Chapters I grew up in a small town called Ponyville which lay right under the royal city of Canterlot. For quite a while I never knew what was so special about Ponyville. At that time I hardly knew much of anything about the place that I lived. The only things I knew about the town is where I lived, where the school that I go to is, where the library is and where the bakery called Sugar Cube Corner is. Sugar Cube Corner is always packed with ponies of all ages sitting with friends and enjoying the various sweets and drinks that were for sale there. That was all that I knew.
The school that I went to was fairly small. It had only one class of less than twenty students and only one staff member. Miss Cheerilee was our only teacher. She taught us what she said to be everything that we would need to know for the next seven or so years. And that after we left we would go to some high school in the next town. The high school in the next town would then teach us everything we would need for the rest of our lives. But we weren’t to worry about that yet. We first had to pass the primary grade.
I was a fairly small colt for my age. I was a white unicorn with a white and blue mane and tail and I had deep maroon eyes. I also had light green tribal swirls on my neck, legs and forehead. I didn’t have my cutie mark but I had a feeling that it would be related to music somehow. I loved listening to music, no matter what kind it was. I could feel a connection between me and the music. I always kept my mane and tail short so it would be easier to maintain in the mornings when I was getting ready for school. I was quiet and calm for the most part with occasional bursts of high energy which were never explained to me. I just thought it was natural. I didn’t know what it was like to have friends. My father has forbidden me to have them. I never figured out why he didn’t want me to have friends. And he never told my mother the reason. But nevertheless, my mother encouraged me to meet new ponies and make some friends. But the fear of my father’s actions kept me from making friends for a while.
The parents I had were an odd set for a unicorn colt. My mother was a pegasus pony named Lightning Dancer. She was a light grey pony with a lightning yellow mane and tail with sky blue eyes. Her cutie mark was a storm cloud with rain and lightning under it. She was usually cheerful and hummed or sang while she did various tasks around the house. You could say that she was carefree, but deep down inside something was bothering her and I could see it. My father was an earth pony named Rocky Hooves. He was a fairly big and muscular pony. He had a deep stone coloring and a rust red mane and tail with slight deeper ocean blue eyes. He was one of the most serious ponies in Ponyville. He was a site forepony at the construction sites on the west side of town. He would often bring home copies of the blueprints for what he was building. He would always tell us how his day went at work while we were sitting at the table eating dinner. I never really did care about how his day went. I kind of only cared that he came home in one piece and that we didn’t get a notice from his site that he had been taken to the hospital.
As we started high school we found out that the campus had dorms that ponies from another town could use so they wouldn’t have to walk back and forth from their town to the school. The dorms had enough space for two ponies so I thought that Angel and I could share a dorm room. I found out shortly after arriving at the campus that we had separate dorm rooms. One block was for the stallions and the other block for the mares. We had some of the same classes so it turned out to be ok. My roommate turned out to be a Pegasus named Star Hunter who was taking some time away from Cloudsdale. He was a dark blue pony with a lighter blue mane, tail, and eyes. We talked constantly of our life back home and about time in class. I could tell that we would soon become friends. And I was ok with that. I knew that not all pegasi and earth ponies were mean. He was a sociable pony that liked to do things that not everypony would do. He, in essence was a darepony. I had finally gotten my cutie mark, only two years ago though. It’s a vinyl record with a red label. I knew it would have to do with music. It was just only a matter of time.
I read the letter aloud with a hint of confusion in my voice.
You are receiving this letter to inform you of the unfortunate passing of your father Rocky Hooves. Your father was involved in a tragic accident while working at one of his construction sites on the west side of town. Shortly after the accident he was taken to Ponyville General Hospital in hopes that they could help him. After a few hours in surgery Doctor Stable came out to announce that the patient might not survive. He died this morning. Nurse Redheart said that he had passed away in his sleep. I am truly sorry for your loss. You are excused from the next week of classes and lessons with no consequences to your grades or attendance reports. Your mother has requested that you come home for a few days. If there is anything that I can do, write me a letter or come see me in person.
