Elements of Another Kind

Chapters

Chapter I: Illumination
Chapter II: Discovery
Chapter III: Disillusion

Chapter I: Illumination

Chapter I: Illumination

Twilight Sparkle descended the small flight of stairs that leads up to her bedroom. She yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she trotted into the small kitchen area located at the far end of her arboreal home.
Spike placed a small metal container onto the stove, and blew a small jet of flame under the burner. It immediately ignited and the scent of dandelion tea filled the air. The lavender mare inhaled deeply and sighed, the smell reminded her of the days she spent in Canterlot with Princess Celestia. Spike placed the kettle onto the small wooden protrusion in the middle of the room that served as a table and froze as a familiar sensation washed over him.
A large belch forced its way out of his mouth followed by a burst of green flame, causing a scroll to drop to the floor in front of him. Twilight’s horn glowed briefly as she levitated the scroll toward her and began to read.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Princess Celestia has requested the presence of you, along with your friends, at the castle. We will discuss the reason as to why you’ve been summoned upon your arrival, but it is of great importance that you make your way here with all haste. I have already taken the liberty of chartering a sky chariot and it should be in Ponyville by midday at the latest.

~ Princess Luna

“This letter seems urgent, spike,” Twilight said worriedly “I had better find the girls and get to Canterlot as quickly as possible.”

‘How long ago did Princess Luna send word to the guard?’ she thought ‘It’s nearly half a day’s ride from Canterlot to Ponyville, and even if she sent the chariot before the letter it would be well past midday when it arrived.’
The purple unicorn spared a glance outside to confirm her thoughts by the position of the sun, when she noticed a strange red haze that permeated the air.

“What could have caused something like this?” Twilight wondered aloud “Something must have happened to Princess Celestia!”

Twilight hastily packed what little provisions she could, and made her way outside. Her first stop would be to the home and business place of her fellow unicorn, Rarity.
Everything around her was bathed in an ominous crimson light as she made her way through town. Nopony seemed to be outside today, so the streets were eerily empty as she came upon a flamboyantly decorated building labeled ‘Carousel Boutique’ near the town square.
Twilight galloped toward the door and raised a hoof toward the latch, but a note on the door made her pause.

I have departed for my weekly spa appointment. If you are in need of my assistance I will return within two hours. ~Rarity.

As she read the note, a frustrated groan escaped the lavender unicorn’s throat. She had forgotten that Rarity goes to the spa every Wednesday morning.

“I suppose I might as well go find Pink-uaaaghh” Twilight managed to say as what appeared to be a pink bullet with a frizzy cotton candy mane tackled her to the ground.

“TWILIGHT!” the brightly colored assailant shrieked “oh my gosh oh my gosh, have you seen the SKY today?! It’s so RED and SCARY, I guess that would make it RARY but that’s not even a word even though it sounds kind of like Rarity, speaking of which have you seen her I need to-“

“Pinkie, we need to find Rarity and the others” Twilight interjected “we’ve been summoned to Canterlot and there will be a sky chariot arriving soon to take us there.”

“Okie-dokie loki” The pink pony said excitedly as she skipped along beside Twilight “I bet it’s for something important, like end of the world important. Or maybe the princesses just want to see us, it’s been like three weeks since the last emergency and even princesses can get lonely sometimes. Oh oh oh, can we bring cupcakes?! I bet Princess Celestia would just LOVE some cupcakes, I’ve seen her eat an entire cake all by her self before, and don’t even get me started about Princess Luna-“

The two ponies made their way across town to the spa where Rarity was undoubtedly enjoying her weekly hoofacure and mud bath. As the two entered the building, they were greeted by Lotus, one of the hygienists who ran the establishment.

“Is Rarity still here?” Twilight asked “it’s very important that we speak with her.”

The pink and blue mare nodded and gestured for them to follow. They soon entered the spa room and spotted the violet-mane unicorn they were looking for, and trotted over to her.

“Oh, what a pleasant surprise” she said “have the two of you come to join me today? I’m sure Aloe wouldn’t mind more guests since there haven’t been many ponies in today.”

“Actually, I received a letter from Princess Luna this morning,” Twilight said “we are to go to Canterlot immediately; I think it has something to do with the sky.”

“Whatever do you mean, Twilight?” Rarity asked “last I checked the sky was perfectly norm….”

Her sentence trailed off as she glanced out of one of the windows in the room. A small squeak was heard from one of the nearby bathes, revealing a very sudsy yellow pegasus with a long pink mane tied back with a yellow bow.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight exclaimed “I’m so glad you’re here, I thought we were going to have to go all the way out to your cottage to find you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry” Fluttershy said in a small voice “I would have spoken up sooner, but you seemed to be in such a hurry to tell Rarity something and I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Its fine, but we do need to find Applejack as soon as possible” Twilight said “we don’t have much time before the chariot arrives.”

Rarity was still standing by the baths with a shocked expression on her face as her friends began to exit the building. Shaking herself from her stupor, she quickly caught up to them as they made their way toward their next destination.

Sweet Apple Acres was one of their last stops, but it was also one of the farthest places from town since it was located on the outskirts of Ponyville.
The usual bright green scenery this time of year was dyed the same shade of red as the rest of the town, making the rows of trees appear to be bleeding and giving the fruit an unsettling inky appearance.
Farther ahead, the group saw an orange cowpony with a blonde mane and brown hat barreling towards them as their approach was noticed by the farmpony.

“What in tarnation is going on here?!” Applejack said with a very noticeable hint of concern in her voice “something is wrong with the sky and I was worried y’all were in trouble when I hadn’t seen hide or hair of ya all day.”

“We’re fine, Applejack” Twilight said “but we need to find Rainbow Dash and get to the town square as quickly as possible. We’ve all been summoned to the castle and our transportation should be arriving very soon. I’m sure we’ll get our answers as soon as we get to Canterlot.”

“I just saw Rainbow Dash before y’all got here” Applejack said “she said something about going to look for y’all and took off toward Ponyville. I bet my bottom bit that we’ll find her if we look there.”

The group made the long walk into town, and sure enough, they were greeted by a cerulean pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail.

“Hey guys, I was looking all over the place for you.” She said “I woke up today and noticed how AWESOME the sky looks so I wanted to tell you about it before you saw it. It looks like I’m a little late though, so what’s up?”

“I received a letter from Princess Luna this morning” Twilight said “we’re all supposed to meet up with her at the castle. We should get to the town square now that everypony is accounted for.”

The six ponies quickly made their way to the town square. It had been several hours, but the sun had seemingly remained stationary in the sky.
Waiting for them upon arrival was a glittering gold and white chariot with two grim-faced pegasus guards harnessed to the front. One of the guards instructed them to board, all of them immediately complying, except for Rainbow Dash who chose to fly along side so that there would be enough room inside for her friends.
The trip to Canterlot went by swiftly. The group became engaged in conversation about recent events in their lives, as well as the ever present mystery as to the condition of the sun and sky and as to the reason for being summoned on such short notice.
The city of Canterlot could be seen in the distance, and upon their approach the six ponies fell silent. If the term ‘odd’ could be used to describe the streets of Ponyville being vacant, seeing the streets of Canterlot the same way bordered on terrifying.
The chariot began its decent as it reached the castle courtyard. It landed with a small jolt on the smooth cobblestone path that spanned across the immaculately maintained grass and lead to the large wooden doors of the castle. Rainbow Dash landed shortly afterward, slightly out of breath from the distance she traveled and the speed at which she had to fly to keep up. The remaining five ponies exited the chariot and it immediately took off toward the landing bay located on one of the large outcroppings extending from the bulk of the castle.
Everypony was silent as they approached the gate. The two guards by the gate stood as still and quiet as statues as they entered, the silence being broken only by the loud groan of the massive doors as they closed behind them.
They were greeted by a tall alicorn with an ethereal blue mane and tail sitting on one of the two thrones at the far end of the room.

