Humans

by unclefester84

The Quest For The Fragments

Author's Note:

The more i look at this story, the more i see my mistakes and ways to improve the flow, but if i tried to go back and fix things i might never be able to finish it.

The Quest For The Fragments.

The Return of Hope

Princess Hope had never been the most physically adept of alicorns. Far from being considered weak or clumsy, her main strength was instead in her magical prowess and scholarly knowledge, for which she was renowned as the utmost expert in the realm.
And yet at that time she might as well have been the greatest athlete of the entire alicorn race, for the anxiousness that was in her heart made her forget all weariness, and she flew like a Spirit of the air, pushed by her strong wings and even stronger will. And she did not fail to notice that the powerful currents of the upper atmosphere had turned in her favor, and she soared at speeds rarely seen even among the racing couriers of the realm.

It was less than a day after she and Aurion separated, that the blue ocean that surrounded Everfree came first into view, and the urgency of her speed became somewhat muddled by the dreadful realization that, even after crossing the distance to the Grey Wall, she would still have to reach the Underpass to go through that mighty chain, which was surely going to be guarded by many Abominations.

Hoping that the night would bring her counsel, and not wanting to risk the oceanic crossing still weary from the day’s flight, the Princess decided to rest on the shore of the continent, and so after finding a hidden place where she could lay down, she let herself drift off to an uncertain sleep.

For the second time in just two days, as she opened her sleeping eyes Hope found herself in the unusual surroundings of the Dreamscape, and there once again she found the Herald of Mortis waiting for her.

“Well met once again child of the alicorns”
He said.
“You cannot continue on the trail you are on now, for the way is blocked by the horde of Abominations that keep the Island of Everfree under siege, but fear not, for my Master provides you with another way through.”

Hope immediately guessed what the Herald suggested. It had been theorized for a long time that one could cross distances in the physical realm by moving through the plane of dreams, but such feat, known by the wise as “dreamstriding”, had been beyond the scope of mortal magic, save for those occasions when a Spirit offered itself as a guide. For directions and distances had little meaning in that place, and even Time became at least partially influenced by the mind that transversed it. (1)

“Will you show me the way then?”
The princess asked the Herald, but he answered.
“No dear child, my Master commands me to attend to other matters, this shall be your own journey”

“But how can I travel through this place and find my way, when there is no way to be found? Surely I need a guide to avoid getting lost.”
She said, but once again the Wolf denied her request.
“You do not need a guide, princess of the alicorns. Be true to your purpose, focus on your task and trust that my Master watches over you, and you will find your way.”

The Herald then bid his farewell and disappeared, leaving Hope in the empty landscape.
She was standing on her four hooves with no visible ground under them, and all around her was the void of a night sky, with few stars faintly shining in the distance.
Not sure of which way to take, she began walking nonetheless, in hope that eventually some sign would show her the way.

Princess Hope would never really recall for how long she walked, for just like in dreams, Time becomes relative in that realm, and she might have gone on for a few minutes just as for an entire age of the world. (2)
The one thing that was evident however was that the shadowy presence that she and Aurion had noticed the previous time, and that was noticeably absent while the Herald was with her, had begun once again to manifest around her, and soon the distant stars became obscured, and her senses became dulled in that dark mist.
Then the Enemy came.

It did not show itself like it did during the duel with King Laurent, rather it whispered wordlessly from the darkness and into her mind, conjuring doubts and suspicions, but she steeled herself against those feelings, and carried on.

For an entire year, or perhaps it was only a few minutes, Hope struggled to move forward against the increasing weight of the darkness.
The Enemy now gnawed at her mind like it never could against other alicorns, and it is believed that was because she was in some way physically manifested in the Dreamscape, rather than being a projection of a dreaming mind, and with every step felt like she was carrying the weight of the entire world.

But even as the dark tendrils of the Enemy wrapped around her, she soldiered on, until finally her anger prevailed, and shouted at the void around her.

“Begone now fiend, cursed Enemy of the world, murderer of my father, i shall not fall for your lies and you will not stop me from reaching my destination. Begone!”

And from the void, a voice answered.

It was not a speaking voice, no words ever passed through her ears, yet somehow they manifested nonetheless in her mind, and at first they sounded like her own voice, before it became a blend of many sounds that she had heard through her life, as if the speaker took memories of the words and played them again like a musical instrument.

“Enemy? I am no Enemy, Princess Hope, third of the alicorns, firstborn of Faust.
I am the consequence of a cruelty far bigger than what you might imagine, one perpetrated by those who proclaim to love you and the world.
Beware the lies of your Creators princess, beware the darkness of the Humans!”

