The Book Of Friendship

by XombieSlayr

Rating: teen
Tags: Other, Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Random, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Comedy
Length: 57047

Join Starlight and Trixie as they read through the legendary Book of Friendship, an ancient tome filled with secrets that nopony else has ever known!

Join Starlight and Trixie as they read through The Book Of Friendship; a legendary long lost book filled with secrets that will change the world! Now, if only Starlight could find the time to research it all...

(*Winner of 2017 NaPoWriMo! This is the most insane thing I have ever written, and makes very little sense as a normally structured story. However, it was very fun to write and just as much to read! Also, it's not quite finished, but I will of course try to update it frequently. Enjoy!)

(Cover art by the ridiculously awesome https://jowybean.deviantart.com.)

Published 2017-12-07 22:20:07 UTC
Last updated 2017-12-30 03:15:16 UTC

The Alicorn Empire

(The following information was retrieved from The Pre-Equestrian Section of The Canterlot archives by one notable historian, Myth Finder. She later documented what she found, here in this passage. PLEASE DO NOT MISUSE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN ANY WAY. Failure to do so, may result in permanent banning from the Archives.

Thank You.)

"Huh." Starlight said aloud, turning the book over with her magic."I wonder what this was doing under here, then."

Starlight examined the cover of the large white book she had found wedged under a bookshelf, while checking out a few (hundred something) books for Twilight from The Royal Canterlot Archives.

The bright golden lettering on the front, immediately caught her eye. It said one word only: "Hello."

Starlight scrunched her face in confusion as she removed a large note that had been attached to the front of the book. She quickly scanned over it.

Treecicle's Notes: The Alicorn Empire.

The Alicorn Empire was an immensely powerful monarchy that was once the largest body of Equine Kingdoms in our world, entirely made up of Alicorns, including The Goddess, who would go on to create The Earth, Pegasus and Unicorn races of Equestria. For 100,000 years they controlled half of the entire world with no issues.

They were a single, unifying body that controlled and housed the first Equine kingdoms to settle on Concordia. Led by the legendary Alicorn Queen, Omnipotence, The Alicorn Empire was comprised of 20 Alicorn Kingdoms that founded the empire over 800 years after Omnipotence and Eclipsa journeyed to Concordia from their homeworld. Despite her hoof in building the empire, Eclipsa herself had very little to do with it, and instead sanctioned to rule over her own empire, on the other side of the world. But she stayed in touch with her sister the whole time.

The Alicorn Empire was vast, powerful, limitless in resources, wealth and intelligence and was the first step towards Equines calling Concordia home.

So...lets put things into perspective here.

The Alicorn Empire controlled half of the entire world, without issue for over 100,000 years. 100 centuries of absolute power and prosperity over half of the world, and not a single problem for the entire duration of it's existence?!

NO other empire in the history of Equine-kind has ever lasted that long, not even Equestria itself, which has been ruled by Princess Celestia and Luna for at least 1000 years. That much power over one entire half of the world, without being overthrown, or collapsing under it's own weight? That is....beyond amazing.

But HOW did they do it? Well, I did some more research (Which I may or may not have broken into the Canterlot University Museum in the dead of night to retrieve, but....I digress) and I think I may have found out.

First: Literally, the other half of the world was ruled by Eclipsa's Kingdom, which was just as powerful (If not more so in some cases) as The Alicorn Kingdom. If your beloved sister is the ruler of the only other empire that rivals your own...then you don't have much to worry about. Together, they ruled it all.

Second: Queen Omnipotence was the creator and patron saint of the Alicorn race, as well as the first of her species to show friendship to another pony, something that on her homeworld, was unheard of. She was the Celestia of her day....actually, if what I've managed to find out about her is true, then she makes Celestia look like Discord, by today's standards.

And Lastly: GEOGRAPHY. This is the biggest one. The factor that guaranteed The Alicorn Empire absolute power for a hundred thousand years, if not longer still.

So now, let's talk Geography!

The Alicorn Empire consisted of all of where Equestria is today, as well as several island nations and kingdoms. The other half of the world was of course under the rule of Eclipsa. And in between these two empires, smaller nations flourished and grew under alliance with The Alicorns.

And then there's the ocean. A massive body of water, that connected the Alicorn Empire to Eclipsa's Kingdom and allowed the rest of the world, free trade and travel. This kind of influence only strengthened the empire's power. Not only that but their Naval Military also protected and maintained several checkpoints across the seas.

And then there's the heart of the empire: Aliaewah, The Birthplace of The Alicorn Empire, The gleaming spire sitting atop the Great Alicorn City.

Oh, yes they had MANY kingdoms, that dotted what would one day be Equestria, but do you know where Aliaewah was? Where it was that Queen Omnipotence, and her sister would meet? Where the Alicorn Empire's brightest and mightiest would collaborate,and indeed the future and plans of the empire were sculpted?

On top of a cloud.

Thousands of feet above the planet.

From which you need to be an Alicorn to even set hoof on, as well as come back down from. Not even a Pegasus could trot in those sacred grounds.

Yeah, pretty sure nopony's invading that place anytime soon.

Starlight's eyes were wide as dinner plates as she couldn't contain her curiosity and amazement. She had to know more!

With great care, she opened the book to the first page. It was here, that she learned about Queen Omnipotence and her sister Eclipsa: The very first Alicorns to settle on Concordia, and the founders of their entire civilization. She couldn't put it down.

This book, whatever it was clearly held secrets. Secrets that Starlight had never imagined were out there. Things she knew right from the beginning that she would never read in any other book, nor hear about in any museum. These were things nopony in the world knew, except for her and apparently this mysterious author, Treecicle, whoever she was. Starlight tried to check the book out but it wasn't in the archives system, so the librarian simply let Starlight take it. Upon returning to Twilight's castle, Starlight became engrossed in the possibilities the book meant for not just Equestria, but possibly the world.

It was then, that Starlight decided to make it her mission to research and log all the amazing things the book revealed to her as she read through it. So she began keeping a journal.

Oceana And Seaquestria

(Starlight dipped her quill in the fresh ink, and began her first journal entry, scribbling hastily on the parchment.)

What I've read in this...Book Of Friendship, is astonishing to say the least. I was so captivated by it that over 5 hours had gone by before I realized I had stood in that one spot reading without stop. I probably would've slept there had it not been for the librarian coming to escort me out."

I have to keep reading it, and translate its contents so that everypony can discover what I have! But a question still lingers at the back of my mind: why was this hidden away? surely, something as amazing and groundbreaking in our history as The Book of Friendship, would be immortalized in a museum, for all the world to see and learn from. and yet here I find it, stowed away in the forgotten corners of The Archives. It raises so many questions.

Nevertheless, I'm logging the first of my discoveries from the book, here. When Twilight had spoke to me of a far off kingdom of Seaponies, I was...skeptical to be honest. But now that I have read about it in the book, my skepticism is all but vanished.

Starlight's Journal: Seaquestria

Seaquestria (love that name too. Very catchy) is an ancient undersea kingdom that connects to the surface via Mount Aris. Twilight and the rest of her friends had traveled there during the whole Storm King incident (Still VERY glad I had gone back to my old village for a visit, while that was happening) and it was there she encountered the seaponies. and their queen.

Well...it turns out that the Seaponies that Twilight and her friends met, were NOT the Original Seaponies.

Oceana: The Alicorn Who Loved The Sea

The original Seaponies were the subjects of Oceana, a fellow Alicorn and friend of Omnipotence, who fell in love with the sea. So much so, she used her magic to permanently transform herself into the first Seapony. Many other Alicorns shared her love of the ocean, and went with her into the sea, becoming the first Seaponies to found the kingdom of Seaquestria.

Though now the ruler of her own kingdom, Oceana never once wavered in her friendship to Omnipotence, and they stayed in contact constantly. Under her leadership, Seaquestria thrived and prospered, becoming an underwater paradise. As it grew, many more went into the ocean to become part of such an amazing world. It was then that Oceana created The Mother Pearl, a magical pearl imbued with the very spirit of the ocean, that could be used to turn anypony into a Seapony. As well as back to normal.

Can you imagine it? Being able to transform yourself into an entirely different pony race, with just the wave of a hoof? Something like that would change everything! I only hope one day, I'll be able to study such an artifact.

Anyway, it seemed like Seaquestria would grow to become one of the 20 separate Alicorn Kingdoms to found the Alicorn Empire. I've tried to discover anything on the 20 other kingdoms, but I haven't found a thing in the Archives, and even The Book of Friendship itself seems to be keeping it a secret.

Perhaps If I continue to read through it, I'll find out more about them.

For now, there's actually not much left about Seaquestria. The book stops after the Mother Pearl was created, and it doesn't say anything on where they went, or if they're even still around in the ocean somewhere. Which suggests a few things...

One: The Seaquestria that Twilight visited was created by Oceana and The original Seaponies, but they abandoned it for some unknown reason. If that's the case, where could they have gone?

Two: Oceana and her Seaponies are still in the ocean, but have moved on to a New Seaquestria, perhaps to escape some underwater threat they all faced.

Three: The Seaquestria they found is NOT the actual Seaquestria, but perhaps just....part of it?

Urgh! This would be a lot easier if the book just said it somewhere! But I must admit, this whole thing fascinates me to no end. I feel like I'm on the verge of making a groundbreaking historical discovery, that would make even Twilight blush.

But I have to wonder....what did happen to Oceana and the Seaponies? Where did they go? And did anyone else know?

I'll keep at it. For now though, this ends my first (possibly historical) journal entry on The Book of Friendship.

Until my next entry!

Letters Between Sisters I

My Dearest Sister,

You know I love you. But....I have to be honest for a moment.

Just what in the name of the greater gods, convinced you that blowing up an entire section of the Black Skull Islands, to....what was it again? "Build myself a Summer Castle?" And enraging not one, but ALL seven of The Dragon Overlords, by going to their lair and telling them to "Get off Ma Land" before stringing together an entire alphabet of obscenities about their mothers, was in ANY way a rational, let alone sane idea??

What were you thinking!? You know we have tried multiple times to make peace with the dragons! We may be an Empire, but we DO NOT go around declaring entire other nations ours, at the expense of those already settled there. This is our home, dear sister. But we must share it with those others who already made this planet their home.

The Alicorn Empire was built on what I have always believed in, and what nopony else from our homeworld, will ever understand: Friendship.

We must learn to be friends with these creatures. It will be so much better for everypony if we do.

Please, Don't do anything like that again. I have spoken to The Dragon Overlords and they have agreed to let it go, if you apologize for blowing up half their islands and to Lord Cinder about what you said about his mother and the zoo animals (Really, dear sister? Did you have to go that far?)

Please apologize as soon as you can, so we can put all this behind us. Okay?

Love,

Omni

My Dearest Sister,

I will try to refrain from using profanity in this letter, for your sake, as I explain what happened.

Ahem...

So, first off that F@#%ing stupid little C@#t, Cinder was being a total f@#%ing prick. He was all like "Oh, miss Eclipsa! Please forgive my rudeness, but we simply cannot allow you to build this castle of yours on Black Skull Island. It's the sacred birthplace of our ancestors!"or some sh@t like that. So I responded by telling him that his mother...actually, I'd rather not say. I wouldn't want to offend your virgin ears.

But he was asking for it, trust me.

Okay, Okay (I can already feel your pretty purple eyes, judging a hole through me.) I will....ugh, "apologize" for blowing up the islands. But not for Cinder's mother and her perverted antics at the zoo. That's her fault.

And that Cinder motherf@#%er. (Didn't want to build my castle there anyways.)

Love,

Eclipsa

P.S: I know how much this "Friendship" thing means to you, and that you want to share it with everypony. And I respect that. But in my defense, I would like to say this. Dragons are stupid and Cinder is an assh@#e.

P.S.S: You have NO idea how hard it was to hold back on the swearing in this letter. But I did it for you. Your'e welcome.

Omnipotence's Friends

Starlight's Journal: Omnipotence's Friends

Me and Twilight have Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and of course Fluttershy (bless her). But my next entry on The Book Of Friendship is about the friends that Queen Omnipotence had made during her reign. And before, as well.

From what I can gather, it seems that Omnipotence had only ONE friend on her homeplanet, and that was Oceana. This is because friendship didn't even exist until Omnipotence became the only Alicorn on her planet to show kindness and concern for others. Nopony else had ever wanted to share their lives and interests with other Alicorns. She was the first. And she was shunned for it. But then Oceana came along and agreed with her idea, that Alicorns can have friends. And they became the best of friends, because of that idea.

And then when she founded The Alicorn Empire, and Alicorns from her old home came to be apart of it, eventually, that idea would be given form again, and Omnipotence would make five new friends who shared her philosophy of friendship, and they would work so that the whole world would learn what it means.

I've compiled a list with descriptions below of each of Queen Omnipotence's friends. I'm also amazed at the similarities each one shares with Twilight's friends.

First, there is Muse: An Alicorn of virtue and a gifted singer and songwriter. It was she that composed the first Alicorn Song, using her mystical lute. She shares Fluttershy's kindness and gentle nature, as never once did she ever falter in being the kindest of souls to, not just her friends, but all living things, even if they showed no kindness themselves, or even just flat out hated her. Interestingly, she also apparently never spoke, preferring to let her music and songs speak for her.

Second is, Artemis: A powerful and majestic Alicorn, who symbolized the might of The Alicorn Empire's Army, with her trusty bow and arrows. It was her that created the modern sport of archery, and it was said to be impossible for her to miss a shot, even if she tried to. She shares Applejack's virtue of honesty, with her words always being as true as the arrows she fired. She led the Alicorn Empire's Army known as The Lance.

Third, and personally, the most...interesting of the bunch, is Surprise: Surprise was the Pinkie Pie of The Alicorn Empire. That's the simple way to describe her. The original "Party Pony" was always full of joy, cheerfulness and laughter, and worked hard to make sure everypony in The Great Alicorn City had a smile on their face. Un-Surprisingly (Heh. Good one, Starlight) is the fact that Surprise share's Pinkie Pie's Element Of Laughter, and was very possibly the first Element Of Laughter of the time. Also like Pinkie, Surprise apparently worked as both the Alicorn City's Party Planner and a baker at her own sweets shoppe. (...I'm getting nervous now)

Fourth, is the lovely and beautiful Popularity: An Alicorn of refined taste and even more refined beauty, Popularity was said to be the most beautiful Alicorn in The Alicorn Empire. A talented designer and even more talented sorceress, Popularity shared Rarity's generosity, willing to give her time and efforts to helping others who needed her for either her fashion expertise or her magic expertise. (I visualize her as being a more mature combination of Rarity, Twilight and Trixie, for some reason)

Fifth, is of course, Oceana: Oceana was not only Queen Omnipotence's first friend, but also the only Alicorn from her planet to befriend another Alicorn, thus solidifying the idea of Friendship. She fell in love with the sea, but her loyalty to her friends and to The Alicorn Empire never once was put into question. She did everything to maintain both her own kingdom, and her relationship with her dearest friends, of which she had more love in her heart for, then even that of the ocean.

It was the friendships between these mares, that made The Alicorn Empire as powerful as it was. Perhaps If I continue to research the book, I will be able to learn more about them. Maybe we could even adapt the friendship lessons they learned with our own! Imagine taking friendship lessons from the very mare who invented Friendship itself! (Twilight would probably have a panic attack. Unless she paced herself....and used smaller words.....VERY small.)

For now, this ends my next entry on The Book Of Friendship. I can't wait to see what else it can teach me, and I feel I will have quite a story for Twilight when I'm finished....whenever that will be.

Until my next entry!

Alicorn Recipes

(Starlight sat in Twilight's kitchen, and hesitated before she wrote down the title of her next journal entry)

Starlight's Journal: Alicorn Recipes

Okay, so....this next entry will be a little different (As well as possibly disastrous) but I have recently discovered a chapter of The Book Of Friendship that outlined several of The Alicorn Empire's most delicious recipes. Most of them were written in by Queen Omnipotence herself as well as Eclipsa. One in particular, was written by both of them.

Now...I'm no chef. But I'm willing to give some of these a try if nothing for the sake of discovery....and because I am actually really hungry.

So,with that said, let's start with the first recipe!

Recipe I: Sunlight Souffle

By: Queen Omnipotence

Okay...so were off to an interesting start. In addition to being the creator of friendship, and the queen of The alicorn Empire, Omnipotence was also apparently a world class gourmet, because I'm fairly sure I have no hope of making this dish.

But, I'm going to give it a shot.

The ingredients are fairly simple, there's milk, flour, eggs and butter. But then there's a special kind of cheese you need. Twilight does not have this cheese, and I'm fairly sure nopony else in Equestria has it either.

So...I'll be back once I have everything.

(Starlight returns 4 hours later, covered in bruises, scratches and jungle vines with bits of leaves)

Okay, so I'm back...and alive! (Barely)

I found the cheese, but...don't go looking for it. Just don't. (Were only at the first recipe and I've already risked my life for cheese...great.)

I've prepped the oven and mixed the ingredients, following all the careful steps laid out for me by Omnipotence's guiding hooves. All that's left is to bake it, hope it doesn't fall or explode, then....eat it.

While the souffle cooks, I'll write down what Omnipotence has to say about it in the description of the recipe:

"The brilliance of the sun and the exquisite flavor of this souffle is one of the greatest treasures of The Alicorn Empire. I hope you enjoy it!"

Huh. That actually sounds encouraging. I'm slightly less worried now.

(45 Minutes later, the timer on Twilight's oven emits a loud ding, signaling the souffle is done)

Okay, so I've eaten a bite...and it's very good. I honestly thought it would turn out pretty bad, but it turned out fine.

While I eat this, I'll go into more detail on the recipes put into the book, and why.

The Sunlight Souffle was The alicorn Empire's most famous dish, if not the official food of the empire. Omnipotence listed down the recipe in the book for the purpose of future generations learning how to make it themselves.

The next recipe the book lists, is a festive drink, meant to be enjoyed around Hearth's Warming. But for now, I'll make it as yet another experiment for the sake of discovery.

And with that, I think I'll end my entry here for today, as I am far too tired (and covered in flour)to keep cooking today. I'll sign off here, but I'll continue with the next recipe tomorrow.

Until, my next entry!

(As soon as Starlight writes her sign off, she leaves the kitchen and immediately falls asleep on Twilight's couch, collapsing in a small cloud of flour, which spreads throughout the air and onto the floor.)

Plum Loco Cocoa (Ft. The Great And Powerful Trixie)

(The next day, Starlight dips her quill in the ink and writes down the title of her next journal entry, while Trixie watches from the table beside her. They are both in Twilight's kitchen)

(Trixie yawns as she lays her head down on the table. She asks Starlight "So...why am I here again?")

(Starlight looks over at her with a smile. "Because, this next recipe is meant to be shared between friends. Plus, you were the one who was dying to see this Book Of Friendship after I told you about it.")

(Trixie looks defensive. "Okay, so I may have said that, but I didn't think I would have to sit here and just watch you write things! I want to write something too, If I'm apart of all this now!")

(Starlight rolls her eyes as she grins. "Fine.")

Starlight's Journal: Plum Loco Cocoa

Okay, so this next recipe will involve me and my best friend Trixie-

(Trixie's quill appears from nowhere as it hastily scribbles underneath Starlight's words, in dark blue ink)

That's, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE, Starlight.

Ugh, right, The Great And Powerful Trixie....to help me prepare this next recipe which is listed in the book as:

Recipe II: Plum Loco Cocoa

By: Queen Omnipotence and Eclipsa

According to the book, Plum Loco Cocoa is a smooth, thick, richly purple hot drink, that gives off a delicious smell of chocolate and plums. It's meant to be enjoyed with friends around Hearth's Warming, when its cold and snowing outside.

But today, were going to make and enjoy some when its about....I wanna say, 75 degrees out. Makes sense.

(Starlight sets the quill down and turns to Trixie to list off the recipe for Plum Loco Cocoa. Trixie ignores her as she takes her own quill and just copies the recipe from the book into Starlight's journal. Starlight watches in surprise as Trixie writes)

Ingredients

1-4 plums (chopped)

3/4 cups white sugar

3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup boiling water

1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

3 1/2 cups milk

A pinch of cinnamon

(Starlight politely questions her. "Um...what are you doing?")

(Trixie simply shrugs. "I'm writing down the recipe...duh!")

(Starlight raises an eyebrow. "But you can't just copy down the recipe from the book!")

(Trixie looks at her confused. "Well how is anypony else going to know how to make it?)

(Starlight sighs. "We are just testing the recipe itself, not writing a cookbook!")

(Trixie sets her quill down and gives Starlight a clever look. "Then how will we be able to sustain the ancient and long lost customs of The Alicorn Empire, by keeping a record of their recipes so that those who read your journal about your discovery, will be able to recreate that splendor of cuisine that the Alicorns did over 100,000 years ago, and perhaps even be inspired to create their own takes on them?")

(Starlight stares at Trixie with awestruck eyes."Umm....okay, fine. Sure.")

(Trixie smiles, satisfied, as she finishes writing down the recipe.)

Combine the cocoa and sugar in a saucepan. Mix in boiling water, and stir. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk, cinnamon and chopped plums and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Divide between 4 mugs. You can add cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

(Starlight sighs as she writes down below the completed recipe)

Okay, so...there's the recipe I guess. If you want it.

Now we just have to make it!

(Starlight and Trixie follow the recipe to make the drink. When its done they pour some into mugs, let it cool then drink)

Huh. It's a bit too rich for my tastes, but it's still REALLY good.

(Starlight asks what Trixie thought of it, but Trixie ignores her as she continues to drink her cocoa, completely entranced by it's deliciousness.)

Uh...okay. Well, I'd say that's a good place to stop for right now. I might check into more of these recipes a little later one, but for now...

Until my-

Our.

...Our, next entry!

More Alicorn Recipes: Cocoa Beetles

(Starlight and Trixie are once again in Twilight's kitchen, as Starlight writes down the title of her next entry)

Starlight's Journal: Cocoa Beetles

Okay so, today we are doing another recipe from the book, this one being a recipe Eclipsa created....so naturally both me and Trixie are terrified, but we'll at least give it a shot.

(Trixie looks a little nervous now, as she writes down the recipe from the book)

Ingredients

1 pack of light cocoa candy melts

1 pack of dark cocoa candy melts

1/2 cup Cocoa krispies

Strawberry pop rocks (optional)

Eclipsa's Mark (Required)

Candy Egg molds

(Trixie scratches her head. "What's an Eclipsa's Mark?" she asks)

(Starlight double checks the recipe and raises an eyebrow. "Uhh...I'm not sure. It has to be an ingredient of some kind, right? Maybe some kind of fruit?" she wonders.)

("So...how can we make these, then? It says it's required." Trixie says reading off the recipe again.)

(Starlight is unsure, but has an idea. "Maybe the book has something on it?" she ponders)

(They flip through the book, looking for some explanation as to what Eclipsa's Mark could be. However the only thing they find is a small hastily scribbled note on an empty page. It says:

Eclipsa's cutie mark is NOT a cutie mark. It is HER mark. And it has power. Where as Omnipotence created and gifted her own cutie mark to allow her to raise the sun, Eclipsa's Mark is extremely special. There is no other brand like it, and she has always had it. It has no special talent or purpose, other than to channel her magic to a certain focused point.

Branding or even just drawing her mark anywhere will activate its power, which can potentially be very dangerous, as it seems to be just as erratic and chaotic as Eclipsa herself. If not handled properly, the Mark will simply "do what it wants" regardless of science, magic or the laws of whichever universe its in. According to Eclipsa, she made it so her mark can only be put in the world up to eight times. Afterwards, the mark can no longer be drawn or branded anywhere till one of the existing ones is gone.

(The note is signed Zhukov.Below it is a drawing of what Eclipsa's Mark actually is.)

(Starlight and Trixie exchange glances, both seeming unsure of what to do.)

(Starlight breaks the tension. "I mean...it's obviously dangerous, right?"

("Yeah, but it's magic. You can handle magic right?" Trixie asks)

("Yeah, but...this is Eclipsa's magic. And shes basically completely insane!")

(Trixie shrugs. "I say we give it a shot. All we have to do is draw this *she gestures to the mark drawn on the note* somewhere on these cocoa beetles...I think.")

(Starlight is still nervous, but nonetheless, they both decide to try it. Worst case scenario, they go get Twilight. Worse then worse case, they go get Celestia and Luna. Any worse then that, they go get Discord.)

First step, Melt the light cocoa melts in a small bowl on a stovetop, stirring between every 30 second long heating.

(Starlight and Trixie melt the cocoa melts, with Starlight continuing to stir every 30 seconds. Trixie reads the next part of the recipe.)

Second step: Once melted, pour it into candy egg molds, filling each about half way. Next add a small amount of cocoa krispies to each mold, then add the Eclipsa Mark into each mold as well. Carefully stir them into the melted chocolate, and top them off with another layer of chocolate.

(Trixie carefully traces the mark drawn on the note on an un-melted chocolate mold in thin white icing. As soon as she does so, a strange presence is felt in the room, that causes Trixie to look quickly behind her. But nopony is there. She does the same thing for the rest of the chocolate molds and both her and Starlight can feel a mysterious power working its way through the area. They both try to ignore it as Starlight reads of the next step.)

Third step, Make sure all of them are evenly coated before smoothing them out with a few solid taps on the table and into the freezer they go!

(Starlight does so, and they wait for the chocolate to harden. The strange presence is no longer felt, but both Starlight and Trixie's horns stir as they feel the same mysterious power grow stronger and stronger. They both think they may have made a mistake.)

Fourth step, Once they are fully hardened, pop them out of the molds and wait.

(Starlight and Trixie take the molds out of the freezer and set them on the counter. At once the mysterious power is gone and they look around for any strange activity. But they see nothing. Then they wait.)

After 30 seconds, Trixie's ear perks up as she hears a soft cracking sound. She looks down to see that the chocolate molds are stirring and twitching. She leans in to get a closer look when all of a sudden they sprout little antennae, legs and glossy wings, and began flying around. Trixie screams and falls of her chair, as Starlight only looks at them in complete amazement. As Trixie covers her head with her hooves, Starlight returns to the recipe and reads the final step.)

Lastly, In about 30 seconds or so, each egg will sprout into little chocolate beetles with legs, antennae and wings. Be sure to catch them before they fly away and trap them in a candy box, which is also inscribed with the Eclipsa Mark. (to keep them from trying to escape.) Next bite into one and enjoy, as it wriggles around in your hoof, still barely alive!

(Starlight laughs, as she is absolutely amazed at the level of magic she had just witnessed. "T-This...this is unbelievable!" she cries. "This is more advanced magic then ANYTHING I've ever read about, let alone actually seen!" She exclaims excitedly, as she tries and fails to catch one of the cocoa beetles. "I don't even think Star Swirl could do something like this!")

(Trixie is less then excited and simply cries out for Starlight to make them go away.)

(Starlight follows the last step, taking a spare candy box and catching all the beetles with her magic inside of it. The Box buzzes and hums as the beetles try to escape. Then Starlight remembers the most important step, as she draws another Eclipsa Mark on the box. Instantly, the box is still and quiet. Starlight is at a loss for words.)

(She glances at the description for the recipe left by Eclipsa in the book, while Trixie gets up off the floor and straightens her hat)

Description: "Regular chocolates always bored me. They're just too....normal. But these are so much better in my opinion. Its always fun to bite off their heads and watch them squirm around, before they finally die. Then you eat the rest of em! Enjoy!"

- Eclipsa

Still More Alicorn Recipes: The Cursed Sandwich

(Starlight seems very excited for this next recipe. Where as Trixie looks like she would rather be at her carriage. Under her blankets. Under her bed. With all the doors and windows locked.)

Starlight's Journal: The Cursed Sandwich

For the longest time, I thought of names like Clover The Clever, Cosmic Wonder, Gallopeio and Star Swirl The Bearded when I thought of the ultimate masters of magical knowledge and ability....but now, there's a new name to add to that list.

This whole time, I've thought of Eclipsa to be a chaotic, impulsive and violent lunatic, with just as much common sense as a breezy who thinks he can arm wrestle an Ursa Major. But now, I see what she really is deep down.

Eclipsa may have been a little out there, but she was also a genius! I mean, magic that can turn a few chocolate molds into living chocolate beetles? And all by drawing just a single mark, a mark that she created, herself?! I have never seen such powerful and advanced magic in my entire life.

Whatever Eclipsa's Mark is, it definitely warrants more study, with caution being exercised at all times of course.

Which is why we are trying another of Eclipsa's Recipes, that uses her mark, this one being for something called The Cursed Sandwich. From what I've read, it seems to be just a normal sandwich, but apparently if you fail to put the Eclipsa Mark in there, you will be cursed with bad luck upon eating the sandwich. Sounds tricky, but we can give it a shot. Odds are, we aren't going to be eating it ourselves, as it uses meat as a primary ingredient. But we'll figure something out.

(Trixie copies the recipe into the journal, while Starlight prepares the ingredients they had gotten before hand.)

Ingredients

Sliced ham

1/2 pound of ground beef

1/3rd cup of bread crumbs

1 Egg

salt and pepper

1/3 cup BBQ sauce

1 clove minced garlic

2 cups marinara sauce

1 large white bread sub sandwich bun

Eclipsa's Mark (Required to prevent Curse)

(Trixie is nervous about using another Eclipsa Mark, after the insane things she saw it was capable of doing. She compares the thing to Discord, in that it seemingly acts its own will upon the world, and the world simply obeys without explanation or reasoning. But she goes a step further, saying that the mark doesn't even obey the natural laws of magic in itself. Trixie is very clearly scared about it, but Starlight calms her down, saying this is the last time that they will be using it for anything. They can simply research more on it either from the book, or if possible, track down Treecicle (The author who left the note on the Book Of Friendship in the first place, when Starlight had first found it) and see what she knows about Eclipsa's Mark. Or even Eclipsa herself.)

(Trixie feels a bit better and decides to help her with this last recipe using the mark.)

First step, Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, BBQ sauce and salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well by hand. Form balls a little larger then ping pong balls. Set in fridge for 10 minutes.

(Starlight does so, setting each meatball on a tray and putting them in the freezer.)

Fill pot with oil and heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the meatballs until they are fully browned. Take the meat balls out of the pot and throw into an oven at 400 degrees for an additional 5 minutes.

(Starlight does so. The meatballs cook as the smell of cooking meat fills the kitchen. Trixie and Starlight both admit it smells amazing.)

Third, Slice the bread in half. Add marinara sauce to the base of the bottom half of the bread. Add the slices of ham. Top the ham with meatballs.

(The two mares prepare the sandwich, following the last few steps as instructed.)

Finally, Wear Eclipsa's mark somewhere on your body, before eating otherwise you WILL be cursed instantly. Enjoy!

(Starlight and Trixie both discuss that they should take the sandwich to Griffonstone, to see if any of the Griffins would like to try the sandwich. They make a charm necklace of Eclipsa's Mark to be worn while it's eaten, then head out.)

Description: "The term, 'To Die For', has been tossed around ALOT over the millennia. Well...now I've made a sandwich that will literally kill you if you eat it wrong. Your welcome :3"

Eclipsa

The Song Of Equestria (Ft. Songbird Serenade)

(Starlight puts in a few last minute calculations into the large recording device-like machine then turns it on)

Starlight: Hello?...Testing. Test, test.....cinnamon rolls are my favorite dessert.

Trixie: They are?

Starlight: I'm just making sure Twilight's machine works. Wait... yes! It works! Now we can just discuss what we find in the book, and this machine will turn our words into written words in the journal for us!

Trixie: How does THAT work?

Starlight: I dunno....magic?

Trixie: Wait...shouldn't we have waited to turn it on till we were ready to talk about the book?

Songbird: Does my voice show up too?....oh, cool! How does it know whose who, though?

Starlight:....magic.

Songbird: *Chuckles* A'right then.

Starlight: Okay, let's start over. *Ahem*.....Hello and welcome to my next entry in my, now voice written, journal regarding The Book Of Friendship and it's contents. I am Starlight Glimmer, but I would hope you've read my previous entries and knew that already.

Trixie: And I....Am THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, Trixie! *Several fireworks go off*

Starlight: *coughs* and *cough* we are joined today by the lovely and famous pony pop star, Songbird Serenade, who will be helping us analyze the latest chapter of The Book Of Friendship, that talks about something called The Song Of Equestria. Neither me, nor Trixie know anything about this, but our friend Songbird, does! So...let's get started.

Starlight's Journal: The Song Of Equestria

Starlight: Alright, so first off, welcome Ms. Songbird, and thanks for coming to discuss this with us!

Songbird: No worries. Glad to be here!

Starlight: Awesome! So tell us...what is The Song Of Equestria?

Songbird: The Song Of Equestria was apparently the very first song ever created in the world. I mean, the first REAL song, the first to carry in it all of the heart, the soul, the joy and the kindness inside a pony. The one that inspired music, to basically become what it is today. It was said to have the power to inspire all, and undo any evil...least that's what the stories say. I was just a filly, when my mom told me about it. But I've never forgotten about it.

Trixie: So...how come none of that's in the book? It just says the title and nothing else!

Songbird: Because it's not something that you can put into words. You have to hear music, FEEL it. I guess that applies to the Song Of Equestria. You have to hear it, to understand it.

Starlight: Do you know it?

Songbird: Nope. Nopony does. It was lost a really long time ago. But what it contributed to music is unparalleled. There probably wouldn't even be music if not for that one song.

Trixie: Great, but how do we discuss anything about a song nopony knows?!

Starlight: Well, we know it was written by Muse, an Alicorn musician. Do you know anything about her, Ms. Serenade?

Songbird: Hmmm...yes, but not much. I know she apparently never talked.

Starlight: Do you know why?

Songbird: This might sound weird, but....I think she was too smart to talk.

Trixie: Too smart to talk? What is that supposed to mean?

