This story is a fan-fiction of MLP:FiM. I don't own any of it. It belongs to Hasbro, etc, etc.
Don't sue. Seriously. That would be so uncouth.
Chapter 1: The find of history
Ink Well shivered in the light drizzle of the dark night. His deep gray hoffmani coat protected him from the rain, but the autumn night carried a pretense of the season to come. His shiver was not only of cold, but of fear too; being stuck in the Everfree was never good for anypony, but against his better judgement, he decided to follow the heroine of his story through the dangerous vista. He nervously looked trough his saddlebags until he found a quill, parchment, and his namesake. He floated them all in front of himself with magic before taking a deep breath. The feel of the materials comforted him immediately, or at least until he heard a terrible 'caw' from the brush behind him. He jumped into the air and almost cleared the tops of the trees in the clearing he and the other of the group were in.
“What was that?!” he gasped, barely catching his writing-stuffs before they fell into the muddied ground. The hired workponies chuckled while he heard a 'tisk-tisk.'
“You've seriously never heard a hawk? You are a city boy.” said a condescending mare's voice.
“Daring!” he retorted angrily. “It's Nightmare night, for Celestia's sake! We should be back in Canterlot attending a costume party, not fooling around in the dirt!”
It was Daring's turn to be angry at the author. Her maroon eyes narrowed and a sharp bite rose in her voice. “Don't blame be Inky. YOU decided to follow me on my journeys and write those silly books. It's not my fault you don't get to go to your swanky little party in prissy Canterlot. Plus boys, isn't this our own little party?”
A rowdy “Yeah!” erupted from the workponies. Most were earth ponies with the scarce unicorn and pegasi, but they all dug in the the wet earth. They were up to their necks, and even deeper, in trenches and holes that latticed underground, having been dug after being hired by Daring. What pony wouldn't be happy when the infamous Daring Doo decided to hire them to come on an adventurous exploration? Plus, they were all promised a cut of what Daring called the “Find of the century”.
Ink Well sighed. He reminded himself who he was working with, and really should have seen this coming. A strange call in the middle of the night the day before from Daring telling him that he should bags packed always meant that Daring was going on another exploration. He shook his head and looked around at his dreary surrounding, lit only by the workers' lights around their digging site. He shook his head and looked up at the faintly cloudy sky.
'It's really not the bad.' he told himself. 'At least it's better than that temple in Stygian Swap.' he shuddered at the remembrance. It was true he was more of a...... hands-off pony, hating all that had to do with dirt and grime, even making sure he brushed his pristine black coat daily. However, that didn't mean he couldn't make fast-friends with his more 'uncivilized' friends. He smiled when he remembered how he met Daring two years ago.
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He had first met her in the Royal Canterlot museum and thought she was quite the character. She had been looking lovingly at a large sapphire displayed in the Mesoequestrian section of the museum wearing her trademark safari hat and cargo vest. Ink Well had walked up to look at the sapphire as well and Daring broke out of her reprieve when she spotted him out of the corner of her eye. She looked at him rudely, but Ink Well tried to ignore her. But then a wicked smile grew on her face.
“Like what you see?” she asked slyly.
“Excuse me?” Ink Well asked, not understanding what the mare had asked. It was true he met a few accidentally before walking home late at night out on the street, but in a museum? Plus, what was with the get-up? Was that what they dressed like nowadays?
“I'm sorry, I.....I'm not looking for any 'services'.” he replied quickly before trying to leave. Sadly, the mare had heard what he said, and he was pulled back by his Hoofmani coat. He yipped as he hit the ground, only to be pulled up again inches away from the mare's face. She now held him with an angry look on her face.
“I was talking about the stone, you moron! I just risked my flank getting that sapphire, running through jungles with a broken wing, dodging traps through a sadistic temple, being trapped by some crazy fiend, and then rescuing it all so unappreciative, high-class, hay for brains, ponies like you could enjoy it! And you dare to imply that I'm a STREETWALKER?!?” she shouted into his face before she punched him in the gut, letting him fall onto the marble floor gasping for breath.
What had he just gotten himself into? Ink Well wasn't sure if he should run for his life, or call for the guards when he got his breath back. He heard the mare 'hrrumph' and clop away as stars danced through his vision. When he was able to breathe again, he wearily pulled himself off the ground and stood shakily. He wondered what he would do, but then a crazy idea came to him: follow her.
