Alternate Pathsby Dr_WavebandChaptersChapter One: The AberrationChapter Two: The EncounterChapter Three: The BereavementChapter Four: The AscensionChapter One: The AberrationChapter One: The Aberration The Sun’s warm rays illuminated a wooden desk stacked full of books, loose papers and writing tools. It slowly rose from behind the horizon, crimson rays turning through shades of orange to the clear yellow that bathed Equestria each day. The bright glow finally rising above a certain tall pile of tomes, it reached the eyes of a busy unicorn scribbling notes on a parchment on the desk. She squinted her bloodshot eyes until she couldn’t see what she was writing anymore. That’s when she finally woke out of her stupor, dumbly staring first at the painful light, then at the clock on the wall. “Sweet Celestia! Morning?!” “Morning, Twilight.” Twilight spun around, finding herself face to face with a surprised Spike. “Twilight… have you been up all night? It’s past breakfast time! I overslept and thought: ‘Isn’t Twilight sweet, letting me sleep while she goes downstairs to make breakfast…’ but here you are, still studying that weird book!” “It’s important, Spike! Princess Celestia herself assigned this task to me. I don’t want to disappoint her and be… tardy!” “What’s so special about it anyway? You’ve had your eyes on it since yesterday, without even taking a lunch break. I had to practically stuff sandwiches down your throat so you wouldn’t start starving!” “It’s special, Spike.” Twilight started walking in a circle around the room. “It’s the only book in Princess Celestia’s private library neither she nor Princess Luna have never seen before. How could it have been placed there without either of their knowledge when nopony else has access to the private collection? It’s also written in a language nopony, not even the princesses speak! They did find material that could help translate it… and that´s what I’m doing right now. That’s what I should be doing right now!” She used her magic to whip the curtains in front of the window and returned to the desk where a large, ancient book lay open. Twilight glanced at her latest notes beside it. “But it’s so slow and difficult… I’ve barely transcribed two pages, and I can’t even understand what it means! I mean, it’s understandable… but it makes no sense!” She stared at the dragon wildly. “I don’t understand this book!” Spike recoiled a bit at her panicked outburst. “Take it easy Twi! I’m sure you’ll understand it once you translate a bit more… but first, you really need to eat something. And sleep! You’ll get nothing done in that state.” The unicorn let her head droop. “You’re right, Spike. I’m stressing out too much on this. I’ll continue in a few hours. Maybe I’ll take a warm bath too.” She smiled at the thought of a relaxing bubble bath. “Thank you Spike. This is why you’re my number one assistant.” She rubbed his head affectionately. “Yeah. I dread to think where you’d end up without me. Propably in a looney bin”, he chuckled. “I’ll make some breakfast now, you go take that bath.” *Knock knock* “I’ll go see who that is”, Twilight said, walking to the front door. Please don’t let it be Pinkie Pie. I’m not in the mood to deal with her. The door opened with a burst of purple magic. “Letter to a Twilight Sparkle”, intoned a gruff voice behind it. “That’s me. Uh, where’s Derpy? She’s usually the one to deliver post to all of Ponyville.” “I’m not with the mail service. I was instructed to make sure this letter reaches you.” The way he said it made it obvious it was a well rehearsed line. Twilight looked curiously at the stranger. He was a large stallion with a dull brown coat and a dark grey mane. The scars on his face spoke of numerous fights and a violent nature. His blank stare betrayed no emotion, and, frankly, no intelligence to speak of, either. He reached into a small saddle bag and procured a blank envelope. “Er… thank you. May I ask, who is it from? There’s nothing on the envelope.” But the stallion simply turned and walked away, as if not hearing her. The librarian considered going after him, but decided against it. He’s obviously not going to tell me… if he even knows, himself. Puzzled, she closed the door and opened the letter. She felt a magical seal break. It was a powerful and intricate spell that prevented the envelope’s opening by anypony else but the recipient. Twilight was befuddled by the extremity of this precaution. I’ve never seen anything like this! The contents only left her more confused. It was Princess Celestia’s handwriting! And yet… there was something odd about it. My faithful student Yesterday, I sent you the old tome found within my library. I’m sure you’ve been studying it keenly since then. What I ask of you now may seem strange, but I beg of you to trust me. I couldn’t send this letter through our usual channel for the same reasons as why I’m asking you this. Study the book no further. Wait until tonight, then bring the book to the Old Castle within Everfree Forest. I will meet you there. Tell no soul about this, and stay unseen as you travel. Princess Celestia Twilight’s tired mind was reeling with questions. What could it mean? Why these precautions? Why couldn’t she continue studying the book? She grew dizzy from the intense brainwork. “Who was it?” came a question from the kitchen. I can’t let him know of the letter. I can’t tell anyone, not even him. “It... was… Derpy!” “Oh. Anything for me?” “No!” “Anything interesting?” “No!” Spike peeked his head from the kitchen, looking confused: “You all right?” “Yes!” She hid the letter behind her back. “I’ll, er, go take the bath now!” Before Spike could inquire any further, the student had disappeared into the bathroom. “She really needs some sleep”. *** As the night fell, Twilight pretended to go to sleep. She had taken a nap earlier, as difficult as it was to sleep, her mind constantly questioning the situation. She was still left tired from finding excuses not to study the old tome and running around the town doing everything else but studying, trying not to raise Spike’s suspicions. It wasn’t going well, but she knew she had succeeded when she retired to bed early, claiming she would continue her work tomorrow. When a couple of hours later she heard Spike crawl to bed and his peaceful snore begin, the unicorn snuck out of bed and tiptoed to her desk. There she lifted the heavy book into her saddlebag and tried to position it so she wouldn’t tumble on every step. Sneaking around the house, she packed some food and supplies to the bag on her other flank, balancing the weight she was carrying. The pale moonlight offered some visibility outside as Twilight took the back alleys out of Ponyville, heading to the dark forest. It was dangerous enough in bright daylight, but Twilight remembered the way to the crumbling castle, using her horn as a torch and jumping at every strange sound from the depths of the woods. With a few cuts and bruises from spiked bushes and unseen holes on the ground, she finally reached the Old Castle safely. It was shrouded in fog, like a dragon’s lair with smoke emanating from within. The unsteady bridge was still intact from her last visit with the other girls. Twilight felt a pang of loneliness remembering her friends, but she knew she’d find her mentor inside. Bracing herself, she crossed the bridge, careful not to look down, and entered the castle. She knew where to go; the Princess would surely wait for her in the room where they had vanguished Nightmare Moon and saved Princess Luna. Something was not right. A low reverberating feeling pulsated in the rocks around Twilight as she climbed the stairs towards her destination. Magic… but not like any I’ve felt before. As muted as the magical echoing seemed, the student of magic recognized it was intensely powerful and only barely contained. She felt her hairs stand up and sweat start to trickle down her face. Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to come here after all… but she was summoned by the Princess herself. Loyalty and curiosity overcame fear as Twilight took her last steps of ascent and entered the room. This was the source, the centre of it… yet she saw nothing and nopony. The unicorn took a few careful steps forward, now feeling the pulsating sensation in her horn. It was accelerating. Welcome. That was not Princess Celestia. You come, as summoned. You bring the means. Something turned, no, twisted in the centre of the room, coming visible from some other state of being. It was not a living thing, but a hole; a portal of undescribable shape. The echoless voice seeped from inside it. Twilight couldn’t imagine anything that could have such a voice. I bear the meaning. She tried running away, but was transfixed in place, hypnotized by the strangeness in front of her. Enter All colour faded from the world as Twilight felt herself being drawn forward without moving, gliding to the portal without touching the floor. Her mind was streched, the magical pulsing intensifying. It struck through her horn and a light blurred her vision. She was lost. Chapter Two: The EncounterChapter Two: The Encounter Luna’s night… it was as beautiful as ever. A marble-white orb silently travelled its destined path through the black void, accompanied by the stars, tiny beads of divine light. The Moon was perfect in its imperfectness, craters and channels painting an image for all the world to see. Twilight marvelled at the majesty of it all, these celestial residents of the night; wondering their purpose and their creation. Was it all Luna’s work? I should ask her… but I can’t. I’m alone, confined to the Moon. Oh, Celestia! My teacher, my beloved friend! Why am I here? Why must I be alone? I didn’t do anything! I deceived Spike, yes, but it was by your orders! I couldn’t tell him of the letter. I had to… no. It wasn’t Celestia. I was fooled. I was fooled into… Twilight woke up. She lifted her head, but a sudden spinning sensation struck it down immediately. She felt her head fall on a musty, soft carpet. She wasn’t in pain, but a blurry, spinning vision almost made her vomit. She inhaled quickly, and felt a stifling stink fill her lungs. The unicorn coughed harshly and rolled onto her back. As she began to regain her senses, she finally opened her eyes again and rose to a shaky sitting position. It was a dimly lit, medium-sized room, with old-fashioned wallpaper, a dark carpet and the elegant furniture of a drawing room. There were many things to catch a viewer’s eye; beautiful paintings and expensive decorations, obviously from a myriad of countries and cultures. Still, only one thing caught Twilight’s eye, not letting her avert her gaze. Another pony. “Awake, are we?” she spoke with a strange accent, a mysterious grin on her lips. “Who…” “It doesn’t matter. Not yet, in any case. Would you care for some wine?” She offered one of two glasses, her horn levitating it with a light blue glow. “No… thank you”, Twilight answered, still unable to think properly. She stared at the stranger. “A shame… it’s made by the Duke himself. Delicious.” She was a beige unicorn with a striking red mane that flowed down on one side of her head, stylized with much care. She was actually slightly smaller than her guest, but her aristocratic manners gave her an air of importance and impressive stature. Her cutie mark was… a cart wheel? The confused mare didn’t know what to make of it. Why would a high-class member of the society have such a cutie mark? The mare’s smile had grown into an expression of amusement and mockery. “I heard you were a most intelligent individual, Miss Twilight Sparkle. Yet you look like a foal torn from the lap of her mother.” Twilight’s thoughts were clearing. She still didn’t fully remember the events that had brought her here, nor did she know where ‘here’ was or why she was sitting in front of this pony ridiculing her… but she knew she would take no more of this. The purple unicorn rose to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster in her weakened, nonplussed state. “Since you seem to know my name - and won’t tell me yours - I believe we’re past any introductory phase. Now, could you please start explaining where in Celestia’s name I am - and why?” The aristocrat’s eyes widened slightly, even though she kept her smile even. “You may not wish to utter that name in His house… you’ll soon understand why.” She took a sip from her glass. “There are two reasons why you’re here. The first is that-“ she pointed at Twilight’s saddlebags on a stool next to her chair “-the second… that”. She pointed directly at the unamused librarian. “Where we are… I’d rather show than tell.” The beige unicorn stood up and gracefully walked to a nearby wooden door. “Come”. Out of options, Twilight complied, glaring at her. “I’ll see you again soon. By the way, you may call me Roue, for now.” She laughed delicately. “I’m sure you will, soon enough”. Twilight was about to say she wouldn’t leave before getting proper answers, but was silenced when Roue opened the door. Behind the door was a hallway; one you might expect to find in a house with the sort of room the two stood in. The walls were covered in fine wood paneling and the floor hid under a tasteful green carpet. The only unusual thing about the straight, narrow hallway was its length. As well-lid by regularily placed gas lights as it was, Twilight couldn’t see an end to it. As she stared to the distance, she heard a door slam shut. As she hadn’t exited the room, it must have come from… behind? Behind the mare was a hallway, continuing to an unseen end. “Roue… ?” There was no echo to her call. *** After a moment of hopelessness Twilight’s logic kicked in. Seeing but two ways to go, she chose one and started cantering forward. The canter soon changed to a panicked gallop, as she couldn’t find any change in the never-ending corridor. Tentative probes with magic proved futile; it was as if there was nothing beyond the well-maintained walls, the perfectly horizontal floor or the dark-coloured ceiling. Without her saddlebags, she soon realized, she wouldn’t last long. There was no water in this infernal trap, and she was already thirsty. As the crushing realization of her situation dawned to the unicorn, she slowed down, then stopped completely. Panting heavily, Twilight let herself go limp and buried her face in her hooves. “What is this place!? Why am I here?” she cried, physically and mentally exhausted. She rolled over so as not to smell the foul-stinking carpet and wiped tears off her eyes. And saw a strip of white in the ceiling. The strand of hope reinvigorated her. Perhaps it was something important; something useful! She stood up on two legs, leaning to the wall, and felt out with her magic. It was a trapdoor, its seams nearly invisible and coloured like the rest of the ceiling. Twilight pulled, and with surprising ease, it opened outwards. A piece of paper stuck between the door gently floated down. The mare snatched it from mid-air with her magic and looked at it. Lesson one: always stay aware Chapter Three: The BereavementChapter Three: The Bereavement ”Ugh… maybe I’m having a nightmare. Maybe I just ate one too many of those ’Pinkie’s Super-Special Cupcakes’ and am right now being hurried to a hospital, unconscious and drooling on a stretcher”, Twilight mused. As dream-like as her situation seemed, she didn’t really believe it. She looked at the retractable ladder fixed to the floor next to the hatch she had just climbed up from. The ladder now led down to the impossible hallway, mocking her with the easy means of escape it had offered. ”’Always stay aware’… believe me, I will. I’ll find the way out of here, whatever it takes. I’m not letting that insufferable snob play with me!” Her fury died down as she looked around. ”The question