RE: Eyes to the Heart - Book One Return of Magic

(Arden's POV)

"ARDEN! ARDEN! ARE YOU OK!?" Arden heard as he opened his eyes in the pit he had fallen into. Luckily, it seemed that his fall was cushioned by something. But he still had to face a massive climb to reach the hole from which he had fallen. "WE'RE GOING DOWN NOW!"

"NO!" Yelled Arden as loud as he could before any of his companions dared to try the suicidal jump. "I'M OK! I'M OK! I fell on something soft!" Arden explained as he got up and examined his surroundings. It seemed as though he had collapsed on top of a pile of sorts. Something that looked like a type of flexible material. But time seemed to have thinned it down to the point it broke due to Arden's weight. Most of it had turned to a pile of thin shards that seemed to break on contact. "If you want to help, get me some rope! That ought to get me out of here faster than climbing these walls!" Arden shouted before taking notice of something odd.

There seemed to be a fissure on one of the walls, and from within, a faint green glow seemed to escape through the cracks. It looked like a distress beacon from sci-fi movies. The kind meant to signal the presence of someone in the area.

"ZIPP!" Arden yelled while approaching the fissure. It seemed just large enough for him to pass through.

"What?!" Yelled Zipp as Arden tried to check for any signs of the fissure being unstable.

"Does anybody else know about this place?" Arden asked while finishing his evaluation. So long as he didn't do anything stupid, the path would hold. "As in, did you ever hear or notice someone else coming here?" Arden added as he prepared himself to enter the crevice.

"NO! No one else but you guys know about this place!" Zipp yelled back. "You're the first ones I trusted enough to show this!" She added while Arden began to squeeze through the path.

"Alright! Get the rope ready to pull me up! I think I found something. I won't be long!" Arden yelled before fitting his head into the area. "Not a good time to get claustrophobic," He mumbled while feeling the walls brushing against his back and chest. Luckily, the fissure wasn't very long. Emerging from the claustrophobic path, Arden found himself inside a large room with a stairwell leading upwards.

At the very center of this room rested a strange scene. Something akin to a throne made out of dark crystals was surrounded by what looked like multiple empty husks of enormous insects with horse-like features. The corpses lay in a static position as if they had collapsed out of exhaustion while trying to reach the one sitting on the throne. The one sitting by the throne had a notoriously long mane with a crooked horn. Their husk made their figure look frail, their head inclined to the side as if resting their head against something they seemed to be holding on to dear life. That object was the source of light emanating through the cave.

Carefully approaching the grave, Arden gently stepped in between the corpses as to not disturb their seemingly tormented respite. Once he was close enough, Arden saw in detail what was that the creature had tried to defend with their own life. The object was an antler of sorts. Something that could have fallen from a young deer. However, it was made out of a green crystal, and at its base, it held a gemstone similar in color to a ruby. Using the tip of his fingers, Arden gently tugged the horn and spun it to free from the bony husk's grasp.

It felt like a moment straight out of a tomb raiding movie. Arden half-expected the skeletons to come to life as soon as he had freed the horn, however, when the horn was free from the husk's clasp, nothing happened. Letting out a sigh of relief, Arden backed away from the grave with the same amount of caution as he went in. Once in a safe distance, Arden began to inspect the object which had stopped glowing.

What the heck is this? Was it a treasure? Maybe, is it something like the sword? Arden mused before the horn let out a bright green light. A bad reverb echoed across the room for several seconds before stabilizing. Arden's eyes widened at the sight of a thin sick-looking creature's face that was projected out of the horn. Their eyes looked deep, indicating dehydration, their voice was coarse and distorted and based on the way it struggle to speak, the creature was dying.

"We were tricked! ^%$^&%$$*^&(*&(*&()*&^^%! I've waited and waited for the promised aid. I )(*&*^%$###@@#$%^&! have lost everything. My subjects are dead! Magic is dying. I will perish with it. %$%^&$#^% never came to us. My promised %$#@#$%& never came to us. With my last ounce of strength, I curse you, (*(*&^&^&(8798&^*(&?!" The recording stopped.

