Princess Celestia sat in her throne, observing the vista that lay before her. She had seen this landscape countless times, and, in fact, spent most of her time looking at it. However, this moment was one she had anticipated for some time now. Summoning divine magic from within, Celestia drew forth a great day. And truly, the day would be great, for today is the day the great journey begins. There was no time to lose; as a chilly breeze swept through Canterlot, Celestia brought forth the radiant sun, powerful and awesome.
~ * ~
The two champions entered the hall, as Cadence approached the doorway. "I've been looking all over for you, Noble!" She said, in an annoyed manner.
Noble sat down in a nearby chair, addressing Cadence with the response, "Celestia asked us to venture to the north lands, to await another champion. The champion of Night, I fear. " Replied Noble, looking intently out of the Office window.
Cadence thought for a moment, then asked, "So the time of the Great Quest is upon us?".
"I'm afraid so." Responded Noble.
Looking up to the roof, Cadence peered out of the sky light. The quest that she had heard of in hushed whispers when she was younger was upon Equestria, and not a single lost soul could mend the seals that have been broken by the Champions being selected. Cadence looked back to Lyra, who had been excluded from the conversation up until now.
"And you are a champion, then?" Asked Cadence, gesturing at Lyra.
"Yes. The Champion of Earth, apparently. " Lyra said, grinning. Something about the title pleased her.
Cadence turned to the window and sighed. "The northlands are fierce, and the Champion you find, be it one of Night or Judgment, will be as wild as the lands themselves. Take rest, then head to the crags." Said Cadence, dismissing the two.
Before he went, Noble turned to Cadence and asked, "How do you know that they aren't the Champion of Passion? ".
"Because," Responded Cadence, "I already guessed who that is", as she trotted away, smiling.
Noble trotted into the vacant hub room outside the Office. Light filtered in from a window at one end of the room. As he took a moment to think about what had happened during the past three days, his mind wandered to Ambershine's whereabouts. Just as Noble was about to turn and ask Cadence where the filly was, Ambershine stepped into the room from the door Noble had come in from. She approached Noble.
"Hi." She said, as she trotted over to Noble.
Noble's heart relaxed as he felt the comfort of the young filly's embrace. As a matter of fact, his heart almost melted. Hugging Ambershine, Noble asked "How are you, Ambershine?" as he stroked her mane.
"I'm doing alright." said Ambershine, smiling as the two hugged.
The two then left the embrace and moved into the room where Cadence had been. She had left the room momentarily, but Lyra was still in there.
"She left to go find an old tome of hers regarding the Tablets." said Lyra, gesturing to where Cadence had gone.
Noble peered out the window that stood facing Canterlot. Of course, one couldn't see Canterlot from the window. That would be preposterous. No, this window faced the direction of Canterlot, to honor the hearth of Equestria, and the birthplace of the Celestial Reign. Sunlight crept onto the meadow that laid between the Office and the Woodland beyond. Past that, the forest transitioned into icy crags and frozen wastes. The landscape around the Crystal Empire was ever changing, but reflected the true nature of Ponykind: Hardy, Strong, and... Wait, where did Ambershine wander off to?
"Did you see where Ambershine went?" Noble asked Lyra.
"No. I was looking out the window, at that meadow." said Lyra, pointing out the glass pane.
Noble grunted. The little rascal is probably playing some form of hide and seek.
"Alright, Ambershine, you can come out now!" exclaimed Noble, attempting to find the filly. No dice.
Noble walked outside the Office hub and into the hallway. Lyra followed him. Cadence approached from around a corner further down the hallway.
"Hey, Cadence, have you seen Ambershine?" asked Lyra, searching the long corridor for the small filly.
"No, I haven't, but I did find the book. Maybe we should read it sometime soon?" asked Cadence, suspending the volume before her with her magical aura.
Noble motioned to the others. "Come on, we should look for her.".
The three searched the Office and the Royal Quarters directly connected to it for Ambershine. After searching the top levels of the building, they moved to the bottom levels, until they reached the Royal Archives.
"I say we contact the guards, and order them to search for her." suggested Cadence.
"I agree. We're better off with many bodies searching for her rather than just us three." responded Noble, walking back towards the Archive entrance.
