The night has come to all of Equestria, the land is dark and the moon is the only light in the darkness. Many are going to rest after long and productive day. And only some pony still do something – fight with their insomnia.
And we are going to Canterlot – the royal and central city of all the Equestria. On the streets we can only see guards pattroling night city. On one of the palace balcony we can see a serene figure – he stands there and breeze sneaks around his mane, he abstracted in thoughts – seems nothing could disturb him. But between his front legs appered small head and her sonorous voice made him wince.
Mia: „Hi, Orakulify!”
Orakulify: „Mia, what are you doing here? Someone need to be in bed allready!”
Mia shyly: „I can`t sleep and I am bored...”
Orakulify took her upon him and smiled: „Always the same story...”
Mia giggling: „Thought you could ride me on yourself...”
Orakulify put her down: „Its late and someone need to sleep...”
Mia jumped on his back and huged him around his neck: „Oh, please, please, please... big brother!”
Orakulify: „Huh... easy there! Ok, but only one lap around the palace and than you go to bed, allright?”
Mia nodded and settled back. He spread his wings and looked at Mia – she smiled in return and than they soared into the sky. He flew quitely and Mia was smiling and watching down on the streets of Canterlot. Mia: „How I wish I could have wings like you!” He only smiled and after one lap around the palace – they flew into an open window, directly to the Mias room. She jumped on the floor and than on bed. He come to her bed and covered her with blanket. Orakulify: „So, time to sleep...” Mia: „Dont go!” Orakulify looked at her and closed eyes: „Ok than... Ill sit right here...” Mia smiled and closed her eyes... After some time she was assleep and he straightened her blanket and kissed her. He quietly left ger room and went through a long corridor. When he came near the mirror – he stopped and watched into it. The mirror immediately transformed and turned black – in the mirror he could see himself, but different part if himself – evil part... For a moment it seemed, that he see a bad dream and he can wake up in couple of seconds, but it was not a dream – reflection in the mirror made the same movements as he did, he dropped his head and sighed. Than he just went along the corridor – he was upset and subdued. The mirror in couple of seconds have come to normal. He left the palace and went to the small park near by. There he watched at the fountain and someone approached him and embraced with the wing. He turned his head: „Princess Luna!?”
Luna: „Why are you here? Thought you have a big day tommorow – someone need to have a rest...”
Orakulify: „Yea... I know... I am... just wanted to think about somehing...”
Luna: „Hey! What a mood? You have a final exam at the academy – its a big day, not anyone reach it...”
Orakulify: „Huh... Well, I have had a good teacher!”
Luna: „No, its only you, who did it... And teacher just helped you in some way...”
Orakulify: „What are you trying to do now, mother? I know, that I am ready!”
Luna: „Hey, can I help just in some way to my son, not only see him sometimes!” She strongly hugged him.
Orakulify: „Yea... Thanks mom!”
On the next day prevailed turmoil in the academy. Orakulify put on his armor and went to the central platform of the academy. There already were some of the students. When he reached a small group of students – Copper: “Well, well, well – would you look at that… You came, thought you were scared and you sit somewhere in palace, begging for help from your mother!?” Everyone started laughing.
Their eyes met – Orakulify bitterly: “Only in your dreams, Copper! Or this is a great pressure on your self-esteem?” Someone giggled…
Copper: “Are you lit…”
Commander interrupted him: “Hey… Try to sort your things out somewhere else! Fall in line, quickly!”
Everyone lined and Copper nudged Orakulify – both of them looked each other with bitterness.
Commander: “Well, this is it! You reached your final exam and it`s time to show everything you have learned… It will be a hard exam and not everyone will success in it! So, good luck!” He nodded to exam inspector…
Rosie: “Your task will be to show your ability to survive in difficult situations and your ability to adapt to new environment… You will be sent to the Everfree forest, where you should find five special crystals, which is situated in different parts of the forest – there are only twenty crystals there, so only four of you will pass this exam and become a part of night furys… Is this clear?”
Everyone: “Yes ma`am!”
