Chapters Althaia
Celestia's sun shone over the clear blue sky as the animals in the forest crawled out of their dens to find something to eat and the citizens of ponyville greeted each other happily. Amongst all the cheerfulness going on, a white mare sat in a cave writing on a scroll. She wasn't one of those ponies to be excited every spring and be all merry and whatnot. No, spring was just a normal part of the countless season cycles that she had taken part of. She had witnessed thousands of season cycles in her lifetime and it was all the same. Yes, some winters were harsher than others, but those were nothing compared to the threat that they were about to face later on in the next summer solstice. I must warn them before it's too late. Before It awakens. The white unicorn quickly wrote something down on the scroll and sent it to princess Celestia. Hopefully she would understand. "Althaia," a voice called from outside.
"Come in," Althaia said and a grey filly trotted up to her.
"Hi, Althaia! I was wondering if you could come berry picking with us," the filly said.
"I would Sugar Heart but I am busy today," Althaia said.
"Oh, okay," Sugar Heart mumbled.
"I will get you something to make up for my absence," Althaia promised.
Sugat Heart smiled at her and trotted out of the cave. Althaia sighed and began writing another note to Princess Twilight Sparkle. The elements might not have an effect on the Usurper, but it was worth a try. Once she had finished, she stood up and walked outside to greet the day. Althaia flicked her tail and sniffed the air. No spirits had escaped Tartarus this time which was good but with the summer solstice coming and the omen.... The omen! Althaia suddenly remembered that she had to give a prophecy to Twilight and galloped to Ponyville. She skillfully dodged the ponies around her and skidded to a halt as confetti was blown into her face. Angrily, she turned to the attacker and bared her teeth at a pink earth pony with a cannon. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie! Welcome to Ponyville!" the earth pony said cheerfully.
"Now is not the time for this! Can't you see that I'm in a hurry!" Althaia growled.
"Yeah, but it's traditional to have a 'welcome to Ponyville' party for every new pony who comes here," Pinkie Pie said excitedly.
"Look, can you show me where the princess is? It's important," Althaia asked.
"You mean Twilight? Sure, come on!" Pinkie Pie said as she trotted away. Althaia sighed and followed the energetic earth pony. She was disliking this mare already.
"Twilight, somepony wants to see you!" Pinkie Pie yelled once they were in the castle. A purple alicorn walked down the stairs along with a purple baby dragon by her side.
"Hello, my name is--"
"Twilight Sparkle, I have something very important to tell you," Althaia interrupted.
"Oh, well what is it?"
Althaia was about to explain about Apophis until four other mares, two pegasi and an earth pony and unicorn, came in. "Hi, Twilight," the cyan pegasus said.
"Hi, Rainbow Dash," Twilight greeted and turned to Althaia. "Oh, um, these are my friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie." She pointed to each pony when she said their name. "Girls, this is..."
"Althaia," Althaia introduced.
"Althaia? That's the most strangest name I've ever heard of," Rarity said. Althaia frowned at her. Was that an insult?
"Yeah, that doesn't sound like it's from around here," the dragon said.
"Because it's not. It's an uncommon and rare name like myself," Althaia explained.
"Why do you consider yourself to be rare?" Fluttershy asked quietly.
"Because of my talent," Althaia said. She turned to Twilight and looked at her strait in the eye. "Twilight Sparkle, I have an omen for you."
"An omen? About what?" Twilight asked.
"It shall come to pass that on the hundred thousandth summer solstice, A great darkness shall reawaken and shroud the world in an eternal darkness. The celestial bodies will vanish and darkness will rule for 3 days."
While Althaia said this, the temperature in the castle dropped and her aqua blue eyes seemed to glow. There was an awkward silent moment until Rainbow Dash broke the silence. "What the hay is that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"I cannot answer your question. You will know when the events occur," Althaia said with a shake of her head.
"Well, Ah think that's a bunch of hooey," Applejack said. The other mares murmured.
"What kind of villain would rule the world for three days?" Twilight asked Althaia.
"Young one, omens can have double meanings. It would be wise if you remember that." Althaia turned to leave before the purple dragon stopped her.
"Wait! What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"Little dragon, omens can turn out to be different than what you might expect it to be," Althaia said before turning to leave.
"My name's Spike," the dragon said.
"Spike... Hmph! They should have named you Scorn," Althaia muttered bitterly before walking out the door.
