Remembrance
A pony walked in the forest of Dream Valley, confused. She didn't know who she was or where she was. The only thing she knew was she had failed.
Somewhere else
Stella looked at the clear globe showing her long time friend Nightsong. She sighed. It still was hard to remember that they had taken up the jobs their mothers had and were no longer Baby Stella and Baby Nightsong.
"It's okay Stella." A voice behind her said. The pink earth pony made out Explorer's yellow body and horn.
"I miss her."
"We all do."
"Why, why did she have to go?" Stella pleaded
"Because she failed, and that's what happens." Explorer said and helped her friend out from the dark lair.
Back again
The pony looked into the water of a stream she found. She had splashed around to clean up and now was staring at the water. It showed to her a white earth pony with pink sparkle hair. Her eyes were blue-gray. Her symbol was two blue planets ringed by dark magenta rings and surrounded by dark magenta stars. She smiled faintly. Now if only she knew her name.
"Who are you?" the pony turned and found herself face to face with a unicorn.
"I.I. I don't know." She admitted. The unicorn only stared at her more.
"Explorer help me. If you were going to make something up then you could have at least made it believable." The unicorn snorted.
~Explorer, I know that name. From where though? ~
"Who is Explorer?" she asked instead. The unicorn rolled her eyes.
"You have got to be kidding me. Explorer is the unicorn protector. She is one of the four. Though you might be more to terms with Stella and Nightsong." The unicorn said.
The pony stared at her. Those names, she knew those names. Then suddenly she fell to the ground.
"You have failed Nightsong."
"There is no coming back now."
"The war is started."
"It's all your fault."
"You have been banished."
"You are banished Nightsong."
"No, Mischief, Explorer don't kill her. Take away her memory, but don't"
"Fine then you win."
"She is banished."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH, HELP ME!" shouted the earth pony falling to the ground. The unicorn rushed over and looked at the earth pony. She looked different. She had never seen an earth pony that had sparkle hair without the sparkle body of a mage. Only the four did. Then Gusty saw what she didn't notice before, the pony looked just like earth pony protector Nightsong.
"Gusty, what's the rush?" another unicorn asked when she saw Gusty run into the city holding someone.
"Can't talk now Glory." Gusty said racing off toward the palace. Even if it was just an ordinary earth pony, the queen needed to be notified. So Gusty raced into the palace and stormed into the queen's bedchambers, where he knew she would be this early.
"Your Majesty." He said breathlessly. He bowed and she stared at him from her bed.
"Gusty, what is the meaning of this?" she asked softly.
"I found an earth pony on the edge. She said she didn't know who she was. Then when I mentioned the Four she fell down screaming. She's been out since and she looks like one of the Four." Gusty said placing the earth pony on the ground. The queen looked at the pony for a moment.
"Even if she is telling the truth, if the earth ponies learn of her then it will make this war even harder. She is strange though. Call Star Hopper. This hair might be something." The queen said still studying the pony. When Gusty left the pony's eyes fluttered open.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"You are in the palace of the Unicorn Grove. You have been brought here by Gusty. Do you remember your name?" the unicorn replied.
"I don't remember." She said then her eyes widened and she crouched down holding her hooves to her ears.
"No, please, I didn't mean it to turn out this way."
"Nightsong has failed."
"She will pay the price. death."
"No it wasn't my fault."
"Please let her live."
"You are too soft."
"She is banished."
"Forever, without memory."
"Forever, forever, forever"
"I didn't fail. It wasn't my fault." The pony screamed. She was set to tears and the unicorn queen was shocked. Then the sparkle pony Star Hopper ran in. She wrapped her hooves around the pony and muttered something. The pony began to calm down and her eyes closed again.
"Someone placed a memory charm on her. It erased something, but she's breaking it. She's getting back the memories. It rings about failing and someone named Nightsong." Star Hopper said laying the pony out on the ground.
"What are we to do?" Gusty asked quietly.
"She will be given a name and set to a task. She will stay here until the Coming of the Four. Then we will find out about this pony." The queen stated as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
"I suggest the name Dawn and somewhere far away from a lot of people prejudiced from the war would be the best place. The next Coming of the Four is six months away." Star Hopper suggested. The queen nodded and called a serving maid to come and take newly named Dawn into a spare room.
Somewhere else
"So she has been found by my people." Explorer said staring into the globe. She glared at the pony she had once thought of as her friend, but now her heart was dead and had been since the day they found out Nightsong did this. She wasn't like Stella who stared at the wall forgetting all duty or Mischief who hid in her work. It was more work for them with Nightsong gone and Stella hiding from the world.
Explorer hated to say it, but it was true, without Nightsong they would never be where they were. The little traitor had been the simple brain that saved them more often. But she had failed and there was no going back. They all had changed with her going and now IT was going to affect HER unicorns with its presence.
"Explorer, are you down there?" Stella's timid voice came from at the bottom of the stairs. Explorer turned to face her and smiled faintly. It was only moments like this when she felt something other than dead hate. It was pity for poor Stella. She had almost died just so that Nightsong wouldn't die. Stella had never been the same when they blocked off her memories. Now Stella was grinning though.
"Why are you happy?" Explorer said annoyed.
"It's breaking isn't it? She's remembering. Mischief told you you should take her memories into yourself. So she wouldn't get her talent back and break it." Stella said grinning. Explorer's eyes widened. Why hadn't she remembered Nightsong's talent for removing every single spell on her?
"Why did you do that?" Explorer spat.
"Because I wanted to see how the new leader could handle Nightsong when she doesn't have guilt to hold her back. You and I both know that's the only reason she let you bind her. Because she felt too guilty; she doesn't feel it know. She doesn't remember the guilt. She can fight." Stella said leaving the room, but her words still rang in Explorer's head.
She can fight, She can fight, fight, fight, fight,
Explorer shock her head. They had time still before Nightsong broke it completely. Now it was time to go back into the training field. If it came to the final battle, she must win against Nightsong.
Back again
When Dawn awoke she was startled by two baby unicorns sitting on her bed. She studied them. One was a mage and the other one was pure white. The white one had pink hair with a strip of purple. Her symbol was a moon and two stars all glitter purple. The mage was yellow with dark pink hair. Her symbol was a sea green hot air balloon with a dark pink basket. Encircling the hot air balloon were magenta rings and stars.
Dawn remembered a pony that looked just like her, but without the sparkle body of a mage. She looked at the kids who seemed to be studying her.
"Hello, I'm Mage Baby Gusty and this is my guardian Baby Moondancer. Who are you?" the mage stated when she saw that Dawn was awake.
"I'm Dawn. Shouldn't you to be in school or in the nursery?" She asked. The girls looked shocked.
"I see you work well with children. We didn't meet well earlier, but I'm Queen Starflower." Said a voice. Dawn looked up to see a rainbow haired unicorn. She was blue with green eyes. Her symbol was a group of stars.
"I.I.I. thank you." Dawn stuttered.
