A dark cloud of dust billowed across the charred remains of Canterlot's once pristine throne room, partially cloaking a tall sky blue Alicorn. The scorching hot wind intertwined with an aura of pure, raw crackling energy that flowed off her trembling body and great feathered wings in sheets, quickly dismissing the puff of air.
Her body trembled, muscles bunching and quivering, flowing in one solid mass underneath her scarred and bloody coat. A wide humorless, psychotic grin spread across her lips, her long tongue lapped up the trickle of crimson ichor that flowed from the corner of her mouth.
The Alicorn's eye sockets bore a solid crimson magical flame that flared and flickered with her fury. Staring at some unseen Nemesis, she lowered her body, her silver shod hoof scraped at the charred marble floor, leaving a deep groove, her great shredded and bloody wings flared out, shielding three other Alicorn mares behind her. One purple, one white, and one navy blue.
The purple one had sustained severe injures, and quivered with the effort of breathing. She seemed to be running on pure force of will alone, her tattered wings spread as wide as she could, shielding the other two who were not breathing at all. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as she silently pleaded her horn to cast something, anything at all to aid her fallen companions.
The Cyan Alicorn's defiant Cheshire smile fell at the sound of her friend sobbing, and her muzzle twisted in rage as a horse resonating bellow tore itself from her throat as a bright sheath of light enveloped the entire throne room leaving nothing but a loud static ringing...
My mind snapped awake at the offensive noise,despite my not wanting it to. I rolled over and clogged my ears with a cloud pillow, but to no avail. Instinctively I flailed my forelegs in the general direction of my bed side table in hopes of silencing that ungodly noise, only stopping when I heard a satisfying crunch.
Opening my eyes slightly I picked up the remains of yet another alarm clock, and tossed it into a box in the corner, that was filled with fragments of its predictors. My eyes slammed shut as I covered myself up and tried desperately to get back to sleep. Celestia knows the last time I had such an awesome dream, and I wasn't about to let some clock get in the way.
Unfortunately my brain was not having it, and after a few moments, I realized I was just remembering what I had already dremt, and nothing new. With a frustrated moan, I rolled out from underneath my cloud duvet, and hit the floor on all fours. I shakily made my way to the bathroom and poked at the faucet with a hoof, calling forth a small trickle of rainwater. I pressed my forehead up against the mirror that hung above the sink, and closed my eyes listening to the sleepy thoughts that flitted through my head.
Now that I thought about it, the Alicorns in my dream seemed rather familiar. The berserking one had a coat similar to mine, and I had sworn I saw flashes of chromatic colored hair. The purple one heavily resembled twilight, and she was protecting.. a white one and a deep blue one. White and deep blue...Celestia and Luna?
I frowned, my breath fogging up the mirrors cool glass surface. If that were the case, they weren't moving at all, and Twilight was crying helplessly. Twilight, as far as I knew, never cried unless something really bad happened. I slowly started to realize just what had caused the dream me to flip her hay like she did, and it wasn't so awesome after all. It's totally not cool to have your friends hurt like that, I grumbled inwardly, dipping my hooves into the pool of rainwater and splashing my face with it. The refreshing jolt of water washed away some of the muzzy feeling that floated around my brain.
Somewhat more awake now, I started to wonder If that was actually a premonition, or just the side effect of the company I kept. More importantly, I could not shake the feeling of familiarity with the Alicorns from my dream. These thoughts led to a single idea that I simply could not contain.
"Is it possible to turn into an Alicorn?"
I asked my reflection, staring into her rose colored eyes. I shook my head and turned away from my mirror, why was I asking myself? I certainly didn't know, but perhaps I knew someone who did. Stretching my wings and my neck, and being rewarded with three loud cracks, I trotted out of my bathroom, and towards my front door. It was time to pay the resident egghead a visit, if anyone could work this out it was her.
