Split: Empire's in Flux
Sojourner
Desert Delights
One-thousand years ago, the goddesses of the sun and moon vanished, leaving the ponies of Equestria to fend for themselves in an increasingly chaotic and dangerous world. Though the god of chaos was bound in stone, his physical presence continued to corrupt the world around him. Gryphons and ponies grew distrustful of one another, dragons grew bolder and more aggressive, and the demons of ice pushed ever harder against the failing shields of the Equestrian mages. Soon after the goddesses disappearance, a famine spread. The land was cursed, it's soil dead and lifeless. Food became scarce, and the sun and moon slowed in their orbits as the magic that had sustained them eroded.
But in this, ponies found the greatest of their gifts; adaptability. Within a few generations, the pony races adapted to survive in the harsh landscape that was now their home.
Earth ponies, already having an innate connection to the earth, grew even closer, learning to speak with the plants and earth as intelligently as their fellow ponies. They learned and studied their newfound companions and soon, the earth itself would rise up to defend their caregivers, plants grasping at the limbs of their enemies.
Pegasi, dealing with the shortage of food, found themselves a new means of sustenance; meat. They grew fangs, their teeth sharp and their minds more so. A military lifestyle and a socialist mentality helped them to thrive in their new environment. Each pegasus became more than an individual. They became a part of the greater society as a whole, never ones to be left alone and without companionship.
Unicorns became even more magical, able to sustain themselves for long periods of time off of raw magical energy alone. They grew thin and pale, their bodies slender and taller than their fellows. The unicorn society became an oligarchy, where a few powerful upper class held power. The entire structure of unicorn culture became a bureaucratic nightmare. Every unicorn was given a place, and each place had a title, subtitle, contracts, and even specific yearly compensation and rationing. Their adherence to this structure and political game borders on religious zeal.
Working together, the various pony races have managed to etch out an existence. But, for six friends, the way the world is is not enough. They plan to find the goddesses and return them to the world of the living, the world left in turmoil without their guidance and strength...
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It seemed as though the desert itself was doing everything in its power to impede the six's progress. The wind roared in defiance at their presence, the sand billowing in mesmerizing and dangerous patterns. If not for their heavy cloaks and the sashes bound around their heads, the sand would have surely stripped them of their skin.
“How much further?” one yelled, straining to make herself heard over the torrent of sand.
“Just ahead!” was the return from the quadruped with crystal blue eyes. Above her eyes, a horn jutted out from her headdress, a faint blue aura pulsing gently around it. A ping could be heard accompanying each pulse. The pulsing grew faster, the sound louder and more insistent the closer they came to their destination. One of the six ran ahead, disappearing into the entourage of sand.
“She's right, y'all!” Came her voice, a southern twang coloring her words. “Hurry up!” the others found themselves relieved at the sudden end to the storm, their bodies relaxing as they removed themselves from the confines of the storm.
The first one removed her head covering, leaving her yellow mane and orange fur exposed to the heat of the sun. Applejack smiled, looking up into its fiery visage.
“Solar protect, that I do the same for others,” she whispered. She allowed her eyes to water from the barrage of sun rays before shutting them and bowing her head, thumping her fore-hoof against her chest, the plate mail hidden beneath her cloak clanking from the impact. The scars across her body were well healed, thanks to Fluttershy, save three perfectly straight scratches across her left eye. All it had taken was one lucky wood wolf.
Rarity was the next out from the sand, quickly whipping off her head coverings and shaking the sand loose from where it had lodged itself in her eyes and ears. Her horn slowly stopped its pulsing, flickering out at the end. A pair of goggles sat over her eyes, and two pistols sat comfortably in holsters on her belt.
“Oh, my hair is simply ruined...” She mused, playing with the end of her tussled mane daintily. Pinkie Pie giggled at her comment as she tumbled out of the sand, seemingly unfazed by it's rage. A small drum was strapped to her back, the collar of her outfit flipped up and her own headwrapping coming undone seemingly of its own accord.
“Silly! You've never worried about your hair so much!” Pinkie said, backflipping and landing in front of Rarity.
“Well, I am a lady. I can worry about it sometimes...” Rarity replied, a small smile working across her face as Pinkie's giggles ended with a snort.
“Come on girls, we need to be serious here,” Twilight said, as she too came out of the sand alongside Fluttershy. The pair were strangely dressed for the sandy weather; Twilight's garb was of heavy cloth, leaving almost no skin uncovered. A faint glow came from within her hood as she contemplated the group, a small grin wandering across her face as Pinkie continued her cartwheels for a few minutes. A small burst of magic easily cleaned her blue and purple outfit of sand before she let her eyes curiously wander over the structure in front of them.
Fluttershy's simple coverings of lace and wood were nothing short of exquisite craftwork, the material seeming a natural growth across her body. Her pink hair and yellow fur had been completely untouched by the sand. Sometimes asking politely was a good way of keeping yourself safe, and for Fluttershy, the sand had been more than happy to oblige. A rabbit sat comfortably in a small pouch on her back, snoozing gently.
