Hard times

Section-5 The Vagabond of Prophecy

    "This can't be true!" Twilight said aloud. "What?" Vega asked. "You," The white mare answered. "You can't be true. You're not supposed to be here, not supposed to be alive!" Vega took a step back from the harsh words. "Why?" Vega asked fearing the answer. "I.. I just have to show you." Twilight answered. "Celestia go back to the cottage with the others, I'm taking her to the castle." Vega watched the white mare as she turned and headed back to the cottage. "Twilight what's going on?" Vega asked as Twilight'$ stepped closer to her. "I'll tell you when we get there, hold on." Twilight'$ horn began to glow then, poof, they were both gone. Nothing was left but a small burnt patch of soil.

    When Vega woke up she was hazy and unsure of her new location. "Twilight?" She called. As far as she could tell, she was alone. She lifted herself off the cold stone ground. 'Where am I?' Vega thought to herself. Vega looked around at the structure around her. She was sure it wasn't any sort of prison or cage, but the stone-work of the walls and the cold dampness argued otherwise. "Twilight!" Vega called again, this time sounding a bit more urgent. No answer came.

    She began to walk through the building to search for Twilight, still occasionally calling out in hope of answer. She listened as she walked. The sound of water slowly dripping sent a slight chill up her spine. She began to shiver as she walked. The halls seemed to grow colder and colder with each step she took. Maybe she was just imagining the chill, but whether or not it was real or not was irrelevant to her.

    "Vega!" Her call was rendered faint through the many twists and turns of the castle but Twilight persisted. "Vega!" She called a bit louder but still nothing. After a moment she began to worry for her. If Vega were to stay without some sort of cover than she may freeze to death. The began to run through the halls of the castle searching for her.

    Vega'$ teeth were chattering and she had begun to shiver much more than before. This was real, all too real for her. The cold began to creep in on her and she was powerless to stop it. She began to fear that this was it for her. She stopped and curled up on the cold stone floor in an attempt to preserve the last of her body heat for as long as possible.

    Twilight was rushing frantically through the halls. Hall after hall she looked but to no avail. A sudden feeling of dread crept over her as she realized that she may be losing the most important pony alive. The thought only made her rush more recklessly. She galloped, faster and faster bumping countless objects and slamming into hall corners.

    The cold had begun to take a toll on Vega. Her breathing slowed as her temperature began to drop dramatically. Her legs were stiff and numb and her shivering became more and more erratic by the second. Her life was almost null.

    Just as Vega began to slip she was found. "Vega!" Twilight shrieked. "Oh thank goodness there's still time!" Vega didn't move. Twilight began to fear that she was to late, but her will power and hope forced her to try anything. "I hope this works." Twilight told herself as her horn began to glow. Twilight'$ horn began to burn with pure energy. She waited, hesitant to what was needed. But before it was to late she plunged her horn into Vega'$ rib cage. Ripping through the fish and tissue until it was all the way in. Twilight then forced all of the energy she could muster into Vega'$ body. The magic began to warm her from the inside out. The raw power jolted Vega back to consciousness and awoke her with pain.

    Vega'$ screams tore through the halls as Twilight pulled her horn out. Twilight quickly healed the gaping wound with the last of her magic and put an end to the agonizing screams. "Here." Twilight panted as she handed Vega a dark grey hooded coat. "What happened?" Vega asked as she took the coat. Still panting Twilight responded. "You died. I brought you back." Huffing and puffing made it hard for Vega to think of another question. The only thing on her mind was the coat. A chill of cold air enticed her to put it on quickly. Once she got it on it began to glow for a moment then it stopped. She decided to ignore it for the time being so she could try to find out where they were.

    "Where are we and why are we here?" Vega asked with a slightly demanding tone. Twilight'$ gasping had finally subsided and she was able to explain the situation a little better, or at least what Vega needed to know of it. "I'll tell you where we are soon enough and we're here because you need to see something. "What?" Vega questioned. "History in the making." Twilight replied with an even tone. Vega glared at her in confusion Twilight began to walk down the hall.

    "This is why we're her!" Twilight said allowing her voice to echo throughout the throne room. Twilight walked Vega over to a wall and told her. "This is the reason you're here Vega this." Twilight pointed to the large mural that had been carved into the wall. Vega looked over the mural and asked. "What does it have to do with me?" Twilight pointed to a pony on the mural. "Look familiar?" Twilight asked. Vega looked again then shook her head. "Vega its you." Twilight told her. Vega looked back in disbelief but she couldn't deny, it looked just like her, the hair color, the eyes, even the cutiemark was the same. The only thing that didn't fit was the scene the pony was placed in. The unicorn's horn alight with magic that was burning away the landscape. "I've never done that though, so how could it be me?" Vega asked. "The murals in this castle are of things that have yet to pass. Once the depiction becomes reality the mural cracks and its colors fade away." Twilight showed each of the murals to Vega as they were to come until they they arrived at the last mural. "This is the only part of the prophecy that is unknown." Twilight said as the two stood before a blank slab. "Why is it blank?" Vega asked. "I don't know. Perhaps the creator wanted the outcome a secret." Twilight answered. The two were quiet for a moment before Twilight said. "We should get back to the cottage but first I need to show you one last thing.

  The two walked out onto a balcony. Out in the open they stood, the frigid winds blew all around and ice concealed almost everything. "What was this place?" Vega asked. "The Crystal Empire. You know it wasn't always like this, it used to be warm and beautiful. It used to sparkle all over Equestria." She answered. "What happened?" Vega continued. "Way back when Canterlot was going up everypony decided to go there for 'better living' as they called it. The Empire is in the arctic north and it needs love and unity in order to keep it warm and help it shine across Equestria, when ponies started leaving the hole Empire began to lose unity and it began to get worse and worse until nothing was left but what you see now." Twilight'$ answered mournfully. "We should get back to the cottage." Twilight told Vega. "Hold on." Twilight instructed. With one quick magical burst they were gone.