IN COLLABORATION WITH SuperElectrogirl98
BASED ON: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJeBqLFtxIQ
A PARALLEL EQUESTRIA STORY
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+--DIARY OF MOONLIGHT TWINKLE--+
Dear My Beloved Journal,
Oh paper... quill. You seem like my only friends at this point. Everypony else is too afraid to even come outside anymore. I don't blame them. After what I've caused, I only go outside when no ponies are around to spare their eyes. I never wrote much, but I think this time I cannot avoid it. I can feel the shame that has been piled on me now, and it hurts to know that so many others are in an even worse situation than I am.
Maybe somepony is reading this, wondering what this journal's all about. Maybe the whole situation is over!... I doubt it, but for whatever pony has found this journal, let me explain myself. My name is Moonlight Twinkle, Unicorn of Equestria. I was born in Canterlot (weird, right?) where I studied at the only magic school there, The Starrybead School for Talented Fillies! It was hardly about the talent though, since it was rather prestigious. It was more about being privileged than anything else. It didn't matter to me though, because there were so many ponies there I made friends with! The area of Canterlot that I was in is far beyond the pointed nose, upperclass earth ponies that you might expect, and so I made some good connections rather quickly. It's scary to think that they might have turned on me too...
After a while of being in school, I got a mysterious visit from someone very important. I mean very important. People in the future might not know about how important he is, but I learned about him in school! It was Concord, the being of Harmony who had helped found Equestria! He was very excited to meet me and said that I had great potential with my magic. So much so that he was willing to make me his own personal student! It was hard for me to think straight as I was completely overwhelmed, and my parents didn't seem to weigh in on it either. Concord seemed to have convinced them that it was my decision, and I could be quite impulsive back then! So I accepted, not really knowing what I had gotten myself into.
From then on, every week he would come by and give me personal lessons on how to improve my use of magic. In no time at all I was levitating things all over the place...! And breaking more than a few things as well. I was often impatient in my studies as I always wanted to go out and be with my friends, and whenever I would tell them about Concord they wouldn't believe me! Sometimes I snuck out during a lesson to try to bring my friends in for a surprise visit with Concord, but he would always disappear before they arrived. Then he would come back and say, "Ah-ah-ah Moonlight! You know our deal. Nopony must know that I'm really here. Now stop telling these stories before you start to get funny looks!"
I still don't quite understand why he wanted to stay hidden. He was the savior of Equestria, the one who united the Pony Kingdoms to repel the icy windigos from the newly discovered land! And then later on he.... Well, I'll save that for later.
Friends came and went by my wish to be recognized for who I knew, but soon enough I made a friend whom I thought I would keep forever! Concord came in one day with a large purple egg, spotted with green. He didn't say anything to me, no matter how much I begged him to explain, but merely floated there with a grin on his face. It certainly wasn't the first or last time he did such a thing to me, but I was utterly confused about what I was supposed to do! I tried all kinds of magic on it, but it didn't seem to budge at all, even when I dropped it hard on the ground.
I became frustrated with it all and sat right on the floor, refusing to do anything until Concord explained it to me. Eventually my impatience flared back up again and I channeled my magical fury right at my teacher! Luckily, he was anticipating it, and reflected the spark into the egg. Suddenly it began to crack along the edges, and I quickly hid in fear it might retaliate! Thankfully I had nothing to worry about, because there in the purple and green spotted egg was a correspondingly colored baby dragon. I had never seen one before, and he had never seen much of anything before me either! He was so adorable, his eyes fixed on me in wonderment! Concord told me that this was to be my new friend whom I was to care for, almost like a pet. He had cleared the whole thing with my parents, and I was ecstatic to have a new friend. After a while, I decided to name him Thistle, due to his hair sticking up like pin pricks on a thistle bush, at least when he was younger.
I never did allow Thistle out of the house that much. I was afraid of what he would be looked upon outside, since there were no other dragons for him to make friends with. Other ponies had owls, bunnies, hummingbirds... I had an assistant who was a true friend, full of energy I found hard to match! All the while Concord would return to teach me about magic, and a bit about dragons themselves. But that stuff is real long and boring compared to actually knowing one!
My duties were now split between school, Thistle, and Concord's teachings, but I worked very hard to become the most magically affluent unicorn I could. Soon enough I became of age and was ready to strike out on my own, into the wide world that lay before us. I had a tearful goodbye with my parents and planned to move into the city with Thistle where all the high class Earth ponies lived, and see if I could make some new connections there. Before I could finalize it all though, Concord reappeared one last time and told me that while my training was finished, there was one last thing he needed me to do: Move to Ponyville.
I was utterly shocked! Why on Equestria was he asking such a thing of me? Was I supposed to leave all of my friends behind to start a new life in an unknown land? However, it occurred to me that I was already on that path and I quickly got over my anxiety thanks in no small part to Thistle. While he himself had little perspective on the situation, I realized it might be better to take him to a place where we could have a true fresh start. Maybe it was a place where I wouldn't have to be afraid to show him the town itself. At one point I had a talk with him, and he marveled at the idea of the wide open pastures and sight of the mountains away from Canterlot. Thus I decided that it was time to make the move.
Planning the trip in itself was a hassle, but Concord assured me that we would have a place to stay once I arrived. There were many things that I wished to bring along with me that I knew I couldn't, and I had to finally say goodbye to the few friends that had managed to overlook my twisted flaws. There were many tears shed, I'm not ashamed to admit, and I still wonder if I should have told them where I was headed to begin with... Thistle and I loaded into a chariot early in the morning and set out as the sun climbed, ready to face the new day.
I found Ponyville rather modest from what I knew as an earth pony town. It was quite quaint with only a few tall buildings around, and even most of those were made of wood! Certainly not something you saw in Canterlot. There were so many happy ponies of all types running about with such beaming faces. Business was always bustling, energy was always flowing, and everypony gave mind to what every other pony was doing. Thistle was also quite excited, and I was no longer afraid to let him run out in the open. I knew I had made the right decision coming here! To see it now is... I don't like thinking about it.
I found where Concord had arranged me to stay. It was a grand tree house on the outskirts of the town built out of a towering pine. Its wide trunk made for a rather spacious living area, and there was a spiral on the outside which created a spire staircase to reach towards the top rooms. It was about as close to a Canterlot building you could find in Ponyville. Entering the building, I was treated to a grand surprise. Literally! There was a huge party set-up to commemorate my coming to Ponyville, as apparently everypony gets upon their arrival (or birth).
