The Dark Portal

Stellan:

I thank Rail for helping me, without him I probably will be laying on the floor on all fours helpless. He gave me the gears I lost on impact and I caught his facial expression. This pony is for sure intrigued by this wing.
"Thanks a lot and before you ask the question, I lost my left wing in the mountain in a horrible steam balloon crash, where my parent lost their lives." I added.
I can see the compassion and sadness in his eyes. Almost as if he wanted to shed some tears.
"I was the only survivor of the crash but, on impact one of the rotor flew away from the primary engine shaft and before I can even move, I was hit be this big fan piece and that cut off my wing."
I took a deep breath before continuing to tell him what happened.
"They found me half dead and alone, blood stained and without a wing. They tried everything on the way to the hospital to save my wing but...nothing worked. One day a mysterious stallion from the Steam Mechanic Institute made me this deal, if he teaches me all he knows, he will make me a new wing. I accept the deal and one week after he came to me with this bad boy.” I said touching my wing.
“Well sure, it’s not perfect, but its work perfectly fine, when I get the pin or cutting object out of range of course, blasted thing always gets me into these messes.”

We laugh a little and after replacing the falling parts of my wing I finally see where the cafeteria is, finally. After that ordeal I’m just happy we found the restaurants inside this place. We are starving!

Rail and I make our way to the cafeteria areas when all of a sudden I got side-swiped by something or somepony and found myself to the floor…again.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry my dear, are you hurt?” says a very melodious voice.

I get my head up and see the pony that hit me, and boy it’s a beautiful pale green Unicorn.

RAIL

Well I should’ve known he would know that I was going to ask “that” question. I am sure he hears it more than he knows. Handing him the pieces he tells me the story behind the wing. I was awed and saddened by it completely, to lose your most treasured limbs and your parents all in one accident…it must have been terrible. Holding back my emotions the best I can, a tear was shed; quickly hiding it with my mane I continue listening.

“My goodness, that is horrible. It is a good thing everything, well mostly everything went well. That stallion helped at least. I’m sorry for your lose Stellan.” I murmur.

I take another look at his magnificent mechanized wing and admire it. Not perfect? I think it is. The mechanics and design is probably the best I have seen, or well the first I have seen. I’m sure such a piece would get anypony into endeavors they do not want; it’s such a huge piece. Not to mention its steam powered, so I bet it can have that effect of making you stand out from the crowd. Looking back up I see the cafeteria’s restaurants.

“Finally my good friend, foo...”

Before I could finish I hear Stellan plop on the floor again. Turning around I was about to hasten a reply but was stopped by the presence of a mare.

“Hey! Watch where you a…” I stopped.

Green Star

Spending most of my life outdoors, it comes naturally to me, pun intended. I am your average independent mare, but with a twist. Some ponies call me Miss. Green Thumb time to time simply because my passion is botany. I actually come from a long line of botanists, my mother being one of them. On one passionate evening I was out studying some fungus and roots until I got a notice from my intern. I walked to my offices and my intern gave me a letter, with the royal seal.

“Never have I gotten a letter like this one before. Clocksworth, may I ask who sent this letter?” I addressed.

“A mare in suit ma’am, no name.” he replied.

Starring back at the letter and seeing the royal seal, it must have been from the princess, or at least somepony from their caliber. Levitating the letter and opening it neatly I read its contents in my head. After rereading it twice, it hit me. I was needed for a mission? What mission where a botanist is needed for? For assurance I read it again.

“Oh my, this is most certainly not my normal cup of tea. Clocksworth, could you gather my traveling cases please dear. It seems I will be gone for a while.”

“Yes ma’am” He replied.

Walking over to my storage, I gather what I deem necessary for this mission. The letter does not even say who we are working for or who we are meeting when we get to this…place. I gather my petri dishes, test tubes, flasks, and everything else that refines my qualities as a botanist. Clocksworth returns with my cases and I quickly and very neatly begin to pack them.

“Clocksworth call the cab if you will…I do not want to keep the “team” waiting on me my dear.” I add.

“Right away Miss. Green.” He replied trotting off to the phone.

My horn glows as I levitate all the items again neatly rearranging some so the fragile items will not crack or break on the way there. I hear my intern signal me when the cab arrived. My horn glows as I carry my luggage to the taxi. Before leaving I appoint my intern to watch over everything and give him the keys to the lab. I get in the cab and tell him the address. It was a long ride but I arrived safely and hopefully my precious glass did as well. It was a beautiful building to be honest; I see mare and 2 guards at the door must be security, the mare looks like a brute. Using my magic to gather my luggage I trot over to the door and was stopped by the mare.

“Show me your nexus please.” She said with a demeaning tone.

“Ah yes, this…thing is it?” I stuttered.

The mare just stood there with a blank face with no charisma at all. She took the nexus and it incinerated into thin air.

“You may enter, Chamber 5 is yours.”

“Ah yes, err well thank you.” I mumbled.

Entering the doors the vast open entry revealed itself. The décor was marvelous, the ponies so posh, except that mare, and the aroma was wonderful. I look down the hallway and see the chambers all numbered. Walking down the thin and very tall hallway I spot my chambers.

