The confused pony awoke with gasps of air and screams of terror; she found that her hooves were no longer bound by chains, but that simply gave her more freedom to flail about like a madmare. For some reason, a white blanket had been placed over her, but it simply flew off with the uncontrollable tantrum of fear. She felt the arms of restriction try and pin her down, but the memory of kicking and striking came rushing back to her, and she struggled all the more.
"Hold still! What're you doing?", said the restricting pony. The panicked pony continued to resist the arms that were now surprisingly weak. Then it registered in her head that the voice she had heard was different from the deep, harsh tones of her kidnappers. That alone was not reason enough to end her fit, so she continued to struggle, even if only a bit softer. She let out screams of terror.
"Let me go! Let me go!", she screamed. She eventually broke free of the other pony's hold, and leaped off of the soft bed she had woken up upon. When she turned around, she was surprised to see a pony she'd never seen before standing on the opposite side of the bed. This foreign pony was dressed up not in the red outfits that the abductors had worn, but in a stark-white lab coat and a huge pair of glasses. His hair was blue and wavy, and his eyes were some of the greenest she'd ever seen. It was hard to tell where the lab coat ended and his skin began, because of his own stark-white skin. The most notable thing about him, though, was his horn. It was regular size and shape for an average unicorn, but there were black circuit-shaped lines running over it with a metallic luster.
"There's no need to be scared anymore. You're safe with us now." He turned to a table on the far end of the room and lifted a glass of water with this magic. His horn did not glow like it should have, but the black circuitry glowed the same color blue that donned his hair, and blue lines in a similar pattern formed around the cup as it levitated into the air. He directed the cup close to her mouth. "Here. I know you can't use magic yet. Go ahead and drink up." Even though not entirely within trusting the strange unicorn, she began to drink the water slowly. The sensation of quenching an incredible thirst caught up to her, and she swigged the remaining water in no time at all. The colt set the cup down on the table and began to step slowly toward her.
"Don't worry. The Purists won't hurt you anymore. We saved you from that awful place, and now you're safe and sound here in Everfree Laboratories." Even if she was comforted by these softly-spoken words, she was still in fear of anything that moved. She began to back away from the strange colt.
"Please, don't come any closer." She started to cower in a corner that she had backed into. The colt was still attempting to approach her, albeit at a slower rate. She jumped up in an offensive stance and pointed her horn at him. "I...said....NO CLOSER!" She attempted to shoot some magic spell at him, but again, her horn did nothing. Not even in a panic, it would provide no magical assistance. She kept trying with all her might, not even focusing on the colt anymore. He stepped in beside her as tears began to flow from her eyes. He put his arms around her and started to rock her back and forth. She buried her head in his shoulder and began to sob.
"What's wrong with me?!", she yelled passed her tears.
The colt started rubbing her back to calm her down. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong with you. I know it hurts, losing your magic. I lost mine only three years ago, but it's something I do not regret. Just wait. We'll get you fixed up in no time." He held up her head so that she could see his face, and smiled at her. She ceased in her crying and smiled back through a tear-soaked face.
"What's....what's your name?", she asked.
"Aerum. Aerum Sarieus."
"Aerum...." She wrinkled her brow in confusion. "I've never heard a name like that before. It's still a lovely name, though. My name is..."
"Twilight Sparkle.", the colt interrupted. "Yes, I know who you are."
Twilight looked back at Aerum with a look of shock. "How could you possibly know who I am?"
"Well, you see, there was a team assembled here at the facility to...oh, what am I doing? Netirius Whooves can explain it better than I can." He began to walk over to the door. "Wait here, Twilight. I'll be right back with the stallion who can give you some answers."
"Oh...ok." Twilight sat down on the bed as Aerum shut the door behind him. She waited there for a few minutes, and was starting to grow impatient. Her mind began to wander beyond the original questions she had held; first and foremost what exactly was going on with Aerum's horn. Her thoughts were interrupted by the distinct sound of her stomach growling. She tried to dismiss it for the sake of remembering what the last thing she did was, before the whole courtroom incident. She remembered sitting in some sort of law-enforcement confinement facility for a few hours before trial, but what came before that? She strained to recall the image of a room much like this one, where she awoke with several ponies standing over her. But what had she awoken from? She couldn't even get a single image to come up of what had caused her to fall asleep before being awoken, but her efforts were cut short by the sound of the door opening. In stepped a brown pony with brown, unkempt hair, wearing a black formal suit. Opening the door for him was Aerum.
