Sometimes I wish I hadn’t been born. Now, before you assume I’m all depressed and shit, let me clarify. I wish I hadn’t been born because of what I was born as, which is a Skyborn. What’s a Skyborn you ask? Skyborns are a special variation of your general homo sapiens; we’re stronger, faster, and more agile than a human. At the age of 14 we go through the “Feathering”, a ceremony at which we gain our wings. What happens at this ceremony is a process of excruciating pain and immense relief and excitement. I hate the whole thing, I hate the way we have to step onto the altar in that stupid robe with our back showing, I hate the way the Flokian activates the aeromytes in our blood, I hate the way our flesh sears and sizzles as the “tattoo” appears on our back, I hate it all. I just want to be normal, I didn’t ask for this. But noooooo, this is where I end up. Sigh…..
My name is Anumati Xihe, but my friends call me Matt. I guess they get that from the “mat” in my name. Heh, funny, I honestly don’t really have any friends, except for one. Her name is Levana, she’s the only one who doesn’t treat me differently just because I was born into the Elites, and she’s one of the best people in the world. Speaking of Levana, she decided to wake me up the morning before my Feathering by pushing me right out of my bed.
I wake up to the sudden feeling of falling, my eyes fly open and my heart races in a panic, where am I? What happened? Those questions are answered once my face hits my bedroom floor, I hear Levana howling with laughter on my bed.
“Dude, your face, PRICELESS!” She says as she pounds my bed with her fist, struggling to stop laughing.
I roll my eyes as I push myself up off the floor and glare at her, rubbing my head. “Who let you into my room?” I ask even though I already know the answer.
“No one” She replies. “I climbed in through the window, you should really get better locks, yours are SOOOO easy to pick” She jumps off my bed and walks up to me, looking me up and down. “You’ve gotten taller, what are you, 5’9?”
“5’10 actually” I say, edging around her to get downstairs.
“Well in any case, you look like you’re ready for your Feathering”
My face drops and I sigh. “Oh right, that thing.”
“What is your problem with getting wings man? Wings are awesome” She says while following me down the stairs to the kitchen.
“I just don’t see why we need to get them, I don’t want to stand out you know?”
She chuckles, jumping up onto the counter and sitting down. “Kind of hard to not stand out when you’re an Elite, I mean, you’re meant to be trained as a soldier dude”
I sigh again, “Yeah I guess so” I open the fridge and grab myself the OJ, needing some tangy sustenance. “So when is the Feathering?”
“By my calculations, four hours”
“So what do you wanna do until then?”
“I figured we could take a walk, maybe play some Halo, hang out.”
“Sounds good to me, let me just make some breakfast first”
“I’ll take some bacon and eggs”
I turn and look at her with my eyebrows raised. “Bitch, do I look like your personal chef?”
“No you look like my best friend, who’ll make me breakfast because he’s such a nice guy.”
“Fine, but next time, you make it”
“Sure yeah whatever you say pal”
I groan, knowing she won’t, and grab the cooking supplies, PAM cooking spray, non-stick pan, spatula, all the necessary tools for eggs and bacon. I continue this process, trying to make sure I don’t end up making a mess as I’ve done so many times before. Of course I inevitably end up dropping an egg. Anyways, I eventually get breakfast done (after wasting about four eggs) and hand her a plate of crispy bacon and peppered, over-easy eggs.
“Mmmmm looks great, compliments to my chef” She smirks, knowing she got what she wanted from me, yet again.
“Yeah he’s great” I sit down across from her, eating what I made for myself. Mom’s probably out at work, as usual, which explains why it was up to Levana to wake me up. I wonder if she’ll show up to my Feathering, probably. She did with my brother’s Feathering. She tends to treat us the same.
“Sooooo, wanna go on a walk?” Levana asks, leaning her elbows on the counter casually.
“Sure I guess, just let me put the dishes away” I say as I get up, getting the plates and rinsing them. I put them in my dishwasher and me and Levana head for my door. As soon as we open it we are bombarded with a blinding light and I can’t see anything.
“Ah god! What is that?!” I exclaim, putting my hand up in front of my face to protect my eyes from the light.
“That would be the sun, you know, the burning ball of gas in the sky?”
“Oh right, that” I blink rapidly, trying to get the dancing spots out of my eyes. “Jeez, must have been very dark in there”
“Yeah I’d say it was pretty dark, my eyes are used to rapid light transitions though. So this is easy, you okay?”
