KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Hello? Nyx? You in there?" Twilight questioned, face bound to the door in an attempt to peek behind the makeshift spyglass.
"Hang on! One... second..." a voice echoed out, footsteps of an erratic nature being heard shuffling about behind the sculpted slab of oak used as a door. "Alright."
The door swept open revealing the newly welcomed human, face portraying stories of a late night, but moderate energy despite the look of death on his face. A moderately tall figure, however slouched, lethargic motion with a hint of awareness about him "Hey - YYAawwn - hey Twilight, what's up?" He asked the purple alicorn, stumbling out of the building with an attempt at polite etiquette.
"Did you not hear that rumble last night?" She asked, mildly perplexed at his question, although she had a rough idea of what answer he would retaliate with.
"Apparently not. I must have been sleeping pretty heavily last night." He responded, much to her assumption. "So what rumble did you hear?" He then queried, intrigued by her words.
"It sounded like an earthquake, but no-pony really knows where it came from. My guess is that it hit the Everfree Forest. Applejack's just come over and mentioned some of the land over near Sweet Apple Acres was disturbed." Twilight stated, leading the human through the town and towards AJ's barn, bypassing the mayor in the process.
"Oh, Twilight!" Mayor Mare called, slightly startled in her appearance. Mild bags under her eyes and a lethargy to her movements. "Could you P-lease investigate what that tremor was? Everypony is getting worried and I need some good news to break to them." She then asked in a mild panic, glancing at the ponies surrounding her in discomfiture.
"Well, that's just what Nyx and I were going to do." She retorted, gifting back a hint of a smile on to the mayor's pale face.
"Oh that's where we're going?" He asked, a much healthier tone spreading across his skin as he had started to wake up.
"Absolutely! We need to make sure everything is safe, before Princess Celestia gets worried and comes out here to investigate it for herself." The purple pony stated in confidence, before wishing the mayor farewell and dragging Nyx with her. "Goodbye, Mayor Mare!"
Approaching Applejack's barn, the light blue streak of a familiar pegasus pony blinked across the horizon and landed near enough to us that we could feel the shock-wave from where we were standing. Although, the look on Twilight's face and the haste in her step gave enough of a clue to assume she wasn't too ecstatic about the pegasus' nonchalant smashing of the ground - especially after a large tremor had also struck the ground no more than a few hours ago.
"RAINBOW!" Twilight yelled from a good distance away, still marching towards the landing zone with a quickening pace.
"yyeessss, Twilight?" The pegasus' voice emerged from behind a stack of hay, revealing herself after in a melodramatic show of innocence. "Oh, Nyx! Hey!" She then added, dropping the act instantaneously and rushing over to greet him, numbing his arm with a murderous hoofshake.
"Agh, okay... uh huh, that hurts." The human retorted, forcing blood into his constricted hand. "Hey Dash, what's going on?"
"Checking out the damage! Like i'm assuming you two are, right?" She responded, posing sideways with wings flexed out.
"Well, not so much checking out the damage, Rainbow Dash." Twilight intervened, passing the pegasus and heading over to the nearest place that looked disturbed. "Instead, we're going to make sure everything's safe before reporting back to Princess Celestia."
"Gah, bo-o-o-ring." She exclaimed, falling onto her back, hooves behind her head. "HEY! I've got a better idea. I'll go and survey the area and let you know if there's any cool changes!"
"Rainbow Dash! That's... not actually a bad idea." Twilight replied, heading over to the site of the destruction, Nyx following her, Dash trailing above him.
Following the cobbled route leading down the local orchard, Dash had darted away with valiant haste, while Nyx and his pony companion lagged behind at a much less athletic pace. Arriving at the nearest site of destruction, not much seemed out of place, nothing more than some altered ground and some torn roots.
"Hmmmm..." Twilight muttered, analysing the newly surfaced soil, rich with newly created twigs. "Not much else to see here. Looks like we'll have to enter the forest." She then commented, raising her volume in pride, while remembering to remain professional.