He raced out of the Mesoequestrian section of the museum only to catch sight of her leaving. He bumped himself through the crowd of entering ponies with many a 'sorry' and 'excuse me' and continued quickly out the door. He whipped his head back and forth looking around for the mare, only to glimpse her tail as she rounded a corner of alley.
Ink Well continued to follow her, never reaching her but catching glimpses as she went further and further into the seedier parts of Canterlot. Finally, he stopped when the alley the mare went into ended with a thick wooden door. There was a sign above it that said “Greasy's Tavern.” Ink Well gulped as he approached the door. He knew it was crazy following a mare that just beat him up, especially into a place that any sane gentlecolt would never enter. But he was determined. If only he could hear more about this sapphire.....
The door opened to a dark tavern that held many surly, drunk, and bulky stallions whit the scant mare waitress here and there. Music played from a corner band, sultry and heavy. The tavern also leaked smells of fried food, heavy alcohol, thick smoke, pony sweat, and vomit. Ink Well gulped again. He had been warned about places like this before by his parents when he was young. “It's unbecoming of a young gentlecolt to reside in such places.” his mustached father had told him.“Only vagabonds and ruffians hang about such places dear, and you are neither.” his doting mother had admonished him. Even his own instincts told him not to enter, but he walked through the doorway and walked straight into the tavern.
When he did so, the door slammed shut behind himself and all eyes turned to face him. The band stopped playing their music to glare at him. Almost all the faces were giving him dirty or bored looks. Ink Well gave a bashful smile and a gentle laugh, but nopony laughed with him. Two stallions dressed in fisherponies gear sized him up and down and Ink Well could hear them guessing how much the Hoofmani coat would fetch on the market. Ink Well's eyes grew wide and he started to look around quickly. Maybe the mare who hit him was a waitress....Nope.
Ink Well was surprised to see her sitting at the bar of the tavern, completely fine. He would have guessed something bad would have happened to her by now, but she was completely unhindered. In fact, the seats on either side of her were empty. Ink Well walked up to the bar under the harsh gaze of every stallion in the building, until he sat down on the stool next to the mare. At that, all conversation returned and the band started playing again.
Ink Well sat down next to the mare and noticed she had a large glass of beer. She slumped on the bar counter and ran a hoof around the rim of the glass. She had been crying.
“Why did you follow me?” she sniffled.
“Miss, I'm...”
“It's Daring. Daring Doo.”
“I”m sorry Miss. Doo. I just... You were..... I can't say anymore. Please, I'm sorry.”
Daring nodded. “Yeah, well I shouldn'ta hit you. I'm sorry too.”
“From what you said....”
“You mean shouted.”
“From what you shouted, it seems like you were under a lot of stress.”
“Yeah.” she sat up and took a sip of the beer, wiping her eyes as she did.
“Hey! Greasy Spoon!”
“Wadda ya'll 'ave, Darin'?” asked the portly bartender. He was wiping a glass with the apron he wore.
“He wants a beer. Put it on my tab.”
“Wait, what?”
“Gotchya lass.” Greasy walked to a tap and filled the glass he was wiping.
“Thank you Miss. Doo, but I'll have to politely decline the....” he was cut off by the sound of a full glass being placed in front of him. He looked at it with a certain apprehension growing in the pit of his stomach. He really couldn't handle any drinks stronger than wine, but he couldn't be rude. He took a small sip and replaced the glass on the countertop, noticing Daring was smiling at him.
“So what brings a fancy gentlecolt like you all the way here? Do you have a thing for mares who hit you?” she said smiling.
“Oh no, nothing like that! I would never ask you of such things!”
“So what, I'm not tough enough or pretty enough for you?” she said in fake anger. Ink Well's face lost it's color when he realized he was caught in one of those devious word-traps females just love to set. He stammered for a bit until Daring laughed.
“Don't worry, I'm just playing with you.”
Ink Well sighed. “Oh thank goodness.” Daring laughed again.
“The real reason I'm here Miss. Doo is because I need you. Before you make any jokes about how that sounded, let me introduce myself. I am Ink Well and I am a writer.”
“So why did you follow me? It looks like you got the easy life.” she said nodding to his coat.
He looked down at himself and grimaced. “One would think....” he motioned Daring to come closer. She leaned in and he continued.
“The truth is, this is my only coat. It might look fancy, but I've had nothing but this coat and broom-closet of an apartment ever since I graduated from college five years ago. I write for the Canterlot Sun, but it isn't always a steady pay.” He stopped whispering and looked straight into Daring's maroon eyes.