“Greetings to all of you” Princess Luna said with a neutral tone “I hope thy travels went well, but we have things to discuss. If thou would follow me, we shall go someplace more private so that we shall not be subject to prying eyes and ears.”

After a few nods and murmurs of agreement, the group began to follow Luna down a long hallway that ended abruptly at a grey stone wall. Luna’s horn began to glow a dark blue as an aura of matching color enveloped a portion of the stone bricks in the center of the wall. A deep rumble was heard as the stones started to recede, revealing a hidden staircase that lead underneath the castle.
Torches began lighting themselves as they entered the staircase, the stones returning to their original place behind them as they continued their descent.
They eventually reached a small but homely room; it featured a desk strewn with old parchment and at the other end lay two beds; one empty, and the other occupied by a familiar figure.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed “what happened to her?”

“She is suffering from magic exhaustion” Luna answered plainly.

Everyone present gasped at the implication of such a revelation, excluding Rainbow Dash who simply looked confused.

“What could have caused somepony as powerful as her to have magic exhaustion?” Twilight asked worriedly. “It just doesn’t seem possible that the same Princess Celestia, who has the ability to control the sun and moon, could overexert herself in such a way.”

“You see, that is where the problem lies” Luna said sadly “she no longer has control of the sun, and neither I the moon. When she tried to maintain control of the sun, she used too much of her magical energy and collapsed. I only narrowly escaped the same fate because the moon requires less energy to maintain in the daytime and the sudden loss of connection between the moon and I was far less taxing.”

By the time the alicorn concluded her explanation, every pony listening reacted by assuming expressions ranging from horrified, to ill, and in Rarity’s case, simply fainting in shock.
A small groan was heard from the direction of the beds, causing everypony to direct their attention to its source. The white alicorn slowly assumed a more upright position and blinked slowly. She winced as her eyes were assaulted by the light, but she was slowly regaining her composure as she shakily got out of the bed. Everypony stared at her intently for a few moments before, realizing that the Regent Of the Sun had stood, they all bowed; excluding Princess Luna who appeared relieved but still worried about the reason her sister had been rendered unconscious in the first place.

“Luna, how long have I been asleep?” Celestia said urgently.

“About a day my sister” Luna replied “why do you ask?”

“We do not have much time then” Celestia continued “I will explain everything as soon as…”

Celestia sniffed the air and directed her attention toward the bag that was slung across the shoulder of a certain pink party pony.

“Is that cupcakes I smell?” she said, her composure briefly broken by her obvious salivation.

“It sure is!” Pinkie said happily “I know how much you like sweets so I baked them up just for you. They’re my own special ‘I hope you feel better soon after passing out from magical exhaustion’ recipe.”

Celestia levitated one of the pastries over to her and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. A feral gleam appeared in her eyes as she abandoned her usual calm demeanor. With one quick move, she levitated the remaining cupcakes over to her and proceeded to devour each of them one by one without so much as chewing or removing the paper. Her usual calm grace then returned, no trace of her previous actions remained except for a few crumbs that had escaped her sight.

“Now, where was I?” Celestia continued “oh right, I was just about to explain the situation to you all.”

Everypony’s faces changed from a mixture of surprise, embarrassment, and disgust to curiosity as she cleared her throat and began to speak in the rehearsed tone she used when recounting history or making a public speech.

“It was many years ago, even before you were born, Luna, and I was but a young filly. Equestria was once a part of a much larger whole, known by the name ‘Pangaea’ in many cultures. Early civilizations of ponies lived in small tribes and roamed the vast grasslands and forests that covered a large portion of the landmass. History books mention that ponies shared these lands with many other species that were the earliest descendents of common day zebras, camels, gryphon, and other quadrupeds. What they don’t mention is that there was another species that roamed these lands. They were bipedal sentient apes that possessed intelligence that matches our own. These creatures were called humans, and while they lacked the ability to fly and use magic, they made up for it with the ability to grasp and use tools with smooth-tipped, claw-like appendages called hands. Unlike ponies, these creatures were also omnivorous so in addition to eating vegetables and grains, they hunted to supplement their diets. The early tribes of ponies soon became a target by the humans, both because of ponies’ sentient nature and because ponies were seen as competitors for land and resources. Conflicts broke out between the two races, causing many casualties to both ponies and humans alike. They were on the verge of wiping each other out completely when the immortals of each race decided to intervene; Luna and I’s mother and father being among these immortals. I was young so I can’t remember much of what transpired in this meeting, but I do know that it was agreed that the two races should be separated to ensure the continuity of both. It was also in this meeting when the elements of harmony first came into existence, created as an added measure of security. After this was accomplished, Pangaea was split into two worlds. The world of the humans was named ‘Gaia’ after one of the human gods, and the world of ponies eventually became what we know today as Equestria.”

Celestia took a deep breath and sat back down on the soft white sheets of her bed in silence. Her silence was matched by the others, none venturing to break the silence until Luna’s curiosity got the best of her and she asked the question that was on everypony’s mind.

“All of this has to do with what is happening to the sun, moon, and sky doesn’t it?” she said “if I was to guess, the separation of Equestria and the human world is being challenged by somepony.”

Celestia remained silent for a moment before nodding her head at her sister and looking toward the group.

“You are almost correct” she said “but it’s not somepony interfering, it’s something. Many creatures that have been defeated by the Elements, but were too dangerous to simply seal away in stone, were banished to the rift between the worlds known by some as the Void. But there is only one such creature that could have the power to attempt something of this magnitude, and the only living pony in Equestria besides myself who has had a taste of its power is you, Luna.”

Luna stood rigid as a look of fearful realization spread across her face.
“The Nightmare” she whispered.

“You are correct” Celestia replied “But what you do not know is that the Nightmare you were possessed by one thousand years ago is but a residual fraction of this being’s true power left behind when it was banished to the Void.”

All around jaws here hitting the floor after the sun princess’ words reached them and the full spectrum of the situation was made clear.

“Now, time is running short” Celestia said “we must get to the Elements without delay.”

The eight ponies made their way up the hidden staircase and through the narrow hallways of the castle, pausing when they reached the throne room.

“My faithful student, you and your friends must continue to the chamber where I have stored the Elements without my sister and me” Celestia said “there are matters to which we must attend to before we can join you.”

