Hey guys! This is captainlink! This is going to be my first fanfic, so please don't think it's going to be award-winning material. Reviews are appreciated! Okay, here goes chapter 1 of Rising Storm.
*Author's Note: If this seems "boring" in the first few chapters, trust me, it really picks up around chapter 4.*
Chapter 1: The Return
Luna's moon rose high over Equestria, bathing the land in a soft glow, but Twilight Sparkle remained vigilant. She was busy writing a report for Princess Celestia on recent events she had been noticing throughout Ponyville. Certain ponies had been acting strange. It was mostly pegasi and earth ponies though, and very few unicorns.
As Twilight's quill danced over the parchment, her assistant, spike, walked in drowsily. "Twilight?" Spike said, barely suppressing a yawn. "Isn't it time you went to bed? I mean, it's almost midnight!" Spike said, glancing at the clock on the wall." No Spike, "Twilight replied hastily looking over her shoulder, "The Princess has selected me to take on this task of finding out what's going on, and I'm not going to disappoint her!" Twilight shouted. Her sudden ferocity caused Spike to flinch. The sudden blaze in Twilight's eyes quickly turned to softness. "I'm sorry Spike, I've been stressed recently with my studies, and I've just been very…" Twilight paused for a moment, looking for the right word. "Preoccupied." When Spike fixed her with a confused look, Twilight gave an exasperated sigh. "Preoccupied basically means busy." She explained. "Ohh… gotcha." Spike said with a small nod.
The clock on the wall gave twelve harmonic chimes, indicating that it was midnight. Twilight and Spike both turned to the clock for a moment, and Twilight sighed, "I guess some sleep wouldn't hurt. And it's bad to study while tired." Twilight began to head toward the stairs, finally let sleep take her over. As she crawled into her bed, she gazed up at the moon at its fullest. It reminded her of that day, almost six years ago. When Twilight and her friends, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, healed Princess Luna, whom at the time was under possession of a dark spirit. The bearers of the Elements of Harmony, banished the dark spirit and cleansed Luna, and freed princess Celestia.
Twilight was distracted by Spike's snoring. It was loud, but soothing, and she soon fell asleep by the melodic snoring.
Twilight sat at her table, sipping on some Sweet Apple Acres Cider while listening to the radio. She was listening to an orchestral single By Octavia, a master Cellist. The soothing music made her begin to nod off. She put her head on the table, rudely awakened by a belch from Spike. She snapped to attention and looked around wildly. "Huh? Wasa' tat?" Twilight sputtered. "Uh, it's a letter. From the Princess." Spike cleared his throat and began to read the letter.
"My Dear Twilight Sparkle, I come to you with the most urgent of news."
Spike stopped reading and glanced up at Twilight who waved her hoof in a "go on" motion. Spike looked back down at the letter and continued reading.
"I request that you and your friends report to my palace immediately. You will be told more when you all arrive. Yours truly, Princess Celestia."
Spike rolled the letter up while Twilight looked shocked. "Well that was very direct." Spike said, voicing Twilight's thoughts. "Okay, Spike. Let's split up, I'll go and get AJ, you go and get Rarity," At the mention of her name, Spike was off like a bolt. As soon as Spike was away, she face-hoofed herself and groaned, realizing her mistake. "I should've told him to get Fluttershy." Twilight groaned.
Ten minutes later, Twilight was at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. She spotted Applejack's older brother Big Macintosh bucking away at apple trees. "Hey Big Mac!" Twilight shouted, Big Mac turned and looked off in her direction. He acknowledged her with a "Eeyup?" "Is Applejack around?" Twilight questioned. "Eeyup." And he pointed off in the direction of the Barn. "Okay, thanks, Big Mac!" She said trotting off towards the Barn. "Eeyup." Big Mac replied simply and went back to his work.
