Metaphysicsby CrypticMetaphorChapters123451Where do I begin? It started as an idea inspired by The Neverending Story...then it spiraled out of control… To this day I regret ever making that damned story because of all the lives lost. Everything returned to normal in the end, I just wished I had known beforehand!! It started out as any normal day of my life would, I was sitting in my bed late at night doing sweet FA/ Fu^& All. The day had been long and tedious to say the least. Had to deliver papers for close to three hours, managed to make it back in time before it started raining. At the time in my bed I was listening to Cry Little Sister while I read the online comic Homestuck, very confusing but a great read. The next day I would have to go and help my father with manual labor which I was happy to do in a way, money is money after all. But I digress, as the music droned on in my ears my mind began to wander to ideas of the fictitious variety concerning My Little Pony. Lately my series of online novellas had gained some success to the point of two being featured which warmed my heart to see my fellow Bronies enjoy my works. Soon I got bored of reminiscing and decided to watch a movie. I flicked over to a site I used numerous times in the past and thought to kick my nostalgia a bit and typed “The Neverending Story” into the search box. Many hours passed me by as I watched the film; all the characters of old brought a smile to my face with each minute. When the film had finished I decided to go to my FiMfiction page and check up on any updates. Ones from my readers and the clubs I had joined littered the notification box which I read thusly and then retreated to Microsoft Word to wait for a burst of inspiration. Usually whenever I do something such as watching a fantasy film or a form of good media I get ideas right then and there, but sometimes there is a delay. I blinked as a smile spread across my face, I would make a fic that would be dark, exciting, odd, and all at once be a good and intriguing piece. My fingers tapped rhythmically on the keys of my keyboard and I smiled as the document was labeled 1. Whatever this would be, it would show my readers and fellow Bronies why my username is and always will be Crypticmetaphor! * Twilight flexed her wings as Rainbow Dash was pushing ring shaped clouds into formation. At Twilight’s request, Rainbow Dash had agreed to help her friend perfect her flying technique. So far the day had been adequate to say the least, a light drizzle had dusted the trees and vegetation with a layer of watery diamonds which sparkled in the light of the high sun. Rainbow Dash soon nodded in satisfaction at her hard work finally being completed and flew down to her friend’s side. Rainbow then gestured to the rings, “Alright Twi here’s the skinny. I want you to fly through each ring as fast as you can and as accurately as you can muster, I wanna see sweat when you’re done!” Twilight glanced at the rings with slight nervousness, “Um Rainbow, aren’t you going to instruct me on proper the technique for this first?” Rainbow shook her head, “Twilight, Twilight. Have you ever heard the saying, “Think on your hooves?” Twilight thought for a moment then nodded, “Yes, but how does that pertain to this situation.” Rainbow Dash then flatly stated, “It doesn’t. GO!!!” Twilight Sparkle, who had been taken slightly by surprise at the sudden shout had shot into the air like a bullet and smacked into one of the rings. She tumbled and barrelled through the others before she wiped out near the pond and slowly drifted into unconsciousness. As she lingered in her realm of neither waking nor sleep, she saw something nearby and raised an eyebrow in confusion. It seemed as though the sky itself had begun to flicker and shudder. Whatever this meant she didn’t know, but what she did know was that it could not be good. Dreams sometimes acted as visions for some more than others, she then glanced into the distance and yelled in surprise and fear at what she saw. She was then jostled awake by Rainbow Dash who was looking very distraught, “Are you okay Twilight? SPEAK TO ME!!!” Twilight then mumbled in a dazed manner, “Monday is Applesauce Day.” Rainbow backed up surprised and confused, “Huh?” Twilight shook her head as she stood up, “What?” Rainbow shook her head as well, “Nothing.” Rainbow then noticed her friend’s condition of body language, “You alright?” Twilight placed a hoof to her head, “I just had the weirdest dream, I saw…something.” Rainbow Dash tilted her head, “Really? You SAW something in your dreams. Twilight, all ponies do.” Twilight was now worried as she began to pace, “No it’s not like that. It was like, I looked into the void,” she then ominously stated, “and something stared back.” “Man,” I stated, “How cliché can I get.” Twilight then looked around in surprise and confusion, “Did you hear something?” Rainbow was now very confused, “What are you talking about? Did that fall scramble your brains or something?” Twilight looked around still curious, “I could have sworn-” Rainbow Dash slowly escorted her friend toward Ponyville, “LET’S just get some ice for that bump on your head.” * I had fallen out of my bed in utter shock. What the frick did I just write?! No wait, did I write that? That was never in my original plan to do, but for some reason it had happened. I tried to erase the section but found that the cursor wouldn’t obey me. I restarted and rebooted my computer several times but I always came up with the same problem. I merely ignored it after the umpteenth try and continued with my endeavour. But what still bothered me was the fact that after I had spoken, it had felt like I wrote what came after only It was like I was on autopilot for a fraction of a second. It was like somehow my hands defied my brain and did as they pleased. I gave my head a shake and laughed it off. * Twilight was deep in thought as Spike brought her another ice pack since the previous one had melted. She had been scouring books on information on possible hallucinogenic trauma that could be brought on from head injuries. She found several but none that pertained to hearing what she now knew was a disembodied voice. What was stranger was the fact that it had sounded like it was beside her and Dash, but at the same time it was all around them and nowhere. Her head panged slightly which cause a grumble to escape her lips. Spike brought her some soup which she slowly ate in contemplation. Then all at once the entire town shook violently, Twilight dove from her desk and both she and Spike went under the central writing desk and trembled in fear. Crashing sounds were heard around them and outside as Spike yelled out in fear. A loud bang was heard which was soon accompanied by a series of ripping and crashing of stone. The shaking stopped as fast as it had arrived as both library residents stood up. Spike looked around at some of the broken valuables, “Aw man!” Twilight ran outside and looked at the town she had called home for quite some time. Objects and various items were scattered everywhere. She gasped in surprise at what she saw next, where a once proud tree stood there was nothing more than a large hole. The sky which had been bright a few hours ago had darkened. Several ponies were checking on their kin and friends to make sure all was well. Twilight however sprang into action. She told Spike to drop everything and to write an urgent message to the royal sisters. Several knocks were heard of which Twilight told the owners of to wait a moment. The message was then sent as Twilight opened the door to reveal her friends who were as surprised and afraid as she. Rarity was in tizzy of worry, “It's horrible, dreadful!!” Twilight stared at Rarity with worry and concern, “What happened, is Sweetie Belle alright. Is Opal injured, what happened Rarity!?” Rarity grabbed and shook the winged unicorn, “MY SPRING LINE IS RUINED!!” Twilight raised an eyebrow, “What?” Rarity was shaking, “Yes, some ink on a nearby shelf seeped along the floor and stained them beyond repair. Oh Twilight, it will take WEEKS to repair and redesign them!” Applejack sighed, “How is that horrible?” Rarity was shocked, “Do you know how long I had to wait to get the materials from Saddle Arabia? Four months!” Rainbow rolled her eyes as Pinkie Pie trembled. She then stared at a nearby bust of a unicorn head and tilted it slightly. Twilight watched her friend in confusion, “Pinkie Pie I appreciate the fact that you’re trying to straighten up, but now is not the time.” Pinkie Pie looked at Twilight, “But I wanna make the library as presentable as I can for him.” Fluttershy was confused as well, “Whom?” Pinkie Pie pointed directly in front of her, “Him.” I raised an eyebrow in confusion once more at the defiance of my motor functions. I was soon perplexed to say the least. I muttered, “What the fuck is this.” Pinkie Pie’s smile turned into a scold, “Hey, no one likes a potty mouth.” Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise at Pinkie’s reaction, “You heard it too?” Pinkie Pie soon grinned again, “Of course silly filly.” Everypony behind them was confused beyond belief. But soon a reply came from the royal sisters. Twilight finished the note and nodded, “We’ve got to get to Canterlot now. Fluttershy, grab the Elements of Harmony.” Fluttershy nodded as she grabbed the Elements and soon all the ponies rushed out the door. * I slowly ended the chapter with trembling hands. What the hell is going on with me?! Everything was going according to plan again and then the universe or my computer pulled another mind freak on me. I was frightened to say the least, whatever was happening was freaking me out and I did not like it one bit. I shook my head and saved the document, I then clicked to the site and began to space the paragraphs. 2The morning hours had come and gone by the time I had made it to my computer. My dreams in a way had spoken to me; it was a sort of psychedelic retelling of the previous night’s events which for some reason ended on an odd note. It merely showed my computer screen with Twilight on it which soon transitioned into her pushing her hoof into my reality. I’m no expert, but I think some serious biz is going down. At the time I didn’t know how right I was. * Twilight was distressed to say the least as she stared at the sky while her friends chatted behind her. The sky had not cleared since they had begun their journey to Canterlot. At first Twilight thought it was some sort of strange weather patterns, but now she realized that something more sinister was at work. Eventually the train arrived at Canterlot station and the ponies made haste to the castle. Upon their arrival they were met by Princess Luna who was distressed to say the least. Princess Luna bowed her head quickly, “Twilight Sparkle it is good that you have arrived. Everypony we must convene with my sister at once.” Rainbow Dash flew beside the Princess and asked quickly, “Does this emergency have anything to do about the earthquake?” Luna nodded, “That and more.” Upon entering Princess Celestia’s chambers they all gazed upon their monarch who was looking quite ill. She mustered a smile as they approached her. The concern in Twilights voice was evident when she spoke, “Princess, what’s wrong?” Princess Celestia looked to the side then back at the group, “I assume that you all felt the earthquake many minutes ago?” Fluttershy nodded, “Oh yes, it knocked EVERYTHING off of my shelves and tables.” Princess Celestia sighed, “It’s also safe to say that you all have come to the conclusion that the earthquake was not natural.” Applejack nodded slowly, “Ah had my suspicions.” Princess Celestia gazed with a troubling glance at the sky, “I am afraid to inform you all that the worst is yet to come.” Rarity was shocked, “What could be worse than an earthquake?” Princess Celestia didn’t answer at first, but instead she turned to look at some compiled notes, “As of late, very strange happenings have transpired all throughout the land. Crops have begun to vanish, towns consumed and forgotten, and ponies vanishing without a trace.” Twilight was intrigued but worried by this revelation, “What’s causing this?” Celestia became quiet, “Something powerful and dark. This creature was born of fear, doubt, and despair. There isn’t a mention of it in any history book and I and Luna have never seen it before. As far as we can tell it has no name.” Pinkie Pie thought for a moment, “Well if we’ve discovered something new, why don’t we name it?” I paused and thought upon the name. I wanted something ominous and foreboding, something that would bring fear to all who spoke it. Then I nodded at my conclusion. Princess Luna shook her head then remembered something, “The Capricorn.” All ponies looked at the night Princess as she explained her reasoning, “The thing my sister had yet to mention is this creature consumes whatever it wishes to grow in strength. The first thing it consumed were the stars, the first being the constellation Capricorn. So I thought it would be more fitting.” Princess Celestia nodded, “That does make sense, but nonetheless. The Capricorn grows stronger each day and as it does Equestria weakens and is destroyed.” Rainbow Dash flexed her wings, “What do we have to do princess?” Princess Celestia became troubled but nodded as her sister encouraged her to continue, “You must seek out The Equestrian Oracle. It alone holds the answer to what will stop The Capricorn.” Twilight glanced at the elements and became downcast, “But the elements?” Celestia shook her head grimly, “They will not be strong enough. I’m afraid time is of the essence, you must depart immediately.” Luna produced an ancient map and gave it to the friends, “The Oracle lies north of the Crystal Empire. Be warned, the road ahead hold many perils.” Twilight became confident, “We won’t let you down Princess! Let’s go!” * I thought of stopping. Everything was back on track and no weirdness for about an hour. But it was getting too good, so I cracked my knuckles and continued. * Deep in the Everfree forest, within a series of darkened caverns a beast stirred. It could hear its master’s call and commands. It opened its twin orbs of red light and surged forth from its den and out into the world. The creature had long awaited its purpose to be set into motion and now it was going to get its wish. * Twilight and her friends had been travelling for close to a week and had decided to stop for a moment to rest in a clearing. The flowers cast a curtain of fragrance upon the slumbering ponies who all sighed in content. Fluttershy’s ear suddenly flicked as she opened her eyes slowly and gazed around. She could swear she was hearing something, almost like someone humming a beautiful melody. Fluttershy looked from side to side, “Hello? Is somepony there?” I stopped humming The NeverEnding Story theme. I then switched on my TV and continued to write as it droned on. Everypony else awoke and Rarity asked with a questioning tone, “Fluttershy, who in Equestria are you talking to?” Fluttershy gazed somewhat embarrassed at her friends, “Nopony, I thought I just heard something.” Twilight checked the map and smiled, “Alright girls we just continue forward and we’ll reach the halfway point.” * I then yawned and sighed afterwards. I had been up longer than I had suspected, so I decided to hit the hay. I knew from here on, things were going to get pretty interesting now that things were up to code and back on track. I then quietly crept upstairs and got some water. * The Creature came to a vacant clearing and gazed around in anger at having lost its query. It smelled their scent and proceeded to follow the trail in earnest. 3When I arrived back home after another work venture I decided to go into my word documents to do some editing. What I found made me yell out in absolute shock. I made it into the previous chapter to find a series of sentences I had not written yet, the creature wasn’t supposed to know the girls had been in the clearing. It was supposed to take longer for it to find them, at least three more chapters to say the least. I was soon flustered as I attempted erase the words, but the remained upon the page. Several hours were spent attempting to delete them and each attempt was met with utter failure. I gave up with a sigh and submitted the chapter; I then hunkered down and got to work on number 3. * The woods that the ponies trekked through were dense and dark. The sun overhead bore down upon them as they soon reached the borders of the treeline and gazed out before them. Before them lay a massive expanse of desert known as The Glimmering Sands, its name arose due to the fact that the sand seemed to glimmer in the sunlight. Twilight nodded with a smile and checked the distance as best as she could. Ahead was blurry with a heat haze, but they trekked ever onward. Some ponies would ask why they didn’t use the train to get to The Empire faster, the answer was simple. The trains had been shut down due to a series of massive earthquakes. Rarity looked around and sighed, “Please tell me there is an end to this desert or at LEAST a swimming pool.” Twilight gazed at the map, “We’ll be reaching the empire soon, we just have to keep heading north and we’ll hit the Equestrian Tundra in no time flat.” Rainbow Dash landed beside her friends and grumbled, “Out of the frying pan and into the freezer, great.” Applejack shook her head, “We’ve been through worse. Say Fluttershy, do we still have any food left?” Fluttershy checked their supplies, “Yes, we have enough for a few more days.” Pinkie Pie gasped, “A few more days?! We better hurry then!” Twilight raised an eyebrow, “Pinkie, Fluttershy