If, Wherever We Go

I'm gonna save you the details of the trip to Canterlot.  What matters is that when we got there, we got to witness the horrors first-hand under the all-revealing light of the midday sun.  It was just as we had seen in Luna's vision, with two exceptions:  One, the pools had gotten a lot bigger, and two, there were no other ponies.

My Little Pony:  Friendship is Magic

~If, Wherever We Go ~

by NoGiantRobots1983

Chapter 2

~ The Glass Book ~

Actually, it was worse than that.  Canterlot looked like a ghost town.  There was a pillar across our path that had fallen just like the one in Luna's telepathic vision.  Heck, the pools had expanded so far that a lot of places were just caving in on themselves!  Fine dust of broken stones blew in the wind.  I listened hard, but outside of the clopping of my girls' own hooves I didn't hear any other sound, anything to let us know that we weren't all alone in this dismal place. As for the black pools, those had gotten so big that the only things left unaffected were the central walkways.  And trust me, those didn't have long.

I mostly rode on Fluttershy's back.  She didn't mind.  Actually, I think she liked it, because she thought I was so adorable and it helped her feel like she was protecting me.  Fluttershy gets really brave when she's looking out for someone else.  I liked it because Fluttershy was the least likely to fall in a pool:  she avoided them like a plague.  With Twilight Sparkle it was different:  she kept going in for a closer look.  She thought she could study the pools and figure out what they were.  Everypony who noticed was ready to catch her the minute she even looked like she was about to slip.  I guess because we were all telepaths now, Twilight picked up on what we were so worried about and stopped getting so close to the pools.

Rainbow Dash had the best idea:  she just kept in the air.  Or if she got tired, there were plenty of high walls to perch on.  It got to a point where Dash would fly on ahead, and then tell us where it was safe to move.  At first she yelled out to us, but then Twilight was like "we know, we can read your mind."  And Dash was like "Oh yeah."  I kinda wish Twi hadn't mentioned that.  Mental chatter is good and all, but it made the place that much more silent and creepy.

The worst moment was when we passed by Pony Joe's place, only there was no Pony Joe, no donut, and barely even a place.   It gives me chills just to remember it!

I was on edge until we got to the palace.  The black water was always just so close, that I thought it was just gonna jump up and eat us!  But once we got inside, things were a lot better.  For some reason, the palace didn't look as bad as everywhere else.  Heck, it looked like it had just been cleaned that morning!  (Oh wait, Luna says it had!)  It still had that creepy loneliness going on though.

Twilight and Luna got close, to try and hear Celestia's voice again.  I couldn't help trying to listen in with telepathy.

Neither could Applejack.  She scratched her ears and said "What the hay is a 'crone boom'?"

"No, dearie," that was Rarity, "it was 'throne room'."

"Of course!"  that was Twilight, "the one place in all of Equestria where her presence was most strongly felt!  We should've gone there from the first!"

Worked for me!

So we followed Luna and Twilight all the way to the throne room and up those little steps that thrones always have before them.  There was something shining at the throne.  We all stayed back, but Twilight called out Celestia's name.

And then the light took form, and sure enough... it was the ghost of Princess Celestia!  And she had a message for us:

"Luna, Twilight, friends!  I'm so glad you're all here!  I don't have much time, so listen, all of you:

"Equestria is facing its darkest moment.  Many secrets that I never told anyone, not even my dear sister, have come back to haunt my kingdom.  Only you and your friends can save us, Twilight Sparkle, though you may not know how.  You may not even live through this journey, and if you do you shall surely come back a changed pony. I'm sorry to have done this to you."

"That's okay...!"  Twilight whispered.

The ghost didn't miss a beat:  "Luna, put 'Orbit' into operation!

"Twilight!  To save Equestria you must find the Mother Pony!  Luna can tell you about her, and the Glass Book can tell you where she is!  Find first the Glass Book and then use it to seek the Mother Pony!  This will be hard, and you may learn things that you will wish you'd never known, but as long as you keep hope, love and dreams in your heart you can never fail!"

Then the ghost faded away.

Twilight's eyes went all watery.  She held up her hoof like she thought she could beckon the princess back.  Then she got on the floor and cried.  I held her, Dash put a hoof on her head.  We all tried to do something.  Maybe that's why it didn't take too long for Twilight to get back on her hooves and back to business.

"First thing's first," Twilight turned to Luna, "Where is this 'Glass Book'?"