"I suppose I should put this back, then..." said Cadence, carrying the worn book back to the archive shelf she had retrieved it from. Suddenly, she lost her balance and the book was sent flying through the air. It landed in front of Lyra.
"Are you alright, Princess?" asked Noble, rushing to Cadence's side. Lyra lingered near the opened text.
Noble assisted the embarrassed Nobility to her hooves. "Thank you, Noble." she said, performing a curtsy.
Cadence approached Lyra, who appeared to be fascinated with the great amount of text that laid before her. As Lyra gleaned the information within the book, Cadence asked, "Is it any help?".
"Yes... it is. Wait, hold on, let me just read this paragraph..." said Lyra, motioning for the other two to stop for a moment. "Huh. Apparently each Champion is to acquire a Squire, and that squire will champion something similar to their respective Champion's aspect." said Lyra, looking up at the two.
Noble Cause considered the information he had just been told. "Maybe we should hold onto that book after all.".
Lyra skimmed a couple of pages further into the book. It really was a shame, not reading all the pages, but time permitted nothing more. Unintentionally, she stumbled onto a passage which she had not anticipated:
"Each Champion, in addition to being able to invoke the essences of their respective realms, can actually bring forth content from within their realms. Content, of course, not being only limited to stone and water; Content also inclusive of Living beings, Philosophies, and entire Concepts. However, no great power granted by the Tablets comes without drawbacks. Each Champion, by nature of their Aspect, is imbued with a great flaw; a Hubris of some sort. It would be wise of the party of Champions to discern the flaws of each other early on, and act accordingly, to avoid tragedy."
Lyra blinked. "Strange. Apparently each of us, along with our 'conjuration', come with some innate flaw that could possibly lead to our downfalls." she explained, shutting the tome.
Cadence trotted over to her. "Oh, I almost forgot; the interesting part of the book, which led me to bring it to your attention, is just after that, where it explains the Spells each Champion should learn. Each spell comes with a version accessible by all the different kinds of ponies, including Pegasi and Earth Ponies."
Lyra checked the next few pages. Well, Cadence certainly wasn't lying. For each Aspect, there was a list of spells, beginning with the easiest spell that the Champion should learn first, and ending with the most difficult spells, only used by the Champions in times of great need. Lyra's curiosity got the best of her, as she looked at the Champion of Earth's Spell Section. The list began with a very simple spell indeed; the spell in itself was actually constantly being cast by the Champion of Earth, without consent. The spell was simply named "Humanity", and it had no listed effect.
"Huh." said Lyra, flipping to the next page, to more intermediate spells. Lyra examined one spell that caught her eye. "Summon Human", it said. To perform the spell, one requires only a channeling of Magical Energy and focus on the nature of Humanity. The only negative drawback to the spell is its permanence; it's apparently irreversible, so whoever the caster summons should probably get comfortable with Equestria.
Lyra was curious. She began channeling her magic into what she believed to be humanity.
"Lyra, what are you doing?" asked Cadence, from the other side of the room. Reality distorted near Lyra, as a tunnel formed between worlds...
~ * ~
William sat on his bed, looking at the formidable pack of cards that laid before him. He had been playing Magic, the Gathering for almost three years now, and a good Booster Box from a set long since out of standard play was just what he needed to relax from the pressures reality had been giving him recently. Surely, only a couple of people in 2015 would be willing to buy a Shards of Alara Booster Box, but William happened to be one of them.
Tearing off the plastic cover of the box, he looked at the other four booster boxes from other sets he'd ordered as well. "Surely I could be spending my money on better things in life." he laughed, as he opened the Box's top and pulled out the first of 36 Booster packs. "Here we go!" he said, excitedly.
Angelsong. Huh. Well, at Common, what do you really expect? Nothing special, though William had liked the Cycling Mechanic ever since he'd first heard of it. He put the card onto the drawer next to his bed, symbolizing its basic status.
He went through the commons of the pack fairly quickly, considering that none of them were all that special. However, his Uncommons were at least something to be fascinated at. A Bull Ceradon, a Grixis Charm, and a Corpse Connoisseur. All pretty fun cards in themselves. William readied himself for his rare, or, if he's lucky, a Mythic Rare.
Ooze Garden. Of all the rares, why Ooze Garden? said William, looking at the card, smiling. He stowed the card in his Trade Binder; Dollar Rares are at least worth, well, a dollar.
