//------------------------------// // Ad Rimula et Ultra // Story: Equine Fall // by ModMCdl //------------------------------// --- The Great Journey waits for no one. -The Prophet of Truth --- Ad Rimula et Ultra Location Unknown The sheer force of the explosion threw both Twilight and Spike back several hooves. Two other ponies landed on the ground next to them, but the force of the shockwave forced Twilight to keep her eyes closed. She brought her forelegs up and over her head, and focused all of her energy into a small shield to surround herself, and the three others. With the arcane forcefield in place, the noise from outside was muted, and the wind was no longer assaulting them. This allowed Twilight to raise her head, and take in her surroundings. Spike lay on the ground, a few paces away from her, knocked out from the blase. Rainbow Dash was one of the two ponies who had crashed next to her, and was also unconscious. However, she was surrounded in a pale blue glow. Next to her was an instantly recognizable dark blue alicorn, her horn alight with a blue glow, weakly trying to stand up. One of Luna's rear legs was bent at a painfully wrong angle, and it was clear that the princess was in a great amount of pain. Twilight rushed to her side. "Princess!" she said in a worried voice. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? No, you're obviously not okay! Wait, I think I know a few healings spells! Just let me-" "Twilight!" Luna's voice interjected her. "I'm fine, it's just a broken leg. Make sure Rainbow and Spike are okay!" Twilight nodded, and quickly went over to Spike. She wasn't too worried about Rainbow, as it appeared Princess Luna had managed to protect her with her own magic. Spike lay on his back, breathing softly, but still unconscious. The lavender alicorn gently shook him on the shoulder, causing his eyes to flicker open, and let out a soft groan. "T-twilight?" he muttered. "What h-happened?" Twilight helped him back up to his feet. "I don't know, Spike," she replied. "But it can't be good." The shield surrounding the four ponies suddenly shook, the result of a tree falling on top of it. Twilight watched with worry as it slowly rolled off the dome, landing on the burning forest floor with a thud. "Princess!" she called out. "What do we do?" Luna was using her magic to lift Rainbow up, the pegasus still unconscious. "We need to leave this place, Twilight Sparkle!" she called back, her voice straining to rise above the roaring flames quickly consuming the forest around them. "How?" called back Twilight. "We've been trapped here for months. The portal we used to travel here disappeared right after we came through!" Another tree fell, shaking the ground and sending up a cloud of sparks. The flaming glow around the forest was steadily growing brighter with each passing moment, as the fire of the exploding sun drew closer. Twilight was beginning to panic. If they didn't think of something soon, all four of them would be burnt to a crisp. The magical shield protecting them was beginning to glow more orange than purple, and the heat was starting to leak through. "Luna!" The Princess of the Night draped Rainbow over her back, and closed her eyes. Focusing, she charged as much energy into her horn as she could. Moments passed, and Twilight kept anxiously looking between Luna and her weakening shield. Then, with a deep, resonating boom, Luna let her horn discharge, splitting open a hole in the fabric of reality itself. The portal widened, and without hesitation, she jumped through, Twilight and Spike quickly following her. The portal slipped shut behind them, and Twilight Sparkle's shield vanished. Fire consumed the land where the four once stood, and the very last tree in Elysium burned away with it... Twilight hit the cold, stone ground with a muffled cry. Groaning, she shook her head, and pushed herself up into a sitting position. The alicorn's vision wobbled, the setting around her blurring into one blob of matter. It was impossible to tell where she was. Blinking helped, it seemed, as her vision cleared. Spike groaned beside her, and she swung her head towards him. While still a little bit fuzzy, Twilight was able to make him out, one of his claws rubbing his head as he too sat up. The lavender mare shook her head again, trying to focus the rest of her vision. With her sight almost completely back, she looked around the desolate area around them. Twilight instantly recognized where they were, and the realization brought a sharp pain to her heart. They sat in the toppled ruins of Canterlot, in the middle of where Celestia and Luna once held their court. The crumbling stone bricks lay scattered around, the tattered banners swaying in the faint breeze. Once beautiful stained-glass windows now lay as shattered shards, only their iron outlines remaining intact. Those murals had displayed the long history of Equestria, and now they were broken, destroyed. Just like the hopes and dreams on the ponies who lived here. Looking to the sky, it was impossible for Twilight to tell what time it was. The sun was still locked to its position just above the horizon, leaving half the sky bathed in its warm, orange glow, and the other half was a starry night sky. The stars reminded her, and the alicorn stood, looking around for the other two. She saw Rainbow lying on the ground, still unmoving. Twilight stumbled over to her, and leaned down against her. The lavender mare let out a sigh of relief - the pegasus was still breathing. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Dash, pulling her close to her breast and holding her head there. "Oh my gosh, Rainbow," she said softly, rocking gently. "I was so worried about you." Rainbow let out a low moan in reply. "Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again." The two mare sat like that for a while, Twilight just holding her love close. "T-twilight," Spike's voice broke through their reunion. "You'd better come over here..." Gently, Twilight let go of Dash, and walked over to Spike. He was standing by the edge of the room, where the floor broke away into a steep drop down the mountainside. "What is it?" Spike merely pointed down the cliff. It was at that moment that Twilight had a sudden thought. She was missing something, what was it? They were back in Equestria, Rainbow and Spike were alright, everypony was accounted for- Luna. Fear building in her heart, Twilight leaned over the edge to look down. Roughly thirty hooves below her was the "rest" of the throne room. The steps leading up to the throne were half-buried in rubble that had slid down the mountain. The throne itself was leaning at an angle over the side of the mountain. And in a sick twist of fate, the limp body of Princess Luna lay draped across the throne. In a flash, Twilight teleported down to the floor just in front of the throne. She rushed up the steps, and fearfully approached Luna. "Princess?" Twilight almost whispered. "Luna?" She reached out a timid hoof and softly pressed against the dark alicorn's shoulder. A ragged breath escaped Luna's mouth, and she weakly tried to open her eyes. Then she lay still...