"Hey Guys!" Dash then called from beyond the border of trees, presumably from just behind the regiment of trees. "Come follow me, I've found something!"
"Rainbow! Where are you?!" Nyx replied, calling for the pegasus before entering the first line of trees. "Come one Twi, if she's just disappeared, it must be something important."
"I should hope so." Twilight responded cautiously, making a note of the pathway he had started foraging through before entering.
There wasn't much to reveal what direction Dash had taken, aside from the occasional sound of impatience from her, calling out exponentially faster each time. Eventually, with a decent idea of where to go, the two had managed to pierce the forest's coating and were on a trodden pathway. Despite this, the cobbles seemed ancient, almost falling apart from the rumble of their steps.
"Guys! Over here." Dash exclaimed from a small distance away, appearing from atop the canopy, hanging from a branch in boredom.
After tracking Dash's movements a little further, since she just upped at bolted away once again - Twi and Nyx met up with her at ground level beside a break in the land level. A cave squire grasping at our attention.
"Looks like this is what that tremor was about then." Nyx commented, examining the details of the cliff face. A clean crack pierced through the lining and seemed to be a few feet deep. "Have you looked inside it yet?" he asked the pegasus, now taking a close look at the penumbral entrance. Almost beckoned in by it's breath.
"Not yet, I was hoping we could all look inside together, just in case something's in there... Not that I couldn't handle it myself of course!!!" Dash retorted in exuberant confidence. Cramming her wings into place after she felt she had made her point. "So are we going in or what?"
""Sure. "" Nyx and Twilight simultaneously replied, before entering the mouth of the newly formed cave entrance.
The rock surrounding the trio had already started to constrict them down to a smaller space, although the quality and finish of the cave walls, floor and ceiling had started to become more smooth. Almost marble-like.
"Be careful." Twilight mumbled, making sure both of them had acknowledged her words.
"Pshaw, I'll be fine. I can fly remember?" Dash snarled , rolling her eyes while giggling.
"So can I, but i'd still be careful. You never know what's about to hap- AHHHHHHHH!!!"
""TWILIGHT!!!"" Dash and Nyx both scream, rushing over to the location from which she fell.
"Guys!!!" Twilight, called from a crevice carved into the floor. "A little help?!"
Nyx peeked over the opening, witnessing her clawing for any scrape of grip she could find. "Here!" He then exclaimed, gifting as much of his arm as was possible for her to grasp - Rainbow Dash also offering a wing for Twi to hold.
A few gruelling moments of panic and indecision later, Twi had finally mustered up the courage to reach a hoof up, barely attaching herself to the human's arm before traction abandoned her, inhaling the loose rock down the crevice. Dash had also wrapped her wings around the petrified pony, pulling her up also with all she could offer.
The strength of Rainbow and Nyx appeared to be enough to raise Twilight out of the bottomless trench, with a little room for them both to breath also. With one last effort, she was hauled over the kerb of the opening and dragged a safe distance away. With Twilight just barely making it to safety with her organs intact. A group breather seemed to be in order, although not voluntary since the purple pony leapt towards the human backing both him and her against the ribs of the cave.
With just enough oxygen in her lungs she whispered with a scarce breath, "Oh my Celestia... thank you, Nyx. Thank you Rainbow Dash. Thought I was gone there for a second."
"Don't worry about it." Dash commented, catching her breath also, despite efforts to conceal her panic. "So, why didn't you just fly back up here? Or use magic for that matter?
"I- I don't know..." She replied, looking more healthy in her speech. "I guess... in times like that, you just forget you're not a unicorn anymore."
Nyx, now mostly recovered, piped up with, "That still leaves out the fact you didn't use your magic. Is there something blocking it?"
"I don't know." She replied, now returning to a crisp purple complexion.
Twilight then attempted to cast a simple brightness spell, just to check magic still functioned in the belly of the cave. Despite some slight difficulty in her efforts - enough to be visible - she was able to create a wisp to light the way, if only slightly.