"Your welcome. Girls, I do believe that Star Hopper will be looking for you soon. Sweet girls, they come from a long line." Starflower said as the girls left. Dawn sat up and wondered why they seemed at odds against her.
"As you might know, there is a war among the races. You are an earth pony and we are unicorns. If the wrong people find out of your existence here then many things could happen that would sway the war. We will keep you here until the Coming. Maybe they will return your memory. For now, would you like to help Twilight with the little ones? I think you would work well with them." Starflower finished. Dawn smiled and nodded.
"I'd love too."
"Good, I'll introduce you to Twilight and then you can arrange things."
"Umm, Your Majesty, where should I stay until I have money?"
"Why the palace of course. You'll stay here until the Four come. I believe after that you will be going to your home among the earth ponies. Come along, the nursery isn't in the palace." Starflower instructed. Dawn stood up and followed Queen Starflower to another room.
There the daily hustle and bustle was very apparent. There were unicorns sweeping, running errands, and lugging baskets of laundry. There were guards patrolling the area or going out to their posts. The only one not moving was a pink unicorn. She had white hair with a purple streak and a group of stars as a symbol. The unicorn's purple eyes fell on Dawn and she smiled.
"Hi, I'm Twilight. Is this Dawn Your majesty?" the pony asked walking up to them.
"Yes, I'm Dawn." Dawn replied feeling much better around this unicorn.
"I assume you can take it from here." The queen asked, but Twilight was already dragging Dawn off. Dawn barely had the time to shout thanks to the queen.
They finally reached a large house. The front was fenced in and a large group of unicorns raced around in it. Dawn noticed the two girls who had woken her up in the corner. Twilight led her into the building, past three closed doors, and into the fourth. Dawn could see that this was Twilight's office.
"Well, Star Hopper told me that you worked pretty good with Gusty. I mean Baby Gusty and Baby Moondancer. Queen Starflower would like you to have a job away from the people who would get prejudice. So kids are mainly your best bet and since you were okay with the hardest two you'll be fine. Now the only thing I'm a little worried about is Star Hopper said you had fits." Twilight said.
"They aren't dangerous. Star Hopper said I would be fine if no one talked a lot about the Four."
"Oh, okay, that's fine. Now why don't you meet the kids." Twilight said leading her back into the hallway. This time they finished in a big room where a few newborns were sleeping in their cradles.
"Now we have kids that are here every day and people that come every now and then. Those are called temps. Now kids are different and most already have problems with for their childhood being called after their parents so here we don't call them Baby. We just go by the name. Well, let's call in the kids." Twilight whistled and the kids filed in. The sleeping children snapped awake, but stayed in their cradles.
"Alright kids, we are getting a new temp worker. Her name is Dawn. She's a little different because she doesn't have a horn, but no picking on her about it Moondancer." One of the ponies looked down at that.
"During the day you can come up and introduce yourselves. Newborn twins, I think she will be taking care of you for now. Dismissed." Twilight said. The older unicorns left and returned outside. Twilight led dawn over to the cradles. There were four cradles in all each holding a newborn.
"These have a twin. So the pink one with purple hair and pink mitten symbol is Sniffles. Her twin is Snookums, the purple one with pink hair and a purple mitten symbol. You know their twins because they both have lavender eyes. Rattles and Tattles are these two. They are identical being yellow with pink hair. They have pink and blue rocking horse symbols and have blue eyes. No point in telling them apart though. You four, this is Dawn. She'll be taking care of you, okay?" the four ponies nodded and Twilight led Dawn a bit away.
"As temps we get Shovels and Sandcastle and Jabber and Jebber. You'll meet when they come. Now they have it simple. When the older kids are at play time they have nap time. When the older kids are at school or indoor activities, they have outside in the afternoon and school in the morning. The mornings you have off as we have a private tutor come in and teach them and the older kids are at school. Mealtime is with everyone and when it rains you are expected to give them something to do. On rainy days we have a room for them that's soundproof so the older people don't get distracted. Got that?" Dawn nodded and Twilight handed her a meal in a container.
"Meals are in the cabinet, first door on your left from here. If you miss a meal and breakfast will be put there. Lunch is after playtime. You might want to tell them a story because I doubt they'll go to sleep now. I gotta run okay. Talk to you later." Twilight said the raced down the hallway. Dawn turned toward the twins who all were looking at her hopefully.
"Do we have to go to sleep?" one asked.
"Well, why don't we play a game so I can get to know you better?" Dawn suggested. The twins nodded and sat in their cradles.
"Now you say your REAL names and one fact about yourself. Then you switch places with someone, say your fact and I try and guess your name, okay?" Dawn said. The children nodded.
"I'm Tattles. I like fairytales." The first one said.
"I'm Snookums. I hate when people call me Sniffles." The purple unicorn said.
"I'm Rattles and I like stories." One of the yellow ones said.
"I'm Sniffles and I like to color." The pink one said.
"Okay, now switch places." Dawn said. The newborns all switched places and when Dawn opened her eyes she wasn't surprised to see the pink and purple twins had switched so she assumed they had all switched with their twins. She smiled. She knew she would like working with the newborn twins.
"I like stories."
"Rattles?"
"Yep."
"I like to color."
"Sniffles?"
"Yessie."
"I like fairytales."
"Tattles?"
"That's me."
"So you must be Snookums." The last one nodded her head. Dawn smiled.
"Alright move cradles again and this time I'll guess without a clue." The children switched and Dawn smiled.
"From right to left: Rattles, Tattles, Snookums, and Sniffles. Did I get them right?"
"How did you tell us apart?" Tattles asked shocked.
"Rattles has a birth mark at the base of her left ear." Tattles looked at her twins here and nodded. Dawn knew she had made a good beginning with them because Snookums and Sniffles were already looking at her in awe. She decided most people couldn't tell the difference between those twins and that most couldn't match names to faces that perfectly, that quickly.
Somewhere in Nowhere
Mischief glared at the papers she was working on. Requests, wishes, anything of any races. She knew this wasn't the best way to go about sulking, but Stella wasn't doing a very good job either. There was so much to be done before their coming. She ran a hoof through her mane and glared at the sheet of paper. Finally her tired green eyes gave up and she hurried to the pool of hot water. She eased herself in soaking her curly gold hair. Mischief missed Nightsong. She hadn't been as close to her as Stella had, but she still missed her.
The fact was Mischief thought that she and Stella were the only ones who cared. Explorer hadn't said anything about Nightsong and while she wasn't helping with work, her lack of it was as much Mischief's fault as Explorer's. Mischief had started taking on the work when Stella locked herself in her room and Explorer tried to talk to her. Left with nothing else to do, Mischief had started working on all the races and nothing had happened to make her stop. Then the door opened. The pink pegasus was startled when Stella entered the room.
"Mischief, where is the earth pony stuff?" she asked softly. Mischief sank back into the water so her blue and yellow kite symbol was hidden.
"It's all on the oak desk. Are you starting your work again?"
"I think that you've been working too hard. So I'm not going to sulk about it like that. Yeah, I'm going back to study mode." Stella stated. Then the pony left Mischief alone to her bath.
