As the sun set over over the village of Apple Orchard, old stories had said it had a different name but it was long lost to time, ponies patrolled along the wood and stone wall or came in from the fields carrying baskets of apples, carrots or corn to simple sod huts among the apple trees and fields. Outside the wall, nameless creatures howled or roared in the growing stillness of evening causing the ponies patrolling the wall to tremble in fear. The smell of apple and vegetable dishes began to gently waft out of the sod huts. Parents called for their foals to come and eat. In the center of the village stood a stylized wooden carving of their five goddesses, made from a single log. Hanging from the carving were scrolls of parchment containing the village's prayers to the goddesses, at the base of the carving were offerings of small bowls of food, small shiny stones found in the field or bolts of cloth, in the hopes it would appease the goddesses and protect their village from the monsters outside the walls, attacks from bandits and famine.

As evening gave way into the blackness of night, the moon rose above the horizon and the stars winked into being. Firewood was stacked near the carving in the center of the village for a bonfire. Ponies gathered near firewood, when the bonfire was lit, they sat on the ground and began reverently singing, "May the goddesses watch over us, may the goddesses watch over us, ah-ah-ah-ah." Once a few rounds of the olden hymn had been sang, an old unicorn stallion withered with age was led out in front of the crowd and sat on an old log, his once vibrant teal coat was dulled with age, his mane was white and wispy, his eyes were milky. He reached out with a trembling foreleg, a simple carved wooden charm in the shape of an alicorn hung from his hoof. The ponies in the crowd bowed their heads, waved a sacred symbol with their hooves and whispered prayers. "May the blessings of the five goddesses be upon us.", he said reverently. "May the blessings of the five goddesses be upon us.", the crowd echoed softly.

The old stallion sat upright, well as upright as his old bones would allow him. He looked out across the crowd in his dim vision, though a sparkle still gleamed in them. Putting the wooden charm away, he rubbed his hooves together and asked, "So what story should I tell on this eve of summer?"

"Tell the story of how Gemstone defeated the tunnelers with just a word, Lore keeper Lulamoon!", an earth pony filly with a white coat, blue mane and golden eyes said excitedly.

"Lore keeper Lulamoon! Lore keeper Lulamoon!", a tan pegasus with magenta mane and blue eyes shouted, "Tell how Rainboom painted the skies!" His wings buzzed with excitement.

"Tell how the butterfly maiden rebuked dragon!", a bright yellow unicorn filly with pink mane and sapphire eyes shouted.

"Tell how the six champions defeated the pony of eternal night!", a purple unicorn colt with lavender eyes and magenta mane shouted.

Lore keeper Lulamoon gave a small laugh. "Ah the excitement of foals warms my old bones.", he said to himself smiling. Clearing his throat, he said, "All good stories. But I think I shall tell you of the story of the summer sun." Clearing his throat he began to recount the tale, "A long time ago this land used to be lush and green, no pony knew of hunger, fear or hardship. It was said that a pony could travel the length and breadth of this land without fear of bandits, warlords, mutants or monsters, as the five goddesses and their six champions protected all of ponykind. It was an age when love, peace, prosperity and harmony ruled the land. Then one day the great calamities came. Some say that the ponies began to blaspheme the goddesses and drew their anger, others say that ponies grew complacent and in their hubris to become like the goddesses, they turned to the dark arts, others say that the evil ones found a way to sneak into this world and brought death. What truly happened nopony knows as none who lived in that time are alive. What is known is that great plagues poured out of the mountains, gigantic mushrooms burst forth in an instant then vanished, night turned to day in a flash as the land was scorched and magic went wild warping all who were caught in it." Lore keeper Lulamoon paused covering his mouth with a hoof as he gave a raspy cough.

Once his coughing fit subsided, Lore keeper Lulamoon continued, "Terrible black rain fell for three days poisoning the land, the very ground shook and the cities burned as ponies to numerous to count died. Then the great storms came and plagued the land for three moons, some of torrential rain, some of wild magical lightning, others of dust that blocked out the sky. During that time, friendships were forgotten as pony turned on pony, terrible beasts came out of the forests, mountains and ravines to feast on the flesh of ponies, horrible mutants came out of the poisoned deserts that used to be fields and the ash strewn wastes that used to be cities to ravage the lands. The six champions charged forth to try and save ponykind. One by one the six champions died defending the innocent. The first to fall was the great wizard, Mistress Star, it was said she was cut down by the claws of a great fire belching beast. The second to fall was Gemstone while she was defending a caravan of wagons filled with young foals. The third to fall was Rainboom when a pack of mutants whose flesh was like wood pounced on her. The fourth to fall was Bouncer when a great beast made of smoke strangled her. The fifth to fall was Mistress Butterfly when gang of bandits ambushed her, it was said that the broken god whom she had tamed went mad with grief and burned them to ash. The sixth to fall was the founder of out village, Orchard when twin warlords attacked the village riding a great beast with metal for flesh, when it was just her family and a few other ponies here, it is said she fought the twin warlords for three days before she slew them then died from her injuries shortly after." He began coughing again and a pony passed him a cup of water.

