Echoes of the Old World

by Ultima75000

No One Else

No One Else

"Never retreat he said... never surrender he said... look where that got us... If I knew what kind of bull crap I was going to put up with I would have bucked him twice on the head. No questions asked. Families torn apart... friends turning on each other. homes burned to the ground... "

"Why didn't I save them?"

Twilight couldn't well sleep that night. Despite everything she was told by both Princess Celestia and her brother, a hint of worry kept itself lodged in the farthest reaches of her thoughts. Almost instinctively Twilight knew that something was going to happen and soon. It wouldn't be the first time that her 'predictions' came true.

Mare in the Moon, Changeling Invasion; both showed signs that Twilight noticed but no one would believed her.

Not this time.
Twilight got out of her bed early without making a sound. She wanted answers. Answers only that the mysterious messenger knows. She would not wait and if he wouldn't tell her she would find out by herself.

Princess Celestia had accommodated Atom by letting him stay in the same room that Rarity had used back in the past. Perhaps in that room there might be some clues to whatever mystery was approaching.

Slowly but steadily Twilight made her way up the stairs towards the room; the rays of the sun starting to shine through the sky over the mountain. Hopefully he would still be asleep this early in the morning. She then reached the top of the stairs.

The guest room door was already wide open.

Twilight did not know if this was good luck or bad luck. The good thing was she didn't need to unlock the door if it was closed tight. The bad thing was that if the door is open then probably Atom was awake. Judging from his previous stay at the Ponyville Library, Twilight knew that he was probably awake.

She took a deep breath and took a glance around the doorway. There was no one inside. The bed was made, the curtains we're closed and it didn't seem anything else had been touched. As quietly as she could, Twilight tip toed deeper into the room. Gradually she began to search more thoroughly around the room. She checked the bathroom in case if Atom was inside but the bathroom was no different than the room itself: empty and untouched.

Twilight began to almost frantically search behind curtains and below bed covers. Atom had vanished before and then would suddenly reappear from out of know where. Heck he transformed from a phoenix back into a winged unicorn in front of her with Princess Celestia as her witness. Literally. Finally while fumbling around with the work desk across from the bed

Twilight finally stumbled upon something.

Inside the desk drawer was a lone teal crystal. A gem of unusual shape and size fashioned like a thin tile of glass. It hummed slowly with light illuminating the drawer it was in. Carefully Twilight picked up the tiny teal shard.

"Twilight?"

Twilight nearly dropped the crystal as a voice behind made it's presence known. Very slowly with a slight amount of sweat on her next she turned her head. There in the open doorway was Princess Luna.

"Twilight Sparkle" She said "What are you doing in here?"

"Princess Luna I...." Twilight looked at the crystal tile in her hoof "I... I can explain!"

"You're looking for the male am I right?" Princess Luna raised her eyebrow a bit

"Yes... No wait I just wanted to-" Twilight began to stutter as nervousness began to take over her thoughts. She had been caught red handed and there would be severe consequence if Luna told her older sister.

"Shush...!" Luna said putting her hoof over Twilight's "You want to attract more attention?" Twilight stopped shaking and her babbling to explain herself fell silent.

"Wait a minute. Princess are you-"
"Spying on our guest?" Princess Luna said with mischievous smile "Yes. I couldn't contain myself. I just had to know for myself."

"So you left the door open!" Twilight said with surprise "But then where's Atom?"
"The messenger was not inside his appointed quarters when I arrived to question him. I took a look around the grounds and found no sign of him. I was returning to the room to find out more on him when I find you digging through the desk."
"Where ever he is he won't be gone for too long." Twilight said looking back and forth making sure no one else was around

"Do you know what this is?"

"I'm not familiar with this kind of gem. Although I can say it is enchanted."
Princess Luna took a closer look at the crystal tile on Twilight's hoof. "Its humming with magic but it seems dormant, almost as if awaiting some sort of trigger."

