Chapter 1: the forgotten race.
The sunlight of a Sunday afternoon shun through the branches of the tree I was resting underneath and caused me to close one eye because of the glare, it was a beautiful glare that was only interrupted by the branch. While staring up at the branches a figure obscured my vision and blocked out most of the glare but it formed a small glowing aura around the figure which caused me to grin softly at the beauty I could see, “Good Afternoon” I greeted with a smile and held my hand out for the figure to take. I felt another hand that was slightly laden with fur clasp my own hand and lift me up from my resting place; the hand belonged to a stallion that I knew well and quickly greeted “Hey Elysian I didn’t expect you to come and greet me” I laughed while rubbing the back of my head. The motion of my hands caused a few stray locks of blonde hair to fall over my face and seemed to amuse the stallion, I’ve no idea why this amused him so much but I guess our species is quite different to his own.
“Oh Jesse” He began while slapping me on the back “Your mane is so unkempt” he finished and I staggered around and fell to the ground softly with a small thud.
“Well you know me” I said while staring up at my friend “The ladies love the unkempt mane” I finished and allowed the Stallion to lift me up again.
“Notice anything new about me?” he asked and I teasingly looked him over and shook my head to annoy him, “I swear Jesse” he said while shaking his head “Sometimes you just never look at your friends close enough” he finished and motioned to the crown that was adorned on his head.
I found this weird in many levels and began to question him “Wait why are you wearing a crown friend?” I posed the question and began to think about the hierarchy again. On top were the Terran’s (My race), next were the Alicorn’s which were Elysian’s race and he was the first of two, third were the lower pony races and then after them were the less desirable races such as gryphons and diamond dogs. His crown started to worry me and I swiped it from his head “If anyone catches you wearing that you will be beheaded in front of millions” I said in a hushed tone, I felt the crown as it was wrenched from my grasp and set back on the stallions head while two tougher looking stallions stepped forward and each was clad in armour.
“Sorry Jesse but this is where we take control” Elysian spoke while smirking and waving the guards to pounce on me, the quickly followed their apparent leaders order and leaped at me. I would’ve been crushed but luckily I knew how to use magic a lot better than the unicorn guard on the left and managed to shoot a lightning bolt at him before teleporting away from the other, “Stop resisting so much Jesse” Elysian began while spreading his wings “Let us take control and I promise we won’t slaughter you or your family.” He grinned while taking to the air and signalling to something I couldn’t see. Immediately after he signalled hell began to break loose and I heard the screams of my race echo through the city my father had built.
I watched as my childhood friend began to grin evilly at me before descending down to the ground and drawing his own sword, “You monster” I screamed in anger “I treated you like a brother” I finished while spinning around and beginning to run from the garden I was laying in just minutes before.
My feet hit the hard marble while I ran through the now burning city and barged through the civilians whether they were pony, Terran or of other race all I knew was I needed to reach my father and help him sort this mess out. I heard screaming and the sound of metal clanging but all that was drowned out by my own breath and racing heart ‘This can’t be happening’ I thought to myself… no I screamed to myself inside my own head.
I raced up the stairs that led into the palace where my father was most certainly readying all the guards he could muster to fight the rebellious ponies, I burst through the doors and he had been looking over a small map with his closest commanders but was now looking up at me in both horror and happiness. “Son I need you to go into the bunker and do what needs to be done” He spoke with a fatherly tone and looked at me with a small smile “We will come wake you when it is over” He finished and motioned for two guards to lead me, I tried to tell my father I wouldn’t leave and wanted to help settle this dispute but he wasn’t having any of that and I felt two iron like grips lift me from the ground and begin carrying me to the destination known as “the bunker” but it was more like a cryogenic freezing chamber without the freezing. Our race had the ability to be put to sleep and have all vital signs disappear while our bodies are asleep and give the illusion of death, the back draw of this is that while unconscious we lose much of the skills and magic that we learnt while awake, I’ve only been asleep twice my entire life and the first time was an accident, my second time was right now apparently.
“We are sorry Prince Jesse” The guards spoke in sync as I was placed on the small stone tablet and they began to massage my temples and recited the ancient dialect “Sleep is the final task of the day, much like death is the final task of life, allow our brethren to sleep as though embraced in deaths grip. Never to pass into the unknown and never to return, until he is needed always remain slumbering and timeless” they spoke in synergy while the room pulsated with magic and my vision darkened. The two guards nodded at each other and placed magical seals over the entire room which would prevent anyone from entering until I was ready to wake; they then left and returned to my father the King of all Terran kind.
The battle that ensued was one of great casualties and loss, neither side won without losing as much as the other side. But eventually one side proved triumphant and their leaders were an old friend and his new queen they were known as “Elysian and Lunular the new King and Queen of the new age” the new age that would consist of Ponies being at the top of the hierarchy and all other beings below them from now on to the end of time or the reckoning. My people were hunted down and slaughtered one by one and were unable to do much against the many hoards of blood thirsty ponies and other beings that had joined the cause, my father and mother were the last to be killed but just before they died they cast a final spell which would awake any slumbering Terran’s at the time where we could renter the world known as Equis.