"That was defiantly odd. If I didn't know better I'd say she was trying to see if anything on Nightsong was had been filed. That can't be it though. If there was an easier way, Stella always took it. Unless she doesn't want anyone to know." Mischief pondered out loud. She usually thought better speaking to herself and know she wondered if Stella didn't want help because she didn't want to explain her actions.
She finally slipped out of the bath and headed to the three desks. There was Stella pouring over the paperwork on earth pony. Then she clapped her hooves in exasperation.
"Explorer said she had been found. It's not here." Stella complained.
"Let's try the unicorn section." Mischief suggested. Both ponies headed over to take a look
Back
Dawn smiled as the maid woke her up. She had been in the palace for almost five months. It was amazing how he time flew with the newborns. She rarely had fits anymore and was quite happy about it. She slipped out of the palace and walked down to the nursery. As she turned down her normal shortcut she sensed something wrong.
"My, my, what do we have here? What's a little earth pony like you doing with unicorns?" someone said in front of her.
"Who are you?" Dawn asked. She took some steps, backing up, but stopped when she felt something go behind her.
"Who we are is none of your concern. What you should be concerned about is where we are taking you."
Then one of the ponies tackled Dawn. She reared to flip them off and she suddenly felt as if someone was controlling her. She was dodging mainly, but Dawn was throwing attacks at light speed. When nothing appeared to be moving, Dawn paused to catch her breath. Then someone hit her head from behind. The attacker collected the knocked out pony and placed her in a sack. Following more ally ways the earth pony and its buddle were soon out of the grove.
Hours Later
Dawn struggled to finally rise when she woke. She found that all her hooves where chained and her surrounding were dark and cold.
"So the spy has awoken. Now how did you get with those unicorns? They steal you from your clan?" an icy cold voice said from in front of her. Dawn strained to see a form there.
"I'm not a spy." Dawn said defiantly. The form gave a laugh, but it stopped shortly.
"I see. Did your clan kick you out? What did you do?" Dawn was about to retort when it hit her. What if that was what she had done? What if her clan had kicked her out for failure? Her pause made the figure think she had hit home.
"So the pony got kicked out of her clan and sold battle plans to the unicorns. Now you'll tell us their battle plans."
"But I don't know them."
"Of course you do."
"All I know is their children." Dawn shouted. Then she saw her bad move.
"Ahhh, the children. A little bit of kidnapping might prove worthwhile."
"You can't hurt them. LET ME GO!"
"Nope, I'm the ruler of my clan and I say no."
"Earth ponies have a queen though!"
"Empress Gardenglow yes, but she doesn't tell me what to do with traitors." Dawn shivered. They were going to kill her. She would never remember again, she would never see Tattles and Rattles and the others again. Then she felt that feeling of something taking over.
"You don't let me go and I'll burn this place down."
"One problem, you aren't a mage and you defiantly aren't a unicorn." It taunted. Dawn closed her eyes and when the opened fire was sparking. The form lit up to show a dark green mage. The mage throw something at her and Dawn fell to the ground.
"How did she do that." The mage said dosing the flames.
At the Unicorn Grove
"Where is Dawn? She's never this late." Twilight said pacing the floor of the nursery. The newborns were watching her waiting for her to tell them that Dawn would be coming. It was after nap time and Dawn still hadn't showed. Finally Twilight walked over to the newborns.
"Little ones, Dawn is sick and I'm going to visit her okay."
"No, not okay. I want Dawn!" shouted Tattles or Rattles.
"Now Tattles, no need to get worked up."
"I'm RATTLES! Not Tattles, I have a birthmark on my ear see!" Rattles screamed. Twilight stared. The kid had a point. Where was Dawn when you needed her? Twilight ran out of the building and to the palace.
"Queen Starflower, have you seen Dawn?" Twilight said when she found the queen in the gardens.
"I haven't seen her since she left for work."
"DAWN'S MISSING! " Twilight shouted. The queen leaped up startled.
"It must have been the earth ponies. They were on another raid."
"But how did they know Dawn was here?"
"I believe they ran into her. They probably think she was in on battle plans."
"But she doesn't know anything."
"Yes, but they don't know that." Queen Starflower said rushed. Twilight could almost see the gears working in her brain.
"We have to get her back. Earth pony she may be, but the clan that kicked her out may be the clan that has her now. And that will defiantly be bad." Queen Starflower said pacing. Twilight felt the way she did. What in the world were they going to do?"
Gusty entered the room. He was expecting something like the heir to the throne was missing. He defiantly wasn't expecting what came.
"DAWN'S MISSING!" shouted the two hysterical women. It took a moment for Gusty to register Dawn as the earth pony he had found.
"IT' AN EARTH PONY!" he shouted over them. The women shut up instantly. It must have hit them too how weird that had just sounded. They were getting worked up about an earth pony who didn't know battle plans at all.
"They could attack the children." Twilight said more question like to really be a reason.
Twilight stared at the floor in confusion. It was utterly true that she could be used to harm the children, but that thought hadn't formed in her mind before now. It also seemed as if a feeling that she had to protect Dawn had come over her and ruled her. Twilight had a slight feeling that that was the same Queen Starflower had experienced.
"We need to go after her." Gusty said his voice low and calm.
"I don't know why, but we must." Queen Starflower replied. Twilight nodded.
"But how, the clans have moved to who knows where since the war. We don't even know where our old allies went. Though I doubt they'd be useful now." Twilight asked.
"We'll look for clues." Gusty informed.
"But how, we don't even now where she was taken." Starflower responded. They all looked to the floor in thought.
"Actually we do. There's an ally that leads to behind the nursery. I know for a fact Dawn uses it as a shortcut." Twilight started.
". that's the only place they could get in, take her, and get out. We have got a location. Now all we need to do is look for clues. I suggest a group of mages." Gusty said thinking it through.
"We still have a problem. Even scanning with our strongest mages, we still won't get enough to tell us the clan or even a simple shape." Queen Starflower protested.
"The earth pony clans have been torn to distrust almost as much as the races themselves. A hoof print might give us some features might limit our search."
"Gusty, that all would be great, IF WE STILL HAD CONTACTS AMONG EARTH PONY CLANS!" Twilight shouted.
The door suddenly opened. Star Hopper and Baby Gusty stood at the door. Star Hopper looked as if she had seen a ghost, while her apprentice seemed to be trying to speak but unable.
"She's having a vision. She's not a Seer!" Star Hopper said panicky.
"The One is with the clan of no return. Chained she is bound by the forgotten's edge." Baby Gusty spoke in a faint ghostly whisper. Then she fell to the ground in dead faint.
"Did that mean anything?" Star Hopper asked her voice still full of worry.
"Yes, it did." Said Twilight her eyes widening. "We know were Dawn is."
To Dawn
Dawn awoke in chains. They bound her legs to the ground so tight that she couldn't lift them. Her captor was sitting in a chair in the shadows. Ponies came there and seemed to listen then left as silently as the came. Dawn sniffled a bit and tried to blend in the shadows hoping she would hear something of use, but it was useless as she was pure white.
