Relics of the Pastby StardustSprinkleChaptersStone of CreationA Giant Machine PonySkeleton of a Mysterious AnimalThe Contract of Faust Part 1Stone of CreationA long, long time ago, the earth was deprived of life. Then, a goddess emerged and gave life to the pony kind. She cultivated the lands and taught ponies the way of nature. Yet, water pours down from the sky as the heaven itself shuttered, and the land was flooded. To save her beloved creatures, the goddess forged three thousand pieces of stones and filled the sky with them. As the flood ceased, the pony kind thrived. "That was..." "Odd," Twilight says, interrupting Spike: "It seems like those stones hold great magic powers. No wonder Princess Celestia want me to retrieve it." "Wait, I thought the goddess used them all to fix the sky," Spike says: "didn't she?" "Apparently not," Twilight says, eyes focused on her book: "Spike, where's Celestia's scroll?" "Here it is," Spike hands Twilight a scroll with a royal stamp on it: "Can I have Big Mac and Discord over for tonight, though?" "Fine," Twilight rolls her eyes as the purple magic field engulfs the parchment: "Only if you clean up afterward." "You got it," Spike winks: "So, how many of them are still here?" "One," Twilight replies, putting Princess Celestia's scroll and her books away: "And the princess believes that it's under her old castle." "Wait, what?" Spike asks: "They just find out? How?" "A dream," Twilight replies as quills and empty parchments flow towards her: "Princess Celestia had a dream about it." "You sure it's not a prank?" Spike raises one eyebrow: "Luna is the Princess of the Night and Dreams." "I am sure they would go easy on the pranks after the incident," Twilight says while making several check-lists at once: "All navigation system is now outdated and had to be adjusted. I just wonder how the animals are going to find their directions this fall." "Wait, what?" Spike says: "I thought it was just an incident, and you are telling me it's a prank gone wrong?" "Well," Twilight pauses for a moment: "Just don't tell the others, ok? I am only telling you and no one else." "Yes, ma'am," Spike says, giving Twilight a salute playfully. "Ok," Twilight face-hoofed: "Do you know about Sol et arcus?" "The what now?" Spike asks. "The Bow of Sun," Twilight stands up on all fours: "Celestia's heirloom. It's powerful enough to strike down the stars." "And you can use it without arrows," Spike rolls his eyes: "How can I forget." "The princesses didn't go into detail," Twilight continues as parchments and books flow into saddlebags: "But long story short, Celestia tried to pull a quick one on Luna, but mistaken the Bow of Sun. For a normal bow." "Ah-huh," Spike replies: "I've got a feeling they need the stone to repair the damage they've done?" "Maybe," Twilight says as the bags levitates towards her: "Don't tell anyone else, ok?" "You've got it," Spike lied: "So you are staying at Canterlot tonight?" "Neigh-huh," Twilight says: "It's going to be a long night." "So out of all the times, she could have used it," Rainbow says: "She used it to prank her sister?" "I know, I know," Twilight sighs: "Remember, we are here to help, not making fun of them, ok?" "After we find the rock, that is," Applejack adds: "How far are we from the castle now?" "Not far away," Twilight answers: "But we do need to hurry up; the Everfree Forest is not the friendliest of places." "You don't say," Rainbow rolls her eyes: "Just out of curiosity, can Alicorns go senile?" "Rainbow!" Twilight shouts: "How can you say such a thing?" "To be fair, Twilight," Applejack pauses for a moment: "Ya' know what? Truth hurts." "Point taken," Twilight rolls her eyes: "But listen, this is urgent. We can't mess this up!" "Only if they don't mess it up," Rainbow murmurs. "Look!" Twilight exclaims, pointing towards a long-abandon building: "Here we are!" "So what now?" Applejack asks as the three stops before entering: "Do we dig it up with hooves or what?" "More importantly, how many of them are there?" Rainbow asks before landing next to Twilight. "One, luckily," Twilight says: "So before we enter, remember this: it contains power beyond our imagination, so just be careful." "So, are you going to dig it up?" Applejack says: "With magic?" "Considering we don't have a shovel, yes," Twilight's horn glows as the doors creeks open: "However, the rock can only be moved with the combined power of a unicorn, an earth pony, and a Pegasus." "So why did we bring any shovels again?" Applejack asks: "Ya' know Dash and I can dig it up pretty quickly, right?" "We don't want to break it accidentally," Twilight answers: "Plus, Pinkie borrowed all the shovels. I was going to check on her, but then Celestia sent me this scroll." "Pinkie, eh?" Rainbow says while peaking into the castle: "Also, I heard that a lot of animals are having trouble navigating. Why's that?" "After the...incident," Twilight signs: "How do I put this...Let's just say when you use a powerful relic like the Bow of Sun in the night sky? Things are gonna be pretty." "So they lost a few stars?" Applejack asks, shoving Rainbow Dash into the entrance. "Yeah, a few," Twilight says: "I was going to say something different but let's stick with your word of choice." "AJ!" Rainbow shouts as she lost her balance and falls to the ground: "What the hay?" "The rocks ain't gonna dig themselves," Applejack replies: "Now stop horsing around and just go in there already." "Girls!" Twilight speaks up before an argument breaks out: "Please, this is important! We need to get to the library and dig down from there." "Whatever," Rainbow dust herself off: "So where is this library again? I've got a feeling it's not your first time here." "Well," Twilight chuckles: "I might have sneaked in a couple of times." "Twilight, not to be rude," Applejack asks, as the two trots down the stairs: "But aren't you an alicorn? Can't you just use the power of unicorn, earth pony, and pegasus at once? What do you need us for?" "Maybe the rock just needs a dose of my awesomeness," Rainbow replies as she glides around the two. "That would be an interesting proposition," Twilight says: "But I doubt it. I want you ponies here because I don't want to take any chances." "Fair enough," Applejack says: "By the way, just how do you use this thing? Do you just fly up there with it and hoping for the best?" "I don't know," Twilight says: "But I'm sure the princesses have a plan." "Heads up!" Rainbow declares: "We've reached the bottom!" "Ok," Twilight says as a giant magic shovel forms: "Now, we dig!' "Eh, Twi?" Applejack puts a hoof over Twilight's wing: "You sure it's a good idea?" "I am sure!" Twilight claims as all the books and bookshelves are covered in a purple magic field before disappearing: "I've got this!" "I got a feeling she made it all up just to get the books," Rainbow sighs. The earth turns as the shovel buries itself into the ground. With a silvery *ting* noise, her shovel was broken into tiny pieces. "So much for that idea," Rainbow lands: "Guess that's why we are here, huh?" "Well, as I said, the rock ain't gonna dig itself," Applejack says, touting towards Rainbow as Twilight watches with her jaws wide open. "Wha..." Twilight says, with her eyes wide open: "But..." As the earth pony and pegasus remove dirt from the ground, Twilight sits on the floor while trying to figure what had just happened. "Hu-we," Applejack wipes sweat and dirt off of her head: "I think we get it!" "Eh, AJ," Rainbow points towards Twilight: "I think we broke her." "Don't be ridiculous," Applejack makes her way out of the hole she and Rainbow dug up: "If...she's not responding, then throw something at her!" "If you say so," Rainbow shrugged before picking Applejack up, making the mare yelped in surprise and scream as she was launched towards Twilight. "Eeek!" Twilight squeaks before catching the panicked earth pony with her magic. "Rainbow!" Applejack shouts. "What?" Rainbow Dash replies: "You said throw something." "Girls," Twilight face-hoofed: "Now that we find it, let's transport it to Canterlot." "You sure it's a relic, though?" Rainbow asks, landing on top of the stone: "It looks just like a rock for me." "There," Twilight puts Applejack down before shooting a magic beam at it: "Applejack! Now! "Right!" Applejack quickly gets on all fours before galloping towards the now glowing rock. As Applejack bucks the stone with all her might, Twilight activates a spell embedded onto the royal scroll. In the blink of an eye, they are teleported to Celestia's garden in Canterlot. "Twilight!" Celestia touts towards the Princess of Friendship: "You've done it!" "Princess Celestia!" Twilight says as her magic beam ceases. "So, we good now?" Applejack asks as she takes off her hat. "I guess so," Rainbow says, flying off of the now radiant stone: "That thing is blinding!" "Greetings," Luna says as she enters the garden: "I presume that is the Stone of Creation?" "Indeed, it is," Celestia turns around: "Now, dear sister, let's work together and return the night sky to its' former glory." As the two alicorns elevate the relic further up the sky, the three ponies in Celestia's garden are left alone to chat. "You know what, Twilight," Rainbow lands next to her purple friend: "You are right, the princesses know what they are doing. I owe you a hay burger now." "Can they hear us now?" Luna looks back. "I doubt it," Celestia answers as they fly further up: "Ok, do you remember where the stars were?" "No," Luna shrugs: "There are literally billions of stars, sister. Plus, I don't think that's how it