Chapter One: EQUALLY TERRIFYING
How did this all begin?
Where did it all go wrong?
What can she do next?
Questions were running through her head at an alarming rate. She lost sense of time. Her sense of being was entirely muddled. She was doing something. Yes, she was sure of that. But there was a sense of enormous regret mixed with guilt bearing down on her mind. It was like a vine choking out a tree. Why was she feeling this way? What did she do? No, her questions can be answered later. Once her memory catches up with her. She did remember being told that her mind will experience some temporary memory loss until everything settles after she arrives at her destination.
That’s it!
She is traveling. She has been for at least a few months. Going from place to place. Searching for something. Moving from across the stars. Was told that any direct route would put the whole universe in danger. That Equestria would be lost forever. That is why it was taking forever to find them. Find...no, she wasn’t just looking for the six, wait no, five...She wasn’t focused on getting the keys to saving her world. The ones that help her and...Friends!
She was looking for her friends. Her best friends! They were taken! Something stole the...things, and they took her friends along too. Those things wouldn’t work unless you bring the pony along with you. They were magic…
MAGIC
She was magic. No, magic was her. No, her element was magic.
UHHG! This was all so frustrating. If only she can remember her mission. They say focus on the mission. Do that, and everything will become clear. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Don’t allow yourself to get attached to anything or anyone. They assured her that this timeline would be locked away. That once she brings the elemental things of peace or whatever, that it would be over. She wouldn’t remember a thing.
No! She needs to remember! She needs to know what she is doing. Knowledge is power. Absolute knowledge is crucial. If she doesn’t have all the facts, then she can make a huge mistake. She needs to know, or else she will screw things up just like before.
Before?
Applejack. Honesty.
Suddenly a flash of orange light came in front of her. A piece of the puzzle was falling into place. Now things were happening in her mind. She felt herself moving.
That was it!
Her friends have names.
And each name was going to unlock part of her mind. Each name would allow her to get back to the mission. All she will have to do was find the names and figure out the rest. This was a test. A way to ensure that she knows who she is. That nothing could derail this mission.
BLAM! SWOOSH!
Something large hit this vessel. The vessel that was connected to her. Whatever that was, it was doing damage. She could feel things were breaking now. It was not her body. No, her body was moving. It was coming down from somewhere. But the other vessel... the ship was it? The one that is taking her to places. It was being destroyed.
Fluttershy. Kindness.
A yellow flash of light came in front of her. And this time, everything was becoming more apparent. Her lavender body is surrounded by brightly colored squares that were each flashing a different frequency. The information was too much to take. Whatever was going on, she had no control over. She remembered that she is linked to this thing. It would only work with her mind being connected to it. Something about it can only navigate by the coordination hidden in her subconscious. It was like teleporting but with no sense of direction. Each jump requires her to be rendered unconscious and suffer bits of amnesia so that it would not contaminate the search. So that she would not go back to a place that doesn’t exist anymore.
Pinkie Pie. Laughter.
Pink light flashes before her. Yes, she used her friend’s names to bring herself back up to speed. Her friends were out there. They needed her. She started to react. Whatever was happening to this ship, it wasn’t stopping. She could hear and even feel things moving on the outside surface. Then a stern warning came from the fogs of the past. Whoever took her friends wouldn’t let their guard down. They know that she would be searching for them. Any memory of them that was connected to those elemental things would put the captors on alert. Whoever she is dealing with, they are more powerful than any previous foe she has encountered. They want these...elements.
Elements of Harmony!
Another vibration shook the entire room. She blinked her eyes as her vision began to focus. There was movement in front of her. A large section of the wall was nothing but glass. It was a window, yet it wasn’t a window. Something was projecting an image on the glass. The image was a view of a million bright lights zooming past her. They were stars. They were stars! She was actually traveling in space. Or at least she was moving through the universe at the smallest amount of time possible. She was told that traveling through space without having a way to suspend time would make the entire journey way too long.
Rarity. Generosity.
That was it! Now she could get a sense of the room she was in. It was a dusty, cold place that surrounded her. There were no outlining shapes or different lengths or widths that stuck out from the encroaching darkness that obscured the corners and the walls. The texture of the floor and walls seems to be made of old stone, ones you might see in ancient burial places or old temples of forgotten civilizations. It was like a tomb. Yet the entire structure itself wasn’t a stone coffin but seemed to be shaped like a giant cube, at least from where she was sitting from. She was placed on top of a small disk that hovered about a meter off the floor and stood in the middle of a bright column of light that went from the floor to the ceiling. Her body is starting to distress. The urge to move and run was growing rapidly inside her brain.
She had to figure out how to escape. No, wait! She needs to make sure they can make it to the next destination. Once she reaches the chosen place to land, she can be able to move freely. Whatever is attacking her would have to do so on a physical plane. That is where she would fight them. Suddenly, she slid off the metal disk she was sitting on and now was dropped to the floor. Her hooves absorbed the impact to block the pain, but her legs were still recovering from the numbing sickness that plagued her body minutes ago. Her cannons felt like they were jelly and were all wobbling. It was going to take a few moments for her to recover. Moments she didn’t have.
A booming sound echoed across the structure. A large gong bell noise was being emitted, and the room lit up red. A large square of light above the large window began to flash a beige color. Something was breaking into her ship. Something deadly and determined.
Just then, the window changed images. Coming into view was a pale blue dot. The image was gaining traction, growing bigger and bigger. It was a place. An important place. The entire journey might end here. It suddenly felt like the ship was speaking to her. It was asking a question. It needed confirmation.
Go here?
“Yes,” She managed to say.
Her mouth felt off. It felt like she didn’t use any parts of her body in a really long time. Her legs were now just getting back to normal, which was good because now she had company. The wind rustled her fur as something was displacing the air. A large figure was materializing in the room in a flash of magic power, not unlike that of her usual teleport spell. Except this time the atoms of this being were once broken apart and were now reforming together. Whatever kept this being from entering was now broken. And it was going to kill her.
Rainbow Dash. Loyalty.
It came back to her, like a switch in the back of her mind. Instinctively, she knew what to do next. She was prepared for this. They had taught her how to survive. How to fight. All the warnings they gave. They said that this quest was going to be dangerous. That she will face challenges that she has never faced before. It was going to test her strength. It was going to test her resolve. Luckily, they had also given her the tools necessary for the job. She just needs the will to carry it out.
Displayed in another column of light was a suit of armor. It was made specifically for her. To help her on her mission. It was designed to accommodate her magic and body. Ready to be used in mere seconds. And it was situated right behind the reforming enemy. There was no choice but to rush there and touch the suit. There wasn’t a moment to waste. She quickly galloped to the other end of the room.
She managed to touch the suit when the interloper came to fruition. She turned around to see a large starry body standing nearby. The hulking figure growled as it was gaining a sense of its’ bearings. Large claws were scrapping the stone floor as it looked around. Its nose was up in the air. It was sniffing, looking for her scent. She remembered what this creature was. She had subdued one back in her past.
It was then that the Ursa Minor caught her scent. A low growl emitted from its throat as it quickly turned towards her direction. Large teeth glisten under its illuminating jaw. She could see in its eyes that all reason had long since left this creature’s mind. Like a mad dog, the beast had the only instinct: to kill. Something had infected the poor animal. Something diseased. But she had no choice. The starry bear rose up, ready to strike.
By then her armor completely enveloped her. Everything began to rush back. Her memories, her spells, her thoughts. Her brain began to think of several plans. Once her head was covered by the helmet and her vision exploded with information, did she finally figure out who she was.
Twilight Sparkle. Magic.
And she quickly made that clear as the entire area shook in a flash of light.
Back Then
Twilight Sparkle was in her comfort zone.
She was reading a passage in one of the new books (Stars, Planets, and the Magic in Between) that Princess Luna has given her. The book was one of the many gifts the princess of the night had given to her since Twilight had returned from the Crystal Empire.
Twilight took a small sip from her tea and snuggled deeper in her chair. It was hard to enjoy peace like this. Sure there were times she enjoyed going out with her friends to do things like help Fluttershy build her wingspeed or the time Rainbow Dash was having trouble finding a new pet. They were all having good times when it was peaceful and safe. Twilight turns to the page. Heck, she has to admit the times when it was dangerous were even fun. Stopping Discord, saving the Crystal Empire, defeating the Changelings. But those times were over. Now she was done with those crazy adventures. Now she can enjoy the peace and quiet of her home. She’s glad she lives in the Golden Oak Library. It gave a warm, homey feeling to it, especially on rainy nights like this.
Twilight turned the page. This book was fascinating. It talked about how the stars were connected and that every one of them was pulsing with energy. It spoke of how ponies use them to navigate the oceans, the lands, and even their own destiny. It seems silly now to place an entire trust in faraway objects, but Twilight could see the appeal. When one is lost in the darkness, they tend to use the only sources of light as guides. Twilight would love to help ponies in this way. By being a light, a guide to help them in their troubled times. Like her teacher, Princess Celestia.
After finishing brushing up on her knowledge of stars, Twilight stretched her body. She needs to go out soon. She hasn’t really left the library in days. She is getting a bit too cooped up in here. Too bad it had to storm today. Twilight put her book away. A slight frown appeared on her face. There was something off about the nearest bookshelf that was beside her. She kept these books beside her reading sofa just in case she wanted to check something or have a nice sit down with a book. But what was presented to her was something that scarcely happens. It was something that Twilight rarely allows to happen.
She was missing a book.
If there was one thing that Twilight prides herself on, it was her organization skills. It was something she deemed necessary to survive in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Be it papers, books, or supplies; Twilight would keep everything in their own little places and double-check on them to see if they were still there. She would never allow a book on her shelf to go missing.
So, Twilight started to search for the missing book. The library was clean and clutter-free. It didn’t take long before Twilight concluded it was no longer down here. It left the basement and the upstairs. Twilight decided to check her basement. The basement was an old, dusty place that had the equipment of the previous owner. This place makes Twilight feel a little unease. She didn’t believe ghosts or curses, but there was definitely something off with this place. Twilight found the book lying on top of a desk near one of her machines. Twilight was about to pick it up, but she felt something was off. She caught something staring at her.