Gusty stormed through the tunnel. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but something drew him, his mage, some army men, and Twilight to what they could only hope was where Dawn was. They didn't know what drove them to rescue her, but Baby Gusty's vision only made it more final, whatever it was.
The tunnel finally turned into a dark room. It was like a deep cave with very little in the way of head room. It was probably designed so unicorns would have problems as Baby Gusty was the only one not hitting her horn or leaning her head down. Gusty didn't like this one bit.
"So the little unicorns want their pony back. It's too late. I already drained all information from her." An icy voice said. Gusty glared at the lighting and lit his horn. Behind him more lights sprang up, but not enough to make the voice visible, or maybe that was the point.
"Well, since you have come late maybe we can chit chat. Tell me about yourself, about the little ones. How's the queen?"
"Lair. If you really drained her of all information you wouldn't want to talk. "Gusty said smugly. This person was a beginner.
"Well, she's still dead. Why would you care though? She didn't know anything thing about the war. I checked." It asked.
"Dawn!" shouted Baby Gusty. The unicorns turned to find Baby Gusty looking through the bars of one of the cells. Gusty's mind was shocked. Dawn was chained to the ground, and looking so weak. She reminded him even more of that one Protector he admired above any other. Even Explorer couldn't light a candle to the white beauty. Dawn was included in this as well.
Then the chains burst off and the door opened. Dawn stood tall and proud, glowing from an inner light, as she walked out. Gusty turned his attention to the voice, but Star Hopper beat him. A blast of fire hit the general direction and the unicorns fled. They didn't want a fight. They wanted a quick in and out. Dawn had another idea as just when they cleared he heard a boom of explosion.
"Why did you save me?" Dawn asked when the slowed down.
"Someone in the Four is looking after you." Twilight said simple.
Explorer's Thoughts
I can't go. I can't see her. But if I don't go then who will take over the unicorns. Who will support the true race? Man, I'm starting to sound like Nightsong before she made this war. No I can't do that to Stella. I have to stand strong. I have to be the leader. The leader that Nightsong wasn't. What has gotten into me? Everything I do I compare to Nightsong. Why can't she leave me alone? I'm going insane here.
Dawn's Thoughts
What is with this? The nearer the Coming the worse the fits. I have been having them one right after the other. Twilight even had to take me off my job. Now I have nothing to do, but be Star Hopper's experiment. She can't take off the charm, but I don't know if I even want it off. There are people I don't know in it. Who in the world is Stella?
Stella's Thoughts
She's breaking. She's breaking it down. By the time that the Coming comes, she'll be free. Explorer won't be able to spell her back into submission. I won't agree. Mischief won't agree. She'll have to come back up with us. Oh, Nightsong, come back. Nightsong how could you leave me? How could you leave us? We need you, I need you. You have to come back.
Mischief's Thoughts
I'm torn between Stella and Nightsong and Explorer and the judgment. Should Nightsong be back up? Explorer doesn't do anything but fight with herself and train. Stella seems to be working, but she always is muttering about breaking. Stella needs Nightsong to be. Nightsong is everything she has. They never went anywhere without the other. With Nightsong gone, Stella can't think, she can't be the girl we know and love. Does Explorer just not see? We need Nightsong back in this world.
The Coming
Dawn stared at all the earth pony clans coming led by a single purple mare. She was timid about them ever since her kidnapping, but with unicorns around her she should be safe. The pegasus had already come and were at the plains. Dawn looked at her mirror making sure the illusion of a horn was still there.
Explorer walked proudly down the rainbow into the lands of the unicorn. On either side of her was Stella and Mischief. This was how it was supposed to be she thought. She looked happily over her unicorns and stopped when her eyes fell on one. It was Nightsong with an illusion of a horn. Her smile turned to a grimace and her eyes formed a glare straight at the mare.
Stella stole a peak at the unicorns her eyes picking out Nightsong. Even with the disguise it was noticeable that she didn't belong there. She lifted her head regally and trotted down to the earth ponies. She knew that Nightsong hadn't broken the charm yet, but when she was ready.
"Protector Stella, where is Protector Nightsong?" asked a pony.
"Her reasons are her own." Stella replied firmly.
Mischief listened lazily to the queen of her kind. She was paying more attention to Explorer, who had wandered to Nightsong. What was she going to do? She hoped she didn't embarrass the poor girl. She then walked off to Explorer and soon found Stella following her.
"I broke it Explorer." Stella said. As she did, Nightsong eyes widened as everything flew back.
"Welcome back traitor." Explorer said coldly.
"I'm not a traitor. You know it Explorer." Nightsong said proudly. The unicorns were staring at them and had fallen back into the other races who watched this fight of their protectors.
"Explorer, I won't follow through on chaining her again." Stella said
"You'll listen to the leader Stella." Explorer ordered.
"No, I listen to the leader that won the right to be leader. You didn't win it. We all know it." Stella retorted.
"Are they always like this?" Nightsong asked Mischief
"Ever since you left us Nightsong." Mischief replied.
"Looking for a fight again Explorer? You want my battle?" Explorer turned to face her.
"Well, you can't have it." Nightsong said.
"What!" Stella and Explorer said together.
"I'm not going to fight you. If you need to beat me to be leader, then surely you can't."
"But if you beat her, you can come back." Stella reminded.
"I don't care Stella. I don't care anymore. This war, it wasn't my fault, but it had to happen. Now I see. I had to start again and yes while I still remembered it hurt. Once the spell kicked in, the pain I had was the pain of remembering in flashes. I don't need to be part of the four anymore. I just need to live." Nightsong said shaking her head.
"We could remove your memories here and take you home." Mischief reminded.
"You can't erase your own memories, you can't erase their memories, and you can't erase the pain. That's what it was for you. Power always fixed everything, but it doesn't. These people have not even a 16th of the power we have, but they live happy." Nightsong said trying to get it across to them.
"Explorer, go home, be leader, take my memories again, and just leave me here." Nightsong pleaded.
"What's your price Nightsong?" Explorer asked.
"Give me a horn." Nightsong said softly. Everyone stared at her. No one had every wanted to become another race. Was she insane?
Explorer nodded and on top of her head spiraled out a single white horn. The unicorns cheered, soon followed by the winged and earth ponies. Nightsong smiled and nodded at them. All four started to glow. When the light dimmed the Three were gone and Dawn stood on a rock, her horn piercing the sky.
The Future
"But Grandma Stella, what happened to Dawn?"
"Well, Nightsong, the rock she stood on held her memories. On the day that she died all her memories came back and once again she was Nightsong. All mourned her, but none more then the man that found, rescued her and soon married her."
"Who was that?"
"His name was Gusty." Stella said. She looked around her. Of the four in that time she was the only one left, but her child and nieces surrounded her along with the first granddaughter. Stella stood up and headed down to that rock.
"Don't mourn me Stella." Said a voice around her. Stella looked at the rock and smiled to see Nightsong standing tall, her horn once again reaching the stars.