works." "You don't know that!" Celestia argues back while moving the rock around randomly: "It might work just fine if we find the right position." "Wait, Tia," Luna says: "You have a plan, right?" "I will figure something out!" Celestia says while rotating the stone: "Let's see, a little this way..." "Are you just winging it now?" Luna questions: "You are telling me: You have absolutely no idea and are just winging it now?" "Hi, I'm helping!" Celestia defends herself: "It's not like you can figure it out." "Fair enough," Luna sighs: "But I sure hope you don't mess it up this time!" "Hi! I will have you know..." The alicorn's speech was cut short as the stone glows ever brighter, engulfing the entire night sky with light. As the light ceases, all the previously missing stars returned to their position. "Mother of me," Celestia says: "I can't believe it worked." "Well," Luna shrugs as Celestia observes the stone closely: "At least you didn't mess it up this time. So, what are you going to do with it now?" "I don't know," Celestia shifts her attention to her sister: "But we are keeping it." "In case if you mess up again?" "Luna!" "Just kidding! But you still owe me a hay-burger." "Fine." "And I am keeping the stone." "Why?" "So you don't mistaken it as a normal rock like you did with Discord!" "Fine, but I am keeping the bow!" A Giant Machine PonyA long, long time ago, before the formation of Equestria. Unicorns, Pegasus and Earth Ponies were at war with each other. As the tide turned against her kingdom, Princess Platinum commissioned the creation of a giant machine pony. Earth tumbles beneath its' hooves, and all creatures bowed down before its' might. As the three tribes made peace, Equestria was created. As war ceased, the metal giant was laid to rest and was forgotten by the pony kind. "Another one of those, I see," Spike comments after reading Celestia's letter: "Seems like I really need to read more books." "This doesn't have anything to do with more books!" Twilight shouts as she trots around the room nervously: "How do I not know that? I've read hundreds of books! I should at least remember something about a big metal horse!" "Geez, Twi," Spike mumbles: "Calm down, the world isn't ending." "It could be!" Twilight shouts, after teleporting behind Spike and wrapping her front legs over Spike's shoulders: "Equestria as we know it could cease to exist! Just because of me! Spike! Do you know what that means?" As the grip of the purple alicorn tightens, Spike's sight starts to fade. In a desperate attempt at saving his life, Spike tries to kick Twilight but to no avail due to the length of his legs. "Spike!" Twilight shouts as her iron-grip contracts even further: "It's all my fault!" A giant ball of green flame burst out of Spike's mouth at this crucial moment, followed by a letter sealed by the royal stamp. "A letter from Princess Celestia!" Twilight lets go of Spike before teleporting again to catch the priced parchment before it reached the floor: "Sorry, Spike, are you ok?" "No!" Spike shouts after regaining his posture. "Oops?" Twilight replies as her ears perk up: "I'm sorry, Spike. It's just...I can't believe I missed it!" "You might want to check that one out," Spike dust himself off: "The one Celestia just sent you?" "Oh, right!" The purple alicorn unfolds the letter: "Um...this is unexpected. Ok. Right. Of course." "So, spill it," Spike asks: "What did they say?" "Well," Twilight replied, eyes still focused on the writings of her mentor: "So not many ponies really know about it. Even Celestia and Luna forgot about its' existence until...well, now. Since it's impossible to transport something that anywhere else, they just want me to destroy it with this spell." "Which spell?" "This one," Twilight flip the scroll in Spike's favor: "And they warned me not to use any other spell on that thing." "That's odd," Spike pushed the letter away: "If that's something conjured up the unicorns, surly a spell here or there would be ok, right?" "I don't know," Twilight takes a deep breath: "But I will need the help of some pony else. Spike, I will be gone for the rest of the day. Do not throw any wild parties while I am out, got it?" "Ma'am, yes ma'am," Spike says as he crosses his fingers. "So, what are we gonna dig this time?" Applejack asks as she touts alongside Twilight. "No idea," Twilight replies: "Hi, Rainbow, can you see anything up there?" "I might be seeing things," Rainbow squeezes her eyes: "Is that a horn over there?" "How big is it?" Twilight asks. "I need to take a closer look," Rainbow says: "By the way, did they tell you exactly how big is that thing?" "Well," Twilight opens her bag and pulls out the letter from Celestia: "According to Princess Celestia...it's big enough to make the earth tumble." "I hope you know what you are talking about," Rainbow says before dashing off: "BRB!" "BRB?" Applejack frowns: "What the hay is that?" "Be right back," Twilight says, putting the letter away. "But you are here," Applejack raises an eyebrow. "Yeah," Twilight replies: "Is there anything I can do for you?" "What does BRB mean?" "It means..." Their conversation was cut short as both mares heard an unholy zap sound accompanied by Rainbow Dash's scream. "Did you hear that?" Twilight panicked at the thought of her friend being electrocuted like a fly on a bug-zapping racket. "I've got a bad feeling about that," Applejack says before springing into action: "What are ya waiting for?" "R-right!" Twilight replies before catching up to AJ with several teleportation spells in a roll. It took Twilight and Applejack a fair amount of time before finding an unconscious blue pegasus with burnt feathers on the ground. "Dash!" Applejack calls out: "Twi, she's out cold!" "No worries," Twilight says as she left Rainbow up: "This spell should work..." As the violet-colored magic field slowly transforms into rings of light, Rainbow finally opens her eyes: "Wha...?" "Oh, good," Twilight lets out a sigh of relief as the rings dissolve: "It worked!" "Twilight?" Rainbow asks as she sits down and covers her forehead with a hoof: "What happened?" "We heard a zapping sound," Twilight explains: "You were flying towards a hornlike structure, right? That might have triggered some kind of defense mechanism." "I'm just glad you are ok," Applejack reaches out a hoof: "Your feathers were all burnt off. If not for Twilight, y'all would be out of commission for weeks." "Thanks, Twi," Rainbow says, taking the earth pony's hoof: "You might want to be careful around that thing." "I sorry, Rainbow," Twilight apologizes as she gazes the hornlike structure erect from the ground: "This is certainly unexpected." "Just how big is that thing?" Applejack asks. "From the looks of it," Twilight says: "The horn alone is about...at least a few hundred hooves!" "Y'all don't say," Applejack lets out a whistle while holding onto her hat: "So, are we digging it up or what?" "Actually," Twilight's horn glows ever so brighter: "I'm destroying it right here and how." "You better," Rainbow says while starching her wings: "That thing is way too dangerous!" With a flash of magic, the horn starts to crumble before disintegrating into the sand. "Wow," Twilight says: "That was way easier than I thought it would be." "Only if you don't make it so sandy," Rainbow complains while spitting out sand. "Hehe, sorry," Twilight apologizes as a force field covers the three mares: "I also wasn't expecting sand." "Em, Twilight?" Applejack points her hoof toward the machine pony: "You might want to check it out." As the purple alicorn's attention was directed towards the center of the storm, a giant awakens from its' slumber. As the shadow of a unicorn rises from the ashes, the earth itself shivers from fear, and mountains topple in front of its' strength. "Oh my Celestia..." Twilight murmurs as the machine giant's horn rapidly regenerate. "Just how tall is that thing exactly?" Rainbow asks as her ears flop down. Twilight replies with a shaky voice: "Tall enough to block off sunlight?" "Oh, horse apples," Applejack stomps the ground: "We've gotta do something!" "Right," Twilight sighs as papers and pen flow out of her bags: "I will write a letter to the princesses and..." "Forget about it!" Rainbow shouts as the machine pony starts moving: "We need to get the hey out of here!" "Right!" Twilight says: "Stay still!" With a burst of lavender-colored magic energy, the three find themselves in Twilight's Castle. "SPIKE! I NEED YOUR HELP!" Twilight screams on the top of her lungs as soon as she sets hooves in the crystal palace. "TWILIGHT!" Spike's muffled scream can be heard from the hallways. "Spike!" Twilight opens the door before the dragon crashes into her. "Oof," Rainbow avert her eyes: "That's a nasty crash." "Twilight, Lightwil...Twilight!" After shaking off of the stars above his head, Spike shaves a scroll onto Twilight's face. "Wha..." Twilight struggles to compare the situation as each of her eyes rolls in the opposite direction. "It's a letter from Celestia and Luna!" Spike continues despite Twilight's confused state: "It says here that Ponyville needs to be evacuated immediately!" "Right!" Twilight gets up: "Applejack, Rainbow Dash, assist me!" "Alright!" "You got it!" "Actually," Spike says: "The town is already empty. The princesses sent this letter so you can get out with every pony else." "Well, that's anti-climatic," Rainbow starches her wings: "Too bad I can't fly just yet. My wings are...Ouch!" "The Wonderbolts are in action now!" Spike opens the curtain as Rainbow messages her wings: "Just look