Hearthway: The Gatekeeper (UPDATED)
Author's Note
Thanks to Platinum Pony for helping me re-edit this chapter and make it the best it could be!
Hearthway: The Gatekeeper (UPDATED)
~ ~ ~ Pantheon: The Land of Myths & Magic ~ ~ ~
By Cobalt the Kitsune
Edited by PlatinumPony
Tales are told
Legends & Myths
~ ~ ~ ~
Like a wizard who made mirrors
Chaos ruled the land
Sister’s separated for millennia
~ ~ ~ ~
But there are tales forgotten
lost in time
Washed away by the waves of the ocean
~ ~ ~ ~
These tales you’ll read
Which been long forgotten…
~ ~ ~ ~
Chapter One
Hearthway: The Gatekeeper
The gemstones hanging on the roots of an old tree were gleaming lightly from the morning light, scattering multicolored rays throughout the throne room. The beams all seemed to eventually gather to one spot on the table down below, where certain cutie marks danced around like ponies partying on hearts warming eve. The occupants who were seated around the map on their thrones had expressions ranging from shock to feverish, unquenchable, excitement.
Six friends all looked to where their cutie marks danced far beyond the borders of Equestria and the surrounding lands, past the Lunar Sea, where no pony has gone before.
The lengths to which they were being sent wasn’t the only surprising thing! Their own cutie marks weren’t alone, but circling around the clouds above the rolling waves of the unknown sea. A Sun and Moon cutie mark, which can be seen for only belonging, to none other than the Diarches of Equestria themselves!
“We get to work with the Princesses~! We get to work with the Princesses~!! We get to work with the Princesses~!!!” Shouted a pink mare who was bouncing from her ballon throne with joyful glee, as confetti shot out from seemingly thin air, covering all over the room.
“Yes, Pinkie Pie we are all excited,” Spoke the alicorn princess from her star throne as she brushed off some confetti with her wings. “But, don’t you all realize what this means girls?” She barely restrained panic slipping through the cracks in her words. As she glanced at her dear friends who sat on their own thrones.
“Duh! This means we get to beat up more baddies!” The rainbow mare flew off miming fighting as she speed throughout the room as the other mares rolled their eyes at the athletic mare.
‘Oh!~ Oh!~ I’ve made a new Surprise Present I can finally use against any party pooper who gets in the way!~” Pinkie Pie sang in excitedly with stars in her eyes. The others looked a bit concerned, but they eventually decided Pinkie was just being Pinkie.
“Bu...t… Rainbow Dash,” A nervous yellow pegasus spoke to her childhood friend from her butterfly throne, “Maybe… It could be just another pony who is in need of friendship?” She softly replied towards the rainbow mare who only roll her eyes.
“Don’t you worry about a thing dear Fluttershy,” As a light silvery unicorn spoke from her diamond throne, “I’m sure we can handle whatever dangers we’ll have to take on.” As the mare replied, “I should look more presentable than the last journey we took. I didn’t get chance to even do my face during that whole Storm King fiasco.“ As she puffed her cheeks In annoyance.
“Rarity, we ain't have time to be fancy trying to save Equestria.” The southern cowgirl from her apple throne replied back with a roll of her eyes. “Getting dirt on our hooves didn’t break anypony.”
Rarity gasped. “How could you say such a thing Applejack,” She looked to the farmer with shock. “I have you know that it took me 3 weeks in the spa with 7 hoof polisher appointments to get all icky sand and mud off my hoofs and coat!”
She rolled her eyes in annoyance towards the silly fashionista mare, as she focused her attention on the valent alicorn who seemed to be twitching a bit, “Twilight, I don’t think any of us know what you mean, care to explain?”
All the ponies In the room looked towards their friend Princess Twilight Sparkle who was glad to finally have all of their attention. “Thanks, Applejack, you see girls here isn’t just any normal mission that the map is sending us on.” As she glanced towards the floating cutie marks on the map. “The map has ever called all of us when something really serious is happening. Now it’s also summoning The Princesses!?” Speaking louder and more worriedly. “This could be our biggest challenge yet!!!”
“I-I don’t know if I can handle all that pressure...” Fluttershy whimpered as she began to curl up with her hooves tucked under her body. “Perhaps I should just stay home...”
“The map always has calls us for a reason.” Applejack said as she reached over to gently stroke her panicking friend's wings. “No matter what’s going to happen I’m sure it will be no problem when we work together!”
