Freezeby Timeless RiverChaptersForest StrollsThe Morning AfterIn TownForest StrollsChapter 1- Forest Strolls Wembley stadium slowly emptied, the crowd still energized from the performance. A sea of ponies flowed out into the crisp night air. A multitude of colors and voices filled the air, as the lights from the stadium obscured the stars from sight. Chatter from fans and the clopping of hooves on pavement echoed through the night air. In crowd, the energy and excitement from the concert remained, not destined to peter out soon. Two pegasi walked side-by-side, matching hoofstep for hoofstep. One pegasus was male with a red coat and an aqua blue mane. On his left flank, there was a mark depicting three horizontal lines of different lengths, each curling up into a spiral at the end. Said pegasus was happily grinning at a lime green mare with a curly pine-green mane. The green mare did not have a mark on her flank. “Streak, that was incredible!” The lime green pegasus said. She was drunkenly happy and giggling, still excited from the concert. “I told you it would be amazing.” The red stallion grinned, blushing slightly. “I’m glad you liked it, Prism.” The pair walked and talked, heading towards a small, less-used entrance into the forest surrounding the stadium. The path was packed dirt, hemmed either side by grass and tree roots. Crickets chirped while birds chattered and leaves rustled in the background. Indistinct shapes flitted to and fro on the grassy forest floor; shadows from the moon played on the ground. The cobweb of shapes, when paired with the ambient music, made the pair feel at home. The wind blew a wide leaf onto the top of Streak’s muzzle, and he attempted to blow it off. The leaf lifted up into the air, only to settle back down onto his muzzle. Prism chuckled at the red stallion and snuggled against him. She closed her deep blue eyes and leaned her head against the aqua-maned pegasus’s side. The steady thump of his heart could be heard, whereas her own was fluttering wildly. She acutely felt the way his coat rubbed against hers. It was warm, comfortable. It felt right. As unbidden sounds escaped Prism’s lips, she realized that she was speaking. “S-Streak.” At first it was a whisper. The red pegasus stopped, ears perked as if he had heard something. Prism’s nervousness intensified. He was listening! “Streak...” Prism gulped. Speaking those words brought a warm sensation to Prism’s face, and her coat did nothing to hide the rose tinge emerging on her face. Prism licked her lips nervously, her heart throbbing in her chest. “ Streak, I—” “Shh,” hushed the aqua-maned pegasus. He cocked his head, as though he had heard something. Streak stood stock-still, listening. His ears were standing erect, straining to pick out a single sound.“I think I hear something.” The gentle breeze whispered through trees, leaves rustling in indistinct conversation. Night birds called to each other in the background, adding to the indistinct chatter of the nighttime forest. “Hear what?” Prism looked at Streak, confused. “Can we keep going? It’s getting cold.” “...Sure,” Streak said. “Let’s go.” The pair resumed walking, keeping close for warmth and company. As they moved on, the trees seemed to become lighter and friendlier. Grass sprouted on the path. Things became... more natural. As grass began to appear more frequently, the path came to a fork. Two signs aimed down either side of the junction, with the left-side sign pointing to ‘Chevauxshire.’ The one on the right was made out of old rusty metal, long since rendered illegible. The “path” it pointed down had been reclaimed by nature, plants and tree roots erupting out of what used to be concrete. The the signpost was a divider, separating the gentle and friendly forest of the ponies and the harsh, dangerous wilds of the Everfree Forest. “Isn’t this where we part?” Prism turned to Streak. The red pegasus ruffled his wings and ran a hoof through his aqua-colored mane. “Actually, I have a different idea,” Streak began uncertainly. Prism’s ears perked up as she wondered what the stallion might have in store. “Umm... Well, I was thinking that you could, you know, stay with me for the night? I mean, there’s no school tomorrow, so I thought that—” “I would love to!” Prism threw her hooves around Streak, “Really?” “Really.” Prism nuzzled the red stallion reassuringly. In the forest, leaves rustled and twigs snapped. The sudden sounds startled the two pegasi, who each glanced cautiously at the forbidding forest. “C’mon Prism, let’s go before we catch a chill.” He turned to go down the left-hand fork. “Wait!” “What?” Prism turned towards the Everfree, ears up. She lifted a hoof as if to walk towards the Everfree, but paused, unsure. “Prism, what is it?” Seeming not to hear him, Prism peered into the depths of the forest. She tentatively took a couple steps down the overgrown path, as if she hadn’t quite made up her mind whether to go. “Prism, what are you doing?” Streak called. The mare opened her wings, committing to the forest path. She appeared to have forgotten Streak altogether. Prism took a running start and took flight down the disused forest path. After several moments’ hesitation, Streak galloped after the green mare. Streak was shocked. Why was she doing this? This kind of thing was usually left to Streak, and Prism rarely approved of any of his investigations due to curiosity. Normally Streak would be curious about something and chase his curiosity, mystifying those around him and dragging Prism along for the ride. Of course when those events happened, both were in perfect health and able to fly. Also, the locations were, for the most part, safe, or easily escapable and easily accessible. None were the Everfree Forest. The path into the Everfree was dark and treacherous. Roots threatened to trip up the running pegasus with every step, and broken concrete endangered his footing in the dark. The trees looked as if they were about to reach out and grab the pegasus, with their low-hanging branches and arched trunks. Something about the forest screamed at him; made him want to turn tail and flee. But he had to follow Prism. Streak followed the bobbing pine-green tail down the ‘Ponyville’ path, careful not to get too far away. After a few exhausting minutes, Streak caught up with the dark green tail. Prism had stopped to wait for Streak at the outskirts of what seemed to be a ruined town. The green mare had a wide grin on her face, her eyes lit up like a pegasus foal experiencing flight for the first time. She was clearly enjoying their escapade. “This way, I think I see something a bit further in.” The couple made their way into the ruined town. Vines twisted up walls and into houses; trees grew through houses, destroying their infrastructure. Any remaining metal was unrecognizable from decades of moisture. Unable to bear the burden of time and nature, most of the houses in town had collapsed. The trees of the forest seemed to lean over the town as if trying to smother it. A great sadness hung over the ancient town, a feeling that subdued and silenced the ponies trekking through it. The feeling condensed as they got closer to a giant tree which looked oddly like a home. It was now wild, limbs and leaves making ferocious shapes on the ground. The upper boughs of the tree, which might have once been habitable, were twisted around into themselves. Thick roots erupted from the ground, churning the earth around them. At the base of the tree, a pony-height arched discolored section of wood suggested a door. Nestled in front of that was a pony. The pony’s dark coloration made it hard to see in the gloom, but there was strange, night-sky luminescence about it. Streak was hesitant about picking up the pony. It could be a trap; it could be an illusion. A strange pony in the middle of a ruined town? To Streak, it seemed something out of a horror novel. In fact, the town seemed to be crying. It was like entering the room of a recently-deceased parent. One could still feel the presence of the person, could feel the memories residing in the room. The pegasi cautiously approached the pony, watching for threats. Up close, the pony was revealed to be a unicorn mare with odd, blade-like wings folded at her sides. Her dark coat had the deep quality of the night sky, yet at the same time possessing an oddly radiant quality. Her mane was a tangle of nighttime purple splayed out around her head. It was as if she was deposited there. “So…” Streak began quietly. His voice trembled, trying not to be too loud. It did, however, disturb the fog of inactivity that stifled the town. “What now?” “We take her back,” Prism said simply. “We what?” Streak said, surprised, even though he had no right to be. Whenever they went out on their ‘expeditions,’ Prism, without fail, wanted to bring home a souvenir. Except, they normally weren’t fully grown unicorns from the middle of the Everfree. “We’re already out here; we may as well take her back when we leave,” Prism said, justifying her previous statement. “I’m not going to leave an unconscious pony on the ground in the middle of the Everfree.” “But this is so sketchy. We walk into the Everfree on a whim, through mysterious ruins and find a pony next to a tree. How do you know this isn’t a trap? We can barely see! How do you know that somepony’s not trying to kill us or trap us in their spell? Have you read The Story of the Blanks? It could be like that! Somepony could-” Streak rambled, ears and eyes swiveling around as if trying to observe everything at once. “Stop panicking. Your rambling isn’t helping at all.” “But—” “Come on, be positive. We’re almost done. Here, I have an idea.” Prism quietly stepped up to the pony and, taking a second to steel herself, slid her nose under the mare in an attempt to slide the mare onto her back. “Streak, help me.” “Err, I don’t think that’s going to work.” Streak commented, eyes wide, surveying the situation. In the end, Prism managed to load the unconscious unicorn onto Streak’s back, then slipped underneath to share the load. The two trudged carefully out of the Everfree, taking care to watch their step. Roots and stones were a hazard to the unicorn-laden pegasai, as well as the fragmented concrete path. At one point, the duo narrowly avoided tromping straight through a puddle of mud. Once out of the forest, they set down the right-hand fork, trudging down the path home now laden with and unconscious unicorn. To the right, the Everfree forest fell away, giving way to fields dotted with trees. As time passed, a sign on the left appeared, welcoming them to “New Ponyville.” Leaving the hard-packed earth behind, the road became paved with impossibly close-fitting stone. Lights fitted into the sides of the road illuminated the night with a soft, natural light. A crescent moon sat bright in the sky, casting its own shadows on the the ground. In some places objects gained two shadows, whereas in other places the shadows pooled into deeper darkness. At this point the road split in two; one road bypassed the town and headed to “Chevauxshire,” the other headed straight through town. New Ponyville was a rural and rustic place; a throwback to older times. Streetlights dotted the road, hemmed by quaint two-story houses. The wide streets and medley of colors lent a homely air, warming you like a lit fireplace. Streak, Prism and the unconscious pony they were carrying crept into New Ponyville, taking to the side streets as soon as possible. Heading towards the outskirts of won, they attempted to stay out of sight, grateful for the cover of night. Turning off the streets, they came to a house that at first glance seemed to be made out of a large tree. Instead of leaves, however, the foliage and upper branches were made of cloud. Streak and Prism stumbled up to the front door with their unconscious companion. Prism nosed the door, and it swung open revealing the unlit interior. The pair stepped in, Prism flicking the light on with her tail. Panting heavily, they let the dark violet unicorn slide off their backs and onto the floor. Freed from their burden, both ponies promptly collapsed on the floor; the full toll of their effort had finally set in. The two exhausted pegasai fell into an exhausted silence. “...Well, should we put the unicorn on the couch?” Streak’s voice echoed loudly around the room. Prism hauled herself to her hooves, and helped Streak up. The pair wearily shuffled over to the unconscious mare. Streak put his muzzle against her side and pushed, rolling the mare slightly. “Streak stop trying to roll her, and help me lift her onto our backs one more time.” Prism said, lying down next to the unicorn. Streak lifted the unicorn across Prism, who stood up on shaky legs and quickly slid next to Prism to share the weight. Together, they stepped across the room, putting one hoof in front of the other, towards the couch. Streak kneeled some, and the unicorn slid off pegasai’s back and onto the couch. Streak yawned. It was late, and he was exhausted. After an exciting concert with floor tickets, getting out near midnight, trekking through the Everfree and carrying an unconscious unicorn, Streak was good and ready for some shut-eye. Currently, he could barely keep his eyes open. “Are you as tired as I am?” “Yeah. Where’s your bed again?” “Upstairs,” Streak sighed. “…Stupid injuries.” “What now?” “I injured my wing in practice,” Streak answered, “So now, I actually have to walk up the stairs.” Prism poked the belligerent stallion in the side. “So hurry up and get to it. The faster you get upstairs, the faster you can get to bed.” Streak didn’t budge. “Okay then. You want to do this the hard way? Let’s do this the hard way.” ~_~_~_~ "This is echo unit, reporting in," A slate-grey pony in full military armor said. He was standing among a group of similarly-dresses ponies, gazing pensively into the dark of a forbidding forest. "We have arrived at area code 'Black Hole.' Waiting for permission to enter." "Echo unit, you are cleared for entrance. You have authorization to use all necessary force. Over." The response buzzed through the comm in his ear. "You heard the commander. Move out!" Raising their weapons, the six ponies cautiously advanced into the haunting woods. “Be on your guard. We're facing an unknown threat." Twigs snapped and leaves rustled as the army ponies tromped through the forest. Lightning flashed. At the following crack of thunder, a few of the ponies started. A brick-red pony spoke up. "What are y'all jumpin fer? 