The Game We Immortals Playby AnquietasChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Update 8-19-2013PrologueThe Game We Immortals Play By. Macilnar Disclaimer: I do not own Mage: The Awakening, World of Darkness or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. If I did I would be writing a lot more fanfics. Author's Note: This fic is rated mature mostly because there will some dark elements (they will be confined to chapter(s) that can be skipped, although the chapter(s) will be shinning light on parts of Mors' past, the story can be read without them), mainly: war, death, and violence but more so then that it is rated mature because it is intended to for mature readers. There will not be any clop in this fic, implied shipping maybe but nothing more than that. Also I will be posting warnings at the beginning of each chapter depending on their content. Also this is my first fan fiction, on top of that I don't have anyone editing or proofreading this and while spellchecker is all well and good it can miss a lot. Not to mention it can't give feedback on how the story flows. Lastly a fair warning to any who get hooked on this story: while I do intend to see this story to its conclusion do not expect any kind of regular updates. I might post a 2,000+ word chapter a day or a month; in other words updates will be slightly less random than Pinkie Pie. Prologue Four figures sat near a fireplace, the only source of light in the dimly lit room. "Well Loki? Will it work?" the one closest to the fire, Veritas, asked. "We will succeed, but Mors was partially correct when he said none of us would survive." said Loki, his voice lacking its usual cheerfulness. "How many?" a soft voice asked. "Hard to say. Other than Mors, one at least will remain but they will pass soon after." Loki replied. "Does it matter if we perish? If we do nothing then soon the Abyss will have been widened enough to all but sever the Supernal from the Fallen World." said the figure furthest from the fire. "There is no doubt we must proceed, yet..." the others waited knowing Veritas would continue shortly "Do you remember what Mors was like when we first met?" all were silent, it was the soft spoken one who responded first. "He was beyond insufferable, one of us had to drag him out of the library or else he would remain there for weeks on end. It took nearly a decade to get him to start actually interact with any of us. But why do you ask?" "What do you think he will do with all of us are gone? Even before any of us became Arcs the only time he would interact with anyone other than one of us was when we went to make contact with someone who had just become Awakened." asked Veritas. This time the silence was accompanied by several sadden looks, to everyone's surprise Loki broke the silence. "I see where you are going with this Veritas and I may have a solution." there was gleam in his eyes that caused the others to wonder what madness Loki was planning "It will take the four of us in order to pull it off but I think you will agree that it will have the desired result." "I am almost afraid to ask, but what do you have in mind?" Loki was grinning ear to ear, his usual cheerful mood back with a vengeance. For the next several hours he laid out his plan, the others listening in stunned silence. Loki had been known to get long winded but this was the first time that any of them could recall him being so focused and it was more than a bit terrifying. As more of Loki's plan was put forth the others found themselves agreeing with him; while parts of it were a bit odd, a world populated by talking ponies for one, it would be the ideal situation to keep him from slipping back into his isolation. Veritas asked the first of what was to be many questions. "If we are to do this we will need further details. Tell us more about this Equestria." **********Ten Years Latter*********** "It's time for you to go." Veritas, of the four only he remained and soon even he would be gone. His voice which once held such power behind it was now but a whisper. Looking toward his ancient friend, Mors sighed, in truth he didn't see what his friends hope to accomplish but it mattered little. If this was their last wish, then so be it, after over two millennium working alongside each other it was the least he could do. "Where is it then that I will be going?" This should be interesting at the very least. Veritas set the ritual in motion, the arcane runes on the floor began to glow with power. "Where? I can't say, we let Loki decide." Loki?! Mors found himself staring at his friend wide eyed in disbelief. "Ha! It's been ages since I've seen you with that look on your face." Veritas said with a smile. "If you must know; all he would let me say was that he got the idea of where to send you from back before his Awakening. That and something about once a brony always a brony." Brony? Is that even a wor... he paused mid thought just Loki being Loki. Focusing back on his surroundings he noticed the ritual was almost complete, the room surged with the power of the Supernal Realms he began identifying their different Arcana; Fate, Life, Prime and Space. He started contemplating the purpose of each spell when he heard Veritas' last words. "Good bye." Mors felt the spells around him followed by a sudden 'pull' as his mind went blank. END Prologue Next Chapter Story Notes: These notes are to help readers unfamiliar with Mage: The Awakening or just having trouble keeping track of things. There will be one of these after every chapter in which new/important content is added that may require more detailed answers than would make sense to put in the story. Characters; Mors: The stories main character, he is an Archmaster of both the Death and Matter Arcana, he was also the oldest being 537 years old when the last of his five friends died. Veritas: Mors' oldest friend, an Archmage of Prime, his last act before dieing was activating the ritual to send Mors to Equestria. Loki: An Archmage of Fate and Life, he chose to take on the name of the Norse god due to his love of pranks and their shared interest with anything with a pulse... Locations; Supernal Realm Abyss Fallen World Concepts; Arcana -Death -Fate -Life -Matter -Prime -Space Chapter 1Chapter 1: A New Kind of Magic Warnings: None Veritas watched as the ritual progressed waiting for the right moment. This last part had been his idea, if Mors was to be kept from falling into his old ways there would need to be something to get his attention from the start. A spark... Now. He reached out into the other world, it didn't take long for him to find the one he was looking for. Making a connection he focused the last of his power and voice boomed with power as he spoke one last word before his life ended. "Awaken" *****Somewhere just outside Ponyville***** It was another beautiful day in Equestria; the sun was shining, the birds were singing, a slight breeze caused the trees to sway and on top of a small hill not far from the town a figure appeared in a sphere of Arcane power before falling to the ground. Several moments passed as Mors collected himself before opening his eyes then quickly squinting them until they adjusted to the light. Alone once more. he remained unmoving lost in thought for a time, eventually he decided it was best to assess his situation. Upon trying to stand he discovered his muscles did not respond correctly, bringing his hand up in front of him he found the reason why A hoof? his right eye twitched not the first time Loki's pulled a trick like this, why now though? letting out a sigh might as well have a better look at myself. Mors began his spell, drawing power from Stygia across the Abyss...he froze in the midst of the spell. Ever since he had become an Archmage the Abyss had ceased being a hindrance to him but this was different, the Abyss was gone. How can this be possible? Mors' mind was reeling, a mass of thoughts trying to make sense of what he now faced. Ever since the Fall the Abyss has separated the Supernal from the Fallen World. It should not be possible...Fate, Life, Prime and Space, the ritual comprised of four Arcana; Prime had been used to channel the power and focus the effects. Life was used to alter my form, so what role did Fate and Time play? I need to know more about this place if I am to figure this out Shifting his focus, he began drawing on the Arcana of Prime, channeling its power into him. The world around him exploded in a symphony of light, everything glowed with a faint aura of magic; the grass, the trees, even the air. As he looked up something caught his attention; the sun radiated with an aura of immense power, it felt ancient yet young, bursting with life. Odd, the power is most definitely arcane but it is not Supernal in its origin. It would seem this place contains another form of magic... as he continued pondering this development he noticed another oddity. It was a thread of arcane energy coming away from the sun, following the thread he found himself looking at a castle coming out the side of a mountain in the distance, the thread connected to another aura. It was similar to the sun's yet; focused, contained it was... Alive. The sun is connected to a living being. What... a thousand more questions came to mind, he cast them aside and focused on the aura. It danced in a multitude of lights, he watched for awhile discerning different patterns and fluctuations intelligent, not human, a Sleeper? It wields arcane power yet it is not an Awakened, that confirms that there is at least one other form of magic here apart from Supernal. his earlier suspicion confirmed he again focused on the aura not mortal, at least not in regards to time, benevolent there was far more to the aura but the last part would suffice for now. Satisfied that the being the aura belonged to was not a threat, he turned his focus back to himself. He reached out once again, this time drawing on Matter, with a thought three 2x4 mirrors appeared in front of him. Looking back at him Mors saw a small pony with large grey eyes, a black coat, his mane and tail a dark grey. Noticing something near his flank he turned to get a better look, it was an image, one he was very familiar with even if the depiction was less than detailed; a tower, of what he knew was bone, stood with a blue flame rising from the top, the Watchtower of the Lead Coin from which he channeled his power. With another thought the mirrors vanished as quickly as they had appeared so I'm a pony, although the proportions seem...off. The being connected to the sun wasn't human perhaps it is some form of pony too... his thoughts are interrupted, it was like a ripple in a still pound starting small but growing; a connection was being formed to one of the Supernal Realms An Awakening? Without the Abyss there shouldn't be any need to... frowning