Chapters Prologue: Endings, Beginings
Twenty years prior
"Hurry, we need to finish this before sundown!" A blue pegasus and purple unicorn were sitting on their haunches, tinkering with a device the unicorn had created.
"Almost done Stryker, I just need a few more minutes." replied the unicorn.
"We have three minutes at best, if that things not working by then, we're gonna have some serious problems."
"I know, you shouting about it is only making me slower, so please, calm down. I've got this all under control."
Stryker snorted, but didn't argue with her. He was well aware of the temper she had, and didn't want to be on the wrong end of it.
"Look, Midnight, I'm sorry. I guess I'm a bit anxious, because, you know, my wife is pregnant, and I don't want her to have to raise the child alone."
Midnight sighed, "I understand Sky, I'm a bit worried for your wife myself. I mean, I'm sure the hospital can handle it, but theres something off, I can't quite put my hoof on it."
At that moment, the device in front of Midnight sparked and began to glow.
"Yes! Its working, now we have nothing to fear from Him; as soon as He tries to take us, He'll be taken."
"Good, lets - "
BOOM
The air was suddenly filled with the loudest, and steadiest drum beat the pair had ever heard, or ever will hear.
"There He is!"
'He' being what they were trying to capture, was suddenly sucked into a vortex of magenta light emanating from the device Midnight had created. Once he was fully inside, the light disappeared and a note was lying on top of the container. Stryker came over and picked up the note.
"'I will return', Midnight, is that even possible?"
"Well, the power supply lasts for at least twenty years, by then He should be long dead."
"I'm not too sure, maybe we should leave something behind for the next unfortunate souls to have to deal with Him."
"I still think its unnecessary, but if you think it would be useful, I'm not complaining."
And so, the two friends began making preparations for the next generation to deal with Him.
One Week Prior
Scootaloo was on her scooter, jumping, doing tricks, the usual. The only thing that wasn't usual was where she had chosen to practice; the thick of the Everfree Forest. Even for Scootaloo this was unusual, considering all the trouble she gets into.
"Alright, time for my new signature move, the Big, Easy Flight Time!"
She starts picking up speed, heading straight for a ramp shaped branch. She prepped for take off, and launched off the ramp, performing a flip, a corkscrew and a double back flip. However, just as she touched down on the forest floor, Scootaloo felt something fly into her chest. Looking down, she saw a piece of paper stuck on her by the forward momentum of her signature trick. Reaching down, she pulled the paper off and looked at it closely.
"Hmmm, Don't look, or it takes you. Pfft, it'd be helpful if I knew what 'it' was."
With that, Scootaloo began riding back to Ponyville..... with something sinister watching her every move. Thats when the darkness began to fall. It got dark with surprising speed, leaving the young filly in the dead of night, within the most notorious forest of Equestria. Suddenly, out of the stillness that had been there not 10 seconds ago, a steady, rhythmic drum beat came. Then, new shapes began to form in the darkness; a large tree that looked like it could be a skeletal dragon arm, a small squat building with dark, doorways. Most ominous of all was the enormous tower of metal that rose in the distance, with a red, flashing light marking the top.
boom
A sound came to the young filly's ears that had not been heard for at least twenty years.
Boom
And it was getting louder. Scootaloo quickly ran for the squat building, running into one of its dark entryways and huddling in the dark. The sound didn't return.
"Maybe it was - "
BOOM
And that was all the young filly would ever say again.
Prologue: Endings, Beginings
The Sighting
Many believe it to be an old pony’s tale; others believe it to be a god. He is none of these. I know because of what He did. I also know that the only reason you’re reading this account, is not because you are curious, but because He has been seen among the trees of the Everfree Forest. If you are not reading this because of this simple fact, then I hope you don’t believe a word of what you are about to read.
In the 1001st year of Celestia’s reign, I was a normal Pegasus known as Sonic Stryker. It all started when a young filly named Scootaloo went missing in the Everfree Forest. Almost every pegasi in Ponyville and Cloudsdale were called in for the search. We searched for three days with no sign of her anywhere, even Twilight’s normally infallible tracking spell was unable to find even the smallest trace of her. Princess Celestia and Luna joined in the search the day we found her. Or, what was left of her. What we found was a helmet and scooter that had belonged to Scootaloo, proof enough that she was gone. After that, everypony kept well away from the forest, except for one pony with a severe case of writer’s block.
Writers Quill wanted a place that would inspire him to write; somewhere new and undisturbed by civilization. So, when he asked if I knew of anywhere like that, I did more than just tell him about it. I took him there. It was a beautiful meadow I had noticed during the search. But, it had the problem of being very out of the way; a good mile from the ruined castle that the Elements of Harmony had been hidden in. Once we arrived, Quill turned to me with a smile and said, “Wow, you’ve really outdone yourself this time Stryker!”