"The last moments of civilization. Is this what the disappearance of magic holds to us?" Arden mused as the images of Sunny, Izzy, and Zipp crossed his mind. But the one that lingered the most in his head was Izzy's. The warm smile that had made him care for that world he knew so little about. "I can't let that happen. Not to her," Arden mumbled as he tightened his grip on the horn. Hiding the object in his bag, Arden looked at the path up towards the top of the room.

Rushing up the steps, Arden made his way to the very top. From there, he found a pathway that led to another tight squeeze that emerged behind a handful of bushes that were near the entrance he had used to access the place with Zipp. Making his way back into the airport, Arden slid down the slope while shouting.

"I found another way out!" Arden screamed as Sunny, Izzy, and Zipp seemed ready to slide down the hole. "Sorry! Let's go! We don't have much time! Lead the way, Zipp!" Arden hurried while helping Sunny and Izzy to stand up from the hole.

"My costume is the easiest and yours will be the easiest. Those two will be the hardest ones to figure out," Arden said as he got the bag from the store clerks. The ponies around Zephyr Heights were giving them odd looks but seemed to be purposefully avoiding them without making much of a fuss. Thanks to Zipp's accumulated allowances, finding shops to get the sizing and other details done last minute proved to be less of a hassle than expected. Plus, there were fitters in the palace who would do just about anything the royals asked for.

"Why would you wear a mask?" Asked Zipp from inside one of the changing rooms.

"The story I'll be telling is in an opera style. I thought a mask would be fitting for the storyteller," Replied Arden while taking a seat on one of the chairs near the dressing rooms. "The more of an impression we make, the better the result. And I want this to be something they all will remember. Plus, if this works, it will be like a big play where we won't need an orchestra." He explained while taking note that a handful of pegasus seemed to have stopped by the store's front and were looking at them. "How come they seem to be tailing us like that? Wait, how come no one has tried to capture us?" Arden inquired while waving at the pegasus ponies that were staring at him. "And why am I only seeing mares out there?"

"We have around one stallion for every five to six mares in Zephyr Heights. I guess you're exotic?" Said Zipp before coming out of her changing room. Zipp wasn't wearing anything that looked like armor. It looked like a dress meant to represent the night. The dress revealed the area halfway down the wearer's tighs and had a series of designs representing stars and the moon with silver lines. A cloak with sleeves that covered the wearer's hands leaving only their fingers exposed. Silver bracelets were placed on the wearer's wrists and the inside of the cloak looked as if the night sky was inside it.

"That is THE nightdress," Arden said while looking at Zipp's figure. "How did you mimic Izzy's body type? Padding? It should fit her down to a T."

"How do you know her body type?" Zipp inquired with a slight blush as Arden backed away.

"Old job required me to take notice of the patient's body type and consider that before thinking if I should be worried about possible thrombosis episodes and other health issues. Mainly, we were worried about differentiating an Apple body type from a Pear body type," Arden explained while holding his chin.

"What?" Zipp inquired with a tilt of her head.

"It's a term to refer to the body shape of a person. It reflects areas that accumulate body fat. If body fat accumulates in the central area of the abdomen creating the shape of an apple there could be certain issues. While accumulating body fat around the hips giving it a pear shape, points to other issues. So, that's about it," Arden explained while leaning to the side and looking into the changing room. There was another dress inside. But there were also some bandages inside the room. "Is that one for Sunny?"

"Y-yes!" Zipp replied while pulling the curtain to hide the inside of the room.

"Neat. I guess we will take this one. Try on the other one so we can look for your dress," Arden proposed while raising an eyebrow at the reaction. "I'll wait over here."

Surprisingly enough, Zipp had managed to mimic Sunny's body type. The daylight-themed dress was cyan on the inner areas and bright blue in the outer layers with a tail and open in the front halfway down Zipp's tighs. It fashioned a feathered crystal-looking crown with a collar tightly placed around her neck.

"Outstanding! You're pretty good at this!" Praised Arden as he got up and looked at the details on the dress. "We have both of them covered. The next step is getting you a piece of armor."