The head of this party was an ever so wonderful pink earth pony with a slice-of-cake cutie mark named Party Cake, surprisingly! She was very cordial in introducing me to so many ponies there, and the ones that continued to pour in as the party went on! I learned that she herself was an apprentice at Sugarcube Corner under the guidance of Mr. and Mrs. Pie and arranged a lot of the party catering for Ponyville. The celebration carried on into the wee hours of the night, at which point the ever so observant Party realized that Thistle and I were tuckered out and ushered everypony from the house, cleaning up along the way.
The next morning I made sure to unpack my things, not wanting to leave my own mess for whatever visitors may come by next. As fate would have it, I heard a knock at my door. Answering it, I discovered a kindly yellow pegasis introducing herself. This was the ever so understanding Curebug, who was with the Ponyville Welcoming Committee, making sure that my stay so far had been swell. I told her that it had been, and she also wished to see Thistle. My oh my, she was the gentlest pony I had ever seen! I should have guessed, given that her cutie mark was a tulip. She talked to him for a very long while about how he was feeling, which gave me a good long time to finish my moving in. When she finally did leave, she told me to come by her house on the edge of the Everfree forest if Thistle or I ever had any problems. It wasn't often, but we certainly had our share of fun there!
Clearly it was time to get out and explore the town, and we stumbled right into the bazaar where many ponies conducted their business. In my absentmindedness I did happen to stumble into more than a few ponies, but they always asked me if I was okay first! Certainly a lot less hoity-toity than in Canterlot where you'd merely get expectant glares for your own wrongdoings. Thistle seemed to be far more careful than I, though he was at least twice as eager to meet everypony he could!
This stumbling about eventually lead me to an art stall where this beautiful white Unicorn was slaving away at some lovely painted portraits. I interrupted her a moment to ask her about her set-up, and she jumped quickly to introducing herself. This was the ever so generous Scarcity, and she had apparently been at my party last night, though I couldn't quite remember her. Thistle did, however, and all the while he stood by the edge of the stall staring at her with the biggest love-struck eyes... It would not turn out to be a healthy obsession. As a welcoming gift, she sat me firmly down and insisted that she sketch my visage, completely free of charge! While merely a pencil sketch, it was a lovely demonstration of her art which was symbolized by the painter's pallet cutie mark she proudly wore. I kept it quite lovingly displayed on my main wall, until she came back to reclaim it.
It took a while to drag Thistle away from that stall, and he was a regular lovestruck fool as he babbled about how he had never spied anything so lovely as that sheer rarity of a pony... I reminded him he hadn't seen much of anything compared to how big the world was, but that was true of me too (and still is). I figured the park would be a good place to catch up on what the Ponyville buzz was, though aside from the bees that went after Thistle I'm not sure I caught much buzz that day. The little dragon himself ran off to who knows where, and I decided to let him go have his fun for a while.
What I did catch was a rustling sound through the bushes, and looking to the other side I could see only a muted blue blur which zoomed around an open track which dazzling precision. When it finally stopped I could see the pegasus coming into focus, her hair streaked with black and grey. I remembered this pony from last night! Party Cake was very insistent on her meeting me, since she had apparently been dragged there in the first place. I think I surprised her a bit when I emerged from the brush to compliment her on the lap, as she nearly took off into the sky. Once she realized that I was not trying to scare her though, she calmed down to the ground and reintroduced herself as the ever so humble Greybow Ash. Of course she was very abashed by my compliment, but I pointed out that she certainly didn't have Greybow lightning bolt as a cutie mark for nothing!
We sat and talked a little while about Ponyville, as she was originally from Cloudsdale where the pegasus ponies often train and grow up. Apparently they are very stern-minded in Cloudsdale, especially about making sure that everyone fits to their place. Not wanting to be forced on what to do, she moved to Ponyville thanks to an opportunity with the local Weather Movers, and suggested that since I was a unicorn that I might be able to get a job down by the Fancy Farm on the south end of town. While I wasn't exactly looking for work, I decided to head that way anyways to see if I could meet the proprietor there, who some called the richest pony in Ponyville!
The Fancy Farm was quite a sight. There were a few large main buildings which served as the storage and business locations, but as far as the eye could see there was miles of farmland beyond! Fields of wheat, oats, and sweet apple acres. As I would learn, there were hundreds of folk who tended to this farmland providing food to Ponyville and many of the surrounding areas. There was a lot of work to be done, and maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to try it out just for a little while. I went to the towering metal office to try my luck.
Entering the building, I got a strong and somewhat unwelcome feeling, like I was back in Canterlot again. A stringent looking stallion behind the desk stared at me expectantly as I nervously came up to ask him about applications. In a rather brash manner, he informed me that I needed a scheduled appointment for an application, and the next one I could book was months away! Dejected, I tried to slip out unnoticed, but a elegantly accented voice rang out from another room, "Filthy Dirt! What's this wit' you scaring away guests?"
Though her demeanor was certainly polished and adult, the orange Earth pony I saw was just about my own age. The way she carried herself was matched by her bracelets and vest which made her look fancy indeed! She rushed over to me to apologize before I got to the door, then dragged me right upstairs for an apologetic array of prepared sweets. Apparently she knew who I was and had intended to go to my welcoming party, but was wrapped up in her work too much to come on out; her dedication was a road block in a lot of our later journeys.
She introduced herself as the ever so fancy... Fancyjane! She was very keen to explain her business' history whilst I indulged in some of the yummiest specialty treats I had ever tasted. The delectables were 100% homemade, as was their code when it came to sweets for guests. Her family had run the farm ever since Ponyville was first founded, expanding from a local business to a wide stretching enterprise renowned in a large portion of Equestria. Her own expeditions into the Miney Mountains earned Fancyjane her own cutie mark, a heart shaped ruby discovered from the caverns within.
While she certainly made me feel welcome with her seemingly ceaseless indulgence, she told me very plainly that she didn't think I was much cut out for working on the farm. I told her I didn't think I was either, which caused some confusion as to why I came in the first place. Soon enough though we were both laughing heartily at my extraordinary first real day in Ponyville. I left a bit later on (after having eaten too much pie...), feeling far more confident about who I knew in town. At that point I had nearly forgotten about Concord, Canterlot, and all that my old life was.
