Twilight Sparkle awoke with a smile on her face. While she was generally chipper in the morning, today was a special occasion. The Princesses and their most skilled practitioners of the arcane arts would soon be arriving and the culmination of four months of research and development would come to fruition. No matter the outcome, she was excited to be a part of it.
She could smell Spike cooking breakfast downstairs but she was far too excited to eat. That won’t stop him from giving me ‘that look’ until I do, she thought playfully, running a comb through her mane and retreating into the lavatory to brush her teeth. A moment later, she left it again, rolling her eyes at the realization that if Spike was going to force her to eat, she would at least want to enjoy it, and toothpaste was a flavor that complimented nothing.
Twilight skipped down the winding stairs of the library and into a decidedly different atmosphere than she had been used too. In the two years since she arrived in Ponyville, the interior of her library had changed little. Sure she and Spike would clean it and periodically reshelf the books, but it had always maintained a very familiar and homey appearance.
It was notably different today. Several of the reading tables had been relocated to the basement, and in the center of the room was a cylindrical glass structure, roughly three metres wide at the base and just as tall. The top sported a number of small holes arranged in a circular pattern, drilled seemingly for air or the purpose of feeding. Several simmering beakers populated the area, and an uncountable number of books and loose notes were scattered as far as the eye could see.
The carpet had also been rolled up and moved, for the bare floor under the structure was marked with eldritch runes assembled in a pattern that a choice number of ponies alone would understand. Twilight was one of them — to a degree. She looked through the glass at the elaborate design and whistled in appreciation. Even she had to admit that the magical know-how that made all of this possible was still out of hooves’ reach.
Spike poked his head around the kitchen’s doorframe and cracked a grin. “Morning ‘Twi. Happy, are we?”
“And why wouldn’t I be?!” She exclaimed, teleporting herself to Spike’s side and scooping him up in a telekinetic hug. It took many years of practiced effort to keep the skillet in his claws from splashing out of control. “Today’s the day! Can you believe it, Spike? We get to see the other side! We’ll be the first in countless generations to pierce the veil between dimensions!”
“Yeah, yeah, recreating Starswirl the Bearded’s old experiments, I know.” Spike’s deadpan reply was typical but Twilight didn’t begrudge him for it; not today.
“You get to be here for it as well, Spike. History in the making!”
Spike squirmed and grumbled until Twilight voiced a tiny “oh” and set him down, to which he gratefully patted her on the neck. “It’s not really ‘making history’ though, is it? I mean, according to you, Starswirl did this once before.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and sat down on her haunches, willing to entertain his cynicism for a while longer. “True, but it’s also never been duplicated since Starswirl’s time, and that was nearly two thousand years ago! Even Princess Celestia admitted that she remembered little of the event.”
“Could be because Starswirl was a whack-job who never left his creepy, bat-infested basement,” Spike quipped, flipping an omelet with one claw crooked against his hip.
“Lies and slander!” Twilight stomped to emphasize her distaste for Spike speaking ill of her hero. “Starswirl the Bearded was a genius millenia ahead of his time! So what if he lacked in some… social graces. So did I before we moved to Ponyville!”
“But you got over it, thankfully before your twentieth birthday,” he added, a smug smile still on his muzzle. “I was worried you’d end up a wrinkly old mare with twenty cats and cobwebs in your mane.”
“I take very good care of my mane, thank you very much!” Twilight scoffed at the idea. “And you know I have allergies.”
“I also know you have a hard time with sarcasm.” Spike tipped the skillet onto an awaiting plate and garnished it with parsley. “Bon appétit.”
Spike set the admittedly delicious-smelling food on the dining table but Twilight turned her nose up at it, growing increasingly agitated at his wisecracking. “I’m not hungry.”
“Oh c’mon, you didn’t eat dinner last night. Besides, it’s your favorite: Cat.”
“Spike!”
An hour later, Twilight’s five best friends had joined her in the library. Over the last couple of months, they’d all been told of this “experiment” that she had been working diligently on, alongside Princesses Celestia and Luna, no less. However, they’d received no specifics. Not because the information was classified, but because none of them shared her interest in what she insisted was a moment that would define this generation.
Applejack was polite about it but did little outside of nodding her head at seemingly important opportunities and commenting with “Well that sounds jus’ wonderful, ‘Twi.”
