The Fall of Equestria (Prologue)
Tension filled an almost barren oak room, the raw energy drifting from corner to corner. The walls were the colour of amber and the floor a light golden brown, inside lie a single hospital bed, various tubes, wires and machinery filled with liquids and various Magic’s were fitted to the walls, beside the bed, a table filled with flowers both new and wilting sat, along with a few framed photos, many featuring six different ponies. The bed itself was occupied, a purple alicorn lay comatose, hooked up to the machinery, tubes ran down her throat and through her nose, wires poked in and out the entire right side of the mares body encased in bandages, the heartbeat monitor drummed into the walls and the ventilator making sure it’s presence was known with loud gushes of oxygen and carbon dioxide swimming through it.
There, next to her bed, sat a substantially grown young adult yellow mare, her red hair tied into a messy ponytail and a pink bow sat atop her head, she wore a peach coloured vest and a faded red scarf. The mare was dozing off, before an incessant beeping began to fill the room, the mare shot her head up and watched the alicorn intently, who began to stir before her eye fluttered open.
“Zecora! Zecora! Come quickly, Twilights stirring!” The mares voice rang down the halls and moments later a zebra came rushing through the door.
“What is it Applebloom?” Applebloom motioned over to Twilight, who was groggily attempting to look around the room. Applebloom rushed over and pulled the tube from her mouth, a few coughs spluttered out of the purple alicorn, she attempted to speak but no words escaped her lips, her throat felt like it had been through the hills of Appleloosa and back. A few long moments of regaining consciousness had passed before the panic began to set in, Twilights vision had regained, except she could only see out of one eye, the other totally pitch black, she couldn’t talk, she couldn’t feel half of her body, attempting to do magic caused fizzles to escape out of her snapped horn, the heart rate monitor began to scream, the beeping growing as frantic as the alicorn, Applebloom quickly rushed over as did Zecora and each held a hoof down on Twilights forehooves.
“Shhh it’s okay Twilight, you need to calm down.” Twilight looked over, recognition lit up in her purple eye.
“A...a...ap..” twilight swallowed hard, the words struggling to escape.
“I’ll go get some water quick, be back In a tick” Zecora rushed out, Applebloom simply looked over and placed a hoof on Twlights, a relieved grin spread over muzzle.
“I’m glad you’re back twi.”
Twilight remained in her hospital bed, her head propped up on various pillows behind her, she looked to Applebloom who was rambling about potion making before Zecora waltzed back through the door.
“It’ll take some time before you get your voice back, but by five days it should be on track. The potion brewed will help it return.” Twilight nodded her head in thanks. A tension filled silence swept over the three, despite the lack of vocals Twilights eye pleaded with Zecora and Applebloom, who in turn looked at each other, Zecora sighed and Applebloom nodded.
“I suppose we tell you what’s happened since you’ve been asleep huh?” Twilight frantically nodded and gestured to her head before shrugging with her good in bandaged shoulder.
“Right, yeah, before anything thought I’d tell you, you’ve got a bit of amnesia twilight, bits and pieces will be foggy and you blanty won’t remember some.” Twilights expressed worry through her body language, Applebloom gave her a reassuring smile and closed her eyes, before she recited the recent history that befell Equestria.
“After you and the other elements of harmony’s battle against the storm king, a new threat arose. Upon hearing of Equestria being weakened by his outside sources, who we to this day still never discovered, the tyrant, Lord Tirek made his escape from his prison in Tartarus. Absorbing the magic of the contained animals within his shared prison, he escaped. The princesses repeated the same process as previously, allowing you to absorb their magic, and escape to an undisclosed location, only this time, you weren’t so lucky. Throughout a lengthy battle, destroying almost the entirety of canterlot, you were struck down, damaged, broken and dying, Tirek absorbed all the magic of the 4 princesses, but among the added magic of the powerful creatures in Tartarus his body couldn’t handle all the power, it faltered, and alongside the princess of friendship, he fell. The magic he stole released back into equestria, at first we rejoiced...but it came out wrong, the alicorn magic that returned, corrupted the Princesses, turning them into their alter egos, Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon, Inciting a war, between day, and night, with Daybreaker ruling over Canterlot and the Western side of Equestria, Nightmare Moon taking the eastern and residing in Manehatten she also overtook various other lands such as Griffenstone. No one has seen the princess of love, and crystal empire has managed to fight off any influences from both day and night. Ponies retained hope, until months went by and every pony had accepted that the princess of friendship and element of magic, was dead. Each faction offered enlistment to the various ponies of equestria, many refused to choose sides and in the end, they were blatantly taken from their homes, cities and villages were destroyed, families split and ponies were trained for war. The fighting has been going on for a...while now. Not many of Nightmare Moon’s soldiers are seen away from the battlefield. Daybreaker however, brands each of her soldiers and workers with a sun insignia, burned with a hot iron into the right side of the neck. A few of us managed to escape, we now have refugee camps sanctioned all over Equestria, we are currently in the main one right now.”
