1 - Where Baby Ponies Come From
The great mahogany doors creaked in protest as Twilight’s magical aura engulfed them, pushing once, then twice before they gave way, opening inwards into the vast castle foyer. Twilight shut her eyes, coughing due to the cloud of dust kicked up from the worn, discolored rug spread out across the floor. When the dust settled, she looked up, her eyes shimmering with glee at what she saw.
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh, you guys!” she cried out, bounding into the room. “Look at this place! It's a historian's dream come true!” She lifted a hoof and began pointing out each of the castle's architectural features in turn. “Look! Carved stone walls! Hoof woven tapestries! Chandeliers!”
Giggling, Twilight ran further into the castle. “Isn't it just amazing!?”
Behind her, Rarity stepped through the doorway with Rainbow Dash hovering overhead.
“Yes, amazingly dirty...” Rarity said, scrunching her nose in distaste at the layers of dust and cobwebs that seemed to cover every inch of the castle's surfaces. “I swear I don't know what all these ancient nobleponies were thinking, letting their castles fall into such disrepair! It’s an absolute travesty!”
“Still,” she continued, following after Twilight, “even the filthiest castle is preferable to that icky forest we had to trudge through to get here.”
“Yeah!” Pinkie said, suddenly popping up next to Rarity, startling her. “Trudging is nooooo fun. Probably 'cause ‘trudge’ rhymes with ‘sludge,’ and sludge is gross and yucky so anything that rhymes with it is automatically bad.”
“What about fudge?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow.
Pinkie turned her head toward Rainbow Dash and opened her mouth as if to respond, but then suddenly froze. Her eyes widened as she considered the implications of Rainbow's words, her mouth hanging agape at the terrifying possibility they implied.
Fudge. Was. Yucky?
Rarity and Rainbow exchanged glances with one another and then looked back at Pinkie, who showed no signs of movement, save for a single twitching eyelid.
“Uh, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked, waving a hoof in front of her friend's face, to no response. “You okay?”
“Well!” Rarity said with a huff, “I hope you're happy, Rainbow Dash. You've managed to render yet another one of your friends completely catatonic. How many times is that today? Two?”
“Hey!” Rainbow yelled, turning to face Rarity with a scowl. “How was I supposed to know that ghost story was going to freak Fluttershy out?”
“She's Fluttershy,” Rarity answered simply, lowering her eyelids in contempt.
For a few moments the two ponies just glared at each other, the room silent save for the excited gushing of Twilight in the background.
“You win this round, diamond butt,” Rainbow said, turning her head away.
“Oh sure, none of y'all help me or nothing! Let's just leave Applejack to clean up after our mess!”
Rarity and Rainbow turned to find Fluttershy between the doors with her legs and wings spread out as far as she could, grunting in a strained effort to remain outside the castle even as Applejack tried to drag her inside.
“Oh jeez,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes as she flew towards the doorway, Rarity galloping along behind her. She flew behind Fluttershy and began pushing with all her might. “It's the great dragon migration all over again.”
Rarity rushed forward, telekinetically grasping Fluttershy's saddlebags and pulling alongside the other two.
“Alright, hard pull on three, ready!?” Applejack called out as she wrapped her forelegs tightly around Fluttershy’s torso and positioned her legs underneath so that she could push herself back. “One, two, three!”
On her signal, the three ponies pushed and pulled as one, dislodging Fluttershy and sending all of them head over hooves into the castle in a giant ball of intertwined legs and wings. They rolled about ten feet before collapsing in a pile on the carpeted floor. Fluttershy was the first to recover and wasted no time in jumping to her hooves and dashing for the exit.
“Oh no you don't!” Applejack cried out as she leapt forward and tackled the pegasus to the ground. Fluttershy squealed and flailed her legs in an attempt to break free, but Applejack wasn't letting her go.
Satisfied that she had Fluttershy pinned, Applejack turned her head back to Rainbow Dash, who was still picking herself off the floor. “Now will you hurry up and fix this!?”
“Yeah, yeah, I'm coming,” Rainbow answered irritatedly, stretching out her wings before flying over.
Behind her, Rarity was gradually getting to her hooves while Twilight trotted up next to her, her history-inspired euphoria shattered by the commotion.
“What happened?” Twilight asked.
“Oh, just a little trouble getting Fluttershy inside, darling,” Rarity said as she dusted herself off. “I thought she calmed down during the trip, but I suppose the sight of the castle itself was a bit too much for her.”
Twilight let out a soft sigh. “Alright, I’ll go talk to her.”
When Twilight joined the others she found Rainbow already trying to calm Fluttershy down.
“Listen, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, alighting directly in front of the other pegasus. “All that stuff I said about this place being haunted – the eerie noises, the cold chill that creeps up your spine, the bloody writing that appears on the walls...”
Fluttershy squeaked in terror beneath Applejack, covering her eyes with her hooves while Applejack shot a glare at Rainbow.
“Ehehe... ah... yeah.” Rainbow coughed. “The point is that it's entirely made up. And, uh, even if it was real, there's no way I'd know about it, right? I mean, we only heard about this castle today! So yeah, you're totally safe, no ghosts or anything.”
Fluttershy pulled her hooves from her face and looked up at Rainbow Dash with disapproving yet teary eyes.
“I'm not a baby, Rainbow Dash,” she said angrily. “I know there's no such thing as ghosts.”
“Then why the hay are you freaking out?” Applejack said.
“Because...” she said, making to get to her hooves. Applejack politely stepped aside, convinced she wasn't going to try bolting again. “Rainbow's story reminded me of something else – another type of terrifying creature that lives in castles and terrifies ponies!”
“Oh really?” Rainbow asked with a roll of her eyes. “And that would be?”
“A p... po...” Fluttershy stuttered. “A p… p… pol.”
“Applejack?” Rainbow asked, turning to look at the orange mare. “Her face is pretty scary, but she isn't that terrifying. Ow!” she cried as Applejack kicked her in the flank.
“No, a po... pol...” Fluttershy continued before taking a deep breath. “A poltergeist!”
“A polterwhat?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, I'm terribly sorry, dearie,” Rarity added, “but I haven't heard of anything like that before.”
“You're lucky.” Fluttershy shivered and looked around nervously. “They're terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!”
“What are they exactly?” Twilight asked.
“They're the disembodied souls of dead ponies,” Fluttershy said, her voice wavering. “Ponies that returned from the grave to bring terror to living ponies in revenge for some horrible slight they suffered in life!”
With that, Fluttershy broke down crying, lying down on the floor as she sobbed into the carpet, while the other four ponies just looked at one another.
“So... a ghost then?” Twilight said.
Fluttershy looked up angrily at Twilight with teary eyes. “They're not ghosts. They're completely different!”
“Alright, I'm bored,” Rainbow said, taking to the air. “You guys can try convincing her if you want, but I'm gonna go look around.” With that, she flew off.
“I suppose I shall see if I can snap Pinkie out her trance,” Rarity added, heading back in said pony’s direction, leaving Fluttershy alone with Applejack and Twilight.
“Alright, Fluttershy,” Twilight said with a sigh, “what exactly makes poltergeists so different?”
“Poltergeists...” Fluttershy said, leaning forward conspiratorially, “can possess furniture!”
The two ponies stared at Fluttershy for a moment before breaking out in laughter.
“Furniture!” Applejack gasped out between laughs. “That's what's so terrifying!?”
“...It's not funny...” Fluttershy said, crossing her forelegs and looking away angrily with a pout.
Twlight wiped her eyes. “I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but believing in something like that just because it can control furniture...”
“That's not why I believe in it!” Fluttershy huffed. “You asked me what was different!”
