//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Once Beyond the Gates // by Quill Scribe //------------------------------// Once Beyond the Gates ~Quill Scribe~ PROLOGUE ​Equestria. A wonderful place of love any happiness, ruled over by a kindhearted and gentle Princess. Ponies live their dreams, their destiny made clear to them as soon as they accept what they are good at. I was born here, with all of the hopes and dreams possible for somepony so young. That all changed one day, as my destiny would never be my own... ​My name is Sigil Silverlight, and this is the story of how I died. # ​“Mommy this place is amazing!” I exclaimed. ​I reclined on a red checkered picnic cloth, enjoying the scenery. The hills, green with manicured grass, a crystal clear lake, azure skies with nary a cloud in the sky, and a brilliant summer sun to warm the air all lay out before me. ​“It's so peaceful here don't you think sweetheart?” My mother whispered, as though speaking any louder would ruin the serene moment. She smiled down at me. Her brown coat and black mane shimmered in the afternoon sun. I stared into her hazel eyes, drawing some comfort from her. ​“I thought you would like one last outing before we had to leave for Canterlot to see your father's colleague. We could be there for a while.” ​I cast my eyes down to stare at my hooves. “I'm sorry mommy. I know we wouldn't have to go if I were stronger.” ​“Don't talk like that Siggy,” she said softly. I felt her wing drape over me. “You will always be perfect to me. I just want you to have every opportunity you deserve.” ​I smiled up at her. “I love you too mommy.” ​We sat at our perfect picnic for what seemed like hours. As the evening came, I entertained myself by chasing fireflies while my mother chatted idly with other families. It seemed like the perfect day would last forever. Sadly day always has to come to an end and the stars made their appearance for the night. ​I felt a low rumbling in the air around us. I squinted my eyes in the direction that I thought it came from. A shock ran through me at what I saw. ​A silvery white sphere appeared on the horizon. At first I thought it was a star winking into the night sky. It steadily grew in size however, so I thought it might be the moon. ​“Mommy, why isn't the mare in the moon?” I questioned. “Is she sleeping?” ​At some point in every colt and filly's life they are ignored by their parents. This was something I was used to due to my unusually inquisitive nature. Something about this silence felt ominous, a shiver ran down my spine. ​“Mommy?” My voice started to give out. I turned my head to face her. ​All of the ponies around me, my mother included, sat still as if frozen. Eyes wide and mouths open in a silent scream. ​I started to shiver, breaking out I a cold sweat. I turned around to face the ever growing orb of light. ​It expanded in an instant. Doubling in size over and over, shining bright white light that neither blinded me nor seemed to illuminate the meadow. That’s when I started to notice. ​What's happening to the colors? I backed up towards my mother out of instinct. ​Everything from horizon to horizon seemed to fade to white when the orb touched the ground. Not just a gray landscape, but a white void. The world was just fading away before my eyes. ​I turned to run to the comfort of my mother when the colorless void surged from all horizons toward me, consuming the meadow, lake, clouds, sun, and even the other families. ​“What's happening!?” I screamed. My shaking hooves were unwilling to carry me any further as the colors faded away from our picnic blanket, and finally from my mother. ​Tears poured from my eyes and I tried to hide behind my mane. I was alone now, my chest burning with the fear. ​“Where did everypony go?” Then I whimpered. “Mommy, I'm scared. Where am I?” ​I searched around me for anything familiar, darling my eyes left and right. The white expanse surrounded me as far as I could see. It looked as though it went on forever in all directions. I couldn't see the ground but I wasn't falling so I thought it had to be there. ​It felt like I lay there for days. I never moved, my body wouldn’t let me, hoping beyond hope that my mother would find me and take me home. I wished over and over that my magic and body were stronger so I could find a way home until my heart felt like it would break just from the strain. ​A sudden rush of air behind me sent me tumbling head over hooves for several yards. There was a tension in the atmosphere. The kind of stillness you feel when there is a predator in the wilderness. I turned to see what had knocked me out of my stupor. ​Looming over me in the colorless void was a massive archway, easily three stories tall, constructed of black stones engraved with strange symbols. Blocking the opening of the archway were two rusted metal doors, each door having large rings set into its surface, Through these rings a massive rusted chain was woven, seemingly for the purpose of keeping the doors closed. ​If I didn't want to be here before I really didn't want to be here now. My