Into the Unknown
A crash of thundering sound, with a flash of brilliant light, and a moment later the two friends find themselves being abruptly dropped onto a cold stone floor. Star Dancer was the first to regain consciousness as she groaned, rolling over to sit up on her haunches. But when she was finally able to get the world to stop spinning, what she saw completely surprised her.
“W-where are we?” She nervously said, getting up to her hooves.
Gone was the familiar surrounding of the place she called home. For now she was standing in what looked like the ruins of some stone building. And to make matters worse… the portal which had pulled them through was now nowhere to be found.
“Rainy! Where are you!” Star Dancer yelled, as she frantically began to search the building looking for her friend. Eventually she located her still unconscious friend huddled into a corner with some debris from their own world partially covering her. “Thank Celestia you’re still alive!” Breathing a sigh of relief, Star Dancer quickly checked her friend over making sure she was not hurt, and thankfully aside from just a few scrapes and minor cuts, Rainy for the most part was uninjured.
Sky gave a few rough coughs eyes blinking blearily then shutting them tight from the bright light streaming in from the large opening in the wall opposite. “Ugh isn’t it too early for Celestia to have taken over court again?”
“I don’t think were are in Equesrtia anymore…” Star Dancer said as she walked over to the hole in the wall.
Cautiously poking her head out she took notice of the familiar field they had previously seen through the portal. Everything they had seen before was now surrounding them now. It was surreal. The stone room, the expanding field, even the bitterly cold weather was making itself apparent as she began to shiver slightly.
“We need to find shelter Rainy,” she said turning back to her friend. “It’s going to get dark soon judging by the way the sun is falling. We can’t stay here. It’s too open and somepony or something may come and see what all the noise was.”
“Right, right, Ugh. Never go drinking before finding an alien portal to another world Sky, everyone knows that. . .” She Grumbles, slowly standing up and walking over to Star, working hard on not throwing up along the way. “Think maybe this place would be good if we can build a fire? That might be faster than finding somepony else for help.”
“No, that’s not really a good idea. We don’t even know where we are Rainy! And what if the locals are hostile? We could be in A LOT of danger if we stay here. We have to find a more discreet place to hide until we know it’s safe to come out and make contact… that is if we even should!”
“Star how is this place not discreet enough? There’s no tracks, it’s covered, only seems to have one way in, and it’s fairly dry and clean aside from the leaves. Why I could probably make some cover to lay over this hole and you’d barely know it was here.”
“Rainy… Anypony within earshot could have heard the loud noise we made when we came over. And that’s not even including the light… I mean, just imagine if you saw an extremely bright flash of light just over the hill in the day time. Wouldn’t you be just a little bit curious to see what it was?
“And let’s not forget that we saw movement on the edge of the field just before we were sucked in. So that means we are close enough to something. We can’t stay here. It’s just too dangerous! How long can you stay awake possibly knowing that the very spot you are camping in is being watched?”
“We don’t have to stay awake the whole time just get some dry leaves from overthere,” Rainy says, pointing to a small pile of leaves. “And then spread them onto the ground. So that anything coming in has to step on them and we have a good alarm and if we set up the fire over there in the corner you’d have to be right here by the entrance to see it from outside at all.”
“Uhh… fine.” Star Dancer groans, shaking her head. “You can be sooo stubborn sometimes you know?”
“Only when it’s good for you.” Sky answers back, sticking her tongue out at Star.
Star Dancer rolls her eyes, flicking her tail at her friend, then walked off to collect the leaves as mentioned earlier as Sky goes looking for materials for a fire. After a few hours of hard work collecting the leaves, branches and other assorted materials needed to cover up the place they landed in, Rainy and Star were now sitting a bit exhausted around the fire they managed to get started.
“Maybe we should scout around Rainy?” Star Dancer said looking up through the open ceiling.” I mean there's still enough light out that we could fly around a bit to see what’s out there? What do you think?”
Sky stands up stretching out her wings to get ready to fly. “Sounds like a good plan Star, remember first things to look for are water and signs of civilization, Maybe that portal just sent us somewhere outside of equestria and we only have to worry about buying some train tickets and a long ride home.”
“I like your way of thinking.” She smiled standing up herself. “But how about you scout around, and I’ll make sure the fire doesn’t get out of control? After all… you are a much better flyer than me.”