'S just some thunder. Nothin more." "That ain't just thunder. That's some kinda voice, man. I'm tellin ya." A burnt yellow-coated pony was the one who responded. "Psssht. Ya'll r just scaredy-ponies.’Specially you, marshmallow," The red pony was speaking again. "Don’t fuckin’ call me ‘marshmallow,’ you country hick." The burnt yellow pony stopped and faced the brick-colored earth pony. "Butters, are ya askin’ fo an asswoopin?" The large brick-colored earth pony advanced on the smaller, burnt yellow pegasus. "Cuz Ah'll gladly give ya one. It don't matter if yer a winger or not, Ah'll still beat 'cha." Butters launched himself at the brick pony, and found himself surrounded in a grey magical aura. "Ha, yer—" The brick pony began to taunt Butters, only to find his mouth sealed shut and his hooves magnetized to the ground by that same grey aura. "Just because I'm the new squad leader doesn't mean you can fight on my watch. I will not hesitate to anchor you both to the ground within a hoof's reach of each other and leave you here. Now, shut the fuck up and let the grown ponies handle their business. Capicé?" The slate unicorn watched with satisfaction as both ponies shut up and went to opposite sides of the group. At that moment, a green unicorn, who had been looking around, noticed something. Addressing the grey unicorn, she stated her observation. "Uh, Sir? Where's Gaz?" The five looked around for their sixth. Suddenly, the darkness of the Everfree seemed much more sinister. The grey unicorn swore. "Activate night vision," he spoke into his helmet. A moment later, a light green glow enveloped his eyes. The night vision illuminated the forest, showing vibrant colors, as if the sun actually shone in the Everfree. "Squad, activate night vision. We don't know what we're dealing with. I don't plan on losing another team to this damned forest." “What do you mean, ‘another team?’” The green unicorn spoke up, curious. “I thought you were new?” “New to this squad,” the slate unicorn said flatly. “Do you mean that you’ve led other Everfree Squads?” the green unicorn asked. Upon receiving no response from the captain, she tried again. “Captain, have—” “Jade, don’t pursue that line of inquiry.,” the captain said harshly. “You’re our engineer. You don’t need to know this.” “Yes, sir.” Jade muttered, reluctantly abandoning her query. “Capn, where’d that brick-lookin’ hick go off to?” Butters asked, a tremble in his voice. “Watch your language.” A white earth pony spoke up. “Squad, halt.” The grey unicorn called. “I need to take roll.” The three remaining ponies stopped and waited for their captain to take stock. “We’re missing Brick, too.” The captain swore under his breath. “Everybody, watch out for each other. “Code ‘Angel.’” “Son, what’s happenin? Ponies be dissapearin!” Butters began to freak. “I mean, first it was—” “Shut. Up.” The white earth pony glared at Butters. “Your accent hurts my ears.” “Both of you, shut up and listen.” The grey unicorn was squinting, trying to make something out in the distance. There was something new, something different. At the moment, the squad was passing through a small town which had been overtaken by the Everfree. But what was new wasn’t the town itself. The town had been there. It was old, in ruin and decay. What was new was the atmosphere. It had changed. For the colder. “Jade, scan for magical anomalies.” “Sir?” The white pony spoke up hesitantly. “What?” “ Jade isn’t here.” The white pony’s gaze was magnetized to the ground, hoping to avoid being the target of his captain’s wrath. The grey unicorn let loose a string of swears. “This isn’t working. Use three-pony strategy five. Keep your eyes open, ears up and stay close.” Two ponies lined up in two-thirds of a three-pony formation; there was no pegasus. The grey unicorn and white earth pony shared a glance when they realised that the pegasus was missing. At this point, they were near the outskirts of town. They spotted a tree which might once have been a homely cottage. From the surrounding ruin of birdfeeders,what seemed to have been a chicken coop and the way vines and plants grew with the former home, it seemed as if the resident had been intimately connected with nature. The pair walked in silence through wide avenues bordered with dilapidated and collapsed houses being taken over by plants and vines of all sorts. The grey unicorn looked at the white earth pony. “We’re going to die here. You know that?” “Seeing the way things are going now, probably.” The white earth pony didn’t look at the captain. “We’re here.” The two stopped in front a building that seemed like it had been a town hall or something of the sort. It was a tangled mess of rotting wood, decayed than most other buildings in town. Although… There was a strange quality about it. The ruins possessed an almost crystalline appearance. The two ponies shivered. The grey unicorn’s ears swiveled, receiving a faint sucking noise. His eyes widened. The unicorn’s horn lit up and a grey aura blinked into existence around each pony’s hooves, securing them to the ground. A moment later, the space above the rubble imploded, condensing into a single point of white. Pausing for just a moment, the singularity pulsed outward in freezing waves, pervading the air with a subzero chill. The two ponies got up and faced the tornado of freezing energies that now swirled above the town center’s ruins. “This is it! Time to get the job done,” shouted the captain. He levitated a small black box, with caution stripes lining the edges, out of his pack. “Set the trap!” The white earth pony fired his gun, an orange stream blasting from the nozzle. The stream wrapped around the energy, chaining it down. The unicorn sild the black box under the vortex of energies. The lid slid open, revealing a radiant rose-tinted light. The light affected the white vortex, causing it to be sucked into the box. The containment stream cut off suddenly, causing the captain to glance towards the white earth pony. The white pony was gasping for air, blood running off of an icicle protruding from his neck. No longer contained, the swirling white energies hovered over the trap. Rendered inactive, the trap itself became encrusted with the ice encroaching the area. A clinking sound echoed throughout the area. With a start, the grey unicorn realized that the energy was… laughing. The energy field was laughing at him. The damned energy field was laughing at him! The grey unicorn shivered. The temperature had dropped to subarctic levels. “Stupid ponies. You cannot contain the cold. Nor can you defeat it. It will always be there.” The voice was cold and logical. They grey unicorn began to take steps back, intending to flee. “You cannot run from a chill. And yet you try.” The blizzard expanded, consuming the heart of the town. Blind, enveloped in the vast expanses of snow, he fled. But no matter how far he ran, the blizzard surrounded him, obscuring his vision. Running until he could run no more, the idea of sleep became more and more appealing. Why run from something inescapable when sleep was an option? All of his instincts warred against this urge... this tiredness. But why? What was there to fear? Maybe he could just take a nap. Yes, he would have a short nap. That was all. Just a few minutes. Just a few... The world faded into nothing. Author's Note Second edit. A large thanks to MikhailWilson for helping me with it. The Morning AfterChapter 2 Morning came. The sun was bright, the sky was blue, the world was inviting. A ray of light cast itself upon a closed red eyelid, making the fur gleam as a fresh apple might. The eyelid fidgeted under the light and half-opened. The ray of light caught the eye by surprise, and it blinked shut. The red pony that the eye belonged to shifted in attempt to stay asleep. But that shifting was what woke him up enough that he couldn't go back to sleep. Back to comfort. The red pegasus rolled over, eyes still closed, aqua mane a disaster on his head. He desperately wanted to go back to sleep, but that sleep wasn't coming. Reluctantly, Streak opened his eyes. The brightness of day assaulted his eyes, rendering him momentarily unable to see. He blinked through the phase. Then an idea struck; What was the time? Streak glanced at the digital clock on the dresser. Noon. It was just- Wait. It was noon. They'd slept half the day away! Streak rose to wobbly hooves and trudged over to the bathroom. He looked at his reflection groggily and fumbled for his comb. The normally straight-standing mass was flattened and jumbled. Leaves and sticks were interspersed throughout his mane. He looked like he had been running around in a shedding forest. Which he had. This would take awhile. By the time Streak had finished straightening his mane, Prism was up and in the hallway, heading downstairs. Her mane was a forest despite the fact that it looked combed. "Mornin’," she mumbled, not fully awake. In fact, her stride seemed more habit that consciousness. Prism clopped down the stairs, Streak's eyes following her tail. Streak walked into his room, intending to make his bed. However, his bed seemed untouched. He traced the outline of his bed with his eyes and went down. There was a pony-sized indent in the floor. Well, there was that mystery. From downstairs, a shriek came. Downstairs... That's where Prism was! Streak opened his wings and took off, blazing a blue trail down the stairs. "YOU'RE A MESS." The volume of that sentence was enough to throw off even a world-class flyer such as Streak, and send him careening into the wooden floor of the tree. The hearty thump of his impact caused the dark-coated unicorn to notice him. Prism was laying a foot from where she was standing previously, cradling her head. Otherwise, she appeared to be unhurt. The unicorn's piercing orange eyes were set on Streak with an intensity that made him shiver. He stood up, trying to reconjure the confidence that sent him flying down the stairs. But it shriveled and waned under the glare. Also, there was something just plain wrong with the unicorn. It wasn't the coat or mane, despite the fact that they were rare colorations. Nor was it her eyes... But above, her horn... Half of her horn was snapped clean off. Upon closer inspection, the strange mare had skeletal-looking wings, held together by a soft golden light, with blade-like wingbones. Streak's mind reeled. He took a step back. Looked away. Looked back. Rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple times. No. It was true. The 'unicorn,' if that was what she was, had wings and a broken horn. "What do you want?" The words cut through his stupor, bringing him out of his mind. "I asked you a question, pegasus." The unicorn was speaking. Her voice was feminine, but had an unusual roughness to it, as if she had emotionally been through a lot. "Stop standing there with your mouth wide open and answer." Streak cleared his throat and dredged up his confidence. "Get away from Prism. You're hurting... her..." Streak trailed off as the scene seemed to change drastically. Prism was no longer on the floor with her ears covered. The unicorn was no longer standing above Prism. Prism was now up and in the unicorn's face, jabbing her hoof threateningly. The unicorn focused, as if she was going to use magic. Her horn glowed dimly, and began to spark. Prism hopped back, startled. The glow of the unicorn's magic flickered and shimmered, obviously needing lots of energy to maintain. The glow died suddenly, with more sparks popping out of the unicorn's horn. The unicorn recoiled, obviously in pain from trying to cast a spell. Upon seeing the unicorn recoil in pain, Prism was instantly apologetic. