"Twilight! You need to see this!" Pinkie shouts from down the wooden stairway of the Golden Oak Library.

The stairway lead into a room where I laid face first in a pile of paperwork. Pinkie's voice brought me out of my pleasant dream, a soft groan escaped my mouth.

"TWILIGHT!"

"Just a minute, Pinkie!" I shouted back at the pink earth pony.

I got up from the desk I was currently napping on before I realized I only finished most of my work. A frustrated groan escaped my lips. Not wasting too much time, I walked out to the staircase and looked down to find the energetic pony doing her usual.....pinkie things.

"What is it Pinkie?" I asked half asleep still.

She slightly frowned at my attitude before it being replaced with a smile again. "Great, you're up! Rarity has been looking for you. She said something about the new uniforms being made." Pinkie said.

My brain almost instantly recalled the need for a change in the wardrobe. The new uniforms were for the Royal Guard. Even the Wonderbolts were getting some different gear. Why you may ask? Well, the simple answer is the tension across Equis, and appearing to look more intimidating to other countries. For all anybeing knows, a world war is preparing to break loose at any possible moment now. My hand went straight to my eyes to clear any sleepiness that might still be there before I looked back at Pinkie Pie.

"Thanks Pinkie. I'll go see her right away."

Pinkie smiled bouncing on her hooves almost automatically before heading out the door. "You're weeelcome." She said.

With that, I made it down stairs. Then it hit me. I didn't wake up Spike, then I thought about how upset he would be if he had to wake up so early in the morning.

"I'll wake him up when I get back." I then left the Golden Oak Library to visit a certain unicorn.

It didn't take me long considering I knew the route to the Carousel Boutique like the back of my hand by now. Going to the boutique has been a frequent erron lately. But for today, I had to make at least one more visit to the fashion designer. I opened the door to the boutique to be greeted by the sound of some bells softly ringing above me. Rarity turned her head toward the disturbance recognizing me almost immediately.

She smiled my way. "I'm terribly sorry to wake you up so early in the morning, but I just had to at least get you up to critique my new designs. I just couldn't wait too long! After all, I believe it needs a princess credential on how good it is."

Oh, did I forget to mention I became a princess? It was about two years ago when the tensions really started to take off. The propaganda then was tamed compared to the hailstorm of hate coming our way now.

I smiled at her. "Of course Rarity." I inspect the uniforms to be surprised at the major quality put into the uniform's craftsponyship themselves.

I just stared in silent awe at the beautiful fabric a bit longer before testing out its strengths and weaknesses. It seemed to be magic resistant, stretchable, durable, blade resistant, and even surprisingly light weight for this type of material. No doubt, she has put countless hours of careful enchantments to enhance it giving the uniform a useful aspect for it.

I couldn't help a small smile to form on my face. Even in times of probabilities of war, Rarity knows how to bring joy and creativity into every design she makes.

"I say it's perfect for Royal Guard use. I'll have a letter sent to Celestia detailing the texture of your uniform." I said looking toward Rarity.

She squeed at my comment about to hug me before she recomposed herself. Rarity firmly shook my hand before saying how grateful she was.

Then I felt the air and atmosphere around us go slightly stiff. At first I ignored it; until the ground tremored underneath our hooves. Rarity immediately notice the shaking too looking at me with confusion plastered on her face.

"What's going on?" Rarity asked.

I stayed quiet before walking outside. It was just as I feared. The air around Ponyvile was distorted as the residents in the town panicked at the rumble. Then the sound of a wood splintering crack echoed throughout the town itself.

My eyes widen toward the center of the town. A slight crack in what appeared in reality seemed to form. I could feel the magic inside grow knowing instinctively that this magic didn't belong in Equis.

I ran up toward the growing crack in reality as my horn lit up. I thought of a spell before casting it at the crack hitting it dead on. However, the crack still creeped its way lower as the spell I casted harmlessly bounced off. I stared in absolute horror as the crack then begins to vibrate violently.

All of a sudden, the crack grew itself two feet longer in one vicious growth spurt causing a sound like an intense explosion to go off. A shockwave of strange energy followed after knocking most of the ponies it touched into things around them, myself included. I ended up landing flat on my back as I groaned in slight pain.

