Chapter 6: A Message…Long Forgotten

[...]

“...”

“...”

groan!

Something…something doesn’t feel right, I thought painstakingly. It was dark, and my eyes felt open. Yet, I can’t see anything….

“Where were you?”

I…I don’t know….

W-Wait, my mind tried to think. Did I know? I can’t see anything. A vast space of nothingness occupied my sight as I tried to get up.

Where…where am I? I tried to remember. I began to feel the nerves tingling underneath my skin as my hearing slowly returned. It was a painful ringing noise in my eardrums, dissolving into white noise as I tried to…

boom!

“Aaah….”

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`The blast toward the back of the throne room sent a shockwave through me, but I remained still in my chair. I was sitting in silence as the world around me began to fall apart, but for some reason…I…I didn’t hear it.

I didn’t hear ‘it.’

What happened to the gavel? It’s supposed to hit the wooden block….

As the commotion continued, I stayed in place, remaining as still as possible. I didn’t feel anything…nothing registered within my sense to maybe duck out of the way of a projectile or…run.

‘Run.’

Run? What good will that do for us? Why should we? There’s no poi….

Wait…hold on….

My back tensed up as I felt a prick in my neck hair. I tried to move, fearing my life was about to be in danger, but…but I couldn’t move.

How could I move? I can’t…the verdict hasn’t been made official. So what’s causing this feeling? I refused to move from my position as my eyes stared straight ahead. The number of bodies being thrown around was…unnerving.

Why is it unnerving to me? I’ve seen this sceeene…seen this ‘happen’ before….

My mind suddenly flashed twice, and my eyes widened in despair. Looking down, I saw a small capsule roll underneath my chair and lie at my feet. Instinctively bringing my legs up toward my chest, I brought my shackled hands up to my face, an-

boom!`

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Suddenly, my eyes shot open. The blurriness of my surroundings struck me hard as I tried to adjust to the…the….

Where am I? I thought. My eyesight remained gray, causing my head to throb in pain.

boom!

“Gahh!”

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`“Shii-”

smack! slam!

crunch!

The pain burned through my body as I finally touched the floor. The splinters of wood dug into my stomach and legs as my face rested against the stone tiling of the throne room.

It felt…horrible. The pain was…unbearable!

Yet…I can’t move….

I lay there, face flat against the floor, as the eruption of noises swirled into my ear canals. My head started to hurt as the shrieks of pain and continuous noise drowned my thoughts out.

I felt…uneasy….

Something…was making me feel…a pit of pain in my chest….

The wooden splinters of the table I had been seated at dug through my shirt and into my skin. As the blood oozed and began soaking the middle of my shirt, I couldn’t…move it….

Why…Why can’t I MOVE?! I lay there in tormented pain as the rumbling sounds got louder and louder. I remained motionless, lying against the throne room’s tiled flooring, as my hands remained shackled and unable to res-

“KAAAWHH!!”`

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gasp! My mouth opened in shock as that cry I heard sounded…i-i-it sound-ded….

boom!

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`“...xander? Alexander, wake up…Alex…wake up!”

My eyes fluttered as I tried to…see where I was. The commotion around me continued reverberating within my head, the pain beginning to strike every inch of my temples.

“Alex! Are you okay?” a…‘familiar’ voice called out. I tried to focus on it as my arm began to move.

However, it wasn’t…wasn’t ‘me’ moving it….

“Alex! Come on!” the voice repeated, my arms slowly being lifted into the air. “We gotta get you out of here!”

“H-H…haaugh…” hiss! “Aah!” I tried to recoil from the pain as I felt the pokes and stings from those splinters digging into my skin.

gasp! “Oh…Oh, sweet Celestia, what happened?!” the…pony’s voice cried out in horror. I tried to look at where it was coming from, when suddenly…my mind remembered.

“S-S…Sw-Swift?” I stuttered. My body was suddenly pushed forward as I was dragged away from my current position in the throne room.

“I’m getting you out of here, Alex!” the pony…guard called out, slightly ahead of me. My arms were still bound together, but the creature continued to drag me forward as I tried to stay upright…wherever upright was. “This way!”