Songbird: Well....think about it. She wrote the first song in history. On her own she decided to use her gifts of music and singing and created a song with them. Something nopony else ever thought of doing, before her! That's pretty bucking smart...if you'll excuse my language.

Starlight: I suppose that makes sense. The book also says she was kind beyond reproach, which is why in my entry I compared her to Fluttershy.

Songbird: She had this way with, well...everyone. No matter who you were you couldn't help but respect her. You lay your coat on the ground for her to walk on, and she would go out and buy you a new coat, along with cleaning and steam pressing your old one.

Trixie: Huh. I don't see Fluttershy doing that.

Starlight: Trixie, be nice.

Trixie: Like Fluttershy or Muse?

Starlight: Both. Do you know who would know about The Song Of Equestria, Ms. Serenade?

Songbird: Honestly, I would say the only pony who would really know is Muse, herself. But even if she's alive, which is unlikely given how she would be over 100,000 years old, and you managed to find her...it's not like she would have much to say.

Starlight: Good point.

Songbird: But then again....I suppose the celestial princesses might know about it. I don't think they were even alive back then but they may have heard it somewhere when they were fillies. It's worth a shot.

Starlight: Hmmm...alright. Let's go see if they ever heard anything about it.

Trixie: Actually, I think I know someone else who might know, Starlight.

Starlight: Really? Who?

Trixie: You won't like it.

Starlight: Trixie, this is groundbreaking discoveries were making here! I could care less if I like it or not.

Trixie:....Discord.

Starlight:....No. No way.

Trixie: C'mon, Starlight! He's the most ancient being we know of, even more then the princesses! For all we know, he was around when Muse actually wrote the song! He would know better then anypony. And you know it.

Starlight: Ughh...you're right, I do know it.

Trixie: Buuut?

Starlight: I don't like it.

Trixie: Told ya.

(Entry ends abruptly)

The Twenty Kingdoms (Ft. Treecicle)

Treecicle's Notes: The Twenty Founding Kingdoms of The Alicorn Empire

When Omnipotence and Eclipsa first landed on Concordia, they ran into several already existing kingdoms, that would eventually combine their resources and go on to help Omnipotence and Eclipsa found The Alicorn Empire. Through helping and or befriending each kingdom, Omnipotence and Eclipsa gained favor with all twenty of the following provinces, and it was this alliance that would lead to the founding of the Alicorn Empire.

The Twenty Kingdoms

20.) Draconeqqusland: The Draconeqqi, were always in their own world. Literally. Draconeqqusland existed on the opposite side of our reality. A confusing, chaotic mess of nonsense and failing logic, but it was still home to the odd and out of place (in every sense of the word) Draconeqqi. It's thought that this place and its' terrifyingly powerful magic is what gives Discord his insane powers. Although, it begs the question, of what happened to the other Draconeqqi?

19.) The Crystal Empire: A magnificent and flourishing kingdom, that was ruled by the might Cyrstal KIng, a noble alicorn stallion who had left homeworld eons before Omnipotence and Eclipsa did. The empire was known for keeping it's borders open but secured, and anypony who wished to enter was more then welcome. Omnipotence allied with them after she saved a group of their soldiers from a terrfying Ursa Mega attack. (Think Ursa Major. But bigger. And Meaner.)

18.) Saddle Arabia: A quaint desert oasis in the sands to the east. Saddle Arabia was known for its citizens being, not ponies, nor alicorns....but horses. Taller and stronger then any pony, and with more defined features. They were proud and unwelcoming to visitors, preferring to live in theri desert oasis in peace. It was Omnipotence and Eclipsa that finally convicned them to open their borders, when Omni found she finds fezzes to be incredibly funny.

17.) Seaquestria: It would be 800 years till Oceana would become the first seapony and found the kingdom of Seaquestria, which was already allied with Omnipotence and Eclipsa.

16.) The Storm Kingdom: An extremely advanced military nation, ruled by a power mad storm beast, with aspirations of dominating everything, destroying Omnipotence's growing kingdom. After his defeat at the hooves of Omnipotence and Sacanas, she became the new Storm Queen and allied herself and the storm kingdom with Omnipotence and Eclipsa.

15.) The Eastern Unicorn Tribe: A peaceful valley to the east, of the very first unicorns. This tribe is famous for one day being the home of the legendary Mistmane. The land was ruled by an emperor obsessed with beauty, to the point where he was blinded at the state of his kingdom. It was Eclipsa that finally knocked some sense into him (Literally.)

14.) Pony Shire: A very quaint and small village that would one day be called Ponyville. Omnipotence aided the small village by helping them grow their crops, and they allied themselves to the sisters.

13.) Black Mountain Kingdom: A large scale mining kingdom, famous for its mining and shipping of precious gems and jewels harvested from the earth. However, it was also famous for it's extremely greedy and thieving citizens. On a visit to the kingdom,one thief made the very bad decision of trying to steal from Eclipsa. They changed their tune rather quickly after that.

12.) Fondue Kingdom: A festive kingdom, known for their jovial lifestyle, parties and music. While on vacation there, Omnipotence and Eclipsa saved it from an encroaching demon attack from The Hated Gates.

11.) Plum Kingdom: A dark and spooky kingdom of earth ponies, known for it's haunted house horror movie-esque atmosphere and overall Nightmare Night every night, feeling. Omnipotence and Eclipsa saved the kingdom from an ancient curse.

10.) Platinum Kingdom: Popularity's home, is an extremely regal high society kingdom, full of immense class and wealth. Popularity befriended Omnipotence and Eclipsa, when they visited the kingdom to help solve the mystery of their king who had mysteriously vanished from his palace.

9.) Chocolate Kingdom: An entire kingdom, where everything but its citizens is chocolate! Saved from an invasion of the Storm Kingdom's military by Omnipotence and Eclipsa.

8.) Science Kingdom: The most advanced kingdom of super genius unicorns that there has ever been, known for completely disregarding magic to focus on the pursuits of science. Famous for being the home of Clover The Clever's ancestors. Saved by Omnipotence from a horrifying dimension eater unleashed by a mad scientist.

7.) Flower Kingdom: A lavish kingdom of earth ponies, so in tuned with nature, they were able to manipulate the plants and trees to their wills. Allied with Omnipotence after she saved their most precious treasure, The Flower Of Eternity, from thieves.

6.) Juice Kingdom: A seaside kingdom known for its thousands of fruit trees and rivers and lakes of juice, as well as juice rain. Saved by Omnipotence, Eclipsa and Oceana from a massive seamonster attack.

5.) Cake Kingdom: A cloud kingdom of pegasus bakers. Their mayor was saved from a gang of sky pirates by Eclipsa.

4.) Snow Kingdom: The neighboring kingdom of The Storm Kingdom. Always capped with snow, and filled with gleaming ice spires and cities of snow and ice. Their queen was saved by Omnipotence and Sacanas from the clutches of The Storm Lord.

3.) Cheese Kingdom: A massive kingdom of cheese making earth ponies, inside of a massive cheese wheel. Saved from a swarm of Parasprites by Omnipotence.

2.) Nuts Kingdom: A kingdom of all things nuts and hundreds of nut farms, ruled by a Duchess Of Nuts. The Duchess bonded with Eclipsa over tea.

1.) Shadow Kingdom: Nothing is known about The Shadow Kingdom, nor why they allied themselves with Omnipotence. But what is known is the fact they were the last kingdom to ally with Omnipotence before the founding of The Alicorn Empire.

The First Friendship Test

The First Friendship Test

Created, Completed, Edited, Fine tuned and Tested by: Omnipotence, Muse, Surprise, Artemis, Popularity and Oceana

Supervised by: Eclipsa

Introduction

Hello, my esteemed subjects! And welcome to the first ever Friendship test, a specialized written test that will compile, analyze and score your overall ability to exercise friendship and what you can learn from it. This test was created by me and my friends, over weeks of study, proofreading, testing and application of each....Friendship Lesson, into modern Alicorn/ any other society. It's not perfect by any means, but it serves more to teach then to judge with scores.

Please read the following questions and answer each one honestly. Each question partakes to a certain aspect of friendship, that me and my friends all share and represent, and as such they themselves have written their own question on this test. Have fun!

Aspect I: Generosity

Your friend asks you to share with them your most prized possession. It means the world to you. Will you share it with them?

A.) Of Course
B.) No
C.) Never

Generosity is about sharing your talents and creations with friends to spread happiness all around you. Sharing your time and assistance is just as good as sharing your creations.

Aspect II: Kindness

A fellow pony is injured and alone. Do you console them?

A.) Of Course
B.) No
C.) Never

Always be kind to friends and share your kindness with others without expecting anything in return.

Aspect III: Laughter

Another pony is upset and crying about something that's happened to them. Would you do everything you could to cheer them up?

A.) Of Course
B.) No
C.) Never

Laughter is ALWAYS the best medicine. Never let fear stop you and instead teach others to giggle, guffaw, chortle and snortle at their fears until they disappear!

Aspect IV: Loyalty

Your friend confides in you a secret that would destroy their reputation if it got out. But another friend wants you to tell them. Do you keep your friend's secret?

A.) Of Course
B.) No
C.) Never

Competitiveness and aspirations to be all that you can be is great! But NEVER in spite of your loyalty to your friends. No matter what, ALWAYS stick by your friends, and they will always stick by you.

Aspect V: Honesty

You and your friend are responsible for accidentally smashing another friend's priceless vase. She enters the room and demands an explanation. She is clearly upset. Do you tell the truth?

A.) Of Course
B.) No
C.) Never

Honesty is always the best policy. A friend acts and speaks honestly at all times and is always trustworthy.

Final Aspect: Magic

What does Friendship mean to you?

There is no real way to answer this. You must simply know it in your heart.

Alternative Means For Settling A Dispute

As different as me and my dear sister are, we always look out for one another. And although keeping this planet together and running our own kingdoms does indeed get to us, and sometimes we even find ourselves arguing with one another, we always make up in the end.

For those times when we just can't seem to settle our differences, we have constructed alternative means for settling an argument other then us trying to kill each other, because if me and Omni ever did go at it for real, then the entire world (along with probably the universe itself) would be completely destroyed in the following battle to the death....not that I would ever do that. Love you Omni!

Love you too, dear sister. These are just a few of the ways me and Eclipsa have settled our differences without fighting. The next time you need to settle your differences with someone, feel free to try them yourself!

Staring Contest: I can't tell you how many wars were avoided because of an old fashioned staring contest. Of course we would always set a time limit of about 10 minutes, after which we would both blink at the same time, so nopony would technically lose, and we could end it in a tie.

The best thing about using a staring contest to settle a conflict is that afterwards, you're eyes will hurt so much that you'll both forget what you were doing it for anyway, and probably just go get ice cream or something.

Baking Contest: I'll say it now, Omni is the undisputed Queen of the Baking Contest (as well as being the actual queen of The Alicorn Empire) But, I can bake a pie that'll make you wanna strangle a penguin! Uh....that's a figure of speech.

.....I don't think that's a figure of any sort of speech, dear sister.

Stun Ray Duel: One thing to know about Alicorns is our horns are extremely capable weapons. It used to be that all matters on our home planet were settled through duels between alicorns using their horns to see who could hit their opponent the hardest.

These battles would usually if not always end in a bloody death, of one or both alicorns. Good times.

It's for this reason, that me and my sister would only ever use stun blasts and spells to knock the other off her hooves. We did this all the time as fillies, and it was always fun, and a productive way to settle an argument.

Hoof War: Ah, Hoof War. I'm proud to say that I am the long reigning champion of Hoof War, and have been since I was a filly.

That's because you broke everypony's arm that played against you!

I didn't break yours!

You mean you weren't able to. You tried like, 18 times.

....true.

Try Not To Laugh: This one was probably our favorite. Although I try to put on the regal air of stout grace and professionalism....I am sadly the worst at this game. I just get so giggly, sometimes even before the game even starts!

List of things that make Omni laugh: Cows wearing sunglasses, Cats dressed as dogs, Blowing the lowest note of a trumpet, the word "poot" and fezzes. Just fezzes in general.

....I mean, they just look like buckets on top of a pony's head! *Snickers* Why would anypony wear a bucket on their head?! *Bursts out laughing*

....This is why were not allowed in Saddle Arabia anymore.

Boulder Toss: Tossing boulders was another fun pastime back home. You would use your magic to toss the heaviest boulder you could out into the deserts, and whoever got there's farthest would win.

Although we don't have a lot of room to do the full power tosses we did back home, so we just stick to the garden. its all good fun.

Unless your dumb enough to be in the gardens when we do it. Then its even more fun!

Hug It Out: This is my personal favorite. It just shows that even though we fight, we will always love one another.

Right. Although, somepony has told me that I hug too tightly.

Well...I mean...you do.

*scoffs* I do not!

When Starherald needs to summon the Royal Guard to bring the jaws of life to get me out of your arms, I would call that too tight!

Eh, Potato, Tomato.

....You mean Potato, Potatto?

....What the f@#%s a Potatto?

The Secrets Of Mane Magic

(Starlight and Trixie return from their trip to Fluttershy's cottage in search of Discord. Chocolate drips down from all over them, from their manes to their hooves. They both look quite annoyed and angry. Trixie takes off her hat only for a swarm of butterflies to fly out and soar through the nearby window. Her mane flops down on her head, stained from the chocolate. Trixie lets out a small whimper of horror)

(Starlight is too frustrated to write anything and just uses Twilight's machine again. It hums loudly as she switches it on.)

Starlight: *Angry sigh* This is Starlight's Journal, entry...whatever.

Trixie: *Whimpers*

Starlight: Trixie?

Trixie: L-look...look at my mane, Starlight! It's ruined!!

Starlight: It's not....ruined, it just needs, um...touched up!

Trixie: Then touch it up! I can't do this with my mane looking like a dirty dishrag on my head!

Starlight: Huh. Actually, I remember seeing something in the book that might help!

(Starlight fetches The Book Of Friendship from its pedestal and flips through the pages, stopping at the beginning of a chapter that seemed to detail a variety of mane styles and spells used for fixing manes, created by Popularity)

Starlight: Here! "The Secrets Of Mane Magic" written by Popularity, herself!

Trixie: Does it say how to fix my mane?

Starlight: Well, yes. But Mane Magic is always tricky, even for the most learned of unicorns. It didn't go so well when me and Twilight tried to fix Rarity's mane in time for her photo shoot.

Trixie: But its the Secrets of Mane Magic! So it's stuff nopony else knows about it right?

Starlight: Maybe, but still-

Trixie: Just do it, Starlight! Anything would be better then this!

Starlight: Okay, Okay! Let me see here....

(Starlight scans the pages of Popularity's chapter on Mane Magic. She sees several diagrams of different mane styles as well as "Disaster" scenarios, detailing the secret to fixing any ruined mane. A picture of a mare with a dirty, saggy mane indicated Starlight had found the spell she was looking for. It looked rather complicated, but she had confidence she could pull it off.)

Starlight: Okay....ready?

Trixie: Ready!

(Starlight checks the diagram one more time before casting the spell. Magical energy envelopes her horn, and swirls around her. Electricity crackles from her horn as a massive magical blast explodes from it, and hits Trixie right in the face, toppling her over backwards.)

(Starlight runs over to Trixie, worried. "Trixie! Are you alright?" she asks in a worried voice. Trixie stumbles forward and is clearly disoriented and dizzy. But her mane looks perfectly clean and groomed now.)

(Despite the success of the spell, both Trixie and Starlight decide to ignore this chapter of the book, for safety reasons.)

Arcanichalcum

(Starlight asks Trixie if she would like to help write this next entry. But Trixie is too busy reading through a chapter of the book detailing advanced stage magics and acts of prestidigitation. She's far too engrossed for a full answer and merely waves a hoof for Starlight to go on without her)

(Starlight rolls her eyes then opens her journal to a fresh page and scribbles the title at the top)

Starlight's Journal: Arcanichalcum

Archanichalcum is a hypothetical naturally occurring element first coined by Star Swirl The Bearded in one of his later texts. He describes it as and I quote: "Very pretty. A translucent blue crystal-like material, that is extraordinarily heavy, yet when measured, it weighs less then nothing. It has mysterious unknown properties of which we are unable to decipher in our age. The only thing we know is that it is able to store and preserve magic, seemingly, indefinitely. A natural element, yet nigh impossible to find, and even rarer to find in more then a few small pieces." End Quote.

Now, Oceana, friend of Omnipotence and The First Element Of Loyalty, as well as the queen of Seaquestria, had discovered Arcanichalcum on the ocean floors, thousands of years before Star Swirl's parents were even born. She details her findings and thoughts in her chapter in The Book Of Friendship. She says, and I quote:

"The more of it we find, the more we feel we must know about it. My scientists have uncovered several more slabs of the stuff while I write this, and they have already discovered several things about it."

"One: It's naturally occurring, and it has apparently been on this planet for far longer then any of us have."

"Two: It has incredible magical properties, but more so it seems that it is able to preserve any kind of magic for an unlimited amount of time. Somehow, as long as there is another piece of this stuff somewhere in the world, then it's all completely unaffected by time or damage. We haven't managed to even scratch a single piece yet."

"Three: One of my scientists in particular, Coral, has informed me that if it were needed, Arcanichalcum can also be used to preserve a pony in suspended animation, keeping them alive for thousands if not hundreds of thousands of years. It would also halt the aging process, keeping them the same age as when they were first frozen in the stuff. Of course, such a thing is ludicrous to think as a possibility. Research will continue as expected."

It's the last thing she says, that speaks to me the most: "Suspended animation, keeping them alive for thousands if not hundreds of thousands of years."

Immortality or at least agelessness has only ever been a quality of ancient alicorns, most notably Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who have been the same age for over a thousand years, and alive for several more thousand.

Now...what if other ponies could do this? Staying alive, perfectly ageless for untold centuries. I can only imagine the possibilities.

Encasing yourself for preservation is one thing, but what if Arcanichalcum's ageless properties could be harnessed to simply allow a pony to live as long as Celestia and Luna? Perhaps a talisman or charm of some kind.

I'll do some side research into this, in addition to my entries on The Book Of Friendship. I may also bring Twilight into helping me with this as well. I feel like I haven't even begun to scratch the surface on what this mysterious element can teach us.

For now, I will end my latest entry here. I may also add any findings on Arcanichalcum I discover to my journal, along with future entries.

Until my next one!

Surprise's Super Spectacular Party Guide (Ft. Surprise)

HIYA!

And welcome to: Surprise's Super Spectacular Party Guide (With Me! SURPRISE!)

Now, a lot of ponies ask me, "Surprise?" Then I say "HIYA! What's up?" Then they say "How exactly do you throw a party?" And then I'm all like "WHAAAAAAAAAT??"

Turns out, not everypony in the empire actually knows how to throw a party. And I mean a REAL party, with cake and balloons and streamers, and dancing and chimichangas and bowling where the balls are actually painted watermelons, and leaf blowers shaped like giraffes and...okay, we should start out small, I think.

SOOOOO, I'm here to teach you, a citizen of The Alicorn Empire, or perhaps somepony from hundreds of thousands of years into the future (If that's the case, Hey future ponies!! Or aliens!) a step by step process on how to throw a party.

Let's get started!!

Step 1: Pinata

It's not a party till you have a pinata stuffed so full of candy and treats, that just looking at it will cause it to burst open! A Piñata is a container often made of an Alicorn invention we call *ahem* Pay-per-Mash-eh or sometimes a painted beehive (Don't try it though) that is decorated, and filled with small toys or candy, or both, and then broken using a huge whacking stick as part of a ceremony or celebration. It comes from the Klugican term for "Small Colored Beast with Lottsa Candy In'it" which is.....Pinata. Yay! learning is fun!

Unfortunately it's not easy to get your hooves on one, as they are only exported to certain shops from Klugica, WAAAAAAAY south of The empire. So, I'm going to teach you how to make one!

You'll need:

Scissors

Tape (Any kind! Even duct tape!)

Glue

-Tissue paper in the following colors: Blue, pink, red, orange, yellow and green. Note: They do not have to be used in that order. It'll look pretty no matter what!)

A star shaped balloon (These can be bought from ANY local party store. Especially mine!)

Five colored party hats (Any color is fine!)

One cup of flour

One and a half cup of water and a mixing bowl

A paintbrush

A roll of sturdy string (Sturdy's a funny word! *snickers*)

Here's how to make it!

First blow up your balloon. You could uses a pump, but *Pbbt* who uses a pump, when you got a mouth right there! (Unless your an alien, in which case you probably have five or more.)

Once its blown up, take one of your party hats, place it on the top of the star, and tape it down! Now do the same to the other points of the balloon, till it looks all pointy and stuff!

Next we make the Pay-per-mash-eh. Don't worry if your not an alicorn. I will walk you through this insanely risky and difficult process. Just stay calm and everything will be fine! Okay, first pour the cup of flour into your mixing bowl. This next part is REALLY difficult for non-alicorns, but I have faith in you! Your next step is...pour the water into the mixing bowl WITH the water. I know, I know, it sounds insane but trust me! You got this! Just mix it with a mixing spoon or whatever utensil you have close by. Yes, even that lamp on your desk can be used as a mixing instrument.

If you made it through that, congratulations! You have just created what we alicorns call Pay-per-Mash-eh.

Next, take a newspaper (preferably an old one, unless you don't like newspapers in general) and cut it with your scissors using your magic. If you are not an alicorn and therefore are unable to even pick up let alone use scissors, just come to The Great Alicorn City, and I'll help you! Or ask the nearest Alicorn to you...which could also be me!

Cut the newspaper into 2 inch wide strips. Next, coat each strip of paper with your floury-watery glue stuff (They really should come up with a name for that stuff. Maybe Pay-per-mash-eh Guh-loo?) then take two hooves and gently brush the excess gluey stuff off the strip, before placing it on the balloon. Do this to as many strips as it takes to cover the whole balloon.

Now wait for it to dry!

While that's drying, let's move on to our next step!

Step 2: Cupcakes

What's better then a full sized cake? Nothing. But cupcakes are a very close second! I'm currently the only alicorn capable of making a batch of these yummy creations of the empire. But I'll teach you my recipe, so you can make them too!

I'll be teaching you how to make my recipe for chocolate cupcakes, because those are the best kinds of cupcakes.

You will need:

1 2/3rds cups of Sugar (I use a fine sugar, not too fine, but just...fiiiine, you know?)

2 3/4ths cups of flour

2 sticks of softened butter

1 cup of water

-1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa

3 eggs

3 tbsp vegetable oil

4 tsp of baking powder

2 tsp of vanilla

Here's how to make em!

First, dump all your ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl. Be sure to put in your dry ingredients first, so you don't get a big cloud of flour and cocoa in you face.

Next, we mix it up! Now, we alicorns have a spell that instantly mixes ingredients for potions and baking and just when we need to mix some stuff. If you are not an alicorn, or your like me and prefer to do things a more fun way, then just mix it with either a magically powered electric mixer (another alicorn invention) or just use a mixing spoon. If your teeth start to hurt if your using a spoon, then take a break before starting again!

Keep mixing till it's visibly light brown (You know like chocolate!) Scoop any excess batter from the sides back into the center of the bowl, and then mix again one last time.

Now take an ice cream scoop, and drop a single scoop of batter into each of your cupcake cups. Don't overfill them, now!

Now, pop em in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for twelve to fifteen minutes. You'll know they're done when you poke em in the center and they pop back up, instead of sinking in.

After they've cooled off, have fun decorating them with whatever icing and toppings you want! Enjoy!

Now that the cupcakes are done, let's finish that Pinata so we can move on to our next step!

Once your Pinata is fully dry, cut a small hole in it for putting in candy and treats. Next, take that colored tissue paper and just go nuts with decorating it! You can line it up along the surface and make it look striped, or just glue them at random on there! Do whatever you like! Don't worry if it looks a little weird. You're going to be smashing it anyways, silly!

Before you close up the hole, poke a little hole above it, so you can put a string in there to hang it up. Tie the string tightly then close the hole, using a small square of cardboard and duct tape.

Now, all you have to do is hang it up so we can smash it later!

Step 3: Cookies

A wise pony once said "Chocolate chip Cookies are awesome." And then I was all like, "Yeah, but what's better then normal chocolate chip cookies?" and they said "What?" and then I grabbed their face and got real close and was all "Giant Chocolate chip cookies." And then he was all "WHHHOOOOAAA!"

Unfortunately, all the empire has is normal sized chocolate chip cookies. Which is UNACCEPTABLE! So, here's how to make my GIANT chocolate chip cookies, for your party!

You'll need:

2 sticks of butter

12 ounces of chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 eggs

3/4ths cup brown sugar

3/ 4ths cup sugar (just regular sugar, this time!)

2 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of vanilla

a pinch of salt

Here's what to do!

First, combine all your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then use a whisk (That's fun to say!) to whisk it all together till its all mixed in.

Next, add the rest of the ingredients and use a magically powered electric mixer to mix it all together till its nice and thick (but not too thick!)

Next, add your chocolate chips, and mix it all again, this time with a mixing spoon, so as to really blend in the chips and the batter.

Now that we have our batter, take an ice cream scoop and scoop out 1 scoop of batter then plop it on a cookie sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper. Continue to plop (which is also fun to say!) till you have the number of cookies you want.

Now take your hoof and just flatten each ball just a bit, till its a patty, but not quite flat. Now, put em in the oven at 375 degrees for about 7 to 9 minutes. Once there done, take em out and let them cool before enjoying them!

Now that we have our Pinata, our cupcakes and our cookies, it's time for the single most important part of ANY party: THE CAKE.

Step 4: The Cake

If it doesn't have a cake, then it is NOT a real party! Now, I was originally going to feature my super secret recipe for Surprise's Extra Whipplescrumptious 37 Tier Fudgemallow Mega Mountain Cake Supreme....but I don't think you have a 600 sq mile baking pan to make it in, sooooo, I'll be teaching you how to make a much smaller TWO tier version of the cake. Don't worry! Despite it not having 37 tiers, it'll still be delicious!

You'll need:

1 cup plus 2 tbsp of milk

2 and a quarter cup of sugar

7 eggs (But were just using the egg whites)

3 cups of flour

1 quarter plus 1 8th tsp almond extract

3 tsp vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

3 tsp baking powder

6 tbsp shortening

3/4ths cup of butter

Here's what you'll need to do!

First, dump all of your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, then your wet ingredients. Then use our friend, the Magically Powered...you know what? Let's just call it a Hoof Mixer. It's a better (and shorter) name anyway. Use the Hoof Mixer to mix all your ingredients into a nice creamy cake batter.

Now, grease two 10 inch baking pans and two 8 inch baking pans, then divide the batter evenly into each pan. Now pop em into an oven preheated to 350 degrees, and bake the smaller cake for about 45 minutes, and the larger cake for about an hour.

Once all the cakes are done and cooled, decorate them however you like! It's your party after all!

Step 5: Decorations (balloons, streamers, confetti cannon, themed cups and plates, decorative napkins)

Decorations are a HUGE part of any party! without decorations , then it's just a gathering of ponies enjoying themselves....and that's not right! They're supposed to be having fun! Of course there are a TON of options when it comes to decorations. Here are some options, just to name a few.

Traditional

Gangster Theme

Mystery Theme

Fruit Theme

Cute Theme

Animal Theme

Summer Time Theme

Spooky Theme

Retro Theme

-Beach Theme

Cactus Theme

Carnival Theme

Casino Theme

Zebrican Fiesta Theme

Luau Theme

Movie Night Theme

Sea Pony Theme

Ninja Theme

Ciderfest Theme

Paris Theme

Parrot Theme

Pineapple Theme

Pirate Theme

Princess Theme

Rockstar Theme

Sports Theme

Superhero Theme

Western Theme

Zoo Theme

Step 6: Music And Dancing (Surprise's Party Playlist* They are all songs written by Muse)

Music and Dancing go hoof in hoof in my opinion! You wan to make sure you have music that everypony can dance to! Well....I say ,dance but....I think I'm the only Alicorn who knows how to dance. I'm not sure if it's a pride thing, or maybe the wings getting caught on stuff and knocking stuff over, but....Alicorns can't dance. But I'm more then willing to teach what I know! As for Music, I personally recommend my own personal playlist (Available now on Alitunes!) Because all the other music in The empire isn't the kind of music you can dance to, more like....fall asleep to. (Except for Muse's songs. Those are just...perfect.)

As for dancing, here's some dances that even the clumsiest Alicorn can master!

The Flogger
The Garble
The Flub
The Spurrit
The Dove
The Hush
The Gambol
The Daydream
The Zigzag
The Waver
The Buffet
The Jiggle
The Big Beat
The Goose
The Glitch
The Goad
The Slapdash
The Whirl
The Libble
The Squeek
The Siggy
The Twitch
The Mirage
The Maggle
The Faddy
The Swivel 'n Swerve
The Snap
The Bobble
The Shimsham
The Sliver
The Swerve
The Nazzle
The Jolly
The Flub
The Hush
The Skippit
The Melo
The Swoop
The Hitch
The Scant
The Crumble
The Rass
The Folly
The Tangle
The Daydream
The Jiggle
The Chic
The Pivot
The Hash
The Trifle
The Rane
The Flogger
The Scouge
The Tangle
The Thump
The Biddy
The Beast
The Edge
The Flitter
The Wicked
The Chomp
The Kink
The Stripstrap
The Garble
The Tweak
The Spark
The Dart
The Goose
The Swivel
The Toots
The Bulldozer
The Joggy
The Hash
The Bounce
The Leapfrog
The Crumble
The Jostle
The Nudge
The Daydream
The Cudge
The Widget
The Shimsham
The Cudge
The Vigger
The Snipsnap
The Goad
The Goose
The Jump Step
The Faddy
The Jigg
The Bobble
The Spurrit
The Scrunch
The Swivel 'n Swerve
The Sembla
The Jump Step
The Stragle
The Bubble
The Snats
The Libble
The Slither
The Spurrit
The Gliss
The Shift Shuffle
The Melo
The Tweak
The Cudge
The Spout
The Rubble
The Shimsham
The Trifle
The Ide
The Bird
The Champ
The Bird Is The Word
The Squeek
The Mash
The Pint
The Spout
The Melo

And my personal favorite, The Futter Whacken!

Step 7: Food (Besides cupcakes) and Refreshments

Cupcakes and Cookies are amazing! But when you're throwing your party, always be sure to have plenty of other food for ALL your guests! Luckily, the empire is known for it's amazing dishes, and I've listed a few below for you to try! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to list the recipes for these as they are WAY too complicated for me, but the empire has plenty of catering to help you get these for your party!

Gentle-Fried Basil & Mint Venison
Seared Sweet & Savory Beef
Slow-Cooked Vegetables & Lobster
Dry-Roasted Empire-Style Scallops
Pressure-Cooked Apples & Walnut Potato Wedges
Marinated Cinnamon Risotto
Pineapple and Almond Crispies
Elderberry and Honey Fruitcake
White Wine Sundae
Grapefruit Pudding
Smoked Western-Style Yak
Dry-Roasted Salty & Sour Quail
Shallow-Fried Orange & Mustard Salmon
Pressure-Cooked Basil & Cinnamon Salmon
Barbecued Saffron Risotto
Stir-Fried Almonds & Avocado Potato Wedges
Hazelnut and Nutmeg Sorbet
Almond and Hazelnut Fruit Salad
Walnut Cheesecake
Lime Candy
Steamed Salt & Pepper Duck
Oven-Grilled Cheese & Quail
Shallow-Fried Chestnuts & Trout
Stuffed Salt & Savory Tuna
Dried Honey-Coated Nut Mix
Pickled Cocoa & Mushroom Soup
Passion Fruit and Gooseberry Bread
Peanut and Cashew Snacks
Cashew Jam
Honey Pudding

Step 8: Games

A party without games for everypony to play is.....a party without games to play! And that's no fun! There are plenty of games to play at a party, but one of the most fun is Cider Pong! (Non-alchoholic Cider, cause the other stuff makes my Surprise fro all frizzy!) Cider Pong has alot of rules and stuff, and I actually don't know all the rules to be able to tell you how to play. But! I can teach you the most fun way to play!

First, everypony should be blindfolded. Then spun around, then they turn around and throw the ball over their shoulder. Oh! And they should standing on their head too!

Then you hold the ball between your hind legs, and just swing it to where you think the cup is! If you get it, then everypony shouts a random vegetable! Then you take off your blindfold to see how many points you got!

Around stage two, is when we bring out the giraffe! But, that's for another day...

Step 9: Atmosphere

Is everypony having fun at your party? The most important thing about being the host of a party is making sure the atmosphere is enjoyable to everyone and everything at your party! Chatting with guests, asking if they are enjoying themselves, and overall making sure the presentation of the party is fun, exciting and FUN! (Twice the fun!)

Final Step: Invitations

You can't have a party, without other ponies to party your pony party with! Invitations are easily found in stationary and gifts shops all over the empire. But, it's always more fun to just create your own! But before you do that, decide what your party's theme will be! (This is also covered in Step 5.) It could be a fun birthday party, or an awesome dance party, or a spooky costume party or even a party party, or a party that is simply a party for the sake of being a party. It's up to you! Feel free to come up with your own ideas for super amazing party themes as well!

Depending on the theme, the invitations you send out should match the party's theme! So for example, we throw a super fancy dinner party at a Victorian manor unlike any other, but it turns out to be a murder mystery party, then we would have stationary invitations, hoof delivered by well dressed messenger ponies and a carriage to take guests to the party! Have fun with it, and don't be afraid to go nuts with the elaborate stuff!

Anyways, that about wraps up my chapter for now. I know,I know, I'm sad I have to go too.

But, don't worry, I'll be back soon! And I'll be sure to teach you lots more awesome stuff!

Until then, Have fun, drink your milk, hug an elephant and RUTABEGAS!