The End
A pony walked in the forest of Dream Valley, confused. She didn't know who she was or where she was. The only thing she knew was she had failed.
Somewhere else
Stella looked at the clear globe showing her long time friend Nightsong. She sighed. It still was hard to remember that they had taken up the jobs their mothers had and were no longer Baby Stella and Baby Nightsong.
"It's okay Stella." A voice behind her said. The pink earth pony made out Explorer's yellow body and horn.
"I miss her."
"We all do."
"Why, why did she have to go?" Stella pleaded
"Because she failed, and that's what happens." Explorer said and helped her friend out from the dark lair.
Back again
The pony looked into the water of a stream she found. She had splashed around to clean up and now was staring at the water. It showed to her a white earth pony with pink sparkle hair. Her eyes were blue-gray. Her symbol was two blue planets ringed by dark magenta rings and surrounded by dark magenta stars. She smiled faintly. Now if only she knew her name.
"Who are you?" the pony turned and found herself face to face with a unicorn.
"I.I. I don't know." She admitted. The unicorn only stared at her more.
"Explorer help me. If you were going to make something up then you could have at least made it believable." The unicorn snorted.
~Explorer, I know that name. From where though? ~
"Who is Explorer?" she asked instead. The unicorn rolled her eyes.
"You have got to be kidding me. Explorer is the unicorn protector. She is one of the four. Though you might be more to terms with Stella and Nightsong." The unicorn said.
The pony stared at her. Those names, she knew those names. Then suddenly she fell to the ground.
"You have failed Nightsong."
"There is no coming back now."
"The war is started."
"It's all your fault."
"You have been banished."
"You are banished Nightsong."
"No, Mischief, Explorer don't kill her. Take away her memory, but don't"
"Fine then you win."
"She is banished."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH, HELP ME!" shouted the earth pony falling to the ground. The unicorn rushed over and looked at the earth pony. She looked different. She had never seen an earth pony that had sparkle hair without the sparkle body of a mage. Only the four did. Then Gusty saw what she didn't notice before, the pony looked just like earth pony protector Nightsong.
"Gusty, what's the rush?" another unicorn asked when she saw Gusty run into the city holding someone.
"Can't talk now Glory." Gusty said racing off toward the palace. Even if it was just an ordinary earth pony, the queen needed to be notified. So Gusty raced into the palace and stormed into the queen's bedchambers, where he knew she would be this early.
"Your Majesty." He said breathlessly. He bowed and she stared at him from her bed.
"Gusty, what is the meaning of this?" she asked softly.
"I found an earth pony on the edge. She said she didn't know who she was. Then when I mentioned the Four she fell down screaming. She's been out since and she looks like one of the Four." Gusty said placing the earth pony on the ground. The queen looked at the pony for a moment.
"Even if she is telling the truth, if the earth ponies learn of her then it will make this war even harder. She is strange though. Call Star Hopper. This hair might be something." The queen said still studying the pony. When Gusty left the pony's eyes fluttered open.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"You are in the palace of the Unicorn Grove. You have been brought here by Gusty. Do you remember your name?" the unicorn replied.
"I don't remember." She said then her eyes widened and she crouched down holding her hooves to her ears.
"No, please, I didn't mean it to turn out this way."
"Nightsong has failed."
"She will pay the price. death."
"No it wasn't my fault."
"Please let her live."
"You are too soft."
"She is banished."
"Forever, without memory."
"Forever, forever, forever"
"I didn't fail. It wasn't my fault." The pony screamed. She was set to tears and the unicorn queen was shocked. Then the sparkle pony Star Hopper ran in. She wrapped her hooves around the pony and muttered something. The pony began to calm down and her eyes closed again.
"Someone placed a memory charm on her. It erased something, but she's breaking it. She's getting back the memories. It rings about failing and someone named Nightsong." Star Hopper said laying the pony out on the ground.
"What are we to do?" Gusty asked quietly.
"She will be given a name and set to a task. She will stay here until the Coming of the Four. Then we will find out about this pony." The queen stated as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
"I suggest the name Dawn and somewhere far away from a lot of people prejudiced from the war would be the best place. The next Coming of the Four is six months away." Star Hopper suggested. The queen nodded and called a serving maid to come and take newly named Dawn into a spare room.
Somewhere else
"So she has been found by my people." Explorer said staring into the globe. She glared at the pony she had once thought of as her friend, but now her heart was dead and had been since the day they found out Nightsong did this. She wasn't like Stella who stared at the wall forgetting all duty or Mischief who hid in her work. It was more work for them with Nightsong gone and Stella hiding from the world.
Explorer hated to say it, but it was true, without Nightsong they would never be where they were. The little traitor had been the simple brain that saved them more often. But she had failed and there was no going back. They all had changed with her going and now IT was going to affect HER unicorns with its presence.
"Explorer, are you down there?" Stella's timid voice came from at the bottom of the stairs. Explorer turned to face her and smiled faintly. It was only moments like this when she felt something other than dead hate. It was pity for poor Stella. She had almost died just so that Nightsong wouldn't die. Stella had never been the same when they blocked off her memories. Now Stella was grinning though.
"Why are you happy?" Explorer said annoyed.
"It's breaking isn't it? She's remembering. Mischief told you you should take her memories into yourself. So she wouldn't get her talent back and break it." Stella said grinning. Explorer's eyes widened. Why hadn't she remembered Nightsong's talent for removing every single spell on her?
"Why did you do that?" Explorer spat.
"Because I wanted to see how the new leader could handle Nightsong when she doesn't have guilt to hold her back. You and I both know that's the only reason she let you bind her. Because she felt too guilty; she doesn't feel it know. She doesn't remember the guilt. She can fight." Stella said leaving the room, but her words still rang in Explorer's head.
She can fight, She can fight, fight, fight, fight,
Explorer shock her head. They had time still before Nightsong broke it completely. Now it was time to go back into the training field. If it came to the final battle, she must win against Nightsong.
Back again
When Dawn awoke she was startled by two baby unicorns sitting on her bed. She studied them. One was a mage and the other one was pure white. The white one had pink hair with a strip of purple. Her symbol was a moon and two stars all glitter purple. The mage was yellow with dark pink hair. Her symbol was a sea green hot air balloon with a dark pink basket. Encircling the hot air balloon were magenta rings and stars.
Dawn remembered a pony that looked just like her, but without the sparkle body of a mage. She looked at the kids who seemed to be studying her.
"Hello, I'm Mage Baby Gusty and this is my guardian Baby Moondancer. Who are you?" the mage stated when she saw that Dawn was awake.
"I'm Dawn. Shouldn't you to be in school or in the nursery?" She asked. The girls looked shocked.
"I see you work well with children. We didn't meet well earlier, but I'm Queen Starflower." Said a voice. Dawn looked up to see a rainbow haired unicorn. She was blue with green eyes. Her symbol was a group of stars.
"I.I.I. thank you." Dawn stuttered.