Out of nowhere, I turned left and nearly fell to my right as the creature moving me continued to gallop ahead. Its…hooves clacked against the rug as we continued to run down the….

“Where am I?” I thought aloud, my first coherent sentence coming out smoothly.

“I’m getting you away from danger, Alex, please!” the familiar voice called out again, turning right and moving forward. I was almost standing tall, running at a good pace, and being dragged by this…pony….

Wait…I-I…I know youuu….

“Slow down,” the guard’s voice said, turning to the right slowly. “In here, let’s go!”`

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My head shook in frustration as I tried to feel for the ground below me. The ground didn’t even feel like the ground…almost resembling…a soft, fluffy cloud….

My vision started to improve as I repeatedly squinted at the…the room I was in.

This seems…familiar, my mind pieced together quietly. It f-feels like I’m i-

SLAM!!

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`I ran headfirst into…something. Something…rigid.

I couldn’t see ahead of me, but whatever was dragging me had abruptly stopped and might have…intentionally allowed it to happen.

But I didn’t account for the following chain of events to occur. Instead of stopping in place, my momentum kept going, a loud snap! ricocheting through the air around me.

“Buck,” was all I heard as my body flopped and rolled across the surface of…wherever I was.

Finally, I came to a stop, my arms clutching my stomach in tormented and agonizing pain. From there, the world I was in…slowly…started to spin….

“Alex….” that pony’s voice called out again. “...are you okay?”

I tried to move my head and…‘looked’ at the creature. Then, my brain slowly began to remember the…stallion’s name again….

“Sw-Swift?” I slurred, my mouth squishing against the cold floor. The splinters continued to poke at my chest as I began to…to…lose….

“Alex?” was the last thing I heard befo-`

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As I reached the top of the stairs, I stared at the one guard remaining between me and Alex, the human prisoner. The door behind the pony was closed, and the only reasonable way to get to that ‘human’ was to go through this singular guardpony.

gulp! I heard from the stallion, his face beginning to tremble, as was the rest of his body. I slowly approached and cleared my throat, staring at the pony the entire time.

“U-U-Um-mmm….” the once confident ‘Specialist’ uttered, his legs shaking out of fear. I sighed and brought a claw to my face, pinching the bridge of my nose. Finally, I shook my head and addressed the guard blocking the door.

sigh “Specialist Swift? Move out of my way,” I commanded. The guard’s eyes widened briefly, returning to their usual gaze as the pony looked up at me. Our eyes continued to lock onto each other as I waited for a response.

“Q-Q-Que-een No…No…no, no!” the guard replied, snapping himself upright. I was taken aback by the officer as his hooves slowly gripped his weapon. “I…I-I cannot allow you to pass!”

I stared harder at the pony, the slits of my eagle eyes honing in on its target. “What did you say to me?” I questioned with a tinge of restlessness. The guard lowered his weapon with caution, pointing it straight at me.

“Y-You…You sh-shall not pass, Q-Queen Novo!” Specialist Swift shouted back. “N-Nocreature is supposed to bother Alexander Walkerson until tomorrow, a-and tha-”

I took a step forward, my chest puffing out in retaliation. The guard stopped talking, slightly aligning the stone blade toward my stomach region as his hooves shook in fright. As I neared the spear’s tip, I lowered my head and pushed the spear aside with my right claw, getting closer to the pony and the door.

sigh “Now look what you made me do,” I exhaled, shaking my head in frustration. The guard’s eyes widened as I got closer to his face. “I am not going to repeat myself, Swift,” I threatened, now face-to-face with Swift Wildshadow.

“Get. Out. Of. My. Way,” I rearticulated. Every syllable rolled off my tongue with venom, knowing that if the guardpony did not budge, he would meet the floor faster than his thoughts could travel to his mind.

The guard said nothing, remaining frozen in place. Then, finally, after another few tense seconds in which I was sure I would need to use force to move him, his left hind leg slowly sliding away. Then, his entire body shifted out of my path, remaining at attention near the doorway.