to himself I've missed something. I shouldn't need to draw power through the Watchtower either focusing on his connection to Stygia he noticed something that he had overlooked earlier, it was like a membrane just strong enough that the Supernal Realms were separated from the world around him yet didn't hinder his connection to it one surprise after another, I wonder... he focused; looking for signs of any more Awakened, other than the new connection he had felt there were none. Very strange, but then that being from before was a Sleeper looking in the direction he sensed the Awakening he noticed a town two likely possibilities; there are few to none Awakened in this world or they are beyond the area of my ability to sense. Not good, both cases mean that it is unlikely another Awakened will be there anytime soon and that could be problematic. It looks like I'll have to go investigate. As he started walking toward the town he noticed a slim wisp of arcane energy head off rapidly from the direction sensed the Awakening toward the castle. After pausing briefly he continued on his way. It had taken longer for Mors to reach the edge of the town then he had guessed. Part of that had been from the sight of rainbow colored blur followed shortly by a yellow pony with a pink mane and tail flying by him toward the town a Pegasus. As he set hoof inside the town he strange feeling, like something knew he was here but the feeling passed as quick as it came. He walked past two ponies having a conversation, one he noted had a horn just above their eyes, the other lacked any secondary features Unicorns, Pegasi and... I guess just ground ponies will do for the last group. He was presently surprised that the two were speaking English at least I won't have to worry about a language barrier after a few minutes of walking he began to notice something about the town, while for the most part the town seemed to be rather primitive yet every now and then he would spot something that seemed completely out of place it seems as though this place has a developed along a very random path in its technological development he thought passing a cafe with soft music coming from several speakers in the outdoor dining area. As he rounded a corner he found himself looking at a large tree which appeared to have been hollowed out and turned into a building yet it looked very much alive. In front of the doorway was a sign with a picture of an open book on it a bookstore or a library perhaps? He dispersed the magic enhancing his sight and the auras faded away, the building in front of him was most definitely where the individual he was looking for was located. As he approached he began to hear several voices coming from inside they sounded worried and confused. Pausing at the door he ponder how he should proceed I didn't think there would be Sleepers present, perhaps the absence of the Abyss along with this worlds other magic... a cry of pain and a loud thump ended his musings. The voices inside became panicked and filled with concern best to get this over with Mors knocked on the door with his hoof, there was a pause from inside. A moment later a white Unicorn mare with purple mane opened the top half of the door. "I'm sorry dear but the library is closed at the moment..." Her voice trailed off as she turned her head to look back as a pained voice let out a moan followed by the sounds of movement. Mors looked behind her into the room; it was roughly circular, there was a staircase leading to the second floor, the walls of the room were lined in recessed bookcases and a few pieces of furniture scattered about. On the floor near the stairs was a lavender Unicorn mare with mane and tail of dark indigo with twin strips of pink and purple, four other mares half standing half were hovering beside her, one of which was the Pegasus he had seen earlier, also by her side was what looked to be a dragon, albeit a very small one. "I'm here to help." The mare's head turned back to face him with a questioning look. Before she could respond there was a bright flash of light in the middle of the room followed by a *pop* causing her and the other occupants of the room to jump in surprise. Mors' attention, along with that of everyone in the room, was now on the figure standing in the middle of the room. A pony, though nearly twice as tall as any of the ones he had encountered, with a pure white coat, the mark on her flank was that of a blazing sun, her mane and tail a hue of pale colors, a gold tiara and necklace adorned her, the most striking feature though was the presence of a horn and wings. After the initial shock most of the ponies looked relieved, the dragon was the first to act. "Princess Celestia! Thank goodness you're here, Twilight seems to be getting worse." the dragon's voice was filled with a mixture of worry and relief. Celestia looked down at him with a gentle smile and was about to speak when Twilight started to get up with a groan before starting to move toward the stairs. "Twilight Sparkle." Celestia's voice was soft and filled with a hint of concern. "She can't hear you, your highness" Mors found seven pairs of eyes suddenly on him. "Who are you? and what do you know of what is happening to Twilight Sparkle?" Celestia's voice was calm but Looking into Celestia's eyes he came to a realization this Princess Celestia was the being he had sensed connected to the sun. This makes things interesting, a direct approach will likely be best bowing slightly toward the Princes before responding. "My name is Mors. As for what is happening to Twilight Sparkle; in short while her body is here her spirit is elsewhere." He paused briefly as Celestia turned to the Unicorn mare at the door giving her a nod at which a she opened the bottom half of the door to let him. Bowing his head slightly to her. "Thank you, Miss..." he trailed off at the last part. "Rarity" the mare stated finishing his sentence. He turned his gaze back to Celestia pausing to look at Twilight who had started to crawl up the stairs perhaps she has made it to the Watchtower, if so that will make things much simpler Celestia looked back at Twilight before bringing her attention back to Mors. Before either of them could say another word a bright rainbow colored blur shot across the room before stopping inches from his face wings flapping. "How do you know what's happening to her!? Did you do something to Twilight!?" the blue rainbow haired Pegasus asked glaring at him. Mors looked straight into her eyes before replying. "The answer to your second question is, no. As for your first question there are several reasons for why I know what is happening, the simplest being that I experienced a similar event years ago." his quick direct response caused the Pegasus to pause, staring into eyes for a moment she looked like she was about to say something when a soft cough caused her hover slightly higher before flying back across the room with a hoof rubbing the back of her neck and slight blush. "Sorry, Princes." she said sheepishly. Celestia gave her a gentle smile before bringing her attention back to Mors. "You said her spirit is elsewhere, where is it? and how do we get her back?" her voice remained calm and even. "Her spirit is in one of the Supernal Realms, which of the five I do not know. As for getting her spirit to return, there is no way to stop an Awakening it all comes down to the individual. If it is any comfort the fact that she is climbing the stairs is a good sign, it means she is near the end of her Awakening." the last part of his explanation caused more than a few in the room to let out a sigh of relief. Mors turned his attention to Twilight who had just made it to the top of the stairs and now seemed to be focused on the opposite wall looks like she made it to the top, best to warn them just in case "I should mention that the last part can be...taxing." his words were met with questioning looks which soon turned to ones of panic as a loud cry of pain followed whimpering came from the second floor. There was a stampede of hoofs and a flurry of flapping wings as the five mares rushed to their friend, the dragon followed closely after them. A pained look flashed across Celestia's face at Twilight's cries "Will she be alright?" her gaze stayed on Twilight who had managed to make her way over to the wall, her horn glowed a faint lavender as she began carving her name into the wall with her magic. Seeing this Mors gave a faint smile before turning his attention to the Princes. "Yes, when she finishes carving her name her Awakening will be finished." Celestia looked back at Mors catching the implications of his last statement. Her expression became one of seriousness and concern. "There is more?" it was as much a statement as it was a question and Mors felt the eyes of the Sun Princes boring into him, it was not the first he had seen such a look, that of a parent or mentor when they become protective. "Yes, there is more. I will not be able give you a better answer until we learn which Watchtower she has carved her name into." Celestia's stair soften, wither because of his response or the sound of happy voices from the landing above. The small dragon appeared at the top of the stairs in a much better mood than earlier "Twilight's awake Princess!" he said smiling before heading back to the mare in question. Celestia motioned for Mors to follow her as she proceeded up the stairs. Mors reached the landing of the second floor just as Celestia laid down next to Twilight giving the young mare a comforting nuzzle before speaking. "I am glad to have you back my Faithful Student. You gave us all quiet scare." her voice was calm and soothing. "I'm sorry Princess, I didn't mean to worry everypony. One minute I was talking to Spike and the next I was someplace else." Twilight lowered her head, looking at her hoofs. Celestia smiled down at Twilight before speaking. "There's nothing for you to apologize for and from what Mors has said you've been through quite an ordeal." Twilight raised her head with a puzzled look noticing him for the first time. "Nice to meet you Twilight Sparkle. My name is Mors. Hopefully I will be able to answer any questions you have about your Awakening." Mors finished as he laid down across from Twilight and the others. "Awakening?" Twilight responded looking puzzled first at Mors and then turning to Celestia. "I am afraid I do not know much more than you on this matter my Faithful Student. However, Mors has said that he would be able to tell more about what is happening if you can tell us about where you just were." Celestia stated in a calm voice. Twilight nodded her head and afterwards looked around at her friends before facing Mors. