Shattered Realms

Darkness. Darkness was from whence it all came, and how it would all end. Darkness. It was both the womb and the tomb of the universe. Uncanny how those words sound so similar. It mattered little, however. Both would have the same meaning, if they did not already. These thoughts passed through the Initiate's head as the lines of reality blurred before his vision. The scene became confused and muddled, a blur of disconnected bodies. There were many gathered around him, all obviously enjoying themselves, all frozen in time to him, all unaware of His presence among them. Anonymity had been a vital skill among their Order for millennia;  he would not even be counted among the Initiates, unless he could master this art himself. The life and light faded from the scene before him, becoming a swirl of colorless miasma. He felt it draining all life from himself too, until he became nothing but consciousness in a Sea of Darkness. There was nothing to be thought or felt here; only the Darkness mattered. The Initiate could sense something else in the Sea. There were others were coming. He began to see small specks of light in a direction he decided to call above him. He then experienced a sensation which he thought must be being lifted towards the lights. Those lights, cold and unblinking, did not seem any closer as he approached them. The Initiate could only sense where they were relative to him, and he was now upon them. He sensed more lights coming from all manner of directions now, and some that were just coming into being. They were all coming to the one Place this night, the one night of the year when they must all meet. Their Order was scattered far and wide across the world, some even further. Each year their Order grew slightly more, with fresh Initiates. So it had been done for thousands of years and would continue until the universe ceased.

The Initiate now sensed thousands of lights all around him, but they did nothing to cast away the Darkness. Darkness here was absolute, a fact. Gradually, the Initiate sensed fewer lights tricking into existence around him. The time was nearly upon them, the time for the Ageless Ones to manifest. His Mentor had said to absorb, and nothing more. The Ageless Ones are the other absolute in this world of Darkness.

There were now no more lights entering this plane of existence. All about the Initiate, like stars on a clear summer's night, bright pinpoints of varying size and potency. He knew there were others like him here, other Initiates, from other places, with something different to offer the Order. His Mentor was also out there among the multitudes, but his skills were too feeble to distinguish her from the Others. This thought no longer mattered, for a wave was sweeping through the Darkness, and through the lights. A collective sentiment from the gathered consciousness reached the Initiate and he was swept up into it. The Ageless Ones were upon them. They did not arrive from any direction, nor did They manifest Themselves like so many lights had. No, the Ageless Ones merely made Their presence known, for it was within Their consciousness that every other consciousness now existed. Before the Ageless Ones, all was laid bare. All the knowledge and experience gathered by the Order from that past year was accumulated and evaluated. The Initiate could feel his own essence evaluated. He and many others would be scrutinized for induction into the Order. If they passed, they would continue under the tutelage of their respective Mentors, until they became Mentors themselves. If they did not pass, their consciousness would float into the Dark Void and assimilated by the Ageless Ones, never again to walk in the Tangible Realms. There was no sense of the passage of time in this place; the Initiate could not fathom how long the scrutiny and assimilation lasted.

It ended with no sudden forte, but the Initiate could sense the end. A simultaneous release of all consciousness present, but no more than simply a release. Each had taken more with them than they had entered with. The Initiate knew he had passed scrutiny, for he felt his usefulness to the Order reflected in the purpose he was charged with. Not a word had been spoken, but he knew His purpose for the Order now.  The lights were now drifting away or blinking from existence in this realm. The Initiate could feel himself regaining tangible senses. The Darkness was changing to gradients of blacks and greys. His sensations began to attach themselves to tangible thoughts and words. As the last bit of the Dark World faded from vision, his purpose found a voice in his head.

"Find."

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"Bartender! I'll take two ciders down this way!" The hefty brown stallion behind the bar skillfully sent two Apple Ciders down the bar to the caller, a well-built grey colt. The revelry of the Summer Sun Celebration filled the confined tavern with audible and bright banter.  Ponies were packed in wall-to-wall, around each table, enjoying the gaiety of the celebration. As he picked up the two ciders, the grey colt winked at a nearby mare with a rich cherry-red mane. She giggled and shied away. The colt walked over to the table at which she was staying, setting both ciders at the table.

"Care for a drink m'lady?"

The mare giggled again, replying, "why, what a gent you are, sir! I've been surrounded by ruffians all night! You are a pleasant change, indeed!"

The colt grinned and gave her another wink. "Been having some trouble? I have seen some strange characters in this barn tonight. Why, did you get a look at the weirdo guy sittin' over there?"

He gestured to a table near the wall, only to find it unoccupied.

"What the hay? Coulda swore he were here a second ago!"

"What was he like?" Inquired the mare, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Strange lookin' guy. Had some dark cloak with a hood covering his head. He was mutterin' some things under his breath earlier too. Guess he decided he'd had enough to drink and took off."

"Well, he doesn't matter to us, does he?" said the mare."Now, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

Outside the cheery tavern, the shadows of night were taking their hold on the land. Stars began winking from under the deep veil of twilight. Under the moonless sky, a lone figure was galloping down the forest road, not a sound from his hooves. His pulse raced and his senses heightened. The cool night air rushed passed him, whistling in his ears. He could not stop. He was not meant to stop. He had a purpose.

"Find."