The halls of Celestia's castle were magnificent. Their golden glow was breathtaking, and you could feel that they held the presence of a noble ruler. The air smelled sweet, and there was no speck of dust to be found anywhere. You could taste the wonderful delicacies in the air as their aroma was carried from the kitchen, and you felt ten inches taller when you took a step into the throne room. There was never any trouble and anything of concern that carried to Celestia's ears, and when there was something she would do whatever she could to help. There was almost nothing she couldn't fix.
"SISTER!" Luna called, the stone hallways vibrating with the power of her Royal Canterlot Voice, "THERE IS MUCH CONCERN THAT I MUST SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT!" The guards were completely blasted away by the sound, and they toppled over like dominoes as they patrolled through the halls.
The dark Alicorn trotted swiftly to her sister's room, her hooves clacking lightly against the marble floors. It was the middle of the night still, and Celestia would be well into dream world by then. But this was urgent, and it worried Luna deeply. The strange meteor that had occurred that night could have brought disaster...or some unwanted guest.
Using her magic, the door to Celestia's chambers swung open, "SISTER-
"Yes, Lulu..." The beautiful white Alicorn groaned, rolling over in her bed, "...I heard you...." Celestia sat up, her tired eyes trying to focus on the form of her sister, "What's going on-
"The meteor shower tonight..." Luna said, switching back to her normal voice, "I've seen that they have come into contact with the ground. I worry that injuries may have occurred to our citizens, and it concerns me." Celestia bit her lip in thought and climbed slowly out of bed, "If what you said is true...we must quickly tend to the impacts."
"Yes..." Luna spoke, "Two of them have landed near Ponyville, while another hit far up north." Celestia nodded, shaking the sleepiness from her face.
"I see...Anything else I should know?" Celestia asked, her horn glowing. In a bright colorful flash, she was cleaned up, her mane flowing its usual perfect and beautiful self.
"Yes...the northern impact...It took out an entire mountain." Luna replied quietly. Celestia's jaw dropped a little bit. There had not been a meteor impact in Equestria like that EVER. There had to be some mistake.
"Luna...There is no way-
"I've seen it, sister." Luna said quietly, "I've already sent a team to check on the northern impact. Luckily, I don't think that the meteors near Ponyville injured anypony. One landed in the middle of the Everfree Forest, and the other was in a valley. I suspect that there will be a bit of a panic tomorrow, and that you might be very busy." Celestia sighed...Her sister was right. Tomorrow, she would have to face hundreds of questions.
"If there is a problem in Ponyville, I am sure that my faithful student will send a note as quick as she can." Celestia said, looking out her window, "But for our sake....I hope that this was all nothing."
Twilight just about spend the whole night trying to calm the entire town down, and the rest of the night trying to keep away curious ponies (aka Cutie Mark Crusaders). The rest of her friends had gone off to make sure that nopony had been hurt in some way, and she was relieved that nobody had been hurt. The meteors landed far enough away, and Zecora's hut was too far from the impact in the Everfree Forest.
When she had been satisfied, she agreed with each of her friends that they would check out the craters first thing in the morning. They were all dead tired, and Spike was already passed out inside of their picnic basket. With a sigh and a yawn, she had to drag him and the rest of their picnic gear home. She had flopped onto her bed and passed out.
That had been a few hours ago, and now she was standing on the same hill. It was noon, and the sun was directly above her in the sky. She breathed in the warm sunny air, the gentle breezing swaying her mane slightly. She was definitely still tired, and she was sure that her friends would be too. After a gentle yawn, she noticed the rest of her friends coming up the hill to meet her. After a few exchange of words, they set out to the first crater.
It had been a long while since the fire had gone out, and not that their was light out they realized how big the crater was. It covered a large space, roughly thirty meters across. The pit itself was about twenty meters deep, and filled with fresh dirt still.
Strangely...there was no meteor.
"Weird..." Rainbow Dash blinked, flying around the bottom of the crater, "There's nothing here! No weird alien space ship, no super cool mechanical soldier with metal armor, and there definitely isn't a rock!" She landed on the bottom, kicking the dirt lightly with her hooves, "What happened here?!"
"Maybe..." Pinkie said, suddenly appeared next to Dash, "Whatever in here...ran away!" Fluttershy tried to quietly slip away, but walked into the hooves of Applejack.
Twilight rolled her eyes, teleporting to the bottom of the crater, "Oh, come on! Nothing could survive an impact from space! That's just crazy!"
"You have been wrong before, Twilight!" Rarity called from above, "But it does seem odd!" Twilight glanced around. There was literally nothing...no meteor from space, no alien space device...only dirt and what looked like prints.
Wait...prints?!
"Guys! Look!" Twilight pointed a hoof at what appeared to be dig markings and hoof-prints. Rainbow and Pinkie rushed over, blinking at what they saw.
"N-No way!" Rainbow gasped, "There really must be a super cool mechanical soldier with metal armor! He must have ran when he fell from the sky!"
