//------------------------------// // 2 - From the Rift // Story: Twilight Over Thanalan // by tom117z //------------------------------// “Okay, I know you’re worried, but did you have to drag us all out here at…” Rainbow glanced up at the sky with her groggy, half-open eyes. Her muzzle scrunched up in aggravation before she lowered her eyes to glare disapprovingly at the equally tired and utterly unrepentant Twilight at the head of the group. “Six? In the Ahm?” Twilight gave off a quiet sigh of exasperation. “Not ‘ahm', Rainbow. AM.” “Same diff.” Twilight snorted and rolled her eyes. This hadn’t been the first time one of the group had elected to complain at her about this little excursion into the Everfree Forest. She probably could have chosen to wait just a little longer before waking them all up, but at the time, she really hadn’t felt like taking chances. “Ah, quit yer bickerin’,” Applejack chimed in with a roll of her eyes. “Ah don’t even see what the problem is. Ain’t none of y’all ever done an honest morning of work in yer lives?’ “Six, AJ. Six.” Rainbow insisted. “You can do loooots of things with a six!” Pinkie Pie chirped in what most would assume was supposed to be support for Applejack, but who knew with her. “Six cupcakes equals six very happy fillies in six super duper parties or—GASP—a SUPER MEGA-” “No.” “Awwww, but it’s never too early for a-” “Yes. Yes, it is. This conversation is over.” “Now now,” Rarity gently scolded the grumpy pegasus. “As much as I detest interrupted beauty sleep, I am sure Twilight would never interrupt it without a very good reason.” Twilight could almost hear a word of warning in her tone. “Actually, I do have one,” She replied with a sharp nod. She glanced back at the others. “And I already explained it to all of you.” “It was six,” Rainbow drawled out. “Some of us who get up at a reasonable hour could use a refresher.” “Too early… lecture… no…” Spike mumbled as he half-slept on Twilight’s back. Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. She came to a stop and spun to face her friends. “Okay, look. It’s just…” she paused, her muzzle scrunching up. Now that she was really thinking about it, it was actually hard to put into words, especially now that she had taken some time to calm down and thoroughly consider it.  It had begun just a few hours ago. A strange feeling had come over her in her sleep. A deep-seated feeling of dread and anxiety, the same sort she had felt only a few days prior when Tirek was on his way towards her and her friends at the base of the Tree of Harmony. She had been terrified for all of their lives at that point, and a similar—if subdued—feeling had suddenly roused her from her slumber. Spike had insisted that she must have just had a bad dream. It’d been a pretty harrowing day for everypony involved, and the logical part of her brain agreed… But something deeper and more instinctual rallied against that idea like an army of angry dragons. “I just have a bad feeling. I want to make sure the Tree of Harmony is safe,” she finally said, turning back down the path toward the castle. “It’s probably nothing, but I don’t think we can be too careful with it right now.” “Come on, Twilight,” Rainbow groaned out. “What are the odds that another big evil jerk would try to harm it within a few days of the last?” The others glanced at her irritably. “What is our track record, dear?” Rarity asked in a deadpan. “Yeah, now that I’ve said that, it sounds about right…” “Oh dear…” Fluttershy squeaked.  “Shucks, Ah’m sure everything is just fine,” Applejack interjected. “Hyping yourselves into a frenzy ain’t gonna help nopony.” Rainbow shrugged. “Hey, so long as I can pummel another Tirek thing, I’m game.” “I thought you were tired?” Twilight deadpanned. “Eh, only when there aren’t monsters needing a good rainboom to the face!” Twilight smirked at Rainbow’s shift in demeanour before focusing back on the trail ahead of them. The forest was dark at this hour, but not so dark that they couldn’t see where they were going. The first shafts of morning sunlight were just starting to slice through the gloom of the Everfree Forest, creating shifting shafts of amber light to guide their way. They walked on in relative silence for a time, occasionally looking this way and that at a distant call from some unknown animal or other. Over time, the forest gradually began to thin out, and the now-familiar road to the Castle of the Two Sisters became clear upon the forest floor.  “Almost there.” Soon, the group came out through the foliage, and the castle came into view on the other end of the chasm. Twilight paused to take a look at it, briefly recalling her first time here. Judging by the nostalgic, if still groggy, looks on the faces of her friends, they were reminiscing just the same. “Come on, the Tree shouldn’t be too far now.” Twilight started to move towards a path lining the inner edge of the chasm splitting the Castle of the Two Sisters off from the rest of the forest. The others all started to follow, Spike fully lulling himself to sleep as snores began to emanate from the alicorn’s back. Yet, even as they started to gently manoeuvre their way down the slope, one of their number appeared to hesitate and look around with a not-so-typical shyness, even for her… “Um…” Fluttershy said quietly. Many might have missed her utterance, but the attuned ears of her friends all perked up as they glanced back in her direction. “You good, sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “Yes, you do look a bit perturbed,” Rarity agreed. “Whatever that meant, yes,” Rainbow agreed, earning a glare from both the fashionista and the literate Twilight in the process. Fluttershy, for her part, just glanced around solemnly at the forest, her ears swivelling around seemingly in search of something. Something that she found wanting if her increasingly diminutive stature was any indication. “It’s probably nothing…” “No no, if you think there’s something wrong, I want to know,” Twilight disagreed. “You know these forests even better than I do, given how many animal friends you have from here. So if there’s anypony who would spot something, it’s you.” She seemed to perk up a bit at the praise, before predictably falling again when she realized she was the sole centre of attention. “Oh! Um, okay… Well… do you girls hear anything…?” Twilight tilted her head, not quite sure as to her meaning. She strained her own ears. Maybe she had heard a twig snap? The growl of a forest beast? Something else? Alas, whatever it was, she couldn’t make out a thing. The forest was utterly silent. “We don’t hear anything, darling,” Rarity spoke for the group. “It’s all quite peaceful this morning, for which we must surely give thanks to Celestia given how dastardly some of the ‘locals’ can be.” “But… I mean… that’s why…” Fluttershy’s voice trailed off again, her eyes wandering back to look deep into the treeline. “Why what?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy hesitated for a moment before she found her voice. “It’s so strange… There should be something. But it’s silent. No birds, no cute little creatures scuttling about looking for food… The forest is… like it’s empty…” Twilight frowned. She hadn’t even considered that, but now that she was paying attention, yes, that was strange. The forest was home to numerous creatures big and small, so there should be at least something like the tweeting of a bird this far in. It was something that she just took for granted, never giving a second thought. But Fluttershy, she breathed nature, was always aware of it. And now that she pointed it out to them… “Ya know, if a timberwolf strays out too close to the farm, the animals outside get awful quiet right quick,” Applejack noted. “My friends too…” Fluttershy agreed. “Nice catch, Fluttershy,” Twilight calmly complemented as she internally went through all possible scenarios. “Maybe they’re just sleeping?” Rainbow nonchalantly suggested. “Or…” Or something was very wrong indeed. “Come on, girls. We need to get to the tree. Now.” Sensing the increased urgency in her voice, none of them argued as they rushed down the side of the cliff and to the chasm’s depths. It was a short run, one they had made before, the pathway wide enough for them to descend in a single file line. Nothing stopped them, and there appeared to be no obvious reason for alarm or panic. Still, when Twilight stood before the cave opening leading to the Tree of Harmony, something felt… wrong. “Do you feel that?” Rainbow asked. “Kinda like… I don’t know…” Twilight didn’t answer, her brisk trot turning into a full gallop as she raced into the cave entrance, her coat standing on end and her heart pounding. She couldn’t even really explain why she reacted the way she did. But something was wrong. Very wrong. And she knew that every moment she spent waiting, something terrible was happening inside. “Twilight!?” one of the girls shouted behind her, but she took little heed. Instead, she just kept on moving as fast as she could. One corner. The next. The cave started to open up, its central chamber coming up fast. Crystals jutted out of the walls, usually sparking with brilliant light amidst the roots of the fabled Tree… But now they were dark. Cold. Lifeless. “Oh no.” She skidded to a halt, the mare vaguely