just said-“ Pinkie cut her off, “I know, I meant we better hurry if we want to out run that thing.” Pinkie then pointed to the sky behind them and all the ponies collectively gasped. The sky was coated in black seething clouds that seemed to wash over everything above like a dark flood. It was steadily moving toward them and with it came strong gale winds and trembling earth. Sand was being hurled to and fro. Trees and brush were being ripped from the ground and blown away as fast as they took flight. The ponies eyes shrunk to dots as they all ran and flew as fast as they could away from the massive winds and tremors. Twilight yelled out over the roaring winds, “THIS MUST BE THE CAPRICORN!!” Rainbow Dash beat her wings hard, “GEE YA THINK!?” Pinkie Pie then yelled, “I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT!!” Everypony then fell silent as they continued to run. “Alright, time for the first piece of dramatic tension,” I said. For all intents and purposes I thought taking out Applejack would work best. How wrong I was. Applejack then lost her footing as a tremor swept through the entire desert. She dropped hard and fast. The Capricorn swept through the skies as the wind picked up hard. The farm pony grasped at a nearby vine in vain with her mouth. The vine began to yank itself free of the ground, Applejack yelled out in absolute terror…then surprise. Out of nowhere came Fluttershy whom had grabbed the farm pony and hurled her into Rainbow Dash. “Wait, What!?” I shouted louder than intended. Fluttershy smiled at her friends as her wings began to fail her against the winds, “Go girls, don’t worry about me!” Twilight telekinetically grasped Fluttershy but began to feel something pushing against her spell, “Fluttershy! I won’t let you go!!” Twilight then pulled Fluttershybndciwmxsniabnixm,oc.cv./…. I looked at my keyboard and attempted to write the sentence again only to be met with the same result. Twilight yelled out, “Fluttershy!!” “Why is this happening!?” I yelled frustration. Fluttershy blinked back tears and looked toward the storm, “It’s okay.” Twilight’s spell flickered off and Fluttershy was soon sucked into the wind and soon vanished from view. A cry of anguish mixed with one of anger was heard throughout the area, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” The ponies looked around for their friend and despaired. They then all turned tail and ran. * I smacked my head against the keyboard a few times and went back to read the death scene once more. It wasn’t supposed to happen that way. I shook my head as I ran a virus scan, none were found. I then called a friend of mine to ask if there were any viruses that could reword a Word Document, he said no. I gave a frustrated moan and went back to the grind. * Three days had passed when the ponies had finally made it to the crystal empire. Everypony was solemn when they entered the gates. News had spread that most of Equestria’s eastern and western section were and had been devastated by The Capricorn, which was now public knowledge. Many crystal ponies were either off the street or in the process of battening down the hatches. Twilight and her remaining friends entered the palace and were greeted with a darkened throne room. Cadance was silently staring into space and didn’t notice their entry. Twilight gazed around, “Cadance? What’s wrong?” Cadance noticed Twilight as a small smile crept onto her face, “Twilight, it’s good to see you. Where is Fluttershy?” Twilight looked to the side and Cadance understood immediately, “I’m sorry for your loss.” Twilight looked around once more, “Where’s Shining Armor?” Cadance looked away sadly, “He isn’t with me.” Twilight’s eyes filled with tears, “What?” Cadance sobbed in sorrow, “He went to Appleloosa to aid in an evacuation effort before The Capricorn hit and it did, there were no survivors.” Twilight broke down immediately as her friends comforted both sobbing mares. The Crystal Empire then began to shake once more. “Wait a minute, it’s too soon!” I stated. Twilight and her friends yelled out as the sky slowly began to darken. Cadance beckoned them, “Follow me, and hurry!” All the ponies rushed with the crystal princess up many stairs. Soon they reached a platform that overlooked the now steadily vanishing Crystal Empire. The Capricorn had come in from the east whereas they had come from the south, The Capricorn would have reached the empire sooner or later. Twilight looked to Cadance, “We need to get to-“ Cadance nodded quickly, “The Equestrian Oracle, I am aware. I can send you there but I must hurry.” Twilight quickly placed a hoof on her shoulder and pleaded, “Come with us please.” Cadance smiled but seemed to ignore the question as she spoke with authority, “You will be tested when you arrive, be wary of everything. I myself haven’t visited The Oracle so I am afraid that is all I can tell you.” Cadance’s horn then glowed bright as the five ponies were soon engulfed in light. Twilight yelled out Cadance’s name as they vanished. * I was infuriated to say the least, whatever this was would get me crap for sloppy writing. I looked at the clock and cursed. I had other matters to attend to and didn't want to be delayed further. I turned off my computer and walked out of the room. But all the while i felt horrible, why though? It's not that i killed two actual characters, Fic writiers always do stuff like that to canon characters. But what bothered me was that i felt the same feeling of emptiness and sadness when someone loses a person they had known for a while and had just gotten back from the funeral. But it's ridiculous, there just fictional...right? 4Some time had passed since I even thought of the project again. To take my mind off of it, I had written for my other projects and got what could be considered a job. None the less, it was time to continue the project. * A blinding flash of white light filled the frozen valley that the group of five ponies found themselves in. Ice rose in high spires around them as chilled winds whipped past them. Though the wind was cool for many, the ponies only felt a somber chill. Twilight’s tears fell in frozen drops upon the snow as the ponies trudged onward. For many hours they saw nothing, but soon Rainbow Dash pointed out an object rising over the coming hill. As they neared it, they saw the object was as large as a cave entrance except for one thing. The entrance or what should have been an entrance, was covered in a smooth surface of ice that cast a flawless reflection. Twilight gazed up at a series of words etched into the ices surface, “To see the oracle, one must first see the face of truth.” Applejack cocked her head in confusion, “What the hay does that mean?” Twilight turned to them, “It’s a riddle of some kind. That much I know.” Rarity gazed into the surface of the ice and gasped, “My mane looks positively atrocious. Cold air always makes it all frizzy.” The surface of the ice then began to darken slightly. An image began to appear which Rarity ushered her friends over to see. Thunder sounded outside my window. Rain was on the way for the weekend and I would have to deal with it. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and glanced up at my TV and my eyes widened in shock and utter fear. The ponies were curious and fearful of what they saw. There was a creature with pink skin, short dark brown hair, and it was sitting on a bed looking right back at them while holding an odd object on its lap. I screamed in absolute terror. The ice shattered like it was cheap glass to reveal a torch lit passage way. The ponies continued down the passage. Pinkie Pie cast a gaze behind her to reveal that the entrance was gone. She ran to catch up with her friends who were already ahead of her. Soon they entered a large dome shaped room and in the center was a pony of stone. It was a perfectly sculpted statue that seemed to be sitting down and gazing at them with empty eyes. Its eyes then lit up with an inner blue light as a calming voice echoed in their minds, “Welcome Elements of Harmony.” Twilight approached the statue with caution, “A-are you the Equestrian Oracle?” The statue answered immediately, “Indeed I am.” Twilight bowed before the statue, “Equestrian Oracle I beseech you to help us in this dark time.” The Oracle paused, “Speak your request.” Twilight cleared her throat, “We have lost much on this journey and we ask that you tell us how to stop The Capricorn and save Equestria.” The Oracle paused once more, “The Capricorn has grown strong. I fear there are no other methods that can be employed to stop it.” Rainbow Dash stomped forward, “WHAT?! You’re telling us that there is no hope? That we lost Fluttershy and Cadance for NOTHING!!” The Oracle calmly responded to the angered Pegasus, “I did not say that. There is still one way to save Equestria.” Twilight smiled with joy, “What is it? Please you have to tell us!" The Oracle then calmly stated, “You must find The Metaphor.” Rarity was more confused now, “The Metaphor?” The Oracle began to crack as the entire cavern began to quake, “The Elements will show you the way. You must leave this place quickly, FLY!!” The cavern began to collapse around them as The Oracle was crushed by a piece of fallen debris. With no further encouragement, the ponies galloped hard out of the cavern and emerged into the mouth of Tartarus itself. The Capricorns winds churned and blew as everything fell apart around them. Rainbow Dash quickly threw The Elements bag to Twilight who was shocked but understood when she saw it. A shape far bigger than any pony was in the blizzard winds and it was bearing down upon them from above. It leapt toward Applejack who grappled with the thing. The massive torrent of wind blew hard as Twilight tried in vain to join the fight. Her wings then unintentionally opened. Twilight did not see much in the coming minutes, all she remembered was screaming until her throat was raw as the wind took her. * The thing is that I had shut off my computer when all of this had transpired. When I turned it on the following morning I was furious and surprised all at once. Admitting defeat I went to upload the saved document. 