Legend tells of a powerful force, some strange magic that lies hidden far up north, isolated from civilization. It was locked away for ages, until a small group of nomads found it. Immediately notifying the princess, these nomads were hired for an expedition to recover that magic, hoping that it could finally bring peace and order to Equestria. They went with a large group of talented individuals, all hoof-picked by Celestia herself to assist the nomads on their mission. The mission, however, was a tragic failure, and every single one of them was lost and never heard from ever again.
Years have passed since the discovery of said magic, which has been kept a secret all this time. Equestria, under many threats, has remained on top thanks to the leadership of the princess. One fateful day, during an expedition to unknown lands, not owned by Equestria, a strange amulet was found. At first thought to be just an old stone, this amulet had a strange surge of power that almost brought down the entire royal palace in Canterlot, which alerted the princesses.
The stone was put then into intense study, where I, Twilight Sparkle, was asked to take charge of the research team. I went in and put all my efforts into figuring out what the stone did and why. One day, I came across with a strange symbol, one that stuck out to me. It was bigger than the rest of the markings and was placed directly in the center of the mysterious stone. After sleepless nights and weeks of research, I finally figured out what the strange mark meant. It was the ancient Equestrian symbol for the word ‘Fate’.
I was thrilled because of my amazing discovery and went to notify the princess, only to find out that she was gone. I looked through the entire palace, but the princess was nowhere in sight. I did find something during my search for Celestia though. There was a new mosaic in the hall of legends, one that I had never seen before, or at least I don’t recall seeing it. It was of a gray pegasus flying high up in the sky. It seemed just like any other mosaic, except that this one had something different. It was glowing.
It wasn’t just made to look like it glowed, but instead the stallion himself glowed, a bright blue light emanating from his heart. Maybe it was the reflection from the sun. I followed the bright blue light, which left a trail of brightness that seemed to point towards a wall at the far end of the hallway. I instantly trotted towards it, and when I finally made it there, I could see that the light began take some sort of form, creating strange symbols, odd shapes that reflected unto the wall. As I moved closer, I found out that it wasn’t just random shapes, but letters, which began to make up words. It seemed to be a message, maybe a clue unto where the princess was. Whatever it was, it was crucial that I would know about it, as it might be a clue left behind by the princess. I then proceeded to read the strange message. In big, beautiful letters were the words “Only the spark will save you”.
I don’t know what it meant or why it was left there, but I just knew that it was something important. This ‘spark’ might be the only possible way to bring Princess Celestia back. Without her, the entire kingdom would be in peril.
It’s been two years since Princess Celestia disappeared. Princess Luna was supposed to be the heir to the throne, being co-ruler of Equestria and all, but instead she chose me. I knew Celestia had taught me well and that this is what she would’ve wanted, but I just didn’t know if I could make it as a princess. I thought I’d fail, putting Equestria in complete and utter danger.
Unfortunately, I was right.
Under my rule, three cities fell. Appleloosa was the first to go. Four months ago a reporter went to Appleloosa researching for a news story about their complex irrigation system that allowed them to grow apple trees in the middle of the desert. She was never heard from again. A few days later, a friend of mine went on a vacation to Los Pegasus with her family. She never came back. I got worried and sent her some letters, trying to see if she was okay. A month passed and there was no response from her or her family. After that everything went silent.
Taking advice from Luna, I sent a reconnaissance team to figure out what happened in both cities. They were gone for exactly three days, where they returned empty-hoofed. They said that everything seemed okay. No sign of conflict. No destruction. Everything was perfectly normal. Everything but the fact that every single pony in the area was gone.
A few weeks ago, a very good friend of mine by the name of Rarity came rushing into my private observatory, where I spent most of my time in. She seemed scared, no, terrified. I asked her what had happened but she was simply panicking, muttering about ‘them’ coming back. I waited a bit until she calmed down and asked her again. She then proceeded to tell me that Ponyville had been invaded, and that the only reason she managed to escape was that she was already on a train heading towards Canterlot when she noticed the town getting overrun. I instantly went down to Ponyville with a squadron of highly-trained guards, but to my demise, every mare, stallion and filly was gone and there was no evidence of what happened.
