Once Beyond the Gates

by Quill Scribe

Happy Birthday

The next semester passed me by quickly. Lyra visited often, and I felt like things were getting back to normal. Unfortunately my life was never normal or quiet.

I was putting the finishing touches on my gift to Long Shot and getting ready for a final test on my amulet when I got the news. A mandatory assembly was to be. Held in the courtyard of the palace.

Nearly everypony in Canterlot was in attendance. There were murmurs among the crowd. Speculation as to what it was about. Fanfare from the stage silenced the crowd and Celestia stepped into view.

"My little ponies, it is with a heavy heart that I bring you bad tidings. Equestria is now at war. As you all know there has been unrest at the border for some time. Yesterday our fortress, Hammerfall, in the north was attacked by enemy troops. While the attack was repelled, the parliament has voted to grant me temporary wartime authority. Please take heart my loyal subjects. This will all be over soon."

Camera bulbs flashed and the murmuring returned with a vengeance. I made myself scarce, pushing my way to the outer edge of the crowd and beyond before they could work itself up into a frenzy.

I arrived at the building I had recently rented for use as a laboratory. The tests I needed to perform required more space and were far more dangerous than the previous ones. I was fortunate to have so many bits left over after I bought my materials.

I opened the heavy door to the reinforced experimentation room and went inside. The room was large. Metal plates were riveted to every surface of the room that was shared with the exterior.

This changes my timetable. Long Shot's gift and my amulet need testing now. It can't wait any longer.

I pushed a simple spell through my horn.

"Vocal dictation begin. Side project, Long Shot Rifle. Beginning phase one, examination."

I shouldered the device I had made for Long Shot. It was a long and sleek cylinder. The long barrel fed into a lightweight stock. The entire device was forged from star metal and steel, giving it strength without being too heavy. This also meant it could handle the ammunition I had made.

My hooves slid through the rings on its sides and slid them towards each other parallel to the stock to move a shell from the magazine into firing position. I faced the stone targets at the other end of the room. I bit down on the trigger arm that extended from the stock, the pressure activated the gemstone that was the heart of the device.

A soft whir and slight vibration of magical power gathered behind the shell. The muzzle glowed brightly and magical energy ripped outward from it. The shell launched away through the air, struck the target, and released its payload. A concussive blast of magical force picked up the target and flung it into the far wall. Had it been a pony they would have been completely incapacitated.

I flipped a switch on the rifle. The magazine of shells dropped out of the rifle and a secondary magazine slid into its place. I armed it, aimed at the second target, and bit the trigger arm again.

The shell rocketed forward and struck the second target. Rather than the force of the first shell, a burst of raw magical energy discharged in a cone into the target. The target vanished within the glow, bits of stone embedded themselves in the steel plates at the other end of the room.

Good. That's all done. Now for my project.

"List project status as successful. Advance to the next project."

I turned to a case against the wall next to an old thaumameter. I opened it and pulled out a silvery amulet. It was a simple affair, crafted of the purest star metal with six small gemstones set into it.

My masterpiece.

"Magic emulation project, Alicorn Amulet, stage three. Beginning phase two, augmentation."

I clasped its chain around my neck. My horn glowed as I removed the first seal. Familiar magic coursed through my ley lines as the pent up power slowly suffused into my body. The thaumameter jumped from my natural reading of three on the Starswirl scale up to a respectable six.

Not enough, that's just above average.

I released a second and a third seal. The unicorn magic burned through me. My horn blazed with silvery light. I watched the meter rise sharply.

Nine and three tenths with only three seals. Ten was the highest recorded, by Starswirl himself. I wonder how high this can go.

I released the fourth seal. My body burned from the inside out as the magic energy overflowed my ley lines. My horn shone brightly, crackling and sparking as the magic escaped in small bursts. The metal plating in the room groaned and buckled under the immense pressure. The needle on the meter hit ten, then pinned to the side. The machine let out a loud death squeal and lost power completely.

