Twilight was frozen in fear.

She couldn't move, even as the giant, horrifying monster tore it's way through town.

“Twilight!”

Twilight jumped at that sound, looking over to see her six friends running toward her, Rainbow in the lead as they all slid to a halt. “Twilight, none of our magic worked against that thing, even the power we gained from the elements didn't so much as scratch it, what are we going to do?”

Twilight hesitated, but just as she was about to speak something moved out of the corner of her eye, and she turned to see a figure walking toward the monster.

“Who is that?” asked Twilight warily, but the moment the question left her lips the figure clapped her hands together like she was praying, and then slammed her palms on the ground, arks of energy leaping around her palms before massive spikes shot up out of the ground to impale the creature, causing it to roar as blood spilled from it's wounds.

While everyone else cheered as the creature staggered back, Twilight's eyes widened in shock, for she recognized what the person had done, for it was something her teacher had shown her long ago, Alchemy.

*

Zecora watched as the beast staggered back, her black eyes watching from under her hood as the creatures wounds sealed themselves, telling her about her opponent more then words ever could.

“It's a Homunculus,” said Zecora, clapping her hands together before placing one hand upon the ground and pointing the other toward the creature, long cords of hardened earth flying along her arms before wrapping themselves around and impaling the creature in several places.

The creature roared, but not as loudly as before, turning toward Zecora with a growl before speaking. “So your an alchemist, then our guess was not wrong. Now tell me, where are the Philosopher's Stones!”

Zecora hesitated a moment, then spoke, digging the tendrils in a bit deeper as she spoke. “There are Philosopher's Stones here, nor has there ever been.”

“Don t patronize me human!” yelled the creature, “I know there are Philosopher's Stones here, we smelled them!”

“Then you smelled wrong,” said Zecora, but before she could continue a humanoid creature leaped out of the trees nearby, slicing through the stone tendrils with it's claws and releasing the other creature, which took a swipe at her with it's tail.

She leaped up, clapping her hands together again before placing one upon the creatures tail and splitting it in half, the monster roaring in pain as the other one leaped at her, slicing at her face.

Zecora managed to dodge out of the way, but not before her hood got sliced, the hood falling away to reveal her face, which caused the humanoid creatures eyes to widen, the creature leaping back from her before speaking with hesitance in it's voice.

“M...mother?”

Zecora stopped, and behind her the other monster stopped as well, it's eyes widened as the humanoid stood straighter, it's facial armor dissolving to reveal a brown skinned feminine face with black eyes and long gray hair spilling over her shoulders.

Zecora's eyes widened, tears beginning to form as she moved forward, placing one of her hands on the woman's face as she spoke. “It....it cant be...you....you cant be....are you my Zia?”

The woman hesitated, then nodded, then Zecora looked up to the other monster, who was giving her the same look that the woman was, it's eyes the same color as her own, but it's hair was black.

However, before she could speak, an arrow flew into the woman's back, causing her to yelp as she turned, her facial armor reforming as she prepared to charge the distant warriors who were approaching.

“No,” said Zecora, grabbing the woman's arm and causing her to pause, the woman looking back as Zecora looked up to the giant monster and then back to the woman. “You need to run, I'll create a diversion and fool them into thinking I drove you off, but you must go now!”

“But mother we cant loose...”

“I will find you later Zia, but you must go now!”

Zia hesitated, then leaped upon the giant monsters back, the creature beginning to run as Zecora began using alchemy to send massive columns of earth at it which barely missed each time.

When the creature was finally out of sight, Zecora used her alchemy to reform the land, restoring it to its normal shape, then waited as Twilight approached with her guard escort and the other elements of harmony.

“Zecora....is that you?”

“Yes it is Twilight Sparkle,” said Zecora.

“That was amazing!” cried Twilight, running up as the guards began scoping out the area, “I haven't seen some one use Alchemy like that since my old teacher, you did it just like her!”

Zecora's eyes widened at that, her hand shaking as she turned to Twilight and spoke, “Your teacher, she can preform alchemy without the need of a transmutation circle?”

“Yeah, I always wondered how she was able to do it, but she never told me, now a better question, do you...”

“Could I meet her?”

Twilight paused, looking at her in confusion as she spoke, “M...Meet her?

“Yes Twilight, I want to meet her, for I would like to know how she learned to use alchemy as I do.”

Again Twilight hesitated, but she finally nodded, “Ok, but you have to promise me to tell me if you know what those creatures were, and why magic didn't work on them.”

“...Very well, lead the way.”

*

After telling her friends that she would speak to them all later, Twilight led Zecora to her castle, the alchemist noticing that the guards were watching her with wary eyes as they moved.

