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The Book1,808 words
Departure1,830 words

Departure

Journal from the Stars
Chapter 2: The Departure

“Uh, what happened?” Twilight asked as she started to wake up.

Her eyelids flickered and she let out a yawn as she picked herself up off the floor. Once she got on all fours she then took in the sight before her, or more accurately the lack of one. Everything was white and cloudy with a slight tint of grey to it, the same as a thick fog before the morning.

“This… this is not good,” Twilight mused trying to figure out what had actually happened.

“Twilight! Twilight where are you!” Fluttershy shouted from the distance.

“Over here Fluttershy.”

The sound of Fluttershy’s hooves clopping on a hard surface echoed as she approached. The sound being the only sound heard in the fog was unnerving leaving Twilight with an uneasy feeling in her gut before Fluttershy was close enough to see through the fog.

“Twilight what is going on?”

“I honestly don’t know. I’m still trying to figure it out. Even if my spell failed, it shouldn’t have brought us to, where ever this place is.”

“What if, we're dead.” Fluttershy said lowering her head.

“What? Why would you even think that?” Twilight was clearly shocked by Fluttershy’s statement.

“Well the Timberwolves were right outside the cave. Maybe all your spell did was knock us out, and the barrier fell before-” Fluttershy was silenced by Twilight hoof.

“Don’t think like that Fluttershy. I’m positive we are not dead. Just, well I don’t… I don’t…” Twilight trailed off her voice almost a whisper now, “I don’t believe it.”

Twilight could only stare with her mouth hanging open. Fluttershy gave Twilight a confused look before turning to see what Twilight was staring at. Once she saw it she let out a small squeal of alarm as she quickly hid behind her friend.

Black lines started to dance in the air, twirling around before stopping in certain spots forming certain shapes. Those shapes being letters of the Equestrian alphabet. Minutes passed before all the lines found their places. The two friends had been watching in fascination and fear at the spectacle that had taken place before them. Yet they still jumped as a male voice began to read out loud what had been written on the wall of fog.

“Well Daniel today is the day. There is going to be a celebration then we are off to planet 10875, also known as Hope on this ship, the Second Chance. Honestly I don’t think it's what the big wigs say it is, but I got nothing left on that dieing rock to hang onto so I figured what the hell why not. Then “Lady Luck” found it fitting that out of all the volunteers to chose from I get to be one of the active crew, so I’m going to get to stay awake for the trip, all ten years of it. Goody!(sarcasm). On the bright side, I think I’m going to be the most glorified swappie in history so, yeah me!(more sarcasm).”

The voice went quiet and the black lines that formed the words squiggle away disappearing into the fog. Twilight and Fluttershy were left to try and figure out what it was that they had just witnessed.

“What? Was that...what?” Twilight said trying to wrap her mind around what just happened.

“Twilight. Can you get us out of here now, that is if we're really not dead.”

“Fluttershy. For the last time we are not-”

In the blink of an eye the fog disappeared as if blown away by wind. Twilight and Fluttershy found themselves suddenly on a stage in front of a large crowd of creatures they had never seen before. They looked similar to the Minotaurs but not bulky, and were hairless save for a little on the top of their heads. They all were lined up and stood at attention, and clothed in tan colored uniforms

“-dead,” Twilight finished.

Twilight and Fluttershy were lost in the scene of it all. Not only was there a large crowd of creatures they had never seen before but beyond the crowd they saw a city that could only exist in fantasies. It was huge, buildings as far as they could see and tall enough to reached into the clouds and reflected the light of the sun making them sparkle. An uncountable number of sky chariots whizzing through the air with unbelievable coordination and speed as they weaved in between each other and the buildings.

“Wow.” The two ponies said in unison over the magnificent sight.

Their attention was soon redirected to the stage they were on as the sound of footsteps could be heard behind them. The two ponies turned around to see one of the creatures walking up behind them, then through them as if they were never there.

“We are dead! And now we are ghosts! Twilight I don’t want to haunt anypony, or whatever these are,” Fluttershy said as she started to hyperventilate.

“We are not dead Fluttershy, it’s… it’s just an illusion. Like one of Trixie’s performances,” Twilight said trying to comfort her friend. “I hope,” she mumbled to herself unsure what was really going on.