“Oh dear~ is that gold?” I asked myself.

Before arriving to my chambers I accidently bump into somepony. How could I have been so foolish? I place my thing on the floor and see who it was. A Pegasus with a marvelous mechanical wing attached to him. As much as I wanted to touch it, it would have been rude. He was not alone, another Pegasus, more neat than so was sort of just staring at me.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry my dear, are you hurt?” I said softly. “I do hope I didn’t damage that wing of yours. It looks amazing by the way.”

Stellan:

"Oh its ok, I'm not hurt...this time and thank you for the compliment." I gesture.

"This time? What do you mean?" Green Star adds.

"Never mind, it was just a little accident with a pin on one of my steam pipes."

"Oh, I hope nothing is broken, look expensive."

"Oh...are you hungry? We are searching for something to eat, are you in?"

"Of course dear, the ride here was…distasteful to say the least, not to mention long and arduous." Green explained.

"Cool, let’s eat!"

"Looks like we meet an agreement, oh where are my manners, my name is Green Star Head Botanist at the university in Trottingham Outskirts."

"Nice to meet you, my name is Stellan Bluegears and his name is Rail wind"

I turn myself to Rail and close is hanging jaw.

"Mr. Rail? You come to eat with us or are you auditioning to be a statue?"

"Oh! Excuse me, I was thinking of something…else." Rail exclaims.

We made way in the cafeteria and we found the place full of ponies. We finally spot a free table in the corner of the cafeteria, a nice marble table with some gold and black silk cloth over it flowers accenting the middle. After one hour of waiting in lines, we sit at our table with our meals. Rail had a fancy plate of tossed hay with steamed vegetables and an apple tart side with a whip cream topping with a fondant royal seal, Miss Star had a nicely tossed salad with the freshest greens and some fruits added amongst them with some lightly buttered breadsticks that looked fresh from the oven. Stellan had a Mayflower and Daisy tart with a lavender bay sandwich. We begin eating at our own paces when we hear a faint voice behind us.

"Sorry is it ok if...of course if you want to…If I can sit with you?" the voice stuttered.

We turn head to the voice origin and see a black and white griffin with a plate of fruit. He was huge in size, lean, muscular tone, and a soft voice?

Kalos

“What am I going to make today? Vegetable omelet or hay soup? Hmm, let’s cook the omelet and a hay soup with a garnish!” I say to myself.

I take a casserole and put water in it, I move myself the ingredients closer and take some hay powder and put two tablespoons of it in the water which turns into a gold colored liquid. I then take some secret herb of mine and put it in the casserole, instantaneously erupts a beautiful scent.

“That’s done, now to start on that omelet.”

But before I need the eggs, the very moment of touching them I hear a knock at the door. With a loud sigh I go open the door and found a pony in a uniform, before a can say something the mare asks:

"Are you the griffin Kalos ga-dolam?" she stated strongly.

"This is he. I’m actually the only griffin in Ponyville, did you know that?"

"Fascinating...this letter is for you and your eyes only are we clear?" she said with a blank expression.

"O...Okay…" I take the letter and walk back inside the kitchen, I open it I see the royal stamp on the top.

"Hmm, why does this have a royal seal?" I try asking the mail mare but the mare disappeared like a ghost. “The royal stamp ...huh."

I began reading the letter:

Dear griffin Kalos ga-dolam,

We are looking in all candidates and after deliberation we made our choice.
Congratulations you have been selected for a mission of high importance. You are the most qualified in all to bring this mission to the final point.
In this letter you found the address of the complex and your nexus to enter. You are to be on the deck for 14:00 tomorrow flat. No waiting will be tolerated!
Have good day and we see you tomorrow.
Sincerely,

The Selection Team

P.S bring your own meat’s we don’t supply meats at the facility.

“Bring your own meats? OH!” I palm my face. ”Yes of course ponies are vegetarian. Looks like I need to pack my things, some recipes, brush, some dried meats, cooking cloth and some travel gear maybe some other things.” I ask myself.

I close the store and left a letter to the cake family explaining what was happening. When I close it was already little after midnight. I take a look at the sky admiring the beautiful night Princess Luna brings to us, I strap my stuff to my back, take a swing to the air and began fly up in the crisp night toward Canterlot.

After three hours of non-stop flying, I finally land in front of a really well guarded complex. It was a humongous complex with heavy security and a beautiful façade. I begin making my way to the entrance door when I suddenly hear a voice I hear before, the mail mare.

“Welcome to the Celestial Research Complex, please can I have your nexus?”

“Do you mean this weird thing?” I exclaim.

“Yes the ‘weird’ thing, your nexus please. “

“Well, let me found it. It’s here somewhere.”

I ruffle through my knapsack tossing the contents around when I spot a radiating red key.

“Quick! We don’t have all the day by Celestia sake!” she yelled.

“Y…Y…Yes ma’am “I hasten and pick up the red key. “I FOUND IT!’

“Good for you, the nexus if you will.” She holds out her hoof.

I gave the rude mare the ‘nexus’, she scanned it with some weird device and the incinerated it in front of me.

“Welcome, you’re in Chamber 3, enjoy your stay Sir.”

