Chapters Author's Note
TLDR for Team STAR if you want to read it, it is the prequel for this story! If you don’t want to read it… well now you don’t need to. Please enjoy :)
Team Star (Recap)
The school was meant to train the defenders of Equestria: the hunters and huntresses. Ponies and creatures traveled from across the globe to attend the only school run by Princess Celestia herself. It was the most highly-esteemed vessel for learning there had ever been.
Though, Celestia’s was far from the only school in Equestria. There were four, as a matter of fact. One taught by Celestia, one by Starswirl the Bearded, one by Spitfire, and one by a pony known as Dr. Hooves.
Princess Luna, acting as a learning ambassador, traveled across Equestria overseeing (some of) what goes on at each school. On one of her visits to Starswirl’s school, she discovers some strange misgivings. Soon suspecting him of conspiring with Him: An age old warlock known to bring chaos and disorder to their nation.
Upon hearing this, Celestia aims to weed them out. Using the aged Winter Maiden as bait, she invites him to offer one of his students as her replacement.
Unbeknownst to him, Celestia has already given the power to one of her own students. Trixie Lulamoon, a pony so unskilled, no one would ever expect her to possess such a power. And unbeknownst to Celestia, Starswirl had already planned to take the power with or without her offering.
So, Celestia proposes that his student spar against her own (knowing full well that her student is secretly both and Alicorn and the Spring Maiden… and absolutely has no chance of losing).
Upon a humiliating draw, Starswirl’s student, Cossette vows revenge. She is no longer interested in sparring or taking a diplomatic approach. It is then that Cossette reveals her true identity, Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling hive. And in vowing revenge, she vowed war against Celestia and her school.
As the Winter Maiden, Trixie is sent to hide before the invasion. Her skills are not honed enough and no pony wants the power to fall to Chrysalis. But, as the invasion persists, it becomes clear that Trixie is their last line of defense. In an act of literal self-preservation, Trixie turns herself to stone, sealing the power within her.
Unfortunately, the Changlings hade done irreparable damage to the school structure, and as Celestia broke through the skylight to rescue the Elements of Harmony, she took the rest of the building with her.
At the beginning of time’s tune, sung a duo of spirits.
The first: A beam of star light that graced the planet with its presence- and in all of its glory: created ponies, dragons, griffons, hippogryphs, and all creatures, flora, and fauna.
It must be noted, that the spirit of light was particularly fond of ponies. Taking the extra bit of care and precision with their unique designs. Some given wings, others with magical horns. Some bulky and strong, others slender and elegant. Yes, it was undeniable that the light spirit made ponies in her own image.
The second spirit sprung from the void, and despite his rugged exterior, he served a wonderful purpose. The monotony of perfection grew displeasing to the spiritual nature of this world, and while the beaming light was bright and vibrant, it could grow quite old, quite soon. At first, the spirit created trouble, turmoil, and mischief. Taking the light spirit’s rain, and turning it into thunderstorms. Taking the peaceful insects and transforming them into locusts. Tearing the sun from the sky and replacing it with a similarly glowing orb that, ironically, offered little to no light to this planet.
So, the void spirit would bring about the darkness, kindly allowing creatures to get some much needed rest. And, when their purpose had been served, and they were prepared to be reborn… he created death.
With this ‘death’, he also brought about a sense of chaos. And because not all his attributes were good, many creatures feared the void spirit, neglecting the positive aspects of his darkness and their eventual rebirth. They were not appreciative of the break in the tedious nature of their lives, for perhaps they could not comprehend… how soul-crushing monotony can become.
In time, the spirits had grown weary of their own monotony. Working tirelessly to please unappeasable creatures.
This world could become self sustaining… a bit of magic and a few special creatures to protect this place- there would be no need for the spirits to stay. They could move on, no longer plagued by the discontentment of their beloved creations.
The light spirit thought back to her early days of creating, at the start of this new planet. And in her warmest memories settled on a form. Two ponies, each with a horn, and a pair of wings. Each strong enough to topple an army of troops.
The first was slender and tall, with a messy pink mane on her head. Hearts printed on her flank, her gentle blue eyes complimenting the grey coat she’d been made with. The light spirit created her as a vision of Spring time. A pony to spread new life and love. To encourage growth and good times.
The second was a lightly-colored orange pony, small and plump. Her flank was painted with the vision of falling leaves. This pony was created in the spirit of Fall. One to encourage unity, fertility, and thankfulness in the hardest of times.
The two were quite a pair, but in looking over their creation, the spirits realized they needed something more…
The next two ponies were a collaboration between the light and void spirits. Something that had never been done before. Something they once thought to have been impossible.
The first was created almost entirely in the light spirit’s image. A white mare with a mane that glimmered, even in the darkness. Tall, with a wingspan of serval times herself. And a horn that looked to be disproportionate. She towered over all other creatures.
The second was obviously a smaller copy in the inverse. A deep blue, nearly black, mare with a mane that was littered with the dust of the stars. This mare was touched by the void spirit… she was his first ‘creature’.
While the first pair, were powerful, these two were something else entirely… the spirits dwelled within their souls.
See, the spirits themselves touched them. Not in a metaphorical sense, but quite literally. And in doing so, left a part of them behind within these final creations.
“So, my lovely four mares.” The ponies looked up at the spirit, in awe of its beauty. New to this world, and new to existence. Though, somehow they knew she was addressing them. “It is your duty to protect this place. The two of you,” she gestured to the Spring and Fall mares. Earning sheepish grins from the pair. “Will be referred to as Maidens… and unfortunately you will not live forever- but you may choose who your power goes to when your time has come.” They seemed to understand… as if their fate was even a bit undecided. They were content.
“As for the two of you…” the void spirit spoke. “You have a bit of us within you, so… while your physical forms may not live forever… your souls will always remember and return.” They were like sisters, the way the pair looked at each other so knowingly. “So long as this place has a face, your power, and your souls will walk it.”
“And the seasonal power, that is yours to do with as you wish. Please let your spirits guide you.”
As the spirits left, the world grew colder, not knowing what they had lost…
Though, ever the mischief maker, the void spirit could not resist the addiction of creation. Having formed a single pony, he knew he could do more… something of his own, without the light to weight it down.
So, while the light spirit ventured out toward their next destination, the void spirit stayed behind… if only for a moment.
The issue was, as expected, that the void spirit was not all the great at ‘creating’… or rather, creation in the way that his counterpart was.
So, as he racked his brain for what to leave behind as his magnum opus. He could only think it disjointed animal parts.
A talon, a paw, a tail, maybe a few… horns, maybe a hoof, more like a reptile or more like a mammal. This was all very difficult to decide upon… And in his confusion he had created something so horribly disfigured… that it was perfect.
With a brush of his hand, he blessed the strange and unique creature with his chaos… and without any explanation or another word… he was gone.
The creature was cold now, with no direction. Small, meek, and itching for destruction… just as his creator was.
The magical orb surrounded her as the concrete pieces lifted away. A clamor of metal and stone banging and crashing as she cleared the way. Twilight rose, her left hind-leg wounded, and her magic dwindling. From the rubble, she shook. Her mane was a mess of rocks and dust.