aware of the sound of scampering hooves behind her. Glad as she was that her friends continued to follow, it did nothing to stifle the shock, surprise, and abject horror at what she found before the Tree of Harmony. A figure, unlike any she had seen in quite some time, floated in mid-air before the tree without the assistance of wings. It was upright, clearly bipedal, and dressed in dark, flowing robes that were decorated in elaborate patterns of faded silver and poisonous purple. A hood was pulled up over its head, obscuring its features. It had a hand extended toward the tree, serrated metal claws jutting out from the gloves over its fingers. Within those monstrous claws was Twilight’s Element of Harmony, pulled like a still-beating heart straight out of the Tree of Harmony. The gaping hole left in its trunk pulsed with rapidly dwindling light, and the low thumps and deep humming of arcane energy reminded Twilight yet again of a pounding heart—or the lack thereof. “What the?!” Applejack exclaimed once she and the others caught up. “What the heck is that?!” What, or who? How? Why? Many questions and fewer answers funnelled through Twilight’s mind faster than she could process. Rather than further questions, what suddenly struck her was how… diminished, the tree seemed. A few tendrils of light emerged from its trunk, weakly snaking up towards the figure. It merely grunted in what could be mistaken for amusement, a ball of shadow coalescing in its hand before a wave of shadow struck out across the tree and wiped away the tendrils. The crystal seemed to darken further, and Twilight had a distinct feeling there had been a far more lengthy battle before their arrival. Rainbow jumped into the air and thumped her hooves together. “Who cares what it is?! It’s got Twilight’s Element!” she declared. Twilight blinked, already knowing what Rainbow was going to do. She reached out a hoof, calling out Rainbow’s name, but it was too late. The action-ready pegasus had already flown into the fray, hooves outstretched. “GIVE THAT BACK!” Rainbow shouted. The figure turned to Rainbow as if it were uninterested, allowing Twilight a glimpse under its hood. A smooth-skinned face was hidden behind an ominous black mask that left a masculine chin and mouth visible to the world. Her heart quickened as she recognized those facial features as belonging to a human, albeit slightly different looking from the ones she had met in Sunset’s world. The figure’s free hand lifted, dark magic swirling around it, making it clear he was readying a spell. He said nothing, merely unleashing it at Rainbow. She never stood a chance. Twilight watched, stunned, as Rainbow was blasted out of the air by a pulse of deep crimson energy. The pegasus fell to the ground and slid across several feet before coming to a rest, her body smoking. A low groan of pain told the others that she was still alive, but she was clearly no longer in any condition to fight. “RAINBOW!” Fluttershy shrieked, rushing to her friend’s side while Applejack and Pinkie took up defensive stances in front of them. Rarity, meanwhile, assumed a position by Twilight’s side, her horn sparking to life. “You ruffian!” Rarity spat, though there was no missing the fearful tremble in her voice. “Just who in Equestria do you think you are?!” “Huh, whu-..?” Spike blearily remarked as he only now stirred atop Twilight’s back, glancing around and finally comprehending his situation upon spotting the figure. “What!? Uh, what’s that!?” The figure stared at them for a few short seconds. Another snort of amusement escaped him. He did not say a word, however, instead turning to look at the element clutched in his hands.  Twilight felt a twinge. A compulsion. Before she knew what she was doing, she was kicking off the ground and pumping her wings for all she was worth, Spike being thrown from her back in the process. She had no idea what was happening, but she had to stop it, now! The figure turned to blast her aside much as he had with Rainbow, but Twilight saw it coming. Her horn sparked into life, projecting a half-dome barrier in front of herself. The blast of darkness that splashed against her shield carried more force than she had been expecting, and a spiderweb crack pattern exploded across its surface, though it thankfully did not shatter. Twilight cast it aside and closed the remaining distance, her horn charging up a counterspell aimed for the man’s hand. She could see a small amount of surprise on his face. Evidently, he had been expecting her to go down just as easily as Rainbow. His hand pulsed with more energy, and a ball of red light flew out from it. Twilight grunted, forced to redirect her spell from his hand to intercept the oncoming sphere. She had to squint against the resulting onslaught of bright light from the explosion. An intense gust of wind buffeted her, slowing her progress. “No!” she grunted through clenched teeth, reaching out for the figure. She had to stop him! With a growl, the creature spread his arms and conjured a wall of shadow between the two, Twilight giving her wings a fierce flap out in front of her in order to stop herself from slamming into it. Through the mass, she saw an outstretched hand preparing another spell aimed for her. “That’s enough, ya varmint!”  