“Fine, fine,” Twilight said, attempting to suppress her giggles. “Then why do you believe in poltergeists?”
“Because of this,” Fluttershy said, reaching into her right saddle bag with a wing and pulling out a slightly tattered magazine.
Twilight levitated it over to herself and laughed as she read the title. “Paranormal Weekly!? Oh come on, Fluttershy.”
“What?” Fluttershy demanded. “They do their research!”
“Yeah,” Twilight laughed as she flipped through the pages. “With things like 'ectoplasmameters.' Fluttershy...” Twilight held up the magazine. “I’m sorry, but this is just not any kind of solid scientific documented evidence. This is, well…” Twilight bit her lip, searching for the right word. “Hogwash!”
“Oh ah don't know about that, Twilight,” Applejack said with a laugh, glancing at the magazine. “Ah wouldn't wash mah hog with a rag like that.”
The two of them burst into laughter once more as Fluttershy just glared at them. She took a few calming breaths and then said, “Well, I can see I'm not going to be able to convince you. Fine. Just don't come crying to me when you get crushed by a giant flying couch!”
“Why?” Applejack asked between laughs. “Is Rarity throwing a hissy fit?”
“I heard that!” Rarity called from across the room.
“Where the hay'd you pick this up anyway?” Applejack said as she glanced at the magazine. Her eyes scanned the cover before widening at what she saw written in the corner.
“Fluttershy... this is your name and address,” Applejack said with another laugh. “Why the hay are you subscribed to a magazine filled with nothing but stuff that terrorizes you!?”
She looked up at Fluttershy, finding her looking away embarrassed, a slight tinge of red to her cheeks.
“Because... because not knowing what’s out there is scarier.”
Applejack's face softened.
“There's nothing out there, Fluttershy,” she said gently, stretching her hoof out and lifting Fluttershy up off the floor, “and I'll prove it to you. If a single piece of furniture comes flying out at me, I'll feed all your little critters for a month.”
“Wow,” Twilight said, blinking a few times in awe. “A whole month?”
“Yeah,” Applejack said, turning to Twilight with a wink, “'cause it ain't gonna hap– “
“Twitcha-Twitch!” Pinkie shrieked from across the hall. A noise that was immediately followed by an ear piercing screech from Rarity and a deafening crash from right behind them.
Applejack and Twilight turned and looked behind themselves very slowly at the disaster waiting for them. The chandelier that until mere moments before had been hanging above the entrance hall was now lying on the floor, its metal frame bent out of shape and its various crystals strewn out across the floor.
Applejack and Twilight turned around, their gazes fixed fully upon the wreck for a moment before slowly rising up towards the ceiling, where a certain rainbow-maned pegasus was grinning abashedly.
“Um... oops?” Rainbow Dash said meekly.
Twilight's mouth struggled to work, but Applejack recovered long before her.
“Rainbow! What in the hay were you thinkin'! Somepony could've been hurt!”
That caused Twilight to snap out of her shock. “Where's Rarity!?” she asked anxiously, scanning the room. “Pinkie Pie!?”
“Whoo-hoo! That was awesome!” came a voice from a pile of stacked up furniture on the side of the hall. “Let's do that again!” A few chairs from the top of the pile fell down, revealing Pinkie Pie's poofy pink mane.
“Ack! Pffft! Yech!” came Rarity's voice as she popped up beside Pinkie, her entire torso covered in splotches of gray dust. She looked down at her dirtied coat and let out a small indignant gasp before her gaze moved forwards towards the wrecked chandelier and then upwards to the guilty looking pegasus above.
“Rainbow Dash! How could you!?” Rarity cried out. “You've absolutely ruined one of Equestria's national treasures!”
“Yeah... I um...” Rainbow began.
“And as if my coat wasn't enough, you also ruined that perfectly good chandelier!” Rarity continued, indicating the wreck. “What do you have to say for yourself!?”
“Look, I'm sorry! Really!” Rainbow said hastily. “I didn't think it was gonna come loose like that!”
“What were you trying to do up there anyway?” Twilight asked, her brow furrowed in anger.
“Heh heh...” Rainbow laughed nervously. “I was looking for… traps? You know, like Daring Do?”
Twilight brought a hoof to her forehead in frustration. “Rainbow, this is a castle, not a temple! Ponies lived here! What kind of pony would fill a place where ponies were living and working every day with a whole slew of booby traps!?”
“Well...” Rainbow began, but Twilight held up a hoof.
“Don't!” she said with a resigned sigh. “Don't answer that.” She regretted the question the moment it left her mouth. “Anyway, don't touch anything else that might fall on somepony, okay?”
“Understood, ma'am!” Rainbow swiftly saluted.
“Well, now that that's settled...” Applejack said, turning back to Fluttershy. “Ah know ah said 'if a piece of furniture comes flying at me, but you and ah both know ah was talking about... Fluttershy, you okay?”
Fluttershy was lying on the ground in front of Applejack, strange spirals twirling around in her eyes as she mumbled incoherently. “Poltergeists.... everywhere...”
“Uh, ah'll just talk to ya later,” Applejack said, adjusting her hat.
Twilight telekinetically removed a couch from the pile of furniture as Pinkie and Rarity climbed out and then gently lifted Fluttershy off of the floor and onto said couch.
“Three times today,” Rarity said to Rainbow as they watched Twilight work.
“Oh come on!” Rainbow protested. “It doesn't count if they're the same pony.”
“It does if it was by a different method,” Rarity answered with a coy smile.
“Mmmfmmm mfmmm I'll show you a different method,” Rainbow angrily muttered.
“What are you talking about!?” Pinkie asked excitedly, popping up next to the other two.
“We were discussing Rainbow's propensity for rendering her friends unconscious,” Rarity answered, “like she did with you a few minutes ago.”
“Oh yeah!” Pinkie exclaimed. “That was weird! I was in this crazy loop of fudge... and sludge.... and fudge.. and sludge...”
“Pinkie, no!” Rainbow cried out, grabbing her friend's shoulders. “Think of something else! Um... Balloon animals! Cupcakes! Uh... um... Parties!”
Pinkie's eyes suddenly came back into focus. “I like parties!” she said.
Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief as she patted Pinkie on the head. “I know you do, Pinkie. I know you do.”
“Well!” Twilight announced from across the room, having just made sure Fluttershy was comfortable, “I think we've dallied long enough. It's time to start searching!” Twilight began walking deeper into the castle.
“Whoo-hoo!” Pinkie cried out with a shower of confetti. “Searching! ...Searching for what?”
Twilight just looked at her incredulously. “Searching for what!? Pinkie, weren't you listening when I explained this back in Manehattan?”
“Silly Twilight!” Pinkie said with a wave of her hoof. “If I was listening back then, I wouldn't be asking you about it now!”
Twilight grit her teeth in frustration. “Are you telling me you came with us all the way to this castle in the middle of these deep dark woods without even knowing why!?”
Pinkie just giggled. “Silly Twilight, I don't need a reason to go on a trip with my friends!”
Twilight opened her mouth to object, then closed it, then opened it again, but found she couldn't come up with a suitable response.
“I really want to object to that...” Twilight ended up saying, “But I feel like anything I said would be hypocritical, speaking as the Princess of Friendship.”
Pinkie gasped. “Twilight, you're a princess!? When did that happen?”
Twilight narrowed her eyes at Pinkie.
“Okay, that one was a joke,” Pinkie said with a laugh, “I was totally listening for that one.”
