"Good morning Princess! Are you feeling any better?"
. . .
"Princess? Princess Celestia?"
. . .
"G-guards! The Princess isn't responding!"
After that scare, I wasn't sure what to do. Princess Twilight, I'm contacting you because our greatest scientists and unicorns are incapable of providing her with what she needs—much less to figure out what that even is—and have concluded that the Elements of Harmony will be of no use either. However, I have a proposition. The Elements of Harmony perhaps will not directly heal the Princess for any length of time, but they can call upon a savior who can. Their power will guide the spell enclosed in this message.
After this spell is cast, you must give the Elements to Celestia, so that she can remain long enough for the savior to return here. Twilight, you and your friends must stay with the Princess while your assistant, Spike, waits in your castle for the savior's arrival. The savior will have a guide, one that we cannot interpret, so have hope, have faith. It's all we have left right now.
Please, the future of Equestria is at stake, you would take a risk to save your Princess, would you not?
Sincerely,
Doctor Flare
Luminous, yellow eyes open within a dark room, abandoned and left in silence. The savior, with blue hair, a thin, brown sweater, thin pupils and a sun hat bearing cat ears, stood up, getting out of the bed they found themselves in.
"Shion?" they said aloud, seeming a bit scared.
"Yes?"
"Shion! You're here!" they said once more, smiling as they looked up, "where am I?"
"I'm not sure, Niko."
"A-are we back in the World Machine?" Niko asked, starting to look worried.
"No, this is someplace different. I'm not sure what it is, you should go outside and look."
"Alright. . ." Niko looked around the room. It seemed to be overgrown with vines, and very dark as the windows were boarded shut. Unlike last time, however, the walls and floors were built from stone, rather than wood panels. It was terribly familiar to the room Niko awoke in when saving the last world, but at the same time, it was so different.
Niko looked at a large door, something that reminded her of a castle. It seemed to be broken at the door latch, allowing Niko to easily push it open. They continued forward, seeing a large lightbulb sitting in the midst of what appeared to be a large sanctum.
"The sun? Why would it be here?" Niko asked aloud, walking over to pick it up. It immediately lit upon contact, providing Niko with warmth from the castle's bitter chill. Niko continued, eventually finding her way out of the castle and into a dark, dark forest. She looked into the sky, but it was covered with thick forestry, not allowing even a shred of sunlight.
"Shion, can you see a tower anywhere?" Niko asked.
"I don't, there doesn't seem to be a tower this time."
"Then. . .why is the sun here?"
"I am not sure, but I would assume that it has a different purpose here."
Niko thought for a moment.
"Where should I go?"
"See if you can find a map in the castle, that might help."
"Right!" Niko, holding the bulb in their hands, ran back into the castle, searching through the old books and desks in any room they could access. Niko decided to take a look at the books, finding one with a large sun on it.
"This might help!" Niko said, opening the book to read it.
Equestria is ruled by two sisters, Celestia and Luna. One destined to raise the sun, and the other destined to raise the moon. Celestia is the ruler of the day, and is considered to be the greater sister. If Celestia were to ever fall ill, the sun would no longer be able to stay in the sky, and the night would last forever. Fortunately, Celestia is protected by magic beyond comprehension, and her deep care for her subjects will allow her to continue on in any circumstances.
"They look like horses!" Niko said with a chuckle. "Some of them have wings, and some of them are unicorns!"
Niko continued on until finding a dirty paper with some markings on it. The map was labelled 'Everfree'.
The Everfree can be a dangerous place, be sure to keep a copy of this map on hoof when traveling from the castle to Ponyville.
Niko chuckled a bit.
"What are you chuckling over, Niko?"
"It's called 'Ponyville'," Niko said, "it sounds a bit silly."
"It does. Perhaps you might find someone there?"
"Some 'pony'," Niko chuckled again, "that sounds like a good idea Shion!"
Niko gazed at the map, holding the bulb with her other arm as she followed it down a path in the woods outside of the castle. After a few minutes of walking, she met a dead end. Confused, she looked back at the map to realize it had changed.
"Shion, the map changed!" she said, holding it up to the forest roof.
"It seems like it changes as you walk, try to keep an eye on it."
Niko nodded, following it as it did, indeed change. From Niko's memory, they were going down a path that wasn't there before, as if the forest had changed as they were exploring it. There were a few patches a blue flowers in the distance, but Niko had a bad feeling about them. They noticed a lot of strange creatures and bugs that they'd never seen before in their world as they walked, occasionally taking in the sights while being sure not to stray from the path.
