“So, monsieur Fredrick Gemstone, are you ready for the public test drive of the ISM Dimensional Jump Device?”
A brown fox looked over from his phone, nodding. His butler sighed.
“Monsieur Gemsto—” he began.
Fredrick raised his hand. “I don’t need to be reminded, Flei. I’m good, that’s all.” He looked at his phone. “Just waiting for my friend, who was supposed to be here minutes ago!”
“I said I was going late, Fred!” his friend complained as she went out of a styled car. “There was traffic, and police trying to not let me through to pick you up.”
“You’re a fox, Jess,” Fredrick countered back. “Use the stereotypes.”
Jess huffed. “Why were stereotypes even invented…” she complained in a hoarse voice, eyes wandering towards her watch and immediately jumped. “We’re late!”
“Wait, ‘we?’” Fredrick noticed. “I know I have my ‘test drive,’ but what about you?”
“Harvard,” Jess explained.
Fredrick looked over to Flei before both fox and vixen ran. The butler looked over to himself before heading off to follow his master in orders of ISAMD itself. Flei had known that something will terribly happen, and he hoped that he could stop such disaster. Entering a special limousine, he began to follow the young foxes’ car. He should’ve warned them. Turning and shifting gears, he soon found himself staring at two toll gate officers. He sighed, his hands fiddling towards his wallet where his identification card was. Looking over on what he got and smirking, he showed it to the officers. They politely excused themselves off which allowed Flei to advance through. Once far enough, he parked in a reserved space on his true name, picked up a suit and then followed the two foxes as they went towards the SMDEC.
“International Science and Magic Division,” Flei whispered to nobody. “a group known for being science and magical, despite arguments against joining each other.” With a click, his identification card went to loosely hang on his left chest. “I’ve seen what will happen. Alerith Laboratories and Yeltor Enterprises will it bring. But Crossia…”
He had arrived just in time for the public demonstration as “Prof. James Hollander” on the public auditorium. He spied the ISM Dimensional Jump Device, a small portal with machinations connected to the main ring. He shuddered at the sight of the poor recreated of the Dream Tower Transport Portals.
“... and now, for our public demonstrator, Fredrick Opalscene Gemstone!” the announcer… announced. Flei watched his master arrive on stage “And now if you please, activate the machine and tell us your experience as we all watch our esteemed guest use the machine.”
Fredrick nodded before noticing Flei with his grim look. The fox had known that once his trusted butler is near him, something will go wrong. Gulping, Fredrick continued on activating the prototype only to be sucked into it. Everybody panicked and ran off except for the suited butler who instead crossed his right fingers and chanted a spell to him.
“To save mortal encased in the spell!”
“I command to the sky to save from void!”
“In form w’ no memory from this quell!”
“I say this, for ne’er shall you be thrown!”
And then there was white as the machine exploded.
Chapter 1 - The Grounds...
“‘There had been rumors and prophecies that once a Student of Magic and a Wingless Horned One became one, a war would soon follow. Looking over these prophecies, I have once wondered what the Student of Magic meant.
‘As time passed by, only two things were in my mind. One was to determine who these two creatures are and if, and only if, they were ponies I would’ve to tell the alicorns about it. Two, I was feeling satisfied with my legacy and I wonder if I should assess this object and include it within. If you are reading this, that means you are looking at my greatest mystery after my unfinished destiny spell.
‘It has also come to me that these alicorns will be part of our culture someday, and I hope they are both mentally prepared for this. And so does the reader, for it took me a month to remove the thought of war on Equestria and five months to remove the damned rumor. I hope that as time passes by, it will become a true rumor, a legend is not told but forgotten, a prophecy that had never happened.’ Huh, what does it mean?” Twilight Sparkle wondered. “Student of Magic…”
Pinkie Pie, who was reading along with Twilight, gasped. “That’s you!”
Twilight jumped, her new wings flapping instinctively to balance her landing. “What!? But, how? There’s nothing else to it!” Twilight uttered in complete disapproval. “And we all know horned pegasi are just a crazy myth to scare pegasus ponies from intermarrying unicorns before Princess Celestia allowed to.”
“Well, duh, Princess Celestia was once the bearer of the Element of Magic, and you are studying the Magic of Friendship,” Pinkie casually clarified. “Or maybe not studying the magic of friendship, probably because maybe you are the Princess of Friendship… Or books… Or Magic… Yeah, you get the idea.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Uh,” she noticed. “How did you know?”
“I have no idea,” Pinkie returned, still in her casual tone. “Anyways, tomorrow again? I love these small slumber parties, you know.”
Twilight felt her blood rushing to her cheeks. “Oh, whatever Pinkie, just get out already.” The new alicorn watched as Pinkie jumped out of the window, and sighed in a very nice way once she pink fluffball mare was out of sight; knowing that she might be listening still even if she’s far away.
Princess Twilight Sparkle, former protegé of Princess Celestia, began to contemplate on the changes she had observed with themselves. For one thing, she had begun to exercise and feel better. The second she had noticed is that Pinkie was calmer than she was before she ascended, Rainbow Dash seemed to be attached to her more often (and something she also realized in herself with horror when she couldn’t sleep one night), Applejack now effectively manages both her work time and rest time, Rarity had unusual ideas for clothing and Fluttershy was a bit more assertive and… not-shy-er than before. Whatever had happened, Twilight felt that it was beginning to feel better with her friends. That is if she doesn’t end up with Rainbow Dash with an adopted foal. Ick.
Recovering from the shiver caused by her thought, Twilight went outside of her tree-library, the precious Ponyville Golden Oak Library (which was apparently the fourth tree-library according to sources), and went for a walk. Apparently, she had become calmer than reading when walking and so she now walked. Looking over, Twilight Sparkle giggled as she saw Spike with her checklist. It was something she missed, but she felt like the checklists are getting boring so she doesn’t use them now and then. The lavender pony now only used checklists for something important-important (because chores are important, and Spike takes care of it because he loves doing it).