“And you know why I am?” Sky chuckles giving her wings a few flaps to check her feathers are in order.
“Because you probably fly more than me… but that's only because I am afraid of heights! I can’t help that I feel more comfortable with my hooves firmly planted on the ground. In any case YOU are better suited for scouting… so make with the flapping already! You lightweight.” She giggled under her breath after saying the last bit.
“Ya ya, just because I can’t hold my cider. . .” Sky Grumbles starting to flap her wings harder and harder to take off finding it more difficult than normal only getting about four feet off the ground before stopping and falling back to the floor exhausted. “What the. . .hay I feel . . . like I was trying to lift two hundred pounds!” Sky complains panting.
“Are you saying you can’t fly now? Pfft… lightweight. A few drinks and now you are grounded.” Star Dancer then unfurls her wings taking a few test flaps. “Hmm… feels fine to me.”
But as she tries to simply hover a few feet off the ground she finds it extremely exhausting. Like she was trying to carry twice her weight. So with a tired exhale, Star Dancer promptly returns to the ground with a clop as her hooves connect with the hard stone floor.
“This isn’t good… I had a feeling this might happen.”
“What are you talking about?” Rainy asks sitting up.
“This world… I think its affecting our ability to fly. I think it’s because its a different world and we are not acclimatized fully to the way magic works here. If it does at all.”
“That doesn’t make any sense though… No magic? How does the sun move, or the moon or the weather? How can it be nearly winter here without magic!”
“How am I supposed to know Rainy?” Star Dancer snaps back, throwing her forelegs into the air. “I am only guessing here! I don’t know what’s going on, but its pretty clear for the foreseeable future we cannot fly. So what does that leave us? We still need to scout and find food and water! So I guess we are hoofing it.”
“Well then what good are these things!” Sky shouts, flaring her wings, standing up and stomping over to the hole in the wall. “I may as well be a blank flanked freak then. . .” She mutters looking outside. “I’ll be back when I’ve found something or it starts to get dark. Stay warm by the fire and throw something heavy at anything other than me that tries to get in here.”
“WAIT!” Star Dancer quickly stomps out the fire. “I’m coming with you! I don’t want to be here alone now if we can’t even fly,” she says, catching up with her hippogryph friend. “Lead the way.”
****
Heading on out, Star Dancer and Rainy slowly cross the wide open field trying their best to stick to the treeline as they made their way out into the unknown world. The trek was mostly quiet save for the occasional conversation the two struck up as they passed something different from what they’d seen back home. Eventually their little scouting expedition ended when they emerged from the tall grassy field and found themselves staring down at the oddest looking stretch of what could be best described as a road.
“What the hay kind of road is this?” Star Dancer said, looking down at the long stretch of roadway spanning in one direction as far as the eye could see. In the other, a large metal structure could be seen erected over the road. She figured it was probably a bridge of some sort. Though the construction was of an odd design.
“Why would you even do this... It tears right through the woods.” She say’s looking one way across it then the other then leaning down to sniff at it, then quickly pulling her head away a second later from the foul odor. “Gah! Dear Luna that stinks...”
“Must be some kind of odd chemical or magic used in creating this surface.” She stepped back a little reluctant. “Umm… maybe we shouldn't try and cross it. It may be hazardous. I think we should look for another way around.”
She put a hoof to her brow scanning off into the distance, but sadly the road seemed to go until til the sky touched the ground. That way was a no go, but then she remembered the other.
“What about trying to cross under that bridge looking structure over there Rainy?” She said pointing to the large metal truss spanning the entire width of the road. “Maybe there’s a way underneath it?”
“I think that may be best, I think I see some animal tracks leading around down there so there has to be a path.”
Star Dancer nodded. “Okay then let’s get moving, but keep your eyes open. There’s no telling what may come down that road.”
Slowly and quietly Rainy and Star made their way down through a trench alongside the road until the finally reached the bridge. It was a massive structure that spanned over what looked to be a somewhat shallow looking stream underneath it. But the strange part of the whole thing was that when they got closer to the bridge, they noticed that the metal used in its construction somewhat resembled the steel they used themselves back home.
“D-do you think its steel that was used to make that thing Rainy?”
