Author's Note

Been recording a video series where I talk about life and the world while playing games in an attempt to provide catharsis. I've had some tough times over the years. So have many. That's why I'm writing this story as well.

For the Torn Heart

Twilight's inspection drifted between egg-white plaster and beige-coated carpeting. Some objects she recognized while others were completely new. The party could focus on modern tech's origins later. For now, they had to find a way to pinpoint their coordinates.

"Looks like we ended up in a private residence. This must be Zane's bedroom."

"Man," Rainbow uttered, "It's so dead in here. You'd think he could afford a streamer or something. Did the economy collapse? I mean, seriously. What's up with this place?"

"Normally, I'd agree," Pinkie acknowledged, "but if even a fraction of what Twilight said's true, humans are a deeply disturbed race. I can't even blame 'em. I wouldn't be feeling much like celebrating either."

"I'm honestly surprised you didn't know about 'em already with all the weird stuff you've pulled off. Still, I'd go insane cooped up somewhere like this. How do you think he does it?"

"We may find out if we search the premises," Twilight interjected, "We have to figure out something - anything that can tell us where we are. Once that's established, we can contact the princesses."

"Where should we start?"

"Folders, documents, it doesn't really matter. There's gotta be something here. Even more info about Zane would help at this point."

"I'm on it."

Rainbow ascended slowly, checking shelves while her friends covered the ground. Nothing of importance surfaced, though that would change soon enough.

"Nothin' up here. Guess we gotta dive deeper."

"Place is pretty clean," Spike pointed out, "I doubt it'll take too long."

Twilight nodded, leading her friends through the door. Strolling through a narrow hallway, they found themselves in what appeared to be Zane's kitchen. Feet from the table, appliances and cookware lined the walls. On the opposite side, stacked neatly in a plastic crate, their objective's goal presented itself. Rainbow smirked in smug satisfaction.

"This is too easy! We keep goin' at this rate, we'll be outta here in no time!"

"While I admire your optimism," Rarity intervened, "I feel it pertinent to remind you our ultimate goal may not be achieved so easily. Whatever arose from this planet's core is powerful enough to mitigate lesser threats. Lord only knows what it's capable of doing to us."

"Lemme at 'em! I'll show those shadow thingies what for!"

Rarity's face lowered, features dry and apathetic. In spite of their progress since first meeting, Rainbow was still too confident for her own good.

"Quite."

"Come on! Have a little faith in your old pal! I gotcha covered, no sweat!"

Focusing on the task at hoof, Twilight drowned out her associates' banter. Levitating the folders, she skimmed them over, reciting their information back to her allies.

"Most of these are tax forms and employment records. The district we're in now is a place called Descanso, Massachusetts. I have no idea whether I'm pronouncing that right, but there are photographs scattered inside."

She showed one of the pictures to her friends. The man portrayed possessed short, dark brown hair and medium green eyes. A noticeable fringe dangled over his rightmost brow.

"His full name is Zane Avery, age twenty-five. Date of birth says he was born August 26th, 1972, making him around our average."

"Looks pretty intense," Spike admitted, "Guess we shouldn't expect much in the way of smiles."

"This would explain why. His parents passed away as a result of natural causes. His mother only died a few months ago, so I'd imagine it's still fresh in his memory."

"Holy cow..."

"Whether we like it or not, we're technically guests now. At the very least, we should respect their boundaries, much like anywhere else. Last thing we need's for them to turn against us too."

"Yeah. I hear ya."

"I can already tell this will be trying. If anyone finds out we're here, we'll have to abort. In the event that turns out to be the case, our only remaining options will prove less than desirable."

"Do me a favor, would ya? Tell me somethin' good. I'm bummed out enough as it is."

"I'm sorry Spike, but we have to consider all possible contingencies. Our hopes of an alliance are shaky at best. If we're gonna get through this, we've gotta stay cordial. He's felt the pain of loss before. If we can turn that to our advantage, we'll be one step closer to making it out of here alive."

"You're lucky I know you. Most wouldn't stomach such a calculated approach to someone else's misery."

