Login

The Third Generation

by Candle Light

Chapter 15: The Third Generation Chapter Fifteen

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

The Third Generation

Chapter Fifteen

by Candle Light

“Is something the matter, dear?” Rarity asked, looking worryingly at the cerulean earth pony’s strained expression.

A sudden stab of pain. No, not pain, sadness. Well, not sadness either, rather… dread. Inexplicable dread. Yes, that was the word for it. “I’m not sure,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Something just now gave me this awful sense of unease.”

“Well, that can’t be good,” Rarity surmised. “I just hope there isn’t a Mother Ursa or the likes lurking about.”

She tried to pinpoint the source of the feeling. It felt akin to anger, but also fear; had perhaps the shock from the attack earlier caught up to her? No… this was more like a memory resurfacing from the depth of her mind. But it wasn’t her own.

Then it hit her. “Rarity!”she exclaimed.

“Yes, dear?”’

“No, the other one! Something has happened to her! Ooh, the poor darling is in pain...”

***

This time, there was nothing to distract him from the fact: Shining Armor could go on for no longer. The Mother Ursa would not let up, and both his and Cadence’s magic were getting weaker by the minute. The barrier around the castle was cracked like old porcelain, and wouldn’t withstand much more of this.

As the Captain intercepted another hit, the pain made him topple over. No more, his body decided, refusing to move another muscle regardless of the stakes. He watched the paw descend towards the castle, and he closed his eyes, praying to Celestia that some other miracle would delay the inevitable.

It did. A loud voice he at first did not recognize rang across the balcony. “Now!”

Shining Armor realized that he had not yet been crushed along with the castle, and that it was the Ursa, not he or Cadence, who was roaring in pain. He willed his eyes to open and looked up upon the beast. Countless white shining lines were streaming upwards from the ground to its head, freezing it in place. Cadence was still working her healing magic – probably by instinct, at this point – giving him enough energy to move closer to the balcony railing.

The ground below was littered with what he could only barely make out as unicorns. Hundreds of them, standing just outside the magic barrier, all directing their magic at the Ursa. His unspoken question was answered when Kenbroth the earth dragon appeared next to him, “Well done, Captain. Now rest, and let us take care of things from here.”

“Whu…?” Slowly, the pieces were starting to fall together.

“You see, Shining Armor, even a monster as big as this one will eventually hurt its paw pounding against a wall long enough,” he explained. “Only, it works a bit differently with an Ursa; they don’t hurt anywhere specific; any damage it receives disrupting its cosmic energies, weakening it. This may not be enough to hold it indefinitely, but it will at least buy us some time. I hope my little distraction was of some use.”

“You broke the mountain...”

“I am an earth dragon,” he returned with a grin. “But none of this would have been possible if you had not held on for as long as you did. Now rest, my prince; regain your strength. I’ll think of something from here.” The two exhausted ponies were suddenly enveloped by magic auras and lifted from the balcony floor. Two royal doctor unicorns carried them back into the castle.

***

“Looks like it’s going away.”

Whilst Whistle Wishes kept watch by the window, Trixie was giving Rarity a shoulder to cry against. It was an awkward situation to say the least; she wasn’t sure why she was crying, or if there was something she could do or say to comfort her. Come to think of it, she was crying even harder than she had back at the meadow. Judging by her expression, it almost seemed like she was in physical pain, hyperventilating between sobs.

The realization hit her like an anvil as she connected the dots. “We need to get Rarity out of Unicornia!” she told the group in an urgent voice, picking the filly up unceremoniously and started running out the door. Puzzled, the others followed.

“Out?” Cheerilee questioned. “But what if it comes back!”

“It doesn’t matter; if we don’t, Rarity might not make it,” Trixie pushed. “That spell, I think it did something to the air.” She wasn’t sure how to explain it, or that she even understood it herself, but the slight tingling in her throat could not be a coincidence. “She must have somehow used the dark powers that Discord put into her…” Horrible scenarios were starting to form in her head. “If we don’t get her out of here right now, she might drown in it.”

It was all the convincing they needed. Dashing down the slope, they made their way toward the lake, where the outline of the dark barrier was clearly visible on the sky backdrop. It didn’t take more than a minute before they reached it, and as they ran through, Trixie felt a chill spread through her entire body, and relief as they come through to the other side.

