I'm currently working on a fanfiction, if you're interested in reading the story as it come's out, I've posted it here. A big thank you to Reverie and anyone else that's helped with the editing.
Prologue
Princess Celestia was awoken by the sound of frantic knocking at her door. She rose from her bed covers, the satin sheets falling away from her as she got to her hooves. For a moment she wondered if she had been late to raise the sun; It wouldn’t be the first time in her centuries as princess, but when her gaze brushed past the window she could clearly see Luna hadn’t brought the moon in its full arch across the sky.
Celestia walked to the door, hearing her hoofsteps clack on the marble floors. A blue light she recognized as Luna’s magic came from behind the door, shining through the cracks and stinging Celestia’s unadjusted eyes. The door let out a soft creak as she opened it and look upon her sister standing before her, wearing a grave face.
To Celestia, something seemed familiar about the date, but she wasn’t quite sure what. She couldn’t have forgotten Luna’s birthday, it was celebrated every year throughout the castle. Luna wouldn’t have awoken her at this hour to remind her of a royal summit meeting… It was Luna who broke the silence between them.
“Thy efforts over the past years have not been in vain.” Luna looked up and made eye contact with her sister, not waiting for an invitation before entering the room and sitting on the edge of Celestia’s bed. The white alicorn closed the door behind her before coming to stand in front of her sister.
“Luna, it’s late and I’m too tired for games, what is it?” She did her best to draw the question from her sister, bringing her hoof under Luna’s chin to gently tilt it up to meet her gaze. Something was obviously troubling her sister; Luna looked as if she had been awoken in much the same manner as Celestia.
“Sister, Sunset Shimmer has returned.”
---
Sunset Shimmer’s body felt lighter, different than before, with a certain familiar warmth moving through her. Her mind was still a bit fuzzy, and she was unsure of her surroundings. As her eyes snapped opened, she noticed white, sterilized walls surrounded her on all four sides; crisp white linens were wrapped around her, keeping her warm against the cold draft rolled through the room.
She took a moment to listen to the voices in the room, speaking in hushed tones. One in particular brought both a chilly fear to her, while giving off an air of warmth and motherly charm. As she listened, her memory started to come back.
“Sunset Shimmer collapsed on the floor after she exited the portal. I came to get you as soon as I found her. I am worried about this, sister; I know not whether she has come for revenge or for peace.” The familiar voice of Vice Principal Luna carried throughout the room, despite the mare’s effort to keep her voice hushed.
“If it is as Twilight said, then she may be reformed.” Celestia looked to Sunset, “And I believe she is awake as we speak.” Her tone remained calm as she trotted into Sunset’s view. It was odd for her to see a pony after all this time living with humans, but what was more offsetting was seeing the face of her former mentor.
“Sunset Shimmer, what do you have to say for yourself?”
Sunset’s eyes watered. Even if Celestia looked mad, this was still someone who had practically raised her. Before she knew what she was doing, Sunset had her hooves wrapped tightly around her mentor in a hug, doing her best not to cry but still letting a few tears slip from her eyes to draw lines in her cheeks.
She hadn’t realized how much she has missed Celestia, in between all the hurt and lies she told herself, it only made the emotion much stronger. She couldn’t verbalize how sorry she was, so she simply stayed there in the arms of somepony she had come to think of as her mother.
---
Ever since Twilight Sparkle’s ‘visit’, things have been better for me. Her friends… They understood me, especially Pinkie Pie. She seemed to always inexplicably know what was wrong.
I started to befriend people, my grades went up and I started to understand why Harmony and Friendship was so powerful. But then, something I never expected happened. High school ended, my friends said their goodbyes and all pursued their aspirations in life.
Fluttershy became a lawyer, fighting for animal rights and protecting the environment. Rainbow Dash made it into the Wonderbolts racing team. Rarity became an instant star in the fashion world, making clothes for people from teenagers to housewives. Pinkie Pie opened an amusement park themed specifically for parties. And Applejack? She’s head of a cider company now.
...But when I saw the girls last, they had changed. They felt… different. Almost as if they had been corrupted by power.
