Chapter 1: The Stars of Our Tale
In the vast infinity of the time-space continuum, there have been a multitude of incidents referred to as fracture points.
It is an event in history where a great vicissitude ensues, an occurrence so catastrophic that it creates a fracture in time, resulting in the creation of new dimensions. Each one of these dimensions is completely distinct, its future irrevocably changed by said event.
Imagine time as a river. It is constantly flowing, meandering every now and then as the decisions we make every day take their effect and ripple out tenfold, affecting everything around us.
A fracture point creates divergences based on every possible outcome of the event, splitting the river of time into smaller tributaries. Each tributary branches off, going in its own direction, the future of this time stream completely different than the other tributaries.
One of the most major fracture points in Equestrian history was Nightmare Moon’s coup. There were two outcomes for this event; two divergences in the streams of time, for it could have easily gone either way.
We have one dimension, one reality where Celestia successfully banished Luna to the moon.
The other dimensions’ fate is much darker, for here, Celestia hesitated to banish Luna. As she lay against the wall on the verge of death, at her sister’s mercy, she held the Elements of Harmony. She had the power to save her own life and prevent her sister from creating eternal night, but she could not bring herself to send Luna away.
After all, Celestia dearly loved Luna. She hesitated for one second. That delay was all that Nightmare Moon needed to kill Celestia.
Celestia now a bloody stain on the ground, the Elements of Harmony shattered, and Nightmare Moon was victorious.
In this dimension, eternal night reigned.
In this dimension, Nightmare Moon established a barbaric regime and ordered a mass genocide of Celestia’s people, the Dayborn.
Now, we draw to the present. It’s been a thousand years since Celestia was killed. The denizens of Equestria have forgotten what day is like. They have forgotten the look of a sunrise, how the sun’s warmth feels on their backs, darkness is now all these ponies know.
But there is hope. There are whispers, echoes in the eternal night, which speak of Celestia’s rebirth. Yet in this dark and cold world, can light and warmth survive?
Persei slunk down behind a bush, her bow in her hooves. The moonlight shimmered on the forested landscape, and in the darkness, she spotted the hare she had been hunting.
She grinned in satisfaction as she knocked her bow and took aim. The little brown rabbit was standing on its legs, its beady black eyes staring intently as it nibbled on a root. She released the arrow, the string thrumming as the projectile whistled through the air.
Her arrow went awry, clattering off a boulder.
Startled, the hare hopped away and disappeared behind some foliage.
“This is the last time I’ll let Sirius fletch my arrows,” she grumbled, getting out from the bush. She looked up at the moon’s position in the sky, seeing it was setting on the horizon. Soon, she would have no light at all. She would be trapped out here.
She sighed, and slung her bow around her barrel. She galloped down the dirt path, following familiar landmarks on her way back home.
Persei heard the sloshing of water nearby, and she discovered a rivulet of fresh water. She gratefully bowed her head down and drank the cool water.
Darting out from nowhere, someone shoved her from behind and sent her hurtling into the stream. She went headfirst into the shallow stream, her horn scraping the rocks at the bottom. She leapt out of the water, dazed and frightened. She fired bolts of magic all around her, setting all the trees on fire. “Come out, you coward!” she hissed in anger.
Persei heard laughter, and a white stallion with a golden mane strutted out from behind a tree. She blasted him with her magic, and his smug grin became one of alarm. “Calm yourself, sister!” her brother called, the tree behind him bursting in flames.
“Cepheus, you idiot!” she screamed, still incinerating everything around her. “You scared me!”
“Ahhh!” her brother yelled, flitting around with his white wings. “Stop! Stop before you burn the whole forest down!”
Sense finally found Persei, and her horn stopped glowing white.
Her magic went haywire when she was emotionally distressed, especially when her stupid brother got on her nerves. She had already lost the hare she had been tracking, she wasn’t in the mood for his antics.
Cepheus approached her, seeing that she had calmed down. The fire had quickly burned out, leaving black scorch marks on all the surrounding foliage. The air smelled like ash. He smiled, cocking his head like a curious foal. “Guess what I got?” he said, almost singing.
Persei grunted, irritated. “What?”
Cepheus lifted up his wing and underneath there was a bloody hare. She gasped. “How?!”
“You were always a poor shot, sister.” He turned around and she followed him as they headed back home.