***

Luna held only one thought in her head: there was no time to lose. Another Ursa was attacking Canterlot, she could feel it, and as her telepathic link to her sister had been weakened, she could not say for certain that she was safe. But she know now how to save them. Though she did not know the source of the barrier around the second Ponyville, she instantly recognized it for what it was: concentrated cosmic energy.

Canterlot – surrounded by a purple semi-transparent cracked shell – soon came into view. Her mind raced as she her astute eye caught the monolithic form of a Mother Ursa, half-obscured by the barrier. What came as a surprise, though, was the magic that erupted from hundreds of tiny sources on the ground, directed at the Ursa. They were holding it at bay, much in the same way they had fended off the Ursa terrorizing Equestria in ages past. It wouldn’t hold.

Luna’s idea would assure Canterlot’s safety, but held the risk of tearing Equestria apart were she to make a mistake. But it was the only way to give the Element Bearers the time they needed.

Landed to on the balcony next to Kenbroth, she ordered, “Guide me to the crystal chamber, post haste!”

***

“Fluttershy? Is that you?”

Fluttershy turned around, and beamed when she saw the rainbow-maned pegasus flying towards her, barely noticing the second pegasus flying behind. “Oh, thank goodness!” she squeaked, giving her a big hug. “I thought we would never find you! I-I was starting to think we’d be lost here forever as Equestria falls apart around us, and…”

“Easy there, girl,” Rainbow Dash comforted. “Equestria won’t fall anywhere on my watch! And guess who I found on the way?”

“Oh, Night Gale!” Fluttershy recognized; the stallion gave her a grin. “That’s wonderful!”

“Except I only have myself to show for it,” he told her. “The carriage got smashed clean in half, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, I’m sure we can figure something out,” Rainbow Dash encouraged. “Are you alone, Fluttershy?”

“Oh no, I’m with Spike and Pinkie Pie – the other one – they’re not too far from here. Follow me.”

A short flight and a landing later, there was much rejoicing as Spike and Pinkie moved in for more hugging. “Awesome!” Spike whooped. “That just leaves… well, more than half the group, but it’s a start!”

“I know where Rarity and Rainbow Dash are,” Rainbow Dash told them. “We were flung closer to the mountains, so I flew ahead to look for you. Any ideas on where to find Applejack and Twilight?”

“Well, if I know Twi right,” Spike pondered, “she would probably count on Rainbow Dash to go look for us by air... so she would head back toward the field, where she’d be easier to spot.”

“Sounds reasonable to me,” agreed Pinkie. “Let’s just hope that Applejack’s with her.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Rainbow Dash urged. “The flatland is that way,” she pointed off into the woods, “shouldn’t be more than half an hour’s gallop from here.”

***

“You’re playing with really high stakes, your Highness,” Kenbroth warned as they stepped into the crystal chamber beneath Canterlot.

“I am aware of that,” assured Luna. “If you have a better solution, I would love to hear your input.”

“Unfortunately, I have none,” the earth dragon sighed resignedly. Luna put her horn to one of the pillars. “Alright then. May the stars be with you.”

Luna’s mind once again slipped into an almost endless expanse of magic that was the magic seal, now barely separating Equestria from a surge of cosmic energy of untold proportions. The damage was apparent; wherever she looked, there were whirlpools of blackness and unease, disturbing the few remaining placid waters of harmony in this turbulent magicscape. At this rate, she knew, it would only hold for a maximum of three days.

She was about to shorten it to one. Guided by Kenbroth, she soon found herself face to face with the source of the outpouring, the abysmal crack from which the otherworldly cosmic energy was seeping out. Using the seal’s magic of harmony as a base for her spell, she reached out with her own magic and grabbed a hold of the darkness. It was not an entirely pleasant sensation, but nor was it unbearable, and soon she found herself in full control of it. As Princess of the Night, she had a much deeper understanding of cosmic energies than most. She had to take care not to let too much of it into her spirit at once, or it would overcome her, as it had a thousand years prior.

Spell completed, she channeled the powers of the cosmos reach through rocks and walls of the castle, through the enchantments, engulfing the the city as if it was an extension of herself. She felt the magic hit the Ursa, and was relieved to find that her efforts had not been in vain.

