Soul of Avalon

Chapters

Prologue
Heart Of the Storm
The "Mane" Six

Prologue

Prologue:

-Creation of the Higher Heavens-

"We are never far from your reach, your cry will never go unanswered. Our Council and Courts will watch over you and your families for generations. With our upmost responsibility, we will take whatever action is needed to keep both of our worlds safe." -- Dusk, the founding Pegasus of Equestria.

There was a chiseled physique of the skies that century where the architects gathered to discuss their news of the day and successes over the years. Stones were being raised by teams of Pegasi and windows being refined of the glass found in the rare sands of Equestria itself. There was an air to the place being built, and in its Majesty would be born a future community within itself that made its Grandeur even brighter than its architecture as a whole. Small communities were put up for Ponies that had passed away- so in its greatest essentials, it was exactly like Equestria- but only with embodied souls from those passed away. The air was filled with the smell of burning coals fueling the iron being smelted for the super structure of the two sides of the Higher Heavens as established by the three founding ponies of Equestria itself; the first Pegasus, Earth Pony, and Unicorn. After reaching the Higher Heavens, they each used their various abilities to start the Heavens on its way to being built.

Their connection to the mortal world that had been created was simple- the bodies of the Ponies in the Heavens could not stray into the mortal world, only their invisible souls could collect such the materials for their only heaven, and the souls of those mortals in Equestria could not stray into heaven, for their bodies were no longer considered alive. The agreement worked for all, and it worked its magic for the beginning of the creation of the Higher Heavens. Several ponies looked down and declared themselves good enough to answer the call of the ponies in Equestria who called up to the Heavens for peace and tranquility. The Higher Heavens soon not only became a resting place for ponies who passed, but a link to near Godliness.

"The creation of this world must not need to be perfected," the Pegasus founder stated as he eyed each and every architect, "but it must be genuine, must be perfect in your eyes. Your generation has been called to construct another layer upon this world. Lay down your legacies, impress us with your abilities and make it known that you were once exactly like the Equestrians below us," each of the Architects took a pledge of honor to their own generation's architecture, and each went off in a direction they sought best to start building their second or third legacy. This gave the Higher Heavens a detailed, rustic look. Many generations had already built something upon the limitless land. The founders had agreed that soon, rules would be placed upon this beauty and peace be at hand. Any sign of chaos or discord would collapse the superstructure. The skyline had soon become a joy to look at and watch. Candles were blown out at night and the whole landscape would grow dark, but never eerie. It looked exactly like the Eastern mountains of Equestria, but with a more natural curve. The blooming Heavens surprised even the founders.

* * *

Centuries passed and the Higher Heavens had established self-sufficiency and started to teach Equestria the same if they hadn't already. By that time, the Heavens' architecture had blossomed into something truly spectacular- the two Governmental structures rose higher than any other building in all of Heaven. They each rose four or more stories high, arches were at every level, adorned with carvings and endless stories of the time period, and a dome near the top, surrounded by supporting pillars. On top were the two flags of the structure-- the Council of Heaven and the Courts of Angels. It was declared by their superior founders that they meet every one-hundred years to discuss the passing of the previous year and what was to be done in the next one-hundred. They had one year to discuss the matters and what to do about them. For six centuries the Council and the Courts met, in agreement and sometimes not, but that never stirred any suspicion within Heaven. Not for even a moment.

But one building rose higher than even the Governmental superstructures- the Pinnacle of Hope rose high above them, making the exact center of the Heavens and Equestria. It was not only the meeting place of the Council and Courts, but also the link- the only link- to Equestria. Here the founders met to discuss the surviving of both worlds as one connected body. Past centuries brought concern, but never despair. The Heavens had several plans to retain balance and peace between either world if they ever needed it badly enough.

"What if Equestria were to fall into madness?" the Unicorn inquired, her elder voice speaking clearly and worriedly. She cast her gaze to the other two founding members.

"Madness? The only way our creation would fall into madness would be if we were to abandon it," the Earth Pony piped up. His voice was deep and controlled. He had looked directly at the Unicorn as he spoke. The Pegasus spoke lastly, agreeing with neither, but standing in the center of their two points,

"Madness if we abandon them? Yes. But will they fall into madness themselves? Certainly not..." she spoke lightly and freely, her tone soft. "I was thinking of some back up plans in case Equestria ever does fall into a deep enough darkness or madness destroys them,"
She began to lead her two fellow founders down a winding set of stairs, seemingly constructing themselves out of nowhere.
"You've become quite good at constructing something out of nothing, Pegasus," the Unicorn noted, clearly impressed, "perhaps we should give more Pegasi that ability," the Pegasus laughed- a little over confidently and replied back,

"Oh, that would be too much, dear Unicorn. We gave you the magic and us only the ability to fly and walk on clouds, which is enough for me," she fluttered her wings and the Earth Pony chuckled.

"And we are the naturally strong ones, thank you," the Unicorn and Pegasus laughed together as the Unicorn answered,

"Yes indeed, Earth Pony, yes indeed," by that time, the winding steps had been fully constructed from glass and white marble, their brilliance shining down in the form of giant poles reaching down from the top of the cylindrical tower. As the Pegasus led the other two down the cobblestone hallway, candles immediately flickered up and their light cast soft shadows down the corridor.

"What exactly is this plan?" the Unicorn inquired carefully, her eyebrows raised. The Pegasus smiled as she turned her head back to glance at her.

"These," the Pegasus mentioned, motioning her hoof towards the six ponyquins standing side-by-side. They glowed with a mysterious inner force, a fierce lighting emitted from both of them. Each was a different color, their radiance was brilliant and beautiful, taxingly gorgeous.

"What in the world are these?..." the Unicorn asked under her breath. She gawked at the ponyquins and the Pegasus turned her head to look at the Unicorn.

"I created these when I was thinking of the various things in our lives, Unicorn." the Unicorn narrowed her eyes in confusion and inquired, finally sitting back on her haunches,

"And that was?" The Pegasus walked around her creations and listed off the six things,

"Fate, Hope, Lie, Truth, Destiny and Time." the Earth Pony shifted uncomfortably around on his hooves and said equally uncomfortable,

"Are you sure you should be messing with the Essences of Life?" The Pegasus stopped short and glanced back at the Earth pony.

"I haven't encased them, they'll be here when they are needed..." the Pegasus started but slowly she trailed off into thinking. She picked up her comment shortly after, "but... we could infuse them with a soul and release that pony into the world if its ever needed," the Unicorn raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth as if she were to shout, but only her natural voice came from her throat as she stated gently,

"That's quite a plan you've set up with the essences, dearest. But it will only take a powerful kind of magic to infuse six essences within one soul. One day you do realize they must be released?" the Pegasus nodded, a powerfully simple smile on her face.

"Only when summoned by their keeper," The Unicorn walked up to the Pegasus and put a hoof out to get her attention.