Twilight blinked. Whatever it was, it was gone. But she could have sworn there was something at the far side of the room. It was next to the puzzle box that Princess Luna had also given to her along with the book. It was a bronze and wooden cube with golden gears on the side. It was something that Twilight has been working on every so often to get her mind going when she was stuck with her studies.
Twilight looked at the book she left down here. It was a research piece on the formations of the constellations and their origins how they hold a particular part in the beliefs of the old civilizations. Twilight then remembered why she brought it down here. The idea came to her in one moment when she was practicing her magic.
She was researching the possibility of space travel.
Now
“Damn it,” Twilight breathed out as her body slid across the floor.
Her body was in pain, and her vision was a blur. She felt various vibrations and movements from the floor beneath her. The entire structure seems to be spinning. Her instruments were going crazy. The devices in her helmet were telling her of multiple dangers that were happening at once. A series of numbers were flashing down in her heads-up display. Twilight may be new to this whole space travel scenario, but even she could predict that the numbers going down is a bad thing.
As it always has been, gravity was one of those things that could put a vessel capable of traveling through time and space down. Especially one that is in the process of being ripped apart. Twilight felt natural gravity slowly returning to her. Artificial gravity from magic spells requires a distinctive touch on your body and feels more fluid. Whatever planet Twilight had instructed the ship to land on, they were falling very fast towards. She can’t remember if there were safety features or protection on this ship for this sort of scenario. But she has seen enough of Rainbow Dash’s crashes to know that this impact wasn’t going to be good. It looks like she has to rely on herself.
Twilight got herself up onto her hooves and turned towards the hulking figure that was the Ursa Minor. The creature was still enraged and dangerous. But Twilight got in a few blows that taught the beast that she wasn’t a pushover. It was now proceeding with caution, backing away a few meters. It was sizing up for a deadly charge. Twilight didn’t have time for this. She wanted to stop it from wrecking the ship (although that seems to be a lost cause) but wasn’t going to kill the poor thing. It was just under the influence of dark, powerful magic.
“Go, get out of here!” Twilight told the starry bear.
The creature growled in response.
Twilight noticed that the trickling numbers were starting to lose digits. There were six digits, and now there were five. It was becoming four. Twilight knew what was going to happen next.
“Go!” Twilight pleaded to the animal. “Please, move!”
It didn’t flee. Instead, it leaped forward. Twilight jumped up just as the countdown reached the fourth digit. Her horn flared up, and a purple shield encapsulated her. She didn’t even notice the last three digits disappeared within a single second.
There was a flash of white light that was followed by a wave of blue material. Then everything went dark.
Then
She was dreaming. Her dreams were always nice. Rarely would the occasional nightmare plagued her. Guess helping the Princess of the Night is beneficial. She would have to thank Luna for her services. Maybe give her a surprise party. Just as long as she doesn’t try to banish another holiday. Most of her dreams consist of her living in one of her favorite scenes from a book, celebrating with her friends, or being in the past and helping Star Swirl the Bearded with a recent discovery. Those were her good dreams. The ones she enjoys pretty well. But this dream was...different. This wasn’t a memory or something she read in a book. This was new.
She was walking down a steep, paved road that was encircling thin air. The entire path was floating, and it wasn’t alone. Mountains, grassy fields, lakes, houses, and even uprooted trees were all floating in the sky. There was something primordial about it. And it felt familiar. Like she has been here before.
Eventually, the purple unicorn reached the bottom of the path as it led to a large plateau. On top of the plateau was a giant metal arch sitting on top of a brass dial. Even from here, she could feel the energy coming off from here. The smell of ozone and electricity wafting to her. Cautiously, she began to approach the structure. As she got closer, a sting of dialogue played in her head...a recent memory.
“Twilight, what are you doing?” asked Spike, who was perched on the top of the stairs.
“Just thinking,” Twilight replied.
She was staring at the wall that had all sorts of diagrams and notes about her recent gifts. She was leaning in her chair, occasionally lifting it two legs off the floor. Her front hooves were playing with the puzzle box as her horn probed it for secrets. She couldn’t explain it, but this gift was genuinely fascinating. It intrigued her in a way she hasn't felt in a long time. Like finding a new subject in magic. Only she knows what this subject in question deals with. It was a very broad field, and many scholars try their best to explain the motions and physics of the cosmos. Many scientists can recite Neighton’s laws of motion by heart.
“Spike?”
“Yes, Twilight?” The purple drake straightened up, still looking down at Twilight from the top of the stairs, feet dangling over the edge.
“What do you think of space travel?” Twilight swirled the cube in her grip.
“Don’t really know what you mean by that,” Spike said, shrugging his shoulders.
“I mean traveling to great beyond, the medium above Equestria,” Twilight told him as she looked up. “I’m talking about moving to a different place in an instant, like going to a different planet in a matter of seconds.”
“Oh, like your teleportation spell.”
“No, my teleportation spell can only really work in a place like Equestria,” Twilight told him as she resumed looking back at the wall. “I can only move around so much because of the saturated magic in the background, and I can pinpoint the location I want to go at. I’m talking about trillions of miles in an instant. Like going to another world. A world that is unlike Equestria. I would like to visit a different world.”
“But why would you want to do that?” Spike asked.
“Don’t know Spike,” Twilight sighed. “But this desire is really bugging my mind lately. Nopony has even tried to leave the world’s atmosphere. All the pegasi tell me that they run out of air to breathe when they get too high. Not even balloons were able to escape the gravity of our world. The only pony we know for certain that went to space is Princess Luna herself.” Twilight looked down at the puzzle box. “Maybe that’s why she gave me these gifts.”
The memory ended, and Twilight was standing in front of the alien arch. The funny thing was that she could sort of tell what it was doing like the knowledge was just out of reach. It was gathering certain energy. Occasional sparks and bolts of electricity were coming off of the metal block that was forming the arch. Twilight could see that each metal block was etched with a rune of unknown origins. This structure was starting to do something. The wind was picking up, and the build-up of energy was climaxing.
Wake up!
Twilight felt eyes watching her as she stared at the arch. She wanted to turn around to see who it was, but she was too mesmerized by the structure to even bother looking away. She was so intrigued that she accidentally placed her right hoof on the metal dial. There was a hum, and lights began flashing on the brass surface.
Twilight let out a yelp and took a few steps back. However, it was too late as the dial began to move, rotating to a different position and moving the arch up. Suddenly, metal rings floated out of the dial. There were seven of them. Each made of a different metal. Copper. Silver. Gold. Iron. Tin. Lead. Quicksilver. The rings moved at different rates until they seemed to line up perfectly. They then encircled the arch. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a brilliant bright light came down from the sky. The light enveloped the structure. It was so great Twilight had to shield her eyes. Slowly the light began to lessen. Twilight could glimpse at the glowing runes on the rings. One by one, the rings came down. Each entering towards the center of the dial, going down by size. Finally, the last ring entered the metal surface in a stunned silence.
Wake up!
Twilight looked up to see the arch had a small stream of plasma in the middle of it. It was a white flame with a blue tint to it. The flickering plasma started to grow bigger and bigger until it reached the encasing metal edges. There was a deafening crack, and then a membrane formed in the space. A new image was emitted. Unlike the background of cosmic nothingness, the center of the arch was now a picturesque world of lush green fields and sunshine. Twilight went closer to investigate. She occasionally glanced at the glowing ring embedded in the dial. They were giving off mythical vibes. She then looked up at the window that formed in front of her.
A portal. An actual portal to another world. An advance, traveling through space, connecting to the cosmic universe portal.
Twilight put her hoof into the transparent membrane. A tingling sensation went through her body.
WAKE UP!
Twilight was sitting up in her bed. That dream felt so real. She felt like she saw those runes before, and the mechanisms were so cool. Twilight quickly got a quill and paper. She could feel her mind burning with excitement. A brainwave was hitting her. So many ideas! She had to write it down. She can’t forget it. If this was true, she might be on the verge of inventing a way to travel to another world. She can finally learn about the cosmos!
WAKE UP!
But why? She was already awake. Wasn’t she? Twilight tilted her head. It suddenly felt like her lungs were burning. Why is her vision turning red? Why can’t she feel the surface of the bed?
WAKE UP!
Now
Everything was tinted red when her eyes opened up. Lungs were burning. She had to swim. She had to go up. A second later and she saw ripples of light above her head. She doubled her efforts.
Twilight let out a large cough as she broke the surface of the water. Oxygen was rushing in, and her vision was starting to return to normal. The helmet thankfully came off, allowing her to take in the full force of the air she desperately needed to breathe. The smell of salt and ash mingle in her nose. Surrounding her was nothing but large waves of water and giant walls of flames. She was still inside the ship. If it could be called that. Pieces of rocks were falling down from the ceiling, causing huge splashes of water. Twilight had to paddle to solid land. One of the debris nearly crushed her as it fell. The only problem was that she seems to be trapped inside the ship with no way out. Twilight glanced around, looking for a bright light or a hole. Anything.
It was during her searching that she spotted a distribution on the surface of the water. Something was heading in her direction. At first, Twilight thought it was emerging debris that she could use to float on. She let out a whoop of joy. However, her excited expression quickly turned into terror when she spotted a dorsal fin breaking out of the surface. Then a large pair of jaws open up as an enormous sea monster seems to be swimming to her.
“Oh, come on!” Twilight yelled.
Swimming was out of the question. Her armor was badly damaged, and all the weapons were missing. In a few seconds, the monster was going to eat her. Whoever was hunting her was doing a thorough job. There was only one emergency protocol left. They taught her this in case the ship was compromised, and she couldn’t fight back. The only issue was that her armor was damaged, and she was going to expose herself to the planet's atmosphere. Without proper reconnaissance and a magic adaptation spell or device, she could die within minutes. Unless she activates her last resort, in which case that means losing access to magic.
The sea monster lunged. Given no other alternatives, Twilight shut her eyes, prayed to Celestia, and bellowed the needed command.