is – where should I start?” Around the pony was a cavern – a massive underground area, its walls filled with damp tunnels leading Celestia knows where; gaping holes from ground level to unreachable heights. The place was sparsely lit by strange lamps pointing their harsh cones of light from the walls they were firmly attached to. Twilight walked to the nearest wall – the glowing square of the trapdoor now a barely visible slit from this distance – and inspected one of the lamps curiously. It was made from a material unknown to the scholar; strong as metal but somehow softer, neither cold from the chilling cave air nor warm near the light source on its end. The light itself emanated from something too bright to see - and too hot to touch, as Twilight found out after bringing her hoof near it. Her magical inspection only found a smooth, seamless surface to the object, not letting her probe inside. Her curiosity remained unsatisfied. Snapping back to reality, Twilight shivered at the thought of being lost to this maze. But at least there was some hope this time; a more reasonable chance of finding at least something than when trapped in the hallway. She once again extended her magic out, feeling inside the tunnels, slowly turning her head around. Her work was suddenly interrupted by an echoing sound; a shrill metallic screech that made her wince. It was followed by a voice she quickly recognized, the echo making it multiply confusingly. ”Hello? I know you’re there dear. Congratulations on passing the first test and learning your first lesson here. Don’t get overconfident though – that was the easiest one”, Roue mocked the lost unicorn. Twilight quickly considered whether it was better to snap back at her tormentor or to ask for help. Before she could open her mouth however, Roue continued. ”It’s no use; I can’t hear you. But you can hear me. Find me and we’ll get you ready for your next test.” Before the echoes had died down, Twilight started marching in the general direction of where the voice had come, determined to get the upper hand in this game. She couldn’t pinpoint the source of the voice to an exact tunnel, but at least there were fewer choices now. As she neared the wall, she looked around carefully for any clues. And a clue she found. Leading from one tunnel to another, there was a faint trail of liquid; dried, dark droplets on the ground. If that’s what I think it is… whatever left it? Do I even want to know? A distant scratching could be heard from one of the two tunnels. It only lasted for a few seconds, but Twilight could tell that whatever creature it was, it couldn’t be very big. And if it was bleeding, it might be weakened from the blood loss… perhaps even something, or someone who would accept the unicorn’s help, and could help her in return. Encouraged by the mental image of a bleeding pony, lost like herself, Twilight started quietly creeping through the dark tunnel. The tunnel quickly became pitch-black, as the light of the lamps couldn’t reach far into it. Twilight slowly felt her way forward, careful to avoid making any noises herself. Along the way she heard some more scratching; something hard against rock, but it didn’t seem to be receding. She began feeling wetness in her hooves; these droplets farther from the cavern hadn’t dried up yet. It had the strong, coppery smell of blood. Soon after the mare could see faint light ahead. Finally emerging from the cramped space, Twilight took a look around. This was a cave similar to the first one - actually, Twilight thought, starting to feel dizzy - it could have very well been completely identical. She could now see the trail being clearer and wider, suddenly changing near the middle of the room. Something had been dragged – or had dragged itself – from that point onward all the way to a shadow near the far wall, smearing the blood on the floor along its path. Realizing how visible she was, standing in the illumination of one of the lamps, Twilight quickly escaped to a nearby shadow, listening carefully. After a while of silence, the unicorn started moving forward, continuing along the blood trail, avoiding the harshly lit areas. She had only taken a few steps before she froze, a hoof still in the air. She heard light sobbing from the shadows; it was a voice she had heard before. Her dear friend. Her number one assistant. “Spike?” the unicorn whispered, her voice quivering. The sobbing ended. A form slowly dragged itself from the darkness, looking at his friend. “T-Twilight…?” He looked horrible, bruised and with small bleeding cuts that had already expended much of his blood. “Spike! What happened?” Twilight yelled in a panicked voice and ran to the dragon. “…I followed you.” "How? Why?! What happened to you?" Spike didn't answer. Instead, his eyes glazed over as he started convulsing violently, making weird guttural noises. Twilight jumped back in terror as Spike's body began to grow and change. His neck, limbs and tail elongated. The spikes on his back sharpened and his teeth and claws became the deadly weapons of a predator. The fully grown dragon's wings flew open, eclipsing most of the lights behind him and casting a shadow over the awestruck unicorn below. He roared viciously. "Spike! What..?" But the beast no longer recognized her. It bellowed and struck at the pony with his tail. Twilight barely managed to roll out of the way. As the tail smashed the ground, leaving cracks in the solid rock floor, a claw rose up, ready to strike. "Stop, Spike! It's me!" Twilight dodged another attack. She worked her panicked brain as quickly as she could. Teleporting out of the way of a massive burst of green flame, feeling it heat up the entire cave, she knew she couldn't escape. She would be roasted alive trying to maneuver through a tunnel and she couldn't simply teleport randomly, hoping to land in another cave or a tunnel instead of inside solid rock. Twilight knew she had to stop his friend. She struck him with magic; several weak blows all over his gigantic body, trying to find a weak spot; something to bring him down with as little force as possible. There was nothing. What had been Spike roared again, furiously biting at the unicorn who jumped to the side, feeling her tail narrowly slip from between his teeth. Twilight was already tired from the physical strain and her useless magical attacks. She couldn't keep evading the barrage of attacks much longer. Desperate, she tried something she had never done before. She used her magic, trying to find the monster's windpipe. If she could reach her magic through his thick scales and skin and suffocate him for a short while, he would surely faint! Yes, there... Her concentration was broken as the dragon grabbed her in his claw, but she didn't let go of the spell. He started gasping for air, opened his mouth in something resembling fear... and started crushing the unicorn. She cried in pain, starting to feel her bones break. In blind madness she struck with her spell, upwards, as hard as she could, in a desperate attempt to survive. She fell on the floor. Momentarily stunned, she awaited for death. When nothing came, she opened her eyes and looked around. Spike - ...yes, whatever had caused this transformaton, he was still his Spike - lay on the cavern floor, motionless. Twilight ran closer, her relief turning to horror. He was dead. Her spell had struck him too hard, tearing something apart inside him. "I... Spike..." As realisation dawned unto her; the understanding of her horrific act in all its extent, the dead body began transforming once more. This time, as the dragon decreased in size instead of growing, it was surrounded by a light blue glow. It grew painfully bright, but the numb Twilight couldn't move a muscle, not even close her eyes. Ultimately the light vanished, and in front of Twilight stood the form of a pony. "Lesson two", she spoke with a triumphant voice, "never