White Shimmer slowly woke up. Questions raced through his mind, but they stayed unanswered, as there simply wasn't any way to answer them. It took him a bit to realize why: He actually wasn't able to feel anything, neither did he remember anything except his own name.
He took a moment to just think about that name. 'White Shimmer'. It sounded strange, full of mystery, but still clear and simple from the first thought. Somehow he didn't even have any doubts that it was his, and so he just accepted it. Not like he had many other options.
The void continued to last, and as time went on, he became scared. Nothing to feel, nothing to hold onto, just a slight consciousness of White himself existing... Fear crawled into his mind, the emptyness around him started to form into things, but as there was no other knowledge, they didn't have a form. They just waited, and he knew it.
Just as he thought he might be stuck in this darkness for eternity, White slowly started to notice sounds. The dull, constant sound of air blowing against something, and the calm, rhythmic sound of breath. Probably his own, as it seemed close. He followed it, kind of relieved to finally have something to focus on again, and shortly after, he started to feel his body again, and the nightmares retreated, almost fled into the void.
That body felt strange, definitely like nothing he was used to. The feeling of flink and precise fingers - fingers? Whatever that was, the thought went away, just as he thought it; and just this feeling was now missing, and on it's place he felt something hard and sturdy. He could also swear that his weight was disturbed in a different way...
White shook his head - he didn't even realize he was doing it that easily - and forced himself to open his eyes. Partly covered by stripes of blue hair, he saw a star-filled nightsky, and as he looked down, he saw a wide land spread out below him, and nothing supporting him. He coughed slightly, adrelanine racing through his body, and it took him a while to get himself under control again. There still was some distance between him and the ground after all, and even if there weren't, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
That's what he tried to tell himself atleast. But his body didn't react and continued to tense up in scare, and so he distracted himself by observing his surroundings a bit more.
He seemed to be a pony. The body was sort of known to him, but he guessed he just never expected to be in it himself. He had a white coat and blue hair, and as far as he was able to see it, it was shaped in a simple, though stylish way. When it weren't just blew up by a gust.
His hooves reacted easily as White tried to move them, and even though he would now have to move 4 legs in a rhythm, he was confident he would be able to do, as he felt the instinct for it hidden somewhere in the back of his brain. Not like it mattered that much anyways. The ground below him was coming closer and closer in a worrying speed, and he was now able to see details.
The land just under White was covered in a dark forest, and in some distance he was able to see it lighten up and turns into plains, while in another direction, it tightened up around some cliffs and mountains. The forest itself seemed very plain though, he wasn't able to see much more than leaves and stormclouds from up here. He could also swear he saw some lights further away, but he was't able to recognize any buildings in the distance. Whoever lived there, might find his body, though he didn't expect it. The forest looked like everypony would stay away from it, and not like you would go in for fun and adventure.
A few moments seperated him from the ground now, and White sighed, stopping his focus. He barely noticed something else lighting up, like an orb around him, before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He spent his last thoughts trying to figure out why he ended up here, but there was nothing. His mind was soaking up all the other information it got like a brand new sponge, but there was nothing from before.
He hit the ground in a huge wave of pain.
A loud, abrupt scream and a crystal-like crackling echoed through the Everfree Forest, before the silence returned.
Some time ago, Pinkie Pie was just picking up another slice of cake. This sudden party had been a full success (like every of her parties, basically), and even at this time, there still were a bunch of ponies telling stories and jokes to each other, and having fun. Pinkie smiled widely to the bypassing Rainbow Dash, and took a bite into her cake, when something flew through her body. She blinked in reaction and gulped down her mouthful of cake, before whispering to herself in a scared tone: "Twitchy Tail."
The library window closed in a slight bang, as Twilight Sparkle used her spell on it, She sighed in relief and stepped back to her desk, focusing on her work again. Actually, she had been at Pinkie's party and would have been there still, but this topic simply refused to get out of her mind, and so he had decided to friendly excuse herself and go home to work on it. It maybe wasn't what she would have done usually, but this time the work reasoned it, and she hadn't felt like joking or eating cake anyways.
