The Crystal Clock Spire

"A fellow scholar came to me the other day and asked me why those afflicted with warped limbs are known as chimerics and not instead name them as flat out chimeras. My answer to him was that the naming process for each 'species' was supposed to be unique. I mean we've done it for years, every category of species have sub-categories. Take the avian or 'bird' species for example, every member of the group differs in body composition, colour and, of course, behaviour. The common magpie is a black and white bird with a tendency to steal things that might be worth value to them (of course, after all these years we've yet to identify what they do with these things as they do not talk) while the parrot has natural vibrant colours and have the ability to mimic the voices of any-pony that happen to come across them.
That's the reason why we use the term chimeric to refer to them, any-pony can tell the difference between them and their feral cousins. But the most striking fact about them is that they belong to not one but two kinds of species: The chimera as was already established and the equestrians just like us. After explaining this to him, he asked me in his words: Then what does one call some-pony like Discord then? That one was actually quite interesting but I merely answered with the words: An inexpensive cinder block."

-Scholar of Bluewich on the topic of Gallopmere's chimeric population

As the carriage pulled out of Manechester, Dusklight wondered what life was like outside, away from the unsightly image of the place he once called home. Now about a mile away from the wreckage, he stuck his head out of the open window of the carriage and saw just how different things were for those still living their lives peacefully. Despite the absence of the sun (or the moon for that matter), you could easily see and describe the land and its inhabitants. Each city was separated by miles upon miles of grasslands and deserts. The plots of land that had not been built upon by civilization was large enough for the wind to travel unhindered had the roads not beaten it to it. To connect each city, roads of varying lengths and shapes had to be built, paths winding this way, paths curling backwards that way. The one thing that stood out from all this was the fact that each road had not been made entirely safe.

“It's beautiful isn't it captain?” asked Skye who was sprawled atop the roof. It wasn't the safest of places to be while on the move but she was used to it. Born sixteen years ago in the Firth of Chima: a small group of islands named after the first chimeric creature born in Gallopmere, her first encounter with the military was during a display at ten years old on the northernmost island. Thousands had attended during that time to see the Gallopmerian army and pegasi force perform for the crowds. Skye, impressed by the kind of lives that the soldiers lead, asked her parents if she could join.

Of course, like all caring and concerned adults, they were reluctant first but it wasn't until a chance encounter with a chimera (A creature that has long since become extinct leaving the chimerics the only members of their species left), an encounter whose details have yet to be released, to win them over.

Life in the military for her was, in her own words, exciting to say the least. Years upon years of having to face up to countless threats to queen and country , the most famous of which being an incident in Bluewich concerning one of the largest of predators: the Ursa Major.

“To be honest sergeant I didn’t believe you when you said Manechester was the only place affected. I guess you proved me wrong” Dusklight sighed observing the land as it rolled gracefully by the carriage every square inch at a time.
Skye sat up and peered cautiously over the carriage roof at the captain. She was concerned that the captain was still upset over the fiasco in Manechester’s city hall.

“Forgive me sergeant, you must think i’m being obnoxious. I mean after all, you’re not much younger than them and that i’m just acting my a…”. Skye gave him a disapproving look, her piercing green eyes meeting his crystal blue eyes to stop him from metaphorically smacking himself across the face every time he spoke about the incident but she nodded slowly in slight agreement, after all he had every right to be since every word he said during his rant was more or less true.

The younger generations were less than enthusiastic at the idea that all this was the work of a pony who, for the most part, was idealistically benevolent like his predecessor. Like all ponies of Gallopmere, Crownway was no less devastated than the other that some-pony who he had loved so dearly, would just disappear like that without explanation. It would be years after the event until Crownway assumed the throne and once he did, it was like Chronodia never even left and all it ever was in the minds of every-pony was a fervent nightmare (“You can blame this on Princess Luna” an officer of the royal guard once joked before being berated extensively by his superiors for his attitude). Never in a thousand years would they expect their new ruler to make such a rash decision.

“I thought I told you not to blame yourself for this. I’m sure Crownway didn’t mean for all this, he has been doing things right for years which I think is fantastic in my book” Skye grinned, not noticing she was now hanging precariously off the roof, her yellow face now level with his, forcing him to step back a bit.

“I guess, actually, he used to be my idol back when I was younger. He used to be a soldier himself first before he started in politics, It wasn’t long before I started to feel a little sorry for him when he heard the news that Chronodia had gone. Did you know, he fought against the stone wolves when they attacked Manechester all that time ago. Dates the two of us by decades, me even more so.” Dusklight mused prompting a small giggle out of both of them until they were interrupted by a voice on the other side of the carriage.

“Sergeant, could you please slow down the carriage for me. I’m having a hard time keeping up.” Skye hoisted herself back up onto the roof and rolled onto her back facing the other side of the carriage to face where the voice came from.