Although the peace that followed after our slaughter was short lived, my race was the only thing keeping the Windigos and corruption from spreading into the benevolent land. This process was slow and soon caused the ponies to leave the land they once fought to claim, leaving behind their belongings and kingdom but most importantly they left behind a slumbering Terran and a pissed off slumbering one at that.
Meanwhile in the present
A lone man was running through the pouring rain and having his jeans, hoodie and backpack soaked in the rain, his blonde hair and toned face were taking a beating as well with his hair covering half of his vision and the rain getting in his eyes “I really need to wear a hat or something” He grumbled in anger before running up the three stairs that lead to his covered porch where he jumped up and down while shivering visibly.
First Person
I fumbled around with my keys for a few seconds before finally gripping the right one and slipping it into the lock, turning the knob I allowed myself into the home I’d been calling mine for however long ‘I lost track of my childhood and most of my adult life albeit I’ve only been an adult for two years’ I noted while peeling my clothing from my body and dropping the pile of waterlogged clothing to the floor. I shivered again but not so much because of the water it was more the fact I was only wearing my underwear and the heat wasn’t on, I quickly remedied this with a towel, some new clothes and a quick tap of the heater.
Let me explain who I am before I continue with my nightly routines, firstly my name is Jesse Shard I’m about 6 foot 5 and as for parents my father and mother passed away at a very early age so I never knew their names or even their faces, secondly my life was pretty average all around although I was pretty popular with girls from a young age to even now I’ve never capitalised on this however and just spent most of my time by myself, and thirdly I always feel like I don’t belong in this world for a reason I can’t fathom, but anyway back to my nightly routines.
I collapsed onto the small couch and yawned tiredly from my long day at my backend shitty job that barely payed the bills “I never thought I’d end up living like this” I mumbled softly before turning on the TV and flicking through channels, I flicked through much like I usually did and stopped on a few channels which caught my attention before stopping on the comedy channel and relaxing with a few laughs. I prepared a quick two minute noodle dinner and soon retired to my bedroom “I wonder what my dreams will be plagued of tonight” I spoke softly as my head hit the pillow and I drifted off immediately.
My dreams as of late have been very concerning for both myself and anyone who listened in on me talking about them, First it started at the beginning and I was in a new world that was ruled by only humans which was no different to our world but there were very few females around so we had to mate with other sentient species. This spurred the age of Anthromorphic animals and for a time we were very peaceful and in my dreams I find myself talking and laughing with most of the animals while helping them with day to day tasks, even though I figured out I’m the prince of my people in this dream. Everything is fine in the dream and I find myself looking forward to the rest but then it hits me like a sack of bricks, one of my friends and what I considered to be my brother betrays my people and myself and soon we break out into all-out war where my people are slaughtered by the beings we created and cared for like our children since they technically were.
But tonight for some reason was different and I felt myself leave my bed and slam into a hard surface which caused me to groan in pain, I shot up while rubbing my face in absolute agony “What the f…” I didn’t finish once I looked around and saw the dimly lit room and the stone tablet I had landed on “Dude this is trippy” I spoke softly and felt the tablet softly “This is a new dream” I spoke softly while standing up from the tablet and stepping onto the cold stone floor which sent shivers up my body due to the fact I wasn’t wearing any shoes. I looked at myself and unlike my other dreams I was wearing the clothing I had fallen asleep in and even managed to find my phone and wallet in the back pocket of my jeans, I placed my hands in the hand holders that were in the hoodie while looking around. I saw in the corner of the room a set of armour and clothing was lying on a small table while a note was placed on top of them, I dashed over and pulled a pair of socks and shoes out of the pile which caused the entire thing to collapse and make a loud bang which could’ve attracted anything in a three hundred metre radius but I didn’t care as long as I kept myself warm in this cold ass room.
I examined the room further and found the note had fallen from the clothing and lay next to the large wooden door, picking it up I unfolded it and started to read it.
Dear Son
I’m afraid to write this but we have lost the war and our race is dead, killed by what we created and I hope that when you read this you will either take revenge which I hope you do not seek or try to renter society as the lovable Terran you always were.
This knowledge must pain you greatly and I wish I could tell you this myself but sadly I need to be as far from this location as possible so you can be safe
We love you. Mum and Dad.
I crumpled the paper and shoved it into my pocket before feeling a small crackle shoot through my body and through my fingertips, the crackle was in fact lighting and was sent into the stone wall across the room and cracked it ever so slightly, I collapsed onto my knees in amazement as to what I’d just accomplished before feeling something awaken within me. “Dad noooo” I screamed while tears shot from my eyes and I collapsed onto the floor, both memories of my previous Terran life and my Earth life mingled and merged together. I spasmed on the floor for a few minutes before standing up and feeling two copies of myself fighting for dominance but they both held the same personalities the only difference were their motives.
