Alister: Remembrance and Revelationsby KrazyBumChaptersPrologue: The ExperimentChapter 1: On Any Normal DayChapter 2: Stepping Through The DoorChapter 3: Assault On The Dirt PathChapter 4: The Tunnels BelowPrologue: The Experiment“Alister, would you please hook those lightning rods to the device?” “Yes Master.” I ran over to the table where the lightning rods laid. With my horn, I transported them to the machine Starswirl the Bearded had just created. “If my calculations are correct,” said Starswirl, “then this device should banish those horrible creatures to another dimension. I call it the Dimension Splitter” “IF they are correct master,” I joked. “No time for laughs. Princess Celestia is counting on us to get this right.” “Of course. My mistake.” The device looked very peculiar to the wrong eyes. The devise itself was circular in a dome-like shape with enough room for three full grown stallions to stand comfortably with the lightning rods on either side of it. A control panel was set up on the left side where buttons and switches were flickering with lights of every color. “Now to test it.” Starswirl said. He placed a red apple in the center of the chamber. “Now Alister, use your magic to power up the machine.” I concentrated for a moment, until I reached down into my core to summon a power magic that will operate Starswirl’s Dimension Splitter. Once I found it, I cast it towards the lightning rods. Sparks began connecting from the rods to the dome as a purplish vortex began to form. The image through the open vortex was clearing and I could see a street. But it wasn’t like anything I’ve seen before. The roads were paved and there were strange yellow lines going through the middle. There was also another road, but smaller on both sides of the larger one. There were animals I’ve never seen on these roads. No hair on their bodies except for on their heads and walking on two feet like an angry bear ready to roar. Starswirl pushed the apple into the street. The apple passed through leaving a ripple like a rock being thrown into and undisturbed lake. Right as it passed, one of the animals picked it up and looking around in confusion. No doubt looking for the source of where it came from. “It worked!” Starswirl shouted. “I can’t believe it actually worked!” “Congratulations, Master.” I said. The portal was still opened and Starswirl turned to me. “That’s enough. You can close the portal now.” As soon as I was pulling my magic away something strange was happening. I couldn’t move! My magic wouldn’t stop. Suddenly a force like a magnet was attracting me towards the open portal. “What are you doing Alister? Close the portal!” “I can’t.” I said, panicking now. “My horn won’t let me!” The portal was getting closer as I tried keeping my hooves on the ground for dear life. “Alister LET GO!” Suddenly a great force finally defeated my struggle and took me into the vortex. “ALISTER!” That was the last thing I heard when a blinding light overtook me into the unknown. Chapter 1: On Any Normal Day“Al? Al! Wake up or you’ll be late for school!” I opened my eyes and found myself lying on my bed. The bright light from the window forced me to withdraw my gaze as I slowly put on my glasses. I had that dream again. I thought to myself. Though this time, it was more realistic like I was actually standing there. I dragged myself to the bathroom where I took a shower, brushed my teeth and put in my contact lenses. I ran downstairs with my backpack over my shoulder heading for the door when my mother came up to me. “Do you have everything you need? Pencils, Pens, Homework?” “Yes mom.” I said. “Well you best be off or you’ll miss your bus. And don’t forget your lunch!” I stuffed my lunch into the bag and ran to the corner where the bus usually picks me up. Standing at the corner already was my neighbor who also went to my high school. She was cute, but I never had the courage to ask her out on a date. She looked over while I was approaching the corner. “Al! Good Morning!” She said with a smile on her face. “Morning” I said tiredly. “Did you sleep late again?” She asked. “Only because Mrs. Brooks homework was ridiculous to finish.” “That’s true, but that’s no excuse to get it done early. You should stop playing video games so you can get it done quicker.” “Yeah, yeah.” I said rolling my eyes. When the bus finally brought us to school, I headed down to the cafeteria where the usual gang hangs out before classes. “Al! What’s up my man?” Dominic, my best friend since elementary school, came up to me as I approached our table. “Nothin much.” I shrugged. “Just seeing what crap you’re gonna push on me today.” We both laughed and headed towards our morning classes. The time was going by very slow. I was drawing on the desk before the first bell rang for the next period. During chemistry I was sitting at my usual seat near the window. I always look out; trying to see if anything interesting would happen, which nothing does. But today, something caught my eye. A rainbow just formed in front of my eyes in a perfect circle. I rubbed them just to make sure I wasn’t daydreaming again. But it was still there when I opened them. “Mr. Sterling! Will you pay attention?!” yelled my chemistry teacher. “This will be on the test!” “Yes sir. Sorry sir.” I muttered while the class was sniggering at me. After classes were over and the club meetings finished, I walked home with Dom like we do every day and talk about life. “I mean what if it’s real? Area 51 I mean.” Dom said. “Some people say it doesn’t exist and the governments just using the desert for nuclear testing. What if they’re right?” “I don’t know.” I said annoyingly. Dom loves to talk about Area 51 and the mysteries of aliens. “Al, let me ask you something and I’m being completely serious now.” “When are you not?” I said sarcastically. Dom gave me a blank stare and I knew then he was serious. “Do you like your life, Al?” I thought for a second. Why is he asking me this? “Sometimes I do.” I replied. “But sometimes I just wanna be in another world where I can do what I want or be in a world with characters from cartoons.” “Al, don’t start your brony crap again. You’re lucky I can put up with you knowing you’re a brony.” “Well you brought it up.” “Anyway, say, like, tomorrow morning you open your door and another world was right in front of you. What would you do?” “Probably not. I say things most of the time but don’t really mean them” “I guess you’re right.” We got to the corner where we split up to get to our home. As we said our goodbyes and started turning directions, Dom said, ‘If I were