"It's a good thing I have this map! I'd be totally lost without it!" Niko said with an optimistic tone as they finally neared the outskirts of the forest. Beyond the exit lied a small, humble town with a large, central structure with a flag at the top. Niko looked up in the sky to see that it was totally clear, and that the sun was out, but was extremely dim. It was an uncanny sight, the sun was dim enough almost to stare at! There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but there were a few stars that were shining, even in the presence of the sun.
"I don't see a tower, but it looks like their sun isn't out!" Niko said with a smile, before it slowly faded, ". . .yet. . ."
Niko continued forward, seeing a busy marketplace filled with ponies, who seemed too busy to notice that Niko was there. The savior looked around for anyone who might be able to talk, when somepony finally noticed them.
"Howdey!" an elderly, green-colored mare with grey hair said, smiling as best she could. She had a thick southern accent, along with what looked like an image of a pie on her hind. Niko smiled back.
"Hi! I'm Niko!" Niko replied, putting away the map and holding the bulb with both hands.
"Granny Smith!" the mare replied with an elderly joy, "say, you haven't been 'round these parts so much; I ain't seen you my whole life!"
"No, I just woke up in a castle back in that forest!" Niko said, "I think it was called Everfree?"
"Dear me! You don't sound to be but about nine years or so, I'm glad the timberwolves didn't tear you up!" she laughed, Niko smiled awkwardly, having no clue such things were in that forest with her, "surprisin' you got out, to say the least, though I believe Applejack 'n' her friends were lookin' for someone like you. I can't say for sure, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind staying 'round the apple family's farm for a bit? We can hook you up with some decent apple-based meals!"
"Should we stay there, Shion?" Niko asked, looking at the sky. Granny Smith was a bit confused.
"She appears to be rather kind, and if this 'Applejack' is looking for you, it might be best to speak with her. Also, it looks like you're talking to yourself."
Niko was a bit embarrassed as they looked at Granny Smith with an apologetic expression.
"Oh, sorry! I should have told you, I have a friend named Shion who guides me!" Niko said. Granny Smith, who wasn't sure about what exactly that meant, only recalled a letter she had received from Applejack recently about the savior having 'a guide beyond understanding'.
"Well then!" Granny Smith replied with a smile, "seems to me like you are the one Applejack's lookin' for! If you wouldn't mind helpin' me carry a few bags back to the farm before we go though, that'd be nice of ya."
"Of course!" Niko smiled, helping her with some bags while she held the bulb easily in place. After some market exchange and a few small conversations between Granny Smith and some shopkeepers that Niko could only listen in on, they began to walk back to the farm Granny Smith had talked about.
"Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!" Granny Smith said as they approached a sign of the same name. Niko looked around at the massive farmland, seeing a large red stallion working in the fields, stopping to wave at them.
"Wow! It looks so nice!" Niko said with a bright smile, "it reminds me of the wheat fields back at home!"
"We gotta small wheat field 'round the back of the barn, just enough to keep the family runnin'," Granny Smith replied, "that stallion wavin' over there's Big Mac, he does a lot of our muscle work 'round here; don't know what I'd do without him. He don't talk much, and he looks pretty scary, but he really is a sweetheart. I'm always proud of 'em."
A small yellow filly with a red mane ran out to give Granny Smith a hug. Granny Smith was a big surprised, but joyfully returned the hug anyway.
"Welcome back Granny Smith!" the filly said with the same thick accent. Granny Smith laughed heartily.
"Whoa now whippersnapper, you'll knock Granny over!" she said, patting the filly's mane just lightly, "why don't you help our friend Niko here with those bags?"
"Sure thing Granny!" the filly said, taking the bags from Niko.
"Now Applebloom, where's your manners?" Granny Smith said in a slightly disciplinary tone, "Introduce yourself!"
"Oh, my bad!" Applebloom said, looking up at Niko, "my name's Applebloom! Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!"
"Nice to meet you Applebloom, I'm Niko!" Niko said with a smile. Applebloom hurried back to the barn to put up the bags as Granny Smith and Niko followed behind slowly.
"Um. . .Mrs. Smith?" Niko said quietly. Granny Smith chuckled a bit.
