Rise of Tambelon: Book one: The Gathering Storm

I'm really hooked now on this story. Can't wait until more.

I'm a reader of this. Interesting Grogar is a good guy.

I have an theory about who was possesed, but I'll say nothing, and wait until more of the story is posted. Then my suspicions will be either confirmed or disproved.

chapter one is up! You all probably know who the evil is, but I'm still going to drag it out until Twilight discovers who it is. Also, there are two Twilights. Twilight Sparkle and Twilight. They will never meet or be together so there should be no confusion. The Grogar thing will become clear too, Brightglow.

Very few ponies had witnessed Celestia bring forward daylight. Even fewer still knew what made up the great sphere of light that lit up the sky. Celestia was in deep concentration. Slowly, she gathered herself together and dug deeper into herself. Celestia had sweat pouring off of her in rivers, her mane and tail plastered to her white coat. Finally, she was rewarded with light climbing up over the mountains. She sank to her knees, gulping great lungfuls of air. Her body trembled in exhaustion. Celestia knew that this was not a good sign. She was never like this after bringing in the day. She was still laying down when Luna entered the temple looking as fresh as a daisy.

“Celestia?” Luna asked, “You look like you just came off an Iron Pony competition.”

“And you look like you just took a shower.” Both sisters laughed except that Celestia sounded more like a winded wheeze.

Despite their light joking banter, both sisters knew that it would only get harder for Celestia to bring in the day. They both knew what it meant and their banter was a way to keep up their spirits.

“If you want, I can cover for you tomorrow. We both know I’m the stronger one.” Luna was serious. Celestia didn’t argue. She knew Luna was stronger then her. She decided. Luna would handle bringing in the day tomorrow. There was no way she’d be ready to bring in the day again tomorrow.

“Please do. I don’t know how much longer I can go like this.” Celestia felt her strength returning, “Tambelon gets closer every day. In two weeks, it will be here, and so will She.”

“I don’t think She can be defeated.” Luna sighed, “She was once a force of goodness and love. It’s hard to think of Her as something so dark and evil. They said that She was dead, that Her body was simply a shell that Evil decided to possess, nothing more. I don’t believe that. I think She might still be in there somewhere, fighting to get out. While Nightmare Moon had me, I kept fighting to get out.”

“I believed, Luna. They chose to lock you up for safety reasons. I wish they didn’t have to do that to you. Without the Flow, they are just normal ponies like us. They couldn’t fight you, and nor could I. I’m glad you are back. I’d be dead by now of exhaustion If you didn’t cover for me.” Celestia said.

“How did you manage without me the last time Tambelon came?” Luna asked.

“Volcanic eruption.” Celestia answered, “No one could see the sun so I didn’t bother with it. Tambelon came on a Pyroclastic cloud. It wasn’t fair because a Pyroclastic cloud isn’t a cloud. it’s a superheated wave of gas and rock from a volcano. I even complained to Chronos about it. Apparently, a Pyroclastic cloud works too.”

“It shouldn’t because it’s not a cloud.” Luna frowned, “You’re right, that is so not fair.”

“Evil never plays fair, girls.”

“Chronos!”

“Celestia, the sun is hanging low. Get it into the sky, not just above the treetops. Also, its not the dead of winter any more. Warm it up. Luna, the moon should have set hours ago.” Chronos was in his disguise as a brown earthling with brown hair and blue eyes. His symbol was an golden hourglass.

“Sorry, Chronos!” Luna blushed, and concentrated on setting the moon.

Celestia pulled herself to her feet, “I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee anything.”

Outside, the sun rose higher into the sky and the weather warmed up. Celestia was breathing hard again by the time she finished.

“That is more like it.” Chronos smiled, “I know it is getting harder with Tambelon getting closer. Remember, not a word to the people. We’ll get through it.” his expression changed to one of painful sorrow.

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“Twilight Sparkle!” Spike’s voice cut into her dreams. Twilight woke up and blinked sleep out of her eyes. The baby dragon, Spike, was bouncing on her bed. Twilight groaned.

“Spike! Will you please move? It’s not your birthday.” the female purple unicorn got up and shook herself, “It’s Spring Market day!” Both pony and dragon raced toward their respective jangle piggy banks.

“I got twenty jangles!” Spike’s eyes got dreamy as he thought of the ruby sticks, gem candy, and his favorite, sun baked emeralds.

“I got 25 jangles!” Twilight called out, her own eyes dreamy as she thought of candied daisies.

“Eww! Spike! Stop drooling on my tail!”