you tomorrow, I’d open the door and walk through.” Confused, I ignored him and went home. I ate my dinner and my homework late, again. I took out my contacts and snuggled underneath my sheets and fell asleep. The same dream was occurring. I could see Starswirl the Bearded and his Dimension Splitter. I saw the test with the apple and the pony getting sucked into the portal. I heard Starswirl screaming his name. “ALISTER!!!” When I heard it, I woke up in a cold sweat. I grabbed my glasses off the nightstand and put them on. I wanted to go get a midnight snack since I was hungry and it was still very late in the night. I tiredly walked to my bedroom door and slowly opened it. My eyes focused right away at what I saw. I blinked just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Right outside my door was a town in the middle of the day bustling with busy ponies. Right outside my door, I was looking at Ponyville. Chapter 2: Stepping Through The DoorMy eyes were as wide as my bedroom door. I closed it and opened it again just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I felt a cool breeze float into my room as I left the door open. Slowly I walked through onto the grass. The town was bustling with life. The ponies were busying themselves in the market, little fillies and broncos were playing with each other in the meadow across where I was standing. After a few steps a sudden jolt was forcing on all fours. I felt a sharp pain on my forehead as if someone was hammering a nail from the inside of my head. When it was finally over, I opened my eyes and stood up. I turned around to look at my room but it was gone. The door was too. I looked down to the ground and saw that both my arms and legs formed into hooves. I looked at my backside and saw a tail had grown. It was difficult to walk on all fours but after a few steps I began to walk straight. The walk turned into a sprint and I found myself in the middle of town. The town hall towering over me and the fountain that stood before it. I looked into the water and saw a unicorn horn from under a brown mane. I looked at my reflection in disbelief. The creature standing in front of me wasn’t a human, but rather a unicorn. My flank had bore a cutie mark. It was a constellation of stars. I recognized it immediately from my astronomy class. It was Perseus; the demi-god that killed Medusa and hero of Greece. While I was lost in observing myself, a crowd had started gathering around me. They were whispering among themselves as if I looked familiar to them. “Is it him?” one pony asked. “Nah. It can’t be. He disappeared centuries ago.” “But he looks like him. It’s got to be him.” They started closing in around me when a booming voice came from the crowd. “ALRITE, CLEAR THE WAY! NOTHING TO SEE HERE! GO BACK TO YOUR BUSINESS!” A stallion came forward with four other guard ponies. He was a wearing a magnificent set of armor that glistened in the suns reflection. A magenta six pointed star was encrusted on the front. When he removed his helmet, he had a long, blue mane with a light blue stripe going down the middle. I knew who he was but I was compelled myself to ask. “Who are you?” “Shining Armor.” replied the stallion. “Captain of the Royal Guard. We’ve been expecting your return for a while now, Alister.” I looked around to see if there was another pony he was talking to. “I think you’re talking to the wrong pony. My name’s not Alister; it’s Al. Al Sterling.” He looked with concerning eyes. “So you don’t remember anything?” “Remember what?” He turned to one of his guards. “I thought you said once he entered this world, he’d regain all memories of his experiences here. All of his accomplishments he had with Starswirl the Bearded.” The guard said, “I said it was a possibility; not a guarantee.” His voice was familiar. I’ve heard before. Just before I arrived home the previous day. “Dominic?” The guard pony took off his helmet, as his black mane came falling down. Then he gave me a big smile. “Surprised?” I was at a loss for words. How did Dominic get here? How did he know Shining Armor? How does he know about me being here, if I was here at all? As if reading my mind, Dominic turned to me and said, “All your questions will be answered in time Al. In the meantime, let’s get something to eat. Shining Armor knows a good apple stand around here.” As we walked through Ponyville’s streets, I asked to Dominic, “I thought you weren’t a brony.” “I’m not a brony you dimwit.” He replied. “This is my home.” “What?! But you live in the same town I did. We’ve been best friends since elementary school. I’ve even met your parents!” “Decoys. The people you met were only Decoys. Ponyville is my real home. I’ve been sent from Canterlot to find you. When I finally did, I was told to watch over you in the other world until the timing was right. I’ll explain everything to you later. We’ve arrived at the apple stand.” It was a wooden stand with all sorts of apple products covering its counter top. The banner of the stand was blue with two green horseshoes between a green apple. Two poles held up two more red, wooden apples. Dominic rang the little bell that was placed on the counter top. As soon as it wrung, a pony with a cowgirl hat came over to the opposite side. “Howdy Dominic. Hey Shining, what can I get y’all?” “Hey AJ.” said Dominic. “I’ll have an apple fritter.” “I’ll have an apple pie.” said Shining Armor. “And what’ll you have, stranger?” asked the pony behind the stand. “Um. I’ll just have a regular red apple, I guess.” I said nervously. “That’ll be 5 bits” Dominic handed her the money and then asked “You haven’t seen Twilight around, have you?” “Sorry Dom, haven’t seen her since yesterday.” I knew who she was but once again, I asked “Dom, who is she?” “Where are my manners? Al, this is Applejack. She works at Sweet Apple Acres and sells her apples here at her stand. AJ, this is my friend Al.” She observed me closely and said to Dom “This is him? Alister? THE Alister?” “The one and only.” Suddenly she grabbed my hoof and started shaking it violently. “It’s an honor. It really is. I can’t believe you’re standing right in front of me.” When she was done my arm and hoof were still shaking up and down like a balance scale. “My name’s not Alister. It’s just Al.” “Oh don’t be so modest.” Applejack said with a big smile. “To think you’re back from the other side.” As we waved goodbye and started walking away, I turned to Dom and said “What was that all about?” “Like I said before, everything will be explained later. Right now let’s get to the inn. You need rest. It’s been a long