//-------------------------------------------------------// The Sorrowful Flame -by Twilirain Spardash- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Fate's Last Chance //-------------------------------------------------------// Fate's Last Chance The hand of fate had withdrawn from me. I lay in the whiteness of reality, staring up at a heaven that had been blanketed in a veil of clouds.. Soon my eyes opened to the searing taste of freezing cold water on my lips and I stared around at the mounds of snow piled around. Slowly, I felt feeling come to my fingertips, and order flowing in my mind.. I stood up shakily and stared around at a wasteland of snow as a blizzard blew across its surface and I climbed up from the spot I had been sitting in. Noticing myself now, I figured that I had been wearing the same thing for days. Adorning me, was a thick leather coat and dark jeans that were becoming black as the blue in them had been seemingly withered out. Underneath the coat, I wore a grey shirt and as my gaze shifted, I finally noticed black winter boots on my feet. None of this seemed too ordinary.. They were torn and scratched in places, and they seemed to be old and beaten. Slowly, I looked up as snow whizzed past my ears in the icy wind and I began to trudge forward out of my current origin. Looking around now, I could see nothing in sight with the blizzard and decided out of instinct to begin walking forward... Looking for some place. And quick, because I was nearly frozen with the cold searing of the air in my face and on my hands! I could feel my eyes watery from the pressure as I trudged on... And then, I saw something strange. I hadn't truly thought of how I got here yet, but I knew something was weird when I saw a dome of blue energy emanating over an icy territory. Slowly and carefully with my step, I walked toward it and before I knew it, was reaching out at it with my right hand.. Believing somewhere that I may understand it if I did so. Much to my dismay, my hand went through it fine, and I plunged further into confusion as I was able to walk through it. On the other side, seemingly protected by the barrier of blue, I discovered that it was not very cold anymore.. The wind did not blow. It was kind of reckless to do, but after seeing this, I decided to walk straight onto the icy floor that may have held water beneath it. But, fortunately.. I soon found out that it was not ice. Upon closer inspection, it was more like gems and crystals, thrown about this shielded land, shattered to pieces. Confusion was building up inside me. How would this be possible? Was there a mine here? Perhaps they hit the jackpot in their mining expedition? It seemed almost wild and silly. In the cold snow out here? That's when I thought of one possible solution to my questions. "There has to be something left.", I said to myself, fully knowing that there was probably no one for miles, and thinking about the running energy shield around this place. Like a sparking thought in my head, I decided to begin climbing the broken crystal clutter, and look for the center of the ruin. After a few minutes of running over shards carefully and hearing the cracking under my feet, I discovered a clearing in the rubble. Panting for breath, I surveyed the area with my eyes and noticed a fallen building made of crystal and partly intact. Quickly, I shrugged and moved to it, not knowing what else to do at this point anyway, and feeling a bit rash with my decisions. Near the entrance to an intact room, I noticed a shattered heart shaped crystal. Have I perhaps found a place of legend? Maybe El Dorado's counterpart in the north had been made of crystals? I began to chuckle to myself as I kicked the crystal aside and crawled into the intact room, which had a half filled doorway with shards of rubble, just big enough not to cut. The moment I crawled in, I could see a small torch's light glowing off from the wall and lighting up the small room. As I began to stand up, I sighed happily as I walked to see the first sign of civilization I had seen for hours. At a study table, several books were laid strewn about and a strange machine was operating through the roof -- A blue beam of energy, probably powering the barrier. The room was dusty and dark, but I could faintly see something curled in a blanket at a stool by the table. It definitely was breathing.. And not human. Some could say this was like taking up the flame to the discovery of something for mankind. For me, it was on a smaller scale. I managed to take the torch off the wall and shine it near the sleeping thing, curiosity overwhelming me. It stirred, waking up obviously from sleep, and the blanket slowly began to slip off. However, I could never say I was prepared for what was beneath such familiar things. A purple maned and coated pony sat in front of me, now with open eyes, watching me back the same way I watched it. It fumbled with a hoof and scratched the side of its head slowly, before saying something. "What... Are you?", she spoke as I realized slowly that I knew her somehow. "You're... Twilight Sparkle, are you not?", I spoke casually, trying to stay calm, but automatically widening my eyes. "Y-yes.. That, I would be. B-but.. I've never even read about you. What are you? And.. Who are you?", she seemed afraid of my sudden presence, but she kept very calm in her speech. "I'm a human being. I... Can't say how I got here just yet. I kinda just woke up.. And remembered a few things.", I looked down at myself, confused at what had happened. "A human being, huh? Well, it's great to see you! I haven't seen anything else alive in months.. ", she looked down in sorrow, as if recalling something, and I noticed a few bandages on her body. "Something... Went wrong. I can tell.. I mean, what even is this place? It's like a ruin of rare minerals..", I carefully spoke, now slowly sitting at the stool opposite of her. "This...", she spoke slowly with dried up tears in her eyes. "... This was the Crystal Empire. I-It was shattered apart.. By something we could never understand.", She sniffled and shrugged, tearing up a little. "I-It was going to be my big day! I was becoming a princess... And during my time to become an alicorn, it came along!", she began to cry a little as I watched her and tried to understand, putting out my hands across the table and running one along her mane. "Don't cry. It won't help anyone.. Or anypony in your case." At this moment, I realized something. I couldn't remember who I was or how I got there.. And was only remembering things slowly. It seemed horrifying to me only at that moment, and it sent a tear running down my cheek. "I-I don't know what to do Twilight.. I.. I'm confused. But I'll help as best as I can. ", as I said it, she looked up at me and slowly began to take on a small smile, wiping her eyes with one of her front hooves. "You're so kind to help something you do not even understand.. Thank you.", Twilight Sparkle spoke. "What is your name anyway, human?", She tilted her head as I slowly realized another thing about my memory loss.. I didn't know my name. "I-I don't know, Twilight.. I've forgotten.." I spoke slowly in sadness. "Alright then.." She stood up from the stool and trotted around the room, thinking of what to do next. "I think... We should go back to Ponyville on the train again.. With my friends, I can reverse all of what's happened.... Hopefully." She carefully spoke as she trotted to me and held up my hand in her hoof and smiled. "With your help... A friend in need can be helped~" Author's Note This chapter serves as a main introduction, and may seem a little slow, but hopefully you'll get to reading all the way through. It's my first fanfic I have begun writing, so hopefully it isn't too bad.