It was impossible, to have survived. The school she’d loved so dearly for all her life. All of it was gone before her very eyes. Only left with chunks of concrete and the remains of walls that hadn’t completely fallen. She’d lived here for years, and prior, had devoted her childhood to the study of magic. This was all she’d had… nearly all that had mattered to her.
And worst of all, the loss of her beloved Professor. A Professor that had taken her, and her teammates under her literal wing. Princess Celestia was gone now.
The Changeling Queen had taken something from her that she would never be able to get back. More than a building, which realistically could be rebuilt in time. Their age-old ruler had moved on to the Ever After.
“Twilight!” Her brother’s voice called, “you’re alive!” Tears spilled over his cheeks. While Shining Armor had been on the front line of the battle, he’d never gone back into the school… therefore he was not exactly injured when the building collapsed. He rushed to her aid… “oh Twilighy, let me help you.”
Cadence’s wings pattered as she landed beside her fiancé and his sister. “Let’s get you to a medic…”
“The Changelings… where are they?” Twilight asked, it was clear time had passed, she’d been knocked unconscious in the rubble, but somehow still survived.
“They’re gone.” Cadence said calmly, the cuts on her face and disheveled mane juxtaposed her usual delicate beauty. “The queen… we think she- well, went when Celestia did, but most of the others got away.”
“And the Maiden Power?” Twilight whined in a sense of urgency and pain… it was growing increasingly evident that her leg was indeed broken.
“We’ll explain everything later. We need to get you to a doctor or something.” Shining Armor demanded.
“It is a miracle that any pony would ever survive… well having a building quite literally collapse on top of them.” The doctor said, tapping his pen against the clipboard as he spoke to Shining Armor. While he was emotionally and physically exhausted, he was pretty much unscathed. “And with only a single broken bone to show for it, your sister must be one hell of a pony.”
Shining Armor sighed out, looking toward his fiancé who sat silently on the chair. Her face glistened with the ointment used to treat her minor wounds. She seemed so far away. He then turned toward the room his sister had been placed in. He had been certain Twilight was crushed. Rushing back in, to ‘save’ the Princess or ‘save’ the Elements of Harmony. She had been so careless.
She knew the changelings had sought to destroy the school, still she ran back in. She wanted to be a hero, but it almost ended up costing her her life.
“She’s something alright.” Shining Armor replied, feeling the mixture of anger and relief.
One Month Later
Shining Armor stood in his full Captain garb. Not only was he now Captain of the Royal guard, he was also appointed the interim headmaster of the School for Gifted Unicorns.
While construction had already begun on the new school, the old school had only begun to be fully deconstructed and removed.
There was a lot more than rubble that needed hauled away, and that took great care and effort to accomplish. It was safe to assume that the original site of the school would soon be turned into a memorial.
“You look very handsome.” The Alicorn cooed. She wore a smile, though their spirits were stoic. The crown on her head was not Celestia’s, but it held the same symbolic significance. She was the crowned monarch of Equestria, seeing as Luna had turned the position down.
Twilight hobbled in, thanks to her casted hind leg. She was dawning a formal gown to honor the occasion. “Are you sure you need me to speak on your behalf?”
“It is customary for somepony else to give a speech at such inaugurations.” Cadence insisted, still wearing her regal smile.
In the time since her sparing match with Queen Chrysalis, she had grown quite comfortable with her wings being on full display.
She had spent much of her adolescence and early adult life hiding them away. Celestia had always feared making Cadence a target by revealing her true identity. But now, with the cat out of the bag, there was an air of freedom about her. Perhaps it was that half the weight of her secrets had been lifted. Perhaps it was that Celestia was no longer there to breathe down her neck.
“Twily, you’re literally like, the smartest pony I know. Plus, you have a crazy survival story. You’re going to rock it.” Shining Armor insisted casually. “It’s been pretty rough for us lately, and I get that. I just need you by my side for this.”
Twilight nodded along, knowing how important this speech was to not only Shining and Cadence, but to the whole of Canterlot. The city, and all of Equestria, had suffered a great loss. The new school was a symbol of overcoming such loss. She was a symbol of it too. “Right, I know.” She began. “Just, haven’t been out much since the fall of Celestia, is all.”
Cadence patted the front of her fiancé’s suit jacket, laying the collar flat. “Don’t sweat it okay, we’re gonna get through this.”
“One day at a time.” Shining added. “Even if today is a little harder than most days.”
The new school was a fraction of its predecessor. Obviously, given that it was still in construction, it was not fair to judge the potential the new school would have. Though, Twilight could hardly see it as equal.
The front of the main building had been constructed as a facade, purely for viewing. Mainly for today, so that Shining Armor could have some ground to stand on while talking about how ‘up’ the future was looking.
There were five completed classrooms, and a single-stalled bathroom.
The bathroom is where Twilight found herself… frantically reading and rereading her speech.
She had always been so precise, but the fact of the matter was: she had yet to fully recover from the fall, there were a lot of emotional and mental barriers standing between her and accepting that the school and the Princess were truly gone. All of her time was spent trying to grapple with her new reality, and the idea that if she had done something differently, perhaps Celestia would not have done what she’d done. That one or both of the things she’d lost might still be here.
Twilight held up the paper, using her magic to straighten out the corners. She looked in the mirror as she read. “Ladies and gentlecolts…” she breathed out. “Thank you for-“ suddenly a sharp pain came from the middle of her neck, down to the center of her spine.
Since she had been clobbered by concrete and steel, she had had such pains. This was only a momentary distraction. “T-thank you for coming out to celebrate this momentous occasion-“
The pain, however, began to radiate in a central location. The middle of her back, on either side of her spine. Usually, she would have sporadic pains, her doctor had said they would subside. Though, this was different.
She choked back, using her hooves to support herself on the sink vanity. She looked in the mirror now, discarding her written speech. A cool feeling washed over her face, she felt lighter than air. And for a second, the pain had melted away.
And for that very same second, her vision became speckled with black spots… bigger, floating specks, until her peripheral vision was gone.
Luckily, she had the vanity to support some of her weight, but as she fell forward, she took the entire ceramic appliance down with her. With the crash, she seemed to be awakened from her trance.
Her eyes fluttered opened, and to her dismay, the entire bathroom was destroyed! She looked around, and out the tiny window… the sun showed midday. No, impossible, her speech was meant to be any minute… she’d been in the bathroom for hours!
As she frantically searched through broken chunks of material and water, she found her sopping wet speech. “Oh what’s the use!” She lamented, tossing the ruined paper back down. She would just have to wing it.
As she passed the mirror, she tried once more to gain some composure. She looked over her face, no signs of anything having gone wrong.
Tapped her horn, even shot a tiny blast to test its capabilities. Yes, all was certainly fine, she’d likely just had some sort of emotional attack. That was why she had fainted, there was no other likely explanation.
She turned to check her body, stretching up her wings instinctively. They were large, and not much like a peagsi’s wings. More like that of Celestia or Cadence.
Twilight thought for a moment, tracing the wing with her hoof.
Wings… Wings… WINGS?!
No, those certainly had not been there before. It is almost guaranteed that she would have remembered growing wings.