Twilight took a moment to process the flood of information she’d been given, her eyebrow furrowed and she motioned to a frame beside her bed.
“Right, well, I’ll tell you as much as I know about the other bearers of the elements.”
“Upon the beginning of the war, immediately the wonderbolts were enlisted by Nightmare Moon, Rainbowdash was forced alongside them, training hard within that Army, she is now a Commander amongst troops, with Lieutenant Scootaloo close by her, and they serve under Captain Spitfire.
Without close guards to keep an eye on him, Daybreaker shot a deal with lord of chaos, Discord. Discord could have easily bent the world back into place, but Daybreaker gave him free reign over whatever section of her land he wanted, to live out his days a free draconequus. He now owns Ponyville, and had asked Fluttershy to go with him, no one knows why she agreed. But she is now an agent of chaos, Fluttershy, from my understanding over various reconnaissance missions has obtained some of Discord’s chaos magic, and is now half draconequus, her body mixed and matched.
Now this one I’m definitely fuzzy on. In the beginning of the war some ponies refused to choose sides. A few who were enlisted to Daybreaker became angry, and non compliant, Pinkie Pie was one of those ponies. Our sources say she was snatched in the middle of the night, no pony has seen her since.
Applejack, my sister. When all this started Daybreaker ordered Sweet Apple Acres to be transformed, a new factory to produce weaponry and armours. Applejack and Big Mac run that factory now, poor Granny Smith died due to too much fume intact. They never leave that farm, aren’t ever allowed to, it’s kept under strict security, no one in or out. When it all began, the day Applejack was marked with that burnt insignia she didn’t want me to go through that, she quickly led me away and left me with Zecora, hoping I’d have a better future with her than in that factory. I haven’t seen her since.
Rarity was enlisted to Daybreaker, she saw her designer eye as...useful to say the least. Daybreaker ordered her directly to canterlot. Her and my sister had only been engaged a month and already had to say goodbye for who knows how long to one another. Rarity as far as I know is engaged to Prince Blueblood, and designs the weapons and armour, handles distribution and material gathering for Daybreakers army, sweetie belle lives with her in canterlot.
Spike left when the dragon migration came around, he has a better chance through this than any of us, the dragon lands haven’t been touched in this war.”
Twilight looked mortified. Sorrow swept across her face, mingled with guilt, tears welled in her eye and she looked at Applebloom with the most sadness she had ever seen in the expression of a pony, walking over she hugged twilight. Twilight took a deep shaky breath, and gestured to the bandages on her body.
“Now, that one. That’s what’s gonna shock you the most out of this story. As I mentioned you were in a battle with Tirek, your second to be precise. And obviously...you lost, and you took the beating, hard. Zecora was close to where the battle had taken place and where you had fallen. After Tirek took his final breath Zecora launched into the site, frantically rummaging through the rubble and debris. You wouldn’t believe the state you were in when she pulled you out...” Applebloom shuddered.
“Lucky due to her intense potions knowledge, you were saveable, but...not without adjustments.” Applebloom walked over to Twilight and began to carefully unravel her bandages.
“I must tell you, brace yourself.” Twilight took a deep breath and nodded. Applebloom brought over a mirror, and Twilight brought a hoof over her mouth. Her entire right side no longer had a purple fur coat, but instead replaced with a sleek metal, her entire right leg replaced with a bionic version, the same went for her right wing. Her right eye socket had robotic parts embedded into it, pitch black with a purple glowing Iris, atop her head, her horn was snapped, her hair chopped into a short bob. Immediately the alicorn broke down, and wrecked with wheezing sobs as her vocal chords tried to express their sorrow. Applebloom placed the mirror down and gave the purple alicorn a hug.
