Paths of Fate

by LordLycaon

Arrival

She drifted. She wasn't flying. Her wings were closed. She was drifting aimlessly through some kind of… void, for lack of a better word. But it wasn't a void. There was color. Colors she couldn't define. She felt like she had seen this before somewhere, but she didn't know where, exactly.

'This age of dark light,' a voice said. It was weak, barely audible, but it was there. 'Please… save us from her tyranny. Release us from the shattered light… please…'

At that, the voice faded out. She tried to ask what it meant, but her voice wouldn't work. Her mouth wouldn't even open. Everything was quiet. Soon, the indescribable colors faded. Darkness enveloped her.

-o-

Twilight felt dazed, like she had just been spun around non-stop on that spinning machine that she had once seen at the Wonderbolt Academy. She rubbed her temples as she woke, trying to ease away the light migraine that persisted in her skull. After several seconds of this, she rose on all fours and looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was definitely still in the library, but it was dark. A quick look out a window revealed the reason to be nighttime.

Normally, she would just assume that she had fallen asleep reading something, but there were a few holes in that theory now. First off, the last thing she remembered doing was going over her checklist with Spike just after breakfast. She couldn't have just fainted, because she wasn't prone to that, and she would've woken up much earlier in the hospital. What happened?

"Spike?" she called out. She waited for her dragon assistant to answer, but nothing came. "Spike! Are you here?" Still no answer. Worried, she hurried up the staircase to the room that they shared, but when she arrived, she found nothing but a messy bed that looked like nopony had slept in it in months, maybe even years. "Hello?" Still no answer.

Had Spike gone out? Maybe, but that didn't make a whole lot of sense when she thought about it. If he had, he would've been back before nightfall. Something wasn't right. In fact, she could practically feel that something was off, but she couldn't quite point out why she felt that way.

Finding nothing in the library, she headed outside. All of Ponyville felt… empty. There should've at least been nighttime weather patrols in the sky. But there wasn't a single pony to be seen. All the houses were dark. She knocked on several doors, trying to get somepony's attention, but the only response she ever received was silence.

'Where is everypony?' she thought. Ponyville was never this quiet, not even on the slowest nights. "Hello?" she called out, louder than before. "Is anypony here? Hello?"

Suddenly, she heard a loud crash come from down the street, making her jump, spreading her wings out involuntarily. She could just make out a few ponies – four in total, three of whom were stallions, but beyond that, she couldn't make out many details – galloping out of a nearby alley, looking like they must've been in a hurry. Despite their obvious rush, she couldn't help but break out into a grin. Finally, she'd found other ponies!

"Hey!" she called to them, waving a hoof as she approached. "Hold on a second!" The four ponies stopped at her voice and turned to her. The one mare in the group yelped slightly.

"We've been spotted!" she cried out. Twilight's eyes widened at that voice. "Get her!" The three stallions immediately complied, rushing at the young alicorn, tackling her to the ground before she had a chance to react.

"Ow, get off!" she shouted at the stallions, who forced her back up to her hooves to face the other mare. Twilight glared at her. "Just who do you think you… are…" She lost her nerve upon seeing who was before her. The other mare's coat was darker than usual, and her mane and tail were flat, with her mane draping over her shoulder a little. Her normally cheer-filled eyes were full of suspicion and anger. Twilight's eyes went wide. "Pinkie Pie?"

'Pinkie' raised an eyebrow at that and studied Twilight extensively. Her face contorted with a look of disbelieving recognition. "You look just like…" She trailed off and shook her head. "Knock her out and bring her with us. I've got questions." Before Twilight even had a chance to ask what was going on, one of the stallions slammed his hoof into the back of her head. Her world went black.

-o-

She had sensed it immediately. That sort of power did not go unnoticed by her. This land belonged to her for good reason. She had eyes and ears everywhere. Nothing escaped the attention of this land's queen. But somehow, her most infamous prisoner - or an outside accomplice, at the very least - had done something thought to be impossible. This was unacceptable. Proper punishment had to be placed, swiftly and efficiently, but not lethally. Not without a crowd, at least.