And as she fully outstretched both her wings, with a look of sheer terror, something fell from within them. A small purple gemstone. “Oh no…” she muttered, realization washing over her. “The element of Generosity…”
“Where is Twilight?” Cadence hummed under her breath. She stood beside her fiancé, waving in guests at the new front gate.
“Your guess is as good as mine.” He replied.
“Maybe this is just all too much for her.” Cadence huffed, “I thought giving her a shove might help, but maybe it’s better if we just take her home.”
Twilight paced the wet floor, her steps making a disgusting squishing sound. She knew Celestia’s fears of Cadence being found out… thought she didn’t know their origin…
She worried and fretted. If she fled, she would let down her brother and soon-to-be sister in law. Everypony in Equestria would see her as a flake.
And if she stayed… everypony would probably notice the horn and wing combo she was now ‘rocking’ as her brother would put it.
“Twilight.” The familiar voice took her by surprise. “Twilight Sparkle, it is I.”
Twilight looked around, searching for somepony who would play such a cruel practical joke on her in her vulnerable state. “That’s not funny!” Twilight barked aloud.
The voice seemed calm, much more so than the last time Twilight had heard it. “You need not speak aloud, I am within you.”
Twilight wailed, sitting down and soaking her dress in the broken-sink water. “Oh! Now I’m hearing voices! Great! Just awesome. They’re going to throw me in the place where the ponies bark and steal slippers.”
Celestia’s voice was not calming, though that is what she intended it to be. “I can explain this all to you later, but right now I’m going to help you get out there for your speech… and I’m going help you hide your wings.” Twilight had seemed to accept that her mind was slipping from her, she offered no objection. “Speak into the Element and you may communicate with the other ones. The pony you need is in possession of the Element of Magic. I cannot speak with you long, our connection is not strong enough now but-“
And like that, Twilight felt her slip away… like a part of her mind had been wiped clean.
Rarity held the needles with her magic, a swarm of blue melding with the knitting project she was working on.
As she sat so peacefully, knitting the day away, a strange voice echoed from beneath her bed.
Leave it to her sister, Sweetie Belle, to hide a radio or something of the like under the bed to play a trick on her.
Annoyed, she put her project down. Making her way over to the bed, and taking a peer underneath. “-Twilight Sparkle. I need your help, whoever you are. Please-“
Rarity quickly pulled Celestia’s crown out of the bag she had fashioned to protect it. Prior to the fall, Celestia had entrusted her with the crown. Though, she was not certain why she had been chosen, she would have done anything her princess had asked of her.
The stone in the center of the gold plating seemed to be speaking to her.
“Oh well, Darling… I’m not sure you can hear me.” She began.
“Yes! Yes! My name is Twilight Sparkle, I need help!” The stone said.
Rarity hummed, knowing the pony, but unsure if the pony knew her in return. “Well, I’m Rarity… what can I do for you?”
Rarity appeared in the hallway in a flash of magenta light. Twilight had to have been a very powerful unicorn to teleport a pony in a location unknown to her, clear across Equestria.
“Twilight, Darling, I’m here.” Rarity said, announcing her arrival. As Twilight opened the door, Rarity could hardly recognize her. Compared to the pony she’d once known, given the tattered formal wear and the… well… wings. “Oh Twilight.” She said sympathetically.
“You see my dilemma.” Twilight said, lifting a single wing.
“Indeed- you want them hidden?” Rarity asked with care. Twilight nodded, and with that the unicorn got to work fashioning the dress into something more… appropriate.
“You were late.” Shining Armor shouted. His patience was growing thin. He had been understanding of Twilight’s healing, but she had been dismissive of his. In asking her to do one thing for him, she made him look foolish by arriving late.
“I’m sorry.” Twilight replied pitifully.
“You know how important this was to me, so tell me, what were you doing? What was so important?”
Twilight sighed, looking the couple over. “It’s fine to tell them, they won’t hurt you.” The voice said. It was clear to her only she had heard it.
As she unzipped her dress, the wings sprung free, much to their surprise.
“No, no, no, no.” Cadence said, literally flying between Shining and Twilight. “You can’t be, no she wouldn’t.” Twilight’s eyes grew wide. “She wouldn’t have chosen you, right?”
Twilight’s head fell, not sure how to reply, as she wasn’t even sure what Cadence meant. “Celestia?”
“Oh no!” Cadence wailed dramatically. “Why?”
Shining Armor’s face was red with anger. “What are you two going on about!”
“You knew about this?” Twilight asked. “That she would… come back… like this?!”
Cadence tapped her foot, for yes, she was more-or-less aware, but the ‘like this’ part of the question gave her pause. “Well I didn’t think she would reincarnate in you ! If that’s what you’re asking!”
Shining Armor’s eyes darted between them “whoa, whoa, whoa! REINCARNATE? Can somepony run this by me again?” He waved his front hooves wildly, emphasizing how deep into confusion he had fallen. “My sister sprouts literal wings , and now we are talking about Princess Celestia… reincarnating? Do you both realize how insane that sounds?”
Cadence waved her hoof, as if it were nothing. “The Alicorn origin malarkey, oh it’s from the start of this world. Celestia used to make up all these stories to explain things, keeping herself and the four Alicorns somewhat in the dark, but the stories never really matched up.” She sighed. “That’s why there are so many mismatched fables about the four Maiden’s.”
“I told you never to speak of the origins of this world!” The demanding voice barked, it came from Twilight’s mouth, but the words were not hers.
“Oh great!” Cadence tossed up her hooves, “now she’s here to lecture us some more.”
Celestia’s temper boiled over, charging a reluctant Twilight Sparkle toward the Spring Maiden. The cast around her leg dragging as Celestia was not conscious of its presence. “You insolent child! I will explain all things to Twilight with time. You never heed my warnings, and it is because of that Trixie Lulamoon is cast in stone!”
Cadence’s face fell from anger to dismay. It was true, she had felt responsible for the condition Trixie had put herself in. But, it was also true that being cast in stone was better than giving the power of the Winter Maiden to the Changling Queen. “You are a liar and a coward!” Cadence insisted. Shining Armor pushed between the two girls, unsure of whether he was witnessing his sister and his fiancé fight, or a fit of pure madness.
Twilight shook, pulling her consciousness apart from that of the overpowering Alicorn. “Cadence, I’m sorry-“
“No! The lies stop here! Tell us everything. You need Twilight now, you have no other choice.”
So, the trio… quartet… sat in the living room, sipping hot cocoa as if they were the best of friends.
“The Maiden story, it is partially true. Though, two of the Maidens are always Alicorns, Spring and Fall. The Winter and Summer maiden powers are completely independent from the Alicorns they originated in.”
“Why?” Twilight asked, speaking partly to herself now, as Celestia spoke from her mouth.
Celestia seemed to reel through her soul’s memories before settling on a reason. “Well because the Spring and Fall Maidens were made first… they were made to never separate from their powers. For example, before Cadence was the Spring Maiden, she was-“
“I was a pegasus in the Crystal Empire- my mother was the Alicorn, Spring Maiden.” She paused, the painful memory wiping the aggravation from her face. “When she was killed in battle, she chose to give me her power.” Cadence continued, as it was her story to share, not Celestia’s.