The Ursa was trapped outside. Just as Luna was trapped within.

***

As the Mother Ursa seemed to have gone away, and Luna was nowhere to be found, the villagers of Ponyville and Unicornia decided to approach their home. They stood by the edge of the grayish bubble that now surrounded it, wondering if it was safe to touch. Eventually, a white pony with an ice cream bowl for a cutie mark stepped forward and put a hoof to it. It went through.

“Well, Coconut Cream?” asked Thistle Whistle, adding a nervous whistle. “How is it.”

“It’s cold,” he replied, in a dark voice none of them was yet used to. He dared stretch the hoof a little farther in. “But I think we can go through it... if we make a run for it.”

“I don’t think we have any other choice,” Wysteria agreed, pulling her hoof back after trying touching it herself. “Alright everypony! On the count of three. One! Two… three!”

And so they ran. Wysteria felt a stab of cold through her body as it slipped through, but it was gone the moment she emerged on the other side. Soon all were through, and Sunny Daze breathed out. “Whew, I’m sure glad that’s over.”

“But it’s not over,” Wysteria reminded. She turned to the rest of the crowd, trying to grab their attention, but her soft spoken voice was lost in a sea of murmurs and talk from a hundred other ponies expressing their relief. “Excuse me, but I have something to…” when she realized only a few were listening, she decided to put on her crowd voice. “Hey!” The single word was enough to win her the silence and attention of every pony there. “Thank you. I just wanted to stress that just because we’re back in our village, doesn’t mean we can relax. There are still monsters out there, and we don’t know how long this, uh, bubble will even keep us safe.”

“Come on, Wysteria, loosen up a bit,” one of the ponies told her. “The monster’s gone, we should celebrate!”

“All I’m saying is that we need to keep on our hooves,” she urged them, hotness creeping into her cheeks. Why were they all being so lax about this? “We need to make sure everyone is—”

“Everypony,” corrected Sunny Daze.

“…that everypony is accounted for, and that we have enough food to last us for however long we have to stay trapped in here. We also need to be ready for when the Princess returns, or to pitch in if there is anything we can do to help.”

Razzaroo was the first one to speak up. “She’s right, girls. First things first, we need to make sure everypony’s alright; we can celebrate later.” There was some sounds of disappointment, but most of them seemed to nod and agree, which Wysteria appreciated. She went on, “And let’s face it, Wysteria has always been the one to keep us together at big events and stuff; we should all just let her do her thing.”

Wait, was she trying to push the responsibility to her? She felt herself scowling, but then she caught herself. Of course they would rely on her, and that’s exactly what she wanted. “Uh, yes, of course,” she managed, wondering if maybe stress was starting to get the better of her.

***

“…but then the booger won’t pop out, and you have to like try to scoop it out with your hoof, and that can get really nasty if you don’t know the trick.”

“Ohh, I know, right?” Minty nodded enthusiastically, running alongside Pinkie Pie across the field, getting ever closer to the forest. Just a little longer. “But when you do get it out, you get this feeling of accomplishment! Even moreso now that my hoof is all stiff.”

“I wish I could have those bendy-wendy hooves. Imagine baking with your mouth and your hooves? Why, I bet you could make cupcakes twice as fast!”

“And here I am, still trying to get used to doing stuff with my—hey, isn’t that them?”

“Ohmygosh you’re right!” breathed the pink pony, picking up the pace and making it very hard for Minty to keep up. “Heeeey! Twilight! Applejack!

Ahead, the green pony watched as Pinkie slammed into her lavender friend, sending them into a roll until she stood on top of her. “I’ve missed you so much!” She rubber her nose against Twilight’s. “Even though we’ve only been apart for like an hour or so. And Applejack!”

“Nice to see you too, Pinkie,” Applejack preempted, giving her a hug before she could jump her. “And you, doppelganger of mine.”

“Same… here,” she replied through wheezes.

“Still, that’s quite some lucky timing,” Applejack commented, “coming out of the woods just as you two happened to show.”

Realization hit Minty like a snow ball to the head. She was right: just like with Braeburn’s rescue back at the desert, it was nothing more than luck that they just happened to run into Twilight and Applejack. It made her think, was it all really just luck? Could it be her earth pony senses was picking up on some minute detail she knew she needed to follow? Maybe getting lost in the desert had heightened her survival instincts on a subconscious level. In any case, she was just glad everything had turned out okay, at least for now.

