Prologue - Entries From the Journal of Tangerine Sonnet
Summer 17, 1223 Er Du Sorori:
For the past ten years, I’ve been recording my thoughts in a personal journal. It’s a good coping method, I’ve come to realize. It helps me deal with the loss of my dad and sisters, the memories of the day I watched them die. Not that my dreams of them are very vivid, anyway. I was only four then.
I remember the day I got my cutie mark. It was in the first grade, during history class. Our teacher, Mr. Rap Rouser, was telling us the story of Nightmare Moon. Of how, once upon a time, she was a princess of Equestria who became jealous of her older sister. Of how she was banished to the moon by the Elements of Harmony, and then returned a thousand years later. Of how she was purified by those same Elements, or more particularly by the six ponies who embodied their virtues.
I remember asking a question which, though not very serious, was nevertheless important to me. If the Elements had so much power, could only unicorns use them? After all, we’d all learned in kindergarten that only unicorns had magic, that only they could cast magical spells.
Mr. Rap Rouser told me that that was not true. That all ponies had magic, and all ponies could use it. It just took a little ingenuity, a little more creativity to bring that magic out.
And I remember looking down at my history book, where the illustration of those ancient magical artifacts stood out to me. Those six magical crystals which, united, could be used to unite all the tribes. That could bring out the magic, the life, of anyone—beyond all artificial assumptions of the capabilities of race and species. And in that moment, I felt different.
I felt . . . I felt light.
And my cutie mark appeared. And it matched the illustration in my book. The Elements of Harmony.
The Elements of Harmony. Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, and Magic. Twenty years ago, the ponies who wielded them brought Equestria into a golden age. It was a time when the horrors of the past were returning, but they valiantly faced and defeated each threat one after another. They brought the land new experiences, established alliances we couldn’t imagine were possible, and protected the peace and harmony that let our country thrive.
Until Grogar came along.
12 years ago, Equestria was invaded by Grogar the Malefic, an evil Necromancer straight from ancient history. There was no warning. Canterlot was overrun, Ponyville was destroyed, and everywhere else in Equestria was attacked, pillaged, or put under siege. The princesses were defeated, the Elements disappeared, and the cities that survived had to find a way to save themselves from Grogar’s powers. That was how the Freedom States were born.
For one month after the Elements fell, the armies of Equestria fought back. Led by five ponies and one dragon, they nearly took back Canterlot before they, too, disappeared. Nopony is sure what exactly happened. Ever since then, the Freedom States have created a network to protect themselves from Grogar’s control. City-wide dome shields, underground railroad networks, and various hidden airways were used to evade his Necromantic armies. It was a good thing that the Constructs could neither fly nor go too deep underground, otherwise we’d all be dead.
My name is Tangerine. I was barely old enough to speak back then, and definitely too young to remember much more than my name and a few vague memories. I don’t really know who my family is, or why we were in the middle of the chaos, but I know that we were trying to escape. It was in the back-streets of Baltimare, amidst the terror and confusion, that they were all murdered before my eyes.
I was found and raised by a unicorn stallion named Miltonian Sonnet, a retired History professor from Canterlot. He saved my life and escaped with me to the remains of the train station when Baltimare fell. He was one of the ponies who rebuilt the city once the attack was over, and had a hoof in creating the defenses that prevented a repeat experience. And he raised me into the pony I am today.
I don’t know who I was, nor where I’m from, but I do know who I want to be. To discover the secrets of my past, the secrets of magic itself, I must set out into the world to explore our country’s fall. I promise myself, and all of Equestria, that I’ll find out what happened that allowed us to be defeated. And I promise, from the bottom of my heart, that I will save ponykind.
Summer 18, 1223:
Today’s my birthday. Miltonian keeps on dropping hints that he has a big surprise for me, but he won’t tell me what it is no matter how much I badger him. I’d probably have gone crazy by now, but I’ve been in a good mood since graduation last week, so I guess it’s easier to just ignore it.
Meanwhile, I’ve been doing some research into artificed spell matrices. I obviously already know a lot about them, considering it was my prototype spell crystals that allowed me to graduate high school a year early, but I still have a lot to learn. I got the idea from the fabled Elements of Harmony, and a concept known as biothaumic overlap. The idea is that magic, or thauma, is extremely versatile. So, all forms of magic, regardless of type, are simply different versions of one another. It follows that any form of magic can be converted to another one, and that any wielder of magic can harness all magic. Earth ponies could fly, pegasi could cast spells, and unicorns could affect the Earth beneath their hooves. Needless to say, this theory has witnessed oceans of ridicule.
My crystals are primitive, unfortunately. Yes, they can cast spells. Yes, they can be used by non-unicorns. But each one can only cast one spell, the one whose matrix is etched on its surface, and each one needs to be charged with unicorn magic. In other words, they’re like standard magical artifacts. I haven’t been able to get them to harness a pony’s inner magic regardless of race. And the only unicorn volunteering to help is my guardian, Professor Miltonian.
I need to find another way.
Summer 19, 1223:
I’m going to the Crystal Empire! It turns out that Miltonian’s surprise was that he’d gotten me a ticket for the Underground Railroad. Sure, I’ll have to pack for a four-day journey, what with the train having to evade Grogar’s forces, but I’ll be going to the Crystal Empire! This’ll is awesome!