let emotion disable you". Chapter Four: The AscensionChapter Four: The Ascension ”You, you…” Roue didn’t stay to wait for the inevitable attack. With a flash of magic she was gone, leaving Twilight charging blindly through empty air. Roue reappeared safely in the familiar room she had spent much time in during her stay in this world. The room was small and pragmatic; a symmetrical metal cube with no doors or windows. On the other end of it, a whole wall was obscured by a mass of machinery and computer screens, displaying information of various kinds and beeping softly. The other side of the room was a small living space with a bed, some cupboards and kitchen utensils. The cream-coloured unicorn had sometimes spent days on end in this prison-like work area. She was glad this newcomer gave her an excuse to leave the place more often now. Swiping some hair back behind her ear, the mare immediately went for the computers and pressed a demandingly blinking button. ”Excellent”, she said, satisfied by her own performance. Don’t let initial good progress fool you. She may present surprises. ”Really? I’m not sure we should waste our time on this one. She seems rather… easily disturbed.” She is strong. She is required. Roue smiled at the disembodied voice. ”Very well. I trust you as always, love. I’ll continue with the primary plan, then.” She pulled a chair in front of the monitoring station and seated herself. Several monitors displayed live video feed of a purple unicorn weeping powerlessly on a cavern floor. ”We’ll see how you fare, Miss Sparkle.” *** Having pulled herself together, Twilight could finally start thinking. I’m being played with, and the only thing I can do for now is to play along. They must have left me a way out. She looked around and, sure enough, saw faint light in the tunnel closest to her on the cave wall. It wasn’t light from one of these strange lamps – it was the soft glow of sunlight. Rising up from the cold stone the unicorn began walking through the ascending tunnel. It was much shorter than the one she had traversed before; an easy exit ridiculing her earlier desperation in the underground maze. Twilight felt the air growing colder as she walked onwards – or climbed: the passage rapidly became steeper. The end of the tunnel sloped down and opened into a small grey room with narrow, foggy windows lining the top of all the four concrete walls. That’s not fog… that’s frost. Twilight eyed the door in front of her. It was a heavy steel door with a large circular hatch wheel installed into the centre of it. Excited of finding a way up to the outside world, cold or not, she turned the wheel with her magic. After some initial resistance caused by rust and ice, the mechanism started working and the bolts inside the door slid open. The magical energy then pushed the door outwards. It opened silently and effortlessly. Twilight jumped outside, happy and refreshed by the fresh, cold air, just to sink deep into a mass of soft snow. She had made a pony-shaped hole slighty deeper than she was tall. The snow was far from strong and supporting, and the unicorn only made it easily back inside thanks to some stairs hidden in the snow in front of the door. Now she also had wet fur, which made her realize just how coldly the wind blew through the open door. Shivering, Twilight stopped to take a look at the landscape before her. All she saw through the doorway was an endless, flat expanse of snow; nothing but pure whiteness as far as she could see. Levitating snow from outside into a corner behind her and packing it tightly, the mare constructed some snow stairs and climbed them to one of the windows above her and opposite to the door. She could make out the horizon through the frosty window… but nothing more there, either. She leaned against the other wall ending in this corner to her left and looked through there. More snow… and movement. A shape was moving not far away from the building. It was coming closer. Twilight froze looking at the thing. She couldn’t see what it was, but unlike her, it was something that could traverse the frail snow blanket without sinking into it. It was moving slowly on four legs, appearantely weakened by its journey across the white desert. The unicorn managed to climb down quietly and walked to the doorway. She carefully peeked out the door. Now having better visibility, Twilight could see the form was larger and farther away than she had expected. It was wrapped in warm clothes and had some peculiar contraptions strapped to its feet. Snowshoes! At least it’s not some dangerous animal… just a possibly dangerous intelligent being. The thing stopped. It had seen Twilight. It looked at her carefully, its face unseen under the clothes and a pair of snow goggles. The pony, or whatever it was, then simply continued its trudge towards the door. ”Hey!” Twilight yelled, surprised at the raspiness of her voice. After coughing a bit, she continued with a clearer voice. ”Hey! Who are you? Don’t come too close!” It was as if the thing hadn’t heard her. It continued steadily towards her. ”Hey! I can use magic! I could fight you, or… or close the door and destroy the lock! Don’t tempt me!” Now the creature stopped. It removed one of the snowshoes and looked at Twilight. Lowering a scarf from its face with the freed leg, it spoke. ”That would be rather counterproductive. I’m here to help you, Twilight Sparkle.” ”Does everyone here know my name?! I want answers! Who are you?” ”Please let me in first. It’s awfully cold out here, you know.” Twilight stared at the pony – it was a male pony, she saw now – who continued walking toward her. Distrust, curiousity, fear and hope conflicting inside her, she decided to let the stallion in. How could he make my situation any worse? The pony plodded around the hole Twilight had left and entered the bare room. He slumped down heavily and dropped his saddlebags on the floor. ”Could you close the door?” he asked, opening his bags. The purple mare had no desire to go outside or to enjoy the freezing blow that had started growing in strength during the last couple of minutes. She pulled the door shut with her magic, leaving it unlocked. The stranger’s head was now bare. He was a light grey stallion with a muscular build. His mane was dark brown, nearly black, with some stripes of a lighter brown colour. He was building some device, humming a tune to himself. ”Now”, Twilight began. ”Answers.” ”No. First, fire.” The stallion placed his machine on the floor and turned a switch. A large flame shot up, nearly licking the ceiling. The room started quickly heating up. ”Oops.” He turned a valve and the flame diminished to a more reasonable size. The pony then browsed through his bags some more. ”Who are you? What are you doing here?” Twilight was getting angry at the weird stallion. ”My name is Star Chart. Professor Star Chart. Everyone just calls me ’the Professor’, though.” He put a hoof to his chest proudly. ”I am an explorer.” ”You don’t look like a professor.” The unicorn looked at ’the Professor’ warily. ”Is that what you’re doing here? Exploring? I don’t even know where ’here’ is!” ”Neither do I! That’s exactly why I’m exploring here.” He went back to his saddle bags. ”Now, before further questions… let’s eat. I’m starving.” Star Chart offered Twilight a sandwich wrapped in tin foil. She hadn’t realised just how hungry she was until smelling the delicious aroma wafting from within. Twilight greedily chomped down the sandwich in a couple of bites. ”Heh, I’m glad you like it.” Twilight suddenly felt a sharp sting in her neck. ”I’m sorry, but that’s for your own good.” The Professor pulled the syringe out. The mare looked at it, feeling strangely detached. ”Just go to sleep. We’ll continue later. We can’t stay here, after all.” He grabbed another sandwich. Twilight’s vision blurred. She started feeling weightless. The sideways-professor enjoyed a lunch. The librarian from Ponyville soared up to the sky and dreamed.