5Days melded together into weeks then months before I opened the word file containing all the chapters of Metaphysics. What sat in my folder surprised me to say the least. The letter five, which I had not yet wrote was staring me in the face. I opened the document to read what was there so far. * Twilight was dazed and confused when she awoke. Her coat was dirtied and her mane dishevelled. All of this did not concern her in the slightest for she was more concerned for her friend’s safety and to solve the mystery of what or who The Metaphor was. She glanced around and saw she was somehow upon the beach of a coastal pony town of unknown architecture and origin. She turned to leave only to hear a pained groan beside her; Rainbow Dash was soaked to the bone and lying on her back looking drowsily at the sky. Twilight smiled brightly as she embraced her friend, “Rainbow Dash! You’re alright!!” Rainbow coughed in the bear hug her alicorn friend was giving her, “I won’t be if you keep squeezing my lungs!” Twilight chuckled in embarrassment and released her friend, “Sorry.” The alicorn then became frantic as she looked around, “Where’s Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack? Are they with you or nearby?” Rainbow shook her head sorrowfully, “No, Applejack was swallowed up by The Capricorn after she was attacked. As for Rarity and Pinkie, the cliff crumbled underneath them and I couldn’t grab them fast enough. Last thing I remember was hitting the water then you hugging me.” Tears came to my eyes, as I read the words. I don’t cry usually when I read things unless they hit me hard in the feels, this was no exception. Rainbow looked around as it began to rain, “Let’s find some shelter.” Twilight nodded, “Yeah.” Soon both mares ventured cautiously into the old town and began their search for a dwelling to squat in for warmth and dryness. After much struggle they came across an old library which had an intact roof and a strong pair of doors to keep the water and cold out. Twilight smiled at familiar surroundings of books and tables. Both ponies soon shook themselves dry as they gazed around; the building was much larger than it looked from the outside and it seemed to possess an almost convex triangular roof. Twilight was still looking around in fascination, “I wonder who used to live here?” Rainbow sneezed as she inhaled some dust, “Who cares, Twi we have to figure out our next move.” Twilight nodded as she became all business and lit some lamps, “Right. Firstly we have to figure out exactly what The Metaphor is and how to find it and what better way than to use this library.” Rainbow Dash stood up slightly angry, “We can’t afford to sit and read while The Capricorn rips apart Equestria at the seams. We have to go out there and take action!” Twilight raised her voice in a commanding fashion, “I know that! But if we don’t do something constructive instead of destructive we’ll end up just like everypony else! Do you want that!?” Rainbow Dash sat down and sighed, “Alright, when do we start?” Twilight grinned as she levitated a tome over, “Right now.” * The creature sniffed the air as it sensed its prey was near. Its master had already consumed the other three, now he had to take care of the last two. * Around that time I was able to add to the project so I continued to write, or something compelled me to. Twilight and Dash had been reading through every single book they could get their hooves on and had no luck finding any information concerning The Metaphor. Both exhaled in exhaustion and stood only to jump in fright as the doors slammed open. The breeze extinguished every light and lightning flashed outside to reveal a creature the ponies had seen when they had exited The Oracle’s cave. It was lupine in structure and build and much larger than a conventional wolf, it was covered in scraggly black fur and its glowing red eyes glared at them form the entrance. Another flash of lightning obscured the pony’s vision and The Wolf was gone. Both would have exhaled in relief if not for the loud and bone chilling “clack, clack” of claws upon the floor. Twilight and Dash stood back to back, “Twilight, w-what is that thing?” Twilight was trembling as well, “I think it’s called a Warg, it’s a very ancient race of intelligent wolf that were long thought to be extinct.” Rainbow Dash inhaled sharply as her eyes shrunk, “Well that’s one scary fossil!” Twilight turned her head and screamed in surprise. The Warg was watching them from a behind a bookshelf devoid of books, all the ponies could see were the glowing eyes and the flash of white fangs as if it were sneering at their fright. The Warg then spoke in a deep voice border lining on a growl, “Fear not little ponies, I shall make your ends quick!” Thunder boomed outside as both ponies stood facing their enemy, “Who are you?” The Warg glanced at Twilight, “I am known as Frugec, I serve my master whom I am sure you are quite familiar with.” The last bit of words almost came as a taunt as Rainbow stepped forward, “Why have you been attacking us?!” Frugec gave a guttural growl that resembled an amused laugh, “Why do you think? You all are the only things that stand in my master’s way. I have been tasked with eliminating you to prevent your further meddling in matters beyond your comprehension.” Twilight’s fear vanished entirely and was replaced with complete bravery, “Who are you really?” Frugec was silent for a moment but continued, “I am an extension of my master’s will that in itself is an extension of a much greater power. Both wish to change the fate of this world, even now my master grows closer to victory and the other to failure which will soon lead to ruin.” Rainbow Dash perked up, “The Metaphor! Twilight I think The Metaphor might have created The Capricorn!” Twilight nodded, “But why? Didn’t it realize what would happen?” A light bulb went off in Rainbow’s head, “Maybe-“ A massive crash of thunder followed by an inhuman roar from Frugec silenced her, “You know nothing! The Metaphor is far beyond your reach, FAR beyond Equestria’s borders. Your cause is lost, accept your fate.” Frugec then roared louder as it sprung through the shelf effectively obliterating it. The ponies flew in different directions as it smashed into a table and shattered one of the lamps upon the ground setting it aflame. The flames quickly spread around the ponies and ignited the shelves and books, the ponies began to back up in fear. I then instinctively yelled, “The fire, use the FIRE!” Twilight looked around having heard the odd voice like echo once more but much clearer and nodded, “Alright!” She levitated a broken flaming table leg in front of herself and waved it back and forth. Frugec growled in anger and fright as he backed up, Twilight noticed Rainbow Dash hovering near a particularly heavy looking book shelf. Twilight nodded at her friend who with great force pushed the book shelf over, it then smashed down hard atop Frugec who yelled out in surprise and pain. Both ponies flew out as fast as they could as the flaming roof finally gave way and fell inward; it then effectively crushed whoever was still within. Rainbow glared at the flames, “Not even a Warg could survive that!” Twilight nodded, “Yeah, wait what the!?” The Elements of Harmony began to glow as bright as the sun from within their bag as Twilight appeared to have an epiphany, “The Elements will lead the way…Dash we need to fly to the borders of Equestria!” * no words escaped me as I submitted the chapter, but I had this sinking feeling things were coming to an end.
