The Birth of a World

It was a Friday afternoon at Golden Oaks library. All that could be heard was the turning of pages, and the scratch of a quill on parchment - until a voice punctuated the silence.

“SPIKE... SPIKE, where is the copy of Natural magick?” called Twilight Sparkle, resident and current librarian.

With a loud grumble, the purple drake trudged up the stairs, hammer in hand. Stomping over to the mare. “The same place it’s been the last four times you asked me,” Spike snapped gesturing to the stack of magic books piled high next to the lavender mare.

“Oh... hehe, sorry Spike. I guess I am just so wrapped up in this topic that I am losing my head,” Twilight apologized to the young dragon.

"Yeah yeah, you‘d lose your head if it were a book,” Spike muttered as he returned to the basement. Stopping short of the stairs Spike put a hand to his chin. “Hey, do we have any emeralds left? I need like three more.”

"Yes, Rarity left the gems she couldn't use yesterday," Twilight got to her hooves, "which you would have known if you came out of the basement every once in awhile." She walked toward her erstwhile assistant. "What are you doing down there, anyway?" she asked, trying to peer past the dragon.

Spike slammed the door with his tail before heading to the Gem cupboard, “Just some research I’m doing, alright?” Twilight raised her eyebrow and tilted her head. “Yes, for the hundredth time, I know it seems weird that all of a sudden I am interested in research” Spike stared at his surrogate sister with a intense gaze, which started to wilt as Twilight held her disbelieving look. “Please stop looking at me like that.” Spike entered the kitchen, and popped his head out as Twilight tried sneaking towards the door to the basement. “Stay out of there!”

Twilight begrudgingly went back to her own research as Spike returned to the kitchen to fetch the three emeralds. Walking out to the Anteroom, he turned on his tail and decided on a snack of tourmaline, before heading back downstairs.

Twilight watched Spike, descend the steps and tried to return to her studies but curiosity is a powerful thing. What is he doing down there? I am so curious but I do not want to disturb him especially if he has taken an interest in anything educational. Argh, but what is he doing that has had him secluded for almost a week? Twilight felt like interrupting his privacy, just to be able to know what he was doing.

Knock Knock

Twilight sighed Now who could that be? The library sign says closed. Slowly dragging herself from her spot on the floor, Twilight took her sweet time, in approaching the door. Reaching for the handle she suddenly stopped, I got a feeling I do not want to open this door. Everytime I do something bad happens.

“Twilight, yah in there.” With another sigh she put on a happy face and opened the door “Hello Applejack, what brings you to the library?”

“Howdy. As to what ah’m doin’ here, ah’m here to get you away from your books. Land's Sake, Sugarcube, ah have not seen yah in near a week.” Applejack made her way to the center of the library. The orange mare took a big sniff, crinkling her nose at the stench emanating from plates of days old food.

“Sugarcube, this proves mah point that yah need to get out of here, it looks like yah ain’t cleaned fer days.” Flipping several plates onto her back, expertly balancing them, AJ paused at the kitchen door.  “An’ where the hay is Spike, isn’t he usually helping yah with this sorta thing?”

Twilight blushed at the mess that her friend was cleaning up. With a spark of her horn she levitated the rest of the plates and followed her friend.

“Usually he does, but apparently he has been so busy doing some research that he can’t be bothered to help. Not only that but it suddenly sprung up after I got a shipment of books for my research that has started, so I think he’s just avoiding work.” As the two mares approached the kitchen an explosion ripped through the basement, the shattering of glass could be heard after the initial boom of the explosion.

Spike burst through the door leading to the basement. “IT’S ALRIGHT, NO NEED TO PANIC!”  Slamming the door shut after him, he slumped to the ground breathing heavily.

“Spike! What happened are you...” Twilight stopped her charge as a scent graced her nose with a pleasant aroma. “I-Is that wintergreen?”

