Untitled Adventure Chapter 1 Second Revision

Second Revision Notes:
-better description of Rosetown
-various typo fixes
-fixed some shit with Daybreak's scene
-added potential intro/fic description
-changed Reverie's appearance (mint green body and light green mane is kiiiinda boring)

On the third stage, I will probably work on refining/changing/removing word choice, metaphors and other literary devices to make the story flow more elegantly and avoid cliche. This shit is long, bulky, and clunky, and I will be shaving plenty of it to help it ride smoothly. A good story needs to help carry a reader around, not force him to trudge endlessly through lengthy wording.

Introduction/Fic Description

Centuries after the legend of the Mane 6, a mysterious unicorn singlehandedly takes control of the throne after defeating with the Royal Sisters. Under his rule, an intensifying air of xenophobia amongst the populace drives forward a new age of militarization and conquest.
Since the fall of Celestia, an alicorn and her draconequus friend have lived in hiding. As they journey across Equestria and the lands beyond, they will encounter unexpected allies, forming an uncanny group of six heroes to fight for the future of ponykind.

Episode 1: Clamor’s Gift / “Happy Birthday, Reverie.”

“You must flee from Canterlot. Run, and hide! Quickly!”
The words echoed through in the Reverie’s mind as she dashed out into the castle courtyard. As the mint-green alicorn filly galloped at full speed, she tried to concentrate, preparing a teleportation spell.
Suddenly, a bright light shone from the throne room, followed by a deafening explosion and a scalding shockwave of heat. Reverie was tossed skyward. Disoriented, she tried to steady herself with her wings, her futile efforts causing her to crash land in a crumpled heap in the bushes, breaking her left wing. She clenched her teeth, trying not to yell in pain. A shrill, defiant cry emerged from the castle, gripping her in terror. She would be next. Bright green sparks of magic erratically fizzled about her horn as she desperately tried to calm her mind to cast the spell.
“Come on, come on…” she panted.
The glow around her horn intensified, and in a flash of light, Reverie disappeared from the castle grounds, reappearing at the gates of Canterlot, the castle burning miles away. Exhausted, she collapsed on the dirt path. She did it. She escaped. Yet a feeling of dread still clung to her heart. Something was amiss.
A moment later, she sensed somepony approaching. She slowly turned her head, and to her horror, the black unicorn was standing underneath the city gates. Intense magical energy burning about his horn, he slowly stepped towards the fallen alicorn.
“No… please…” she pleaded, struggling to her feet.
A blinding light filled her eyes as a searing pain consumed her body. She collapsed, gasping and writhing in agony as she struggled against her bed sheets.

