The Bond

Chapter 21

Yet Another Ruined Day

Canterlot.

Many ponies, from ordinary folk to the talented Classical Era poets, had described her to others not bathed in her majestic glory. Although it's very rare for one to find anypony that has not seen those pure white walls of the millenium old city that circle her, protecting the homes of the vast pony population from any outside threat. Although many have tried, and some with minor success, none have been successful in an attempt to subdue the ivory city and the royal palace. Nonetheless peace was valued, and therefore wars were present only in history.

Being a capital, Canterlot held a significant position over other cities like Manehattan, Trottingham and Fillydelphia. Her age and wisdom guaranteed that her voice was the last to be heard on any dispute.

Wisdom was, exceptionally, one source for fame of the city known even in outside lands as the “Pearl of Knowledge”. Glamorous Canterlot Lyceum was the destination for the smartest individuals of ponykinds youth, many funded by Celestial stipendium programs. Even griffons and zebras had found their way to the musky lecture halls to be teached by best of the best.

But high education isn’t anything, if one doesn’t have proper materials or information.

And that’s where Royal Archives come in. Its mission was to provide any seeker with the answers either in advice or form of written word. Librarians of the place were highly honoured due to their ability to keep the place dusted up whilst somehow managing to file charges for anypony late with a book. The place wasn’t merely a huge library, it also stored vast amounts of artifacts from all periods of time and had been dubbed as the unofficial museum the city didn't have..

However it didn’t matter if the building was locked up and every entrance was guarded a guard squad. Mixture of both Solar and Nocturne guard units, working side by side.

By the front entrance, a hassle had already broken out as guards cleared up the yard. Even though the archives itself had been closed for the sixth day, the vast showcase gardens around it wasn’t. It was a popular hotspot for anyone to gather over and view the colorful plant life.

Luckily for the brigade, few civilians were present and they stayed at inaudibly muttering while leaving the place. It didn’t mean anything for the guards, as they then dropped down the red carpet and rolled it over, by the splashing fountain over to the now open oaken double doors. Then all of them formed on both sides of the carpet, on neat rows.

And they waited...

*Thump*

… until the large Royal Pegasi Chariot landed down on the yard.

“Attention!”

Everypony presented their arms, being unicorns armed with iron spears, and took a formal posture to form a honorary alley down the red carpet. All gazes were locked forward and no guard dared to move while their tall ruler passed by them.

Soon, the entrance to the Archives was re-locked.

And inside the main hall the white alicorn sighed in deep before venturing onwards inside the empty building. Full emphasis on empty, the only ponies present were the stationed guards at the alicorn clearly saw on her way down the well lit hallways. On sides were present many different glass exhibitions while windows opened up a view to the scientific greenhouse. It gave her a friendly reminder to visit her own private garden and plant that floret she had received from the Zebrican ambassador.

But Celestia quickly discarded her current thoughts as she came to her destination. It was an oval shaped hall with bookcases circling around, reaching over to the ceiling high above. There was, in fact, a movable platform powered by unicorn magic, mostly one of the librarians, that could be used to reach the top. Even if most of the visitors preferred to have the librarians bring the needed book or parchment brought to them. By the middle desks had been laid for ponies to read in peace and quiet.

However all but one desk remained and by it sat a dark blue alicorn.

“Sister,” Celestia greeted and stepped forward. “I see you’re still working.”

The younger alicorn didn’t answer and instead Celestia saw how her horn glowed in her teal magic. Then what looked like a mist left it in a form of cloud that trailed through the air over to one of the bookcases, engulfing it in the magical glow. A moment passed before the magic concentrated upon a single book that pulled out and soon pushed other book off the desk.

Just then Celestia noticed the piles of books over the floor “Well somepony has been working hard. But I don’t think the librarians would appreciate the mess you’ve caused.”

The other alicorn snorted “Why of course. What else did thee expect from us?” she briefly leered at her standing sister while the book laid open on the desk.

Celestia giggled and sat down next to her “Luna, you ought to learn some humour,” the younger alicorn rolled her eyes “A little bit of laughter helps to get through otherwise dull days. Take it from me, dear sister.”

“We highly doubt that. And what makes thou think we don’t know the art of humour?” to her dismay, Celestia widened her smile so Luna’s face dropped back to the book “Pray tell, was thou journey pleasant?”