day.” Chapter 3: Assault On The Dirt PathThe next morning, I awoke to the sound of birds chirping in a nearby tree. A cool breeze came in through the open window. The door opened and Dominic was standing with Shining Armor; both of them in their armored attire. “Alister, Dominic and I are going to patrol the entrances of Ponyville.” said Shining Armor. “You can go around town and explore a bit. Be sure to meet with us at Town Hall at 2:00.” “For the last time, my name’s not Alister.” I said beginning to get annoyed. “Whatever you say.” Shining Armor remarked sarcastically. “Don’t worry about him.” Dominic whispered. “Right now just have a nice stroll around town. It’s a beautiful day out. Be a shame to waste it in-doors.” After they both left, I went downstairs to have some breakfast at the buffet. There were omelets, pancakes, waffles, French toast, and an assortment of fruits. I chose to have a waffle and drank a cold glass of orange juice. After I was satisfied, I went outside to see the town, just as Dominic and Shining Armor suggested. I kept getting stares and people whispering “Alister” when they though I wasn’t looking. It didn’t bother me as much as it did this morning. After looking in a few shops, Rarity ran into me and was completely excited. “Oh, you must try on this cape I made! When I heard you have returned, I couldn’t wait to show off my designs.” While she had her back to me while picking out another suit for me to try on, I slipped out of the door and headed to one of the entrances to town. The sign that was posted at the edge of town pointed down the road and said “To Canterlot.” As I looked down the road, I could barely make out a farmer pony pulling a hay cart. Once he got closer, it happened. Three nasty, little green creatures came out of nowhere and started to attack the farmer. Their jagged swords were slicing through his body like a hot knife through butter. A giant pool of blood began to form around the corpse. The guts that were once inside the pony’s body hung out in a messy pile. The creatures turned their attention towards me and began to sprint. They were fast. I tried to move, but the fear that had clouded my mind prevented my legs to step back. As soon as the creatures were about 5 feet away from slicing my head off, a unicorn horn stuck through one of the creature’s forehead and coming out the back side. The creature now dangling like a rag doll was tossed aside. Another unicorn picked up the second creature with his magic and then bashed his brains out on a nearby boulder. Multiple pools of blood began to form as the third creature’s was kicked clean off by another pony. The unicorn with blood on his horn turned to me and said “Are you all right, Alister?” It was Shining Armor. That meant the second unicorn that beat the creature’s head in the now blood stained boulder was Dominic. “Yeah, I’m fine” I lied. My head was light and my mind clouded with the events that just happened. “That was close.” said Dominic. “If we were a little later and you would’ve been pushing up daisies next to this farmer. What a mess.” “What were those things?” I said trying to collect my thoughts. “Goblins” said Shining Armor. “What are goblins doing in Equestria?” “The same thing they’ve been doing for a thousand years. Killing and terrorizing the ponies who live here.” “But why?” Dominic put his hoof on my shoulder and said “I think it’s time for us to help you collect your memories.” As we headed back into town, the attack that just happened kept rolling in my mind. The farmer pony being sliced, Shining Armor and Dominic brutally killing the goblins. I couldn’t think of anything else. Finally we arrived in front of the library. Shining Armor knocked on the door. A purple unicorn was on the other side. “Shining Armor! What are you doing here?” she said excitedly as she gave him a big hug. “Hey, Twighly. We just came back from one of the entrances.” he explained. “There’s been another attack.” Twilight’s smile turned into a look of horror. “That’s the fourth time this week. When will it end?” “I don’t know, but that’s beside the point. You know who this is, don’t you?” referring to me. Upon further inspection she gasped and put a hoof to her mouth as she whispered “Alister.” I was about to say who he really was when she suddenly pulled me, Shining Armor, and Dominic into the library. “Are you crazy?!” she yelled. “What are you thinking letting him strut about outside. If the enemy heard he was back, they’d send an army just to kill him!” As Shining Armor scratched the back of his head in an attempt to make an excuse, Dominic stepped forward and said “We’re trying to help him regain his memories. Looks like sights and sounds aren’t working though. We have to go into the ‘vault.’” Twilight’s horror turned into complete fear. “You can’t go in there. You’ll be killed faster than the enemy’s army could.” “It’s the only way.” persisted Dominic. “We need the keys to get to the vault. What’s down there is nothing me and Shining Armor can’t handle.” She paced the floor for a moment. Then, sighing, she said “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She ran upstairs and grabbed a small chest. She unlocked it with a glow of her horn and lifted a set of keys, each a different color. When she gave them to Dominic, he stuffed them into his bag quickly. “Come on, Al.” said Dominic. “We’ve got to find your memories.” As the three of us left the library, Twilight was at the door with a concerned look. As I turned around to say goodbye, she said under her breath “Be careful.” Chapter 4: The Tunnels BelowThe three of us walked through Ponyville until we came to Town Hall. With Shining Armor’s status, the guard ponies at the entrance let us into the building. The high ceiling was decorated with many flags; each representing a different town or city within Equestira. At the end of the hall was a portrait of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. As we approached it, Dominic’s horn glowed as the painting dimmed. The empty portrait lit up with torches that hung on the wall. As we walked through, we came upon stairs that led downward deeper into this dungeon. We reached the bottom and a silver door appeared out from the floor. “This, my friend,” began Shining Armor “is The Vault. One of the most guarded structures in all of Equestria. Aside from Canterlot Castle of course.” “But where are the guards?” I asked. “If you say it’s the most guarded structure, then where are the ponies that are supposed to guard it.” Dominic chuckled. “Ponies can’t guard the treasures within. Starswirl the Bearded