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I-" "I don't need your apology." The unicorn turned her head as if in pain, although her face showed resentment for a split second. "I'm fine." There was silence while the unicorn recovered. Outside, the sun was high in the sky, a little past the noon position. Birdcalls echoed through the air, creating a beautiful melody. It was a good day to be outside. “Could you two stop arguing? We’ve only just got up.” Streak’s voice attracted two surprised glances, seeing as the two mares had forgotten him. “I mean, I heard Prism scream, so I thought something was wrong.” Streak shook his head and snorted. “Seriously. Some ponies.” Streak proceeded past the two mares and into the kitchen. Actually, it would be a good idea to introduce themselves to the mare they rescued. Maybe then she wouldn’t have so much a temper. He turned around and trotted loudly into the living room, making his presence known. “Um, we forgot to introduce ourselves. I think we’ve started out on the wrong hoof.” Streak endured harsh glares from the unicorn. “My name is Streak, and this is my friend Prism Harpsicord.” Streak received a look from Prism “Pleased to meet you.” “Oh, now you decide to be nice? After your marefriend yells at me?” The unicorn laughed. “Nice try.” “First off, it wasn’t me who told her to be hostile to you. I’m trying to be nice to you,” Streak said, getting annoyed. “Secondly, she’s not my marefriend. She’s just a friend.” “Sure seems like it,” the unicorn mumbled under her breath. She regarded Streak with interest, thinking about his request. She came to a decision. “My name is… Dear Celestia.” She trailed off unsure. Surprise became evident on her face when she realized what was happening. She began whispering uncertainly. “My name is… Equ… Ine? Erde? Nox? My head, why does it hurt?” “Are you okay?” Streak asked. Prism moved to comfort the aching unicorn, but Streak blocked her with a hoof. “It would be better if you didn’t.” “My name… Is… Nox.” The unicorn’s voice returned to normal tone and volume. “My name is Nox.” Nox flared her wings at the affirmation of the statement. “When is your Summer Sun Celebration?” “Summer Sun… Er, what?” Prism spoke up at this point taking over for Streak, who headed towards the kitchen again intent on making breakfast. Streak wasn’t all that good with dates, anyways. “There’s no such thing.” “Solstice festival? Independence celebration?” Nox asked. “Well, we have the Independence festival, but-” “When is it?” “In a week.” Prism regarded Nox, who stared right back. Nox broke the ensuing silence with a question: “Where am I, and what’s the date?” “You’re in New Ponyville, and it’s the 15th of Summer, year 280/Acorn, Monday” .At first Prism was surprised, but then she realized that she had picked up Nox from ruins in the Everfree forest. Who knows how long she could have been there? Another awkward silence followed, with the interspersed sounds of Streak cooking. _-~-_-~-_-~-_ “Breakfast is ready!” Streak’s call came into the living room, breaking the tension. Both Nox and Prism quickly entered the kitchen, and seated themselves as far away as they could from each other. The effort was actually rather futile, due to the fact that the table was a small table that could seat six at maximum, when all sides were filled. This maneuver, however, was not lost on Streak. “Today we have salads with cheese.” As Streak set each pony’s plates at the table, the tension began to increase again. Nox shifted in her seat, slight uncomfortable. Prism agitatedly picked at her wings. Streak himself sat down to eat, fully aware of the uncomfortable mares. “…So, Nox.” Streak began, attempting the break the silence. “Where are you from?” “Ponyville,” was her response. “New Ponyville?” Streak asked, trying to push past Nox’s uncooperative air. “No, just Ponyville. The one New Ponyville was built for.” Nox elaborated a little more, but still wasn’t conversational. “What happened to the original Ponyville?” “I don’t know.” “Hmm.” Streak said. This wasn’t working. Subject change time. “So, you’re going to be staying with us until the Fest, right?” “Fest? You mean the Independence festival? Yes. Until then.” Nox fumbled with the utensils, not really knowing how to eat with her hooves. “So, um, I called a friend to come over to help you blend in.” Streak paused. “A broken unicorn horn and magical-looking wings don’t, uh, exactly go over well with the general public.” He paused again, expecting a “why” response. He got none. Nox had quit fussing with the utensils and ate directly off of the plate, effectively cutting off all conversation. “When’s he coming over?” Prism asked between bites of her own salad. “She should be coming soon.” Streak corrected. He stood up and began to collect dishes as everypony was finishing up their food. An awkward silence settled on to the room due to the fact that with no food to occupy them, they’d have to talk with each other. Nox impatiently tapped her hooves, her mane and coat shining with luster that only the darkest colors can manage. She flared her wings, which were each like blades on their own and connected by an ethereal golden light. Together, they formed wings. Nox's orange eyes roved around uncomfortably, their color contrasting sharply with her coloration. Her dark violet mane was a mop above her head, hair sticking out in every direction. Her tail wasn't looking much better, either. It was matted and in need of a good grooming. DING-DONG went the doorbell. “Oh, here she is now.” Streak rose from the table and went into the living room to answer the door. At the door were two mares. One was a faded yellow earthpony with a rich purple mane. The other was a faded pink unicorn whose long apple-green mane fell over into her face, obscuring one eye. Whereas the former had an air of excitement and of someone who liked to be with others, the latter seemed to be a solitary creature, giving off a downtrodden air of boredom. “Hey Violet. Hey Pink Lady.” Streak greeted his friends at the door and gestured for them to come in. “We’re in the kitchen.” “Hi Streak, what’s new? What’s up? How’s life been treatin’ ya? Me? I’ve been fine, I mean what really happens around here. Srsly. What we need is- hmmph! Pinshyyy!” Violet fired off a torrent of words as she walked in. The mare beside her stuffed her hoof into Violet’s mouth, cutting of the stream of babble. “Hey Streak,” Pink Lady said. “I really didn’t feel like listening to her right now.” “As I was saying,” Streak began as the three walked into the kitchen. “I have a mare that I need to disguise. She’s over there at the table.” Streak pointed to Nox. “I need you to hide her horn and wings.” “But if she’s a unicorn,” Violet cut in, “why do you need Pinks here to disguise her?” Nox glared at Violet, who obviously hadn’t yet noticed the obvious. Pink Lady observed Nox to see what needed to be done. She turned to Streak. “Pegasus?” “Earth pony,” Nox interjected. “Why an earthpony?” Violet turned towards Nox. “Why not a pegasus? You have wings, all Pinks has to do is-“ “I can’t use my wings,” Nox interrupted without looking at Violet. “Now, who’s going to disguise me?” Nox turned to Streak. “I thought you hired a disguise specialist.” “He did.” Violet responded before Streak could open his mouth. “Pinks here is a whiz with disguises! And I should know.” Violet smiled a wide smile. “Anyways-” Pink Lady began. “That pony-” Nox pointed at Pink Lady “has an apple for a cutie mark. Not exactly what a disguise specialist should have. You-” Nox shot another glare at Violet “have a liquor-related cutie mark. I don’t know if I can trust you not to be a drunk.” “She is NOT a drunk,” Pink Lady responded angrily. “She is a respectable mare that HAPPENS to have an alcohol-related Mark. Is there a problem?” “Yes, there’s a problem. Neither of you are fit to-” Nox’s hastily compiled argument was cut short by hoof thrust into her mouth, due to Pink Lady. “Shut up and sit still,” growled Pink Lady. Her horn lit up with stormy grey light that matched her eyes as the faded pink unicorn cast a spell. The light covered Nox’s horn and wings. They went from completely opaque, to translucent, to transparent, to seemingly nonexistent. As Nox’s horn disappeared, her mane rearranged so that it didn’t seem like there was a horn in the first place. “Finished. You can breathe now.” Pink Lady stood back to admire her handiwork. Nox took a ragged breath and galloped off the kitchen sink to appraise her reflection. “A bit tense, isn’t she?” Violet commented. “I mean, really. What’s her deal about our Marks? Or, ‘cutie marks,’ as she called them.” “Uh, Streak?” Prism spoke up for the first time in awhile. “I think that you forgot to introduce our friends to Nox…” “Does it really matter?” Pink Lady asked. Prism gasped. “Yes it does matter! It’s very rude to not introduce friends to one another!” “Nox,” Streak called. Hearing her name, Nox turned and ear towards the conversation. Seeing this, Streak continued. “The mare with the pink coat, green mane and grey eyes is Pink Lady. The peppy one with a yellow coat and violet mane is… well, Violet.” Satisfied with her reflection, Nox turned back towards the conversation and took in the two ponies. “Sorry about that, we must have come off as hostile or something! But nice to meet you anyways!” Violet said. “Oh! We should-” “Really be going,” Pink Lady said, cutting off whatever Violet was about to say. “But-” “Come on.” Pink Lady trotted towards the door, forcing Violet to come along with her. After pushing Violet out of the house, Pink Lady turned around to say her goodbyes. “Nice you meet you, Nox. Hope we can get to know each other later. Sorry if I came off a bit harsh. Bye.” The sky was purple-pink in sunset, as the sun capped New Ponyville’s buildings on its descent. Streetlights were turning on, the sidewalk-inlaid bulbs giving off soft pseudo-natural light and illuminating the night. Inside the cloud-tree, the three ponies were back in the living room. Streak was rummaging around in the shelves that ringed the room, while Prism and Nox waited patiently on the floor. “Aha!” Streak deftly pulled a box from the bottom of a stack of books. “Monopony! The classic real estate game. Actually, it’s rumored that this game was played before the wars.” “The rules are easy to learn,” Prism added, speaking to Nox, “so you shouldn’t have any difficulty learning. Unlike Risk.” “Risk isn’t that hard to learn,” Streak protested, setting down the Monopony game and opening it. “It’s just… somewhat complicated.” “Can we just start already?” Nox cut in. “Sure,” Prism said. “What piece do you want?” Nox responded instantly. “The alicorn.” “Alicorn?” “Yes, the alicorn.” “There’s no alicorn,” Prism said, confused. At the same time, Streak asked “What’s an alicorn?” A/N- I am terrible at names. Simply terrible. "New Ponyville?" -insert obligatory DW joke- I didn't even rename Risk. Goddamn, I need a pre-reader. In TownThe smell of cooking was in the air. It isn’t the type of smell that sticks out, nor is it particularly strong, but it’s enough to notice. Streak rolled over, his nose aroused by the pleasant aroma. He mumbled a bit in his sleep and his legs reached out to hug something that wasn’t there. The pegasus rolled over again and fell off the bed with a loud thud. Streak opened his eyes, not knowing why his head was hurting and couldn’t see. His brain kicked in, and Streak began to tussle with the covers, trying to get free. After a minute of rolling around, the red pegasus was still wrapped in covers, no more free than he was when he started. “Streak, breakfast!” a voice called. “Mmpgf!” Streak tried to yell through his mouthful of sheets. “Get up and get ready for school!!” “Mmphmghumph!” Streak furiously worked his front hooves out of the binding, and paused to take a ragged breath through the sheets. Having his hooves raised above his head while lying on his back wasn’t exactly the ideal situation that he was going for. At that angle, it would be quite difficult the bang his hooves against the floor as Streak had planned… Oh, wait. The floor was a cloud. You can’t exactly bang on a cloud without bursting through it, no matter what type of pegasus you were. Not to mention the lack of noise it would make. Streak paused at the thought of bursting through the cloud to get downstairs, but vetoed the idea. He then set to work trying to push the sheets down off of his face, so that he could shout downstairs. “Streak, what are you doing?” The voice was coming upstairs now. “We have to get ready to go. Now.” Streak rolled onto his side, legs in motion as he desperately tried to scoot himself to a wall. The lime-green pegasus appeared in the doorway. In desperation, Streak moved his limbs like he was trying to grab the pegasus, while making zombie noises. It wasn’t helping. The green pony kept coming closer. She grabbed the edge of the sheet with her teeth and gave it a firm yank. Streak came rolling out of the sheets, yelling. "Hurry up! We're going to be late!" Prism grabbed Streak's tail in her teeth and dragged the struggling red pegasus out to doorway. "Now, come on!" Needing no further prompting, Streak was up and trotting down the stairs. He wasn't about to give Prism the chance to drag him down the stairs. Again. "Hurry up, jackflank. We're late." Nox was waiting at the bottom of the staircase, insults primed and ready. "Why don't you fly, birdie?" "Hey! I was injured in training!" Streak exclaimed in defense. "Any other time, I could outfly anypony!" "Come on. We're leaving." Prism ushered the ponies out the door and on their way. Walking through New Ponyville during the day was a different affair than stumbling through the town with fatigue-loaded limbs at night. For one, the lamps that illuminated the night were safely hidden away below the ground. The sun blazed in the blue morning sky, and birds sang their song. New Ponyville was one of those towns that like to sleep late, so the trio walked through the relatively empty streets from the outskirts and into town. On either side of the main road were softly-colored houses of varied hues. As the trio got closer to the other side of town, buildings rose out of the horizon. They were low-laying clay brick structures, each one unique in some way. One, obviously the school for magical studies, had large turrets and an iron gate. It was the largest of the buildings, more resembling a castle than anything else. "Why are all these ponies here?" Streak asked. "A-Are we on-time?” “I don’t know,” Prism said. “But it looks like the ponies are setting up for something.” All over the grounds, ponies were working pegasai and ponies on scaffolding were working on the walls of buildings. In the field, ponies appeared to be setting up a stage. “You’re hosting the Independence Celebration, right?” Nox asked. “Independence-“ “Whatever the buck you call it. Lunar Carnival. Summer Sun Orgy.” Nox waved her hoof dismissively. “It is this week, right? “Yeah, so?” Streak looked around, trying to piece the puzzle together. Independence Festival next week, New Ponyville Hosting.. “Oh, they’re setting up-” “Took you long enough,” Nox snorted. By that time, the trio had arrived at a building. A building whose entrance was 10 feet above the ground. Over said entrance was the symbol of a wrench overlaid on a gear, which signified engineering. Leading up to the door was a set of stairs, thin enough for only one pony at a time. Prism opened her wings and fluttered up to the door. The placed a hoof on the knob and turned. The knob rattled, refusing to budge. “It’s locked. Now what?” Nox asked. “New Ponyville tour,” Prism said, floating back down to the ponies on the ground. “If you’re going to be staying with us, then you’re going to need to know your way around.” “Uh, speaking of staying with us,” Streak began, turning towards Prism, “Why are you with me?” “Is there a problem with that?” Prism replied patiently. Put in the spotlight, Streak instantly became fidgety and started to stutter. “It-It’s not that, it’s that, it’s that you live in {Rawshire?