“Possibly, guess that show’s they have magic for certain you need either unicorn or earth pony type magic to work with the stuff after all.”
“Yeah, and that’s a good thing as well! It means we may be able fly once we get used to how the magic works here. But let’s not waste anymore time,” Star says looking up. “The sun is starting to set.”
Carefully the two eased their ways down the slippery slope leading towards the bank of the stream. It was small enough, though looking out towards the middle the water looked potentially deep enough to submerge oneself in. Not a good idea considering how cold it was on this world. Fortunately there was enough large rocks rising out of the water that it was of little concern, So with some tentative first steps. Rainy made her way across the stream, making it look easy as she walked along the rocks.
“It’s safe here on the other side you can cross,” Rainy said waving her paw.
“Alright here I come.”
As with Rainy, Star Dancers first steps were slow and nervous, but as she made her way across it truly was rather easy.
“I guess this world isn’t so bad afte-” Just as she was about to take the next step out onto another rock, a loud noise erupted over the bridge, looking up Star Dancer froze, terrified when she saw a large machine racing across the bridge. She was so scared from the sight that she missed the next rocked and slipped, plunging face first into the freezing waters of the stream.
“Star!” Sky shouts going back over the river to try find her friend in the cold looking water.
Bursting to the surface a moment later, Star Dancer cries out, gasping for breath as she scrambles to the safety of her friends waiting paws.
“Ahh!!! C-cold! I’m sooo cold!” She whimpers, shivering uncontrollably, her entire body soaked from head to tail with the icy cold water. “So… cold...” she mumbles.
“I’m here Starry I’m here.” Sky tells her wrapping a wing around her friend to share her warmth
“Can… can’t feel my legs. So c-cold.”
“Keep moving Starry you can’t stop now, gotta keep moving or that’s it. . .” Sky tells her repeating it again and again now truly worried they may not both make it home for the first time. “Should have just stayed by the fire. . .”
“Feeling sleepy… It’s hard to walk.” Star Dancer groggily looks up and out of her blurred vision she spots something. “There…” She sloppily half raises her hoof. “A barn… go there…” And with that Star Dancer passes out collapsing next to her friend.
“No Starry no sleeping!” Sky shouts in her face shaking her hard. Nearly crying after a few seconds of no response other than her slow breathing. Sky decides that she’d best keep moving even if Star couldn’t. Heading towards the barn she’d seen far off in the distance with her friend on her back the cold water slowly seeping into her own clothes. “Wake up you sleepy tail!” She shouts, giving hops and jumps into her progress trying to jar the unconscious pegasus to wakefulness again by any means she can.
“Uhhh…” Star dancer groaned as she felt each and every hop, skip and jump jarring her back to consciousness. She looked up, her vision still blurry, but she could see a large barn coming into picture.
“Y-you awake Starry?”
“So… c-cold… head to the barn… fire… start a fire.”
“N-no going to t-t-to find h-help. B-barn means fa-farmers.” Sky tells her, teeth starting to chatter from the creeping chill of the water soaking into her clothes and fur.
“Too… dangerous… Need warmth… Fire… start one… Please.”
“A-and b-burn down t-th-the barn around us?”
“Don’t care anymore… I am freezing to death Rainy! DO IT!” Star Dancer screamed, using the last ounce of her remaining strength, caring less about who heard her. She didn’t realize how well her voice carried as just off in the distance lights flicked on at the house just a little ways away.
“O-only if you promise not t-t-t-to d-die when I’m cooking under a burning b-b-b-barn.” She chuckles pushing her way through the unlocked barn door. “N-now I j-j-just need s-something to b-burn.”
“It’s a b-barn made of wood… I am sure you c-can find something.”
“N-not making p-pony under barn with h-hippogryph sssssouce Ssstarry.” Sky tells her as she lets Star fall to the ground softly and starting to look around for something flammable. “T-that’ll d-dooo.” She comments seeing an old broom against one of the walls. Quickly she grabs it and starts to snap into smaller easily burnable pieces and places them in a pile on a clear spot on the ground next to her friend.
Fumbling through her pockets she pulls out her lighter and with a few flicks, she similes as the splintered wood quickly ignites, blazing to life with a whisp of smoke. “Th-th-there i-it’s lit you ha-have a fire Ssss-starry.” Sky tells her before lying down next to her friend feeling herself starting to slowly fall asleep.