1Where do I begin? It started as an idea inspired by The Neverending Story...then it spiraled out of control… To this day I regret ever making that damned story because of all the lives lost. Everything returned to normal in the end, I just wished I had known beforehand!! It started out as any normal day of my life would, I was sitting in my bed late at night doing sweet FA/ Fu^& All. The day had been long and tedious to say the least. Had to deliver papers for close to three hours, managed to make it back in time before it started raining. At the time in my bed I was listening to Cry Little Sister while I read the online comic Homestuck, very confusing but a great read. The next day I would have to go and help my father with manual labor which I was happy to do in a way, money is money after all. But I digress, as the music droned on in my ears my mind began to wander to ideas of the fictitious variety concerning My Little Pony. Lately my series of online novellas had gained some success to the point of two being featured which warmed my heart to see my fellow Bronies enjoy my works. Soon I got bored of reminiscing and decided to watch a movie. I flicked over to a site I used numerous times in the past and thought to kick my nostalgia a bit and typed “The Neverending Story” into the search box. Many hours passed me by as I watched the film; all the characters of old brought a smile to my face with each minute. When the film had finished I decided to go to my FiMfiction page and check up on any updates. Ones from my readers and the clubs I had joined littered the notification box which I read thusly and then retreated to Microsoft Word to wait for a burst of inspiration. Usually whenever I do something such as watching a fantasy film or a form of good media I get ideas right then and there, but sometimes there is a delay. I blinked as a smile spread across my face, I would make a fic that would be dark, exciting, odd, and all at once be a good and intriguing piece. My fingers tapped rhythmically on the keys of my keyboard and I smiled as the document was labeled 1. Whatever this would be, it would show my readers and fellow Bronies why my username is and always will be Crypticmetaphor! * Twilight flexed her wings as Rainbow Dash was pushing ring shaped clouds into formation. At Twilight’s request, Rainbow Dash had agreed to help her friend perfect her flying technique. So far the day had been adequate to say the least, a light drizzle had dusted the trees and vegetation with a layer of watery diamonds which sparkled in the light of the high sun. Rainbow Dash soon nodded in satisfaction at her hard work finally being completed and flew down to her friend’s side. Rainbow then gestured to the rings, “Alright Twi here’s the skinny. I want you to fly through each ring as fast as you can and as accurately as you can muster, I wanna see sweat when you’re done!” Twilight glanced at the rings with slight nervousness, “Um Rainbow, aren’t you going to instruct me on proper the technique for this first?” Rainbow shook her head, “Twilight, Twilight. Have you ever heard the saying, “Think on your hooves?” Twilight thought for a moment then nodded, “Yes, but how does that pertain to this situation.” Rainbow Dash then flatly stated, “It doesn’t. GO!!!” Twilight Sparkle, who had been taken slightly by surprise at the sudden shout had shot into the air like a bullet and smacked into one of the rings. She tumbled and barrelled through the others before she wiped out near the pond and slowly drifted into unconsciousness. As she lingered in her realm of neither waking nor sleep, she saw something nearby and raised an eyebrow in confusion. It seemed as though the sky itself had begun to flicker and shudder. Whatever this meant she didn’t know, but what she did know was that it could not be good. Dreams sometimes acted as visions for some more than others, she then glanced into the distance and yelled in surprise and fear at what she saw. She was then jostled awake by Rainbow Dash who was looking very distraught, “Are you okay Twilight? SPEAK TO ME!!!” Twilight then mumbled in a dazed manner, “Monday is Applesauce Day.” Rainbow backed up surprised and confused, “Huh?” Twilight shook her head as she stood up, “What?” Rainbow shook her head as well, “Nothing.” Rainbow then noticed her friend’s condition of body language, “You alright?” Twilight placed a hoof to her head, “I just had the weirdest dream, I saw…something.” Rainbow Dash tilted her head, “Really? You SAW something in your dreams. Twilight, all ponies do.” Twilight was now worried as she began to pace, “No it’s not like that. It was like, I looked into the void,” she then ominously stated, “and something stared back.” “Man,” I stated, “How cliché can I get.” Twilight then looked around in surprise and confusion, “Did you hear something?” Rainbow was now very confused, “What are you talking about? Did that fall scramble your brains or something?” Twilight looked around still curious, “I could have sworn-” Rainbow Dash slowly escorted her friend toward Ponyville, “LET’S just get some ice for that bump on your head.” * I had fallen out of my bed in utter shock. What the frick did I just write?! No wait, did I write that? That was never in my original plan to do, but for some reason it had happened. I tried to erase the section but found that the cursor wouldn’t obey me. I restarted and rebooted my computer several times but I always came up with the same problem. I merely ignored it after the umpteenth try and continued with my endeavour. But what still bothered me was the fact that after I had spoken, it had felt like I wrote what came after only It was like I was on autopilot for a fraction of a second. It was like somehow my hands defied my brain and did as they pleased. I gave my head a shake and laughed it off. * Twilight was deep in thought as Spike brought her another ice pack since the previous one had melted. She had been scouring books on information on possible hallucinogenic trauma that could be brought on from head injuries. She found several but none that pertained to hearing what she now knew was a disembodied voice. What was stranger was the fact that it had sounded like it was beside her and Dash, but at the same time it was all around them and nowhere. Her head panged slightly which cause a grumble to escape her lips. Spike brought her some soup which she slowly ate in contemplation. Then all at once the entire town shook violently, Twilight dove from her desk and both she and Spike went under the central writing desk and trembled in fear. Crashing sounds were heard around them and outside as Spike yelled out in fear. A loud bang was heard which was soon accompanied by a series of ripping and crashing of stone. The shaking stopped as fast as it had arrived as both library residents stood up. Spike looked around at some of the broken valuables, “Aw man!” Twilight ran outside and looked at the town she had called home for quite some time. Objects and various items were scattered everywhere. She gasped in surprise at what she saw next, where a once proud tree stood there was nothing more than a large hole. The sky which had been bright a few hours ago had darkened. Several ponies were checking on their kin and friends to make sure all was well. Twilight however sprang into action. She told Spike to drop everything and to write an urgent message to the royal sisters. Several knocks were heard of which Twilight told the owners of to wait a moment. The message was then sent as Twilight opened the door to reveal her friends who were as surprised and afraid as she. Rarity was in tizzy of worry, “It's horrible, dreadful!!” Twilight stared at Rarity with worry and concern, “What happened, is Sweetie Belle alright. Is Opal injured, what happened Rarity!?” Rarity grabbed and shook the winged unicorn, “MY SPRING LINE IS RUINED!!” Twilight raised an eyebrow, “What?” Rarity was shaking, “Yes, some ink on a nearby shelf seeped along the floor and stained them beyond repair. Oh Twilight, it will take WEEKS to repair and redesign them!” Applejack sighed, “How is that horrible?” Rarity was shocked, “Do you know how long I had to wait to get the materials from Saddle Arabia? Four months!” Rainbow rolled her eyes as Pinkie Pie trembled. She then stared at a nearby bust of a unicorn head and tilted it slightly. Twilight watched her friend in confusion, “Pinkie Pie I appreciate the fact that you’re trying to straighten up, but now is not the time.” Pinkie Pie looked at Twilight, “But I wanna make the library as presentable as I can for him.” Fluttershy was confused as well, “Whom?” Pinkie Pie pointed directly in front of her, “Him.” I raised an eyebrow in confusion once more at the defiance of my motor functions. I was soon perplexed to say the least. I muttered, “What the fuck is this.” Pinkie Pie’s smile turned into a scold, “Hey, no one likes a potty mouth.” Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise at Pinkie’s reaction, “You heard it too?” Pinkie Pie soon grinned again, “Of course silly filly.” Everypony behind them was confused beyond belief. But soon a reply came from the royal sisters. Twilight finished the note and nodded, “We’ve got to get to Canterlot now. Fluttershy, grab the Elements of Harmony.” Fluttershy nodded as she grabbed the Elements and soon all the ponies rushed out the door. * I slowly ended the chapter with trembling hands. What the hell is going on with me?! Everything was going according to plan again and then the universe or my computer pulled another mind freak on me. I was frightened to say the least, whatever was happening was freaking me out and I did not like it one bit. I shook my head and saved the document, I then clicked to the site and began to space the paragraphs.