} I-I mean, it’s a bit farther to school, but it’s not that far.” “I mean…” Streak trailed off, made further unsure by the looks he was receiving from the two mares. “What?” Nox and Prism shared a glance, and then walked away, Nox shaking her head. Did I say something wrong? Streak wondered momentarily, before running to catch up with the two mares. ~-_-~^_^~-_-~ New Ponyville was a different sort of place than its namesake. Whereas the original Ponyville was a small spread-out town filled with one-to-two story buildings, New Ponyville gave the feel of a city, with its tall buildings clustered together on the skyline. After the original Ponyville was swallowed up by the Everfree Expansion, New Ponyville was made as a monument to the original. It retained may of the significant locations in Ponyville, such as the town hall, the library, Sugarcube Corner and Carousel Boutique. Going back into town, the trio saw ponies going places and doing things. IT was the morning rush, with working ponies going to work and school-age foals being shepherded to school by their parents. In the space of about an hour, the airspace had become occupied and the streets became filled with ponies on the move. Prism took to the air, while Nox and Streak, the latter begrudgingly, walked below. “This is the main road into the city from the outskirts,” Prism said, hovering close enough for Nox to hear. “Sparkle Street,” Streak murmured involuntarily. “Sparkle, as in Twilight Sparkle?” Nox demanded. “What?” Streak asked, confused. “Twilight Sparkle,” Nox stated. “Who?” Streak asked, even more confused. “Twilight Sparkle, founder of the Sparkle Labs research company, the most powerful unicorn in Equestria to date, the pony who re-adjusted the USMS, Youngest winner of the Magi Tournament, inventor of numerous spells, the greatest Archmage of Canterlot, and the Element of Magic, leader of the Elements of Harmony?” Nox recited the titles as if it was something she had memorized, and took great pride in knowing. “Who’s Twilight Sparkle?” Nox’s speech had Streak even more confused than he was initially. “This ‘Twilight Sparkle’ sounds like she has far too many high titles than a pony could achieve in one lifetime, and furthermore,” Prism interjected, not about to believe in this mystical ‘Twilight Sparkle’ that Nox had invented and arbitrarily stuck numerous heavyweight titles to, “Canterlot is not a place, Sparkle Tech is a weapons manufacturer that broke off from another company during the war and the Elements of Harmony sound like another leftover war myth. In fact, this whole thing sounds like a war myth.” At this denial, Nox stopped and did a full turn towards Prism. “How do you doubt the existence of one of the, no possibly the greatest unicorn in history?” “Where is she? In what history books? What records show of her feats?” Prism had stopped and was in the air, going nose-to-nose with Nox in her argument. In the way crowds do, they had formed a circle around this interesting spectacle, this loud argument in the middle of the street about this so-called Twilight Sparkle. Was she real? Is she a myth? Whispers flew through the onlooker like wildfire spreading in a forest. “How do you know she exists or existed? By the way you’re defending her, is would seem like she was your best friend! And by that reasoning, it would be impossible for Twilight to be any of the things that you say she is.” Nox was left spluttering in disbelief and rage. The crowd cheered, as a conclusion had been reached. They started to disperse. I… I know because I connected with Twilight, as well as reading about her in the books. But what happened to the records of the Elements? Is the future really that detached? “Prism, look. They’re tearing down the library,” Streak pointed out an old, decrepit tree-library behind yellow caution tape. It had a musty, ancient feel, like it was an intricate part of history. At the moment, work crews of ponies were busying themselves with the destruction of the tree-library. Prism, still puffing from the argument, fluttered to the ground and observed the tree with Streak. “Look close. See those wire there, coming out of the tree? Means it’s a tree-borg. Part tree, part circuitry. Amazing.” The Library. Or at least a representation of it. Nox ground her teeth. And it was being torn down. Did they not know the significance of it? The answer was right there. It was a no. No, they did not. “I remember coming here as a kid… It felt so friendly and homey. The librarian was so helpful, too…” Streak’s face was full of nostalgia as he gazed at the library. Prism gently nosed him on, moving the red pegasus on down the road, towards the town hall. The town hall was a large wooden-looking structure that looked about as old as the library, although in much better shape. There was, however, a distinct air of technology about it, as if the wooden exterior was only holographic. The clearing around it served as the market. Concentric circles of stalls stood with merchants, grocers, craftsmen and tailors all shouting their wares to the throng of ponies passing through, trying to make sales. After shopping at the market for some food and whatever else caught their eyes, the trio went down the road on the other side, the road towards the park. The park was a grand old park, one that exuded a feeling of peace and harmony, one uncharacteristic to a city. In the middle of the park stood the statues of six equine forms. At one point in time, they could have been grand; they might’ve been the centerpiece of the park. But time and abuse by ponies had worn them down to relics that nopony felt right tearing down. Prism and Streak settled down near a tree to eat their food. Nox, however, remained standing, lost in thought. Her legs started moving, taking her farther into the park. When the dark mare came out of her reverie, she was standing in front of the six pony statues. The world faded around her. No, there was no world around her. Only a darkness in which one could see, but never quite make anything out. Time was inconsequential. Space was meaningless. Nox was no longer a broken-horned unicorn disguised as an earth pony; she was a unicorn floating on her gilded wings. The navy blue unicorn felt a pulse. A throbbing. A presence. Something old. Something lost. Nox Memories. Facing monsters. Losing friends. Night. Nox Fresh green pastures. Civilization. A sister. Chaos. NOX War. Sanctuary. Lothing. Cold. Bitter Cold. NOX! The unicorn blinked. She was back in Ponyille. New Ponyille? No, she hadn’t left. It was a dream… About what? “Nox, are you okay?” A cyan- no, a pine-green pegasus was standing over dark blue mare. Nox was lying on her side at the base of the middle of the six statues. “Nox.” The green pegasus softly shook the unicorn in distress. An aqua-maned pegasus was examining the statue above the dark blue unicorn. He turned towards the green pegasus and the unicorn. “We have to leave. Now. Did you feel that magical energy coming from here?” “Yes, but why-” the green pegasus started. “Exactly.” The pain concentrated at the base of Nox’s horn was excruciating, and felt hotter than a star. The world swam in and out of focus, and the slightest head movement meant a fissure of pain. So much pain… It was easier just to sleep. Nox’s eyes fluttered closed. ~-_-~^_^~-_-~ A military pony was in his office, watching a screen intently. There was a hissing as his door opened behind him and a pony entered. Without turning his chair around, he said “Sargent, did you record the magical pulse?” “Yes, sir. It occurred by the statues in the park at 17:00. Is it to be investigated?” “At once.” “Yessir.” The stallion scurried though the doors separating the commander’s quarters from the rest of the room. The commander reclined in his chair. First it was the temperature anomaly in the PV-zone of the Everfree, with one of his best men returning from investigation alone and only able to speak in gibberish. Now, there’s a magic surge by the New Ponyville Park statues. The fabled statues about which books upon books of lore exists. He pressed a button on his chair and leaned into the speaker above it. “Bring him in.” The metallic doors hissed open once again, as two guards escorted a disheveled grey unicorn into the room and stood to either side of him. The unicorn’s eyes were the wide, shifting eyes of somepony overtly paranoid. He was also shivering as much as somepony with hypothermia. The commander turned towards the unicorn. “T-t-the forest, i-i-it’s so cold…” The unicorn was chattering from the cold even though the room was comfortable warm. The commander addressed the guards. “Get this poor stallion a blanket.” “Um, will all due respect sir,” the guard began hesitantly, “we’ve tried that. We even specially heated his cell. He stays cold no matter what.” “Hmm.” The commander frowned. “Soldier. What happened in the Everfree?” “It was c-cold.” The unicorn shivered. “My squad… Th-they were all t-t-t-taken. When I-I looked the other w-way…” The unicorn started shaking, his eyes wide. “In… heart of Ev-Ev-Everfree... It-it was there!” The unicorn’s eyes were filled with remembered fright and paranoia. To either side, the guards slowly backed away, unsure what to do. “It said to me-” The unicorn was quaking. The guards hastily scrambled back to what seemed like a safe distance and readied their weapons. A smile, a maniac’s smile crept on to the unicorn’s face. The air temperature dropped. Breath became frost. “It said to me,” the unicorn began again, except it wasn’t the unicorn’s voice. The new voice came from not just the unicorn’s mouth, but from everywhere. It was a voice that pierced your brain and held your rapt attention. It was a cold frozen voice, one that could be equated with subzero temperatures or perfect logic. It was a voice that froze the soul. “You cannot run from a chill. And yet you try.” The unicorn -the voice- it laughed. The unicorn’s body shuddered. Its head turned and leveled its frozen glare at the commander. “Winter will fall at summer’s height. Equestria will be frozen to the soul.” Thick red frost creeped up the unicorn’s legs with the body itself growing paler as the frost advanced. “Evacuate!” shouted the commander, rising out of his chair. The guards sidled around the frost-ridden unicorn, intent on reaching the door and escaping from this nightmare. But the door was frozen shut, found out one guard. The other, who was on the side of the door override panel, reached towards the panel’s speaker, only to find that it had grown a thick layer of transparent ice. The commander took a step forward. One guard decided that trying to attack the unicorn was a good idea. He found that with every moment, his steps were heavier and he felt more light-headed. The guard stopped, losing consciousness while standing up. His frozen veins bulged red and ripped his skin. The commander took another step. The other guard screamed. Frozen spires slicked with red emerged out of his chest. Red liquid gargled out of his mouth as he collapsed. “Why,” the commander asked, no weakness in his voice, “did you take all the trouble of taking a host and coming here to give me a message if you’re just going to kill me after I hear it?” “Smart pony,” the voice responded. “It’s simple intimidation. For when you resist. You, however will stay alive. At least one pony must be able to spread the message.” “Resist what?” The commander asked. “The cold.” “Elaborate,” the commander demanded, trying to get as many answers as he could out of the entity. “Why should I?” The unicorn shook the icicles out of mane, the red frost up to its back. “This body isn’t going to last much longer with its blood on the outside. Time to go.” The commander eyes widened in shock. The frost was- The unicorn’s body shattered, the flesh and bones clearly visible in the shards of ice. The commander’s will snapped. He dashed towards the door, through the pony shards, and hammered on it, hollering to get out. Fortunately the ice released the door, and it slid open, revealing a herd of ponies outside, curious as to why the commander’s door was locked and ice-cold. (A/N)- USMS means Unicorn Strength Measurement Scale. Also, I think this escalated a bit too quickly. I'd like to have put some more space between Streak's lecture on Twilight and Nox's fiasco with the statue.
