All That I Know is Goneby CheerfulChaptersChapter 0 - Prologue [REVISED Slightly]Chapter 1 - AwakeningChapter 2 - Crystalline's journey startsChapter 0 - Prologue [REVISED Slightly]Hello! My name is Crystalline, I'm a cream coloured unicorn mare with a big red puffy mane! I was selected as one of five ponies to go into the ESC's stasis project, with the help of science and unicorn magic, they believed they could pause aging and bodily function to restore it at a later date. The original plan was to freeze the five subjects for 25 years, knowing that we would probably either die or our relatives would die before we re-emerged, we said farewell to the elderly members of our family, told the others we'd be back in 25 years and left to the laboratory as quickly as possible. ~flashback~ I walked along the stone pathway leading to my home from the street, counting each stone as I always do. "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, ei," I paused, the eighth stone was missing "Hmm, odd." I continued, not bothered by the missing stone Some kid probably threw it I thought to myself, I entered my small home, the scent of cooking food his my nostrils, I ran into the kitchen and was surprised when I found my mother, cooking our favourite meal, lasagne. "Hello mother! I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow!?" I said curiously. "Yes, I know darl, I thought I'd come early and surprise you!" She said with a cheery grin. "Don't you want your poor old mother here with you? Would you like me to leave and come back tomorrow?" She asked sarcastically. "Of course not!" I shouted happily, hugging her from behind "Of course I want you here mum, it's not nice being alone in this house all the time" I said, kissing her cheek before going to help make the sauce for the lasagne. Everything was calm, so, even though I knew she hated the idea with every ounce of her being, I thought I'd tell her that I'd been accepted into the ESC's latest Stasis Program. "Hey, mum, about that, stasis thing." I paused for a moment. "Oh... Yes?" she had a sad tone to her voice, almost quiet, "That horrid experiment that would most likely kill every subject involved?" She swallowed and let out a soft, sad sigh, "What of it?" "Yeah," I paused again "That, I uhh, I got accepted into it, the letter arrived today" I couldn't bare to make eye contact with my mother, her hatred for the program is deeply rooted, as my father was lost to a Stasis Module test. "I told you not to do that didn't I?" She complained in a sad tone "If they put you in that damn stasis module, you won't be here when your poor old mother dies!" She said, tears forming in her eyes. "Mum," I put my hoof on her shoulder, "I'll be there when you die, I'll make sure of it, they'll wake me up, if they say no, well, that's their problem, they'll just lose a volunteer" I said reassuringly, tears were streaming down her face, her elderly body quivering with each sob. "I just, want you to be there when I fade away," She explained, wiping a tear from her cheek, "I love you and I'd damn hope you love me back, I always thought I did a good job raising you... You've become such a wonderful young unicorn, so talented and your magical abilities? Amazing, I honestly cannot believe you're actually my daughter" Her sobbing had stopped as she finished, a smile appeared on her face, her poor old eyes glinted with happiness and pride. "Of course mother," Though she had stopped crying, I'd only just began, "Of course I love you, you're my wonderful mum, there's no way I couldn't love you, you taught me right from wrong, left from right, you taught me my first spells, accompanied me to my first day each term of school. You're the most caring mother I could have wished for" I wasn't sobbing, though, by the end of that sentence, I realised how truly proud I was to have a mother like her. The happiness in her eyes peaked and we hugged, holding each other tightly. "I'll always be here for you mum." "Even after my body has become lifeless and has faded away, I will always be watching you, making sure you make the right decisions, following you through your life until we meet again, in Celestia's resting place for souls," She said, patting my back "There I shall await you, until the day we shall be eternally reunited" She finished, letting me go and continuing to put the final layer on the lasagne. " now, hurry up and bring the topping sauce over here so we can put this thing in the oven" She looked at me, smiling wide, knowing we would never truly be parted, I rushed to get the sauce and helped her finish the lasagne, we put it in the oven and had some time to burn, so I made some coffee and we sat down in the living room. "So," My mother sipper her coffee, leaning closer to me with an intrigued look on her face, "Meet any stallions that you like?" She had a small giggle to herself before listening intently. I sputtered a little, "Mum! You sound like a school filly!" I said, laughing a little. "I am feeling particularly young today," she said, poking her tongue at me playfully, even in her old age she knew to have fun as if she was young every now and then, "So, come on, tell me" She smiled warmly to me. "Hehehe, oh mum, you do seem young today," I sipped my own cup of coffee, " Not at the moment, I don't have anyone that I'm particularly interested in, no" I said, blatantly lying. "You know," She looked up into my eyes, "I can tell when you're lying, missy" She smirked. "Y-you uh, you can?" I looked away a little before moving my gaze back to her Magenta eyes, "There is, one stallion," I put some emphasis on the one, "He's actually in the project with me, one of the few others that were selected, we've all become good friends as to avoid any issues when we awake to total strangers, you know?" I smiled softly. "Ooh, is he hansom?" She asked, giggling a little. "Of course mother," I replied, sipping my coffee again, "Dinner should be ready soon enough, I think we should eat and head off to bed," I paused "The experiment starts tomorrow" I said, staring into my half empty cup. "Oh, well I'm glad I got to spend today with you," Her face went blank, not showing any expression, "What time do you have to be there?" "5AM, I have to leave at 4AM to get there on time and get some minor prepping done prior to the experiment starting." I explained calmly, "I guess, goodnight tonight will truly be, the last time I see you before you're on your death bed" I tried to smile but my face wouldn't move. "Yes," She looked down into her own cup, a stray tear landing on her hoof, "Look at me, getting all worked up, if I'm lucky I won't die for years to come" She smiled faintly through her tears. "Yeah, you will," I sniffled a little, tears streaming down my face and dripping on to my table "And I'll be here always, if you ever need me, you need to just ask the scientists to wake me, ok?" I said to her, looking up and smiling weakly, trying to re-assure her. "So I can go there tomorrow morning and ask that they unfreeze you?" She looked up into my eyes, her own filled with tears, falling from her muzzle onto the table and her chest. I couldn't hold back my own tears and hugged her tight, nuzzling her mane. "Mum, please, you know what I meant, this experiment is important, to them and to me,' I sobbed softly as I spoke, the reality of what I was getting into hitting me, "You have to understand that" I took a few deep breaths, calming myself a little. "Of course I do, but I might need you to help me read a line in a book" She said jokingly, we both started laughing, calming down and looking at each other, smiling, the tears had stopped flowing from our eyes. "But seriously, I love you and I always will, remember that through the research won't you?" she asked, looking at me with a serious expression. "Of course I will, I can feel your love for me, I don't need you to keep telling me," I said, smiling warmly "And, before you say anything, I know, you feel that you have to keep telling me in fear that I'll forget, but I won't, ever forget that you love me, for as long as I shall live, I will remember your love every day until my own body fades and we meet again." I said re-assuring her. "I shall never forget your love for me either," She stopped as the oven alarm went off, "Dinner's ready, shall we eat and then head to bed?" She asked, raising from her seat and going to serve up the lasagne. I nodded and followed, we sat at the table and spoke of when I was young, laughing the night away before heading to bed, my mother slept with me that night, wanting to be with me the whole time until I left the next day. I woke early in the morning, my alarm going mad, I quickly shut it off and made sure my mother was still asleep, I sighed and got up, making myself a cup of coffee and sitting down, sipping it slowly, thinking about what I'm going to miss, I brought my hooves to my temples as I felt a head ache coming on, rubbing lightly. I glanced at the clock, it was ten minutes to four, I quickly finished my