I lay panting for breath on the ground for close to a quarter hour. I couldn't move a single muscle. My heart rate slowed to nothing.

Just like last time. It seems my ley lines just can't handle anything over three seals. There's got to be a way around it. There's just got to be...

My thoughts faded and I felt the gate pull me through into the whiteness beyond.

I opened my eyes in the middle of a war zone. Smoking craters pockmarked a scorched field. A haze of ash and expended magic rose over the battlefield.

Cloaked unicorns and pegasi surrounded a small contingent of guardsponies while two in particular were throwing barrier and binding spells at a shadowy beast, one that I hadn't seen in a long time, and had hoped was gone for good. One of the two wore a familiar black amulet.

The guardsponies stood in a protective circle around me. One by one they fell to the cloaked ponies' dark magic.

My first instinct was to look for Long Shot. However, I wasn't even sure that I was getting these visions in any particular order anymore. I looked around anyway and mentally sighed in relief.

Good, he's not here.

All seemed to be lost for whoever these ponies were. There were only three guards left, and the two unicorns facing the beast seemed to have it chained down with magic and were casting an intricate spell. That's when I saw her.

The sun shone brightly in the sky, growing brighter by the second. A fiery sphere launched down from the sun as it reached its zenith and struck the ground among the cloaked ponies with the force of a meteor. The ponies not knocked to the ground by the blast of displaced air had to shield their eyes from the blaze.

Princess Celestia stepped out from the clearing smoke. Her regal mask was nonexistent, revealing a face born of a divine fury. Her horn glowed brightly and the cloaked ponies around us collapsed into a deep sleep.

While she made short work of the ponies surrounding us, the two unicorns finished the spell they had been weaving. One of them turned to Celestia and smiled darkly, his curved horn glinting in the sunlight. Both they and the beast sank into the ground, melding into the shadows. He laughed sinisterly as they vanished.

I felt the insistent pull of the gate once more. I was yanked forcefully through its open doors and back into my laboratory.

I shook my head to clear the cobwebs. The events played over in my mind.

Well that certainly can't be good.

I wish I had a point of reference for these gate dreams. Maybe I'd be able to make sense of them then.

"Hello, Equestria to Sigil."

An insistent voice dragged me out of my reverie. I looked across the table at Lyra and Allie. We were sitting in the little cafe next to Doughnut Joe's.

"Hmm? Sorry, I got lost for a little while there."

"I said, what do you want to do for your birthday? You didn't forget that it's today did you?" Allie asked.

"I guess I kinda did. There are really only two stops I need to make. Otherwise it's up to you girls." I smiled sheepishly.

I've really got a lot on my mind. I feel like this might be the last time I see them.

The two mares looked at each other and said, in unison, "Pinkie Party!"

I looked back and forth between them. They looked back at me with a pair of massive grins.

Why don't I like the sound of this?

"Girls, your maniacal grins make that sound really great and all, but maybe something small?"

"Oh come on Siggy, I want you to meet all my Ponyville friends!" Lyra gave me her best doe eyes and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout that could melt the largest glacier.

Oh she's good.

"Another time girls, really. The only ponies I need with me today are you two and Berry." I looked up at them, hesitating for a moment before I spoke again.

"I'd like it if you two came with me for my birthday ritual. We can wing it afterwards if you'd like."

Allie looked confused, but Lyra seemed to get what I was saying. She gave me a sweet smile.

"Of course we'll come Siggy. Lead the way."

We chatted as we walked. I told Lyra about everything I'd been thinking and feeling since I'd last seen her. She smiled at some points. Sometimes she would glance guiltily at me when I mentioned some hardship or other. Whenever she did I'd nuzzle her softly, to say everything was alright.

We met Berry at the train station. She and Lyra filled us in on the goings on of Ponyville. The danger of the Everfree, the diversity of the ponies that lived there, the strange striped witch that moved into the forest, and the odd habit of the townsfolk to burst into musical numbers as though they were all part of some stage production.

