I dropped my pen, looking out the open window as the shutters rattled against the glass. I sighed, placing my quill in a jar of ink as I walked toward the window. The trees blew in the calming wind as a small group of bunnies jumped across the grass field. I smiled; it had been a while since I had left the hut. I walked back to my desk, picking up my quill once more and continued to write on a piece of parchment I had been working on for the past few months. A bird whistled from a tree, inviting me to the outdoor woods. I laid the pen down on the desk and looked at the trees. It really had been a while since I left my home; I smiled, it was never too late to have one last adventure. I placed the quill back on the desk; it was a small, wooden desk that was decorated with a single drawer located underneath the desk. I opened the drawer and placed the unfinished parchment inside, reassuring myself that I would finish it when the time was right. I looked around the house, it was a small cabin and very cluttered. I paced back and forth, picking up whatever items out of place before I headed upstairs. I fixed the couch, chairs and other accessories that were begging for attention. I wiped my forehead and continued upstairs. I wasn’t in a rush but I was very excited for what adventures would await me in the near future. I remembered the smell of the open air and the danger that was included. I remembered when I could squeeze out of any troubled situation with ease. Those were the days of old, something that was long gone. I looked around the room, it was my bedroom, my place of rest when not busy writing. Everything around me was made from the trees I had cut down to make the clearing. The style was old, many would agree but I felt it was dependable. I walked to my wardrobe, a small wooden pantry that was located parallel from the bed. I opened it and pulled out an iconic outfit; it was one known to many ponies around Equestria. I had not been one for being famous but the things I had done played a tremendous part in Equestria’s survival. I looked down at the floorboards; I felt I was the only pony keeping Equestria from falling apart. The disastrous events that could have happened were all prevented because of my doing. I put on the shirt; making sure every button was secured as I fixed the collar. I turned around and walked to a mirror on the other side of the room. I giggled at my appearance as I brushed the brilliant streaks of silver in my hair while humming a familiar tune. I closed my eyes as I relived some of the highlights in my life: the meeting with Celestia, the capture of my greatest enemy and the feeling of accomplishment after every adventure. I exhaled, sighing with relief; it really had been a great life, I really did miss the old days.

I stepped out onto the patio, absorbing the sunlight for the first time in months. The warmth I felt refreshed my mind; I felt calmer and stress-free; it was a wonderful feeling. Cold breezes blew through the trees, rustling the leaves gently across the grassy clearing outside my home. I reached inside the cabin one last time before heading out; I grabbed something of great importance, something that could not be replaced under any circumstances; my hat. It was old, but a very iconic symbol of my well-being. I had not worn it in ages; it was a bit tattered but still managed to keep its distinctive shape. It was originally a circular hat but after such a long time the disk inside had become warped. I placed it on the patio and pushed my hooves against it; trying my hardest to bring it to its proper shape. I poked at it several times, but alas; my efforts were pointless. The hat stubbornly remained in its depressing state no matter how many times I would bend it. I rolled my eyes; having lost a battle with an unbeatable force. I picked up the hat and placed it upon my head; it felt good to be back outdoors to enjoy the sunlight. Everything was perfect; the clear blue sky was brilliantly decorated with a bright shining sun; bathing Equestria in its light. The leaves rustled in the wind; blades of grass dancing in its gift as I walked through the fields. The forest was illuminated by the sun’s light; giving life to all plants. I smiled; this part of the woods was not maintained by ponies, but by nature itself. I had only seen one area such as this before in my travels; it was a small forest located west from Ponyville known as the Everfree Forest. I remember hearing rumors about the forest long ago. They said the forest had been growing in its natural state since the dawn of time. I remember laughing the rumor off; it was an unreasonable assumption even for my standards. I sighed; closing my eyes and leaning my head back in the wind. My mane flowed in the breeze freely and without a care. The soft grass rested below my hooves; relieving them of their misery. I shook my head; snapping myself out of the hypnotizing trance nature had put upon me. I looked ahead; seeing the dense forest that surrounded my cabin staring back at me with dark intentions. I smiled; it had been forever than a day since the last time I was greeted with danger. I lowered my hat; feeling determined and ready to destroy any challenges that were put before me. I darted into the woods; dodging bits of shrubbery left and right as I looked for anything that I would find suspicious. I sighed, finding myself unable to run any further; I looked back seeing how far I had come. It was not as far as I had hoped but it was good enough for somepony who had not been exposed to running in over three dates. I sat down on a tree branch; it was moist as if it had recently rained. I looked up at the sky; it was clear as ever. It was an odd phenomenon, the pegasi had claimed to not have a rainfall schedule for the next few months. Equestria was perfect the way it was; no rain would be needed for a while. It was not humid; a pond would not be present for several miles. Puzzled, I continued to rub the bark with my hoof; hoping to get the slightest bit of information from the strangely dampened root. Something about the branch seemed strange; I stood up and walked to another branch found on the opposite end of the tree. It was dry and dusty as a tree should be. Confused further, I walked back to the other branch and felt it once more. It was wet; soaked even. I closed my eyes and brought my face closer to the tree branch. I knew I would regret doing so, but I had smelled the branch and found the most peculiar scent on it. It was fresh water; something you would find packaged and sold at a store. I had once spilled water in the forest, but by this time the water would have dried. It was impossible the two would be a match; it was unreasonable. I turned my head; finding a set of hoofprints that were unlike my own. I smiled; I knew it was somepony else in the forest with me. I looked up at the sky, it was my land; by Celestia’s law, I would be able to defend it no matter the effect it would put upon my reputation. Grinning, I followed the hoofsteps; keeping my eyes locked on each one as the next came forth. The hoofsteps were fresh; whoever had wandered into my forest was still here; I was determined to find them. Within my hat was a simple razor blade; unlike the others, the small blade had not rusted and survived my numerous adventures. Taking my hat off my head; I pulled the concealed weapon out of its hiding place and held it up high. It was very small; smaller than I had expected. I tried to think of ways to use the minuscule blade but alas; none came. Discouraged, I dropped the blade and watched it create a small indent as it hit the wooden tree root beneath my feet. Leaving the razor blade, I followed the hoofprints and began to find myself wandering in circles. I rolled my eye; this was beginning to feel useless. I merely wanted to have a sense of adventure but instead felt as if I were hunting the innocent. This was not how the old me would have acted; I saved civilization numerous amounts of times. Ponies believed in me to protect them; even if it had been interpreted as a mere bedtime story. I could never forget the admiration my followers gave me; I felt guilty that I had to live away just to find peace. I thought about it; why had I left? Would my career be the same if I had stayed in Ponyville? I sighed, sitting down; forgetting about the trespasser for just a moment. I sat thinking about my current life; was I truly happy with the way I was? I hunted ponies who crossed my land for fun; getting absolutely nothing but the pleasure of guilt in return. I sighed, was this the way I wanted to live? Was this the destiny I was to forever be following? My life in the past had been forever full of adventure, hope, dreams and the satisfaction of giving. Ponies all over Equestria admired me for who I was; a hero. I became an idol to many, something that I would never wish to be as a young filly. I was always shy; steering clear from crowds and confrontations. I remember when that all changed; it was a birthday and I was the very special filly. While I had a minimum amount of friends even to this day; I will always remember my relatives who stuck out during my lonely days. There were a few gifts; all of them containing something that I would need as a necessity rather than for recreation. However, one of these gifts caught my eye; it was larger and would not fit me for a while but despite the unfortunate size; the article of clothing truly appealed to me. It was different than from what all the other ponies had. It was special; just like me. My parents always told me I would do great things as soon as I grew up; the hat was a symbol of such events. I smiled; looking up at the hat I was wearing. It began to fit when I dropped out of my schooling. That was the day I received my cutie mark; it was a very significant change in my life. I realized because of it what I was supposed to do in Equestria. What my purpose was and why I was the way I was. I knew in my heart that there was more adventure to be had in the real world rather than in a classroom with other ponies trying to make a better grade. I was never competitive; which led me to a long history of bullying. It was not as bad as it sounded; many other ponies admired the way I could wiggle my way out of any situation. Many of them even gave me a nickname that I kept to this very same day. They called me Daring Do for a reason, a reason which I was meant to accomplish. No matter the circumstances; I could make my way through any situation. It was my special talent and I embraced it.

I stood up; feeling relieved that I had relived some old memories. I tilted my hat forward and continued to follow the lost pony who had wandered into my woods. I would not harm the pony as I did the many others, but I needed to do something to intervene from further exploration. If the pony found my home it would be disastrous to my work. I could not let anypony know of my new plans concerning my series. Keeping my eyes locked on the prints; I continued to walk into a clearing in the woods. I had never seen such a clearing in all the dates I had lived in the forest. It was peaceful; the wind did not dare to move. It was as if it were a gap in time itself. The trees were calm and still; the grass not moving despite the earlier breeze that blew through. In the middle of the clearing was a pond surrounded by what appeared to be beach sand. Sitting in the sand was the pony whom I was looking for. She was a bright neon blue color with her light purple mane tied up in a darker blue ribbon. She reminded me of somepony although I couldn’t quite place it. Around her neck was a tightly fastened satchel; styled in a fashion that I once wore during my previous treks. It was somewhat nostalgic; as if it were taken straight from a family photo album. I walked closer to the weeping pony and put my hoof around her as if she were an innocent child. I eyeballed the bag; wondering its contents and why she carried nothing but the measly pouch. The pony turned her head, staring deep into my eyes with her own set of deep, red irises. A chill ran down my back as I stared into the blackened eyes; each decorated with a blood red color. I stepped away from her, shivering as I backed away. She turned away, facing the opposite direction as if I were the monstrosity. With my hooves over my eyes, I turned back towards the strange figure, bracing during every moment. With all the courage I could possibly muster, I opened my eyes with the simple surprise of seeing nothing there. I walked closer to the sand where she was sitting; finding nothing in her place but the small leather bag. I bent down to pick it up; feeling the textures of the fabric. It was leather, pure leather. It was something I had not seen before; it was illegal in Equestria to have leather as pure as the fabric before me. In awe, I opened the bag and looked through the contents; finding nothing but a small rolled parchment. Curious, I unrolled it against the sand; discovering something of great importance, something I had not seen in a long time.

It was a map; something you would expect to see on shipping or train routes. I looked at the map closely; waving my hooves in the air to block the sun. I rolled my eyes and turned around; feeling as if I were being watched. I shrugged, rolling the map and carrying it back to my cabin. I could not wait to begin discovering new things; this was something that I had not done in the longest time. I smiled, opening the door to my cabin as I laid the scroll on the floor. I looked around, grabbing a table weight and ink container from my writing desk. I unrolled the parchment and placed the items on each corner, holding it in place as I had expected. The scroll was dusty; the map itself unclear and inaccurate to any part of Equestria. I danced around the room; searching for my own Equestrian Map which I had drawn after many years of exploring. I ran upstairs, finding it in the same place as I had left it. I carefully unpinned it from my wall and walked downstairs with what I now called an ancient artifact. I placed my map beside the older version as I continued to draw parallels between the two variations. I sighed, many of the locations from the older version were varied; it seemed as though Canterlot Mountain had been moved several miles in the wrong direction. Many explorers had known Canterlot Mountain to be “The Center of Paradise”. Personally, I used it as a mere compass, nothing more and certainly nothing less. It was useful, although I would not go through the trouble of coming up with a clever nickname for a simple mountain. I continued to contrast the two maps; I was surprised at how significantly more accurate my newer map was. I laughed a bit; feeling that my hard work had finally paid off after all those years in the field. I never thought I would actually be using the map I had crafted with mere tree bark.

The old map was dusty and had clearly seen wear and tear. The geography represented on the map was much different than a modern day Equestria. Many of the lakes had gone completely missing from the map. Many towns and other monuments had gone missing; even Canterlot itself had vanished from the map's view. I brushed my hoof along the map's surface; clearing any dust that may be contaminating the map's accuracy. I looked around for anything suspicious; my hooves trembled with excitement. It was my first adventure in the longest time; I knew this would be a big one. I looked at the map for the longest time, seeking anything that may be of use. Despite a small symbol carved deep within its upper left hoof corner, the map was plain and colorless; something a pony would find in an old scrapbook. I pressed my face against the floor, wondering if anypony had written on the map. I noticed small craters that began to form a line pointing towards what we now call the Galloping Gorge. My eyes squinted in hopes of getting a more precise location. I turned the map to its backside finding nothing of any use. I sighed, it was not as direct as I had hoped, but I supposed it would have to do. I rolled up the parchments and carefully placed them into the parcel I had found the map in. It smelled of leather; a smell that was shunned and caused immediate execution if caught wearing such material. I smiled, I liked the smell; it had a distinctive scent that reminded me of my fillyhood in the strangest of ways. I left the cabin; saying goodbye as if it were the last time I would ever see it again. I sighed, missing my home more and more as I walked further and further away from it. It was a moment I was not proud of; I usually felt more determined. Today, however, I felt more sorrow than ever. Something in me told me not to go, but I was more inclined in listening to my adventurous spirit. I shook my head; leaving my home was a necessary step in this adventure. If I was to ever discover the secrets the map had hidden; I would have to accomplish this task.

I walked through the woods; turning left and right as I avoided branches that were destined to trip unsuspecting travelers. I wondered if I would ever return to my cabin; it was a measly cabin and it really did need to be spruced up a bit. Despite the lowly condition it was in, the warmth it provided was truly compelling. I remembered the nights I spent writing by the fire; the quill in my hoof spilled words against the parchment in perfect rhythm. I sighed; they really were the best of times. I never realized how I took the small cabin for granted; I wished I would return. The forest was dense but short. There were no trails that led to my cabin for privacy reasons. Even so, anypony would be able to discover its location by simply wandering. Outside the forest were beautiful fields that gave way a magnificent view of Ponyville. It was my hometown, a small and simple town that I once was proud to be a part of. After my rising in popularity, I left the town, forgetting everypony I had then come in the acquaintance of. At the time, I had been a very self-centered pony, someone who had not cared for anypony else. It was a trait that I had not been proud of. During my younger years, Cutie Marks were what made a pony a pony. I’m certain it’s the same today, but something about it then was different. It was almost as if it were a necessity to have one. I went to school in Canterlot, my parents were rich and felt that a good education was important for a pony at an early age. Despite the excessive amount of money, they continued to feel that a home in Ponyville was perfect; they admired the significant change in climate and the peaceful villagers that lived there. They didn’t seem to mind the lack of sophistication unlike many of the other high-class ponies who lived in our area. Despite the odd location, my parents were very close to Princess Celestia. While many of the richer residents attended the Grand Galloping Gala and were able to meet Celestia there, many of the ponies never had the honor of knowing her personally. My parents kept in touch with the princess through a strict letter system, one in which would still be in service today if not for their passing. Unfortunately, I myself was not a part of this tradition. I was somewhat deprived of my parents’ approval concerning my adventurous spirit. I remember their deep feelings of disappointment when I returned home with a letter informing my parents of my recent decision of leaving the curriculum. I was given no other choice than to leave my household. I was doubtful upon leaving, but I felt it was a necessary step forward. I was given nothing to hold onto but my hat, a simple notepad, and a quill; I supposed they had expected me to write something while I was away. Although I was one for adventures, I had never thought about writing them down. I knew ink would be hard to come by, so after much practicing, I learned how to pickpocket from other ponies in the area. It was difficult at first, but thanks to my remarkable gift in escaping; I was able to scrape my way out of any situation without breaking a sweat. Eventually, I improved on the subject and was able to steal any item from anywhere. It was a practice that I knew had to be kept under control.

I sighed; Ponyville grew closer and closer with every new step I took toward it. The last time I returned to Ponyville was when my parents had died; it was a tragic event, but I felt no remorse for the lost souls. I could never recall what had happened that day, although it could be nothing to be proud of. The houses grew larger and larger in the distance as I began to drag my hooves. It was hard enough having to return to the burial grounds of my own kin, not to mention my home that was destroyed in the last few years. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for whatever was to come. Ponies around me began to sit and stare as I walked through their town. Many of them whispered about my appearance in an open place while the others walked away, pretending not to notice. Not a single pony said a simple “hello”, shook my hoof or anything else of that matter. I was not greeted formally, or as if I was an old friend of theirs. I kept my head low and pulled my hat down to shade my face from the crowd. Keeping my eyes on the road, I could hear the doors of many ponies’ households being closed at my sight. I had learned to accept this form of greeting; my family had been in a dire situation before and lost their social status within a fortnight. Continuing to keep my head low, I noticed one pony in particular that had not fled from my appearance. She was a bright colored pony who obviously lived on sugary treats; anypony would be able to tell just by looking at her regular behavior. I lowered my hat to cover my eyes as I could hear her hoofsteps walk closer to me. She pointed her hoof at me and said the words,

“Welcome! I’m Pinkie! Who are you?”

Stunned by the different reaction compared to the other ponies, I stuttered,

“I-I’m, Daring. Daring Do.”

She smiled widely, something of a size that was unforgettable to anypony. It was amazing how she could keep a smile like that in control throughout the day. She happily closed her eyes,

“Oh! You must be here for Rainbow Dash! You haven’t forgotten have you? My, it’s been forever since you two have been together. How long has it been? Hold on, let me check my calendar.”

She spoke in rapid flurries of questions; it was very impressive to anypony’s standards. She reached out and grabbed a calendar from a bush located on the other side of town. Astonished, I dared ask a question of my own,

“Um… Where did you get that?”

She chuckled, nudging my shoulder playfully,  

“Calendar emergency! I’ve got them all over Ponyville!”

I looked around, not sure if I even wanted to be around somepony with a mysterious supply of calendars all over town. She flipped through her calendar just as rapidly as she spoke. I didn’t have time for such things; I pushed past her, I had places to go and didn’t have time to mingle. Realizing I had taken no interest in her mindless babbling and left her company; she turned around calling out to me. Annoyed, I kept walking at a faster pace. She began hopping toward me, continuing her abstrusely obnoxious smiling. I turned around,

“Don’t you have other places to be?”

She stopped for a second,

“Nope! I’m off today, everypony is!”

She continued to hop toward me repeatedly asking questions,

“So are you here to visit Rainbow Dash?”

I rolled my eyes,

“No, I’m just passing through.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. She’d really like it if you showed up to her party!”

“Party? What for?”

“Oh, you know! It’s her birthday soon! In a few days actually, oh! I’ve got a great idea, why don’t you show up!”

She began to talk in circles, something I had expected from somepony who’d been living on sugar.

“Have you been eating a lot of sweets lately?”

She smiled and laughed a bit,

“Sweets? Why of course! That’s my whole diet, silly! What kind of questions is that? A better question would be something like. Are you going to show up for Rainbow Dash’s party?”

I sighed, getting a bit more agitated than normal,

“No, I’m just going passing through Ponyville; that’s all.”

“Ooh, that’s really a shame! I’ve got a party I’m planning and was hoping you’d be able to visit! I’ve got a great idea! You should show up for the party! It’s one of your dearest friend’s parties too! It’s everypony’s favorite, Rainbow Dash!”