coffee and left, after going back into my room, kissing my mothers cheek and whispering in her ear, "I love you mum, see you when I wake up" I pulled the blanket higher up her body, walking out the front of my house, looking back and whispering "See you in twenty five years..." I looked away, nothing with me other than the clothes on my back, I got on the train and it took me into Canterlot, about a ten minute walk from the lab. I walked along the streets of Canterlot, ponies coming in already, the street alive with activity, shops busy, drawing in ponies by the hundreds, obviously dragging in a large profit, I walked past each shop, looking in and thinking about how different the world will be when I awake. I finally got to the lab, opening the large glass doors and letting the warm air inside hold me. I was quickly taken through into the bowels of the lab, put in a white uniform that would stretch and shrink as needed to stay constantly skin-tight, I was taken back into the lab, ponies in lab coats running around everywhere, madly, doing calculations, fitting other ponies into their own skin tight uniforms. "what now?" I asked, as I was lied on a bed that looked somewhat like a dentistry chair. "Open your mouth" A pony said, a medical mask on his face, I complied and opened my mouth as wide as I could, he did a regular dentist check up and then got a small drill. "What are you doing with that?" I shouted, trying to sit up, but I was held down by some invisible force, another unicorn's magic I assumed. "Making a small hole to put an implant in your tooth, it will monitor your health, both mental and physical" He said, I could no longer close my mouth or speak, he drilled a small hold into my molar, bringing in a small piece of metal and inserting it into the hole, it was a tight fit. "Done. Move on that pony over there, he'll put you into your stasis module." The pony explained, I could suddenly move, I launched from the chair and got away from him, something about him didn't seem right. I approached the pony at the far end of the room, "Hello, I hear you're going to put me in my module?" I asked, the pony turned, I jumped a little as I saw his bionic eye, adjusting to examine me, his real eye also looking over me. "Do you have your implant?" His voice sounded distinctly robotic, He's an android I thought to myself, nodding. "Great," He said, his cold expression turning into one of happiness. "Now, if you'll lie down, I need to insert one more implant, then we can put you into stasis." He replied, his expressing returning to a cold, emotionless face. I lay down in the half tube, he brought in a small piece of metal and pierced it through the flesh behind my ear, I winced, he stitched the small cut it made and began to write some script on the computer, probably confirming my implants and prepping the stasis tube. "What does that implant do anyways?" I asked, confused, the room around me beginning to fade. "It doesn't concern you, but, between me and you, it's a tracking device" He said, still writing the code. "Tracking device? What the-" I'd almost finished my sentence and I passed out, the android finished writing the code, the tube closing over me and the stasis activating, my body was frozen in time and space, not aging, in it's current state for the next twenty five years. This is my story. All That I know is Gone. Chapter 1 - AwakeningMy eyes slowly parted as I woke, my body ached all over, the small tube that was my stasis module had popped open only moments earlier. I tried to sit up, my joints creaked and cracked as they moved again for the first time in 25 years, or so I thought. As my vision came into focus, I saw that the lab was empty, every other pod was open, but there were no signs of life anywhere, nothing in the room except me, the tubes and a red flashing light. At first I thought it was nothing, simply a light that meant I had woken up, but I started to get a little worried after nobody came looking for me, I decided to walk around a bit, hopefully my muscles were still in the same condition they were when I went into that tube, they still felt the same. I stood and began walking, everything felt normal, other than a few aches, but I ignored them as best I could and kept going, I decided to wander around the room a little, it looked as though no one had come through the room is years, shelves and desks thick with dust, the floor slightly grimy and gritty under my hooves. Where has every pony gone? I thought to myself as I wandered around the room. I stopped and looked at some papers left on the desk nearest my tube. Subject Name: Crystalline Purpose: Stasis project Beta v7 Age: 20 Mane colour: Red Coat colour: Cream Eye colour: Blue Stasis Project Beta v7, Day one; Crystalline had a small episode of fitting as the sleeping drug began to work her system, her body writhed, yet she slept. Stasis Day one, success. I thought it was odd, to have those details, did they expect anything to change, colours of my coat, mane and eye shouldn't have been to any importance, they could have seen it through the tube anyway. As I read over the stack of notes on the folder, I heard a scurrying behind me, I turned, there was nothing there I'm going crazy I thought to myself, ignoring the sound and continuing to read, the next note that stood out was much later than the first day, most of the notes weren't there, I wasn't sure if they'd gone missing or if they simply didn't exist. Subject Name: Crystalline Purpose: Stasis project Beta v7 Age: 20 Mane colour: Red Coat colour: Cream Eye colour: Blue Stasis project beta v7, year 19, day 206; Subjects body function is normal, no decrease in body mass, nor muscle mass. Subjects are lucky, while they sleep peacefully, we're up here in the middle of a war, it should end soon. only a small uprising, it shall be easily handled by the Equestrian Armed Forces. All subjects are sleeping normally, impossible to tell whether they are dreaming or not, cognitive function should be at almost 0% Most bodily functions have shut down, the only thing still running is their mind, though it is in its 'sleep state' That will change in 6 years. War? There was a war while we were all asleep? I was shocked, my brain failing to comprehend what I had just read. The notes stopped on year 23 day 300. Subject Name: Crystalline Purpose: Stasis project Beta v7 Age: 20 Mane colour: Red Coat colour: Cream Eye colour: Blue Stasis project Beta v7, year 23, day 300 Subjects will never wake up. War has overtaken the land, at this rate, there will be no one to wake them, I fear that I myself will not be around to see tomorrow, as I write this, the banging at the doors become more intense, the shouting, the screaming, the demands, it's all too much. Subjects should eventually wake up, about a year after the set date for them to wake. Crystalline, this a note for you, when you awake, run, run like you've never run before, teleport if you have to, just get out of Canterlot. The doors are almost broken. You'll find your mother's grave on the hill by her first home, I assume you know where that is. I'm sorry we didn't wake you. Blame me, I said that you may die if we wake you and put you back into stasis too close together... I'm sorry, the last thing she said was 'My dearest Crystalline, you've let me down. You told me you'd never stop loving me, that you'd be here for me when I finally passed. But no, you didn't show. Now I fear your love for me may fade, but remember, I have not forgotten you, nor will I ever forget you...I await you in Celestia's grove, we will be united' Again, Crystalline, I'm sorry, please. I'm about to love my life, but run, just listen to me, find your mothers grave, make peace with your soul and hers, but don't ever return to Canterlot after you leave...If you leave. The note ended there, there was still a blood stain on the paper, my heart started racing, my mind was running through every possibility, there was more movement, it sounded like hooves, I spun around. No one was there. "Am I insane?!" I shouted, slamming my hooves on the desk, I decided to at least listen to what the note said, I'd make my way out by running to the train station and following the tracks. I started to make my way out, the security doors held fast, I placed my right hoof in each scanner, moving through the doors as soon as I could, I could still hear sounds, hooves, rustling, even an eerie voice joined the sounds occasionally, I couldn't make out the words but I wanted out. Running through the halls, the sounds getting louder, plant life was growing in the halls. I kept running, dodging plants, jumping over it when needed. After running through what seemed like an endless succession of hallways, I made my way to the main lobby, there were signs of activity in the lobby, hoof prints and, what looked like a mark made by hatchet and a club of some sort, I didn't know what to think, even in the time before I was born people used lasers, clubs, axes, hatchets were all primitive, to be 25 