BARRIER

Finally, some good food.

It was pitch black outside, about an hour and a half after we all settled back down. The TV was set to the news channel, and I looked at the time scrolling across the bottom of the screen… It was 9:50 PM, and, my stomach was 95% empty.

I chowed down hungrily on a salad Dash had made for all of us, Jargon eating it too even though plants weren’t his biggest dietary choice. Meat in Equestria was generally frowned upon before the meteor came forth, but, once we started bringing everycreature into the kingdom, we had to improvise. Some of the meat that’s sold is in fact real meat, with I’d say the other half being artifical meats made from processed plant products. Jargon’s always said he’s picky and highly prefers the real stuff, but, I suppose in times of starvation he’ll eat anything.

It wasn't the most delicious thing ever, and I'm pretty sure this used a vast majority of the food I had in my apartment, but I couldn't complain. My stomach's ache was (partially) fulfilled for now and I just sat there once I finished the bowl of lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, strawberries, and apples. While my stomach was satisfied, the rest of my body still hurt like hell. I couldn't move much.

"Absolutely heartbreaking and chilling news today coming from Cloudsdale's generator facility, or, what was of the generator facility. After an apparent mix-up in the delivery schedule of the cores, Cloudsdale had received the core meant for Ponyville's facility. This resulted in a cataclysmic explosion that destroyed the entire building, and killing almost all of those who had worked there. While we aren't sure of any survivors, or if the facility's head, Rainbow Dash, survived, this also leaves great uncertainty for the future of the barrier, and for the survival of Equestria and all who live here. As for Ponyville, it has been reported that the core was inserted, but quickly deactivated as soon as it was found to be the wrong one."

Couldn't be more on the dot. At least Ponyville wasn't nuked... that's actually pretty relieving. I hope everybody's there is okay.

The news anchor mare continued on, flipping through papers smoothly. "Our princesses Celestia, Luna, and Twilight Sparkle have all spoke on this terrible incident. Here are their statements now."

The screen faded out to show the said princesses standing solemnly in front of the royal castle's balcony, their faces serious and devoid of happiness. I watched with aches spreading across my side, causing me to twitch irregularly.

Celestia began speaking. "Ponies, Dragons, Griffons, everycreature of Equestria, I must announce with a broken and worried heart that our barrier is in grave danger. The replacements that occurred within our facilities all went well... except for two. Cloudsdale and Ponyville's. The cores were mixed up behind our eyes while they were being shipped, and went into the wrong facility. What resulted was something truly terrible. Ponyville managed to cancel the replacement before anything happened, however, the same can't be said about Cloudsdale. In short, the core erupted in a massive explosion, reducing the facility to bits..." She paused for a brief moment. I wonder if she was quietly holding back tears. "...and killing almost every single poor soul trapped in there. It is a total bloodbath."

I wonder if they know we sur-

"...however..."

Oh. I saw Celestia float a scroll into frame, she must’ve just gotten it.

"...we have just now discovered that there were survivors to this terrible incident, including the facility's president and Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash."

…on one end, that’s good, everyone isn’t panicking that she’s dead. On the other end, this is going to make recovering and trying to get some rest much harder. In my pained half-stupor, I heard Dash just let out an ooooh jeez.

“We are infinitely thankful that Dash is alive, even if we are unable to contact her at this moment. Reporters in Cloudsdale have also informed us that three other workers, Solar Blaze and Flash Powers, both Pegasi, and a dragon named Jargon, also survived. How they did so, I can only imagine extreme luck and will to live. We, as the princesses of Equestria, request that you please leave them alone and let them rest. While yes, there are many questions to be answered, those answers will unfortunately have to wait. Forcing them will only cause more issues.”

I could feel myself growing more and more exhausted as the speech went on, with Luna and Twilight now coming on-screen and speaking. They both spoke mostly the same stuff that Celestia had stated, though apparently there was an extensive internal investigation to be launched tomorrow. Hopefully they're able to find some answers as to what happened. There was also a mention of the need for a quickly-developed plan to help get our facility back on its destroyed feet.