Surprise

Letters Between Sisters III

My Dearest Sister,

I have been receiving numerous noise complaints from citizens living on the shores of the empire. They keep talking about hearing impossibly loud shouting coming from Black Skull Island (which, I'm sure by pure coincidence, is where you are currently staying.) Apparently you have been shouting so loud that entire towns on the seaboard are being hit with sudden quakes and tremors, and several citizens are afraid that if it continues, half of the country will fall into the sea!

Eclipsa....I have no idea why you are shouting so much, nor how you are doing it at such a ridiculously high volume, but please be more considerate of our citizens! And their ears.

Love,

Omni

My Dearest Sister,

First off, I'm not actually shouting. Having those stupid dragons as neighbors has actually come of use for once! I've learned to channel my voice to speak as loud and tremendously as they do! I call it THE ROYAL VOICE!! Just a heads up, I shouted that last part out loud, and it was much louder then normal so a vase next to you probably shattered for no reason. Sorry about that.

Anyway, I still have some improvements to make and I still need to practice how to really put more volume into the sentences. I've been practicing on the many sea monsters around the island, and the ones that have survived really seem shaken by it! Progress!

I'm sure if you wanted, I could teach you how to do THE ROYAL VOICE as well! But I'm pretty sure only powerful alicorns like me and you have the proper magical balance and power to actually channel our voices like that. So, normal alicorns can't do it. Or anypony else for that matter. But that's fine! It could be a thing for just us! Only the rulers of the empire may use THE ROYAL VOICE!

As for any complaints you receive, I'll be more then happy to "talk" to them. I'm sure we can come to an understanding.

Love,

Eclipsa

The Tremors Of Saddle Arabia

(Trixie sat quietly, while Starlight started writing another entry in her journal)

Starlight's Journal: The Tremors Of Saddle Arabia

Something that, admittedly would make an awesome Daring Do title, was also a mysterious event that occurred during Omnipotence and Eclipsa's reign as rulers of The Alicorn Empire. Almost nothing about it is really known, and the circumstances surrounding when it started is also a mystery.

Around the end of the fall months, the desert nation of Saddle Arabia suddenly began experiencing strange and unexplained quakes and tremors, surging out from somewhere beneath the ground. At first they were ignored, but as the days passed, the tremors got worse. Eventually cities and whole towns were in danger of being swallowed by the encroaching desert sands.

In need of help, the sultan sent a messenger to The Great Alicorn City, asking for Omnipotence and Eclipsa's help with dealing with these tremors. In response, the sisters sent their best alicorn soldiers and the captain of the guard, a mighty alicorn mare named Cracker.

The book actually contains the letter that Cracker sent back to the sisters after two weeks of her and her royal guard investigating the strange events happening in Saddle Arabia.

I've copied it below.

Dear Queen Omnipotence,

Regarding our attempts to quell the mysterious tremors that have been plaguing Saddle Arabia....they haven't been going well. I'm fairly sure half of these guys are either dead or insane. All the guards have lost their nerve, curled up on the floor, rocking back and forth and whispering to themselves about "The Voices", like not even trying to be guards or anything. Me and Smoothie have decided that it would be best for us to return to the empire (with the few guards we have left that are still at least partially sane) and regroup, along with coming up with a better plan to deal with whatever the f@#%s going on over here. We will be back on Saturday. See you then!

- Cracker, Captain Of The Alicorn Empire Royal Guard

There isn't anymore after that. Either they never found out what was causing the tremors, or....Cracker never made it back to tell anypony.

I will look into this mystery in other books, but I doubt they will have anything worth detailing in an entry.

Although, I do have a few theories on what those tremors could've been, but I will have to do more research first before I'm able to properly list them.

For now, I'll end this brief entry here.

The Lost Alicorn Empire Time Capsule

In order to preserve the legacy and greatness that was The Alicorn Empire, the Historical Alicorn Society had a time capsule made that would preserve some of the empires greatest achievements and treasures for future generations to come. Unfortunately, the location as to where it was buried was lost to time, and I have yet to get a warrant to start digging up all of Equestria to search for it.

Luckily, everything they put in it is listed in this chapter of the book. I will go over all of them as we go down the list.

Time Capsule Contents

Alicorn Meatballs Recipe: Hoofwritten by Gourmet, The empire's top chef. Gourmet was a stern and very serious individual, reowned for his amazing cooking talents. This recipe for Alicorn Empire Signature Meatballs was apparently his crowning achievement.

Small wooden box with a lock of Queen Omnipotence's Mane inside: Queen Omnipotence's mane is described as "Beyond breathtakingly beautiful. An ever flowing river of a trillion colors and dreamlike patterns that brought everypony who saw it on the verge of tears." I would very much like to see that.

Magical Recording Crystal of Queen Omnipotence's voice greeting the ponies of the future on behalf of The Alicorn Empire: This is perhaps the most notable one.

Two Empire Cream Cakes still in their wrapper: Empire Cream Cakes were a signature treat of The Great Alicorn City. A hoof baked mini Chocolate cake with a whipped cream filling. Apparently, Surprise baked and packaged all of them herself.

A Working Alicoprotractor: An Alicoprotractor is an ancient alicorn-made instrument that allows the user to calculate both mathematics and Philosophy. I would very much like this so I can calculate Twilight's math skills as well as pretty much everything else she says.

A Guide On The Alicorn Written Word: The very first language, both written and spoken, was that which Omnipotence and Eclipsa spoke, known simply as The Alicorn Language. This remained the main language until the creation of The Earth Pony, Unicorn and Pegasus Tribes, where the new language became known as "Ponish" Or "Olde Ponish" As its known today.

"Non-Perishable" Bacon: I'm not a hundred percent sure why this is in here. Although The ancient Alicorns were frequent meat eaters, Ponies today? Not so much. In fact I think it's best that this remain a secret. I shudder to think of how Fluttershy would react to it.

Children's Book (Omnipotence & Eclipsa And The Journey To Concordia): Part of Omnipotence and Eclipsa's outreach to their citizens was the creation of this colorful and very well written children's book, detailing the sister's journey to Concordia from their homeworld.

Fake Mustaches: I'm going to guess that these were put in here by Surprise.

A quart of Alicorn Empire Sea Salt Ice Cream: Another favorite treat of the empire, that was also made by Surprise (she really was the pinkie pie of the alicorn empire) and was insanely popular, being one of the empire's chief exports all across Concordia. There was so much at one point, that there may still be some out there.

Duct tape bow ties along with instructions on how to make duct tape bow ties: Probably another Surprise from our friend, Surprise.

Birthday card and recipe for The Ultimate Birthday Cake from Surprise: Okay...now this, this is the thing that I just have to find. When Surprise says its the ultimate cake, she means it. "So fluffy, the cake literally floats off the ground." "The chocolate icing is so silky, that it slides and jumps around in whatever bowl it's held in, as if it's trying to escape." "And the whipped cream topping is so delicious, you'll nearly pass out from the taste alone." Now...imagine if Pinkie Pie baked this cake. She'd never need to bake again.

Timberwolf skull: One of Artemis's trophies. It's significantly larger then a typical Timberwolf skull from today.

Magical Energy Processor: A mysterious translucent crystal that both amplifys and distributes magic.

An Alicorn Blood Sample: A perfectly preserved blood sample to be used for medical science, and the advancement of magical ability.

An Instruction Manual for a Magically Powered Drink Maker: Again...why is this in here?

Alicorn Carrot, Cucumber and Cauliflower seeds: The vegetables that were grown in The alicorn empire, were famous for their huge size and remarkable energizing qualities. They are apparently very hard to grow outside of the empire. But not impossible.

Pack of Alicorn Empire Currency: Before Bits were the traditional Equine currency, The Alicorn Empire used a form of paper currency called "More" ($M$)

A framed picture of Queen Omnipotence and Eclipsa with their friends: Even in their vast differences, Omnipotence and Eclipsa had very loving friends, not unlike Twilight and her friends.

The Museum Of The Alicorn Empire

Starlight's Journal: The Museum Of The Alicorn Empire

Although, the real museum is probably in ruins by now, The Book Of Friendship does indeed have a chapter on this magnificent monument to the Alicorn Empire's greatness. I only hope the exhibits are still around and undamaged.

1.) The Head Of The Flying Dutchman: Mounted on a wall: The Flying Dutchman was the name of an Alicorn fishing vessel that went missing after it tried to cross through Eternity's Crossing. The only thing found of the ship was it's figurehead, called "The Head Of The Flying Dutchman."

2.) A hanging scale model of a Frogfish: Back before there were many of the dangerous creatures outside Equestria today, The outskirts of The Alicorn Empire was known for having Frogfish lurking in it's oceans. Huge, hulking, monstrous fish with rows of thousands of jagged needle like teeth and an appetite for anything smaller then them. (And we thought Ursas were bad!)

3.) Our Lady Omnipotence: One of The Alicorn Empire's greatest artworks depicts the unimaginably beautiful and graceful Queen of the Alicorns, Omnipotence as she is portrayed in a similar fashion to Aphrodite.

4.) Muse Creates Music: A statue of the famous Alicorn, Muse, holding the very lute she used to create the first Alicorn Song.

5.) The Art Bubble: A giant bubble containing various art tools and paints used to craft some of the empire's more refined masterworks, frozen in time.

6.) The Book Of Oceanography: An ancient book of many fantastic wonders the Alicorn Empire researched and catalogued about their findings in the field of Oceanography. However the Book Of Friendship contains much more in detail. The book is displayed, frozen in time within a bubble of Arcanichalcum. This should mean it's still perfectly preserved, even after thousands of years.

7.) Bust Of Alicortes: A marble bust of Famous Alicorn Philosopher, Alicortes, who first coined the principles of Ancient Alicorn Mathematics.

8.) The Alicoprotractor: A golden protractor that's capable of calculating both mathematics and philosophy. These things were extremely rare and stupidly difficult to create or use. Still, the value of such an instrument is obvious.

9.) The Knowledge Machine: A gigantic super quantum computer that is able to answer any question with the correct answer no matter what the question entails. Unless there is no answer. I'm not sure about this one, mostly because no machine can answer any question, and second I'm fairly sure that it hasn't survived the past hundred thousand years of inactivity.

10.) The Celestial Solar System : A large scale model of the Equestrian Solar System. With Concordia and all surrounding planets, as well as the sun and moon.

11.) Artemis Bow: The Massive Jade Bow and Diamond arrows used by the Alicorn Huntress, and the first Element Of Honesty, Artemis. Its required that the user pull back the string with 120 tons of force to fire an arrow.

12.) The Historia Alicorn: A massive stone tablet displaying the history and foundation of The Alicorn Empire and building of the Great Alicorn City.

13.) The Cheese Bubble: An artistic display of a bubble in the shape of cheese, frozen inside another bubble.

14.) The World's Lightest Bubble: A feather shaped bubble that weighs 100% less than thin air.

15.) The World's Heaviest Bubble: A large hourglass shaped bubble that weighs 1 metric ton.

16.) The Metal Bubble: A titanium bubble lined with a tungsten, strontium and thallium shell.

17.) The World's Stickiest Bubble: Basically a soap stain stuck to the inside of another larger bubble.

Letters Between Sisters V

My Dearest Sister,

I write to you on this occasion regarding the smoke coming from Greenbit. At first I assumed it was another test from Firebrand's fireworks displays, but judging from the color and smell, that is not the case. It belonged to a sleeping dragon. Now, I'm not surprised a dragon decided to nest in that mountain. That spot has always been trouble, as all sorts of dragons have nested there before. Usually in preparation for the great migration back to the Isle Of scales.

Still, we were trying to discourage that by blocking the caves off. But every time we did so, a new dragon would show up and casually knock the boulders we set up aside, before settling in.

On that note: This does not mean you are allowed to just go in and start a fight with this dragon! I am saying this, by the slimmest of chances you have any intention of doing this, please do NOT start anything with the dragon!

I am sending some guards and foremares over there, and they'll be sure to take care of this situation. Until they arrive, DO NOT do anything rash, violent or excitable. This dragon is not plotting against us. it is not here for our jobs. It is a dragon, and it is just resting.

Treat this creature with the utmost respect, and Leave It Alone! I don't want you to turn this into another fiasco like you did when we visited their sacred burial grounds. I had to write a letter filled with so many sorry's and apologies, my horn cramped, thanks to your suggestion that they move a few of em, to make room for a swimming pool.

Nevertheless, stay safe, dear sister.

And STAY AWAY from that dragon!

Love,

Omni

My Dear Sister,

I would never dream of committing such an irresponsible act! Why the very idea that you would even suggest I would do such a thing is beyond shocking, and frankly I am rather offended that you think of me that way. Shame on you, Omni! Shame!

On a completely unrelated note, I would have the villages below Greenbit evacuated.....NOW.

Love,

Eclipsa

P.S: No, seriously like, right now.

Mane Magic II (Ft. The Great And Powerful Trixie)

(Trixie nervously sits on a stool while Starlight writes the title for her latest entry. She seems excited about something.)

Starlight's Journal: Mane Magic II (Retrying Popularity's spells involving Mane Magic)

So, I feel that we judged Popularity's chapter on Mane Magic too harshly, in our entry featuring it.

I Don't!

Regardless, we clearly have a lot to learn, but Mane Magic is one of the trickiest types of spellwork known to Unicorns! We owe it to ourselves to study it more in depth. If we can better understand how it works, it will benefit all of Equestria! Maybe the whole world!

But why do I have to be the guinea pig!?

Because the first spell worked perfectly on you! Whose to say that they all won't work just as well?

No! I refuse to be apart of anything that could turn my precious mane into a nest of bees or a yak's tail or-

If it works, you'll technically be the first Unicorn to experience it. Something Twilight has yet to accomplish...

What are we waiting for? Let's get started already!

That's the spirit!

(Starlight flips to a random page of the chapter and sees a picture that she feels would be a good trial test. She takes a moment to empty her mind, and focus her magic. Strange blue energy swirls around Starlight's horn, in the shape of small wispy butterflies. The room shakes as Starlight fires a blinding beam of energy at Trixie's mane, who has closed her eyes tightly shut as she grits her teeth)

(A billow of smoke clears)

(Trixie opens her eyes and sees her mane has been transformed at the root. Once a pale blue, her mane is full of vibrant crystalline aquamarine, as its styled into a form of spiked updo Reminiscent of Spitfire's mane yet retains an elegance of Rarity's mane as well. It seems to give off a soft glow as it graces Trixie's head. Trixie is speechless.)

(As Trixie ogles her new do, Starlight remarks on the spell she has used, and the principle of Mane Magic)

From what I can tell, this particular spell harnesses the cool colors of spring and infuses the locks with their vibrant color as well as personality. The soft glow is remnant of a spring morning.

(Trixie is extremely excited and wants to try another one. Starlight laughs and obliges her, picking another spell from the book.)

(This time a flowing, arched current of purple and pink electricity crackles and sparks around Starlight's horn, as she casts the spell, directly at Trixie's mane.)

(Trixie's mane has once again been transformed, this time it is neon purple and spiked up, as currents of electricity in several vibrant colors seems to breathe out from it. Trixie remarks that she feels it tingle from her head to her hooves.)

(Starlight once again reads the description of the spell.)

This spell captures the beauty of the visible to invisible spectrum, harnessing electricity and color to create this masterpiece, that, I don't think even the best stylists in Equestria could recreate.

(Starlight tries another one. Vermilion sparks explode from her horn, as Trixie's mane once again changes)

(Trixie lets out an audible gasp as her mane is now of fire. Candy red flames dance from her head, in a beautiful flowing motion, sailing upwards before fading quickly away. It doesn't burn, but Trixie remarks she no longer feels a bit chilly.)

This spell uses fire and heat as a medium to literally turn the user's mane into a kaleidoscope of gently warm red flames.

(Trixie is still excited and says they should try one more, before Starlight turns her mane back to normal)

(Starlight selects another spell from the book. An irregular, white-blue energy, corkscrews from her horn and envelopes Trixie's mane)

(A chill sweeps through the air as Trixie's mane swirls into a fancy and extravagant updo. Diamond like crystals sprout and adorn each swirl like a necklace, as frost spreads a blue hue throughout. A gentle cooling fog is seen emanating off the whole thing. Trixie shivers a bit, but is no less excited)

This spell is delicate as it takes after the frost and snow from the Unknown Norths and transforms the mane into a beautiful, icy updo.

(Starlight is then asked by a shivering Trixie to turn her mane back to normal. Which she does, following the reversal spell associated with all of the spells in the chapter. Trixie's mane shapes itself back to normal as the ice and chill all melts away, without a trace.)

(Before Starlight can end the entry, Trixie says she wants to try a few on her, which Starlight is almost immediately against. "Oh! That's..um, that's okay, really. I like my mane the way it is! (On top of my head)" she explains nervously.)

("Oh, c'mon! You get to try all these spells on me, but when I want to try one, you say no?" Trixie retorts. She puts on the biggest, saddest puppy eyes she can as she pretends to cry. "I thought we were in this together, Starlight!" she pretend-sobs.)

(Starlight is unconvinced, but lets out a sigh. "Fine." she says. Trixie lets out an excited "Yay!" as she hugs her friend, who looks suddenly pale in color.)

(An hour later, Starlight is still picking bits of twigs and leaves from her mane, as birds fly about her head, trying to find where their nest has gone, as the tree that once grew from Starlight's head is no longer there. Trixie sits on a stool, as she smiles nervously at Starlight who doesn't make eye contact with her.)

(Starlight plucks out another twig as she writes the final part of her entry.)

All in all, mane magic is amazing, and very useful. The ability to completely transform one's mane with a spell is truly an achievement of both magic and fashion, but if there's anything to be learned from this its that, it should only be used by those with a high degree of magical skill. I'm only thankful Twilight had hedge clippers nearby....

Until my next entry.

The Storm Kingdom

(Starlight and Trixie sit together on the couch as they prepare their quills for yet another entry. Starlight scribbles the title at the top. A sudden crash of thunder and lightning from the ongoing storm outside makes them both jump.)

Starlight's Journal: The Storm Kingdom

Neither me, nor Trixie were around when The Storm King's Armada invaded Canterlot. So we know next to nothing about who or what The Storm King even was, but he was apparently unlike anything anypony had ever seen before, and extremely intimidating and threatening....or if what Twilight says is true, he was a giant man-child with way too much power and numbers then he deserved or knew what to do with.

Either way, he was defeated and his invasion stopped. But still, nopony knows the answer as to where he came from. And just what was he anyway?

Well, we think we may have found our answer. At least to the first one.

(Starlight opens The Book Of Friendship to a mysterious chapter with strange runic drawings and written in a language she has only partially deciphered. The chapter weaves a story of a far away kingdom of powerful storm beasts, ruled by a cruel and unforgiving king.)

The Storm Kingdom was a proud yet fiercely militarized nation, with immensely advanced technology and weaponry, that apparently held great disdain for The Alicorn Kingdom and it's prosperity. They were ruled by The Storm King's ancestor, a cruel Storm Beast called, Storm Lord Hreggmímir, who ruled with an iron claw, and sought to use his advanced military technology and terrifying presence to take over Concordia.

One day, he made a move against the empire, sending a fleet of his mechanical flying ships across the seas to the borders of the empire. But they were quickly taken down by Eclipsa's own forces, guarding the shores of the empire. Afterwards, it wasn't long till the empire had begun facing the brink of war, with The Storm Lord sending more and more of his army to tear apart cities and towns under the empire. Finally, Omnipotence, Eclipsa and The rest of the Elements gathered at the palace with the other 20 leaders of the kingdoms that made up the Alicorn Empire to discuss what to do about The Storm Kingdom and the threat they posed.

Eclipsa, naturally, suggested that she and her armies basically just nuke the Storm Kingdom and be done with it. Others suggested they try and come to an agreement with The Storm Lord, and hopefully come to peace between the kingdoms. But when asked for somepony to go and talk to him on behalf of the empire, nopony stepped forward.

Except two.

Oceana, Queen of Seaquestria and Silicy, Queen of The Snow Empire, who happened to be the neighbor of the Storm Kingdom, stepped forth to go and speak to the Storm Lord on behalf of the empire.

Unfortunately, both Oceana and Silicy were captured and imprisoned as soon as they set hoof in The Storm Kingdom, with The Storm Lord openly declaring that no peace will be happening between the two empires, ans that he wouldn't stop till the Alicorn empire was in ruins.

It was then that war was officially declared.

Eclipsa was let off the leash, and she and her vast dark armies gleefully destroyed thousands of invading Storm forces, while Omnipotence worked to save her friends. She was joined by Sacanas, Princess of the Snow Empire and the daughter of Silicy, who had traveled from her home kingdom to help rescue her mother from the Storm Lord, and end his reign of terror.

Upon Sacanas and Omnipotence's arrival in the Storm Kingdom, they were taken to The Storm Lord, who offered to let Oceana and Silicy go, in exchange for Omnipotence surrendering herself to him. Queen Omnipotence would've gladly surrendered herself to save her friends, if Sacanas had not stepped forth. Instead of fighting the Storm Lord, she spoke to the citizens of The Storm Kingdom, who were tired of being mistreated and forced to work under the claw of the tyrannical Storm Lord. She encouraged them to rise up against him, to take back their kingdom and make it what it deserved to be. To be free.

Sacanas words reached thousands of Storm citizens and they quickly joined her side, as they all teamed up to overthrow the Storm Lord. However, he was too powerful and effortlessly blasted away crowds of mobbing citizens, laughing gleefully. That was until, Sacanas managed to knock The Storm Ruler's Crown from his head. Without the crown, The Storm Lord lost his power over the storms and was very quickly defeated.

Upon, his defeat, The Storm Lord was sentenced to imprisonment in ice beneath the kingdom, while the citizens all cheered for Sacanas to lead them, as it was her that inspired them to finally overthrow their evil ruler. Upon being reunited with her mother, she was surprised to hear that her mother wanted her to stay and lead The Storm Kingdom. To show them a better way.

Sacanas knew her mother was right, and taking the Storm Crown for herself, she became the new ruler of the storm kingdom, known as The Storm Queen.

Several years later, Sacanas would fall in love with her Royal Protector, marry and have a family of Storm Beast Alicorn hybrid children known as Stormicorns. Her family would then become the ruling dynasty of The Storm Kingdom, making it greater and more advanced then ever, culminating in numerous magical and scientific achievements, most notably was The Raid Suit, an obsidian black armor that was completely magic proof.

It would be several thousand years before The Storm Lord's descendant, a young storm Beast called Bort, would return to the kingdom and attempt to overthrow The Lightning Empress, the blood descendant of Sacanas, and the powerful yet beloved and fair ruler of the Storm Kingdom, as well as the wielder of The Staff Of Sacanas. He challenges her to a duel to determine who shall rule The Storm Kingdom, and she accepts. Bort is no match for the incredible powers of Storm and Alicorn magic wielded by The Lightning Empress, nor her skill with her staff, and is defeated.

But as she turns away, Bort pulls out a mysterious sinister green orb and flings it at her. The empress dodges out of the way, but it swings back and hits her in the leg, turning her to stone as the Storm Crown falls off her head.

Terrified citizens watch in fear as Bort picks up the crown and The Staff Of Sacanas, and gleefully declares himself...The Storm King.

(Starlight and Trixie look at each other in shock. They both wonder the same thing, before Trixie blurts it out. "How does this book know about The Storm King? He's not thousands of years old, is he?" she asks. Starlight ponders for a second. "More so...." she turns to Trixie. "Does this mean that The Lightning Empress is still turned to stone!?" Both of them are unsure as to why, but an icy chill runs down their spines.)

(Starlight ends the entry there, as another crash of thunder is heard from outside)

The Lightning Empress

Author's Note

This chapter is taken right from The Book Of Friendship, and it describes The Lightning Empress, the true ruler of The Storm Kingdom, before she was overthrown by The Storm King.

The Lightning Empress

The Lightning Empress is the true rightful ruler of The Storm Kingdom, and the descendant of Sacanas, the valiant Snow Alicorn princess who inspired its citizens and would become the ruler of The Storm Kingdom.

Like her family before her, The Lightning Empress is a Stormicorn, a powerful hybrid of the Storm Beasts power over storms and the Snow Alicorn's magic over ice and snow. Stormicorns are very tall, and snow white with patches of soft white fur as well as a typical coat, cloven forehooves and Storm beast-like hind legs with a furry white tail also like a storm beast. They have a long, jagged black horn on their forehead, and spiked up manes, usually crackling with electricity. They also bear no cutie marks, and icy blue eyes.They also have sharper teeth. They are known for being very prideful, clever, intimidating and beautiful.

The Demons Of Eclipsa (Ft. Treecicle)

(Starlight stares down at the beginning of an extremely long chapter, cramped with Treecicile's tell-tale neat and tidy hoofwriting. Starlight takes a sip of her tea as she begins reading.)

Before there was a Tartarus, and the Hated Gates that separate it from our world, Eclipsa created Demons to protect her kingdom, by patrolling what is known as Eternity's Crossing: A colossal and extremely dangerous wall of storms that figuratively split the world into two halves. One was The Alicorn Kingdom, ruled in competence and prosperity by Queen Omnipotence. The other was Eclipsa's Kingdom.

Although no physical description of Eclipsa's Kingdom has ever been listed, to my knowledge, I can only guess that it was a dark, twisted, yet amazingly magical place of such chaos it would make Discord blush.

However, what is known is that the kingdom and the Eternity's Crossing itself was guarded by fearsome demons of Eclipsa's own creation. These creatures were entirely separate from anything else in Equestria we know of today, and the rest of the world. They were all massive, much bigger then dragons, some reaching the size of whole islands!

Some were terrifying, some were beautiful, some were abominations from your nightmares, and others seemed gentle and nearly divine in their appearance and behavior. But they all served Eclipsa, and they all guarded her kingdom with their might.

While researching these amazing beasts, I came across a massive Obsidian obelisk, that listed the demons Eclipsa had guarding her kingdom, and it seems to have been carved by one of Eclipsa's Bat pony guards, who would frequently patrol Eternity's Crossing, where he would encounter many of the demons that guarded it. I'd assume they left him alone, but knowing Eclipsa, she may have neglected from telling them that she had other guards out there.

The obelisk was written in the Ancient Alicorn Language, but I have translated the guard's face to face encounter with these demons with the descriptions he gave each demon (as well as the name of the demon) below for my research.

After I have listed each one, I will go into detail about my theories on how Eclipsa could've created these creatures, though it no doubt involves her mark in some way.

The Demons Of Eclipsa (An Eyewitness account from one Blackwing, One of Eclipsa's many loyal soldiers)

Mot: Gentle blazing eyes sit high within the creature's narrow, thorny skull, which gives the creature a threatening looking appearance.
Several small horns sit atop its head, just above its long, cat-like ears. A row of crystal growths runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is wide and has two enormous, oval nostrils and there's a horn on its chin. Several huge teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and give a slight hint at the terror hiding inside.

A broad neck runs down from its head and into a huge body. The top is covered in small scales and a row of fan-like growths runs down its spine.
Its bottom is covered in smooth skin and is colored slightly lighter than the rest of its body. Six slender limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand dignified and imposing. Each limb has 5 digits, each of which end in narrow claws seemingly made of crystal.

Giant wings grow starting from just above its shoulders and end at its hips. The wings are bat-like, the inside is almost entirely see-through, especially when viewed from a distance and sharp hooks grow from the endings of each bone.

Its flat tail ends in a curved talon and is covered in the same small scales as its body.

Rest: Dark blazing eyes sit deep within the creature's narrow, hard skull, which gives the creature a very ominous looking appearance.
Several enormous horns sit atop its head, just above its enormous, pointy ears. Several rows of small horns runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is small and has two enormous, pointy nostrils and there's a tendril on its chin. A few large teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and show a glimpse of the terror hiding inside.

A long neck runs down from its head and into a snake-like body. The top is covered in scale-like skin and a row of tendrils runs down its spine.
Its bottom is covered in wide scales and is colored differently than the rest of its body. Six massive limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand sturdy and tall. Each limb has 5 digits, each of which end in huge nails seemingly made of onyx.

Monstrous wings grow starting from just above its shoulders and end all the way down at its pelvis. The wings are scythe-shaped, the inner sides of the wing are full of minor holes and small, sharp tips grow from each ending like massive spears.

Its massive tail ends in a single tendril and is covered in the same scale-like skin as its body.

Treh: Angry onyx eyes sit low within the creature's horned, angular skull, which gives the creature a threatening looking appearance.
One enormous central horn sit atop its head, just above its short, dog-like ears. A row of small horns runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is short and has two long, curved nostrils and there are small horns on its chin. Several rows of sharp teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and show a glimpse of the terror hiding inside.

A long neck runs down from its head and into a bulky body. The top is covered in crystal-like skin and rows of thick armor plating runs down its spine.

Its bottom is covered in rounded scales and is colored darker than the rest of its body. Two bulky limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand intimidating and poised. Each limb has 3 digits, each of which end in huge nails seemingly made of onyx.

Horrendous wings grow starting from just above its shoulders and end at the lower end of its back. The wings are almost demonic, a specialized layer of seeminly color-changing skin makes up most of the wing and sharp, spiky scales cover the top of each visible bone.

Its massive tail ends in a seemingly fluffy tip and is covered in the same crystal-like skin as its body.

Broadtoast: Narrow viridian eyes sit delicately within the creature's thorny, scaled skull, which gives the creature a very ominous looking appearance.
Two horns sit atop its head, just above its tiny, angular ears. Several rows of small crystal growths runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is flat and has two narrow, angular nostrils and there are tendrils on its chin. Rows of large teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and give a slight hint at the terror hiding inside.

A muscular neck runs down from its head and into a bulky body. The top is covered in curved scales and rows of armor plating runs down its spine.
Its bottom is covered in coarse skin and is colored lighter than the rest of its body. Four slender limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand poised and noble. Each limb has 4 digits, each of which end in strong claws seemingly made of crystal.

Massive wings grow starting from its shoulders and end just passed its shoulder blades. The wings are bladed in structure, the inner sides of the wing are full of minor holes and small, sharp tips grow from each ending like massive spears.

Its fairly short tail ends in a curled tip and is covered in the same curved scales as its body.

Royagud: Enormous flaming eyes sit high within the creature's long, scaled skull, which gives the creature a threatening looking appearance.
Two small crystal growths sit atop its head, just above its large, cat-like ears. A row of small tendrils runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is thick and has two small, oval nostrils and there are small crystal growths on its chin. Several rows of large teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and give a preview of the terror hiding inside.

A short neck runs down from its head and into a slender body. The top is covered in narrow scales and a row of thick armor plating runs down its spine.
Its bottom is covered in coarse skin and is colored darker than the rest of its body. Two powerful limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand tall and graceful. Each limb has 5 digits, each of which end in long claws seemingly made of crystal.

Enormous wings grow starting from its shoulders and end all the way down at its pelvis. The wings are almost butterfly-like, bone structures are clearly visible through the thin layer of skin and long tendril-like growths grow from many parts of the bottom sides of each wing.

Its narrow tail ends in a hammer-like growth and is covered in the same narrow scales as its body.

Noyivet: Dark ebony eyes sit delicately within the creature's thorny, scaled skull, which gives the creature a frightening looking appearance.
Several small crystal growths sit atop its head, just above its enormous, cat-like ears. Large fan-like skin and bone structures runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is thick and has two narrow, slitted nostrils and there are small tendrils on its chin. Four large teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and reveal only a fraction of the terror hiding inside.

A strong neck runs down from its head and into a colossal body. The top is covered in scale-like skin and a row of small fan-like growths runs down its spine.
Its bottom is covered in massive scales and is colored lighter than the rest of its body. Four massive limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand tall and towering. Each limb has 5 digits, each of which end in spiny claws seemingly made of obsidian.

Freakish wings grow starting from just below its shoulders and end all the way down at its pelvis. The wings are angular, a specialized layer of skin is all that's visible inside and each bone structures ends in a curved, yet blunt tip.

Its elegant tail ends in a sharp, arrowhead shaped tip and is covered in the same scale-like skin as its body.

Tagish: Fierce cerulean eyes sit concealed within the creature's angular, bony skull, which gives the creature a fierce looking appearance.
Several crystal growths sit atop its head, just above its short, curved ears. Several large fan-like skin and bone structures runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is thing and has two long, rounded nostrils and there's a small crystal growth on its chin. Several rows of sharp teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and reveal only a fraction of the terror hiding inside.

A long neck runs down from its head and into a slender body. The top is covered in curved scales and rows of small tendrils runs down its spine.
Its bottom is covered in small scales and is colored darker than the rest of its body. Four long limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand sturdy and towering. Each limb has 3 digits, each of which end in strong claws seemingly made of stone.

Terrifying wings grow starting from its shoulders and end at the middle of its back. The wings are curved, a specialized layer of seeminly color-changing skin makes up most of the wing and long tendril-like growths grow from many parts of the bottom sides of each wing.

Its spiky tail ends in a gentle point and is covered in the same curved scales as its body.

Malah: Restless crimson eyes sit buried within the creature's soft, long skull, which gives the creature a mild looking appearance.
Two crystal growths sit atop its head, just above its long, round ears. Large fan-like skin and bone structures runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is small and has two thick, oval nostrils and there are small crystal growths on its chin. Several rows of sharp teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and give a slight hint at the terror hiding inside.

A broad neck runs down from its head and into a slender body. The top is covered in narrow scales and a row of small spikes runs down its spine.
Its bottom is covered in radiant skin and is colored slightly darker than the rest of its body. Four powerful limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand towering and arrogantly. Each limb has 4 digits, each of which end in long talons seemingly made of bone.

Magnificent wings grow starting from just above its shoulders and end just passed its shoulder blades. The wings are angular, the insides of the wing seem to be made of thin crystals and jagged edges at the bottom almost give it a feathered look.

Its long tail ends in a curled tip and is covered in the same narrow scales as its body.

Deirosru: Enormous crimson eyes sit lightly within the creature's long, scaled skull, which gives the creature a fierce looking appearance.
Two small crystal growths sit atop its head, just above its short, warped ears. A row of small crystal growths runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is short and has two wide, pointy nostrils and there are horns on its chin. A few large teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and give a slight hint at the terror hiding inside.