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts she began to go over everything that happened since she had passed out earlier. END Chapter 1 Story Notes: Locations; Stygia Watchtower of the Lead Coin Concepts; Awakened Sleeper: Anyone not an Awakened and therefore can't use magic. Chapter 2A/N: I'm fine with thumbs down, but it would be nice to know what the cause of the poor rating is. Anyway, thanks to those that have rated, those that have commented and those that are Tracking. Chapter 2: Waking Twilight Warnings: Potentially upsetting descriptions of injuries and physical trauma. Twilight awoke with "jhst fyfe mor minits." she mumbled, her request was denied as a thunderous crack caused her to jump to all four. The hairs of her coat were standing on end, her mane and tail whipped back and forth as the wind began to build forcing her to brace herself lest she get blown over. Great peals of lightning brighter than Twilight had ever seen streaked across the clouded sky, their booming thunder reverberating through her body What's going on? Where am I? Twilight's mind was racing trying to recall anything that might help explain what was happening Maybe this is a dream? she shook her head whether or not it's a dream I need to find a way home looking around she began to take note of her surroundings; the land stretched out in all directions for as far as she could see, in some places great gouts of brilliant white flame roared from the earth and lightning arched across the sky. As Twilight turned around her eyes went wide, in the distance a gargantuan tower of gleaming gold and silver reached into the sky. Even through the clouds she could see the top of the tower, a radiant ethereal flame engulfing a massive golden key shown through the clouds. Deep down a part of Twilight was drawn to the tower what is this feeling? It seems familiar somehow... she couldn't explain it but she knew she had to get to the tower. If I teleport I won't have to worry about the fires or lightning she focused on the base of the tower her horn glowing magenta as she unleashed her spell vanishing in a flash of light, a moment latter appearing at the base of the tower. Twilight screamed her world erupting in pain as her body slammed into the ground near the base of the tower. The lightning had struck several feet from where she had appeared, unfortunately the current had traveled across the ground and through her before continuing on. Twilight lay for a while barely moving, whimpering every so often as she tried to regain her senses, she would have remained there even longer but now that she was so close to the tower the stronger it called to her everything hurts her ears were ringing and the world sounded muted. She tried to stand but found it required too much effort to maintain her balance Not good, I have to get inside away from the lightning she started crawling up the stairs, it was slow going and her nerves felt like they were on fire but she made it to the top. Before her was a giant ornate gold door, Twilight tried to call on her magic to open it but the pain kept her from focusing her power. In desperation she lifted herself up and pushed against the door with what strength she could oh Celestia it hurts she whimpered again in frustration more than pain. For a moment nothing happened but then the door opened, just enough for her to get through. As Twilight stumbled in she didn't notice as the door closed behind her, what she now made her stare in awe. Before her great cams, spindles, chains and gears of gold, silver and glass worked at some cosmic machinations the sound of their movements creating a symphony of otherworldly music. She wasn't sure how long she laid there watching and listening as the mechanisms continued in their unknown function. Once again she felt a part her being drawn "Up, ascend" the voice had only been a whisper but Twilight had heard it clearly even with the musical sounds of the machinery. She was surprised to say the least. "Who's there? Please can you help me? I want to go home." The whispers returned "Top, summit, peak." Twilight looked around but still couldn't see anypony. "Where are you?" only the sound of the unknown machine filled the tower. She made her off to her right where a staircase wound its way up along the walls of the tower and began to half climb half crawl her way up the stairs, her body still ached from before but she managed to push on. Twilight wasn't sure how long she had been climbing but at last the top of the stairs was in sight. The closer she got to the top the stronger the pulling sensation had become, now that neared the top it had gotten to the point that she pushed aside her pain and start to walk the rest of the way. Upon reaching the top of the stairs Twilight found herself atop the tower. Before her a raised section of the tower was surrounded in ethereal flames with the Golden Key floating above the light radiating from it brighter than anything she'd ever seen, brighter even than Celestia's sun. Twilight stared once again in awe how can looking at this not be blinding me? a part of her mind wondered not that I'm complaining. another part hastily added. The part of her that had drawn her here was once again calling to her, this time toward the raised section of tower. Twilight frowned even from here the heat from the flames is only just bearable she made her way around the top of the tower looking for some kind of path or break in the flames, there was none. Maybe I can teleport past the flames she tried drawing on her magic only to find it felt distant what little she could gather was nowhere near enough to power her spell. This left her with only option; if she was to reach the center she'd have to pass through the flames. Twilight pranced in place with apprehension this is crazy. I'm standing on top of a colossal tower in some unknown land and some part of me is telling me the only way home is to walk through some kind of enchanted fire! her mind was going back and forth trying to come up with some kind of logical course of action. She found herself thinking about her friends back home, Spike, Ponyvile, her parents, Princes Celestia. Twilight made up her mind, she took a few steps back before running head on toward the flame. Before she even reached the flames the intense heat began to wear on her, no sooner had she started to sweat than it turned to steam. As she reached the flames the hairs all over body started catching on fire, she faltered for a moment, the pain overwhelming her and she let out a choked scream. For a moment she feared she had made a mistake and now she would never see any of them again. NO! she pushed forward I. WILL. Get back to them. her hoofs were bare the hair burned away and the skin blistering as she made it out of the flames to the raised section of the tower. Large parts of her mane and tail had been burned away along with parts of her coat, but she was no longer on fire and the heat seemed to have vanished for which she felt somewhat grateful. Before her the raised section stretched in both direction featureless but for what looked to be a couple of names. On instinct she reached out with her magic and began carving her name into the wall. As she finished she got a strange feeling, she couldn't place it but it felt...right. Her world filled with a radiant light as her mind went blank. END Chapter 2 Story Notes: None this chapter, as a lot of things will be explained in the next chapter. Chapter 3Note on Italics: Text in italics are inner monologues, most of the time it will be perfectly clear whose thoughts they are but just in case I will be color coding them. The color code so far: Mors, Twilight Chapter 3 The Paths We Tread Warnings: None As Twilight finished her description of events, Mors noted the various reactions of the ponies and dragon. Rarity looked like she had been close to fainting when Twilight had told them what had transpired at the top of the tower, the cyan Pegasus and orange pony were wide eyed in fascination, the yellow Pegasus and Spike looked concerned and Celestia was unreadable. The silence that followed was broken by a cheerful excited voice. "Good thing you spent a Willpower point on that last Resolve Roll Twilight!" said the pink pony bouncing up on her tail like it was a spring. All eyes in the room where looking at the pink pony with varying degrees of confusion. "Pinkie, you're so random." the cyan Pegasus stated shaking her head, Pinkie giggled in response. Twilight and Celestia turned their attention to Mors. "I've so many questions, I'm not sure where to start." Twilight said, her brow furrowed in thought before settling down "When you introduced yourself you called what happened to me an Awakening. What is an Awakening?" "As good a place to start as any. An Awakening is when an individual's soul makes a connection with one of the Five Watchtowers, this forges a conduit allowing them to draw upon the power of the Supernal Realm." Twilight looked a little puzzled but seemed to be following him for the most part something tangible will likely be more helpful... "Remember the sensation you felt when you finished inscribing your name into the Tower?" Twilight nodded her head, so he continued, "Try focusing on that feeling." Twilight closed her eyes and started focusing, no sooner had she done so then her eyes shoot open. "I can feel it" her friends just looked at her "the tower, it's hard to explain. It's like it's a part of me or I'm part of It." several heads turned to Mors for confirmation. "An accurate assessment." he said with a nod. Twilight was lost in thought again after a few moments she broke her silence. "When I was in that realm and now when I focus on the connection I can feel some kind of power. It feels similar to magic but the same time very different. What is it?" "To answer that will take some time, so I hope you are all comfortable." looking around a few shifted a bit but said nothing, Twilight and grabbed some paper, ink and a quill with her Unicorn magic. The paper was off to her side the quill enveloped in a magenta glow and looked be taking notes. Celestia gave him a small nod for him to continue "Very well then. The power you referred to is another form of magic, I must admit that I am unfamiliar with your form magic or its workings but the this form of magic is broken down to into 10 Arcana each of which allows a Mage to impose their will upon reality in a different way. This magic comes from one of the five Supernal Realms, each of these Realms is more intone with two Arcana than the others and when a Mage inscribes their name into that Realm's Watchtower becoming Awakened. The Awakened draw upon the power of that Realm through their connection with the Watchtower, these connections are called Paths." Mors paused for a moment, given the groups reactions only Twilight and Celestia seemed to really be following him. "The Realm you where in is called the Aether it is one unrestrained creation