Secrets of Equestria's History

Try as she might, Twilight went through her entire library, an astonishing feat, without one mention of the word Tremisa. About an hour after she had started work, Spike arrived from Canterlot, and they looked through it all again together. They found nothing. Infuriated at her lack of knowledge, Twilight almost went back to Canterlot to look in the Archives there, though Spike reassured her that, while she had been meeting with the princesses, he had indeed been looking through every book and manuscript Canterlot had to offer, with no mention of the word Tremisa whatsoever. Frustrated, she went to bed. It was not a very restful sleep.

Twilight, look, I told you where you need to look. Go beyond the Everfree Forest. There holds the answer you seek. You will learn much there, much you and your entire world have not known. You have to come. You are the only one who can help us.

Twilight awoke the next day to remember that, with the word Tremisa troubling her, she had forgotten to raise the stars! She panicked for a few minutes, but then Spike reminded her that she had just received request yesterday, and the princess would be fine if she'd forgotten the very first time. Twilight calmed herself down a bit, reminding herself of the last time she'd been too worried about nothing. She was about to leave when a knock sounded on the door.

"Who do you think that could be?"

"I don't know,"

"Well, let's see," she opened the door to see Rarity at the door.

"Twilight, I have just been visited by a messenger from the princess!" she said excitedly. "He said that the Princess want ME to look for iron for Canterlot,"

"Hm...strange that they didn't have me get you, as I was just there," said Twilight.

"They probably thought the news wasn't worth worrying the new Princess of Ponyville," said Rarity, smiling with pride.

"Thanks. Well, when are you leaving?"

"Right now actually," she said, indicating to the bulging bag next to her.

"Oh," said Twilight, disappointed that she would not be able to spend more time with her friend. "Have fun!"

"I will!" she squealed happily, and cantered off. Twilight smiled off in the direction she'd gone, towards the train station, and decided that she'd head to the town hall, which, justifiably, was now hers. She barely made it out of the doorway when she was thrown back through the door. She turned to see Rainbow Dash in a bookshelf.

"Oh...hey Twilight," she said. she looked strangely disappointed.

"Is something wrong Rainbow?"

"Yeah,"

"What?" said Twilight, surprised despite herself.

"Its just that Cloudsdale is now in lockdown,"

"Why?"

"I don't know. What I do know is that no one is allowed in or out of the city, so I'm stuck without a home," said Rainbow. "I just came to ask you if you could let me live with you."," she said, indicating to the bulging bag next to her.

"Oh," said Twilight, disappointed that she would not be able to spend more time with her friend. "Have fun!"

"I will!" she squealed happily, and cantered off. Twilight smiled off in the direction she'd gone, towards the train station, and decided that she'd head to the town hall, which, justifiably, was now hers. She barely made it out of the doorway when she was thrown back through the door. She turned to see Rainbow Dash in a bookshelf.

"Oh...hey Twilight," she said. she looked strangely disappointed.

"Is something wrong Rainbow?"

"Yeah,"

"What?" said Twilight, surprised despite herself.

"Its just that Cloudsdale is now in lockdown,"

"Why?"

"I don't know. What I do know is that no one is allowed in or out of the city, so I'm stuck without a home," said Rainbow. "I just came to ask you if you could let me live with you."

“Oh, of course you can Rainbow,” said Twilight.

“So, Twi, what were you planning to do today?"

"I don't really know...."said Twilight. She was still thinking about Cloudsdale. "How is it in lockdown?"

"Oh...well, we pegasus can't make those special force fields like the magical ponies can," said Rainbow, looking enviously at Twilight's horn. "So Celestia has made the forcefield from Canterlot,"

"I didn't know you could make those forcefields from afar," said Twilight in awe. "It must have been a very complicated bit of magic."

"I guess when you are a princess, lots of things come easy," said Rainbow, unconcerned at the magical feat.

"I suppose" said Twilight.