"Your welcome. Girls, I do believe that Star Hopper will be looking for you soon. Sweet girls, they come from a long line." Starflower said as the girls left. Dawn sat up and wondered why they seemed at odds against her.
"As you might know, there is a war among the races. You are an earth pony and we are unicorns. If the wrong people find out of your existence here then many things could happen that would sway the war. We will keep you here until the Coming. Maybe they will return your memory. For now, would you like to help Twilight with the little ones? I think you would work well with them." Starflower finished. Dawn smiled and nodded.
"I'd love too."
"Good, I'll introduce you to Twilight and then you can arrange things."
"Umm, Your Majesty, where should I stay until I have money?"
"Why the palace of course. You'll stay here until the Four come. I believe after that you will be going to your home among the earth ponies. Come along, the nursery isn't in the palace." Starflower instructed. Dawn stood up and followed Queen Starflower to another room.
There the daily hustle and bustle was very apparent. There were unicorns sweeping, running errands, and lugging baskets of laundry. There were guards patrolling the area or going out to their posts. The only one not moving was a pink unicorn. She had white hair with a purple streak and a group of stars as a symbol. The unicorn's purple eyes fell on Dawn and she smiled.
"Hi, I'm Twilight. Is this Dawn Your majesty?" the pony asked walking up to them.
"Yes, I'm Dawn." Dawn replied feeling much better around this unicorn.
"I assume you can take it from here." The queen asked, but Twilight was already dragging Dawn off. Dawn barely had the time to shout thanks to the queen.
They finally reached a large house. The front was fenced in and a large group of unicorns raced around in it. Dawn noticed the two girls who had woken her up in the corner. Twilight led her into the building, past three closed doors, and into the fourth. Dawn could see that this was Twilight's office.
"Well, Star Hopper told me that you worked pretty good with Gusty. I mean Baby Gusty and Baby Moondancer. Queen Starflower would like you to have a job away from the people who would get prejudice. So kids are mainly your best bet and since you were okay with the hardest two you'll be fine. Now the only thing I'm a little worried about is Star Hopper said you had fits." Twilight said.
"They aren't dangerous. Star Hopper said I would be fine if no one talked a lot about the Four."
"Oh, okay, that's fine. Now why don't you meet the kids." Twilight said leading her back into the hallway. This time they finished in a big room where a few newborns were sleeping in their cradles.
"Now we have kids that are here every day and people that come every now and then. Those are called temps. Now kids are different and most already have problems with for their childhood being called after their parents so here we don't call them Baby. We just go by the name. Well, let's call in the kids." Twilight whistled and the kids filed in. The sleeping children snapped awake, but stayed in their cradles.
"Alright kids, we are getting a new temp worker. Her name is Dawn. She's a little different because she doesn't have a horn, but no picking on her about it Moondancer." One of the ponies looked down at that.
"During the day you can come up and introduce yourselves. Newborn twins, I think she will be taking care of you for now. Dismissed." Twilight said. The older unicorns left and returned outside. Twilight led dawn over to the cradles. There were four cradles in all each holding a newborn.
"These have a twin. So the pink one with purple hair and pink mitten symbol is Sniffles. Her twin is Snookums, the purple one with pink hair and a purple mitten symbol. You know their twins because they both have lavender eyes. Rattles and Tattles are these two. They are identical being yellow with pink hair. They have pink and blue rocking horse symbols and have blue eyes. No point in telling them apart though. You four, this is Dawn. She'll be taking care of you, okay?" the four ponies nodded and Twilight led Dawn a bit away.
"As temps we get Shovels and Sandcastle and Jabber and Jebber. You'll meet when they come. Now they have it simple. When the older kids are at play time they have nap time. When the older kids are at school or indoor activities, they have outside in the afternoon and school in the morning. The mornings you have off as we have a private tutor come in and teach them and the older kids are at school. Mealtime is with everyone and when it rains you are expected to give them something to do. On rainy days we have a room for them that's soundproof so the older people don't get distracted. Got that?" Dawn nodded and Twilight handed her a meal in a container.
"Meals are in the cabinet, first door on your left from here. If you miss a meal and breakfast will be put there. Lunch is after playtime. You might want to tell them a story because I doubt they'll go to sleep now. I gotta run okay. Talk to you later." Twilight said the raced down the hallway. Dawn turned toward the twins who all were looking at her hopefully.
"Do we have to go to sleep?" one asked.
"Well, why don't we play a game so I can get to know you better?" Dawn suggested. The twins nodded and sat in their cradles.
"Now you say your REAL names and one fact about yourself. Then you switch places with someone, say your fact and I try and guess your name, okay?" Dawn said. The children nodded.
"I'm Tattles. I like fairytales." The first one said.
"I'm Snookums. I hate when people call me Sniffles." The purple unicorn said.
"I'm Rattles and I like stories." One of the yellow ones said.
"I'm Sniffles and I like to color." The pink one said.
"Okay, now switch places." Dawn said. The newborns all switched places and when Dawn opened her eyes she wasn't surprised to see the pink and purple twins had switched so she assumed they had all switched with their twins. She smiled. She knew she would like working with the newborn twins.
"I like stories."
"Rattles?"
"Yep."
"I like to color."
"Sniffles?"
"Yessie."
"I like fairytales."
"Tattles?"
"That's me."
"So you must be Snookums." The last one nodded her head. Dawn smiled.
"Alright move cradles again and this time I'll guess without a clue." The children switched and Dawn smiled.
"From right to left: Rattles, Tattles, Snookums, and Sniffles. Did I get them right?"
"How did you tell us apart?" Tattles asked shocked.
"Rattles has a birth mark at the base of her left ear." Tattles looked at her twins here and nodded. Dawn knew she had made a good beginning with them because Snookums and Sniffles were already looking at her in awe. She decided most people couldn't tell the difference between those twins and that most couldn't match names to faces that perfectly, that quickly.
Somewhere in Nowhere
Mischief glared at the papers she was working on. Requests, wishes, anything of any races. She knew this wasn't the best way to go about sulking, but Stella wasn't doing a very good job either. There was so much to be done before their coming. She ran a hoof through her mane and glared at the sheet of paper. Finally her tired green eyes gave up and she hurried to the pool of hot water. She eased herself in soaking her curly gold hair. Mischief missed Nightsong. She hadn't been as close to her as Stella had, but she still missed her.
The fact was Mischief thought that she and Stella were the only ones who cared. Explorer hadn't said anything about Nightsong and while she wasn't helping with work, her lack of it was as much Mischief's fault as Explorer's. Mischief had started taking on the work when Stella locked herself in her room and Explorer tried to talk to her. Left with nothing else to do, Mischief had started working on all the races and nothing had happened to make her stop. Then the door opened. The pink pegasus was startled when Stella entered the room.
"Mischief, where is the earth pony stuff?" she asked softly. Mischief sank back into the water so her blue and yellow kite symbol was hidden.
"It's all on the oak desk. Are you starting your work again?"
"I think that you've been working too hard. So I'm not going to sulk about it like that. Yeah, I'm going back to study mode." Stella stated. Then the pony left Mischief alone to her bath.
