//------------------------------// // Letters // Story: Nothing Ever Truly Fades... // by Archmage Ansrit //------------------------------// Remaining awake was a struggle. The wraith, black bat, and mushroom paced back and forth in a patrol-like manner, having understood the intent behind their masters' words of concern. The hut was additionally protected by... something. She could smell it. It felt like magic, but not any magic she was used to, and the walls also had a strange smell to them. The blue mare, Rainbow Dash, and the orange one, Applejack, were also keeping guard. She could tell they wanted to talk, but also didn't want to disturb her rest. She held on to her son's belongings, as well as Russell's; it gave her an odd sense of comfort, like if she was next to him. Inside, Twilight held Leonard's wing in her magic. "I... I'm going to have to set it before we move on to the hole." They were acting quickly; the wounds needed to be treated professionally, but they could not simply carry the pair in their state. The poor colt kept gasping and seemed to lose focus on the way. Leonard grunted in reply, slightly better now that he wasn't being carried, and tried to loosen his muscles. Under Fluttershy's directions, Twilight shifted the wing. He growled, but fought the impulse to jerk away his wing, then slumped, exhausted from that last effort of will. Zecora was cleaning Russell's injuries after Rarity extracted the splinters, double-checking to see that none got overlooked. He would need stitches, and seeing a doctor about the broken bones was simply common sense. "We are going to move you to the hospital." Fluttershy cooed, holding Leonard's hoof as Twilight did her best to bandage his side. 'The Everfree isn't safe.' Twilight thought, angry at the state the two ponies were in. 'There are a lot of places that aren't safe... I should do something.' 'I need to do something.' She furrowed her brow in determination. 'I need to make the world safe for my sis- huh?' She recoiled as Zecora pressed a small cotton ball with disinfectant to a cut on her face; then she shook her head, suddenly light-headed. She quickly got back to the task at hoof, concentrating deeply on it as Zecora tended to her in turn, to the point that she forgot what she had thought about and even what she had realized. She never had a sister. ***** Fleur de Lis blinked. The... winged... whatever didn't move or react. It was shaped like a comma, with dark shading and a large 'X' on its... head? It also sported a halo. It didn't seem to do anything other than follow her ever since she had found it around the larger of flower patches in the property. When Fancy had said that they would have a refreshing change of pace in his summer home she wasn't quite expecting to find a... whatever that was. It didn't look like it meant any harm, but she still insisted that Fancy sent a letter back to Canterlot. Hers would be one of hundreds, albeit not as interesting as the one about a jet-black dragon-like creature, or the one Shining Armor sent about a huge golden golem and a golden dragon; it was, however, the only one that had perfume sprayed on it. A little consideration for a stressful matter. ***** Dear Prince My dearest and most esteemed Teacher: Please excuse the lateness of my reply; there have been many discoveries in quick succession and pressing events that demanded our involvement. I saw it. Just as I can see the gold cloud around Canterlot, a patch of brown over Sweet Apple Acres, green around Cloudsdale and an ominous black and purple from the depths of the Everfree Forest. The auras of living beings behave in certain ways according to their mood, and are of different colors according to their nature; while most ponies have white ones with flecks of rainbow colors, Spike's is an intense, hot red. These auras have strange interactions with one another, depending on the relationship between the owners. Further observations pending. Shortly after sending you the last letter, there were some events happening in quick succession. The Cutie Mark Crusaders barreled into the market along a strange creature that behaves like a dog; it resembles a box with dog features more than a dog itself. It, too, had an aura, albeit colorless; this dog bonded with Applebloom and Applejack. There are even more strange creatures, like bats and walking mushrooms, that I have never seen before. Attached to this letter are pictures of the diverse creatures, usually standing besides whoever bonded with them. Noted on the back are the names we were given for each creature, as well as some of their more notorious characteristics. Yes, that means that Fluttershy bonded with the ominous scythe-armed creature, apparently called a 'Wraith', a more powerful form of the 'Ghost' creature. The reason we know the names is because of a pair of ponies that appeared inside what seems to be the old castle. If what they are saying is true, then they weren't always ponies. They came from another world, as did this new magic and the creatures. I was unable to learn more about them, however, since they were in dire need of medical attention after being attacked in the Everfree Forest; we kept them talking to keep them conscious, which was the source of our new knowledge. We found them because of a powerful spell they cast. The aura of the environment, or 'mana', was pulled towards them and turned into a pair of large magical constructs that resembled dragons, which, due to their proximity to the town, could be seen and heard. The younger pony is... an alicorn. More or less. He has dragon wings, and his horn is curved not unlike Sombra's; his aura is the same dark purple of the Everfree, and uses Darkness magic. He, however, doesn't give off that sensation of rage and intimidation that Sombra had - unless his mother was being threatened, then it was sharp like a sword and almost toxic. He is the son of a dragon, whom is now sleeping off her exhaustion in front of the hospital, waiting for her son to recover from multiple broken ribs, a broken wing, and several other injuries. Apparently, he can command these new monsters with greater ease because his mother is one of them - no, I have yet to discover any of the hows or the whys, but apparently there is a spell to capture the creatures and bond them to a wizard. The older one is a unicorn stallion. His injuries include a broken leg and several bite and claw marks. His aura is golden, like Canterlot's, and even in his weakened state feels... strong; when he thought they were in danger, it felt like tempered steel, instead of the chaotic flows that my friends gave off. He uses primarily Light magic, and is the more powerful magic user of the two. The both of them can command this 'mana'-born magic with incredible ease, and know much more about these monsters than they had the time to tell us, but I shall wait until they recover more properly before making my inquiries. Your Love Twilight Sparkle