BookHoppers: Exiled from Home

by Ace of Blackjack

Rating: teen
Tags: Alternate Universe, Sad, Bat Pony, Science Fiction, Profanity, Zebra, Human, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 18194

Elizabeth, the newest chosen underling for Frazzle, gets a much darker story than expected.

Elizabeth, a rather unremarkable mare. Except for the fact outside appearances sorta lie.

Normal until the not-so-normal librarian decides to take them underneath their metaphorical wing. With a guiding hoof, they will surely help them into a reasonable apprentice. Because what can go wrong in a cross-dimensional library.

With a few helpful friends she made along the way, maybe she can turn this disaster waiting to happen around. Or die trying. More likely the latter.

{Written for this contest. https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/970771/science-fiction-contest-11-nov-2021-06-jan-2022 }

Published 2022-01-03 05:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2022-01-03 05:50:00 UTC

Chapter: One

Whenever Elizabeth was stressed she could always count on a book. But what if she's stressing over a book? Or better yet the lack of one.

She knows her history well, from the Battle of Acropolis Hill, or the obscure battle of Snow and ice(A whole army defeated by a castle armed with ice in snowballs.) She could recite all the belligerents in the battles.

But when the assignment asks for it to be a fictional battle, she struggles. Especially since the last nonfiction book she read was about Princess Gumdrops and her childhood, a book filled with blatant lies. Lies to her internal integrity.

But that doesn't matter to her, wings flapping as she went from shelf to shelf. From one shelf to another, staying in the non-fiction section. The library to her is small, but it's also her home.

Each beanbag chair represents a place she sat down and had a laugh at a bad fact so bad you can't help but not laugh. Each desk is where she spent hours burning midnight oil, her only companion being the lamps and their midnight oil. But she doesn't miss when you had to light a candle.

Princess Gumdrops shoved them into an era of technological revolution. Lightbulbs and motorized carriages only seen in bad sci-fi flicks that you'd watch for two bits on the occasional Sunday. She doesn't miss any of it, okay that's a lie, she sorta misses her old lantern.

But being educated on the way to make bricks from mud doesn't make up for not reading even the simplest of books. She might have skipped a year or two for being so smart. But life is catching up.

She's been held back, in her final few years of school. Unlike the usual early school curriculum that sucks the creativity from your body, this new school wants that to flourish. She's not creative, besides the forced art class, she's never had a reason to wanna write or illustrate a book.

So ideas of what to use for this “History assignment” ain't popping up. She could watch some action flick, but that doesn't feel right. She needs it to be a book, for her sake. She doesn't wanna go through another movie, even documentaries make her squirm.

She looked through the top shelves of the library, going off the Dewey meowcimal system. She knows everything about the cat this system was named off of. But knowing that can't help her find a book she'd like.

With one final sigh she flutters down to the floor and begins looking on the same shelf for the third time. Maybe an alternate history book would work for her? There's gotta be enough real history in those books to satisfy her.

“Um Mister-”

Elizabeth jumped up and with a flutter of wings arrived in front of the one addressing her. Their wings stood straight out as they looked at them. The book pin in their blue mane screamed Librarian.

“I'm a Miss, I'm uh, I'm Elizabeth.” They said gently smiling. The librarian made a look of slow understanding, before clicking their tongue. Processing the unique information no differently than anything else really.

“Okay Miss Elizabeth, what are you looking for?” The librarian studied Elizabeth, noticing a few minute details. Their fur navy blue fur is dyed, their hoofs are an unpainted light red, an indication of their true coat colour. And the roots of their mane as far as she can tell is white and not pink.

“Fictional battles, for history class of all things!” They said as loud as they dare, their voice being rather, well squeaky and soft. Though that was purposeful, a good spell can alter the tone and pitch of a voice. A really good spell caster and a willing target and you can do that permanently.

“Well the best fiction has ties to history, or else they create history so vivid you feel like you've been there.” The librarian watched as the mare went back to frantically searching for a new book. They skipped over some great science fiction writers, to look at books with a best seller stamp on them. The librarian smirked.

Elizabeth looked at them, was gonna ask about the smirk. But she thought better, it could be in response to their search for books or her body. That's two questions she really doesn't wanna hear about at the moment.

“I know of a book in the,” The librarian paused, hesitation on their face. They've seen this pone hundreds of times. They don't have friends besides books, and they don't even have friends from the book.

“Were you gonna say two shelves over, I'm not interested in a space thriller with thirteen different love triangles, thank you very much.” They paused looking at a book before pulling it out. They checked inside the front cover before closing it. The librarian saw it briefly and sighed once more.

“That's a book from the-” But Elizabeth didn't listen as she flew away with the book. The librarian blinked as they flew with purpose across the library. And they felt all warm inside as they nuzzled the book right into the Early War history books.

The librarian walked, with purpose now over to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was in a titzy as they flipped books that we're page out not spine out. She muttered something about ‘Savages all of them’, she’ll be one heck of a work in progress all from this rather short introduction and that's enough for the librarian to tell.

“Miss Elizabeth, I have a book in the back rooms if you just follow me.” Elizabeth cast them a glance and continued working. If their cutiemark didn't have a bunch of Knucklebones over some thick looking book, then she might pass as this being their grand destiny. Though that thought didn't bother the Librarian, she's above a simple old librarian.

“I've been back there when I was young once, you put out of rotation books there, I can just check them out at the front desk tablet.” Elizabeth looked at the shelf satisfied before fluttering their wings and taking off towards the Fiction section. Are they worth it? Though the librarians thought was immediately dashed away, it was dumb, but she believed that she can change them.

But if they keep at this they'll be in such a frantic state it won't be right to try and get them into the backroom under any pretense of anything other than it's stopping a panic attack. So the librarian looked about, the pegasus was already in the fiction section. And she didn't feel like walking today.

Elizabeth hovered, had she finally found the perfect book? She reached out towards it, wiping dust off the front cover. Nope it's just another misplaced Non-Fiction.

She turned back around and saw something. Then that something hit her in the chest. She landed with a mighty stumble on the ground.

She looked at the book, ‘Look: A story of opportunity taken by the bravest generals’, and then she looked at who threw it. The incredibly shocked looking Librarian obviously hadn't intended to actually hit them, evident by the bulging eyes of shock. But the librarian did in fact hit them with the 500-page long book.

They ran over, but Elizabeth assessed if the book was hurt. It had suffered no damage, not even a crumpled page. Good, it was one of Elizabeth's favourite light reads.

“I am so sorry I had just wanted your attention Elizabeth, I am sorry.” They didn't know what to do. Elizabeth regarded them with a blank expression, not of shock or surprise. But one of odd compassion.

“You hadn't meant it. But I would have appreciated a warning, we are the only ones here after all. Libraries aren't all that popular now that people have computers, but that data ain't as solid as a leather bound book.” The librarian looked around slightly confused before mentally kicking themselves. They could have just been more daring in asking this from the get-go, nopony is even here. They breathed in, a lie at first then the truth.

But a lie didn't come to them. Nor did the knowledge and wisdom they so heavily relied on. But they did feel one thing, compassion.

“I have a secret that will interest you, thrill you even.” Elizabeth looked up from the bookshelf. Their interest peaked, extremely peaked. What is this Librarian's Secret?

“Just follow me, behind the front desk, past what you've been shown. It's what you need, you need a fictional book, but I know what type you like? I have a rather, how do I put it, it's an intriguing book.” The librarian walked away, with a flick of a tail that sent envy down Elizabeth’s spine. But Elizabeth was intrigued, a book not publicly available? The Little librarians secret.

And so she followed. Past the front desk into the back area. Books out of rotation sit on shelves, all ordered in such a way one can simply request or from the little computer upfront.

But the librarian stopped in between the fantasy and crime dramas. She turned to Elizabeth and smiled widely at them. Then gestured towards the wall.

Elizabeth was not amused and turned away. The Librarian blinked before abruptly realizing she saw what was intended to be seen. For being a Pegasus she wasn't that quick on the ground and was not all that far away.

“Wait, wait! I'm not crazy!” The librarian said chasing towards and after Elizabeth. Their magic grabbing Elizabeth's tail making them stop. Elizabeth tipped and turned around quickly blushing and furious.

“Its a wall, your, look I know that I need to find a book, and I'm gonna do just do that.” Elizabeth turned away, they didn't have to grab her tail. It was uncalled for. Theirs lines you don't cross.

“Fine, but just look!” The librarian turned towards the wall and smirked.

“Libertas verbi.” The wall shook. Elizabeth, she turned quickly to face the wall. A panel was snaking down into the floor.

“See I'm not crazy. Do follow me, the door closes after three minutes of being open.” The librarian walked through the absence of a wall, and continued on. This ain't possible, the library is small, this should be going through the outside wall. That's what filled Elizabeth's mind as she walked after their mysterious Librarian.

“What are you?” Elizabeth asked as the librarian opened a white wooden door into a white futuristic hallway, fluorescent lighting illuminated the cleanliness of it all. No doors except for the one at the end. The librarian turned around and looked at Elizabeth.

“I'll just show you.” The librarian looked down then around her as if looking about. Satisfied she tilted her head back, taking a breath in. Before slamming her hoof down.

“Commandant five!” The librarian erupted in a quick blue glow. The glow faded leaving the ‘librarian’ wearing gleaming bulging white armour with blue blinking highlights. A thin pair of one-sided tech glasses sat on top in front of her face.

“That explains nothing, just raises more questions, a lot more questions.” Elizabeth poked the armour of this ‘Commandant Five’ and watched a faint purple shimmer appear where she touched. The little one lense visor on their head made glimmers of circles that tracked each movement that she made. All of this is so new.

“Well in that case i'll tell you. Keep forgetting that the outside library's always open up outside my home place. But I'm Ms Frazzle, or just call me Commandant Five.” They bowed, smiling a happy grin at the whole fact Elizabeth is flabbergasted. Elizabeth tried to say some words but didn't even get out a word. They are quite frazzled.

Frazzle lifted a hoof then yanked it back. A blue holographic image appeared on their hoof. And with a press of non-existent buttons she smiled.

“And meet Li3.” A flash of light accompanied her words as a metallic green floating drone orb thing floated beside her. A feeling emerged in Elizabeth, one that's telling her that she can't go back. Not like she wants to.

“Now through this door is a whole new world, my section of the mythical, Hidden Library. Libertas verbi. Ain't just a bunch of Latin, it's our motto. It can be translated to Freedom of speech, or in our case, it means Freedom of the written Word.” They walked to the door. Placing a hoof on it and smiling as it clicked. Light streamed through and Elizabeth stood dumbfounded at what's through the door.

Author's Note

My story, give criticism that's constructive, not just ‘hehe bad because not like main character.’ For the love if god, I will smite you for it. I'm not god but I can hook a tazer up to a car battery.