“Indeed.” Celestia hummed, recalling it as if it were just yesterday. “Amore was the finest Spring Maiden in a millennium.”
“And the Winter and Summer maidens?” Shining Armor coaxed.
“Ah well, I will tell you, but it will be hard to believe.” Celestia began.
“Princess Luna and I are not ponies in spirit, no we are spirits from the great unknown. The spirit of light and the spirit of the void.” She tilted Twilight’s head from side to side, trying to shake the ideas into it. “Since we are spirits our souls do not die when our bodies do, they return, like this. And the Maiden Power is independent from our spirit souls.”
Cadence sipped her cocoa as this was all something she had heard before. “So Celestia, was not your real name.”
“Oh, no… no, it was my 57th name. I suppose Twilight Sparkle is my 58th.” She laughed, but it was only humorous to her.
“And Luna, Luna does this too?” Shining Armor asked.
“Luna reincarnates at birth, which is quite ironic given that the void spirit knew nothing of creation. I reincarnate by attaching to a living soul.”
“And you chose mine?” Twilight asked, clearly not enthusiastic about such an idea.
“Well, I do not choose where my soul goes, in the same way I chose to give up my Maiden Powers.” Celestia insisted. “I just kind of… happen upon a soul as it calls out to mine.”
“Like soulmates…” Cadence said, uncomfortable with the idea of souls and spirits really calling out to one another.
“In a symbiotic sort of way, I suppose.”
Twilight placed the purple stone fragment on her desk. She was still hobbling with her broken leg.
Celestia had gone quiet once again; it seemed to take a lot of her effort to come forward for so long. And in answering all of their questions, she had burned herself out.
Pulling herself carefully up onto her bed, she situated her cast-leg before getting comfortable. Tomorrow was another day, she could learn more about this reincarnation business then.
As she lay back, the discomfort reminded her of what she had gained. A pair of bulky wings: getting between her and a comfortable nights sleep…
But, tomorrow was another day… she could learn to live with these things someday.
Her therapist had told her to take things one day at a time. To look on the bright side, even though everything seemed really… really dark. But tomorrow was another day. So, she stretched her wings, then tucked them in snugly at her sides… and while they were still a little achy and in the way, she managed to get just cozy enough for some shut-eye.
He was a sneaky, slithery, and disproportionate creature. Since the spirits had left this wretched little place, He had walked its face.
Since the void spirit had created Him, he wished for a place to call home. A place to belong. But, no pony and no creature wanted him. No one, besides the light spirit that dwelled in the Pony of the Sun.
One would have believed, the Pony of the Moon would have loved her brother in creation, but one would be mistaken. The only pony (only creature) that ever, truly loved him, was the golden pony of light….
Until, she didn’t.
“Listen carefully to me.” He said, looking over the elderly warlock. Starswirl turned his head toward him, unafraid now as he had grown accustomed to the disfigured mug. “You have disappointed me, so, so deeply.” He reminded. “This time, if you fail, it will be your life, understand?”
And Starswirl did understand. In all his time gambling with the magic of chaos, trying to outsmart death: he had never anticipated being faced with the dealer of both. “What can I do to make it right?” Starswirl asked.
“Bring me the Power of the Summer Maiden now, and the Elements of Harmony, while you’re at it.”
This was a tall order for a single pony to fulfill. “Only I?” Starswirl gulped.
“Well, when you worked with the Changeling… she ended up… well, kaput.” He laughed, a sinister little laugh. As if he held no regard for Chrysalis (because he did not). “Any other ‘friends’ of yours that you’re willing to sacrifice for the prize of eternal life?”
Starswirl hemmed and hawed. Sure, he knew ponies who would be willing to help him, with some manipulation and maybe a little misguidance. He had devout followers across Equestria. But, was he willing to put them in harms way? Perhaps. “I know it is not my place to ask, and forgive me for my curiosity: but, what is your end-goal?”
He turned his head slowly, facing him now. He was aggravated, never having had to answer to a mortal a day in his life. “Well, must you know?” His smile told Starswirl he was dying to share, but it also portrayed the idea that he may not like the response.
“Well, I’m curious… I just- I guess I had never thought to ask.” The old man replied skittishly.
“Well, then, I shall tell:
The Maiden Powers are more for my protection. You may have noticed that I am not the most beloved creature on the face of this world. A single Maiden would protect me from a whole army of creatures.” He chuckled at this, for he was certainly the most detested creature there ever was. “The ponies do not even dare to utter my name...” He swallowed, the sound of sadness filling his voice as he seemed to happen upon a memory. “I was not always so loathed, you know… but that is neither here nor there.” His nostrils huffed as he breathed out all of his negative emotions. “The reason I want the Elements of Harmony: is to use them to summon the Spirits, so that they may explain my existence to me… and why they condemned me to such a hellish one.”
Starswirl nodded, but his wide-eyed stare gave him away. He could not comprehend the depth of His ambitions.
“You know not of anything!” He said finally, rolling his eyes. “Just do as you are told.”
“Good Morning!” The chipper Canterlot voice echoed through her brain as she startled awake. Sprung from her bed by opened wings, she landed on her three, not broken legs.
“Good morning…” she muttered in return, gently settling herself on her behind. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes gently, hoping that in doing so, she would wake up from this terrible nightmare.
“You had ought to get your cast removed today so that we can get started.” Celestia harped, not giving Twilight even a moment to wake up.
Twilight lifted the cast-wrapped leg. She would need it for at least another 6 weeks… “my cast?” She asked, confused.
“Alicorns don’t get broken bones, silly.” The voice replied, almost condescendingly.
Twilight yawned, stretching her legs and her wings as she did. “What’s the rush? I just woke up.”
“We have to get started!” Celestia repeated the words, as if Twilight was meant to find some meaning in them the second time.
“Started with what?” He asked; finally rising to her hooves for the day.
“Finding the Elements of Harmony before He does.”
“Right, yeah okay, I’ll add that to the list.” She replied sarcastically, heading toward the little girl’s room.
Pushing open the en suite bathroom door, Celestia seemed to grow short tempered. Twilight’s spirit froze, leaving her with no control of her limbs. “I apologize for this Twilight Sparkle, but you have done your business and now it is time we attend to mine.”
Celestia strained, pulling her new hooves forward, and toward the exit.
Shining Armor and Cadence watched as Twilight strainfully trudged toward the door. “Where are you going?”
“I have some things I have to do today.” Celestia said, in a faux-Twilight voice.
The couple exchanged glances… unsure of whether or not to intervene. “I don’t want to go!” The voice chimed, but only Celestia could hear her pleas, she had silenced Twilight almost entirely.
“Not really up to you right now!” Celestia murmured under her breath, taking her leave through the front door.
Celestia dragged her heavy leg down the cobbled path. The cloak around her suffocating her wings. It had crossed her mind, though it had not cross Twilight’s, that flying to the clinic would be much less difficult. However, in wanting to keep her Alicorn identity secret for just a little while longer… that was not an option.
“You’re going to be grateful to get this cast off, I guarantee it.” Celestia said proudly, dragging the limb along as if it were nothing. Their spirits were not tied to one another, and seeing as Twilight was the original occupant of this vessel, Celestia could only suppress her for so long. But, with each time she tried, she grew a little stronger, seeping her essence into that of her host.
