Prologue
Blast Core laid next to Lyra staring up at the stars, Blast Core felt like a complete idiot the more he thought about recent events. He had thought drawing out a transmutation circle wasted time in alchemy, he had to get a good permanent mark on his hoof that he could use whenever he needed. He had scorched a transmutation circle on his hoof, no matter how stupid he felt he knew he succeeded, that transmutation circle would be there for life.
“That was incredibly risky, you know that?” Lyra looked to the side at him her eyes squinted at him with disappointment written all over her face. He shrugged lifting his gaze back at the stars.
“Maybe, but hey at least it works.” He shrugged, they were incredibly young, Blast Core looked at his hoof before sighing again, and he still felt pain from it. Eventually he heard Lyra talking from his side.
“Hey, I’m going to head back now.” He jumped back up to his hooves along with her.
“Yeah, me too I guess.” They both started trotting down the winding dirt road which led them back to Ponyville. He saw lightning clouds looming overhead; this was the perfect time for him to show off his alchemy to Lyra! He lifted his hoof up beginning to mix with the air flow; it caused a sort of gravitational Funnel leading down to his hand drawing lightning into his hoof. He played with the lightning in his hooves with a broad grin on his face.
“See!? I told you I wasn’t lying! I can manipulate lightning! She rolled her eyes as they both stood there staring at the bright lightning gracefully swirling around in his hoof.
“So you’re an alchemist.” They both turned to face the strange figure that had spoke; she came out from the tree line walking over to them with a friendly smile spread across her face.
“You look a little too young to be doing advanced Alchemy, it’s dangerous.”” She said with her still friendly smile, she stood stooping down to their level to look into their eyes.
“Why don’t you two tell me your names?” She said squinting through the darkness to get a good description of them. Immediately Blast Core being the goofball he was, rose his foreleg up high.
“Ooh! I’m Blast Core!” He said with a goofy looking smile on his face. She smiled at him rustling his mane up with her right hoof.
“And how about you, what’s your name?” She said staring over to Lyra who didn’t seem as excited as Blast Core to see the stranger.
“Lyra.” She said plain and simply. She smiled placing a hoof on her head aswell. She looked back and forth at them sort of comparing the two by the looks of it.
“You look so sincere.” She said looking at Blast Core with a soft gaze. She was too nice to be an enemy. He thought to himself deep in thought.
“And you, you look intense, just like me.” She smiled at Lyra who was now smiling at the strange Mare herself. She looked back to Blast Core now with a slightly more serious expression.
“Blast Core, do you like Lyra?” She said with her still soft expression. Now the two of them being as foolish as they were, didn’t know exactly what she had meant by that. Eventually being the sincere goofball he was answered.
“Well, of course I like her! She’s my best friend!” He yelled in excitement at the strange mare who now began to laugh. Lyra was smiling at him now; she was obviously touched by that statement.
“Well, Blast Core, it’s your job to now make sure she stays safe. What if something horrible happens to her and she can’t save herself now you have to be there to help her. It’s your job Blast Core.” She said with her smile still lightly spread across her face. She rose up to her original height.
“Can you do that for me Blast Core?” He nodded his head rapidly blushing ever so slightly at her.
“Well, sure I can!” The mare began to laugh as she trotted back off into the darkness. The two Young ponies sat there confused for a few seconds before Lyra started walking again.
“You hear that Lyra? I’m going to be your protector from now on.” He said with his sincere smile still on his face. He laughed under his breath as they walked together.
She smiled as they walked shoving him in his flank to make him stumble. He shook a bit regaining his stance running back to walk with her again.
“I don’t need to be protected by a goofball Blast Core.” She said as she kept on walking shaking her head slightly at him whilst sighing to herself. They walked all the way home and went to bed for the night. They remained friends for five years after that odd night before the most horrible thing happened.
