Part I: Precursors

by Auryx Saturnius


Third Interlude

The living earth... the moon... the sun... the dust... the stars... the singularity...
That was all that Twyla could think about in her restless dreams. Finally, after the longest week of her life, the entire royal family was here, in Canterlot, to see the Summer Sun Celebration. The entire city would be awake and in a perpetual party that will last the entire night. There will be food, and drinks, and games; all until the break of dawn, where Celestia would raise the the sun in a magnificent show. This year, she remembered, Celestia and Luna had concocted a plan to dazzle their own father, the means of which was a secret even to Twyla.
That was why she was in bed, asleep, instead of at a party like the rest of the city. Everybody apart of the royal entourage; the princes, the princesses, the king, the Didact, her friends, Crescent Star and herself, were all resting for the morning: the morning which Twyla thought could become the most memorable of all time.
It would be fantastic.
As she drifted off into sleep, she felt the clouds of the dreamscape caressing her form, lulling her deep into her subconscious. She floated there for what she perceived to be hours, while only minutes had really passed by in the outside world. As Twyla floated, she found her senses clarifying, the clouds parting as her dream manifested.
She found herself in a solid white room. There were no lights or sun, but it was blinding to her eyes. As far as the eye could see was white. A pure white. An unnatural white. Her dream self wasn’t in the nude, like she was sleeping, but she was in a comfortable, almost military-like garb The clothes reminded her of how the Didact was dressed when they first met him. Instead of a white jacket, she had a magenta one, covering black clothing underneath, and it all fit her to a letter.
Twyla only stood there, examining herself, before something came into view. Off to the side were two chairs, across from each other near a table. Sitting in one of the chairs was a person. Curious, she walked over towards it all. As her dream self, she reached it in no time, and was soon standing behind the empty chair, staring at the person.
He was a teenaged boy, approximately Luna’s age. He was tall and lanky, not particularly larger than most, like the Didact was. He had pitch black hair and a firm look, obviously one who wouldn’t cower. He wore the exact same uniform as the Didact did last she saw him. The key differences was that the coat was an ink black, with the length traveling down the right side, instead of the Didact’s left. Where the Didact wore black trousers and boots, he wore trousers and boots of a rich alabaster, as if he was some polar opposite.
While Twyla stood there, examining him, he was reading something on the table, something that appeared to be a newspaper. He never looked up once, not even when he took a sip of his drink. After what appeared to be long seconds, he finally acknowledged her existence.
“Please sit down Ms. Spark. I’ve been expecting you.” He didn’t look up.
He spoke with a rich baritone, never once tripping over his fast pace words. Twyla obliged, promptly taking a seat in the empty chair.
“Would you like some tea?” he asked politely. She nodded, after which he gestured out his hand and showed her a steaming cup of tea next to her arm. She picked the cup up and inhaled the warm, rich aroma of Andromeda Leaf Tea. Twyla sipped it and found that there was a dash of lemon in it... her favorite.
“I would like to state out plainly that I am not a figment of your imagination, or this dream.” Only then did he bother to look up at her. He had green eyes. “I am, in fact, a real person.”
Twyla only had one thing to ask. “Are you God?”
He paused, before letting out a gleeful chuckle. “No... no I’m not God. I could never compare myself to his majesty. My name is Zero.”
Zero. It meant nothing. Nil. Zilch. For all intensive purposes, she was talking to nothing. How anyone could be named Zero was beyond her, but she had other pressing matters she wanted attending to.
“How did you get in my dream Zero?”
Zero smiled. “I didn’t kidnap you or molested your deep thoughts if that’s what you’re asking about. I’m not even in the same universe right now Twyla. I’m currently in a deep meditative state inside of an ice cave on Gravius, in the Didact’s universe.”
“Do you know the Didact?”
“Everybody and their mothers knows the Didact, sweetheart. He isn’t exactly an obscure person...”
She felt a twinge of anger flare inside of her at his “sweetheart” comment. It was obvious that he was belittling her to purposefully get on her nerves. “Do you know the Didact personally?”
“Yes,” Zero answered straight, “I do know the Didact personally. We are close colleagues and mancers... almost equal to each other in both stature and ability. The key difference between us though, is that I’m not suffering from PTSD...”
Twyla perked up at this. “PTSD?”
“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He’s insane, sweetheart. Watching his beloved get murdered in front of him pushed him off the deep end long ago.”
