Twilight felt her heartbeat for a split second. She heard it, the barely audible thud in her ears. It also seemed she was being rocked gently, soothingly, like a filly in a cradle. Then her consciousness was swept back into the void.
------ ------
Celestia gently pulled the blankets over her pupil, her features soft, a tender smile resting on her lips. She had carefully lifted the unicorn onto her bed after she had fallen asleep; It must be the fatigue, the princess thought as she smoothed the sheets, making sure that Twilight’s resting form would be warm. A whole night without sleep… I really did spoil her too much when she was smaller to let her get into this habit.
The alabaster alicorn gently brushed a hoof along Twilight’s mane, nostalgia submerging her like a wave. When she was smaller… how long has it been since I’ve tucked her in like this?
She then continued to gaze at the unicorn that she had watched as she learned, from elementary spells to those which required immense energy that had her eyes glowing like torches as the magenta inferno had torn an entire section from the royal gardens; the same unicorn that had now started a new life away from her watch, full of ideals. And yet, the princess knew that they had missed each other ever since Twilight’s move to Ponyville. But no matter where you are, or will be, Twilight… I will always be here for you.
The reminiscence left the solar goddess a bit sad, yet proud at the same time. Her heart heavier with emotions than before, she slowly slid off the bed and trotted towards the door. I’ll get something for her in case she's hungry again when she wakes up, and a note asking her to rest as much as she can while I attend to court.
------ ------
Twilight’s eyelids tensed, then flickered open. Her eyes were dry and scratchy, as if they had been rubbed with sandpaper. She saw brown – a wooden wall. She was resting on her side, and her chest expanded as she took a deep breath. The slow swaying felt so comfortable, and she was so sleepy…
------ ------
Pinkie bounced down the streets of Canterlot. “Oopsie!” she exclaimed, noticing that the windows of most of the shops were still dark. “I guess it’s just too early!” She turned her head in every direction as she hopped further down the street – only breakfast vendors and cafes had already opened, and there were few passersby, except for the occasional well-dressed unicorn.
The chance that the joke shop would be open now seemed slim, but the pink pony decided to take a look anyway. “After all it would be good for Twilight to spend some time with Princess Celestia since she’s always soooo excited when she meets her!” she chirped with a brilliant smile to nopony in particular.
Turning a last corner, she skidded to a stop outside a massive structure resembling a pony clown whose eyes were widened comically; a closed door was situated in the broadly smiling mouth. “Ponko’s”, read the multi-colored sign in front of the store.
“Aww, too bad!” said Pinkie, sticking her tongue out at the door. She scrunched up her face, and then started bouncing in another direction. “I guess I’ll just take a look around and get some breakfast, then I’ll come back later!”
------ ------
Twilight woke for the second time. She had to gather her strength for a while before she could bring herself to stretch – her limbs were so stiff and weak, weighing like lead. She blinked blearily a few times, and raised her head with an effort… and saw that she was lying on wooden planks.
Where am I…? she thought, frantically sitting up, and the floor teetered. She hurriedly steadied herself, and looked around.
She was on a small boat. It was nighttime, and she was bobbing along with the flow of the current. A faint luminescence illuminated the murky waters. She strained to see land but couldn’t; the corners of the horizon were swallowed in darkness.
Twilight tensed, feeling very alone and insecure. Where in Equestria is this? And where is Princess Celestia? Wasn’t I in her room? What is happening?
She wanted to jump up and stomp about in her frustration, but then caught herself – if she sent the boat off-balance, she could fall into the water. No, I have to stay calm. I’ll figure this out. She looked up, hoping to determine her location by the stars, and maybe the time, by the angle of the moon. She couldn’t see the moon in her current field of vision, so assuming it must be behind her, she focused on the stars first – and frowned.
Why are the stars so dim? And why isn’t there a single formation that I can recognize? She carefully shifted herself, turning around so that she could see the remaining part of the sky that had previously been behind her.
And then she gasped. There was no moon.
------ ------
“Thank you all, my little ponies, for attending,” said Celestia, smiling regally and serenely.
Day court had been adjourned, and the remaining ponies in the throne room were starting to file out after bowing their respects to the goddess.
