Sojourner Sparkle

On a plain of grass stood a tree. However, this was no ordinary tree. In lieu of bark, sap, and wood, the tree was comprised of minerals, glass, and no small amount of magic. Indeed, this tree stood taller than the buildings around it, which were modest houses lined with wood and roofed with thatched straw. This town this strange tree found itself a resident of was named Ponyville, and, as one could imagine, this town held ponies in it.

They were not ponies of Terran origin, however, nor were they the product of the cruel hands of both time and fate. These ponies had forged their own destiny and chartered their way into a state of civilization. As the colorful little sapients wound their way through the streets and markets of Ponyville, the crystal tree, which stood almost as a sentinel above all of its neighbors, shone with a violet light. Were one to observe these ponies, one would observe the vast differences between these Equestrian ponies and Terran ponies. For one, their faces and bodies were rounded, and expressive. Another difference that would be readily obvious was the range of colors their mane and coats were, as one could empty the contents of a crayon box and find a pony that matches any given color of that crayon box.

This crystal tree was the residence of one young Princess Twilight Sparkle, the former student of her now fellow Princess Celestia. It had been the event of a lifetime for Twilight Sparkle to have been crowned a Princess, for it not only brought societal changes when Twilight Sparkle climbed the proverbial food chain even higher, but it brought with it a bodily change, as Twilight Sparkle would soon learn how to deal with an additional set of appendages.

Twilight Sparkle was originally a unicorn.

Unicorns are ponies with horns that can channel magical energies. These energies can be used from anything to telekinetic manipulation to interfacing with forces of the universe otherwise unassailable by any effort. The bone-like growth from the top of her head shone with a light that was the same color as her eyes; brilliant violet.

As one could imagine, Twilight’s mane and fur were reminiscent of that same event of the day. A pale purple fuzz covered everything from her face, her hooves, and even her rump, which was decorated with a curious element of pony biology called a cutie mark. These are unique to every individual in Equestrian society, and they appear to have a coming-of-age function. Twilight’s Cutie Mark, for instance, comprised a picture of a hot pink star with 6 points, itself surrounded by other, smaller white stars.

A curious physiological component, indeed.

As for the other new two appendages, they were the newest additions to Twilight’s frame. They were great feathery wings, of a size that which would cause a pegasus, ponies with wings, to envy. Her skill with these wings, however, would not be enviable for even a filly pegasus. It was a common event around Ponyville to have Twilight crash into something. So much so that she started gaining the reputation her pegasus friend, a multi-chromatic Rainbow Dash, used to have.

In this instance, Twilight was reading. This came as a surprise to exactly no one. Her fascination with the written word and with the things recorded down and observed is near-fanatical at times, and it takes the intervention of both her colleagues and her closest associate Spike the baby dragon (who was only as tall as Twilight’s shoulder) to part from the ink words and long-departed worlds. The book Twilight was reading that day was a tale of adventure and a tale of both hard-fought and well-earned victories against an ancient foe.

Such a tale was fantastical, Twilight reckoned. There were adventures to be had in her country of Equestria, but none quite like that which was described in these tales. She had been the subject of much commotion ever since she arrived at the town of Ponyville, from defeating various villains seeking to ruin the day to travelling between worlds and saving the day in an alternate dimension of their own Equestria, where everyone she knew (including herself) was turned into bipedal creatures with nimble hands, of the same curious coloration as the pony-kind she was more familiar with.

Even this would pale to the adventures she would regularly find herself enjoying, however. This was a tale of not only saving the land but the entire world. The foe that challenged the valiant heroes were of a stock that the only recourse of action was to destroy them. The idea of such an irredeemable enemy fascinated Twilight. Even Discord, the spirit of chaos and disharmony, was able to change his ways when offered with friendship. But the creatures of this deep evil... they were pitiable, in that sense. However, their commitment to evil also brought with it actions that made them irredeemable.

Such an adventure would be interesting to go on, Twilight reasoned, but that was both highly unlikely... and highly dangerous. As she thought, it was a very irrational thing to think, but Twilight thought that such an adventure would be worthwhile to her. A deep desire of hers was to prove herself to the world, independent of her friends and family. She wanted to stand on her own four hooves, and stake her own course throughout the histories. She had already saved Equestria, but she wanted more adventure.