"Excuse me, Aerum. I need to be alone with Twilight for a moment." He nodded his head at Aerum.
"Yes sir, of course. I'll be in medical storage if you need me." He left, but not before smiling at Twilight.
"Now, Miss Twilight Sparkle, I presume?" Twilight nodded her head. "You don't know how relieved I am to learn that you've been returned safely to the laboratories. You've been missing for weeks, and we were beginning to fear that we'd never find you alive."
"Please, sir, I just want to know why I'm here." Her stomach growled again. Whooves raised his eyebrow at her and smiled.
"Perhaps I can explain over breakfast, if you care to join me." He gestured toward the door and raised his eyebrows in a friendly manner. Twilight was shaky about leaving the room, but her stomach growled again, and she conceded to follow Dr. Neterius Whooves. She stepped out of the room, letting Whooves shut the door behind her. A long, well-lit hallway stretched to both her left and her right, with several doors lining either side. Her stares were cut off by the stallion walking in front of her. "This way please." She followed him to the left, down the hall and eventually to a set of double doors. He stopped and raised his hoof up to a device that Twilight had never seen before. She noticed several buttons on it, with every button being labeled with a number. Whooves punched in a sequence of numbers, and the door swung open on its own. A strangely serene voice echoed from the device. "Welcome, Doctor Neterius." She followed him into the large room that lay beyond the doors, and was surprised yet again when the doors shut by themselves one they had entered. The entire room was dark at first, but once Whooves walked in far enough, the entire place lit up and seemed to come to life. Strange screens that displayed several confusing images sprang forth in smooth motions from the walls. The walls themselves were of the same black metallic substance that lined Aerum's horn.
"Wow. This is the strangest use of magic I've ever seen." Twilight looked around her in absolute wonder.
Whooves chuckled to himself. "I thought you wouldn't assume that this was magic, Miss Sparkle. This wonderful room is the result of several centuries of technological innovation and scientific progress. You would know since you pioneered the concept of science."
A flood of memories came back to Twilight. She herself had been a famous unicorn; not just because of her mastery of magic, but for her groundbreaking research into the world in which the ponies lived. She had revealed that the world worked according to certain laws by recording and analyzing common events in nature. But then......she wondered.......what happened to her? "Dr. Whooves, how did I end up here? Why am I here?" Her expression turned solid and grave.
Whooves sighed. "You are the product of the cutting edge understanding of biology and neurotechnology. You died a great amount of time ago - perhaps two and half centuries - and we have brought you back to life using in-depth DNA analysis and physiological drafting machines." He walked to one of the screens and pressed his hoof up against the black wall. A blue light emanated from the spot he touched, and the image on the screen changed. He walked over to the large monitor that stretched across the wall behind his desk, and pressed on the wall again. This time, a circle of red light lit up, and projected a semi-transparent image of a red keyboard. Whooves seemed to be able to type on it without his hooves going through. The image on the smaller screen compressed, and shot across the wall as a small red line, ending its path with the big monitor, then stretching out again to fit the screen. "You need to see this, Twilight." He pressed the 'enter' key, and the entire room went black again, except for the big screen. Twilight was astonished by what was happening. It was as if she could see the real moving moving through the screen, as if it were a window.
"How are you doing this?", she asked.
"It's called a video, Twilight. We record events from real life, and we are able to replay them through videos. Now, watch."
She looked back up to the monitor, and saw the words "Project Ascendance: Reconstruction" scroll across the screen. She saw a group of ponies in lab coats carrying a white capsule into a room with a metal table on it. A mare's voice started to play over the video.
"This is Doctor Sentara, head of the Reconstruction Stage. We've located the body of the Vessel, and have spent two grueling months trying to get the family's permission to use the body. Now that we have it, we may begin reconstruction immediately. We might actually have a chance this time." The scientists set the capsule down on the table, and started connecting tubes to it. A colorless fluid began to run from containers on the walls into the capsule. "Ok, now we need to wait for a day or two before we can open the capsule.", said one of the scientists. The video cut off and picked up later, right before they opened the capsule. They circled around it, and then pressed a few buttons all around the edges of the container. It made a loud hissing noise, and steam came bursting out. After it cleared, Twilight could see the skeleton of a pony laying within the padded interior. It was extremely clean. They began to use strange tools to open up the bones, and collect samples of the dried marrow that lay within.