“Activate Emergency Temporal Shift!”
The air swirled around her. Energy was building inside her. It was like her standard teleportation spell—only more powerful and a lot faster. In a blink of a millisecond, she felt herself being taken out of the ocean waters and being flung across space.
Then...
Twilight had been busy for the past few weeks. For days she had begun sketching out the designs for her world portal. Taking inspiration from her dream, she worked out what was needed to keep a stable portal and figure out how to power it up. She also looked into other ponies' attempts to travel to different worlds. It has been theorized that other worlds exist. Heck, Star Swirl the Bearded supposedly traveled to different worlds once or twice. The only problem is that nopony usually returns. They were all just one way. This eventually led Twilight to the ancient kingdoms and empires before Equestria. There were accounts that the powerful magic users at the time were able to craft temporary portals. These were used to help banished magical beings that were too powerful for the kingdoms to deal with and ensure they would never return.
As Twilight went further back in history, she could find nearly lost sketches of the temporary portals. They almost looked like the very thing she saw in her dream. Except they used cursed stones, magic gems, and other dangerous items. Plus, they were iffy at best. No, Twilight needed to make it modern. She needed to make it more powerful. She needed it to work. Soon, she had figured out the necessary material required to help create a few designs. Her friends expressed concern when they saw a large pile of boxes in front of the Golden Oak Library. Twilight just waved it off, saying was doing a small experiment.
Her friend’s concern did prompt Twilight to occasionally leave the sanctuary of her home every so often. She didn’t want them to get worried, nor did she want to burn herself out working on something that might not bear fruit. So whenever she could, she occupied herself in activities and helping her friends, such as assisting Applejack with her upcoming family reunion or Fluttershy with her animals. Yet still, her mind was going back to her portal experiment. She would often write something down when her friends were not looking. Towards the end of the third week of doing this project, however, a problem was rising. A problem that would make this whole experiment worthless.
There was no navigation for her portal.
Sure, she can open it up, but the location would be random. And space is enormous. Chances are she would end up in the dark depths of space. She needed to find a way to select the planet she wanted and anchor the portal to it. But that was next to impossible since she would have to find four-dimensional coordinates of a different planet, keep the other end stable enough to create the bridge between the two different worlds, and hold it down to this place without it breaking the planet’s gravity structure or creating a time dilation between travels.
It was at this point that Twilight almost gave up. Every idea she threw at the problem came up dry. There was no way she could find a planet without opening the portal at random and going by luck. It was during this time she went back to the puzzle box as a way to distract her mind.
One evening Twilight was alone, playing with the metal cube, starting at the runes she sketched on the papers. She kept looking at them from every angle. Without even looking, she felt something click. The sound got her attention. She looked down and gasped. One side was clicked into place, revealing an opening and small platform going to the center of the cube. Twilight suddenly tried the other side, the same way. It took hours to figure out the method of pushing the six sides in, but Twilight was determined. Eventually, she got all sides clicked and pushed in. What was once the puzzle box was now a metal tesseract with a gem in the middle.
Twilight felt her breath quicken. She felt the gem power from here. The magic was familiar, but she couldn’t place her hoof on it. She quickly put it on the desk and pulled out a couple of books. She was going to do a quick study of this tesseract and then go to bed.
A quick study. It wasn’t like her dreams were going to inspire her twice.
It wasn’t as if she could use this as a small navigation hub…
Twilight found herself sitting straight up in her bed again.
She grabbed another quill and another paper.
Now
Twilight let out a retch as her stomach tried to empty the contents inside. She leaned against the tree for support, giving her time to breathe. She didn’t have long. Already her nose and mouth were tingling with numbness. Rivets of blood were trickling down her muzzle. Her throat was closing up. Not enough oxygen in the air, and the gravity felt heavier. Like it was already bending her knees. Her magic was fading fast. It was trying to keep itself inside Twilight’s body. But like the warmth of a flame, it had no choice but to radiate outwards.
Twilight took a few more gulps of air before putting the helmet back on. Instantly, a hiss filled her ears, and then her body began to reverse the damage. The healing tome was working! For a moment, everything was turning back to normal. She could relax for now.
The location she was sent to was a large forest that towered over her body. It was nighttime. The stars were fading in and out behind scuttering clouds. A nearly full moon was looming above her. She could see the trees rustling in the breeze. Nearby was a fallen log and small path that winded up the hill she was on. Twilight pawed at the ground, kicking a few pebbles and a stick downward. If she had to guess, the area she was at was just entering spring. Water was trickling downhill from a recent snowmelt, and the trees had leaves budding into it. The ground also felt different from a typical forest floor. It seems like the soil was made of different volcanic rocks.
Twilight didn’t really need to analyze this. She just had to find her friends and get off this planet. No time to study. This place was volatile to magic without proper adaptation and safety precautions. She would be dead without her armor. The nagging thought from before came to her. Part of her didn’t want to do it, but the intelligent side of her brain was winning. She had to start the process just in case. She is only safe inside her armor. Once that is out of the picture, she will have no choice but to activate the potion mechanism. She can’t rely on her skills to keep her alive all the time. This armor could only take so much. Besides, she’ll find a way to reverse the process once she figures out the environmental parameters that this planet has. It would be such a shame to lose her magic when she needed it the most.
“Start the species analysis and begin the transfer of the biological imprint process,” Twilight told the silver box that was attached to her flank.
The device let out a chirp and then began to hum. After that, Twilight proceeds to move uphill. She couldn’t see any other living thing, but that was good in her books. She was supposed to stick to the shadows. Not to make a big scene and all that. Her ship entering the atmosphere suggested otherwise. Still, she was as far away from the scene as possible.
Twilight came onto the path, looking around. The road was quiet. Nothing was coming down towards her. Twilight started trotting but kept her eyes out. It felt wrong that she was walking without her friends or Spike. Since she had left Canterlot all those years ago, she had always had them nearby. Whether it was to stop a terrible god of power or to go down to the market to pick up fresh food, her friends were there. Now, not so much. It was her job to find them. It was her fault that this happened. If she wasn’t so foolish.
Twilight felt herself beginning to cry. A few tears were blurring her vision. The loneliness and vulnerability were too much. She was walking a lonely road with barely any protection, no plan, and no hope in finding them. She was lost. Things couldn’t possibly get worse.
And as if fate decided that was the moment to prove her wrong, a low growl came from her left side. Then another for her right. Then more from every direction. Twilight looked up to see a dozen yellow eyes staring at her. They were walking out of the woods, flanking her from both sides.
“No, no, no,” Twilight whimpered. “You have GOT to be kidding me.”
But there was no mistake. A pack of timberwolves was coming out of the woods, sappy drool coming down from their mouths. Their eyes locked in with Twilight’s face.
“This isn’t real. This is impossible!” Twilight said and then pointed out the leader of the pack. “This isn’t your world! You shouldn’t be alive here! You can’t be here.”
The timberwolves didn’t care. The leader snapped its jaws forward. It was ready to strike. Twilight felt herself tense up. Any moment she would have to move, and it would have to be quick.
“Began the adaptation protocol and stand by for the confirmation to the emergency alteration initiative sequence,” Twilight said to the helmet. A green light came on, and the silver box hummed some more. It was a good thing she had begun the process because at that moment, the wolves attacked.
Twilight jumped up into the air and charged a spell. She may have a limited pool of magic energy, but it was enough to fight these monsters. Gone was her sadness, and now it was replaced with fury. The flames that erupted from her matched the turmoil inside.
Then...
The moment she has been waiting for.
She was standing in the basement. The metal arch was complete with a plate of clear glass in the middle. She had modified the solution for the medium where the magic was going to flow through. That way, it didn’t require a large amount of energy to start up and stabilize the material in which they were going to walk through. All she had to do was find a place to land.
Attached to the portal device was a replica of the tesseract that she unlocked. Whoever made these tesseracts very smart and from a very long time ago. These things were used to store important information and imprint them onto the magic gem inside. They could be used to keep charts, hide keys, stored secret messages, be able to track location, and generate maps. Unfortunately, the one Luna gave her was not able to obtain any more information. It was used up a long time ago. Luckily, Twilight found a way to copy a similar design. She was able to use the copy as a way to obtain a map. With the portal set to a low setting and attached to the “navigation cube,” as she called it, she can at least get started finding other planets.
The original tesseract she was using for a different purpose. Using the same magic frequency and linking it to the navigation cube, Twilight would have remote access to the portal and have a map projecting in front of her. She would be able to use it as a quick escape and find out more information on the place she went to.
After a few tests and a couple of safety measures, Twilight was ready to begin. She flipped off all the power in the tree and began to dial it up.
“Showtime,” Twilight whispered.
At once, electricity zipped across the glass. The wind began to pick up, and papers began to fly out. Nothing was happening at first. Then cracks of light began to form on the surface. They began to connect. Soon a swirling vortex was forming. Pink energy soon traveled up the cable and into the navigation cube. The cube began to vibrate, and then a series of dots began to shoot out the cube. The same thing happened to the tesseract that Twilight was holding.
The details were going so fast that Twilight could hardly see them. Twilight moved to stop the portal but accidentally caused something to happen. One dot stopped moving and soon grew into a disk. The image flattered. It began to show a galaxy.
Twilight let out a gasp. She had seen galaxies before through her telescope. But the sheer scale was mind-boggling! Once again, more dots came zipping out, but this time the image of the galaxy remanded. Twilight understood what was going on. It was selecting a destination. Twilight let out a giggle of insanity. She watched as unknown descriptions of the various stars kept coming and going by. Then Twilight picked a star.
At once, the star appeared. It grew to the size of a basketball with smaller objects circling it. Twilight was taken aback. That was confusing. She thought suns orbited their respected planets. Or is Starchus and Galliopleo was correct in that planets orbit the sun? After some debate, Twilight selected the large planet. Her portal shimmered, and soon the image was replaced. The window opened up to a swirling gas of green-yellowish clouds. There seems to be no surface to her to walk on. Flashes of lightning erupted from below.