2The morning hours had come and gone by the time I had made it to my computer. My dreams in a way had spoken to me; it was a sort of psychedelic retelling of the previous night’s events which for some reason ended on an odd note. It merely showed my computer screen with Twilight on it which soon transitioned into her pushing her hoof into my reality. I’m no expert, but I think some serious biz is going down. At the time I didn’t know how right I was. * Twilight was distressed to say the least as she stared at the sky while her friends chatted behind her. The sky had not cleared since they had begun their journey to Canterlot. At first Twilight thought it was some sort of strange weather patterns, but now she realized that something more sinister was at work. Eventually the train arrived at Canterlot station and the ponies made haste to the castle. Upon their arrival they were met by Princess Luna who was distressed to say the least. Princess Luna bowed her head quickly, “Twilight Sparkle it is good that you have arrived. Everypony we must convene with my sister at once.” Rainbow Dash flew beside the Princess and asked quickly, “Does this emergency have anything to do about the earthquake?” Luna nodded, “That and more.” Upon entering Princess Celestia’s chambers they all gazed upon their monarch who was looking quite ill. She mustered a smile as they approached her. The concern in Twilights voice was evident when she spoke, “Princess, what’s wrong?” Princess Celestia looked to the side then back at the group, “I assume that you all felt the earthquake many minutes ago?” Fluttershy nodded, “Oh yes, it knocked EVERYTHING off of my shelves and tables.” Princess Celestia sighed, “It’s also safe to say that you all have come to the conclusion that the earthquake was not natural.” Applejack nodded slowly, “Ah had my suspicions.” Princess Celestia gazed with a troubling glance at the sky, “I am afraid to inform you all that the worst is yet to come.” Rarity was shocked, “What could be worse than an earthquake?” Princess Celestia didn’t answer at first, but instead she turned to look at some compiled notes, “As of late, very strange happenings have transpired all throughout the land. Crops have begun to vanish, towns consumed and forgotten, and ponies vanishing without a trace.” Twilight was intrigued but worried by this revelation, “What’s causing this?” Celestia became quiet, “Something powerful and dark. This creature was born of fear, doubt, and despair. There isn’t a mention of it in any history book and I and Luna have never seen it before. As far as we can tell it has no name.” Pinkie Pie thought for a moment, “Well if we’ve discovered something new, why don’t we name it?” I paused and thought upon the name. I wanted something ominous and foreboding, something that would bring fear to all who spoke it. Then I nodded at my conclusion. Princess Luna shook her head then remembered something, “The Capricorn.” All ponies looked at the night Princess as she explained her reasoning, “The thing my sister had yet to mention is this creature consumes whatever it wishes to grow in strength. The first thing it consumed were the stars, the first being the constellation Capricorn. So I thought it would be more fitting.” Princess Celestia nodded, “That does make sense, but nonetheless. The Capricorn grows stronger each day and as it does Equestria weakens and is destroyed.” Rainbow Dash flexed her wings, “What do we have to do princess?” Princess Celestia became troubled but nodded as her sister encouraged her to continue, “You must seek out The Equestrian Oracle. It alone holds the answer to what will stop The Capricorn.” Twilight glanced at the elements and became downcast, “But the elements?” Celestia shook her head grimly, “They will not be strong enough. I’m afraid time is of the essence, you must depart immediately.” Luna produced an ancient map and gave it to the friends, “The Oracle lies north of the Crystal Empire. Be warned, the road ahead hold many perils.” Twilight became confident, “We won’t let you down Princess! Let’s go!” * I thought of stopping. Everything was back on track and no weirdness for about an hour. But it was getting too good, so I cracked my knuckles and continued. * Deep in the Everfree forest, within a series of darkened caverns a beast stirred. It could hear its master’s call and commands. It opened its twin orbs of red light and surged forth from its den and out into the world. The creature had long awaited its purpose to be set into motion and now it was going to get its wish. * Twilight and her friends had been travelling for close to a week and had decided to stop for a moment to rest in a clearing. The flowers cast a curtain of fragrance upon the slumbering ponies who all sighed in content. Fluttershy’s ear suddenly flicked as she opened her eyes slowly and gazed around. She could swear she was hearing something, almost like someone humming a beautiful melody. Fluttershy looked from side to side, “Hello? Is somepony there?” I stopped humming The NeverEnding Story theme. I then switched on my TV and continued to write as it droned on. Everypony else awoke and Rarity asked with a questioning tone, “Fluttershy, who in Equestria are you talking to?” Fluttershy gazed somewhat embarrassed at her friends, “Nopony, I thought I just heard something.” Twilight checked the map and smiled, “Alright girls we just continue forward and we’ll reach the halfway point.” * I then yawned and sighed afterwards. I had been up longer than I had suspected, so I decided to hit the hay. I knew from here on, things were going to get pretty interesting now that things were up to code and back on track. I then quietly crept upstairs and got some water. * The Creature came to a vacant clearing and gazed around in anger at having lost its query. It smelled their scent and proceeded to follow the trail in earnest.
3When I arrived back home after another work venture I decided to go into my word documents to do some editing. What I found made me yell out in absolute shock. I made it into the previous chapter to find a series of sentences I had not written yet, the creature wasn’t supposed to know the girls had been in the clearing. It was supposed to take longer for it to find them, at least three more chapters to say the least. I was soon flustered as I attempted erase the words, but the remained upon the page. Several hours were spent attempting to delete them and each attempt was met with utter failure. I gave up with a sigh and submitted the chapter; I then hunkered down and got to work on number 3. * The woods that the ponies trekked through were dense and dark. The sun overhead bore down upon them as they soon reached the borders of the treeline and gazed out before them. Before them lay a massive expanse of desert known as The Glimmering Sands, its name arose due to the fact that the sand seemed to glimmer in the sunlight. Twilight nodded with a smile and checked the distance as best as she could. Ahead was blurry with a heat haze, but they trekked ever onward. Some ponies would ask why they didn’t use the train to get to The Empire faster, the answer was simple. The trains had been shut down due to a series of massive earthquakes. Rarity looked around and sighed, “Please tell me there is an end to this desert or at LEAST a swimming pool.” Twilight gazed at the map, “We’ll be reaching the empire soon, we just have to keep heading north and we’ll hit the Equestrian Tundra in no time flat.” Rainbow Dash landed beside her friends and grumbled, “Out of the frying pan and into the freezer, great.” Applejack shook her head, “We’ve been through worse. Say Fluttershy, do we still have any food left?” Fluttershy checked their supplies, “Yes, we have enough for a few more days.” Pinkie Pie gasped, “A few more days?! We better hurry then!” Twilight raised an eyebrow, “Pinkie, Fluttershy just said-“ Pinkie cut