Celestia kept smiling “As always. But if it’d be my choice, I would have stretched out my wings, but the Pegasi guard doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” for a minute, the alicorn stayed quiet “The position of ruler does discard some forms of activities.”

“Mmh.”

The regal alicorn cocked her eye “Don’t say you agree with me Luna? If I’d need guess, you really love formal activities.”

For a moment Luna stopped the reading and shook her head “Don’t let our activities fool thou. Yes, we more than love these so-called ‘formal’ activities thou seem to very much despite. As or one, we like dancing, singing, midnight banquets...”

You have at least successfully charmed every youngster from all noble houses, Celestia thought behind her smile.

“...poem writing, painting, playing violin et cetera. These activities bring us much joy and peace, very much like the friendship reports thee occasionally receive and visits to the common folks. However;” then Luna’s gaze turned upwards and Celestia too looked. The whole ceiling was covered in a beautiful mosaic illustration resembling an astronomical map of Equestria’s night sky. It was very precise on scale and all known star formations were present.

“We like to put it on the tab of being the Princess of the Night, responsible for the nightly dance of the stars and the moon.”

Both alicorns continued to eye the top structure.

In the end, it was the oldest of them who broke it.

“I didn’t know you play violin.”

Now it was Luna’s turn to smile “And it came to our surprise thou love to play around in dirt.”

Common laughter filled the reading hall as both Princesses couldn’t holster themselves. But this didn’t last for long. As both of them calmed down, Luna turned her attention back on the open book.

Celestia sighed “So, have you found anything on either of subjects at matter?”

A page flipped by “Very mixed. Too much information deals with our demise and fall from grace. Most could be labelled as myths, speculations and ‘real’ history based on mouth to mouth traditions. Too shame, we merely found one manual scripture from Pre-Classical era that could be labeled useful and it was an unreadable showcase.”

Celestia closed her eyes “Its shame we cannot tell which are true or false... And the other subject?”

Luna leered at her “Only possible theory we can conjure is that they were, at some point in time, affected by dark magic. Possibly some old minion of... Hers that has been able to stay hidden since the Fall.”

“Questionable theory.” Celestia cut in.

“Yet very believable. It would explain the partial memory loss and the amount of energy present on that one day. Let us not forget that illusion conjuration doesn’t harm the surroundings and... thou knows how much She loves them. Its also supported by the notes from thee school’s magicians.”

The white alicorn nodded. Her best researchers on magic had been working nonstop in an attempt to make sense out of the strange magical activity. Even after a week of gruesome work, only one fact had been established:

The magic was purely dark.

“That’s... grave news indeed,” she said after some consideration of the idea something dangerous out there and after her little ponies. “Then, is there any information about this thing?”

Luna too nodded before pointing a hoof to a passage on the side “We moved texts deemed worthy for thou eyes there. We pray they’ll be useful.” she explained whilst returning to her book and Celestia stood up.

The way led past rows of shelves that followed the shape of the room, like the alicorn had noticed earlier. However what she had missed that the shelves continued further behind the front ones, leaving gaps for ponies to walk through. But as she saw, even the widest one she walked through proved to be a tight fit.

Not that I’m fat... I just like cake.

After she had passed three or four rows, the alicorn saw at the end a study desk and the literature piled on it.

The alicorn sighed and dropped her head.

But it doesn’t explain that odd... feeling.

I could swear upon my crown that there’s something mor-

Then Celestia noticed something.

The alicorn’s hooves stopped, but her eyes stayed locked on the stone floor and at the large folded scroll underneath her shadow. Her eyebrow cocked as she looked at her surroundings, and to see no other laying books neither scrolls laying around.

Luna must have been uncareful, the alicorn came to a conclusion. At the same time, her golden magic took ahold of the object and levitated it over to her before unfolding its purple tie.

Her eyes scrolled down the text.

Afterwards, some five minutes later, her mouth let out a screeching scream.

* * * * *

Back inside the library the baby dragon groaned as his back hit up against the fluffy pillow out of fatigue. For what had felt like an eternity, he had been conducting on his morning routines all around the household. It didn’t really differ much from his normal days, every morning he’d be the second to wake, yet still somehow first to touch the kitchen. And the laundry. And the mail. And last night's study books...

Nothing too out of normal there, Spike thought and rolled over in the velvet pillow, specially made for him by his secret love.No, it's because of him...