"We've collected some of the genetic information from the bone marrow that's been so remarkably preserved over the years. So well preserved, in fact, that a complete genome sequence was able to be compiled from less than ten samples. Fate seems to be on our side." Twilight noticed that the entire skeleton was white, except for the horn that donned it. It was purple. Not a faded purple, but the same color it was before the unicorn had died. They were extremely careful in the process of removing it from the skull. Once it was free from its position on the forehead, they set it down inside a secure container, and closed it. "The horn has shown the most surprising trait of the entire corpse: it does not seem to have decayed in the slightest bit. True, unicorn horns decay much slower than the rest of the skeleton structure, but this....this is different."
The video cut off again, and the next sequence showed a glass tank filled with semi-transparent red liquid. Inside, she could make out the image of what appeared to be a small pony, hooked up to the bottom of the tank by a black tube. The date and time that sat at the bottom of the video began to speed up in its progression, and the small pony inside the tank began to grow extremely rapidly. Over the course of four days, the pony had grown from a pre-birth stage into the stage just passed adolescence. The next sequence showed the scientists draining the tank of its fluid and taking the soaking slimy pony out. She saw, as she expected, that the pony within looked just like herself, but without either a cutie mark or a horn. She awoke in a feral fit of rage, and began to fling her arms at the scientists while releasing roars of violence. They pinned her down and sedated her with a syringe. Once she was unconscious, they picked her up and set her down on a table. They poked a long metal needle connected to a machine by a cord into the back of her head, and then turned on the machine. Her body suddenly tensed up and started convulsing, but the scientists simply stood there until the machine had run its course, then they took the needle out and set to repairing the cranial wound.
"We now have a complete copy of the Vessel. She should look, act, remember, and think like the original subject did. The entire process has run so smoothly, we don't even expect there to be any complications. As we suspected, analysis of her horn suggests that the Tiranium Core within has completely lost connection with the planet's magic. We can reattach the horn, but we will need to perform the standard modification surgery so that she can use her magic once more." The video lapsed over and showed some different ponies in red outfits restraining the scientists. "Where is she?!", shouted one of them to the scientists. The scientist simply looked back up at the colt with an angered countenance. "We will not allow you to ruin our only chance against you monsters." He then spat in the outfitted pony's face. The receiver of this insult struck the scientist across the face with a devastating blow, knocking him out. The video then showed a group of the Purists breaking down the door into the room that the now sane pony was being kept. She couldn't seem to remember this moment, but she awoke and began to struggle against them. They were able to pin her up against a wall, and were about to beat her to death, but a shadow faded into the doorway. "Do not kill her. We will need her alive.", said a mare's voice. The voice sounded so oddly familiar to Twilight, but she couldn't place her hoof on its bearer. The Purists dropped Twilight to the ground, and left the room without another word.
"This is my last log on the project, which I fear is left incomplete. The entire team of scientists working under me have been restrained and captured by the Purists, and I fear that they are coming for me next. This video transmission is being sent to the main laboratory complex to summarize the overall progress we've made on the reconstruction of the Vessel. I must disappear so that my knowledge of Project Ascendance will not fall into the wrong hands. Please, Doctor Neterius, find Twilight Sparkle, and complete the work that we have failed to bring into finality." The video ended there, leaving a black screen before Twilight's eyes, which were again filled with tears.
"So....so I'm just a copy of the real Twilight Sparkle?" Her voice quivered with contempt.
Doctor Whooves stepped forward. "No, no Twilight. Physically, you are simply a copy. But psychologically, you are a continuation of your passed life. Every bit of your memory, experience, and knowledge has been rebuilt within your brain. Everything you knew, including people, places, events, and material, up until your death, has been downloaded into your brain. You're body may be different, but inside, it's still the same you."
"Why me then?! Why are you going through so much trouble to resurrect me, and not some other pony?!"
"Because, Twilight, you're understanding of the magical ties all ponies have to our planet has not arisen since your death. Your knowledge on the subject died along with you, and we need that knowledge now more than ever." He put his hoof on her shoulder. "Please, Twilight. You are the only hope we have of surviving this era of persecution. Lend your strength of mind so that we can live into the future without the constant threat of the Purists."
Twilight sighed and bowed her head. "But I'm just one mare. I don't know anything about this time or how any of your technology works. How am I supposed to help you if I'm essentially 250 years behind the curve?"
Whooves smiled at her. "If there's one thing I'm certain of, Twilight, it's that you...", he pressed his hoof against her chest, "...you will have no trouble learning all there is to know about this time and place. I see the spark of infinite curiosity behind your eyes and the eternal depth of the yearn to learn in your expression." He started to walk out of his office; the screens and lights began to power down. "Now, you must meet the other scientists involved in Project Ascendance, over breakfast, of course." Twilight remembered her hunger, and eagerly made to follow him. The double doors shut behind them, and the serene voice said, "Good day, Doctor Neterius."