…

She awoke, panting, her face covered in sweat. The same nightmare again. Groggily, she opened her eyes and was greeted by the familiar sight of her bedroom, which was sparsely decorated with drab paintings and a cracked vase filled with dead tulips which crumbled under the hot breeze from the windows. Sunlight streamed in through a break in the curtains feebly attempting to illuminate the room, managing only a dreary glow on the splintered wood floor. The humidity and heat clawed at Reverie’s patience as she lazily turned to her nightstand, where a glass of water, a mirror and crystal ball sat. Telekinetically bringing the half-empty glass of lukewarm water to her lips, she glanced at a small mirror on the table, and saw an adolescent mare, face obscured by a long, tangled, light pink mane. Two decades have passed and she had hardly grown at all. She sighed. The dreadful blessing of alicorns at work again.
The door burst open, and Clamor, her draconequus friend, ran in.
“Today’s a big day, Reverie!” he declared excitedly.
“Mmm hmmm,” she mumbled as she sipped the water.
The adolescent draconequus chuckled heartily, bobbing up and down as he hovered through the air, confetti and balloons appearing where he went.
“Come on, Reverie! Get excited!”
“Whoo hoo,” Reverie groaned in response, as she wandered across the room with Clamor eagerly following.
“You can’t go out looking like that, Reverie! Not on your special day!” Clamor said, drifting alongside her. Summoning a comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, he magically animated them to get Reverie ready as she descended the staircase to the living room. Within seconds, Reverie’s messy mane was straightened, gracefully flowing as she continued her steady gait down the stairs. After gargling the rest of the water in the cup, she spit apathetically with Clamor catching the minty mess in a bucket. He snapped his fingers and the tools vanished in a puff of pink smoke.
“Don’t forget to wash your face, too!” Clamor chimed. A large blob of water appeared over Reverie’s head, drenching the unsuspecting alicorn. The draconequus laughed heartily.
A frown crept into Reverie’s face, but vanished as she contained her frustration. Typical Clamor. She turned to her well-meaning friend, humoring him with a half-hearted smile. She retrieved her saddle bag and a cotton sun hat.
“Aren’t you going to have anything to eat?”
“It’s alright. I’m not hungry at the moment,” she responded, as she made for the door. “May I have some help with this?” she said, motioning to her wings.
“Oh. Yeah. Sure.” Clamor focused briefly, made a wiping motion with his hand and the delicate alicorn wings slowly vanished. He felt a slight burning sensation at the end of her fingers, which he ignored as he set about the task.
“Thank you.” Reverie opened the door and walked out.
“Oh, by the way, happy…” Clamor started.
The door closed behind her.
“…birthday.”
The smile vanished from his face. Crestfallen, he sat down on the living room couch, staring wistfully out the window, his eyes following Reverie until she disappeared from view. He sighed and laid down on the couch, staring gloomily at the ceiling.
It had been a little more than twenty years since they left Canterlot. Since then, she had spent life adrift in an ocean of despair. Some mornings, he had to drag her out of bed, back to shore. Other days, she floated so far away that it seemed that she had forgotten she was alive. Even the wildest of his cheery shenanigans failed to arouse a reaction from her. So he waited. He would wait days, sometimes weeks, hoping that the sea would bring her back, slowly drowning in its waters himself.
He sighed again. Waiting was suffocating. She should never have to feel like this.
Especially on her birthday.
He quickly sat up, setting his creative draconequus mind to the impossible task of restoring the hope in Reverie’s heart on her special day.
A night out at an exotic gourmet restaurant? No.
A beautiful new dress? No.
Fantastic, brilliant jewelry? No.
These were paltry, material things, fleeting pleasures that would bring little more than some temporary, artificial pleasure to the heartbroken alicorn. He needed to give her something more. But what?
He glanced to his left, to three photographs that sat in their dusty little frames above the fireplace. The left one showed Reverie when she was a filly, holding on to an odd egg, covered in splotches of a variety of colors. In the middle, she stood alongside Celestia and Luna in Canterlot castle. The last depicted young Reverie and Clamor standing at the entrance of the garden labyrinth, laughing. Though something melancholy clung to the smile she bore in all three photographs, the joy she felt then was real. He could feel it then.
An idea emerged as he reminisced. Clamor turned to the center of the room, hands outstretched, glowing with magic. A purple light appeared in the air, gradually growing in size and intensity.
Suddenly, a debilitating pain burned in his right arm. He recoiled in agony, clutching it as the sensation slowly disappeared. The glowing light fizzled into feeble sparks that dissipated in the air. He panted, battered from exertion. Fear seized the young draconequus; he sensed a presence lurking, struggling for the same control over the canvas of reality.
“No… not you…” he thought as dread clouded his senses. A throbbing headache pounded in his head as he lowered his arms in resignation. Malefic visions swirled in his imagination, haunting his every thought. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, desperate for relief from the torment.
As the last spark fizzled out, the illusions began to fade from his mind and a thought emerged. Reverie. A decade he waited, idly watching her descend deeper in despair. Twenty years too many. He could not fail her this time, not on her special day.
His hands chaotic energy flashed violently from his hands. He sensed again the same malevolent consciousness invading his thoughts, plaguing his mind.
“No. Not even you…” he growled defiantly.
Summoning his courage, he continued his efforts.
“…can stop me now.”
The purple light rematerialized in the air, glowing brighter than before.
“For her sake…”
He gritted his teeth as searing pain possessed his entire body.
“…I won’t give in.”
A small portal appeared before him. Wearily, he managed a smile. It was a start. But he had a long way to go.
“I will do anything to see her smile again.”