"Do you think it’s dangerous?" Twilight asked
"Perhaps but it’s too early to jump too such conclusions." Luna took another look at the tile and for a brief moment she swore she saw something at the very center of the humming light. "I saw something..."
"Where?" Twilight beckoned moving her head closer

"It was right..." Luna said lifting her hoof very precisely. "Here!" she tapped the tile gently with her hoof.

Suddenly the tile began to spin erratically in circles on Twilight's hoof as if reacting to the tap.

"Princess! What’s happening!" Twilight screamed as beam of light shot out of the tile and pierced the roof of the room.

"I don't know Twilight! Get down!" Luna responded as the beams became more and more bright. The room was covered in white light...

Both Princess Luna and Twilight awoke moments later. Dazed by the surprise light show both ponies blinked their eyes for a moment trying to make out where they we're.

"Princess? Princess Luna are you alright?" Twilight cried
"I'm fine Twilight Sparkle." Princess Luna said shaking her head a bit "Do you know where we are?"

Twilight took a good look around her surroundings. Both Princess Luna and herself we're somewhere in the middle of dense dark forest. "It looks like a forest of some kind!" Princess Luna finally got herself up and took her own look around.

"How did we end up here?" Twilight asked "I can't see Canterlot anywhere!"
"Perhaps the gem was housing a teleportation spell of sorts?" Luna said shaking some of the dirt of her coat "But I don't recognize this place."
"Any idea where we should go?" Twilight asked the Princess

"I'll check the stars..." Luna looked up and gasped a moment after. Twilight looked up to the sky as well and her mouth dropped opened.

"There are no stars...!" Twilight mouthed

"This can't be Equestria. I know the night skies and never has there been such a starless night!" Princess Luna cried worried

Both of the ponies head snapped back to surface when they heard a scream in the distance.

"What was that?" Luna asked

"It came from over there!" Twilight said pointing towards the eastern hills.

Both ponies made haste towards the sound. As they got closer the noises became louder and screams became more frantic. Trudging their way over the forest path they found themselves looking upon a burning village.

"That village!" Luna cried covering her mouth
"It's under attack!" Twilight said "We have to help them!" She jumped down the hill and plunged straight towards the burning village.

"Twilight wait!" Luna cried but the purple unicorn did not stop.

"Twilight!" Luna's voice sounded over the horizon as she stormed through the forest towards the besieged town. The screams and cries of the innocents became louder and louder and the heat from the flames became more noticeable with many trees already lit ablaze.

Shortly after hopping over a small creek Princess Luna came from the sky. "Twilight look out!" A burning tree came crashing down upon the unicorn giving very little time for the Princess to tackle her out of the tree's path.

Both of them rolled down a steep hill before coming to a rocky stop at the bottom. "Princess...!" Twilight said getting up to see the brave pony who just saved her "Are you alright?"

"CHARGE!!!" a loud and thunderous male voice came from the village.

"Twilight...! The town’s up ahead!" Princess Luna said rolling back to her feet and shaking the dirt out of her wings.

"RUN!" a terrified child's voice screamed. Both Twilight and Luna heard the rustling of leaves and cracking branches as shadowy figures made their way around them escaping the clutches of the fire.

"Let's go Twilight!" Princess Luna said before charging into the direction of battle. Twilight readied her magic and following closely behind. As the forest began to open into the village the sight that they saw was more horrifying than they could imagine.

Peering from behind the forest edge the two ponies beheld tall figures who stood on two legs and had two arms. All we're wearing armor of sort including a helmet on their head and chest plates. Many of them wielded spears, axes and halberds while some of them carried torches. The closest one towards them was laughing manically with two torches in his hands. As he continued laughing he proceeded to launch one of the said torches into one the houses setting it's insides aflame.

What was not already on fire had already almost burnt to the ground. Aside the strange humanoid soldiers we're ponies of different races; dominantly earth and unicorn who we're trying as best as they could to escape.