Mcdulage home ten minutes earlier.
“Do you see that Stan? The barn! Someone is in our barn!”
“Yes Karen. I see it. Get the kids into their bedroom. Tell them to stay quiet,” he whispered, walking over to the closet and pulling out his pump action shotgun.
“What are you going to do with that Stan? Why not just call the police?” she says as she heads to the door.
“You know as well as I do at this hour it could take them forever to get here!” He reminds her loading a few shells into the gun. “I don’t want to put my kids in danger because some thief decides to hide out in my barn!”
“Fine… but I am coming with you! So you don’t do something stupid.”
“Get the kids safe honey, then meet me at the door.”
She nodded quickly disappearing into the hallway.
A few minutes later the two are slowly approaching the barn, It was dark outside so it was way too hard to make out who was inside as they approached. But just as they made it to the door. They began to hear voices…
“There must be two of them in there Stan.”
“I can hear that Karen. And it sounds like a couple girls. But what are they doing way out here?”
“Runaways perhaps?”
“Possibly.” He said, lowering his shotgun, and clicked the safety on. There was no more need for it now he figured.
“Should we go an see who it is?”
“Might as well… It’s way too cold out here for a couple of kids. They could freeze to death out here tonight.”
Karen nodded as the two pushed open the doors and walked into the barn, but as they stepped inside the sight before them was… shocking to say the least… Lying next to a small fire in the corner of the barn lay two small animals wearing what looked to be clothes tailored just for a horse. The one, an amber colored horse… or was it a pony? It had a light blue mane and tail. The other was ever stranger. A pony they figured, but it had paws and a cat like tail. And to put all reasonable belief out the door. Both of them had wings.
Stanley's fear of the unknown now returning, he slowly began to raise his shotgun towards the two laying in the corner.
“I don’t know what the hell you things are… but you are not going to harm my family!” He stood back cocking his weapon, the familiar sound of the pump action ringing in his ears as it smoothly loaded a shell into the chamber.
“Honey… I don’t think we-”
“Get back Karen! We don’t know what kind of diseases these things may have! That one looks sick!” He said pointing to the amber colored pony.
“H-h-heeeelp, c-co-co-co-cold!” Sky begs barely helping to keep her eyes open from the pain of the cold seeping into her very bones even through her fur.
Now this was a major turn of events. Both Stan and Karen’s mouth fell open.
“Did… did that thing just talk?” He sputtered out.
“Umm… Uhhh..” Stan was at a loss for words… What the hell was going on here? Laying in front of him was two what he could best describe as horses. And horses that could talk for that matter. “Excuse me?” He muttered, unsure how to respond to what that thing just said.
Karen being a bit more bold crept up to the two lying on the dirt floor and kneeled down by the blue looking pony… cat thing. Whatever! She was still trying to process what was going on.
“Did… umm… I mean, what did you just say?” She asked, her gaze locked on to Sky.
“Y-y-yes I did you w-walking . . .so-something. How can I insult y-you for not helping when I don’t kn-know wh-what you are? J-just help be-before Starry d-d-d-dies.”
“Starry? You mean that other pony over there?” Karen asks pointing over to the other pony.
“Y-yes haven’t you ever s-seen one b-before?”
“Well can’t say that I have… You don’t see talking ponies with wings around here very much. Infact never. Anyway you said your friend here needs help?”
“I-I c-could use a b-bit myself if you don’t mind.” Sky tells them the getting angry that the two whatevers have done little more than stare at her and Star as they lay there freezing.
“Okay…” Karen says standing. She then walked over the amber colored pony and carefully placed her hands onto her side. “Oh my god she’s freezing! Stan quick! Get some blankets! No... better yet, drop that stupid gun and pick her up! We need to get these soaking wet clothes off her and get her warmed up fast! She’s going into hypothermic shock!”
Not one to argue with his wife, Stan nodded laying his gun on a nearby shelf then knelt down and gently lifted the barely conscious pony up and carried her inside. Meanwhile Karen returned to the other pony still lying by the fire and took off her coat then laid it over the pony.
“Can you still walk? I am sorry, but I can’t pick you up.”