William took the opportunity granted by finishing of browsing the pack to look around his room. He sighed. Magic Cards and Ponies all the way around, and not a single article of care peppered in anywhere. The life of a fan was good. Magic and Ponies, though mutually exclusive, were all that William's life was based around. However conceited that sounded, it really isn't that bad; hoping to someday visit Equestria, regardless of consequence, is an ideal that more people should have. Then William thought of 4Chan, and /mlp/, and how disputed the entirety of the fandom was. He was reminded of how much he loved the people who were regulars on the board, but then thought of what a depressing display of fandom they exhibited, one in which the show is a Ride that one cannot get off of.
The thought is rather silly; William could stop watching the show at any time. No, actually, that was a lie; he couldn't, really, but it's nice to think that he could.
As William began to lift the next pack in front of him, preparing to open it, he looked back down and... "Wait, what is this blinding light? Oh, goddammit! Why did I have to die? How did I even die?!? It was a heart attack, wasn't it? I knew I shouldn't have eaten all that Chili!" he exclaimed, as he was taken from one reality to the next.
~ * ~
"So, listen, I can explain the whole 'Clopping' thing, God, just give me a chance..." said William, as he adjusted his eyes from the enveloping light. He looked around. It appeared as though he was in an Archive of some sort, with books around him. The air smelled of dust and stone. "Huh. Or is this purgatory? Yeah, I kind of figured." said William, as he turned around. He took notice of the three ponies, now staring at him, jaws agape. William swiveled back around. "Heaven it is. Thank you, God.".
William turned back around to greet the ponies. All but Cadence were still awestruck by the human's size. William noticed them one by one. Cadence; yeah, sure. It's not like she was anypony that William had come to like to any great extent. Next was an unnamed stallion, a guard or something by the looks of his stature. The third pony was... oh hell yes.
William knelt before the turquoise pony. "Lyra! Oh, my god, Lyra, it's you!" he exclaimed, raising his fists to the roof. Lyra stood, unable to think of what to say.
William began chugging Lyra's cheeks as he made the dumbest face, the kind that you make when you see the most adorable thing that you've ever seen, which was the case for William.
Cadence stifled a laugh. "Wh... what are you?" she asked, tickled by the thing's conduct.
"What?" he asked, confused. Suddenly, he thought of his situation. "Oh, right. Because... i'm in Equestria... and you don't know about... ... ..." he trailed off, addressing the Princess. He got back on subject. "I am a human. I am from the planet Earth. I am pretty sure that I died, and that this is paradise, at least for me.".
"You don't seem dead." Noble Cause said, examining William.
"Well, yeah. Like, moreover I think this is my Spiritual manifestation. I mean, honestly, this is Equestria. How could I exist in Equestria? Unless..." William said, coming to a realization.
"Maybe Equestria wasn't as far away as I had thought it to be." he said, looking at Lyra.
"Do you have a name?" Lyra asked, staring at William.
"William." he said, as he noticed that some of his belongings had been brought with him. Even the Magic Cards. Hell yes.
"Well, William..." said Cadence, as she struggled to pronounce the name, which was irregular to Pony nomenclature. "How much do you know about us?" she said, smiling at the Tall Human. William chuckled.
William then related everything that he had ever learned about the World of Equestria. From the most general specifics, to the simplest fan inquiries, he covered it all. Well, not all of it. He excluded the rather disgraceful parts of the fandom.
"Oh, also, you said something about clopping when you first got here. Does that mean anything to you?" Cadence asked, curiously looking at the Human.
"Nope. Probably just some random side effect of being pulled from another reality. I have no idea what clopping is. Totally." William said, looking away from Cadence, blushing.
"Nonetheless," said Noble Cause, approaching William, "You seem to know enough about Equestria to help us in our quest.". William became curious.
"What Quest?" he asked, scratching his head.
"You see," said Noble, clearing his throat; "There are four realms that border Equestria. They are not necessarily Physical Manifestations, but moreso parallel realities, accessible largely in part through a respective Champion, who bears the strengths and characteristics of their realm. I am the Champion of Passion, Lyra is the Champion of Earth, and Celestia is the Champion of Judgement, as far as we have discerned." he said, pacing about.
