We live in the present, look to the future, and history is not but a thing of the past. Or is it?
There are three distinct moments of time. One is the present, a constant menagerie of ever-changing conditions, where all life live and act. Another is the future, full of uncertainty and possibility; in which speculation and imagination exists . Finally, there is the past, set, unchanging; from where remembrance and recollection occurs. To simplify: one can only hope for the future, live in the present, and recall the past. But what if one could do the impossible? Something so unbelievable that it shouldn't even be feasible.......
"We are gathered here today, in remembrance of a loved one." "This woman has lived her life to the fullest with respect and dignity." "Blessed be......."
'Why?'
There was no response. No one to give me an answer. I couldn't hear anything. It was so quiet. I looked around my location to discover that I was in an open field. Well, as open as you can get; there were a few trees there. The sheer size of them left me to wonder just what all their canopy covered. A calm, cool breeze filters in this peaceful paradise; wrapping around and caressing every standing object. The gentle, green grass was cut precisely to not interfere with movement. All in all, it was a nice place, one could easily rest here...
But there was something peculiar about this peaceful field. It was littered with numerous rectangular stones all of different sizes and shapes. And in front of one particular stone lies a hole, a hole so large that it seems unnatural in a place such as this. It was at this point I realized, numbly, that there were people beside me, all wearing clothing of the deepest black. Judging by their mouth movements; they were quietly mumbling. But I still couldn't here anything. It was like they weren't there at all. I was looking at statues; faces unchanging, unflinching. It was at this point I was hoping for something... anything!
Silence was all there was.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
I was jarred into reality when someone tapped me on my shoulder. I looked towards the person with heavy eyes only to see them pointing at something. Following their finger, I turned and looked into the direction they were pointing. My eyes rested on a box that was ornately decorated, crafted with skill. To anyone else it would be a thing of beauty. Something to be marveled, appreciated, cherished even. But to me, it was a box.
A box that took something from me.
A box that hides the true marvel in it.
That box.....
That dreaded box...
Shaking myself from my thoughts, I move my eyes from the object of despair, to a man who was walking towards me. He too was ornately decorated, but with cloths of increasing complexity and colors. He walked with a calm steady rhythm, seemingly unaffected by whatever else was going on. His eyes held purpose, as if practiced but all the same kind and strong.
He was a minister.
He eventually arrived upon my location. He looked into my eyes, probably understanding the pain, anguish , and devastation I was going through, and put on a soft smile.
"Do you have anything you wish to say?" he asked.
My chest clenches painfully.
"I..."
My breath is becoming short.
"I....uh"
My vision waning.
"Son, are you alright?" he asked with a voice laden with concern.
"I......."
Ugh. I awoke with a start. Heart beating painfully against my chest. It was as if it wanted to leave my body altogether! Sweat clung to my body like a layer of molasses. Eyes wide, I began searching for that invisible phantom that plagues me. After a moment of spent searching, I began to calm myself.
"Come on Carl, get it together man. Its been three years!" I said to myself.
I should probably get up. No. I have to get up or else I'll be here all day. I pulled the covers back and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. After a moment to gather myself, I stood up and proceeded to walk to the bathroom. Once there, I began the task of going through my daily rituals. You know the ones that most people go through everyday. Brush your teeth, wash your face, brush your hair, and blah blah blah.
Basically done, I was about to leave when I decided to look into the mirror. You see I kind of have a bad habit of not really looking into mirrors all that much. I know it's bad, but it's just something I developed over time. The image in the mirror wasn't really ugly, but I wouldn't call it beautiful either. I am your average 23 year old African American guy, pseudo black hair, light brown skin and stood at nearly six feet tall. I admit I'm a little "heavy" or overweight if you choose to say, but not to the point where one could call me "fat." Yeah, I call my hair pseudo black and its for a reason but its pointless to get into detail. It's my eyes that are what I'm focused on at the moment. A simple glance can tell anyone that my eyes are brown but to me they were a little more than just brown. I can't really explain but its something I feel so its best to leave it be.
I walked out of the bathroom and headed towards my closet. Opening it up, I scanned the many articles of clothing searching for something to go out in.
"Let's see. What should I wear?"
I reached in and started pulling random shirts and pants out giving them brief judgements.
"Not wearing that. That's too old. I don't even know what this thing is but I'm not putting it on."
Getting a little frustrated, I dug deeper into the closet looking for something decent. I pulled something out only to toss it back with unhidden horror.
"What in the world was I on to even have this thing in here! Well, whatever it's garbage now."
Tossing the offending item away, I began my search anew before finally deciding on a simple green polo with grey cargo pants and a pair of black gym shoes.
With my outfit settled, I left my room and headed to the kitchen of my apartment. As I got near, I stopped and thought about whether or not I should eat before deciding against it. I can always get something while I'm out. Plan set, I grabbed my keys from off the counter and my lucky sunglasses. I started heading towards the door, taking a moment to check and make sure everything is okay, satisfied I locked the door and left.
'No way! I can't believe this!' I mentally yelled to myself.
My boss had called and left a message on my cell phone saying that I needed to come in today. Apparently, the Tuesday shipment came in earlier than expected and now they're short on staff members to stock. Sighs. This is why you should be careful employing yourself to a large hardware and housing store. Stuff like this is bound to happen. Man and it was my day off too!
"I really don't want have to come in today and deal with those knuckleheads. I already had a rough start and now this."
The knuckleheads were a two dudes who played around and shirked their duties. Leaving me, the responsible one, to clean up after them. They even had the nerve to call me their friend after I end up doing their jobs for them.
Ha.
Friends.
As if I need such a concept as that. Now don't get me wrong, if you believe in friendship; good for you. You were able to find a friend? Congratulations. You were able to maintain a constant friendly relationship? Good Job! Me? If there is anything my life experiences has taught me is that friendship is like a coin toss. If you get heads, great, rainbows and sprinkles galore. If you get tails, tough cookies welcome to the world of cynicism the best policy you can have.
People smile to each other saying that they care about you, that they love you, or they believe in you. But in reality, they don't truly trust you. Its more of a performance, where you must play your role precisely in order for success. After all, its impossible to truly know someone, which makes friendship an unneeded risk. That's why I don't need friends, I only have associates or allies in a manner of speaking. The risk isn't as great in comparison to the potential consequences. Besides, you can always cut off ties easily and not get betrayed or lied to.
Realizing what I'm doing, I shake my head to clear out my thoughts.
"I really wish I could stop over thinking things. It hardly ever helps the situation I'm in," I said to myself while glancing around the cafe. I was looking for something to distract me when I found it. A brochure advertising trips to Alaska to enjoy the scenery, food, and the Aurora Borealis. It was something I always wanted to do. If only i could...... Quickly a plan formed in my head that could save me from the frustration I was feeling. Picking up my cell phone; I dialed my place of employment.
"Hey Chris, about that vacation time I have left........"
Ten hours, four connecting flights and fifteen hundred dollars later, I'm here. Away from the hustle and bustle, crazy, and headache inducing nonsense that is my life. Its just as I imagined it, quiet and peaceful, just like......
I hurry and grab my things; I want to experience this new exciting place and behold the spectacle of lights that can only be found here. Besides, I don't need to go down that tail of thoughts. Not again.
Luckily for me, I was able to easily find my way around thanks to a few friendly locals. I was even able to find a location not commonly used to see the Northern Lights. All I had to do, was pack enough essentials to basically be able to survive three days alone. Purchase some clothing better suited for this type of venture. Learn some basic survival skills should I need them. Leave information behind in case an accident happens so that someone can identify me. Easy. Right?
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this." I said to myself amidst the crunching sound of the snow beneath my snow shoes.
"Who would of thought that Carl was capable of something like this? Walking in freezing temperatures, away from civilization, with no support just to see colorful light dancing in the sky." I said amused.
A few years ago, I would have never tried something like this. I was never the 'adventuring type' or outgoing person. I was and still am the cautious, calculating guy that watches everything from the sidelines. I took the whole 'look before you leap' value and made it a personal philosophy.
I finally arrived to the area I was looking for. At first glance it didn't look like much, just tall snow-covered deciduous trees as far as the eye could see, a few boulders laying haphazardly around, and of course a few hundred metric (crap) tons of snow. But what made this area interesting, was the fact it was a circular clearing, surrounded by trees all pointing inwards.
"I guess there's nothing left to do but to set up camp."
Fifteen minutes later, everything is set, all there is left to do is find a spot to best watch the event.
"Hmm.... That little hill over there should be good."
I laid down in the snow staring straight up at the night sky waiting for what I knew was coming to me. A few minutes later, and I was rewarded with one of the most spectacular sights imaginable. The waves of colors clashing and interacting in the upper atmosphere was simply stunning. Time didn't matter to me at that moment, just lying there enjoying this cosmic parade was enough in my books. Nothing could possibly ruin this moment.