“Huh? Oh yeah I’m fine” My eyesight finally clears as I look around town, looks normal, people walking around, some flying overhead. Couple teens older than me flying overhead, pulling off stunts. Looks like a pretty normal day for Portland. Levana smiles and grabs my hand, pulling me forward so fast I feel like my arm might pop out of its socket.
“Come on, I wanna show you this amazing shop I found downtown. It’s so cool; they have a LOT of old antiques.”
“Alright alright just stop trying to dislocate my shoulde……” My voice trails off as I see an armored guard coming towards us, and he does not look happy.
“You two out for a little stroll?” The guard asks us, his voice deep and rough. Levana doesn’t miss a beat, standing up straight and using the most respectful voice she can.
“Why yes sir, I was just taking this youth out for a walk before his Feathering, giving him a little time out”
The guard looks down at me, his eyes narrowing. “Shouldn’t he be preparing?”
Levana nods. “Yes sir, we were just on our way back to his house”
He buys it and looks back at her. “Very well, carry on”
She quickly thanks him and we head back to my house, him watching us the entire way.
“Jesus fuck, that was close!” She says as we get back inside. “I didn’t think there would be any guards in this part of the neighborhood.”
I look at her confused. “What was that all about Levana?”
She looks away from me. “Nothing Matt, don’t worry about it”
“What do you mean don’t worry about it? Why am I supposed to be inside? It’s just the Feathering”
“I said don’t worry about it Matt” She turns to me, her face very serious. “It’s none of your concern until after your Feathering, don’t ask me about it again, understand?”
I nod slowly. “Alright…..”
“Good, now come on, let’s get you ready” She takes me by the arm and drags me to my room, sitting me down in my desk chair. “Now just hold still…”
Three hours later she has me prepped for my Feathering, my hair swept back and held in the traditional ponytail, the gray robe flowing around me, my bare back exposed.
“I’d say you look about ready, come on, let’s go”
“Alright Levana” I get up, standing tall as I walk down the stairs and out the door, heading for the altar near the edge of town.
When I arrive I see the usual crowd, people I know, family, and of course, the Flokian and his followers.
The Flokian greets me with a tender smile. “Greetings Anumati, are you prepared for this?” He asks, his voice soft, like silk. I didn’t let his caring demeanor fool me though, this man was about to cause me great pain, even a fourteen year old could understand that.
“Yes Flokian, I am ready”
“Then step onto the altar my child”
I do as he asks, stepping forward onto the altar, the Flokian wastes no time in placing one hand on the top of my head and other on the small of my back. He begins to chant in the supposedly ancient language of our kind (Even though we’ve only been on Earth for about 60 years). I begin to feel a rising heat in my blood, and I know that the Aeromytes are reacting to the Flokian. The heat starts to focus in my upper back and I prepare to bite down on the towel they gave me.
My eyes shift along the crowd and stop on my brother, standing there in his Military uniform, he doesn’t look happy, which is weird. This is a happy time for my family, I’m getting my wings, why isn’t he happy? I look over at my mother, who has tears streaming down her face, why is she crying? What’s wrong? I don’t have time to dwell or think about these too much since the heat focuses even more and my skin starts to sizzle, the pain is agonizing and my jaw involuntarily opens as a scream escapes my throat. My howls echoing through the town, oh god it hurts.
I can feel the shape of each individual line imprinting itself into my skin. It’s too much, I can’t take it, the corners of my vision start to darken, hold on Matt, hold on. Be strong, don’t pass out, don’t do it. I can’t though, I can’t manage to stay awake, and just as the ceremony is finished I pass out; as I fall to the ground I catch a glimpse of my ethereal wings, pure white. Huh What a weird color……..
I wake up in a strange building, the walls tall and composed of gray sediment; stained glass windows line the place. I recognize the interior immediately, I’m in the monastery. I reach up to run my hand through my long black hair but instead of hair I touch gauze. “What the hell….” I get up and go right to the bathroom to examine myself in the mirror. Everything on my torso looks normal, the bronze skin and defined muscles, but my head, it’s covered in gauze. Blood seems to be seeping through on a spot near my left temple, but something else is off too, there are tufts of blonde hair sticking out of the gauze, I don’t have blonde hair.
I rush hastily out of the bathroom, right into the Flokian.
“Going somewhere are we?” He asks with a soft smile, a smile that seems oddly sinister.
“I’m wondering what the hell happened to me, you wouldn’t happen to know anything would you?” I’m not in the mood for the Flokian’s shit right now, I want answers and I want them now.