"Call me Granny Smith, ev'ryone 'round here calls me Granny Smith," she replied.
"Granny Smith," Niko said with a smile, "if I may ask, what's wrong with the sun?"
"Oh dear, word's gone 'round that the Princess is come over with something that the doctors can't fix," Granny Smith said, opening the door. "Applejack wrote to me a few days ago about some spell she and her friends cast with the Elements 'a' Harmony that was supposed to bring a 'savior'."
"It sure sounds a lot like last time. . ." Niko said, seeming a bit upset.
"Last time?" Granny Smith raised a brow, setting down the groceries in a kitchen area.
"This isn't the first time I've saved a world with a dying. . .or dead sun," Niko explained, "but it's so different from last time."
"Well, either way, you're our last hope apparently," Granny Smith said, "no pressure heheh."
"Yeah. . ." Niko replied quietly. There was a bit of stomping as three fillies came down the stairs, one of them being Apple Bloom.
"Hey Niko! These are my friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle!" Applebloom said with a smile. The two fillies looked up at Niko with awe.
"I love your hat!" Sweetie Belle said.
"Thanks!" Niko replied with a smile.
"Are you like, a cat?" Scootaloo asked curiously.
"No, I'm a people!" Niko said. Before the discussion could continue, Big Mac had walked in, a bit muddy from working in the fields.
"Big Mac, what'd I tell you about bringin' those muddy hooves in here?" Granny Smith said, brushing off the dried mud with a broom. "Got yer work done for the day I see?"
"Eeyup." Big Mac said.
"Makin' Granny proud," Granny Smith said with a smile, "this here's Niko by the way, I'm pretty sure she's the one Applejack was talkin' about in the letters!" Big Mac looked at Niko for a moment, then back to Granny Smith.
"Eeyup."
"You figure we should write back?" Granny Smith asked, "I'm sure they'd want to know that the person they'd waited for a while now is finally here."
"Granny Smith, the post office is closed until the Princess gets better," Scootaloo said, "pegasi are focused on keeping the skies clear around all of Equestria."
"Darnit!" Granny Smith said, "first the trains, now the post office, what are they gonna close next, the Town Hall?"
"I'm sure I can find my way to them!" Niko said with a smile, "I'm used to travelling long distances with Shion guiding me!"
"Well whippersnapper, I typically wouldn't want a youngster like yerself goin' out all alone," Granny Smith replied with a bit of doubt, "though I s'pose if you've done it before, you oughta be mighty able to fend for yerself, though it's gettin' about nighttime, if yer tired, feel free to sleep in Applejacks room for the night."
"I am a bit tired," Niko said. Granny Smith smiled.
"Good, Applebloom, show her to the room if you would honey," Granny Smith said before talking to Big Mac again.
Niko laid in the bed quietly, closing her eyes and falling asleep almost immediately with the warm bulb beside her.
Those vast wheat fields, the little village. The clock struck noon, and it was time for lunch.
'Pancakes!'
'Pancakes are for breakfast Niko, you know this.'
'Aw, pleeeease?'
'Fine, fine, just because you were polite, but no pancakes for dinner tonight!'
'Thanks mama!'
Niko woke up about eight hours later, hearing the sound of sawing and chopping outside.
"You can still see my dreams, can't you, Shion?" Niko asked.
"Yes."
"It was mama, she fixed me pancakes again!" Niko said with a smile, "I'm not scared this time, because I know we'll be able to make it through, no matter what!"
Niko got up, taking the bulb with her as she walked down the stairs, then into the kitchen. A sweet aroma of maple syrup and pancakes filled her nose as she saw that a fresh plate laid on the table with her name written messily in maple syrup on top of the pancake. Niko smiled, eating the meal and washing the dish before departing. On their way out, they saw Granny Smith standing at the gate, looking out on the town.
"Good morning, Granny Smith!" Niko said happily. Granny Smith turned back, smiling as she saw Niko.
"Mornin' to you!" she said, "I s'pose it's time for you to be on yer way then?"
"Mhm! Thanks for letting me stay, and for the pancakes!" Niko smiled. Granny Smith chuckled proudly.
"Well, I guess Applebloom was quite fond of ya to fix you that, I didn't even tell her to!" Granny Smith said, "don't waste anymore time with me, go out and save the Princess in Canterlot! Good luck now!"
"Thanks!" Niko said, smiling and starting their journey to Canterlot.
