Abysswalker: The Darkness Growsby ZeroraidChaptersProloguePrologue Part 2Prologue Part 3The Silence We shareWrite Me A LetterPrologue… In my dreams, I smell the old lands. I hear children playing. I think I see someone. These feelings, they’re not for me. . I move by shadows, among the unsung. The dream fades, submerged by a suffocating, cold darkness. Just like that it’s gone, leaving behind nothing but choking shadows as well as something else. What is it? “Rain.” The tears of the sky; he loved it just as much as he found himself hating it. Opening his eyes the cloaked figure glanced about. Nothing, not light not dust pierced the dark blanket that enveloped this land. A darkness was deluding the senses almost to the point of madness. He didn’t mind it. “Why should you?” Sighing, the figure sat up, stretching slightly as he listened to the rain that seemed just beyond him. He stared into an unbreaking darkness, getting to his feet before seeming to reach for something. “Oh right.” He muttered. “He muttered. “Lantern’s broken.” He mused before sighing to himself. “Gotta find some parts to repair that.” “Why bother.” Something called to him. “You don’t need it.” A voice speaks from the blackness. “You never needed it.” It doesn't lie. Though not “nocturnal” in nature, he had been born with rather acute nightvision. No matter how black the darkness became he saw it as clear as day. Still, he detested these eyes, eyes that glowed like molten gold in both shadow and light. “It’s part of you though.” The whispers state. “Embrace it.” The figure just breathes, closing his eyes to see something smiling at him. Opening his eyes again, he scans the dark horizon; taking it in, staring at what looks like the mouth of a cave giving way to the gravelands of a broken world. Weeds and cracked stone, decay and broken bones. All as far as these cursed eyes could see. Gazing beyond the mouth of his temporary abode he breathes,wandering forward and stepping into the rain. Not even bothering to pull his hood up, just letting the rain wash over him like he was wading through water. These gravelands they were old - older than him and that was saying something. Resting far beyond the realms where the Creator’s light and laws existed, the resting place of the old realms forgotten, untethered and adrift in the fathomless blackness. It was home to secrets better left buried, powers left forgotten and monstrosities best left unseen. Those beyond called it the Abyss, the Blackness that may one day envelop creation. Those within? Well they didn’t call it anything. These gravelands didn’t need a name to be called, it was their home, their den whose reach extended far past the pitiful excuse for the multiverse that existed under the Creator’s light. “I want their blood.” The whisper returns. “The creator’s blood… how… delicious.” It purrs as he walks on. “You want it too.” True words or a false statement, the figure wasn’t too sure; nor would he give the whisper the pleasure of an answer. Lightning punctured the sky for but a moment and thunder roared like the drums of war. It didn’t faze him, though his gaze turned skyward as if searching for something. Whatever he found - whatever he failed to find eluded even him, so he just turned his gaze forward to walk on. Disappearing into a random shadow-kissed direction. Disregard the rain, discard the thunder. The shadows were not silent, and they were not empty. He heard them whisper and scream and curse, plead and beg and mourn. He saw them glare and point. Shaking his head once, then several more times, he breathed, trying to drown them out; the voices of the dead that haunted him. ‘Listen to their screams.” The whisper sounded almost delighted, almost aroused as he moved on. “Do they not sound beautiful?” “No, they don’t.” The figure mutters as he moves on. “Be quiet, all of you.” The dead do not listen, their screams and wails form a song that plagues him like an affliction. “Please, just be quiet.” They refuse, and all he can do is listen to their wicked words, breath, and press on. It was all he could ever do. How long does he bother walking? That is a question that can not be answered. All he knows is that he walks, and the broken land beneath him refuses to change, refuse to give wave to a road of any kind. In a contradiction, cursed eyes grant blessed vision, and he sees nothing. No old roads make themselves known to him, and no hint of life or shelter tells him where shelter of mankind might be. Then again he actually wasn’t looking for something like that in the first place. Still knowing bhis luck he’d find such a place anyway. Eventually of course. Meanwhile the storm continues; it does not grow, it does not waver. It just… continues; without pause, without interruption. The thunder, the lightning are a blessing. In the brief moments they come, the voices fall silent he is reminded he is alone in this unbroken darkness. “You are never alone.” The whisper sounds almost tauntingly, even lovingly. “I am always here with you.” “I know.” The figure mutters and moves on. It “feels” like a longtime before his eyes see something. It’s a building. It’s light is being choked by darkness, but still the light shines. It was lonely, and not what he sought. Still it drew him towards it, like a shark smelling blood. It is with an uneasy trepidation that he found himself approaching this lonely light, as he listened to the buzzing that left it. Why does it buzz? What sorcery causes this? It isn’t such a thing. Only the reverberations of a weeping fabric, one that composed of everything in and outside of “reality”. Space and time; everywhere and nowhere, the future, the past. The whisper shudders in delight. “Listen to the weeping of tattered reality…” He does. “Don’t you love it?” “No.” The figure mutters. “I don’t.” “You lie~” He wasn’t sure which of them was telling the truth, himself or the voice in the blackness. Even if he did, it wouldn’t change anything. Reaching out the figure just breathed, touching something that was both everywhere and nowhere and seemed to sigh. “TIt wasn’t torn on this side.” The figure mused. “This is just the “exit hole”.” He told himself. “Have to close it on the “entrance”.” “Leave it.” The whisper growled in his ear. “Leave it, let it grow…” “No.” He muttered as he “released” a tear both everywhere and nowhere at once. “I let it grow, and the others will find it, step beyond the “door” and go wherever this begins.” The whisper growls. “Why?” It hisses. “All will be devoured by the Abyss, why do you deny it’s hunger?” “It isn’t this realm’s time yet.” The figure muttered as he tapped one point, the tear and then the next, enforcing hiss will on it’s own and causing not to change. “When it’s time… it will be fed upon, until then.” He paused as the weeping both reality and unreality grew to be screaming. “Let them live in peace.” The whispered growled at him. “I *hate* you.” “I know.” The figure dived into the screaming tear. “I hate me too.” There is no single door between two realities. One doesn’t just “open” it and then you find another realm at the other end of it. It’s a network, forged from tunnels that branch out like the intricate web woven by an ethereal spider. Opening one door in one realm leads one into the labyrinthine tunnels. Finding another and opening it? Only then will one be able to leave it and reach the next realm. And he knew exactly which tunnel to go down and which door to open. He could be blind, deaf, dumb, and amputated, her would still be able to find the door he needed to seek out. He always knew. Leaving the tear, the door into limbo - the space between realms, the figure just took a moment to look around. The rain didn’t reach here, but he did find that the night had taken this world. Above he saw the half moon and the stars as they sang a melody that existed only in what others called white noise. When was the last time he saw the beauty of a night sky? “Six millennia ago.” “That so; my how time flies.” The figure muttered before looking around, taking notice of the city that rested before him, and then the statue that his back was pressed against and the courtyard and building that rested beyond. “So.” He mused.” This is where the door was opened.” He continued as vapors left his cloaked form and it started to change. It wasn’t just his cloak, his body was changing with it. Transmogrification; shapeshifting. The trick was so old even the combined age of several hundred realities would not begin to rival it’s age. Resting his fingers, the figure just ran his hand against the statue's base before making a noise. “I see.” He mused. So that’s why it’s here.” He thought as saw the story etched not into the stone but rather time itself. Stories written upon separate events came to him. The first story was of a ghost leaving the statue, wobbling as they did so.. The second story was of the same ghost this time going back into the statue and returning. The third was of another ghost falling outside of the statue accompanied by a pup of some sort. The fourth was of that ghost returning to the statue. The fifth; they return again. The sixth they leave again. The seventh two approach, one ghost he could recognize and one similar but not exactly like the other. The eighth; The other ghost returned, meeting the one that was similar to them. “This statue is a gateway.” The figure muttered to himself dragging his fingers as he started to wander around the statue. “Someone turned it into a door to enter this world.” He walked to the otherside before tapping it, watching stone ripple. “It’s been tampered with too.It won’t close normally.” He mused. “In that case~” He tapped it again, this time extending his will to dominate the doorway. “May none enter nor exit this realm from this side without my consent.” The statue shuttered, like a child scared of being reprimanded by their parents. Removing his finger he tapped it several more times, the hardness of stone meeting him as he nodded. That does it for this one.” He mused before wandering back to the other side and stared at the fluctuations of space-time still present. “Still, it looks like someone was able to extract part of the mana that opened it from this side and made a second door.” He touched it. “I wonder why.” “Who the fuck cares? He closed the door. Putting his hand down before looking at the statuer and to the school beyond. “Well that takes care of that.” He mused before going silent and just listened to his surroundings. “I sense two forms of mana in this world.” He muttered under his breath before looking back to the statue. “What rests here is…” “Equestrian.” The whisper in the night spat the words out as though they were some kind of curse. Meanwhile the figure just stared at the closed gateway before frowning. “Equestrian Mana.” He muttered. “You lead to an Equestrian realm.” He began, and with how long you have been open you have been spreading, infecting this world with its mana. The statue seemed to shudder again, as he raised an arm. “I don’t blame you.” He glided his hand over the statue as though he were being careful with an abused pet. “You did nothing wrong. You didn’t ask to be created, let alone be forced open.” He whispered. “I know that feeling well.” He told it. “What’s done is done, and though you are closed now, the intrusion of Equestrian magic will remain, merging with the remnants of mana still floating about in this realm, and mutating it. “Destroy it.” The Whisper growled. “Destroy the magic.” He held his head. “D̸̢̨̯͖͇̘͉̹͚̤̊́̽̚̕ę̶̤͕͔͉̰͓̤̺͍͚̠͔̮̅̆̉̅̋s̵̢̢̹̪͉̰̟̟̪̗͈̘̗̩͌̃̿̕t̴͔͓̜͓̮͓̹͙͉̄̓́͌ṛ̴̡̪̪̼̺͕̲̀̀́̃͠ǫ̴̞͖̤̺͙̹͙͎̗̫̫͌͛̐̾́̄͆̉͂̒͂̊͘ͅȳ̴̡̜̘͉̤̤̲͉̳̣̫͕̻͔͕̼̉̈́͑͜ ̵͕̟̦̭̦̫̦̱̲̠̻͔͎̍̃́̌̐̚͠͝͝t̷̲̤̣̳́̑͒̌̉̏̿̈́͐̌̄͗̕ͅh̵̥̦̦̲̯̟̮̮̱͉͖̘̩̼͒̀̇̎̀͂̿̓̀̐̇͘͠í̸̛̥̭͎̥̗̹̝̜̩̘̣̮͉͇̠̱̂̎s̴̳̈͛͋͌̅̂͂͌͌̈̈́͒̕̚͝͠͝ ̴̨̛̫͇͕̳͎̠̥̭͍̼̪̬͚͕̅̄͑̆͛̈́̔̄̂̓͊̓̕͝w̶̡̨̨̫̗͖͚̟̱̠̭͚͑̅̂͋̈́̃͘̕͝ơ̴̢̡̛̜̙̜̱̭̻̠̅̆̍̀̈́̓̉̒͌̋̉̕̕͘̕͜͜ȑ̷̨̧̲̺̹̳̻̟͙̜͇͍͉̎̇́̂͒́̚ļ̵̢̞̰̱̲͉̯͇̞̼̺͕͓̻̹͗͝ͅḍ̸̛̛̱͎̫̩͍̳͕̪̹̽͊͌̈́̂̌̎̋̀͋̈́̒ͅ.̵̲̯̩͕̭͙̣̲̙̫̩̭̠͓̪̈́̃́̀̇.̶̢̛̱̱̤̤̈̐̿́̀͒̌̾̚̚͝ͅ.̶̼̊̾͐̃̈́͑̓͗̕” “Be quiet.” “D̷̨̮͔͎̙̜̂̿͜͝͝ę̷̢̻̳̻͎͖͈̖͉̉̊͂̃̀̅̈͐͐͘͜͠͝ͅs̶̢̯̹̖͇͔̆͒͘͜ͅͅt̸̢͚̤̳̼̬̠̲̞̙̪͔̅̾̃̌̉͆̇͛̈̒̀͑̌̓͛͝͠ͅr̵̲̟͎̟̤̈̓̂̀̉̓̈̀̀͛̾͊̿͌͝ỏ̶̧̞̞͙̻̞͓͈̟̹̞͔̥͇̟͂̌̈̊̓͒̇͆̓̊͑̏̀͑̆͘y̵̢̧̧̟̅̍̇̇͝͝ ̶͚̥̹͎͇̯͖̓̏̒́̔͆̒t̵̛͍̬͚̞̬͕̤̩͚͎͉̲͕̀̊̆̄̉͒̈́̒̈̄͗̊͝ͅh̴͓̥͗̇̀̑̒͐̎̿̌̽́̓͘͠͝e̸̡̧̛̯̮͎͎̱̟͈͚̘̭̣̼͇̟̓͜ ̵̬͓̤̌͗̈́̚r̷̩̘̳̩̪͖̼̅̀̆̀͒̊̆̐͑͌̍̑̏̕e̶̗͈͉͒̑̿̋͛̅͠ȧ̸̧̻͔̼̣͔͕͓̪̩l̸͉̗̗̪̼͚̑̀́̓̈́̚ͅm̵͈̲̤̱̱̟̪̮͚͂̿̈̓͑̿ ̶̨̩͓͚̺͈̫̤̖͙̙̻́̽͐͋͗̈́̉͑̾̽́͐̇̀̏͘ͅb̵̬̻̝̩̬̪͎͖͈̄͌͆͜e̷̪̖̟͍͙̗̙̻̻̱͉͖̬̓̓͜͝y̵̛̹͈͚̬̱̩͈͙͎͍̣͓̹̭̍͐̒̌̾͗̈̋͆̀̚̚̚͝͝͝ͅȯ̷̪̰͐̒̃̋̏̿͆̏̂̊̃̒͋n̶̢͐̓̀́ḑ̴̝̱͙͚̥̩͖̫̯̣̼͙͐̀͝.̴͕̙͙̱̪̈́́͂̽̽̕͝͝ͅ.̴̳̬̟̫̣̼̭̗̞̰̔̿ͅ.̵̨̨̧̛̗̝̪̭͎̜̦̻̥͎̌͒͑͒͂̐̊̌͋̈̈́̂̏͜͝” The whisper continued as his shadow started to shift. The ground started to shake and crack. The air started to suffocate, grow rancid. The song of the stars fell silent as they began to disappear, running away like scared children. The sleeping Gods of this realm started to stir, fright etched onto their essence as they felt ready to abandon their own dimension. “D̵̡͈̖̱̼̮̝̮̦͇͚͎͒̍͆̀̆̾̄̕ͅe̵̢̲̦̙̜͍͖̤̼͔̻̟̜͚̝͔̥̅̌̔̔̔̎͊͛̍͒ṡ̵̡͙̗̼̩̣̠͇̠͈̩̻́̓́̅̈́̕͜͝t̸̛̤̪̼͉͔̻̼͉̼̖̻̰͍̪̗̥̓̈̐̔r̴͍̫̥̗̮̭̱̠̠͔̣͚̟̫͎̬̐͒̄̚ͅǫ̴̢̬͔̫̠̘͚̳͓͇͖͂̅͐̉̍͊y̴̧̲̥͍̘̮̩̐͂̍̓̊̑͗͒̋̂̿̈́̋̚͝͝ ̷̟͙̯̿͋̈́̎́͗̉͑̔̓̕͘̕͘ͅt̷̖̟̀̑̕͠h̶͉͔͔̦̩̘͔̻͎͍̖̓͆͋̈́͊̓́͆̅̌̔̇̕̚͜͝ē̶̳̖͕̳̰̮͈̗̭͓̩̩̯̳̮͇̌́ͅ ̸̡̧̧͉̟̼̞̼̗̖̮̣́̓͗̌̀͊̌̌̌͊͝Ę̶͓͚̎̉̋͌̅̈́̅̂͊̾͌̉̕͘͝͠͝q̵̘͙̟͙̭͒̔̋̏̑̒͋͋͐̈́͆̓͠͝͠ų̴̰̝͚͕̟̣͋͒̂̀ę̸̧̧͚̪̫̞̭̪͕̳̦̞̂̾̀̓̓͊̉̈́̃͑̓͜͠͠ś̶̡̧̞̘͙̬̻̰͔̰͕̿̈̏̐͜t̵̺̘̙̠͇̗̥͇̹̬͈̾́́̀͛̽̓̀͛͌̿̓͆͠͝ͅr̵̯͙̜̭̣̗̙̞̠͔̜͓͖̈́͋̊͐̏̀̒̈̒͂̏̈́̓͜͝͝ī̸̢̧̱̺̜̤̜̪͉̬̓̌͛̾̽̂̂̂̚͠ͅä̶͍̦́̄̑̈̽̇͝ ̶̨̫̬͈̞̯̲͔͂͆̈͠b̷̡̜͎̟͍̞̈́̽͑͆͛̒ȩ̸͇͍̘͎̲͍̤̞̤̰͖̝̝̈́̏́͠ͅy̶̧̛̙̤͈̝̙͙̆̈͆̕o̶̢̘̬̗͎̞͚̙̞̯̳̫̙̮̖͔͓̿̔͆͒͠n̸̡̡̡̢̛͔͓̭͕͉̩͉̰̹̯͍̳̻̊͛̋̈̔̇͐͆̿̆͊̏̚͠d̷͚͍̥̝̙̹̳̫̮̫̹͓̱̲̟̀̅ ̴̤͚̟̹͚̞̓̍̄͑̎́͒́̊͑̕ţ̴̯̯̦͉͈͖̀̃̈́̓͋̒̎͐̕h̶̢͉͚̥͙͕̭̤̲́̈́̍̊͊̆̄̈́͋̐̕̚̚̚ͅī̷̧̛̯͇̼͚̩̺̪͍͇͉̲͉̇͜͝ͅṣ̸͔̐͆̌̔̊̈́̔̀ ̴͉̘͂̆͝͝r̴̨̧̢̨̼̫̰̭͖̹̮̼̣͈̳̱͕͋̒̀̚͝ę̸͕̩̝͚͙̪͙̹̪̬͌̾͊͐͑̉͑̇̒͝ä̶͓̖̫̫̺͉̜̻́̃͂̂́́͘l̴̡̫̼̜̞͙̬͖̥͍̍͑̀ͅḿ̴̧̪̥̱̯̻̱̩̠̺͔̝̝̠̏̊̀̉̀̉͌̄́̄͂̉̚͠ͅ!