Rosie: “Good! You`ll get a map, basic equipment and scroll with the description of every crystal you need to find… So, if there are no questions – go and get your equipment and, than you have three days to achieve your results!”
Everyone went to get his equipment and, than went to the destination point from which they need to start an exam… Copper: “Good luck! In loosing… Ha-ha…” Orakulify: “In your dreams, Copper – only in your dreams!”
Orakulify reached his start point and checked his equipment once again and, than he marked himself to the inspection list and went into the forest. He quickly reached a small glade in the forest and started to think. He looked around and, than took a scroll… “Well, ok – five crystals with special nature and all situated in preferred environment… hmm… a river! Bingo!” He looked around again and run into the bushes…
To be continued…
Orakulify has run through dense forest and branches struck the armor – little by little he slowed by a walk. He went out near the river on the small hill; from here he could see the entire river bank clearly. In the distance he saw Rose, one of the academy students, he looked around and smiled – a very good plan appeared. He used his magic and turned into the squirrel and jumped to the small path where Rose was going.
Rose looked nervous and lowered her head sometimes. “Easy there – it is just a forest and nothing dangerous there… You are a warrior and you must be strong… No fear!” – she tried to calm herself by telling this. She stopped, closed her eyes and made a deep breath… when she opened her eyes again, she looked around and relieved… She wanted to do a step forward, but saw a squirrel and jumped on the tree screaming. Squirrel just looked at her amazedly… Rose: “Ow… this is just a little squirrel…” – she came down and leaned – “You are so cute… Sorry, if I scared you! Come here I have some nuts…” Squirrel quickly crawled on her back and took some nuts from her bag… Rose giggled and went forward… Rose: “I think you do not mind, if we travel together for some time… huh… Of course you do!” Squirrel just continued to eat nuts…
In couple of hours they reached a waterfall… Rose smiled, but squirrel sat with arms crossed and with unhappy face… Rose: “Huh… it is always good to have someone to talk to – everything become so easy and nice… even this forest…” She looked at waterfall: “Hmm… I think this is the place, where should be these water crystals…” – she lifted squirrel down – “I am sorry, but you should wait here, cause we do not want your cute fur get wet…” She run into the waterfall and disappeared under the water… Orakulify turned into himself again and sorted out his legs for some seconds: “Jeez… Never thought, that she is such a prater!” He teleported himself near the rocks behind the waterfall and crouched… Rose appeared suddenly with two water crystals: “Look what I found…” – she looked around – “Hmm… he run away… aww… well, ok than…” She looked at the crystals: “There must be some kind of the trick with this…” Orakulify closed his eyes and purple smoke appeared around them, he opened them and used magic, that one of the crystals become dark and inactive… Rose: “Hmm… One is unnatural… Very funny…” She through away dark crystal and took second one – continued her trip… When she disappeared in the bushes, Orakulify went to the dark crystal – took it and it glistened and become blue again… “Good to know such tricks. Huh…” He took a scroll and looked into it… “Next crystal is earth crystal - that will be easy!” – he hit a ground with his back hoof and there appeared small cracks… He spread his wings and soared into the skies.
The day was going to its end and first stars appeared in sky. Every student was searching for a shelter, someone still tried to reach some goals, Orakulify flew over the forest and settled down on the first cloud he saw. He turned his head to the sunset and waited. After some minutes sun disappeared beyond the horizon and moon came up. He smiled, closed his eyes and squaring his hooves fell from the sky. He rushed to the ground and in couple of centimeters from the ground he spread his wings and soared into the sky again. While he was flying up, he used his magic and behind him in the moonlight you could see a ghost of Princess Luna doing the same as he did – when he started to say the words – words sounded like echo with his and Luna's voices mixed: “With the help of the moon reveal all the secrets of this land!” – he opened his eyes and bright flash turned into the small stars falling on the ground all around. “Huh… Thanks mom that taught me with this spell!” – he smiled and flew to the most bright star on the ground. He landed on the big meadow, the stars appeared around him and started to dance and pointed to the one place on the meadow than. He reached that place: “Here you are!” – with the help of the magic he pulled out the crystal from the ground. He put it to his bag and he felt himself tired – his eyes were closing and he barely could stand on his feet: “This high rank spells take too much energy… Need to find a place to sleep.” He went forward, but he did some steps and fell unconscious. Than figure appeared behind him and took him on its back: “Come here – what was I saying about using this spell?!” Princess Luna smiled and took him to the small cave nearby. She removed his bags and put them near him: “Sleep well – you need a lot of strength in this exam!” – than she disappeared suddenly as appeared before.
