The Chronicles of Eponia

The noise of the quill writing on the paper filled the room in which was a purple mare. Princess Twilight Sparkle was so focused on her writing that she didn’t notice the steps that were approaching to the castle’s library.

“hey Twilight, what you doing?” asked her little dragon helper.

“hello there Spike, I was going to call you, I wrote this letter to Cadence and Shining Armor and I wanted to know if you can send it for me," said the alicorn as she finished the writing and rolled the scroll.

“well of course," said the dragon taking the piece of paper.

“Thanks Spike, you're always so helpful.” Twilight gave a smile to her little helper while she headed out to the exit. “Well, I'm going to see Pinkie, she told me she was thinking about making a cake for the next class at school, and she wants me to give her the OK”.

“Very well, I'll stay here and I'll let you know if anything happens,” answered the always loyal Spike.

Twilight left the castle and went to Sugarcube Corner where her crazy pink friend was waiting for her. On the way, she greeted several of the ponies of Ponyville. Certainly, the day was perfect and apparently nothing could ruin it, however, Twilight could not help but have the fly behind the ear. Whenever the day seemed perfect, something ended up spoiling it, sometimes it was nothing more than silly disputes between ponies, but other times it was something that could seriously endanger all of Equestria, and the young princess had the feeling that something was coming, although she could not be sure of what it was...

Upon arriving at the bakery, she found Pinkie Pie decorating a lovely cake with Mrs. Cake.

“Good morning Pinkie, good morning Mrs. Cake.” Said Twilight.

“Good morning Twilight.” Answered both mares with a smile.

“Wow, that is a gorgeous cake. Pinkie I think you have overcome”.

“Thanks Twilight, but this is just a test, tomorrow is Cranky and Matilda’s anniversary and they ordered a cake, so they will decide whether it's worth it or not,” explained Pinkie Pie, “and if it succeeds, as we hope, we will take one similar to class for the next lesson”.

“And that will be...?” Asked Twilight waiting for an answer.

“Pff, it’s obvious silly: It doesn’t matter the event, with a cake you'll always be good with your friends.” aAnswered the pink mare with a big smile.

Twilight laugh tenderly at her friend's attitude. Pinkie was jumping while explaining excitedly how delicious the cake would be, and why her students would like it so much.

Pinkie Pie's enthusiasm was certainly contagious, but Twilight could not help but have her mind elsewhere, as if something escaped her. That feeling, that had been haunting her for a while, didn’t leave her alone.

“Twilight, are you okay? I see you a little bit… distracted.” said Mrs. Cake noticing that the princess was in his inner world.

“Oh, it's nothing Mrs. Cake, don’t worry,” she tried to excuse herself, “it's just...".

“You have the feeling that something strange is going to happen because we haven't had a friendship problem to solve in several months, right?” Said Pinkie Pie with her usual parsimony.

“Pinkie, sometimes you scare me, but yes, I can’t take that feeling away from my head. It's something like the calm that precedes the storm you know?”

“I do, my Pinkie Sense has caused me strange things this morning too, but I don’t know what it’s trying to tell me”. The pink mare was certainly more hyperactive than usual.

Twilight recalled with nostalgia the first time she heard about the "Pinkie Sense", she thought it was just a nonsense. However, after that traumatic experience in the swamp, and the Hydra, she learned not to analyze everything so methodically, and to assume that there are things that do not have a rational explanation, even if it was so strange as it may sound.

Many times it is hard to believe that everything happens for a reason, although we can’t see it with the naked eye, every small action has its long-term consequence. The Princess of Friendship ended up discovering those ins and outs of the Butterfly Effect for bad, too; ironically, thanks to Starlight Glimmer, who just wanted revenge on her. Sometimes, Twilight wondered how her life would have been if, instead of forgiving Starlight, had banished her to Tartarus, what would have happened if Discord hadn't been betrayed by Tirek, if Sunset Shimmer had never tried to steal her crown ...

Of course her life would be very different, but something was clear for the princess, she didn’t regret anything that she had done so far. Much of these terrible events strengthened the relationship she had with her friends, and at other times, she made new ones that to date hadn’t failed her. For the Princess of Friendship that satisfaction feeling was more than enough.

While wandering in her thoughts, the door of the bakery suddenly opened and a nervous figure came in huffing...

"Twight!" Screamed Spike, catching his breath. The poor dragon seemed to have flown faster than Rainbow Dash in her best shows with the Wonderbolts.

“Spike! what happen?” asked the princess nervous.

