E.Q.U.E.S.T.R.I.A Spies: The Origins (#1)
Chapter 1: When Two Worlds Collide!
"You feel that draft?" Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing merrily into the school basement in front of Fluttershy.
~The two girls looked upon the dark room full of antiques the school basement has had over the years. Bookcases, floppy drive computers, theatre props, a dead named brand vending machine, even a few lockers and desks. The girls were here on behalf of their maths teacher to find more textbooks for the class. With Pinkie Pie having immediately volunteered when their teacher had asked the class, where Fluttershy was unlucky picked when no second person willingly offered. However, It was too dark to see anything, so dark that they had to feel her way along the floor.~
"It's so dark in here…" Fluttershy said meekly, stocking close to Pinkie Pie.
“Don’t worry,” Pinkie assured, wrapping an arm around her friend. “I’m sure there’s a light switch somewhere in this mess.” She pulled out her phone and shivered. “Although I’d love to know where that draft is coming from.”
“Can we just focus on finding those math books so we can-” Fluttershy began, before Pinkie turned her phone’s flashlight on, which showed directly in the face of a large tiki totem that had once been a part of a school Hawaii’s themed homecoming.
~Fluttershy let out a scream, and was only kept from falling over by Pinkie.~
“Fluttershy! Relax, look!” She knocked on the totem's wooden surface. “Nothing scary down here.”
Fluttershy let out an unconvincing laugh. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked.
“It’s okay,” Pinkie Pie assured as she led her friend, arm in arm, through the maze of school junk. “I know the dark can be scary. Truthfully, I sometimes still get scared myself. But then I remember what Granny Smith says.”
Fluttershy tilted her head. “Really? What’s that?”
“Well,” Pinkie started, “she would always tell me, Pinkie... Okay!” She cut herself off with another shiver. “Where is that breeze coming from?!"
“I think it’s coming from over there.” Fluttershy pointed. Sure enough, in that direction, there was a rustling curtain that was blocked by several old desks.
“Right then!” Pinkie handed Fluttershy her phone. “Hold this for me and give me light.”
~Before the shy girl could ask for more, Pinkie hopped onto the desks and started to crawl towards the window.~
“Be careful!” Fluttershy called out.
“Easy, peazzy!” Pinkie Pie waved off, having made it across the room. The curtain and window behind it being blocked by a locker. “Yeah! There’s a window here, and it’s wide open! But, I think I can…”
~After a minute of struggle, she was able to latch the window shut, and pull open the curtains to let some light in.~
“Got it!” Pinkie cries triumphantly.
“One of these days,” Fluttershy mouthed. “Still, wish I had half the bravery she dose-”
~Pinkie Pie let out a scream.~
“Pinkie!” Fluttershy cries out, racing to her friend. “What is it? Are you hurt!”
“M, Ma,” Pinkie babbled, sitting on the floor pointing in the direction of the hole. “Mow, ma, Mouse!”
Fluttershy beamed. “Oh! A mouse! Where! Is he a cute little fellow?”
Pinkie blinked, realising just how silly she looked and sounded. “Well, I mean... It was a big mouse, I’ll have you know.” Pinkie huffed, crossing her arms.
~Fluttershy ignored her, in search of a new animal to befriend. So instead of trying to act like she just freaked out over a mouse, Pinkie continued forward until she reached the hole. Looking through it, she could see straight through to the front of the school and its horse statue. While this would be something for the school staff to take care of, she simply grabbed so damp, within reach boxes and papers to plug up the hole in the meantime. As she reached for a final price of newspaper to finish the job, she noticed an old book underneath the papers classified that looked, for its circumstances and location, in pristine condition. As if it had been down here for only a few days. Curiously, she reached for the book and examined its cover. She started to open it to see what it was about, when Fluttershy let out a blood curdling howl.~
“Hey... Hey there, little guy,” Fluttershy tried to speak to it. Which, either the, little, fellow didn't seem to understand, or care as it advanced, it’s sharp yellow teeth glistening in the light. “We... We didn’t mean to, to bother you.” Fluttershy’s knees began to shake. “We,” she tried to step backwards, only to realize she was up against the wall, “We just need to find some books. If,” she gulped as the rat licked its lips. “If you help us find them, we’ll... bring you back some cheese. No! Please!”