On the next day Orakulify woke up with little misunderstanding how he get in this cave, but he realized it fast enough. He took his bags and moved forward – he knew, that he need to find the last crystal and it will be uneasy, cause it exists only in one exemplar: “Why they give us such a test? Everyone should bring for five crystals and only four of them can bring it, but now with the information about last crystal from the scroll… hmm…” – he thought about it and was worried enough, because there are something more behind this. Suddenly he saw one of the student lying near small path on the ground and wining. He run to him and saw blood: “Oh dear!” – he put down his bags and used magic to inspect injuries. “Does not look like it was an animal that are found here…” Student barely opened his eyes and hardly said: “Co… Copper…” – he lost his consciousness again. Orakulify was shocked: “Copper?! How it is possible?” – he looked around and inspect injuries of the student again – “I cant leave him like this…” He took some bandages from his bag and bandaged student, he mastered some kind of the stretcher from some sticks and large leafs… He transported student to the small cave on the hill and bring water to him, just in case he woke up again, he left his bags there and went to the forest again. Suddenly he heard a scream and run to that place it sounded. When he slowly tried to go between bushes – a small knife appeared bear his head and stuck into the tree: “Close enough!” Speedraser: “Oww… Its you… Sorry for that – I thought that it is Copper!” Orakulify: “Copper?! How it is even possible?” Speedraser: “I do not know – looks like he changed suddenly and started to attack someone… Talking something about fate…” Orakulify: “Yea… I found Crone – he is in a very bad condition…” Speedraser: “Crone?! Shit… Where he is now?” Orakulify: “Dont worry I did my best and transported him to the small cave not far from here – he is stable as far as I can say!” Speedraser: “Oh dear…” Orakulify: “Where is Copper now?” Speedraser: “He took some of us and they moved to the ruins south-west from here… Dont know what he is planning…” Orakulify: “Ok… Speedraser, go to the Crone and keep an eye on him…” Speedraser: “And you?” Orakulify: “I`ll go to this ruins and check the situation – we need to help to others…” Speedraser: “Got it…” They run into different directions than…
After some time Orakulify reached those ruins – all was looking quite enough… He went into the ruins: “What Copper plan to do and whats wrong with him?” He entered some kind of a big hall and looked around; Copper went out from one of the entries smiling… Orakulify: “Copper, where are you going?!” Copper stopped and he was shocked: “Shit!” He run into another entry suddenly and Orakulify run after him: “Hey… Stop!” He run into the break and barely stopped himself from falling down… It was another big hall with a lot of columns and Copper jumped from one to another column – Orakulify jumped too, all was good, but when he jumped on one of it – it started to fall and he barely was able to jump on another one… This persecution continued in some kind of a cave, where they flew in a very bad condition… Copper beat up some protrusions and Orakulify was in need to maneuver or to beat all the stones, that was flying into him… Copper touched something on the wall and they started to move and one of the upper wall beat Orakulify and he fall down on the small smooth stone, some of the big stones fell on one of his wing and clamped it… He groaned and looked at his clamped wing… Copper: “What, cant catch me?!” Orakulify looked at him with anger: “We`ll see…” – he used magic and took stones off his wing, but when he spread them – it created a lot of pain and he groaned again… He looked around and jumped from one wall to another and tried to get to the Copper, who was near the exit already… Copper: “Shit… He is persistent… Hmm…” – Copper took stone and through it into the small ledge, that hold a stone, from where someone could reach the exit… Stone started to fall and Orakulify used teleport to reach it faster, but something strange happened and it was not enough to reach the ledge near the exit and Orakulify bumped it and hanging, he barely could hold himself and fingered his hooves… Copper smiling: “Sorry, nothing personal, but you all are a big problem for me to reach my goal!” – he hit a ground and crack appeared, the ledge fell down… Orakulify tried to jump somewhere, but one of the stones hit his head and he lost his consciousness…
