//------------------------------// // How It All Began // Story: Worlds Apart // by Imperium Bedlam //------------------------------// My front hooves dangled over the edge of the island, a cool breeze playing with my mane as my primaries flutter slightly in the cool breeze. My home, a lovely little cottage with pale walls and a rusty tin roof that stood alone upon the floating island. I’d only recently learned how to make a bed out of the clouds but I found myself using one a lot more often, within the confines of my home of course. The years had seemed to float by with little to no tension as I stared out at the same scenery I’d seen since I was a foal. My mother had always said that she wished she could stay as long as possible so that I wouldn't get lonely but I had found company in the few merchants who’d come by occasionally in their weird flying machines. There were a few times I was asked to come along, to see what the rest of the world was like, but I’d always turned down the offer in favor of my home and the only family I’d ever known. Now that my family was gone and my home was in shambles it only seemed natural to want to move on. I only had to wait until another island came into view and the time was right. As I stood I flexed my wings out, relishing in the feeling of the wind passing over my feathers as I looked to the empty expanse beneath me. The sky surrounded my home on all sides, nothing obscuring the view besides the occasional cloud in the distance, including a rather large one that had been there for quite some time. My house felt like the one and only thing I knew in this world but as time ticked on I had grown less fond of staying. I let my wings droop slightly, the very tips tracing along the ground as I headed back inside, running a wing over the telescope perched at the edge of the island. My mother had always told me that I was special, but that’s just what mothers do, right? Every single day that passed only further increased an agitation I barely knew I’d had. My wings are larger than normal, is what my mother once told me. She said that they were related to my cutie-mark of a looking glass, that the reason that I grew restless was because I was meant to explore. How could I? This was the only place I’d ever known. I couldn't just abandon it. No matter how many times I told myself the same thing there is always that yearning to leave, to see what lies beyond the sky I see. Each day I went out, circling my home but always making sure it stayed in sight. I just had to know what was out there. So every day I went out slightly further, my wings easily carrying me as I looked out across the eternal sky. The merchants, they’d all had their stories. They spoke of islands where the buildings reached even further into the sky than any of their machines could hope to go. Of lands where plants and animals took care of themselves, without the aid of ponies. It was these stories that compelled me to look into the telescope as my ear twitched. I may as well have heard a pin drop, but I heard it all the same. It sounded like thunder, far off in the distance, but close enough to garner my attention. After all, something had changed. Hurriedly I held onto the telescope, turning it in the direction of the noise. I looked over every single patch of sky and found nothing. I could spot a merchant from a thousand miles away but still I couldn't see where the noise had come from. My wings drooped further and I kicked at the ground. “It’s been years since the last island came into view, why am I deluding myself?” Of course, even if I had great eyesight I could not see through the clouds. Especially not the one that took up a large portion of the sky. Imagine my surprise when I heard a loud chime permeate the air around me. All of my attention was ripped from the ground and turned towards the cloud as another chime rang through. Four more chimes and my mouth hung open slightly as I saw a huge clock peeking out over the edge of the cloud. The clock resembled the one I had in the living room, except it was just so… big. The thing must’ve been about twenty times the size of my house! My hooves were firmly planted in the ground as the edge of the new isle came into view and I realized the clock was even bigger than I thought! I could see a whole city over there, huge buildings made of stones and brick littered the enormous plane and as soon as my eye was once more glued to my telescope I could see them, ponies! Sure there were some other races as well but I hadn't seen a pony merchant since I could barely fly as the gryphons had apparently run them out of business. Packing was the least of my priorities as I launched myself over the edge of the island, my wings fanning out to their full length as I pushed myself through the air, after all I could just come back later right? First I wanted to have a look around. The sky that once seemed so empty now had substance, the bustling city quickly coming into view along with the many citizens it contained. I had