Once the shockwave erupted itself away from the town, the crack in reality calmed itself down emitting a strange bluish glow to its form now, and shortly after, the tremor stopped too. The aftermath of that shock didn't hurt anyone badly, but it definitely felt like a minor earthquake in magnitude.

I got up before directing my attention back on the strange crack in reality. This was not the first time such a phenomenon occurred. Gathering from my memories alone, there have been over two thousand reports of these strange 'cracks in reality itself'. Over five hundred of them being in Equestria alone. Princess Celestia, Luna, and the other leaders of Equis have sent search parties into these mysterious cracks, but none have returned from them. They broke up from contact as soon as they entered the cracks.

And to be honest, this is the first time I've seen such a phenomenon up close. I stared into the cracks themselves. It..... called out to me. I wanted to walk up to the crack and jump right in, but my fear froze me in place. Where will this crack take me if I follow in?

Before my mind could process more information, Rarity came running up behind me.

"Oh darling! I'm so glad you are safe--........What is that?" Rarity asked gesturing to the odd bluish crack in reality.

"I.....have no idea" I replied. There was not much to be said about this phenomenon; only that it was something that was obviously not from this world.

?????'s POV

The inviting cold void around me was thick almost reminding me of that dreadful pocket space called 'imprisonment'. However, this void of darkness was different. It seemed like it was just yesterday that I fell into a comatose-like sleep. I couldn't feel my outside surroundings too well either. Completely isolated from the world. I like it better like this. That way I don't hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it.

I shivered involuntarily at the sudden bonbardment of massive magic.... Strange magic. It felt almost familiar, but I knew deep down that reality was impossible...

My universe was completely erased from existence.

Reguardless, the magic flowed through as I felt my magic levels rise quicker than it has been doing so far in my comatose. I felt my consciousness rear its ugly head before I was immediately sucked away from the cold void....

I woke up. Finally being able to make the effort to move my body. The pain of not moving my body for awhile lingered still, so I did a test run.

I got up and stretched. It didn't help that I could hear and feel my bones seeming to break inside my body individually. I sighed relieved that it hasn't been too long.

Then I finally take the chance to observe my surroundings. I stared in confusion seeing nothing but endless darkness around me. I was pretty sure that I had awaken from my long 'nap'. I pinched myself just in case.

"Oh yeah. This is real."

I looked around even resorting to feeling my way around before I entered a pathway with a single torch hooked on the wall. Carefully, I take the torch off its holder and place it in my right hand. Further inspection suggested that the torch was an enhanced to forever burn in this state.

"Interesting, last time I checked, Equestria was not THIS advanced in the magic department yet."

Using the torch, I walk through the crystal hallways while the torch illuminated my surroundings better. At least I have a clear description now of my surroundings.

A half an hour into walking and searching areas I felt something rumble. I looked down at my innocent stomach turning in on itself. I sighed heavily giving my belly a light rub in sympathy.

"As expected, my stomach could give less than two shits about the situation."

I rolled my eyes continuing onward. Then my fur sat on edge of itself almost as if it realized the difference in temperature slightly dropping Something appeared off about these crystal hallways. More importantly, who put me down here?

I looked up at anything that might stick out as a potential threat. A plan beginning to form in my head. There was only one way to find out. I materialized Apocalypse, my giant black metal sword. I made the blade of the sword spin at an intense speed held firmly in my palm. So fast that the hand and Apocalypse itself looked like one long drill bit. I jumped on to the 'ceiling' before drilling through it. A smile slowly formed as I advance toward the surface.

To say I was taken by surprised was an understatement. I had dug through seven miles through crystal, rocks, and dirt, and I was still going. Usually normal ponies can't survive down this deep, but as you can tell I'm anything but a normal pony.

"That means that whoever did this wanted me dead in some form or fashion."

When I get back to the surface, I need to be careful who I talk to. Then my began to sense the sunlight through the dirt itself.

With one last push, I broke through the thin dirt. I landed on my hooves dematerializing Apocalypse. Now was the moment of truth. My confusion intensified as I looked around.

