Chapter 1: Golden Opportunities
CLOUDSDALE, 15 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
“Checkmate! Good game, Crystal,” the sky-blue pegasus colt grinned triumphantly, as he shook hooves with his friend to seal his victory. “Wanna rematch?”
Crystal Truth smiled, gazing at the tiny pieces on the chessboard in front of them. Before her, her king lay hopelessly trapped, her opponent’s queen, knight and bishop precisely aimed towards her kingdom’s downfall. Her carefully strategised position had been precariously crumbling away since move 17.
“Maybe next time, Magnum,” the filly replied, standing up to heave her heavy saddlebag onto her flank. “It’s getting late, and I’m gonna need all the energy I can get for tomorrow!”
Magnum Knight’s face lit up with excitement. “The Equestrian Annual Chess Tournament,” he sighed. “I can’t believe Cloudsdale’s finally hosting it this year!”
Crystal nodded in agreement. “And if anypony’s gonna win it, it’ll be you for sure!” She grinned. “This year, Cloudsdale’s chess team will finally taste sweet, sweet victory.” She glanced up at the sky, where Princess Luna’s radiant moon shimmered silently in the evening void. “Gotta dash. See you tomorrow!”
“See you!” Magnum waved his front hoof, as Crystal took off to the skies as fast as her pink pegasus wings could take her. Which, granted, wasn’t very fast, she admitted to herself. Luckily, she only lived a short while away, and she was sure she could make the trip before it got too dark.
Soaring through the clouds, she could just make out the glowing lights of the homes below, shining like tiny fireflies resting peacefully on the ground. Of course, she had never been down there before. She had always been told it was far too dangerous for a young filly like her to visit — what if she accidentally crash-landed on the way down? What if her wings weren’t strong enough to fly back up to Cloudsdale? It’s much safer up here, she reminded herself for what seemed like the billionth time.
But still, sometimes… sometimes she wondered what it would be like to live down there. She had heard stories about what was down below — the thick trees, the fragrant flowers… even the elegant architecture! She had to see all of it for herself; she knew there had to be more to her life than dull old Cloudsdale. She dipped below the fluffy layer of clouds, craning her neck to get a closer look…
CRACK! A deafening rumble of thunder shook her out of her daydream, a fork of white lightning slicing through the cool air, just missing her left wing. An inch closer and her wing would have disintegrated into a fine dust. “Above the clouds it is,” she muttered to herself, as she flew off into the distance, leaving behind her hopes and dreams for another day.
MANEHATTAN, 15 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
“…and now, just a tiny bit more frosting!”
“Uh, Cookie, don’t you think that’s a little bit too much frosting?”
Cookie Krumbs laughed at her friend’s remark. “Oh, Lilac, as if there’s such a thing as too much frosting!” Swirling patterns of frosting as she spoke, she added the final touches to her delicious masterpiece. She stepped back to gaze in awe at the fruits of her labour.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” She sighed, drooling dreamily at her creation.
Lilac Fields rolled her eyes. “It’s a tall cake. Can we go now? I need to finish my Equestrian History homework.” She gestured towards the bakery entrance with one hoof. “It’s not like the bakery closed a whole hour ago or anything,” she added sarcastically.
“Fine,” Cookie groaned. “But…” She turned to her exquisite four-layer chocolate cake, which was at least twice her size. “I’m probably gonna need a little help carrying this back home.”
Slowly but surely, they manoeuvred the cake out of the kitchen and out of the bakery, onto the busy streets of Manehattan. As they balanced the towering cake on their shoulders, they watched as ponies bustled to and fro, busily complaining to each other about the weather as horse-drawn carriages kicked up plumes of dust as they zoomed rapidly through the crowds. Meanwhile, the pungent stench of mouldy hayburgers left on the sidewalk wafted through the evening air, complimented by the sour fragrance of stale cider.
Nopony had the time to pay any attention to the two young fillies carrying the gargantuan baked dessert. But it was just as well, and they were both so used to it that it didn’t really matter anymore. Though they were both true Manehattanites at heart — they were outcasts in this big, cold, city; they were mere strangers in their own home.