I had just about lost it at that point. Not only had she asked me about the same party three times, but she didn’t seem to be running out of questions to ask either.

“Don’t you ever run out of questions? You do realize you’ve said the same thing at least three times.”

She stopped hopping and rubbed her chin.

“Hmm, I have noticed that I have been running short on new questions. Oh! You stay here, I’ve got to go brew up some new ones!”

She darted toward what I remembered as the bakery. It was amazing the bakery that I remembered as a filly was still standing tall after all these dates. I wondered if the Cakes were still behind the business there. I wanted to visit the store to see if my assumption were true, but I was afraid I’d run into that pink nightmare of a pony. I thought about what she had said; Rainbow Dash was one fine pony. She was fast and many of her assets reminded me a lot of myself. I laughed; perhaps it would be a good time to visit her. Ponyville had changed a lot since I had last visit it; they even had a castle now. It was all very impressive how the little town had grown. I began to wonder if those things happened because I left. I shook my head; probably not, it was impossible that the absence of a single citizen could ultimately change the fate of an entire town. I looked toward the castle; it glowed majestically in the sunlight brought down by Celestia. It was hard to believe a group of six ponies harnessed the Elements of Harmony and saved Luna from the moon; I had no idea such a thing could be made possible by common pony. I wanted to visit the castle, say “hi” to Rainbow Dash or something, but I didn’t know how I could even bare to look at her. I had been absent all these dates and we had agreed to be friends after that last adventure. She was the only one who knew of my secret, it was inevitable that we would be friends. Somehow, that wasn’t the way it happened. I suppose with the responsibilities of maintaining a castle she wouldn’t be able to visit with any of her other friends. I sighed, walking past the castle and following the map through town. I had no time to visit with anypony; I had to reach my goal and write about my findings. That was my job; that was my life.

I kept my head low; walking with a slow pace. It was a depressing pace, putting one hoof in front of the other because of an oath I had made to myself. I could care less about the journey; I know I wanted to leave my cabin in the woods, but I didn’t want to leave Ponyville. I wanted to visit with the locals; relive some old memories that built upon my life. Perhaps I should join Rainbow Dash’s party, bring some hope in the mare’s life. I sighed, leaving town and venturing into the fields that surrounded the town. I stopped, leaning over and pulling the dusty old map from the satchel. I laid it on the grass, lightly moving my hoof along the fine paper. Remembering my destination, I walked northwest toward the Galloping Gorge. Galloping Gorge was known to the pegasi as the most dangerous place to fly through. The twists and turns that the crevasse contained were nearly impossible to fly through. The constant threat of avalanche made flying through even more a chore. With rumors of monsters living within the gorge walls made sure nopony would ever fly through it again. Pegasi only talk of the gorge when comparing it to something of an equal difficulty, but nopony has ever tried to fly through. I laughed, spreading my wings behind me. It had been a long time since I had used my wings for traveling. I preferred to walk by hoof during my travels, but the consistent urge to use them was simply too tempting.

I had moved from my original home long after the last novel I wrote. My home was destroyed, but not forgotten. I visited the small shack from time to time; remembering the adventures that took place there. I tried to replicate the cabin’s originality but in a different location. I wanted to be closer to Ponyville; it was my home after all. I suppose my absence had a negative effect on me; I needed to interact with others, but I was unsure of how to. I shook my head; waking up from my self-pity. I flew over the fields of Friendship; the name was granted to these fields in honor of the Princess Twilight. Many ponies told stories of her earlier days, the days before she became a princess. They say she used to have gatherings with her friends outside the town’s borders. Many say they still have such meetings; of course, nopony would ever dare to interrupt royalty without a plausible complaint. It was unlike Ponyville to have royalty present with the exception of annual celebrations. It seemed bizarre that a town as small as Ponyville would have its own castle within its boundaries. It was unnatural, unheard of, it was not practical. I was somewhat agitated about the fact that Celestia had made a commoner an Alicorn. In fact, because of the decision, a new ruling has been put into order. It was a shady organization; one that many ponies did not trust. I myself did not trust it either, it seemed different. Equestria had been ruled by the Two Sisters since the nation’s birth. This group was unnamed and held numerous meetings that judged the two princess’ decisions by the hour. Nopony knew who they were and were often referred to as “The Board”. Celestia often took their advice on certain matters, but as far as I know the Board has been very reluctant toward many of her newer decisions. I’ve heard the Board was established sometime before what is known as the Prosperity Era. I rubbed my chin; trying to calculate dates and time. Books record that the Prosperity Era started sometime around 700 A.S.D., after the Alicorn Era. I shrugged, I knew little about Equestria’s History; it was something that was not often taught to the younger ponies. It was a course that was only available to the more prestigious ponies of Canterlot. Even so, the classes often lacked detail and depth. Equestria’s history was always a touchy subject. Nopony knows how it began, or why; it’s something that has been locked away for generations, destined for solitude in the dusty shelves of the Canterlot Archives.

The Galloping Gorge grew as I flew toward it. I looked behind me; checking to make sure nopony was following me. It would be potentially disastrous if somepony were to compromise my search. I always worked alone, everypony knew that. My journeys were something not to be trifled with, it was a necessity that they were to be kept in secret or publicize it as a mere mare’s tale. I flew closer to ground, preparing to land in the fear-infested crevasse below. I flapped my wings with a constant decrease in speed as I lowered myself into the rocky abyss that had consumed so many ponies before me. I closed my eyes, stiffening my legs; waiting for my hooves to kiss the sweet ground that was presented before me. I could feel gravity pull my once weightless body toward the ground with my wings being the things keeping me alive. I slowly grew closer to the ground, the air becoming hotter and denser as I approached my landing ground. I opened my eyes, ready to step onto the ground once more. I placed a hoof forward and pressed it against the ground; I smiled, having successfully flown from Ponyville to the Galloping Gorge without any trouble. It had been a while since I had used my wings; I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t have made the flight.

The gorge looked just as I had expected. Rocks piled against the walls from top to bottom, with the floor as no exception. The floor was somewhat flat, with the occasional pile of stones that usually reached halfway up the gorge. I looked behind me, watching for any monsters that had been rumored to emerge from either the rocks or the crevasse walls. I opened my satchel, pulling the old map from it. I laid it out on the stone floor, examining its markings thoroughly. Nothing about it seemed to have changed; I kept looking, still hopeful that a more precise location would be revealed in due time. I scanned it left and right, top to bottom, finding absolutely nothing that I hadn’t already known. I turned it over hoping I’d find something that I may have overlooked. I rubbed the parchment, expecting to see a symbol or coordinates of some kind. Nothing. I sighed; the map had led me to a dead end for something that was possibly unrelated to anything. I rolled up the map and placed it back in the satchel; I wanted to survey the area before I gave up. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the Galloping Gorge; I wanted to take advantage of this and sightsee a bit.

The gorge was not a spectacular sight to see. It was but a mere crevasse that had clearly seen one too many avalanches. Large piles of rocks climbed to the surface of the miserable crack in Equestria. It was more depressing than ever; nopony had gone through this for as long as I could ever remember. I thought for the moment; how did the rocks pile without somepony to cause the avalanche? It seemed strange, but a meaningless question altogether. I continued my path down the gorge; admiring the rock formations that were present in both the walls and flooring. I walked through a close, confined part of the gorge where I then examined a line of craters that decorated the walls. I sat down, rubbing my chin; determining the meaning for the strange formation. I looked to my left and picked up a decent sized rock, throwing it into the mysterious craters. I listened carefully as the small rock cracked against the sides of the tunnel where out from the darkness emerged a red eel-like creature. I jumped to my hooves, prepared to battle the monstrous creature only to see it retreat back into its domain. I looked around nervously; adjusting my hat and dusting my clothing. I turned away, walking in the opposite direction of the strange creatures. There, I saw an absurd growth of cacti or other similar plants. They grew along the walls and from the ground in strange patterns; making it impossible to cross through. Anypony ignorant enough to fly through these would need serious medical attention afterward; although, anypony simply thinking about flying through these plants would need medical attention either way. I tried to walk around the plants, but the effort was hopeless no matter how many ways around it. I looked up, realizing the plants did not reach to the surface of the gorge. I spread my wings; admiring my wingspan and lifting off into the sky. I flapped my wings in the wind, gracefully soaring over the hazardous plants and landing safely on the other side. I chuckled, walking away from the offending plants and continuing my journey through the gorge. The rest of the path was self-explanatory with the occasional pile of rocks followed by another pile. I sighed; there was nothing about the gorge that would be any interest to anypony but for those running a rock farm. I laughed, I doubted anypony still ran those; owning a rock farm was old Equestrian thinking. Those traditions ran dry after Zapapples were discovered. I sat down; having seen everything the gorge had to offer. It was pointless to continue; I laid down among a small pile of rocks, one that had been noticeably oddly placed. I gave no attention to the pile, it was similar to the others and me, therefore, rendered it just as meaningless. The rock pierced into the back of my head, but I took no notice. I was tired and disappointed that I had been chasing an imaginary treasure. However, there was nothing surprising about that fact; I had gone after many legendary treasures that turned out just to be rumors or mere stacks of solidified mud that served no purpose whatsoever. I picked up a rock from the pile and tossed it to the other side of the gorge. It bounced once or more and hit a pile across from me. I laughed once and threw another rock at the pile. Once again, it bounced and hit the pile causing a few rocks to fall from the stockpile of stones. It was surprisingly satisfying and extremely fillyish of me to be acting this way but I couldn’t stop throwing the rocks for some reason. Perhaps it was the rocks themselves possessing my excessive amount of boredom or I just that. Bored. I sighed, tossing another rock at the pile, watching a two more rocks fall from it. I sat there for hours throwing meaningless rocks and watching more of them fall from the stack. The sun was beginning to set, I knew nighttime would come fairly soon. I didn’t want to be trapped in the darkness, but I had not moved in hours and the rocks were actually beginning to feel comfortable. They were digging into my skin, but I had still not noticed their existence. I just kept throwing the cursed rocks through the night, thinking about what I was going to do next. I’d probably return home to my cabin and finish writing my parchment or something of the sort. I pulled my hat over my eyes, sleeping through the night on an uncomfortable pile of rocks. It was not my idea of resting well, but with the strange set of circumstances, it would have to do.

I opened my eyes, seeing darkness for as far as the eye could see. I lifted my hoof, the terrain was dark and dead. I looked around, I knew this place. It was the forest around my home. The dirt under my hoof called to me; it told me to walk toward my cabin. Reluctantly, I walked into a dead meadow. The trees were darkened, dry, and dead. The wood looked rotten and capable of falling at any moment. The sky was overcast and the sun seemed almost non-existent. I looked up, finding myself face to face with a lunar eclipse. I had only heard rumors of eclipses, they were something of old-world Equestria. It was something that was never seen again because of the Two Sister’s involvement with the raising of the planets. Had they gotten in a fight? Was Luna refusing to lower the moon again? Why hadn’t this blown over yet? What was going to happen to Equestria if she didn’t lower the moon? What if it was Celestia who hadn’t lowered the sun? I ran through the dead woods; looking left and right for my cabin which I half-expected to be as rotten as the trees. A breeze that smelled heavily of dead rodents consumed the land. I coughed, covering my muzzle as best as I could. I began to feel dizzy as the darkness in the distance grew closer and trapped me in the forest. The roots of the trees began to grow upward, pulling the dirt aside and trapping many of the creatures who lived in those woods. I felt pity for the creatures for some reason. It felt as if I had done this to them, I wasn’t sure why but I felt as if I had brought this destruction to Equestria. I could feel the guilt swelling within me, constricting my heart keeping it from beating. I continued running through the dark woods, avoiding the roots and trees that attempted to grab me as I ran. There, in the distance, I began to see my clearing in the woods. It glowed magnificently in the distance. I ran without fatigue; it was an excellent feeling as if I were pulled toward my cabin. Surrounding the field was a line of thorned bushes; I braced myself, closing my eyes and preparing to draw blood. I waited, still running as fast as I possibly could. Nothing came. Puzzled, I opened my eyes, finding that I had run through the bushes without a scratch. It was merely an illusion. Relieved, I walked toward my cabin, finding the door open with sudden screams of pain coming from within my safe heaven. I could feel my mind spiraling with the bone-chilling sounds of pain. I rubbed my eyes, expecting tears to be falling from them, but instead I found a quantity of blood rushing from my eyelids. I looked toward the house and out from the doorway came the pony whom I met at the pond. The foul smelling air blew in her mane as she smirked at me before vanishing into the thin air. I began to feel sharp pains swelling from my hooves; I looked down, screaming as a rush of pain consumed my whole body. My hooves had gone missing, blood pouring from their nubs as the scratches from my thorns added to the amount of pain. I screamed, my head bursting with pain and drowning in my bloodied tears. I fell to the ground, the nubs, formerly my hooves, grew green with infection as they touched the dirt. The darkness around my meadow closed in; the color of the grass grew yellow with death as I cried upon it. The world had caught fire and I felt as if I were the cause. I did not want it to end like this; I did not want to lose my hooves, no matter the circumstance. I opened my eyes, finding myself sweating and staring deep into a stone wall engraved with a familiar symbol; I had finally found the treasure I was looking for.

I wiped the sweat from my face, standing up and walking toward the wall that was once covered in rocks. I smiled; I knew my instincts were telling me the right things. My absurd rock throwing habit had caused the rocks to collapse against the floor, revealing a symbol that I had seen once before. I pulled out the map, comparing the symbol to that of the wall. It was a match, no doubt about that. I began to dig at the rocks, throwing them aside to see what else was underneath. I stopped looking at the symbol; it was something that if not for the map, it would be unfamiliar to me. The design was odd and somewhat irrelevant to anything. It seemed to be a group of stars that lined in a horizontal formation; something that would be easily overlooked with a pile of rocks blocking its view. I rolled my eyes, not caring about what the stars meant, only that I had found the treasure that I so willingly desired. The rocks tumbled down the pile, I smiled with a psychotic obsession with discovering what the map was pointing to. I dug for hours, eventually coming to what I had dreamed of seeing; a box. It was a rather large box, something that would take at least six ponies to carry. I thought about opening it later, but the temptation of figuring out the contents was too hard to resist. I examined the box, finding it locked and secured with many of Equestria’s best locks. I smiled, I had practiced locksmithing for many dates; I was prepared for anything. I pulled from my shirt pocket a small pin which I proceeded to bend and mold based on the observation I had made. It was an extremely unfamiliar lock formation, but I had confidence that my locksmithing abilities were up to par with the task. I closed my eyes, praying to Celestia that I would be able to perform my duty with ease. I placed the lockpick into the keyhole, wiggling it around multiple times hearing each tooth unlock in the box. I gritted my own teeth; the tension building up within me with every click the box made. Finally, I could feel the last tooth unlock itself as the top of the box sprung open; revealing its contents to my curious eyes.

Within the box was something that I had never expected; it was a collection of parchments that seemed to date long before the Second Demolition. There were seven scrolls within the box, each one relatively old and obviously dormant for the longest time. Out of curiosity, I pulled one from the box, unrolling it on the stone floor. Each one was written with a strange ink, something that would never be sold at a store of any kind. I smelt the paper, I had heard rumors that a pony would be able to tell the date by smelling the parchment. It smelled different from the paper I owned in my cottage. I smelled of ashes, destruction, and tears. I looked at the scroll, reading bits and pieces from each one. Many of them told stories from before the Demolition. I spark was activated within my mind; this was the true history of Equestria. I laughed having found a treasure that had been fought over for generations. I read through one, it spoke heavily of a pony dubbed Archtail and her battles with somepony else’s violent behavior toward the ponies of Equestria. I laughed; I could not accept that fact that I had finally solved Equestria's mysteries. I had completely unaware that Celestia had been behind it all the entire time. I pulled another from the box; this one being slightly more recent than the last, but still smelling of ashes and depression. The second one I read spoke of Celestia’s fillyhood; it was quite the read. I smiled, pulling each of the seven scrolls from the box and placing it into my satchel. This information desired to be read by all. It needed to be publicized; I had to report my findings to royalty as it was my duty. I could not believe that so many ponies had overlooked the chest. I knew the gorge was a dangerous place for anypony and the pile of rocks would be easily categorized as something of the ordinary. I spread my wings, securing the satchel and preparing my journey for Canterlot. My findings would forever change Equestria for the better, I was certain of that.

I carefully flew through the air, flying through Cloudsdale and soaring toward Canterlot. The scrolls were tightly secured in my satchel, waiting to be revealed to the world once more. I glanced at the bag, counting each one that peeked out from it. The weight from the old scrolls weighed me down, causing me to flap my wings harder. I fatigued quickly, but I continued to encourage myself during my flight. I needed to make it to Canterlot no matter the circumstance. It was something that would have to be done, I needed to publicize these so all of Equestria will know of her history. I struggled to keep myself in the air; I flew uneasily through the sky with every gust of wind that blew by. My eyes were glued open, scared of falling and losing an important document such as these was frightening enough to scare even the calmest of ponies. Canterlot could be seen in the distance, it glowed majestically in the brilliant sunset. I looked around nervously, it had been a long time since I had stepped hoof in Canterlot. It was something that I was forbidden to do, not just by Canterlot Law, but by my own standards. It was not the fame or popularity, it was something I had done to cause harm to the Princess. I didn’t want to relive those fantasies; I wanted to forget everything I had done that day. I wanted to leave my subconscious behind and move on. I sighed, flying closer and closer to the regal town that was so magnificently perched upon a mountain. I couldn’t believe the castle had been standing for so long a time, it was impossible that a castle like that could have survived the Second Demolition. I shook my head, ‘They must’ve rebuilt it; that has to be it. That would be the only explanation.’

I flew closer and closer to the mountain with every flap of my wings feeling heavier the closer I got. I never thought I would ever be revisiting the city. I knew Celestia for quite some time, but I never bothered to write to her. I had once been her pupil, but somepony lucky took my place when I had left. It was something that I never talked or thought about. I began to sweat, my place of landing was growing closer; I wanted to fly away, but the scrolls told me not to. I landed on the ground, shaking a bit; it was not an easy landing. I skid across the gravel trying not to look like a fool who didn’t know how to fly. The guards eyed me suspiciously as if I were a threat to Canterlot and her ponies. I smiled nervously, pushing through the anxiety. I walked to the gate, purposely ignoring the guards’ existence. One of the guards used their wings to stop me; I tried to look natural, he guard glared at me,

“What business do you have here in Canterlot, Ms. Do?”

I rolled my eyes; I figured my history would have blown over by now,

“Just doing a bit of delivery service, Mr. Guard.”

He chuckled, clearly eyeballing his comrade on the other side of the gate. I shuffled my hooves, quickly glancing at the guard who was slowly walking toward me. I glared at the guard in front of me; he spoke in a firm, interrogating tone,

“Delivery Service huh? I figured you’d be better than that. I know you’ve got things to do on your agenda, perhaps you should leave and we’ll never speak of this again.”

I sighed; my odds were not so hot right now,

“Listen, I’ve got to see the Princess. That’s all you need to know; now if you’ll please let me through, I’ll be on my way.”

