The Shrouded World: Wreathed in Fire

by BreakDown

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Human, Original Character
Length: 1909

The world is often a simple place. Most of the time we have simple worries and problems. However, what does one do, when their entire life begins changing? Especially, when those changes include a shift in species, gender, and life expectancy...

Typically, when you start a new life it involves moving out, finding a place to live, and generally normal every day changes. Sadly, this is not always the case. For Will has found himself in the midst of strange changes he can't explain or even understand.

For not only has 'he' suddenly become a 'she' but strange dreams have started to warn of a coming danger. Hopefully alongside 'her' new roommate Tiffany, and Tiff's big-brother Sam, 'she' can figure out what is going on and maybe even reverse the process.

Because a gender change is only the tip of the ice-burg, and Tiff and Sam are changing along with him/her.

This fic was inspired by "Five Score, Divided by Four" but is in no way the same story. I just had the idea hit me after reading that fic and wondered how things would go in a world where bronies and FIM don't already exist...

I have looked for a picture to use as cover art for this story, but haven't found any that seem appropriate yet.

Published 2013-05-18 07:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-05-18 07:50:01 UTC

Prologue: 'The Incident'

A city lay shrouded in darkness as day slowly fades to night. People walk the busy streets unaware of what is soon to come. In the distance, the sun slows, then suddenly stops on the horizon. The moon seems to stop as well, and both rise upwards as if moved by some otherworldly force. A twilight settles and all able rush to see the phenomena as the sun is eclipsed by the moon. A mere moment later a blinding beam of light tares its way from a convention center and shoots into the sky. It was followed by massive pulse of energy that tore through the city and instantly blew every window out.

That was the moment when everything changed...

Within the convention center mere minutes before, chaos and panic had set in. People ran and panicked at the sight before them, a growing sense of unease filling them all. A great heat had risen within and began to burn all that dare get too close to its source. The source of the heat is a girl, her hair long and bright pink, her breaths mere labored pants. Flames lick at her flesh yet do not burn her. Her eyes clenched shut as she breathed deeply. A small plume of flame passed her lips as the heat increased around her.

I'd like to say, that I saw it coming...

Sweat evaporated from her body, steam trailed from her form into the air. Her hands slowly raised up to grasp her head and her teeth were gnashed together. Pain lanced across her body, and a scream tore it's way from her throat as a great wind began to raise her from the ground. It lifted her up, it ripped and whipped at everything around her as well. The ground began to crumble and break beneath an unseen force. A moment later it began to rise and was promptly tossed around effortlessly.

I'd like to say, that I could've stopped it...

People ran and ducked for cover from the debris. The girl continued to hover in the air. Held by the wind as her breathes passed through gritted teeth. A pulse of energy flowed from the girl. Several people were knocked from their feet. Another pulse, stronger than the last knocked them back by a good margin. The pulses of energy came and went, soon they even formed a describable pattern. As the pulses quickened like the beat of a heart, the girl clenched her fingers into her hair.

But the truth is, I had no idea that this would happen...

As her hands clenched at her hair, a strange white plate on her forehead became visible. At the center of the plate was a crack, and from that crack was a strange light. Whispered breaths of 'too hot' echoed from the girls lips as the crack on the plate grew. Soon a small crystal poked it's way out, her body suddenly racked by shivers. The crystal began to grow, soon a length too long to be hidden by the plate or her long hair.

The only way for you to understand what has happened, is for me to tell you what I've gone through...

The strange crystal horn ceased it's growth at last. But when it did it began to glow a brilliant gold. The same warm golden glow then formed around the girl's body and pulsated outwards. It stopped only when it hit a seemingly invisible wall of power that formed a sphere around her. The girl's hair was blown into the air by an ethereal wind. It shifted and twisted and suddenly began to shimmer and glow. Streaks of green and blue flowed along it's length and left only a single stripe of pink. Soon enough her hair more closely resembled some form of aurora, rather than mere hair.

Which is why I'll write this 'story', so you can understand that I never wanted this to happen...

The pulsations of golden energy didn't stop at the invisible wall around her body. It moved and pushed the wall outward, soon causing the wall to grow and expand outwards. The moment the sphere touched the floor a strange incident occurred. What had once been the floor of the convention center changed into a stone floor. The stone was old and cracked and looked as if it would be more at home within an ancient castle. In that moment her eyes opened, both consumed by an unearthly white glow...

I only wanted... I only wanted to...