“Don’t worry flutters!” Rainbow Dash boasted with a casually lounging heron her rainbow cloud mark throne. “We’ve saved the world and the Princesses flanks dozens of times!”
“And don’t forget~ we finally have our editor back!!! Who, by the way, ran off streaming some plumber game without a word to poor little Cobalt for years… Now we can have a real story with sweet and savory details that will make this story a real treat! And they’re remaking the Cob- Oh spoilers!” The Party Mare shouted with a giggle. “This is so exciting!!!~~~” As she jumped all over the chamber room while her friends only giggle of Pinkie just being Pinkie.
“Darlings, your forgetting just one tiny little thing,” Rarity voiced in concern.
“Oh, and what’s that rares?” Rainbow replied with a raised brow.
“The Princesses are very busy ponies!” Rarity answered. “It won’t matter if they’re summoned by the map or not if their responsibilities keep them from coming with us!”
The mares looked concerned after hearing their friends point. What if the Princess couldn’t go with them? They never had tried to refuse when the map summoned them. So if the princess couldn’t come th…. Bam! The doors of the map chamber were blasted open, as a little dragon and unicorn mare galloping into the room with heavy breaths.
“The- The-“ The little dragon tried to speak while panting out of breath.
“Spike, Starlight, just breathe for a moment.” As Twilight teleported to her Number One Assistant and Her Student sides while stroking both of them to catch their breath. “Ok, now what is it that you needed to blast through my doors… again.” Twilight spoke with a raise eyebrow.
The two glance at each other to see who would reply first. “The Princesses are here!” Starlight quickly finished, with Spike affirming with a quick nod before falling onto his back and tried to recover from his sprint.
Twilight and her friends gasped and gazed expectantly towards down the hallway, for the two alicorns, and they weren’t disappointed as they watch the Princesses of Equestria rushing towards them from the hallway. They both looked like they ran in a marathon from Canterlot to Dragonlands then back. The princess of the sun was in her usual attire, well most of it anyways. She seemed to have lost one of her golden shoes in her rush, and her tiara sat unevenly on the crown of her head. Still, she seemed much more prepared than her little sister. The princess of the night looked like she had rushed out of bed while sleeping, wearing a lavender dressing robe, bunny-fox slippers on all four of her hooves, and curlers in her astral mane. She looked exhausted with bags beneath her eyes and an occasional yawn escaping her muzzle.
“Princess Celestia!” Twilight spoke in excitement as she rushed to embraced her mentor. “I’m so glad you came!!!”
Celestia giggled from Twilight always childish behavior, “I’m always here to help my best faithful student,” She replied while still catching her breathe, as she adjusted her crown with a simple bit of magic. “Though… Having my hindquarters glow and buzz like an alarm clock in a parliament meeting is a bit disconcerting….” Celestia blushed slightly from embarrassment.
“Mmrm…. Woke me up....” The midnight mare mumbled as she began to wobble on her hooves, seemingly falling asleep while standing.
“A-anyways,” As Twilight stepped back from the embraced. “We were just on the topic about you two and we’re a bit worry if you were to busy with your royal duties.”
“Don’t worry Twilight,” Celestia replied with a motherly smile. “The ponies of Equestria will be fine and be able to handle themselves without us.” As she glanced towards her sister, who had fallen back too asleep as everypony giggled. Celestia, giggled with a smiled as she nudged her sister to stir her up. “Wakey, Wakey Luna.”
“Mmr..huh?” Luna was only half stirred from the nudge. “...carrots are evil...“ She mumbled as she yawned from being so rudely woken by her buzzy moon. “Where we are going, again?”
“That’s something my friends and I have been trying to figure out.” Twilight said as she took her place back at the map table. “The map seems to be sending us to the middle of the ocean where nopony has ever gone before.” As she looked with uncertainty towards the weird clouds the cutie marks were dancing about. “This just doesn’t make sense.” As she looked to her mentor pointing for where the cutie marks were, “Do you happen to know anything?”
Celestia’s expression changed to a wide-eyed recognition as her sister perked up just like having a quad-hay espresso, as they both spotted the cutie marks dancing on clouds. “That’s...That’s not In the middle of the ocean.” She mumbled, applying some magic to remove the clouds to obscuring where the map was really pointing towards. As the clouds pulled back as though a great mystical wind blow them away, they revealed a white sandy shoreline with crystal clear waters, as they spotted cities of marble with temple-like buildings and green fields far beyond. “It’s Pantheon... The birthplace of magic....” Celestia spoke In wonderment.
