Years after the Great War had ended, all signs of civilized life had vanished. The battles in the war were tremendous, leveling entire cities at a time. It had been many years since then, and most ponies had either abandoned the country, or met a gruesome ending at the hooves of nature. Starvation and plague ravaged the land, killing off hundreds a day. Most decided that it wasn’t right to live in such conditions, and simply moved on to other lands. Most pegasi went to Griffin country, though some of the unicorns and earth ponies decided to make the dangerous trek up the mountains to Dragon country. Those that actually made it to the countries were able to find a stable life. Equestria had fallen, and only a select few remained.

One of these ponies was Twilight Sparkle, aged and broken. Her once colorful mane had been reduced to nothing more than a gray cluster of hairs. Her coat was showing signs of age, having long since lost it’s signature sheen. She had also suffered mentally. While she spent most of her days searching for any survivors, she was often unsuccessful. As a result, her ability to read and comprehend literature had suffered dramatically. Her memory served no better. As she grew older, Twilight found it increasingly more difficult to remember the past. Recently she just forgot it all together, only concerning herself with the present. And today she had an interesting adventure planned for an abandoned church she discovered on one of her weekly treks.

Twilight stared through the grand entrance of the old cathedral. She could see the remains of benches and pedestals scattered all around the tattered building. It was here that all the ponies of this tiny village would come to pray for safety and salvation. If only they knew how useless it would be in the end, maybe they wouldn’t have bothered with such unavailing activities. Twilight carefully trotted into the decrepit building, being extra careful not to damage any of the remaining artifacts that managed to survive. She had made a habit of it ages ago to collect such objects in hope of creating a museum for future generations. If they had any chance of surviving, they would have to learn from hers, and society’s mistakes.

        The church’s main room was rather large, and had wondrous designs on the windows. The glass had been stained in order to depict a powerful alicorn standing victorious over an old draconequus. Twilight found this particular pattern to be odd, for every religious temple before had simple designs, usually involving a cross of the sorts.There was something strange about the alicorn as well. The elderly unicorn could swear there was something familiar about her, but everypony knew that alicorns are just a myth. She stared at it in awe for a few more moments before coming to the conclusion that she must have seen the design elsewhere before. After all, her memory wasn’t what it used to be.

        Twilight turned away from the image, determined that she was going to find a book this time. Casually, she slowly crept through the rows of decaying benches, carefully examining the undersides of each one. She faintly remembered a mare she ran into a few years back telling her about how ponies used to keep prayer books tucked underneath these benches. If luck would have it, she would be able to find such a book today. Though as she ran her hoof under the rough underside of each seat, her hopes began to fade. One by one she withdrew empty-hoofed.

        As Twilight reached the last bench her spirits were so low that she was almost tempted to skip it all together. Though a small spark of hope burned in her heart, and commanded her to search it. Her hoof felt around the familiar sickly wood, tracing the edges until she made contact with a foreign object. Gently she ran her hoof across its surface, examining the shape and form of it. A smile crept upon Twilight’s face as she realized it was exactly the size and texture a book of this kind would be. She gently caressed both sides of the glorious book, and slowly removed it from its holster under the bench.

        Her eyes scanned the cover of the old text, and deemed that it had not been touched in many years. It’s sanctuary; neigh, it’s tomb, laid undisturbed for so long. Now its secrets were once again going to be revealed to the world. Twilight beamed as she gently blew the dust off the cover, revealing the title. Its lettering was stitched onto the thick cover in gold embroidery. It amazed Twilight how it was able to remain in such pristine condition. Her eyes quickly glanced over the words, taking in each one separately. It had been so long since she was blessed with the opportunity to read, and she was going to make the most of it.

