A Search in the Darkness

Chapter 1: Awakening

=====================================================================

Twilight felt like she was weightless. As if she was a lonely cloud on a sunny day. However, she was not shining in the bright light of Celestia’s sun. Only darkness surrounded her. But it was not empty. Strange blurry images flew past too fast for her eyes to focus on. Strange bursts of color in a world that saw so little. Every time she saw these flashes, she felt a deep longing for it. As if it the images were derived from her very essence. She would never remember it, but the images started coming more frequently. Until the bursts overwhelmed the darkness itself. They came faster and faster also seeming to get clearer, yet never clear enough to comprehend what the picture was. Finally the light grew to what would’ve been a painful brightness, but she could not stop looking. It didn’t seem like she was being given the choice. All of a sudden the world broke away and a deafeningly loud roar burst in her ears. The ground slammed into her and she felt as if weighed as much as a hydra. Two thuds could be heard falling next to her. The floor was cold and her eyes were blurry. As a wave of weariness struck her, her mind began to fall back into a slumber. The last thing she heard were a large amount of hoofsteps approaching.

=====================================================================

Twilight woke up taking a deep breath. The first thing the confused unicorn noticed was that she was lying on a soft bed. A soft beeping sounded off to the side. Tilting her head to the left she saw a heart monitor. Something felt long wrong about it. It had the same noise and color that she had gotten familiar with while visiting Rainbow after her many crashes, but there was a difference that she could not point out. It was then that the unicorn realized it was built into the wall. It also showed a lot of other data like her current temperature, her medical specs, and something called her Thaumic Reservoir Percentage which read at 9%. As she looked around, she noticed that the well-lit room was a stark white that matched her bed. She laid back down pressing her head into the softest pillow she’d ever felt. ‘I guess it makes sense. They would reserve the best equipment for the princesses in the Canterlot Castle… Canterlot!’ Twilight got up her hooves and pushed the blanket off her back with her right foreleg, noting the hospital gown she’d been given. Jumping off the bed she trotted over to the door. Looking around frantically, she searched the door for a door knob to bite on to, but could not find one. Meanwhile she was thinking a million miles per hour. ‘Does this mean it worked? Did it go as planned?’ Twilight growled in frustration as her search proved denied her the answer. Looking at the door, she began using her magic to force it open, but immediately stopped as massive headache erupted from the tip of her horn. She quickly disabled the spell and was left panting on the floor as though she’d just ran the ‘Running of the Leaves’ all over again. However the minor hindrance could not keep her down as she got up and began pounding her hooves on the door. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door made a soft beep before siding quickly to the side. On the other side was a pearl white Earth pony with a white coat and fuchsia mane. She noted that she had a full Nurse outfit that covered her from her neck to her hindhooves.

“Calm down Miss Sparkle. I’m just here to check on you,” the pink-maned pony said as Twilight stopped her hooves from contacting the mare’s face. She brought her hoof down and gave a smile with a blush. The nurse continued, “It’s good to see you up. Your thaumic energy levels were dangerously low, but it looks like a some sleep was all you needed.”

Twilight climbed back up on the bed as nurse moved to watch the strange heartbeat monitor. She mumbled under her breath and took down notes on a strange pad using a blunt object.

Twilight looked at the device which was holding the notes. ‘I’m really falling behind on the new magic spells.’ Sadly, word reaches quaint villages like Ponyville last. Trying to strike up a conversation she asked, “So when did you start working at Canterlot, Nurse Redheart?”

“Who’s Nurse Redheart? My name is Healing Hoof.” the nurse replied, not taking her eyes off her note. “Also, next time you want you need to get help, just press the assistance button. Actually you probably might not need to. Looks like you’ll be getting discharged today. Just lay off using on using the horn for at least a week. I don’t what you did, but it did a number on your reserves.”

Twilight decided to learn about the assistance button later and waited as the Nurse finished her notes.

“Just place your hoof right here and you can be on your way to meet the princesses,” the Nurse told Twilight. Twilight, encouraged by the notion of meeting the princesses, quickly placed her hoof on it.

“Now wait here for a few minutes and I’ll come back with someone who can lead you to the princesses in a few moments. And get you something to wear,” Healing Hoof said as she walked out the door. The last part was cut off by the sound of the dooming sliding shut.

Twilight quickly got up. Untying her hospital gown, she tossed it on the bed and waited quietly while stretching out her sore hooves.

Mid-stretch, the door opened and the Nurse walked in followed by a blue stallion saying, “Well Miss, my little brother, Helping Hoof will be taking you to meet the Princes-,” the Nurse was cut off as she saw the mare stretching in front of her. The unicorn’s left hindhoof was angled away from her body and her tail lifted up, mimicking the limb’s attempt of stretching.