A wide neck runs down from its head and into a colossal body. The top is covered in narrow scales and rows of crystal growths runs down its spine.
Its bottom is covered in smooth skin and is colored lighter than the rest of its body. Two mighty limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand imposing and sturdy. Each limb has 5 digits, each of which end in thorny talons seemingly made of onyx.

Delicate wings grow starting from its shoulders and end at the lower end of its back. The wings are almost butterfly-like, the inner sides of the wing are full of minor holes and jagged edges at the bottom almost give it a feathered look.

Its fairly short tail ends in a scythe-like blade and is covered in the same narrow scales as its body.

Zezasra: Angry blazing eyes sit well within the creature's narrow, scaled skull, which gives the creature a fierce looking appearance.
Two crystal growths sit atop its head, just above its tiny, cat-like ears. A row of small crystal growths runs down the sides of each of its jaw lines.
Its nose is stubby and has two thick, slitted nostrils and there's a horn on its chin. A few large teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and reveal only a fraction of the terror hiding inside.

A broad neck runs down from its head and into a bulky body. The top is covered in warped scales and a row of small crystal growths runs down its spine.
Its bottom is covered in reptilian skin and is colored lighter than the rest of its body. Two slim limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand mighty and sturdy. Each limb has 4 digits, each of which end in narrow nails seemingly made of obsidian.

Delicate wings grow starting from just below its shoulders and end all the way down at its pelvis. The wings are almost butterfly-like, the edges of the skin inside the wings are tattered and damaged and long tendril-like growths grow from many parts of the bottom sides of each wing.

Its long tail ends in a sharp, arrowhead shaped tip and is covered in the same warped scales as its body.

Treecicle's Notes: How Eclipsa Created Demons (Theories)

I've already seen what Eclipsa's Mark is capable of. How it weaves its own brand of power and possibility, separate from any of our understandings of magic, science or reasoning. But, I must wonder how Eclipsa used such a thing to create these massive sized, living breathing creatures, perhaps possibly out of thin air.

I have a theory that Eclipsa used her mark on some kind of medium for the demon to take shape of. Perhaps a painted sculpture or even something as a simple drawing. However, from Blackwing's description of each creature, they seem to be flesh in blood, although he apparently never had any physical contact with any of them (hopefully), so there is no real way to be sure.

Each description is very detailed, and shows some similarities between each demon, meaning they must have all been created in the same way. Another factor is that there are male and female demons listed, meaning however they were created, involved some kind of intricate identifier that made a demon either male or female upon their creation.

Another factor, is that each of these demons has it's own presence and personality. Though I can't quite tell if one demon is kinder or more compassionate or violent then another, it's clear they were all different in many ways.

Nothing I've found has confirmed that Eclipsa's demons simply vanished after her reign ended, so it's very possible that they are still out there, possibly around the area where Eclipsa's Kingdom once stood, still guarding the kingdom from intruders.

I feel there is still much more we don't know about these creatures, and perhaps with more research I can uncover just what those things are.

For now though, I must get back to my studies. Hopefully the book will have more on Eclipsa that I can use.

(The bottom of the last page is signed "Treecicle.")

(Starlight sits quietly for several minutes, her brain swarming with numerous questions, the biggest one being of Treecicle's statement regarding Eclipsa, herself: "Nothing I've found has confirmed that Eclipsa's demons simply vanished after her reign ended."

(Starlight repeated that part out loud. "After HER reign ended." she said. "Not her and Omnipotence, but just her reign, Eclipsa's reign ended.")

(This struck a chord with Starlight. Something must've happened that ended Eclipsa's reign, but not her sister's....but what was it?)

Letters Between Sisters VI

My Dearest Sister,

I'm beginning to wonder if you actually read my letters, or your eyeballs just glaze over, twisting and turning my words into something I didn't say like a paparazzi pony. Does most of this letter just look like a giant page of ellipses to you? Do my words even reach that chaotic brain of yours to actually have a chance of becoming rational (or in your case Irrational) thought?

Whatever the case, you visited the dragon and somehow corrected the problem, by scaring him so badly I hear he now lives under a rock somewhere in the Isle Of Scales. I...thank you for this, dear sister. However now the dragon lords are up my flank, cause you suplexed one of their own into a nearby mountain range.

In case you didn't pick up on the context in my last letter, we're dealing with the remnants of the dragon's smoke right now in The Great Alicorn City. Weather Alicorns are pushing it away from the city as I write this, beating their wings as fast as they can. Unfortunately, I am unable to spare anypony to deal with the numerous damages caused by your "little scuffle" you had with the dragon.

I will say that the lessons you gave me on using The royal, oh sorry....I mean THE ROYAL VOICE, have proven to be most effective at making announcements to the city. The only negative repercussion I can see is how it'll ruin everyone's hearing for about week or so. Including mine, and I was wearing earmuffs during the whole thing.

But the next time there is a dragon in the empire, please, come to me before you do ANYTHING!

Love,

Omni

My Dearest Sister,

I actually heard your speech all the way from Black Skull! Keep practicing and you'll be receiving noise complaints from homeworld in no time. Also regarding how I wiped the floor with that dragon's ass....I will not apologize for being awesome. In the end, I solved the problem. This just proves that violence is always a positive alternative to communication. I think we've all learned a little lesson here today. Your welcome.

Love,

Eclipsa

Letters Between Sisters VII

My Dearest Sister,

You jumped to conclusions again, didn't you? How many times do I have to explain to you the necessity to assess a situation BEFORE you take action?

By the sound of things, you got wrapped into the rumors of some tourists and thought somepony, who may/may not have been the zebrican ambassador I was supposed to discuss alliance with, was a deadly assassin intent on trying to kill us and steal our children.

She sent me a letter about this incident as I was writing this, you know. Luckily, she was a master of the Falling Caesar style, and apparently gave you quite the fight. She would like to know if you would like to spar again with her sometime.

We got lucky this time. But please don't attack any more ambassadors. Thank you.

Love,

Omni

My Dearest Sister,

It was my assumption that all zebras know how to kick ass. I was simply being humble, when I allowed her to beat me in our fight. And anyone that says different, is a F@#%ING LIAR!....anyways, she was definitely a worthy opponent, if you wouldn't mind letting her know that I am more then interested in kicking her ass for real this time. Kay, thanks!

I also wanted to tell you, that I have begun construction of The Eclipsa's Academy Of Kung Fu Fighting, and I hope to see you there for the grand opening. It's in the mouth of a volcano, inside of another much larger volcano.

Dress light.

Love,

Eclipsa

The Rules Of Popularity (Ft. Popularity)

(Starlight sits in Twilight's library, about to start reading Popularity's chapter of The Book Of Friendship, while Trixie lounges on the nearby couch. Starlight casually takes a sip of her tea, then begins.)

The Rules Of Popularity (An In-depth Thesis by Popularity)

Hello, my dearies. I am Popularity, and welcome to my chapter of The Book Of Friendship. In case you had no prior knowledge, Omni has asked each one of us to write our own personal chapter in our Book Of Friendship. (I am also aware that Surprise has already done so. How she knew about it before me, I'll never know.)

Each chapter is written by each one of us, and can be about whatever subject medium we choose, so long as it contributes to helping or teaching you in some way.

For my personal chapter, I will be teaching you a few easy steps to making your day to day more fabulous!

Let's begin!

Rule I: Appearance

Appearance is NOT everything. Rather it is just one more thing meant to help you feel better about yourself. To be comfortable in your own skin so to say. There are of course no official rules to one's appearance, as everypony is unique and is therefore beautiful in their own way. But one of the most common factors associated with appearance is one's hygiene. When you wake up, do you make sure your mane is tidy? Or your hooves are polished and well groomed? Taking steps to make sure you are clean, prepped and ready for the day can lead to significant improvement in your overall esteem!

I myself actually have a routine that I follow every morning!

First, I get up every morning at around 7 am, and take my morning shower. I use my own blend of natural herbs and oils for my strawberry melon shampoo, which I wash my mane with up to 5 times per rinse. Then I repeat. (I'll go into more details on mane care in the next step, don't worry!)

For breakfast, I have a pomegranate and berry smoothie with a melon infusion, as well as perfectly cooked quinoa omelet with avocado toast. I usually enjoy a grapefruit on the side. (The avocado toast is simply to DIE for! I will be sure to list the recipe in my chapter for you, if you would like to try it!)

Next, It's time for my morning yoga. Yoga is remarkably spiritually cleansing, as well as helps with one's flexibility and agility. I stick to basic poses, but occasionally I'll try for a more, em...expressive pose from time to time.

Lastly, I do my makeup which can take anywhere from an hour to several hours (if you want to do it right.)

Now that I'm finished my routine, I'm ready for the day! Having a morning routine is a great way to be sure you are ready to take on even the gloomiest of mornings with a smile! Now then, let's move on to the next step!

Rule II: Mane Care

I have been told by everypony that my mane is one of the most beautiful sights you could ever hope to see, as well as the most fabulous mane in the entire empire (Omni excluded of course.) However, maintaining such a work of mane care perfection takes quite a bit of hard work. Luckily, it's not hard for your mane to look fabulous with just a few simple steps!

Depending on your mane style, there's a routine for properly caring for your mane.

Straight: A Straight mane falls smoothly, and has a glossy consistency since the natural oils from the scalp easily work their way to the bottom. Straight manes don’t need much conditioning since it’s typically soft and smooth. But that doesn’t mean you can’t suffer from common problems like flatness at the top (since volume isn’t typically there), and your mane getting greasy more quickly. (Which is just TOO horrible for words!)

Cleaning: Comb your mane with a small-tooth comb daily to distribute the sebum to the ends of the shafts. Wash your mane every other day to ensure that, it remains clean and looking beautiful.

Care: Deep condition your mane once a month to keep it soft and supple.

Style: When your mane gets flat, try teasing it at the crown and adding in mane spray. Use a blow dryer to dry it, and then repeat steps until you get ultimate volume. Also try blow drying your mane upside-down with a round brush.

Wavy: Wavy manes have s-shaped curls down its length, it’s the perfect blend between straight and curly. Sometimes the mane can appear straight with slight bends towards the ends of the hair, or it can have consistent waves throughout the shaft. This mane has ultimate flexibility, and is easy to straighten, keep wavy, and curl. However, sometimes it can get greasy on the top and dry at the bottom, and is much more prone to frizz than other types.

Clean: Wash your hair two to three times a week, and use dry shampoo for in-between days.

Care: Use a deep conditioner twice a month to keep your hair soft. You can also use a dime-sized amount of leave-in conditioner or a couple of drops of argan oil to keep your hair from frizzing during the day.

Style: Since wavy hair has many choices, you can choose whether you want to straighten it, leave it wavy or curl your hair more. We suggest keeping it natural and spritzing some texturizing or salt spray to give you a beachy look.

Curly: A Curly mane is bouncy, playful, and full of volume. The strand thickness can range from fine to coarse but is most often fine. The greatest challenges for curly mane types are frizz, lack of curl definition, shrinkage, and worst of all...dryness!

Clean: Wash your mane just once or twice a week. Shampoo can strip the moisture out of curly manes more quickly, so make sure to apply some leave-in conditioner or argan oil.

Care: Use a deep conditioning treatment once a week (before the day you wash your mane) to keep your mane silky and smooth, and your curls bouncy.

Style: Use a heat protection spray before you run your mane through a diffuser, and spend some time styling the individual curls. If your mane gets frizzy, take a spray bottle and spray your strands again to give the curl a chance to re-form.

Coily: A Coily mane has the tightest curls ranging from fine to coarse, with s-shaped and z-shaped curls. It is the most fragile of mane types. This type of mane is filled with texture, so you won’t have to worry about your mane slipping out of a braid or style. A common problem with a coily mane is that it is dry and fragile, but that doesn’t mean it can’t look beautiful!

Clean: Wash your mane just once a week with a cleansing conditioner.

Care: Seal your mane with heavy oils and coating butters (like shea butter), right after the shower, and put it through a pre-treatment with a hot oil treatment to make it easy to wash.

Style: You can wear it natural, braid it, or put it up in a bun. You decide. If you want to give yourself a voluminous fro, use a diffuser to dry it 50% of the way, then let it naturally air dry. The less heat you use on coily hair, the better.

And there you have it! Four mane types and four mane care routines to go with them. Add these extra universal rules of hoof to help your mane stay its most healthy and beautiful:

Always use heat protectant before styling.

Investing in a silk pillow to prevent breakage.

Eat healthy foods and drink water to help your mane grow beautifully.

Now that we've covered Hygiene and caring for your mane, let's cover the next step!

Rule III: Eating Right

Eating healthy and nutritious food is one of the most fundamental steps to improving and maintaining a fabulous lifestyle! Foods like salmon, red bell peppers, spinach, coconut, avocados, eggs, garlic and pineapple are all amazingly good for you, and can be very delicious when made in a good recipe. For example, my go to breakfast: Avocado Toast! (You'll have to forgive me if the recipe isn't as detailed as you may need it to be. I'm afraid cooking is more Omni and Surprise's skill set.)

Ingredients

Avocados

Coconut Milk

Rosemary Bread

Red onions

Red wine vinegar

Agave syrup

Sesame seeds

First, mash the avocado with a fork in a shallow bowl until chunky. Season with fine salt and black pepper.

Toast the bread until browned and crisp. Lightly rub 1 side of each slice with the cut side of the garlic until fragrant then discard the garlic. (Quickly so as not to stink up the kitchen!)

Lightly brush the toasts with oil, and season with fine salt and pepper. Divide the mashed avocado evenly among the toasts, and top with more flaky sea salt, more black pepper and red pepper flakes if using. (Red pepper helps with blood flow, but is of course spicy. I enjoy it, but you may not want to add it to your own recipe. Enjoy!)

Now that healthy foods are covered, we can move on to the second to last step!

Rule IV: Dress For Excess Success!

Your appearance and the way you dress go hoof in hoof with one another. Everypony has their own sense of style and what appeals to them, so again, I can't tell you to dress a certain way. But I can give a few tips to help you always look fabulous!

First off, don't be afraid to branch out of your comfort zone. Adding a scarf or a pair of leggings or even the always acceptable bow (or bow tie) is a great way to ascertain what sense of style you are comfortable with.

Second, never be afraid to wear something that you know someponies may not find appealing. So long as you like it, that's all that matters!

And finally, there is no such thing as a bad outfit choice. Even if something looks absolutely atrocious to you, it can always be improved or taken with another design that may surprise you in how much it improves the overall look!

I hope these few steps help you, and now we can move on to our last step in The Rules Of Popularity.

Rule V: Confidence

Having confidence in yourself is the single most important step. If you have confidence you can take on the day, then you will! Always go out with your best expectations, as you never know when the day will surprise you! Always stride to looking and feeling your best, because if you look good, you'll feel good! And if you feel good, then others will feel good too.

Trust in the Rules Of Popularity, and yourself! Now go out there and shine for all the world to see!

Yours,

Popularity

Letters Between Sisters VIII

My Dearest Sister,

I'm coming for a visit. No, you haven't done anything. Yet.

As frustrated as I've been with you and your seemingly unstoppable desire to get into/and or cause trouble, the fact that you're actually learning things about being a competent ruler is something worth praising in person, so I'm bringing you a few treats in celebration of this astounding achievement.

I know you'll look forward to some of Surprise's sweet biscuits; I know I do. I've asked her for the recipe, but she refused on the grounds of it being a family secret. Seeing as how her family is over a trillion light years away back on homeworld, I'd say that there's no other way of finding out, so we'll just leave it at that.

Oh, and I'll bring along a slice of vanilla ten-layer cake, made by yours truly. Sure, three layers is reasonable, and five may be pushing the limits a bit, but nopony's complained about more layers than that to my face.

You get two bites. Don't complain, that is twice as much as last time. You know how you get when you have too much sugar. You know, they are still trying to find that city you launched into orbit? It's been over a month now!

Anyway, I'll come by within a few hours after a few errands and duties I must take care of. I do expect your palace to be tidy, however, so that should keep you occupied. Please try to behave yourself while I'm there as well. And let your citizens know I am perfectly capable of defending myself, and given the day I have had, I can't say that I won't act without restraint if one tries to give me "Surprise Fight Lessons" again.

Love,

-Omni

My Dearest Sister,

I promise I will not do anything nor cause anything to make your visit uncomfortable. We're going to have so much fun! Be sure to bring as many of those sweet biscuits as you can, and I personally think such an achievement is entitled to three bites, but....that's just me.

I can't wait to see you again, Omni. I'll make sure we never forget it!

Love,

-Eclipsa

P.S: They did actually find that city. It's on the moon.

Eclipsa's Kung Fu Academy

(Starlight dips her quill in ink, and scribbles down the title of her next entry.)

Starlight's Journal: Eclipsa's Kung Fu Academy

Ponies, or rather most equestrians, are not fighters.

I mean, take me and Trixie for example. We're small, we're cute and colorful, and magic is the only form of self defense we know....me so, more than Trixie. No offense.

(Trixie looks away in a huff. "I'm letting it slide, cause you said I'm cute." she explains. "Which is very true.")

(Starlight returns to writing her entry)

The point is, Ponies are by no means "kung fu masters" or even your basic hoof to hoof combatant. We just don't have the tenacity nor the literal limbs to do so. At least, that's what other books have taught me.

This book however, has revealed that Eclipsa brought over the secrets of martial arts from her own eastern kingdom, to teach ponies how to fight in order to defend themselves. She built a large castle-like academy at the top of an old volcano that once stood out in the Badlands called Mt. Hothead. And she called this martial arts style:

The Exploding Hoof Style(Bakuhatsu-suru)

Bakuhatsu-suru or "Exploding Hoof Style" is martial arts discipline practiced and mastered by both citizen and soldier alike over in Eclipsa's Kingdom, before being brought over to the empire for other ponies to be taught it's secrets. From what I have read, it's possible to learn them on your own, but learning them the proper way takes instruction from a master, as all of Eclipsa's disciples learned the art through her intense (borderline torture) teaching methods. It apparently also takes several years to properly master it.

And when I say the training methods to even being able to practice this art is borderline torture....I mean it really is.

Training

Training in The Exploding Hoof Style includes such fun activities as:

Getting beat up by Eclipsa, to develop a proper form and build.

Tree Hopping, Swimming through a shark infested bay, doing push ups on sand.

Lifting giant statues, flinging cinder blocks, dodging logs rolling down a hill, withstanding a tsunami.

Three miles worth of laps, hundreds of the same drills over and over, physical workouts and doing eighty push-ups every time a mistake is made.

Least terrible part of training is Waterboarding.

Running over hot coals, running while carrying hot coals, and push ups on the hot coals.

Tying giant boulders to your back and limbs and climbing a mountain.

One on one training with Eclipsa includes being introduced to her with a steel baton to your leg, swimming in a pool with armed Fishmen and a shark while Eclipsa throws grenades into the pool.

Cutting down a tree with your face.

And what's your reward for surviving this utterly and completely insane training course? Honestly, I would say that being able to use these techniques, makes all the insanity worth it. Given that they even work at all.

Techniques

The following are all techniques that can be utilized with The Exploding Hoof Style. I will list them along with how the book describes each technique. (I will NOT however be listing how to do any of the techniques, as any normal pony will most definitely kill themselves trying to do so.)

Blink: A high speed leg technique where one is able to achieve impercivable movement speed, moving upwards of 100 meters every second. This is thought to be the most easy of the techniques to learn and use, as all one has to do is possess the necessary leg strength to kick off the ground 10 times in one second.

Blink is thought to be the most basic of the techniques to learn, and is also the most versatile and widely used of the techniques as well.

When using Blink, the user moves so fast they disappear from the spot, and creates afterimages all around the area, as they rapidly move around faster then their opponent can logically comprehend.

2.) Shell: An extremely strong defensive technique used to condense ones muscles to a level greater than steel, vastly increases your defensive capabilities in order to negate damage taken from any attack, magical or physical.

The method for doing this requires the user to have the utmost concentration and while it makes the user near indestructible, they cannot move at all when using it, unless they have completely mastered the technique.

Its very versatile as if one can master it, they can use it along with all other techniques such as Cloud Jump or Blink, moving around at impercivable speeds while your body is as hard and strong as steel. You basically become a light speed wrecking ball.

5.) Storm Leg: A very strong kick where your leg is moving so fast, it creates a massive wind blade that severs all opposition before it. One such Practitioner of this technique, a Eastern Tribe Pegasus called Wind Song adapted this into her own "7 Sword Wings Style" where she wielded a single sword with her teeth, and her legs would use this technique, acting as 4 more swords on their own. Together she would basically be wielding 5 swords at once, along with her two wings which would make seven.

One is also able to mold the wind blade from the technique into any shape you want, such as a Shuriken. (This takes a great deal of mastery however.)

4.) Hoof Gun: A very strong enhanced hoof strike that rockets ones hoof at such high speeds it leaves a literal hole in the target. This technique is hard to master, but not so hard to actually use as our hooves are already extremely strong and hard-hitting. Its just actually moving your hoof at the insanely high speeds that it requires, that is the hard part.

The amount of power behind this technique is devastating to get hit by, as it leaves an actual physical hole in whatever it hits. Be it an object or your very unlucky opponent.

5.) Cloud Jump: Another versatile technique that allows ponies to jump off the air itself and move in an omnidirectional pattern. Its most famous as being a way for earth ponies and unicorns to basically move through the air and along clouds, like Pegasai are naturally able to. It can also be combined with Blink in order to basically fly through the air as fast as or faster then a Pegasus.

Even more so, for Pegasai that can utilize this technique, this opens up an entirely new lineup of aerial techniques and maneuvers for them to perform, as they can kick off the air in addition to using their wings to fly. If they combine this technique with Blink, a Pegasus can actually achieve light speed, however this is extremely dangerous and physically exhausting to do, so it is not recommended for it to even be tried.

6.) Feather: A defensive technique where one greatly loosens one's muscles and body to point they can flawlessly avoid and dodge any attacks and float as if they are weightless.

Though very useful, this technique also requires ALOT of concentration, and a completely focused, steel trap mind. Losing your concentration could result in the technique failing completely or you getting seriously injured.

7.) Equine Shock: The very secret and most powerful of all techniques as it Utilizes all of the techniques at once in one attack. This is the hardest to learn, if not impossible to learn of all the techniques, requiring the user to have previously mastered all other techniques to their highest apex.

The Equine Shock is done by the user first using cloud jump to reach as high as they can into the air. Then harmonizing Shell with blink to become a rapid speed wrecking ball in the air. Then using feather to become weightless, and achieve even greater mobility. Finally the user slingshots down to ground, moves along the ground like a missile towards their opponent and as soon as they are about to hit them, the user conjures a Storm Leg in both legs, while performing Hoof gun in those same legs. Nothing, be it Frogfish, Ursa Mega or Deathclaw has ever survived this attack.

If two users fight with this attack on another, then they will both die.

It will also always go directly through the opponent, regardless of defense.

Despite the overwhelming power and usefulness of this style, I cannot say I have ever seen anypony actually do any of these things, so for all we know, It could just be a prank set up by Eclipsa.

I will this entry with this though: Just because I haven't seen it, doesn't mean there are not ponies out there who are not only able to to do all of these techniques, but have mastered them as well. Hopefully, they're good guys.

I will of course continue to study these things, along with continuing my studies of The Book Of Friendship.

Until my next entry!

The Goddess Complex (Beginning Of The Age Of The Goddess)

Starlight's Journal: The Goddess Complex

I know what you're probably asking yourself. Who is The Goddess?

(Trixie comments on this. "Wait...who?" she asks)

(Starlight sighs. "She's the one who created the three major pony races. You know, pegasai, unicorns and earth ponies." Starlight explains.)

(Trixie looks shocked. "What!?" she exclaims. "How does that work?!" she asks frantically.)

(Starlight sighs again. "If you pay attention, you'll learn." she explains. Trixie falls silent at that, now directing all her attention to Starlight.)

As I was saying, The Goddess is a legendary figure, that unfortunately, very few of us know about. The most major thing we can learn about her, through very intensive research, is that she is princess Celestia and Luna's mother. And that she took over, when Omnipotence and Eclipsa's reign ended abruptly, and upon her becoming the ruler of the empire, she very quickly became the most beloved and widely respected if not outright worshiped of all rulers on Concordia.

She was said to embody leadership, unparalleled wisdom, grace, kindness and beauty to bring tears to ones eyes. She is also the one who led to the alicorn race branching off into the three major pony races we know of today.

But there is still much we do not know about her: Where she herself came from? How did she know so much? Was she related to Omnipotence and Eclipsa in some way?

There's little the book has to say on these subjects, unfortunately. It does explain that she was very much an alicorn, and that she was a member of the Alicorn Empire. That she was gifted in many things, namely writing and understanding others in ways not even they understood about themselves.

She could talk to anypony, it didn't matter who, and make them feel like they had known her their whole lives. She was never upset, never angry and just....knew. Everything.

It's listed that she of course took over as the ruler of the empire when Omnipotence and Eclipsa stepped down at the beginning of the 3rd age; The Age Of The Goddess.

The Age Of The Goddess

The beginning of The Age Of The Goddess marked the start of a sort of Renaissance for the alicorn empire. Under her guidance, the empire prospered beyond measure, achieving new feats of technology, magic and all manner of amazing inventions that we know of and use today.

The biggest thing, was that several alicorns wished to change themselves as Oceana had, in order to pursue what they loved. It was The Goddess that allowed these alicorns to become the first unicorns, the first earth ponies and the first pegasai tribes, which then went out and prospered into the mighty and noble races we know today.

The very first of these pegasai was a mare named Firefly (Who turns out is the ancestor of General Firefly who founded the Wonderbolts) that became The Goddess's right hoof mare and commander of her military forces. Firefly was an extremely powerful pegasus, and was reowned for her amazing fighting skill with bladed weapons. It also helped that she was an Exploding Hoof master. (But we can talk more about her in another entry.)

The Goddess herself didn't leave the city or go out much, preferring to stay where she could watch over and protect the subjects she loved so dearly. Through her guidance, the empire grew and began using air ships, trains, aqueducts and more amazing inventions.

Alicorn Inventions

Upon the beginning of the Renaissance inspired by The Goddess, the empire became rich in all cultures from around the world. Not just ponies but others from far off lands, such as Griffinhaven to east, and Saddle Arabia to the north came to take their own part in this great age of inspiration. Naturally, many magical and scientific breakthroughs were a result, and quite a few inventions came to be.

The Sword Maketh Mare (Ft. Artemis)

(Starlight sits in Twilight's library, about to start reading Artemis's chapter of The Book Of Friendship, while Trixie lounges on the nearby couch. Starlight casually takes a sip of her tea, then begins.)

The Sword Maketh Mare (How swords are the shields of the empire)

For those regarded as warriors, when engaged in combat, the vanquishing of thine enemy can be the warrior's only concern. Suppress all emotion and compassion. Kill whoever stands in thy way, even if that be the gods themselves. This truth lies at the heart of the art of combat.

I was once taught that the deadliest weapon known to us, is not the sword, but the one who wields it. Me, I think differently. I think that the sword and the user of said sword are both part of the same weapon.

My name is Artemis. It is my element that embodies truth, honesty and trust. As such you can always depend that whatever I say is always and forever, the truth. The bow and arrow is only my secondary weapon.

So when I say that I am one of the most deadly swordsmares alive....do you think it's true?

Formality aside, this is my chapter, and I have decided to use it to teach you about the art of swords, and how they protect our empire from those who would seek to undo the prosperity we have achieved.

So, let us begin with a history lesson.

The History Of Swords In The Empire

Swords have always had a place in the empire, since the first day an Alicorn smithed a weapon to fend off a rampaging bugbear attack on his village. The sword is a symbol of strength as well as one of integrity. Tempered, unwavering, and will never bend even under pressure. That is what all swordsmares aim to be.

The next thing to know, is that all swords have a Meito or grade. The higher the grade, the greater the sword and it's status. For example my own sword, Oto (Cherry Wind) is an O-Wazamono or Great Grade Sword. It's blade was folded over 1 million times and edged for over 3 years over the hottest fires of the Eastern Wind Valleys. I have never once needed to sharpen it, nor has it ever once faltered in its defense capability.

Know that a sword that can cut anything is useless against a defense that can stop anything.

Now, lets move onto the first grade.

Wazamono: "Graded Sword."

These swords are very common and possess the lowest status and grade of all other graded swords. However it would be extremely unwise to say that these are inferior swords. In the hooves of a true master, even the lowliest sword can be deadlier then the best blade in the world.

Some known Wazamono grade swords are:

1.) Shigure "Rain In Late Autumn" (Wielded by Monogote)

2.) Sandai Deviant "The Third Demon Splitter" (Cursed Sword) One of the 3 cursed swords crafted by Deviant Rokuogan. Said to be a cursed blade that will actually bring harm to its user. Has a ragged and rough edge, when compared to its sister blades. Like the other Deviant blades, its owner is able to sense its presence.

3.) Kogarashi "Winshiri Wind" (Wielded by Teggo, The Golden Griffin)

Ryu Wazamono: "Skillful Grade Sword"

Much rarer and usually much higher in quality then the typical Wazamono blade. There are only 50 of these in existence.

1.) Yubashiri "Snow Chaser" (Was the most valuable family heirloom of the Catfolk samurai, Ippon, given away to a friend)

2.) Kashu "Flower State" (Wielded By Baroque, Taken By Wind Song)

3.) Yamaroshi "Wind Blowing Down The Mountain" (Wielded by Orca, Taken by Wind Song)

4.) Durandel "Le Misreade de Rapiere" (Wielded by the seapony swordsmare, Deep Dish) Elegant Rapier.

5.) Kikoku "Demon Whale" (Wielded by Truffle) A cursed sword as well, though not a Deviant Blade.

Ō Wazamono: "Great Grade Sword"

Only 21 of these in the world.

1.) Nidai Deviant "The Second Demon Splitter" (Second Generation Cursed Deviant Blade)

2.) Shusui "Clear Autumn Water" (Wielded by Legendary Samurai of Wano Pony, Ryuma) Won by Wind Song in a fair fight. As legendary as Ryuma and Wano Pony's National Treasure. A black blade with a red tempered edge. Much heavier than Yubashiri and far more durable.

3.) Wano Ichimonji "Straight Road Of Harmony" (Wind Song's main sword) Used by Wind in every style including one sword style. Handed down to her by her master, Bushido. When she first fought Honed Hawk, this is the only sword she fought with that didn't shatter. Pure white sword and sheath.

4.) Shirauo "Ice Fish" (Wielded by Mande of The Big Bang Gang)

5.) Cinnamon Pretzel (Wielded by Cinnamon Bun Of The Cake Kingdom)

Saijo Ō Wazamono: "Supreme Grade Sword"

Only 12 of these in the world.

1.) Diamond (Wielded by The World's Strongest Swordsmare, Honed Hawk) Diamond Shaped Guard and hilt with a blade so thin it's near invisible, yet strong enough to easily cut through ANY other sword, other than itself. Invincible when wielded by Hawk or an equally skilled swordsmare. Can be used to perform the legendary "World's Strongest Slash" that Hawk is known for. An absolute masterpiece of a sword, with elegant craftsmanship beyond any other blade in existence. Truly, a "Diamond In The Rough."

2.) Shodai Deviant "The First Demon Splitter" The first Deviant blade made and by far the most powerful and most cursed of the three. Equal in rank to Yoru.

With grades taken care of, we can move on to actually fighting with them.

Swordfighting for Ponies

It is common misconception that because we ponies are cute, colorful and do not have talons and claws to grab things with, that we cannot fight with swords. This is remarkably inaccurate. Not only can ponies wield a sword with their teeth, but we actually have an advantage over all other species who wield them.

As we hold the sword with our powerful jaws, it is very hard if not impossible to disarm us with typical offensive techniques. And you certainly can't do so with a normal sword, that is unable to maneuver around our own unique bladework.

The first step to sword fighting is to know your stance. Equines (Like us) use a low stance. Hind legs bent slightly, while the fore-hooves are bent more to the ground but only halfway. Head straight, eyes focused, blade drawn and gripped at the hilt with the teeth (Not hard, but enough so that when you block, you don't feel the vibration in your jaw)

Next is blocking. When we block, we move from side to side, raising our head up or down, to block either a low or high attack. Depending on the power behind the strike, is how much you need to keep the blade at a slight angle along with your head, so that the attack deflects off of the top of the sword.

Next striking. To actually strike with your sword, you need to move towards your opponent, swinging your head from one side so the blade slashes towards them. As soon as it connects, whether they block it or not, follow up with another slash from the other side. Be sure to mix things up, and stay alert at all times for if they parry or counter.

Speaking of parrying. To parry an attack from a sword, we deflect the attack with the top of the sword, crossing to the opponent's blade and moving both our sword and theirs to the side, before spinning and delivering a hard kick and following up with a quick downward strike, that very few opponents will expect and thus, be able to block in time.

Now what happens when they actually manage to parry you? When your opponent parries your attack (Not if, but when. If you are fighting somepony worth fighting, they will eventually try to parry you. Don't get cocky.) you want to move with the parry, so as to avoid getting hit by any secondary follow ups, and if your lucky you will get a free hit when they fail to see you have deflected their parry attempt, and you may even get a kill strike in.

Now for counters and counterstrikes. Usually when an opponent parries you, they will follow up with a secondary attack or even a surprise melee strike. The best way to avoid this secondary attack is to quickly break the parry and deflect the surprise attack, keeping your guard up in case they try another attack.

The Pony Who Loved The Ocean (Ft. Oceana)

(Starlight's hooves quivered with anticipation as she opened the book to Oceana's chapter and started reading as she sat there in her comfy chair by the fire. She was instantly engrossed.)

The Pony Who Loved The Ocean (My love for the ocean, and even greater love for my friends)

Omni, never talks about back home. And she shouldn't.