Rainbow Dash hadn’t even offered that much. “Too long; didn’t listen. Later, egghead!”
Ironic that she would later volunteer to assist Twilight in the most important stage of preparation.
Fluttershy looked predictably apprehensive. While she wanted to be supportive of Twilight’s academic pursuits, she was also afraid of plenty of things that existed on her own planet. “What if you mess up! N-Not that you would, of course b-but… well… I don’t want to meet an alien, Twlight. No offense.”
Pinkie Pie ushered Twilight out of Sugarcube Corner, insisting that she be given time to prepare for the arrival of their newest friend.
Rarity, being the only other unicorn, knew at least the basics of magical theory and probably provided the most gratifying commentary… when she wasn’t focused on one of the many conceptualized dresses dotting the interior of her boutique. “So you’re going to look into an alternate reality? Um, well darling, that sounds… fascinating. But this seems like an awful lot of work for a mere glimpse.”
“Not just a glimpse! We’ll be taking something from that reality and bringing it into our own. Something minor like… a flora sample. If there is sentient life there, perhaps an example of their technology.”
“But not one of the natives themselves?”
Twilight looked at her friend aghast. “Of course not! How cruel would it be to take something living from its home plane against its will?”
“Ah, of course. Silly me.”
Despite her best efforts, Twilight couldn’t shake the idea from her friend’s collective heads that this spell would not be conjuring a living, breathing creature. Rainbow Dash was most adamant that a “big glass tube” — as she eloquently put it — would be insufficient for containing any number of multi-limbed galactic horrors. She was currently tapping on it with a lightly bandaged forehoof, checking it for obvious weaknesses.
“Dash, I’m not summoning a sci-fi monster! I’m summoning a plant! Or an inanimate object!” She grabbed her floating friend and yanked her down to eye level. “And I don’t need to be worrying about you trying to pick a fight with a… a… a brick! Or a piece of aluminum pipe!” She turned and addressed all of her friends. “I promise you, this spell is completely safe! Nopony will be harmed.”
Pinkie was in her face in an instant. “Pinkie Promise?”
Twilight sighed and mimed the motions of the most solemn of oaths, to which Pinkie squealed in happiness and returned to her previous location, carrying with her a gust of wind powerful enough to dislodge Applejack’s hat.
“Confoundit.”
While Applejack retrieved her trusty Stetson, three loud raps sounded on the library’s door. With a high-pitched squee, Twilight teleported the whole ten feet and threw it open, lowering herself into a premeditated bow.
“Please, dear Twilight, there’s no need for that.”
Twilight rose, and her friends all did the same in various stages of their own acknowledgement of their benevolent rulers. Celestia entered first, her monochromatic mane billowing in some unseen breeze. Luna followed shortly thereafter, her own mane a reflection of a clear evening sky and moving with a similar ethereal force.
Behind them was a third pony; a wizened unicorn stallion wearing a steepled hat and a blue cape secured with a golden clasp that resembled two ponies biting a bit. His cutie mark was partially obscured by his regalia, but it appeared to be a hoof projecting a fireball.
“Good morning princesses.” Twilight smiled at the third guest. “And a good morning to you, Cream.”
A moment of silence drifted by before Cream responded with a distinct Britmane accent. “Oh. Yes. Yes! Very good to see you as well, Ms. Sparkle. And… Ms. Sparkle’s friends.”
His rather sour glare was focused directly on Pinkie Pie, who feigned innocence by whistling and scuffing her hoof on the floor.
“Now Cream, she apologized.” Celestia said, clearly exasperated after having had this discussion numerous times before.
“She licked my flank!”
“I thought it was a Red Hot!” Pinkie defended, grabbing Fluttershy for support, but who too looked annoyed with this argument.
“May we put this rather ridiculous discussion behind us and continue with the day’s events?” Luna offered, trying to act the mediator. Not that it had worked any other time she did it.
“Yes, yes, let’s.” Cream marched by the group and stood on his hind legs, looking through the transparent cylinder and analyzing the runes contained therein. “Ah, excellent. They’ve stabilized nicely. You’ve been applying the solution?” His question was directed at a beaming Twilight.
“Of course! Every eight hours in an even spread.”
“Wonderful. May I inquire as to the method of dispersion?”