decided to place magical spells on the first few doors to lead thieves back to the outside. After that, he placed the most dangerous creatures that were faithful to all of pony kind to guard the final gates. Those who found their way to them were either warned or killed.” “Great. Not that I needed anymore danger.” I said, my hooves tapping nervously. “Dominic, can you open the first gate now, please?” said Shining Armor impatiently. Dominic took out the small key ring that Twilight gave him. Carefully choosing the right key, he unlocked the first gate. As we stepped through, more torches lit up as if they knew we were coming. As we walked a little further, another gate appeared. It was old and the paint was peeling. But from what remained, it was once colored a magnificent burgundy red. As I reached my hoof to open the door, Dominic stopped me. “I wouldn’t open it just yet. Look where you’re standing.” As I looked to where his hoof was pointing, I saw just cobblestone. But when my eyes focused, there was a pressure plate. Only when I stepped on it, it felt normal. When I tested it again and again, I saw the plate move slightly down. “One of Starswirl’s tricks. When you stand on the plate and open the door, you’ll walk on until the passage leads you just outside Town Hall. But if you leave it alone, we should continue.” “So how do we get passed without standing on the plate? It’s right in front of the damn door.” “Simple really.” said Dominic. “You just gotta jump into the doorway.” Now I felt really stupid. I always make things more complicated than it has to be. That’s why Dominic was here. Every time I got into a sticky situation, he’d always find the simplest answers to get out. As we continued down the passages, we came upon a circular room. As all three of us entered, a blast of heat hit us like a boxer going for the knockout. As we were stunned by the sudden change in temperature, we didn’t notice that the gate behind us dropped trapping us. Another gate opened and within sharp yellow eyes opened up. The silhouette began to move towards the light in the center of the room. “DRAGON!” shouted Shining Armor. It was red with sharp spikes on its spine. Sharp talons were attached to its claws. Wings were spreading from its back and smoke from its nostrils was flowing out. Before it could breathe its fire, we took shelter in a soot covered trench. Bright orange came crashing just above where our heads were like a wave crashing into boulder. The heat was unbearable; it felt as if someone just put us into an oven and turned the temperature to the highest it could go. “It’s a Red Firestorm.” said Shining Armor. “Most likely came from the deserts near Saddle Arabia.” The Firestorm roared in anger as it sent more flames towards us. As we avoided the flames again, I was looking around to see if there was any way out of this hellhole. As I peered my head out of the trench, I saw a rope holding the gate that released the dragon. “Dominic, there’s a rope just behind the dragon that’s holding the gate up.” I told him. “If I can lure the beast back into its lair, do you think you cut the rope without it killing me?” “I can’t guarantee it.” Dominic yelled as the dragon let out another roar. “But it’s better than being toasted in this hole.” As the dragon began to use its flames to keep us at bay, I prepared myself to sprint to the gate. Once it was out of flames, I made a dash towards the red beast. It tried to slash me with one of its talons as I crossed the room. It turned around and started following me. I headed to the back of the dragon’s chamber. I slowly turned around to see the dragon trying to corner me. As soon as Dominic was in position, I galloped as fast I could around the dragon. Flames were following me as I tried to keep my tail from being set on fire. When I was just under the gate, Dominic shot a blue dart with his horn towards the rope. The gate came slamming down with a sudden boom as the ground shook. The Firestorm was trapped once more. “Well, that was close.” I coughed as soot from the flames came flying off the ground. “Too close for comfort.” Shining Armor said with disapproving eyes. “Let’s just get to the Vault and get out.” Down another corridor, we walked until we saw a giant door made of mahogany. It had to be 12 feet tall. It was encrusted with patterns made of pure gold. This had to be the door leading into the Vault. As we came closer, several keyholes were forming around the edges, each keyhole a different color. Dominic pulled out the key ring and started taking off the appropriate keys. As he and Shining Armor were putting each key into its respectful keyhole, they were slammed into the chamber wall. I ran towards where they lied and saw both of them were unconscious. I looked up to see what hit them. It was a Sphinx. It had the body of a lion and the head of a human. She looked down upon me with her yellow eyes. “Who dares enter the Vault?” she asked, her voice echoing in the chamber. But as to answer her own question, she immediately recognized me. “So, this is the famous Alister. Starswirl’s apprentice and hero of Equestria.” “As I keep telling everypony, my name isn’t Alister.” I yelled. “It’s Al!” “Even if you are the hero, I cannot let you in without you answering my riddle.” I looked directly into her eyes and said “Ask it then.” “I must warn you, if you fail to give the correct response, you and your friends will have to die.” “Very well” I said without even thinking. You IDIOT! screamed my conscience. If you answer wrong you die! Too late I told it. “Speak your riddle.” She sat down on her hind legs and then spoke. “This is my riddle to you; If you throw me from the window, I will leave a grieving wife. Bring me back, but through the door, and you’ll see someone giving life.” “May I have some time to think about it?” I asked. She nodded slowly and then lied down keeping her eyes locked on me. I paced the floor for a couple of minutes. I kept repeating the riddle several times trying to find out the answer. Grieving wife I thought. Does she me a widow? If so, “through the door….” I figured it out. “It’s the letter N. If you take the N out of window, you’re left with widow, or the grieving wife. If you put the N in door, you get donor, someone giving life.” She then smiled, stood up and spoke. “You are correct. You may pass into the Vault.” She walked by Shining Armor and Dominic who were still unconscious and with a flick of her tail, revived them. Dazed and confused, they looked around to see what struck them. They startled themselves to see the Sphinx but then relaxed. The resumed to put the final keys in and then, all at once, turned them and opened the giant door.