He laughed; I could see the other guard examining my satchel. He nodded to the guard in front of me. I cringed; I realized I was carrying illegal leather the entire time. He leaned into me whispering,

“That’s some mighty fine leather you’ve got there. Mind telling me where you got it.”

My mind spun in circles, I needed to find a way to get out of this if I sat idly I’d be jailed for sure. He had nailed me; I couldn’t believe I had walked into this blindly. I took off my hat and looked at him in the eye.

“A good friend gave it to me; perhaps you’d better have it up with her.”

He gave a hearty laugh; I could tell he was having a field day with this.

“Good friend? Daring Do, don’t lie to me. You have no friends; you have nopony anywhere in the wide, wide world of Equestria. You really should come up with better lies next time. He signaled toward the other guard where the two of them wrapped their wings around me. I tried to flap away but it was hopeless. I called out the first thing that came to mind,

“Shouldn’t I be put before a trial before imprisoning me?”

The guard stopped and began to whisper to the other guard. I smiled; I knew I could pull it off. It was against procedure to imprison somepony without a proper trial and consultant with the current Princess of Equestria. The guard rolled his eyes and pushed me along with contempt. I smirked, it wasn’t exactly how I would have expected it, but I knew I would make it safely to the Throne Room of the two sisters.

The doors burst open as they threw me against the floor. I laughed, coughing out a joke in the meantime,

“Thanks for the escort Gentlecolts!”

I could hear the two of them grumbling insults behind the thick doors. Celestia stood from her throne, glaring at me with disgust. I smiled, bowing down to her Excellency.

“Save your flattery,” she growled.

I stood up, listening intently as she read off her hearing,

“I am to understand that you have in your possession an illegal substance that was clearly banned for the certain cruelty to our neighboring species.”

I spoke in a jokingly voice,

“Mmm, yes princess.”

She continued to glare at me,

“If you continue to speak to me in that tone of voice then those will be the last words that will ever come from your mouth. Am I understood?”

I began to shiver; even if I didn’t care she was still a frightening opponent.

“Yes, Princess.”

She continued her speech,

“You are here for judgment and will be sentenced to death for the murder and cruelty of our neighbors. Am I understood?”

A small group of seven ponies walked into the room; each one wearing black robes and walking in a single-file formation. I smiled; this was my only opportunity,

“Actually, I’m here for a different reason.”

The group of ponies gasped as I reached into my parcel. Celestia’s horn lit a bright yellow color; I could only assume that she was prepared to execute me on her carpet. I pulled a single scroll and unrolled it on the carpet. It continued to unroll toward her; it was long and by far one of my favorites. She withdrew her spell and instead levitated the scroll toward her. The group of robed ponies began to take notes, I looked at them nervously. It was obvious that this was the council that was rumored to judge Celestia.

“Where did you get this?” she asked in a more concerned tone of voice.

I looked at her and pulled the other six scrolls from the bag as well,

“I found these in the Galloping Gorge underneath a thousand stones. They were locked in a chest which I was able to unlock.”

I could see the stress build up in her eyes, they revealed the truth. She had seen these pieces of parchments before, she had been there just as the scrolls foretold.

“I had not seen these since the death of a dear brother. He offered to hide these and protect them for as long as the world was still in order. I thank you for bringing these to me. They will be kept in the Canterlot Archives for safe-keeping.”

She turned away, I blurted out a meaningless question,

“What about my charges? I found this bag by a pond and used it for convenience reasons!”

She looked back at me,

“If your story is true, then guilt will not consume you. If your story is false, then guilt will be the biggest punishment I can bestow. You are free to leave, but be warned that only you yourself will be able to punish you rightfully.”

I bowed once more, feeling relieved that I had rightfully returned the scrolls to their place. I watched as the councilponies left the room. Each of their robes was lined with a different color, indicating a rank. I left the room and walked out of the castle, heading toward the front gate. I was able to keep the leather bag, but I felt bad that I was unable to finish the rest of the scrolls. I had only finished one before returning them. It inspired me to write about my adventure, I would, of course, have to add a villain of some sort. Perhaps I could include some of the scroll’s content into the book, or would that upset the Princess more? I laughed; I was relieved that I no longer had to carry the heavy things. They really did weigh me down, it was impressive, really. I walked past the soldiers and gave them a wink. They rolled their eyes and muttered curses under their breath. I laughed, spreading my wings and launching myself into the sky. I watched as the sun fell below the mountains, greeting the moon on its way out. It was something that I normally didn’t see; it was a pleasure to finally return to Canterlot; even if it wasn’t exactly what I expected. The guard was right, I had no friends, but I really did need some. I thought about the pink pony in Ponyville; had Rainbow Dash really missed me after all these dates? I knew she idolized me, but would we be able to accomplish a strong friendship? Ponies who merely worshiped other ponies never made good friends. I knew that for certain, but would it be different with Rainbow Dash? I wasn’t sure, but I supposed it would be worth a try. I headed toward Ponyville, I would show up for her party. I knew I would be free to do anything I wanted; I figured it would be something neighborly for another pony. I didn’t want it to become a habit, but I knew Rainbow Dash as an acquaintance, I’m sure she hadn’t forgotten me.

“Daring Do! Is that you?”

Twilight opened the doors with open arms,

“What are you doing in Ponyville? What are you doing outside of your cottage at all?”

I smiled nervously, I knew it was unlike me to leave my home, but it was strange to know that other ponies knew what you were up to.

“Oh, uh, this pink pony friend of yours saw me in town the other day and invited me to Rainbow Dash’s party. I was doing a little of trekking at the time so I was unable to drop in and confirm. I’ve got nothing planned for the next few months so I’ll be able to make it.”

She welcomed me warmly and walked me through the castle. It was nice and clean; the floors reflected anything a pony could put in front of it. My eyes glowed as we walked into the throne room. The crystal walls and floors carried the same distinctive light-blue pattern throughout the entire castle. In the middle of the room was a round table that was surrounded with six thrones featuring a cutie mark. Sitting in those chairs were what I assumed to be Twilight’s friends. I couldn’t quite remember all of their names, so I asked for another introduction. Twilight smiled, pointing at each of her friends,

“Of course! This is Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and I’m Twilight Sparkle. Pleased to see you again, Daring!”

Rainbow Dash jumped from her seat, I could see her drooling over my presence.

“Daring Do!?! You’re here for my party, right? Please tell me you’re here for my party!”

I rolled my eyes and smiled,

“I’m here for your party, Rainbow.”

Her joyful scream echoed throughout the throne room. I watched as Applejack covered her ears,

“Heh, it’s nice ta see you Dar’n.”

I smiled, I somewhat remembered Applejack from when she was outside my cottage.

“You too, Applejack.”

She blushed, pulling her hat down over her face. Rarity walked around me like a cat, examining my clothing.

“How do you prance around in these garments? You must be absolutely miserable walking around in these dusty old things!”

I could feel my face growing redder,

“N-no, they're fine. I’m not one for looking good while running from danger. I would very much rather be looking like a slob and safe rather than looking good dead. It’s nice to see you… Rarity.”

She huffed about,

“Fine. I suppose you’re right.”

Rainbow Dash flew about the room with Twilight trying her hardest to get her down. Fluttershy was the only one who didn’t seem to care. Pinkie Pie walked toward me repeating the same two phrases over and over,

“She’s coming! I told you she’d come!”

I smiled, finally giving off my closing statement, hoping to get out of the mess,

“Thank you all for caring, but I’m just here for the party. I’ll be back in a few days time and we’ll talk all about my trip. Once again, thank you.”

They all laughed and walked me out toward the door. They stepped outside and waved goodbye as I left Ponyville. I noticed something odd, it seemed as though Twilight had not come outside. It was strange, but I supposed that a royal pony has business outside of a fandom. I waved goodbye to the five friends standing outside of the castle as I made my way back to the cottage. I closed my eyes for the moment, remembering all that I had done. I knew I had to keep the promise with Rainbow Dash; she was counting on me to be there at her party. I couldn’t let her down, I just couldn’t. I walked in the woods with my head down as I opened the door to my lonely cabin, sitting down on a small chair I picked up the quill that I had dropped so long ago and continued to write on a new piece of parchment. I began to write the words,

“Daring Do and the Secret of the Forbidden Scrolls”

I couldn’t remember what happened. It was a sudden attack that happened all too fast. I stood up, brushing the dust from my hooves and staining them with the tears of regret. I had lost everything, my home, my plan, my life. I had failed everypony; it was something that I would have to live with for the rest of my life. I rubbed my eyes, crying more as the dust had stung them. I tried to walk, but my hooves did not seem to be functional. I dragged my hooves in the dust using only my front two hooves. The sun scorched the world for one last time, I was aware of this. It had happened before, although I couldn’t quite place where. If only she hadn’t, if only she hadn’t manipulated my friend. I thought she could change but apparently I thought wrong. Lights, I remembered lights of many colors. They seemed to be like rainbows, but destructive. My head began to throb; I held it with my hoof, wailing in pain as I did. My vision was blurred; disorienting anything within three hooves of me. I began to hear voices, they seemed familiar but I couldn’t place them. I tried to call back, but no word came from my mouth; only another set of moans from the pain. I spread my left wing; it was heavily scarred with some parts of it still bleeding. With my eyes still closed, I crawled forward; forgetting the pain for just a moment, figuring it’d give me strength. I could hear rocks rumbling behind me; I opened my eyes, lifting my head from the ground to see who it could be. The voices grew louder as somepony began to walk toward me. I rolled to my back, moaning,

“How could I let this happen?”

Something appeared from the rubble below; I tried to call out to it, but I my voice had broken from screaming. I felt as if Equestria was falling apart below my very muzzle. I had let this happen, didn’t I? If only she hadn’t left, none of this would have happened. She had changed her, it was impossible not to think so, if only the Army hadn’t formed, we’d all be safe. It was treachery, the treaty the Unicorns made with the other races, had that meant nothing to them? The Princess, she needed to know, it was a necessary action. If only I’d known. A small figure appeared below me, I tried to make out who it was but my eyes had been sealed shut. I couldn’t quite make it out; I cried, trying to focus my magic on the ground. A small voice called out to me, I tried to nod my head, but I couldn’t. I began to scream again; what had I done? Whatever the case, I needed to head to Canterlot; if the Canterlot Empire did not form an army of their own, we would be destroyed. The small pony reached out behind me, undoing my chains and releasing me from my bond. I fell to the ground, crying as bits of dirt climbed into my wounds. I tried not to move for the sake of my bloodied torso; I wanted to fight back, but there was nothing I could do at the moment. I needed to leave this place, it served no purpose. I tried to open my eyes and watched as two figures began to walk toward me. I reached out to them; finding my voice and calling out to what I assumed to be rescuers,

“P-please, h-help. M-must get t-to, C-C-Canterlot.”

I watched as the two figures looked at each other, talking in a muffled tone. I rubbed my ear in hopes of improving my hearing. Nothing happened, I closed my eyes. I felt the two figures walked behind me and proceed to pick me up, dragging me along the dirt and pulling me into a house.

“H-How could I let this happen?”

“Everypony, we have a guest!”

Rainbow Dash sat up in her chair, I watched as she eagerly waited to see who it was. I smiled, winking at her; she nodded her head, returning the wink.

“Okay everypony, here she is!”

Daring Do walked in the room; I laughed as Rainbow Dash nearly fainted in her chair. She answered shyly toward the crowd; it was obvious that she hadn’t talked to anypony in the longest time. I put my hoof over her shoulder, trying to comfort her as she introduced herself. She was more delicate that one would think; I couldn’t imagine living alone for so many dates. My eyes lit up as she asked for introductions,

“Of course! This is Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and I’m Twilight Sparkle. Pleased to see you again, Daring!”

I tried not to sound like an out of control fan while saying those words. I performed Cadence’s calming technique, it worked, but I still thought it needed some sort of improvement as far as when a pony’s favorite character is standing in the room with them. My hooves jittered with excitement; I simply couldn’t believe Daring Do had come to Ponyville! I joined Rainbow Dash in flying in the air, it just something I couldn’t hold it any longer. It was an unstoppable joy that continued to consume my decision making. I smiled, laughed, cried with joy, doing everything to try and stay sane. I began to see that Daring was starting to feel uncomfortable with our behavior toward her presence. She spoke with an unsure tone of voice; I knew then that she wanted to leave,

“Well, I’m glad I met with everypony. I’m sure to make it to the party! As for now, I’ve got to head home and finish some last minute work. I’ll see everypony in a couple of days!”

Everypony stood up from their chairs and proceeded to walk Daring Do out of the castle. I flew down to her side and began to walk her to the door as well. Spike appeared from one of the rooms in the castle whispering my name. I walked toward him,

“Spike, can’t this wait?”

He was holding a letter from the Princess, I knew it was important.

“Sorry Twilight, but the Princess says it’s urgent!”

I sighed, glancing toward my friends who were standing at the door giving their salutations to my idol.

‘Duty comes first,’ I repeated to myself, doing my best to prevent mourning over the subject. Spike handed me the letter as I read aloud to myself.

“My Dear Twilight Sparkle,

A sudden change of events is about to occur, I’m afraid you must make your way to Canterlot as fast as you can. I’m sorry to tell you that your friends will not be able to come to this meeting, in particular, royal business only I’m afraid.

Yours,

Princess Celestia”

I examined the letter’s every aspect, hoping to find a bit more information. It was subtle and quick to the point, but I was hoping to find a better reason to leave my friends behind. I looked at Spike with sorrow; he could see that I would have to go without him. He looked down and walked away into one of the castle rooms, closing the door behind him. I sighed, watching my friends as they walked through the doors of the castle. They stood there, staring at my sorrowed face, I looked at them,

“I’m sorry, but the Princess has ordered that I meet her in Canterlot alone. She says it’s urgent and that I must leave immediately. I’m sure it’ll be over soon, though, I’ll be back soon, I’m certain of that.”

Rarity walked toward me, putting a hoof on my shoulder,

“It’s quite alright, Twilight; we’ll be waiting for you when you return. I’m sure whatever Celestia has for you is important.”

I smiled as they all came to my side,

“Thanks, girls, I knew you’d understand.”

Applejack laughed,

“Why wouldn’t we understand?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer that, I wasn’t sure why they wouldn’t either. We were the best of friends, why would they deny that?

“I’m not sure; I just have a bad feeling about this meeting. It’s a bit sudden isn’t it?”

Rarity chuckled,

“Well, you are a princess, Twilight! Everything won’t be as planned as you would hope it could be!”

I shrugged, I suppose that was true. A kingdom’s problems would be unexpected even if I avoided every problem. My time as princess was beginning to become more serious, I had taken on responsibilities that I never thought I would have to take on. My trips to the Crystal Empire had become more and more frequent with each visit being described as “urgent” and “royal business only”. Every time I left, I would have to leave my friends, it was something that tore me apart. It was as if somepony was trying to make this happen. I rubbed my chin, I really hoped it hadn’t been Starlight, she’d had been a good friend at first, but I have no idea what happened. She changed for the worse and had gone missing from Equestria. Nopony knew where she was, I wondered if she was happy with her decision; if she was proud of leaving her friends.

I walked out of the castle doors, looking back at my friends who were waving at me, smiling and giving me good-byes. I waved back, spreading my wings and preparing for flight. I flapped my wings, soaring through the sky and heading for Canterlot. It would take only a few short minutes, but I felt that the flight would be something important. I wanted to make sure that the moment lasted. I felt as if my meeting in Canterlot would be my last, it was a terrible feeling, almost as if it were foretold before. I sighed, landing on the turf outside of the castle. I walked through the city’s gates; the guards saluted me, lifting their spears for me as I passed through. I winked at one of them and watched as he blushed, I chuckled finding it cute. The streets of Canterlot were bustling with high society ponies; they walked with their heads propped up high. I felt out of place walking through their town. I was a princess, but I was not rich. It was a quality that not many princesses before me had. I walked through the busy streets, many ponies bowing at my sight. I blushed, I didn’t feel it was necessary to bow at my presence; it was something I was not used to seeing. I was royalty, but I was still a mere pony who lived in Ponyville. The small village really did play a part in my life, changing my view of Equestria entirely. I wondered if that was the reason Celestia had put me in charge of it. I rubbed the back of my neck; I chose to be in Ponyville to be with my friends and as an assignment. How had come to ruling the town? The Mayor had died many dates ago in a tragic accident, but how does that make me the ruler of Ponyville? Was Ponyville to be my kingdom? I was the Princess of Friendship with my duties including spreading that magic around Equestria. I sighed, stopping for a second to pay respects to the mayor. I pushed through the castle doors and walked to the throne room where I would be meeting the Princess. It was always an odd place for a meeting, but I no longer cared; I just wanted to return to Ponyville and be with my friends. The guards bowed at my presence as Celestia turned toward me. Sitting at each side was both Princess Luna and Princess Cadence. I looked nervously toward the two of them. Their wings spread out behind them.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, The Missionary of Friendship and Prophesied Saviour of Equestria, we are gathered to discuss a recent discovery that has put the Kingdom of Canterlot in question.”

I looked at her, confused at what she was saying. I wanted to say something but I knew it was against the meeting procedures to interrupt the current speaker. Celestia paused and glanced toward her sister, Luna,

“The discovery has upset the council’s judgment as well. I warn you, Twilight, this may danger the land of Equestria. It is our duty to inform you of all new developments that will change Equestria’s outcome.”

She paused and looked toward Cadence, she nodded,

“Twilight, what they’re saying is that the council is questioning the origins of our kingdom. A remarkable discovery has been that is endangering the well-being of our land.”

She stopped, I was filled with so many questions, I blurted out as many as I could within the short amount of time,

“What discovery? What discovery could possibly endanger the entire land of Equestria? Is it a weapon? Have we found something that may endanger the other races? Are we to go to war with our neighboring forces?”

Celestia held her hoof at shoulder height; halting my speech. I stopped and awaited answers. Instead, she nodded to Cadence. Cadence sighed and spoke softly,

“Twilight, I think you need to see this. Not only will it explain your questions, but it will change your role as Princess. A ruler must be well informed and educated about her kingdom.”

Celestia nodded at Cadence; I watched as she left the room, leaving me alone with the Two Sisters. The room was silent for a moment until Celestia broke the silence,

“Twilight, you will one day run this kingdom as your own. It is foretold that you will. You must protect and learn about the kingdom and her ponies. It is your duty and it is your destiny.”

Speechless, I watched as Cadence returned carrying a brilliantly decorated box. She opened it and revealed its contents, giving me a single parchment from the box. I unrolled it against the carpet, it was longer than the royal carpet itself; overwhelmed, I began to read from the top. Celestia turned toward Luna, then back at Cadence.

“This may take some time, please come into the backroom when you are finished.”

They left the room and suddenly the entire corridor was silent. I could hear my blood rushing in my ears as I read each word from the parchment. I could not believe what I was reading; it was a documented history of Equestria. The dates on each parchment accurately explaining each of Equestria’s struggles; it described everything from its birth to the event of the fabled Demolition. I read the dates out loud, looking over at the throne where I saw the small box. I opened it and levitated all of the scrolls toward me. I read the dates out loud,

“7091 B.F.D., 270 A.F.D., 330 A.S.D., 100 A.S.D.”