Persei’s mood had brightened considerably. “I guess Sirius will be having hare for dinner.” She looked at Cepheus, seeing streaks of the hare’s blood dripping down his belly. “How can he like this stuff? Normal ponies don’t eat meat.”
“Well,” he said, looking upward. “Sirius isn’t an ordinary pony. He’s a bat-pony, or a Nightborn, whatever the politically correct term is.”
“A weirdo?” she said, punching her brother playfully.
Cepheus laughed, and galloped forward. Persei followed.
Soon they arrived at the outer edge of their property, bounding excitedly with their victory. Their mother didn’t know they had gone hunting. They were supposed to be foraging for certain herbs, and it was one of those rare occasions where they were able to please everyone.
They slowed their gallop to a trot, and saw their hovel. It was pretty pathetic actually, but it was standard for a village at the outer fringes of civilization. The roof was made of thatched hay, which leaked like hell when it rained. The walls were a rough patchwork of wood, rusted sheets of metal, and the glass windows were dirty with their wooden framework deteriorating. It was suitable for three ponies, at the absolute maximum.
They snuck around behind the hovel so their mother wouldn’t see their catch. Behind the hovel, there was a makeshift awning jutting from the main building. Two sticks held the awning up, and below lay a tangle of dirty sheets with Sirius’ scanty belongings scattered about. The bat-pony was rummaging through the trash barrels besides their hovel, looking for scraps.
“Hey, Sirius,” Cepheus whispered. The bat-pony immediately turned around, his blue eyes glowing slightly in the darkness. “I got you dinner!” he exclaimed.
The bat-pony beamed, and bounded towards them. “Yay! Thank you, brother!”
“Half-brother,” she muttered softly, annoyed. She wasn’t sure what to think of Sirius, his predicament was so odd. Sirius was a nine months younger than the two of them, whereas she and Cepheus had been fraternal twins. Their mother must have gotten pregnant again very soon after they were born.
Persei watched in disgust as Sirius wolfed down the hare, even going as far as to lick the blood off Cepheus’ belly. The stallion laughed as the bat-pony fed, but Persei was disturbed. What kind of pony eats meat?
When Sirius lifted his head up and began licking the blood off his hooves, she noticed his black eye.
Cepheus had noticed as well. “Oh no, Sirius. What did you do this time?”
Sirius stopped licking his hoof, and looked at him. “I was really hungry, especially since I had to skip lunch.”
Skip lunch. The words echoed in her head, annoying her even further. Mother wouldn’t allow Sirius to sit at the table with the rest of them, and he had to eat whatever they threw out. Food had been scarce lately, and things were rarely thrown out. Cepheus always snuck some food out for him though.
Sirius continued. “Mother was cooking apples and cinnamon,” he drooled. “I love apples and cinnamon, and I asked for some. She hit me with the pan then.”
Cepheus rushed up to his half-brother, nuzzling him. “Oh, Sirius. You know you don’t ask Mother for favors.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m used to it, but I did manage to get a few bits of apple off the pan.”
Cepheus checked Sirius’ eye, and then backed away. “If you wanted some, I could have gotten you them.”
Sirius frowned. “I thought maybe…” his ears drooped and he looked down, “maybe she might let me have some.”
Persei sighed in irritation and Cepheus embraced his half-brother. Mother hated Sirius for some reason, and everpony knew it. She rarely even let him in the hovel.
She walked past the two stallions, and pushed open the back door. The inside of the hovel was dimly lit, and claustrophobic. The stove, sink, bathroom, dining table were all crammed together, and the only decently sized empty space was in the far corner. That’s where the three of them wrapped themselves in a large blanket and slept together. Sirius slept outside.
Mother stepped out of the bathroom, her hazelnut colored mane in disarray, her beige colored coat matted and dull looking. Mother beamed, her brown eyes gleaming. “Oh, Persei,” she whispered, stroking Persei’s brown colored mane and running her hoof down her white coat. “Every day, I see you growing up even bigger. You’ll be a strong mare soon, and as the oldest, you’ll have to take care of the house when I am no longer able to.”
Persei was both annoyed and pleased by her mother’s praise. “Mother, you’re still young. You act like you’re going to die any day now.”
Mother smiled sadly, her mortar and pestle cutie mark shimmering. “Oh! Did you get those herbs?”