Chapter One- On Solid Ice
A young, silver-coated stallion is lying silently on the ground. His mane a dark gray with a single blue streak smoothly dashing across it. He lied completely still, as if life had given up on him. Then out of the sudden he began to take strong, heavy breaths, as if he was suffocating. His breaths then began becoming shorter and softer, beginning to calm down, until they were barely noticeable. His eyes opened slowly and gently, as if they were reluctant to see. He looked around for a second, only catching a small glimpse about what was around him. Only one word came to mind. Dust. His eyes then were closed once again, his mind slowly drifting into nothingness.
Suddenly, a soft breeze stroked the tip of his ear, followed by a trail of dust and debris. He could feel a small, grain-like substance covering his entire body. He opened both eyes and tried to get up, failing to even raise his head. He felt tired and hurt, as if the spirit of pain himself decided to pay him a visit. He groaned and mumbled for a while until he finally regained complete consciousness. He cleared his throat, but kept on mumbling.
“Ugh. Wha- Where?” He managed to stand up. “Whe- where… am… I?” He said in a wavy, uneven tone of voice. He looked around, left to right, examining every single aspect of the environment around him. He could see some sort of building, a small wooden structure, broken and battered. He kept on looking. More buildings, all made of old, decaying wood.
There was all sorts of debris littering the ground, which was golden and dusty. Nothing seemed hostile or dangerous. In fact, there was no sign of anything living except for a couple dry trees standing in the distance. He turned his head, taking one last look at his surroundings, hoping to find a hint, just one single clue that could tell him where he was… Nothing. Nothing but dust and abandoned buildings.
He walked by the weathered down structures towards the trees he saw earlier. Closer and closer he walked until the trees he saw began to multiply. At first he saw two trees, which turned to four, then ten and now he stood among hundreds of dull, dry trees. They spawned along the horizon, covering everything from the edge of the frontier town to the hills around it, through the valley, and finally all around him. Rows upon countless rows of a dying apple orchard.
“Whoa…” he gasped, trotting unwillingly into the dead, dry, mysterious scenery. As he went on, he spotted a small sign. He ran towards it, hoping that his luck will improve and that the sign would give away his location. The sign was battered and torn, a couple letters had faded off. He squinted at the sign, attempting to read it anyway.
Welcome to APPLELOOSA
Home of Equestria’s apples
“What in the world is a ‘questria’?” he asked himself, trying to figure out the sign. He stayed there for a couple minutes until he finally gave up, coming to the conclusion that the sign was useless and was not gonna help him in any way.
Suddenly there was a loud, high-pitched, staccato-sounding noise. He turned around instinctively, searching the orchard for whoever, or whatever, made that awful sound. Sadly, there was nothing around but rows of dead trees and an ominous mist clouding the ground like a dull, gray blanket.
“What happened here?” The landscape around him was simply disturbing, absolutely terrifying. He looked around but there was no indication of life. Everything was either dead, dry, or decaying. He did, however, notice a small figure in the distance.
The figure seemed to take notice of him as well. It began to run, but not away. Instead it came charging straight towards him. Out of options, and out of patience, the gray stallion headed directly towards the shadowy figure. Whoever it was, it was best that he’d go to it, ask for help, and finally find a way out of this mess. The figure came closer and closer until the stallion could easily see who it was. She was a turquoise-coated unicorn with dark, velvet colored eyes and a bright purple mane, and she seemed to recognize him.
“Cobalt? Cobalt, is that you?” She asked. The stallion simply stared blankly.
“I- I don’t know…” He responded after hesitating for quite a while.
“Don’t you remember me? You were sent by the princess. You and your brother. You were to aid the locals stop the invasion here in Appleloosa.” She looked at him expectantly. “You ARE Cobalt Striker, right?”
He was about to tell her about how he had just woken up covered in sand and debris, standing in the middle of a creepy ghost town in which he had no idea on what happened to it or where he was or even how he got there. He was gonna tell her how he didn’t really remember anything and that he didn’t know who this ‘Cobalt’ subject was or why he was so important. He was gonna tell her all that but instead all he did was nod his head.