Of course I met many many other ponies during my stay in Ponyville, but these five became my best of friends along with Thistle. It took a long while for me to introduce them to one another (except Curebug and Greybow Ash since they had grown up together), but soon enough we were having grand adventures and becoming even greater friends... The best years of my life.
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Why have I told this story to whomever might be reading this though? I suppose it's to explain....... Explain what great ponies they were before this happened. To explain why I was unable to see what was going to happen. To know that someone might not blame Concord for something that wasn't his doing... Entirely.
This began only about a week ago, though it feels like a whole other life has passed. I had been in Ponyville for nearly two years and was used to the day to day goings-on, becoming one of them, so to speak. However, returning to my tree house one day, I saw someone I had not seen in all that time. I remember it too vividly.
"Concord!" I gasped. "It's been so long!"
"Yes, I know it has, Moonlight Twinkle." he said, touching down against the ground. "I trust things are going all right in Ponyville?"
"Oh, you have no idea! Where have you been all this time? Couldn't spare a moment to come by? Well, we'll make up for it now! I can't wait to tell you all about it!"
"That will have to wait, Moonlight. I come bearing some grave news."
My energetic grin quickly flipped itself, and I found myself falling right to the ground in confusion. Concord had never looked so serious before, not even when he was telling me about raising Thistle. Speaking of, the poor guy had been woken from his nap by me screaming, and now stood shocked by the bedroom doorway.
"But... You've never been like this before! How can you come back after all this time just to give me bad news?!" There was an anger stirring inside me out of my confusion, but he hushed it down.
"I'm sorry about this, my faithful student, but it cannot be delayed any longer. Come, have a seat. There is much to say and little time to say it."
In a most unusual move, he sat himself at my table before offering the next seat to me. I followed along and uncomfortably put myself in the chair, Thistle racing up next to me with his own fear showing plainly on his face.
"Let us begin." he said, his eyes narrowing in focus. "I must tell you about the Elements of Harmony. You see the Elements of-"
"The Elements of Harmony?" I interjected. "Isn't that what you used to ward off the Windigos from Equestria?" It was about the only thing I retained from Early Equestrian History class.
"Just so, my faithful student. However, you must understand what they are, rather than assuming they are merely a tool for destruction. The Elements were created out of a need in Equestria the find some semblance of unity. Long before the conquering ponies stormed into this land, I existed with the woodland creatures who often feared not only the looming threat of the Windigos, but of each other. An unexplored land brought great potential for unrest, so all the critters came together and made a pact to always exist in Harmony.
"The magical form of this pact became the Elements of Harmony, and I was chosen as their sworn protector. It granted me the power of all creatures who followed the Codes of Harmony: To always laugh and makes others laugh, be kind to all of your neighbors, be generous when you can afford to be, stay loyal to all that you promise, and never disfigure the truth. It was something that most beings didn't even need to think about to follow, and it ensured that so long as their bonds stayed strong that nothing could ever defeat them!"
He shifted himself a little, clearing his throat before shifting towards more deadpan tone. "However... The pony tribes invading Equestria nearly doomed it all. So rampant was their discontent with each other that it began to throw the whole Code out of balance, giving strength to the Windigos. They were ready to stomp each other down when I was forced to intervene." He seemed to sigh at this, looking like a bitter taste had been drooped into his mouth. "I was not proud that I did it, Moonlight. In the days that I forced them together, I saw true misery at work. Not merely from the rapidly accelerated winter, but floating about the camps I was reviled for what I was making them do. Only by luck did the ponies realize that they weren't so different from one another, and I used the Elements to repel the Windigo force before they had to go into battle themselves."
"You shouldn't fell ashamed of what you've done." I said apologetically. "Without you, none of us would even be here!"
"Ah, but Moonlight, I have told you before that I see things from a different point of view. It is life itself that matters to me, not who lives. That may seem incomprehensible... But I think you, of all ponies, might be able to understand it one day. There is only one other time I used the Elements. A far more tragic conflict that you likely didn't learn much about in your classes. One thousand years ago two Alicorn sisters, Solar and Satellite, came to prominence in Western Equestria. It was quite an interesting development, as they looked to seize Equestria as we know it!"
Thistle gasped and I gave him a look to be quiet so that the story might go on, but Concord finally broke his stern gaze and laughed as well.
"Oh... Don't mind him. I can assure you that it shocked just about every pony, dragon, griffon, and more when they caught wind of the army forming. However, they weren't content on ruling Equestria by mere strength... They wanted to use magic to control the planet itself."
This time we both gasped, realizing the implications of what such powerful beings could have done to our world. We may have forgotten for a moment that it was all in the past, or perhaps we were anticipating the revival of this tale. He was clearly bringing it up for a reason.
"Both very excitable today," Concord smirked a bit, looking out of the window. "That much is to be expected though. This is a tale long forgotten to history."
"But why?" I asked before he could go on. "Why would something like this be lost if it was so important?"
"That's a question for others to answer, Moonlight. Some may see me as the ruler of Equestria, but the day to day activities are not my concern. So long as Harmony is balanced, I can be content with my day. Back then though, it was impossible to ignore Solar's and Satellite's dedication to this passion. Together they unlocked magic which could control the Sun and Moon, respectively. It was so destructive that all of Equestria was under threat, and that was when I rallied the Equestrians for an assault. Using the Elements of Harmony, I was able to seal both Alicorns in their opposed celestial objects, Solar in the Moon and Satellite in the Sun."
Thistle had a bit of a snicker at this, but I was too engrossed in the story to bother hushing him again.
"I realized that their lust for power could very well happen to me with the Elements of Harmony and their seemingly boundless energy, so I sealed the Elements away into a hidden temple, only to be used again when the time had come..." He breathed out slowly, for clearly the story had exhausted him! "And now-"
"That time has come," I finished for him grimly. "And you want me to get them for you."