Nodding, Twilight and her friends continued their journey and arrived outside of the castle in the palace courtyard. A sudden noise permeated the air, causing the party to stop and gaze upward toward the source of the disturbance. What was at first a low rumble grew to a persistent roar as the sun began to pulsate in a rhythm similar to that of a heartbeat. With every pulse the sun seemed to shrink until all that could be seen was a pea sized dot in the sky. Then with one final beat, the pea sized speck of light suddenly burst; filling the air with a deafening boom and a flash as the six ponies’ vision was filled with an intense white light.

Chapter II: Discovery

Elements of Another Kind

Chapter II: Discovery

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony, nor do I claim to own it. The events portrayed herein are completely fictional and meant for entertainment as well as artistic expression. That being said, I will not receive payment for my work and have no money to be gained from suing me. You would be better off trying to squeeze blood from a stone. Thank you and enjoy the story.

The sun peaked over the horizon and the streets of a small town in the American Midwest were beginning to show its first signs of activity. Cars dotted the roads and businesses were preparing to open for the day.
A young woman in her early twenties with shoulder length, chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes was making her way through town in a silver nineties model Buick.
She pulled into the parking lot of a small dine in restaurant and got out of her car, making her way around to the employee entrance located on the back side of the building and walked inside.
After clocking in and putting on her hat and apron, she began her usual duties that had to be completed before the restaurant could open.
After the salad bar was stocked, the floors swept and mopped, and the registers prepped, she proceeded to unlock the front doors and flip the sign in the window to ‘Open’ before she went to sit down behind the counter to wait for customers to enter.
After about an hour of waiting, one of the other waitresses spoke from across the room.

“Hey, Kris” the waitress said “would you mind turning the T.V. on? It looks like were going to be having a slow day and I for one am bored out of my mind.”

“Sure” Kristina said softly as she grabbed the remote from underneath the counter and pushed the power button.

The television flashed on and the sound of voices could be heard even before the picture became clear enough to see. It was tuned in to a news channel, and a reporter could be seen standing in front of what appeared to be a large fissure that extended across a major highway and further out into the surrounding landscape.

“Scientists are puzzled as to what could have caused an event such as this to occur, especially since the nearest major fault line is over three hundred miles away” the reporter stated “more events such as this are not expected to occur in the near future.”

“Whoa, did you see that?” the other waitress said “maybe twenty-twelve really will be the end of the world.”

“Oh, yeah maybe” Kristina said with a smile “but that happened pretty far away from here so I don’t think we’ll be troubled much by it.”

The day was dragging on slowly, but after a few customers started coming, in the time passed quickly enough.
Kristina’s shift would be over in just a little over an hour, so she began preparing everything for the shift change and making sure her section of tables were clean and orderly.
The clock struck five o’ clock, so she walked to the back, placed her apron in the wash bag, and proceeded to clock out after checking to make sure her relief had arrived. She took a deep breath as she walked outside and to her car. Relief washed over her once she was finally off her feet and headed for home.
She pulled out of the parking lot onto the main road through town, slowly accelerating until she reached the speed limit. As she drove, she noticed that the cars around her were going much faster than she was.

“Why are they in such a hurry?” she thought aloud as she began to look to her surroundings for an answer.

She jumped slightly as one of the cars adjacent to her honked, and the driver pointed towards the road behind her.
Looking back, she realized what was causing all of the commotion. Pillars of earth and stone, each about a football field in length, were bursting from the ground all around her. She realized that if she continued at the same speed, she would be thrown off of the road by the rapidly increasing number of these protrusions.
As she pushed the accelerator to the floorboard, her car jolted forward and quickly gained speed. She was forced to cut her wheels sharply as one of the pillars appeared in front of her, causing her to nearly lose control of her vehicle before she corrected herself and continued her escape.
She looked over in time to see that a minivan ahead of her had been less fortunate as one of the pillars slammed into the side of it, causing it to slide off the road and come to an abrupt stop at one of the trees lining the road. Kristina’s self preservation instinct told her to keep driving, but something else inside of her forced her to break and turn back to help the less fortunate passengers of the minivan.
As she exited her vehicle and ran over to the crashed van, she noticed something strange. Instead of seeing injured people inside like she had expected, she saw that the van was completely vacant. Then her confusion soon turned to shock as the tree the van had collided with began to glow and bend, the outer branches twisting around the trunk while a few of the smaller boughs connected to the base of the tree.
After a few long moments, the tree assumed the shape of what appeared to be a pink bow with a glittering yellow gem set into the polished wood handle. Kristina stared at the spectacle in awe for a moment longer before she reached out toward it slowly. Her fingertips lightly brushed the surface and she felt an odd, tingling sensation spread up her arm and envelope her entire body. The world around her began to fade into nothingness as she felt herself being transported somewhere far away.

………………………………………………………………………………..

The lights of the city are shining brightly underneath a cloudy sky. Colorful graffiti decorated
cracked and broken grey walls, acting in stark contrast to the depressing squalor beneath them.
A man was walking down one of the many broken sidewalks that line the streets of the city, headed toward an old building in the poor side of town.
He arrived at the building and knocked on the door three times, letting those inside know that it was okay to open the door. The door creaked open slowly and the man was greeted by a young girl dressed in blue jeans and a tank top.

“Oh James, you’re finally here” the girl said with a smile “I thought we were going to have to cancel your performance tonight”

“Cancel MY performance?!” James said with false ire “the people would be rioting in the streets if you made them miss my unique brand of comedic genius.”

“Yeah, yeah” the girl said “just get inside before I take your ‘comedic genius’ and shove it where the sun don’t shine.”

Taking the hint, James walked through the door into the backstage area of the old auditorium they had turned into a makeshift performance area. Once he was safely inside, he sat down the bag he had been carrying and proceeded to check its contents. Once he was satisfied he had brought everything he needed for his act, he stepped out onto the stage where he was greeted with applause and cheers from the roughly one hundred people in attendance. After a brief introduction, he began his act.
Laughter erupted throughout the audience as he went through is routine, using props and clever allusions to current events to accent his material.
It was a rare thing to see so many people laughing in this city, with poverty, disease, and crime running rampant through the streets. James had decided when he was young that the best way to help the people in this city was to keep them happy. Police officers enforce law and order through threats and violence, making the people unhappy and less willing to trust those who are supposed to protect them. They would rather handle the problem on their own, lest they become targets of suspicion by the police themselves.

“Have you seen the news lately?” James said addressing the crowd “talking about how there’s all these cracks and holes appearing in the ground. If something like that had happened here first, it would have never made it to the news because no one here would notice a difference.”

The crowd erupted with laughter once more as he continued his act.

“In fact, it would probably be an improvement” he said “at least then we would have a place to throw all of the garbage lying around.”

James exited the stage after his act came to an end and sat down on an old couch that was set up in the back. He opened the tab on a can of soda and leaned back to relax for a while before he had to make the mile and a half walk back home.
He began to drift off as the days fatigue caught up to him, but a sharp jolt caused him to suddenly become wide awake. He could hear screams from the audience, as well as a low rumble from the ground below him. He ran out onto the stage and grabbed the microphone from a dumbfounded young man whose act had followed his.

“Everyone, please stay calm” James began “it’s just my mother coming to watch the show, and as long as you do as I say you will be just fine. First things first, if you have any small children with you please come forward and I will have my lovely assistant here escort you out the back.”