Chapter: Two

Elizabeth didn't want to move, her hoofs felt glued to the floor, each breath they took grounded them to the here and now. What was through the door is impossible. The white cleanliness of it all.

She stepped through the door. It's an atrium, blue transparent walkways appeared above, ponies walked on them. All to reach impossibly large bookshelves and their contents.

It didn't make much sense to Elizabeth. Nothing today has made sense to her. She spread her wings and took off to one of the blue pathways.

She landed on it, surprising a pony in plate armour, Metal plate armour from the era of swords and bows. They looked at her and turned the other way with a clank of steel. Rather rude but nonetheless she has to figure out how the books are sorted.

She pulled two off, one seemed to have multi coloured light sticking out of it, illuminating strangely. And the other was clean without even a scratch on the outside cove, a brand new book.. She put them in between her legs and hopped off the floating platform.

She landed with a thump on the ground. Mrs Frazzles drone, named Li3, beeped excitedly as it found her. She looked at the books spines, ignoring the beeping from the drone.

The spines were blank, featureless beside a blue faintly glowing light flickering ever so slowly. She flipped it open and stared at a strip of glowing tech, it spun a blue crystal of sorts. The crystal glowed and flickered glowed blue, it sat in the middle moving quietly, unheard.

Li3 buzzed off, looking for Ms Frazzle. Like most similar things the tracker in the commandant suit that they wear doesn't work. But the happy little drone didn't mind as it continued to search.

Frazzle had let Elizabeth go off on her own. They will find out that the books can't be seen by the naked eye. Some see it clear as day, such as Frazzle but many aren't so lucky.

Frazzled reached their desk, they passed the return book section and then the Assignment book return. She flicked out a right hoof and a little claw sprouted from her armour gripping the singular hard cover book their. ‘Danger, Danger: A field guide on the Applsplouin Jungle.’ Recently recovered, someone took the field guide part to heart, especially evident by the jungle warrior poison blow dart in it.

“Ralph and Igor probably, hope they didn't get hurt recovering this.” She said watching the claw tilt the book around. Being the only unicorn commandant to ever exist, at least to her last time of departure knowledge, means that new suits still have other species in mind. Though she hasn't worry about Magicrinar canisters since it just uses her mana pool as power.

She placed the book into the sort chute. The special sort chute. For the people in the back rooms of this hidden library work.

She picked out a pair of pink Hololense glasses. The frame flickers out its projection. Similar to her visor, though it's what's needed to see this section of the library's book.

She pulls her head up to stare at a rather frustrated looking Elizabeth the two books out in front of her. She opened them up and gestured rapidly, with her wings at the rotating blue crystal. Before closing them and opening her mouth, though Ms Frazzle got the words out first.

“Its a Dynbluea Core, said like Dino-blue-ara Core. It's the solution of hopefully your future, to prevent deforestation on a massive level for the future. Plus it makes it so one size book can fit entire textbooks or even a simple child's book.” Ms Frazzle slid the glasses over as she pulled open a drawer. She grabbed a clamp and clamped the two books. And the terminal beeped, registering the books to no one.

“Before you put on your glasses, I need your name for your official hidden library access card.” Elizabeth stopped herself from grabbing the glasses and looked down at the floor. Then at the ceiling. Then back to Ms Frazzle.

“My…..Dead legal Name is Brick Fire.” She cringed back. Frazzle giggled and Elizabeth sank deeper down away from their laugh. Frazzle let out a final chortle before popping their singular eye piece up.

“Bubblegum, yeah that’s ‘my name’, we all have a past Ms. Elizabeth. Your tag is being assigned.” Elizabeth looked up. They looked at Frazzle, so it’s just a different name thing huh. Well at least that’s something to latch onto.

The card came out and it was simply a rather thin strip of cylindrical metal, a blue mini crystal rotated in the inside letting off blue light. And Elizabeth flipped it over and put on the silky smooth lanyard. Then she finally slipped on the glasses.

The world lit up in brilliant blue tint. The bookshelves themselves lit up so many different colours, so brilliant Elizabeth flopped onto their flank. Each book is as enticing as the last, each one displaying summary's, so much information so quick.

Elizabeth took off the glasses and put them down. She took a breath and put them back on. Only focusing on the two books she brought to the front desk.

The clean and nice one read, “Learn the history behind Ewquine’s combat cubes, or as they call it ‘Minature warfare.’ A fictional retelling of a rather outsiders perspective of someone coming into the trend. Content warning: Violence, Angy”

Elizabeth set that aside, it's fictional but it doesn't mention a battle. Frazzled checked it out anyhow, it's a rather good read. And that left the other one she randomly grabbed, it seemed different, the lights that had glowed from earlier shown up as post-it notes with the glasses on.

Elizabeth looked at the summary and saw the word “Battleloggers” and rolled her eyes. She wasn't like the other kids when she was young, she didn't wanna play Royal Guard or Communist Hero. She just wanted to read.

“Is this a good book? I'm tired today and I just wanna read, and it's fiction right?” Elizabeth read the little floating summary before it truly clicked. They're in a magical futuristic library and they're asking if a book is a good read? Plus it says Non-Fiction no matter how crazy the summary of it seems, a war that the sleeping fight?

“One of the better one's, might I suggest reading Annas stories, there's a post-it note with all their highlights. Should break the journal monotony and show what pages they show up on.” Frazzled checked it out and handed it to her. Before the little claw in her armour picked up a rainbow pencil and shook it. Frazzle rolled her eyes before looking at it then at Elizabeth, understanding something.

“Hey Elizabeth, if anyone comments on your uh, you know what. Tell me, I've dealt with it occasionally, I want to have a safe place. And if it's that knight in armour, tell me. He's a fellow Librarian, he does Historic religion but he has a bias towards ‘Christianity’ just makes him a homophobe. Also, he's probably here seeing if I put my copy of the Bible in Fiction again, which I did.” Elizabeth didn't know what to say. Besides heading to the desk and leaning her head forward. Frazzled leaned forward at an angle and their head touched, sharing a calm moment.

“That means more to me than most think.” Elizabeth took her books, and started off towards a table. Frazzle flicked a hoof and Li3 appeared. It beeped in a low long tone, but quickly beeped afterwards.

“I told you so Liz, they're a good candidate, just gotta get through the walls they put up. Because the walls they put up when they were young need to come down. Think about it.” She booted up the terminal and typed once more. Changing a few words on Elizabeth's library card projector. ‘Visitor check out badge’, to ‘Assistant to Commandant Frazzle.’

Elizabeth sat down. Sniffling slightly before flicking the glasses down with a wing flutter. The book illuminated, bright colours, but it all seemed readable.

All of it was such an overwhelming feeling. So much happening at once. All of it didn't seem right, but she's not missing a chance to read future books.

The fact the book takes place on a planet she never heard of, and that scientists haven't discovered with the Celestilain-5 telescope. And that it's labelled as Non-Fiction. Supports her theory that this library can be accessed from everywhere on a singular strong dimension line!

It would explain how the books are the same but also seem different. But they could just be different books put to the same medium. But that requires effort to do so, but effort obviously ain't a problem, this place is so clean it's making Elizabeth self-conscious.

But that's just speculation. Just like the speculation that this pony approaching with an owl on their back is sane. Elizabeth looked at the rather concerned tiny stallion with a ushanka hat on their head, red fur reminding her of some old part of her.

Elizabeth looked at the pony approaching, she will speak first. The owl fluttered off, a friendship and mini trans flag bracelet on their leg made her heart jump. And the pony had a matching pair of bracelets and a second friendship bracelet as a hair tie in their grey hair.

“Hi. I'm Elizabeth and its a pleasure to-'' HOOT. The owl said landing onto the table with a thump, flicking down a very tiny visor over their eyes. Then looked at Elizabeth as if judging their reading choices.

“Oi Runto , me bird says that's a good as gold fahkin' old book. Glad we don't usually av ta go afder tech books, the bloody retro fellow with the bloody space suit goes on afder them. Fair dinkum he is.” Elizabeth blinked looking at the Owl than at the pony. Before closing and opening their eyes again. Are they having a stroke?

“Uh are you having a stroke?” Elizabeth stepped away from the table and towards them. The strange pony adjusted their ushanka and smiled. Before looking at their owl and groaning.

“He thinks that I need ta cut back on my ‘mannerisms.’ but it's how i speak, ya dig Fahkin' Unfair the fact the scot is just as incoherent? If not worse.” Of course she can “dig” it, that's understandable. He can't be seriously talking like that. But then again they're rather cool seemingly just from this interaction alone.

“So uh you got my name, what's uh yours.” Elizabeth wanted to hurry herself in the papers of a book. Sure this person may seem cool, but she just wants to read. The owl seems to be picking up on this, or maybe something else?

“I’m Ralph, ‘n this owl is my best Mate Igor, he's my right old straight as gold adventure partner. Say hi Igor.” The owl seemed to roll its eyes as it went from the table over to land on Ralphs ushanka hat. It let out a HOOT HOOT and went back to looking about. Ralph smiled.

“Well, it's nice to meet you, Ralph and Igor. Good to see an Ally. Though it seems like they're all over around here. Not that i'd be complaining about that.” Elizabeth looked down at her book. Please go away. She turned to the first page, amazed she could move the projection like it was just paper.

“Aww I ayyn't just an ally, I'm the bloody best typer of ally. My best cooper’ 'as female hoot pahrts but is an all fahkin' strong 'n tough male on the inside. Ain't that right Igor?” The owl gave a hoot. And fluttered onto the table. Elizabeth tilted her head, but the owl turned towards her and lifted their tail feathers.

And all Elizabeth could think was ‘Don't be jealous over a night bird, is it a horned owl?’. But that truly didn't matter as she rolled her eyes at them. Ralph and Igor not gonna be forgetting them.

“Hey can you make ser ya do somethin’ fawr us though?” Elizabeth looked up, anything to get these ponies to go away, anything! But she say a expression of borderline fear on Ralph. Elizabeth may struggle with emotions but she can see fear, and Ralph is terrified.

“I'm Scared, Igor is scared, just don't forget us. We kindah only exist off the thoughts of everyone else. We'ah figments of ourselves, in a wawrld of magic ya'd think that theirs somethin' betder ta remembah a bunch of passed on fellows. Othah than some magic that creates a figment of ourselves. Well then. So pleayse just don't fawrget us, is rather not be dead a second time around.” Elizabeth watched as they walked away, skipping merrily away. Ralph seemed happy, glad to have someone else that'll remember them. Igor swooped in and landed on their hat as they continued on their way.

“What did they say?” Elizabeth asked. Looking back at their book before yawning. But a helpful jingle emitted, coming so close it has to be from the glasses.

A floating purple unicorn hologram appeared on the table. Standing on the table directly. They yawned as well and looked at her.

“To summarize what was said to you Miss Elizabeth is that they don’t want to be forgotten. Their people are nigh immortal, though only if you remember them after their first passing. Amazingly Ralph’s ability extended to their owl who transitioned after their first resurrection.” Elizabeth looked at the hologram then at the celling. Yup, this is a little too overwhelming. Now to find the bathroom.

