//------------------------------// // A Survivor is Lost // Story: Wrath of the Stormguard // by Philosophical Tree //------------------------------// Lara Croft holstered the twin pistols she held, her gaze never leaving the cliff face, even as the screams of her enemy, Father Mathias, faded into nothingness. The newly born survivor felt a rush of relief flood into her. Even with everything she had endured to get here - all the wounds and scars, the tears in her clothing and the dirt on her skin, the people that had died before her eyes - she felt good. She had done it. She had accomplished one of her goals. She had killed her enemy, the one that had caused so much death and so much heartache for her. The one that had tried to rout her at every turn. The one she had defied all odds to beat. Now there was one thing left for her to do. She turned about on her heel, facing the pedestal where her friend, Samantha, was being undone. A mighty force, known as Himiko, the Sun Queen, was attempting to imbue her soul into Lara’s friend, Samantha, in order to be born anew. Even as Lara watched, the corpse on the pedestal was beginning to fall apart, and the blue, unnatural light that connected it to her was increasing in intensity. There was no more time. It was act, or let Sam die. Striding over, Lara stepped up next to the screaming corpse, her hand gently brushing over the blue light. She felt a tingling rush through her, one she didn’t recognize or like very much. Upon further inspection of the corpse, she found that there was no way to break the connection without force. So, without a moment’s hesitation, she drew an arrow from her quiver and plunged it into the throat of the corpse. There was a long, blood chilling scream as the corpse, which was imbued with a large amount of magical energy, began to feel it’s half life slip away. Lara held tight to the shaft of the arrow, praying for the thing’s death to come swift. But Himiko had other plans. Lara felt the magical energy begin to rush into her body, and immediately released the arrow, trying to fight back the unstoppable blue force flowing into her. Her body began to glow. Sam, who was now released from the Sun Queen’s grasp, turned weakly to gaze at her friend. Her eyes went wide as she watch Lara glow brighter and brighter. “Lara! What’s happening?” She cried, her voice hoarse and raspy as she tried to make herself heard over the rushing of an unnatural wind. Lara turned to gaze at her. She felt the magic filling her body, the tingling rushing across every nerve, every cell of her being. But not taking control. She felt herself growing distant from the mountaintop. Distant from the world. She was being carried away. She understood what was happening. In a last, desperate act, Himiko was trying to take Lara down with her. Even though she was going to die, she wouldn’t let Lara rob her of victory without great cost. Lara understood this. But she refused to accept it. Lara tried to fight back, not sure how to force the magic back outside her body. No matter what she did, be it flail at the corpse or mentally strain herself to try and block it out, the blue light kept filling her body and soul. She couldn’t be possessed by Himiko. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to die like this. As the blue light began to fade, Lara felt herself grow weak. She turned to try and find her friend, but her sight was giving out, fading away with the world around her. She began to panic. She opened her mouth to scream, to call out for her friend, but no words came. She tried to move, but her body would not respond. She knew something was very, very wrong. ‘Is... is this what it feels like to die?’ She wondered as the world around her began to grow dark. She wanted to close her eyes, wanted it to end. But she couldn’t. ‘At least... at least Sam is safe. I did what I came to do... I’m on my way, old friend. The last thing Lara heard was a familiar, gruff voice. Then everything went black, and she knew no more. __________ Groaning in pain, Lara Croft slowly came awake. She blinked her eyes open, shielding them from the glare of the sun. Propping herself up unsteadily, she gaze around blearily at the world, trying to make out just where she was. ‘Well, I'm not on Yamatai, that’s for certain.’ Lara rose unsteadily, gazing at the trees that surrounded her. She was in a deep, sinister looking forest that she had never seen before. It felt unnatural, with how bright all the colors were around her. And yet, at the same time, it felt inviting. There was something in this forest calling to her, pleading for her to come. Lara could feel the tug, but taking a step forward, she cried out and collapsed, her leg buckling under her. ‘Bloody hell... so I can stand up just fine, but try and take a little walk and nope, not happening. Damn it.’ Lara fixed her gaze upon her leg, which was obviously damaged more than she thought physically possible. Her bones were poking out of the skin in places, there was a great deal of skin torn off, and blood everywhere. How she hadn’t died was beyond her. Looking around for some form of medical supplies, Lara discovered that most of her gear had survived whatever had happened to her. Out of all the weapons she had taken up to the mountaintop on Yamatai, only the combat shotgun was missing. She was curious as to where it had gotten to, but had more pressing matters to attend to. Specifically, the lack of any sort of medical supplies. She sighed inwardly, cursing Himiko with as many obscenities as her mind could conjure up. She knew that she was likely to die in this forest. There were bound to be predators, and, without being able to move without enduring excruciating pain, she was a sitting duck. Well, a sitting duck with an assault rifle, but a duck nevertheless. A noise caused her to jerk around, grabbing for one of the pistols at her side. She raised it, aiming at the small patch of shrubbery where the noise had originated. On the other side, she heard voices. “Are you sure this is where it is, Twilight?” spoke a soft, feminine voice, so quietly Lara almost missed it. “Positive,” Twilight replied, her voice much louder, and more... commanding? Lara shook her head. No, that wasn’t it... authoritative? She went with that as the voice went on. “I felt a strong magical disturbance around this area, and I want to find out just what it was. Come on.” The shrubbery in front of Lara rustled again, moving aside to reveal the strangest creature she had ever seen. In front of her stood a lavender unicorn - ‘Scratch that, it’s got wings too... oh, what did Alex call them? Alicorns! That’s it!’ - with a deep violet mane and tail striped with some lovely highlights, and the most stunned expression she had ever seen on an equine. Lara wasn’t even sure if she could call it an equine, because it most certainly wasn’t one by her standards. It was short, only about three and a half feet tall, by her guess, and very round and soft looking. It looked more like a cartoon than a real horse. Right behind the lavender alicorn was another small pegasus, this one a pale yellow with vividly pink mane. The pegasus seemed very timid, hiding behind the larger alicorn and gazing at Lara with untold fear. She thought the timid creature was quite cute, but she didn’t have long to dwell on it. The alicorn had started speaking. “What on Equestria are you?” It questioned. Lara took note that its voice matched its appearance. The alicorn was obviously female. And although Lara was quite weirded out from having a talking magical equine in front of her, she had killed a sorceress. It wasn’t that strange to her. What surprised her was the thing spoke perfect English, albeit with a more American accent to it. “Well, you can talk,” Lara replied, making the two equines jump. “That’s a new one.” The alicorn was looking her up and down, sizing her up. Lara gave her a warm smile, trying to see if they were going to be allies. They hadn’t attacked her yet, so she took it as a good sign. “Oh!” The alicorn cried, her eyes fixated on Lara’s leg. “You’re hurt!” Lara looked down at her leg, then back at the alicorn. She raised an eyebrow. “So, let me get this straight. You’re a bloody, purple... alicorn... thing, you can talk, and the first thing you do when you meet a strange new creature, potentially dangerous, mind you... is to get worried about its injury?” The alicorn seemed to mill the thought over before nodding. “In this case, yes,” she replied coolly. “You’ve had plenty of opportunity to attack us, given that you do have a bow and several other... weapons?” The alicorn bent down to get a better look at Lara’s assault rifle, which was laying near her hooves. “These are weapons, right?” Looking up, she got a nod from Lara. The alicorn continued. “As I was saying, you’ve had plenty of time to attack us, and you didn’t. It’s more than likely that, if you really were a threat, you would have tried to harm me. The fact that you have not... well, that puts me at ease enough to worry about your leg.” The alicorn stepped a little closer, bending down to take a look. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, by the way... ooh, that looks really bad. What happened? Did you fall? Were you attacked?” Lara shook her head, not looking at Twilight. Her gaze was fixed on the yellow pegasus, who was trying to make itself as inconspicuous as possible. It was failing miserably, too. “You can call me Lara, and I don’t know... I kinda just woke up here.” Lara’s eyes never left the timid pegasus for an instant. “What’s with your friend?” Twilight turned to look. She rolled her eyes. “That’s Fluttershy. She’s incredibly shy around new ponies, and I guess you too.” Twilight stepped over to Fluttershy, reaching out and gently tugging on her friend with a hoof. “Come on, Lara’s not gonna hurt you, Fluttershy. In fact, I think she’s nice.” As the pegasus drew closer, Lara watched as more and more of the timid face began to peek out from behind the bubblegum pink mane. By the time she and Twilight had reached Lara’s side, Fluttershy was no longer trying to hide. She was, in what Lara could only describe as the most adorable personality swing she had ever seen, cooing sympathetically over Lara’s wound. “Oh, you poor thing!” She shouted, her voice unreasonably quiet for a shout. “That must be unbearable. Twilight, we have to do something!” Twilight nodded, and closed her eyes for a brief moment. Lara watched in fascination as the horn jutting from Twilight’s forehead began to glow. Suddenly, Lara felt the ground fall out beneath her. She turned down, half expecting to see the center of the earth rushing up to meet her, but found herself looking down at the bloodstained grass where she had been lying not a moment before. Her fear gave way to confusion. She turned around in midair, finding herself floating just above Twilight, whose horn was still glowing with an unnatural purple light. The same light seemed to envelop her, and she guessed that was what was holding her aloft. ‘But that can only mean... that’s impossible.’ “Are you a telekinetic?” She asked, watching as Twilight lifted the assault rifle with the same aura. Twilight gave a soft smile and shook her head. “Not quite. True telekinesis is quite rare, but one of the most basic magic spells every foal learns is telekinesis. It makes things a lot easier for us.” Lara stopped listening at magic. This alicorn, this pony, could use magic. The only magicians Lara knew of were storybook characters and psychotic queens. And yet here was Twilight, holding her aloft with magic. “Can all your race use magic?” Lara inquired. On a sudden thought, she followed up with, “Are there even more of you? Is this whole planet inhabited by pastel ponies?” Twilight gave a laugh, now trotting out of the clearing down a path, with Fluttershy in tow. “Yes, there are many, many more ponies, although I don’t think we inhabit the whole planet. There’s several other races with kingdoms set up all over the world. And as to your first question, no. Only unicorns and alicorns can cast spells.” Twilight turned to look at her newest acquaintance. “Why the interest?” Lara didn’t respond at once. There were a million thoughts racing through her mind, but the most prominent two were ‘I can’t believe it! I’ve discovered an entirely new race... and civilization!’ and ‘I’m pretty sure that I’m either dead... or never getting back to earth.’ Either way, Lara found herself enjoying the new sensation of gently floating through the air instead of falling through it at terminal velocity. As Twilight levitated her through the forest, Lara finally gave her answer. “I... well, let’s just say back on my world, something like this would be considered,” she paused, trying to find the words. “childish, and unrealistic. In my world, this whole place, creatures like you...” She lowered her eyes and her voice. “You’re not real.” Twilight shrugged and shook her head. “Really now, you sound like that’s a bad thing. Every universe is different with what species inhabit it. I mean, here there are griffons, minotaurs, dragons...” Twilight watched as Lara’s jaw fell lower and lower, smiling as it did. “I take it none of those things are real in your world either.” Lara nodded. “This place...” Lara looked around her, taking in what she could of the forest. “This place is unreal. I bet you have quite a history here, don’t you?” Twilight gave her a nod. “Are you an archaeologist, Lara?” the alicorn inquired. Lara gave her a nod. “Interesting. Although, I must say, you seem pretty heavily armed for an archaeologist. Then again... maybe your world needs you to be more heavily armed.” Lara sighed at that, nodding grimly. “Unfortunately, yes.” she replied. “My world is fraught with danger and strife, chaos and evil. Being well defended is a necessary precaution, especially in the situation I was in before... well, before waking up in pony land.” On a whim, Lara turned awkwardly and looked at Fluttershy, who had been