translation of the 'Veteris Volumina'(Olden Scrolls) of the Gods." Huh. "The Olden Scrolls." This should be interesting. The MeetingI hear a knock at the door. I quickly hide the book. "Permission to enter, my lord?" A Royal Guard asks. "E-e-enter." I reply with my nerves on end. I'm too shaken up to correct the "my lord" thing. "Are you well, my lord? You seem pale, if I may." "I'm fine." "Sire, her highness, Princess Celestia, wishes to inform you that your training begins early, at 7 o'clock in the morning." "Tell her 'Thank you' and that I'll be there." "I will, my lord." The pony starts to walk outside the door. "Wait." I instruct. "Yes, my lord?" "Can you show me where the Castle Gardens are? If there are any?" "Yes, my lord, we have the finest gardens in all of Equestria." "Lead me there, please." "Right this way, sire." He leads me through the hallway, and we go through a large doorway. "I need some time alone." "Not a problem, sire." He walks away, and I find a bench to sit on amidst the lush greenery. It's situated in front of a very strange statue. Its head is horse-like, with a deer antler on the right, a goat horn on the left, one long fang and a beard. It has the right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right leg of a lizard, and the left leg of a goat. Very odd, indeed. I'm... going... to die? The thoughts flood my head again. I can't comprehend how this is even remotely possible, I came here to die? I thought this was going to be like a happily ever after kind of deal. Guess I was wrong. Horribly wrong. But... I was chosen? By royalty? That means that either Princess Luna or Princess Celesta chose me... I... My thought process is interrupted by a pink pony staring at me from a distance. Its head is twisted in a way as to say "What are you doing?". It walks up to me. "Watcha doin'?" The pony says. "Just... thinking... why?" I reply with caution. "I dunno. You seen kinda upset." "Yeah, it's just I got a lot on my mind." "Huh. You're new here, aren't you? " "Yeah, you could say that..." The pink pony gasps loudly. "You're that pony who was part of a ceremony or something at the castle the other day, weren't you?" The pony inquires. "Yes, I am. Why?" I respond. "You're Eclipse! That pony who says is going to save us all!" "That's what they tell me, anyway..." "I'm Pinkie Pie. I'm here helping the Princess for a few days." She extends her hoof towards me. I extend my hoof and reply, "I'm Eclipse, but you already knew that." We shake hooves, even though in my mind that seemed physically impossible. "It's great to meet you, Eclipse!" Pinkie Pie says with a smile on her face. I start to smile as well and reply, "The pleasure is all mine, Pinkie Pie." "Well, I've got to go make some cupcakes for Princess Luna's special banquet." "Banquet?" "OH! I wasn't supposed to tell you," She remembers with a shocked look on her face, "pretend you didn't hear that, OK?" "Sure?" "Thanks!" The sun starts to set, and I decide to walk back to my quarters. The moon shines brightly in the hallway, putting the stained glass windows in a different light. I notice the stained glass depicting the strange creature I saw earlier in the garden. Then, it seems as if the stained glass creature is moving. It's looking straight at me. I squint my eyes. It is looking at me. I hear a deep, dark laughter echoing through the halls. "Who's there?" I demand with a shaky voice. "Good evening, Eclipse." The voice invites. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" "Oh, come on, Eclipse, It's part of the prophecies. Your name will be Eclipse, and, if everypony around here isn't completely wrong, YOU are the chosen one." "Who are you?" He laughs darkly. "You silly pony. I'm Discord. Didn't you read about me in that book of yours?" "What book?" He laughs even more. "You REALLY don't know who I am? I mean, the book says it. Well, I should say Scrolls, but you have the book. Same thing." "What are you, who are you, and what are you even talking about? You're not in the scrolls..." "Well, you probably saw a chapter dedicated to Discidium. Discidium? Yeah. Discidium." I think back to the chapters in the