They waded through the sea of ponies in silence, a bubble of peace in comparison to the chaotic noises around them. Glancing at each other, they grimaced. If only they could get away from all of this… this city full of stress, full of noise, full of anxiety. Deep, deep down in their hearts, they knew there was so much more beyond Manehattan — but for now, all they could do was wait. After all, they still had each other — and a giant chocolate cake.
CANTERLOT, 15 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
“Can you believe Princess Celestia is planning to raise taxes by 5%?”
“I know, preposterous, isn’t it? And only for members of nobility too! How unfair!”
Twinkle Iridescent rolled her eyes at her parents’ comments. Her younger brother, Yonder Infinity, followed suit. Being the children of two very important Equestrian nobles, family dinners were always only complaints regarding politics.
“Almost as unfair as the fact that she chose to subsidise the production of apple cider, rather than fund the Annual Equestrian Garden Party! Why would she choose to do such a ridiculous thing? Now, if I were in charge —”
Yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah… Increase the social event budget by 20%… blah, blah, blah. Sometimes, Twinkle wished she there was a ‘fast-forward’ time spell she could learn — that way, the unicorn filly wouldn’t have to sit through all of these boring conversations.
Yonder wasn’t faring particularly well, either. The quiet colt was playing with his food as usual, poking at his spaghetti with a polished silver fork that was probably worth more than Twinkle’s entire book collection put together. Probably belonged to her great-great-times a billion-grandmother or something, she muttered under her breath.
She rarely said it aloud, but she hated it here. Not her parents — she loved them to the ends of the universe! — but she hated living in a world where everypony’s social status depended on how many bits you were worth, or how much property you owned. And she definitely hated the fact that after all the pampering that came with being a child of nobility, she and Yonder never had the time to make any friends.
She had heard countless stories about friendship, of course. That alicorn princess, Twilight Sparkle. Princess of Friendship. Now that was somepony she really wanted to be like.
She wished she could go somewhere else. Anywhere, really, so long as everypony could live together in harmony, in friendship — rather than be judged by society. But where? She had never stepped a hoof out of Canterlot before, not even when her father went out on business…
“…to Ponyville?” Her mother’s voice tuned back into her daydreaming mind, like turning up the volume on an old radio.
Twinkle blinked.
“Wait. What?”
“How would you two like to go on a trip to Ponyville? I heard it’s nice there this time of the year. Think of it as an early holiday!”
“Besides, I’m due for a meeting with their mayor,” their father added. “Perhaps you two could roam around the town for a bit!”
“Wouldn’t that be fun?” smiled their mother.
Twinkle grinned. She couldn’t believe her ears. Ponyville, she thought to herself. Not a bad idea.
CLOUDSDALE, 14 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
“And after all of that, I only got 4th place,” Magnum pouted.
Crystal patted him on the back sympathetically. “Hey, 4th place is pretty good. You’re the only foal who made it into the quarter-finals!”
They glanced back at the winners’ podium, where three stallions in expensive-looking suits were waving to the crowd, carrying huge cheques in their hooves. Paparazzi ponies swarmed the hall, snapping photographs left and right as they went.
“Besides,” Crystal added, “I came in, what — 64th place?”
Magnum wasn’t listening. Instead, his wide eyes were glued to something across the room — or rather, somepony.
“Uh, Magnum? What are you —”
Magnum broke into a huge smile. “Crystal! Is that… is that…?!?” His voice trailed away, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Crystal squinted at the other end of the hall. “That’s… that’s Passed Pawn. He’s —”
“Only the best chess player ever to grace the history of Equestria!” Magnum almost squealed. “Legend has it, he once defeated 50 ponies simultaneously — blindfolded!” He gasped. “He’s coming this way! Quick, act natural!”
Crystal facehooved. Magnum grinned cheesily as Passed Pawn approached them, followed by a stream of eager reporters.