After Lore keeper Lulamoon finished drinking the water, he passed the cup back. "Thank you.", he said kindly, "Now back to the story. After the six champions fell, the five goddesses vanished. Some said that they left because of the sins of ponykind. I personally think they went out into the world to hunt down the evil ones." He pointed a hoof to the sky to six constellations that formed a ring. The ponies turned their heads skyward to look at the six constellations, the first was in the shape of an apple, the second was in the shape of a balloon, the third was in the shape of a diamond, the fourth was in the shape of a lightning bolt, the fifth was in the shape of a butterfly and the sixth was in the shape of a six-pointed star. Lore keeper Lulamoon continued, "Before the five goddesses left, they put the souls of the six champion in the skies to watch over us all. Before fifth goddess left, she gave a prophesy. On the longest day of the thousandth year, she shall come back from a cross the great sea to heal the land. She shall resurrect the six champions and reawaken her fellow goddesses. Before she shall lead a great host to drive the monsters and mutants from this land. The five goddesses shall walk among ponykind again, with an outstretched hoof they shall condemn the wicked, with a voice that shall make the mountains tremble, they shall smite those whom worship evil, with a glare, they shall immolate those who seek to feast upon the innocent."

Lore keeper Lulamoon went into another coughing fit, before hocking a wad of phlegm and spitting it upon the ground. He looked up in his dim vision. "Do not fear for me my friends. I have grown old and sick and I feel I shall not see the end of another summer with you all." Sniffles came up from the crowd. "Dry your eyes my friends and weep not for me my friends. When I pass, my soul shall go to join the goddesses in the vault of heaven." He gestured with a hoof, "Come forth Apple Pie." A young earth pony mare with a golden coat, red mane and lavender eyes walked up to the lore keeper. He placed his wooden alicorn charm around her neck, "You are now the lore keeper for Apple Orchard. It is now your duty to remember our stories, lead your fellow ponies in prayer and protect their souls until the goddesses call them home."

"Why me? I'm not worthy Lore keeper Lulamoon.", Apple Pie said dejectedly.

The now former lore keeper booped Apple Pie gently on her nose with a smile. "Ah! But you are worthy my little pony.", he said in a kind tone, "You know our stories as well as anypony here. You proved yourself worthy last year when you risked you life to help repel the slavers who attacked our walls. And this past spring the goddesses deemed you worthy when you found that ancient book written by the very hooves of the six champions." He held up her hoof with his and exclaimed, "Long live Lore keeper Apple Pie! May she safe keep our stories and guard our souls against evil!" When the crowd echoed him, Apple Pie blushed.

Lulamoon turned to Lore keeper Apple Pie, "I have one last request Lore keeper. Take my remains to lay with my ancestors at the vault of the two lovers."

"Of course.", Apple Pie said, he voice cracking.

In the sky above the village of Apple Orchard a red bird flew silently through the night towards a mountain with a cave up high that overlooked the village, a scroll clutched in one of its talons. The bird landed at the mouth of the cave and gave a soft chirrup.