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The lavender Alicorn watched in horror as her cyan friend was swatted out of the air mid charge by a tendril of solid shadow, crashing in a heap of wings and intertwined legs. The raw rage quickly draining from her broken body. The crimson fire in her eyes slowly reverting to their previous rose colored irises. A cold feeling of horror and loneliness started to well up with in her, as the cyan Alicorn looked at her with unseeing eyes and murmured something with an apologetic smile, before her raised head slowly lowered, and her rose eyes glazed over. The lavender Alicorn trembled and shakily rose to her feet, her coat began to bleach itself of its former hue, becoming ivory, her swirling purple mane slowly ignited with her rage, and her eyes flared a deep crimson, as she let out a echoing cry...
I sat up with a gasp, the feeling of sadness and dread still lingering, panting I held a hoof to my chest against my hammering heart. Somepony was knocking at the door at this hour? Blinked and looked at the bedside clock, and nearly tumbled out of bed seeing it was 8 am, which meant it was time to open anyway, and I had overslept. Still it was strange for there to be a patron this insistent, it wasn't uncommon to have one or two visitors a day. Which meant it was probably one of my friends looking to chat or pick up a Daring Doo book. I hoped so, I certainly needed someone to talk to after that dream.
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I knocked a second time, a bit harder. It was unusual for twilight to not have the doors open by now, normally she was quite anal about organization and schedules, and not adhering to when the library was supposed to be open was pretty big. I was about to go find a window to fly in, when the door cracked open and a purple face poked out between the crack.
"Oh hi Rainbow" Twilight muttered with a distracted smile. She looked like she had woken up crying, since she had that half asleep look, and her eyes were puffy. I arched an eyebrow at her, and looked into her lavender eyes. It defiantly looked like something had spooked her. A bad dream perhaps? That would just be too weird, I dismissed that thought and put a smile on my lips, since after all, it looked like she could use a friend.
"Hey Twilight. Do you have any books on premonitions?"
I asked with a smile. Which quickly fell when she recoiled as if I had slapped her in the face. She looked at me long and hard with an unreadable expression, her lavender eyes boring holes into my own. I was just about to take back what I said and ask for a Daring Doo book, when she spoke, her voice soft, barely above a whisper.
"Why don't you come in and visit for a bit... I'll go make us some tea."
She murmured, turning around and headed towards the kitchen before I could reply. I'm not going to lie, I felt the urge to fly away right then and there, but I just couldn't. Twilight was clearly upset about something, and I felt responsible for it, and wanted to fix it. While she brewed our tea, I hoofed through the Daring Doo section, somewhat disappointed upon finding the one I haven't read yet still wasn't in.
When I next turned around, Twilight was absentmindedly trotting towards me with a good sized cafe table, two chairs, a tea set, and condiments. She set up in the center floor of the library, and locked the double doors, then poured us both a cup of tea, and handed it to me with her telekinetic grip.
I took the cup with a hoof and sipped it, it was clear that if there was to be any discussion, I'd have to start it, since she found her tea cup to me of the utmost importance, and was staring at it so hard I thought it would spontaneously combust.
However before I could speak, Twilight looked up at me, and started on her own.
"Why did you ask about premonitions Dash?"
Twilight asked carefully, she looked like she was trying to reassure herself of something. Not really thinking too much of it, I spoke honestly. She was a Librarian after all, If she didn't know anything about dreams, or have a book on dreams, who else would? I took a sip of tea, to clear my throat, and told her of my dream, and by the time I had finished, she looked like she wanted to cry. Had I done something wrong? I had no idea, I simply opted to take another sip of tea, and maybe find a way to politely excuse myself.
Several moments passed before Twilight spoke again, and when she did, she told me of her own dream, and I felt a cold shiver flow up my spine. Frankly, It bothered me how well her dream matched my own, right down to the color of the Alicorns, the identical injures, and how her dream seemed to continue where mine left off.
"Do you think we should bring this up to Celestia?"
I asked gently, not really wanting to hear the defining silence any longer.
Twilight's telekinetic grip faltered, causing her cup to rattle, splattering drops of tea onto the tables smooth surface. She clearly did not like the idea that these dreams could hold any truths to them, and she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Another question bubbled forth, and sprang from my lips before I could stop it.
"Do you think its possible for us to ascend into Alicorns?"