"And when do you suppose this is going to happen? You have no control over Fate!" the Pegasus' ears laid flat after she heard the comment and replied softly,

"That's not the intent... Fate's embodiment is contained within this glass Ponyquin. It will speak when spoken to, and I guarantee you, it will get its time," the Unicorn sighed and retorted,

"Oh? When do you think will that be?" the Pegasi frowned and stared at the ground as she answered stiffly,

"I'm afraid I don't know that, and you won't either,"

* * *

-The Council and the Court-

It was the middle of the year that the Council and the Court could meet, and the decisions and fights they had been getting into wasn't making things any easier. Stirring tension made the founders worried that their paradise would fall into complete destruction if the Council and Court couldn't settle on a decision that would keep the peace. Winds were growing stronger that season and rains came and went frequently. Some other power was stirring the souls of the ponies in the Heavens. Every particle of dust seemed to settle upon the meeting hall of the Pinnacle of Hope, but with every hoof-step the ponies from either Governmental side took, the dust as shaken off. The grand architecture still awed them, no matter who they were or which side they were on, but once past the oak double doors, war was on. And the intensity of it increased dramatically. No other century had created such tension as the past- Equestria was slowly growing and had set up its own system of leadership to rule the kingdom. The Higher Heavens was still called to, and few Alicorns made it close to making it through the gates that guarded them. Though Equestria had a leader and seldom called to the Heavens, it was slowly descending into madness every second the Higher Heavens spent more time arguing over issues than delivering back a message of hope to satisfy the hunger that dwelled in the hearts of many ponies who tried to understand the Higher Heavens.

The best of the Council of Heaven and the Courts of Angels were seated at the Pinnacle of Hope, each holding their answer to themselves. Each had a seat, a vote and a time to speak. When the votes were laid, the drafts were to be shown and construction immediately laid out. Not a moment's notice was wasted- the best of the best had been gathered to discuss the matters at hand.

"Equestria no longer needs us, as they've become self sufficient in their ways to continue," one of the Council members stated, standing up and speaking loudly. His voice echoed around the chamber, and Celestia's endless light would streak through the windows and flirt madly with the dust from the ended construction of the chamber.
"I think not! Equestria will always need us!" another Colt yelled. He was in the attire of the Courts of Angels. The first Council member to speak barked back in reply,

"Oh yeah? How? Who in the bucking world has cried out to us in the past one-hundred years, huh? Name one!" The colt from the Courts sat down and the Colt from the Council stuck out his chin in an effort to show he won the argument and said, "That's right. Equestria doesn't need us anymore! Not one of you can name a time since we all last met that we've been needed!"

"Hold on!" a young mare with dark blue bangs shouted, "Who do you think you are!? Equestria may not show us it needs us, but it always will! You have to hope they do!" The colt spun around on his heels and retorted again, his voice sharp,

"I am the leading member of this Council, thank you very much! And what, is the essence of Hope going to save us? Since when did Old Mare's Tales save us back in Equestria, Lily?"
The mare named Lily half leapt across the table, but she was held back by supporting members of the Courts. Becoming relaxed again, the Council member sat down and another stood up, holding details of the Tether in his mouth. He dropped them on the table and rolled them out. Objects were placed at every corner to keep the paper from rolling back on itself, and once the entire Blueprint was laid out, the Court members gasped.

"Now," the Stallion who had stood up announced his presence and continued, "the Council believes a Tether should be built between Equestria and the Higher Heavens, seeing Equestria no longer is in need of us," murmur shifted between all members of the Court and a little on the side of the Council. The Stallion slammed his hoof on the table to get their attention again, and he went on, "this Tether will be spiritually bound by Contracts. These contracts will be life-time imprisonments were, meaning none of you, and I mean none of you will be able to leave the Higher Heavens. Ever." Silence deafened the room. Jaws dropped, wings twitched insanely. The Stallion thinly smiled.

"I'm glad we agree," he stated. He began handing everypony in the room slips of paper that contained their cutie mark, and a number written below it. "Those are your contracts," he noted, standing before all the members, he was suddenly pushed off by the first Court member to speak.

"We can't just decide to build this Tether!"
. He glared back at the Stallion, who slowly walked back up the steps to announce the final plan.

"The final plan is this," he started slowly, "the Tether is a spiritual-bound boundary that none of us can break. It's fueled by the magic of the Unicorns who have passed into the realm of magic that they cannot come out of their trance. Your Contracts are also soul-bound, which means you can never leave the Tether with your soul in-tact..." he trailed quickly off, and equally as quickly back on after he grumbled to himself, "unless you're a lucky bucking pony..." "but anyways!" he kept up his pre-recorded-like voice, "who is opposed?"

"I thought we had made a deal on not to build a Tether!" one of the Court members yelled. He stood up, his pitch black mane shining in the dim light, "At the last meeting we had agreed! Why didn't you let us know earlier?"

"Because we couldn't have!" The Stallion yelled back, "one-hundred years ago, we declared that you can't announce news at a date not set for our meetings!" the Court member kept rallying his argument,

"You cheating bastards! You went against our decision! We'll declare war on you! You're going to die in your places!" The Stallion suddenly seemed hushed, but only for a glistening moment. He darkly grinned.

"Going to war, huh?" he started thickly, "If it's a war the Court wants," he stamped his hoof and a Hooded Colt appeared from the doorway of the Chamber, "It's a war you will get."

"But remember, Equestria will begin to fall into malice and chaos!" Lily screamed, "You don't realize what you'll be doing is murder!" The Stallion winced at every word. He knew it was true, but he denied it in his mind.
"Throw this screaming pony off the edge of the Heavens," he simply stated. He could hear her being muffled and brought out of the Chamber room, and he shuddered. In the back of his mind, he thought, Hope, save us all. After the fact, he turned his attention to the now completely hushed room. he stepped down from his pedestal and heard one of the Court members say in a hushed tone,

"But what if someone shatters the Tether?" the Stallion blinked dumbly and he remained quiet. No one told me that would be possible, he thought. He re-gained his confidence in the matter and walked up to the Court member who had spoken to him.

"It's impossible," he stated simply, "There would be no point because you'd be disobeying your contract," he slowly said the last three words of his sentence and the Court member remained quiet.

"I'm saying what if someone did?" the Stallion glared at the member and stated again,

"It. Is. Impossible."

* * *

-Many years later-

Madness swept her arching wing over the land of Equestria as the Tether was being built. With every contract, one more day passed that was of darkness. Malice introduced himself as an essence of darkness and discord, the night seemed forever in its favor. Light seemed to have vanished from the parched Earth. Equestria seemed as if it were dying, seething and teething off of the ponies left to survive on the little that remained sane. Equestria soon fell into such chaos that wars broke out amongst its dwindling ponyfolk. Gems were converted into counter-weights for basic daggers and swords and duels were set up every night to help weed out the weak and find some way to feed the beast of malice itself. On this particular evening, where the moon had arisen to the point where darkness shrouded everything, the lights were swallowed up immediately. A cloaked Stallion stood at one end of the cheap dirt road that led virtually to nowhere but the divide of the land, and at the other, everypony who had tried to defeat him had been killed. Their blood still stained the ground and their bodies cheaply disposed of. A crowd had gathered, but no one would go offer themselves to fight. One of the head leaders of the small cheap town hoof-picked a member of the crowd, calling her out,

"You! You've always seemed stronger than everyone else, get up there!" he stated, shoving her to the empty end of the street. Another Colt handed her a curved scythe, which she grasped tightly in her small jaw and she narrowed her eyes and thought to herself, Mom, this is for you... but at that same moment, she felt a warm sensation flood her body, and the last thing to go through her mind was Fate's words, You can't own Fate, darling. At that instant, she felt a tingling throughout her entire body and a burst of white light consumed everything in its radiance. In the middle of the spectacular event, the leader of the town yelled,
"Go!"

