BEFORE YOU START READING...

I need to know from ALL of my readers: I intend to upload each chapter in a series of parts in order to keep momentum, and to keep the story fresh in your head. The content of the story will not be altered; You will just get a lot more, but shorter chapters, and get new installments to read more often. If you disagree, please explain why specifically. Thank you.

Also, I'm going to be updating every installment AFTER I publish it. However, you do not need to reread it every time, as I will only be fixing minor things. The story will not change.

Chapter 1: Part 2 has received almost no editions, so bear with me as you notice mistakes. But PLEASE point them out so I can fix them.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 1: Calm before the Storm (Part 2)

Twilight sat with a solemn expression as she leafed through the pages of the Tome of Umbri at her study table. She had resorted to candlelight for her research, seeing as everypony in Ponyville seemed to think that Twilight knew what was wrong. A simple Disillumination spell seemed to fool everypony into thinking that she wasn't home. When the visitors finally relented and gone back to their homes long enough for her to get her hooves on something useful, she did just that.

"A spell, " Twilight read aloud, "for seeing past events. Interesting. 'To cast the spell, focus your magic while reciting the Canti below.' It looks like some sort of poem... 'Be cautious; Although this Canti is not dangerous, the mental effects are particularly intense. Also note that while the vision of the Backflash Canti rarely exceeds three minutes, the longest duration ever witnessed was for an entire lunar cycle during the Umbri Uprising.' Hey, this is starting to sound promising!"

Spike regarded her with a look of worry. "Twilight, you're jumping in a bit too quickly... We don't know anything about seeing into the past, and we sure don't know who even wrote this... Canti thing. If it's not what it says it is, something bad could happen!"

"I've studied under the Princess for years. I really don't think she would pass off something to her star pupil that could cause too much trouble. I'm sure looking into the past wont be to much for me to handle, anyway. It says it's completely harmless."

He glared at her. "Twilight..."

"Spike, I've had enough! Do you really expect me to believe that the Princess would recommend her star pupil a book that could end up harming her?"

"Well..." he stammered.

"Well?"

"It said it could last for an entire lunar cycle... The moon is full right now, and that could mean an entire month of whatever this 'Canti' is going to do."

"Silly dragon, don't you listen? It says right here: "...the vision of the Backflash Canti rarely exceeds three minutes."

With a sigh, he said "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Smiling to herself, Twilight looked down the page to the poem, or "Canti," the Tome had called it, and cleared her throat:

"Show me that which pertains to me

and those I stand beside.

Show me in entirety

what the past doth try to hide."

By this time, her horn had begin emitting dark purple sparks, which alarmed Spike. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" She ignored him and continued reading in a voice that was not of just hers, but accompanied by the whispers of thousands of other colts and mares. Twilight took no notice.

"Give me but a single glance

at that which no one knows.

Guide my hooves as I take this chance

to see where our path goes."

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash and Trixie burst through the door with Snips and Snails in their hooves. Spike noted that the colts were unnaturally still as the mares lay them down on either side of Twilight's hollow home.

"...Let me see through silent eyes

of those who lived before..."

Twilight was now levitating, her eyes glazed over with a shade of purple that was darker than that of her own mane. Her voice was now as terrifying as it was deafening, the whole room shaking with each syllable. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak: "What's happening?"

"I have no idea," shouted spike over the choir of disembodied voices. "I told her not to do it, I did, I did! She's reading a 'Backflash Canti" from the tome of-"

"Umbri?" Trixie asked, wide-eyed.

"Change my view of time's disguise;

Change my life forever more."

The tree house was now shaking violently. Books and other objects fell off of the shelves, as well as stationery and other assorted items. The candles had been blown out, and despite the fact that the room was virtually containing a small storm, it had been entirely silent since the moment that Twilight finished the Canti. Trixie shouted and stomped her hooves, but no sound could be heard. She exchanged glances with Rainbow Dash, who was scared out of her wits.

The room came to a rest as sound returned to the air around the four. The candles ignited once more by themselves, and Twilight had slowly descended to the floor where she lay still on her left side.

Dashie looked to Trixie, "How much do you know about the Umbri, Trixie?"

Trixie didn't say a word. Her eyes didn't leave Twilight's motionless body as she stepped forward.

"Trixie?"

Finally, the great and powerful Trixie spoke: "The Tome of Umbri is not like most books. It tells of a legend that almost everypony never learns of, or looks further into." Shutting her eyes, Trixie's horn began to glow a translucent blue. With her magic, she lifted Twilight from the center of the floor and up to her bed, where her blankets folded neatly around her. Her pillow gave her the courtesy of fluffing itself for her.

"What Trixie is interested in," she continued, "is that it also contains perhaps the most powerful, yet simple magic usable by ponies, and Trixie has searched far and wide for a copy of it... It's a shame that such an eager scholar as Twilight Sparkle would have acted so quickly to use a Canti."

Rainbow Dash looked up from Snails where she sat beside him."I've had a few peeks off and on into that book, too... Trixie, how much of it was true?"

"A better question," Trixie said, turning to look at Rainbow Dash, "is how long until it will become true." Trixie noticed Dashie's face, which was expressionless.

"So... What do we do now?" Spike regarded Rainbow Dash with a look of agitation. "How much do you know about the Umbri?"

"Enough to know that the most powerful, evil force ever to walk the face of Equestria is coming back. Celestia came dangerously close to falling from grace the last time..."

The door flung open again, and in galloped a panting and visually exhausted pink mare who proceeded to trip over Snails and collide with Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie took in a deep breath, a guaranteed indication that she was about to begin her iconic fast-paced rant... But the joyous tirade of trivial allusions and inquiries was cut short by the preemptive glare she received from everypony else. "What?" Pinkie Pie was now as scared as Rainbow Dash looked. Everyone was looking at her so... Quietly.

Spike wrapped his arms around his belly and grimaced. Out of his mouth came a sharp belch, followed by a green flame inside of which materialized a letter from Princess Celestia. Spike unrolled the parchment and began reading, this time only to himself. His face would have turned white had it not been covered in scales.

"Well," Pinkie Pie asked, now bouncing over to him. "What's it say?"

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A note from your author, Daymaker. ;)

I am going to be incorporating a few words from Latin into the story, and will be defining them at the end of the first chapter the word appears in.

Canti: Comes from a Latin word for "Song." Next Chapter: Chapter 1: Calm before the Storm (Part 3) Estimated time remaining: 20 Minutes