It was just a little blue spark.
Bon-Bon continued chattering away, not even noticing that her friend was no longer beside her. Only when one of her jokes was met with an absence of the expected laughter did she turn around. Her friend was standing a few feet back, apparently transfixed on something by the town library. The teal pony's head was cocked in confusion.
“Lyra, what’s up?” Bon-Bon said, her expression of confusion matching her friends as she trotted over to the Earth Pony.
Lyra raised a hoof, directing her friend's attention to Twilight Sparkle’s former home. She squinted, unsure what exactly Lyra was attempting to make her aware of. All that she could see the same tree-house that had been there longer than she’d been alive. Nothing about it was remarkable or out of place. “Wha-” She began to question, then stopped, finally realizing what had captured her friends attention. Past a few busy vender stalls, floating in from of the library’s door without cause or explanation: there was, no bigger than an apple -a small, electric blue spark.
It rolled around itself chaotically. Bon-Bon could hear it now – over the low dim of idle chatter produced by the other occupants of Ponyville, there was the spark. Crackling and popping, it alternatively expanded itself slightly and folded back. The pair looked at each other, mystified. Lyra, the more adventurous of the two, took a few hesitant steps towards the swirling ball of energy.
She immediately leaped back with a yelp as the spark exploded, multiplying in size. Tendrils of blue electricity leaped out, kicking up dirt where they struck the ground. The business of the mid-day marketplace ceased as the other ponies finally noticed, spinning towards the noise in shock.. Their gasps and screams intermingled with the loud snaps as those closest backed away from the unknown entity. Other colors intermixed with the bright blue, now – a deep purple started at the nucleus of the and clouded slowly through the sphere of energy.
A dark object could be seen, silhouetted in the center of the bright turbulence. Forcefully, as if pushed by some powerful being, it clattered and skid across the ground, leaving in its wake a trail of dirt and dark ash. With a loud bang, the lavender-cyan sphere suddenly imploded into the size of a marble, then winked out of existence.
A hushed silence now reigned over Ponyville. The occupants had gathered, forming a large circle around the object – it was a pony, yes, they could see that now – and maintaining a very healthy distance. The alien pony, with a loud groan, stirred and stood.
The unicorn’s purple fur was a mess; a mixture of ash, dirt, and dust coated her in a veritable layer. Leather bags hung from a rope tied around her, forming an awkward belt. A strange metallic object adorned her right forehoof, looking ill-fitted on the purple pony’s limb – too big here, too small elsewhere. It was the color of burnt gold and engraved masterfully with ornate, indiscernible patterns. Hung around her neck via a thin string was a silver ring. The band was plain, but beautiful: adorned with a gold five-point star and a crescent moon.
The outlandish pony glanced around, spinning around as she took in the sights. If she was aware of the panic she had caused or the fact that the town was staring at her in shock, she didn't show it. The smile she wore couldn't have possibly been bigger, and tears flowed down her cheeks openly. “I did it.” the ponies closest could her whisper to the air “I'm back.”
Despite her freakish attire, and the fact the amount of filth she was covered in might make Rarity faint, almost everyone who saw her recognized her. It took a few seconds for it to register, and even more to muster the will to believe it, but the reality was standing right in front of them: Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, had returned. An excited buzz overtook the crowd. Relief and a near palpable elation replaced the confusion and fear. Some of the ponies cheered and called her out by name – her real name, one she hadn't been called in years.
The dragon Spike appeared in the threshold of the library, desiring to investigate the source of the commotion. He much more mature then when Twilight had last seen him, and his expression when from confusion, to shock, to joy as his friend charged him, tackling him to the ground in a frantic embrace.
The Elements were together once again. The other five were summoned to Twilight's home and arrived almost immediately, some with joyous tears in their eyes, the others not even daring to hope until they had seen their friend again. Despite all attempts by Twilight to keep the reunion organized, it soon devolved into a mess of sobs and hugs. Eventually, though, the expected question was asked: What happened to her?
Twilight's tale began simply enough. An overambitious teleportation project turned into a magical mishap, shunting the unicorn to an unknown land. From there, though, the story became an incoherent mess. The unicorn paced around the room, unable to contain herself. She talked incomprehensibly about god-kings, and demon princes, strange, unimaginable creatures and reincarnation. Ecstasy and excitement flooded through her, pushing words out recklessly as her friends stared at her, paralyzed by their own joy.
Spike, sitting on the upper platform that held Twilight's bed, coughed slightly, expelling a cloud of colored particles that solidified into a scrolls. In a practiced maneuver, he swiped it out of the air and unfurled it as Twilight stumbled over herself.