“Whoa,” Helping Hoof said coming to a stop next to his sister. His sister however wasn’t listening, her mind trying to make sense of what her eyes seeing. The upward angled, completely exposed area set between two outrageous flanks. Healing Hoof’s eyes were glued to the same spot as the unsuspecting unicorn quivered to get out the last pops.

“Ok, Helping Hoof, I’m ready to leave right now,” Twilight said as she turned around to face the twins.

“Wh-wh-wh-what are y-you doing?” Nurse Healing stammered.

“Waiting to the meet the princesses, like you told me to do,” Twilight stated.

“WHAT! YOU WANT TO MEET THE PRINCESSES LIKE THAT? HAVE YOU NO SHAME FILLY!” the female twin exploded. Her eyes seeming to go red.

Now it was Twilight’s turn to stammer, “Wh-wh-what are you talking about?”

Healing Hoof didn’t respond, but turned to her brother and yelled, “And you! Stop staring and get out of here." She began pushing him out the door. Looking back she said, "Put these clothes on. And then I'll be taking you to Celestia myself. I think you broke my brother."

Twilight looked at the clothes. 'I never remember the Castle staff being so strict. Guess a lot can change in 3 years.' She put the slightly uncomfortable clothes. When she was done, she mimicked what the nurse had done placed her hoof on the blue glowing console next to the door. Healing was waiting outside, but her brother had disappeared. The Nurse motioned her in the right direction and Twilight began the trot to through the halls as the Nurse followed from behind. As she walked through the walls, she noticed how much the Palace had changed. The consoles were everywhere and everypony she came across was dressed completely. 'Maybe it's another stupid rule the Nobles passed,' she thought as she walked past a trio of ponies in cerulean uniforms.

At one point, Twilight tripped and her forehooves slipped making her chin hit the floor while her hindhooves held her torso up. This ticked Healing off as she shouted, "That's it. I can't walk behind you, just follow me."

They finally reached a door that was larger and more extravagant than the others. It had carvings of the moon and a familiar Moon princess.

Nurse Healing pressed an icon in the console and spoke through holes arranged in a circular pattern, "She's here your Majesty."

They waited moment and then the doors slid open revealing a tall majestic alicorn. Her blowing mane filled with the stars and her navy blue mane was practically glowing. She had strange clothing on, less fabulous than what the nobles wear, but it seemed hold an aura of authority and grandeur. Before Twilight could say anything she was swept into the hooves of the Princess of the night.

"Oh Twilight, how we've missed you," Luna shrieked in joy spinning the mare around. The Nurse took it as motion to leave as the door closed on the two old friends.

"Whoa, it's nice to meet you to Princess," Twilight said. When she got a good look at the alicorn she realized how much taller and more magnificent, a true ruler of the night. "I have so many questions to ask you Princess. Did my spell work? Why are you so tall now? What's with all the cool magical things I've seen hanging around? When did the castle get these renovations?"

"Calm down Twilight. I shall tell you everything that you need to know once your friends are here… and that should be right,” Luna stated as Rainbow Dash and AppleJack came through a door. They were followed by a different Nurse who looked as equally ticked off as Healing was. She too left when her friends were delivered.

“Jeez, these guys have some weird rules,” Rainbow exclaimed as she picked at her collar.

“Yeah. And what’s the point of covering your whole backside like this,” AppleJack asked to nopony in particular.

Twilight gave a slight frown as she realized 3 of her friends were missing. “Where’s Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity?” she asked Luna.

Luna’s face darkened, she got faraway look in her eyes that quieted Rainbow and AppleJack down. The silence continued for several minutes until Luna got off her beds and said, “That’s part of what I have to tell you. Follow me.”

The three elements present followed the Alicorn of the night to window shrouded by curtains.

“First I would like to say welcome,” Luna said. Twilight, Rainbow, and AppleJack looked at each other with similar expressions. The Princess pressed a button and continued, “Welcome to Canterlot. The Capital of the Celestial Empire.” The curtains reclined by themselves and the darkened windows cleared themselves. The elements gasped; in front of them lay a sprawling metropolis with buildings that shot farther into the sky than Pegasi could even fly. Giant ships floated like airships; however they were completely surrounded by metal. Looking closer they noticed thousands of smaller flying vessels moving through the monstrous city at speeds that rivaled Rainbow Dash. The city was grander than anything the 3 could’ve even imagined. Luna looked straight at the 3 mares and with finality said, “Welcome, welcome to future.”