One of them wanted to eliminate all creatures in the land all around me until I was able to live peacefully and not allow another war to break out, by using an iron fist and fear to control them all.
The second one was much more pure and wanted to try and speak with the creatures I somehow knew inhabited this world and try to communicate peacefully.
The good side won… for now due to how pure my earth version was and the still half pure Terran form I had inside me now, “God that is painful to fight against” I spoke out softly and was met with a voice that sounded much like mine but slightly deeper.
“Damn right partner!” It spoke loudly inside my head which caused me to wince in shock to the volume of the voice. “Oh sorry partner can’t believe I shouted that” the voice said a little softer this time
“First of all” I started “Who are you and how are you talking to me in my mind?” I finished and posed my second question “Secondly where the hell am I?”
“Well then my counterpart” the voice boomed before quieting down “sorry… anyway I am you from this land but am unable to retake my body due to you inhabiting it for some reason” the voice stopped and thought for a long time before seemingly coming to an answer “I’d say something went wrong with the incantation and I was sent to limbo while my body was sent to another world or dimension with a new untainted soul” it finished and seemed proud to its decision. “Second question you are in Equis and more importantly the palace resting chambers where I was put to sleep right after…” the voice stopped speaking and went quiet.
I stood there dumbly and waited for the voice to continue but got nothing other than a huge scream to get out of the room and check the palace, my ears or mind ringing I staggered out of the room and found myself in a small hallway that led to a stair case. I jogged to the staircase and started up it and soon could see light, running up the final leg of the staircase I found myself in a grand hall right behind a throne which was decorated in gold and silver. I heard the voice gasp for some reason and looked up to see a large stained glass window that showed what looked like a weird creature holding two heads in his hands, “Mum and Dad” the voice in my head sobbed “He killed them and then had a glass window made to commemorate it” the voice cried and I tried to console it.
I walked around the room and found that it was completely barren of life and seemed to be falling apart at the seams, no one had been here for eons by the look and it was evident enough by the creaking wood of some chairs and the dust that I was right. I decided not to go through the rest of the castle due to how upset the voice had been because of the window and didn’t want to risk running into a painting or something else of the same event, a stray tear fell down my own eye for some reason and I felt the presence of the voice disappear from my head probably to go sulk somewhere deep inside my brain.
I walked through the large double doors of the castle and made my way down the cracked and shattered marble steps that were coloured ugly shades of white from the age, I stepped down the last of the staircase and started to wander through a desolate and destroyed city that brought even more tears to my eyes as memories that I don’t remember having flash through my mind.
I wandered through the town and ran my hands along a few walls, I soon came to the middle of the town where a statue half stood. It was while examining this statue I heard something move behind me bug upon spinning around I couldn’t see anything but heard five more sounds from around me with similar results of looking for the cause of sounds. While spinning around to all the sound I didn’t notice the almost silent flaps from two sets of wings while two humanoid figures landed of the roof above me, “Sister should we engage the Terran?” The smaller of the two asked while she was a dark blue in colour and had a dark flowing mane.
The other one stared at me while trying to figure something out, she sighed and answered her sister “Not until he shows sign of aggression against Twilight and her friends.” She finished her sentence and was glad she had cast that invisibility spell on the six friends before they entered the desolate city.
I grew more and more agitated from the constant sounds that were assaulting my ears from all directions and I could’ve sworn I heard a shrill squeal at one point but after that I only heard five sets of movement instead of six, while spinning I began to panic and the voice in my head returned for a split second screaming “RUN!” at me which caused me to grasp my head in pain but absorbed his message and launched myself from the stationary position and out towards where I felt I needed to go. I ran for a few minutes and could heard the sounds of something or a pack of something’s chasing after me from behind while I ran, I rounded a corner and leapt up a set of stairs before entering a small overgrown park that had been claimed by the forestry that had until the fall of Terran been kept rather neat. I leapt over branches and roots until I came face to face with a very familiar tree and more importantly an engraving that adorned its old dead bark.
Jesse Dark and Elysian
Friends forever.
Co-Princes of Equis.
I stood staring at the bark while the sound drew ever closer to myself and reached out to touch the bark or more importantly the engraving, but upon touching the engraving I felt something take control of me and flames shot from my hand and burnt the engraving until all it said was.
Jesse Dark
Prince of Equis
I let a small smirk adorn my lips while hearing a collective amount of gasps from behind me, turning around I saw eight creatures standing in a small opening before the tree and staring at me in shock and awe. I spun around and smiled at the group of Ponies while fire appeared on my fingertips and danced between each other while I stood there calmly and allowed three words to escape my lips.
“Guess who’s Back”