That place was horrible, but we managed to forge our friendship through it all anyways. She would proabably want me to just skip talking about it all, really. But....I don't know. I feel like taking about it, just makes it seem so much better that were here on Concordia.

Oh! Um...S-sorry, I haven't actually properly introduced myself or my chapter. My apologies.

*Ahem* Hello, and welcome to my chapter in The Book Of Friendship. My name is Oceana, and I am the founder, queen and ruler of the undersea kingdom of Seaquestria. I was once an Alicorn like you (That is, if you are an alicorn. If not, then welcome anyways!) until, well...

Until I fell in love.

Me, Omni and Eclipsa traveled here from our home planet. We don't like to say the name anymore, so we just call it "Homeworld." On Homeworld, things were bleak, dull and overall miserable. Magic was the most precious thing in the universe to the old Alicorns, and if didn't have a horrible greed for magic, then you were an outcast.

Every single one of them, including my family, never once did anything for anypony else. Never once showed generosity or kindness to others. It was everypony for himself. And thats how things were. It was accepted without a second thought. Why care about anyone else? You're you and they're them. You is all that matters.

But then....Omni happened. She never understood why everything was so bleak, so grey and why everypony was so horrible and
uncaring to everypony. She never did what others did. She tried to talk to them. To get to know them. To make friends.

Eclipsa, did just fine back home. She did whatever she wanted, said whatever she wanted, and nopony ever cared. That's how she liked it. She was always, well....crazy. But she cared about her sister. And she embraced this idea of hers. Of befriending others.

Then....I met Omni. We both thought that all of it was wrong. That something needed to change. We were best friends almost instantly.

Homeworld didn't accept us. Didn't except that ponies could have friends. In fact, they hated us for it. Finally, we decided to just say "Were done with this place." We left and never looked back. We still don't know what happened to it. And we still don't care to.

As we sailed down through those fluffy clouds of Concordia, having traveled millions of light years, we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of colors, shapes, beauty, so different from our homeworld, and then....I saw it.

The biggest most terrifyingly beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. Blue. Blue was all I saw, all I wanted to see. It went on to the ends of the earth, stretching so far my eyes strained to see more of it. But it never stopped going.

As I got closer, I could smell the salt in the air, feel the cool breeze as the waves crashed against one another. I landed, and....just froze. I stared out at it. I wanted to be there, where it was. To know what it held.

The Ocean. it was fate that my name and this huge, terrifyingly blue thing were the same. I knew right away, I was in love. That I wouldn't ever forget about it. That every thought, every step I took, Every wind that blew, I would hear it calling me. And she would never stop calling me, till I went to her. And one day....I did.

That first dive I took, I remember the world being washed away. As I went down, all I could see was blue. The way the water shifted and churned, caressing every part of my body, to my horn to the tips of my wings. I felt like I was in a different world. A world I had to be apart of. I would dream of her, every night. Letting the ocean take me into her embrace, and letting world be washed away.

I would wake up, and the first place I would go was to the shores. I would look out at it, for hours. Even when I finally managed to pull myself away, I would always end right back in the same spot. Just staring out at it.

I flew over those waves more times then I can count. I would let myself nearly fall in, before pulling up into the skies. But then I would realize that I wanted to fall in. I wanted to be with the ocean forever.

One day I managed to create a spell that would permanently transform me into what I called a Seapony. I would retain my horn, but my wings would be lost, being replaced with huge wing like fins. And I would lose my hooves and legs, becoming a tail made up the bottom half of me. I had told Omni before hand, that I was leaving to be with the ocean. And of course she understood.

Because even though I loved the ocean....I loved her so much more. I would return to the land every now and again, and of course I would forever be her friend. But a few days after I had gone, I realized that there were other alicorns who wanted to do what I did. Who felt they had a destiny in the ocean. I wanted to help them, to show them the world I now knew.

So I created The Mother Pearl, and invited those alicorns into the water, where they became seaponies just like me.

We were with the ocean, but we had nowhere in it to call home.

It was then that we decided to build Seaquestria.

Seaquestria

The Great Alicorn City

The Great Alicorn City is the heart of the Twenty Kingdoms that were responsible for founding the Alicorn Empire with Queen Omnipotence and Eclipsa, after they journeyed to Concordia from their home planet. It is located in the lush mountains of The Holy Green (Near where Canterlot stands today.)

The city is well-known for its vast flower fields, it's amazing steam and magic technology, its cuisine, its passionate artists, and its brilliant thinkers. The city itself is protected by The Lance and their commander, Artemis, along with an impenetrable magical barrier that only an Alicorn is able to bring down. The city also has a large population, and many travel from all corners of the world to see the amazing city of the alicorns, and it's breathtaking rulers.

Architecture

The Great Alicorn City's architecture is overall Spanish-inspired. The buildings seem to be colorful and extravagant, and many of them have wavy patterns and checkered rooftops. This notable difference in architecture is unique to the city, as when it was being built, Omnipotence and Eclipsa wanted it to stand out above all other cities.

The Tree Of Friendship, one of the city's main attractions, appears to be planted upon it's own tower, made completely out of gold, silver and bronze. It is the largest building in the city, towering over all other buildings, and being rivaled only by the Skyloft, which allows for transportation up to Aliaewah, where Queen Omnipotence and Eclipsa rule over from.

The Skyloft itself is a large onion shaped shuttle that uses a propeller system to fly off it's perch and high up into the skies of The Holy Green Mountain, where the Palace rests on a sea of clouds.

Layout

The Great Alicorn City is a luxurious, Spanish-themed city of vibrant colors and amazing inventions. Its most notable geological feature is the presence of huge cloud formations located around the city, that Alicorns are able to walk and live upon, as well as manipulate them to control the weather of the city.

The port district of Acacia, located at the southwest of the city, has the Sapphire Bazaar, from which all exports in and out of the city are sold to any wanting travelers or tourists. Another district, Accomplishment Square, is located on the northwestern side of the city, and is the city's major shopping and entertainment district, featuring countless shops, restaurants, theaters and more. The district of Grand Gala is located to the south, and houses the noble families of the empire, though it is of course open to the public. There's also the town of Jubilee, located to the east, that is the main food and restaurant hot spot in the city, as well as the district where Surprise lives, in her sweets shoppe. At the center of the city stands the huge Founder's Clocktower, serving as the main landmark of Founder's Park, a park built by Omnipotence and Eclipsa with their own hooves when the city was just built.

The Great Alicorn City is connected to Ponyshire by an iron bridge at the north of the city, as well as the railways leading to it.

The Great Alicorn City is relatively close to Ponyshire, as travel between the two cities can be done in a short period of time. The city also neighbors three other towns, one of which being Apple Province. Those three cities are close enough to catch radio transmission signals coming from The Great Alicorn City.

Landmarks

The Tree Of Friendship: The Tree Of Friendship is one of the most famous landmarks of The Great Alicorn City. It is a magical tree that grows the more friendship there is in the empire, and needs no water nor food, instead it supplies the town itself with water, and allows it to flow endlessly through its many rivers and waterfalls. It is located in the upper district of Acacia.

The Founder's Clock tower: The Founder's clock tower is a tall, gilded clock tower built by Omnipotence and Eclipsa to always know the time of any point around the world. It's said that by turning the wheel inside, you would send the entire empire either back or forward in time. Although, this has never been proven.

Sapphire Bazaar: Sapphire Bazaar is the central hub for all exotic exports, vendors and where you can basically buy anything for an affordable price. The bazaar is visited daily by hundreds upon hundreds of citizens, tourists and travelers alike, and features a wide array of foreign goods, such as spices from Saddle Arabia and Crystal Sugar from The Crystal Empire.

The Bank Of The Empire: The Bank Of The Empire is the one of the largest and most visited buildings in the city. It is here where citizens can store there bits (As paper money has been discontinued) for use later,as well as open up a checking and savings account or make a loan from the Empire's Treasury.

Accomplishment Square: Accomplishment Square is the heart of the alicorn city. Numerous shops, plenty of great restaurants, theaters, an amusement park, cloud rides, Accomplishment Square if the place to be! This district is also home to the small avenue of Jubilee, where Honeyhooves (Surprise's bakery and sweet shop) Is located, of which there is always a line.

Accomplishment Square

Devilsh and Borish: A helpful shop that sells and repairs some magical instruments.

Dogcap and Deathweed: A Herbology shop.

Maestro's Music Shop: A famous music shop, that is much bigger on the inside then the outside.

Carnival Boutique: The fanciest and most extravagant clothing shop in the empire. Run by Popularity.

Manedressing salon: Across the street from Honeyhooves.

Accomplishment Post Office: The pegasus-run delivery and post office.

Accomplishment Station: The railway station.

Honeyhooves: An unbelievably amazing bakery and sweet shop that always has a mile long line in front of it. Honeyhooves is by far the most legendary and famous shop in The Great Alicorn City. Run by Surprise.

Pajamba's Potions: A one stop shop for all potion brewing and exotic zebrican ingredients.

Madam Puddinghoof's Tea Shop: Usually couples go here on dates.

Scribblescope's Quill Shop: A shop for all types of quills.

McNettle's Sporting Needs: A shop that sells sporting goods.

The Magic Neep: A grocery shop

Three Horns Inn: A pub owned by Rosary.

Pome and Choll's Tomes and Scrolls: A bookshop

KCOLT Headquarters - Main headquarters of the popular radio station.

Zonko's Joke Shop: A famous joke shop.

Honeyhooves

Honeyhooves is a legendary sweets shop famous for its unbelievable chocolate and many, wonderful and wild sweets. It is located in the famous, Accomplishment Square, and is frequented by citizens and tourists alike; indeed, one can barely move due to the crowd of visitors throughout the Hearth's Warming season. The shop is run by Surprise, who makes absolutely every sweet and treat herself with her own two hooves, working nonstop to make sure everything is 110% delicious.

Honeyhooves Sweets, Treats and Goodies

Regal Rollies: A sweet plum cake with whipped cream in the middle, and covered in powdered sugar.
Pumpkin Pasties: Mini pies with baked spiced pumpkin inside them.
Frosted Lunas: It's a Luna. But frosted. Pretty simple. One of Honeyhoove's best selling treats.
Powdered Bakies: A bunch of powder sugar dusted pies, of several different flavors.
Wisecrackers: Delicious baked crackers that have hilarious jokes baked onto them.
Boombuns: Sweet buns that explode when eaten.
Malted Milkies: Malted chocolate balls with chocolate milk magically baked inside.
Caramel Coated Goldies: Golden caramels that glow like the sun.
Brownie Shorties: Brownies with vanilla shortening.
Sweet Bunnies: Marshmallow bunnies that run around. Need to be caught before you can eat them.
Chocolate Dimdums: Chocolate macaroons that change into other flavors when you look away from them.
Coco Loco: The best bucking hot chocolate in the empire, with Surprise's own flair added.
Truffle Troofles: Fudgemallow truffles baked inside larger fudgemallow truffles.
Peanut butter Goofies: Peanut Butter cookies with a crazy amount of peanut butter inside.
Paw-paws: Paw shaped cakes with strawberry paw prints.
Fairy Rings: Taffy rings with dusted sugar, that can be stretched indefinitely.
Surprise's Famous Never-Melt Ice Cream: Heat tested by Surprise herself.
Snowflake Cookies: Not only shaped like actual snowflakes, but they also cause it to snow wherever the user is standing.
Doughno's: Doughnuts that can literally have ANY kind of filling in them.
Sour Frazzles: Sour rock candy that makes your mouth spark!
Mockers: Candy drops that let you imitate the voice of anypony who eats the other drop packaged with it.
Fruitie Luscies: Little fruity cakes with little loose fruits.
Burple Nurples: Little Nurples that Burples!
Peanut Butterflies: Try to fly away when you eat them!
Red Hot Dragons: Super spicy dragon shaped candy that lets you breathe fire like a dragon!
Shazams: Tasty taffy treats that simulate any taste in your mouth continuously, until you say "Shazam!"
Appies: Super tiny apple pies.
Crunchers: Super chocolatey Crunchy nut clusters, with clusters of crunchy nuts!
Mellow Mallows: Super huge marshmallows that make you think only the happiest thoughts.
Coconut Crescents: Crescent shaped macarons with coconut filling.
Assorted Jice: Assorted Jelly Ice Dice in numerous flavors.
Butter Nutters: Butter shaped nutters with nut butter centers.
Jelly Nellies: Delicious mini frosted cakes with jelly filling.
Jammie Yahoos: Similar to jammie whammies, but sweeter and flakier.
Chocolate pretzel Fluxies: Chocolate pretzels with infinite loops.
Fudge Fidgies: The most fidgety fudge around.
Honey Howlers: Honey drops with a mystery taste, guaranteed to shock and amaze.
Pretty Picolocos: Picolo shaped candy stix that really act as instruments.
Berry Blossoms: Candied flower blossoms made from iced berries.
Sugar Stampers: Sugar coated stamps that are acceptable as post stamps.
Blast Buggles: Bugle shaped candy horns that release an explosion when you blow into them.
Nudge Fudge: Delicious fudge that encourages you to eat more of it.
Shiny Sweets: Candy gemstones that shine like real jewels.

Carnival Boutique

Carnival Boutique is one of the largest buildings in The Great Alicorn City, and is by far the most extravagant and popular clothing shop in the city. Lovingly owned and managed by Popularity, the Carnival Boutique features some of the most amazing outfits anypony will ever lay their eyes on. The tourist description for the boutique reads as follows: "The one place you'll ever need to go for the most amazing custom made outfit, the greatest mane style and cuts, and the finest jewelry to leave anypony looking fabulous! Speak to Popularity for assistance at any time!"

Carnival Boutique (Custom made Dresses)

Bubble Wish's Dress: The dress leaves her shoulders uncovered, instead it's supported around her neck and flows down into a graceful draped neckline. It's a close fit which adds to the grace and elegance of the crisp blue dress.
Her arms have been covered to just below her elbows. The sleeves broaden towards the bottom and playfully accentuate her coat and wings.

The dress' waist is broad, but it's a tight fit. A lavish bow has been wrapped around her and rests gentle on her lower back.
Below the waist the dress fits snug around her and has a seapony style. The dress reaches to just below her hind legs and is the same length all around.

She's wearing kitten heels, no other shoe would've matched this dress better. To top it all off she's wearing a gorgeous necklace and large jeweled earrings.

Opalescent's Dress: The dress leaves the top of her shoulders uncovered, but does cover the sides and flows down into a delicate plunging neckline. It's a snug fit which makes the dress look smart and stylish.
Her arms and hooves are completely uncovered. A choice which adds to the elegance and grace of the dress.

The dress' waist is thin, but it's a slim fit. An elastic band within the dress perfectly accentuates her waist and breaks up the dress nicely.
Below the waist the dress fits snug around her and has a tube style. The dress reaches all the way down to the ground and is the same length all around.

She's wearing flat heels, which matches the dress perfectly. To top it all off she's wearing a simple, but stylish necklace and several elegant bracelets.

Grace De Saint's Dress: The dress leaves her shoulders uncovered, instead it's supported around her neck and flows down into a tasteful jewel neckline. It's a comfortable fit which gives the dress a relaxed, yet graceful look.
Her arms have been left uncovered. Which is a good thing too, her silky coat isn't something you want to cover up.

The dress' waist is narrow, but it's a loose fit. A bow has been wrapped around her and rests gently on her belly.
Below the waist the dress fits snug around her and has a pencil style. The dress reaches to just below her knees and is longer at the sides and back of the dress.

She's wearing cone heels, gorgeous on their own, an ideal match in combination with the dress . To top it all off she's wearing a gorgeous wide hat and one simple, but elegant bracelet.

Muleberry's Dress: The dress covers her shoulders halfway and flows down into a modest draped neckline. It's a relaxed fit which helps remove some of the unwanted attention on her flank, but does so by still looking elegant.
Her arms have been covered to only just below her shoulders. A good choice too, as her soft lavender coat and the color of the dress form a perfect combination.

The dress' waist is thin, but it's a slim fit. A small, elegant belt helps accentuate her waist without being too much.
Below the waist the dress widens and has a princess dress style. The dress reaches to well above her hooves and is longer in the back.

She's wearing kitten heels, gorgeous on their own, an ideal match in combination with the dress . To top it all off she's wearing an intricately designed necklace and several jeweled bracelets.

Letters Between Sisters IX

My Dearest Sister,

I hope my unannounced appearance during the alicorn city's annual Winter Welcoming Festival didn't throw you off. Rather, I'm delighted you enjoyed yourself. That means you're actually trying to be less...erratic, I take it?

I actually came to also visit Artemis that day. She wanted to show off her new sword, but more importantly, it was to discuss your... erm, damage towards Popularity's property the other night. Yes, the one after your drinking game with Oceana. I believe your exact words were "Bish, pleese! I candrink shoo unner the bar, anytime I wan!" After that and about 6 tankards of cider, you were both so smashed, you got into argument with your own reflections. In the Carnival Boutique's windows.

Do you know how expensive those windows are? I could feed a full orphanage for three days for the cost of that thing! Or three orphanages for one day! Good gods, are they made from the crystallized platinum ridged tears of elder god dragons?

Now, in regards to you and Oceana, I thoroughly enjoyed your tussle as you two competed in the festivities. That fierce competitive spirit made for an enthralling end to a winter competition that otherwise usually ends in drunken brawls, and lots of awkward hugging.

That said, I'm glad that winter is finally here. I never enjoy the fall; it's a terrible season filled with cold weather, cold people, and colds.

Especially colds. That pesky illness always seems to breach my ward and just ruin me for a whole month. You might remember those times when I had caught just the slightest sniffle, and the next day I was blowing my horn so much it shot a city sized burst of magic into the stratosphere. I'm still unsure of how much damage that must've done to any neighboring planets, or gods forbid our homeworld. (Yes. I know what your thinking. But they don't deserve to be snuffed out of existence with a sneeze!)

Anyway, let me know if you would like to do anything for Hearth's Warming. I look forward to hearing what you have planned. (So long as it's safe, fun and LEGAL.)

Love,

Omni

My Dearest Sister,

I would like to say that I somehow managed to out drink a mare who literally lives in the water. Sadly, I cannot. But I did have fun with Oceana. I had forgotten how much fun we all used to have together. And now on this planet, we can have even more fun! I just wish we could visit Seaquestria without fear of drowning, but hey....baby steps. The festival was alot of fun too, though I will say the cider could use more spice to it, but that's just me.

As for Popularity's windows, I will apologize but only if Oceana does too! We both kicked those window versions of ourselves's asses, and we both should share the glory for it....no wait. That came out wrong. Ah, f@#% it, you know what I mean.

As for Hearth's Warming, naturally we're all going out to celebrate as usual. I cleared the whole month so we could get together and plan all this out, I just hope Muse actually votes on a restaurant this time. Seriously, does she ever talk? At all?

That being said, I'm sure we can figure something out. Let's get together tomorrow and talk about it. But not to early. I have to see Popularity about her windows.

Love,

Eclipsa

P.S: My guess is actually the fossilized souls of demon lords.

Surprise's Surprise Sweets N Treats Guide (Ft. Surprise)

IIIIIITTTSS ME AGAIN!

Huh? Pinkie?

NO, silly! It's me, Surprise!

I said I would be back, and I am! Yay!

I decided to do a second chapter, detailing how to make some of the amazing treats I sell in Honeyhooves! For those of you who don't know, Honeyhooves is my bakery/ sweets shop, and its ALWAYS busy. But, I took some time today so I can teach you how to make some the shop's most amazing treats right in your own kitchen! And there is ALOT of em!

I'm soooo excited, I didn't even bother putting a title, so we can get started right away!

So lets get started right away!!

First up, we have:

Frosted Lunas ("Our #1 selling item!)

Frosted Lunas are one of our bestselling and most popular items, in fact I would say we sell about 500 Frosted Lunas a day! (THATSALLOTALUNAS!) So now, I'm going to teach you the super easy recipe to making your own Frosted Lunas.

Our Ingredients are:

Assorted Lunas (Preferrably store-bought, but any ole Lunas will do.)

½ cup of powdered sugar

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room

½ vanilla bean (halved crosswise), split lengthwise

5 ½ cups (650g) powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons whole milk

First Fry each Luna in cooking oil heated to 375 degree F, till golden. If the Lunas are flipping too much, use a wider utensil like a wooden spoon to hold them down on one side until browned, then cook it on the other.

Next we make our frosting! To make a super simple buttercream frosting, we're going to be using an Alicorn Mixer, again! In said mixer with the whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed for at least 5 minutes, until the butter has lightened in color and is thoroughly whipped.

Next, using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the vanilla seeds into the butter and beat to incorporate.

Add 1 cup of the sugar and begin mixing on low speed to combine, then beat on high speed or about 2 minutes.

Repeat this process 1 cup at a time until all the sugar has been added. Add milk a dash at a time if the mixture becomes too thick or dry. Scrape down the sides as needed and make sure no sugar is visible.

Next, pour the frosting into a separate piping bag. Now just pipe it onto each separate Luna until they are covered at the top.

Lastly, Dip the Lunas in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat one side.

And there we go, Frosted Lunas! Be sure to share them with your friends! As everypony knows, Lunas are best enjoyed with friends!

Up next we will be making:

Fruitie Luscies ("Little fruity cakes with little loose fruits.")

Fruitie Luscies are delicious little bite sized cakes that are perfect for any party, or basically anytime you want a tasty fruity treat!

To make the delectable treats, we will need:

Filling: 1 pkg (3.5 oz) vanilla instant pudding 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream .5 cup milk Optional: add in your personal desired flavor extract (1/4 tsp) for each Luscie cake (peppermint, orange, lemon, etc.)

Glaze: .5 cups powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk

Creampuffs: .5 cups unsalted butter 1 tsp sugar .5 tsp salt 1 cup all purpose flour 5 large eggs

Now, that we have all our ingredients, let me show how to make them!

First prepare the creampuffs. In a medium saucepan, combine your butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of water over a medium high heat. Once it reaches a boil, quickly stir in your flour with a wooden spoon.

Next, transfer this to a mixing bowl to slightly cool for several minutes. Then add in your eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously to entirely combine the egg into the flour mixture.

Now to make the coloring for each individual cake type. Separate your flour into as many containers as colors you want. I made pink, orange, and green for the ones I sell in Honeyhooves, so I use 3 containers total.

Add in the appropriate food coloring and stir until fully colored. Then add these to piping bags and snip off the tops.

On a baking pan with parchment paper, pipe out small 1 inch sized circles. Use a hoof dabbed in some water to smooth out the tops to round them evenly. Then bake them at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until fully risen. Take them out and while they’re cooling, let’s make the pastry cream filling!

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and then separate it again into containers for as many different unique flavors you’d like. Add in the flavor extracts, then add these to a pastry bag and fill each puff up from the bottom.

To further accessorize, combine the glaze ingredients in a mixer and coat each Fruitie Luscie to your hearts content. You can color these separately as well! It’s up to you how detailed you’d like to make your Fruitie Luscies - I personally like to go all out, so I pipe out small flowers with melted pink candy melts and add them on after. Be creative! Make your own delicious Fruitie Luscies and don’t forget to share with your friends :)

These next treats are super special!

Elements Of Harmony Cookies (" Baked in the ovens of Friendship! (As well as an actual oven.")

These were actually requested for me to put down in this chapter! As you may know, Omni and the rest of us, represent the aspects of Friendship created by her, known as The Elements Of Harmony: Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity,Kindness, Magic and mine is of course...Laughter! These cookies are not only delicious and look amazing, but they also represent each element as they are represented by our cutie marks! Now lets make em!

You will need:

For the Cookie Dough: 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup sugar 2 sticks (salted) butter 1 egg 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract.

Royal Icing: 3 ounces pasteurized egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 4 cups confectioners’ sugar and Food coloring.

First let's prepare the dough! Preheat your oven to 350F. Combine your flour and baking powder.

Cream your sugar and butter in an alicorn mixer until they are fully combined. Add vanilla extract and eggs to your mixer and combine.

Add your flour mixture and continue to mix until the dough is crumbly and fully mixed in. Pour out your dough, knead it a couple of times, and roll it out to be a 1/4 inch thick. Use custom cookie cutters of each element to cut your Elements Of Harmony patterns from the dough and place on a parchment lined sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. You can purchase them from HoneyHooves as well! Or you can just cut them out with a stencil or use a picture of our butts as reference! That's fine too!

Next, create your royal icing by combining pasteurized egg whites and vanilla extract in a stand mixer. Mix until frothy.

Then on a slow speed, add your confectioner’s sugar bit by bit until it is fully incorporated. Mix on high for 5-7 minutes, or until the icing has stiff hard peaks.

Separate the icing into separate containers. Each container will be colored differently, so it's up to you how many colors you'll be wanting to make! Once you add a couple of drops of coloring to each batch of icing, spoon in a tsp of water and mix to make the icing a little more fluid. Again colors don't matter as they're your cookies, but if you're going for authenticity:

My cutie mark is bright yellow.

Popularity's is Light purple.

Artemis's is Orange.

Oceana's is light teal.

Omni's is pink.

Muse's is gold.

If you want to use the right colors for them. But again, they're your cookies! Make em all rainbow if you want!

Decorate your cookies by creating a border with your icing and filling it in! Then invite some friends over and enjoy!

Our next recipe is fun for the fall! (The season, not when your falling down the stairs....actually, nope! They're fun even when you're falling down the stairs!)

Pumpkin Pasties ("Pumpkin filled tasty pasties!")

Dough: 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 8 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks 4 tbsp water Mix in your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl or stand mixer. After they are combined, add in your butter one chunk at a time. After that is combined, add in your water and thoroughly mix until it is dough. Put this in the refrigerator while you prepare the pumpkin filling!

Pumpkin Filling: 3 eggs 1 can pumpkin puree 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp salt.

Begin the pumpkin filling by whisking your eggs in a large mixing bowl. Continue to whisk and add your pumpkin puree, heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and finally salt.

Once the mixture is created, pour it into a small baking pan. Bake in an oven at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 and continue to cook for 30-40 minutes until you can insert a toothpick into the pumpkin mixture and take it out clean. Roll out your dough evenly, thick enough that you are able to fold it over on itself without it tearing. Cut out circles about 4 inches in diameter (the size is really up to you!). When the pumpkin is finished cooking, spoon in small amounts onto each circle and carefully fold them over making sure not to let any pumpkin leak out. The edges should just be dough touching dough. Any pumpkin in between the cracks will give you a less secure bond when you bake the pasties. Coat your pasties with an eggwhite wash and bake them at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or when the tops are a golden brown. Take them out, and enjoy!

Next, is another super popular treat, known for their EXPLOSIVE flavor! (Heh. Explosive. good one, Surprise.) Thanks, me!

Boombuns ("Available in five super tasty and explosive flavors!")

Boombuns are super tasty and super fun to eat! As soon as you take a bite, they'll burst with flavor,complete with fireworks and confetti! I do have to say, it's not a good idea to eat them in a quiet place though, like a library. I don't want anypony getting kicked out of the library for smuggling my Boombuns in there again. Thank you!

Here's what we'll need!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk 2 tbsp sugar
1/3 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp highly active yeast
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup warm water
Gel food coloring
Different flavored jam
A small pinch of Zebrican Boom spice

This is how we do it! (Huh....that should be a song!)

First, sift the flour into a separate bowl. Combine the milk, sugar, salt, boom spice and melted butter in another bowl. Mix together. Be sure to not activate the boom spice by stirring too hard.

Add in half of the flour while stirring, then the yeast. Combine one beaten egg with the cup of warm water and add to mixture.

Add the final flour and keep whisking until combined. Dump your contents out onto a well floured surface. Flour your hooves too!

Begin to knead the dough. If you would like to color your buns, you must split the dough up at this stage, otherwise you can do it later on after the dough has been kneaded. Add gel coloring to each individual dough bun and begin to knead for 8-10 minutes.

It should take about this long for the color to be fully kneaded in as well. This can get a bit messy, so do your best to contain the coloring inside the dough when kneading as much as possible.

When the dough is ready, prepare separate bowls for each bun to rise in. Cover the bottom with Wham (Or any no-stick cooking spray), butter, or shortening, and place the dough inside.

Twirl the bun until all of its sides are covered. Then cover the top of the container with plastic wrap.

Put these in a warm place to let the dough rise for the next 40-50 minutes. Some ovens have a feature that allow you to do this.

After the dough has risen, take the buns out of the container and punch them down (in this case, just pushing a hoof down on top will do. Or you can actually punch them, but not too hard, so you don't hurt the bun's feelings. Or blow up the kitchen. Actually, never mind. PLEASE DO NOT PUNCH THE BUNS).

Knead the buns a few more times to work out any extra gas in them. Shape them into dough balls and let them rest again for 10-15 minutes so they settle.

Now to prepare the jam! Each bun has a unique color and berry associated with them, so I try to match each color to the flavor of each bun, so you know the kind of explosiveness to expect.

For Red Boombuns (Petroactive Pepper) I use red pepper jelly.

For Blue Boombuns (Blueberry Blast) I use blueberry jelly

For Pink Boombuns (Strontium Strawberry) I use strawberry jelly

For Green Boombuns (Firecracker Fig) I use fig jelly

For Yellow Boombuns (Caustic Kumquat) I use kumquat jelly

To fill each bun, flatten them out and spoon a little jelly into the center. Then carefully fold the center edge over to the other and crease the dough along the sides until sealed. Make sure no jam gets in between your creases otherwise they won't hold and will leak when you bake them.

After your buns have been closed off, shape them in your hooves and place them pinched edges down. Preheat your oven to 350F (176C) and place the buns on a baking pan in there for 10-15 minutes.

And that's it! Be sure to be super careful when you eat them, and don't eat more then two, because that's bad for your teeth. And your ears.

For the next recipe, we have yet another popular treat, especially for everypony who loves chocolate and marshmallow! (Which I assume is everypony!)

Surprise Pies "They're the superist, the scooperist, the extra-chocoduperist!")

What's better then a tasty chocolate bar with marshmallow filling, caramel and nuts? One that's in the shape of my face! Fillies and colts of all types love these things! And so do I, so lets make one!

You will need:

24 oz milk chocolate chips
4 tsp. crushed almonds
4 tsp. caramel
7 ounces marshmallow fluff
Green food coloring
Chocolate bar mold / Custom made Surprise Face Mold

Here's what to do.

Wrap your Surprise mold with aluminum foil and make sure the edges are sealed.

Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring it in between, until it is completely smooth and liquid.

Use a spoon or spatula to spread your chocolate into your chocolate bar mold or Surprise mold.

Use a clean paintbrush or food brush to coat the sides of the mold as well to make sure you can add your filling in later without having it leak out the side.

Place these in the freezer when done. Create your green filling by mixing in green gel food coloring and marshmallow fluff. It may take a lot to get the color as green as you want if you are using regular food coloring.

When you're done, take your chocolate bars out of the freezer and spoon/spatula/brush in your green filling. Place these back in the freezer.

Melt your caramel with a little bit of milk and microwave power!

Microwave for 30 second bursts and stir in between just like we did with the chocolate. When it's ready, take your bars out from the freezer and drizzle the caramel on top.

You can additionally add your crushed almonds on top of this.

Place these in the freezer one last time. Finally if your chocolate has hardened, warm it up for a bit again in the microwave until it's back to being melted.

Take your molds out of the freezer and finish the bars by covering everything with one last layer of melted chocolate. For extra authenticity, wrap em in tin foil and glue the patented "Surprise Pie" label onto them! Enjoy!

This next one is always fun!

Mockers ("Mock Em!")

Mockers are a tasty lemon flavored candy that let you impersonate the voice of ANYPONY who eats the other candy packaged with them! Each package comes with two candies. Just be sure to not eat them both, because then you'll hear an echo everytime you talk for the next 5 hours. Lets get started!

We will be using:

1/4 cup of sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 cup of water
1/2 tsp citric acid
1/4 t. lemon extract
1/4 cup ground Mimic root
Blue food coloring
Powdered sugar
Candy Thermometer

Here's how we make em!

In a sauce pan combine sugar, water mimic root, and cream of tartar and Stir it up.

Insert a candy thermometer and heat until it reaches 300 degrees F. Pour mixture onto a greased baking pan or silpat (that's a funny word!)

Add food coloring, citric acid, and lemon extract. Your choice of flavorings is entirely up to you here, as is color!

Mix the ingredients together. Mix thoroughly until it begins to cool. Then using your hooves, carefully pull small globs from the mixture and ball it up between them. The faster you work the easier it will be- and you won't burn yourself! When you've formed each rare candy, drop it in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat all the edges. Work through the rest of your melted mixture. You'll be able to reform each of the candies a little bit when you're all finished.

Once they're cooled off, enjoy one. But only ONE at a time. Mimic root is crazy, and eating too much of it can cause all kinds of crazy things to happen to you! Be careful and enjoy.

For our next treat, this one is actually rather new!

Jellie Nellies ("You jelly of my nellie?")

Jellie Nellies are a brand new treat being sold at Honeyhooves, and have already started flying off the shelves! Let's find out how to make em!

To make these, you will need:

1 package of Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. Sugar
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 egg
1 tbsp. melted butter
Canola Oil
Raspberry or Strawberry jam for filling
Powdered Sugar
Dark Blue icing
Light blue icing

Here's how to make them!

Begin by activating your yeast. Heat your milk up to 105-110 degrees F and pour it over your yeast with the sugar. Stir well.

After about 10 minutes your ingredients should have a layer of foam on top.

Combine your flour and salt in a mixer.

Pour in your yeast, an egg, and melted butter. Mix until the dough is properly kneaded. This should take anywhere from 5-7 minutes in a mixer and 10-12 minutes by hoof.

Take out your dough and cover it in an oiled bowl to let it rise. After about 30-40 minutes your dough should have doubled in size.

Flour a surface and place your dough onto it. Punch it down and knead it a few times to release any air trapped inside.