Twilight was not grateful nor appreciative. “I have a broken leg. Sweet Celestia! What part of that is so hard to understand?”
Celestia chuckled a bit, one: because the expression ‘Sweet Celestia’ was rather humorous. And two: because Alicorn’s simply did not break their bones, it had never happened, and could never happen as far as she was concerned. “Alicorn’s bones do not break, Twilight. I’m sure it healed itself in your transformation. You fret too much.”
“You don’t fret enough!” Twilight spoke aloud now, drawing onlooker’s attention as she seemed to be arguing with herself. Pulling through the captivity she’d been in, Twilight regained some composure. “I am not an Alicorn.” She muttered. “At least, I wasn’t , when I broke my leg.”
Finally they stopped, standing on the front steps of the small medical practice. “Alright, let’s ask the doctor then.” She said confidently.
The doctor trotted in, glasses teetering on the tip of his muzzle. “Well, it seems to be healing quite quickly, but I wouldn’t say you’re ready to remove the cast quite yet.” He hummed. “What’s the rush anyways? Give it two weeks and you’ll be good to go at this rate.”
Twilight’s smirk was strange to see, in a pony that had just been told more-or-less ‘no’. “Thank you, Doctor.” She said, pushing herself off the exam table.
As she moved, the cloak pulled back. The doctor peered over, not in a perverse sort of way… rather in a shocked manner. Doing a double take as she rose to her hooves. His patient had acquired more than just a broken leg, it seemed. “Well, stay off it best as you can…” he said, averting his eyes. “Come back and see me in two weeks.”
Twilight limped, staying off her wounded leg, just as the doctor instructed. “Well, guess I was right.” She said cheerfully.
Celestia was unamused by this, seeing the entire heeling process as a waste of time. “You are so arrogant, you don’t see that Equestria is in danger.”
She rolled her eyes, “Oh, that is just rich coming from you.” Twilight hopped mockingly on three hooves. “Princess of waiting til the last minute? Now you want to be proactive? Well, maybe you should’ve chosen somepony else to help you. Because it’s not going to be me anymore.”
Celestia was bewildered by the hostility, Twilight had been a devoted student. But something had changed, a pony who would’ve given her life to protect Equestria now had no interest in even helping to protect it. “What happened to you? My prized pupil… now so disobedient?” The voice was almost hurt, which just drove Twilight further into her rage.
“I almost died because of you!” Twilight shouted to the silence. Standing in the town square, everypony’s eyes turned toward her.
It was a terribly sad display… a pony who had lost her mind after such a tragedy. She was not to blame for her insanity.
“They all think I’m crazy…” she mumbled softly, taking in the audience’s gaze like a thousand tiny daggers.
“I never asked you to run back into the school.” Celestia replied, matter-of-factly. “You would’ve been of no assistance to me in securing the elements. The only one lost now is the element of Laughter, which, in His hands would make us even. Two and two, which means we have to beat Him to Honesty and Kindness.”
Twilight huffed out a breath, continuing her limping walk. “There is no ‘us’ or ‘we’, only me, and a parasite.” She replied softly.
Back in her room, Celestia had gone silent, which meant Twilight was free from her torment.
The knock came as a disruption to her freedom. “Come in.” She said reluctantly.
Cadence opened the door, wearing a smile so soft it cut through the agitation. “Hi, Twilight.” She said. “Do you want to talk?”
Twilight was sat up on her bed. The sigh of reluctance told Cadence she was intruding, but as Twilight tapped the space on the bed beside her… she took the invitation. “I guess so.”
Cadence carefully settled in, “how are you doing?”
Twilight looked at her sister-in-law, her face was plain… she had never been an emotional pony. Always level-headed, logic-driven. But in that moment, all of her negative emotions burst through the facade of stone. Twilight’s eyes turned from empty pools of thought, to wells of tears. “Not good.” She confessed.
And Cadence knew, all was not well. She knew from personal experience. “I know,” she held her former teammate in a comforting embrace. “I know.”
“I always wanted to be a huntress, but ever since the school fell, I don’t know...” The danger had cast a shadow of disillusionment over them. While she had been so brave, now she felt her bravery was in reserve and it’d been all used up. “Maybe I’d be better off in some other profession.” The whimpering sobs interrupted her speech. There was a moment in which neither of them spoke, neither willing to state the obvious. Twilight may not want to be a huntress any longer, but Twilight was no longer just herself. She had Celestia to answer to now, not just as a teacher, but as an entity within herself. “I guess it’s not that easy.” Twilight added, breaking the silence with a sniffle.
“I know how hard it is, especially at first.” Cadence said, running her hooves over Twilight’s shoulders. “And I know she’s pressuring you, but you’ll need to look inside yourself and find your way.”
Twilight wiped her tears. She was quite ready to end this conversation and get back to her much needed silence. “One day at a time.”
Four Years Ago
Shining Armor stood at the finish line of the trials. His goal was to become a Hunter; more than that though, he wanted to become a member of the Royal Guard.
Sure, he had always dreamed of the high esteem. Fame and fortune, having ponies know his name, but it was more than that. He had the noble dream of knowledge. To know all there was to know of magic and battle.
His sister was much the same. Though, she was a bookworm. Where Shining Armor was the brawn she was the brain.
This was evident to his judge. A Princess older than any pony alive, save for a devious little warlock. Celestia offered him the invitation, yes, but she wanted more. The little filly, hardly old enough to be called a mare, she wanted her too. And not in three years time, she wanted them as a pair.
Twilight was over the moon, for she shared a similar dream to her brother. To know all there was to know, and put it into practice. Her idols were as follows: Starswirl the Bearded, Princess Luna, and above all else: Princess Celestia.
One thing was certain, this pair was meant for the School for Gifted Unicorns.
“Twilight Sparkle.” Princess Celestia said, watching the filly skip on past her. As she turned to meet her with a smile, Celestia smiled too. “Might I have a word?”
Twilight’s smile turned to a sheepish grin, having been called into the ‘principal’s’ office on her first day.
At the desk, the tiny pony peered up at the towering Princess before her. “So, Twilight, I must ask you: why do you want to become a Huntress?”
Twilight shuffled in her seat, getting comfortable before settling on an answer. “Because that’s all I’ve ever wanted to be, Professor Celestia.” She replied simply.
Celestia looked her over, this was a common question she’d asked her students… however, ponies usually saw it was a means to an end. “But, why?”
Twilight’s face twisted, as if her dream were not enough. “To help ponies. To be the greatest and maybe even usher Equestria into eternal peace.”
Such large goals from such a young filly. “I see, to be the greatest, as in; the most famous.”
Her student scoffed at the insulting accusation, “No, I mean the greatest. As in, the most effective. A huntress with the resolve to never break, some pony who never gives up on the betterment of Equestria.”
Celestia was taken aback, sure, she’d had a few students with such ideologies, but in this small purple unicorn… she saw so much of herself. “Right, well, that is a fine answer.” She said. “Be off to your dorm now, would you?”