~Fluttershy cowered to the floor as the rat lunges forward. However, as it leapt into the air to attack, Pinkie swung the book she was holding at it as hard as she could. Sending the rodent hurling to the far side of the room where it landed somewhere with a loud smack. Breathing heavily, Pinkie dropped the book to the floor and raced to her friend., Not caring as the book laid sprawled open on the floor, or when it’s pages started to glow.~
“Fluttershy!” Pinkie screamed as she squatted on the floor next to her whimpering friend. “Are you o-”
~She was cut as Fluttershy pulled Pinkie Pie into a hug.~
“Hey, it’s okay.” Pinkie said reassuringly as she rubbed Fluttershy’s back. “Come on. Let’s just get out of here. Don’t worry about the textbooks! They’re not worth our safety.”
~Fluttershy, having become somewhat audible, started to agree to that plan, when she noticed the glowing book on the floor.~
“Um, Pinkie,” she sputtered.
“Yeah?” Pinkie asked, continually stroking Fluttershy’s back in the assumption she would say something along the lines relating to their recent teams with the rat.
~Fluttershy rugged at the back of Pinkie Pie’s shirt, and made her look in the direction of the book. The book revealed a small camera-like object on the front cover and scanned Pinkie and Fluttershy's geodes. It automatically opened up and started speeding page after page until it stopped and it took off through the window to the entrance of CHS, to the portal? But it didn't aim at the original spot that led to Equestria, Instead, it looked to another side of the statue, and began to go through the marble. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy eventually make it to the book and see it pointing to the portal. Then the side of the statue begins to glow the same colour as the book and then starts spewing out many things. Random objects were first. Then people! Pinkie and Fluttershy were speechless to see what has been unleashed. Not knowing if they were to blame for it.~
"We're in trouble." Pinkie blinked rapidly.
~Meanwhile, in the city of Canterlot, it was lunchtime. And Canterlot High allowed off campus lunch just to explain how a few students were there to witness what happened next. It all started with a rumble in the ground. At very, no one was alarmed. A few even though it was strange since the city wasn’t in an earthquake zone. That was before the first person fell out of the sky.~
“AAAAAHHHH!” A boy screamed, landing, safely in a tree.
“Ugh,” another moaned as she was tossed onto a mailbox. “Wha- Where am I?”
~At that very moment, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle walked by a row of planted flowers that a hand, and head, sprouted out of, begging for help. They did the natural thing of screaming and running. Which, in turn, caused of a chain reaction of citizens screaming as more and more people started to pop out of thin air.~
“Hey, Bon Bon.” Lyra asked, watching a pair of cars fender bend to avoid hitting a newly materialize teenager.
“Yeah?” Her girlfriend asked matter of factly as a couple held each other closely when they bumped into a lady with a pram. Causing them to scream and make the baby inside cry.
“People are appearing out of thin air.” Lyra stated. “Think we should be worried?”
~Bon Bon started to answer, when a boy bounced off of the table umbrella they were sitting on, landing face first in front of them.~
“Yeah,” Bon Bon said, changing answers. “We should probably get lunch somewhere else.”
~Nodding, the two of them took hands and walked away. Excusing the toga wearing man who walked out of the wall yelling, “I am the fear!” Once Lyra and Bon Bon we’re out of sight, he was attacked by a squirrel.~
~Meanwhile, back at CHS music room, momentarily oblivious to what was going outside, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle (Sci-Twi) were in the middle of a...chat, you could say of sorts.~
“Okay!” Twilight said, tapping her fingers on the table excitedly, staring down Sunset Shimmer whose hands stood at the ready. The two of them locked in a battle of wits, until Sunset whipped up a flash card.
“27 times 49 divided by 12!” Sunset spat out showing the problem on a flash card.
Three seconds later, Twilight puffed out her chest and answered, “110, point!” She stressed out with a smug. “25.”
Sunset groaned and threw the back on the card on the table. “Gah! Correct, and under five seconds.” She then typed in a number to a calculator adjacent from Twilight than now ready, seventy two, while another one closer to herself said, fifty four.
“Oh it’s not over yet.” Twilight beamed. “Don’t think I’m letting my guard down that easily.”
“Oh yeah?” Sunset grinned wickedly.
“Yeah?” Twilight said with confidence as she ready a flash card for Sunset. “Cause it’s bonus round-”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Rainbow Dash said barging into the room, only to see what the pair had been doing, causing the athlete to become queasy for a moment. “Anyways! Have you girls seen Fluttershy? She was supposed to have finished math class by now, but I hadn’t passed by either or Pinkie in the halls where I normally do after science.”
“Oh! Um,” Twilight hummed. While a little annoyed at her study session being interrupted. “Maybe they’re by the portal.” Twilight suggested.
“Oh, yeah! The portal! I didn’t look there! Thanks!”