Forest StrollsChapter 1- Forest Strolls Wembley stadium slowly emptied, the crowd still energized from the performance. A sea of ponies flowed out into the crisp night air. A multitude of colors and voices filled the air, as the lights from the stadium obscured the stars from sight. Chatter from fans and the clopping of hooves on pavement echoed through the night air. In crowd, the energy and excitement from the concert remained, not destined to peter out soon. Two pegasi walked side-by-side, matching hoofstep for hoofstep. One pegasus was male with a red coat and an aqua blue mane. On his left flank, there was a mark depicting three horizontal lines of different lengths, each curling up into a spiral at the end. Said pegasus was happily grinning at a lime green mare with a curly pine-green mane. The green mare did not have a mark on her flank. “Streak, that was incredible!” The lime green pegasus said. She was drunkenly happy and giggling, still excited from the concert. “I told you it would be amazing.” The red stallion grinned, blushing slightly. “I’m glad you liked it, Prism.” The pair walked and talked, heading towards a small, less-used entrance into the forest surrounding the stadium. The path was packed dirt, hemmed either side by grass and tree roots. Crickets chirped while birds chattered and leaves rustled in the background. Indistinct shapes flitted to and fro on the grassy forest floor; shadows from the moon played on the ground. The cobweb of shapes, when paired with the ambient music, made the pair feel at home. The wind blew a wide leaf onto the top of Streak’s muzzle, and he attempted to blow it off. The leaf lifted up into the air, only to settle back down onto his muzzle. Prism chuckled at the red stallion and snuggled against him. She closed her deep blue eyes and leaned her head against the aqua-maned pegasus’s side. The steady thump of his heart could be heard, whereas her own was fluttering wildly. She acutely felt the way his coat rubbed against hers. It was warm, comfortable. It felt right. As unbidden sounds escaped Prism’s lips, she realized that she was speaking. “S-Streak.” At first it was a whisper. The red pegasus stopped, ears perked as if he had heard something. Prism’s nervousness intensified. He was listening! “Streak...” Prism gulped. Speaking those words brought a warm sensation to Prism’s face, and her coat did nothing to hide the rose tinge emerging on her face. Prism licked her lips nervously, her heart throbbing in her chest. “ Streak, I—” “Shh,” hushed the aqua-maned pegasus. He cocked his head, as though he had heard something. Streak stood stock-still, listening. His ears were standing erect, straining to pick out a single sound.“I think I hear something.” The gentle breeze whispered through trees, leaves rustling in indistinct conversation. Night birds called to each other in the background, adding to the indistinct chatter of the nighttime forest. “Hear what?” Prism looked at Streak, confused. “Can we keep going? It’s getting cold.” “...Sure,” Streak said. “Let’s go.” The pair resumed walking, keeping close for warmth and company. As they moved on, the trees seemed to become lighter and friendlier. Grass sprouted on the path. Things became... more natural. As grass began to appear more frequently, the path came to a fork. Two signs aimed down either side of the junction, with the left-side sign pointing to ‘Chevauxshire.’ The one on the right was made out of old rusty metal, long since rendered illegible. The “path” it pointed down had been reclaimed by nature, plants and tree roots erupting out of what used to be concrete. The the signpost was a divider, separating the gentle and friendly forest of the ponies and the harsh, dangerous wilds of the Everfree Forest. “Isn’t this where we part?” Prism turned to Streak. The red pegasus ruffled his wings and ran a hoof through his aqua-colored mane. “Actually, I have a different idea,” Streak began uncertainly. Prism’s ears perked up as she wondered what the stallion might have in store. “Umm... Well, I was thinking that you could, you know, stay with me for the night? I mean, there’s no school tomorrow, so I thought that—” “I would love to!” Prism threw her hooves around Streak, “Really?” “Really.” Prism nuzzled the red stallion reassuringly. In the forest, leaves rustled and twigs snapped. The sudden sounds startled the two pegasi, who each glanced cautiously at the forbidding forest. “C’mon Prism, let’s go before we catch a chill.” He turned to go down the left-hand fork. “Wait!” “What?” Prism turned towards the Everfree, ears up. She lifted a hoof as if to walk towards the Everfree, but paused, unsure. “Prism, what is it?” Seeming not to hear him, Prism peered into the depths of the forest. She tentatively took a couple steps down the overgrown path, as if she hadn’t quite made up her mind whether to go. “Prism, what are you doing?” Streak called. The mare opened her wings, committing to the forest path. She appeared to have forgotten Streak altogether. Prism took a running start and took flight down the disused forest path. After several moments’ hesitation, Streak galloped after the green mare. Streak was shocked. Why was she doing this? This kind of thing was usually left to Streak, and Prism rarely approved of any of his investigations due to curiosity. Normally Streak would be curious about something and chase his curiosity, mystifying those around him and dragging Prism along for the ride. Of course when those events happened, both were in perfect health and able to fly. Also, the locations were, for the most part, safe, or easily escapable and easily accessible. None were the Everfree Forest. The path into the Everfree was dark and treacherous. Roots threatened to trip up the running pegasus with every step, and broken concrete endangered his footing in the dark. The trees looked as if they were about to reach out and grab the pegasus, with their low-hanging branches and arched trunks. Something about the forest screamed at him; made him want to turn tail and flee. But he had to follow Prism. Streak followed the bobbing pine-green tail down the ‘Ponyville’ path, careful not to get too far away. After a few exhausting minutes, Streak caught up with the dark green tail. Prism had stopped to wait for Streak at the outskirts of what seemed to be a ruined town. The green mare had a wide grin on her face, her eyes lit up like a pegasus foal experiencing flight for the first time. She was clearly enjoying their escapade. “This way, I think I see something a bit further in.” The couple made their way into the ruined town. Vines twisted up walls and into houses; trees grew through houses, destroying their infrastructure. Any remaining metal was unrecognizable from decades of moisture. Unable to bear the burden of time and nature, most of the houses in town had collapsed. The trees of the forest seemed to lean over the town as if trying to smother it. A great sadness hung over the ancient town, a feeling that subdued and silenced the ponies trekking through it. The feeling condensed as they got closer to a giant tree which looked oddly like a home. It was now wild, limbs and leaves making ferocious shapes on the ground. The upper boughs of the tree, which might have once been habitable, were twisted around into themselves. Thick roots erupted from the ground, churning the earth around them. At the base of the tree, a pony-height arched discolored section of wood suggested a door. Nestled in front of that was a pony. The pony’s dark coloration made it hard to see in the gloom, but there was strange, night-sky luminescence about it. Streak was hesitant about picking up the pony. It could be a trap; it could be an illusion. A strange pony in the middle of a ruined town? To Streak, it seemed something out of a horror novel. In fact, the town seemed to be crying. It was like entering the room of a recently-deceased parent. One could still feel the presence of the person, could feel the memories residing in the room. The pegasi cautiously approached the pony, watching for threats. Up close, the pony was revealed to be a unicorn mare with odd, blade-like wings folded at her sides. Her dark coat had the deep quality of the night sky, yet at the same time possessing an oddly radiant quality. Her mane was a tangle of nighttime purple splayed out around her head. It was as if she was deposited there. “So…” Streak began quietly. His voice trembled, trying not to be too loud. It did, however, disturb the fog of inactivity that stifled the town. “What now?” “We take her back,” Prism said simply. “We what?” Streak said, surprised, even though he had no right to be. Whenever they went out on their ‘expeditions,’ Prism, without fail, wanted to bring home a souvenir. Except, they normally weren’t fully grown unicorns from the middle of the Everfree. “We’re already out here; we may as well take her back when we leave,” Prism said, justifying her previous statement. “I’m not going to leave an unconscious pony on the ground in the middle of the Everfree.” “But this is so sketchy. We walk into the Everfree on a whim, through mysterious ruins and find a pony next to a tree. How do you know this isn’t a trap? We can barely see! How do you know that somepony’s not trying to kill us or trap us in their spell? Have you read The Story of the Blanks? It could be like that! Somepony could-” Streak rambled, ears and eyes swiveling around as if trying to observe everything at once. “Stop panicking. Your rambling isn’t helping at all.” “But—” “Come on, be positive. We’re almost done. Here, I have an idea.” Prism quietly stepped up to the pony and, taking a second to steel herself, slid her nose under the mare in an attempt to slide the mare onto her back. “Streak, help me.” “Err, I don’t think that’s going to work.” Streak commented, eyes wide, surveying the situation. In the end, Prism managed to load the unconscious unicorn onto Streak’s back, then slipped underneath to share the load. The two trudged carefully out of the Everfree, taking care to watch their step. Roots and stones were a hazard to the unicorn-laden pegasai, as well as the fragmented concrete path. At one point, the duo narrowly avoided tromping straight through a puddle of mud. Once out of the forest, they set down the right-hand fork, trudging down the path home now laden with and unconscious unicorn. To the right, the Everfree forest fell away, giving way to fields dotted with trees. As time passed, a sign on the left appeared, welcoming them to “New Ponyville.” Leaving the hard-packed earth behind, the road became paved with impossibly close-fitting stone. Lights fitted into the sides of the road illuminated the night with a soft, natural light. A crescent moon sat bright in the sky, casting its own shadows on the the ground. In some places objects gained two shadows, whereas in other places the shadows pooled into deeper darkness. At this point the road split in two; one road bypassed the town and headed to “Chevauxshire,” the other headed straight through town. New Ponyville was a rural and rustic place; a throwback to older times. Streetlights dotted the road, hemmed by quaint two-story houses. The wide streets and medley of colors lent a homely air, warming you like a lit fireplace. Streak, Prism and the unconscious pony they were carrying crept into New Ponyville, taking to the side streets as soon as possible. Heading towards the outskirts of won, they attempted to stay out of sight, grateful for the cover of night. Turning off the streets, they came to a house that at first glance seemed to be made out of a large tree. Instead of leaves, however, the foliage and upper branches were made of cloud. Streak and Prism stumbled up to the front door with their unconscious companion. Prism nosed the door, and it swung open revealing the unlit interior. The pair stepped in, Prism flicking the light on with her tail. Panting heavily, they let the dark violet unicorn slide off their backs and onto the floor. Freed from their burden, both ponies promptly collapsed on the floor; the full toll of their effort had finally set in. The two exhausted pegasai fell into an exhausted silence. “...Well, should we put the unicorn on the couch?” Streak’s voice echoed loudly around the room. Prism hauled herself to her hooves, and helped Streak up. The pair wearily shuffled over to the unconscious mare. Streak put his muzzle against her side and pushed, rolling the mare slightly. “Streak stop trying to roll her, and help me lift her onto our backs one more time.” Prism said, lying down next to the unicorn. Streak lifted the unicorn across Prism, who stood up on shaky legs and quickly slid next to Prism to share the weight. Together, they stepped across the room, putting one hoof in front of the other, towards the couch. Streak kneeled some, and the unicorn slid off pegasai’s back and onto the couch. Streak yawned. It was late, and he was exhausted. After an exciting concert with floor tickets, getting out near midnight, trekking through the Everfree and carrying an unconscious unicorn, Streak was good and ready for some shut-eye. Currently, he could barely keep his eyes open. “Are you as tired as I am?” “Yeah. Where’s your bed again?” “Upstairs,” Streak sighed. “…Stupid injuries.” “What now?” “I injured my wing in practice,” Streak answered, “So now, I actually have to walk up the stairs.” Prism poked the belligerent stallion in the side. “So hurry up and get to it. The faster you get upstairs, the faster you can get to bed.” Streak didn’t budge. “Okay then. You want to do this the hard way? Let’s do this the hard way.” ~_~_~_~ "This is echo unit, reporting in," A slate-grey pony in full military armor said. He was standing among a group of similarly-dresses ponies, gazing pensively into the dark of a forbidding forest. "We have arrived at area code 'Black Hole.' Waiting for permission to enter." "Echo unit, you are cleared for entrance. You have authorization to use all necessary force. Over." The response buzzed through the comm in his ear. "You heard the commander. Move out!" Raising their weapons, the six ponies cautiously advanced into the haunting woods. “Be on your guard. We're facing an unknown threat." Twigs snapped and leaves rustled as the army ponies tromped through the forest. Lightning flashed. At the following crack of thunder, a few of the ponies started. A brick-red pony spoke up. "What are y'all jumpin fer? 