̶̧̧͓̫̲̳̳̤̹̩͍̲̹͍̥͑̀̈̈̐͐̾̿̈́̏” “Be SILENT!” The world returned to normal as he leaned against the statue, shaking panting as he fought against the monster hiding under his skin. He calmed down after mere moments pulling his fingers out of his skill to find they had drenched themselves in neon amber blood that seemed to squirm like a few hundred snakes crawling on top of one another. He felt the holes in his skull heal, the amber colored blood seeming to burn away. He clenched his fists gathering his bearings and let it rest on his temple. “I will not… let you possess me.” He whispered. “I will not destroy… not again.” “Coward.” The whisper told him. “You deny your destiny.” “I have no destiny.” He muttered before turning skyward, watching the stars return and cautiously begin to sing once more. “I’m sorry, I scared you all.” He told them, Creation itself as he looked to the city and started wandering off. “ I won’t return to being that thing.” He muttered. “I give you my word.” He always kept his word. It was after all, the only thing he had left. Prologue Part 2“He has returned.” Three words, three simple words echoed throughout Creation itself. The one who spoke it, had no face, no name to be given. Some might believe it belonged to the Creator who crafted all reality. Whomever it belonged to, those three words spoken, were neither in hate or joy… Rather they were spoken almost as if they were in fear. Fear of something that predated Creation, had chosen to leave the confines of their abysmal realm that rested beyond time and space, beyond light and shadow, and casualty itself… Something that had disappeared eons ago had returned. Something Neither God nor Daemon wanted to draw the eyes of. “Glad to know I haven’t been forgotten.” Hearing those three words reverberate throughout the white noise of creation, the timeless thing just took a breath as he opened his eyes. Not even bothering to focus on the dirt that filtered from one part of this warehouse to the next. Instead his gaze was turned to the sixteen stones that were dancing around him, forming two loops that met at only two points as the engraved stones brushed against one another. Light meets Darkness. Fire meets Water. Wind meets Earth. Creation meets Destruction. Spirit meets Body. Order meets Chaos. Loyalty meets Treathery. Kindness meets Hate. Generosity meets Selfishness. Trust meets Betrayal. Honesty meets Liar. Laughter meets Sadness. Trust meets Deception. Love meets Hate. Empathy meets Apathy. Magic meets Science. Each meeting of stone brings a contradiction, but without the one the other can not exist. One can not understand light without darkness, one can not understand love without knowing hate, and so on and so forth. Still disregarding that faint thought, the figure taking the form of a young man simply breathes, closes his eyes for a moment and feels the stones continue to meet and part from the rotation brought by his will. Then with another breath they disappear, seemingly burning out of this reality as he gets to his feet, doing a bit of stretching as he did so. He rolled his shoulders before reaching for his bag and pulled a flask from its confines. With his teeth he uncorked it, and took a swig before sighing in relief. Ah~ that’s the stuff.” He mused as he took another drink. Soon as he was done he glanced off somewhere staring off into the distance. “Relax.” He stated before wandering off. “I’ve no interest in causing trouble here.” “At least not yet.” The Whisper in his head replied. “You will though.” “We’ll see.” The youth took another drink before putting his flask away and stepped outside. Canterlot City, that was what a newspaper called this city. It was relatively large, but seemingly resting in a clearing surrounded on almost all sides by short mountains. Regardless it looked nice, certainly a nice change of pace from the blackness that ate the edge of creation. “It’s been a while since I felt a gentle breeze.” He muttered, raising a hand to his head and brushed his hair back. “It’s nice.” He smiled slightly. “Still.” His smile disappeared. “Let’s see what the gradual mutation of mana has done to this realm.” He walked on, hands in his pocket as he started to wander the city. Taking in the sights as he did, like a tourist just wandering about. Technically he was, so… that was an easy role to play. Sunset Shimmer’s House It was Sunday morning, and Sunset knew exactly how she wanted to spend it. Being lazy. Every Sunday was supposed to be her lazy day, where she’d just relax, take some time to unwind without any distractions and just chill before the new school week started. Admittingly enough this was a habit that hadn’t changed even before that Fall Formal so long ago. A part of her past that she just couldn’t get rid off. Not that she wanted it gone either. Still… Sitting on her couch Sunset Shimmer, former student of Princess Celestia, just sighed before folding her hands, looking at the pictures that rested on her table. Each one bringing back a memory of how these past two years had played out. The first was of her, drunk on power and transformed into the fabled She-Demon of Canterlot High. The second was a set taken from the Battle of the Bands ranging from when the Dazzlings first made their appearance in the cafeteria to the finale when a giant ethereal alicon made its appearance. The third set was of the Friendship Games, from the incident on the dirtbike track to the birth and defeat of “Midnight” Sparkle and her own unique transformation. Lastly there was the events at Camp Everfree. “Gonna have to thank Photo Finish for these.” Sunset muttered as she stared at the photos then grabbed the geode that rested before her, raising it towards the light before turning it. “Magic seems to be popping up everywhere nowadays.” She mused. That in itself was something that was both terrifying and exhilarating all the same. “Why though?” That was the big question though right? For four years she’d been in this world, but the magic only started popping up just last year. “Or has it been longer?” She fingered her geode. “According to Twilight, the Dazzlings had to have been here over a thousand years. And they could use their magic.” The teen muttered. “Could they have something to do with it, or could it have just because I brought Twilight’s crown here?” Or was it something else? “Was there magic always here and only now we’re starting to be able to access it?” Questions, but no answers. The teen sighed to herself as she let her geode rest on her table before she chose to lean back on her couch, grumbling something incomprehensible as she dropped to her side and just laid out. A pajama covered leg was raised over the armrest as she brought an arm to her head. “If I could figure out how and why this is happening now, maybe I can figure out how I get us all prepared for it.” She muttered before crossing her arms. “That’s the thing about magic though, you ain’t gotta explain shit.” She chuckled slightly, thinking about that old meme. “Still, Twilight managed to make a device that detected and stored magic, how did she even do that?” She asked herself. “I could ask her, maybe It can help me figure this out.” She mused. “But Twilight still seems a bit uncomfortable talking about magic.” A shame too. But even with their help “Midnight’s shadow” was still lingering over her, and it would take more than magic geodes to help get past that. It certainly took more than getting hit with a magic friendship laser to help Sunset get past her own issues. “Still wish it were that simple sometimes.” The teen muttered before hearing her stomach growl and she patted her belly. “Guess I’m hungry.” Well she had been up for a few hours already. “Well, when the belly calls, answer.” Getting to her feet, Sunset headed over to her fridge before pulling it open, and glanced inside. “Ugh~” Looked like she was going to need to do some food shopping today. “Well, guess I’m heading out.” She told herself before pulling out some yogurt before nudging the door closed. Canterlot High “What a mess.” Sitting on the statue that rested before Canterlot High, the figure out of reality lightly kicked out with his feet as he made a noise. “It seems that all the mana really does seem to focus in this location.” He made another noise. “And it spreads outward into the rest of the city.” He stared at the school. “I shouldn’t be too surprised, this is where the gate is afterall; Equestrian mana naturally spills into this area.” He stopped kicking with his feet. “And this place…” He muttered before looking down. “This whole city… was built on a ley line, it's a wellspring of mana, so it's no wonder the mana from Equestria was able to melt into it so easily.” He mused as he jumped off the statue and crouched down, running his fingers along the cement. “But this world Ley Line… It’s rather weak. The mana was nearly gone up until a while ago.” He muttered. “The introduction of Equestrian Mana, it’s acting as a catalyst to revitalize the esoteric half of this world.” He got to his feet. “And because it’s “otherworldly” it’s causing a mutation of sorts.” He didn’t frown, he didn’t smile, he didn’t even sigh in resignation. He just crossed his arms in thought before leaning against the statue. “If there’s anyone willing to take advantage of that though, things aren’t gonna turn out well for this place.” This time he sighed, annoyance on his face as he rubbed his temples. “Who am I kidding, of course someone will try taking advantage of it.” He watched someone leave the school and walk towards him.”For good reasons or bad, they will.” “You know which side will take advantage of this revived wellspring.” “I know.” “Excuse me.” A tall, lithe woman stopped in front of him, a gentle look on her face that hid a hardness and caution her body didn’t. “You’ve been standing in front of my school for some time, can I help you?” Her voice sounded like silk, but he heard that faint edge that rested beneath it. “This woman…” The outsider bowed, actually bowed in respect before looking at the woman that was just a bit taller than he was.”I’m sorry.” He told her before rising to his full height. “I was taking in the sights and just got lost in thought.” “I see.” That caution was still in her voice. “I’m sorry, but we don’t usually get people just staring at our school.” “I don’t intend to cause a scene or make you nervous, it’s just…” He paused looking around. “I have some things on my mind and I tend to forget that I’m not alone.” “Oh is that it.” The woman seemed to relax, but still stared at the figure that rested across from her. “As long as you have no intention of causing trouble.” “Madam I give you my word, I have no interest in bringing harm to your school.” He told her as he gave her a weak smile. “You might do it anyway though.” “Well, that’s wonderful news.” She remarked, and he noticed her glance at the statue behind him for a second. [“She knows.” “I assure you I’m not from that place.” Her eyes darted back to his face so fast he was surprised her eyes didn’t pop out of her face. “I’m sorry?” Instead of answering properly he tapped the statue. “You know what this is.” The woman just stared at him for a moment longer, before glancing at the statue again. “So…” She began. “You know about what’s been going on here.” “Actually I don’t.” He told her. “Not yet anyway.” He ran his fingers along the statue's base. “But I understand magic and mana.” The woman just looked at him a bit longer. “We should go to my office.” “As you wish.” The walk into Canterlot High was quiet, as was the walk towards the Principal’s office. In that silence Celestia could do nothing but think. This was not how she expected to handle her Sunday morning. She came in only to finish a bit of paperwork, now she was escorting a young man towards her office to talk about either the other world or magic. “I should have just brought my work home with me like Lulu told me to.” She mused as she glanced at the figure walking with her. He was a relatively tall and handsome young man, well built too. Hair as white as snow draped itself over his shoulders, and striking gold eyes rested on ash grey skin. He dressed himself in these purple-brown boots and dark grey pants, a tight blue turtleneck t-shirt and a grey trenchcoat, and lastly a cowl that rested around his throat. Realizing she was staring Celestia turned away, looking at her office door before opening it for her guest. He thanked her,wandering inside as she followed after him. “I’m sorry for the mess.” She told him circling around to sit in her desk before stacking up the papers that she had been working on not too long ago. “I was in the middle of paperwork before coming out.” “It’s fine.” Seeing she had the only chair available the figure just leaned back as if to sit, and Celestia watched as something seemed to burn into reality behind him. He created a chair out of thin air. Celestia blinked, obviously taken back by the action and made to ask what, and how he had done such a thing only to stop herself. ‘Let’s start from the beginning girl.’ She told herself. “It would be best if we start with introductions, my name is Celestia Stella. And you are?” “My name…” He mused for a moment before putting his hands in his lap. “It’s been quite some time since anyone asked me that.” He admitted before staring off into space. “And yet my name- my true name is of no consequence, as most just use my titles.” The Exiled Son… The Tainted One… Planesblight… The Trespasser… “What shall I call you then?” “Abysswalker.” He whispered after a while. “That name, that title will be as good as any.” “I see.” Celestia fell silent as she stared at the “teenager” before interlocking her thumbs. “Abysswalker…” Bit of a mouthful. “Are you… from that other world?” “No.” He admitted before glancing elsewhere. If Celestia was being honest, she could have sworn that her guest was looking through the wall itself. “But I’m not from “this world” either.” “You’re not?” “You sound surprised.” The Abysswalker looked back at her. “I really shouldn’t be.” Celestia rubbing her temples. “Ever since the Fall Formal last year, I’ve slowly grown to accept that there is magic, and other strange things out there.” He started to giggle slightly in thought. “Princess Twilight even told me that I was a pony princess in “her” world.” She admitted, amused at the memory. “Regardless, there’s a second world/realm out there, so why wouldn’t there be third?” “Trust me, there’s more than just three.” “I believe you.” She really did. “Still, what brings you “here” of all places?” “I needed no, I chose to close a door.” “Excuse me?” Celestia stared at the teen. “The door? You mean the portal to Equestria?” She felt a pit settle in her stomach. ‘Does that mean Princess Twilight won’t be coming anymore?’ That didn’t completely sit well with her. Princess Twilight had friends on this side, and now was her access to this world gone? “Why did you close it?” “Truth?” Abysswalker began. “That door should not remain open as long as it had, so long as it remains open, the Mana from Equestria will drift into this world, and it’s causing some…” He paused as he tilted his head from side to side. “issues” with this one.” “What do you mean?” “To begin, how many magic based issues have occurred in this city?” He asked her. ”At this school, three so far, and that’s not including Camp Everfree.” Celestia admitted, already catching on to what the teen was saying. “Are you saying it's related?” Your city is built on a ley line.” The Abysswalker admitted. “I don’t know how you describe it in this world, but it's a wellspring of mana, it draws magic-sensitive beings and events towards it.” He paused. “That’s how it works normally anyway.” “Normally?” “Your wellspring was near bone dry for quite a while.” He admitted. “But the introduction of the Gate, it being forced to stay open; it’s been replenishing the well, bringing magic back into this world.” “And that’s not a good thing.” “It is and it isn’t.” The Abysswalker told her. “Magic can do great things, at the same time it can bring great horrors.” No doubt you’ve seen what can do.” She has. She remembered the girls “Ponying Up” as they put it, being given amazing feats of strength, speed, flight and obviously magic. At the same time she remembered Sunset’s transformation, the school wall being destroyed and the very girl responsible being blown into a crater. She remembered what she could of the Dazzlings near tearing the school apart. She remembered the Friendship Games when Twilight - their Twilight went mad and started tearing holes open in reality itself… “So you closed the door to stop the flow.” She stated. “So will the magic fade in time now?” A shame, the girls seemed to be enjoying their newfound magic. Especially Sunset… “In time.” The teen admitted. “But the mana that flowed in is acting like a much needed catalyst. It’s spreading throughout the well and traveling to the roots.” He raised his hand seeming to stare at it. “Magic will return to this world, it will stay for a while, and though I closed the Gate that let it endlessly flow into this world, know it won’t change what has been done already. Or what will come.” “I see.” She paused. “Is…” She paused. “Our world, is my world in danger?” “The worlds are always in danger.” The teen stated with a sad smile. “From the outside things gnaw at them like a swarm of hungry piranha, biting and corrupting everything they set their eyes on.” He paused. “Inside? Well… look at your history, tell me if none might seek to use the return of magic to their favor.” She didn’t want to. “Even if you disregard them, know this; you have only lived and experienced half of your known world, the other has retreated to the shadows waiting for something to let them resurface.” He told her. “That day is coming, or maybe it has come already.” He paused as if in thought. “And your city will be at the heart of all this.” Celestia went silent. “Till then; know that in the shadows, things are watching you and they’ll come out soon.” Streets of Canterlot Sunset Shimmer yawned, tugging at her shopping bags as she made her way home. Crossing streets and passing alleyways, she failed to notice that something was lurking in the dark corners of the alleys and seemingly watching her. “Who… who are you?” Celestia paused. “What are you?” “I am something who wanders the valley where shadows forever lengthen, those passages that prey upon the weak.” He told her. “My soul, stained beyond absolution. I live within the abyss and hunt that which crawls out those unbreaking shadows. I am unsung and unrewarded for my deeds. I am the Abysswalker, and know I am neither your savior nor your destroyer.” Prologue Part 3Canterlot High hadn’t felt this cold in a long, long time. That was the thought that left Principal Celestia’s mind as she led her counterpart back through the halls of the school and towards the entrance. “Are you… ok?” The Abysswalker asked, looking to her. “No, I guess that’s the wrong question, isn’t it?” He muttered to himself. “The question shouldn’t be if you’re ok. But rather, how are you handling what’s been laid bare?” “I’m…” Celestia breathed, stopping in her tracks as she looked at her counterpart. “I’m still processing it.” She told him. “But at the same time I’m not overly surprised that something like this is happening.” The alabaster woman confessed. “With the magic that’s been growing here, the incidents at our school.” She paused before shaking her head. “Someone was bound to notice.” She remembered her conversation with Cinch during the Friendship Games earlier this year. “Obviously my students have been infected with your magic, but I plan on taking all of this up with the school board!” “Good. I'm sure they would be very interested in hearing all about the magical students with wings.” “Oh, and the portals to different dimensions.” “And don't forget to tell them about the talking dog.” “Despite what we told her.” Celestia muttered. “I was certain someone would eventually notice and start investigating.” She made a gesture with her arm. “I was expecting the Government to come see what was really going on here.” She admitted before shaking her head. “Knowing that, something else is noticing though and might come to our city - our school?” She looked at her counterpart. “I confess, I didn’t think that far ahead.” “I see.” They fell into a silence as they walked on. “But thank you for making me aware of things.” “What will you do with this knowledge?” “I can’t just keep this to myself.” Celestia stated. “I’ll call an assembly tomorrow and make sure everyone is aware so they can be careful.” She nodded at that thought. “Legally, that’s all I can do, I’m… still very new to this magic all it entails.” “I see.” Reaching the entrance of the school Celestia looked at her counterpart as the sun continued to burn behind him. “What will you do?” She asked him. “You know about what’s going on, about what will happen. What will you do?” Her counterpart turned away seeming to think. “Will you try and help us?” “I am neither savior nor destroyer.” He tells her. “I serve no cause and I have no reason to interfere with how this world may turn out.” he admits with a hint of disappointment. “I don’t even have a right to be here, but…” He looks back at her. “The shadows here have lengthened, and will continue to do so.” He told the Principal, releasing a weak chuckle. “Who better to deal with them than one who walks them?” He sounds so sad.’ Celestia thought. ‘So tired .” She stared into the teen, no, man’s eyes, seeing what rested beyond them. As the old saying went, the eyes were the windows to the soul. Look into them and one would see a person for who they truly were. In his eyes? She saw wisdom, so much wisdom and pained resignation to some awful truth. Guilt that weighed on him like a mountain. Sadness that surpassed one in mourning. Exhaustion like he’d been fighting a war for countless days - centuries even. Beyond that, she saw loneliness, one with a depth that may very well rival the ocean or the vacuum of space itself. Without a word, without thinking Celestia raised a hand to his shoulder, noticing him flinch at the contact. That little touch, and he looked ready to break. She didn’t retreat though, just stepping forward, her arm snaking around his back as she held onto him, hugged him as though he were one of her own crying students. “I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I can’t begin to understand what you have gone through.” She patted his back. “But I can see that you’ve suffered, suffered for so long, and you’d suffered alone.” She continued holding him. “I’m so sorry.” “Don’t be.” He told her, breaking the hug. “You have done nothing to force me on this path.” He admitted with a shrug. “It’s one I chose to walk, and I chose to walk it alone.” He stated before giving her a weak, but gentle smile. “But… thank you.” He told her before turning and walking away. “Know I’ll be in our city for quite a while, so know we will meet again.” He looked back at her. “Till then, be safe.” “You as well, Abysswalker.” He nodded, making a noise as he did before staring off into the distance. “That is somewhat of a mouthful, isn’t it?” He mused. “You can just call me Abyss.” Celestia smiled and nodded her head. With that he walked away, heading across the street before disappearing into the city. Celestia’s smile slowly drained as she watched him leave, and after a moment of silence she chose to sit on the steps. A few hundred thoughts bouncing around in her head as she watched the day just continue on. She didn’t really know what to think at the moment, but one thing was for certain. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her cellphone and placed a call. “Hello, sister are you done at school already?” “Not yet, but Lulu, we need to talk.” She told her. “This semester just got a lot longer.” Streets of Canterlot “That woman…” “What about her?” Abyss muttered as he continued walking through the streets. “You intend to meet her again.” “No intention actually.” The teen stated. “But I will, as the old saying go, it’s a small world, so I’m bound to run into her eventually.” “What do you intend to do when you see her again?” “Nothing.” “Liar, what are you expecting from her? Keeping your bed warm?” “Don’t be so crude.” Abyss grumbled before shaking his head. “I’ve no interest in her, be it romantically or sexually.” “So you say.” The Whisper speaks. “But bending that woman over, having her screaming your name. Ooh~ that sounds delicious.” “That won’t happen.” “You haven’t been satisfied in a good while~ and that woman-” “Be silent.” He closed his eyes, only to see the part of him that he repressed. “Remember, who you're talking to here.” The whisper said no more and he opened his eyes, pressing on through the streets as he pulled his flask out and took a drink. Sunset Shimmer’s Home She couldn’t get home fast enough. That was the thought that ran through Sunset’s mind as she locked her door and set her bags down. Taking a minute to roll her wrists the teen took a breath before putting a hand behind her head, feeling the hairs that were standing up. “That hasn’t happened in a while.” She told herself before glancing at her door and seemed to stare at it for a few short minutes. Call it instincts, call it intuition; whatever you chose to call it, it had flared up, and as it did the words “get off the streets” seemed to have been written across her brain. “Why though?” Sunset muttered as she kept the hand on her neck, and just stared at the door till the hairs on the back of her neck decided to go down. “Whatever the reason it’s gone for now.” Still. She took a few seconds to cover all her windows, making sure they were locked before texting her friends to see if they were alright. She didn’t wait for a reply though, putting her groceries up so that they wouldn’t go bad. Then she returned to her phone staring at it for a few moments before getting a few replies. “I’m fine Darling, how are you?” There’s Rarity. “Hey Sunshim!” There’s Pinkie. “Hi Sunset, I’m fine thank you for asking.” There’s Fluttershy. “Oh hey Sunset, Spike’s acting a little strange right now, can I call you back?” There’s Twilight. She waited for Rainbow Dash and Applejack, but it seemed they weren’t available at the moment. “Applejack’s probably busy at home, and Rainbow, she’s probably getting some sunday practice in.” She muttered before starting to text those she could get in contact with. “I’m fine just… wanted to make sure everyone was ok.” “I’m great!” “As am I.” “Me too.” Twilight didn’t send one unfortunately. ‘And I can’t get in contact with Rainbow and Applejack yet.’ “Is everything ok?” Fluttershy asked. “I don’t know.” Sunset texted back. “I just got this weird feeling.” “I always get weird feelings.” “Not those kind Pinkie.” Sunset couldn’t help smiling at that though. “I mean like… “danger”, “run”, “hide” those kinds of feelings. Her friends responses were almost instant. “What!” “Are you ok?” “Is someone following you!?” “Please tell me your ok.” “Do we need to call the police!?” “I’ll get back to you when I’m done calling.” “Easy girls, easy.” Sunset replied. “I’m fine, ’m at home and everythings fine. It’s just that, on my way back home I felt like someone wrote “Get off the street” across my brain in all bold.” She told them. “I got worried, so I wanted to see if everyone was ok.” “Oh… well I’m ok. But now that you mention it, Angel really didn’t want to go outside today.” “Gummy was stiff as a board this morning.” “Opal has been more fussy for some strange reason.” Sunset fell silent. Seemed the girls animal friends were acting off. “What about Ray?” She asked herself? Before looking over to her pet lizard still in his case. “Did you feel… strange today?” Ray just looked at her before seeming to nod. “Do you think there’s a connection?” “I don’t know, maybe.” Sunset muttered before glancing to her door. “Whatever caused that feeling is gone now, but…” Sunset paused before continuing her text. “Be careful going outside today, ok?” Canterlot City Abyss seemed to sigh, entering an old jazz club as he started listening to the sounds of a sax that drowned out the white noise. He didn’t know whatever song they were playing, but it didn’t matter. It had Been a while since he listened to jazz - really any form of music like this. Not only that, but the scent of rich coffee that filtered through the air was certainly inviting. Seeking out a place to sit for the moment, he holed himself up to one of the booths before leaning back to relax. “This is nice…” Jazz, music in general seemed to quiet the beast that clawed at the back of his mind. It might not have healed the scars it had left, but well, he could mend them later. Right now. “Don’t like this moment slip by you.” He mused as he saw a waitress start walking up to him. “What can I get you?” “Something strong enough to warm even a broken soul, and bring back the memories of better times.” “Coming right up big guy.” The Silence We share… This place… I remember it. The wind, the cobblestone. Why is it this place still haunts me?” Why is it that you’re still here? I let you go… Stop looking at me like that. I hurt you. Please… Canterlot Warehouse For better or for worse, the Abysswalker opened his eyes, leaving that place haunted his oldest memories. That place where he first felt at home, that place where she was.Choking on air, he raised his sleeve to his face wetting it with the silent tears that wouldn’t stop spilling out like water from a broken faucet. “Please, let me go. I’m begging you.” He choked out as he lifted his arm, letting the tears fall freely along the sides of his face. “It’s better this way.” He sat up, staring beyond the tears as he looked at nothing before wiping his face again. “You’re worse than the dead that curse my name.” He reached for his flask, quickly taking a drink; a small sip that evolved into a few gulps. The thing never emptied no matter how much he drank. Sighing in relief the Abysswalker just corked his flask before staring off into space. Drink to feel better. Drink to numb the pain. Drink to delude the memories. “And yet I can’t get that fucking buzz.” He mused before getting to his feet and headed out. It was a new day in Canterlot, best he’d find something to do. Canterlot High Teachers Lounge Everyone came in about thirty minutes earlier than normal. Celestia made certain to apologize for having her staff come in like this, but no one could find it in themselves to blame her. Then again, this was Celestia, she didn’t ask for them to come in early without good reason. And this was a pretty good one. “I’m sorry.” Nurse Redheart muttered as she looked at her superior. I need to go back one second.” No one seemed to blame her. “Some random person, just closed the magic portal that was resting in front of the school?” Celestia didn’t respond. “How? Princess said she found a way to stabilize the portal to keep it open. How did he close it?” The nurse paused. “From this side?” “That’s just it, he said he told it to stay closed unless he permits it to open again.” Celestia admitted. “I don’t understand how he made that work, but he did, and as you all saw earlier when Lulu touched the statue. It is indeed closed, and I don’t think even the Princess will be able to open it again.” She paused. “And perhaps that’s for the best.” “Because the portal was sending magic into this world, yes?” Ms. Harshwhinny kept her voice as even as ever, showing not even a hint of emotion as she stared at the school principal. “And that was what was causing the magic issues to grow more common around the city.” “I’m afraid so.” “If that is the case, what will happen with the magic still here?” Harshwhinny asked. “What exactly will we do about it?” Celestia fell silent obviously trying to find an answer to the