silently watching her with concern. “Are you alright? You’ve been awful quiet.” Fluttershy made a quiet ‘eep’ and shook her head. “Oh, I-I’m alright. It’s just... I’ve never seen anything like you before. I have to admit I’m a little nervous... and curious.” She gave the human a gentle smile. “Plus, you’re hurt. I can’t bear the thought of an injured creature, no matter the race. I’m just concerned.” Fluttershy paused, before blushing furiously. “Um, I mean...” Lara waved her hand. “I understand. And thank you,” Lara replied, returning the pegasus’ smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been shown such kindness.” She watched as the forest thinned out and faded as rolling plains appeared, with a small town set onto the horizon. Lara’s eyes went wide. “You have entire towns and civilization structures in place?” Twilight nodded, gazing at her in puzzlement. “Of course. What of it?” Lara didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Her mind was reeling. Just a short while ago, she had been excited to finally be searching for a lost kingdom that may or may not have existed. Now, she had inadvertently stumbled upon the greatest lost civilization the world had ever seen. A world full of pastel, miniature marshmallow-like equines, minotaurs, griffons, and other such mythical beasts? It was as if a storybook had come to life all around her. It was something she could barely wrap her mind around, but was glorious and wonderful to her. A brand new civilization, full of new history, relics, legends. For Lara, this world was a goldmine. And, from what the ponies had told her, a much safer goldmine. As these thoughts passed through her mind, a wave of weakness washed over her. She realized that the moment the pain kicked in from her trying to stand, her body had been running on adrenaline. And it had just run out. The blood loss was taking its toll, and Lara felt herself grow limp. She slumped over in Twilight’s magical grip, blissfully unconscious. __________ The steady beeping of a heart rate monitor was the noise that brought Lara back to her senses. She groaned, blinking her eyes open and rising slowly. A gentle nudge pushed her back down, followed by a calm voice she didn’t recognize. “Please, try not to move, miss Lara. You’re still healing, and you need to rest.” Lara turned towards the voice, and found herself gazing into a pair of gentle blue eyes on a field of white fur. “Glad to see you’re awake. I’m Nurse Redheart. Welcome to Ponyville General.” Lara watched as best she could as the white pony stepped around the bed. As she moved, Lara noticed an odd mark on the pony’s flanks. It appeared to be a red cross, flanked by small pink hearts. She wondered if all ponies had those marks. Redheart was still going on. “You’re lucky Twilight found you when she did. A little bit longer, and you would have been beyond saving... but I must know. What have you been through to gain all those scars?”  Lara shook her head gently. “I’ve been through a lot before winding up here. But I’d rather not talk about it. At least, not yet.” Redheart gave her a nod. “That’s fine. I’d recommend trying to sleep. Twilight and her friends want to have a word with you, but you need to recover a bit more before I’ll allow them in.” Nurse Redheart stepped out of Lara’s line of sight, and the survivor heard a door open. “Get some rest.” The door gently closed after a moment, and Lara closed her eyes. The nurse was right. She did want to rest. Within minutes, Lara was asleep once more. When she awoke some time later, she found that Twilight and Fluttershy had arrived, along with several new ponies she hadn’t met yet. Each of them was as unique as the last, and although she wasn’t fond of all of them, they reminded her of how diverse the crew of the Endurance had been. As she summed them up, she made a mental list, checking off each of the six. ‘Alright, first is Twilight. She seems to be the ringleader, and is incredibly intelligent. A bit nerdy, but in an adorable way... somehow. Also, the only alicorn. Fluttershy seems nice, but is incredibly... I don’t want to say weak, but in a way, she is very weak. She’s timid and bashful, but has a good heart. ‘Next is Pinkie Pie... I don’t... gotta remember to keep a sharp eye on this one. I don’t know what it is, but something about her unnerves me... she’s almost too happy. Definitely hiding something. Applejack seems strong... but goddamn, I cannot get over that silly accent. She sounds like an American... redneck. That’s it. Redneck. ‘Rarity... now she and I, we will have issues. She’s sickeningly prim and posh. Oi, and her reaction to seeing my clothes? She fainted. I think I’m not the only one who needs a hospital right now. Last, the rainbow one, Rainbow Dash. She seems laid back, but also very diligent. Also, she keeps comparing me to a “Daring Do” character. I don’t know who that is, but she sounds a lot like Indiana Jones...’ Lara was shaken from her list as Twilight asked her something, something she didn’t really want to answer. “What happened to you? Why do you have all these scars?” Sighing in reply, Lara turned to the group, giving them a sad smile. “I hope you are up for a story that’s none too pleasant,” she stated, her voice flat. “I’ve been through a great ordeal, one that’s really opened my eyes. But it was not without great sacrifice.” She gazed at the ponies, waiting for some sort of reaction. At a nod from the small group, Lara began to tell her tale. She told of the Endurance, and of the whole crew and their expedition to find the lost Kingdom of Yamatai. She told of the shipwreck, and her getting separated and kidnapped. She told of Mathias, and how he duped her and kidnapped her best friend. She told of the mystical powers of Himiko, of the Solarii and the Stormguard, of the crashed plane and the daring rescue. She told them of the deaths of Roth and Alex, the former from his wounds, the latter saving Lara’s life. She told of her ordeals, the amount of times she was shot, wounded, stabbed, and otherwise put in a miserable position. She told of her climb to confront Mathias. She told of the battle between her and the Stormguard behemoth. And she told of the death of Mathias and the rescue of Sam. “Then, this weird blue light surrounded me, and I felt myself dying. At least, I thought I was dying... then everything went black and I woke up in that forest. I don’t even know how I got the leg wound, but that’s the story.” As she finished, she took in the expressions of the faces of the surrounding ponies. Most of them were in tears, sympathy laden in their features. Only Rainbow and Pinkie were unfazed. Pinkie had, amazingly, produced a pad and quill, and was furiously scribbling notes. But it was Rainbow Dash that surprised her. Rainbow was watching Lara like the human was the most beautiful thing in existence. Lara wondered if her tale had confirmed the pegasus’ opinion of her being like that Daring character was confirmed by her story. She didn’t have long to think about it. Twilight, breaking off from the others, stepped over to her side and placed a hoof on her arm. “I can’t imagine what that must have been like, especially to lose someone as close as Roth had been. But I can promise you this: Equestria is a place of peace, albeit somewhat unstable peace. You will be safe here.” Lara nodded and thanked her. At that moment, Nurse Redheart stepped into the room. “As nice as it is for you all to be here for your new friend, I’m afraid visiting hours are over, and miss Lara needs her rest.” The ponies all gave a collective groan, but Redheart waved them off. “Come now, you can see her again tomorrow. And don’t worry, she’ll be up and about within the next two days. Now, please.” The ponies filed out of the room, all saying their farewells. Twilight was the last to go, and, pausing in the doorway, she turned to face Lara. “Just so you know, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the rulers of Equestria, will be here tomorrow. They wish to meet you.” Lara was a little perplexed, but nodded and thanked her for the heads up. Twilight smiled and waved, before stepping out the door, closing it behind her. Redheart sighed, checking through her medical equipment. “As nice as it is to have visitors, I’m always nervous whenever Pinkie Pie enters a room.” After a few moments, she nodded. “Everything seems alright. I’ll be back with some dinner in a few minutes as well as some painkiller. You just relax... Oh! I almost forgot. Do you have a last name? It’s for the medical record.” Lara nodded. “Croft. Lara Croft.” __________ Far across Equestria, just south of the border to the Crystal Empire, there was another magical fluctuation. Another portal opened up in the world, and another being stepped onto Equestrian soil for the first time in her life. Unknown to all, a new, powerful magic had entered the world. And it was alive. More alive than it had been in a long time. Himiko, Sun Queen of Yamatai, lifted her hands in front of her eyes, studying them. A thousand thoughts rushed through her mind, but the most prominent was that she was alive. That, and the magic inherent in the world around her was far more powerful than back on earth. A wicked smile crossed her face. “Well...” She said, her voice dark and full of a sinister desire. “This is a pleasant surprise.”