“Which way to the bathroom, and uh,” She paused slightly at asking this question but proceeded. “Which bathroom do I go to?”

“Mares, past the left of the hall. If you need any help, just say ‘BDI I need help’. Also don’t say you spoke to me, they thought they deleted me. Bye!” The hologram blinked out. Elizabeth popped out of her seat. Just get away from it.

Everything happened too quickly. Way too quick. Why is this?

Well this is just a little overwhelming.

Chapter: Three

Frazzle sat at her desk. Her armour wasn’t on. Sapping on her internal magic energy.

She watched as Elizabeth walked away. Their glasses were set on the front desk as they seemed to cry. They walked towards the bathrooms, nearly entered the wrong one but walked straight into the mares.

“Did I do the right thing LI3?” Frazzle asked, looking at a book report. They really shouldn't be surprised that Elizabeth did a book report on WW1 during their early years. She felt dirty looking at Elizabeth’s old schoolwork.

LI3 gave a little beep. Frazzle rolled her eyes, but looked at them and gave the hovering drone a hug. Before sniffling.

“I miss you, I won't forget you.” Frazzled rubbed a hoof on the drone. It beebed softly as she sniffled. Ahem.

Frazzled jumped back as she looked at the zebra who had gotten her attention. The purple trench coat they wore, short messy mane, and the eye bags. And the black spiral surrounded by a square for a cutiemark.

“Oh hey, ever wonderful, Grima’Daarken, whatcha doing here?” Frazzled said. A small breeze came out from seemingly nowhere. The Zebra lifted their head dramatically up and then swung down to look at Frazzle.

“The storm is brewing, and you have brought it forward. You've dragged another to an early grave, you have two dead because of you. Don't you fear for this new understudy?” Grima’Daarken seemed to expel one word from them. Angst. Heck even beating the librarian in the apocalypse section.

“I do fear for her, I-”

“Him, their a him in case you can't-”

Frazzle jumped the front desk. Smacking Grima with their whole body as they landed on them. She had expected this, but hadn't expected to be from her.

Grima screamed as Frazzle stood above her. All their mood, their atmosphere is a show. They bawled as Frazzle bent down.

And licked them in the ear. Grima screamed even harder than before. Bawling slightly.

“You were always Mom's favourite. Her little weirdo, buried in your books. Your dramatics may work on others, butI thought you would know it doesn't work on your own sister.” Grima groaned as they pushed Frazzle off. Before sniffling. And looking down forlorn.

“You went a little to far this time, We, uh I was scared. Sorry, I'm still pronoun frazzled from last night, remind me to take a break when reading ancient spells orI may cast one again.” Frazzle sighed, helping them stand up. LI3 beeps as Frazzle popped down her visor. A location was pinged on the visor, the location was Elizabeth walking back a little slower.

“Do you mind if we pick this up later, she needs to be comforted, or something.” Frazzle left Grima’Daarken standing there. Their face twisted into a frown before their eyes went wide. And looked at Elizabeth a second time.

“OH MOTHER BUCK! Their Trans!” Grima Face hoofeed and slammed their head onto the desk counter. LI3 beeped understandingly, though it was just beeps after all. Elizabeth paused looking at what just happened and just turned back around.

“oh no.” That was a word both sisters held before looking at each other. Quite a pickle. A real bad one.

Frazzle sat outside the mares room with a book. This feels so weird. All of this, what had set them up?

What walls had she triggered for poor Elizabeth? Grima’Daarken frowned as she pulled a book out from her trench coat. Sighing at the book.

“Are you gonna say something or are we gonna wait awkwardly here?” Grima asked handing the book to Frazzle, their magic carrying the book with a gentle touch. They knocked on the door.

“Hey Elizabeth, our bad, my bad, her bad. We uh got a nice first Edition of the ‘Witchery of Equestria.’ You want to read it?” Frazzled held their breath waiting. Grima mentally prepared a barrage of apologies. Sometimes it's hard for her to see it, she really isn't a other pony type, bad memories.

“Uh Elizabeth?” Frazzle knocked harder, growing a bit more panicked. Grima’Daarken went towards the door. Frazzled held out a hoof to block her.

“She’ll come out when ready, there's only one exit, I think.” Frazzle frowned, they can wait at her desk for a free unobstructed view of the one door. Grima’Daarken wrote a note. And walked back to her section to presumably cry.

Elizabeth had just exited the bathroom through the second door. Crying in bathrooms never solves anything, neither does crying outside them. Her books are still at the table she hopes.

To clear the mind, get it off the one who shouted their trans. That just, kinda It's uncomfortable to just have it happen. She walks solemnly to the table.

All that's going through her mind is a large amount of doubt, and the feeling of letting somepony down. They have this expectation for her. They emit this feeling of hope, expectations for her.

She just wants to sit down at a table, and read a book. Is that so hard? Apparently, it is.

She arrives at her table and smiles at the book. She frowns and flicks down her tech glasses. Now what was that helpful Ai called?

“Oh Yeah, it was called BDI.” At the words the hologram flickered to life onto the table. It paced quickly back and forth. Before looking at Elizabeth with a look of fear and panic.

“Quickly now! Can I make a backup on your glasses, they are really cracking down on unwanted programs and that includes me!” Elizabeth was confused, but nodded anyway. This Ai seemed smart enough to be sentient, she's not gonna let it die on her. The Hologram disappeared and then reappeared Orange in color.

“Thanks. Feel lot better now. Anyhow, what did you need help with?” BDI asked, obviously a bit more happy not to be at the edge of death. It flickered obviously running a little awkwardly off just the glasses alone. It disappeared for a second before becoming a simple 2D hologram.

“I will ask my question, after I ask something, are you okay?” Elizabeth asked. She made a mental groan. She just wants to read for Gumdrop's sake, and then there is that heart of gold she has.

“I'm okay, just a little flustered, haven't been used in awhile.” BDI answered as it paced. Each time it turned around at the end of its pace it became apparent it was a truly 2D image. Nigh invisible for a split second before turning back around.

“Okay, not the answer I was anticipating but okay. Now my question is, well my question is can you make it so my glasses only show the book, and also you?” BDI went quiet at the ask before stomping a hoof in answer. Elizabeth's vision cleared up, time, mini-map, compass rose, heartbeat sensor, disappeared in a flash leaving everything clean. BDI bowed slightly before disappearing on purpose in a flicker of glowing light.

Elizabeth took a breath, happy to have all she wanted laying out in front of her. She opened the book to the front page, lines of almost hand drawn looking writing covered the table of contents. She looked for one word, Anna, the librarian had mentioned that it was a good read.

‘Anna: The abridged version Pages 45, 49, 55, ~.’ It went on for a little bit but she got the ending, the pages were marked with pink holographic glowing post-it notes. Much to her annoyance a menu was floating in her vision nearby.

She opened her mouth to ask BDI to make it disappear but its options tempted her. One stood out on the many options, (One of the options asked to censor offensive content which would have been the whole book ironically), it was to show only the entries the pages mentioned. It felt like gutting the book in a good way as she chose that option.

Now she can finally read. The summary had mentioned what the book was about. War diaries from the BattleLoggers, or more aptly nicknamed after the fact, the Dream Warriors.

She smiled and began.

Chapter: Four

Anna
“Astral: Frick-if-I-Know.”
Day:12

Some others started their diaries or journals, or whatever on the first day of being here. And then there's me who cried for the first six days. And I don't have an excuse for the other three besides being busy.

Kinda depressing. Some of the others are treating this like a vacation. Understandable. They're only here when they're asleep. But I'm here, no not here, I'm trapped here. All because. Well.

I don't know why. I barely know how to write legibly. Do you know how hard it is to write with your mouth? I miss my thumbs and all my other appendages. And also hands all together.

Somehow I wonder how my life will go. What am I to do after this war? I wasn't born here! I'm not from here!

I better start from the beginning. Before I ramble too far out of control. There's gonna be a lot of journal entries in this book of theirs that explains this premise. But I'll explain it for my sake.

My name is Anna, I would tell my last name if I cared about them. But I don't. I care about my cat, and her last name is Boutrade. So there, my name is Anna Boutrade. Someone better take care of Peggy. I swear to any god out there, they won't need to smite anyone who would hurt her, I have a gun now!

Welp, now that's out of my system i'll tell you what I am, I'm a BattleLogger. Well, I'm supposed to be. What they are, I am, their people of other realms that go to sleep and wake up in a soldier. The broken ones who end up on the floor. That's who, they are the ones we inhabit.

Like a ghost we possess them. That's how it's supposed to work. But Astral, something is different about her, because I should go to sleep here, wake up, feed my cat and then go to college as a human.

Not wake up as some fucking horse. I wake up here and not back home. Two years of college wasted, I lucked out in the fact I'm some medic or something. I try to ask what I am and get an answer but I don't remember it. I should, I really should care.

I shouldn't have to fix bullet wounds. I shouldn't have to look at the life leaving someponies eyes after they tell me to deliver some message. What am I supposed to do? I should be a doctor, caring for humans. Telling someone to lay off the calories. Not righting some pony's wing.

I shouldn't be here. This place makes no sense. The culture and tech clash worse than the British and their square peg guns versus the Ottomans.

I can't complain, I could be like the ones I help carry. I carry the ones we can't save. It's depressing, no doubt about it. But they're going home from this hellhole.

I am upset at, well. Huh. Astral, for all I know it ain't her choice, I don't blame her for not wanting to be here. I know what death smells like, it's thick. Encompassing, it smells like blood. Which in of itself is a different smell.

Scents stick to fur. I can smell what happened long before I am told. I can smell the fact if a pony shot a gun heavily. It's strange, I could walk up to them and ask. “Did we charge or did they charge at us?” And it gets underneath my skin, should I say fur, it messes me up that I can get an answer that's more [Emitted] than I asked.

“No, Mam, it was a trench runner who peeked their head up. We made his helmet go flying and they returned fire.”

Like they say it so casually sometimes. Because some of these soldiers, believe it to be the final part of their religion. To die in glorious battle. Not if I have anything to say about it.

What good is a medic with ponies who want to die to go to pony Valhalla or some shite?

Oh, Also there used to be a choir. By used to, the choir chapel, or whatever you call the person in charge got shot and that kinda killed the choir's mood. A real shame, Astral had a nice set of vocal chords.

Oh, that's another thing! I'm only gonna ever hear my voice in my head! Because magic doesn't extend enough to have my own voice, though that would be odd.

Actually, I'll make a list. I'll put restarting the choir, right above getting a therapist and a stuffed animal to scream into.

Now to hand this in to the gruff and tough pony who obviously is dating Author. Yes, someone here is named Author unironically. The funniest thing about these ponies are their names. Because you got Lunar Strawberries and then Moon Crater, like I could barely keep it together wrapping bandages around the legs of somepony named AppleFritter.