It is when you challenge fate that things can take a turn for the worst. Before I could even realize my grave error, fate struck. The hill I was laying on collapsed beneath me. Terrified, I started yelling while falling through what looked to be an underground cavern. It was lined with crystals of all shapes and sizes and what looked to be a pool of water at the bottom. A moment later, I impacted the water hard enough to seriously injure myself. Luckily, I floated up to the surface with nothing more than a few bruises and sore back.
Thankfully, I landed near the edge of the pool and could easily walk up the embankment to get out. Which was a good thing since: A) I'm partially hydrophobic, B) normally terrified of large areas of water and C) I only know how to float; not swim. Peering upwards, I guessed that the distance I fell was roughly 60 feet, judging by how close the rim of the pit looked to be. As I started my way out of the pool, the water seemingly got more resistant and colder. Thinking it was my muscles locking up, I pressed on at an increased pace. The more I moved, the weaker and colder I became. There was no way hypothermia could have possibly occurred this quickly! My level of concern increased rapidly as I was getting weaker. It was a moment later when it clicked in my mind what was happening. This 'water' wasn't causing me to lose body heat or my muscles to stiffen; it was actually draining my energy! Panic stricken, I desperately tried to fight against this strange liquid hoping to get out but to no avail. I was stuck, trapped like a fly would to a spiders web. The ionized light show above continued flickering from colors and hues, dancing playfully, almost as if it was laughing at my struggles; taunting me for being so foolish. Despair set in as I realized it became useless to try. Nearly completely drained, I became too tired to fight back. My eyes slowly closed as I sank deeper into the ice cold liquid until I was no more.
~Authors Note~
Well this is the first chapter of my first story ever on Fimfiction! So I want to apologize now if the story you read was complete and utter trash. I don't have talent when it comes to story telling or writing, but I read a few works that inspired me to at least give it a try. Oh and one last thing, the authors of the stories I gained inspiration from are as follows: Kiroberos,Slick Dash, and Coal Buck and should they ever find their way to this fiction, I've but one thing to say..... I blame you. Its all your fault.
Time is a constant. It is forever moving, unstopping force that never yields or wanes. All that time encompasses is subject to its power willingly or forcefully. Change is the word that best describe this incredible phenomenon. But because nearly everything exist within time's domain; nearly anything can be affected.
The Earth was not immune to time, it too had fallen to the whims of change. Areas that were once densely forested now lay bare. Places that were inhabitable are now teeming with life. Mountains that reached high into the heavens are now nothing more than gently rolling plains. However, one particular location has remained nearly untouched by time. The land around the area had risen forming high elevations of snow, ice, and rock that shielded the place from the outside world. But even with this level of protection, cracks will form and the defense will crumble. After all, it is only a matter of time.
In a mountainous region, located far from the reaches of society, the crunching of snow could be heard; disturbing the tranquility of this place. Two figures appeared in the distance, marching forwards on a mission. As they approached, more features could be determined. The figures seemed to be quadrupedal life-forms that were no taller than four feet. On closer inspection they appeared to be just ordinary horses if small. Interestingly enough, both had horns on protruding from their heads. One was a old ashen, gray unicorn with with glasses perched on his face. He had a mark on his flank that depicted what looked to be an astrolabe. The other younger pony was a rust, red color and had a mark of a thermometer on his flanks as well. Unbeknownst to both, it would be on this day, that this duo would make a discovery of a lifetime.
"Are we there yet, Professor?"
"For the last time no, we are not, so please stop asking Heatwave."
"But its soooo cold! There's nothing out here to do, just ice and snow everywhere."
"Well of course there's ice and snow, wouldn't you think that being near one of the Precarious Polar Poles, the regions known to have mildly low temp-"
"Mildly low my hoof! I'm freezing my flank off here! My name is Heatwave for a reason, I specialize in heat not cool, not cold and most definitely not freezing."
Getting annoyed, the professor replied "Then why in world did you decide to come with me."
"You said that there was a new area up north that recently became accessible ,due to glacier melt, and that it would be such an opportunity to find something interesting. All you needed was a partner to help with the collection of data. A quick trip to a moderately cool climate was your description. But you never said it would freezing conditions or that the winds would turn me into a pony-cicle!" Heatwave said with frustration clear on his face.
"I told you exactly where we were going from the get go. For bucks sake, the place is called Freezy Breeze Peaks for a reason, lad. It has the word freeze in it's name; what else could it possible mean? he responded exasperated.
Eye twitching madly, Heatwave was getting irritated and had to calm himself down A few relaxing breaths later he was calm. "Let's just collect your data and get out of here."
"Agreed."
"I should of went to Bale......."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
Hours were spent searching the new area that was previously hidden. It wasn't that interesting of a place. It had trees native to the climate, boulders and stone chunks left behind by glaciers, and small hills of thick, soft snow.
"This was a complete waste of time! I could have been running experiments back at the lab instead of being out here." Heatwave said tossing yet another small stone aside.
"I wouldn't say this was a waste of time. I found some rather interesting tree samples that have quite the unique bark texture."
"Great. I spent the last 2 days preparing for this trip, the last 6 hours traveling to this location, and the last 4 hours searching; just so you can find tree bark."
"Nonsense. You didn't waste time, we gathered some information and even collected a few samples. All in all, a successful expedition if I do say so myself."
Sighing lightly, Heatwave decided to not even bother conversing and just go and find a place to relax. "I'm just going to go lay on that little hill over there. Call me when you're ready to leave." Not waiting for a response he walked to the aforementioned spot, pulled a blanket from his saddle pack and laid it on the hill before flopping on his back. He was expecting his back to meet with immediate resistance, but came up with air instead. It was at this point that he realized he was falling and reacting quickly cast a levitation spell just as the ground below him caved in.
Hearing the commotion, the professor quickly teleported to his partner's location, only to see him floating over a large gaping hole.
"Are you alright lad?" he asked concerned.
"Yeah, I'm all right. I'm lucky I casted that levitation spell or I would have been in serious trouble."
The professor let out a sigh of relief. "Well I'm glad your fine lad. Now, How about we investigate this hole? It looks to be pretty deep and it may lead to something."
The hole was more of a cavern as they soon discovered filled to the brim with crystals of various shapes and sizes. Using their horns as light sources, they scoured every inch of the cave, making notes of anything interesting. It was after a thorough search that they stumbled upon something by complete accident. Heatwave was casually walking to a new section of the cavern before falling face first into what he thought was solid ground. Picking himself, he shook off the excess water before casting a heating spell on himself to dry his coat. Turning to head back to the professor, a shimmer caught his eye. Instead, he beckoned him to come over and see what the shimmering was. Intrigued, they decided to investigate and what they saw shocked them to their core...
"Sweet Celestia! Professor, what in the world is that?!"
"I....I don't have the faintest idea as to what it is."
There was something deep within the pool that was giving off faint light. A large something that was partially translucent in the water, barely noticeable. Using magic, both unicorns lifted the strange object out of the cold, murky depths of the pool. After successfully setting it down safely, they took a moment to gaze at their prize.
The object in question was a large crystalized, chunk of the an unknown substance. However, its what was inside the large crystal that had both researchers stunned. Inside, frozen in position, was a body of a creature. Unfortunately, it was indistinguishable due to the opacity of the crystal.
"Simply remarkable. This crystal substance seems to have kept the creature perfectly preserved. It must have been quick acting to capture this creature in such a pose."
"Do you know what this mean?!" the professor exclaimed while literally bouncing on his hooves.
"Yes! We found a crystal that has a fossilized creature of an unknown time locked inside it." Heatwave replied with a growing smile on his face.
"Not only that, but we are also the ponies that get to study it first. Heatwave my boy, I do think we have made the discovery of the century!"
Wanting to get back to the lab quickly, they attempted to simply levitate the crystal out of the cavern. Unfortunately, they soon found out that it required far to much magic to move it more than a few feet. The duo hypothesized that it was perhaps it's size or the unique properties of the crystal that made it so difficult to move. They couldn't really confirm this without the proper equipment and thus decided to call in a crew to assist them in moving the heavy artifact.
However, a problem had arisen; they had no way of communicating this far in the region. There were no mail ponies in their current location and the nearest town was a few hours away, down in the valley. Seeing that somepony had to go and make the reservations, the professor being the thoughtful, caring stallion that he is, volunteered......... Heatwave to go back.
"Why should I have to be the one to go? Shouldn't you be the one to go and make the plans?" asked Heatwave, voice full of disbelief. The professor was sending him down without even discussing it with him? Surely, he was just joking and they would come up with plan of action. He wouldn't send him away so easily, right?
"Well...." he started, twirling his hoof in the snow. "You are better suited for this endeavor; I have absolute faith that you, my protege, my- ."