'S just some thunder. Nothin more." "That ain't just thunder. That's some kinda voice, man. I'm tellin ya." A burnt yellow-coated pony was the one who responded. "Psssht. Ya'll r just scaredy-ponies.’Specially you, marshmallow," The red pony was speaking again. "Don’t fuckin’ call me ‘marshmallow,’ you country hick." The burnt yellow pony stopped and faced the brick-colored earth pony. "Butters, are ya askin’ fo an asswoopin?" The large brick-colored earth pony advanced on the smaller, burnt yellow pegasus. "Cuz Ah'll gladly give ya one. It don't matter if yer a winger or not, Ah'll still beat 'cha." Butters launched himself at the brick pony, and found himself surrounded in a grey magical aura. "Ha, yer—" The brick pony began to taunt Butters, only to find his mouth sealed shut and his hooves magnetized to the ground by that same grey aura. "Just because I'm the new squad leader doesn't mean you can fight on my watch. I will not hesitate to anchor you both to the ground within a hoof's reach of each other and leave you here. Now, shut the fuck up and let the grown ponies handle their business. Capicé?" The slate unicorn watched with satisfaction as both ponies shut up and went to opposite sides of the group. At that moment, a green unicorn, who had been looking around, noticed something. Addressing the grey unicorn, she stated her observation. "Uh, Sir? Where's Gaz?" The five looked around for their sixth. Suddenly, the darkness of the Everfree seemed much more sinister. The grey unicorn swore. "Activate night vision," he spoke into his helmet. A moment later, a light green glow enveloped his eyes. The night vision illuminated the forest, showing vibrant colors, as if the sun actually shone in the Everfree. "Squad, activate night vision. We don't know what we're dealing with. I don't plan on losing another team to this damned forest." “What do you mean, ‘another team?’” The green unicorn spoke up, curious. “I thought you were new?” “New to this squad,” the slate unicorn said flatly. “Do you mean that you’ve led other Everfree Squads?” the green unicorn asked. Upon receiving no response from the captain, she tried again. “Captain, have—” “Jade, don’t pursue that line of inquiry.,” the captain said harshly. “You’re our engineer. You don’t need to know this.” “Yes, sir.” Jade muttered, reluctantly abandoning her query. “Capn, where’d that brick-lookin’ hick go off to?” Butters asked, a tremble in his voice. “Watch your language.” A white earth pony spoke up. “Squad, halt.” The grey unicorn called. “I need to take roll.” The three remaining ponies stopped and waited for their captain to take stock. “We’re missing Brick, too.” The captain swore under his breath. “Everybody, watch out for each other. “Code ‘Angel.’” “Son, what’s happenin? Ponies be dissapearin!” Butters began to freak. “I mean, first it was—” “Shut. Up.” The white earth pony glared at Butters. “Your accent hurts my ears.” “Both of you, shut up and listen.” The grey unicorn was squinting, trying to make something out in the distance. There was something new, something different. At the moment, the squad was passing through a small town which had been overtaken by the Everfree. But what was new wasn’t the town itself. The town had been there. It was old, in ruin and decay. What was new was the atmosphere. It had changed. For the colder. “Jade, scan for magical anomalies.” “Sir?” The white pony spoke up hesitantly. “What?” “ Jade isn’t here.” The white pony’s gaze was magnetized to the ground, hoping to avoid being the target of his captain’s wrath. The grey unicorn let loose a string of swears. “This isn’t working. Use three-pony strategy five. Keep your eyes open, ears up and stay close.” Two ponies lined up in two-thirds of a three-pony formation; there was no pegasus. The grey unicorn and white earth pony shared a glance when they realised that the pegasus was missing. At this point, they were near the outskirts of town. They spotted a tree which might once have been a homely cottage. From the surrounding ruin of birdfeeders,what seemed to have been a chicken coop and the way vines and plants grew with the former home, it seemed as if the resident had been intimately connected with nature. The pair walked in silence through wide avenues bordered with dilapidated and collapsed houses being taken over by plants and vines of all sorts. The grey unicorn looked at the white earth pony. “We’re going to die here. You know that?” “Seeing the way things are going now, probably.” The white earth pony didn’t look at the captain. “We’re here.” The two stopped in front a building that seemed like it had been a town hall or something of the sort. It was a tangled mess of rotting wood, decayed than most other buildings in town. Although… There was a strange quality about it. The ruins possessed an almost crystalline appearance. The two ponies shivered. The grey unicorn’s ears swiveled, receiving a faint sucking noise. His eyes widened. The unicorn’s horn lit up and a grey aura blinked into existence around each pony’s hooves, securing them to the ground. A moment later, the space above the rubble imploded, condensing into a single point of white. Pausing for just a moment, the singularity pulsed outward in freezing waves, pervading the air with a subzero chill. The two ponies got up and faced the tornado of freezing energies that now swirled above the town center’s ruins. “This is it! Time to get the job done,” shouted the captain. He levitated a small black box, with caution stripes lining the edges, out of his pack. “Set the trap!” The white earth pony fired his gun, an orange stream blasting from the nozzle. The stream wrapped around the energy, chaining it down. The unicorn sild the black box under the vortex of energies. The lid slid open, revealing a radiant rose-tinted light. The light affected the white vortex, causing it to be sucked into the box. The containment stream cut off suddenly, causing the captain to glance towards the white earth pony. The white pony was gasping for air, blood running off of an icicle protruding from his neck. No longer contained, the swirling white energies hovered over the trap. Rendered inactive, the trap itself became encrusted with the ice encroaching the area. A clinking sound echoed throughout the area. With a start, the grey unicorn realized that the energy was… laughing. The energy field was laughing at him. The damned energy field was laughing at him! The grey unicorn shivered. The temperature had dropped to subarctic levels. “Stupid ponies. You cannot contain the cold. Nor can you defeat it. It will always be there.” The voice was cold and logical. They grey unicorn began to take steps back, intending to flee. “You cannot run from a chill. And yet you try.” The blizzard expanded, consuming the heart of the town. Blind, enveloped in the vast expanses of snow, he fled. But no matter how far he ran, the blizzard surrounded him, obscuring his vision. Running until he could run no more, the idea of sleep became more and more appealing. Why run from something inescapable when sleep was an option? All of his instincts warred against this urge... this tiredness. But why? What was there to fear? Maybe he could just take a nap. Yes, he would have a short nap. That was all. Just a few minutes. Just a few... The world faded into nothing. Author's Note Second edit. A large thanks to MikhailWilson for helping me with it.
The Morning AfterChapter 2 Morning came. The sun was bright, the sky was blue, the world was inviting. A ray of light cast itself upon a closed red eyelid, making the fur gleam as a fresh apple might. The eyelid fidgeted under the light and half-opened. The ray of light caught the eye by surprise, and it blinked shut. The red pony that the eye belonged to shifted in attempt to stay asleep. But that shifting was what woke him up enough that he couldn't go back to sleep. Back to comfort. The red pegasus rolled over, eyes still closed, aqua mane a disaster on his head. He desperately wanted to go back to sleep, but that sleep wasn't coming. Reluctantly, Streak opened his eyes. The brightness of day assaulted his eyes, rendering him momentarily unable to see. He blinked through the phase. Then an idea struck; What was the time? Streak glanced at the digital clock on the dresser. Noon. It was just- Wait. It was noon. They'd slept half the day away! Streak rose to wobbly hooves and trudged over to the bathroom. He looked at his reflection groggily and fumbled for his comb. The normally straight-standing mass was flattened and jumbled. Leaves and sticks were interspersed throughout his mane. He looked like he had been running around in a shedding forest. Which he had. This would take awhile. By the time Streak had finished straightening his mane, Prism was up and in the hallway, heading downstairs. Her mane was a forest despite the fact that it looked combed. "Mornin’," she mumbled, not fully awake. In fact, her stride seemed more habit that consciousness. Prism clopped down the stairs, Streak's eyes following her tail. Streak walked into his room, intending to make his bed. However, his bed seemed untouched. He traced the outline of his bed with his eyes and went down. There was a pony-sized indent in the floor. Well, there was that mystery. From downstairs, a shriek came. Downstairs... That's where Prism was! Streak opened his wings and took off, blazing a blue trail down the stairs. "YOU'RE A MESS." The volume of that sentence was enough to throw off even a world-class flyer such as Streak, and send him careening into the wooden floor of the tree. The hearty thump of his impact caused the dark-coated unicorn to notice him. Prism was laying a foot from where she was standing previously, cradling her head. Otherwise, she appeared to be unhurt. The unicorn's piercing orange eyes were set on Streak with an intensity that made him shiver. He stood up, trying to reconjure the confidence that sent him flying down the stairs. But it shriveled and waned under the glare. Also, there was something just plain wrong with the unicorn. It wasn't the coat or mane, despite the fact that they were rare colorations. Nor was it her eyes... But above, her horn... Half of her horn was snapped clean off. Upon closer inspection, the strange mare had skeletal-looking wings, held together by a soft golden light, with blade-like wingbones. Streak's mind reeled. He took a step back. Looked away. Looked back. Rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple times. No. It was true. The 'unicorn,' if that was what she was, had wings and a broken horn. "What do you want?" The words cut through his stupor, bringing him out of his mind. "I asked you a question, pegasus." The unicorn was speaking. Her voice was feminine, but had an unusual roughness to it, as if she had emotionally been through a lot. "Stop standing there with your mouth wide open and answer." Streak cleared his throat and dredged up his confidence. "Get away from Prism. You're hurting... her..." Streak trailed off as the scene seemed to change drastically. Prism was no longer on the floor with her ears covered. The unicorn was no longer standing above Prism. Prism was now up and in the unicorn's face, jabbing her hoof threateningly. The unicorn focused, as if she was going to use magic. Her horn glowed dimly, and began to spark. Prism hopped back, startled. The glow of the unicorn's magic flickered and shimmered, obviously needing lots of energy to maintain. The glow died suddenly, with more sparks popping out of the unicorn's horn. The unicorn recoiled, obviously in pain from trying to cast a spell. Upon seeing the unicorn recoil in pain, Prism was instantly apologetic. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I-" "I don't need your apology." The unicorn turned her head as if in pain, although her face showed resentment for a split second. "I'm fine." There was silence while the unicorn recovered. Outside, the sun was high in the sky, a little past the noon position. Birdcalls echoed through the air, creating a beautiful melody. It was a good day to be outside. “Could you two stop arguing? We’ve only just got up.” Streak’s voice attracted two surprised glances, seeing as the two mares had forgotten him. “I mean, I heard Prism scream, so I thought something was wrong.” Streak shook his head and snorted. “Seriously. Some ponies.” Streak proceeded past the two mares and into the kitchen. Actually, it would be a good idea to introduce themselves to the mare they rescued. Maybe then she wouldn’t have so much a temper. He turned around and trotted loudly into the living room, making his presence known. “Um, we forgot to introduce ourselves. I think we’ve started out on the wrong hoof.” Streak endured harsh glares from the unicorn. “My name is Streak, and this is my friend Prism Harpsicord.” Streak received a look from Prism “Pleased to meet you.” “Oh, now you decide to be nice? After your marefriend yells at me?” The unicorn laughed. “Nice try.” “First off, it wasn’t me who told her to be hostile to you. I’m trying to be nice to you,” Streak said, getting annoyed. “Secondly, she’s not my marefriend. She’s just a friend.” “Sure seems like it,” the unicorn mumbled under her breath. She regarded Streak with interest, thinking about his request. She came to a decision. “My name is… Dear Celestia.” She trailed off unsure. Surprise became evident on her face when she realized what was happening. She began whispering uncertainly. “My name is… Equ… Ine? Erde? Nox? My head, why does it hurt?” “Are you okay?” Streak asked. Prism moved to comfort the aching unicorn, but Streak blocked her with a hoof. “It would be better if you didn’t.” “My name… Is… Nox.” The unicorn’s voice returned to normal tone and volume. “My name is Nox.” Nox flared her wings at the affirmation of the statement. “When is your Summer Sun Celebration?” “Summer Sun… Er, what?” Prism spoke up at this point taking over for Streak, who headed towards the kitchen again intent on making breakfast. Streak wasn’t all that good with dates, anyways. “There’s no such thing.” “Solstice festival? Independence celebration?” Nox asked. “Well, we have the Independence festival, but-” “When is it?” “In a week.” Prism regarded Nox, who stared right back. Nox broke the ensuing silence with a question: “Where am I, and what’s the date?” “You’re in New Ponyville, and it’s the 15th of Summer, year 280/Acorn, Monday” .At first Prism was surprised, but then she realized that she had picked up Nox from ruins in the Everfree forest. Who knows how long she could have been there? Another awkward silence followed, with the interspersed sounds of Streak cooking. _-~-_-~-_-~-_ “Breakfast is ready!” Streak’s call came into the living room, breaking the tension. Both Nox and Prism quickly entered the kitchen, and seated themselves as far away as they could from each other. The effort was actually rather futile, due to the fact that the table was a small table that could seat six at maximum, when all sides were filled. This maneuver, however, was not lost on Streak. “Today we have salads with cheese.” As Streak set each pony’s plates at the table, the tension began to increase again. Nox shifted in her seat, slight uncomfortable. Prism agitatedly picked at her wings. Streak himself sat down to eat, fully aware of the uncomfortable mares. “…So, Nox.” Streak began, attempting the break the silence. “Where are you from?” “Ponyville,” was her response. “New Ponyville?” Streak asked, trying to push past Nox’s uncooperative air. “No, just Ponyville. The one New Ponyville was built for.” Nox elaborated a little more, but still wasn’t conversational. “What happened to the original Ponyville?” “I don’t know.” “Hmm.” Streak said. This wasn’t working. Subject change time. “So, you’re going to be staying with us until the Fest, right?” “Fest? You mean the Independence festival? Yes. Until then.” Nox fumbled with the utensils, not really knowing how to eat with her hooves. “So, um, I called a friend to come over to help you blend in.” Streak paused. “A broken unicorn horn and magical-looking wings don’t, uh, exactly go over well with the general public.” He paused again, expecting a “why” response. He got none. Nox had quit fussing with the utensils and ate directly off of the plate, effectively cutting off all conversation. “When’s he coming over?” Prism asked between bites of her own salad. “She should be coming soon.” Streak corrected. He stood up and began to collect dishes as everypony was finishing up their food. An awkward silence settled on to the room due to the fact that with no food to occupy them, they’d have to talk with each other. Nox impatiently tapped her hooves, her mane and coat shining with luster that only the darkest colors can manage. She flared her wings, which were each like blades on their own and connected by an ethereal golden light. Together, they formed wings. Nox's orange eyes roved around uncomfortably, their color contrasting sharply with her coloration. Her dark violet mane was a mop above her head, hair sticking out in every direction. Her tail wasn't looking much better, either. It was matted and in need of a good grooming. DING-DONG went the doorbell. “Oh, here she is now.” Streak rose from the table and went into the living room to answer the door. At the door were two mares. One was a faded yellow earthpony with a rich purple mane. The other was a faded pink unicorn whose long apple-green mane fell over into her face, obscuring one eye. Whereas the former had an air of excitement and of someone who liked to be with others, the latter seemed to be a solitary creature, giving off a downtrodden air of boredom. “Hey Violet. Hey Pink Lady.” Streak greeted his friends at the door and gestured for them to come in. “We’re in the kitchen.” “Hi Streak, what’s new? What’s up? How’s life been treatin’ ya? Me? I’ve been fine, I mean what really happens around here. Srsly. What we need is- hmmph! Pinshyyy!” Violet fired off a torrent of words as she walked in. The mare beside her stuffed her hoof into Violet’s mouth, cutting of the stream of babble. “Hey Streak,” Pink Lady said. “I really didn’t feel like listening to her right now.” “As I was saying,” Streak began as the three walked into the kitchen. “I have a mare that I need to disguise. She’s over there at the table.” Streak pointed to Nox. “I need you to hide her horn and wings.” “But if she’s a unicorn,” Violet cut in, “why do you need Pinks here to disguise her?” Nox glared at Violet, who obviously hadn’t yet noticed the obvious. Pink Lady observed Nox to see what needed to be done. She turned to Streak. “Pegasus?” “Earth pony,” Nox interjected. “Why an earthpony?” Violet turned towards Nox. “Why not a pegasus? You have wings, all Pinks has to do is-“ “I can’t use my wings,” Nox interrupted without looking at Violet. “Now, who’s going to disguise me?” Nox turned to Streak. “I thought you hired a disguise specialist.” “He did.” Violet responded before Streak could open his mouth. “Pinks here is a whiz with disguises! And I should know.” Violet smiled a wide smile. “Anyways-” Pink Lady began. “That pony-” Nox pointed at Pink Lady “has an apple for a cutie mark. Not exactly what a disguise specialist should have. You-” Nox shot another glare at Violet “have a liquor-related cutie mark. I don’t know if I can trust you not to be a drunk.” “She is NOT a drunk,” Pink Lady responded angrily. “She is a respectable mare that HAPPENS to have an alcohol-related Mark. Is there a problem?” “Yes, there’s a problem. Neither of you are fit to-” Nox’s hastily compiled argument was cut short by hoof thrust into her mouth, due to Pink Lady. “Shut up and sit still,” growled Pink Lady. Her horn lit up with stormy grey light that matched her eyes as the faded pink unicorn cast a spell. The light covered Nox’s horn and wings. They went from completely opaque, to translucent, to transparent, to seemingly nonexistent. As Nox’s horn disappeared, her mane rearranged so that it didn’t seem like there was a horn in the first place. “Finished. You can breathe now.” Pink Lady stood back to admire her handiwork. Nox took a ragged breath and galloped off the kitchen sink to appraise her reflection. “A bit tense, isn’t she?” Violet commented. “I mean, really. What’s her deal about our Marks? Or, ‘cutie marks,’ as she called them.” “Uh, Streak?” Prism spoke up for the first time in awhile. “I think that you forgot to introduce our friends to Nox…” “Does it really matter?” Pink Lady asked. Prism gasped. “Yes it does matter! It’s very rude to not introduce friends to one another!” “Nox,” Streak called. Hearing her name, Nox turned and ear towards the conversation. Seeing this, Streak continued. “The mare with the pink coat, green mane and grey eyes is Pink Lady. The peppy one with a yellow coat and violet mane is… well, Violet.” Satisfied with her reflection, Nox turned back towards the conversation and took in the two ponies. “Sorry about that, we must have come off as hostile or something! But nice to meet you anyways!” Violet said. “Oh! We should-” “Really be going,” Pink Lady said, cutting off whatever Violet was about to say. “But-” “Come on.” Pink Lady trotted towards the door, forcing Violet to come along with her. After pushing Violet out of the house, Pink Lady turned around to say her goodbyes. “Nice you meet you, Nox. Hope we can get to know each other later. Sorry if I came off a bit harsh. Bye.” The sky was purple-pink in sunset, as the sun capped New Ponyville’s buildings on its descent. Streetlights were turning on, the sidewalk-inlaid bulbs giving off soft pseudo-natural light and illuminating the night. Inside the cloud-tree, the three ponies were back in the living room. Streak was rummaging around in the shelves that ringed the room, while Prism and Nox waited patiently on the floor. “Aha!” Streak deftly pulled a box from the bottom of a stack of books. “Monopony! The classic real estate game. Actually, it’s rumored that this game was played before the wars.” “The rules are easy to learn,” Prism added, speaking to Nox, “so you shouldn’t have any difficulty learning. Unlike Risk.” “Risk isn’t that hard to learn,” Streak protested, setting down the Monopony game and opening it. “It’s just… somewhat complicated.” “Can we just start already?” Nox cut in. “Sure,” Prism said. “What piece do you want?” Nox responded instantly. “The alicorn.” “Alicorn?” “Yes, the alicorn.” “There’s no alicorn,” Prism said, confused. At the same time, Streak asked “What’s an alicorn?” A/N- I am terrible at names. Simply terrible. "New Ponyville?" -insert obligatory DW joke- I didn't even rename Risk. Goddamn, I need a pre-reader.
In TownThe smell of cooking was in the air. It isn’t the type of smell that sticks out, nor is it particularly strong, but it’s enough to notice. Streak rolled over, his nose aroused by the pleasant aroma. He mumbled a bit in his sleep and his legs reached out to hug something that wasn’t there. The pegasus rolled over again and fell off the bed with a loud thud. Streak opened his eyes, not knowing why his head was hurting and couldn’t see. His brain kicked in, and Streak began to tussle with the covers, trying to get free. After a minute of rolling around, the red pegasus was still wrapped in covers, no more free than he was when he started. “Streak, breakfast!” a voice called. “Mmpgf!” Streak tried to yell through his mouthful of sheets. “Get up and get ready for school!!” “Mmphmghumph!” Streak furiously worked his front hooves out of the binding, and paused to take a ragged breath through the sheets. Having his hooves raised above his head while lying on his back wasn’t exactly the ideal situation that he was going for. At that angle, it would be quite difficult the bang his hooves against the floor as Streak had planned… Oh, wait. The floor was a cloud. You can’t exactly bang on a cloud without bursting through it, no matter what type of pegasus you were. Not to mention the lack of noise it would make. Streak paused at the thought of bursting through the cloud to get downstairs, but vetoed the idea. He then set to work trying to push the sheets down off of his face, so that he could shout downstairs. “Streak, what are you doing?” The voice was coming upstairs now. “We have to get ready to go. Now.” Streak rolled onto his side, legs in motion as he desperately tried to scoot himself to a wall. The lime-green pegasus appeared in the doorway. In desperation, Streak moved his limbs like he was trying to grab the pegasus, while making zombie noises. It wasn’t helping. The green pony kept coming closer. She grabbed the edge of the sheet with her teeth and gave it a firm yank. Streak came rolling out of the sheets, yelling. "Hurry up! We're going to be late!" Prism grabbed Streak's tail in her teeth and dragged the struggling red pegasus out to doorway. "Now, come on!" Needing no further prompting, Streak was up and trotting down the stairs. He wasn't about to give Prism the chance to drag him down the stairs. Again. "Hurry up, jackflank. We're late." Nox was waiting at the bottom of the staircase, insults primed and ready. "Why don't you fly, birdie?" "Hey! I was injured in training!" Streak exclaimed in defense. "Any other time, I could outfly anypony!" "Come on. We're leaving." Prism ushered the ponies out the door and on their way. Walking through New Ponyville during the day was a different affair than stumbling through the town with fatigue-loaded limbs at night. For one, the lamps that illuminated the night were safely hidden away below the ground. The sun blazed in the blue morning sky, and birds sang their song. New Ponyville was one of those towns that like to sleep late, so the trio walked through the relatively empty streets from the outskirts and into town. On either side of the main road were softly-colored houses of varied hues. As the trio got closer to the other side of town, buildings rose out of the horizon. They were low-laying clay brick structures, each one unique in some way. One, obviously the school for magical studies, had large turrets and an iron gate. It was the largest of the buildings, more resembling a castle than anything else. "Why are all these ponies here?" Streak asked. "A-Are we on-time?” “I don’t know,” Prism said. “But it looks like the ponies are setting up for something.” All over the grounds, ponies were working pegasai and ponies on scaffolding were working on the walls of buildings. In the field, ponies appeared to be setting up a stage. “You’re hosting the Independence Celebration, right?” Nox asked. “Independence-“ “Whatever the buck you call it. Lunar Carnival. Summer Sun Orgy.” Nox waved her hoof dismissively. “It is this week, right? “Yeah, so?” Streak looked around, trying to piece the puzzle together. Independence Festival next week, New Ponyville Hosting.. “Oh, they’re setting up-” “Took you long enough,” Nox snorted. By that time, the trio had arrived at a building. A building whose entrance was 10 feet above the ground. Over said entrance was the symbol of a wrench overlaid on a gear, which signified engineering. Leading up to the door was a set of stairs, thin enough for only one pony at a time. Prism opened her wings and fluttered up to the door. The placed a hoof on the knob and turned. The knob rattled, refusing to budge. “It’s locked. Now what?” Nox asked. “New Ponyville tour,” Prism said, floating back down to the ponies on the ground. “If you’re going to be staying with us, then you’re going to need to know your way around.” “Uh, speaking of staying with us,” Streak began, turning towards Prism, “Why are you with me?” “Is there a problem with that?” Prism replied patiently. Put in the spotlight, Streak instantly became fidgety and started to stutter. “It-It’s not that, it’s that, it’s that you live in {Rawshire?