This was the first time the Enemy had communicated directly with an alicorn, with perhaps the exception of only the poor soul that first fell to its power, and it kept speaking to Hope, telling of the foolishness of her errand, of how it was not just futile, but that it was prolonging the suffering that was imposed onto her kind, and that thanks to itself, the world and the alicorns will finally be free of the yoke that the Humans put on them.

Hope felt like drowning in the darkness that enveloped her, her lungs filling with foul nonexistent air, and she felt her mind beginning to falter under the relentless assault of the much more powerful Enemy.
What if it was right? What if there was more to the Humans intentions, beyond what had been revealed to the alicorns? What if…

“ENOUGH!”

Shouted Hope in her mind, for her mouth was unable to form words, and recognising the might of her foe was beyond all of her skills and knowledge, she turned her thoughts to what the Herald said: that his Master was watching over her.
And in that moment, Princess Hope did something that she had never done before.
She prayed. (3)

And in her innermost core she left herself naked to the will of the Humans, surrendering herself to whatever fate They might choose, begging only that it would protect the alicorns, her family, and her love.
Then, she opened her eyes.

Gone was the darkness, gone was the Enemy. Hope found herself once again in the Dreamscape, and a serene atmosphere seemed to pervade the very air.
In front of her stood something that resembled a pool of water, like a clear pond reflecting the sky above.
But in that reflection there was no sky, instead she saw an image of Faust, her mother, and a turmoil that seemed to bring the whole image out of focus.
Then, as she was looking into the water, a voice called.

“You made it Princess, as i knew you would”
And besides her, also looking into the pond, there was the Herald, with an expression on his face that looked almost like pride.

“I almost didn’t”
She said.
“I listened to those words and part of me wanted to believe them. I must thank you for saving me when I might not have done the same.”

But as she lowered her head in shame, the Wolf spoke again.
“Do not dwell on what might have been, you have proven yourself strong in your willingness to fight the darkness, wise to recognise a strength beyond yours, and humble in your asking for help. But do not mistake your salvation for my doing, for that was beyond my authority, if not my power entirely.”

Then in her hearth, Hope understood, and suddenly she became aware of a presence all around her.
In the way that it surrounded and pervaded her, it almost reminded her of the darkness, but it was also very different, as there was no terror within it, but a passing sorrow followed by a serene quiet.
Then she felt as if that feeling had coalesced right behind her, and its power became tangible and greater than any she had ever felt, save for once.

And surely, as Hope turned around, she was met by none other than Mortis, the Human patron of all spirits and dreams, but also of death. (4)
He was standing a short distance from her, arrayed with his gray robe that seemed to fade away as it reached the ground like a cold morning mist. On his face he wore his dark Mask that, just like most of His Spirits, and the fabric of the Dreamscape itself, seemed to be made out of pure night sky and illuminated by distant starlight.

Immediately she bowed low onto the nonexistent ground, but then a firm yet gentle hand reached her, helping her up again.
A strange feeling accompanied that touch, and Hope at that time could not give an exact name to it, but it was as if she was standing at the edge of a fundamental truth, so close to almost being able to see it, and yet unreachable still.

Then Mortis guided her to look again onto the pool, where the grief of her mother was displayed in the turmoil of the image, then at the behest of his Master, the Herald spoke.

“Your mother is ill, dear child, and of an illness that no medicine can cure, save only for the love of family, and while your kin already did their part in stemming the queen’s grief, it will be up to you to bring true healing.”
At that news the Princess was ready to immediately go forward, but the Wolf stopped her.
“As you go back, do not forget what happened here, and remember that there is one that still waits to see your light again.”

Hope found herself with a knot in her throat and with tears swelling up into her eyes, and incapable of answering with her own voice, she bowed down in gratitude, before she jumped into the reflection.

The light in the dark.

The darkness that haunted the Island of Everfree was like a mirror of the mood of Queen Faust and, after the initial grievous pain, it had settled into a bitter sorrow that seemed to turn everything into a lifeless gray. (5)

The sovereign had settled into an apathetic routine that saw her spend a vast amount of time alone in her private rooms, allegedly mourning over old memories of her late husband, and only the almost continuous visits from members of her family moved her from her musings.
Yet none seemed to be able to reignite that fire that was in her spirit and, as time went on, some began to wonder in their hearths if the Queen would ever be fit to rule again.