years later and have people still using these, it was a bit much, I decided to search the room for anything useful. After searching around a little, I decided to check the drawers in the desks the receptionists would have used, as I searched through, I found a flashlight and a few batteries, along with a small satchel, I secured the satchel tightly to my side and put the flashlight and batteries inside That should be all I need I thought, as I stood and began to make my way to the exit, I heard the hooves again, I turned to the source of the sound to see him "You're alive?!" I shouted, shocked at the revelation. "Of course I'm alive," He said, smiling at me, lulling me into a false sense of security, "I thought I'd never see you again." He said, examining me, walking around me slowly like a vulture circling a corpse. "What happened here, do you know?" I asked desperately, beginning to spin to keep my eyes locked with his, examining his body, he looked exactly the same, other than a small cut on his cheek. "No, I woke to find all tubes but yours empty, so sign of anyone else, just me, the red flashing light and my thoughts, I came up here, oh, about, 3 years ago, things have changed here Crystalline," He stopped walking and simply stood in front of me, ours eyes locked, "So many things that, I don't think you'll survive." He smirked, his voice became sinister and he spat poison with his words, hitting my ears like acid. "what are you implying?" I asked, backing away slightly, "What's happened to you?" "What's happened to me?!" His eyes lit up and he became jittery, suddenly moving around me, his voice sounding more ghostly and wispy, his form flickering lightly "You are the one who is corrupted, this world knows not of your existence, no one here would miss you, should you die." "Why would you want to kill me though, I've done naught to you, nor anyone you love," I said, my heart beat rising again, taken aback slightly, "Everything here looks to be in ruins, there would be no point to killing me." I tried to remain calm, backing away more. "Yes, but with you dead, that's one less pony to question my power!" He began to walk to the door, "out there is a whole new world, I may not kill you now, but in due time Crystalline, things will become clear, I know not what happened here, two hundred years ago, but I know one thing," He paused "All that you know, is gone." As he finished the sentence he teleported away, a puff of smoke where he once stood was all that showed he was there at all. My mind was racing, two hundred years, it can't have been two hundred years, I was only asleep for a maximum of twenty six, two hundred years, two hundred years I kept thinking about the time that had passed, not sure if it was true or not, I stood at the matte black doors, the entrance to the lobby I guess, this will prove that two hundred years have truly gone by I took a deep breath and stepped through the doors. Everything stood still. My heart slowed, my mind failing to function, to register what I was seeing, my body wouldn't move, the sight before me was, overpowering to say the least, I couldn't believe it. "Two. Hundred. Years." I mumbled slowly, looking out over what used to be Canterlot, every building covered in plants, trees growing from the concrete, some hundreds of feet tall, it seemed to be desolate, a waste land of sorts, I couldn't believe it, "All That I know is Gone." I mumbled in shock, where would I go? What would I do? I had to find answers about what had happened during those two hundred years that I was in stasis. Chapter 2 - Crystalline's journey startsI stood high above the city of Canterlot, the filtered light of the sun glinting in my eyes, I looked out over the city, I was a lot higher than when I had gone into Stasis, the city looked to have sunken with time, I thought it was odd that the platform I was on was stable enough to not have sunk, before I went in it seemed old and untrustworthy back then. I began to make my way down the slope ahead of me, it was rough, the slope was covered in cold mud and small rocks and I fell, a lot. Little slips here and there until I was at the bottom. The rancid stench of something decaying hit my nostrils, it was almost vomit inducing. Looking around I saw marshland, small animals, mutated it seemed, they scattered as I approached them, except one. Its cold menacing eyes stared into mine, baring it's fangs toward me. I started to backpedal away from it and it went on its way, I sighed in relief. Looking around again the street on which I was standing seemed fairly stable, minus a few sinkholes in the distance, I began to walk shakily along the road, still completely in awe of the land around me. My ear twitched as I heard some shouting in the distance, I thought there was no way somepony else could be here, after all, he was the only other person here right? Right? I poked my head out of some bushes, using my forehooves to move the leaves out of the way, there they were, the sources of the shouts. Several ponies were circling an injured pony, yelling, screaming, Why? I thought to myself, the shouts were barely audible, just screams of anger really, though some made it into my ears and processed into words I could understand. "Where!? Where are they?!" One of them shouted, his coat a dull brown, some of his body covered in tattered leather armor. They? Who are 'they'? I wondered, could he be talking about a colony? Were there towns still in this... Wasteland? "As if I'd ever tell you, cur," The dark gray coated, injured looking pony in the center replied. "I'll end you, I swear it." He gave a stern look at the brown pony, his eyes shone in the light, bright blue, like ice. "Bahaha! You hear that? He thinks he'll kill me," the brown pony moved in and stared him in the eye, they looked to be only a few inches apart, "I'd like to see you try, ninny." he said, smirking. I noticed the glint of something in the distance, another pony? Probably, just moving along, looking for supplies most likely, though I don't know what they'd find out here, that's when I heard it, the loud CRACK! the buzzed through the air, I shrieked softly and looked around to see nothing but the pony in the distance, then I looked down. The brown pony was hunched over on the floor, his hoofed pressed against his chest. "W-What was that," He coughed, some blood dripped from his muzzle to the floor, "What have you done to me?" He appeared to be tearing up, the crimson liquid running down his foreleg. The gray pony smirked as the other two ran away, shouting threats back at him. He stood shakily, holding his right forehoof up, it was obviously broken in multiple places. "That, you pathetic whelp," he smirked, "Was a thing we call teamwork." He began to walk away, towards the glint, I decided to try and talk to him, that was cut short by the loud crack followed by the buzzing noise again, my heart sank, there was a steaming hole right in front of me, I quickly ducked behind a building, hopefully I couldn't be hit by, that... Thing. Whatever it was. "We know you're there! What do you want? Are you going to try and rob me like these fools just tried?" I heard the gray pony shout at me. I swallowed hard. "N-No! I-I just s-stumbled across your little, dispute and I was observing," I was shaking I thought for sure I'd die then and there, "I just, my name is Crystalline! I uh, j-just woke up, from," I paused for a second, "from stasis!" I shouted back, I began to sob lightly, everything that had happened and I'd die there? Just because I was there, watching. "Crystalline eh? Come, come, we won't bite! Not right away and without proper reasoning," He replied calmly, "Just drop your weapons." "I-I don't have any!" I replied quickly as I slowly made my way over to him, it was 20 feet or so before I was standing next to him, he was bruised and cut, obviously recent. "Ahh, a young unicorn mare, nice to meet you," He smiled warmly, "I'd shake your hoof, but, you know," He beckoned to his limb, it was completely limp, "Would hurt. So, tell me, stasis? You were a part of that stupid program?" He chuckled softly. "Well then, I guess, welcome to the new world!" "Yeah, I've already been welcomed," I sighed again, "An old friend." I looked into his eyes and smiled, for the first time I felt safe. "Oh, well, the name's CoalStone," He said, smiling "Nice to meet you, would you care to come with us?" He smiled warmly and used one of his wings to point toward his friend, who waved at me in the distance, I waved back. "Are there more of you? I mean," I cleared my throat, "Like, a colony?" I got a little closer to him. "There are," He smiled as I got closer, "Many more, hundreds." He began to walk toward his friend, I couldn't believe it, hundreds? Really hundreds? I thought there was no way that many ponies could still be alive, there isn't right? There's only us? THe possibility of hundreds enticed me, I had to go with them to see if it was true. I quickly caught up, I was lost in thought, walking with this gray