"I know. Believe me. If there was any other way, I would do it. It's my responsibility as a princess of Equestria to see all subjects safe and sound. You understand the position such a title puts me in, don't you?"

"Yeah. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I promise, I won't hurt him. He's already been through enough."

Spike stared down, gaze lifeless and despondent. He knew his sister spoke the truth, but it was still painful to hear.

"Someone's gotta check outside. May as well be me. Least you can run if something happens. I can't do much, but I'll be able to buy you some time. "

"We're right behind you. Just...Be careful, all right? I don't want you getting hurt either."

True to her word, the others followed closely. Spike cracked open the door, revealing dendrologous scenery accompanied by vegetation. An asphalt path told them town was some distance away.

"Looks like we're alone."

"It's not as different from home as I expected. It reminds me of Fluttershy's cottage, actually - just a little bit bigger."

"Finally," Rainbow vocalized, "I've been feeling cramped since we got to the castle. Least out here, I can spread my wings."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," Twilight concurred reluctantly, "Just stay close. We don't want anyone getting lost or injured."

"No worries. I know where to listen when it counts."

"The rest of us will study this planet more. Our resources may be limited for the time being, but we'll make do with what we have."

"Um, Twilight," Fluttershy intervened, "I know it's not my place to say, but I think you should rest. You look about ready to keel over. We can handle things from here."

"She's right, Sugarcube," Applejack seconded, "Won't do us no good if our head honcho's outta commission. I may not understand everything, but I'll do my best to help. That's what we're here for after all."

"They're right, Twilight," Spike realized, "You've been in bad shape all morning. I'll stand guard in case something happens. The others'll notice if something goes down."

Twilight sighed once more, relenting to her accomplices' requests. There was no way she could convince them otherwise.

"All right. I leave everything to you. Let me know if anything happens, okay?"

Everyone nodded in unison. It had already been a long day. Fortunately, the tide was about to turn in their favor. All they had to do was wait...

Dark clouds hovered over a gloomy sky. A cool breeze blew past, directing Twilight's attention towards the suburban landscape. In her field of vision, a young woman stood firm, chin held high while trickles of rain splashed against her skin. She was dressed in dark fabrics, sporting black locks consistent with Celestia's description. There was no mistaking it. She had to be Maria. Twilight tried calling out to her, though no sound emerged. However, the Alicorn's thoughts seemed to echo loud and clear.

"Maria, can you hear me?"

Somehow, the pony caught her attention. Turning her head, the Drake held a finger to her lips, silencing Twilight for unknown reasons. As before, the world slowly faded, the latter left to ponder what she'd seen.

"Maria...Who are you...?"

Twilight awoke sometime after five. Spike slept curled up by the frame. The alarm clock next to them was a nifty little device. She'd have to think about investing in one for herself.

"All right," she thought to no one, "Up we go."

Rolling off the bed, the Alicorn returned to where her friends resided. As expected, they were hard at work, breaking down each era and period with the precision of dedicated graduates. Needless to say, she was eager to hear what they'd learned.

"Hey, sleepin' beauty," Rainbow teased, "You were out most of the day. How ya feelin'?"

"You mean other than the overwhelming dread and anxiety? Better. Did you find anything?"

"A shitload. Celestia wasn't kidding about this world bein' similar. Other than a few minor details, our histories are almost exactly the same. Only difference now seems to be the tech. They're way more advanced than we ever could've imagined."

"Any specifics? It might help if we knew what we were dealing with."

"See those lights above us? They're powered by electricity. Same for everything else plugged into outlets. Modern homes are connected to power lines that supply juice. There's a couple different sources they acquire energy from, but the latest appears to be something called nuclear fission. Basically splits stuff apart at the atomic level. Supposedly, it releases massive quantities of energy. It'll likely become humanity's primary mechanism in the future."

"The atomic level!? How didn't I think of that!?"

"Beats me. I barely understood it myself. Kind of a good thing we didn't though. There's a potential drawback if the atoms explode. Gather enough of 'em in one place, you could wipe out a whole city. Probably would've screwed up if we'd tried it before now."

"I see. Fair point."

