The Connection

Twilight Sparkle was sitting at her desk, reading through her enitre library. Just a normal Tuesday. Spike was in the backyard sunbathing, Twilight assumed, so she had the library to herself. Fables and Fairy Tales was a personal favorite of hers, and as she was reading about a mare who chooses the line between life and death, literally, Spike rushed in the door panting.

"Twilight!........Letter......Princess........Celestia........

He fell to one knee and handed Twilight the scroll. What could the princess have needed that required her to be at the castle? Well, maybe she was just checking up on her to see how she was doing. It was nothing of the sort.

My Most Faithful Sudent,

Something has come up and you must come to the castle as soon as possible. I cannot relay any details until you are here. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

"Well that's odd" Twilight said, "I wonder what's so important? Oh! Maybe she's gonna give me an important test to see if I can move up in my studies!" Twilight had already become an alicorn, and subsequently, Equestria's newest princess.

Twilight's face beamed with excitement and anticipation. She would probably be able to obtain access to the restricted section! The oceans of knowledge and ancient records made her want to go all that much quicker, and she promptly began to make herself presentable.

"So you're going?" Spike asked.

"Sure am Spike, take a letter please."

Spike found a peice of paper and a quill to write with

"Ready Twilight."

"I'm on my way." Twilight said.

"That's all?" Spike asked.

"Yes Spike. I have to give her confirmation that I'm going to the castle. So she expects me to be there."

"Ok then"

The short response was written, and sent to Princess Celestia in a green, magical blaze. Twilight then put her royal garments on. She didn't quite feel adjusted in her new place, but understood that she should look the part. After placing her crown on her head, she then gave Spike a warm goodbye and a kiss on the forehead. Being an alicorn had its perks. Twilight's magical prowess was greatly enhanced after the transformation and she was able to teleport longer distances. From the library to the castle was well within her ability.

She waited about ten seconds to make sure Celestia receives the letter, and teleports in front of Canterlot Castle. The sudden arrival must have startled the two guards at the front door, because their faces displayed surprise at the appearance of Princess Twilight Sparkle instead of their usual stone set looks.

"Hehe, sorry for the drop in" Twilight said.

"It's fine Princess. Allow me."

Both guards opened the gigantic doors and Twilight was immediately filled with a sense of nostalgia. The sights and smells of her schoolfilly years again. Time flies, doesn't it? Twilight thought. With all the good memories rushing back, she nearly forgot about the reason she came here. *Right, Princess Celestia, you can reminisce later Twilight.*

She quickly found Celestia's room, and with it two royal guards who acknowledged her by bowing and saying simultaneously "Princess."

One guard knocked on Celestia's door and informed her of Twilight's presence.

"Please come in Twilight."

*  *  *  *  *

Princess Celestia stood in the doorway of Terras' room. She wanted to know just how exactly how Terras was able to generate enough power for planetary travel.

"Terras"

"Yes Celestia?"

"I would like to ask you a few things."

"I'll answer to the best of my ability."

"Where did you come from?"

Terras took a while to answer, for he didn't trust Celestia that much.

"I came from a planet called Crystoria."

"Crystoria. Unusual name for a planet" Celestia said.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Crystoria?" Terras asked.

"Crystals" Celestia answered.

"Exactly. No other planet in our solar system contains more crystals. Basically the only mineral found underground."

"Terras, do you know how much power it takes for teleportation?"

"A lot. On Crystoria you can't use teleportation without the aid of a commanding officer. Too much risk associated with it. However many of my people have more than enough power for it."

Celestia knew this well. You had to concentrate on where you were going at all times. If your mind wavered even a little, you would be sent to a place completely different from where you were trying to get to.

His power is much greater than mine.Celestia thought. *This could spell trouble in the future.*

Celestia looked at him sternly. "What were you so desperate to get away from?"

The question took Terras off guard, he never mentioned trying to escape from something. How did she figure out so quickly?

"I never said I was escaping from something."

"But it's obvious is it not? You tried to teleport somewhere, your mind strayed from your destination in the moment, and you ended up in here. And I assume that a commanding officer was not present?"

Terras was taken aback. She guessed it. She described exactly what happened to him on Crystoria. She's something else. Terras thought.

Celestia tried again. "So what was it that made you so desperate to leave your planet?"

Terras was reluctant to tell the story of the evil force slowly eating away his planet. He hardly knew this mare, and she hardly knew him. He shouldn't give about half his life's story to a mare who he neither knew or trusted.

And yet, she could be a powerful ally.

Terras thought to himself for a moment, gathering his memories of the force that plagued his home. And he couldn't hold back.

"It was about 27 years ago when we first noticed the evil force destroying a nearby planet. I was around four or five. Nobody thought it would spread, nobody thought it would come for us. We were terribly wrong."

"I was 11 when it first hit us. Nobody noticed, except for a black cloud headed our way. My village didn't know about what the black cloud carried, or the thousands of people it's killed. They thought some weather was arriving." A tear began to roll down his cheek. Physical proof off that he indeed felt.

"When we saw it's army of black mutant formations, we stood up and fought. It was what we always did when our home was threatened.

Terras took a moment to gather his feelings before he burst into tears. The thought of reliving his parent's death was a challenge.

"It was a slaughter fest, and that's an understatement. By the dozen I watched my entire village reduced to rubble, fire, and bodies. My mother.......she died while I was trying to protect her........I couldn't save her, there were too many.....and my brother and father.....they died fighting......"

At this point Celestia was sitting down, this boy was put through hell and a half, yet still alive and ready to fight. Even she started to get misty eyed.

"I was one of twenty, twentythat were still alive after the initial attack. There was no way to communicate with other towns, we had to live on our own. We fought back, as hard as we could but outnumbered and surrounded, one by one each of our twenty went away."

"It was down to seven when I was sent on a scouting mission to check a nearby fort for a base of operations. The base....well it was crawling with those formations. One small mistep and I alert the entire base to my existence. I ran, I tried to fly, but that didn't work. I eventually made a decision: risk losing everything by leading the things back to camp, or break one rule in order to save everyone. So I broke the only rule in energy training.

"I used teleportation"