Wholesome of Spike’s routine had been utterly vanquished with the sudden addition of third resident. Suddenly his work size had been doubled and, what was worth Twilight refused to have him do any chores.

“That’s not what a good host does.” he mimicked Twilight’s reedy voice before snorting “Yeah, totally true to say by a mare taken care by a baby.”

Yet as he again rolled over his seat, he planted his head down on the purple fabric and let out muffled groan.

And worse, he has already wrapped a tiny, little hoof over my sweet Rarity. There’s no way I can outmatch his long horn.... that’s about it, a really long horn. Wonder what so appealing in them that has to be showcased in so many magazines... Maybe I could search for a spell that would give a really big and long horn, or ask Zecora if she’s got some sort of potion? Or wait, didn't Twi’ once mention a shrinking lotion?

Time passed by as he wondered his different possibilities to salvage his relationship. However, in the end, it fell down as the fatigue caught up to him. But he still couldn’t help but to smile victoriously and eye his little violet jar, with an image of a pony scratching itself. And at the mental image of the screaming silver unicorn jumping out of his bed in the upcoming night.

“Oh this is so great!” the snickering dragon exclaimed.

“Oh what is Spike?”

“Gah!” Spike screamed and instantly hid the powder jar only possible place, underneath himself, before turning over to look at the lavender unicorn, curiously eyeing the nervous dragon “Umm...No, nothin at all! It just..”

“Yes?” Twilight smiled.

“I was just...”Spike staggered to come up with an answer “Just... Oh yes, thinking how great it is that Nucleus and his friends are having their...”

“Picnic?” Twilight gently added and Spike nodded “I’m pretty sure they’re having the time of their lives eating those Apple sweets. Anyways, I’ll leave you up to nap, I still have to catch up some reading and cataloging new books.”

To this the dragon completely agreed upon and closed his eyes, feeling how exhausted he was.

But then, he felt an awful new feeling... around where the hard object was pressing against him.

*Knock, knock*

Twilight turned away from the sleeping dragon “Hmm, who could that be?” she wondered whilst walking over to the library door and opening it to reveal her yellow pegasus friend “Oh, good morning Fluttershy. Geez, aren’t you in town early today.”

The timid pegasus squealed “ Oh I am? I’m so sor-”

Twilight facehoofed, “Well don't’ just stand there. Come on in,” As both of the mares turned back to face the inside, the unicorn cleared her throat “Spike, could you kind-”

But her words slurred down to an incoherent mumbling.

Directly ahead of them, Spike was furiously dry humping the wooden steps railing and moaning loudly, his tongue hanging from side and waving in rhythm of the movement. Both of the mares turned red, yet continued to watch at the activity.

“Oh my...”

“SPIKE, WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU DOING?!”

* * * * *

“And that’s how I have spent my last days in Ponyville!” the dark blue pegasus wrapped up his talk and dropped on his back, in own words for ‘dramatic-effect’. But not on bare grass, but on a white-red checkered cloth. Quite a comfy feeling as the pegasus quickly noticed while he was stretching out his four hooves and giving a quick look up to the clear sky.

But beside him, the silver grey unicorn rubbed his face “My brains hurt...”

“What?” Alto Stratus shot back up to sit “Don’t tell me I hurt your little fancy pony brains with my past week’s activity?” he asked with a grin while gazing back at the piles of treats, laid open around the picnic cloth.

“I think you just did...” Nucleus whispered in pain before putting his glasses on “How, may I ask, could you be so stupid to think something like televisions in Equestria? And moreover, how come you never came to ask this stuff from me?”

The pegasus snorted “Just cause I saw few episodes of some girls show doesn’t instantly give me your nerd knowledge... No offence meant pal.”

“None taken,” the unicorn smiled and poured more cider from the jug “Although I do recall a certain someone cosplaying Sonic in a furry costume last Halloween.”

“A-anyways,” Alto quickly continued while Nucleus lazily shrugged and sipped the sweet liquid. “I honestly didn’t know this. And I didn’t really want to bother cause you've got your own shit to worry over. Is that magic stuff even coming out fine?”

The unicorn smirked and closed his eyes. Then Alto saw how his horn began to glow, in a bright teal like his pupils, and that same glow formed over his cider glass that floated over to his mouth.