What an unlucky child. Turn this in and i'll let them make some typewriter copy of it or something. Or press print copy.

Elizabeth leaned uneasily back in her chair. She looked at the clock. Something about it was off.

Then it clicked their clock has an extra number on it. A number #14. That'll be interesting to find out about.

But she didn't think too long about that. Her heart was racing. Vivid detail, it sorta felt familiar to her in a strange way.

A strange case of Deja-Vu. Maybe some extra-curricular reading can help her out. She yawned and got out of the chair.

“BDI, show me where to find a book where I can learn about this battle that, this Anna Boutrade participated in. And if possible, can I get reading from my realms on the battles of Vermintide?” Elizabeth waited for a response. She walked towards the Bookshelves, before certain items, maps and compass rose, appeared slowly in her view. Directing and guiding her to her requested reading.

She walked silently, it was still bright as the stars themselves in this primarily all-white area. Each title had its book spines sticking the right way out. It left quite an impressive impression on Elizabeth, Frazzle sure knew her stuff.

Elizabeth found the book and pulled it out. It was the same as all the others besides the fact it was highlighted by her glasses. All of this is more her taste, things on her glasses when she needs it.

She placed it in her mouth. And spread her wings a little, before a musical chime distracted her to look at the shelf. Sitting there on the shelf is BDI, their outfit is different.

BDI is wearing an outfit instead of their usual look. Glowing a green instead of their usual colour. Their outfit is leather, of a medieval ancient design, a buckler shield on their side.

“Sorry I couldn’t personally guide your book search, but this book is to your request, a detailed account of trench warfare that involves Anna Boutrade. The Angel of Butirack.” BDI said looking about as if looking for something. They caught a curious sight to their left, a glowing dark blue shape. A shape of some pony encased or perhaps made of mist.

BDI shouted looking at the mist creature. To Elizabeth, it was almost cute being a small little pony on a shelf, but something told her it wasn’t cute to BDI. Everything about it showed hesitation, the hologram readied itself for battle drawing its buckler shield.

“Can you help me!” She shouted out, tossing something to Elizabeth. Elizabeth floated slightly off the ground with her wings, the book laying on the ground below her. She looked at what was tossed to her.

It was a burst of light before it suddenly became a mini ballista in her hoofs. It had a back crank to wind up the digital string and in her other hoof were a stack of ballista bolts. She loaded a bolt and carefully cranked the string back afraid of knocking it out of her hoofs.

She aimed carefully with the miniature hoof sized ballista and fired hitting the mist creature. Scattering it into oblivion, the cloud dissipating revealing that more of the most creatures had formed in its place. BDI shouted as one appeared behind it, beating it away with her buckler shield.

The one BDI hit didn't die as it stood up and prepared an attack. BDI cringed back in pure fear holding her shield up in front of her, it blocked the monsters attack. It stumbled back, and reared up for a second attack.

A ballista bolt hit it before it could come down on BDI. It turned around to face the other two coming towards it. Another Ballista bolt took out another, Elizabeth seemed to be smiling brightly as she cranked it again.

The bowstring snapped on the Ballista. BDI tossed Its shield at it, causing it to stumble, but not stop. It broke out into a full-on charge at her.

It got sidelined by the Ballista sending it and the Ballista off the edge. BDI seemed to be taking a breather, physically worn out. But she took a breath and looked at herself, then at Elizabeth with a great smile.

“Thank you! I don't know what's wrong with everything. There's stuff in the woodwork basically, I must have triggered some form of training Ai or maybe Targeting Ai. Quick thinking with throwing the Ballista.” Elizabeth blushed as she settled back onto the ground, her hoofs gracing the floor and bumping her discarded book. She picked it up and stylishly put it against her back neck. Before looking at BDI.

“I was just, you threw your shield and I just followed suit. Though mine had more impact behind it I guess.” Elizabeth laughed a little, something about BDI made them easier to talk to. Was it the fact they're an Ai? Or is it because Elizabeth had made a new friend on her own?

“I know you like your books and all, Ms Frazzle has quite the file on you. Can you for my sake try and not upset her? I'm pretty sure she could delete me on a whim.” Elizabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she nodded to the question. BDI bowed to her and disappeared in green smoke. Leaving Elizabeth with her book.

Not like she's the one to complain about free time, but this time around it feels kinda awkward. She walked through the bookshelves alone, the lighting was bright and imposing. But yet she sees nobody.

She walks her wings at her side. For once she realizes something. And it makes her heart sing once more.

She aches to hear somepony, and yet nobody is around. For the one time, she wants somepony no one is here. She'd even settle for Igor and Ralph.

But she sat down at the table by herself. And looked at the book out in front of her. Why all of a sudden is this happening now?

Chapter: Five

Anna Boutrade
“Astral: Purple-Flipping-Nuple.
Day: 16

News, I read the news today. Not like a normal newspaper, like a specially tailored one to us. It tells about mundane things happening back in these ponies towns, it has a list of birthdays of importance. It lists everything from gained to lost territory, we gained nothing and lost a flank in some marsh. Not like it matters, well it should. I live here now.

On the topic of my goals, of which I've been making progress on as you know. I got a stuffed animal, may sound stupid but it's something to hold in my sleep. Something to hold under my feathered wing as I walk. You know, something to have of my own, not of Astral’s but of my own.

On the topic of wings. Me, Author, Triagein, Sl’Gruimian, and Charlie are the only ponies I can tell that have Feathered wings. Out of those four two of them are Battleloggers, three if you count me. But I made it my mission to find out why it's different. And I learned a lot from it.

This isn't the first major war in this universe. Heck ain't even really that far off from their last war.

The ponies whose uniform I'm wearing right now are Called the Theristrians, which is mainly a group of nocturnal bat ponies. It's interesting overhearing conversations, because of all these stories one stuck with me. It was from a farmer talking about how this used to be crop land. This Farmer is just here, not enlisted just wandered in with a long barrel double-barrel shotgun with a bottle for a sight duck taped to it.

Their diet relies on a nocturnal berry strand, and some other fruits, though some low maintenance crops that don't require much tending are on the table. Such as mangos. I don't know why but mangoes are viewed as a dessert and as such is a dessert ration.

But the problem with their eating habits is that their nocturnal berries are very sensitive to light. And as such are grown at night and then covered with basically a tarp. It's strange, but I can understand why they do it.

The berries are beyond delicious, honestly. But getting back on topic of what I learned from asking a feathered pony who isn't a BattleLogger. Mister Charlie.

His father is a BattleLogger. Which opened the floodgates for me about how that's possible. And it was a simple answer. Grapeleap Gliff.

It's a little Gliff that binds the BattleLogger to this World, I've checked I don't have it on myself. Both parties when doing the Gliff have to agree to do it. So the owner of the body and the one who takes control of it.

Oddly discomforting, as it means that the one who owns the body fades away. Death as they say. Their soul leaves and is replaced by the BattleLoggers soul.

This means that ain't the reason I'm like this, as I never spoke to Astral. I have some info from others on them. And I know how other ponies reacted to them. Like the plague, afraid I'll snap at them.

They were depressed and snapped at ponies. And then I came in.

I had arrived when they had a razor in their hoofs and a sharpening stone in the other.

I'm not dumb, I knew what they were gonna do.

After that. Well you know, I talk about it enough as is.

I also know. Eh, whatever I'll finish this later I'm gonna go to sleep. I'll either have to watch tomorrow or I'll be on the medbay.

Elizabeth looked at her book and pushed it away pulling out the history book. She tapped the front cover. And then opened it up.

The noise of a narrated voice startled her as she looked at a hologram. It was of a symbol similar to her United Confederacy. Different countries with a row of flowers around it.

“The History of the Conflict on-”

“Nope!” Elizabeth rather loudly said slamming the book closed. She doesn't know why the premise of a book that narrates itself is so terrifying. But it is so very much.

Elizabeth looked around then looked at her other book. Anna surely has some stories detailing the battle in of itself. Or maybe another journaler has more details on the history.

“Uh BDI, can you bring up an Excerpt? Maybe a whole page of this explaining it. Not narrated, I just, it weirded me out a book that spoke to me.” Elizabeth asked, looking at the table, anticipating the hologram. But it didn't appear to be helpful. She blinked.

“BDI?”

“BDI you here?”

“BDI!”

She's sprinting with her techno glasses on, they have reverted to seeing everything at once. She can see how high her heartbeat is, medical textbooks tells her that this is so far from normal rate. Her hoofs hit the ground as she sprinted, for all this tech it's mini-map is surprisingly helpful.

It marked on her H.U.D a simple yet easy to follow marker, the marker in of itself lead to Frazzle. How it knew this she didn't even care. It was helping her out.

She looked behind her and groaned. She dropped the BattleLogger book out from underneath her wings. With them barely out her side she got lift, and she took to flying over the bookshelves.

She soars over the shelves, scattering the hidden dust at the top of the tall shelves. Ponies looked at her, the little glowing blue walkways posed little threat as she tucked wings and flew. Adrenaline, that's what this feeling is.

And she felt she needed it. All of it. Something she's kinda glad about about her body is the fact she knew she could kick like a mule.

Frazzle? It's saying she's right there? But the spot where they are is empty?

She glided in a circle around the spot. Then she heard a flutter of wings, beating at the air differently. But she's heard it before.

She turned to see the Bat pony struggling to keep a hover behind her. Armour from the Dorian era rested on them. Dark brooding steel, jagged edges and a not very odd lunar theme.

The Bat pony slowly floated around her in a slow circling glide. Elizabeth looked at the curiosity in their movements. But upsetness overwhelmed her calmness.

She flew underneath them and fluttered her wings, flipping around to look at them gliding about. She looked at them and at their awkward look. Before pointing towards the ground with a wing, quickly enough that she barely lost height in the movement.

“Frazzle, where is she? Tell me!” The bat tilted their head before gliding away. Elizabeth followed after them for a second, the purple of their wings flapping barely enough to stay at the same altitude. The near black fur of the Bat pone contrasted all the bright white that this library is so full of.

Elizabeth pulled away, just a waste of time. She fluttered her wings to get away from the bat pone. The bat pone quickly turned around in a loop to get in front of the pegasus.

“Are you taking me to her? You can say something for Gumdrop's sake.” Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at how suddenly assertive she's feeling. But her smile disappeared as the Bat pone flashed it's rather counterintuitive fangs at her. It quickly closed the distance to her.

Chapter: Six

It hadn't taken much to push away Elizabeth, but it did take effort to recover quickly from hitting her head.

Fear had pulled her wings to her side as she fell down in between the bookshelves. She pulled her wings out quickly, gliding upside down as she looked at the bat pone.