…

Reverie walked aimlessly about Rosetown, a quiet, quaint town, one of the oldest in Equestria. She trotted down the time-scarred sidewalk, barely conscious of what she was doing as she drifted by. The roads wove in and out of vast stone buildings that danced about the flow of the hills. Colorful shops lined the road, bearing eclectic merchandise that glowed through the window with the personality of their owners. She passed bakeries, boutiques, wineries, art galleries and jewelry stores. Yet, the vivid scene blurred into a haze of colors in her unconscious eyes. It didn’t matter where she was going or what she would do. She just wanted to wander, to lose herself, anything to overcome the dreadful feeling of imprisonment that shackled her.
Her stroll led her to the center of town, where a beautiful pentagonal fountain once stood. Reverie closed the eyes, seeing it again with perfect clarity. It was the highlight of Rosetown; the resident artist Terra Cotta had adorned it with ornate sculptures of carefree seaponies frolicking. Six nozzles transported the water, affixed to each side, with one large on in the middle. The five lesser spouts sprayed the water in an elegant arc to the center, where water periodically erupted from the greater one, reaching a hundred feet in the air.
Before the fountain was replaced, Reverie enjoyed tossing a bit or two in the water, and making a single wish: for ponykind to return to the way they were: genuine, kind and innocent. Even if it was childish, it gave her the fleeting sensation of optimism, enough to sustain her for the remainder for the day.
She opened her eyes. Now that same space was occupied by a dark purple tower with a metal antenna. At the end of the antenna was a large red sphere that glowed evilly. Dusk, the black unicorn ruler of Equestria, had installed these structures all around the country. The spires emitted a wave of magical energy that rendered teleportation impossible for anyone in range. Only with the permission of the officials that manned these structures could a unicorn teleport within Equestria He reassured that these were a security measure to prevent unicorn criminals from escaping, though Reverie and Clamor have always suspected the real purpose was crippling threats to Dusk’s throne. Rebels did exist under his ruthless rule, but their forces were feeble compared to the might of the new, militarized Equestria.
The growling of her stomach interrupted her gloomy contemplation. She walked to the corner of the plaza, where the Sunrise Café stood. As she entered, her senses were flooded with the scent of freshly baked cinnamon buns, the flowery décor, and the excited chatter of ponies. Locked in thought, Reverie was disoriented from her new surroundings. The cheery voice of Daisy, the café hostess, snapped her out of her drowsy state.
“Welcome back to Sunrise Café, Miss Reverie! Table for one?”
Reverie nodded sadly. Her solemn demeanor did little to discourage the oblivious white earth pony.
“Follow me, then!”
Daisy skipped across the restaurant to a vacant table, with Reverie trudging along behind her. She was about to sit down when a silvery voice caught her attention.
“Slow morning, Reverie?”
She turned around to see a familiar face. Sitting behind her was an aged, light brown mare, with a braided mane and melancholy, blue eyes. It was Terra Cotta.
Reverie turned back to Daisy. “I’ll have the usual. Can you bring it to this table here? I’d like to sit with my friend.”
Daisy’s smile broadened. “Of course.” She sauntered off to the kitchen.
Reverie trotted over and sat across from Terra Cotta, who was swirling the coffee in her mug. “It’s been a while, huh, Reverie?” she said, not lifting her eyes from her cup.
“I’ve been gone for about a month now, if I remember. Any good news?”
Terra Cotta frowned. “It’s always the same. More death tolls and horror stories.” She gestured to the television hanging in the corner. It was showing a news broadcast on the war against the dragons.
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” She continued dreamily. “Several years ago, the moment ponies saw a dragon, they would flee in terror. And they were certainly in the right.” She slowly waved her hooves about, as if possessed, tired mind awakened by creative lucidity. “Scales like armors, teeth like swords and claws like daggers. Magic and might alike amounted to mere irritation. They were feared, revered and invincible!”
She took a sip of coffee. “Twenty years is all it took to change that fear to brutality, twenty years of misplaced ambition. Now we stand before them, as angry as we were once afraid, blasting away, watching gods fall, their scales torn like paper, celebrating as we laid waste to our tyrants.” She paused. “Sometimes I wonder if ponykind was better off living in terror instead of becoming a terror themselves. The younger ones here won’t remember, but I miss how things were when Celestia was still…”
She stopped herself. “Sincere apologies. I’m rambling as usual. I shouldn’t bombard you with my woes.”
“No! Not at all.” Reverie replied. “I understand exactly how you feel.” She looked down sadly, trying to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. “I understand…precisely.”
“Pomegranate crunch coffee cake and a super-strong espresso!” Reverie’s head perked up at the sound of Daisy’s jubilant, sing-song voice. “Enjoy!”
“Thank you.” Reverie replied.
Terra Cotta glanced out the window. “I should probably get going and let you enjoy your brunch. If you want to talk again, you know where to find me.”
“Of course.”
Terra Cotta stood up from the table and slowly walked out of the restaurant.
Reverie mulled over Terra Cotta’s emotional spiel as she nibbled at the coffee cake, unable to work up an appetite. She gulped the espresso in one go and sighed. She just wanted to wake up.