Finally catching his breath, Spike looked at his surrogate sister as she stared at him eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. “Uhh yeah it is, my uh research kinda blew up in my face...literally hehe”

“Spike, if you do not tell me what is going on I will go find out for myself,” Twilight snapped. Spike whipped his head around as Applejack chuckled from the kitchen doorway.

“Ohh hey Applejack, when did you get here?”

“Howdy to you too, and a few minutes ago.”

Twilight stalked closer to the dragon like a predator stalking prey, and Twilight’s prey was information. “Do Not change the subject I wanna know what is going on down there and I want to know now.”

Swallowing loudly, Spike looked around the room for a means of escape, before his eyes rested on Applejack, he latched onto the idea, like it was a lifeline.

“Hey, tell me about your research you are doing, me and Applejack wanna hear about it.” Spike closed his eyes, when no magic levitation came, he peered out. Looking at Twilight he could see a spark in her eye as she went off about her research. Whew, better sneak back into the basement before I get sucked into the lecture as well. He felt terrible for leaving Applejack alone with Twilight while she was talking about studying, but this breakthrough was important, and a week of work was riding on it.

“In short I am researching how the world came into existence.”

“Uhh, right, that sounds very interestin’.” Applejack and Twilight walked in silence for a few minutes as they approached the center of town.

“Well, what do you think?” Twilight stopped as she awaited the answer from Applejack who kept walking, as if oblivious.

“Think about what?” Applejack's mouth moved before she could think about her answer. Oh no ah forgot ah wasn’t paying attention to the technical mumbo jumbo... think... what did she say at the very end something about ‘in short’

Twilight watched as Applejack put a hoof to her chin in thought, excited at first that her friend might have understood. Time rolled past, she grew less excited as she came to realize that Applejack had not been listening. And here I have been talking for fifteen minutes...better give her a hint

“What did you think about my research? About how science and magic mixed to create the planet,” Twilight bit out.

“Ohh right, ah right, sorry yah tend to ramble a bit.” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed that she was caught “Yah done any research on the Holy Titans? They were the ones who created the planet.” Applejack offered, resuming walking towards Sugarcube corner, where they had planned on going for lunch.

There was no way that Applejack could believe in the drivel that was Titanism, was there? The belief of creation through the 'All-maker', or the 'Creator' as some called it; that thought was that the 'All-maker' sent Echos of himself to the planet in order to craft a world in which he could shape the planet and create the life that dwelled upon it.

Twilight had always scoffed at Titanism, as an uneducated way of explaining the things they had not taken the time to study, like 'Science and Magical Theorem'. There was no evidence to support this idea, and if there was no evidence then there was no place for it in her mind.

Applejack stopped and walked back to the motionless lavender mare, thinking that she had hurt her feelings by not paying attention to the research paper.  Who could blame her really? Ah do not understand half what she says anyways plus it is so boring and makes my head hurt, it’s almost as bad as trying to understand Pinkie Pie’s antics sometimes.

“Twilight?” Applejack called, waving her hooves in front of her face. “TWILIGHT!” Shouting in her ear seemed to have the desired effect.

“Huh? Ohh sorry Applejack, I thought you said the Holy Titans created the planet, and I was trying to think of some possible way I could have been mistaken.”  Twilight looked at Applejack with a crooked smile, that said “Please tell me I am wrong”.

“That is what ah said, come on sugarcube, everyone knows that the Holy Titans created the planet, else how would we be here?” Apparently, Applejack did not get the message.

“What, you really believe that some supernatural beings came and orchestrated the creation of an entire planet, by themselves?” Twilight's eye twitched. She was hearing information that was not in her books, or had any base in science or magic. Her hair was starting to stick out at odd angles, and her pupils started to shrink.

“If orchestrated means that the Titans did it then, yes. ...Come on Twi, yah gotta have some book that tells yah about the Titans, and how they raised the planet.” Noticing the signs of a panic attack Applejack fell back on an old trick she and her friends discovered when Twilight started to lose it. “Just ask the Princesses, They are immortal. They would know,  they should know.” Applejack explained, as she watched Twilight pace in front of her.