book. "Caput Unum (Chapter One): Perpetuas Leges (The Everlasting Laws). "Caput Duo (Chapter Two): Historia Equestriana (Equestrian History). "Caput Tribus (Chapter Three): Discidium. "Caput Quattuor (Chapter Four): Electus (The Chosen One). "Caput Quinque (Chapter Five): Viasque Regium (Guidelines for Royalty). "Caput Sex (Chapter Six): Exitus Principio (The End of The Beginning). "Caput Septem (Chapter Seven): Dux Monstra (Guide to the Monsters)." Oh. That chapter. Like he read my mind, he says, "Oh, yes, that chapter indeed, Eclipse. Did you read it?" I gulp loudly. I've more than read it. He's my favorite character in the series. The LetterI just can't sleep. I look at the clock. It's 4:27 AM. I get up and turn on the lights. I walk towards the kitchen. I flip the switch. Everything where it was. I walk towards the table, reaching for the blue envelope. I open it. Some green smoke pops out. I fan it away, but it smells like... reptile. Huh. The letter is addressed to a Mr. James Fern. That's me, all right. "Dear Mr. Fern, You are cordially invited to join us at the Nightmare Night Festival, with special regards from Princess Luna. Your transport will come at 9:00 AM on Tuesday. We hope you accept our invitation. Sincerely, The Princess' Humble Student, Twilight Sparkle. P.S. We ask that you leave your door unlocked when we come to pick you up. The end of the page is singed with a green tint. That's strange. Why would they ask me to leave the door unlocked? I check the calendar. It's Tuesday. I check the time again. It's 5:06 AM. I better hurry. I run to my room, grabbing a suitcase. A voice in my head tells me I won't need it, for some reason. I pack anyway. It's 8:47 AM. I sit patiently on the couch. I'm watching another episode of the show. "Luna Eclipsed." Funny, the characters are going to the Nightmare Night Festival. Huh. A character appears on screen. I squint my eyes. It's was the pegasus that I had seen earlier. Her name is Luna. Then everything went black. The RevelationThe Olden Scrolls. The reason why I'm here. The big cheese. I turn to the Index page. "Caput Unum (Chapter One): Perpetuas Leges (The Everlasting Laws). "Caput Duo (Chapter Two): Historia Equestriana (Equestrian History). "Caput Tribus (Chapter Three): Discidium. "Caput Quattuor (Chapter Four): Electus (The Chosen One). "Caput Quinque (Chapter Five): Viasque Regium (Guidelines for Royalty). "Caput Sex (Chapter Six): Exitus Principio (The End of The Beginning). "Caput Septem (Chapter Seven): Dux Monstra (Guide to the Monsters)." "The Chosen One". That's interesting. I turn to the indicated page, and start to read. THE CHOSEN ONE Electus. His name shall be Eclipsis (Eclipse). He will be a Mannulus (pony) with Cornu (a horn) and Alae (wings) with a dark body, and be chosen by a regio electrix (royal chooser). His training shall be hard. Nothing shall be easy for this mannulus. He will face Discidium, and his old life will be offered to him again, life as a mortalis (human). He will face many Monstra. But most of all, he will conquer Lux Tenebris, the most fearsome and most powerful Monstra of all. He will blot his fearsome light out like an eclipsis, as his name says. He will recieve his signum dulces (sweet mark) after his conquering. It will be a dark figure surrounded by streaks of light, like flames lapping out of an eclipsis. He will never see his signum dulces. He will recieve mortis' (death's) painful calling, and accept it. He will die. The whole kingdom will be devastated at his death, but the regio electrix will be even more devastated. The regio electrix will do anything to see him again, but it will be too late. Mortis' grasp will have held him too tightly to be redeemed back. We will be greatly grieved to see one a regium (royalty) as distressed as the regio electrix will be... I must have read that wrong. What was that again? "He will die." I didn't read that wrong. The Chosen One is going to die? It's probably... it's probably another Chosen One. "He will be a Mannulus (pony) with Cornu (a horn) and Alae (wings) with a dark body..." I look at myself... a horn... wings... dark body... I... I... I'm going to die?...