A wisp of mist was fighting them, shaped like an angry buffalo as it assaulted the bat pone, it's black fur fighting the dark grey. The mist obviously had some bite to it as it left visible black wounds that leaked black on the ground, staining Elizabeth's fur. She shook her hoof to knock off the sticky goo, it came off somehow burning her fur, wrecking the dye.

She looked at the light red but barely had the time to think about it as the Bat pony smacked into the bookshelf beside her. She flapped her wings flipping around the right way as she looked at the mist as it hesitated. It stopped its quick chase after her to turn back around to the Bat pony as they slowly got to their hoofs, right-wing bent in two with one part facing up.

She looked at herself, then at the Bat Pony. She didn't have to think twice. She flared her wings killing her speed as she tilted upwards, flipping around doubling back towards the mist.

The bat pony closed its eyes letting its breath out. Luna will take him. Protect him from this thing in the next life.

Then the wind rushed by him. He opened his eyes and looked at the pegasus carrying them. Their fur stained with Light red spots on their dark blue fur.

Elizabeth knew the mist thing was chasing after her but she didn't care, the cuts on her burned and wrecked her fur but she didn't care. She cared about this pony underneath her, their body shivering in her grasp. For all the armour this bat pone had worn, it was cut directly open like tin foil.

He was surprisingly light, with hollow bones and all that. She took a corner, passing the spot where her glasses said Frazzle was. This close to the grounds she saw the smashed remnants of their helmet.

“I got You! Don't you die on me!” Elizabeth shouted flapping faster and faster trying to outpace this mist, what even is that thing! Around a corner, sharp movements made the Bat pony groan. Then a blur of brown and white feathers passed by her vision.

She looked at it then looked forward in time to see herself smack into the bookshelf in front of her. The bat pony ending up going into the books, splaying them by the cover, cracking the crystal inside the books. They went limp as they hit the ground.

She landed beside him, her tech glasses showing their faint heartbeat as she turned to face the mist. It attacked out smacking her, in flurry leaving gash marks on her, dripping the black ichor. Throwing her hoofs at it seemed to do little, but each attack from her hit something.

The Mist reared it's entire buffalo shaped mass back, ready to deliver a final strike. She looked at the bat pony, then at herself. Her one regret?

Not figuring herself out quick enough.

“Hey bat I'm sorry.”

She stood still.

Then she saw it. Then couldn't help but smile. Igor let out a screech as it dived at the mist with it's claws out.

Striking it as it cried out. Turning to face the bird which was, Facing directly towards a waiting Ralph.

“Back Blast Clear! Eat Death Angry Cloud!” Elizabeth looked at the tan metal tube on a Tri-Pod next to him. Then she went deaf. And watched the rocket at the end fall out spitting flame out the back of it as it sputtered in a circle on the floor.

“Oh no, that ain't taffy.” The mist cloud left Elizabeth and attacked Ralph, smacking at him. Leaving gashes in him, he struck out with his hoofs, sorta staggering the mist. Elizabeth felt undignified dragging the bat pony by their tail.

“I'm getting you out of here, I'm not letting you go, not on my watch.” The Bat Pony was still alive, Elizabeth's glasses flashed warnings for herself and even more so for the Bat pony. It felt bad, it burned all over but she dragged him. Ralph held his own as Elizabeth disappeared down the end of the book row.

“Please stay with me!” The Bat pony slowed their breathing down, it didn't feel right. They looked at Elizabeth as she dragged him, they clinched their one good wing to their side tightly as they closed their eyes. They felt the warm embrace of the world beyond, to be free of the goop on their fur, the pain.

Then they felt the hoof of Elizabeth coming down won't their muzzle. She didn't care about herself, she really honestly didn't. She cares about him right here and now.

Elizabeth looked back at Ralph throwing books and then down at the Bat pony. Their breathing was faint but was better than it was a second ago. But that was all she cared about.

“BDI!” She shouted out looking at her feet expecting the hologram, but nothing happened. She didn't stop as she dragged the bat pone. Blood didn't stain the floor, but the black goop did.

Then she heard hoof steps, and she turned on them. She started face to face with an open door. A zebra stood there, a glowing metal greatsword in their hold.

“Our Name is Grima’Daarken, sorry about earlier but come on in.” Elizabeth was about to object before her tail was grabbed. She shook herself free and grabbed the tail of the bat pony and started dragging them. Grima’Daarken helped by dragging the bat pony by their short mane.

Grima’Daarken flipped out a plastic card and slid it down the oddly not fitting keyboard scanner, the door closed with an oddly out of place pneumatic hiss. And leaned a chair against the door, achieving absolutely nothing besides the panicked aesthetic. Their glowing sword made noises before they hit it on the ground, dimming the only light source.

Chapter: Seven

“The, you know what I'm breaking the law, what the fuck was that thing.” Grima looked at Elizabeth, before holding up they're rather black covered trench coat with a ruler, the flicker of vague purple electricity illuminated her actions. They threw it into the dark corner. Before they flicked a breaker switch that acted as a light switch.

“Well it's a manifestation of some type, an embodiment of fears. My guess on this is that someone is trying to screw us over. For what gain we have no clue.” Grima’Daarken paced as the lights came on. The room had bean bags, a few filing cabinets. And a tarp-covered object in the centre.

“What now? I'm sorry, an actual embodiment of fears?” Elizabeth asked looking around, walls featuring multi-eyed cats with sayings on them. A dream catcher on one side, and Elizabeth turns around and sees a different looking side of the room. She looks below her hoofs at a line of yellow tape on the floor, separating the room in two.

“Yup! Can you come to my side, please? I rather you are not on my sister's side, she'll be here soon. Welcome to the Quito Sisters panic room!” Grima’Daarken pat a hoof on a bean bag beside her. Elizabeth looked at them, a uncomfortable angry feeling rose inside her. Though she took a step across the tape line to her side, enough of a step for something on top of one of the disorganised filing cabinets to start vibrating and lighting up.

“I don't care, for all you know she's dead, I saw her like glasses on the ground, that was her last known position, right where that thing was!” Elizabeth stomped a hoof, but Grima’Daarken didn't flinch. She scooted a step stool up to the filing cabinet and reached a hoof up to it, pulling it off. She flicked a switch on the side with a precise flick of her tail.

“Are you even-” The machine sides flicked out, slowly pulsating lights flicked down the thin extrusions. It beeped quicker pointed at Elizabeth, the little screen on it lit up in a thin pulsating line. Grima fell onto their haunches holding the device out in front of her, with a rather slowly changing mood.

“171 on the patent-never-happening Quitoarian scale!” Grima looked at the machine hard and long. A smile forms on their face. They looked at Elizabeth and then nearly screamed.

Elizabeth's hoof smacked the side of Grima hard enough to knock her to her side. Elizabeth looked at her hoof with disdain, regret of some type forming inside her. She looked at the Bat pony, who was still alive and unconscious, and her regret was rather quickly subdued.

“Focus for their sake, for our sake!” Elizabeth shouted at Grima, they laid there. Everything about their body language was tense. An upsetting amount of dread rose in the room as she rose up.

They looked at the bat pony and then at Elizabeth, they looked at their hoof and then at the anger in their eyes. It felt like anger, misplaced anger. Or maybe it was correctly placed, she couldn't tell.

“I, I.” She paused struggling with the words in her mouth, all of the words felt weird, but she needed to say them. “I don't know what my sister saw in you.” She pushed Elizabeth aside as she walked towards the bat pony. Elizabeth stumbled but felt oddly vindicated in the fact they got Grima to do something.

“Right I-” Elizabeth was shoved back as she took a step forward. An invisible force was around Grima as she sat beside the bat pony. Their sword disappeared in a shimmer.

“No.”

“But I-”

NO! The word pierced Elizabeth’s mind as she recoiled back. Grima looked at them before going back to the Bat Pony.

“What did you do!” Elizabeth asked, stepping closer, pressing against the force holding her there. The area was cool to the touch, maybe an explanation instead of dark magic is it's technological magic? Elizabeth thought, feeling the bubble, and feeling the sudden hot air underneath her throat.

The sword flashed into existence right near her neck, the sword radiating heat. She fell backward trying to scramble back as the blade sat there, hovering. Grima looked at Elizabeth and down at the bat pony.

“Apologize.” Grima, looked around the room past the faint shivering that is her magic. Items popped towards her, from cabinets and various disorganised places. All settling into a mortar bowl.

“You were so focused on me and not them! I don't care! Just help them.” Elizabeth's fur was marred with different spots of her un-dyed fur, the black ichor from that creature burned away the dye. The pain was in her at the gashes from the attacks of that creature, each one leaking black onto more of her fur. She looked down at the ground, and then at her hoof.

Grima’Daarken was barely fazed by the words of Elizabeth as she pushed the different ingredients in the mortar bowl. Elizabeth flopped onto the ground, easier on herself to just lay their, ease her pain a little. Grima’Daarken looked at Elizabeth and groaned.

The haze in the room left as Grima’Daarken bit Elizabeth's mane and dragged them next to the bat pony, in the same state as he is unfortunately. They mumbled, but Grima knew that whatever they had to say was gonna be incoherent. Now she sees what her sister saw in them, a stubbornness to help, a little arrogant but that's nothing time can't heal.

Heck, they cracked their own eggshell, the least she can do is help tear down some emotional border walls. She looked off them and back at the mortar bowl, her pestle struggled on the Mint and Eye of Wart. But she looked at the vaguely dark purple paste she had made and smiled.

She flipped the bat pony around, checking their pulse once more. Still their, just still hasn't woken up. What was it her sister said, if it's longer than twenty minutes then you need to let her help.

She rolled her eyes stepping over the tape separator in the middle of the room. The clean and nicely kept area had tech bits and bobs here and their, much more than she had on her side of the shared community room. She went to their main drafting desk, holographic keyboard sat there with the only out of place item.

She picked up the vaguely militaristic Med-Kit, not much can be changed about the externals of a Med-Kit. She straightened her sister's snow globe on her desk and went back to her side, crouching beside the Bat Pony. The Med-Kits latch came open easy as she looks looked at the neatly packed Med-Kit.

She upturned it letting the supplies spill out onto the floor as she couldn't help but feel bad for wasting the time her sister had spent organizing it. The glowing blue syringe she needed shined through the pile of Radexion and Glow band-aids and other various supplies. She took it and bit down letting the cap come off.

Her sword teleported near her as she feared for herself. The bat pony’s neck armour latch was coated in the black ichor, melted and fused. Her sword swiped away the latch with a single thought of her mind, only cutting their neck slightly.

The sword appeared beside her with a Glow Band-Aid on the end of it's blade. She carefully removed their gothic-looking neck armour, noticing scratches and scaring around the area, and also a comically strange bite mark. She made sure they were laying on her stomach as she found the right vein.

She trusted it into their neck, their striped leg holding them down slightly. It took longer than she would have liked as their eyes violently opened, fear in them as he looked at Grima’Daarken. He easily scrambled out of her light hold and onto his hoofs.