I shook my head and turned toward the guardpony. “Now…leave,” I ordered, pointing toward the stairs. Swift stood up straighter and was unsure what to do, his eyes following my claw and looking at the staircase I climbed up.

gulp! “Uh…I-I-I do-don’t thin-”

“Why is this so hard for you to understand, Swift?” I interjected, my patience running thin. “Leave. Us. Alone!” I yelled, the guard beginning to cower in fear. His body trembled as he nodded without hesitation.

“Y-Y-Yes, Qu-Queen Nov-v-vo,” Swift replied, nearly faltering in place as he rushed for the stairs. As the guardpony disappeared and out of my point of view, I returned my gaze to the door and noticed something…odd about it.

The door hinges, I commented internally, bringing my claw up. The door isn’t….

shove!

crash!

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“Alexander Walkerson….”

My mind flipped a switch as my vision returned. The room I found myself in was blurred, but I knew where I was…finally….

However, the nerves within my arms tingled, causing goosebumps to form across my skin. The little hairs raised as well, my brain sensing a presence…an ominous presence….

I slowly tried to get up, but something was restricting my hands from separating. The mattress underneath gave slightly, the soft cushions embracing my body as I fell onto my back again.

groan! “Wh-Whuh…what…ha-happe-”

gasp! My throat was enveloped by what felt like a…claw. As I looked down, the talons of the thing were visible slightly, and my eyes widened in surprise. As my breathing stagnated, I tried grabbing at the…creature?

Wait, my mind churned, the realization slamming into me. N-Nooo…not….

“Alex?” the voice asked. “How many times have I warned you?” I tried to release myself from the creature’s grip, my efforts being prevented by the shackles and my disappearing strength.

The form of the creature began to slowly appear, standing tall and angling its face away from me. The arm was stretched out, with its…talon gripping my neck….

“Heheh…hah,” I weakly sighed, my sides heaving at the loss of oxygen entering my system.

The creature let go of me, causing my body to flop back onto the bed with a soft thud! My arms flailed against my stomach as my back absorbed the shock from hitting the mattress and blanket. Finally, my head landed on the pillow behind me, my mind dazed.

I stared at the ceiling as the colorless texture of the room’s walls and ceiling jumped out at me. I took deep breaths at every possible chance, the loss of blood flow restricting my movement.

All the while, the creature that ha-

sigh “You know, I am getting sick and tired of playing this game with you, human,” the creature beside me said, my eyes remaining fixated on the ceiling above. “You’ve really angered a lot of creatures today….”

I heard the slight sounds of its movements as it came into view beside my right side. Its right claw extended toward my face, with an object in its grip. Dropping it onto my face, the lenses…of my glasses made me see…better.

Clarity, my mind thought as I slowly grabbed the glasses and attempted to put them on. Just what th-the…the….

My brain short-circuited as the scene slowly unraveled. I recognized the room I was in, which I had been brought back to ‘before’ today’s verdict. But, now, being back in it following the explosions in the throne room, the creature’s featureless frame triggered the emergency bells within my mind to go off.

And…it was…a hippogriff.

But it wasn’t the doctor…Doctor Borealis….

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The Queen of the Hippogriffs, Queen Novo, stood near my right side, staring me down with an ominous stare. A crown atop her head was adorned by the strands of her mane, with stars glimmering across them. I froze in fright as she slowly moved away from me and around the bed.

sigh “And I, for one, am one of them,” Queen Novo said, crossing the halfway mark of the perimeter. Her face turned toward me like a vulture eyeing its prey before going in for the attack. I attempted to back away, but I saw they were…shackled…still….

“I-I-I…” I tried to respond, but my lips trembled in fear as the hippogriff ruler rounded the left side of the bed structure. Queen Novo’s head tilted downward as her eyes locked onto mine.

“I want you to look me in the eyes, Alex,” Queen Novo sternly addressed, getting closer and closer to me. “Look me in the eyes and tell me this wasn’t ‘your’ idea.” My eyes widened at the statement, unable to compute a cohesive answer.

“Mm-m-my i-idea?” I stammered.