"However, we have yet to find the champion of the Fourth Bordering realm, the Champion of Night. The Champion is likely in the Frozen Norths, however, and will find us when we travel there soon. After all the Champions are united, we shall study further into the other planes, travel to them, and attempt to reconstitute some sort of border between worlds. Until then, Equestria stands open to invasion at any point in time." Noble said, coming to a stop.
William scratched his chin. He was looking at Noble, but couldn't help but notice Lyra in the corner of his eyes. "I'll help you. It's just..." said William, hesitating.
"It's just what?" asked Cadence, attentively.
"Lyra, you're far too adorable for me to focus when serious shit like this happens." William said, scratching Lyra's chin. She actually began to kick her leg softly, akin to a dog. William was overcome with Lyra's potent adorability.
As William continued petting Lyra, Cadence addressed the group. "... So should we go find Ambershine now?".
"Who?" asked William.
"A little Orphan Filly that Noble Cause here found outside a destroyed village." Cadence said, responding to William.
"Oh, okay, sure." said William. "Let me just gather my belongings. By the way, is there anyplace I could... like, store this stuff away? Like, a room I could stay in, or a corner of a room, or like, a two foot square I could live in?" William asked Cadence.
"Oh, certainly. There's room in the spare room that Noble Cause and Ambershine are staying in for you too." Cadence said, bowing.
William guessed that the packs would have to wait, as he loaded his cabinet, the multiple booster boxes, and some other random articles onto a cart that had been laying nearby, and pulled it out towards his new living quarters.
The air smelled of Welcome and Reprieve, as William walked down the hall towards his new room. However, this was not only a new room to William, but a new life. The Ponies, of course, would be unsure about William for some time, and would even reject him for his different characteristics from time to time, but this bright new world held promise that Earth could not ever satisfy. Everything seemed okay, even with Earth lost. After all, Lyra's skill could eventually grant William access to Earth, where he would visit as a hero to his friends.
William placed his belongings beside his bed, as he sat down on it. Suddenly, he looked over at another bed in the room, and saw a filly taking a nap. That must be Ambershine, William thought. No wonder Noble Cause saved her, the kid's adorable.
As William sat, he sighed. Suddenly, Ambershine woke up, terrified at the sight of the Strange being before her. "Ogre! It's an Ogre! Aaaahhhhh!!!" she screamed, backing up against her bedpost. William's mind felt like causing a little bit of mischief.
"Oi, Laddeh, What are you doin' in mah swamp?!?" William exclaimed, as he smiled maniacally at the filly. "I'm gonna eat ya!" He roared, as he chased the flighty filly out of the room.
About a minute later, Noble Cause carried the shaken Filly back into the room.
"... Amber, he's a Human, not an Ogre. Ogres are big and smelly." Noble Cause said, placing the Filly onto her bed.
"But he is big and smelly!" Ambershine remarked, pointing at William.
"That's not very nice." William said, smiling.
Cadence and Lyra followed Noble into the room.
"So, the Quest." said Lyra, sighing.
"Yeah." said Noble Cause, looking at his fellow ponies and William. Everyone was just standing around.
"I'll stay and watch Ambershine." said Cadence, trotting over to the filly. She sat down on the bed, next to the Filly, who calmed down in her presence.
"You three should head off soon. Grab whatever supplies you find necessary, then venture to the Frozen Norths." said Cadence, bidding the three farewell.
They went into the storerooms, and began the task of packing for the journey ahead, unsure of what the future held...
~ * ~
The Marvelous Sun spreads its ancient veins across a jagged landscape. Oh, how, after an endless night, the Dark of Heart yearns to see a lovely day. The Zealot shambles onward, hungry, desolate, and abandoned. Not alone in nature, mind you; the spirit of darkness exists within all, just waiting to be exploited. No; the Zealot has not seen a pony since his awakening. Such a shame; after all his isolation in a realm of total darkness, he has such insights to share with all of Equestria. Such magnificence to profess, and so many lives to change in the name of Celestia, the Zealot's one true purpose in life, after all this time. The Zealot peered across a plain of clouds from atop the steep mountain peak, as Ichor drained from his cloth wrapped eyes. Though not chosen as the Champion of Night, the Zealot will certainly do his cause proud. Celestia needs his services.
The Day cannot exist without Night, after all.