Chapter One: The AberrationChapter One: The Aberration The Sun’s warm rays illuminated a wooden desk stacked full of books, loose papers and writing tools. It slowly rose from behind the horizon, crimson rays turning through shades of orange to the clear yellow that bathed Equestria each day. The bright glow finally rising above a certain tall pile of tomes, it reached the eyes of a busy unicorn scribbling notes on a parchment on the desk. She squinted her bloodshot eyes until she couldn’t see what she was writing anymore. That’s when she finally woke out of her stupor, dumbly staring first at the painful light, then at the clock on the wall. “Sweet Celestia! Morning?!” “Morning, Twilight.” Twilight spun around, finding herself face to face with a surprised Spike. “Twilight… have you been up all night? It’s past breakfast time! I overslept and thought: ‘Isn’t Twilight sweet, letting me sleep while she goes downstairs to make breakfast…’ but here you are, still studying that weird book!” “It’s important, Spike! Princess Celestia herself assigned this task to me. I don’t want to disappoint her and be… tardy!” “What’s so special about it anyway? You’ve had your eyes on it since yesterday, without even taking a lunch break. I had to practically stuff sandwiches down your throat so you wouldn’t start starving!” “It’s special, Spike.” Twilight started walking in a circle around the room. “It’s the only book in Princess Celestia’s private library neither she nor Princess Luna have never seen before. How could it have been placed there without either of their knowledge when nopony else has access to the private collection? It’s also written in a language nopony, not even the princesses speak! They did find material that could help translate it… and that´s what I’m doing right now. That’s what I should be doing right now!” She used her magic to whip the curtains in front of the window and returned to the desk where a large, ancient book lay open. Twilight glanced at her latest notes beside it. “But it’s so slow and difficult… I’ve barely transcribed two pages, and I can’t even understand what it means! I mean, it’s understandable… but it makes no sense!” She stared at the dragon wildly. “I don’t understand this book!” Spike recoiled a bit at her panicked outburst. “Take it easy Twi! I’m sure you’ll understand it once you translate a bit more… but first, you really need to eat something. And sleep! You’ll get nothing done in that state.” The unicorn let her head droop. “You’re right, Spike. I’m stressing out too much on this. I’ll continue in a few hours. Maybe I’ll take a warm bath too.” She smiled at the thought of a relaxing bubble bath. “Thank you Spike. This is why you’re my number one assistant.” She rubbed his head affectionately. “Yeah. I dread to think where you’d end up without me. Propably in a looney bin”, he chuckled. “I’ll make some breakfast now, you go take that bath.” *Knock knock* “I’ll go see who that is”, Twilight said, walking to the front door. Please don’t let it be Pinkie Pie. I’m not in the mood to deal with her. The door opened with a burst of purple magic. “Letter to a Twilight Sparkle”, intoned a gruff voice behind it. “That’s me. Uh, where’s Derpy? She’s usually the one to deliver post to all of Ponyville.” “I’m not with the mail service. I was instructed to make sure this letter reaches you.” The way he said it made it obvious it was a well rehearsed line. Twilight looked curiously at the stranger. He was a large stallion with a dull brown coat and a dark grey mane. The scars on his face spoke of numerous fights and a violent nature. His blank stare betrayed no emotion, and, frankly, no intelligence to speak of, either. He reached into a small saddle bag and procured a blank envelope. “Er… thank you. May I ask, who is it from? There’s nothing on the envelope.” But the stallion simply turned and walked away, as if not hearing her. The librarian considered going after him, but decided against it. He’s obviously not going to tell me… if he even knows, himself. Puzzled, she closed the door and opened the letter. She felt a magical seal break. It was a powerful and intricate spell that prevented the envelope’s opening by anypony else but the recipient. Twilight was befuddled by the extremity of this precaution. I’ve never seen anything like this! The contents only left her more confused. It was Princess Celestia’s handwriting! And yet… there was something odd about it. My faithful student Yesterday, I sent you the old tome found within my library. I’m sure you’ve been studying it keenly since then. What I ask of you now may seem strange, but I beg of you to trust me. I couldn’t send this letter through our usual channel for the same reasons as why I’m asking you this. Study the book no further. Wait until tonight, then bring the book to the Old Castle within Everfree Forest. I will meet you there. Tell no soul about this, and stay unseen as you travel. Princess Celestia Twilight’s tired mind was reeling with questions. What could it mean? Why these precautions? Why couldn’t she continue studying the book? She grew dizzy from the intense brainwork. “Who was it?” came a question from the kitchen. I can’t let him know of the letter. I can’t tell anyone, not even him. “It... was… Derpy!” “Oh. Anything for me?” “No!” “Anything interesting?” “No!” Spike peeked his head from the kitchen, looking confused: “You all right?” “Yes!” She hid the letter behind her back. “I’ll, er, go take the bath now!” Before Spike could inquire any further, the student had disappeared into the bathroom. “She really needs some sleep”. *** As the night fell, Twilight pretended to go to sleep. She had taken a nap earlier, as difficult as it was to sleep, her mind constantly questioning the situation. She was still left tired from finding excuses not to study the old tome and running around the town doing everything else but studying, trying not to raise Spike’s suspicions. It wasn’t going well, but she knew she had succeeded when she retired to bed early, claiming she would continue her work tomorrow. When a couple of hours later she heard Spike crawl to bed and his peaceful snore begin, the unicorn snuck out of bed and tiptoed to her desk. There she lifted the heavy book into her saddlebag and tried to position it so she wouldn’t tumble on every step. Sneaking around the house, she packed some food and supplies to the bag on her other flank, balancing the weight she was carrying. The pale moonlight offered some visibility outside as Twilight took the back alleys out of Ponyville, heading to the dark forest. It was dangerous enough in bright daylight, but Twilight remembered the way to the crumbling castle, using her horn as a torch and jumping at every strange sound from the depths of the woods. With a few cuts and bruises from spiked bushes and unseen holes on the ground, she finally reached the Old Castle safely. It was shrouded in fog, like a dragon’s lair with smoke emanating from within. The unsteady bridge was still intact from her last visit with the other girls. Twilight felt a pang of loneliness remembering her friends, but she knew she’d find her mentor inside. Bracing herself, she crossed the bridge, careful not to look down, and entered the castle. She knew where to go; the Princess would surely wait for her in the room where they had vanguished Nightmare Moon and saved Princess Luna. Something was not right. A low reverberating feeling pulsated in the rocks around Twilight as she climbed the stairs towards her destination. Magic… but not like any I’ve felt before. As muted as the magical echoing seemed, the student of magic recognized it was intensely powerful and only barely contained. She felt her hairs stand up and sweat start to trickle down her face. Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to come here after all… but she was summoned by the Princess herself. Loyalty and curiosity overcame fear as Twilight took her last steps of ascent and entered the room. This was the source, the centre of it… yet she saw nothing and nopony. The unicorn took a few careful steps forward, now feeling the pulsating sensation in her horn. It was accelerating. Welcome. That was not Princess Celestia. You come, as summoned. You bring the means. Something turned, no, twisted in the centre of the room, coming visible from some other state of being. It was not a living thing, but a hole; a portal of undescribable shape. The echoless voice seeped from inside it. Twilight couldn’t imagine anything that could have such a voice. I bear the meaning. She tried running away, but was transfixed in place, hypnotized by the strangeness in front of her. Enter All colour faded from the world as Twilight felt herself being drawn forward without moving, gliding to the portal without touching the floor. Her mind was streched, the magical pulsing intensifying. It struck through her horn and a light blurred her vision. She was lost.