A massive pair of green eyes opened slowly in the darkness of the cave and a deep yawn rumbled out. "Philomena?", a deep rumbling voice asked. Philomena chirruped again. A massive purple clawed hand reached out of the darkness, extending a finger gently and Philomena hopped onto it. She gave a chattering squak. "Well it's been a thousand years, give or take. You didn't think I'd stay small forever? When she left, I was nearly as tall as she was.", the deep rumbling voice replied. Philomena chirped. "No I haven't seen her in eight hundred years. I think she's still locked up in the castle." Philomena tilted her head, then trilled. "The last time I was up that way she was still crying over Shiny's grave. I was up that way about two hundred years ago and the surviving crystal ponies still kept that old statue of me." Philomena ruffled her feathers before trilling again. A deep rumbling laugh filled the cave before the deep voice responding, "Yeah. I guess I did kinda let that title get to me head." Philomena clacked her beak before squawking. "It's been a decade since I last looked, but she's hold up in the old castle, even though Ponyville has long since crumbled to dust." Philomena squawked again. "No, ponies don't go near it, they call it the Crystal Spire and they think it's haunted." Philomena warbled. "I saw her six months ago flying high up in the sky near the ruins of Cloudsdale. I think she waiting for her mother or Twily to show up." Philomena gave a stuttering trill. "Really?! It will be good to see my sister again." Philomena waved the scroll in her tallon while squawking. Another massive hand came out of the darkness and gently gripped the scroll betweet two claws. "Yes I think I remember how to send letters. Just give me a moment." There was a pause before a puff of bright green flame lit up the cave revealing a massive purple dragon with green spines going down its back. The two watched as green sparkling smoke curled and twisted towards the mountain in the distance. "You can stay here and rest for the night if you want." Philomena chirruped. "Okay, I understand. Take care." Philomena took to the air and swooped towards the Crystal Spire. The purple dragon gave a smile in the darkness. "It's about damn time Twily." He yawned and rolled over, going back to sleep.

It the city formerly known as Canterlot, now known as The Dead City, the tarnished spires of the old castle still stood high above the ruins of the city. In the halls of the castle, the dead silence was interrupted by the soft clicking of hooves on stone or the occasional sad sigh. An ancient white alicorn, as big as a draft horse walked through the shadows of the throne room, her hooves the only thing disturbing the layer of dust on the floor. The dim light of the moon slipped in through a hole in the roof dimly illuminating the white alicorn mare, her violet eyes glistened sadly in the pale moonlight, her flowing pastel rainbow mane blew on an ethereal wind. She noticed a piece of stained glass on the floor. A golden aura surrounded the piece of stained glass as it levitated back up to the window and was gently put back in place. A white hoof gently caressed the stained glass image of a young lavender alicorn mare as a sniffle came from her. As a tear rolled down her cheek and splashed onto the floor, disturbing the dust when she felt a familiar magic. A scroll appeared above her, bounced off her head and landed on the floor, disturbing the dust. Lifting the scroll in her aura, she looked it over and her eyes went wide when she saw the six-pointed star seal. She broke the seal, quickly unfurled the scroll and read it, "To my former teacher and first friend, I'm coming. Signed, your former student" Tears welled in her eyes, a smile slowly spread across her lips and a sound came out of her mouth that she had not heard in centuries, laughter.

Philomena landed on the balcony of the Crystal Spire and gently tapped on the door with her beak. A deep blue aura surrounded the aura the door as it opened and she flew in. An ancient midnight blue alicorn mare was tending to boxes of flowers when Philomena landed on her back. "Greetings Phimomena. We are glad to see thou back.", the alicorn said. Philomena chirped. "We guessed it was thee as our ponies never come here anymore." Philomena cocked her head in confusion. "We she was coming when we saw her dreams. Does sister know?" Philomena chattered. "So she has an army? It is about time we revealed ourselves again." Philomena squawked. "Hubris, dear Philomena, that and we all have wallowed in our grief and guilt for an age for far too long." Philomena chirruped. "Nay, we do not think she shalt have an audience with thee, where as sister and we have wallowed in our grief, she has been drowning in it since her husband was cut down, though her daughter may treat with thee." Philomena gave a series of stuttering chirps. "The last time we saw her, was some time ago. We believe she is living in the Clouded City or the ruins of our old castle in Everfree." Philomena chattered. "If thou must. Stay just above the treetops so the beasts below do not waylay thee or the brigands pelt thee with their slings and arrows." With a ruffle of wings, Philomena flew off the alicorn's back and out the Crystal Spire.

Flying over the treetops of what ponies now call the Cursed Forest, Philomena heard the growls and roars of of the predators below. Banking high over a ridge, she saw the ruins of a castle. She banked downwards and landed on the top of a ruined wall. She squawked in shock and surprise when a light yellow aura surround her, pulling her inside the ruined castle, a split second later the paw of a heavily mutated manticore swiped across the top of the wall. When it tried to force its way into the ruins, a blast of yellow energy vaporized its head, sending the bulk of it crashing back outside. Philomena found herself levitated down in the light yellow aura face to face with a light pink alicorn with light purple highlights on its wings. Philomena protested with a chorus of squawks and chirps. "Philomena?!"

Author's Note

First chapter of a new story.
Thank you all for reading.
I hope you all enjoy.
Feel free to comment or offer any criticisms.