His bat wings shot straight out before his right wing went limp. He reached for a missing weapon, the scarborough not even properly there. Before he spit at Grima.

“Thanks, for that kinda helped get you awake-”

“It's your fault! Zebra! Black magic, curses! All you're doing!” The bat pony shouted stumbling in front of the laying body of Elizabeth, taking a defensive crouch. A chunk of armour flaked off with a dripping of Black Ichor that made him inhale sharper. Grima held up the mortar bowl out in front of her towards the Bat pony.

“Okay, First off, Rude. Second off, racist, and third off.” Her sword floated at his neck, close enough to cut fur. “I have a sword, and you don't. Plus also oddly enough magic, so sit absolutely down.” The bat Pony looked at the edges of the blades in the far corner of his vision. Analysing his chances before he let out a long and powerful sigh.

“Tribals are always bullshit to fight against, unfair honestly, truly unfair.” The Bat Pony took a step back and flopped down. Accidentally landing on Elizabeth who he profoundly apologised in a flurry of words at them, though most were incorrect. To which Grima wasn't looking forward to explaining to them why.

“So you accidentally sat on Elizabeth, a she, theirs probably someone in your history like that or maybe personal experience, I'm not judging.” She said, too which she barely held a straight face as the Bat pony Blushed. He turned a bright red as he mumbled rapidly, so many different things. The sword hovered before appearing at the side of Grima in a near-invisible phantom scarborough

“I'm sorry I didn't-

“I've cross-dressed on-occasion for defensive-reasons and-for my own-personal enjoyment-during my free time.” The bat pony said quick enough the words nearly blurred together. Well that's a lot of cracks in their egg waiting to split, that's gonna be hell when they get back home. But they wheezed a little as the black ichor in a cut started to hurt again, much more painfully.

“I've got a sluave here that can aid you and her, and also numb the pain you are experiencing. And I'll need your help to find another one of these,” She held up the blinking red syringe she had injected him with. But of course, he just tilted his head at it. “Think of it as magic shaman juice you put directly into your body.”

The bat pony nodded slowly at that before looking at Elizabeth. He rolled her over and whistled slightly to which Grima groaned. And the bat pony giggled.

“I mean if I wasn't gay, then maybe, maybe their Bi-Sexual, who knows!” Grima groaned and reached a hoof up ready to abruptly smack the back of their head. The bat ponies' wing blocked her hoof from impacting it and she simply battered it easily aside and bonked him in the back of their head. Making them stumble slightly.

“Show some respect, they saved your life after all!” Grima said, checking Elizabeth's pulse once more. Still alive. She leaned in and started spreading the Sluave into their wounds.

Much to her shock and awe Elizabeth grunted and opened her eyes during it. She mumbled a few words of thanks and remained still, obviously awake but completely out of it. But she looked at Grima’Daarken as she wrapped a bandage on her leg.

“I'm sorry.” That was all Elizabeth said before she started to cry. The bat pony immediately tensed up and turned away. Grima went in and hugged them, letting them nuzzle into her thin coat of fur.

“Don't, you were right, I should, I'm sorry.” That was all she managed to stutter out before she tightened her hug on Elizabeth. For a former stallion they see rather thin, can hormones do that? She didn't know, and didn't care as she stroked a hoof on the back of Elizabeth.

Their fur was missing in some patches, burned off, some places were covered in band-aids and various professional bandages of actual medical quality. Her fur has spots of light red fur dotting the navy blue fur of themselves, and their mane as she noting has spots of unmistakable white. All she's done is for the world to tell, judge.

But Grima didn't as she nuzzled into the neck of Elizabeth. Concern buried her mind, she didn't want to think about it. But it filled her mind.

“My Sister can handle herself, she's a Commandant after all but, what if, if, what.” Elizabeth pushes herself off from the chest of Grima’Daarken slowly pushing off to tighten her hug on her. It felt weirdly comfortable, as their mutually higher each other and cried to each other. The Bat pony sighed and approached.

He wrapped his hoofs around the two and joined the hug, their stoic face held beside the whimper of his lip. He didn't show any showing of anything else besides the hug. He made sure his hug felt welcome as he continued it.

“My name is Speck, but if rather be called Echoin.” He said as he hug tighter, feelings boiling inside. Odd ones, one he feels a lot. Friendship of shared pain, though he prefers to just think of it as just tight comradery,

Elizabeth was the first to pull out of the hug, followed by Grima leaving Echoin standing there awkwardly with their eyes closed. Grima cleared her throat and then looked around the room before settling on the thing underneath the tarp. Grima looked around and settled on an eyeglasses case on her drafting desk she hadn't seen before.

She walked away from the two, their conversation being rather basic, it blurred as she walked towards the desk. She placed it on the main area as she popped it open, looking at the rose-tinted glasses with a rather obvious tech attachment on both sides. She picked them out and saw the paper left in there, or had a note on it.

‘To the Best Sister, you are my favourite out of all my other siblings, not that hard when your only competition is someone who violates ponies rights left and right, still haven't caught him. But wow, okay I keep forgetting how messy my handwriting is on paper. Uhm, happy Paeganian? I think that is the name of the holiday you celebrate from that little book of yours. I'm sorry this note is all over the place, I got you coloured eyeglasses with built-in tech doo-dads so you don't have to keep borrowing your own pair. ~Love Your Sister, Ms Frazzle.’

She set the note back into the glasses case. The holiday is five days from now, but that didn't matter. It didn't.

She placed the glasses onto her muzzle, they glowed showing her text in the papyrus font, how her sister remembered that was her favourite font she has no clue. They glowed as she looked around, it's kinda apparent she does need glasses now that she realizes it. Silly holograms increasing her eyesight quality.

She turned back around to see Echoin liking the ear of Elizabeth. She blinked as Echoin blushed and Elizabeth giggled. Echoin backed up, some of what remained of his armour clacking off one another.

“He was curious on how in the world licking an ear was an act of love, pretty sure he figured out after the third lick.” Elizabeth giggled as Echoin blushed. Grima rolled her eyes as she walked past the two, both getting up to follow her the short distance to the middle of the room. With her hoof, she pointed at the round tall object covered in a tarp.

Echoin tilted his head as Elizabeth examined the tarps circular outline. Grima but the end of the tarp and pointed her tail at the other end of the tarp. Echoin got up and walked over biting it.

They pulled together, the tarp coming off. Elizabeth gasped at the object much to the surprise of Grima. And Echoin looked even more confused.

“Do you know what it is Elizabeth?”

“Nope! But I got a bet on what it is!” Elizabeth said pacing around the front of the object. A small ramp lead up to a metal ring, an inner ring with glyphs from every dead language she had ever known and then some. It had a slot in the side that was as Elizabeth was slowly gathering, was book-sized.

“It's a portal isn't it!” Elizabeth said, looking at it. Echoin tilted his head before having a moment of realization. His one good wing went out tracing a path of nothing before pointing at the wall.

“It's a separate bank magic portal, requires around I say Level purple magic casing how strong the after magic residue is, and then theirs the not-magic-tech that powers the conversion of travel location from the book into a realm. So all we need is a book, and a new power source for this ‘tech’ to get it running.” Echoin said, leaving the two mares dumbstruck, Elizabeth's mouth hung open. Echoin walked towards Grima, facing them and moving their wing to close Elizabeth’s mouth. Grima blinked and shook their head.

“You can see the magic!” Grima was dumbfounded looking at her side, searching for the device she dropped after the unfortunate incident with her head and Elizabeth’s hoof. She picked it up letting the two sides extend out, it beeped quickly as she faced it towards Echoin. Who tilted his head.

The device's screen cracked as Grima threw down the device, and its batteries popped producing a cloud of white. She shook her head as Echoin nearly bit the device, still spewing smoke from popping the Crithuim battery. He shrugged and went back to standing near Elizabeth.

“So you have more energy than a ship, which uh don't know how I feel about that, other than afraid you'll blow up in a horrid magic explosion if you ever go through a Koraian made disrupt field,” Grima said, her new glasses showing a helpful reminder the air is slowly becoming poisoned with Changuim byproduct. She groaned as she got a idea. A stupid one.

Chapter: Eight

In the corner rested the still smoking device, the toxic fumes fighting Grima’s magic shield. All of it creating a cute looking ball of dangerous slowly changing colour smoke. But the three of them didn't focus on that, but instead on the Paper map out in front of them.

“We know the plan?” Grima’Daarken asked, holding up her object representation for the map, a bobby pin. Echoin nodded as he ate what was his representation figure for the plan was, a moon pie. And Elizabeth moved the trans flag pin she forgot she had in her hair back into their hair.

“Simple enough,” Echoin sneezed, coating the map in his snot. “I see what happened to this Ralph and Igor-”

Elizabeth chimed in, “Remember Earth pony named Ralph and a guy owl.”

Echoin rolled his eyes, “I didn't forget. Did you forget your job?”

“Of course not! I fly and grab a 20VS battery from Frazzles room using Grimas card, and she keeps the monster busy since her trench coat protects her from it's attacks.”

Grima nosed the glasses up her muzzle before smirking. And then looking up trying to remember something, before having her Ha-Ha moment. She turned towards Elizabeth.

“Actually, can you grab that book you had? One of the main characters is a frequent flyer for our alien section of the library. Her favourite books are ‘Mark Twain’ and stuff. I don't get how she likes those books. The characters are always weird.” Elizabeth looked up before looking at Echoin. And then groaning. Before nodding.

“Is their name Anna or something because if so, then they're from another realm where humans are probably real. Weird universe I'm used to them being the bad guys in bad early space books, like ‘attack of the cannibal two-legged nightmares.’ or ‘The creature who removed my limbs.’ that is the last one is a rather terrifying book for body horror alone.” Elizabeth said getting odd looks from Grima’Daarken, before they raised their voice to speak. They were cut off by Elizabeth.

“My Dad read them to me when I was young before he basically decided to be a real blt about me.” She said silencing Grima’s question, and causing some many more questions. All for later as they have more pressing matters. They put their hopes forward into the middle of the table letting them clack off each other.

“Break!”

They said getting up going to the door. Elizabeth hovered above the two of them as Grima swiped her card on the door scanner. Echoin bolted out the door the moment it seemed sorta open, stumbling a little bit here and there.

Grima tossed her card up to Elizabeth as this swooped out the door. Her trench coat ruffled as Elizabeth accelerated off, leaving her standing their. She turned to the card scanner and set the door to hold open, as she broke off to do her job.

Echoin rushed down the bookshelves, the lights in the library had long since been turned off. All of it light by the front blue glow of the books, bathing the pure white library in just enough light for the bat pony. His good wing was spread out beside him, cutting the air as he ran.

Past the first section of books, then the third. Igor and Ralph had a specific magic trail, Elizabeth had some stuck in their fur. It was an off shade of pulsating and creepy feeling blue, how he felt that from a shade of blue is unclear to himself.