The young cream-colored mare sped to her target, her small wings flapping hard against the stale, dry air, and she swung her head as she saw the shining blade of her opponent- but she felt a sharp stinging pain by her ribs, followed by two swift cuts near her wings. She shrieked and rolled in the dust, her blood pumping out two stubs by her back and a gaping wound in her side. Getting weakly up, she ignored the pain as much as possible and ran back towards her target. She swung wildly, seeing that the whole world had been seemingly consumed in the white light, and she felt the scythe sink into the back of her opponent. He screamed in pain and swiftly managed to sink another dagger into her side. She held her mouth shut as best she could, but she still let out a small scream of pain. She tore it out and staggered back, breathing heavily as she glared at the Stallion who had nearly ended her life. The Stallion stared back, and only a few seconds later, both of them collapsed.

* * *

-The Higher Heavens-

A piece of the darkness of Equestria had settled upon the Higher Heavens, making it gloomy and no longer living. The Pinnacle of Hope as always lit no matter what, and it gave a sign to those who had no decision on being Tethered away from their mortal world that something could still be done. It took three generations to finish the Tether, and in turn, all the Contracts had been written up and locked away, except for one. One Pegasus refused to keep with it. She fought the odds when she could and had always lost, but she always fought. Her death had been announced on both sides of the Tether, and shock was only felt from the Higher Heavens, and while serving her time, she always remembered the days she took her first hoof-step to hear her final contract.

* * *

-Flashback-

Celestia's light was dim as it tried to pry its way through the thickened clouds below the Tether. The weight of the world was pressing upon the Higher Heavens, and they knew they could feel it just as much as any other pony did. However, but the Council had learned that emotion and the morally dubious Ponies could only hinder their decision making. The stained-glass windows were all ready, the pillar standing straight and tall, and only one thing was left: the Contract. The hooded colt stood at the front of the hall, and several steps down was the cream colored mare. Her soul had been reunited with her body once more, and she couldn't say she wasn't grateful for at least that- but that her contract had been disobeyed, and a new one was being drafted just for her. It guaranteed her death if she tried to leave ever again, it was a deal she couldn't have made because she didn't understand the gravity of the situation. Of course, she was tenacious, a fighter. Someone strong-willed. She couldn't stand to lose to the odds of death; she had taken on those odds before.

"You," the hooded colt stated, directing his voice towards the cream mare, "welcome back to the Higher Heavens," he sneered. He picked up an oak box that had the cream mare's cutie mark and set it aside. He pulled from his left side some parchment and a quill and began to write,

"This contract serves as a life-time imprisonment for being once Banished from the Higher Heavens, for returning without consent, and believing she could save the Mortal world from falling into complete and utter madness." he scoffed, giving off a blunt laughter.

"You failed in your attempt to try and save the mortal world," he stated dryly, putting the small-worded contract in the box and setting it back on his desk. "I didn't think you'd want to return, however," the cream mare stepped forward and half-yelled,

"I didn't! This is only place that I could go to!" the hooded colt gave off a dim silent nature before speaking,

"Besides the grave? They didn't bury your body and give you proper rights to leave the earth," the cream mare shook her head in frustration and yelled,

"What!? Why does everything need to be on a bucking Contract!?" the hooded colt only gave off a mad grin not even the cream mare could see, and he turned around and excused the banished Pegasus.

"When you banish the Pegasus," he called over his shoulder to the guards who were taking her away, "give her some time to think, tell her she'll never break us, the Tether, or the Council. We've made our deals and odds and ends," the Guards nodded and slowly took the Pegasus out of the Grand Hall.

* * *

The Guards carelessly threw the cream mare into a cell near the bottom of the Grand Hall, and they told a Unicorn nearby to put up a noise-blocking spell as well as a spell to keep the entrance to the cell blocked. The unicorn did as she was told, and the cream mare sat back on her haunches and blankly stared through the invisible wall. It's not impossible to break something mostly spiritual, the cream mare thought to herself, well... I'm not sure... she frowned as she curled up in the back of her cell, ... but it's not impossible. She slowly dozed off and fell asleep.

* * *

-Supposedly a life-time later-

Have you ever wondered if you could have a second chance at something you knew you could have saved? Have you ever thought how you could beat the odds that were stacked against you?

Rain fell heavily against every window that night in all of Equestria, a black night that had eternally arisen from the ashes of the heavens, some said. Others said that those who worked at the cloud factory had made too many clouds and the Pegasi that had to take care of them were lazy. Even more claimed that in an old mare-tale that the heavens were heading to war; with whom, for what, and why were all questioned. But it was considered worthy enough to try. The Higher Heavens were never known to linger between the Tether to Equestria, but this war was creating a boiling point between the two, which would soon bleed into Equestria itself. Across Equestria, the most brilliant mares and colts were brought together at a conference to discuss what was to happen- not only to them, but what might happen if the Tether was to be broken. By whom, it was still unsure, but the doubts that the Tether was to be broken was high.

I wanted to win. There were odds I just couldn't watch stack against me. I was going to break them.

Thunder roared in the Higher Heavens, the ancient cobblestone walls crumbling as armies of colts marched across the various roads connecting the Higher Heavens together. The clouds gathered there could not be moved by even the most skilled team, only the Highest power could remove them. But in the courts of the Higher Heavens, where the most essential essences of life met, the embodiment bastard mare of them was sentenced to a life time imprisonment. Ever since the Higher Heavens had Tethered themselves away from Equestria, the tension inside the gates of the Higher Heavens gave way to war. The leader of the Heavens had gone against the Courts of the Angels' decision to keep connection with all of Equestria to avoid Equestria going rampant with madness.

A cream-colored Pegasus stepped onto the Court's stained-glass floor, her rust and gold-colored mane finely glittering, her amber eyes set firmly upon the silhouetted figure at the front of the elongated room. The room was adorned with stained-glass windows all along the sides and had supporting pillars lining the walls, and a high-vaulted ceiling to match. The front stained-glass window depicted the Equestrian world and the High Heavens Tethered together as one world, for since the founders of Equestria had died, they created the High Heavens so both worlds could stay in contact with each other. The building stood four stories high, arches adorning every floor, pillars and ancient architecture at its finest from the ponies who had passed before the tether was made. The only thing allowed to filter through the Tether was Celestia's sunlight, and it warmed the stained-glass floors that the cream Pegasus was standing on.