Then one night, as the Moon and its carousel of stars were up in the sky, and their light bathed the palace in silver and white pearl, a sudden commotion startled the guards at the doors of the Royal quarters, but as they rushed inside ready to do battle, they were stunned to see their Queen in a tight hug with another alicorn, and even more they were amazed when they recognized the stranger as someone that had been believed lost many years before, Faust very own first born daughter, Princess Hope.

The news of the return of their long lost Princess spread like fire on a prairie of dry grass, and before the Sun had risen, the entire Island was in uproar.
Many then came to Corona to see for themselves this return, and were amazed by what they saw, for as great and beautiful had Princess Hope been in the past, now she seemed taller and more radiant, rivaling even her mother, and her eyes shone from an inner fire that was both gentle like a candle, and piercing like lightning.

For her part Hope tried her best to recount the happenings of her disappearance, from finding the Tree of Harmony, to the journey through the Dreamscape to reach her mother, and it seemed impossible to her that she had been gone for so long, when to her mind only a few days had passed. (6)

Every part of that tale had the entire population enthralled in wonder, but to her mother it was the fact that her daughter might have found love that intrigued her the most, and straight away she wanted to know everything about him and the reason why he didn’t follow her to Everfree.
And Hope revealed then the purpose of her separation, that while she had come back to help heal the Island, her beloved had to remain in the peril of the outer world, to find a way to defeat the Enemy.

This revelation stirred Faust to her core, and she saw the parallel between them and what happened between herself and Laurent, and in an instant her hearth realized how many more of her subjects had lost someone dear in this conflict.
Suddenly the fire of her spirit, that was almost extinguished in sorrow, sprang up once again from the depths of her soul, and its light burned away the remnants of darkness that poisoned her mind, and the influence of the Enemy was defeated.

All the alicorns on Everfree felt the change. Suddenly the gloom that dimmed the light was removed, and a great intent, to take once again the mastery of the world against the Enemy, was planted in their hearts and minds.
And so at the order of the Queen, the realm once again shook with activity, all powers of might and magic that the alicorns could summon were put in the preparation for when they would break the Siege and bring war upon their foe.

But even as the strength of the realm was being renewed, Princess Hope knew that to break such a horde of Abominations, and overwhelm the wicked power of the Enemy, they would need help, otherwise the Humans would not have separated her and Aurion.
And she worked tirelessly to find any possible solution to such a dilemma, until the words of the Herald of Mortis came to mind, that her beloved would need her light.

Then she had an idea, or perhaps it was foresight of the Human’s plan, and she headed in all haste towards the great Temple, where in front of the main doors she was met by none other than Naseema, the Human of Air, accompanied by Her Herald Zephyr, the Thousand-winged Eagle. (7)
At that sight all those present were left in awe, as the majesty of the Creator was barely contained by Her Mask, and all stood in stunned silence as Princess Hope held converse with the Herald.

Word that a Human, who had not been seen in the physical world for an Age, was now at the door of the Temple, spread at the speed of magic, and even Queen Faust rushed to arrive at the scene, where she rejoiced at seeing Naseema for the first time in far too many years.
There the plan of the Humans was made known, at least in part.
Aurion would travel the world in search of six items, one for each Human, called Fragments of Creation, and each fragment would put him to the test to prove his worthiness, and if he ever failed, any chance to break the siege would be lost, and the alicorns would be forever confined on the Island of Everfree.

Those tests were for Aurion alone to take, but the travel between the various Fragments would become also nearly impossible, for surely the Enemy was going to discover his quest, and send legions of Abominations to stop him.
To ease at least this task, the Humans would reveal to him how to travel through the Dreamscape, just like they did with Hope, but even this would bring serious risk, for the Enemy would not make the mistake of trying to corrupt him like it did with the Princess, but simply kill him as soon as its darkness reached him.

“Therefore you shall be his light, and through you he will walk shielded from the Enemy, for you have defeated the darkness that it is within yourself, and it can no longer hold any sway on you.” (8)
Said Zephyr at the behest of her Mistress, then she continued.
“To this end you will now reach the highest peak of the mountain you call Thronos, there shall be revealed to you how to use your power for his sake.”

A murmur passed through the crowd.
No one, save for Faust and Laurent themselves, ever had leave to reach the summit, not even the great artisans who forged the Six Masks even saw the utmost peak, and it was said that the very ground in that place was so hallowed that any evil or corruption would have been burned away like ash in the wind.
Yet Hope was undismayed, and her heart was set to depart in all haste for her destination, but as she spread her wings, Zephyr called to her once again.