question that presented itself before her, not just today but yesterday as well. The answer that came to her was this; “I don’t know.” She admitted. Shamefully, she wasn’t her “Equestrian” counterpart a whole world away. She didn’t grow up using, let alone understanding magic. Yes there were old myths and cartoons that mentioned it rather often, but that was just it, stories and cartoons. She didn’t know anything about how magic really worked. None of them did. “But.” Celestia spoke up again. “Here at the school, our duty is to guide and protect our students. And I’m afraid to say we have been failing in that part as of late.” She told them before looking down, staring at her coffee. “We weren’t trained for dealing with magic and people from other worlds.” She sighed. “But we can try doing better, starting by making our students aware of the situation.” She told them. “I’d like to make an announcement in the auditorium shortly after school starts, it will cut into homeroom, but is that alright with everyone?” No one complained, the sooner their students knew about this the better. The Canterlot morning was… quiet. Well, mostly anyway. It was quiet enough to let the dead speak, but it was still noticeable. Everyone was either on their way to their place of work or schooling. Meeting up with associates or friends to pass the time till they reached where they wanted - needed to go. Sitting on a park swing set, the Abysswalker just stayed silent, watching everyone just go about their morning rituals. They looked… so happy, carefree. “They don’t know what’s coming.” He muttered in regret. “We do.” The Whisper told him. “We know what is watching them even now. Waiting to wrap their claws around them and bring them into the fold.” “Those aren’t the ones I’m concerned about.” He admitted. “I’m more concerned about those that have already sunken their nails so deep that they scrape against the marrow.” Abyss whispered. “There are always those trying to grab hold of the People; twisting them, feeding off their rage, and despair, beckoning them towards the darkness.” He looked down. “They can be stopped before their plans progress too far. But those who have already found their victims, and using them to set things in motion…” They are the ones he needed to be concerned with. It wasn’t just them either, the replenished magic would draw others out. And when that happened? “How many will be lost before it all ends?” “Who the fuck cares?” “You don’t sound as enthusiastic as you should be.” The Abysswalker muttered. Usually your all for the death and suffering of others. “She came to us.” Both the Whisper and the Abysswalker fell silent. Remembering her face once more along with the heartache it brought. “Why can’t she let us go?” “Why can’t we do the same?” The Abysswalker whispered. “It hurts… it hurt so damn bad.” “Are you ok?” An airy voice caught Abyss’s attention as he looked ahead, noticing a young blond haired grey cross-eyed girl had approached him. “Yes, I’m fine.” He told her, giving a smile. “Thank you for asking.” “Than why are you smiling like that?” His new counterpart asked softly. “What do you mean?” “You’re smile’s sad.” She told him, and Abyss raised his hands to his lips. “It looks sad huh?” He whispered. “I… guess that makes sense, then again…” He paused before looking back at the girl that had approached him. “I’m sorry I lied, and that you have to see this, I’m just hurting that’s all.” “Here?” She raised a hand to her heart and he nodded. “Yeah.” The two fell into a silence as his counterpart just stared at him. “You’re heart, is it hurting too?” Mhm.” Was her response as she took the swingset next to him. “It sucks doesn’t it, The pain of heartache?" “Yeah.” She muttered before twiddling her thumbs. “Do you want to talk about it?” “Must we? Sometimes the silence speaks louder than the words.” Abyss muttered. “And having someone who you can share that deep and comfortable silence with is more memorable than any conversation.” Sometimes people force conversations, force the words out to try keeping it going, because they found the silence uncomfortable, empty even. But sometimes no words could begin to describe what was going on in a person’s head, let alone their heart so they stay silent and let that speak for them. And sharing that silence with someone who seemed to understand it, and what you were going through was more powerful than any words shared. “This is nice…” The girl spoke up after a few minutes, looking to her counterpart with a gentle smile, and he returned it. Though both were still sad in their own way, they were more honest, relieved even. Reaching into her backpack the girl pulled out a muffin before handing it out the Abysswalker. “Here.” “Thank you, but you don’t have to.” “But I want you to have it.” She told him as she put it in his hands. “And thank you for understanding.” Abyss just nodded as the girl turned and ran off, heading somewhere before he could get a word in. “Sweet girl.” “Bad judge of character though.” The Abysswalker looked at the muffin for a moment before running his hand over it, smiling slightly before bringing it to his lips to take a bite. It tasted even better than it looked. Write Me A LetterCanterlot High Music Room Sunset Shimmer, grew lost in thought as she strummed her guitar, trying to find her rhythm for the band practice day. “Sunset, sunset?” Someone snapped their fingers in her face as she came out of wherever her mind had gone too. “Yo, sunset you there?” “Hm?” Shaking her head, Sunset turned staring at Rainbow Dash as she saw the girl frown at her. “Sorry are we about to start.” “More like end sugar.” Applejack stated, putting her bass away. “Really?” She turned towards the clock checking the time. “But its still a bit early.” “Yeah, but nothing sounds right.” Rainbow Dash muttered, crossing her arms for a moment. “So let’s call it a day girls.” “I agree.” Rarity muttered as she looked out the window, seemingly staring at something in the distance. The room fell silent after that, the seven girls growing trapped in their own thoughts as they recalled what was said earlier in the day. “I can’t believe it’s gone.” Fluttershy muttered as she hugged her knees. “The portal isn’t gone, Shy.” Applejack muttered. “It’s closed.” She corrected the girl as she settled down, adjusting her hat as she did so. “I just don’t know how in tarnations that’s possible.” She confessed. “Ah mean, Twilight - Princess Twilight managed to find a way to open it from her side right? How can someone just close it from this side?” “Magic.” Sunset said offhanded as she continued strumming her guitar. “Magic opened it, but magic can close it too.” Sunset stated. “But who… what has that kind of magic at their disposal, and on this side of the portal?” “I thought we were the only ones with magic.” Pinkie Pie muttered, oddly calm in contrast to her usual manners. “It’s… not that we’re the only ones with magic.” Sunset corrected the girl. “It’s more that we’re the only ones who we know can use it.” She reached for her geode, raising it to the light. “Gloriosa had Equestrian magic too until we stopped her, who’s to say she’s the only one whose learned to harness it.” Sunset muttered. “And Principal Celestia said that the magic has been coming from the other world to this one right?” Twilight - their Twilight muttered as she twiddled her thumbs. “Equestria.” “What?” “Equestria.” Sunset said. “That other world is called Equestria.” Sunset stated as she stopped strumming her guitar and frowned. “But yeah, magic has been filtering into this world for a while now, at least, that’s what Principal Celestia said at the auditorium.” She paused in thought. “To be honest, I wasn’t even aware it could do that.” “Really?” Pinkie pipped in as she twirled one of her drumstick. “But when I think about it, it makes a bit of sense.” “How so darling?” “When I was in training, my teacher told me that magic runs throughout the world, we draw from this sort of… grid to fill our reserves and then we’re able to use it. She said it was stronger in some places and that allowed us to draw upon even more magic to use.” She paused as if in thought. “But she also said that there were places where the background mana was weaker, and even in some places it was completely gone; in that case it would be completely impossible to use magic.” She paused again, seeming to shiver at a bad memory. “That was the first lesson I managed to recall when I came to this world, cause my magic was just…” Sunset went looking for the word. “Not gone, at least not at first, but after a few short weeks I realized mana wasn’t “flowing” in this world, the wellspring it all came from was dry.” She seemed to continue thinking as everyone listening. “What did that feel like?” Fluttershy whispered. “Terrifying.” Was Sunset’s answer.”I’ve been able to use magic ever since I was little, it was a part of me…” Sunset muttered. “And when I came here, it felt like part of me was dying.” She shivered again. “But after the Battle of the Bands, it felt like the part of me I was losing was “back” I was too happy to question it, but now? Now it’s all starting to make a bit of sense.” Sunset muttered. “Magic in this world was gone, and now it’s coming back.” “And that’s not a good thing.” “It should be, but if what Principal Celestia said was true, it’s not the only thing that’s coming back.” Sunset stated as she continued staring at the ceiling. “What’s coming thou?” Applejack asked as Sunset shook her head, not really knowing how to answer that. “I don’t know.” She finally confessed. “All i can say is, it’s “coming”, and Princess Twilight won’t be able to help us deal with it, unless she can figure out how to open it again.” Sunset her paused. "Should see even try opening it to begin with." She looked to the girls for a moment. “If its open, more magic from Equestria will just filter in, and if that happens...” “It might make things worse.” Fluttershy whispered as Sunset nodded her head. “Man this sucks!” Rainbow Dash kicked air. “This sounds like a magical emergency if I ever heard one! And one Princess Twilight can’t help us out with!” “What about your journal darling?” Rarity asked. “Can you still get a message out to her?” Sunset seemed to think before reaching for her bag, pulling out her journal as she opened it. “I don’t know, I can try and see what happens, but... I can’t make any promises.” She pulled out a pen and took a breath. Hoping more than she had in a good while that someone answered. “Dear Princess Twilight. I feel like everytime I try contacting you it’s because something bad is happening on this side of the portal. Hate to say it, but… somethings happened again, or it’s been happening for a while now. I need to talk to you. Please get back as soon as you can.” “Alright that should do it.” Sunset muttered before closing the book and took a breath. “And now we play the waiting game.” Pinkie said in a tone that showed she was trying to lighten the mood. A silence followed. “So what do we do now?” “Well, practice feels like a bust.” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “Anything to talk about?” “Actually…” Rarity muttered as she looked to Sunset. “Were Winona and Tank acting strange yesterday?” Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked at each other for a moment, obviously taken back by the question. “Well… yeah Tank would hardly come out his shell, even when I brought out his favorite food.” Rainbow confessed. “Winona wouldn’t stop barkin’ at shadows.” Applejack admitted. “And when I put a hand on her to try calmin’ her down… I swear on my name I ain’t ever felt so tense.” “We thought so.” Rarity muttered as she and the girls explained how their own pets had been acting yesterday. “Twilight dear what about Spike?” “He wasn’t himself either. When I got him alone to ask him what was wrong, he said something was outside with us.” “Ok, that can’t be coincidence.” “It probably isn’t.” Fluttershuy spoke up. “Some animals are said to sense danger, its how some can avoid predators.” “I’ve heard about that.” Twilight spoke up. “Some believe it might be due to their heightened senses that grant them this form of precognition. Supposedly they can even predict when natural disasters like earthquakes are about to happen.” “You think that’s what was happen?” Applejack asked. “Our pets were tellin’ us something bad was gonna happen around us?” “I can’t see any other way to explain it.” Sunset muttered before looking towards the window. “They know something bad is coming, but what though?” She muttered before putting a hand behind her head. “That’s the question right now.” Canterlot City The noise was coming back. The screaming, the curses. He tried drowning them out, but, well he knew from experience that that was near impossible. They filled in the silence that danced across his mind. Raising a hand to his head the Abyss Walker tried breathing, tried clearing his head a bit as he walked the streets of Canterlot. “I need something to drown them out.” He muttered. “I need to quiet them for a moment.” He told himself before glancing around, spying “ghosts” swimming around him like groupies around a superstar. He walked on. He walked for what felt like hours. He didn’t know where he was going, he didn’t care either. All he needed to know was that his feet were guiding him somewhere. He walked miles in a day, took in the city for what it was. Greeted the few who were kind enough to notice him. He entered a music shop for a bit, sampled what musicians this world had to offer. Many were good, but they didn’t suit his tastes. He walked past an animal rescue center; refusing to go in as rescues rarely took to him. He visited the mall; wandered in and out of stores to see what they had to offer. “I’m BORED!” The Whisper in his mind shouted as he just shook his head. “What do yu want me to do about it?” “Let’s go kill something I wanna feel some warm blood.” “No.” Abyss muttered as he leaned against a street light and seemed to stare across the street, eyes looking into a reflection cast by a window as he stared at the twisted mockery that was sharing his form. “We don’t have a target to focus on, and we don’t do innocents.” “I don’t care.” The reflection shouted. “I am bored, show me blood!” It shouted again. “I want to hear screams!” “I wanna feel bones crack! “I want you to turn this city into a red ocean!” “I refuse.” The Abyss Walker stated as he turned his head to look at another building and saw a closer incarnation of his twisted shadow. “You’re hunger… our hunger, our hate… the people here will not be our outlet.” He told his shadow. “You will sate my hunger.” “You can’t be satisfied.” Abyss glanced at the still red light as the windows started to crack. “Don’t.” He told his shadow. “Calm down.” “Or what?” “Do you want to be chained up again?” The shadow continued to growl as the glass continued to crack. “Chaining me up does nothing.” “It angers you.” Abyss muttered before staring into the distance. “Huh…” he muttered before glancing at his reflection. “You felt that right?” “How could I not?” “There’s a shadow hunting, and at this hour no less.” The Abyss Walker muttered as the light turned green. “You’re in luck, we have something to hunt down now.”