"I know why you have come here," the hooded Colt said. His voice was deep, his face could not be seen, and he faced away from the mare as he stared through the front window.

The cream Pegasus lightly shifted her feet and cleared her throat and after removing bangs from her eyes she said, "Then say it."

The hooded Colt turned around and in the blackness that was his head, he seemed to stare straight through the cream mare. He didn't step down from the cobblestone steps that divided him from her, but only stood there, his tail lazily shifting and twitching now and then. The silence filled in the gap of his next words.

"You're here to end your contract, aren't you?" He grabbed a long oak box using his magic and pulled it towards him. On the cover was etched the cream mare's cutie mark and inside was her contract- supposedly. The cream mare took a step forward, but was shunned by another blank stare from the darkness of the hood. She took a step back and more silence filled the gap in between them.

My contract was complete, I had served my time. I had to break the odds that were still against me. I had to break it- the only thing separating me from the Earth.

"I watched Equestria fall into madness for years during my contract! I need to go back!" The cloaked Colt stamped his hoof upon the floor, and the echo shuddered the dimming candles lining the darker parts of the hall. Celestia's perpetual sunlight dimmed dangerously, darkening the hall immensely.

"You cannot go back!" he roared, making his words clear, "We made a deal!" The cream mare narrowed her eyes and fluttered her wings in frustration.

"You can't just leave them there! THEY'LL DIE!"

"You should have known that before you were sent here!"

"How could I have known!?"

"You're the bastard Mare of them!" "YOU KNEW!" The cream mare sat down and lowered her head. Tears struggled to stay capsulated in her eyes, so they dribbled down her face. The hooded mare remained standing. The cream mare would never have been able to tell that a grin was ridden on his face.

In the blink of an eye, the cream mare charged forward, a two-pronged spear held by a magical force held within her, and as she threw it towards the Colt, the Colt stopped it, shattered it, and remained standing. The cream mare struggled to keep her jaw from dropping as she felt a force pick her up and throw her across the room. Blood streaked where she landed and slid across the floor. Groaning, she got up and took out a dagger she was hiding by her hoof and threw it again towards the Colt.

The Colt rallied it, and the cream mare grabbed it and rallied it back. The candles flickered dangerously and as another dagger rallied among the one already flying through the air, the candles blew out immediately. As the cream mare stood aside, she heard the daggers strike soft flesh and flood dribble onto the floor, following a grunt of pain. The grunt came as the sound of fabric crumpled to the ground. As if at signal, Celestia's light gently flickered through the floor, lighting up the hall. The cream mare carefully walked up to the body of the colt and looked at it. She nudged the body and it stirred wildly. The blackness from the hood seemed to reach into her soul and thrash her around the room, breaking pillars and shattering windows.

"The contract was supposed to force you to stay!" the un-colt-like voice roared, shattering the rest of the windows throughout the hall, "You were never supposed to leave!" at that moment, before the cream colored mare hit the floor and landing on the two-pronged spear, she tore free from the magical grip and flung herself upwards, her wings pumping hard against the air. A signal brought on the entire Council of Heaven, armed to the teeth with daggers and powers to keep the cream-colored mare from escaping.

I could feel the fate of the world pressing in on my chest. Hope roared in my eyes what the dying Truth told me at the killing hands of Lies. I was their bastard mare... I was raised in a world I knew I could have saved. They made me a contract, confined me to this world ... escape was at my hooves. I could feel it....

Raising herself to the top of the high-vaulted ceiling, the cream mare dashed down from the ceiling. From the darkness where the Court of Angels stood, they all released their daggers, and as the cream mare threw herself through the daggers, she felt them cut and pierce her hide, and as she passed all them, they turned back around to chase her.

"You don't think I can win, do you!?" she screamed as she raced towards the floor, tears trailing out of her eyes. The hooded colt still laying on the floor had propped himself by the desk and he roared back,

"You aren't supposed to win! You can't beat these odds! Those essences will die within you!" "Equestria doesn't need you!"

"THEN STOP ME!" she screamed, bolting towards the floor, spreading her cream, rust and gold-colored tipped wings. Focusing then solely on her freedom, the end of her contract, she charged towards the glass floor, whispering, "I'm so sorry..."

She collided head-on with the floor, instantly shattering it. She felt the world taper and tear around her, the world collapsing by peeling away like old paint. She could hear the Guardsmen's screams as they were being broken down by the shattered Tether. She began to fall straight through the highest section of the clouds, and could hear nothing but the whistle of the wind past her ears and feel the formation of ice on her body from falling up-side down, wings straight-up through the sky. The very last thing she could see before she passed out was the two-pronged spear shoot through the broken Tether and fly at an unimaginable rate towards her. She saw it, then felt it slice through her body and make her descent all that much quicker.

And for a moment, a fleeting moment, I thought I had won.

* * *

Heart Of the Storm

Chapter I: Heart of the Storm

"I'M SORRY!" the cream-colored mare shrieked as she fell, feeling her body pass through chilling clouds and watch the sun slowly dominate the sky. "I WON'T FAIL YOU THIS TIME, I PROMISE!" she kept screaming. Her tears and blood mingled as it dripped off her, shooting up into the air as she fell. The ice crystals had slowly begun to melt, and her mane and tail were soaking wet. Her amber eyes dripped with pain and she couldn't stop herself from crying. She could feel the time pass and slow down as she fell. The embodiment of time was being drawn out of her. Don't leave me behind, it said to her, I will help you and leave you with my embodiment as I had done so long ago. I am eternal. The mare nodded to herself, and with a small cringe of agony, a bolt of white-hot light radiated off of her. Her continued fall made her feel the time twist and bend around her, seemingly to no end. The stars had soon arisen around her, and the moon wavered willingly above her, giving the two-pronged spear the bleeding limelight of the sky.

As the hours passed, she had no energy conserved to try to keep time slow enough so she could heal her wounds. She summoned hope from within herself and beckoned it. It arose, speaking in soft tones, Stay strong-willed, my young student. Not many fillies have the same hope you did for the sake of Equestria. One day I know you will return. I know. At that, another piercing shot of color radiated off her, and time resumed, but a new will to survive burned lively within her. Letting herself free-fall towards the earth, she opened her eyes and tried to pry the two-pronged spear from her body. Using her magic, she began to pull and tug. Time went faster and faster the more time she had dedicated to healing herself, and by the time she had pulled out the spear, she was crashing through branches, feeling apples hit her shoulders and pelt her wings.

The cream mare hit the ground with a loud shriek and moan of pain, and sharp shk sound as the spear landed right by her. Blood-shot eyed and tired, the mare lay on her side and groaned. She flexed her wings tiredly and looked up at the sky. There were no menacing clouds and the sky seemed perplexed at a falling mare- particularly since she was a Pegasus- who could not simply walk and trot on the clouds to safety instead. She glared up at the dome of the sky and turned her attention to the trees she had just crashed through. They smelled fresh, looked healthy, and the grass was soft, minus her blood still dribbling furiously out of her wounds. She rested her head back and rested her limbs.