"Am I in Canterlot?"

To my surprise, I ended up in the very heart of Equestria: Canterlot. However, that's not my biggest concern. I thought about the massive earthquake and the amount of casualties that must have happened.

"Shit! Zecora!"

My horn automatically lit up before I teleported to a certain tree hut.

I reappeared in the Everfree. Clearly, I wasn't thinking straight as I ran through the forest remembering each tree and grass blade until I met a familiar tree hut.

Relief filled me walking up to the door knocking a few times. But my relief died off when nobody opened the door. Even more stranger was the door seem to be open. My instincts screamed danger as I materialized Apocalypse once again to life. I cautiously open the door further looking around in the room.

When I made sure nobody would attack me I advanced inside. My eyes widen looking at the interior to get a better look at everything. It looked like chaos. Furniture over turned, glass broken, book shelves turned over, almost like it was a struggle.

My heart rate quickened as I searched through the chaos. And to add to the horror, I saw what I feared the most. It was a corpse. Not just any corpse though.

I threw the shelf off of the corpse to get a better view before my eyes widen further. It was Zecora's corpse. It looked to be a week old. A face of pure fear was plastered on her face. I also noticed how she appeared to be stripped of her usual garments. My fist tightened as I pictured the entire scenario. Who or what would do something so vile to my wife? What would they gain by doing this?

"I couldn't even protect her."

You shall know loss and pain like no other, my son. For you will kill those you love with your own bare hands.

The bastard's voice rings in my head. I couldn't help a tear to slide down my cheek at that thought. This is the third time I loss something so precious to me. My body shakes involuntarily gritting my teeth. My sadness turns to anger.

I hate the world's cruel tricks and illusions. That whole year of fighting monsters and saving innocent lives for the sake of Equestria...... And this is what I get in return? Yet, a part of me knew that price. I was born into all worlds to suffer.

"You and I both know that this would happen, Shadow. Why not let loose? You know these pathetic ponies deserve it. They were no better than those-"

"Shut up!" I almost yelled at the top of my lungs. Atone's voice went silent."Shut up..... This was my fault alone. It won't happen again...... I'll make sure of that." I said to myself (specifically Atone).

I bend over closing her eyes, then I picked her body up from the rumble and head outside.

For hours I searched through the Everfree looking for a place to put her to peace. Then I saw the perfect place for a burial sight. It was an open space in the forest allowing the sunlight to gleam from the dark green canopy that covers the Everfree floor. I laid her body down before pulling a shovel from my hammer space.

I sighed testing the ground. It was soft and moist. I smiled at the irony of it all. I have lived for so long seeing what would either astonish or horrify ponies in many different ways. Yet, death seemed to always find its way to kill everyone around me.

I shoved the first shovel full of dirt out of the ground, then the next. I stopped counting after that. I dug until I got a good six feet into the ground itself. I teleport to the surface again fetching her corpse before carrying it to the edge and levitate it the rest of the way into the hole I made. Covering her body was easier than digging.

By the time I looked up it was about noonish in the Everfree. Out of respect, I teleported a gravestone marker and chiseled her full name on to it. I then stick it at the front of the grave positioning it toward the unearthed dirt.

I stand on the ground not far from the grave taking a second to look at my work.

Here lies Zecora Celean Zanmo....

The birds but the forest lightly chirped their happy tone around me. I on the other hand was not in the mood. I suddenly remembered something. I searched through my pockets. It wasn't long before I pulled out what I was looking for.

The item was a hand held size crystal. It was originally a bright white, but now it has a tint of black in the crystal fragments themselves. I smiled thinking of the memories swimming through my mind.

FLASHBACK

I laid on a hammock Just outside of the tree hut that Zecora called her home. I always wondered why she prefered that tree stump over a real house, but I never questioned her style of housing. It seemed rude to.

If one thing never changed about me it's that I loved resting quietly in a hammock listening to the environment around me. It always put me at peace. The birds chirped happily in the trees enjoying their morning and the few rays of sunshine hit my body in different angles warming it up.