Prologue… In my dreams, I smell the old lands. I hear children playing. I think I see someone. These feelings, they’re not for me. . I move by shadows, among the unsung. The dream fades, submerged by a suffocating, cold darkness. Just like that it’s gone, leaving behind nothing but choking shadows as well as something else. What is it? “Rain.” The tears of the sky; he loved it just as much as he found himself hating it. Opening his eyes the cloaked figure glanced about. Nothing, not light not dust pierced the dark blanket that enveloped this land. A darkness was deluding the senses almost to the point of madness. He didn’t mind it. “Why should you?” Sighing, the figure sat up, stretching slightly as he listened to the rain that seemed just beyond him. He stared into an unbreaking darkness, getting to his feet before seeming to reach for something. “Oh right.” He muttered. “He muttered. “Lantern’s broken.” He mused before sighing to himself. “Gotta find some parts to repair that.” “Why bother.” Something called to him. “You don’t need it.” A voice speaks from the blackness. “You never needed it.” It doesn't lie. Though not “nocturnal” in nature, he had been born with rather acute nightvision. No matter how black the darkness became he saw it as clear as day. Still, he detested these eyes, eyes that glowed like molten gold in both shadow and light. “It’s part of you though.” The whispers state. “Embrace it.” The figure just breathes, closing his eyes to see something smiling at him. Opening his eyes again, he scans the dark horizon; taking it in, staring at what looks like the mouth of a cave giving way to the gravelands of a broken world. Weeds and cracked stone, decay and broken bones. All as far as these cursed eyes could see. Gazing beyond the mouth of his temporary abode he breathes,wandering forward and stepping into the rain. Not even bothering to pull his hood up, just letting the rain wash over him like he was wading through water. These gravelands they were old - older than him and that was saying something. Resting far beyond the realms where the Creator’s light and laws existed, the resting place of the old realms forgotten, untethered and adrift in the fathomless blackness. It was home to secrets better left buried, powers left forgotten and monstrosities best left unseen. Those beyond called it the Abyss, the Blackness that may one day envelop creation. Those within? Well they didn’t call it anything. These gravelands didn’t need a name to be called, it was their home, their den whose reach extended far past the pitiful excuse for the multiverse that existed under the Creator’s light. “I want their blood.” The whisper returns. “The creator’s blood… how… delicious.” It purrs as he walks on. “You want it too.” True words or a false statement, the figure wasn’t too sure; nor would he give the whisper the pleasure of an answer. Lightning punctured the sky for but a moment and thunder roared like the drums of war. It didn’t faze him, though his gaze turned skyward as if searching for something. Whatever he found - whatever he failed to find eluded even him, so he just turned his gaze forward to walk on. Disappearing into a random shadow-kissed direction. Disregard the rain, discard the thunder. The shadows were not silent, and they were not empty. He heard them whisper and scream and curse, plead and beg and mourn. He saw them glare and point. Shaking his head once, then several more times, he breathed, trying to drown them out; the voices of the dead that haunted him. ‘Listen to their screams.” The whisper sounded almost delighted, almost aroused as he moved on. “Do they not sound beautiful?” “No, they don’t.” The figure mutters as he moves on. “Be quiet, all of you.” The dead do not listen, their screams and wails form a song that plagues him like an affliction. “Please, just be quiet.” They refuse, and all he can do is listen to their wicked words, breath, and press on. It was all he could ever do. How long does he bother walking? That is a question that can not be answered. All he knows is that he walks, and the broken land beneath him refuses to change, refuse to give wave to a road of any kind. In a contradiction, cursed eyes grant blessed vision, and he sees nothing. No old roads make themselves known to him, and no hint of life or shelter tells him where shelter of mankind might be. Then again he actually wasn’t looking for something like that in the first place. Still knowing bhis luck he’d find such a place anyway. Eventually of course. Meanwhile the storm continues; it does not grow, it does not waver. It just… continues; without pause, without interruption. The thunder, the lightning are a blessing. In the brief moments they come, the voices fall silent he is reminded he is alone in this unbroken darkness. “You are never alone.” The whisper sounds almost tauntingly, even lovingly. “I am always here with you.” “I know.” The figure mutters and moves on. It “feels” like a longtime before his eyes see something. It’s a building. It’s light is being choked by darkness, but still the light shines. It was lonely, and not what he sought. Still it drew him towards it, like a shark smelling blood. It is with an uneasy trepidation that he found himself approaching this lonely light, as he listened to the buzzing that left it. Why does it buzz? What sorcery causes this? It isn’t such a thing. Only the reverberations of a weeping fabric, one that composed of everything in and outside of “reality”. Space and time; everywhere and nowhere, the future, the past. The whisper shudders in delight. “Listen to the weeping of tattered reality…” He does. “Don’t you love it?” “No.” The figure mutters. “I don’t.” “You lie~” He wasn’t sure which of them was telling the truth, himself or the voice in the blackness. Even if he did, it wouldn’t change anything. Reaching out the figure just breathed, touching something that was both everywhere and nowhere and seemed to sigh. “TIt wasn’t torn on this side.” The figure mused. “This is just the “exit hole”.” He told himself. “Have to close it on the “entrance”.” “Leave it.” The whisper growled in his ear. “Leave it, let it grow…” “No.” He muttered as he “released” a tear both everywhere and nowhere at once. “I let it grow, and the others will find it, step beyond the “door” and go wherever this begins.” The whisper growls. “Why?” It hisses. “All will be devoured by the Abyss, why do you deny it’s hunger?” “It isn’t this realm’s time yet.” The figure muttered as he tapped one point, the tear and then the next, enforcing hiss will on it’s own and causing not to change. “When it’s time… it will be fed upon, until then.” He paused as the weeping both reality and unreality grew to be screaming. “Let them live in peace.” The whispered growled at him. “I *hate* you.” “I know.” The figure dived into the screaming tear. “I hate me too.” There is no single door between two realities. One doesn’t just “open” it and then you find another realm at the other end of it. It’s a network, forged from tunnels that branch out like the intricate web woven by an ethereal spider. Opening one door in one realm leads one into the labyrinthine tunnels. Finding another and opening it? Only then will one be able to leave it and reach the next realm. And he knew exactly which tunnel to go down and which door to open. He could be blind, deaf, dumb, and amputated, her would still be able to find the door he needed to seek out. He always knew. Leaving the tear, the door into limbo - the space between realms, the figure just took a moment to look around. The rain didn’t reach here, but he did find that the night had taken this world. Above he saw the half moon and the stars as they sang a melody that existed only in what others called white noise. When was the last time he saw the beauty of a night sky? “Six millennia ago.” “That so; my how time flies.” The figure muttered before looking around, taking notice of the city that rested before him, and then the statue that his back was pressed against and the courtyard and building that rested beyond. “So.” He mused.” This is where the door was opened.” He continued as vapors left his cloaked form and it started to change. It wasn’t just his cloak, his body was changing with it. Transmogrification; shapeshifting. The trick was so old even the combined age of several hundred realities would not begin to rival it’s age. Resting his fingers, the figure just ran his hand against the statue's base before making a noise. “I see.” He mused. So that’s why it’s here.” He thought as saw the story etched not into the stone but rather time itself. Stories written upon separate events came to him. The first story was of a ghost leaving the statue, wobbling as they did so.. The second story was of the same ghost this time going back into the statue and returning. The third was of another ghost falling outside of the statue accompanied by a pup of some sort. The fourth was of that ghost returning to the statue. The fifth; they return again. The sixth they leave again. The seventh two approach, one ghost he could recognize and one similar but not exactly like the other. The eighth; The other ghost returned, meeting the one that was similar to them. “This statue is a gateway.” The figure muttered to himself dragging his fingers as he started to wander around the statue. “Someone turned it into a door to enter this world.” He walked to the otherside before tapping it, watching stone ripple. “It’s been tampered with too.It won’t close normally.” He mused. “In that case~” He tapped it again, this time extending his will to dominate the doorway. “May none enter nor exit this realm from this side without my consent.” The statue shuttered, like a child scared of being reprimanded by their parents. Removing his finger he tapped it several more times, the hardness of stone meeting him as he nodded. That does it for this one.” He mused before wandering back to the other side and stared at the fluctuations of space-time still present. “Still, it looks like someone was able to extract part of the mana that opened it from this side and made a second door.” He touched it. “I wonder why.” “Who the fuck cares? He closed the door. Putting his hand down before looking at the statuer and to the school beyond. “Well that takes care of that.” He mused before going silent and just listened to his surroundings. “I sense two forms of mana in this world.” He muttered under his breath before looking back to the statue. “What rests here is…” “Equestrian.” The whisper in the night spat the words out as though they were some kind of curse. Meanwhile the figure just stared at the closed gateway before frowning. “Equestrian Mana.” He muttered. “You lead to an Equestrian realm.” He began, and with how long you have been open you have been spreading, infecting this world with its mana. The statue seemed to shudder again, as he raised an arm. “I don’t blame you.” He glided his hand over the statue as though he were being careful with an abused pet. “You did nothing wrong. You didn’t ask to be created, let alone be forced open.” He whispered. “I know that feeling well.” He told it. “What’s done is done, and though you are closed now, the intrusion of Equestrian magic will remain, merging with the remnants of mana still floating about in this realm, and mutating it. “Destroy it.” The Whisper growled. “Destroy the magic.” He held his head. “D̸̢̨̯͖͇̘͉̹͚̤̊́̽̚̕ę̶̤͕͔͉̰͓̤̺͍͚̠͔̮̅̆̉̅̋s̵̢̢̹̪͉̰̟̟̪̗͈̘̗̩͌̃̿̕t̴͔͓̜͓̮͓̹͙͉̄̓́͌ṛ̴̡̪̪̼̺͕̲̀̀́̃͠ǫ̴̞͖̤̺͙̹͙͎̗̫̫͌͛̐̾́̄͆̉͂̒͂̊͘ͅȳ̴̡̜̘͉̤̤̲͉̳̣̫͕̻͔͕̼̉̈́͑͜ ̵͕̟̦̭̦̫̦̱̲̠̻͔͎̍̃́̌̐̚͠͝͝t̷̲̤̣̳́̑͒̌̉̏̿̈́͐̌̄͗̕ͅh̵̥̦̦̲̯̟̮̮̱͉͖̘̩̼͒̀̇̎̀͂̿̓̀̐̇͘͠í̸̛̥̭͎̥̗̹̝̜̩̘̣̮͉͇̠̱̂̎s̴̳̈͛͋͌̅̂͂͌͌̈̈́͒̕̚͝͠͝ ̴̨̛̫͇͕̳͎̠̥̭͍̼̪̬͚͕̅̄͑̆͛̈́̔̄̂̓͊̓̕͝w̶̡̨̨̫̗͖͚̟̱̠̭͚͑̅̂͋̈́̃͘̕͝ơ̴̢̡̛̜̙̜̱̭̻̠̅̆̍̀̈́̓̉̒͌̋̉̕̕͘̕͜͜ȑ̷̨̧̲̺̹̳̻̟͙̜͇͍͉̎̇́̂͒́̚ļ̵̢̞̰̱̲͉̯͇̞̼̺͕͓̻̹͗͝ͅḍ̸̛̛̱͎̫̩͍̳͕̪̹̽͊͌̈́̂̌̎̋̀͋̈́̒ͅ.̵̲̯̩͕̭͙̣̲̙̫̩̭̠͓̪̈́̃́̀̇.̶̢̛̱̱̤̤̈̐̿́̀͒̌̾̚̚͝ͅ.̶̼̊̾͐̃̈́͑̓͗̕” “Be quiet.” “D̷̨̮͔͎̙̜̂̿͜͝͝ę̷̢̻̳̻͎͖͈̖͉̉̊͂̃̀̅̈͐͐͘͜͠͝ͅs̶̢̯̹̖͇͔̆͒͘͜ͅͅt̸̢͚̤̳̼̬̠̲̞̙̪͔̅̾̃̌̉͆̇͛̈̒̀͑̌̓͛͝͠ͅr̵̲̟͎̟̤̈̓̂̀̉̓̈̀̀͛̾͊̿͌͝ỏ̶̧̞̞͙̻̞͓͈̟̹̞͔̥͇̟͂̌̈̊̓͒̇͆̓̊͑̏̀͑̆͘y̵̢̧̧̟̅̍̇̇͝͝ ̶͚̥̹͎͇̯͖̓̏̒́̔͆̒t̵̛͍̬͚̞̬͕̤̩͚͎͉̲͕̀̊̆̄̉͒̈́̒̈̄͗̊͝ͅh̴͓̥͗̇̀̑̒͐̎̿̌̽́̓͘͠͝e̸̡̧̛̯̮͎͎̱̟͈͚̘̭̣̼͇̟̓͜ ̵̬͓̤̌͗̈́̚r̷̩̘̳̩̪͖̼̅̀̆̀͒̊̆̐͑͌̍̑̏̕e̶̗͈͉͒̑̿̋͛̅͠ȧ̸̧̻͔̼̣͔͕͓̪̩l̸͉̗̗̪̼͚̑̀́̓̈́̚ͅm̵͈̲̤̱̱̟̪̮͚͂̿̈̓͑̿ ̶̨̩͓͚̺͈̫̤̖͙̙̻́̽͐͋͗̈́̉͑̾̽́͐̇̀̏͘ͅb̵̬̻̝̩̬̪͎͖͈̄͌͆͜e̷̪̖̟͍͙̗̙̻̻̱͉͖̬̓̓͜͝y̵̛̹͈͚̬̱̩͈͙͎͍̣͓̹̭̍͐̒̌̾͗̈̋͆̀̚̚̚͝͝͝ͅȯ̷̪̰͐̒̃̋̏̿͆̏̂̊̃̒͋n̶̢͐̓̀́ḑ̴̝̱͙͚̥̩͖̫̯̣̼͙͐̀͝.̴͕̙͙̱̪̈́́͂̽̽̕͝͝ͅ.̴̳̬̟̫̣̼̭̗̞̰̔̿ͅ.̵̨̨̧̛̗̝̪̭͎̜̦̻̥͎̌͒͑͒͂̐̊̌͋̈̈́̂̏͜͝” The whisper continued as his shadow started to shift. The ground started to shake and crack. The air started to suffocate, grow rancid. The song of the stars fell silent as they began to disappear, running away like scared children. The sleeping Gods of this realm started to stir, fright etched onto their essence as they felt ready to abandon their own dimension. “D̵̡͈̖̱̼̮̝̮̦͇͚͎͒̍͆̀̆̾̄̕ͅe̵̢̲̦̙̜͍͖̤̼͔̻̟̜͚̝͔̥̅̌̔̔̔̎͊͛̍͒ṡ̵̡͙̗̼̩̣̠͇̠͈̩̻́̓́̅̈́̕͜͝t̸̛̤̪̼͉͔̻̼͉̼̖̻̰͍̪̗̥̓̈̐̔r̴͍̫̥̗̮̭̱̠̠͔̣͚̟̫͎̬̐͒̄̚ͅǫ̴̢̬͔̫̠̘͚̳͓͇͖͂̅͐̉̍͊y̴̧̲̥͍̘̮̩̐͂̍̓̊̑͗͒̋̂̿̈́̋̚͝͝ ̷̟͙̯̿͋̈́̎́͗̉͑̔̓̕͘̕͘ͅt̷̖̟̀̑̕͠h̶͉͔͔̦̩̘͔̻͎͍̖̓͆͋̈́͊̓́͆̅̌̔̇̕̚͜͝ē̶̳̖͕̳̰̮͈̗̭͓̩̩̯̳̮͇̌́ͅ ̸̡̧̧͉̟̼̞̼̗̖̮̣́̓͗̌̀͊̌̌̌͊͝Ę̶͓͚̎̉̋͌̅̈́̅̂͊̾͌̉̕͘͝͠͝q̵̘͙̟͙̭͒̔̋̏̑̒͋͋͐̈́͆̓͠͝͠ų̴̰̝͚͕̟̣͋͒̂̀ę̸̧̧͚̪̫̞̭̪͕̳̦̞̂̾̀̓̓͊̉̈́̃͑̓͜͠͠ś̶̡̧̞̘͙̬̻̰͔̰͕̿̈̏̐͜t̵̺̘̙̠͇̗̥͇̹̬͈̾́́̀͛̽̓̀͛͌̿̓͆͠͝ͅr̵̯͙̜̭̣̗̙̞̠͔̜͓͖̈́͋̊͐̏̀̒̈̒͂̏̈́̓͜͝͝ī̸̢̧̱̺̜̤̜̪͉̬̓̌͛̾̽̂̂̂̚͠ͅä̶͍̦́̄̑̈̽̇͝ ̶̨̫̬͈̞̯̲͔͂͆̈͠b̷̡̜͎̟͍̞̈́̽͑͆͛̒ȩ̸͇͍̘͎̲͍̤̞̤̰͖̝̝̈́̏́͠ͅy̶̧̛̙̤͈̝̙͙̆̈͆̕o̶̢̘̬̗͎̞͚̙̞̯̳̫̙̮̖͔͓̿̔͆͒͠n̸̡̡̡̢̛͔͓̭͕͉̩͉̰̹̯͍̳̻̊͛̋̈̔̇͐͆̿̆͊̏̚͠d̷͚͍̥̝̙̹̳̫̮̫̹͓̱̲̟̀̅ ̴̤͚̟̹͚̞̓̍̄͑̎́͒́̊͑̕ţ̴̯̯̦͉͈͖̀̃̈́̓͋̒̎͐̕h̶̢͉͚̥͙͕̭̤̲́̈́̍̊͊̆̄̈́͋̐̕̚̚̚ͅī̷̧̛̯͇̼͚̩̺̪͍͇͉̲͉̇͜͝ͅṣ̸͔̐͆̌̔̊̈́̔̀ ̴͉̘͂̆͝͝r̴̨̧̢̨̼̫̰̭͖̹̮̼̣͈̳̱͕͋̒̀̚͝ę̸͕̩̝͚͙̪͙̹̪̬͌̾͊͐͑̉͑̇̒͝ä̶͓̖̫̫̺͉̜̻́̃͂̂́́͘l̴̡̫̼̜̞͙̬͖̥͍̍͑̀ͅḿ̴̧̪̥̱̯̻̱̩̠̺͔̝̝̠̏̊̀̉̀̉͌̄́̄͂̉̚͠ͅ!̶̧̧͓̫̲̳̳̤̹̩͍̲̹͍̥͑̀̈̈̐͐̾̿̈́̏” “Be SILENT!” The world returned to normal as he leaned against the statue, shaking panting as he fought against the monster hiding under his skin. He calmed down after mere moments pulling his fingers out of his skill to find they had drenched themselves in neon amber blood that seemed to squirm like a few hundred snakes crawling on top of one another. He felt the holes in his skull heal, the amber colored blood seeming to burn away. He clenched his fists gathering his bearings and let it rest on his temple. “I will not… let you possess me.” He whispered. “I will not destroy… not again.” “Coward.” The whisper told him. “You deny your destiny.” “I have no destiny.” He muttered before turning skyward, watching the stars return and cautiously begin to sing once more. “I’m sorry, I scared you all.” He told them, Creation itself as he looked to the city and started wandering off. “ I won’t return to being that thing.” He muttered. “I give you my word.” He always kept his word. It was after all, the only thing he had left.
