Chapter 1
"Celeste, we've been here for 3 hours now!" Zephyr Stormrider whined, "Can we at least take a break in our camps for now?"
Earlier that morning, Celeste Auralis along with the rest of her friends were all summoned by the Soul Map for a Accord Quest.
It was such a rare occasion, only happens when something serious is happening.
Well, there was also that time when Pandemonium faked a Soul Map summoning all of them in order to test Astra Lenora.
This time, they made extra sure that this is not fake, Luna Whisperwind making Pandemonium promise that he's not lying.
Why do they always tend to forget about Pandemonium's sole affection towards Luna?
The last time they remember being called all together was during Astra's Unity Hive, which said pony is now reformed and changed her way.
Now as a student under Celeste's care.
She was tasked with taking care of the Castle's affair under Scorch's watch while the friends are away for a mission.
They don't know how long this will take so they took extra measures in case something goes awry along the way.
The map directed them to a mountain where a big tree resides by the peak.
It was not a long way from Starwillow Village, just a short train ride and then a 30 minute walk.
Which made this mission all the more confusing because they are unsure where the friendship problem lies.
"It doesn't make any sense," Celeste stressed as she sat down in defeat from searching all over the tree, "Our Soul marks have been shining nonstop since we got here, that must mean we're in the right places already doesn't it?
So... where is it?"
"Don't stress over it, Celi," Hazel Bramblewood comforted, "We've experienced this before, haven't we?
Let's just take a deep breath and we'll search again with a clearer mind."
"Maybe there's, like, a secret passage?" Zephyr nears her ear towards the tree as she knocks her hooves on it, listening in, "A ritual?
A secret magic message?"
"Ooooor maybe it's actually just below our flanks all along!" Glimmer Fizzlewisp pipes up as she looks at her Soul mark lighting up more as she sat down at a certain spot.
"Isn't it a little weird how there's not even a single bird or bugs around such a big and healthy tree?" Luna adds in, flying to a trunk as she searches for a nest.
"Well, there's not much of a breeze here either," Gemma Silktwill pants as she fans herself, "Let's just cool down for now, we've walked and searched for continuous hours dear!
My hooves can only handle so much!"
"Fine..." Celeste relents, "Let's take a break."
But a pinched expression remained on her face that didn't go unnoticed by the others as they rested in a circle close to each other.
"You seem really stressed lately, Celeste," Luna spoke up, "Is everything okay?"
"I'm just... really worried about leaving the school to Astra all alone again."
"You've left it to her once before, and it went great!" Hazel said, "So what's really the issue here?"
"Well..." Celeste looks away, thinking of another excuse.
"It's not about the coronation is it?"Gemma worriedly asked.
Celeste doesn't speak, but she does look more ashamed to have it laid out by her friends.
"I know it's still a few months away but...
I just can't help wondering if I'm really already up to it.
Managing Starwillow Village was not easy, the School took a lot of trial and error now.. the entirety of AetherRayae?
"Oh come on Celi, you've done loads of stuff that proves you're more ready to be a Princess of AetherRayae than you'd think!" Zephyr said, "Saving Starwillow Village, Prismara, Luminara Citadel, the Timeline, and everywhere else around AetherRayae!"
"But that's saving AetherRayae, not ruling it.
I just... feel like it's a lot more different than I can prepare for..." Celeste said, "And besides, I had all of you besides me in all of those moments, so...
I'm at a loss as to what to do after the coronation."
"Being the ruler of AetherRayae doesn't stop you from being friends with us anymore, dummy!" Glimmer laughed as she pulled Celeste in a hug, "We can still visit you, and you can visit us!
Ooooh we can have, like, official monthly meetings, weekly meetings?
Daily meetings?
Or maybe hourly meetings!"
"I don't think Celeste'll be able to do weekly meetings, sugar cube, much less a daily meeting," Hazel said with a giggle.
"But she is right, Dear,"Gemma said, "You always have us!
We're always one call away.
I won't say no to visiting my friend in the Luminara Palace!"
Celeste was deeply touched with their ever encouraging words, "Thank you, girls.
I don't know what I could've done without you."
A moment of silence drawled as Celeste looked at her friends one by one.
[Music Start]
Accord Through The Ages - AetherRayae Academy Mane 6 (link)
"Nothing stays the same for long," Celeste sang softly
"But when it changes doesn't mean it's gone," Glimmer further nuzzles herself to Celeste as the latter sings.
"Time will always get away, as it leaves behind another day~"
"Things may come and things may go," Luna sang as she sways her head.
