Author's Note

Well, well well... here we are again. Let us once more dive into the fray. I do not know how this story is going to go, or whether it to be a success. Frankly, i don't care either way. I just want to have fun and tell a story i think is worth telling. But for now, this chapter will be the springboard for our new tale. The next chapters are going to be meatier in content. I just need to get back into the groove of things is all.

Chpt. 1: A Legend Reborn

Long ago, in a time long since forgotten, the ponies had been left scattered and fearful of one another. While pegasi dwelled in their sky fortresses, unicorns in their spires, and earth-ponies in their huts; ponies were mostly left to their own devices when threats and monsters came to prey upon them in times of their weakness.

But after the ascension of the Celestial Sisters, all seemed bright, and the ponies rejoiced for their future seemed far more prosperous than ever. Yet darkness still lingered in the corners of the world, and nopony knew that better than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Fearful that their peaceful new land may come to ruin, they devised a plan to keep Equestria safe in their darkest hours. Channeling their magic, the sisters called upon a being from beyond Equestria, beyond what anypony had ever known and they succeeded. The sisters brought forth a pony of nobility and virtue, swearing an oath to always protect the land in is most dire of needs.

In his time in this strange land, the hero went on to instill virtues upon the land and its inhabitants. Pillars that could stand the tests of time and protect the ponies in their time of need, doing so through his generous nature, his honesty toward those around him, his kindness to even those that despised his very being, his loyalty to those closest, and the laughter he brought to others. With these pillars, the hero spread peace throughout the land and truly united the three clans and banished darkness from the land. And yet, it would not be the darkness that came from afar that tested the hero, but rather a darkness that seeped into the heart of one closest to him.

Jealousy crept into the lunar sister, sowing the seeds of hatefulness and greed. For millennia she had gone overlooked while her sister was loved and adored. Through her lies she bid her time, until one day the sun did not rise. Betrayed, the solar sister and the hero united together to battle the one they called friend and family. Gathering their power, the two used their magic to cast a spell to not slay, but imprison the mare of shadows in the moon for a thousand years. Overcome with grief at the loss of a friend he held dear to his heart, the hero vanished…

~~~~~~

“… Vowing to return in time of great need.” Reading over the passage, a lone mare sighed in disappointment. “Except… you didn’t.” She sat the book down on a cluttered desk beside a stack of other books, her personal notes, and a wanted posted depicting a young, unicorn mare with a soft purple coat and violet hair and eyes. “Twilight Sparkle” it read in bold letters. “Wanted Dead or Alive. Reward; 50,000 bits”. The young mare walked out of her small study, not entering into a welcoming home nor a vast library, but rather a crumbling ruin of a long since abandoned castle. The long-lost monument of the two sisters had been left to the jaws of time for nearly a thousand years and barely anypony even knows it still stood, let alone even exists. It was the perfect hideaway from the rest of the world.

Walking the decrepit halls of the once glorious castle, Twilight found herself lost in her thoughts. A whole year she had spent, researching the palace and whatever secrets it may hold. All the while hiding away from those that wanted her silenced, captured, or worse. The land of Equestria she knew long ago was no more, and instead it had turned into a waking nightmare. The magical prodigy had nowhere else to go and all she could do now was wallow in the past and hope against all hope that she found the solution to her problems.

Turning a few corridors and avoiding a few walkways Twilight had booby-trapped, the young mare made her way to the once great library of the castle. She held onto her ragged old coat, feeling the cold air breeze through her, causing the mare to shudder. “I really need a new jacket.” She’d say to herself, looking through rows upon rows of dusty, ruined, or otherwise unreadable books. Most of the contents were of no use other than leg supports for the furniture, even then some of the books had completely disintegrated from the natural elements and couldn’t even do that. Twilight couldn’t recall how many times she had traveled around this room, looking for something, anything of note. She salvaged old spell tomes, translated books from ancient Ponish, even went as far as to transfer one cover to a new set of pages to ensure the writings were safe. And yet, none anything she found could even be considered helpful in any way. Legends, myths, lore; all of it was of too small to be of use or wasn’t already something she knew already.

Taking one of the old books off of the shelf, Twilight started to cough and hack when the pages turned to dust in her grasp, kicking up a cloud of dust that set her lungs on fire. “Ugh! S-So gross!” She’d toss the book aside, still coughing as she fell to her knees. She’d hear the book make a loud groaning noise as it hit something.