“What is it, Spike?” Twilight asked as Spike had finally caught up. She looked over and pluck a feather from her own wing with a grunt and gave it to Spike for a quill. “Did we miss something?”
“Uh… not exactly…” The mare saw the dragon rub the back of his head. “You are a bit late for a picnic that Rarity had offered for you, girls.”
Twilight’s left eye twitched. “And are we ready for it?” she asked, trying to calm herself. ‘How do I even forget these tiny things? Oh, right the checklists, I remember. But I’m trying to move past them…’
“Uh… Rarity said she’ll take care of everything, however,” Spike reminded her. “Maybe you should go now before Rainbow arrives.”
“What!?” ‘Damn it, lost it at that time!’ Twilight went to straighten her mane. “Okay, so… take care of the library, okay? Goodbye, Spike.”
Twilight opened her wings and flapped them just enough to make her a few feet off the ground, then immediately went into a suitable position (which was coincidentally making her look like a supermare) then blasted off. Once she saw four silhouettes and a grassy plain, she slowed down for a graceful landing. Once she had landed well, Twilight looked to her right to find Rainbow Dash clapping.
“Woohoo! Nice landing, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash remarked.
She looked over to her left and saw that the other three’s reactions could probably cut an onion by itself four times. Rainbow Dash scoffed back and before anything would fall into chaos, Pinkie Pie had arrived.
“Sorry I’m late, I was smelly when I got back home after Twilight invited me to a slumber party because she couldn’t sleep because of somepony who may or may not have moved two hooves closer from her last position that I saw her right now,” Pinkie explained. “Anyways, nice picnic spot, Rarity, love the great view of Ponyville from here.”
The rainbow pegasus cleared her throat and whistled as she moved five hooves away from Twilight, who felt a bit disgusted and calm at the same time about the both of them. Said alicorn princess didn’t visibly react but inside facehooved at Pinkie’s actions too, something Applejack mirrored with a loud smack from her hoof.
“Why thank you Pinkie,” Rarity answered, smiling at the earth pony’s comment. “It was also Fluttershy’s idea here, considering that we’re being guarded by a huge bear right now.”
Said bear waved.
“Harry thanks for the compliment,” Fluttershy translated. “Ooh, what have we here? Butterfly cookies, how nice.”
“I had Applejack to help for that,” Rarity added.
Applejack nodded. “Darn toothin’, sugar. Ah hope y’all like some nice biscuits,” Applejack announced before taking a bite. “Mmm, I love it.”
“Really?” Pinkie wondered. She also took a bite. “Okay, you’re right, wow this is really cool.”
Twilight's mind began to think of something else as the picnic began and all of them were having a lively conversation. Sometimes she would answer and ask along to make it seem like she was also listening until her eyes drifted off to a long tree in the clearing. She felt something spinning from the inside of her and then began to walk to the tree even under fear. Once arriving, she screamed.
Back at the picnic area, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie froze in surprise at the scream coming from their friend who recently left their small area. Looking to each other with a complete trust they nodded to each other and ran towards Twilight, whose eyes were transfixed at the roots. Uncertain what she had seen, Pinkie looked first.
“What in the name of…” Pinkie mumbled off before going closer, checking something. “He’s still alive!”
“Wh-what?” Twilight shook her head and looked closer. “Oh, we need to take him to the hospital! Fluttershy, alert the others. Pinkie Pie, help me carry this… stallion to the hospital.”
“What’s with the wording, Twily?” Pinkie asked as she carefully picked up the unconscious stallion from the ground.
Twilight blinked. “I have no idea.”
Opalscene Keyheart Gemstone, or Opal Gemstone, felt like being thrown back into his own body from the myriad of memories which he all did not recognize. It was like a roller coaster ride on his own head and it had reached its final stopped when he opened his eyes and took a faint gasp for air. He wondered how long had been since he lost fainted on the poor tree he had planted when he was a colt. Looking over to his body, he sighed in relief.
“Oh, you’re awake,” said a mare’s voice. “What’s your name?”
“Uhm-uh, Opal Gemstone,” he answered back even if his voice seemed like it had been days since he fainted. “How long have I been out?”
“I don’t know, me and my friends just saw you on that tree 12 hours ago,” she answered back. “Look to your left.”
Blinking to refresh the eyes who acted like they haven’t been opened for years, Opal looked to the left and to his surprise, she was beautiful. He saw how much her mane was clean and groomed up, the way that her wings were properly preened and how her horn looked naturally smooth. He blinked as he wondered who this mare was while Twilight stared, noticing how the stallion was looking at her.
‘I’m not that attractive, am I?’ she wondered to herself. “Uh… are you alright, sir?”
The stallion immediately was out of his love inflicted trance he felt and nodded. “Yes, yes, I am. I’m alright.” He cross-eyed towards his horn. “And my horn’s fractured, not that I don’t know what to do with it.”
“What do you mean? You look like a unicorn to me,” Twilight asked. ‘Is he an alicorn or…?’
“I was born with a non-functional horn and functional wings,” he replied to Twilight’s horror. “Had the pegasus magic too, until me and my parents decided that I should cut off the wings instead of surgically removing my horn. I don’t like my head to have a hole where my horn is, at least the wings can be hidden with proper grooming and a vest. Suit. Vest. I don’t know, maybe a vest suit. You know what I mean.”
…
…
“Uh… princess?” Opal called. “Are you alright?”
…
…
Twilight Sparkle finally panicked and chickened out of the room.
