“So… You’re telling me the cube can talk?” Spike gave his pony-sister a confused look.
“Yes!” Twilight paced in front of the same table they had kept the apple-lava, the weird box thing now taking its place. “It kept on saying ‘we’ and how it was…one of many, or something! Celestia knows what that means.”
Spike’s confused look turned to worry. “It was what?” the baby dragon asked.
“Then it stopped talking when it hit the ground.” she went up to the cube, prodding it with a hoof. “It had some kind of magic in it while it talked, it was glowing a little…” Twilight kept on prodding the thing before she lifted it up with her magic to get a better inspection of it. She could sense a heavy magic within the object. Certainly different to most pony magic but magic nonetheless.
“Erm, sure thing, Twi!” Twilight’s sudden curiosity over this cube was bothering him a bit.
Twilight sighed. “But why did it only speak to me? You obviously didn’t seem to hear it.” she rubbed a hoof to her chin as she floated the cube about.
Spike was edging to the doors of the library, knowing how ‘well’ Twilight’s experiments with objects she did not fully understand went. “Maybe it… Doesn’t like dragons?”
Twilight scoffed. “Yeah right, I don’t even think a sentient cube locked in there for so long had ever met a dragon.” she gazed behind her to look for Spike. “Spike?” the alicorn asked in response to his absence, dropping the cube on the table.
The library doors were slowly falling shut, supposedly from when Spike had exited. She neighed disappointingly. “Thanks, Spike.” The mare spoke sarcastically, lighting the doors with her magic to close them fully.
“Okay.” She turned to it. “So, err, box pony? Can you talk to me, please?” Twilight poked it. Nothing changed about the box, it simply remained in place.
Her ears lowered in disappointment at the metal cube. Well, it wasn’t exactly a cube. It looked as if a metallic cube was sliced in-between, a flesh shaped, unrecognizable ritual looking object crammed between the two equally divided sectors of the cube. It looked relatively comparable to one at least, and was honestly the easiest way to describe its appearance.
As she inspected the cube further, an idea drifted to her mind. “Perhaps if I empowered it slightly…” she muttered to herself, her horn glowing with magic as she prepared a transmissive blast of energy.
Her magical aura transmitted through her horn, charging into the cube. It lit and crackled with energy, charging with the alicorn’s magic.The eye-like lights on the ritual portion of the cube slowly began flickering on, humming brightly. It sluggishly rose, garbled voices and words sounding off into her mind as it began activating.
Twilight watched with excitement, enthralled by it’s process as she halted her magical infusement. Finally, the artifact flashed brightly, making the princess squeeze her eyes shut at the bright light. She raised a hoof in front of her eyes, attempting to block the rays emitting from the object.
She slowly lowered the hoof, squinting her eyes open as the brightness faded. Twilight looked up at the floating box. “You have awoken us.” the multi-layered voice announced in a near whisper.
“Eh-Hello, box-cube-pony-thingy?” she greeted the ancient artifact nervously, ears flattening as the possibilities of it’s dangers we’re finally realized.
The cube ‘looked’ down at her. “What are you?” it questioned assertively.
“A pony?” she answered simply.
The cube floated about, circling the mare as it inspected her. “Equus Unicus, we see.” it floated up after stating the alicorn’s species.
“Eh, yes. Err, What are you exactly?” the princess echoed it’s question.
“We are many. We are one.” they insisted.
She nodded to them slowly. “One of many…” Twilight muttered to herself, pondering what that could mean. One thing that contained many beings? Most likely.
”Your world is in danger, young princess.” they informed, rising above the table, looking down at her.
“Danger?” Twilight asked, ears perking. “Danger of what?”
The cube hummed lightly in the air. “Beasts of unimaginable strength. Magics you mortals would have near no comprehension of.” they warned. “Hide, run, fight. There is no way to retaliate. Your people’s new way of life shall be of eternal agony.”
The mare’s curious look grew further. “What?”
The artifact hung in the air gently, not replying. They had no further words to add to their warning. It wasn’t the first time they gave out such a grave prediction.
“W-What do you mean?” the mare asked. “Is there a way to stop it?”
“No.” they replied. “There was one. However, that was eons ago. And the world h̷̼̒͋̒͌e̴͔̮͈̻͘͠ wished to save was lost.”
“He?..” the doors behind her rushed open, the cube dropping on the table swiftly.
“Pinkie and Rarity are here.” Spike informed casually as Twilight tore her gaze from the now table-bound artifact.
She turned to the dragon. “Why?” she asked.
“They said something about Fluttershy being hurt. She’s in the hospital.” Spike said with a slight bit of worry for the pegasus.
“Fluttershy’s hurt?” Twilight took a step forward. “What happened to her?”
Spike shrugged. “That's what they're wondering too.”
Twilight Sparkle sighed, hovering the object into a nearby saddlebag and cramming it within. She closed it, hovering the bag up and onto the alicorn’s back. Just as I was getting something out of it… Them? She neighed the dilemma off as she followed after Spike.
The duo of magical creatures made their way through the halls of the Castle of Friendship, making their way down the dazzling, decoration-filled stairs and into the first floor, where the Table of Friendship resided.
Rarity was sitting calmly at her chair of the table, filing her hoof with a magic-engulfed nail file- hoof file? Whatever, I’m not that good with these goddamn horse words.
Pinkie on the other hand was looking around the room sporadically, her usual choice of action while waiting for somepony to greet her. She stopped suddenly and gasped at the sight of the alicorn and her dragon-helper as they made their way down the royal stairway. “There you are Twilight!” She squealed joyfully, zipping to her friend and wrapping her in a quick hug.
“Hey, Pinkie?” Twilight greeted with an awkward grin as she was skwooshed by the hard hold.
“Me and Rarity were thinking you were doing all weird like the others!” The extravagant pink pony exclaimed as she withdrew from her hug.
Twilight tilted her head, ear perking. “All the others?”
Rarity “Mhm”’ed as she filed her hoof, eyes still on the leg. “Rainbow Dash and Applejack are doing Celestia knows what! Dash keeps on going on about how her house got destroyed by some meteor-”
“Meteor?!” The alicorn asked in surprise.
“You bet!” Pinkie rejoined the conversation. “When we went to Applejack, she kept on going on and on about some red-apple-stuff that sounds pretty nasty, but the rest of her family seems to like it! I should give it a try sometime!” She gasped. “What if I use it in my next cupcake recipe?-”
“And what about Fluttershy?” Twilight stopped the excitable earth pony’s tangent.
Rarity looked over. “Oh! Did Spikey-wikey not tell you? She’s in the hospital.”
The Princess of Friendship nodded. “He did, but what actually happened to her? You know, specifically?”
“An animal attacked her.” Pinkie briefed.
“Animal? Attacking Fluttershy?” Twilight Sparkle was surprised. “That's… That sounds unbelievable! How?” worry met her tone.
Rarity sighed. “Perhaps she had forgotten to feed one of her bears. It must have been so traumatic for the poor thing!” She put a hoof to her head dramatically.
“It was actually a Komodo Dragon! Or so the nurses told us.” Pinkie bounced in front of the alicorn.
Twilight shook her head. “What in Celestia’s name is going on with everypony?” She asked as she started towards the exit doors of her castle.
“Crazy stuff!” Pinkie joined her swiftly, the two leaving behind Spike who was currently swooning over Rarity, as per usual.
The snobbish unicorn hopped out of her chair, going after her two friend’s lead. “Come along, Spikey-wikey!” She called, shaking the young dragon out of his stupor.
“Eh-yes, Rarity!” He followed the group too, making his way as soon as possible on his baby legs.