Niko arrived at the train station, knowing it was closed.
"Why are we going here? The train station is closed, Shion." Niko said.
"There's a possibility someone might be able to give you an alternative route, I'm sure there's people who still don't know that the train station is closed, so they most likely put someone or a sign there to redirect them."
"Good thinking, Shion!" Niko replied, walking up to the station. There was, indeed, a stallion sitting behind the ticket window of the empty station.
"Station's closed, you'll need—" the stallion looked up, "oh, haven't seen you 'round here before. Well, station's closed 'til further notice, you'll have to take the path to the mountains, but it's a walk that'll last you a few weeks."
"I need to see the Princess!" Niko said. The stallion squinted his eyes, seeing the odd lightbulb and the glowing eyes that reminded him of the once-bright sun.
"Well, I'll say! You must be that one rumored to help the Princess, in that case, you'll need to look for a small Dragon named 'Spike'; he'll be in Twilight's castle, which is just northwest of here!" the stallion said, reaching into his pocket to grab a map, "here, this will take you there no doubt."
"Thanks Mister!" Niko said with a smile as they began to follow the map.
After a while of walking, Niko saw a large crystalline, tree-like castle standing out from the rest of the town.
"That looks like the castle on the map!" Niko said, running along a bit faster as they arrived at the castle entrance, knocking.
A small slit in the door opened, revealing green dragon-like eyes.
"Who goes there?" the small dragon asked.
"I'm here to see about getting to Celestia!" Niko said happily. The slit closed as the large door unlatched opened slowly.
"You might be just on time," the dragon said, "I'm Spike by the way, did the stallion at the train station send you here?"
"He said I'd need to look for Spike in Twilight's castle, yes." Niko replied. Spike wiped his brow with a 'phew'.
"Alright, there was a spot prepared in the castle that would teleport you to a far edge of Canterlot, as magic is a bit weaker when unicorns are not present," Spike said with a bit of frustration, "turns out I have to draw a big circle thing, but because they were in a hurry, the mane six forgot to give me any chalk to draw it with!"
"I could fetch you some!" Niko said with a smile, "Shion will be sure to guide me!"
"Shi. . .Oh, the incomprehensible guide thing, I remember," Spike said, "that would be fantastic. I'm going to look for the book Twilight gave me on non-unicorn magic, come back here when you've got that chalk."
"Mhm!" Niko said, running out of the castle and towards the marketplace.
There were a lot of ponies selling fruits, veggies, and other food items in the marketplace center, but no one sold chalk explicitly. Niko thought for a moment.
"Hey Shion, none of these places sell chalk, what am I supposed to do?" Niko asked.
"Perhaps there's a school nearby, they might have chalk."
"You're right! The school in my village has a big chalkboard!" Niko replied, "I can't see one, I should ask one of the shopkeepers about it!"
Niko spotted a large pastry shop called 'Sugar Cube Corner', it looked entirely edible. They walked in, seeing a cyan-colored mare with a manestyle that looked like pink icing.
"Hi!" Niko said. The mare looked towards her, smiling.
"Oh, hello! We were just about to close for the evening!" she said.
"Has that much time really passed?" Niko asked.
"There really is no telling with how the sun has been lately," the mare said, "my name is Mrs. Cup Cake by the way, you can just call me Mrs. Cake."
"I'm Niko!" Niko said with a smile, "I needed to know where the school was?"
"The school should be closed about now, but if you need to know, it's just a little ways down the path next to the flower shop on the opposite side of the marketplace," Mrs. Cake said, "I don't believe I've seen you before, are you new here?"
"I woke up in the Everfree Forest!" Niko said cheerfully, "Shion guided me and I'm on my way to visit the Princess!"
"I told you the savior would be here soon!" A male voice said, a yellow, lanky stallion descending the stairs in the back. Mrs. Cake rolled her eyes.
"I don't need an I-told-you-so, Carrot Cake," Mrs. Cake said with an ill tone. Mr. Cake ignored her frustration, walking up to Niko.
"Ah, it's so good to see you savior! My name is Mr. Carrot Cake, and you are?" he asked.
"I'm Niko!"
"Niko! Nice to meet you. Yes, the school is just by the flower shop, I assume you came from the other path beside the flower shop from Twilight's Castle?" Mr. Cake said. Niko nodded. "Ah, well, good luck on your journey! Business has been a bit low with Pinkie Pie in Canterlot for the last few days, and more importantly, we really miss her cheerfulness around lighting the place up."
