Hot sweat soaked the unicorns’s coat as she trudged through the desert. Her vision faltered, black exhaustion threatening to whisk her away at any second, but she remained resolute. She had to stay strong, if not for herself, then for everypony else. If she let the darkness claim her now, they’d all die. Hopefully the rumors of the great power were true, and this wasn’t just a pointless sacrifice. 

The sun hadn’t moved in five days. Harsh rays cracked the earth beneath her, leaving the once lush landscape of Equestria drab and barren. Every step scorched her hooves and left granules of sand uncomfortably stuck to her coat.  Just one of many cruel “jokes” brought about by Discord. 

She spat. Just the thought of that monster filled her with contempt. Ponies were not made to be his playthings. Her hatred gave her the power to move forward, increasing in a desperate intensity. At the edge of her vision, she spotted a cave. Shelter. Maybe water. For the first time in days, she broke into a full sprint.

[i]So close.[/i] 

Darkness stole the edges of her vision, slowly expanding. The unicorn used the last remnants of her remaining magic to speed her movement. She stumbled inches away from the cave’s entrance, face-planting into the burning hot sand. Her limbs, weak and useless, could carry her no more. Clawing at the sand, she dragged herself closer to the cave’s entrance.

The unicorn heard faint whispers off in the distance as the blissful darkness overtook her. 

[hr] 

“Hello, child.” 

The unicorn heard a faint voice in the back of her mind. Was she awake, or just dreaming?

“It is not your time, not yet.” The voice grew louder, and other, softer voices chimed in behind it creating reverberations and echoes throughout the cave. “Fate has brought you here so you may live.” 

The unicorn opened her eyes, but there was no-one. “Who are you?” she croaked out. 

“We are the earth you stand on, the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the fire in your heart, child. The more important question is: who are you?” thousands of voices seemed to chime at once.

Was this the power?

“My name, is…uh…” she stammered. “I don’t have one. Lord Discord gave me a name once, but I hated it.”

“Hate?” The voices seemed to recoil at that word. “My child, nothing good can come from hatred. Do you hate this ‘Discord’ you speak of?” 

“Yes! He tortures everpony just because he just because he think it’s fun! Why shouldn’t I hate him? He is the chaos that destroys us!” 

There was almost an audible tsk from the voice. “You must learn to give up your hatred if you wish to best him. Only inner-Harmony can calm the tides of chaos. Only peace will calm war. War cannot end war, child.” 

The unicorn thought about this for a moment. “You asked me who I was. I am just a simple mare that cares for her fellow ponies. I am anypony with a good heart who wishes to protect the life around her. I am nobody important.” 

“Everyone on this earth is important and worth protecting,” the voices stated sternly. “Even Discord is worth protecting.”

“Why?!” the unicorn yelled. “What is the point? He’s just going to hurt more ponies!” 

“All life is sacred. If you fail to respect that, you will become as twisted as he.” 

The unicorn slumped. “I can’t do that. I won’t.” 

“You can. You will. Look inside yourself. We know you understand mercy.” 

Visions entered the unicorn’s mind. She saw herself, an older mare, sitting in a lush green paradise with cheering ponies all around her.

“This can be you, if you learn to let go.”

Another vision was thrust upon her. She saw a vast desert with no inhabitants and clouds of dust kicked up by the wind. 

“This is your future if you do not. The sun will never lower if you do not learn forgiveness.”

“Very well, I will do as you say,” the unicorn said.

“Then rise! We will allow you a taste of our power, princess of the stars.”   

Immense magical energies surrounded the unicorn, overwhelming her with power. From her body sprung massive feathery wings and her hair became imbued with a shimmering aura. Power radiated off her coat in a thick mist. 

“Save your kingdom, Celestia.”

For the first time in five days, the sun set.