“Wake up… You need to help them get out from here… WAKE UP!” – Orakulify suddenly woke up and sneezed from the dust… “What?! Oh…” – he has a hell of a headache and all his body was aching. He tried to stand up, but he fell – finally he barely stands up and looked around: “Where am I?” – his wing was hurt and left hanging – he was not able to fold it… “Great… And no medicine chest…” – he did some steps and fell on his front legs, but he squeezed his teeth and continued walking forward. He went out in the hall full of crystals and this hall was so bright and in every wall he could see his reflection. “Wow… It must be a pure crystal caves… Never thought they are real…” – he looked around and walking forward lamely – “No magic in these caves, it is impossible – these crystals will absorb it all…” He sat down and took a deep breath… He took off part of his armor, because it caused some pain… He closed his eyes and used his magic: “They absorb all kind of magic, but not this kind of magic…” – under him appeared a circle and he turned into his evil part and when he opened his eyes – purple smoke appeared behind them. He quickly stands up and leaned his head: “No exit!” – used magic again and the wall of crystals became dark and turned into dust – “Now there is exit!” He smiled and run forward – but he was worried, because he need to control himself better now; evil part always waits and he can lost control of it. He run through the cave, but he found an exit from there and returned to the ruins. In one of the room he found all other students; they was trapped there. When he came there – one of the student tried to attack him, but he teleported behind him. “Wait! It`s me, Orakulify.” Kenneth: “Yea… And we need to believe you!” – tries to attack him once again. Orakulify uses teleport again: “You know, that I am Equesian and I need to live with this thing and now it is my only hope to get out from here and yours too…” – he uses teleports several times – “Wait… Stop… I SAID WAIT!” – some chains appear from nowhere and grabs Kenneth. Orakulify calm himself: “Sorry! But lets try to get out of here together. Ok?” Kenneth look at him and nods; chains disappear. Linda: “How you…” Orakulify: “Do not even try to find it out. Trust me.” – he uses magic and do a hole in the wall, so they can go out from here. After a while they reach exit. Orakulify: “We need to go and take Crone with Speedraser and return to the academy.” Everyone agrees and go behind him.
Meanwhile in the Academy Copper was talking to the instructors. Copper: “It was horrible, I saw them all falling in that hole, which appeared from nowhere…” Commander: “Hmm… Are you trying to fool me; do you think I am so stupid!” Copper: “N… No… Of course not, but I am telling the truth…” – he smiled. Orakulify: “Maybe we can talk by ourselves, Copper?!” Copper turned his head and he was shocked to see them all. Commander: “Oh God! What happened to you?!” Orakulify: “We tried to survive, commander… And some of us was fooled or attacked by Copper… I suppose he wanted to get all the fame to himself or something else… Am I wright, Copper?” Copper: “I… I…” Commander looked at Copper with anger: “Such pony like you are unworthy to be around Night Furies… This test was set to check your ability to work together in one team, not killing each other! It is better to you to leave this place once and for all!” Copper looked at him for some time, but stands up and go away. Commander went to the Orakulify with angry face, but he smiled: “Good job! And now lets go and take some medical care of you all…”
Meanwhile in the Canterlot. Princess Luna: “Do you think she is ready for this?” Princess Celestia nods: “I think she is ready for this… I wrote a letter to her.” Princess Luna: “Don`t we rush all this? What about Twilight?” Princess Celestia: “Twilight will also do this, when time comes.”
Somewhere in the dark lands. Copper went to the throne and turned into changeling, he bent: “I am sorry, my queen, but I failed!” Queen Chrysalis smiling: “There are no problem with that… I have another plan… Ha-ha…”
To be continued...