Maybe it's not such a backwater town. Sounds better than here anyway.

I stopped at the gated entrance of the Canterlot Cathedral grounds. I looked back at my companions.

"We're here." I said, my voice barely rising above a whisper.

The three looked at each other in comprehension. They followed me to a pair of headstones adorned with musical notes. The cutie marks of the ponies interred there. Lyra stepped forward next to me.

"They really loved you Siggy. You were such a light in our lives. I'm sorry I missed so much of yours."

I smiled sadly at Lyra, then sat down in front of the graves on the soft grass. I steeled myself for my yearly talk with them.

"Mom. Dad. I'm here again. I hope I can always come see you, but that might change soon. A lot has been happening lately... I can walk now. I wish you could have been here to see it. When I'm wearing the harness I can even feel my legs a little bit."

I stretched my legs out, so they could see. As though they were watching me from somewhere.

"I even made some good friends. I know I've talked about my roommate Allie before, but we've gotten close lately. She's so cheerful; always trying to make me happy when I'm feeling sad. There's my friend, Berry Punch. Sure she's kind of a lush but she's been a loyal friend."

I paused and smiled at the gravestones.

"Lyra and I started working things out recently, and I really have Shotty to thank for it. I mean my friend Long Shot. He's a guardspony. Well, a new recruit anyway. He's, well... he's great, one of the most giving ponies I've ever met."

I stood up, my eyes tearing up. I felt my friends and sister step in closer to comfort me.

"I guess this is goodbye. I don't know when I'll visit again, but if you can hear me I want you to know that I love you. I'll see you again soon."

I turned and walked away. We walked in silence for a while until we reached the road leading out of Canterlot. Berry looked at me in confusion.

"Sigil, are we going to Ponyville? This is the road that leads there."

I shook my head. "No, we won't be going quite that far."

A few hours later we arrived at the second destination of my yearly pilgrimage. A small clearing just off of the road. In it, a lone willow tree stood vigil over a small memorial.

"It's hard to believe its been seven years since you were taken from me mom. I've learned a lot since then. I'm not the same little filly that clung to your hip or dragged you on imaginary adventures. I've grown too. I'm fifteen now, almost a full grown pony, even though I feel grown up already."

My voice was getting raspy from the tightness in my chest.

"I built wings. I can fly now! Just like I always wanted to. Except you aren't here to enjoy it with me. It almost feels like you are though, when I'm up there in the clouds. Almost..."

I choked back a sob. I motioned for the girls to stay back, I needed to be alone this time.

"I know the truth now, that you weren't really my mom I mean. Or at least not the pony that foaled me. You'll always be my mommy to me though. You saved me from something terrible. And here I am, searching for those ponies anyway. I know you wouldn't want me to be like this but... Well... Here we are anyway."

I placed a hoof on the stone.

"Like I told the Heartstrings. I don't know when I'll be back. Things feel like they are coming to a head soon. I wish I could explain why... I love you mom. I always will."

I sat silent for a few minutes with my eyes closed. Lyra sat down next to me and nuzzled my cheek. I smiled faintly, and rested against her for moral support. After a few minutes she stood.

"It's going to be dark soon Siggy. We should get back."

I nodded in assent. We made our way down the slowly darkening road to the city. The atmosphere was somber, but I was glad to have shared an intimate moment with the ponies closest to me.

The girls were gabbing away about what to do that night as we trotted through the abnormally sparse downtown area. We hadn't noticed immediately, but the mood that hung over Canterlot had darkened significantly since we had left that morning.

There was talk of war in Equestria for the first time in any of our memories. Some ponies talked of joining the guard. Others merely worried about its possible economic effects.

My thoughts drifted to Long Shot. His training camp was right near the border. Not far from Fort Hammerfall, where the first real attack had been repelled.