~Before Twilight nor Sunset could say ‘You’re welcome,’ Rainbow sped off at the speed of light. She blew a current of air that messed up everyone’s hair, making it curly and knotty.~
“WHOA!” Rainbow’s voice suddenly shouted out.
Everyone turned in the direction it came from. “Rainbow? Are you alright?” Sunset called anxoiusly.
“You guys have gotta see this!”
~The girls gave each other bemused glances. Filled with intrigue and trepidation, they hurried to the front of the school. Once outside, they were met up by their other two friends, Rarity and Applejack, along with a handful of students who were looking on towards the statue. They parted like a sea to let the magic girls through. Giving the five of them a clear view of Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy trying to hold down and close a glowing book next to the shimmering base of the schools horse statue.~
“What in tarnation?” Applejack yelled, holding onto her hat.
“Oh! Well, funny story.” Pinkie chuckled, acknowledging her other friends and the crowd that had gathered. “See, we were getting some textbooks for our teacher in the basement, when I felt this draft, so I was like to Fluttershy; you feel that? And she was like, ‘it’s so dark down here’. And I was like, ‘don’t worry, I’ll find a light switch!’ So I turned the flashlight on my phone on-”
“Skip to the part that involves all of this!” Sunset screamed as she and Applejack added their own weight to bring the book closer to the ground.
“Ah, right!” Pinkie said sheepishly. “Well, I found this book while patching up a hole, when a rat attacked Fluttershy. I used it to swat the rodent away from her, and then dropped it to the floor to comfort her. When I turned back to look, it went all glowy and came out here, opened a portal, and a bunch of kids came racing out of the statue, and now we’ve been spending the past ten minutes trying to deal with it.”
“I believe that means I win the pool this time!” Rarity smiled as she grabbed onto a corner of the book.
“Um, no!” Rainbow Dash, having climbed on top of the book for extra weight, protested. “This totally counts as alien, and extra dimensional beings.”
“You make bets over what magical mishap will happen next?!” Twilight hefted as her geode magic brought the book down to ground level.
“You didn’t invite her in?” Pinkie frowned.
“What is going on here?” Principal Celestia shouted, somewhat unsurprised to see those seven girls wrestling a magical book into submission. If anything, she was more worried about how much damage to the school would be caused this time. She has enough of a headache from dealing with the backlash from needing to evoke a tax raise for such newly common occasions.
“A good question,” Sunset said, as they worked to get the book closed. “We’ll get back to you on that when-”
~Using her belt as a makeshift bind, they were able to seal the book shut with a final heave on Rainbow Dash and Applejack.~
“Is it over?” Fluttershy asked, peeking out from beneath her hair.
~Her question was out on hold by sudden yelp. They all turned to see a man lying by the foot of the statue. The man, looking to be in his late 30's, early 40's, wore a pair black trousers, polished shoes, and a long-sleeved white polo shirt with a cherry tie. Over it was a simple blue knitted tank top that had wrinkled in his fall. Groaning loudly, he rolled onto his back, where he was met by several fuzzy faces. After a moment to adjust to the new dimensions lighting, he beheld the faces of the Rainbooms and Principal Celestia standing above him.~
“Oh my.” Celestia said, holding a hand to her lips. As worried as she was about everything that had happened, her top concern at the moment was of seeing to whoever this man was needed. “Girls, give him some space.” She directed. The Rainbooms doing as such to Celsestia’s authority. “Rainbow,” she directed at Dash, “go get nurse Red Heart.”
Rainbow Dash was gone without so much as an, ‘On it!’.
“The rest of you!” She notes the school body. “Go back inside and stay in your classrooms until further notice.”
~There were some grumbles among the students, but most did so without having to be told twice.~
“Twilight, help me set him up against the statue.”
“Um, right.” Twilight said, still taking in what had happened.
“What about the rest of us?” Pinkie asked eagerly.
“You... You all-”
~Celestia started to say something, for her magical afflicted students to do, to try and explain what was going on. However, the man intruded by placing a hand on her shoulder.~
“Good heavens.” she said in surprise. “Are you alright, sir?”
“I’m, fine,” he replied, proving otherwise as he tried to stand. He let out a sharp pain, held his stomach and fell back to the ground.
“Easy,” Celestia assured. “We have a doctor on the way. Although, can you tell us your name?”
“My name?” He asked, taking in a deep breath. “Yes, of course!” He added between a cough. “Apologies. I imagine you have a lot of questions.”
“Understatement.” Pinkie comments, to the dismay of her friends. However, to her delight, the man let out a pain filled laugh.
“Yes, of course. But to answer your first question,” he righted himself to ensure proper eye contact. “My name is, Steven Secret.”