"I already have that covered," Zipp said with her cheeks flushing.

"Ok then! I trust your decision. So, let's head back and get those two dressed. You're a bit taller than Sunny and slightly shorter than Izzy, we should be able to make the adjustments without much trouble," Arden proposed while stepping back. "Let's rock!"

"O-ok!" Zipp celebrated in a much tamer way than Arden would have predicted.

"Alright," Arden said to no one while adjusting the necktie.

He had a nagging feeling the queen was up to something. The guards were keeping a low profile and watching their movements from afar. Haven might have been aware of their plan. But they had no choice but to prepare as best as he could. The time for arguments was passed, it was time for action. However, there was still a chance to avoid any unnecessary conflict. And what could be his final moments of freedom were steadily approaching without concern or hesitation.

It would take but one failure for them to lose the entire battle. One no from Haven would mean he had lost and his friends would be locked away in a dungeon. Adjusting the mask to cover his forehead, cheeks, and sides of his face while keeping his muzzle and eyes exposed Arden looked at his reflection.

The phantom would have the mask covering only half of his face. But I don't know if I could do this with half of my face exposed. Please, let me do this. One more time, work with me, and not against me. Arden begged as his eyes emitted a faint glow as if responding to his plea. I know it's hard. I know it hurts. Arden acknowledge while holding his chest.

"But I need you. Once more. I'll push us a little more. Please, hold on," Arden begged while grabbing his chest tightly. His eyes shone brilliantly for a moment before returning to normal. "Ok. Let's try this. We have to connect with them. We have to make everyone hear the story. We have to connect with them. I know it will spread us thin, but we can do this."

"Hey!" Arden heard from behind him as someone knocked on the door. "We are almost done. Are you ready?" Zipp asked from beyond the door.

"Are the others with you?" Arden inquired while removing his mask and drying up his face.

"Yes!" Zipp said while Arden put the mask back on.

"Let them in," Arden said while turning around dramatically as they stepped inside. "It is time for us to rule the show!" Arden announced as the cape flew in the wind.

"Nice look," Said Zipp as Arden had a sudden flashback. Zipp's armor/battledress looked familiar. It was like the armor worn by a videogame character known as Mercy. But it looked closer to something around medieval times. Even her wings were covered in thin layers of armor. But, once more, Zipp's body was similar to Izzy's.

"That is an astonishing look, on all of you!" Arden exclaimed as Izzy came in with the dress fitting her figure perfectly. Izzy's mane had been braided and tied up in such a beautiful fashion that words failed to describe it. Sunny's dress was finely fit as well with her mane kept loose and with a volume that made it look as if the slightest breeze would make it wave on the wind. "We are so going to steal the show!"

"So, are we going to try and synch?" Izzy inquired with her cheeks red as tomatoes and her smile as bright as the moon.

Holding his chest, Arden did his best to keep his composure. Breathing through his shoulders Arden walked through the halls behind a set of guards that had come to escort him to the celebration's red carpet moment. Something a bit out of the blue since the Queen seemed too dead set on having them kept out of the public eye.

"Guards!" A familiar voice called out from behind them. Turning around, Arden saw Pipp approaching with her phone in hand and posing for a series of selfies as she came closer. "I wish to have a word with our valiant negotiator."

"Your Highness!" The guards saluted before walking away and taking the nearest turn to get out of sight.

"That is one fancy get up," Said Pipp while taking a walk around Arden. "Is that what unicorns use in their royal celebrations? It looks a bit too old-school to me," She added as her rather simple and revealing dress moved around with her quick pacing.

"Nope. This is just my personal preference," Arden replied while doing his best to look presentable. His body felt heavy, but it was way more manageable than what had happened last time. "If I may be so bold as to compliment you, Your Highness. I do believe your fans will adore that dress," Arden said with a smile.

"And what is that?" Pipp inquired while pointing to the horn peeking out of Arden's cape pockets. "It looks strange."

Just a relic I found underneath the castle with a bunch of corpses. Arden mused while trying to come up with an excuse to cover the existence of the item. How do I explain this? I had a gut feeling this is important. It felt as if I would fail my task if I didn't have it with me. Yeah, that's going to fly. Arden concluded as he took a deep breath.