outside!" As the machine giant gets closer and closer, the finest of the Pegasus finally take action and engage their enemy head-on. Unfortunately, their efforts are greeted with the force field that welcomed Rainbow Dash earlier. After a series of ungodly zapping sounds, the machine pony prevails. "Welp," Applejack takes off her hats: "They are mighty brave ponies." "Ah..." Rainbow's jew hang low: "The Wonderbolts..." "Oh, what should I do?" Twilight bangs her head against the wall in defeat: "It's all my fault! But what did I do wrong?" "Umm, guys," Spike breaks the silence: "I think we should..." "Sparkle!" An almost heavenly voice declares as the door was bucked open: "Come with me! The rest, seek refuge!" "Princess Luna!" Twilight gasped: "Thank goodness you are here!" "There's no time for this!" Luna says, pushing Twilight outdoors: "We need to go, now!" "The Wonderbolts..." "They are fine. I saw them being transferred into hospitals," Luna says as Rainbow stares outside with a blank expression on her face: "But I doubt they will be flying anytime soon." "You go alone, Princess," Applejack says, waving a hoof in front Rainbow's eyes: "I doubt she's listening. But no worries, I will take care of this!" "So I did nothing wrong?" Twilight asks as the pair of alicorn landing. "No," Luna takes a cube out of her beg: "In fact, we are at fault. My sister and I underestimated its' capabilities." "So what are we going to do now?" "Princess Cadence is reading through Princess Platinum's journal as we speak," Luna says as the cubes start to flow in a deep blue color: "My sister will stay in Canterlot while keeping in touch with Cadence." "Wait," Twilight asks: "Is that the Lunar Cube?" "Indeed," Luna answers: "Although this artifact bears the power to banish any being to an alternative world, it still is powered by magic. The machine in front of us can break any spell cast upon it and be immune to it ever since. If we are correct, Princess Platinum has a spell that can disable the giant. And if she can find it on time, we might be able to put an end to this nonsense." As Luna speaks, a beam of golden light streams through the sky. "It's the Bow of Sun!" Twilight trots up and down in excitement. "It's the Bow of Sun!" Luna pulls her hair in distress. The machine giant lifts its' head up, adjusts its' position before unleashing a powerful beam of magic to counter the powerful relic. The damage caused by this clash can only be paralleled by the battle between Twilight and Tirek. "We are doomed!" Luna face-hoofed: "That fool!" The earth shakes as a pair of gigantic wings burst out of the machine giant's back. "Now that's a solar eclipse," Luna says sarcastically: "Too bad we can't banish it to the moon!" "Wait, I'm getting something!" Twilight scratches her horn as a ball of smoke breaks out of it, bringing a letter written by Celestia's own hoof. "Finally!" Luna snatches away the scroll before Twilight can lay a hoof on it: "Ok, uh, ok." "Um, hello?" Twilight whispers: "What did it say?" "Here," Luna shows Twilight the scroll, as her horn glows: "Stay here!" A ball of light emerged from Luna's horn and was sent flying in the direction of the machine pony by the alicorn. As it slowly sinks into its' metal body, the machine pony slows down before altogether ceasing action. "Have at thy!" Luna shouts with her royal Canterlot voice before throwing the cube at the giant. With the blank of an eye, the towering giant is banished to another world. "Well, that's good to know," Twilight sighs: "But how are we gonna repair all these damages?" "I don't know," Luna lands in front of Twilight: "But don't worry, Celestia will pay for everything, including your castle." "My castle?" "Don't look," Luna lets out a sigh: "Applejack, Rainbow, and Spike are all safe. You can sleep in my room tonight if you want to." Skeleton of a Mysterious AnimalA long, long time ago, before the creation of the pony kind, the land was ruled by a group of monkey-like creatures. The Sun and Moon rotated by themselves, and magic has yet to be born. The creatures explored stars and planets and conquered the sky and ocean. Unfortunately, as time passed on, the Sun and the Moon refused to stand down. With no magic, their kind died off as fast as they conquered. Before taking her last breath, the last remaining member of their kind wrote a spell to control the celestial bodies. The spell was discovered by the Kingdom of Unicorns later, and balance was once again restored. "Sister, are you sure of it? I don't think Twilight and her friends are ready for such a revelation," Luna enters Celestia's balcony as the Sun slowly retires from the sky under her sister's command. "It's about time," Celestia sighs as the sky is once again engulfed by darkness: "It's only a hypothesis, but mother did leave us the information about it." "If mother left it..." Luna shakes her head: "No! But that's impossible! If a civilization of that scale existed, then it would surely leave a mark!" "I understand," Celestia closes her eyes: "But it was said that they disappeared before the pony kind, so it's also possible that anymore they left on this earth has long been erased by time." "I sincerely hope you know what you are doing," Luna says as her horn glows. "Um...interesting..." Twilight mumbles as she walks across the empty halls. It has been a month since the attack of the machine pony, and her castle is now fully repaired. "Hi, Twilight!" Spike greets as he casually strolls down the halls with a bowl of gem in his hands: "You busy?" "Well, yes, I need to retrieve something from the Crystal Empire," Twilight reads from the parchment with a royal stamp on it: "It says I only need to oversee the retrieval process." "Not by yourself?" Spike tosses a piece of gem into his mouth. "I have to supervise the retrieval process," Twilight's eyes widen as she reads: "And it says I must not touch it? Because it will absorb magic?" "What is it anyway?" Spike asks. "It is a cast-iron coffin," Twilight says: "I'm not supposed to let anypony know about this, and you are supposed to follow me!" "Pff!" Spike spits out shards of crystal upon this revelation: "What?" "It's a direct order from Princess Celestia," Twilight says: "It's rather rare for the Princess to issue a direct order! I wonder what's happening..." "The last time she issued a direct order to was when King Sombra..." "No!' Twilight rolls up the parchment, denying the possibility of another calamity to keep herself from hyperventilating: "That is not what this is! We need to oversee the transportation of an item and nothing more!" "If you say so," Spike shrugs as Twilight giggle nervously. "Twilly!" Shinning Armor trot as Twilight and Spike enters a secluded cave in a snowy mountain not too far away from the capital of the Crystal Empire. "Shining Armor!" Twilight screams in excitement as her brother wraps her around in his forelegs. "So, how's my favorite little sister doing?" Shinning Armor asks as he gives Twilight a head rub. "Well, you know," Twilight rolls her eyes: "Reading books all day long!" "Eh, guys?" Spike says: "It's all touching, but aren't we supposed to find a coffin or something?" "Oh, yeah!" Shinning says: "Almost forget, follow me!" "So, what's so special about that anyway?" Twilight asks as they retreat deep into the darkness. "Princess Celestia sent you a scroll, didn't she?" Shinning Armor asks as his horn glows. "Yeah, well, but you have first hoof information about it." Twilight replies. "Let's just it will absorb magic out of unicorns or alicorns when physical contact is established. Although you can withdraw your hoof at any time, it will not be a pleasant experience. Shinning Armor explains: "Luckily, if you wear a glove or don't touch it directly, then it's all good." "Um, interesting," Twilight frowns: "Then can you cast spells on it?" "Spells don't work," Shinning says as the group goes in deeper and deeper: "Not even the most basic ones." "Guys? How far do we still have to go?" Spike asks as the cold air sends a shiver down his spine. "Not far!" Shinning exclaims as the three take turns and enter a giant cavern with all kinds of precious gems embedded on the wall. "Wow!" SPike's pupils dilate at sight: "What is that?" "This is unbelievable!" Twilight's jaw drops: "But how? The gems! They shouldn't..." "Appear in the same place in such large quantities?" Shinning says: "And such rare ones too! The cave gets enough treasure to buy Princess Celestia's palace! It's indeed rare!" "Sir!" a strong earth pony in uniforms salutes: "Everything is ready!" "Good job," Shinning salutes back: "Princess Twilight is here to supervise the retrieval process." "Your Highness!" the earth pony kneels at the sight of the purple alicorn. "Twilly, you take over from here," Shining Armor pets Twilight on the shoulder: "I have something else to do, and Capital Durian will guide you from this point on." "You can count on me!" Twilight gives her brother a wink as her brother orders other ponies to collect the treasures. "It is my honor to serve you, Princess," the capital says. "You can stand up now," Twilight says, offering the capital a hoof: "No need for such formality!" "You are too kind, Princess," the capital stands up: "Please, follow me." The three of them took a short walk before arriving at a scene that resembles more of a construction site, with a hole leading outside. "It's cold!" Twilight complains as she takes out the letter from her mentor. "Gentlemen!" the capital shouts, his voice overcome the howling wind: "The Princess is here!" The ponies at the