“Heh, good luck finding it again” I replied. “But, I’d be willing to bring you out again” I added hastily, noticing the smile fall from his face.
After that, he began writing. It must have been several hours before we started back, since the sky had begun to get dark. There was something very different about the path though. We didn’t notice it until about 15 minutes after we left, but scattered along the path were carvings and pieces of paper hanging in odd spots.
“Heh, ‘don’t look, or it takes you’. Odd note wouldn’t you say?” remarked Quill.
“Yes, and somehow familiar” I said thoughtfully
“Is it just me, or does the path seem to be getting longer?”
“Hmm, we should have passed the castle by now. I’ll fly up and have a look.”
“Good idea.”
I took off, quickly getting above the canopy. That was a mistake I have regretted all my life since, because, in that moment I took off and got above the trees, I heard the unmistakable sound of Quill screaming. I quickly dived to where I had left him, and found myself face-to-face with somepony very different from who I had left earlier. From the first glance, it just looked like really tall earth pony in a suit, but when you get a closer look, you notice that it has no face; no eyes, no nose, no mouth, not even a mane.
This thing was standing 10 feet from where I had left from where I had left Quill, who was now nowhere to be seen. I’m sad to say that I was so scared, I wasn’t able to fly. So I ran. I ran as fast as I could, while trying to avoid trees and fight the fear that kept me from flying. I kept glancing over my shoulder as I ran and saw the thing just three or four trees behind me every time.
As I ran, I began to notice other things; things that weren’t there when Quill and I had walked this way earlier. I saw large trees that looked like skeletal dragon hands, a squat brick building and most ominous of all, an enormous metal tower with a glowing red light on top. Readers, you wouldn’t believe how happy I was when Ponyville came in sight. I quickly ran to my house, and sealed every point of entry into my home before taking a look outside. The thing was gone. But now, I needed to figure out what it was, and what it had done to my friend. First though, I needed sleep. I collapsed on my bed and instantly fell into a dreamless sleep.
“Is it just me or does the path seem to be getting longer?” Quill asked.
“Hmm, we should have passed the castle by now.” I replied.
“Why don’t you fly up and check?”
“Not a bad idea, but I have the strangest feeling that we’re being watched,” I said turning away from Quill. “I don’t know about you, but I think the best the best course of action is to stay togeth-“
“STRYKER! HELP!”
I whipped around and found myself in the grip of some sort of tentacle squeezing the life out of me.
“AGH!”
I awoke screaming the next morning, the memories of the night before still tormenting me. I took a few steadying breathes, trying to still my racing heart. I needed to figure out what had happened, if Quill was alive and what that thing from the night before was, and there was only one pony I could think of who could help; Twilight. But first, I needed a few items. I went to the closet and threw the doors open, only to be buried under the mountain of junk that had accumulated in the closet over the years. Luckily, both of the items I needed (a flash light and a video camera) were sitting on the top of the pile. I grabbed them and, after extricating myself from the mess, I grabbed my saddlebag and tossed my flashlight and camera in. I then went out the door and wound up nose to nose with yet another monstrosity. It was tall, almost as tall as one of the alicorn princesses, minus Twilight of course. It also had a head that seemed way to big for its body and the appearance of wearing a suit. I jumped back in fright and made an impressive impression of Fluttershy.
“Oops, didn’t mean to scare you.”
The creature in front of me shimmered, and then blinked out of existence. In its place stood Princess Twilight, the very pony I needed to see.
“Ahh, Princess, its just you,” I said getting up. “I thought you might have been something I saw last night. Speaking of which, might I borrow a bit of your time?”
“Well, I am on a break, so I suppose. What can I do for you? And please, call me Twilight.” She replied with a smile.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts. “I need your help, but I need you to promise me two things; you can’t repeat anything I’m about to tell you to unless absolutely necessary.”
“Alright, and the second thing?”
“That you will at least try to believe what I’m about to tell you, believe me, I wouldn’t believe me if it hadn’t happened.”
“Ok, I promise to try to believe you”
I took a few steadying breathes and then described everything as best I could, I even made a duplicate of the note Quill had picked up. Twilight just listened, and watched as I paced and talked, her face revealing none of her emotions.
“…and that’s why I need your help. There’s nopony else in all of Ponyville with your amount of knowledge.”
Twilight began pacing, back and forth, mulling it over.
“As you said, I know quite a bit, but nothing you said rings any bells, not even the note. I’m afraid can’t help you with any of my knowledge. But that doesn’t mean I won’t help you. What you described about when you were running matched up with some flashes I saw last week when I conducted my tracking spell to find Scootaloo. I think its quite likely that whatever took Quill took her as well.”
“So, where do we start?” I asked.
Twilight smiled “We start with your introduction; you were so focused on getting my help that you neglected to introduce yourself.”
“Oh, right. My name is Stryker, Sonic Stryker.”