never seen so many ponies before in my life, the sight of it had me awestruck. I really should have paid more attention. It’s not really my fault right? I was just so caught up in the prospect of meeting new ponies that I didn't look hard enough. I didn't notice as they ran scared into their houses down below. I didn't notice as guards marched onto some of the rooftops. What I did notice however was the huge spear that was launched into the air so close by me I almost stalled. You see, I saw the ponies but I didn't see them. I saw the unicorns, I saw the earth ponies, I saw the zebras, the gryphons, the minotaurs and the buffalo. But I didn't see any Pegasi. I only realized later, after I had plummeted out of the sky, that that was because there were none to see. I was in a state of panic and I did the only thing I could think of: I went home. More spears whizzed past me and I beat my wings harder, fear etched onto my face while my thoughts only ran over the same few words. “I have to get home!” If there was anything I would've changed, it would be that I didn't bring any bits. Even though my life had changed I still wouldn't go back and rewrite any of it. So as that fateful spear clipped the edge of my wing my thoughts quickly turned to the only thing I knew. My wings instinctively tucked into my sides while I curled up. I was panicking okay? I had no idea I wasn't that badly injured. For all I knew my wing had been torn off. That would have to be the luckiest day of my life though, because I had fallen to the safest place in Equus. A grunt escaped me as I landed on one of the many roofs, only this one was fairly larger. The next few moments were a blur as I shivered in place, shouts coming from all around me until I was picked up with a pair of talons and brought inside, my body shutting down as the adrenaline slowly wore off. The next morning I awoke to a ceiling I’d never seen before in a bed I’d never slept in. Confusion gripped me as my attention focused on the edge of my right wing, a few of my feathers out of place while some had obviously been roughed up slightly. I occupied myself with some preening as my memories slowly returned and I made my very first friend. She was a very quiet Unicorn mare, shyly pushing open the door with a quiet “Good morning” as she laid a tray of food on my bedside table with her magic, something the few unicorn merchants that had visited loved to show off.. Needless to say I was at a loss for words, I had just been attacked and woke up in a strange place but for some insane reason I wanted to make a good first impression. “U-um…. hello.” Okay, I was pretty terrified. “Are you feeling better? That was a pretty big tumble you took.” She was so… nice. She had this warm-hearted feeling that seemed to emanate from every fibre of her being. It kind of reminded me of my mother. “Y-yes t-thank you. It really wasn't that bad of a tumble, though; I've been through worse.” My teenage years had only begun recently after all and it was fun to test your limits every so often. “Glad to hear it, now make sure you eat everything on your tray, alright?” She gave me one of the kindest smiles I’d ever seen, it almost pained me to interrupt her as she was leaving. “Wait! Can I… um… can I ask you something?” She really didn't seem to mind though as she kept up with that lovely smile. “Anything.” “Where am I?” It was a pretty genuine concern, after all it’s only natural to want to know where you are. A pleasant giggle escaped her as her magic took hold of the window shutters. “Welcome to Fillydelphia, fifth largest city this side of the equator.” I was in awe as she opened those shutters. The world outside was so different to the one I had known all my life. I could see a community, all of them working together to help each other as they went about their lives. There were foals playing around the streets as a bulky box with wheels (I later learned was called a tram) rolled down the middle, gates on either side of the track popping up a few hundred meters ahead of it as it went along. At this point I didn't really know about the other side of this community but I’ll save that for later. As I looked up I saw the houses, each maintaining its individuality through its heritage even as they held similar designs. A few of the houses even had flowers growing up the side, a stallion across the road waving to me as he watered his own. Cautiously I returned the wave as my sight kept going higher and I saw the rooftops, the sky merely a backdrop to what looked down from above. Who knew the sky could seem so small? I gulped audibly as I turned back to her. “A-and where am I specifically?” “Oh of course, how silly of me to forget.” She gave a slight bow before that smile returned in full force. “My name is Miserly Health, and welcome to the Merchants Guild. Now may I ask for yours?” It took a few seconds for her words to register and a few more until I sputtered out my own name, after all, I could trust her? Right? “Oh I’m Drifted Wings, nice to meet you!”