"Ohhh no you don't." Heatwave cut off the professor. "I'm on to your little game," he said giving him a dirty look. "You know that you should be the one that sets this up. You're just trying to sweet talk your way out of going' you lazy, old coot. I'm not falling for it!" Heatwave said sitting on his haunches with his head turned and arms crossed.
"Heatwave, I'm disappointed," the professor replied seemingly hurt. "Do you really have to result to name calling? I was just trying to help you. You claimed that this place is so horrible to you, " he gestured to the surrounding area, "so I was doing you a favor and sending you back." "Did you not say that cold isn't for you?" he questioned.
"Umm...."
"Or that cool isn't what you signed up for?" he continued.
"Well you see...."
"Not to mention the fact that you don't 'do' freezing, correct? he asked, a grin slowly taking over his face.
"Yes." Heatwave replied rather pathetically.
"Then everything should be perfectly fine. Besides, would you really leave this weak, old stallion to make that awfully long trek down the mountain?" he asked giving Heatwave the look of an old whimpering dog.
"I don't like you," Heatwave said sounding defeated. He looked onward toward the base of the mountain and sighed, resolving himself to make the long, arduous trip there.
"Now there's a good lad!" the professor said cheerfully. "You run along now and do be quick about it! Time won't wait and we've got so much to do."
"Yeah.. Yeah... I hear you......" Heatwave muttered sounding depressed.
A few hours later, a team of twenty pegasi arrived on the scene. All of them were wearing harnesses and side packs with coils of rope attached. They seemed to be having a little difficulty breathing, most likely due to the higher altitude. Their wings and feathers looked as if they had started freezing over. Some were shivering from the cold while others had looks of displeasure clearly on their faces. Out in front, the apparent leader of the team scanned the valley floor looking for the one that was responsible for making them miserable. A couple minutes went by before she spotted the misery bringer. Signaling the team, they all swooped in and landed near the gaping maw of the cavern.
Trotting up to them rather quickly, the professor greeted them warmly. "Why good day to you all. How was your trip? I'm sure everything went rather splendidly."
He was met with twenty angry glares and clenched jaws. Before any potential violence broke out, the leader stepped forth and confronted the professor. She reached into her side pack and pulled out ticket and handed it to him.
"Are you Professor Oatmeal?" she asked looking unimpressed.
"My name is Professor Grand Oat, not Oatmeal, but most ponies call me Professor Oat," he corrected with pride in his voice.
"A stallion by the name of Heatwave told us to look for some crazy, demented, old guy standing around a hole."
"What?!" he asked clearly shocked. "Why that disrespectful little foal; how dare he call me, crazy!" he yelled while reading the paper, confirming her story as true.
"Judging by the description, I'd say he hit the nail on the head," she laughed as the team of stallions and mares chuckled. "My name is Windy Vane, the owner of the Fast Vane moving company," she added. "But enough talking, we've got a job to do. We're suppose to come in and air lift a large crystal back to the institute for you, correct?" she asked switching to full business mode.
"Yes, its right down there," he pointed to the large crystal laying on the cavern floor.
"Okay listen up! Let's get this thing tethered and get the buck up out of here! The sooner we strap up the sooner we can leave," she yelled getting the attention and nodding heads of the group. They proceeded to fly down into the opening of the cavern and attach the necessary ropes to their harnesses. After a couple of safety checks, the pegasi started to fly lifting the crystal along with them.
"Do be careful, this is a priceless artifact, that needs to be handled with-"
"Will you please let us do our job? We are the movers not you," she yelled hotly from her position in the air.
"Hrmph, so rude and such terrible customer service......" he muttered under his breath.
"What was that? Do you want us leave it here so you can take it back yourself?"
"No! I didn't say anything; continue on please, your doing a wonderful job, excellent service!" he yelled panicked.
"Good. I'm glad we understand each other," she replied leading the group up and out of the cavern. They then hovered above the ground waiting for the signal to leave. A moment later the call was given to leave.
"Head em up, move em out!" The pegasi under the strain of the crystal departed to the destination, leaving poor, old Professor Oat all by himself.
"Hey!" he yelled. "What about me! Aren't you suppose to take me with you?" he asked desperately.
He didn't have to wait long for the reply.
"Not part of the job description!" was what was yelled back.
The artifact arrived at its destination safe and sound; much to Professor Oats joy. It had taken a full day to successfully make the trip. The Institute of Magic and Science, also known as Arvaud, was one of the most prestigious schools of all Equestria. It halls were decorated with the achievements of ponies great and small through out their time there. The floors were shined spotlessly to show newcomers that their path will be clear should they stay. It was truly a marvelous place to study science and magic.
"Heatwave!" Professor Oat bellowed startling the young apprentice from his nap.
"Ho-How was the trip Professor?" he asked timidly knowing he was probably going to pay for the stunt he pulled.
"Never mind that now, lad," he started while searching for his notes, "I need you to send for Lights and have him bring the artifact from lab C. I then need you to go run a quick errand for me; pick up a chemical set from the store room.
"Like now? As in right this instant?" he asked not really believing the Professor would go straight into researching after making the trip back.
"Yes, now, so would you kindly please do as I ask before I'm forced to remember that you left me stranded," he said with a hint of danger in his tone.
Not needing to be told twice, Heatwave quickly left the room, or risk his mentor's ire falling upon him.
He arrived at his fellow student's dorm room and knocked.
Nothing happened.
He tried hitting the door more forcefully and calling to him.
But it failed.
Getting frustrated he used his magic to project his voice into the room. "Wake up Trippy Lights! I don't have all day." There was an audible groan from behind the door, then later a shuffling of blankets.
It was super effective.
"All right, All right I'm coming dude," the voice lazily said. "No need to break the energy of the moment."
The pony in question was a unicorn of a lime green color. He had a mark of what looked to be a lava lamp on his flank. His mane was a mess but it didn't seem like he cared much. He yawned and lethargically got up and opened the door.
"Heeeeey Heatwaaaavvveee. How's the universe treatin' ya." he asked laid backed.
"I don't have time for shenanigans today Trippy. The professor wants you to take a cart loaded with a priceless artifact and bring it to him."
"Uh okay."
"Got it? Good. I'm out of here, see you in a bit Trips," Heatwave said as he trotted off to complete his errand.
Trippy later arrived at lab C to move the cart but found it to be heavy. Being as lazy as he was, he thought of a solution to ease his problems. "I'll just use that fancy spell I've seen Heatwave use all the time," he thought. "Now what was it called? It was 'Life' something. Ah well its not important, I'll just get this done and over with before Teach blows his horn off."
All it took was a simple gather of energy; and a coating of the object of choice. No 'Biggie' he thought to himself.
Unfortunately for him, it turned out to be big problem. The crystal started to react violently, glowing, pulsating with energy. The magic that was once embedded to the cart was absorbed into the crystal giving it a spectrum of colors. The light show attracted the attention of a few ponies but none more so than Heatwave. Sensing something wrong he teleported to lab C only to find it in pure chaos.
"Trippy, just what the hay did you do?" Heatwave asked amidst the growing levels of volatile energy.
"All I did was cast a spell to make life easier for be bro, but then this weird stuff happened."
"Which one?"
"That...What was it called? Life... Life.. Turn... to Life. The 'Turn to Life' spell!" Trippy remembered finally.
"How could that kind of spell make the artifact react this badly?" he wondered terrified.
"I don't know bro, but this is freaking me out dude," he said eyes wide, fear evident in his voice.
The colorful prismatic display continued to surge and build. Cracks started to appear on the crystal as the maelstrom of energy reached its peak. With a resounding boom, the energy exploded shattering the crystal into shards. The shock wave tore apart the lab sending scrolls, reports, flasks, and anything else that wasn't tied down crashing into the walls and floor.
As the dust settled, a few ponies began to quickly fill the area trying to ascertain the cause of the explosion. It didn't take long before the professor arrived on the scene. His mane was disheveled as worry plagued him. But upon spotting his two students looking non the worse for wear, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"You two alright?" he asked wanting to make sure.
"Yes, Professor/Teach," they responded simultaneously smiling slightly.
"So what happened," he asked with an edge in his voice.
"Trippy, casted a 'Turn to Life' spell on the cart to make it easier to move....." Heatwave started to explain.
"But then that crystal started sucking the magic away. At first, it was cool because it reminded me of my lamps at home, when suddenly it started doing freaky stuff," Trippy finished.
"Professor look! Wha...What is that!?" Heatwave shouted.
"Whooaaaa, Duuude that is just........ wow," was all that Trippy could say.
"Don't think you are getting out this," he said turning around. "I still have to discipline you.. both... for.... this?" Professor Oat finally laid his eyes on what captured the others attention. Not entirely believing what he saw he quickly formed a plan.
"Both of you. Go find a veterinarian and secure the premises. Protect this creature at all costs!" He ordered. When both did nothing, he raised his voice. "What are you waiting around for? Go now!"