Luna was acting strange, and you know how people change the subject when they don't wanna talk about something?  Well, Luna all the sudden said "Let's go set up Orbit first.  Get out of my head!"

And Rarity was like "My apologies, your majesty.  It was an accident."

Well, that was that.

Luna went through a door behind the throne.  The door led up a staircase and to a big balcony out back.  So I happened to hear Fluttershy think-ask "What is 'Orbit'?"

Then Luna spoke--spoke, with her mouth--the answer:  "'Orbit' is an ancient magic developed by Celestia and I, from the time before my transformation into Nightmare Moon.  The mechanics are complicated, but the basic effect is that the sun and moon will rise and fall on their own."

I was like "Wow.  That's pretty clever."

And Twilight was like "Sounds like it would save you a lot of effort.  Why haven't you used it before?"

"Because we never worked out all the flaws.  The sun and moon always changed their angle and their distance, and often their timing.  After the thirty-third time Celestia and I had to have a night on the town together just because folks had mistaken an eclipse for a sign of war, we scrapped the project.  Heaven knows what they'll think now."

Luna stepped to the center of the balcony.  She sat, and spread her forehooves, and we could all feel a magic going through her.  Some sort of thin beam shot from her heart and into the air.  Then we all felt this strain.

"I'm not strong enough!"  Luna thought, and her thought reached all of our minds.  Twilight lept to her side, and cried out "Use some of my power!"  and she touched one of Luna's outstretched hooves.  But it wasn't enough!  Rarity touched the other hoof, still not enough!  Rarity almost collapsed, and Dash and I rushed to help keep her up.

That's when we noticed power was being pulled from us too, and the strain wasn't so bad.  So I called out "A.J.!  Fluttershy!  Pinkie!  We need you!"

They didn't hesitate for a moment.  Applejack and Fluttershy held up Twilight, while Pinkie went to Luna's side, and that strain just went away.  Actually, this whole magic thing started to feel good.  I felt like I was doing something without really doing anything.  Then there was this sensation, like something had clicked into place, and I just knew that 'Orbit' had been set, the sun and moon would now move on their own.

Then we all fell over and caught our breaths.

"Man," I said, "I never wanna do that again."  That's what I thought, until I noticed that the heavy weight holding me down was Rarity.  Then I thought, a guy could get used to this.  Then I shut my brain up.  A telepath can't be too careful!

Five minutes were taken to rest and catch our breaths.  Twilight took herself a quick lay-down.  When she sat back up, she looked to Luna and said "Now, about that Glass Book."

Luna made that I-don't-wanna-talk-about-it face, but she didn't have anything to distract us with this time.  Luna sighed, "I'd really rather not see that thing again.  Too many bad memories wrapped up in it."

Fluttershy, always the sympathetic one, offered "Well, maybe we can just do without."

But with a shake of her head, Luna was like "No, Celestia said we'd need it.  She knows my feelings, and she would never make me do something I'm uncomfortable with unless there was a good reason.  Come, ponies."

As we walked, I asked "So, what is this book anyway?"

"It is the most magical treasure in all of Equestria.  The Glass Book is a compendium of not just all things known, but all things knowable.  It can tell you anything, if only you ask."

"Anything?"  Rainbow Dash was extremely curious, "like how fast you can fly before your skin peels off?"

"Yes."

"How about," Rarity was also extremely curious, "the exact age of a particular sycamore in the Everfree Forest?"

"It can tell you that, too!"

"What about," Applejack was also also extremely curious, "what Apple Bloom is doing even as we speak?"

Luna blushed.  "Actually, when used as a device to spy, it often says too much.  I'd thank you to not attempt to read my thoughts."

"Oh, uh, sorry!"  That was me.

"I was speaking to the pink one."

Pinkie blushed.  Ooo, busted!

Back in the throne room, Luna stopped us and said "But on the matter of the Glass Book, I need you all to promise that you will be careful with it!  The book is wrapped in a red velvet cloth, tied with a green silk ribbon.  That cloth prevents it from suffering any damage and it is imperative that you do not remove it from this protection unless you are absolutely sure there is no danger!"

"Guess it's a hard one to find, huh?" that was my stupid answer.

"It's more than that, little dragon.  You see, we have reason to believe that as much as the book informs, it also controls.  It is a rule book, so to speak.  Perhaps the most tragic evidence is what happened to the mermares.  Somepony completely broke that section of the book."

We waited for Luna to finish.  It wasn't happening, so I flat-out asked "So what happened?"

"Well, have you seen one?"