He had been trying to figure out if there was a way to generate lightning, but the law of equivalent exchange clearly stated that if you took something, something of equal value must be given. He had tried to generate lightning but it always lashed back at him causing him pain. He had the most idiotic idea of a lifetime. He clapped his hooves together rubbing them against each other with a cocky grin. Lyra appeared to be a passive spectator; she was still interested in what would happen next. He drew out a transmutation circle in the dirt with his foot trying to get a more powerful transmute from the two transmutation circles combined, the dirt one and the one scorched onto his hoof. He rubbed his hooves together smiling.
“You ready to see some masterful alchemy?” He said with a cocky grin looking back at Lyra. She only shrugged her shoulders in response smiling at him.
“Please, be careful Blast Core! Don’t hurt yourself!” She yelled out at him as he cracked his neck. He stomped his forelegs down onto the transmutation circle which was greeted by a bright flash. As he did he noticed a terrible sight. He had messed up his transmutation circle; one of the inner prongs which protruded from the center was uncompleted. Instead of lightning generating a dark aura rose from the circle reaching out to the sky. He looked around as dark tendrils rose from the inner sanctum swallowing him whole. He heard Lyra screaming out barely as he was pulled out from reality.
He looked around slowly seeing only white around him. An odd looking Pony who was a complete white color, he blended in with the background except for the black outline which drew out his body. He smiled at him evilly before speaking.
“Well, it looks like a child has come to complete the exchange.” He said with a rather odd echoed voice. He pointed his hoof behind him to see Lyra floating unconscious in the air. A few black hands grasped her holding her in the air sort of levitating her.
“Lyra!” He called out to her, but she did not stir. She was stuck in some sort of trance between existence and non existence. He looked back at the pony now anger in his eyes.
“Why did you, what did you do to her!?” He gritted his teeth in both anger and fear of the mysterious pony.
“The Law of Equivalent Exchange, dear child. You must now lose her to gain what you wish.” Lyra was pulled into the white floor by the black hands taking her away from his view.
“No! Bring her back! Take the alchemy back I don’t care! Give her back please!” The pony began to laugh sinisterly before returning his sneer back at Blast Core. He looked up at a giant doorway which began to materialize behind him. There were multiple symbols etched on the door way. He saw a new symbol beginn to materialize in the center of the doorway, this he guessed is what he gained from the exchange.
“Too late I’m afraid, you’ve already made the exchange, now I have to send you back, I hope you got what you wished for so desperately.” He felt something pulling him away from the pony at incredible speeds. He tried to resist, tried to run back to Lyra but he couldn’t. Eventually he faded into darkness slipping into unconsciousness.
He awoke from unconsciousness in the same field where the transmutation had all gone wrong. He looked around panic stricken. He looked around or any sign of Lyra's presence, but there was no sign of her. He began to bawl right on the spot, he was always a very sensitive pony, this event had just cost him his best friend. He wiped his tears away looking at his hooves. There was now a mark where he had scorched his transmutation circle. He lifted it up into the air slowly, He smashed it together with his other hoof willing to generate lightning out of curiosity. Eventually a giant strike of lightning came from the sky, he had generated an immense amount of friction in the atmosphere almost without effort. He looked down with a new determination rising within him.
He had to get Lyra back, no matter what happened to him. He made a promise all those years ago to protect her from harm, he was going to live up to that promise.
This was a great day for Blast Core; he was finally testing for State Alchemist certification. He was getting pinned in trial combat against the Heavy Weapons Alchemist “Iron Cannon” This Alchemist was a giant, he was about three times Blast Cores height, he could crush him on command, he needed to keep this battle long distance if he could. He had to either win the fight or perform excellently in order to pass. He sat in the training field with his eyes narrowed at his target; he needed the resources provided by the government to State Alchemist’s in order to begin his hunt for Lyra. He was brought back into reality when the Heavy Weapons Alchemist began to speak.
“You ready over there Shorty!?” He yelled it extremely loud, he wasn’t that far away. Yet he still yelled loud enough to nearly break Blast Core’s ear drums. He turned to face Iron Cannon a determined look on his face.