"Shion and I will make sure everything is okay!" Niko said with a smile.
"Stay safe, Niko." Mrs. Cake said with a sad smile, after Mr. Cake's mention of Pinkie's absence. Niko walked out, heading towards the school.
Before she could make it halfway down the path, she spotted Sweetie Belle sitting outside of what looked like a Boutique. Niko walked up to her with a smile.
"Hi Sweetie Belle!" Niko said warmly. Sweetie Belle looked up, returning the happy expression.
"Hey Niko! What brings you here?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I was going to get some chalk from the school," Niko answered, "what about you?"
"My sister Rarity owns this shop, Carousel Boutique!" Sweetie Belle replied, "since she's with the rest of the mane six in Canterlot, she's got me lookin' after it. Even though it's closed, I still gotta keep it clean for reopening!"
"It's a nice place!" Niko said, taking a look at the elaborate structure.
"Rarity told me not to let anyone in, but if you wanna come in and take a look around, that'd be nice!" Sweetie Belle offered. Niko looked up.
"What do you think, Shion?" Niko asked.
"You should go in and keep her some company for a bit."
"Alright!" Niko said, looking back at Sweetie Belle, "I'll take a look around!"
"Cool!" Sweetie Belle said, jumping up with excitement. She quickly walked in allowing Niko to follow inside.
"Wow, these dresses are amazing!" Niko said, gazing in awe at the clothing, "I know I couldn't fit in any of them!"
"Yep!" Sweetie Belle said proudly, "they're designed by my sister, she's the best at fashion design! I even help her sometimes!"
"She must be pretty important, too, if she's up in Canterlot with the Princess!" Niko said.
"Yeah, it's the longest she's ever been away," Sweetie Belle said, sounding a bit less cheerful, "I miss her a little, but I know she'll find a way to fix it with her friends like they always do! I'm sure she misses being home a lot to save the world too."
"Yeah. . .I can relate," Niko said quietly.
"You must be far away from home," Sweetie Belle said, "where are you from?"
"I'm from another world, I live in a nice village and there's a wheat field that goes on for miles!" Niko said, feeling some joy from her memories.
"Wow! The only wheat field I've ever seen was the one at Sweet Apple Acres," Sweetie Belle replied.
"I heard it was small," Niko said.
"It's small to them, but really it's pretty big!" Sweetie Belle said, "Granny Smith always fixes the best food for me and Scootaloo when we're hangin' out with Applebloom. I would have spent the day with them again today, but I had to take care of the Boutique for my sis!"
"You sound like a pretty cool sister!" Niko said. Sweetie Belle smiled.
"I try my best for Rarity, she's always there for me!" she said, "Though, you should probably get back to saving the Princess, the sooner you can help my sis, the sooner she can come home!"
"Oh, yes I do need to do that!" Niko said, turning towards the door, "Thanks for letting me stop by!"
"Any time!" Sweetie Belle replied as Niko walked out.
After a little bit of walking, Niko reached the school entrance. A mare was standing at the door, about to lock it up.
"Wait!" Niko said suddenly, causing the mare to drop her keys. "Oh, my bad!"
"It's fine," the mare said, turning around, "o-oh, who are you?"
"I'm Niko! Do you have any chalk? I need some to save the Princess!" Niko said cheerily.
"Oh, yes, I have chalk," the mare said, "I'm Cheerilee, by the way."
"Nice to meet you!" Niko said. Cheerilee opened the door, allowing Niko to walk in and grab some chalk.
"You must be the one Scootaloo was talking about in class today," Cheerilee said, "the one who was supposed to save the Princess?"
"Mhm!" Niko replied, storing the chalk in their pocket as they held the lightbulb.
"Well, I must say before you go," Cheerilee continued, "Scootaloo talked about you like she does Rainbow Dash, one of the mane six. She really looks up to you for going out of your way to help us all. I think we all would, if we could even comprehend the lengths you must have went to get here."
"Thanks," Niko said quietly with a smile, "it's tough, but I have Shion to guide me, and I know we can get through it!"
"That's good," Cheerilee smiled, walking towards the door, "I bid you luck on your journey, please stay safe, Niko."
"I will, thanks!" Niko said, walking out.