“What’s the plan now, Twi?” asked Applejack. “Do we wait?”

“We wait,” she nodded. “If Rainbow Dash is okay, there is no way she wouldn’t double back from where we came and look for us.”

“You got that right!” Rainbow Dash agreed as she landed right in front of her with a thud, giving the ponies a start. “Great minds do think alike!”

“Good gravy,” Applejack sighed, though looking relieved all the same. “Always with the grand entrances. Good to see you made it.”

“I knew I could count on you.” Twilight gave her a hug. “Any luck finding the other!”

“No, no luck,” she told them, earning her dejected looks. “Only skill!” She pointed a hoof toward the forest, where three more ponies emerged, one of them carrying a small dragon on her back.

All at once, there were cries of names as they all came over to hug and greet: Spike to Twilight, Fluttershy to Pinkie, and Minty was overjoyed to see her Pinkie Pie again. “You really need to stop getting yourself lost without me,” Pinkie told Minty, and she could only agree. She had really grown to like the other Pinkie, but there could be no substitute for the original.

“By the way, where’s Rainbow Dash?” she asked.

“I’ m right he—” The winged pony bonked a hoof against her face. “She and Rarity are on the other side of the forest. We’d better get moving, it’s a bit of a run.”

“Are we still going north,” straight maned Pinkie Pie seemed confused. “After all that happened? Not to mention losing all our stuff.”

“Of course not, but we need to get everyone together so that we can go back vanquish the Ursa that’s attacking Canterlot!”

“What?” erupted Twilight. “Oh no! Celestia is in no condition to defend the city now! It’ll take hours to get Rarity and Rainbow Dash, and we don’t even have a carriage anymore!”

As panic spread across Twilight’s face, the purple little dragon raised his head to say something, but stopped abruptly and clutched his belly. There were a few spasms, and then he burped, and out came a puff marvelously pretty green, along with a scroll, which dropped to the ground.

Spike wasted no time opening it up, as all eyes were on him. “‘Dear Twilight Sparkle, I hope this letter reaches you, as I am writing to tell you that Canterlot is safe,” he read, hearing sighs of relief from the crowd. “Princess Luna has constructed a barrier strong enough to hold off the Mother Ursa, by borrowing the cosmic energies from beyond the seal—”

“Of course!” Twilight beamed, “Ursa are made from cosmic energies, and there’s the theory that two cosmic entities repel one another if... I mean, uh, please continue.”

“Thank you. ‘—but it is also speeding up the rate of which it is seeping into Equestria. You have sixteen hours to find Star Catcher and Kimono, and mend the seals before Equestria is cast into shadow.

“Unfortunately, dragon flame can not pass through the barrier, making it impossible to send letters from your end, so I will not be able to give you my advice; creating even a small opening to send send this one letter was a risk we cannot afford to make again. But I know I can trust in you, my dear Twilight Sparkle, and all of your brave friends. May the sun and the moon be with you.’ Signed, Princess Celestia.”

There was a silence. Applejack was the first to speak. “Well, this changes things.”

“S-sixteen hours!” It was Fluttershy’s turn to panic. “B-but that’s less than a day!”

“Yes,” Twilight agreed, her calm returned, “but sixteen hours should be all we need. If we’re quick about it, we should have no problem reaching the castle well within that time. There’s just one problem,” she added, “and that’s little Rarity. I didn’t want to bring her with us because of all the danger we would be facing, and I figured there would be plenty of time join up with her later, but it looks like we don’t have that luxury anymore; we need all six together if we are to repair the seal. Night Gale,” she addressed the Wonderbolt, “do you know the way to the other Ponyville?”

“I would think so.”

“Then I need you to go there and bring Rarity back to the castle at the Frozen North, as quickly and as carefully as you are able.”

There were some questioning looks from the others. “You want me to bring a child through an Ursa infested Equestria, by myself?” Night Gale asked dubiously.

“Yes, because the fate of Equestria depends on it!” Twilight stood firm. “I don’t like the idea anymore than you do, but it’s our only chance. Do whatever it takes to get her to come along, and protect her with your life. It all depends on you.”