“Starlight told me to come fast, you have to go back to the castle now, something weird is happening to the map” said Spike.

“What!?” Twilight got scared at the warning of Spike, “Pinkie, go find the others and tell them to go to the castle, I’ll meet you there”.

Twilight took Spike in her back and both, she and Pinkie Pie, galloped off to their respective paths.

The princess arrived with Spike to the castle as fast as they could, and when they reached the throne room they noticed that the map had an unusual brightness.

Starlight was there staring in perplexity at the anomaly the map was making, trying some spells to fix it, but without any success.

“What does this mean?” Asked the alicorn with open eyes.

“I have no idea," said Spike getting of Twilight’s back, “I was cleaning the thrones, when suddenly the map began to shine, but without showing any Cutie Mark or anything like that, I warned Starlight, and she tried to do something with her magic, but nothing happened.” The dragon was clearly nervous by the strange situation. “I went to look for you, I had never flown so much in all my life”.

“Well, it is not that you have flown so much in your life,” said Starlight pointing the fact that the young dragon grew up his wings not long ago.

Spike scratched the back of his neck and looked away.

“And you say that it started doing this out of the blue?" Twilight asked.

“Yes, and I’m personally worried about the absence of Cutie Marks.” said Starlight Glimmer.

A short time later, the rest of her friends appeared, they observed the map with the same disbelief than Twilight moments ago.

“Uh, it shines more than usual.” said Pinkie looking at it surprised, approaching her eyes as much as she could, and touching it with her hoof.

Suddenly, and without warning, the map began to project a series of strange symbols. Straight lines crossing each other, which did not make any sense to the ponies in the hall.

“Pinkie, what have you done?” Asked Twilight surprised and cocerned.

“Wait Twilight, I don’t think it has nothing to do with Pinkie.” said Starlight.

The symbols continued projecting intermittently before the watchful look of the ponies.

“What the hay does it mean?” asked Applejack confused.

“I have no idea, but I guess the map is trying to tell us something.” Explained Twilight while levitating a pen and trying to copy the symbols in a notebook.

“But why aren’t there any Cutie Mark or doesn’t point anywhere?” Said Fluttershy.

“Right, and I don't think those scribbles have anything to do with any of us.” Mentioned Rainbow more confused than ever.

Twilight took a pair of scrolls and prepared to write on them.

“That is what we are going to find out, they have to mean something, the map doesn't show anything by chance.” Said the princess, convinced of her theory and without stopping writing.

“I'm sorry to sound so pessimistic darling, but for me, those lines seem like nothing more than gibberish.” Added Rarity with a worried face.

“I don’t think so, if the map shows it, it has to be important, and I'm going to find out what it’s trying to tell us.” Twilight kept the pen and rolled up the scrolls. “Spike, I need you to send this scroll to Princess Celestia, and this one to Cadence, maybe they know what is this all about, and if they don’t, both have large libraries where there may be some information about it. We need to know anything they could tell us.”

Suddenly, the map, as if it knew that the message was already delivered, stopped shining and projecting symbols and a strange fog covered it completely.

“Ok…this is getting creepy.” Said Rainbow Dash.

“I really hope that the princesses have an answer to this.” Said Twilight visibly worried.

Some minutes later, Spike burped releasing a scroll, and Twilight did not waste any time to levitate and open it.

“It's Cadence!” Said excited.

Everyone present, including Spike, came over to see what was in the letter ...

My dearest Twilight:

I'm sorry I can’t help you, those symbols have no meaning to me, I wish I could tell you something more, but I'm afraid I don’t know anything.

I'll ask Sunburst to investigate at the Empire’s Library, in case there's something about it. I will keep you informed of any new developments that may arise.

With love Cadence.

PD: Your brother asks me when you will deign to visit us, and Flurry Heart is very keen to see her dear aunty Twily. Do not delay to come, we wait for you with open hooves.

Twilight was disappointed with the answer, but at the same time, a smile appeared on her face. She certainly wanted to see her brother, her sister-in-law and her niece, but now, her mind was focused only on the message on the map, and why a dense fog suddenly covered it. What did all this mean?

On the other hoof, the rest of her friends didn’t know how to feel or what to say, for them everything was very confusing as well.

Spike burped again releasing another parchment which they assumed was Celestia's.

My dear Twilight:

I think you should come to Canterlot as soon as possible and explain to me what is happening, I don’t know if I have the answers you need, but I think there’s something here that can help you.

Yours:

Princess Celestia.

“Princess Celestia wants me to go to Canterlot.” said Twilight surprised after reading the letter.