I made it... she thought deliriously, I shattered the Tether.

* * *

-The Higher Heavens-

The hooded colt looked around the elongated hall the cream mare had just escaped from. The glass floor had a demeaning, large hole in it and he stared down it repeatedly, day after day since her escape. It's just not possible, he kept saying to himself. Those embodiments should have long since died since her return... his thinking was interrupted as he heard the hoof-steps of his leading officers. Quickly and fluently, he put his hood back over his face and let them walk in.

"Darius, you called of us?" one of the stallions asked. If there was ever a contradiction to tradition, The Higher Heavens would be it. There could be Pegasi who had the strength of an Earth pony or an Earth pony that could fly. However, in the cream mare's case- and a rare one at that- one that could use a highly accessible and large arsenal of magic as a Pegasus.

The hooded colt named Darius seated himself on a piece of furniture and stared at the commanding officer who had addressed him.

"Yes, Ember Frost, I did." The lead Colt named Ember Frost slowly walked up to the base of the stairs where Darius was standing, avoiding the shattered hole where the cream mare had passed through.

"What was it about?" Ember questioned, looking directly at Darius. Darius cleared his throat promptly and turned back around to look out the tall window at the end of the room.

"I want to know if the Courts have made any more progress on trying to dampen our lines," Ember carefully made a movement with his head to have the other officers walk up and stand by him.

"They've retaken the Librarian's Square and parts of our Grand hall," another one said, his voice slightly gruff. He had scars layering his body, his wings were scarred, but he was alive.

"The courts have brought out the Legions of Alicorns as well," the third Colt mentioned. Ember stood straight and prepared to be beaten or tragically thrown out of the Council's military. Darius settled deeper into his chair, and using his magic, pulled up a map of the war effort. Small pins were everywhere on the map of the Higher Heavens. He put pins where Ember had mentioned the Courts were making progress.

"They have brought out the Alicorns, have they?" he inquired for clarification. He turned his face to look straight at the third colt.

"Yes, yes they have," he answered strongly. Darius grunted in frustration. He turned his attention to the map, and saw that the Courts were letting forces lose battles so that the strongest of their forces were inside the Grand Hall, Council-side. He shook his head and setting the map aside, strode down the down, pushed past the three of his officers and pushed open the back doors of the room. They creaked and groaned as he did, and made a booming sound as they magically locked themselves into place. Darius stared into the cobblestone world the founders had built. The sky was pink and airy, and Celestia's light still filtered through the part of the Tether that hadn't been destroyed.

"Get me the Librarian, Council-side, if she's still alive," Darius called behind him. Ember was the officer who responded,

"Yes sir,"

* * *

-The Council's Library-

The Library of the council was not only grand, it was filled with the darker knowledge of the Higher Heavens. The Council had been given permission to keep this knowledge safe by the Courts of Angels. Though separated, the Courts and the Council had both always been part of the same Higher Heavens and both equally protected it by any means possible, despite their drastic differences. But the Library of the Council did not equally reflect what knowledge it held. It was lathered in gold trim and leather furniture, its many crackling fireplaces did it justice to make it seem just like home. But when wartime had appeared, the fanciness went away, and the old sections of the Library burst into life. Candles were lit and the high-arched ceiling boomed with darkness. The doors were opened and many Unicorns came to study- and only study under the best of the best and learn the most difficult of the deadly spells they were meant to carry within themselves.

"Alright!" the lead Unicorn yelled, his voice booming throughout the Library, "Again!" "We don't want our soldiers falling like FLIES out there! We want to END the Courts, not make them any more strong than they are!" "Go!" Every Unicorn's horn was glowing with a fierce magic. Not the usual purple, but a seething, black darkness. White sparks would occasionally accompany them, but as the spells grew more deadly, the risk of falling into a permanent state of that spell was all more than possible.

"You," the Lead Unicorn hand-picked a student from the floor. "Come here and show the rest of these dimwits how to do this spell. If you need, kill one of them." The Unicorn nodded. She was a smaller mare with an auburn mane and light blue eyes. She conducted the spell and the others watched, quite perplexed at the ease and fluidity of their peer. As the lead Unicorn stepped down from her pedestal, the three Stallions from the Hall appeared.

"You're summoned by your Higher Power, Sir Podoll," the lead Unicorn seemed shocked.

"I thought he no longer needed Unicorns to defend the Grand Hall?" The lead Stallion took out his dagger and thrust it under Podoll's chin, growling,

"Don't question your superiors," and as he retreated the dagger, Podoll obediently followed the commanders back through the many shelves of his Library, and soon would be facing the Hooded Colt himself.

* * *

-Equestria-

The cream mare blinked slowly, taking in her surroundings. Sunlight brilliantly shone through the trees, and was significantly brighter than when she had fallen. I must have passed out... she thought. She glanced at her wounds, and the blood had slowed down, but they were still gaping and menacing. Sighing, she stretched her wings and gently moved her legs about. I still have no idea where I am. In the distance, the cream mare heard apples falling off of trees and heard their gentle thuds as they landed into a basket and on top of each other. Her eyes widened and she smiled gently. I think I know who this is. I've seen her work so hard while I had my contract. Time passed, and the sound of falling apples had stopped. The cream mare craned her neck to try and find the direction of the source of the sound, but instead heard not too distant hooves trotting against the healthy earth. Resting her head, she saw an orange leg stop nearly a foot from her face.

"Well howdy, stranger!" the orange earth pony stated, her Texan accent flooding the cream mare's ears as she sat back and let her saddlebag drop to the ground. "Ah thought Ah heard some crashing and stuff earlier, but thought it was my younger sister and her little club mucking around, and..." she trailed off and cocked her head slightly as she saw the wounds the cream mare had received. Clearing her throat, the orange earth pony noted, "say, uh, you don't look too good..." the cream mare retorted in a tired voice,

"I'm not, thank you." the orange pony frowned slightly, said a quick,

"Well..." she wiped a small bead of sweat off of her forehead, and continued, "Ah ain't just gonna leave you here." The cream mare gave up trying to say anything more and laid her head back on the ground.

"Fine," she mumbled. Applejack smiled and sat next to the wounded mare and checked her wounds.

"What in tarnation were y'all doin' 'fore you just fell outta the sky?" The cream mare glanced back up at the dome and glared- again before replying,

"I had a contract with the Council, you see... and there were odds that I had to beat, I had to save this wonderful place from falling into madness..." Applejack's smile wavered and she narrowed her eyes slightly in confusion.

"How 'bout Ah first get y'all patched up and on yer feet 'fore you waste yer energy speakin'," Applejack responded, back in her friendly mood. She checked her saddlebag for some basic medical supplies and pulled out some bandages. "Here, do ya think ya can stand up quick for me?" she said as she held the end of the bandages with her teeth. "I'll just try to wrap you up all nice and pretty..." she began to gently wrap the cream mare with the bandage, with the cream mare automatically lifting her tired wings so the bandage wouldn't bind them to her body. It only took a couple of minutes, but Applejack smiled when she was done with her work. The cream mare smiled tiredly and replied,

"Thanks," Applejack grinned back and responded happily,

"Not a problem, stranger!" before walking away, she picked up her saddlebag and began walking towards the farm. "Say, what's yer name, anyway?" The cream mare limped to catch up, and when they were finally in step she replied,

"My name's Avalon," Applejack took in the name and nodded quietly.