Taking a moment to yawn, Twilight realized with a start that the sun had set and that she was reading by candlelight. She had not noticed the soft light flickering but smiled when she saw that the candle was light with a flame. It would seem that Spike, her number one assistant, was looking out for her.

It was also probably an unspoken message to inform Twilight that she should probably sleep. Stretching her limbs, Twilight sensed the weariness creeping into her bones and conceded to the need for sleep. With a soft huff, she blew out Spike’s candle and retired for the night.

Upon the morning, there was a light wind that blew through the window and into Twilight’s royal bedchambers. This wind, of course, had the precise trajectory and the exact speed to waft over the snout of the gently resting Twilight Sparkle. Of course, such a chill morning wind would not go unnoticed by the young matriarch. She scrunched her face and realized with her waking mind that Celestia’s sun had risen and that she needed to rise.

With a sound that was half a yawn and half a sigh, Twilight yielded the warmth of the bed to greet the day and the business that it would bring. In her early morning stupor, Twilight recalled that not much of interest, be it an occasional disaster or even just the usual hijinks that the denizens of Ponyville would get themselves into, had not occurred for some time.

If she were any other mare, she would see this as a stroke of luck. Finally, the chain of interesting times that Ponyville lived in was broken. However, Twilight knew better, and she resolved to at least have some pancakes this morning before the inevitable. After a series of morning rituals, such as washing and brushing her mane and fur, Twilight was much more aware of her surroundings and noted that Spike was curiously absent from the castle.

‘Spike must be off to Rarity’s again,’ Twilight concluded. It was admirable for Spike to continue his dogged pursuit of the one he loved, but even though her heart went out for him, she suspected that his pursuit would ultimately be in vain because Rarity was simply not interested in Spike romantically.

Her train of thought was interrupted by the need to pay attention to the ingredients gently floated around Twilight, and the need for her to carefully monitor the process of making pancakes, as she would rather not burn breakfast. After an arduous process of mixing, flipping, and ultimately heating the mixture at just the right temperature, Twilight found herself with a hearty and delicious breakfast.

As she ate, she recalled a time when her fatigue was so great, that she actually took a nap on a pile of pancakes, resulting in her already messy mane - being covered in twigs and leaves - to be messier from the whipped cream and chocolate chips sticking to her mane. She really had received an earful from Rarity after that little incident, regarding the importance of taking care of one’s own hair, and, even though she phased out half of what Rarity said, she had conceded to her talking points, if begrudgingly.

Even though it was an embarrassing event, Twilight remembered it fondly. She didn’t quite know why, but she felt that she was a better pony for having come through that event. It was simply another series of unlikely events that she and her friends had gone through be it to save Ponyville or the entirety of Equestria. There, for the grace of the stars, couldn't be a better situation for Twilight, she reasoned. She had friends, a good home, an important station in her nation, and she had served it with loyalty and courage. What more could she want?

A picture of a brash, brave, and strong stallion flashed through her mind. She allowed herself a little blush and conceded that she still had to experience that which made a mare a mare. Pushing such thoughts out of the way, though, she cleaned her now dirtied dishes and then stopped herself from continuing on her daily routine as she saw a flash of magic. It was a letter, she knew, from Canterlot! The scroll had the royal seal, so she immediately knew who it had to have come from.

Her mentor and now fellow Princess, Celestia, was the eldest of the Princesses and was almost the very image of the sun if the sun were made into a pony. Her brilliant white fur was matched only by the flowing aurora that was her mane. And her magenta eyes shone with an almost infinite capacity for both motherly concern and wisdom.

This letter was a summon, Twilight realized with a start. It didn’t specify to come immediately, but it was worded as if there was something of great concern that Celestia wanted to council Twilight about. ‘Who knows,’ Twilight thought. ‘It may even be the start of a new adventure.’

Witnessing the grandeur of Canterlot, Twilight saw the Castle, looming in the distance. The white walls stretched and the golden and violet peaks towered over the haughty and well-to-do town of Canterlot itself. The large, bright weave of the banners, displaying the multicolor iconography of Equestria, swayed with the wind. This was Twilight Sparkle’s destination today.