"It's a memento from back home. It's supposed to bring good luck to the bearer," Arden replied while pulling out the item. "Since we are making a run for peace, why not bring all the good wishes I can get?"

"It is a big project," Pipp said while poking around the phone. "Are you sure you can pull it off? You are one pony. A small one at that."

Says the dwarf. Arden mocked while putting on a smile.

"I can't do it. Not by myself, anyway," Arden replied while struggling to cross his arms after putting the horn back in place. "That's why we are here. To get enough ponies to help. Every help is welcome!" Arden finished with a smile and offered his hand to Pipp.

"Sorry! Don't do handshakes," Pipp said with a pout before storming off. As soon as Pipp was out of view, Arden let out a pained grunt while leaning on a nearby wall as he held to his chest.

"Come on! I need to make it through this!" Arden complained while gritting his teeth and grasping his heart.

"Negotiator!" Called out one of the guards as Arden quickly pulled up his act to behave as if nothing was happening. "Right this way!"

"Sure! Lead on!" Arden said while walking behind his escorts.

The main area of the red carpet was littered with reporters and cameras. Arden had to carry himself as if he was in peak condition while his legs felt like they had weights added to them. Keeping his friendliest smiles possible, Arden posed for pictures and waved at the reporters before entering through the gates. It was strange as none of the reporters seemed to have questions for him. Contrary to the other guests that had come both before and after him.

I don't like how everyone is just staring instead of asking what they want to know. Arden groaned internally while following the other guests into the throne room. The pegasus ponies that came for the celebration felt like a random crowd. None of them seemed to fit the royal palace in terms of behavior. And just like Pipp's attire, their clothes were closer to the style of modern times rather than the clothes he had received upon arrival.

"Enjoying the festivities?" Inquired Haven as Arden continued to examine the area. There didn't seem to be a stage in sight, but there were plenty of spotlights illuminating the place. And one of them seemed to accidentally have been focused on his location and the Queen's.

"Trying my best to not make a fool out of myself," Arden replied with a forced smile.

"Well, if you put on that mask now, you can save face from the embarrassment in case you do something like that," Haven said with a smile that made Arden's blood run cold. Arden's eyes darted around the room before looking up and taking notice of Pipp sitting on the edge of a hole above the throne room. Her phone was pointed at him. "If you're looking for a stage, I'm sorry to say, we don't have one. My daughter will be performing an aerial dance. Good luck setting the stage!"

That's why everyone was so lenient. They knew about everything. But, if that's the case. They were watching us too. Pipp may have recorded the entire thing. But this also means she also recorded us working. The three of us working together. Good job! You wanted to play us. And you did. But you also displayed what we can do if we were working together. Let's see what your subjects think upon looking at what we are about to pull off. I tear that smile right out of your stupid face! Arden roared inside as he reached for the mask he had concealed in his suit's pockets.

"Very well, Your Highness!" Arden said while dramatically pulling out the mask from his pocket and securing it on his face. He then reached for the horn in his cloak and theatrically pulled it out while pointing the gem to the sky. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! PLEASE ALLOW ME A MOMENT OF YOUR ATTENTION!" Arden said while swiftly moving towards the center of the room, directly beneath the hole on the ceiling. His body felt lighter, almost as if there was some sort of energy flowing into him.

Let create some room! I feel like I can do anything right now! Arden yelled in his heart as he moved through the area. The crowd moved away from Arden as if they were scared. That felt like a convenient excuse to clear up the area for their plans.

"I thank you all for welcoming me and my friends tonight!" Arden exclaimed while performing exaggerated gestures with every word that came out of his mouth. Like a jester trying to win over the crowd around him, Arden spun around with his cape until pointing to the door they had assigned for their plan. "And due to our desire to bring peace, we decided to bring you a story! A legend from the past to tell the story of harmony and a Heavenly Waltz between Dawn and Dusk! A story of how a sad heart can bring harm to all of those around them. So, please! Sit down and watch! As we show you how love and compassion can save the lives of many! How it can bring hope to us!"

