Prologue : The remnants of an old bard
Year 74 of the New Lunar Republic,
Ten days after the beginning of Winter,
Meeting with MG.
Ten in the Morning. Hotel "Le Magnifique". Room 901.
Crucial. Mustn't miss it.
Brief sentences, black ink and a messy writing. Script Writer's notepad was quickly read and stored in his saddlebag with a sigh. His white skin reflected sunbeams in a satisfying manner for the Canterlot's unicorn and he thought that his cutie mark, which represented a black notepad (how ironic), was a very good contrast. He felt like a living piece of art and that was pretty amusing. He was a journalist in a well-known newspaper in Canterlot and he came all this to ManeHattan for the sole purpose of interviewing a pony. But this interview could be the rocky launch for his career as a journalist. Although, he worked for one of the most prestigious editorial of all Equestria, that wasn't enough... His train arrived at the ManeHattan station and, excited like he was, he rushed toward the hotel.
ManeHattan. Erstwhile, one of the most sophisticated town in all Equestria, now, a sad wreckage of the past. During the Darkest Period, it was one of the first town to "die". As a consequence, many ponies had left the area which it still seen as a cursed place of death and disaster... A few decided to come back and they decided to rebuild the whole town.
Who could have done such a thing ? Why ? That was ridiculously mean ! But, this town wasn't the only one to suffer. FillyDelphia, PonyVille, Canterlot, countless of small village. So many names, so many lives...
He arrived before a locked building which used to be an hotel. A great building. grey at the base, carbon-colored at the top.
Locked ? How an abandoned hotel could be the very location of such an important meeting. He checked several times his notepad and the hotel's signboard. That was here. But how was this possible ?
The journalist saw some lights coming out the building and called its acquaintance. What in the world was happening here ?
An hour later,the journalist was wainting before the entrance. According to his colleague, the interviewee will come down in a few minutes. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding... Amateur.
The streets of the rebuilded city of ManeHattan was cold in this season and his dark-colored mane was totally ruined by the merciless wind. Damn it ! Why does he have to stay outside in this cold when he could do something more productive ? The answer was simple. He finally found the one and only witness of the previous dictatorship still alive, Morning Star, the famous bard. Although he was happy beyond words for being the first one to have the opportunity to learn, from a first-hand story, the truth about the Darkest Period of all Equestria, he was ulcerated. How this old pony dare to make him wait like that in the middle of the street ?
In order to stay calm, he focused on some more pleasant memories. He remembered his excitment when one of his acquaintances told him that he found the wandering bard in an hotel room in this damn cold city... How exciting ! Since the last war, an awful lot of files were lost, the legacy of a period which seems to want to disappear forever, leaving no records or witnesses. Even the great Canterlot's Library was burned to the ground and with its destruction, countless of testimonies and magic books were lost... These damn barbarians hadn't any respect for knowledge !
Lost in thoughts, the journalist didn't see that somepony opened the door. On the threshold, an old earth pony looked at him and sighed. His eyes were full of kindness and a little spark of amusement could be discerned in the depths of these two ponds of melted gold. He chuckled a little and the journalist suddenly realised that he was rude. What a shame ! He looked directly at the person who can't be nopony else but the famous Morning Star ! His first excitment died as soon as he saw him... His yellow-colored skin was all wrinkled, his mane was far too long and the color wasn't pure but filthy. Even though his look was a disappointment, his eyes and behaviour were kind and calm like one of the Frienship Priest, this new philosophy created to appease the broken heart of everypony in this land.
He wanted to see his cutie mark, but he could only widened his eyes when he saw the burned flesh. both sides were burned, that was done on purpose... Script, still disappointed and shocked to the core, tried to hide it behind a formal tone.
"Dear sir, my name is Writer, Script Writer. I'm a journalist from the Expresstria Daily. Did you forget about the interview ?"
Morning Star and his long white-colored mane went back inside and, while grinning, said with a deep voice.