The Queen of the Hippogriff nation lunged at me, her right talon extending and slamming my left shoulder back into the mattress. Her rough claws clasped down onto my shoulder, digging through my shirt and into my skin, causing me to groan in pain. My breath shuddered as I heard a low snarl!

“Don’t…” Queen Novo breathed out. “Don’t…play dumb with me. I know what you’re doing, and it’s getting on every last one of my nerves.” I tried to bring an arm up to push the hippogriff off me, but it failed as it remained pinned. My face turned toward her and continued to return the stare, remaining ever defiant to her plan.

“Whu-what…whut are youuu…d-doing?” I inquired weakly, my lungs choking on themselves. The hippogriff loosened her grip on my shoulder as she glared at me intensely. Novo’s beak slowly morphed into an angry angle, growling at my inability to say what she wanted to hear.

growl! “I said!” Queen Novo shouted, picking me off the bed and hurtling me over her shoulder. The hippogriff ruler’s right claw threw me across the room, with my back making heavy contact against the stone wall.

crack! A loud noise reverberated across the room’s atmosphere as I fell onto the floor with a loud thud! My mind began spinning as I lay there in confusion. Then, the ground started to vibrate, getting louder and louder as Queen Novo approached my position.

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huff! “Puh-pleaase…” I begged, trying to reason with the angered hippogriff leader. “Mu-muh…merc-ACK!” I immediately lost my voice as she grabbed my throat again with her claw. Then, raising me off the ground, I was suspended by her vice-like grip, her face inches away from mine.

“You want ‘mercy?’” Queen Novo sneered, her voice getting lower in tone. “I’ll give you ‘mercy!’” I felt my body go toward her as she prepared to slam me against the wall. I brought my arms up to try and grab her arm, but it was too late for me to save myself.

SLAM!!

“Aagh!” I yelped, the shockwave of pain beginning to pulsate within my bloodstream. My veins began beating, with my ears slowly tuning out the surrounding environment and focusing on the white noise from before.

It continued to get louder as I was held by my neck against the wall’s structure. Novo's claws slowly dug into my neck, the blood beginning to ooze from it and onto her claw. Her snarling grew quieter as the consistent ringing noise in my ear got even louder.

My head began to hurt badly as my eyes blinked slowly. My vision was disappearing, and my heart was beating faster and faster in my chest. My legs lay dormant underneath me, unable to move due to the hippogriff’s strategic pin.

“I can’t, for the life of me, wonder,” I heard the Queen say, “why did my daughter choose you again? You’re a nobody, and certainly weaker than anycreature in Equestria. Reliant on a stupid watch!” I felt my body shift as her grip around my neck disappeared.

Faltering to the ground, I breathed heavily as my arms couldn’t brace my fall. Then, bringing them up to clasp my neck, I slowly released them to look at my palms, a blood-red hue coating my skin. I gasped in shock at the realization, my ears continuously beating the noise coming from my heart.

“If you were better, you would have gotten up by now,” I heard Queen Novo snarl. Her hoofsteps ceased as she stood near my left again, looking down upon me. She brought her head down and continued to stare at me, my gaze faltering from the pain radiating across my body.

“...I’m waiting,” Queen Novo replied impatiently. I continued to lie there in shock and agonizing pain as the hippogriff wouldn’t leave me alone.

Leave us alone, my mind pleaded internally, my eyes squeezing shut. Leave…leave us….

“You want to be alone?” Queen Novo asked silently, her beak right at my left ear. I heard her breathe shakily, a shuddering exhale hitting my ear canal warmly. I winced as she brought a talon to my shoulder again. “Then listen….”

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Queen Novo’s message went as such.

“You ‘are’ alone,” she stated. “Because of ‘you.’ Not because of anycreature, not the other leaders, not ‘The Crown,’ and certainly not because of me. ‘You’ did this to yourself. ‘You’ caused Anon’s death, ‘you’ played with deadly magic, and ‘YOU’ pissed me off for the last time!” I blinked as the statement slowly stored itself in my memory banks.

“Nocreature in Equestria feels you deserve ‘mercy,’ and for those that do,” the hippogriff ruler continued, “they don’t even know the full story. But why should they when the evidence is as clear as the ocean?” The Queen took her claw off me as I rolled onto my back.