“I th-think I can... Ju-just a little h-help please?” Sky told her still shivering.
Karen smiled carefully wrapping her arms around the pony and helped her to her feet. “What are you?”
“I’m a h-h-hip-pog-gryph.”
Not sure what that even was, Karen simply smiled. “Whats your name?”
“R-rainy.” She tells her leaning against the woman as she walks out of the barn with her.
Fillydelphia three hours later…
“Wow... You were right Twilight,” Spike said scratching his head. “Something did happen here.”
Standing in the park Twilight and Spike (now accompanied by a few local unicorns and medical ponies), were shocked by what they saw. A large blast mark shooting out in what looked like a somewhat horizontal fashion directly towards them.
“I can still feel a slight magical presence here Spike,” Twilight said, examining her surroundings. “I don’t know what is going on, but I plan on getting to the bottom of it.”
“Umm Twilight?”
“Yes Spike, what is it? Can’t you see that I am busy looking over all the details?”
“Well I think you should look again.”
“Why? Did I miss something?”
Spike nodded pointing towards the ground. Twilight gasped throwing a hoof over her mouth. Directly in path of the blast mark was a bunch of hoof and paw marks, and to make matters worse, it looked like whoever it was got caught in the blast.
“Spike… this is serious.”
“Yes, I know, but what can we do Twilight?” He asked looking back up to her.
Twilight looked at Spike then back at the marks in the ground, a look of determination on her face.
“Whatever we can...”
Realities Collide
The day started out so good Star Dancer thought to herself. She had met such a nice stallion a few weeks ago while working at her job in Fillydelphia. Every now and then he would come by and keep her company. Sometimes cheering her up when her day was not going as well. And then there was times he would stop by seeing her in a good mood and he would stay and talk bringing a smile to her face. Eventually after a few weeks they agreed on a date.
But sadly once he had managed to get her to go out with him, it seemed the only thing he wanted was another notch in his bedpost. So with a scowl (and a few harsh words), Star Dancer stormed off from the botched outing to meet with her friend so she could vent her frustration.
“I can’t believe I went out on a date with that creep,” Star Dancer grumbled, rubbing her temples. “He seemed like such a nice stallion when I first met him.”
“Some stallions will do a lot to get under a mares tail. Some mares to...” Star Dancer’s friend says with a scowl looking down at the floor remembering some bad collage experiences.
Star Dancer looked up to her friend oddly, blinking briefly at her remark. “Y-yeah I see that… Now.” She looked back down at her half empty mug of cider still feeling a little stupid for being so naive. “Three weeks…” she grumbled, drinking the rest of her cider in a single gulp. “Three weeks of talking with that creep! And all he wanted was to get me to take my clothes off!”
“Sweetie, at least you had clothes to take off. Most mares don’t even have that and they get the same looks.” I tell her placing a paw over her hoof, comfortingly running my fingers around the smooth edge, being careful not to tickle at the soft part around the edge.
“Umm… thanks?” Star Dancer replied, sitting back the booth.
A couple hours later Star Dancer was still not feeling much better, although she had to admit she was mildly amused at watching her hippogryph friend continue to get more and more tipsy as the night went on.
“Why’d I never go drinking afore Ssstar? shish nice drinking with youuuu~... I think I’m going to go say HIii to that pretty mare over there chatting up that stallion,” Sky says with a hiccup, stumbling her way over to a couple sitting together.
“I don’t think that's such a good idea Rainy,” Star Dancer said feeling a little worried, pushing away her next mug of practically untouched cider at the same time. Seeing Rainy in her current state was enough indication that she was probable going to have to carry her home tonight.
“Heeeeeeeeeeeey pretty ponies . . .wanna, wanna have a couple pretty mares in your bed tonight?”
“Honey, who is this mare?” The bewildered looking unicorn said looking over at her husband.
“I have no idea who this mare is, and I certainly wouldn't waste my time with some half breed lowlife drunk!” He coldly replied, waving a hoof to her. “Begone you feathered abomination! Leave me and my wife in peace.” And with that the two spun back around facing the bar again and resumed the conversation they were engaged in before Rainy interrupted them.
“Fe-feathered... abomin- abama.. ..abina- I am not drunk!” Sky shouts whirling around to buck the bar as hard as she can with both hooves.
