Canterlot, Equestira
A snow white alicorn mare was watching the sky change from afternoon to twilight making her sigh softly as she brings forth her magic to lower the sun. Soon the sky was sparkling with the lights of the stars and the glowing orb that her sister represented. With a soft pop and a small flash of light from behind Princess Celestia, heralded the arrival of her sister Princess Luna, who moved to give her older sister a gentle nuzzle to the cheek. "Has there still been no word of your wayward student?" She finally asked breaking the silence.
Sighing Celestia shakes her head as she lowers her gaze from the wonderful starry sky to the little town of Ponyville in the valley. "No, not a single word," she replied softly.
After a few seconds of waiting for her sister to continue she prods "Certainly the spell couldn't have failed that badly?" she mentioned the disaster that only six months ago took the newest princess and her number one assistant away along with a large portion of her library.
"No, I fear she might not even be on this planet any longer, for even if she were in the depths of Tartarous I would be able to sense her." Celestia muttered as it was part of being an Alicorn, that when one grew close to another pony they would form a connection that could be felt by the alicorn anywhere around the world. And if what her sister just said was true then the day princess has been fooling herself for months with the hope that Twilight Sparkle would be found and returned to Equestria "She is alive at least that much I know."
Offering her older sister a small smile "Knowing her, she's probably made new friends and is helping them right as we speak. That mare, could befriend anything and is always willing to go through Tartarous for her friends" She smiled fondly at remembering that strong mare she had come to know in the past three years since her return. "You should be proud of her, sister. She has achieved things no pony or even group of ponies have ever come close to." Luna added hoping to raise her sister's spirits.
"Indeed I have always been proud of her, my little Twilight, I could have never been prouder of her." Celestia softly adds "Sister she is the only family I had until your return. Though I don't think she even knows just how much she means to me. I was always watching her long before her entrance exam. Every Hearthswarming eve I'd leave her a present under the tree and every birthday she would receive a present from me but didn't know it was from me. I have been watching over her since the day she was brought into this world." This last part stunned the night princess before she thought about it for a moment.
"She's your daughter in more than spirit I take it?" She slowly worded out hoping she was right only to gasp as her sister nods her head with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Indeed, she is of my blood, though her father is gone. Killed in a skirmish with the Gryphons before I was aware I was pregnant. No one else knows that she is my child beyond her foster parents, who have been faithful servants to the crown for most of their lives. Night Light and Twilight Velvet were sworn to secrecy about where the foal named Twilight Sparkle came from." A few more tears slip past her eyes, as she takes a shuddering breath, "Though I'm sure Twilight knows she was adopted, I doubt she ever made the connection to me."
Celestia's smile turned a little bitter, "You can't imagine how happy I was when I was able to take her on as my personal student but it seems all I could be to her was Princess Celestia and every time she bowed to me, and referred to me by my title it was like a dagger through the heart. Then she ascended to being an alicorn herself and I preparing for the right moment to tell her the truth now that she wouldn't die from old age."
A soft sob escapes the older mare's lips "But before I could tell her the whole story, she was taken away from us, further than any pony has gone before. And it is unlikely she will ever return" As those words passed her lips the white mare's composure finally broke and she began to openly sob over the tragedy. Without missing a beat Luna pulled her sister into a hug to try and ease the pain of her sister.
It was at this moment that magic began to build up in front of the princesses as flames signaling dragon mail was arriving, stunned the two ancient beings as out of the green flames dropped a crystal orb. That was soon caught in Luna's blue magic before it could hit the ground. Staring at the orb the princesses recognized what it was "A memory orb?" In an instant, Celestia had gone from being held by her sister to cradling the crystalline orb crying once more those there seemed to be tears of joy.
"It's from Twilight! She's the only one who knows that spell besides Spike!" But before the elder sister could activate the orb another swirl of flames arrived and a note fell from the spell. Picking it up curious Celestia picked it up and read it.