The painful jolt of radiating pain spread across my back from my upper half, unable to dissipate. I lay there, unable to move, as the ruler of the hippogriffs brought her face into my line of sight.

drip! Something…wet landed on my face, hitting my cheek lightly. I flinched and closed my eyes before realizing something. I looked up and saw an unusual sight.

shudder “Do you know how ha-hard it is?” Queen Novo stammered, her eyes brimming with tears. I couldn’t believe it, my mouth slowly opening in shock. Is Queen Novo…crying? That can’t be right….

“To go back home…to see your own daughter,” Queen Novo lamented, “and be forever reminded of a time when life was harsh? When your home was violently ripped from you? When your rulership was called into question?” The Queen’s tears fell, hitting the top of my shirt and soaking into the fabric.

“When you lose ‘everything….’ To a bunch of ruthless hunters?” My mind flipped a switch, my lungs exhaling as she closed her mouth. Biting her lip, Queen Novo groaned as her breathing got shaky and her eyes closed.

“I-I nearly lost everyone….” Queen Novo silently cried. “...the last of us fleeing below the waves…lost to time. We were…in the unknown….” sniffle “And I fe-felt powerless to stop it…because….”

I noticed Queen Novo nervously looking at her stomach, bringing a claw to it. “M-My Skystar,” she shuddered, her expression changing to glum. “ I…I didn’t know what would happen. I was a-afraid…scared…” sigh “...tormented. A life within me, and the only child I would have….”

Her eyes closed as she let her talon fall to the floor. “I did everything…to keep her safe,” Queen Novo sighed, her voice quiet compared to the air around us. “To keep her from harm’s way, to try and have her understand that life isn’t FAIR!!”

I flinched again as her frustrations boiled over. “I DID EVERYTHING I COULD!!” Queen Novo shouted in pain. “To give her a life! To show her the wonders of our aquatic world! AND STILL!! Still!...still….” shudder “...she remains naive to the world she calls home.”

Novo’s face turned toward mine. “And I thought ‘you’ would be different,” Queen Novo addressed, her voice getting darker again. “Maybe, Alex would be different. ‘Oh, Alex is a fantastic human. He means no harm to Equestria and its nations.’ Is he? I would later question. ‘Pssh, you kidding. I mean, your daughter is taking an interest in him.’ He has to be good, right?”

I stopped as Queen Novo finally stopped talking to herself. I didn’t want to do anything at that point except fall unconscious, letting my life be put in the hands of God. But, unfortunately, it wasn’t over yet.

“And…this?!” Queen Novo exclaims, disgusted, as she stretched her claw out at me. “This, this is the one? The one that will help us in our time of need? One I signed and agreed to form a peaceful alliance with? One that is DATING MY DAUGHTER?!” The room’s walls shook as did the ground, my ears ringing from her Royal Voice.

shudder “...not anymore,” Queen Novo whispered. “Wherever life takes you after you die here, I hope you remember what you did….” The hippogriff leader slowly leaned in. “Because it is over…Skystar and the rest of us will move on while you remain elsewhere. Separated…and forgotten….”

Queen Novo turned away, heading for the doorway as my sides heaved in excruciating pain. I tried to reach out toward the hippogriff, my arms bound together by the shackles. But, they dropped, unable to move, and returned to my right side.

“A-And I hope wherever you go…that wherever you end up after your death here? I hope it’ll be worth it….” Queen Novo called out. “Because you’ll never come back to Equestria….”

My heart throbbed with torment as I weakly exhaled a shaky breath. My mind couldn’t reply to the hippogriff queen, taking every sentence with a grain of frustrating silence.

Queen Novo stepped over the doorway and exite-

cough “...heh…S-Skystar will…” I whispered silently….

“...Sh-She’ll rem-m-member…muh-me…fffor….”

sigh

“...forrr…evv-verrr….”

Then, everything faded to black.

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I heard a slight cough but paid it no mi-

“...heh…S-Skystar will….”

I stopped in the doorway, my ears perking upward.

“...Sh-She’ll rem-m-member…muh-me…fffor….”