"There are tracks up here, too!" Applejack called, "And...it seems as though it was dragging something heavy behind it..." Twilight teleported back up, looking at the tracks. It was definitely dragging something alright. The hoof-prints weren't as noticeable, but there was a trail of slashed earth that followed right beside them. The slash was deep, and it gave Twilight the shivers.
"Let's...not follow those..." Fluttershy squeaked, backing away, "After all....it could be a really scary monster..." Twilight bit her lip, "Well...the only place the creature could have ran to..." She glanced up, "Would be the Everfree Forest." The tracks lead straight to the tall, evil looking trees. Fluttershy eeped, and turned tail, her wings spreading to get ready to take off. Applejack grabbed her tail with her teeth and pulled her onto her back, not letting the yellow mare get away.
"Come on, guys." Twilight said, feeling anxiety and fear beginning to build, "We...need to check this out. For Princess Celestia."
Cloud dug his sword into the ground, using it to support his weight. Whatever happened to him last night...really hurt like a bitch. Not only did he feel as though he went through a combine, but he also felt a flock of Chocobo's just charged over his body. If you don't know what that feels like, you can probably assume. Ouch.
His body was weak and hurting, but at least he was regaining his senses. He could see clearly now, and he could actually heart himself grunting and panting in pain and exhaustion. His throat was still burning, and he would really appreciate ice cold water right now. But being lost in a forest and all...might make that difficult.
The forest that he was in now was unlike any other. The trees were...disturbing. The sun couldn't touch the ground floor, and it almost seemed like nighttime. The air was cold, and he could taste anger in the air. The forest he was in was old...very old. And he was definitely wasn't close to Seventh Heaven. Was he in an unexplored or unknown forest somewhere? He kept trying to think of his most recent memories, but he found nothing. He didn't know how he had gotten to the strange lands, but he would find a way out.
There was a rustling nearby and Cloud tensed. Right now, he was too weak to fight anything or anyone. If they caught him, he was as good as dead. The rustling was getting louder, and the blonde fighter was scanning his surroundings for any sort of cover. Looking up, hiding in the trees was his best bet. As he got ready to jump, the muscles in his legs screamed in protest. Biting down, he jumped, landing onto a large tree branch. He landed as softly as he could, his giant sword almost slipping from his grip when he landed. The branch shook lightly, and he was relieved when it held his weight.
His breath became shallow as he hid himself, waiting to see who had been coming. What he saw...was nothing less then shocking.
"...A...Zebra...Wearing jewelry?..."
Cloud was taken back. Yes, he had seen some horrible, weird, and strange looking monsters in his lifetime. A zebra wearing gold rings around its neck was something he had yet to see. And just seeing a normal animal like that was just weird too. He was expecting a Tonberry or something.
The zebra seemed to be looking for something. Cloud decided that jumping down and scaring it would be the last thing he would want to do. Maybe it had an owner nearby? He would have to wait and see.
"Hmm...A wood oak seed is exactly what I need. It's hard to find, for one of its kind."
Wait. Did...the zebra just talk? And RHYME?
Yep. Cloud wasn't in Midgar anymore.
"Okay, so this is what I understand. The super cool mechanical solder with metal armor climbed out of the crater while we weren't looking, ran as far away as he could and as fast as he can...into this tree?"
"What else does it look like?"
"Yep...Maybe it's not as super cool as I thought..." Rainbow scratched her head, "But there isn't much left of this tree..." They were standing near the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. The strange trail they had followed had led them here, right in front of a tree that looked like it had been hit by a sledgehammer. The bark had been smashed off, and there was an imprint in the ground. There was also a stab mark beside it, and they guessed whatever thing the creature was carrying was dropped.
"Okay..." Twilight lifted an eyebrow, "Either this thing is blind, or it felt like running into a tree."
"Poor tree..." Fluttershy whispered quietly, "I'll remember you..."
"Come on, guys! We've got to focus here! Whatever this thing is, it could put Ponyville in danger!" Applejack declared, stomping her foot, "Fluttershy! Quit trying to run away!"
"Wait..." Twilight said, looking at the others, "The other meteor ended up here in Everfree. It could be more dangerous than ever. Maybe we should split up into two groups. One to follow the tracks, and the other to check out the impact site."
"But Twilight!" Fluttershy cried out, "That could have a scary monster too! We should just...you know...leave!"
"But it sounds sooooo fun! I wonder if Rainbow's super cool super soldier dude likes parties! Do you guys think he likes parties?!"
"Two groups! Sounds good!" Rainbow Dash smirked, "I'll go after the alien! Who's going with me?!"
After a bit of talk, they each decided that they would split up. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie would go after the tracks while Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy would find the next crater.
"Okay guys!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, looking back at Applejack and Pinkie as they began their journey into the forest, "If this guy turns out to be hostile, I'll take him on! With Pinkie's sense and Applejack's...erm...With Pinkie's sense there is no way he could sneak up on us!"