Twilight peered out her bedroom window, enjoying the breeze and the evening air. The silence was comfortable, until it was gone.
“I’m sorry.” Celestia said, it seemed like an olive branch, but it looked like thorns. “I’m really very sorry Twilight Sparkle, it is just that… I thought you of all ponies would be willing follow my lead, and I forgot that we are not the same pony.”
Twilight’s eyes watched the moon rise, sighing at the voice in her head. “You can’t just highjack my body.” She replied speaking softly to herself.
“I know it was wrong of me…” Celestia began. “I just thought that with a little push you would-“
“And stop trying to justify everything you do, sometimes it’s okay to just be wrong.” Twilight interrupted. “I don’t understand how, in 57 lives, you haven’t learned that.”
Celestia hummed a tune of disapproval, “I suppose I hardly remember what it was even like to happen upon Celestia.” She muttered. “It was thousands upon thousands of moons ago, and she was just a filly. Our souls merged so quickly, there was no pushback from her.”
Twilight listened, but the words made no sense. “Merged? What do you mean?” Her rump fell to the mattress, leaning her body back inside of the room.
Celestia seemed to pause, as if this was something she hadn’t intended to say quite yet. “Well,” she began, the words sounding calculated now. “Eventually there will cease to be a Twilight and a Celestia, there will just be one. The soul with the light spirit burning inside.”
Twilight’s mind reeled, the cold feeling of panic covering her head, and rolling down her spine. “I don’t want to merge with you, I want to be me.”
“You will always be you, you will just, also be me…” she tried, but that was no comfort. “It will just be like… you, but with my memories too.”
Twilight’s breathing became frantic, no matter how you slice it, this would undoubtedly fundamentally alter her personality. And with all of the other changes in her life, this seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. “What is it with you and giving ponies things they don’t want?” She asked, her chest heaving as she tried to steady her emotions. “Tell me how to get rid of you.”
Celestia had nothing to say, no pony had ever tried to… expel her… ponies usually welcomed to the presence of such powerful magic. “What?” She asked in shock.
“I don’t want to ‘merge souls’ with you.” Twilight answered. “How do I make it stop?”
Celestia thought for a moment, sure there had to be a way, but it was uncertain. It had never been done. “Well… we would need all of the Elements of Harmony, the Spirits themselves may be able to separate us.”
“Fine, then we’ll find your Elements of Harmony. And then, I’ll be done with this ‘Saving Equestria’ business.”
Twilight stretched, a new sense of determination filling her. Even if that determination was fueled by spite for her once beloved Princess Celestia, it was still determination.
As she leapt from her bed, she carried her cast-leg’s weight, walking with the three functional ones. “We have to come back within two weeks, remember that.” She said, speaking to Celestia, but also into the empty room.
Celestia would’ve rolled her eyes if she could. Now she wanted prompt removal of the cast, but when Celestia had suggested that just the day before, she was adamantly opposed. “Should’ve just had it removed yesterday.” The voice in her head whispered.
“Yeah, yeah.” Twilight replied dismissively. “Just tell me where to start looking for the Elements.”
Celestia’s spirit turned up at the mention of the Elements. Despite Twilight’s ambitions of dispelling her from her new body, Celestia was more than happy to be gathering the Elements. For, as long as she could keep them away from Him, she was content. “Well, seeing as we know the location of the Element of Magic… it is safely tucked away with the pony known as Rarity. Perhaps we had ought to start in Cloudsdale with Spitfire?”
Twilight was eager to go, and eager was something she hadn’t been in quite some time. Strapping the saddle bag to her waist, carefully avoiding her wings, she was ready. She dropped the raw element of Generosity into the pouch, and dawned her cloak.
Off to save Equestria, as she’d always dreamed, as her swan song as a huntress.
Starswirl scurried about. With his black cloak covering his entire body, he hid in the shadows. As a fugitive, he could not afford to be recognized. Any pony could take it upon themselves to try and apprehend him, and despite his great magic skill, his horn was still capped.
The crystal hold, wrapped around his horn, prevented him from practicing any magic. This was but a minor issue, considering his life was on the line. He had bigger fish to fry.
The pony met him, just as instructed. “State your name.” He commanded.
The pegasus offered him a scoff, as if he should have known who she was. “Lightning Dust.”
Starswirl smirked under the shadow of his hood. “I can’t fly up to Cloudsdale, I need some pony to retrieve something for me.”
The pony was as straightforward as they come. “Wind Rider said there’d be bits for this.”
A pony willing to betray Spitfire for a couple bits. He was pleased. “You’re his pupil?” He said, dropping ten golden bits onto the ground between them.
“Could say that.” Lightning Dust replied, her yellow mane catching the light of the street lamp. She counted the bits with a single hoof. “Not much, huh?” She said, pushing the bits back toward the cloaked stranger.
“More, once I have it.” Starswirl answered.
“How much more?”
“100, do it quick and I’ll make it 200.”
“What kind of ‘thing’ are we talking about, anyway?” Lightning asked, pulling the gold bits back her way.
Starswirl chuckled out loud. “Oh just a pink fragment of stone, Spitfire has it, but I need it.”
“A Pink rock? Can’t you just get one and paint it?” She asked, rolling her eyes. “Never mind, I’ll do it.” She agreed finally, recalling the bits on the metaphorical table.
“Fantastic!” Starswirl yipped cheerfully. Pulling his enthusiasm down a notch, her continued. “Return to me in three days time.”
“All I’m saying, is that in 57 lifetimes I have never broken a bone, Luna’s never broken a bone, the others, never.” Celestia rambled as they trotted out to the Canterlot city limits. Twilight could hear her, but fortunately she wasn’t speaking aloud.
Twilight stopped, looking at the path ahead of her. “So if you guys are so immune and can heal yourselves that quickly, then why didn’t you use your ‘magical healing abilities ’ to stay in Celestia’s body and not mine?”
This gave Celestia some pause. “I guess somethings just cannot be done.” She replied simply. “Just like an Alicorn cannot
Twilight scoffed, as evidently: Alicorns could break their bones. And just because no pony Celestia had ever known had, that did not make it impossible. “Can I ask you something, Professor, I mean- Princess- I mean-“ Twilight began to stammer, looking for the proper way to address her.
Celestia was entertained by this, but was more than willing to talk to Twilight as she seemed to open up to her. “Oh yes, anything.”
“Are you being purposefully dense?” The question was so abrupt and rude, but it was phrased in a way that made it sound nonchalant. “All my life, I had believed you to be almost all-knowing… as a professor you taught such valuable lessons. But now, I’m beginning to believe you are just pulling my oh-so-broken leg.”
Celestia was offended, and justifiably so. “Twilight Sparkle, no pony knows everything. Not even I.” The tone had gone sour. The voice sounded so disappointed… maybe even sad. “I suppose you are right, Twilight. I am not accustomed to ponies correcting me. So, perhaps my perspective is that of a sheltered princess.”
Twilight couldn’t help but feel a little bit bad. Sure, she hadn’t always been friendly, but she’d never been callous. “Hey, I didn’t mean it like that, I just meant: I thought you were different.”
“Smarter?” Celestia replied harshly, “I’m sure I’m a wealth of knowledge you no longer have any interest in tapping into.”