of magic at its purest, a place of energy, destruction and rebirth. Those who walk the Path of the Mighty are known as Obrimos." Mors noticed Twilight shift about looking a bit uneasy at his last statement but he decided to continue "Obrimos draw power from the Watchtower of the Golden Key its Ruling Arcana are Forces and Prime. The best way to describe the Prime Arcana is as the magic of magic." at this Twilight became even more attentive electing a small smile from Celestia and the others shared a knowing look an area of interest perhaps? he glanced at the quill which was going back and forth across a fresh sheet of paper Twilight's a student of their magic and Princess Celestia is her mentor... he put the thought aside for the moment and continued "It can be used to; see the makeup of spells, counter and dispel magic, read the nature of others from their aura, wield Supernal fire, create illusions, imbue items with magic, influence Mana and Halows, and even draw power from the ley lines of the earth." the reactions around the room changed little as he continued "The Arcana of Forces governs; Electricity, sound, fire, heat, kinetic energy, light, magnetism, nuclear radiation, sunlight, gravity and weather." At this point more than a few jaws dropped, Celestia was more composed than the rest. The cyan Pegasus flapped her wings taking to the air, she was hovering in place and looking pointedly at Mors as she spoke. "Wait a minute. Are you saying Twilight can control the weather?!" her voice held more than a hint of indignation. "No, it will likely be some time before she is able to." Mors was more than a little intrigued by her apparent offense, his thoughts were cut short by Celestia. "There are a number of things I wish to know; however I must return to my duties. Before I go I do have two questions for you; where are you from? And why are you here?" Asked Celestia. "Another world, I can provide you with some texts from my library about my world as well as texts going into more detail about Supernal magic." the only response from Celestia was a raised eyebrow, Twilight looked rather excited at the prospect of a library full of books from another world and the others were a mix of wonder and disbelief "I am here in Ponyvile because when I sensed Miss Sparkle's Awakening; I did not detect any other Awakened in the area and so I came here both to explain what was happening and to make sure there weren't any complications,. As for why I am in your world... I am here fulfilling my friends' last request, why they wanted to send me here I do not know." he trailed off at the end why indeed "I am sorry to for the loss of your friends." for a moment, Celestia had a knowing look in her eyes and her voice held a hint of sadness "And I am grateful for your offer although I must admit I am curious as to how you will do so. Are you capable of returning to your world then?" her tone shifting to one of curiosity. Mors shook his head. "No, returning to my world is beyond my ability. It took all four of my friends working together and likely a few years, to send me here. As for my library, it as much a part of me as I am of it, I can go to and from it at will." he paused a moment before continuing "If you will pardon me for a moment I will go retrieve the texts for you Princess, as well as some texts on Prime and Forces Arcana for Miss Sparkle." Celestia nodded her head in response and Twilight looked on with a mixture of confusion and excitement as Mors started meditating that's odd, from what he said he was about to use magic but his horn isn't...wait WHAT!? He doesn't have a horn! A few seconds passed and then he was gone. There was no flash of light or loud noise he was just gone. Twilight looked from the spot Mors had been to Celestia, before she could speak Mors was back along with a dozen books. Twilight was dumbfounded, her mouth trying to form words but failing, her friends were much the same and Celestia looked amused. "How...? How did...I thought only Unicorns could do magic? You're an Earth pony, how...did...?" Twilight asked, being more confused than ever. Mors was now mirroring Celestia's amused look. "An Awakened forms an image in their mind of the changes they want to make in the world, an Imago. The Imago consists of the spells effects and factors; once an Imago is formed the mage draws on their connection to the Supernal Realm and uses that power to enact the changes of the Imago on the world. The changes a mage can make are confined to the Arcana that they know, their own innate power and their understanding of how the Arcana interacts with the world around them." Mors stated as he floated a stack of books over to them put them down in front of them. Twilight had a look of sudden comprehension. "So when you told Rainbow Dash it would be sometime before I could control the weather it was because in order to do so I would need not only an understanding of the effects needed to cause the weather to change but also how the Arcana involved would need to be used to affect it?" Twilight asked. "Correct, and the more drastic the change the greater the complexity and force of will needed to enact it." he replied. Twilight once again looked to be pondering something. Celestia was about ready to depart but her Faithful Students next question caught her interest. "Are you an Obrimos mage Mors?" she asked. This time there was a pause before he replied which didn't go unnoticed by any in the room. "No Miss Sparkle. My Path is Moros, its Realm is that of Stygia and its Watcher is that of the Lead Coin." Again there was a pause the room had become quite had stopped taking notes when she noticed the change in his tone. It was solemn now with an underlying calmness to it. "Its Ruling Arcana are that of Death and Matter." Mors reply was met with silence. Twilight had paled at the mention of the Death Arcana, as had several of the others, Celestia was unreadable and Spike was fidgeting nervously. "Do..do..do you mean..deaaath..as in..zombies...?" Spike stammered out. At this Mors' face darkened causing Spike to gulp. "The dead are not playthings and I do not suffer those who would make a mockery of the dead." Mors' voice sounded like it was emanating from a tomb, echoing forth from its depths "They have earned their rest and..." he stopped as he saw that Spike was now hiding behind Twilight who looked more than a little worried by the sudden change. Rarity had fainted; the yellow Pegasus was hiding behind the cyan Pegasus, who along with the two Earth ponies looked stunned. Mors lowered his head with a sigh "I must apologize for that outburst." his voice returning to normal "I have personal and ethical reasons for my view on such practices and I am afraid it has been a very long time since I have interacted with anyone other than my friends." a few moments passed before the silence was broken, this time by Celestia. "My little ponies please take Rarity and go down stairs." her voice was firm but gentle. Once they had left she turned her attention back to Mors. "What exactly does the Death Arcana govern and to what degree are you proficient in it?" "It influences: Darkness, decay, ectoplasm, enervation, resurrection, souls, lifespans, and undead. It can also be used to speak with the dead and interact with objects and beings in Twilight; a state parallel with the Material World, that ghosts and other spirits exist within. As for my proficiency; I am an Archmage of both Death and Mater and I have a fair knowledge of the other Arcana as well." Celestia looked at Mors, her expression remaining unreadable for several minutes passed before she spoke. "Mors, what do you intend to do now that you are in this world?" Celestia's tone was even. "If I am to remain here I would like to know your laws and customs. In the short term, if you want, I can help both you and Miss Sparkle understand and control her new abilities. As for long term; I am unsure, I know too little about this world to make such plans." he replied. "Based on how forthcoming you have been in answering my questions and your actions thus far, I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I have decided that I will accept your offer to help Twilight Sparkle, the two of you shall return with me to Canterlot for her lessons. I will arrange for you to stay at the palace for the time being and in between her lessons Twilight will be able to tell you about our world." her voice taking on its usual soft yet authoritative tone. "Thank you Princess." Mors replied bowing his head. "There is still much for us to discuss, however for now let us join Twilight Sparkle and her friends." Celestia said while getting up, Mors followed behind Celestia as she made her way down stairs. Twilight and the others were talking quietly amongst themselves, Rarity having recovered from fainting. Their conversations stopped when they saw Celestia and Mors had joined them. All of them had varying looks of nervousness and worry, but most relaxed when Celestia gave them a small reassuring smile. Celestia's announcement was received with mixed emotions: Twilight seemed excited at the prospect of her lessons especially since the Princess was going to be present. Pinkie Pie was the only member of the group who vocal objected since they were leaving before she could throw a party. Once Twilight had packed she rejoined the others downstairs. One by one her friends headed home after saying goodbye and making Twilight promise to come back soon. Spike would be staying behind to run the library, the others having offered to take turns helping him. With everything taken care of Celestia cast the spell to transport the three of them to the palace and with a flash of light they were gone. END Chapter 3 A/N: This chapter turned out to be one massive headache to write, don't be surprised if it gets heavily edited at some point (nothing story wise will be changed but some of the dialog I might have to redo) and sorry if the end seems a bit rushed. I've decided that at least one more of the Main 6 will Awaken at some point in the future, not sure about the rest. A/N 2: For those familiar with the MTAw book Imperial Mysteries (IM); I have been leaving the concepts presented in it out of this story (for now at least) as I feel including those elements would make following the story a nightmare. That and I'm having enough of a challenge writing this story as is. Also for those familiar with IM: Mors has a Gnosis of 8 and here is his Arcana: Death: 7 Fate: 3 Forces: 4 Life: 3 Mater: 8 Mind: 3 Prime: 5 Space: 4 Spirit: 4 Time: 3 Update 8-19-20138-19-2013 Good news! I have been working on the rewrite, a lot of the storyline has been plotted out and Mors' introduction to the Mane Six has been reworked to be more believable. Now the bad news; it is still going to be sometime before I will have the revised story writen, but I am working on the story again.