“Anyway… The reason we came here – Pinkie, pay attention! – is because a squad of Wonderbolts spotted this castle from the air during one of their training flights, and Princess Celestia thought it would be good to investigate it, to get some idea of who it belonged to. It could have priceless historical significance.” She glanced over at Rainbow Dash. “Which is why we need to avoid damaging anything.”
“I get it, geez,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.
“Doesn't the princess have super duper castle investigating ponies that could do that for her?” Pinkie asked.
“Obviously she was impressed with the work we did on her old castle in the Everfree Forest,” Rarity answered as she dusted herself off.
“Ah'm sure the fact that we jus' happened to be in Manehattan when this castle was discovered had somethin' to do with it as well,” Applejack added
“I'm really sorry about that, by the way,” Twilight said, looking at Applejack abashedly. “I didn't mean to cut your visit with your Aunt and Uncle Orange short...”
Applejack waved a hoof dismissively. “Don't you worry about that none. Five minutes with them and I remembered exactly why ah went back home all those years ago.”
“Well I for one found them positively charming,” Rarity offered.
“You would,” Applejack answered with a roll of her eyes.
“Anyway!” Twilight pressed on. “The point is, Pinkie, that we're looking for clues as to who lived here. Books or documents, maybe even engravings.”
“Clues!?” Pinkie shouted excitedly as she suddenly pulled a familiar hat, pipe, and magnifying glass out of her saddlebags. “Leave it to me!”
With that, she dashed off into the castle, heading down a spiral staircase visible at the back of the entrance hall.
“Pinkie, wait!” Twilight called after her, but she was already out of sight. “I wonder if she really understands...”
“Aw, she'll be fine sugercube,” Applejack said as she trotted up. “More importantly, what do you want us to do?”
“Well, since Pinkie decided to run off to the basement, I guess I'll check the upper floors,” Twilight answered, looking around at the castle interior. "Applejack, you can take the west wing while Rainbow takes the east. Rarity, would you mind staying with Fluttershy until she wakes up? I don't want her to think she's all alone."
“Of course, darling,” Rarity answered, now going through her mane with an ornate hairbrush. “It'll give me time to fix my hair.”
“We'll meet up here when we're done searching our quadrants, okay?” Twilight said, turning back to the others, who nodded in agreement.
“Alright then,” Twilight said determinedly as she looked at the staircase before her. “Let's get searching!”
***
The castle wasn't in nearly as dilapidated a condition as the Castle of the Two Sisters was, though there was quite a bit of damage on the second floor. An entire section of wall had collapsed, along with a large chunk of the floor, resulting in a large hole in the floor of the second story hallway.
The plant life surrounding the castle was invading through the hole, covering much of the area with moss and overgrown vines. Much of the rest of the castle was the same – Holes and plants everywhere. This would not normally pose a problem, were it not for the fact that it was about all they were able to find.
Though there were plenty of bookshelves throughout the castle, and even a large room that was presumably a library, there was not a single book, scroll, or scrap of paper to be found in any of them, and the ponies’ mood sank with each empty room they came across.
The only pony that was able to remain chipper and upbeat throughout the search was Pinkie Pie, who was making her through the castle's basement.
“Clueeeee, oh clueeee,” Pinkie called, whistling for good measure. “Come here boy. Where are you hiding?”
She came across a dinky little room with little more than a desk and a chair nestled inside.
“Hmm...” she said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Could you be hiding... under the desk!?”
With a sudden burst of speed, Pinkie dove under the desk, kicking up a cloud of dust. She coughed as it dissipated around her, and then looked around her to find little more than dust bunnies and cobwebs. She stood back up and returned to the hallway, looking around with eyes narrowed in suspicion. She caught a glance of something in an adjoining room, and smiled mischievously.
“Or maybe...” she said. “You're.... outside the window!”
She dashed for the gap in the stone wall, catching herself with her hooves before plummeting into the endless span of trees below. The castle was built at the edge of the valley, and the late afternoon sun shining on the trees below was a sight to behold.
“Ooh, pretty!” Pinkie exclaimed excitedly before her face changed to a frown. “But this isn't a clue either.”
She stepped back inside just as a cold wind made her shiver. “Brrr, that's chilly!”
As she looked up, she saw a tapestry in the hallway flutter in response to the breeze.
Pinkie just stared at it for a moment before narrowing her eyes and grinning evilly.
“Or maybe...” she said, slowing creeping into the hallway like a cat stalking its prey. “Maybe... you're behind the tapest– gyaaah!”
Pinkie screamed in surprise as she dove under the fabric. As she jumped back in shock her tail caught on the end, pulling the whole thing down with her. Pinkie frantically waved her legs in an attempt to free herself, and upon doing so, looked up at the terrifying image that had caused her to scream.
There before her was a stone door covered with carvings unlike any Pinkie had ever seen. Its borders were lined with all sorts of monsters. There was a griffon, a minotaur, a manticore, a cockatrice, not to mention countless other monsters Pinkie hadn't so much as heard of. But what drew her eye the most was the terrifying figure in the middle – a large unicorn-like being with four eyes – one pair atop the other – a fire-like mane and tail, and eight multi-jointed legs twisting in every possible direction. Pinkie gazed up at the creature in awe.
“C... C...” she stuttered.
She gulped down a fresh breath of air, as her face lit up in a burst of excitement.
“Clue!” she yelled out elatedly, springing to her hooves and galloping at full force back the way she came, navigating the castle's various twists and turns. After a little while she could hear the voices of her friends echoing down the hallway, and picked up the pace.
“...so much as piece of paper,” came Applejack's voice. “Ah think somepony cleared this place out long ago.”
“W...what about furniture?” Fluttershy's voice said.
“Plenty of furniture,” came Twilight's response with a light laugh, “but no Poltergeist.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Fluttershy said.
“Girls!” Pinkie screamed as she burst from the stairwell, jumping into the air.
Fluttershy shrieked in fear as Pinkie landed and slid to a stop right in front of them.
“Girls! Clue clue, I found a clue!” she screamed, waving her forelegs in the air wildly.
“Calm down Pinkie, geez!” Twilight shouted. “What did you find?”
“It was...” Pinkie started, lowering her voice for dramatic effect, “a door!”
She looked up, expecting to find elated faces, but instead found only disappointment and indifference. Rainbow Dash slowly clopped her hooves together with a bored look on her face.
“Pinkie...” Twilight began, “This place is full of doors.”
“Well, yeah, but, I mean this wasn't a normal door” Pinkie sputtered, trying to explain herself. “It's super creepy! I mean... Oh just follow me!”
Without another word, she dashed back down the stairs. The others just looked at each other and shrugged before trotting after her. All except Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy, are you coming darling?” Rarity asked.
“Um... I don't want to see the creepy door...” she answered.
Rarity and Applejack exchanged glances, and rolled their eyes in sync.
“Fine,” Rainbow Dash said as she floated above the others, a mischievous grin on her face. “Then stay here.... Alone... With all this old creepy furniture.”
Fluttershy stood up with a jolt and looked around the entrance hall. It certainly looked much more big and scary and empty without her friends standing there. And there was an awful lot of furniture...
Fluttershy gulped. “Uh, hehe, on second thought, I think I'll come along.”
With that the five ponies descended the staircase after Pinkie Pie, who kept popping out in front of her friends, wondering what was taking them so long, before zipping right back to where she came from. After a few minutes the others finally caught up with Pinkie, who they found staring at some part of the wall. They approached sporting faces of indifference, but upon spotting the ornate stone carving built into the wall they slowly turned to faces of awe.
“Whoa!”
“Land sakes!”
“My goodness!”
“Eep!”
“See, what'd I tell ya?” Pinkie said, elbowing Twilight in the side. “Huh? Twilight?”
