Senseless Writings

Winter Heart was yet again caught up in anything but an ordinary life. After finding her friend Thunder Charger who she was worried about and had set off to find, she was now stuck in an even bigger problem of everyone in the town of Weatherville mysteriously disappearing. Now it seems like everything rests on her and her friend Thunder Charger's shoulders, but something seems off about her friend she has recently rejoined with.

"Are you sure you're okay? Something definitely seems odd here."

"I already said I'm just a bit tired is all. We have bigger problems anyway. Do you know how to open any of these rooms? It seems like a kind of magical lock that needs a certain key."

"Of course it is, don't you remember anything? These were locked with magical keys that were created by the unicorn that once lived here. The mayor has them locked away in the town hall to make sure they stay sealed. I thought you were always interested in legends like these?"

"Oh, I am. I just forget some of the details sometimes; stories are long after all. Anyway, we should go get those keys then to open the doors."

"About that, how do you know what's causing all of this is in one of these rooms?"

"Well, you might have heard it, but there was a loud crashing noise earlier today. I was near the tower when it happened and it sounded like it came from inside. I figured it might have something to do with it."

"Oh, well that does make sense."

Winter and Thunder continued down the stairs nearing the exit of the tower. For some reason it seemed like Thunder had fallen behind Winter and was now following her instead. As they reached the exit and looked outside, the weather seems to have gotten worse. Thick snow now covered the ground in a giant white blanket and the wind was as fierce as a beast. Thunder didn't have a coat like Winter, but he figured he could tough it out with his usual strength and undying passion.

(Something is still off. When I heard that noise it didn't sound like it came from the direction of the tower, but rather the direction of my house. The tower is also rather far away from my house, so it's hard to believe it knocked over my papers from the crash. The only thing past my house is the Phantom Forest. It would be close enough to affect my house as well, am I over thinking this?)

"Something the matter?" asked the stallion from behind.

"No nothing, just a bit bothered by the weather."

They continued through the thick snow and fierce winds until they reached the town hall. Once they made it inside they looked around to see if anyone was still there. Once it was confirmed the place was empty, they looked around for where the keys were locked. After some time Winter finally found the safe that held the keys.

"So this is it? Do you know the combination to open it?"

"I'm one of the few who are trusted with the combination to the safe, so of course I know it."

After a few second Winter had finally opened the safe and used her magic to take out the "keys" to the locked rooms in the tower. The "keys" were actually one of the machines made by the unicorn that once lived in the tower. They were actually metal spheres the size of a small rock that sent some kind of signal to the doors. Each key opened all the doors to a certain tower. The tower in Weatherville wasn't the only one made after all. In total there were about ten "keys".

"Okay then, we will use these to open the doors in the tower. Let's head back"

"Right." Winter had said after closing the door to the safe. It seemed like she had left something inside the safe, but Thunder had ignored it. They made their way back through the fierce snow storm and into the tower again. They went up the first flight of stairs leading to the floor with the first doors. Winter then took out one of the keys and used it to open the door in front of them. It was by chance that they used the right key the first time.

"Wow! These things are a lot bigger on the inside then they look on the outside!"

"That's because of one of the machines the unicorn made during his time here to save space. From what I understand, it was a very powerful and dangerous machine, so he kept them all locked away someplace far away to avoid any accidents that would cause much damage."

They had continued into the room which was almost as large as the town itself. It was filled with all kinds of metal machines of all sizes that made some of them look like buildings. In fact, some of these things looked like they ran on clockwork designs along with the strange metal objects. After a little while Winter stopped, and used the key again to shut the door behind them.

"Winter?"

"I want you to answer this question. What was the name of the unicorn that lived in this tower?"

"What is this all of a sudden?"

"I want you to answer it. We are both one of the few who actually know his name, and it's impossible for ether of us to forget it. I want you to tell me his name."

"Come on, it has been a long day and I had stayed up all night. I'm not really thinking strait and saying I could never forget is a bit much isn't it?"