My mouth trembled in anger as I turned my head back toward the human. His body lay lifeless on the ground as his eyes began to close.

“...forrr…evv-verrr….”

sigh

Alex took a long breath in before exhaling. His body remained motionless except for his stomach. He’s still…alive?! my mind screamed, frustrated at his will to live….

His will to…live….

I stood in complete silence as Alex’s body remained without movement. His arms remained bound together, sprawled out to his right. His mouth stayed open, taking in the air’s oxygen while he fell into an unconscious state.

I continued to stare at his bipedal figure, unable to compreh-

gasp!

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`“Well, Celestia. It has been an honor and a privilege to join you here in Canterlot for the Grand Galloping Gala. I can’t even remember the last time I was here for this event….”

“Oh well, the pleasure is all ours! I am glad to see you too, Novo….”

I nodded as the alicorn princess walked beside me down the hall. We were nearing the Canterlot Castle’s throne room, the host for tonight’s event and a celebration of Equestria as a whole.

I had heard rumors of ambassadors from all over Equestria joining the festivities. After constant pressure from my sister and my daughter to attend…and the city of Canterlot…and Princess Twilight…and…you get it.

Many creatures recommended I represent the Hippogriff Nation, and I obliged with a relaxed attitude. However, my rulership required that if I attended, somegriff would have to be left in charge over Seaquestria while I was gone.

Initially, I wanted it to be a testing ground for whether or not my daughter, Princess Skystar, could manage a nation for a few days on her own. But, as the days got closer, Skystar kept begging me for her to come along.

And how could I say no to my daughter? She was my only child, and keeping her within my watchful eye, for now, was mandatory as a mother and a Queen.

Of course, once we had arrived from our long trip to Canterlot, we were situated immediately within one of Canterlot Castle’s dignitary guest rooms, which felt lavish compared to my palace room. Guards patrolled the castle grounds constantly, ensuring no threats would arise during such a momentous occasion. It had also been the first time in so long I had been here….

“Forgive me, Celly, if I feel….”

“Nervous?” Celestia finished the sentence. I looked at the princess and nodded. Celestia shook her head and…giggled. “Oh hoh, I am quite nervous too, Novo.”

“Th-That’s new,” I commented, her expression changing to a warm smile. “Hold on…did you finally…who are you with now?”

“Wellll, I do have a special somegriff, but there are other important creatures to introduce to you, and my sister is waiting to finally meet you,” Celestia replied softly, her tone remaining warm and inviting. My ears perked as that last word rang out.

gasp! “Your sister has returned?” I gasped with shock. “H-H-How long…?”

“Over a thousand years, Novo,” Celestia exhaled deeply. “It…It was a painful thousand years…waiting for her to finally come back….” The alicorn princess turned to an open window and looked outside. I turned and stood near her as she looked down at the ground.

“I-I still can’t forgive myself for what happened….” Celestia lamented, her eyes closing. “I…nearly lost her….”

I sighed, my lips pursing in thought as I allowed her to take her time. Then, after another batch of seconds passed, I reassuringly patted her shoulder with a talon and smiled.

“It’s okay, Celly,” I replied. “Tonight is not about remembrance of what once was….” The alicorn nodded her head, sighing again before taking a deep breath.

“It’s about the future, and speaking of which,” Celestia steered the train back on track, “where is this Princess Skystar I have heard so much about?” I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

“Skystar is preparing herself for tonight and will be in attendance for the festivities,” I reassured, gesturing down the hall. “Seeing as we may have some time, would you like to meet her now?”

“I would love to mee-”

“Back to that same old place,” baw baah baw bawp! “Sweet home, Chicagoooo~!”

My ears perked as the sound of somecreature’s voice singing hit my ears. I turned my head toward the direction of the noise as the alicorn princess next to me tried to turn me away from it.

“Well, Novo, maybe we should go back thi-”

“That’s the jam right there, Swift!” the same creature’s voice exclaimed, a pony emerging from behind the corner of the hallway ahead. What followed was a sight I thought I would never…never see….`

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`gasp! My eyes widened at the…the…

“You guys sing songs about your own cities? And they aren’t anthems? That’s awesome, Alex!” the stallion guard replied to the bipedal figure beside him. It was a bipedal creature, for sure….