"That was defiantly odd. If I didn't know better I'd say she was trying to see if anything on Nightsong was had been filed. That can't be it though. If there was an easier way, Stella always took it. Unless she doesn't want anyone to know." Mischief pondered out loud. She usually thought better speaking to herself and know she wondered if Stella didn't want help because she didn't want to explain her actions.
She finally slipped out of the bath and headed to the three desks. There was Stella pouring over the paperwork on earth pony. Then she clapped her hooves in exasperation.
"Explorer said she had been found. It's not here." Stella complained.
"Let's try the unicorn section." Mischief suggested. Both ponies headed over to take a look
Back
Dawn smiled as the maid woke her up. She had been in the palace for almost five months. It was amazing how he time flew with the newborns. She rarely had fits anymore and was quite happy about it. She slipped out of the palace and walked down to the nursery. As she turned down her normal shortcut she sensed something wrong.
"My, my, what do we have here? What's a little earth pony like you doing with unicorns?" someone said in front of her.
"Who are you?" Dawn asked. She took some steps, backing up, but stopped when she felt something go behind her.
"Who we are is none of your concern. What you should be concerned about is where we are taking you."
Then one of the ponies tackled Dawn. She reared to flip them off and she suddenly felt as if someone was controlling her. She was dodging mainly, but Dawn was throwing attacks at light speed. When nothing appeared to be moving, Dawn paused to catch her breath. Then someone hit her head from behind. The attacker collected the knocked out pony and placed her in a sack. Following more ally ways the earth pony and its buddle were soon out of the grove.
Hours Later
Dawn struggled to finally rise when she woke. She found that all her hooves where chained and her surrounding were dark and cold.
"So the spy has awoken. Now how did you get with those unicorns? They steal you from your clan?" an icy cold voice said from in front of her. Dawn strained to see a form there.
"I'm not a spy." Dawn said defiantly. The form gave a laugh, but it stopped shortly.
"I see. Did your clan kick you out? What did you do?" Dawn was about to retort when it hit her. What if that was what she had done? What if her clan had kicked her out for failure? Her pause made the figure think she had hit home.
"So the pony got kicked out of her clan and sold battle plans to the unicorns. Now you'll tell us their battle plans."
"But I don't know them."
"Of course you do."
"All I know is their children." Dawn shouted. Then she saw her bad move.
"Ahhh, the children. A little bit of kidnapping might prove worthwhile."
"You can't hurt them. LET ME GO!"
"Nope, I'm the ruler of my clan and I say no."
"Earth ponies have a queen though!"
"Empress Gardenglow yes, but she doesn't tell me what to do with traitors." Dawn shivered. They were going to kill her. She would never remember again, she would never see Tattles and Rattles and the others again. Then she felt that feeling of something taking over.
"You don't let me go and I'll burn this place down."
"One problem, you aren't a mage and you defiantly aren't a unicorn." It taunted. Dawn closed her eyes and when the opened fire was sparking. The form lit up to show a dark green mage. The mage throw something at her and Dawn fell to the ground.
"How did she do that." The mage said dosing the flames.
At the Unicorn Grove
"Where is Dawn? She's never this late." Twilight said pacing the floor of the nursery. The newborns were watching her waiting for her to tell them that Dawn would be coming. It was after nap time and Dawn still hadn't showed. Finally Twilight walked over to the newborns.
"Little ones, Dawn is sick and I'm going to visit her okay."
"No, not okay. I want Dawn!" shouted Tattles or Rattles.
"Now Tattles, no need to get worked up."
"I'm RATTLES! Not Tattles, I have a birthmark on my ear see!" Rattles screamed. Twilight stared. The kid had a point. Where was Dawn when you needed her? Twilight ran out of the building and to the palace.
"Queen Starflower, have you seen Dawn?" Twilight said when she found the queen in the gardens.
"I haven't seen her since she left for work."
"DAWN'S MISSING! " Twilight shouted. The queen leaped up startled.
"It must have been the earth ponies. They were on another raid."
"But how did they know Dawn was here?"
"I believe they ran into her. They probably think she was in on battle plans."
"But she doesn't know anything."
"Yes, but they don't know that." Queen Starflower said rushed. Twilight could almost see the gears working in her brain.
"We have to get her back. Earth pony she may be, but the clan that kicked her out may be the clan that has her now. And that will defiantly be bad." Queen Starflower said pacing. Twilight felt the way she did. What in the world were they going to do?"
Gusty entered the room. He was expecting something like the heir to the throne was missing. He defiantly wasn't expecting what came.
"DAWN'S MISSING!" shouted the two hysterical women. It took a moment for Gusty to register Dawn as the earth pony he had found.
"IT' AN EARTH PONY!" he shouted over them. The women shut up instantly. It must have hit them too how weird that had just sounded. They were getting worked up about an earth pony who didn't know battle plans at all.
"They could attack the children." Twilight said more question like to really be a reason.
Twilight stared at the floor in confusion. It was utterly true that she could be used to harm the children, but that thought hadn't formed in her mind before now. It also seemed as if a feeling that she had to protect Dawn had come over her and ruled her. Twilight had a slight feeling that that was the same Queen Starflower had experienced.
"We need to go after her." Gusty said his voice low and calm.
"I don't know why, but we must." Queen Starflower replied. Twilight nodded.
"But how, the clans have moved to who knows where since the war. We don't even know where our old allies went. Though I doubt they'd be useful now." Twilight asked.
"We'll look for clues." Gusty informed.
"But how, we don't even now where she was taken." Starflower responded. They all looked to the floor in thought.
"Actually we do. There's an ally that leads to behind the nursery. I know for a fact Dawn uses it as a shortcut." Twilight started.
". that's the only place they could get in, take her, and get out. We have got a location. Now all we need to do is look for clues. I suggest a group of mages." Gusty said thinking it through.
"We still have a problem. Even scanning with our strongest mages, we still won't get enough to tell us the clan or even a simple shape." Queen Starflower protested.
"The earth pony clans have been torn to distrust almost as much as the races themselves. A hoof print might give us some features might limit our search."
"Gusty, that all would be great, IF WE STILL HAD CONTACTS AMONG EARTH PONY CLANS!" Twilight shouted.
The door suddenly opened. Star Hopper and Baby Gusty stood at the door. Star Hopper looked as if she had seen a ghost, while her apprentice seemed to be trying to speak but unable.
"She's having a vision. She's not a Seer!" Star Hopper said panicky.
"The One is with the clan of no return. Chained she is bound by the forgotten's edge." Baby Gusty spoke in a faint ghostly whisper. Then she fell to the ground in dead faint.
"Did that mean anything?" Star Hopper asked her voice still full of worry.
"Yes, it did." Said Twilight her eyes widening. "We know were Dawn is."
To Dawn
Dawn awoke in chains. They bound her legs to the ground so tight that she couldn't lift them. Her captor was sitting in a chair in the shadows. Ponies came there and seemed to listen then left as silently as the came. Dawn sniffled a bit and tried to blend in the shadows hoping she would hear something of use, but it was useless as she was pure white.