Your mentor,
Twilight Sparkle”
I sat the letter down on my desk and looked away as tears ran from my eyes. Angel came over and sat next to me putting her arm around me and pulled me closer to her.
“It’s going to be ok Vinyl. I Promise. I’m here for you.” She said it as she hugged me tighter.
The Trip Back To Ponyville
Night quickly passed and I was still awake. I hadn’t stayed up all night in a long time. And I soon realized why. I walked back in as the alarm clock started blaring for us to wake to start the new day.
I took the letter and read it quickly.
I’m sure that you remember your encounter with Nightmare Moon and how you and your friends used the Elements of Harmony to defeat her in the ruins of the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. Well I have bad news. Nightmare Moon is back yet again. But this time she does not reside in Princess Luna. She resides in some other pony. But we are not yet sure in who she resides. But we do know one thing. She is in Ponyville. It is up to you and your friends, including your student White Vinyl to find her and stop her. I am sending you some of my guards so that you have authority to do whatever is necessary. Do not let me down Twilight. The fate of Equestria rests in your hooves. I will be waiting your response. Good luck my student.
Your teacher,
Princess Celestia”
I put the letter down and looked at Twilight. I wasn’t sure what to feel. I felt scared but I had another emotion. I just wasn’t sure what it was.
“I told the princess about your ability. She wants you to take part because she believes you can use your ability to find out who Nightmare Moon is hiding in.” She spoke with severity and urgency. “This is why I am bringing you back to Ponyville.”
“Did you lie to me about my father’s death? Did you lie to me when you said that my mother had asked me to come home for a few days? Is that what this is? A lie just so I would help you? You told the Princess that I had this ability just so I could become a tool at Her Majesties disposal?! IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT?!” I looked at her with rage in my eyes and voice.
“Calm yourself White Vinyl. To answer your question about your father, I did. But I didn’t lie about your mother. She wants you to come home for a few days. Just so you guys could catch up on how life at school is. She asked me to give you a letter when I next saw you. This isn’t how I wanted to see you though. I thought I would just be able to stop by and say hi. But it didn’t quite work out that way. Celestia sent me the letter before I left to visit you. I knew I had to do something so I could get you away from the school. I used the ploy of your father’s death to make you want to return home.” She looked away. “I didn’t plan for you to become emotionally hurt by it though. I now know that what I did was wrong and I understand why you are mad. And I am terribly sorry about this.”
¬¬¬¬“Not only am I ready to return home but I am ready to tell my parents and Princess Celestia what you did. I’m going to write a letter to the princess and I will hand deliver it to her. Just so she knows what happened. I am very disappointed in you Twilight.” I still had the rage in my voice.
“I’m sorry. I had to think of something to get you to come home right away. This was the first thing that popped into my head. I’m so sorry White Vinyl.” She now spoke with sadness in her voice. “I didn’t plan for Nightmare Moon to return again. We all thought that she was gone forever. But that wasn’t the case. Now she is back. And she needs to be stopped for good.”
None of us spoke for the rest of the ride into Ponyville. All I did was look out the window and watched as the scenery quickly passed us by. Sometimes I would look at Angel and she would smile at me and I would smile back. She didn’t say anything during the entire journey mostly because she wasn’t sure what to say. I was glad she could come along though. I guess you could say that I loved being with her. No matter what we did, I was happy to have her with me. I like her a lot and I want to tell her. I just don’t know how to tell her though.
You are receiving this letter to inform you of the unfortunate passing of your father Rocky Hooves. Your father was involved in a tragic accident while working at one of his construction sites on the west side of town. Shortly after the accident he was taken to Ponyville General Hospital in hopes that they could help him. After a few hours in surgery Doctor Stable came out to announce that the patient might not survive. He died this morning. Nurse Redheart said that he had passed away in his sleep. I am truly sorry for your loss. You are excused from the next week of classes and lessons with no consequences to your grades or attendance reports. Your mother has requested that you come home for a few days. If there is anything that I can do, write me a letter or come see me in person.
Your mentor,
Twilight Sparkle”
He dropped the letter after he finished reading it. My mother let out a squeal of shock.