Dear, Celestia and Luna
It's Twilight Sparkle, I am alive and I have finally gained enough ingredients to create this Memory Orb of my time here in The Commonwealth. Though I am alive, I have changed greatly due to the trials I have faced since arriving here. I must warn you that the memories within the orb are unaltered and some are very dark. I also must apologize to you, my friends, and my family, but I will not be able to return to Equestria yet. As I have learned that Spike arrived in the Commonwealth as well, and I have yet to locate him. But I will move the heavens and the earth to find my little drake to return him home safe.
I also miss you all greatly. Love,
Twilight Sparkle
The sisters stared slack-jawed at the note before their gaze moved back to the memory orb a look of dread finding its way onto Celestia's face at what horrors her little filly has had to face in this 'Commonwealth' place. Slowly the sisters moved into Celestia's chambers and nodding to the elder Luna asks "Do you wish for me to view the memories first sister?"
Shaking her head no "No, Lulu, I must see what has happened to my child in all its detail, though I would like for you to join me in viewing them so I don't have to watch them alone" Luna nods and follows her sister to her large bed they climb up and get comfortable before activating the orb.
Six Months ago, Ponyville
I look over to my number one assistant, "Spike are you ready to document the experiment?" I ask and he gives a little salute before showing the scroll and quill in his claws. "Good, Alright I'll begin to feed my magic into the spell" I feel my mana flowing up into my horn building in strength as I prepare to cast the Window spell I had been developing, a spell that would allow the caster to view into other worlds. Soon the air in the center of the room began to shimmer and shine showing that the one-way window as forming.
"Looking good Twilight," I hear Spike comment before I feel a shift in the magic and I find I am unable to stop the flow through my horn as it continues to build a wind begins to blow around the room. "Um, Twilight is that meant to happen?" he asked.
I could only stare in horror as the window bent and twisted into a portal and feeling the energies build further still I could only watch as the window became a doorway and the gusting wind knocked both Spike and I off balance and with out time to even scream I watch Spike vanish moments before I followed.
Author's Note
Hey so I'm trying something a little different, hope you enjoy. And like always feel free to point out errors and offer constructive help.
~Chief
Near Concord
A groan escapes my lips as I lay face up on the hard ground, as my mind begins to reboot I try to open my eyes to find where I am. Only to hiss and slam them shut as the light from the sun was too much for my sensitive eyes, my hiss of pain morphing into a soft moan as I roll to my side, being careful to fold my wing under my side. As I finish rotating to my side I let my head settle on the dusty ground, making the dust come up and into my nose forcing me to cough. Coughing to try and clear my airways I sit up and find that my eyes opened in my panic to be able to breath once more. The sight that meets my eyes is.....perplexing to say the least. I seem to be in the remains of a forest, but one that was burned away, looking to the charred tree near me to the right. I could see the pattern of bark in the charring meaning that whatever burned this tree was extremely hot. Looking to my left I spot something that looks a bit familiar, it was something I had seen in the Mirror world. It was a car of some kind, painting bright red though the rubber tires were missing as well as spots of rust beginning to overtake the paint showing that it had been there for a while.
But just as the red car eased my growing panic I looked down to my forehooves confused, and for that panic to return with force, as I was still a pony. Standing up quickly I began to pace in a small line before turning back and pacing the other way, as I tried to make sense of things. My mind was working in over drive working to fight the growing sense of panic welling within me.
"What the fuck was that?!" I stop dead at hearing that sentence coming from close by. The speaker obviously male and one who seemingly needed a drink. "Was that a plasma grenade?" the being continued as I heard the crunching of the dry earth heading my direction.
"Nah, was plaz, that shit ain't purple" Another male responded. Now my eyes were franticly searching the area for a place to hide. Just then a very dirty human came around the end of a trailer on the road near the car I had spotted. It or rather he seemed to be wearing make shift armor made from salvaged metal. As his eyes met mine I saw a madness within his brown eyes that screamed at me to run.
"What the fuck is that!?" It asked as it raised something in his hands in my direction. Just as another two dingy human's rounded the end of the trailer to stop dead at the sight of me. Looking in the direction that would get me as far away from these men as possible I spotted a small town. With a glimmer of hope at safety I began to gallop towards the town before taking to the air with a few strong beats from my wings. As I hurry to leave those three behind I over hear.