I also wonder about the Crystal Empire... have they gotten word of this yet?

Please, Celestia, please help get that fixed. I don't want everyone to die.

...to be honest, I wonder if Dash is going to be asked some questions in the coming days, as well as me, Solar, and Jargon. Probably.

Right now, though, I'm barely able to stay awake... I'm so damn exhausted. I can't be bothered to get into my bed... I just, I just need to rest... with a tired groan and a hoof on my aching head, I weakly flopped onto the couch, trying to get some sleep while everyone else went to do other things. I coudn't muster being awake another second.

My baggy eyes had opened to a disorganized laying position and the dawn sun vibrantly bringing the apartment to light. I felt the presence of a horse laying on top of me (or, at least, was laying on top of me beforehand), and I looked over to see Solar snoozing soundly. I brushed her mane.

I crawled out of my temporary couch-bed and got on my hooves, still aching all over, though, somewhat less. I walked up to the windows sitting on the wall in front of me, and... huh. Cloudsdale didn't seem too crazy. It was 7:57 AM, and the roads weren't as bad compared to whatever the Tartarus happened yesterday (I mean, compared to the average day before all this happened? It was still pretty hectic).

I closed the blinds so nocreature would notice us.

All that was on my exhausted mind was to shower, get myself a little bit cleaner.

I went over to Solar's room, where I saw Jargon and Dash fast asleep, injured. At this point, I didn't mind the heavy cleaning those sheets will have to go under. I sort of wanted to wake them both up, but, I feel that'd just annoy them.

I also saw Solar's computer... can only imagine how the internet must look with all the news stories filling it up. Turning it on crossed my mind, but that would take too much time. Plus, I don't actually know where she puts the floppy disk.

Entering the bathroom, I took off the very dirty and gross half-lab coat that was I was still wearing somehow, threw it out, and turned on the water. Inside, the touch of warm water actually felt... amazing. It stung to clean my injuries, but, I didn't mind. I let out a breath of relief, my first in what felt like forever. Even though I wished I could stay in here for longer, I knew I couldn't as others were going to probably be in here soon, so, I gotta make this quick.

Solar had entered just as I exited the bathroom, dried and not-really-ready-but-ready-enough to start the day. Whatever that's gonna look like. Jargon and Dash were waking up, too, and we exchanged "good morning"'s. Concerning my body, I didn't smell that much like death anymore, which is a plus. I must've gotten used to it over time. My injuries had clotted now, so, bleeding wasn't an issue.

No matter how risky it is, we really need to get treat these wounds somehow. We're also going to have to meet with the princesses soon enough, I bet.

Back in the main room, I went over to the small kitchen to get myself something to eat. Hmm... A bowl of cereal. Sure. Remember, it's cereal first, and then milk. Don't make the same sin again and piss off Solar.

Speak of the devil, somepony just walk- oh, it's just Dash.

"Hey... you sleep okay, Flash? Wait, what did you even sleep on?" She asked.

"The couch over there," I nodded towards it with a spoon in my hoof. "It was better than anything I could've ever dreamed of. Solar slept there too." Sarcasm seared my second sentence.

"Eh, still better than nothing."

I continued to slowly consume my milk-bathed wheat product, finishing it up not much later. I placed the empty bowl and spoon in the sink.

Dash came up next to me, going over to the cabinets for some food. "Yknow, uh, I saw one of those fancy computers last night in the bedroom."

Huh? "Wait, you did? Did you go on it?"

"I... might've..." Dash stretched out her words. Not sure why she seemed shy about using our computer, nothing really interesting's saved on there anyway. "I don't use them very often, so... anyway, I went for a little bit and-"

"Wait, how did you know Solar's login?"

"She had it written down next to the keyboard. It's literally solarblazeiscool23 and the password is... coolpassword. I'm serious."

I breathed in big and let it out slow. "Yep, that sounds like her," I muttered. "What'd you find?"