“Princesses, there’s something wrong with the human world. Something very wrong. I believe the hate and sickness of mind is spreading. I didn’t come back here to escape the human world; I came back because I need help to save it.”
Chapter 1
Twilight sat quietly in her library, muzzle deep in a book as Spike finished his chores. A belch of green fire lit up the kitchen and Twilight smiled, closing Diamond in the Rough: A Love Story as her assistant brought the letter to her. Gripping it with her magic, she brought the letter in front of her, unfurling the scroll to read its contents.
Dear Princess Twilight,
An emergency has come up at Canterlot Castle and I request the assistance of you and the Elements of Harmony immediately. Time is of the essence.
I hope to be seeing you soon,
Princess Celestia
It must be really serious, Twilight thought as she looked over the letter again, If she had just run out of cake again I could do it myself. Unless she wants all the elements to help; how much cake could she need? The query lingered for a moment before she rose to her hooves and handed the scroll back to Spike, “Spike, get my things, I have to go get the girls. We’re needed at the castle immediately.”
Spike had become used to this routine and by now had a ‘go bag’ ready for Twilight. He slipped the scroll into it and brought it over, “Sounds serious, do you think something’s wrong?” he asked, absentmindedly tightening the straps.
“Well she isn’t inviting us for a tea party. That’s for sure.” She levitated the young dragon onto her back and locked the library door before galloping down the main road.
Applejack was the last to climb aboard the train to Canterlot, following her friends closely as they piled into their private car. Being a princess meant having special benefits, private cars, discounts in almost every shop, having the best table at any restaurant; it was still truly overwhelming for Twilight at times.
The car was suited to Twilight’s liking- shelves of books lining the walls with one side of the car with seats and the other with beds built to accommodate an overnight ride. Fluffy pillows and soft blankets, cushioned leather seating, and a neatly filed index of all the books located in Twilight’s train-car.
Pinkie Pie bounced into one of the beds with a cry of delight, Rarity strutted in with Spike behind her, lugging her bags, and Rainbow Dash flew ahead to get a bed up-top so she could nap all the way to Canterlot.
“Really, darling, I’m quite envious of such regal accommodations! I must say, you do know how to travel in style.” Rarity fell backwards onto one of the red-leather seats with a sigh of joy, paying hardly any attention as she levitated the bags from Spike and set them down gently and neatly in the corner.
Fluttershy timidly found a seat on one of the lower beds, not daring to take a seat in a higher one. Twilight followed them, by now having gotten used to her wings, and managed to flap up to one of the top bunks.
Applejack took one of the bottom bunks beside Pinkie Pie with a small chuckle, “Er, Twilight, do you reckon having all these here books might slow down the train a bit?” Twilight only beamed with pride at the collection, “Nonsense, I cast a temporary weight reduction spell on the whole car.” She picked out a copy of the book she had been reading earlier and turned back to page 53.
“Oooh! I’m so excited! I’m so happy to be going on an adventure with you guys again! I mean, the last time we did that was going to the crystal empire, and it seems like it’s been years since that happened.” She squealed as she bounced on her bed, her speech barely inaudible.
“Pinkie Pie! Stop that bouncing, a lady must speak clearly or she shouldn’t speak at all.” Rarity straightened up in her seat to show a calm and elegant demeanor, which only brought laughing through the car. Rarity looked confused, “What’s so funny?”
The girls spent hours talking to each other, telling jokes and stories, even a bit of singing (which Rainbow reluctantly joined in on at the request of Pinkie) at the end that ended only as the moonlight started to creep through the windows. Twilight had gotten used to riding from place to place by train, but something seemed to keep her up.
She got up out of bed and trotted over to the glass, sitting down in front of the window to stare up at the moon. She heard the light flapping of wings as Dash flitted down from the top bunk to reach Twilight’s side.
“Can’t sleep, huh?” The mare’s smile faded when Twilight didn’t respond, “Twilight, what’s bugging you so much? Why did Celestia call us out?” Rainbow took a seat next to Twilight and gently placed a hoof on the Princess’s shoulder.
Twilight sighed deeply, “Celestia didn’t say, all she said was there was an emergency. I’m just worried.” Her ears drew back as she let her worry show.