The BeginningIt was a horrible day. My girlfriend hates me, my boss wants to fire me, and I don't know what to do. I stumble home, holding back tears. Getting to my apartment, I open my mailbox, expecting an empty hole. As the little door creaks open, I see nothing but an empty box. Then my eye catches something. It's a letter at the back of the empty space. I pull it out. It's a blue letter with a strange return address, “22 Filly Lane, Canterlot, Equestria”. It's addressed to me, so I shrug. Opening the door to my apartment, I throw the letter on the table. I find all of my girlfriend's belongings gone. Figures. She wouldn't give me notice of leaving. I guess it's dinner for one tonight. Opening the door to the fridge, I find out it's empty. I groan, as I forgot that I had to go to the local supermarket to get some food. I guess it's takeout tonight. I walked to the phone, only to see that my girlfriend took that too. That's not hers. I sigh and reach for my cell phone. I dial the number of the local Chinese restaurant that my friend's parents own, only to find out that they're closed for Chinese New Year. Damn it. Pizza place? Too expensive, and they delivery guy hates me. Taco place? It's about 5 blocks away... I look outside, only to find out that it's raining cats and dogs. My jacket isn't good enough to keep me dry in that kind of weather. The other restaurants deliver, but they're expensive as hell. I guess it's dinner for nobody tonight. I sit on the couch to watch some TV. I flip through some channels. Soon I settle on a channel that's airing some kid's show. Seems interesting. It's about some ponies and friendship and magic, maybe, but too much stuff is going through my mind to capture it all. I watched until the last 5 minutes, but then I promptly fell asleep. My eyes fluttered open. I was lying on the ground. I lifted my head and looked at my surroundings, trees, plants, birds and grass. “Hello?” I call out. I try to get up, but my hands appear to have something over them, like a casing or something. I roll over. I try to get up again. I soon realize that my hands and feet are now some round hoof shaped things. Shocked, a creature of some sort comes up to me. Dark blue body, flowing mane, a feminine composure, It looks like a horse... but with wings... and a horn? A Unicorn? I try to scoot back, but my new hoof-hand-things aren't working as efficiently as I expected. She comes towards me, with her head held high, and making her steps known. I try to scoot back more, but these damn things aren't working. She puts her...hoof?... on my chest. Finally, she speaks. “You are chosen, Jacob.” She says. How does it know my name? “You do not know it yet, Jacob, but you are the one who will save Equestria.” Equestria... that sounds familiar. But from where? The envelope! “You are going to be one of the leaders of the Canterlutian revolution.” Canterlot...? “You, Jacob, are going to be the Savior of all of Ponyville.” Ponyville? Savior? I can't even save myself! I finally manage to mutter words out of my... mouth? “Who are you ? What do you want from me? Where is Equestria?” “All in good time, Jacob. You have been chosen. You will know soon.” She responds, as she walks away. “NO! WAIT! I NEED TO KNOW MORE!” I shout. Everything starts spinning and fading away. “NO! NO! NO!” I exclaim. I gasp as I awake. What just happened? I stand up, trying to get a bearing on my surroundings. My apartment, TV is on, playing the Late Nite show. I peer towards the clock. 2:03 AM. I've been asleep for a while. I feel rested, but still uneasy. Running to my room, down the hall, I grab my computer chair and sit at my computer. I press the power button. It hums and clicks like it should, and the boot screen comes on. I login and get into my browser. I go to my favorite search engine. The screen reads: [Type in search query here] I type in: Equestria And hit enter. The page loads, and I click on the first result I see. The page leads to a Wikia page on a TV show, it's called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I think it's the same one that I had watched before. I read more on Equestria, and more on what the show is about. Canterlot, Equestria, Ponyville, it's all there. All of what the pegasus said in my dream is there. I sit back in my chair. Maybe it's all just another dream? But... this was so REAL. It was like I was there. I get out of my computer chair and go to bed.