Twilight beheld a unicorn mother telling her children; a boy and a girl to run as two of the soldiers approached her.
Despite their cries for their mom the two soldiers seized her by grabbing her neck and mane and forcibly dragging her down the road. The children screamed in terror for the two to stop but they we're sadly ignored.

"KILL THOSE PESTS!!!" one of the soldiers cried as the girl as began to kick one of them in the leg crying. Another soldier walked towards her. Axe blazing in the reflection of the fires.

"Leave her ALONE!!!" Princess Luna screamed as she launched herself from cover and head butted the soldier, sending him somersaulting into a pile of rubble.

"Princess Luna! Behind you!" Twilight cried as another soldier approached from behind with the little colt under his arms. His spear pointed at the princess.

Princess Luna stood defiantly in front of the soldier, guarding the little filly behind her. But she dare not make any move lest the colt be hurt. Suddenly in a short blink of purple light the colt vanished from underneath the solder's grip and next to Twilight.

"What the-" The soldier went as Princess Luna press her advantaged and double bucked the soldier in the chest sending him crashing into the wall of a burning building. The kick left imprints on the metal plating.

"Princess?" Twilight asked for Luna's safety bringing with her the little colt.

"I'm fine." Princess Luna turned to the little ponies. "Hide in the forest and don't look back!"
To scared to argue the two little ponies bolted off as fast their feet could take them

Glancing past them another humanoid figure, this one wielding a tall staff and wearing what seems to be robes began to chant something inaudible. Not far away several humanoid soldiers we're battling a duo of large male pegasai who had been giving them a hard time.

Finally after finishing the incantation the robed figure fired a beam of light at one of the pegasus causing his limbs to freeze until he was completely covered in ice. As the other turned to defend his partner the soldiers tossed several ropes on him, entangling him and pulling him to the ground.

“That was magic! They can use magic!” Twilight cried

“Twilight this isn’t the time to marvel them!” Princess Luna said charging forward to help the pair of pegasai. Luna met the crowd tying down the other pegasus with another ram. The one beside instantly reacted by taking his club and smacking the winged unicorn across the face.

The blow sent Luna reeling back from the pain and she collided into a house with the back of her head.

“Princess!” Twilight screamed trying to make her way towards her. But a sudden beam of light nearly missed by a hair breadth. Part of Twilight’s hair was turned into an icicle by the ray of frost sent by the robed humanoid.

The robed man did not waste his time and sent several more rays of frost at the unicorn. Twilight could do little but dodge for the rapid amount of spells being shot at her gave her little time to concentrate or aim. Also with Princess Luna lying not far away wounded she was more worried for her safety.

As the robed figure fired another ray of frost another horse came into view. But this one was different. Its eyes we’re blood shot red and its coat and mane we’re as black as night. On top of it rode another soldier armed to the teeth with metal plates and spikes. In his hands was a huge spiked flail that was twirling in circles awaiting its first victim to stop its momentum.

Princess Luna’s gaze was blurred and the mind was numb with pain. A sense she had not felt for many years. At the edge of her sights was Twilight desperately dodging the rays of frost, ahead was a stallion of black with an even darker rider. The visions we’re blurs to her as the shot to her head and temporarily weakened her vision. But her hearing was not as dampened as she heard the crashing of metal on wood.

The black rider upon his steed had swung his flail as Twilight was already dodging the robed man. The flail had missed only due in part that Twilight had teleported and instead struck a burnt up tree, shattering its husk of a trunk into splinters. As the remains fell upon the ground the rider made his turn around the plain, readying his next strike.

Princess Luna stood up with shaking legs. Slowly regaining her sight she quietly lifted herself of the ground with her wings.
Twilight was beginning to feel the fatigue of avoiding her opponents. Being frozen or be smashed by a flail, either fate is not something she was expecting. But she couldn’t keep this up forever. The two humanoids we’re beginning to pin her down.

Twilight’s thoughts stopped as she tripped over her own feet dodging another ray.

As the black rider closed behind her, Twilight clenched her teeth and held her breath awaiting the flail’s arrival.