Opening her eyes, Twilight turned to face the long table that rested in the center of the library. She saw the tattered cover resting on an extravagant candle-stick that was coated in rust and cobwebs, yet what caught her attention was the fact that the cover she tossed so carelessly aside dangled off of a skewed arm. “W-What the?” Approaching with curiosity, the purple unicorn looked the decoration over before removing the cover, watching the arm return to its upright position. “That’s… that’s not right.” She gave the arm a quick pull, finding it unable to move in the direction she wanted. Pushing it forward yielded more results, watching it slowly move forward like it had for the cover. She kept pushing until the arm rested at a 90-degree angle, locking into place. Grabbing the other branch, she’d fidget with the arm until it came forward, resting at the same angle, but facing Twilight instead. Taking both arms, she’d start to see what else this suspicious little decoration could do. Eventually she found that she was able to rotate it, slowly turning the rusted metal holder until it had turned a complete 180 degrees, upon which it let out a loud snap.

Fearing she may have broken something, Twilight was soon surprised to hear the loud scraping of stone close by. Turning around, she’d watch one of the walls slowly sink into the floor to reveal its hidden treasure inside and leaving the mare shocked at what she found. If only she had found this hidden room sooner, her focus turning to something she had only gotten to use in very rare occasions; a bed. Cautious of her step, Twilight made her way to the soft looking cot. Biting her lip, Twilight wasted no time hopping in and feeling the inviting fabric, despite the cloud of dust she kicked up when she practically dropped into it. She never felt more relaxed in her time on the run and she’d stretch and feel sleep taking her. “Ooh, I almost forgot what a bed felt like. I don’t even care it feels like a pile of hay with a sheet thrown over it. This is… sooo good.” She’d swoon, laying back with a yawn. Only to take one last look around the room. Her second scan yielded more results, seeing a book resting on a pedestal in the center of the room. “Huh, probably should have gone for that first.”

Outstretching her arm, Twilight focused her mind and emotions to focusing her magic, grabbing the large tome. A violet aura manifested around the dusty old book, bringing it closer to the bed. Laying on her side, Twilight looked the thing over, finding it in a much better condition than anything else she found in the library. “No title… no author. This looks kinda like…” she shot up, realizing what she must have found. “N-No way. It can’t be.” Opening the book, she’d start to look for the first page, and found a hand-written entry. “Day 3 of the Second Era. My sister insists that I keep this diary as a means of recording my thoughts. I think she’s just trying to find a way of what’s in my head since I banned her from my dreams. But, on the off chance it does work out, I don’t see the harm.” Twilight read aloud, feeling her breath grow heavy with every word. “The castle is coming along nicely, the ponies of the three tribes are working together as a means of thanks for our work. I do not think it is necessary; all we are doing is lifting two large balls in the sky each day and night. Still, it’s better than letting the unicorns drain their magic permanently just for a sunny day.” Twilight soon realized what she was reading, and who this book belonged to.

Skipping ahead, Twilight started reading yet again. “Day 100… I cannot believe it’s been a hundred days already. Lulu and I have a throne to sit on and while she insists to the contrary, I still feel like it makes my ass feel big. I’m sorry, ‘rear end’. Apparently swearing is unbecoming of ‘royalty’ now.” Twilight let out a giggle, feeling nostalgic when she read the words. “I swear I can see one of my guards staring at it from time to time. Still… I hear a large rear end is attractive in mares in some places. I doubt this will become a trend, but one can never know.” Twilight felt a little flustered reading her old master’s diary like this. She felt a little sleazy just poking around without her knowing. But then again, she was the one that put the bounty on her. So, in some way, Twilight felt that this made up for it… just a little. And with that, she continued to read.

“Year 72, day 24 of the second Era. Luna and I had done it. We do not know how, but the dark emperor known as Sombra is gone. But I’m afraid with the entirety of the crystal empire with him.” Twilight had heard of such a place before, at least through hearsay when it finally returned several months back. “But if not for us, we may have lost all of Equestria and our Hero in a single swoop.” Twilight felt her heart start to flutter to life when she saw the word “hero”, knowing full well who it was. “He nearly gave his life for us today, I watched him take a sword to the chest for me of all ponies. I watched the blade pierce his chest, the tip of the blade nearly piercing my chest. If he had not done so, I fear I wouldn’t be here writing this. Sometimes I wonder, if the Hero of Harmony wasn’t around, how long would I be alive really? If he wasn’t there protecting us, protecting me from the threats that linger in the shadows of the world; would Equestria even have made it out of its infancy?”