Twilight continued her three-legged march toward Cloudsdale. She didn’t know what to say. Her love for learning had disappeared, and no matter how far she was pushed, she could not find it again. And she definitely had tried.
Many ponies would not have ventured out this far, but Pinkie Pie was not like other ponies.
Wrapped in a long strip of fabric, one used to protect her fur from the sand and the wind, she made her way through a storm-ridden desert.
Since the fall of Celestia, Pinkie Pie had been walking. Walking and hopping and moving. She had not stopped for more than a day at a time, she had some place to be. Some place other ponies would not be able to find. Some creature she needed to see.
Guided by the chaos in her soul, she journeyed toward the strange place. Some place where even she, should have never been able to find.
Spitfire took the hallway early the next morning. Her stride was aggressive, that was ordinary for her. The door of her office was closed, she opened it, though the latch seemed to be loose.
Unusual.
Upon entering, she took stock of the office. Had she been any pony else, it would have looked just as it had every other day.
But Spitfire was Captain of the Wonderbolts, head of the school, one of Celestia’s most respected officers. She was so detail-oriented she would have smelled trouble from a thousand miles away.
Somepony had been in here, scavenging…
And no matter how they had ‘tried’ placing everything back in the way it had been, they had failed by millimeters. “Soarin.” She said, and he appeared as if he had been dwelling in the walls. He was at her beck and call, her second hand. “Someone was here.”
He looked around, and unlike her, he saw nothing to suggest her ideas. Though, he was not a fool, he knew better than to question her. “And what do you recommend we do?”
Her eyes narrowed, lowering her pilot shades that she wore regardless of whether she was inside or out. “Nothing… nothing just yet.” She retorted.
Trotting over to the book shelf she pushed several things aside, and behind the Knick knacks was a small hoof-sized pressure plate. When pressed, it would reveal the location of the Element of Kindness.
Once she pressed the plate, a small mechanism behind the wall began to creek. Beside the plate, a flat lying panel slid open: revealing the pink crystal. It was still there.
It was the only object of real value, and while Spitfire couldn’t be sure whoever had broken in was in search of this… her intuition had rarely ever led her astray. “I say, we bring in the new recruits.”
Soarin knew this was more a command and less of a suggestion. “Yes, Captain.”
Spitfire tapped her hooves, in thought. She pressed the button again, concealing the Element of Kindness.
Twilight stood below the cloud-top city known as Cloudsdale. It was miles above them, but even from their low position the city seemed enormous.
“If Spitfire did as I said, the Element of Kindness is stored inside the school.” Celestia said, speaking freely, as nearly no travelers traveled below Cloudsdale. Her voice was not commanding or even proud like it had been before. It now seemed straight-to-the-point. As if she was no longer wasting her breath on Twilight.
Twilight was a list-maker, so her priorities lied without getting up to Cloudsdale. As a unicorn, she could use a spell to give herself the temporary ability to walk on the clouds… this would be quite taxing on her though, and with her injury, she needed to reserve as much of her magic and energy as she could.
Celestia, on the other hand, knew exactly how they were going to get to Cloudsdale, even if Twilight had already forgotten. “Do you mind if I take over for just a moment.”
Twilight tapped her front hoof to the ground, in fact she did mind, but if Celestia thought she could come up with a better solution, she would welcome her to try. “For just a moment.” She repeated the words to emphasize the fleeting nature of her permission.
“Yes, just until we arrive in Cloudsdale.” Celestia confirmed, and for once they seemed to agree.
Celestia lifted the purple wings, stretching them, assessing their size. Twilight hadn’t even thought of flying . Pehaps, because she had never flown a day in her life. As the princess patted her wings against the air- a familiar sense of cold panic washed over their shared body.
Twilight was freaking out, again. “Please relax, this is the least taxing method of travel.” Their hooves left their familiar home on the ground.
Twilight couldn’t help but shiver with anxiety. The sensation of air on her wings was so unfamiliar and uncomfortable. The feeling of having wings- period- was uncomfortable.
Celestia did her best to maintain calm, to not grow agitated, to not aggravate Twilight. Because, at least for now, she was going along with her plan.
And even if they were getting along, they were working together (more-or-less).
As their hooves touched down on the fluffy white clouds, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. While it wasn’t exactly solid-ground, it was something she could walk on. And that was good enough for her. “I guess you were right.” She said, regaining the primary control role.
Celestia sighed, “Thank you for trusting me.”
“Not sure.” Lightning Dust huffed tiredly. She’d been up all night searching the office for a rock . And what could be so special about a rock, anyway?
“Where else would she keep something really important?” her coach asked her. Wind Rider was a well-regarded forever member of the Wonderbolts. Fastest in his time, and while he’d had his days in the limelight, he still searched for fame and power. Lightning had nothing to say, she wasn’t able to find anything. “Starswirl isn’t gonna like this.” The stallion mumbled.
Lightning Dust’s ears turned up at the mention of the infamous warlock, and as dense as she was, she was able to put two-and-two together. The cloaked figure was the fugitive himself, and whatever he wanted… must’ve been pretty important.
Twilight and Celestia moseyed on up to the school gates. As they approached, they spotted a familiar face. “Oh hey, Twilight Sparkle right? From the School for Gifted Unicorns?”
The rainbow-maned Pegasus seemed so familiar to Twilight, and fortunately, Celestia never forgot a name. “Rainbow Dash, you study here now?” The two souls seemed to click instantaneously.
Rainbow seemed a bit embarrassed, rubbing the back of her neck as she hovered before them. “I needed someplace to go after the school got destroyed. No offense but, I wasn’t waiting around for the new school to be built.”
Twilight tilted her head slightly as a sign of understanding. Rainbow Dash had been a first-year student when the invasion had occurred, she wasn’t willing to put her life on hold just because the school fell. “No, no, none taken.” Twilight said, shaking, as she was slightly envious of Rainbow’s drive.
“So…” Rainbow Dash seemed to look her over, raising an eyebrow as she came to realize she didn’t seem to be exerting herself even slightly while walking on the clouds. “What brings you all this way up?”
Twilight and Celestia’s spirits seemed to swirl, ‘she could be some help to us.’ Celestia’s voice said, but Twilight wasn’t sure.
“We need to talk to Spitfire.” They decided finally.
Rainbow’s face went from slight embarrassment and confusion, to adamant dismissal. “That’s not gonna happen, Spitfire’s on a tirade about some pony breaking into her office.” She rambled bluntly.
“Breaking into her office!?” Celestia barked aloud.
The sudden outburst put Rainbow Dash on alert, “hush! Okay!” She demanded, not realizing exactly who she was giving demands to. “She’s gonna have my neck if she hears you shouting like that, alright?”
And just like that, the soul pair buttoned their mouth. Twilight spoke lowly now, “listen Rainbow Dash, we need to talk to her about the Elements.”
The Pegasus’s face fell, her conscious being dragged back to her last day at the Canterlot school. Learning of the Elements of Harmony by pure happenstance… no… she wouldn’t go back there again. “Look, I’m not trying to get involved with all that anymore.”
Twilight seemed to take hypocritical offense to this. “We need to speak with her!” She insisted.