scene stop what they are doing and make way for Twilight, revealing the biggest mine cart and cargo box that the Princess has ever seen. "The way, Princess," Capital Durian says politely. "My," to see the contains within the box, Twilight and Spike are forced to step into the cart: "And there's enough room for two other ponies at least." "So what's in there?" Spike asks. "Um...it's a rectangular-shaped piece of metal," Twilight looks at the scroll and back: Yep, that's it! Capital Durian? I think we've got it!" "Of course!" Capital Durian jumps into the cart as well before shouting at another pony: "Hi! Pine! Pull the lever!" "What, what lever are yo..." before she can finish her sentence, the mine cart activates, and the three were given a rollercoaster-like experience without warning. The cart comes to a screeching halt in front of a temporary train station. "Blah!" "There, there," Spike throws a piece of blanket on Twilight as the purple alicorn vomits her lunch up. "Are you feeling better?" Spike brings Twilight a cup of hot green tea. "Yeah, thank you, Spike," Twilight clutch to the blankets around her as the cup is engulfed in Levander-colored light. "So, now what?" Spike jumps onto the seat next to Twilight. "This train is going to the Princesses' castle directly. Once there, we will assist them with..." the Princess suddenly tilts her head towards the window as her pace of breathing grows more rapid. "Twilight!" Spike put a paw on Twilight's foreleg: "Are you ok?" "I'm ok, I'm fine!" Twilight says as she breathes heavily: "Just...motion sickness..." "Are you sure you are up to the task?" "Yeah, sure." "If you say so." "Thank you for your time, Twilight," Celestia says as the two alicorns trot down the halls of the palace. "It's my pleasure, Princess," Twilight says, still suffering from the residual of the train ride. "If you say so," Celestia says with a gentle voice as she opens the door to her private laboratory. "Finally, sister," Luna says, stand on her hind legs with one front leg leaning on a sledgehammer as the two enter the room: "Let's crack this thing!" "Princess Luna?" Twilight says in disbelief as Luna chugs down an entire cup of coffee before covering her eyes with goggles and lifts the hammer off of the ground with her front legs. "Princess Luna! No!" Twilight reaches a hoof out as if she's reaching for the heavens. With a loud sound of metal clashing, the lid of the cast-iron coffin flies off and is crushed into the wall, the head of the hammer flies towards the opposite direction. "Um," Luna takes her goggles off as she looks at the broken handle: "That's to be expected." "Luna, I'm cutting you off," Celestia sighs, trying not to lose it in front of her student. "What?" Luna shouts in surprise: "It's not even that bad!" "Yeah," Celestia looks at the lid and the head of the hammer, both embedded into the carefully decorated walls: "Sure, now, what's in the coffin?" "It looks like the skeleton of some kind of creature stand on hind legs," Luna shrugs as she chugs down another cup of coffee. "Let me see!" Overwhelmed by curiosity, Twilight dashed towards the coffin but accidentally fell into it. It's a human, no doubt, Twilight thinks, looking at the skeleton lying next to her. However, its' head and eye socket are disproportionally small compared to the humans she's familiar with. "Twilight!" Luna's worried voice and a wooden stick cut Twilight's train of thought off: "Take this!" "Are you alright?" Celestia asks as Luna pulls Twilight out of the coffin. "Yeah, I'm sorry," Twilight apologies: "Still a bit dizzy." "Would you look at that!" Luna looks into the coffin: "The skeleton absorbed Twilight's magic and is now is in pristine condition!" "It either uses magic to regenerate or reverting its' state of being," Celestia says: "Either ways, it is dangerous and must be destroyed." "What?" Twilight covers her mouth after realizing that she just yelled at her mentor. "I'm afraid so, Twilight," Luna says: "Spike is waiting for you in the train, and speak of this matter to no one." "Agh, fine," Twilight sighs in disappointment. "So, is she gone?" Luna asks as Celestia enters the door. "Yes, and any news from Capital Armor?" Celestia replies as she locks the door behind her. "The analysis of the gems reveals that they are synthetic, and they can convert emotion directly into magical power," Luna answers as a piece of the paper flow in front of her eyes. "Do you supposed that this creature created Tham?" Celestia shifts her attention to the coffin. "It is possible," Luna says: "Meaning that mother is right. Magic in Equestria will fade eventually, and the pony kind will face extinction if not prepared." "If mother was right, then we must conduct more research into this creature and the civilization she once resided in," Celestia says: "Would those gems be operational if magic disappear?" "That's why they are made," Luna says, reading from the paper: "It allows a non-magical creature to use magic." "That's great," Celestia sighs in relief: "Maybe not in our reign, but Twilight will see the end of magic and perhaps Equestria as we know it." "It's truly a dreadful fate," Luna puts the paper away: "Seeing the very elements she is embodied with crumble and disappear." "Then we must work extra hard to prepare Equestria for it," Celestia says with a determined expression: "I feel sorry to lie to Twilight, but the bones will be of value for us." "Of course, sister," Luna says: "But we must keep it a secret for as long as possible." The Contract of Faust Part 1Gather around, my daughters, I have a story to tell. A long, long time ago, a girl was lost in the woods. She was hungry and scared. Then, she remembered a contract her mother gifted her. Her mother said: the contract will grant you what you wished for, at a price unknown. Out of desperation, she wrote her name down. It was then, she forget her mother, and her mother forget her. The girl returned home, without recognizing her own family. Her family received her, without recognizing their daughter. When the girl grew up, she left home, looking for her family without recognizing her weeping mother who spent year with her. Her family has been waiting in the same house, without recognizing their distraught daughter who spent year around them. "NO! NO! PLEASE, NOOOO!!!" "Celestia?" "PLEASE, STOP! NO!!!NO!!!!" "Celestia, wake up!" "NO! NO!!!!PLEASE!!!!NO!!!!!!" "Sorry, Celestia, but I have no other options..." "AHHH!" "Sorry, dear sister," Luna sighed, tossing an empty bucket away: "I tried everything, but you wouldn't take up." "Well, at least you didn't put any ice in this time around," Celestia pants heavily, her voice almost a whisper: "It happened again." "I see," Luna lets out another sigh: "Remember anything this time around?" "I..." Celestia jumps out of bed: "Saw a mare, an alicorn nonetheless." "With red mane and white coat?" Luna asks. "Yes," Celestia replies as the water on her body starts to vaporize: "And has a quill as her cutie mark." "Tia, do we know her?" "I...don't know," Celestia opens the blinds, allowing the pale moonlight to shine on her: "I don't think so, but why do I...we keep seeing her in our dreams?" "I don't know," Luna's horn glows: "But perhaps she was a childhood friend?" "I fear not," Celestia says as the moon sets: "Luna, do you have any recollections of our mother?" "I...no," Luna replies as the sun rises: "But why?" "Luna, there's something I need to tell you," Celestia shuts the blinds again: "You were cursed to die an untimely death." "Wha..." Luna blinks several times in quick succession: "Surely thou jest?" "No," Celestia replies: "It was foretold at your birth, that you will die an untimely death, and harmony with die with you." "Sister..." Luna cracks out a laugh: "HA! Is this the 'trolling' thing you are trying to do?" "No," Celestia continues: "There was a way to...prevent, everything. So I did what I must. The result? You were banished to the moon for a thousand years and the elements were disabled until the return of Nightmare Moon." "So, wait," Luna falls on her rumps: "I was supposed to die and the elements would have been destroyed too?" "Yes," Celestia says, before turning to face a frozen Luna: "yes." "But..." Luna inhales: "Why to tell now if the crisis is already reversed?" "Luna, tell me," Celestia sits down next to Luna: "What was mother's cutie mark?" "I...don't know." "Her mane color? Her name? Anything?" "I...no, I don't remember..." Luna gasped, her eyes widening in sudden comprehension: "You mean the mare in our dreams, is she?" "I don't know, Luna," Celestia wraps Luna in her wing: "But to save you, I had to sign a contract, one that mother gave me. Although I have no memory as to who our mother is, her warning still echoes in my head: You will pay an unknown price equal to that of your desire." "Sister," Luna asks with a shaky voice: "Do you think...the eventual disappearance of magic has anything..." "I doubt it," Celestia says: "The contract wiped out the memory of who mother is, but what else..." "You said it!" Luna shouts: "A price equal to the desire! Without the elements, Equestrian would have fallen to either Discord or Tirek! A simple wipe of memory wouldn't suffice compared to the fate of Equestria and my life! Do you think..." "No," Celestia froze at the suggestion: "I...No..." "Celestia, if my life..." "No," Although barely a whisper, the unusual coldness in Celestia's voice is enough to silence Luna: "No..." "Tia? Oof!" Luna was pulled into a firm hug by Celestia's mighty forelegs." "No..." As her eyes stare into the space, a single tear trickles down Celestia's face: "No..."
