Into the Void

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.”