pony to his friend, who could just kill me at any second, we quickly got to his friend. "Hiya!" The voice from the figure was higher than I expected, it lifted a hat and pulled off a scarf to reveal a mare, her coat a dull red, mane a dark orange, "The name's Sanguine, nice to meet you miss," She beckoned with her hoof. "Crystalline," CoalStone said, "Her name's Crystalline," He stood next to her and nuzzled her affectionately, it was obvious they were together. I cleared my throat to excuse myself from the, what was now, making out session. "Sorry," CoalStone said, having just separated from Sanguine's lips, "Get carried away sometimes, you know?" I didn't know, love was foreign to me, I'd never felt it to anyone but my mother. "Shall we continue then?" he began to walk closely beside Sanguine, who had slung her ancient looking sniper rifle over her back. I followed slightly behind, observing the landscape around me. "So, how'd you get your hooves on that sniper rifle?" I asked, "They were taken out of commission hundreds of years ago, must have been in mint condition stowed away somewhere for you to find it working," I said curiously, stepping over the railing on the side of the road. "Family heirloom," She replied, looking back at me, "Each generation is taught to clean it and replace parts, still in mint condition, works like a charm!" She smiled and chuckled a little, I did also, ironically I knew how well it worked. "Well, can't be that perfect if you missed!" I said playfully. "If I'd wanted you dead, you would have been as soon as you poked your little head out of those bushes," She said, turning and winking at me, I felt happy, yet horrified that I could have actually died. AS we kept walking, the bush got thinner and thinner, pathways began to come into view, obviously well used, suspended platforms went from tree to tree, supported by vines, ponies walked along them and eyed me curiously, we only saw a few before we reached the gate. It was massive, at least 10 ponies in height and the same number in width. My mouth was agape with awe. "Better close your mouth, might get flies in there!" CoalStone joked, chuckling to himself, I shook my head and giggled softly. CoalStone put his hoof in a scanner and the door opened. "How the heck did you get that scanner to work out here?" I asked, after all, I had designed the prototype for a scanner very similar, "It shouldn't even work out here!" I said, surprised. "Dunno, one of the tech nerds did it," he chuckled, "No offence," He looked at me, "I know you're a tech nerd, I can tell by your cutie mark," he turned back and walked through the gate, I followed excitedly, I could hear the typical ruckus of a town marketplace, as we emerged from the long hall into the town, I was astounded. He was right, hundreds of ponies, all walking around, talking to each other, buying wares, I squealed softly with happiness. The familiarity of the sights and sounds took me back, to the time before stasis, shopping with my mother, buying little sweet buns and not telling dad when we got home, I laughed quietly to myself. "WELCOME TO SILT!" The masculine voice boomed through the air, "PLEASE, GO TO THE MAYORS OFFICE FOR IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHORIZATION." It ended just as abruptly as it had started. CoalStone led me to the office, a large steel door slid open slowly, the metal screaming as it scraped on the stone, inside was a well furnished (Well, considering the rest of Canterlot it was 'well furnished') office, a stallion with a mane the color of fire looked at me from over a desk, his lips curled into a smile, his coat was almost metallic silver, his eyes were the deepest shade of emerald. "Please," his voice was deep and soothing, "Sit," he beckoned to a chair in front of his desk, I quickly clambered into the seat and sat down, it was a bit too large, "My name is Claudius Silt, it's a pleasure to meet you, Crystalline." He suddenly gave me a serious look. My eyes widened in shock, how did he know that? He started to laugh uproariously, "Ahahaha! Gotcha!" He grinned wide, I gave a false giggle, "I always have my men wear ear pieces when they leave, I have heard everything that he said, and you," He smiled again, "I shall have an ID made for you, you will have level one access. That means basic facilities, stores, your home will be set up in a couple of days time, for the meanwhile, feel free to stay at the inn." He smiled again and a camera sprung from the desk and took a picture of me before disappearing back down into the desk, "That takes care of photo ID, the rest will be done by this afternoon, please, feel free to wander until then," He beckoned to the door and I quickly left. As I made my way around the town, I noticed the ponies were all suddenly quiet, shooting me dirty looks from across the way. I kept my head down and went to the inn, after everything that had happened, I needed a lie down. As I pushed the door open, it creaked loudly, my ears lay back against my head as the piercing sound registered in my mind. "Hello!" The voice boomed across the room, a slight pause and some distortion in the long 'o' sound it let out, "Welcome to the inn," It said, suddenly monotone and robotic. I looked over to the left of the room where the voice came from, it was a cyborg, I was surprised, I didn't think any of them existed anymore, even in the time before my stasis trip, let's call that time the 'Simple Time', cyborgs were exceedingly rare. I walked across to the dirty counter, it smelled of moldy food and smoke. "New in to-" The voice cut suddenly, "-own are ya?" it continued, I nodded softly, "Don't be shy! I won't bite," the voice sounded as though it was done by several different ponies, a mare and a couple of different stallions. "I umm, I'm Crystalline," I stammered the words out, the cyborg's eye was zooming in and out on me, I didn't doubt that he could see down to my bone structure, probably even my blood type, cyborgs are a remarkable invention, "I need a room for the night, p-please," The way the cyborg analyzed me was unnerving, I had to break eye sight to speak at all. "Of course little lady, how long do ya plan on stayin' for?" "Should only be a few days, if that, I don't think I should stay," "Oh, well, you're always free to stay as long as you like, now, a room for several nights will cost you something, do you have anything to trade?" I was shocked, I only had a few possessions, my necklace, my white suit and... And... My great grandfather's pocket watch. "I umm, well, no, not really, I only came into this world today, I don't know what's worth anything," I said, watching the cyborg's eye as it examined my pockets. "Well, that there watch of yours would be worth a fair bit to someone, as would your necklace and your suit, though there are, other ways," A sly smile appeared on its face as he spoke that last sentence, I knew what he meant and I cringed at the thought. "I'll work here if that's what you mean, if it's anything other than that, you can go do it yourself," I gave him a stern look. He obviously understood. "Alright, well, you can stay one night free, after that, it'll be ten hour days until you leave. Each ten hours you work, you'll get one day," He threw me a key, I put it in my pocket, "You're on the second floor, third door on the left," He turned and began to work on something in the back, I made my way through the rusted walls of the inn. The ground was either dirt of rough stone, most of it stained with, unnameable substances. After walking for about fifteen minutes, I found my room, the key was simply a small metal rod with a single prong on the end Pfft, so simple I thought to myself as I opened the door to find a rather nice little room, it didn't smell odd and the floor stones were surprisingly smooth, I slowly got into the bed, hoping it would support my weight, luckily it did and I managed to lie down somewhat comfortably for the first time that day. I lied in bed, eyes closed, rubbing my temples as I contemplated what had happened, all the thoughts going through my mind, all the things that had happened and then I was lying on, well, I don't know what it was, but it was soft... I relaxed a bit and I rolled over to get some sleep. Sleeping was, uncomfortable, the bed felt like it moved as I did and the imagery going through my mind, the bullet through the brown pony earlier, me being all alone in the world, or so I thought, but, as it turns out, there are more ponies, so many more ponies. I woke up late at night, after sleeping for, what was probably a few hours, I looked around, I thought I had heard something scurrying around, I got up and started to look around, walking slowly at the edges of the walls, I heard the scurrying again, I poked my head into the small bathroom that was there. There it was. A large beetle, about the size of a small dog. I let out a long sigh, realizing I was safe, I used my magic to levitate the beetle out of the window and went back to bed, I'd learn more the next day when I woke up, but, for the time being, I needed the sleep.