Roll it out and cut the dough into rectangles. Here you can make your Nellies as large or as small as you’d like! The ones sold in Honeyhooves are about 2 inches x 4 inches.

Once your rectangles have been cut out, cover them and let them rise again for 15-20 minutes.

While the dough is rising, let’s prepare our deep fryer!

This is a more dangerous process so make sure to have pony supervision and proper safety protocols in place before you get going.

Fill up a fryer or large pot with your oil and increase the heat to around 330 degrees F. Carefully place your dough rectangles inside the oil. Don’t overfill the pot.

Cook one side for about 2 minutes then flip it over. You can check on how ready the dough is before you flip it over. You might need to fry it for just a little longer!

Remove the fried dough rectangles when they are finished and let them dry and remove excess oil on a paper towel.

To fill the donuts with jam, carefully poke a hole in either of the sides and excavate the insides. I usually use a chopstick for this! Then pipe in your jam and seal it off! Prepare a bowl of powdered sugar or fill a sifter and powder your Nellies. When they’ve cooled and dried, spread frosting across the top. Place these in the freezer to dry them more quickly. Then carefully use your icing to write "Nellie" onto each cake! Once that's done, enjoy them with friends!

This next one is a classic holiday favorite! And one of my own personal favorites! (And that's saying something.)

Appies ("The perfect treat for the winter holidays!")

Appies are just....AMAZING! I'd eat them all the time if I didn't only bake them around Hearths Warming. When you smell the apples in the air and the smell of baking cinnamon, you know that Appies are backies! And that's when the stampede happens, and ponies wait in line for hours to get them!

Now, here's what you'll need to make your own Appies!

1 qt vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp vegetable oi
l 3 green apples - cored, peeled, chopped into small squares
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze: 3 cups Powdered Sugar, 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/3c Milk

Here's how we make em!

Stir together your flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Pour in your milk, eggs (beaten), and oil and stir until it's all combined.

Cut up your apples into small squares then pour them in and cover them evenly in the batter.

Heat your oil in a pot to 370 degrees F. Do not overheat! Use a candy thermometer to track the temperature and as it gets closer to 370, lower the heat and watch the temperature closely.

Using a large spoon, ladle, ice cream scoop, or measuring cup, take small portions of your apples in batter and drop them carefully into your oil. They will naturally flip themselves in the oil, but make sure both sides are a nice golden brown before removing them and placing them on some paper towels to absorb the remainder of the oil.

Prepare your glaze by mixing the ingredients together and whisking until it is all incorporated and smooth. Place your fried apple fritters into the glaze and roll it around to fully coat it. Then remove them and let them dry. To double glaze, simply dunk the apple fritters back into the glaze or pour it out over top. Once it's dried off again, serve and enjoy these delicious sugary delights!

Speaking of holiday treats, this next one is a favorite in the spring holidays!

Burple Nurples ("Little Nurples that Burples!")

Every time I make these I can never seem to stop saying the name. Burple Nurples, Burple Nurples, Burple Nurples! And then I laugh at the word Nurple, every time I say it, so its like a say Burple Nurple, then I laugh then I say it again. and then I laugh. This continues for several hours, even after they're done baking!

To make Burple Nurples (*Snicker*) you will need:

16 ounce package white cake mix
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 tsp Snoriander
Purple food coloring

Here's how to make em!

Stir together your cake mix, brown sugar, egg, milk, butter, and Snoriander in a large bowl.

The Snoriander is what makes the nurples (*Snicker*) Burp! But be sure to only add 1 tsp, so as not to overwhelm the taste of the cake.

Add in purple food coloring bit by bit until your batter reaches a dark purple.

Pour in your chocolate chips (optional) and fold them into the dough.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spread out your mixture on a greased baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

The coloring on top of your Nurples (*Snicker*) will have dulled, but don't worry! it's just as rich and vibrant on the inside.

To make the Nurple shapes, you'll need the special Nurple cookie Cutters I use in Honeyhooves. We do sell them, and their only 5 bits! Or you can just use whatever shapes you have on hoof! It's up to you!

Remove your Nurples (*Snicker*) from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Now, cut out the pieces from your baked Nurp- *Snicker* erm....brownies!

You'll need two wings for each body. Once that's done, use a knife to trim off the edges of your wings and split a toothpick in half to place into the wing and secure it to the body.

That's it! You've made Burple Nurples that burple as they nurple! Be sure to share them with your friends!

For our last recipe, I've prepared something I don't sell in Honeyhooves, because its WAY too special. I am of course talking about:

Surprise Senpai's Strawberry Shortcake

This was the first recipe I ever learned! I've made it only a few times, each time for only the most special occasion. I made it when me and Omni first became friends. I made it when I opened Honeyhooves. And I made it when me, omni, populaity, artemis, muse and Oceana, all became friends and had a sleepover! It's the most precious recipe I have, so unfortunately I can't give out too much about it. But don't worry! You can still make it!

The ingredients are:

3 pints fresh strawberries, sliced

Shortcake (DOUBLE THIS RECIPE for TWO SHORTCAKES!)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk

Whipped Cream Frosting: 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 cup icing sugar

Now lets make Surprise Senpai's Strawberry Shortcake!

Slice your strawberries and set aside. Optionally toss them with some sugar. Leave 5-6 whole strawberries uncut.

In a mixing bowl, add your sugar and shortening, and mix until combined into coarse crumbs.

Add in one egg, vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together your flour, baking powder, and salt.

Bit by bit, mix in your dry mixture and milk and continue to stir until the batter is finished and combined.

In a circle pan, spread the batter evenly. Repeat the first process and create a second shortcake.

Place in a 425 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove the top off of one shortcake with a leveler or bread knife.

To make the whipped cream frosting, add your heavy whipping cream to a mixing bowl and mix on medium high.

Slowly add in the icing sugar while continuing to mix until the whipped cream frosting holds it shape.

Plate one of your shortcakes, coat the top with a layer of whipped cream, then cover with sliced strawberries.

Add more frosting on top, then place your second shortcake above it.

Frost the entire cake, then add some dollops on top for your whole strawberries. Slice and serve!

Join me again next time, when I will be teaching you how to make Hearth's Warming Pudding! Just in time for the holidays!

See you then!

Surprise

Friendship Quest I: The Quest Begins

Summary

Magelight and friends partake in The Festival Of Light, but are interrupted by a barbarian chased by an evil cult. After unleashing evil upon the world, Magelight takes up a quest to save the world from The Heralds Of The Manticore.

Let's Quest!

Our story begins in EarthStar Village, a loose-knit community of Ponies, Griffins, Zebras and Other races living together in harmony, nestled in the wilds outside the Stonesaw Mountains.

Magelight, The Young Mage from Calbridle (Twilight) and her friend, the sweet loving bard, Sprinkle Party (Pinkie Pie) find themselves in EarthStar Village attending the Festival Of Light, a celebration that occurs every hundred years in honor of The Earth Star, a magical giant sapphire that protects the world by keeping the Gates Of The Demon Realm closed, and the demons at bay.

Magelight and Sprinkles are enjoying the feast at the local eatery. A beautiful resplendent Alicorn walks up to them. "Are you enjoying the festival?" She asks. You recognize her as The Earth Star Guardian, basically the chief and mayor of this city.

*Magelight thanks her for her hospitality.

After the feast, you attend the ritual which keeps The Earth Star lit. You recite the oath along with the rest of the village.

*Everyone recites the oath.

As the cheers die down, you hear a great commotion as a large cart is knocked aside. Blowing past several villagers and dashing into the center of the village, a wild barbarian looks around worried, brandishing a large weapon in her hooves.

*She is Strudelhart (Applejack) a mighty barbarian warrior. She explains she is being pursued by a group of evil cultists and that she needs help fending them off.

*Magelight is suspicious. She goes to see if their are any cultists around but she sees none, and confronts Strudel for lying. But Strudel says the cultists are out there and have blended in with the forest, trying to sneak up on the village.

You all go out and look to the direction from which Strudel came from. And you see several suspicious trees. Looking closer you see they seem to be moving ever so slightly.

You hear whistling blow forth through the forest. The whistling intensifies as the trees begin rotating. With the rotation, the trees stop being trees and start being hooded figures.

*Strudel brandishes her Battleaxe which is named "Only Friend" and flys into a barbarian rage. Her muscles swell and expand as her coat takes on a red hue along with her eyes, her mane flares wildly as her already impressive earth pony strength doubles instantly.

One of the figures throws back its hood, revealing a Jackal's head. It speaks, and says they are The Heralds Of The Manticore. They have come to collect The Earth Star. He orders you to give them the star or face the consequences.

*You refuse and they draw their weapons. There are seven hooded figures, wearing maroon cloaks.

*Strudel aims her axe at the closest cultist to her. She deals 8 damage with the barbarian rage bonus. The cultist stumbles back clutching his wound.

The Earth Star Guardian speaks out. She says you must protect the village while she takes The Earth Star to its tower, where no evil may pass.

*Magelight aims a fireball spell at the cultist closest to her, but he reflects it without much trouble despite already being wounded.

*Sprinkles takes out her Lute and charges the Jackal Cultist. She clocks him right in his face, dealing 12 damage.

*Strudel, still in her barbarian rage, starts swinging her axe and manages to score a critical hit, cleaving right through one of the cultists, as his body falls into two pieces. Her axe swings hard into the second cultist's leg, and he falls to the ground, but not dead.

*Magelight withdraws a flame of Alchemist's Fire from her robes and tosses it at one of the cultists. Its a Critical Failure. She winds up for the pitch but it slips out way too early and lands on her head, dealing 5 burning damage to her mane.

The cultists make there move, but a heavily armored figure, clad in dark plate mail strides directly through the fight and captures the Earth Star Guardian by using a mysterious black gem that turns her into an obsidian statue. He then grabs the Earth Star.

The runes beneath the Earth Star begin to glow and you hear the sound of the sky cracking and ripping as you witness a tear in space form where the Earth Star was once floating. And through the tear like a coursing river, flows a torrent of evil spirits. Three carriage sized abominations, each a different color, rush through the tear and destroy buildings as they pour out into the free world leaving a trail of destruction.

*Sneaking up around the corner behind the cultists, Sprinkles hits a button on her Lute and a long blade extends from the bottom. She flips it over and, wielding it like a sword, scores a critical sneak attack on one of the cultists. Swingin the lute sword, she slices clean through ones legs and then decapitates the other scoring a total of 27 damage.

The jackal head cultist announces that now that they have The Earth Star guardian and the Earth Star, they will use it to resurrect The Manticore and bring about the end of the world.

The dark armored figure waves his hands around in a magical manner, as you see red projectiles made of energy of some sort, come barraging into the area. They hit everyone as an area of effect, knocking everyone down and damaging Magelight and Sprinkles.

*Magelight takes 17 damage

*Sprinkles takes 12 Damage

As everyone struggles to get back up, you see the cultists begin floating up into the air magically and disappear, along with the Obsidian statue that was once the Earth Star Guardian.

Commander Stormhorn (Tempest) the leader of the village militia, comes out to let you know that the village is safe but the world is in danger. She tells you to go and warn the chief of the neighboring town of Freshport that The Earth Star has been taken, and to warn him of the impending doom. She says you can get there by cutting through Stonesaw Mines, the merry dwarven settlement in the mountains.

Will our heroes prevail? Or will evil triumph in their dark mission? Find out next time in Friendship Quest.

Friendship Quest II: The Stonesaw Mines

Summary

On a journey to warn the nearby town of the evil that threatens the world, out heroes take a shortcut through the Stone Saw mines, where they encounter the damage and devastation wrought by the evils of the cult.

Let's Quest!

You're on the road to Stonesaw Mines, the local dwarven settlement located in and throughout the Sronesaw Mountains. You recall Commander Stormhorn saying that the dwarves enjoy a merry life, farming, mining, smithing, and ferrying people through their tunnels thanks to the dwarve's direct service mine cart lines to Freshport.

But as you near the village entrance, the normally hidden mountain entrance is wide open, and seated right on the threshold as a wounded looking female knight with blood stained bandages.

*She is Sir Awesome (Rainbow Dash) a noble knight from the kingdom of Cloudlaudenum. She greets you with a slightly pained smile as she explains she was called by the dwarves to slay a Great Red Beast that attacked the mines. She tried to fight it but it was more powerful then anything she had ever seen, and she was nearly killed before she got away.

*Using her healing amulet, Magelight heals 7 damage from Sir Awesome. Grateful, she volunteers to lead you through the mines to Freshport. You accept and she joins your group, leading you into the mines.

As you pass through the doorway you enter a round chamber lit by torches. You see food, plates and mugs scattered along the floor and upturned tables as well as many corpses, mutilated bodies and skeletons. You see scorch marks marring the walls and the smell of ash is potent in the air.

*Magelight uses her Wary Eye to investigate the scene. Her Wary Eye detects one of the skeletons starting to shift and rearrange itself into a fully bipedal skeleton creature. It starts lurching towards you.

*Sir Awesome charges at it and punches it right in the sternum. Dealing 5 damage. It smashes apart as she hits it. It doesn't get back up.

Directly ahead of you is a large archway made of stone.

*Sprinkles hops forward merrily through the archway. She sees what looks like some sort of security checkpoint. There's large stone barriers, bars and also some sort of window or counter. It looks like a ticket booth. Beyond the booth, are train tracks and dwarven ghosts wearing mining helmets. Their shimmering, translucent forms enter one of the mine carts and then they kind of whiz down the track into a tunnel.

*Magelight spies a hidden tunnel that the dwarves use to get around security barricades.

*Sprinkles goes first and pops out the other side where mine carts and the tracks are. Magelight, Strudel and Sir Awesome follow suit.

You see a series of levers used to control the tracks. The tracks go down a series of dark tunnels, and several mine carts are locked in place.

*Strudel jumps into a mine cart. Magelight jumps in with her. Sir Awesome joins you.

*Sprinkles happily hops into the middle one.

*Magelight uses her magic to pull the left lever. The cart immediately starts rolling off into the nearest tunnel.

You can see below you, dwarven farms, and other train tracks suspended high above the farms about 20 feet off. You can hear more mine carts than just your own rolling down these tracks. On those tracks you can see another mine cart full of dwarven ghosts. They are talking in dwarven.

*Sprinkles speaks dwarven. She listens carefully to the dwarven ghosts. They are saying "Oh look there's more of the living. Lets make them like us. That is to say dead."

*Sprinkles whistles to get their attention. And three pick axes sail through the air, towards sprinkles. They impact the cart but they don't hit anybody.

*Magelight casts a fireball spell at the ghosts. It strikes one directly in his ghostly chest, setting him on fire, and dealing 10 damage.

*Sir Awesome picks up one of the pick axes lodged in the cart and throws it at one of the ghosts, striking him in the face and dealing 7 damage.

*Sprinkles takes the last Pickaxe, loads it into her Lute which is now a bazooka and fires it directly at the tracks the ghosts are on. It hits and splits the tracks down the middle collapsing and sending the ghosts tumbling down into the Dephs below. They don't come back.

You continue on to the end to the track and the cart slows to a stop, right outside of a large stone archway with a reddish orange glow coming from within. You all get out of the cart and go through the archway.

You enter what appears to be a large smithing room, the walls glow with orange lava visible through thick panels in the walls. You see racks of shining new weapons.

*Strudel picks up a silver short sword. Its heft speaks to her. She keeps it.

*Sir Awesome finds a large golden bastard sword. Its made out of Orichalcum, a magical element used to create evil vanquishing holy weapons. She takes it and puts her own rusted blade on the rack to replace it, sheathing the Magic Sword in her sheath.

The furnaces burn brighter and brighter as you take the weapons. They flare up angrily as a dark form coalesces in the room, its long talons glow white hot, and its a vaguely feline red form looks to be made of compressed fire and enveloped in acrid smoke. Its one of The Arcane Horrors that escaped from the rip caused by the Earth Star being stolen. It narrows its many eyes at you as it prepares to attack.

*Magelight Summons a hail of swords which sail towards the Red Horror and cleave into his hide, dealing 18 damage.

The horror recoils in pain but is even angrier now as it lashes its talons at Sir Awesome slashing her with fire and dealing 11 damage.

*She uses Godless Healing to heal her wounds, regaining 8 health.

*Strudel goes into a Barbarian Rage, doubling her strength. She withdraws her new sword which she names New Friend, and stabs directly at the creature. However its smokey form renders it immune to your blows.

*Sir Awesome takes her sword and leaps up into the air and plants the blade deep in the base of the creature's neck. Black Ichor spills everywhere as you deal a boosted 14 Damage.

Fire consumes the body of the demon and it burns away into ashes. You stand above the ashen remains of the creature, as a light shines down upon the group. Its a mine shaft leading out of the mines and the mountains. Climbing onto the mine shaft lift, you exit the mountain. You see the seaside city of Freshport, and begin to make your way there.

But what will they find there? Find out next time in Friendship Quest!

Friendship Quest III: Welcome To Freshport

Summary

Leaving The Stone Saw Mines, the gang enters Freshport, where they enlist the help of the visiting Queen from a far off kingdom to warn the city of the evils unleashed by The Heralds Of The Manticore. They infiltrate a party to chat up a union boss.

Let's Quest!

Having exited the Stone Saw Mines, you are just a short walk away from the shores and harbors of Freshport, a seaside port city on the north coast. You're headed there to warn them of the impending evil of the Heralds Of The Manticore, and get some help rescuing the Earth Star Guardian. You tread down the pavestone path down to the gates of the city.

Freshport is much bigger then Earth Star Village. A street vendor sells meat on a stick, and people fill the streets with their comings and goings. You hear the beautiful voice of a visiting queen haggling with a nearby street vendor for a bushel of apples. She is dressed head to toe in flowing regal fabrics, and a shining platinum crown with an amethyst rests atop her vibrant mane.

*She is Princess Platinum (Rarity), otherwise known as "The Lady Pristine", a beautiful unicorn queen from a far away kingdom, come to Freshport to see the sights and sounds. She greets you warmly as she asks what brings you to the seaside town. You all greet her as well, and tell her you are here to warn the city of The evil cult's plans to destroy the world. She is appalled at such a thing, and suggests she take you to the city's mayor, Dunham, to warn him of such a threat. You all agree, and she joins your group.

Guiding you through the town, Pristine whisks you down to the docks, a busy and fishy smelling place full of sailors and construction workers milling around. Passed Packed boathouses and crabs shacks to a large three story building right on the water. This is the union house, its warm redwood timber frame stands head and shoulders above any other building you've seen in town. An armed guard stands at the door with his spear. Inside you hear music and dancing. It sounds like a party is going on.

*Magelight greets the guard and asks if her and her friends may enter the tavern. The guard refuses as you don't have an invitation.

*Lady Pristine uses her Beauty and Way With Words to charm the guard into letting you pass. He feels his will slip away as he becomes lost in Pristine's soft lavender eyes. He steps aside and allows you to pass through into the tavern.

You walk upstairs into a wild and rambunctious affair, with another party happening. There are so many people, you can't see through them to find Dunham.

*Pristine informs you that Dunham is a donut man, Like Mayor McCheese, but with a massive donut with eyes for a head.

Scanning the room, with your newfound information, you do see a donut man, with a massive donut for a head. You approach him and let him know who you are and why you are here.

*Dunham is suspicious of you but believes your story. He asks you to follow him.

Leading you out of the party down a hallway, Dunham is talking to you. He says he's heard of the Heralds Of The Manticore, and that they are a dangerous and evil cult. Their reach is great, and their secrets dark. Their purpose is to steal The Earth Star and use its power with The Earth Star Guardian to resurrect the Manticore which will destroy the world. Their secret headquarters is hidden deep in the mythical and magical Doorest Of Fores, located across the Dernam Sea.

Dunham opens a door to a large study, full of books and bookshelves. It is here were Dunham reveals himself to be an agent of The cult, and that he must kill you to prevent you from ruining his plans for the city. He snaps his fingers and conjures a massive Tyrant Crab and a Hellhound. They approach you, ready to attack.

*Sprinkles takes out her Lute which is now a crossbow and fires a steel bolt at the Hellhound. It hits and deals 4 damage.

*Sir Awesome unsheathes her magic sword and attacks the Hellhound. She cleaves into its side, dealing 19 damage.

*Strudel goes into a Barbarian Rage, doubling her strength and damage. She picks up a large bookcase and throws it right at Dunham The Dounut, dealing 6 damage to his large donut head.

*Sprinkles goes after the Tyrant Crab. She climbs a bookshelf and takes her lute which is now a large sword, and leaps into the air as she buries her blade into the soft tissue of the crab's back, dealing 10 damage plus Bleeding. The crab starts thrashing around with Sprinkles still on its back and knocks a bookshelf clean over onto itself. Sprinkles rolls out of the way as it crashes on top of the crab.

You all hear a loud crackling of fire as gouts of flame begin to spread out in the room. The Hellhound is breathing fire and luminates the room, catching everything on fire.

Dunham lunges At Sir Awesome, his hands crackling with electrical energy. But she uses Expert Evasion to roll under him, then attacks him with her sword. She cleaves him in the stomach, dealing 9 damage. Jelly spills onto the floor from the wound.

*Strudel uses her Axe and goes after the Hellhound, evading its fire, she leaps and cleaves right through its back dealing 19 damage, with the Barbarian Rage Damage Bonus. It falls limp to the floor.

Dunham puts his hands together and fans out his fingers in a wide arc, as Acidic Jelly leaps forth towards you. But you all leap out of the way of the jelly as it hits the floor, and sizzles and burns right through the carpet.

*Sprinkles tries some of the acid jelly as it sizzles the carpet. It tastes like acid and grape jelly. She takes 1 damage because its acid.

*Magelight casts a powerful laser blast of magical energy at Dunham. The magical blast pierces right through his stomach, dealing 12 damage, and spraying jelly and dough intestines everywhere.

*Lady Pristine casts a power Ice spell at Dunham. Several Massive shards of ice appear from a cloud of energy and all stab directly at Dunham, piercing every side of his body, dealing 25 damage. Dunham's Dounut body spills jelly from every wound, as he struggles for another brief second before dying like a pin cushioned ragdoll. The floor is covered in jelly now.

As fire engulfs the room, you all try to flee from the study out into the hallway. But your path is blocked by a massive flaming bookcase that has toppled over.

*Sir Awesome looks for a way out. She spots a porthole window, and flings it open. Looking down she sees a passing ship below them. She alerts her friends to follow her as she jumps and slides down the rigging of the ship's mast as she lands in a pile of hay.

*Magelight casts a spell which carries her and Sprinkles down onto the deck of the ship.

*Lady Pristine encases herself in a magical bubble of diamond and floats like a feather down onto the ship, landing gracefully.

*Strudel leaps out and lands in her own pile of hay on the ship, just as the room they were in explodes, scattering fire and debris all across the harbor.

As the ship sails off, you lay down in the cargo hold, wondering where your journey will take you next.

Find out next time on Friendship Quest!

Friendship Quest IV: Across The Dernam Sea

Summary

The gang comes to blows with a damned crew of ghost pirates but are saved and led across the Dernam sea by a magical Sea Pony Pixie. But they are being pursued by a much greater enemy.

Let's Quest!

You're carefully hidden in the cargo hold as stowaways on a mysterious trading vessel. You don't want to make your presence known, but after the past few days at sea, you become hungry and thirsty, and you feel the need to seek out food and water. You won't find it in the cargo hold, as it strangely enough has no food or rations that would be otherwise necessary for a crew.

A large double door in the cargo hold is the only exit, but crates surround you.

*Sprinkles peers through the crack of the doors. She sees wooden planks.

*She opens the door. She sees wooden planks.

The group follows her into the long wooden hallway. You see way down the hall to the left is a door as well as a ladder leading up.

*Sprinkles goes to the end of the hallway and peers through the keyhole of the door. She can't see anything as its too dark.

*Magelight goes up the ladder. She sees a group of Ghost Pirates and they haven't noticed you yet. They're lounging on tables and chairs, they seem to be playing cards.

*Sir Awesome uses her wings to fly up the ladder quietly and watches the ghost pirates with Magelight cautiously. She then attempts to sneak past them. But her armor is too loud, and clangs metallically with every step. The Ghost Pirates look over at her and immediately draw their weapons and demand to know how she got on the ship.

*Sir Awesome draws her magical sword and slashes at one of the ghost pirates. Her magical blade cleaves magically through his non-existent flesh, dealing a boosted 12 damage. He disintegrates into blue dust.

Alarmed and infuriated, the pirates call out for their captain, who arrives post haste. A black ghostly skeleton in a very regal looking pirate captains regalia and large hat with a charred feather steps onto the deck, and glares over at you from the doorway. He demands to know who you are and why he shouldn't kill you.

*Everyone else steps on deck to defend their friend. The captain laughs evilly as he draws a pistol and prepares to fire directly at Sir Awesome.

Suddenly the pistol is knocked from his hand by a mysterious arm of water, that then pulls the captain into the ocean, before knocking every other ghost pirate off the deck of the ship. Saving your lives.

You hear a sweet and kind voice call out from the waves below. It asks if you are alright.

*Sprinkles goes over to see their savior is a beautiful and kind Sea Pony mare who waves at her merrily from the waves she floats on. She is Savvy (Skystar), the magical sea pony pixie who saw you were in trouble and stopped to help you using her power over the oceans waters. Sprinkles waves back and invites her to come aboard.

*Savvy smiles happily as she wreathes herself in a magical aura and floats out of the ocean and swims through the air to the deck of the ship where she meets and greets everyone.

After befriending Savvy, you tell her of your journey to stop The Heralds Of The Manticore. She understands the gravity if the situation and offers to help you cross the Dernam Sea safety. You accept and She joins your group happily.

Suddenly, you all hear strange noises surfacing from the waves around the ship. Looking over the bow, you see shark fins speeding through the water, towards the ship, as well as blue and white figures on the side of it, scaling it with webbed fingers. You see they are Shark People, and cannot be reasoned with. Four of them make it onto the deck, and are armed with long jagged spears. They are large muscular sharklike humanoids with red eyes, sharp teeth and find coming out from the bald heads. They ready themselves to attack.

*Sir Awesome takes her magic sword and attacks one of the shark people. She slashes a large gaping wound in its stomach, dealing 11 damage.

*Savvy summons a large tendril of water which shapes itself into a large water spear and sends it hurtling towards one of the shark people. It cuts through the air and Impales him through the head, dealing 13 damage. He falls dead to the floor.

*Sprinkles takes her lute which is now a sword and leaps up as she cleaves one of the shark people in the jugular, dealing 14 damage.

All of a sudden you feel a massive force knock against the side of your ship, through the crackling of wood and splintering of timbers. You failed to notice another vessel in the storm, a black metal craft that has crashed into the port side of the ship. And standing upon the dark vessel is a familiar armored figure. The remaining shark people scatter and flee into the water. The figure taunts you as he holds in his fist the Earth Star which now glows blood red with jagged black spikes over its surface. Electricity plunges from the night sky into the sea, and out of the Dephs rises a blue sea monster. Its the second of the Arcane Horrors. It ascends skyward into the clouds and storm, before plummeting from the sky like a whispy blue bomb, and landing on the ship. It glares at you as it roars violently.

*Strudel goes into a Barbarian Rage doubling her strength and damage. She takes her axe and charges at it, but it bounces harmlessly off its magical hide.

*Magelight raises her staff and casts a spell with envelopes it as a glowing sword. She slashes at one of its legs, and it spills white Ichor onto the deck which burns a hole through it as it takes 12 damage.

*Savvy waves her fins as she conjures a large guillotine blade out of water, which falls through the air and cleaves into the Horror's back, dealing 14 damage. It bleeds more white Ichor.

The horror reels back in pain as it begins spewing water from its mouth all around the deck of the ship. A blast of water hurdles towards Savvy.

*Savvy uses her powers to stop the water blast in midair, then turns it into a massive jagged rotating blade of water, which she then sends spinning right into the horror's soft underbelly. Its a critical hit! Dealing 19 damage. As it falls to the floor it erupts into a pile of whispy black smoke, which dissolves into nothing.

The Armored Figure is enraged. He says he's through playing around. He takes The Earth Star and raises it high above his head, as ribbons of dark energy crackle in wide arcs from it, they begin to tangle your group, binding everyone in Unbreakable magical chains. The figure leaps onto the deck of your ship, laughing manically. He says your coming with him. That you're going on a little trip.

You are all escorted onto Vorthian's ship and into the prison hold. However unbeknownst to your captors, Savvy uses her powers to turn into water and escapes her chains. She tells you she will follow the ship from the water and rescue you when she gets the chance. And not to lose hope.

But where are they going? Find out next time on Friendship Quest!

Friendship Quest V: Manoa Prison Hole

Summary

Captured by Vorthian, our heroes are imprisoned in Manoa Prison Hole. But all is not lost as they meet a magical and kindhearted Druid and her enchanted bunny companion, who helps them to escape from the prison.

Lets Quest!

It's been a long time in the darkness of Vorthian's ship. You hear the freak of iron and are instantly blinded by bright sunlight. With a tug on your heavy chains you are led roughly onto the docks of a new place, and into a large stone tower with high walls called Manoa Prison and into prison cells. Your items and equipment are removed from you.

Vorthian stands there and starts gloating. He says your efforts were doomed from the start, and that you should stay here for awhile while they summon The Manticore and destroy the world. He laughs manically.

*Sir Awesome attempts to flip him off, but she doesn't have hands. So she just swears at him coarsely.

He clutches The Earth Star in his fist and clutches it as a portal appears. He walks through it and disappears along with the portal.

You hear a soft, meek voice scold you for using such language. You look to the other side of the cell and see sitting in a corner on a tree stump is a beautiful Pegasus in a brown earthen robe. A cute little white bunny stands at attention by her feet. She is Treeminder (Fluttershy) the kindest of all Druids, and a powerful sorceress, whose bunny is named, Vernon.

*Treeminder smiles meekly at all of you and greets you warmly. You explain why you're here and that you need to get out to save the world. She understands and agrees to join your group help you, for no other reason then because she wants to be friends and help you out as much as she can. She explains she can use her powers over nature to help you escape the prison, but that we need to get out of this cell first.

As you discuss a plan to escape the cell, the door is suddenly ripped off its hinges from the outside by a massive arm of water. Savvy peeks into the cell and waves happily.

Now out of the cell, Treeminder tells you that her bunny Vernon, has a bomb making kit that was taken by the guards. It turns out it was Vernon who was sent to prison, but Treeminder went with him so he wouldn't be lonely. If they can get his kit, they can escape the prison.

A group of guards has seen you have escaped from your cell and attempt to kill you and your group.

*Sir Awesome lunges at one of the guards and wraps her arms around his neck, strangling him, as he passes out.

*Strudel goes into a Barbarian Rage doubling her strength and damage as she just starts punching two guards at once, dealing 6 punching damage to their faces.

*Treeminder quickly brews a small potion using her swift alchemy. She then holds it out to one of the guards and ask him to try it. Unable to resist the adorable Pegasus and her sweet words, the guard takes the potion and drinks it. He then falls gently to sleep, as Treeminder kisses his forehead, as he finally curls up and falls asleep.

There's a single door leading out but its locked.

*Treeminder picks up a small twig and sticks it in the keyhole. This somehow unlocks the door. Walking through, the group makes its way upstairs to the evidence room.

Inside, Vernon scurries from Treeminder's shoulder and is reunited with his bomb kit. The group looks around the room, as they collect their own equipment.

*Strudel finds 5 magical potions. She takes them.

*Vernon the bunny fashions a magical bomb and blows a massive hole in the wall, alerting the guards to your escape. But they're too late as your whole group makes it out of the whole where you run off into the Sandman Desert, which is right next to the Doorest Of Fores.

What will our heroes find there? Find out next time on Friendship Quest!

Friendship Quest VI: Entering The Sandman Desert

Summary

After escaping from the Manoa Prison, our heroes begin crossing The Sandman Desert where they encounter The Sphinx, the ruler of the desert, and must pass her tests in order to proceed, or be eaten on the spot.

Let's Quest!

Fugitives on the lamb, you escape into the Sandman Desert, hoping to find your way to the Heralds Of The Manticore's secret lair, deep within The Doorest Of Fores.

*Strudel scans the desert for any sign of a path to The Doorest Of Fores. She sees a caravan of heavily laden wagons, corralled into a circle. You can see people standing atop the wagons, and also a number of dark shadowy shapes surrounding the caravan. You hear shouting and screaming. The caravan is under attack.

*Sprinkles comments that that must be a huge tack! Sir Awesome facehoofs.

You all hear a scream of terror as you see a robed unicorn mare atop one of the carriages. The dark figures surround it.

*Strudel calls out to her and asks her her name.

*The unicorn says her name is The Great And Powerful Trix-E (Trixie).
She begs you to save her, as she's being attacked by Wraiths.

You see Wraiths, ghostly draped figures that seem to be wearing ghastly black robes that obscure their ghostly faces and limbs. As soon as they see you, one rushes at Strudel with his long ghostly blade.

*Strudel blocks the attack, and slashes the Wraith quickly in the stomach with her Axe, dealing 8 damage.

*Sir Awesome takes out her magic sword and cleaves the same Wraith in the shoulder, dealing 11 damage. The Wraith staggers and falls into a a pile of black, ethereal, wispy-like fabrics.

*Sir Awesome questions Trix-E. about what she's doing there. She explains she is a traveling merchant of various enchanted wares and spells. She came to the desert to find a rare gem that belongs to the desert's guardian known as The Sphinx.

As soon as she mentions The Sphinx, the wraiths fade away into thin air.

*Sir Awesome asks Trix-E. why The Wraiths suddenly faded away. She says its because The Sphinx knows they are here, and will probably show up herself soon to deal with the intruders.

*Sprinkles asks Trix-E. if she knows a way to The Doorest Of Fores. She says the only way through the desert is to get past the Sphinx. She's on her way through the desert and will happily take you if you protect her caravan. You agree and head off with Trix-E. riding in her carriage.