"That's quite a pretty name, Avalon," Avalon smiled again and inquired,

"So what's your name?" she quickly added in after, "I take it this is your farm, I heard you bucking apples earlier," Applejack grinned and her eyes shone.

"Mah name's Applejack! And this here's mah family's Farm," she stopped on top of the hill they were on and turned around. There acres upon acres of trees, all dotted with fresh apples. Avalon's jaw dropped as she admired the scenery.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. Applejack made an agreeing sound and led Avalon into the farm.

"Now it appears yer pretty similar to everypony else in Ponyville here, so Ah think Ah will letcha' rest easy now and Ah'll go tell the others 'bout you, okay?" Avalon settled on a blanket and nodded tiredly.

"Sounds good, Applejack," Applejack took an easy breath in, and silently slipped out the door behind her as she left to go find the others. What the hell?... the cream mare thought as the barn door closed behind Applejack, maybe Equestria hadn't fallen in to madness after all... she paused for a second and thought back to when she had fallen to earth in the first place. A slight pang struck her in the chest and she winced. I'm their bastard mare. Time... oh no.... a tear slid down her cheeks. Time turned itself back as I was falling. It's giving me time. After blinking a couple more times she re-checked her logic, Or perhaps this is just the eye of the Storm?

* * *

-The Frontlines-

The clouds were rampant and storming, rains shook the Higher Heavens as the war raged onward. The Council- those that had decided to Tether the Heavens from Equestria- had started closing in on the Court's forces in the Grand Hall. The Library was what the Court really needed to retake and study so that the Council could collapse, but the Grand Hall would mean that the Heavens would begin to swing in their favor. Only the Courts understood the power of the Essences of Life and what they could possibly do, but they wished to send those essences to a being that had a better chance of stopping the war- from a completely different perspective. The Higher Heavens had never gone to war, but with what they knew, magic could span distances that they never knew was possible. They dug trenches deep into the architecture of their ancestors, and thus they would march across the various mazes they had created. The womb of the Heavens was a world filled with blood, trenches, the stench of death, and worst, the Dead Man's land that was the place a Trench was not placed. The Pinnacle of Heaven was the only area that wouldn't be used as a far refuge because both sides knew that that was the only thing holding Heaven Together. But even then as the war rages onward, neither side could imagine what dangers they would create if the Pinnacle was touched.

Deep in the Trenches of the Grand Hall, the Council's Colts were huddled in dark, heavy blankets. They shivered as the water from the skies dripped deliriously upon them.

"Dodge, I didn't sign up for this," one of the younger colts groaned, "I thought Heaven was supposed to be a place for us to guard, not-" he was hit in the face by the butt of a dagger and he retreated further into the corner of the Trench as another Colt hissed into his ear,

"Your mouth better stay shut or I'll SEW IT SHUT!" the first colt nodded and cowered in his blanket. The other colt named Dodge didn't stir. "Dodge is dead, August." the colt named August narrowed his eyes and tackled the second colt to the floor of the trench and repeatedly hit him with the weighted horse shoes they were wearing.

"DON'T BUCKING LIE TO MY FACE!" August roared, his face contorted in outrage. The adrenaline pumped through his veins, and he was quickly thrown off by the first Colt, who in return pulled out a small clockwork dagger. It had a flintlock attached to its side.

"You listen to me," he started, his eyes narrowed down to slits, backing August into the darkest part of the trench, "I don't give a buck what you think about this whole damned war.. but as long as you're fighting," he slid the dagger across the chest of August, and blood slowly dripped from the new wound, "you're going to help the Council defeat the bastards who wanted to keep Equestria Tethered to Heaven," "Do you hear me?" August nodded quickly, and he collapsed to the ground as the Colt put the dagger back in its place by his flank.

"Commander," a new Colt ran down to meet the leader, "there's news that the Court of Angels' soldiers have made an impact on our lines, just a few miles to the West," the Commander gave the Colt an emotionless stare and replied,

"Send a team of two hundred to meet the Court's soldiers. I want them ended." the colt nodded.

"Yes Commander,"

* * *

-The Court of Angels-

Both Thrones of the Council and the Courts were untouched- there was simply too much magic put in place for it to be broken, as in the deeper parts of both Thrones, many Unicorns sacrificed their lives for the good of either Court and Council to keep the magic strong enough to resist just about everything. The Alicorn of the Court of Angels anxiously awaited the day for the war to stop, but it had already been going on too long. The fighting did stop not but a few days ago, she thought to herself as she began to relax, I wonder... no, it's impossible. The Tether cannot be broken, but what if?... what did they do to her?... she shook her head. No, think Logically, Dawn. There was no way. It's an old mare's tale, even you know that. The doors to her throne suddenly flew open, and her gaze shot up to the Librarian. The doors closed behind the Pegasus, and he slowly walked up to the Throne.

"You requested of me, Dawn?" Dawn nodded and led her equine friend to the outside balcony. She motioned for him to look down towards the clouds and where the small dots of fires were.

"Look at this war we've started," she breathed quietly, closing her eyes. The Librarian frowned slightly and looked perplexed as he gazed back at his leader.

"What do you mean, Dawn?" "We didn't start anything!" Dawn opened her eyes and led the Librarian back inside. After all the doors had closed, she mentioned softly to him,

"This war cannot last forever, the way we've been fighting is pointless.. it's not going to go anywhere," The Librarian pulled up a map of the progress and showed it to Dawn.

"Dawn, there has been progress, it's just..." Dawn finished his phrase quietly,

"... we've lost so many already." "All over being Tethered away from Equestria or not," The Librarian sighed and started walking back out, Dawn announced loudly, "But we are noble! We will shatter the Council and save the Heavens and restore the peace that we once had!" Angels, save us, Dawn thought proudly, Defend us.

* * *

The "Mane" Six

Chapter II: The Mane Six

-Equestria-

The cream mare managed to sit up after her time asleep, but she remained hunched over due to the pain that throbbed deep in her chest. The white-hot bolts that radiated from her during her fall had nearly killed her, but all that remained were slight scars. She checked her flank for her cutie mark to make sure it was still there- and it was. It was a small, complicated mark in the shape of a heart. Intricate patterns and words were etched into it. She remembered the day it had arrived, oh so long ago. She smiled at the fond memory and then another memory floated by in equal strength of memory.