“Rarity! It’s Spring Market day!”

“Just look at my beautiful tail!” Rarity moaned, “I know it’s Spring Market day. I do hope you both are not going looking like that!”

“What?” Twilight saw herself in a mirror and screamed. Spike joined in on her scream. Twilight’s purple coat looked matted and her mane and tail were in shambles. Spike didn’t look much better.

“Come this way, darlings! One of my specials will get you both looking spiffy again in no time!” Rarity replied cheerfully, “I’ll even throw in a free makeover!”

Twilight and Spike looked at each other and screamed again. Before they knew it, they both were sitting in tubs of hot water inside Rarity’s Boutique.
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Rainbow Dash found herself diving for the ground again, her heart hammering in fear. She pulled herself up out of the dive and forced herself to breathe. Why was she so scared? Rainbow turned a slow circle. She faced northeast and trembled. Around her, many pegasi turned northeast and trembled. Several let lose with whinnies of fear. A few more turned tail and ran, only to freeze in place as their faces reflected total terror. Rainbow screamed, her eyes no longer seeing the sunny morning.

She saw a tower of rock. Something purely evil stood on that tower of rock, its dark hair flowing around it. The red sky filled with fleeing black bodies of pegasi. They didn’t get a chance. Each one tumbled from the sky in a bloody mass of fur and feathers. Those who survived the fall found themselves being devoured by the evil creature.

“Snap out of it, Rainbow!”

“What is with the pegasi?”

“I don’t know!”

“Mommy?”

Applejack walked down main street, horrified at the many pegasi bodies laying around her. Pinkie Pie was with her. The pink earth pony was quiet. They came up to a gray blue baby unicorn shaking her pegasus mother.

“It’s Bright Eyes and Baby Brightglow! What happened, Brightglow?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Don’t know.” Brightglow sniffed.

“Pinkie, find Twilight. I’ll stay with her.” Applejack ordered.

“I’m on it!” Pinkie Pie raced off down the street.

“Will Mommy die?” Brightglow asked, her big yellow eyes filling with tears.

“Bright Eyes will be fine.” Applejack reassured the baby unicorn, “Twilight will know what to do.”

“It is a racial memory, one so horrid only pegasi be so torrid.”

“Zecora! Do you know what is happening? What is a racial memory?” Applejack turned to greet the zebra.

“I know not the sight, that what causes pegasi such fright. A racial memory is one so shared that all see how it fared.” Zecora stopped by Bright Eyes, “I know not what gives such fright. Every pegasi quakes at its sight.”

“Can you find out what they remember?” Applejack heard cantering hooves and turned to see Twilight covered in soap coming toward her.

“Can do will to!” Zecora answered.

“What is going on?” Twilight shivered, “I was enjoying that bath.”

“Look at the pegasi. Why are they so scared?” Applejack asked.

“It could be a racial memory. I haven’t read much about them in my books.” Twilight answered.

At the moment, what ever had its hold on the pegasi let go. Left and right, pegasi rose. Bright Eyes nuzzled her daughter to calm her down. Rainbow blinked, trying to recall what had just happened. She looked northeast and shuddered involuntarily. Twilight winked back to Rarity as she was no longer needed. Applejack walked up to Rainbow.

“What happened?” she asked her friend.

Rainbow closed her eyes, “I don’t remember now. I know it was bad, really bad.”
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“Sis? Celestia!” Luna shook her sister.

They were back in the castle in the library. Luna didn’t know what was going on. She had been outside when she saw the pegasi drop to the ground. Luna had then ran to find Celestia, only to watch her drop in the library. Now she was frantically trying to wake Celestia up.

“No!” Celestia screamed suddenly, causing Luna to jump, “I won’t let you win! Not this time! I’ll fight you myself if you dare set cloud in Equestria!”

“Celestia!” Luna tried again.

Celestia blinked, “Luna? I’m fine.”

“Celestia, what happened? I know I wasn’t here to help you five hundred years ago. The pegasi are down.” Luna asked.

“The story is too horrible. Tambelon is closer. Luna, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to go intercept Tambelon now while She is weak. Hopefully I can drive it back before it reaches Equestria. I want you to stay here and keep things running smoothly. I’ll leave early tomorrow morning.” Celestia looked out the window at the mountains in the northeast, “Don’t tell Chronos.”

“Sis, it’s too dangerous! What happened back then that has you acting crazy?” Luna asked.

Celestia closed her eyes and whispered, “The apocalypse happened.”

“I don’t understand! What happened, Celestia? Why are you rushing off into battle?” Luna tried.