Embarking through the hot desert night, you suddenly spot a series of dark shapes watching you approach from the sandy hills. Lined up on the dunes are several Wraiths, they seem to be holding ghostly bows and arrows.

*The Great And Powerful Trix-E. uses her magical sorcery to conjure a series of divine crystalline arrows that soar through the night air and pierce Wraiths through the chest, dealing 15 damage each and destroying them. The rest of the Wraiths let loose their own volley of flaming arrows in retaliation.

*Magelight creates a magical Forcefield around the caravan that protects it from the arrow attack. She then launches three Friendship Missiles that converge on one of the Wraiths dealing 11 damage.

You see a brilliant flash of blinding light, and the Wraiths disperse. The Sphinx is closing in on you, and she will be here soon. The night passes uneventfully as you make camp for the night.

The next morning, the caravan arrives in an Oasis. There's palm trees, lush vegetation and the occasional frolicking animal.

*Treeminder and Vernon go off to frolick in the Oasis.

But as you enjoy yourselves in The Oasis, the sky suddenly darkens as the oasis is absorbed into the desert and the ground shakes as a massive gout of flame erupts from the ground, knowing everyone back. The Sphinx, beautiful and terrifying all at once, steps forth from the flames and smiles evilly down at you. She is a vibrant purple half pony half cat creature adorned in Egyptian jewelry and wears a pharaoh's crown upon her head. Her eyes are depthless purple pools of power and fear. She kneels down to get eye level with you as she continues to smile in an evil manner.

*Sir Awesome runs up and punches her. Her blow bounces harmlessly off her muzzle as she blows a small breath and sends Sir Awesome flying into a large palm tree. She takes 5 impact damage.

The Sphinx laughs and says she's been watching you and is impressed. She says if you can defeat her in any challenge, she will let you pass. Fail, and you all die.

*Treeminder uses Charm (D20) to try and convince The Sphinx to let them go. (FAILED) The Sphinx refuses and is unabiding in her demands. But she is humbled by Treeminder's innocence and says she doesn't have to challenge her, and that if her friends manage to defeat her, then Treeminder will be allowed to pass. As well as her bunny.

*You challenge The Sphinx to a quick match. You must land at least a single hit on her in order to win.

*Sir Awesome takes out her Magic Sword and swipes at The Sphinx's paw. Its magic blade cleaves through The Sphinx's invincible flesh as she is given a great gash on her paw from which she bleeds a viscous Black Ichor, dealing 1 damage.

The Sphinx simply gives a quick glance at the injury, completely disinterested as it heals in a split second. She smiles evilly down at you. She congratulates you on your victory, and steps aside as she lets you pass into the entrance to The Doorest Of Fores. As you pass her she lays down and curls up like a cat does. But she warns you that should you need to pass through the desert again, she will not go so easy on you next time.

You take her warning to heart, as you all pass into The Doorest Of Fores. But what will you find there besides Trees?

Find out next time on Friendship Quest.

Friendship Quest VII: The Doorest Of Fores

Summary

Our heroes have entered the Doorest Of Fores and after meeting a powerful and eccentric young wizard from far away lands, are lead through the trials set by The Forest Guardian to pass through onto the deepest parts of the forest to finally face The Heralds Of The Manticore.

Let's Quest!

We join our heroes as they leave the desert behind and venture into The mystical, magical Doorest Of Fores. Massive trees surround you, and carved into every single one of these trees is a large ornate wooden door. Every single tree in the Doorest has a door on it (Hence the name.)

You suddenly smell the sweet smell of roasting meat over an open fire, you can also see smoke coming from a campfire not far off.

*Sprinkles uses Stealth to sneak up into the campsite. There she sees a tall robed young human man in a wizard's hat and robes, sitting on a stump and roasting a magnificent monster pig over his campfire. A beautiful light yellow Pegasus sleeps curled up at his side. Her eyes are occluded by her long yellow and black bangs, but as far as you know she's asleep.

*Sprinkles leaps out of the bushes and attacks the wizard with a tight hug. He lightly pats Sprinkles on the back and smiles, as he scratches behind her ear. He asks who she is and Sprinkles introduces herself and the group to him.

*The Pegasus awakens and asks who all these ponies are and what the pink ones doing hugging her Wizard.

*The wizard puts a hand up and calmly introduces himself. He is Lord Borax Perjorative, Keeper Of The Seven Thousand Keys and Wizardmaster Of The Realm. He is visiting the realm from a far away land. He tells his loyal Pegasus that these ponies mean no harm.

*The Pegasus bows respectfully and introduces herself as Siren Song (Songbird Serenade), Lord Borax's loyal assistant and helper. The wizard invites you all to sit and join him for lunch. You all accept, and have a meal of the roasted pig, along with some spiced cider The Wizard has on hand.

*As you eat, Lord Borax explains that him and Siren Song are visiting the Doorest on the hunt for The Heralds Of The Manticore, who he had seen in a vision in his coffee that morning, that they would destroy the world if not stopped. He then packs a little pipe and tokes away on it. He blows a large puff of magical smoke that shapes itself into a swarm of beautiful birds, that quickly fly away into the sky. He then tells you he would be glad to join you on your journey. Siren Song agrees to accompany you as well. Lord Borax and Siren Song join your party.

*Strudel starts to examine the doors. She sees four doors closest to her, each on a different tree. On the doors, she sees little symbols but is unable to read them.

*Magelight then attempts to translate the runes herself, but finds they are of a much more advanced degree then even she knows.

*Lord Borax takes a crack at the symbols. With Siren Song as his helper, he uses his keen eye and swift knowledge to decipher that the symbols are a spell done in Nature Magic. It warns of The Forest Guardian, the deity that rules over this area. With further inspection he discovers that the Forest Guardian's name is Nutella.

You make your way through the Doorest and come to two massive trees with massive doors. In front of the two trees you see two wolf like creatures. They seem to be hybrids between wolves and crocodiles. They watch as you approach.

*Lord Borax greets them as Mitch and Duncan.

Mitch and Duncan launch into their little tyraid. Speaking in unison they say one of them tells only truths, while the other tells only lies. You must ask them which door is which, but who is telling the truth?

*Magelight uses her Smarts to determine that the first door is the right one.

Taking Magelight's smarts to heart, you all go past the Wolfodiles and walk through the first door. Through the door you can see forest beyond. You enter a small forest clearing blocked by hedges and bushes, you see two branching paths. They are the only way out of the clearing.

*Sprinkles looks down the first path. Its a narrow path surrounded on all sides by tall trees with what look like Joy Buzzers hanging from them.

*Strudel looks down the second path. Its also a narrow path with pink vibrant trees with Whoopie cushions growing at their branches.

*Lord Borax goes down the Whoopie Cushion path, along with Siren Song. You all follow them and arrive in another clearing. Its surround with tangled, twisted woods, and on the ground you can see a small flower.

*Sprinkles waves to the flower and says hello. The ground shudders as the flower sprouts from the ground into a long series of tangling vines that all shape themselves into a beautiful and majestic Alicorn made of nature.

She welcomes you the the Doorest of Fores, and explains that she is The Forest Guardian, Nutella. She says that to find your way to the Heralds Of The Manticore, you will need to pass her trial. You accept, and she asks you which one of you is the most honest.

*Strudel raises her hoof.

Nutella asks her a question that she has a very hard time with answering honestly. But through willpower alone, she passes the trial, and the forest opens up in front of you is a crumbling stone temple surround by trees and shrouded in vegetation. You approach the temple, and know that great dangers await you inside.

But what are these dangers? Find out next time on Friendship Quest!

Friendship Quest VIII: The Dragon's Temple

Summary

Our heroes enter The Dragon's Temple and brave its many dangers on their quest to finding the Heralds of The Manticore.

Let's Quest!

You find yourself at the entrance to the headquarters of The Heralds Of The Manticore, a crumbling stone temple in the Doorest. Lord Borax and his beautiful Pegasus Assisstant, Siren Song, still accompany you on your quest.

*For the friendliest of reasons, Savvy suddenly swims over and wraps Lord Borax in a warm hug. He hugs her back, and they continue on. Siren Song gives Savvy a jealous look, as her cheeks turn a faint shade of red.

You see the entrance, its a heavy stone door, that is firmly shut.

*Siren Song uses her Magical Voice to sing a song that magically unseals and opens the door. It works and the doors slowly swing open and you all walk inside. Lord Borax pats Siren Song on the head and tells her she did great. She blushes immensely as he does that.

Inside you see four doors. One on the left wall, one on the right and two directly on the far wall. Between them is a small stone button.

After talking it over you all decide to go through the left door. You enter into a blue, egg shaped room. In the middle of the room is a small pedestal baring a large majestic dragon egg. Sprinkles goes and plucks it off the pedestal, easily avoiding the spikes that shoot up from the floor, and returns to the group. You exit the room with the egg.

You press the button and the door on the right slowly grinds open. You enter through it into a Diamond shaped room. On either side of the room you see another larger metal door, that opens without warning. You all cautiously enter through it. The walls are carved of designs of dragons as a massive skylight can be seen 200 feet above you.

You enter through the other door, and are now in a massive stone dome of a chamber. A large statue of a dragon curled up on a stone throne dominates the room. It looks directly at a silver pedestal.

*Magelight takes the egg and puts it on the pedestal. The dragons eyes start glowing as its stone mouth rumbles open and electricity crackles in its mouth before firing a concentrated beam of lightning directly at the egg. Sparks fly as magical energy envelopes the egg, and you see a blue baby dragon hatch from the egg, and growing, and growing into a massive sized blue dragon. It unleashes an ear splitting roar as it tests out its wings and limbs. But then out of the pits rises the final Arcane Horror, a pitch black eldritch abomination, that lashes its tentacles at you.

*Strudel pulls out her axe and charges at the Arcane Horror, slashing a great gash into its flesh, dealing 22 damage. White Ichor spills from its wound onto the floor.

*Sir Awesome draws her magic sword and cleaves the horror down its large, bulbous eye, dealing a boosted 19 damage.

The horror lashes out and hits Sir Awesome with its tentacle, dealing 9 damage.

*Treeminder heals Sir Awesome's wound, and she regains 9 health.

*Siren Song uses her Magical Voice to sing a song that greatly enhances Lord Borax's power, as he goes into a Wizard Rage, his eyes glow red as his body hulks out, and he charges at the horror, and Delivers an unbelievably powerful magically charged punch right through the horror's body. The horror shudders in the air as it falls dead to the floor and dissolves into a pile of black ashes.

The Blue Dragon gives you a thumbs up, before it slowly saunters out of the room, and launches into the air through the skylight. It flys off into the sky.

The large dragon statue moves aside, and you see a large ornate door of gold and jewels. A strange keyhole can be seen on the door.

*Lord Borax attempts to use an unlocking spell but it reflects off the door's golden surface and fades into dust. He then pulls out a large bottle of some unknown glowing blue potion and drinks it down. He lurches and suddenly blows out a gigantic blast of blue magic fire that turns the door into a molten slag of burning gold, that melts down into the floor and spills into the hallway within.

Our heroes venture through the door and down the hall, now only a mere walk away from confronting The Heralds Of The Manticore.

But.......Find Out Next Time On Friendship Quest!

Friendship Quest IX: The Secret Hideout

Summary

Having finally found the secret lair of The Heralds Of The Manticore, our heroes battle Vorthian and his cultist minions to stop their evil plans once and for all.

Let's Quest!

We join our heroes now in a long golden gem encrusted hallway. As you walk, the only sound you hear is your own hoof steps (except for Lord Borax who has feet.) As you reach the end of the hallway, you arrive at a massive archway where the low drone of chanting can be heard.

*Sprinkles peeks into the room. She sees several cultists hauling large wooden buckets full of blood. Their pouring the blood into a large marble basin. Other cultists draw magical symbols onto the floor, while a few others pour magical sage and ashes in a circle around the basin, preparing for some kind of dark ritual.

*Strudel charges into the room, her axe drawn. The cultists all look at her in alarm and demand to know how she got in there.

*Sir Awesome follows after and charges at the the large werewolf cultist. Drawing her magic sword she cleaves a large gash across his chest, dealing 14 damage. He falls to floor and calls for Cynax to come and help.

Cynax, the jackal headed cultist from the beginning of the game runs into the room, panting. He apologizes for being late then states that all your efforts are in vain as they're only a single step away from completing the ritual which will resurrect The Manticore.

*Strudel goes into a Barbarian Rage and swings a powerful blow at Cynax. It's a critical hit, dealing 25 damage. He reels back clutching his wound, and the other cultists spring into action and attack your group. They start circling you, their hands crackling with dark energy.

*A cultist touches Sir Awesome dealing 5 damage.

*Princess Platinum gathers a massive cluster of cystal ice magic in her horn. It glows and shines like a white hot sun, as she fires a giant flaming Ice arrow at the werewolf cultist who then explodes in a shower of gore.

*Sprinkles turns her lute into a crossbow and fires an arrow at the nearest cultist. It strikes him right in the face, dealing 25 damage. He falls to his knees then falls flat on his face as blood leaks everywhere.

Cynax is enraged and finally strikes back. Huge bolts of dark energy arch out across the room from his hands as everyone takes 19 damage...except Sprinkles and Lord Borax.

*Sprinkles had used her agility to leap onto a nearby scaffolding and avoided the attack. She fires another arrow and it plunges deep into Cynax's liver dealing 19 damage. She fires two more that both sink into his chest, dealing 5 damage each.

*Lord Borax was lifted from the ground at the last second by his loyal Pegasus, Siren Song. She flaps her wings gracefully as she holds him aloft. Lord Borax whips out a large M16 Machine Gun and just spray and prays the shit out of Cynax, dealing 20 damage.

Cynax staggers back as blood spills heavily from his many wounds. His breathing grows shallow, as he falls back clutching at his wounds. He says he needs a minute, then white lightening crackles from his fingers, healing and knitting his many injuries. He gains 17 health.

*Sir Awesome sneak attacks him from behind stabbing Cynax through his chest dealing 10 damage as he falls to the floor, bleeding heavily and nearly dead.

Just as you are about to attack him again, you hear the stomping of metal plate mail on the stone floor. Vorthian kicks down a hidden door and enters the room, enraged. Red energy swirls around his hands as all the blood that was spilt from the cultists flys in streams through the air into the marble basin. He then approaches Cynax, and berates him for failing him. He clenches his fist and Cynax crumples like a paper ball as all of his blood flys out of his wound and empties into the marble basin. Its almost completely full.

*Lord Borax collects some of Cynax's blood to use in an Alchemy experiment which we will explore more of soon. He stashes the bottle of Cynax's blood away in his underwear, and no one is aware of it.

*Sprinkles uses her Pony Sense and finds a chink in Vorthian's armor. She fires an arrow from her crossbow which hits him for 12 damage. Blood leaks from the wound.

Magelight screams out to stop attacking, but Sprinkles attack has already landed. Magelight's Smarts prove correct as Vorthian uses the same spell to stream the blood from his wound into the basin.

He then channels a torrent of blood in his hand which forms into a solid spear and throws it as Strudel. It hits Strudel in the side, dealing 9 damage.

*While Treeminder heals Strudel, Savvy conjures a massive geyser of water which she aims at Vorthian. It hits, dealing a critical hit of 25 magic damage. He's knocked back by the blast, but quickly retaliates with a shower of blood spears.

*Princess Platinum uses her magic to summon a large ice wall which protects Savvy form the spears as they all stab into the wall, before melting into blood once more.

*Magelight steps forth as her eyes began to glow and burn with white fire. She holds her staff aloft as a gigantic ball of divine energy forms in front of her, white energy swirls and crackles from around it, smashing apart stone and marble as she launches it directly at Vorthian. It hits him hard as he's sent flying back into a wall, smashing it apart as holy fire engulfs around him, dealing 19 damage. He seems woozy as he stumbles forward, his armor cracked in several places.

Vorthian reaches into his pocket and pulls out the Earth Star, which is now a red charred husk of its former glory. He squeezes it and a massive amount of electricity shoots out of it, sparking and crackling all over the room as it electrifies the blood basin. The blood inside boils and bubbles and begins to overflow. Red energy begins to swirl around the ritual.

Vorthian staggers forward and laughs as he leaps into the blood basin, and stands inside it, the blood reaching up to his ankles. He clenches his fists as his armor starts to crumple in on itself, as he's suddenly crushed and blood pours and gushes out of the crumpled remains into the basin, overflowing it as it spills onto the floor form the sides.

The room shakes as the blood boils violently as magical energy explodes from it. You see a blinding white light as your knocked from the impact into the far walls. You stumble and fall as you try to get up, and you see the Earth Star floating in the air, swirling with blood energy, as a hole rips in the fabric of reality.

Entering through the portal, walks a large female four legged creature, emitting an aura so powerful that you can't even move in her presence. She has the body of a large horse sized jackal, her beautiful but devilish mare's face is crowned by a spikey mane. She roars showing off her rows of razor sharp teeth. She also has wings and a scorpion tail, with two jagged horns atop her head. Her eyes burn red with hate, as she looks over at you.

She taunts you in a deep but beautiful voice. She says she is The Great Manticore and that she is thankful for you releasing her. She then says she will gather her power by consuming and destroying all she sees, and then open the portal to her realm and destroy the world in a torrent of demons and death. She tells you to enjoy your last moments.

She turns and flexes her muscles before floating up in the air, her wings unfurling as she climbs higher.

*Sir Awesome takes her magic sword and throws it at The Manticore. It hits but deals no damage as it sinks into her magical body and vanishes.

The Manticore ignores her, as she crashes through the temple ceiling and soars off into the now dark and wicked looking skies, directly towards Earth Star Village.

As you look on in horror, you suddenly see The Earth Star Guardian stumble and fall into the room, bound in magical chains, that fall of her in broken links as she picks up the charred black nearly destroyed Earth Star, and holds it close to her heart.

*Sprinkles and Treeminder rush over to her to see if she's alright. She says she was held prisoner, for the sake of fueling the Earth star for their plans. She escaped a few minutes ago, and tried to find her way out. She begins to weep tears onto the Earth Star which begins to shine and glow. You see the star repair itself magically as it hovers into the air and floats in front of The Earth Star Guardian, its light seems to warm the entirety of the dungeon, as all the damage everyone received is healed instantly.

The Earth Star Guardian tells you that we must all journey home to Earth Star Village and stop The Manticore before she unleashes her evil onto the world. You all agree and swear to stop the Manticore. She smiles as she uses the Earth Star's magic to open a portal home. You all go through it, as Lord Borax and Siren Song mysteriously slip away from the room.

But what are they up to? Find out next time on Friendship Quest!

Friendship Quest X: Earth Star Village

Summary

The Manticore has been resurrected and the world is on the brink of total destruction, but our heroes bravely face off against her in Earth Star Village as Lord Borax returns with a secret weapon that may the key to stopping The Manticore once and for all.

Let's Quest!

In the ruins of the Heralds secret headquarters, all the heralds are dead, but The Great Manticore is back and making great haste towards Earth Star Village. But our heroes have returned to Earth Star Village with the help of The Earth Star Guardian. The town has fallen to ruin after the Earth Star was stolen and it's guardian kidnapped. You look around, but now see that Lord Borax and his Pegasus assistant, Siren Song, are nowhere to be seen.

Just as you question where he went off to, Lord borax appears in a massive magical burst of magic. Siren song spreads her wings as she stands close at his side. But they are not alone as you spot a mysterious feline creature standing with them. A slender Egyptian cat with piercing blue eyes and Egyptian jewelry takes a step forward.

*She bows her head respectfully and introduces herself as Agugypt, a Magical cat brought into being by Lord Borax using Cynax's blood. She says she will aid you in destroying The Manticore as she is able to channel Hope, which is The Manticore's greatest weakness.

Grateful for the extra help, you all follow The Earth Star Guardian as she goes to the center of town to put the Earth Star back in its place. But just as you arrive, you feel a sickening despair cut through all of you. The Manticore draws near.

The Guardian lets go of the Earth Star and it floats back into the air above the Demon Seal. With the star returned, seal begins to shift and warp as the Hated Gates Of The Demon Realm begin to close. The Guardian warns you that you will have to hold off the Manticore while the seal closes, but only enough for someone to trap the Manticore in the seal, so she gets sealed up into the Demon Realm.

You see a dark shape on the horizon, as entire forests of trees die, as The Manticore passes over them. The Manticore soars up before landing with earth shattering might in front of Lord Jarredthrax, who is undeterred by the creature's power. She glares evilly at him.

*Lord Borax takes his staff and smacks The Manticore across her face. The blow knocks her back, as she tumbles into a building, before quickly getting back up and charging at Lord Borax.

*Agugypt and Siren Song come to his aide, and all three battle The Manticore as the rest of the group formulates a plan to trap her in the seal.

*Sprinkles joins the fight and fires 3 magically enchanted arrows from her Lute Crossbow at The Manticore. They land, as one sinks into her paw, another into her side, and one right in the eye. However it seems that nothing is able to harm her as the arrows simply sink into her flesh like Sir Awesome's sword. She once again takes no damage. Sprinkles rejoins the group and screams at Magelight for help.

*The Manticore snatches Agugypt in her claw but the feline only smiles as a mysterious holy aura shines down from the parted skies. Her eyes light up white as the mere touch of her claw to the Manticore's face cleaves a massive gash in her chest. Red Ichor spills from the wound setting whatever it touches on fire, as Agugypt's Hope infused claws sink in with a critical hit dealing 42 damage. The Manticore reels back screaming in agony as her wound steams and burns, letting go of Agugypt in the process.

Now knowing she can be injured, The Manticore roars in rage and tries to go after one of the group. She picks Sir Awesome.

She blasts from the ground with blazing speed and sinks her teeth into Sir Awesome's body, dealing 8 damage.

*Strudel flies into a Barbarian Rage and strikes the Manticore with her axe. With the Hope infused wound still burning her beautiful face, The Manticore is no longer immune to damage, and receives a large gash on her arm, dealing 12 damage. She stumbles back and growls menacingly.

*Sir Awesome sees her sword peeking out through the Manticore's flesh, and grabs it and pulls down hard, cleaving a huge gaping wound in her side. Red Ichor gushes out onto the stone pavement, flames burning off the large puddle it makes, as her wound drips red down her beautiful black body.

Suddenly, The Earth Guardian calls out saying the demon seal is nearly closed and that the Manticore must be pushed in to be sealed away. Your running out of time before the seal closes.

In an act of unbridled bravery and heroism, Lord Borax charges at the Manticore and, screaming like a madman, he leaps and lands, onto The Manticore's, snarling face. She stumbles back, Lord Borax fighting off her razor sharp teeth as she rolls back from the impact of him landing on her and slides directly into the Demon Seal.

There is a terrible burst of energy and then a terrible noise.

And then all is quiet. The Manticore and Lord Borax are gone.

The world is saved, but without Lord Borax it feels so much more empty. Siren Song weeps at the loss of her beloved wizard. Agugypt and Treeminder comfort her, as the heroes gather on the spot where Lord Borax sacrificed himself to save them all, laying flowers and tokens of love in his memory.

But....is he really gone?

Somewhere Else

Lord Borax feels pain exploding throughout his entire body. He's in a dark and alien place. He looks down and sees he is still on the Manticore's beautiful face. Her eyes burning like fire, and her teeth dangerously close, the wizard leaps off and lands a good few feet away.

She glares at him with such intense hatred it causes a nearby rock to melt. He backs up, hands up in defense as he looks around.

The Manticore begins to mend her wounds, as Lord Borax hears the skittering of legs. A massive centipede lunges out at The Manticore who's too distracted with mending her wounds to defend herself.

Lord Borax narrows his eyes as he conjures a massive sunlight spear in his hands and throws it at the centipede. It pierces through its face just as The Manticore turns to see it. It falls to the floor dead.

The Manticore looks over at Lord Borax in a mix of both angry suspicion and surprise. She questions him in her sultry and beautiful voice why he saved her. Her hatred still quite apparent.

The wizard humbly says that its just them now. And that if they are to survive, they must look out for one another.

The Manticore looks shocked but still angry at him. She says nothing as she turns away, and lays down, unsure of what she should say or do. Lord Borax, thinking it best to leave the situation alone, looks out at the hellish scale of the realm they now find themselves in, vowing to return to his friends,

But will our heroes ever see Lord Borax again? Will they journey to The Hated Gates and rescue him from the demon realm? Find out next time, on Friendship Quest!

Vampirism: Fact or Fiction?

(Trixie is absent today, as Starlight opens a book of old pony myths and legends to the subject of the chapter she has reached in the Book of Friendship. She clears her throat before she reads a short paragraph from the legend out loud.)

"As the festival drew to a close, the stallion led her away with a firm, yet gentle hoof, as he took her to the secluded stables at the edge of the village. She followed willingly, and she leaned against the stable, her head swimming with romantic thoughts, his glare turned hostile, hungry, as his eyes faded from sea blue to a deep red crimson, and then he attacked her. She made to scream but the shock of his long fangs, sinking into the flesh of her neck took the wind from her cry. She remembered nothing more as she fell to the floor on the hay strewn ground. When she awoke the next day, she was very much alive. But now was overcome with an insatiable thirst..."

Tales of strange creatures, dangerous legends and awe inspiring myths have been around for as long as ponies themselves have. Who doesn't enjoy sitting by the fire, immersing themselves in tales too fantastic to be true? Or so nightmarish, it makes you glad that its all just a story.

Well, if what I have read in this chapter of the Book Of Friendship is true...these "tales" may be more then just stories to keep little fillies up at night.

Starlight's Journal: Vampirism: Fact or Fiction?

This one is a little personal to me.

When I was a filly, me and Sunburst used to tell stories of Timber were-ponies and Vampire Ponies to each other. Huddled around the fireplace while a terrible storm raged outside. It was all great fun, knowing that we would be able to sleep that night, knowing the stories we told were just in our heads.

I must say, the prospect of these tales being more then tales is....scary. But, that means its even more important that I research and log all I can on these subjects. In case I or anypony else ever runs into one.

Okay, for starters let's discuss Vampire Ponies.

Vampire Ponies

According to the book, Vampire Ponies are like us but far stronger, faster, smarter and much more dangerous. Their coats are noticeably darker in color, as well as their manes which seem to unsettle, looking disheveled and almost wild in appearance. Also unlike the bat ponies of Nightmare Moon's reign, Vampire Ponies do not have a unique eye type, but their eyes become a deep shade of crimson, with little light reflecting from them, if any at all. Almost as if their very Equinity is now gone.

Then of course there are the wings and the fangs, that all those stories make you terrified of even going out at night. Razor sharp needle like fangs that protrude unnaturally from their mouths, and large bat-like wings that seem to fold out from their backs, rather then that of the grace of a Pegasus folding their wings to the side. Not only that, but they are said to have incredible physical abilities, such as being able to move faster then the pony's eye can see, scale walls and roofs with their bare hooves and even mesmerize those with wills too weak to resist their hypnotic spell.

Unfortunately, it's hard to tell the facts from the fiction here. But I'll give it my best shot.

The origin of these creatures of the night, is hazy at best. There are so many tales of vampire ponies, appearing from the shadows and attacking ponies in the dead of night, that it's hard to say where it all originated from. One source suggests they were dreamed up to be a single time villain in old story from long ago, but they were so universally received that they gained a popular following in the realms of fiction.

Another theory, is that they truly existed, but were wiped out by a secret group of vampire hunters in some unseen war, hundreds of years ago.

And then there's the Book of Friendship, that says quite clearly that not only do they exist, and are even still around today, but that it was Eclipsa herself that created them!

Before Hearths Warming

(As snow falls on Ponyville, on Hearths Warming Eve, Starlight takes a moment from the celebrations to write a new entry in her journal regarding what it was like before Hearths Warming, as the book tells her just that in its latest chapter. She dips her quill in ink, and scribbles down her title. Trixie sits next to her as she writes, clad in an all-too-fluffy holiday sweater.)

Starlight's Journal: Before Hearths Warming

Hearths Warming is the most wonderful time of the year. A time when ponies of all walks of life, come together to celebrate not just the founding of our country, but the feelings of family, kindness and generosity towards all. A time when we all give thanks to what we have, and a way of looking forward to what the next year holds for us.

So, this begs the question: What was it like before Hearths Warming?

For The Alicorn Empire was founded thousands of years before Equestria would be. Does this mean that since there was no Hearths Warming, that these same feelings of warmth and generosity simply, didn't exist?

The latest chapter I've read in The Book Of Friendship, tells of such a time. And I'm pleased to say that, even though it wasn't Hearths Warming, the magic of the season has never changed. Ponies have always shared this generosity, even before Hearths Warming.

The Festival Of Lights

Before there was Hearths Warming, The Alicorn Empire celebrated "The Festival Of Lights," a once a year winter event where all ponies and races allied with the Alicorn Empire would journey to The Great Alicorn City and take part in a grand festival celebrating the unity of their kingdoms and the generosity they convey towards one another. They would exchange gifts, tells stories by the fire, and play all manner of games, under a magical display of auras and shifting colors that would light up the night sky all across the continent, that would have been cast by both Omnipotence and Eclipsa to last the entire night, only to fade away with the rise of Omnipotence's morning sun.

There was also a grand ball in the royal palace of Aliaewah, where indeed, for the only time a year, ALL would be welcomed through its gates. For this one magical night, the citizens of the Alicorn Empire, great and small, could take special ferries up into the clouds and set hoof within the halls of there Holy land of Aliaewah, where there goddesses lived. Nopony would miss an opportunity like that.

The ball was much like the Grand Galloping Gala, except there were thousands more in attendance, and the night would end with a grand feast, fit to feed a nation (or several.) All of which would be accompanied by a speech made to their subjects by Queen Omnipotence and Eclipsa, thanking them all for being there and to look forward to another amazing year.

And even more remarkable, apparently this was also the ONE time of year where Eclipsa was on her very best behavior, without swearing, insulting others and even being courteous and well mannered.

Of course this was only because, the day after, she would be allowed to be as crazy and unpredictable as she wanted, but only once she was back in her own kingdom (as they had grown used to their rulers insanity.) This dark day would be known as "Eclipsa Day."

I have no idea what "Eclipsa Day" was like but according to the book, one year on Eclipsa Day, she replaced the color red with a Buffalo.

The other year she made it illegal to blink. EVER.

And one other year, she launched every dragon into space. (They were returned to the planet without her knowing.)

Perhaps that'll be the subject of my next entry.

For now, I'll end my entry here, as it's Hearths Warming Eve, and I promised Pinkie that we wouldn't miss her annual Hearths Warming Present Palooza.

PInkie Promised.

I will not be breaking it anytime soon...

Until my next entry, Happy Hearths Warming Eve to whoever is reading this, and may your new year be the happiest one.

Eclipsa Day Part I: It Begins

Author's Note

Happy Eclipsa Day, everyone! For this special occasion, the following few chapters will be told as a narrated story all on its own. Enjoy!

Eclipsa Day Part I: It Begins

It was nearly midnight as a dark figure stalked through the sleepy halls of the royal castle. It moved like a shadow through the archways, and past the patrolling guards, as it crept into the bed chambers of Queen Omnipotence, who was sleeping soundly in her bed. She did not stir nor make any sound but calm, gentle breathing as her vibrant golden enshrouded rainbow mane flowed over the bedside along with her tail from beneath the silk covers. Her golden crown and hoof plates lay neatly on her nightstand. Even asleep, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

The figure payed no mind as it moved through her room, climbed on top of the sleeping princess and whispered softly in her ear.

"Omni? Hey, Omni. Omni!"

"What?" the princess answered, sounding very tired and annoyed. She did not open her eyes, but furrowed her brow as she tried to remain asleep.

"Guess what day it is?" Eclipsa sang.

"Ugh....Thursday?" the sleepy princess answered.

"No! Well....yeah. But what else?"

"The second meeting of the Aurora Council?" the princess asked.

"Nope."

The princess sighed, eager to just get back to sleep. "Just tell me, already."

Eclipsa grinned from ear to ear as she announced loudly. "It's Eclipsa Day, silly!"

These words echoed in Omnipotence's brain even as her eyes shot open, as she was now completely awake. And scared. Visions of past Eclipsa Days, flashed through her panicked mind like war flashbacks.

Rampaging buffalo.

Children and families fleeing in the streets.

The moon exploding, as the wail of an electric guitar pierced the eardrums of your very soul.

Sandwiches.

These visions did not cease till Eclipsa poked her sister in the ear to get her attention back. "Huh!" Omnipotence said, startled as she realized once more where she was. Eclipsa had been talking to her the whole time, without her realizing.

"Were you listening?"

"What? I mean, of course dear sister, whatever gave you the idea I wasn't?"

Eclipsa narrowed her eyes slightly as she smiled. "The thousand yard stare off into the distance."

"Ah. What's say we talk more about this in the morning?" Omnipotence said, trying her best to remain calm and composed.

"But it is technically morning, Omni!"

"Not for everypony else, dear sister."

Eclipsa thought for a moment before she shrugged. "Fine. We can talk about it at breakfast.' she sighed as she climbed off her sisters bed and headed to the door. "Get some sleep, Omni!" she called back. "We got a big day tomorrow!"

As her sister left her room, Omnipotence laid back down and stared up at the ceiling as sweat began to bead on her brow.

"Eclipsa Day.' she said. "Gods help us."

The Next Morning

The castle, which was normally very quiet and humble in the mornings, was now alive with hundreds of staff and guards making all the necessary preparations for Eclipsa Day to begin. Many had decided to stay home after spontaneously catching some flu or another. Others had to literally be dragged out of their beds by other staff. Emergency services were on standby, and would continue to be on standby the rest of the day. ALL dragons even remotely close to the kingdom, were evacuated several hours prior, to Black Skull Island and citizens were encouraged to seek therapy and medical help before the Opening festival had begun.

