Puella Arcana Equus Twilight
000 - Reincarnation
Ah... Fate.
The being that decides futures, or so they say.
Well, Fate isn't really that simple. She just does what she does; allow people to bathe in joy, or have their ends come soon. She decides who's to be happy, and who's to be left behind. She was a sharp, double-edged sword that chose the destinies whenever she so desired. That's what most people would say, anyway.
Of course, there are some that hated her. Mostly for the fact that misfortunes and bad endings exist, and that she would pick those most of the time, torturing the wanderers as they walked in their paths. A natural, unpredictable being that bucked ponies, doused them with filthy water, and used colorful crayons to draw markings on their faces just for kicks.
One of them was a filly who had to deal with the hardships of living on her own at an early age.
One of them was a filly who was afraid to die, and tapped onto forbidden power just to cling onto her life.
One of them was a filly who loathed her life from the events that pulled her to her misfortune.
And one of them was a filly that despised Fate by an enormous distance for some odd reason.
And yet, the new decider of all roads was not aware of the grand schemes that was about to be brought down to everyone. She was not Fate, but she was given to do what she pleased without knowing of her planned events. She would soon be granted strange power that was not by beyond the cosmos; rather, it was a power that first starts with only a void, only to become limitless strength to aid her in her Journey.
The filly who was the center of Fate's thoughts would soon hold the power of The Fool.
Because it all started with a simple call to The Universe...
***
"Mmm..."
She opened up her weary eyes... well, she did. With how she woke up rather abruptly, everything she saw was still a blur. She tried to wake up her small muscles, tired from the peaceful slumber she was in. As she sat more straight on her soft, comfy seat, and her eyes started to become cle...
Wait. She was sitting?
"...?"
The eyes of the purple filly pushed on to try to get a better image. Was this strange? Definitely so. Her eyes started to make out with the color of velvet blue, all around her was a deep and soothing blue. A few seconds more, and an object that was in front of her finally started to take shape. She counted... yes, it was only one figure at her front before she could see well...
"Ohoho, a new visitor has entered our world!"
A stallion's voice. One that sounded so calm and intrigued about a 'visitor'... was he talking about her?
Her eyes soon dropped the blurry image in front of her. She was definitely in a blue room. This unknown place held the appearance of what kind of looked like the inside of an airplane. She was in a passenger area, sitting on one side that was parallel to the other individual, probably the same 'stallion' who spoke earlier, in front of her. Their seats were between two corridors of the room, and his seat was behind a wall that was in between the entrances and exits of the room. Standing in the middle of their seats was a large square table, also in blue like the rest of the scene.
The scenery was no doubt something to cast one's eyes on for a prolonged period of time. The eerie background music that played in this room was no more, no less, than a beautiful aria of the soul.
The individual on the other end of the table looked... bizarre, if that was the best way to describe it. For one thing, he wasn't a pony. He was a strange, furless, bipedal creature, with the upper body structure of a minotaur. He had quite a strangely-long nose that stuck out, and his eyes, big and bulging, were bloodshot. Despite his troubling face, he was in a dashing black suit with a pair of gloves. He was, in fact, a human male. A man, as the filly's mind recalled the many debates she'd had with Lyra on the subject. He was looking at the filly, smiling with fascination, a bit creepy as he was.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room," the bizarre man greeted. Even with the weird face he had, his voice was unusually composed. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter..."
"The... Velvet Room?" The filly whispered. She wasn't really sure what to feel now that she found herself in a place like this. Why was she here?
"Usually, this is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter," the man explained, still smiling through their conversation.
A room for people who are bound by a contract? What did that mean?
"My name is Igor," he continued to speak. "I am delighted to make your acquaintance." The man who sat beyond the table, Igor, then faced to the left and pointed to the other figure in this room. "This is Margaret. She is a resident here, like myself."
The filly then turned to see another human, a woman, sitting on a passenger seat, who had been eying her since her entrance into the room. She was... well, she was rich in beauty. Magnificent pale skin, golden rings placed on her fantastic blue dress, black leggings accompanied by blue high heels, a wave of light blond hair kept in touch by a headband.
The strong sense of fashion just made the filly jealous. A little, she thought.
"My name is Margaret," the woman greeted. Even her voice was great. "I am here to accompany people on their journey."
Turning to his right for more introductions, Igor then said, "And these are Luna and Rai, residents of the Velvet Room as well."