The ChangeI awake. I don't know where I am. There is a dark room with a lamp above room. An all too familiar voice says, "Drink this." I'm handed a vial. I grab it. "What is it?" I question. "Just drink it." She says. I down the liquid. It tastes like cherries, cough syrup, liquor and something else bitter which I can't make out. I start to cough. "It's working." Another voice whispers from the darkness. "We've never used a formula this strong before." The familiar voice says. I'm coughing more violently now. "We've never had the chosen one with us. We need him. Now." Another voice says. I'm coughing even more violently. Oh, God, is this blood? My body starts to shake violently. My hands and feet start to tingle and shake. "He should have passed out by now." The familiar voice says. My brain feels like it's exploding. My heart is pumping at about 200 BPM. "He's strong. He is the one." Another voice says. My face is twisting and contorting in convulsive ways. And then I passed out. Again.
The RealizationI awoke. What a horrible dream. It was so gruesome. My eyes flutter open. Wait. This isn't my bed. I lift my head up. These aren't my sheets. I then notice my new appendages. I lift these round long things and realize that they are attached to my body. I throw the covers off. There is a round long gray body thing with round long things at the end. And a tail. I then realize those are attached to my body too. I open my mouth, but I realize that's different too. I scream as loud as humanly- well... whatever I am- possible. Screaming at the top of my lungs, a familiar face walks in the door. "So, I assume you are awake." The dark colored winged unicorn presumes. "WHAT IN THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME?" I scream. "You're the chosen one, James." She calmly explains. "I didn't want this! I don't want to be here! I want to go home!" I cry. "There is no choice in this, James. The elements have chosen you. You will save us." She continues. "Free you from what? Insanity?!?!?" I blared. "Look at yourself, James. You are new. You are one of us. You are free from those human limitations that you had. You have magic on your side now." "I DON'T CARE! I JUST WANT TO- Wait... magic?" "Yes, James. Take a look in the mirror." I try to get out of bed. I fall on the ground. I can't hold in it in anymore. I start sobbing. A strange force envelopes me. It's a dark shade of purple mist. It lifts me up and helps me up on my... feet? Hooves? It also helps me clean the tears off of my face with my new appendage. I sniff. It helps me walk. Step by step. It stops me in front of a mirror. I look at myself. I am dark. Very dark. I have a horn. Wings. An alicorn. I study my mane. I'm so... different. A new me. A revelation. "The potion we used was a very fast acting one. You might have some transformation marks lefy, but they'll wear off. Eventually." She commented. "A potion did this?" I asked in disbelief. "Yes. A very strong one, in fact. Formulated by our finest mages." Starting to look at her more closely, she seems... sad. As if I had done something wrong. Is she OK? She clears her throat. "The ceremony is about to begin, James. I'll help you get ready." She declares in a matter-of-factly kind of voice. "How?" "Like this." The dark purplish glow surrounds me again. I notice that there is a glow surrounding her horn, as well. The glow helps me get some gold necklace on, along with a dark blue regal robe that goes around my back. Then I finally realize; "Wait... this is YOU?" "This is me, James. This is magic. You will learn as well, in time." I try to walk again. Bad Idea. I fall and try to get back up. "I... I just... I just can't." "Can't what, James?" "Walk." "One hoof in front of the other. That is about all the help I could give you." I try once more, but slowly. One hoof in front of the other. I'm soon... ugh... "trotting" around the room. "Good job!" She encourages. I stop. "I don't know your name. You never introduced yourself." She straightens herself out. "I am Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria." She proclaims. I immediately bow. "My princess, I'm sorry for my behavior, I was so rude in your presence, I-" "Silence, James." "Yes, my princess." "We must go to the ceremony."