It was impossible; these scrolls spoke of things that happened even before the First Demolition. I read as quickly as possible, trying to finish it as fast as possible. I found myself sitting on the floor until the moon rose. Cadence walked into the room and sat beside me, I looked at her,

“Have you read these? It’s remarkable!”

She sighed,

“Yes, it is. But I’m a bit more worried about the council. They’re threatening to take over the kingdom if we don’t do something about it.”

I looked up from the parchment,

“But this is revolutionary! This should be published publically! Equestria deserves to know the truth about its nation!”

She shook her head, I tilted my head,

“Sorry, Twilight; but this information is entirely confidential and it should be kept that way. This truth does not need to be known by others. It reveals the mistakes and heartbreaking truth of our country sure, but we are at harmony with each other. The last thing we need is to change that.”

I looked down, realizing the error in my view,

“I suppose you’re right, but wouldn’t it be wrong to lie to the public? Would it be wrong to lie in the face of the public?”

She sighed,

“Someday Twilight, you’ll understand as I do. Recall what happened in the Crystal Kingdom those many dates ago, remember the faces of the Crystal Ponies? What would have happened if we told them King Sombra was on his way to destroy them? They would be frightened and we would have been destroyed so many dates ago. Would we want that to happen again and ruin our time of peace?”

I looked at her, she did have a point. I continued to read the parchment, I knew the Equestrian Laws; if anypony knew what Celestia had done those last days, then all of the lands would overthrow her. It was something that I couldn’t let happen. I rolled up the last scroll and placed it in the box, locking it and placing it back in its place next to the throne. Celestia walked into the room and spread her wings,

“We thank you for your understanding of our situation. We will contact you when any other situations arise. You may now return to your business in Ponyville.”

I gave a respectful bow to Celestia and left the throne room, saying goodbye to Cadence on my way out. I left the castle and walked through the kingdom, it was a beautiful place. I knew what was going to happen. I had few encounters with the council myself and they were not ponies that should be messed with. They claimed to speak for the ponies of Equestria but I knew better than that. I knew their sole purpose of forming their organization was to overthrow the kingdom and banish Celestia forever. I hated them the second I saw them, they reeked of deception and dark intentions. It was unavoidable; anypony who saw them immediately received bad vibes from them. The gate guards bowed as I left the Kingdom; I sighed, spreading my wings and preparing for liftoff. I looked back at the castle, I knew what was going to happen, it would be inevitable. I would lead this kingdom one day; it was all a matter of time. And my time was running out.

“Twilight what happened? You missed the party?”

I felt guilty; Rainbow Dash looked at me crossed as ever.

“I-I’m sorry Rainbow, but the meeting took longer than before. I can’t say much about it, but it was as important as the letter had foreseen.”

Rainbow Dash flew around the room, huffing and puffing. Fluttershy flew up to her and tried to calm her down,

“It’s okay Rainbow, I’m whatever Twilight did was important. Besides, you’ll always have a party next date.”

Rainbow Dash stopped sitting down in her throne,

“Yeah you’re right but you’d better make it next date, Twilight!”

I laughed nervously, I wasn’t even sure if there would be another date after this.

“O-of course! I’d love to hear all about Daring Do and what she did during the party.”

I looked around the room trying to act natural. I trusted my friends, but I couldn’t tell them about the scrolls I had previously read. Rainbow Dash sat back in her chair,

“Only the most awesome thing ever! She agreed to sign every copy of Daring Do I owned and told me about her upcoming book!”

I bolted up,

“Really? She’s writing a new one after all these dates? Hadn’t she retired? What is it about?”

Rainbow Dash laughed, straightening up in her chair,

“Oh, I can’t tell anypony, but she said it had something to do with some box of parchments she found in the Galloping Gorge. It doesn’t sound exciting, but knowing her, everything she does is exciting.”

I could feel the blood rushing from my head, she had found the scrolls. I should have known, Daring Do had not stepped hoof in Canterlot for the longest time, why would she start now? Plus, now she wants to write a book informing all the ponies of the discovery, knowing her, she probably read one of the scrolls for source material. I began to hyperventilate,

“Rainbow, when is the book coming out?”

She chuckled,

“Oh, it’s coming out in a few short weeks; she said that she had started writing it a soon as she got back from Ponyville. It’s gonna be great, I’ll tell ya!”

I didn’t know what to say, I needed to stop her from shipping the book. Applejack walked toward me, putting a hoof over my shoulder.

“Are you alright, sugar cube?”

No, I wasn’t alright; I had a catastrophe that was waiting to happen. I looked around nervously,

“Yeah, I’m just fine. It’ll be alright, I just need to think.”

I walked away, leaving my friends standing in the throne room. I walked into the library, hiding in a back corner and crying in my hooves. I had lost hope, I knew I could solve this somehow but I was unsure how. I shook my head, only my friends knew Daring’s adventures were real. Everypony else treated it as a story and nothing more. It was a gamble, but I had faith that things would go my way. I looked up, seeing Spike standing over me. I hadn’t talked to him since I left Ponyville; he had been looking for me.

“Twilight, what happened in Canterlot?”

I hesitated,

“Spike, I-I can’t say. I just can’t.”

He looked at me, I could see that he cared for me, everypony did. I wanted to tell them all, but I was afraid of the outcome that would come afterward. I did not want to be the cause of the separation of my friends. I couldn’t imagine leaving my friends, I thought about the battle with Discord; I had lost faith in my friends and I paid for it. It was Celestia that allowed me to regain hope in them; it was her that showed me that my friends are my life. I fought beside them, and I fought with them. That was friendship; it was a form of bond that was stronger than any other. I of all ponies should have known that I thought about how much I really knew about friendship. Was I really worth for my title? What was the prophecy Celestia was talking about? I had read something about it in one of the scrolls, but I knew nothing else about it. She mentioned me saving all of Equestria, would I be up for the task if it were to arise? Celestia had magic that I could never dream to possess; I know she had visions and other forms of information that haunted her night by night. What about me? What special powers did I possess? My cutie mark defined magic; I was chosen to become the most powerful magic user in Equestria. If this was true, why did I still feel less than others? Starlight Glimmer had more magical know-how than anypony else, I began to doubt my own abilities.

“Spike, who am I to you?”

It was a stupid question, but I felt it was necessary. Spike looked at me in shock,

“Twilight, you’re my best friend! You know that! You are my entire life Twilight, you hatched me and I wouldn’t be here if not for you! Do you doubt your friends?”

I cried as silently as possible but my pouts could still be heard throughout the library.

“Spike, something terrible has happened in the castle and the Princesses believe that I may have to protect the castle very soon. Oh, Spike. I don’t know if I’m ready for something like this!”

He looked at me; I could see that he want to encourage me. Spike believed in me, I had taken care of him since his hatching day. He knew nopony other than me for the longest time.

“Twilight, you’re ready for anything. You are the smartest pony I’ve ever met! I think you could run all of Equestria and beyond! You just need to believe, Twilight. It’s your destiny to inherit Canterlot, you were born ready!”

I looked at Spike, finally lifting my hooves. I looked at him teary-eyed as he pat me on the back.

“Thank you, Spike. I needed that. I’m sorry I’ve been acting so strange lately, it’s the stress. I just need some rest. I’m heading upstairs now; I’ll see you in the morning, Spike.”

He smiled and waved good-bye; picking up a few books that I had left out of place. I left the library and explained to my friends that I would be resting for the rest of the night. They smiled and left the castle; each heading to the homes of their own. I closed the castle door and proceeded upstairs yawning. It had been a long week and I was fatigued more than I had ever been. I jumped into bed and laid my head the pillow. It was soft and plush, I missed the comfort of my bedroom; it was the only part of the castle that wasn’t consistently pressured by responsibility. I closed my eyes, drifting to sleep; trying not to think of the event from earlier.

I couldn’t stop running; I was afraid; it was something that came naturally. I could feel nothing but my hooves hitting against the floor as I ran from my fears. They haunted me continuously, constantly pursuing me as I ran farther and farther away. I tried to open my eyes as I ran, watching as the walls collapsed behind me. A pair of enlarged light blue eyes appeared in the darkness, following me and destroying all that I built. I struggled to keep on my hooves, I felt as if I had been running for the longest time. I knew this pony; she had been a dear friend. I couldn’t quite recognize the eyes, they seemed, familiar. It was as if I had lived or known this pony for longer than a lifetime; I began to feel guilty that I couldn’t remember her face. An image came to view in my mind; she was a pony who was bright and young. She believed in me as well, what had I done to cause an entire line to be against me? I panted heavily, trying to keep my balance as the ground began to feel more and more uneven. I looked down finding both the ground and myself colorless. I looked behind me as I ran, staring face to face with the severed pair of eyes beaming back at me. I choked, losing my grip on the turf as I fell over and rolled into the black limbo beyond the pair of pupils. I began to cry,

“Why? What will my extermination do for your world?”

I could hear laughter emitting from all around me. I stood up in a defense stance. I could hear voices whisper around me, I had no idea what would happen to me if I were to submit.

“Revenge is a sweet, sweet thing, my dear Twilight.”

The laughter grew louder as I gave way, I screamed; falling through unsure of what would happen then. I began to see a stone floor decorated with lines of spikes tipped with the corpses of all my friends. I closed my eyes, screamed once more and braced for my certain death.

I jumped, falling out of bed and hitting my head against my nightstand. I could hear Spike waking from his slumber as he walked over to help me.

“Twilight! What happened?”

I rubbed my head, moaning just a bit,

“Uh, nothing Spike. I just had a bad dream.”

Spike looked at me skeptically; rubbing his chin and leaning in. I looked around the room, he laughed,

“Twilight! Was it a vision? Are we finally going to rule a bigger kingdom?”

I rolled my eyes,

“No, Spike. It was not a vision. It was anything but a vision. I’m sure a vision would be something a little more precise as far as what is going on.”

He began to pace around the room,

“Well, what was it about? You can tell me!”

I turned around; he was staring at me smiling with a wide grin. I sighed,

“I was running from something, I’m not sure what. Then I slipped and the ground broke where I began to fall. That’s when I woke up.”

He continued to pace around the room as if he was trying to figure everything out. I laughed,

“Spike, I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll send a letter to Princess Luna asking what it could mean. Maybe she’ll have a bit more clarification.”

His eyes lit up as he ran across the room, pulling a quill and parchment from a desk. I chuckled,

“Well, I wasn’t going to send until later, but if you really must know.”

He nodded his head and readied his claw. I cleared my throat,

“Dear Princess Luna, In case you are unaware, I experience a nightmare that I have many concerns about. I will return to Canterlot to discuss these matters privately. Thank You, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike moaned,

“Aww, I thought you were going to have me write it!”

I laughed walking toward the bedroom door,

“Sorry, Spike; but these matters are private and have a lot to do with my responsibility as a Princess of Equestria. It’s something that I can’t get you involved in Spike, not yet at least. When your time comes, I’ll be certain to let you know of everything that’s going on.”

He looked down, nodding his head and agreeing before sending the letter to Canterlot. I winked at Spike before leaving the room and walking down the hallway toward the throne room. I looked at the Cutie Map, it had been a pleasure spreading the joys of friendship around Equestria for so many dates; I began to wonder how long we would be keeping it up. I sat down in my throne and looked at the other five empty thrones before me. Each one presented something special; no two thrones looked alike. Spike called out from the other room, running and holding a parchment. He gave me the parchment and watched as I opened it.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle,

The dream you informed me of was not a ‘nightmare’ but instead a vision as I had predicted. I’m afraid we cannot meet anytime soon; the council has moved more quickly than usual and if we are to keep our treaties with them then we must comply with their terms. I apologize, but we are afraid some things must be kept a secret from others. We are sending a package to you, keep your servant, Spike, informed of a delivery within the next few days. We may have to use him as a form a transportation. It is of utmost importance that you dispose of this message as soon as you have read it. My sister and I are afraid they will be watching our every move from this point on.

Thank You and stay alert,

Princess Luna~”

Disappointed, I looked toward Spike. He eagerly awaited my next comment,

“Spike, your time has come; I’m afraid you’ve become involved.”

“What? Secret scrolls? Daring Do is an enemy? The council? Who’s the council anyway?”

I sighed, nodding my head, it was all true. He looked at me with disbelief as I tried to convince him that I was not making any of it up.

“Well, maybe I did overreact about Daring Do’s part. She isn’t exactly an enemy, but she did cause this entire catastrophe. Spike, I’m afraid a new era has begun and so far, it isn’t looking too bright.”

Spike rolled his eyes, moaning,

“Aww, does that mean we have to reset the calendar?”

I laughed nervously,

“No Spike, we won’t have to reset the calendar. We could ask Pinkie to that if we needed to. I’m afraid this new era won’t be a pretty one; the council is going to ruin all of Canterlot if we don’t put a stop to this.”

Spike backed away,

“And just what are you suggesting we do? I’ve already got a package coming through and I’m not sure I can even handle something bigger than a piece of paper.”

I laughed and patted him on the head,

“Spike, I’m sure you’ll do fine. I’m not sure what to do, I believe the best thing to do during this time would be to hide and wait. Spike, Celestia spoke of a prophecy; one that came before my coronation, she had foreseen my victories through time; she knows what to expect of me. It’s only right that I preserve my existence until the right time.”

He put his claws on his hips, giving off a small cloud of smoke,

“Hmmf, I was hoping for a little more action, but I guess if that’s what you think it right then I’ve got no other choice than to follow.”

I smiled, placing a hoof on his head,

“Thanks, Spike. I knew you’d understand. You always have.”

He smiled, and then suddenly leaned over. Doing the first thing that came to mind, I began to pat him on the back. It was pathetic, but it was the only thing I could think of. I put him on my back as I walked him to the bedroom where he continued to hurl and distort his voice. It was a terrifying sight and much, unlike the other deliveries he had done. I could see the pain in his eyes as he gasped for air. I couldn’t believe Celestia would put Spike through such a thing. I doubted she’d do something like that on purpose; it’d have to be something of utmost importance for it to be delivered like this. I closed my eyes; refusing to see any more of the horrendous sight. His moaning stopped for a second, where it was all met with a large belch. I slowly opened my eyes, finding him passed out in his bed. I laughed and asked him to stand up. He didn’t move a muscle; I began to feel worried. Spike was one of my best friends, I couldn’t let him die. Not today, not ever. I placed a hoof on his head and laid my head against his chest. His heart beat heavily; relieved, I walked toward the box. It was a strange box made with leather; a substance that was clearly illegal for its cruelty toward other neighboring species. My eyes widened the more I looked at the box. Why would Celestia use this box at all? It was something that was clearly illegal, but yet she had broken her own laws. On top of the box was a note,

“Twilight,

This box contains all that we must hide. I’m afraid things aren’t going as well as I thought they would go. The time has come, it’s time for you to run, do not wait for use to rescue, It’s time for your journey to begin. I have sent a pony to make it to your location. He will arrive in due time, please take care until he arrives. Make us proud and show Equestria your power.”

I pushed the letter aside and unfastened the lid; opening the box as I found to my surprise seven paper scrolls sitting snuggly in the chest. I could feel my hooves shivering; I wasn’t sure what I would do with such treasures. They were valuable and needed to be kept a secret to everypony. I looked toward the unconscious Spike; it was only a matter of time before he found out. I thought about the others, I couldn’t keep this a secret for much longer, but I had to no matter what. I couldn’t let anypony other than Spike get a hold of these scrolls. Who knows what those ponies would do with this kind of information? The council seemed to have no trouble destroying Canterlot’s glory with them, who knew what other damage could be done? I needed to confront the council; I needed to protect Celestia. It was my duty as a Princess to do whatever political actions that may be necessary. I locked the box, placing it under my bed. Determined, I left the castle, walking out and greeting the morning air. I gritted my teeth, spread my wings and prepared for flight.

“Hi, Twilight! What’cha up to?”

I jumped, startled and trying to find where the voice came from. It was Pinkie who was jumping up and down outside of the door.

“Pinkie, how long had you been waiting there?”

She smiled, now jumping around me,

“Oh, since yesterday actually, although, I have no idea why!”

I rolled my eyes, she giggled,

“Hehe, I guess I’ll see you next time. Where are you off to?”

I sighed,

“Canterlot, I’ve got more business there. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”

She giggled again, jumping away as she spoke,

“Oki Doki Loki! I’m going to go check on Applejack!”

I wave her goodbye and once again prepared my wings.

“You know, you really should tell your friends what’s going on.”

I cringed, now officially cross.

“Discord, I’m not in the mood. I’ve got to go to Canterlot.”

He laughed, making himself visible in front of me.

“Oh please, Twilight. I know all about your little, discovery. I must say, I’ve been looking for this for the longest time! Never figured a pony would find it.”

I withdrew my wings, looking up at where he stood,

“That’s no surprise considering you’re in one of them.”

He hesitated,

“Well sorry, Twilight, but I’ve told you, I’ve been around for the longest time. I’m the king of Chaos after all!”

I could see him smiling, proud of his title; one that had not been used since Fluttershy reformed him.

“King of Chaos, huh.”

“Oh please, just because I have friends now, doesn’t mean I can’t have fun,” he snapped. I laughed, spreading my wings once more.

“Twilight, wait. Don’t do this; it’s not going to help any cause.”

I looked at him, staring at him directly in the eye,

“I’m going to save the Two Sisters; I’m doing what’s right.”

With that, I lifted off; launching myself into the air. Flapping my wings and soaring through the sky as I closed into Canterlot. A bright light flashed beside me revealing Discord flying backward. I rolled my eyes,

“Discord, you’re not going to stop me! I need to do this, just because you have a history with Celestia doesn’t mean you can follow me to her throne room every time I visit!”

He stopped; his head down looking at the ground below,

“Uh, you’re right, Twilight. I’ll see you when you return…”

I sighed, relieved that I had eliminated the distraction. I could see the cliff side get closer and closer, I needed to talk to the council; this was wrong, all of it.

I walked through the gate, pushing through the crowds of ponies. I looked up toward the castle and lowered my head. I wasn’t sure what I’d say; I knew I should have thought about this more. I was here, but I was scared. If I messed up in any way, then I would forever be banished; I couldn’t allow that to happen. I tried to calm down, but nothing would work in a situation like this. It was a one time shot, I had to get this right. I opened the door and walked through the castle halls; navigating my way while trying to stay sane with the pressure. I pushed through another door, finding myself in the Throne Room. The large room was empty, everything still and quiet. I looked around, walking toward the thrones. Behind the throne was a door that led to the highest balcony; the sisters used this to raise and lower the sun. I opened the door, walking up the stairs. I could feel my hooves shiver; I had no idea what I would do if I failed. I tried to remember Spike’s reassurance; I never failed a test, why would I start now? I laughed nervously, trying to use Pinkie’s methods. As I walked up the stairs, I began to head ponies cheering, screaming and talking. I walked onto the balcony and looked down onto the kingdom; it was a speech being made by the council. Furious, I ran back down the stairs and made my way to the lower balcony, the one the princesses used during my coronation. Panting, I screamed out to them,

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

They were lined up horizontally with one pony standing closer to the edge than the others. Each one wore their distinctive black cloaks as each turned around to face me. I huffed,

“What did you do with Celestia?”