Chapter Two: The EncounterChapter Two: The Encounter Luna’s night… it was as beautiful as ever. A marble-white orb silently travelled its destined path through the black void, accompanied by the stars, tiny beads of divine light. The Moon was perfect in its imperfectness, craters and channels painting an image for all the world to see. Twilight marvelled at the majesty of it all, these celestial residents of the night; wondering their purpose and their creation. Was it all Luna’s work? I should ask her… but I can’t. I’m alone, confined to the Moon. Oh, Celestia! My teacher, my beloved friend! Why am I here? Why must I be alone? I didn’t do anything! I deceived Spike, yes, but it was by your orders! I couldn’t tell him of the letter. I had to… no. It wasn’t Celestia. I was fooled. I was fooled into… Twilight woke up. She lifted her head, but a sudden spinning sensation struck it down immediately. She felt her head fall on a musty, soft carpet. She wasn’t in pain, but a blurry, spinning vision almost made her vomit. She inhaled quickly, and felt a stifling stink fill her lungs. The unicorn coughed harshly and rolled onto her back. As she began to regain her senses, she finally opened her eyes again and rose to a shaky sitting position. It was a dimly lit, medium-sized room, with old-fashioned wallpaper, a dark carpet and the elegant furniture of a drawing room. There were many things to catch a viewer’s eye; beautiful paintings and expensive decorations, obviously from a myriad of countries and cultures. Still, only one thing caught Twilight’s eye, not letting her avert her gaze. Another pony. “Awake, are we?” she spoke with a strange accent, a mysterious grin on her lips. “Who…” “It doesn’t matter. Not yet, in any case. Would you care for some wine?” She offered one of two glasses, her horn levitating it with a light blue glow. “No… thank you”, Twilight answered, still unable to think properly. She stared at the stranger. “A shame… it’s made by the Duke himself. Delicious.” She was a beige unicorn with a striking red mane that flowed down on one side of her head, stylized with much care. She was actually slightly smaller than her guest, but her aristocratic manners gave her an air of importance and impressive stature. Her cutie mark was… a cart wheel? The confused mare didn’t know what to make of it. Why would a high-class member of the society have such a cutie mark? The mare’s smile had grown into an expression of amusement and mockery. “I heard you were a most intelligent individual, Miss Twilight Sparkle. Yet you look like a foal torn from the lap of her mother.” Twilight’s thoughts were clearing. She still didn’t fully remember the events that had brought her here, nor did she know where ‘here’ was or why she was sitting in front of this pony ridiculing her… but she knew she would take no more of this. The purple unicorn rose to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster in her weakened, nonplussed state. “Since you seem to know my name - and won’t tell me yours - I believe we’re past any introductory phase. Now, could you please start explaining where in Celestia’s name I am - and why?” The aristocrat’s eyes widened slightly, even though she kept her smile even. “You may not wish to utter that name in His house… you’ll soon understand why.” She took a sip from her glass. “There are two reasons why you’re here. The first is that-“ she pointed at Twilight’s saddlebags on a stool next to her chair “-the second… that”. She pointed directly at the unamused librarian. “Where we are… I’d rather show than tell.” The beige unicorn stood up and gracefully walked to a nearby wooden door. “Come”. Out of options, Twilight complied, glaring at her. “I’ll see you again soon. By the way, you may call me Roue, for now.” She laughed delicately. “I’m sure you will, soon enough”. Twilight was about to say she wouldn’t leave before getting proper answers, but was silenced when Roue opened the door. Behind the door was a hallway; one you might expect to find in a house with the sort of room the two stood in. The walls were covered in fine wood paneling and the floor hid under a tasteful green carpet. The only unusual thing about the straight, narrow hallway was its length. As well-lid by regularily placed gas lights as it was, Twilight couldn’t see an end to it. As she stared to the distance, she heard a door slam shut. As she hadn’t exited the room, it must have come from… behind? Behind the mare was a hallway, continuing to an unseen end. “Roue… ?” There was no echo to her call. *** After a moment of hopelessness Twilight’s logic kicked in. Seeing but two ways to go, she chose one and started cantering forward. The canter soon changed to a panicked gallop, as she couldn’t find any change in the never-ending corridor. Tentative probes with magic proved futile; it was as if there was nothing beyond the well-maintained walls, the perfectly horizontal floor or the dark-coloured ceiling. Without her saddlebags, she soon realized, she wouldn’t last long. There was no water in this infernal trap, and she was already thirsty. As the crushing realization of her situation dawned to the unicorn, she slowed down, then stopped completely. Panting heavily, Twilight let herself go limp and buried her face in her hooves. “What is this place!? Why am I here?” she cried, physically and mentally exhausted. She rolled over so as not to smell the foul-stinking carpet and wiped tears off her eyes. And saw a strip of white in the ceiling. The strand of hope reinvigorated her. Perhaps it was something important; something useful! She stood up on two legs, leaning to the wall, and felt out with her magic. It was a trapdoor, its seams nearly invisible and coloured like the rest of the ceiling. Twilight pulled, and with surprising ease, it opened outwards. A piece of paper stuck between the door gently floated down. The mare snatched it from mid-air with her magic and looked at it. Lesson one: always stay aware