“Bring it on; I’m not going to fail here.” The Heavy Weapons Alchemist merely smirked at him cracking his neck to the side.
“Then let’s get this party started Shorty!” He sketched out a transmutation circle on the floor with almost lightning speed. Blast Core never knew hooves could move so fast. He smacked his hooves together in order to begin his transmutation. They both activated the alchemic reaction simultaneously. It seems they both had the same plan seeing as two giant fists broke out from the concrete training field and smashed into each other. The shockwave from the impact made Blast Core stumble slightly, but Iron Cannon seemed hardly fazed. He simply smiled stomping onto his transmutation circle once more. Two giant cannons rose from the ground next to him, he smiled at Blast Core as if he expected him to look scared.
Blast Core tried to find a surface where he could generate friction easily. He ran off to the side the second the cannons fired. He hardly was able to make the leap away from their firing range. In the air he clapped his hooves together preparing to transmute. He smacked his hooves onto the grainy concrete floor with a loud smack.
“Take this!” He dragged his hooves along the concrete generating a spark, this was his chance! He quickly altered the air pressure around him forming a sort of link to the Heavy Weapons Alchemist. He allowed the heavy friction within the air pressure to drag the spark along growing it out into a lightning bolt. The bolt struck dead on its target. There was a bright flash welcomed along with a broad cloud of dust rising into the air.
“Well, you’re going down already!?” He yelled at the Heavy Weapons Alchemist, he didn’t get a response back so he had to assume he had won. He heard a loud shuffling behind him, by the time he turned around it was almost too late. He saw the giant Alchemist with his hooves held up high over his head. He grinned down at poor Blast Core before striking.
He brought his hooves down onto his back as hard as he could. Blast Core felt the air being shoved out of his lungs as he flew down onto the concrete. His eyes fluttered a bit as he saw red splotches staining his vision. He looked back tiredly to see Iron Cannon taking his time in drawing out a transmutation circle right next to him. He couldn’t go down so easily, he had to become a State Alchemist; he had to do it for Lyra.
Thinking this somehow gave him new found strength he hoisted his body onto his forelegs swinging his hind legs up at the giant ponies chin. He heard a loud crack come from Iron Cannon as he got hit. He stumbled back a bit looking a bit dazed but not too injured; it gave him a wide window of opportunity. He rolled back onto his hooves smacking his foreleg hooves together. He slammed them onto the floor as hard as he possibly could.
Before the Heavy Weapons Alchemist could regain himself he had over twelve sharp concrete blades pointing at his body protruding from the floor.Blast Core had the sudden urge to finish him, but he knew this was just a practice session, he couldn’t kill the Alchemist. He knew he had the abilities to pass, it’s been nearly fourteen years since he lost Lyra, he still held up to his promise. He was going to get her back; somehow he would. He heard a loud clapping sound coming from far off to the side; he was stupid enough to look at the strange pony.
It was a mare from what he could tell, she had light blue eyes that made her entire body somehow more vibrant, he recognized her from somewhere, he didn’t quite know where but he knew he had seen her before. He snapped his head back to keep his eyes on the Heavy Weapons Alchemist, but he was too late. The Alchemist had his hooves planted on the transmutation circle smiling at Blast Core sinisterly. He felt an object poking his back a few seconds later. He turned his head ever so slightly to see a curved metallic blade stretched out at a curve. It was pointed directly at his lower back. They were at a standstill, neither one of them dared to move.
“That’s quite enough you two.” He turned to see the proctor walking over to the two of them slowly. The blade slowly receded back into the concrete while his twelve blades slid back into the concrete as well.
“Well?” Blast Core asked with his eyebrow cocked at the proctor, he had been taking notes the entire fight, he frowned as if considering his skills, his actions, and his battle stance. He was being scored on all of it.
“You’ll be happy to know you meet the Alchemy standards for State Alchemist certification.” Blast Core grinned at the proctor hoof pumping slightly, nopony seemed to notice him doing it so he regained his composure.