“Yes actually, you blacked out after the Feathering and fell, we tried to catch you but to no avail, you hit your head on the stairs and we brought you here to be treated. So as not to risk the nurses and doctor interfering with the settling of the aeromytes.” He still has that same stupid smile; ugh I just want to knock it off his face.
“I was referring as to why I have blonde hair and white wings, shouldn’t my wings be blue? And I’m pretty sure no one has ever had their hair color change after the Feathering”
“That’s because no one else was born with the abilities you have my child. All will be explained in due time, for now though, you have a visitor here to see you, Agent Flannigan from the FBI.”
“Why is the FBI here to see me?” I cock my head, confused. The FBI hasn’t bothered us since we were first discovered, what do they want with me?
“I do not know my child; she refused to tell me, I will send her in now.” He left in haste and a few minutes later a woman walked in, she was fairly tall for a human, almost as tall as me. She wore a black pinstripe suit, her frizzy orange hair coming down around her shoulders. Loud clicks traveled throughout the room as her heels came down on the stone floor, she sat down in a chair that was placed in the corner of the room and crossed her legs casually.
“Good evening, I am Agent Flannigan, I’m from the FBI” She said, her voice firm and professional.
“I know, the Flokian told me who you are, what do you want from me?” I ask her, still pretty confused by this whole thing, but not showing any sign of weakness. That would be bad; I know how manipulative these people can be.
“Well, I have some questions.”
“Ask away.”
She pulls out a couple pictures and hands them to me. They’re pictures of the white house, but there’s something else too, A figure taking off from the roof, his bronze skin gleaming in the sunlight, long black hair flowing, and his pure white wings spread out. You can’t make out his face because he’s facing away from the camera, but this figure, looks almost exactly like me.
She takes the pictures back as I sit there dumbfounded. “So tell me, Matt,” She says. “Where were you yesterday?”
“I’ve told you, I have never even been to D.C., that person isn’t me.” I’m sitting in an interrogation room at the Portland Police Station; Agent Flannigan took me here after she showed me those pictures.
“Who is it then Matt? If it’s not you then who is it?” Asks Agent Jensen, He and Flannigan have been questioning me for hours upon hours, never letting up in the slightest. God, can’t they just leave me alone? I’m not the guy that tried to kill the freaking President, why can’t they understand that? I just want to go home.
“Look, I don’t know who it is okay? But I know for a fact it’s not me, two days ago I was at my Feathering, I’ve got tons of witnesses to prove it, my alibi is solid.”
“There’s no other recorded Skyborn with white wings Matt, so why don’t you tell us the truth?”
“That IS the truth goddamnit! You people are really starting to piss me off!” I rise angrily from the chair, my handcuffs splitting easily under my strength, I bring my fists down on the metal table and they go right through, the cup of coffee flying and smashing against the wall. Needless to say, it startled Jensen and Flannigan; they both stood up and drew their guns.
“Now just sit back down very slowly and put your hands behind your head.” Jensen ordered, his voice tense, I can see his arms shaking ever so slightly. He’s scared, I realize, they’re both scared, they see me as a monster that can kill them at a moment’s notice. That’s not what I am, that’s not what I want them to see me as. I sigh and comply with Jensen, sliding back down into the chair and putting my hands behind my head.
“Look,” I say. “I’m not the person in that photograph; I don’t have any reason to want to kill anyone, I just want to go home and get back to my life”
Flannigan shakes her head. “I’m sorry, but we can’t allow that, from what the Flokian has told us, you’re the one who they’ve been speaking of”
“Who’s been speaking of me?” I sit up, interested. Maybe I’ll finally get some answers after all.
“You’ll have to come with us, back to Louisiana, to see them. We cannot tell you who they are, or what they want with you, that will all be explained by them.”
I sigh. “I don’t have a choice in whether I go or not do I?”
Jensen shakes his head. “No you do not, shall I put the handcuffs back on?”
“No no, I’ll go willingly.” It’s the best thing for me in this situation, just cooperate. Jensen and Flannigan each take one of my arms and lead me to a helicopter, which I assume is taking us to an airport. I’m not wrong.
It takes us only four hours to get to Louisiana, flying along America in whatever type of jet they had. All I know is that it was FAST. I swear the ground was going by at over thousands of miles per hour, or that’s what it looked like to me at least. We were probably only going like 200 MPH or something. I still kept up my guard though, no matter how good Jensen and Flannigan were treating me, I still didn’t trust them. I don’t trust humans in general, they’ve been known to lie and deceive.