“Worried about what? We’re the Elements of Harmony, there hasn’t been anything we’ve faced yet that could stop us.” Rainbow puffed out her chest as if she were boasting about a new Wonderbolts show trick she’d perfected.
Twilight met Rainbow’s gaze, “I’m worried about what we were called for. I just… I have this sinking feeling that whatever we’re about to get into can’t be solved by a little magic.”
Rainbow only laughed, “Twilight, you’re downplaying the most powerful magic in Equestria. You make it sound as if it were just a rabbit out of a hat against Nightmare Moon,” Rainbow’s grin was replaced by a soft look of care, “C’mon Princess, you’re going to need to rest up. We’re going to arrive in Canterlot in the morning and you don’t look good when you’re sleep deprived.”
Twilight smiled gently, “You’re right. Whatever’s at Canterlot, I can deal with it tomorrow.” She pulled Rainbow into a hug before heading back to bed.
Incomplete Chapter 2
Canterlot had expanded in the past few years to accommodate for the growth in the pony population. New technology created Solar Power for those without unicorn magic, modern medicine and the study of medical magic had advanced substantially, and new techniques and technology were making it a golden age for pony kind.
Having to make trips back and forth between Ponyville and Canterlot often meant it was more of a gradual change of scenery over time for Twilight than for the girls, who noticed substantial changes when they had the opportunity to visit. Twilight stepped off of the stairs and onto the train station platform. After Spike gathered Rarity’s bags, Twilight levitated over her saddlebags (which she had yet to put on) and dug through them, making sure the elements were securely in-place.
Pinkie Pie stood out among the group, bouncing up and down and speaking rapidly. “Ooh! The last time I was here was at the Grand Galloping Gala last year, so much has changed! I mean, look at the leaves! They weren’t orange last time I was here. Come to think of it, I think all the leaves were green. Can you imagine how much time it must have taken for them to pain each individual leaf? And with all the new leaves constantly forming, don’t even get me started!” She laughed as Twilight rolled her eyes.
This bothered Rarity quite a bit, but she held her tongue. She wasn’t about to lecture a princess on being proper. Applejack spoke up, “Er, Pinkie, they don’t paint the leaves orange; it’s just turned autumn.”
Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing and turned to face Applejack, “Oh, you mean like when the leaves turn all orange and fall off?” There was a collective face-hoof among the group in response to Pinkie’s nonsense.
“I must say, detail they’ve been putting into the architecture as of late is stunning! Why, if I had the time, I’d spend hours simply studying the buildings and statues around here.” Rarity seemed to regret having been called to Canterlot Castle instead of somewhere in the town.
“Well, I don’t know how it could compare to the new cloudeseum up in Cloudsdale. I mean, have you seen it? The place is HUGE! I’m not really into the small frou-frou details though.” Dash rolled her eyes.
“Oh… but the small details can be the most important details sometimes. Even the flap of a butterfly’s wing can change somepony’s fate,” Fluttershy spoke up, a rare occurrence for her.
“Oh, yes dear! Or like when I am designing a hat, one little accoutrement can change the tone of the whole outfit!” Rarity nodded in agreement.
Dash waved her hoof up and down, “Yeah, yeah, you’ve proved your point. But just because it’s there doesn’t mean that I have to take note of it.”
The girls reached the door to Canterlot Castle after walking for a few blocks. Twilight opened the door and was greeted by a familiar orange stallion.
“Princess Twilight,” he smiled, taking off his helmet, “I thought you might be trying to give me the slip,” Twilight blushed a little. “So, did you come here to see me, or did you come on business?” Flash Sentry kissed Twilight’s hoof, making eye contact as he did so.
“A-Actually, Celestia called us here. She said there was an emergency.” Twilight silently reminded herself that she couldn’t get distracted. A look of understanding crossed Flash’s face.
“You must be here about last night. She’s visiting somepony in the infirmary. I can take you to her if you like,” Flash put on a charming smile that Twilight returned before he led the Elements away.
Edited by catopia26, 24 September 2013 - 06:51 PM.