Rainbow Dash landed squarely on her hooves. “I’m not interested in that ancient Equestria business anymore, alright? I want to get my license, and join the Wonderbolts. That’s it.” She huffed out a breath, “…it was nice seeing you.” She said finally, before taking off on wing once again.
“Well, now what are we going to do?” Twilight asked, looking over toward the guarded school gates.
Celestia seemed to call for her hoof to tap, but she was not in full control. ‘Well-‘ she thought into Twilight. “There is some pony else, Rainbow Dash’s companion. She, too, was a student of mine. Perhaps she could be of help to us.”
Fluttershy’s family home was on the outskirts of Cloudsdale. It was a quaint place, it was clear they had bits, but compared to other ponies they were by no means wealthy.
Twilight trotted up to the door. But, before she could knock, a lengthy teal stallion threw open the door. “Are you a unicorn?” The man-bun wearer asked.
She was startled both by his sudden appearance and by his question. “Um… yes?” She said, and as far as she was concerned that was the truth.
“Hmmm-“ he seemed to be taking her in, as if something wasn’t quite right about her. He crouched, bending his long legs in a strange fashion. He seemed to be peering beneath her cloak, like she was hiding something. “Are you… sure?”
Twilight stamped her hooves down, pinning the cloak to the clouds. Not giving him the opportunity to look up it. “What are you? Some sort of freak!?” She snapped harshly.
He stood up, a sort of strange smile crossing his face. “Well, no need to be so hostile! I’ve just never seen a unicorn who could walk on clouds, that’s all.”
“It is a new spell, so I wouldn’t expect you to know about it.” She lied rather matter-of-factly.
The oily-looking fellow proceeded to look over her horn, it neither glowed nor sparkled. Something was just not quite right about the pony on his doorstep. “I’m not interested in buying any Filly Guide cookies if that’s what you’re selling.”
Twilight’s temper began to boil over, “I’m here to speak to Fluttershy!” She announced in a booming Canterlot voice that seemed to shake the home.
Holding on tightly to his shaken mess of a mane, the trouble-making stallion’s goofy grin returned. “Now why didn’t you say so?” He chuckled, turning back into his home. “Fluttershy! There’s someone here to see you.” There was no answer, or rather, a very faint answer. “Oh, she really hasn’t been accepting any visitors, what did you say your name was?”
“Twilight Sparkle.” She huffed, burning up with rage. “And please tell her it’s urgent!”
Spitfire paced in a sort-of-marching motion. What kind of pony would break into her office? As the grounds were guarded, and no pony had even been caught near the fenced, it had to have been a student.
Or a faculty member. She had already had members of the staff scour the office for any evidence, but they came up empty hoofed.
It was all very strange. While she had no evidence to stand on, she knew this was related to the Elements of Harmony.
The fall of Celestia was too recent, the Winter Maiden turned to stone… Spitfire was in-the-know. She was one of Celestia’s trusted confidants. She did not come this far without knowing when something was amiss.
Even in death, Spitfire was loyal to the Princess. She needed to find the pony responsible, and hide the Element of Kindness.
“Oh, it is so lovely to see you.” The soft-spoken pegasus cooed, ducking below the windows of their home as she passed them. “I’m not sure to what I owe the honor…” Fluttershy asked, holding her tea pot in her hooves.
Twilight sat at the dining table, an empty tea cup in front of her. Fluttershy may not have had any intention of accepting guests, but she was a pleasant hostess. “We- I mean, I need to get into the Academy.” Twilight said.
Fluttershy patted her wings, floating just out of sight of the windows. “That is rather… interesting…” she thought for a moment. “I’m not sure how I could help you with that.”
Twilight watched as the mare poured tea from the pot into her cup. “Perhaps you could use your semblance… your talent!”
“Oh, and I don’t mean to be rude, but why don’t you just ask for a meeting with Spitfire.”
Twilight’s face pulled into a twisted attempt at remaining cordial. Spitfire did not know who she was, but Fluttershy… she knew. After all, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had been class partners for years prior to moving to Canterlot. Celestia knew this well. In accepting Rainbow Dash, it was stood to reason that Spitfire would have invited Fluttershy as well. “Did Spitfire not invite you to the academy after the Fall?” Celestia asked with Twilight’s voice. “We did attempt to meet with her. However, she was not accepting unknown guests at that time.”
Fluttershy gently placed the pot on a crocheted doily. She thought for a moment, taking-in the formal nature of Twilight’s speech, and then processing what she had said. “Why, yes, she did. Only, I never really wanted to be a huntress. That was Rainbow Dash’s dream, I just went along with it for her…” Fluttershy seemed to think, her eyes flashing with a memory that brought her a single tear. “And besides, Rainbow’s got a new partner now. She doesn’t need me anymore.”
Twilight tapped the table, seemingly overlooking Fluttershy’s emotions. “So, if you feign interest in the school, Spitfire might accept us for a meeting. And, then, you can use your talent to help us, I mean me, find the El- I mean… make her listen to me.”
Fluttershy peaked out the window. “I can’t.”
“Why not? The fate of Equestria hangs in the balance!” She blurted.
Fluttershy turned slowly, having believed this to be a real pop friendly meeting of former acquaintances. Her face seemed so familiar to Twilight then, the face of a huntress where the gentle mare once stood. “What do you mean?”
Twilight and Celestia collectively sighed, if they wanted help, they’d need to be transparent. Being vague wasn’t getting through to her. “I need to collect the Elements of Harmony. One of them is inside Spitfire’s school, and we- I mean I- need some pony to get me past the guards. Spitfire doesn’t know who I am, and the school is on crazy lock-down. Rainbow Dash won’t help, and you are the only other pony I know, who Spitfire might trust.”
Fluttershy took in every word slowly. She was quite literally the textbook definition of a hermit, afraid to leave her home. She didn’t enjoy all the attention, but there was something innate within her. A desire to help ponies, to better this world, even if she was afraid… “if, and I wouldn’t get my hopes up about it, if Spitfire accepts my request for a meeting, I will help you.” She said finally, and it was unconditional. Just as a good huntress’s help should always be.
“Captain.” Soarin said, standing at the door. He did not make any advances, not without her explicit permission.
Spitfire tucked the stone between her uniform garb and her chest. Concealing it on herself, though she wasn’t quite in a rush to hide it from him. “Enter.” She replied.
Soarin did as he was instructed. “I have an appointment request.”
Spitfire narrowed her eyes, a look of annoyance washing over her usually expressionless face. “Declined.”
Soarin, contrary to his ordinary obedient nature, did not retreat. “It should be noted:” He began, swallowing his nerves at speaking out of turn. “The request was made by the second-year Fluttershy. Of the Canterlot school.”
At this, the captain turned up her ears. Fluttershy was not fast, she was not ruthless, she was not overly-ambitious. She was not Spitfire’s ordinary choice for a Wonderbolt or a huntress, period.
Though Fluttershy had a particularly sought after talent. Her semblance allowed her to freeze creatures in their tracks. Albeit temporary, she could buy vital time during invasions and attacks. “Fluttershy?”
Soarin nodded, confirming what he had said. “Affirmative.”
“Approved.”