Professor Oat looked out of his office window contemplating the recent development. Do to a misplaced spell, the artifact was basically destroyed. All that was left was a few pieces that were scattered around the lab. However, because of that incident, the creature inside was set free and breathing. This brought about an obscene number of new possibilities just waiting to be explored. A creature of the past may one day walk amongst them! It was exhilarating just thinking about it!
"So many questions to answer, so many possibilities," he whispered to himself. "What sort of life did you live? What was the world like back then? What other species existed during your time? he asked walking away from the window. He continued on until he reached a large cage that housed the object of his thoughts.
"But I suppose I should probably ask the single most important and basic scientific question first," he said looking down at the strange clothed creature lying on a bed of pillows.
Professor Oat was sitting in front of a large chart; studying its contents. He was trying to make sense of what circumstances might have occurred to release the creature. The only hard data that he had was the fact that magic was the catalyst. But how was it possible to bring something to life? The creature shouldn't have even been alive, yet it was breathing. What on Earth was going on?
"Was it possible that the magic truly revived the creature?" he wondered, stroking his chin with his hoof. "Or perhaps, it merely caused the body's functions to activate involuntarily."
He got up from his seated position and walked towards his desk. Once there, he pulled open one of his drawers revealing a small fragment of the same crystal that the creature was trapped in. He picked up the crystal and held it up to his face. He stared deeply into its form trying to decipher its hidden secrets. He had ran several tests over the course of seventy-two hours. Results came back with nothing notably unusual. It was a basic crystalline solid that had an orderly structure. The only odd thing about it was its ability to somehow disrupt magic. You couldn't use magic to grab hold of the blasted thing! Now, there were ways to disrupt magic but none of those methods involved the use of an ordinary crystal. It was simply unheard of, yet, here it was defying all common sense.
He set the crystal on the table and sighed wearily. Thinking up possible theories wasn't going to solve anything at this point. Everything thus far has lead to a dead end. The only other option was to study the creature for more clues. Unfortunately, the creature was in a comatose state with no signs of awakening. They had tried using mental scanning spells to see if they could coax its mind to resurface. However, it seemed to have had very little to no effect.
Professor Oat's thoughts were broken when he suddenly heard an excited yell.
"Professor come quick!" a voice demanded from just outside his office.
Confused, Professor Oat walked to his door to see what the commotion was about. "Yes?" he answered unsurely. Looking around the hall he saw one of his aides, a blue earth mare, trying to catch her breath. A few moments later, she lifted her head up and frantically explained the situation.
"Professor we require your presence! The creature is showing signs of mental distress; it may be awakening!" she all but yelled, excitement clear in her voice.
"What! Take me to it immediately. We mustn't miss this opportunity to witness its return to consciousness," he demanded.
"Yes, of course. But we need to hurry, Lab C was destroyed so we moved it to the infirmary," she said, turning to start running.
"The infirmary? Understood. Don't bother running I'll get us both there," he said signaling her to come to him. And with that the professor teleported them both to the infirmary.
Nothing. Darkness all around.
Something. Substance.
Thoughts. I......
Being. I am.......
Sensations. Cool. Warmth. Soft.
I.... am....alive.
Professor Oat and his aide arrived outside the door to the infirmary and quickly went inside. The infirmary was a rather large room that looked as if it belonged to a hospital. However, it not only had medical equipment that was connected to each bed, but also scientific instruments. There were tables that were littered with notes and samples. Ponies were running back and forth comparing notes and moving equipment. And there lying on a table, all it's own, was the creature; with wires and tubes connected to it. It's muscles were flexing and twitching; most likely warming up after so long of disuse.
One of the ponies recognized the professor and immediately directed him towards the table. He approached with caution not knowing how the creature would react. Upon getting close, he asked one of the doctors for a medical report.
"Professor we were able to determine that he was in stable condition," she stated reading off the chart. "Unfortunately, because we never dealt with a creature of its type before, we were not able to run many tests for fear of harming it," she added.
"He? How do you know its a he?" he asked while keeping his eyes on the body.
The doctor looked annoyed before responding softly, "We had to strip him of his clothing to check for injuries......" she left the statement in the air, hoping for him to catch on.
Not a chance.
"That still doesn't..." he tried to answer.
"Professor.... as a doctor and a female I know a male when I see one," she responded with a slight tinge to her cheeks, ending the discussion.
Oh... I see. Coughs. Well then with his matter of gender out the way, let us welcome him to the new world.
Ugh. What happened? I wondered, disorientated. My eyes were flickering; my hands and feet were twitching. I could feel warmth permeating through my body. So many sensations that, once lost, now returned with full vigor. It was overwhelming to say the least. I could tell that I was laying on something soft, most likely a bed. This meant that I was in a hospital but what for? I tried searching my memories until I came across that incident in the Alaskan wilderness. I was rescued huh? Thank goodness I was sure I was a goner.
I started to open my eyes, only to regret the action and immediately shut them in pain. The light was too intense to bare so I settled for testing out my muscles. First my hands and feet, then my arms and legs. A little weak but mostly functional. At least I was not paralyzed or dismembered I thought happily. After that brief self check, I heard quiet whispers to my left. I couldn't really understand what they were saying only a few words here or there. Words like: Look. Wow. Amazing. Moving. The doctors were probably surprised that I made what looks to be a full recovery. Wanting to thank them, I sat up and attempted to reopen my eyes. It was still painful, but after a moment they adjusted and I was able to look at my saviors.
What my eyes saw, did not register with my head however......
"Professor this is amazing!" one of the ponies whispered.
"We discovered an ancient species of creature and brought it back to life." spoke another.
"Look at how it moves, it must be a bipedal in nature."
"Oh my goodness, he's sitting up and looking this way"
The eyes of the creature were finally opening to take its first look in an untold amount of time.
Professor Oat was excited.
No that would be to simply of a word to describe his current mood. He was positively thrilled.
He proceeded to calmly and carefully walk towards the creature and welcome it.
After all it was a whole new world he lived in.....
What in the world.....
This was an illusion; It had to be. I must be hallucinating. I was in a room with colorful miniature horses wearing, what looked to be, lab coats. They were all staring; studying me like an experiment or some new undiscovered animal. I slowly looked around the room. It seemed normal enough for a hospital; if you ignored the weird quadrupeds that were communicating to themselves. One of them stepped forward slightly and opened its muzzle, moving it in a peculiar pattern making strange mouth gestures. I was expecting to here whinnies or neighs but what I got surprised me. It was trying to communicate with me! Okay, thats it. I'm hoping they drugged me up really good to make hallucinations like these.
What I heard was what sounded like an alien language yet held some of my language in it. This was incredible, sadly, the only thing I understood from its attempt at speaking were words like: 'World', 'live' and 'Creature', the rest were indistinguishable. I couldn't really understand its sentence structure or its grammar. I would have pondered on this subject longer, if I hadn't made a startling discovery. I looked down at myself and noticed that my clothes were missing. I saw tubes in my arms that led to strange machines that I don't recognize.
I was in a room.
I was in a room with alien horses.
I was in a room with alien horses and had strange machines attached to me.
Also...
I was butt naked....
..
...
....
Oh Hell No!!
~Authors Note~
I apologize as this wasn't my best chapter. Hopefully, I will get better as the story goes along. Moving on, I was trying something slightly different in regards to the language situation. I'm using a partial language barrier. I could have chosen a full blown barrier, and although it would have been hilarious imagining Carl speaking using neighs and whinnies, I don't believe I have the skill to pull that off at the moment. Basically, think of those old western shows that depict how Indians attempt to speak English. Or you can imagine the hulk trying to have a conversation. Most nouns, conjunctions, and sentence structure are completely new to him. At least thats what I'm going for. Let me know what you think.
They seemed to be happy; if their facial expressions were anything to go by. Each and every one of the crazy things were bouncing on their hooves, smiling widely; joy unhidden. A few of the horses went into cupboards using their mouths to pull out what looked to be bottles that were suspiciously similar in appearance to wine bottles. These things drink? My musings were cut short by a loud bang that sounded off to my right. Looking that way, I could see confetti and streamers start to rain down ever so slowly towards the floor. Even though a portion of my sight was blocked, I was able to faintly notice that some had stopped their celebrations early and were quickly trotting to the other side of the room.
Intrigued, I began following their movements. I could see them making their way through the partygoers to an area lined with tables. These tables had clip boards, pencils, papers and other commonly found office items scattered upon them.
'What on Earth were they going to do? Write me an apology for abducting me?' I thought amused. 'Or maybe they'll throw me a party and we'll eat cake.' Heh. As if these creatures would do something as ridiculous as that. Instead of making jokes, I should be finding a way to escape but curiosity got the better of me. Hmm. Perhaps a brief moment of observation is in order; nothing more than a simple gathering of information. Besides, this should prove somewhat entertaining to watch; seeing as these creatures don't seem to have a way of grasping objects.