Stone of CreationA long, long time ago, the earth was deprived of life. Then, a goddess emerged and gave life to the pony kind. She cultivated the lands and taught ponies the way of nature. Yet, water pours down from the sky as the heaven itself shuttered, and the land was flooded. To save her beloved creatures, the goddess forged three thousand pieces of stones and filled the sky with them. As the flood ceased, the pony kind thrived. "That was..." "Odd," Twilight says, interrupting Spike: "It seems like those stones hold great magic powers. No wonder Princess Celestia want me to retrieve it." "Wait, I thought the goddess used them all to fix the sky," Spike says: "didn't she?" "Apparently not," Twilight says, eyes focused on her book: "Spike, where's Celestia's scroll?" "Here it is," Spike hands Twilight a scroll with a royal stamp on it: "Can I have Big Mac and Discord over for tonight, though?" "Fine," Twilight rolls her eyes as the purple magic field engulfs the parchment: "Only if you clean up afterward." "You got it," Spike winks: "So, how many of them are still here?" "One," Twilight replies, putting Princess Celestia's scroll and her books away: "And the princess believes that it's under her old castle." "Wait, what?" Spike asks: "They just find out? How?" "A dream," Twilight replies as quills and empty parchments flow towards her: "Princess Celestia had a dream about it." "You sure it's not a prank?" Spike raises one eyebrow: "Luna is the Princess of the Night and Dreams." "I am sure they would go easy on the pranks after the incident," Twilight says while making several check-lists at once: "All navigation system is now outdated and had to be adjusted. I just wonder how the animals are going to find their directions this fall." "Wait, what?" Spike says: "I thought it was just an incident, and you are telling me it's a prank gone wrong?" "Well," Twilight pauses for a moment: "Just don't tell the others, ok? I am only telling you and no one else." "Yes, ma'am," Spike says, giving Twilight a salute playfully. "Ok," Twilight face-hoofed: "Do you know about Sol et arcus?" "The what now?" Spike asks. "The Bow of Sun," Twilight stands up on all fours: "Celestia's heirloom. It's powerful enough to strike down the stars." "And you can use it without arrows," Spike rolls his eyes: "How can I forget." "The princesses didn't go into detail," Twilight continues as parchments and books flow into saddlebags: "But long story short, Celestia tried to pull a quick one on Luna, but mistaken the Bow of Sun. For a normal bow." "Ah-huh," Spike replies: "I've got a feeling they need the stone to repair the damage they've done?" "Maybe," Twilight says as the bags levitates towards her: "Don't tell anyone else, ok?" "You've got it," Spike lied: "So you are staying at Canterlot tonight?" "Neigh-huh," Twilight says: "It's going to be a long night." "So out of all the times, she could have used it," Rainbow says: "She used it to prank her sister?" "I know, I know," Twilight sighs: "Remember, we are here to help, not making fun of them, ok?" "After we find the rock, that is," Applejack adds: "How far are we from the castle now?" "Not far away," Twilight answers: "But we do need to hurry up; the Everfree Forest is not the friendliest of places." "You don't say," Rainbow rolls her eyes: "Just out of curiosity, can Alicorns go senile?" "Rainbow!" Twilight shouts: "How can you say such a thing?" "To be fair, Twilight," Applejack pauses for a moment: "Ya' know what? Truth hurts." "Point taken," Twilight rolls her eyes: "But listen, this is urgent. We can't mess this up!" "Only if they don't mess it up," Rainbow murmurs. "Look!" Twilight exclaims, pointing towards a long-abandon building: "Here we are!" "So what now?" Applejack asks as the three stops before entering: "Do we dig it up with hooves or what?" "More importantly, how many of them are there?" Rainbow asks before landing next to Twilight. "One, luckily," Twilight says: "So before we enter, remember this: it contains power beyond our imagination, so just be careful." "So, are you going to dig it up?" Applejack says: "With magic?" "Considering we don't have a shovel, yes," Twilight's horn glows as the doors creeks open: "However, the rock can only be moved with the combined power of a unicorn, an earth pony, and a Pegasus." "So why did we bring any shovels again?" Applejack asks: "Ya' know Dash and I can dig it up pretty quickly, right?" "We don't want to break it accidentally," Twilight answers: "Plus, Pinkie borrowed all the shovels. I was going to check on her, but then Celestia sent me this scroll." "Pinkie, eh?" Rainbow says while peaking into the castle: "Also, I heard that a lot of animals are having trouble navigating. Why's that?" "After the...incident," Twilight signs: "How do I put this...Let's just say when you use a powerful relic like the Bow of Sun in the night sky? Things are gonna be pretty." "So they lost a few stars?" Applejack asks, shoving Rainbow Dash into the entrance. "Yeah, a few," Twilight says: "I was going to say something different but let's stick with your word of choice." "AJ!" Rainbow shouts as she lost her balance and falls to the ground: "What the hay?" "The rocks ain't gonna dig themselves," Applejack replies: "Now stop horsing around and just go in there already." "Girls!" Twilight speaks up before an argument breaks out: "Please, this is important! We need to get to the library and dig down from there." "Whatever," Rainbow dust herself off: "So where is this library again? I've got a feeling it's not your first time here." "Well," Twilight chuckles: "I might have sneaked in a couple of times." "Twilight, not to be rude," Applejack asks, as the two trots down the stairs: "But aren't you an alicorn? Can't you just use the power of unicorn, earth pony, and pegasus at once? What do you need us for?" "Maybe the rock just needs a dose of my awesomeness," Rainbow replies as she glides around the two. "That would be an interesting proposition," Twilight says: "But I doubt it. I want you ponies here because I don't want to take any chances." "Fair enough," Applejack says: "By the way, just how do you use this thing? Do you just fly up there with it and hoping for the best?" "I don't know," Twilight says: "But I'm sure the princesses have a plan." "Heads up!" Rainbow declares: "We've reached the bottom!" "Ok," Twilight says as a giant magic shovel forms: "Now, we dig!' "Eh, Twi?" Applejack puts a hoof over Twilight's wing: "You sure it's a good idea?" "I am sure!" Twilight claims as all the books and bookshelves are covered in a purple magic field before disappearing: "I've got this!" "I got a feeling she made it all up just to get the books," Rainbow sighs. The earth turns as the shovel buries itself into the ground. With a silvery *ting* noise, her shovel was broken into tiny pieces. "So much for that idea," Rainbow lands: "Guess that's why we are here, huh?" "Well, as I said, the rock ain't gonna dig itself," Applejack says, touting towards Rainbow as Twilight watches with her jaws wide open. "Wha..." Twilight says, with her eyes wide open: "But..." As the earth pony and pegasus remove dirt from the ground, Twilight sits on the floor while trying to figure what had just happened. "Hu-we," Applejack wipes sweat and dirt off of her head: "I think we get it!" "Eh, AJ," Rainbow points towards Twilight: "I think we broke her." "Don't be ridiculous," Applejack makes her way out of the hole she and Rainbow dug up: "If...she's not responding, then throw something at her!" "If you say so," Rainbow shrugged before picking Applejack up, making the mare yelped in surprise and scream as she was launched towards Twilight. "Eeek!" Twilight squeaks before catching the panicked earth pony with her magic. "Rainbow!" Applejack shouts. "What?" Rainbow Dash replies: "You said throw something." "Girls," Twilight face-hoofed: "Now that we find it, let's transport it to Canterlot." "You sure it's a relic, though?" Rainbow asks, landing on top of the stone: "It looks just like a rock for me." "There," Twilight puts Applejack down before shooting a magic beam at it: "Applejack! Now! "Right!" Applejack quickly gets on all fours before galloping towards the now glowing rock. As Applejack bucks the stone with all her might, Twilight activates a spell embedded onto the royal scroll. In the blink of an eye, they are teleported to Celestia's garden in Canterlot. "Twilight!" Celestia touts towards the Princess of Friendship: "You've done it!" "Princess Celestia!" Twilight says as her magic beam ceases. "So, we good now?" Applejack asks as she takes off her hat. "I guess so," Rainbow says, flying off of the now radiant stone: "That thing is blinding!" "Greetings," Luna says as she enters the garden: "I presume that is the Stone of Creation?" "Indeed, it is," Celestia turns around: "Now, dear sister, let's work together and return the night sky to its' former glory." As the two alicorns elevate the relic further up the sky, the three ponies in Celestia's garden are left alone to chat. "You know what, Twilight," Rainbow lands next to her purple friend: "You are right, the princesses know what they are doing. I owe you a hay burger now." "Can they hear us now?" Luna looks back. "I doubt it," Celestia answers as they fly further up: "Ok, do you remember where the stars were?" "No," Luna shrugs: "There are literally billions of stars, sister. Plus, I don't think that's how it works." "You don't know that!" Celestia argues back while moving the rock around randomly: "It might work just fine if we find the right position." "Wait, Tia," Luna says: "You have a plan, right?" "I will figure something out!" Celestia says while rotating the stone: "Let's see, a little this way..." "Are you just winging it now?" Luna questions: "You are telling me: You have absolutely no idea and are just winging it now?" "Hi, I'm helping!" Celestia defends herself: "It's not like you can figure it out." "Fair enough," Luna sighs: "But I sure hope you don't mess it up this time!" "Hi! I will have you know..." The alicorn's speech was cut short as the stone glows ever brighter, engulfing the entire night sky with light. As the light ceases, all the previously missing stars returned to their position. "Mother of me," Celestia says: "I can't believe it worked." "Well," Luna shrugs as Celestia observes the stone closely: "At least you didn't mess it up this time. So, what are you going to do with it now?" "I don't know," Celestia shifts her attention to her sister: "But we are keeping it." "In case if you mess up again?" "Luna!" "Just kidding! But you still owe me a hay-burger." "Fine." "And I am keeping the stone." "Why?" "So you don't mistaken it as a normal rock like you did with Discord!" "Fine, but I am keeping the bow!"