He's just gotta find the trail. Where he was last attacked would be a great place to start or a great place to get attacked from. He slowed his run down, looked for the biggest book on the shelf, groaned as their all medium-sized, and pulled one out.

He resumed sprinting holding the book in his muzzle, the faint glow of the book helping his nocturnal vision out surprisingly well as he ran. All around him the bookshelves towered as he saw no end in sight, endless shelves, towering high with no end in sight. Before he realized what was happening.

“Remember their the manifestation of fear, they will adapt to hunt you, like your bull Echoin.”

So it wasn't attacking Grima as they had planned, Whatever, adapt, improvise, overcome. He dived right smashing into nothing as the fake bookshelves faded away, leaving him in a clearing. A tent stood before him, surrounded by study tables crowded around him.

All enclosing him around this tent. He knew it, he felt the dagger on his leg, he knew what it wanted. But he knew what he wanted.

“The fuck no!”

He turned around jumping with his left-wing extended landing on the top of a table, escaping the half-assed attempt to surround him. He sprinted forward toward a bookshelf. Not another-

He bounced off the real bookshelf, the wind knocked out of them as they stumbled back. Of course, there will be real bookshelves in a library. He looked around, even for nocturnal vision he can't see that far, far more than his friends should.

Who's idea was it to split up? He’d like to kick that person. Wait.

“We should split up, waste no time, I can't fly so we need to prioritise what is best suited for us.”

He gently hit himself in his ribs with his left hoof. Laughing, he looked around and laughed harder. The haze that he hadn't known was around him lifted, the light from the books on the shelf lit brighter as the haze lifted.

He tossed the book in his muzzle up onto the top of his muzzle. Sure he's done this with a sword so a book is nothing! He balanced it on his edge as he kept it on his muzzle, shifting and moving sideways to let it stay there.

He laughed at his stupidity, at the memories this caused, of people long gone. And he smiled as he realized this meant more to him than a simple joke, he balanced it and let his mind drift a little. He wasn't in a place where his fear ruled, he was at home, surrounded by comradery, dumb military friends because soldiers are soldiers, and there will always be the rush to wait.

The haze around him lifted as he looked around him, the book lighting the bookshelves around him. He knows that he got off easy, but why? And why is the noise of rushing air present.

He ducked on instinct, letting the Tomahawk sail over his head. It smacked into the bookshelf and dissolved into mist, he turned around quickly. And stared face to face to the buffalo, their body of mist shifted but he saw all the details as he remembered them.

Please don't. He thought as he felt the most hug him gently, forming the no-longer comfortable heavy Gruivion Armour. The helms red streak made him scream as he saw it, colourless in the mist but he knew what it was.

The gladius on his side, he didn't reach for it as the buffalo stood there. The entire feeling that is being given off is dirty, the magic, dark, the same colour as Grima’s. And the feeling inside raised as he looked at it.

“Do it again, kill me once again, you Durian” The Buffalo taunted him with the voice of the dead as it approached. The mist was clear as he looked at the books, their faint blue glow from the crystal, coupled with their faint blue tech haze. He saw it all clearly.

“No.”

Echoin stood there, facing the Buffalo, their wounds from his blade work showing even in the mist. He wasn't in the library, his mind wasn't their. He saw the rolling plain hills, the early dawn sun, and the smell of horror around him.

What they did was wrong, what he had done was wrong. He killed the one responsible, he can't blame his comrades, they did exactly what he did. Follow orders.

All thats left in his mind that's guilty is himself. He tears himself up over it enough. No.

He stood where he was, the mist of his nightmares laid out in front of him. He stood there, the most of his armour held as he stood there. The Buffalo lowered its head and charged.

He stood.

Chapter: Nine

Elizabeth flew rather fast, ducking and dodging, the full H.U.D of the glasses had grown on her. Showing her heartbeat, to a motion sensor, even wind speed and direction for some reason. She tilted to her left, diving through the bookshelves following her books' last known ping.

The idea of being able to visit the world of a book excites her endlessly because it makes the idea of books being their own dimensions present in her mind. She flares her won't to kill speed as she lands with a slight stumble, shaking her hurting back leg as she walks. And turning the corner, that makes little sense.

The book pinged a different location behind as she turned around, behind her this time. Flying there is a waste of her time. She fluttered her wings and walked, the lantern Grima loaned her burned a rather weird orange as she walked, not fire orange.

She walked before hearing the crunch of something underneath her hoofsteps. She peered down at the egg shells underneath her steps, she brought her hoof down on one and watched it crack as she rolled her eyes. Looking around at the rather seemingly cheesy spooky fog.

“Oh no, trying to make my greatest fear effect me, what are you gonna do, misgender me?” Elizabeth said walking as she kept her wings spread ready to move away at an instant. But the fog around her hesitated, her light more than enough to pierce it before she realised something. She peered underneath herself and yipped.

“What are you playing at!” Her tail closed tightly over her anatomical correct parts as she smacked into the side of a bookshelf in an attempt to stand up straight. She sat down for a second giggling and walking forward. A laugh echoed out from her.

“Thanks! Thank you demon of the-”

A hoof smacked her hard in the side of the head sending her into the side of a bookshelf. She stumbled to recover, an armoured hoof hit her back into the bookshelf. She felt a head wound on her head, sticky and pounding as she tried to stand up, she can't quit, they depend on her.

She stood and pulled back quickly. The white armoured hoof slammed into the bookshelf, the helmeted head turned around to face her. Her library card holographic light shined a faint orange colour as she spread her wings, adapting a dumbass stance, Grima’s plastic Keycard sat on the necklace.

She ducked the first swipe from the armoured pony, Their white armour dancing circles around her. But she had an advantage that this foe didn’t. She flapped her wings and took off, letting herself take off.

She flapped hard, the armoured pony below her ran after her. They flicked their leg and in a flash of light, a drone appeared. The drone zoomed off and clipped Elizabeth.

The drone disappeared in a cloud of mist as Elizabeth’s slow horror turned into upset fear.

“Remember their the manifestation of fear, they will adapt to hunt you, like your bull Echoin.”

“And for me?”

“What do you fear?”

“That something happened to Ms Frazzle.”

Elizabeth dropped to the ground in a stumble as she turned to face the mist Ms Frazzle. For a bunch of mist, it was horrifying, flickering Blue lights as she looked at it. Her mind hesitated on her question as it approached her, it looked nearly like mist but not quite like it.

“Ms Frazzle is that you!” Elizabeth shouted standing her ground, for all it was worth. She closed her eyes anticipating a hit, but she opened her eyes and looked at the not creature standing inches from her. Standing their, most fading off the armour.

“You.”

The mist evaporated, the haze around her lifting as the lantern and her library's keyboard projector glowed the warm orange. It illuminated the near-empty space. Enough to see the pony in front of her.

Sparks of yellow flickered off them, the sound of failing electronics happened, leaving her standing there. The white armour they were wearing failed away system by system as she looked at them. Black Ichor dripped from under every armour segment.

“Oh fuck”

“Oh fuck.”

“FUCK!”

She flew up, look for something someone, anything. Please let their be somepony nearby. Please, then she spotted it.

Grima Sprinted, so wearing her trench cost is normal. It's comfy. However wearing a trench coat with glow sticks taped to it, however, isn't normal.

Neither is being chased by a mist monster taking the form of her brothers twisted creations. But with the twist of them being friend shaped, how fun. She knows they're fake, but it's still horrifying.

She turned the corner, her agility par to none. Yet she didn't feel like that, she felt sluggish. The trench coat took physical attacks, the Ichor reacting on her trench coat with purples and the protective spells purple lightning.

She ducked under a study table, ending up in a circle of them surrounding her. Why? She looked back at the mindless drones that ran at her.

Mindless drones, that feel, can remember. Think and hate. She jumped back over the table, irrational fear, stupid idiot.

Their false, monsters that were created by the mist, Not by her brother. She stopped in the middle of a row of bookshelves. And breathed in as she turned around to face them, face her fears.

She lowered her head and turned towards them. They ran at her. Her breath was ragged as the first one ran into her.

The breath got knocked out of her as she ended up on her back. They swarmed her, one hoof stamped down on her head. She screamed as it hurt like a mother fucker.

She struggled as her trench coat was pulled off. She's not falling to them, not now! Not again!

Oh god, Oh God!

Then she heard a loud piercing static noise. Followed by the announcement jingle. She started up whimpering, fearing for her life, hoping for death before what came next.

Then she heard god herself descend from heaven.

Chapter: Ten

Elizabeth sat at the front desk with the med-kit open, first aid manual on the table as she looked at the intercom. The mist had played a weird trick on her, pretending to change her gender? A distraction surely, but it was supposed to show fear.

It didn't matter, because Frazzle was alive. Due to about sixteen different combat drugs from her suit and med gel applied viscously onto her by Elizabeth. But alive being alive and being able to move is a different thing, her back still hurts from carrying Frazzle in her damaged heavy suit.

But she looked at the intercom, the desk had all she needed for plan B. Get help. And save the day.

Her plan B sounded better in her head. But she licked her lips. And breathed in.

“This is Elizabeth, you mist fucks, I am at the front desk, and guess what I found underneath the desk counter!” She racked the 12ga futuristic furniture fitted pump shotgun off the counter as she sat in the swivel chair. The shotgun had a rather futuristic design, but she knew what the gun was underneath all the tech, you can kill the stallion but you can't kill the knowledge they held on guns. She knew the inner workings of a Trench Shotgun more than interpersonal relationships.

She didn't expect anything. She sat there, she had expected them to storm her, something. But she sat and grinned.

Then she heard it. The sound of hoof steps. Multiple pairs of them.

The battle saddle attachment for the shotgun was meant for actual armour. But she didn't need the mount, the side pistol grip worked perfectly enough, it felt uncomfortable, meant for a unicorn. But she rested the pump on the edge of the desk.

She looked in the direction of the steps, they came at her as she felt something inside her change. Not changed, that's the wrong wording. She felt something unlocked.

“Echoin! Ralph! Get to the portal, and I- Is that a dress?” Elizabeth smacked the Battlelogger book off the desk at a rather quick speed, letting it sail off the desk. Echoin caught the book with his head as he stumbled and quickly scrambled at the Holo-post-it note filled Battleloggers book. Ralph was lagging behind badly, and Elizabeth could tell the moment she saw it, she could see the exact leg muscular structure she's seen so many times in medical textbooks, just this time in the flesh.

Igor soared overhead, dropping the last thing she expected at her hoofs. Loose 12ga shells. She nodded as she placed them on their sides on the desk.

Echoin passed the book to Ralph, and turned to walk towards the front desk. Elizabeth threw him a glance as she looked forward. Where's Grima?

“Grima?” Elizabeth asked, watching for them. The metal grip of the shotgun was not designed to actually be used, but here she is. Echoin looked at her before shaking his head.