Everypony watched with wide-eyed expressions of excitement seeing a new land they’ve never heard before. “Wait!” Rainbow Dash flew over the new land, “What’s Paythaon and what do you mean by the birthplace of magic?” Rainbow Dash asked, trying her best to wrap her mouth around the countries name.
Giggling, Celestia corrected the prismatic pegasus, “It's pronounced Pan-the-on Rainbow Dash,” She winked at the mumbling mare, “The legends say this place was where magic was born… But I don’t remember much details, what about you Luna?” She glance towards her sister.
“I know Starswirl took us there once,” Luna replied with a firm nod as she felt more awake. “Of course, we were very young… I hardly remember anything besides some of these white buildings.” She pointed to a few off looking white, columned buildings.
“This place is beautiful, from what I can see.” Rarity said as she gazed at the map’s miniature marble cities of Pantheon. “This classical style give these places… a grandiose air, but I think it works really well for this place.” As she eyed all the details, “Oh! New fashion Ideas!” Her eyes sparkled with glee and happiness as she can’t wait to make the next big fashion style.
Fluttershy flew over the map looking at the strange tall crystal forest that was nearby, “I wonder if there are any new animals, I’ve never seen before?” She looked in wonderment of excitement to meet new critters.
“Alrighty,” Applejack spoke a bit loud to draw everypony’s attention. “I know we all are excited about their new adventure but… How are we supposed to get there?” Applejack asked.
“Ohh~” Pinkie Pie jumped on the map with excitement. “We could use my ginormous party cannon to send us there!” She said before demonstrating their flight path, which suspiciously included a lot of loops, with her hoof. A splash came from the map as she brought her hoof down to the waters around the Pantheon’s shores.
“As entertaining and quick that might be,” Celestia chuckle at the party mare’s suggestion. “I think I remembered a safer way.” As she smiled at everypony’s look of wonderment at what she meant.
The Everfree Gardens
Beautifully rays of sunlight shined across the overgrown courtyard of the castle of the two sisters. This once mighty garden held many rare plants and animals that now roamed freely, making the Everfree Forest their home. Climbing ivy grew over stones that used to be statues and building. The animals, who had gone without pony contact for some time, roamed all over the sprawling wood, wild as they day Mother Nature made them. The Princesses looked around with sad smiles. They had made many memories in this place when they were just foals. Playing pranks, going on adventures, or even accidentally turning Star Swirl into a plant and placing him in the garden for a few days. They both giggled as they thought about how funny that was.
They, along with Twilight and her friends had packed everything for their journey to Patheon and had gathered by the still running fountains, that watered the plants and animals. Starlight & Spike had come to see them off on their journey. Even though they felt it would’ve been nice to come with them, they understood that ponies needed them here while the protectors of Equestria were gone, maybe for some time.
“Now you’re sure you’ll be able to handle the school while we’re gone?” Twilight questioned as immense worry weighed her down more than her overpacked saddle bags. “You’ve scheduled substitutes, events, marathons, and everything?!?” With each word, her voice grew louder and more distressed as her anxieties ate away at her.
Starlight smiled as she read her teachers overboard checklist. “Yes, Yes, and Yes Twilight. I got the Cakes covering for Pinkie, Gilda is going to teach Rainbow’s classes, Granny Smith is taking over for Applejack, Rarity called in Sassy Saddles, Tree Hugger is coming… I think? Though don’t worry I’ll sit in some of these lessons while covering for you!” She proudly smiled, hoping that her teacher didn’t catch her uncertainty voice. “Oh, that reminds me!” She used her magic to pop up a book of papers to hoof them to Twilight. “If you do have to fight or turn a baddie, I put together a correspondence course with Discord on reformation.”
Quickly flipping through the papers of the reformation course she proudly smiled at her student’s preparedness. “This looks excellent!” She happily said as forgetting whatever worry she had. “I’ll be sure to use them when we need them.” As she used her magic to lift up one of the flaps on her saddlebags, only to have a library of her own papers, books, and other tools to spill out.
Catching the papers with her own magic, Starlight gently hovered them back into the bags nicely. “You sure bringing a library with you is such a good idea?” Shaking her head with a laugh as gesturing towards the many bags that were overstuffed with various books, old maps and blank pieces of paper as Twilight blush from embarrassment.