Celestia waited patiently until the last pony had trotted out of the room, before rising gracefully to her hooves.
Just then, a pink earth pony burst through the doors. There was a big bulging sack on her back, and she wore a billowing black cape, a top hat, and a pair of thick-framed glasses with a fake nose and bushy mustache. “Hiya, Princess!” she said shrilly.
The princess raised a hoof in greeting. “Glad to see you back, Pinkie. Did you have a good time shopping?”
“Oh! Yes Princess, I got so many new things! Like these exploding poker cards! And this book that spurts water and some squeak cushions and auto-tangle ribbons and-” she stopped suddenly as a thought occurred to her. “-Oh! And where is Twilight?”
“She fell asleep in the morning, I’m not sure if she has woken yet… she hasn’t slept for a day, and I thought I should let her rest.”
“Can we go see her?” asked Pinkie, bouncing as if the laden sack were not there at all. “And actually – she hasn’t slept for a whole week!”
Princess Celestia froze. “A whole week?” she repeated, numbly.
Pinkie nodded.
The goddess furrowed her brow, a rare display of emotions for her. Is that even possible…? And I had thought she was simply tired – it’s much more serious than that!
“Pinkie?” she said, still bearing the same pained expression. “You know the way to the infirmary, correct? Would you mind asking Spike to come up with you to my chambers? Spike knows where it is, he’ll lead you there.”
“Oki doki loki, Princess, I’ll get him, stat!” The energetic pony smiled brightly, and scooted out of the room in a blur.
The princess sighed worriedly, and then trotted swiftly out the hall to the castle grounds. She spread her wings and took flight, taking the most direct route to her tower – no winding staircases and corridors to hinder her.
------ ------
Twilight had been drifting for what seemed like a few hours. She did not know where she was, or where she would end up. She had tried a light spell to discern any land that she might be nearing but still could not make out any end to the vast lake, or sea, that she was drifting upon.
She had hesitantly dipped a hoof into the water; she could feel a current, which was strong and steady, so she guessed she must have been heading in the same direction ever since she had gotten on the boat.
But how did that happen? Twilight desperately combed through her mind for any clue, but she could only remember the events of the morning up to when she had lay down on the rug with Princess Celestia… and then there had been black: Only black.
So gathering all the information I have on my hooves: I am on a boat, which I have no idea how I got on. There is no moon in the sky- Twilight gulped, almost panicking again. –which is the strangest fact that I know of this place. There is no moon, so where is the ‘moonlight’ coming from? The boat is moving at a steady pace, but the destination is unknown.
Teleporting was out of the question, not knowing where there was land. There was virtually nothing she could do. Does the princess know I’m here…? Does anypony even know where I am?
Twilight groaned, smacking a hoof on the wall of the wooden craft. A small splinter broke off and dropped into the water, floating along in the current.
Is there any way to make this thing go faster? Twilight thought, frustrated. What if this never ends? I’ll just keep floating here, until I starve? What if there is a storm- no wait, there aren’t pegasi around to make that happen. But still, I don’t even know if there is a sun, when there isn’t a moon…
She looked dully at the dark horizon. Maybe I can use magic to speed the boat up a bit… but that would be tiring. Hmm, but it seems I don’t have much to do anyway. If I get tired I can always take a nap.
That decided, she lit up her horn, and her magenta energy spread along the back of the boat. She imagined the water flowing much faster behind her, and was rewarded with a considerable boost in speed, the wind whipping her mane along as she continued forward in the dark shrouded sea.
------ ------
Princess Celestia landed lightly on the balcony outside her chambers and opened the glass panes to let herself in. She looked around for signs of her faithful student – and her fears were confirmed when she trotted over to her bed.
The unicorn had not moved from where the princess had left her in the morning; the daffodil sandwich and note that Celestia had left on the bedside table were untouched.
“Twilight, wake up,” she said urgently, placing her hooves on each of the unicorn’s shoulders and shaking them gently.
No response.
“Twilight?” the princess felt her pupil’s forehead for a fever, but the temperature was normal. Then why wouldn’t she wake up?
She hugged Twilight close, nuzzling her. One week. She hasn’t slept at all for a whole week. She searched her knowledge for ways to deal with the situation – as an immortal entity she had gathered more experience through the years than any qualified doctor – and did a magical medical scan.