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy managed to squeak out as her gaze followed Twilight's.
What seemed to be a massive mountain sat in front of them, it's towering form imposing itself over them. The entire thing was smooth and unblemished from base to point. Down near the bottom, perfectly set in the middle of the structure, was a massive door. It sat in a small inlet, and columns flanked each side. These columns continued out in one long line in both directions, until the ends of the row disappeared into the sandstorm that continued to rage around the area. From this distance, the carving of a massive five pointed star could be seen on the door, shimmering bright yellow in the light of the desert sun. A deep ravine could be seen surrounding the mountain, the pit an evenly cut recess. A bridge spanned the distance between the door and the edge of the pit. The bridge was little more than a straight, thin path with no railing or walls to keep a pony from falling.
“Oh dear is right,” Rarity chimed in. “This place could certainly use a little freshening up. The design is so tacky, and far too even. Needs a little something to change the monotony...”
“This isn't the time for one of your lectures on architecture, Rarity,” Came the scratchy tones of Rainbow Dash, flying down from above and landing with a thump next to the group. The armor she wore was light, covering only the points of her body most vital. Her wings seemed armored as well, though closer inspection would show the sharp edges on the feather-tips. “We've got a job to to. Like Twilight said, it's serious time. No dawdling!”
“Never one to take it slow, are ya' Rainbow?” Applejack said, chuckling. Rainbow flashed her smile, the large pair of canines in her mouth sending a shiver down Applejack's spine involuntarily.
“I'm not called Death's Steed for nothin', ya' know.” With that, she took off again, her flight path set to bring her around the edge of the sandstorm and back to the group.
“Still so aggressive,” Fluttershy gave a small giggle. Her own teeth in comparison to Rainbow's were relatively small, but still noticeable.
“That aggression is good for us,” Twilight said, a determined look once again growing on her face. “Let's take from her suggestion, and keep going.”
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Up close, the structure seemed even more massive, its ends unable to be seen in their peripherals.
“So, what can you remember, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked the timid yellow mare calmly.
“Uhm, I'm... I'm not sure,” She answered quietly.
“You've still got to have some memories,” Twilight said, doing her best to maintain her composure.
“Still as much an egghead as ever, Twilight,” Rainbow said as she landed nearby. “We can't just call these things up willy-nilly like you can your magic, you know.”
“Why not?” Twilight asked, curious.
“It's kind of complicated,” Rainbow replied. “Long story short, the memories from Passing's come and go in flashes.”
“I've never heard of those,” Rarity spoke up, turning to face the other's. Applejack kept her eyes on the mountain, looking for any other obvious entrances or exits. "What is a Passing?"
“Is it like Passover, or maybe passing someone in the hallway? Ooooh, maybe it's like that place from that book I read! The Passing of the Blight! Or was that Passion of the Light?” Pinkie's non-sequitur speech was mostly ignored by the rest of them.
“No Pinkie, it's nothing like those,” Rainbow replied in a deadpan. “I'm surprised you all haven't heard of it. It's common enough in pegasi society. Might end up happening to you...”
Twilight looked to her two friends, who looked back at her with quizzical looks on their faces.
“It's the pegasi's tradition of carrying on their ancestors with them, almost literally,” Twilight began. “They can gain memories from things they eat. It has something to do with absorbing them through their teeth, I think. A primitive mind magic of sorts.”
“So, wait.... they eat...other ponies?” Rarity said, her eyes growing wide.
“It's nothing like what your thinking,” Rainbow said, keeping her smile wide as she approached Rarity slowly, crouched like a cat. “I'll only get you when your not looking!” Rainbow jumped at Rarity, hissing. Rarity gave a small yelp and hopped backwards.
“Uhm, I'm sorry to interrupt, but, we only do it when there's no hope for the other to survive. We help carry them along, and they do the same for us,” Fluttershy said, trying to calm down Rarity. “And of course, if they're not comfortable with it, we would never infringe on them, right Rainbow?” Rainbow gave a small huff.
“Yeah, that's kinda part of it...”
“Fluttershy, is there any chance you can maybe, contact these memories?” Twilight asked again.
“It's not something I can call on,” Fluttershy returned, “but I can try-”
Her words were cut off by a rumble.
“What in the hay?” Applejack said. “Was that a quake?”
“I don't think so,” Twilight replied, her eyes scanning the surrounding landscape, “this area doesn't sit on any major fault lines. Besides that, it's stopped.”
“I-I think I know what caused it,” Fluttershy said, quivering as she pointed toward the bridge that spanned between the door and the edge of the cliff.
A massive scorpion had crawled up from the ravine, and placed itself smack dab in the center of the bridge. The thing growled a challenge, it claws snapping and tail lashing. Large spines stuck out from its back, their edges jagged and uninviting.
“This, might complicate things,” Twilight said, her eyes going wide.