Twilight tenderly put her hoof out there. There was a brief tingle as her appendage slipped through the membrane. Twilight held her breath as her hoof breached to the portal surface. Suddenly her hoof erupted in pain. Quickly, she withdrew her hoof. Blisters and burn marks were covering her skin, but other than that, everything was fine. Nothing a short healing spell would fix.
Twilight smiled again. She succeeded. Nothing was going to take this victory away from her.
Now
Crack. BOOM. Crack. BOOM. Craaa-ck. BOOM!
Twilight felt her body was getting weaker. Each spell was taking its toll. With no reserves to draw from and no excess magic in the air, she was using every ounce of energy she could to defend herself. And it wasn’t enough. The timberwolves weren’t just the garden variety that she had dealt with back home. These things were smarter, faster, and more vicious than any typical monster Twilight had fought before. She could feel the inkling of dark magic in these creature’s minds. Something made these wolves more cunning. They made this pack fight as a solid unit that wasn’t dismayed by their alpha being incinerated by a wave of fire.
What is more distressing is that the wolves were attacking her valuable armor. Each bite was going for the joints, the helmet, the back of her neck, anything they could subjectively try to tear open. So Twilight had to resort to a retreat and hit tactic. It involved teleporting and leaving an exploding rock behind. She was told that it was a common weapon in this world.
Each explosion seems to slow them down, but their previous strikes appear to have cripple Twilight. She was developing a limp, and a dent in the breastplate was pressing against her ribcage. Her breathing was becoming more complex. Every step was taxing her. She has to change tactics quickly, or she won’t live to even attempt to save her friends. Twilight looked around. Despite getting the high ground, there was no way she could get her bearings. All the trees were blocking any chance of a view beyond a couple of yards from her. She needs to get higher.
A slight rustle in a bush behind her, and then a timberwolf leaped out to her. It was followed by three more. Twilight was prepared for this and cast another spell. In a flash of violet light, Twilight leaped off the ground and kept sailing up into the air. The timberwolves tumble and trip down onto the rocky ground. Their coordinated attack backfired onto their face.
Twilight didn’t have much time to look at the results. Her anti-gravity spell was only for a few moments, and she had to take advantage of it while she could. Twilight sailed over the branches, nimbly dodging the thick ones. She arose past the treetops and out into the open sky. She could now see in the half-moon light the entire forest area in which she was sent to. Evergreens stretched past every hill and up to some snow-capped mountains. Nothing broke the sequence of endless trees except one thing. Wrapping around the nearest mountain was a road filled with moving lights. They were going in a pattern. Red lights were moving clockwise and were inside the road, while white lights moved on the outer part of the road and moved counterclockwise around the mountain. If this was the only sign of civilization, Twilight would take it.
Gravity began to tug at her again. The spell was fading. Slowly Twilight began to float back down. Twilight made the calculations in her head. It would only take a couple of jumps to get there. If she gets there without those damn timberwolves-
Suddenly the trees around here vibrated with powerful movement as something rode up to them. The timberwolves were now scaling the trees and were going to jump onto Twilight from above. The unicorn had no time to react. The wolves quickly gained the necessary height and were ready to attack. In an explosion of pine needles, they leaped in one fluid movement and pounced right at Twilight. Twilight responded by attempting a short burst of gusty winds. Three of the wolves were knocked off balance, but the fourth wolf struck true and slammed into her. The two grappled each other as their bodies tumbled down to the ground. The speed they were building was going to break her body, let alone the armor. Twilight had to escape the wolves’ grip.
Twilight concentrated on a simple teleportation spell that would only take her body out of the area. The only problem was she couldn’t go too far. At this point, she didn’t care. Her body faded from underneath the wolf’s wooden body. The beast quickly realized that its prey was gone. It also realized that it was tumbling towards a large tree. But it was too late for it to react to that.
Twilight reappeared right from behind the tree. She almost let out a sigh of relief but came to realize another problem with that version of teleportation: she was still carrying the same momentum from her fall. Twilight let out a yelp as she twisted downwards in her fall. Her body was spinning out of control. She used her unicorn telekinesis to grip a branch to slow her fall, but it only slowed her down a little bit. Nothing to keep her from falling to the ground. Too late to avoid another tree.
Her body swiped against a tree, breaking the bark off. The pain didn’t register until she tumbled over a few branches and spilled onto the ground. Twilight let out a groan. She couldn’t take in another breath. The blow knocked the wind out of her. For those precious few seconds, Twilight was just laying there in defeat. Her body was wrecked. She was running out of magic. The armor was going to fall into pieces. It was just so hopeless.
Just let it end, Twilight thought. I-I-I can’t go on.
No, replied another voice in her head. You WILL go on.
Twilight gingerly got on to her hooves. Pain was shooting through them. Her knees were weak. She could feel her bruised back protesting. Everything was burning inside her. Be it pain, fury, or both. She took a step. More pain shot through her. Another step. More pain greeted her. The last three remaining wolves came around her, trying to cut off her escape path. Twilight looked at them. Her body may look weak and fragile, but her mind was where the danger was at. While they were trying to flank her, she was calculating what the next move should be. It was coming down to her last resort.
It was the only choice really. Any other alternates were nearly unattainable or close to impossible. Even with the proper potions and the right amount of bed rest, it would take weeks for Twilight to heal. Weeks she didn’t have. She couldn’t obtain the proper weapons nor could she waste time fruitlessly looking for them. She can’t contact the others for help because her ship was destroyed, and it might be too late if they were to arrive. No, the only choice was to alter her body in hopes of surviving this world. And to do so would cut off her access to magic for the time being. She didn’t like it. Her pride was tied to her magic abilities. She IS the element of magic. But to vainly refuse the situation in front of her face is to be naive. No more ignoring the inevitable. Time to change the initial plan. It was time to get to work.
Twilight calculated the magic needed for her teleporting jumps. It seems she has enough for six, maybe seven. It seems fitting. If this was the last time she could use her magic, then it is time to make every shot count. Twilight took a deep, painful breath. She then looked at her enemy.
“Applejack,” Twilight let out softly.
In a moment of furious flames, Twilight burst forward, taking one of the timberwolves with her. The wolf’s two brothers quickly turn around to see their burning comrade being consumed by a purple rocket. Twilight began smashing her front hooves into her enemy’s face as she arc across the forest. The other two wolves let out a bone-chilling howl and started the hunt. They had their prey’s scent, and now they were on the prowl. No matter where or how far she teleports, they will find her.
Twilight came crashing down, taking the burning wolf with her. This teleportation spell was more of a cannon explosion than a pop. It sent her flying through the forest. With all her frustration, Twilight was stomping whatever skin she could reach. The wolf blindly tried to snap at her neck, but Twilight was too quick for that.
“Fluttershy,” Twilight growled and then popped with another teleportation. The two of them reappeared close to the ground, and this time Twilight was able to counterbalance and turn the wolf towards the ground. She pushed and dragged her opponent across the dirt ground. The wolf was now just crumbling bits of charcoal scattered across the forest floor.
Fire rose from around Twilight as she turned to see the other timberwolves coming from behind. They were fast, faster than they have every right to be. One was coming at her while the other was circling from behind. Twilight waited until the last second. Just as the attacking wolf came at her, she jumped up and somersaulted over the wolf. She had been training, studying, and preparing for moments like these for her mission to this world. She knew what she had to do. Twilight rip a large branch from a nearby tree and dip it into the flames.
“Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said as she landed softly behind her predator.
The wolf barely turned around before Twilight popped next to it with her fiery branch and smashed it up into the air in a sea of sparks, splinters, and soot. The wolf shot up into the sky, bits of its wooden body raining down to the ground. But Twilight wasn’t done yet. She wanted to make sure that the job was done right. She appeared in the air with another teleportation spell with her fiery club coming along for the ride.
“Rarity!” Twilight yelled at the top of her lungs as she slammed her weapon into the wolf again.
Another brilliant display of color and flames that could be seen for miles as the penultimate of the wolf pack was blown up into a million pieces. Twilight came soaring out of the smoke and down to the treetops. She tumbled into the thin branches and used her inertia to leap from tree to tree. Her last enemy was nearby. She had to be ready for it. The unicorn managed to stop herself on a large branch.
Twilight held her breath. Her ears swiveled around to hear of any danger. There was nothing yet. Just the sounds of the trees swaying and owls hooting in the interior area of the woods. Yet, there was something else. A smell of burning coming from beyond the treeline nearby. She could hear strange noises emitting from the ground, noises that sounded like metal was howling in a distant cave. There was a movement of shadows and lights dancing just out of her sight. Twilight steps forward, wanting to get a closer look. She nearly let her guard down until a new disturbance was detected. A distant crack and then wind rushing to her. Twilight turned just in time for the wolf to lunge right at her body. She used her improvised weapon as a way to block the crushing jaw. It was a dangerous struggle. One that Twilight was losing ground at. To ensure that it wouldn’t be so easy, Twilight twisted herself and pushed the wolf away, causing both of them to fall off the tree. The two of them went into freefall. Twilight popped in the air from above and wielded her fiery stick above her head.
“RAINBOW DASH!” Twilight screamed as she slammed her weapon down on her last enemy.
The impact was so strong that her branch broke in half. The wolf screamed in pain as it came down like a shooting star to the rocky terrain below. Twilight pushed herself off of a nearby tree and landed roughly on a nearby boulder. She watched from above as her wooden enemy came tumbling down the granite outcrop in several painful spills. But it wasn’t over yet. The wolf was pulling itself back together. Every bit of wood was coming back together. Every joint fusing to the right place. In normal circumstances, this would have terrified Twilight. Here was a foe that wasn’t destroyed by a solid hit, and she was running out of magic; this would have been the end for her. But Twilight wasn’t perturbed by this development. By contrast, she was getting furious.
Anger swells up in her as she grabs her weaponized stick and renews the flames. How many times is she going to have to fight these monsters until she can rest? Were they never going to let up? Is the dark magic on this planet really that strong? All these questions and more were proposing a challenge to Twilight. That, yes, they were going to make her mission difficult. She didn’t even encounter the residents of this world yet. No matter. If the world was going to make finding her friends difficult, then so be it. She will deal with it with the precision and training she has been doing for the past year. No mercy.