Prologue Part 2“He has returned.” Three words, three simple words echoed throughout Creation itself. The one who spoke it, had no face, no name to be given. Some might believe it belonged to the Creator who crafted all reality. Whomever it belonged to, those three words spoken, were neither in hate or joy… Rather they were spoken almost as if they were in fear. Fear of something that predated Creation, had chosen to leave the confines of their abysmal realm that rested beyond time and space, beyond light and shadow, and casualty itself… Something that had disappeared eons ago had returned. Something Neither God nor Daemon wanted to draw the eyes of. “Glad to know I haven’t been forgotten.” Hearing those three words reverberate throughout the white noise of creation, the timeless thing just took a breath as he opened his eyes. Not even bothering to focus on the dirt that filtered from one part of this warehouse to the next. Instead his gaze was turned to the sixteen stones that were dancing around him, forming two loops that met at only two points as the engraved stones brushed against one another. Light meets Darkness. Fire meets Water. Wind meets Earth. Creation meets Destruction. Spirit meets Body. Order meets Chaos. Loyalty meets Treathery. Kindness meets Hate. Generosity meets Selfishness. Trust meets Betrayal. Honesty meets Liar. Laughter meets Sadness. Trust meets Deception. Love meets Hate. Empathy meets Apathy. Magic meets Science. Each meeting of stone brings a contradiction, but without the one the other can not exist. One can not understand light without darkness, one can not understand love without knowing hate, and so on and so forth. Still disregarding that faint thought, the figure taking the form of a young man simply breathes, closes his eyes for a moment and feels the stones continue to meet and part from the rotation brought by his will. Then with another breath they disappear, seemingly burning out of this reality as he gets to his feet, doing a bit of stretching as he did so. He rolled his shoulders before reaching for his bag and pulled a flask from its confines. With his teeth he uncorked it, and took a swig before sighing in relief. Ah~ that’s the stuff.” He mused as he took another drink. Soon as he was done he glanced off somewhere staring off into the distance. “Relax.” He stated before wandering off. “I’ve no interest in causing trouble here.” “At least not yet.” The Whisper in his head replied. “You will though.” “We’ll see.” The youth took another drink before putting his flask away and stepped outside. Canterlot City, that was what a newspaper called this city. It was relatively large, but seemingly resting in a clearing surrounded on almost all sides by short mountains. Regardless it looked nice, certainly a nice change of pace from the blackness that ate the edge of creation. “It’s been a while since I felt a gentle breeze.” He muttered, raising a hand to his head and brushed his hair back. “It’s nice.” He smiled slightly. “Still.” His smile disappeared. “Let’s see what the gradual mutation of mana has done to this realm.” He walked on, hands in his pocket as he started to wander the city. Taking in the sights as he did, like a tourist just wandering about. Technically he was, so… that was an easy role to play. Sunset Shimmer’s House It was Sunday morning, and Sunset knew exactly how she wanted to spend it. Being lazy. Every Sunday was supposed to be her lazy day, where she’d just relax, take some time to unwind without any distractions and just chill before the new school week started. Admittingly enough this was a habit that hadn’t changed even before that Fall Formal so long ago. A part of her past that she just couldn’t get rid off. Not that she wanted it gone either. Still… Sitting on her couch Sunset Shimmer, former student of Princess Celestia, just sighed before folding her hands, looking at the pictures that rested on her table. Each one bringing back a memory of how these past two years had played out. The first was of her, drunk on power and transformed into the fabled She-Demon of Canterlot High. The second was a set taken from the Battle of the Bands ranging from when the Dazzlings first made their appearance in the cafeteria to the finale when a giant ethereal alicon made its appearance. The third set was of the Friendship Games, from the incident on the dirtbike track to the birth and defeat of “Midnight” Sparkle and her own unique transformation. Lastly there was the events at Camp Everfree. “Gonna have to thank Photo Finish for these.” Sunset muttered as she stared at the photos then grabbed the geode that rested before her, raising it towards the light before turning it. “Magic seems to be popping up everywhere nowadays.” She mused. That in itself was something that was both terrifying and exhilarating all the same. “Why though?” That was the big question though right? For four years she’d been in this world, but the magic only started popping up just last year. “Or has it been longer?” She fingered her geode. “According to Twilight, the Dazzlings had to have been here over a thousand years. And they could use their magic.” The teen muttered. “Could they have something to do with it, or could it have just because I brought Twilight’s crown here?” Or was it something else? “Was there magic always here and only now we’re starting to be able to access it?” Questions, but no answers. The teen sighed to herself as she let her geode rest on her table before she chose to lean back on her couch, grumbling something incomprehensible as she dropped to her side and just laid out. A pajama covered leg was raised over the armrest as she brought an arm to her head. “If I could figure out how and why this is happening now, maybe I can figure out how I get us all prepared for it.” She muttered before crossing her arms. “That’s the thing about magic though, you ain’t gotta explain shit.” She chuckled slightly, thinking about that old meme. “Still, Twilight managed to make a device that detected and stored magic, how did she even do that?” She asked herself. “I could ask her, maybe It can help me figure this out.” She mused. “But Twilight still seems a bit uncomfortable talking about magic.” A shame too. But even with their help “Midnight’s shadow” was still lingering over her, and it would take more than magic geodes to help get past that. It certainly took more than getting hit with a magic friendship laser to help Sunset get past her own issues. “Still wish it were that simple sometimes.” The teen muttered before hearing her stomach growl and she patted her belly. “Guess I’m hungry.” Well she had been up for a few hours already. “Well, when the belly calls, answer.” Getting to her feet, Sunset headed over to her fridge before pulling it open, and glanced inside. “Ugh~” Looked like she was going to need to do some food shopping today. “Well, guess I’m heading out.” She told herself before pulling out some yogurt before nudging the door closed. Canterlot High “What a mess.” Sitting on the statue that rested before Canterlot High, the figure out of reality lightly kicked out with his feet as he made a noise. “It seems that all the mana really does seem to focus in this location.” He made another noise. “And it spreads outward into the rest of the city.” He stared at the school. “I shouldn’t be too surprised, this is where the gate is afterall; Equestrian mana naturally spills into this area.” He stopped kicking with his feet. “And this place…” He muttered before looking down. “This whole city… was built on a ley line, it's a wellspring of mana, so it's no wonder the mana from Equestria was able to melt into it so easily.” He mused as he jumped off the statue and crouched down, running his fingers along the cement. “But this world Ley Line… It’s rather weak. The mana was nearly gone up until a while ago.” He muttered. “The introduction of Equestrian Mana, it’s acting as a catalyst to revitalize the esoteric half of this world.” He got to his feet. “And because it’s “otherworldly” it’s causing a mutation of sorts.” He didn’t frown, he didn’t smile, he didn’t even sigh in resignation. He just crossed his arms in thought before leaning against the statue. “If there’s anyone willing to take advantage of that though, things aren’t gonna turn out well for this place.” This time he sighed, annoyance on his face as he rubbed his temples. “Who am I kidding, of course someone will try taking advantage of it.” He watched someone leave the school and walk towards him.”For good reasons or bad, they will.” “You know which side will take advantage of this revived wellspring.” “I know.” “Excuse me.” A tall, lithe woman stopped in front of him, a gentle look on her face that hid a hardness and caution her body didn’t. “You’ve been standing in front of my school for some time, can I help you?” Her voice sounded like silk, but he heard that faint edge that rested beneath it. “This woman…” The outsider bowed, actually bowed in respect before looking at the woman that was just a bit taller than he was.”I’m sorry.” He told her before rising to his full height. “I was taking in the sights and just got lost in thought.” “I see.” That caution was still in her voice. “I’m sorry, but we don’t usually get people just staring at our school.” “I don’t intend to cause a scene or make you nervous, it’s just…” He paused looking around. “I have some things on my mind and I tend to forget that I’m not alone.” “Oh is that it.” The woman seemed to relax, but still stared at the figure that rested across from her. “As long as you have no intention of causing trouble.” “Madam I give you my word, I have no interest in bringing harm to your school.” He told her as he gave her a weak smile. “You might do it anyway though.” “Well, that’s wonderful news.” She remarked, and he noticed her glance at the statue behind him for a second. [“She knows.” “I assure you I’m not from that place.” Her eyes darted back to his face so fast he was surprised her eyes didn’t pop out of her face. “I’m sorry?” Instead of answering properly he tapped the statue. “You know what this is.” The woman just stared at him for a moment longer, before glancing at the statue again. “So…” She began. “You know about what’s been going on here.” “Actually I don’t.” He told her. “Not yet anyway.” He ran his fingers along the statue's base. “But I understand magic and mana.” The woman just looked at him a bit longer. “We should go to my office.” “As you wish.” The walk into Canterlot High was quiet, as was the walk towards the Principal’s office. In that silence Celestia could do nothing but think. This was not how she expected to handle her Sunday morning. She came in only to finish a bit of paperwork, now she was escorting a young man towards her office to talk about either the other world or magic. “I should have just brought my work home with me like Lulu told me to.” She mused as she glanced at the figure walking with her. He was a relatively tall and handsome young man, well built too. Hair as white as snow draped itself over his shoulders, and striking gold eyes rested on ash grey skin. He dressed himself in these purple-brown boots and dark grey pants, a tight blue turtleneck t-shirt and a grey trenchcoat, and lastly a cowl that rested around his throat. Realizing she was staring Celestia turned away, looking at her office door before opening it for her guest. He thanked her,wandering inside as she followed after him. “I’m sorry for the mess.” She told him circling around to sit in her desk before stacking up the papers that she had been working on not too long ago. “I was in the middle of paperwork before coming out.” “It’s fine.” Seeing she had the only chair available the figure just leaned back as if to sit, and Celestia watched as something seemed to burn into reality behind him. He created a chair out of thin air. Celestia blinked, obviously taken back by the action and made to ask what, and how he had done such a thing only to stop herself. ‘Let’s start from the beginning girl.’ She told herself. “It would be best if we start with introductions, my name is Celestia Stella. And you are?” “My name…” He mused for a moment before putting his hands in his lap. “It’s been quite some time since anyone asked me that.” He admitted before staring off into space. “And yet my name- my true name is of no consequence, as most just use my titles.” The Exiled Son… The Tainted One… Planesblight… The Trespasser… “What shall I call you then?” “Abysswalker.” He whispered after a while. “That name, that title will be as good as any.” “I see.” Celestia fell silent as she stared at the “teenager” before interlocking her thumbs. “Abysswalker…” Bit of a mouthful. “Are you… from that other world?” “No.” He admitted before glancing elsewhere. If Celestia was being honest, she could have sworn that her guest was looking through the wall itself. “But I’m not from “this world” either.” “You’re not?” “You sound surprised.” The Abysswalker looked back at her. “I really shouldn’t be.” Celestia rubbing her temples. “Ever since the Fall Formal last year, I’ve slowly grown to accept that there is magic, and other strange things out there.” He started to giggle slightly in thought. “Princess Twilight even told me that I was a pony princess in “her” world.” She admitted, amused at the memory. “Regardless, there’s a second world/realm out there, so why wouldn’t there be third?” “Trust me, there’s more than just three.” “I believe you.” She really did. “Still, what brings you “here” of all places?” “I needed no, I chose to close a door.” “Excuse me?” Celestia stared at the teen. “The door? You mean the portal to Equestria?” She felt a pit settle in her stomach. ‘Does that mean Princess Twilight won’t be coming anymore?’ That didn’t completely sit well with her. Princess Twilight had friends on this side, and now was her access to this world gone? “Why did you close it?” “Truth?” Abysswalker began. “That door should not remain open as long as it had, so long as it remains open, the Mana from Equestria will drift into this world, and it’s causing some…” He paused as he tilted his head from side to side. “issues” with this one.” “What do you mean?” “To begin, how many magic based issues have occurred in this city?” He asked her. ”At this school, three so far, and that’s not including Camp Everfree.” Celestia admitted, already catching on to what the teen was saying. “Are you saying it's related?” Your city is built on a ley line.” The Abysswalker admitted. “I don’t know how you describe it in this world, but it's a wellspring of mana, it draws magic-sensitive beings and events towards it.” He paused. “That’s how it works normally anyway.” “Normally?” “Your wellspring was near bone dry for quite a while.” He admitted. “But the introduction of the Gate, it being forced to stay open; it’s been replenishing the well, bringing magic back into this world.” “And that’s not a good thing.” “It is and it isn’t.” The Abysswalker told her. “Magic can do great things, at the same time it can bring great horrors.” No doubt you’ve seen what can do.” She has. She remembered the girls “Ponying Up” as they put it, being given amazing feats of strength, speed, flight and obviously magic. At the same time she remembered Sunset’s transformation, the school wall being destroyed and the very girl responsible being blown into a crater. She remembered what she could of the Dazzlings near tearing the school apart. She remembered the Friendship Games when Twilight - their Twilight went mad and started tearing holes open in reality itself… “So you closed the door to stop the flow.” She stated. “So will the magic fade in time now?” A shame, the girls seemed to be enjoying their newfound magic. Especially Sunset… “In time.” The teen admitted. “But the mana that flowed in is acting like a much needed catalyst. It’s spreading throughout the well and traveling to the roots.” He raised his hand seeming to stare at it. “Magic will return to this world, it will stay for a while, and though I closed the Gate that let it endlessly flow into this world, know it won’t change what has been done already. Or what will come.” “I see.” She paused. “Is…” She paused. “Our world, is my world in danger?” “The worlds are always in danger.” The teen stated with a sad smile. “From the outside things gnaw at them like a swarm of hungry piranha, biting and corrupting everything they set their eyes on.” He paused. “Inside? Well… look at your history, tell me if none might seek to use the return of magic to their favor.” She didn’t want to. “Even if you disregard them, know this; you have only lived and experienced half of your known world, the other has retreated to the shadows waiting for something to let them resurface.” He told her. “That day is coming, or maybe it has come already.” He paused as if in thought. “And your city will be at the heart of all this.” Celestia went silent. “Till then; know that in the shadows, things are watching you and they’ll come out soon.” Streets of Canterlot Sunset Shimmer yawned, tugging at her shopping bags as she made her way home. Crossing streets and passing alleyways, she failed to notice that something was lurking in the dark corners of the alleys and seemingly watching her. “Who… who are you?” Celestia paused. “What are you?” “I am something who wanders the valley where shadows forever lengthen, those passages that prey upon the weak.” He told her. “My soul, stained beyond absolution. I live within the abyss and hunt that which crawls out those unbreaking shadows. I am unsung and unrewarded for my deeds. I am the Abysswalker, and know I am neither your savior nor your destroyer.”