A Giant Machine PonyA long, long time ago, before the formation of Equestria. Unicorns, Pegasus and Earth Ponies were at war with each other. As the tide turned against her kingdom, Princess Platinum commissioned the creation of a giant machine pony. Earth tumbles beneath its' hooves, and all creatures bowed down before its' might. As the three tribes made peace, Equestria was created. As war ceased, the metal giant was laid to rest and was forgotten by the pony kind. "Another one of those, I see," Spike comments after reading Celestia's letter: "Seems like I really need to read more books." "This doesn't have anything to do with more books!" Twilight shouts as she trots around the room nervously: "How do I not know that? I've read hundreds of books! I should at least remember something about a big metal horse!" "Geez, Twi," Spike mumbles: "Calm down, the world isn't ending." "It could be!" Twilight shouts, after teleporting behind Spike and wrapping her front legs over Spike's shoulders: "Equestria as we know it could cease to exist! Just because of me! Spike! Do you know what that means?" As the grip of the purple alicorn tightens, Spike's sight starts to fade. In a desperate attempt at saving his life, Spike tries to kick Twilight but to no avail due to the length of his legs. "Spike!" Twilight shouts as her iron-grip contracts even further: "It's all my fault!" A giant ball of green flame burst out of Spike's mouth at this crucial moment, followed by a letter sealed by the royal stamp. "A letter from Princess Celestia!" Twilight lets go of Spike before teleporting again to catch the priced parchment before it reached the floor: "Sorry, Spike, are you ok?" "No!" Spike shouts after regaining his posture. "Oops?" Twilight replies as her ears perk up: "I'm sorry, Spike. It's just...I can't believe I missed it!" "You might want to check that one out," Spike dust himself off: "The one Celestia just sent you?" "Oh, right!" The purple alicorn unfolds the letter: "Um...this is unexpected. Ok. Right. Of course." "So, spill it," Spike asks: "What did they say?" "Well," Twilight replied, eyes still focused on the writings of her mentor: "So not many ponies really know about it. Even Celestia and Luna forgot about its' existence until...well, now. Since it's impossible to transport something that anywhere else, they just want me to destroy it with this spell." "Which spell?" "This one," Twilight flip the scroll in Spike's favor: "And they warned me not to use any other spell on that thing." "That's odd," Spike pushed the letter away: "If that's something conjured up the unicorns, surly a spell here or there would be ok, right?" "I don't know," Twilight takes a deep breath: "But I will need the help of some pony else. Spike, I will be gone for the rest of the day. Do not throw any wild parties while I am out, got it?" "Ma'am, yes ma'am," Spike says as he crosses his fingers. "So, what are we gonna dig this time?" Applejack asks as she touts alongside Twilight. "No idea," Twilight replies: "Hi, Rainbow, can you see anything up there?" "I might be seeing things," Rainbow squeezes her eyes: "Is that a horn over there?" "How big is it?" Twilight asks. "I need to take a closer look," Rainbow says: "By the way, did they tell you exactly how big is that thing?" "Well," Twilight opens her bag and pulls out the letter from Celestia: "According to Princess Celestia...it's big enough to make the earth tumble." "I hope you know what you are talking about," Rainbow says before dashing off: "BRB!" "BRB?" Applejack frowns: "What the hay is that?" "Be right back," Twilight says, putting the letter away. "But you are here," Applejack raises an eyebrow. "Yeah," Twilight replies: "Is there anything I can do for you?" "What does BRB mean?" "It means..." Their conversation was cut short as both mares heard an unholy zap sound accompanied by Rainbow Dash's scream. "Did you hear that?" Twilight panicked at the thought of her friend being electrocuted like a fly on a bug-zapping racket. "I've got a bad feeling about that," Applejack says before springing into action: "What are ya waiting for?" "R-right!" Twilight replies before catching up to AJ with several teleportation spells in a roll. It took Twilight and Applejack a fair amount of time before finding an unconscious blue pegasus with burnt feathers on the ground. "Dash!" Applejack calls out: "Twi, she's out cold!" "No worries," Twilight says as she left Rainbow up: "This spell should work..." As the violet-colored magic field slowly transforms into rings of light, Rainbow finally opens her eyes: "Wha...?" "Oh, good," Twilight lets out a sigh of relief as the rings dissolve: "It worked!" "Twilight?" Rainbow asks as she sits down and covers her forehead with a hoof: "What happened?" "We heard a zapping sound," Twilight explains: "You were flying towards a hornlike structure, right? That might have triggered some kind of defense mechanism." "I'm just glad you are ok," Applejack reaches out a hoof: "Your feathers were all burnt off. If not for Twilight, y'all would be out of commission for weeks." "Thanks, Twi," Rainbow says, taking the earth pony's hoof: "You might want to be careful around that thing." "I sorry, Rainbow," Twilight apologizes as she gazes the hornlike structure erect from the ground: "This is certainly unexpected." "Just how big is that thing?" Applejack asks. "From the looks of it," Twilight says: "The horn alone is about...at least a few hundred hooves!" "Y'all don't say," Applejack lets out a whistle while holding onto her hat: "So, are we digging it up or what?" "Actually," Twilight's horn glows ever so brighter: "I'm destroying it right here and how." "You better," Rainbow says while starching her wings: "That thing is way too dangerous!" With a flash of magic, the horn starts to crumble before disintegrating into the sand. "Wow," Twilight says: "That was way easier than I thought it would be." "Only if you don't make it so sandy," Rainbow complains while spitting out sand. "Hehe, sorry," Twilight apologizes as a force field covers the three mares: "I also wasn't expecting sand." "Em, Twilight?" Applejack points her hoof toward the machine pony: "You might want to check it out." As the purple alicorn's attention was directed towards the center of the storm, a giant awakens from its' slumber. As the shadow of a unicorn rises from the ashes, the earth itself shivers from fear, and mountains topple in front of its' strength. "Oh my Celestia..." Twilight murmurs as the machine giant's horn rapidly regenerate. "Just how tall is that thing exactly?" Rainbow asks as her ears flop down. Twilight replies with a shaky voice: "Tall enough to block off sunlight?" "Oh, horse apples," Applejack stomps the ground: "We've gotta do something!" "Right," Twilight sighs as papers and pen flow out of her bags: "I will write a letter to the princesses and..." "Forget about it!" Rainbow shouts as the machine pony starts moving: "We need to get the hey out of here!" "Right!" Twilight says: "Stay still!" With a burst of lavender-colored magic energy, the three find themselves in Twilight's Castle. "SPIKE! I NEED YOUR HELP!" Twilight screams on the top of her lungs as soon as she sets hooves in the crystal palace. "TWILIGHT!" Spike's muffled scream can be heard from the hallways. "Spike!" Twilight opens the door before the dragon crashes into her. "Oof," Rainbow avert her eyes: "That's a nasty crash." "Twilight, Lightwil...Twilight!" After shaking off of the stars above his head, Spike shaves a scroll onto Twilight's face. "Wha..." Twilight struggles to compare the situation as each of her eyes rolls in the opposite direction. "It's a letter from Celestia and Luna!" Spike continues despite Twilight's confused state: "It says here that Ponyville needs to be evacuated immediately!" "Right!" Twilight gets up: "Applejack, Rainbow Dash, assist me!" "Alright!" "You got it!" "Actually," Spike says: "The town is already empty. The princesses sent this letter so you can get out with every pony else." "Well, that's anti-climatic," Rainbow starches her wings: "Too bad I can't fly just yet. My wings are...Ouch!" "The Wonderbolts are in action now!" Spike opens the curtain as Rainbow messages her wings: "Just look outside!" As the machine giant gets closer and closer, the finest of the