Chapters The Adventures of Princess Althea
Althea came up to the surface. She was trying to swim but she felt sick. She went unconscious.
She woke up on the shore with a...a....Elf? No a Unicorn? Unicorns only live in the southern regions of Fanatia...
"He-l-oo? A-a-ar-r yo-o-o-o-o a-a-awake???" The Creature said as Althea's eyes started to close again. "NO! Don't go back to sleep!!!!"
"GAH!" She rose and bumped into the Unicorn, being sprawled back onto the ground.
The Unicorn helped her back up. She saw that the Unicorn was very purple with pink here and there, unlike the golden Unicorns back in Fanatia.
"Where am I?" Althea stuttered. "Am I even in Fanatia anymore?"
"Fanatia??? You mean the country in that one world....Mirra?" The Unicorn said.
"Yeah? Are we even there???"
"No...We're in Equestria..." She said. "Maybe you should lie dow-"
"WHAT!?!? NO, NO, NO,NO,NO!!!!!!!! I HAVE TO GET HOME!!! FATHER WILL KILL ME FOR EVEN BEING IN THE WOODS, NEVERTHELESS GOING TO ANOTHER WORLD!!!"
"CALM DOWN!!!!!!!!!!" The Unicorn shocked me with a spell. "Now, be still. That is the pond of portals. It teleports you into a different dimension. I am Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?"
"I am Princess Althea Morgana Peony the 3rd of Fanatia. Just call me your Highness or Princess Althea."
"I'll just call you Althea..."
"WELL ANYWAYS, WHAT THE HECK!? MY KINGDOM WILL NEED ME! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST TELEPORT ME BACK? I TRIED TO GO BACK THROUGH THE PORTAL AND I ALMOST DROWNED!! WHY WHERE YOU THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!?????"
"JUST SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!"
Althea was silent. Twilight sighed and led her to a crystal castle. When they were walking, Althea noticed wings on the Uni-no Alicorn's back.
"Wings?" Althea mumbled to herself.
They had finally gotten to the castle when Twilight realized Althea was also an Alicorn.
"Hey, if you've never been to Equestria, then how come you're not an Earth-Pony??" Twilight said.
"I don't know..." Althea replied.
They went inside and had a dragon named Spike set up a room for Althea.
"Get some rest and then we'll talk about what happened to you."
The Adventures of Princess Althea
As Althea slowly fell asleep, she imagined her kingdom go crazy, searching for her. She knew they needed her songs of hope to help them after the Attack of Dawn, a war that almost demolished the whole nation. As she imagined that she started crying and praying that everything was alright.
"Please let them be safe. Let them all be calm and that my sisters wont be hurt." She prayed.
She was scared for her sisters because they needed her to protect them. It's been that way since they were born. She cried herself to sleep and had dreams of her kingdom burning down, her family and all the guards trapped inside. People screaming. Crying. Trying to escape.
Althea woke up in sweat, still crying. She could still hear the screams and cries. She toppled slowly back to the bed. Breathing hard she tried to think of happy thoughts and go to her happy place.
"Good morning." Someone said. It was a yellow and pink Pegasus. "H-Hi...I didn't mean to bother you...Twilight would like to see you..."
She left the room, leaving Althea alone with her thoughts. She got up and looked around the room for some clothing. None was seen. She went out into the hall with yesterdays clothes on. There was an assembly of colorful ponies. Four Alicorns, including Twilight, two Pegasi, including the one she saw earlier, and two normal ponies.
"Ah, you're awake." One of the Alicorns said. "Come follow us. We shall talk over brunch. You sure slept for a while."
They walked through the castle, into a dining hall. Althea took in all the decorations. There was sandwiches and drinks. She sat down closest to Twilight, being the only "pony" she knew.
"Oh, I guess I haven't introduced you to anypony yet." Twilight said. "Well, That is Princess Celestia." She pointed to a white Alicorn with flowing rainbow hair.
"That is Princess Luna." She pointed to another Alicorn that look like the night sky.
"And that," She said pointing to a pink Alicorn with tri-colored hair. "Is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Just call her Cadence."
"I'm Rainbow Dash!" Said a blue Pegasus with rainbow hair.
"Oooh! I'm Pinkie Pie!!!" Said the pinkest thing Althea has ever seen. "Yes you are." Althea replied.
"I'm Fluttershy..." Said the pony that woke her up.
"Howdy! I'm Applejack! If you ever need apples, you can count on me!" Said another pony.
You know all of the ponies already so I'll skip to the good part!
"Ok, so now that you know everypony," Cadence said. "Let's get to who you are and why are you here."