"Even though Celestia said some of the archives were wrong, a lot of 'em turned out to be true. There've been wars out the wazoo since this planet's inception. No wonder kids are so pissed off these days. The balance of harmony's completely unstable. The world could end at any moment, and no one would know until it did."

"I figured. Couldn't all be wrong now could they?"

"No word on Zane's whereabouts yet, but I suspect he'll be home soon."

"Might've had to run a few errands. There are still things technology can't do yet it seems. Sounds like you've got things covered here. I'll go out and wait on him. I may be able to convince him to listen."

"All right. Have fun with that."

"Yeah. Really."

"Be careful, darling," Rarity advised, "We have no idea what sort of dangers await beyond. Be ready to defend yourself. We'll be here if you need us."

"I know. Thank you. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Rarity smiled. Despite her initial reluctance, their friendship had grown stronger. They were sisters in arms, and if all went well, their chances of returning home safely would increase astronomically. The unicorn had faith. It had only been buried under the initial wave of terror.

Twilight basked in the sunset's fading glow, unable to turn away. The view was calming...Tranquil...Peaceful...It was hard to believe this world posed such a danger. It wasn't like they'd seen the shadows for themselves - not yet, anyway. Why were they taking so long to act? If they were truly so foreboding as the princesses claimed, why hadn't they destroyed humanity? Were they waiting, biding their time for something greater? It didn't make any sense, but they had proof Zane was real. If nothing else, his presence lent credence to their story. Perhaps there was something they were missing. Under such chaotic circumstances, nothing could be ruled out. It wouldn't surprise them in hindsight if something had been overlooked. It was hard to assure anything, especially in situations like these.

"What is that...?"

The Alicorn squinted, locking in on an approaching machine. Its body was made of steel, though the quality left something to be desired. It halted down the path, leaving Twilight to wonder its purpose. From its depths, she saw someone emerge - a man of recognizable stature. Though her senses gave way, the pony's instincts proved sharp as nails. She stepped forward, gradually drawing closer.

"Zane? Zane Avery?"

The human flinched, recoiling in surprise. He hadn't expected to find anyone waiting for him, much less sentient animals from another plane.

"Holy Christ! What are you!? How'd you know my name!?"

"Sorry for scaring you. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm an Alicorn from the planet Equus."

"Alicorn? That sounds familiar..."

"It does?"

"I think I heard about 'em in a movie a long time ago. Can't remember which one, though."

Twilight blinked, floored by the revelation.

"A...Movie...?"

"I take it you're not familiar with television? What year's it where you're from?"

"Our worlds are the same age. Your technology evolved faster is all. It might have something to do with our magic. We've relied heavily on its power over the years."

"If that's what you call fast, we're never getting flying cars."

"If I knew what you were talking about, I'd probably agree."

"Sounds like we've both got a lot to learn."

"My friends are waiting inside. There are seven of us in total, including my brother Spike."

"If you're here, somethin' big's goin' down. If you don't mind helpin' with the groceries, I'll listen to what you have to say."

"Of course."

"Thanks."

Inside, Twilight awakened her sibling. Zane was stunned by how many creatures appeared to inhabit their realm. Once the initial shock wore off, he heard them out as promised.

"Equus is made up of a variety of species, each one divided into their own separate continents. Based on our notes, Earth operates similarly, just with more diversity between people."

"Pretty much," Zane confirmed, "There's a large Hispanic population on the east and west coasts. Part of the reason's because Mexico's underneath us. Canada's to the north, though I couldn't tell you the numbers."

"What about where we are specifically?"

"We're in the U.S., short for United States. Our governmental body's more of a democratic republic, though depending on who you ask, it's too corrupt to be a functional one."

"Corruption? Maybe that has something to do with what the princesses were seeing."

"You lost me."

"Our continent Equestria lies under the rule of Celestia and Luna - Alicorn princesses who control the sun and moon. I'm a princess myself, though I've yet to grow accustomed to my role."

"Should've known. You said they saw something? What was it?"

"Shadows."

"Shadows?"