        The title greatly confused Twilight though. It was simply entitled “The Elements of Harmony.” In every exploration she underwent, she never once saw any mention of these elements. She didn’t even know what they were, or what they were used for. Her horn began to glow a soft violet and the book cover flipped open revealing a singular page lined with a long list of names.The words had faded greatly, and were now barely legible against the crisp, yellowing pages.Twilight squinted her eyes and focused on the first entry: “Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, could be the single-hoofed most important pony in Equestria. Without her, the other five elements are rendered void. It is with her strength and determination that the other Elements are able to function properly. When in the presence of the other five: kindness, generosity, loyalty, honesty, and laughter, they combine to create a power capable of sealing away even the most vile of creatures. The first documented incident of this dates back to the rule of Discord. The two alicorn sisters, Celestia and Luna, discovered the elements and used them to seal Discord in stone. They were last seen on the day that Twilight Sparkle, together with the aid of the other elements, forced Discord back into his prison of stone.

        Twilight’s eyes glistened as she carefully examined each word on the page, taking in every single letter as if it were a sentence on its own. This single paragraph captivated her more than anything she had read since as long as she could remember. It was as if she had a gateway into her very past. The more she read, the more the memories flooded her mind. At the mention of Celestia she instantly came to understand who the mare in the painting was. Celestia, her mentor, one of the original holders of the Elements. Twilight smiled as she read on about how she and her friends conquered an ancient evil. The mention of the other five sent questions buzzing through her mind. Where were her friends now?

        Still curious as to what a book like this would be doing in a cathedral, she decided to read on rather than pack it up and continue exploring. The next page was dated, and appeared to be a journal entry of some kind. The paper was of a different texture, and Twilight guessed that it had been added in after the textbook was originally published. The pony who had written had exceptionally good hoofwriting. The way they curved their I’s seemed so nostalgic to Twilight, like she was used to seeing it.

“Today Discord escaped his prison for the third time. Twilight and the girls tried to stop him, but he was too cunning for them. that demon has always been too smart for his own good. I fear the coming days; this power should not be free to roam the country. Discord’s greed knows no bounds. He will not stop until he has conquered all of Equestria, even Ponyville. I must take actions of my own if this menace is to be stopped.”

        Twilight’s face distorted into a horrifying expression as she recalled the events mentioned in the entry. Suddenly she could remember that day perfectly. It was early in the morning and the gardens of Canterlot were rocked by a massive explosion. By the time Celestia had arrived, Discord was already free and causing chaos. She tried to hold him until the the girls arrived, but Discord was too powerful for Celestia to face alone. Twilight found her lying face down in the grass.

A surge of terror rushed through Twilight’s heart as she began to remember the events that followed that day. She couldn’t remember any specifics, but she knew that day was the start of the fall of Equestria. Twilight lost interest in the actual text book, and decided to skim through the pages in search of other journal entries. After gently flipping through a few more pages, she discovered the second entry. It was dated two months after the first, and was written in the same fashion as the previous.

“It is as I suspected. Discord has done the unthinkable; he has taken the life of a pony. I was alerted earlier this morning that an orange earth pony was found dead outside of her farm. I pray that it is not the Element of Honesty, for if it is, I fear that we will not be able to stop Discord. The Elements have always been our only hope, and with one missing the rest are just useless pieces of jewelry. I should have seen this coming; I should have offered them more protection. I have failed to protect Equestria, and its citizens.”

        Tears silently fell onto the faded parchment as Twilight read the journal. As she reached the end of it, her gentle tears turned to sobs as she remembered the loss of her best friend, Apple Jack. Twilight sobbed into her hooves, and used what focus she had left to fling the book across the room. It clumsily bounced across the floor and came to a rest in front of the large organ at the back of the room. Twilight didn’t feel like she could read anymore without breaking down, yet part of her wanted to explore the contents of the book still. To learn more about the past she had fought so hard to recover.

        “Applejack” Twilight mouthed, staring off in the direction of the book. All the emotions she felt the day she learned of Applejack’s had suddenly rushed back to her. Twilight looked down at her hooves and took notice of the wrinkles and age marks. so many years had passed since Applejack’s death, wisdom had shown her that it did no good to grieve over the deceased. She owed it to her friend to read on, to learn the reason behind all the loss. Her horn took on the familiar purple glow, and the book tenderly glided through the air back to her. It landed firmly in her hooves, though it felt like a ton of bricks fell into her arms.

