Chapter Two
A dark sapphire blue coated equine stood alone atop a small white marble balcony that topped the highest spire of an entire castle composed of the same material. The castle nestled itself alongside the cliff face of a tall snowcapped mountain; along with a sprawling metropolis leading away from it and down the side of the rock structure. A pair of wings folded against the equine’s side. She cast her gaze at the stunning landscape below with her light cyan eyes.
She stood taller than most ponies. Her long flowing mane and tail looked like the night sky above, billowed in a nonexistent breeze. A long sharp horn on her forehead was encased in an aura slightly darker than her irises. Her concentration was broken by a voice behind her, “What brings you up her Princess?”
Princess Luna turned around to see a strange creature standing next to the doorway leading to the balcony. The creature stood twice her height. His right leg was of a lizard, and the left of a goat. The right arm of a lion, and the left of an eagle. A set of two wings, one was of a bat and the other a pegasus. A red dragon-like snake tail with a white tuft to end it. A long snake like body covered in brown fur. His neck and head coated in slightly grayer hair. A short almost black mane ran down his neck. A top his head sat two antlers, one of a deer, the other a goat. His eyes unevenly shaped with gold corneas and bright red irises. His head was misshapen and slightly longer than the princess’ with a single sharp tooth jutting from his closed mouth. A small white beard graced his chin.
“I’m guessing you felt it too Discord?”
“You mean the surge of chaotic energy that appeared out of the blue a few seconds ago,” the draconequus walked to the side of the Princess of the night as he spoke.
“You wouldn’t have anything-“
“To do with it? My heavens,” Discord lifted himself off the ground and backed away from the Princess, “Not at all.”
Luna turned to the god of chaos and cocked an eyebrow up in disbelief. Discord landed back on the ground and said, “You can trust me, I am just as curious about it as you are Luna.”
“Very well,” Luna looked back to over what she could see of Equestria at night, “But that still doesn’t answer what was the magic.”
“I know what you mean, but,” Luna turned back as Discord trailed off. He looked to the Princess and continued, “I am a bit more well versed in chaotic magic than you.”
“What do you suggest then?”
“May I try,” he gestured to the view.
“Have your way,” Luna answered stepping backwards and giving Discord the balcony.
She watched as he thanked her and stepped up. He placed his hands on the flat topped gold accented baluster of the balcony. He scanned the horizon and lifted up his right hand. A small ball of red magic formed in his palm. A cloud of white dust formed around the ball and turned pink. Luna stepped forward, still behind the god of chaos, and asked, “What is it you are doing?”
“I believe I know who created such magic, we both sensed and I am trying to see if my suspicions are correct.”
“Who exactly could possess chaotic magic besides yourself?”
Discord didn’t answer as he watched the red ball quickly turned a sickly black color and the dust turned to slug, that clung to the fur of his hand. He cut his magic and the ball faded into white dust on the balcony. He turned to Luna and spoke, “It seems that we may be in danger.”
“From what?”
“I rather explain it to both you and your sister if you will.”
“Very well.”
Luna turned around and walked through the doorway and began to descend the spiral staircase to the rest of the castle. Discord walked right behind the night diarch.
…
Applejack pushed the door to her house open and walked in with the unconscious stallion still on her back. Rainbow followed right behind the farmer and closed the door. She lowered her back and the heavy saddlebags landed to the wood floor with a resounding thud. Applejack cut her a glare and seethed, “Keep quiet, do you want to wake up ma family?”
“Sorry,” Rainbow commented pushing the heavy and worn saddlebags to the side. They were a slightly faded tan, much like the stallion’s coat, with black lacing that had faded to gray and wrinkled slightly. Applejack stepped towards the green couch nestled against the back wall. Lifting him off slowly, she placed the stallion on the piece of furniture sending a small puff of dust into the air. Rainbow walked up to Applejack and asked, “Now what?”
“Why don’t you go get Twi over here to see if she can figure out what happened?”
“Sure thing,” Rainbow gave a half salute and quickly flew over to the front door. She opened and closed it in a flash and was out in the night air in seconds. Applejack turned away from the door and looked to the still resting stallion. She looked to his face which was twisted into a grimace, yet his breathing was still fine. A voice above her broke her concentration, “Your new coltfriend?”
She let out a small gasp as she looked up to see Big McIntosh at the top of the staircase looking down at her. She asked, “What?”
“I said,” the red stallion reiterated stepping to the top of the staircase, “Is that your new coltfriend?”
