Azil

Out of all the details, both tiny and large, that Twilight could choose to reflect and focus on...the fact that the rain felt cool against her fur and skin was one she held onto the most. She was looking slightly to her right, her breathing calm and steady. The wind whipped at her harshly, the stinging chill of its breath and the rain it carried within its bosom soaking and freezing her to the bone. She barely exhibited any sign that she was feeling the terrible weather around her, only a tiny shake here or a barely noticeable shiver there the only indicators that, besides the scene that was displayed before her, today was a dismal, lifeless day.

The sounds of the little one screaming were all but inaudible now, her panicked shrieks and sorrowful wails drowned out in the wind as she was carried away by the large stallion that Twilight had often seen...but never talked to, out of sight of the wreckage surrounding them. He seemed like such a gentlecolt...it was a pity he was one of few words. Twilight shifted her eyes back up towards the standing frame of the structure, her eyes half-closed as if she were preparing to float once more into the world of dreams...a world she so desperately tried to cling to, if only to stem away the stagnant reality of Equestria for only a few more lingering, precious moments.

She was impressed that the frame was all that was left after the storm, proof that any foundation one of her old friends placed, could withstand any deadly force of nature. Why couldn't that same foundation have been placed within her own life...or those around her? Perhaps it was fate...maybe it was just pure bad luck. Or maybe, Twilight thought as she watched the figure above her sway gently in the wind, the eyes of both of them, dead and glassy, staring into the others, maybe it was just...

She buried the thought, her eyes refusing to break contact with the mare's above her. She felt her ears twitch as a voice said from behind her "Alright...the guards have the statements written into the record...let's get her down." Twilight watched four colts slowly walk past her out of the corner of her eye, their movements cold and sluggish as the wind clawed and swiped at their brittle and shivering bodies.

Twilight flinched as she felt a hoof press against her, and the words "I'm so sorry..." being breathed gently into her ear. Though to Twilight, she couldn't help but...not feel sorry. As the rope was cut and the figure fell into the arms of the colts below, a dead and cold smile frozen upon her face and her vacant eyes staring still into Twilight's, the lavender mare couldn't help but feel...relieved. Without missing a beat, Twilight turned her head sharply to the right and said in the most lifeless tone she could:

"Don't be, it's better this way."

~

If there was one thing Twilight was a master of, it was waking up without appearing that she had done so. So regular that it was that other ponies first instincts were to open their eyes, greeting the new day with a yawn and a stretching of hooves. Not this mare, however. Not a single twitch, or movement could be seen from her bandaged body. The unicorn listened intently to the sounds reaching out to her from all around, seeing if the environment she had woken up in was safe or not. She was like an opossum playing dead, hoping that she could play off her ruse long enough to discover what she needed to know.

The first thing she heard was the sounds of a news bulletin from either a T.V. or a radio coming in through what she could only perceive was the kitchen, as the sounds of pots and plates clattering together could be heard accompanying the words of the news anchor. "Today's top story: Hurricane Celincia, are we ready for it? That's the question everypony is asking, and here to help us shed some light on the situation is guest corespondent Aurora Raintail from the Cloudsdale Informational Center of Weather, or the C.I.C.W.. Miss Raintail, glad you could join us."

There was only a short pause before another voice floated through Twilight's ears "Thank you Gregorio, it's a pleasure to be here though I do wish it was under 'drier' conditions. Hurricane Celincia is surely making quite the mess out there, and it won't be long before we too are feeling her unhinged wrath."

"Is it true what they're saying out there Miss Raintail?" The news anchor, Gregorio asked "Is this hurricane REALLY the strongest, most immense storm ever recorded in Equestria's history?"

There was a sigh and a light pause before Aurora spoke "I'm afraid so Gregorio, which is why the time to prepare is now, with evacuation routes planned and kept flowing along with ample supplies to hold out during the time it will be over us. It is a most interesting storm indeed...as it is projected to not reach our region of Equestria for months, and yet it refuses to lose steam and power, even while over land. No such thing could have been made by the hooves of ponies which leaves many experts to speculate that the Hurricane is running purely on-"

"Oh please," A voice suddenly said, a colt's voice "This little drizzle doesn't hold a single inch over Hurricane Astronovere. Wiped out Romaneia didn't it?" No one replied to him at first, the colt's voice fading slightly and mingling with the voices of the news crew. Twilight heard the soft smoochings of a kiss traded here and there before the colt went on "What was it the Romaneians called it...? Inter...intervencha-something?"

"Intervenție divină" said another voice suddenly from beside the colt, a young mare's. "It means 'Divine Intervention'...they say it was the work of the Goddesses."

The colt snorted, his hoofsteps growing louder for a moment before stopping just to Twilight's right. There was a short pause, Twilight trying her best to figure out what the colt could have been doing. She didn't have to wait long as she felt a weight press against her head and the colt's voice reaching out to her. "I know you're awake Twilight...my own daughter tried that very same trick with me, but I ALWAYS know when one is awake." He snickered as Twilight finally opened her eyes, already staring directly at him as he said "I can discover a pony's 'sleeping tells' quite easily...yours is that you smile when you sleep...though it's not really noticeable unless you're really looking for it."

The colt had a dark gray coat, his mane done back in a silvery mowhawk with columns and streaks of light blue running in segments down its length. His eyes were a dull, muddy gold and his wings looked as if they had been roughed up recently, some of his feathers bent, out of place, and even missing. The thing that struck Twilight immediately, however....was that she knew this pony. "Thunderlane" she croaked, reaching up to rub at her suddenly aching head, as if her body had finally caught up with her mind. "How long have I...?" She moaned, another pulse of pain echoing through her cranium.