Confirming that there was actually mention of the Hero of Harmony, Twilight started to work backwards, looking for anything, something that could be of use. And then, she found the mother-load. “Year 23, day 44 of the second Era. I write this entry to never forget this day, and to remind myself that this will be when everything changes for Equestria. After years of laboring and research; Lulu, Star-swirl, and I have created a magnificent construct that shall defend all of Equestria for generations to come.” Twilight was starting to sweat, knowing she was getting to the very thing she has sought for so long. “The Tree of Harmony we are calling it, a means of defense from dark magic and usurpers, but there was one other thing we needed. The Tree required a vessel; a living host to enact its will. Sadly, not even the body of an alicorn can hold this power alone, not for long at least. That’s when Star-swirl proposed a most unorthodox plan. Using a spell of his own creation, we summoned forth a creature from beyond our realm in hopes he could be what we sought. I have met him once before after his summoning. He is… a strange thing to behold. Still, I know that deep down he can become the hero we need him to be.” Disappointed that she could not find answers as to how the hero was summoned, let alone what this Tree of Harmony was, Twilight kept going through the journal in search of more answers.

“Year 26, day 212 of the second Era. I shouldn’t be writing this, I know I shouldn’t be writing this. But I must get this off of my chest.” Twilight cocked a brow, reading on. “Luna, I swear to the stars if you are reading this, I will shave every shred of mane from that nosy head of yours.” That just added another reason her former mentor was not around. “Anyway, my Hero and I went on another of our private walks in the gardens. He surprised me with a picnic of all things. I know we had been getting close as the years went on, but even I can’t help feel weak in the hooves when I’m around him. I swear when I write that we drank three bottles of wine from the wine cellar. Star-swirl would be furious if he ever found out we got into his special stash. But that is not the part I am most nervous about. After we probably had too much to drink… he kissed me. He kissed me under the light of my sister’s moon, and I felt so alive. He told me that I was the most beautiful mare in Equestria. That the only thing that could compare to my glow was the sun I moved in the sky.” Twilight started to see that her mentor and this Hero may have been closer than she originally thought. “It was only a short peck, and could easily be written off as the booze talking… and even then… I kissed him back.” A smile formed across Twilight’s face, starting to miss this Celestia.

Continuing with her reading, she’d skip ahead by a few months. “Year 26, day 311 of the Second Era,” Twilight recognized that date as Hearth’s Warming Eve. “Luna, I don’t even care if you are reading this, I just have to tell somepony. Tonight, I surprised the Hero… my lover, with a great gift. On this night, he and I made love.” Twilight’s smile slowly faded, knowing she was getting into some rather intense content. “The way he took me; he was not gentle. I have heard of how stallions love to cuddle their mares and make them feel loved. He was so much different; he pushed me onto the bed, did things I doubt I can even describe without ruining the pages of this book. He didn’t make me feel loved, he made me feel like a real mare. He took me all night long. By the gods, I thought I’d never walk again. Stallions don’t normally last longer than 15 minutes on average. And yet, he lasted for what felt like hours. I thought I was going mad, but when it was finished, I knew I was destined to be with him” Twilight gulped, feeling the room get a little hotter as she read. She couldn’t read any more, not without reading the former princess go into detailed description of her time with the hero.

Flipping through the pages, avoiding any additional saucy content, Twilight wanted to see what the last entry detailed. When she found it, she’d see that the pages were stained and the ink had been smeared. “Year… who cares honestly. My worst fears have come true. I lost my sister… and now I lost him. The stallion I’ve come to rely on most, the one who was my anchor… the one I felt I could call my king… is gone.” Already there were red flags, telling Twilight that this was not going to end well. And yet she felt the need to persist. “I brought him back to the Tree of Harmony resting under the castle; it was the shortest walk I knew and yet it felt like an odyssey in my memory. We walked side by side in silence, knowing that this was to be our final moments indefinitely. I didn’t want him to go, I begged him, I got on my knees and cried. But he knew that his time here had come. Equestria was at peace, and there was no need for a hero. I still remember what he told me, that he’d return to me when he needed me most. I kept telling him I needed him now, that I needed him at my side. But he did not see it that way.” Twilight skipped ahead a bit, feeling a lump form in her throat.