The CeremonyI walk through the halls. "These are the castle halls. Many a pony has passed through here. But only few were worthy of even coming in here at all..." Princess Luna states. "Princess, what is the ceremony about?"I ask. "You, James." "Me?" "You are the chosen one." "I don't know..." "Trust me, James. It's in the olden scrolls." "Olden scrolls?..." "You'll learn later." "OK." The Princess leads me out to the platform. A large crowd has formed in front of the stage. I blush. There is another pony on stage, a large white alicorn with a flowing mane of all the colors of the rainbow. We all walk to the center of the platform. Luna walks up to her and whispers, "Do you think he is the one, Tia? The one who will fulfill the prophecy?" "Only time will tell, little sister." The white alicorn replies. Wait, they're sisters? Does that mean that there are two princesses? The white alicorn speaks to the crowd. "Citizens of Equestria, I present to you... a human."She begins. The crowd gasps. "But this is no ordinary human. He is one of us. He is the next prophesied Savior of all of Equestria, as in the olden scrolls." She continues. The crowd starts to murmur. "As the olden scrolls indicate, the Prophesied Ceremony must be performed for this pony to receive his cutie mark, and his name." She states. The crowd starts to look at me. I blush again. The alicorn starts to say something in a foreign language... "Etiam hodie signa deorum vindicarent quaeritur implere hanc prophetiam, in nomine Equestriano, et principes eius. Dii tribuisset mannulus caracterem pulchritudo, et nomen ejus." Luna walks up to me. "She's my big sister, Princess Celestia. She is asking the Gods for a blessing on you, to provide you an Equestrian name... and that the prophecy can be fulfilled... in its entirety." She explains, the last part sounding sad. "Are you well, Princess?" I ask. "Yes, I'm all right." "Exitus." Princess Celestia finishes off. Immediately, my necklace starts to glow. It's lifted up about half a meter, along with my body. I am now standing upright, and proudly. The sky starts to get cloudy and lightning starts to flash along the sky, with the boom of thunder following it. A voice booms out from the sky. "We find favor in thine plea, Princess. We bestow upon this human the gifts predestined for the human. We will help him fulfill all that has been prophesied. His name shall be one of great importance in thine kingdom, and so he shall be called... Eclipse. Our blessings are upon this chosen one." The Voice proclaims. "All hail the Gods of Equestria. We are glad with thine blessing." Princess Celestia responds. "All hail the Gods." The crowd recites and bows. I bow as well. "We now anoint the prophesied one, for the Gods have accepted him." Princess Celestia proclaims, as she dips her hoof in a liquid and places it on my forehead. Eclipse. That's me. The crowd cheers and starts chanting, "Long live the Gods! Long live Equestria!" But Princess Luna isn't chanting anything. Instead, she's sitting there... is that... tears? She's crying?
The Olden ScrollsI awake. Last night was interesting. There was a festival going on, Nightmare Night. The children dressed up as they do on Halloween back home, in funny costumes. The saying is that Nightmare Moon comes down from the moon every year to eat up the people, and their candy offerings help her not to eat them. Somepony told me that Princess Luna used to be Nightmare Moon, when she was exiled to the moon for 1000 years. Exiled? Why? My stomach aches. I think I ate too much candy last night. And drank too many Equestrian "adult beverages". Those Pinkie Screwdriver things are GOOD. So, yeah. I'm hungover. As a pony. I slowly drift back to sleep. Then, I start to dream. I'm sitting at a large room, decorated like a castle, with many a pony sitting around the table. They start to speak. "Eclipse. Wake up." "Go see the princess, Eclipse." "Eclipse, Princess Luna needs you now." "Sire?" "Eclipse. Awaken." "Sir Eclipse, I need you to wake up." "Eclipse... Wake up." "Sir, please wake up." "Eclipse, wake UP!" The last voice echoes in my mind. That was odd. I groan as I awake. There is a white pegasus standing at the door of my bedroom. He's wearing a very regal uniform, with gold trimming. Another Royal Guard. He stands high and proud. He bows when I look at him. "Sir, I am sorry to have awakened you, but her Majesty, Princess Luna, needs to have an audience with you, my lord." He declares while standing upright, again. "Tell her I'll be