Hopeby DashfastChaptersPrologueChapter 1 : Hope at LastChapter 2 : ShardsPrologueAuthors note: This is my first fan fic that I have published so any con-crit given will be much appreciated. This fic has been in the workings for some time since I lost my drive to write for a little while due to personal issues. Hopefully this will get completed in a timely fashion if people do sincerely enjoy reading it. Thank you all for being who you are. . . . . . . . We all knew Hope was our last chance, our final hurrah in a flood of tears. Most ponies called it our “Bastion of Hope”. Well, once they called it that. It didn’t surprise me to have no one else to talk to other than the few notebooks I kept. They all left me here when things started to go amiss on the ground below, but then she came. She was our light in the darkness, our beacon of hope. It wasn’t always this way, many years ago the days were long and bright, warm breezes swept through the trees, and everypony was content. A summer evening just like any other bore forth the rage of clashing nations. Causing widespread chaos and destruction the armies of the south marched forth to the citadel of Equestria. Celestia didn't know what her spell would do to the land if it even worked, but then again, she didn’t have much choice. Twilight stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking the great sea. Waves and foam washed over the gray, craggy rocks far below in a steady calming rhythm. Wind rushed around her, rippling her fur and mane as she peered into the distance. Clouds danced over her head in never ending wispy swirls, making the sky seem like it was being currently painted by some great deity above. She could see a mass of cumulonimbus clouds far to the north, the wind carrying them her way. She squinted her eyes until were nearly closed, and looked for any solid form in the white expanse. She could see none. Heaving a sigh she turned her back to the precipice and descended to her camp in the gray fields below. Everything changed in the downfall. Gone were the days of peace and harmony, red thoughts and intentions blotted the land in the haphazard way only anarchy could achive. To say the sky stayed blue would be a comfort, but the land took such a turn for the worse no blue sky would brighten anypony’s day anymore. It was slow at first, but after a while we all started to notice the color start to seep away. When the trees no longer bloomed their normal colorful buds and the grass never grew to colorful green blades again we knew. Color wasn’t everything, not completely needed in the grand scheme of things, but it wasn’t the last thing to go. It just got worse from there. Reaching the bottom of the hill Twilight levitated her saddlebags onto a rock near the small fire she had started earlier. Her camp was nuzzled in between two large boulders, sheltered by the wind and any praying eyes that might be searching for her. Tall grass rimmed the small circle she had made, so she was fairly safe for now. Her fire was small, and she only burned dry sticks and twigs so as to not make too much smoke. Orange flames licked greedily from the hot coals to the small twigs and branches she had managed to find in the nearby forest. She looked at her stash of twigs next to the fire. Dismayed, she realized that there wasn’t enough to last the cold night. Since it was too late to fetch more from the now dark forest, she laid down and tucked in her legs for warmth. The glow from the little fire grew more and more visible as the sun set behind the nearby forest. She sat and watched it set from her spot, taking in the way it made the gray leaves look like burning newspaper. Pulling her eyes away Twilight looked to her bags. Reaching out with her magic they floated toward her. I remember the fire clearly. Oh the fire had color. Yes, everyone found that out quick enough. The glow around her bags dissipated as she set them before her huddled form. Out of the left one floated an apple and a small wheat cake. She ate them slowly, making sure to chew thoroughly to prevent stomach pains if she needed to run for any reason. She sat beside the fire letting it warm her face and neck, trying to forget the day of meaningless cloud watching she had just endured. Her eyes reflecting the dancing flames in almost perfect clarity followed a small spider as it tried to make its way up to the circle of rocks she had placed. Feeling the heat, it quickly scampered away back into the tall ring of grey wheatgrass. Smiling wryly she thought sickly of all the ponies who had done just that, scampered away while the world burned. She suddenly felt queasy; all of those scampering ponies. She quickly floated out her canteen and shook it by her ear; small sloshes could be heard from deep within. She untwisted the cap and poured the last of the water into her mouth to settle her stomach. Nothing was left to drink now, she would have to find more soon. The magic was next. It was still there, but only a shell of what it once was. Its proud and majestic quality obliterated. Everything was tarnished by the downfalls touch; even the food. There was no reason to relish any of the food anymore. Nothing was left to make an apple, an apple. Putting the saddlebag back on its rock, Twilight laid her head down on the grey earth and closed her eyes to the world. She immediately fell into a restless sleep, dreams of past ghosts and events stalking and haunting her. On the plain the wheatgrass swayed in the gentle breeze of evening as the moon rose to bath the land in two-toned silver. Wolves howled from deep within the forest, crying for all that was lost and gone to them. She never knew how much the world had been irreversibly changed until the earth opened up and swallowed her home, her friends, all that she had held dear. She was saved by the simple pleasure of walking in the forest, to listen to the warbles and tweets of the summer birds. She must have known how hard it was to run away from such terrible things and to live with the consequences. Maybe she could have saved them, saved them all, but that was so long ago. Instead her pain had bred a burning desire; to find Hope. Hope was all that