"Well my name is Princess Althea of Fantia" Althea said. " Here's my story:"
"I was walking on a blazing hot day in Fanatia in the Dragon Woods, when hissing voices chased me to a pond. I wanted to take a drink when I was pushed in. Then I woke up on shore with Twilight here standing over me."
"Did you try going back?" A pony named Rarity asked.
"Yes, and I almost drowned." Althea said.
Luna, who was paying close attention to Althea's story, suddenly spoke. "Did you see who was speaking to you?"
"No. I told them to show themselves but they just laughed and chanted tauntingly at me..." Althea said. She looked like she had just seen a ghost.
"Hmm.... Maybe you should tell us the whole story. Not just a short version of it." Celestia said.
That took up most of the day.
The Adventures of Princess Althea
Althea woke up in a horrific landscape. Ruins of her castle crumbled as fire flared all around. The tenseness of war still hung in the air. Guards surrounded her and a group of others. She realized who they were. Her parents and sisters stared at her with terrified looks on their faces. Her littlest sister cowering behind her father.
"Wh-Wh-Who are you?" Her mother stuttered.
"Mother, don't you recognize me!?" Althea called back. She feared what she would like to her mother.
"'Mother'? Pft! Mother would never give birth to a beast!" The eldest of her sisters spat. She was younger than Althea, but still more prepared to rule the country.
Althea looked down at herself. Tears ran down her face as she did so. This couldn't be! Why had this have to happen to her!? She started sobbing and fell to the ground. Her parents, who held on to her siblings, started to back away, the youngest still hiding behind her father.
"Althea isn't an Alicorn!" The eldest screamed and pointed an accusing finger. "YOU MUST BE A FOOL TO THINK WE WOULD FALL FOR THAT!"
Althea's father drew out a sword and took a step forward, forgetting his shock.
"Step back, beast!"
He threw the sword at her but it was encased in a golden glow before it could reach her. They all gasped.
A flash of golden light filled the ruins as Celestia appeared and reached out to Althea.
"This isn't true, Althea. You must fight the monster that gives you fear. Never let the visions of the dark control you. I lost my sister the same way and I'm not losing you!" She said in a powerful voice. She grabbed her hoof and they started fading. Althea's family was gone... They had fading into the darkness.
Althea slowly opened her eyes, and saw nothing but darkness. She felt around the area and found a lamp. She turned it on and she was in the guest room she slept in the previous night. She took of her clothes from when she fell into the pond and curled into a ball on the bed. She had a dreamless sleep.
The Adventures of Princess Althea
As Althea woke up, she heard voices. There was a room above her. She knew that. Twilight was probably doing princess work. Princess Work...Something Althea may never do again. She sighed and got up. Trotting across the clean, sparkly room, she grabbed the doorknob with her magic. She looked around, no sign of any--pony....She hated how that sounded, even in her mind.
"I guess I could have some..Wait..What time is it?" Althea said under her breath, trotting towards the dining room. There was food o the table...Fanatian food. Althea's mouth watered as she saw it. Golden Apple Delights that were topped with Rolin-Berry cream. Cakes made of the richest of Fanatian milk and chocolate. So many more delicacies were put onto the table like a buffet.
"H-Hello?" Althea called. "Is this food for me?" No answer but a small Thump . She looked around and saw Spike picking up a Golden Apple he had dropped.
"Huh? Oh. Yes. It is for you." He said. He took a bite out of the Golden Apple and spat it out. "EEWW!!" Althea giggled as he spat out the contaminated apple.
"Once a Golden Apple had touched filth it becomes disgusting and rotten." She said. She trotted to the table and sat down, picking up a shining plate. She grabbed a bowl of Berries and some milk. a few minutes later Twilight walked in with a smile on her face. She also grabbed a plate, putting some Golden Apple slices on it.
"Good morning!" She said as she sat down. "I'm glad you're nice and well!"
"Well, uh.." Althea stuttered. She wanted to tell Twilight about her 'Dream', but she stayed quiet. She had no idea why but she didn't want to have Twilight be worried. She sighed and continued eating.
After finishing her meal, Althea went back to her room, deciding she needed a bath. And that's what she did.
The Adventures of Princess Althea
After her bath, Althea felt even more homesick. She thought about the warm baths she took as a Fanatian and how the steam would twirl and take different forms. She got that thought out of her head.
"Althea?" Someone called in a manly voice. "Come out of there!"
"Um. Ok!" Althea called, opening up her door. She walked out and saw a pony she has never seen before. He had a white coat like hers but with dark brown hair. He had her eyes.
"D-Dad!?" She said excitedly. "Wha-What are you doing here!?!?"
"Sweetie, some nice.. Uh... Ponies... found a way to transport you home and bring me here. Please. You've been gone for months!" He said, hugging her.
