((A/N: this is going to be a short chapter, concerning Celestia and whatnot. It introduces one of my favorites—and I'm pretty sure you can guess who.))
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Cloudsdale had been busy preparing for a whopper of a storm that would descend in a week. Many of the Weather Ponies and even the Wonderbolts tried redirecting the storm to go out to sea, but to no success. It was just like the snowstorm over Canterlot, but this time, it was a storm that would spread out to all of Equestria.
It had given her room to land in without having to bother with questions. She walked over to Cloudsdale's forum, a place where all the Leaders of the Pegasi gathered to meet and talk about important issues. She knew that right now they were talking about the storm.
Spreading her white wings, she bucked the door down.
"MAYOR FEATHERFOOT, I REQUEST AN AUDIENCE WITH THOU!" She boomed, wind rustling in.
All eyes turned to her as she walked in, the Mayor—a Pegasus mare with her gray mane done in a bun, glasses on her snout and a pale coat—looking very surprised.
"By Celestia's Mane…" she spoke at last. "Guiding Wings?! But, you're an Old Mare's tale….how can you even be here?"
"Well, here I am, and I am no Mare's Tale." Guiding Wings spoke, her long blonde mane gently blowing in the wind.
"Now….I request an audience with you all. And I suggest we hurry, because that storm is coming closer as we speak."
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(1,000 Years ago, Equestrian Time….)
Celestia Coughed as she came to, seeing dust and rubble around her. The Pink-maned Alicorn couldn't see everything around her, but she could feel she was trapped under some debris. She tried moving, but her wing was still pinned. Her ears flicked, hearing hoofbeats.
"Hello?" spoke a young, female voice. "Is Anypony down there?"
"O…Over here! Please, I'm stuck…" Celestia tried calling out. Then she saw the familiar glow of Lantern light.
"Your Highness?"
"Tia?!"
Celestia kept calling out. "I'm here! Over here!"
"Come on, over here…" spoke a muffled voice. It wasn't long before a pony in a dark cloak approached where Celestia was trapped, and began digging her out carefully, followed by the guard and her young sister.
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The small fire burned as Celestia let the Pegasus—who looked around her age—bandage her wings. "Thank you for rescuing me—"
"—Guiding Wings. And it's no problem. I heard your sister screaming your name when we were searching for any trapped townsfolk, so it's alright, Princess." Guiding Wings spoke, nodding to other Pegasus—Identical to her save for their Cutie Marks and that one had their mane in a big braid and one didn't.
"Guiding Wings…I assume that is just a title?"
"It's what they call me here in Equestria. I have a different name back home. Both of us do. My Sister's name here is Raven's Nest."
"Charmed, I'm sure." Raven's Nest spoke, watching Luna and her small Unicorn friend play-wrestle.
Celestia eyed the both of them. They had different colored wings, different in color to their bodies. Guiding Wings' had been a Pure, snow white, almost angelic in a way, while Raven's Nest's Wings looked like…well, they were as black as a raven's own wing. Their Cutie Marks had resembled those wings, circling over a silver heart and what looked to be a dark gray sphere, respectively.
They were dressed identically (nothing new for Identical Twins) in Tribal-like garb, which had reminded Celestia of the Buffalo tribes out in the west, and both had red tribal like markings under their pale yellow eyes.
"Is everything alright up there?" Celestia asked.
Guiding Wings shook her head. "I'm afraid not. This place has been, unfortunately, ambushed."
"Ambushed? By what?"
Both sisters looked at one another. "...You'd think we're crazy if we told you."
Celestia stomped her hoof. "Please. I wouldn't think that, considering how you both saved my life."
Raven's Nest gave her sister a look. Guiding Wings sighed. "I guess we can explain. We—Raven's Nest and I, are a part of a….rather sizable army fighting a war."
Celestia blinked. "A war?"
Raven's Nest nodded. "One on a universal Scale, if we're to be honest. We come from a different realm from you, Princess."
"And What War are you, exactly, fighting?"
Suddenly both sisters had huddled, talking back and forth in a tongue Celestia could not understand, before facing Celestia again.
"We're fighting a war against a rather powerful evil—The Orichalcos."
"Ori-wha…? Sister, what's an Oore-Chal-Kos?" Luna squeaked, looking curious.
Celestia looked confused herself. "Orichalcos?"
Guiding Wings nodded. "It's a dark, corrupting magic that comes from a world separate from yours."
"We don't know much about it…but an Evil King had waged war against the world. But, something else pulled the Orichalcos here as well—and half of our troops had followed. We fear that the one responsible for creating this vile magic is here."
"It's why we're searching for a power to destroy it—and we figured we should try and look for the Prism's Crossing."
Celestia blinked. "The Prism's Crossing? But that's just an Old Mare's Tale."
Tin shuffled his small hooves. "Well…actually…um…my father believes it's real. It's why he went to the North to see the Crystal Queen. He thinks that it lies in the north, sure as the North Star in the sky."
Raven's Nest and Guiding Wings blinked. Celestia had nodded, getting up. "Rising Star, do you believe in it?"
Tin blinked up at Celestia, looking at Luna as well. "Of course I do! Father believes there are other beings that might need our help in different worlds that the Prism's Crossing can access! He even had a dream where there was some sort of creature who was like me!" the small Unicorn colt bounced and spoke. He had blushed, fiddling with his hooves.
Guiding Wings looked thoughtful. "Can you help us get to the north? If anything, we can at least talk to the queen."
"We can try but it can be—"
Suddenly, Celestia paused, hearing rocks and rubble move. Raven's Nest quickly put out the fire. "All of you, get Close to us, and keep quiet." She spoke in a whisper.
A green, eerie light filtered into the darkness of the cave. Celestia felt very uneasy, but kept close, folding her wings over Luna and Rising Star.
Then things went dark once more.
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(Present Day, Equestrian Time…)
Celestia stirred awake, being awakened by a knocking. She blinked, rising out of bed. Another Memory…what had happened before she had woken up, though? She sighed, heading for the door and seeing a guard.
"Your Majesty, Mayor Featherfoot has arrived with a guest! She wishes to speak to you immediately."
Celestia nodded, giving her mane a quick brush and adjusting her crown as she went out to the courtyard.
Shining Armor had been outside, talking with the Mayor of Cloudsdale, while Celestia's eyes noticed the tall, lanky Pegasus Mare standing in the middle.
Long, blonde mane. Pale yellow eyes. Red markings under her eyes and on her forelegs. White Wings, and a sword strapped to her back, along with other things (one, notably, being a headdress that sat upon her saddlebag).
"…Guiding Wings?" Celestia said at last, taking it all in.
"Celestia…" Guiding Wings said with a smile as she approached the Princess. "It has been a very long time."