“...Oh my gosh Pinkie...” Twilight said, staring at the ornate door. “You found something incredible!”
“You got some idea what this here door is, Twilight?” Applejack asked.
Twilight stepped forward slowly. “It’s the eight legged horse... The symbol of...”
Twilight audibly gulped.
“...Sleipnir.”
“Slept where?” Applejack asked.
“Sleipnir,” Twilight repeated, gazing up at the door. “One of the most diabolical ponies in all of Equestrian History.”
“Oh yeah?” Rainbow Dash asked doubtfully. “If he's so bad then how come I’ve never heard of him?”
“Cause until a year ago you wouldn't so much as pick up a book?” Applejack suggested with a smirk.
“So I take it you know who this guy is then?” Rainbow glared down at Applejack.
“Well no,” Applejack admitted, “But at least ah know it ain't got nothin' to do with my literacy.”
“It doesn't,” Twilight interrupted. “None of you would've heard of him. He’s not like Nightmare Moon or Discord, every mention of his existence was completely removed. I probably shouldn't even be telling you about him.”
“Ooh, royalty-level gossip!” Rarity squeaked excitedly. “Do go on, dear! Give us the whole scoop!”
“Wait, hold on,” Rainbow interrupted, holding up a hoof. “We're not gonna get banished if we hear this or anything are we?”
“Well, no,” Twilight answered, looking down to the side, “but it's secret for a reason. I'm only telling you guys because I feel it might be... relevant.” She glanced back at the door uneasily. “So I'd appreciate it if you could keep it between the six of us.”
“Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie suddenly called out, making the appropriate gesture. The others followed suit, some rolling their eyes more than others.
“Well, alright then,” Twilight said, glancing back at the door. “Where to begin...?”
Twilight stood there deep in thought for a moment before raising her head. “Do you guys remember the post-unification war?” she asked.
“Well, it was before my time, darling,” Rarity answered sarcastically, “but I have heard of it, yes.”
“That was the one where we kicked all those monsters' butts, right?” Rainbow asked with a grin, smacking her hooves together for emphasis.
“More or less,” Twilight answered. “It was fought against the Minotaur League and the Griffon Empire, along with several smaller nations and a whole slew of mindless beasts that they held at their command.”
Twilight smiled in spite of herself. “It was my favorite period of history when I was in magic high school. I was supposed to write an essay on it for one of my classes, and I decided to really go all out!”
“Naturally,” Applejack said with a knowing smirk.
Twilight just rolled her eyes and continued. “It occurred to me that all the texts on the war seemed to use the same sources – pony sources, and little to no information from the other side of the conflict. I thought I could earn extra points if I provided a fair and unbiased perspective. So I went to use the Canterlot library system to order every griffon or minotaur written text on the period, and do you know what they told me!?”
“That you were taking this way too seriously and you should do the assignment normally?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight glared at Rainbow before continuing. “No, they told me there weren't any! Can you believe it? Thousands of years of Griffon history and not a single textbook written by a griffon author on their most important war!”
“Well how did Griffon students learn about it then?” Rarity asked.
“Translated pony textbooks I guess,” Twilight answered with a shrug. “Anyway, I didn't give up. I wrote letters to various foreign information bureaus requesting a copy of any and all declassified documents from that period, and do you know what the letters they sent me back said!?”
“...That you were taking this way too seriously and you should do the assignment normally?” Rainbow asked after a moment.
“No, Rainbow!” Twilight yelled. “It said that they were 'unable to find any documents that matched my request.' I sent each of them a strongly worded letter asking how that could possibly be, and they told me that they didn't keep written records during that war! Unbelievable!”
Twilight began pacing back and forth angrily in front of the door. “It smelled fishy, really fishy, so I did a whole bunch of research, grabbing every piece of information I could on the Griffon Empire and the Minotaur League, every myth, historical text, and document, and all of a sudden the pieces started falling into place! I had a theory – a crazy theory, but it was the only thing that could explain the wild inconsistencies in the history of these countries.”
Twilight stepped forward dramatically. “So I did the only thing I could to finally ascertain the truth. I went to Princess Celestia and I told her that it was like... it was like...” Twilight gulped. “It was like before the war, those countries didn't even exist!”
The other ponies gasped in surprise.
Twilight closed her eyes, and then opened them again slowly. “And do you know what Princess Celestia told me?”
Rainbow opened her mouth to speak, but Twilight shouted, “Rainbow I swear to Celestia, don't say it!”
Rainbow just laughed nervously. “Uh, so what did she say?”
“She said...” Twilight began, making a very serious face, only to immediately break down into a fit of giggles, causing the others to look at each other confusedly.
“What the hay's so funny?” Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Sorry, sorry,” Twilight said between giggles. “I just remember that she said I was a very clever pony and I got kinda happy so I... uh..” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, she told me I was completely right.”
“My word!” Rarity exclaimed, raising a hoof to her cheek in shock. “But why on earth would something as monumental as that be covered up? Did the Princess tell you?”
“No,” Twilight answered. “She was very impressed by how much I'd managed to figure out, and she told me she wanted to see how much more I could discover on my own. It was a kind of like a test, one I was really excited to take.”
“So a normal test then,” Rainbow whispered to Applejack
Twilight heard her, but decided to ignore it, continuing onward. “The princess gave me complete access to the royal archives, so I was able to get my hooves on all the old war documents – troop distributions and messages and stuff like that, and I started researching immediately. It was pretty tough. Most of the old messages were encoded so I had to decode them first, but once I did, a few phrases started to pop up over and over again, and one of them...” She looked back at the stone carving, “...was Sleipnir.”
She turned her gaze back to her friends. “So I started focusing on that word, trying to figure out what it meant by looking at all the times it was used and in what context it seemed to be in, and as I did, everything clicked.” Twilight took a deep breath. “The reason the Griffon Empire, the Minotaur League, and all the other monster nations didn't seem to exist is because those creatures didn't even exist yet. They were created... bred for war...”
Twilight turned her head to the stone door once more. “By him... Sleipnir.”
“The father of all monsters.”
The ponies just stood there in silence for a few moments before Rainbow spoke up.
“How?” she asked.
“What?” Twilight replied, turning her head back to Rainbow.
“How did he create a whole bunch of monsters from nowhere?” Rainbow asked.
“...I don't know,” Twilight answered after a moment. “I mean, I don't think it's a coincidence that almost every monster on this door seems to be a combination of other Equestrian creatures... But the exact methodology was the one thing I was never able to figure out. Actually, when I told that to Princess Celestia, she seemed a little surprised, and I asked her if I should keep looking, but she said...”
Twilight took a breath of air. “She said that the method he used was better off forgotten. 'Ponykind was never meant to create new life.' Not like that anyway. That's why...” She turned to look at the door once more. “I don't know what lies beyond that door, but it could be something darker than anything we've ever faced before.”
At Twilight's words, the six ponies stared silently at the door, until the silence was suddenly broken by Fluttershy.
“Well, it's a good thing we can't go in then,” she said in a falsely happy voice that was clearly affected by fear. “We tried our best, but I guess it's time to go home!”
“The hay you goin' on about?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well look,” Fluttershy said, gesturing to the door. “There's no handle or door or anything. We can't open it without one of those.”
“Fluttershy, it's clearly a door,” Rainbow Dash said, taking to the air and floating above her. “There's obviously a way to open it – we just don't know what it is yet.”
“Ooh! Ooh! Let me! Let me!” Pinkie yelled, jumping up and down excitably “I bet it's voice activated, and I have the perfect password!” She jumped directly front of the door, stood up straight and took a deep breath.