Heartbeat, breathing, normal. Body temperature – a bit higher than normal. Unconscious. In a coma… safe to use reviving spell.
The alicorn released her golden aura, gathering it into a glowing orb that hovered above her student’s body. She lowered the ball of energy slowly to touch, and then sink into, the unicorn’s chest.
Five, four, three, two, one… counted the goddess. She looked expectantly at Twilight’s resting form. It showed no sign of moving. “Twilight?” she asked, brushing a hoof on her pupil’s cheek. No response. “Twilight, wake up,” she said, a bit louder.
Still, the unicorn did not wake. Celestia blinked, for once stumped. I couldn’t have done the spell wrong, could I? No, there is still the possibility… but under Twilight’s condition, it should be working.
The princess took a deep breath, which was somewhat shuddery. Again. There must’ve been something I overlooked. She lit up her horn again, and let her magic congregate into an orb before letting it be absorbed into Twilight’s chest.
She counted down the seconds again in her mind. With each number she tapped her hoof once, to make sure that she had got it right… One.
Twilight did not move.
This is impossible… the alicorn thought, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.
------ ------
Twilight’s boat moved swiftly forward, the hull breaking the water and sending ripples in its wake. She squinted, trying again to see if there was anything that lay in the darkness beyond.
Wait, she thought, halting her spell on the boat. She sent her magenta energy into the air, where it built up into a shining ball. She made it rise higher and higher, leaving a trail of sparks behind it. When she was satisfied that it had reached a sufficient height, she let it explode. Fizzling sparks erupted from the magic bubble, tearing a circular area in the darkness. And in that light, she saw something enter her farthest range of vision – the vague outline of land.
Yes! She pumped a hoof up joyously, and resumed her spell on her vessel. The craft sped twice as fast as before, the impromptu sailor eager to get onto dry land and hopefully find some answers.
------ ------
Twilight could see the shore now. It stretched from one end of the horizon to the other, and from what she could discern with her illuminating spell, it was large enough to be called a continent. Dark slopes rose like rusted daggers along the shoreline, half-hidden in gloomy mist.
There was a small inlet further along the shore so the unicorn used her spell to give the boat a nudge, making it change direction. She was more drained than she would have liked from maintaining the sailing spell – a good portion had been let out of her magic reservoir. Well, it’s nothing that a good rest won’t recover, she thought drily.
As she sailed towards the inlet, her surroundings grew lighter; it was still the same moonlight-like luminescence, but growing brighter as she neared the shore. Twilight didn’t know how that could be, as she still could not find a moon, or sun, or any source of light in the sky.
Almost there… I can’t go back now – forward it is. I need to find out where this place is and how to get back. Twilight put on a burst of speed in her eagerness, and her boat sped into the inlet. She carefully prodded the boat so that half of it rested on the barren shore, and gingerly stepped out.
The small inlet was surrounded by mountains, and now that the light had brightened to a point akin to sunlight (although it had no warmth at all), she could see that there was plant life, dully colored pines and spruces that occupied the dismal land.
A narrow valley extended before her, and through the slit in the line of peaks she could make out no more, due to the grey mist that obscured the rest of the valley.
I’ll need to find a place to rest… and something to eat, she thought, brushing her spiky mane back with a hoof. Luckily my eye hasn’t started hurting again… I’d have no way of getting an eye patch here, I guess.
It felt unwise, stupid, even, to walk into this land she had no idea about. The air was brisk and a breeze ruffled the fur on her coat. She had no books, no Princess Celestia to look to for guidance…
After trotting for a while, she crossed the line where barren landscape met the forest. It was chilly in the midst of the trees, the occasional branch brushed against her torso as she made her way into the valley. The pines didn’t block the luminescence much, so she could see the way pretty clearly, but the air seemed to sit still around her – in silence. There was no faint rustle, no indication of any living creature apart from herself.
This comforted her in a way – at least there didn’t seem to be anything that would harm her for the time being. However, it was still unnatural. Or maybe the animals were just inactive during this time of day? She shook her head. She couldn’t tell the time at all, and she wasn’t even sure if there were a day or night in this place.
