//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Nightmare // by Cirrus Sky //------------------------------// The dim light of dawn brushed the ruins that stuck from the desert sands like ships on an ocean. With the night fleeing the sun only crumbled walls and sand dunes provided cover, scant protection for the fighting force hunkered down behind them. Not far from the site stood at least two hundred horse mounted warriors. Their cloaks and banners marked them out as followers of some cult or other and the fever pitch their leaders had worked them into was fearsome. Crouched behind a fragment of carved wall, a multi-hued headed young woman gritted her teeth. She understood about one word in twenty that the screaming leaders said. “Infidel” and “heathen” repeated often, also, worryingly, “sacrifice” was nearly as frequent. Clutching at a rifle she took a look over the wall. The enemy was circling into formation. They were preparing to charge. As the massed ranks took their places she turned to her fellow soldiers, or at least, those who had not taken off running into the desert or flying from the oncoming fight. There were only three others sat beside her. She gave them a cocksure grin and pulled at the collar of her khaki shirt. “Looks like it’s just us then.” “Rainbow.” One of them said, resignation in their eyes but a wide smile underneath. “Yeah?” their de facto leader replied, loading her rifle and arranging spare ammunition about her body. “If we get out of this, you owe me a beer.” The green haired man dropped bullets into a revolver and locked his rifle to fire. “If we don’t, I’m kicking your ass in hell.” “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” She chuckled and prepared to face the now charging warriors. Within minutes Rainbow stood alone behind a column, the last three of her comrades shot down by the cultists. She had picked up their fallen guns; even those few shots would prolong her fight. Taking a breath she prepared to make her final charge, the cacophony of the cultists filling the air with rage. Facing what she thought would be her death, she was shocked to see them retreating, bowing in reverence as they moved away. “Something is behind me isn’t it?” She complained to the universe at large. Turning, she saw there was indeed. A vast statue of a female figure had been uncovered from clinging sand by the gunshots echoing through the remains. “Cultists.” Rainbow shrugged. Taking up the remaining fallen equipment she took off, using a gust to cover her fallen comrades with sand, then flying into the desert. It was going to be a long journey. High on a cliff overlooking the site, more mounted figures observed the sky-born woman retreat. “Should we go after her my lady?” One masked rider asked. “No, there is no reason to. The desert will take care of her.” A blue eyed woman astride a black horse said. The group turned from their watch and rode away. -*- In the city of Fort Mage Museum of Antiquities a young scholar read amongst the stacks, deep in the archive. “…Leaving her mortal subjects, her court and her military forces to rule themselves from now on, for better or worse. She took but a small force to assist in guarding the Nightmare from mortal man.” She read aloud, absent minded-ly pushing a lock of indigo hair from her face. Beside her sat maps, scrolls and books. They lay open at certain chapters or pages, the maps covered in small counters and scraps of paper. So engrossed in reading, she did not hear approaching footsteps through the archives. She did hear the shout though. “Twilight Sparkle! How many times…” The slightly older woman stood above her ran a hand through her pink, blonde and violet hair, trying not to look too frustrated. “You’re supposed to be shelving books, not reading them Twilight.” She returned her hand to her hip, mirroring the other. From the tangled heap she had been shocked to, Twilight sat up and briefly pouted at her mussed research. “Sorry Cadence, one was open on something interesting and I remembered another I had read before and got caught up in an idea.” “Twilight…” Cadence sighed, “I know what you are like and I should have realised the library and archives were not the most… productive, place to put you.” She put up a hand to quell a rebuttal “and as much as your little projects are interesting and even sometimes useful, you are employed to run the archives, not read them all.” “But I was making real headway…” Twilight got to her feet and brushed dust from her sensible skirt. “Please Twilight, the board aren’t interested in ‘fairy tales’ they want an archivist… A librarian.” Cadence gestured at the shelves. “I know you love it here and most of the time you get the work done, but you keep getting distracted and if someone else catches you like this they’ll kick you out. Parent’s name on a wing or not.” “But I’m on the cusp of an important discovery!” Twilight nearly shouted. “I, I have notes and research and reams of evidence! Just one last piece of the puzzle is all I need; I can take an expedition out to find it then. The Flare Prison!” “No!” Cadence shouted, pure anger in her eyes. It was something Twilight had never seen before, it scared her. “I…I...” Twilight gulped a little, feeling the prickle of tears in the back of her eyes. Mortified at her outburst and the effect it had, Cadence placed a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. “That’s not a wise idea Twilight, so many have been lost to the sand and night, going after that rumoured place.” She pulled Twilight closer, she was the taller of the two and an indigo topped head was soon nestled against her shoulder. For a moment Cadence recalled when she used to look after an eager young child. “Honey, I can’t lose you to that folly. People have left with maps and books and years of research but they never come back.” She hugged the still slightly shaking librarian. “Sorry Cadence, I didn’t realise…” Twilight whispered out. “I promised to look after you Twilight, I promised your parents the last time I ever saw them.” Cadence felt the nod against her shoulder. “Just, just tidy the archives for now. You’ll surely find some other legendary location to discover.” She released the girl and stood back, brushing some creases from her blouse. “Okay, I’ll leave it… By last piece, well, I really meant a really big last thing that