//------------------------------// // Chapter One: Beginnings // Story: Bioshock: Equestria // by BroSteve //------------------------------// Chapter One: Beginnings It seemed endless. By: BroSteve (Steven Rodriquez) Twilight’s gaze was focused on the worn photograph in her hooves of two unicorn ponies with a small purple coated filly between them. The picture brought back painful, yet beautiful memories with her parents. With a glow of her horn, the photograph encased in magic. It floated into her side pocket of her carry-on bag that lay in the seat next to her. I have to get away.. I need this. I hope my friends understand, and Celestia. My parents told me I could be something amazing one day if I kept studying under your wing. Please Celestia, understand how hard it is.. and how sorry I am. Twilight was snapped back into the world and out of her thoughts as the flight mare tapped her hoof on her shoulder. “Excuse me miss, but here is the hay burger you ordered! I’ll be right back with your sarsaparilla.” Twilight nodded and thanked the mare. She sighed as she looked down at the mediocre looking burger before her. She couldn’t seem to focus on anything. The many sights and sounds of the plane flooded her senses as the plane engines roared fiercely; piercing the nighttime sky. She wondered what her new life in Manehatten would be like. She raised the burger to her mouth and began to eat. Maybe she would be a teacher? She always thought it would be a fun job, teaching fillies and colts. Her thoughts of teaching were suddenly interrupted as the plane began to shake. With a quick glance around the cabin, everypony looked confused and worried. Most of them tightening their seat belts with frightened looks. Some of the flight attendant mares had fallen over, spilling sarsaparilla onto the narrow walkway. The scent soon filled the air. It was calming smell, something she had smelled back in Ponyville way to often. Memories came rushing back to the mares brain. She pictured her close friend Rainbow Dash, hitting the drink a little to hard as usual. She remembered she had only done that at Pinkie's parties. The premiere pink party pony of Ponyville, as she liked to call herself. She couldn't help but smile amidst the disorder around her. Pop! Bzzt! The speaker turned on and the voice of an aged stallion filled the cabin. "Now don worry everypony, we're just experiencing some turbulence." As the voice spoke through the static of the speakers, tension in the cabin swelled. The mare turned her attention towards the window, trying not to think of the words “crash” or “engine failure.” The sea only illuminated by Luna’s shimmering moon. For a second, she marveled the sight. She had only seen the ocean during the day, and never this far out. It seemed endless. "Ma'am, are you finished with your hay burger?" a flight mare said, not receiving an answer. "Ma'am.. excuse me.." suddenly, the purple maned mare turned her attention towards the flight mare. "Oh! I'm sorry I was spacing out. The ocean is truly fascinating." A smile grew upon her face as she spoke. She had read many books back in Ponyville about the deep blue ocean, but none of them did it justice as actually flying over it. As the thought evaporated quickly, a faint glow grew around her horn, then the plate as it levitated into the air and onto the flight mare's cart. "Thank yo.." Before the words could leave her muzzle, the plane jolted to the right. The cart went flying along with some ponies and luggage from the upper compartments. The plane was now experiencing some major turbulence, or at least that's what she hoped. She quickly grabbed her seat belt and tried to tighten it, but just ended up fumbling around unable to keep steady from the violent shaking of the plane. She glanced over toward the right of the plane to see a fiery light from out the window. Her eyes grew wide and her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. Pop! Bzzt! The old stallion spoke through the crackling static one last time. "It seems we're having difficulty with right wing of the plane. No worries though! It sho.." His aged voice was cut short by the deafening boom of an explosion. The mares ears violently popped as the shock wave tore through the right side of the plane. She managed to look over to see the right side of the plane explode in a glorious flame, ripping the right wing from the body sending it hurling in a ball of flame into the night. The plane tore through the sky, heading directly for the deep water below. All she could hear was the screams of her fellow ponies as they either burned, held on, or were savagely thrown out the side. Soon, the suction from the gaping hole in the side of the plane was to much, she was yanked violently from her seat and thrown into the cold abyss below. Water. The purple mare was engulfed in the freezing water. Frantically, she looked around as she was suspended under the water only able to see the horrific sights. Ponies surrounded her, either already dead or drowning, some crushed by falling airplane parts. Finally clicking in her brain, she was running out of oxygen. She forcefully swam toward the surface, trying to escape the icy death that wait for her below the ocean. She emerged only to be blinded by the roaring fire atop the dark water. Pieces of the once seemingly indestructible plane, floated all around her. Most of the parts were already starting to sink, dragging down helpless ponies with them as the screamed for help. She quickly began to paddle towards a piece of the left wing she saw in the fires light. It would be a place to rest, or so she thought. She quickly approached the wing, but before she got to close, another deafening explosion pushed her back. The other engine, that had been sticking out of the water had caught fire causing it to explode just like the last. The blast dazed the mare, leaving her struggling to stay afloat. She managed to stabilize herself once more, but this time something caught her eye out of all the destruction. It appeared to be.. land? Oh, how she yearned for it to be land. To have the solid feeling of the earth beneath her hooves again was something she needed after this hell. She quickly decided to swim towards it, in hopes it actually existed and wasn't just the trauma playing tricks on her exhausted brain. As she swam closer to what she prayed was land, she noticed a monolith of a structure, hidden by the darkness of night. She quickened her pace and saw it was raised from the water, the only access was a series of stone stairs with a slab of stone at the bottom. After using the very last bit of energy she could muster, she finally reached the base of the tower. She climbed the stone slab and collapsed. Breathing heavily, mentally and physically exhausted from the traumatic experience, her eyes began to force themselves closed and she saw nothing.