"No, but--oooohhhh."  Yeah, we got it.  Breaking the book is bad.

And then Luna gave us something else to worry about: "And whatever you do, you must not be tempted to use its knowledge for petty or selfish gain!  Doing so can cause nothing but harm, for your loved ones, and for you... as I learned the hard way."

Luna made like she didn't wanna talk anymore, but then she shot a glance at Twilight and shouted "Yes, the book told me how to become Nightmare Moon!  Now please stay out of my mind!"

I didn't like the quiet that came with that.  It was like... you ever been in a room with two ponies who don't like each other but are trying to get along, and it feels like the powder keg could blow at any minute?  Yeah, it felt like that.  I was trying not to think, or at least not to go poking into the minds of others.

Rarity was having the same problem.  So she came forward and said "Your highness, now that we've gotten that other business out of the way, I was curious about this 'Mother Pony' that Princess Celestia mentioned."

That broke the ice all right, but it also surprised Luna.  "Hasn't Celestia's star pupil told you all about that?"

Twi got a little nervous, like she didn't know something she thought she should.  I've seen it before.  "Actually, Luna, I have no idea who the Mother Pony is.  This is the first I've heard mention of her."

"But, you're Celestia's star pupil!"

"I'm sorry..."

Luna narrowed her eyes.  "How does Celestia train you, exactly?"

"She makes me study and write reports."

Luna put her hoof to her forehead, "Good heavens, child!  You'll never learn anything that way!  Well, until Celestia gets back I'm revising your curiculum.  First lesson:  the Mother Pony.  Come!"  A wave of a hoof and we were on the move again, "I'll teach as we go along!"

I didn't think anything could be worse than Luna-as-Nightmare Moon, but now I found something:  Luna as teacher.  I tried to listen, but I couldn't focus.  She was so--what's the word--dry.  Is this how the Cutie Mark Crusaders feel?  It all flew over my head anyway.  But Twilight now, she listened like a good little student, kept asking questions and wanting to capture every little detail in her mind.  The only reason I know any of this stuff is because Twilight filled me in later.

The skinny is that back in the day, when Equestria was really young, the land was often visited by the Mother Pony, whose powers were far greater than Celestia and Luna combined!  Where there was chaos, she brought order.  Where there was desolation, she brought growth.  She was a hero and a legend to all the ponies (Luna was getting giddy just talking about her!)  But, as time went on the Mother Pony appeared less and less.  Finally, she just stopped coming.

"Why?"  Pinkie Pie had been following along like a thrilled filly too.  "What happened to her?"

"Nopony knows for sure.  Although, now that I think back, I remember Celestia and I having a discussion on this very subject.  As I remember, Celestia was of the opinion that the Mother Pony was not proud of her reputation, and wished all ponies would simply forget of her existence.  I had to bow to Celestia's superior insight, for she has met the Mother Pony, while I have not.  And besides, there were a couple of creepy cults springing up that we had to constantly vanquish."

"Creepy colts?"  that was Pinkie Pie

"No, cults.  C-U-L-T-S."  Luna looked at Twilight, "do you know what a cult is?"

"A sinister secret organization whose members are devoted to an ideology derived from myth and legend?"

"Good!  You get an A+!"

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes, "Whatever you just said."

We were now in the castle library.  And boy, was it huge--easily twice as big as mine and Twilight's tree back in Ponyville!  No, make that three times the size!  The books were kept in perfect order, the oaken shelves (Rarity said they were oak) were completely free of dust!  And boy, how many books there were!  Twilight was in heaven!

Then Applejack had to go and say "Yep yep, now what's this book we're s'posed to be lookin' for?"

"How are we going to find it in a place like this?"  Rainbow Dash was darting from shelf to shelf.  "This is like searching for a needle in a haystack!"

Luna tapped the floor.  "The book we seek won't be on the shelf!  It's hidden in a special place!"  The special place was in a safe behind the front desk.  It was hidden behind a painting, and on top of that, the safe needed a magic word.

Luna held up a hoof. "I, Luna, command you to open!"

Nothing happened.

Luna cleared her throat.  "I must've said that wrong.  Okay:  I, Princess Luna, command you to open!"

Nothing happened.

"I, Princess Luna Selena Delicatessa Cosmos Equestrios I, royally command that you open yourself?  I, Luna, demand that you open?  Luna commands that you open?  On behalf of Princess Celestia, open?"

Luna's voice strained.  She collapsed on the floor and knocked and cried out "Oh, I forgot the password!  Stupid, stupid Luna!" and stuff like that.