“That's good, right?” Said Starlight, “I mean, she probably knows something.”

“ It must be Something important if she has asked you to show up immediately.” Added Rarity.

“Don't worry sugarcube, we'll stay here watchin' the map, just let us know what ya discover.” said Applejack cheering her friend.

Twilight gave them an affectionate smile and left at once for Canterlot, where the princesses were waiting for her.

The flight was quiet, and as soon as she arrived at his hometown, Twilight galloped towards the castle quickly and swiftly. The purple alicorn was anxious to know what Celestia had to say about those symbols, maybe she could also give her the key to why the map went crazy.

Upon entering through the gate of the enormous palace, two guards greeted her and went straight to the throne room. There, other guards indicated that the princesses were waiting for her. As always, she saw Celestia and Luna on their respective thrones, from which they rose to be able to greet the newcomer.

“I received your message princess, do you know the meaning of what I sent you?” Asked Twilight without hesitation.

“I'm afraid not Twilight, I don’t know the meaning of those symbols.” said Celestia distressed.

Twilight was disappointed to hear that, but quickly she realized that her former teacher wouldn't have made her go to Canterlot so quickly for nothing.

“But you must know something, right? What's happening to the map?” Asked Twilight.

“Being born from the Tree of Harmony, the map is connected to you as carriers of the Elements of Harmony, and in turn, has a deep connection with the world around us, it is very possible that the map is trying to send you a message.” explained Princess Luna with her usual calm.

“You see Twilight, maybe you heard this before, but those symbols are a gibberish to me, although being honest it's not the first time I see them.” Said Celestia to the surprise of her former student.

Twilight smiled hopeful and with satisfaction, she knew thet Princess Celestia would be helpful. Without wanting to interrupt her former teacher, she gave the utmost attention to what Celestia was going to explain.

“Some time ago, I had a brilliant but very withdrawn student; One day, I found her in her room rearranging her things and I discovered that she was looking at what it looked like a horn, with a mixture of grief and sadness. I realized that it had inscriptions that I’d never seen before." Twilight could see that Princess Celestia was kinda sad remembering that.

“Don't tell me those symbols were the same that our map projected.” said Twilight waiting for the obvious answer.

“Exactly, I asked her for the meaning of it, but she just fell down. I knew how her behaviour was like, and I decided it was better not to dig into her privacy until she was ready to open up. Unfortunately, that never happened, since she abandoned me before...”

“Oh no ... I have to find your student. If her horn had those inscriptions is our best asset to understand all this mystery, do you know where I could find her by any chance?” Twilight asked her former teacher, but to her surprise, the Princess of the Sun started to laugh.

“My dear Twilight, you know her very well.” answered Celestia happily.

“I do?” Twilight's confused look suddenly changed to a surprised one, realizing which pony Celestia was referring to.

Elsewhere a young girl whose most notable physical characteristic was her flaming hair, enjoyed drinking coffee with her friends. Suddenly her bag began to vibrate and took out a book that was also shining.

“How timely.” Said laughing as she opened the book and started to read its contents.

She was pretty excited waiting to receive news from Equestria, however, the briefness of the message left her surprised, and in a way, kinda scared.

Hello Sunset:

We need to talk, it's important, meet me as soon as possible in front of the high school's portal.

Your friend, Twilight Sparkle

"What is it about darling?" asked Rarity, then sipped her cup of tea.

“It's a message from Princess Twilight, she wants me to meet her in front of the portal.” said Sunset.

“Princess Twilight’s coming?” Asked all in unison.

“Wow, it's going to be weird to meet myself again.” Said the Twilight from the human world.

“Oh my gosh! I have to prepare the greatest party ever!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly “The Return of Princess Twilight”.

“Hold on a second Pinkie, Sunset, is there somethin' wrong?” said Applejack seeing the concerned expression of her fiery hair friend.

“I'm not sure, this is weird ... the message is short and direct, Princess Twilight isn’t usually so laconic, I have the feeling that something bad is happening.” said Sunset visibly worried.

The girls observed the message and its content.

“Well, I have to say that "we need to talk" was never a good start for a conversation.” said Rainbow Dash.

“Um, what if... what if there are problems in Equestria?” asked Fluttershy fearing the worst.

“Well, there's only one way to find out ...” Said Sunset finishing her coffee and getting up from the table.

Accompanied by her friends, they went to the base of the statue that welcomed their high school. There in front of the portal that united their world with Equestria they would wait for the pony / girl with whom they became so good friends, knowing on the other hand that this was not going to be a simple courtesy visit.