“Great, when do I begin?” He asked the question as his attempt of humor, but he could barely smile since he lost Lyra.
“You haven’t passed yet Blast Core. You still have to excel in hoof to hoof combat.” The proctor shook his head stepping back to a safe distance. Great, this was everything Blast Core had feared. He had to fight this monster in hoof to hoof combat; he was going to get slaughtered.
“Fine, let’s just get this over with.” He stepped back trying to get to a safe distance, he wanted some time to prepare after the proctor initiated the trial.
“Begin!” The proctor yelled to them initiating the test, Blast Core knew this trial was going to be hell but he had to pass. This was for Lyra. He ran down towards his target zigzagging to throw off Iron Cannons vision. He may not be as strong as Iron Cannon but he was definitely faster than him. He jumped backwards away from the Heavy Weapons Alchemist when he tried to hammer him into the floor. He regained his composure staring at the Alchemist, he couldn’t run around him all day, he needed to scan for some sort of opening.
He spotted that his legs were heavily spread apart. This was a fatal flaw in his defensive stance. If he times this right, he could slide underneath Iron Cannon and get an under attack. He ran straight forward acting as if he were going to charge at the Giant pony. He laughed getting ready by crouching downwards smiling at him.
Blast core dropped his body rapidly to the floor letting himself slide underneath Iron Cannon. The Heavy Weapons Alchemist didn’t have enough time to react; before he knew it he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Blast Core barraged his stomach with repeated blows to his ribs. He slowly began to tip forward. Blast Core didn’t really plan for this to happen; he shoved his body forward to escape the collapsing pony. He narrowly escaped Iron Cannons fall, he looked back to see the Alchemist sprawled forward on the grass groaning heavily. He was clearly finished.
Blast Core rose up to his feet shaking his coat to get out all of the pebbles. He heard the same clapping he had during the Alchemy Trial. He turned to see the strange pony clapping again at him. He didn’t know where he saw her before but he knew he did. He remembered the pony who he had made the promise to protect Lyra to, but he didn’t get a good enough description of her to accurately place her to the pony clapping. He shrugged her off looking back to the Heavy Weapons Alchemist now rising up to his hooves slowly.
Iron Cannon was oddly smiling at him, did this lumbering golem not even feel pain? Apparently he could be injured, but it was amazing he could still smile.
“Good job Shorty, I’d say you’re good enough to become a State Alchemist, but then again my opinion doesn’t matter much.” Blast Core looked back to see the proctor, he had his mouth agape staring at him. Was it really so shocking he had won that fight? He didn’t think so, he just thought logically, apparently they haven’t heard of the popular phrase “The bigger they are the hard they fall.”
“That was an exceptional performance Blast Core, you have passed your required trials to receive your State Alchemist certification, congratulations.” He broke out a sly smile, he had passed the trials to receive his State Alchemist certification.
“Go home, we will call you in next week, your performance rating must be processed before it can be made official.” Blast Core nodded tiredly, he had wanted to go home anyway, he just wanted to sleep and think. He did have a lot to think about after all and he deserved a little rest.
That night he had the same dream, he was in the white room with Lyra, she was awake and standing with a light smile spread across her face. Blast Core immediately broke out in happiness; he would run for her as fast as he could. But always it was the same result; a giant wave would break right behind her. Before he could reach her the wave swept him away, carrying him farther and farther away from her. The water was suffocating him slowly; just as the grasp of death was hovering over him he found a new hope
.
He saw the strange pony, the one with the blue eyes standing there in the water, as if the wave had hardly affected her. She reached her hoof out to him so he could save himself; he would break into a dead swim towards her every time. He would get so close, so very close but by the time he reaches her, she fades away to dust. At this exact moment the blackness overtakes him swallowing him into darkness. He awakes screaming, it’s the same thing every time, and it never changes.
“It’s like a broken record.” He muttered to himself before laying back down folding his folding his forelegs behind his head. He closed his eyes going back to sleep for the night. He needed all the energy he could get if he was going to find Lyra, the moment was finally arriving.