Then Rainbow Dash couldn't take it anymore and flew up to the thing and said "Open, you stupid safe!"

And then it swung open.

Guess what was inside:  Nothing!  Nothing except a silly little note that said:

Dear Princess Luna,

In preparation for your eventual return, I have

decided to remove from our premises the object

which caused all our woes.  It is now in the

hands of the zebras.  By the way, I thought your

combination was too long and so have taken the

liberty of shortening it.

Your beloved sister,

Princess Celestia.

Rainbow Dash facehoofed and was like "Ugh!  We're on the most important mission of our life!  We can't afford to be jerked around like this!"

Luna rolled her eyes and sighed.  "Oh, that Celestia!  Well, whatever.  This wouldn't be so bad if I only knew where the zebras were!"

"We know a zebra!"  Pinkie Pie exclaimed.  "She's a good-hearted enchantress, she does beautiful dances--!"

"Where?!"

"She must mean Zecora.  She lives in--GULP!--the Everfree Forest."  That was Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.  "How can you still be scared of that place after you stared down a cockatrice?"

"I'm not scared... I'm just cautious."

I was so frustrated that I waved my arms and said "This is ridiculous!  We spent all that time climbing up here, and now the thing we're looking for isn't even here?  It'll be nightfall by the time we get back!"

Then Dash gasped, said "I got it!" and nudged up to Twilight, saying "Hey, why don't you do that teleporting trick you do?"

"And go where?"

"To the Everfree Forest, duh."

"And leave you and the others behind?"

"I've seen you bring Spike when you do that thing.  You can bring us too!"

"Rainbow Dash, that spell is very hard to do and it gets even harder when I bring someone with me.  I can't even imagine trying it with seven ponies and a baby dragon, and over such a distance!"

To my surprise, Luna took Rainbow Dash's side:

"You're a student of magic, aren't you?  Come on, expand your boundaries a little!  Celestia always told me you had realms of untapped power within you, and I wanna see it!"

"But... but...!"

"Wait a minute, now," that was Rarity, "We could all pool our powers, just like we did earlier!"

"Yeah, that!"  Rainbow Dash.

All this enthusiasm was getting to Twilight.  She said "Okay, let's all join hooves.  Spike, hold tight!"

She didn't need to tell me twice!

And her horn shined, and we all glowed--even me--and then POOF!

Suddenly we were in the Everfree Forest, and we were very, very tired, like we had just run a million-mile marathon.  Luna managed to say "That... was... amazing!" but she was so beat, we barely heard it.

Then Rainbow Dash was like "Next time, let's stick to walking."

"Is that ponies I hear, laying about over there?"

There was only one horse in all Equestria who rhymes like that:

"Zecora!"

The zebra followed our voices and found us in our half-asleep state.  "Oh, what effort have you put yourselves through?  This fatique simply will not do!"  and Zecora looked around and went into the bushes, and came back with some berries for each of us.  "These favored berries of mine will have you up and running in no time!"

They did, too.  Almost the minute it touched my lips I felt like I had just woke up after a good night's rest, eaten thirty pounds of breakfast and was in the middle of my favorite chores.  Wait, I have favorites?  Man, these things did make me feel good!

Twilight Sparkle said "I'm glad you happened along, Zecora!  We were looking for you!"

"Looking for me?  Why would that be?"

Luna came to the front, and said "I'm Luna, younger sister of Princess Celestia.  No no, don't bow, I've come to ask a favor.  A long time ago my sister gave a treasured object to the zebra people.  I mean to find them and ask it be returned."

Something seemed off when Zecora said "And what is this treasured gem you wish to own again?"

"A glass book, bound in a red cloth and tied with a green silk ribbon."

Zecora didn't answer for a moment.  Then she said "If you want the book of glass, a reason I must ask."

Luna looked at Twilight and telepathed each other for a bit, and then Luna told Zecora "The truth is, the fate of Equestria is at stake."

Twilight stepped forward.  "Please, Zecora.  Some strange black ooze has covered all of Canterlot.  Ponies are disappearing!  Maybe... maybe even... it even got Celestia.  But before that she left a message telling us to find the Glass Book and that the zebras had it.  You're the only Zebra we know!  Please, help us!"

Zecora looked at Twilight, then at Luna, and then said "The consideration causes much difficulty," Zecora held a hoof towards Luna "for we were especially warned to beware of thee!"

Luna's ears went flat, "And with good reason, I'll admit.  But I'm not asking you to give the book to me."