A few moments pass before there’s a timid knock at the door. Applebloom called for them to enter. In walked a unicorn filly, she had a creamy coloured coat, a lighter cream blaze coloured her horn and ran down her nose to her chin, along with the lighter cream running up her legs, her back fur was a darker rusty brown and freckles dotted her face. Her hair was a light blonde that faded into a light purple at the ends and she wore a very familiar hat atop her head. She smiled and a gap was placed between her two front teeth.
“Yes Honey? What would ya like?” Twilight looked at the filly, a strange sense of familiarity swept over her. Before Honey began to speak she noticed the Alicorn looking at her, and she gasped.
“She’s awake!” Her country accent only deepened that familiar sense Twilight was feeling. Applebloom smiled and walked over, gesturing a hoof at Honey.
“Twilight this is Honeycrisp, Honeycrisp, princess Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight smiled through her tears at Honey.
“She’s my niece.” Twilights smile immediately faltered, she frantically looked around, and motioned to Applebloom for something to write with, Applebloom found her a pen and notepad, twilight jotted down some words.
‘How old is she?’ The paper read. Applebloom’s eyes widened. A deep sigh escaped her nose and she scrunched her muzzle.
“She’s ten twilight.” Twilight lied there rigid. Her heart drumming inside her chest, evident by the monitor beeping cautions at her.
“There’s no easy way to say this Twilight but....you’ve been in a coma for ten years.”
Author's Note
It's out! it's finally out!! After a few long months its out!!
I hope you all enjoy these first chapters as much as I enjoyed writing them!!
I do not have an upload schedule! So i'll see yall in the next chapter!
Mechanical thumps echoed against the wooden floor, the cyborg alicorn was clinging to metal railing, shakily walking along. Applebloom sat close, watching her progress, while Honey lied beside her, trying hard to keep a pencil levitated in front of her. They’d trained like this multiple times a day for two months now, working Twilights body, regaining the strength to walk and becoming familiar with her robotic limb. She looked down, she had reached the end of the railing, taking a deep breath in, Twilight let go and placed all four of her hooves on the floor, taking a step forward, she stumbled for a moment, Applebloom shot up ready to pick her up, Twilight shook her head and steadied herself, walking again, this time, making it to the other side of the room. She whipped her head around to Applebloom and beamed, happiness radiated off the purple alicorn, and it was infectious, Applebloom found herself smiling back. Honey quickly dropped what she was doing and raced over bounding up and down.
“Twilight! You did it!” Twilight looped her hoof around Honey and brought her into a hug before sitting down and letting out a content huff.
“It only took me, what? Two months?” Twilight rose to her hooves again and shakily but confidently walked over to Applebloom and plonked down next to her, lying on the ground and gesturing for Honey to come over. Honey sat back down and closed her eyes, focusing on trying to levitate the pencil again.
“Okay you need to focus, imagine the pencil floating in your mind.” Applebloom stood up and stretched before nodding to the pair and exiting the room. Their magic lesson lasted for around an hour before Honey threw the pencil with a huff.
“This is too darn hard, I can’t do it, I give up.” Honey grumbled, she furrowed her eyebrows and scrunched her muzzle while folding forehooves. Twilight took a moment and watched Honey, a sense of familiarity washed over her and she started chuckling. Honey’s frown grew and she squared her shoulders, this only made twilight laugh harder.
“What?! What are you laughin’ at!” Twilight brought her hoof to her muzzle.
“I’m sorry. You just remind me so much of your parents.” Honeys expression immediately switched, she now eyed twilight with intense curiosity, a small sense of sadness crumbled in her chest.
“What were they like?” Twilight was a little taken back by Honeys hushed reserved tone, smiling Twilight scooted closer to the cream coloured filly and began to revise old tales of their adventures as the elements of harmony.
“Applejack really never did get over the fact that Rarity proposed first, I guess it was her stubborn pride that got in the way, she was overjoyed nonetheless. Not as overjoyed as pinkie was when she heard.
”Twilight smiled and sighed, a twinge of guilt bit at her heart.
“How come...how come my parents didn’t want me? I mean why did they just leave me here?” Twilight shot Honey a concerned and sad look, she nuzzled the fillies cheek before giving her a bright reassuring smile.