"It's literally filled with articles about Cloudsdale..."

"About what I expected."

"Uh-huh," Sounds of doors opening and closing behind me filled the space between her words. "Moving on... any plans for today, Flash?"

"For one, we needa get patched up somehow. Letting these wounds sit untreated is not a very good idea. After that, I'm not really sure. You think Celestia's gonna wanna see us soon?"

I moved back on over to the couch while I waited for her to reply. "Well, we're able to walk and move without moaning in agony, so that's a good thing. And... well, she's almost definitely going to have us come to Canterlot soon. Knowing the princess, they're gonna be interested in all four of us."

"Yeah..."

Jargon walked in amidst our conversation, giving a small greeting.

"Y'all talkin' about the scars on our body, huh?" He asked. Jargon took a seat on of the stools in front of the table that separated the small kitchen and main room. "To be honest, we're gonna have to go back outside sometime soon. We can do some small patchin' up now, but, I think eventually these are gonna need professional care. For one, Flash and Solar can barely fly. Oh, not to mention infections too."

Shit. I never thought about those.

Dash had stuck some bread slices in the toaster. "Well, after resting and all that fun stuff, we're at least feeling a little bit better... you, uh, aren't wrong though about that last part."

"It's not like society's dead just yet, Dash. Let's use it while we can."

I peeked out the window while they were speaking. Still pretty chaotic, but, manageable compared to yesterday. The pain in my wounds had lessened a bit, the cuts on my head and body scarring over, and the pounding headache softer. I fluttered my wings to see how much they hurt, and... it wasn't so bad. I could probably fly on them for a little while.

I didn't want to turn on the TV. Watching more news about the world ending wasn't a particularly enjoyable subject.

Soon enough, Solar came into the main room and sat next to me on the couch.

"How ya feelin', Solar?" Jargon asked.

She sighed, flopping back onto the cushions. "Well, not in excruciating pain anymore. I can actually move around without wincing. Mostly."

Jargon nodded. "That about fits everyone here."

Some silenced followed, broken by the sudden pop of the toaster finishing. I jumped a little at that.

"Uhh... you think we're good to start flying again?" Solar brought up.

"Depends on how far and how long, but, probably," I answered. "I mean, I don't hurt as bad as yesterday either, so we're getting somewhere atleast. Jargon? How are you doing?"

"Same, feelin' better. I can stand without feelin' like my legs are gettin' sliced in half, so, things looking straight forward rather than down. Shit still, uh, kinda hurts a damn lot though."

We all just quietly agreed to that. We probably weren't going to be moving normally for a while. Oh great, once Jargon said that my body began aching a bit again.

...

All I could hear was the crunching and finishing of Dash's breakfast. I think Solar leaned on m- yeah, she did.

Dash walked up to the window, only slightly cracking the blinds and looking through the glass, all of us watching her.

"I mean... if this is what we're dealing with, I guess we should go today if we have any plans," she explained, looking back now. "I imagine this is only gonna get way worse as the days come. That barrier is gonna last only... 2 weeks at max, after that, everything's gonna collapse."

"Time to get goin', you say?" Jargon asked one final time.

"...yeah. Yeah, let's go."

And off we went out the door (It seems the lock wasn't very broken at all, just, erm, greatly weakened).

The great outdoors! I think. Depends. If your definition of the great outdoors is "a place full of uneasy feelings and imminent panic", then this is perfect for you.

Being able to walk around somewhat normally was a blessing, despite the slight limp I had. Taking a rest and showering was a huge help, even if I slept in not the most optimal fashion. Still beats having to trudge through the cemetery that was the generator facility.

I looked up for the first time in a while, and, the barrier was genuinely a shocking sight. Normally, it'd be near impossible to make it out as it would blend in with sky seamlessly. This time, though, it distorted the blues of the sky and made it a slow-moving disorganized pile of super-bright blobs in one area, and darkened streaks between them. I always heard about what would happen if the barrier began losing energy, and it was described exactly like what I'm seeing.