Miltonian knows that I’ve been looking for ways to attend the best universities in the Freedom States. Sure, Baltimare College is all well and good, but it’s pretty limited when it comes to opportunities for an Earth pony to study unicorn magic. I’ve looked at the courses of their Thaumaturgy and Spell Creation programs, and both are very lacking if you don’t have a horn on your head. Miltonian has a lot of friends and associates in other States, and he arranged an apprenticeship for me with the Royal Crystaller of Princess Flurry Heart herself! Not only will I get to learn exactly what I want to, but I’ll also be able to develop my spell crystals with full support from the crown! This is almost unbelievable!
I’ve been trying to contain my enthusiasm, but it’s hard. Miltonian told me last night, and I haven’t slept ever since. I’ve been going through everything I own, trying to decide what I want to take.
My train leaves in three days! I can’t wait!
Summer 23, 1223:
I’m on the train now. There’s been a bit of a delay in the trip. It turns out one of the Freedom States was attacked by Grogar again. Fillydelphia, I think it was. They had to evacuate over half of the city, and what’s left is still under siege. Or at least that’s what they’re saying. I don’t know what to think.
The train’s pretty crowded right now. My carriage is full, and I’m currently wedged between a sniffling couple and an overweight unicorn stallion who has bad breath. The stallion just gave me the stink eye, I think he was snooping at what I’m writing. Oh well. I’ve moved seats.
The two ponies sitting next to me are having a loud argument, but it’s hard to hear over the shouting and crying coming from up and down the train. They’re brothers I think, considering they look identical apart from their hair colours and cutie marks. One of them is shaking his hoof at the other angrily.
This is getting out of control.
Summer 23, 1223:
The chaos has died down, thankfully. I think ponies are finally falling asleep. From the earlier argument between the two stallions, I was able to gleam that the Fillydelphian refugees were headed for Manehattan, which we’d be passing on the way to the Crystal Empire. The brothers introduced themselves to me a while ago. Their names are Thunderclap and Cloud Stomper, and they’re originally from Cloudsdale. They’d been living in Fillydelphia for a few years.
The ponies across from me, the ones I’d sat by earlier, also introduced themselves. The unicorn mare and the pegasus stallion, the ones I’d thought were a couple, turned out to be the Cake twins. Talk about awkward. They’d been visiting an uncle in Fillydelphia when Grogar’s constructs had invaded. They had no idea whether their uncle had survived. They were headed to the Crystal Empire, just like me, because that was where their family was.
Last but least, the overweight unicorn stallion is Snips. He’s a barber who’s been living in Fillydelphia since the Great Invasion twelve years ago. He claims to have known the bearers of the Elements of Harmony personally, but I’m not sure if I believe him. Only minutes ago, he was telling the Cake twins about how his foalhood best friend once defeated a hydra.
Summer 24, 1223:
The Fillydelphian refugees are in Manehattan now. Snips, Thunderclap, and Cloud Stomper have all gone with them. The Cake twins have been telling me stories of the Crystal Empire, and have offered to show me around when we get there. I decided to turn them down, because I want to explore the city by myself. In my opinion, getting lost is half of the adventure. Nonetheless, when they asked me why I’m going there, I told them about my apprenticeship. They seem surprised. Apparently my soon-to-be master, Sunburst, is a close family friend. They look excited at this.
I’m getting really tired. I should probably stop writing now.
Summer 25, 1223:
While we were having lunch, Pound Cake told me that his family used to know the Element bearers, particularly the mare who wielded the Element of Laughter. Apparently, she was the twins’ babysitter. I think I believe them. Their stories match up with what I know about the Elements, that they were originally from the old town of Ponyville, and they sound pretty sincere.
Putting it optimistically, the dome shields have only been moderately successful. The Constructs still attack the States at every chance they can, which boils down to anytime somepony braves the surrounding wasteland to scrounge for any imported materials that can’t be brought in from underground. This has led to occasional invasions, and hundreds of refugees fleeing to other States. The only States which have been phenomenally successful in fending off the Constructs are Manehattan and the Crystal Empire. Manehattan’s shield is the strongest in the country, and everything is home-grown. As for the Crystal Empire, the nature of their shield, which has been there since before the Grogar Invasion, means that the Constructs can’t even come close to breaking in.
Speaking about the Empire, we’re going to be reaching there in a few hours. The Cake twins have offered to give me a tour of the city once again, but I’ve told them that I want to explore by myself for personal reasons. Even though they acquiesced, they warned to me to avoid the south-eastern section of the city. Apparently, it’s a very dangerous area.
I can’t wait to get there. Master Sunburst isn’t expecting me for another day or so, something which I arranged so that I had time to look around. I especially want to explore the campus of Mi Amore Cadenza University, even if I’m not actually going there. I hear that it’s by far the best academic institution in the Freedom States, and it employs some of the most famous names in Magical Science. Professor Vintage Outlook, for example. His works on innovative spell matrices were the inspiration of my spell crystals.
I guess this is about it, then. The next time I write in this, I’ll hopefully be with Master Sunburst in the Crystal Castle. I can’t wait.
Author's Note
So . . . this is my first story on Fimfiction. Took awhile to actually get it to where I was satisfied with it, but here it is. The first bit sounded slightly cringe-worthy to me, but I honestly think it's better to put it out instead of leaving it in the back-burner for all eternity.
I have the whole plot pretty much ready, just needed to start writing. Figured this was a good way to get myself motivated. I hope you guys like it. I certainly liked working on it, even if it took some time to get over my own unrealistically perfectionist standards.
I regret nothing.