Prologue: The Experiment“Alister, would you please hook those lightning rods to the device?” “Yes Master.” I ran over to the table where the lightning rods laid. With my horn, I transported them to the machine Starswirl the Bearded had just created. “If my calculations are correct,” said Starswirl, “then this device should banish those horrible creatures to another dimension. I call it the Dimension Splitter” “IF they are correct master,” I joked. “No time for laughs. Princess Celestia is counting on us to get this right.” “Of course. My mistake.” The device looked very peculiar to the wrong eyes. The devise itself was circular in a dome-like shape with enough room for three full grown stallions to stand comfortably with the lightning rods on either side of it. A control panel was set up on the left side where buttons and switches were flickering with lights of every color. “Now to test it.” Starswirl said. He placed a red apple in the center of the chamber. “Now Alister, use your magic to power up the machine.” I concentrated for a moment, until I reached down into my core to summon a power magic that will operate Starswirl’s Dimension Splitter. Once I found it, I cast it towards the lightning rods. Sparks began connecting from the rods to the dome as a purplish vortex began to form. The image through the open vortex was clearing and I could see a street. But it wasn’t like anything I’ve seen before. The roads were paved and there were strange yellow lines going through the middle. There was also another road, but smaller on both sides of the larger one. There were animals I’ve never seen on these roads. No hair on their bodies except for on their heads and walking on two feet like an angry bear ready to roar. Starswirl pushed the apple into the street. The apple passed through leaving a ripple like a rock being thrown into and undisturbed lake. Right as it passed, one of the animals picked it up and looking around in confusion. No doubt looking for the source of where it came from. “It worked!” Starswirl shouted. “I can’t believe it actually worked!” “Congratulations, Master.” I said. The portal was still opened and Starswirl turned to me. “That’s enough. You can close the portal now.” As soon as I was pulling my magic away something strange was happening. I couldn’t move! My magic wouldn’t stop. Suddenly a force like a magnet was attracting me towards the open portal. “What are you doing Alister? Close the portal!” “I can’t.” I said, panicking now. “My horn won’t let me!” The portal was getting closer as I tried keeping my hooves on the ground for dear life. “Alister LET GO!” Suddenly a great force finally defeated my struggle and took me into the vortex. “ALISTER!” That was the last thing I heard when a blinding light overtook me into the unknown.
Chapter 1: On Any Normal Day“Al? Al! Wake up or you’ll be late for school!” I opened my eyes and found myself lying on my bed. The bright light from the window forced me to withdraw my gaze as I slowly put on my glasses. I had that dream again. I thought to myself. Though this time, it was more realistic like I was actually standing there. I dragged myself to the bathroom where I took a shower, brushed my teeth and put in my contact lenses. I ran downstairs with my backpack over my shoulder heading for the door when my mother came up to me. “Do you have everything you need? Pencils, Pens, Homework?” “Yes mom.” I said. “Well you best be off or you’ll miss your bus. And don’t forget your lunch!” I stuffed my lunch into the bag and ran to the corner where the bus usually picks me up. Standing at the corner already was my neighbor who also went to my high school. She was cute, but I never had the courage to ask her out on a date. She looked over while I was approaching the corner. “Al! Good Morning!” She said with a smile on her face. “Morning” I said tiredly. “Did you sleep late again?” She asked. “Only because Mrs. Brooks homework was ridiculous to finish.” “That’s true, but that’s no excuse to get it done early. You should stop playing video games so you can get it done quicker.” “Yeah, yeah.” I said rolling my eyes. When the bus finally brought us to school, I headed down to the cafeteria where the usual gang hangs out before classes. “Al! What’s up my man?” Dominic, my best friend since elementary school, came up to me as I approached our table. “Nothin much.” I shrugged. “Just seeing what crap you’re gonna push on me today.” We both laughed and headed towards our morning classes. The time was going by very slow. I was drawing on the desk before the first bell rang for the next period. During chemistry I was sitting at my usual seat near the window. I always look out; trying to see if anything interesting would happen, which nothing does. But today, something caught my eye. A rainbow just formed in front of my eyes in a perfect circle. I rubbed them just to make sure I wasn’t daydreaming again. But it was still there when I opened them. “Mr. Sterling! Will you pay attention?!” yelled my chemistry teacher. “This will be on the test!” “Yes sir. Sorry sir.” I muttered while the class was sniggering at me. After classes were over and the club meetings finished, I walked home with Dom like we do every day and talk about life. “I mean what if it’s real? Area 51 I mean.” Dom said. “Some people say it doesn’t exist and the governments just using the desert for nuclear testing. What if they’re right?” “I don’t know.” I said annoyingly. Dom loves to talk about Area 51 and the mysteries of aliens. “Al, let me ask you something and I’m being completely serious now.” “When are you not?” I said sarcastically. Dom gave me a blank stare and I knew then he was serious. “Do you like your life, Al?” I thought for a second. Why is he asking me this? “Sometimes I do.” I replied. “But sometimes I just wanna be in another world where I can do what I want or be in a world with characters from cartoons.” “Al, don’t start your brony crap again. You’re lucky I can put up with you knowing you’re a brony.” “Well you brought it up.” “Anyway, say, like, tomorrow morning you open your door and another world was right in front of you. What would you do?” “Probably not. I say things most of the time but don’t really mean them” “I guess you’re right.” We got to the corner where we split up to get to our home. As we said our goodbyes and started turning directions, Dom said, ‘If I were you tomorrow, I’d open the door and walk through.” Confused, I ignored him and went home. I ate my dinner and my homework late, again. I took out my contacts and snuggled underneath my sheets and fell asleep. The same dream was occurring. I could see Starswirl the Bearded and his Dimension Splitter. I saw the test with the apple and the pony getting sucked into the portal. I heard Starswirl screaming his name. “ALISTER!!!” When I heard it, I woke up in a cold sweat. I grabbed my glasses off the nightstand and put them on. I wanted to go get a midnight snack since I was hungry and it was still very late in the night. I tiredly walked to my bedroom door and slowly opened it. My eyes focused right away at what I saw. I blinked just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Right outside my door was a town in the middle of the day bustling with busy ponies. Right outside my door, I was looking at Ponyville.