“I watched every second. I watched as my friend, my king, and my lover vanish all in one flash of light. Even as I write this, I hold the stone in my hand I used to bring him here all those years ago. Thinking I should bring him back. I could bring him back and we could be together. But… I can’t do that. He made me promise not to and I hate him for that. I hate him for making me love him; I never knew a thing like that was possible, but it is. I’ve hidden the stone where nopony can find it. I had it hidden behind…” Twilight perked up, keeping close attention. “I had it hidden behind stone, under the very statue my sister and I built in his honor. I left it behind the plague, right behind the words he spoke to me before I sent him away. I hope wherever he is, he is thinking of me… of what we had together. I know that I am.” The journal ends there, leaving Twilight with a hollow feeling in her chest. Though she had skimmed the book in a few parts, she felt like she had violated a long since dead-trust between herself and her former mentor. She read her thoughts, feelings, and pain; all for a means to an end. And yet, Twilight found what she needed at the cost of her common decency. The mention of the statue in the last entry; Twilight knew what Celestia meant by it and closed the book. She couldn’t read anymore, not yet.

Nearly a year alone Twilight had spent in the castle, turning it upside down for anything of that could lead her to whom she sought. And yet, the key to everything she needed was hidden under her nose the whole time. She felt stupid, more than stupid that she missed something so important and so close by, just to discover it by accident. Yet as she left the library with brisk steps, Twilight made her way down the halls and towards the main entrance where the last physical evidence to the Hero of Harmony stood. Once she found the large doors that lead out into the Everfree, Twilight turned towards a massive monument to Equestria’s greatest hero. The features and intricate details had long since been warn away, and yet she could make out enough to know that the statue was meant for somepony great.

Approaching the statue, she’d set her mentor’s diary down on the base of the rugged sculpture, searching for the details she needed. Every time Twilight had left her hideaway and returned, the very thing she was looking for was staring her right in the face, greeting and seeing her off. If she had known what he was holding, Twilight’s long year of thieving, sneaking, and overall criminal behavior could have been avoided. When all along, all Twilight had to do was walk up to the statue and retrieve what she needed. “I’ve lost so much looking for you.” She’d say to the statue. “My family, my self-respect, my dignity; all trying to bring back a legend that may not have even existed.” She circled the crumbling structure, only to stop when her fingers grazed against something other than stone. “But that’s all going to change. I know you are real and I need your help.”

Turning away from the statue itself, Twilight set her attention to the plaque of faded gold on the statue’s base. She read the words plain as day, even after so many years of it being left unattended. “In the brightest of days,” Twilight began. “In the darkest of hours; call upon me, and I shall be your gleaming tower.” Taking a deep breath, Twilight focused her magical grip around the plaque and started to yank and pull. After a few good tugs, the thin plate of metal snapped off, bringing small chunks of the base with it.

Dropping the plate to the ground, already she was seeing more results now in the last few minutes than in the whole year alone. A small crevice, just barely large enough for Twilight’s hand to fit in; inside she saw a faint glow. Reaching in, she’d pull out a small bag with a spherical mass inside no larger than a golf ball. There was a soft light inside, or at least something was giving off said light. Twilight felt her quizzical mind start to develop questions but those needed to wait for bigger matters at hand. “I’m hoping those words of yours are true.” She turned to the statue once more. “If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what will.” Opening the bag slowly, she’d look inside and saw a purple stone emanating a violet aura. But there was something else in it, resting just over the stone. “Is that…?” Twilight pulled it out, finding it to be a folded sheet of paper. Setting the bag beside the diary, Twilight unfolded the paper to find a note, written by Celestia herself.

“I write this letter to whom it may concern. If you are reading this, then it can only mean that the worst has come to pass and I am no longer with you. I do not know what kind of state Equestria will be in when this note is read, or even if Equestria still exists. But what you hold is no mere gemstone; it is the seed of hope, a treasure beyond worth and power. And if you have sought out this gem, then it must mean that Equestria is facing a dire threat.” Twilight grumbled under her breath, finding this a little ironic for her taste. “I care not how you came to find this gem, but what you hold is far greater than any treasure that could be found in a dragon’s horde. There is a secret cave, deep within the gorge next to my castle. Nopony but I and my sister know of its existence. Anypony who might have has sworn an oath of secrecy to never reveal its existence… and I would hope you do the same. Take this seed, and bring it to the caves. There you will find the final piece. With it, you can bring Eqeustria’s greatest hero back to us. And… if I am indeed no longer with you, I ask that you please tell him... to avenge me. And to let him know I never forgot about him, and that I always loved him. Sincerely, your Princess; Celestia.”