Twilight jumped down, leaping from platform to platform on the various boulders and rocks that were clustered together. She managed to find a place to corner her foe—a slab of rock that was sticking over the edge of a ravine. The wolf was limping away, looking for a place to recover. Twilight wasn’t going to give it a chance. She landed on the other end of the rock, cutting the monster’s only escape route. She raised her fiery stick above her head as she trots closer to the cornered beast.
“End of the line,” Twilight whispered softly. “I would say sorry for this, but you and your friends nearly killed me and, by extension, my friends. I have to win. I have to survive.”
Then suddenly, the timberwolf began to cough. Its entire body began to shake. It was as if it was trying to regurgitate something out of its stomach. Twilight saw plumes of black smoke erupting from the orifices of the wolf. A wave of coldness came upon them. A presence of an immense shadow gripped the air. Twilight could see her vision beginning to condensate on her tinted visor. Dark magic? This strong? She was told that this planet didn’t have any magic. Or at least magic she can tap into easily like back at home. Twilight shook her head and refocused. It doesn’t matter. She can just kill this beast and focus on that mystery later.
She was about to plunge her weapon down the timberwolf’s throat when it started to speak! Actual words were being emitted from the monster’s mouth. The words were disorganized and raspy. There were short and long pauses after each one. But Twilight could hear them.
“Go….Home…..Little….One….” the monster rasp.
The message was clear. But Twilight’s resolve was clearer.
“No,” Twilight said to the timberwolf.
Suddenly there was a flash of movement and Twilight felt pain as jaws were crushing her windpipe. Unknowingly, the timberwolf talking let her guard down, and she had just walked close enough for the wolf to strike. Its jaws were like iron grips that were crushing the metal plates that were guarding her throat. The armor’s automatic repair system was kicking in. The talisman was trying to repel the damage being taken, but it couldn’t hold it off forever. Eventually, the wolf will break through. And it will end any chance Twilight had on activating her last resort.
Twilight tried to delay the inevitable by putting her front hooves inside the jaws and prying them open along with blindly beating the wolf with her flaming stick. The wolf senses the renewed resolve and lifts Twilight off the ground with newfound strength. Out of the corner of her eyes, Twilight sensed herself getting higher from the ground. Was this creature getting bigger? It was a possibility. It didn’t matter. She had to give the command. Say it now before it is too late.
“Activate the Emergency Transformation Sequence!” Twilight yelled into her helmet.
There was another chirp, and two boxes appeared in her visor. One green and one red. Both with unknown language on them. But Twilight knew what the context was.
Are you sure?
“Just do it!”
There was a sharp pain in her thigh as something was ejected into her bloodstream. What was the timeframe? Three minutes? Twilight knew time was of the essence. She had to quickly kill this timberwolf or escape. But how? Things escalated when the timberwolf began shaking and twisting her body through the air, trying to break her neck. When that didn’t work, it started to slam her against the rocks, hoping the hard surface would break her. Still, Twilight had to keep fighting. It was after one bout of ripping into her throat that her front hoof slipped out but was able to reach the glowing eyes of the timberwolf. Without hesitation, Twilight purged her right hoof into her enemy’s right eye. The wolf let out a small squeal of pain before it let go of Twilight by throwing her into the air.
Everything was spinning as Twilight cartwheeled over the ravine and into a small thicket of trees. Nothing could slow down her momentum. She was thrown really hard. Yet as she was ejected out of the trees, she was briefly surprised to find that she wasn’t landing in a dark field or small pond but instead over a large road that was brightened by lights hanging overhead. Twilight looked at these large torches in an attempt to get a better understanding. This only lasted for about a half-second when something large, heavy, and made of metal came out of nowhere. She managed to hit the upper corner of this object, crashing into it with the force of her flying body. The armor took the blunt of the blow, but it was a crippling blow as pieces of metal exploded in every direction, exposing Twilight’s lavender fur to the open air.
Her body tumbled down to the rough ground as she bounced every few meters until friction and gravity halted her movements. Twilight painfully tries to get back on her hooves. Her armor kept chirping erratically. Pain once again was radiating across her body. Her back was throbbing and the armor was starting to fall off.
Get up, she kept telling herself. Move!
Twilight manages to stand but only just. Dizziness and droplets of blood were blurring her sight. She tries to use her hearing, but the location she had been thrown to was too loud. The screaming metal noise was now increased a hundredfold and came from every direction. It overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t pick up any more noises. Or was the transformation already beginning? The burning smell now had an awful acidic taste to it. It was burning Twilight’s throat; there was a metallic aftertaste in the air. What the hell was this? No questions could be answered right now as Twilight was starting to feel the ground vibrate some more. She looked up in her blur vision to see a pair of lights coming at her. They were heading at her with enormous speed! A loud roar was being emitted from that direction, and Twilight figured what was going to happen in the next few seconds.
Twilight dove to the side as whatever that thing was came charging down the spot she was at with the speed and power of a rampaging stampede. Wind rushed past Twilight as she tried to figure out where she was and if she was even safe standing here. The good news was that her vision was starting to clear. She could at least see that she was standing on a grassy medium that served as a barrier between two roads. These two roads were full of these metal carriage-like machines that were going scarily fast. Twilight was lucky to escape their path as they seem to be not stopping at all. She saw that the machines on her left were coming down the road past her, and the machines on her right were flying up the road towards a large hill. It was like being trapped between two raging rivers that went in opposite directions and full of solid metal. She had no idea what direction would be a safe route. Perhaps it is best to wait until these metal machines go away.
That wasn’t going to be an option, however as the last timberwolf came smashing out of the woods with murderous intent. Twilight didn’t imagine it. The creature was bigger. Bits of enchanted woods from its fallen comrade, large vines, and a swarm of bugs were now comprising this creature. The giant predator quickly crossed the road and made a motion to strike at Twilight a few yards away.
“You don’t just give up, do you?” Twilight commented. She then removed her busted helmet and whipped her purple mane in the air. She took one last look at her reflection on the broken visor as she held the helmet between her hooves. A rugged look was upon her face. Eyes filled with pain and anger. Her purple fur was matted with blood and sweat. Cuts oozing with blood. This was the outcome of what this journey was doing to her so far. She had come this far for her friends. And she has more to go. Twilight looked up to the approaching beast. She then lifted the helmet up and shouted, “Well, neither do I!” Twilight then threw the helmet with all her might.
The metal ball sailed past the jaws and right into the timberwolf’s damaged eye. The beast flinched from the revived pain allowing Twilight an opening for one last teleport. She blinked away in front of the beast and reappeared on the other road that was going to the hill. It was timing it just right so that Twilight didn’t put herself in danger. Twilight quickly as she could cross the road. A couple of these metal boxes moved and weaved to avoid hitting her. Were they aware of her presence? Twilight saw one slowing down and stopping at the edge of the road. Twilight didn’t have time to check for more detail as she sensed the timberwolf getting closer to her. She dashed to the edge of the road but didn’t stray from it. She needed light to see the beast. Twilight looked up to the overhanging tree branches and sensed her fading magic was nearly empty.
She couldn’t teleport anymore. She had one last spell in her, though.
Twilight shot a small, sparkling fireball at the tree, allowing her to obtain two more fiery branches. Her horn caught them in her wobbling telekinesis just as the wolf snapped at her tail. Wielding her fire weapons, Twilight twirled the branches and smacked them against the wolf as she galloped some distance. Her fire was suitable to keep the wolf at bay, but it wasn’t enough. The large timberwolf came around her defense sweeps and landed an enormous blow on her rear leg, staggering Twilight. Twilight, in response, used her obtained fire to keep her enemy back. Her blows and jabs were enough to keep the wolf from striking from behind, but it was now trying to break her defensive perimeter by circling to the side, flanking her from the left. Twilight kept going forward until she found the spot to stand her ground.
She turned to the enchanted timberwolf keeping her fire in between them. She did a couple of stabs and thrusts to force the wolf to back away. It wasn’t going to keep her alive in the long run, however. Sure enough, her magic sputtered and started to fade out. Twilight let go of one of her branches.
“No...Magic…” the wolf growled. “What...can..you...do….now?”
Twilight smirked and threw the other branch to the ground in between them.
“This,” she said and then kicked up the ashes in the other eye of the wolf. The wolf staggered and hiss. Bugs and bark came flying out of its mouth. An angry growl rattled deep in its throat before the timberwolf reared up and moved in for the kill. Little did it realize that a pair of lights had settled upon the wooden beast’s surface and that they were getting brighter and closer. The jaws went to snap at her head before another one of those large metal carriages came screaming by and smashed against the giant wolf into a million bits. Debris was sent flying everywhere into the air and across the ground. The force was strong enough to ensure no amount of magic will be able to resurrect this beast again.
Twilight let out a chuckle. Her laughter quickly turned to moans when the adrenaline wore off, and pain came flooding back. Slowly Twilight limped her way back into the woods. What will happen next is going to leave her vulnerable and naked. She needed to retreat to safety. After the transformation and rest, she will figure out the next phase of her mission.
Still, the glow of victory was fresh. She had defeated or escaped the assailant’s monsters and managed to live. No beast summoned was able to best her tonight. She might just be able to find her friends and bring them home to safety. But first, she had to recover and hide. With her magic being gone, the dark enemy will not easily find her, but this was its world, and right now, Twilight didn’t know anything about this planet.
Or so she thought.
She collapsed on the forest floor as a surge of magical energy came over her wrecked body.
Then
Twilight paced in front of her portal, muttering quietly under her breath. In front of her muzzle was a small scroll in which she was modifying a spell. For the past few nights, Twilight has been opening the portal and looking at various places. The problem she had encountered now was that any place she chose could be full of unknown hazards and dangerous environmental elements. Sending a physical body into an alien world could potentially kill a pony if they didn’t take numerous precautions. But there was no way to test the portal without going through it. She thought of sending an animal as a test subject but knew she wouldn’t hear the end of it from Fluttershy.
