Chapters Sparks fly as blue and white meet. It momentarily stops before an even bigger surge of magical power erupts again. The world shakes and looking down reveals Equis floating peacefully below. Looking closely you could see the small figure of a mare floating in space, her purple coat contrasting the inky darkness of space. She raises her head and tries to cover her eyes from the bright light, you soon find yourself trying to run closer. You run and run only to see her face. Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle's student. She does not see you but the scars and the cuts that run though her body twist your heart. You try to power your horn but you know you hold no power in this dream"
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"Hey Starlight, are you ready?" a squeaky male voice asked.
The purple unicorn was currently packing an overstuffed satchel
"Not yet Spike, almost there" she replied without turning her head. She picked up a scroll, unfurled it, and then shoved it again in her bag.
"Uhhh, Starlight? Why are you packing so much papers?," he scratches his head and walks toward the bag "I mean we will only be there for a few weeks, and I'm pretty sure Princess Celestia wouldn't mind handing you a room filled with paper if you asked for it" he said as he poked the bulging satchel.
Starlight who had finished locking her closet picked up one last scroll from the desk and placed it on the bed.
"That is true Spike, but I would like to be prepared to show my friendship reports to Twilight and maybe even make a new friend" she gently lifted the satchel and placed it on the floor with her magic "I mean we aren't just going to some crazy place, we are going to Canterlot" she gave a contented huff and closed the poor bulging satchel.
"You are beginning to sound like Twilight" he huffed under his breath but managed to pick up the satchel.
"I'm heading to the station already," he said as he pulled the bag "Lock the castle when you are done okay? Just the front door anyway" he huffed again before loading the bag onto a barrow he had brought.
"Thank you Spike. I'll be there in a few minutes" she called out, a resounding grunt acknowledged her. When he was out of the castle, she sighed heavily before flopping on the bed and pulling the scroll and unfurling it.
To: Ms. Starlight Glimmer
Greetings of peace!
You and your friends will be arriving in Canterlot and staying for a few weeks to help finish this book my sister is planning to create. Although I would like to greet you there and discuss all the happenings, I would be in the middle of a diplomatic mission with the griffons. Meaning I would be in Griffonstone to assist a diplomatic meeting. I would hope you would keep these meetings and this letter a secret from my sister and Twilight. I know from Twilight's reports on how hard it is for you to lie, but I must stress the importance. The dreams, the omens you have been witnessing are key to what may happen in the future.
The help I ask of you will be a bit hard but I would need you to watch over the coming delegates. My sister had called some of the librarians from different leaders to share their proud history to try and make the book a bit more "accurate" as both her word and mine are automatically biased. Report to me as soon as you find anything slightly suspicious. I know this must seem confusing to you but something is stirring and the cosmic winds are stirring. Celestia senses this as well but do not mention this at all. Starlight I trust you and I hope you enjoy yourself. Thank you again. Stay safe.
From her majesty Princess Luna
Starlight sighed again and rolled up the scroll. She rubbed her eyes and lit her horn up to hide the letter in her pocket dimension. She would not deny how tired and how afraid she was, as she been the enemy for who knows how long. As much as she is entitled to Luna, her loyalties lie with Twilight who gave her redemption, or at least she tried to make herself believe. She looks out of the window and nearly forgot to lock the doors as she ran out of the castle, she was 5 minutes late.
She soon sees the girls climbing up the train, and the clock chimes, showing her that she had a few minutes to spare before the train left. An anxious gut feeling began to gnaw at her as she stepped on the train. Something didn't feel right and she was certain it wasn't her paranoia acting up. As she started talking with the others a feeling of worry begins to gnaw at her. All she could think was how long the trip to Canterlot would be, at least she wasn't alone.
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"Sister, take care of yourself" Celestia whispered as she watched Luna board her chariot. It would be a long trip to Griffonstone and she was afraid how the meeting would go. Luna on the other hoof looked extremely proud and raring to go.
"Sister, I wish you luck in writing that book of yours" Luna said suddenly, causing Celestia to smile.
"Good luck with your diplomatic mission. Though I think the Griffons wouldn't mind agreeing with us now" she replied mischievously. A smile appears on both their faces and Celestia walks up to hug her. "Be careful Luna, as much as we could smite all of them, I don't think it's a good track record" she whispered.
Luna gave a small laugh and they both break away. "I love you sister" Luna said and turned to face the bat ponies "Are you ready to start?" she asks them. They nod in unison and begin flapping their wings.
"I love you too!" Celestia said before Luna left the balcony. As she watched her sister's chariot fly off an anxious gut feeling began to gnaw at her stomach.