Pegasus finally take action and engage their enemy head-on. Unfortunately, their efforts are greeted with the force field that welcomed Rainbow Dash earlier. After a series of ungodly zapping sounds, the machine pony prevails. "Welp," Applejack takes off her hats: "They are mighty brave ponies." "Ah..." Rainbow's jew hang low: "The Wonderbolts..." "Oh, what should I do?" Twilight bangs her head against the wall in defeat: "It's all my fault! But what did I do wrong?" "Umm, guys," Spike breaks the silence: "I think we should..." "Sparkle!" An almost heavenly voice declares as the door was bucked open: "Come with me! The rest, seek refuge!" "Princess Luna!" Twilight gasped: "Thank goodness you are here!" "There's no time for this!" Luna says, pushing Twilight outdoors: "We need to go, now!" "The Wonderbolts..." "They are fine. I saw them being transferred into hospitals," Luna says as Rainbow stares outside with a blank expression on her face: "But I doubt they will be flying anytime soon." "You go alone, Princess," Applejack says, waving a hoof in front Rainbow's eyes: "I doubt she's listening. But no worries, I will take care of this!" "So I did nothing wrong?" Twilight asks as the pair of alicorn landing. "No," Luna takes a cube out of her beg: "In fact, we are at fault. My sister and I underestimated its' capabilities." "So what are we going to do now?" "Princess Cadence is reading through Princess Platinum's journal as we speak," Luna says as the cubes start to flow in a deep blue color: "My sister will stay in Canterlot while keeping in touch with Cadence." "Wait," Twilight asks: "Is that the Lunar Cube?" "Indeed," Luna answers: "Although this artifact bears the power to banish any being to an alternative world, it still is powered by magic. The machine in front of us can break any spell cast upon it and be immune to it ever since. If we are correct, Princess Platinum has a spell that can disable the giant. And if she can find it on time, we might be able to put an end to this nonsense." As Luna speaks, a beam of golden light streams through the sky. "It's the Bow of Sun!" Twilight trots up and down in excitement. "It's the Bow of Sun!" Luna pulls her hair in distress. The machine giant lifts its' head up, adjusts its' position before unleashing a powerful beam of magic to counter the powerful relic. The damage caused by this clash can only be paralleled by the battle between Twilight and Tirek. "We are doomed!" Luna face-hoofed: "That fool!" The earth shakes as a pair of gigantic wings burst out of the machine giant's back. "Now that's a solar eclipse," Luna says sarcastically: "Too bad we can't banish it to the moon!" "Wait, I'm getting something!" Twilight scratches her horn as a ball of smoke breaks out of it, bringing a letter written by Celestia's own hoof. "Finally!" Luna snatches away the scroll before Twilight can lay a hoof on it: "Ok, uh, ok." "Um, hello?" Twilight whispers: "What did it say?" "Here," Luna shows Twilight the scroll, as her horn glows: "Stay here!" A ball of light emerged from Luna's horn and was sent flying in the direction of the machine pony by the alicorn. As it slowly sinks into its' metal body, the machine pony slows down before altogether ceasing action. "Have at thy!" Luna shouts with her royal Canterlot voice before throwing the cube at the giant. With the blank of an eye, the towering giant is banished to another world. "Well, that's good to know," Twilight sighs: "But how are we gonna repair all these damages?" "I don't know," Luna lands in front of Twilight: "But don't worry, Celestia will pay for everything, including your castle." "My castle?" "Don't look," Luna lets out a sigh: "Applejack, Rainbow, and Spike are all safe. You can sleep in my room tonight if you want to."
Skeleton of a Mysterious AnimalA long, long time ago, before the creation of the pony kind, the land was ruled by a group of monkey-like creatures. The Sun and Moon rotated by themselves, and magic has yet to be born. The creatures explored stars and planets and conquered the sky and ocean. Unfortunately, as time passed on, the Sun and the Moon refused to stand down. With no magic, their kind died off as fast as they conquered. Before taking her last breath, the last remaining member of their kind wrote a spell to control the celestial bodies. The spell was discovered by the Kingdom of Unicorns later, and balance was once again restored. "Sister, are you sure of it? I don't think Twilight and her friends are ready for such a revelation," Luna enters Celestia's balcony as the Sun slowly retires from the sky under her sister's command. "It's about time," Celestia sighs as the sky is once again engulfed by darkness: "It's only a hypothesis, but mother did leave us the information about it." "If mother left it..." Luna shakes her head: "No! But that's impossible! If a civilization of that scale existed, then it would surely leave a mark!" "I understand," Celestia closes her eyes: "But it was said that they disappeared before the pony kind, so it's also possible that anymore they left on this earth has long been erased by time." "I sincerely hope you know what you are doing," Luna says as her horn glows. "Um...interesting..." Twilight mumbles as she walks across the empty halls. It has been a month since the attack of the machine pony, and her castle is now fully repaired. "Hi, Twilight!" Spike greets as he casually strolls down the halls with a bowl of gem in his hands: "You busy?" "Well, yes, I need to retrieve something from the Crystal Empire," Twilight reads from the parchment with a royal stamp on it: "It says I only need to oversee the retrieval process." "Not by yourself?" Spike tosses a piece of gem into his mouth. "I have to supervise the retrieval process," Twilight's eyes widen as she reads: "And it says I must not touch it? Because it will absorb magic?" "What is it anyway?" Spike asks. "It is a cast-iron coffin," Twilight says: "I'm not supposed to let anypony know about this, and you are supposed to follow me!" "Pff!" Spike spits out shards of crystal upon this revelation: "What?" "It's a direct order from Princess Celestia," Twilight says: "It's rather rare for the Princess to issue a direct order! I wonder what's happening..." "The last time she issued a direct order to was when King Sombra..." "No!' Twilight rolls up the parchment, denying the possibility of another calamity to keep herself from hyperventilating: "That is not what this is! We need to oversee the transportation of an item and nothing more!" "If you say so," Spike shrugs as Twilight giggle nervously. "Twilly!" Shinning Armor trot as Twilight and Spike enters a secluded cave in a snowy mountain not too far away from the capital of the Crystal Empire. "Shining Armor!" Twilight screams in excitement as her brother wraps her around in his forelegs. "So, how's my favorite little sister doing?" Shinning Armor asks as he gives Twilight a head rub. "Well, you know," Twilight rolls her eyes: "Reading books all day long!" "Eh, guys?" Spike says: "It's all touching, but aren't we supposed to find a coffin or something?" "Oh, yeah!" Shinning says: "Almost forget, follow me!" "So, what's so special about that anyway?" Twilight asks as they retreat deep into the darkness. "Princess Celestia sent you a scroll, didn't she?" Shinning Armor asks as his horn glows. "Yeah, well, but you have first hoof information about it." Twilight replies. "Let's just it will absorb magic out of unicorns or alicorns when physical contact is established. Although you can withdraw your hoof at any time, it will not be a pleasant experience. Shinning Armor explains: "Luckily, if you wear a glove or don't touch it directly, then it's all good." "Um, interesting," Twilight frowns: "Then can you cast spells on it?" "Spells don't work," Shinning says as the group goes in deeper and deeper: "Not even the most basic ones." "Guys? How far do we still have to go?" Spike asks as the cold air sends a shiver down his spine. "Not far!" Shinning exclaims as the three take turns and enter a giant cavern with all kinds of precious gems embedded on the wall. "Wow!" SPike's pupils dilate at sight: "What is that?" "This is unbelievable!" Twilight's jaw drops: "But how? The gems! They shouldn't..." "Appear in the same place in such large quantities?" Shinning says: "And such rare ones too! The cave gets enough treasure to buy Princess Celestia's palace! It's indeed rare!" "Sir!" a strong earth pony in uniforms salutes: "Everything is ready!" "Good job," Shinning salutes back: "Princess Twilight is here to supervise the retrieval process." "Your Highness!" the earth pony kneels at the sight of the purple alicorn. "Twilly, you take over from here," Shining Armor pets Twilight on the shoulder: "I have something else to do, and Capital Durian will guide you from this point on." "You can count on me!" Twilight gives her brother a wink as her brother orders other ponies to collect the treasures. "It is my honor to serve you, Princess," the capital says. "You can stand up now," Twilight says, offering the capital a hoof: "No need for such formality!" "You are too kind, Princess," the capital stands up: "Please, follow me." The three of them took a short walk before arriving at a scene that resembles more of a construction site, with a hole leading outside. "It's cold!" Twilight complains as she takes out the letter from her mentor. "Gentlemen!" the capital shouts, his voice overcome the howling wind: "The Princess is here!" The ponies at the scene stop what they are doing and make way for Twilight, revealing