She carefully continued on in her text, occasionaly using her magic to look into another book and quote some stuff, as she heard steps coming up the stairs. They were Spike's, Twilight of course knew them, and though she wondered why he wasn't at the party, she ignored it.
"Twilight?", Spike asked loudly, causing to Twilight to shudder and growl innerly. The unicorn tried to show no sigh that she heard it, though she knew it was senseless. He would somehow go on, even if it was just about asking for another bucket of icecream. And as expected, Spike spoke again, this time even louder:
"Twilight, listen! It's important!"
She turned around angrily, a thought about 'how important icecream or gems could be' racing through her mind, until she noticed the letter in Spike's claw. She forced herself to smile and friendly answer the dragon:
"Excuse me. Thanks, Spike.", before grabbing the letter and turning back around.
As Twilight quickly opened the letter, hoping to get back to her work, her view fell on the sigil, which was different this time. Instead of Celestia's single mark, which she was used to, it had both Celestia's and Luna's sigils, accompanied by one of their older royal signs: a circle of stars. And it had a magic seal, as even she had to put a bit of effort into opening it. Though she never saw that in person before, she knew what this meant: There was something very important, and the princesses trusted her to get her friends and the elements of harmony to look for it. As fast as possible.
Twilight took a deep breath and unfolded the letter, her earlier topic already forgotten, and started to read carefully.
Twilight Sparkle carefully opened the door into Sugarcube Corner and peeked in, before fully opening it. The party inside was still fully active at this time, and even though Pinkie's parties didn't tend to last that long, she understood it. After the hard winter and all the problems that had been in Ponyville over the last few months, her friends really needed this time to relax and start the real summer. Twilight sighed deeply, really sorry to interupt that fun, and stepped forward.
"Girls!", she said loudly, causing the others to stop abruptly and turn to her. She was about to say more, but she already got interrupted by a happy Pinkie Pie:
"Twilight! Oh, i am so happy you could still come to my party! Do you want some cake? Candy? Cider?" She was just about to dash away to get something, when she noticed Twilight serious face. "What's wrong?"
"I am sorry, Pinkie, but we got no time for that.", she whispered, while putting the golden-lined box that she had been carrying on her back the entire way, on the ground, causing the mares to take a deep breath in surprise. "Everypony, this is important. I just got a letter from Princess Celestia, and there is something we gotta sort out. Something very urgent." She added, as she saw Rainbow Dash rolling her eyes.
"Really, Twilight? We were just having fun here, and now we gotta save Equestria again?", Rainbow Dash replied, but nontheless she was the first to step to the chest and get her Element out of it. The others followed her, some happy, some careful, and soon the room was covered in a slight, but smooth aura, as the Elements reacted to each other. With only one missing.
"Where's Fluttershy?", Twilight asked Applejack, while the others still adored their necklaces.
"Oh, Flutters? She went home when it got dark, guess she was a bit too scared to wander through the night alone. Poor one... We're going to get her, then?"
"We are going to come by anyways, we are heading to the Everfree.", Twilight replied, before asking loudly: "Everypony done?"
The girls nodded and smiled slightly, though Twilight was able to see that they weren't to happy about going into the Everfree Forest. She smiled back and picked up the chest with the last element in it, before going outside. Everypony followed her, except for Pinkie Pie, who waited happily and grabbed another cupcake, before she went after her friends.
Fluttershy was looking out of her window, her mane floating in the fresh breeze from the forest. She had been in thoughts for quite a while now, the last days didn't turn out to be very exciting after all, and so she had more than enough time to draw back and reconsider some things. It was entirely clear if it was good or bad, because whenever the night came, Fluttershy felt cold, no matter how happy her day was. Not physically cold, both her coat and the summer were doing a pretty good job there, but something more. She wasn't really able to explain it, and she didn't dare to talk to her friends about it.
It just felt like she needed somepony friendly on her side, close to her... and that was what scared her. Fluttershy knew that she had quite a charm, in her own way, but she was too shy and she never took the oppurtunity to ask somepony. Except for that one time, in flight school, and it went horribly wrong.
The pegasus shuddered as she remembered the colt she had been with there, and shook her head. 'I have to forget him...' This single thought raced through her mind, but she never had been able to forget. So she simply stayed with that memory, and always locked it in the back of her mind. And now, in the darkness of the newmoon night, it came out again.
