//------------------------------// // On-the-job-training 7 // Story: Should I? // by The Collapsed Library //------------------------------// It was done. As the group got up from around the coffee table Twilight turned the parchment--on which they'd written the emergency treaty--over and folded it before slipping the paper into one of the many envelopes from her nearby desk. The negotiations had taken all of ten minutes, and she felt that both Equestria and the changeling hives had gotten rather good deals, all things considered. As she turned to go talk to Quiet Scribe, her armor sensors suddenly picked up an anomalous magical signature coming from somewhere higher in the castle. Before she could ask Pure Heart for an analysis the world around her began to twist in on itself. As the world was jolted back into rightness she was left standing in a field of black grass. The sky above was a burnt orange and the clouds overhead had taken a muted brown color. As she turned to take in more of the area she now found herself in, she noticed that she was no longer in her armor. "So, you're the one I've been waiting for." Boomed a gruff male voice from behind her; whipping back around, Twilight came face to face with it's owner. Before her was a massive figure, easily three times her size; its frame was covered almost entirely in a black cloak which failed to hide its rather wide shoulders. The hood of the cloak appeared to be held up by two horns and as it moved towards her she became aware of not only its quadrupedal nature, but she also noticed how tattered its robe truly was. The bottom appeared to almost be made up of more holes than there was material, giving the creature a grim image. The creature stopped several yards from Twilight before pulling down his hood and revealing red skin and beady, black eyes. His face was long, nearly every square inch of which was covered in a hideous scar, and from his chin and jaw hung a rather large and messy beard. Upon further inspection she discovered that, between the folds and holes in the cloak, he wore a brass tinted breastplate embossed with images of gryphons, hydras and other such creatures. On his waist he had a small satchel which looked to be near bursting in capacity. "Who might you be then?" Twilight inquired, "because as far as I can recall, we've never met. So your waiting for me specifically is highly suspect." At this, the being before her stopped in his advance, gave her an appraising stare, and burst out laughing. "That is, understandable." He answered after catching his breath, "I'm meeting with you at a point earlier than I probably should. Forgive me for that little one, but I would've picked a time when you do know me if it weren't for the gravity of the situation you now, unintentionally, find yourself in. My decorum at the point of our fated meeting notwithstanding." At the confused look he received for his last remark, the being could only chuckle. It was a deep, rumbling thing and it shook the very ground they stood upon with it's power. "You must forgive me, but by the time you are born--from my perspective at least--I've been trapped in cell after cell for eons on end. My brother and I have existed since long before even your princesses light graced the surface of the planet." As the being spoke, he began to weave his arms in a near-hypnotic display made all the more mesmerizing by the blue-grey smoke cloud forming and roiling between his hands. Suddenly he clapped his hands together, and as violently as they'd came together his hands did also come apart. With his hands stretching outward, the smoke cloud began to disperse and expand into the area between he and Twilight. "We existed as the shepherds of life on this planet before even discord had felt the air run through his fur. However, that does not mean we were benevolent towards life abroad." As he spoke, the smoke formed itself into the shapes of the being and another; this one was bipedal and his face was ringed by the mane of a lion, while on his back were the wings of a large bat. Once the two forms had been finished they were moved in and among smaller forms of griffons, panthers, ponies and more. Moving through the crowd, the forms of the being and his brother interacted with the forms around them in largely different ways. "Where my brother has a deep seated curiosity and wished to better understand our charges; I had a job to perform and I intended to do it," at this the being drew in a sharp breath, watching as the forms in the crowd ran from him, "regardless of who I trampled underhoof. In the end, it was my brother's curiosity and admiration for our charges that saw me banished to my first prison, where you see me now." The being gesticulated to the field around them, dispersing the smoke in the process, with it's strange field and large mountain in the distance. " I am cursed to stay here until I can climb that mountain," at this the being gestured to the steep mountain, "which I can only do once I've learned to care for our charges, otherwise their forms rise from the ground and drag me back to this field." "So why are you telling me this?" Twilight felt her impatience beginning to surface, "surely you don't expect me to help you climb it? In case you haven't noticed, I'm without my armor and," taking a moment to attempt to feel her magical reservoir she continued, "I am without my magic in this realm. So unless you intend for me to carry you on my back I see no plan, rational or otherwise, that involves me." Again, the being before her let loose a hearty laugh, shaking the ground once again as he tried to get a hold on his better senses. "but don't you see mare?" The being questioned, "my own magic should be likewise sealed in this realm, as it has been from my perspective for the last century. The fact that I am able to use my powers yet again shows that something has changed, whether in the past, present, or future remains to be seen, but it's effects can surely be felt from across time itself. It is also most likely what brought you here to converse with me." With this, he once again conjured the smoke cloud. When he clapped this time however, The cloud expanded and shrank into what looked like a wire. As the wire stretched, images began to appear along it's breadth. Some of the images near one end she recognized, her fight with Nightmare Moon for instance, but there were infinitely more along the rest of it's length she couldn't possibly understand. As she continued to look, she noticed a knot forming and drawing the ends taut. As she tried to make sense of where the knot had formed, it became more and more difficult to focus on the wire Before she was too overwhelmed however, the being clapped again and compressed the wire into a small sphere of densely packed smoke which he proceeded to throw to her. Turning back towards the mountain, he addressed her as he began to walk away, "know what you have seen mare, learn from it and prepare. Forces from times long thought forgotten are stirring and encroaching upon your world's peace and if they succeed," at this he looked over his shoulder to Twilight, still staring at the marble of smoke even as the light which had brought her to his prison did also take her away, "there will be nothing left for you to save." Before she could truly understand what was happening, she was back in her armor walking towards Quiet Scribe, who seemed to not have noticed the adventure Twilight had just been on. Her on board companion though, was a different story. What just happened Twilight? Your vitals went funny for a second. Funny? As Twilight finally got close to her, she began talking to Quiet Scribe about their plan. Yeah, for a split-second the armor registered you as missing from the suit. Then it started showing strange readings for your vitals How strange are we talking here? Twilight laughed as she and Quiet reminisced about their childhood. I'm talking KIA strange, your vitals claimed you were in drastic need of medical attention. Well, that definitely IS strange. Twilight couldn't help smirking beneath her helmet as she felt the transfer of knowledge and memories between her and Quiet take place. So are you going to tell me what exactly happened? Nope, at least not yet. We still have to survive the mares who are no doubt looking for Twilight Sparkle as we speak. As she spoke, Twilight felt her armor seep away and form itself into a simple dress. Looking to Quiet, she smiled as they both were engulfed in lavender flames. I really hope this works, it'll be hard to explain otherwise. Don't I know it.