“Ah, you must be Magnum Knight.” Passed Pawn extended a hoof for Magnum to shake, which he took nervously. “You played very well today, especially for somepony your age.”
“T-th-thanks, sir!” Magnum stammered in reply.
“Now, my manager and I were just thinking; how would you like to join our team for the Equestrian Chess World Cup? It’ll be held in two weeks time, in my hometown, Ponyville, and —”
“YES!” Magnum replied, a little too loudly, causing ponies to glance awkwardly in his direction. “I mean, yes! That would be the opportunity of a lifetime!”
“Well, I’m glad you’ve accepted our offer! We’ll be sure to contact your parents about this,” Passed Pawn smiled, before trotting away, as reporters continued to trail behind him enthusiastically.
Crystal beamed at Magnum, who was shaking with joy. “Whoa… Ponyville, huh? You’re gonna have to tell me all about it when you get back. I’ve never been on the ground before, and —”
“I won’t have to!” Magnum grinned. “Because I’m taking you with me!”
MANEHATTAN, 14 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
“Lilac! LILAC! Guess what?” Cookie leapt up and down in front of her friend’s house in excitement, waving an envelope in her hooves until Lilac finally trotted outside sleepily.
“It’s so early,” Lilac yawned. “What’s up?”
“I got the letter from the baking academy! I’ve been accepted, Lilac! We can finally leave this dusty old city!”
Lilac raised a hoof in contemplation. “...you mean you get to finally leave this dusty old city. I’m still here, remember?”
“Well, I’m not making the trip alone!” Cookie reminded her. “And there’ll be plenty of time to explore the town while we’re there!”
Lilac thought for moment. It did seem like a good idea. And exploring the town would be pretty fun…
“Where is the baking academy, again?” Lilac inquired.
“Only the friendliest place in all of Equestria!” Cookie squealed.
“Ponyville!”
Chapter 2: New Companions
NORTHWESTERN ROUTE, 13 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
“We’re finally leaving Manehattan!” Cookie chanted, skipping around the train car in excitement, despite the confused expressions on nearby onlookers.
Lilac rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, smiling at her friend, who finally grew tired of dancing about and sat down beside her. Ever since she had received the letter of acceptance from the Ponyville Academy of Fine Baking, Cookie had been nothing but a flurry of enthusiasm — but then again, Cookie had always been that way.
On the other side of the window beside her, the skyline rolled speedily by, snow-capped rocky mountains and thick green forests flying by as Celestia’s radiant sun shone gloriously at the centre of the bright blue sky. Lilac pressed her muzzle against the warm glass window, soaking in the sunlight. In dark, grey Manehattan, such beautiful sights were non-existent, and she wanted to relish in the moment while she still could. Within the embrace of the mountains ahead, she could just make out the shimmer of the glinting water at the famous Neighagra Falls, sparkling and rippling with constant flowing movements, gushing and gurgling with life, then crashing into the rivers below in a cascade of whiteness.
Simply beautiful.
“Passengers, we will be arriving at Canterlot Station shortly. If this is your final destination, please make sure you have all of your belongings with you. We hope you have a pleasant day.” The P.A. system crackled, as ponies hurried to gather their luggage. Ten minutes later, the train creaked to a slow stop, the doors sliding open as passengers filed out of the train silently. Only two ponies entered the train — two foals about their age: A unicorn colt with a dark green coat and a short black mane and a slightly older unicorn filly with a purple coat and a long pink mane.
They took a seat opposite Lilac and Cookie, shaking off their saddlebags onto the cushioned bench.
“Wait, Twinkle, how long is the trip from Canterlot to Ponyville again?” The colt asked, adjusting his glasses.
“We should be arriving at around 11 am, so only about three hours,” The filly, of whom Lilac guessed was Twinkle, replied.
“Three hours?” The colt exclaimed in reply. “But that’s almost forever! What am I supposed to do for three hours?”
“Oh, quit whining, Yonder,” Twinkle replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll survive.”