“Princess Celestia wants to know if what she's hearing is true.” the teenaged dragon interrupted with a smirk.
Twilight stopped mid-sentence, return his smile. “Well, I had better go show her, then. Pinkie, I hope you have a party ready for me when I return!” With a casual ease she hadn't possessed before her disappearance and a slight twist of her head, her horn glowed and she disappeared, leaving behind the coating of dirt and ash that promptly descended to the floor.
Celestia's chambers hadn't changed in the slightest, Twilight noticed as she reappeared in her mentor's castle. The monarch, lying by the fireplace, raised her head at the noise. The few years that her most recent student was missing should have seemed like the blink of an eye to a millennial being like Celestia – but still, tears came unbidden as she looked upon Twilight once again.
Twilight rushed forward, collapsing into the Princess embrace as she nuzzled against her. “My faithful student...” Celestia whispered, voice throaty and thick with emotion. The unicorn could not respond, lost in a sensation she feared she would never experience again.
Hours later, the pair sat by the dying fireplace, nursing cups of spiced tea. They reminisced, laughed, and cried, engrossed in each others company. Eventually, though, as with her reunion with her friends, curiosity overwhelmed the monarch, and, despite all indications that Twilight was perfectly content to stave off the business of explaining herself in lieu of simple discussion with her mentor, she felt the need to inquire.
Twilight's eyes lit up. “Yes, Princess. Actually...” she turned around and examined her own midsection, where the leather bags still rested. Pulling two of them off telekinetically, she passed them over to the monarch.. “I kept notes of everything I had encountered. I figured you would be interested.” She frowned. “They aren't organized, unfortunately. My adventures became...hectic.”
“That's unlike you, Twilight.” Celestia jested, opening one of the bags to find it crammed completely full of dozens and dozens of scrolls. “This is...quite a collection. It should serve as an interesting read.”
Twilight stood as Celestia idlely mussed through the bag of papers. “Princess...I mean no disrespect, but-”
“Yes, I'm sure your friends are waiting for you.” Celestia said with a nod, understanding. “You're behind on your reports, though. I'll expect a proper one before too long. In the meantime, I'll look through these.”
“...I'm glad you're safe, Twilight.” she said, solemnly, her eyes darting to the razor thin patch of missing fur that ran from her student's shoulder to her flank – the indication of a deep scar.
The room become quiet once again with her student's departure. The only sounds where the last embers of her morning fire cracking and dying. Celestia picked a letter at random, eager to destroy the mystery of Twilight's sudden disappearance. Unfurling it, she saw the familiar, if slightly crammed, penmanship.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Celestia smiled
I have arrived in another town. “Suran”, it is called. The architecture is similar to several other settlements I've visited, as I've outlined in various attached documents. Save for one of the blue humanoids (I heard them called Dunmer, among other names) fleeing in terror upon seeing me (the myths surrounding unicorns in this land are SO amusing!) nothing seemed out of ordinary, until
The rain fell on Twilight in massive, heavy dollops. She sighed. Her fur was already soaked, covered in an ineffectual damp cloak. Even the rain itself felt foreign and incomprehensible in Morrowind. The elements themselves opposed her, it seemed. She sighed, rushing forward to take refuge in a covered doorway as the other occupants similarly retreated indoors. All plans to perform an extensive documentation of the town were washed away by this sudden storm. Her first and foremost mission was, of course, to find a way home, but how could she deny the mysteries and excitement of a whole new world to explore?
Wait a second, did that sign say “Suran Market?” She had only glanced at it when she fled under the protective roof it was attached to, but she could have sworn that's what it said. The cloak she had draped over her was old and puncture-filled, and she certainly had enough money to purchase a new one. With a shrug, she pushed open the door and entered the building.
The custodian of the building – a red haired Dunmer in a regal raiment – was standing behind a counter, perking up when he saw Twilight enter.
“Ah, so the Unicorn has decided to grace Suran with her attention!”
'The Unicorn', ugh. Despite introducing herself by her proper name each and every time, this generic and unappealing moniker stuck with her like some unrelenting leech. Unicorns were not unheard of in this land, but were still certainly a rare beast – wild, dangerous and primitive. After she made it clear to the those she first encountered that she was indeed sapient and was willing to 'pacify' anyone who would treat her as a common creature to be hunted, the legend swiftly spread of the talking Unicorn, and it was uncommon to find someone who hadn't heard of her.
