Author's Note

"Time goes slow, and I still have so far, so far to go, and I can tell you just where I've been, but I know that feeling coming back again!"

Prayer for the Innocent (Phase 4)

Maria introduced the rest of her crew to the girls.

"You've probably figured this much out already, but this big lug is my brother, Brandon."

"Hey." the elder Drake greeted.

Maria placed her hand on her younger sister's shoulder. Unlike her and Brandon, her locks were a light shade of blonde.

"This is our sister, Emily. She's the baby of the family."

Rather than protest, Emily quietly waved. Despite being on the cusp of thirteen, she seemed to possess a wisdom and maturity well beyond her years.

"The big guy's Eric. We've been friends for a while now. Whitney and James are more recent additions to the group."

"Before we start getting all chummy and buddy-buddy, we need you to tell us where we are." Twilight explained.

"You're on the North American continent of the United States. As far as exact location, we're in the state of Oklahoma right now."

"So far that tells me this planet is separated by countries. At least that's one thing we have in common."

"Who was that dark pony you were talking to a minute ago?"

"One of the princesses who rule over the Equestrian continent. She's responsible for raising the moon."

"Raising? You mean it's not a natural cycle?"

"No? Is it here?"

"Yeah. The time of day is determined by Earth's axial rotation. Think of it like spinning on a pole."

"So the time of day changes depending on the planet's position...Interesting..."

"I'm just surprised you guys can speak English. I always figured if something from another world showed up, it'd have its own language."

"I suppose that's a reasonable conclusion to draw given the circumstances."

"Judging by the glowing sphere just now, you guys have powers. That might come in handy keeping us alive through the night."

"Now that you mention it, Luna's sister, our other princess, claimed humans don't possess magic. Is that true?"

"Definitely not par for the course around here, but..."

"But...?"

"I know you have no reason to trust me, but if you give me my knife, I can show you."

Twilight's gaze intensified.

"How can I be sure you won't turn on us the second I give it back?"

"We could've killed you already if that's what we were aiming for."

"Point taken."

Twilight levitated Maria's blade back to her. The twenty-one-year-old held it at a diagonal angle toward the floor. A cool draft blew down the hallway, pushing her bangs to the side. Her eyes were closed in silent concentration.

"Twi, nothing's happening." Rainbow began.

Twilight shushed her companion.

"Shhh...I feel it...She's transferring her life force..."

A deep blue light extended from the weapon, tripling its length. Maria opened her eyes. They were the same hue as the newly-formed sword.

"Incredible..." Twilight uttered.

"Brandon and I discovered this power by accident four years ago during one of our training sessions. I don't know how, but we instantly knew, it was the next phase of human evolution."

The girls were absolutely awestruck. They could do nothing but watch as Maria's energy enshrouded them in a protective field. She soon retracted the blade's aura.

"I don't know if magic will work on these things, but it's fortunate we found each other. If we work together, we'll improve our odds of surviving until morning."

"Given the dire nature of our situation, we have no choice, but we'll be watching you: closely."

"No objections here."

"Good. We'll split into two groups to cover more ground. You, Brandon, Emily, and Rainbow, come with me. The others will follow close behind and do a second sweep of the area."

"Roger."