The leader stepped toward me, chuckling slightly as he spoke with a raspy tone of voice,

“Celestia? What do you see in the traitor? She has killed Equestria with her lies and in return, we disposed of her.”

Furious, I cried out,

“And just who do you think you are to banish the sisters? They raise the moon and the sun; they have responsibility!”

He heartily laughed,

“They still perform their duties; the only difference is that we provoke it. You really should lighten up, we’re in charge now. Nopony can deny that.”

The other six laughed, walking closer toward me. I backed away slowly, not sure of what to do.

“Don’t you see Twilight, we’ve won. We’ve kept our eye on Canterlot for the longest time, since its founding in fact; it was only a matter of time before we’d taken Celestia down.”

The leader pony stopped, turning back to the crowd as he shouted with the loudest voice he could muster,

“Take action! We must end this anarchy! Destroy the princesses! We shall rule the government for ourselves without the need of their treachery!”

I widened my eyes as I watched him as he undressed his cloak revealing his identity. The others halted their pursuit toward me; giving their full attention toward the crowd. Each pulled off their cloaks and shed light on their specifics. Each one of them were darkly colored pegasi, it was clear that these were loyal to their respective city.

“Join us pegasi! Together we shall rule a different Equestria! One that is no longer prone to weak perspective! We call all pegasi to join us! Pegasi in every part of Equestria; it is time to fight for your homeland! Destroy all those who offend our honor! We will fall to neither Earth nor Pegasi ponies! We will prevail and crush all those beyond our race! I command everypony to fight for their homeland; to join the Pegasi Army!”

The crowd cheered, it seemed as though they agreed with the lunatics. I ran to the edge, leaning over as I began a speech of my own,

“Everypony! Stop this reign of outrage! Our kingdom has been run righteously with our rulers thinking of everypony in their times of need! The pegasi seek control! Is it really your destiny to become enslaved?”

The leader laughed pushing me aside whispering into my ear before he began,

“My turn, Twilight.”

He raised his hooves in the air as he spoke with fierce determination. It was clear he wanted to end me,

“Do not listen to the corrupted royalty! We are simple ponies who have become more powerful than even the Alicorn! I promise you, we will grow strong together! We seek justice! These Alicorns have been in power for far too long! It was Celestia who destroyed the land! Crafting it with destruction and pain! The blood of thousands of ponies lay on her hooves alone! Destroy the Alicorn for they will become more extinct than the ancestors who died in the Demolition!”

The crowd went wild, cheering for the corrupt pegasi. He winked at me before the council left,

“That’s how you make a speech. It appears the magic of friendship isn’t as strong as you thought.”

He patted me on the shoulder as I watched the audience throwing objects toward me. I turned around; my head down as I walked away from the crowd. I had failed Celestia, I had failed all of Equestria. I wanted to go home, I wanted to cry. I tried to hold my tears in but they continued to run down my face uncontrollably. I spread my wings, lifting off in an explosion of color. I flew over the Everfree Forest, it seemed as though that was the last shred of peace. It was wild, but it was free; hence the name. It would forever be free from havoc, from corruption, from political hell.

I landed outside my castle, pushing through the doors as I went into the throne room to take a seat. To my surprise, I found my friends there waiting. Each was silent and watched my every move. Finally, Rarity spoke up; breaking the silence,

“Twilight dear, we’re worried about you.”

I looked up, noticing somepony was missing. I quickly blurted out the first thing that came to mind,

“Where’s Rainbow Dash?”

I watched as each one of them looked at each other; exchanging faces and looking down. Applejack walked toward me; once again putting a hoof over my shoulder,

“Maybe you should sit down, Twilight.”

I couldn’t believe it, had Rainbow Dash joined the pegasi army?

“Don’t tell me she signed up.”

Rarity and Fluttershy looked around the room; Pinkie Pie was turned away from everything. I walked to her, removing Applejack’s cold hoof from my shoulder.

“Pinkie Pie? What’s wrong?”

She turned around, she began to cry. Startled, I tried her for answers,

“Pinkie Pie, what happened?”

She didn’t say a word, nothing at all. It was strange for her not to say anything. Usually, she was full of questions, comments, and other types of conversation starts. I put a hoof over her, but she deflected it immediately. Feeling slightly offended, I sighed; having a seat in my throne. Applejack pulled her hat down, taking a seat; as did Rarity and the others who had stood up. We weren’t sure what to do; without Rainbow Dash, the Cutie Map would not appear. We looked at each other in the awkward silence; wondering what to do next. We all felt as if we had lost a friend; a good one at that. A loud crash came from the foyer; I jumped, running to a confused Rainbow Dash. She had crashed through the front door, hitting her head against the back wall. I pulled her up with my hoof,

“Rainbow! What were you thinking?”

She laughed,

“Yeah, I’m not sure either. I guess I should have tried that trick when the clouds aren’t so… filled.”

I shook my head, dusting her shoulder,

“No, Rainbow. How could you sign up for the Army?”

She looked down, rubbing the back of her neck,

“Oh, yeah, that. Listen, it’s kind of my duty to protect Cloudsdale; it’s my homeland. They gave me a really good position too! They said my speed couldn’t be matched with anypony in all of Equestria and they gave me a very high honor!”

I stomped my hoof against the ground. The sound echoed through the halls,

“That’s not what I’m saying! How could you leave your friends! I understand it’s your homeland, but have you completely lost your mind? Those Pegasi are trying to destroy Canterlot! Didn’t you hear the speech displayed before the Canterlot ponies?”

She hesitated, not sure what to say next. I was distraught; I couldn’t believe she would do such a thing to her friends. Applejack stepped forth, taking her hat off,

“Listen, Rainbow. This is a hard time for everypony, but fighting your friends, you know better than that. It’s not right; it’s despicable to think that that’s the answer. Those ponies are not friends, they are the ones putting ponies like us in danger! Look at Twilight, she’s been under more stress than I’ve ever seen her in the past seven dates! Do you really want to fight your friends? If you do this, you’re taking sides. You’re splitting the races, Rainbow. Imagine if we joined our own armies and fought with you? I don’t think I’d be able to cross blades with you, I would never imagine doing such a thing.”

Rainbow Dash stared into the void; I could tell she was thinking. Applejack sighed, putting her hat back on; leaving the castle without another word. I coughed, glancing toward Pinkie; she was still crying and rocking herself back and forth. I turned back toward Rainbow Dash, she had her head down.

“I’m sorry, Twilight; but Cloudsdale is my home and I will defend it no matter the cause. I don’t want to hurt you Twilight and I will do everything to protect you.”

She turned around, leaving the castle before I could say another word. Fluttershy followed behind her; she began to sulk as well. Rarity walked past me,

“Rarity? You’re leaving me too?”

She looked around, slowly putting her head down,

“Sorry, Twilight; but it looks like the end for us. I’m going to Manehatten, I’ll see you next time. Sorry.”

She wiped a tear from my face before walking out, closing the door behind her. I looked toward Pinkie; watching her stand up and fixing her hair. She whimpered,

“G-good-bye Twilight. I’m going home, to the farm. My family, they need me there.”

The door shut loudly, echoing through the halls. I was alone, I was the last pony who still cared. Tears ran down my face as I walked toward the other room; sitting next to the fireplace. It was lit and the warmth brought little comfort. Spike walked toward me,

“Twilight, what happened? Did they… leave?”

I cried, burying my face in my hooves,

“Yes Spike, they all left. We’re all that remain of our friends. I’m sorry, but it’s over.”

I jumped to the sound of angry chants coming from outside. I waved to Spike, giving him my cue. He saluted in a joking manner as he walked to the door; using the peephole to see what the commotion was all about. He screamed out to me,

“Twilight! The townsponies have gone crazy! They’ve got pitchforks and everything! We’ve got to do something!”

I sighed, lifting my head for a brief moment,

“No Spike, we can’t do anything; we’ll have to wait this one out. Lock the door, but don’t barricade it; just in case something were to happen.”

He was a bit hesitant, but he eventually walked to the door and locking it securely.

“Do you think this will hold them?”

I myself wasn’t sure, I tried to calm him down while still being level headed,

“They haven’t started banging on the doors yet, we’ll be fine until we can think of something to do.”

It seemed to be enough to convince him; I retreated my head into my hooves, watching through them as Spike walked over to me, grabbing a pillow and rubbing my back. He stroked my mane; doing whatever he could to comfort me. I continued to cry endlessly, clutching the pillow with whatever dignity I had left. I had no control over my emotions; they seemed to run forever and would never tire. I couldn’t understand why. Why would leaving my friends have such a huge impact on me? Why should I care about anything after Rainbow Dash’s betrayal? The castle door burst open; I jumped, but didn’t bother to see who it was and I didn’t care to know either. Hoofsteps echoed throughout the castle’s corridors, leaving memorable sounds imprinted in my mind. Chills ran through my back; I was ashamed of the state I was in, but I had no other choice than to let the emotions get the better of me. A familiar voice called out to me in a calming tone,

“Listen Twi, don’t let these things get you down. Celestia’s in a bit of a bust, I’m sure she’ll get out.”

I looked up, wiping the tears from my face. It was Applejack; I suppose honesty is more loyal than loyalty.

“I just don’t know, Applejack. I just don’t know, everypony’s left, every one of them. Pinkie Pie went back to the farm, Fluttershy disappeared without a word, Rarity’s moving to Manehattnen, and Rainbow Dash is signing up for the Pegasi Arm-”

I saw her face distort as I said those last words. She cut me off,

“She what now?!?”

I sighed, looking down at the pillow I had wilted,

“Yeah, that was my reaction as well. I figured we would all be friends forever, but apparently I was wrong. Pretty soon, you’ll be against me too.”

My face pressed against the pillow once more; trying to suppress my sorrow while Applejack was still here. I kept one eye open, watching her every move as she stood up and walked toward the table. She called out to me,

“Twilight, look. The map’s been turned on; look, your cutie mark is glowing like mine!”

I turned my head, examining my flank as the stars glowed vibrantly.

“So it is; I had hardly noticed.”

I stood up for the first time in hours, watching the Cutie Map as it led me to Canterlot; the place I should have avoided in the beginning. The other five marks seemed to have changed into something entirely different. It was of Apple-Family, so I had no doubt it represented Applejack or somepony else in her family. She looked at me,

“What do you suppose it means?”

I wasn’t sure myself; I had never seen anything like it. It was a mark that wasn’t within our circle of friends. I answered as best as I could, looking at her cutie mark and comparing to that of the one on the table,

“Well, it certainly is different, but it is an apple. Perhaps you should question Granny Smith about this.”

She nodded, leaving the room without a word; just a simple gesture of the hoof and she was off. I stood in her dust as she ran through the halls; it was obvious I had set off some sparks in her imagination. I on the other hoof continued to look after the Cutie Map, examining the marks presented. It was differently illustrated and seemed to be unrelated to any activity that would require using apples. I rubbed my chin; usually cutie marks enabled a pony to perform a task that is necessary to either help themselves or a community. This trend was most common in the Apple-Family, but this mark, in particular, seemed to have no obvious purpose whatsoever. I looked at Spike, who was sitting in his little throne, pretending to be a part of the observation. I sighed, it was a pointless chase after all; I would never hope to see the truth behind the mysterious mark for as long as I lived. I had more important duties to attend to; I had no time to be meddling in a wild pony chase. I turned away from the table and returned to my spot on the floor, pouting the night away.

“We would like to congratulate you on your hard work.”

I looked around the room; it was a place I had never seen or imagined to see in my entire life. I couldn’t believe the opportunity I was given. I tried to humble myself as I spoke,

“Thank you kindly for the offer. I will gladly accept it.”

He smiled,

“I knew you wouldn’t let us down, since when have you ever? We have another proposal that you may be interested in as well.”

He leaned over to his left, pulling a piece of paper from beside him. He showed it to me and watched my reaction as I read it.

“You want me to sign up for… the army?”

He leaned back in his chair, looking as if he was proud of himself.

“Yes, Daring, who wouldn’t? You’ve got the perfect resume for the job, I know you’ll succeed in everything you do.”

I was flattered, but I had no interest in joining an army. Sure, I liked the action, but not formally and in lines of fire. It was not in my interested to be told what to do; I adventure alone and without anypony to guide me on what to do. I shook my head,

“I’m sorry gentlecolts, but I’m not interested in joining the Pegasi Army just for a title. I would love to fight for Cloudsdale in a dire situation, but for me, joining the army is not my way of going about it.”

I pushed away the paper and watched as it fell to the ground. He put a hoof on his forehead,

“Ooh, and you were so perfect too. I suppose we’ll have to find somepony else for the job. Take your reward and get out of here. If you aren’t with us, you’re against us. I’d watch your back if I were you, Daring.”

He began to laugh; I tried to defend myself,

“But I’m not against or with! I’m neutral! I want no part in politics; I want no part in this war. This is your own affair! Treat it as such!”

He rubbed his chin, and then continued to laugh,

“Too late for that, Daring. I’ll see you very, very soon.”

I pulled down my hat, leaving the room. I returned later that day wondering what I was to do next. My book was to be publicized very soon and I was all out of adventure to have. I knew that somewhere in Equestria a pony was in trouble, but I felt the whole “hero” gig wouldn’t suit me. I placed my hat on the coat rack as I took off my jacket and placed it on the couch beside it. I supposed I had better wait for something to happen; there wasn’t much for me to do here. I looked around, spotting a quill on the desk. I could write something, it was a talent that I often gravitated toward. I walked to the desk, sitting down in the chair as I picked up the quill. I held it in place for several minutes, thinking of what to write next. I could make something up, but that would defeat the purpose of the Daring Do name. I sat in the chair and waited for ideas to come to mind, but I was afraid nothing would happen.

I put down the quill and walked outside. The field was lovely, it truly was. I was blessed to have such a place to live after all those dates in the tropics. The cabin took a while to build, but it was worth every second. I walked through the woods, eventually finding the water pool I had found a while back. I thought about going for a swim but then decided that it would be better if I kept my hooves dry for the time being. The water seemed calm and cooling; I sat down in the sand and watched the water. The sand felt good along my backside; it was a feeling I had not felt in the longest time. I closed my eyes, thinking of how great everything was. I sighed, relieving myself of the stress I had been under over the past few days. I had made it to Rainbow’s party but was I really the reason she was happy. I shrugged, it was no matter as long as she was happy and enjoying her special day. I closed my eyes and visualized her face; she was a good friend, I knew she wouldn’t have joined the army; it would be very unlike her to do something like that.

Light pitterpatters could be heard echoing throughout the castle halls. I looked up, Spike began yelling at the top of his lungs.

“Fire! Fire! They’ve got fire! The castle, they’re trying to burn it down!”

I stood up, looking around frantically for anything that would be worth saving. Ponies burst through the doors yelling with their weapons as they grabbed me by my mane. I kicked and screamed about, hoping that would help my case. I could feel the fire burning through my skin as they chanted,

“Judgment! Judgment! Down with her!”

I screamed, I wanted nothing to do with this. I wanted to go home to something peacefully. I wanted no part of politics; I didn’t even want to be a princess anymore. I wanted to leave and forget everything that happened. I wanted to travel past the northern ridge and leave Equestria forever.

My backside burned as they dragged me against the dirt, eventually throwing me down as they began to kick and step on me. I curled into a ball and prayed that it would do something to protect me. I wanted to forget my troubles and leave them with somepony else. I opened my eye slightly, glancing at the castle as they used their torches and burnt it down. I cried, it was my home; the scrolls inside would become burnt no doubt about it. I had failed; I had lost hope in everything I did. It was pointless to resist, I supposed sometimes it would be better to take action rather than sitting around for something to happen. I wanted to do something, but I simply couldn’t. The townsponies stood over me, biting and kicking me as I suffered in the dirt. The commotion could be heard from all over Equestria as the ponies screamed in my ear and yelled curses at me. I cried silently, I didn’t deserve this; I had done nothing wrong. It had to be the Pegasi’s fault; they had manipulated even the Earth ponies. They blamed me for starting the war, for not intervening, for not starting the war first. I couldn’t react to any of this; I simply didn’t have the power to start a war! I couldn’t tell that to the townsponies, they would have killed me on the spot if I started to mutter excuses. I had given up, I was finished; this was the end of Twilight Sparkle and I knew it. My home had been destroyed, my purpose shattered. I waited for a light, but I felt as if none would ever come. I began to hear grunts coming from the ponies as a familiar voice came from the crowd,

“Hold on, Twilight! I’ll save you!”

It was Spike; somehow he had escaped the crowd. He made his way through the crowd, punching the hostile ponies and backing them away from me. He screamed out at them,

“Get out of here!”

Many of them hesitated, but eventually they ran off leaving me with my wounds. I struggled to sit up, I had never taken a beating like that before. I looked toward the castle and closed my eyes, scrolling through my mental list of spells as I tried to extinguish the castle’s flame. In an instant, the flames disappeared, leaving nothing but a burnt form of what had once been my home. It was in poor condition and next to the castle were piles of rubble. I sighed, shuffling through the debris,

“Spike, why hadn’t you come sooner!”

He looked around nervously,

“I was… scared.”

I rolled my eyes,

“Scared? You? Please, I was in danger! You’re a dragon for pony’s sake! You should be breathing fire and unstoppable at everything you do! Isn’t it your code to help when help is needed?”

He snapped his fingers,

“You needed help and I helped! I performed my duty well and you should be treating me as a hero, not a piece of rubble!”

He glanced at the pile of debris behind him, shaking his head. I rolled my eyes,

“OH PLEASE! If you had alerted me before all of this, we wouldn't be in this situation! So stop your whining and help me fix this!”

He stood there, heartbroken. He sat down in the pile, shocked and upset. He coiled into a ball and proceeded to cry. I huffed about, not caring about any of it,

“Fine, if you want to be like that, I’ll fix the castle myself!”

A voice came from behind me, calling my name. I turned around, dropping a piece of debris.

“What is it Applejack? Can’t you see I’m busy in the slightest?”

My eye twitched; Applejack looked at me nervously, glancing at Spike as he continued to stroke his tail.

“Listen, Twilight. I just needed your input on this.”

Applejack turned to her side, revealing a blank flank. My mouth dropped, it was impossible to lose a cutie mark without another replacing it. I straightened up, hearing Spike stand up from his miserable place.

“Whatever, it’s probably Starlight Glimmer’s doing. Go ask her or something!”

She tilted her head, looking at me with a skeptical look,

“Are you sure you’re alright Twilight? We haven’t seen Starlight since she left. I doubt it was her.”

I was fed up with this; I grabbed Spike before he walked away.

“Oh, so you know what it is? Hmm… either way, I don’t care. Alright? Good. I’ll see you whenever!”