“Rainy NO!” Star Dancer yells scrambling out of the booth as fast as she possibly can when she sees her friend about to get physical. “Don’t!” But it’s too late.
Sky nearly slips as she tries to kick out, her paws sliding across the bar floor losing all her momentum leaving her flat on her belly and the only damage done was the ponies drinks being splashed in their faces as her hooves clacked on the table top on her way down.
“Ok you two... I think it’s time you should leave,” the bartender said sternly as he came up to the counter to see what the commotion was.
“Y-yes sir! w-we were just going.” Star Dancer weakly replied leaning down to her intoxicated friend. “Come on you, I think you’ve had enough to drink,” she said looking around at the various ponies staring at them “And I think we have made enough fools of ourselves tonight. Let’s get out of here. You look like you need some fresh air anyway.”
“Don’t need aaair need a date. . . been alone for too long and you just broke up with a d-dogs bitch of a staallion that wouldn’t know a ruby if he bit it.” Sky sputtered out, throwing a scowl at Star then turning to glare at the ponies still sitting there soaked from head to hoof with cider. “And ponies that look cute but are really, infertile, limp-dicked-”
“Okay... I think that's enough from you!” Star Dancer quickly whispered into Rainy’s ear as she shoved a hoof in her mouth. “Will you knock it off and just get up off your butt! We are in enough trouble as it is! I don’t want to spend the night in some jail cell because you can’t keep your mouth shut! Now come on!”
“Phophfy! Mah gah fromin’gromful.” Sky tried to say around Stars hoof, unable to do more then piece together a string of random syllables and vowels in her drunken state.
“Yeah… that's great and all, but I think we really should be going,” Star Dancer said nervously as she spotted the bartender making some motions with his hoof. Signaling over to a couple bouncers hanging by the door “Yup time to go…”
****
Cast out of the bar, Star Dancer and Rainy find themselves walking along a somewhat ill lit path snaking its way through the park as Luna's moon was reaching its apex in the sky. It would have been peaceful had it not been for Rainy trying her best to hit on each and every pony trying to enjoy the warm summer evening in peace.
“Really now Rainy... do you have to bother each and everypony we pass? I mean can’t we just enjoy the rest of the evening in peace? My day was hard enough.” She grumbled, giving Rainy a displeased stare. “Can I just have a bit of peace and quiet?”
“But youuu nee some to make you foorgit tha- tha-guh I’m going to be sick!”
“Not here!” Star yelled waving her hooves. “Go find a bush or something!”
Rainy grunted, her stomach heaving and spasming, the price of the last few hours coming back up as she dove head first into the nearest bush.
“Are you okay Rainy?” Star Dancer asked a little concerned when her friend didn't reply. Instead she cringed taking a step back as Rainy once again heaved, emptying out her stomach. “Eww… gross.”
Sky sat there in the bush heaving and panting for several minutes just trying to stop her eyes watering, her whole body shuddering with each breath. “Why d-does anyone ever do this?”
“Have you ever drank this much before?” Star dancer asked sitting down beside the exhausted hippogryph. Though taking a moment to think about it, Rainy didn't really drink that much.
“I’ve n-urp-never drunk anything before. . . I was . . .scared to in collage, ugh.”
“Really?” huh… never would have expected that. “Well at least we didn't get into too much trouble,” Star Dancer said relaxing a bit, taking a seat on a nearby bench. Anyway… we should-”
Star Dancer was cut off, the sky grew increasingly dark. Clouds beginning to swirl and twist at a rapidly increasing pace. The winds picking up, lighting crashing around the park, scaring most of the ponies off as Star Dancer held on to the bench, gripping tightly as the winds continued picking up until… nothing.
“What in Celestia’s name was that?” Star Dancer looked up surprised to see the storm which was destroying the area around them was now gone. The skies returning to a peaceful state as Luna's moon once again returned to bathing the area in its soft light.
“My head exploding. . .” Sky moans from behind the bush head between her paws.
“Say what?” Star Dancer asked peering over to her friend still tangled in the bush.
“My head. . .it’s all over the park now didn't you hear the boom?”
“Yes I did Rainy… But it wasn't your head.”