"Auntie Celestia, we can not keep the court waiting" a smug, haughty voice spoke behind her. Celestia bit back a sigh and a roll of eyes, opting to just give a gentle smile. "Thank you Blue Blood" she replied gently. He gave her an arrogant smile before turning around and going down the stairs. She took one last glance to the direction Luna headed and went down.
Author's Note
Hello Reader! I would so kindly ask for a review for this story as this is my first story in this website. I hold no promises of its completion. But I am willing to let anypony to write and finish it if that was the case.
You feel cold, extremely cold, and oddly wet. You open your eyes to find yourself in an inky dark place. Looking around, you can make out a few white dots in the distance. You try to stand up and realize the darkness was slimy, wet, and cold. You are repulsed and try to scream, only to be greeted by silence. You manage to lift your head to only see an extremely bright light piercing the darkness. You cover your eyes with your hooves as another blinding streak happens. As you cover your eyes you feel despair lodge deep inside you. Feelings of anger, loneliness, abandonment, and betrayal linger. You try to stop yourself from crying out. The last thing you feel is a cold wave engulf you.
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“Hey Starlight” Twilight greeted as she entered the other train car. Starlight had been sipping her hot chocolate and mulling over a book when Twilight came in.
“Oh, Hello Twilight” she greets absentmindedly. She flips a page and continued reading without stopping. Twilight laughs awkwardly and sits on bed below Starlight’s. She looks around the train car, noticing the golden yellow ceiling with a sun emblazoned on it, while the floor was a pleasing light violet. She noted how there was a couple of desks and there was a bathroom at the end of the car before the door. She found it strange how Starlight went to an empty car with her satchel without saying anything.
“
Twilight, what are you doing here?” Starlight asked, surprising the dotting alicorn. “Oh, just wanted to know what you were doing. You know how Pinkie gets when somepony misses her mini parties” she replied jokingly. Starlight hums and turns another page of the book. “I do Twilight” she replied softly, unable to keep a tone of frustration leaking from her voice. “Starlight are you alright?” she asks gently. Starlight doesn’t reply and turns another page from her book.
Twilight gets up from the bed and looks at Starlight. “Starlight?” she looks at the aforementioned mare.
“I’m fine Twilight” she replies annoyance lacing her tone.
“Are you sure?” Twilight asks again looking at her with a critical eye.
“Yes. Would you leave me to read in peace please?” she replied her voice giving Twilight a low warning growl.
“Of course” Twilight said hesitantly before turning around and walking back out.
As soon as Twilight left, Starlight let out a growl and tosses the book into her satchel. “What am I not seeing here?!” she growls angrily and sets her mug on a nearby desk before face planting on the pillow. “I hope you are wrong for once Princess Luna” she mumbled into the pillow. She raises her head and jumps out. “Might as well enjoy the time I have with them before this new apocalypse happens” she said to herself. She lights her horn up and lifts the satchel and slings it over her neck. As she walks towards the other car a feeling of anxiety gnaws at her but she pushes it away.
“STARLIGHT!” was the last thing she heard as a ball of pink knocked her over. Had it not been for the lock on the satchel she was pretty sure the papers would have been flying everywhere.
“Hello Pinkie” she managed as the pink pony was on top of her, eyes wide and mouth twisted in an unnatural smile.
“Twilightsaidyouwerefeelingsadandwasworriedsowedecidedtothrowyouapartytomakeyoufeelbettersoherehaveacupcake” she said as she shoved a purple frosted cupcake in Starlight’s mouth.
“Thanks?” Starlight managed as the cupcake was in her mouth. She had to admit though that the cupcake tasted really good.
A round of laughter echoed as Pinkie got up and raced away to fetch something. An orange hoof appears in front of her “Need some help there sugar cube?” a familiar Texan voice asked.
“Thank you AppleJack” she replied and took the hoof.
“It’s okay dear, Pinkie can get the best of our defenses” a more sophisticated voice said accompanied by a napkin dabbing her face.
“Thank you Rarity” she says gratefully as she lifts it with her own magic next time. As she looks around she notices the absences of the other 3 ponies.
“Where did the others go?” she asked as she looked at the 2 elements of harmony.
“Twilight went to read and Rainbow and Flutters went to nap” Applejack replied and went to sit on one of the chairs. She motions to Starlight who politely nods and sits beside her, while Rarity sits on Applejacks other side.
“I’m afraid when Pinkie will appear again” she says as she adjusts her position and Rarity opens the menu.