"You still want to head further down?" Nyx asked, turning to face Dash as well, now concerned for their hospitality. "We can call it a day here and some back with Celestia."
"No." Twilight argued. "We need to check what's here, it could be dangerous... or really dangerous."
Dash then approached the pony and stated, "I think we've seen enough danger today already, we can head back if you want."
"No. Let's just go a little further. We have light now and we'll double back if we see any other danger areas." She retorted, blinded by curiosity.
"Alright." Nyx, acknowledged. "but one of us says turn back, we all turn back. Okay?"
""Got it."" Twi and Dash both replied, returning to their normal faces as they once again set their eyes on whatever lay down there.
A few minutes passed of slow, cautious treading - careful to scour the whole of the cave for hazards. One minute went by, then the next, then the next. The trio must have been a good way into the system by now, even despite their thoroughly slow pace.
"Huh?" Twilight spoke, glancing at her summoned wisp, flickering like a light losing power.
"ZZzzzzT."
Gone. No light...
Nothing.
"What happened?" Dash hurriedly asked, panicking.
"It just... disappeared." She responded, hope fading in her tone of voice.
"Look." Nyx spoke up. "Keep calm, we'll either just have to wait until someone gets worried and comes down here with a rescue squad, or we make our way back. Even slower this time."
"Bad idea." Dash added. If you've read enough tales of adventures like this, you know never to take any risks.
Despite all hope being sapped out of the group, it appeared as if a flicker of Twilight's magic had returned. A small glow, creeping its way through channels in the cave floor.
"Twilight! Your magic is back!" Dash, excitably stated.
"Uhh..." She responded, a look of perplexion sweeping across her face. "That's not me."
The glow soon showed its source, revealing a route through the cave, a faint sound of crashing water echoing through the cave's tract.
"That sounds close." Nyx commented, taking a stand and preparing to urge the others to follow him.
"Well, it doesn't look like we're going back the other way." Twi said, looking despairingly at the route we had came. "Lead the way, Nyx."
It didn't take long for the sound to visualise itself. An opening, the size of a large house, containing a pool of fluorescent water at the highest point, streams trickling down the path of least resistance, with a plinth standing tall in the dead centre of the subterranean clearing, inbetween the two major streams carving out the floor
"Now this isn't no accidental tremor." Nyx commented, taking in the surroundings.
"Definitely not." Twilight replied, standing next to the human.
"What is this place?" Dash questioned, taking a seat next to the human also.
"Let's find out I guess." Nyx stated, confidently approaching the centre of the opening, stopping only to avoid the forks of water streams.
Carefully evading the water, as he had no idea of its properties, he made his way towards the plinth and had started circling it, examining every part of it, piece by piece. Eventually, Dash and Twi had enough of the tension and flew over to where he was standing.
Atop the rock, there lay a single piece of paper. Well paper may have been a strong word. All that remained was an excerpt from some instructions by the human's calculations.
"Wait five seconds?" Dash confusedly asked. "One... two... three... four-"
"Five..." Nyx, continued. "Well... I'm worried, we heading back now?"
"Yeah." Twilight added. "I'm a little worried too." She then stated, before urging us back into the cave system. "Let's go get Princess Celestia before we so anything else."
CLANK
"WHAT WAS THAT?!?!" Dash screeched, grasping hold of the human and other pony. Soon making the adjustment to act like she was protecting them.
The pool then began to create wave forms, only seen by the overflow spilling onto the floor below. After they had gathered up the group courage to valiantly face whatever was happening. The trio scaled the rocks and took a close glance at the pool. Waves they were, but they appeared symmetrical... unnatural. Frozen half by awe, half by terror, the three witnessed the luminous fluid assemble itself around the plinth, rising up above it, shielding their vision of it.
The crackle of tumbling rocks startled them, but maybe not quite as much as the ceiling caving in, taking one chunk after another, eventually making the whole clearing tremble.
Daylight struck them. At last.