Arden's eyes lit up as the entire room turned into a sea of skies. The pain from before cried out as the influx of emotions from those around him echoed in his heart and mind. However, the agonizing feeling was somewhat dampened by the strange surge of energy flooding his body. Arden felt as if something had begun to flow to his forehead before a light emanating from his forehead.

The spotlights in the room seemed to dim. Izzy, Sunny, and Zipp entered the place as a beacon of colorful lights covered the trio. Arden's voice came out like a clap of thunder as he began to narrate the story. Deep as he remembered hearing in the headphones of his old friend who was obsessed with the fan-works of the fandom, Arden sang out what he was told was the theatrical version of an ancient battle between the Goddess of the Sun and Dawn against the corrupted form of the Moon's Goddess.

Most of the details were stipulated and handcrafted by the fandom. But the final message was the same. Dispute, anger, envy, miscommunication, and war never solve the problems they had without leaving scars, without leaving loss. So, as the details of the story began to unravel, Arden danced and moved like a madman bringing all of the eyes from the public to himself. And when was time for the Trio to sing, their voices matched his memories down to a T. There were no faults in their lines, no failures in their follow-ups.

Each of the singers performed splendidly. And when the chorus about the heavenly waltz through the sky came, Arden raised his head to see Izzy floating while surrounded by a lavender glow as Sunny was carried by Zipp with her wings shining with an aura of the same color. The audience's eyes seemed to shine with excitement as they too joined the chorus. Their voices echoed through the night while speaking words in a language they had never heard before.

Arden knew at that moment, that all of those ponies were filled with wonder and awe at the display. Even the second princess seemed to have joined the performance as she paired with Izzy to dance across the skyline above them. Arden felt his head become lighter as the story continued. His consciousness grew thin as he felt more and more the hearts of those around him become filled with hope and wonder. The more he felt those around him, the more Arden lost his sense of self. His mind continued to cry out the story until the very last word.

And as the final chords struck and the five ponies stood together at the center of the room. Arden couldn't feel an inch of his body. It was as if he didn't exist at all. By opening himself to receive the thoughts and reach the hearts of those present at the party, Arden had to spread himself throughout them to plant the idea of peace. To give him a bit of his hope to save the wonders he had found in that place.

And with his vision flickering, Arden said his peace. "Let us walk together, hand in hand, towards a world of peace!" He exclaimed as the lights died out and everything went dark.

Light assaulted Arden's eyes as he slowly regained consciousness. He was in a hospital bed and there were a few devices connected to him, monitoring his health. The sights and sounds felt normal, his body ached but not as bad as when he had first used his eyes. Slowly moving his head, Arden searched the room for any signs of guards, Sunny, Izzy, or Zipp. The tree mares were nowhere to be seen, however, there was one familiar figure sitting in a chair near the room's exit.

"So, how is it? To be back at the land of the living?" Inquired the Hitch as he leaned forward. "When I asked you to take care of Sunny, I didn't expect you pushing it this far."

"I like to keep my promises," Arden said slowly as he put on a smile towards the sheriff.

"There is a difference between keeping a promise and devoting your life to it," Hitch said with a mad tone. "I came from my home hoping to find out that somehow you had failed. I know it is horrible to say this, but if you failed, Sunny would have come back and she would have just tried to live a safe, normal life in the lighthouse. However, what I found was you and four other ponies from all different types working together. And then, YOU made the ENTIRE city go along with the performance. I swear a saw an aurora borealis shoot out from the palace for the duration of the song. Damned stars, why the hell did I ever listen to you?! Now, I don't know if what I was taught is right. I don't want to believe it was right! You're one pony. ONE! How in the hell did you ever come through so many of us!? How did you get to me!? Is this what magic is? Is it!?" Hitch cried while continuously poking his chest.