mane practically stood on end, my coat bristled like the air was electric. My chest felt tight, like my heart was going to give in any moment. ​The doors shuddered hard from a sudden blow, pieces of the chain clattered to the floor. Something was trying to come through from the other side. The chains rattled and rusty hinges creaked with each impact. ​A primal instinct took me over. A single thought, Escape! I turned and bolted as fast as I could. ​“No! No! No! No!” I screamed, increasing in volume as I ran. I couldn't get away. It was as though I was running in place, never able to gain any ground between myself and the terrifying doors. ​There was a loud cracking sound, a screech of metal strained past its limits, as the chains broke and clattered to the ground. The doors groaned and creaked as they swung wide open. ​I fell back on my haunches and stared in horror at the black void on the other side of the doors. It was as though something was there in the absence of things, looking back into me, drawing me in. ​“Siggy?” ​A familiar voice called out to me. ​"Sigil sweetheart?" ​“M-mom?” I stuttered. “Please help me, I'm so scared!” ​"Sigil, we are going to be late." ​“Sigil Silverlight, you wake up this instant! You are going to be late for school!” My mother called from the stairs of our home. ​My eyes flew open. I gasped for breath as I lay in my sweat stained sheets, clutching my favorite doll to my chest as though my life depended on it. I only calmed down when I realized I was in my bedroom, complete with Wonderbolts posters on my walls and beginner's spell-books on my desk. Tear marks stained my cheeks as the dream faded into my subconscious, erasing itself from my waking mind. ​“Coming mom!” # ​I stared into the mirror at myself in our dimly lit bathroom while I brushed my teeth. I always felt like a ghost was staring back at me. My shock white coat and shoulder length platinum blond mane made me look almost albino. We all know that ponies can't be albino, but that didn't stop it from being one of my foalhood 'nicknames'. ​I might have passed as just that if it weren’t for my two striking features that I felt made me look like something out of Nightmare Night. First was my eyes. Twin orbs of ice blue stared back at me, pupils the shape of an hourglass. Second was my horn. Most unicorns have a horn the color of their coat. I'm not certain why, but mine was the off white color of sun-bleached bone. These were what earned me a nickname that still sticks with me wherever I go: 'The Pale Pony'. ​I peered between the heavy curtains that guarded the windows of my home and was nearly blinded by the morning sunlight. ​“Stupid eyes. Why can't I just be like everypony else?” I muttered angrily. I took a few minutes to put on my protective rose lens goggles, saddlebags, and brown cloak. ​“Are you ready sweetie? Do you remember what day today is?” I heard my mother ask from the hallway. ​“Yeah mom. I just wish we didn't have to see that stupid doctor on my birthday,” I grumbled. ​“Now now Siggy, Hooves is a very nice stallion, he's doing his best to help us, especially you. I know you only turn 8 once but I've got a special treat today to make up for it. We won't be taking the train to Canterlot. I'll fly you there and we can have a picnic on the way.” ​This brightened my mood somewhat. I smiled up at her and hopped into the oversized saddlebags she wore. ​“Onward to battle Mocha, my mighty guardian!” I exclaimed. ​My mother giggled at my antics. She locked the door to our Manehattan apartment, braced herself, and leaped into the sky. # ​The sun was near midday when we landed at a grassy knoll in a forest clearing to rest. My mother laid out our picnic blanket and produced two daffodil sandwiches and apple slices from her saddlebags as I hopped to the ground, a huge grin plastered on my face. ​I really loved it when my mother took me flying. It was rare since she was always tired after working for the weather patrol all day, but sometimes on the weekends we would go for long flights. I wished I could be just like her, soar through the skies, have her teach me how to fly, bond by performing tricks, join her weather team, and maybe even be a Wonderbolt someday. It made me wish I had been born a pegasus like her instead of a near magic-less abomination. ​Like that could ever happen. ​As a unicorn the only way I could fly would be with a wing spell. I knew I would never be strong enough for that, not with my stunted magic. ​I must have been frowning at my lunch because my mother asked, “Are you alright sweetie? What's on your mind?” ​I frowned and looked down at my hooves. “Do you think they'll be able to fix me in Canterlot?” ​I felt her place a foreleg comfortingly on my withers. “Your father's friend will do everything he can for you. Just remember, unicorn magic isn't the only magic and certainly isn't the strongest.” ​“What do you mean?” I looked up at her, expectantly. ​“The bonds that tie us to those we love are powerful. Even if I lost my pegasus magic and wings I'd still feel whole because I have the strongest magic there