One that I thoroughly recognized….

One. I. Remembered….

snarl!

“Novo?” Celestia asked with concern, attempting to stop me. But I was having none of it. A human creature was a ways away from me, heading toward the throne room doors in Canterlot’s Castle.

A ‘human!’ Here? They’re back?!

“Swift! Alex!” Celestia shouted, causing both their heads to turn. The human creature’s eyes squinted before nearly faltering. I broke away from Princess Celestia’s grasp, galloping toward that damn creature and growling.

“YOU!!” I yelled. The pony beside the human creature pushed it back, bringing himself forward and in front of me. The guard didn’t know what hit him from obstructing my path as I pushed him aside. The pony’s body flew to the right as the bipedal creature’s legs buckled, causing him to fall backward.

“Novo! NO!!” Celestia shouted, magically teleporting before me. I stopped in my tracks and glared at her frustratingly. My heart continued to race as she spread her wings, creating a barrier.

“Celestia! Out of my way!” I ordered, attempting to get past the alicorn.

“No!” Celestia reiterated firmly. She remained in my way, causing me to growl at her. “Not this one!”

“CELESTIA!! Get out o-”

“NOVOOO!!” Celestia screamed, her Royal Canterlot Voice piercing my ears and everycreature in the surrounding vicinity. The hallway fell silent as I held my ears, the excruciating pain radiating through my head.

After a few silent seconds had passed, I looked up and noticed the princess…‘helping’ the human creature up off the ground.

“Alex? Remain calm,” Celestia reassuringly said, turning her head toward me. Our eyes locked onto each other, neither of us refusing to back down. We remained at a stalemate, finally ending as I let out a huff! in anger.

“Celestia?” I asked, pointing my claw at the human and shaking with venomous intent. “What?”

sigh “I know,” the alicorn princess exhaled. “I…I have to explain this one to you, Novo….”

“Well, you better find that explanation within the next ten seconds, Celestia. Or I wil-”

“Hu-Hello?” the creature spoke up with…concern. “Oh! I’ve heard many great things about you….” I stared at the human as his arms fell to his sides. Celestia shifted uncomfortably as the creature brushed itself off, nodding his head to the alicorn.

“I th-think it’ll be fine…” the creature replied with a smile, turning his head to meet my gaze. I got a good look at his face, a snarl! emanating from my throat. The human’s face contorted…a chuckle coming from his mouth….

chuckle “It’s great to finally meet you…Queen…Novo, is it?” the human asked, extending his arm and opening his hand up. I was taken aback by his demeanor as the human...introduced himself.

“The name’s Alex. Alexander Walkerson…from Earth….”`

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“Nacreous?” I asked. I was in silence as the hippogriff doctor sat at his desk. Trying to compose himself, Dr. Borealis shuddered, tears trickling down his face. “Do yo-”

A talon met my gaze as the hippogriff doctor held a digit up. Dr. Borealis took a couple more seconds to calm his nerves, taking deep breaths to regain his composure before bringing his head back up.

Finally, he turned and faced me, causing my breath to be taken away. His ocean-blue eyes, appearing less confident than those I had seen earlier, were bloodshot and stricken with fright.

Then, my hippogriff said something that forced me to shudder, a tear forming in my eye.

“We both know who did this, Sunspots,” he said, dropping his head in shame. “She didn’t do this to Alex…she isn’t at fault for what transpired up there….”

sigh

“We are responsible…for allowing it to happen.”

========================================<>========================================

Meanwhile, deep in the heart of Graymourne, an entity of darkness and of no features slithered and swam back toward where he had originated from. Once he had entered the massive hall within the broken-down castle structure, he grumbled out loud in frustration, taking on the form of a pony.

“That was close…too close,” the dark pony mutter-

“You failed!” screamed a dark, booming voice. The entity closed its eyes before speaking back.