Chapter 2: Stepping Through The DoorMy eyes were as wide as my bedroom door. I closed it and opened it again just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I felt a cool breeze float into my room as I left the door open. Slowly I walked through onto the grass. The town was bustling with life. The ponies were busying themselves in the market, little fillies and broncos were playing with each other in the meadow across where I was standing. After a few steps a sudden jolt was forcing on all fours. I felt a sharp pain on my forehead as if someone was hammering a nail from the inside of my head. When it was finally over, I opened my eyes and stood up. I turned around to look at my room but it was gone. The door was too. I looked down to the ground and saw that both my arms and legs formed into hooves. I looked at my backside and saw a tail had grown. It was difficult to walk on all fours but after a few steps I began to walk straight. The walk turned into a sprint and I found myself in the middle of town. The town hall towering over me and the fountain that stood before it. I looked into the water and saw a unicorn horn from under a brown mane. I looked at my reflection in disbelief. The creature standing in front of me wasn’t a human, but rather a unicorn. My flank had bore a cutie mark. It was a constellation of stars. I recognized it immediately from my astronomy class. It was Perseus; the demi-god that killed Medusa and hero of Greece. While I was lost in observing myself, a crowd had started gathering around me. They were whispering among themselves as if I looked familiar to them. “Is it him?” one pony asked. “Nah. It can’t be. He disappeared centuries ago.” “But he looks like him. It’s got to be him.” They started closing in around me when a booming voice came from the crowd. “ALRITE, CLEAR THE WAY! NOTHING TO SEE HERE! GO BACK TO YOUR BUSINESS!” A stallion came forward with four other guard ponies. He was a wearing a magnificent set of armor that glistened in the suns reflection. A magenta six pointed star was encrusted on the front. When he removed his helmet, he had a long, blue mane with a light blue stripe going down the middle. I knew who he was but I was compelled myself to ask. “Who are you?” “Shining Armor.” replied the stallion. “Captain of the Royal Guard. We’ve been expecting your return for a while now, Alister.” I looked around to see if there was another pony he was talking to. “I think you’re talking to the wrong pony. My name’s not Alister; it’s Al. Al Sterling.” He looked with concerning eyes. “So you don’t remember anything?” “Remember what?” He turned to one of his guards. “I thought you said once he entered this world, he’d regain all memories of his experiences here. All of his accomplishments he had with Starswirl the Bearded.” The guard said, “I said it was a possibility; not a guarantee.” His voice was familiar. I’ve heard before. Just before I arrived home the previous day. “Dominic?” The guard pony took off his helmet, as his black mane came falling down. Then he gave me a big smile. “Surprised?” I was at a loss for words. How did Dominic get here? How did he know Shining Armor? How does he know about me being here, if I was here at all? As if reading my mind, Dominic turned to me and said, “All your questions will be answered in time Al. In the meantime, let’s get something to eat. Shining Armor knows a good apple stand around here.” As we walked through Ponyville’s streets, I asked to Dominic, “I thought you weren’t a brony.” “I’m not a brony you dimwit.” He replied. “This is my home.” “What?! But you live in the same town I did. We’ve been best friends since elementary school. I’ve even met your parents!” “Decoys. The people you met were only Decoys. Ponyville is my real home. I’ve been sent from Canterlot to find you. When I finally did, I was told to watch over you in the other world until the timing was right. I’ll explain everything to you later. We’ve arrived at the apple stand.” It was a wooden stand with all sorts of apple products covering its counter top. The banner of the stand was blue with two green horseshoes between a green apple. Two poles held up two more red, wooden apples. Dominic rang the little bell that was placed on the counter top. As soon as it wrung, a pony with a cowgirl hat came over to the opposite side. “Howdy Dominic. Hey Shining, what can I get y’all?” “Hey AJ.” said Dominic. “I’ll have an apple fritter.” “I’ll have an apple pie.” said Shining Armor. “And what’ll you have, stranger?” asked the pony behind the stand. “Um. I’ll just have a regular red apple, I guess.” I said nervously. “That’ll be 5 bits” Dominic handed her the money and then asked “You haven’t seen Twilight around, have you?” “Sorry Dom, haven’t seen her since yesterday.” I knew who she was but once again, I asked “Dom, who is she?” “Where are my manners? Al, this is Applejack. She works at Sweet Apple Acres and sells her apples here at her stand. AJ, this is my friend Al.” She observed me closely and said to Dom “This is him? Alister? THE Alister?” “The one and only.” Suddenly she grabbed my hoof and started shaking it violently. “It’s an honor. It really is. I can’t believe you’re standing right in front of me.” When she was done my arm and hoof were still shaking up and down like a balance scale. “My name’s not Alister. It’s just Al.” “Oh don’t be so modest.” Applejack said with a big smile. “To think you’re back from the other side.” As we waved goodbye and started walking away, I turned to Dom and said “What was that all about?” “Like I said before, everything will be explained later. Right now let’s get to the inn. You need rest. It’s been a long day.”