“My name's Twilight Sparkle, actually.” she corrected him with a polite smile, as she did to everyone who insisted on unflattering nicknames. “Yes, unfortunately, the storm interrupted my exploration of your fine town.” As if to punctuate her complaints, the storm gave a low grumble of thunder. “In the meantime, I'm looking to pick up a new cloak.” She lifted a hoof and presented her tattered cloak to his inspection with a grimace. “Is this the town market, or am I mistaken...?” she finished, glancing around at the building. It didn't look like there were any stores of goods...
“Ah, no...the general goods store is around the corner. But, you're in luck! You're in the finest slave market this side of the Inner Sea.”
The unicorn halted and felt a coldness flow over her. “The finest what?” She stammered, eyes widening. She noticed, just now, a number of heavy doors with barred windows. In the darkness of these cells, she could just make out a variety of scarred faces staring at her with angry eyes.
“Slave market. Surely a creature as elegant as yourself has need of servants! This latest shipment are real workers. Here, let me-”
I felt compelled to act, Princess. I HAD to do something. I knew you would have approved.
“Come on!” Twilight cried stamping her feet impatiently. It was hours later, in the dead of night. The storm was now reduced to a light drizzle, and she could hear the snores of the Dunmer proprietor from the floor above.
The slaves, whose cells she had just magically forced open, simple stared at her. The various faces held various emotions – none of the trusting, happy, or appreciative. They were fearful, suspicious, and angry. They shrunk in the corners of the building.
The clank of armor could be heard and light filtered in through the windows as a member of the town watch made his patrol past the building. Twilight stayed completely still for several seconds, staring at the exit. If a guard noticed something...if one of the slaves made a noise...
The sound faded without incident. Twilight allowed the breath she had been holding to release itself in a relieved sigh. “I don't have time for this.” she whispered to herself. One chance, she resolved.
Gripping the creatures telekinetically, she pulled them all towards her. They shouted and protested, as expected, but by the time the clamor had become loud enough to disturb the peace, Twilight was already concentrating on something else – an empty spot beside the road, miles from town. She scrunched her face in concentration, downing out all the sounds and her own terror...just focusing on what she did best...
A raindrop hit her on the snout, forcing her eyes open. The darkness of the wildness met her. The panic of the slaves she had teleported with her slowly died down as they realized what had happened. Twilight started laughing, turning around with a smile. She did it – despite the fact that she was in an alien world and all sense of familiarity seemed beyond her grasp, despite the nagging fears that she would never see her home again, she had managed to do some good.
“What now, beast?” one of the slaves, a tall golden-skinned humanoid barked at her angrily. “Have you considered that you only deliver us to a worse fate? They'll not be merciful when they find us. We have no food and only the clothes on our back. As servants, as least we would be fed!” he continued, ranting. The others behind him murmured noncommittal agreements.
Sighing, she turned back around and marched along the road. Her companions were apparently not as lost to despair as they wanted to appear, as they slowly began to follow her without argument.
“We'll think of something...” Twilight assured them.
She never did think of anything.
Today, I learned that everyone fails sometimes. I hope this isn't a lesson I'm taught much more here.
“No, no, no!” Twilight bawled, rushing through the thickly forested swampland with the Altmer slave telekinetically pulled behind her. The others had scattered in a panic. Did they lose their pursuer? Regardless of whether they did or not, Twilight was forced to a stop, panting from exertion. Her companion fell unceremoniously into the mud and she rushed over to him.
It was bad. The arrow was stuck straight through his throat. “I can help.” she moaned, her tears mixing with rain that ran down her face. That arrow was meant for her, she knew it. She had spun around right as she heard the bowstring twang. One second, the Altmer was sitting by the fire, grumbling quietly. The next, he had an arrow shaft jutting out beneath his chin, tapered with an inappropriately colorful fetching. He had managed only a slight whimper before collapsing backwards. Now, The elf simply stared up at her with those angry, judging eyes. “I can help.” she repeated, as if attempting to will it true. He tried to respond – but his last words consisted only of his choking on his own blood. His head fell back and his eyes rolled, his life force steadily draining into the willing swamps.
“I can help...” Twilight whispered to the corpse.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
Dear Princess Celestia
Day 204, by my counting
The locals have an interesting superstition regarding the resurrection of a particular hero, the 'Nerevar'. Supposedly, this ancient warrior will return in an incarnate called the Nerevarine. Normally, this fable would have nothing more than an academic relationship with me, as the other native myths and legends I've outlined in prior reports. However, it has become something more. I have been determined to this hero reincarnated.