Yonder sighed. “Well, it definitely beats staying in Canterlot. I don’t know how much longer I can bear living in that boring old place.”
Twinkle nodded in agreement. “Same.” She looked out of the window, where the train was just about to leave the station. “I just hope the ponies of Ponyville will be welcoming to outsiders like us.”
They glanced at Lilac, who immediately looked away, pretending she hadn’t been staring at them for their entire conversation. To Lilac’s surprise, Twinkle didn’t look too annoyed.
“Are you two headed for Ponyville as well?” Twinkle asked sweetly, while beside her, Yonder shook his head in frustration.
“No,” Yonder replied sarcastically. “They’re headed for the Crystal Empire.” He facehooved at his sister. “Of course they’re going to Ponyville! That’s the only stop that’s left!”
Twinkle sighed. “Sorry about my brother’s sarcasm.” She narrowed her eyes at Yonder. “Usually he just stays silent.”
Yonder returned the gaze, shaking his head. “Tragic. Just tragic.”
Lilac grinned. “Don’t worry about it.” She extended a hoof for Twinkle to shake. “I’m Lilac Fields. And you are…?”
“Twinkle. Twinkle Iridescent.” The unicorn filly replied, shaking Lilac’s hoof politely. “And this —” She motioned towards her younger brother. “— is Yonder Infinity. My brother. Though sometimes I doubt we’re related.”
Lilac smiled. “Nice to meet you ponies,” She replied. “And this is my friend, Cookie Krumbs — wait, where’d she go?” Lilac whirled from left to right, only just noticing the empty seat beside her.
“Over here!” Cookie yelled back from the other end of the carriage, her hooves laden with candies and desserts. She paid the snack vendor what she owed (only two bits — what a bargain!), then shuffled back to her seat with a wide grin.
“Cookie,” Lilac groaned in exasperation, facehooving at her friend, shaking her head. “I thought you’d packed more than enough snacks for the trip… why did you just buy all of this?!”
“Research,” Cookie replied nonchalantly, scarfing down a roll of cider-flavoured taffy. “If I’m going to do well at baking school, I’ve gotta do some extra homework!” She licked her lips. “Mmmm… that would make a great topping for my next cake!”
Lilac smiled. “Whatever you say, Cookie,” she chuckled over the irregular hum of the train’s whirring engine, as the foals continued their long journey to Ponyville, now with two new companions each.
PONYVILLE AIRSPACE (2500 ft. ABOVE GROUND), 13 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
“I still can’t believe Passed Pawn invited me to play in the Equestrian Chess World Cup!” Magnum Knight exclaimed. “Aside from Passed Pawn himself, I’d be the youngest pony to ever do so in Equestrian chess history!”
The wind tore through his cobalt mane, his glasses almost flying off with the wind as the two pegasi foals sat excitedly inside the pegasus-drawn chariot, the drivers’ wings flapping furiously as they soared through the morning-fresh Equestrian air.
Beside him, Crystal gazed out onto the ground below, her brown eyes sparkling as they watched the tiny houses fly by, while ponies the size of ants scuttled to and fro, busy as bees. The wind whipped through her cyan-blue mane, as she gripped the edge of the seat with both hooves, feeling both nervous and excited at the same time — she was probably even more excited than Magnum! For both foals, this was clearly the opportunity of a lifetime.
“…maybe I’ll meet some really cool grandmasters! Maybe I’ll even beat them at chess! Maybe I’ll…” Magnum paused, realising his best friend wasn’t listening. “Uh, Crystal, you okay?”
He watched as Crystal blinked out of her daydream. “Oh…right, yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. She grinned. “Guess I just can’t wait to see what the ground is really like!”
Magnum punched her lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s gonna be awesome!”
Fifteen minutes later, Magnum and Crystal were stepping out of the chariot, thanking the pegasi drivers as they whinnied politely and flew away. Here they were. Ponyville.
“Now all we have to do is find Passed Pawn,” Magnum said, pulling out a map of Ponyville from his saddlebag. “That shouldn’t be too hard.” He added, glancing around at his surroundings.