Prologue Part 3Canterlot High hadn’t felt this cold in a long, long time. That was the thought that left Principal Celestia’s mind as she led her counterpart back through the halls of the school and towards the entrance. “Are you… ok?” The Abysswalker asked, looking to her. “No, I guess that’s the wrong question, isn’t it?” He muttered to himself. “The question shouldn’t be if you’re ok. But rather, how are you handling what’s been laid bare?” “I’m…” Celestia breathed, stopping in her tracks as she looked at her counterpart. “I’m still processing it.” She told him. “But at the same time I’m not overly surprised that something like this is happening.” The alabaster woman confessed. “With the magic that’s been growing here, the incidents at our school.” She paused before shaking her head. “Someone was bound to notice.” She remembered her conversation with Cinch during the Friendship Games earlier this year. “Obviously my students have been infected with your magic, but I plan on taking all of this up with the school board!” “Good. I'm sure they would be very interested in hearing all about the magical students with wings.” “Oh, and the portals to different dimensions.” “And don't forget to tell them about the talking dog.” “Despite what we told her.” Celestia muttered. “I was certain someone would eventually notice and start investigating.” She made a gesture with her arm. “I was expecting the Government to come see what was really going on here.” She admitted before shaking her head. “Knowing that, something else is noticing though and might come to our city - our school?” She looked at her counterpart. “I confess, I didn’t think that far ahead.” “I see.” They fell into a silence as they walked on. “But thank you for making me aware of things.” “What will you do with this knowledge?” “I can’t just keep this to myself.” Celestia stated. “I’ll call an assembly tomorrow and make sure everyone is aware so they can be careful.” She nodded at that thought. “Legally, that’s all I can do, I’m… still very new to this magic all it entails.” “I see.” Reaching the entrance of the school Celestia looked at her counterpart as the sun continued to burn behind him. “What will you do?” She asked him. “You know about what’s going on, about what will happen. What will you do?” Her counterpart turned away seeming to think. “Will you try and help us?” “I am neither savior nor destroyer.” He tells her. “I serve no cause and I have no reason to interfere with how this world may turn out.” he admits with a hint of disappointment. “I don’t even have a right to be here, but…” He looks back at her. “The shadows here have lengthened, and will continue to do so.” He told the Principal, releasing a weak chuckle. “Who better to deal with them than one who walks them?” He sounds so sad.’ Celestia thought. ‘So tired .” She stared into the teen, no, man’s eyes, seeing what rested beyond them. As the old saying went, the eyes were the windows to the soul. Look into them and one would see a person for who they truly were. In his eyes? She saw wisdom, so much wisdom and pained resignation to some awful truth. Guilt that weighed on him like a mountain. Sadness that surpassed one in mourning. Exhaustion like he’d been fighting a war for countless days - centuries even. Beyond that, she saw loneliness, one with a depth that may very well rival the ocean or the vacuum of space itself. Without a word, without thinking Celestia raised a hand to his shoulder, noticing him flinch at the contact. That little touch, and he looked ready to break. She didn’t retreat though, just stepping forward, her arm snaking around his back as she held onto him, hugged him as though he were one of her own crying students. “I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I can’t begin to understand what you have gone through.” She patted his back. “But I can see that you’ve suffered, suffered for so long, and you’d suffered alone.” She continued holding him. “I’m so sorry.” “Don’t be.” He told her, breaking the hug. “You have done nothing to force me on this path.” He admitted with a shrug. “It’s one I chose to walk, and I chose to walk it alone.” He stated before giving her a weak, but gentle smile. “But… thank you.” He told her before turning and walking away. “Know I’ll be in our city for quite a while, so know we will meet again.” He looked back at her. “Till then, be safe.” “You as well, Abysswalker.” He nodded, making a noise as he did before staring off into the distance. “That is somewhat of a mouthful, isn’t it?” He mused. “You can just call me Abyss.” Celestia smiled and nodded her head. With that he walked away, heading across the street before disappearing into the city. Celestia’s smile slowly drained as she watched him leave, and after a moment of silence she chose to sit on the steps. A few hundred thoughts bouncing around in her head as she watched the day just continue on. She didn’t really know what to think at the moment, but one thing was for certain. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her cellphone and placed a call. “Hello, sister are you done at school already?” “Not yet, but Lulu, we need to talk.” She told her. “This semester just got a lot longer.” Streets of Canterlot “That woman…” “What about her?” Abyss muttered as he continued walking through the streets. “You intend to meet her again.” “No intention actually.” The teen stated. “But I will, as the old saying go, it’s a small world, so I’m bound to run into her eventually.” “What do you intend to do when you see her again?” “Nothing.” “Liar, what are you expecting from her? Keeping your bed warm?” “Don’t be so crude.” Abyss grumbled before shaking his head. “I’ve no interest in her, be it romantically or sexually.” “So you say.” The Whisper speaks. “But bending that woman over, having her screaming your name. Ooh~ that sounds delicious.” “That won’t happen.” “You haven’t been satisfied in a good while~ and that woman-” “Be silent.” He closed his eyes, only to see the part of him that he repressed. “Remember, who you're talking to here.” The whisper said no more and he opened his eyes, pressing on through the streets as he pulled his flask out and took a drink. Sunset Shimmer’s Home She couldn’t get home fast enough. That was the thought that ran through Sunset’s mind as she locked her door and set her bags down. Taking a minute to roll her wrists the teen took a breath before putting a hand behind her head, feeling the hairs that were standing up. “That hasn’t happened in a while.” She told herself before glancing at her door and seemed to stare at it for a few short minutes. Call it instincts, call it intuition; whatever you chose to call it, it had flared up, and as it did the words “get off the streets” seemed to have been written across her brain. “Why though?” Sunset muttered as she kept the hand on her neck, and just stared at the door till the hairs on the back of her neck decided to go down. “Whatever the reason it’s gone for now.” Still. She took a few seconds to cover all her windows, making sure they were locked before texting her friends to see if they were alright. She didn’t wait for a reply though, putting her groceries up so that they wouldn’t go bad. Then she returned to her phone staring at it for a few moments before getting a few replies. “I’m fine Darling, how are you?” There’s Rarity. “Hey Sunshim!” There’s Pinkie. “Hi Sunset, I’m fine thank you for asking.” There’s Fluttershy. “Oh hey Sunset, Spike’s acting a little strange right now, can I call you back?” There’s Twilight. She waited for Rainbow Dash and Applejack, but it seemed they weren’t available at the moment. “Applejack’s probably busy at home, and Rainbow, she’s probably getting some sunday practice in.” She muttered before starting to text those she could get in contact with. “I’m fine just… wanted to make sure everyone was ok.” “I’m great!” “As am I.” “Me too.” Twilight didn’t send one unfortunately. ‘And I can’t get in contact with Rainbow and Applejack yet.’ “Is everything ok?” Fluttershy asked. “I don’t know.” Sunset texted back. “I just got this weird feeling.” “I always get weird feelings.” “Not those kind Pinkie.” Sunset couldn’t help smiling at that though. “I mean like… “danger”, “run”, “hide” those kinds of feelings. Her friends responses were almost instant. “What!” “Are you ok?” “Is someone following you!?” “Please tell me your ok.” “Do we need to call the police!?” “I’ll get back to you when I’m done calling.” “Easy girls, easy.” Sunset replied. “I’m fine, ’m at home and everythings fine. It’s just that, on my way back home I felt like someone wrote “Get off the street” across my brain in all bold.” She told them. “I got worried, so I wanted to see if everyone was ok.” “Oh… well I’m ok. But now that you mention it, Angel really didn’t want to go outside today.” “Gummy was stiff as a board this morning.” “Opal has been more fussy for some strange reason.” Sunset fell silent. Seemed the girls animal friends were acting off. “What about Ray?” She asked herself? Before looking over to her pet lizard still in his case. “Did you feel… strange today?” Ray just looked at her before seeming to nod. “Do you think there’s a connection?” “I don’t know, maybe.” Sunset muttered before glancing to her door. “Whatever caused that feeling is gone now, but…” Sunset paused before continuing her text. “Be careful going outside today, ok?” Canterlot City Abyss seemed to sigh, entering an old jazz club as he started listening to the sounds of a sax that drowned out the white noise. He didn’t know whatever song they were playing, but it didn’t matter. It had Been a while since he listened to jazz - really any form of music like this. Not only that, but the scent of rich coffee that filtered through the air was certainly inviting. Seeking out a place to sit for the moment, he holed himself up to one of the booths before leaning back to relax. “This is nice…” Jazz, music in general seemed to quiet the beast that clawed at the back of his mind. It might not have healed the scars it had left, but well, he could mend them later. Right now. “Don’t like this moment slip by you.” He mused as he saw a waitress start walking up to him. “What can I get you?” “Something strong enough to warm even a broken soul, and bring back the memories of better times.” “Coming right up big guy.”
The Silence We share… This place… I remember it. The wind, the cobblestone. Why is it this place still haunts me?” Why is it that you’re still here? I let you go… Stop looking at me like that. I hurt you. Please… Canterlot Warehouse For better or for worse, the Abysswalker opened his eyes, leaving that place haunted his oldest memories. That place where he first felt at home, that place where she was.Choking on air, he raised his sleeve to his face wetting it with the silent tears that wouldn’t stop spilling out like water from a broken faucet. “Please, let me go. I’m begging you.” He choked out as he lifted his arm, letting the tears fall freely along the sides of his face. “It’s better this way.” He sat up, staring beyond the tears as he looked at nothing before wiping his face again. “You’re worse than the dead that curse my name.” He reached for his flask, quickly taking a drink; a small sip that evolved into a few gulps. The thing never emptied no matter how much he drank. Sighing in relief the Abysswalker just corked his flask before staring off into space. Drink to feel better. Drink to numb the pain. Drink to delude the memories. “And yet I can’t get that fucking buzz.” He mused before getting to his feet and headed out. It was a new day in Canterlot, best he’d find something to do. Canterlot High Teachers Lounge Everyone came in about thirty minutes earlier than normal. Celestia made certain to apologize for having her staff come in like this, but no one could find it in themselves to blame her. Then again, this was Celestia, she didn’t ask for them to come in early without good reason. And this was a pretty good one. “I’m sorry.” Nurse Redheart muttered as she looked at her superior. I need to go back one second.” No one seemed to blame her. “Some random person, just closed the magic portal that was resting in front of the school?” Celestia didn’t respond. “How? Princess said she found a way to stabilize the portal to keep it open. How did he close it?” The nurse paused. “From this side?” “That’s just it, he said he told it to stay closed unless he permits it to open again.” Celestia admitted. “I don’t understand how he made that work, but he did, and as you all saw earlier when Lulu touched the statue. It is indeed closed, and I don’t think even the Princess will be able to open it again.” She paused. “And perhaps that’s for the best.” “Because the portal was sending magic into this world, yes?” Ms. Harshwhinny kept her voice as even as ever, showing not even a hint of emotion as she stared at the school principal. “And that was what was causing the magic issues to grow more common around the city.” “I’m afraid so.” “If that is the case, what will happen with the magic still here?” Harshwhinny asked. “What exactly will we do about it?” Celestia fell silent obviously trying to find an answer to the question that presented itself before her, not just today but