she, and anyone else alive, had left. Chapter 1 : Hope at LastDawn broke over the horizon, illuminating the grey sea and cliffs in pale, shaded light. The clouds from yesterday had moved on to the west and were now barely visible. Shadows thrown by the boulders moved from her face to the edge of the fire as the morning rays crept on, finally making her crack open her eyes. Birds chirped their morning greetings and small grey grasshoppers jumped to and fro on blades of grass as the dew on the field began to dry. Yawning, she rose from the ground and stretched out her aching muscles. A few groans escaped he lips as loud pops could be heard from both her knees and back. After straightening up and letting the wooziness fade from her vision she took in the morning around her. Her gaze happen upon the extinguished fire, thank Celestia it hadn’t been that cold. Letting the annoyance from the fire show on her face, Twilight moved her bags from their rock onto her back. She looped and tightened the straps firmly down into their familiar moorings, even though she knew the sores would hurt in an hour or two. Moving becomes a difficult thing after a while, especially when the straps dig in just a little too much. Walking a long way can do that to a pony, to anypony in fact. The dust and dirt wear on the soul as the road lengthens more and more. Many just give into the hopelessness that accompanies such a journey. After the bags were situated on her back she took her hooves and spread the dead coals from the fire all over the little clearing, mixing it into the grey dirt so she would not leave a trace of her stay. Worming her way out of the shelter she had called home for the last few days, she began making her way back to the edge of the cliff. Nearing the precipice she passed some dying gray scrub brush clinging to life on the salty rocks. They all looked so helpless, she noted… like so many other things. When she reached the apex of her climb her stare rose to the sky above the grey seas. The sun made its path across the sky as she stood there looking for hours, willing herself to not give up on hope just yet. She doesn't know it yet, but there is Hope in that sky, just the right kind as well. . . . . . . Her eyes searched the clouds for anything, anything at all. The gray waters churned beneath her, sending its salty spray into her face. Blinking away the droplets she suddenly saw a glint in a cloud to the northeast. Just one pulse of light; as if somepony had a signal mirror up there, calling for help. Rubbing her eyes with a dusty hoof, she peered again in the general area from where the glint of light had come from. As she watched, a small shadow crested a cloud wall. Riding it like a wave the stone slab revealed itself from its encompassing white shrouds. When it had fully exposed itself Twilight could see that it’s only about as wide as the rug in her old bedroom. Heart racing she readied herself quickly before the platform can disappear back into the white nothingness. She prepared to jump. Her horn began to glow, creating a bubble of grey energy that took shape and surrounded her. Bolts of electricity arced from the surface of her magic to her coat, sending waves of charge all throughout her body. Crackling with power, Twilight stared from inside her shield to the balcony high above. She smiled a little, allowing a single tear to roll from her dirty, scratched cheek. In a flash of white light, she jumped. On the cliffs overlooking the grey sea, backed by grey, rocky plains, a single tear hit the earth. . . . . . . Jumping’s a funny thing, never really got used to it myself I guess, but when somepony would want to jump they needed two things in particular. A lot of talent, and somewhere to go. Trick was that whoever was jumping needed to have their destination within sight. Many a great mages met their untimely demise from such foolish mistakes. Heavens, even Starswirl the Bearded transported himself into a nearby star accidentally. So without that connection, all kinds of danger can arise. She landed hard on her two front legs and hit her head as she tumbled onto the rocky walkway. She did close to a full summersault before coming to rough halt against a stone banister. Good sized chunks of loose rock wobbled back and forth on the edge of the banister ready to fall back on her dazed form. Diffused realization of the danger hit her and she readied her magic to protect herself as best she could from the impact. But just as she wove a rebound spell in front of her face a ripple of soft wind lovingly caressed her mane toppled the rocks into the oblivion beyond. Letting out the breath she had been holding, Twilight let go of the rebound spell and got to her hooves to take a look at her surroundings. What she saw was not very comforting. . . . . . . The island in the clouds was a good size, just about as big as Ponyville’s main market. Buildings, or what were once buildings, encircled something that resembled a well. The well was placed where the old town hall would have been if it was indeed Ponyville proper. From the well emanated an eerie, colorless glow, immediately making her very uneasy and unwilling to approach any closer as she made her way to the nearest ruin. She walked over to one of the nearest buildings, giving the well-thing a sideways glace and a wide berth. She quickly reached what she supposed was a doorway. Two large, square stones marked the entrance of the long forgotten building. From what she could tell, the rest of it had burnt down and decayed to a few of larger beams and ash. Peering at the rubble strewn about her curiosity got the better of her. She quickly levitated a book from her saddlebags and opened the rough brown cover and began flipping rapidly through old, yellowed pages. She stopped on one and took a long look and then moved her scrutiny to the rubble again. She soon spotted what she was looking for. A large metal object rose out of the debris, telling her exactly what she wanted to know. “It’s an armory!” Twilight croaked out. Hearing the sound her voice made startled her, it sounded like a basilisk spine dragging against stone. She immediately shut her mouth, afraid