Looking at her friend Star Dancer rolled her eyes and hopped off the bench to walk around and survey the surroundings. Nothing was really disturbed aside from some dead branches being broken off of some trees, and a few wastebaskets being blown over.
“I wonder why the weather ponies decided call down such a freakish storm at this time of the night of all things. What were they thinking?”
“That cider is a stupid substance that shouldn't be sold to ponies that have never had it before in such large cups...”
“Rainy!” Star Dancer yelled. “Didn't you just see that storm?”
“Only the one coming from my stomach Star...” Sky groans struggling to her hooves and paws then looks around. “No major damage was there?”
“None that I can see... though there is some weird buzzing sound now that I think about it.” Looking around for a moment it finally clicks. “Wait… what is that buzzing sound?”
“So you mean to tell me that’s not just in my head?” Sky asks rubbing her eyes.
Star Dancer again rolls her eyes letting out a breath and walks off away from her confused friend and into the nearby woods. She traveled down a small dirt path leading through some strange looking trees. Trees she never would have never imagined to grow around this city. Trees that kinda resembled those that grew in the Everfree.
“Uhhh… Rainy… could you come back here please?”
“Y-yeah one moment. . .urgh.* She complained making her way to the sound of her friend's voice. “The landscaping has really gone to pot here Star. I mean these trees look wild.” She comments wandering through more and more rough looking trees hardly resembling the park she’d known she was in not a half a dozen steps ago. “Star? You there? ...this isn’t funny! Star where are you?” She calls getting worried and speeds up her pace soon coming upon a small clearing.
Suddenly as she breaks through a small bush she stops, and in the clearing there is her friend. Sitting on her haunches staring dumbfounded at what looks to be a large rectangular looking window. It’s surface beaming with a soft light and an assortment of colors ranging from all colors of the spectrum. It was amazing to say the least.
“W-what is that?” Rainy sputtered out, completely dumbfounded at the sight before her.
“I… I don’t know.” Star Dancer replied, equally blown away at the sight before the two equestrians. “It… it looks like a… doorway?”
“But it’s glowing and . . moving . . .does this normally happen to ponies that go drinking?”
“Ponies and hippogryphs do not see funny looking doors after a few drinks Rainy.” Pfft… lightweight. “Maybe off drugs or something, and you had better NOT be even touching that stuff… so help me if you do,” she said, raising her voice to make sure Rainy heard the last part clearly. Afterward she tentatively walked up to the rectangular looking doorway and slowly raised her hoof to its surface. “It feels warm,” she said absentmindedly, running her hoof along its features. “And slippery. Kinda like water I guess you could say.”
“Really?” Sky asks lifting up a paw and placing it on the surface “It feels alive Star. Swirling and pulsing. I can feel the pulses going into my paw... think they make sex toys out of this stuff?. . . why would I say that out loud? Ugh... no drinks ever again. . .” She says slapping her paw to her face then shaking her head back and forth rapidly. “If it’s a doorway Star . . .where does it go?” She asks with a gulp.
“I don’t know if it’s a doorway or not,” Star Dancer says looking over to Rainy, “Maybe we should get a unicorn out here to check it out? Theres a mages guild back in Fillydelphia. We could go and ask them.”
Just then the portal pulsed a brilliant light forcing the two mares to shield their eyes protecting themselves. Dying down a moment later, Star Dancer was the first to look and what she saw surprised her. A field of grass blowing in the wind as far as the eye could see poking out from what looked like a stone archway. Some trees in the distance and also something that looked like… movement.
“What the hay is that!” Star Dancer said excitingly as she pressed her hooves against the surface flexing it a bit. “Oops…” She backed off, watching the ripples she caused flow off the edges of the portal.
“It is it daytime there? And the seasons not right. . .this is so freaky!” Sky says starting to push on the wall feeling it stretch under her paws watching it fascinatedly as it seemed able to go on stretching for as long as she could push.
Again the portal pulsed, blowing the two off their hooves (and paws), an odd unseasonably cold breeze making the two shudder unexpectedly as it passed over their stunned forms.
“Umm… this is really getting weird Rainy,” Star Dancer said, taking a few steps back from the portal, her hooves feeling shaky underneath her . I think we should go and get somepony qualified to check this out. This is way beyond our comprehension.”