“We’re visiting a country that Equestria hasn’t been in contact for over thousand years!” As sparkles of stars can be seen in her eyes of excitement In wonder. “I need all references I can gather to be able to take notes, write books, and more!” As she desperately repacked everything, double and triple checking. “There are tales of old myths told of ponies going to a mystical land past the western sea which many had called a ‘Birthplace of Magic’, I believe they could be references to Pantheon!”
“Yes, I understand but did you really need all this?” Starlight inquired further, noting that among other things she had packed, a telescope, an astrolabe, a surveyor's compass, and the collected works of Marco Polomino.
“I just don’t know what will be useful…” Twilight explained exasperatedly. “We all know how legends and myths have been the last few years. Sometimes there is only a grain of truth and it’s hard to tell facts from fiction. Plus, it’s not a bad Idea to being over prepared!” Happily giving a firm a nod believing she had silent her student only to gasped with an eye twitch as she saw Starlight to shake her head with an eye roll of disagreement.
As Twilight and her student went into a heated debate, the two royal sisters were having there own conversation. “I loved this place.” Celestia sighed nostalgically. As she looked at the broken statues and the plants that have taken over her once-home that had been in ruins for millennia. “We had so much fun! There were so many secret passages to explore... and always something to do. Do you remember that time when hid all the vegetables throughout the castle so they would only give us sweets and pastries?”
“Hehe, I do remember! They’ve kept finding Brussel sprouts behind the cushions for months!!!” Luna said laughing as she recalled the silly adventures they had. “Ah, I remember the one time we went out to pick flowers and we both came home with bouquets of poison joke? Your legs grew ten feet long, and I turned into a wolf puppy! I still get the urge to howl at the moon sometimes!”
Celestia burst out laughing. “H-how could I not forget!” As she caught her breath while some of the other ponies in the party had listened in either gasped or laughed of hearing this tale. “It was like walking on stilts till a few months later that we finally got antidote from that Zebra healer!” She sighed with a smile, “Ahh, those were good times…”
“Yea… Not all of the times were good.” Luna spoke as her expression grew more somber as she looked up towards the ruins castle, a testament to her failures as a Princess and a sister. If she hadn’t become jealous of her sister then this place won’t be in ruined... She had erased so many good memories on how she missed the old capital, how equitable it was to all equines, but it was gone in history and time. Sighing, she felt her sister’s wing over her to give her a hug of understanding that it wasn’t all her fault and it’s time to move on.
Their time to reflect didn’t last long as Rarity Interrupted. “Princesses, I don’t think I understand what we are searching for here.” She asked in confusion while being sure her coat didn’t get dirty from the wild garden.
“When we were just foals, Starswirl took us to Pantheon with him, through some kind of portal,” As Celestia explained while began to search through the gardens with the party. “If I recall correctly there should be an archway leading to a bare wall, with runes of a keystone.”
“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash flew off to explore the ruins to search, only to quickly returning as she rubbed the back of her head with an uncomfortable laugh. “Erm, what’s a keystone?”
“A Keystone is a larger stone on top of an arch,” Luna explained patiently. “All the weight rests on it, for it’s bigger and stronger than the rest.”
“Hey, is it something like this?” As Pinkie Pie bounce on top of a random archway. The walls around it had all collapsed, but the archway itself, along with the portion of the wall that was inside it, was still intact. Directly below the pink earth pony hooves, was a keystone with three runic letters with Alicorn symbols engraved into it.
“Yes, exactly like that!” Luna exclaimed in wide-eyed astonishment. “Never ceases to amaze me how you are able to find whatever we need, Miss Pie!” As she praised the happy party pony.
“Oh don’t mention it!” As Pinke leaped down from the archway, bouncing like a rubber band after landing. “If I was an alicorn, I’d be the Princess of Plot Conveniences!!!” As she giggled with shiny eyes of joy.
“I’ve no doubt you’ll be an Alicorn In no time, Miss Pie.” Luna smiled with a wink towards the dreaming mare as everypony gasped in worry, hoping that would never come to past...
“So…” As Applejack spoke to get everypony’s attention while Celestia went into a heart-to-heart discussion with Luna about why she shouldn't randomly turn ponies into alicorns on the fly. “How does this arch thingy work?”