to hear the awful sound that came from her throat again. She hadn't spoken a word in so long, not since the event, she didn’t realize how out of practice her vocal chords were. Her throat was dry as well, making the speech nearly impossible. Longingly she looked back at the well. She needed water. . . . . . . She contemplated the thought of going over to see if there might be any inside, but after standing in place for a few moments she instead levitated her book in front of her face and continued on to the next building. Soon she had circumvented the entire ring of ruined buildings while steering clear of the well and stood once again at the armory’s doorstep. Six, six buildings total, all of them different sizes and shapes, she mused silently to herself. On her tour she had correctly identified five of the six mysterious, ruined buildings around the well. First there was a smithy next to the armory, both had large anvils resting in the center, then there was a bakery, a shrine to a god or deity she had no knowledge of, an alchemists, and then there was the large building she couldn’t identify. With a sigh, she sat in a bed of dark gray grass and moved her saddlebags in front of her. Levitating out an apple, her last one, she bit into the flesh, letting the tasteless juice wash over her parched throat. She read more on the alchemists shop as she finished eating the apple, learning a great deal about which herbs and magics could combine into powerful healing salves. It was a wonder how Zecora had been able to do so much without magic of her own. After the apple core was picked clean and discarded Twilight rolled out her sleeping pad on the hard cobblestone in front of the armory doorway. Jumping always took a lot out of her each time she did it, and when food was so scarce like it was now she couldn’t afford to do it very often. Laying down on her hard bed she slowly closed her eyes, making sure to never let her gaze drop from the well. Sunlight waned as dusk approached, leaving the island bathed in a glorious sunset. Chapter 2 : ShardsTwilight awoke with a start, her gaze flitted about from building to building, searching for the noise that had awoken her. “He-hello?” She asked nervously to the silent ruins around her, “is anypony there?” No response came and the area was silent as a grave. Her eyes probed the dark shadows cast by the full moon overhead for anything out of the ordinary. When readjusting her stance to get a better look at the bakery alley Twilight suddenly stepped on something squishy. It made a gurgling sound as the pressure of her hoof fell on it, making her leap straight up in the air with a yelp. She landed a few feet away and whirled around to face what she had stepped on ready for an attack that would surely follow. Instead, sitting there by her mat, was a brown cloth water skin. She had seemed so desperate, sleeping on the ground like that; she deserved some water. It’s a rarity up here, and everypony deserves some kindness. Rushing over to the water skin she picked it up in her magic and unceremoniously popped off the cork. Just when the first drop was about to hit her tongue she stopped. Inclining her head, she sniffed the open end… nothing. Still, she fumbled in her bag looking for the book she had used last night. After pulling it out and flipping past a great many pages she finally found what she was looking for; a magical test to detect any poison. She closed her eyes and focused. Her magic surrounded the container as she began to sift through the liquid for any unnatural substances. In her mind’s eye she could see each tiny molecule as it passed her meticulous inspection. Little by little she brushed all of the particles to one side creating a clean end and an un-inspected end. After about 5 minutes the water was finally deemed clear and contaminate free. The cool refreshing liquid splashed into her upturned mouth, sending shiny dribbles down her cheeks and neck. Oh god, water had never tasted so good! Leaving about half of the water she placed the container into her saddlebags. Standing straight and tall now, she looked around her with renewed vigor. Looking back to the place where the water skin had lay, she began to wonder for the first time who had left it for her. Maybe that somepony was still around. “Hello?” she called again, more strength in her voice than before, “Thank you for the water whoever you are, I really appreciate it.” She waited a few moments in silence before moving about to pick up her camp for the day. . . . . . . She was just starting to roll up her mat when she noticed a piece of paper tacked to a fallen beam with a small, rusty nail not three feet from where he head lay the night before. No one deserves having any of this happen to them, especially her. But what needs to be done must be done, and she’s our last hope. Even when there is so little hope left. On the note was a short, scribbled note in handwriting that looked as old as the buildings around her. It read: Welcome to Hope dear friend, I know why you came and I can’t blame you. The world these days is a grey and heartless place fit only for those who have lost their souls. But that can all change with you. Gather all six pieces of the heart and you may just set us all free. One piece is under the anvil in this armory, I would get it myself but I am too old and weak to do so. Celesta bless you, and may love and faith be your guide. Sincerely A Friend Reading the note quickly a second time, Twilight began to feel butterfly’s take flight in her stomach. Turning to the anvil she felt a shiver of anticipation run down her spine. Why was she so nervous, this was what she had been searching for, hoping for. The sun broke over the clouds as she carefully picked her way through the rubble. She moved closer and closer to where the anvil stood, occasionally sidestepping and hopping over fallen debris. . . . . . . Dents and marks on its worn surface showed many years of loyal service to the once great empire of Equestria. She had heard that weapons and armor of the highest quality used to come from here and even the unicorns stared in jealously at the silver plating wrought with gold. She