Chapter Three: The BereavementChapter Three: The Bereavement ”Ugh… maybe I’m having a nightmare. Maybe I just ate one too many of those ’Pinkie’s Super-Special Cupcakes’ and am right now being hurried to a hospital, unconscious and drooling on a stretcher”, Twilight mused. As dream-like as her situation seemed, she didn’t really believe it. She looked at the retractable ladder fixed to the floor next to the hatch she had just climbed up from. The ladder now led down to the impossible hallway, mocking her with the easy means of escape it had offered. ”’Always stay aware’… believe me, I will. I’ll find the way out of here, whatever it takes. I’m not letting that insufferable snob play with me!” Her fury died down as she looked around. ”The question is – where should I start?” Around the pony was a cavern – a massive underground area, its walls filled with damp tunnels leading Celestia knows where; gaping holes from ground level to unreachable heights. The place was sparsely lit by strange lamps pointing their harsh cones of light from the walls they were firmly attached to. Twilight walked to the nearest wall – the glowing square of the trapdoor now a barely visible slit from this distance – and inspected one of the lamps curiously. It was made from a material unknown to the scholar; strong as metal but somehow softer, neither cold from the chilling cave air nor warm near the light source on its end. The light itself emanated from something too bright to see - and too hot to touch, as Twilight found out after bringing her hoof near it. Her magical inspection only found a smooth, seamless surface to the object, not letting her probe inside. Her curiosity remained unsatisfied. Snapping back to reality, Twilight shivered at the thought of being lost to this maze. But at least there was some hope this time; a more reasonable chance of finding at least something than when trapped in the hallway. She once again extended her magic out, feeling inside the tunnels, slowly turning her head around. Her work was suddenly interrupted by an echoing sound; a shrill metallic screech that made her wince. It was followed by a voice she quickly recognized, the echo making it multiply confusingly. ”Hello? I know you’re there dear. Congratulations on passing the first test and learning your first lesson here. Don’t get overconfident though – that was the easiest one”, Roue mocked the lost unicorn. Twilight quickly considered whether it was better to snap back at her tormentor or to ask for help. Before she could open her mouth however, Roue continued. ”It’s no use; I can’t hear you. But you can hear me. Find me and we’ll get you ready for your next test.” Before the echoes had died down, Twilight started marching in the general direction of where the voice had come, determined to get the upper hand in this game. She couldn’t pinpoint the source of the voice to an exact tunnel, but at least there were fewer choices now. As she neared the wall, she looked around carefully for any clues. And a clue she found. Leading from one tunnel to another, there was a faint trail of liquid; dried, dark droplets on the ground. If that’s what I think it is… whatever left it? Do I even want to know? A distant scratching could be heard from one of the two tunnels. It only lasted for a few seconds, but Twilight could tell that whatever creature it was, it couldn’t be very big. And if it was bleeding, it might be weakened from the blood loss… perhaps even something, or someone who would accept the unicorn’s help, and could help her in return. Encouraged by the mental image of a bleeding pony, lost like herself, Twilight started quietly creeping through the dark tunnel. The tunnel quickly became pitch-black, as the light of the lamps couldn’t reach far into it. Twilight slowly felt her way forward, careful to avoid making any noises herself. Along the way she heard some more scratching; something hard against rock, but it didn’t seem to be receding. She began feeling wetness in her hooves; these droplets farther from the cavern hadn’t dried up yet. It had the strong, coppery smell of blood. Soon after the mare could see faint light ahead. Finally emerging from the cramped space, Twilight took a look around. This was a cave similar to the first one - actually, Twilight thought, starting to feel dizzy - it could have very well been completely identical. She could now see the trail being clearer and wider, suddenly changing near the middle of the room. Something had been dragged – or had dragged itself – from that point onward all the way to a shadow near the far wall, smearing the blood on the floor along its path. Realizing how visible she was, standing in the illumination of one of the lamps, Twilight quickly escaped to a nearby shadow, listening carefully. After a while of silence, the unicorn started moving forward, continuing along the blood trail, avoiding the harshly lit areas. She had only taken a few steps before she froze, a hoof still in the air. She heard light sobbing from the shadows; it was a voice she had heard before. Her dear friend. Her number one assistant. “Spike?” the unicorn whispered, her voice quivering. The sobbing ended. A form slowly dragged itself from the darkness, looking at his friend. “T-Twilight…?” He looked horrible, bruised and with small bleeding cuts that had already expended much of his blood. “Spike! What happened?” Twilight yelled in a panicked voice and ran to the dragon. “…I followed you.” "How? Why?! What happened to you?" Spike didn't answer. Instead, his eyes glazed over as he started convulsing violently, making weird guttural noises. Twilight jumped back in terror as Spike's body began to grow and change. His neck, limbs and tail elongated. The spikes on his back sharpened and his teeth and claws became the deadly weapons of a predator. The fully grown dragon's wings flew open, eclipsing most of the lights behind him and casting a shadow over the awestruck unicorn below. He roared viciously. "Spike! What..?" But the beast no longer recognized her. It bellowed and struck at the pony with his tail. Twilight barely managed to roll out of the way. As the tail smashed the ground, leaving cracks in the solid rock floor, a claw rose up, ready to strike. "Stop, Spike! It's me!" Twilight dodged another attack. She worked her panicked brain as quickly as she could. Teleporting out of the way of a massive burst of green flame, feeling it heat up the entire cave, she knew she couldn't escape. She would be roasted alive trying to maneuver through a tunnel and she couldn't simply teleport randomly, hoping to land in another cave or a tunnel instead of inside solid rock. Twilight knew she had to stop his friend. She struck him with magic; several weak blows all over his gigantic body, trying to find a weak spot; something to bring him down with as little force as possible. There was nothing. What had been Spike roared again, furiously biting at the unicorn who jumped to the side, feeling her tail narrowly slip from between his teeth. Twilight was already tired from the physical strain and her useless magical attacks. She couldn't keep evading the barrage of attacks much longer. Desperate, she tried something she had never done before. She used her magic, trying to find the monster's windpipe. If she could reach her magic through his thick scales and skin and suffocate him for a short while, he would surely faint! Yes, there... Her concentration was broken as the dragon grabbed her in his claw, but she didn't let go of the spell. He started gasping for air, opened his mouth in something resembling fear... and started crushing the unicorn. She cried in pain, starting to feel her bones break. In blind madness she struck with her spell, upwards, as hard as she could, in a desperate attempt to survive. She fell on the floor. Momentarily stunned, she awaited for death. When nothing came, she opened her eyes and looked around. Spike - ...yes, whatever had caused this transformaton, he was still his Spike - lay on the cavern floor, motionless. Twilight ran closer, her relief turning to horror. He was dead. Her spell had struck him too hard, tearing something apart inside him. "I... Spike..." As realisation dawned unto her; the understanding of her horrific act in all its extent, the dead body began transforming once more. This time, as the dragon decreased in size instead of growing, it was surrounded by a light blue glow. It grew painfully bright, but the numb Twilight couldn't move a muscle, not even close her eyes. Ultimately the light vanished, and in front of Twilight stood the form of a pony. "Lesson two", she spoke with a triumphant voice, "never let emotion disable you".