I have explained at length that, probabilistically, they are wrong. I figured, considering my uniqueness in this realm, and that this is not my home, that they would be hesitant to adopt me as this returning savior, but the opposite has become true. Already, poets and philosophers are mulling over what the gods intended to symbolize in resurrecting Lord Nerevar as a unicorn.
In the interests of providing you with a complete documentation of this realm, I shall follow this path as far as I can. But, I'll admit I fear for myself here. This place is much more dangerous that Equestria. I hear whispers that those who claim for the Nerevarine are seen as heretics. I'll have to be very careful how I proceed from this point.
“Halt, heretic scum!” One of the Ordinators screeched, his voice muffled by his armored mask.
Twilight shivered in fear as her cloaking spell suddenly dissolved, revealing the unicorn to ocular inspection. She took a few steps back towards, her hooves clopping against the stone floor that made the artificial islands of Vivec City. Unfortunately, her magic had failed her and her plan for a covert infiltration floundered and died.
“You'll pay for disgracing the holy home of Our Living God!” The Ordinator said when Twilight didn't deign to respond. He drew his scimitar, the golden blade shimmering in the bright sun as it fell from its sheath. His adjacent companions did the same, though their cudgels were noticeable less impressive. Without a word, Twilight spun around and fled in the opposite direction – only to skid to a halt when she saw a pair of Ordinators further down that path, blocking her way and slowly advancing.
She turned to the closer of her foes. They weren't giving her a choice to flee, it seemed. That was a mistake.
With a brief moment of concentration, her horn began to glow as she relapsed into a familiar state of manipulation, targeting the assailant on the left, his maskless face registering surprise for only a slight moment as a purple aura engulfed him, before Twilight flung him hard to the right. He slammed into his companion, sending that man sprawling to the ground, and he himself flying over the edge of the canton and into the river below. His armor was only a thin, light chitin, Twilight considered – he won't drown, she prayed.
The Ordinator with the golden scimitar, the relief in his mask immutably sinister, charged. Obviously nonplussed by the quick pacification of his comrades, he screamed “Vivec!” as he charged, sword raised above his head.
Then he was shoved forcibly against the wall, his beautiful sword sent spinning into the convenient receptacle the river had become. Paralyzed by her magic, the Ordinator screamed curses as he thrashed against the force binding him in place. Twilight ignored him, her thoughts already turned to her next move. She could run past him – that path now clear – but that would only take her deeper into the city, which was no doubt swarming with Vivec's holy police. And there was still the issue of the Ordinator's behind her, she realized, spinning around.
A blinding pain ran up the length of her side. She had misjudged how quickly they would be upon her, and the sword's vicious edge parted her flesh with disturbing ease, cuting a massive gash up along her flank. Screaming in pain, she stumbled backwards. The sharp crimson splattered the ground, both from her side and dripping from the man's blade. I'm going to die here. The element of magic, of friendship, is going to die here, alone and friendless. She thought, bizarrely.
Dodging the Ordinator's next swing more out of the luck of her stumbling than any concentrated skill, she bumped into the guard rail that separated the walkway from the river below. Realizing what she had to do, she only hoped the water wasn't as foul as she suspected it was as she pushed herself over the railing, streaming blood behind her. The water around her misted a light scarlet when she splashed into it.
A haphazard pile of open scrolls had begun to form at Princess Celestia's side by the time that Luna took her nocturnal watch over the cosmos. Still, she was scarcely halfway through the first bag of them. With each, she began to form an increasingly accurate portrait of what exactly Twilight had endured. It was a terrifying picture, and as she continued reading the regret over her own searches for her student having failed grew and grew.
Dear P. Celestia,
Day 574
The Corprusarium was slightly less pleasant then the name implies. I shuddered in revulsion each time I saw one of those foul creatures huddled in the distance. I desired only to put them out of their misery, as what sort of existence was theirs? I know you would have agreed. However, Fyr was quite insistent on their continued life, and I need him and his dwarf at the current moment.
Twilight sighed. “Can you do it or not?” The bloated, half mechanical dwarf Yagrum Bagarn glanced over the gauntlet – Wraithguard – again. The creature was a foul thing, unappealing to every sense. His stomach was like an engorged blister, his skin stretched thin across it and colored the gray pale of death. These quarters suited him, Twilight thought bitterly. He answered calmly, but in his voice was an obvious struggle to get the words past the lump of rotting flesh that served as his mouth.