A rope shot out across the cave, expertly wrapping around the man’s arm and yanking it aside. Both his incoming spell and the wall of darkness ceased. Even as they did, he wrapped his clawed glove around the rope and pulled it aside with an unnatural strength rivalling any earth pony. “Woah!” Applejack shouted as she was thrown aside with ease. Fortunately, she flew straight into the waiting hooves of Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. All immediately sought to come to the dazed mare’s aid, Pinkie Pie, in particular, turning around and glaring at the robed figure. “Meanie!” Seeing that her friend was safe and sound—Spike busy dragging Rainbow Dash to safety while Applejack slowly got back to her hooves—Twilight focused her attention back on the thief, her horn lighting with renewed effort. A third bolt of darkness came towards her. Twilight flapped her wings and dodged to the side before continuing to barrel toward her opponent. A larger wave of energy flashed into being, rushing towards her. She grit her teeth, horn flaring with energy as she called forth all the magic within herself.  And then she hit the wave head-on, her light banishing the dark as the figure gasped in shock. Lavender energies coursed around her form as she reached him, the man wrapping himself likewise within his own magicks as the two forces battled for dominance. As lavender and near-black purples sparked and spat, Twilight’s barrier started to make progress into his as he grimaced with effort. She closed her eyes as she pushed all the harder, giving everything she had to reach the Element calling for her. She felt her hooves coiling into the cloth of his robe, and grabbed hold. She heard him grunt in surprise and confusion before the sound was replaced by a low thrum of magic, and she could feel dark energies wrapping across her form. Her eyes snapped open. The cave was fading. She could just barely make out the panicked exclamations of her friends. Then, with a single, bassy boom, it was as if the world had disappeared entirely, and both Twilight and the enigmatic figure were swathed in darkness. What happened next was beyond confusing. Twilight felt pulled along by the figure at impossible speeds, yet she could not tell whether they were ascending or falling. Wind blasted against her on all sides, not seeming to originate from anywhere in particular. She chanced a moment to look around, trying to figure out what was going on, though she dared not release her grasp on the robed figure. They were in an endless abyss, filled with countless tiny floating stars. As they shot through it, however, she realized that the stars were, in fact, tiny pieces of crystal. Scenes both familiar and not played in each one as they passed, and an endless barrage of voices began to echo in her ears.  Still, they struggled against one another, Twilight’s magical aura shifting from the robed figure to the Element of Magic itself. It glowed with the contact, and yet the darkness refused her attempts to pry it from his grasp. She could feel it calling to her, reaching out to her and… something… “Hear…” A voice…? She could hear someone, female, their voice calm and gentle, not unlike that of a caring mother. She could not make out the words, nor even discern if they were meant for her. She could see, however, her element glowing brighter as if in response to it. Was it communicating? She gritted her teeth and focused on the masked man. He was glaring back at her in irritation. “Where are we?!” she demanded to know, tightening her grip. “What did you do to the Tree?! What do you want with my Element of Harmony!?” The figure reached his free hand up to grab at her hoof. His claws dug into her skin, eliciting a hiss of pain from her. She leaned back fearfully as he leaned in, the shadowy eyes of his mask boring into hers intensely. “You would not understand,” he said, his voice low and collected. “Just know that what I do, I do for the salvation of my star. And I shall suffer none to interfere!” Twilight