“Please, you have to help me.” he pleaded.
Daring didn't know what to do. She had never been in a situation like this before. Sure she had encountered poor tribes of ponies throughout her earlier exploits with the Royal Cross, but never had they been so....alone. This pony sounded alone and scared. Daring knew she would never be able to live this down if she refused him.
“Alright.” she nodded. “How much money do you need?”
Ink Well looked shocked. “I didn't mean that Miss. Doo. I may be poor, but it is beneath a gentlecolt to beg. What I need from you is your story.”
“What?”
“The snippets of the tale you told...er, exclaimed at the museum were the trappings of a great adventure novel. If you'd be so kind to tell me the rest of the story, I could publish it and we could make a fortune.”
“Umhm.” she muttered as she drank the rest of her beer. She had a skeptical look on her face.
“How do you know any publisher will take it?”
“It's an adventure story! Publisher's love things like that! Plus, it's based off a true story. Everypony loves one of those!” he explained energetically.
Daring was very skeptical about the whole thing. She was fine with just giving the poor stallion a couple of bits, but she thought her exploits couldn't be written down. You had to be there to feel the jungle, sense the imminent danger, the touch of the sapphire stone in your hooves and the joy it brought to your heart. But then again, if it worked out, not only would she have helped a pony's life, but her name would be up in print!
She extended a hoof to Ink Well and he shook it, his face brightening.
“Alright. I'll help you.”
The stallion jumped out of the stool as ungentlecoltly as possible and shouted a loud 'WOOHOO!' He only stopped when he noticed the tavern had gone silent again and all were staring at him. He blushed and waved meekly to all the gruff and thuggish stallions staring at him from all directions.
Daring started to laugh, a truly happy, twinkling laugh. It was contagious, as soon all the glaring stallion's started to laugh too. Ink Well even joined in, laughing nervously as the biggest stallion got up from his table and approached him. His nervous laughter continued as the stallion came up to him and gave him a hug.
“That there Darin' is like a sistar ta all a' us. Thank's fer makin' her happy kid.” he said, obviously a little drunk, as he released Ink Well. Ink Well continued to nervously laugh as he fainted. He woke back up to even more laughter as one of Daring's tough friends poured his beer over Ink waking him up. He coughed and spluttered, but laughed genuinely too, knowing he was in the company of friends.
He spent the rest of the day with Daring in the Tavern, leaning all the occupants of the bare were hired at one point by Daring to help her on her archeological adventures. Many of them were in fact ruffians and vagabonds, but they were all nice ponies when you got over their thuggish exterior. Ink also learned, after many beers and late into the night, that Daring's father had died right after she received her doctorate from illness and that her mother had been dead since she was a little filly. Through a tear-streaked tale, she confessed to him that she hired the stallions in the tavern because they had treated her like family after her only real family had died. However, Daring still felt alone on her travels, knowing that her 'family' would never really understand her. Ink didn't know what to say to comfort her, so he made a deal.
“Daring, if the story makes it big, ponies will want more of them. So what do you say to having me come with you on your other adventures?” He knew it wasn't much but it was all he could offer. In her inebriated state, Daring just sobbed more and pulled him into a tight hug.
Six months later the book hit the shelves. “Daring Doo and the Sapphire Stone” became a quick hit and was sold in the millions.
Two months after that Daring Doo was at the Royal Airship station overseeing the packing of the equipment she would need for her next adventure. She often looked off of the ship, back towards the station. She secretly hoped that a certain black unicorn would have honored his promises, but Daring knew better. This was Canterlot: Look out for yourself, and nopony but yourself. She knew he would get rich off the book, but she didn't care. The thing that stung the worse was knowing she would be alone again. They airship was about to lift off, the planks that led up to it were being pulled away when Daring heard something. She shrugged it off, knowing it was just her imagination.
“WAIT!!!!” shouted the voice again, only magically amplified. Daring jumped with a start, but was extremely happy to hear his voice again. She signaled to the pilot, but he was already descending. A plank was put back up against the ship and Ink Well came racing up it. He stood on board and gasped, dabbing at himself with a handkerchief. Daring tackled him in a flying hug. Both came up off the deck smiling.
“I thought you wouldn't come.”
