//------------------------------// // Berry 3 - Death's Door // Story: Lost in a New World // by KingBrony //------------------------------// "So you climbed all the way up that mountain to reach the Draconequus!?" Berry Bunches sat in awe as she heard Fluttershy recount her adventure since they had separated. The little pegasus could tell Fluttershy didn't want to relive the experience, and had been making the story sound lighter than Berry knew it was. "Oh, yes," Fluttershy continued her tale. The two of them sat on the side of the street as crystal ponies passed by. The sun sat high in the sky, warming up Berry's bones as they both munched on a plate of carrots. Berry had felt the happiest in a long time, now that Fluttershy was with her once again. The filly would not even be alive if it weren't for Fluttershy. The dark days in Manehatten felt like ages ago, as the memories of her father hung around in her mind. Fluttershy's words and soft voice tore through the image of her father and rained light on Berry's mind. "...And, you're sure you want to try and...talk to them?" Berry asked, concerned for Fluttershy's safety. Fluttershy nodded and smiled. "I have to do my part, and I know that if I tried really hard, I might have a better chance to succeed." Soon, the sky started to become cloudy. The loss of light from the sun prompted the filly to look up and see what was the cause of the weather. "Clouds?" She asked out loud. Other ponies in the area also stopped and looked up to see what was happening. Ever since the sun and moon began to move again, no clouds had gathered in the sky - no pegasi have been collecting clouds either. As more ponies gathered to look up at the darkening sky, Berry noticed the cloud getting bigger and bigger, until she was convinced that it was not a cloud. A single, tiny dot separated from the dark blob filling the sky, moving quickly away from it. Berry saw the tiny dot getting bigger, as if moving towards them. Other ponies grew concerned, until the dot emitted a blue aura. Some ponies gasped as they looked on at the spectacle. Other ponies began screaming and ran away. Once the blue aura cleared, Berry noticed a red one appear in the same place, and realized that it was heading right towards the gathered ponies. "Run!" What looked like a laser hit the building right next to the street. Debris flew everywhere as the ponies realized what was happening and scrambled. A blue aura appeared around the dot again, and Berry realized that it was a Sleipnir. The being landed right onto the street, just a few feet from where the filly stood. Without thinking, Berry turned around and galloped for her life. More dots began to fall from the sky, taking form as Sleipnir as they approached the earth. Ponies ran in every direction, making it hard for Berry to properly navigate her way to safety - the castle. "Fluttershy!" Berry called out, trying to find her friend. It was no use; the ponies were too panicked that the screams drowned out her voice. Sounds of houses breaking, ponies screaming, and Sleipnir munching disoriented the poor filly as she stumbled around. Shaking her head, Berry saw an alleyway in front of her. The pegasus took cover inside, moving away from the open area. With heavy breaths, Berry did her best to get through the tight space, tensing up as faint explosions filled the air. Her entire body was shaking as memories of Manehatten came rushing back to her. She kept moving, growing more and more tense as she went, until she finally succumbed to the fear and collapsed to the ground. More explosions filled the air, coupled with screams and cries. The world was spinning around her. Berry blinked rapidly, seeing visions of Twilight, Fluttershy, and her father. They danced around the alley, growing fuzzy as the filly's vision grew dark. Is this the end? The filly thought to herself. After everything she had been through after the end of the world, her path would finally end. The Sleipnir would come and make a meal out of her. There was nothing she could do about it. Berry began to laugh. She didn't know why, but she just laughed. Maybe she was laughing her pain away, but her laughter grew louder. She banged a hoof on the cold ground and took deep breaths in between her bursts of laughter. They will definitely find me if I laugh like this. She thought to herself, but quickly dismissed the thought. One way or another, it would happen. Her laughter grew louder. Hooves could be heard from the entrance to the alley. They found me. A small hum emerged from somewhere. It started as she laughed, as a low vibration, but when she laughed more and more, the hum grew stronger. Eventually, she stopped laughing to find out where it was coming from. Was it from the Sleipnir? She thought to herself, but her conclusion was proven false as a blue aura appeared around the filly herself. She looked down and saw the necklace. Pinkie Pie's Element of Laughter. It shone beautifully, calming the pony down immediately. The Sleipnir approached Berry from behind, ready to strike. The filly, however, turned to face her attackers as the blue light grew even stronger. "What's this!?" One of the Sleipnir shouted, stumbling backwards. He tripped and fell onto the other Sleipnir, knocking them both down. Berry snapped back to her senses and, realizing what happened, got up and ran away. The jewel around Berry's neck continued to glow as she weaved through the alleyway, coming out the other side. The light from above filled her pupils in an instant, causing her to squint. Ponies were all frantically heading towards the castle as the Sleipnir stormed the areas around them. Bigger Sleipnir wearing thick, sturdy armor cut through the ponies like cheese while a few other Sleipnir cast spells from above. The Crystal Army fought back, with battles taking place on land and in the air. Spells shot in every direction and blades clanged against armor. Berry barely avoided a spell by ducking, and darted off towards the castle. "Attack them when their flanks grow!" A voice came from above. Berry looked up to see Twilight, commanding the guards. She was fighting the Sleipnir herself with such majesty that Berry couldn't tell if she was fighting or dancing. Bringing her attention back down below, Berry ran right into a group of ponies trying to make their way into the castle. There were so many bodies entangled around the castle grounds and the doorway that Berry could feel herself losing her breath. A scream pierced through the air, soon drowned out by other shouting and yells. Berry felt bodies falling on top of her as she tried to push her way forward. As she pressed onwards, she felt the hoof of an older gentlecolt on her back. "Where do you think you're going!?" He frantically yelled out amidst the chaos. "I was here first!" "No, I was here first!" A mare shouted from behind him. More hooves flew in every direction, some hurting the filly. Berry didn't want to be left outside with the Sleipnir...but she didn't want the others to either. I need to...get in! Berry ducked down and weaved in the small spaces between the ponies. The sounds of magical beams grew louder as she feared that the Sleipnir were nearing the castle. Berry pushed and weaved and screamed her way through the crowd, until she popped out and landed on a hard, crystal floor. Berry was already inside the grand foyer of the castle. The ponies were all moving towards the dungeons as guards did their best to guide them in and keep things orderly. Everypony had the look of fear in their eyes as they descended into the dark caverns below, and Berry had no choice but to follow them down. The caverns were a place the filly had never explored fully since she arrived in the Crystal Empire, so Berry did not know what to expect. As she moved further away from the light, the cavern walls began to provide their own light, illuminating in beautiful shades of purple and green. Wow...she thought to herself as the continued on. The ponies moving around her also noticed the caverns, and any sense of mistrust, anger, or fear they had was replaced by a calming sense of security. In the cold depths of the crystal caverns, the ponies lost all sense of the violence and destruction that was taking place above. Soon, the pathway the ponies followed emptied out into a big opening. The crystals were even brighter down here. As Berry walked into the chamber, she could spot families huddling in small groups around her. Some fillies were crying as they were held by their parents, while mares and gentlecolts even shed a few tears over their lost ones. Berry found an open spot and collapsed on the ground. The rush of fatigue engulfed her, putting the filly to sleep. Before she could even think about Fluttershy or Twilight, or anypony else still above, her dreams took over.