Gesturing to the young man to his right, a small number of parents with an assorted number of children came forward to join him. After shooting a baleful glance toward James, he led them backstage toward the exit.

“Everyone else, follow me and I will lead you outside to uh…..safety.”

The crowd followed him toward the front entrance of the building and they began to slowly trickle outside. Pieces of brick and fallen signs littered the roads and alleyways. Several telephone poles had broken off and landed on parked cars and nearby buildings, making the area look like a scene from a disaster movie.
As the last of the people left the building, he went back inside to check on the performers who might still be there. As he crossed the stage, something strange about the microphone stand that was located at the front of the stage caught his eye. It seemed to be giving off a faint pink light, and as he got closer, the glow became brighter until it nearly blinded him with its intensity.
The stand began to slowly elongate and become slightly thicker, the top curling into a spiraling knot with a pink gem set in the tip. James eyes grew wide as he watched the transformation, then he began to chuckle as he said the first thing that came to mind.

“Are you a wizard?” he said changing his voice to sound like a young teenage boy before answering in his normal speaking voice “why yes, yes I am”

He then proceeded to reach out to the strange object standing in front of him. His fingers brushed against the warm, slightly grainy textured surface and he felt a tingling sensation spread over him as he disappeared from the stage.

……………………………………………………………………………….

A cool sea breeze blew across the sandy beach. Palm trees swayed gently and small waves beat against the shore in a calming rhythm. The beach was lined with various food and drink stands, as well as a few homes and an old dock where small boats could be seen tied down to its aged wood posts. One of these boats was a small fishing vessel where a young woman was preparing for a day of work amidst the waves.
She made sure everything was tied down and ready to go, then with a flick of her wrist, she unhitched the moor line from the post it was tied to and the boat began to drift out to sea. In order to gain more speed, she untied one of the sails attached to the mast of the ship and used the rudder to direct her vessel toward the cove her father and her discovered many years ago that teemed with fish this time of year.
She made a living by selling these fish to local markets, but it wasn’t just about the money for her. Fishing was her family’s legacy; her ancestors were some of the first inhabitants of this area. They used their sailing talents to obtain food for the village, and even though there was less need for food in present times she still felt obligated to carry on the tradition.
She loved the feeling of the sea breeze in her hair and the freedom of being out on the waves. She smiled as she remembered the words her father had told her when she was a young girl.

“Emile, life originated in the sea. Once people forget their origins, they become lost and hopeless. Never let the world around you change who you really are. Be cool and deep and unchanging as the depths of the ocean blue and you will find true happiness.”

She remembered these words even after her father passed away three years ago. She took it upon herself to take over his duties and continue to provide food for the people of the seaside town she lived in.
She dropped her nets as she reached the familiar spot along a secluded coastline a good distance away from town. Emile felt a gradual increase in drag as her nets filled up with various fish, and with a quick pull of a lever, she raised the nets and dumped their contents on the deck. She sorted through the pile of flopping fish, tossing the undesirable species and fish too small to eat overboard. After repeating this a few times, and finding she had a good day’s haul, she headed back toward shore with her bounty in tow.
By the time she reached the docks, she saw that a storm was brewing out at sea. The wind had picked up, causing the waves to grow larger and the sea more agitated with each passing minute. She then spotted a ship farther out to sea. The waves were beginning to beat violently against the hull, and she noticed that the main sail was torn and there was little chance of it getting to shore before the storm hit full force.
She quickly unloaded her cargo and waved the man in charge of transporting the fish to the market over to her.

“Take these fish and give them out to whoever needs them” Emile said with a determined expression “I’m going to assist the people on that ship. If I don’t make it back, you may collect both of our shares of the profits from the vendors.”

The man gave her a confused look as she sailed out toward the storm.

“I don’t see a ship out there” he said quietly as he watched her boat sail into the storm “what has gotten into that girl?”

The wind and rain made it difficult to see, and the waves were beginning to grow large enough to splash over the railings of her ship as she sailed toward her target.
As she got closer, she began to notice a few things about the ship. For one, the ship looked old; possibly seventeenth century judging by the craftsmanship of the ships bow and the aged appearance of the wood that made up the hull and mast.
She thought that perhaps this ship was owned by a ship collector who was an inexperienced sailor, and he had overestimated his ships capabilities.
As she made her way alongside the ship, she called up to the deck. After waiting a moment with no reply, she feared the worst and began to tie one of the extra weights from a torn net to her moor line to be used as a makeshift grappling hook.
She grasped the length of rope with the attached weight and began to twirl it at her side to gain momentum before releasing it and watching as it flew toward its target. The weighted rope found purchase as it tangled its self around the brass-accented wood railing of the ship.
After making sure the rope was secure on both sides, she began to climb upwards onto the deck. She glanced around, searching for signs of whoever was controlling the ship. She noticed somebody leaning against the rudder toward the front of the deck.
She assumed the person was male, he was wearing a bluish black coat, black leather boots, and a tri pointed hat with a tattered feather decorating the top.
As she drew closer, she stifled a scream. The man was nothing more than a skeleton, his bones gleaming white as lightning flashed above. The coat bore a name on its lapel, reading ‘Jones’ in elaborate, flowing script.

“Th-this ship is…” Emile said as fear began to grow in the pit of her stomach “this is the Flying Dutchman, the ship that my father used to tell stories about when he talked about the dangers of the sea.”

She stood rigid as she recounted the stories her father had told her. The stories of sailors lost at sea who would come upon a ship in the storm, and, seeking refuge, they would board the ship; never to be seen or heard from again.
In her fear, she almost failed to notice the object that the skeleton was clutching to its chest. It had the shape of a long harpoon, but instead of a barbed point at the tip, it bore a long, crescent blade like you would find on a sickle used for harvesting wheat and a white, multifaceted diamond set into the shaft. Unlike a sickle though, the blade extended straight out from the tip instead of from the side, making it more spear-like in appearance.
Upon seeing this, Emile’s curiosity outweighed her fear and she began to reach out toward it slowly. The gem began to glow with a brilliant white light as her hand inched closer to it. As she touched the wooden handle, a blinding flash radiated from the gem and Emile was swept away, leaving the ship and storm behind.

……………………………………………………………………

Heavy fog descended on the peak of a mountain. Short grasses and shrubs clung to small crevasses in the cliffside, defiantly resisting the inhospitable environment around them.
Few dared to venture into this place, be it animal or man, because of its inherent dangers and scarce resources. But among all of the hardships this place offered, there was also a profound sense of peace to be found.
In a small cabin nestled amidst a valley between two towering stone peaks, the distinct ring of metal against metal could be heard; piercing the silence of the surrounding landscape.
A man in his mid twenties, with a tall, muscular build and dark hair was striking a red-hot slab of metal with a large square hammer.
The mountains had been his home for as long as he could remember. He rarely ventured into town more than twice a year, and even then it was only to retrieve enough supplies and food to last him through the winter and summer months. He had very little money to his name, but he made up for it by mining the rich iron deposits in the mountains and crafting tools and other useful items which he had made a deal with the local merchants to accept in lieu of real currency. In addition to iron, he was also fortunate to have access to a private source of gold, which could be sold at a good price to the jewelers in the area.
The heated metal, after being shaped, was placed into a barrel of water near his forge. After it had cooled, he inspected his work thoughtfully; turning it over in his hands and looking at it from every angle. With a satisfied grunt, he brought his newly forged axe head over to the grind stone to begin sharpening it.
Sweat soaked him from head to toe, the heat of the forge kept his workshop almost unbearably hot even on the coldest of days. Today was the day he had set aside to head into town to restock his currently dwindling provisions and catch up on current events. After a brief bath he packed up his crafted goods, as well as a pouch of gold nuggets he had gleaned from the stream near his home, and began the long trek through the mountain trails that led into town.
It was a three hour hike down the precarious, winding paths before he came into view of the town. It was a small settlement, composed mainly of farmers and people who worked in the various mines that were located nearby. But even for a place like this, the streets were unusually empty for this time of day.