Upon arriving at the castle, Niko found that the door was propped open, and there were a piles of books everywhere.
"Hello? Spike?" Niko said, walking in slowly. She looked at one of the piles of books to see Spike climb out, looking miserable.
"Found. . .it. . ." he said, collapsing onto the floor as a few books fell on his head.
"Oh no! Are you okay?" Niko said, running up to him.
"Ugh. . .yeah. . ." Spike said, getting up slowly, "you remind me of Fluttershy, you're really nice."
"She's one of the mane six, isn't she?" Niko said. Spike nodded.
"Did you get the chalk?" he asked, brushing himself off.
"Mhm!" Niko gave him a stick of chalk. Spike took it, running to a small room with a glass roof, Niko followed behind. Within mere minutes, Spike had drawn the symbol on the ground of the floor, which was specifically made as a conduit to non-unicorn magic.
"This kind of magic is typically illegal, but the Princesses have authorized it for. . .obvious reasons," Spike said, as he got up.
"I see," Niko said, stepping in the center of the circle.
"Alright, give it just a second and you should be in Canterlot," Spike said, looking at a book and picking up a wand. He started to wave it around, a small aura forming around it. Before long, the glow started to reveal strange symbols being drawn in the air, then before Niko knew it, they had teleported to another place in the far side of Canterlot.
"Wow!" Niko said, looking around at the new environment, a very rich-looking city. They hopped down from the uplifted circular area, and looked around for a sign of someone. They realized, shortly, that it was actually nighttime, and that everyone was asleep.
"Shion, where should I go? I don't want to wake anybody up. . ." Niko said, looking around.
"Try to find a tall castle, that could be where the Princess is."
"Of course! The Princess lives in the castle!" Niko said, looking around and spotting the tallest structure they could find. "That way should be it!"
Niko started to run in that direction, before realizing how tired they were.
"Shion, I'm tired, is there a bed nearby anywhere?" Niko asked, looking around.
"Try looking for a hotel."
Niko easily found a hotel just past a small wall to the inner city, walking into the doors to see a half-awake hotel manager.
"Keys on the left, lower rooms are free in honor of the Princess," the hotel manager said drowsily, seeming to have rehearsed the line several times.
"Thanks!" Niko said, grabbing a key to the last room and walking into it. It seemed a bit messy, but it wasn't like they were staying in it for too long. Niko closed the door behind them, lying down on the bed and closing their eyes once more.
A warm, spring breeze. The school bell chiming out, all of the other kids running out of school to meet their parents.
'Mama, are you gonna be okay?'
'Yes Niko, I'll. . .I'll be fine.'
'Mama, you've been sick for a few days now, are you sure you'll be fine?'
. . .
'Mama?'
Niko suddenly woke up with a gasp.
"Mama!"
It was daytime, and Niko heard nothing but silence follow. Their eyes started to water as they looked up.
"Shion, is mama gonna be okay?"
". . ."
"Shion?"
"She will be fine, but Celestia is sick."
Niko thought.
"Celestia must be a mama to someone too, maybe to everyone here. . ." Niko said, wiping their eyes, "do they feel the same way, Shion? Do they feel just as sad?"
"I think so, they're just trying to keep going."
"They shouldn't have to feel that. . ." Niko said, "we have to hurry!"
Niko got up, running out of the room and dropping the key where they found it. Quickly, Niko ran past everyone in a mad rush to the castle as the sun was much dimmer than before. She walked up to the castle, where two guards stopped.
"I need to see the Princess! It's urgent!" Niko said anxiously.
"Go back where you came from, cat," the guard said.
"I'm not a cat, I'm a person!" Niko said with frustration. Before the guard could reply, a blue aura of magic separated the spears they held.
"You can come in, Niko," a warm voice said. Niko looked up to see a blue alicorn with a flowing mane.
"Wow! You have wings and a horn!" Niko said, "How did you know my name?"
"I'm Princess Luna, Princess of the night," Luna said with a smile, "I watch over ponies in their dreams, so I've seen yours as well."
"Ooh! Like Shion can?" Niko asked.
"Sort of," Luna replied, "Come with me."
"Wait, you're Luna, Celestia's sister?" Niko asked, "This must be especially hard for you. . ."
"It is hard for all the ponies, and for me as well," Luna said, "but now that you are here, we should have nothing left to fear."