"Well, I'm going out to visit Applejack right now. I'm going to try to catch up with everyone, and I might as well start from one end of town."

"Seeya, I'm heading to SugarCube Corner for some food and company!" said Rainbow Dash and, she vanished, zooming out to the shop in question. Twilight bid Spike good-bye, and headed out to the East, where Sweet Apple Acres was located. She found Applejack busy, as usual, with the apple trees. She and her brother were going from tree to tree, knocking down apple after apple. Twilight watched this for a while.

"Hello Applejack," said Twilight.

"Oh, hey there," said Applejack. "Sorry, I haven't really got time to chat, Celestia has got us really busy," Twilight stared in surprise.

"What has Celestia asked you to do?" asked Twilight.

"Well, apparently Canterlot is in need of a whole lot of food. Of course, we here at Sweet Apple Acres can feed Canterlot and Ponyville for a few weeks, though y'all might get tired of just apples, but its just me and Big Macintosh harvesting, so we're very busy.

"Well, I'm sure I could help you," said Twilight.

"No, that's all right, Big Macintosh and I have got it covered. You go and meet up with our other friends,"

"Are you sure you don't need my help?" asked Twilight.

"I'm sure," said Applejack reassuringly, so Twilight continued on her way West. Thinking that it would be quicker to stop at Pinkie Pie's first, as it was on the way to Fluttershy's cottage, she headed there first. Rainbow was already there, laughing at some joke that Pinkie had made.

"Oh hey Twilight! How's it going? In the mood for your-"

"No thanks Pinkie," said Twilight. "So few of my friends are available right now. Rarity is in Canterlot, Applejack is busy with apples."

"How's Fluttershy?"

"I haven't been to her house yet," she said.

"Whose house?" asked a quiet voice from behind her.

"Oh! Hello Fluttershy," said Twilight.

"We were just talking about you," said Pinkie.

"Oh, I see, I hope it wasn't anything bad," Fluttershy looked nervous, though, then again, she normally did.

"No, we were just wondering if Twilight had visited you," said Rainbow Dash.

"Oh....she hasn't,"

"We know,"

"Oh...sorry,"

"For what?"

"Um....I don't know," said Fluttershy, lamely.

"So, Fluttershy, what brings you here?"

"Oh, I just felt like visiting," she said.

"Well, Rarity and Applejack are busy with royal duties,"

"Oh, what are you having them do?"

"No, Celestia has them doing stuff,"

"Oh," They sat at a table together, chatting as old friends often do.

"So, does anyone know anything about why Cloudsdale?" asked Rainbow.

"Nothing, why?" asked Fluttershy. Rainbow filled her in on the goings on.

"Oh my, what do you thing happened?"

"I don't know,"

"Well, I heard strange noises from the Everfree forest,"

"Like what?" asked Twilight.

"It sounded like somepony was in there screaming,"

"A screaming pony?" said Twilight.

"That's what it sounded like," said Fluttershy, eyes widening in fear at the very memory.

"Did it scream anything in particular?"

"No."

"Hm...." Twilight thought about it. She couldn't really connect it to much. What she was really wondering was, as Princess of Ponyville, if she had the authority to investigate the Everfree forest. The idea of somepony screaming made her want to help, but she wasn't sure what she could do to help.

That night, at sunset, as, from Canterlot, Luna raised the moon, Twilight raised the stars. It was an awe-inspiring experience, as incredible as watching Celestia raise the sun, except instead of a single enormous light raising into the sky, Twilight raised an array of tiny lights that lit up the sky like orbs of light. She went to bed exhausted, for raising the stars was a tiring experience. It was difficult getting to sleep, as she was nervous of the screaming pony of the Everfree Forest, and wondered how Rarity was doing. Rainbow Dash was sleeping in the basement, a bed set up specially for the purpose. Spike, as always, slept in his basket at the edge of her bed. The other major reason that troubled her was that she knew that she would be haunted by disturbing dreams. She tossed fitfully, and fell asleep.