The unicorn smiled.
“Perfect…” She said. “You just made my job a whole lot easier.”
“Umm… excuse me?” Cobalt stared at her, clearly confused. “What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, you’ll see.” She said, reaching forward, grabbing hold of Cobalt’s front left hoof. He tried to take a step back, but the unicorns grasp was surprisingly strong. He tried to free himself but it was too late for he was soon surrounded by a glowing green light that seemed to circle around both him and the unicorn.
In a matter of seconds, the light faded away, leaving both of them standing at the end of a long hallway. It was heavily decorated with beautiful fabric and vibrant crystalline adornments. From what it looked like, it seemed that they were standing inside a royal palace of some sort, a castle perhaps. The place seemed hallow and empty though, and it had a strangely dark atmosphere that just didn’t seem natural. Everything glowed in a bright, cheerful way but was somehow dull and lifeless at the same time. It seemed as if all the color had been drained away, leaving behind a dull, eerie shade of green and gray. It was also cold. Very, very cold. Cobalt didn’t seem to pay much attention to every detail of his surroundings, in reality he didn’t care about it at all. The only thing on his mind was figuring out what just happened and how.
“What was in the world was that?!” He yelled, still a bit dizzy from the sudden change of environment. “Did you just… did WE just teleport?!” The unicorn looked at him for a bit, her eyes reflecting fear somehow, as if she did something wrong. She kept on staring, opening her mouth as if she was about to say something, but kept it to herself instead. She then stormed off into the long hallway. “Hey, get back here!” He ran after her.
He followed and followed, turning around tight corners, running as fast as he could. He was then stopped by a tall, pink unicorn, her mane a beautiful blend of purple, pink, and gold. She was much taller than the other unicorn, and was boasting a small crown. She stepped forward, unfolding her wings.
“Hello there, Cobalt. We’ve been expecting you.” She grinned evily.
“Wh-who are you?” Asked Cobalt. The mare simply smiled.
“I’m your worst nightmare.” Her gaze began to look even more malevolent than her vile grin. Suddenly there was a loud staccato noise. It seemed to come from behind her. In a few moments, an innumerable amount of shadows began to fill the room. Strange, insect-like creatures began crawling down the pristine walls of the palace, some flying from behind the mysterious mare, some crawling like bloodthirsty monsters hunting down their prey.
In less than a minute Cobalt was completely surrounded. The beasts were dark and covered in slime, sharp fangs emerging from a large, imposing mouth. They’re eyes, although blue, seemed inflamed in a burning hot blaze that could easily tear apart even the strongest of stallions. Each of them seemed to be growling and hissing in their own sort of way.
Cobalt could tell that if they were allowed to, they could tear him to pieces before he could even think of screaming. He began to look around frantically, searching for a way out, a possible escape. There was none, he was completely and utterly surrounded. No way out. Suddenly, in the midst of all those dark creatures, Cobalt noticed the bright pink mare slowly approaching him. She was still smiling, a twisted, evil look in her eyes.
“There’s no use in escaping, we rule this land!” She began to laugh maniacally. Cobalt, drenching in fear, charged straight forward, standing directly in front of that wicked mare. He looked straight into her bitter, cruel eyes.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!!!!” He yelled as loud as he could possibly yell without losing his lungs. The mare stared at him, seeming a bit surprised at his tenacity.
“You’re a stubborn one, just like your brother.” She paused, a tad disturbed at the fact that Cobalt did not lose his stance. He simply stayed there, standing potently in front of her. She took a few steps back, seeming a little intimidated. “Look, I don’t want ANYTHING from you. That’s why I captured you.”
“That makes no sense.” He growled.
“Oh, but it does. I want you to do absolutely nothing, and by capturing you, you will not be able to do anything against me. Now, I’ve had enough of these little games, I just want you to answer this one question. Do you know where the spark is?” Cobalt had no idea what she was talking about. He wasn’t gonna stay quiet though.