We're all witnessing a dying barrier.

It even messed with the visible light of day, making it look a teeny bit more akin to caustics in water... have I been smoking weed? I mean, I don't smoke, but this all makes me feel like I hit a joint this morning and I don't remember.

As for how everycreature reacted to seeing us going outside, we got looks and stares from many. I could hear chatter about us, I just ignored as best I could. I absolutely hated when others talked about me, but, I couldn't let my anxieties mess with me any further. I stuck close to Solar as we went, which helped calm me a little bit while I kept my head low. Thankfully, nobody went out of their way to grab any of us like yesterday.

The roads above were filled to the brim. No way we were flying in those in our condition, I'd rather just walk on the sidewalks (cloudwalks?). Speaking of that, our current destination was a hospital; the one I told Dash about on the way downstairs, named Winged Care Central Hospital. I've lived by this place ever since me and Solar moved into the apartment years ago. It's got a good reputation, and it was only around 15 minutes away.

By wing.

None of us chose to speak on our way there, it was agreed to be a bit too risky and I especially didn't want people listening in on our conversations.

"Oop, here we are, guys." Solar whispered with a pointing hoof.

We made it. The hospital building, situated on its own area in the city. The building stood tall and proud, the entrance doors shaded from the distorted sun. The building's material reflected that of the rest of modern Cloudsdale - blue/gray colors and pillars, lack of wood, etc. This was one of the older establishments around here, one of the few to keep the older aesthetic. The logo, two blue wings outstretched with the name in the center behind a white plus sign, was fixed on the tallest building. The path leading to the entrance was not too populated, actually.

Entering inside, I felt a comfortable coolness of the AC hit me; quite a relief because I was actually pretty sweaty, I guess if the sun is a jumbled mess the heat surely isn’t. The reception desk was wide and large, with several species sitting at it, most of them doing computer stuff. Once they caught sight of us, they all gasped, and were in disbelief at seeing Dash among all of us.

We tried to greet them, but-

A griffon at the counter hastily finished up what he was doing. “U-uh hello there! Um- Is there anything we can help you with, Rainbow Dash? You, well, you all look awfully beat up…”

Dash spoke in a bit of a rushed pace as well. “Look, we’re just gonna need to get bandaged and have all our injuries healed, even if just a bit."

"W-why of course! The doctor's will be ready in - uh - just a sec. For now, everybody just get some rest and take a seat over there, alright?"

"Got it, thanks."

I watched the bird quickly type and click away on his machine while we all sat down in the row of cushioned chairs that lined the entrance hall's walls. I let out a sigh.

"So... this is going better than I thought it would." Solar commented.

"Hey, 'least nobody's been on our ass the entire time. I'm actually kinda surprised we were allowed to get here smoothly." Jargon replied, leaning back on his seat with his arms crossed.

"I think the main reason walking here was easy enough was because of the clouds.. if we had to do all that on a flat sidewalk it would've been way worse on our legs."

"Imagine having to fly there, too? Jeez..." I noted, observing my right wing while I spoke, exposing the various bruises and cuts that marked the poor limb.

Before anyone could respond, a nurse pony had come up to us. "Um, Miss Dash and everyone else? The doctors are ready for you," She announced. "Do you need any help with getting ther-"

"Nah, we're fine with that. We literally walked over here." Dash cut her off with in response.

"A-are you sure-?"

"Yep."

"...well, if you so insist, please, follow me."

We began trot-limping through the hallways of the hospital. I sort of expected that type of response from Dash, so, I'm not too miffed about having to use my legs more. We passed through several corridors before reaching our ward - designated B3. Once inside, the aforementioned doctors (two of them) sat at their desks looking through papers on a clipboard, appearing to write something down.

Me too buddy. Me too.

Perking their eyes up, their attention snapped to us.

"Oh, Miss Rainbow Dash! It is an honor to see you alive and well, and the same to the rest of you three," One said, a male stallion with a brown slicked-back mane and glasses. "Speaking of, may I ask what your names may be?"