“Ring the bell to call for a few assistants to order some food dear” Rarity said absentmindedly and continued looking.
Applejack sighs and smiles at her. “Don’t tiya worry about that sugarcube she means well” she replies with a wink before reaching for the bell.
“Oh let me” Starlight said and lifted it with her magic and gave it a powerful short ring. Applejack gives her a barely contained annoyed look but thanks her nonetheless. As Applejack and Rarity strike up a conversation Starlight realized how Applejack takes to being treated less than equal. As she was about to apologize an earth pony stallion went in with a notepad in his mouth.
“I’m here to take your orders” he said neutrally.
Starlight noted how he had a similar build to Big Macintosh, with a few differences. He had a grey coat and a light blue mane while his cutie mark was a silver platter. She also noticed his Trottingham accent.
“I’d like to have some mango smoothie and hay fries” Rarity ordered first, while Applejack ordered apple pie. Starlight simply ordered some hot chocolate and some delicacy called Gising-gising.
As the waitress left, Applejack and Rarity excused themselves at the same time, leaving Starlight alone. As she waited for the orders, a sleepy yellow Pegasus mare went in.
“Good morning Fluttershy” Starlight greeted jokingly.
Fluttershy gave her a smile and a small yawn “Excuse me” she said quietly before yawning again. “May I sit?” she asks as she motions to the seat beside Starlight.
The mare nodded and Fluttershy sat on the chair and looked around the train car. “I know I have been here countless of times but sometimes it just looks so pretty” she said sleepily. Starlight looked around and nodded in agreement.
The car was like the one she had occupied a few moments earlier. Except it was a dining car, where the middle of the car was a long rectangular table with a few flowers in the middle. A buffet table was on the left side but it was empty. While there were torches lined up in the spacing between the glass windows, only lighting up when it got dark.
“How are you?” Fluttershy asked suddenly. Starlight immediately jolted but relaxed as she felt the mare place her hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry if I startled you” she apologized and looked away.
Starlight smiled “It’s alright, I was just day dreaming. I’m fine and you?” she asked looking at the mare. Fluttershy had her pink mane in front of her hiding her left eye.
“I’m fine” she answered shyly. Starlight immediately felt guilty, and brought her hoof under Fluttershy’s muzzle.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been daydreaming” she said firmly bringing her face closer to Fluttershy’s. The mare was an absolute shade of pink and yellow and her cyan eyes look at Starlight’s Persian Blue.
Starlight never felt this way before, this odd strange sensation that warmed her. She had once, but it was for her friend long ago. Now that she was with the yellow Pegasus mare these warm feelings began to resurface. Her shy behavior was endearing and her resolve to be there for everypony was admirable. Starlight never was close to most of them, but Fluttershy just managed to bring the best of her out into light when she was around.
“You are pretty you know that right?” Starlight said without thinking. Fluttershy blushed even more and looked away.
“Y-y-y-ou are too” she replied sheepishly.
Their noses were touching and both were looking at each other already. Starlight took a deep breath and noticed how Fluttershy smelled like a warm cottage with a hint of fresh wind. Fluttershy on the other hoof was about to faint. She didn’t want to admit but during the first time they met she had a certain attraction to the dangerous mare. Her loneliness was a painful thing and she wanted to help her there. Then slowly as time went by she noticed what she was inside and how she wanted to help others too.
As much as it was wrong, Fluttershy was in awe at her courage and her pride. Unlike Rainbow who had to always put out the tough front, she did it in a way that was natural and seamless, something she admired about the mare. “Starlight…I” she whispered and the 2 of them gave each other a quick peck before turning away from each other. Both extremely red and fidgety, much to both their surprise and relief the waiter returned with food.
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In the pit of Tartarus a dragon lay slumbering. His giant figure silhouetted by the fire that raged around him. He was giant, the size of a fortress and his body sleek, made for speed. His head was streamline and he had a scar that ran from his nose to the middle of his eyes. The rise and fall of his chest showed how he was perfectly peaceful despite the ongoing chaos.
A loud cracking and a powerful surge of magic shook the place, and still he did not stir. Howling, screaming, and the sounds of bones snapping still did not stir the mighty beast. A low growl began to raise in volume and still he remained impassive to the world around him. Soon the ceiling above him began to shake and crack, making a couple of huge rocks fall to the lava pit around him, still he did not wake.