Ink had the same look on his face he had when Daring offered him money: a little hurt and a little prideful. “A gentlecolt would never do that to a mare. Here, I have something for you.”
Daring looked puzzled at him as he fished throughout his saddlebags with his magic. He pulled out a book that had a leather cover. Ink floated it over to Daring with magic and she took it in her hooves. It had no writing on the cover so she looked it over.
“What is it?”
“Open it up.”
She lifted the thin leather cover and looked at the title page. “Daring Doo and the Sapphire Stone.” It read plainly.
“It's a first edition.” Ink Well said happily. Daring looked at his happy face and hugged him again.
“Thank you Inky!”
“Inky?”
Daring mischievously hugged him tighter, squeezing the breath from him.
“Come on! Let's go!” she shouted to all the stallions who pretended they weren't watching the whole spectacle.
The airship took off in the morning light, leading all the occupants into their future adventures, together.
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Ink smiled at the fond memories. Their adventures had been great, and he and Daring had become closer, much closer..........
However, they were currently at odds for some reason. Ink decided that he had to suck it up. He knew subconsciously that he was the one that was causing the moods to sour. It might be cold, scary, and even (shudder) messy, but he was here for her. That's all that mattered.
Ink's thoughts were broken when one of the workers, Steel Beam, yelled out.
“Darin', Darin' you gotta see this!”
Daring and Ink both rushed to the dig site and were ushered underground by the other ponies. It was damp and somewhat muddy in the tunnels, but they were reinforced with wooden beams and earth pony magics, so there was no way they could collapse. Daring and Ink reached Steel Beam in the increasingly narrow tunnel and found what he had been shouting about.
At the very end of the tunnel, was a large hole. At first glance it went deep into the earth, but the pair soon realized it was just a trick of the light. Steel Beam beamed as he pulled a digging-lamp closer to the hole and the pair saw that it opened up into a large cavern. However, cavern, it was full of life. In what should have been impossible, Ink and Daring found that it was filled with various forms of trees and plants; actually, it looked like a green house.
Daring was the first to break the gaze into the hole. “I'm gonna need some ropes Steel.”
“On it already lass.” Six other ponies rushed into the tunnel with three long ropes. The tunnel was now entirely cramped, but it was a small price to pay to see Daring excited again.
Unlike other pegasi, Daring was always cautious around her dig sites. You never knew when some booby trap could spring and then everypony was in trouble. Thus, she decided against quickly jumping into the hole. It wasn't that she couldn't fly herself to the ground, she just didn't trust places like this. Chalk it up to on the job experience.
She quickly wrapped the middle of the ropes around her midsection and made sure the workers had the other ends of the ropes. Then she eased herself down the hole into the open cavern. The workers slipped at first, but got their footing and slowly lowered Daring down to the as far as the ropes would go. The whole time they did this, Ink's horn was lit up. He was by no means the most talented with magic, but that didn't mean he couldn't force all his magical power into one telekinetic spell that would save the mare he loved from falling to her death.
“We need more rope! I'm only about half-way down and I can't get out of them!” Daring called up. Ink immediately acted and grabbed one of the ropes with magic.
“Steel, would you go get Thunderhead Flash?” he asked to Steel Beam. Steel nodded and let go of the rope Ink held and raced out of the crowded tunnel. He came back a minute later with the team's only pegasi.
“Flash, I need you to go into that hole.”
“What? I was hired for lifting, not going underground.” he stammered, his eyes growing wide.
“You are gonna carry some stuff, of a sort. I need you to go down there and help Daring out of the ropes.”
Flash gulped loudly. Many pegasi had fears of having their wings taken from them, but the fear of being trapped underground seemed to be a fear that was shared by all pegasi. The same could be said for earth ponies and flying, or unicorns and magical overload. However, Flash grimaced and walked over to the hole. He closed his eyes and jumped in.
Ink could hear him open his wings and flap around for a minute before he looked around.
“Woah. It's so open for underground.”
“Yep. Now could you get Daring please?” Ink called. It was very hard holding the rope and protecting Daring with magic at the same time.
Daring was swiftly picked up by Flash and the ponies let go of the ropes. They fell through the hole, still wrapped around Daring as she was placed on the cavern floor. Flash gathered them and brought them back up to the opening in the earth. Ink got them with magic and tied them together before tying one end to himself. He threw the other end to the ponies.