        Twilight closed her eyes and whispered a simple prayer. A few months back she discovered an old church that was still in use, and they taught her about the wonders of prayer. The minister told her that if she prayed heard enough, her greatest wishes would come true. Up until now she had never actually tried it, but she was hoping she could wake up and everything would be back to the way it was when she was a filly. This latest memory of Apple Jack brought back joyous memories of her childhood. But that’s all they were, memories.

        Twilight inhaled deeply, and began exploring the depths of the estranged book once again. She flipped past the first two entries, several articles on the Elements, and a diagram on how they work, to find the third journal entry. It did not have the usual pristine writing form the others had. It appeared as if whoever wrote it was shaking violently when they did. It was also a fair bit longer than the others, and encumbered a note at the bottom.

“Buck it all! I shouldn’t talk like that, but I can’t handle this anymore. Discord is gaining more power every day. Somehow he managed to amass an entire army of rogue ponies and griffons right under our snouts! We lost two cities to this menace! Cloudsdale and Manehattan have both fallen. I don’t want to know how Rainbow Dash is going to handle this. The Wonderbolts were at Cloudsdale performing when the attack started. From what I’ve heard, they fought valiantly to secure the perimeters, but their attempts were ultimately in vain. We not only lost two great cities today, but also national heroes.  I have to remain strong for the ponies of Equestria, but I’m scared. I wake up every morning in fear that today will be our last. There are even rumors spreading that Discord is researching a way to use his magic to destroy all of Equestria. I don’t understand! He has never shown cause or want to destroy the country, I’ve only ever seen him cause chaos. This isn’t Discord anymore...it’s pure evil.”

        Twilight shuddered as she remembered that day. Rainbow Dash was at Twilight’s checking out another Daring Do novel when she got the news. The usually confident mare was broken down. Tears once again began to form in Twilight’s eyes as she recalled how Rainbow Dash broke down after Cloudsdale fell. The pegasus had actually started bawling and mumbling about defeat. Seeing her like this struck deep in Twilight’s heart. It showed her that this war was a lot more serious than they originally thought. It had broken somepony Twilight thought unbreakable.

Twilight gently wiped her tear soaked cheeks and flipped the page. Only a small section of journal entries remained. She decided to skim through the rest, hoping to avoid anymore emotional distress. As she neared the end though, she noticed something peculiar about the journal entries. Whoever wrote this was obviously losing her faith that they would be able to come out of this okay. Twilight couldn’t really blame her, look how everything did turn out. Still, it was strange to see somepony who possessed such charisma in their writing become so saddened and frightful. It wasn’t until she reached the final entry that she realized who the writer was, and why they were so affected by everything. The last entry was possibly the longest one yet, and was actually addressed to somepony. Twilight.

“To My Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle

I can’t even begin to say how sorry I am for everything. You were still just a foal, and I placed the weight of the world on you. Out of everypony, I failed you the most. There are many things I regret in my life, but sending you away cuts the deepest. While you were under my wing, we grew closer every day. I never told you this, but I saw you as my own daughter. But I was a Princess, and had royal duties. I couldn’t afford to get that close to somepony...so I sent you away. Oh how I wish I could go back and stop myself. Maybe then we could have spent more time together. I know that’s all just a dream though; I could never pull you from your friends.

I’ve watched you grow with them, learn magical things, and be truly happy. What kind of mother would I be if I kept you from that? No, it was all for the best in the end anyway I suppose. My failures extend far past that though. I assigned you, a mere filly, to the task of defeating Discord. Because of that you have had to endure hardships nopony should have to. You’ve watched friends die, cities demolished, and innocence being destroyed. I pray for your forgiveness, but I do not believe I deserve it. 