Knock it off. He'll be just-

My train of thought was derailed rather spectacularly. I had walked past a newsstand at a coffee shop where a headline caught my eye. I stopped and opened to the proper section.

"High stakes museum heist. An early morning raid of the Equestrian Museum of History in Flankfurt has left the guard baffled. Only one exhibit was missing. When contacted for comment, museum officials confirmed that the Alicorn Amulet exhibit was the one in question. A janitor for the museum is quoted as saying that the culprits were 'as dark as the night itself'."

I was so lost in thought that I failed to notice we had stopped until I walked nose first into Allie's flank. Allie stumbled forward, her face beet red.

"Whoa there Sigil! You should at least take the lady to dinner first." Lyra snickered at my misfortune.

Same old Lyra. It's good to see some things don't change.

I smiled and blushed a little, looking around to take stock of our surroundings.

Lights flared and bass thumped inside the club. The stale smell of sweaty pony hung in the air outside every time that the doors opened. The four of us stood in line along the wall, waiting for the bouncer to let us in.

Really... Why do I keep coming back here?

Maybe you're a masochist?

"Sorry miss, we're full up tonight." The bouncer said to me, interrupting my thoughts.

Almost immediately afterwards, two expensively dressed mares strode right passed him and into the club. I frowned at him. I was about to say something disparaging about his lineage, but Allie preempted me.

"I don't know who you think you are buster, but I'm not going to let you ruin my friend's birthday like this!"

The bouncer gave her a look of mild annoyance. "I can't help it if it's a busy night miss."

He then allowed two more ponies into the club.

Lyra's face twisted into a grimace. "You are going to let us in, or so help me..."

She was interrupted by a loud, scratchy voice. "Lyra!? Lyra Heartstrings, over here!"

Oh no. I was hoping for at least one DJ P0N3-free experience at the club.

An off-white mare with a blue and white mane waved at us from across the street. She immediately veered toward us with a complete disregard for carriage traffic. Lyra looked at her, smiling her bright smile, and waved furiously.

Lyra turned her head towards Allie. "Problem solved."

The prodigal DJ sauntered up to Lyra. "Lyra, my pal! What's your fine flank doin' out here in line, and not in there with me?"

"And what an excellent flank it is," Lyra said suggestively, and wiggled her hips at the DJ. "I was hoping I'd run into you in Canterlot this weekend, Vinyl!"

Oh sweet Celestia there's two of them.

"As for why we aren't inside; this goon," Lyra looked pointedly at the bouncer, who was suddenly shifting very uncomfortably, "won't let my adorable little sister in. On her birthday no less!"

Vinyl sniffed and turned to the bouncer. "C'mon Roadhouse. These are my friends here. Where I go, they go."

We followed Vinyl past the visibly upset bouncer. As we walked through the doorway Allie childishly stuck her tongue out at him.

Vinyl led us to a set of couches in a roped off section of the club. There were still a lot of ponies there, but it wasn't as packed as the rest of the place. I plopped down on one of the couches.

"It should be a bit quieter here. We can actually hold a conversation," Vinyl said.

Her scratchy voice was far less energetic than earlier. I was startled when she removed her sunglasses. Not because of the blood-red color of her eyes, but because of how tired she looked. It was a face I was growing all too familiar with.

"We'll be right back. Drinks to be had, stallions to be harassed, et cetera." Berry said, as she practically dragged Allie and Lyra with her.

"In case you didn't catch it before, my name is Vinyl Scratch."

"I'm Sigil, and the others are Berry Punch and Allie Way."

"So, you're the adorable little sister Lyra won't clam up about huh?" She asked me with a slight smirk.

"Good things I hope?" I laughed nervously.

"Of course!" Vinyl waved a hoof dismissively.

We sat in uncomfortable almost-silence for a few minutes. The music thumping in the background.

"So how do you know Lyra?" I asked.