Chapter 0 - Prologue [REVISED Slightly]Hello! My name is Crystalline, I'm a cream coloured unicorn mare with a big red puffy mane! I was selected as one of five ponies to go into the ESC's stasis project, with the help of science and unicorn magic, they believed they could pause aging and bodily function to restore it at a later date. The original plan was to freeze the five subjects for 25 years, knowing that we would probably either die or our relatives would die before we re-emerged, we said farewell to the elderly members of our family, told the others we'd be back in 25 years and left to the laboratory as quickly as possible. ~flashback~ I walked along the stone pathway leading to my home from the street, counting each stone as I always do. "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, ei," I paused, the eighth stone was missing "Hmm, odd." I continued, not bothered by the missing stone Some kid probably threw it I thought to myself, I entered my small home, the scent of cooking food his my nostrils, I ran into the kitchen and was surprised when I found my mother, cooking our favourite meal, lasagne. "Hello mother! I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow!?" I said curiously. "Yes, I know darl, I thought I'd come early and surprise you!" She said with a cheery grin. "Don't you want your poor old mother here with you? Would you like me to leave and come back tomorrow?" She asked sarcastically. "Of course not!" I shouted happily, hugging her from behind "Of course I want you here mum, it's not nice being alone in this house all the time" I said, kissing her cheek before going to help make the sauce for the lasagne. Everything was calm, so, even though I knew she hated the idea with every ounce of her being, I thought I'd tell her that I'd been accepted into the ESC's latest Stasis Program. "Hey, mum, about that, stasis thing." I paused for a moment. "Oh... Yes?" she had a sad tone to her voice, almost quiet, "That horrid experiment that would most likely kill every subject involved?" She swallowed and let out a soft, sad sigh, "What of it?" "Yeah," I paused again "That, I uhh, I got accepted into it, the letter arrived today" I couldn't bare to make eye contact with my mother, her hatred for the program is deeply rooted, as my father was lost to a Stasis Module test. "I told you not to do that didn't I?" She complained in a sad tone "If they put you in that damn stasis module, you won't be here when your poor old mother dies!" She said, tears forming in her eyes. "Mum," I put my hoof on her shoulder, "I'll be there when you die, I'll make sure of it, they'll wake me up, if they say no, well, that's their problem, they'll just lose a volunteer" I said reassuringly, tears were streaming down her face, her elderly body quivering with each sob. "I just, want you to be there when I fade away," She explained, wiping a tear from her cheek, "I love you and I'd damn hope you love me back, I always thought I did a good job raising you... You've become such a wonderful young unicorn, so talented and your magical abilities? Amazing, I honestly cannot believe you're actually my daughter" Her sobbing had stopped as she finished, a smile appeared on her face, her poor old eyes glinted with happiness and pride. "Of course mother," Though she had stopped crying, I'd only just began, "Of course I love you, you're my wonderful mum, there's no way I couldn't love you, you taught me right from wrong, left from right, you taught me my first spells, accompanied me to my first day each term of school. You're the most caring mother I could have wished for" I wasn't sobbing, though, by the end of that sentence, I realised how truly proud I was to have a mother like her. The happiness in her eyes peaked and we hugged, holding each other tightly. "I'll always be here for you mum." "Even after my body has become lifeless and has faded away, I will always be watching you, making sure you make the right decisions, following you through your life until we meet again, in Celestia's resting place for souls," She said, patting my back "There I shall await you, until the day we shall be eternally reunited" She finished, letting me go and continuing to put the final layer on the lasagne. " now, hurry up and bring the topping sauce over here so we can put this thing in the oven" She looked at me, smiling wide, knowing we would never truly be parted, I rushed to get the sauce and helped her finish the lasagne, we put it in the oven and had some time to burn, so I made some coffee and we sat down in the living room. "So," My mother sipper her coffee, leaning closer to me with an intrigued look on her face, "Meet any stallions that you like?" She had a small giggle to herself before listening intently. I sputtered a little, "Mum! You sound like a school filly!" I said, laughing a little. "I am feeling particularly young today," she said, poking her tongue at me playfully, even in her old age she knew to have fun as if she was young every now and then, "So, come on, tell me" She smiled warmly to me. "Hehehe, oh mum, you do seem young today," I sipped my own cup of coffee, " Not at the moment, I don't have anyone that I'm particularly interested in, no" I said, blatantly lying. "You know," She looked up into my eyes, "I can tell when you're lying, missy" She smirked. "Y-you uh, you can?" I looked away a little before moving my gaze back to her Magenta eyes, "There is, one stallion," I put some emphasis on the one, "He's actually in the project with me, one of the few others that were selected, we've all become good friends as to avoid any issues when we awake to total strangers, you know?" I smiled softly. "Ooh, is he hansom?" She asked, giggling a little. "Of course mother," I replied, sipping my coffee again, "Dinner should be ready soon enough, I think we should eat and head off to bed," I paused "The experiment starts tomorrow" I said, staring into my half empty cup. "Oh, well I'm glad I got to spend today with you," Her face went blank, not showing any expression, "What time do you have to be there?" "5AM, I have to leave at 4AM to get there on time and get some minor prepping done prior to the experiment starting." I explained calmly, "I guess, goodnight tonight will truly be, the last time I see you before you're on your death bed" I tried to smile but my face wouldn't move. "Yes," She looked down into her own cup, a stray tear landing on her hoof, "Look at me, getting all worked up, if I'm lucky I won't die for years to come" She smiled faintly through her tears. "Yeah, you will," I sniffled a little, tears streaming down my face and dripping on to my table "And I'll be here always, if you ever need me, you need to just ask the scientists to wake me, ok?" I said to her, looking up and smiling weakly, trying to re-assure her. "So I can go there tomorrow morning and ask that they unfreeze you?" She looked up into my eyes, her own filled with tears, falling from her muzzle onto the table and her chest. I couldn't hold back my own tears and hugged her tight, nuzzling her mane. "Mum, please, you know what I meant, this experiment is important, to them and to me,' I sobbed softly as I spoke, the reality of what I was getting into hitting me, "You have to understand that" I took a few deep breaths, calming myself a little. "Of course I do, but I might need you to help me read a line in a book" She said jokingly, we both started laughing, calming down and looking at each other, smiling, the tears had stopped flowing from our eyes. "But seriously, I love you and I always will, remember that through the research won't you?" she asked, looking at me with a serious expression. "Of course I will, I can feel your love for me, I don't need you to keep telling me," I said, smiling warmly "And, before you say anything, I know, you feel that you have to keep telling me in fear that I'll forget, but I won't, ever forget that you love me, for as long as I shall live, I will remember your love every day until my own body fades and we meet again." I said re-assuring her. "I shall never forget your love for me either," She stopped as the oven alarm went off, "Dinner's ready, shall we eat and then head to bed?" She asked, raising from her seat and going to serve up the lasagne. I nodded and followed, we sat at the table and spoke of when I was young, laughing the night away before heading to bed, my mother slept with me that night, wanting to be with me the whole time until I left the next day. I woke early in the morning, my alarm going mad, I quickly shut it off and made sure my mother was still asleep, I sighed and got up, making myself a cup of coffee and sitting down, sipping it slowly, thinking about what I'm going to miss, I brought my hooves to my temples as I felt a head ache coming on, rubbing lightly. I glanced at the clock, it was ten minutes to four, I quickly finished my coffee and left, after going back into my room, kissing my mothers cheek