"Always a quick spark, Moonlight Twinkle. But no... I'm afraid the task won't be that simple. You see, when I disconnected myself from the Elements I became unable to use them again. That responsibility now falls upon the ponies who should be able to choose how to use these powers. I only had the power to choose you to be the binding force of these powers as the undocumented Element of Magic. You, Moonlight Twinkle, shall bestow the holders their ability to defeat the returning Alicorn sisters, should they choose it."
"We will!" I said affirmatively, stomping my hoof down on the table. Clearly I was not looking for Equestria to be destroyed so long as I could help it. Not that I can anymore... "Just tell me what I need to do!"
"You must bring your friends through the Everfree Forest to the obelisk which lies at the other end of Sweetwswarm River. Activate it with your magic and enter the Temple of Harmony. Within you shall find the Elements. Return to Ponyville and I will be there to explain the situation to everypony. Time is short, so you must set off as soon as possible."
"Did you say... My friends?" That was quite a conundrum to figure out. So many ponies were my friends! Was I supposed to bring them all?
"Yes, your friends. The ones you hang out with most! They are the ones which represent the Elements of Harmony. Didn't you figure that out when I explained them?"
My eyes widened up as I remembered the Code of Harmony he had described to me before. "Yes! I think I know who you're talking about!"
"Good. That's one less thing I have to worry about then!" He broke out in uproarious laughter, and I couldn't help but smile back at him, despite my disappointment. "I am truly sorry for putting so much on you, my faithful student, but it was a decision I made far too long ago to erase and I didn't want you to be so panicked over it until now. I promise that once this is all over, we will have all the time in the world to talk about what life has been like here in Ponyville."
Liar. "Great!" I responded quickly, zipping off the chair and throwing Thistle on my back. "You can count on us, Concord! We'll not rest until Solar and Satellite are put back in their place!"
"Hold on now!" he said, pointing to Thistle. "I think that he should come with me back to Canterlot. I think things are about to get a little... Rough for him."
"Huh?" Thistle spoke out, turning to Concord with a strong look on his face. "I'm all kinds of rough! I'm a dragon! I want to stand by my friends no matter what happens!"
"Believe me, Thistle, things are about to get dreadfully political around here. You'll just hate it. Back in Canterlot though, you can watch the spectacle once it starts! What do you say?"
Thistle thought this over a moment, wondering exactly what the joke was. When he finally got it, Concord picked the little thing up and started floating towards the top of the tree house. He waved his tiny claw back to me solemnly and I waved back, watching them both vanish in a radiant light. Thistle had not ever left my side since he was born, and I felt a sense of loss that I hadn't had since leaving Canterlot. That feeling was weighing me down though, so I had to forget about them and trudge on.
There was no time to lose, right? I set out to gather up my friends, all the while figuring out where they fit into Concord's riddling Code. Greybow was a stalwart friend who would never leave you undefended, even if it was uncomfortable for her, so I figured that she was Loyalty. Curebug cared for all of the hurt and worried creatures of Ponyville out of her own heart, thus Kindness. Scarcity was always willing to negotiate with her artwork and wasn't afraid to give away pieces of it, in turn being the Generous one. Fancyjane was always upfront about an issue and never skittered around the truth, meaning that she was Honesty. And finally there was Party Cake, who was quite obviously Laughter!
It took me quite a while to get everyone on the same page as I was. Luckily (or perhaps not) they did not question what was so important when I first told them to meet me by the edge of the Everfree Forest. They did not believe me at first, not that I could have blamed them. It was hard enough to hear it coming from Concord himself. Eventually they all felt they could trust me in this, and we charged through the Everfree to find the obelisk.
Once there, I opened the gate like Concord had said, though I had no idea of what magic I was supposed to open it with. Just like the test with Thistle so long ago though, I found the answer through a quick trial of spells. Even when he wasn't there, Concord kept testing me! The magic revealed a winding staircase, sinking into the abyssal pit of darkness below. I lit the way with my magic, followed by my friends who looked about as if they were having second thoughts.
As we went onwards though, they seemed to lose that fear and grow stronger... Something I should have noticed. While there was some creepy architecture within the submerged temple, my friends seemed to turn at every shadow at regular intervals, only to suddenly stop and walk more assuredly than they did before. What was going on inside their heads, I can only guess now.
At last we came to the chamber which housed the Elements of Harmony. It was large and rectangular, decorated with high support columns with the statue holding the figures of the Elements atop carved spheres of stone at the very end. Above it was a long slit of light which gave the chamber some resonance from the moonlight outside. We had finally climbed the last ridge. I looked back to my friends to see that they were... Discussing something without me.
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" I asked. They stopped in that moment, with Fancyjane standing up to reassure me.
"Oh, it's nothing!" she said. "Just a bit of... Idle gossip!"
I sighed, clueless to the gravity of what I had just ignored. "All right then. Everypony has to go up and grab their Element. Greybow, you over there. Scarcity, you here..."
They seemed rather hesitant at first to go forward, but eventually I organized them into place. We all stepped up together and donned the jewelry which housed the power of the Elements. Everypony else had a collar of sorts with their cutie mark in the middle of it, whereas I had a big curved crown thingy which displayed my crescent moon cutie mark on top. A few glares came my way, though again I was too focused to notice them then. While I was expecting something bombastic and magnificent from gaining the Elements, it never came, so I awkwardly began to step down when one of the others spoke up.
"Wait!" Scarcity said. "Shouldn't we... Try them out first? I mean it is imperative that these things work, right? How do you even know you have the right one? Why must it be grander than min- I mean, ours?"
"We can't just be using the power of these things willy nilly, Scarcity." I replied, continuing my descent whilst everypony else stood still. "They rely and use the power of all the united creatures in Equestria! We can't waste that if we want to help Concord!"
"I thought you said Concord was leaving it up to us how to use this power!" Party Cake aggressively echoed through the chamber. "I think we're allowed to try it out just to see what it does!"
"Party... I-"
"These things don't even look magic!" Fancyjane spurted out, lifting her hoof up into the air. "I could get something like this for two bits at a costume store."
"Guys! Don't fight over-"
"Well if you insist on blindly following Concord," Curebug stated, hovering above the ground a bit. "Then I'm. Not. Leaving!"
Greybow looked back and forth at everyone nervously before speaking up. "Y-yeah! Me too!" She proceeded to sit flat on the ground in protest.
"Ugh... Fine!" I finally said, succumbing to their insistence. "But let's just be careful. We don't know exactly how they work, and this temple is rather old."