seemed to remember Celestia telling her that only the generals in the REA were gifted with such precious armor and armaments to wear. When she neared the metalwork, the ground became less cluttered with debris. As her footfalls stopped she noticed how large the anvil actually was. It was nearly up to her shoulder in height. Circling it she looked over the tarnished surface for any hidden magic lying in wait. Feeling none, she sat facing the monstrosity and stared at it, gauging how best to topple it. She sat in contemplative silence for a bit. “Would magic work? No, probably not a good idea in considering the state she was in. Perhaps good old fashioned leg work could do the trick!” She stood back up, turned around, and tensed her muscles before giving the anvil a mighty buck. Her hooves hit just at the top lip, making it teeter on one edge for a split second and fell over with a heavy thud onto the ground sending a plume of ash into the air. Coughing, she looked to the fallen anvil with pride. All of those miles on the road had toned and firmed her legs into peak bucking form. Almost as good as Applejacks used to be. Moving to the patch of unscathed earth the anvil had been resting on, she drug her hoof across the ground to uncover the fragment. Brown earth piled higher and higher as she dug down into the packed floor, but after digging down at least two inches she still hadn’t uncovered anything but a single, small pebble. Her heart began to beat a little faster as she started to frantically look all around her. Thoughts raced through her head with blinding speed. “Where could it have gone? Did somepony take it a long time ago? Was the old pony wrong about where the fragment was?” She quickly yanked out the shred of paper containing the note and read it again. Looking away from the parchment she stared at the anvil; she still didn’t get it! Closing her eyes and clenching her teeth she stamped her hoof in frustration. Why was it not under the anvil like his note had indicated? It wasn’t like the anvil had crushed it or anything, it wasn’t even that hea-. A thoughtful expression started to creep across her face. It had been fairly easy to kick it over, almost as if it was… “Top-heavy” She muttered. Yes, it had been a little top-heavy when she had bucked it, and that could only mean one thing. She looked closer at the bottom of the anvil and soon spied the faint outline of a rectangle expertly molded into the surrounding iron. Reaching out with her magic she un-slid the panel and uncovered something that brought tears to her eyes. Inside the hollow square was a small shard, no larger than a daffodil, radiating a bright pink aura. She hadn’t seen colored magic in so long, least something so radiant and beautiful as this shard. Tears fell from her cheeks as she levitated the precious little crystal from is resting place. Her horn felt as if a wafting breeze caressed it at every moment, the magic was so calming and warm; but most of all it was loving. . . . . . . Gingerly she moved back across the cluttered floor to the doorway, never loosing hold of the shard. After reaching the door and stepped into the late morning dawn. She walked swiftly to the well, no longer afraid of what may lie inside. As she slowly approached her hooves sank into the moss surrounding the well. When she got close enough to look past the rim and down into its depths she gasped. Gems of all shapes, sizes, and colors swirled and danced about in the shallow depression only 3 feet below her. In the exact center of the well was a ring of six small indents. All of them seemed to fit the shard. Reaching down she gently placed the shard into one of the hollows and pushed. A brilliant flash of white light burst out of the well causing her to fall blindly backwards onto the mossy steps. Swirls and spots of white luminescence danced behind her eyelids as the ground began to shake and a rumbling started to emanate from somewhere in front of her. Opening her eyes, she saw the ground tremble as small stones started to skip and dance over the cobblestone in front of her. She ducked her head just in time as a second flash of white light brighter than the sun exploded from the center of the armory ruins. The flash only lasted for a few seconds and even though she had closed her eyes she was momentarily blinded again as she hid from whatever was happening in front of her. . . . . . . When she opened her eyes again the spots were still there but not so bad that she didn’t try to see what had happened. She blinked a couple of times to fully clear her vision and gasped. Before her stood a low building with fresh gray coils of smoke trailing out of a wide chimney. Her mouth was agape even after the last tendrils of white energy left the new wooden beams of the armory. Slowly, she walked toward it. No way was this real, it must be ethereal. No magic in all of Equestria could be powerful enough to do that except for an alicorn! She realized her mouth was getting dry from hanging open for so long but didn’t really care. Through the ornately carved doorway she could see the forge as is once was. Bellows were feeding the smelter and smith in a far corner, making the air hot and thick as a dragon’s breath. The glow from the eternal fire threw weak shadows over everything inside, providing just enough light to see by. She gently reached out a hoof to the door frame, on which was a language she didn’t recognize, and touched the smooth oak beam. It was actually real. She couldn’t believe it. A shard small enough to fit in a vial had just done something only she could dream about. The amount of power needed was staggering. Even with the knowledge that the light could attract whatever might be here in the clouds she was grateful to have a warm building to sleep in tonight anyway, magic feat or not. Trotting inside she set up her bed and beside the smelter and settled into it. Warm waves of heat radiated from the orange coals, settling her mind and allowing her to lay down in peace. She smiled. How long had it been since she had smiled in the comfort of a building with a never-ending source of heat, months, years? It didn’t matter anyways, she was here now, warm, safe, and comfortable.