She made her way to her palace's dungeon, black-armored guards saluting her as she passed. A few joined and followed her. The prisoner was dangerous, even in her bound state.

Eventually, they arrived to the cell where the inmate was held, her hooves chained to the ground, her wings restrained by an iron belt, and her magic rendered virtually useless by a dampening ring fitted around her horn.

"I take it you noticed as well," the prisoner surmised quickly.

"Yes," the queen spoke in affirmation. "Who was summoned? How were they summoned? And who did it? Your magic is bound, so you couldn't have done it."

"You'll find out soon enough."

The queen narrowed her eyes. The prisoner was still as confident as ever, despite having been trapped in this dank place for close to three years now. But she supposed the other mare was right. She would have to wait and see. However…

"I'll be back soon enough," the queen said in a calm tone. "I sincerely hope that you feel more cooperative by the time I return."

"You will have no such luck."

"We'll see." With that, the queen and her cadre of guards left the prison, ascending back up to the throne room, where she immediately took her place at her throne. She dismissed her guards so that she could be alone. She had to be for what she was going to do. Once her guards exited the chamber, she took a few moments to consider everything.

She could be facing some new threat. Anyone called by a summoning spell that powerful would be no trivial nuisance. She already had enough problems with the insurgents that refused to accept the gifts that she was so generously sharing. This new development would certainly attract their attention. She would have to inform her mentor about this.

Her horn glowed with a dark aura, creating a ring of black clouds that floated just a few feet ahead of her. A pair of eyes opened within it – eyes that still intimidated her immensely.

"Why have you summoned me, my pupil?" her mentor spoke in that powerful, authoritative tone that instilled fear in the weak-willed.

"Master," she replied quickly and deliberately. "There has been an unexpected development. One that could compromise us."

He was silent for a few moments, his eyes virtually unreadable. "What has happened?"

-o-

This was not good. Not in the least. Twilight had woken up to find herself in some barely lit room that had tiny cot off in the corner and no windows. Her only source of light came from the small barred window in the nearby door, which was locked tighter than the room where Princess Celestia used to keep the Elements of Harmony. She had tried using her magic to open the door, but her power was hindered by some kind of ring on her horn that drastically weakened her magic. Without devices like that, it'd be next to impossible to keep magic using creatures like unicorns and alicorns imprisoned. She was essentially trapped.

Desperate for answers, she had tried calling out to the guards whom she had heard conversing just outside, but they mostly ignored her, save for one, who walked off, saying that he was going to "alert the captain." Who was the "captain?" Where was she? Was that really Pinkie Pie she had seen just before she had given the order to knock Twilight unconscious? What the hay was going on?

As she asked herself her own questions (like she'd get an answer), she heard voices just beyond the door. There were a few clicks as the locks on the door were opened, and the door itself was pushed out of the way, and in walked Pinkie Pie, accompanied by several armored soldiers who held spears and other weapons at the ready. Pinkie gave Twilight an analytical glare that was far out of character for her. Her eyes gave her a tired look, like she had been through more than she should have. Twilight only now noticed the thin scar running down the left side of other mare's face, all the way down to her neck.

"P-Pinkie?" Twilight stammered out, finding herself intimidated by her usually bubbly friend.

Pinkie narrowed her eyes at her. "I haven't gone by that name in three years. My name is Pinkamena, and I have a few questions for you."

"And I have a few for you." That's what the young alicorn wanted to say, but something about the way Pinkie was looking at her told her not to try the other mare's patience.

"Who are you?" Pinkie demanded more than asked. "And why do you look like Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight's face contorted into a look of confusion. What kinds of questions were those? "What are you talking about? I am Twilight!"

Pinkie shook her head. "That's impossible."

"But I'm right here! How could it be impossible?"

The former party pony was silent for several tense moments, her head lowered slightly. All the guards looked to each other, looking like they were… grieving? Pinkie raised her head again. "It's impossible…" – she hesitated – "It's impossible because Twilight Sparkle is dead."

Comments

[Johndye]

Short, but interesting

[Discordigan]

Incredible. Please continue.

[bonamb]

I will be watching