} I-I mean, it’s a bit farther to school, but it’s not that far.” “I mean…” Streak trailed off, made further unsure by the looks he was receiving from the two mares. “What?” Nox and Prism shared a glance, and then walked away, Nox shaking her head. Did I say something wrong? Streak wondered momentarily, before running to catch up with the two mares. ~-_-~^_^~-_-~ New Ponyville was a different sort of place than its namesake. Whereas the original Ponyville was a small spread-out town filled with one-to-two story buildings, New Ponyville gave the feel of a city, with its tall buildings clustered together on the skyline. After the original Ponyville was swallowed up by the Everfree Expansion, New Ponyville was made as a monument to the original. It retained may of the significant locations in Ponyville, such as the town hall, the library, Sugarcube Corner and Carousel Boutique. Going back into town, the trio saw ponies going places and doing things. IT was the morning rush, with working ponies going to work and school-age foals being shepherded to school by their parents. In the space of about an hour, the airspace had become occupied and the streets became filled with ponies on the move. Prism took to the air, while Nox and Streak, the latter begrudgingly, walked below. “This is the main road into the city from the outskirts,” Prism said, hovering close enough for Nox to hear. “Sparkle Street,” Streak murmured involuntarily. “Sparkle, as in Twilight Sparkle?” Nox demanded. “What?” Streak asked, confused. “Twilight Sparkle,” Nox stated. “Who?” Streak asked, even more confused. “Twilight Sparkle, founder of the Sparkle Labs research company, the most powerful unicorn in Equestria to date, the pony who re-adjusted the USMS, Youngest winner of the Magi Tournament, inventor of numerous spells, the greatest Archmage of Canterlot, and the Element of Magic, leader of the Elements of Harmony?” Nox recited the titles as if it was something she had memorized, and took great pride in knowing. “Who’s Twilight Sparkle?” Nox’s speech had Streak even more confused than he was initially. “This ‘Twilight Sparkle’ sounds like she has far too many high titles than a pony could achieve in one lifetime, and furthermore,” Prism interjected, not about to believe in this mystical ‘Twilight Sparkle’ that Nox had invented and arbitrarily stuck numerous heavyweight titles to, “Canterlot is not a place, Sparkle Tech is a weapons manufacturer that broke off from another company during the war and the Elements of Harmony sound like another leftover war myth. In fact, this whole thing sounds like a war myth.” At this denial, Nox stopped and did a full turn towards Prism. “How do you doubt the existence of one of the, no possibly the greatest unicorn in history?” “Where is she? In what history books? What records show of her feats?” Prism had stopped and was in the air, going nose-to-nose with Nox in her argument. In the way crowds do, they had formed a circle around this interesting spectacle, this loud argument in the middle of the street about this so-called Twilight Sparkle. Was she real? Is she a myth? Whispers flew through the onlooker like wildfire spreading in a forest. “How do you know she exists or existed? By the way you’re defending her, is would seem like she was your best friend! And by that reasoning, it would be impossible for Twilight to be any of the things that you say she is.” Nox was left spluttering in disbelief and rage. The crowd cheered, as a conclusion had been reached. They started to disperse. I… I know because I connected with Twilight, as well as reading about her in the books. But what happened to the records of the Elements? Is the future really that detached? “Prism, look. They’re tearing down the library,” Streak pointed out an old, decrepit tree-library behind yellow caution tape. It had a musty, ancient feel, like it was an intricate part of history. At the moment, work crews of ponies were busying themselves with the destruction of the tree-library. Prism, still puffing from the argument, fluttered to the ground and observed the tree with Streak. “Look close. See those wire there, coming out of the tree? Means it’s a tree-borg. Part tree, part circuitry. Amazing.” The Library. Or at least a representation of it. Nox ground her teeth. And it was being torn down. Did they not know the significance of it? The answer was right there. It was a no. No, they did not. “I remember coming here as a kid… It felt so friendly and homey. The librarian was so helpful, too…” Streak’s face was full of nostalgia as he gazed at the library. Prism gently nosed him on, moving the red pegasus on down the road, towards the town hall. The town hall was a large wooden-looking structure that looked about as old as the library, although in much better shape. There was, however, a distinct air of technology about it, as if the wooden exterior was only holographic. The clearing around it served as the market. Concentric circles of stalls stood with merchants, grocers, craftsmen and tailors all shouting their wares to the throng of ponies passing through, trying to make sales. After shopping at the market for some food and whatever else caught their eyes, the trio went down the road on the other side, the road towards the park. The park was a grand old park, one that exuded a feeling of peace and harmony, one uncharacteristic to a city. In the middle of the park stood the statues of six equine forms. At one point in time, they could have been grand; they might’ve been the centerpiece of the park. But time and abuse by ponies had worn them down to relics that nopony felt right tearing down. Prism and Streak settled down near a tree to eat their food. Nox, however, remained standing, lost in thought. Her legs started moving, taking her farther into the park. When the dark mare came out of her reverie, she was standing in front of the six pony statues. The world faded around her. No, there was no world around her. Only a darkness in which one could see, but never quite make anything out. Time was inconsequential. Space was meaningless. Nox was no longer a broken-horned unicorn disguised as an earth pony; she was a unicorn floating on her gilded wings. The navy blue unicorn felt a pulse. A throbbing. A presence. Something old. Something lost. Nox Memories. Facing monsters. Losing friends. Night. Nox Fresh green pastures. Civilization. A sister. Chaos. NOX War. Sanctuary. Lothing. Cold. Bitter Cold. NOX! The unicorn blinked. She was back in Ponyille. New Ponyille? No, she hadn’t left. It was a dream… About what? “Nox, are you okay?” A cyan- no, a pine-green pegasus was standing over dark blue mare. Nox was lying on her side at the base of the middle of the six statues. “Nox.” The green pegasus softly shook the unicorn in distress. An aqua-maned pegasus was examining the statue above the dark blue unicorn. He turned towards the green pegasus and the unicorn. “We have to leave. Now. Did you feel that magical energy coming from here?” “Yes, but why-” the green pegasus started. “Exactly.” The pain concentrated at the base of Nox’s horn was excruciating, and felt hotter than a star. The world swam in and out of focus, and the slightest head movement meant a fissure of pain. So much pain… It was easier just to sleep. Nox’s eyes fluttered closed. ~-_-~^_^~-_-~ A military pony was in his office, watching a screen intently. There was a hissing as his door opened behind him and a pony entered. Without turning his chair around, he said “Sargent, did you record the magical pulse?” “Yes, sir. It occurred by the statues in the park at 17:00. Is it to be investigated?” “At once.” “Yessir.” The stallion scurried though the doors separating the commander’s quarters from the rest of the room. The commander reclined in his chair. First it was the temperature anomaly in the PV-zone of the Everfree, with one of his best men returning from investigation alone and only able to speak in gibberish. Now, there’s a magic surge by the New Ponyville Park statues. The fabled statues about which books upon books of lore exists. He pressed a button on his chair and leaned into the speaker above it. “Bring him in.” The metallic doors hissed open once again, as two guards escorted a disheveled grey unicorn into the room and stood to either side of him. The unicorn’s eyes were the wide, shifting eyes of somepony overtly paranoid. He was also shivering as much as somepony with hypothermia. The commander turned towards the unicorn. “T-t-the forest, i-i-it’s so cold…” The unicorn was chattering from the cold even though the room was comfortable warm. The commander addressed the guards. “Get this poor stallion a blanket.” “Um, will all due respect sir,” the guard began hesitantly, “we’ve tried that. We even specially heated his cell. He stays cold no matter what.” “Hmm.” The commander frowned. “Soldier. What happened in the Everfree?” “It was c-cold.” The unicorn shivered. “My squad… Th-they were all t-t-t-taken. When I-I looked the other w-way…” The unicorn started shaking, his eyes wide. “In… heart of Ev-Ev-Everfree... It-it was there!” The unicorn’s eyes were filled with remembered fright and paranoia. To either side, the guards slowly backed away, unsure what to do. “It said to me-” The unicorn was quaking. The guards hastily scrambled back to what seemed like a safe distance and readied their weapons. A smile, a maniac’s smile crept on to the unicorn’s face. The air temperature dropped. Breath became frost. “It said to me,” the unicorn began again, except it wasn’t the unicorn’s voice. The new voice came from not just the unicorn’s mouth, but from everywhere. It was a voice that pierced your brain and held your rapt attention. It was a cold frozen voice, one that could be equated with subzero temperatures or perfect logic. It was a voice that froze the soul. “You cannot run from a chill. And yet you try.” The unicorn -the voice- it laughed. The unicorn’s body shuddered. Its head turned and leveled its frozen glare at the commander. “Winter will fall at summer’s height. Equestria will be frozen to the soul.” Thick red frost creeped up the unicorn’s legs with the body itself growing paler as the frost advanced. “Evacuate!” shouted the commander, rising out of his chair. The guards sidled around the frost-ridden unicorn, intent on reaching the door and escaping from this nightmare. But the door was frozen shut, found out one guard. The other, who was on the side of the door override panel, reached towards the panel’s speaker, only to find that it had grown a thick layer of transparent ice. The commander took a step forward. One guard decided that trying to attack the unicorn was a good idea. He found that with every moment, his steps were heavier and he felt more light-headed. The guard stopped, losing consciousness while standing up. His frozen veins bulged red and ripped his skin. The commander took another step. The other guard screamed. Frozen spires slicked with red emerged out of his chest. Red liquid gargled out of his mouth as he collapsed. “Why,” the commander asked, no weakness in his voice, “did you take all the trouble of taking a host and coming here to give me a message if you’re just going to kill me after I hear it?” “Smart pony,” the voice responded. “It’s simple intimidation. For when you resist. You, however will stay alive. At least one pony must be able to spread the message.” “Resist what?” The commander asked. “The cold.” “Elaborate,” the commander demanded, trying to get as many answers as he could out of the entity. “Why should I?” The unicorn shook the icicles out of mane, the red frost up to its back. “This body isn’t going to last much longer with its blood on the outside. Time to go.” The commander eyes widened in shock. The frost was- The unicorn’s body shattered, the flesh and bones clearly visible in the shards of ice. The commander’s will snapped. He dashed towards the door, through the pony shards, and hammered on it, hollering to get out. Fortunately the ice released the door, and it slid open, revealing a herd of ponies outside, curious as to why the commander’s door was locked and ice-cold. (A/N)- USMS means Unicorn Strength Measurement Scale. Also, I think this escalated a bit too quickly. I'd like to have put some more space between Streak's lecture on Twilight and Nox's fiasco with the statue.