We introduced ourselves promptly, and we were guided to our beds, which were actually quite comfortable and soft. To be frank, I always kind of imagined these beds to feel like rocks based on how they looked.

I took a breath and laid back onto the pillows, staring with a tired face at a point between the tiled floor and the light-blue walls. In front of me sat Solar, with Jargon visible to her right. There weren't any drapes separating the beds this time around, so we all had full access to communicate.

We were also given gowns to put on and wear, and just like that, we were now hospitalized.

I've never been inside of a health center before, I've always imagined it to be nightmarish with how many times i've seen them in horror stories. But this really wasn't that bad at all (probably because I'm not in horrific condition), and I was even given a nice little meal to eat. It wasn't the highest quality of course, but it definitely sufficed.

Through what felt like an hour at most, all my wounds had been bandaged or treated in some way with ointments. It still hurt to move my wings around and any pressure put on my bruised areas wasn't pleasant, though that was the least of my worries. My head still thumped badly though from the long cut around my forehead, even after patching up.

The TV sat situated over in the corner of the room, yet again showing the news channel. The princesses were there, and right now it looked to be a repeat of what I had saw yesterday, so, not much of importance right now anyway. Beforehand, the news anchor mare had announced the investigation was launched and it may be a while before we know anything.

I wonder how the other facilities are doing. Twilight's probably exhausted with how much she's gotta be running around. The other ponies, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy I remember, are probably the same way. Wonder if I'll meet them if we go to meet the princesses... shouldn't get my hopes up. I'd have no idea what to say or how to act around them, despite how cool it would be to see them.

"Hey-"

Huh-
Oh, it's Dash. Again.

"How ya doin', Flash?" Dash asked, looking over at me with her hooves behind her head. I don't exactly think that's the best position to be in, but whatever.

"Definitely feeling more alive than ever before. One more night and I should be okay to fly some amount again, you?"

"Oh, I'm fine," She was doing small taps on the hospital bed with her hindhooves. "Though, uh, I gotta be honest, I can't stop thinking about everything. I mean, like anybody can, but it's heavy..."

I took a nice look at the railing of the hospital bed. "The fear of, um, the world ending is not... fun, no."

"I've never dealt with anything this crazy before- well, being the leader of a huge team that works to keep Equestria alive, yeah, that's huge and awesome. Now, all that work's been reversed." Dash flopped her hooves down to her side.

"It's all up to us now, it looks like."

"How are we even gonna do it...?"

I shrugged and shook my head, and we both fell back into an awkward silence. I looked over to Jargon, who was just watching TV with the most bored expression I could imagine. Solar was reading a magazine had been sitting on the small table next to her. I looked back up at the TV, and I read the time. 2:55 PM.

At least the news was there to help me (kind of). Rainbow Dash grabbed a magazine and began reading it. Interesting, as Dash never struck me as the reading type.

The sun has almost gone down, but the water-like rippling of the barrier was still as alive as ever, twisting the orange light into hypnotic patterns that danced on the hospitals walls. I rested on my side, looking out the two large windows on the far end of the room. It was oddly calming to watch the dance of lights, even though they symbolized something much more sinister.

I wonder what caused all of this. Who did this? Who in the galaxy would want to destroy our civilization, the last living remnants that we know of? This sounds like a reach, but what if it's something from space, some hostile alien life? Was it on the asteroid and it just waited for the right moment to strike? How would it have gotten through our barrier?

Maybe it's not extraterrestrial life, maybe it's just an insanely malicious creature, someone sick in their mind who wants to watch us all die. Dear Celestia, that is hard to think about...

Everycreature in here was conversing, but, I didn't have much social meter left in me. I needed to take some time to myself in the form of staring out into the window.

That was, until I heard the sound of oddly metallic hoofsteps behind me, and everyone gasping.

Huh? What the f-

W-who's tapping my shoulder??

I looked back, startled, only to find... a royal guardspony? THREE of them?
Why am I not surprised?