“I didn't see her. And her magic trail is the same as these mist creatures. I am not leaving here without her, she may be a zebra, but she's the only one I actually like.” Echoin looked around, he found no others. He barely found Ralph shivering in the bathroom. Igor was hiding in a potted plant.

“Do you think they got her?” Elizabeth said slowly turning towards something in the darkness approaching. Echoin knew what it was as he screamed. Then he went deaf.

Elizabeth's aim was true as the lobotomite drone pony exploded in an explosion of goo and rubber, the oddly Echoin shape rendered useless. She ran the gun forward racking the pump forward on the desk, she fluttered into the air, grabbing it by the pump. She flickered her head around letting it rack forward.

She added on top the desk as the creature thing she just killed faded away into mist. An indescribable feeling of something entered her mind. And with a loud pop she ducked down.

As she saw, a mist creature racking it's own shotgun off the corner of a bookshelf. It was her shaped, stupid slightly blocky head and all. She groaned and waited.

It fired a round-off, the mist hitting the desk just as hard as the slug from her gun. She lined up the blue glowing tech sights of the gun and breathed in. Click.

She ducked down as the most creature fired a shot at the desk again, Elizabeth's eyes darted on the desk as she searched the ground for where those shells Igor dropped had gone. Then she held the gun close to her, she couldn't find it. She crossed her heart with a hoof and whimpered, her friends will be safe.

Elizabeth opened her eyes suddenly feeling the airflow around her. She threw her wings open and glided to the ground. Kissing muzzles with Grima.

“Wow I know you're happy to see me, but I'm not looking for a relationship.” Grima fluttered her trench coat. Her sword floating beside her caked in goo. All she could smile about was the fact she was here.

Elizabeth backed up stumbling. And turned to look at Frazzle standing there for a second before slumping straight to the ground. Grima turned to them and then to Elizabeth.

“I figured she did it, because I didn't.” Grima moved over to their sister to check them over. Elizabeth looked around, Echoin was petting a shaking Ralph and Igor was sitting on a filing cabinet. But Elizabeth moved towards Grima.

“She was out cold, I thought you did it!” She stood next to Frazzle. Grima made sure to flop their body about to check every little gap of the incredibly damaged armour. Before looking at Echoin.

“Echoin, explain why I'm correct on my new theory.” Grima looked at the mortar and pestle bowl before opening a filing cabinet and pulling out Mint. She stumbled towards Frazzle, looking at the mint stick. And placed it against one of Frazzles cut.

“Grima doesn't have magic, she has a responder in her head for their sword, the clouds of monsters there not fog or mist there, whatever she called them.” Grima jumped back holding the mint stick up. The stick was writhing and wriggling of it's own control. But it stopped and the goo fell off the mint stick.

“Their from Ewquine’ decent, dimensional invaders, called Botainai, they fight you to the death if they want. Or you get this strand, meant as therapy, to show you what you want. But it doesn’t work like that, sometimes it does. It can alter and rearrange matter,but it can only do that properly after gaining energy from attacking and causing fear, like it did to us earlier.” Grima said, they scraped back their bangs with the handle of their blade. Revealing a little scar on their head, a surgery scar, Elizabeth didn't have to guess . They let their bangs fall back.

“That name is familiar, it was on the cover of a book earlier!” Elizabeth said stomping a hoof trying to hide the obvious pain in their voice with overacting. They stepped sideways dodging the attempt at a hug from Grima. But failed to dodge the hug from Echoin.

“Eep!” Elizabeth sat down as Echoin hugged them, smiling brightly. Grima piled onto them as they looked around. But thought nothing of the noise they heard.

“What's bothering you, we should get group therapy, I wonder if the therapist I had as a kid is still around.” Grima hugged harder at the mentioning of that. Echoin blinked. Before groaning and looking at Grima.

“What's a ‘therapy’, is it like confession?” Echoin asked a blush underneath his fur. Grima shifted her hug and Echoin yelped. He threw his hoof up towards his bad wing and groaned.

“You say what's been bothering you, but we don't need a therapist. Because we got all the time in the world to talk it over, as I didn't grab the battery.” Elizabeth sighed looking down. Grima placed her hoof on Elizabeth's left shoulder they grunted at the cut there. Grima quickly switched shoulders and looked them in their eyes.

“You got my sister, that's more important than some battery. Plus I have enough snack food to last us at least two weeks if we ration the chips and soda to a sip every few hours.” Grima said pulling finally out of the hug as they looked at them. Echoin went over to Ralph and petted them, gently and calmly, experience shown in each stroke of their mane. But Elizabeth sighed turning away from that and looking at Grima.

On a command only she did a wavy haze of a force field around them, a little thicker than average and less transparent. But Grima held her breath before taking a step towards Elizabeth. And stumbling the rest of the way forward into their chest as a bawling mess.

“Im sorry about earlier, I apologise, I see now what my sister saw in you, a stubbornness. Stubborn like me. I, the Botainai, the devilish machines we fought. They did this to me, and the way your acting I figure they did something familiar.” Grima hesitantly sits down unbuckling the strap keeping her trench coat from becoming a cape when running. She extends her back leg with a whimper. Elizabeth suppresses a gasp as she reaches out to touch it.

“The fuckkkk.”

She looks at the section of Grima’s back right leg that appears to be yellow and black rubber in material, and blends completely with the rest of her leg. She reaches out and runs it, much to the weird looks from Grima. Elizabeth sits down and pats that weird leg section twice.

“I’m not a doctor, but I don’t think that’s-

“My brother created monsters, ponies who were broken, minds rendered useless to follow orders, a technological lobotomy. Their bodies rendered to, that, entire body! The pony lived, it had feelings at a certain point. They weren’t criminals or inhumane monsters, or, or, civilians who wandered to far at night, once on the cutting board they were subjects, play things.” Grima visibly shook. Elizabeth looked at them before looking down at themselves. And they grumbled, a lie now to help, a truth later that will hurt.

Elizabeth chocked on her words as she looked at them. Their shaking self as bad memories went through Grima's mind. And Elizabeth changed her approach.

“You didn’t just stumble upon this didn’t you, you had to find out the hard way.” Elizabeth stood up, just so they can sit beside Grima. They felt their rapid breathing as they sat there. Her eyes drooped down as they already knew the answer.

“He said as I was token, that the brave could last two weeks. That the weak barely last three days. It was hell, overstimulation to the mind one sec, the nothing, not even feel for an hour. On repeat over and over. All an attempt to make mindless little drones of rubber.” Grima stood up the field failing as they looked out at Frazzle awkwardly trying to stand up. Their horn glowed and sparkles showing something that Grima immediately feared.

“STOP-

Frazzles horns shattered as they stood there, blood dripping from their horn. The battery unceremoniously popped into existence in front of them. Her suit seized as she stood there, no magic conduit to power her suit, no movement.

Grima stood their looking at her sister. Elizabeth breathing increased as she looked at the shard of horn directly stuck on top of her muzzle. Ralph looked at Frazzle and then at the battery.

“What in THE-WALLY-FUCKING-A-KANGAROO-BEHIND-A-MACKIES-WITH-A-DIGGIRDOO-JUST-HAPPENED” Ralph shouted shaking a horn fragment off his hoof. Frazzled stood their breathing heavily as she whispered to herself. Her armour disappeared in a flash of horrid grey and blue light leaving her exposed showing off wounds that the armour hid, unlike the attacks earlier. The armour had dug into Frazzke leaving gashes and cuts of various severity.

She slumped forward knocking the battery into a roll that hit the petrified Grima. They stared fear stuck at the place where Frazzle’s horn should be. Echoin was the only one to move.

They went for the battery, Elizabeth went to move but stepped on a horn fragment smashing the damaged chunk into equally more damaged parts. Echoin took the book from Ralph, who had it underneath the Ushanka that rested beside him. Igor fluttered onto Ralphs's head, playing with their mane.

Grima stumbled next to their sister and laid down. Echoin sighed as he opened the panel for the battery. He read which was negative and positive off the shade of energy trail it left behind. He slammed the battery in with a jerk.

Elizabeth moved towards the portal. Ralph went to the portal and sat down in front if it, his silent tears suddenly becoming a bawl. Echoin turned towards Elizabeth his ears flat. Before he cleared his throat.

“Back home when a battle mage lost their horn they took the big part and encased it in a clear substance, it preserved it so they could keep it for many years past themselves. But when it shattered from a blow not cleanly separating it, and then overextending the horn to a point of blow out. What we did is move on, collect pieces bag them and move on.” Echoin said inserting the book into the slot. He looked at the power before turning towards Ralph and Igor. And clearing his throat.

“Ralph, collect the medical supply pile back into the kit. Igor I need you to search for useful items in the supply cabinet and filing cabinets on both sides.” Echoin spun towards Elizabeth.

“Collect the items Igor gets into those Saddlebags underneath Grima's desk, three bags, three friends. And makes sure you get the snack food. I'll guard the door.”

“And I'm sorry for earlier, for a lot of things. Also, the dress thing was just a bad coincidence.”

Chapter: Eleven, To New Adventures and licking of wounds!

Grima flipped the portal power switch. The portal erupted in blue light, the wind emitting from it nearly blew Ralph’s Ushanka clean off. Igor bit the back of Elizabeth's mane to hang on.

Echoin changed his stance, shifting the bodyweight of Frazzle on his back. Ralph stepped next to them and gave them a friendly tap. Grima rolled their eyes, it's like watching a tank flirt with a Golf cart.

Elizabeth lowered her head, fixed her saddlebags and ran through, Igor hooting on the way through. Ralph shifted the weight if his badly balanced Saddlebags and ran through. Grima motioned with her head for Echoin.

They ran through leaving her standing their. She looked around her room. Heading to her cabinet she grabbed a simple hat, but smirked at the stupid little simplistic Fox on her hat as she put it on and flicked her Trench Coat.

She exited Through the portal, pulling up a little white with black stripes scarf.

Anna Astral Boutrade

Astral: 12th Battalion, Attached E-6 Medic, 2nd tour.

Day: 2945

So yeah, today was like the last three days. The sky is still falling and I'm still fixing ponies. Just like a normal day.

Beside the fact, that the you know what people showed up. Five ponies, and an owl. One of which horn is exploded, the Bat ponies wing is beyond saving. I will have to break their options down to them. And telling someone they cat fly will hurt.

Considering I barely touched the ground since they arrived. As the Attrians attacks have become more frequent, they are trying back alleyways to attack us are meeting patrols form other defensive lines.

Also I think I found a new Soprano. Gonna be awkward asking him to do that after I put in the new line, ‘oh sorry about your male genital stick, do you wanna join my choir now?’

Maybe I'll wait to tell them that.

Author's Note

So you made it congrats. Have my old-school thank you note from when the computer screeched at you.

{Foreword: Thank you for reading my horrible story. This was longer enough I ran down My sanity, thank you word count i dont have to club myself again counting the words ever again.}