PrologueAuthors note: This is my first fan fic that I have published so any con-crit given will be much appreciated. This fic has been in the workings for some time since I lost my drive to write for a little while due to personal issues. Hopefully this will get completed in a timely fashion if people do sincerely enjoy reading it. Thank you all for being who you are. . . . . . . . We all knew Hope was our last chance, our final hurrah in a flood of tears. Most ponies called it our “Bastion of Hope”. Well, once they called it that. It didn’t surprise me to have no one else to talk to other than the few notebooks I kept. They all left me here when things started to go amiss on the ground below, but then she came. She was our light in the darkness, our beacon of hope. It wasn’t always this way, many years ago the days were long and bright, warm breezes swept through the trees, and everypony was content. A summer evening just like any other bore forth the rage of clashing nations. Causing widespread chaos and destruction the armies of the south marched forth to the citadel of Equestria. Celestia didn't know what her spell would do to the land if it even worked, but then again, she didn’t have much choice. Twilight stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking the great sea. Waves and foam washed over the gray, craggy rocks far below in a steady calming rhythm. Wind rushed around her, rippling her fur and mane as she peered into the distance. Clouds danced over her head in never ending wispy swirls, making the sky seem like it was being currently painted by some great deity above. She could see a mass of cumulonimbus clouds far to the north, the wind carrying them her way. She squinted her eyes until were nearly closed, and looked for any solid form in the white expanse. She could see none. Heaving a sigh she turned her back to the precipice and descended to her camp in the gray fields below. Everything changed in the downfall. Gone were the days of peace and harmony, red thoughts and intentions blotted the land in the haphazard way only anarchy could achive. To say the sky stayed blue would be a comfort, but the land took such a turn for the worse no blue sky would brighten anypony’s day anymore. It was slow at first, but after a while we all started to notice the color start to seep away. When the trees no longer bloomed their normal colorful buds and the grass never grew to colorful green blades again we knew. Color wasn’t everything, not completely needed in the grand scheme of things, but it wasn’t the last thing to go. It just got worse from there. Reaching the bottom of the hill Twilight levitated her saddlebags onto a rock near the small fire she had started earlier. Her camp was nuzzled in between two large boulders, sheltered by the wind and any praying eyes that might be searching for her. Tall grass rimmed the small circle she had made, so she was fairly safe for now. Her fire was small, and she only burned dry sticks and twigs so as to not make too much smoke. Orange flames licked greedily from the hot coals to the small twigs and branches she had managed to find in the nearby forest. She looked at her stash of twigs next to the fire. Dismayed, she realized that there wasn’t enough to last the cold night. Since it was too late to fetch more from the now dark forest, she laid down and tucked in her legs for warmth. The glow from the little fire grew more and more visible as the sun set behind the nearby forest. She sat and watched it set from her spot, taking in the way it made the gray leaves look like burning newspaper. Pulling her eyes away Twilight looked to her bags. Reaching out with her magic they floated toward her. I remember the fire clearly. Oh the fire had color. Yes, everyone found that out quick enough. The glow around her bags dissipated as she set them before her huddled form. Out of the left one floated an apple and a small wheat cake. She ate them slowly, making sure to chew thoroughly to prevent stomach pains if she needed to run for any reason. She sat beside the fire letting it warm her face and neck, trying to forget the day of meaningless cloud watching she had just endured. Her eyes reflecting the dancing flames in almost perfect clarity followed a small spider as it tried to make its way up to the circle of rocks she had placed. Feeling the heat, it quickly scampered away back into the tall ring of grey wheatgrass. Smiling wryly she thought sickly of all the ponies who had done just that, scampered away while the world burned. She suddenly felt queasy; all of those scampering ponies. She quickly floated out her canteen and shook it by her ear; small sloshes could be heard from deep within. She untwisted the cap and poured the last of the water into her mouth to settle her stomach. Nothing was left to drink now, she would have to find more soon. The magic was next. It was still there, but only a shell of what it once was. Its proud and majestic quality obliterated. Everything was tarnished by the downfalls touch; even the food. There was no reason to relish any of the food anymore. Nothing was left to make an apple, an apple. Putting the saddlebag back on its rock, Twilight laid her head down on the grey earth and closed her eyes to the world. She immediately fell into a restless sleep, dreams of past ghosts and events stalking and haunting her. On the plain the wheatgrass swayed in the gentle breeze of evening as the moon rose to bath the land in two-toned silver. Wolves howled from deep within the forest, crying for all that was lost and gone to them. She never knew how much the world had been irreversibly changed until the earth opened up and swallowed her home, her friends, all that she had held dear. She was saved by the simple pleasure of walking in the forest, to listen to the warbles and tweets of the summer birds. She must have known how hard it was to run away from such terrible things and to live with the consequences. Maybe she could have saved them, saved them all, but that was so long ago. Instead her pain had bred a burning desire; to find Hope. Hope was all that she, and anyone else alive, had left.