A horrid shriek echoed from the hall. A scream that bore only a great pain as it rose up among the buildings of the city. A moment later there was a sudden pulse. The pulse passed across the city, several people looked in the direction of its source without a thought. The sun and moon felt it also and changed their course, they moved to eclipse one another. Slowly the celestial objects moved toward one another, as the pulses of energy continued to flow across the city, and grew stronger in intensity.

I...

Within the convention center, panic had become hysteria. People ran and screamed in terror as the wall continued to stretch outwards. It changed even more around it, more cracked stone and moss covered brick. Windows of stained glass and what looked like a dark forest forming within it. A strange world held within the strange field that continued to pulse and grow. Several people were nearly caught in it's grasp but ran from it as if their lives depended upon it. Two did not. Two stood and watched with growing shock and awe, fear and confusion plain on their faces.

I...

"Tiffy, what is this?" the male of the two questioned, eyes wide as he slowly backed away. His hair was messy and strangely enough blue in color, a change he had only recently come to bare. The girl at his side had straight midnight colored hair with streaks of pink running through it. Like he, her own hair had been changed only recently. Also like the male, the change had not been of her own volition.

"I-I don't know," the girl at his side replied. Her own eyes were just as wide, while a mix between utter fascination and grim realization played across her features. "B-but, you remember when you said she could possibly be something," she paused and bit her lip, "not human?" The question surprised the man who looked at her for only a moment, then nodded silently.

"I do, and you said that was impossible," the man replied. The girl nodded and then bit her lip as the wall of energy approached them. The girl silently lifted a hand and held it towards the energy, but the man yanked it away. "Tiffy, what do you think you're doing?" the man demanded. She wrenched her arm from his grasp and pressed her hand into the energy with a brief grimace of pain.

"Testing... a theory," she replied with a grimace. Her arm within the energy seemed to disintegrate, yet a moment later it formed back together as a lavender foreleg tipped with a hoof.

I'm so sorry...

A moment later the girl's arm was ripped from the rippling wave. It reformed into a hand once it was freed and she stared at it with wide eyes. However her brothers voice soon broke through her thoughts, "Tiffy we need to go, now!" The girl was grabbed and pulled away from the burst of energy as it continued to expand. She shook her head and looked to her friend with worry in her eyes. Eyes which slowly shifted, turning a birght violet color.

"Please wake up," she whispered, "you can stop this, you can make it right," she continued more urgently. Her brother didn't listen as he pulled her passed a crowd of people. Many tried to get a look at what had happened, and what was still happening. The two turned around and watched from a distance as the orb stopped its expansion. Within the center of the sphere her friend grit her teeth and a pair of massive white wings seemed to form from raw energy.

Within the sphere, the girl panted and raised her head. She looked to the sky and saw the eclipse as it was completed. Her eyes still alight with raw power widened and another scream tore from her throat. Seconds later, a beam of energy made its way into the air. It glowed like a shining beacon and rose to the heavens. The light was followed by a sudden burst, as the energy was expelled outwards, knocking back people and blowing out windows as it passed. Tiff and her brother were among those knocked over. Her eyes widened and she quickly rose to her feet and ran to see the epicenter of the light.

"Celestia!"

Please forgive me...

Three months ago...

Author's Note

This was perhaps one of the crazier ideas I had while reading through some stories. The Human in Equestria stories have been done to death, the whole Humans turn into ponies as well, so I went with a "Pony to human back to pony" story instead. As it says in the description, this was actually inspired by 'Five score, divided by four' though with a great many differences. In this world there was no Friendship is Magic and so none of the characters are bronies. Honestly, I was trying for something new since for the most part almost every human becomes a pony story the human was a brony.

I also did something a bit new with magic in this one, in most stories it seems almost easy for the main character to control it or even call it out, in this one, I went with a Twilight incident in that they have NO control over it. Due in no small part to humans having nothing to compare Magic too, we would not be able to use it, it'd likely be like what happened with Twilight's test, we'd cause some kind of explosion. Given Celestia appears more powerful than Twilight was when she was still a filly, then her own explosion would be far worse.

I am also not using the typical 'Anon' character who writers have used quite a bit recently. I felt that a basic Anon would be a bit cheap, and I mean no offense to anyone who uses them. Hopefully using a character who isn't no-body will make him a bit more likable, or maybe not. Either way this is just an idea I really wanted to get out of my head.

And yes, the main character is / was Celestia, I choose her because I've seen the Mane Six as the main characters far too many times. Luna has been used in stories of this like before, but Celestia is almost non-existent for one reason or another. Besides that, the idea just kind of came to me. I thought it might be interesting to see a character struggle to control, not only the power of the freaking sun, but also the personality Celestia has as it starts to emerge.

The next chapter will be the actual start of the story, taking place three months prior to this incident.