“I'm going in after her.” he said picking up a lantern with his mouth. They all nodded and braced themselves as Ink clambered down into the hole. He felt his weight leave him as he fell for a second, only to be caught again. Unfortunately, since he didn't have another rope around him, he spun in circles and became a little queasy before the spinning rope stopped, only to spin the other way. He grabbed onto the rope with all hooves and was lowered to the ground. This time, the ropes reached the ground, albeit it being as safe as three would have been. He untied himself to stare at wonder at the surroundings.
Impossible trees stretched up towards the top of the dome-shaped cavern while shrubs and other flora laced the bottom of the cavern. It was much like the Everfree forest above, but smaller and more of a glade. Ink quickly bent down and sniffed at the grass. It was fresh. He swallowed his feelings of disgust, and nibbled at it. It was more than fresh, it was living!
“This should be impossible.” he said in wonder.
“But here it is!” said an ecstatic Daring.
“How?” Flash called back, zipping through the tree tops.
“That's what we're here to find out. There were old legends of a place of massive power underground in the Everfree, and boys, we just found it.”
“Massive power? “ Flash stated, lounging in one of the tree's branches.
“How else would this be possible?” Ink said starting to smile crazily like his marefriend.
“Come on, let's look around.” Daring said, leading the two. She accelerated into a canter and then took off, flying swiftly close to the ground. Ink followed her, matching her speed in the air on the ground. Gone were the days where a short sprint winded him. He still might have been a 'city boy' but he had adapted to some of Daring's life style. They traveled on, Flash following Ink, Ink following Daring, and Daring looking for something, anything that could lead them in the next direction. They found it at the far end of the cavern. Embedded in the rock wall was a large metal door. It was plain, but was ancient. Both pegasi landed and Ink stopped in front of it. Daring grabbed a brush out of her vest and went to work on it. Ink moved closer with the lantern to giver her light while she worked.
After she had brushed most of it off, she pulled away from it and looked at it hard. Then she turned around and bucked it. It rung with the kick, like a bell being hit, but didn't budge. She put the brush back into her vest and motioned for the stallions to help her. Ink put the lantern down and all three tried together. The door rung again, but didn't move. The tried again and again, but to no avail.
“Daring, let me try something.” Ink said after their sixth try.
She wiped the sweat off of her brow. “What do you have in mind.”
“I'll blast it down.”
“You sure you can handle it?”
Ink winked at her. “If I can travel around the world with you, this'll be easy.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled Flash away from the door as Ink faced off against it. He charged all his magic into his horn and was about to blast it at the door when he felt something. He raised hi head out of firing position and he looked around, his horn's glow fluctuating.
“What is it Inky?” asked Daring.
He turned around in place and stopped facing back the way they came. He nodded in the direction. “Come on, we gotta go that way.”
“Why?”
“There's a large source of magical power back that way. I'm surprised I missed it when we first arrived, it's bucking massive!” he said, breaking into a canter.
Forgetting her wings, Daring ran alongside Ink. Flash just shrugged his shoulders and took off after the pair. The dashed through the miniature forest back to where they dropped in. Ink stopped briefly at the rope, but then picked up the magical waves and sprinted past it. He finally stopped at the other side of the cavern.
He slowed to a walk as he felt himself be bombarded by strangely soothing magical energy waves. It radiated from a oblong spot under the grass in a small overgrown spot near the cavern wall. He tried to detect what kind of spell it was, but it was impossible. It was no spell, just raw energy.
“Daring, I think we found what we were looking for.”
“Really?!?”
“Yeah, but I don't trust it.”
“Whaddya mean? It's probably just some dusty artifact.” Flash said flatly.
Ink turned to away from the ground. “No artifact of any kind just releases this amount of magical energy; they burn out the energy after a couple decades.”
“But according to those scrolls I found in the Royal Library, this has been here since the Princesses first graced Equestria.” muttered Daring.
“That's why I don't trust it.”
“Well, there's only one way to find out what it is.” Daring said, a fire glinting in her eyes. She removed a small spade from her vest.
“Dare, no.....” Ink pleaded unsuccessfully.
Daring drove the spade into the soft earth and let go of the spade quickly. It quivered in the ground by itself, making Ink worried. He gave Daring a concerned look, but she just giggled at him. She picked up the spade again and started to dig with it between her teeth. She managed to remove four spadefuls before the whole cavern started to shake.
“What's happening? Is it a trap? Or the artifact?” Daring shouted to Ink. Ink quickly scanned the cavern with magic and shook his head.
