You Can Change Everything

It never seemed to stop raining. First earthquakes and now getting soaked again, that seemed fairly harsh. It had to be the end of summer, she figured, the weather was changing. She couldn't tell, weather was a force of nature and who could tell what nature would come up with next.  She had tried to but the books about weather, air and temperatures had been too complicated to her. Twilight didn't like books she wasn't able to understand. A smart pony understood many things and things a smart pony didn't understand should have been non-existent. So here she was, glad she had a blanket that she could throw over her head, standing beneath the falling waters that did exist and  wondered when the rain would stop.

The others took the change of weather even worse. Trixie had taken the lid of a garbage can and held it over her hat, clearly wanting to protect it from the rain. The white Lyra had huddled herself besides the piebald filly, constantly whispering jests into the ears of the pony that considered her a major nuisance. The two greys, Octavia and Derpy walked before Twilight. The earth pony told the other that she shouldn't drink the water, that Hugh and Madame had forbidden it, but Derpy seemed quite stubborn about the thing. The clumsy pony seemed quite stubborn about everything she did, actually. Raindrops, the little black pegasus, seemed to have used up much of her energy and she walked quietly besides Twilight.

The team had gotten quieter since they had left the Celestial Hall and Twilight had found herself pondering after it. There were many things she never understood but one thing had been there her entire life: Ponies telling her that magic didn't exist. The princesses had been called complete make-believe until Cadance had showed up in Canterlot and even now most things surrounding them, such as their involvement in the movings of day and night or the almost utopian way with which they had ruled over equestria, those were considered myths. Twilight liked the stories better than reality. She liked to think of fields and castles, of princesses and the Elements of Harmony defeating the forces of Discord.

The Wise Goat had seen that, too. Somehow that single voice in her head had given her dreams a new strength. She didn't know why exactly but somehow its words had gotten her to march on. No, not just the words. She had felt the strength when they had faced that thing, Magia, she had felt the magic running through every fiber of her being. She had felt as strong as never before and she had utterly changed the rules of the world. Twilight knew that. Ponies didn't believe in magic because nopony had ever seen magic, not even Cadance had used spells. Twilight, however, had. There had been pain but if she stayed true to what the voice told her, it wasn't that bad. If they found the Lunarium she would probably even be healed.

She remembered Shining Armor, her papa and the pictures she had seen of mama. Twilight Sparkle wondered if the world would change for the better, if she'd ever see her mama outside the dreams. That would be like a dream. Maybe Shining would come back, her papa would stop drinking and they all would-

What would they do?

Twilight didn't quite know how to answer her own question. Even when she thought on the matter. She had never felt stupid in her life, she knew answers to many questions but what would she do when mama was back? Now it was really just a hypothetical – she congratulated herself on getting the word right – question. What would they do when mama was back? Maybe Shining would finally go and play with her. Maybe papa would be able to do a good job, since he'd have magic and unicorns wouldn't be considered as bad as they were now. Maybe mama would work while he stayed home and he'd read her stories and played with his children. That would be wonderful, she thought. Really, really, wonderful. Just the thought of it: mama, papa, Shining. A hall with a green floor and a checkered wall, three ponies writing stuff down and a purple egg with dark dots on it. Maybe those things would become reality if she managed to get to the Lunarium.

Maybe she could even stop reading then. She would be strong; strong enough to go outside, strong enough to visit different towns, strong enough to make friends and she would never ever collapse again. She'd be a healthy little filly and she would be able to do magic, too. Surely she didn't need to be a smart filly then, instead she could just be a normal filly. She had read stories about normal fillies. She had read about cookie jars, bedtime stories and playing hide-and-seek on the corners of the street. It filled her with glee, the thought that she would be able to do all those things. Maybe she could even eat like a normal pony, then. She wouldn't be skinny anymore.

Her heart was pounding, leaving a mild sting in her chest. She stopped in her tracks for a moment, took a deep breath but moved on before anypony could suspect anything. She didn't want to stop now, she wanted to do this. If the voice was real, if all the things she had seen were real, this was the right way to go. This way she could do something. Twilight Sparkle, the brave little adventurer. She had read such stories, too.

The rain didn't stop as they waded through the garbage of yet another alley. It would've probably ruined her mood, but somehow the rain made her happy, too. It calmed her and deep down she felt more excited than ever before. The voice had told her she had only been seconds away from falling to sleep and never waking up again. She knew what death was and no matter how much she disliked the world, never waking up seemed too harsh. Not that she really disliked this world, there were some bits of it she liked.

The group around her walked on but no one really walked with her. Not that Twilight really cared right now, she was too deep in her own thoughts. Of course her thinking had to be interrupted after a while. Raindrops had been walking quietly besides here, until she said: "I haven't seen mommy or uncle.“

Raindrops had to be a bit younger than Twilight, she only now really noticed. The black filly walked in a slightly hunched way, as if she was scared of something.

"Don't worry, they're busy with the other adults. While they fix the damage we'll make sure that there won't be anymore earthquakes!“ Twilight grinned widely.

"How?“

"Well,“ she paused. "We're going to find the Lunarium.“

"The. . .“ Raindrops watched her for a few moments. Long enough for Twilight to realise that she never had heard of that 'Lunarium' before. What exactly was a 'Lunarium' anyhow?

   "The Lunarium? The burial ground of magic?“, Raindrops asked, leaving her mouth wide open.

"Huh? You know it?“ Twilight asked, then progressing to slam a mental hoof against her head. Now Raindrop probably thought she was stupid.

"Some. . . Some mare used to tell me that story,“ Raindrop told her, unusually downtrodden.Twilight would’ve inquired but that was when the others got closer, too.

"I've never heard that story,“ confided Octavia, "could you tell us about it?“

"It's. . . it's where the princesses supposedly left plans for the resurrection of harmony. Mommy always said that it was far beneath Canterlot but nopony ever found it,“ Raindrops told them, nervously shifting her weight around as she became the center of attention. "At least, that's what I can remember. When the. . .the other mare told me the story it was way more detailed and I really liked Tendertwig, she was the gardener at Canterlot during that time, or something.“

"Well, it's not much, but it helps,“ Octavia said and she looked to Twilight, "How do you suppose can we get there, though?“

"We need to go to the old plaza, behind the gardens and,“ Twilight thought for a moment then concluded she didn't know, "the rest you'll see when you get there.“ At least she hoped that.

You will. Also: Thank you, Twilight Sparkle.

The voice went through her head, carried by the winds of the coming autumn, the cold winds. It was carried through the growing darkness of the city's shadows and came from somewhere far away, somewhere Twilight knew she wouldn't want to get to.

One tip though: Don't  trust in me, but rather believe in yourself. You are an Element of Harmony, I know it. You can change everything, Twilight Sparkle.