Having arrived by train and having hoofed it the rest of the way, Twilight fast approached the castle at a canter. The guards at the gate nodded to Twilight, and she nodded back. Their gilded armor and polished weapons put the Princess at ease. It was always nice to see that the Royal Guard were there to protect Equestria. After having passed through the front gate, Twilight roamed the marble halls. They too were decorated lavishly, with all the accouterments that royalty could afford to line the walls with.

As she roamed the hallways, an itch sat in the back of Twilight’s mind, demanding that she turn her attention to a presence that made itself known to her. Looking aside, she was surprised to see Luna, Princess of the Night. The dark blue mare was also an alicorn, with a horn and wings. The weariness in the Night Princess’ eyes and features was evidence of her being awake when she really shouldn’t be. The bags under her eyes sagged, as did her wings. Yet, when she saw Twilight, the Princess of the Night perked right back up, straightening her stance and adopting that signature steely look in her eyes that Luna often wore.

“Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “My sister has sent for you.”

Despite herself, Twilight couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease. She replied, “Y-Yes. Is there... something wrong?”

Luna shook her head as if to admonish herself. “No, there is no emergency assailing Equestria, Twilight,” she said. Pausing a bit to seemingly collect her thoughts, Luna continued, “But there is something my sister would ask of you.”

‘Well, that didn’t sound ominous at all.’

Heeding Luna’s cryptic warning, Twilight proceeded to Celestia’s study, where they would regularly meet for personal or official reasons. The only thing that Twilight heard as she walked down the marble hallways was the sound of her hooves meeting the floor, and the sound of blood pounding in her ears. Despite the otherwise welcome atmosphere, and the peacefulness of the day as a whole, Twilight couldn’t help but feel as if something was about to happen.

Twilight had done this perhaps dozens, maybe hundreds of times. She softly prodded at the door to Celestia’s study. The age-old carved wood and the shiny brass of the door hinge creaked and squeaked as the door swung inward.

The study itself was a small room that took up a corner of the castle, permitting for a few windows to allow sunlight to shine through and light up the scene. Furthermore, near the tall, narrow windows, there was a modest brick fireplace, currently dormant, but Twilight could still catch a whiff of the smoke that the fireplace spat up the chimney. The rest of the wall space was writing desks and stacks of bookcases. Cushions and seats were lined around, and in a modest chair sat Princess Celestia.

The alabaster alicorn belayed any notion of age, as her pristine condition allowed her to look young even at thousands of years of age. A horn, longer and spiraling more than any pony Twilight had ever met, sat upon her head, crowned by her golden regalia, as well as framed by a prismatic mane. Her tail and her mane held the appearance of a sunny Aurora, as one would witness in the northern regions of the world. As Twilight entered, Celestia looked up from her book and saw Twilight with a smile.

Twilight, upon seeing Celestia, sped up her pace and embraced her former mentor. As Celestia craned her neck around Twilight’s head, she said, “It is good to see you again, Twilight.“

Untangling from each other, Twilight took her seat on a cushion that neighbored the red on that Celestia sat on. It seemed to Twilight that it was an awful casual setting for a meeting. She adjusted her rump on the cushion and graciously accepted the teacup that was wordlessly passed to her. Letting the smooth taste of the tea put her mind at ease, Twilight finally said, “It’s good to see you again, Pri– Celestia. How is everything?”

Her slight smile growing, Celestia said, “Very good, Twilight. The nobles have been behaving, and the weather is lovely, as always. I hear that the garden is growing especially well this year, even if I haven’t had the chance to see it yet.” Taking another sip, Celestia first looked at Twilight with a smile, but then... slowly, her expression fell. She avoided Twilight’s eyes and then tried to find the most interesting piece of the floor. Her eyes darted first to the right, then the left. Before Twilight could ask what was wrong, she noticed someone in the doorway of the study. It was Princess Luna, and she stood there with her signature stoic expression. Her eyes met Princess Celestia’s, and Luna nodded. Then, she walked away.

Looking back to Celestia, and setting down the teacup, Twilight asked, “Is there... something wrong?”

Breathing evenly, Celestia stretched her neck. After a series of popping sounds, she sighed. Finally, Celestia lifted her head to see Twilight’s eyes. “Equestria has been at peace for a thousand years,” Celestia finally replied. “The hardships of the 3 tribes are not even a memory for most ponies. And yet... there are hardships that endure.”