Twilight took a calming breath,“Okay, okay” Smoothing down her hair she continued.  “I am going explain a few things. First, the Princesses may be immortal but that means they can live for a long time, not that they have lived a long time.” Applejack opened her mouth to ask a question. “And before you ask, I already asked. Second, there is no magical source powerful enough to shape the earth itself, the amount of power that would be need would be immense. Their magical font would have to be enormous, so big that the princesses’ would be like a drop of water in comparison. Third, and most important, there is absolutely no basis, in recorded history or the entirety of Science and magic for these so called Titans.” Twilight’s smile was twisting into a grin. “So you are wrong the Titans did not - could not have created the planet nor even have existed!”

Applejack listened to the entire speech quietly, her face down turned, Twilight could not see the emotions playing on her face. Finally looking up with a face of hurt she spoke quietly. “Twilight ah may not be as smart as yah, but yah gotta take it on faith.” Applejack said shakily. “Not only that, this is mah belief, not yours, so do not make light of it,”Applejack did not take lightly to accusations against her beliefs, she stood by them, but none of the ponies she encountered that did not believe were Twilight. No, she had to stay firm in her belief. but it’s so hard, especially when one of mah friends is so smart and can throw all sorts of doubt at me.

“Applejack I am going to say this once, there is absolutely no...”

“WATCH OUT!” Applejack pushed Twilight reflexively, and jumped back landing in the ditch next to the road. there was a loud fwump and a groan as something struck the road.

“WHEE, can we do that again Dashie? Can we, Can we?” A pink mare bounced up and down on top of a cerulean pegasus.

“Pink...oof.... ie pie...oww stop bounc...NGGH please” the pegasus was pushed deeper into the earth with each bounce.

“Oh my gosh, sorry Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie pie stopped in midair, walking several steps backwards to bounce up and down several feet away.

Rainbow dash rose with a groan. Bones could be heard realigning as she stretched her wings. The abused pegasus flapped her wings to  her bring to a hover. Dash scooped up the unicorn, depositing her on her hooves. “Hehe, sorry bout that girls. Me and Pinks were flying when she started getting fidgety.”

“Gosh darn it, RD, yah coulda killed us.” AJ said jumping to her feet. The farm pony glared at the cerulean colored mare.

“Yeah yeah. Jeez, AJ, no need to get all mad, no way the most awesome pony would do something like that-"

“CARAVAN!” Pinkie pie shouted.

“Ohh right, there is some kind of caravan coming into town, has all sorts of ponies, and zebras. With magic tricks and stories and who know else, you guys gotta come and hang with us today.” Rainbow Dash explained excitedly.

Twilight huffed “I would love to but I have some research to finish doing, gotta prove that the world was made logically and not by a silly fantasy,”  As she turned to go home, Twilight heard a whimper, turning back she saw Pinkie giving her puppy dog eyes, that said it all. Looking at AJ, she noticed that her demeanor had softened and she tilted her head towards where the caravan was supposedly coming.

“Fine... but you and I are not done,” She said pointedly at AJ,

“Ohh girl ah’ll trounce yah any day o’ the week ending in ‘why’.”

While Rainbow Dash and Pinkie grabbed AJ and Twilight, the caravan had set up shop around Town Hall. There were Gazelles selling herbs and poultices, Zebras telling stories and hawking their crafts, even a few Wolven made the journey from the north to sell their scrimshaw carvings. But the Elephants were what attracted the most attention, huge beings easily seven ponies tall, told the tale of the caravan.

“Wowie zowie, there is so much stuff here, look at that, the one with the long nose,” Pinkie pie zoomed from one stall to the next trying to see everything at once. Pinkie bounced to reach the elephants ear “Hey... my name is.... Pinkie Pie,...What's yours?”