With new knowledge and a new direction, Twilight grabbed both the stone and the diary, placing them into her personal bag to carry. Once her things were secured, Twilight made her way out of the castle and into the cold night air. She’d grip the collar of her coat, trying to keep herself warm. While holding on tight to her coat, Twilight channeled the barest minimum about of magic into her horn; lighting it up as well as her surroundings like a built-in lantern. The castle had a few torches to keep the place illuminated, but beyond that point, the only light source she could rely on was her own.

Approaching the edge of the gorge that surrounded the castle, a bit of unease started to form in the mare’s steps. Twilight could not help but peer over the edge, gazing into the deep abyss below. Part of Twilight scolded herself in doing so, feeling her legs start to shake from being so high up. Calming her nerves, Twilight scanned the ridge, focusing her magic to extend the light out until she found a ridge not too far from where she was. “Well, it’s better than just climbing down… and less dangerous.”

Starting down the path into the gorge, Twilight made sure to keep her coat closed and her light shining. Though she had traversed the Everfree a number of times, the gorged that barred the castle from the forest seemed even more devoid of light than she thought physically possible. Her light could barely extend farther out than 5 feet from her horn, and she hadn’t even reached the bottom. It wasn’t until reaching the end of the path that Twilight felt chills run up her spine. The sound of predators off in the distance, sending a small stint of paranoia into the mare. “I am seriously regretting this.” Terrified of what could become of her, Twilight was about ready to head back up and wait until morning until she felt something tug in her bag. An outside force moving against her will, nudging her to continue; all of which came from within her book-bag.

Feeling around her, looking for the anomaly, Twilight brought out bag containing the stone. The light within had grown exponentially and now looked the bag was trying to smother a star. Curious, Twilight opened up the burlap container and brought out the stone, getting a closer look at it. Reacting to her touch, the stone started to float up from her palm and when from a simple spherical shape and started to sprout six sharp points. In the blink of an eye, the stone had changed its shape to something a little more familiar to Twilight. “My… cutie-mark?” Twilight’s free hand drifted to the side of her rear, knowing that the gem now sported an intense resemblance to the mark she bore on her buttocks. “This is… weird. Really weird.” And yet the weirdness kept coming. Pulling itself out of Twilight’s grasp, the glowing stone started to float away, acting on its own will. “H-Hey! Get back here!” She’d call out, giving chase immediately. It started to slowly pick up speed, giving Twilight some unexpected exercise. Despite her pleas for the suddenly animated stone to stop, it did not heed her calls. It had a mind of its own now and it did as it pleased. That is, until it came to a sudden stop at a seemingly random location.

Twilight pounced on the gem like one of the Everfree predators, wrapping both hands around the purple stone with a triumphant call. “Ah ha! Got you!” Keeping her grasp firm around the stone, she’d suddenly feel a lack of ground beneath her hooves. Looking down, Twilight saw that she was suspended about seven inches off of the ground, dangling by a suspended gemstone.

Twilight started to shake and jerk in random directions, trying to pull the gem out of the air with no luck at all. Glad nopony was around to see her defeated by a rock, of all things; Twilight dropped down and took a step back. She’d stretch out her arm and channel her magic around the stone, struggling to move it with the same amount of results she’d get doing so bare handed. She’d grit her teeth, grunting and straining to pull the stone out of the air, or at the very least move it an inch in any direction. But it wasn’t budging, and Twilight felt like her horn was about to explode from all the magic she was pouring into trying to move what felt like a literal unmovable object. Defeated, she let go and stumbled backwards a few feet before taking a moment to catch her breath and let her horn cool down, all the while keeping up her glow. “Okay… you don’t want to move. I can… whooo… I can deal with that.”

Taking a moment to look around, seeing as the stone wasn’t going anywhere, Twilight took the moment to see why of all places the stone stopped in the middle of the canyon. ‘There has to be something around here. Something that I’m…’ She’d turn to the glowing gem once more and had an idea. Ending the light spell, Twilight let darkness consume her. She half-expected to be left in the void, unable to see anything past her muzzle, but she was wrong. The glow from the stone was the only thing capable of being seen, acting as a beacon in the darkness. And that wasn’t all that was glowing in that gorge.