“What does it matter to you?!” He asked furiously, stepping closer to her, attempting to hide his fear by showing no respect whatsoever. The mare instantly lost her temper.
“WHERE IS THE BLASTED SPARK!!!!” She screeched. Cobalt moved even closer to her.
“I… DON’T… KNOW!” His gaze so serious that it could cut through solid steel.
“TELL ME WHERE IT IS!” The mare grabbed Cobalt by his neck. “TELL ME… NOW!!!!!” Cobalt looked at her in fear, but his stare instantly changed, his eyes narrowing, a grin beginning to unfold.
“Oof! Your breath stinks! Ever heard of breath mints?” The mare was enraged, utter hatred in her eyes, replacing her confident glance. She opened her mouth, as if she was about to day something, but then backed down. “What, ran out of screaming?” grinned Cobalt. The mare looked at him, infuriated.
“Shut… UP!!!!” She grasped even tighter, to the point of actually strangling him. Then she stared directly into his eyes, growling softly. She dragged him over and pushed him into a large, slightly cracked window. Cobalt, curiosity taking the best of him, turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of the outside. Trying to see past all the mold and dust staining the glass, he managed to notice a few crystal structures, a lightly colored shade of dull, blue-ish gray. They almost resembled houses, but also reminded him of caves, as there were no doors or windows. He squinted, taking a closer look only to find out that they were not made from crystals, but instead were made of what seemed like rock hard ice. He then turned back to the crazy mare.
“Beautiful view, isn’t it?” He said with a shy, terrified smile. The mare, still furiously holding him as tight as possible, pulled her left hoof back and punched him square in the face. His head hit the window making a loud CRACK! Over and over again, she continued to beat him, a twisted smile on her face. She then looked outside through the crack in the glass caused by the stallion’s head. That made her have an excellent idea, if she’d threaten his life, maybe he’d finally surrender and tell her where the spark was. She looked back down.
“Had enough?” She said. The stallion looked up. He was bruised badly from his head to his hooves. He muttered something, coughed, then looked back at her.
“Why? Did you run out of muscle or something?” He said gasping in pure pain and breathlessness. The mare then picked him up and dragged him towards the cracked window once again, this time she was uncompromisingly enraged in utter fury. She shoved him against the glass, grinding her teeth, her eyes blazing in a red hot flame. A small strand of hair ran down her face, above her left eye.
“Now for the last time.” She was panting, tired from the beating it seemed. “Where is the spark?”
“Heh. You still think I know? My goodness, you are stupid. Look, I told you like a gazillion times already. I have no idea where that is. I don’t even know WHAT it is!” The mare dropped him to the ground like a dirty rug. She then took a few steps back, smiled, then turned back around charging straight towards him, kicking him with her hind hooves, the force of the impact causing Cobalt to fly straight through the window. The mare, seeming satisfied, let out a soft giggle and walked towards the massive wave of dark creatures, fixing her mane. She stopped and turned towards a small, turquoise-colored unicorn, whose bright colors stood out among the darkness.
“Myiraa,” She grinned, “take him away.”
“Yes, your majesty.” Responded the unicorn. Her coat rapidly began to change colors from light-turquoise to a bright sky-blue shade. She grew a large pair of wings and a lively rainbow-colored tail. Her mane also turned a hue of bright colors, all seven of them. She flew out the broken window and towards the stallion, who was lying motionless on solid ice.
Author's Note
Yes, I know. There's a lot of yelling in this chapter. I meant for it to be that way. This is also a bit too dark and mysterious for the beginning of a story, but it gets a bit brighter, so don't worry. Now lets recap what you just read... Stallion wakes up in an abandoned town, he then meets a mysterious unicorn who teleports him to the Crystal Empire. The unicorn runs away and he follows, only to come face to face with Princess Cadence, who in fact isn't really Princess Cadence. She asks him about a 'spark', but he denies knowing anything about it, which angers the princess, causing her to throw him out a window out of pure rage. She then orders a pony named Myiraa to take his body away. Myiraa then proceeds to change from a unicorn to a pegasus and flies out the window to get to the stallion.