“My name is Agnota, young one. To what do I owe the pleasure of speaking to a beautiful pony such as yourself?” the elephant spoke softly and it took a little while to complete his sentence, but he did not shy away from Pinkie’s hyper-activeness like most creatures tended to.

Pinkie stopped bouncing blushing at the complement. “Well uhh, I noticed you’re new in town, well there are lots of new people, and I was wondering if you would like a party to umm say hi to all of you at once.” she said slowly and somberly, much to her three friends' surprise.

“I would be honored to help one such as yourself, young one. Come, we will go get started and I would like to hear more of this spectacular mare named Pinkie.” Pinkie regained a little bit of her usual bounce and they both wandered off to set up the party.

“Did ya’ll just see what ah just saw?” a stupefied Applejack asked. Twilight and Rainbow Dash both nodded their heads in amazement. With one simple sentence the elephant did the impossible, he calmed Pinkie down to a point where you could actually talk to her without all the random stuff.

“Only the Titan’s coulda made something as random as Pinkie,” Dash said as she worked her wings, flapping around different stalls, to check their wares.

“Not you too,Dash?” Twilight groaned. I would have thought Rainbow, would have been too worried about training to care.

“Of course! All pegasi know that Aether, Titan of Wind, granted the pegasus the ability to fly when he created wings, allowing us to fly free in his domain. He also gave us the ability to work with clouds to create our homes.” Rainbow recited, like a school lesson.

“Ah heard of Aether but ah was taught about Gaia, how she gave us the blessings of earth.”Applejack put her hoof to her chin in thought. “ Ain’t there a more though? Ah only ever heard of three; Aether, Gaia and Furion.”

Twilight was about to say something when a black robed figure walked up to the group,

“But of course there is more, those who you call the ‘Holy Titans’ were not always the benevolent forces you make them out to be, they were originally known as the Primordials, and wreaked untold havoc and destruction unto this world.”

“Ah’m sorry but who are yah, and how do yah know all of that... stuff?” Applejack looked at the figure with apprehension, and a little bit of reluctance.

“Forgive me for my rudeness. My name is Saren, I am known as a lorewalker among my people. I have traveled far and wide gathering the story of the Holy Titans and the Primordials, which I would gladly tell you if you would but listen.” Saren threw his hood back revealing a striped face, a tidy ‘ponytail’ mane, and several piercings in his ears.

Taking flight, Dash shouted“You're a zebra?” she  flew in close “How come you don't talk in rhyme?” Her face pressed to his, she sneered “Are you a Spy?”

Saren backed up slightly clearing his throat to make a defense when the purple mare spoke up.

“Rainbow, that is really rude.” With a flash of magic Twilight, sat Rainbow down before continuing. “I am sorry Saren, we have a friend who is a Zebra, her name is Zecora, she speaks in rhyme.” Rainbow Dash gave an awkward smile of apology. “ Now, as to what you were saying, there is no evidence to support your claims. How can you know this stuff and expect us to believe it?”

“Zecora... hmm, I have heard of her, I do believe. If she talks in rhyme then she must be a Shaman, as only those and those affiliated with shamans speak in rhyme.” Saren smiled “It is a cultural thing.”  as he motioned the trio to come with him. They moved to a series of benches where they made themselves comfortable. “Alright, I know this story by heart, almost like I lived it.”

Saren chuckled, continuing. “Now, as to how I know all that I know, well some parts you have to take on faith, others I have gathered from the corners of the planet, little snippits. Also, I have gathered this information from other cultures. And yes, before you ask about scientific proof, I have cross checked them and validated them with each other, and other obscure references. Now, if you would like to hear this story I will tell you, but let it be known this could shake the very foundations of your beliefs. Are you ready?”

All three mares nodded their heads, and got comfortable for what seemed like it was going to be a long story.

“Alright then. This is the Story of the Holy Titans and The Primordials...”