//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Gravity // Story: The Company We Keep // by Ice Star //------------------------------// I must have dozed off, because I awoke suddenly to the noise of an alarm I had set to remind me when to start searching. For a minute, all I heard was the racing of my heart. Sudoku sheets were scattered around the chair I had been napping in, illuminated by moonlight. The rest of the sitting room I was in felt unusually dark and cold. I smacked the small battery powered timer until it quieted with a small 'ding' and straightened my jacket. Nearly everything outside of major urban areas was mostly magic-powered. To find something that was entirely non-magical was both a rarity and an inconvience. I was armed with a letter opener only since I forgot to go down to the armory, though I doubted I needed a weapon any way. Tucking a letter opener in my jacket wasn't that bad of an alternative. My first night was just beginning. ... Flying quietly was something I was adept at and tonight was no exception, I was born a pegasus, and I flew like one, though princess duties could take away from that, I'd never lose this. I glided slowly through the talcum-ed hallways with only a conjured string of pale blue werelights to see. First, I wanted to do a sweep of all the floors and check for marks. This would help me find the ghost and track their pattern, maybe I could even try to follow them and see if they knew anything about the eyes. There doesn't seem to be any sign of phantom hoofprints. Isn't that strange? With the amount of powder I obtained you'd think there'd be something. I conjured another small light, and tried flying closer to the ground rustling, the powder slightly. Arcing back upwards I continued sweep after sweep of hallways. No need to accidentally make strange tracks by mistake. The last thing I wanted was to make everything more confusing, I was already a bit out of my element. I just wanted the Empire to be safe now that I've had my share of what adventure is like, and some of the world outside Equestria. History, too - it's not as safe and nice as every bit of history ever has told everypony. By the time I came to the hall with the door leading to the breezeway of the stadium I was starting to feel sleepy. I swooshed down another turn in the corridor before coming to a straight hallway. Maybe I should have had some coffee, I thought with a brief yawn, closing my eyes for a moment. Then it would be easier to stay awake and obtain these items that Sapp'ra sent me to find. "Blaah!" I shook myself awake remembering what I was up for. The ghost is my priority. Wait, where is all the talcum powder?! I looked down at the floor, only to see it was spotless. With a swallow, a flew down with my lights nervously clinging to me as if they were alive. Landing on the gleaming floor I folded my wings and walked a few steps, feeling confused at how so much of a mess could go missing so easily. None of the windows here were opened so it couldn't have gone outside. I was good at flying quietly and without much disturbance. Nopony had been here since I gave out all those paid vacations. Maybe I'm just crazy? No, I don't think I'm there yet. Sombra's the crazy one. I even made sure nopony had come back and offered to help fetch any items they left in the castle. So, how could this happen? Hovering one of the lights closer I noticed in the reflection of the floor that the ceiling seemed awfully pale, and spotty. "What the-" Everything seemed to go haywire, and my world-and stomach-seemed to flip. I felt a whoosh of air and then nothing for a moment before a hard crash! The last thing I remember was throwing up in a bunch of talcum, and feeling very, very disoriented. ... "Don't worry mom, I will remember to write!" I called happily waving at the small crystal house and its green fields. The river gurgled in the background as I pulled my cart of belongings down the dirt road heading away from the mountains toward the direction of my future: the Heart of The Empire! Wait, what is happening? This is not me. Who is this pony? Slowly, some of my awareness came back and I looked around. Green hills rolling everywhere, framed by the snowy Gemheart Mountains and pleasantly cold weather. Am I dreaming? How hard did I hit my head? I haven't picked up a joint recently so I can't be- I was leaving my family behind for the first time. This isn't a dream. What should I do? I closed my eyes and ran a hoof of my lucky bandana that I had always worn-soft cloth with square crystal sequins sewn into the shape of a geometric heart and a small beaded end resting over my heart. "I will be the best armorsmith I can be," I whispered. This seems a lot like Farreach... That's it! Farreach! I'll just let this play out. Maybe I can learn something... from... whatever strange dream this is. I just hope I'm not stuck in another book for some perplexing reason. A bit of my forelock tickling my muzzle acted as a reminder to what I was doing. "Oh, silly me. How will I ever reach the city if I never start moving?" I kept at a jog while humming an improvised tune. "Of course..." A terrifying breaking sound burst to life in my ears that sounded like someone taking a sledgehammer to a sheet of ice. Sweet Auntie Celestia, what was that?! "...daughter of," the dream-pony continued as the noise came again, followed by a mare's desperate blood-curdling scream. STOP! What is happening?! "...would lay down my life to protect the Crystal Heart." Everything around me faded to blackness and the same noise continued to loop in the background like a broken record with the shattering and the mare screaming over and over until a soft whispery voice seemed to seep in the void like smoke. "Oh but I did! I truly did, however unwilling it was. There was so much blood. Blood everywhere. But you should know that...any 'friend' of his is an enemy of mine!" Please, what is this? I'm so confused. The voice devolved into a cackle that definitely did not come from any pony who was sane. "You are an enemy, little Princess. A wicked little enemy." There was more of laughter this time mixed with a scream that seemed to match the shatter-and-shriek noise very well and then the almost banshee like call of... "I HATE YOU MI AMORE CADENZA!" The sound of a thousand shatters blended in with this until I awoke, head throbbing, next to a pool of vomit and covered in patches of talcum powder, squinting at both the headache's effect and sunlight dancing across my eyes.