"Not at all, but you're quite expressive. It was very funny to watch your facial expressions. So, I enjoyed myself, watching from a window, that's all," he closed the door and added, "So, you desire to interview me ? I don't have any objections but my life was pretty sad and boring. Nothing interesting for a journalist."
Script was shocked by this affirmation. What nonsense !
"You mean, you played with me, just for fun ?"
"Indeed"
"Could I expect an apology ?"
"I'm afraid not."
"And you're last sentence about your life wasn't a joke ?"
"Not at all."
"Excuse me but... You're the only one who knows the truth about the Darkest Period of Equestria today. You are the only one who knows the story of the most heroic pony in all Equestria, the Nameless One. Your testimony could be the most important record of this century ! And you're saying that's not a thing worth of attention ?"
The last sentence was surprisingly loud and Script apologised quickly. Morning Star's eyes looked him straight in the eye and sadly smiled at him.
"Don't apologise. You're right but I think you haven't the slightest idea of what you asked me. That was a time where the miraculously childish idea of "Friendship is Magic" lost all meaning. Our princess, Twilight Sparkle, wasn't old enough to comprehend that all villains aren't NightMare Moon, Discord or Chrysalis. Evil is a thing inside everypony and the most wicked ones aren't all black or ugly."
The journalist couldn't hold a 'that's too cliché' grin. This old pony wanted to impress him with this cheesy speech ? Bards always wanted to impress their audience with a "dark" atmosphere after all. Bards' old charm, he guessed. Script had always preferred the interesting information to fairy tales, but for the sake of his investigation, he stayed polite.
"I'm sure of it but you must understand that it's crucial, for all Equestria, that our story survive. No matter how painful it is for you to remember it, you must do it. For the sake of future generations."
Script's voice was clear and his pacing well-studied, his arguments were pretty well-thought. He put a lot of emotions in his gestures and, finally, his left foreleg landed softly on Morning Star's hoof in order to increase the solemnity of this instant.
Morning Star's reaction was far from expected.
He laughed loudly but his eyes were dead serious and his answer was full of contempt, all kindness now turned into a fire in his golden gems.
"Sake of future generations ?" The old Earth Pony sighed and added "Kiddo, spare me your good feelings for the Greater Good. I'd seen countless of ponies in my life and you're not that type. You're the egocentric and idealistic type, a mix between selfishness and altruism. Acting like that before me is like throw oil into a fire, far from a brilliant idea."
In an instant, the fury died and a light smile replaced it. Quick to anger, quick to forgive, "However, as a bard, I can't refuse to tell a story. Even if the audience is nothing but a single pony."
Morning Star sat down on an armchair and his eyes became far more younger. Script Writer's impression of the Earth Pony suddenly changed at this instant. Morning Star was incredibly charismatic. A strange aura encompassed the character like he was something beyond the reason, a mythical being. This feeling irradiating from the bard was legendary. Now, he wasn't a poor dying Earth Pony with burn skin instead of a cutie mark... He was Morning Star, the legendary bard who know all myths since the Beggining.
Like a five-year old colt, he sat down on a sofa, completely subjugated by the bard's voice.
"Let me tell you the story of one of the most important pony in the most Darkest Time of all... The story of a pony, I'm proud to call my friend. This is the Wanderer's Tale."
Author's Note
Hello Guys,
This is my first MLP:FiM fiction (but not my first time as a """"writer"""") and I hope this short prologue will help you to immerse yourself in the alternate universe I created. I'm here to answer every questions you may ask.
I'm very sorry but English isn't my mother language. So feel free to kill me (a little) when you see some grammar or syntax issues.
I would say that, it's very hard to come in the fanfiction realm because of the amazing diversity and quality of everypony. (And I have the brilliant idea to take a dark side of Equestria instead of a Romance or a Mane-6 oriented stories. I will die in the cupcakes room). However, feel free to judge (with some arguments maybe ?), I will read any advice you could give to me.