yesterday as well. The answer that came to her was this; “I don’t know.” She admitted. Shamefully, she wasn’t her “Equestrian” counterpart a whole world away. She didn’t grow up using, let alone understanding magic. Yes there were old myths and cartoons that mentioned it rather often, but that was just it, stories and cartoons. She didn’t know anything about how magic really worked. None of them did. “But.” Celestia spoke up again. “Here at the school, our duty is to guide and protect our students. And I’m afraid to say we have been failing in that part as of late.” She told them before looking down, staring at her coffee. “We weren’t trained for dealing with magic and people from other worlds.” She sighed. “But we can try doing better, starting by making our students aware of the situation.” She told them. “I’d like to make an announcement in the auditorium shortly after school starts, it will cut into homeroom, but is that alright with everyone?” No one complained, the sooner their students knew about this the better. The Canterlot morning was… quiet. Well, mostly anyway. It was quiet enough to let the dead speak, but it was still noticeable. Everyone was either on their way to their place of work or schooling. Meeting up with associates or friends to pass the time till they reached where they wanted - needed to go. Sitting on a park swing set, the Abysswalker just stayed silent, watching everyone just go about their morning rituals. They looked… so happy, carefree. “They don’t know what’s coming.” He muttered in regret. “We do.” The Whisper told him. “We know what is watching them even now. Waiting to wrap their claws around them and bring them into the fold.” “Those aren’t the ones I’m concerned about.” He admitted. “I’m more concerned about those that have already sunken their nails so deep that they scrape against the marrow.” Abyss whispered. “There are always those trying to grab hold of the People; twisting them, feeding off their rage, and despair, beckoning them towards the darkness.” He looked down. “They can be stopped before their plans progress too far. But those who have already found their victims, and using them to set things in motion…” They are the ones he needed to be concerned with. It wasn’t just them either, the replenished magic would draw others out. And when that happened? “How many will be lost before it all ends?” “Who the fuck cares?” “You don’t sound as enthusiastic as you should be.” The Abysswalker muttered. Usually your all for the death and suffering of others. “She came to us.” Both the Whisper and the Abysswalker fell silent. Remembering her face once more along with the heartache it brought. “Why can’t she let us go?” “Why can’t we do the same?” The Abysswalker whispered. “It hurts… it hurt so damn bad.” “Are you ok?” An airy voice caught Abyss’s attention as he looked ahead, noticing a young blond haired grey cross-eyed girl had approached him. “Yes, I’m fine.” He told her, giving a smile. “Thank you for asking.” “Than why are you smiling like that?” His new counterpart asked softly. “What do you mean?” “You’re smile’s sad.” She told him, and Abyss raised his hands to his lips. “It looks sad huh?” He whispered. “I… guess that makes sense, then again…” He paused before looking back at the girl that had approached him. “I’m sorry I lied, and that you have to see this, I’m just hurting that’s all.” “Here?” She raised a hand to her heart and he nodded. “Yeah.” The two fell into a silence as his counterpart just stared at him. “You’re heart, is it hurting too?” Mhm.” Was her response as she took the swingset next to him. “It sucks doesn’t it, The pain of heartache?" “Yeah.” She muttered before twiddling her thumbs. “Do you want to talk about it?” “Must we? Sometimes the silence speaks louder than the words.” Abyss muttered. “And having someone who you can share that deep and comfortable silence with is more memorable than any conversation.” Sometimes people force conversations, force the words out to try keeping it going, because they found the silence uncomfortable, empty even. But sometimes no words could begin to describe what was going on in a person’s head, let alone their heart so they stay silent and let that speak for them. And sharing that silence with someone who seemed to understand it, and what you were going through was more powerful than any words shared. “This is nice…” The girl spoke up after a few minutes, looking to her counterpart with a gentle smile, and he returned it. Though both were still sad in their own way, they were more honest, relieved even. Reaching into her backpack the girl pulled out a muffin before handing it out the Abysswalker. “Here.” “Thank you, but you don’t have to.” “But I want you to have it.” She told him as she put it in his hands. “And thank you for understanding.” Abyss just nodded as the girl turned and ran off, heading somewhere before he could get a word in. “Sweet girl.” “Bad judge of character though.” The Abysswalker looked at the muffin for a moment before running his hand over it, smiling slightly before bringing it to his lips to take a bite. It tasted even better than it looked.
Write Me A LetterCanterlot High Music Room Sunset Shimmer, grew lost in thought as she strummed her guitar, trying to find her rhythm for the band practice day. “Sunset, sunset?” Someone snapped their fingers in her face as she came out of wherever her mind had gone too. “Yo, sunset you there?” “Hm?” Shaking her head, Sunset turned staring at Rainbow Dash as she saw the girl frown at her. “Sorry are we about to start.” “More like end sugar.” Applejack stated, putting her bass away. “Really?” She turned towards the clock checking the time. “But its still a bit early.” “Yeah, but nothing sounds right.” Rainbow Dash muttered, crossing her arms for a moment. “So let’s call it a day girls.” “I agree.” Rarity muttered as she looked out the window, seemingly staring at something in the distance. The room fell silent after that, the seven girls growing trapped in their own thoughts as they recalled what was said earlier in the day. “I can’t believe it’s gone.” Fluttershy muttered as she hugged her knees. “The portal isn’t gone, Shy.” Applejack muttered. “It’s closed.” She corrected the girl as she settled down, adjusting her hat as she did so. “I just don’t know how in tarnations that’s possible.” She confessed. “Ah mean, Twilight - Princess Twilight managed to find a way to open it from her side right? How can someone just close it from this side?” “Magic.” Sunset said offhanded as she continued strumming her guitar. “Magic opened it, but magic can close it too.” Sunset stated. “But who… what has that kind of magic at their disposal, and on this side of the portal?” “I thought we were the only ones with magic.” Pinkie Pie muttered, oddly calm in contrast to her usual manners. “It’s… not that we’re the only ones with magic.” Sunset corrected the girl. “It’s more that we’re the only ones who we know can use it.” She reached for her geode, raising it to the light. “Gloriosa had Equestrian magic too until we stopped her, who’s to say she’s the only one whose learned to harness it.” Sunset muttered. “And Principal Celestia said that the magic has been coming from the other world to this one right?” Twilight - their Twilight muttered as she twiddled her thumbs. “Equestria.” “What?” “Equestria.” Sunset said. “That other world is called Equestria.” Sunset stated as she stopped strumming her guitar and frowned. “But yeah, magic has been filtering into this world for a while now, at least, that’s what Principal Celestia said at the auditorium.” She paused in thought. “To be honest, I wasn’t even aware it could do that.” “Really?” Pinkie pipped in as she twirled one of her drumstick. “But when I think about it, it makes a bit of sense.” “How so darling?” “When I was in training, my teacher told me that magic runs throughout the world, we draw from this sort of… grid to fill our reserves and then we’re able to use it. She said it was stronger in some places and that allowed us to draw upon even more magic to use.” She paused as if in thought. “But she also said that there were places where the background mana was weaker, and even in some places it was completely gone; in that case it would be completely impossible to use magic.” She paused again, seeming to shiver at a bad memory. “That was the first lesson I managed to recall when I came to this world, cause my magic was just…” Sunset went looking for the word. “Not gone, at least not at first, but after a few short weeks I realized mana wasn’t “flowing” in this world, the wellspring it all came from was dry.” She seemed to continue thinking as everyone listening. “What did that feel like?” Fluttershy whispered. “Terrifying.” Was Sunset’s answer.”I’ve been able to use magic ever since I was little, it was a part of me…” Sunset muttered. “And when I came here, it felt like part of me was dying.” She shivered again. “But after the Battle of the Bands, it felt like the part of me I was losing was “back” I was too happy to question it, but now? Now it’s all starting to make a bit of sense.” Sunset muttered. “Magic in this world was gone, and now it’s coming back.” “And that’s not a good thing.” “It should be, but if what Principal Celestia said was true, it’s not the only thing that’s coming back.” Sunset stated as she continued staring at the ceiling. “What’s coming thou?” Applejack asked as Sunset shook her head, not really knowing how to answer that. “I don’t know.” She finally confessed. “All i can say is, it’s “coming”, and Princess Twilight won’t be able to help us deal with it, unless she can figure out how to open it again.” Sunset her paused. "Should see even try opening it to begin with." She looked to the girls for a moment. “If its open, more magic from Equestria will just filter in, and if that happens...” “It might make things worse.” Fluttershy whispered as Sunset nodded her head. “Man this sucks!” Rainbow Dash kicked air. “This sounds like a magical emergency if I ever heard one! And one Princess Twilight can’t help us out with!” “What about your journal darling?” Rarity asked. “Can you still get a message out to her?” Sunset seemed to think before reaching for her bag, pulling out her journal as she opened it. “I don’t know, I can try and see what happens, but... I can’t make any promises.” She pulled out a pen and took a breath. Hoping more than she had in a good while that someone answered. “Dear Princess Twilight. I feel like everytime I try contacting you it’s because something bad is happening on this side of the portal. Hate to say it, but… somethings happened again, or it’s been happening for a while now. I need to talk to you. Please get back as soon as you can.” “Alright that should do it.” Sunset muttered before closing the book and took a breath. “And now we play the waiting game.” Pinkie said in a tone that showed she was trying to lighten the mood. A silence followed. “So what do we do now?” “Well, practice feels like a bust.” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “Anything to talk about?” “Actually…” Rarity muttered as she looked to Sunset. “Were Winona and Tank acting strange yesterday?” Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked at each other for a moment, obviously taken back by the question. “Well… yeah Tank would hardly come out his shell, even when I brought out his favorite food.” Rainbow confessed. “Winona wouldn’t stop barkin’ at shadows.” Applejack admitted. “And when I put a hand on her to try calmin’ her down… I swear on my name I ain’t ever felt so tense.” “We thought so.” Rarity muttered as she and the girls explained how their own pets had been acting yesterday. “Twilight dear what about Spike?” “He wasn’t himself either. When I got him alone to ask him what was wrong, he said something was outside with us.” “Ok, that can’t be coincidence.” “It probably isn’t.” Fluttershuy spoke up. “Some animals are said to sense danger, its how some can avoid predators.” “I’ve heard about that.” Twilight spoke up. “Some believe it might be due to their heightened senses that grant them this form of precognition. Supposedly they can even predict when natural disasters like earthquakes are about to happen.” “You think that’s what was happen?” Applejack asked. “Our pets were tellin’ us something bad was gonna happen around us?” “I can’t see any other way to explain it.” Sunset muttered before looking towards the window. “They know something bad is coming, but what though?” She muttered before putting a hand behind her head. “That’s the question right now.” Canterlot City The noise was coming back. The screaming, the curses. He tried drowning them out, but, well he knew from experience that that was near impossible. They filled in the silence that danced across his mind. Raising a hand to his head the Abyss Walker tried breathing, tried clearing his head a bit as he walked the streets of Canterlot. “I need something to drown them out.” He muttered. “I need to quiet them for a moment.” He told himself before glancing around, spying “ghosts” swimming around him like groupies around a superstar. He walked on. He walked for what felt like hours. He didn’t know where he was going, he didn’t care either. All he needed to know was that his feet were guiding him somewhere. He walked miles in a day, took in the city for what it was. Greeted the few who were kind enough to notice him. He entered a music shop for a bit, sampled what musicians this world had to offer. Many were good, but they didn’t suit his tastes. He walked past an animal rescue center; refusing to go in as rescues rarely took to him. He visited the mall; wandered in and out of stores to see what they had to offer. “I’m BORED!” The Whisper in his mind shouted as he just shook his head. “What do yu want me to do about it?” “Let’s go kill something I wanna feel some warm blood.” “No.” Abyss muttered as he leaned against a street light and seemed to stare across the street, eyes looking into a reflection cast by a window as he stared at the twisted mockery that was sharing his form. “We don’t have a target to focus on, and we don’t do innocents.” “I don’t care.” The reflection shouted. “I am bored, show me blood!” It shouted again. “I want to hear screams!” “I wanna feel bones crack! “I want you to turn this city into a red ocean!” “I refuse.” The Abyss Walker stated as he turned his head to look at another building and saw a closer incarnation of his twisted shadow. “You’re hunger… our hunger, our hate… the people here will not be our outlet.” He told his shadow. “You will sate my hunger.” “You can’t be satisfied.” Abyss glanced at the still red light as the windows started to crack. “Don’t.” He told his shadow. “Calm down.” “Or what?” “Do you want to be chained up again?” The shadow continued to growl as the glass continued to crack. “Chaining me up does nothing.” “It angers you.” Abyss muttered before staring into the distance. “Huh…” he muttered before glancing at his reflection. “You felt that right?” “How could I not?” “There’s a shadow hunting, and at this hour no less.” The Abyss Walker muttered as the light turned green. “You’re in luck, we have something to hunt down now.”