“It's not the cavern or the magic! It's coming from outside!”
“Holy Horseapples!” Flash screamed as a loud booming noise came from above the cavern. It caused some dirt to fall from roof of the dome, scaring the occupants. Would the whole thing cave in? Their answer came when a circle appeared on the center of the dome's roof. It was blue and glowing, and almost disappeared as soon as it had appeared. But after it was gone, the stone around it fell down and slammed into the center of the cavern's floor. Daring screamed and Ink held her, along with Flash who was being quite the scared little colt.
“MAKE NOT ONE STEP CLOSER TO OUR FATHER, HEATHENS!” shouted from the hole, as a familiar regal face descended from it. However, the princess of the night was not friendly and cute like normal. Her eyes glowed white and her form was surrounded by a devastating magical aura. The whole dome shook as she floated over to the three.
“TRESSPASSERS! LEAVE OR I SHALT BANISH THEE FOR 1000 YEARS!!!!” She screamed at the three with the full power of the Royal Canterlot voice, sending them flying away head over hooves.
Flash was the first of the group to react, catching the other two mid-air. Daring was next, letting go of Flash's hoof to fly normally herself, and Ink just grasped onto Flash's hoof for dear life, his head spinning from the tumble and what he had just heard. Get away from Luna's father?
“Princess Luna we didn't mean to do anything to...” Daring tried.
“LEAVE!!!!” Luna screamed. The took up a defensive stance over the spot of magic-radiating earth and a heavy snarl formed on her face. “DO NOT MAKE US USE OUR FULL POWER ON THEE...” she warned. True to her word, her horn stopped glowing blue, but took on a thick shade of black. From around her, everything started to get darker and spread, herself included.
The trio just floated in the air in total fear of what might happen next.
“Sister! Enough! Father would have never wanted you to do any such thing to anypony!” came a second regal voice from the opening. A pristine white alicorn with a flowing mane decended more relaxed than her sister had. At the sight of her, Luna calmed slightly, but not completely.
“THY SAW WHAT THE FOOLS WERE ABOUT TO DO TO OUR FATHER!”
“Lulu, they didn't mean it. Now please, Father would never want you to use the dark on them.”
The area around Luna started to become brighter and her eyes slowly started to return to their normal beauty. The oppressive magical field evaporated and Luna turned around to look at the ground. She fell to her knees and cried while Celestia landed next to her and put a wing around her comfortingly.
The scared trio landed and bowed before slowly walking up to the two princesses. Daring and Flash trembled as they came up to the princesses, but Ink walked up solidly, a hoof under his chin while he thought.
“L..listen Princess Luna. We didn't mean anything, really we didn't.” said Daring.
“Yeah, we'd never want to make you sad, or angry, for the matter.” explained Flash.
.
“It is alright my little ponies.” Celestia said, speaking for a currently sobbing Luna. “Luna is, ans always was, very protective of our father. She did not mean to snap like that.”
“Princess, you've been talking about your father, but there's nopony here.” Flash stated blankly.
“It's because he's not with the living anymore, right Princess?” asked Ink. “This is a tomb.”
Celestia slowly nodded looking very forlorn and old. “Very inquisitive.”
Ink smiled grimly. “An author has to be.”
“Then perhaps.....”
“Tia! Lulu!” called a blur of movement that fell through the hole.
Celestia looked at the flash and smiled. “Sen.”
Before the trio could blink there was a shining white alicorn with a flowing platinum mane He embraced Princess Celestia and kissed the crying Luna on the forehead. The trio looked at him with mouths wide open, gaping at the sight. Another alicorn? Wasn't there only three?
“I came as soon as I felt the barrier around the Sanctuary break.”
“Do not worry, all is well. Just a minor.... mistake, we could say.” Celestia noticed the three poines staring at the new alicorn like he was from another planet.
“My little ponies,” said Celestia to the three. “Let me introduce our older brother, Century Sentry.”
Century looked to the gawking trio. “What?”
Ink shook his head. “Sorry, we thought there were only three alicorns.”
Century's eyebrow raised. “What have you been teaching your subjects Tia?”
“Only our earliest subjects knew about the alicorns. You knew that Sen.”
“And why shouldn't you subjects know of your story now?”
Celestia looked away with a sour expression. “Sometimes it's really hard to talk to you Sen.”
“Pish-posh. You know I'm right.”