Chapter 1 : Hope at LastDawn broke over the horizon, illuminating the grey sea and cliffs in pale, shaded light. The clouds from yesterday had moved on to the west and were now barely visible. Shadows thrown by the boulders moved from her face to the edge of the fire as the morning rays crept on, finally making her crack open her eyes. Birds chirped their morning greetings and small grey grasshoppers jumped to and fro on blades of grass as the dew on the field began to dry. Yawning, she rose from the ground and stretched out her aching muscles. A few groans escaped he lips as loud pops could be heard from both her knees and back. After straightening up and letting the wooziness fade from her vision she took in the morning around her. Her gaze happen upon the extinguished fire, thank Celestia it hadn’t been that cold. Letting the annoyance from the fire show on her face, Twilight moved her bags from their rock onto her back. She looped and tightened the straps firmly down into their familiar moorings, even though she knew the sores would hurt in an hour or two. Moving becomes a difficult thing after a while, especially when the straps dig in just a little too much. Walking a long way can do that to a pony, to anypony in fact. The dust and dirt wear on the soul as the road lengthens more and more. Many just give into the hopelessness that accompanies such a journey. After the bags were situated on her back she took her hooves and spread the dead coals from the fire all over the little clearing, mixing it into the grey dirt so she would not leave a trace of her stay. Worming her way out of the shelter she had called home for the last few days, she began making her way back to the edge of the cliff. Nearing the precipice she passed some dying gray scrub brush clinging to life on the salty rocks. They all looked so helpless, she noted… like so many other things. When she reached the apex of her climb her stare rose to the sky above the grey seas. The sun made its path across the sky as she stood there looking for hours, willing herself to not give up on hope just yet. She doesn't know it yet, but there is Hope in that sky, just the right kind as well. . . . . . . Her eyes searched the clouds for anything, anything at all. The gray waters churned beneath her, sending its salty spray into her face. Blinking away the droplets she suddenly saw a glint in a cloud to the northeast. Just one pulse of light; as if somepony had a signal mirror up there, calling for help. Rubbing her eyes with a dusty hoof, she peered again in the general area from where the glint of light had come from. As she watched, a small shadow crested a cloud wall. Riding it like a wave the stone slab revealed itself from its encompassing white shrouds. When it had fully exposed itself Twilight could see that it’s only about as wide as the rug in her old bedroom. Heart racing she readied herself quickly before the platform can disappear back into the white nothingness. She prepared to jump. Her horn began to glow, creating a bubble of grey energy that took shape and surrounded her. Bolts of electricity arced from the surface of her magic to her coat, sending waves of charge all throughout her body. Crackling with power, Twilight stared from inside her shield to the balcony high above. She smiled a little, allowing a single tear to roll from her dirty, scratched cheek. In a flash of white light, she jumped. On the cliffs overlooking the grey sea, backed by grey, rocky plains, a single tear hit the earth. . . . . . . Jumping’s a funny thing, never really got used to it myself I guess, but when somepony would want to jump they needed two things in particular. A lot of talent, and somewhere to go. Trick was that whoever was jumping needed to have their destination within sight. Many a great mages met their untimely demise from such foolish mistakes. Heavens, even Starswirl the Bearded transported himself into a nearby star accidentally. So without that connection, all kinds of danger can arise. She landed hard on her two front legs and hit her head as she tumbled onto the rocky walkway. She did close to a full summersault before coming to rough halt against a stone banister. Good sized chunks of loose rock wobbled back and forth on the edge of the banister ready to fall back on her dazed form. Diffused realization of the danger hit her and she readied her magic to protect herself as best she could from the impact. But just as she wove a rebound spell in front of her face a ripple of soft wind lovingly caressed her mane toppled the rocks into the oblivion beyond. Letting out the breath she had been holding, Twilight let go of the rebound spell and got to her hooves to take a look at her surroundings. What she saw was not very comforting. . . . . . . The island in the clouds was a good size, just about as big as Ponyville’s main market. Buildings, or what were once buildings, encircled something that resembled a well. The well was placed where the old town hall would have been if it was indeed Ponyville proper. From the well emanated an eerie, colorless glow, immediately making her very uneasy and unwilling to approach any closer as she made her way to the nearest ruin. She walked over to one of the nearest buildings, giving the well-thing a sideways glace and a wide berth. She quickly reached what she supposed was a doorway. Two large, square stones marked the entrance of the long forgotten building. From what she could tell, the rest of it had burnt down and decayed to a few of larger beams and ash. Peering at the rubble strewn about her curiosity got the better of her. She quickly levitated a book from her saddlebags and opened the rough brown cover and began flipping rapidly through old, yellowed pages. She stopped on one and took a long look and then moved her scrutiny to the rubble again. She soon spotted what she was looking for. A large metal object rose out of the debris, telling her exactly what she wanted to know. “It’s an armory!” Twilight croaked out. Hearing the sound her voice made startled her, it sounded like a basilisk spine dragging against stone. She immediately shut her mouth, afraid to hear the awful sound that