Hmm… Friendship Castle somewhere to the north… That means Sweet Apple Acres to the west, maybe… Magnum pondered, scratching his head with one sky-blue hoof. To my immediate right… Somewhere called Sugarcube Corner? To my immediate left… uh… one overwhelmed pegasi filly skipping around a bush as if she’d never actually seen one before.
“Can you believe it, Magnum?” Crystal exclaimed, making her twenty-sixth round around the rose bush. “We’re finally in Ponyville! On the ground!” She finally stopped, collapsing onto the pavement with dizziness. Magnum laughed and helped her up.
“Come on, Passed Pawn told us he’d meet us at the town hall at 3 pm sharp. That gives us about four hours to roam around. What do you say we go grab some food first?”
Crystal grinned. “Sounds good to me!” She nodded, as the two foals headed into Sugarcube Corner, lugging their heavy saddlebags behind them as they went.
SUGARCUBE CORNER, PONYVILLE, 13 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
Crystal inhaled the remains of her chocolate doughnut, then the rest of her strawberry milkshake. She was so excited about visiting Ponyville that she had completely forgotten how hungry she was.
Meanwhile, Magnum was still nibbling his slice of apple pie, conscientiously studying a notebook filled chock-full with tactics, openings and endgame strategies. Every once in a while he would pull out a pencil, scribble a few moves down onto the pages, then take another bite of his pie.
The pony who served them their lunch, a pink, cheerful earth pony with even pinker curly hair, trotted merrily to their table.
“I was just trying out a new cupcake recipe, and you look like the perfect candidate for a taste test!” She shoved a rainbow-sprinkled cupcake right under Crystal’s muzzle. “It’s on the house!” She reassured.
“Wow, thanks!” Crystal exclaimed, taking a bite of the cupcake, instantly regretting it. Her face turned red, sweat trickling from her forehead. “S-s-spicy!” She panted, trying to douse the flames on her tongue with the last few drops of her milkshake.
“Great! It worked!” The pink pony smiled. “I’ve been working on a hot-sauce infused collection of baked goods for a while. Wait till you try my latest creation: The Sizzling Strudel!” She started to trot back into the kitchen to fetch a piece, but then hesitated and peered over Magnum’s shoulder. “You should really have moved the horsey piece. You missed a really obvious mate in 9.” She then continued to skip back to the kitchen, ignoring Magnum’s expression of shock.
“How — what…?” Magnum stuttered. Behind him, the entrance burst open, as four other foals cantered into the bakery.
“So this is where you’re going to be doing your baking studies?” One of them, a lilac-coated filly, asked her friend.
“Yup!” The other filly replied. “Sugarcube Corner. I can’t believe the one and only Pinkie Pie, world-class baker, is going to be my mentor!”
World-class? Crystal raised an eyebrow. “Uh… are you sure you’re at the right—”
The filly turned to look in her direction. “Oh, don’t worry! This is definitely the right place. I can just smell the doughnuts!” She extended a hoof for Crystal to shake, which she did. “I’m Cookie Krumbs. You must be Crystal Truth, and you must be Magnum Knight!”
“How did you —”
“She’s psychic!” Magnum gasped exaggeratedly.
“Don’t be daft,” Cookie chuckled. “Your names are on the sides of your saddlebags. Anypony could have figured that out.” She gestured towards the other three ponies. “And this is Yonder Infinity, Twinkle Iridescent and Lilac Fields!”
One slightly awkward interchange of ‘hey’s later (and Pinkie Pie’s freshly baked spicy strudel), the six foals were gathered around the table, two pegasi, two unicorns and two earth ponies each getting to know their newfound friends. In less than fifteen minutes, they were already laughing and chattering merrily — as if they had known each other all their lives.
They say friendship is magic, after all. The strongest and most powerful form of magic there is.
…or so they thought.
For this friendship was predestined to be the very catalyst of Equestria’s impending doom.