Gusty stormed through the tunnel. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but something drew him, his mage, some army men, and Twilight to what they could only hope was where Dawn was. They didn't know what drove them to rescue her, but Baby Gusty's vision only made it more final, whatever it was.
The tunnel finally turned into a dark room. It was like a deep cave with very little in the way of head room. It was probably designed so unicorns would have problems as Baby Gusty was the only one not hitting her horn or leaning her head down. Gusty didn't like this one bit.
"So the little unicorns want their pony back. It's too late. I already drained all information from her." An icy voice said. Gusty glared at the lighting and lit his horn. Behind him more lights sprang up, but not enough to make the voice visible, or maybe that was the point.
"Well, since you have come late maybe we can chit chat. Tell me about yourself, about the little ones. How's the queen?"
"Lair. If you really drained her of all information you wouldn't want to talk. "Gusty said smugly. This person was a beginner.
"Well, she's still dead. Why would you care though? She didn't know anything thing about the war. I checked." It asked.
"Dawn!" shouted Baby Gusty. The unicorns turned to find Baby Gusty looking through the bars of one of the cells. Gusty's mind was shocked. Dawn was chained to the ground, and looking so weak. She reminded him even more of that one Protector he admired above any other. Even Explorer couldn't light a candle to the white beauty. Dawn was included in this as well.
Then the chains burst off and the door opened. Dawn stood tall and proud, glowing from an inner light, as she walked out. Gusty turned his attention to the voice, but Star Hopper beat him. A blast of fire hit the general direction and the unicorns fled. They didn't want a fight. They wanted a quick in and out. Dawn had another idea as just when they cleared he heard a boom of explosion.
"Why did you save me?" Dawn asked when the slowed down.
"Someone in the Four is looking after you." Twilight said simple.
Explorer's Thoughts
I can't go. I can't see her. But if I don't go then who will take over the unicorns. Who will support the true race? Man, I'm starting to sound like Nightsong before she made this war. No I can't do that to Stella. I have to stand strong. I have to be the leader. The leader that Nightsong wasn't. What has gotten into me? Everything I do I compare to Nightsong. Why can't she leave me alone? I'm going insane here.
Dawn's Thoughts
What is with this? The nearer the Coming the worse the fits. I have been having them one right after the other. Twilight even had to take me off my job. Now I have nothing to do, but be Star Hopper's experiment. She can't take off the charm, but I don't know if I even want it off. There are people I don't know in it. Who in the world is Stella?
Stella's Thoughts
She's breaking. She's breaking it down. By the time that the Coming comes, she'll be free. Explorer won't be able to spell her back into submission. I won't agree. Mischief won't agree. She'll have to come back up with us. Oh, Nightsong, come back. Nightsong how could you leave me? How could you leave us? We need you, I need you. You have to come back.
Mischief's Thoughts
I'm torn between Stella and Nightsong and Explorer and the judgment. Should Nightsong be back up? Explorer doesn't do anything but fight with herself and train. Stella seems to be working, but she always is muttering about breaking. Stella needs Nightsong to be. Nightsong is everything she has. They never went anywhere without the other. With Nightsong gone, Stella can't think, she can't be the girl we know and love. Does Explorer just not see? We need Nightsong back in this world.
The Coming
Dawn stared at all the earth pony clans coming led by a single purple mare. She was timid about them ever since her kidnapping, but with unicorns around her she should be safe. The pegasus had already come and were at the plains. Dawn looked at her mirror making sure the illusion of a horn was still there.
Explorer walked proudly down the rainbow into the lands of the unicorn. On either side of her was Stella and Mischief. This was how it was supposed to be she thought. She looked happily over her unicorns and stopped when her eyes fell on one. It was Nightsong with an illusion of a horn. Her smile turned to a grimace and her eyes formed a glare straight at the mare.
Stella stole a peak at the unicorns her eyes picking out Nightsong. Even with the disguise it was noticeable that she didn't belong there. She lifted her head regally and trotted down to the earth ponies. She knew that Nightsong hadn't broken the charm yet, but when she was ready.
"Protector Stella, where is Protector Nightsong?" asked a pony.
"Her reasons are her own." Stella replied firmly.
Mischief listened lazily to the queen of her kind. She was paying more attention to Explorer, who had wandered to Nightsong. What was she going to do? She hoped she didn't embarrass the poor girl. She then walked off to Explorer and soon found Stella following her.
"I broke it Explorer." Stella said. As she did, Nightsong eyes widened as everything flew back.
"Welcome back traitor." Explorer said coldly.
"I'm not a traitor. You know it Explorer." Nightsong said proudly. The unicorns were staring at them and had fallen back into the other races who watched this fight of their protectors.
"Explorer, I won't follow through on chaining her again." Stella said
"You'll listen to the leader Stella." Explorer ordered.
"No, I listen to the leader that won the right to be leader. You didn't win it. We all know it." Stella retorted.
"Are they always like this?" Nightsong asked Mischief
"Ever since you left us Nightsong." Mischief replied.
"Looking for a fight again Explorer? You want my battle?" Explorer turned to face her.
"Well, you can't have it." Nightsong said.
"What!" Stella and Explorer said together.
"I'm not going to fight you. If you need to beat me to be leader, then surely you can't."
"But if you beat her, you can come back." Stella reminded.
"I don't care Stella. I don't care anymore. This war, it wasn't my fault, but it had to happen. Now I see. I had to start again and yes while I still remembered it hurt. Once the spell kicked in, the pain I had was the pain of remembering in flashes. I don't need to be part of the four anymore. I just need to live." Nightsong said shaking her head.
"We could remove your memories here and take you home." Mischief reminded.
"You can't erase your own memories, you can't erase their memories, and you can't erase the pain. That's what it was for you. Power always fixed everything, but it doesn't. These people have not even a 16th of the power we have, but they live happy." Nightsong said trying to get it across to them.
"Explorer, go home, be leader, take my memories again, and just leave me here." Nightsong pleaded.
"What's your price Nightsong?" Explorer asked.
"Give me a horn." Nightsong said softly. Everyone stared at her. No one had every wanted to become another race. Was she insane?
Explorer nodded and on top of her head spiraled out a single white horn. The unicorns cheered, soon followed by the winged and earth ponies. Nightsong smiled and nodded at them. All four started to glow. When the light dimmed the Three were gone and Dawn stood on a rock, her horn piercing the sky.
The Future
"But Grandma Stella, what happened to Dawn?"
"Well, Nightsong, the rock she stood on held her memories. On the day that she died all her memories came back and once again she was Nightsong. All mourned her, but none more then the man that found, rescued her and soon married her."
"Who was that?"
"His name was Gusty." Stella said. She looked around her. Of the four in that time she was the only one left, but her child and nieces surrounded her along with the first granddaughter. Stella stood up and headed down to that rock.
"Don't mourn me Stella." Said a voice around her. Stella looked at the rock and smiled to see Nightsong standing tall, her horn once again reaching the stars.
The End