So it was going to be a modified version of her initial plan. Instead of sending her physical self into a dangerous place, she would try to astral project her mind to unknown places. She may not physically touch or gather data on said location, but at least she can say that the portal works fully. Later on, she will try to create a special suit made to go to said world.
Now she had to find one. Twilight opened the tesseract and began her nightly ritual of planet searching. Throughout her search, Twilight could only get a few planets. Every one of them was either a large gas sphere with no surface to land on or a rocky terrain that looked empty and deserted. No, the planet she had to step into should be interesting. Maybe one she dared hope would have life. But the chances of that happening were very, very slim. And didn’t one famous scientist say that-
Twilight paused herself in selecting stars and came upon one that had familiar characteristics. Yellow phase. Eight planets were in the star system (She still finds it hard to believe that planets revolved around their respective star.) Some of the worlds have moons. One looked particularly familiar. A pale blue dot sailing through the silent cosmos. It was the third planet out from the star. It too had a lone moon. The way it looked reminded Twilight of how Princess Luna described their world when she was...away. She described it as ‘like a blue sapphire surrounded by the wisp of clouds.’ There was something special about this place. Twilight selected the planet, and the portal open. A new world was revealed.
In front of her was a large field of grass. Grass that stretched for miles across the ground. Butterflies were fluttering in the air. Birds were zooming across the sky. Twilight held back laughter of disbelief. This should be impossible, Twilight to herself. It should have taken decades or centuries for her to find a place like this. But there was no doubt what she was seeing. This planet had life! Excitement gripped Twilight. Oh, she had so many questions. She has to find out more. She needed to get started ASAP.
The unicorn quickly gathered the supplies necessary to perform her projection. She formed the pentagram and lit the candles to create the five focus points needed to keep her body anchor. Sitting in the middle of the ritual circle, Twilight began to activate her horn and then lit the candles. Following a brief incantation and burning the ingredients in the pestle, magical energy surged through the floor, illuminating the area. With a tiny sprinkle, Twilight cast the ashes across the floor and then on her body. She did this over and over again as she kept repeating the incantation. Slowly she felt herself being weightless yet somehow felt her body being anchored to the ground. She looked down and saw that her body was sitting down in the ritual circle. She was floating above the floor.
Twilight let out a small giggle before she remembered why she did this. She quickly scrolled at herself and went to the portal. Astral projecting only had a limited amount of time. She can’t waste it on pointless pleasures. Taking a not-needed deep breath, Twilight willed herself through the portal and stepped into the unknown. Instantly lights flash all around her. She saw images blur together and find herself flying through space. Vertigo took hold. Everything was becoming disoriented. Twilight shook her head and controlled her thoughts.
Focus, she told herself. Find something to observe.
Eventually, everything slowed down, and Twilight found herself floating in the blue sky with fluffy clouds all around her. Once she was able to take it all in, Twilight then glanced down and forced herself to the ground level. It was like teleporting, only not displacing any matter during the trip. She reached ground level and found herself looking at a whole bunch of trees cluster together. Various life forms were moving out of the forest—each looking like a very similar animal back home in Equestria. Birds, squirrels, raccoons, and cats were all moving out of the woods. Twilight turned away from the trees and looked at the grassy field separating the forest. She could see mice scurrying over the grassy field. A family of skunks was nibbling at the various bugs crawling on the ground. Butterflies were moving softly through the air. It was becoming too much. But a true tailspin came at her when Twilight set her eyes down upon the end of the grassy field. Stretched across the empty field was a dirt road.
This wasn’t a natural road. No, somepony built this road! This was a sign of civilization. Twilight zoomed across the sky and began to follow the dirt road. The dirt road winded downhill and eventually led to a fenced area. Twilight darted as she saw fields and fields of corn growing meters away from her. Agriculture! Trying to observe it, Twilight approached the farm area. She saw another animal in the fenced area. This one looked like it was a four-legged creature like her. It almost looked like an equine like her! But something was off. The eyes were dull and-
Suddenly, Twilight found herself not in the field of grass anymore but in a dry, sandy area. A desert. She, however was still on the same planet as she could see different animals roaming the harsh terrain. Snakes and lizards came sulking out of the sand to seek cool shade. Hawks and vultures were circling high in the clear blue sky. Yet something else was catching Twilight’s eyes. She looked over the sand and saw another road! This road was black and smooth. It was made of some weird material and had yellow lines painted in the center. These markings surely mean something.
Twilight started to ponder. If these two different biomes had roads, then surely that means whoever built them was able to adapt to such different conditions. Wasn’t there the saying that all roads lead to Canterlot? Surely the same could be held for this planet. Twilight had to find another place. She then focuses on another environment. One that not much living things would go to. Another slight shift and Twilight was at a different location.
It was nearly evening, but the sunlight was still strong. All around her now was a tundra setting. Blankets of snow and ice covered the ground. Twilight watched as a white fur fox darted around the ground, looking for food. Twilight could see an owl sitting on the branches of a pine tree, getting ready for its evening flight. Twilight went on for her search. Thankfully, her spiritual body was able to quickly guide across the snowy terrain until she found what she was looking for—another road, same markings as the one in the desert.
This couldn’t be a coincidence. There was an actual sapient race living on this planet. Whoever they were, they had gone to deserts, tundras, and grasslands to travel across and conquer. They had even started agriculture to make tons of food. They must be everywhere. She had to check. Twilight traveled to several different locations, to different biospheres. Everywhere she went she eventually found an artificial road. Eventually, Twilight had seen enough proof. It was time to find these mysterious makers. All she had to do was focus on one thing.
Civilization.
Twilight had closed her eyes when she thought of it and then reopened them. She let out a small gasp. In front of her was an unsettling yet amazing sight. Large buildings were breaking above the horizon. Steel structures that could rival the heights of even Canterlot’s grandest buildings. Bridges coming from all directions were connecting various roads. Metal machines were moving all over the road. She could see a train moving throughout the city. It was all so overwhelming! Twilight closed her eyes, trying to block the flow of information. Her mind was being taxed, and considering who she was, that was saying something. Twilight now had to refocus on something else. Something that wouldn’t overwhelm her. Then a question appeared. A question that was one simple word. Twilight tried to ignore it, but it was growing too fast for her mind to ignore.
Who?
Twilight shuddered.
Who?
No, she shouldn’t be looking. She had gone too far this time!
WHO?
Twilight opened her eyes and found herself floating alone in a dark abyss with a red tint on the horizon. For a moment, everything remained calm. Just a small silence that blanket the entire globe. She just need to go back to her body and ignore what she was thinking. If she gave any more credence to her question, then she will start a positive feedback loop in this psychic dreamscape world. It would be dangerous. She needs to retreat now while she can.
Twilight moved and then a more coherent question came to her mind.
Who made all this?
Suddenly images came flying all around her. Images of creatures she didn’t see before but couldn’t describe them for they were all moving too fast. They were bipedal, at least for the most part. They looked intelligent and sapient. There seems to be a lot of them. And there were a range of emotions. She could feel happiness, sadness, anger, fear, lounging, and curiosity coming from these beings. They were emitting emotions. They were emitting power. Behind these strange beings was an untap source of knowledge that kept behind a veil of darkness. A veil that was being rip open.
Twilight didn’t want to know anymore. What she wanted was to escape. But the darkness clings to her. It didn’t want her to go. But she must get out now! She tried every spell that came to her. However it was not working. She was in a daze. Like she was asleep yet awake at the same time. Twilight let out a frustrated cry that echoed in the darkness.
Then she heard the sound of hoofsteps, a thousand hoofsteps. Twilight looked around here to see ghostly images of these creatures walking in a single group, stepping in formation. They were….marching. The words were foreign in Twilight’s mind. Like she knew what the words intent were but this time it came with a different meaning. A more heavy feeling to it. She saw flashes of green light coming from all around her. Strikes of this green lighting reveal more images. This time she saw flags, flags of all sorts of colors being carried by these ghosts. They were not any flag that Twilight recognized. In fact, these flags were intimidating as the ghost army strolled past her.
“Masters of war are always quick to make hasty decisions.” A strange voice whispered into Twilight’s ear.
Twilight turned to see a red glow peering through the darkness. Above her was a red orb that burned with a wicked glow like an evil sun bearing down on this plane of existence. It was like an eye looking at her with an intense focus, endless and eternal. The lidless eye sat above the army and gazed all around the area. It left Twilight feeling vulnerable.
“Behold my newly founded power, little one!” the new voice cried out. It echoed like a monster held deep in a cave.
Twilight felt herself have trouble focusing. She tried to think of a solution. Come on, she used to be so good at looking for escapes and ways to solve her problems. Not this time though. This time panic was seizing her and it was crushing her ribcage. Tears were now flying out of her face. Hyperventilating, Twilight tried to crawl away from this horrible vision. But it kept following her, relentlessly speaking unknown words and images that were too much for her to take. She didn’t know how long she could withstand this
.
Then a new prescenes came between her and the evil entity. Whoever this was blocked the sight of red orb and eclipse Twilight in their own shadow.
“Leave this pony alone, you foul, wretched monster!” A very familiar yet not often heard voice said to the darkness.
The world started to shake as something large seemed to be approaching them.
“I said enough!” Twilight watched her savior summon a silver blade out of the air and used it to slice the very fabric of reality in a flaming white blaze. She did it three more times, causing the entire area to be burning with white energy. Pieces of the world began to disintegrate as the dark void was being overwhelmed by a powerful light coming from the silver weapon.
“This is my domain and you are not welcome in it!” Twilight watched as the weapon pierced the sky and caused the entire world to explode in a flash of white.
Twilight blinked. Suddenly she felt herself being pulled down by gravity and her vision was refocused on the unfolding setting around her. She was back in the Golden Oak Library. The lights were being brightened and her portal machine was turned off. Slowly the familiar warm glow of her home was returning. It was a welcoming sight compared to the cold, alien place she had just escaped from.