The next moment had me wanting to get myself evaluated at the nearest psyche facility. The horses' horns, something I can't believe I missed, began to glow in a transparent light that seemed to ripple with energy. The clipboards and pencils also became illuminated with the same energy and were lifted into the air. Each horse had its own particular color of energy that surrounded their corresponding clipboards. To make matters worse, they were actually writing on the paper in some unknown script. How on Earth was this possible, I didn't know. Maybe they were using telekinesis or some manner of physical manipulation. All I know is that I didn't have time for this! I have got to get out of here now!
Slowly and carefully, I eased my way off the table; making sure not to make any sudden movements. The unicorns that never left had their large eyes following my every moment; watching as my feet hit the cold floor. I was still attached to their machines, so I gently removed the cords from my body. It stung a little bit, but it was better than risk ripping them out. I then began to survey my options.
Option A: The difficult path; which requires that I try to establish peaceful relations with the life forms.
Option B: A much simpler plan would be to, put it plainly, run away from them; screaming like a mad man.
Apparently, while I was contemplating my next move, the horses decided to gather around; bringing with them a series of devices that I'm sure was meant for testing. So like any other student in school that knows testing would occur, I chose Option B. I was confident that this was the best solution to the current predicament.
So....
I bolted.
I could hear the shouts of alarm as I hopped over the table and sprinted to the door. 'Wait!' 'Stop!' were among the words heard being shouted as I made my way to the door. I nearly hit my head on the low door frame as I ran out. Outside the room were massive, intersecting halls that extended to what looked like eternity. I didn't know which direction to go; I just randomly chose a path and took it. Reaching the end of the hall, I turned a corner sharply, my feet sliding across the pristine floors as I ran for my life. I could hear the thundering of hooves from behind as the horses started to chase after me. I tried to lose them; but it seemed no matter where I turned, more would show up. After a brief chase, I eventually got surrounded. Knowing that I was cornered, they started to close in.
With my escape routes closed, I dropped into a defensive stance; remembering bits of the basic training I received from the military as they rushed me. I grabbed one by the hooves and slung him towards another oncoming attacker. Both collided against each other and fell to the floor; out of the fight. A new challenger went for my legs and successfully dropped me on them. Sadly for him, I was in prime position to grab and pile-drive him into the floor.
My initial thoughts had me simply trying to grab the heavy creatures and hope to knock them down. But the mini-horses were surprising light in comparison to actual horses. Now that I think about it, I suppose calling them ponies would be a better choice than describing them as mini-horses. Furthermore, the ponies with horns should obviously be called unicorns. Adrenaline must have been pumping through me because there was no way I was capable of doing anything like this.
Cutting my eyes right, I saw some slightly bigger and tougher looking stallions preparing to charge at me. Heads dropped low, horns angled precisely to poke, prod, or puncture. It was at this point, however, that I noticed that these ponies were quite small in comparison to my size. The tallest ones I've seen thus far only came up to my stomach in height. Interestingly enough, due to the fact their heads were lowered, their current height was at my pelvis. And since I had my back to them, they would soon be charging into my backside. This wouldn't be that big of an issue except for the point of them having long, sharp, hard horns..... and the fact I was still naked..... which meant their point of impact would be......
Oh...
The disturbing conclusion came to me and it was not good. Something like this wasn't going to happen; not on my watch.
They soon charged; the sound of their hooves echoing throughout the hall. Just as they got near, I jumped back and out of the way, causing them to stumble; missing me entirely. Thinking I was out of immediate danger, I turned to run only to feel myself being held together by some unknown force. I was then raised slightly into the air as my arms and legs were bound.
Looking around I could see that a group of unicorns were concentrating their telekinetic powers to hold me stationary. It was then I realized the two charging stallions from before were just decoys meant to move me into position. They actually set me up for a trap! I was in full panic mode at this point. They had me right where they wanted; subdued. I started struggling frantically trying anything and everything to get out. I could faintly see that they were struggling as well to hold me. Fear and utter desperation were the driving force behind my bid for freedom.
The coalesced energy was weakening. I could move my arms and legs just a bit; inch by inch I was gaining ground. I was breaking free of their hold. I was almost there. Just a bit more and freedom. I yelled a primal roar as I thrust my arms and legs out breaking free of their powers sending ponies flying from the backlash of energy.
My victory was short lived when I heard two objects whistling softly through the air. Before I could even move, they impacted my neck, releasing their contents into my body. I must have been hit with tranquilizers or darts of some kind. My vision was already starting fail, but I was still able to move; I wasn't done yet!
If only I had clear vision, I would have seen one of the ponies get close to me. Had I been more observant, I wouldn't of got kicked clean in the face and knocked down. Now my muscles weren't responding either; they got me.
'I'm captured.'
I had failed. I lost my hold on reality and slipped into a deep sleep.
Everypony was stunned. The creature gave them a run for their money. If it hadn't of been for those tranquilizer darts and a timely buck to the face; the creature would have escaped. It was strong enough to toss ponies aside like pebbles. It didn't seem to understand their commands nor the concept of magic either. The surprised look on his face was evidence of that. It was decided that the creature was too unstable to be left unsupervised.
"Professor!" Heatwave yelled as he arrived on the seen. "What the hay happened?!"
"As you can see here, the creature panicked and attempted to escape. It nearly took down most of the staff before we were able to take him down," he stated, thinking of the next course of action.
"Well what now? If he is as violent as you say shouldn't you restrain him or something?"
"We've decided to place him in cage and keep him heavily sedated for the time being," Professor Oat replied. Not only that but they would also be able to collect more information safely that way. A calm creature, was a good creature after all.
"Do you think this is just a misunderstanding? Maybe he's just confused about what's going on. He might actually be intelligent enough to reason with," Heatwave suggested, wanting to provide some helpful insight.
"Perhaps, he has some intelligence, but after that display I'm left wondering. But, enough of that. You there," he pointed to a pony assistant. "Send word to the community about what we have discovered. Also, schedule a date for an exhibition so that we can show the world our findings."
"Professor I don't think that is a good idea," Heatwave said unsuredly looking at the creature's face.
"Nonsense, its all for the sake of knowledge. Surely you do understand its significance," Professor Oat explained before leaving the room.
"This is not going to go well is it?" Heatwave asked nopony in particular.
In a quiet town, in the midst of an early morning, the restful sounds of sleep could be heard. All of the town's citizens were enjoying the night's ability to induce slumber. It was a peaceful place with not nary a sound to be heard. Or at least that would have been the case if not for the repetitive noise coming from a tree. Further inspection reveals that the tree had a library built into its center. It was inside this library, that hoof-steps could be heard. Their owner was pacing back and forth with anticipation. A few seconds later, the pony bounded up her steps and entered her room. She walked over to the foot of her bed where a small bed lay. Inside the bed was a creature wrapped up snugly in its blanket sleeping contently.
"Spike, Spike! Wake up! You have got to hear this!" the purple pony yelled excitedly. The bundle in the small bed moaned before simply turning over; ignoring the calls.
"Oooh, this is so amazing! I can't believe they discovered something so incredible!" she said using her magic to lift the sleeping dragon out of his bed. Now without his protection from the evils' of consciousness, Spike had no choice but to wake up.
"Who is 'they'? And what did they find that was so incredible, Twilight?" he asked sleepily, trying to clear his eyes.
"They are only the Institute of Science and Magic, Arvaud, one of the most prestigous schools in all of Equestria!" she said. "Get this, they actually found a prehistoric creature and brought it back to life! Can you imagine the implications? The Endless Possibilities? Oh I'm so excited!" she explained, bouncing around the room like a little filly.
"I can tell," Spike deadpanned. "So... is there anything else you want to tell me?" he asked curious to what else Twilight had on her mind.
"Nope; nothing at all honestly," she replied smiling cheerfully, destroying Spikes curiosity in one fell swoop.
Spike's demeanor took a nosedive at the turn of events. "You woke me up at 4 a.m. to tell me this?" he started slowly.
"Yes."
"When you could have waited until later; when everypony is awake?" he continued, staring at her heatedly.
"Well, yeah actually," Twilight responded sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head. She had just realized what she did to her assistant , due to her apparent lack of control over her emotions.
An uneasy silence saturated the air.
...
...
"I'm going back to bed, Twilight." Not waiting for a reply, Spike stood up and calmly grabbed his blanket before walking over to his bed. He fluffed his pillow and simply fell over in the bed wrapping his blanket around himself. He was soon fast asleep within moments.
Twilight slowly backed out of the room and went back downstairs. She would leave Spike alone and try to contain her excitement for his sake. But it would be challenging as thoughts of possibly learning more information about the creature was keeping her hyped.