…

Daybreak, a Captain of the Royal Guard, awoke before the crack of dawn in his bedroom at Canterlot Castle. He looked to his left and saw his crystal ball sitting there.
“It’s been a year since I’ve heard from her. I do hope she’s alright out there,” he thought.
The bright yellow unicorn stallion yawned, rolled out of bed and slowly marched over to the marble balcony. His bright orange eyes scanned the scene beyond the castle grounds to behold a familiar sight: towering walls of steel skyscrapers obscuring the sky and menacing black spires with violet bulbs crackling with malevolent energy. Waiting for the golden moment, he sighed, pondering the futility of the endeavor.
A few minutes later, the sun was visible in the distance, but not to the seasoned warrior’s satisfaction. Glory eclipsed by the city, the light bled through the gaps in Dusk’s malevolent construction. “Good thing I’m being sent to the Scorched Mountains,” he thought wistfully. “The sunrise must be wonderful to behold from such a height.”
When he was a simple guard, he often volunteered to participate in missions in foreign lands. His actions were perceived as topnotch diligence by his superiors, but his efforts concealed a simple truth: Daybreak relished the opportunity to travel. Through the years, he traversed valleys and mountains, creeks and oceans, plains and wastelands alike, savoring every moment out of combat to immerse himself in the wonders of the world, natural and civilized. Ironically, his commitment to duty and spectacular command of magic helped him ascend the ranks until eventually he became a captain of the Royal Guard, which meant less time adventuring and more time deliberating in meeting rooms. He hadn’t stepped out of Equestria even once since the promotion.
But today, Daybreak was suddenly ordered to the front lines, which troubled him. “What sort of situation in dragon territory is so dire that the Royal Guard would call upon me?” he pondered.
Without letting his imagination cloud the call to action, the unicorn prepared himself for the journey. Turning to his personal armory, he telekinetically brought out a crimson suit of power armor and attached it to himself component by component. Mechanized steel boots whirred to life, powered by electricity and the wearer’s magic, fastening themselves to his legs. Next, he brought out the body component, which wrapped itself about Daybreak’s body. As the armor clicked into position, he pressed a button on an electronic display on his front right gauntlet. The completed high-tech suit activated, lined with veins of light that glowed dimly in the room.
A robotic voice sounded: “MagiTech Battle Armor activated.”
“Run systems test.” Daybreak commanded.
“Initializing diagnostics test…” responded the voice.
A small orb in the center of the armor began to glow. “Magic power converter working at 92% efficiency.”
The bottom of Daybreak’s boots flashed brilliantly. “Propulsion hooves and arcane blaster ready.”
A small cylindrical object emerged from his front left gauntlet, humming with energy. “Laser cutter operational.”
As the laser cutter retracted back into the suit, mechanical components emerged from the collar of the armor, spinning and clicking into place around his head, forming a sturdy helmet. “Engaging helmet diagnostics.”
A small microphone emerged to the right of his face. Daybreak heard the voice focused about his ears. “Headset microphone and audio activated.”
A sturdy visor slid down, completing the full face helmet. A digital interface appeared before his eyes. “Radar engaged. Night-vision mode functional. Wireless connection successful.”
“Armor holster awaiting weapon.” Daybreak then brought out a large rifle and slid it into the holster on his right hip. “Equestrian Hex Rifle detected. Scope recalibrated. Ammunition: 8 shells. Commencing infusion of magical energy. Ammunition successfully charged. Weapon ready.”
The visor slid back up and the helmet unfurled. Daybreak started towards the door. He was ready for what awaited him beyond Equestria’s borders.