“Open... sesame seed bagel!”
For a moment there was silence, and then without warning the doors began to slowly slide open with the grating sound of stone scraping against stone. The ponies' mouths hung open in shock as the two halves of the door split down the middle and slid into the adjoining wall.
“...Wow,” said Pinkie after a moment, “I didn't think that would actually work!”
“I...ju...wha...” Rainbow stammered.
“Did she really just do that?” Rarity asked.
“Heheheh, no.” Twilight said, giggling. “I found the switch. The minotaur's left pectoral was a different color than the rest of the door, so I tried pushing it in.”
“Nice goin' Twilight,” Applejack said appreciatively before turning to look at the mare next to her. “Ya see that, Fluttershy? We got that door open, no problem!”
“H...hooray,” Fluttershy said, quivering.
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!” Rainbow yelled as she prepared to dash down the newly revealed staircase.
“Rainbow wait!” Twilight called out. “I said it might be dangerous, remember? We should stick together.”
“Fine,” Rainbow said in an annoyed voice as she stopped at the doorway, slowly hovering after Twilight as she descended the stairs, lighting her horn to dispel the darkness.
“Come along dearie,” Rarity said to Fluttershy as she too descended the staircase alongside Applejack and Pinkie.
Left alone, Fluttershy squeaked meekly before following behind them.
They descended what felt like two stories of stairs, guided by the light of Twilight's horn, before coming across a large circular room with what appeared to be a reflective floor.
“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash called out, seeing something glinting over by the wall and flying over to investigate. “Look, it's armor!” She held up a metal helmet. “Look at these holes in the sides! Looks like it was made for a minotaur!”
“Well that would certainly go along with your story, Twilight,” Applejack said, glancing over at the unicorn, who smiled.
“There are weapons here too!” Rainbow called over. “Oooh, a morning star! Nice!”
“Rainbow, don't touch anything!” Twilight yelled. “These are historical artifacts, remember?”
“Fine, geez,” Rainbow said as she dropped the weapon on the ground with a thunk.
“You know...” Rarity said, adding her own light to Twilight's. “Looking around that's pretty much all I see – weapons and armor.”
“Hmm, that's odd...” Twilight said, shining her light around the room. “This doesn't really seem like an armory.”
“Yeah, seems an awful lot more like a wine cellar to me,” Applejack added.
“Though it's odd...” Rarity added as she moved closer to a pile of armor. “This equipment is supposed to be hundreds of years old, yet it seems to be in remarkably good condition. Almost like somepony's been maintaining it.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Somepony... or something!”
Fluttershy let out a pitiful squeal at Rainbow Dash's words, curling into a ball and shivering.
“Oh, uh, sorry,” Rainbow apologized. “I didn't mean a poltergeist or anything. I was talking about some monster.”
“That's not much better!” Fluttershy whimpered.
“I found something!” Pinkie's voice suddenly called from above. “Man I'm good at this!”
The other ponies looked up in surprise to find that Pinkie was hanging off the ceiling, her legs stuck to the ceiling with four rubber suction cups.
“Check it out. It's like glass or something,” she said, pulling a foreleg out of one of the cups and tapping on the ceiling to demonstrate.
Rainbow flew up next to her and squinted to get a better look. “It looks like there are rocks or something on the other side. I think maybe it's a skylight that got buried.”
“That would make sense, but then what was it used for?” Twilight asked. “Why put a skylight in a basement room?”
“Beats me,” Rainbow replied, squinting back up at the ceiling. “Hey, could you make the light a little brighter? I can barely see the other side."
Twilight complied, focusing magic into her horn and increasing the light's intensity from that of a candle to that of an electric light.
“Thanks,” Rainbow called. "Yeah, I think I can see a bit of the forest through the cra... Whoa!”
Rainbow flew back in surprise as she suddenly saw her face reflected in the glass. She blinked a few times then came to the realization that the light in the room was still increasing.
“Well Twi, if you make it too bright I won't be able to... Twilight!”
Rainbow turned around, finding that the floor directly under the circular glass ceiling was glowing with an unearthly blue light. The others noticed at around the same time, and immediately tried to leap from the circle of light, but before they could, blue energy tendrils shot up and grabbed hold of the four ponies still on the ground, sticking to their coats like glue.
“What in tarnation!?” Applejack cried out as the tendrils wrapped around her hooves.
“What is this!?” Rarity shrieked. “Ew! It's gooey! Ew ew ewwwww!”
Fluttershy took to the air before they could grab on, but the tendrils reached up and grabbed her by her tail and hindlegs.
Rainbow dove down and stuck her forelegs underneath Twilight's, flapping with all her might. “Help me flap!”
“I can't!” Twilight cried. “It's got my wings!”
“Then teleport!”
Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated, but all that emitted from her horn was a tiny shower of sparks. “It's not working!”
“Alright,” Rainbow said, “Don't panic! I'll just gaaah!”
Rainbow cried out in pain as more tendrils erupted from the floor and stuck to her tail and wings, pulling her downwards.
Meanwhile, Pinkie had managed to pull her forehooves out of her suction cups and dangled them in front of Fluttershy, her hindlegs still stuck to the ceiling. “Quick!” she yelled to Fluttershy. “Grab my hooves!”
Fluttershy fearfully looked from Pinkie's hooves to her own hooves, and then back to Pinkie herself.
“With what!?” she yelled.
“Oh yeah,” Pinkie said, glancing at her own hooves.
Pinkie suddenly felt herself slide slightly closer to the ground.
“Uh-oh” she said, glancing up as her rear hooves slipped out of the suction cups.
Pinkie fell from the ceiling, hitting Fluttershy on the way down and sending them both tumbling to the glowing blue floor.
At that moment, Applejack had managed to get one of her hooves outside the circle of light and starting pulling herself towards it. She looked back at Rarity, who was flailing her hooves wildly in an attempt to break them free.
“Rarity!” Applejack called out, as she waved her tail in front of her face. “Bite my tail!”
Rarity temporarily stopped struggling and looked over at Applejack with a distressed frown.
“What's the holdup!?” Applejack yelled.
“Well, I mean, have you washed it recently?”
“Rarity!”
“Alright, alright!” she yelled, reaching forward and biting onto Applejack's tail.
Applejack pulled forward with all her strength and had managed to get as far as her chest out of the light, but then the light from the floor suddenly flashed. Countless more tendrils burst from below, grabbing hold of everypony and pulling them towards the center. The very floor seemed to turn to liquid and they all began to sink, the six ponies crying out in terror.
When at last they were pulled below the floor they found themselves falling through a vast empty space with neon cyan lights flashing by rapidly. They looked down in horror to find that their very bodies seemed to be dissolving, becoming color more than shape. In a few moments they were merely streaks of light twisting in a spiral as they fell. There, pink blended with yellow, white blended with orange, and blue blended with purple, their colors mixing until they were one. And then, the three lights abruptly hit the ground.
Six unconscious bodies burst up through the very floor they had sunk into and collapsed on the ground. Beneath them, the glow faded as three spherical lights rose up from the floor, hovering above. As the last of the floor's light faded the three balls slowly floated to the ground, where they changed from light to matter, pony like features suddenly taking shape.
And there, in the otherwise quiet castle, three baby ponies began to cry, announcing to the world that they were born.
***
Night Watch made his way through the hallways of Canterlot Castle on a well practiced route to the princesses' bedchambers, his dark blue armor lightly clanking as he walked. He idly glanced at the setting sun hanging in the sky outside. He would be on duty in a few minutes, and it would not do to arrive even a second later than his partner. He quickly picked up the pace.