Then Princess Luna made a sky rocket dive from the sky towards the rider in black, darting quickly across him as he swung his flail in an arc. Part of the flail’s arc got caught in Princess Luna’s wings, tearing several tendons.

Thrown out of balance by Luna’s interference the rider fell off his ride and the steed slowed down due to the weight of its rider dragging along the dirt. It was then the ray of frost in which the rider and ride had previously dodged struck encasing both rider and steed in ice.

As the robed figure stood back as if gasping from his mistake Twilight took her shot; teleporting behind the robed man and then bucking him in the back. The robed figure fell on the ground in a crumple unmoving.

Gasping for air the unicorn made a desperate search for the Princess.
“Luna! Princess Luna!? Where are you?” Twilight said between breaths

Princess Luna slowly trudged her way out of the edge of the forest, blood and tree branches soiling her mane and coat.

“Are you al-“Twilight barely had time to go over to the Princess’s aid as a single rope looped itself around her neck. As
quickly as it tightened she felt both a pull and then a shove as she was forced to the ground. In an instant she tried to teleport but a sudden kick to her rear crushed her concentration.

“This one uses magic freely. Take it away!” One of the soldiers pinning her down called
“Look that one’s an alicorn! Our superiors will be pleased!” A second cried pointing at the wounded Princess Luna.

“Princess Luna...!” Twilight said as her moth was getting tied up, the rope around her neck nearly choking the breath out of her.
“Princess?” the soldier said finishing the knot on the rope “This just gets better and better… Take her boys!”

Princess Luna tried to run but her limbs refused to respond. She could barely limp away let alone run. Her head was still throbbing with pain and her left wing was wounded by the flail. There was nowhere to run. They’re we’re caught.

“I’m sorry… Twilight, Sister… I failed again…” Luna said as she began to collapse on the ground. A single tear came out from her eyes as half a dozen soldiers encroached on her position.

Before any of the soldiers could lay a hand on her a powerful wave of magic sent the closest ones flying.

“What now!?” the soldier on top of Twilight said as his fellow men fell on their backs. Twilight opened her eyes as wide as possible to see.

There crashing out of the forest was Atom. His eyes we’re lit with white fire and his wings we’re afloat as magic coursed through them. As quickly as he appeared he began to dispatch the remaining soldiers, tackling down those closest before sending bolts of light into several others knocking them out cold.

The soldier on top of Twilight got up and picked up his spear. Aiming for a short while he threw the spear. Atom turned his head slightly to view the incoming projectile before setting his unicorn horn ablaze with green light. A barrier came between him and the spear moments before landing bouncing it harmless into the sky.

The soldier barely brought forth his frustration before Atom leaped into the air kicked the spear back towards him. The spear struck and carried the soldier till it impaled him along the side of a wall.

Atom then walked slowly towards the tied up unicorn, Princess Luna still lying on the ground behind him.
“You shouldn’t be here…” he said grimly, his eyes still lit

He undid the ropes around Twilight before helping her up.
“Atom, Princess Luna is hurt we have to get her out of here!” Twilight cried looking at the wounded pony on the floor.

“She’s fine…” Atom said with a blank tone.

“What!?” Twilight angrily stated at the insensitivity of the response “She’s bleeding over there! Can’t you see it!”

She didn’t get an answer as the thundering sound of approaching hooves came to her ears. Looking beyond further down the ruins of the village a dozen more riders of black we’re approaching. Smashing and trampling anything and everything in their path; they we’re heading directly for them.

“Atom we have to go now!” Twilight said frightened by the sight

Atom did not say anything but continued to stare at the oncoming stampede.

“Are you listening to me!?” Twilight screamed at him. He ignored her again.

Without saying anything else Atom’s magical aura extended itself and began to cover the area around him. As the storm of riders prepared to run them over, Twilight closed her eyes as the village was covered in light.

When she opened her eyes, they we’re back in the guest room within Canterlot.