Many weeks passed by as researchers came in to take notes and run tests on me. Seeing as how they didn't try to speak to me, they must have deemed me a wild animal or something. They took samples without my permission and kept me away from my clothing. It was humiliating sitting there naked whilst they stared and gathered information. They fed me salads that was for the most part normal except for the hay and flowers they seem to add in. I was also given baths and I swear those nurses were enjoying themselves a little too much. Their hooves always seemed to 'slip' somehow and reach places that should remain anonymous. The nurses would then giggle about it if I reacted in any negative way. The fiends!
The scientists and researchers would get together and casually converse as if I wasn't there. To them I was just a study, an animal not capable of understanding them. If only they knew. I was half tempted to prove them wrong but I wasn't going to start speaking. They may end up doing something worse than what's happening now. I'll just have to be patient and observe.
I started to get a slight handle on their language. I still couldn't properly understand it but I did pick up some clues. I would pick out certain phrases like 'tasty eating sandwich' or 'sleeping tonight good' and comprehend it as 'eating tasty sandwich' and sleeping good tonight'. It was going to be awhile before I could communicate but that's another issue to be solved later.
From what I've gathered they seemed to be preparing for a trip or something. The last few days were hectic to say the least. Boxes upon boxes of scientific equipment were packed leaving rooms nearly bare. I kept hearing the word 'creature' being brought up in most conversation involving this trip. They were probably going to parade me around or showcase me as some trophy or pet. Well sadly for them, they aren't going to get their achievements. While they prepared for their plan, I was figuring out their schedule for sedating me. A nurse normally comes in three times a day to inject me with the medication. The stuff was pretty strong, as it knocks me out cold, making it easy to deal with me. But luckily, I discovered that some of the injections given were weak.
It turns out the nurse that normally gives me the shot wasn't able to come in the last four days; so a new inexperienced one replaced her. This new nurse still didn't administer the correct dosage earlier today and now I'm awake. A simply mistake that was easily fixable. Too bad. If everything goes perfectly, I wasn't going to be here anymore, at least that was the idea. My plan was set. All I needed was a chance to escape, one more slip up. The researchers will probably be upset with the nurse after this is over. It wasn't even really all that big of a mistake, but it would prove to be a costly one.
The door to the room opened with an audible click. The nurse for the night walked into the room, timidly poking her head in.
And here she comes now......
The nurse quietly tip toed her way to the cage. She had a syringe filled with sedative floating in her magic. All she had to do was give the creature a shot in the neck and her job would be over. Simple and quick; just the way she preferred it. To her dismay, the creature was at the very back of the cage. The little light provided by the dim lamps wasn't enough for her to see the creature's neck. If she attempted to move the creature with her magic; it may awaken and she didn't want that. She couldn't chance sticking the creature blindly for fear of hurting or awakening him. Resigning herself and against her better judgement, she took a key out her bag and unlocked the door to the cage. She closed it behind her before walking closer to the sleeping creature ready to give him the special treatment.
Yes.
That's it.
Good girl.
Just.. like... that.....
She was getting closer. Only a few more steps before she was within range. Once she was close enough; I acted. My hand quickly shot forward and grabbed her muzzle as her eyes grew wide with shock. I then used my other hand to grab the floating syringe from the air. Before she could even resist, I tossed my legs around her to try and prevent her from escaping. I could see the fear evident in her eyes. I didn't like doing this but I had a mission to complete.
"Sorry," I whispered softly into her ear.
With her temporarily subdued, I took the syringe and injected her with it.
The nurse became frantic as she tried to knock me off. She ended up slamming me into the cage door in her desperate bid for freedom. Darn it! The noise was sure to attract attention. I can only hold on, hope no one would notice, and wait for the fast acting sedative to work its magic.
In the room next door, was a group of ponies playing a card game. Looking closely reaveals that it was a security room and the ponies were playing a game of 'Go Wish.' Their game was interrupted when thrashing could be heard from the Professors' study.
"What's with all that racket?" one of the guards asked.
"Don't worry about it; I know what to to do," another replied before standing up and leaving the room. He walked to the room next door and peered in. He couldn't see in the cage from outside and the door was locked. Thinking it was the creature again, he banged on the door with his hoof to quiet the rambunctious creature.
"Shut up in there, will ya?"
Someone did hear and it scared me half to death. But to my luck, they didn't come in; I guess they had assumed I was just being noisy and left. Marvelous. Even better, the sedative seems to be working. She finally quieted down and stopped thrashing about. Her eyelids closed as her breaths were light, meaning she was in a restful sleep. I checked her heartbeat to make sure I didn't overdose her. Don't want to kill unnecessarily if I can prevent it. Everything checked out fine, so I searched her bags to find the key and let myself out.
It felt great to be able to walk upright without the cage to constrict me or the threat of darts sticking me. Come on, focus Carl. I needed to make sure that I have the most amount of time for escaping. So I found rubber tubing in one of the cabinets and I bound the nurses legs together. I also took a cloth and bound her mouth close. Didn't want her to suddenly wake up and sound the alarm. I did make sure she would still be able to breathe this way before doing this. I then took the blanket they gave me to cover her up and locked the cage behind me.
With that loose end tied up, I needed to find my stuff. I heard earlier in my stay here, that they originally found me with my clothes on before stripping of them. Chances are they must be around here somewhere. Perhaps in the storage room down the hall.
I eased my way out the door and quietly made it there, dodging the miscellaneous clutter that filled the halls. To my surprise, the door wasn't locked. I entered as quietly as possible and carefully shut the door behind me.
The room wasn't much to look at. A simple supply closet with shelves of extra supplies and books. A couple of counters with sinks and tables with items haphazardly thrown about. Anything that may have been interesting was most likely taken down; in preparation for the festivities.
I began looking for my clothing in the stacks of boxes. Five minutes later, and I was nearly about to give up before I spotted them. There in a corner hanging up by clothes pins, laid my belongings. Eager to be clothed, I quickly grabbed them. I notice that none of my clothes had any dirt or grime on them. They must have washed them; judging by the fresh cherry scent emanating from them. I put my clothes on relishing the feel of being clothed again. My black shirt and dark green cargo pants looked rather nicely in my opinion. Thank goodness I chose dark colors for my winter apparel; it will make for excellent camouflage. I couldn't find my jacket, so I assume they had it else where; studying it or it was destroyed. It wasn't much of a loss; seeing as it's bright, red color was easily recognizable. My boots were also there and I put them on as well.
I was nearly ready to vacate the premises but decided to see what I could scavenge. I took a brief moment to go around the room grabbing a box of matches, some string, and canteen. It was all I could fit in my pockets in the alloted time. I had what I wanted and proceeded to leave, heading towards the door.
Just as I was began opening the door, a light shown from the down hall; getting brighter with every second. Someone was coming. Were they already on to me? I quickly shut the door before plopping my back against the wall next to the door frame. A guard made it to the door a moment later and shined his headlight(?) through; checking for intruders. When nothing was found suspicious, he left.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I couldn't just walk out there or I'd be spotted. I needed some type of cover but there wasn't much in the room to use. My eye did catch something in a corner though. There was a large box that had some strange fruit in it. It would just fit over me if I crouched. It even had a few holes to see out of. I didn't have a lot of time to come up with a better idea, so I emptied the box of its contents; crouched low and covered myself with it. No way was this going to work but I had to try something.
I opened the door and slowly tiptoed passed the guard station setting the box down if I thought they were listening or watching. They didn't seem to even notice my presence; they were too wrapped up in their game to keep a watchful eye out. I couldn't believe this was actually working. As ridiculous as it was, none of them were the wiser. With all the clutter littering the halls, it provided me a safe haven to sneak by unopposed. At least until I knocked a can over. It clanged to the floor painfully in the once quiet halls. To my dismay, there was a patrol nearby and one of the guards stopped. He was looking in my direction with a suspicious look on his face.
'Crud, he heard me!'
"Hey did you hear that?" one of the patrolling guards spoke.
"Hear what?" asked the other pony.
"I thought I heard a disturbance down the hall," the bronze colored guard replied. "I'll go check it out."
"Oh come on! You know nothing ever happens around here," his words were unheeded as the teal colored pony watched his co-worker walk to the end of the hall. Annoyed, he followed, just to see what this 'disturbance' was. The bronze guard arrived at the spot he heard the noise from, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The hallway had statues, crates, wagons, palettes and all sorts of random items. Probably in preparation to transport the creature to the new site.
He was getting ready to leave but his eyes caught something peculiar about the scene.
"Hmm? What's this?"
There was a lone box that wasn't with the rest of the junk. It was fleshed against the wall; just lying there. He went up to the box, intent on checking it out but his partner called out to him.
"Will you come on?!" the other guard said annoyed. "We are late on are rounds as it is; what could you have possibly found that needs your 'immediate attention?" he complained.
Hearing his partner's whining, the bronze guard turned and left to reunite with him at the other end of the hall.
"I thought I found something strange," he started to explain. "But it was nothing important."
"It's just a box."