Soon however a mighty crack and a blast of dark magic erode the ceiling. Slowly but surely a crack was beginning to form. Inch by inch it grew bigger, until finally a sizable crack, the size of a small house was open. Millions of tendrils came from the crack and began to make its way to the black slumbering dragon. It latched on to its scales and went into his nostrils, ears, and other open areas. Still he did not stir or awake. As the tendrils all latched onto it, a bright light began to snake up the tendrils. Pure white light began to go up into the place where they came from, and still the dragon did not stir. Soon the tendrils retracted and the crack closed, leaving the dragon be.
Soon the lava cooled, and a chill set over the place. The lights were gone replaced by an inky cold darkness. The dragon, whose peaceful breaths were once rhythmic began to stir. Bright, ice blue, eyes opened and looked around. He sat up, his head about to break through the ceiling. He opens his jaws to reveal a set of extremely sharp teeth. He soon breathes out a small surge of fire, which later turned into ice. He surveyed the place around him before settling his serpentine eyes on the dog that was in front of him.
Staring at the dog, he had realized what had just happened. He immediately fetched a piece of the obsidian and began to write on it, his claws marking the stone deeply. Cerberus looked at him with a look of fear and slight resignation. The dragon finished writing before handing the rock to him.
“Go send this to your mistress” he said urgently, his deep voice rumbling. Cerberus barked and with the stone in mouth, headed out and ran as fast as he could to the outside. When the dragon can no longer hear his paws scarping the stone, he lets out a mighty roar, almost causing the chamber to collapse.
“She is here already ?” the dragon asks to nopony in particular.
The darkness shifts to reveal a small equine like figure. “Recensere has been on the move, we just have to wait how this unfolds” the equine figure replies. The dragon lets out a snort and a shake of his head.
“Uncle, we can not simply leave my cousins to deal with this by themselves” he said disapprovingly. The darkness shifts again, this time a bit darker somehow.
"They will have to. The age of the 1st Civilization has ended, and they are the remnants of it. With them ends the 2nd, only after this war will we see if they are destined to lead the 3rd”
Dark tendrils encase you in what seems to be a black cocoon. Panic flares inside you as remember the same sensation of the cocoon used by Chrysalis. You instinctively try to power up your horn, only to meet a powerful magic suppressor. You try to quell the even bigger panic attack, only to settle into an awkward breathing stage. As you run your hoof across the cocoon, whispers began to rise from all over. Hundreds of voices all whispering. You strain your ears to listen, only for them to move farther. You let out a frustrated sigh, and slam your hoof on one of the walls. You feel something move behind you. The last thing you see is a familiar set of serpentine eyes.
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Luna sighed and stared at the bed with disdain. Her arrival in the capital was less than friendly, but still it wasn't that which had disgusted the diarch. It was the insistence of the monarch to have battle and determine the betterment between ponies and griffons. As much as she had wanted to fly all the way to Equestria and sing on and on about how wrong Celestia was, the hoof of the matter was still there. With the emergence of a stronger, younger, and more ambitious general, the thirst to prove himself came as a threat. With him at the lead he had of course pushed for a more violent display, eagerly wanting to prove himself and set himself apart from the rest. How she had wished to smite him down. "Less annoyances and fewer enemies then" she mused to herself as she lay on the bed. She decides to look at her room to clear her thoughts. The room was much different from her own, but it was set lavishly.
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Being frank, was sadly one of the most doubtful traits Discord has. He states this, and ironically is quite truthful. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew the time has come. As the the curtains raise and his shackles are tightened a small cry catches his attention.
"Not him" the voice whimpered.
He grimaced but decided not to say anything and opted to stare at the jeering crowd. They had begun throwing different objects at him, nothing lethal but it was a salt to the wound. The master of mischief, the lord of chaos, reduced to nothing but a jester with nothing to defend himself.
"My child" the cold voice rolls once again.
Discord squirms under the grip but it was like iron. He wheezes but the claw tightens its grip. Dark tendrils began to snake up its way into every orifice. He tried to let out a scream only to find a tendril shoved deeper into his mouth. As he thrashed around, dark thoughts began to gnaw at him. Voices, all speaking a hushed soothing tone, telling him to relax and sleep. Thoughts and feelings he had long thought he had made peace with came rushing towards him, and a dark cloud began to fester in his mind.
Tears began to form in his eyes and for the first time he felt the mortality that he tried to deny that existed. He wanted to live, he wanted to feel, he wanted to BE.