Applejack blushed slightly and staggered backwards, “N-n-no.”
Mac smirked and sarcastically spoke, “Suuure.”
“Shut up Big McIntosh,” Applejack countered still blushing with a loud stomp of her hoof.
The stallion let out a laugh as Applejack continued, “Rainbow and I found him outside.”
“What did Miss Rainbow do?” Mac asked as he stepped down the staircase.
“What,” Applejack asked completely thrown a curveball. McIntosh touched down and explained, “Ah heard the explosion, Rainbow performed another sonic rainboom didn’t she, and she hurt the poor fella,” he now stood next to his younger sister and gestured to the stallion sleeping on the couch.
“Actually he,” Applejack pointed a hoof at the stallion, “was the one that caused the explosion. There was this massive red meteor that crashed into the fields and at the center of where it landed he was there,” she put her hoof back on the ground.
“So that is why you sent Rainbow to get Twilight?”
“Yes.”
“Ok,” Mac turned and began to walk back up the staircase. He spoke as he ascended, “Ah’m going back to sleep, you have fun with your new coltfriend from the heavens.”
He smirked as Applejack huffed and gave a lighter stomp of her hoof in protest. He walked back to his room and closed the door behind him. Calming down Applejack lowered her head. Her ears flattened against her skull. She let out a heavy sigh and turned back to the stallion on her couch. She looked back to the door and waited for it to open up with Rainbow, hopefully with Twilight at her side.
…
The soft sound of metal plated hooves raked against wood. A lavender mare with golden shoes walked across the floor of a library carved within the inside of a tree magically kept alive. The dark navy mane mare with a tail of the same color with two highlight, one purple, the other pink, streaks through them. Her purple eyes scanned the many stacks of multicolored books that she possessed. Her horn ignited with an aura of purple magic as a gold crown with a pink six point star as the center piece was lifted off her head and onto a small wooden table with a wooden bust of a pony on it. She gingerly set the tiara down and stepped out of her hoof covers. She levitated them, once off, over to the side and neatly placed them. She fluttered the pair of wings at her side and spoke to herself; “Celestia said I would get use to those…” she stopped at the edge of the table. “She was dead wrong,” she answered herself dryly.
Twilight Sparkle, newly crowned Princess of Equestria, sat down and began to rub her right front hoof with her left. She winced in pain at the sore appendage. She looked to the staircase leading to the next story of Golden Oaks Library. She spoke to herself again, “I guess I should go upstairs,” she stood up and strode towards the staircase, “and get some,” there were a few gentle taps at the door.
Stopping dead in her tracks she lowered her face to the ground. Closing her eyes she somberly finished, “rest.” Furling her wings to her side she turned to the door and spoke, “Coming.”
She walked toward the door and gripped the doorknob with her magic. She strode behind as she opened it to the midnight cold air. Standing in the orifice of the building was a familiar sight. Twilight asked, “Fluttershy?”
“Hi Twilight,” the shy pegasus meekly responded.
“What brings you by so late?” Twilight asked stepping aside to let her friend inside.
The pegasus took the offer and stepped inside the library. Once she spoke, “Twilight you have to come to Sweet Apple acres.”
Twilight noted the urgency in her friend’s voice. She asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure exactly, but I saw this bright red light that crashed into the acres and a massive cloud of dust rose up. I came here as fast as I could.”
Twilight quickly walked towards the doorway, “I wonder what happened.”
Her wings flared open as a voice shouted out, “Twilight!”
Fluttershy jumped backwards with a startled eep. Twilight looked up to see a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane. “Rainbow Dash what’s the matter?”
The pegasus landed and said, “Applejack needs you at Sweet Apple Arches now.”
“Because of the strange red light?”
“How did you know about that?”
Fluttershy recovered and stepped behind Twilight. She spoke, “I saw it and came to get Twilight.”
She hid behind her mane as Rainbow quickly brushed it off and looked back to Twilight, “No it’s not that. Applejack and I found this stallion at the center of where the meteorite crashed.”
“A stallion?” Twilight asked stepping out of the library and into the night air.
“Yeah, and he was wearing some type of strange clothing,” Rainbow explained.
“Do you know him?”
“Not at all?”
“Is he ok?”
Rainbow and Twilight turned to Fluttershy who now stepped outside asking the question. She pulled back and hid behind her mane muttering, “If you don’t mind me asking.”
“He seemed fine,” Rainbow continued, “But we have no idea where he came from.”