“Sweet.” the pegasus whistled as Nucleus took a new sip “So anyways, you can just imagine me going shop to shop looking for a one and... form your own image.”

Nucleus did as told, and he couldn’t help but to see very desperate looking Alto zigzagging across the streets, from building to building and eyes growing wider with every visit.

Alto snorted at his friends grin “Yeah, yeah laugh all you want. But then, just as I had lost my hope and decided to head back over to the Creepy Ropes shope, I heard it.”

He then wrapped his hoof around Nucleus’s neck and waved a hoof up over to the sky.

“Button smashing...” he dramatically finished.

But it didn’t work on the unicorn, who rolled his eyes “And that’s how great Alto Stratus found the arcade machines of Ponyville and has spent all of his payment bits on them, beating highscore after another. Great job, my dear friend.” he retorted sarcastically.

“Ugh, loosen up your pants, mate. Of course I’ve put some money on the side. Do you honestly think I’m a total idiot?” Alto laughed before stuffing a huge piece of apple pie in his mouth.

“I stay from answering.”

“Spewf youf,” Alto muttered, bits of food flying all over, before he looked past the smiling unicorn and over to base of the tree, few feet away from where they had settled down for to eat. “Hey Maero, I seriously hope you ain’t sleeping there.”

Underneath the shadows of the young maple tree and leaning against the strong trunk, the maroon coated Earth pony didn’t respond. Besides him was laid a tray and a glass.

“Oh for fucks sake. Maero, wake up!”

But to his shock the huge pony’s head tilted and revealed his face “Mind keeping it down, somebody’s trying to sleep.”

“No we won’t,” Alto intentionally raised his tone and patted the spot next to him “Come on and join, was just about to talk about how shitty I’m doing with my flight training. And we still need to hear about your misadventures.”

But Maero shrugged “It’s been the same dull work on the two farms and delivering cargo around. Too bad for you, I haven’t done anything else,” he then pushed his straw hat deeper “Now, I seriously need to sl-”

Then something dropped directly on top of his head and rolled down on the side.

It was an acorn.

* * * * *

“So, wait, a book on animal diet?” Twilight said in a disbelief and her yellow friend nodded on other side of the table “But Fluttershy, you’re the most experienced animal caretaker I’ve ever met. How come you suddenly need a book on animal food?”

Her pegasus friend looked down at her tea cup, that Spike had served them couple of minutes earlier “Umm... well you see, there’s this new animal friend I’ve got. A squirrel. For the past days, he has refused to eat the food I’ve served for others. At first I thought it must have been adjustment, being in a new place, however it has gone on for a week so perhaps the problem lays with the food,” she then proceeded to look down “I mean... if its okay for you to look for-”

But Twilight giggled and stood up “Hang on, I think I recall seeing that sort of manual around. Just give me a minute.” the unicorn explained and left for backroom of the library, leaving Fluttershy alone by the table.

So Fluttershy waited by the table, and wondered about her new little friend.

And just how a strange animal he was. Not that it wouldn’t be odd, lots of animals she takes care of have tendency to act weird. However the squirrel had been a total black-hole for her; every morning as she opened the door, the poor thing would instantly dash out of the cottage and come back only by the late hours.

Maybe I should try to chat with it? Perhaps it just misses its home. I do recall how Angel used to-

But Fluttershy’s thoughts were cut short as she saw Twilight walk back to the main hall. She could see how two different books floated above the unicorn; one green covered and the other...

“Umm...Twilight?” Fluttershy whispered.

Twilight smiled as she stopped by the table and lowered the green one down on it “Oh yes, I found just what you’re looking for! This here list all possible little animals and their feeding habits and also where they’re met, so it should help you-”

“Twilight! Ups, I’m sorry...” Fluttershy squealed at her own sudden outburst and tried to hide behind her long mane.

“Hmm, what now?” the unicorn questioned, and so Fluttershy pointed her hoof behind her.

And the lavender unicorn turned.

Only to have her jaw drop.

Ahead of her and in mid-air, was that book. Nucleus’s book.

“In Celestia’s name.”Twilight muttered and gawked at same time at the sight. All she could see was the bok floating; there wasn’t anything visible holding it up. No magic aura. No nothing.

However the book didn’t stay put, more to her shock, and instead slowly moved throughout the air, closing towards the open window by the top.