"Let's focus it up there then." Fancyjane pointed up to the elongated slit in the ceiling. "So we can test... Err.... How accurate it is!"
Obviously the idea of shooting at a tiny line in the roof was hardly the best idea, but I was willing to do most anything to regain their trust at this point. I came back up onto the platform from before since they were still refusing to move, hardly giving a look at one another. This fighting was so unlike them, but it was also unlike me to storm into the Everfree Forest with the cause of stopping the moon and sun from destroying us, so I couldn't blame them... I should have.
This is when it all came crashing in. Not literally, of course. They never aimed at the ceiling. Instead whilst I initiated their Elements to activate, they all set their eyes on me. In an instant I felt a surge of power rush through me, out of me, and then rebound right at me. The blast was so powerful that I flew off of the pedestal and across the chamber, and for what seemed like forever I could not even open my eyes. When I did, I could see my... Friends, readying again to finish me off. If only they did.
Out of nowhere though, I felt a large something hit me, whacking me aside from the following blast. I coughed out furiously and discovered that Thistle had come to save me! Where was Concord though? I thought that he could have solved this. A dumb thought, yes, but I was once again staring down the face of five very angry ponies with little hope in sight. My brave assistant did what he could to try and pick me up, not seeming to notice or care that my assailants were approaching us quickly. He just kept crying out and clawing at me in the futile hope that I might be able to move.
I could see Scarcity nearly foaming at the mouth with rage, Party Cake giving the meanest look I ever saw, and all of them being surrounded in an uncontrollable magic ether that looked to rip apart the room itself. All the meanwhile, Thistle was doing whatever he could to try and get me back up. I could hear him shouting, "Teleport us Moonlight! Teleport us!!!" like a distant call, but I could not react with my magic quick enough. They could, however. Their magic had reached a critical state, and they were at point blank range. Their pendants sparkled kinetically as they made the shot...
"Moonlight!"
That was all I heard before I finally came to, seeing a statue of granite standing in front of me. My maw was agape... I couldn't believe it! Concord was there in all his imposing figure... Turned to stone before me very eyes. I looked to Thistle who was still frantically trying to lift up my legs, unaware of what had just happened. Behind the frozen form I could see the others talking rather worriedly in their addled minds, and the magical storm around them had ceased. I knew what this meant... The Elements had stopped working, but that didn't mean they had lost their power... If that makes sense. They were just feeding off of a new power, one that they were going to proliferate themselves.
I also then noticed that my crown was gone. My eyes drifted back towards the Elements monument, and I saw that it had been broken in two across the floor. All five of them now came around the statue of Concord with a rather sure-of-themselves look, eying down at us with a growing malice. Thistle finally took notice, freezing in place and standing squarely in front of me as protection.
"Don't try anything..." said the quivering Scarcity, leaning in with her widened eyes to stare Thistle down to a shaking mess. "It is now your choice. Surrender, or die!"
I looked around the chamber, and everywhere I could see my weakness. My friends, my teacher, my assistant... There was no reason to think I could live to avenge them and I won't, but I still surrendered. The conditions of that surrender were... Severe.
"I have an idea." Party Cake said with a malicious tone in her voice that was completely antithetical of who she was. I was so fearful that I struggled as they held me down on the floor. Party backed towards me and, with her hind legs, kicked right towards my face. I don't think she would have cared if she actually hit my face, but instead he did the same thing they had to the Element crown... To my horn. I was left a unicorn without a horn, friends, or anyone to help me. Tears began to stream down my face, and all the while Party's smile grew and grew, forming into a kind of twisted madness.
They then ordered me up and demanded that I lead the way out. It was hard to get back on my feet after the ordeal, but I weakly rose myself up and began the march. They yelled at me every time I looked back, but I saw that Scarcity had taken Thistle with her, showering him with lovey-dovey compliments that he was now avidly refusing in his anger. She took her place behind me, eyes darting about the dusty corridors for anything loose she could take for herself, even small stones which she made Thistle carry.
It wasn't until we got back to the spiral stairs that I realized what this meant for Equestria. Would Solar and Satellite return? Were these ponies, my former friends, going to cause mayhem with the power at their disposal like Concord feared? He was right to have sealed the Elements away... Feeling their power for myself was riveting, but I know from my own experience that magic is a dangerous thing. Not that I can use it now. It's all my fault.
If it weren't for Thistle... When we were climbing those stairs, I heard a scraping and rustling; all the ponies stumbled backwards. I looked to see Thistle falling down the stairs past the others, to which Scarcity was quite upset about. I mean she looked back, shrilly screaming "MY BABY DRAGON!" knocking the others aside as she ran past, and taking the only light source with her. I realized that this was my chance. He had risked himself to give me time.
I raced up the unlit stairs to the path ahead, hearing the confused screams of the other ponies below. Once I got into the light, I fled down the opposite way from Ponyville, hoping they would assume I went to warn everyone. Why didn't I though? Because I only had that chance. To save my selfish, stupid self.
I hid in a tight outcropping off of the hill for a long while. I pieced together what happened after that later. They had returned to town with a vendetta and unleashed their new found power on the citizens of Ponyville. They cried out their presence as "The Elements of Harmony", "Scions of Concord", and "Rightful Takers of Whatever They Want". Once they left near every building either burned or looted (or both), they met together in secret before dashing off to the far areas of Equestria. Scarcity took Thistle and a large sum of stolen possessions North to the cold Miney Mountains, Greybow set sail to Cloudsdale, Fancyjane and her family went to conquer Manehatten, Curebug now dominates Canterlot, and the whereabouts of Party Cake are always changing.
When I finally returned to town... I was beside myself. Seeing everyone huddled together in absolute panic or hiding isolated inside their home. Fancy Farm was decimated, the bazaar was riddled with wreckage, and every single house no longer even had a roof. Except for mine. The tree house had withstood the wrath of their rampage, somehow, though it is still barely of husk of what it was. It is now my own sanctuary where I write this to you, whoever's reading, to attempt to explain all this. I don't know what any of us can do about all this. I don't think I can do anything at all... It becomes harder and harder to wake up each day, trying to salvage what I can without anypony being forced to see me in my miserable wreck.