I waved her off and watched as she lowered her hat, leaving my sight. I turned to Spike,

“Where do you think you’re going? Aren’t you going to help me fix this?”

He looked at me crossly,

“I was going to go clean the place up and gather whatever was left inside for you. Twilight, you really need to calm down.”

I dropped him, immediately feeling guilty,

“Spike, I-I’m sorry.”

He looked at me from the corner of his eye,

“Uh, huh. Now please, fix the castle.”

I exhaled, stepping back and using all the magic I could muster. Parts of the castle began to levitate as I put it together piece by piece, finally gluing each part together. It was a hard spell to use; repairing was different than making an object appear at command. I grunted, struggling to keep the spell going. I could hear Spike cheering me on as I placed each part together and removed the burn marks from whatever I could see. Streams of tears ran down my face as I tried to focus on each part. I cringed, moaning as every part was put into place. Spike put a claw on me,

“Twilight, I think you’re finished.”

I opened my eyes, blushing.

“I haven’t done that one in awhile. Come on, Spike, let’s try to clean the interior.”

He saluted,

“I’m on it!”

I giggled; I always found it amusing when he did that. I had no idea where he picked it up, but it was a great way to improve anypony’s day. I opened one of the doors, making sure it would still be intact. I was always rusty when using a repairing spell; it was complicated and I rarely used it. I thanked Celestia for even teaching it to me. The door opened with ease; staying connected to the hinge as if it were never broken. Relieved, I walked down the hall; it was dusty and still filled with few ashes. The castle was still burnt and very unstable. It was only the pieces I put together; I didn’t have the skill of turning soot back into complete matter. I was proud to have a castle of my own; when I first was presented with my castle, I knew I was finally ranking up with the other princesses. I had no doubt that I would do great things. Despite the current situation in Canterlot, I felt I could make a change. I felt I could still change Equestria for what it was; to change the way ponies think and act. It was friendship that fueled my inner source of motivation. I was ready to change Equestria, I would rise up above all the ponies in Canterlot and show them my power; the power of Friendship. It ran through all of us and even though my friends had abandoned me and my cause, I would still fight back. I looked at Spike; I still had him and even though he wasn’t a pony, he could still be the last shred of hope in my life. I would live forever and spread my magic or I would die seeing the prophesied end of Equestria. Celestia did what she could to preserve the ancient techniques held by the ponies who came before us and it was because of this that we as a nation thrived on each other. We helped everypony out because of the kindness of our hearts. We left the self-centeredness behind us, triumphing against evil and rising above challenges that would end our friendships. We preserved these feelings and protected each other as if we were family. I was the Princess of Friendship and it was my duty to forgive, love, and tolerate the others who may oppose. My journey began many dates ago, longer than I would ever hope to imagine, I spread the magic all over Equestria. I faced many foes and challenges that I had solved with even my own friends. Equestria had seen a lot over the past few centuries, but she was not dying. She would never give up as long as I lived. My horn began to glow as I slowly levitated into the air,

“I, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, swear that as long as I breathe, Equestria shall become prosperous and survive any disaster that may come. And it is by my hoof that I shall watch every moment in Equestrian history from this moment on.”

Spike watched in awe as light flowed from my eyes. I was unsure what possessed me to say those words, but I felt it was right. Spike dropped his broom, forgetting everything that he was told to do for the time being,

“Twilight, d-did you just form a-”

“No Spike, I don’t have that ability, sorry. I was just, thinking aloud.”

Disappointed, Spike continued to work on the castle. My ears rang with the sounds of returning ponies. Spike yelled from the front door,

“Twilight! They’re coming back! Do something!”

I squinted my eyes, preparing a protection spell for anyone within the castle walls. I thought about the spell as I chanted it in my head; changing it to allow only the most honest, kind and loyalest of friends to enter. I could feel my horn vibrating as my light basked the darkened halls of the castle. Spike braced himself as if I were to explode. Within an instant, a large, purple bubble formed around the castle’s walls. It was perfectly circular and would protect me from anypony who had harmful intentions. Spike fixed himself; curious, he asked a question that I had never considered.

“Wouldn’t that spell need to be on as long as you need it? Those ponies could be there for days at a time?”

My eyes widened, this reminded me of the Crystal Empire’s first moments since returning. Cadence had to hold the protective barrier for more than three days. While this was merely a castle rather than an entire kingdom, the modified version of the spell would take more energy to produce. I sighed, Spike was right. I wouldn’t be able to hold the spell for more than a day, two if I was lucky enough.

“You’re very right, but we’re going to try and do our best!”

Spike smiled, feeling a bit better,

“Alright, Twilight! That’s what I want to hear!”

I smiled, feeling redeemed in my actions; I had to live up to my name; otherwise Equestria would have been finished long ago. A knock on the door echoed through the halls. Spike and I halted, looking at each other before deciding to the open the door. We laughed, opening the door surprised to see nopony else but Applejack.  I smiled,

“Come on in! There’s plenty of room for another pony!”

She looked a bit confused,

“The others, are they here?”

I looked down, regrettably saying “no”. I opened the door and watched her walk in, observing how much the place has changed. She wore a fancy cloak-like outfit, something I had never seen in all my days alive in Equestria. She turned her head,

“You certainly did a magnificent job fixing up the place.”

I laughed, still eyeballing her strange outfit. She had definitely changed over the past few hours; she even spoke differently.

“The castle is great now; I just wish everypony wasn’t outside screaming their lungs out”

We walked toward the fireplace; I decided it was the best time to question her costume,

“That’s a new style for you; did Rarity make it?”

She blushed a bright, ruby red color that shone brilliantly on her orange skinned face.

“Yes! In fact, she did.”

I tried not to seem jealous; I was happy that my friends were getting along.

“Well, that’s great! I’m so glad you two are at least getting along.”

She stopped in the hallway while I continued to walk to the fireplace,

“She left for Manehattan shortly after you started rebuilding the castle. It’s fine, though, I’m sure we’ll get together sometime soon.”

I sighed; doubting every word.

“Sometimes perhaps.”

I sat down next to the fireplace, lighting it with whatever magic I had left. My horn began to throb from the consistent use. I rubbed my head; I wished I could stop my flow of magic, but I knew it wasn’t possible; the mob was still outside destroying everything in sight. I buried my head in my hooves as an attempt to relieve some of the pain. I began to cry, I couldn’t stop it. I needed support somehow; I turned to Applejack as she sat down beside me. She looked nervous, but I took no notice to it. I looked up and whispered into her ear,

“You will be there for me, won’t you Applejack?”

She slightly scooted backward; I could tell she was uncomfortable with the question. I tried to calm her down, stroking her hair back. I always loved her blonde hair; it reflected the fire’s light magnificently. She shuffled her hooves as I leaned against her; I began to feel as if I was falling for her. It was strange, but I felt strange around her for the moment. Perhaps it was the fireplace or the conveniently romantic setting that was encouraging my arousal toward Applejack. I closed my eyes as I rubbed my head against her soft hair. I could hear her heart beat faster and faster; it was cute. I glanced at her hooves finding a crusted black substance covering them. Confused I questioned them; I watched as she quickly withdrew her hooves. I took no notice to it; she did work on a farm. I closed my eyes again, feeling the warmth of the fireplace return and comfort me in combination with Applejack’s own. I whispered into her ear something I thought I’d never say,

“I want to be with you, forever…”

I was nervous and I could tell Applejack was as well. I couldn’t think of anything to prove that, I grabbed her hoof, placing it upon my heart. I smiled, looking at the hooves when I noticed a small tint of red in the substance. It couldn’t believe it, it was blood. I jumped, scrambling to the other side of the room and trapping myself within the corner of the room. Stunned, Applejack looked at me, wondering what she had done. I pointed at her hooves; lost for words, I wanted to confirm my assumption,

“W-who was it?” I screamed as loud as I could, hoping Spike would hear me. He had been absent throughout the entire scene, I had no idea what he was doing. She looked down before answering,

“It was… Fl-Fluttershy.”

I could feel my heart sink in both distraught, and disappointment.

“Fluttershy?!? What had she done to deserve such a punishment? I can’t believe it, even you have turned? How dare you keep such a thing like this a secret from me? I thought you represented honesty, but yet you still deceive the ones closest to you!”

She looked guiltier than ever, pulling her hood over her eyes. She sighed, muttering the words,

“I’m sorry, I truly am.”

I could feel my cutie mark pulsating as time slowed down for a moment. She lunged at me as a small metal blade emerged from her right hoof. I slightly stepped to the side, using my horn to parry her blade. She smiled, pulling a second blade from her left wrist. My eyes widened as the second blade cut through the side of my cheek. I fell backward, screaming and sliding against the castle floor. I was scared like never before, I was supposed to live; I was supposed to save Equestria, not die with it. She stood over me, I glared at her. My feelings toward her had changed drastically over the past ten seconds. I loved her until I found out she was not who she really was. I couldn’t believe she would change like this; she wanted to kill me, but I couldn’t let her; I simply couldn’t. I pulled up my legs, bucking her across the room. I could hear her grunting as she hit the back wall. I used a minor teleportation spell; spawning closer to her. She rubbed her head, running toward the other end of the room. I smiled, focusing on the most powerful destruction spell I could conjure up. A tear fell from my eye as the laser blew through the corridor. I laughed as the wall exploded and her limp body flew across the room. I walked closer as her pathetic body laid helpless on the floor, her mouth muttering curses under her breath. She jumped, hurling three small knives from under her cloak. I cringed, closing my eyes as my magic slipped through one of the blades; piercing deep into my left hoof. I struggled to stay on my hooves; focusing on my magic rather than on the excruciating pain pulsating from my leg. I singled out each of the knives, throwing them with as much force as I could muster. Applejack clumsily stood up; running toward me and jumping in a sideways manner, dodging both of the blades; despite this, she landed with all fours on the ground. We stared at each other, out of breath and wondering who would take the next move. I watched carefully as she leaned forward; brushing her hoof against the ground, issuing me a challenge. I smiled, leaning over and returning the gesture. We both waited for the other to move first until we both simultaneously charged at each other. I lowered my head, I was going to win this if it was the last thing I did in Equestria. I tried to watch her eye movement, finding any flaws in her movement, any signs of bluffing. We drew closer and closer within seconds; I watched as she slowly ran to the side. I suddenly realized she what she was planning, but by that time, it was far too late. My eyes widened as I began to feel a throbbing pain growing from my side. I immediately felt weak in the legs; as if all the energy had been drained from me. I slid across the floor, painting it like a paintbrush dipped in my own blood. My vision blurred as I struggled to stand. It took a second to realize what happened; I looked at my hooves, seeing them all covered in my blood. I screamed, my entire body screaming with me. Applejack walked toward me, pulling her hood down and stepping over my body. I cried; screaming out to her,

“WHY? I THOUGHT YOU WERE A FRIEND!”

She stopped, turning around and facing me for what I assumed to be the last time,

“Sorry, Twilight. It was necessary.”

A loud crash could be heard throughout the castle, echoing the halls. I struggled to keep the portal open but the pain was far too much to handle. I could feel magic run dry as the barrier shattered and crowds of ponies poured into the castle halls. They looked around eventually finding my limp body lying on the ground in a puddle of my own fluids. They screamed insults and carried me upstairs, slightly burning my body with their torches and bruising my delicate, wounded sides with their hooves. I could see trails of blood spill upon the stairs as they carried me. I felt as if I were beginning to pass out, it was inevitable that I was going to die. Where had that determination gone? I was the last hope of Equestria and I was being pulled upstairs by my own subjects. My vision blurred the further I traveled. I tried to catch a glimpse of the wound on my side. I could see nothing; the cut was deep and very serious. I needed to tend to it but the ponies around me had their hearts set on murder. I couldn’t move at all, I didn’t even try. It was hopeless, I was going to die, there was nothing stopping that now. They threw me against the balcony and called to one another. I began to crawl to the edge; I needed to escape the scene. I could hear them laughing at me as I pathetically crawled to the edge. I tried to stand up; putting my hooves on top of the railing. I prepared my throat; I needed to tell these ponies to calm down. I needed to calm them down otherwise, my fate would be sealed under the soil. Two ponies came behind me, pulling me up. I looked back to thank them until I realized what they were doing. They were constantly laughing as they grabbed stakes and began to nail me to the front of the balcony. I screamed in pain as each piece of wood dug into my wings. They tied ropes around my neck, I tried to bite at them but I was far too weak to take any action. I was miserable, the pain in my side was excruciating. They began to bring torches close to my face, I screamed as the fire burnt through my coat. I watched as the crowd screamed in rage. In the glimpse of my eye, I saw Applejack leaving the scene. I hated her, she had destroyed Equestria for sure, I needed to end her; although I wasn’t sure how. The fire caught onto my mane, burning it until none was left. I could feel my bloodied tears stain upon my face as I cried. My wings would forever be destroyed; I may never fly again. I had given up, no matter what I would say, these ponies would never listen. I went limp, feeling the pain as it consumed me. My head spun in circles as I tried to think of ways to leave this horrid situation. I began to feel lightheaded as if the world had suddenly gotten a hundred times lighter. I closed my eyes and drifted off to death and beyond.

“Oh, please Celestia. Nopony would ever do such a thing.”

She looked stern; I couldn’t blame her.

“Listen, you are a good pony, but I fear that a new role would be dangerous even to you. You are already the leader of an organization as it is. I know that another would be stressful.”

I shrugged; I could take any level of stress. I just wanted to be like the others,

“I can handle the responsibility, you know that.”

She closed her eyes, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, but this is a risk I am not ready to take. I cannot lose you as well. I have seen something that I fear may come true.”

I looked up at Celestia,

“Is this about your sister?”

She opened her eyes and stared deep into my own.

“Yes, it is. My sister and I have performed our duties for generations although I fear her lack of power may be what is corrupting her.”

I bowed low,

“I’m certain that you will be able to prevent this from ever happening. In the meantime, perhaps a reconsideration considering my position?”

She glared at me from the corner of her eye,

“As I said, becoming an alicorn is a large responsibility. I am afraid transforming you into one will represent an abuse of power on my part.”

I stood up, glaring at her as I stormed out of the room. I had enough of this; if anything, I deserved that title. It was everypony’s dream and I depended on it.

“Silverhoove! How dare you walk out on royalty!”

The cold air stung against my charred wounds; the bleeding had stopped before I lost consciousness and it seemed as though the attackers had left or had grown tired of my idle state and lack of response toward their assault. I opened my glazed eyes, seeing clearly only from one. Something appeared from the rubble below; I tried to call out to it, but I my voice had broken from screaming. I felt as if Equestria was falling apart below my very muzzle. I had let this happen, didn’t I? If only she hadn’t left, none of this would have happened. She had changed her, it was impossible not to think so, if only the Army hadn’t formed, we’d all be safe. It was treachery, the treaty the Unicorns made with the other races, had that meant nothing to them? The Princess, she needed to know, it was a necessary action. If only I’d known. A small figure appeared below me, I tried to make out who it was but my eyes were still glazed from the fires. When I couldn’t quite make it out, I began to cry. A small voice called out to me, I tried to nod my head, but I couldn’t. I began to scream again; what had I done? Whatever the case, I needed to head to Canterlot; if the Canterlot Empire did not form an army of their own, we would be destroyed. The small pony reached out behind me, undoing my chains and releasing me from my bond. I fell to the ground, crying as bits of dirt climbed into my wounds. I tried not to move for the sake of my bloodied torso; I wanted to fight back, but there was nothing I could do at the moment. I needed to leave this place, it served no purpose. I tried to open my eyes and watched as two figures began to walk toward me. I reached out to them; finding my voice and calling out to what I assumed to be rescuers,

“P-please, h-help. M-must get t-to, C-C-Canterlot.”

I watched as the two figures looked at each other, talking in a muffled tone. I rubbed my ear in hopes of improving my hearing. Nothing happened, I closed my eyes. I felt the two figures walked behind me and proceed to pick me up, dragging me along the dirt and pulling me into a house.

“H-How could I let this happen?”

I looked around dizzily; one of the figures turned toward the other, nodding. I couldn’t quite make it out, nothing seemed clear; everything looked, gray. I tried to call out to them,

“W-who?”

One of them bent down to me, putting a hoof to his lips and giving me a traditional “shh” sound. I felt somepony brushing my coat and another tending to my wounds with a small washcloth. I struggled to stand, but the one who had bent over insisted I stay down. I turned my head to the left and saw Spike beside me; he was the one brushing. He looked deeply frightened; I could feel his claws shaking as he tended to my coat. I looked up, moving my head back to see the one who was caring for my scars. I struggled to keep still as the cold water ran down my face. I could hear the small droplets fall to the floor with minuscule splashes. I began to hear a voice coming from behind me,

“Is she going to be okay?”

I could hear the other sighing with regrets, it was a colt. I was certain of that,

“I’m afraid she’s been through a lot; the damages are extreme. She may never recover from anything this horrid.”

I looked toward Spike; he seemed to be as nervous as I was. I opened my mouth and watched as the ponies around me waited impatiently of what I was going to say.

“W-where am I?”

The colt looked at the other and then looked at me,

“This is Sugar Cube Corner” he turned back toward the other, “We’ve brought you here to prevent further harm from the others.”

I opened my mouth once more, finding my voice as I spoke firmly,

“What happened to the others? Where are my friends? Where is Applejack?”

He turned toward me and bent down to my level,

“I’m afraid we haven’t seen Applejack since she left Ponyville a few hours ago. Pinkie is here with me and as far as we know, Rarity left for Manehattan.”

I struggled to stand, but once again I was brought down by who I assumed to be Pinkie. I knew what my next question would be,

“Who are you? Why did you bother to save me?”

He laughed slightly as if I were supposed to recognize him.

“Why, you know me! Princess Celestia issued me to protect you and from the looks of it, I arrived just in time.”

I turned to him, squinting the only eye that seemed to be working.

“Flash? Flash Sentry?”

He chuckled,

“You know it.”

I didn’t understand, he worked in the Crystal Kingdom, what business did he have here?

“What are you doing meddling in Canterlot business, Flash? I thought you only fought for the Crystal Kingdom.”

He turned toward Pinkie, nodding for her to resume my treatment.

“No, I’m afraid a new order has been put into play” he cleared his throat as if he had rehearsed his lines, “The Crystal Kingdom ceded to Canterlot. They’re working together to bring down Cloudsdale. So far, no actions have been taken, it’s more of a tension period for us, although, with the way things are going, I’m certain that ponies will be put onto the battlefield very soon.”

I turned to Pinkie,

“What are you still doing here? I thought you left for your family’s farm.”

She looked down; it was clear she wasn’t her usual self. Although with everything that had been going on for the past few days, I doubt anypony would be their usual selves.

“T-they didn’t make it.”

I sat up, it was painful but I managed to pull it off. Flash continued to insist that I lay back down, but I waved him off.

“What do you mean, Pinkie?”

She looked away, covering her cowardice to say anything.

“All of them, there was an accident. They didn’t survive the fall. Normally, they would have easily survived, but they were harassed in a similar fashion as you were, Twilight.”