I then heard the soft crunching of dead leaves behind me. I didn't have to get out of my comfort to know who that is. Zecora, my wife, walked up to me.

"What's with you and hammocks? I thought You didn't like nature." she asked.

I smiled. "I just like resting out here. Feeling the warm sunshine on my sk- fur. Nature is just peaceful when you don't think about the dangers of it." I replied back.

There was a silence between us as we listened to the semi-chaotic nature. I cracked an eye open to see Zecora looking around at the canopy of the forest.

"Just curious, what brought You out here?" I asked.

She looked down at me. "I wanted to give you something."

I sat up in the hammock looking her in the eye. "Really, what is it?"

Zecora gave me a small brown pouch. I graciously accept the gift and opened it. My curiosity grew seeing a hand sized clear white crystal with a tint of black in the crystal itself.

"This is the very same crystal I used on Atone to seal him with the combined power of my magic. This crystal keeps him from getting out of control,"

I didn't know what to say, but I was astonished by the little crystal wielding so much power. "Please, take care of it. You have more use for it then I will."

I smiled again nodding in agreement. "Of course. I'll take extra care of it. Just like I will always take care of you."

Zecora smiled back at me as I felt a warm feeling in my gut. Her smile just makes me feel happier about my entire life.....

FLASHBACK ENDS

I placed the crystal back in its pouch again before putting it back in my clothes. Reality returned to me, and so I decided to leave this place behind. I hastily exit the open clearing without a second thought.

Certainty gripped my mind as the pieces of evidence I gathered so far fit fairly together. Someon- or, more accurately, somepony wanted all traces of my existence gone...

And they will have hell to pay.

Atone's POV

I had to admire my counterpart for one thing, and that is his ability to tolerate bullshit. I so much don't have that gift. It didn't matter though. I was finally free from that aweful cold endless void. It made me almost glad to exist again.

That was beside the point though, I have a lot of shit to catch up with now, and it will only get worse if I don't do anything. I walked through Shadow's brain organizing a few things into place when I felt a dark presence return.

My spine almost visibly shook in my body at the thing that was behind me. I turned around to meet the last person I ever wanted to meet....

It was the entity: Darkness itself.

Confused? Don't be. Shadow and I are just the physical vessel for it. Nothing more. We are the only being capable of doing so too. It was even prophesied. Putting that aside, I didn't dare show fear toward it. No, I won't give this piece of shit the satisfaction.

I gave a nasty glare at the entity before hmphing. "Is that the best you can do? You know that's child's play for a being like me."

The entity gave a toothy grin at my disobedience before slightly chuckling. "Of course. I should have realized that a being like yourself could tolerate my presence with ease. It doesn't make you invincible though. Know your limits, Atone."

I didn't want to admit it, but the entity of Darkness was the most terrifying being I have ever encountered. Not even the Devil paled in comparison. However, I kept up my bravado as irritation appeared on my features.

"What the hell do you want, Darkness? We are kind of in a predicament with all of the new chaos Shadow is dealing with."

Darkness' playful expression immediately vaporized and was instead placed with a glare. "Since You put it like that, I'll just give you the short version.
Two different types of magics are mixing in one realm at once."

"What's so bad about that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Simple minded immortals. It's bad because different magics are not meant to coexist in one realm. It would tear space, time,
and reality apart."

"So basically having two different magics in one realm is really bad....... Then how do you stop a realm from not existing anymore!"

Darkness' playful expression returned. "That's a really good question. Unfortunately,
I'm not the one who solves physical creation shit. That job falls on your shoulders." It said walking away.

"Wait." I called out.

It stopped walking.

"Can you at least tell me a direction to go to?" I asked my irritation fading a bit away.

The entity stayed quiet for a moment. "You'll find out for yourself. Don't rush it. You'll do fine." It walked a bit further before pausing again. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention. That's not the only problem coming your way. Watch his back, Atone. Because no one else will give a damn."

Darkness vaporized into nothingness while I just stood their like an idiot. What the hell was he even referring to anyway?

Author's Note

First chapter; new beginning!

Edit: The last bit at the end is to clarify what I meant to say.