“Well Lifelike, maybe if you had actually listened to me before we headed out, then you would’ve heard me telling you to get inside the carriage” Skye answered, her head hanging upside down from lying on her back. Lifelike shook her head in perfect tandem with her hoofsteps keeping with the carriage and looked up at Skye. Her orange face started to show signs of fatigue like she would faint from exhaustion

“No, i’m fine. I... just need... you to ask the driver... to slow down. Please?” She asked. Skye rolled her eyes, and her body towards the front where the carriage driver was busy trundling along on his hooves on the path.

“Excuse me sir, could you slow down a wee bit for the young lassie at the side of you?” she asked to the driver when she felt a small bump underneath her shake the carriage causing her to sway from side to side desperately trying to hold on..
“Is everything alright down there?” She asked.
“It’s Lifelike speaking, sorry about that, I er changed my mind” Lifelike answered.
“Great Chima’s petrified body, I thought it was another earthquake. Can you please inform me when you are planning on doing these things.”
Earthquakes were a rare occurrence in Gallopmere as the land was quite far from any fault lines in the area. However, when an earthquake did indeed strike then the repercussions were felt far and wide and the damage was pronounced to a massive extent: Occasionally a building would fall onto the streets below and a large gap would appear in random places but it wasn’t as dangerous as one might think because once an earthquake is detected, it wouldn’t be long before every-pony in a city would evacuated so that the natural events could take their course. Casualties were very few and far between and they are now.

“Never mind sir, you can carry on at your original pace.” Skye apologised to the driver.

“No need to apologise sergeant.” he replied
Skye rolled backwards to her original place on the roof, sighed and relaxed into her usual state of contentment.

“Speaking of changing one’s mind, humour me for a moment lass. Why did you decide to join us. Aren’t you needed back at Manechester to finish the meeting?” She inquired to Lifelike while still lying back on the glass roof. A question like that wasn’t as far-fetched as it sounded because of the fact that Lifelike did not give a reason for her abstaining from the meeting.

As a painter and a writer, Lifelike had no real practical use other than to be relied on for her penmanship and her quill which she used just as much as her paintbrush and palette to create works of art that would make even the most creative of artists balk. Of course, that’s in her own words.

“Ah they don’t need me, besides, i’ve got nowhere else to go either. It’s quite awkward having to live somewhere that has constant warfare and strife. Should’ve been stopped at the first opportunity. In a way, i’m like the old stallion here: always looking for something that would help us immensely.” she answered taking a space in the carriage next to the captain.

“Aye, can’t fault that. Anyway, shouldn’t be long now before we get home. No idea if it’s late or not,blasted cloud.”

Now the cloud that Skye mentioned was not a natural occurrence. In fact, it wasn’t natural at all. It began a few weeks ago during the time the kingdom was pre-occupied with the Manechester situation when it appeared. A cloud of darkness formed over the kingdom, overshadowing the entire country like a plague. Underneath this cloud, the entire kingdom became darkened and gloomy, visibility was drastically reduced (although not entirely) and all manner of nasty creatures began to appear such as the stone wolves or the shadow waltz (a stranger yet highly dangerous monster seen by few. No-pony was able to determine how and why this is to be for Gallopmere as it was the only kingdom to be affected meaning that the only way to determine whether it was night or day was to look across the sea where the cloud just happens to stop forming around to the other continent (Not that i’m pointing the hoof at any-pony of course).
“Heads up fillies and gentlecolts, we’ve got a path block up ahead.” warned the driver of the carriage pulling up at a cross in the path. One end was blocked by a small squad of two or three guard-ponies leaving the other end open for a detour. The guard-pony in the middle, a pegasi; wearing little to no armour other than the helmet on his head held out one hoof in order for the driver to stop and await inspection before walking straight up to the carriage.
“Can’t go this way sir, we’ve got an ursa up here and we’re having a hard time trying to chase it off. You’re going to have to go right up towards the barracks while we sort this out” he explained.
“That so?” asked Skye who was still lying atop the carriage’s roof. The guard-pony jumped at the sight of the sergeant… well what he could see of her without blushing. “On whose orders?”
“Er, that would be mine sergeant… Corporal Lancaster. Sorry but you’re going to have to do what I say and leave via the right path” Lancaster explained trying constantly to avert his gaze from her hiding his blushing face behind his visor. Still lying on her back, Skye merely rolled her eyes at his orders.
“Doesn’t matter, we’re going to the barracks anyway. Carry on…” She ordered. “And make sure the matter, either a major one or a minor one is taken care of before sunri…you know what I mean”
“Yes sergeant. Again sorry for the interruption” Lancaster responded and ran off to rejoin the squad leaving the group to carry on right along the carriageway. Dusklight stared at the blushing corporal who had started to disappear under the dark clouds effects.

“The colour on his face just then, it’s like he saw something he shouldn’t have” he noted to which Lifelike cheekily replied “Yeah, it was the full moon, considering you can hardly see much in this blasted ‘weather’.“

“Full moon, but you can’t even s… oh dear” Dusklight mused, blushing himself. Skye unfortunately did not hear the alicorn’s remark to be able to comment and carried on lying on the roof with her… body showing at the front of the roof.