Celestial Origins

by Dark Vessel

Chapter 2: The Solution

With a flash, the group appeared in a large chamber - a machine on one end, containing many seats and straps to hold a subject in place, equipment spread around each chair for the necessary scans and magical interactions - one researcher smiling and stating "Just sit in the chairs you three, and we'll deal with the rest" - Celestia smiled and nodded to him happily as she took a seat, her sisters doing the same as they were quickly strapped in, a glass shield lowering to separate them from any external magical interference.

Celestia smiled and glanced to her sisters, thinking 'This is it... Any second now. A cutie mark! I'll be the youngest in my class to get it!', as one alicorn researcher stated "...Chamber is free from thaumic interference. Beginning scanning sequence..." - the machine roaring to life, as the many scanners around them lit up, Celestia smiling and looking to them - before blinking as she felt a growing pressure in her horn, as she could sense runes forming on the inside as they would during a spell '...Odd, never had this happen before during a scan. This is... Meant to happen, right?' she thought, as moments later her and her sisters gasped out at the same time - her vision turning to a bright white as she felt a spell of some kind fire from her horn, the power much more than she thought she was capable of - alarms blaring moments later, as she could barely hear one researcher exclaim over the alarms "...What's going on!? Power levels exceeding maximum, what are they casting!?" - another researcher swearing as with a flash, Celestia screamed out as she was teleported to a destination unknown, closing her eyes tightly

Immediately, she felt a heat over her fur, as she floated in a void, her eyelids lighting up as she cried out and covered them with her hooves This light is more intense than anything I have ever seen! If my eyes were open, that would have blinded me for sure! she thought with a gasp, trembling before tensing as she felt magical energy - so powerful she could barely comprehend it - start to flow around her, push into her body, fill her internal reserves and, likely, change her somehow. In a few moments, the light no longer hurt her eyes, as she blinked and opened them slowly, cautiously.

She found herself in a white void, a vaguely equinoid creature standing nearby and looking to her in confusion as it tilted its head, stating "...An Alicorn? Or... No, that's wrong." in a feminine voice. The being took a step forwards - the filly yelping out and flapping her wings to move away from her, as the being blinked and paused, stating "...If you were an alicorn, you aren't anymore..." - Celestia paused and clenched her teeth, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest as she exclaimed "What do you mean!?" - the figure paused, before it stated "...I sense... A different kind of magic within you. Spirit magic mixed with that of an alicorn..."

Celestia froze, stating "B-But, i'm not a spirit!" - the figure paused, before stating "...No... You are inbetween. Eternal and powerful, almost like a spirit, but solid like any other being... I've never seen anything like you...", again walking towards her curiously, as she took a step back before crying as she fell through another rift.

As soon as she was on the other end, she heard a deafening boom, as she felt a painful heat on her front and she was blasted into the air at an extraordinary rate - the screams of her sisters surrounded her, as within a few moments she saw that herself, Luna and Faust were hurtling away from the Alicorn's mountaintop city, toward a forested area below, in the general direction of the unicorn kingdom, though not quite fast enough to cross any border given the angle they were hurtling through the air at.

As she tried to extend her wings, the wind was far too strong - she would never be able to even glide at this speed. As they descended to the ground at a doubtlessly lethal pace, her instinctual fear got the better of her, the alicorn filly sobbing and closing her eyes tightly as she clutched her sisters tightly - the two of them tensing and returning the hug with shivers, as it wasn't long before they hit the ground and she knew no more.

In the distance, a small crowd of unicorns were staring with wide eyes at the mushroom-cloud over the alicorn capital - one smith blinking and pausing as he squinted, casting a quick spell to magnify his vision as he saw three objects soar through the heavens toward dry ground a few hours into alicorn territory. He raised an eyebrow, looking up in thought '...Debris of alicorn technology? Now that's something I need to get my hooves on! If only I was a fighter... I'll have to hire a freelance adventurer for it when the opportunity presents itself. I'll have to be careful, robbing alicorn technology isn't exactly legal... But the possibilities! If it's damaged, the self-destruct mechanisms may be gone! It's worth a try...'