Speaking of which, Twilight turned to see who had saved her from that nightmare moment. She was not at all surprised to see Princess Luna standing next to her, looking down at her with a look that was somehow a mixture of irritation, disappointment, and curiosity. The night diarch continued to give Twilight a steel look for a few moments before she turned her sights on the machine in the room. Her horn glowed and she examined bits of the machine.
Twilight was too sore to stop her. Her head was pounding and her butt was aching from sitting too long. After getting the feeling back to her extremities, she made a move to get up. But then the voice of Princess Luna spoke.
“Twilight, we need to talk.”
Twilight sip the warm tea gently. It wasn’t caffeinated because it was already one in the morning, and sleep was crawling towards her like an unrelenting season. All she wanted to do now was sleep, but that had to wait. She owes Princess Luna an explanation and she, in return, needed answers. There was only one way to satisfy both parties, even if it delays her going to bed.
It was also odd to be sitting here in her kitchen with the princess of the night. The dark blue alicorn looked so out of place in a brightly lit kitchen, drinking tea with Twilight and looking down at the various notes Twilight brought up. For a few moments, they didn’t say much to each other. Twilight found it oddly comfortable for her. With Princess Celestia, there was no relaxing, no laid-back feeling. Celestia was always like a second mother to Twilight. She had to be formal and be direct with her because she was the one who always watches for Twilight’s best interest. The motherly love of Celestia needed Twilight to be open and honest with her mentor so that they can know together what is next for their relationship.
Princess Luna was a different story. Her presence always had an air of mystery to it. During the few times, Twilight met Luna; there was something that kept Twilight at a distance. Be it speech patterns, misunderstanding of traditions, and general awkwardness that came with Luna’s history; it was hard for Twilight to get a good read on her, making it hard to create a relationship with the night princess. Gradually, Luna did open up to her. But there was always that sense of secrecy that came with Luna that didn’t go away. Reckless energy that made ponies stay up at night or persuade ill-advice avenues of knowledge. For Luna, it was best to keep their shared knowledge close to the chest rather than speak about it in the open.
Still, it didn’t take long for Luna to say something.
“You actually manage to do it,” Luna whispered to herself before taking a small sip of tea.
Twilight looked away. “Yeah,” she muttered quietly with a hint of shame. “I didn’t think it was possible until recently. Guess I was wrong.”
Luna looked up from the notes.
“Pray tell, why are you so upset, Twilight Sparkle?” she asked her.
“Because I nearly got myself killed or at least nearly did something wrong,” Twilight said as loudly as she dared with Spike still asleep. “I recklessly went to another world with no backup, no plan, and no way to alert my friends on what I was doing. For weeks I kept this secret project in my basement because I was afraid of ridicule, of my friends discouraged me from pursuing a crazy idea. If I had been open and honest with them from the start, then I wouldn’t be in trouble, and you won’t have to rescue me.”
For a moment, Princess Luna didn’t say anything. Then she set her cup down.
“I know you may think of me as second best to my sister when it comes to advice, but heed my words, Twilight,” Luna said to her softly. “I’m not going to say you need this as a friendship lesson. In fact, I encourage you not to tell your friends what you have been doing. If word got out on what you have succeeded in doing here tonight, everypony would want to investigate your research. Rumors will be flying around like a pegasi gossiper, and answers will be demanded. There will panic in the streets. If we’re lucky, most would consider the news an exciting, noteworthy event before the masses move on with their lives. My sister, however, would not take such news lightly.”
“B-But-but,” Twilight sputtered, but Princess Luna raised a hoof, and she fell silent.
“This is not just for your sake but mainly for mine,” Luna said as she lowered her hoof back down. “As selfish as that can be, I’m concerned that what you have been working on might attract unwanted attention and bring some questions that could cause a rift between Celestia and me. It is not your fault. I’m afraid that your experiment isn’t just an isolated project.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
Luna considered the question. Her burrow furrowed as she took another sip of tea, this time with the cup placed delicately between her forehooves, her silver shoes tapped lightly against the side of the cup. Then her horn lit up with magical energy, and an object appeared between the two ponies. Floating in the blue aura of the night alicorn’s magic was the tesseract that Twilight had unlocked. Luna did a slight twist with her magic, and the tesseract collapsed back into the wooden puzzle box from before. There was another shift in magic, and blue symbols appeared on the surface—hieroglyphics of a long-lost civilization that Twilight couldn’t even recognize.
“When I was young,” Princess Luna began to say as she put her tea down. “I had a lot of questions growing up. I, of course, asked Celestia about most of them, and my sister did her best to answer them. But some of the answers were unsatisfactory. These answers were to the questions dealing with our past, with our nature, with our legacy. I don’t remember anything before we arrived here to this land that would soon become known as Equestria. I don’t even know if we were made or if we actually had parents or any family. I know Celestia believes we do. She tells me that she remembers our parents. Yet every time I pressed for more details, she would say that they had to go away and that they could never come back. Whether she is lying to me in order to keep something dangerous a secret or that the ages of time had simply robbed her memory of our past, I was never able to tell. Celestia just wouldn’t give me a truthful answer. She assumed that we were enough for each other and that my curiosity would fade away.
“She was wrong, of course. When I realized that Celestia wasn’t going to give me the truth, I began to search elsewhere. I asked the top scholars, our powerful sorcerers, and famous historians back then for more clues, but there wasn’t much to go on. Equestria was a fledgling nation at that time. A lot of the past was destroyed with the Rise of the Four Terrible Kings and the Reign of Discord. Before that, there were theories that ponies were fairly new to this land and that they were once united by an alicorn king and queen whom they prayed to daily. But I could not get much information on this lost civilization since it had long been destroyed by various kingdoms and species who enslaved ponies or forced them to flee. I did all I could to recover the artifacts and the writings that were left behind, but I began to admit that it was a lost cause. My focus shifted to a new goal: to understand the powers of an alicorn. To know what our true potential could be. Were Celestia and I destined to just control the sun and moon? Or did we have more power inside ourselves than we could possibly dream of? As you know, that path became the more destructive choice and one that I would eventually regret.”
“But it was natural that you were curious about your past and about your powers,” Twilight interrupted. “I mean, it was just your curiosity that started this, right?”
Luna let out a chuckle, and a small smile slid onto her muzzle. “Yeah, just my curiosity along with my lust for power and knowledge with a good dose of bitter envy and unquenchable wraith,” Luna said, more to herself than Twilight. But then she focused on Twilight and addressed her directly. “There were a lot of problems that led to my downfall. The failed trust between Celestia and me was the start. But that is for another time. The point is that there is a lot of information about alicorns that isn’t known in Equestria. I sought to change that.”
“But how?” Twilight asked.
“Ever since I had returned from the moon, I resumed my search for our origins,” Luna answered as she finished her tea. “It was against Celestia’s wishes as she reiterated that our past doesn’t matter and that we are better off if we leave things as they are. But she can never understand despite my numerous pleas. There is now a new reason for my search to continue. One that makes it impossible to ignore.”
Princess Luna stood up, her eyes staring at the darkness. Twilight looked in the same direction. Peaking above the eastern horizon was the waning moon. Despite the phase, it still seems bright and shines upon the world with such beauty. Twilight looked back at the night princess. It seems a distant memory was going through her head. For the next few minutes, there was nothing but silence. Twilight was going to ask Luna what the reason was, but as she opened her mouth, Luna started to speak again.
“You are afraid,” Luna stated, still looking at the moon.
Twilight honestly didn’t have an answer. She did her best to bluff one anyway. “What? I-I-pfft afraid? Me?” Twilight said, waving her hoof dismissively. “Who says I’m afraid?”
“I know this may be a defensive mechanism, but please do not deceive me again,” Luna requested. “You forget that I was once the Bearer of Honesty. I can tell when others are lying to me. So I want you to be straightforward and honest with me. Do not hide your true feelings or try to patronize me. Tell me how you truly feel, even if you think it will hurt me.”
“Why would you want me to do that?”
“Because, my dear Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said as she turned around to face the purple unicorn. “What I’m about to say is going to change everything for you. If we are not honest with each other, then no trust can be built. I want you to be a part of this search. I want your help. But it would be best if you admitted your fears first. I will admit that I’m afraid too. We are afraid for a good reason. Both of us are equally terrified of what’s to come next.”
“What is to come next?” Twilight inquired.
“You know why I had to rescue you? Why did it feel like you were trapped on the astral plane?”
Twilight nodded.
“The reason is simple: Something is lurking in the depths of space that is immensely powerful with magic. I had felt it when you were traveling to the other world on the astral plane. I had felt their presence when I was trapped on the moon. I had felt it getting stronger as the years continued. I tried to warn Celestia about this being, but she is skeptical about the entire situation and isn’t committed to searching for the source of this powerful magic. I felt them trying to find Equestria, trying to tap into our ambient magic field. Only something that dangerous would be able to trap a soul on the astral plane. A being that is knowledgeable in the art of Equestrian magic.
“So wait,” Twilight paused as she gave herself a moment to think. “You believe another civilization of a different life form out there could be able to use magic? Like being able to use Equestria magic despite not being biologically inclined to have access to our spells?”
“Perhaps,” Luna said, giving a slight acknowledgment. “Or it could be something that used to be on Equestria until it was sent off of this world.”
“Why do you thi-” Twilight wasn’t able to finish her thoughts for at that moment, Princess Luna lit her horn with magic, and a small image was projected in front of Twilight. It was an image of the portal gate that Twilight had recently built. But a moment later, it shifted to rudimentary design that hailed from the old relic days.
Twilight looked at the image and then at Luna and back to the image before she said, “It could be an old enemy that we assume has vanished but might be building strength to seek revenge!” Twilight wheeled to Luna. “So that means you have seen these portal gates in action before.”
“Not completely,” Luna admitted as she dimmed her horn. “Before my sister and I came along with the Elements, it was the primary method in dealing with immortals saturated with magical energy. But building the gates was difficult to maintain and required a lot of energy and material. The hope was that whoever was sent to exile would starve to death with no magic, water, or food. The problem became that there was no way to ensure that the target would actually die as the gate would open to a nearly random spot in the universe, and we wouldn’t be able to check in on the perpetrator after the portal closes. Also, some of the more powerful beings like Discord have found ways to return to Equestria days later with little effort on their part. It is the primary reason Equestria took over Tartarus when we formed the country.