Not that she was much better. Her looks had hardened themselves to the environment that she was forced to occupy – her mussed hair was cut short and her tail was docked short in the interests of reducing her profile. A dirty scabbard was tied around her flank. It was surprisingly easy to subdue those who she needed to in this world; most were not expecting a unicorn to have master of telekinesis. While they were focusing on her eyes and her hooves, she'd simply sneak a dagger behind them and press it lightly against their throat, with a polite suggestion to yield. The trick wouldn't work for much longer, however. Already, she had heard a desperate shout of “Don't look at her hooves, look at her horn.” during brief skirmish with a pair of bounty hunters. Worryingly, word had begun to spread about the specifics of her abilities.
“Yes, I believe I can.” Yagrum replied, glancing back at the pony's hoof – the device's intended manipulator. “I doubt that Lord Kagrenac made the magic dependent on the devices exact physical form. With careful alterations, I should have it functioning to a sufficient capacity with account for the unique constraints of Lord Nerevar's physiology.”
Nerevar, Nerevarine, Moon-and-Star...just another slew of nicknames added to the assortment. Twilight didn't even acknowledge them any more. “What do mean, 'a sufficient capacity'?”
“Dwemer magick is a fickle thing, Unicorn. I am not arrogant enough to suppose that I can replicate Kagrenac's work to perfection, even if I didn't have the restrictions you are imposing on me. If I can, then I will. If I can't, then you'll have to find an alternative.”
The impertinence of that answer annoyed her. She had hoped that the last living example of a species would strive to leave a positive impact of his race on the world, but Yagrum was a disappointment in both looks and attitude. He would probably regret not being more respectful if Twilight simply took Wraithguard and left him to rot in his little cavern.
Before Twilight could even open her mouth in protest, the dwarf interrupted, smiling a horrid toothless smile. “I am the last living dwarf, Nerevar. No matter how many times you reincarnate, there will never be another dwarf. Before you protest, remember that I am, regrettably enough for us both, your best option.”
Twilight grit her teeth, and spun around. It was not the first time this place had forced her into unpleasant company. And it most certainly wouldn't be the last.
Sometimes, I wonder if I am truly doing any good here. I made it my mission to assist the beleaguered peoples of this realm when I saw the state of them, and I figured my knowledge of Equestria would help them. But, often, it seems I do more harm then good, and that these people do not want to be helped! They look upon me like I have done them a disservice whenever I try to improve their lives!
It's frustrating, but I supposed this might be the price I pay for good.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
Twilight cried. The twisting and straining of gears answered her.
Deep within the bowels of The Clockwork City, the pony was alone. As had been the case since her arrival in this vile world, she had no one but herself.
Almalexia's corpse, the body of a goddess, sat shattered on the other side of the walled dome, twisted grotesquely and proving that, for all her divinity, she was still very much bound by the constraints of a mortal physiology. Her magically lit blade, Hopesfire, lay beside her, its arcane flame still casting deep shadows in the room.
The corpse of Sotha Sil hung from his foul mechanical contraption, still swaying slightly from when Almalexia had pushed her into him. He was the first victim of the twin deicide that had occurred in this mechanical fortress.
I killed her, Princess.
I am sorry for ever comparing her to you. She seemed to love and care for her people. But even when I first met her, there was something there that made me pause. She was direct and impersonal, sometimes downright callous. Even when I served her, Her Hands still look on me a foe, and seemed ready to cut me down if I dared step to close. She used a sword when gentle words and a friendly touch would have been more appropriate and beneficial.
And now, she's dead. She was insane, Celestia. The loss of power destroyed her. I had to strike her down before she harmed anyone else.
I think I've done enough for this world. I've served as a tool to powers greater than myself more times than I can count.Right now, I just want to come home. Equestria had never seemed more perfect than it does right now.
Twilight's tears had dried. With wobbly legs, she stood and inched over to the deceased deity. Unable to look upon the warmask that she had donned with the singular intention of slaying her, Twilight simply wretched the ring the goddess wore around her finger from the motionless hand.
Almalexia still possessed Balizar's Mazed Band, which, if you remember, I retrieved for her. The residual magicks surrounding it indicate that its primary use is teleporation, or perhaps summoning. I was told by a scholar that it is an evil artifact, one best left buried, but it currently serves as my best hope of returning home.
I just want to see you again, Princess.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
The threads of confusion slowly but surely began to ravel into a coherent tale as Celestia's eyes darted over Twilight's penmanship again and again. Plans were forming in the back her mind. With all the pain that her student had suffered to prepare these reports, Celestia was determined to glean something usable from then. Something would come of this endevor, she vowed.
Across the dimensions, where Aetherius stretched as a thin membrane over Nirn, princes and sorcerers peered through the holes left when the gods fled. They look on this new land and their eyes glittered in greed and desire.