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t believe that Pinkie’s entire family had died on the spot. There had to be more to it than that. I thought maybe Applejack had done something about it, but I wasn’t sure. I needed to get moving, I had to go back to Canterlot and protect her ponies. I could not stand to be lying on this floor any longer. I struggled to stand, my knees buckled as I fell to the floor. I cringed as I landed on my wings. I turned toward Flash who was simply standing there with his hooves against his face.

“Need a hoof?” I said sarcastically. He shook his head as if he were sleeping and ran to me. He nodded to Pinkie as she nodded to Spike. Together, the three of them pulled me up as my hooves shook violently. I cringed as the pain from my back continued to worsen. I could barely stand on my own, I looked toward Spike; he nodded and walked toward me, putting my hoof around his neck. I tried to walk but even this didn’t work. I turned toward Flash Sentry,

“W-we need to get to C-Canterlot. I-I need to attend to business there. P-please, carry me upon your back.”

He blushed for a second as I rolled my eyes. It seemed like an odd request, but it was all the more necessary. Pinkie and Spike slowly lifted me onto Flash’s back as I tried to keep my balance. It was uncomfortable, but safely arriving in Canterlot was the top priority. He looked back at me,

“Where to now, Princess?”

I coughed, looking at everypony in the room.

“Canterlot Castle. As fast as you can.”

Spike rubbed his face, wiping away any tears that he may have shed.

“I’ll still be able to go, right Twilight?”

I smiled; it was the first time since the attack.

“Yes, Spike. Of course, you may come. Pinkie, will you be joining us?”

She looked down,

“Sorry, Twilight. I-I need to stay here; it’s personal.”

I sighed, looking ahead with determination. I would end this war if it was the last thing I did in Equestria. I no longer cared if I was to be punished for whatever crimes I was falsely accused of; I merely wanted to destroy the ones who had created pain for those around them.

“Onward” I whispered in Flash’s ear. He smiled and began to walk through the dusty town. I eyed the castle, halting him for one last thing. I turned to Spike who was trailing behind us,

“Spike, under my bed is the chest. I want it to be your responsibility to take care of it. We must protect them with our lives. They carry more secrets than we may think; we cannot let them fall into the wrong hooves.”

He saluted and ran inside the once proud castle.

“What’s he grabbing?” Flash looked back at my limp body. I sighed, it was impossible to hide the truth from him,

“The scrolls. The ones that created this tragedy. It’s a documented history book of Equestria dating back before the First Demolition.”

He rubbed his chin; I knew he wouldn’t understand the specifics. The First Demolition was merely a rumor that started by a pony long forgotten.

“The First Demolition, that’s a rumor, right?”

I shook my head,

“Apparently not, I myself was surprised as well. Apparently it was more disastrous than any other war or demolition after that.”

He continued to rub his chin; I could tell the information was leaving through the other ear.

“Do you mind giving me some backstory? You must’ve read them before, right?”

I sighed; this was going to take a while. I cleared my throat and spoke softly into the pegasus’s ear.

“Despite the name, The First Demolition was not the first. Instead, it was the mark of a new Equestria, one that exists to this day. Many believe it was but a myth because of the lost documentation over the thousands of dates that separate the Second from the First.”

He looked at me, nodding his head as if he understood,

“So there was an Equestria, before Equestria?”

I laughed,

“No, sorry. The First Demolition was the death of a land and the birth of a new one. I haven’t read all the specifics, there is simply too much to study. According to the scrolls, there was a pony war that took place sometime before Star Swirl’s death; it lasted quite awhile. It was the bloodiest battle in all of Equestrian History. Unfortunately, because of the events that took place afterward, none of the artifacts confirming the battles are available.”

He smiled and continued to look at me, I turned around seeing if anypony was behind me. I continued,

“The reason behind this consistent suffering is because of the information was let loose into the world. If it is true that history repeats itself, then Equestria is headed for another demolition.”

He laughed, watching Spike carry a box twice his size.

“And that’s the reason why you’re headed to Canterlot?”

I chuckled,

“Yep, that’s right. Come on, Spike! We can’t be late!”

Flash began to walk along the dirt roads and paths that led out of Ponyville. Spike continued to follow us with the large chest. I sat upon his back and wondered what other secrets the Scrolls held. I turned around, using my magic to grab one of the scrolls from the box.

“The halls narrowed as I continued my path towards the light. I looked around; the walls looked bare as if something was torn off of them. As I walked, the hallway seemed to go on forever, there was no end. I spread my wings, hoping to relieve the stress of walking. Only, there were no wings; my wings had been detached from my body when I fell in. How strange a feeling this was to be unable to use such a privilege; I wanted to turn around, leave my thoughts and return to the outside world; but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t turn around. The air showed thickened as I trotted along, the light began to fade away. Perhaps this was my time to leave; perhaps my isolation would consume me and forever trap me within the dark abyss. I began to see the lives of everypony flash before my eyes; the destruction of our world was once again imminent. We needed a savior, somepony to deliver us from our entrapment. From that moment, I realized what the meaning for my enslavement to this eternal corridor. My kingdom would soon be in danger, the threat was to be in the far future; however, a hero must be found before the dark times could become a reality.

The light shone brighter now; brighter than ever before. I started to believe in the hopes and dreams that we together once did before her betrayal. It seemed like forever since I had last felt her presence, but I knew her aura would soon be known once again. I felt as if a piece of me had been missing since her departure. Nothing had seemed complete, nothing seemed whole. I once believed that she would be there for me no matter what the circumstances. I apparently was proven wrong after what she had planned to do with all of Equestria. Memories flowed through as I remembered the sisterhood we once had. The memories brought tears to my eyes as I looked into the light which continued glowed brighter still. The times we had would forever be imprinted into my mind. My only hope is that the chosen hero would then discover her true destiny and free my sister from her corrupt imprisonment of solitude and treachery.

The light continued to glow, bringing hope to all within its rays. I walked towards the light still, wishing for a closer look. As I walked, the walls filled with memories; basked with the profound hope. I continued with dignity, holding my head up high as my mane flowed with every hoofstep closer. As the passage grew brighter, so did my vision of the future. Memories from which I never had would flood my mind. The knowledge which this light contained was extraordinary; the future of Equestria and soon to be discovered inventions would fill my mind with wonder. The closer I became to the light, the clearer it seemed to be. The symbol appeared to be a cutie mark which I could not place properly. As I looked at said cutie mark, a voice whispered in the distance. I couldn’t make out any of it, so I comprehended it as best as I could. Although the voice spoke in riddles, I used my newly discovered knowledge to decipher the cryptic poem best to my abilities. The poem spoke of a family, forever gifted in the art of knowledge and magical properties. However, despite such diligent learners, one member of the family would forever change their tree. The poem spoke the name, Silverhoove; heir to Timothy, son of Ruben. The rest of the riddled appeared to be a warning, describing an unfortunate turn of events from what could happen if Silverhoove resumes his current course and what could happen if his intentions were to turn villainous. The land would be prosperous but after some time, evil would rise under his reign of glory. In the end, the poem spoke of one more pony. Somepony farther in the future, too far to tell, one whose destiny could not be determined by one vision alone. The scripture spoke of a final hope, one who would become a successor to all of Canterlot and protect the land from all evil. The poem spoke of traits that would determine her well-being, signs to look for when searching for the chosen one, somepony that would then deliver Equestria from a common enemy.

As the corridor dimmed, I knew my time would finally come. The carpet beneath my hooves began to shrivel, and the darkness began to once again consume the light. I observed my surroundings; the ceiling, built with unrecognizable architecture, something that could not be done with mere hooves. Marble pillars seemed to be the only obstacle keeping this magnificent roof from tumbling down. I hadn’t noticed before, but the floor was beautifully polished with some of the finest polish. Although I couldn’t before, I looked behind me as the dimension I was in crumbled around me. Darkness corrupted the elegant hallway behind me; I realized that soon the only light would be me. I was prepared to end this dimension and everything within it. Just like that day 42 dates ago, I felt that sense of destruction for the good of all ponies.

Memories of the Second Demolition began to consume my subconscious. I remembered faces of the ponies we once cared for and ruled under the royal title. Many ponies lost their lives that day, all ponies serving their kingdom; serving me, lost their life, and their loves. I saw a vision of the throne room that the three of us constructed using the magic we had yet to master. Within it, my brother, StarSwirl the One, proposed the ultimate destruction of the world we had crafted. He saw the world as unjust, and evil; while Luna and I saw the world as a beautiful beginning and a new chapter in the history of the world. StarSwirl continued to oppose the idea so we came with an agreement. As a royal majesty, I had my duty to announce to all of Equestria. The voice of the royals could be heard all over the land, this was the way of the Old Equestria. I stood on the balcony, raising my head up high. Preparing my speech, I announced our plan of action:

‘All ponies who wish mercy upon their lives must be within the walls of Canterlot by the third sunrise. Those who oppose the decision are to be destroyed where they stand. From there, may The Ones who Came Before seek pity upon your soul and give you a just judgment.’

After the word was said, we realized that the announcement would never reach the rest of Equestria, but StarSwirl proposed that it was simply too late to call another announcement, and removing all we had done to protect would take far too long and surpass the deadline. The two of us agreed that whoever lived within the walls and came in would live.

I looked into the void with regret. They say everypony makes mistakes, but I felt that this was a mistake that was far too great and could not be forgiven. I stared deep into the darkness consuming everything, I felt the time telling me it was time to raise the sun; a new day had yet to become. I wished to wake up, but before I could. I heard one last word, something that would haunt me for several moons to come. The word spoken in the similar fashion of the one who spoke of the poem; I listened hard, trying my hardest to forget the feeling of vacuum around me. The spoke in a soft tone, it said, ‘Seek Twilight’.

I, Celestia, had awoken from a prophecy that would soon shape the destiny of Equestria, and forever change the world.”

I rubbed my chin, ‘This was part of the prophecy Celestia spoke of.’

I sat up, looking at the brilliant sun as it blazed upon all of Equestria; bathing the land in the star’s beauty. My legs began to cramp; we had been traveling for several days. The wait was unbearable; I needed to find something to say to the council. How would I react if I were to be challenged? I was in no condition to fight anypony. While my wounds were healing rapidly, I feared that I would never be able to fly again. Canterlot Mountain was drawing closer and closer as the day went on. I looked back at Spike and placed the parchment back into the chest, pulling out yet another. I smiled, waving to him and letting him know that I was beginning to feel better. He showed relief and giggled. I sighed, unrolling the second parchment as I began to read.

I walked through the trees in search of my home. I had received a notice from Canterlot that a certain pony was to be eliminated. The bounty placed upon the pony’s head was high; I needed to receive that bounty. I had gone off into the woods to create weapons, traps, anything I could in order to terminate the target. I walked through the woods, eventually finding the clearing. I peered over the bushes and noticed something that I was certain not as it was before. I had closed my door before I left and to my surprise, I found it ajar. The bushes brushed against my coat as if they were telling me not to go. I shrugged, it was my home; what was the worst that could happen? The sounds of cracked wood echoed throughout the forest. Thoughts of destruction rushed through my head. Had they finally come back? Had they been resurrected or was I simply just hearing the branches under my hooves? I shook my head, it was impossible that they were to come back; I had ended their lives long ago, before I moved here, in fact. The sound of the branches under my hooves was soft and could easily be identified. This was something different; this was a louder and more intrusive break. I stopped thinking and ran through the woods, dodging the trees as I made my way to the sound where my worst fears had come true. Somepony had broken into my cottage. I stormed through the fields, forgetting any morality that I had learned in Ponyville. I stopped before the door and peered inside with hopes of finding the perpetrator. I leaned on the door and watched as a clueless pony scavenged through my belongings. I had seen rampages before, but this was pitiful.

“What are you doing in my house?”

She dropped everything and stared blankly at me. I looked at her from top to bottom, finally eyeballing the concealed weapon strapped to her hoof.

“Applejack, was it?”

She stood there staring at me. I laughed; I couldn’t believe that she didn’t recognize me.

“How did you know my name?”

I started to pace around the room in a circular pattern, dropping a small bag which I had been carrying on top of the couch. I smiled; I normally wore my outdoor attire when meeting with other ponies.

“Here, let me put you into perspective.”

I walked around the house and went upstairs quickly putting on my shirt and hat. I revealed myself downstairs where I saw the sad pony’s mouth drop.

“Daring Do?!?”

I laughed; it took a while for her to finally get the point. I continued to walk around the room,

“It’s interesting that I find you here in the same place we met oh so many dates ago” I walked toward the couch. I knew she was going to attack at any moment; it was all a matter of patience now. “I know your family’s history, Applejack; my own family has had enough experiences with your kind, but I simply never expected another to be corrupted by a dead tradition.”

She looked around the room nervously, placing a single hoof behind her neck.

“You’ve got a pretty hefty price on your head, Applejack. I figured I’d do a little decorating when the job is finished and your corpse is turned in.”

She growled, I could see that I was beginning to get to her.

“And just who put the price upon my head?”

I smirked, brushing my hair back,

“Why, the Princess of course!”

She looked confused, it was clear she hadn’t received the news yet,

“Celestia?”

I chuckled, covering my mouth with my hoof,

“No, silly. I can’t believe you claim to be doing Equestria a political favor by destroying the Elements of Harmony without even knowing what’s going on in Canterlot!”

I laughed hysterically; I could see her face grow redder by the second. Her right hind leg moved slightly backward. I had seen this maneuver before; I knew what she was planning. I reached behind me and pulled out a small dagger from within the bag. It was decorated with a small snake-like hilt with a deep black blade; a decoration I was proud of. The small blade flew past her face, cutting deep into the side of her face. She stumbled backward, lunging the small pitiful blade near my face. I laughed as she sluggishly fell toward me with hopes of inflicting pain. I pulled a second blade from the bag and stabbed her directly in the back. She let out a yelp and fell to the ground.

“You’re the next assassin? Please! You couldn’t murder a rabbit even if it sat there and waited for you! I’ve killed your kind in the past, but this is ridiculous! You’re nothing but an amateur who has no idea what she’s doing!”

She coughed out a wad of blood onto the wooden floor. I began to see the stains already; it would take forever to redo the floors.

“Your mother was quite a challenge although I figured you’d be a bit better. I suppose I was wrong! I’ve been in this business much longer than you have! You’ll never be able to kill me.”

She stopped coughing and spoke with a raspy voice,

“I’m not trying to kill you.”

With a large blow to the chest, I was launched across the room and fell to the floor. I reached for my hat and pulled the small razor from it. It was my only hope of winning; I threw it across the room toward her. She mercilessly fell to the ground in an attempt to dodge. I could hear the tissues being torn from her side as the razor impacted. Unfortunately, it was not enough to harm even the smallest of creatures. She pinned me down with her hoof; I struggled to get out using every technique I could think of. I couldn’t believe I had lost the fight; she raised her hoof over my head as I closed my eyes.

“Please, stop! I-I’m sorry! I-I just needed the money.”

Her hoof froze in the air above me; I could see she was rethinking her decisions. She smiled, still having the blade suspended in the air. I could feel my eyes swelling with tears as I knew I had made a mistake. I wanted the money and to feel the joys of revenge, but I knew I could do it some other day. She looked at my squirming body; I wondered what she was thinking, was it mercy? Or was it rage? I screamed as her hoof quickly pounded against my hind legs. The cracks of bones could be heard everywhere throughout the forest.

“HOW COULD YOU? YOU TRAITOR! I WAS GOING TO LEAVE YOU ALONE! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO COME HERE? WHY COULDN’T YOU TAKE YOUR PITIFUL ARTS ELSEWHERE AND LEAVE ME ALONE!” I howled.

I stopped talking and observed her body language. She raised her blade and proceeded to bring it down upon my leg. I screamed in agony as every fiber of my legs were torn apart on the wooden floors of my past life. I knew this was the end; I never thought that novel would be the last.

Canterlot drew closer and closer with every step we took. I smiled back at Spike who was surprisingly keeping up with the rest of us. My wounds were almost completely healed, but vision had not returned to my left eye. I began to worry,

“Flash, I’m worried. I still can’t see from my left eye.”

He stopped and dropped me off on the side of the path. He sat down in front of me,

“That sounds serious; let me take a look.”

He put a hoof on my forehead and opened the dead eye. I knew what was wrong with it, I just couldn’t accept it.

“Is she?”

Flash had a grim look on his face as he turned to Spike, nodding his head. Flash lowered his head and bowed to me,

“I’m sorry, my lady. Your eye I’m afraid is no longer functional.”

I gasped in horror; my assumptions were right. Spike placed the box on the ground and put a claw on my shoulder,

“It’s alright, Twilight. That’s why we have two eyes!”

He chuckled a bit as an attempt to cheer me up. I shot him a worried look and he immediately silenced himself. Flash walked around me, examining any other wounds that I may have received.

“Your wings, how are they?”

I looked at him, struggling to spread them,

“They hurt if that’s what you mean.”

He laughed, and then quickly lifted the right wing, I cringed. I could hear him mumbling under his breath. I knew there was a chance that I’d never fly again.

“It’s not too bad; your wing may heal if given the proper amount of time.”

I laughed, relieved at such news,

“Since when did you become a doctor?”

He folded my wing in place and put his chest forward,

“It’s necessary for every soldier of the Crystal Guard to know basic medicine. It’s all common sense for me.”

I looked to the mountain towering over us.

“How much longer until we reach Canterlot?”

Flash gave off a slight giggle,

“That depends on how willing you are to walk, your highness.”

I let out a half-hearted laugh, standing up. I forced my knees to lock in place despite the pain. I tried to move one hoof in front of the other, taking the process slow. Spike picked the box up from the ground and continued to walk beside me. I looked over to him, my legs wobbling uncontrollably. He laughed, leaning on me slightly so I could keep my balance. I looked at the path ahead; the road was still long. I sighed; moving every joint one by one in the dirt below.

I stood up, feeling the cramps and pain that had long since been overdue. Smelling the air, I could feel the sorrow that came with it. I had not seen my parents since I had left for this journey; I felt as if a part of me had gone missing. There was nopony to gather around me; nopony to comfort me in my time of need. I was alone, but it wasn’t always this way. I had a sister once, two in fact. None of them made it to the cave in time. The sun had destroyed them completely just as it did many others that day. I had only heard stories about the many Demolitions, but I was certain it was not something to gloat about. My parents told me about their parents and how they survived; no document before that has been found. That was why I was here; to find evidence that such events even occurred. The trials leading to this moment were great and often life taking. That was how I lost my sisters; each had tried to perform the tasks as though they were me. Thankfully, I have a purer heart than that of my two sisters. If not, then I would have surely been destroyed. I walked away from the treasures I had found and approached the mouth of the cave. I was greeted by violent rays of sunlight; I looked upon the horizon seeing the deserts that my pony-kind has fought over for generations. We had tried to protect it for so long; we kept our minds sharp in the arts taught to us by our elders, but even that wasn’t enough. I watched as the wasteland consumed yet another victim. I had worked so hard to keep my intentions pure, but I feel as though even that wasn’t enough. My family was out there, somewhere. I needed to leave and return home with the findings I had so desperately fought over. It was my duty to teach others in the arts of which I had found. I walked back~~~

As the mountain grew larger and larger into the distance, I began to wonder how I would respond to the recurring threats. As the last princess in Equestria, it was my new duty to protect her and her ponies. It was just as Celestia had warned me about; I was the new ruler of Equestria. Spike began to walk ahead of me, humming a familiar tune. I began to feel worried that he would go too far but I caught myself; I knew I no longer be protective of him. Flash looked over to me,

“We’re almost there; are you ready?”