"It hurts! It fucking hurts. I want to believe what you said is true. But my head keeps calling back on those stories I heard as a colt. Even so, the need to believe that there is some truth to what I saw makes me push those lessons further away," Hitch continued as he got up and walked up to Arden. "You're being a hero. You just made an entire city accept something my friend tried so desperately to do on her own for years. And you did it in a day!" Hitch said while grabbing Arden by the hospital robes and bringing him closer with a scowl on his face.

"I couldn't have done it without her help. I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. And if you were there that night, I couldn't have done it without you too," Arden said with a soft voice and a kind smile.

"You're unreal. If having others to help you was all it took, then I was the worst possible friend to Sunny," Hitch said as he slowly lowered Arden to the bed. "No wonder she went with you. No wonder any of those four stood there, waiting for you to wake up. When they brought you here, you were at death's door. Yet, Sunny, that unicorn, and the princess with funny mane knew for a fact you would wake up," He added while getting up.

"You were there for her. Even if you couldn't do more. It's not your fault," Arden retorted while looking at the ceiling. "It's true you may have been a horrible friend. But you were still looking out for her. And that's what counts," Arden continued as he felt something being placed on his hand.

"The sheriff is supposed to be someone that protects everyone. I was looking out for myself and the earth ponies only. You deserve this more than I do," Hitch said as he returned to the chair. "I'm here to keep an eye on you while we wait for the others to rest. You were out for a good while there. I think you slept for three days straight," Hitch explained while holding his head.

"No wonder I feel like shit," Arden said while lifting his hand with the badge. "I hereby name Hitch Trailblazer the first sheriff of the first pony Unity town we may come to build. As he learned from the mistakes he made in the past, may he help us uphold the law and protect everyone, regardless of who they are," Arden said while offering the badge to Hitch.

"Normally, I would have said you don't have that kind of authority," Hitch said with a smile and a tear running down his face. "But, the way things are going, you might as well end up with a crown on your head. And in that case, I would be the captain of your guards. Not just a sheriff," He added while walking up to Arden and taking the badge. "I'll do my best to be the right type of Law-pony this time around."

"What do you mean?" Arden inquired in surprise.

"Queen Haven wants you to marry Princess Zipp Storm as a sign of unity and peace. She apologized publicly to all of Zephyr Heights for the breeding plan to create a powerful bloodline. She also has announced that at the moment you woke up, she would apologize once more before you and the public. And it seems, everyone now knows why the royals were hiding their condition. The fact magic is dying became public knowledge after you passed out. Princess Pipp let it slip out during a rant about how your group stole the show. And how she couldn't hope to do better after that. Thanks to your condition, it has become the running story that using magic in the current state of the world, causes harm to the user. Meaning, the royals' act to pretend to fly became an act of preservation of peace. The populace accepted their lie as a necessary evil to keep the peace and order in Zephyr Heights," Hitch explained while reattaching the badge to a leather holster around his chest.

"Long story short, you saved Zephyr Heights from a revolt. And you are now the face of the public effort towards peace. You're our leader," Hitch finished with a coy smile.

"B-but. I'm not a leader. I'm a fraud. I made all of that up to keep us safe." Arden replied with growing concern as his heart began to race.

"That may be true. But even so, everyone in town heard it from Sunny and Izzy. They spoke the truth about who you were and what they knew of you. They know you want magic to return. They want to follow you in your attempt to bring back the magic. Because you were willing to put everything on the line to change things," Hitch explained while walking towards the windows. "You didn't see it because no one knew if you had allergies. But there were tons of gifts and well wishes sent to your room here at the hospital."

"You're kidding. I can barely hold myself together. I nearly died trying to convince one town. If I lead everyone to the other two, I'll die before anyone can reach a happy ending! Sunny should be the one to take the lead. She has the past registered, studied, and the background to lead this movement. Not me! I'm grabbing any piece of evidence I can find to build a makeshift castle to shield them. Sunny has the foundation and the means to build a fortress with her arguments and evidence," Arden retorted as he struggled to sit straight in his bed.