Twilight and Rainbow met each other’s eyes and grinned mischievously. Rainbow dashed over to the door which lead down to the staircase and returned with a weather-beaten watering can a moment later. Cream looked at it and chuckled. “Huh. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because we’re awesome,” came Dash’s helpful retort.
“Ah, of course, the unquantifiable ‘awesome’ quotient. It has eluded me for many years…”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Annnnnywaaaaaaaay,” Twilight nodded to Celestia and Luna, who returned the gesture and took up positions on two of the glass cylinder’s four quadrants. Twilight and Cream occupied the remaining two.
Celestia glanced at her subjects through the glass and smiled lovingly. They saw a rather frightening mare glowering at them through the distortion made by the curving glass. “Now my little ponies, please retreat to the other side of the library and under no circumstance, approach the summoning circle until we’ve all agreed that it is safe to do so.”
“Or until the existential monstrosity we summon attempts to slay all of you. In which case, I implore you to run.”
“Luna!”
“I jest, sister, I jest! Jeez…”
“All right. Is everypony ready?”
The four who served as the magical focus for the summoning ritual spoke their acknowledgments. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy did the same. Rainbow Dash was busy fussing with her itchy bandage, while Pinkie Pie and Spike were sharing a bag of popcorn she had produced from… wherever it was Pinkie acquired any of her props.
Four horns began to glow in unison, but it wasn’t the pleasantly cool fire typically associated with unicorn (and alicorn) magic. Normally their magic reflected a color apparent in their coat, their mane, or their cutie mark. The color they now shared was as blindingly white as the surface of Celestia’s sun and seemingly devoured all of the light in the room.
Soon, even that meager bit of illumination was gone, regulated to fueling the torrent of helix-shaped elements mixing and colliding within the enclosure. Somehow the glass managed to contain these seemingly chaotic energies, and because nopony was speaking up, all spectators involved assumed everything was going as it should.
“I-I don’t understand. The gate should have manifested by now!”
Or it was, that is.
“Twilight!” Spike called out over the unfamiliar cacophony produced by the ritual. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know! Princesses?!”
Celestia tried to shake her head but found she could not. Luna and Cream were in similar predicaments, and Twilight soon realized she too was immobilized. “I do not know either! This isn’t right. Abort the spell!”
“Ugh... I… I can’t!” Cream hissed, his weathered features scrunching in pain as his robust supply of mana was drained, and the ritual began to take something far more vital. “It’s taking our life force!” He informed, to the horror of all in attendance.
“Th-that will pollute the ritual…” Luna exclaimed through gritted teeth. “Starswirl’s notes implied a great many t-terrible side effects that could result from living m-matter entering the focus site!”
Though those four were helpless to fight against the spell’s vacuum-like power, it had no command over anypony else. Spike and Rainbow Dash grabbed onto Twilight’s flank and attempted to rip her away, receiving a screech of pain for their efforts. Still they tried, as did the others: Applejack helped Cream, Fluttershy and Rarity aided Celestia, and a suddenly very strong Pinkie Pie lent a hoof to Luna.
The first magic-wielder was freed with great exertion — Luna, of course — and she and Pinkie tumbled across the library and slammed hard against its wooden walls. That made it easier for the other three to be released, each flying back a bit shorter distance than the former.
Without those four, the ritual failed, and quite spectacularly. All of the light in the area was drawn into a singularity at the center of the cylinder, which then exploded outward accompanied by a shockwave powerful enough to topple bookshelves, crush furniture, shatter expensive china, and further scatter every pony within the confines of the building.
Nopony spoke for several minutes aside from the occasional pained groan. Pinkie Pie finally broke the silence with a bemused: “Even I didn’t see that coming.”
“Unh… wh-what went wrong?” Twilight rose to her hooves but her gait was wobbly and uncertain. None of her friends were in any better shape to lend assistance, which meant she collapsed unceremoniously against the cylindrical structure, which was slightly warm to the touch. “Did we misinterpret Star—”
Twilight cut herself off abruptly. Seeing as how she was the first to move, even the princesses were relying on her voice for a modicum of comfort in this uncomfortable and frankly embarrassing situation. “Twilight?”
No response.
“Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia’s voice could normally command even the most stubborn dignitary into attention, but this time she was ignored, and that truly worried her. Clambering up from a rather lewd supine position, Celestia galloped over to her most faithful student and looked down at her, taking note of a slack-jawed, wide-eyed expression of stark horror.
“What’s wrong, Twi —” Celestia’s voice too lost itself at what she saw. Laying in the center of a tarnished, smoking runic seal was a shape. Not a large plant or an esoteric piece of technology, but something that appeared quadrupedal, clothed, and bleeding. “Oh no…”
“Ugnh… wh-what happ— ahg!” Riven, the exile of Noxus, clutched a gaping wound on her side and attempted to stand. Her legs did not cooperate, however, and she quickly fell backwards, smacking her white-haired head against a steaming hot wall. Hissing in pain and using her other hand to feel the red, blistered skin on the back of her skull, she cast unfocused eyes around and tried to gather her bearings.
Through wisps of smoke stood a pair of horses, though these were not like any horse she had ever seen before. One was short and purple. The other was taller, white, and wore lavish jewelry. Disbelieving, Riven crawled up to the glass but was careful to not touch it, lest she be burned again. The two creatures looked at each other in disbelief and then began to speak. Yes, speak, and in perfect Runeterran, at that.
“I-It’s alive!” The shorter one exclaimed, looking positively horrified and on the verge of tears. “O-Open the enclosure! Let it out!”
“My student, no!” The taller one stopped her protégée with an outstretched hoof. “It could be dangerous! We have no idea what we’ve summoned, and for the time being I insist it remain where it can do no harm!”
Riven was no fool. These creatures were talking about keeping her locked up, like an animal. They had been the ones who summoned her, though what she experienced was very different from the magic practiced by the Institute of War. Her brain was reeling but it would be a cold day in Hell when Riven allowed anyone to keep her caged.
She looked around with both her eyes and her hands for her weapon but came up lacking. Never one to let a little thing like being unarmed reduce her combat effectiveness, Riven once again stumbled to her feet and used the still-hot glass wall for balance; but this time she ignored the pain. No outward expression was made as she balled her fist and smashed it into the barrier, but received nothing but bloody knuckles for her trouble.
The others were now all huddling around that one section of the structure, practically crushing Twilight and Celestia underhoof while they observed the quickly obvious behavior of this strange being. Fluttershy, to her eternal credit and kindness, understood first.
“She’s trying to escape!” Large watery eyes looked up at her monarch. “Princess, please! She’s scared and desperate! She’s going to hurt herself if we let her continue!”
“She?” Celestia glanced back at the slender biped — having revealed that the moment she attempted to stand — and nodded, feeling rather foalish for not noticing sooner. Still, she stood her ground. The sight of a sentient being so desperate for freedom that it would cause itself harm brought her immeasurable sorrow as well, but it was one life over many. She couldn’t take the risk.
“I’m sorry my little ponies but… look at her! She’s obviously hostile!”
“Sister…” Luna looked at Celestia with intent. Everypony in attendance knew what was about to happen if Celestia herself didn’t break this cage: Luna would, royal decree be damned.
“No.”
“Sister!”
“You do not know what you ask!”
Riven had graduated from brutalizing her fists to doing the same with her legs. Several powerful kicks resulted in the glass beginning to fracture, and one final charge sent her toppling through the oval-shaped hole she created. Riven was quickly back on her feet, though now sporting a multitude of new cuts and bruises. Still, her goal was within reach: A window.
The horrifically injured ex-Noxian stumbled and collapsed against the windowsill, fumbling with the latch. She could hear her abductors moving to intercept her but that only encouraged her to work faster, which also served to aggravate her many wounds, including the seeping indentation on her side.
“Please, stop!” A gentle voice called behind her, which brought her momentary pause. “We’re not going to hurt you!”
Riven gave up on her sole escape route and instead scooped up a large shard of glass from the ground, brandishing it like a dagger. Everypony then saw the full extent of her injuries, which made more than one retch. Still, it was Fluttershy who persevered.
“Please just… p-put the glass down. You need help. You’re very badly hurt.”
Riven shook her head and mouthed something inaudible. It was then that she realized just how exhausted she was. It was like the summoning sucked the life right out of her. That coupled with the copious amount of blood she had shed and she was shaking like an autumn leaf.
“G-Get a-away from m-me…”
And with that, the exile fell into darkness.