I thank you, journal, for taking this load off my mind, just for a while. Tomorrow everything will be the same, but at least I will know that I tried to clear everything up. I hear nearly everyday Concord's name brought up, blaming him for this whole situation. Like he had feared once, his name is now infamous all around Equestria, and that status is growing nearly every day. If only they could understand that it wasn't his fault. IT WASN'T HIS FAULT!
It was mine...
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Dear anypony out there,
Oh, I'm sorry for being so morose before! But things have changed since last I wrote in this journal. And when I say change, I mean big change! It seems so long ago, but I've been very busy! I think we just might be able to pull ourselves out of this mess I caused...
So let me explain, as I'm sure you're eager to know. Right after I had finished my last bit of writing, I went to sleep with the promise of another dreadful tomorrow. However, something woke me, and I saw this huge white light... mass... thing just floating in front of me! I went to hide at first, but then it started moving away from me as well. I was quite scared of it, but I knew deep down that I had to follow it. It led me outside the tree house and out towards the hills on the outskirts of Ponyville, though thankfully it was night and there weren't any ponies around to see me galloping madly after the floating blob of white light.
Soon enough I had been led to this small enclosed area, surrounded by an encompassing rise of rocky hills. There the light waited for me, glimmering under the still moon as I made my way cautiously towards it. When I finally came before the glow, I tilted my head inward to try and make out if there was anything behind the light. The illumination ended up nearly blinding me! A feeling struck me then... A feeling like that which I had experienced when I channeled the energy of the Elements of Harmony! I was reminded of my horn and my friends then, and my blind-struck eyes began to fill up with tears.
"Do not cry, Moonlight." said a voice which seemed to call down from the night sky. The voice was impossible to identify as male or female... Much like Concord's. But it was clearly not him. This voice spoke gently and slowly, trying to suppress my growing fear. "This is not the end. Equestria has faced forces far greater than this before, and you have not lost your friends yet. Now listen carefully, if you wish for the chance to amend it all."
I took my foreleg away from my eyes and placed it on the ground, still staring rather daftly into the impenetrable light in front of me. Obviously I was taken in awe by this figure of pure luminescence, but I knew that I should have been asking so many questions. Perhaps I wouldn't still be so apprehensive about the proposition if I had...
"The Elements of Harmony are broken. You know this much. The being known as Concord no longer holds sway to the power of Harmony. His only wish was to take it out of his hands and give it to the beings of Equestria. He has, and now chaos has taken over. There is hope for Harmony though, and the code of which it stands for. The interruption of your... Friends has broken the bonds of Harmony, and now their forces lie within six new ponies. I do not know who they are, nor what they represent in this new code of Harmony. You, Moonlight, must discover what Harmony has become and rally the respective ponies to defeat those who betrayed its power."
My mind was too preoccupied with making sure I understood everything that was said to be able to retaliate. I wasn't sure if I had any strength in me to undertake this quest, especially after living on so little after these past few days which seemed to stretch on to no end. And to have to interact with other ponies again... I just didn't know if I could bare it at all! Before anything came out though, I found my eyes readjusting to the cleared night environment. The light had gone.
I looked about intently and stepped forward where I had dared not before, only to get my hooves wet in a small sink of water at the base of the descent. Behind the ripples I could see the waning moon shaded in yellow against the blue hour sky. I could also see myself in the gaze of its all encompassing celestial influence. All I could seem to notice though was that my mane was a bunchy mess!
I thought over the whole story as I slowly returned to town, the dawn following behind me. Why have I been chosen to endure all this? I pondered, becoming frustrated. All I ever wanted in life was to be accepted with all the other ponies. Now I have to go on a second crazy quest which will probably turn out the same way as the first. I'm done with following whatever benevolent being has chosen me as their champion. I am not going to be hurt again!
When I returned to town I could see a large congregation of ponies headed towards what used to be the bazaar. Obviously it was none of my business, so I attempted to sneak towards my tree house without being seen. As I came around the trunk towards the front door though, I was suddenly surrounded by three very angry looking earth ponies! I backed up against the tree and they approached ready to come right at me if I tried anything. Were they looters? I had heard some ponies had succumbed to looting in order to profit after the initial assault, though they had never come by the tree house not that there was anything left to steal.
The sounds of a new pony entering the fray emerged, and a bluish unicorn came in from behind the others. "Well look here!" she said, leaning in very close to my face. "Good spotting boys. Do you think she was trying to eavesdrop on the meeting?"
"I don't know what she was doing," said one of her grey goons. "But I doubt it was going to be anything pleasant, the way she was sneaking around."
"N-no! Listen! You've got it all wrong!" I cried out helplessly. "I live here! I'll give you anything you want, just let me go!"
"You hardly seem like the Ponyville type." the gruff unicorn stated, raising up an eyebrow at me as she continued to examine closer and closer. "I should know. I'm from out of town myself. Now... Try again, before me and my boys run you back out of town!"
"Stop!" came a distinctly male call from a short distance away. We all turned our heads and saw a figure now rushing over to the scene, and the unicorn in front of me finally decided to give me a bit of personal space. I tried to relax, though I couldn't help but think that everypony was out to get me anyways. From the glare of the sunrise emerged a tall bronze stallion with big old green eyes, hay colored hair, and a determined look across his maw. His canter slowed as he finally got in range of us, going right up the unicorn who had been threatening me and pointing directly at her with his hoof.
"Trixie! You should know better than to go around accusing ponies like that! Remember what happened to you when you first got here? You were just trying to find someplace, anyplace safe and you were nearly turned out." He shot his gaze over to me before stiffening up a bit and lowering his hoof. "Now, I can tell you plainly that Moonlight does in fact live here in Ponyville. In this very tree house, in fact! Whether or not she wants to be bothered by anypony is her business, and you should leave her be."
He accented that final statement with a light tap on the ground which stirred the dirt beneath him. I stood there looking between the five in front of me with a grand anticipation nipping at my flustered senses. This was certainly not easing myself back into society. All of the ponies around him were utterly shocked, and Trixie herself was at a bit of a loss for words. Finally her face grew sullen and her ears drooped down, giving a sigh in acceptance of his argument.
"Fine... I'm sorry about that." She rose herself up and looked back at me sympathetically. "It's just been nerve wracking around here lately. We've been told that there are ponies out there who want to try and undermine all that we've been working for, and we don't like to take any chances. Forgive me?"