As something broke the shadows, Fluttershy's memory hid away again. In the far, above the Everfree Forest, she was able to see a bright light. A falling star. She had seen many of them, but neither were they this bright, or did they actually reach the ground and made her wish true. Her eyes blinked slightly, as she felt something in that star... something familiar. And so she closed her eyes, and wished.
She never got to listen for an answer, as somepony called up from below: "Fluttershy? Are you still awake?" She recognized the voice in a instant, it was Twilight. And the slight mumbling in the background, her friends. Fluttershy peeked over the window and nodded down silently, seeing the other stand in her garden, wearing the elements. She smiled slightly as she felt the eternal kindness emitting from her necklace, and headed down to meet her friends.
Twilight gulped slightly and took a look back to her friends, before she slowly entered the forest. The others followed her silently, careful to stay in the light of her horn, which only barely cut through the absolute darkness. There was no other light source, even the moon was gone, as Luna had her monthly newmoon to regnerate her magic. And so, there was nothing to light her way, nopony to watch over them. And the darkness just got completed with the silence that was laid over the forest.
As they wandered deeper inside, even their elements stopped to emit their usual forcefield, as the shadows ruled over them, and became colorless. Nopony noticed it, but Fluttershy felt it, and so she stopped and shuddered in fear, just about to scream and run into the direction she thought was backwards. Applejack grabbed her shoulder and gave her a slight smile, silently forming the words "It'll be ok" with her mouth. Fluttershy nodded silently and hurried up a bit, just to be in the middle of the group.
Everypony was in their own, fearful thoughts, even Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were quietly trotting on the ground, heads down. Twilight sighed slighty when she saw her friends like this, but she was able to understand them. Even her alicorn body bowed under the rule of the Everfree Forest, and this time, she was even able to feel something... worse. Lurking in the shadows, behind reality. She couldn't identify it, and for the worse, it even felt like it knew her.
It felt like a painful eternity, until they finally reached a opening. Twilight had been leading them this way, following the description in the letter, but it wasn't the end.
The opening in front of them wasn't much brighter, but a bit of starlight and a fresh breeze came through a hole in the leaves. The girls sighed in relief as they felt the fresh air, and looked at each other. Even their elements regained their color, although they didn't emit their magic again.
Twilight smiled slightly, and focused on making her light brighter. As it shined over the opening, something blinked up and reflected it in the same manner. The alicorn stepped forward carefully, and examined it: a white, glowing crystal. To her own surprise, it didn't grow from the ground, but instead it seemed like it fel and rammed into it. It almost seemed like a shard of some sort.
Her thoughts got interupted by Fluttershy's slight voice: "Girls... Look! Over there!" Twilight looked up and followed Fluttershy's hint: In the middle of the opening, surrounded by the crystals that continued to mirror her light around, laid somepony. She was able to spot white coat and a blue mane, the pony almost looked like a colt. The others took a deep breath in surprise, Rarity and AJ almost instantly followed Fluttershy as she dashed to the body. Twilight and Rainbow Dash followed more carefully, giving a serious glance to each other, which reminded Twilight that she wasn't the only one who was worried about a trap here.
Fluttershy was already bowing down and gently touching the colt by the shoulder, and to their relief, nothing surprising happened, and it slowly raised and lowered under Fluttershy's hoof. The pony was alive, but he didn't look too good. His coat was covered in scratches and cuts, and a bad wound was seen on his left hindleg, bleeding still. Rarity took a sharp breath as she saw it, and after a tiny nod from Flutters, she started to bandage it with some cloth from her bags.
Twilight watched, ready for anything to happen, but after a bit, she also sighed in relief. She was glad that it wasn't more, although she was still a bit worried, especially as she noticed his blank flank. Rainbow Dash looked at her, before she relaxed too.
"Is... he alright?", Twilight asked, trying to see over Fluttershy's shoulder. Her friend didn't answer first, she just nodded while she took a closer look at White, then she replied: "Yes... but we surely can't leave him here. He's alive and breathing, but in this state..." She shuddered noticeably. "I have no idea for how long."