I enter the complex and turn my head to ask the mare a resolving question, but she vanished yet again.
“How she doing that!?!” and I made my way to my chambers

I found it quite easily, during my walk to my chambers I found some oil on the floor and metallic scratch on the wall, but I don’t think much of it, probably a little accident. I unpack my things in the small room. In the room I have a bed, worktable and bathroom costumed for a griffin. It has sturdier floors and wider rooms and bathroom, with a higher ceiling.

After I have unpacked all my gear I make a quick stop to the bathroom cleaning myself up, and man was I hungry shortly after. That three hour flight took a toll on my stomach. I finally found the cafeteria after following some signs that were way too high to read even for griffins. After some time of waiting I finally was able to acquire some fruits, I began to make my way toward the pony mass and noticed the same oil stains on the floor, I follow them and they brought me to a table with a red striped blue mane and dark blue coat Pegasus, a light blue dark blue striped black manned Pegasus with something metallic on the back and a really beautiful light green Unicorn.

I cautiously make my way towards them asking:

"Sorry is it ok if...of course if you want to…If I can sit with you?"

Stellan

"Well, if it’s ok with everypony I don't see problem, everypony ok?"

Rail and Green nod and allow our new acquaintance take a seat with us. I turn myself to Rail and ask him:

"So, what brings you here Rail?"

"I received a letter from here informing me I was selected for an important mission of which I know very little about, you?" Rail stated.

"Actually I received the exact same type of letter, are you here for the mission to Miss Green Star?" I ask to the green unicorn.

"Indeed, exact same letter and like Rail stated, very little knowledge of the objective."

"Me too I received the same letter." peeps a soft voice. We turn to the griffin, who, instant takes red color.

"Oh, s…s…sorry I did not mean to disturb you, please excuse my interruption." The griffin muffled.

"No, no actually I'm happy you are talking too because I have these questions, who controls this mission, how big is this team and what is the objective?"

"I really don't know my friend" says Rail.

"Good questions you put on the table, sweetie.” says Green

"I don't k…know, sorry” the shy griffin states.

Rail

My initial reaction to such a huge griffin was that I was astonished and to see how shy he was. Well multiple personalities are in us all I say. Placing his physical attributes aside I sort of adore this new comrade of ours. He may be shy but he is quite the gentleman.

“So, did you fly all the way here?” I question.

“Oh, uh yes about three hours’ time…it was arduous. It was dark too, I was a bit afraid but I managed to fly faster placing my fear aside.” He mumbled.

“Well three hours must have taken a toll on you. Are you not tired?” I say eating a piece of my dish.

While I continue eating dish I could not help but keep peeking at Miss Green Star, she was just so full of light and beautiful. Was this a…no it can’t be we just meet, plus we have bigger things on our plate to worry about right now and a mission we know little about and a pony or whoever we are about to meet not to mention is this the whole entire team, here? Despite her glorious ambiance I have to focus on what we have to do right now.

“I am a bit tired.” He muffled.

“I do hope your wings are in good condition, as I am sure they are…you are quite big, no offense.” Green Star added.

“So when are we meeting this pony or whoever we are meeting any…”
Before Rail could finish somepony on the loudspeaker announced the arrival of a colonel. We all set our eyes on the stage with the searing spotlight and a tall rough looking mare appears. It looks like she has been through many wars and conquered much land for Equestria. She was wearing a green vest with so many medals in honor of her battles most likely. She had the most scarred and torn facial features I have ever seen on a mare, but what can I say she is a war mare. I can only wait to hear how strong her voice is.

“Will the excavation team show themselves?” She shouted.

I was right, strong…voice.

“I guess that is us guys.” I whispered.

As we four shuffles our way through the huge frontal crown toward the stage we stood in front of all the others. The griffin shook a little us knowing he is quite the shy one, Rail was stout, Green a bit disgusted at the war mare’s appearance and Stellan just there in his own world.

“You four are the team? This is a disgrace.”

“Excuse me…” I stopped Green Star before she finished whatever sentence she was about to spout.

“You have something to say whelp?” She demanded.

“No ma’am nothing at all.” Rail mumbles.

“I thought so.”

I stared at green and she stared back. We shared a look and then paid back attention to the mare.

“It’ll be best if we just listen to her Miss Green Star” I whispered.

She nodded and we listen further.

“Well then if you are it then listen very fucking closely. The royal highness wants you four retards to go where nopony has gone before. Where? Well ponies and bird…you heard of the corner of the world that nopony dares talk about or even mention its name right? That is where you four are going. What is it actually called? Hope it doesn’t scare you little shits. It is called the Realm of Lost Dreams.”

“That does not sound good.” Rail mumbles.

“You four as declared by the royal highness are going to fly the fuck over there and see what lies beyond. You will record all of your finding and bring back evidence of what might prove useful for our future, as well as yours. Do you understand?”

“Yes ma’am” We say in union.

“Good…you set sail 1900 hours tomorrow. Celestia be with you.”

Editor and second author : Rail Wind (https://www.facebook.com/Wind.Rail)
First author: Lostdarkstellan (https://www.facebook.com/stellan.pegasusdark)