A scaly crack formed in the clearing, causing the loose roofing to clash into the floor below, revealing an ornate pebbled pathway to the outside world. A literal staircase to heaven.
The water sank away into the depths of the clearing, the roof appeared to harden once again. The only differences noticeable being the newly formed pathway and the central rock formation, altered to resemble a mirror. Some rare gems also appeared to have made a home inside the etched structure.
Approaching the mirror-like object, Twi and Dash seemed to have absolutely no clue as to what had happened, or why. To be fair, neither did Nyx. The rock layer inside the object - made to resemble the glass of a mirror - had been engraved. No particular pattern stood out. It looked amorphous. Irregular.
Cracks began to emerge, following the pathway the engraving made, crumbling into a vast nothingness left only as dust on the ground below. What remained had no significance to either Dash or Twilight.
Nyx recognised what he was looking at. There was no way he could get this wrong.
Home.
A distant view of a city. Maybe from the top of a hill. Vehicles lighting up the roads, the hum of the local wildlife, sirens blaring off in the distance. A living breathing view of his old world.
"Nyx?" Twilight asked. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." He replied, taking a step back. "It's um... well I recognise it."
"What is it?" Dash pried, edging closer to the stunned human.
Before any answer could be made, the distant rattle of a chariot stole his attention. Yet before they had any time to say 'what in the name of Celestia,' Celestia herself began strutting down the newly formed steps, encouraging a new era of light to move in.
"Princess!!!" Twilight exclaimed, greeting her in mild panic and relief. Nyx and Dash sharing a double glance, mostly of confusion, but some - thankfully - of relief.
"Hello, Princess Twilight." Celestia stated, patting the ecstatic pony on the back with her outstretched wing. "I believe I need to speak to your friend here." She then said, urging me and Dash to approach her with a friendly hoof gesture.
"So." Nyx spoke up. "What's going on here? And how did I just see my home through a stone mirror, portal, pool thing?"
Celestia, giggled innocently yet profound. "I had a feeling you'd ask that." She commented, continuing to giggle while talking. "Well, if you must know. Luna told me about some of the dreams you've been having since you arrived-"
"Wait what?!" Nyx, interrupted. "I thought that she could only see ponies' dreams."
"Apparently not." Celestia replied, once again giggling. "Don't worry, that was the only thing of note she brought up."
"Right." He responded, the small blush emerging on his face dissipating with haste.
"Speaking of, I'd appreciate it if you came to Canterlot to discuss your findings there." The princess exclaimed, drawing attention back to Twilight and Dash. "Well, i'm sure you've all had a tough day so far. Please treat yourself to a lovely day out after your efforts."
"We will, Princess." Twilight answered, before grabbing Dash and gathering her bearings as to where she was in relation to Ponyville.
"So, Nyx." Celestia said, locking eyes with me. "Do you miss your old world?"
"I- uh, wow. That's a hard question." He replied, internally checking his answers before speaking. "I guess so. sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Loads of good things there, a lot of not-so-good things."
"I assumed as such." Celestia replied with an understanding tone of voice. "Please treat yourself. I can only assume what efforts you've put in today. And with such little time to acclimatise. My sincerest apologises."
"Don't uh, worry about it." He responded, also with an understanding tone. "I'll of course talk to you about today soon enough."
"Farewell, Nyx."
"See you soon, Celestia."
Ascending the stairway, Dash and Twi had waited by the top, their eavesdropping session ending when they heard the footsteps grow too close, careful not to look too suspicious.
"So." Twilight immediately pried. "What was that about?"
"Ah, nope." Nyx, responded abruptly. "I'm going home, relaxing and thinking this all through."
"Aw c'mon!" Dash, begged. Will you at least tell us later?
"Sure."
""Yay!"" The two replied, accompanying the human back onto the nearest usable pathway back towards pony, escorted by a royal guard the whole way back.
Author's Note
The chapters were only split up due to potential reading fatigue and a 3,000 word chapter doesn't really seem fun to read so there you have it.