on my way." I respond groggily. "Yes, my lord." He replies. "And, sir?" "Yes, my lord?" "Why are you calling me 'my lord'?" "You are of great importance now, sire. You are the-" "Yeah, yeah, the chosen one." I clear my throat. "You are dismissed." "Yes, my lord." "And stop with the 'my lord' crap, it's annoying me." "Yes, my-... sir." "Good." I get out of bed and look in the mirror. I look horrible. My eyes are baggy, and my hair is a total mess. Not to mention I seem hungover, which I am. I go into the bathroom. The bathroom is very large, has white tile with fleur-de-lis gold trimmings. I step into the bathtub, which has a shower, as well. There's some soap on a soap holder, brand new, a loofah and a washcloth. I take a short shower, trying to scrub my... body very well with the loofah. Surprisingly, I'm getting the hang of these hoof-things... whatever they're called. I step out and try to dry myself off, dropping the towel on the floor every 5 seconds. These things are hard to use, these... hoof... things. I step out of the bathroom, and put on a royal collar, as instructed last night by the Royal Guard who accompanied me last night to my quarters. It has a dark spot as the centerpiece, surrounded by streaking light. That's an Eclipse, all right. I sigh. I guess that's my name now. Eclipse. At least it sounds catchy, more or less. I step outside my quarters, and the same royal guard is waiting there for me. "Her Majesty is waiting for thee, my lo- sire." The Guard states. "Just call me 'Eclipse', man." I suggest "Yes, si-... Eclipse... sir." "We'll work on it. "Yes... Eclipse." "Better." I walk down the hall. Large beautiful stained glass windows line the hallway. They seem to depict ponies doing acts of greatness. "What are the stories behind these stained glass windows?" I ask. "This, sir, if of Princess Luna returning to the Earth after the Elements of Harmony destroying Nightmare Moon. This one here is of the Elements of Harmony destroying Discord once again. This next one is about the Elements of Harmony themselves; who they are and what they represent." He explains. "They? The Elements of Harmony are ponies?" "Yes, sire." "Eclipse." "Sorry... Eclipse, they are the new embodiments of the Elements, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkamena Diane Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. They destroyed Nightmare Moon and Discord with the Element's combined power." "Thank you." "Anytime, sire." "Eclipse." "Yes, Eclipse. Sorry." "It's OK." We arrive at the chamber door of Princess Luna. "I will wait out here for you, si-... Eclipse." "Thank you." I knock on the door with my hoof. "Enter." Princess Luna says from the inside. I slowly open the door, and I see the Princess sitting in front of me. I bow, and look up. This is the first time I really notice her. She's beautiful. Her mane flows in the wind as the breeze picks up. She looks at me with those beautiful teal eyes. They're so dark... mysterious... sad... loving... it's just about everything you could think of. She's... wonderful. I clear my throat. "You requested an audience with me, my Princess?" I ask. "Yes, Eclipse. I have a gift for you. It is something of great importance. But..." "But, what, your Majesty?" "This is something between us both, you understand, Eclipse? I shouldn't be giving these to you. No one, and I repeat, No one should know you have these in your possession." "Of course, my Princess." "Under no circumstances shall you ever show these to another Pony, unless it be me." "Yes, my Princess." The purple glow appears around her horn again, and she brings a heavy book towards me. "This is the gift, Eclipse. Use it wisely. You are to read it, and understand the words in this book, you understand?" "Yes, Princess." "Euclideon!" She calls outside. A Royal Guard walks in. "Take this to Sir Eclipse's chamber. And do so quickly." She instructs. "Yes, my Princess." He replies as he takes the heavy book away. "You may leave now, Eclipse. I hope this gift will help you in your path." She says. "Yes, my Princess." I reply. "May the Gods bless you." "And, you as well, your Majesty." "You may go now." "Thank you, your majesty." I walk back to my chamber and see the book sitting at the desk. I read the title of the book. "Deorum Libri." I open it up with my hoof. The cover is heavy. At about the third page, I see the words: "Book of the Gods: A translation of the 'Veteris Volumina'(Olden Scrolls) of the Gods." Huh. "The Olden Scrolls." This should be interesting.