“Maybe we have to tap random stones on the wall in a certain order?” Spike suggested helpfully.
“The runes do most of the work,” As Celestia explained. “But it requires the magic of alicorns to activate them.” She exposited before turning to Twilight. “Would like to do the honors? After All, this is your mission.”
Twilight gulped, as she went to centered herself in front of the archway with two princesses. ‘Everypony is counting on me!’ She thought, ‘Even the Princesses…’ Shivering in worry with excitement, she looked to Celestia who only smiled knowingly. Twilight interpreted that as the Princess telling her she shouldn’t worry, because she wouldn’t ask her student to do the impossible. Taking a deep breath, she felt the magic drawing into her from the atmosphere. She felt the well of magic power inside of her, like a star wanting to release its light into the world. Then, in a single instant, she let it all go, letting a beam of magic energy shoot from her horn and shine on the runes of the keystone like a newborn star.
After they’re power had die down, the runes began to glow with the magic that Twilight had given them. Slowly a burgundy light broke through the cracks and joints of the archway, working its way from the keystone. Once all the archway was filled with magic, the area inside it exploded with a blinding light, that even Celestia needed to avert her gaze from.
As the light died down into nothing then the normal day sunlight, they notice that no longer the wall from within the archway was there! Instead, the archway opened up into a completely new landscape as they felt an ocean breeze blowing from within. They could hear waves crashing on the shore and smell the salty perfume of the sea spray.
The portal left all ponies standing in a pose of excitement, shock, and wonder that magic like this is possible. Well, except Pinkie, who of course bounced right through the open gateway with impossible speed, while screaming “The last pony in is a G2 Fan!”
“Welp, we best get going after her…” Applejack sighed as she trotted forward towards the open portal. “Who knows what she’ll do if we let her wander off.”
The Shores of Pantheon
As the group passed through the archway, they found themselves on an arrow-head like rocky cliff jutting out over the beach, pointing towards the ocean. The archway they had just came through, stood all alone on the rocky face, with only small piles of stones being the only things around. Below, the gray waves of the rough sea mirrored the gray skies above. Across the green fields, jagged mountains, cloaked by curtains of rain, gave the look of loneliness to the whole land.
“Hmm,” Luna mumbled as she surveyed the surrounding area with a growing sense of unfamiliarity, and dread. “I remember there being more archways...”
As soon as Fluttershy passed through the gateway, the last pony to do so, the area within the archway was immediately filled in with stone once again. “Looks like we’ll have to open it back up again when we want to leave...” Twilight observed as she looked up at the fading runes.
“Darlings!” Rarity called out, catching everypony’s attention, “Come over here look what I’ve found.” As she waved her hoof over from where she stood over on the higher ground of the cliff. “I can see a city! But… it looks so… dreary...” As she pointed out. Indeed, it was a city, white marble buildings can be seen, though it looked like it was lifeless and empty, as if it was once being alive and grand, now long dead to history.
However, there was something moving towards them from the ruined city in the distance, a reddish brown blur moving almost as than Rainbow Dash at top speed. As Applejack squinted as she tried to make out who the unknown figure was that is racing towards them. “Is that an Ali-” Only to be interrupted by the mahogany colored alicorn who collided with her, as the stranger stood on top of Applejack with an alarmed expression of fear.
She was a mare, about Princess Cadence height, with a curly rusty red mane and her coat like mahogany wood. She didn’t wear anything that seemed like royalty but only a scarf of golden oak color. “You all have to leave! Now!” She demanded with her chest heaved with labored breath.
“What do you mean, Lady?! We just got here!!” Demanded the exasperated Rainbow Dash.
“You don’t understand, you have to return to your own lands! Please!” She pleaded as she quickly turned to each pony, “You won’t find anything here!” Hoping that she might sway at least one of them.
“I don’t think you understand,” As Twilight stepped forward, with a confident smile on her face. “I’m The Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle, and we’re on a very-”
“I don’t care if you’re a Princess of Conveniently Sized Saddle Bags!!” The desperate alicorn snapped in rage before looking back towards the ruined city in worry. “Go home! It’s not safe here!”
“What makes this place unsafe?” Luna inquired.
“If Lawbringer finds you here then he'll-” The strange alicorn cut herself off. Quickly she wheeled around to look towards the city once more. A form, broader and with more muscle than hers could be seen coming this way at incredible speed. “Too late! Hide! Quickly! Before he sees you!”