-Flashback-

"Do you remember the old mare's tale, darling?" a young mare inquired to the cream filly, who nodded eagerly to the question. The young mare gently laughed as she brushed dark blue bangs out of her eyes. "Here, since I'm old and can't remember much, help me tell it?" the young mare teased as she watched the cream filly's eyes lit up and she giggled as she said a quiet,

"Yes!" the young mare settled down into her furniture and for a moment she watched the flames flicker in the fireplace. The red bricks gave a gently glow as their shadows were cast onto the soft carpet of the floor. The room was adorned with bookshelves and a high ceiling, and voices in the background were heard, talking about shelving books and what was happening in Equestria that day. The young mare smiled as she watched her eager daughter bounce up and down, waiting for the tale to start. She smiled and started to hum. Her voice was melodic in tune and beautiful in nature. It was equally as haunting. The mare's daughter jumped up on the piece of furniture as well and snuggled closely by her.

"Alright, you can start, darling," the young mare whispered in the middle of her humming, and the young filly began, her voice almost as beautiful as her mother's,

" One day, oh one day, At the founding of the world, There was speech of a time where the Founders would die. So they built up a world where They could watch their mortal world grow, and in time, they would say, they would say they'd return. But centuries passed and both worlds stayed together, but they forgot what their founders had proudly once said..." she trailed off, but her mother picked up the chorus,

" One day, oh one day, We will promise we'll return, in the gifts of our hopes, our time and essences, we will never let you fall, and-" halfway through the chorus, another pony walked down the curved staircase from the second level of the library, speaking the rest of the lyrics,

"Many moon passed still, and no sign of the essences came, but a young Pegasi was born to a family wished to prove the mortal world wrong. So he trained and he trained his young wings to fly, and one day he kissed his mother goodbye and set off for the distant sky. He flew strong and hard up through the clouds he did soar, and near the dome of the sky he hit a glass floor and did fall. The glass, you see did shatter, and many things did fall with him, but things that had fallen were things you cannot see. He shattered the Tether that did keep the essences from coming from Heaven, and as he fell, his soul died with him. The essences kept falling, and eventually reached the mortal world. The mortal world then did prosper greatly from the madness since its creation, but after its creation and prosperity, the essences soon died," It was an older colt who had said the rest of the lyrics, and he had reached the bottom of the stairwell far before he had finished speaking the lyrics.

"I see you're still teaching the young filly to remember her old mare's tales, Lily," The young mare named Lily nodded and smiled gently.

"She knows them well," the Colt nodded.

"When she's old enough, bring her back here, there's something she needs to see before we both..." he sighed, "... expire, per say." Lily sadly nodded and looked back at the sleeping filly.

"I'll have someone do it if I can't. Is it that important?" The Colt smiled mysteriously,

"Think of your Old Mare's Tales, Lily,"

* * *

-Ponyville-

Applejack casually strolled through the streets of Ponyville, awaiting to gather up the other five Ponies so Avalon could meet them all. As she was reaching Twilight's library, Pinkie Pie joined up with her, bouncing around on all four legs as usual.
"Hey Applejack!" Pinkie exclaimed, her hair bobbing with her, "Whatcha' doin?" Applejack kept walking but had to break out a smile at her friend's nearly inextinguishable personality.

"Oh, somepony landed on mah farm earlier, Ah was gonna have her meet y'all," Pinkie registered the comment quickly and she exclaimed, half squealing,

"Ooooohhhhh!!! I thought I saw something fall out of the sky! I wondered if it was a star! I've always wanted to see a star! Or wait, what if it was a pony? I don't know if a pony could survive falling out of the sky! So it was probably a star! What was it really? What does it look like? This makes me excited! Can we throw it a party? Does it speak? What does it look like? What-" her endless stream of comments was cut off right as a bright cyan blue blur flew down from the sky, followed by a trailing rainbow bowled her over. Through the dust, coughing, and a couple of seconds later, the cyan blue Pegasus helped Pinkie up. Pinkie's eyes rolled around in her head for a minute before settling. She started bouncing again immediately afterwards.

"Hey Applejack!" the Pegasus announced as she dusted herself off. Applejack shook her head, a smile still on her face. She walked over to the Pegasus and Pinkie and settled down for a moment.

"Hey Rainbow," Applejack replied, "we were just off to do somethin' quick," Pinkie piped up, still bouncing around,

"Yeah! Somepony fell out of the sky Applejack said! The sky!! Rainbow, can you believe it!? What if it's not actually a pony, but a star! Applejack's gonna have all of us meet it and, and.... and!..." Rainbow raised her eyebrows in confusion and cocked her head slightly as she looked at Applejack. Applejack cleared her throat and continued,

"You hush a minute, Pinkie." Applejack returned her attention to Rainbow and stated, "Pinkie is right though, somepony landed on mah farm earlier today and Ah was gonna have all of us meet her. You up to it, Rainbow?" Rainbow blinked a couple of times before speaking, and she shook her head as if to get her thoughts straight as she spoke.

"You said a pony fell out of the sky?" Applejack nodded slowly. Rainbow's face was contorted between shock and laughter, but she kept the two in check with a wild smile and eyes closed as if she were about to explode with bouts of laughter. "That's a great one, Pinkie-" she paused, "- you too, Applejack!" "Ponies falling out of the sky... ahhhh," she fell on the ground with laughter, and Applejack narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"Ah'm serious, Rainbow!" Rainbow paused for a second to hear the comment, but before she continued, another comment flew past her ears, "And she's mighty injured, too. Maybe y'all should go 'fore me so I can drag Twilight out of her house for a minute," Rainbow sobered up and called over her shoulder as she began to fly away,

"I have to go grab a couple of things for Rarity before then-" another voice piped up from the ground below her,

"Don't worry, darling! I have it all covered!" Rainbow shrugged and flew off towards Applejack's Farm.

"Applejack, I saw the most disastrous thing happen this morning! A bright light fell out of the sky!" a white Unicorn with a fancily-made purple mane announced, trotting up to keep up with Applejack. Applejack glanced at the white Unicorn and nodded,

"Glad you heard all the commotion, Rarity," Rarity's face twisted into confusion and she replied,

"So what happened? It sounded terrible! Like something was dying!" Applejack stopped for a moment and answered her friend,

"Somepony landed on my farm this morning. Ah ain't sure what exactly in tarnation happened, but Ah dressed her up a bit and she's at mah Farm now," Rarity's eyes widened and she seemed shocked for a moment.

"I'll go check on her before you go get Fluttershy and Twilight!" she trotted off, leaving Applejeack and Pinkie alone again.

"Well, Ah suppose yer gonna go grab the poor mare somethin' to fiddle with too, huh?" Applejack dryly noted. Pinkie stopped bouncing and her eyes widened immensely.

"That's a GREAT idea!!! I'll go grab her cupcakes and cakes and drinks and balloons and party favors and oohhhhhhhhh this is gonna be great!!!" Pinkie squealed as she immediately seemed to vanish from Applejack's sight.

* * *

Rainbow Dash was the first one to reach the farm, and she slowly nudged the door open. It was still light enough outside to see everything inside, and she could see the huddled form of Avalon near the middle of the barn.