"If not you, then who?"

"Her," and Luna glanced at Twilight Sparkle.

That answer made Zecora smile.  "Come with me, and the Glass Book you'll soon see."

"You know where it is?"

"Yes, for in a very distant time, the ancestors given it were mine.  I've long considered passing it back to the pony folk, so your timing is as the punchline of a well-told joke."

We were already close to Zecora's hut.  When we got in, Zecora dug around in a cellar and came out with a bag.  Inside was a red bundle with a green ribbon...

"Oh, could that be it?"  Luna laid down to read, and said "Book, open!"

The ribbon untied itself, the cloth unfolded on its own, and inside was the most amazing magical book I had ever seen!  As its name implies, it was made entirely of glass.  I don't know how, much the book never got any bigger or smaller, and didn't look any more thick than most books I've seen.  Was it really as special as Luna said?

"Yes!"  Luna backed off.  "Now, Twilight, to use the book all you have to do is talk to it."

"Just... talk to it?  No special words or anything?"

"All you need to do is command!"

Twilight was all excited.  "I'm gonna test it out!  Okay... what were those berries Zecora gave us?"

The book flipped open, and landed on an entry marked "Vica-berries."  Twilight read it aloud:  "Vica-berries are a narcotic fruit that occur naturally in the environment.  Their exact atomic structure is--" yada yada.  Twi got tired of that and just asked what they do.  The book flipped to a page with a part marked "exact effects of Vica-berries on Twilight Sparkle, the Unicorn born in--."

That section could've made its own book.  I don't get it!  How did all of that stuff fit on a bunch of glass in a book no bigger than the Astronomer's Guide to All Things Astronomy?

Twilight was amazed.  "Luna wasn't kidding about this!"

Luna suggested, "Ask it about the Mother Pony."

I guess the book heard.  All on its own, it flipped to the page about the Mother Pony.  The very first thing was history.  The very first paragraph was:

"The Mother Pony first came into being around the thirty-second spasm of the galaxy, parellel with the creation of central-line vortexes and bluebell fish [see: Xenon - Planet].  32 True Galactic Minutes after that she took her first step, and after 4484 True Galactic Minutes she spoke her first word, which was 'bazook'.  She was born bare, her mane and tail taking shape only around the 2392nd True Galactic Minute--"

"Umm," that was Applejack, "Beggin' yer pardon, but we don't have enough time to read all that."

Twilight did some thinkin'.  "Maybe we can narrow it down.  Book, show us a picture of the Mother Pony."

Almost instantly, the book opened to a full-page illustration.

We were all confused, disappointed, maybe a little messed up.  Because, like Rarity said:  "That shows nothing but an outline!  A sillouhette!  That could be any pony!  How pray tell are we supposed to tell the Mother Pony by that?"

"Wait..." I bent closer for a look.  "Hey, I know this sounds weird, but... she looks familiar.  I could swear I've seen her before!"

Twilight was tapping her noggin', "It's funny but... so can I."

Rainbow Dash was scratching her mane.  "Yeah, me too."

"And I as well," that was Luna, "though... I couldn't possibly.  She disappeared long before I was born!"

Applejack totally took Rarity's side, "Ya'll are kiddin', right?  With a picture like this I wouldn't be able to tell Granny Smith from a rattlesnake!"

Then Fluttershy was like "It is awfully vague."

Twilight told them "I suppose you're right.  Book, do you have another picture?"  The book didn't flip.  I guess that was all it had.  "Then, at the very least, can you tell us where the Mother Pony is right now?"

That got a reaction.  When the book was done turning it landed on a page where the very last paragraph said "the Mother Pony is currently exploring Dream Valley," and went on to talk about every last blade of grass she touched.

The girls all looked at each other and said "Dream Valley?  Where's that?"

The book took that as a request and turned the pages again, this time to a page marked "Other Worlds."

Rainbow Dash went "Ugh!  Another world?  How are we supposed to even get there?"

Zecora coughed.  We all turned our heads.

And the zebra said "Actually, my dear friends, I might be able to help achieve that end..."

The real adventure is about to begin!  In the next chapter, the ponies discover a world of mystery and wonder, ruled by these strange ape-like creatures!  There are also heart-felt farewells as the ponies venture into "The World Behind the Rock!"  We'll see you there!

"After being jerked around so much, I kept expecting someone to say 'Mother Pony?  Oh, you just missed her.  She was in Ponyville last week'!"

• Rainbow Dash