Tommy was bored. Bored, bored, bored. He was starting to wonder if ‘bored to death’ was more than just something people said when there was nothing to do. His mind had already begun to wander half an hour earlier after Mom had strongly encouraged him to behave himself since they were all invited as guests of honor to whatever boring place this was. At first it was exciting to be in a real castle but then the adults started talking and never seemed to stop. Tommy had glossed over the details but apparently it had something to do with the sister he had never met.
That thought brought a new round of grumbles from the boy. Mom talked about Tommy’s sister like she was a saint, but he knew better. Billy, Tommy’s oldest brother, had a seemingly endless supply of stories about how they would get into trouble almost daily. When he had asked how the two seemingly got away with everything despite getting caught by Mom, he would merely pat Tommy on the head and answer, “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
When he was older. Tommy had learned to hate those words. He was twelve years old. Twelve! He understood a lot about the world but everyone insisted on treating him like a little kid. It aggravated him to no end.
As Tommy’s family and a bunch of other people slowly marched their way through the hallway, Tommy caught sight of his salvation. An old wooden door sat slightly ajar just to the side of the hallway, and the corridor beyond it was dark and mysterious. It promised adventure and treasure and anything but boredom, just like in those Daring Do books that the exchange students brought with them that Tommy wasn’t interested in at all. Nope.
When the moment was right, Tommy slipped out of the crowd and snuck through the open doorway. No shouts or scolding chased him into the darkness, so he took a moment to fish his little flashlight out of his pocket and started making his way deeper into the gloom. The floors were polished marble and the walls were so spotlessly white that a significant portion of the area was lit up wherever the flashlight beam travelled. Aside from the lack of illumination, the hallway looked almost identical to the one he had just left.
Despite the monotony of the hallways, it increasingly felt like an adventure to wander them in the dark. Tommy had always loved exploring abandoned buildings, of which there were plenty in his neighborhood, but a castle? Seeing the looks on his friends’ faces back home when he told them about this story would totally be worth the scolding Mom and Billy would give him.
The darkened corridors continued for several more minutes before Tommy spotted something rather strange. Multicolored light from the next room spilled out into the darkness of the hallway which practically begged Tommy to investigate. The soft sounds of his sneakers echoed down the forgotten corridor as he entered the room, followed by the clatter of his flashlight as it slipped from his fingers. He didn’t register the loss of his cherished exploration tool as all of his attention was captured by what he now saw.
The hallway he had found had walls and ceiling composed entirely of stained glass windows. Tommy was vaguely reminded of the one time he and his family had gone to church and looking up at the massive scenes in tinted glass there. The painful memories of seeing Mom cry and Billy try not to surfaced briefly before fading back as Tommy stared up at the windows. His mind buzzed with several conflicting lines of thought as he recognized several shapes and figures in the windows from the news. He also tried to wrap his mind around just how all the windows were lit up as though the sun were shining directly upon them despite th—
“Excuse me,” a voice announced behind Tommy which nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. “This area is off limits. Are you lost?”
The voice was stern and filled with authority, and Tommy turned to face the scolding that would no doubt come. A unicorn stood in the entrance to the stained glass hallway wearing a dark blue suit that stated ‘security guard’ better than the small patches on the shoulders. A tan coat and a white mane only added to his forgettable appearance, and the dark sunglasses hiding his eyes was simply overkill.
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir,” Tommy said politely. The last thing he needed was a further scolding from Mom for being rude after being caught.
“Oh, don’t worry about being in trouble,” the guard said with a slight grin. Tommy’s flashlight slowly levitated upwards long enough for the boy to take it before the guard continued. “Humans are curious creatures. Far be it from me to criticize you for your nature. In fact it’s one of the things I admire about your people.”
Tommy wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he simply remained silent as he pocketed his flashlight and stared.
“Come on. I’ll take you back to your family,” the guard pony offered before he looked at the tinted glass himself and smiling mischievously. “Or perhaps you’d like to hear the story behind all this glass? Don’t tell me you thought it was simply there as eye candy? Equestrians like to record their history like this, and the story behind these windows is special to them.”
“Yes, please! I’d love to hear the story!” Tommy agreed immediately. Anything to delay the scolding that was no doubt waiting for him.
Despite the guard’s eyes being hidden behind his glasses, the smile on his face was clearly genuine. “Very well then! This story starts with a little lavender pony named Twilight Sparkle. Do you know who she is?” the guard asked as he led Tommy to the first window. When he nodded, the guard continued. “Very good! As I said, this story starts with Twilight Sparkle, and like a lot of her stories it starts with her nose in a book. This book, however, was a special book. Can you guess why?”
Tommy considered for just a few moments before answering honestly, “No, sir.”
“It was a book about you humans, and what she had learned from you…”
It's happening! It's happening! At long last Mente Materia has finally started!
A few things I'll need to cover:
1.) This is a prologue chapter which I'll admit isn't likely what folks are expecting. All I can ask is to trust me. I have a -plan.- :D
2.) The next chapter will have what everyone wants. :) I had to delay the second chapter a bit because of the finale over the weekend and its turning out to take a bit longer than anticipated with Mother's Day over the weekend combined with getting ready for NEW JOB next week. Earliest the next chapter will be is Tuesday night or Wednesday. I'll keep you posted.
Now I know I'm forgetting something, so when it comes back to me I'll share it. Until then, LET THE SPECULATION COMMENCE!
I expect pain, angst, and glorious baddassery. Hopefully more of the latter.
This alert appeared while I was re-reading some chapters of Stardust. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack right then and there.