He then feels something cold and sharp press against his neck.

“Were you the one that caused the cave-in?” a gruff voice said from behind “first time in over a year I see your face and it happens to be right after half the town gets trapped in the mines. What’s your name?”

“My name is John” John said evenly “and trust me when I say that I had nothing to do with any cave-in.”

“Yeah, trust the guy who lives in the mountains with access to mining explosives” the man replied, pushing the knife harder against John’s neck “you better start talking or you’re going to be joining my brother in the afterlife.”

“I just came to town to trade for supplies to last me through winter” John said “and I don’t think causing half the town to be trapped in a mineshaft would help me. And even if it could somehow benefit me, I would never go to such lengths and hurt so many people for profit.”

The cold blade withdrew from his neck and he quickly glanced back to see the man who had been interrogating him running toward the far side of town. He called for the man to stop, but seeing that he wasn’t going to comply, John decided to chase after him.
He rounded the corner of an old stone building and continued his pursuit. The heavy pack he was carrying was slowing him down, so he decided to let it fall from his shoulders, granting him an increase in speed.
The man he was chasing continued to weave between buildings, but John’s superior endurance was causing him to slowly close the distance between him and the man ahead.
A sudden tremor caused John to falter slightly, and the sky lit up with a bright flash of lighting followed by a deafening boom of thunder. The man ahead seemed unaffected and continued running, rounding a corner and disappearing from John’s sight.
He quickly rounded the same corner and stopped as he realized that he had been lead to a dead end.
Another flash of lightning blinded him momentarily, and, once he recovered, his eyes widened in shock at the object in front of him. Centered in a slightly burned crater was a large hammer. It was easily twice the size of the hammer he used at his forge, made of a shining metal that he couldn’t identify and it bore a bright red gem set into the end of the foot-and-a-half long handle.
He cautiously approached it, completely forgetting about the man he had been chasing.
As he drew nearer, it released a steady glow and began to fill the air with a throbbing pulse of energy. He reached down and grasped the leather wrapped handle, finding it to be surprisingly easy to lift from the ground. With a final flash of lightning and a loud boom, John and the hammer disappeared from sight.

………………………………………………………………………

The barracks were quiet just before dawn. Tired soldiers slept away the fatigue of the previous day’s training, some more exhausted than others. As expected, the silence was broken by a loud siren signaling everyone to wake up and prepare for another day of drill formation and physical training. Each soldier jumped out of bed, took a quick shower, and made themselves presentable for the morning inspection.
The soldiers filed out the door and made a formation outside, waiting for their commanding officer to call them to attention.

“Good morning ladies” the officer said as he made his way to the front of the ranks “I see that you all have had a chance to powder your noses and you’re even wearing your Sunday best. I regret to inform you that you’re all going to be a bit late to the ball though, because I’ve just received orders that this unit is to be deployed this afternoon.”

The soldiers stood silent, their heads and eyes held forward, awaiting orders.

“There’s been some mighty strange weather lately” the officer continued “so this unit has been charged with assisting in the evacuation of the nearby cities. If there are no further questions, fall out to the mess hall to fill your bellies and then pack your bags. I expect you back here by twelve hundred hours to report in and begin deployment, understood?”

The battalion waved a salute in unison and proceeded to make their way to the mess hall for breakfast. They ate quickly, so there was little room for conversation. But as soon as breakfast was over, the soldiers began talking amongst themselves about the task ahead.

“Strange weather huh?” one soldier said “I heard that entire towns have been wiped out.”

“I wonder if my family is okay” another said “if things get too bad I’m going to request leave.”

“Hey Robert, what do you think of this mess?” the first soldier said “what will you do if it turns out the world is falling apart around us?”

Robert remained silent for a moment, considering his words carefully before he finally spoke.

“I will do what needs to be done” Robert said soberly “I don’t have much of a family to be worried about, so Ill do everything in my power to make sure that everyone makes it out one way or another.”

After he spoke, a thoughtful silence fell over the room as they finished packing all of the necessities they needed for their mission.
It was nearing the time for their scheduled departure by the time everyone was packed and ready. With a deep breath, Robert, along with everyone else in the barracks, made their way toward the loading area. They formed up in their respective ranks, and were quickly joined by the officer from earlier.

“I’m going to cut to the chase boys” the officer said, discarding his previous attitude and replacing it with stark seriousness “no one is sure what has caused the large amount of natural disasters that have occurred lately. I’m not even going to begin to make any guesses myself either. What I do know is that there is a chance that some of you might not make it back, so best advice I can give any of you is to keep sharp and mind your surroundings if you want to be around to watch when the world goes to the pot. Now, you have five minutes before the choppers take off and three minutes have already passed. Move it!”

Soldiers boarded the aircrafts in teams of ten, each headed for different areas that were in need of evacuation teams.
Robert, being of higher rank than many of the people in his group, was elected team leader for this mission. His job was to organize the other members and place them where they would be of the most use so that the mission could be carried out smoothly and efficiently.
As they reached their destination, he noticed that there were members from other bases already present. Some had already begun funneling people out of the city, while others were working to quell riots that had broken out in the streets.
The helicopter hovered above a relatively empty part of town, and Robert, along with his team, descended to the ground using ropes that had been dropped from the side. Once everyone had made it to the ground, he began to convey his orders.

“It looks like were going to be doing a little bit of conflict resolution” he said “there are people here that don’t want to cooperate, so were going to convince them to change their minds and get out of town while there’s still a town left to leave.”

After a few instances of mild resistance, his team had successfully cleared out most of the downtown area and was headed toward the evacuation area to report to headquarters that their mission had been a success.
As they reached the bridge leading out of town, a woman who looked half crazed with worry approached Robert and his team.

“I can’t find my daughter!” she cried hysterically “she was playing in the park, and then there was an earthquake, and I was forced to leave before I had a chance to go look for her!”

Robert walked over to her and put a hand on the woman’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry miss, I’ll go find her for you” he said with a determined expression “Sergeant Thomas, take over for me. I’m going to look for her daughter. If I’m not back in twenty minutes, go on without me.”