They quickly went down below the cliff's edge, as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Luna picking up the others while Celestia and Twilight hovered above the clouds hiding out of site, as they listened and watch the conversation between the strangers.
The approaching figure, a male alicorn, wearing storm gray armor and a helmet in the shape of a snarling wolfs head landed on the ground with a weighty thud that shook the cliffs like an earthquake. His stature was much more intimidating. He was taller than Celestia, strong physique, with muscles rippling beneath his blood-red coat. But his silver eyes, one of the few parts of his face not covered by his helmet shown with a cunning, to be equally feared and respected. “Gatekeeper...” He said curtly to the smaller pony, his voice reverberating coldly within the muzzle of his mask “I thought I’ve heard and saw you talking to a group of ponies...”
“Uhh… Nope, It’s just me and the rockys here!” The Gatekeeper answer quickly as she kicked a pebble over the cliff to make an effect of just hanging out.
“Oh?” The Alicorn raised a brow, “Is that so… then explain what are these doing here?” He questioned, glancing over a trail of papers and a few scrolls that had fallen out of Twilight’s saddlebags during the rush to hide.
“They’re mine!” She blurted out, before trying to look relaxed and casual. “I-I-It gets a little boring being a gatekeeper without any gates to watch over… so… I like...to doodle?” As she blushed with embarrassment playing with her scarf.
“Doodling?” He questioned with an arching brow.
“Yea, you know… Drawing random... “ She quickly glanced around looking for inspiration. “Rocks! Yes Rocks. That’s not illegal… isn’t it?” Her voice cracking with worry..
“No...” The stallion admitted, though in a tone that still betrayed his suspicions. “However, I fail to see how you can doodle without a pen or pencil.”
Her eyes went a bit wide, as she thought of a reply quickly, “...Forgot them at home!” She made up. “I was bored talking to myself, so I use my horn with a bit of magic to doodle a glyph in the air and make the papers act like ponies! Maybe that’s what you heard?” As she rubbed the back of her head with a laughing smile.
“Perhaps…” The Alicorn spoke, seemingly unimpressed with her answer. He nodded towards the gateway that was behind her. “I’ve thought I made myself clear to you that all the gateways needed to be destroyed.”
“Oh yeah...” As she looked like a child who was caught in trouble, while she casually peeked over the edge, to make sure the ponies were hidden well enough, only to be greeted by a site of a smiling waving Pinkie Pie who was holding a sign that said... ‘Shipped!?!’ Taken aback with blush across her face, she quickly stepped away from the edge towards the gateway to be sure the alicorn didn’t notice what she saw but signed as he was only occupied with the stack of papers he gather with his magic with an interesting look in eyes that made her sweat with worry what was written on them.
She had to stop him from reading! “Oh, I forgot because you know how busy things have been!” As she tried using a bit of the Royal Voice to catch his attention with only receiving a glance. “Umm… You know… Not really any harm to leave just one when the other pairs are all been destroyed.” Has she adjusted her scarf and tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal.
“Hmmn…” He mumbled, as he vanish the papers somewhere with his magic. “Well, we can’t just take any chances shall we?” He said, before pulverizing the keystone with a blast of fiery red magic, causing the archway to collapse into a pile of stones, very much like the others littering the clifftop. “There! That should do it.” He said whole proudly laughed at his power.
He turned back, smirking towards the mare, who had a look of horror plastered on her face like the stallion had just thrown her own child over the cliff. “One less gate for you to keep.” He said to her before stepping closer to whisper threateningly. “You know our law... no creature can see our shores and live to tell the tale. You see a stranger, you come to me. Unless you have the guts to eliminate them yourself!”
Gatekeeper tried to keep a straight, and strong face, but she couldn’t stop her knees from wobbling like a scared foal as the stallion kicked off from the ground with a hurricane-force gale faster than the ponies of Equestria ever saw in their life.
The eight ponies waited until the stallion was completely out sight before they came out of their hiding places. “W-who was that?...” Fluttershy whispered in fear, her heart beating so fast that it felt like a hummingbird in her chest. “I didn’t even see him and h-he is terrifying...”
“He is Crusher Hoof, The Lawbringer...” The Gatekeeper said, still shaking in her boots. “He’s the reason I told you to leave... but...without the gateway...you’re stuck here...”