“She wrote that letter so I would come home. So I could help her with something important.” I said with slight anger in my voice. “I will write Princess Celestia informing her of her most faithful student’s actions.”
I wanted my father to say something. But this time, silence had fallen upon him. I could tell that my mother was ready to give Twilight a piece of her mind for writing that letter. I went up to my room to write a letter to the princess. Angel followed me up the stairs to my room and sat next to me as I wrote the letter.
I am writing this letter to inform you of the actions of your ‘Most Faithful Student’ Twilight Sparkle. She wrote me a letter yesterday (a copy of which will be included) stating that my father had died. And that I was to come home. Little did I know at that point I was to be included in an operation or action group to find and defeat Nightmare Moon. Yes I am aware that she has returned. I am also aware that she is residing somewhere in Ponyville, hiding in some other pony instead of Princess Luna. I would love to be involved in this but now I choose not to because of how she approached the subject of her needing my help. She stated that she told you of my ability to read minds and that you had requested that I take part because you believed that I could use my ability to find Nightmare Moon faster. After reading the letter that you sent Twilight (she asked me to read it) informing her of Nightmare Moon’s return. I asked her if she used a ploy of my father’s death to be able to get me away from school long enough to help her. It is safe to say that I was enraged with her actions and that I am very disappointed in her. Please do something. At least write me back.
With all due respect,
White Vinyl”
I set the quill and folded the parchment carefully and put in an envelope. I labeled the envelope with the words ‘Princess Celestia’. I put a copy of Twilight’s letter in the envelope as well. I sealed with a stamp and put it in my saddlebag.
“I am going to Canterlot. I want you to stay here in Ponyville. What you do in town is up to you. I should return by morning.” I said quickly as I walked to the door and opened it. I turned around and looked at Angel. “I love you Angel.”
She ran up and kissed me on the cheek. I instantly smiled and blushed slightly.
“I love you too.”
I walked out the door closing it behind me. As I walked down the stairs I could hear my parents talking about Twilight. As I reached the bottom stair they grew quiet and looked at me.
“I am off to Canterlot to deliver my letter to the princess. Angel will stay in town. I will return by morning.” I walked across the main floor towards the door. I walked through the already open door.
“Ok. Please stay safe.” She called as I left.
I walked away from the house until I saw nopony around me. I quickly teleported myself to the north side of Canterlot.
As I arrived in Canterlot, I quickly surveyed the area and spotted the castle to the west. I walked down the main road that went straight through the royal city until I hit the main crossroad. I turned west walking towards the castle. I could see all the other ponies as I walked past the cafes and stores. They were all really polite for the most part. Most of them did say ‘Good day’ or something of the sorts when I walked by them. I always replied to be polite. I liked Canterlot. I came here often to see the sights and sounds of the city. Other ponies said that Manehattan was a better place to tour then Canterlot. I had no interest in Manehattan so I stayed away from there.
As I walked to the castle steps the guard ponies glanced at me but quickly looked back straight ahead. I noticed a larger presence of guards throughout the city than normal. It was understandable seeing how Nightmare Moon had returned. I walked through the castle doors into the large entry hall. I walked past the ballroom and the gardens to the flight of stairs that led up to the throne room. As I approached the doors of the throne room, the guards at the door snapped up to stand tall and open the door for me. I walked through the door and I could see Princess Celestia sitting on her throne. Next to her, sat her little sister Princess Luna on another throne decorated how the Princess of the Night had wished.
I stepped closer and bowed to the princesses. They stood and returned the bow.
“I bet you are wondering how you made it into the castle with such ease.” Celestia spoke out with dignity.
“Yes, as a matter of fact. I was wondering about that.” I spoke as I stood back up.
“I had just received a letter from Twilight saying that you would be coming. She said you had something you needed to tell me.”
“Yes princess. I do.” I pulled the sealed letter out of my bag and used my magic to give it to Celestia. I spoke as she took it. “That envelope contains a letter that I had written before my arrival to Canterlot. It also contains a copy of a letter that Twilight wrote to me the other day. She sent as soon as she was finished with it. I didn’t receive it right away because it was sent to my dorm room. I read it as soon as I returned to my dorm though. I was unhappy with what the letter contained.”