The stallion, though still seemingly uncomfortable with the idea, nodded his head. “Understood. I shall not fail.”

“We all believe in you,” Twilight pepped. “Now go, make good to your name!” And with that, Night Gale rose to the air, and bolted off toward the horizon.

“Sure hope he’s up to it,” said Applejack. “I sorta get the feeling everything’s barely hanging on by a silk thread.”

“Which is why we need to get moving,” Twilight urged, but then halted. “Just... one thing.” The unicorn magically grabbed a long piece of her hair with her magic, and with no aid of scissors, the piece separated itself from her head. She fixed her gaze on the severed hair strands, whereas it and her horn sparked simultaneously. She then hovered it to Rainbow Dash’s mane, tying the two seamlessly together. “It’s a tracking spell,” she explained. “Now you can dash ahead and tell the others we are coming; we’ll just follow the magical beacon.”

“Smart thinking as always, Twilight,” commended the pegasus. “Don’t take too long!” She took off, and was gone from sight in less than two seconds.

***

“Are you sure?” Cheerilee asked her smaller friend.

“Well, we can’t stay out here forever,” Rarity pointed. “I’m okay now, I think. Plus, all the grub’s in there. I’ve been running on grass for way too long!”

“And, like you said,” added Trixie, “what if the the Mother Ursa comes back?” She wasn’t too keen on the idea of going back there herself, but she knew how much Rarity wanted to go home, and trusted in her judgment. “At least in there, we’ll be safe.”

“Okay then,” Cheerilee reluctantly agreed. “On the count of three, we’ll all go toge— Rarity!” The pink unicorn was already on the other side, giving the others no choice but to run after.

As the little filly galloped toward the village, all traces of her breakdown was gone, smiling from cheek to cheek like the happiest pony in the world. When they appeared in square of Unicornia, nobody seemed to be home, but she could hear voices coming from farther down the road. Rarity ran ahead to greet them, her convoy in tow, which suited Trixie just fine; she would rather avoid having to explain why one of the houses stood empty.

“Lily!” Rarity exclaimed. “Butter Milk! Fairy Glow!”

“Oh Rarity, I’m so glad you’re safe,” Lily replied as they group hugged. “We were afraid the monster had gotten you. Where did you run off to?

“Well, uh, it’s a long story,” she dodged. “But guess what, I made a new best friend. Let me introduce you to Trixie! She took care of me when I was lost and lonely. She can be a bit crass sometimes, but she’s actually really nice.”

“Yeah, I remember, you tried to put up a show for us, before the monster showed up,” said one of the ponies. “I’m Butter Milk, and this is Lily Lightly and Fairy Glow. Any friend of Rarity’s is a friend of ours. Welcome to Unicornia, such as it is.”

“Well uh, thanks, pleasure’s all mine,” Trixie replied, smiling awkwardly. Rarity’s friendship was one thing, but being treated so openly by ponies she had never met made her really uncomfortable. But for Rarity’s sake, she played along.

“We were on our way to the castle?” said Lily Lightly. “Is it still there? The monster didn’t destroy it, did it?”

“Nah, it’s fine. I was on my way there too. My room is probably a mess now; I haven’t cleaned it in ages, literally.”

***

Home at last. Not through a veil of despair and dark magic; just home, and no rampaging monsters threatening to tear it apart. Sure the monsters were still out there, and truth be told, the air inside the protective bubble didn’t taste as fresh as it used to. But home was home.

“Everything seems to be in order,” Butter Milk assessed. “Pink curtains, check. Crystal dome, check. Trapdoor that leads down to some kind of secret storage, check.”

As the others went around making sure everything was where it should be, Rarity made her way up the stairs toward her room, dragging Cheerilee and Trixie with her. She found it just the way she left it, unkempt and homely. “Welcome to my room, Trixie!” she announced. “That’s my bed over there, and my closet – you don’t want to open that – and that’s my desk… and that’s pretty much it!”

“Not bad,” Trixie admitted, looking out the window. “Nice view, too.”

“Seriously though, you should get cleaning,” Cheerilee commented. “Technically you haven’t done that in what, a thousand years?”

“I don’t mind,” Trixie told them. “Kind of reminds me of my room, from when I was a foal. That was a long time ago, never had one since.”