"Some go fast, and some go slow,"
"Few things last, that's all I know," She sang as she rested her head on Hazel.
"But Friendship carries on through the Ages."
"Things may come and things may go,"Gemma sang as she fixed Zephyr's hair.
"Some go fast and some go slow,"
"Few things last, that's all I know," Zephyr lets Gemma be as she even settled on laying by the grass next to her.
"But friendship carries on through the Ages."
"Been around for a long time," Zephyr sang
"Rocking out hard 'cause I'm in my prime."
"May it'll change further down the line,"
"But my friendship— carries on through the ages!" Zephyr sang as she put Gemma in a gentle headlock
"Every single style has something different it can say," Hazel sang.
"There's nothing wrong with being unique, and special in your own way," She sang as she sways her hat.
"Maybe you wanna be a popstar!" Glimmer jumped from Celeste's hold.
"Get your 15 minutes of fame!
Woo-a-hoh" She posed around, her friends giggling at her antics
"That won't last forever," She sang as she went back to her friends
"But friendship remains the same, ahh oh."
"Things may come and things may go," One by one, the group of friends stood up as they sang together as one.
"Few things last, that's all I know,"
"But Friendship carries on through the Ages!"
"Things may come and things may go," They all huddled closer together as they faced the tree, a witness to their ever growing friendship.
"But Friendship carries on through the Ages"
"Ooooooh"
"Carries on...
Their singing ended as they hugged each other.
"We rather sang differently this time, didn't we?"Gemma giggled.
"I guess our types in Music are really different, which makes us all the more special," Celeste said.
Luna sighs in the hug, "I really don't want to be separated from you guys,"
"That won't happen!" Zephyr reassured, "I won't stop looking for you guys if that were to happen!"
"Uhh, guys?" Hazel grabs their attention, "Don't you think the Tree is kind of... glowing right now?"
Indeed, the Tree is now emitting a strange glow. 6 different colours moved around the trunks of the tree; Blue, Purple, Yellow, Orange, Red, and Pink.
Each colour met by the middle by the order and disappeared as it went down.
"Glimmer Senses are telling me...
." Glimmer's voice rang as she watched her tail shake in warning, "To look down!"
Too late, a portal appeared below them swirling in colours and... cotton candy?
Yarns and glitters?
A really strange portal which they couldn't escape in time.
They fell into the portal screaming as they fell.
Glimmer giggles amidst her scream, "I was right!
It was below our flanks!"
"Not helping Glimmer!" Zephyr shouted, she couldn't control her wings!
"Oh my Solaria!
What is happening to you guys?
!"Gemma screamed as she pointed at them, then had a good look at her hooves— hands?
"My hooves!
They have split into 4!
AAAAAAAHHH"
"Oh no," Celestes was filled with dread, a memory she felt that happened just like this surfaced in her mind.
It was just like the mirror that turned her into a—!
"My wings!" Zephyr said in alarm, "They're— gone!"
"Oooooh!" Glimmer squealed as she twisted and turned, "I'm all bright and fishy!"
"I don't wanna look— I don't wanna look— I don't wanna look—" Luna repeated like a mantra as she kept her eyes closed behind her arms.
"Y'all we're still falling!
Celi, what is happening?
!" Hazel shouted, holding onto her hat.
"I don't know!" Celeste shouted back as she looked at her arms, why is she so glittery?
"Something like this once happened to me— when I went in that mirror back in Luminara Citadel but...
It's different!
We all look so— different!
I don't know anything about this, oh gosh."
"Please tell me I still look good?"Gemma asked, stressed with having no mirror in sight.
"You have a longer neck and no horn, but you still look very pretty!
Stylish!" Glimmer answered.
"No horn?
"And we all have hands!" Glimmer added.
"What are hands?
!" They all shouted in unison.
"How can you possibly know about hands?
!" Celeste asked incredulously.
"Just a hunch," Glimmer grinned.
"LIGHT!" Hazel's voice boomed.
A light appeared below them, closing in.
"That's not a light..." Celeste said in alarm.
Luna now chose the moment to open her eyes and looked down, to which she screamed in horror.
"WE'RE GONNA FALL IN THE SKY!
"Oh no we won't!" Zephyr said.
Making use of her Aerodynamic skills, she made sure to group her friends all together before moving in front of them.
No one knows how it happened, but with Zephyr leading, a chroma trail appeared after them, the air surrounding them became heavy but controlled.
As the light neared around them, they huddled closer praying they'll be able to live through this.
The last thing they heard was the familiar sound of Zephyr's Chromaburst before everything turned black.