Chapter 3: Assault On The Dirt PathThe next morning, I awoke to the sound of birds chirping in a nearby tree. A cool breeze came in through the open window. The door opened and Dominic was standing with Shining Armor; both of them in their armored attire. “Alister, Dominic and I are going to patrol the entrances of Ponyville.” said Shining Armor. “You can go around town and explore a bit. Be sure to meet with us at Town Hall at 2:00.” “For the last time, my name’s not Alister.” I said beginning to get annoyed. “Whatever you say.” Shining Armor remarked sarcastically. “Don’t worry about him.” Dominic whispered. “Right now just have a nice stroll around town. It’s a beautiful day out. Be a shame to waste it in-doors.” After they both left, I went downstairs to have some breakfast at the buffet. There were omelets, pancakes, waffles, French toast, and an assortment of fruits. I chose to have a waffle and drank a cold glass of orange juice. After I was satisfied, I went outside to see the town, just as Dominic and Shining Armor suggested. I kept getting stares and people whispering “Alister” when they though I wasn’t looking. It didn’t bother me as much as it did this morning. After looking in a few shops, Rarity ran into me and was completely excited. “Oh, you must try on this cape I made! When I heard you have returned, I couldn’t wait to show off my designs.” While she had her back to me while picking out another suit for me to try on, I slipped out of the door and headed to one of the entrances to town. The sign that was posted at the edge of town pointed down the road and said “To Canterlot.” As I looked down the road, I could barely make out a farmer pony pulling a hay cart. Once he got closer, it happened. Three nasty, little green creatures came out of nowhere and started to attack the farmer. Their jagged swords were slicing through his body like a hot knife through butter. A giant pool of blood began to form around the corpse. The guts that were once inside the pony’s body hung out in a messy pile. The creatures turned their attention towards me and began to sprint. They were fast. I tried to move, but the fear that had clouded my mind prevented my legs to step back. As soon as the creatures were about 5 feet away from slicing my head off, a unicorn horn stuck through one of the creature’s forehead and coming out the back side. The creature now dangling like a rag doll was tossed aside. Another unicorn picked up the second creature with his magic and then bashed his brains out on a nearby boulder. Multiple pools of blood began to form as the third creature’s was kicked clean off by another pony. The unicorn with blood on his horn turned to me and said “Are you all right, Alister?” It was Shining Armor. That meant the second unicorn that beat the creature’s head in the now blood stained boulder was Dominic. “Yeah, I’m fine” I lied. My head was light and my mind clouded with the events that just happened. “That was close.” said Dominic. “If we were a little later and you would’ve been pushing up daisies next to this farmer. What a mess.” “What were those things?” I said trying to collect my thoughts. “Goblins” said Shining Armor. “What are goblins doing in Equestria?” “The same thing they’ve been doing for a thousand years. Killing and terrorizing the ponies who live here.” “But why?” Dominic put his hoof on my shoulder and said “I think it’s time for us to help you collect your memories.” As we headed back into town, the attack that just happened kept rolling in my mind. The farmer pony being sliced, Shining Armor and Dominic brutally killing the goblins. I couldn’t think of anything else. Finally we arrived in front of the library. Shining Armor knocked on the door. A purple unicorn was on the other side. “Shining Armor! What are you doing here?” she said excitedly as she gave him a big hug. “Hey, Twighly. We just came back from one of the entrances.” he explained. “There’s been another attack.” Twilight’s smile turned into a look of horror. “That’s the fourth time this week. When will it end?” “I don’t know, but that’s beside the point. You know who this is, don’t you?” referring to me. Upon further inspection she gasped and put a hoof to her mouth as she whispered “Alister.” I was about to say who he really was when she suddenly pulled me, Shining Armor, and Dominic into the library. “Are you crazy?!” she yelled. “What are you thinking letting him strut about outside. If the enemy heard he was back, they’d send an army just to kill him!” As Shining Armor scratched the back of his head in an attempt to make an excuse, Dominic stepped forward and said “We’re trying to help him regain his memories. Looks like sights and sounds aren’t working though. We have to go into the ‘vault.’” Twilight’s horror turned into complete fear. “You can’t go in there. You’ll be killed faster than the enemy’s army could.” “It’s the only way.” persisted Dominic. “We need the keys to get to the vault. What’s down there is nothing me and Shining Armor can’t handle.” She paced the floor for a moment. Then, sighing, she said “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She ran upstairs and grabbed a small chest. She unlocked it with a glow of her horn and lifted a set of keys, each a different color. When she gave them to Dominic, he stuffed them into his bag quickly. “Come on, Al.” said Dominic. “We’ve got to find your memories.” As the three of us left the library, Twilight was at the door with a concerned look. As I turned around to say goodbye, she said under her breath “Be careful.”
Chapter 4: The Tunnels BelowThe three of us walked through Ponyville until we came to Town Hall. With Shining Armor’s status, the guard ponies at the entrance let us into the building. The high ceiling was decorated with many flags; each representing a different town or city within Equestira. At the end of the hall was a portrait of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. As we approached it, Dominic’s horn glowed as the painting dimmed. The empty portrait lit up with torches that hung on the wall. As we walked through, we came upon stairs that led downward deeper into this dungeon. We reached the bottom and a silver door appeared out from the floor. “This, my friend,” began Shining Armor “is The Vault. One of the most guarded structures in all of Equestria. Aside from Canterlot Castle of course.” “But where are the guards?” I asked. “If you say it’s the most guarded structure, then where are the ponies that are supposed to guard it.” Dominic chuckled. “Ponies can’t guard the treasures within. Starswirl the Bearded decided to place magical spells on the first few doors to lead thieves back to the outside. After