is, you.” With that last word she bopped me on the nose gently. ​I looked up at her with a confused expression. ​“You'll understand someday sweetheart. Just remember that I love you,” She smiled as she tousled my mane. ​“I love you too mom.” I hugged her foreleg and began to tear into my lunch. ​We sat like this for hours as she rested her wings for the last leg of our journey to Canterlot. ​“We had better get going. We need to get to the hotel before dark,” she said. ​I climbed back into her saddlebags. She braced herself and shot back into the sky. ​We flew like this for a few hours. I gasped when Canterlot came into view. My eyes darted around the landscape, trying to take it all in. The setting sun glinted off of the snowy peak of the mountain and the buildings of Canterlot shone like a beacon. ​In the distance I saw three rapidly approaching black shapes. As they got closer I could tell they were pegasi, their coats and manes dyed dark blue to match the nighttime sky that was rapidly approaching. ​The trio quickly cut off our flight path. My mother flapped her wings furiously to avoid a mid-air collision. From a gap in the saddlebag I saw the glint of metal coming from an object held in one of their mouths. Their leader spoke in a rough voice. ​“You should know better than to travel alone at night little lady.” He glanced back at his comrades. ”Take what you want boys!” ​The pair of pegasi surged forward and grasped my mother's wings. Their leader rifled through her saddlebags, taking whatever he pleased for himself. Then he opened the bag where I huddled, shivering. ​I saw him smile a sickening grin. “Well, well; what do we have here, boys? A unicorn? Was your daddy a unicorn too? Well we should show this horn lover what a real pegasus is like.” I let out a terrified squeak as I felt him drag me out of the pack by my tail and dangle me in the open air. ​My mother's eyes widened in fear. “Please! I'll... do whatever you want! Just let my Siggy go.” Her voice quavered. ​The three pegasi shared a sick laugh. “Well if you insist.” The leader opened his mouth, releasing my tail. ​I heard a scream as I plummeted downwards. ​I was in shock. I couldn't scream or even think. I just saw my mother's form receding into the distance. My stomach was doing somersaults as I dropped rapidly through the cloud cover. ​I blinked the tears out of my eyes as I regained some of my senses. I grit my teeth as I desperately tried to light up my horn, cast something, anything to slow my fall. I found the pool of my magic stir and then, nothing. I just wasn't strong enough. As the grassy plain approached I closed my eyes and steeled myself. ​At least it won't hurt. ​A familiar warm embrace told me that I wasn't alone. I felt myself slowing down. I opened my eyes and saw my mother, bruised, bloodied, with wings unfurled, cradling me as she curled her body around me. ​“I've got you. I'll always protect you. Remember..." ​Suddenly all motion stopped. I heard a sickening crunch and felt my loving protector's body soften more than it should have. Then everything went white. # ​I opened my eyes to a white void, untainted by my rose goggles. I swung my gaze around and saw nothing but white expanse. This place felt familiar to me somehow. An uncomfortable stillness settled into the air. ​A rush of air swept my mane out of my face as a black archway appeared before me. I felt a primal fear creep into my gut as I stood in front of it's rusted doors and chains. I started to back away until I heard a familiar voice on the other side. ​“Remember.” ​I leaped at the doors. Hammering my miniature hooves on them while screaming. “Mom? Is that you? Don't worry, I'll get you out!” ​I strained my body against the chains, my horn glowed with the exertion. ​“Give her back!” I yelled, as the cracked rusted chains gave way. The white sky pulsed brighter for a moment and I felt a pain lance through my chest. ​The rusted doors swung open to reveal an inky black abyss beyond. The sky flashed again, and again I was wracked by pain. Through my agony I thought I heard a voice. ​“Last try and then we call it.” ​A inky black paw exited the wall of darkness beyond the archway, soon followed by a predatory muzzle. I didn't know what kind of creature was leaving the confines where I had heard my mother's voice but I was afraid. Somewhere between a dragon and lion crafted from smoky darkness, it stood on all fours, easily twice as high as the largest construction stallion I'd even seen. It's white, empty eyes seemed to see through me as it opened it's maw to consume me. ​The sky flashed again and I heard one word. ​“Clear!” ​The white void faded to a dull throbbing darkness as I felt myself lose consciousness. # ​ ​My dreams were restless that night. They felt so very real. ​Deep in the Everfree forest five stone orbs sat on five pillars in the ruins of an ancient castle. A pulse of rainbow light shot into the sky. ​The scene faded to the Royal Palace in Canterlot. Princess Celestia sat at her chamber's balcony staring up at the moon. ​"It won't be long now dearest sister."