Light seeped out from faint cracks in the walls. A heavenly glow emanating from within, alerting Twilight that something was there. She took a closer look at the rock-face, finding that the while thing wasn’t entirely solid. “I think I can solve this. Could use something to vent my frustrations.” She started to crack her knuckles and de-stress her limbs; after her one-sided game of tug-of-war with the stone, Twilight was ready to prove to herself that she wasn’t getting rusty with her magic. Concentrating on emotions of rage, frustration, and determination, Twilight felt her hands and horn start to vibrate and hum with power. Rearing her hands back, she’d thrust out her arms and in doing so, firing a potent magical beam at the wall, resulting in a loud explosion that echoed out through the Everfree.

Boulders and massive stones were pummeled into gravel after one blast, to which Twilight threw up a shield spell, focusing on things she wanted to keep protected, her well-being and the stone being one of them. Once the dust started to settle, the mare felt she needed to adjust her eyes to this new source of light radiating out of the cave. The intensity was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and yet Twilight could feel all of her negative emotions melt away into nothing when in the presence of this light. She felt calm, safe, and everything suddenly felt like they were going to be OK. That is, until Twilight took notice of the stone on the move again.

The moment she saw it moving, Twilight followed it inside. Blasted and scorched dirt and stone slowly gave way to majestic crystal roots flowing all around and digging deep into the surrounding walls. Twilight followed the trail of crystal all the way to its source; a tower of crystalline branches with five bulbs that could loosely be called fruit. Left in awe by the beauty of this hidden wonder, Twilight approached slowly and watched as the stone slowly embedded into a slot that perfectly resembled its shape.

Taking a few steps closer until she was about ten feet away from the tree, Twilight took a deep breath and readied herself for just about anything. “I don’t know if you can hear me… I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do or say. But we need help, now more than ever. Equestria is dying; our people are miserable and being killed indiscriminately. Celestia…” Twilight felt a lump in her throat, tears swelling up in her eyes. “Celestia is not herself. I can’t stop her, nopony can. Nopony… except for you. Please… we need your help. I need your help. Come back.” Making her pleas to the tree, Twilight waited for anything. A shimmer, a hum, anything that could tell her that somepony heard her. But there was nothing; not a single response that anything was listening. Defeated once more, Twilight lets out a sigh after a whole five minutes of silence. “I should have known; another dead end.”

Turning her back, Twilight took several steps to leave when she heard something shift in the ground. Her ears perked up, returning to face the tree with a quizzical look. The tree had sprouted a sudden spire that pierced through the ground for what looked like no apparent reason. She watched the tree start to sprout more spires, adjacent to the first. It started with one new spire, then two, then four… then sixteen. Multiplying more and more, growing in size and shape. Before long Twilight started to notice the glow of the tree was growing in intensity, watching as a makeshift threshold had been form from the very roots of the tree itself. She had to shield her eyes or risk going blind as the light got brighter and brighter every second. To make things worse, Twilight started to hear a high-pitched ringing; she pulled down her ears, trying to protect her senses from this onslaught of sensory overload. It felt like she was on the verge of going mad as everything around her started to fade away and she’d let out a scream of fear at what was happening.

The light filled the gorge like a rush of water, flooding it and the surrounding land with light to rival that of a thousand suns. When the gorge was full however, the light shot straight into the sky; lighting both it and the Everfree with its immense glow. Creatures ran away in terror, the loud ringing driving away beasts with its insufferable high-pitched attack while creatures with sensitivity to light ran far and away in terror to hide from this alien happenings.

The nearby village and its inhabitants were awakened by this unusual phenomenon, disturbed from their sleep as they all saw the light shoot up into the sky. Nopony knew what it meant, they all were seeing the same thing and yet it felt like a dream. Even ponies far, far away from the Everfree saw the pillar of light as it lit up the night sky, all the way from Manehattan to Fillydelphia.

In the city of Canterlot, the noble-ponies of the land watched from their homes and villas high in their mountain city. Not even the brightest of pony make sense of what was going on. Gossip started to take hold, thoughts and ideas of who or what was responsible for this light show. Wild ideas started to take root. Some believed it was the birth of another alicorn, others believed it to be an intense battle, and a handful believed it to be an omen from beyond. All were wrong, but one mare knew the truth.

In the center of Canterlot, watching from her bedroom window with a look of disbelief and awe, a towering mare with a mane of fire watched frozen in place. Her heart started to beat like a drum, knowing what, or rather whom was the cause of this bizarre happenings. The mare of fire wiped away tears of joy, overwhelmed by what she was seeing, however.