The MeetingI hear a knock at the door. I quickly hide the book. "Permission to enter, my lord?" A Royal Guard asks. "E-e-enter." I reply with my nerves on end. I'm too shaken up to correct the "my lord" thing. "Are you well, my lord? You seem pale, if I may." "I'm fine." "Sire, her highness, Princess Celestia, wishes to inform you that your training begins early, at 7 o'clock in the morning." "Tell her 'Thank you' and that I'll be there." "I will, my lord." The pony starts to walk outside the door. "Wait." I instruct. "Yes, my lord?" "Can you show me where the Castle Gardens are? If there are any?" "Yes, my lord, we have the finest gardens in all of Equestria." "Lead me there, please." "Right this way, sire." He leads me through the hallway, and we go through a large doorway. "I need some time alone." "Not a problem, sire." He walks away, and I find a bench to sit on amidst the lush greenery. It's situated in front of a very strange statue. Its head is horse-like, with a deer antler on the right, a goat horn on the left, one long fang and a beard. It has the right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right leg of a lizard, and the left leg of a goat. Very odd, indeed. I'm... going... to die? The thoughts flood my head again. I can't comprehend how this is even remotely possible, I came here to die? I thought this was going to be like a happily ever after kind of deal. Guess I was wrong. Horribly wrong. But... I was chosen? By royalty? That means that either Princess Luna or Princess Celesta chose me... I... My thought process is interrupted by a pink pony staring at me from a distance. Its head is twisted in a way as to say "What are you doing?". It walks up to me. "Watcha doin'?" The pony says. "Just... thinking... why?" I reply with caution. "I dunno. You seen kinda upset." "Yeah, it's just I got a lot on my mind." "Huh. You're new here, aren't you? " "Yeah, you could say that..." The pink pony gasps loudly. "You're that pony who was part of a ceremony or something at the castle the other day, weren't you?" The pony inquires. "Yes, I am. Why?" I respond. "You're Eclipse! That pony who says is going to save us all!" "That's what they tell me, anyway..." "I'm Pinkie Pie. I'm here helping the Princess for a few days." She extends her hoof towards me. I extend my hoof and reply, "I'm Eclipse, but you already knew that." We shake hooves, even though in my mind that seemed physically impossible. "It's great to meet you, Eclipse!" Pinkie Pie says with a smile on her face. I start to smile as well and reply, "The pleasure is all mine, Pinkie Pie." "Well, I've got to go make some cupcakes for Princess Luna's special banquet." "Banquet?" "OH! I wasn't supposed to tell you," She remembers with a shocked look on her face, "pretend you didn't hear that, OK?" "Sure?" "Thanks!" The sun starts to set, and I decide to walk back to my quarters. The moon shines brightly in the hallway, putting the stained glass windows in a different light. I notice the stained glass depicting the strange creature I saw earlier in the garden. Then, it seems as if the stained glass creature is moving. It's looking straight at me. I squint my eyes. It is looking at me. I hear a deep, dark laughter echoing through the halls. "Who's there?" I demand with a shaky voice. "Good evening, Eclipse." The voice invites. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" "Oh, come on, Eclipse, It's part of the prophecies. Your name will be Eclipse, and, if everypony around here isn't completely wrong, YOU are the chosen one." "Who are you?" He laughs darkly. "You silly pony. I'm Discord. Didn't you read about me in that book of yours?" "What book?" He laughs even more. "You REALLY don't know who I am? I mean, the book says it. Well, I should say Scrolls, but you have the book. Same thing." "What are you, who are you, and what are you even talking about? You're not in the scrolls..." "Well, you probably saw a chapter dedicated to Discidium. Discidium? Yeah. Discidium." I think back to the chapters in the book. "Caput Unum (Chapter One): Perpetuas Leges (The Everlasting Laws). "Caput Duo (Chapter Two): Historia Equestriana (Equestrian History). "Caput Tribus (Chapter Three): Discidium. "Caput Quattuor (Chapter Four): Electus (The Chosen One). "Caput Quinque (Chapter Five): Viasque Regium (Guidelines for Royalty). "Caput Sex (Chapter Six): Exitus Principio (The End of The Beginning). "Caput Septem (Chapter Seven): Dux Monstra (Guide to the Monsters)." Oh. That chapter. Like he read my mind, he says, "Oh, yes, that chapter indeed, Eclipse. Did you read it?" I gulp loudly. I've more than read it. He's my favorite character in the series.