Persei handed her the willow bark and all the other herbs.
Mother giggled with giddiness. “Oh, yes! I have all the salicylic acid a mare could want!”
Persei wanted to roll her eyes, but Mother’s cutie mark was making medicine. She used to be a pharmacist when she used to work at a hospital in the big city. She was now the village’s apothecary.
Apothecary was certainly a downgrade from an esteemed pharmacist with a college degree.
As her mother whipped away from her, herbs in hand, Persei caught the scent of alcohol on her. She looked at the table and saw a half empty bottle of moonshine there. Persei felt a flare of anger. “Mother,” she said, trying to keep anger out of her voice. “You promised Cepheus and I that you wouldn’t drink that much anymore.”
Mother dismissed her as she ground up the herbs in her mortar. “A little bit of wine is good for you.”
Cepheus walked in, his goofy grin fading as he sensed Persei’s anger. She picked up the bottle of moonshine on the table. “Mother, this bottle was full when I left the house.”
Cepheus looked at the bottle. “Gee whiz, Mother. How are you still standing?”
Their mother continued grinding herbs, mixing in the willow bark. “Don’t worry, I won’t drink anymore tonight.”
Persei’s anger vanished, giving way to immense sorrow. “Mother, please. You can’t keep going like this.” Her voice softened. “I know it’s been hard….”
“Quiet!” Mother screamed, tears in her eyes. “This is how I deal with your Father’s death and my exile from the city. I drown it with alcohol!” She began to sob, and the floodgate behind her eyes opened, tears spilling out. Persei’s heart ached. “I miss him so much,” Mother whispered.
Persei sighed. It had been many years since Father died, but this was the first time she had mentioned him or her past life in a confrontation like this. Their mother’s life before they were born was a mystery, and so was the stallion they called “Father”. Persei and Cepheus had both gathered that he was long dead, but under what circumstances, they had no idea.
Cepheus crouched down beside his mother, nuzzling her softly and putting a hoof around her. He had closed his eyes, and she had begun to stroke his gold mane.
This is what happened every time Persei confronted her mother about her drinking problem. She shed a few tears, said some sad things, and got like this. It worked every time.
Persei stormed away, but as she did, she heard the rattle and the sliding sound. Not again. She turned around and looked at her mother, holding up a prescription bottle up to her muzzle and munching down on her pills like they were candy.
She needed to go outside and think this through. Alcohol, the pills, and her recurring grief: the trifecta of not-dealing-with-your-problems.
Persei stepped outside, and it was immeasurably dark outside. The sky was overcast, not a single star could be seen. The moon had set, plunging the world into darkness. It was kind of scary. It was like they were in an ocean of darkness, and they were lost at sea in their little hovel vessel of light.
The wind was pleasant though, balmy and warm. A thunderstorm was imminent. Persei sat outside, listening to the cadence of the wind: the sound of leaves rustling in its caress, the creaking of the hovel, the murmur of voices from within, and Sirius’ snores.
Persei whispered to herself. “Who am I? And what is my purpose here on this planet?”
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Very well done indeed. I eagerly await to see more of this story in the future.
Well this story's getting...
SIRIUS
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb6cmzRUgw1qazyb0.gif
*Gets Shot*
Me likey this story... a lot. I shall watch this story with great interest.
This story pleases me, proceed.
Well done on the introduction to this story. I like the brief introduction to temporal displacement and explanation of timelines. You're three main characters have a great entry into the story and seem to have decent character developement for an introduction.
The only thing I'm unsure of is the connection to Persei and Cepheus. Is thier situation much like the cake twins with their parents both being earth ponies that have a vague amount of unicorn and pegasi blood or are their parents one of each species? What is the situation going on there? Cause I don't specifically remember reading the species of thier combined mother.
Other than that everything else I found was greatly written. I entirely enjoyed reading the first chapter and will continue to read when I am able to. Overal: well done, and I hope to read more soon.
Oooh, looks nice. Take this golden star, that it may light your way, and this green human hand, that you may creep out everyone you meet.
On another note, the mother is not very realistic. Seriously(Siriusly)? Just pop some moonshine, alcohol, blam! Depressed woman! That's not at all how it works. Unless she's bipolar, in which case I don't have experience with it so I can't say.
4687474 I do and yeah sounds like bi-polar of extreme case of depression from "father"... idk.