She smiled and offered her hoof out to me. My mind could not have seen it as more repulsive at that point. Not because of her behavior before, but given that I hadn't been this close to anypony for such a long time. Knowing I was cornered like I was made the whole affair even more difficult to take in a friendly way. I realized, though, that this may be my first step to return to normal, and I raised my hoof back to tap Trixie's in a pact of agreement.
"Splendid!" she said, motioning for her followers to come along. "What was your name again? Moonlight, was it? Oh, we will become very good friends, just you see! This little scuffle may have been a bit rough, but nothing a strong noble pony... Hold on a moment!" Suddenly she leaned towards me again, eyeing towards my forehead. I quickly realized what she was looking for and quickly tugged down on my scraggly mane, making a rather embarrassing screaming sound as I did. Her face was aghast however, and she looked about nervously as to find a way out of continuing.
"Er... Well! I had best go along now! Nice to meet you!" She proceeded to speed off in towards the ruins of town with her gang in tow. It still hurts.
"What was that about?" said my stallion savior. I had recognized him, since he was a Ponyville resident. His name was Reach Out, an earth pony who used to work at town hall. We had met a few times, and I took to memorizing his name as I did with everypony. He was required to know who I was, though. Now he stood over me, offering a hoof as I broke down in front of him, becoming a total wreck. It couldn't have been nice to watch. He seemed to be saying some more words of comfort, but I couldn't hear them in my stupor.
I realized that the whole situation for him must have been aggravatingly confusing. Not knowing about my affliction and what it had made me... He deserved to know, though, so I took my hooves to roll back my mane to show the split horn underneath. His eyes widened up and he looked like he was ready to run off like Trixie, but instead he brought himself to the ground and laid beside me in wait.
I was afraid to move for the longest time. It almost felt like he was judging me, watching to see what I would do as I bawled my eyes out in the shame. He never changed his expression though, one of deep concern, and did not try to approach me any closer than he was. Soon enough I was exhausted of the crying and fell back against the tree trunk, breathing steadily until I found myself somewhat at rest. When I was a filly and something like this would happen to me, my parents wherever they are... would be there to hold me close and make everything seem so much better. Instead of that, now I merely got a tap on the side, but it was enough to gain my attention.
"Moonlight," Reach said, looking rather sullen himself. "I know that this is a terrible thing that's happened to you. I can't even begin to understand what it means. We've all lost something here though. You've locked yourself away to try and escape it, but you can't live in fear of what may come. We're very strong here in Ponyville, you know that! And we will support each other as long as we can! I know you were the same way, before all this. And now, I will be here to help you." He had stood up by this point in his speech and went to nudge me gently with his face. A bit embarrassingly... I leaned into it, imagining my parents once again. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah... I think I am." I said, looking at him and his huge green eyes. A tingling feeling surrounded my lips a moment, and for the first time in a long while I found myself pleasantly smiling at the gentle lug of a stallion. Finally I could raise myself back up on my own four hooves and not look so downtrotted. "Thanks, Reach. I needed that. I think I have been a bit rash these past few days. Not nearly as rash as some other ponies, but just assuming I can't do anything isn't the way out of this. I want to help again!"
"Great!" Reach said with a glamoured grin on his face. "Let's get into town then. The meeting's about to start!"
"Wait... Now?" I said rather nervously. I still wasn't sure if I was ready to be around so many ponies...
"Yes now!" he repeated, trying to nudge me forward. "They certainly won't wait for us, and I do enough repeating of important information in the day job. Come on, move!"
His cheer would have certainly been infectious to me if I wasn't still so deep in my insecurities, though eventually his insistence broke through and I started to move into town. I kept my head down as a walked, not wanting to be seen, although more likely just drawing more attention to myself. Once I started to hear the voices growing closer, I began to fidget nervously. Reach would give me a concerned look from time to time, but kept silent to try and help me power through it alone it helped.
Eventually we breached the assembly and began to move through the crowd where there had been a stage set up for whomever was preparing to speak. Strangely, all the ponies seemed to be talking rather normally, most even with smiles and giggles as they discussed with their friends. I saw faces that I had not in such a long time... Cara Sweet, Knockin, Wind Rush, Harpa... It was nerve-wracking to know that I had ruined everything for them. Yet they were so... Content in this moment.
"Fillies and gentlecolts!" rang out a voice arising to the stage. "Let us commence this meeting!" I took my head away from the ground for a moment to see that it was indeed the ever-illustrious Mayor Dolly, though she was looking as hit by the times as anyone else. No longer did she have her silly green tie or her ginormous red glasses, but was instead conservative as she appeared by the struck populous perhaps not by choice.
"I am glad to see that you have all held up well these last few days whilst this meeting was arranged." She raised her hoof to the crowd, who somewhat uncomfortably cheered in response. "While not everypony is accounted for, I would not panic, seeing as many likely ran away as came in after the chaos began." I looked through the crowd to see if I could find Trixie, but the amassed ponies seem to be too close together.
"This should not keep us from our task though," the Mayor continued. "And rebuilding Ponyville is to be our number one priority. While there have been a few hiccups in gathering the materials since we've been unsure about the safety of the outside for the past few days, I do believe we've discovered a route to the Everfree Forest that..." Her voice seemed to trail off as I began to lose interest. Not for lack of caring, but I never could stand her announcements! It was certainly quite rude of me, yet I saw other ponies taking to talking aside as well. I looked up to Reach and he seemed to still be more concerned with me than anything else, so I gave him a smile.
"So, Reach, is everypony going to be assigned to rebuilding?" I asked quietly, unsure if I would be told to hush for the announcement.
"Well," he said, trailing his eyes across the crowd a bit nervously. "Not everypony."
"Now I would like to bring to the stage," the Mayor said quite exuberantly. "Miss Trixie Alasol!" And there she was, marching right up onto the stage and seeming to very much appreciate the applause she was getting. It was at this point that I noticed her cutie mark, which seemed to be a line of sparkles arranged in the shape of a bulwark shield. I would quickly figure out what that affinity was.