I stammered on my words, propping myself up. "Uh- um- h-hello there-"

The guardspony, a pegasus (all three of them were, in fact), put a hoof out to stop me. "Don't worry, none of are you in any trouble," he said, his voice deep but oddly soothing. "We hope our arrival didn't come at a bad time. We have been sent by the royal sisters to come deliver a message."

Jargon sat in his bed, attentively watching the guardspony with a hand holding up his snout. "Well... what is it- sir?”

“The princesses would like you to meet them when you're able to. Of course, we are on strict time unfortunately, so the wait mustn't be too long. When you all get to the Canterlot castle, you’ll be free to rest once more.”

I looked over at Dash, I’m pretty sure everybody else did.

“Nah, we’re good to go. We can meet them, yeah.” She agreed.

“Good, thank you, Miss Rainbow Dash. All of you may follow us, though take your time. Rushing could reverse your healing, and nobody wants that,” The guardsponies left out the door in a beautifully coordinated single-file line.

“If you’re wondering, the doctors and nurses know you’ll be leaving, so, no need to worry.” The last one added before exiting.

“Time to get going.” Solar commented.

All four of us got out of our beds, standing on our legs (and hooves) for the first time in a while. First impressions? Not too painful, not too bad. Putting pressure on the bandaged areas didn’t burn as it used to.

We all moved out into the hallway, seeing the guardsponies at the tail end, disappearing turning the corner. We followed suit, reaching the reception desk for the last time, and waved goodbye, thanking them.

Wondering how we were gonna get to Canterlot, we were introduced to a beautiful white-and-gold colored chariot, sporting soft red cushioned seats. I've always seen these things on TV, in books, magazines... but I've never looked at one in person. They've barely changed the design and technology of the royal castle and their transportation, as well.

Solar gasped. "Oh- my Celestia... there's no way, we're gonna be riding on that?!" She smiled and gave small squeak of excitement; the first I've heard from her in about... 2 days?

"Now that is awesome." Dash was the first to hop inside, then Jargon, Solar, and me. The seats were way higher quality than what I was laying on before, and were exquisitely clean. This is some expensive fabric they got in here.

The guardsponies came up to the front, forming a triangle, placing the golden straps on top of their backs. "For now, all of you just sit back and enjoy the ride," One simply stated. "When we reach Canterlot, it is - simply put - a mess. We will land inside of the Royal Castle; stick close to us and you’ll all be safe, understood?"

We all said yes in unison, then I felt a strong push of the guards' collective weight moving the chariot along.

Taking off into the sky, this ride in the air was strangely much less melancholic than the hot balloon ride. I'm going to guess that's because our injuries got patched up (this damn headache won't go away though), we actually sort of know what to do, and well, we're meeting the princess. If I had to sprinkle some positivity in here, that's something I've wanted to do forever, so, nice to check that off the bucket list.

"So... uh, how you doing?" I decided to ask Solar.

"Yknow, not too bad. Yesterday was the worst day I've ever had in my life, but, today's not that horrible. You okay? I know yesterday there were probably a million thoughts running around in your head."

I silently nodded, looking out into the sky, the clouds blazing pass us. "Yeah... I'm better. I'm just happy to see you're not as depressed. Seeing you like that was not fun, no. It's scary, you're usually so bubbly."

She took a second to respond. I just kept watching the sky. "I know, Flash. It scares me, too. I bet things will become a little more clear once we talk to the princesses, though. They always know how to fix even the worst things, right?"

There we go. That's the Solar I've wanted to hear. A little grin grew on my mouth. "Let's hope so."

I took a deep breath and stretched a little bit.

Some time later, the capital of Equestria peeked out from the distance. A huge, sprawling white-gold-and-purple themed city, it was magnificent to see. My eyes fixated on the central skyscraper - named The Tower Of The Sun And Moon (or just 'The Tower' for short) - it was so tall... too much even for me. As far as I know, it's where the headquarters of many big companies are located. Aside from that, there's apartment buildings, a suburb with beautiful houses, restaurants, fast food places, museums, a huge central park; you name it, it was there in the city somewhere. Looking at the castle as well, it's remained practically untouched. It's so strange to see that old-time design amongst all the modern architecture.