Eventually she came to a small clearing. A few clumps of grass, similarly dull in color like the trees, grew on the earth, and Twilight decided that it was a good place to take the rest she needed. She found a patch where the grass grew more evenly and lay down on it.
She closed her eyes, the events of the past few hours replaying in her mind.
------ ------
Twilight blinked, having just woken up. I couldn’t have been sleeping for more than an hour, she estimated from her current state of liveliness. She got to her hooves and stretched.
Her mane fell into her eyes again, which was starting to irritate her. Before she had taken the bandage off, it had also served as a headband of a sort. And when she was on the boat the wind had swept her mane so that it wasn’t in her face.
She reached a hoof to brush it back – and then she scrunched her face, noticing something that rather confused her. The color of her hoof was a bit lighter than usual. It was still the same shade, but like pigments diluted with water.
Maybe it’s just the light… but the color really is lighter. She did a quick check of her body, and found that her whole coat had changed similarly.
Strange, she thought, but finding out where this is and how to go back is more important.
The unicorn patted off some dry grass that had caught in her coat, and continued on.
The trees grew scarce as she walked deeper into the valley, giving way to a plain. The grass had the same faded green as the forest, and Twilight finally saw what looked like pony dwellings in the far distance. She squinted, trying to make out more details. A few low buildings...? Oh, well, at least there’ll be ponies there!
Her face lit up, and she broke into a gallop. As she ran, her stomach grumbled, and she tried to remember how long it had been since she had last eaten. Breakfast with the princess… and then after that I’ve been stranded in this strange place…
She ran until she was quite out of breath, her throat parched and her heart thudding. Forcing herself to slow down, she took some deep breaths, but still continued at a brisk trot. The buildings grew nearer, and she could see them more clearly…
A ruined wall stood in a heap of rubble. A door hung off its hinges. A cracked window stared like the forlorn eye of a house, which had long surrendered to the elements.
Twilight’s heart sank down to somewhere near her stomach. From her current distance she could only make out the buildings closest to her, but the sight could only suggest that this town, or former town, had been abandoned quite a while ago.
Hesitantly she entered the outskirts of the ruins. Grass grew between the cobblestones that made up the roads; almost all of the structures in the settlement were damaged one way or another.
Trotting past a building with a cracked sign that read ‘bookstore’ dangling askew, Twilight sighed sadly, her ears drooping, and tried to come up with an explanation for the condition of the town. Maybe there were troubles with wild animals? But no matter what the reason is… I probably won’t be able to find any help or answers here, and I don’t know if the next town is far away from here… I don’t think I’ll be able to travel too much a distance without eating, either.
She could eat the grass, although she would prefer not to. Her mentor had told her that raw grass had been part of a pony’s diet in ancient times, but after more advanced food-preserving techniques were developed, it gradually faded from daily meals. Raw grass, the princess had explained, was still edible, but the modern pony would find them highly unappetizing.
The lilac unicorn rounded a corner, and a building caught her eye immediately - it was presumably the only building that still looked intact, maybe even suitable for living.
The plaque on the door read ‘Records.’ She decided to take a closer look, and trotted to the structure. She peered into the window… and blinked. There was an unmistakable flicker of candlelight inside. Yes! So somepony lives here…
She pushed the door, and to her delight it opened. She stepped inside. The first thing she noticed was the gigantic bookshelf that stretched from one end of the wall on her right to the other, and up to the ceiling.
The light, which was coming from a small candle perched on a stool, illuminated the shelf, and she saw that it was filled with stacks of parchment, some yellow and worn, some newer and in better condition.
“Done looking?” a voice said.
Twilight jumped. In the shadows stood a maroon unicorn with a pale grey mane. She looked at Twilight, her expression smooth and devoid of emotion.
“Oh, uh, hi! Um, my name is Twilight Sparkle… I’m from Canterlot. I didn’t mean to intrude… but I’m lost,” she said, her voice a squeak. “Where is this place, exactly?”
“This place? Oh, so you must be new. Strange, I don’t remember seeing your name on the list. Anyway… welcome to the Underworld, Miss Sparkle! I’m glad you could join us!”
Who is Chronas?