the biggest mine cart and cargo box that the Princess has ever seen. "The way, Princess," Capital Durian says politely. "My," to see the contains within the box, Twilight and Spike are forced to step into the cart: "And there's enough room for two other ponies at least." "So what's in there?" Spike asks. "Um...it's a rectangular-shaped piece of metal," Twilight looks at the scroll and back: Yep, that's it! Capital Durian? I think we've got it!" "Of course!" Capital Durian jumps into the cart as well before shouting at another pony: "Hi! Pine! Pull the lever!" "What, what lever are yo..." before she can finish her sentence, the mine cart activates, and the three were given a rollercoaster-like experience without warning. The cart comes to a screeching halt in front of a temporary train station. "Blah!" "There, there," Spike throws a piece of blanket on Twilight as the purple alicorn vomits her lunch up. "Are you feeling better?" Spike brings Twilight a cup of hot green tea. "Yeah, thank you, Spike," Twilight clutch to the blankets around her as the cup is engulfed in Levander-colored light. "So, now what?" Spike jumps onto the seat next to Twilight. "This train is going to the Princesses' castle directly. Once there, we will assist them with..." the Princess suddenly tilts her head towards the window as her pace of breathing grows more rapid. "Twilight!" Spike put a paw on Twilight's foreleg: "Are you ok?" "I'm ok, I'm fine!" Twilight says as she breathes heavily: "Just...motion sickness..." "Are you sure you are up to the task?" "Yeah, sure." "If you say so." "Thank you for your time, Twilight," Celestia says as the two alicorns trot down the halls of the palace. "It's my pleasure, Princess," Twilight says, still suffering from the residual of the train ride. "If you say so," Celestia says with a gentle voice as she opens the door to her private laboratory. "Finally, sister," Luna says, stand on her hind legs with one front leg leaning on a sledgehammer as the two enter the room: "Let's crack this thing!" "Princess Luna?" Twilight says in disbelief as Luna chugs down an entire cup of coffee before covering her eyes with goggles and lifts the hammer off of the ground with her front legs. "Princess Luna! No!" Twilight reaches a hoof out as if she's reaching for the heavens. With a loud sound of metal clashing, the lid of the cast-iron coffin flies off and is crushed into the wall, the head of the hammer flies towards the opposite direction. "Um," Luna takes her goggles off as she looks at the broken handle: "That's to be expected." "Luna, I'm cutting you off," Celestia sighs, trying not to lose it in front of her student. "What?" Luna shouts in surprise: "It's not even that bad!" "Yeah," Celestia looks at the lid and the head of the hammer, both embedded into the carefully decorated walls: "Sure, now, what's in the coffin?" "It looks like the skeleton of some kind of creature stand on hind legs," Luna shrugs as she chugs down another cup of coffee. "Let me see!" Overwhelmed by curiosity, Twilight dashed towards the coffin but accidentally fell into it. It's a human, no doubt, Twilight thinks, looking at the skeleton lying next to her. However, its' head and eye socket are disproportionally small compared to the humans she's familiar with. "Twilight!" Luna's worried voice and a wooden stick cut Twilight's train of thought off: "Take this!" "Are you alright?" Celestia asks as Luna pulls Twilight out of the coffin. "Yeah, I'm sorry," Twilight apologies: "Still a bit dizzy." "Would you look at that!" Luna looks into the coffin: "The skeleton absorbed Twilight's magic and is now is in pristine condition!" "It either uses magic to regenerate or reverting its' state of being," Celestia says: "Either ways, it is dangerous and must be destroyed." "What?" Twilight covers her mouth after realizing that she just yelled at her mentor. "I'm afraid so, Twilight," Luna says: "Spike is waiting for you in the train, and speak of this matter to no one." "Agh, fine," Twilight sighs in disappointment. "So, is she gone?" Luna asks as Celestia enters the door. "Yes, and any news from Capital Armor?" Celestia replies as she locks the door behind her. "The analysis of the gems reveals that they are synthetic, and they can convert emotion directly into magical power," Luna answers as a piece of the paper flow in front of her eyes. "Do you supposed that this creature created Tham?" Celestia shifts her attention to the coffin. "It is possible," Luna says: "Meaning that mother is right. Magic in Equestria will fade eventually, and the pony kind will face extinction if not prepared." "If mother was right, then we must conduct more research into this creature and the civilization she once resided in," Celestia says: "Would those gems be operational if magic disappear?" "That's why they are made," Luna says, reading from the paper: "It allows a non-magical creature to use magic." "That's great," Celestia sighs in relief: "Maybe not in our reign, but Twilight will see the end of magic and perhaps Equestria as we know it." "It's truly a dreadful fate," Luna puts the paper away: "Seeing the very elements she is embodied with crumble and disappear." "Then we must work extra hard to prepare Equestria for it," Celestia says with a determined expression: "I feel sorry to lie to Twilight, but the bones will be of value for us." "Of course, sister," Luna says: "But we must keep it a secret for as long as possible."
The Contract of Faust Part 1Gather around, my daughters, I have a story to tell. A long, long time ago, a girl was lost in the woods. She was hungry and scared. Then, she remembered a contract her mother gifted her. Her mother said: the contract will grant you what you wished for, at a price unknown. Out of desperation, she wrote her name down. It was then, she forget her mother, and her mother forget her. The girl returned home, without recognizing her own family. Her family received her, without recognizing their daughter. When the girl grew up, she left home, looking for her family without recognizing her weeping mother who spent year with her. Her family has been waiting in the same house, without recognizing their distraught daughter who spent year around them. "NO! NO! PLEASE, NOOOO!!!" "Celestia?" "PLEASE, STOP! NO!!!NO!!!!" "Celestia, wake up!" "NO! NO!!!!PLEASE!!!!NO!!!!!!" "Sorry, Celestia, but I have no other options..." "AHHH!" "Sorry, dear sister," Luna sighed, tossing an empty bucket away: "I tried everything, but you wouldn't take up." "Well, at least you didn't put any ice in this time around," Celestia pants heavily, her voice almost a whisper: "It happened again." "I see," Luna lets out another sigh: "Remember anything this time around?" "I..." Celestia jumps out of bed: "Saw a mare, an alicorn nonetheless." "With red mane and white coat?" Luna asks. "Yes," Celestia replies as the water on her body starts to vaporize: "And has a quill as her cutie mark." "Tia, do we know her?" "I...don't know," Celestia opens the blinds, allowing the pale moonlight to shine on her: "I don't think so, but why do I...we keep seeing her in our dreams?" "I don't know," Luna's horn glows: "But perhaps she was a childhood friend?" "I fear not," Celestia says as the moon sets: "Luna, do you have any recollections of our mother?" "I...no," Luna replies as the sun rises: "But why?" "Luna, there's something I need to tell you," Celestia shuts the blinds again: "You were cursed to die an untimely death." "Wha..." Luna blinks several times in quick succession: "Surely thou jest?" "No," Celestia replies: "It was foretold at your birth, that you will die an untimely death, and harmony with die with you." "Sister..." Luna cracks out a laugh: "HA! Is this the 'trolling' thing you are trying to do?" "No," Celestia continues: "There was a way to...prevent, everything. So I did what I must. The result? You were banished to the moon for a thousand years and the elements were disabled until the return of Nightmare Moon." "So, wait," Luna falls on her rumps: "I was supposed to die and the elements would have been destroyed too?" "Yes," Celestia says, before turning to face a frozen Luna: "yes." "But..." Luna inhales: "Why to tell now if the crisis is already reversed?" "Luna, tell me," Celestia sits down next to Luna: "What was mother's cutie mark?" "I...don't know." "Her mane color? Her name? Anything?" "I...no, I don't remember..." Luna gasped, her eyes widening in sudden comprehension: "You mean the mare in our dreams, is she?" "I don't know, Luna," Celestia wraps Luna in her wing: "But to save you, I had to sign a contract, one that mother gave me. Although I have no memory as to who our mother is, her warning still echoes in my head: You will pay an unknown price equal to that of your desire." "Sister," Luna asks with a shaky voice: "Do you think...the eventual disappearance of magic has anything..." "I doubt it," Celestia says: "The contract wiped out the memory of who mother is, but what else..." "You said it!" Luna shouts: "A price equal to the desire! Without the elements, Equestrian would have fallen to either Discord or Tirek! A simple wipe of memory wouldn't suffice compared to the fate of Equestria and my life! Do you think..." "No," Celestia froze at the suggestion: "I...No..." "Celestia, if my life..." "No," Although barely a whisper, the unusual coldness in Celestia's voice is enough to silence Luna: "No..." "Tia? Oof!" Luna was pulled into a firm hug by Celestia's mighty forelegs." "No..." As her eyes stare into the space, a single tear trickles down Celestia's face: "No..."