As it flew out, Twilight shot out over to the front door and out to the library yard. Just in time to see the book exiting through the window before lowering back down to just a hoof length above her.

By the time Fluttershy too got out, she was met with...

“Fluttershy, gather rest of the girls!”

* * * * *

*Pant, pant*

“Holy shit, what the fuck man?!”

“Just run for Christ sake!”

* * * * *

“So, wait, why are we following this book?” asked the voice of Rainbow amongst the group of mares, all travelling along the road leading outside of Ponyville while at same time looking up upon at the laws of physics and magic breaking book.

Well except Pinkie Pie, hopping up and down with a smile on her face.

“Ah have to agree with Dash, just why are we all here?” Applejack too commented over to the lavender unicorn up ahead, just underneath the shadow of the book.

The question went unheard for her.

But not for Pinkie Pie.

“Well isn’t it obvious? That book there must some sort of super-duper-extra important book because Twilight can’t stop its movement with her magic, even if being the Element of Magic and ups, you all know that already, so anyways; she cannot stop it so duh, we have to follow it around aaaaaaaall over and over and over and over Ponyville until it decides to call quits, which is quite unlikely as we’ve been following it for, what, half hour already and it still goes on and on and on and on before the author of this silly story, who really ought to get ahold of his writing schedule, decides to shut me up for to tell that-”

The suddenly the book ahead dropped dead cold on ground and on top of the unicorn.

Yet she didn’t even flinch.

As she, amongst with her five friends saw something else.

* * * * *

“Gah!”

*Growl*

“Alex! You pieces of sh-”

“Alto!”

* * * * *

Everywhere they looked, all six of them saw the same mess. Smashed up food littered the ground, plates had been shattered apart, the cloth had been torn to shred and shot up the branches of the tree.

“Hold on... these look familiar.” Applejack commented as she examined the fabric with narrowed eyes “Sweet apples, this is our picnic blanket!”

“What?!” Twilight roared and galloped over to the orange mare “Are you absolutely sure?”

“Ah swear upon Apple family honor; this is our stuff all over here; this cloth, that basket over there, guess too those broken glasses too...” she paused for a moment, her horrified look dawning a realization as she looked upon rest of the girls.

“This... this is where Ah guided the fellows to,” the cowmare finally whispered and rest of them gave her a questioning look, so she quietly explained “Maero asked today for a good picnic spot, so Ah told him about this place. Peace and quiet, just close to town. Perfect place.”

“Well I think this now is more scrapped than perfect. I mean, just look over there. Somepony likes to waste some good food.” Pinkie Pie commented and pointed past Applejack. As everypony turned to look, they witnessed how bits of food formed what resembled very much a trail.

A trail leading inside a patch of woods close by.

* * * * *

“Ugh! Jesus...”

*Thump*

“Gah, hurts...”

*Growl*

“No, stay back!”

...Pathetic...

...Utterly pathetic...

“W-wha-”

...Please be quiet...

...And terribly sorry in advance...

* * * * *

I’ve been such a fool.

Celestia's eyes opened up, to see her younger sister looking down upon her, a shocked expression visible on her royal face.

“Sister! Art thou fine?!” she yelled from concern.

Laughter.

Luna looked upon with a shock how her older sister stood up.

The timid outburst didn’t end, instead became more powerful.

“Yes, yes I am,” Celestia smiled and lifted the open scroll up to air before folding it close “Now come, we must leave.”

* * * * *

Silence...

Nopony out of the group dared to utter a single word whilst passing the trees, crowding the area and laying shadows over the crumb trail. Leading the group was Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow, who all kept a firm look downwards.

“But ah don’t get it. Just what could have caused all this?” Applejack wondered under her breath, however it got picked up by the other two ponies.

“That I don’t know, however it must have obviously been something dangerous. At least based on  how wrecked that site was,” Twilight answered whilst looking up ahead “But the rather bigger question is why would they have escaped it? They are three grown stallions, I’d think any animal would rather avoid them than pick a fight.”

“Well,” Rainbow cut in and stretched her hooves with loud knacks “Whatever it is, it’s gonna get wrecked!”

“Ugh, how about you just check out what’s ahead, will you?” Applejack growled, and the cyan pegasus shot her a look before dashing over the bushes.