Twilight quickly glanced around the room and herself. She hadn’t been touched, nothing had changed since they left. Looking left and right she found herself face to face with Princess Luna.

They both screamed and fell over from each other.

“Princess Luna you’re… you’re.”

Luna began to examine herself from head to hoof. She had none of the wound she sustained earlier and her wing was perfectly fine. Not one branch or tree leaf soiled anywhere on her mane or coat.

“You’re okay!” Twilight cried finally, hugging the Princess

“I’m okay…” Luna said slowing receiving the hug “But how did we get back.”

“You never left…” Atom said holding the crystal tile in his hoof. On his face was a very grim frown.

“What?” Twilight said letting go of Luna “But I saw it… I felt it! We we’re transported out of the castle!”

“What you have just experienced Twilight, Princess Luna is little more than dream world. You we’re on the floor asleep the entire time.” Atom clarified

“Impossible…” Luna said “That was all a dream? What is that thing?” She pointed at the crystal tile.

“This is a memory shard.” Atom said “A piece of jewelry in which you can story any memory you want inside it. The size and shape of the shard determines the depth and detail of that memory. With it you can view and relive any memory you see fit. It is used to record events and past moments but it can also be sued to remove painful and saddening memories from your mind.”

“So we relived a memory…?” Twilight said softly taking in what she just heard “Dare I ask whose memory is that?”

“I think you already know the answer to that.” Atom said his face not changing it’s tone

“We’re… I’m sorry” Princess Luna said bowing and correcting herself

“Princess!” Twilight gasped

“I didn’t mean to intrude. Please this was all my idea!” Luna said before Twilight could say any further.

Atom looked at the kneeling Princess below her before glancing at Twilight. “Brave and honorable of you Princess. Too take the blame to protect your subjects.”

Luna raised herself from her kneeling position slowly.

“I hoped you learned well from this…” Atom said. He then dropped the memory shard on the floor. For a brief moment it bounced off the floors titles, cracking only slightly but then Atom stomped his right hoof on it, shattering it into pieces. Gusts of magical particles and dust spurted out underneath.

“The shard!” Princess Luna gasped

“But that was…” Twilight said looking at the now destroyed memory shard

“I don’t need it anymore…” Atom said lifting his hoof, the wind carrying the remains into the air. “Sometimes it’s just better to forget.”

Twilight and Princess Luna looked at each other for a moment perplexed at what had just happened. Without any notice Atom began to walk out of the room.

“But…” Twilight started

“Another time Twilight.” He said only turning his head “I think you both learned enough today…”

---

Author's Notes
October 29th, 2012
Hooray I actually got one of the newer chapters up. This chapter contains the first combat scene and was originally intended to be part of the last chapter. However since season 3 is coming soon I extended it and gave more detail than I had before.

Major Changes we're:
1. Inclusion on Princess Luna: Twilight was originally was going to view the memory alone as Luna was being snuggled by Celestia in the last chapter at the same time. Time instead was pushed ahead to the very early morning allowing Princess Luna in on the event

2. Inclusion of Battle: The combat that either of the ponies witness was not there at first. Originally the memory would be untouchable to them, as such they would simply float around as ghosts and pass through everything. However thinking back on how memory shard may cause a person to 're-live' memory made me think back on Assassin's Creed and how the Animus system works. So I added it in while thinking on how to extend chapters in preparation of season 3.

3. Atom's abilities: In short I wasn't going to even give a hint of what Atom could do till much later but in relation to the memory I had him fight off the men. I am trying very hard NOT to make him look like a 'mary sue' of any sort and much more of his abilities and his mysteries will be revealed later.

4. Shattering of the Shard: Atom was simple supposed to hide the shard or re-insert the memory in his mind so no one else could view it. However after reworking the dream more I decided it would be better if Atom destroyed the memory to work more on the character.

I'll see if I can put another chapter up before season 3. Enjoy the rest the October and HAPPY HALLOWEEN, oh wait HAPPY NIGHTMARE NIGHT!!!
Ultima75000