“So you’ve been living in a carriage your whole life?” Rarity asked.

“Pretty much,” she admitted. “That, or whatever cheap inn I could find. I guess it wasn’t so…” but whatever she said was lost to Rarity as her mind started to race. No room of her own? Jumping from place to place? It all sounded so familiar. But she’d lived in the Rainbow Crystal Castle her whole life! She had never been in any town fraught with poverty, in a small house surrounded by five siblings, always hungry and only a small cupboard to call her own. She was never sold off to another family, spending months on the road before settling down in another poor town...

“Are you even listening?” Trixies voice cut through the veil. “Rarity? What’s the matter?”

“Oh!” she abruptly snapped out of it, feeling rather dizzy. “I-I don’t know. Something you said reminded me of something, but can’t remember from when. Cheerilee, I’ve lived here my whole life, haven’t I?”

“Of course you did. I remember taking care of you as a foal... trust me. Why, what did you remember?”

“I’m not sure. Like, I was in this big family, and really hungry and cold… and then I was…” the lingering emotions spoke stronger than the images, and she struggled to get the words out. “I-I was abandoned… by my own…”

“Say no more,” Cheerilee stopped her, pulling her into an embrace. “Whatever it was, that’s not how it is now.”

“It’s okay…” Rarity told her, wiping her eyes. She had cried enough for one day.

“Do you think it could have been a suppressed memory?” Trixie suggested. “From a thousand years ago, before Discord put you all in the time loop?”

Cheerilee looked alarmed at the prospect, but she softened her expression as she turned to Rarity. “Be that as it may, it doesn’t change who we are right now. No need to think about the past.”

“I know,” Rarity agreed. “Anyway, let’s go give Trixie the grand tour of the castle! I’m sure you’re gonna love the ball room.”

***

Okay, so maybe flying ahead wasn’t such a good idea after all. Being the fastest flier in Equestria, she had been waiting for hours for her friends to catch up, all the while having to listen to the two most hardcore fashion divas in Equestria. “Red and green socks? But darling, one would think that would cancel one another out, would it not?”

“I know, darling, but Minty has a, well, special taste in socks. I try to make them for her whenever I can, but when she goes off on her own, the results are almost always… interesting.”

“Well, at least she’s not as bad as Pinkie Pie; would you believe, this one time when she—”

Needless to say, she was bored out of her skull. She had passed the time by scouting the area, but nothing more interesting than trees and mountains graced the near vicinity. She had also tried practicing her state-of-the-art sure-to-woo-the-Wonderbolts signature moves, but since her counterpart and Rarity were too busy discussing socks and color schemes to pay any attention to her, she quickly grew tired of it. She needed to preserve her strength anyway. All she really wanted was to grab everypony and fly them off toward the castle. Weren’t they in a hurry? And for that matter, wouldn’t it be quicker if Twilight would just use her fancy magic and zap them all to where they needed to go?

“You know, Rarity, I think you and I could do wonders together,” the wingless Rainbow Dash complimented her partner-in-fashion. “We simply must discuss a future joint… that is, if we can save the world from eternal darkness, first.”

“You bet we will!” Rarity agreed passionately, grabbing her dramatically by the shoulder. “With our combined sense of style, not even the cosmos itself can stand in our way!”

Unless you bore Equestria to death before the Ursa even get a chance, the pegasus thought bitterly. As luck would have it, that’s when she heard hoof steps coming from around the cliff. She shot up, and ran to greet her friends just as they came around the corner. “Girls!” she called, giving the nearest pony a big hug, which happened to be Twilight. “I’m so glad you made it! Can we please get going?”

“We can take a hint, Rainbow Dash,” her double said, “but just look at the poor darlings, they’re exhausted!”

“Yes, well,” Twilight replied between wheezes. “Rest would be nice.”

“Whatever you say, Twi,” said Applejack. “But let’s not stick around for too long; Ah don’t like the idea of Equestria bein’ covered in darkness an’ that.”

“Right, just for half an hour. That will give us some time to find something to eat.”

“There’s a patch of grass right down the mountain,” Rainbow Dash told them. “Please, allow me to take you there.”