Celestia took her time reading both the letters. Her facial expressions changed every now and then. She looked at me when she finished reading.
“It is true that she told me about your ability. And it is true that I wanted you to take part in the defeat of Nightmare Moon. But only if you felt like you were up to the task. I didn’t want to force you to do anything that you didn’t want. I am sorry for her actions. I will talk with Twilight about her actions.” Celestia spoke sincerity and a sense promise.
Luna never spoke, she only stared at me and I wondered why.
“Do you find me interesting? Is there something in my mind that strikes you as odd? Or is there something else that you are so focused on?” I asked unsure of what Luna was doing.
“I believe she is trying to understand your past.” Celestia said softly. “Judging by her level of concentration, she must have a difficult part.”
“I am going through his recent history. There is a pony that I am seeing very often.” Luna said while maintaining her focus. “There is a very strong connection between you two. A connection of what I believe to be love. You, my little pony, are in love.”
“You’re not the only one that has noticed that connection Luna. I noticed it only a few days ago when I was told about his ability.” Celestia said quickly. “I wonder who the other pony is.”
“With all due respect your Highnesses, I don’t think I need to be told that I am in love with somepony. I think I would notice that.” I quickly stated. “It also should be noted that my memories and past are meant to be secret. Only one pony asides from my parents know of my full past. And I keep it a secret for a reason. The reason you are only finding happy memories is not because that is all my past contains. It also contains some very dark times that I keep locked away so nopony can access them.”
“What kind of dark times?” Luna asked with wonder.
“Dark times that if told to a normal pony they would both break down in tears and stay depressed for quite some time, or they would become enraged with the thought that they would have to do something to stop it from ever happening again.” I said looking away. “I had some really dark times that even when I remember them I still break down. Usually I could just push them away, but sometimes I just break down to a point where I can’t get back up for a while. I try my best to put on a smile but it doesn’t always work. Forgive me for I must leave. I have to return home.”
“Goodbye and good luck.” Celestia called as I ran out trying to hold back the tears.
After I was far enough away from the castle, I found an alley and entered it stopping after I had gone far enough that I couldn’t see the street. I sat down, thought to myself and cried. I could feel myself shaking as I cried tears of sorrow and despair. As I sat in that alley and cried, I could hear the happy voices and shrieks of young ponies. As they continued to play in the street, I remembered more of my foalhood which made me cry even harder. I looked up to the sky as the sun was quickly falling behind the horizon. I got up and attempted to shake those memories away for the time being and walked out of the alley.
The town in which you grew up is one of those places that you should feel safe at. But this time it is different. I don’t feel as safe now with Nightmare Moon on the loose. Even as I walk down the path to the library, it has a very different feeling. Though the citizens of the town act like nothing bad will happen I can sense a feeling of uncertainty in everypony. The further I walk down the path the more I remember the stories that Twilight told during my magic lessons. She had a variety of stories that ranged from myths and legends to current and historical events. And she always told them with great detail. I always listened with great interest to the story of the day. I even remember her telling me about her original encounter with Nightmare Moon. How everypony was tested to their respective Elements of Harmony. She told me that the power of friendship allowed her ignite the spark that defeated Nightmare Moon. The power of friendship is said to be the most powerful force in the world. And from what I heard from Twilight, I could easily agree with that.
The door to the library was open when I arrived. The only time the door was ever open was when somepony was either entering or leaving. With the door already open I walked in and surveyed the room. I took off my glasses and put them away. As I looked around the vast room I noticed that almost nothing was in its correct place. Not a single book lay in place on the shelves. They look as they had been torn into by somepony desperately looking for vital information.
“Twilight, are you here?” I called out into the poorly light room.
With no answer, I walked farther into the library. I tried to be careful not to step on any books, but I didn’t have much luck with that. After stepping on just about everything I couldn’t see I decided to illuminate the room. With more light I could see where I was going. The walls looked like they were attacked by something with sharp claws.