...and yes, I could see a mass of creatures on ground and in air looking like a locust swarm.

"I don't think I've ever actually been here before," I heard Jargon mutter, peeking to see him in awe of the growing metropolis in front of him. "Yeah no, I haven't. I've known about it, of course, but damn they weren't lying about how it grand it is in person."

To avoid being seen by the many, many inhabitants of the city, the guards took us high above, to an altitude I don’t think I’ve reached before. I felt a bit dizzy… that didn’t help the headache.

I gripped onto the railing once the guards told us to hold on tight; and they weren’t lying. The sudden drop caused the air to blow into my face, and the Canterlot castle suddenly came into view within just a few seconds. We swooped over into an entrance from a balcony on the side, landing on shining-white brick floors. A red carpet lined with shining silver sides covered the center, with various drapes, stained glass designs, pillars... all decorating the hallway beautifully.

This place dwarfed me with how high the ceilings reached, the jewel-studded chandeliers looking down upon me.

The four of us stuck together closely once we were out, following the guards towards what I was going to guess was the throne room. My heart pounded in anticipation of meeting the Princesses. I had no idea how they were going to react - on one hoof, I feel they'd be quite relieved to now we were alive and doing okay. On the other, thinking back to the brief anxiety attack I had before meeting Dash again... I couldn't let it get to me this time, no.

Being led down a set of spiral stairs led us to a room with two enourmous doors on the end, which the guards stopped us at, one holding their hoof out. My eyes looked around nervously for a second, sweat dampening my brow.

"Here we are; the throne room. Our destination," One guard began, his tone more calm to help ease us into the environment. "You will be meeting Princess Celestia and her younger sister, Princess Luna, in just a few moments. We understand this may sound like a daunting task at first, but we can assure you, it will all go fine."

I nodded.

The other guard spoke up. "Just stay calm and everything will be alright. When the meeting concludes, you will all be given rooms and amenities to rest for the day. We would also like to thank you for your cooperation today, we understand how confusing and sudden this is for all of you."

"O-Of course, sir." I stuttered. The two didn't seem to notice.

They turned and proceeded to open the doors, the creaks of their hinges echoing greatly around the huge area I was met with. Walking inside, my eyes focused on all the stained glass mosaics depicting the Elements of Harmony prophecies, as well as the various villains the sisters have defeated so many eons ago. In the middle of the room sat two thrones stood atop adorned platforms, one being a vibrant yellow and the other a shiny silver. A small river of water ran along the sides of the thrones, which I thought was a cute touch.

Soon, I - no, we all had come face to face with the rulers of Equestria.

Princess Celestia, the sun, and Princess Luna, the moon, right in front of the four of us. We all bowed.

Celestia looked down on us with a warm, welcoming smile, her eyes on me. "Welcome, to all of you. We are so glad you all could arrive safely, especially after all that has happened." She spoke with a regal, yet almost motherly tone. She looked over at Dash, raising her head. "It is also great to see you are well, Rainbow Dash."

She nodded happily.

I took a breath and walked up, readying myself. "Greetings, your Majesty. It is an honor to be meeting you today. My name is Flash Powers. I'm accompanied by my long-time friend Solar Blaze, another friend of mine, Jargon, and yes, we were also lucky enough to have Rainbow Dash with us too," I explained. "I have to be honest, your Highness, I am really worried about what might happen..."

Celestia nodded. "Of course, it is a problem that worries us all. The only way that this can be reversed, from our knowledge, is if the power lost from the Cloudsdale explosion is restored..." She paused. "That is, restored in time."

"It's not going to be an easy task to accomplish... and another issue that strikes us is, we don't know who - or what - caused the initial delivery disruption, as well. Our investigation team has not yet returned with any useful information on the matter." Luna added.