Was that why she felt there were more ponies staring at her? She turned to the other end of the room to find a duo, both a boy and a girl, with their own large seats and a table. The boy was donning a simple azure tuxedo, blue shoes and jeans, and a small top hat. The girl wore a sleek, blue dress with white traces circling around her waist, boot-like slippers, and a pointed hat with the tip bent. They both shared the same hair and eye color: black and blue, respectively.
The first one to speak was the girl, who introduced herself with a smile. "I am Luna. At the moment, I am studying the ideas of being an assistant in the Velvet Room. For now, we also have to deal with our encounters to get stronger. A pleasure to meet you."
"And I am Rai," the boy spoke, also delighted. "Like Luna, I am training to be an assistant of Igor. I, too, have battles I must participate in to gain power. Nice to meet you."
...Battles? What kind of battles was he talking about?
Before the female visitor decided on introducing herself as well, just for courtesy, it soon seemed as if the world heard her mind.
"Now then, why don't you introduce yourself?" Igor politely asked.
It was... off. The whole world she was brought into. Does she remember doing anything that made her enter this place? It certainly doesn't seem to be that way. It was an airplane, right? It was no doubt flying over the world, so she couldn't have gone in normally. But maybe the man Igor was probably true in saying that this place existed between dream and reality...
She had to be asleep somehow. This was like a dream, and yet it was not.
"Ah..."
Oh, did she almost forget that everyone wanted to know her name?
"I-I'm... Twilight Sparkle..." she said, still shaken from the appearance of the Velvet Room.
Once her name was cast onto the room, Igor merely chuckled. "Hm, I see," he said. "A strange name for a human girl. Am I right in assuming that you're a pony?"
The filly's eyes narrow, her fists clenching. "Of course I'm a pony, what would... I..." She trails off as she realized what she was doing, as Igor chuckles once again. With a snap of his fingers, a mirror appears in front of Twilight, revealing her now human body.
"I believe it would be wise," Igor said as Twilight stared in shock. "To discuss your current predicament, rather than gawk at a mirror."
"Huh?" Twilight asked, snapping back to reality. "Oh! Right! So, Igor, why am I here?"
"Why, that is a good question," the man admitted in astonishment. "You see, those who visit this place have destinies, tales that they must make up as they go in their lives. However, only those that have met a requirement can access the Velvet Room."
"And... did I do something to come here?" Twilight asked, tilting her head. What did she do to enter this Velvet Room with ease?
"Hmhmhm, let's find out."
In response to her question, Igor lifted his arms up and curved forth as a concentrated sphere of brilliant light shone forth on the table. The light that was emitted was bright, so bright that Twilight lifted an arm to her eyes to balance her sight. She felt something from her being pulled out softly. Whatever it was, she hoped nothing was going wrong.
Once the concentrated light dimmed down, Twilight lowered her arm to see a strange item, a key that floated in front of her.
"Ah, very intriguing. Not only do you have the Velvet Key that allows the holder to be the guest of the Velvet Room, you even met our mistress Celestia once."
Velvet Key? Celestia?
Igor simply let the key hold itself on the air. No doubt that he was craving for knowledge of its origin.
"But do tell me," he said, still keeping that smirk he usually has. "When and where did you possess this key?"
The Velvet Key... she pondered silently on where she got this key. How did this key appear in her hooves/hands? The filly couldn't recall any memory that showed her the time she was bestowed this key. When did this happen during her life?
"I don't know," she answered in honesty. "I'm sorry."
Margaret had continued to watch the visitor, but much more closely after hearing her answer. The other two looked at Twilight as well, but only in confusion. Despite the 'answer' she gave, they had to agree that she couldn't be lying about the key.
"Is that so?" Igor continued to grin. "I believe in your honesty. Still, it is becoming a curious thought. This key had to be given to someone else, whose fortune led the guest to a journey he or she had to take."
"A journey?"
"Perhaps you will have to venture in your own journey as well. Even now, I can tell that your heart has the potential."
What kind of potential was he talking about? Was there something she had?
"Well then," Igor said as key was returned to the visitor, "let's take a look at your future, shall we?"
His left hand then levitated on the table, forming another concentrated ball of light, but not as extreme as the previous one. The light then formed into a stack of blue cards. The top card showed the cover to be two sides of a face.
"Do you believe in fortune telling?" The old man asked.