Chapter Four: The AscensionChapter Four: The Ascension ”You, you…” Roue didn’t stay to wait for the inevitable attack. With a flash of magic she was gone, leaving Twilight charging blindly through empty air. Roue reappeared safely in the familiar room she had spent much time in during her stay in this world. The room was small and pragmatic; a symmetrical metal cube with no doors or windows. On the other end of it, a whole wall was obscured by a mass of machinery and computer screens, displaying information of various kinds and beeping softly. The other side of the room was a small living space with a bed, some cupboards and kitchen utensils. The cream-coloured unicorn had sometimes spent days on end in this prison-like work area. She was glad this newcomer gave her an excuse to leave the place more often now. Swiping some hair back behind her ear, the mare immediately went for the computers and pressed a demandingly blinking button. ”Excellent”, she said, satisfied by her own performance. Don’t let initial good progress fool you. She may present surprises. ”Really? I’m not sure we should waste our time on this one. She seems rather… easily disturbed.” She is strong. She is required. Roue smiled at the disembodied voice. ”Very well. I trust you as always, love. I’ll continue with the primary plan, then.” She pulled a chair in front of the monitoring station and seated herself. Several monitors displayed live video feed of a purple unicorn weeping powerlessly on a cavern floor. ”We’ll see how you fare, Miss Sparkle.” *** Having pulled herself together, Twilight could finally start thinking. I’m being played with, and the only thing I can do for now is to play along. They must have left me a way out. She looked around and, sure enough, saw faint light in the tunnel closest to her on the cave wall. It wasn’t light from one of these strange lamps – it was the soft glow of sunlight. Rising up from the cold stone the unicorn began walking through the ascending tunnel. It was much shorter than the one she had traversed before; an easy exit ridiculing her earlier desperation in the underground maze. Twilight felt the air growing colder as she walked onwards – or climbed: the passage rapidly became steeper. The end of the tunnel sloped down and opened into a small grey room with narrow, foggy windows lining the top of all the four concrete walls. That’s not fog… that’s frost. Twilight eyed the door in front of her. It was a heavy steel door with a large circular hatch wheel installed into the centre of it. Excited of finding a way up to the outside world, cold or not, she turned the wheel with her magic. After some initial resistance caused by rust and ice, the mechanism started working and the bolts inside the door slid open. The magical energy then pushed the door outwards. It opened silently and effortlessly. Twilight jumped outside, happy and refreshed by the fresh, cold air, just to sink deep into a mass of soft snow. She had made a pony-shaped hole slighty deeper than she was tall. The snow was far from strong and supporting, and the unicorn only made it easily back inside thanks to some stairs hidden in the snow in front of the door. Now she also had wet fur, which made her realize just how coldly the wind blew through the open door. Shivering, Twilight stopped to take a look at the landscape before her. All she saw through the doorway was an endless, flat expanse of snow; nothing but pure whiteness as far as she could see. Levitating snow from outside into a corner behind her and packing it tightly, the mare constructed some snow stairs and climbed them to one of the windows above her and opposite to the door. She could make out the horizon through the frosty window… but nothing more there, either. She leaned against the other wall ending in this corner to her left and looked through there. More snow… and movement. A shape was moving not far away from the building. It was coming closer. Twilight froze looking at the thing. She couldn’t see what it was, but unlike her, it was something that could traverse the frail snow blanket without sinking into it. It was moving slowly on four legs, appearantely weakened by its journey across the white desert. The unicorn managed to climb down quietly and walked to the doorway. She carefully peeked out the door. Now having better visibility, Twilight could see the form was larger and farther away than she had expected. It was wrapped in warm clothes and had some peculiar contraptions strapped to its feet. Snowshoes! At least it’s not some dangerous animal… just a possibly dangerous intelligent being. The thing stopped. It had seen Twilight. It looked at her carefully, its face unseen under the clothes and a pair of snow goggles. The pony, or whatever it was, then simply continued its trudge towards the door. ”Hey!” Twilight yelled, surprised at the raspiness of her voice. After coughing a bit, she continued with a clearer voice. ”Hey! Who are you? Don’t come too close!” It was as if the thing hadn’t heard her. It continued steadily towards her. ”Hey! I can use magic! I could fight you, or… or close the door and destroy the lock! Don’t tempt me!” Now the creature stopped. It removed one of the snowshoes and looked at Twilight. Lowering a scarf from its face with the freed leg, it spoke. ”That would be rather counterproductive. I’m here to help you, Twilight Sparkle.” ”Does everyone here know my name?! I want answers! Who are you?” ”Please let me in first. It’s awfully cold out here, you know.” Twilight stared at the pony – it was a male pony, she saw now – who continued walking toward her. Distrust, curiousity, fear and hope conflicting inside her, she decided to let the stallion in. How could he make my situation any worse? The pony plodded around the hole Twilight had left and entered the bare room. He slumped down heavily and dropped his saddlebags on the floor. ”Could you close the door?” he asked, opening his bags. The purple mare had no desire to go outside or to enjoy the freezing blow that had started growing in strength during the last couple of minutes. She pulled the door shut with her magic, leaving it unlocked. The stranger’s head was now bare. He was a light grey stallion with a muscular build. His mane was dark brown, nearly black, with some stripes of a lighter brown colour. He was building some device, humming a tune to himself. ”Now”, Twilight began. ”Answers.” ”No. First, fire.” The stallion placed his machine on the floor and turned a switch. A large flame shot up, nearly licking the ceiling. The room started quickly heating up. ”Oops.” He turned a valve and the flame diminished to a more reasonable size. The pony then browsed through his bags some more. ”Who are you? What are you doing here?” Twilight was getting angry at the weird stallion. ”My name is Star Chart. Professor Star Chart. Everyone just calls me ’the Professor’, though.” He put a hoof to his chest proudly. ”I am an explorer.” ”You don’t look like a professor.” The unicorn looked at ’the Professor’ warily. ”Is that what you’re doing here? Exploring? I don’t even know where ’here’ is!” ”Neither do I! That’s exactly why I’m exploring here.” He went back to his saddle bags. ”Now, before further questions… let’s eat. I’m starving.” Star Chart offered Twilight a sandwich wrapped in tin foil. She hadn’t realised just how hungry she was until smelling the delicious aroma wafting from within. Twilight greedily chomped down the sandwich in a couple of bites. ”Heh, I’m glad you like it.” Twilight suddenly felt a sharp sting in her neck. ”I’m sorry, but that’s for your own good.” The Professor pulled the syringe out. The mare looked at it, feeling strangely detached. ”Just go to sleep. We’ll continue later. We can’t stay here, after all.” He grabbed another sandwich. Twilight’s vision blurred. She started feeling weightless. The sideways-professor enjoyed a lunch. The librarian from Ponyville soared up to the sky and dreamed.