PrologueThe Game We Immortals Play By. Macilnar Disclaimer: I do not own Mage: The Awakening, World of Darkness or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. If I did I would be writing a lot more fanfics. Author's Note: This fic is rated mature mostly because there will some dark elements (they will be confined to chapter(s) that can be skipped, although the chapter(s) will be shinning light on parts of Mors' past, the story can be read without them), mainly: war, death, and violence but more so then that it is rated mature because it is intended to for mature readers. There will not be any clop in this fic, implied shipping maybe but nothing more than that. Also I will be posting warnings at the beginning of each chapter depending on their content. Also this is my first fan fiction, on top of that I don't have anyone editing or proofreading this and while spellchecker is all well and good it can miss a lot. Not to mention it can't give feedback on how the story flows. Lastly a fair warning to any who get hooked on this story: while I do intend to see this story to its conclusion do not expect any kind of regular updates. I might post a 2,000+ word chapter a day or a month; in other words updates will be slightly less random than Pinkie Pie. Prologue Four figures sat near a fireplace, the only source of light in the dimly lit room. "Well Loki? Will it work?" the one closest to the fire, Veritas, asked. "We will succeed, but Mors was partially correct when he said none of us would survive." said Loki, his voice lacking its usual cheerfulness. "How many?" a soft voice asked. "Hard to say. Other than Mors, one at least will remain but they will pass soon after." Loki replied. "Does it matter if we perish? If we do nothing then soon the Abyss will have been widened enough to all but sever the Supernal from the Fallen World." said the figure furthest from the fire. "There is no doubt we must proceed, yet..." the others waited knowing Veritas would continue shortly "Do you remember what Mors was like when we first met?" all were silent, it was the soft spoken one who responded first. "He was beyond insufferable, one of us had to drag him out of the library or else he would remain there for weeks on end. It took nearly a decade to get him to start actually interact with any of us. But why do you ask?" "What do you think he will do with all of us are gone? Even before any of us became Arcs the only time he would interact with anyone other than one of us was when we went to make contact with someone who had just become Awakened." asked Veritas. This time the silence was accompanied by several sadden looks, to everyone's surprise Loki broke the silence. "I see where you are going with this Veritas and I may have a solution." there was gleam in his eyes that caused the others to wonder what madness Loki was planning "It will take the four of us in order to pull it off but I think you will agree that it will have the desired result." "I am almost afraid to ask, but what do you have in mind?" Loki was grinning ear to ear, his usual cheerful mood back with a vengeance. For the next several hours he laid out his plan, the others listening in stunned silence. Loki had been known to get long winded but this was the first time that any of them could recall him being so focused and it was more than a bit terrifying. As more of Loki's plan was put forth the others found themselves agreeing with him; while parts of it were a bit odd, a world populated by talking ponies for one, it would be the ideal situation to keep him from slipping back into his isolation. Veritas asked the first of what was to be many questions. "If we are to do this we will need further details. Tell us more about this Equestria." **********Ten Years Latter*********** "It's time for you to go." Veritas, of the four only he remained and soon even he would be gone. His voice which once held such power behind it was now but a whisper. Looking toward his ancient friend, Mors sighed, in truth he didn't see what his friends hope to accomplish but it mattered little. If this was their last wish, then so be it, after over two millennium working alongside each other it was the least he could do. "Where is it then that I will be going?" This should be interesting at the very least. Veritas set the ritual in motion, the arcane runes on the floor began to glow with power. "Where? I can't say, we let Loki decide." Loki?! Mors found himself staring at his friend wide eyed in disbelief. "Ha! It's been ages since I've seen you with that look on your face." Veritas said with a smile. "If you must know; all he would let me say was that he got the idea of where to send you from back before his Awakening. That and something about once a brony always a brony." Brony? Is that even a wor... he paused mid thought just Loki being Loki. Focusing back on his surroundings he noticed the ritual was almost complete, the room surged with the power of the Supernal Realms he began identifying their different Arcana; Fate, Life, Prime and Space. He started contemplating the purpose of each spell when he heard Veritas' last words. "Good bye." Mors felt the spells around him followed by a sudden 'pull' as his mind went blank. END Prologue Next Chapter Story Notes: These notes are to help readers unfamiliar with Mage: The Awakening or just having trouble keeping track of things. There will be one of these after every chapter in which new/important content is added that may require more detailed answers than would make sense to put in the story. Characters; Mors: The stories main character, he is an Archmaster of both the Death and Matter Arcana, he was also the oldest being 537 years old when the last of his five friends died. Veritas: Mors' oldest friend, an Archmage of Prime, his last act before dieing was activating the ritual to send Mors to Equestria. Loki: An Archmage of Fate and Life, he chose to take on the name of the Norse god due to his love of pranks and their shared interest with anything with a pulse... Locations; Supernal Realm Abyss Fallen World Concepts; Arcana -Death -Fate -Life -Matter -Prime -Space
Chapter 1Chapter 1: A New Kind of Magic Warnings: None Veritas watched as the ritual progressed waiting for the right moment. This last part had been his idea, if Mors was to be kept from falling into his old ways there would need to be something to get his attention from the start. A spark... Now. He reached out into the other world, it didn't take long for him to find the one he was looking for. Making a connection he focused the last of his power and voice boomed with power as he spoke one last word before his life ended. "Awaken" *****Somewhere just outside Ponyville***** It was another beautiful day in Equestria; the sun was shining, the birds were singing, a slight breeze caused the trees to sway and on top of a small hill not far from the town a figure appeared in a sphere of Arcane power before falling to the ground. Several moments passed as Mors collected himself before opening his eyes then quickly squinting them until they adjusted to the light. Alone once more. he remained unmoving lost in thought for a time, eventually he decided it was best to assess his situation. Upon trying to stand he discovered his muscles did not respond correctly, bringing his hand up in front of him he found the reason why A hoof? his right eye twitched not the first time Loki's pulled a trick like this, why now though? letting out a sigh might as well have a better look at myself. Mors began his spell, drawing power from Stygia across the Abyss...he froze in the midst of the spell. Ever since he had become an Archmage the Abyss had ceased being a hindrance to him but this was different, the Abyss was gone. How can this be possible? Mors' mind was reeling, a mass of thoughts trying to make sense of what he now faced. Ever since the Fall the Abyss has separated the Supernal from the Fallen World. It should not be possible...Fate, Life, Prime and Space, the ritual comprised of four Arcana; Prime had been used to channel the power and focus the effects. Life was used to alter my form, so what role did Fate and Time play? I need to know more about this place if I am to figure this out Shifting his focus, he began drawing on the Arcana of Prime, channeling its power into him. The world around him exploded in a symphony of light, everything glowed with a faint aura of magic; the grass, the trees, even the air. As he looked up something caught his attention; the sun radiated with an aura of immense power, it felt ancient yet young, bursting with life. Odd, the power is most definitely arcane but it is not Supernal in its origin. It would seem this place contains another form of magic... as he continued pondering this development he noticed another oddity. It was a thread of arcane energy coming away from the sun, following the thread he found himself looking at a castle coming out the side of a mountain in the distance, the thread connected to another aura. It was similar to the sun's yet; focused, contained it was... Alive. The sun is connected to a living being. What... a thousand more questions came to mind, he cast them aside and focused on the aura. It danced in a multitude of lights, he watched for awhile discerning different patterns and fluctuations intelligent, not human, a Sleeper? It wields arcane power yet it is not an Awakened, that confirms that there is at least one other form of magic here apart from Supernal. his earlier suspicion confirmed he again focused on the aura not mortal, at least not in regards to time, benevolent there was far more to the aura but the last part would suffice for now. Satisfied that the being the aura belonged to was not a threat, he turned his focus back to himself. He reached out once again, this time drawing on Matter, with a thought three 2x4 mirrors appeared in front of him. Looking back at him Mors saw a small pony with large grey eyes, a black coat, his mane and tail a dark grey. Noticing something near his flank he turned to get a better look, it was an image, one he was very familiar with even if the depiction was less than detailed; a tower, of what he knew was bone, stood with a blue flame rising from the top, the Watchtower of the Lead Coin from which he channeled his power. With another thought the mirrors vanished as quickly as they had appeared so I'm a pony, although the proportions seem...off. The being connected to the sun wasn't human perhaps it is some form of pony too... his thoughts are interrupted, it was like a ripple in a still pound starting small but growing; a connection was being formed to one of the Supernal Realms An Awakening? Without the Abyss there shouldn't be any need to... frowning to himself I've missed something. I shouldn't need to