Ink and the others just listened, not sure what they were talking about. Alicorns? Earliest subjects? What? Ink could finally take no more of it. He cleared his throat.
“Excuse me princess, but does that mean there is more than three alicorns.”
Century cut Celestia off as she was going to answer. “Actually, there are seven.”
“Seven! There were seven alicorns?!?”
“No. I said there ARE seven alicorns.”
Ink's eyes grew wide at the implication. There were more than the three alicorns everypony knew and loved. What could this mean for Equestria? Neigh, what could this mean for the world? And why was this place so special to them? It apparently held their father's final resting place, but why was it leaking so much magical energy? Just what was their story?
“Sen! Enough. They don't need to know.”
“And why not?”
“It brings up too much pain. Our brothers and sister have all passed and the corruption of Erda.... please Sen.” Celestia pleaded.
“The only way thy whilst get over our brothers and sisters is by telling our story, sister.” Luna resolved as she stood up from the ground. She turned to face the arguing brother and sister and the trio of observing ponies. Her eyes were bloodshot from the tears and her muzzle was blotchy with tear streaks. Celestia looked at Luna very concerned, but Century looked approvingly at his youngest sister.
“Lulu, are you sure? We have not told the story in over 3000 years.”
Luna glared at her older sister. “If thou shant speak, then we will.” She walked over to the trio of ponies and her horn lit up.
“Forgive us for our earlier actions. This place holds much pain for us. Now, you. Unicorn with the onyx coat. Thy ist a scribe, are thy not? Thy cutie mark is an inkwell and quill.”
Ink coughed. “An author, but yeah.”
“Then we shalt return to the castle and thy can hear our story there. Thy shalt record it scribe, this is a Royal order.” Luna's horn grew brighter.
“WAIT!” Celestia shouted. “I....I'll come too. It will hurt. For both of us Lulu.” Celestia said as she walked up and nuzzled her sister.
“Thank you Tia.” Luna replied softly, the tone of cold order leaving her voice.
Century coughed. “I will clear everything up with the ponies above ground and I will meet you at the castle. Don't worry, they won't know I'm an alicorn. The story will be told to the world in time. Believe me, I have seen it so. But for now, go to the castle, shoo.”
Celestia and Luna smiled at their brother and both the alicorn's horns lit up. The trio and the two princesses shined with magical energy and teleported out of the cavern with a resounding clap. The cavern was empty and now silent, except for the oldest alicorn and one lamp.
Century walked over to the spot where Luna had cried. The grass was wet with tears, but that didn't kill his nostalgic mood. He let his horn glow and the magic that wanted to be used escaped him. His surroundings changed slowly, the grass and trees becoming smaller and less wild. Also the rock walls receded and the glass and steel frame that once held the Sanctuary come back together. The air became fresher and less stale and the whole cavern lit up with a faint ghost light of what had once been there. Century sighed and took a deep breath in the Sanctuary of his child hood. He saw the steel door on the far side of the cavern just as he remembered it. He almost thought father would come through the door, but then he remembered what time he was supposed to be in. He stopped the magic and time rushed forward, bringing the cavern back to its current state.
He sighed and felt the magic that seeped out of the ground from Father's tomb. It and the solidification of the walls were the only things that prevented the Sanctuary from falling in on itself. The magic itself was the oldest and purest magic there was: life magic. It radiated from the long rectangular obsidian box under the earth and Century couldn't help but remember Father. The way they first saw him after they were “born”, the way he would always go on about how they were a family and how they needed to stick together, the way he would play with them in the Sanctuary, and even how happy he was, even as he lost use of his legs in his later years before his death. Century shed one tear remembering the old one's death. Celestia had been right, this would be hard. But as his Father had told him so long ago, there was no time like now. Century, being the master of time, knew that every time was “now” for him, so he stood up and flew out of the cavern to go speak to the workers. He hid his horn with an invisibility spell and made himself look much older with a quick use of time-magic. The ponies above ground would listen to one of Celestia's Captains of the Royal Air Force, right? He chuckled to himself choosing an old name the pre-equestrian ponies used to call him. Captain Veles, quite the old pegasi stallion, yes?
He flew out of the cavern into the midnight sky, leaving the lantern below in the cavern. It's candle slowly melted to nothing in time, it's light fading in the cavern, letting it grow dark once more. But in time the sun would shine down from the new hole in the ceiling and it could come to rest on Father's resting spot every morning from there on, until the end of time.