In a short time he arrived in front of the all too familiar double doors, flanked on each side by a member of the day guard. Night Watch went up to them and saluted. The two guards returned the salute, and without another word strode past him, away from the door, their duty finished for the day. Night Watch walked over to the right side of the door and took his position.
After waiting for a few minutes a change in the light caught his eye and he turned his head toward the nearby window just in time to see the last of the sun's light vanish and the moon rise above the horizon in the east. Night, and his duty, had begun.
At that moment, he heard a familiar sound – the sound of a panel in the ceiling opening and a pony dropping to the floor on the opposite side of the door.
“Good evening, Dusk Wing,” Night Watch said, without looking up.
“Good evening, Night Watch,” the other replied as he stretched out his leathery bat wings.
As the two captains of the Night Guard awaited the arrival of their princess, Night Watch glanced over at his partner and noted how mundane a sight he had become. He didn't know what to say when an entire legion of bat ponies showed up out of nowhere a few years back and pledged their eternal service to Princess Luna. He also didn't know what to say when the Princess ordered that all sorts of hidden passages be installed inside the castle so that they wouldn't have to be exposed to the harmful light of day. He did, however, know what not to say. “I'm not making one more accommodation for these miserable flying rats,” was it? That one line was the reason Dusk Wing was standing on the other side of that door, and not his old partner.
Good riddance, he was a jerk.
A telltale click of a handle announced that Luna was ready to leave her chambers. The doors magically opened just widely enough for her to exit, her countenance as regal as ever. Both guards bowed their heads in respect.
“Good evening, your majesty,” they said as one.
“Good evening,” Luna replied warmly.
She strode forward, her two captains falling into step beside her as they made their way towards the throne room, or, more accurately, the accompanying dining hall, where the Princess began her day by eating with her sister. It was often a private affair, but they had been joined by others on many occasions – by friends on good occasions, and by political sycophants on not so good occasions. Regardless, due to their opposing schedules, mealtimes were the only time of day that the sisters were able to see each other, and as such they both treasured this time immensely, missing it only on the most dire occasions. This is why it was quite a surprise to Luna to find her sister not waiting for her in the dining room as she expected, but rather approaching them in the hallway, a weary look on her face.
“Sister,” Luna greeted warmly, “I was just on my way to see you, is everything alright?”
“Luna...” Princess Celestia responded with a smile despite her tired eyes. “The day court just ended.”
Luna blinked in surprise. “Only just? But...” –she looked outside as if to check– “the sun's just set. It should have ended hours ago.”
“Yes, I know,” Celestia agreed, her voice heavy with annoyance at some unknown nuisance. “There was a rather complicated, heated dispute that just would not end. I expect that if I did not have the sunset as an excuse I would have been there for many hours more.”
“My goodness,” Luna said sympathetically, “What was the problem?”
Celestia just sighed. “I do not wish to discuss it any longer tonight, It has utterly exhausted me. Which is why, I'm sorry Luna but I...”
“You wish to retire early tonight,” Luna finished for her, a slight flash of disappointment crossing her face. “It is alright sister, I understand. “
“Thank you, Luna,” Celestia said with a slight bow of her head. “Raven has all the information on the day court proceedings if you wish to review that case. Perhaps we can discuss it at breakfast?”
“Of course,” Luna said, smiling. “What will you do for dinner?”
“I've arranged for the kitchen to send something up to my chambers on a tray,” Celestia answered. “I plan on reading a nice relaxing novel until I fall asleep.”
“That sounds lovely,” Luna said. “Well then, good night to you, sister."
“Always, Luna.” Came Celestia's reply.
With that, Celestia walked past them, on her way to the royal bedchambers while Luna continued onward to the throne room, now faced with the prospect of eating alone.
Oddly enough, the throne room was not empty when Luna arrived. Odder still, the current occupant wasn't a familiar face. When Luna opened the door, she found a grey coated blonde maned pegasus mare there in front of the throne, anxiously pacing back and forth and muttering to herself worriedly.
“Who is that?” Luna asked, turning to look at her guards.
“I'm not sure, Princess,” Dusk Wing answered. “Petitioners aren't supposed to arrive for quite some time, and I don't recognize her from the staff.”
“I don't know the pony, but I know that look,” Night Watch said with a frown as he watched the mare pace around in a circle, looking down. “That's the face of somepony that got themselves into a mess and can't see a way out.”
“Well, let's see if we can't help her then,” Luna said with a small smile as she strode forward. “Excuse me? Are you in need of assistance?”
The mare jumped upon suddenly being addressed, whipping her head around and staring at Luna with one eye, while the other eye was looking somewhere else.
“Luna?” the mare asked as she tilted her head to the side. “What are you doing here?”
Luna was taken aback at the frankness of the questions, to say nothing of the lack of any form of formality. “I... I'm sorry, but what do you mean by that?”
“Why are you in the castle?” the mare asked again.
“I...I live here,” Luna answered hesitantly.
“Ooooh,” the mare said slowly nodding her head in understanding before abruptly turning away and going back to her pacing.
Luna looked back at Night Watch incredulously, to which the guard gave only a confused shrug.
“Have we met?” Luna asked, turning back to the mare.
She stopped her pacing and looked up again. “No, but I saw you before.” The pacing resumed.
Luna frowned. Clearly subtlety was not this mare's strong suit. “What is your name?” she asked.
“I'm Derpy!” the mare responded, perking up instantly, only to sink back into a frown almost immediately.
“Derpy, is it?” Luna nodded. Finally some progress. “You seem very... distressed.”
“Huh?” Derpy asked, looking up.
“Is something wrong?” Luna asked, a touch of frustration making its way into her voice.
Derpy looked up at the princess, then down at the floor before sitting down sadly.
“I think I messed up,” she said softly.
“I see,” Luna said, striding forward. “Pray tell, what has happened?”
“Pray tell?” Derpy asked.
“What happened?” Luna clarified, annoyance making it's way into her voice again.
“I brought the mail from Ponyville and gave it to the post office like I was supposed to...” Derpy began.
“The Canterlot Post Office?”
Derpy nodded. “I was gonna go home but then Mister Post Haste asked me to bring a package to the castle so I did but when I got there the pony at the desk told me to bring it right to the throne room but when I got here the guard ponies told me the princess was busy and so I went back to the desk but nopony was there so I went back to the throne room but nopony was here anymore either and I don't know what to do and it's getting late and Dinky and Carrot Top are probably wondering where I am and I...”
“Alright then, I think I understand,” Luna interrupted, holding a hoof up. “Basically, you need to deliver a package to the princess?”
Derpy nodded.
“Where is this package now?”
Derpy reached into her brown mail carrier's bag and pulled out a large yellow envelope. It looked like the kind of package used to transport something thin but fragile, with the inside lined with bubble wrap.
Luna reached out with her magic and grabbed it, hovering it beside her own head. “There, your mission has been accomplished,” she said with a warm smile. “You may now return home to your family knowing that you did a job well done.”
Luna looked down at the pegasus, expecting to see her relieved, but instead she found that Derpy still looked very unsure.
“Um... but, that's supposed to go to Princess Celestia...” she said.
Luna looked at the package. Emblazoned on the front were the words “For Princess Celestia's eyes only.” Something about that made something deep in Luna's soul twist in unease.
“...That doesn't matter,” Luna said after a moment. “From the moment the moon rises, Equestria is my domain, and any and all royal matters fall under my purview.”
Derpy just blinked in response.