"Wait..." Applejack glared, "You sayin' that I ain't got no way to help out?! You forget about Bucky McGillycuddy and Kicks McGee!"
"Good luck, Rainbow!" Twilight waved, "Just scream if you need us!"
Cloud wanted to get out of this forest and find his way back to any sort of civilization he could find. He needed rest, food, and some water. He would have gone off to find these things...if that Zebra would just LEAVE! He found that the Zebra was a she, and he still couldn't get over the fact that it could talk! Yeah, there were crazy monsters that he had fought, but none of them ever talked before! This was weirding him out...and the fact that the zebra looked a bit cartoonish with its big eyes was still a bit too much.
He was watching the zebra intently, just waiting for her to leave. He was too weak to go away stealthily, and he didn't want to give his position away. So, he was staring down at the Zebra as it- or she picked up herbs and set them into a saddle bag. Watching an animal display this much intelligence was outrageous.
He sat back in the tree, his large sword in his hand. Well, it was more like a combination of smaller big swords. This was the weapon he last used to defeat Sephiroth with, and it was handy to have around. He could switch to a dual handed sword fight to a one handed, or he could use the others for projectiles. It was a very diverse weapon, and he enjoyed having it. Even if it was as heavy as hell.
He was wearing the same clothes he had fought Sephiroth in as well. The pink ribbon on his left arm, the high collared sleeveless black shirt, the black pants and boots...everything. He wasn't much to change, but when he discovered that he was never really a SOLDIER...he felt the need to get rid of the uniform. After all, that was all just a lie.
Just a lie...Was everything a lie? Cloud watched the Zebra. She seemed...calm and peaceful. She wasn't living the life of a failure, or living the life she thought she had lived. By the way she was acting in this forest, he could assume that there wasn't much danger that presented itself to her at all. He was just assuming, but he would probably find out soon enough.
"Zecora!" The shout startled him. Normally, something like that would have not fazed the experienced fighter. But he was in a peaceful, quiet moment. First things were too quiet. Now they were too loud.
Cloud spot three colorful beings out of the corner of his eye. When they came into view, he almost fell off the branch again.
Three horses. Three...colorful...horses. One even had wings. And they were all talking. Great...So where's the talking Chocobo?...
"Ah, my friends! I see you are here! Although dangerous woods we are in, I fear." Cloud concluded that her name was Zecora from what he heard from the other....animals. Cloud took this time to see who the Zebra's...friends were.
The one that had a blue coat had strange rainbow colored hair, with the symbol of a rainbow lightning bolt on her flank. He realized that they each had a strange symbol there, and wondered if they were branded in some strange way. The blue one was talking with the Zebra...and he was getting Yuffie vibes from her.
The yellow one was wearing a hat. Yep. A hat. She had three apples on her flank, and she also had freckles from what he could see. She spoke in a strange accent, and its voice reminded him slightly of Cid.
The strangest one, however, was the pink one. At first she was talking excitedly, but as soon as he looked directly at her...she started glancing around, as though she felt that someone was watching her. Cloud starting becoming very uncomfortable...at this rate he could be found out.
"We're busy following some tracks that had came out of a crater near Ponyville. Have you seen any strange creature?" Cloud gripped his sword tightly...they were looking for him. But it wasn't like he was afraid of them. Cloud rarely felt fear nowadays. He was still a bit...shocked at the whole situation. If he jumped down to greet them, he would probably freak them out and they would run off...and he might never get some answers.
"Strange tracks, you say? Perhaps I can help, if I may." Oh shit.
"Yeah, they ended here. It's weird! Do you think it could have jumped up and flown away?"
"Or...Is it in the trees?..." Cloud cursed silently. He watched in slow motion as their eyes began to trace up, and in mere seconds they would find him. He couldn't jump away. He couldn't hide. He was going to get caught...There was no way out.
"RAINBOW!" A voice echoed from within the voice, "COME HERE! YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!" Cloud breathed a sigh of relief as the horses and zebra looked back down. Without wasting another second they sprinted off, running towards the direction of the voice.
"They must be talking about the other crater! Let's see what they found!" Cloud was about to leave, but then froze. Other crater?...Why is there a crater? He blinked, thinking back on what he could remember. Is that how he got to where he was? He...fell? Shaking his head, he realized that he needed to investigate. Food and water could come later. He waited till they were a good distance away and jumped off, landing quietly onto the forest floor. His bones screeched at him, but he bit through it.
He sheathed his sword into the holster on his back. He had a hard time standing straight...but he could bite past it. He quietly followed, the pain flaring up his legs until he reached them. He couldn't get a good look at who had called the horses there, but he saw what they were looking at.
"What is this?...." The blue horse asked, "It's like some weird machine...With wheels..."
Cloud, hidden from view, was happy, surprised, and now very irritated.
Author's Note:
Yeah, I know I'm not too good at writing Zecora's rhymes. And I felt this chapter was a bit rushed...If you find any inconsistencies, or ways to improve, please let me know. But otherwise, I hope you enjoyed it!