her off, “I know, I meant we better hurry if we want to out run that thing.” Pinkie then pointed to the sky behind them and all the ponies collectively gasped. The sky was coated in black seething clouds that seemed to wash over everything above like a dark flood. It was steadily moving toward them and with it came strong gale winds and trembling earth. Sand was being hurled to and fro. Trees and brush were being ripped from the ground and blown away as fast as they took flight. The ponies eyes shrunk to dots as they all ran and flew as fast as they could away from the massive winds and tremors. Twilight yelled out over the roaring winds, “THIS MUST BE THE CAPRICORN!!” Rainbow Dash beat her wings hard, “GEE YA THINK!?” Pinkie Pie then yelled, “I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT!!” Everypony then fell silent as they continued to run. “Alright, time for the first piece of dramatic tension,” I said. For all intents and purposes I thought taking out Applejack would work best. How wrong I was. Applejack then lost her footing as a tremor swept through the entire desert. She dropped hard and fast. The Capricorn swept through the skies as the wind picked up hard. The farm pony grasped at a nearby vine in vain with her mouth. The vine began to yank itself free of the ground, Applejack yelled out in absolute terror…then surprise. Out of nowhere came Fluttershy whom had grabbed the farm pony and hurled her into Rainbow Dash. “Wait, What!?” I shouted louder than intended. Fluttershy smiled at her friends as her wings began to fail her against the winds, “Go girls, don’t worry about me!” Twilight telekinetically grasped Fluttershy but began to feel something pushing against her spell, “Fluttershy! I won’t let you go!!” Twilight then pulled Fluttershybndciwmxsniabnixm,oc.cv./…. I looked at my keyboard and attempted to write the sentence again only to be met with the same result. Twilight yelled out, “Fluttershy!!” “Why is this happening!?” I yelled frustration. Fluttershy blinked back tears and looked toward the storm, “It’s okay.” Twilight’s spell flickered off and Fluttershy was soon sucked into the wind and soon vanished from view. A cry of anguish mixed with one of anger was heard throughout the area, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” The ponies looked around for their friend and despaired. They then all turned tail and ran. * I smacked my head against the keyboard a few times and went back to read the death scene once more. It wasn’t supposed to happen that way. I shook my head as I ran a virus scan, none were found. I then called a friend of mine to ask if there were any viruses that could reword a Word Document, he said no. I gave a frustrated moan and went back to the grind. * Three days had passed when the ponies had finally made it to the crystal empire. Everypony was solemn when they entered the gates. News had spread that most of Equestria’s eastern and western section were and had been devastated by The Capricorn, which was now public knowledge. Many crystal ponies were either off the street or in the process of battening down the hatches. Twilight and her remaining friends entered the palace and were greeted with a darkened throne room. Cadance was silently staring into space and didn’t notice their entry. Twilight gazed around, “Cadance? What’s wrong?” Cadance noticed Twilight as a small smile crept onto her face, “Twilight, it’s good to see you. Where is Fluttershy?” Twilight looked to the side and Cadance understood immediately, “I’m sorry for your loss.” Twilight looked around once more, “Where’s Shining Armor?” Cadance looked away sadly, “He isn’t with me.” Twilight’s eyes filled with tears, “What?” Cadance sobbed in sorrow, “He went to Appleloosa to aid in an evacuation effort before The Capricorn hit and it did, there were no survivors.” Twilight broke down immediately as her friends comforted both sobbing mares. The Crystal Empire then began to shake once more. “Wait a minute, it’s too soon!” I stated. Twilight and her friends yelled out as the sky slowly began to darken. Cadance beckoned them, “Follow me, and hurry!” All the ponies rushed with the crystal princess up many stairs. Soon they reached a platform that overlooked the now steadily vanishing Crystal Empire. The Capricorn had come in from the east whereas they had come from the south, The Capricorn would have reached the empire sooner or later. Twilight looked to Cadance, “We need to get to-“ Cadance nodded quickly, “The Equestrian Oracle, I am aware. I can send you there but I must hurry.” Twilight quickly placed a hoof on her shoulder and pleaded, “Come with us please.” Cadance smiled but seemed to ignore the question as she spoke with authority, “You will be tested when you arrive, be wary of everything. I myself haven’t visited The Oracle so I am afraid that is all I can tell you.” Cadance’s horn then glowed bright as the five ponies were soon engulfed in light. Twilight yelled out Cadance’s name as they vanished. * I was infuriated to say the least, whatever this was would get me crap for sloppy writing. I looked at the clock and cursed. I had other matters to attend to and didn't want to be delayed further. I turned off my computer and walked out of the room. But all the while i felt horrible, why though? It's not that i killed two actual characters, Fic writiers always do stuff like that to canon characters. But what bothered me was that i felt the same feeling of emptiness and sadness when someone loses a person they had known for a while and had just gotten back from the funeral. But it's ridiculous, there just fictional...right?
4Some time had passed since I even thought of the project again. To take my mind off of it, I had written for my other projects and got what could be considered a job. None the less, it was time to continue the project. * A blinding flash of white light filled the frozen valley that the group of five ponies found themselves in. Ice rose in high spires around them as chilled winds whipped past them. Though the wind was cool for many, the ponies only felt a somber chill. Twilight’s tears fell in frozen drops upon the snow as the ponies trudged onward. For many hours they saw nothing, but soon Rainbow Dash pointed out an object rising over the coming hill. As they neared it, they saw the object was as large as a cave entrance except for one thing. The entrance or what should have been an entrance, was covered in a smooth surface of ice that cast a flawless reflection. Twilight gazed up at a series of words etched into the ices surface, “To see the oracle, one must first see the face of truth.” Applejack cocked her head in confusion, “What the hay does that mean?” Twilight turned to them, “It’s a riddle of some kind. That much I know.” Rarity gazed into the surface of the ice and gasped, “My mane looks positively atrocious. Cold air always makes it all frizzy.” The surface of the ice then began to darken slightly. An image began to appear which Rarity ushered her friends over to see. Thunder sounded outside my window. Rain was on the way for the weekend and I would have to deal with it. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and glanced up at my TV and my eyes widened in shock and utter fear. The ponies were curious and fearful of what they saw. There was a creature with pink skin, short dark brown hair, and it was sitting on a bed looking right back at them while holding an odd object on its lap. I screamed in absolute terror. The ice shattered like it was cheap glass to reveal a torch lit passage way. The ponies continued down the passage. Pinkie Pie cast a gaze behind her to reveal that the entrance was gone. She ran to catch up with her friends who were already ahead of her. Soon they entered a large dome shaped room and in the center was a pony of stone. It was a perfectly sculpted statue that seemed to be sitting down and gazing at them with empty eyes. Its eyes then lit up with an inner blue light as a calming voice echoed in their minds, “Welcome Elements of Harmony.” Twilight approached the statue with caution, “A-are you the Equestrian Oracle?” The statue answered immediately, “Indeed I am.” Twilight bowed before the statue, “Equestrian Oracle I beseech you to help us in this dark time.” The Oracle paused, “Speak your request.” Twilight cleared her throat, “We have lost much on this journey and we ask that you tell us how to stop The Capricorn and save Equestria.” The Oracle paused once more, “The Capricorn has grown strong. I fear there are no other methods that can be employed to stop it.” Rainbow Dash stomped forward, “WHAT?! You’re telling us that there is no hope? That we lost Fluttershy and Cadance for NOTHING!!” The Oracle calmly responded to the angered Pegasus, “I did not say that. There is still one way to save Equestria.” Twilight smiled with joy, “What is it? Please you have to tell us!" The Oracle then calmly stated, “You must find The Metaphor.” Rarity was more confused now, “The Metaphor?” The Oracle began to crack as the entire cavern began to quake, “The Elements will show you the way. You must leave this place quickly, FLY!!” The cavern began to collapse around them as The Oracle was crushed by a piece of fallen debris. With no further encouragement, the ponies galloped hard out of the cavern and emerged into the mouth of Tartarus itself. The Capricorns winds churned and blew as everything fell apart around them. Rainbow Dash quickly threw The Elements bag to Twilight who was shocked but understood when she saw it. A shape far bigger than any pony was in the blizzard winds and it was bearing down upon them from above. It leapt toward Applejack who grappled with the thing. The massive torrent of wind blew hard as Twilight tried in vain to join the fight. Her wings then unintentionally opened. Twilight did not see much in the coming minutes, all she remembered was screaming until her throat was raw as the wind took her. * The thing is that I had shut off my computer when all of this had transpired. When I turned it on the following morning I was furious and surprised all at once. Admitting defeat I went to upload the saved document.
