Twilight Sparkle yawned. It had been a long night, for she had wrestled with the powerful enchantments that protected the scroll from prying eyes. Having finally broken the magical seals, she had opened it, only to find that the text was moving around, flashing bright colors, and constantly changing the language it was written in.

Frustrated and tired, she had then simply used her great magical strength to vaporize the remaining protective enchantments, then cast a translation spell on the text to convert it into modern Equestrian.

Now, tired from lack of sleep, Twilight carried the scroll upstairs with her magic, placing it under her pillow. She then slid under the covers, slipping into a deep sleep almost instantly.

Twilight found herself on a field of dark, smooth granite, the sun and moon both high in the sky. She looked around, discovering that the horizon was devoid of features.

She attempted to speak, but found that she could not. Before she could do anything else, she heard a voice.

Welcome, Descendant of the Eldest, Sixth Wielder of Responsibility. There are tasks that I must give you, but there is much that you must discover on your own, and my time runs short.

An image of a majestic sword appeared, its blade halfway imbedded in the ground. A gravestone stood next to it, engraved with the words "Here lies Commander Hurricane".

The fire of the Commander still endures. The one in whom his heritage rests must take up his sword. But without his other descendant at her side, Loyalty shall be doomed to fail, and her fall will echo across the ages.

The image of the grave disappeared, replaced by the image of a reddish-brown crystal shard embedded in a tree trunk.

Throughout the world lie the remnants of a princess of love, torn apart by shadow. Her heart resides in the Everfree. She must come again. Then love old and new shall join, bringing great prosperity to the land.

Then a new image appeared, replacing the previous. There Celestia and Luna, both gleaming in radiance, stood next to each other.

But they were not alone. To Celestia's right stood an even taller Alicorn. Her skin was slightly different in shade from Rainbow Dash, and her flowing mane and tail were colored both orange and gold. On Luna's left there stood yet another Alicorn, who was between Luna and Celestia in terms of height, yet somehow seemed to be the youngest of the four. Her mane and tail were a verdant green, and her skin was a light, earthy brown.

The forgotten Wielders must come forth again. One slumbers within a prison of stone, while the other lies in the center, trapped in molten heat.

Do not fail in these tasks, otherwise all you know and love shall be lost.

Meanwhile...

The city had been forgotten for many ages while Equestria had still been new. Not a single myth or legend remained of the city, its remains buried underground in a forest seldom explored.

Now, however, a dark swarm entered an underground cavern that stood next to the buried city outskirts. A pool resided within, the remains of a gnarled grey-black tree standing in its center.

The black forms plunged into the noxious green water.