“Honey, they didn’t just leave you here, I guarantee you, they wouldn’t have if they had a choice. The world isn’t like it use to be, your mum thought here would be the safest place for you, with your aunt Applebloom.” Honey sat up, her eyes glossed over as she tried to imagine what her parents looked like, if they even knew she was alive.
“If they saw you now, they’d be so proud of you.” Twilights words struck Honey like a brick, tears began to fall, Twilight brought the filly into an embrace, and gave her comforting reassurances as she wept.
A gentle knock came at the door, twilight groggily lifted her head up and gently shook it, eradicating some of the sleepiness clouding her mind. Applebloom entered the room, and stood there for a moment, smiling at Honey who had tucked herself into twilights remaining purple coat. Twilight looked to the yellow mare in the doorway, a smile crept its way to her muzzle as she’d realised just how much she’d grown, no longer that young troublemaker she use to know, but a bright confident leader. Applebloom walked her way over to Twilight and sat down.
“So, I think it’s time we pack up.” Twilight shot her a confused but intrigued look.
“Pack up?” Applebloom nodded.
“It’s time we leave, you’re awake and moving around now, we need to approach and tell the other camps of your return, with the element of magic back and the Princess of Friendship being the last remaining pony of royalty who hasn’t been corrupted, we need to start telling ponies.” Twilight’s eyes shot to the ground, anxiety gnawing at her stomach.
“But I can’t even do anything as the element of magic anymore, my horns broken, all it does is fizzle, and alicorn magic is unstable enough without adding a broken horn into the mix. The elements were also destroyed.” Applebloom shook her head and gave twilight a very intense stare.
“Twilight over the last ten years I’ve had a lot time to study and think. Every Villain you’ve defeated with my sister and your friends has been with those elements. And even though the physical necklaces are gone, the spirits of the elements still exist.” Applebloom took a deep breath and relaxed her agitated breathing.
“You brought back Princess Luna by using those elements to defeat Nightmare Moon, but before that, she had destroyed the elements, that didn’t stop you, because your spirits are what embody those beliefs and ideals of Magic, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty and Generosity. And I strongly believe that if we manage to gather the spirits of the elements back together, we can make a plan to finally put Equestria back together again.” Twilight watched as Applebloom spoke with such determination, she saw something in the eye of the yellow mare, a spark...it was the spark of hope.
—————————-~~~~~~~~~~~——————-
A shimmer of light plunged its way through the crack of the door, igniting the room into a slight orange hue, the ever lasting sun bore into the walls. Twilights eyes fluttered open as the line of light hit her eyelid, arising from her still hospital bed, as she stretched a knock came at the door.
“Hello Your highness, Applebloom sent me here to give you these.” A green Pegasus mare ventured through the doorway and handed the princess a pile of clothes.
“She said that perhaps you’d feel a little more comfortable covering up. And that she’d wish to see you in about an hour, I and a few others will be escorting you.” Twilight gave the mare a small smile.
“Thank you Sargent..?” The mare smiled
“Sargent Sketcher your highness.” Sketcher answered with a bow.
“Thank you Sargent Sketcher, I appreciate it.” As Sketcher turned around Twilight called to her. “Hey, sorry for asking, but I’d like an honest answer from somepony I don’t directly know. Does my appearance comes as shocking? Or...disgusting?” Twilight cast her eye down and awaited the response until she heard Sketcher chuckle. The Pegasus mare lifted her forehoof and slid her sleeve up to reveal a prosthetic of her own.
“Ma’am, the worlds changed, in this new land, we’ve all lost something, be it family, friends or even a limb. The things that we lose, only drive our determination, and it reminds us to fight for the things we’ve lost, and bring about a better future. Not to sound corny of course.” Twilight felt a small glimpse of gratitude in her chest, and gave the Sargent a fierce nod, who in turn left the room.
Looking at herself in the mirror twilight felt a little more at ease, she’d wrapped majority of her robotic prosthetics in bandages, and dawned black cargo pants along with a brown leather duster, the only remaining metal that showcased was her wing, but attempting to conceal it was futile, throwing on her saddlebags She wandered outside. This was her first time being out of the hospital room, she stood for a moment feeling the sun on her face she took a deep breathe in before looking around. Ponies hustled and bustled around the rather large camp, from armed soldiers to tiny foals, ponies gathered everywhere, moving supplies, pitching tents and some simply stood idly by engaging in small conversations with others. As twilight walked the dirt streets many ponies acknowledged her, from waves to bows to smiles to simple hellos, Twilight felt sheepish until the spotlight of ponies, she spotted Applebloom and quickly trotted over.