…

Reverie sat back on the bench and looked around. Rows of roses, red, pink and white lined the stone paths of the park. A pack of colts ran about on the field to her right, kicking around a red rubber ball. In front of her sat another fountain of Terra Cotta’s design, a large half-sphere lined with a complex labyrinth of detailed, exotic flora. She looked up. Whispers of the setting sun clung to the sky, its amber aura bleeding into a deep blue. Magenta clouds congregated, slowly drifting in from the east, foreboding a midnight downpour. She closed her eyes, letting the sounds wash over her. Melodies of the birds, percussion of footsteps and whispers of the wind filled her ears with the serene symphony of nature.
“Ponies like you are rare today, Reverie,” Terra Cotta said.
Reverie opened her eyes. “How do you mean?”
“It’s hard to see a pony so in touch with the aesthetic.”
Reverie nodded slowly.
“We live in a world where success comes at the cost of others. We’ve become so prodigious with the trade of destruction that we’ve forgotten how to create. Everypony nowadays are so obsessed with what they perceive as progress that they can’t appreciate the serenity of nature, the euphoria of music, the wonders of art.”
“Still bitter about having your fountain replaced by that ugly tower at the town center?” Reverie responded jokingly.
Despite her melancholy reflections, the brown mare managed a genuine smile. “Perhaps a little. But I do mean what I say. You seem to be one of the few ponies truly disconnected from the herd mentality, someone who can see beyond the nonsense Dusk spouts over the television.”
Terra Cotta turned to her friend and continued. “Have I ever told you about the story behind my fountain in Rosetown? Young mares like yourself may not have ever heard it before.”

She closed her eyes and began to recite a poem.

A spirit of truth
Benevolent soul
Joyfully defy
The evening’s toll
With a selfless heart
And sworn devotion
Unite and cleanse
The world’s commotion

“It’s my favorite poem, a fairly recent one. Admittedly, these verses are pretty simple; they represent a basic retelling of pony history.”
“Yes. The legend of the element bearers from centuries past, I presume?” Reverie responded casually.
Terra Cotta’s eyes widened for a moment, seemingly taken aback by what her companion had said. “That’s correct… The fountain was inspired by that particular story. Seeing as you know the story, you’ve probably presumed that it represents the unison of the five elements with the sixth.”
“Magic.”
“Yes. You might have noticed that I designed my fountain so that the center pump must be filled by the other five before the grand finale occurs. It’s more than simply magic: it’s the power of true companionship that drives these legends and unveils the true potential of ponykind.”
Terra Cotta looked to the sky. “Something about this particular poem struck me as unusual. The poem is written in a more active sense. The poem transcends a retelling of history to represent a call to action. The author does more than celebrate the legend, he implores for us to carry the spirit of the tale in our hearts.”
She looked into Reverie’s eyes with an expression between curiosity, understanding and longing. “You are a strange young mare, Reverie. You possess wisdom that greatly exceeds your years. I feel there’s more to you than I know now, but it’s not my business to intrude. For now…”
She stood up, looking skyward again, watching a leaf drop from its branch, carried by the wind.
“For now, it’s just nice to have someone who understands.”