“We were shoved to near extinction. The last two Guardians died sending Her back. Too many lives were lost. Demons fed above ground. Horrible times.” Celestia got up and walked toward her room outside the library, “She almost won. I won’t allow Her to rise again!”

Luna gave up trying to get answers from Celestia.
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Far away, over the distant northeastern range and beyond the vast woodland that blanketed the land on the other side of the range, over a blazing hot desert, the sky convulsed. Desert dwellers looked up first in curiosity then in terror. A massive storm grew from the center of the sky. Two pegasi, one white with silver and white hair, the other green with yellow and green hair, stood on the roof terrace and watched the sky.

They were Tiffany and Pristina, guardians of Blue Manor. Blue Manor stood four stories tall in its own little oasis. The walls were made from blue marble that had long since turned white with age. The oasis was once beautiful. Grass grew around the edge of the water. Banana trees, Lime trees, and Lemon trees stood tall as they bore the fruit that made up a good chunk of Blue Manor’s food source. Not any more. The oasis had dried up during times of ancient yore. What was left of the grass that managed to grow was thin and sparse. Fossilized trees replaced the once vast orchard. The great iron fence that surrounded Blue Manor was mostly gone.

Tiffany and Pristina weren’t the only two ponies living in Blue Manor. There was Buttons and her adopted daughter, a flightless flutter named Wind Drifter. Heart Throb and her mate, Firebolt, made up the remaining pegasi. Ember and Lucky made up the only two children of Blue Manor. Sparkler, Speedy, Skyflier, Buttons, and Twilight made up the unicorns. Peachy and Lemondrop made up the earthlings. There used to be so many ponies that Blue Manor was overcrowded. Now, only the bottom floor was still in use.

The ponies living in Blue Manor were skinny. Their coats were scraggly and the adults all had battle scars from fighting the Reptilians that threatened their way of life. Manes and tails were kept cropped short. Long hair only got you killed. Their hooves were kept honed to a sharp point. Unicorns held long deadly horns kept filed to a fine point. They did not use magic. They could sense magic, but they could not use it. Only Twilight could use magic. Pegasi wings were small, good for long jumps through the air, not flying. There were no normal eyes. Normal eyes were easily burned in the heat and blind, you were basically Reptilian kill. Twinkle eyes reflected heat and allowed you to see in sand storms.

“What do you make of it, Pristina?” Tiffany asked, “This doesn’t feel like Reptilian.”

“It’s not Reptilian. They don’t possess magic.” Pristina answered, “This is magic, dark magic. Something bad, really bad, is coming.”

In her room, Twilight, oldest of the Unicorns, lifted her head. Her horn, badly cracked and dull, was tinkling. Her shiny purple eyes widened as she sensed the magic crackling in the air. She had heard the stories about Tambelon growing up in Blue Manor.

Out in the tiny back yard, Wind Drifter and Skywishes both looked up at the sky.

“Sky, remember Twilight’s stories?” Drifter asked.

“I know, Drifter! We have to go inside!” Skywishes herded her best friend into the manor, “Those stories can’t be real!”

Twilight made up her mind. She left her comfortable room and walked carefully to the kitchen and to the back door. Buttons ran to her. Sparkler and Speedy joined her along with Skywishes. Twilight sighed.

‘This is my fight. You all must gather the others and leave. Go beyond the mountains to Equestria. Find Celestia. I can not go. I must stay behind and fight.’ Twilight spoke with her mind calmly, ’Go!’

“But Twilight! Let us stay and help you!” Sparkler begged, tears streaming down her face.

‘Now Sparkler. Dry those tears. You must be brave for me. Tiffany and Pristina need you to guide them. Celestia must be warned. Go, my family and warn the world of Tambelon, and of the nightmare She brings!’

Crying softly, Sparkler forced the other unicorns to turn and leave Twilight alone. The old unicorn mare stepped outside. In the front hall, Pristina coordinated packing. Heart throb was crying. Firebolt stood next to his mate and spoke to her to get her to calm down. Drifter had Lucky and Ember. Lucky was asking questions while Ember saw it as a new adventure. She was too little to understand why they were leaving. Lucky and Ember were earthling orphans adopted by Pristina. Peachy and Lemondrop had packed baskets of food. Everyone was ready to go in ten minutes. Pristina took the lead as they moved out. Twilight posed in the backyard, her body blazing with white light. She knew she wouldn’t stop Tambelon, only stall it. Taking a deep breath, She winked into the storm lashed streets of Tambelon. The wind slammed the rain sideways. She was soaked in minutes. Lightening licked the underbelly of the clouds which rumbled in ecstasy. The streets were roaring rivers nearly impossible to wade through. Twilight pressed toward the center of the city. A scream rent the darkness. In a flash of lightening, Twilight saw her foe. Huge wings stretched across the sky. Red eyes burned like fire. The sinuous, dragon like body coiled around a tower set in the center of the city. Fangs and claws gleamed wickedly.