"Oh, I live in Ponyville when I'm not on tour performing. I know what you're thinking. That it'd be too quiet there for DJ P0N3 right? Believe me that town sure gets wild sometimes."

There was another awkward silence.

"Miss Scratch... I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you okay? You seem very different from what I expected."

She looked at me, but it was a distant look. Almost like she was a thousand miles away.

"Yeah I'm fine kid, just some stress. Though I guess everypony is a little stressed today, probably because of the war. Hasn't been one since the gryphons and minotaurs had it out a century ago. Nothing some bass beats and liquor won't cure though."

"You can say that again!" Lyra said as she sat down next to me.

Allie dropped onto the sofa on my other side. Her cheeks already a rosy pink. All three mares that had returned reeked of booze. I wrinkled my nose in discomfort.

"Lightweight." Berry scoffed.

Allie didn't hear her. Between the day's stress, drinks, and dancing she had succumbed to her exhaustion. She had slumped over, leaning up against me, nuzzling my mane like a pillow.

"You sure you want Long Shot, Siggy? 'Cause that mare is pretty adorable."

"Sorry to ruin your fantasy Lyra, but she's spoken for." I countered.

"Anyway, I think we should probably get back to the dorms. You and Berry can crash with us if you want. The last train to Ponyville probably left already."

We all said our goodbyes to Vinyl and made our way slowly out of the club and into the night. Being the physically strongest of the group, I was volunteered to carry the sleeping Allie.

We arrived back at the dorms at a little before midnight. I tidied up the room and got out the extra comforters and pillows for Berry and Lyra. Lyra grinned as I passed her a pillow.

Uh-oh. I know where this is going.

"Pillow fight!" Yelled Lyra as she struck Berry squarely in the snout.

Five minutes later our room looked like it had been home to a flock of white birds. Feathers were strewn everywhere. The final pillow flew from Berry's grip. it caught the sleeping Allie in the head, waking her abruptly.

After a few moments she said, "Hey, Sigil. What's this? I found it laying on my bed just now. Somepony must've laid me on top of it."

Allie floated a thick manila envelope over to me. It had my name written on it. I opened it eagerly.

Who would've sent me something? Maybe it was Shotty!

It was a letter, but it most certainly wasn't from Long Shot.

"Miss Silverlight,

Some time ago you asked me to locate a certain group of ponies. I write you today to tell you I've found them. They call themselves 'The Somber Loyalists'. They are holed up near the northern border and are massing together for another assault on the nearby guard encampment and fort. I don't know why you wanted this. Really, I don't wanna know. I may have a dirty job, but that doesn't mean I like to see little fillies get hurt. Just be careful kid.

Grim."

Oh no! Long Shot!

We know where they are now. Just let me out. I can help you.

I stood there shaking. My mind was racing a million miles a minute and then went blank, coming to a screeching halt. The seconds turned into minutes. I dropped the letter dropped to the floor. As I stared blankly out the window, a lunatic grin slowly creeped across my face.

Happy birthday to me.

The trio looked at me with concern in their eyes. Lyra spoke up first.

"Sigil, what's going on? Are you-"

I began laughing. It was a mirthful sound at first. It quickly became something else entirely. I was laughing like a pony possessed. It was a dark and sinister sound only matched by the snarling smile that graced my lips and my wide, wild eyes.

"We've finally found you," I muttered.

I flared my wings aggressively. The girls all took a few steps away from me. I scooped up the rifle I built for Long Shot and strapped it to my saddlebags. I looked at my friends and sister.

"I love you all. I'm sorry."

I released three seals on my harness, wings, and amulet all at once. The magic traced its way through the three sets of ley lines that make up a pony's magical center. Wind began to kick up in the room. I flared my wings and shot forward through the window, raining glass and masonry into the streets below.

My wild smile widened as I tore through the air at cloud level like a bolt of lightning, streaking to the north.

Prepare yourselves Somber Loyalists. The Pale Pony comes to collect our due.