“And you want me to figure it out?”
“Yep,” Rainbow responded with a nod.
“Sure,” Twilight gave a flap of her wings and stepped beside her friend.
Rainbow cocked her head to the side and asked, “Are you sure you can fly?”
“Shut up Rainbow!”
“I mean you did crash two weeks ago after performing one loop-de-loop.”
“Shut up,” a blush began to spread across Twilight’s cheeks.
“And into a tree.”
A zipper formed over Rainbow’s mouth and closed it shut. She mumbled against it as Twilight looked her dead in the eye, still with a blush, “Quit it with the crash, I know the basics of flying now ok?”
Rainbow nodded. Twilight undid the zipper and the pegasus let in a breath. After a few seconds she spoke again, “Note, never get Princess Twilight angry,” she turned around with a whip of her tail.
“Are we going to stand here jabbing at each other or are we going to see this mystery stallion?”
“Fine,” Rainbow agreed spreading her wings. She looked over her withers to Fluttershy who was still hiding just in the doorway of the library, “You coming Shy?”
“I’m not sure?”
“Come on,” Twilight egged on as her horn lit with magic and the lights inside the library extinguished. In fear of the dark Fluttershy jumped with a small scream out into the moon lit bathed grass.
“I guess Angel can cover for me until I get back,” Fluttershy half agreed spreading her wings. Twilight closed and locked the door to the library using her magic. Rainbow flapped her wings powerfully and took to a hover. Twilight followed and Fluttershy afterwards. Rainbow flew upwards and banked towards Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight and Fluttershy flew up next to the pegasus who took lead.
…
Applejack sat on her haunches next to the couch with the still unconscious stallion resting on it. Her eyes trained solely on the front door awaiting the arrival of Rainbow with Twilight. She had spent the better half of several minutes listening to the calmness of the quite Apple family house at night. The stallion next to her had rocked continuously since Rainbow had left. Just now he seemed to have stopped and to be calmer; almost asleep maybe. Applejack’s eyelids began to betray her as sleep began to overtake her.
Half closed and on the verge of sleep, Applejack rested her head against the arm of the couch. She was quickly jostled away by a knock resounding off the wooden front door. Stifling a yawn and standing up on all hooves, Applejack cantered towards the door.
Using her front right hoof. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it to the right and pulled the door inwards. She looked out onto the porch to see Rainbow Dash standing just beyond the threshold in the half light of midnight. Behind her was Twilight and Fluttershy. “Thank goodness you came,” Applejack addressed the three.
She stepped to the side to allow the three to enter. Rainbow stepped aside to allow Twilight to see the stallion still asleep on the couch. Fluttershy moved to a corner and spectated. Applejack closed the door and stepped behind Twilight who began to study the stallion.
“So he just fell out of the sky?”
“Eeeyup.”
“In a big red ball of light?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow added from the side.
“And he doesn’t have a scratch on him,” Twilight stated looking at the portions of the stallion’s coat she could see.
Fluttershy perked up, “But how is that possible,” she coward back when her three friends looked to her. She meekly continued, “I mean him being an earth pony and all.”
She began to scuff the wood floor with her hoof.
“I’m not sure about that one,” Twilight answered looking back to the stallion.
…
Kyle felt horrible. Worse than when he died by falling all the way down to the underworld and he forgot his lucky horseshoe. But he also felt different. He felt unfamiliar with his surroundings. He knew he was asleep, but he never really did that. There was always a threat of a zombie horde each night, or something worse like Cthulhu. He seemed to be lying on something, but it didn’t feel like his bed, or the other’s for that matter. But he did hear something.
He heard voices. Four to be exact. They all sounded female, which was strange. Kyle only knew three females; Hanna, Diana, and Michele. He wasn’t sure if there were more, but had never heard of them. These four voices sounded not a hint like Hanna, Diana, or Michele. They were all new.
Kyle slowly began to shift. The voices stopped when he started to move. His hands felt weird, almost like stumps. Perhaps my hands were damaged by the mirror and are bandaged. He shifted till he knew he was facing the four females. He heard one say, “He’s moving.”
Kyle slowly began to open his eyes. His vision was blurry and it took a few blinks to clear them. When his vision finally returned to him he looked to his surroundings and the four females. His heart stopped at what he saw.
Standing in front of him were four unicorns. One was purple. The one on its left was orange, but it lacked a horn. A cyan one on the purple one’s right also didn’t have a horn, but it had wings. In the very corner behind the orange one was a yellow unicorn like the light blue one. Kyle did the only thing he could do. He screamed.
