Chapter 1: The Twilight of a Civilization



>"First, there was the War.
>Princesses saw it coming from afar, but couldn't do anything about it.
>They had tried stopping it, delaying it, but the Griffon Kingdom was impenetrable.
>As the last mean of defense they tried summoning... Her.

>/The pony shivers/

>As expected, they had failed. They summoned me instead, with none of my old powers.
>I couldn't do anything during the War but run.
>Twilight told me to take you with me and run in the Everfree.
>I could hear it in her voice – she had lost any last drop of hope.
>Her voice was filled with sorrow, she couldn't contain the tears.
>I don't think she even tried.
>You were in some kind of a coma; I took care of you through all this time.
>I... Now that you're back with us... I'm just happy."

"For how long have I been in coma?"

>"Five years, Anon."
>"It's been five years since the War."
>...
"Right."
>So that's why all your limbs are so numb
"So um... Why didn't you just leave me here?"
>"*gasp* To die here? Never! I wouldn't even... Twilight said you'd wake up sooner or later, and I trust Twilight."
>"Well, I still didn't think it'd take that long, but... You're awake now, right?"


"Yeah..."
"I guess."
>"Can you walk?"
>You try getting up again
>Hard, but managable
>You still can't feel your legs
>Just four green stubs of wood in the place of your hooves
>Now that's what you call a "morning wood"
>You laugh at your own little joke
"I'm good. Just need some walking to get the blood pumpin' again."

>"Let's get going then; we should be there by dawn."

>You both start walking towards the faint yellow light far, far away
>The stars guide your way, glowing with their slight coldness
>The chills help you stay awake; even though you've been on the edge of the sweet release of death for a long time, your body is exhausted
>The occasional whisper of leaves on the evergrowing trees keep you focused
>You still wonder who that pony is; she doesn't seem like anyone you've seen last time you were here
>She knows Twilight, though
>Or knew...
>Maybe Twilight is dead, you hope she ain't

>The pony turns left; you go after
>The pony turns right; you follow
>The pony stops; you do as well
"Hm?"
>"I... Just let me remember the way. I hadn't gone through this route for a long time."
"Okay."

>The pony stands still for a minute, which seems like an hour
>"...I think we should go there."
>She waves towards some passage near two rotten, fallen apart trees which are probably older than time itself
>The pony gazes at it, like she remembered something
>"The Trees of Wisdom... Twilight told me about them, when... She was showing me a place to hide in."
>She comes closer and touches the bark with her hoof, running it along the cracks and holes filled with moss
>"Some ponies say it's the only magical thing in the Everfree, because it's older than the forest itself."
>"Some say that the Everfree actually sprouted from it, and it lost its powers in the process."
>"Twilight was so enthusiastic; like almost she knew the truth about it... Maybe one day, we will find out."

>She sighs
>"Now... I know where to go."
>And leads the way

>...

>It's getting quite cold, doesn't it?
>If before you couldn't feel your legs because of the numbness, now it's the temperature
>You can barely move

>"We'll gonna stop by somepony to get some rest before we go on."
"So there /are/ ponies alive still?"
>"..."
>"Not exactly ponies... You'll see what I mean."
>You walk around a huge tree in your way to see a little hut in the middle of nowhere
>It was apparently cut out from a large oak tree
>All lights are off, except for what seems like the main room, the biggest window

>You get closer and feel a sweet smell in the air
>Only now you realised that you're hungry as shit
>Like on a command your stomach reminds you of that again
>The pony approaches the door and gives it a good knock


>"Zecora? Are you home?"
>What you see behind that door is not what you exactly expected...

>"Oh who I see behind my door:
Isn't that the pony you took care of not long ago?"
>Is this nigga rapping or something?
>"It definetly is, Zecora. We've come quite a way here, do you mind if we stay here 'till dawn?"
>"Sure, my ponies, step inside;
I can't leave you wandering at night."