***

Thistle Whistle let out a long, resigned whistle as she gazed across the landscape outside the gray magic dome, toward the lake and Butterfly Island. She wanted to go back there, but her friends kept telling her it was too dangerous. So instead, she flew around in circles, passing the time as best she could. She felt all antsy inside; maybe it was all the worry of everything going on in the outside world, or that this downtime in the action had given her time to think some more things. Being told your whole life had been a dream wasn’t something you could easily accept in just a few days, after all. Whatever the case – perhaps the combination of both – she was hurting for something to do.

“What do you mean, calm down?!” she heard a pony shout, almost freezing up Thistle Whistle’s wings. Ponies were never shouting at each other. “My house is empty, and you want me to calm down?!” Curiosity getting the better of her, she landed near the outskirts of Unicornia Square.

“I’m just saying we should think about it calmly before we start to freak out,” another pony, whose name escaped Thistle Whistle, replied. “Your things were here before we left; they can’t have gone far. Nothing to get you mane in a knot about.”

“Well, excuse me if I care about my house and my things,” replied the first pony, clearly affronted. “Imagine if all of your stuff suddenly disappeared, wouldn’t you be upset? Oh, but of course, you’re so neat and tidy, you would never let your stuff wander off, am I right?”

“There really is no need for that kind of tone, missy,” the other pony flared up. “You always forget things anyway, maybe you simply forgot that you were moving before we were shipped off to Canterlot. Ever think about that?”

“Hmph, some friend you are! You know what, if I ever do find my stuff, maybe I will move, so I don’t have to see your stupid—”

Stop!” cried Thistle Whistle, unable to stomach anymore. She approached the two quarreling ponies, nervous and unsure, whistling perhaps a little too loudly. “I-I don’t think that – pwee – g-going at each other’s throat is going to help anyone.” The mad glares from both ponies made her shrink against the ground. “I-I mean… you don’t need to say that to each other, y-you’re – pwee – friends… aren’t you?”

To her relief, both faces softened, and the two exchanged look. The pony with the empty house rubbed her forehead. “Golly, you’re right, Whistle. I’m not usually this jumpy...”

“No, it’s my fault, I was the one being inconsiderate,” the other apologized back. “I’ve been feeling a little bit off ever since we came back from Canterlot; I guess I took everything you said the wrong way, and…” all of her sudden, her eyes widened. “Took it the wrong way…” Her gaze was distant, as though she was trying to remember a word.

“What’s the matter?”

“I dunno… I just had this weird feeling of Déjà vu. I don’t have a little brother, do I?

“Not that I know of? Heck, I didn’t even know there were guy ponies until a few days ago.” At that, they shared a small laugh.

“So, eh,” Whistle Wishes tried. “Are you two good now?”

She sighed. “Yeah, let’s just forget about this whole thing. Would you help me look for my things?”

“Always.”

With a smile on her face, Thistle Whistle flew off, flying toward the castle. She was happy they were able to make up, but couldn’t help but wonder what had sparked the argument in the first place. She gazed off into the distance, at the landscape obscured by the barrier. A bit off ever since they got back from Canterlot, huh...

***

“That’s weird,” Cheerilee pointed out. “This door wasn’t here before.”

Rarity had been very eager to show Trixie every inch of the castle, from every pony’s private room to the big crystal dome, from the royal Ball Room to a room literally full of balls, the kind foals could climb onto and bounce around on. Trixie had gotten bored of it rather quickly, but Rarity – after figuring out how to use magic to compensate for the lack of sticky hooves – was enjoying herself to her heart’s content. Cheerilee called to her, and she bounced over. “I don’t remember this being here.”

“Hey, you’re right! What’d ya say we go explore?”

“Now hold your horses, we don’t know what’s down there,” said Cheerilee, concern in her eyes. “You’ve been through enough danger as it is; the others and I will check it out later, so we know that it’s safe.”

“Aww, but that’s no fun,” the little pony replied dejectedly. “Aren’t I allowed to explore my own castle? What could be so dangerous?”

“She does have a point,” Trixie spoke up in her defense. “I doubt there’s anything in there worse than what she’s already been through.”

“I don’t want to take that chance,” Cheerilee stood firm. “No offense, Trixie, but you don’t know Rarity like I do; she’ll run away, hide, touch everything she can find…”

“C’mon Cheerilee, give me some credit,” Rarity countered. “I know when to stay put. Running away is the last thing I would do.”