When they finally reached the castle doors, Twilight opened them up, gasping in surprise and then running inside, for inside waiting was none other then her teacher Princess Celestia.

As Twilight ran up to her to give her a hug, she failed to notice the look of terror that had entered her eyes as she gazed at Zecora, her pupils having shrunk to pinpricks as she shook with fear.

“Princess!” cried Twilight as she reached her, wrapping her up in a hug as she spoke. “Its so good to see you, I was actually going to write a letter to you to see if you could come and visits!”

After giving a little squeeze, Twilight pulled back, but the minute she caught the look in Celestia's face her smile turned to confusion, and then she looked back toward Zecora, and saw that she was glaring at Celestia with a cold look in her eyes as she spoke.

“So....it's been a long time, hasn't it my stupid pupil.”

That caught Twilight's attention, who turned just in time to see Zecora slam her palms on the ground and send a column of crystal flying toward Celestia, who pushed Twilight out of the way before clapping her hands together and then mimicking Zecora, a similar column of crystal flying up just in time to intercept Zecora's attack.

When the dust from the two columns settled, Twilight looked back to see Zecora's eyes focused on Celestia with cold anger as she used her alchemy to restore the room, before walking over to the crouching woman, who was shaking with fear as the dark skinned woman approached her.

“Alchemy without a transmutation circle, not many can do that, which means only one thing.”

She knelt down in front of the shaking woman, bringing their faces level with each other before speaking once more. “You've seen it haven't you, you've seen The Truth?”

Celestia, still shaking, hesitated, then nodded. Beside them, Twilight looked on in confusion, finally finding her voice as she spoke. “The Truth, Princess what is she talking about?”

Celestia jumped a bit at Twilight's voice, meanwhile Zecora turned back to the door, seeing two of Twilight's guards staring at her with fear in their eyes, then she turned back to Celestia and spoke. “You should send the guards away, you should know better then most that what I have to tell her is not for non-alchemist's to hear.”

Celestia was quick to nod, getting up and sending the guards away as Zecora approached Twilight and spoke. “Twilight, you know that within each and every living being lies what is called a gate, which is the source of all alchemic knowledge. For those who practice alchemy, the gate is the source of out power, but there is no way to directly access it....save for one.”

She walked past Twilight over to the lone fire place in the entrance hall, pulling on a glove before snapping her fingers and starting a fire, clasping her hands behind her back as the fire crackled and fed her warmth.

“Wha....what is this method, if I may ask?”

“..........Human Transmutation.”

Twilight's hands shot up to her mouth, her eye expanding in horror as Zecora continued. “When an alchemist preforms a human transmutation, they are brought before their gate, and come face to face with a being we call The Truth, though it goes by many other names. The Truth then opens the gate and sends the alchemist in, flooding them with the knowledge inside...for a price.”

She then turned to face Twilight, her cold glare sending chills down Twilight's spine as the woman continued. “If the alchemist survives their journey through the gate, they are returned to the mortal world without the toll given to the gate, and as a side effect, they are able to preform alchemy without a transmutation circle.”

Zecora watched as the information sunk in, watching the growing level of horror appearing behind Twilight's eyes as she finally spoke. “You....you mean you and Celestia....you....”

Zecora nodded grimly, “Yes Twilight, I preformed human transmutation, and it seems that your teacher has as well, which leaves me with one last question.”

She then walked over to Celestia, grabbing her by the neck of her shirt and pulling her forward, “Tell me you foolish girl, who did you try and bring back, who was so important to you that you would defy the word o your teacher when she expressly forbade you from ever preforming such and act!”

Not used to someone treating Celestia with such disrespect, Twilight made to intervene, but then Celestia finally spoke, her voice shaking as tears flowed from her right eye as she spoke. “It....it was my mother....I....I tried to bring her back to life....for Lulu....”

Zecora glared at her a little while longer, then she sighed, letting go of the neck of her shirt before pulling the crying woman into a hug, Celestia burying her face into the other woman's shoulder as she let the tears flow.

Watching from the side, Twilight jumped when Zecora turned toward her, for her face no longer held the cold anger it had been holding ever since she had laid eyes on Celestia. “Twilight, could you be so kind as to get us some tea, then I promise you, I will tell you what those creatures are.”

Twilight nodded, then left the room, Zecora smiling as she left before looking down at Celestia and speaking. “Come on now dear, lets go find a better place then the floor to talk, we have much to catch up on.”

Author's Note

Before any of you guys ask, I promise the relationship between Celestia and Zecora will be explained, till then however, I hope you guys enjoyed, and stay tuned for more.