draw power through the Watchtower either focusing on his connection to Stygia he noticed something that he had overlooked earlier, it was like a membrane just strong enough that the Supernal Realms were separated from the world around him yet didn't hinder his connection to it one surprise after another, I wonder... he focused; looking for signs of any more Awakened, other than the new connection he had felt there were none. Very strange, but then that being from before was a Sleeper looking in the direction he sensed the Awakening he noticed a town two likely possibilities; there are few to none Awakened in this world or they are beyond the area of my ability to sense. Not good, both cases mean that it is unlikely another Awakened will be there anytime soon and that could be problematic. It looks like I'll have to go investigate. As he started walking toward the town he noticed a slim wisp of arcane energy head off rapidly from the direction sensed the Awakening toward the castle. After pausing briefly he continued on his way. It had taken longer for Mors to reach the edge of the town then he had guessed. Part of that had been from the sight of rainbow colored blur followed shortly by a yellow pony with a pink mane and tail flying by him toward the town a Pegasus. As he set hoof inside the town he strange feeling, like something knew he was here but the feeling passed as quick as it came. He walked past two ponies having a conversation, one he noted had a horn just above their eyes, the other lacked any secondary features Unicorns, Pegasi and... I guess just ground ponies will do for the last group. He was presently surprised that the two were speaking English at least I won't have to worry about a language barrier after a few minutes of walking he began to notice something about the town, while for the most part the town seemed to be rather primitive yet every now and then he would spot something that seemed completely out of place it seems as though this place has a developed along a very random path in its technological development he thought passing a cafe with soft music coming from several speakers in the outdoor dining area. As he rounded a corner he found himself looking at a large tree which appeared to have been hollowed out and turned into a building yet it looked very much alive. In front of the doorway was a sign with a picture of an open book on it a bookstore or a library perhaps? He dispersed the magic enhancing his sight and the auras faded away, the building in front of him was most definitely where the individual he was looking for was located. As he approached he began to hear several voices coming from inside they sounded worried and confused. Pausing at the door he ponder how he should proceed I didn't think there would be Sleepers present, perhaps the absence of the Abyss along with this worlds other magic... a cry of pain and a loud thump ended his musings. The voices inside became panicked and filled with concern best to get this over with Mors knocked on the door with his hoof, there was a pause from inside. A moment later a white Unicorn mare with purple mane opened the top half of the door. "I'm sorry dear but the library is closed at the moment..." Her voice trailed off as she turned her head to look back as a pained voice let out a moan followed by the sounds of movement. Mors looked behind her into the room; it was roughly circular, there was a staircase leading to the second floor, the walls of the room were lined in recessed bookcases and a few pieces of furniture scattered about. On the floor near the stairs was a lavender Unicorn mare with mane and tail of dark indigo with twin strips of pink and purple, four other mares half standing half were hovering beside her, one of which was the Pegasus he had seen earlier, also by her side was what looked to be a dragon, albeit a very small one. "I'm here to help." The mare's head turned back to face him with a questioning look. Before she could respond there was a bright flash of light in the middle of the room followed by a *pop* causing her and the other occupants of the room to jump in surprise. Mors' attention, along with that of everyone in the room, was now on the figure standing in the middle of the room. A pony, though nearly twice as tall as any of the ones he had encountered, with a pure white coat, the mark on her flank was that of a blazing sun, her mane and tail a hue of pale colors, a gold tiara and necklace adorned her, the most striking feature though was the presence of a horn and wings. After the initial shock most of the ponies looked relieved, the dragon was the first to act. "Princess Celestia! Thank goodness you're here, Twilight seems to be getting worse." the dragon's voice was filled with a mixture of worry and relief. Celestia looked down at him with a gentle smile and was about to speak when Twilight started to get up with a groan before starting to move toward the stairs. "Twilight Sparkle." Celestia's voice was soft and filled with a hint of concern. "She can't hear you, your highness" Mors found seven pairs of eyes suddenly on him. "Who are you? and what do you know of what is happening to Twilight Sparkle?" Celestia's voice was calm but Looking into Celestia's eyes he came to a realization this Princess Celestia was the being he had sensed connected to the sun. This makes things interesting, a direct approach will likely be best bowing slightly toward the Princes before responding. "My name is Mors. As for what is happening to Twilight Sparkle; in short while her body is here her spirit is elsewhere." He paused briefly as Celestia turned to the Unicorn mare at the door giving her a nod at which a she opened the bottom half of the door to let him. Bowing his head slightly to her. "Thank you, Miss..." he trailed off at the last part. "Rarity" the mare stated finishing his sentence. He turned his gaze back to Celestia pausing to look at Twilight who had started to crawl up the stairs perhaps she has made it to the Watchtower, if so that will make things much simpler Celestia looked back at Twilight before bringing her attention back to Mors. Before either of them could say another word a bright rainbow colored blur shot across the room before stopping inches from his face wings flapping. "How do you know what's happening to her!? Did you do something to Twilight!?" the blue rainbow haired Pegasus asked glaring at him. Mors looked straight into her eyes before replying. "The answer to your second question is, no. As for your first question there are several reasons for why I know what is happening, the simplest being that I experienced a similar event years ago." his quick direct response caused the Pegasus to pause, staring into eyes for a moment she looked like she was about to say something when a soft cough caused her hover slightly higher before flying back across the room with a hoof rubbing the back of her neck and slight blush. "Sorry, Princes." she said sheepishly. Celestia gave her a gentle smile before bringing her attention back to Mors. "You said her spirit is elsewhere, where is it? and how do we get her back?" her voice remained calm and even. "Her spirit is in one of the Supernal Realms, which of the five I do not know. As for getting her spirit to return, there is no way to stop an Awakening it all comes down to the individual. If it is any comfort the fact that she is climbing the stairs is a good sign, it means she is near the end of her Awakening." the last part of his explanation caused more than a few in the room to let out a sigh of relief. Mors turned his attention to Twilight who had just made it to the top of the stairs and now seemed to be focused on the opposite wall looks like she made it to the top, best to warn them just in case "I should mention that the last part can be...taxing." his words were met with questioning looks which soon turned to ones of panic as a loud cry of pain followed whimpering came from the second floor. There was a stampede of hoofs and a flurry of flapping wings as the five mares rushed to their friend, the dragon followed closely after them. A pained look flashed across Celestia's face at Twilight's cries "Will she be alright?" her gaze stayed on Twilight who had managed to make her way over to the wall, her horn glowed a faint lavender as she began carving her name into the wall with her magic. Seeing this Mors gave a faint smile before turning his attention to the Princes. "Yes, when she finishes carving her name her Awakening will be finished." Celestia looked back at Mors catching the implications of his last statement. Her expression became one of seriousness and concern. "There is more?" it was as much a statement as it was a question and Mors felt the eyes of the Sun Princes boring into him, it was not the first he had seen such a look, that of a parent or mentor when they become protective. "Yes, there is more. I will not be able give you a better answer until we learn which Watchtower she has carved her name into." Celestia's stair soften, wither because of his response or the sound of happy voices from the landing above. The small dragon appeared at the top of the stairs in a much better mood than earlier "Twilight's awake Princess!" he said smiling before heading back to the mare in question. Celestia motioned for Mors to follow her as she proceeded up the stairs. Mors reached the landing of the second floor just as Celestia laid down next to Twilight giving the young mare a comforting nuzzle before speaking. "I am glad to have you back my Faithful Student. You gave us all quiet scare." her voice was calm and soothing. "I'm sorry Princess, I didn't mean to worry everypony. One minute I was talking to Spike and the next I was someplace else." Twilight lowered her head, looking at her hoofs. Celestia smiled down at Twilight before speaking. "There's nothing for you to apologize for and from what Mors has said you've been through quite an ordeal." Twilight raised her head with a puzzled look noticing him for the first time. "Nice to meet you Twilight Sparkle. My name is Mors. Hopefully I will be able to answer any questions you have about your Awakening." Mors finished as he laid down across from Twilight and the others. "Awakening?" Twilight responded looking puzzled first at Mors and then turning to Celestia. "I am afraid I do not know much more than you on this matter my Faithful Student. However, Mors has said that he would be able to tell more about what is happening if you can tell us about where you just were." Celestia stated in a calm voice. Twilight nodded her head and afterwards looked around at her friends before facing Mors. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts she began to go over everything that happened since she had passed out earlier. END Chapter 1 Story Notes: Locations; Stygia Watchtower of the Lead Coin Concepts; Awakened Sleeper: Anyone not an Awakened and therefore can't use magic.