was so far impossible to figure out…” Twilight smiled wryly and shrugged. “I’ll get on with this.” The librarian returned to her actual work. Cadence smiled softly and left to return to her office. She passed an inspector on the way and was glad to have set her charge to working in time to avoid any real trouble. -*- The last books slid home, the only one remaining was Twilight’s private journal, her scrappy notes and hurriedly sketched maps from months of research housed within. “If only there could ever be that last clue.” She mused to herself, packing the leather bound notebook into her sensible bag. As she walked through the large room and flicked of the lights, footsteps sounded from above. Assuring herself it was simply the guards or another staff member working late, Twilight climbed the stairs to the public floors of the museum. A clatter sounded out from one of the exhibition rooms. The velvet ropes that closed it off were moved aside. The guards and cleaners were always putting them back in place. “Is, is anyone there?” Twilight slipped into the darkened room. Only a few dim security lights lit sconces at the edges. The rustling sounded out, stirring in a newly opened sarcophagi. “Who’s there?” Twilight tried to be brave, she gathered a little magic in her palm. A concussive spell, it would shatter the delicate, the desiccated and anything less fragile would get a nasty nosebleed or fat lip. Grabbing a khopesh from a display, because even with magic it was nice to have something solid to hand, she approached the box. “Booga Booga!” Twilight screeched, her spell fell uselessly to the floor and the blade in her hand landed against the edge of the stone coffin. “Wow, relax Twily!” A cheerful and light hearted voice said. Sat in the previously empty sarcophagi was a blue haired, boyish faced young man. His white suite was dirtied and slightly askew and he had an air of celebration about him. He dropped a hand onto hers. “Shining! Get out of the exhibit!” Twilight slapped her brother’s hand away. He chuckled and sat more comfortably. “Aren’t you even going to ask why I’m in such a good mood?” He grinned winningly. “Get out of the exhibit Shining.” Twilight took a pose like Cadence’s from earlier, hands on her hips and a cross look on her face, it certainly looked more fearsome with a khopesh. “Okay, okay!” He clambered from the coffin and settled for sitting on the edge. “Still, aren’t you the least bit curious sister dear?” He tapped the pocket of his off-white suit, the rustle of paper clear. “I’ve had a busy day Shining, I want to get home and have a long bubble bath with a good book.” Twilight turned her back on the man and replaced the sword to its place. “You’ll like this one Twily...” She heard unfolding paper. “I bet Cadence will be impressed too.” He said. “Take a look.” A scrumpled sheet of paper was dangled in front of her eyes. It seemed to be a map. Scribbled notes on star positions and time spent walking, sketched landmarks and dotted lines of transport links. It was a pretty amateur effort, no cartographer would be clamouring for a look and it was a new creation, no some ancient scroll. Twilight was about to dismiss it and her brother when two things in the top corner caught her eye. A structure was sketched, almost looking like the ancient carvings of the Flare Prison and next to it a heavy path of pencil lead. A rubbing made from a relief, one the depicted an ancient symbol. The Princess’ Sun. Twilight grabbed the sheet and began to study it. “Where did you get this Shining!” She demanded, putting on her glasses and taking out her research journal, flicking through to traced maps and copied script. “Oh, a, ah, book shop.” He scratched his head, “Yes, was browsing about the place, picked up one of the newer prints and that sheet, ah, fell out. Yeah.” “We have to go to Cadence! This is it! The last thing I need.” She had laid her journal on the information board and was comparing her notes to the map. “With this I have all the proof I need, I can get some funding and take a group out. The Flare Prison! Ha ha!” She grabbed her older brother in a hug and spun away. “Come on! She’ll still be in her office!” Shining chased after his excited sister, well pleased that soon he could at least share light conversation with the woman to whom he’d lost his heart. -*- “Cadence! I have a map!” The librarian called into the office. It was large and open, numerous artworks and pieces sat about, some awaiting a place while others just decorating her workspace or sitting out for research reference. Cadence oversaw the research departments and would delve into her own projects even as her scientists and historians undertook their work. “Twilight? A map to where?” She looked up at the excited girl hurrying through the room. “To the Flare Prison, Cadence, an actual map that leads there! It even has a rubbing of the carvings.” She thrust the paper under Cadence’s nose. The head of research took it. “Where did you get this?” She kept her voice even, though Twilight had an inkling she wasn’t in the best mood. “Shining found it in some bookshop. I’d have thought it was phony myself but it all matches up with my research...” Twilight trailed off when a hand forestalled any more. She gasped when a fire spell consumed the sheet. “Cadence...” “Sorry Twilight, it’s a snipe hunt honey.” She brushed the ash onto a wastepaper bin. “That was just some ramble and doodling, probably from whatever drunks Shining was trying to play cards with.” She shot the blue haired man trying to be inconspicuous in the corner a dark look. He waved timidly. Cadence turned to look again at Twilight, the girl was obviously fighting back tears. “Honey, go home and get some rest. Kick your silly brother to the couch and have a soak with some of that lavender bath bubbles you love.” She stroked a pale hand that was grasping the edge of the desk. “You had some great ideas about the column alignment in Everfree before you got this Flare Prison stuff on the brain. Take another look at that and I’m sure you’ll make a breakthrough. I’ll even be able to convince the board to get you heading up a team with the results I know you’ll get.” She smiled softly at the younger woman. “I, I guess so... Just a snipe hunt...” Defeated, Twilight left the office and the museum, a worried and penitent Shining in tow.