"We haven't seen them ourselves, but princess Luna reported their presence this morning. She's able to travel between dimensions using a portal shaped like a mirror. The pathway between worlds is referred to as the astral plane."

"I've heard about that too, though not quite in the same way. It's usually described as a projected self in other realms of reality. Sounds fairly complicated, but if I had to guess, there are multiple layers to how the whole thing works. Is she able to travel using her physical body?"

Twilight nodded.

"Maybe it's a molecular thing. For all we know, what you call magic isn't all that mysterious. Everything has an explanation. Just takes effort to find it."

"I'm impressed. We're more alike than I thought."

"Had the same idea, huh? I'd imagine it'd cross anyone's mind being around you long enough."

"So you haven't noticed anything weird? No monsters or unusual phenomena in the area?"

"Not lately, but I'll be on the lookout. There anything else I should know?"

"Yes, actually. You wouldn't happen to know anyone named Maria, would you?"

"How long have you been watching us?"

"Not long. I had a dream about a girl a little younger than Spike. It was right before everything went haywire. She had the same hairstyle as Maria, but it was blonde and tied back in a ponytail. We heard both of them were here not long after."

"Sounds like Emily. I know about her, but we've never talked."

"Can you put us in contact with Maria somehow? I'd like to speak with her directly if possible?"

"Sure. I'll call her after dinner. She'll find your story compelling if anything. Maybe we'll figure somethin' out."

"I'd appreciate it."

"No worries. Mi casa es su casa. Least I can do's try to help."

"You're a good man. I can see why Celestia trusts you."

Zane brought out a stereo from the back. It was split into separate sections to accommodate various formats. Placing a disc in the tray, he opened Twilight's companions to a new world of musical complexity. It was a similar style to Maria's choice only half the day before.

"This is the kind of stuff Maria's into. It's a style of rock music called metal. Her and Em listen to it all the time. This band in particular's a group from Sweden called Sacramentum. She's been gettin' into all sorts of melodic stuff there lately."

"It's awesome," Rainbow cut in, "How'd we miss out on this!?"

"Guitars probably. They're electric."

"Ah. That'd explain it."

"I can hear bits and pieces of classical," Twilight noted, "but some of the other influences, I've never heard before. Where did all this come from?"

"Most of it dates back to blues. Lot of it came about as a result of industrialization. The slave trade contributed significantly. Probably part of the reason it sounds so dark today."

"You mean the Trans-Atlantic slave trade pre-dating the civil war?"

"That's the one. Not one of our proudest moments to be sure, but what can you do? Not like anyone today could've stopped it. Just an unfortunate byproduct of living on this planet I suppose."

"I'm sorry things have been so hard for you. To be honest, we know what happened to your parents. We were digging for intel when we stumbled across the certificates by accident."

"It's cool. I thought about ending it for a while. Bullet to the head would've been lights out, but Maria talked me out of it. We've all had our share of troubles. Poor kid's been through hell."

"What happened?"

"Old man was a drinker. Got hammered one night and killed a dude under the influence. Been in prison over a decade now. Supposed to be gettin' out in a few more years. She's been bummed out about it ever since."

"Generally, we try not to kill unless it's absolutely necessary. Life's too precious to be wasted on mindless violence. Even wolves, we tend to sedate them and drop them somewhere in the forest. Compassion and mercy are virtues we've always tried to live by. I wouldn't trade our way of life for anything, even if it does feel artificial some of the time."

"You've got heart. I respect that. You and Maria'll get along just fine."

It was nice to sit down for a warm meal. The group's meeting with Zane had gone smoother than expected. Now they could focus on gathering the others. With Twilight's suspicions confirmed, it wouldn't take long to find them.

"I'll grab a shower when we're done," Zane stated casually, "After you guys call Maria, you wanna see a movie? I've got some good ones on DVD. Figured it'd be a good way to kill time before bed."

"Sure," Twilight accepted, "I think for now, we could all stand to be a little laid back. We weren't expecting to make this much progress. If we take a break, we can tackle the situation more efficiently. Maybe we could stay the night if it's not too much trouble?"