Chapter 2A/N: I'm fine with thumbs down, but it would be nice to know what the cause of the poor rating is. Anyway, thanks to those that have rated, those that have commented and those that are Tracking. Chapter 2: Waking Twilight Warnings: Potentially upsetting descriptions of injuries and physical trauma. Twilight awoke with "jhst fyfe mor minits." she mumbled, her request was denied as a thunderous crack caused her to jump to all four. The hairs of her coat were standing on end, her mane and tail whipped back and forth as the wind began to build forcing her to brace herself lest she get blown over. Great peals of lightning brighter than Twilight had ever seen streaked across the clouded sky, their booming thunder reverberating through her body What's going on? Where am I? Twilight's mind was racing trying to recall anything that might help explain what was happening Maybe this is a dream? she shook her head whether or not it's a dream I need to find a way home looking around she began to take note of her surroundings; the land stretched out in all directions for as far as she could see, in some places great gouts of brilliant white flame roared from the earth and lightning arched across the sky. As Twilight turned around her eyes went wide, in the distance a gargantuan tower of gleaming gold and silver reached into the sky. Even through the clouds she could see the top of the tower, a radiant ethereal flame engulfing a massive golden key shown through the clouds. Deep down a part of Twilight was drawn to the tower what is this feeling? It seems familiar somehow... she couldn't explain it but she knew she had to get to the tower. If I teleport I won't have to worry about the fires or lightning she focused on the base of the tower her horn glowing magenta as she unleashed her spell vanishing in a flash of light, a moment latter appearing at the base of the tower. Twilight screamed her world erupting in pain as her body slammed into the ground near the base of the tower. The lightning had struck several feet from where she had appeared, unfortunately the current had traveled across the ground and through her before continuing on. Twilight lay for a while barely moving, whimpering every so often as she tried to regain her senses, she would have remained there even longer but now that she was so close to the tower the stronger it called to her everything hurts her ears were ringing and the world sounded muted. She tried to stand but found it required too much effort to maintain her balance Not good, I have to get inside away from the lightning she started crawling up the stairs, it was slow going and her nerves felt like they were on fire but she made it to the top. Before her was a giant ornate gold door, Twilight tried to call on her magic to open it but the pain kept her from focusing her power. In desperation she lifted herself up and pushed against the door with what strength she could oh Celestia it hurts she whimpered again in frustration more than pain. For a moment nothing happened but then the door opened, just enough for her to get through. As Twilight stumbled in she didn't notice as the door closed behind her, what she now made her stare in awe. Before her great cams, spindles, chains and gears of gold, silver and glass worked at some cosmic machinations the sound of their movements creating a symphony of otherworldly music. She wasn't sure how long she laid there watching and listening as the mechanisms continued in their unknown function. Once again she felt a part her being drawn "Up, ascend" the voice had only been a whisper but Twilight had heard it clearly even with the musical sounds of the machinery. She was surprised to say the least. "Who's there? Please can you help me? I want to go home." The whispers returned "Top, summit, peak." Twilight looked around but still couldn't see anypony. "Where are you?" only the sound of the unknown machine filled the tower. She made her off to her right where a staircase wound its way up along the walls of the tower and began to half climb half crawl her way up the stairs, her body still ached from before but she managed to push on. Twilight wasn't sure how long she had been climbing but at last the top of the stairs was in sight. The closer she got to the top the stronger the pulling sensation had become, now that neared the top it had gotten to the point that she pushed aside her pain and start to walk the rest of the way. Upon reaching the top of the stairs Twilight found herself atop the tower. Before her a raised section of the tower was surrounded in ethereal flames with the Golden Key floating above the light radiating from it brighter than anything she'd ever seen, brighter even than Celestia's sun. Twilight stared once again in awe how can looking at this not be blinding me? a part of her mind wondered not that I'm complaining. another part hastily added. The part of her that had drawn her here was once again calling to her, this time toward the raised section of tower. Twilight frowned even from here the heat from the flames is only just bearable she made her way around the top of the tower looking for some kind of path or break in the flames, there was none. Maybe I can teleport past the flames she tried drawing on her magic only to find it felt distant what little she could gather was nowhere near enough to power her spell. This left her with only option; if she was to reach the center she'd have to pass through the flames. Twilight pranced in place with apprehension this is crazy. I'm standing on top of a colossal tower in some unknown land and some part of me is telling me the only way home is to walk through some kind of enchanted fire! her mind was going back and forth trying to come up with some kind of logical course of action. She found herself thinking about her friends back home, Spike, Ponyvile, her parents, Princes Celestia. Twilight made up her mind, she took a few steps back before running head on toward the flame. Before she even reached the flames the intense heat began to wear on her, no sooner had she started to sweat than it turned to steam. As she reached the flames the hairs all over body started catching on fire, she faltered for a moment, the pain overwhelming her and she let out a choked scream. For a moment she feared she had made a mistake and now she would never see any of them again. NO! she pushed forward I. WILL. Get back to them. her hoofs were bare the hair burned away and the skin blistering as she made it out of the flames to the raised section of the tower. Large parts of her mane and tail had been burned away along with parts of her coat, but she was no longer on fire and the heat seemed to have vanished for which she felt somewhat grateful. Before her the raised section stretched in both direction featureless but for what looked to be a couple of names. On instinct she reached out with her magic and began carving her name into the wall. As she finished she got a strange feeling, she couldn't place it but it felt...right. Her world filled with a radiant light as her mind went blank. END Chapter 2 Story Notes: None this chapter, as a lot of things will be explained in the next chapter.
Chapter 3Note on Italics: Text in italics are inner monologues, most of the time it will be perfectly clear whose thoughts they are but just in case I will be color coding them. The color code so far: Mors, Twilight Chapter 3 The Paths We Tread Warnings: None As Twilight finished her description of events, Mors noted the various reactions of the ponies and dragon. Rarity looked like she had been close to fainting when Twilight had told them what had transpired at the top of the tower, the cyan Pegasus and orange pony were wide eyed in fascination, the yellow Pegasus and Spike looked concerned and Celestia was unreadable. The silence that followed was broken by a cheerful excited voice. "Good thing you spent a Willpower point on that last Resolve Roll Twilight!" said the pink pony bouncing up on her tail like it was a spring. All eyes in the room where looking at the pink pony with varying degrees of confusion. "Pinkie, you're so random." the cyan Pegasus stated shaking her head, Pinkie giggled in response. Twilight and Celestia turned their attention to Mors. "I've so many questions, I'm not sure where to start." Twilight said, her brow furrowed in thought before settling down "When you introduced yourself you called what happened to me an Awakening. What is an Awakening?" "As good a place to start as any. An Awakening is when an individual's soul makes a connection with one of the Five Watchtowers, this forges a conduit allowing them to draw upon the power of the Supernal Realm." Twilight looked a little puzzled but seemed to be following him for the most part something tangible will likely be more helpful... "Remember the sensation you felt when you finished inscribing your name into the Tower?" Twilight nodded her head, so he continued, "Try focusing on that feeling." Twilight closed her eyes and started focusing, no sooner had she done so then her eyes shoot open. "I can feel it" her friends just looked at her "the tower, it's hard to explain. It's like it's a part of me or I'm part of It." several heads turned to Mors for confirmation. "An accurate assessment." he said with a nod. Twilight was lost in thought again after a few moments she broke her silence. "When I was in that realm and now when I focus on the connection I can feel some kind of power. It feels similar to magic but the same time very different. What is it?" "To answer that will take some time, so I hope you are all comfortable." looking around a few shifted a bit but said nothing, Twilight and grabbed some paper, ink and a quill with her Unicorn magic. The paper was off to her side the quill enveloped in a magenta glow and looked be taking notes. Celestia gave him a small nod for him to continue "Very well then. The power you referred to is another form of magic, I must admit that I am unfamiliar with your form magic or its workings but the this form of magic is broken down to into 10 Arcana each of which allows a Mage to impose their will upon reality in a different way. This magic comes from one of the five Supernal Realms, each of these Realms is more intone with two Arcana than the others and when a Mage inscribes their name into that Realm's Watchtower becoming Awakened. The Awakened draw upon the power of that Realm through their connection with the Watchtower, these connections are called Paths." Mors paused for a moment, given the groups reactions only Twilight and Celestia seemed to really be following him. "The Realm you where in is called the Aether it is one unrestrained creation of magic at its purest, a place of energy, destruction