and whispering in her ear, "I love you mum, see you when I wake up" I pulled the blanket higher up her body, walking out the front of my house, looking back and whispering "See you in twenty five years..." I looked away, nothing with me other than the clothes on my back, I got on the train and it took me into Canterlot, about a ten minute walk from the lab. I walked along the streets of Canterlot, ponies coming in already, the street alive with activity, shops busy, drawing in ponies by the hundreds, obviously dragging in a large profit, I walked past each shop, looking in and thinking about how different the world will be when I awake. I finally got to the lab, opening the large glass doors and letting the warm air inside hold me. I was quickly taken through into the bowels of the lab, put in a white uniform that would stretch and shrink as needed to stay constantly skin-tight, I was taken back into the lab, ponies in lab coats running around everywhere, madly, doing calculations, fitting other ponies into their own skin tight uniforms. "what now?" I asked, as I was lied on a bed that looked somewhat like a dentistry chair. "Open your mouth" A pony said, a medical mask on his face, I complied and opened my mouth as wide as I could, he did a regular dentist check up and then got a small drill. "What are you doing with that?" I shouted, trying to sit up, but I was held down by some invisible force, another unicorn's magic I assumed. "Making a small hole to put an implant in your tooth, it will monitor your health, both mental and physical" He said, I could no longer close my mouth or speak, he drilled a small hold into my molar, bringing in a small piece of metal and inserting it into the hole, it was a tight fit. "Done. Move on that pony over there, he'll put you into your stasis module." The pony explained, I could suddenly move, I launched from the chair and got away from him, something about him didn't seem right. I approached the pony at the far end of the room, "Hello, I hear you're going to put me in my module?" I asked, the pony turned, I jumped a little as I saw his bionic eye, adjusting to examine me, his real eye also looking over me. "Do you have your implant?" His voice sounded distinctly robotic, He's an android I thought to myself, nodding. "Great," He said, his cold expression turning into one of happiness. "Now, if you'll lie down, I need to insert one more implant, then we can put you into stasis." He replied, his expressing returning to a cold, emotionless face. I lay down in the half tube, he brought in a small piece of metal and pierced it through the flesh behind my ear, I winced, he stitched the small cut it made and began to write some script on the computer, probably confirming my implants and prepping the stasis tube. "What does that implant do anyways?" I asked, confused, the room around me beginning to fade. "It doesn't concern you, but, between me and you, it's a tracking device" He said, still writing the code. "Tracking device? What the-" I'd almost finished my sentence and I passed out, the android finished writing the code, the tube closing over me and the stasis activating, my body was frozen in time and space, not aging, in it's current state for the next twenty five years. This is my story. All That I know is Gone.
Chapter 1 - AwakeningMy eyes slowly parted as I woke, my body ached all over, the small tube that was my stasis module had popped open only moments earlier. I tried to sit up, my joints creaked and cracked as they moved again for the first time in 25 years, or so I thought. As my vision came into focus, I saw that the lab was empty, every other pod was open, but there were no signs of life anywhere, nothing in the room except me, the tubes and a red flashing light. At first I thought it was nothing, simply a light that meant I had woken up, but I started to get a little worried after nobody came looking for me, I decided to walk around a bit, hopefully my muscles were still in the same condition they were when I went into that tube, they still felt the same. I stood and began walking, everything felt normal, other than a few aches, but I ignored them as best I could and kept going, I decided to wander around the room a little, it looked as though no one had come through the room is years, shelves and desks thick with dust, the floor slightly grimy and gritty under my hooves. Where has every pony gone? I thought to myself as I wandered around the room. I stopped and looked at some papers left on the desk nearest my tube. Subject Name: Crystalline Purpose: Stasis project Beta v7 Age: 20 Mane colour: Red Coat colour: Cream Eye colour: Blue Stasis Project Beta v7, Day one; Crystalline had a small episode of fitting as the sleeping drug began to work her system, her body writhed, yet she slept. Stasis Day one, success. I thought it was odd, to have those details, did they expect anything to change, colours of my coat, mane and eye shouldn't have been to any importance, they could have seen it through the tube anyway. As I read over the stack of notes on the folder, I heard a scurrying behind me, I turned, there was nothing there I'm going crazy I thought to myself, ignoring the sound and continuing to read, the next note that stood out was much later than the first day, most of the notes weren't there, I wasn't sure if they'd gone missing or if they simply didn't exist. Subject Name: Crystalline Purpose: Stasis project Beta v7 Age: 20 Mane colour: Red Coat colour: Cream Eye colour: Blue Stasis project beta v7, year 19, day 206; Subjects body function is normal, no decrease in body mass, nor muscle mass. Subjects are lucky, while they sleep peacefully, we're up here in the middle of a war, it should end soon. only a small uprising, it shall be easily handled by the Equestrian Armed Forces. All subjects are sleeping normally, impossible to tell whether they are dreaming or not, cognitive function should be at almost 0% Most bodily functions have shut down, the only thing still running is their mind, though it is in its 'sleep state' That will change in 6 years. War? There was a war while we were all asleep? I was shocked, my brain failing to comprehend what I had just read. The notes stopped on year 23 day 300. Subject Name: Crystalline Purpose: Stasis project Beta v7 Age: 20 Mane colour: Red Coat colour: Cream Eye colour: Blue Stasis project Beta v7, year 23, day 300 Subjects will never wake up. War has overtaken the land, at this rate, there will be no one to wake them, I fear that I myself will not be around to see tomorrow, as I write this, the banging at the doors become more intense, the shouting, the screaming, the demands, it's all too much. Subjects should eventually wake up, about a year after the set date for them to wake. Crystalline, this a note for you, when you awake, run, run like you've never run before, teleport if you have to, just get out of Canterlot. The doors are almost broken. You'll find your mother's grave on the hill by her first home, I assume you know where that is. I'm sorry we didn't wake you. Blame me, I said that you may die if we wake you and put you back into stasis too close together... I'm sorry, the last thing she said was 'My dearest Crystalline, you've let me down. You told me you'd never stop loving me, that you'd be here for me when I finally passed. But no, you didn't show. Now I fear your love for me may fade, but remember, I have not forgotten you, nor will I ever forget you...I await you in Celestia's grove, we will be united' Again, Crystalline, I'm sorry, please. I'm about to love my life, but run, just listen to me, find your mothers grave, make peace with your soul and hers, but don't ever return to Canterlot after you leave...If you leave. The note ended there, there was still a blood stain on the paper, my heart started racing, my mind was running through every possibility, there was more movement, it sounded like hooves, I spun around. No one was there. "Am I insane?!" I shouted, slamming my hooves on the desk, I decided to at least listen to what the note said, I'd make my way out by running to the train station and following the tracks. I started to make my way out, the security doors held fast, I placed my right hoof in each scanner, moving through the doors as soon as I could, I could still hear sounds, hooves, rustling, even an eerie voice joined the sounds occasionally, I couldn't make out the words but I wanted out. Running through the halls, the sounds getting louder, plant life was growing in the halls. I kept running, dodging plants, jumping over it when needed. After running through what seemed like an endless succession of hallways, I made my way to the main lobby, there were signs of activity in the lobby, hoof prints and, what looked like a mark made by hatchet and a club of some sort, I didn't know what to think, even in the time before I was born people used lasers, clubs, axes, hatchets were all primitive, to be 25 years later and have people still using these, it was a bit much, I decided