The LetterI just can't sleep. I look at the clock. It's 4:27 AM. I get up and turn on the lights. I walk towards the kitchen. I flip the switch. Everything where it was. I walk towards the table, reaching for the blue envelope. I open it. Some green smoke pops out. I fan it away, but it smells like... reptile. Huh. The letter is addressed to a Mr. James Fern. That's me, all right. "Dear Mr. Fern, You are cordially invited to join us at the Nightmare Night Festival, with special regards from Princess Luna. Your transport will come at 9:00 AM on Tuesday. We hope you accept our invitation. Sincerely, The Princess' Humble Student, Twilight Sparkle. P.S. We ask that you leave your door unlocked when we come to pick you up. The end of the page is singed with a green tint. That's strange. Why would they ask me to leave the door unlocked? I check the calendar. It's Tuesday. I check the time again. It's 5:06 AM. I better hurry. I run to my room, grabbing a suitcase. A voice in my head tells me I won't need it, for some reason. I pack anyway. It's 8:47 AM. I sit patiently on the couch. I'm watching another episode of the show. "Luna Eclipsed." Funny, the characters are going to the Nightmare Night Festival. Huh. A character appears on screen. I squint my eyes. It's was the pegasus that I had seen earlier. Her name is Luna. Then everything went black.
The RevelationThe Olden Scrolls. The reason why I'm here. The big cheese. I turn to the Index page. "Caput Unum (Chapter One): Perpetuas Leges (The Everlasting Laws). "Caput Duo (Chapter Two): Historia Equestriana (Equestrian History). "Caput Tribus (Chapter Three): Discidium. "Caput Quattuor (Chapter Four): Electus (The Chosen One). "Caput Quinque (Chapter Five): Viasque Regium (Guidelines for Royalty). "Caput Sex (Chapter Six): Exitus Principio (The End of The Beginning). "Caput Septem (Chapter Seven): Dux Monstra (Guide to the Monsters)." "The Chosen One". That's interesting. I turn to the indicated page, and start to read. THE CHOSEN ONE Electus. His name shall be Eclipsis (Eclipse). He will be a Mannulus (pony) with Cornu (a horn) and Alae (wings) with a dark body, and be chosen by a regio electrix (royal chooser). His training shall be hard. Nothing shall be easy for this mannulus. He will face Discidium, and his old life will be offered to him again, life as a mortalis (human). He will face many Monstra. But most of all, he will conquer Lux Tenebris, the most fearsome and most powerful Monstra of all. He will blot his fearsome light out like an eclipsis, as his name says. He will recieve his signum dulces (sweet mark) after his conquering. It will be a dark figure surrounded by streaks of light, like flames lapping out of an eclipsis. He will never see his signum dulces. He will recieve mortis' (death's) painful calling, and accept it. He will die. The whole kingdom will be devastated at his death, but the regio electrix will be even more devastated. The regio electrix will do anything to see him again, but it will be too late. Mortis' grasp will have held him too tightly to be redeemed back. We will be greatly grieved to see one a regium (royalty) as distressed as the regio electrix will be... I must have read that wrong. What was that again? "He will die." I didn't read that wrong. The Chosen One is going to die? It's probably... it's probably another Chosen One. "He will be a Mannulus (pony) with Cornu (a horn) and Alae (wings) with a dark body..." I look at myself... a horn... wings... dark body... I... I... I'm going to die?...