and rebirth. Those who walk the Path of the Mighty are known as Obrimos." Mors noticed Twilight shift about looking a bit uneasy at his last statement but he decided to continue "Obrimos draw power from the Watchtower of the Golden Key its Ruling Arcana are Forces and Prime. The best way to describe the Prime Arcana is as the magic of magic." at this Twilight became even more attentive electing a small smile from Celestia and the others shared a knowing look an area of interest perhaps? he glanced at the quill which was going back and forth across a fresh sheet of paper Twilight's a student of their magic and Princess Celestia is her mentor... he put the thought aside for the moment and continued "It can be used to; see the makeup of spells, counter and dispel magic, read the nature of others from their aura, wield Supernal fire, create illusions, imbue items with magic, influence Mana and Halows, and even draw power from the ley lines of the earth." the reactions around the room changed little as he continued "The Arcana of Forces governs; Electricity, sound, fire, heat, kinetic energy, light, magnetism, nuclear radiation, sunlight, gravity and weather." At this point more than a few jaws dropped, Celestia was more composed than the rest. The cyan Pegasus flapped her wings taking to the air, she was hovering in place and looking pointedly at Mors as she spoke. "Wait a minute. Are you saying Twilight can control the weather?!" her voice held more than a hint of indignation. "No, it will likely be some time before she is able to." Mors was more than a little intrigued by her apparent offense, his thoughts were cut short by Celestia. "There are a number of things I wish to know; however I must return to my duties. Before I go I do have two questions for you; where are you from? And why are you here?" Asked Celestia. "Another world, I can provide you with some texts from my library about my world as well as texts going into more detail about Supernal magic." the only response from Celestia was a raised eyebrow, Twilight looked rather excited at the prospect of a library full of books from another world and the others were a mix of wonder and disbelief "I am here in Ponyvile because when I sensed Miss Sparkle's Awakening; I did not detect any other Awakened in the area and so I came here both to explain what was happening and to make sure there weren't any complications,. As for why I am in your world... I am here fulfilling my friends' last request, why they wanted to send me here I do not know." he trailed off at the end why indeed "I am sorry to for the loss of your friends." for a moment, Celestia had a knowing look in her eyes and her voice held a hint of sadness "And I am grateful for your offer although I must admit I am curious as to how you will do so. Are you capable of returning to your world then?" her tone shifting to one of curiosity. Mors shook his head. "No, returning to my world is beyond my ability. It took all four of my friends working together and likely a few years, to send me here. As for my library, it as much a part of me as I am of it, I can go to and from it at will." he paused a moment before continuing "If you will pardon me for a moment I will go retrieve the texts for you Princess, as well as some texts on Prime and Forces Arcana for Miss Sparkle." Celestia nodded her head in response and Twilight looked on with a mixture of confusion and excitement as Mors started meditating that's odd, from what he said he was about to use magic but his horn isn't...wait WHAT!? He doesn't have a horn! A few seconds passed and then he was gone. There was no flash of light or loud noise he was just gone. Twilight looked from the spot Mors had been to Celestia, before she could speak Mors was back along with a dozen books. Twilight was dumbfounded, her mouth trying to form words but failing, her friends were much the same and Celestia looked amused. "How...? How did...I thought only Unicorns could do magic? You're an Earth pony, how...did...?" Twilight asked, being more confused than ever. Mors was now mirroring Celestia's amused look. "An Awakened forms an image in their mind of the changes they want to make in the world, an Imago. The Imago consists of the spells effects and factors; once an Imago is formed the mage draws on their connection to the Supernal Realm and uses that power to enact the changes of the Imago on the world. The changes a mage can make are confined to the Arcana that they know, their own innate power and their understanding of how the Arcana interacts with the world around them." Mors stated as he floated a stack of books over to them put them down in front of them. Twilight had a look of sudden comprehension. "So when you told Rainbow Dash it would be sometime before I could control the weather it was because in order to do so I would need not only an understanding of the effects needed to cause the weather to change but also how the Arcana involved would need to be used to affect it?" Twilight asked. "Correct, and the more drastic the change the greater the complexity and force of will needed to enact it." he replied. Twilight once again looked to be pondering something. Celestia was about ready to depart but her Faithful Students next question caught her interest. "Are you an Obrimos mage Mors?" she asked. This time there was a pause before he replied which didn't go unnoticed by any in the room. "No Miss Sparkle. My Path is Moros, its Realm is that of Stygia and its Watcher is that of the Lead Coin." Again there was a pause the room had become quite had stopped taking notes when she noticed the change in his tone. It was solemn now with an underlying calmness to it. "Its Ruling Arcana are that of Death and Matter." Mors reply was met with silence. Twilight had paled at the mention of the Death Arcana, as had several of the others, Celestia was unreadable and Spike was fidgeting nervously. "Do..do..do you mean..deaaath..as in..zombies...?" Spike stammered out. At this Mors' face darkened causing Spike to gulp. "The dead are not playthings and I do not suffer those who would make a mockery of the dead." Mors' voice sounded like it was emanating from a tomb, echoing forth from its depths "They have earned their rest and..." he stopped as he saw that Spike was now hiding behind Twilight who looked more than a little worried by the sudden change. Rarity had fainted; the yellow Pegasus was hiding behind the cyan Pegasus, who along with the two Earth ponies looked stunned. Mors lowered his head with a sigh "I must apologize for that outburst." his voice returning to normal "I have personal and ethical reasons for my view on such practices and I am afraid it has been a very long time since I have interacted with anyone other than my friends." a few moments passed before the silence was broken, this time by Celestia. "My little ponies please take Rarity and go down stairs." her voice was firm but gentle. Once they had left she turned her attention back to Mors. "What exactly does the Death Arcana govern and to what degree are you proficient in it?" "It influences: Darkness, decay, ectoplasm, enervation, resurrection, souls, lifespans, and undead. It can also be used to speak with the dead and interact with objects and beings in Twilight; a state parallel with the Material World, that ghosts and other spirits exist within. As for my proficiency; I am an Archmage of both Death and Mater and I have a fair knowledge of the other Arcana as well." Celestia looked at Mors, her expression remaining unreadable for several minutes passed before she spoke. "Mors, what do you intend to do now that you are in this world?" Celestia's tone was even. "If I am to remain here I would like to know your laws and customs. In the short term, if you want, I can help both you and Miss Sparkle understand and control her new abilities. As for long term; I am unsure, I know too little about this world to make such plans." he replied. "Based on how forthcoming you have been in answering my questions and your actions thus far, I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I have decided that I will accept your offer to help Twilight Sparkle, the two of you shall return with me to Canterlot for her lessons. I will arrange for you to stay at the palace for the time being and in between her lessons Twilight will be able to tell you about our world." her voice taking on its usual soft yet authoritative tone. "Thank you Princess." Mors replied bowing his head. "There is still much for us to discuss, however for now let us join Twilight Sparkle and her friends." Celestia said while getting up, Mors followed behind Celestia as she made her way down stairs. Twilight and the others were talking quietly amongst themselves, Rarity having recovered from fainting. Their conversations stopped when they saw Celestia and Mors had joined them. All of them had varying looks of nervousness and worry, but most relaxed when Celestia gave them a small reassuring smile. Celestia's announcement was received with mixed emotions: Twilight seemed excited at the prospect of her lessons especially since the Princess was going to be present. Pinkie Pie was the only member of the group who vocal objected since they were leaving before she could throw a party. Once Twilight had packed she rejoined the others downstairs. One by one her friends headed home after saying goodbye and making Twilight promise to come back soon. Spike would be staying behind to run the library, the others having offered to take turns helping him. With everything taken care of Celestia cast the spell to transport the three of them to the palace and with a flash of light they were gone. END Chapter 3 A/N: This chapter turned out to be one massive headache to write, don't be surprised if it gets heavily edited at some point (nothing story wise will be changed but some of the dialog I might have to redo) and sorry if the end seems a bit rushed. I've decided that at least one more of the Main 6 will Awaken at some point in the future, not sure about the rest. A/N 2: For those familiar with the MTAw book Imperial Mysteries (IM); I have been leaving the concepts presented in it out of this story (for now at least) as I feel including those elements would make following the story a nightmare. That and I'm having enough of a challenge writing this story as is. Also for those familiar with IM: Mors has a Gnosis of 8 and here is his Arcana: Death: 7 Fate: 3 Forces: 4 Life: 3 Mater: 8 Mind: 3 Prime: 5 Space: 4 Spirit: 4 Time: 3
Update 8-19-20138-19-2013 Good news! I have been working on the rewrite, a lot of the storyline has been plotted out and Mors' introduction to the Mane Six has been reworked to be more believable. Now the bad news; it is still going to be sometime before I will have the revised story writen, but I am working on the story again.