that, he placed the most dangerous creatures that were faithful to all of pony kind to guard the final gates. Those who found their way to them were either warned or killed.” “Great. Not that I needed anymore danger.” I said, my hooves tapping nervously. “Dominic, can you open the first gate now, please?” said Shining Armor impatiently. Dominic took out the small key ring that Twilight gave him. Carefully choosing the right key, he unlocked the first gate. As we stepped through, more torches lit up as if they knew we were coming. As we walked a little further, another gate appeared. It was old and the paint was peeling. But from what remained, it was once colored a magnificent burgundy red. As I reached my hoof to open the door, Dominic stopped me. “I wouldn’t open it just yet. Look where you’re standing.” As I looked to where his hoof was pointing, I saw just cobblestone. But when my eyes focused, there was a pressure plate. Only when I stepped on it, it felt normal. When I tested it again and again, I saw the plate move slightly down. “One of Starswirl’s tricks. When you stand on the plate and open the door, you’ll walk on until the passage leads you just outside Town Hall. But if you leave it alone, we should continue.” “So how do we get passed without standing on the plate? It’s right in front of the damn door.” “Simple really.” said Dominic. “You just gotta jump into the doorway.” Now I felt really stupid. I always make things more complicated than it has to be. That’s why Dominic was here. Every time I got into a sticky situation, he’d always find the simplest answers to get out. As we continued down the passages, we came upon a circular room. As all three of us entered, a blast of heat hit us like a boxer going for the knockout. As we were stunned by the sudden change in temperature, we didn’t notice that the gate behind us dropped trapping us. Another gate opened and within sharp yellow eyes opened up. The silhouette began to move towards the light in the center of the room. “DRAGON!” shouted Shining Armor. It was red with sharp spikes on its spine. Sharp talons were attached to its claws. Wings were spreading from its back and smoke from its nostrils was flowing out. Before it could breathe its fire, we took shelter in a soot covered trench. Bright orange came crashing just above where our heads were like a wave crashing into boulder. The heat was unbearable; it felt as if someone just put us into an oven and turned the temperature to the highest it could go. “It’s a Red Firestorm.” said Shining Armor. “Most likely came from the deserts near Saddle Arabia.” The Firestorm roared in anger as it sent more flames towards us. As we avoided the flames again, I was looking around to see if there was any way out of this hellhole. As I peered my head out of the trench, I saw a rope holding the gate that released the dragon. “Dominic, there’s a rope just behind the dragon that’s holding the gate up.” I told him. “If I can lure the beast back into its lair, do you think you cut the rope without it killing me?” “I can’t guarantee it.” Dominic yelled as the dragon let out another roar. “But it’s better than being toasted in this hole.” As the dragon began to use its flames to keep us at bay, I prepared myself to sprint to the gate. Once it was out of flames, I made a dash towards the red beast. It tried to slash me with one of its talons as I crossed the room. It turned around and started following me. I headed to the back of the dragon’s chamber. I slowly turned around to see the dragon trying to corner me. As soon as Dominic was in position, I galloped as fast I could around the dragon. Flames were following me as I tried to keep my tail from being set on fire. When I was just under the gate, Dominic shot a blue dart with his horn towards the rope. The gate came slamming down with a sudden boom as the ground shook. The Firestorm was trapped once more. “Well, that was close.” I coughed as soot from the flames came flying off the ground. “Too close for comfort.” Shining Armor said with disapproving eyes. “Let’s just get to the Vault and get out.” Down another corridor, we walked until we saw a giant door made of mahogany. It had to be 12 feet tall. It was encrusted with patterns made of pure gold. This had to be the door leading into the Vault. As we came closer, several keyholes were forming around the edges, each keyhole a different color. Dominic pulled out the key ring and started taking off the appropriate keys. As he and Shining Armor were putting each key into its respectful keyhole, they were slammed into the chamber wall. I ran towards where they lied and saw both of them were unconscious. I looked up to see what hit them. It was a Sphinx. It had the body of a lion and the head of a human. She looked down upon me with her yellow eyes. “Who dares enter the Vault?” she asked, her voice echoing in the chamber. But as to answer her own question, she immediately recognized me. “So, this is the famous Alister. Starswirl’s apprentice and hero of Equestria.” “As I keep telling everypony, my name isn’t Alister.” I yelled. “It’s Al!” “Even if you are the hero, I cannot let you in without you answering my riddle.” I looked directly into her eyes and said “Ask it then.” “I must warn you, if you fail to give the correct response, you and your friends will have to die.” “Very well” I said without even thinking. You IDIOT! screamed my conscience. If you answer wrong you die! Too late I told it. “Speak your riddle.” She sat down on her hind legs and then spoke. “This is my riddle to you; If you throw me from the window, I will leave a grieving wife. Bring me back, but through the door, and you’ll see someone giving life.” “May I have some time to think about it?” I asked. She nodded slowly and then lied down keeping her eyes locked on me. I paced the floor for a couple of minutes. I kept repeating the riddle several times trying to find out the answer. Grieving wife I thought. Does she me a widow? If so, “through the door….” I figured it out. “It’s the letter N. If you take the N out of window, you’re left with widow, or the grieving wife. If you put the N in door, you get donor, someone giving life.” She then smiled, stood up and spoke. “You are correct. You may pass into the Vault.” She walked by Shining Armor and Dominic who were still unconscious and with a flick of her tail, revived them. Dazed and confused, they looked around to see what struck them. They startled themselves to see the Sphinx but then relaxed. The resumed to put the final keys in and then, all at once, turned them and opened the giant door.