blinked. “What?” The salvation of his star? What in the world did that even mean? The sun hadn’t been showing any signs of unusual activity of late… But then again, this man was a human. Could it be that he was from Sunset’s world? Had something gone wrong there? Before she had a chance to ponder it any further, the disorienting sensation of flying through that strange rift came to an end. A burst of sound filled her ears, and suddenly the directionless wind and voices were replaced with a constant sandy gale that lashed at her fur. Twilight cried out as the man wrenched her free from his robe with a sharp tug, holding her aloft. “For your own good, little pony, stay out of my way,” the man snarled before, with no fanfare, releasing his hold on her. Twilight’s heart leapt into her throat as she fell through the air. She quickly beat her wings, trying to right herself and fly back up to him, only for her to continue falling. To her shock and confusion, her wings couldn’t seem to catch the air enough to do anything more than slow her fall somewhat. She began to panic, kicking her legs out around her as she fell. Her eyes remained locked on to the robed figure floating above her. He stared back down at her, watching for a short time before, in a swirl of shadowy magic, he vanished entirely. And then Twilight hit the ground. “Ever since I was a filly, I had dreamed of one day setting hoof in another world.” Twilight Sparkle slowly opened her eyes with a tired groan. Her entire body was stiff, sore, and covered in a thick layer of sweat. The air around her was hot and dry, and she could feel grains of sand clinging to her fur. She went to stand, realizing as she rose that she felt dangerously light-headed. She reached a hoof out to catch herself, only to fall over into the sand again with a cry of pain. “I let my mind wander and race, imagining worlds colourful, amazing, and strange. I drew them up and speculated on how they could work, much to the amusement of my family.” She took a moment to rest, allowing her mind to race. Where was she? She could deduce based on the sand in her fur and the dry heat in the air that she was in a desert somewhere. Her mind raced, trying to comb through her knowledge of geography to narrow down where she could have landed. Slowly, she was able to force herself back to her hooves and look around. “And indeed, I had managed to see one. A world of technology instead of magic, humans instead of ponies. It had been an experience I would never forget… But it did nothing to prepare me for the journey I was about to set out on.” Her earlier suspicions of this being a desert were confirmed. Quite a rocky one, at that. Though she had landed in a patch of sand, there were large mesas of reddish-brown stone rising from the ground all around her, growing increasingly dense as she looked further towards what she presumed to be north. The sun hung high overhead, beating down on her oppressively with its heat. “Surrounded on all sides by sand and stone, the hot sun burning my skin, no idea where I was, and no friends to watch my back, not even Spike… I was alone, this time.” Twilight took a deep breath and looked up to where she remembered the masked man floating. Sadly, he had not decided to come back and check to see if the fall had actually killed her, as the sky remained pitifully empty. There weren’t even any clouds. Just the fading light of the sun as it began to descend for the horizon. It would be dark soon. She must have been out for a while. “Okay… Okay… Think, Twilight, think,” she muttered, rubbing a hoof against her temple. Had she not been so sore and confused, she might have begun to panic, but right now she knew she had to focus. “The man in the black mask. My Element of Harmony. Wherever they were, I knew I had to find them. I had to stop him, whatever he was doing, and I had to get home… But I had no idea how. All I could do was take the first step.” “Okay, okay… I need to find water, shelter, food,” Twilight quickly began to make a mental checklist in her head. “And then… Civilization. I need to find civilization, find that man, and… Oh, Celestia, what is going on…?” A dry wind answered her call, whistling between the mesas. She felt the dryness in her throat as if in response, and knew she couldn’t stay out in the open any longer. She turned for the mesas to the north. They would provide shelter from the sun, and then she could look for water. With nothing else for it, she set off at a brisk pace, leaving prints in the sand of the desert as the sun’s light began to fade. “And so I did. I took my first steps in that new world, as the hour of twilight fell over Thanalan.”