A knock came from her door, disturbing her nostalgic bliss. “Empress Daybreaker!” A pony called out. One of her guards had come to tell her what she already knew. “Y-Your highness, there is something happening in Ponyville. I’m getting reports asking the same thing and nopony has any answers!” The door opened, revealing the empress to the stallion, fully nude no less. He’d suddenly forget why he came to her room, stunned by her beauty. “I… I- uh… I-…” He’d stammer, glued to her luscious curves and pillowy breasts.

“Do not worry yourself with it.” She’d say with a smile, bringing him to face her and not her marehood. She had the biggest smile he had ever seen, let alone anypony had ever seen for that matter. “This is no threat to our empire and not to anypony for that matter. In fact, this is cause for celebration.”

“C-Celebration, your grace?”

“Indeed. Somepony is coming; somepony that will aid us in our quest for peace and dominance.”

“I- yes, your highness.”

“Ready a train and my personal guard. We are heading for… er… what was that little village out there called?” She motioned out to the small village about a day’s travel away.

“I-It’s Ponyville, ma’am.”

“Ah yes… Ponyville. Let the guards know of my arrival by noon tomorrow. I will be heading out the moment I raise the sun.”

“I will send the message out immediately. Is there anything else, I can do for you?” the nude empress took a moment to think on that and smiled.

“Yes… tell my harem that their services are no longer required.”

“A-Are you sure, your highness?”

“Oh, believe me, my little knight; it is unbecoming of an empress to sleep around with other males when she has an emperor at his side.” The guard started to feel his cheeks fluster, envy seeping into his mind at this strange new stallion. “But they have served me well these past years. Tell them they are to report to Empress Symphonia’s Pleasure Palace in the Crystal Empire. She may can take them off my hands, stars above know she loves breaking in new stallions.”

“V-Very well, your grace. And… what of your sister? Shall I call upon her to accompany you? This does seem like both of you should attend to.” The empress considered bringing her little sister to this meeting, but after the last time, she felt that perhaps that should wait until she’s had time to adjust

“No. This meeting will be between myself and my entourage. Besides, Moony may not want to be around the one who imprisoned her for a thousand years.”

“O-oh! Wait… are you saying that…”

“Yes, my little knight.” The empress lets out an arousing moan of satisfaction. “My Hero of Harmony has returned to me.”

~~~~~~

Twilight slowly started to regain consciousness. She had passed out after what felt like being hit by a knock-out spell turned to full-blast… twice. She slowly opened her eyes, seeing that the cave was intact after an intense display of magic. The tree itself had returned to its original state, the spires that had popped from the ground vanished from sight. Not even a hole or opening to prove they even existed remained. Everything that had happened left the mare confused, her mind trying to process everything that happened. Then again, she’d say everything up to this point was confusing. But all of that faded when Twilight took note of the one new development in the cave; something that made all previous questions seem minuscule in comparison. Resting at the base of the tree was a creature Twilight had never seen before. It bore the resemblance of a pony, but its body was practically bald, say for a small patch of hair on its head. Not only that, but she’d take not that the creature lacked hooves like she did, instead sporting appendages similar to hands with smaller fingers. This thing was an absolute mystery, and yet she craved to know more about it.

Approaching the creature, cautiously making sure that it wasn’t just playing possum, Twilight took a closer look at the being with the most scientific means known to modern science; she started to poke and prod. His firm and fleshy body feeling warm to the touch, Twilight was already busy taking mental notes, overflowing with observations and details. After a couple pokes however, the creature started to groan in annoyance. “Eep!” Twilight shot back, standing on one leg as she was nearly scared to death unintentionally by the creature. The purple unicorn nearly shot off the ground after it started to move on its own, but she was glad to learn that it wasn’t dead.

Eyes locked on the unmoving creature, Twilight moved closer once more to continue her scientific study of the alien. Despite the lack of fur, she was able to make out subtle muscle definition in the arms and legs; it was built like an earth pony but was lean and slender like a pegasus. But there was something she took note of that she wished she hadn’t. Between his legs was a very noticeable, and very alien asset that told her that this being was indeed male. Very much so in fact, turning the reclusive mare several shades of pink in the cheeks.