“I did what I could, but I couldn’t overpower all three of them,” the pony entity pouted. “And, to be frank with you, I didn’t expect that burly hippogriff witch doctor to be so powerful. I wasn’t given enough power….”

The commanding voice spoke up from the darkness again. “You didn’t bring enough?! Why couldn’t you complete the mission with what I gave you?!” The pony sighed heavily, the sigh reverberating off the walls.

sigh “Master, in my weakened state, I can’t do much,” the entity replied weakly. “The lack of power against them became my demise. So I-er…‘WE’ need a host to take possession of. Preferably, one that can let me strangle their mind into submission and give me control over their free will.”

“Mmmm,” the entity’s Master hummed before barking at the pony. “See to it that you find this host! And I suggest you be haste in your search, young apprentice… something is coming. A reckoning…which will serve as our gateway to taking over Equestria again!”

“But sire, what about the human?” the entity inquired. “Alexander Walkerson? He’s the perfect host to incubate within. His power is unbelievable….”

“Then, where is he?” the pony’s Master whispered, causing him to step back in fright.

The entity stepped back slightly, too frightened to look at his Master. “Well, unfortunately, I couldn’t get to hi-”

“YOU FAILED TO CAPTURE HIM!!” boomed the apprentice’s voice. The entity shrunk in size, looking away from the void as fire shot out from it. A side column within the structure cracked, the rubble falling and dissipating in a cloud of smoke.

“I-It won’t happen again, my Master,” the entity said, bowing his head. “I plan on trying again to capture him. But, this time, I will su-”

“Shhh!” the Master within the void shushed, causing the smaller entity to look upward. “Patience, young apprentice. In due time, he’ll figure it out on his own. After that, I sense he’ll have an opportunity to free himself from their grasp….”

The young apprentice slowly grinned, its fangs sliding out from the corners of its mouth. “And when Alex does escape from their grasp?”

snarl! “Then, and ONLY then, will we take control of his feeble mind and use his power to strike back against our long-living enemies!” The entity in the void began to maniacally chuckle to itself. The walls surrounding the apprentice shook with vigor, as did the ground on which he stood.

The void began to warp and ripple, his shadowy Master starting to materialize from the black vacuum of space and time he stayed sheltered within. Then, the once confident entity gulped at the towering figure beginning to form before him.

From nothingness, he rose. His dark, dull coat showed his unwavering strength and age. The centuries upon centuries being consciously alive, yet non-existent in reality.

His horn crackled with energy, displaying the tremendous life force within him. As his disfigured face finally appeared, the apprentice grinned from ear to ear, delighted at the sight of his Master.

“For now, young one, we are at a crossroads,” his Master said gravely. “We must wait until this human, this Alexander Walkerson, comes to us out of sheer curiosity….” huff! “Then, when his mind is weak and powerless to continue?” The disfigured unicorn started to chuckle maniacally.

“WE TAKE HIM FOR OURSELVES!!”

“hahahaaa….”

“eehaaahaah….”

“Ohhoh, AHAHAHAAAAAA!!”

growl!

========================================<>========================================

As the young apprentice returned through the ruined halls of the once dark and tyrannical castle, he stopped in the corridor outside of the Dark Chamber and sighed.

Shedding his cloak, the dark and ominous red chains that tied a skull down were a symbol. His cutie mark…representing who he belonged to. The stallion exhaled as he stared ahead of him, his eyes dull and devoid of joy.

A single sentence was uttered, which echoed throughout the silent halls of Graymourne.

“I’ll get him next time….”

snarl!

Author's Note

Wow, what a rollercoaster of emotions, huh?

Would like to thank my friend at the University we attend to for the incredible suggestion. No, not removing the music (we are in the music department after all), but with splitting Chapter 5 into two.

Anyways, enough of that. Hope you guys enjoyed this little beginning, because now, its about time we get to the meat of this whole story. In other words, "Now's The Time"

See yall next week! Buh bye!!!

-Harpy

Edit: I revised this chapter on May 30th, 2023. Hopefully, the attitude and tone of this new version will satisfy the story's perspective from now on. And these revisions do not affect the storyline past chapter 7. It only is focused on correcting the tone it first gave off when initially released.