"Well whatever the fuck it is, the boss in Concord will get'em" Followed by a few laughs.
Soon I was out of earshot of the three humans and was quickly getting closer to the town. But with each wing beat bringing me closer and closer it allowed me to see that the town was heavily damaged with most of the buildings having become unaccesible. Some even having crumbled into ruins, as I got even closer I noticed more humans rushing about pointing up in my direction as I was lowering my altitude to land on the main path. When I heard a loud crack and felt a sharp pain in my wing, letting out a scream as I lost my ability to fly as I angled to land on the top of the closest building rather than the street.
Letting out another cry as I crash land on top of the three story building ending with me rolling a bit before I was able to sit up and take inventory of the damage to my wing. There was a clear hole in my wing that was bleeding very bad. "Where'd it go?"
"It's up on the roof! Get your lazy asses up there and get the damn thing!" I could hear someone command and as I stood and looked for a way off the roof before they made it up to me I noticed that the stairway was collapsed and blocked off leaving me stuck on the roof. But also stopped the humans from getting to me. I nearly jump out of my fur as the building across the street's roof door slams open and nearly a dozen humans rush onto the other buildings roof. Within moments most of the humans had raised those devices in their hands in my direction. Figuring that those were similar to mini crossbows I fired up my magic and grabbed as many of them from their hands as I could before they fired at me.
Quickly pulling them across the gap to me, I nearly drop them as one of the one's that I had missed fires and I feel something pierce my shoulder making me scream once more. Gritting my teeth I dive for cover from their fire as I turned my captured weapons and after a quick look. I figured which way to point them and how to make them shoot and soon I was firing back while staying in my cover. I heard a few cries of pain from the humans but I didn't have time to think on it as I looked around my cover to see the situation.
"Com'on throw a cocktail!" I heard one of them order the others, which had soon pulled out a large bottle with a rag stuffed into the top and lit the rag. Not sure what it was but knowing I didn't want it anywhere near me as the man threw it over shoulder towards me. I caught it in my magic, causing the rest to stop shooting to stare at the floating bottle before I reversed its direction and it was sailing back towards the humans.
The group of humans let out cries of shock and dived out of the way, or most did but the thrower of the device was unlucky to be too close to the spot where it landed as the glass broke and a wave of flames expanded out from the broken bottle. Covering the man in the flammable fluid as it burned. He quickly dropped and was screaming to have his allies help him before another crack and his screaming stopped.
I could only stare in horror as to what had just happened, but before I could comprehend what I had just done I spotted another bottle being lit, I grab the bottle with my magic before the thrower could throw it. I squeezed a bit too hard as the fragile glass shattered and once more a wave of flames engulfed the thrower as well as a few humans that were around her. As more screams rose from the other roof I yelped as something hit near my face, covering my face in old plaster making me dodge back into cover. Though that didn't stop the cries of pain from reaching my ears or the following shots that ended their pain.
I couldn't process what I had just done, not once but twice did my actions end with the death of someone else. Even though it was obvious they were trying to kill me I couldn't help but feel bad about their demise. But as I thought on it, I realized that if I was ever to see anyone I love again it would have to be either them or me. So biting my lip I prepare to look around the corner and try and stop the rest from killing me.
But as I am about to look around the corner I stop still, as I hear a growing clatter coming up the far side of the building I was on. Looking to the far edge I could only watch in horror as a human in a full suit of makeshift armor finished climbing over the edge of the building said, "There you are!"
With my new found resolve I took the remaining weapons in my magic and aimed them at the man and pulled the trigger. But I could only feel my look of determination fall to despair as the projectiles from the weapons didn't seem to even faze the human. "Haha, you little cunt! Think those little things are going to get through my power armor?" I gulp as I hear the guns in my magic click empty. As the armored man pulled out a weapon that was both larger and in better condition then the ones I had stolen. He said "My turn." and I could hear the grin as the weapon in his hands fired.
Author's Note
Another chapter for you my dear readers! though I am sorry to say I ran out of time for finishing this chapter. I was able to make it to a point that made sense to stop at though. So forgive me for the cliff hanger as I will get the next part of this chapter out soon.
~Chief