Twilight looked at her friends in confusion. What did Althaia mean by changing Spike's name to Scorn? And why did she sound so angry? "What do you think that unicorn meant by a great darkness reawakening?" Rarity asked.
"I don't know. The only villain that's been associated with darkness is Nightmare Moon and King Sombra," Twilight said.
"I hope they don't come back," Fluttershy murmured.
"I don't think they will. Besides, our friendship can defeat anything," Twilight assured.
"Yeah, plus we have the elements of harmony for backup," Rainbow Dash said which lightened the mood up a bit.
"That mare's loco in the cocoa," Pinkie said.
The mane six then began talking about other stuff instead and agreed to get their minds off of Althaia and her omen.
Meanwhile, in the deepest part of Tartarus something stirred in it's bronze cage.
Those fools... Wait 'til the summer solstice comes. We'll see who'll be laughing when we escape this rotten hell... We'll be unstoppable by then and we will get our revenge... Yes, revenge is ours!
Author's Note
First chapter completed! To clear things up:
I know you guys might be wondering why the villan is called the Usurper, Darkness, and Apophis. The villain has multiple names so you can just call him whatever you want. Why Althaia suggested that they change Spike's name to Scorn will be revealed later on in future omens...erm, chapters I mean. There'll be more omens in future chapters which will not be explained 'til they come true. The thing in Tartarus was using the royal We by the way. Philomena will be in the next chapter.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Criticism is welcome!
A cold wind blew across the mountains as Philomena soared over them. She stared in awe as the mountains looked golden in the sunlight. Wait...no, it wasn't the sunlight that made them look golden. It was a creature that Philomena didn't recognize at first. As she drew nearer to the source, she saw a large golden being sitting in the valleys bellow. It looked like a ginormous lizard with hooves for hind legs, deer antlers, and bird wings. It's blue eyes were locked on the flying phoenix that circled overhead. "Greetings, Philomena," it said softly as the bird landed next to its large paws.
"Nico, it's good to see you again," Philomena chirped as she dipped her head in greeting.
"It's been a long time old friend. How are Celly and Lulu doing?" Nico asked.
"They are well. Did something bad happen somewhere in Equestria? You only come to me when there's danger," Philomena said worridly. Nico shook his head.
"No, but the Usurper will reawaken soon and destroy everything in its path," he said.
"Oh no, this is bad. Very bad," Philomena murmured. Nico nodded in agreement. "What must we do?"
"You must find the Golden One. It is the only being who can defeat the Usurper."
"But... The Golden One has been gone since... Hundreds of thousands of years! How am I supposed to find that?" Philomena asked in disbelief.
"The Mane Six will aid you along with Althaia."
"Althaia? She's alive?" Nico nodded.
"I have not much time left to explain. Remember what I told you young one and be safe," he said.
"I will," Philomena quipped.
Philomena opened her eyes and ruffled her feathers. If the Usurper awakens any sooner than the summer solstice, Equestria will be doomed. Of course, Equestria will doomed either way. Philomena knew from the ancient archives that the Usurper was not like any of the past villains that the mane six had to face. This one will stop at nothing to achieve it's goal and the only thing that can stop it is it's ancient enemy the Golden One who is also called the Vopal One in the stories. As predicted, many ponies forgot about that legend and considered it as an old "mare's tale" like the story of Nightmare Moon. Philomena opened her cage door and flew out the window. She needed to see Fluttershy. Only she could understand animals which was good because no one needed to hear about this...for now at least. She scanned all of Ponyville in search of the yellow pegasus and landed on a table next to the mane six. "Oh! hello, Philomena. How are you today?" Fluttershy asked.
"What's Philomena doing here?" Spike asked.
"I don't know but it must be important," Twilight said.
"Philomena, is something wrong?"
"Do you recall the legend of the Destroyer?" Philomena asked.
"Legend of the Destroyer? No, I haven't heard of it," Fluttershy said.
"The Destroyer? Who in tarnashion is that?" Applejack asked.
"The Destroyer is an evil serpent who tried to destroy Equestria multiple times. He was defeated by his arch nemesis called the Golden One when the world was young. Many people forgot about that fateful moment in history and considered it to be a filly's story." Fluttershy then translated this for her friends to understand what the pheonix was saying.
"Who's the Destroyer?" Twilight asked.
"He is Apophis, the Snake King, the Usurper, Darkness, Death, the Destroyer, and the bringer of all things bad," Philomena said and ruffled her feathers. "He was the one who killed many innocent ponies in ancient times."