Twilight stopped at the entrance to the Barn and knocked on the large door. "AJ? Are you home?" The door swung open and out walked Applebloom, Applejack's younger sister. "Howdy Twilight! What's up?" she asked in a southern accent. She had grown taller over the past five years. Her red mane and tail had grown out and she wore a cowboy hat like her sister except hers was a dark brown, instead of tan, like her sister's. Her cutie mark was a single red apple. She had grown taller but she was still shorter than Twilight. "Oh hey, Applebloom, is your sister around?" Twilight inquired. "Eeyup, just a second." Applebloom answered, before looking over her shoulder and shouted, "HEY BIG SIS! GIT DOWN HERE! TWI'S HERE TO SEE YOU!" "You know I could've done that, right?" Twilight complained, rubbing her ears. "Oh, yeah, ya'll could've but then it wouldn't have been fun!" Applebloom said with a grin. "You wanna come in?" Applebloom asked, and Twilight responded with a nod "Sure, but I'll only be staying a short while." Twilight explained. "Well, long as ya'll here, you want some cider?" Applebloom asked as Twilight sat in a chair in the kitchen. "Sure thing, Applebloom, thanks." Twilight looked off to her left from where she sat in the kitchen at the stairs as Applejack walked down and saw Twilight. "Howdy Twi, what's up?" Applejack asked, sitting down across from her friend and grabbing her mug of cider as her sister brought it over, and took a sip. "Well," Twilight sighed, "The Princess wants to see us." "An' that's just it? She didn't say why?" Applejack asked. "Nope." Twilight responded. "She just said she wanted to see us. Immediately." Applejack pondered the thought for a moment before responding. "Jeez, Twi, I jus don't know. I can't just up and leave Ponyville. I don't think Big Mac and Applebloom can take care of the barn on their own." "Sure we can, sis! We can take care of everything." Applebloom said sitting down between Applejack and Twilight with her own mug of cider. Applejack sighed and said, "Alright Twi, let's go round up the rest of the girls.
An hour later, the main six were on the train to Canterlot, the capitol city in Equestria. Twilight leaned out the window, letting the wind flow through her mane, it always helped her relax, that, and reading a book. She wondered what the princess wanted them for. "The Grand Galloping Gala was coming up soon, so it might have something to do with that. But why would she have been so direct?" Twilight wondered. "I guess we'll find out when we get there."
As the train pulled into Canterlot, the main 6 were surprised to find that there was a Royal Canterlot Guard division waiting for them. A large grey unicorn stallion wearing a helmet stepped up to them. "Mrs. Sparkle?" The stallion asked in a deep voice. "Yes?"Twilight answered, not looking down from his penetrating gaze. "The Princess wishes to see you immediately. Please follow us." Without another word, the stallion turned around and started walking on the road to the Castle. The Guards filed in behind the mane six and the stallion, which Twilight assumed the leader of the division. The ponies trekked to the castle, and Pinkie Pie being unusually serious, walked normally, and didn't try to convince the guards to throw a surprise party for the Princess. The guards stayed in a protective living barrier around the mane six the entire way to the castle. Not until the ponies reached the castle gates, did the guards protecting the six break formation and form a solid line in front of the gates.
The main six continued the walk to the castle doors. As they reached the large doors, they were enveloped in a magical glow, and swung open. When inside, the doors closed, leaving only the main six, and three Royal guards, two of which were already inside, and the one who had led them to the castle.
The helmeted guard removed his helmet, letting his short black mane loose. He cleared his throat. "Princess Celestia?" He asked, in his deep voice. A moment later the co-rulers of Equestria, Princesses Luna and Celestia strode in. "Good, you are all here." Princess Celestia began. "Come, let us speak in private." She and her sister turned and made their way to the throne room. The main six followed the princesses and the black-maned guard began to follow them, Princess Celestia raised her hoof, and he stopped, leaving the Princesses and the others to trot over to the entrance to the throne room.
The great doors leading to the throne room closed, leaving the eight of them alone. The Princesses turned to the six mares in the center of the room. Celestia looked at each of the ponies in turn with admiring gazes before beginning. "My faithful subjects, my faithful student. My sister and I have come to a conclusion. We fear that a great foe has returned with a burning desire for revenge. She attempted to take over Canterlot five years ago, at your brother's wedding, Twilight." Twilight gasped in shock. A silence overtook the room. Rainbow Dash finally broke the silence. "So what you're saying is that she's back?" "Yes," Celestia responded, "Queen Chrysalis has returned, and intends to destroy all of Equestria."
DUN DUN DUUUNNNN!
Yeah, so basically the changeling queen has returned to destroy all of Equestria. A new story, a new plot!
OC spots are available for upcoming chapters! Leave OC description (name, gender and colors, etc.) in the review! I'm going to read it because I want to know what you guys think and leave ideas! I might use them!
This is captainlink, signing off, until next time!