My heart nearly stopped when he approached the box to investigate. He was close; so dangerously close to discovering me. Thankfully he left me alone and I took this moment to calm my pounding heart. I watched them meet up and walk down another hall. Once I was certain they were a fair distance away, I continued onwards to an open window just up ahead. Once there, I shed my disguise and leapt up to the window and climbed out; dropping to the ground.
So far, so good.
Outside wasn't all that impressive. There were shrubs and street lights lining paved pathways between buildings. A few trees dotted the landscape bringing forth a more natural feel. I scanned the area and didn't see anyone around. Patrols didn't seem to be out either which was a good thing. I could see in the distance a forest not to far from my current location. It shouldn't be to difficult to make it there. All that was between me and freedom was a few dozen yards to the forest. Easy. With that thought in mind, I ran towards the tree line thinking I was home free. Or at least, until I staggered and fell stopping near the edge of a sheer drop. I almost went over the edge!
Looking down, all I could see was a large lake of water hundreds of feet down, surrounding the place. This entire facility was perched high up on a rock formation in the middle of a caldera. There where other areas I need to check, surely there must be a safe way down. Looking around, I could see that the areas I neglected to look at had large connecting rivers, funneling towards the facility; falling off the edge. They ended up combining to form waterfalls that were pouring thousands upon thousands of gallons of water filling the massive lake. The water spray was amazingly thick enough to imitate the look of clouds near the cliff faces.
Looking down near the cliff, a channel could be seen between two waterfalls as an outlet to the overflowing amounts of water. I could see stone walls that guided the water through the cliff possibly to the other side. This meant that there might possibly be boat travel. I looked down the base of the facility to find my hunch was correct. There was a dock down below that held numerous boats that I could use to escape. But I had no way of getting there. I'm not jumping and getting myself killed. Nor was I going to go back in that place to try to find my way down. This was a difficult situation. I was literally trapped between a rock and a wet place.
Not good.
I needed some way off this place before I run out of time. As if to answer my plea, I heard the flapping of wings overhead as a trio of pegasi, carrying a large container, landed behind one of the buildings. Curious as to why they would be flying at this hour when no one else was out, I followed them. I watched as they landed, detaching themselves from the container and opening it up. They separated and entered the buildings before coming out with large bags of trash. I continued to watch them collecting bags of trash and tossing it in a large trailer. Were they going to take it away? If that's the case, then.......
Well, they say flying is the only way to travel, but I don't think they meant it like this.
I had snuck behind them and dove into their container covering myself with bags of trash. Thankfully, it was only paper within the bags instead of food stuffs. They never knew I was there and when they carried me away from the facility. Once we land somewhere I'll jump out and find a place to hide. Then I'll think on what to do next. Laying back, I simply tried to relax and listen to the sounds coming from outside enjoying the peaceful ride. It was great listening to the sounds of birds chirping, the wingbeats of the pegasi, and....... thunder?
I could hear a storm in the distance and the winds pick up in intensity. The two pegasi must of had some problems with turbulence as my ride was starting to whip around wildly. This continued for another minute, becoming increasing violent, before the hatch unexpectedly opened tossing me out. My shock didn't give me a chance to scream, as I fell out of the trailer. They must have been flying low as I approached the ground much to quickly. I ended up landing on the trees breaking branches and scattering leaves along the way. I finally hit the ground with a soft thud. The combination of tree branches and dense leafy shrubs were what possibly spared my life. The traumatic experience was too much for me and I lost consciousness soon after.
I awoke to golden sunlight streaming in my face, bringing warmth and hope into my being. My muscles were aching and tense but otherwise fine. I had a few scratches; that would heal up quickly so they weren't nothing to fret about. All in all, I was in good health. Getting my legs up under me, I attempted to stand only to fall back down. i couldn't remember what I was doing outside. The last thing I remember was.....
The events of last night suddenly played in my mind as I finally stood up.
I had done it.
I escaped and am now free to do whatever I wish. I wasn't going to be a pet, or some unicorn's experimental lab rat, or worse yet a slave. All this good news was putting me in high spirits; nothing could ruin my euphoria. Man, the only thing that would make this better is if had a nice, steaming hot, pepperoni pizza. A tall glass of Dr. Pepper wouldn't be bad either, I just.....Oh......
I seemed to have made a miscalculation in my successful escape attempt. In my haste, I forgot to take any useful items along with me. Granted, I couldn't take much with me to begin with; but it still was something I should have considered more. No food, water, or even basic tools to do anything with. Luckily, I had the foresight to at least grab one of the empty containers lying on one of the tables. The transportation and storing of water wasn't going to be an issue; should a source become readily available.
I was alone, in a forest of some sort, with no idea where to go. Furthermore, I didn't even know what to expect out here. This place could have untold horrors, hidden in its thick, encompassing foliage. Creatures of unknown origins might simply be waiting, watching, biding their time for some unsuspecting creature to foolishly enter its domain.
Perhaps, accessing my memory banks will prove fruitful. After all those years of studying geography and landforms in school, one would think that something useful could be obtained from that experience. Thinking back, I tried to sort through all the information ever garnered from the countless books and charts that I read through. Topography, meandering streams, localized deforestation, roiling hills, plate tectonics all topics that are interesting but not currently needed. Come on! There's got to be something I can remember that can help in this situation.
Several minutes went by with nothing helpful gained from this exercise. With it getting darker by the second, anything that could help would be useless anyway. Can't really gather much information when everything will soon be covered by a veil of darkness. What was that old saying? Nothing ventured; nothing gained. Ha! Well nothing was gained from this venture, so what now? With a defeated sigh, I gave up searching for answers.
'No data found.'
Glancing around my area, the silhouettes of trees were barely visible. The large shrubs and overhanging vines were casting shadows that quickly disappeared as darkness set in.
'Location unknown.'
All that could be heard were the rustling of trees in my current position. A loud screech suddenly could be heard echoing in the distance, signaling that the night life was now active.
Canterlot. The capital city of Equestria; a place of beauty and majesty perched high above the land. From a distance it would appear to be a floating city but was actually built into the side of a mountain. It housed sophisticated architecturally designed buildings crafted by the hooves of some of the most talented artisans. Streets carefully constructed with brick, placed painfully precise in proximity to each other, given the illusion of perfect symmetry. Lights accompanied the streets, glowing with a cool hue of color to illuminate the way. Shops and stores would soon give rise to commerce in the coming morning but for now a peaceful calm rested over the city.
However there was more to this serene citadel than meets the eyes. For towering above all other buildings was a structure unlike any other there. A castle fit to house royalty stood tall bringing forth a powerful presence to the city. Like the other structures within the city, it too was beautifully crafted but with a touch of finesse to make this a true masterpiece unlike any other. During the day, it is as lively as the city it resides in. In the night, dreams delight; for the calm it emulates will have you wishing you were sleeping there.
Entering the quiet halls of the inner sanctum was Princess Luna. While she was crafting her masterpiece of the night, one of her shadow guards brought her a letter. It was an invitation to witness the unveiling of a scientific discovery made by Arvaud. The details were a bit vague but the premise was that they had a live specimen from prehistoric times here in Equestria.
“Sister, have thy inquired the news?“ Luna asked as she gracefully entered her sister’s chambers.
Hearing a voice, Celestia began to stir. She started getting up and lazily rubbed at her eyes before turning to see Luna standing there.
Celestia yawned briefly before replying, “Hm? News? What have you found interesting this late at night?” she asked trying to wake up fully.
“We have found something most intriguing given to us by notice from Arvaud. It is positively most delightful news. We are pleased to receive such-"
“Luna,” Celestia tittered softly, interrupting her. “You’re doing it again.”
“What are we doing aga- oh shoot! We thought…erm.. I thought I was rid of that affliction.” She said upset, cheeks becoming red with embarrassment. It had been quite some time since she last regressed back into using the royal voice. Her new friends had helped her with the problem but it still came up when she was in the presence of others or when she was excited.
Chuckling softly Celestia responded, “ Don’t worry about it, Luna. You’ve done remarkable well adjusting for such a short time.” Smiling at her little sister she continued, “Now tell me again about what you’ve found.”
Gathering herself, Luna shook off her embarrassment and showed her the letter. “This letter was supposed to arrive earlier today but the mailponies had a bit of trouble at their office. Something about muffins or the like,” she said. “But enough of that, Arvaud is hosting an exhibition of a prehistoric creature they found just recently.”
“A prehistoric creature?" Celestia parroted. “We’ve attended many of these exhibitions in the past. What could be so special about this particular event?“ she asked confused. She was reading through the letter to find more information about this creature. If it was enough to get Luna energized it must be either something worthwhile or she was exaggerating its significance.
“Dear sister you doubt my findings?” Luna asked with a fake pout. “I thought you of all ponies would listen for a chance for entertainment.”