That's what he meant about the future. Twilight was more or less in magical fantasies and such, even loving those magical filly comics, but actual fortune telling?
"Well, a little," she muttered.
"That is fine," Igor assured. Even if it wasn't believed in, he'd still keep a smile somehow. Another flick with his hand, and the cards that sat on the table soon spread about, seven to be exact. "The Arcana cards always tell a different fortune, for they perceive parts of the future to be assembled in many different possibilities."
Starting his special act, his hand wavered over one card out of the group, and magically flipped it over without ever laying a finger. The card that was flipped was revealed to be a tower. Well a tower that was broken by what appeared to be lightning, with two figures that fell down from the structure.
"Ah, the Tower in the upright position," Igor read. "It seems you will encounter something unfortunate upon the immediate future."
The revelation struck Twilight with worry. An unfortunate moment in the future?
"What does that mean?" She asked. Anything unfortunate is the worst possibility. Something like that will happen to her later on?
"Well, let's find the relationship with the Tower, shall we?" Igor continued. He probably only answered half of her question like that, mysterious as the entire show was. "The card that is related to the Tower would be..."
And so his hand wavered over another card, and flipped it, revealing two eyes watching a sprout of fire that was held by hands. It looked like it was in a different position, though.
"...the Magician, in the reversed position."
Twilight blinked and stared at the two cards out of seven, nervously wondering what kind of misfortune it meant.
"And so it is answered," Igor explained, finally going over the event. "It seems that the cause of the misfortune will be because of someones initiative, and will want to take control of ponies around you for its desires."
"It... it can't be..." the visitor mumbled as she started to tremble. Understandably, she took it as if her (previously) normal life was now threatened. "Wh-what should I do?"
"Calm down," Margaret spoke up, her assurance giving Twilight the strength to compose herself. "You may be part of the tools your oppressor will want. However, you can still avoid the false directions, provided you know what the oppressor's tactics are."
"I see..."
Why? Why was she being told about all of this?
"You have quite an interesting journey ahead of you," Igor beamed as he brought the cards together to disappear. "Perhaps you will require our services if you must leap over the obstacles."
"Your services?" She repeated, tilting her head on the way he said it. "What services are you talking about?"
"Not only do you have the potential locked inside you, you also managed to attain a Velvet Key, something that most cannot see normally. I believe there is more to you than meets the eye."
With a flash of power came a written paper, a contract of sorts, and a feather pen, floating from the wind that used to be nothingness. It seemed that magic was everywhere in here, actual magic that doesn't hide any movement.
It was kind of fun to watch.
"Sign here," Igor ordered as the paper was set flat while the feather made its way to Twilight, "and you will allow us to assist you, as well as keep your memory with us. In return, we only ask that you fully take responsibilities of your own actions."
...It was crazy, really. She had only led a normal life for herself, and enjoyed her times with everyone else. Now, though, she was not only curious about this potential that Igor was talking about, she was... worried. Worried about what was going to happen to her, whatever her future events were.
And yet...
...why did she sign it?
Why did her hand slowly take the inked feather and write her name on the paper that could seal her destiny?
She wasn't just curious about all this. She felt... she had to be responsible. As if someone, a mysterious, outside force out there had wanted her to accept the terms of the contract. That Twilight needed to awaken whatever she had, and deal with the future.
She looked down on the paper, her name nicely written on the signature line.
"Twilight Sparkle"
...Even the ink was blue.
"With this contract, and the Velvet Key that you possess," the man spoke once more, "you are now our guest in the Velvet Room."
A sigh of relief that she held to herself for a moment was given. She felt that the signed contract did something good.
"Now... with time already spent while you are asleep," Igor told, "it appears that we no longer have the time once you are back in reality."
"Ah, really?" She wondered. There were still some things she needed to know, and now she had to go? "When will I be back?"
"We can meet once more when you have awakened your potential in your path," he answered.
At least it was better than after a long time.
"Now, go, and take care of yourself on your journey."
"Um... I will. And thank you Igor, Margaret."
And so, with their farewells gone, the beautiful Velvet Room faded to white. She still didn't know what her journey was... well, she didn't know everything. She still didn't know of her 'potential', or who that pony Celestia was, but it seemed that she had something to do. Maybe even only herself, as it looked, but the answers she wanted will wait for another time.
She would be here again. And hopefully, she would understand what was going on.
