//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Pilots of the Storm Dancer // by Green-Venom //------------------------------// Uploading host data… New energy source found… Naming… “Magic“ Define “Magic“… “Magic“ = insert: host_data_magic_energy_ Commencing recharging protocols using surrounding “Magic“… Commencing reconstruction protocols… ERROR: Gravity out of bounds: Old form not compatible… Searching for alternative form… Alternative form == 0 Searching for new form… Potential solution found, establishing contact to host… “Do you read me?“ Apple Bloom was running through a dark forest, breathing heavily. Dark mist was waving between the trees, making it impossible to see further than a few meters. “I can feel a connection. Why are you not responding?“ She came to a screeching halt, almost falling into a crater. She knew this crater. “I can see you now. Give me a moment, maybe I can stabilize the connection.“ Suddenly, almost as if a switch had been flipped, the mist slowly dissipated into nothing. The Darkness remained, however, so the visibility didn’t really improve. “Best I can do for now. Are you alright, you seem distressed…“ Apple Bloom took a nervous step back, looking down at the blue lake of goo which seemed to be… talking to her? “Who are you? What are you? Why am I here? What do you want from me?“ “Alright, alright, please calm down… I’ll try to answer your questions one after the other…“ the voice replied. “First of all, my name is I-ris, and I am, what you would probably call an alien. Basically, I’m not from this world. I would be more specific, but we lack the time for lengthy conservations. This communication window is limited, and I don’t know how long I can keep it stable, so all I will say for now is that I’m an artificial being known as a robot. This would also bring us to the where question. You’re currently sleeping, and I’m using your dreams as a tool to reach out to you. Not the most efficient, but it works, and I’m already low on options as it is… Did you get everything so far?“ Apple Bloom unsurely nodded trying to process the information he told her. “Alright, then let’s get to the final and most important question. I called you here because I need your help. You’re the only being I can speak to, due to the nano-gel in your bloodstream.“ “Nano-gel? You mean that stuff I almost drowned on yesterday?“ “Affirmative. I had to make some adjustments to ensure safety and compatibility, but the fluid is still mostly the same.“ “So you’re the reason I have glowing eyes now?“ “Glowing eyes? Must be an unindented side effect. It’s not a required modification, but not one I know how to avoid.“ Apple Bloom took a deep breath to calm down. “Alright, you said you need my help. What for exactly?“ “I’m critically injured and rapidly losing strength. You’re my only hope of survival at the moment, so I need you to…“ Their discussion was interrupted by a bright beam of light, as the moon suddenly flared up like a beacon. Looking up, Apple Bloom could make out the shape of an alicorn slowly descending toward the crater. “Warning! Security breach detected. Firewall deployed.“ Suddenly a dome started rising around the two, walls resembling boiling magma putting themselves in between the two of them, and the newcomer. “Princess Luna?“ Apple Bloom watched in shock, as the princess of dreams was intercepted by the mysterious shield. Luna in return hesitated for a moment, before she send a beam of blue energy towards the defense, cracking it. “Who are you that you dare to infiltrate the dreams of my subjects!“ the alicorn’s royal canterlot voice angrily boomed across the landscape. A second blast sends the shield crumbling to pieces. “Security failure! Initiating lockdown protocols! Terminating connection! Radio silence active.“ The dream around her started becoming unstable, and Apple Bloom could barely manage to make out how Princess Luna dived towards the crater with the blue gel, her horn ablaze for another magic attack, but before she could fire it, the dream exploded into a white light and everything stopped. “AAAAAH!“ Applebloom woke up in cold sweat, looking around frantically, before realizing in relief that she was home in her bed. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down. “Did that really happen, or was it just a stupid dream?“ she silently wondered to herself, as she opened her bedroom window, allowing fresh air to stream in. They had allowed her to leave the hospital yesterday, since her situation had improved, under the condition to regularly return for inspection. With the exception of her now blue glowing blood and eyes there didn’t seem to be any lasting effects from the blue goo she had swallowed, but there wasn’t a lot they could do about it anyway. Apple Bloom sighed, remembering her dream and its visitor. Nano-gel he had called the fluid, and he seemed to know more about her predicament. Looking out of the window she concluded that there was only one way to get answers. She had to pay I-ris a visit… Later… Apple Bloom nervously inspected her surrounding. In hindsight, it had been a dumb idea to walk into the Everfree forest in the middle of the night, but it was too late now. She was almost there anyway. Spotting a blue light shining between the trees, Apple Bloom dropped into a gallop, the company of a mysterious alien goo seeming a lot more appealing than the dark forest. “Apple Bloom? I can sense your presence… Are you there?“ The filly in question paused, unsure how to respond. Then she remembered her dream. “I can read you.“