“I don’t understand,” As Celestia quickly asked. “Last time we were here, everypony was so delightful!” As her brow knitting with concern, confusion with a sad smile. “What happened?”
“A lot has changed since you were last here Little Dawnbreaker...or rather...Celestia...” She replied with a sigh and a shake of her head. “Anyways… we need to go somewhere more private.” She turned to where no one was standing and her horn lit with a shining, blade-like, orange beam. Wielding the magic much like a sword, she slashed open what seemed like a tare in space that lead to somewhere else...
The Gatekeepers Home
Inside was a warm, fire-lit room with a long table in the center with several chairs and pillows around about. The place wasn’t exactly clean. There were papers, scrolls and a few plates in the room lazing about. The mahogany alicorn proceeded to walk right through the tear like it she did it every day, leaving the others outside all looking at each other in confusion. That was until the mare poked her head out. “Aren't you coming?” She questioned the group.
Shaking themselves out of their shock, they each walked through the tear, just as The Gatekeeper had done before them. After they had all gotten through, the tear closed out behind them, with no way back to the beaches they’ve just come from. The light from the fireplace revealed them to be in a room with no windows or doors. In fact, it seemed the only opening this room was a small chimney.
“Please, make yourselves at home,” As the Gatekeeper used her magic as she tried to tidy up. “I wasn’t expecting guests, for obvious reasons. I don’t have much food anyway.” She said with a sigh as she slumped into a chair. “You’ll be safe here... no one can get in or out but me.”
“Thank you Gatekeeper, we owe you a great deal about keeping us safe,” As Celestia took a seat next to the sad alicorn as everypony else found a spot in the room to get comfortable and talk to their new companion.
She sighed. “I’ll let you know that my name isn’t, ‘Gatekeeper’, little one, it’s Hearthway.” The mare corrected. “Lawbringer only calls me that because he believes me to be less like an Alicorn.” As the group gasped in sadness from hearing that.
“Umm… Wait what was that you called Celestia?“ Applejack noted with a confused look. “Dawn... Dawn...”
“Dawnbreaker?” Hearthway finished the farm pony’s question before her. “It’s actually more correct to call her The Dawnbreaker. It’s kinda like a title, like how I’m The Gatekeeper or Crusher Hoof is The Lawbringer. Luna here is The Dreamweaver. These titles, these names tell us who we are, our purpose as Alicorns. They’re like cutie marks in a way.”
“Darling, does Twilight have one of these titles as well?” Rarity inquired eagerly, loving the way that having a friend with such a grand title sounded.
“I can’t say for sure, because an alicorn like her has never been known to us before,” Hearthway explained. “If these were... better times... we would held having a naming ceremony. The little ones,” She nodded her head indicating who she was talking about Luna and Celestia. “Had there’s when they came here with their teacher.”
“Why do you keep calling the Princesses, ‘little ones’? Aren’t you younger than them?” Rainbow Dash questioned as she hovered in the air.
Hearthway chuckled as she proceeded to continue. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Considering how you're friends with a few alicorns, I’ve thought you would have noticed that they don’t really age in the same way as regular ponies. I don’t have to look thousands of years old if I don’t want to.”
“I remember you!” Luna said as her eyes lighting up as stars in recognition. “You were the very first pony we’ve met here! You gave me candy because I was scared of going through the gateway.”
“Aww that’s so cute,” Fluttershy said as she pictured a little scared Woona hiding behind the hem of Starswirl’s cloak. “It’s a little reassuring knowing that even the Princesses get scared sometimes.” She giggled.
“I’d probably go anywhere If somepony offered me candy!” Pinkie Pie happily bounced through in a pile of cushions popping out with random plush alicorns in her hair.
“Pinkie Dear, someday that naïveté will get you in serious trouble.” Rarity said, facehoofing. The pink mare didn’t pay much attention but more towards the little toys she held.
Hearthway stifled a giggle before she sighed happily and closed her eyes in reminisce. “It’s still good to know that there is still innocence in this world... The time the little Princesses spent in our city was some of the happiest days I’ve ever had...before the dark times...before the war...”
“What do you mean?” Celestia asked with great concern. “What war?”
Hearthway slowly opened her mouth, but an answer never came. As she was interrupted by a thunderous sound right above their heads. Dust and debris fell down into the room as something powerful tried to get in. “All Mother curse him, I thought no one knew about this place!” Hearthway spat under her breath looking above of shock in fear.
To be continued