"That's exactly it. You have been way to calm. You are normally easily fired up and don't often depend on others. Not only that, but it's impossible for you to forget because you were named after him. My grandfather, Thunder Heart, was the owner of this tower. Its real name is also Thunder Heart tower. So let me ask you now, who are you?"

Right then, he knew it was over and quickly noticed a nearby machine small enough to kick. After kicking it strait at Winter who had stopped it with her magic he had quickly dashed into the metal maze while only a strange sound and some green sparks could be seen afterword.

(Was that a green spark I saw? I see...is it a changeling then? That means it can fly and use some magic. I need to be on guard. He will have to come after the keys if he wants to escape out of here.)

Changelings held a corrupted looking form with holes in their legs, a jagged horn, insect-like wings, a dark body, sharp teeth, greenish-blue eyes, and a fin-like mane and tail. They are not native to Equestria and come from far outside it. They had made an attack recently but were believed to have been banished away back into the outlands. It seems some snuck into Weatherville for unknown reasons.

She continued cautiously into the maze of machines and clockworks looking for the changeling that had worked so hard to get into the room in the first place. The swinging and turning sounds from the clockwork made it a bit difficult to hear anything specific but she did her best to stay alert for any sudden sounds.

(Why is a changeling here? What does it want from the tower? If the entire town disappearing has anything to do with it that would take something closer to a changeling army. I'll have to get more information when I catch it.)

Winter still wandered in the oversized metal maze of a town when she noticed something move from above one of the machines. She quickly used her magic to organize a few of the nearby smaller metal machines to create a path leading upwards onto the top of the machine. After she climbed the roughly made stairs she reached the top and found nothing in sight.

(He's fast. I need to be faster. Maybe a kind of trap would work.)

She was about to start moving again when a metal object inflamed in green spark like magic streamed at her from behind. She quickly used her own magic to stop it and looked in the direction it came from to see the changeling. She then quickly used her own magic to throw the object back at it but at a lower angle so it would hit the clockwork he was standing on.

The clockwork he was standing on quickly broke apart from the force of the object hurdled at it and the changeling lost his balance before he could fly off and fell back to the ground with a loud thump. Winter had quickly made her way back down and entombed the changeling in a metal case made from some nearby machines.

"Okay, now you’re going to talk. What are you doing here? What do you want form this tower? Is there an army of you?"

The changeling quickly struggled trying to break free but it didn't help at all as it seemed like the machines somehow got linked together making a prison for him with the exception of a small rectangular hole for him to talk through and see his interrogator.

"You! How did you make this? Even if you used magic this is to precisely made for randomly grabbing nearby junk. That shot also seemed too perfectly aimed when you launched that object back at me."

"I'm a writer, so of course my magic skills are precise. I might not have any fancy spells but what I can do is accurate. Now tell me the things I want to know."

"Exactly why should I?"

"Well if you don't I'll just have to leave you here and come back for you later. My only next lead is the Phantom Forest. I wonder what happens if I go into there with no knowledge? Will I really be able to come back for you?"

"Wait! Wait! I'll tell you, but you have to free me after!"

"Fine, it's a deal then. Now start talking."

"Yes, we do have an army; it is in the Phantom Forest. Of course even we know the dangers of the place so it's not deep within it. Just enough so it won't be noticed form outside. We came here because of the legends of the tower. We figured we could use it somehow to help us feed or take over villages so we could feed from them. Now let me out!"

"You're right; I did say I would let you out. Now hold still."

Winter then used her magic to cast a spell through the rectangular hole which then knocked the changeling out. She said she would let him out, but that doesn't mean he has to be conscious. She can't have him reporting back to the army anyway. She then opened the makeshift prison of metal and carried the changeling out back through the door into the maze of stairs before shutting the door and locking it again.

(Seems my next goal is the Phantom Forest. Why do I have to be the one who fixes all of this? I just want to write books, not live them.)

The storm outside was reaching its peak and going outside would be crazy, but Winter would do what she would have to do. The changeling won't stay unconscious forever and she has to get to the forest before he wakes up and reports back. She braced the doors and her new journey to the forest where she could hopefully end all of this.