…

“Captain Daybreak, you have been granted clearance for teleportation from Canterlot to the Scorched Mountains for a period of three hours.”
“Understood.”
“Stay safe and good luck.”
“Thank you.”
The headset went quiet and the helmet unfurled. Daybreak lay back on the warm grass in the Canterlot garden, drifting in and out of sleep. Why go now? He wanted to savor what was left of an otherwise relaxing day.
“Don’t you have anything better to do, Captain Daybreak?” a snarling voice called.
Daybreak opened his eyes and looked up to see a dark blue unicorn clad in a purple cape adorned with stars.
“Perhaps a skirmish with the scaly brutes beyond these borders?” he snarled.
Daybreak sat up and smiled. “Oh, don’t mind me. I’ll be on my way, sooner or later, Royal Councilor.”
“See to it that you do.”
Suddenly, a squad of pegasi stormed through the sky, blazing a smoky path southward.
“Reinforcements for the front lines?” Daybreak asked.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Tight-lipped as usual, aren’t you?”
Comet quickly scanned his surroundings then leaned in close to Daybreak and whispered, “Dusk has been bedridden since this morning, complaining about extreme pain. Doctors can’t diagnose it. And now, he’s suddenly ordered fifty pegasi to scour the southern regions… for what, I don’t know.”
Daybreak’s eyes widened with fear. Comet stood back up and turned towards the castle. “You better be off now. Somepony will think you’re up to something.”
Daybreak looked down in worry. “Yeah. Give me a moment to get something from my room.”
“Be careful, alright?”
“Always.”
Daybreak dashed back into the castle, frantic to return to his private quarters.

…

Reverie exited the park and started down the street, ready to retire for the night and end another uneventful day. With the sun disappearing into the horizon, the remnants of the afternoon heat gradually faded as the evening began.
She turned left on the last street corner before home.
“What in Equestria’s name…”
A group of ponies had gathered on her street. Violently flashing lights shone from the windows of her home, with the crowd watching intently. The crackling of intense magical energy and the worried chatter of ponies assaulted her ears as she made her way through the crowd.
“Clamor!” Reverie yelled as she made her way through.
Suddenly, the light show ended. As the crowd dispersed, mumbling the remainder of their worries as they left, she ran to the door. Finding the door to be locked, she fumbled desperately through her saddle bag for the key.
“Clamor! Are you alright?!”
Key in hand, she plunged it into the lock and opened the door and dashed in.
“Clamor!”
Upon her first step, the world began to swirl around her. She felt as if she was spinning uncontrollably as her vision blurred into a mess of colors bleeding into each other.
“Clamor…”
As she blacked out, a familiar voice soothed her fear.
“I’m here, Reverie.”
As the spinning came to a stop, Reverie opened her eyes and saw the main hall of Canterlot Castle. Had she been teleported to the castle?
She looked around her. The hall was adorned with all sorts of party decorations. Tables piled with punch and exquisite desserts sat along the wall. Unmanned turntables sat in the middle of the room. A gigantic five-tiered cake sat at the far end, intricately patterned with icing flowers and her cutie mark. Atop the massive pastry sat a fine fondant sculpture of herself. Far above her hung a large banner with the words “Happy Birthday Reverie”.
It struck her odd how short she felt. She looked at herself. She gasped. Her body had become that of a child, complete with missing cutie mark and stubby wings.
She hadn’t been teleported. She remembered this precise scene.
“This is… my eighteenth…birthday…” she whispered in awe. “But how?”
“Don’t question it, Reverie!” a young, excited voice chimed.
She turned around and saw a small draconequus standing there.
“Clamor?”
“This was when you were happiest! Your first birthday in Canterlot, and the eighteenth ever! Your entry into marehood, well, if you weren’t an alicorn, that is. You were simply dizzy with excitement to celebrate with royalty while becoming a princess yourself.”
“I don’t understand, how could you…”
“Don’t try to understand it! Just live this moment again with me. The moment when you were truly happy… agh!” Clamor twitched slightly.
“Clamor…” Reverie stammered, trying to hold back her tears.
Young Clamor looked down sadly at his feet.
“I know how you’ve felt, through those last years in Canterlot and in hiding here in Rosetown…but…”
Clamor suddenly looked back up at the alicorn, eyes brilliant with hope and longing. “We can forget all of that. We can let go of everything that made you miserable and just enjoy this beautiful memory. Let’s celebrate without a care in the world, even if it’s just for one evening!”
“Clamor…” Reverie stammered, tears streaming from her eyes. She wiped them and smiled broadly. “Thank you.”
Clamor snapped his fingers and the turntables came to life, filling the room with lively dance music. The gates of the hall burst open, and ponies of all types streamed in, flooding the room, including Princess Celestia and Luna herself. Clamor somersaulted through the air, summoning fireworks as he went. Reverie danced nonchalantly, tossing her inhibitions away as she lost herself to the infectious rhythm. Young Clamor joined her, grasping her hoof, and the two twirled about the dance floor.