‘I don’t like the way that this looks.’ I thought to myself hoping that this was only a joke.
After walking through the library I entered the study room. As I walked in I stepped into a puddle of something on the floor. I looked down at my hoof and saw that it was stained dark red. I immediately thought of blood. I could hear dripping sounds coming from one corner of the room. I increased the power of my illumination spell and I saw that even this room was not spared. The room was in worse shape than the rest of the library. The remains of a fire smolder in the corner under a closed window. The scent of blood was so thick that it became hard to breathe. As I looked I could see that everything was coated in blood with various patterns. There were also blast marks on the floor and walls and in one spot I could into the next room.
‘The evidence of a battle is plain to see. But who battled? Who won and who lost? And did anypony die?’ I was scared of what I would find but I wanted answers. And I wanted them now.
I walked around the corner and saw something odd hanging on the wall. As I walked closer to it I noticed it was the remains of body. It was tied up to two hooks that were driven into the ceiling. I examined the body and the area surrounding it and I noticed that it was badly tortured and even the skin was removed. One of its rear legs was removed rather carelessly and thrown to the other side of the room. I watched as blood dripped off the other rear hoof into a puddle on the ground. I noticed that the body was stabbed and sliced many times, and judging by the blood pool underneath, he did live very long after the torture began. The cuts were very jagged so it must have been very fast and possibly even done mercilessly and without regret. I was able tell that it was a stallion. But who was it? Is it somepony I knew? Or was he just a random victim who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time?
I heard hoofsteps behind me. I quickly turned around to see that Twilight was standing in the doorway. She looked at me with a sense of contentment.
“I swear I just found this.” I said as I looked away from her. I was scared of what she would say or do.
“I know you didn’t do it because I left him here. I am surprised you have not yet gone for help though.” She said with a half-smile on her face. She walked closer to where the body was.
“I was going to get… Wait. What?” I looked back at her confused. “You left him here? You did this? And where are the guards that are supposed to be with you?”
“That is my guard. I left him here because I went to the park to clear my head of what I just did.” She was now standing in front of me.
“You killed a royal guard? Why?”
I backed away from her slowly. I was in a shocked state. I could not believe that she would kill a guard. Or be able to get away with it for the time being.
“He was staring to annoy me, and wouldn’t be quiet with his stories about his time in the royal guard. And he wouldn’t listen to me. Plus I never wanted to be escorted by anypony especially royal guards. I can’t get any private matters done because they are following me. They are only useful when I need somepony arrested or a building searched for evidence. Any other time, they become a nuisance.”
I could tell that she was still quite lost and upset about what happened, but I felt no pity for her. I had only one thought running in my head. She turned and looked at me, then walked out of the room.
‘Don’t just stand there Vinyl. You have to do something about. You can’t just let her get away with murder.’ I walked out of the library with an image of the room etched into my brain. I wanted to pretend as if nothing had happened and that this is all just a twisted nightmare. But I have this strange inkling that this will happen again. But when, and who will be the next victim?
It hurts me to do this but, I have to cancel, for a few reasons. 1. I had a few chapters ready but then my computer broke and I lost everything. 2. I have hardly worked on it at all in the last few months. Maybe only working on it at most once a week. 3. Being in school and now with a part-time job leave almost no time for my personal matters. And finally 4. I just pretty much gave up writing and drawing. I unfortunately don't find it a pleasurable as I used to.
I am truly sorry to those who loved or enjoyed it.
The life I have now is filled with peace, happiness, and serenity. I am always surrounded by my friends who are just as happy as I am. The times we have together are always memorable no matter what we do. But this isn’t about the life I have now. It’s about the life I had when I was younger. My life back then was very different. It was filled with most things you would either find in horror films or nightmares.
Little do I remember of my first few years of life or even my birth. I’m not even sure I was born. To this day I still believe I was created in a top-secret science lab hidden deep underground or in some forest or something of the sorts, working for Her Majesties Crown to build weapons of mass destruction or something. All I know of those years is that the parents I had couldn’t possibly be my birth parents, if I at one point even had birth parents. But more on them later.