The sergeant nodded and led the woman to the bridge. Robert made his way toward the park in a Hummer his team had been issued for the mission.
As he neared his destination, he noticed that a large fissure had opened up along the north side where the playground equipment was located. He got out of the vehicle and surveyed the area, spotting something hanging from a piece of twisted metal that he assumed used to be a swing set. It was a piece of torn blue clothing spotted with something red. His spirits sank as he realized that it was part of a small dress that he could only imagine belonged to the little girl he was looking for.
He walked over and took the shred of blue cloth in his hand, staring at it with a grim face. His attention was soon diverted as the piece of metal it was attached to began to glow and reform its self, taking the shape of a long sword with a flawless blue gem set into the hilt. The surface of the blade was inscribed with intricate designs that pulsed with vivid blue light, gaining intensity as Robert drew nearer to it. He grasped the hilt firmly, extracting it from the large chunk of stone it was imbedded in with relative ease. As the sword was lifted, Robert was enveloped in blue light and was quickly carried away. The vehicle he drove in with and a scrap of blue cloth lying in the driver’s seat were the only traces of his presence left to be found.

……………………………………………………………………..

Fluorescent light cast their pale light on rows of bookshelves. The library wasn’t supposed to be open for another few hours, but it was nonetheless being occupied by someone.
He was a student at the university to which the library belonged, a science major to be exact. He was a little above average height, with a lanky build, short brown hair, and a pair of thin-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
He was working on a research paper titled ‘Theories on Molecular Physics and Application by Isaac Conley’ and was delving into several books, looking for information that he could use to credit to his theory.
Isaac had long believed that science could be used to accomplish anything, and had devoted his life to expanding his knowledge on the subject.
He had received a scholarship to the university he was attending when, at the age of seventeen, he had discovered a way to simulate a miniature thunderstorm and showcased it at his school’s science fair. The local news station had interviewed him shortly after, causing several schools to hear about his discovery and offer him scholarships.
He had chosen this particular university because of its reputation for having the most advanced science course of any school for hundreds of miles around, and they also had a massive library and information database which he had come to make good use of in the to years he had been attending the school.
The library was almost his second home and he spent most of his time delving into books on various subjects. He spent so much time here in fact, that the school had granted him unlimited access to its contents as long as he didn’t cause any trouble and locked the doors when he left.
His recent studies on molecular physics and application were, for the most part, a cover for what he really hoped to discover. He was attempting to create a scientific explanation for magic. Not the type of magic that involved slight of hand or clever illusions, but true magic such as telekinesis, foresight, and other powers of the mind.
There were a plethora of books on the subject, but most of them were vague and gave little opportunity to establish a testable theory that was unbiased and factual. In order to do that though, he would need to discover what makes people conscious; in other words he would need to find the meaning of life.
Several hours passed and he became more and more frustrated as every source of the answers he was seeking led him back to square one. He had gone through everything from hormone production, chemical composition of cellular molecules, the electrical response of the nervous system, and even a few books about the development of synapses in the brain, but nothing led him to a viable conclusion. He was almost ready to stop for the night when a passage in a book about the light spectrum caught his eye. It stated that all light is made up of different frequencies of vibration, with only a certain range of the spectrum being visible to the naked eye.
His eyes lit up in sudden realization as he read through the passage.

“Light is matter, and the universe is made up of matter” Isaac said excitedly “so that means that all matter is made up of different frequencies of vibration, and if I can replicate those frequencies then I can essentially create new matter or manipulate existing matter!”

He jumped up from his seat and quickly gathered his belongings before exiting the library. He needed a few instruments to test his theory, and luckily he knew where to get the things he needed.
He entered the science lab storage area and began to search for the instruments he needed, picking up a miniature seismometer, barometer, infrared sensor, and a few other items before closing the door and placing them on a table.
His first test would be to find the frequency of a glass of water.
He set up his equipment and started his experiment, testing the air pressure of the room and writing down the numbers on a piece of paper.
Next, he used the various sensors to look for specific numbers that would give clues as to the specific frequency of the water. After writing everything down, he began to sequence the numbers and created an equation.
After a few failed attempts, he finally succeeded in translating the various measurements into hertz, which is the unit used to measure sound.
The last step would be the hardest, because it required him to synch his own brainwaves to the frequency of the water.
He attached two wires to each side of his head and began to concentrate. The machine he was using was intended to measure brainwaves of people with sleeping disorders, but with a few mathematical adjustments he could easily translate the readings to be used for his purposes.
The readings were erratic at the beginning, but after a few minutes he was able to pinpoint which parts of his brain he needed to use. He marked the target frequency on the display, and succeeded in keeping his thoughts focused for a few seconds before he lost concentration and had to try again.
After a couple of hours of this, he was finally confident in his ability to stay focused long enough and turned to face the water.
He stared intently at the beaker for a few moments, but saw that nothing was happening. After a few more minutes of trying, he was ready to give up until something caught his eye.
A small amount of steam was rising from the beaker. He quickly placed a thermometer in the water, a look of surprise and excitement growing on his face.
The water had started off at seventy four degrees Fahrenheit, which was the normal room temperature. According to the thermometer, the temperature of the water was now one hundred thirty degrees Fahrenheit.
He had accomplished the impossible. Not only did he succeed in his efforts to do real magic, he had scientific proof of its existence. He hastily bundled up his notes and ran outside. He would need to run a few more tests, but he felt that he could submit his findings within a few days. All he had to do was send word to the board of directors at the university and his life work would be fulfilled.
The sound of thunder filled the air, and the world went dark around him. The last thing he remembered seeing a bright flash and a tingling feeling as he faded from sight.

……………………………………………………………………

“Isaac, wake up” said a voice he didn’t recognize “I have a gift for you.”

Isaac’s eyes shot open and he found himself in a place that defied explanation.
The ground and walls were made of a material that felt like glass, but has a strange texture that he couldn’t identify. There were no light sources, but he could see his surroundings clearly.
Standing in front of him was a man who had gray hair and a beard of matching color. He appeared to be very old, but at the same time he lacked the lines and wrinkles of old age. He was tall, at least seven feet by the looks of it, and wore a long robe decorated with intricate designs that were reminiscent of ancient Greece.
The man was holding something in his hand and offered it to Isaac. It was roughly three foot long, and was glowing with an internal light that seemed both still and in constant motion. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought it to be a shard of lightning.

“You are correct” the old man said “this is a thunderbolt. And yes, I can read your thoughts.”

“Where am I?” Isaac said “And wait, did you say you can read my mind?!”

The man nodded and motioned for Isaac to hold out his hand. He complied, expecting to be burned but finding the thunderbolt to be pleasantly warm instead of painfully hot.

“To answer your other question, you are in the void” the man said casually “and you are not the only one.”

Glancing around, he noticed five people laying unconscious a short distance away. Then he noticed something else, six colorful creatures were staring at him with expressions of shock.

“Are those…” was all he could get out before he was tackled by something heavy and pink.

“OH MY GOSH WHAT ARE YOU?” the pink weight on his chest squealed “my name is Pinkie Pie, what’s your name? I bet its something weird like ‘Blargh’ or something, since you’re an alien and all. OHHHHH you know what this means?! It means we get to have a PARTY!”

Authors notes:

This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic. I hope to improve my writing, so I’m always open to criticism or complements. If anyone feels that there is something that I need to fine tune to make my writing more enjoyable, feel free to comment or message me and I will take your opinions into account for future chapters. Also I would like to thank my good friend PHOENIx102 for proofreading my work, it’s been a huge help when it comes to making sure my work is free of typos and other grammatical errors that would otherwise take away from the quality of this fanfic. Also, I should have another chapter out very soon soon. Until then, let me know what you think and enjoy the story.

