Transcendent Assignation

by Mr Anomalous

Skyrim in Slipspace

Remember one of the many scenes in the Lord of the Rings in which the one rings finds its way onto Frodo's finger? Yeah, the way he sees when that happens is quite similar to what I was seeing at that time.

I clambered up to my feet and simply looked down at the pony whom I had come to make amends with. I attempted her name, but nothing came out. What, I couldn't even talk?

Twilight, however, had been able to speak and I heard my name. I went to pat her head, but remembered that I was stuck in some sort of non-solid state, and simply went for a thumbs-up. I'm still not sure, but I'd like to think that Twilight smiled, so I smiled back and lumbered back to my bag.

If I couldn't do anything, why not pay some video games?

- - -

It took a great long while, but the three completely solid and non-human creatures in the room eventually were able to speak again.

"Twilight, did his arm just pass through you?"

"Yes, it did."

"Well what does that mean?" Spike spoke up.

Twilight didn't answer immediately, instead frowning thoughtfully and pursing her lip. How had Booker managed to find her? She had left no clue, not a single trace . . .

Wait.

The new spell. She hadn't . . . .

"Oh no . . . ."

"What? What is it, Twilight?" Rarity asked, frowning in concern.

"Well, last time I went to Earth-"

"-Earth?-"

"The planet Booker comes from."

"The last time I went to Earth, I was using a new type of teleportation spell . . . ."

"Yes?"

"Well, I was just so excited to get there quickly and show Booker that I didn't really go through all of the testing that I should have," Twilight spat out, her ears once again clinging to her skull and a sense of embarrassment and shame washing over her.

Rarity ad Spike were both amused and sympathetic.

"Well . . . what are we going to do?"

"I don't know! Still! What can be done?"

"Uh, does Celestia know about this?" Spike inquired.

Rarity looked at Twilight and said, "Of course she does. Right, Twilight?"

"Well-only . . . sort of." Twilight was shrinking to the floor more and more.

"What does that mean?"

"Erm . . . after I left Earth for the last time, I went to Celestia and told her a bit about it and asked her to send a letter because I was too-well, she knows enough."

"Will she be able to help us?"

Twilight nodded slightly, "Yeah."

Rarity was about to speak again until something stopped her.

"Twilight, what is he doing?"

Twilight cast Booker a glance from her sad spot on the floor and mumbled: "Just playing on his computer."

"Computer?"

"It's a machine made of millions of electronic circuits set atop a plate of a semiconductor material, normally silicon. These chips can be used for different purposes. It can be programmed to run, play, or do just about anything you want."

"Woah . . . " Spike gaped.

Rarity cautiously approached and peeked behind Booker. Then she frowned.

"Ew, spiders."

"Yeah, those things can get scary."

"So . . . what else can these computers do?"

"Oh, you can use the to write, watch movies, play music-"

"What about design?"

"Yes, you can do that to."

Rarity's interest was growing, but Spike broke in again saying: "Hey guys, Booker, he needs help."

Rarity only looked at Twilight, who eventually forced herself up and stalked over to her desk, opting to write it herself.

- - -

"Twilight, that explanation of computers was a bit off, but I'm proud of ya."

No response? Alrighty.

This Rarity pony made me laugh, however. She was indeed a character. Spike, though, was the one who I was most grateful for, seeing as he was the one who got the other two to address my kind of stuck-in-slipspace issue.

Poor Twilight, though, she must have been so embarrassed. This whole situation was the definition of awkward and just plain odd. I'm pretty sure that we were the first people ever to have this problem, ever, honestly.

Soon, the letter that-I hoped-was for my help had been sent and the other three began deliberating again only, for some reason, they were mumbling.

I returned my attention to the game-whee! Down the waterfall!-and was just about to get my new blade when the ground beneath me shook.

I furrowed my brow and sat still. Was that the space-time continuum giving out underneath me? I looked over the the brightly-colored blots of light and saw that they, too, had grown still.

Just what was going on?

Despite the situation, Jurassic Park came to mind, and I smirked.

But then it happened again, and the colors beside me began what could only be described as "panicking."

I bolted to my feet, my computer shut and held closely to my chest as something cold touched my leg. I looked down and took a few steps back.

"What the hell?"

Tendrils. Tendrils of shadow were reaching out from the nooks and crannies of the library. And apparently they were after me.

I dove for my bag and extracted my flashlight, flicking it on.

"Hah!"

The light didn't completely obliterate the darkness as I had hoped, but it did indeed slow it down.

But then my other leg was tickled by a chill, and then an arm.

Just what the frik' was going on??

The strength and energy fled from my legs and I collapsed to the ground.

"Gah!"

I couldn't move them. The colored blurs seemed to be locking into battle with the shadows as well.

"Twilight!"

The shadows were overtaking me. I began to feel tired, and I made sure that I was holding all of my things.

Just before I drifted into wherever it was that the darkness was taking me, a distant, bright light began to glow through the windows of the library.

And then, as the incredibly overused phrase goes, all was black.

Author's Note:

I know, this chapter wasn't super good, but I'm facing down kind of a hideous writer's block right now, so bear with me please. Any ideas from you, my readers, would be welcome.

Comments

[Morphy]

Desperate last minute attempt at a cliffhanger? Can't really fault you for writer's block. Er, you did do the sensible thing and planned out a grand arc initially before diving in with the details, right? If not, then it's ok to panic like Twilight... although she's the cutest at panicking. (No offense intended)

...that must be a monster of a laptop to play Skyrim though.

[Mr Anomalous]

3914556
Er . . . yeah! . . .
No. But hey, this was going to be a one-shot, and you guys just had to have a multi-chapter. So if this whole thing goes south, it's all your fault!

[yrfoxtaur]

just because it's multi chapter doesn't mean you have to write any faster. take your time.

[Mogss]

Oh noes!!!
Its that evil shadow character from Alan Wake!!!

Sorry, dont really know his/its name.