“Everybody’s staring at me, I mean I get I was a princess once but it’s like-“
“They haven’t seen you in 10 years? Yeah these ponies knew you were here but no one has been allowed in that hospital room, course ponies are excited, you’re a walking talking beacon of hope Twi.” Applebloom had her nose in a map, Honey sat next to her and gave Twilight a welcoming smile, in which she returned.
“Okay if we leave now, we should be in the Dodge City division by 9:00pm.” The Sargent whom Twilight saw earlier was nodding at Applebloom before getting up and gathering a few extra guards who were tailed by Zecora. By the time the sun had left the tree line Twilight, Applebloom and Honey had ventured out, along with a small division of guards and followed by Zecora, scaling the trails, minimal conversation passed the group, mostly focusing on their task at hand.
Twilight looked towards the sky the sun sat, very reminiscent to the time her and her friends discovered the tree of harmony and the princesses were kidnapped by the plunderseeds.
“Does the sun really not move?” Twilight didn’t look down, her eyes stayed up, examining the strict bore of orange light that plastered the sky.
“The sun moved? I’ve only heard stories of the when the sun and moon changed with night and day.” Twilight flicked her ear and looked to Honey in bewilderment, before it clicked; Honey had been born after the fall of the princesses and didn’t know what the world of Equestria looked like before the war. Twilight felt somber, giving Honey a lopsided smile and sighed.
“Princess Celestia use to raise the sun, and Luna raised the moon. Celestia would care for her subjects in the day, watching over them and handling day to day tasks. Luna would watch over her subjects at night, and walk in their dreams, protecting them from inner struggles.” Twilight closed her eyes and felt the wind flow past her remaining purple coat.
“That sounds nice, I wish I was there to see it.”
Twilight put her feathered wing over Honey and gave her a nuzzle.
“You will Honey. You will.”
———————~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~——————
The barrier had been crossed, the sky struck right down the middle, as light and dark battled for reign, orange and purple muddled together as the sun and the moon claimed their domains and wrestled for the other.
“The sky is bright, it’s beautiful when they fight. They argue for terrain as we argue to abstain.” Zecora’s words rang throughout the silent group of travelling ponies. The camp came into view, it was significantly smaller than that of the main base of operations the group had come from, it was filled with fewer tents, and consisted of mostly full grown mares and stallions, fillies and colts were far and few between. The air felt crisp and cold, as cloud cover circulated above, the weather was in control of itself now, without Pegasi to control it day in day out, it had grown a mind of its own.
Twilight felt the fur upon her spin rise as the group stood at the edge of the camp, heads spun, gasps were heard, whispering and a few bows here and there the whole camp gathered to listen to the new group. Zecora looked to Twilight with a smile and then out to the crowd of ponies.
“A beacon of hope arises from the ashes, she stands before you all. As a light in the dark a twinkle does shine, and the Princess of Friendship becomes a sign.” Zecora took a step back and Twilight took a step forward.
“It’s good to be among you all. I haven’t been awake in this new torn world for very long, it’s hard to see this once beautiful land be torn and plunged into war. To see families misplaced, to see the broken land it breaks my heart, and I promise you all, I will do everything in my power to-“
“Twilight?…” Twilight stopped mid sentence and looked to the source of the voice. The alicorns heart felt like it had grown wings and soared into cloudsdale. A pink coloured pony stood at the front of the crowd, her pink hair chopped in a long bob, the hair behind her ear fluffed up like it’s old self, but her forelock was straight and discoloured, a long scar plastered across the mares head, she wore a cream coloured pullover and blue striped socks on her forehooves, her usual bright blue eyes looked dull and tired and her right eye was pale and the colour was faint, her ears had cochlear implants in each. Twilight felt tears prick the edge of her vision, the pink pony took another step forward, Twilight shook her head and felt the smile ripple through her entire body.
“Pinkie Pie!”
Author's Note
Double whammy! have chapter 1!
Hope you all enjoy!