-TitanXpony

Chapter III: Disillusion

Elements of Another Kind

Chapter III: Disillusion

[Insert clever disclaimer that no one reads]

“And apparently this is happening” Isaac said as the pink earth pony bounced around in front of him. “I’ve finally succeeded in completely losing my mind.”

“You lost your mind?!” Pinkie Pie said, eyes growing wide “where was the last place you had it? I didn’t know humans could lose stuff like that, although I didn’t even know humans existed until Princess Celestia told us about it and the sun exploded.”

“Princess…..sun exploded….what?” Isaac said confusedly “can someone please tell me what’s going on here?”

The old man, who had been watching them with amusement, began to chuckle and opened his mouth to speak.

“All in good time Isaac” he said good-naturedly “we must wait for the others to wake up first. But I do believe that you are forgetting something.”

He gestured toward the five remaining ponies who were still eyeing him warily. The lavender unicorn pony was the first to step forward and began the introductions.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle” she said, her suspicion beginning to ebb “you’ve already met Pinkie Pie. The white unicorn is Rarity, the orange earth pony is Applejack, the yellow pegasus is Fluttershy, and the blue pegasus with the rainbow mane is Rainbow Dash.”

As they were introduced, they each responded in their own way. Pinkie grinned widely, continuing to hop around energetically as she did so.
Rarity gracefully curtsied; smiling politely as she briefly became the center of attention.
Applejack tipped her hat, a neutral expression on her face.
Fluttershy squeaked and ducked her head, peering from behind her hair at the human who looked over to her.
Rainbow Dash held her head high and flared her wings dramatically, a confident look on her face as her name was announced.

“It’s very nice to meet you all” Isaac responded “but I’m still confused as to why we are here. And no offence to you all, but if I told anyone that I saw talking ponies they would commit me to the nearest mental institution and throw away the key. Not to mention the fact that I just disappeared during a freak electrical storm after I made a monumental scientific discovery that would, to say the least, not help my case if I were to try to prove my sanity.”

Twilights eyes lit up at the mention of a scientific discovery, and she quickly positioned herself in front of Isaac.

“What exactly was the discovery you made?” she said with a look of intent curiosity on her face “I would love to hear about what types of things humans desire to learn about.”

Isaac hesitated for a moment, trying to decide whether or not he should tell them his findings.

“If I tell you, do you all promise not to think I’m crazy?” he said cautiously.

They all nodded in agreement as he built up enough courage to begin speaking.

“I discovered a way to prove the existence of magic” Isaac said as he looked around to judge their reactions.

They looked at each other for a moment, then, after realizing he was serious, they all broke out into simultaneous laughter.

“Do you mean magic like this” Twilight said as she levitated her saddlebags over to her “everypony knows about magic.”

Isaac was stunned, his jaw hung open as he attempted to register what he had just seen.

“How did you do that?” he said as his mind halted in its attempt at a full system shutdown “the most I was able to do after hours of effort was raise the temperature of a glass of water. You just levitated an object to you without even breaking a sweat.”

The lavender unicorn eyed him curiously.

“Of course, I’m a unicorn” Twilight said “do humans not know about a unicorn’s ability to use magic?”

“No, they don’t know” Isaac said shaking his head “to us, unicorns and magic are simply a myth. I was in the process of proving the existence of the latter when I woke up here.”

A noise from behind caused them to break from their conversation and look toward the source.
The other five people who had been lying unconscious were beginning to wake up.
One was a tall, thickly muscled man with black hair and an unnaturally dark complexion, assumedly from spending long periods of time in the sun, and a large gleaming hammer lying next to him.
The second was a young woman with pale, freckled skin and chestnut brown hair clutching a pink wood bow in her hand.
The third person was a man of average height with sandy blonde hair and a long, gnarled staff that was somehow standing upright beside him.
Next was another woman. She had long dark hair with a rich caramel skin tone and a wicked looking polearm leaning against her prone form.
The last of them was a large man dressed in military garb with brown hair and a long, dual edged sword imbedded into the floor adjacent to him.
They all watched as the five humans began to rise one by one.

“I see you’re all awake now” the old man said, causing the six ponies and Isaac to jump at the unexpected outburst “after you’re all up, and additional introductions are made, we can get down to business.”

After the initial shock of waking up in a strange place with colorful talking ponies wore off, the five humans who had been asleep began to introduce themselves to Isaac and the ponies.
About a half hour passed before the humans and ponies were through with their introductions. They all stood facing the mysterious man who they assumed had brought them here as he began to speak.

“Please excuse my rudeness in withholding my name” the old man began “I have been known by many names over the millennia. To save you all some confusion, you may call me by my most well known name of Zeus, wielder of the magic thunderbolt and king of the human immortals. Alas, I am the last of my kind, but under the circumstances that hardly matters.”

The group was listening intently as Zeus paused to take a breath and continued speaking.

“You have been brought here because both of your worlds are in danger” Zeus said gravely “and for the fact that all of you have something in common between you. You are all champions of your worlds, chosen by the Elements of Harmony to defend them if something poses a threat to their existence. The ponies already know this, and have had experience with using the elements. As for you humans, you must learn to use the tools given to you and you have very little time to do so. In order to speed up the process and so that you may use the Elements to their full potential, you will be paired up with the bearer corresponding with which Element you possess.”

The humans and ponies stared at each other as Zeus began to speak once more.

“The purpose of this pairing is not only to speed up the learning process” he began “but also because of the nature of the human and pony Elements. The ponies’ Elements are meant to be used as shields, while the humans’ are weapons. The virtues which they represent have two sides to them, both as offence and defense. For example, kindness can mean treating others with respect and affection, but there is also a piece of kindness shown when an injured animal is put down so that it no longer has to suffer a slow and painful death.”

He looked toward the girl with the pink bow and the yellow pegasus, addressing them directly.

“Kristina and Fluttershy, you would do well to remember this as your Elements represent this virtue” he said “you will be training together from now on, and I suggest you get to know each other better.”

The two nodded and stood next to each other as Zeus continued speaking.

“The virtue of honesty has the same duality” he said “honesty can be pleasantly direct, but it can also be blunt and hurtful. It is necessary to be honest for harmony to exist, but remember the difference between the two.”

He looked toward the man with the hammer and the orange earth pony as he paused to let his words sink in.

“John and Applejack, your Element represents the virtue of honesty” he said with a slight grin on his face “you will be paired together in a team, just try not to butt heads too much. The bearers of honesty tend to have a distinct stubbornness, so I’m giving you both fair warning about this trait and implore you to do your best to work together.”

John and Applejack stared at each other for a moment before they finally walked over and stood next to Fluttershy and Kristina, slowly attempting to become accustomed to each other’s company.

“The virtue of generosity can also be two-sided” Zeus continued “it can mean giving someone the clothes of your back, but it can also mean sparing the life on your enemy even when they did not do the same for your comrades.”

Zeus stared at Rarity and the young woman who was holding the dark polearm resting against her side as he spoke.