“Worry not, young filly,” Luna said as she examined the package. “My sister and I trust each other with all our affairs while we rest. I will examine this package and if it is not something that requires my immediate attention as a princess of Equestria, then I will simply deliver it to Celestia personally on the morrow. Now then...” –she magically slit the top of the package open, and then reached inside to pull out the contents– “Let's see what all the fuss is abou...”
It was a photo, a single photo, and yet it was enough to ignite all the dormant rage within Princess Luna's heart.
“...Where did this come from?” Luna asked, her voice shaking with barely repressed rage.
“W-what?”Derpy asked.
“I said where did this package come from, imbecile!” Luna yelled, magically flinging the empty envelope to the ground in front of Derpy.
“I-I-I don't know,” Derpy stuttered out as she got to her hooves and slowly backed away. “There wasn't a return address.”
“USELESS!” Luna screamed, levitating the package up again and flinging it past Derpy's head.
Night Watch and Dusk Wing looked on, their faces aghast. Dusk Wing was the first to step forward. “My lady, what is the matter? What angers you so?”
Without another word, Luna magically flung the photo in his direction, where he snatched it out of thin air with a forehoof. His eyes widened as he saw what it contained.
“B-but this is...!” he stammered.
“Sleipnir,” Luna snarled, her eyes narrowed in a glare as thoughts ran through her head.
“May I see?” Night Watch asked, walking up to the other guard.
Dusk Wing nodded and held out the photo, allowing Night to grab it with his magic. Night Watch levitated it up to his face and examined it closely. It was an aerial surveillance shot of what appeared to be a dilapidated stone building in the middle of the forest. What immediately stuck out, however, was the shape of the roof, which formed an oval like figure with eight jagged lines extending from it, like a crude cartoonish drawing of a spider. Night Watch scanned the photo for anything else of significance, and noticed a familiar W-shaped watermark in the lower right corner, along with a handful of numbers that seemed to be coordinates.
“Princess,” he said, “To be perfectly honest I'm not sure what the significance of this photo is, but it appears to have originated from the Wonderbolts. Perhaps we could consult with their commander?”
Luna didn't answer at first, her thoughts still racing.
“Then that is what we shall do,” she said at last.
“Uh-um...” Derpy whimpered from her place on the floor, where she had been cowering. “C-can I go now?”
“Yes!” Luna snapped, waving a hoof at the young mare. “Away with you! begone!”
Derpy sprang to her hooves and ran for the throne room doors at full speed, barely contained tears now flowing freely. As she burst through the doors, she very nearly collided with Undersecretary Raven, who jumped back in alarm, watching the mare as she ran off.
“Princess Luna!” she called out, slightly indignantly. “What in Equestria is going on? I heard shouting from three rooms away!”
“Miss Raven,” Luna said, her glare immediately locking onto the new arrival. She levitated the photo away from Night Watch and strode directly towards her. “You will explain the meaning of this.”
Luna held up the photo directly in front of Raven's face.
Raven took a step back and blinked as she examined it.“If I had to guess, I'd say this is the recently discovered castle in the forest near Manehattan that Princess Celestia wanted photographed.”
“Why did my sister order such a thing?” Luna demanded, approaching and towering over Raven. “What did she tell you?”
“Nothing!” Raven yelled out, nervously taking another step back. “I don't know why she wanted it photographed. I'm sorry Princess Luna, but I have no idea why you're upset right now!”
Luna said nothing. She just continued to glare at the other mare for a few more moments before letting out an exasperated sigh.
“Night Watch!” she called out suddenly.
“Yes Ma'am!” the soldier replied, immediately stepping into a salute.
“I will not be holding the Night Court tonight after all, please inform the petitioners,” she said, before glancing over at Raven. “Oh, and ensure that my sister doesn't find out. At least not tonight.”
“I... yes, your highness,” Night Watch answered, glancing uncertainly at Raven, who was growing increasingly astounded at Luna's behavior.
“Dusk Wing,” Luna called out.
“Your Highness,” came the reply.
“You're with me,” she said as she began striding for the door. “We're going hunting.”
“Yes ma'am,” Dusk replied, his face twisting into a dark smile.
“Princess!” Raven called after her. “Where are you going?”
“Manehattan,” she answered curtly. “I have a castle to investigate.”
“But Princess Twilight's already handling it!” Raven objected.
Luna jerked to a stop and whipped her head around at Raven's words.
“What did you say?” she asked incredulously.
“Princess Twilight and her friends were on a trip to Manehattan, so Princess Celestia asked them to take a look since it was close by,” Raven explained. “I'm sure they have it all under control, so please...”
“Are you telling me,” Luna said, turning around and walking back towards Raven, “That my sister sent Twilight and her friends to that castle without any idea of what they're trotting into?”
“I don’t even know what they’re supposedly trotting into!” Raven answered exasperatedly.
Luna narrowed her eyes as she looked down at the other mare.
“Something they couldn't possibly be prepared for.”
***
Pound? Pumpkin?
Pinkie Pie’s eyes fluttered opened as the sound of foals’ crying reached her ears. I wonder who woke up first this time? She smiled as she closed her eyes again. The Cakes sure have it rough. Getting up in the middle of the night is super duper tiring. I’m glad I only have to do it when I’m babysitting. Okay, back to sleep now. Pinkie lay there quietly, doing her best to ignore the wailing. The cries continued onward for some time more.
...Wait. Her eyes fluttered open again. I’m not babysitting tonight am I? Wait, weren’t the Cakes going on that trip to Manehattan!? Or wait, was I the one that was going…? Pinkie listened intently – It didn’t sound like anypony else was getting up.
...Better safe than sorry.
Pinkie got to her hooves, and noticed that she was awfully sore. Geez, what’s with my mattress tonight? It’s all cold and hard and… close to the groundy.
She groggily walked over to where the crying was coming from, which was oddly only a few steps away. Weird, since when do they sleep in my room? She reached down and began putting the foals on her back, feeling their legs automatically clench around her back – a natural reflex. First one, then the other, then...
Why are there three foals?
Pinkie looked at where the third crying voice was coming from, squinting in the darkness.
Pound and Pumpkin cake were twins, not triplets, and yet there were three foals here.
There was only one explanation.
“Geez, Mr and Mrs. Cake,” Pinkie mumbled, her voice inaudible over the screaming foals. “You don't wait around, do you?”
Without another word she lifted the third foal onto her back, fortunately having just enough room, and then took another look around, squinting in the darkness.
Wait. Pinkie’s eyes widened. Wait, this isn’t sugarcube corner! This isn’t sugarcube corner at all!
This is Sugarcube Corner's basement.
Pinkie started to worry – for some reason she had brought the Cakes' foals down to the basement and then fell asleep! Some babysitter I am!
Pinkie walked to the wall and began feeling around for the exit. The wall gave way to a large open space and Pinkie realized she found the stairs. She quickly ascended, hoping that whatever irresponsible thing she had done to cause this mess could still be fixed. I don’t want Mr. and Mrs. Cake to start thinking I’m irresponsible again.
As Pinkie climbed the stairs, she could see the soft glow of moonlight up ahead, but when she climbed up the last few steps, she gasped at what she saw. This isn’t Sugarcube Corner, or Sugarcube Corner’s basement, or anywhere within related to Sugarcube Corner at all! This is the old castle I went to with my friends! Pinkie gasped again. My friends! They’re still down there!
Pinkie looked around frantically. There was a dusty old couch sitting against the wall. Pinkie hurried over and began depositing the foals upon it.
“Okay, Pound. Okay, Pumpkin. Okay, baby pony I don't know. I don't know how you guys got teleportaled here, but I have to...”
Pinkie's eyes grew as wide as saucers as she actually turned to look at the babies for the first time, their bodies now clearly visible in the moonlight. That’s not Pound, that’s not Pumpkin, and that’s definitely not some baby pony I don’t know!