Twyla was shocked. His beloved? To imagine that the Didact had things that he honestly cared for deep in his heart was foreign to her. She had never seen him show much emotion at all, let alone one as powerful as love. “Why the hell is he some ‘Lord of Generals... Master of Admirals’ or whatever then?”
“Relax... while he may be insane to an extent, he’s still cognitive and incredibly smart. You’re not even in the same league as him in the brains department. He isn’t dangerous...” Zero paused on his last words. “Well, dangerous by being a psychopath...”
Twyla sank a little inside. The Didact, the single most greatest hope of saving Equestria, was a giant mental timebomb. She pictured the tragedy that would ensue if he ever lost himself... all the blood that would be spilt.
“Why are you telling me this?” she finally asked.
“Because, he’s not beyond saving. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a serious thing. A soldier like him would be flat out lucky to never have to experience anything like it. It’s the reason he seems so depressed all the time. It doesn’t manifest itself as anger, so he’s not a threat to your safety. Believe me... I am far more insane than him.”
She tensed up and stared him in the eye directly, careful to say her next words clearly. “What do you mean?”
A voice came from behind her: a terrifying, demonic voice. “I’m SaDiStIc, SwEeThEaRt.” Twyla was immobilized by terror as she stared at the empty chair in front of her. She was unable to react as Zero placed his hands on her shoulders and breathed sensually down her neck from behind. She shivered as he ran his hands down her sides in an obvious, sexual fashion. He was keen to graze his nails down her neck, across her breasts and down on her legs. Even so, she couldn’t move herself to do anything, the primal terror keeping her from moving, and from holding back the distinct feelings of pleasure at his touch.
Zero stopped, settling to grasp her shoulders. “It’S a ShAmE tHaT sUcH a BeAuTiFuL w0mAn LiKe Y0UrSeLf IsN’t My TyPe... It’s the wh0le reason 0n why I can even c0ntact y0u a universe away. That ‘Marker’ th0se Unit0l0gist thugs keep blabbering 0n ab0ut is real t00. Since their arrival, it’s been active and has been imprinting its magic and c0dex int0 y0ur brain... which is h0w I can c0ntact y0ur beautiful mind. The Unit0l0gists are after the Tempest... perhaps the m0st p0werful machine in this universe... They d0n’t want it because they’re l00king f0r kicks 0n a saturday night. The reas0n that machine is s0 p0werful is because it is p0wered by a Marker... I kn0w... I can feel it.
She could only stutter against the imposing, fear-filling voice and magic emanating from behind her. “W-W-What do you mean?”
He reached his arm over and covered Twyla’s mouth with his hand, causing her to squeal in terror. “The rules 0f this game are simple. First, y0u will n0t speak at all until I let y0u. Sec0nd, y0u will listen t0 everything I am ab0ut t0 tell y0u because it will save y0ur life, understand?
Twyla nodded her head the best she could, not making a sound. From behind her, Zero smiled with delight. “Y0u must st0p the Pr0phet 0f Truth bef0re he manages t0 unl0ck the Tempest and gain access t0 the Marker. If he d0es, then y0ur w0rld and mine will end. Keep the final tw0 keys safe! If Rassil0n gets his claws 0n them, then n0thing c0uld st0p him fr0m finding the machine. There’s n0thing y0u 0r y0ur allies can d0 presently, s0 all y0u can really d0 is be 0n the l00k0ut f0r anything devel0ping. As l0ng as the Didact is here, the Inferi will be 0n the defensive, s0 beware a third party: s0me0ne wh0 is native t0 the land and als0 wants the end 0f y0ur pe0ple, s0 remove that false sense 0f pride and safety fr0m y0ur mind this instant. Are there any questi0ns?
He removed his hand and Twyla gasped at the sudden release of pressure. “W-What is a Marker?”
It’s an ancient Precurs0r bi0rec0mbinati0n machine... an artifact that can create and f0rge life 0n the cellular level... The pr0blem, h0wever, is that the life it creates is s0ur- gr0tesque. It can 0nly create ab0minati0ns... which is why the Precurs0rs buried it here and trapped it behind the p0wer 0f their machine t0 seal it away.
“H-H-How do you k-know all of this?” Once she finished, she could feel something strange coming over her. She was very afraid of it... yet at the same time, tiny waves of pleasure crossed her. She could feel his magic all over her, playing with her body and messing with her mind. Zero was doing this because he wanted to... and he had the power to do as pleased, when he pleased. He was purposefully pushing her over the edge for his own amusement, and no matter how much her psyche and instinct told her to fear him and his influence, her body and loneliness had other desires. She enjoyed every moment of it.
Because Twyla... I’m that Marker...
As the final, strongest wave of pleasure crossed over her, she let out a long, satisfied moan as he completely vanished from her psyche. Every trace of him ever being there was removed; the magic, the table, even the chairs, causing her to fall onto the floor flat, simply laying there as her body enjoyed any lingering effects.
Twyla vowed to herself that no matter how long it took, or how far she would have to travel, she would go out and search for this Zero... then she would murder him for violating her in her own dream...