"Well, I think that's just that a myth. Besides, how could a simple snake take over Equestria?" Rarity asked.
"He doesn't want to rule it. He wants to destroy it. He is much larger than you may think. He even...ate one of my siblings."
"I'm sure snakes can't eat one of you," Fluttershy said. "You're much too smart to get eaten by one of them."
"You fools!" Philomena squawked. "This is serious! If we don't awaken the Golden One, Equestria is doomed! The Destroyer is not like the villains you faced before. This one will eat you and it will destroy anything in its path! You must listen to me or else you'll die!" She didn't wait for another response and flew off into the clouds in an angry flutter. If only those mares weren't so stubborn! If only Apophis wasn't real, then she wouldn't be so angry. If only her siblings were alive to calm her down. If only...
"If only" won't solve anything Philomena. Remember that. You need to focus on the quest.
But how would she know where the Golden One sleeps? Perhaps Althaia knows...
"I assume that the foolish mares did not listen to you?" a voice said from below. Philomena looked down to see Althaia sitting on a boulder while writing on a scroll.
"Althaia, it's been a long time since I've seen you," Philomena chirped and landed next to her.
"Indeed."
"They didn't listen."
"Just as I thought. Have no fear good friend. I'll make them listen," Althaia said and scribbled something on the scroll before using her magic to send it somewhere. Philomena tilted her head curiously.
"How will you make them realize that the legend of Apophis is real?"
"Nightmares." Philomena frowned at her. There was no absolute way that her friend was going to do that.
"Oh no you're not. There is no way that you're going to give them the same nightmare. You're strictly prohibited from doing that," she reminded her. "You'll be put in jail again."
"I'd rather face prison than Apophis any day."
"Alright. But if you get caught, you have no one to blame but yourself," Philomena replied and flew off.
Author's Note
Come on guys! Post a comment already! I don't care if it's negative! I worked hard on this fanfiction! There's a comment section for a reason!
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for the next chapter called "The Night Killer."
The Night Killer And The War
Twilight shivered as a cold wind blew. It was dark outside and she could hear screams in the distance. She knew she had to help the ponies from....whatever was attacking Ponyville. She flew as fast as she could but suddenly stopped at the sight of a huge snake with wings. "Well, if it isn't Twilight Sparkle," it hissed. "Come to save your precious little friends of yours? Well guess what? You won't. Because I am the Destroyer. Nothing can stop me. Not even the Elements of Harmony can stop me!" Twilight shot a blast of magic at the snake which caused it to dive into the ground and disappear. He probably had been bluffing, Twilight thought. As she gathered the ponies to a safer area, there was a loud rumbling under the earth and the winged snake burst out of the ground. Its fangs dripping with poison as it opened its jaws and devoured the ponies around Twilight who screamed in horror. "No!" Twilight screamed. The snake turned towards her and licked its bloody fangs. "Foolish mare. You will die with them!" he hissed and opened his mouth to swallow her. Twilight flew as fast as she could to Canterlot. Maybe Princess Celestia will help... But the snake was too fast for her and it closed its mouth once its fangs were on the alicorn's wings.
Twilight awoke on the ground and panted heavily for breath. "You dreamed of the Usurper did you not?" Althaia asked from the shadows.
"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked.
"I came here to tell you that the Usurper will awaken soon and the only way to save Equestria is by awakening the Golden One. He is the only being that is able to stop the Usurper."
"It's a he ?" Twilight asked in shock.
"Yes, I can't believe you would think that the Golden One would be a female," Althaia said.
"Well, it's just that I've never heard of a stallion saving Equestria."
"The Golden One is not a stallion. He's a deity that can shape shift. No pony knows what his true form looks like because those who have became blind and never spoke about his true form again," Althaia explained. Twilight felt a chill run down her spine. She had never heard of anything like the Golden One before. This creature must be pretty powerful if whoever saw his true form became blind. She didn't want to meet the Golden One if this shape shifter could blind ponies just by looking at it. Althaia seemed to know what the young alicorn was thinking because she said, "Have no fear Twilight Sparkle. The Golden One will not hurt you. He knows that you have good intentions for Equestria."
"How do you know that?" Twilight asked tilting her head.
"I've met him once. He's quite a mysterious one," Althaia said with a smirk.
"Is that where you got the omen? From the Golden One?" Twilight asked. Althaia nodded and walked downstairs with Twilight by her side.