"Wha-what? I've been gone for a few days and time here is the exact same as in Fanatia!" She yelled. "Wait a minute...."
She knocked on the wall. It was cold and it hurt her as she knocked harder. It wasn't a dream...
"What's going on!?"
"Swee-" He said just before he was punched in the face. His disguise fell and he then appeared as a changeling.
"NO!!!" He screeched. There was a blast and Twilight appeared with green gunk all over her. She blasted the creature with a beam that sent him out of the castle.
"Changelings," Twilight said. "Gotta Hate them."
"What just happened?" Althea questioned.
"That Changeling broke into the castle to claim you as a source. They eat love and you would love your father. Most ponies do." She explained. "I don't know how it found out about you, but we need to get you home soon..."
The Adventures of Princess Althea
ONCE UPON A TIME...
Princess Althea was walking in the Dragon Woods to pass the time. It was the hottest day of the year, and it sure felt like it. Her many layers of fine silk and gilded jewelry made her want to go to the freezing mountains and swim in the rivers. Sadly, the mountains were miles away and they had melted.
She walked in the shade of the normally cool and damp forest. She knew not to go far, for the woods had its name for a reason.
She panted as she sat on a big round rock for a little rest.
"A princess should not do this!" She scolded herself for not being the proper princess her parents wanted her to be. "IDIOT!"
She was grumpy. Her father had arranged for her to get married to a complete stranger. She walked farther into the woods unknowingly while thinking.
I just want to run away to a land where I'm not treated like a child that needs to grow up! She thought to herself.
"But child," A voice hissed from the trees. "Do you not like your royalty and riches?"
"Such a spoiled brat!" Another said.
"My children would be disowned if they acted like that!" Yet another barked at Althea.
"Who are you!? I command you to show yourselves! By order of the princess!!!" Althea demanded, trying to sound brave, yet she wasn't.
The voices just laughed and spat at her
"Little Althea," One started chanting tauntingly. "Never was happy, but very snappy. Always thought she could be more!"
The voices got louder and chanted more.
Louder...
...and louder...
Until Althea couldn't take it anymore...
She ran as fast as she could. Tripping and covering her ears, but everywhere she went, the voices followed. She ran to a small pond and the voices stopped.
She was thirsty. Very, very thirsty. She walked over to the pond but hesitated. She remembered what her tutor once said: "In the Dragon woods, nothing is as it seems. Never go near ponds or grottoes. And whatever you do, NEVER go near any animals!"
She forgot about that and leaned down towards the water. She heard the hissing voices come closer, but before she could react, she was pushed in.
The Adventures of Princess Althea
After telling the "ponies" about how she came to Equestria in detail, Althea sat there looking around at the aghast faces, feeling like she had just told them all of their most precious objects were just lost in a explosion. She remembered her dream and shuddered.
The four princesses had her stand up as they examined her.
"Interesting..." Whispered Luna.
"Strangest pony I've ever seen..." Cadence whispered in response.
"Hmm..."
Twilight went off running through the castle and swiftly returned a few minutes later with a book encased in gold and diamonds.
"Interesting...What type of creature were you before you went through the pond?" She asked.
"I was a Fanatian of course. I looked like a human from "Earth"." Althea replied.
Celestia and Luna flinched at the word "Earth". They grabbed Twilight and Cadence and pulled them to the corner of the room. They whispered to each other. Finally Cadence walked over to Althea and stared at her questionably.
"Hey! did you remember we're here???" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yes dears, we are also here so why cant we be in the conversation? We're practically royalty being the Elements of Harmony." Rarity said, trying to hide her scowl.
Twilight place the book on the table and hoofed through the pages of the book. She finally found an empty page and she took out a quill.
"Please follow me to my science lab." She said.
They trotted up a few staircases and down some halls. They finally arrived at a huge chamber with gadgets that Althea hasn't even heard of before. In Fanatia they normally used magic for pretty much everything.
"Please sit down right in that glass orb." Twilight said in a demanding yet kind tone.
Althea sat down and watched as Twilight put a protection spell around it so Althea couldn't escape.
"What is this for?" Althea asked. She sounded like she was a long distance away, trying to yell.
Applejack put her hoof up for silence. "Don't question it sugarcube. Let Twilight do her silence and we'll all be happy."
Everypony went silent after that. Twilight asked Pinkie to sit down on the other side of the room as she took out some more gadgets.
They ran test for hours as Althea sat silently, waiting to get out. Everypony had to leave as it was getting late.
"Ok, we are done!" Twilight said proudly.
Althea stood up and walked out of the orb. She collapsed and had visions of her home being utterly destroyed by her rival kingdom.
She felt pain that was like somepony had just stabbed her in the heart with a electricity spear. She fainted...