But over behind them, the three other mares stayed quiet. Rarity and Fluttershy as a pair, staying side to side to each other, whilst Pinkie Pie, at least according to her own words, ‘cleaned’ out after them.

Yet now the fashionista pony turned to look back, and shot a disgusted look at the pink pony “Ugh, Pinkie, do you need to do that?”

“What? But they do teach at the school not to litter the fragile nature, or at least something close to that. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to school, so I don’t really remember. I should probably also ask if they’ve decided to include cupcake making as a subject.” Pinkie Pie said while her tongue moved across her face, covered in frosting with straws of grass here and there.

Rarity groaned, both from Pinkie’s nonsensical words and at her goddess awful looks, making her wish she had her makeup kit.

“Umm... it is actually good. There are animals that shouldn’t eat anything sugary.” Fluttershy quietly whispered and hugged the book, that Twilight had entrusted to her, closer.

“See Rarity! But I do feel sorry for those poor little creatures! Not being able to eat sugar sounds bad, I can’tt even think it, which is odd because I’m doing it right now. Oh, and time for the plot to make-”

A scream rang out.

“Rainbow!” the five voices cried out and galloped forward.

Soon the group rushed past the bushes to see...

The cyan pegasus, now along with her five friends, stood at the edge of a little opening, in midst of an otherwise crammed up forest.

They couldn’t believe their eyes.

No... they didn’t want to believe their eyes.

Blood.

Blood everywhere.

Every possible corner, every possible spot of grass was tainted in the dark red liquid. Fresh without any doubt, although some had started to dry up under the sunlight from above.

Yet this was merely focused on the ground level.

Applejack and Rainbow both sat down.

“What in the hay...” Applejack muttered.

But what caught all of their attentions, was the purple, gooish substance that smeared all over. It surpassed even the blood, the goo dripping down from branches of the trees around the field and down the trunks. It smelt awful, to say the least, and gave the already sickening place an eerie feeling.

Rarity fainted, but was caught by the yellow pegasus, frozen from fear and her face had turned pale.

On the other hoof, Pinkie Pie gave a quick lick to the purple goo but instantly spit it out.

But Twilight Sparkle was already way ahead of them.

“Oh no...” she whispered as her eyes fell over to the centre.

Piled up and close to one another were the three stallions.

If the place left a bad taste, the three emotionless ponies had them nearly puke; all three had their coats smeared in mixture of goo and blood, disgusting onslaught of purple and red that got their nostrils itching. On the few cleans spots, black-purple bruises and bleeding cuts were present in common. They did vary on each, however it doesn’t really matter when dealing with mortal wounds.

In short, they looked more dead than alive.

As the unicorn mare carefully approached the three of them, she made a startling discovery.

It was Nucleus.

He had a Cutie Mark on himself.

* * * * *

It had taken them roughly ten minutes to reach the Ponyville hospital. Nucleus and Alto had been carried by Applejack along with Pinkie Pie, being the strongest out of the six, whilst Rarity’s and Twilight’s combined might was able to lift Maero up. At the same time, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had flown in advance to the hospital, and in fact by the time they had gotten to the road, a pegasus ambulance had caught up to them.

Now nearly half a hour had passed since the three stallions had been taken away by the medical staff. All doctors, the nurses had assured them, had been called up and were now doing their best to attend to them.

“Although,” the white mare with pink mare had staggered “They’re in very grave condition. They have lost very much blood. Too much, we need to make a blood transfer as soon as their conditions are stabilized.”

As soon as the nurse had finished her speech, another nurse appeared from the flip doors and said they needed her there.

And nopony had yet come back past those flip doors to inform them on the progress. So the mares were left with merely sitting on the waiting room, all alone and quiet side by side.

Yet out of them all, Applejack had it worst.

“Its all mah fault,” the orange pony muttered and clenched her hat with her front hooves “Ah should have never told them about that spot. Otherwise...”

Rarity besides her placed a hoof over her “Please, dear, don’t start that. How can you even say you’re responsible from this horrendous act?”

Fluttershy too placed her hoof over the sad mare “Please Applejack. Don’t let those kinds of thoughts come to you. I’m sure they too will agree that it wasn’t your fault.”

“If they will...” Applejack ominously said.

But on the opposite side, the cyan pegasus let out a snort “Of course they’ll survive AJ. And when they do, we’ll go to hunt those who did this and make them suffer double.”