to search the room for anything useful. After searching around a little, I decided to check the drawers in the desks the receptionists would have used, as I searched through, I found a flashlight and a few batteries, along with a small satchel, I secured the satchel tightly to my side and put the flashlight and batteries inside That should be all I need I thought, as I stood and began to make my way to the exit, I heard the hooves again, I turned to the source of the sound to see him "You're alive?!" I shouted, shocked at the revelation. "Of course I'm alive," He said, smiling at me, lulling me into a false sense of security, "I thought I'd never see you again." He said, examining me, walking around me slowly like a vulture circling a corpse. "What happened here, do you know?" I asked desperately, beginning to spin to keep my eyes locked with his, examining his body, he looked exactly the same, other than a small cut on his cheek. "No, I woke to find all tubes but yours empty, so sign of anyone else, just me, the red flashing light and my thoughts, I came up here, oh, about, 3 years ago, things have changed here Crystalline," He stopped walking and simply stood in front of me, ours eyes locked, "So many things that, I don't think you'll survive." He smirked, his voice became sinister and he spat poison with his words, hitting my ears like acid. "what are you implying?" I asked, backing away slightly, "What's happened to you?" "What's happened to me?!" His eyes lit up and he became jittery, suddenly moving around me, his voice sounding more ghostly and wispy, his form flickering lightly "You are the one who is corrupted, this world knows not of your existence, no one here would miss you, should you die." "Why would you want to kill me though, I've done naught to you, nor anyone you love," I said, my heart beat rising again, taken aback slightly, "Everything here looks to be in ruins, there would be no point to killing me." I tried to remain calm, backing away more. "Yes, but with you dead, that's one less pony to question my power!" He began to walk to the door, "out there is a whole new world, I may not kill you now, but in due time Crystalline, things will become clear, I know not what happened here, two hundred years ago, but I know one thing," He paused "All that you know, is gone." As he finished the sentence he teleported away, a puff of smoke where he once stood was all that showed he was there at all. My mind was racing, two hundred years, it can't have been two hundred years, I was only asleep for a maximum of twenty six, two hundred years, two hundred years I kept thinking about the time that had passed, not sure if it was true or not, I stood at the matte black doors, the entrance to the lobby I guess, this will prove that two hundred years have truly gone by I took a deep breath and stepped through the doors. Everything stood still. My heart slowed, my mind failing to function, to register what I was seeing, my body wouldn't move, the sight before me was, overpowering to say the least, I couldn't believe it. "Two. Hundred. Years." I mumbled slowly, looking out over what used to be Canterlot, every building covered in plants, trees growing from the concrete, some hundreds of feet tall, it seemed to be desolate, a waste land of sorts, I couldn't believe it, "All That I know is Gone." I mumbled in shock, where would I go? What would I do? I had to find answers about what had happened during those two hundred years that I was in stasis.
Chapter 2 - Crystalline's journey startsI stood high above the city of Canterlot, the filtered light of the sun glinting in my eyes, I looked out over the city, I was a lot higher than when I had gone into Stasis, the city looked to have sunken with time, I thought it was odd that the platform I was on was stable enough to not have sunk, before I went in it seemed old and untrustworthy back then. I began to make my way down the slope ahead of me, it was rough, the slope was covered in cold mud and small rocks and I fell, a lot. Little slips here and there until I was at the bottom. The rancid stench of something decaying hit my nostrils, it was almost vomit inducing. Looking around I saw marshland, small animals, mutated it seemed, they scattered as I approached them, except one. Its cold menacing eyes stared into mine, baring it's fangs toward me. I started to backpedal away from it and it went on its way, I sighed in relief. Looking around again the street on which I was standing seemed fairly stable, minus a few sinkholes in the distance, I began to walk shakily along the road, still completely in awe of the land around me. My ear twitched as I heard some shouting in the distance, I thought there was no way somepony else could be here, after all, he was the only other person here right? Right? I poked my head out of some bushes, using my forehooves to move the leaves out of the way, there they were, the sources of the shouts. Several ponies were circling an injured pony, yelling, screaming, Why? I thought to myself, the shouts were barely audible, just screams of anger really, though some made it into my ears and processed into words I could understand. "Where!? Where are they?!" One of them shouted, his coat a dull brown, some of his body covered in tattered leather armor. They? Who are 'they'? I wondered, could he be talking about a colony? Were there towns still in this... Wasteland? "As if I'd ever tell you, cur," The dark gray coated, injured looking pony in the center replied. "I'll end you, I swear it." He gave a stern look at the brown pony, his eyes shone in the light, bright blue, like ice. "Bahaha! You hear that? He thinks he'll kill me," the brown pony moved in and stared him in the eye, they looked to be only a few inches apart, "I'd like to see you try, ninny." he said, smirking. I noticed the glint of something in the distance, another pony? Probably, just moving along, looking for supplies most likely, though I don't know what they'd find out here, that's when I heard it, the loud CRACK! the buzzed through the air, I shrieked softly and looked around to see nothing but the pony in the distance, then I looked down. The brown pony was hunched over on the floor, his hoofed pressed against his chest. "W-What was that," He coughed, some blood dripped from his muzzle to the floor, "What have you done to me?" He appeared to be tearing up, the crimson liquid running down his foreleg. The gray pony smirked as the other two ran away, shouting threats back at him. He stood shakily, holding his right forehoof up, it was obviously broken in multiple places. "That, you pathetic whelp," he smirked, "Was a thing we call teamwork." He began to walk away, towards the glint, I decided to try and talk to him, that was cut short by the loud crack followed by the buzzing noise again, my heart sank, there was a steaming hole right in front of me, I quickly ducked behind a building, hopefully I couldn't be hit by, that... Thing. Whatever it was. "We know you're there! What do you want? Are you going to try and rob me like these fools just tried?" I heard the gray pony shout at me. I swallowed hard. "N-No! I-I just s-stumbled across your little, dispute and I was observing," I was shaking I thought for sure I'd die then and there, "I just, my name is Crystalline! I uh, j-just woke up, from," I paused for a second, "from stasis!" I shouted back, I began to sob lightly, everything that had happened and I'd die there? Just because I was there, watching. "Crystalline eh? Come, come, we won't bite! Not right away and without proper reasoning," He replied calmly, "Just drop your weapons." "I-I don't have any!" I replied quickly as I slowly made my way over to him, it was 20 feet or so before I was standing next to him, he was bruised and cut, obviously recent. "Ahh, a young unicorn mare, nice to meet you," He smiled warmly, "I'd shake your hoof, but, you know," He beckoned to his limb, it was completely limp, "Would hurt. So, tell me, stasis? You were a part of that stupid program?" He chuckled softly. "Well then, I guess, welcome to the new world!" "Yeah, I've already been welcomed," I sighed again, "An old friend." I looked into his eyes and smiled, for the first time I felt safe. "Oh, well, the name's CoalStone," He said, smiling "Nice to meet you, would you care to come with us?" He smiled warmly and used one of his wings to point toward his friend, who waved at me in the distance, I waved back. "Are there more of you? I mean," I cleared my throat, "Like, a colony?" I got a little closer to him. "There are," He smiled as I got closer, "Many more, hundreds." He began to walk toward his friend, I couldn't believe it, hundreds? Really hundreds? I thought there was no way that many ponies could still be alive, there isn't right? There's only us? THe possibility of hundreds enticed me, I had to go with them to see if it was true. I quickly caught up, I was lost in thought, walking with this gray pony to his friend, who could just kill me at any second, we quickly got