"Sunny can build a fortress with evidence. But her arguments are not as articulate as yours. She has the determination to pursue the idea and the tenacity to not give up," Hitch countered while looking out the window. "But her recklessness to jump with to the end of an argument makes her lose her way and fail to reach others. She can be a good leader, but she needs time to become one. You, on the other hand, played every card you got and turned the tables in your favor. And when you gambled, you made sure everything you had would bring the best possible result. You knew there was a chance to fail, but you went in with the mindset you would win. Argyle would defend his ideas back home with that kind of passion. If he was younger, I have no doubt he would be in your place leading this movement," Hitch added while turning to face Arden.

"You're making me sound like a saint. I'm just a pony! And I didn't do it by myself! If it wasn't for everyone else. I would have just stayed like that! I'm a pony and nothing more!" Arden cried out as he halted his speech at the realization.

I called myself a pony. But, I'm a human. I nearly killed myself to help a bunch of ponies in another world. Since when have I've been like this? Since when, did I consider myself a part of this world? Since when did I see myself as a part of this story? This isn't just trying to help Izzy and Sunny. If it was like that, I would have run away with them when Zipp took us to that airport. I became a part of this story. Arden realized while looking at his body on the bed. A smile snuck its way into Arden's mouth as he finally managed to sit straight.

"Hitch, I think I might be going insane," Arden said with a chuckle. "I think I've lost it," He added before bursting into laughter. "I'm completely insane! I'm not going to just lead this movement. I'm going to see it become a reality! This world will know a new nation with all pony kinds living together!" Arden exclaimed while slowly raising his trembling hand and reaching forward. "We are going to grab the future, and make it our way!" He finished while closing his fist.

"Now you're sounding more like a leader," Hitch said as the door to the room opened.

"ARDEN!" Cried out tree mares as they rushed to the bedside.

"Hello, everyone! I'm back!" Arden said with a smile as he watched Zipp, Sunny, and Izzy come closer with tears in their eyes. "And this time, we are all going to bring back the magic!" Arden finished with a broad smile.

"Not before you talk to my mother, you won't," Said an angry voice from the doorway. Pipp was there with a pout on her face. "You stole my show. You made my sister fall in love with you. You made my sister stop bandaging herself to hide her features. You made my mother stop lying. And you made all of Zephyr Heights become your fans, your followers, and everyone seems to love you now! You stole my life. And I can't even get mad at you because you also made me fly! And you made me sing!" She added while stomping her way into the room. "You played with our hearts and now you have all of us ready to back you up in this crazy idea! So you better take care of us!" Pipp yelled while turning red as a tomato!

What the hell did I end up doing? Arden questioned as he saw all the four mares looking at him with what felt like a silent agreement between them.

Letting out a sigh, Arden nodded."Ok. Let's do this, together!"

(Haven's POV)

Holding her crown in front of her face. Haven watched the kingdom from her room as all her subjects seemed to be putting out fliers for the new campaign Arden Sila had launched at the Royal Celebration. That pony had rooted himself in the hearts of all pegasus ponies. He had connected with them, and they all shared the hope of bringing back peace and magic to the world.

One pony, influencing the hearts of an entire city all on his own. If that's the amount of magic he has in this dying land, what will he be like when magic returns? Bloodlines may not be the strongest factor in the existence of magic, I know that now. But it is an undeniable truth that remarkable ponies can create more remarkable ponies. Whether through a direct process such as bringing children or by forging the minds of those around them. We can create the world's future with diamonds if we do things right.

I have no doubt your lineage will be a strong one, Arden Sila. But it will be something more than just magic talent. Your lineage will be in all of the ponies who pass on the message you taught us that night. However, how will you handle the races that come from the outside? How will you fare against the ones who still latch on to the idea of blood being the main factor for power? Can you reach them as you reached us?

Can your magic bring back more than just a glimpse of the past? Can your magic bring back the days of old?

Detaching her crystal from the crown, Haven looked at that tiny rock that seemed to have a faint glimmer to it. Something she had never seen before. Letting out a chuckle, Haven pressed the crystal against her chest as she turned back to her room.

"Times are changing. The past knocked at our door. It wants to visit and bring gifts," Haven mumbled as she rest her crown on the table and made her way towards the doors. "The crown feels so light now," She added while exiting the room.