"Thank you, Ponyville!" she said, looking out to everyone with exuberant eyes. "I know some of you out there might be worrisome of putting the defense of Ponyville in the hands of an outsider, but Trixie and her friends will make sure that nopony comes to any harm so long as we're on watch!" She kicked her front legs up in the air a bit in a dramatic flare, though there was no accompanying applause. "Er... Right then! So let us quickly go over what needs to be done in order to keep this precious town safe, okay? We will need watches around the clock, sharp eyes who can spot a bird at five hundred meters! Energetic ponies with the resolve to..."
I could see why Mayor Dolly seemed to like Trixie so much... They both went on unbearably long speeches! There was a bit of discontent about the crowd, and Reach particularly looked a bit ashamed to be in the crowd here listening. Perhaps it was because of Trixie's attitude towards me before, or perhaps he didn't truly trust her, but her presence certainly made him shift a bit more than he normally would.
When I next looked at the stage, I realized that several other ponies had come up to the platform as their respective positions in Ponyville's line of defense had been announced. They were all just as proud as the last ones, gleaming off their pearly whites and attempting to draw attention towards themselves in the most ludicrous dramatic poses! In the middle of the stage Trixie was still listing, and I realized that she seemed to be rounding off her self-discussion.
"And lastly," she said. "We will need somepony to embark on a very important mission. Too long have we been isolated here, only gaining scant contact with the outside world. We must send a scout to relay the message that Ponyville is building itself up to fight against the five ponies who have been wreaking havoc across Equestria!" My heart jumped in my chest. I had nearly forgotten about why I was so hesitant to come here in the first place. My friends...
"So... Is anypony prepared to take this duty?"
It seemed that all the side conversation had stopped when it became clear that things were serious. A couple of ponies looked to be quivering as if attempting to gain the courage to step up, but understandably they were all hesitant to leave the safety of the town. Nopony seemed to have any idea of just how many towns out there were even left, nor who would be on our side if we sent the message out.
I was frozen along with the rest of them. To risk going out there and seeing my... Former friends it still scares me. Perhaps if what we were told was more concrete than the frigid unknown, then maybe some brave pony would have stepped up sooner. There was only so much talking a Ponyville pony could stand though, and we were perhaps expected to be impulsive folk. Trixie was looking over the crowd rather poignantly, and it didn't seem like she was set to move until somepony spoke up and took on the responsibility.
"I will!"
Everypony turned their eyes towards me, and Reach's own eyes nearly came back in his head. My hoof was raised. I looked worriedly up towards Trixie who seemed almost shocked at first, but reeled herself back to a calm expression. The talking resumed, and I felt nearly ready to duck my head down again and cry.
"Very well... Moonlight." she said, coming towards the edge of the stage. "You wish to bring information of our plans to the rest of Equestria? You will have to move quickly, quietly, and not look back until you garner the support we need to stand up against our enemies. Make everypony know that we are here in Ponyville, ready to protect what's ours! We will-"
"Me as well!" said Reach beside me, putting up his hoof. "I wish to go with her." This time, Trixie couldn't help but look absolutely jaw-dropped. She looked at him with a very longing sort of look, though he only returned it with his own dutiful glare back at her.
"R... Reach," she said, trying to stiffen up again. "I can... Understand your concern, but this is a job best suited to a single pony. That way they can travel quicker, not make a presence..."
"Two ponies is not going to make a difference in that." he said, stepping up a bit. "All it will do is ensure that we have each other's backs. I certainly won't let anyone journey off on their own while the outside is still like this. If nothing else, we have a friend on the way to keep us balanced. I am going."
Trixie seemed to muse on this a moment, and the crowd seemed to be formulating their own opinions under a hush. Reach's speech made me seem rather helpless, but I knew deep inside that I was. Having another pony out there to watch my back would be helpful, but I still wasn't very trusting and I'm still unsure. What could I even do on my own? Being out there in the big world I had only dabbled into previously, and only in the last two years. How was I even supposed to know how many communities were left out there? Are they all destroyed like ours? What if there are those that don't want to join us? It still is a mission that weighs heavily on me, and not even the reassurance of everypony in town has stopped me from worrying.
"There's nothing I can say to change your mind?" Trixie's voice reeked of sympathy which was quickly shot down by Reach's shaking head. Her ears lowered once again, but she picked herself back up before most of the other townsfolk could notice. They certainly want their protector to look beat. "It's settled then. Moonlight and Reach Out will set off to bring our message across Equestria. Let us hear it for the defense force of Ponyville!"
Those up on stage began to hoot and holler along with much of the crowd, but most who were near us could only raise tepid applause as they saw both of our concerned faces. My new partner and I looked at each other worriedly, completely winging this whole procedure. We had taken the step to help Ponyville towards recovery, but at what cost to ourselves? Reach certainly had a lot more to lose than I.
Mayor Dolly came up afterwards and continued to talk about the town restoration until Trixie pulled us out of the crowd and took us to their 'base of operations' which was a destroyed tower on the North side of Ponyville. Luckily we had a full map of Equestria to take with us, as well as some advice from a few out of town ponies about what to expect. Trixie herself had come from the East as a protectorate of Trottingham, and gave us some sound advice.
"Ponies are as tough as horseshoes out there. Don't expect them to accept you at first. You have to earn their trust, and that's likely about doing what they say. Just keep your... Heads about you, and you'll be fine."
After that, we went our separate ways for a while. I returned to the tree house and began to start digesting the information. I was thinking of using this journal for the planning of the trip, but I realized that it might be my only way to explain what our mission is at this stage if we happen to lose ourselves. Whether anyone can take that duty from me... I'm not sure.
Over the past few days, Reach and I have been talking about exactly what we're going to take and which way we're headed. Many ponies have come to thank us for taking the duty, showering us with gifts like it was some sort of party. We couldn't take any of them though. It was tough enough to convince Reach that the journal was important enough to carry, let alone the comforts that others have been gifting us.
More than a few ponies have been asking why I decided to go, especially after I seemed to have disappeared for so long all ready. The truth is that I'm not sure what I can accomplish, going out there as a diplomat. All I can be sure of is that this gives me a better chance to discover what that glowing light wanted me to do. To discover the new Elements of Harmony and bring them together... It is my duty now, though it makes me feel like I'm betraying Reach in some way by not telling him. I don't want to leave Ponyville behind like this, but there's no chance for any of us if I don't.
I will save it, if it's the last thing I do.