They walked into the room where Celestia was. A great, white alicorn lying in a bed like a sick dog, surrounded by the mane six. It was awful, and Niko's heart broke immediately for the Princess. As she stepped closer, the mane six turned around to see her.
"She's here!" Applejack said, the others followed with some hoorays and sounds of joy, all except for the purple one. Applejack walked up to Niko with a smile.
"It's nice to see ya!" she said with the familiar country accent, "I hope my family treated you well!"
"Oh, they did!" Niko replied, smiling at Applejack. Rarity walked up to them next.
"You must have seen Sweetie Belle, is she taking good care of herself and the Boutique?" Rarity asked.
"Yep! She's very proud of you, too! She misses you a lot, but she's staying strong!" Niko said, Rarity smiled, closing her eyes. Fluttershy came up to her next.
"It's really nice of you to come this far for us, we hate to have brought you here without any warning, but we had no other way to save the Princess. . ." she said softly.
"It's fine! Saving worlds just might be my thing!" Niko said with the warm smile still bright across their face. After her came Rainbow Dash.
"You're pretty awesome! I'm glad you made it up here, must have been pretty difficult to get out of the Everfree!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Shion was guiding me! We're a really good team!" Niko replied. Pinkie Pie hopped over to her with a super bright smile.
"I was so excited to meet you! We made a spell, and Twilight said there'd be a new person and I love meeting new people! I'm Pinkie Pie by the way, did you meet Mr. and Mrs. Cake? Are they doing well? How's Ponyville?" Pinkie spat out at light speed. Niko chuckled.
"I did meet them, they talked about you, they said they couldn't wait to have you back! Ponyville is doing great, too!" Niko replied. Niko walked up to Twilight, looking at the Princess who's eyes were barely opened to look at Niko and smile.
"I'm glad you made it here, savior," Twilight said quietly, "we thought the spell might have not worked."
"I'm here now, Princesses," Niko said happily.
"We need to heal her quick, otherwise there won't be anything left. . ." Twilight said with an upset tone. Niko nodded, looking up.
"Shion, what should we do?"
"The Lightbulb isn't the sun this time, but it's still a sun. Give the bulb to Celestia."
Niko nodded, laying the bulb beside Celestia. Twilight looked at it.
"Girls, I know what we need to do. . ." Twilight said, the others turning with attention, "we need to use the Elements to carry the energy from that bulb to Celestia directly."
The others nodded, getting into position around the bed. Niko stepped back as Twilight lit her horn, an aura forming around the others as the Elements that were with Celestia hovered towards the mane six. Niko covered their eyes as the room lit up brightly, and within moments, the brightness of the sun outside shined down on them once more. Celestia stood hovering in her bed, the bulb glowing brightly. Niko uncovered her eyes to see Celestia slowly descending onto the floor in front of the bed.
"Niko," Celestia said, looking towards the savior, "Thank you for doing this for me, for my people. We're forever in your debt."
"I wouldn't want my mama to be sick," Niko said, "I know they didn't either." Celestia smiled, looking at Luna.
"In that case, it's time for us to let you return home, Niko," Luna said. Niko nodded with a smile, looking at the mane six.
"I really appreciated the help of your friends and family, and I'm glad I was able to meet you all!" they said, the mane six nodded, all saying their own versions of a 'thank you' or 'no problem'. Celestia and Luna lit their horns, creating a portal, the other side of which showed a vast wheat field, and a small village.
'Niko!' A voice called out.
"Mama!" Niko said happily, running towards the portal, and stopping before looking back, "I won't forget any of you!"
Niko looked up at the sky.
"Goodbye again, Shion. I suppose I might see you again sometime, but for now, goodbye, and thank you!"
"Goodbye, Niko."
The others smiled, waving as she crossed over, back home again.
Equestria was saved, and Celestia was restored to prosper long after.
The End.
Author's Note
I honestly don't know what to say. I wrote this entire story without closing the tab or taking a break (other than to obviously use the restroom every now and then). I wrote the story in one shot, with one chapter. I know it's dialogue heavy, but it's different for me.
I played the game, and the way you found out a lot of things was by reading notes, but what mattered most was talking to the characters. It was through their communication, their attitudes, their personalities, that you got to know the world, and empathize with it.
I had this idea for a story, and I just couldn't help but to write it. It really brought me back to OneShot, and that's what really counts for me. I'm no professional author by any means, but this was fun to write, and I hope it was fun to read as well.