“Be warned princess, this task will not be easy, and all of your strength will be called upon to accomplish it, and even should you succeed, it could, in the end, claim your life.”

But Hope turned to the Herald, saying:

“Either in life or in death my doom shall not be sundered from my beloved, for I foresee that he will be asked nothing less than his very life and soul for his own quest, and should he succeed or fail, I will be there for him and with him.”

And in saying that, Hope flew away, heading towards the hallowed summit, and to those who looked, it seemed that even through Her Mask they could see Naseema smiling at the receding alicorn.

The journey of the Princess turned out to be less difficult than expected, for the strong winds that often hindered flight were now lifting her up with great speed, and at the edge of her vision she would later claim that she could almost see at the edge of her vision the vast wings of Zephyr, supporting her own.
In a short time the high towers of Corona became small and distant, before disappearing into the clouds.
Then the entrance to the Caves of Stars, the sacred resting place of the valorous dead, swiftly passed under her as she soared higher than most other alicorns were permitted.
And even faster she went up, until she could see at a distance the ancient workshops where the Six Masks were forged, and in front of her stood a wall of bright white clouds.

Any other flier would have slowed at that sight, for those clouds could have easily obscured hidden obstacles, against which any impact would have resulted in serious injury, but Hope was determined to not waste a single moment, and so she raced upward, then just as she was about to reach that wall, it suddenly parted, as if the hand of the Stormlady herself had cleaved it in two.

And suddenly Hope found herself in the clear air, standing on her four legs on the solid rock, despite not remembering having landed, and below her she witnessed a sight that no mortal had ever seen, save for only her parents, the great amphitheater at the summit of Thronos, with its impossibly still lake and lone islet at its center, from which came a light that was impossible to look at. (9)

For a few moments the Princess remained awestruck in place, before a cold breeze brought her back, and as she surveyed her surroundings she noticed that the rim of the amphitheater was not level, but curved so that one side stood higher than the other.
With her destination clear, Hope began to trot then towards that point, for her heart warned her that flight was not allowed, if not outright impossible, in such a place.

If the flight to the summit had been comparatively short, the walk to the high point of the rim seemed instead to take forever, and it was only at sunset that she finally reached her destination.
There, on the highest point of the tallest mountain in the world, stood a single large rock completely flat on top, that seemed like a platform designed to provide stability to anyone who would stand there concentrating on a spell. (10)

Then, Princess Hope felt something in her heart, an urgency like she had never felt before, in that moment she knew that Aurion needed her, and guided by instinct alone she jumped on the rock.
There she performed a spell, one that she had not known until then, but was suddenly clear in her mind like the sky above her head, and as she focused her power, a light like never before shone in the Dreamscape.

---

Annotations

1. That very same ability is known today as “dreamwalking”, and it is indeed a very rare ability. Princess Luna was the only one able to cast it regularly to guard the dreams of the Ponies of Equestria (or at least that was the case before the two sisters left their throne, it is uncertain if she still fulfills this duty). Once the entire town of Ponyville found itself dreamwalking, after an incident with the aforementioned princess, Celestia has been known to be able to do the same on a few occasions, like when she guided Princess Twilight through her ascension to alicornhood.
2. Seems in line with the fact that, as reported in the chapter “The Forging of the World”, Mortis created the Dreamscape at the borders of the Universe, where “The ticking of Time and the laws of Magic and Science grew faint and distant”.
3. I used the term “prayed” because it felt like the most fitting, but a more literal translation would be more akin to when a subject petitions his cause to a sovereign above the “normal” ranks of royalty. For example Equestria’s royal figure is the princess, she is the head of state with no one above her authority, but you still try to reach a “queen”...
4. In this case the term “spirits” is meant more like “souls”, and matters of spiritual origin, not the “Spirits” that the Humans created in the world.
5. This is another occasion where it is mentioned that the alicorns could subconsciously manipulate the environment around them, makes me wonder if it was thanks to the fact that all six Humans were involved in their creation.
6. Discounting the days necessary to travel to and from the Tree of Harmony, this also indicates that during their ‘trance’ under the Tree both Aurion and Hope did not perceive at all the passage of time.
7. I used the term “Eagle” loosely, as its real name suggests some sort of majestic bird of some kind, but it could very well be more similar to a nightingale.
8. This is actually a very important passage that will become fundamental in events to come.
9. The more I read descriptions of that place, the more I imagine that mountain like a vast volcano, with its crater lake on top.
10. It’s not difficult to imagine that such a convenient platform had been put in place exactly for that reason by the Humans, or at least by one of their Spirits.