As Cheerilee still looked a bit reluctant, Trixie suggested, “How about this, Rarity; Cheerilee and I will go in first and have a quick look around, and it looks safe, we’ll call for you.”

“But—”

“We’ll be back before you know it,” Cheerilee assured, seemingly alright with the plan. “I know you wouldn’t run away, but we can’t be too careful now, can we?”

Rarity’s frown lifted, as she seemed to give it some thought. “Well… alright. Just promise you’ll be back soon.”

“We will.” Cheerilee turned her attention to the door, as Rarity continued bouncing about. Cheerilee put her hoof on it and gave a push. It swung open softly and without a creak. Beyond was a corridor covered in darkness, save for a faint glow coming from the walls themselves. As the two of them walked through it, Trixie used her magic to gently shut the door behind them.

There was just enough light in the corridors to see the paintings on the wall – a sort of abstract art that was lost on Trixie – as well as what looked like a spiral stair case at the far end. As they started following it down, Cheerilee commented, “Well, this certainly wasn’t part of the old castle.”

“No kidding,” replied Trixie, eying the rather eerie pictures that adorned the walls. “Do these paintings mean anything to you?”

“I… I’m not sure. I want to say yes, but I couldn’t tell you why.”

Curiosity taking over, she went on to ask, “Do you remember anything from before the spell?”

“Not a thing. Of course I’m curious, but after seeing how Rarity reacted, I’m not sure I want to anymore.”

“Well, as you said, it doesn’t change who you are right now,” Trixie reminded. “No need to think about the past, right?”

Cheerilee gave her a smile. “I guess you’re right.”

Something about that smile, the gentleness in her voice, warmed Trixies body in a way she never thought possible, and suddenly she found herself glad it was dark enough to cover up her blush. Amplified by the fact that each step she took down the stairs, she began to realize what had just come out of her own mouth. The past doesn’t change who you are right now… what a concept! Cheerilee and Rarity’s situation was admittedly a bit different, and could hardly be applied to herself, but nonetheless, the fact that she was trusting another pony – one she had met not even a day earlier, enough to have such a deep conversation – had to count for something.

“By the way,” Cheerilee spoke up, before the pause could get too awkward, “thank you… for looking out for Rarity, I mean. She’s always been one to befriend anyone she meets, but I’ve never seen her take such a shine to anyone like you before.”

Well,” she offered a somewhat forced laugh, “I suppose that’s what happens when you go at each other’s throats hard enough.”

“The one thing that was missing from her life, I suppose...”

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they could barely see their outstretched hooves in front of them. Trixie lit up her horn, revealing a round chamber, the floor sagging like a bowl in its center, with six pillars lined up in perfect symmetry around the indentation. Carefully, the two ponies approached the middle; there was a clear presence of magic in the room, and in contrast to the dark atmosphere and the ominous air above, it felt rather nice. Cheerilee must have felt it too, as she let out an awestruck, “What is this place?”

“Good question.” Trixie moved closer to inspect the pillars. For each one she passed, she noticed a faint but distinct color glowing from its center: yellow, indigo, green, orange pink and... rainbow? As she stared intently into the green one, she almost thought she could see a reflection of a room that didn’t quite match the one behind her.

That’s when she almost had a heart attack, as a figure of a pony – most definitely not Trixie or Cheerilee – appeared in the reflection. Cheerilee turned around, gasping as she saw the reflection. “Kimono?!”

***

Seeing her unicorn friend on the other side of the pillar, Kimono breathed a sigh of relief. So far so good. In retrospect, much of her success up till this point had been the work of sheer, dumb luck, and she dreaded the fact that she might have to rely on it again for things to come. From the other side, Cheerilee spoke incredulously, “Are you alright? Where are you? Everyone’s been looking for you!”

“I know, Cheerilee, and I’m fine,” she returned. “I am at the Crystal Castle in the Frozen North. I’m sure you have many questions, but first, I must ask that you listen to me. Tell me, where is Rarity?”



Special thanks to Tess Tesseract for help with editing.

Next Chapter: The Third Generation Chapter Sixteen Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 26 Minutes
Return to Story Description

Login

Facebook
Login with
Facebook:
FiMFetch