//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: A Strange New World // by Dark Dienen //------------------------------// A Strange New World By Dark Dienen Editing and Proofreading By xZeroSoulx My name is Sartir and I am a Kirin. I make my home atop of the Snowy Mountains, it is a beautiful place. Snow capped mountains surround a lush green valley with a beautiful, crystal clear, blue lake in the middle. As I stand vigil on the cliff that overlooks the valley I feel a great sense of pride and happiness knowing I am one of the few that guard this peaceful place from the threat we all face. The Hunters, a vicious lot that attack us for no reason; carving up our corpses to make their clothes and weapons. We do not know where they come from or why they hunt us. All we know is that if we don’t fight, we will all surely die. It was mid day as I was standing atop the mountain I guarded. I slowly eat some grass I dug up from the snow as a frigid wind sweeps over the mountain top. The last few days have been quiet deathly so, and I have not seen any hunters since I killed one not but three weeks back. His body long since picked clean by those annoying Giaprey and buried by the never ending falling snow. The winds begin to die and I lift my head to feel the gentle breeze now blowing by. As I slowly take in a breath I smell them. Hunters, and they were coming my way fast. I readied myself for battle as three of them came into the area I’m in. The first two drew their weapons and charge at me screaming. One was a lancer as far as I could tell from his weapon. He held a long spear and a shield in his hands as he rushed for me. Quickly I flicked my horn toward the sky and called down lightning from the clouds above and knocked the hunter to the side. As he fell another male jumped over him and tried to slash me with his twin blades. I jumped back just in time to avoid a lethal hit to my front leg. I flicked my horn toward the sky and called lightning down on me. The lightning ran throughout my body and acted as a shield and a weapon to hurt the hunters. I lowered my horn and charged at the blade user. Right as I was about to hit him; he rolled out of the way. Seeing as I missed; I continued my charge running right for the lancer as I saw him drinking something. Right as I tackled him I was hit in the side with a shell that exploded as soon as it hit me. Sending both the hunter and myself flying a few yards away. I cried out in pain as I stood back up. Even with my lightning shield I still took most of the damage from the shell and explosion. I looked to my left shoulder and saw my scales were badly burnt and I was bleeding. She must have used a dragon fire shell. I turned to see a female gunner loading another shell into her gun. I rose onto my hind legs and smashed my front hooves into the ground and sent a trail of lightning flying right at the gunner. When the trail was halfway to the gunner the lancer jumped in front of it with his shield raised. He took the hit and was pushed back a bit but quickly rolled to the side. Once he was out of the way the gunner fired at me again and I side stepped the shell only to be slashed in my right side by the blade user. The lightning shield threw him away once he hit me but his blades still cut me. The cuts were not terribly deep thanks to my scaly hide but they were long and was bleeding. Outraged I showed a bit more of my draconic side and roared to the heavens. The Hunters fell to their knees and covered their ears at the sound of my voice. As they were getting to their feet I built up a lot of power in my horn; rising up and slamming my hooves into the ground again lightning began to randomly hit the ground all over. The lightning managed to hit the blade user and the gunner throwing them a few yards away. The lancer was charging at me again just barely missing the lightning. I built up power in my horn and called down several bolt of lightning around me to make a cage. The lancer tried to stop in time but fail. His weapons were thrown up a bit after he hit the lightning cage and I took this golden opportunity to charge him again knocking him to the ground. I rose up to stomp on him as he lay there and was shot in the gut by another exploding shell. As I was thrown into the air by the explosion; I managed to land on my hooves and slide to a stop. What I did not see was the shock trap they put right in the path of where I would go. As soon as I landed on it the trap shot a odd colored lightning into me. The lightning stunned me and held me where I stood. I looked up to see the lancer and the blade user placing big barriles by me. I tried my hardest to free myself out of fear for I know what those barriles did. If hit they would explode and with four very large ones near me I knew I would be knocked out. Then the Hunters would finish me off at their leisure. Try as I might I could not get free from the grip of the shock trap. I looked up to glare at the Hunters only to see the lancer and blade user running away. Once they were a safe distance away the gunner took aim and fired. Just then everything seemed to slow down around me as my life flashed before my eyes. In that small instance I let a smile creep onto my muzzle for I lived a good, long life. I just looked up into the now beautiful night sky and smiled as the moon shined its light down upon me and I waited for the end. The shell hit one of the barriles and mode it explode. Said explosion cause the other three to detonate as well, creating one massive explosion. Once they exploded I was thrown from the trap and heading right for a ice wall that acted like a mirror. I knew I would surely die once hit it but the strangest thing happened. Instead of hitting a solid slab of ice; I went into it. Once I was inside it looked like a rainbow of colors swirled around me. At one end I could see a light and at the other end the explosion followed soon after. I continued to move toward the light. As I did my whole body began to feel weird as if it were changing. Once I made it through the light I was thrown into a wall. Then the explosion followed soon after. I heard a scream and what sounded like a sheet of ice shattering. Then nothing, nothing at all. I looked around to see I was in some strange cave. All the walls were lined with something I did not recognize. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was a small purple and green baby dragon running over to me. He looked like he was shouting but I could not hear him. Equestria earlier that same day. Celestia’s beautiful sun was just starting to rise over the sleepy little town of Ponyville. The sun’s rays hit the bedroom window of one Twilight Sparkle. The rays crept through the little gap of the drawn curtains and landed on her closed eyes stirring her from her slumber. She tossed and turned trying to go back to sleep because she had been up late studying. Though try as she might she just couldn’t get back to sleep. She slowly got out a bed and stretched out her tired body. Once she was truly awake she could smell the most wonderful food. She looked over to a basket the lay at the foot of her bed and saw that is was empty. She slowly made her way out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen. Where she found her number one assistant hard at work making breakfast. “Good morning Spike! Breakfast smells delicious!” She made her way to the table and took a seat. “Good morning Twi and thanks. It should be ready in just a few minutes.” “So what are you making today Spike?” “Eggs, hay bacon with french toast!” “That sound wonderful Spike.” Soon after he finished making the hay bacon and walked over to the table. He sat down both the plates, took his seat and began eating. They sat there and ate their meal in silence. Once they were done they set the dishes in the sink and Spike started to wash them. Twilight walked back into the library and pulled the same book she was studying last night out so she could finish it. Spike soon finished the dishes and joined Twilight in reading. He had just got his claws on the three newest Power Ponies comics and couldn’t wait to crack them open. After a few hours Spike finished his comics, put them away and stretched out. Right as he was about to say something there as a knock at the door. Without so much as looking up Twilight asked, “Spike will you get the door please? I’m just about finished with this book.” “Sure thing Twi!” He walked over and opened the door to see a delivery pony standing there. He was next to a big package. It was a foot of two taller than Big Mac and just as wide. The funny thing was that it was oval shaped with a big round base. “Ah delivery for Princess Twilight Sparkle?” The pony questionably look down at Spike. “Hey Twi there’s a delivery pony here with something for you and it’s big!” She quickly put down the book and rushed over. “Oh, yay! It’s finally here!” She quickly signed for the package, gave the pony the bag of bits and pulled the package inside. She gave a quick “Thank you!” before shutting the door. The delivery pony stood there very confused for a minute before he counted the bits and look to the paperwork to see if it was the right amount. Satisfied that everything was in order he left down the road with his wagon, whistling a happy tune. Twilight set the package down in the middle of the floor and quickly ripped the rapping off. There stood a big mirror with a beautiful oak stand and dark polish finish. “Oh, wow. It looks even better than I thought it would.” She looked over the mirror very carefully to see if it was damaged during transport. Luckily there was nothing wrong with it. Spike was looking at himself in the mirror then turned to Twilight. “Hey Twi, why did you order a new mirror? Is there something wrong with the one we have in our room?” She smiled down at him. “No Spike there is nothing wrong with the mirror in our room. this mirror is for an experiment I'm going to do today.” “What kind of experiment? Is it going to be dangerous?” He looked at her questionably. “Well I don’t know if it will be dangerous or not Spike, but I will be prepared if it is. The girls will be here with their Elements of Harmony. Plus Celestia and Luna are sending some Royal Guards over just in case things go bad.” “Okay, it’s good to know at least you’re prepared but what is the experiment?” “Do you remember the mirror that took us to that different dimension?” “Of course I do. We had so much fun there and made new friends. You even helped Sunset Shimmer see the error of her ways and got her to make friends.” “Well with all the studying I’ve been doing these past few days I’m going to try to make a mirror like that one but to a different dimension. That’s why I needs this mirror. From what I have learned the spell to make the mirror a dimensional portal can only be done on a full moon night. Like tonight will be but because I don’t have the slightest clue what dimension it will connect us too. I asked Celestia and Luna to send some guards and for the girls to be here too.” “Wow Twilight you really thought is through, but are you sure you’re ready to do this?” “Yes Spike I’m sure. Now would you like to go get the girls with me?” She looked out the window and saw the sun was going down. She then looked to the clock on the wall. “The guards should be here by the time we get back and if you like we can get a treat from Sugarcube Corner on our way back.” Spike eyes went wide at the thought of a treat from Sugarcube Corner. “Really Twilight?” “Of course we can Spike!” She just smiled at him as he hopped onto her back. She then walked out the door into the cool breeze running throughout Ponyville to go get her friends.