GODDAMMIT! I almost decided to get some sleep!
Guh... I guess I don't need it...
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Now back to my first X-com play through
IT'S HERE!
As for what's going on here, framing it all as a story being told by the guard?
4379571
More or less, yes.
Is "Billy" the same as "Bill," as in Lana's brother? That'd be pretty sweet.
I'm terribly happy, but my heart hurts for the shortness. But you're the one who is writing it so I have no real complaints considering that it's here.
So get HYPED!!!
Well, well! Seems like this is after the entire ordeal and told as a bygone... nice! I expect to be taken to places!
Praises all religious figures of earth and equestria!!!
IT'S ACTUALLY FINALLY HERE!
The sequel is here???
I do hope you keep the reports and news broadcasts; they provided a lot of great fun in the original story.
However, what concerns me is that everything appears at peace. This doesn't appear to be in media res and it doesn't look like you might pull a fast one, so I think this might be the last official story. Correct?
Alright so finals are coming up, I should stu-
So much for that.
4379650
I know those feels. Just got done with one, and need to study for another.
4379582 Bruh
Bruh
Why did I not notice that, that's radical!
4379582
That's what I was figuring as well. It just seems to fit.
Though I am slightly concerned about that mention of the church and the family crying.......
It's started, at long last. Well, there goes all the hype, and now we wait calmly and patiently for the next chapter.
It, it, its actually here....
YES
Finally, bring on the magic humans and ponies fighting aliens awesomeness.
I long for the portrayal of the psychological consequences of the destruction of innocence and the SQUEEES of many as they encounter the cutest saviors ever.
Well it's 1:00 AM I should go to be...
On the other hand... screw that, I want to read this.
4379643
It would be a safe assumption that the events of this first chapter are after the war in Equestria, and the guard is telling Tommy about what happened. :)
4379650
I know right! " well, tests are coming better study"
1,000,000 stories decide to update...
log in to fimfiction and load up favorites list
see nothing new
about to start reading one of the stories on my read later list
get popup alerting me this story has been published
read this story
Also this opening seems to be hinting that the story has already happened, and that this is being told as a retrospective, which means that civilation as a whole makes it through the war, or that this intro takes place during the war, but Equestria and Earth have already become such close allies that their noncombatants have the ability to visit the others planets. Either one bodes well.
I am looking forward to another excellent installment to one of the few good crossovers.
And so it begins...
So, I hate to already he harping on this, but... Is there any kind of release schedule? Please know that I'm not some drooling moron begging for MOAR!!111!1!1! Well... Not really, anyway. I just hate it when there are long gaps in between chapters, so you forget what's going on and have to reread. When I finally picked up on Stardust, it was already done.
So... Basically I'm asking if I should keep going now, or hang back until it's done. I fully realize that this is pony fiction, thus not the center of your world an nothing you owe anyone, so breaks and hiatus' happen. It's all on your own time, brother. Just wondering if there's even a plan.
Also, can't wait for some more MattLight.........
Dammit, it could happen!!!
4379711
It's gonna be make-or break time and freaking Quantum Castaways or something will update just to spite me
IT CONTINUES TO BEGIN
4379759
I intend to have chapter two ready to post within a day or two (end of the week at the latest). After that I'm going to -try- to do a chapter every two weeks. I was able to manage a chapter a week for most of Stardust but that was during a very slow summer at work. I'll do what I can with the time that i have.
4379642
i.imgur.com/U67Ns.jpg
4379662
Well, assuming this is Lana's family, it seems that Lana is still fine, since the adults are still talking about her and Tommy's reminiscence appears to have been from a long while ago (also assuming that it was a funeral). I'd have to guess that it was the father or one of the brothers, though definitely leaning towards the former.
I really don't think this counts as a first chapter. This is a prologue, and inherently chapter 00 in my mind, no matter how tenuous a connection that mind has to reality on that front.
That being said, I'm eagerly awaiting the first chapter of this story.
I enjoyed Stardust, and while Equestria's version of X-Com doesn't promise the same mix of reverse-engineered alien science craziness and magitech shenanigans as the one occurring on good old Earth, that only ads to the appeal of the magitech and reverse-engineered alien science craziness sure to ensure once the requisite carryovers of Homo Sapiens, along with Twilight herself, start bonking heads with the established magical minds on this second planet.
Mente Materia... Yesyesyesyesyes
1k words,,,
I'll take it
Well, this should be interesting. The game will begin and we will win it seems.
4379708 my thoughts exactly
Yes.
This is a good thing.
I like this.
I like this a lot.
I saw that you didn't have any dis-I-likes, so I gave you one. Furst :3 Nah, Im kidding; I'll change it to a like later, but I didn't really like the start here. Confusing as fuck for a perspective change.
Haven't even read it yet and I liked and favorited it!
4379813 hello biplane eye thing!
4379882 Its an eye
4379779
Good, because I will NEED something to help me through my finals that are coming up... one three day final and one two day final... oh god it's going to SUCK!!!
In the spirit of contrariety towards everyone else, I will understate my excitement to the extreme:
Ok, cool. I'll fave this and stuff and whatever...
The sequel......
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
4379891
Looks like a superhero belt to me. /2cents
4379806
This sums up all my feelings perfectly
The moment I saw this in my feed I was going Yeeeessss!!! But all quiet like, because it's the dead of the night for me, I know I will enjoy it!
4379906 Well its an eye, thats the idea
I guess we have a Foregone Conclusion for this story
4379910
It almost sounds like you're saying the humans are attacking Equestria, though I know this to be false. Still, might want to word that better.