"Not at all. If you're really here to help, I'll accept it gladly. World needs more people like us these days. That's for damn sure."

"I think your parents would be proud. It takes someone special to be recognized by the princesses. If it wasn't for my natural aptitude for magic, none of us would've ever met. It makes me wonder what they see in humans. I suspect we'll find out before too long."

"Thanks. That really means a lot. I'll try not to let 'em down."

The party finished eating, collecting their plates and washing dishes. Spike offered given his experience back home, but Twilight and Zane cut him some slack. Finally, Zane dialed Maria's number, showing everyone how so they could call her alone. He spoke first to ease her in. As they were about to learn, the Drake was more receptive than most. Her worldview differed greatly from the rest of the population to put it mildly.

"Hello...?"

"Hey, Maria."

"Zane? What's up, homie? Everything good?"

"Got some people here lookin' for ya. Said they wanted to chat about somethin' you might find interesting."

"People? Who?"

"Might be better if you hear it from their mouths. I'm gonna hit the showers. I'll be out soon."

"All right. If you say so."

Zane handed the phone to Twilight, marching off towards the restroom. The chord wasn't able to reach, forcing her to improvise. She moved closer, speaking into the receiver.

"Maria? It's Twilight. I'm a new friend of Zane's."

"Twilight? That some kind of code name or somethin'?"

"Not exactly. We're from a planet called Equus. There are seven of us in total."

"Good old-fashioned septet, huh? What'd you guys want with me?"

"Well..."

Twilight told Maria what she knew - about Equus, the princesses, the shadows, and the lights. It took a while to piece everything together, but her explanation came off as coherent. All throughout, Maria listened to her tone. Something told her she was being truthful.

"That's pretty much the whole story. I don't know if you believe it, but-"

"I do."

"Wait, really!?"

"I can tell by the way you explained it. Your mental faculties are more or less intact. You were hoping I could tell you more, right? What do you wanna know?"

"Well, uh...Why don't we start with Emily? I know about what happened today. You two are pretty close, right?"

"How'd you know about that!?"

"I had a vision about her. She was almost eaten by wolves, wasn't she?"

"Magic of yours is pretty potent. That's about the extent of it, yeah."

"We believe the lights are connected. How many people do you actually know?"

"Let's see. There's Zane, Eric, Emily, her folks, my brother Brandon, our mom...And our dad..."

"That makes eleven. We're still missing one. Who else could it be?"

"I don't know..."

Maria's voice fell, having become immersed. It was all so sudden, but if their worlds were at risk, she couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Her deteriorating mental state wasn't lost on the Alicorn.

"Try not to overthink it. We already have most of our candidates. Worst-case scenario, we can ask the princesses to track everyone down."

"You're pretty sharp for a pony. I like it."

"You'll find we're a different breed in contrast to our earthling counterparts."

"So it seems."

"The real question is, what do we do now? Even with the information we've acquired, it won't do us much good unless we know what we're up against."

"Can't help you there, but I might have a way for you to defend yourselves. I've been training extensively in various styles for the last three years. If you follow my lead, you'll be vastly more powerful by the time they show up. Should keep you alive for a while at least."

"How so?"

"Grab a pen and something to write on. I'll walk you through it."

Twilight obliged, asking her friends to gather said components. She wrote down every instruction to the letter, melding what she soon understood to be a combination of civilian and military styles.

"Four days a week repeating each cycle. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Pick out your fighting styles and start as soon as you can. Once we meet up, I'll be able to demonstrate more effectively. Remember: no later than the 29th. It's the only window we'll have."

"I will. I'll let Zane know once he's out. We'll talk to you later. Take care."

"You, too. Don't go dyin' on me, ya hear?"

"We won't. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Bye..."

"Bye..."

Twilight hung up the phone, mulling over everything she'd just heard.

"According to Maria, we can find out more about this planet using Zane's computer, whatever that is. We'll ask him about it later. For now, we should try to relax. We hit a small snag, but what we've got now's more than enough to get things moving. We'll hit the hay as soon as the movie's over."

"All right," Rainbow declared deviously, "I'm ready! Bring it on!"