Mouth slightly agape, Twilight then said, “What? What endured?” Celestia then looked over to a bookshelf and withdrew one of the tomes from its dusty neighbors. Blowing softly on the cover, Celestia spirited the book over to Twilight for inspection. It was an almanac, a guide to the various places and location in Equestria. The map also included the lands to the East; the place of the Griffons and the Dragons. To the West... were cities and countries that Twilight could not recall.

“Celestia... what’s this?” asked the now-nervous Twilight. She levitated the tome back to Celestia, and she regarded it with a calm eye.

She replied, “Friends. They have been fighting an evil longer than I have been alive. Then... even he has been alive.”

“He?” inquired Twilight. She leaned over as Celestia gave back the tome. The mountains to the west were always called “Undiscovered Lands” on every map Twilight had ever seen, but this almanac gave this mountain a name: King’s Peak. The lands to the west held forests and plains before coming to a shore. A few towns dotted the forests and plains, as well as the westernmost one which was surrounded by a graphic of a wall, one that even in this old drawing, seemed formidable. That fortress was called Echgarth. The towns to the east of Echgarth and to the west of King’s Peak were named such things as Uschlon, Polaw, and Moradin.

“Yes, Twilight. He has sent for you.”

Looking up at the lines and the shapes of the maps, Twilight asked again, “Who?”

With a breath out and a breath in, Celestia slowly said, “The Forgemaster Adrastos. He is a powerful and wise being.” Looking at the door, Celestia regarded the return of Princess Luna. Luna had strapped to her sides, two sword scabbards. they were crafted with faux-leather and gold that wrapped around in bands and fitted ornaments. Immediately, Twilight tensed up and tried to hide her face behind her teacup as she drank without tasting the tea. Then, wordlessly, she set the tea down.

Luna magicked one of the swords at her side over to Celestia. Grasping it in her own golden aura of magic, Celestia drew the sword. Lightly scraping, the blade shone as it was drawn. Twilight looked on in awe as the light of the dual edges shone in the golden afternoon light. As the blade was revealed, Twilight found herself admiring the gold and fine wood construction of the handle, as well as the fine steel of the sword.

Smiling, Celestia remarked, "This is called a longsword, Twilight. This one is named Sonne Invictus: The Unconquered Sun." Celestia held it up to the light, and the sword shone. Twilight, having been caught up in the radiance of Celestia's sword, almost didn't hear Luna drawing her own sword.

As she held it up to the light, it, too, shone. However, soft blue light danced off the single edge of the curved blade, as it rose above the straight guard and grip. Luna, now with a full smile, also remarked, "And this is my sword, Princess Twilight. It is a kriegsmesser, and she is called Mondet Caesus: The Moon shining in Darkness."

The two swords seemed to tower over Twilight, and her face quickly fell. Her eyes wandered to the edges of the swords, ever maintained and sharp. As she looked, a question began to form in her mind and was visible in her eyes. "Does Cadence have one?" The swords wavered as the Princess' eyes went wide. With quick motions, the swords were sheathed. Celestia handed her weapon back over to Luna, who put the sling back around her neck, and walked out of the room, her wings over the swords.

Finally, Celestia turned to Twilight. "No," she replied. At this, Twilight pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes critically at her former mentor.

"No?" she asked.

At this, Celestia nodded. She then said, "Princess Cadence was always one for love, not war. She turned away the opportunity to visit Adrastos and gain a sword of her own. She, instead, chose to marry Shining Armor, and live the life of a normal pony."

Celestia then sighed through her nose, and continued, "There is something about Alicorns that you should learn Twilight. We are instinctively and easily capable of love and defense. Cadence was a mare who loved more than defended, and so has been drawn in love to a defender. In a way, they will complete each other. She is the caring mother, and he is the stalwart father. In time, Shining will discover that he is growing wings."

Ignoring Twilight's wide-eyed, slack-jawed exclamation of "What?!", Celestia further said, "But you, Twilight. You have proved time and again that you are an alicorn. You love your friends as much as you love defending Equestria."

Twilight closed her gaping mouth, and then asked, "What's happening, Princess? Is there... something wrong?" Looking out of the window, Celestia gazed into the distance. A disconnection between here and somewhere else came in her eye, as she remembered... something.

Finally, Celestia turned back and said, "You must go to King's Peak and seek out the Forgemaster. I fear the ages are about to change again.

A Shadow grows in the West."