"Hey, Applejack told me about you," Rainbow started, slowly walking in. She noticed Avalon didn't notice her, so Rainbow cleared her throat and sat on her haunches as she waited. She jumped a bit at the quietly tired response,

"Hey," Rainbow made no time for silence to interfere. She laid down in front of Avalon and stated in a friendly enough voice, with a hint of gloating,

"I'm Rainbow Dash, best young flyer in all of Equestria, responsible of keeping the clouds of Ponyville away and the only one to successfully do a Sonic Rainboom!" she trotted a little bit in place to show off her athleticism, and Avalon giggled slightly to herself, which left Rainbow a little leeway to get defensive. "Hey, wha-what are you laughing at!?" Avalon calmed her giggling and she had a thin smile on her face and eyed Rainbow with her amber set of eyes.

"You remind me of a friend of mine from a long time ago," "You really do, Rainbow." she was about to ask Avalon something else, but Avalon beat her to it, "but you're the only Pegasi I've heard that has ever done a Sonic Rainboom," Rainbow smiled and her self esteem seemed to shoot through the roof.

"So where did you come from, anyway? Out of country, maybe?" Rainbow inquired, eyeing Avalon carefully.

"I..." Avalon paused. How I can tell them I came from a place that they probably don't even remember? I can't just lie to them, either... she thought. She struggled to think of an answer, but finally blurted, "I fell from a place farther up in the sky than Cloudsdale," Rainbow sat straight up and pointed up into the air with her hoof.

"Father than Cloudsdale!?" "You've gotta be kidding me! Nopony could survive-" she cut herself off as she glanced at Avalon. "I mean, outside of you, of course..." Avalon let out small laugh as she grinned and replied,

"It's fine, Rainbow," Rainbow Dash smiled back and replied,

"You're pretty open for a new pony around here, you know that?" Avalon her smile on her face.

"It's nice to be around so many friendly ponyfolk around here... a place where madness hasn't ridden everywhere into the ground," she mentioned softly. As she stretched her back, in habit she also stretched her wings. Rainbow Dash immediately spoke up,

"By any chance do you race at all? Have you won? You kind of look like you would, I mean your wings are.. just... wow," Avalon fluttered her wings to get some feeling back into them and she answered,
"I used to as a young filly, mostly with my brother and his friends, but... after falling from way up there, I'd need to rehabilitate myself somehow to get back up to strength," Rainbow was hyped to hear the answer and she bubbled with excitement.

"Well, I could help you there!!" Avalon stuck her tongue out and replied,

"So I've assumed, Rainbow, so I've assumed," After her comment, Pinkie burst through the door, holding a huge amount of cakes and cupcakes and random assortments of goodies. She set them down on a random table situated near Avalon, and she bounced her way towards her.

"Hey!! I heard you fell from the sky! You don't look like a star, you're just like me and everypony else! Hehe that's pretty cool! Do you like cupcakes? Do you like to party? What do you do with your time? Are you friendly? You don't speak too much, do you-" Avalon slowly put her hoof on top of Pinkie's mouth to get to stop, and she replied as she got up and took a small bit of the cake she was offered,

"So who are you, firstly?..." she trailed off as she chewed on her small bite of cake. The sweetness was amazing, and she blinked a time or two as she refocused herself on her question, but forgot it in the midst of the moistness of the cake. "... this is delicious." she stated finally. Pinkie erupted with squeals of joy,

"I knew you were just like us!! You love cake and I love cake you and probably like to bake and stuff, too! Right, am I right? Of course I am!" she squealed again. She bounced off and Rainbow Dash slowly nudged Avalon to refocus her. Avalon shook her head and glanced at the cakes.

"Her name's Pinkie, the best Party planner in Ponyville," Rainbow Dash mentioned, smiling widely. "She's good at what she does, and-" Applejack walked in next with Rarity and Twilight not too far behind.

"Always seems to be everywhere at once, ain't ya?" Applejack panted. "Sorry Ah was later than Ah had planned, Avalon, Ah had to chase here Twilight around Ponyville and then drag her out by her tail to get her here," Avalon smiled and looked at the five ponies present and she felt her heart strings pull-- tightly. She winced a little bit, but sat a little taller when she recovered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rarity fiddling with her mane, and Avalon glanced at her, eyebrows raised.

"Your mane looks awful! What on Earth were you doing way up there?" Avalon thought for a moment and replied dimly,

"Not winning any races for flying, that's one thing," Rarity gave a gentle laugh as she continued muttering under her breath,

"No, that's too bland, that's kind of neat... too many sparkles..." she squinted at her fine work as she made her way down Avalon's mane. It partially resembled her own, but with the freedom and raggedness of Rainbow's. Rarity stood back and swayed her head a little before settling that it was as good as she was going to get the cream mare's mane to look. "When you fly, obviously it won't stay that way, but it at least it looks decent, darling," she said in a slightly calculating voice. She gave a thin smile and Avalon glanced at her reflection in a nearby bucket of water. She blinked as she saw herself. You haven't looked like this for awhile, she thought. She smiled and turned back to the five ponies. The last one slowly crept in through the half-open door and she smiled shyly.

"I didn't want to disturb my friends as I gathered them together to put them all to rest," she said softly, sitting up. Avalon glanced over in the Pegasi's direction and smiled.

"And that's Fluttershy," Applejack announced, breaking the shy silence that was presented as Fluttershy had walked in.

"Now that we're all here..." Twilight started, thinking about what she was to say next, "where are you from exactly? You don't look like you were from Canterlot, definitely not from the Everfree Forest and I don't think you would be from Cloudsdale, because you would have known Rainbow Dash already," Avalon glanced at Twilight and responded,

"I'm from a place older Ponyfolk call the Higher Heavens," Twilight's eyes nearly burst out of her head when she heard the news. She began pacing around, muttering to herself in a hushed manner. Avalon raised her eyebrows in confusion. Rainbow Dash answered her confusion,

"She does that a lot when she hears something she knows a lot about," Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at her friend and continued teasingly, "she's kind of an egghead,"

"Hey!" Twilight called from across the barn in mid concentration, "You admitted you liked reading too, Rainbow!" Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly as she stumbled into admitting it further,

"Well... yeah..." she gave a familiar squinted-eyed smile and laughed. "I do like reading, but to Twilight's excessiveness, quite a different story if you ask me!"

Twilight was still muttering to herself before she let out a cry of joy, making everypony in the Barn cover their ears and shut their eyes for a moment. She glanced at Avalon and started rattling off what she knew.

"So you're from the Higher Heavens? The place in the sky that was built to watch over all of Equestria before Canterlot was built, and every one hundred years the two Governmental structures would meet and discuss the needs of them and us?" Avalon nodded, a touch of sadness to it as well. She led all the ponies outside the barn and she laid in the grass and she stared up into the sky.

"Twilight, there's always more to things than what your studies tell you," she noted. the other ponies laid by her, Twilight being the only one completely entranced by the knowledge she was about to receive.

"And what might that be?" Twilight responded, a dash of defensiveness behind her words. Avalon glanced sideways at the purple unicorn and replied after taking in a breath of the fresh air,
"I guess it's never too late to start,"

* * *