...Wait, yes it is. Wait! Yes they are! They’re all baby ponies I don’t know!
The one on the right was a pure pink pegasus. Pink coat, pink mane, cute little pink wings. She might even have had pink eyes, but her eyes were closed, so Pinkie couldn't tell.
The one on the left was a white coated earth pony with messy blonde hair. Her screeching was significantly louder than the other two – she must have been born with a powerful set of lungs.
And the one in the middle... Well the one in the middle was a Princess or something. She was a lavender coated pony with a rainbow mane, who sported both a horn and a tiny pair of wings. It was almost like somepony shrunk Twilight and then gave her Rainbow's mane. But that was crazy talk.
Pinkie blinked twice as she stared at the foals.
“Ooookaaaay,” she said nervously after a moment. “Well, um, anyway, wait here!”
With a dash, she zipped down the stairs while screaming at the top of her lungs.
“GIIIIIIIIIIRLS!” she cried, charging into the room and feeling around wildly for their unconscious bodies.
“Girls! Get up!”
“...Five more minutes...”
“What in tarnation!?”
“Pinkie!? Stop shoving!”
“What on earth are you...?
“Eep!”
With some effort, Pinkie was able to get them all up on their hooves and into a group, and began pushing them up the stairs at full speed, the others screaming complaints as they jostled and tripped over each other. The group burst into the room at the top of the stairs and collapsed in a heap, with Pinkie jumping into the room over their battered bodies.
“Pinkie!” Twilight yelled as she got to her hooves. “What are you even...!?”
Her eyes widened as she suddenly noticed the cacophony of noise already present in the room, her eyes shooting over to the couch where the babies were crying. She and the others stood there agape for a second before snapping out of it.
“Pinkie!?” Twilight shouted as she gestured to the foals with a hoof. “Where did these babies come from!?”
“I don't know!” Pinkie shouted back, though in her case it was so her voice could be heard over the noise. “I woke up and they were here!”
“Aww, they're adorable!” Fluttershy gushed, rushing over and fussing over them.
“They are,” Rarity agreed with a smile. “From a distance, though. Do keep them over there, Fluttershy darling, I don't want anything... expelled on me.”
“Poor little things, they must be mighty hungry,” Applejack said as she trotted over next to Fluttershy.”
“Ooh! Ooh!” Pinkie shouted out as she peered into her saddlebags, “I have baby formula in my bag!”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Why do you have...?”
“Bottle emergency!” Pinkie answered as she provided three full bottles of formula.
“Why do I ask?” Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes.
“One problem though,” Pinkie said, standing on her hind legs and balancing the bottles on her nose and forehooves. “They need to be warmed up.”
“I can do that,” Twilight said, levitating the bottles away from Pinkie. She closed her eyes and concentrated, another layer of magic forming around her horn. She opened her eyes after a few seconds and hovered one of the bottles back over to Pinkie Pie, “Is that good?”
Pinkie grabbed the bottle, lifted it up over her head and squeezed a drop out, letting it fall onto her tongue.
“Delicious!” Pinkie exclaimed, licking her lips.
“I meant was it warm enough?” Twilight deadpanned.
“Oh!” Pinkie said, “It was that too.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and levitated the bottles over to the foals, grabbing the third one from Pinkie Pie as well. As soon as the rubber top touched their mouths, the foals stopped crying and immediately started suckling, instinctively grabbing onto the bottle and pulling it close.
“Phew, at last.” Rarity said as the sounds of the foals' crying ceased. “I'll tell you I find nothing more grating than screechy high pitched noises.”
Twilight looked over at Rarity with a raised eyebrow.
“...What?” she demanded after Twilight held her gaze for a few seconds.
“Anyway, where the hay did these little fellers come from?” Applejack asked. “Ain't no way they've been living here all by themselves.”
“Do you think it had something to do with that blue light?” Fluttershy asked.
“It had to,” Twilight answered with a nod. “That was definitely a magical reaction of some sort."
“A magic mirror,” Rarity agreed. “It's certainly nothing new.”
Something clicked in Twilight's brain.
“Rarity...” she said in a hushed voice. “What did you just say?”
“Well I was referring to that mirror you used to go to that other world, Darling,” Rarity explained.
“Don't forget about that mirror pool Pinkie Pie used to clone herself,” Rainbow added. “That counts, right?”
“Ah guess there's just something magical about reflections,” Applejack said with a chuckle.
“That...that circle on the floor was a mirror?” Twilight asked, her eyes wide.
“Well I think so, darling” Rarity answered. “I could see my reflection in it before it starting glowing all blue.”
“...Mirror,” Twilight suddenly mumbled to herself as she walked forward. “Mirror.... Mirror...”
“...Twi, you okay?” Applejack asked, her face concerned.
Twilight was approaching the foals slowly even as her mind raced. “Mirror... Mirror...” She stopped in front of the couch and closely looked at the three foals, at their coats, their manes, their horns and wings.
And it all clicked.
“No...” she whispered as she backed away. “Nonononono!”
“Twilight!” Fluttershy yelled, rushing forward. “What's wrong?”
“Mirror!” Twilight screamed, bringing her hooves up to her head. “Mirror!”
“Twilight!” Rainbow flew up to Twilight and smacked her across the face with her open wing. “Snap out of it!”
Twilight gasped for breath. “Y-you're right. Gotta stay calm. Gotta just...” – Twilight inhaled and then slowly exhaled – “Calm down.”
“Now then, whatever is the matter?” Rarity asked.
“Mirror,” Twilight repeated.
“Yes, mirror, we get it,” Rainbow snapped angrily. “What about it?”
“Do...do you remember when I said I had to decode all those documents in the Royal Canterlot Archives?” she asked frantically as the others nodded. “Well, one of the words that kept popping up was 'Mirror.' At the time, I assumed it was a code word for 'base,' because of the context it was being used in. 'Mirror location found, mirror destroyed.' Stuff like that.”
“Okay, so it actually just meant mirror then,” Rainbow said, hovering with her forelegs crossed. “So what's the problem?”
“Because the one thing I couldn't figure out was how Sleipnir was making all of his monster minions!” Twilight anxiously explained. “And now I think these ‘mirrors’ was how he did it!”
“Silly Twilight,” Pinkie chided with a giggle.. “The mirror didn't make any monsters! It just made a bunch of baby p-oh...no.” Pinkies' eyes widened as she glanced over at the foals. “Hoh boy!”
“Right,” Twilight said, beginning to breathe heavier again. “The mirror didn’t make monsters, because instead of say, a lion and an eagle standing on the mirror, it was just a bunch of ponies!”
“D-darling, y-you couldn't possibly be saying that...” Rarity started to say, her eye twitching rapidly and looked from Twilight to the foals and back again.
“I'm saying I don't think these foals came from the castle or were teleported from somewhere else, I think they were made from our DNA! From us!” Twilight continued frantically
“Wait, Twi y-you don’t mean!?” Applejack stuttered.
Behind her Fluttershy raised a hoof to her mouth and Rainbow's eyes went wide as they too grasped the implications.
“Girls,” Twilight said, taking another deep breath and reaching out a hoof to point at the baby ponies. “I think.... those foals are ours. I think...”
Twilight gulped
“I think we're their mommies.”
For the next few moments the ponies could do nothing but stare at each other, agape.
And then they all screamed.
Author's Note
This chapter edited by:
JustAnotherTimeLord
DPV111
Sharky
holyme
rairjack4life
Princess Glitzy
And one other person whose fimfiction name I'm not sure about. (Mail me!)