‘Thatsss it, come clossser…’ the being hissed, a forked tongue flickering between scaly lips.

Twilight shivered, yet she walked toward the demon.

‘How could you, a powerful force of love and goodness, become so corrupted? How did we not see it? As the Last of the Guardianship, I Twilight, Chief Guardian of the Guardianship, Daughter of Lord Silverdark and Lady Earthia, join you in battle! I know I can’t defeat you, but I can wound and slow you down!’ Twilight growled.

With a hissing scream, the demoness rose into the air. Twilight held her ground. Her horn lit up and she let the light fill her whole being. She stood her ground and let the former Guardian charge her.
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Twilight Sparkle and Spike browsed the outdoor market. It was a place set up under colorful tents just outside of town. Many vendors hawked their wares over the sound of excited chatter as ponies browsed the stands filled with many goods. There were apples, various gems and fruit, rugs, jars, flowers, creams, and many other goods from everywhere in Equestria. One thing Twilight hadn't counted on was the crowds. On her back, Spike munched contentedly on a ruby stick. he held a bag of gems in one paw while he used his other paw to hold the stick. Several times now, he had nearly fallen off of Twilights back.

"What are you looking for, Twilight?" Spike asked.

"I'm looking for Dracora's stand. She sells the best tasting candied daisies." Twilight said, seriously considering using magic to force the slow moving mare in front of her to move faster. The mare stopped to examine a rug displayed by a vendor who began talking about the rug in hopes of a sale. Twilight fumed, trying to worm around the mare. Unfortunately, the mare backed up and Twilight scrambled backward to avoid being walked on. Spike somehow ended up on the mares back and Twilight froze. the vendor was rolling up the rug. Quickly, Twilight winked Spike back onto her back. She also managed to get by the mare, only to wind up with a faceful of Pinkie Pie. Somebody had clearly let the already high energy pink filly get into a supply of sugar.

"HaveyoutriedFlame'ssugarcubes? Haveyou? Haveyou?" Pinkie Pie suddenly grabbed Twilight and dragged her through the crowd to Flame's stall, "Twosugarcubesplease!"

"Don't you dare! She's had too much sugar!" Twilight dragged Pinkie Pie outside, intent on giving the young filly a piece of her mind. Instead, what happened next made Twilight forget about Pinkie Pie. overhead, what looked like a moving sea of color raced groundward. Twilight was shocked into silence as hundreds, if not thousands of pegasi filled every spot on the ground. They all were crouched low, fear written on their faces. many of them trembled. several of them cried silent tears. then each pegasus laid flat on the ground, all facing the same direction, north east. What was going on?

“What’s happening, Twilight?” Spike asked.

Twilight was about to answer when a scream caught her attention. Bright Eyes was still standing. She was shaking horribly and sobbing loudly.

“I’m burning!” the cry came from Bright Eyes, but the sound was of a pegasus in torture, “I’m on fire! It hurts! I can’t find water!” She sank into a motionless heap of blue gray fur and yellow hair. Twilight’s jaw dropped. Bright Eyes bad eye was normal during her outburst. Twilight spotted Fluttershy and ran to her friend.

“Fluttershy? What is happening? I can’t help you if I don’t know what is wrong with you.” Twilight whispered gently to her friend. Fluttershy looked up and screamed, her eyes seeing another time and place. Slowly, her voice haunted by the horror she shared, she began to speak.

“Once a mighty force of love and kindness, now so corrupt, a sacrifice of an entire town, She rages again.” Fluttershy whispered, “She comes again, She who burned her own kind and destroyed until there was nothing left. The great Demoness rises again!”

“Midnight Moon?” Twilight tried.

“Not the midnight one, the sun one.” Fluttershy stopped talking and would say no more.

“Not Celestia.” Spike whispered, “It can’t be Celestia!”

“I think it is Celestia.” Twilight sighed.

At that moment, the Pegasi were released from their shared terror. They all rose as one and shook themselves. They then dispersed into the crowd as if nothing had happened.

The Pegasi suffered two separete episodes of the coming nightmare during this chapter. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

I'm working on the next chapter!