5Days melded together into weeks then months before I opened the word file containing all the chapters of Metaphysics. What sat in my folder surprised me to say the least. The letter five, which I had not yet wrote was staring me in the face. I opened the document to read what was there so far. * Twilight was dazed and confused when she awoke. Her coat was dirtied and her mane dishevelled. All of this did not concern her in the slightest for she was more concerned for her friend’s safety and to solve the mystery of what or who The Metaphor was. She glanced around and saw she was somehow upon the beach of a coastal pony town of unknown architecture and origin. She turned to leave only to hear a pained groan beside her; Rainbow Dash was soaked to the bone and lying on her back looking drowsily at the sky. Twilight smiled brightly as she embraced her friend, “Rainbow Dash! You’re alright!!” Rainbow coughed in the bear hug her alicorn friend was giving her, “I won’t be if you keep squeezing my lungs!” Twilight chuckled in embarrassment and released her friend, “Sorry.” The alicorn then became frantic as she looked around, “Where’s Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack? Are they with you or nearby?” Rainbow shook her head sorrowfully, “No, Applejack was swallowed up by The Capricorn after she was attacked. As for Rarity and Pinkie, the cliff crumbled underneath them and I couldn’t grab them fast enough. Last thing I remember was hitting the water then you hugging me.” Tears came to my eyes, as I read the words. I don’t cry usually when I read things unless they hit me hard in the feels, this was no exception. Rainbow looked around as it began to rain, “Let’s find some shelter.” Twilight nodded, “Yeah.” Soon both mares ventured cautiously into the old town and began their search for a dwelling to squat in for warmth and dryness. After much struggle they came across an old library which had an intact roof and a strong pair of doors to keep the water and cold out. Twilight smiled at familiar surroundings of books and tables. Both ponies soon shook themselves dry as they gazed around; the building was much larger than it looked from the outside and it seemed to possess an almost convex triangular roof. Twilight was still looking around in fascination, “I wonder who used to live here?” Rainbow sneezed as she inhaled some dust, “Who cares, Twi we have to figure out our next move.” Twilight nodded as she became all business and lit some lamps, “Right. Firstly we have to figure out exactly what The Metaphor is and how to find it and what better way than to use this library.” Rainbow Dash stood up slightly angry, “We can’t afford to sit and read while The Capricorn rips apart Equestria at the seams. We have to go out there and take action!” Twilight raised her voice in a commanding fashion, “I know that! But if we don’t do something constructive instead of destructive we’ll end up just like everypony else! Do you want that!?” Rainbow Dash sat down and sighed, “Alright, when do we start?” Twilight grinned as she levitated a tome over, “Right now.” * The creature sniffed the air as it sensed its prey was near. Its master had already consumed the other three, now he had to take care of the last two. * Around that time I was able to add to the project so I continued to write, or something compelled me to. Twilight and Dash had been reading through every single book they could get their hooves on and had no luck finding any information concerning The Metaphor. Both exhaled in exhaustion and stood only to jump in fright as the doors slammed open. The breeze extinguished every light and lightning flashed outside to reveal a creature the ponies had seen when they had exited The Oracle’s cave. It was lupine in structure and build and much larger than a conventional wolf, it was covered in scraggly black fur and its glowing red eyes glared at them form the entrance. Another flash of lightning obscured the pony’s vision and The Wolf was gone. Both would have exhaled in relief if not for the loud and bone chilling “clack, clack” of claws upon the floor. Twilight and Dash stood back to back, “Twilight, w-what is that thing?” Twilight was trembling as well, “I think it’s called a Warg, it’s a very ancient race of intelligent wolf that were long thought to be extinct.” Rainbow Dash inhaled sharply as her eyes shrunk, “Well that’s one scary fossil!” Twilight turned her head and screamed in surprise. The Warg was watching them from a behind a bookshelf devoid of books, all the ponies could see were the glowing eyes and the flash of white fangs as if it were sneering at their fright. The Warg then spoke in a deep voice border lining on a growl, “Fear not little ponies, I shall make your ends quick!” Thunder boomed outside as both ponies stood facing their enemy, “Who are you?” The Warg glanced at Twilight, “I am known as Frugec, I serve my master whom I am sure you are quite familiar with.” The last bit of words almost came as a taunt as Rainbow stepped forward, “Why have you been attacking us?!” Frugec gave a guttural growl that resembled an amused laugh, “Why do you think? You all are the only things that stand in my master’s way. I have been tasked with eliminating you to prevent your further meddling in matters beyond your comprehension.” Twilight’s fear vanished entirely and was replaced with complete bravery, “Who are you really?” Frugec was silent for a moment but continued, “I am an extension of my master’s will that in itself is an extension of a much greater power. Both wish to change the fate of this world, even now my master grows closer to victory and the other to failure which will soon lead to ruin.” Rainbow Dash perked up, “The Metaphor! Twilight I think The Metaphor might have created The Capricorn!” Twilight nodded, “But why? Didn’t it realize what would happen?” A light bulb went off in Rainbow’s head, “Maybe-“ A massive crash of thunder followed by an inhuman roar from Frugec silenced her, “You know nothing! The Metaphor is far beyond your reach, FAR beyond Equestria’s borders. Your cause is lost, accept your fate.” Frugec then roared louder as it sprung through the shelf effectively obliterating it. The ponies flew in different directions as it smashed into a table and shattered one of the lamps upon the ground setting it aflame. The flames quickly spread around the ponies and ignited the shelves and books, the ponies began to back up in fear. I then instinctively yelled, “The fire, use the FIRE!” Twilight looked around having heard the odd voice like echo once more but much clearer and nodded, “Alright!” She levitated a broken flaming table leg in front of herself and waved it back and forth. Frugec growled in anger and fright as he backed up, Twilight noticed Rainbow Dash hovering near a particularly heavy looking book shelf. Twilight nodded at her friend who with great force pushed the book shelf over, it then smashed down hard atop Frugec who yelled out in surprise and pain. Both ponies flew out as fast as they could as the flaming roof finally gave way and fell inward; it then effectively crushed whoever was still within. Rainbow glared at the flames, “Not even a Warg could survive that!” Twilight nodded, “Yeah, wait what the!?” The Elements of Harmony began to glow as bright as the sun from within their bag as Twilight appeared to have an epiphany, “The Elements will lead the way…Dash we need to fly to the borders of Equestria!” * no words escaped me as I submitted the chapter, but I had this sinking feeling things were coming to an end.
