The Darkness and the Light (Book 2 of the Alicorn Chronicles)

Chapter 15: A Scarlet Letter

The ponies patrolled everyday. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy searching from the sky, Applejack and Pinkie Pie searching the ground and keeping the ponies happy, and Twilight searching by magic.

What about Rarity? Well, they had not seen her nor Pestilence since the first day the Elements arrived. Ick.

Unfortunately, even with eight, *cough* seven *cough*, they weren't able to locate Cosmus.

Sparkle sighed in frustration and slammed the book she was reading down on the table. She was in the library with Twilight, doing what she could and researching the stallion, without any luck.

"What's wrong Princess?" Twilight asked as she looked up from her own book.

"I can't find anything helpful in these books! It's like all the books on Cosmus are gone!" Sparkle exclaimed, exasperated.

Then, Star Shadow bounded into the room.

"Sparkle! I found something!" She called as she ran forward.

The Elements had met Star the day they arrived, before Rarity disappeared, and had grown quite fond of the little filly, just as Sparkle had.

"What is it?" Twilight asked, setting her book down calmly.

Star set a book on the table.

"Your story book? I returned this to you weeks ago, remember?" Sparkle replied.

"No! Look!" Star said as she shook her head.

She used her magic to lift part of the back cover away, revealing a secret envelope.

"A secret page!" Twilight exclaimed, lifting the page out of the cover.

"It says: 'To: The Princess of the Light'. Who is that?" Twilight asked.

"Sparkle!" Star exclaimed.

Without questioning or protesting, she handed the letter to Sparkle, for the little filly was hardly ever wrong.

Sparkle opened the letter and began reading. It went like this:

'Dear daughter,

What I have done has cursed this land for thousands of years. I know I will die soon, for even now as I sit and write, I feel his presence.

I will seal this letter in your story book. A book that we have written more and more of as of late. I will give the book to our most trusted friend, Moon Shadow. She will care for it until you are old enough to save us.

You, dear daughter, are our only hope. You hold the key for stopping him, and saving out kingdom. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what this key is, for it is something you must discover for yourself.

I must go now, the guards are waiting to take us somewhere safe, away from the Dark One. But I know it will not work. He will find us. He always finds us.

Be careful, my little princess, for I love you much more than you know. May your happiness always shine. My dear Sparkle Shimmer.

With all the love in my heart,

Queen Morning Sun of the Kingdom of Light and Dark.'

Sparkle folded the letter and though for a moment. That moment melted into two. Then three, four, five. It was several minutes later before she could even form a conscious thought.

She was the key? What did the queen mean? Was she really the rightful heir to the throne? If they didn't stop Cosmus, would their be a throne left?

Sparkle shook her head to clear it. Suddenly, her eyes widened and shock covered her face as she looked at Twilight and Star Shadow. A single, clear thought stepped into her mind.

"I know how to stop Cosmus..."

~Princess Sparkle Shimmer