“I . . .I don’t know. I don’t think we should leave it alone, I mean if it’s a door something might come through and if it’s just a window who know’s who’s watching?
“What are you talking about Rainy?” This thing could be dangerous!” Star Dancer yells rearing up and slamming a hoof against the portals surface. Though when she did that she was utterly surprised to see that her hoof pressed through it and was now on the other side.
“Star?!”
“Rainy do… do you see this?” She sputtered out, turning to look at her hoof. “This… this is unbelievable!”
Sky runs up to her friend staring at her hoof on the other side of the barrier. “Are you okay? it doesn't hurt or anything right”
“No… it doesn't hurt,” Star Dancer says moving her hoof around in a circular pattern. “It’s strange though. It feels cold.” She took a step back removing her hoof from the portal. “Try for yourself.”
“O-okay Sure. . .” Sky says placing her paw against the surface more hesitantly then before worried about the spell ending and leaving her paw on the wrong side of whatever this is.
“No Rainy you have to give it a little push.” Star Dancer stepped along side Rainy and pushed her hoof through again. “See? Not so hard.”
Sky nods, pushing her paw through the gel like surface of the portal. “Wow… this feels weird.” It kinda felt like pushing through pudding she thought. Though warm pudding. Eventually she had her paw on the other side as well. “It does feel cold.”
“Do you think its possible we are looking into another world here Rainy?” Star asked, the two now staring forward through the portal out into the distant field. “Do… do you think its possible that there could be life here as well?”
“There are trees right? I think that would mean something is alive. . .doesn’t it? “ Sky looks over at Star then back out into the woods on the other side of the gate. “Is that somewhere on our world?”
“I didn't mean that… I meant life! Like other ponies or I don’t know… Aliens?”
Star Dancer took a moment to think about that. What is there really was life on the other side of this portal? Would it be friendly? What if it was hostile? So many questions flooding her mind that she was completely unaware that the portal had begun pulling on her hoof.
“Whoa!” Star Dancer yelped bracing her three remaining hooves firmly on the ground as a vortex began to form on the portals surface. “RAINY! HELP ME!” She screamed as she watch her hoof starting to stretch and twist as the vortex continued to pull on her hoof.
“It’s got me to!” Sky say’s trying to pull her paw out of the portal “Let go of us you stupid magical anomaly!” She shouts trying to hit it with her other paw only to get that stuck as well and then watch in horror as her body is slowly turned to dust and pulled away.
“Ahhh!!! Rainy!” Star Dancer screamed, but her voice was now fading out as the whirling vortex was pulling on everything drowning out even their screams for help. A feeling of horror washed over Star as she saw her body being dissolved. Sucked through the portal like dust being pulled through a vacuum. Then in one brilliant flash of light everything went black…
Ponyville 30 minutes prior.
“Spike you won’t believe what I just saw!”
“What is it now Twilight?” he asked, mildly displeased. She had been doing some star gazing this evening and for some reason she decided to let him know excitedly about each and every discovery even if it was just another star in the sky. “Some new planet or star? That's fascinating.” He then returned to the book case he was dusting. “Was it like the last one you told me about? You know like five minutes ago?”
“What? No! Though I’ll tell you about that in a moment.”
Spike rolled his eyes, shaking his head and sighed. “Then what is it now?”
“A bright flash of light just off in the distance.”
“And that's special because?”
“Because there was a strong magical essence attached to it! That's whats special about it!”
“You do realize there are other unicorns out there Twilight right? Maybe it could have just been an experiment that went botched and that light was a result of it.” He looked at Twilight, giving her a knowing look. “I recall a certain unicorn having the same mishap in the past.”
Twilight blushed. “Spike that was different!”
“Seemed the same to me,” he grumbled under his breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!”
“Well in any case we need to go and check it out! Ponies could have been hurt!”
“Aww come on Twilight! It’s like almost midnight! Can’t we just let the local medical ponies take care of it? I mean it can’t be that bad now can it?”
“Spike, I am responsible for helping my fellow equestrians, and besides… we can always just stay in a hotel or something if nothing has really gone wrong.”
“Fine... I’ll go and start packing our things…” He grumbled walking up the staircase, dragging his feet as he went. But just before he got to the top he stopped and turned to face her. “Wait… where are we going?”
“Fillydelphia.”