"I guess... We'll bring him back, then." Twilight knew that they simply couldn't leave a pony in the middle of this darkness, even if he was a possible danger, and even though their mission was important. "This is not the best timing, really...", she whispered, leading to a little, angry glance from AJ.
As she heard Twilight, Fluttershy sighed and gently stroked the colt's mane, before getting up.
"Back... to my cottage, then?", she asked carefully.
"Your place?... Not the hospital?", Rarity replied, causing Fluttershy to blush slightly.
"He isn't that bad... he... just needs care. And... you know, it's closer...", she stuttered, and Rarity chuckled in answer, before she nodded to the others.
"You heard her. Let's bring that little treasure out of here.", she said in a romantic tone and smiled.
White jumped awake, as he heard something big stomping on the ground. He hecticly got up and looked around, trying to make out anything, but except for a grey, spectral ground, there was nothing. Just endless nothing. He shuddered in fear, as another stomp hit the ground, and slowly stumbled backwards. Another step followed, and White turned around fully and soon fel into a trot. He had no idea where he was headed, only that it would be away. Away from this... thing.
He didn't dare to look around, just focused on getting away. He didn't even notice that he was still a pony, and was running without any problems, he only heard the creature behind him, it's steps getting faster and faster as he speeded up himself.
He ran for a eternity, but the shadow never gave up, even got closer. And as his body began to weaken and his breath went heavier, he stopped and almost collapsed. White didn't dare to look around, as the steps stopped behind him and as he was able to feel heavy breath on his back. Instead he panicly tried to find anything to reach, to hide. But there was nothing, and so he finally turned around.
The pair of glowing, red eyes instantly kept him in their ban. They were ghostly, without pupils, never blinking. A scream winded up in White's lungs, but it never got out, as the creature closed it's eyes and released him. But as he was able to see the body the eyes were part off, he coughed and ducked down even more, in absolute fear.
Black scales and dark, purple spikes were covering a colossal, dragon-like body, he was able to see huge wings and a spiked tail behind the creature's head, which itself was covered in red lines and scales, into the last detail. When the dragon roared loudly and spitted a few, demonic flames into the sky, he was able to see the teeth in it's mouth. They looked like purple glass shards, just huge and much darker, even covered in something that looked like blood at some places.
White collapsed. His view became blurry, as the dragon bowed down and sniffed on him, before another loud growl escaped it's maw. He saw his end coming and simply closed his eyes, ready for the last pain. He even was able to see a bright light already...
The pain never came. He waited, until he realized that the light was coming from outside, and opened his eyes. His coat was glowing brightly, burning the dragons's scales as it touched it, but it didn't blind White. He was able to easily see through it, and he didn't believe it. The shadow slowly retreated and roared loudly, but White wasn't scared anymore. He slowly got up and waited bravely, and finally, the dragon spreaded his wings and flew away, leaving a black trail behind.
"What was that?", White heard himself asking. He didn't expect his voice to sound this familiar, but it did, and it was as clear and normal as it could be. Also, words and grammar started to return into his mind. But what he didn't expect, was a answer.
"A leviathan.", a calm, female voice said behind him. He turned around, and saw a big, dark-blue coated mare, with hair like dark fog. She had horn and wings, he even saw a kind of mark on her flank, which reminded him of a moon. She seemed mighty, and she was in a complete contrast to the beast from before.
"Welcome, White Shimmer.", she said friendly.
"You know my name?", he asked, still not sure if this actually was his name.
"Yes. My sister and me have been knowing about you for a long time." White tried to speak, but she simply continued. "Stay calm. You will find out what all of this is about in time, your destiny will be clear."
"But... Where am i? What am i?"
"You'll find out. And for the other question... this is a dream." Luna nodded, as she saw the relief in White's eyes. "Not death, or transcedence."
White nodded sliently, still confused. He had no idea what to say, now that there was somepony to talk to, his mind was full of questions, but none of them seemed right. He shook his head and looked over the spectral plain.
"Listen, White. You are here for a reason. Somepony saved you, and you are alright. Just relax... sleep..."
The dream faded, as Luna flashed her horn, and faster than he was able to say anything, darkness fel over him again.