“It was in my search for my origins that I kept coming across these portal gates. They were everywhere, scattered across the land wherever a kingdom was forming. I did whatever I could to learn more about these magical devices, but the information was still too short. I thought there was a way to make them into a two-way passage. To find if there is another magical environment out in Equestria. Or if we have a new threat from beyond our world. Alas, nothing was yielding. I entered countless dreams, searching if anypony had the answers in their head. I nearly gave up hope. That was until tonight. And now my suspicions have been proven correct.”
Twilight allowed this information to ingrain in her mind. She didn’t like to be in a position where she was going behind Princess Celestia’s back, but she felt like she was on the cusp of something exciting. She just hoped she didn’t have to choose her loyalty between the two alicorn sisters. It would be a challenging and destructive decision that Twilight didn’t want to comprehend the consequences of. Part of her wants to tell Princess Celestia everything, but she knows she can’t betray Luna’s trust. Not yet. Not until it gets too dangerous and Princess Celestia has to step in.
But there was something off with the way Princess Luna said about looking for the answers of the portal devices.
“Wait a second,” Twilight came to a realization. “You were talking about searching in the dreams of ponies…*Gasp* Unless you were manipulating them to find what you wanted.” Twilight pointed a hoof to Luna as she began to let out a string of accusatory inquiries. “Did you plant this idea in my head? Did you give me the puzzle box and those books in order for me to build the portal gate? Did you have me do your secret work behind Celestia’s back? Did you?”
Luna wasn’t fazed nor outraged from the flurry of questions. She just simply brushed Twilight’s hoof to the side and looked directly into her eyes as she answered, “I can assure you that it was all accidental.” she told Twilight softly. “My subconscious thoughts may have tainted yours when I was looking in the dream realm, but it was because I only let my guard down for a brief moment. I won’t lie about the other parts in play. Yes, I had intentions of having you look into space traveling eventually. Yes, the books and the puzzle box were used as a starting point for that journey. My mistake, however, was thinking it would take you ages to figure out the necessary information to create such a device. I forgot that there is a good reason why you were amongst the best students that my sister has taught throughout her entire life.”
“So, you didn’t think I was able to build a portal gate that quickly?” Twilight asked. She didn’t know if she should be insulted or disappointed.
“Not as quickly as you have displayed,” Luna answered. “I was banking on the idea of waiting until you were well-versed in Equestrian politics and part of my sister’s succession plans. Once you were proven to be indispensable and on the verge of opening a whole new field of science and magic, the nobles and my sister would have no choice but to yield to our demands. I didn’t want to overstep my sister’s authority, but I was chosen to be Equestria’s champion of the night and protect my subjects from whatever threats may come. So I choose to uphold my duties as the watcher of the night skies with the utmost sincerity.”
The clock was ticking far off in the other room as Twilight let Princess Luna’s latest words hang in the air. Twilight could see that it was nearly forty minutes past two in the morning. Sleep was creeping up on her. She was starting to feel the effects of today coming up on her. Now was the time to rest and to reflect.
“It is getting late, my dear Twilight,” Luna said suddenly as if she was reading the unicorn’s mind. “It is best that you get some rest. We’ll talk more later on. For now, don’t let this obsession be the main focus of your life. I believe it is better for you to recuperate and ease your mind until it is time to get back into the search. That is if you still want to continue. I will understand if you don’t want to proceed.”
“No, I do!” Twilight said quickly. “But you want me to stop looking into what I just found out. I think I just discovered an alien civilization. I can’t just forget about that!”
“On the contrary, Twilight,” Luna stated. “I believe it is important that we look into this potentially alien civilization. In fact, it will be the first assignment I will give you. But first, I need you to take a breather. We can’t have you burning out before we make our next move.”
“It is also important that you don’t use the portal device right now. We have to ensure that we can safeguard Equestria’s presence so that if our mysterious entity is indeed hostile to our civilization, it wouldn’t be able to find Equestria. Once I scout out the planet and gather the necessary information, then we proceed into studying this new world.”
“Oh, okay,” Twilight acknowledged, knowing it wasn’t best to argue for a different position right now.
“Don’t look so glum, Twilight,” Luna told her as she began to walk out of the kitchen and to the front door. “I trust you this far and won’t keep you in the dark now. I understand your anticipation, but some things are better if we wait for them. This is one of those times we don’t want to rush progress too quickly. Again, it will startle the entire population of Equestria.”
“I guess,” Twilight said as she began to gather the notes and blueprints on the table to put them away. Princess Luna was at the door when Twilight felt one last question coming upon her. She turned to the entranceway to quickly ask it before the princess retreated into the night.
“Wait! Luna!” Twilight called out.
Princess Luna stopped. “Yes?”
“A thought just occurred to me,” Twilight said as she galloped to her. “You said that you only felt the presence of a single powerful being with magic. Yet, I saw an entire civilization on that planet. Could you be wrong? Or is there only one being with magic in that world? Do you think that the entire civilization could have magic energy? The things I saw were unbelievable. I didn’t think any life could flourish without the aid of magic. So at least satisfy this curious thought. I want to know what you believe.”
Luna paused, mulling over how to answer properly.
“I only felt the power of one individual,” Luna finally answered. “But others could mask their presence from me. It is just nearly impossible for an entire civilization to do so. And I would notice the planet’s ambient magic being manipulated by several individuals. This doesn’t bode well with our current predicament. If this individual is dangerous and has a build-up of mana energy, then they can command a lesser race to do their bidding and force an entire world to go to war against us. They will be able to pose as a deity that will trick armies into committing to invading any opposition.
“Pose as a deity? Do you mean being a god? Use magic to take over entire species? Is that possible?”
“Well,” Luna gave a slight somber smile as she exited out the door. “It worked for Equestria, didn’t it?”
And with that, the night alicorn flew out into the starry sky.
Now
It was hell. Or it should be hell. Twilight couldn’t tell what she should be feeling. Transformation magic has various side effects that can range into different reactions. Usually, it goes to either pain or pleasure. Sometimes both. It was theorized that painful side effects of a transformation spell were used to deter the victims from seeking a reversal in their new body’s shape. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t like Twilight could go back. She was exhausted—both in her normal body’s energy and in her magic. Numbness just settled into her innards, keeping the actual sensation of her transformation process at bay. All she could do now was gather the little information she had now and come to a new conclusion.
The bones of her body were shifting to different lengths.
She was cold all over.
Her skin felt weird and tingling.
Twilight didn’t like this. Not one bit. Her body was starting to feel everything again. The numerous cuts and bruises. Her appendages were all shaped wrong. Her forelegs were coming up to a different length than her hind legs. Is she truly becoming the necessary species of this planet? So far, they seem pretty weak. There were hardly any muscles in her forelegs, and the hooves seem to be changing the most. Gone were the reliable, solid body parts she could use to canter across the open field and stomp the ground. Now they were becoming fleshy and boney. They were spreading out too. They seem to be becoming claw-like appendages.
There are just some much of her unicorn body she took for granted.
Another bout of exhaustion hit Twilight. She could feel her new lungs take in the air. It felt relieving, at least to be able to take in some of the air. But she couldn’t stop the darkness encroaching on her vision. Even if she survived the transformation, her body had gone through a terrible ordeal. It needed to recover. Unfortunately, it was leaving her vulnerable. She was naked in this alien world. She had to gather the strength to move forward.
There was only one way. A mantra that kept her going so far.
“Applejack…” Twilight laid onto her side, not realizing her new body was starting to relax.
“Fluttershy...”
Her eyes were starting to close. Everything became blurry.
“Pinkie Pie…”
Another figure was moving nearby. But she was too weak to move or care.
“Rarity…”
“Hey lady, are you okay?” a faraway voice said.
“Rainbow Dash…”
And like that, she was fading into the blissful unconsciousness, lost on a strange, new world called Earth.
Then
It was nearly three in the morning when the purple librarian pony finally went to her bed.
Princess Luna had given Twilight a lot to think about. The meaning of her dreams. The images she had seen. The new discoveries that she had uncovered. It was gigantic! There has not been an undertaking like this since the days of Star Swirl passing his knowledge to Clover during the Seven Trails. Excitement was bubbling inside Twilight. She can not wait to look into this matter of the other world.
Twilight stifled a yawn. Exhaustion was finally catching up to her. It has been a busy month. Princess Luna’s cautionary words were true. She was spending way too much time looking into this world travel business. She needs to have moderation, or else she will burn herself out. She needs to have fun. See her friends. Get outside of the house. She can always do research later on. It will not be a concern until Princess Luna gives the approval of visitation. And that could take months or maybe years.
After fluffing her pillow, Twilight slid into her bed and settled down on the mattress. She let out another yawn as she wrapped her blanket around her body. Still, the guilt of going behind Princess Celestia’s back was gnawing at her. Twilight brushes it off. It is for the greater good. What was so bad about looking into places that were long forgotten by the ancestral ponies? She was just taking a peak. No harm could come from it. Yet before sleep could claim her, Twilight felt a surge of wakefulness in a swift moment. A new term came to her mind. She needed to write it down before she forgets. Her magic immediately grabs the nearest quill and inkwell she could reach.
She quickly dipped her quill in ink and scratched the word on a small scrap of paper lying on top of her bed stand. It was a simple word. A word that she associates with those strange creatures she saw. It was a word that has been the name of what they are. It was a word that she had to look into to solve this piece of the puzzle, even if it will take months. It answers the question of whether the universe was devoid of life or not. It was just one simple word.
Humans.
“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”
-ARTHUR C. CLARKE.
Author's Note
Let the crazy ride begin!
And for continuity's sake, the timeframe this story takes place is early Season 3.
More about why and how this project came to fruition can be found at this blog
(Also sorry for the large word count for this chapter. It's basically two chapters fuse together. I'll try to keep them smaller for the beginning of the story until we get to the juicy parts.)