came from her throat again. She hadn't spoken a word in so long, not since the event, she didn’t realize how out of practice her vocal chords were. Her throat was dry as well, making the speech nearly impossible. Longingly she looked back at the well. She needed water. . . . . . . She contemplated the thought of going over to see if there might be any inside, but after standing in place for a few moments she instead levitated her book in front of her face and continued on to the next building. Soon she had circumvented the entire ring of ruined buildings while steering clear of the well and stood once again at the armory’s doorstep. Six, six buildings total, all of them different sizes and shapes, she mused silently to herself. On her tour she had correctly identified five of the six mysterious, ruined buildings around the well. First there was a smithy next to the armory, both had large anvils resting in the center, then there was a bakery, a shrine to a god or deity she had no knowledge of, an alchemists, and then there was the large building she couldn’t identify. With a sigh, she sat in a bed of dark gray grass and moved her saddlebags in front of her. Levitating out an apple, her last one, she bit into the flesh, letting the tasteless juice wash over her parched throat. She read more on the alchemists shop as she finished eating the apple, learning a great deal about which herbs and magics could combine into powerful healing salves. It was a wonder how Zecora had been able to do so much without magic of her own. After the apple core was picked clean and discarded Twilight rolled out her sleeping pad on the hard cobblestone in front of the armory doorway. Jumping always took a lot out of her each time she did it, and when food was so scarce like it was now she couldn’t afford to do it very often. Laying down on her hard bed she slowly closed her eyes, making sure to never let her gaze drop from the well. Sunlight waned as dusk approached, leaving the island bathed in a glorious sunset.
Chapter 2 : ShardsTwilight awoke with a start, her gaze flitted about from building to building, searching for the noise that had awoken her. “He-hello?” She asked nervously to the silent ruins around her, “is anypony there?” No response came and the area was silent as a grave. Her eyes probed the dark shadows cast by the full moon overhead for anything out of the ordinary. When readjusting her stance to get a better look at the bakery alley Twilight suddenly stepped on something squishy. It made a gurgling sound as the pressure of her hoof fell on it, making her leap straight up in the air with a yelp. She landed a few feet away and whirled around to face what she had stepped on ready for an attack that would surely follow. Instead, sitting there by her mat, was a brown cloth water skin. She had seemed so desperate, sleeping on the ground like that; she deserved some water. It’s a rarity up here, and everypony deserves some kindness. Rushing over to the water skin she picked it up in her magic and unceremoniously popped off the cork. Just when the first drop was about to hit her tongue she stopped. Inclining her head, she sniffed the open end… nothing. Still, she fumbled in her bag looking for the book she had used last night. After pulling it out and flipping past a great many pages she finally found what she was looking for; a magical test to detect any poison. She closed her eyes and focused. Her magic surrounded the container as she began to sift through the liquid for any unnatural substances. In her mind’s eye she could see each tiny molecule as it passed her meticulous inspection. Little by little she brushed all of the particles to one side creating a clean end and an un-inspected end. After about 5 minutes the water was finally deemed clear and contaminate free. The cool refreshing liquid splashed into her upturned mouth, sending shiny dribbles down her cheeks and neck. Oh god, water had never tasted so good! Leaving about half of the water she placed the container into her saddlebags. Standing straight and tall now, she looked around her with renewed vigor. Looking back to the place where the water skin had lay, she began to wonder for the first time who had left it for her. Maybe that somepony was still around. “Hello?” she called again, more strength in her voice than before, “Thank you for the water whoever you are, I really appreciate it.” She waited a few moments in silence before moving about to pick up her camp for the day. . . . . . . She was just starting to roll up her mat when she noticed a piece of paper tacked to a fallen beam with a small, rusty nail not three feet from where he head lay the night before. No one deserves having any of this happen to them, especially her. But what needs to be done must be done, and she’s our last hope. Even when there is so little hope left. On the note was a short, scribbled note in handwriting that looked as old as the buildings around her. It read: Welcome to Hope dear friend, I know why you came and I can’t blame you. The world these days is a grey and heartless place fit only for those who have lost their souls. But that can all change with you. Gather all six pieces of the heart and you may just set us all free. One piece is under the anvil in this armory, I would get it myself but I am too old and weak to do so. Celesta bless you, and may love and faith be your guide. Sincerely A Friend Reading the note quickly a second time, Twilight began to feel butterfly’s take flight in her stomach. Turning to the anvil she felt a shiver of anticipation run down her spine. Why was she so nervous, this was what she had been searching for, hoping for. The sun broke over the clouds as she carefully picked her way through the rubble. She moved closer and closer to where the anvil stood, occasionally sidestepping and hopping over fallen debris. . . . . . . Dents and marks on its worn surface showed many years of loyal service to the once great empire of Equestria. She had heard that weapons and armor of the highest quality used to come from here and even the unicorns stared in jealously at the silver plating wrought with gold. She seemed to remember Celestia telling