“Yeah! I need to go and make some pies for the hunt!” but as the pink pony looked over, she got dull looks “Hih, sorry. Guess jokes aren’t meant to be said all the times.”

“Nah Pinkie,” Rainbow  took the party pony for a light bruise “If we need something, then that’s your jokes. But just don’t laugh the guys to death, okay?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Pinkie giggled the sacred promise and the two punched their hooves together with a grin.

But one serious looking unicorn stood up from her seat “Girls, I need to go and inform Princess Celestia about this attack. If it’s possible, could you all-”

“I don’t think that will be necessary, my dear student.” a majestic voice boomed through the room and everypony turned to look at the regal white alicorn at the open door. But she wasn’t alone, close to her was her sister Luna and further behind them stood two guards, one from each of their respective Royal Guards units.

All six of the mares bowed to the two alicorns who walked in, whilst the two guards closed the door behind.

“Princess! But how-” Twilight began out but stopped as the white alicorn walked past her, and up to the flip doors.

“It was more luck than anything. We happened to be travelling to Ponyville but then we saw the commotion over here and...” the dark blue alicorn explained to the unicorn, who continued to eye the other alicorn by the door “Please, our sister.”

“Wait, you were on your way to Ponyville?” Twilight asked, and the Luna nodded “But why?”

“That is because we have made a very important discovery.”

All eyes turned to look back at Celestia, now facing the rest of the ponies, and all saw the scroll that floated by her horn.

“Luna;” the scroll flew over to the other alicorn “Would you kindly explain to them? I... I need a moment.”

She nodded as her own magic took the scroll, whilst Celestia sat down with her gaze averted downwards and everypony else too did the same. They watched as the alicorn pulled it open and opened her mouth.

“For sake of simplicity, I’ll translate this text to Modern Equenish” Luna quickly added before clearing her throat.

For too long, have we allowed our simplicity overtake our minds.

For too long, have we allowed vile thoughts ruin our image of each other.

For too long, have we allowed ourselves to be separated.

But now, as we stand here high a top on the great mountain, we are about to undertake a new step. One to mark the beginning of a new era. One to mark that we have left our past behind and undertook a change, to accept our differences.

Our goal is not, pray thee, to cause chaos or disorder.

Yet many dangers lurk throughout this beautiful land, ready to destroy anything sacred we all value, let it be the vast cloud fields, the nutritious lands or thou castle high atop on the mountains.

For none shall succeed.

As we all three tribes will stand together.

The proud Pegasi of the sky.

The diligent Earth Ponies of the ground.

The noble Unicorns of magic.

All united under a single belief.

That let there be not a single day from this day forward, where anypony would be seen underneath somepony else or high above from the rest. Instead, all ponies are born equal and serve the same noble cause of peace.

For us to survive, we need to learn how to live together.

As one race.

As one entity.

Everypony in the room had fell silent in progress of the speech, and stayed one too even as Luna paused.

A sniff.

All, expect Luna, gasped in shock as they saw how a single tear rolled down Celestia’s muzzle before dropping down on the hospital floor. Yet she was smiling, as her eyes let out a new one.

To further ratify our cause and our belief to it, a plan for the formation of a new council has been set up to see that we will not fall out of grace of this sacred promise.

This council shall represent all three tribes and shall guide us along with the Elements of Harmony.

And let this document, our sole legacy for future generations, to make our ideals come to life.

Signers

Sergeant Alto Stratus

Grand Pegasi Empire

Sir Maero

Earth Pony Union

Nucleus

Kingdom of Unicornia

Celestia and Luna

Elements of Harmony

“My dear friends, you have returned...” Celestia cried tears of joy.

A/N

Yeah, don’t really have anything to add. Left an awful cliffhanger and a lot explaining for the next chapter. And do keep an eye for that next update cause that’s when your chance to influence what will happen in future. :derpytongue2:

To also note, I’m currently going to finish an one-shot (about 60% finished) before even touching chapter 22, so I cannot promise you anything by this week... Miracles do tend to happen, however, as I’ve noticed.

Oh yeah, should probably go and finish Dawnguard now. Until next update :ajsmug:

PS: I'm in a need of pre-readers for that mentioned one-shot. Will be about 4k in size when finished. No need for editing skills, just an open mind and good eye for odd out-of-place lines. Either comment or PM me and I'll get back to you.