He tumbled off of whatever he was lying on and began to run, he tripped over something and landed face first on the floor. He looked behind him to see a pair of bags with all of his items opened and strew about the floor. He looked to the unicorns as the purple one got closer to him. Running on adrenaline he reached for a purple book. He looked to see that his hands were now tan stumps. Not focusing on it and the threat in front of him he picked the book up in his right stump and stood on his other three limbs, it felt right for some reason. The purple one spoke, “Are you ok sir?”
Unicorns can’t talk. He quickly flicked the book and felt the energy begin to drain, it was a small amount, but it still hurt Kyle to do it. He watched as a purple ring began to spin where he flicked the book. He stepped backwards and watched as the ring sped up.
…
Twilight watched the strange band of purple magic materialize from the stallion’s book. It got faster and quickly shot out at her. With a scream she quickly cast a barrier spell. She felt the blade of magic repeatedly strike her barrier. She cringed with each strike. Soon the shock waves stopped. She opened her eyes to see a partially dissolved line drawn in her barrier from where the blade of magic had impacted. She dropped the barrier and spoke to the stallion, “Stop right now!”
…
Kyle was dumbfounded at what the unicorn was able to do. It erected a barrier in front of his scythe and stopped it. Making the attack null and void. It spoke to him again. Ignoring it he quickly dove back to the pile of his stuff and pulled out his bow. It glistened with the intense fires it was molded of. Still lying down he used his stump limbs and held the bow in his left arm and using his right he pulled the string backwards. Once it was taunt a clear gel materialized and soon formed into a wooden arrow. Kyle released the string and the arrow shot outwards.
…
Twilight watched as the stallion grabbed another weapon and proceeded to fire an arrow. She quickly ducked and rolled as the arrow whizzed over her head, slicing a few strands of hair. She heard a gasp from behind her. She focused entirely on the stallion now. Using her magic she grabbed and lifted him off the ground and slammed him into the wall. The walls rattled, sending a picture frame tumbling and shattering on the ground below. The stallion gasped and let go of his bow. It clattered to the floor.
She turned behind to see Rainbow and Applejack standing next to Fluttershy. She was leaning down on the ground. The front of her coat was stained blood red. Jutting out was the arrow the stallion had fired. Quickly giving orders Twilight stated, “Rainbow, Applejack get Fluttershy to the hospital.”
“What about him?” Applejack pointed to the stallion.
“I’ll handle him,” she answered turning back to Kyle.
Kyle looked to the four in front of him. He watched as four circles formed. A red one on the purple one. A blue one over the cyan one, orange one, and the yellow one. Names appeared next to them as the green rings formed. ‘Rainbow’ next to the cyan unicorn. ‘Applejack’ for the orange. ‘Fluttershy’ for the yellow. The purple one remained ‘Unicorn’.
The green ring on the two winged hornless unicorns reached about halfway around the circle. The red to yellow ring about an eighth and the blue to yellow didn’t appear. The hornless unicorn’s green ring reached a small amount less, the red to yellow ring was about half as the green. The blue to yellow ring formed a small amount. The green ring on the purple one filled the entire circle. The red to yellow ring almost filled the entire circle. The blue to yellow one went about halfway around.
These are no ordinary unicorns. Where am I?
Applejack and Rainbow left with Fluttershy, leaving Twilight alone with the stallion still pinned against the wall. Twilight walked towards the stallion and asked, “What is your problem?”
“What’s the point of talking to me,” Kyle rebutted?
Twilight cocked her head to the side and asked, “What do you mean?”
“Why ask me, I know what you want.”
“And that is?”
Kyle fought against his bonds, “Skewer me, do it, you always want to. You damn unicorns always want to do it.”
“Why would a unicorn do that,” Twilight was beginning to take a bit of offense.
“Let go of me you damn dirty unicorn!” Kyle yelled in rage as he arched his back to pry himself from the wall.
“Unicorn!” Twilight took a step back, “I’ll have you know I am no unicorn!”
She flared her wings outward. Kyle watched in horror as the name ‘Unicorn’ slowly dissolved away and was replaced by something he had never seen before. ‘???’
“W-wh-What are you,” Kyle asked the winged unicorn on the ground. His defenses had fallen; he had no idea what he was up against. This creature was a mystery to him. His rage had subsisted.
Twilight was confused by the question. She looked to the stallion and spoke, “Who are you?”