She’d gulp and use her magic to lift him off the ground. “L-Lets continue this in the castle, maybe get you something to wear too.” Engulfing him in her magic, Twilight levitated her new finding off the ground and started for the castle, eager to see what else she could find about the creature.

~~~~~~

Setting her new test subject down in the secret room she had discovered, specifically in the only bed that was left in the castle, Twilight started to make sketches and take notes of features s not to forget. She’d take notes of his body, some places more than others, taking note of his alien distinctions from herself and it, and tried to draw any similar attributes from this and the Hero of Harmony. After what happened, she had no doubt that this thing was indeed the Hero of Harmony she had been searching for, however. Twilight had learned long ago that it was always best to double check before making an assumption. Once she was done with his front, she’d push him over and made a rather interesting discovery. Having heard that the Hero of Harmony was capable of flight like a Pegasus, Twilight was half-expecting to find a pair of wings on his back but she found something completely different.

Embedded in the creature’s back was a large ring of gold with six grey gems; one resting in the center and the other five taking up points of a star around the ring. Placing her hand on its surface, expecting to feel his soft flesh once more but instead found that it was cold and metallic. The ring of gold had been embedded into its flesh, looking almost as if it had been there his whole life. But somehow, that wasn’t the strangest part of all this. “I know I’ve seen this before. But… where…” Feeling a hunch, Twilight stood up, deep in thought. “I need to check my notes for this.” She turns to the creature in the bed, smiling in triumph. “I’ll be back in a bit. I’ll see if I can’t get you something to something to eat… and also to wear.” Twilight took a few steps out, only to hear the creature groan and turn in the bed. The mare froze in place when she heard it speak.

“Mmmph… thanksh…” Twilight understood that, she couldn’t believe that she heard the creature speak, in her language no less. Knowing that communication was not going to be an issue, Twilight felt that her future was looking up for herself. Though she had about several million questions, Twilight could wait for him to awaken. She waited a whole year to bring him, what was a few minutes more.

Trotting away, Twilight went to fetch some food and some clothes he could wear. But when she left the room, the creature started to twist and turn as it slowly emerged from its slumber. The bed was firm and not in the slightest comfortable, a fact the creature took note of as it slowly awoke. The smell of dust was something he couldn’t escape and when it was too much, the tingling in his nose brought the creature to let out a loud sneeze that echoed out through the castle, effectively bringing him into the waking world once more. Slowly rising from bed, the creature rubbed his head to ease an intense pounding he felt. “Owhhhhh… what did I do last night?” The creature sat hunched over, eyes heavy like lead but still mustering enough strength to observe his surroundings. While having that feeling of unfamiliarity was normal after a long sleep, the creature was questioning if said feeling should be this prominent. “Where… where the hell am I?” Taking notes of the unfamiliar surroundings, the creature looked around the secret room, curious about where he ended up. He saw the decrepit library outside, taking in the crumbling stone and dusty books. “Did… Did I pass out in a library?” A sudden draft blew in, sending chills up his spine. “W-Where the hell are my clothes?! What is going on- ack!” He felt a harsh stinging in his skull, almost like a thin needle had been inserted into his skull. Crawling out of the bed, the creature made for a full body mirror, stumbling up and trying to balance long enough to look at himself. Blowing away some dust, the creature took a look at himself and took in some interesting elements.

“W-What the?!” He held onto the mirror, looking at himself in utter shock and horror. “M-My hair?! Who the hell dyed my hair blond?” He ran a hand through his golden mane, remembering it very differently. “And… Jesus Christ my eyes… m-my eyes are… glowing?!” He looked himself square in the eyes; his irises glowing a neon green that illuminated his face. “W-Wait… who’s face is this? This isn’t my face! Th-This isn’t my face!?” Panic started to seep into him, backing away before the creature fell backwards onto the ground, his eyes still glued to the unfamiliar reflection. “What the hell is going on here?” He heard someone clear their throat, and standing in the threshold was Twilight, holding a set of clothes in one hand and bread in the other.

The two were staring at one another, unsure of what to say or how to approach things. Twilight held her breath, scared and overjoyed that he had awoken so soon; the creature looking back her with confusion, fear, and a hint of suspicion. And yet, with everything that piling up, the two did the one thing they knew on how to properly sum up their feelings.

“AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAGH…!!!”

The sound of their screaming filled the castle, echoing out halfway through the Everfree. This was to be the first interaction between pony and the returning Hero of Harmony. Hopefully events proved to be an improvement for things to come.