Twilight Sparkle, I want you to read what I have to say next with the knowledge that my burdens are my own. You see, as of this moment, the great nation of Equestria is doomed. Discord has indeed produced a weapon capable of destroying everything. The nation is going to suffer greatly for my mistakes, and I’m going to do the best I can to rectify this. I’m going to give my life to save as many ponies as I can, though the loss is still going to phenomenal.

Luna and I are going to do our best, but it will more than likely not be enough. The entire infrastructure of Equestria will probably be destroyed, along with over half of the population. Twilight, I need you to survive. You are our only hope in the dark times that are sure to come. Enclosed in the last page of this book is a seal. You will recognize it as the as the sign of the first spell I ever taught you. Touch your horn to it, and allow yourself to become the leader I never could be. Never forget the glorious times you spent with your friends, and never lose the magic of Friendship falter from your heart. I love you Twilight Sparkle.

                                                        Your Faithful Teacher, Celestia”

        The letter was stained with ancient tears, and was heavily faded from age. Twilight now understood that finding this book was not by simple chance, but by fate. She was filled with unrelenting sadness, yet deep down inside she was smiling. Everything was so clear now. All the memories of the great war now returned to her, and many of the gaps were filled in. The only reason she was still alive was due to the brave sacrifice of a noble Princess. Twilight remembered the last part of the letter and raised a brow. What did the seal of her first spell have to do with anything?

        She turned to the very last page, and sure enough the spell sign for levitation was in great, big, bold print. She gently ran her hoof across, and could feel a strange magical aura coming from it. Twilight decided that whatever it was, it was to be activated by that spell. Twilight’s horn glowed a bright purple once again, and the seal was enveloped in magical essence. Twilight’s body began to glow a bright silver, and the room exploded in a flash of light. She was rebounded back from the book and slid several feet from the benches towards the podium.

        Her entire body was sore and felt strange. There was an odd sensation on her back, like there was something hanging from it. Slowly, she struggled to her hooves and rubbed her forehead. When she looked down she noticed something different about herself. She was at least two feet taller, and was now wearing ankle jewelry similar to Celestia’s. Twilight gasped and began frantically searching for a mirror. she spotted one next to the massive organ, and quickly galloped over towards it. What she saw in the mirror caused to her gasp loudly. In the center of the mirror stood a large, lavender alicorn. She was also much younger looking, and the bright sheen had once again returned to her coat.

Twilight lifted her hoof to her face and gently stroked her cheek. “...become the ruler I never could be.” Twilight began to understand exactly what the Princess meant. She looked down at the ankle bracelet that she now wore, and frowned. “I could never live up to Celestia...”

A gentle breeze carelessly blew her mane back from her eyes and exposed the mirror once more. This time, alongside herself sat her five best friends. They were all smiling, and hugging Twilight. In the back, she could swear she saw the regal features of the twin sisters, Luna and Celestia. Joy welled up in her heart as she realized what this meant. She wouldn’t have to do it alone, she had all her loved ones with her. Even if they were gone from this world, they would always be there to support her. One thing still bothered her though. Twilight turned from the mirror, and casually trotted towards the podium. Resting on the top of it she found a small, unused roll of parchment laying undisturbed next to a half empty jar of ink. Using her magic she levitated a quill over to the jar, and dipped it into the black ink.

          “Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned the most important lesson of all. Sometimes horrible things happen for no real reason at all. But we get through them with the help of our friends. And sometimes, when you think you’ve lost the best friend you’ve ever had, you find they never really left you at all. I love you Princess Cele-”

        Twilight groaned as the jar of ink ran out. She didn’t get the opportunity to say everything she wanted, but this was good enough for now. Today was the start of a new era, and with the help of her friends she would hopefully be able to help Equestria rise from the ashes once again. Twilight rolled the old parchment up, and carefully placed it in her bags along with the book. She stared out in the direction of the open door, gazing into the dark abyss that was nighttime. “Thank you, Celestia,” she whispered. “for everything.”