to his friend. "Hiya!" The voice from the figure was higher than I expected, it lifted a hat and pulled off a scarf to reveal a mare, her coat a dull red, mane a dark orange, "The name's Sanguine, nice to meet you miss," She beckoned with her hoof. "Crystalline," CoalStone said, "Her name's Crystalline," He stood next to her and nuzzled her affectionately, it was obvious they were together. I cleared my throat to excuse myself from the, what was now, making out session. "Sorry," CoalStone said, having just separated from Sanguine's lips, "Get carried away sometimes, you know?" I didn't know, love was foreign to me, I'd never felt it to anyone but my mother. "Shall we continue then?" he began to walk closely beside Sanguine, who had slung her ancient looking sniper rifle over her back. I followed slightly behind, observing the landscape around me. "So, how'd you get your hooves on that sniper rifle?" I asked, "They were taken out of commission hundreds of years ago, must have been in mint condition stowed away somewhere for you to find it working," I said curiously, stepping over the railing on the side of the road. "Family heirloom," She replied, looking back at me, "Each generation is taught to clean it and replace parts, still in mint condition, works like a charm!" She smiled and chuckled a little, I did also, ironically I knew how well it worked. "Well, can't be that perfect if you missed!" I said playfully. "If I'd wanted you dead, you would have been as soon as you poked your little head out of those bushes," She said, turning and winking at me, I felt happy, yet horrified that I could have actually died. AS we kept walking, the bush got thinner and thinner, pathways began to come into view, obviously well used, suspended platforms went from tree to tree, supported by vines, ponies walked along them and eyed me curiously, we only saw a few before we reached the gate. It was massive, at least 10 ponies in height and the same number in width. My mouth was agape with awe. "Better close your mouth, might get flies in there!" CoalStone joked, chuckling to himself, I shook my head and giggled softly. CoalStone put his hoof in a scanner and the door opened. "How the heck did you get that scanner to work out here?" I asked, after all, I had designed the prototype for a scanner very similar, "It shouldn't even work out here!" I said, surprised. "Dunno, one of the tech nerds did it," he chuckled, "No offence," He looked at me, "I know you're a tech nerd, I can tell by your cutie mark," he turned back and walked through the gate, I followed excitedly, I could hear the typical ruckus of a town marketplace, as we emerged from the long hall into the town, I was astounded. He was right, hundreds of ponies, all walking around, talking to each other, buying wares, I squealed softly with happiness. The familiarity of the sights and sounds took me back, to the time before stasis, shopping with my mother, buying little sweet buns and not telling dad when we got home, I laughed quietly to myself. "WELCOME TO SILT!" The masculine voice boomed through the air, "PLEASE, GO TO THE MAYORS OFFICE FOR IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHORIZATION." It ended just as abruptly as it had started. CoalStone led me to the office, a large steel door slid open slowly, the metal screaming as it scraped on the stone, inside was a well furnished (Well, considering the rest of Canterlot it was 'well furnished') office, a stallion with a mane the color of fire looked at me from over a desk, his lips curled into a smile, his coat was almost metallic silver, his eyes were the deepest shade of emerald. "Please," his voice was deep and soothing, "Sit," he beckoned to a chair in front of his desk, I quickly clambered into the seat and sat down, it was a bit too large, "My name is Claudius Silt, it's a pleasure to meet you, Crystalline." He suddenly gave me a serious look. My eyes widened in shock, how did he know that? He started to laugh uproariously, "Ahahaha! Gotcha!" He grinned wide, I gave a false giggle, "I always have my men wear ear pieces when they leave, I have heard everything that he said, and you," He smiled again, "I shall have an ID made for you, you will have level one access. That means basic facilities, stores, your home will be set up in a couple of days time, for the meanwhile, feel free to stay at the inn." He smiled again and a camera sprung from the desk and took a picture of me before disappearing back down into the desk, "That takes care of photo ID, the rest will be done by this afternoon, please, feel free to wander until then," He beckoned to the door and I quickly left. As I made my way around the town, I noticed the ponies were all suddenly quiet, shooting me dirty looks from across the way. I kept my head down and went to the inn, after everything that had happened, I needed a lie down. As I pushed the door open, it creaked loudly, my ears lay back against my head as the piercing sound registered in my mind. "Hello!" The voice boomed across the room, a slight pause and some distortion in the long 'o' sound it let out, "Welcome to the inn," It said, suddenly monotone and robotic. I looked over to the left of the room where the voice came from, it was a cyborg, I was surprised, I didn't think any of them existed anymore, even in the time before my stasis trip, let's call that time the 'Simple Time', cyborgs were exceedingly rare. I walked across to the dirty counter, it smelled of moldy food and smoke. "New in to-" The voice cut suddenly, "-own are ya?" it continued, I nodded softly, "Don't be shy! I won't bite," the voice sounded as though it was done by several different ponies, a mare and a couple of different stallions. "I umm, I'm Crystalline," I stammered the words out, the cyborg's eye was zooming in and out on me, I didn't doubt that he could see down to my bone structure, probably even my blood type, cyborgs are a remarkable invention, "I need a room for the night, p-please," The way the cyborg analyzed me was unnerving, I had to break eye sight to speak at all. "Of course little lady, how long do ya plan on stayin' for?" "Should only be a few days, if that, I don't think I should stay," "Oh, well, you're always free to stay as long as you like, now, a room for several nights will cost you something, do you have anything to trade?" I was shocked, I only had a few possessions, my necklace, my white suit and... And... My great grandfather's pocket watch. "I umm, well, no, not really, I only came into this world today, I don't know what's worth anything," I said, watching the cyborg's eye as it examined my pockets. "Well, that there watch of yours would be worth a fair bit to someone, as would your necklace and your suit, though there are, other ways," A sly smile appeared on its face as he spoke that last sentence, I knew what he meant and I cringed at the thought. "I'll work here if that's what you mean, if it's anything other than that, you can go do it yourself," I gave him a stern look. He obviously understood. "Alright, well, you can stay one night free, after that, it'll be ten hour days until you leave. Each ten hours you work, you'll get one day," He threw me a key, I put it in my pocket, "You're on the second floor, third door on the left," He turned and began to work on something in the back, I made my way through the rusted walls of the inn. The ground was either dirt of rough stone, most of it stained with, unnameable substances. After walking for about fifteen minutes, I found my room, the key was simply a small metal rod with a single prong on the end Pfft, so simple I thought to myself as I opened the door to find a rather nice little room, it didn't smell odd and the floor stones were surprisingly smooth, I slowly got into the bed, hoping it would support my weight, luckily it did and I managed to lie down somewhat comfortably for the first time that day. I lied in bed, eyes closed, rubbing my temples as I contemplated what had happened, all the thoughts going through my mind, all the things that had happened and then I was lying on, well, I don't know what it was, but it was soft... I relaxed a bit and I rolled over to get some sleep. Sleeping was, uncomfortable, the bed felt like it moved as I did and the imagery going through my mind, the bullet through the brown pony earlier, me being all alone in the world, or so I thought, but, as it turns out, there are more ponies, so many more ponies. I woke up late at night, after sleeping for, what was probably a few hours, I looked around, I thought I had heard something scurrying around, I got up and started to look around, walking slowly at the edges of the walls, I heard the scurrying again, I poked my head into the small bathroom that was there. There it was. A large beetle, about the size of a small dog. I let out a long sigh, realizing I was safe, I used my magic to levitate the beetle out of the window and went back to bed, I'd learn more the next day when I woke up, but, for the time being, I needed the sleep.