…

Outside the dream, Clamor, body numbed with agony managed a weak smile as he saw the alicorn giggling with joy, fully immersed in his pocket reality.
He heard a faint voice coming from Reverie’s bedroom. Unbeknownst to the exhausted draconequus, someone was trying to get in touch with her.
“Reverie…? Are you there? I think they may be after you. Stay hidden if you can.”
He immediately ignored voices he heard. Locked in extreme focus weaving the fabric of reality, Clamor had felt his mind intersect with the other presence vying for the same control and defiled by its malevolent imagination. Thoughts and visions that were not of his creation drifted in and out of his mind, leaving the call from the bedroom to blur amongst the sounds and sights that clouded his senses.
“Keep it up, Clamor.” He kept telling himself, not for motivation but rather to preserve his sense of self.

…

As “night” approached in the recreated memory, a soft, romantic track played. Clamor and Reverie sat down at a table for dinner, where they partook in all of her favorite foods: a delectable cheddar cheese quiche, roasted tomatoes on freshly baked, herb-infused bread and a fresh spinach and zap apple salad drizzled with lavender-infused vinaigrette, paired with punch and playful conversation.
As dinner concluded, Princess Celestia strode up to a microphone and announced: “Thank you, everypony for coming to Canterlot Castle to wish Reverie a happy eighteenth birthday! Let us have a toast for the new mare!”
Glasses flew into the air by hoof and magic.
“To Reverie. May her entrance into adulthood mark the beginning of a lifetime of marvelous adventures.”
“To Reverie!” cheered everybody.
“Thank you, everybody.” Reverie said bashfully.
As Clamor brought a cup of punch to his mouth, his hand began quivering, and the glass fell to the table, shattering on contact, leaving a large red stain on the white tablecloth.
“Sorry about that.” Clamor said.
“Are you alright, Clamor?” Reverie asked, concerned.
Clamor’s faltering grasp triggered an odd recollection in Reverie’s mind.
“Oh, no problem. My hand just slipped; I’m fine.”
His hasty reassurance helped confirm her suspicions. Her blood ran cold with worry.
“Clamor, please let me out of here.” Reverie pleaded.
“But…”
“Let me out!”
The draconequus hesitated at first, then obliged her request.
The illusion of past Canterlot Castle began to blur and fade, colors melting away to reveal the familiar sight of their living room in Rosetown. Reverie gasped from what she saw: lying on the couch was a battered and broken Clamor, body darkened by magic-inflicted burn marks. Deep, bloody gashes lined his outstretched hands as he unwove the pocket reality, panting from sheer exhaustion.
“Clamor!” she shrieked as she ran and embraced the broken draconequus.
“Hi…Reverie…” Clamor mumbled weakly.
The alicorn was beside herself with grief, tears streaming from her face onto the bloodstained floor. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Clamor…”
Clamor stared vacantly at the ceiling, delirious from pain. “For what?”
“You’re in so much pain… all because… of me…”
“Oh, this? It’s… just…” Clamor groaned. “…a little scratch.”
“I’ve been so selfish… I never realized…”
“It’s fine, Reverie… It’s nothing.” Clamor looked into the alicorn’s teary eyes, and managed a tired smile. “As long as you were happy on your special day.”
A loud knock at the door and a booming voice interrupted them.
“This is the Royal Guard. Open this door immediately!”
Reverie turned her head. “The Royal Guard? Why are they here? Have they found us?”
“Please open the door, or we will be forced to use force!”
Clamor stayed silent, as a troubling thought crossed his mind. “Was this my doing? Did I bring them to us?”
“You have 3 seconds.”
“Come on Clamor, we need to get out of here!” Reverie whimpered.
“1!”
Clamor slowly shook his head. “I’m too weak… Reverie…leave me here and run.”
“2!”
Reverie embraced Clamor. “I’m staying with you.”
“3!”
“Reverie…”
One large white pegasus blasted open the door with a powerful kick. He held a large, complex rifle in his hooves. He was backed by two other pegasi, a scrawny orange one with a pistol in his teeth and a bulky dark blue one holding a transceiver.
Reverie wiped her tears and leapt forward, horn energized with magic.
The large white one spoke in an official. “Calm yourself, Miss Reverie. We received word that some dangerous magic had been performed at this location. You will need to come with us…”
Just then, his eyes turned wide with fear as they connected with Clamor, but after briefly evaluating the draconequus’s physical state, the terror vanished from the guard’s face. “A draconequus? Change of plans, then. Hurricane. Call HQ and arrange transportation for Class S criminals. I think we’ve found the target.”
“We’re not going anywhere.” Reverie said defiantly.
“Have it your way then.” The pegasi activated his rifle, which began to glow green with magical energies.
“Watch out, Reverie!” Clamor called out.
Reverie focused, blasting the weapon out of his hand with a bolt of magical energy and telekinetically tossing him aside.
“Recalcitrant fool,” the guard muttered as he struggled to his feet.
The orange pegasus began firing at Reverie, who quickly summoned a force field. Bullets bounded off the barrier, dropping uselessly onto the floor. She retaliated with an explosive burst of magic at her opponent’s feet, knocking him straight into the ceiling. Unconscious, the pegasus fell limply to the floor.
The white pegasus began charging the rifle and took aim. Reverie braced herself, preparing another force field. The rifle unleashed a powerful, oscillating laser. As the beam contacted her shield, Reverie suddenly felt pain resonate through her horn and into her head. The barrier broke with her focus and the alicorn fell backward in a crumpled heap. As she struggled to stand up, she attempted once more to gather energy for a spell.
Wasting no time, the white pegasus dashed forward, tackled her and secured hoofcuffs on her.
“Troublesome unicorns,” he muttered.
Reverie gritted her teeth through the pain. An uncanny numbness came over her horn; she found herself unable to use magic, horn feebly glowing from the attempt.
“Don’t bother,” the guard said calmly as he secured another set of hoofcuffs about the draconequus’s limp arms. “I’ve negated your magic temporarily with my nullification laser. Don’t fret, though. We can arrange something a little more permanent when we arrive in Canterlot.”
A minute later, two more pegasi arrived, dragging Reverie out of the house. The fallen alicorn struggled uselessly against her bonds, tears streaming from her eyes as she pondered her fate. As the white one came for Clamor, overwhelmed by physical trauma and blood loss, the draconequus lost consciousness.