After a bit of driving and a stop for burgers we reach a swamp, Jensen and Flannigan lead me deep into the swamp, the dark forest type thing echoing with the sounds of animals. Hours upon hours of walking finally gets us to a metal platform, which the two agents lead me to. We stand upon it and Jensen brings a hand to his ear as Flannigan places a black bag over my head.
“Beam us down, Twilight.” I hear Jensen say. Suddenly we are enveloped in a warmth unlike any other I’ve felt, it’s almost similar to the energy our wings are composed of, a warm, ethereal substance. But different somehow, more controlled. The next thing I know the sounds and smell of the bayou are gone, replaced by a cold. The bag is taken of off my head and I find myself in a metal room, standing upon a metal platform exactly like the one in the swamp.
“So this is the one?” A voice says, it sounds feminine, with a hint of precision and intellect. Whoever is speaking obviously reads a lot. Her voice booms through the P.A. again.
“Bring him to my office; I would like to talk to him.”
“Yes Twilight,” Flannigan answers. “We’ll have him there soon”
They take me to a wooden door; I can see a faint magenta light through the glass. Hm, could this be another Skyborn? I’ve never seen magenta wings before, but mine are white, and that’s also never been seen before. Who knows? The agents give me gratuitous warnings to not try anything funny and open the door for me. I step inside and freeze by the sight before my eyes. Standing in front of me is a purple creature, four-legged, seemingly of equine nature. It has both a horn and wings, qualities of both a Pegasus and a unicorn. It smiles up at me, and begins to speak.
“Good afternoon, my name is Twilight Sparkle.”
It’s been several minutes since I met the creature who calls itself Twilight. Not a single word has been said in the span of those few minutes, just an awkward silence as I stand there, staring at it. What the hell is this? This, thing is what’s giving the FBI agents orders? It clears its throat and speaks up, breaking the quiet.
“You must have a lot of questions” It says, beaming up at me with a smile that seems oddly human. Hundreds of questions are swirling around my head, but all I can manage is a nod to act as a confirmation of its statement. “Great, please do sit down, I have a lot to tell you.”
I can’t seem to move my feet, and after several seconds of it waiting expectantly it sighs. A magenta glow forms around its horn and I find myself sitting down in the leather chair across from her desk.
“If you’re wondering what I am, I’m what is known as an alicorn, a pony who possesses both wings and a horn. On my world, alicorns are known as royalty, we have power greater than that of say, a normal unicorn. My full title is Princess Twilight Sparkle, but I’d rather you just call me Twilight.”
Seriously? Why is it being so casual about this? I look at it for a few seconds before my tongue works again. “So, you’re a pony?”
It facepalms, (Hoofs?) and sighs, an annoyed sigh. “I just explained that I’m basically royalty from another world and all you got out of it was that I’m a pony, apparently Celestia’s intelligence didn’t rub off on you when you were lucky enough to get her DNA”
That gets my attention. “Wait, what?”
It looks up at me, confused by my question. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Well, that your race is the product of DNA experimentation, DNA taken from my race and merged with the cloned humans grown here, in this underground facility. I was told that you were all fully aware of your origins.”
“No, we aren’t, have you ever even left this place? Do you even know what we do out there?”
It looks a little sheepish for a second. “Well, no, I haven’t really had any reason to leave, although I am free to do so at any time. As are my friends.”
The silly thing, it has no idea that it’s a prisoner here; there’s no way that the government would let any of its kind leave. But then again, if they did make us, and let us out, maybe they’re being more lenient.
“Look, I have no idea who Celestia is, no idea what is even going on, I just want to go home, kay?”
“Now hold on, I haven’t even told you who you are yet.” Once again, this pony has my attention.
“Oh? Who am I?”
“There’s a plan for you; you’ve been born with the DNA of Celestia, who seems to have disappeared. One night she was here, and when everypony woke up in the morning she was gone.”
“And I matter in this how exactly? So I have this chicks DNA, that means what exactly?”
“Well, unfortunately all samples of her DNA also seemed to go missing, leaving only you, I was hoping that I could possibly use you as a source to find her location.”
“And you’d be doing that how?”
“I’m unsure, I’m sure that I can find a way, until then you are free to leave, I will call you when I need yo-“ She is interrupted by a voice booming through the P.A., deep and powerful.
“I’m sorry Twilight, and Matt,” The voice says. “But Matt cannot leave.”