"So, we're still stuck in the dark, huh..." Solar trotted up from behind me. "How are we even going to bring all that power back? Only way I know is to build a whole new generator, which just ain't feasible with the time we have."

Celestia nodded solemnly. "Yes, that is correct. To build even one of these facilities, it took many days of ingenuity from the brightest minds of Equestria."

"Thing is..." Solar tapped her chin with a hoof. "That was over 40 years ago. We can definitely build a generator faster in some way, right? It isn't an entire facility. With all our minds in the right place..."

Celestia thought about such an idea. “Well, yes, I’m sure it could be done. But, we don’t have much time. It would have to be a swift gathering of materials, and even faster to build it. Are you sure you’d all be up for such a task?”

“…do we even have enough general materials left to build one?” Jargon added, a good question since without what we need, we’re truly lost for ideas here.

“I believe so, yes, but only just enough. All of our supplies is kept in a secret warehouse underneath this castle; within the mountain Canterlot stands upon. It’s where the generators and their cores were manufactured. If anything gets lost… that could greatly jeopardize this journey.” Luna turned over to Celestia. “And, Sister, we do require another one of those powering crystals, do we not? I’m… not so sure if we have another in our posession.”

Powering crystals…? I’ve barely heard anything about those. I only remember learning that they’re the central power source of cores themselves. They activate, give the core energy, which is then distributed through the core evenly. I don’t even know where they come from.

"Hmmm..." Celestia thought, her mane flowing through space majestically. "Yes... yes, we should have one more. I believe it is stored within the warehouse Luna mentioned, tightly locked away."

"I mean, it shouldn't be too bad of a journey to go and get it," Solar let out a nervous chuckle. "Uh, right?"

"It will not be so simple, unfortunately, it is a vast complex that is easy to get to lost in. You all will be going down there with our guards for protection. Tomorrow, we'll discuss more on this matter, but for now please get rest, all of you. Today has been quite an eventful day, and we do not wish to tire you out any longer. Our guards will show you to your rooms, and you will be free for the day."

I decided to bow once more. "Thank you, your majestey."

The princesses lowered and raised their heads in unison and acknowledgement.

Damn, this room is huge.

This place has got everything: ornately decorated furniture, beautiful decor, super comfy bed, a window that overlooks the whole city, etc. I... actually kind of love it. I also really needed it, I am so damn exhausted. For one, I'm glad we have a sort of clearer ultimate goal in our hooves and hands: build another generator and get it working to boost the barrier back to life and finally expand it. I just don’t know if it’s feasible to get it finished or if it was another one of Solar’s silly ideas. If the princesses are on board, then there’s gotta be a chance…

Solar's in her room and Jargon is as well. As far as I know, Dash is with the princesses discussing other things (how she manages to stay so alert all the time is insane). So, for the first time in a while, I'm gonna have a night all completely to myself. Not sleeping on a couch half-dead, too! That's always a plus.

I sat on my bed, and I tried turning on the TV...

buzzzz-buzz-buz-

Huh? What's going on with the signal...

With a groan, I got up from my heavenly bed, forsaking divine comfort, and went over to the TV. I messed with the antennas, and saw some kind of strange figure appear within the static... I couldn't quite make it out. What the Tartarus? Is this TV haunted?

I fiddled some more, and the figure came a little clearer into view. Some kind of fleshy, super tall, horriffic abomination stared at me, watching me through the screen, tentacle-like 'arms' protruding out from the sides and moving towards me. Some kind of muffled roar grew in the background, before the static flooded back in.

Wh...What the fuck was that...?

I'm actually kind of scared.

Soon enough, the TV shot back to the regular everyday news program, which I changed to another channel soon after. What was that... being, though? That thing? It looked so… alien, I have no idea what species that thing could’ve possibly been. It had to be a prank, right? Maybe some idiot hijacked the broadcast during all the panic just to be funny... yeah, that's gotta be what it is.

I laid back on the soft mattress of the bed, pulling the covers over me as the sunset slowly passed by.

I think I'll just... forget that happened for now.