I wasn’t sure what to say; in truth, I wasn’t ready. I was everything but ready,

“Yeah, ready.”

I lied; there was nothing else I could say. If I had told him the truth then he would never believe in me; I needed the support. I could hear Spike rambling in the front of the line,

“That’s good to hear. If you didn’t reclaim your throne, then we’d be in the hoof hole.”

He was right, I needed to come up with something and fast. I knew I still had time to think, but after that comment, every step felt like a curse. I breathed in and exhaled; I would solve every problem as they were to arise. While it was not in my nature to do so, it was my only solution. Flash stopped as I spread my wings. They were feeling a bit better than before; I flapped them as hard as I could. The pain was still there, but it was not as bad as it once was. Spike adjusted his pace to match my own; eventually, he walked backward toward me.

“Are you able to fly, Twilight?”

I could see Spike was concerned; Flash continued to stare at me as if something were about to happen. I began to lift off the ground as the air gently blew beneath me. Higher and higher I flew; it was as if gravity had no pull on me. My magic continued to grow stronger with every flap of the wings. I could see Flash and Spike looking up at me from the ground. I started to focus on the direction rather than the height. I began to feel the wind blow in my face as I soared through the sky. I could hear Spike cheering me on as Flash spread his own wings and flew toward me.

“Careful now, Twilight! It’ll be the end for you if you crash!”

I laughed, it was funny that somepony besides Spike would care for me,

“I’ll be fine!”

I slowly flew to the ground where I was greeted by the sweet kiss of gravity once more. The landing wasn’t the smoothest, but I managed to survive. I called out to Spike,

“Come on, Spike! We’ve only got so much time!”

He saluted me and mounted me; I winked back at him. Determined, I spread my wings and flapped a bit harder; I flew toward Canterlot. It was time for me to accomplish my destiny and destroy the council.

I sat on the floor, waiting for something to happen. I felt dizzy like none before. I had passed out only a short while after she had left. The amount of blood I had lost was incredible; I had become a fountain of blood by the end of the day. I tried to move around, pushing my lifeless hooves aside as I tried to walk on dried nubs. I fell to the floor landing flat on my stomach. I wished I had not intimidated that pony; she was not one to be messed with. I struggled still trying to balance on the soft tissues. Again, I fell to the floor with all my hope drained from me. Ahead of me was a chair,

“I have to get to that chair. I’m going to get to that chair.”

I continued to reassure myself that I could do it. I looked at the wooden floors, stained with my own blood. I closed my eyes, opening my mouth as I used my teeth to push me along the ground; I was not far from the chair. I cringed as with every inch, a new splinter appeared. I continued to pull myself along the ground eventually finding myself face to face with the chair. I wiped my forehead and pushed myself onto the chair. I turned around, sitting down on the chair properly. I stared at the door waiting for somepony to enter. I sighed; I knew I would be sitting here for a long time.

“Canterlot is just ahead! Come on!”

It was true; we had almost made it to Canterlot. I could see the landing place just ahead. I looked back at Flash who was struggling just to keep up. The armor he was wearing must’ve been heavy; otherwise, I was certain he’d be waiting beside the Canterlot gate. Spike ran his claws down my mane as I tried to land,

“It’s alright Twilight, you can do it!”

I closed my eyes, flapping my wings slower and slower still. I began to feel the ground press against my hooves with more and more weight. I bent my knees, laughing. I began to feel more confident about myself; I figured I would never fly again after what happened. While Flash Sentry continued to fly closer, I turned to the guards at the gate. I spread my wings and walked to the gate where I was then halted. I shot them a funny look where they then exchanged faces.

“Princess Twilight, right?”

I looked at them puzzled,

“That’s right.”

The guard looked to the other, checking a clipboard,

“Sorry, you’ll have to back off.”

“What? Back off? By Celestian Law, I am the rightful ruler of Equestria!”

“Listen, Twilight. We know the laws by the back of our hooves and as we said, you’ll have to back off. The laws have changed.”

“By order of Princess Celestia, I command you to step aside!”

The two looked at each other, laughing.

“Please, Twilight. You are no longer a princess and you have no right to give our orders.”

I looked at them; I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Then who gives your orders?”

They stopped laughing,

“Why, the council of course!”

I looked at his shoulder, finding a small badge of a different clan. It wasn’t until then that I realized they were not one of us. Flash finally landed on the turf, calling out to me,

“Careful Twilight! They’re not for Canterlot!”

The guard grinned,

“If you want in, you’ll have to let us inspect your baggage. We can’t allow anypony take away our capital now can we?”

He pointed toward Spike and the box. I turned around where he then called to me one more time,

“I hope you realize that if you turn around we can charge you for suspicion and legally arrest you!”

I stopped; I knew there was no other way avoiding it. It breathed in and exhaled; it would have been what Celestia wanted. I would have to take action one way or another. I turned around, mentally reciting some of the most deadly spells. My horn glowed brightly; I could see the guards trying to read my eyes. I smiled,

“Sure you can check my baggage.”

A bright light flashed from all over Equestria. Loud groans could be heard from all around the mountaintop as the two ponies fell to the ground before me.

“After you’re dead, of course.”

I laughed walking into Canterlot as Flash followed me, staring at the bodies as he did. Ponies all around me gasped in horror as they saw the condition I was in. I had not been seen in castle grounds since the day of the speech; the speech that turned all the ponies against Celestia and I. I never thought things would this far out of hoof. Crowds gathered around me with the only separation being Flash Sentry. Spike whispered into my ear,

“Why do you suppose all these ponies are crowded around like this? I thought they hated you.”

I whispered back at him, keeping my eyes on the road ahead of me,

“I thought so too. I wonder if they’ve forgiven me.”

Spike leaned forward while making sure he kept a tight grip on the box,

“Perhaps now is a good time to make a speech, huh Princess Twilight?”

I sighed, he was right. If I was ever to be a good leader, then I would have to make something of myself. I needed to announce my plan of action. I walked to a water fountain just outside the castle’s courtyard; I stood on top of the fountain and prepared my throat. The ponies all around me quieted with the raise of a hoof,

“Everypony, these are dark times indeed, but we need to stay strong and prepare for war! The Pegasi Army has already taken control of Equestria! If their dark rule is to continue, then we are lost!”

The ponies around me yelled loudly and cheered for me as I started my speech. I smiled and looked at Spike,

“The past is not a subject we should be afraid of. As a community, we should embrace it! Without our history, we would be nothing. As the Pegasi Army continues to consume, we should learn from our past mistakes and prepare for the future! If are to ever survive these times, then we must work together! We must form an army of our own! We must prepare for battle. For a battle, that has since been long overdue.”

The ponies around me cheered even louder than before; I began to worry the Council would hear me. I pointed to the sun,

“As the days grow darker, so has our land! Forever have we ruled in peace, in harmony! These power rise to challenge us; we must protect our harmony! I have lost many friends because of these events. I was once a princess of friendship with my duties to spread that cause, but as with time, my duties have changed. I ask you today to join in today and fight for what you believe in! To fight for somepony else! Do not fight for me, but yourselves! If we were to fight for each other, then together we can win! Regrettably, we have started a war; a war that can no longer be avoided. I was foolish to believe that these ponies could be reasoned with. No longer will I sit idly, we shall fight them back!”

The crowd roared and began to attack the Pegasi guards around them. I watched the battle unfold as I stood on the water fountain; I was uncertain my decision was the right one.

With every beginning, comes an end. With every birth, comes death. While this has been told many times before, this has not been the case. The date was 300.12 A.F.D., the exact date of the Second Demolition. Many ponies believed it was merely a natural disaster that reshaped Equestria while others believed it was provoked by the discord between the ponies and non-ponies. Those who believed it was natural believed it would return periodically; those who didn’t, figured it would never return. In a sense, both were wrong. It would return but not in the way everypony would have predicted. The demolition did more than destroy; it created life and preserved it. Many have been questioned by the longevity of the average pony. I, myself have questioned that aspect. Never have I found an answer, not even the scrolls speak of it. May it be a mystery covered by the sands of time, forever.

“This has gone on long enough! I cannot let you continue to control these ponies like this.”

The council pony turned around and pulled over his black hood to cover his face.

“I trust you have spoken to the townsponies of Canterlot? It was a pleasantly bland speech; you’ll have to try much harder than that to intimidate the Pegasi Army.”

I glared at him, scrapping my hoof against the carpet floor as if I were preparing for a charge.

“Why are you doing this to Equestria? What have we ever done to your kind?”

He laughed, examining his right hoof before speaking again,

“Equestria has been ruled by the same three ponies for generations. The council and I decided many dates ago that this was not the way a land such as this should be run. The pegasi were the first to arrive in Canterlot and if not for your treasured ‘Starswirl the Bearded’, we would have ruled this land.”

“You know what happened between the three tribes! We’ve all heard that bedtime story!”

I laughed once more,

“How sad; it seems even you didn’t comprehend the scroll as I did. Perhaps you don’t even know the purpose for why they were written.”

I could feel my hooves shaking in intimidation. I wanted to charge at him, but I promised I wouldn’t do so until I had heard what he had to say. I could not believe he was questioning my comprehension; I had read all of the scrolls and understood them to the fullest,

“Of course, I do! They are the documented history of Equestria; nothing more, nothing less.”

He pulled his hood, revealing his identity for the second time. He had a dark blue mane with a bright yellow coat. His face was familiar, but I found it impossible to place.

“Wrong! The scrolls are the key to the future! You know what happened during the Demolition! If we are to let this happen again then all of Equestria will be ruined! We are at a time of peace, a time when ponies of all ages can roam, wander, and be free to all sorts of opportunities. Celestia and Luna are dangerous to Equestria. If we were to let them control any longer then you can expect a Third Demolition.”

He had a point, but as I had said many times before,

“The past may be written, but the future is not! It was because of you that we no longer live in peace! With every turn of the head, a guard is waiting to take our lives! This is no longer a Prosperous Era, this is war. By my name, this is the Downfall Era!”

He waved his hoof at me with disrespect,

“Please, Twilight. You have no royalty! We’ve already won!”

“For as long as I stand, this is MY castle, MY city, MY throne. All Celestian laws apply until the day you’ve won the war. I wouldn’t count on it, though.”

He snorted at me,

“Fine, but you will deeply regret this… Princess Twilight.”

He walked out of the throne room, closing the door behind him before he left. Stunned by how easy it was to convince him, I walked to the throne. It was a strange moment; a moment that I had never thought would ever become possible. I spread my wings in the traditional royal fashion as I walked toward the balcony where thousands of ponies looked up from below. I pressed my memory for the traditional coronation recitation,

“I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, will protect Equestria in its glory for the good of other ponies and not for my own needs. I will guard her ponies now and forever no matter the issue.”

I hesitated, rubbing my head in search for the rest of the words. I sighed, it wasn’t perfect, but I would have to improvise,

“I will protect all four corners of Equestria and forever become one with it. May I fight fire with water and ice with love. May my teachings of forgiveness lead this land out of the darkness and into the light once more. May Equestria’s traditions be forever preserved as time flies. I say this as new royalty, Twilight Sparkle, The Princess of Equestria”

The crowd cheered for their new ruler. My speech was unorthodox, but it was necessary to have something prepared. I hadn’t realized the Pegasi Army would leave so willingly. I waved my hoof casually as I walked into the throne room and took my seat. Spike walked toward me carrying a crown slightly different from my own. I smiled at him and looked toward the crowd of ponies who had poured into the corridor. I bowed my head down to Spike as he crowned me. The ponies around me clapped their hooves against the floor. It was very short notice, but it was all the more necessary. I waved my hoof and waited for them to silence.

“The pegasi have declared war on all of Equestria. They wish to corrupt us one city at a time until all of Equestria is within their grasp. We mustn’t let this happen! Celestia and Luna are to be executed within the next few weeks. If we do not demonstrate our power toward them, then they will know we are not a threat! We cannot let this happen, no matter the cost. From this day forth, I declare an army of our own, The Celestian Collective Infantry! All members of the Royal Guard as of now will immediately become soldiers of the CCI! All Unicorns older than 50 dates will become members of the CCI! So says I, Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

Ponies around the room yelled with Equestrian pride. I leaned over to Spike who was standing still, waiting for any other orders,

“How did I do?” I whispered to him. He leaned over to me, whispering back,

“You did well; I’m just not too keen on the idea of drafting other ponies.”

I looked around the room,

“Sorry, Spike, but we need soldiers for the army! We cannot fight without one!”

He laughed a bit,

“I guess you’re right, but I still think it’s a bad idea. What if that pony doesn’t want to join the army? What if that pony doesn’t want to die in combat?”

I sighed; he was right about a few things,

“Sorry Spike, but I am going to have to take that chance. It’s all for the better.”

It did not take long for everypony to clear the room. I watched as they ran down the streets to their homes. All the ponies left the room but one; instead of leaving, he approached me and bowed. I nodded my head and raised a hoof for him to state his business.

“My dear princess. My name is Ironblade Hilted; I was hoping participate in the war effort.”

A bit surprised about this pony’s straight-forwardness, I smiled and nodded my head,

“Great! Can I get your name?”

He looked around the room, blushing,

“Ironblade Hilted, ma'am!”

It was a silly name, but I could tell he was born for something like this.

“Are you in the Royal Guard, Ironblade?”

He blushed a deeper shade of red,

“Uh, no. I, uh. Failed the admission. They said I was… too… thin…”

I looked at him and scanned his body from top to bottom. He was certainly thinner than most of the ponies in the royal guard, but I felt that wouldn’t become an issue as long as he could pull his weight.

“I don’t see an issue. Perhaps they need their eyes checked” I smiled, winking at him. “Tell you what; we’ve got barracks on the other side of Canterlot.”

I could see him getting excited; it was clear that he had never been admitted into anything like this before. I turned toward Flash, who was standing beside me at attention, opposite from Spike.

“Flash? Would you show this gentlecolt the way to the barracks? We could use all the help we can get.”

Flash saluted and led the young pony out of the room. I waited for the two to leave the room before giggling uncontrollably. Spike looked at me with a puzzled face,

“What’s so funny?”

I waved my hoof at Spike,

“Oh, Spike. It’s nothing; I just needed a good laugh.”

He shrugged, shaking his head as he left the room.

I was alone; the room was absolutely quiet for the first time. I took advantage of the opportunity to raise my esteem.

“I am the Princess of Equestria,” I said to myself, listening to the echoes throughout the hallways. “The Princess of Equestria.”

I stood up and walked down the halls in search of the bedrooms. It had been a long time since I last visited the castle as a guest.

I woke up with a rather large headache. I looked through blurred vision, trying my hardest to interpret the view. The room appeared to be white, with a small blue carpet decorating the floor. A window shone a bright light from the left side of the room. With all my might, I did everything to clear my view. I heard a familiar voice to my left, however, it was not who I figured it would be. My eyes were still foggy, but I managed to make out a pair of wings; it was a pegasus dressed in white.

“You had us worried for a second, sorry for what happened.” said the strangely dressed pegasus. I continued to look into the distance; the damage from whatever had happened disrupted my thought. The pegasus walked closer, removing a pin from my left front leg.

“Can you stand up?” asked the pegasus. I looked around; the ground seemed as distant as I was.

The colors of the stained glass windows glowed majestically in the sun as it rose. I walked down the corridor and took my seat at the throne. I yawned; I hadn’t slept well since I was first called to Canterlot. Spike burst through the door carrying a large pile of papers. I looked at him,

“What’s this?”

He dropped the papers in a stack next to me,

“Homework! You can’t be the ‘Princess of Equestria’ without your fair share of homework!” he winked at me. I knew it was a joke, but I felt matters such as these shouldn’t be messed with.

“How’s the army settling, Spike?”

He shuffled his feet as if he had bad news,

“Uh, well… Flash said it would take a week or so to get everypony from the Royal Guard prepared, another two weeks to make enough equipment for the newcomers and a month to get the newcomers trained for combat. It’ll take a while.”

I sighed; I had nothing to do until then. I would be accompanying the soldiers in battle during the first fight; with my magic skills, I would be a valuable ally.

“Spike, can you take a note?”

He hesitated,

“Uh, sure” he looked around, pulling a parchment and quill from a pile of papers behind him.

I cleared my throat,

“To all ponies on the far reaches of Equestria,

A certain pony has been known to be highly dangerous to Equestria and her ponies. She can be best described with an Orange coat, Blonde mane and often seen with a brown hat. She is armed and dangerous to anypony she crosses. Anypony who finds her and brings her in, dead or alive, will be rewarded with 400,000 bits.

~Princess Twilight Sparkle”

Spike stopped writing,

“Are you talking about… Applejack?”

I coughed,

“Yes, Spike. We cannot have her running about Equestria in search for blood! I have a strong feeling she is after the bearers of the Elements. I fear that without the elements we may not win this war.”

Spike looked down at his work,

“I thought Applejack was our friend…”

I stood up and walked toward Spike,

“I thought so too, Spike. I thought so too.”

Spike walked down the hall and toward the exit. I called out to him once more before he left,

“Spike, where are the scrolls?”

He stopped and patted himself before answering,

“They should be in my room. I haven’t done anything with them, honest.”

I laughed,

“Alright Spike, can you bring them to me? I have a better place for them.”

He saluted and left the room, shutting the door behind him. I never thought I’d ever be the ruler over all of Equestria. It was impossible to imagine such things; the responsibilities included were far too many to count, especially during a time of war. Spike opened the door carrying the large box. I stood up, running to it as if I had lost it a long time ago. I wondered what would have happened to it if I had lost it. Spike dropped the box in front of me before walking out of the room. I sent him a friendly wave as a sign of thank you. He nodded and closed the door. I used my magic to open the box as peered at the contents inside. I counted the scrolls several times to make sure every one of them was there. ‘Seven’, I reminded myself; it was a number that I was forced to remember. I lifted the box and looked around the room; I wanted the box to be close to me throughout the day without being in plain sight. I continued to scan the room, eventually stopping at the throne. I remembered reading something about the throne in one of the scrolls. It used to carry something, something especially valuable. According to the scrolls, the place hadn’t been used for several generations. I carefully placed the box on the ground and focused all of my magic on the throne, slowly moving it aside revealing a small space underneath. My eyes glowed, I picked up the box and slid it into place; it was a perfect fit. I moved the throne aside and enchanted it before I sat back down. I would be the only pony who could move the throne from it’s resting place. Nopony else would be able to see its secrets for the rest of my eternity.

Next Chapter: Scroll #8 - Applejack's Creed Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 31 Minutes