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Princess Celestia smiled as another diplomat greeted her and left to join the others in the library. Princess Celestia was never fond of being impolite or anything not perfect. She isn't a perfectionist, but with the long years spent on this plane of existence, she had inadvertently tried to be a paragon of perfection. Looking back she had often times did not regret the decision, but there were times that these things caused more problems than joy. Now here she was, doing the very same thing that her mother had done all those centuries ago. Her mind drifts to her mother, one of the very first alicorns to fall. She could always remember that day clearly, when the smoke had been thick, and the miasma was just close to being tangible. Many had fallen, and the acrid smell of rotting and burning flesh was just reeking that day. She was sure Luna was too young to remember too much of it, but the harsh reality of all it was too hard to hide.
"Princess Celestia....?" a quiet voice asked shyly.
Celestia snapped out of her revere to find Raven, her trusty assistant, holding a quill and parchment up, scribbling furiously.
"Princess, Twilight Sparkle and her friends have arrived. They request an audience with you" Raven said as she continued writing on the parchment "You can only entertain them for 5 minutes, unless of course you are cancelling the meeting with Prince Blueblood" she continued a tone of annoyance underlying the forged professionalism.
"Very well. Send a guard escort to bring them to their rooms and tell them I will meet them in the Library in a few hours"
Raven nodded and began jotting it down on another set of parchment before ringing a small silver bell. A few seconds later a guard entered the throne room. He wore the standard golden armor, and helmet. He was a chestnut brown unicorn stallion with jade eyes.
"Ah, Capt. Emerald please send this to the Princess's protege and her friends" Raven said to the bowing stallion.
Celestia smiled and nodded her head as he accepted Raven's scroll before saluting to her and leaving in a hurry. Celestia gave an inward sigh as she noticed the admiration he had in his eyes. Celestia never found herself worthy of praise, even if she had been THERE, she had never taken the time to thoroughly think it threw.
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Starlight struggled to keep herself from being jittery as they entered the castle. A small part of her was guilty for all the things she had done before and another part of her was just plain flat out worried. With the amount of stress an fear that gnawed at her, she was pretty sure she was a shivering mess. Yet oddly enough they didn't seem to mention it or even ask her if she was okay. Fluttershy, who usually asked or noticed something was off, seemed to be in a deep conversation with Rarity and the others. She wonders if she was avoiding her, after the train thing, but she pushed down the lump in her throat.
"Sugarcube, you alright?" Applejack asked as she trotted up to her and placed a hoof on her forehead "You seem fine" worry was clear in her voice and Twilight and the others began to chime in.
"Maybe she's feeling sick from the train?" came the quiet suggestion of Fluttershy
"Hey Starlight you sure you didn't eat anything?" Rainbow Dash asked as she poked the unicorns back.
"I-i-i m fine" Starlight stuttered as she tried to disentangle herself from her friends.
"Did you get enough sleep from the train ride?" Rarity asked as she looked at her from head to hoof.
"Yeah"
"MAYBE SHE NEEDS MORE PARTIES" the pink ball of energy screamed.
Starlight shook her head and managed to avoid being tackled by the pink pony. A few sighs went around to which Twilight just looked at her strangely.
"All right then, if you are sure Starlight" Twilight said halfheartedly.
Starlight nodded and then all of them turned around and continued down the hall. She stared at the floor as she tried to stop the embarrassment from reaching her. She didn't notice the yellow wing draped over her until Fluttershy made a small sneeze.
"Oh, I'm so sorry" came her quiet apology.
She was pawing her mane as she shied away from the confused unicorn. As Twilight and the group went on ahead, they didn't realize they had left the 2.
"No don't be. I guess I haven't been acting like myself" came Starlight's automatic response.
The 2 awkwardly stood there not looking at each other.
"Hey, thanks for not leaving me behind" Fluttershy smiled and blushed before nodding and replying with a meek you are welcome.
Soon they decided to go catch up to the others and as they walked Starlight couldn't help but notice that their bodies were close enough to touch. As they walked she also couldn't help but wonder how long they could keep this up, until the war came. She had begged and prayed that it wouldn't happen, but she could feel it. The stirring in the air and the shifting in the magical winds. She had asked Princess Luna about it which she had given a reply that it was a "gift" she had bestowed on the young unicorn.
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"A dark storm rolls over Manehatten and it's denizens seem so unprepared" a cold dark voice cooed "So much has gone uncorrected when I had slumbered" another clap of thunder, this time much louder than the previous one "The unworthy run around creating unfathomable damages to the balance" a streak of lightning and soon a few heavy drops of water falls on the city "They will soon flee" and this time the rain had fallen. As the storm rolls over nopony notices the dark fog that had began to settle down on the city. All except for the show mare who was just leaving the city.
Author's Note
This has to be the longest chapter I have written for this story. Also please comment if you want me to change anything or you want to just be random. Please leave constructive criticism.