…

Clamor awoke to the sound of clacking train tracks. Through blurry vision, he managed to make out the bars of a cell, and a window beyond them, pitch black from the night’s embrace. A dim lamp dangled from the ceiling, bathing the room in a nauseating yellow light. He blinked his eyes to bring the scene into better focus.
A quiet, melancholy voice sounded behind him. “You’re awake at last.”
Clamor turned around to see Reverie, lying on a small, hard mattress in the corner.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
Clamor smiled, and clutched his arm. “I’ll make it. Don’t you worry about me.”
The two sat in silence for about five minutes. The only sound to be heard was the steady beat of the train as it barreled down the tracks.
Reverie sadly lowered her head, staring at the floor. “I guess this is how it ends then.”
Clamor sighed. “It’s my fault. I led Dusk straight to us, and now we’re on our way to be executed.”
Reverie shifted about the bed. “It’s alright.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m also to blame.”
“Reverie…”
The alicorn leapt from her seat and wrapped her arms around the draconequus.
“I’m so sorry, Clamor. I’ve been so selfish, sulking listlessly, not thinking of how you felt all this time.”
“It’s alright.”
Reverie sat back and took a deep breath. Despite overwhelming emotion, the alicorn held back her tears, wiping them as she said in a determined voice. “I’ll be strong. I’ll move forward.”
“To where? The guillotine? The gallows?” Clamor joked.
They exploded into laughter. The sorrow-drenched laughter that those fated to die enjoyed, not to distract themselves from their inevitable fate, but to defy it in grim celebration of the precious time that remained.
As their joyous uproar subsided, they embraced each other once more.
“Reverie?”
“Yes, Clamor?”
“Happy birthday.”
Reverie smiled. “Thank you.”
Another second passes and another grain of sand falls. Somewhere in the bleak void of the endless sea, an alicorn spreads her wings in ascension. Locked in the warm embrace of her closest companion, they were aloft with the hope lost in years past.