“Emile and Rarity, you two are the embodiments of this virtue” he said coolly “and you will be working together for the time being. Just remember the true meaning of generosity. Provide what you can to each other and to your comrades, but also respect your enemy.”

The white unicorn and Emile respectively walked toward each other and smiled politely as they joined the other two paired teams.

“The virtue of laughter is a personal favorite of mine” Zeus said with a chuckle “the two sides of this virtue are essentially the same but they can affect those around you differently. The first kind of laughter is when friends are laughing together during a joyous occasion; the second kind of this virtue is laughter in the face of fear and uncertainty.”

Zeus was staring at the pink pony and the man who was twirling a long staff theatrically, at which Pinkie Pie was giggling hysterically.

“James and Pinkie Pie, you two bear the Element of laughter” he said with a smile “as if it wasn’t already obvious. And of course you will be working together, but it doesn’t seem like either of you will have a problem with that.”

Pinkie Pie and James were already standing next to each other, both grinning widely as they heard the news of who their training partner would be.

“Loyalty is a virtue that can be hard to define” Zeus said regaining his serious demeanor “it differs in the object of a person’s loyalty. There is loyalty to family and friends, which is the most common form of this virtue, but there is also the loyalty to more abstract things such as a belief or an ideal.”

He looked toward the rainbow-mane Pegasus and the soldier holding the long, shimmering sword.

“Robert and Rainbow Dash, you share the virtue of loyalty” he said “and you must learn to work together so that you may benefit everything and everyone you have pledged your loyalty to.”

Rainbow Dash and Robert looked at each other briefly before joining the others who were lined up a short distance away.

“That just leaves the Element of magic” Zeus said with finality “while magic is not in its self a virtue, it is created by the will of those who wield it. Because of this, it can be used in two ways. The first way it can be used is by creating a barrier to protect the user and/or their allies. The second way it can be used is as a weapon to attack one’s enemy. Twilight Sparkle and Isaac, you will be working together to keep a balance between the two kinds of magic. You will also be tasked with supporting your allies in the battles to come.”

Isaac and Twilight looked at each other with an expression of resolve. They were the last of the group to line up as Zeus turned to face them.

“Before you begin training,” he said “I have a few more details that I must share with you. One such detail is that although we are in the Void technically, we are not located in the rift between worlds. Rather, we are in a place of my own design, and any accommodations that are needed will be provided by me. For example, look behind you.”

The group turned around, and where there was once nothing but a black abyss, a house now stood.
It was rather large, enough to accommodate the six humans and six ponies with relative ease.
The house had a simplistic brick design, with red trim and grey shingles on the roof.
The only thing that distinguished it from a normal house was the fact that the door was made for use by both ponies and humans, with a latch that slid sideways to open it instead of a doorknob.

“Another detail that I should mention is that time passes much more slowly here than it would on Gaia or Equestria. In fact, a month here is equivalent to roughly three seconds there. Although I would say we only have about four months’ time in this place before the being that is threatening your worlds succeeds in its plan to close the rift and release all of the evils sealed away in that place upon a newly formed world of humans and ponies.”

Zeus paused and let this knowledge sink in as he made his way to the house he had created.

“Now, if you will follow me, I will get you all acquainted will your home for the next few months” Zeus said warmly “I’m sure you are all tired and hungry after what you have been through, and I have just the thing to raise your spirits.”

The group walked inside and closed the door behind them. The interior was furnished with a variety of cushions as well as a couch and two chairs arranged in a circle in the middle of the room. There was a hallway at the far end of the room that led into twelve separate rooms, each suited for the individual who would reside within it.
The kitchen was located to the left of the living room, complete with a stove, sink, refrigerator, and a large table lined with twelve chairs.
Zeus led the group into the kitchen and motioned for them to sit at the table as he opened one of the cabinets beside the refrigerator.
He extracted an unfamiliar bottle that was made of a silvery material lined with gold trim.
On his way back, retrieved twelve glassed from another cabinet and placed one in front of each of them, filling the glasses full of a mysterious amber liquid as he did so.
They all took a sip from their glass, their mouths beginning to tingle as the mysterious substance touched their lips.
They felt warm but pleasantly cool, both energized and completely relaxed, every pleasant sensation imaginable washed over them with every sip of the glorious liquid.

“You are sampling a largely diluted form of Ambrosia” Zeus chimed in as they drank “it is known in legends as the food of the gods. If any mortal was to taste of it in its purest form, they would fall into a deep sleep from which they would never awaken. But in this form, it will simply help you to fully recover before your training and rid you of fatigue afterwards.”

The group was speechless as the drink took effect, and they all began to drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Zeus transported them to their beds and smiled as he spoke once more.

“Rest well my champions. You will need it for the days to come.”

A dark being, chained to anchors attached to the fabric of the Void, began to gather the energy that had been growing within it for millennia.
The bonds that had been holding it were steadily weakening with age. The time had come to break free of its prison and once again spread destruction across the worlds.

The being opened its eyes. They were deep red, radiating with an intensity that could melt stone, and were accented by a snake-like pupil that seemed to be made of pure, undiluted darkness. Its body was thin and bony, with abnormally long fingers that ended in razor sharp claws and jagged spines protruding from its back.
It opened its cavernous maw, filled with numerous finely pointed fangs, and let loose a booming roar that echoed throughout the rift.
A large number of creatures that had been sealed in the rift began to assemble in front of the being. They had answered the call and were patiently waiting to find out why they had been summoned.

“The…time..is..now” the being rasped in a deep, growling voice “we…..will….be free….soon…my brethren.”

Releasing the power it had been gathering, thick strands of magical energy shot forth from the ends of the chains on its arms and legs. They attached themselves to the barriers that separated the rift from the two worlds as the being began to pull, drawing the barriers toward it as it did so.
The barriers stretched slowly inward as the being strained with effort, cracks forming around the points where the magical bonds were attached. The being was beginning to lose strength when, with one final roar, the bonds that were restraining the being shattered.
An enormous wave of energy crashed against the barriers, causing them to develop further cracks as the being began to laugh icily.

“I am finally…..free” the being whispered as it examined its limbs for the first time in centuries.
Its eyes sharpened as it peered through the darkness at the army that had assembled in front of it.
Dark energy surrounded it as it gathered strength once more. The other creatures began to pour their power into the spell, causing the black aura to intensify and grow larger with each passing minute.
Once it had gathered enough power, the being focused on condensing the aura into a dense sphere.
Waves of power rippled from the sphere that was now clutched between the being’s claws. With a quick movement it released its hold on the object, followed by a massive explosion.
As the shockwave struck the barriers, what little strength they had left was compromised; the barriers shattered, and the vacuum of the Void drew the two worlds together into one.

“This…is just the beginning” the being hissed “they…will know….the true…meaning…..of TERROR.”

Author’s Notes:

The antagonist of the story has been introduced, and the path of the heroes has been set. Now you can all sit back and relax as the main events of the story begin to unfold. As always, I much appreciate any and all feedback regarding my writing so that I may improve the quality of my work. If you have any comments on the story so far, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Also, much thanks to the ponies who are following my story and to my proofreader PHOENIx102 for all of his help in the editing process. The next chapter will be out soon, and in the meantime I hope you enjoy the story.

TitanXpony