"Long enough," Thunderlane sighed, taking a seat next to the couch she was resting on and shaking his head "You know how much of a pain in the ass it is to deal with Rainbow Dash as it is, even when she's sober." He grimaced as he looked over his wings before muttering "But out of the love a lot of us have for you dear...we're willing to make some sacrifices."

Twilight winced as she sat up, looking around slowly and taking in the view of the living room. It was cloud-home that she was in, that much could be gathered instantly. She was resting upon a cloud-couch, the rest of the furniture around of the same design and texture. Many articles stood out, like pictures, some potted plants, even a coat hanger. They all were magically enchanted of course, a spell probably of the same or similar design cast over her as well to ensure she didn't fall straight through the floor. After a moment she let out a small yawn, rubbing her eyes and looking towards Thunderlane to mutter "What do you mean...what's wrong with Rainbow Dash?"

To this, Thunderlane merely sighed, groaning only briefly as he shook his head and looked at her "Honey, she's not here, ok? You don't have to be afraid and defend her out of fear of punishment. It's safe here."

Twilight furrowed her brow roughly. What was he talking about? What about Rainbow Dash? Was there something going on that she-

She closed her mouth slowly, her brain finally waking up and beginning to fit the pieces into place. Azil, this place could have just been another part of Azil. She DID fall out of the sky from the doorway in the Library, and right into Thunderlane's arms. This was just a world that was connected back to Azil, but whether it was her own world, the past, the present, of another universe in and of itself, Twilight wasn't sure. The Librarian said that the doors would take her pretty much everywhere, but that they were all connected to her....which means that they were all connected somehow to Azil as well.

She couldn't lose sight of her goal: Discover what Azil was, and how she could go home. It was time to get some answers, and for that, she needed to play along. It would be a lot easier than trying to explain to Thunderlane what was really going on...since he didn't seem to be all to informed about was actually happening. "Sorry," she said, shaking her head "I'm just...I'm just tired is all. I think I hit my head pretty hard when you ran into me...that WAS you who caught me, right?"

Thunderlane nodded slightly, rubbing the back of his head out of embarrassment as he muttered "Y..yeah, sorry about that. I didn't really exactly have a lot of time to position the catch for comfort purposes. Had I wasted a second more you'd have been Twilight soup. Are you feeling any better?"

Twilight shook her head, sighing "I'm afraid not, I'm still feeling pretty sore...what's today?"

Thunderlane shrugged, stating dully "It's day thirteen of Junaria, year 1019 A.C. of the age 'Celestia', why you ask?" Twilight frowned for a moment before asking quietly "My library...?"

"Still under renovations," Thunderlane replied, looking back towards the kitchen as the sounds of humming reached his ears "I'm surprised you didn't turn Rainbow in for what she did...your notion of 'love' is a lot different than mine, I'll tell you that."

Year 1019...renovations to her Treehouse...troubles with Rainbow.....she knew exactly where she was.

She was...home. She was in her own time, her own universe, her version of Equestria. Though it was months, and months before the present, as she remembered her library had finished being repaired in the month of Juliana. She looked down, her head still a little foggy, trying her best to remember what she could. Hurricane Celincia...it was a storm Twilight had heard about approaching Equestria but...but never remembered it hitting. Perhaps whatever it was that had happened to transport her to Azil did so before Hurricane Celincia reached Ponyville. There was only one more thing to make sure of. "Fluttershy..." Twilight whispered "Is she...?"

"Home from Zebrica? Nope, fraid' not." Thunderlane answered before she could finish. "Should be back in a few months though shouldn't she?"

"Yes..." Twilight sighed, looking towards the kitchen as the clattering of plates stopped "She will be."

Thunderlane nodded quietly before quirking his eyebrows, looking at Twilight's bandaged wounds and asking "So...what's with the bandages...? Rainbow do another number on you...? Why were you falling from the sky anyway, another spell of yours gone wrong or..." He gave her a slightly stern glare, a bit of venom in his tone as he growled "You weren't trying to...Twilight you weren't trying to kill yourself up there were you?"

At this, Twilight vigorously shook her head and scoffed "Of COURSE not...you know how I feel about suicide...besides, magic is a bit difficult right now considering I-" She stopped as she reached up to feel the nub of her broken off horn, and felt a gasp ripple through her as she she felt her hoof come into contact with the full length of her most precious instrument. Tears flooded her eyes involuntarily as she touched every inch of her sturdy horn.

Thunderlane raised an eyebrow as she watched Twilight's expression change, the pegasus clearing his throat as she asked "Um...are you, alright there Twilight?"

The lavender mare huffed for a moment, sniffing as she finally nodded and croaked "Y...yes...sorry I'm still just, I'm just very tired right now."

The colt chuckled, nodding and putting a hoof on Twilight's as he said "That's perfectly alright Twilight...we'll try our best to explain what happened to Rainbow...if we can catch her when she's sober I'm sure everything will be alright. For now, you should just stay here and rest for as long as you-"

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE! ARE YOU FUCKING IN THERE!?!?!" Boomed a loud, and VERY enraged voice.

Thunderlane twisted his head about sharply, his eyes widening in panic as he breathed "Oh no..." He looked towards Twilight and with a quick "Stay here, just stay here alright?!" took off bolting into the kitchen.

Twilight didn't really understand why it was....but a sudden surge of emotion began to grip at her. It tore through her, snaking its claws through her insides and clutching her tightly in its deadly grip. A pressure fell upon her racing, rapidly-thudding heart as her breath started to come up short, a loud-wheezing whine escaping her quivering lips every now and again. She couldn't understand...completely why it was...

...she was terrified. Very, very terrified.

All around her, outside the walls of the Cloud-house she could suddenly hear it. It's ravenous roaring, it's sinister snarling, it's ghastly growling.

Somewhere, the wind was laughing.