"We have much to discuss Princess Twilight Sparkle," she said.
"You can just call me Twilight," the purple alicorn said.
"Very well then, Twilight. We have much to discuss with your friends and Philomena. It was foolish of you to ignore her warning. The Usurper will awaken soon and the elements will not be able to stop him," Althaia said.
"But Princess Celestia, Luna, and Cadence can help. and what about Flurry Heart? Can't she help too?" Twilight asked.
"Celestia, Luna and Cadence's magic will not be enough to defeat the Usurper. As for Flurry Heart, she's too young to defeat such an ancient being like Apophis. If she were older, then maybe. And Scorn..." Althaia shook her head and frowned. "You should have left him in his nest where he belonged."
"His name is Spike. And I didn't take him from his nest," Twilight said.
"I apologize. Spike should be with his kind. Not with ponies," Althaia said.
"Why? He's a pony on the inside," Twilight said. "Plus, he's my number one assistant."
"He's a dragon. Not just any dragon, he's the Fire Guardian. If those ponies were more educated, Spike would be a strong and wise dragon who would be able to control the element of fire. Unfortunately, that will never happen," Althaia said and sighed. "We're getting off topic. The Usurper is coming and the Golden One is the only being who can stop it." She stopped and watched as Spike cleaned of the Map. "My stars, the effects were worse than I thought," she said and snorted in disgust. Twilight wasn't sure why Althaia was so upset about this but decided to put that aside.
"Should I go call my friends?" Twilight asked.
"No, they're coming," Althaia replied.
"How do you know?" Twilight asked. Althaia pointed to her cutie mark which was an eye that an infinity sign in the center as a pupil.
"Future sight," the white unicorn said and winked at her.
"What does the infinity sign mean?" Twilight asked.
"Immortality," Althaia said quietly and flicked her tail. "You need to eat. I'll wait for you here."
"Aren't you going to eat something too?" Twilight asked. Althaia shook her head.
"No, I already ate."
"But, the sun's not up yet," Twilight pointed out. Althaia nodded and sat down. She unrolled a scroll from her bag and wrote something down. She continued writing for a while and flicked her ear as if to say "you are dismissed." Twilight walked into the kitchen and searched for something to eat...
"So, you're still here?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I will not leave until your quest is fulfilled," Althaia said and sat down. "Did you have a good night's sleep?" she asked. There was a knowing glint in her eyes as she said this.
"I had an awful dream about a winged snake," Flutershy said.
"Me too!" the mane six said in unison.
"But that's impossible! How could we all have the same dream about a winged snake?" Rarity asked. Althaia smirked and stood up.
"I gave you the nightmare," she said and turned to Twilight. "The eye on my cutie not only means seeing into the future, but I'm also an illusionist."
"So you're... Why?" Twilight asked.
"You wouldn't listen, so I had to give you an example of what will happen in the future. The Usurper is a nocturnal being who kills it's prey swiftly. It has no interest in ruling Equestria. It's purpose is to destroy. A very long time ago, it was supposed to be the balancer between life and Death alongside the Golden One. But, darkness came into the Usurper's heart and it wanted to destroy everything in it's path. Thus, causing the greatest battle in the history of Equestria. The Usurper summoned an army of dead ponies to destroy the Golden One. However, the Golden One knew about his counterpart's evil intentions and created an army of living ponies and the two sides went to war with each other which led to a war between life and death. Every creature in Equestria was involved in the war. From the the smallest filly, to the oldest dragon, each fought to either preserve or destroy the balance of life and death," Althaia said. She sighed and lowered her head. "Many lives were lost in that battle. But six creatures who persuaded each tribe of the creatures were turned into what we now call the elements of harmony. The spirits of those creatures live inside each of you now. Unfortunately, they will not aid you. You must find the Golden One and defeat the Usurper or else all will be lost."
"Were you part of that battle?" Twilight asked. "You said that you were immortal right? So you knew those six creature who became the elements of harmony? Were you at Celestia's and Luna's coronation?"
"Yes, I was. The elements were good friends to me," Althaia said quietly. She cleared her throat and lifted her head. "Come, we have to prepare for the return of the Usurper," she said and walked out the door.
Author's Note
So there you have it. That's how the elements of harmony were created. Althaia was one of the few surviving ponies of the war. Yes, she does know Luna and Celestia. I hope you guys liked this chapter! See you soon!