her that only the generals in the REA were gifted with such precious armor and armaments to wear. When she neared the metalwork, the ground became less cluttered with debris. As her footfalls stopped she noticed how large the anvil actually was. It was nearly up to her shoulder in height. Circling it she looked over the tarnished surface for any hidden magic lying in wait. Feeling none, she sat facing the monstrosity and stared at it, gauging how best to topple it. She sat in contemplative silence for a bit. “Would magic work? No, probably not a good idea in considering the state she was in. Perhaps good old fashioned leg work could do the trick!” She stood back up, turned around, and tensed her muscles before giving the anvil a mighty buck. Her hooves hit just at the top lip, making it teeter on one edge for a split second and fell over with a heavy thud onto the ground sending a plume of ash into the air. Coughing, she looked to the fallen anvil with pride. All of those miles on the road had toned and firmed her legs into peak bucking form. Almost as good as Applejacks used to be. Moving to the patch of unscathed earth the anvil had been resting on, she drug her hoof across the ground to uncover the fragment. Brown earth piled higher and higher as she dug down into the packed floor, but after digging down at least two inches she still hadn’t uncovered anything but a single, small pebble. Her heart began to beat a little faster as she started to frantically look all around her. Thoughts raced through her head with blinding speed. “Where could it have gone? Did somepony take it a long time ago? Was the old pony wrong about where the fragment was?” She quickly yanked out the shred of paper containing the note and read it again. Looking away from the parchment she stared at the anvil; she still didn’t get it! Closing her eyes and clenching her teeth she stamped her hoof in frustration. Why was it not under the anvil like his note had indicated? It wasn’t like the anvil had crushed it or anything, it wasn’t even that hea-. A thoughtful expression started to creep across her face. It had been fairly easy to kick it over, almost as if it was… “Top-heavy” She muttered. Yes, it had been a little top-heavy when she had bucked it, and that could only mean one thing. She looked closer at the bottom of the anvil and soon spied the faint outline of a rectangle expertly molded into the surrounding iron. Reaching out with her magic she un-slid the panel and uncovered something that brought tears to her eyes. Inside the hollow square was a small shard, no larger than a daffodil, radiating a bright pink aura. She hadn’t seen colored magic in so long, least something so radiant and beautiful as this shard. Tears fell from her cheeks as she levitated the precious little crystal from is resting place. Her horn felt as if a wafting breeze caressed it at every moment, the magic was so calming and warm; but most of all it was loving. . . . . . . Gingerly she moved back across the cluttered floor to the doorway, never loosing hold of the shard. After reaching the door and stepped into the late morning dawn. She walked swiftly to the well, no longer afraid of what may lie inside. As she slowly approached her hooves sank into the moss surrounding the well. When she got close enough to look past the rim and down into its depths she gasped. Gems of all shapes, sizes, and colors swirled and danced about in the shallow depression only 3 feet below her. In the exact center of the well was a ring of six small indents. All of them seemed to fit the shard. Reaching down she gently placed the shard into one of the hollows and pushed. A brilliant flash of white light burst out of the well causing her to fall blindly backwards onto the mossy steps. Swirls and spots of white luminescence danced behind her eyelids as the ground began to shake and a rumbling started to emanate from somewhere in front of her. Opening her eyes, she saw the ground tremble as small stones started to skip and dance over the cobblestone in front of her. She ducked her head just in time as a second flash of white light brighter than the sun exploded from the center of the armory ruins. The flash only lasted for a few seconds and even though she had closed her eyes she was momentarily blinded again as she hid from whatever was happening in front of her. . . . . . . When she opened her eyes again the spots were still there but not so bad that she didn’t try to see what had happened. She blinked a couple of times to fully clear her vision and gasped. Before her stood a low building with fresh gray coils of smoke trailing out of a wide chimney. Her mouth was agape even after the last tendrils of white energy left the new wooden beams of the armory. Slowly, she walked toward it. No way was this real, it must be ethereal. No magic in all of Equestria could be powerful enough to do that except for an alicorn! She realized her mouth was getting dry from hanging open for so long but didn’t really care. Through the ornately carved doorway she could see the forge as is once was. Bellows were feeding the smelter and smith in a far corner, making the air hot and thick as a dragon’s breath. The glow from the eternal fire threw weak shadows over everything inside, providing just enough light to see by. She gently reached out a hoof to the door frame, on which was a language she didn’t recognize, and touched the smooth oak beam. It was actually real. She couldn’t believe it. A shard small enough to fit in a vial had just done something only she could dream about. The amount of power needed was staggering. Even with the knowledge that the light could attract whatever might be here in the clouds she was grateful to have a warm building to sleep in tonight anyway, magic feat or not. Trotting inside she set up her bed and beside the smelter and settled into it. Warm waves of heat radiated from the orange coals, settling her mind and allowing her to lay down in peace. She smiled. How long had it been since she had smiled in the comfort of a building with a never-ending source of heat, months, years? It didn’t matter anyways, she was here now, warm, safe, and comfortable.