***
Twilight's face was absolutely covered with food. The other scientists were extremely amused with the vigorous method with which she consumed her breakfast, and just kept handing her one plate after another.
"Golly, Twilight, being dead for 200 years sure does stir up an appetite.", said one of the scientists at the table.
"250 years, Aeon.", interjected another scientist. "I would think so, especially since she's cleaned up four plates full of food, and she's working on her fifth.
Twilight looked up for a moment. "I've never felt this hungry before! It's been killing me all morning, but it's not going to be a problem anymore." She bit into a piece of toast. After she had finished half of the fifth plate, and decided that she was full enough. She cleaned up her face, and peaked over the cloth she was using to see Aerum and Whooves walking into the cafeteria together. "Aerum!", she shouted, "It's good to see you again!" She tried to lift up a glass with her magic, but promptly realized that there was still no magic, and ceased trying.
"I see you've found your way to the breakfast table, at last.", said Aerum. "Don't worry, you won't have to put up with being magicless for too much longer."
"Would someone explain to me why my magic isn't working in the first place?", she asked.
The pony called Aeon spoke up. "Well, for starters, your horn hasn't been reattached yet, if you haven't noticed." Twilight looked up in shock to realize that she hadn't noticed her horn's absence at all. "You see," continued Aeon, "you and the scientists of Reconstruction were captured by the Purists before they could finish rebuilding you. Luckily, we have your horn in a safe location. You're due to have it reattached once you regain your strength, which should only take a few days."
Twilight beamed. "So then I'll have my magic back?"
"Yes...well no....it's complicated. Your horn's Tiranium Core is essentially useless. After you died, it lost connection with this world's magic. We have to perform a modification surgery to restore it's functionality."
"What's a Tiranium Core?", asked Twilight.
"You wrote about a black metallic substance that you had found from dissecting deceased unicorn's horns within the interior. You didn't name the substance, but presently, it's called Tiranium. Turns out, this metal is what allows unicorns to utilize Equestria's magic. Once a unicorn dies, however, the connection is severed, and to our knowledge, there is no way to reestablish connection." Twilight looked around at all of the scientists. The ones that were unicorns had the same circuit lines on their horns that Aerum had. "The Tiranium lines on the exterior of our horns is the result of our modification procedure, which is necessary to restore a dead horn's function."
"But, if none of you have died, then how come your connections to the planet have been severed?", she asked.
Aerum sat down beside her. "That, Twilight, is the sad reality of the times we live in. There is one pony who can alter and change the magic of the planet because of her god-like mastery of it. We scientists began to drift away from the notion that magic was the only way to explain things after your observations of nature were published, and this pony didn't like such insubordination of her control. She uses the planet's magic to maintain harmony and peace among all Equine races, which is a good thing, but she finds it dangerous to question the absolute of magic. Ponies not too long after your time began to do just that, so since she had control of the planetary magic, she cut us off from it, and seeks to bring us back into her influence. Her closest supporters are those who belong to a group called the Natural Magic Purists, and they are the radicals that seek to kill one of us "Deadhorns" even just by spotting us in the street. However, the genius mind of Doctor Neterius Whooves discovered a loophole in the way that Tiranium connects to the planet. Since his discovery, we've taken advantage of that loophole by modifying our horns."
Twilight began to piece it all together. Her Purist kidnappers' outfits flashed into memory. They bore the Royal Suncrest of Princess Celestia. She looked at Aerum. "So......so the mare who we're fighting against is....." She didn't want to say the name aloud.
Aerum cut in. "Yes, it's her. I'm sorry you have to know that, Twilight, but there is no other way."
"I won't fight against my mentor! She's the greatest pony in all of Equestria! How could she be doing these awful things to all of you?!", she yelled.
Aerum sighed and looked at the ground. "She does good things for the ponies that are under her influence. She takes care of them and makes sure that they never fight with one another. But she finds it wrong to question magic as the core process of the universe, so she intends to bring us back under her rule, where we would live in harmony with everyone else, but we would also be blind, ignorant slaves to her will. No matter how benevolent of a ruler you are, you turn into a tyrant when you force your way of thinking upon your subjects." Twilight simply remained silent, never having heard anypony speak this way about Princess Celestia.