All the while, Omnipotence and Eclipsa sat in the dining room with their breakfast being served to them, watching the chaos unfold before their eyes. Eclipsa smiled and seemed humored by it, while her sister thought that maybe she too could fake being sick to get away from this insanity. Sadly, this was not the case.

"Omni?"

"Huh?"

"Are you alright? You've had that look on your face, since last night."

Omnipotence smiled a fake smile. "Don't be silly, dear sister!" she awkwardly stated. "I'm perfectly fine. Just....excited for....Eclipsa Day."

Eclipsa smiled brightly at this. "Great! Then let's go over what we have scheduled for this year!"

"Huh?"

Eclipsa unfurled a long scroll with her magic, and read from it proudly as her sister looked on in bewilderment. "First, we need to gather everyone for my big speech, before the festival begins! Then, we need to double check that the fireball launchers are preset to fire at approximately 60 seconds after the laser is fired. And then-

"Sister, do you....do you think I can talk to you about, well....this?"

Eclipsa looked confused. "What do you mean, Omi?"

Omnipotence sighed, hoping to herself she could get reason through her sister's impenetrable barrier of childlike delight and recklessness. "Maybe, we just take things easy this year. We can still have the festival, and the celebrations and everything. But..."

Omnipotence struggled to get the last few words out as Eclipsa looked at her with big puppy dog eyes.

"Maybe we don't have to go over the top this time?" Omnipotence said this almost like an apology.

Eclipsa looked offended. "Dear sister! Of course, we have to go over the top, that's what Eclipsa Day is all about! To give ponies something they remember for the rest of their lives! A day that everyone can look back at fondly and remember all the fun they had in my name! You would deny our subjects, such an amazing gift as this?" she questioned, with a stern look.

Omnipotence knew she had lost the battle here. But the war had yet to begin. Perhaps if she kept an eye on things, Eclipsa Day could end up being as fun as her sister wished without half the kingdom being committed to therapy afterwards.

The princess sighed. "So.....lasers, then?"

Eclipsa squealed with delight as she leapt from her seat and hugged her sister, who graciously hugged her back. Although she smiled, she was prepared for the worst.

She would later find out, she wasn't prepared enough.

Eclipsa Day Part II: The Opening Festival

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Eclipsa Day Part III: The Musical Event

As Omnipotence watched the festival, and all her subjects enjoying themselves and the many activities that had been set up, another alicorn joined her on stage, as Eclipsa had her guitar hosed to get rid of the flames. She was opalescent white, with a flowing teal mane and a line of music for a cutie mark. Her wings were folded gracefully at her sides as her amber eyes seemed to glow like fire. She wore a black bow tie and a strangely, calming smile as she greeted the alicorn princess like an old friend.

"Hello, Omnipotence." The alicorn spoke in a deep, beautiful voice that seemed to sing of its own accord.

Omnipotence turned and greeted the mysterious alicorn, with an air of suspicion. "Hello, Heartfelt Symphony."

Symphony waved a hoof in dismissal. "Please, dear Omnipotence. Symphony is fine." she said simply. "I trust you know why I'm speaking with you?"

Omnipotence sighed. "The opera?"

"Correct."

Omnipotence gritted her teeth as she once again thought of last year's musical event. Hopefully, everyone had remembered to bring their headphones this time. She couldn't afford the costs for having all those ponies receive magical hearing repair because they had "forgotten" today was Eclipsa Day. Yes, forgotten something that was announced with the moon exploding. "Pfft. Forgotten my hoof." she thought bitterly.

"What does she want this time?" Omnipotence asked as she rubbed her temples.

Symphony nodded as she unfurled the scroll she had been carrying and read it aloud. "The lady Eclipsa has asked that this year's musical event would be a rock opera. One that tells the story of how she created rock and roll. She would also like it to be even louder then last year."

Omnipotence looked at her like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you insane!? The music was so loud last year, I got noise complaints from Seaquestria! It nearly caused an earthquake on the western half of the country!"

Symphony only continued to smile. "If you would like to discuss it with her-"

"No! No. It's fine, we'll....we'll work something out. Just be sure everyone has their headphones on this time."

"Of course."

With that, Symphony left to go prepare her band, leaving Omnipotence to go over things in her head, hoping she could stem the insanity of this, before somepony got hurt. Again.

Rock. It just had to be rock, didn't it?

Omnipotence did not hate rock. But she was certainly no fan of it's loud wails and shrill, shrieking tones. She preferred the more mellow jazz or a nice soothing violin solo.

Eclipsa of course, hated such things. So, it was rock or nothing. So a rock opera made perfect sense by Eclipsa's standards.

Omnipotence watched as Symphony made her way over to the band and instructed them on what to do, acting just as carefree and smug as she always had. Omnipotence had a very strange feeling about her. As if she knew something, nopony else did. And that smile of hers, seemed to hide something.

And then there was the fact that, she never wore the headphones.

It was known that the musical event on Eclipsa Day was always ridiculously loud. So much so, that it was required for the listener to wear special headphones that would allow them to listen to the music without fear of going completely deaf. Only Omnipotence and Eclipsa were immune to such a thing, thanks to their vastly powerful magical crowns and adornments, automatically filtering out the noise for them.

But, Heartfelt Symphony was the only pony in the empire, who could listen to the loudest part of each musical event without headphones, and be perfectly fine. Not to mention, she was the one who conducted the thing! She was more exposed to the eardrum destroying decibels more then anyone, yet came out unscathed every time.

And asking her how she did it was useless. She would always say the same thing, every time Omnipotence asked her.

"It's a secret."

Well with her busy with the opera, maybe Omnipotence could find out more about Symphony and her secret. If anything, she would be able to discover why she knew so much, about things only she and Eclipsa would know about.

Plus, it was something to keep her mind off all this, and that was a blessing on it's own.

The Rock Opera

Eclipsa took her seat in the stands. She looked around in worry wondering where her sister was, as others took their seats. She watched as everypony put on a pair of silver, arcane looking headphones, the ones that would allow them to hear the opera without fear of going deaf from its incalculably loud volume. The curtains drew back as the lights dimmed, and a hush passed over the crowd.

A loud, steady drum beat followed by the rising screech of a guitar signaled the beginning of the opera. Eclipsa looked down around the stage and smiled. She had spotted her sister, sitting very close to the stage, with her head ducked down, obviously not wanting to be seen. Symphony led the band in their chaotic rhythm as act I began.

"Hmm." Eclipsa wondered aloud, bringing her popcorn in front of her. "I hope she's not up to anything devious." she joked, as she helped herself to her popcorn, eager to see how both shows played out.

Down by the stage, Omnipotence watched as Symphony led her band in their onslaught of music, every note seemed to vibrate the epicenter of the planet beneath her hooves, and it only got louder. Some in the audience, covered their ears, despite still wearing their headphones, such was the volume of the music that was exploding forth.

Omnipotence was undeterred by the sound, as she watched Symphony conduct her band with unhindered grace and elegance, every sway of her hooves, rousing chord after chord from the musicians in perfect timing. She was truly gifted.

But this didn't stop Omnipotence from watching her the entire first act. She saw that it was true. Despite the ear-destroyingly loud music, Symphony wore no headphones, and was completely unaffected by the opera's bellowing volume. But how was this possible? She had to have some trick to it.

Omnipotence watched for an hour, as act one ended, and Symphony took a moment to flip the pages of her music sheets. The absence of sound when the music stopped was a voiceless vacuum which was somehow even more deafening then the music. That's what happens when you listen to such a loud frequency for over an hour. No other sound can register. Even though the music had stopped, nopony dared take off their headphones. As soon as everything was in it's place and the band was ready once more, act two began.

"I don't get it." Omnipotence said to herself. "No headphones, no magic. Nothing. How is she not completely deafened by this ungodly music?" she wondered, putting a hoof to her chin.

As act two unfurled, a more sweet, yet still rough sounding regalia of deepening guitar wails, accompanied the singing of the actors on stage, as they told the story of Eclipsa's discovery of rock music. Symphony conducted it with the same grace as she had before, yet her movements were more erratic and fast paced, perfectly matching the chaotic rock that emanated across the kingdom.

Omnipotence continued to watch Symphony, looking for any sign of her using magic, or a hidden pair of headphones or some other trick that allowed her to withstand the music of the rock opera. But, nothing stood out to her.

Act two ended like the first and act three, would begin shortly after. As ponies left their seats, for the brief interlude before the final act, Omnipotence had grown tired of waiting and watching, and decided to simply go down and confront Symphony directly. Useless as it may be, she would rather get some form of an answer rather then spy on her all day.

"Ah, Omnipotence. I was wondering when you would actually decide to come and talk to me, rather then spy from the rafters." Symphony greeted Omnipotence as she approached, quickly catching her by surprise. The princess looked at her with astonishment.

"You knew I was watching you?"

"Indeed."

"But how? Your back was turned the entire time!" Omnipotence exclaimed, getting frustrated. "And there's no possible way you could have heard me!"

Symphony chuckled to herself. "Oh but I did. I can hear plenty of things. Too many things."

Omnipotence sighed, having grown tired of this game. "Alright, I'm just going to come out and ask then." she said simply. "How do you do it?"

"Do what, dear Omnipotence?"

"How are you not deaf!?" Omnipotence said, almost losing her temper. Eclipsa Day never failed to fray her nerves in one way or another, and Symphony's smugness wasn't helping to cure that.

"Ah. that."

"Yes, THAT!"

Symphony gave a short sigh before she answered. "Sound Magic."

Omnipotence didn't respond immediately. She hadn't actually expected to get an answer. "Pardon?"

"I use a form of natural magic, unique only to those of my bloodline. Sound works very differently for me than anypony else. Something loud enough to deafen, may come as but a whisper to me. The slightest cough from a mile away may alert me to that pony's whereabouts. And then there are the other things I hear..."

"Other things??"

"Voices. Music from things that produce no music. I know the tone of pitch of the color red, or the sweet melody that the feeling of love exhumes. Or the angry, wrought wailing of hate and anger. And then there are other things; comments. From beings that are not ponies. Or any being we know of. They talk quite a lot, though they do not hear me, when I speak to them. They know what's happening, even now as I speak about them. But they do not know I can hear them."

Then, Symphony turned and looked out into the distance, seeing someone that wasn't there. "Or maybe they do..." she wondered.

Omnipotence looked where she was looking, yet saw nothing. "Um, okay, so....sound magic?"

"Yes."

Omnipotence laughed, glad to finally know the truth. "Impressive. I had never heard of such a thing."

Symphony gave her the same gentle smile. "Perhaps we will learn more about it in the next chapter." she said without thinking.

Omnipotence stared at her, once again lost. "E-Excuse me?"

Symphony merely waved a hoof in reply. "Oh, it's nothing you need to know. Anyway I should get back to things before act three begins. Happy Eclipsa Day, Omnipotence." and she left, returning to her stage.

Omnipotence stood there, having learned the truth about Symphony, but now she was more confused about her then ever before.

Eclipsa Day Part IV: The Great Feast

"Finally."

This was the only thought, Queen Omnipotence had as she made her way up the large pearl white steps into the royal castle, along with hundreds of other alicorns and guests of the kingdom (who no doubt were wondering just what insanity they had signed on for, by allying with The Alicorn Empire.)

"Finally. It's over." Omnipotence, let out with a sigh. She looked like she had been through a war. Her once vibrant mane which glowed and flowed like a living rainbow, was now frazzled and loose in it's luster. Omni herself was beginning to have bags under her eyes, and her once sparkling eyes were tired and listless. Yet still even in this worried, stressing state, she was still remarkably beautiful. Though she wanted nothing to do with any of this madness anymore.

But now it was over. All that was left....was the Great Feast.

The Great Feast

The smell was the first thing to perk Omnipotence up. A rich, heavy smell of roasted meat, mixed with a choir of sweet smelling breads and fresh baked pies. Omnipotence found herself, now practically galloping into the grand hall where hundreds of ponies were chatting happily as they found their seats.

The mile long table, which was adorned in a white silk cloth, was covered in everything you could ever want for a feast- and a lot of things you'd never thought to want.

There were fantastical fruits that sang witchy, enchanting little songs when you weren't looking at them and fresh eggs with bright yellow speckles that cooked themselves however you wanted as soon as you cracked them open onto your plate. There were oddly shaped pastries and a rainbow of juices in sparkling crystal pitchers. There was a mountain of sweet rolls, that refused to un-stick themselves from the plate, and flapjacks that flipped away from your fork and knife when you tried to eat them.

And at the end of the table sat Eclipsa, who motioned for her sister to join her in the large throne like chair beside her own. Omnipotence smiled as she took her seat, and looked out over the amazing feast once more before she joined everypony else in helping themselves to everything, listening to the chattering conversations as she heaped food onto her plate.

"So, how did you enjoy Eclipsa Day, Omni?" Eclipsa asked, as she telekinetically poured herself some juice into her goblet.

"Oh, um." Omnipotence thought for a moment. "I, well I...."

She couldn't do it. She refused to lie to her sister, anymore about all this.

She laid her head down on the table as her wings unfurled to cover her shame. "I hated it, Eclipsa. I....I'm so sorry." She said sadly. "All this madness, the loud music, the explosions. I know you love it, sister, but I....I just can't do it anymore. I'm sorry. I'm just not...like you."

But Eclipsa only laughed. "I know."

Omnipotence's wings retreated as she now looked her sister in the eye, shocked. "Y-you know? What do you mean you know?"

"I've always known. I'm not blind, I knew how you felt about Eclipsa Day." Eclipsa said simply.

Omnipotence was now very frustrated. "Then why?! Why do all this, every year, making me stressed out beyond words, with all these insane things and the loud music and, and....making me worry about everything?" the princess said, practically pleading for a straight answer.

Eclipsa narrowed her eyes at Omni, completely serious as she said "Because you're always worrying about everything!" she answered. "It's not just Eclipsa Day, it's every day! You are so worried about everyone, and being the princess they want you to be, you never stop to actually worry about yourself! About the princess, you want to be."

Omnipotence looked at her sister surprised. She had never thought about that before. Had she really always worried about everything this much? Was she always so determined for herself and everything to be perfect? "I....I never realized..."

Eclipsa sighed. "Do you remember what life was like back on Homeworld?"

Omnipotence was even more shocked. They never spoke of Homeworld anymore. Why would her sister bring it up now?

"Y-yes. It...it was horrible."

Eclipsa nodded. "Yeah. It was. Nopony had any freedom. No fun. Nopony cared for anypony else, ever. Not even families. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

Eclipsa looked solemn for but a second before she suddenly stood up from her chair and spread her arms out wide. "But look at where we are now!" she proclaimed cheerfully. She sat back down and took her sister's hooves in hers. "This is our kingdom, Omni! Ours! We can do whatever we want here, we can have fun, we can be crazy, we can have the loudest music, eat the wildest food, we can blow up the damn moon!" Eclipsa exclaimed happily. "We can let go of our past, all of our troubles and worries along with it. This is our home now. That is why we have Eclipsa Day, Omni."

"It's not about me, it's about us. Our subjects, everyone, being able to do these insane things without fear or worry. Things we could never do back home. Because this is home now. For all of us."

Omnipotence was speechless as she looked at her sister, her eyes beginning to tear up. Eclipsa was right. She had been so worried and stressed about this day, she never took the time to actually try and see it for what it was. A day for everyone, including her sister to be themselves, without worry of anyone stopping them or judging them. Eclipsa had just been being herself, just like everyone else was. But she had been too busy worrying about it all, rather then try and be herself as well. A day for her to have fun with her sister, just like they used to.

Finally, Omnipotence smiled warmly as she wiped away her forming tears. "You're right, sister. I...should have realized, sooner. I'm sorry I didn't. I was just so worried abou-

Eclipsa gave a soft punch to her sister's arm. "Hey! I said no worrying, Omni!" she scolded.

Omnipotence rubbed her shoulder as she laughed. "Right. Sorry."

Eclipsa smiled warmly at her sister as she put a hoof around her, bringing their faces together in a hug. "Happy Eclipsa Day, sis." she said happily.

Omnipotence smiled back as she too wrapped her hooves around her sister. "Happy Eclipsa Day to you too, dear sister."

And so, Eclipsa Day came to an end once more, but Omnipotence had learned a great deal more then she ever had on the holiday. About herself. About her sister. And that it was okay to let go of the regal, queenly attitude every now and again, and just have fun with her chaotic, possibly insane sister, just like they did on their homeworld.

Eclipsa Day was loud, destructive, chaotic and ruthless in it's goal to drive you up a wall, if not into a mental institution.

And there was no holiday, Omnipotence now treasured more.

THE END

Foreword: A Personal Account From Queen Omnipotence and Eclipsa.

Queen Omnipotence (800 AE, The Great Alicorn City)

It's been 800 years, but it still feels like yesterday. This world is our home now, and my Alicorns are truly inspirational in their work to make this city, this empire, a great one. Even though we are apart, dear sister, I still feel your presence on the other side of our world. And though we may be different (VERY different), you are still all that I have from our old home.The only good thing that ever happened to us on that planet, was when we became sisters. And I would never have it any other way. Let us forget about that place.

Now and forever, may Concordia be our home. For the two of us.

I love you dear sister. And I always will.

Omni

P.S: Let's keep sending each other letters. Crude though they may be, I do so love to here from you. But...sister? Please try and refrain from using such strong language or profanity. The last letter you sent, had the messenger blushing so badly, He could barely look me in the eye to give it to me! A little more...self control, is all I'm asking.

Eclipsa (800 AE, Eclipsa's Kingdom)

This place, these colors, these creatures, it's all so....BORING! Or at least it was.

But now your'e here! And creating your own kingdom, so that we may rule this world together, make it the home we deserve! I'd give it all away to be with you again. To see your face again. My kingdom, my citizens...it all means so little when I think of just how much you mean to me. When the empire is fully constructed, we can be together again.

We can be sisters again.

I'll wait as long as I have to Omni. I love you.

Clipsa

P.S: I'm not sure what you mean by "Crude" or "Profanity!" I am merely expressing myself as I always have. But, for you, I will try to limit my...verbal exercise, in our letters.

P.S.S: That messenger wasn't blushing because of the letter. I had said some...uh...stuff to him, while he was getting my letter from me. Good to hear he made it alright! I honestly thought he wouldn't be able to talk at all afterwards. Good for him.

To: Omnipotence, From: Oceana

Oceana (800 AE, Seaquestria)

My Dearest Queen Omnipotence,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter to you. The dreams never stop, every night I see myself out there. In that cool blue water, swimming as if I never needed to learn how. I can still feel the spray of the sea, taste the salt on my tongue. After so many times I have woken from that dream, I realize the truth: I NEVER want to wake up.

We had nothing like the ocean back home, Omni. I knew from the first time I saw that endless blue, glittering in the sun....that I was in love. It called to me, every day. Every night. Enough, that I could barely hear my own voice over the ocean's own. I know what I have to do.

I'm leaving. I finally created the spell that will allow me to be together with the sea forever. And I'm using it tomorrow morning. I want my first day in the sea, to shine with that sun you raise every morning. I only hope you can forgive me for leaving.

We will ALWAYS be friends, and I will write to you every day. You can even come visit me yourself if you want! You know....as soon as I figure out how to change a seapony back to an Alicorn. Might take awhile.

I love you SO much, and please give your sister my best. Because I'm honestly too scared of her to tell her myself.

All my Love,

Oceana

Queen Omnipotence (800 AE, The Great Alicorn City)

Oceana,

Please refrain from calling me "Queen." We are, and always will be friends. And I completely understand your leaving. Don't you dare feel guilty or upset about following your dream. I've known that you belonged to the ocean since I first saw it in your eyes, when you first arrived on Concordia. I saw your heart go out to it, wanting to become one with it. We could only keep you from it for so long. And it was time to listen to the sea, and you heard exactly what you had always known.

I can't put into this letter, how happy I am to hear you have found who you are. And I look forward to getting to know her all over again.

Love,

Omnipotence

P.S: I understand your hesitation with telling Eclipsa. Don't worry; I will let her know for you.

Letters Between Sisters II

My Dearest Sister,

In order for ponies to better understand the principle of Friendship, I am currently working on a specialized test, that will question and analyze a pony's understanding of it and hopefully be able to teach them about friendship as a whole. But with the new alliances being brokered with the Dragons (And thank you for apologizing to them....somewhat) and Saddle Arabia, I fear I may be unable to finish making the test, and I would like to call upon your aid to assist me with it.

Now...I understand that you don't understand my ideas, and that's fine. Perhaps you think friendship should just stay a little quirk of mine, and how I was the only Alicorn back home to ever show even the slightest care and compassion for anypony. But...I disagree. Friendship will be the foundation of this world, I believe with all my heart that this is true. And one day, when we are gone, and it will be up to our children to lead this world, I know that friendship will be the thing that unites them and brings the world to its greatest days of prosperity.

At least try to help me with it, dear sister. Pretty please?

Love,

Omni

My Dearest Sister,

I understand your intentions, and I respect them completely! You're trying to help this world come together. But....I don't know sh@t about friendship, sis. That's all your idea remember? I mean I'll definitely help you out, but I'm not guaranteeing that it'll be what you want it to be. Plus, how would that even work? Is friendship really just amounted to a score on a test?....or am I thinking about this too much?....I think I am.

The point is, I'll of course help you with this weird, friendship testing, thermometer...whatever the f@#%, thing you're doing. But you'll probably need to walk me through it. No...wait. You will definitely have to walk me through it. And explain it.

And write it.

actually, It might just be better if you write it, and I'll throw in an opinion every now and again, while I just sit there looking sexy. (As I always do.)

Love,

Eclipsa

P.S: If that little p@$$y, Cinder's, still got a problem with me, you tell him he can come find me. I'LL FIGHT HIM ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET!! Kay, thanks.

Omnipotence And Eclipsa on: How To Resolve Conflict Without Fighting

Conflict happens all the time. It's part of life, and especially apart of friendship. Friends don't always get along, and they may disagree on things from time to time. And in these situations, conflict is likely to happen. But there are several ways of resolving conflict without need for hostility or violence. Not just with friends but anypony you happen to conflict with.

Below we have listed several scenarios and the "best" course of action you should take, has been listed by my sister. The more fun way is listed by me. You shouldn't have a hard time telling which is which....unless you're stupid or colorblind. Or just blind. Either one.

Resolving Conflict Without Fighting

Somepony Insults You---------->Say nothing and simply walk away--------> or ---->Insult them back while also violently asserting your power over them, then insult their mother to her face....then punch her.

Somepony Insults Your Friend(s)--------->Morally defend your friends and politely demand an explanation as to why that pony is insulting them--------> Or-----> Rally your friends to go kick their asses, and then beat up their friends, while also insulting them.

Somepony Get's Physical With You------->Make it clear you do not want to fight and that you mean no harm------> Or-----> Kill em.

You disagree with somepony's opinion------>Politely explain your reasoning and try to see why they believe in their opinions----->Or----->Politely disagree with their opinions and take a chair to the side of their head.

Somepony pushes you out of the way to get a better view out a window---->Politely tell them that you could've moved out of their way---->Or---->Give them a better view....by pushing them out the window.

How Cider Was Invented (Omnipotence And Eclipsa Get Wasted)

Cider is one of Equestria's if not its single most popular drink, enjoyed by ponies from all over. And it turns out that none other then Omnipotence and Eclipsa were the ones who first created Cider! Although the way they did it was a little...unorthodox.

How Cider Was Invented

Omnipotence: Greetings my friends! I am Omnipotence, Your benevolent and passionate Queen of The Alicorn Empire. The pleasure is all mine.

Eclipsa: And I'm Eclipsa! Your Seductive Dark Matron Of The Eternal Night!! And also the sexiest one ;)

Omnipotence: Y-Yes, AND my dear sister. You left that part out.

Eclipsa: That too.

Omnipotence: Anyway, I'm certainly not one to deny that I've....had my moments, where I was less then regal, to my regret. Everyone has moments where they don't act as they normally do, even us.

Eclipsa: I'm never regal, and I never regret. I just have fun, and say screw the consequences. Screw the consequences, Omni!

Omnipotence: Thank you for that, dear sister. But, it was a moment such as this, that lead to me and Eclipsa creating Cider, of which all of the empire now enjoys. As such we saw it only right that we record the process of how we did it. So lets begin.

Eclipsa: We were camping out in Everfree Forest, we had brought some apple juice, I mixed it with alcohol that I had brought from my kingdom, it made cider, and we both got shitfaced after trying it.

Omnipotence: Eclipsa! We can't possibly just leave it at that! First and foremost because you completely skipped over any formality, not to mention made us sound like a couple of drunken lunatics!

Eclipsa: Sounds about right to me :)

Omnipotence: We are NOT leaving it at that. We need to record this properly, so other ponies can learn from us.

Eclipsa: Who the hell would be interested in how cider was made? Just drink it.

Omnipotence: It's for historical record! Don't you want future generations to know that it was us who created Cider, even if it was unorthodox in how we made it?

Eclipsa: *Sighs* Alright fine! We'll start over.

Omnipotence: Thank you. Now then, we were camping out in Everfree Forest. Our way of getting away from all the, shall we say, politics of running our two kingdoms. I had brought along the juice of the apple-

Eclipsa: Y'mean Apple Juice?

Omnipotence: Yes. Why?

Eclipsa: Then just call it apple juice. You don't need to be so...queenly, around me, sister.

Omnipotence: Apologies, dear sister. I'm just trying to set an example for the future generations reading this. But it is just us here. I suppose I can tone things down a bit.

Eclipsa: Alright then. As for me, I had brought along alcohol from my kingdom. Unlike my Sister's empire, we had invented alcohol instead of juice, and it quickly lead to our booming economy as well as our jubilant and joyous lifestyle. We have over 30 taverns in our capital alone. I'm rather proud of that fact.

Omnipotence: Quite. So, we had our two drinks, and as we gazed up at the stars, alone on the grassy knoll, Eclipsa suddenly has an idea.

Eclipsa: Why not mix the two together? See what happens.

Omnipotence: Now, what we had created was NOT by any means the cider you all know and enjoy. But it was a new idea that would lead to the modern day cider everypony is familiar with. Our batch was, um....less so.

Eclipsa: Sh@t tasted like f@#%ing gasoline laced with both poison and actual sh@t. That was also poisoned.

Omnipotence: Unfortunately....she's not wrong.

Eclipsa: But it gave us an idea. What if we could make this better? Mess with the recipe until we found something that worked? This could be our thing. Just me and Omni, making cider and hanging out under the stars.

Omnipotence: And it did become our thing. It might not have been any form of royal (And as it turns out legal) kind of hobby, but....it was ours. That was all we needed.

Eclipsa: So we try again. And it turns out even worse.

Omnipotence: We decide to experiment more with the process. Perhaps add more sugar, or find a way to still the alcohol so it doesn't taste quite so much like...

Eclipsa: Like ass.

Omnipotence: Crude, but accurate, dear sister.

Eclipsa: Thank you, sister. Anyway, we take our process back to the palace and start brewing cider as part of an experiment in our laboratories. The scientists are all confused, but are nonetheless excited to be doing something besides testing the Ph levels of oats...speaking of which, why the f@#% is that a thing, Omni?

Omnipotence: Not everypony eats like we do, dear sister. Oats, grains and vegetables are being thought of as alternatives to the usual protein and energy rich diet, we Alicorns enjoy.

Eclipsa:....A world without bacon, is a world I do NOT want to live in, Omni.

Omnipotence: Bacon isn't going anywhere, dear sister. We can still eat as we always have. It's just that our subjects don't eat meat.

Eclipsa: Right....why?

Omnipotence: They have their reasons, dear sister. Anyway, we start making changes to the process and as we do so we start to see a better and better cider as a result. The first thing we did was...oh wait.

Elcipsa: What is it?

Omnipotence: Well,it just occurred to me....should we actually describe the process itself? I mean that would basically be like telling anypony, including children how to make Cider!

Eclipsa:.....I don't see a problem.

Omnipotence: It would be bad, dear sister.

Eclipsa: We don't have to give a recipe, or anything. We just list the steps and the process. That way they can learn but not enough to do it themselves. Plus, if this really does become as popular as we think it will, then everypony will know how anyways!

Omnipotence: Huh. That's surprisingly astute of you, sister.

Eclipsa: And that way they can't hold us accountable when they're foals get drunk off their asses, making their own cider.

Omnipotence: And there it is. You had me worried for a second. Very well. The first thing we did was we took whole apples and ran them through a special invention that broke down the apples into smaller pieces.

Eclipsa: Once pulverized (Man, I love that word) the apple bits are ready to be pressed and the juice is extracted. Once the juice is out, we got our cider! But the problem is it's non-alcoholic. Can you imagine ponies drinking NON-alcoholic apple cider?! What a horrible world that would be, right?

Omnipotence: ....um, are you asking me?

Eclipsa: Nope....anyway, with our normal, painfully non-alcoholic cider, we needed to find a way to actually make it...non-non alcoholic.

Omnipotence: Um...Right. We found that yeast, would help alleviate the typical properties of alcohol, and then we added the pure alcohol itself, but stilled so it sterilized the reaction of the yeast.

Eclipse: The last step is you have to ferment it. A waiting period of about two to three weeks is definitely the best option.

Omnipotence: Are you referring to what we did, or are you telling them how long to ferment the cider themselves?

Eclipsa: Yes.

Omnipotence: ....Okay? Well, after a few weeks, we had our first batch of actual cider. We were rather surprised to find that it had foam at the top, which only made it more enjoyable to drink.

Letters Between Sisters IV

My Dearest Sister,

I just received yet another report, regarding yet another disturbance that you presumably caused. And reading it....I'm confused.

Because I could have sworn that we were very clear on the whole "Eclipsa is not allowed to pick fights with citizens simply because they looked at her wrong" thing. I'm quite certain that we discussed this matter in very refined detail. So reading this report feels, remarkably redundant.

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy to hear you are trying to interact with our subjects more. But offering to teach random citizens how to "fight for real" and "defend themselves on da streets" seems extremely unprecedented. And tackling them to the ground when they say no, is not an acceptable alternative.

Things are different over here in the empire, and not everypony is a skilled fighter like you are. I'm glad you're here, but...please, dear sister. Please try to be more...restrained when interacting with citizens.

Love,

Omni

My Dearest Sister,

I already apologized like fifty times for putting that old mare in a headlock. But, she fought back! Why? Because she was learning! I keep hearing all this stuff about the Storm Kingdom. They have a lot of toys that we don't and if they decide to invade, these ponies need to know how to defend themselves! If I don't teach them then who will?

I say we build a kung fu school or something! All of us back in the good ole EK, know how to disarm 10 opponents and knockout 10 more simultaneously. If these Storm Kingdom f@#%s decide to invade, then our citizens need to know how to fight. And on two legs, like we can. I only want our citizens safe. Even if I have to put a few of them in a full nelson to do that.

Love,

Eclipsa

P.S: If we build a Kung Fu School, I call dibs on naming it. Dibs!

P.S.S: We need swords too. I know a guy.

Why Unicorns Are Unicorns

Starlight's Journal: Why Unicorns Are Unicorns

When The Goddess created the three main pony tribes, Alicorns became unicorns, Pegasai and Earth ponies. And here's why.

Unicorns: The Alicorns that became unicorns valued knowledge and magic. Flying wasn't as important to them as learning new things and discovering new magics. So they ditched the wings but kept the horns.

Pegasai: The Pegasai were ambitious and fast paced. They wanted to soar above the clouds, more then anything, and chose to give up their horns in order to fully take to the skies.

Earth Ponies: The Earth Ponies wanted a simple and relaxing life. Not devoid of magic, but one on Concordia. They wanted to feel closer to their home, so they ditched their wings and horns and settled on the earth, learning to farm and becoming physically stronger then the two other tribes.

Friendship Quest Prolougue:

Friendship Quest is a Fantasy RPG adventure game that creates a story around the players who each choose a race and class as their character, of which they also give a name. The Game Master is the one who's in charge of determining if what the players say they want to do succeeds or fails based on dice rolls as well as following the set of rules that dictate the world. The entire game is featured in The Book Of Friendship.

The game has become a staple of Friendship Game Night: A random night of the week where Princess Luna, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie along with a few surprise players get together and eat snacks and drink cider while they play Friendship Quest. Friendship Game Night can take place at any time of day after 11am, it doesn't actually have to be night.

Friendship Quest stars:

Twilight Sparkle as Magelight, The Mage From Calbridle

Applejack as Strudelhart, The Barbarian Warrior

Fluttershy as Treeminder, The Kind Druid

Rarity as Princess Platinum/ Lady Pristine, The Sorceress Queen

Rainbow Dash as Sir Awesome, The Fearless Knight

Pinkie Pie as Sprinkle Party, The Sweet loving Bard

Princess Luna as The Game Master who makes the rules

Guest Starring:

Princess Skystar as Savvy, The Sea Pony Pixie

Commander Tempest as Commander Stormhorn, The Militia Leader Of Earth Star Village

And More!

Letters Between Sisters X

Hey Omni! Oh, wait. Um....

Dearest Sister,

Well this is different. I'm writing a letter to you for a change! (And rightly, so seeing as how you've locked yourself in your room, with all the windows locked, doors magically sealed and have forbid anypony from going even an inch near it until after tomorrow.) Now, Omni....is that any way to celebrate our favorite holiday? Oh sure, The Festival is nice, and Hearths Warming is fine. But, we all know what our real favorite holiday is!

It's Eclipsa Day, tomorrow dear sister! I know, I know, I'm excited too! I already have everything planned, including the opening festival, the music and the food. All you need to do is bring your cute self! Oh...and your headphones. I know we won't go deaf from the rock opera, buuuut....safety first!

I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, so we can discuss the days plans. I can't wait to see you there, Omni!

Love,

Eclipsa

P.S: I hope you've told ALL the dragons to stay away this time. You remember what happened the last time a dragon tried to ruin Eclipsa Day for me. Just saying.

Ughh......why me?