“Greetings,” came a booming voice from the creature that had walked through the two ponies. His voice was loud, much louder than anything they were use too. They put their hooves to their ears to try and muffle some of the sound but to no avail. “You all have been selected to be part of the Second Chance project. You are Humanity's best chance of survival in these dark time. As you know the voyage to the planet we have taken to calling Hope will be long, too long to sustain such a crew for a ten year journey with the limited cargo you will be able to take with you. So you all will be put into a cryo sleep. This you already knew, or should have already known. However, Second Chance does need a small active crew for the voyage. Most of those members are already on board. However we are still in need of two more with mechanical knowledge to help maintain the ship's systems.” The man then pulled out an envelope and started to open it, “We have already chosen the two who will be part of this team passed on physical condition and mental wellbeing. The two are Lilith Hachfield and Daniel Comick. Would you two-”

The man’s speech was cut off by a loud boom from the sky, as if something had exploded. It caught everyone's attention as they looked up into the sky. The two ponies watched with gaping mouths as the sky above them was replaced by a massive rectangular object. the object came closer and closer to the ground before stopping just a hundred feet above ground. Winds started to pick up blowing in all directions and constantly shifting, blowing debris and dust around. Yet the whole time the man on the stage and the people in the crowd remained unaffected by its presence, as if it was something of commonplace.

“Looks like she is ready a little early.” the man on stage said before looking back down at the crowd in front of him. ‘Alright everyone! To your boarding craft!” He shouted “Hachfield and Cormick are to report to the bridge! Everyone else to the Cryo-Bay! MOVE! The Second Chance is moving out early!”

The crowd dispersed in a rushed but orderly fashion while the man on stage began to walk off, again passing through the two ponies as he walked off, not noticing them in the slightest. His passing threw Twilight, causing the pony to snap out of her aw gazing trance at what she assumed was the Second Chance.

“Huh...Hey Wait!” She yelled out to the man, knowing he had more information, but he didn’t stop or even notice her call out.

Twilight began to run after him but stopped halfway across the stage and looked back only to see Fluttershy still staring wide eyed at the mammoth hanging in the sky. She looked back at the man as he was about to step off the stage before letting out a sigh and running back to Fluttershy, and possibly losing an easy chance to learn where they were or what was going on.

“Fluttershy, hey” Twilight said as she put a hoof to Fluttershy’s shoulder and began to shake her, hoping to break her trance.

“Huh...What?”

“Good, you're out of it now let's go before he gets-”

In that moment the world around them changed in an instant. It was like waking up in a room different than the one you fell asleep in. They were no longer on the stage overlooking a city with a metal mammoth in the sky. Instead they were in a small room with grey metal walls and a single square window which the night sky could be seen out of. Only three pieces of furniture could be seen in the room, a bed, a desk with a chair, and a dresser, all of which seemed to be made of the same metal as the wall.

“- away!” Twilight finished then started to blink in confusion at her new surroundings.

The change however was too much for Fluttershy however and with the sudden change she fainted, unable to mentally keep up with the strange events that had been happening.

“No, Fluttershy get up-” She stopped in surprise as she caught a glimpse of a creatures that she only knew as “humanity” as it walked through her as sat at the desk. He opened one of the doors and pulled out a book and pen and began to write, whispering as he wrote.

Curious, Twilight began to walk closer to hear what he was saying. Slowly she began to walk towards the desk, placing her hoof down gently as to not make any noise on the metal floor. She was but a few inches away from the chair when she could finally hear him speak.

“... bright side, I think I’m going to be the most glorified swappie in history so, yeah me,” he said before putting the pen down, “hell Daniel, who you trying to kid?”

“No way.” Twilight said softly thinking out loud, not believing her ears. It was the same voice that spoke in the fog, and the same words that were spoken there.

“Hu, Liz is that you?” Daniel said and turned around in his chair. His eyes went wide as they met Twilight’s gaze. Slowly he reached his hand out, and touched Twilight’s horn. “...What?”

As soon as Twilight felt the creature touch her horn, the world around her shifted again, back to the foggy void that they started in.

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