Roiling her eyes, Celestia ignored the jab, “Alright, I’ve read the letter and I still don’t understand what’s got you-“
“It’s alive.”
“What?” Celestia asked, raising a thin eyebrow in intrigue, urging her to continue.
“It’s alive, as in a living, breathing, moving life form that’s here in Equestria.”
If Celestia wasn’t awake before she was now. Something of this magnitude deserved her full attention. If this was true then this meant they had direct access to a time before Equestria’s founding. The information gained from the creature could be used to enhance or even improve pony’s understanding of the world.
“Perhaps, we should look into this a bit more,” she started, plans already being formulated within her mind. “This is very interesting indeed; perhaps a private session with the creature is in order.”
“Private session? Sister you don’t mean anything like That do you?” Luna asked innocently, with curious, inquiring eyes.
Catching on to what she was referring to Celestia quickly answered back. “Luna, how could you think of something so depraved?” she chastised. “You know I don’t do things like that.”
“That’s not what you said at Cottonale eleven centuries ago.”
“Luna…"
“Then there was that thing in Hoofington not to long ago….” She continued.
“Luna, I’m warning you…”
“Let’s not forget the fun times at Los Pegasus….” She finished cheekily, waggling her eyebrows in a knowing fashion.
“Luna, we’ve spoke of this. We both agreed not to mention those events ever!”
Laughing uproariously Luna responded, “Sister you are much too fun to mess with.” Ducking as a pillow flew overhead, she quickly made her escape out the door. She didn’t dare stay or lest she incur her sister's feathery wrath.
Celestia chased her sister out the door intending on enacting justice to the little imp. Unfortunately for her, she was dealing with the princess of the night and using that to her advantage Luna was able to slip by easily. What was worse was the fact she knew she had the advantage. Mad cackles could be heard throughout the corridor as Luna playfully retreated into the dark.
“Luna, get back here! Luna!!”
Carl was not having a good time.
The night was absolutely horrible. It was bad enough that he had to endure all the experiments and embarrassing situations when he was still captive, but now free, he would be subjected to this world’s dangers. In addition to that, it was almost guaranteed that they would eventually come looking for him. Every chirp from the crickets to the croaks from tree frogs had him on edge. Small forest animals were shuffling around on the ground making the leaves crunch. The bushes to his left shook and he almost jumped out his skin in fright. There was no telling what dangerous, nocturnal creatures were out here in the forest. All he knew was that day couldn’t come fast enough. He had no weapons to protect himself with nor any light source to aide his sight. He had matches but he would have to leave the (barely) safe place of an indented tree trunk to collect wood. It would be pointless seeing as how he needed the light provided by the burning wood he was seeking to collect. A few hours later day finally arrived; and not to soon either as he was nearly at his wits end.
“Thank you Sunny D, come to me! Let me profess my love to thee!”
The sun finally came up and saved me from going completely insane. The light emitted from the star was a bit bright for the morning but it was being filtered by the leaves so it wasn’t a bother to me. Hopefully, I won’t ever have to go through another night like that again. I was and still am completely unprepared for surviving out here. No food, shelter, water, or tools to work with. Basic survival dictates that those criteria must be fulfilled. But how do I accomplish such a thing?
I got out of my temporary shelter and looked around the area. There were trees everywhere which was to be expected of a forest. Thick bushes, entangling vines, and sharp shrubs were also scattered about the landscape, making possible travel slow and harsh. I would need a machete to cut through this stuff. The chances of finding something convenient like that here is nil.
Frustrated, I walked to a tree and lightly punched it with my fists. I don’t know why I was doing this, maybe to vent some steam perhaps. But, it wasn’t like beating on a tree with your fist would magically produce wood or tools to use. Life would never allow something so simple and easy to happen. So in the end it was rather pointless to do so. Sigh. Well, I have to find water so there’s nothing l can do but hoof it.
Picking a random direction, I carefully parted the bushes and entered the thicket. It was unnerving being swallowed up by the forest but I had little choice. My options were either stay here and risk capture, death, and insanity or leave risking death, capture, or insanity. Good choices, right?
No matter how I flipped it, something was going to happen to me. Might as well go for it and charge in tall, proud, and strong like a warrior. With that said, I did just that. There was nothing the forest could throw at me that could stop me now.
What was I thinking!? I must be an idiot to go charging through the forest like that. Now I’ve got whatever the heck this thing behind me is; chasing me. My foolhardy march had ended earlier than expected. No sooner than five minutes into the expedition, did the growls start which then quickly upgraded into roars of fury. I didn’t have any idea what was actually chasing me. All I knew was that I didn’t want to be where it is right now.
I’ve been running for awhile now and I’ve noticed that I’m not dead yet. What I mean to say is that normally I can only do a six minute thirty seconds mile before being exhausted. But incredibly I’ve been running full speed for about twenty minutes now and am now just starting to get tired. I would of thought on this subject a while longer but the smashing of tree limbs quickly derailed that train of thought. Escaping became my only concern. That and living, living is good too.
Phew. I dropped on back thoroughly exhausted. I had managed to escape my unknown foe or rather it gave up pursuing me. Whatever the case I’m safe, at least for now. I took a couple of minutes to recover my breath and began surveying the area. It was mostly still just trees and brush but to my luck I could see a small stream weaving its way through the forest. It was just beyond a wall of vines ready to be used. Amazingly the vines were tangled in such a way that I could easily get through. I quickly filled my canteen and then gorged myself on the sweet, savory taste of water.
Man that was fantastic; nothing more satisfying than taking a nice cool drink when you’re dying of thirst. I was about to fill it up again, when I heard a familiar sound. I at first didn’t really understand what it meant until I registered what it was. Those were wing beats. The sound made from the flapping of wings, large wings; something no known bird could produce. This could only mean one thing……
Pegasus ponies were patrolling the skies; looking for him. He just knew they must have caught on to his escape and were hunting him down.
I had chanced looking up for no apparent reason and saw a flock of them flying in my general direction.
Not good.
I was sure they had me, but to my surprise instead of flying lower they began flying higher. This was puzzling seeing as how their vision couldn’t of been that great from that height. Weren’t they trying to catch me?
Wait a minute.
What is that?
There, high in the sky were clouds. Oh but it wasn’t just your ordinary clouds. They were packed tightly together like any textbook cumulonimbus cloud. However, what was weird about it was its structure. It was shaped in a most unusual fashion. Normally, this type of cloud would simply be towering and expansive. But in this case the ‘tower’ of clouds was constructed in the likeness of actual towers. It even had large buildings and off-loading docks made from the fluffy stuff. Overall, it was very reminiscent of what a factory would look like.
A moment later I could see small clouds emerging from the towers and drifting slowly away. So, a factory in the sky made entirely of condensed water vapor was producing clouds… OK.
“So let’s recount the recent events and maybe I can figure out just what the heck is going on.”
“These ponies are colorful, soft, magical creatures that can manipulate clouds or use telekinetic powers. They also seem to have technology very similar to our own, albeit a bit outdated. At least, from what all I’ve seen thus far. Big bright eyes, large smiles, and those weird tattoos they have displayed on their hind quarters are also clues to note. “
Speaking about those tattoos what were they? I had seen them on every pony although they differed in appearance to each other. Are they some type of tribal affiliation or perhaps a sign of ranking in their society? Hmm. In the back of mind I know I’ve seen this sort of thing from somewhere, but where?
This was most puzzling unless ….. Ah that’s it! If I remember correctly there was a show on television that was quite popular. I’m sure they had many fans and I believe they even sold toys that girls and even some guys adored. It all makes sense now. Big eyed, adorable, colorful, creatures that have magic like powers, wings and the ability to build cloud factories in the sky, yep, I knew exactly what this reminded me of.
“This all must be some cheap knock off of the Care Bears!”
I was laughing to myself drunkenly. Even though the idea was absurd it was enough to bring me a good chuckle. Can you imagine? A world based on a kids cartoon show and I’m stuck on it. This would be comedic gold if it wasn’t such a sorry situation for me.
Well, I should probably look on the bright side; at least I don’t have to worry about these being actual ‘alien’ ponies. I would have been horrified to have suddenly found myself with a pony bursting out of my chest randomly. Hehe. Look, even rainbows are spilling out of the factory now. This is most definitely a Care Bear type of thing, nothing to panic about.
Amused for the time being, I continued onwards through the forest heading for my unknown destination.
The day had finally come for the world to bare witness to the return of a creature once lost in time. They would sedate the creature and prepare him for transport; a good start for the day by any stretch of the imagination. Or at least that was the plan, until a problem occurred that would complicate matters.
Professor Oat had just arrived on campus when one of the staff members quickly located him. He wasn’t able to even get his morning coffee or tulip roll before being dragged down the halls. When he asked what the rush was for, she almost took a tumble before increasing her already frantic pace. This made his concern shoot through the roof. What in Equestria happened? She was acting like it was the end of the world.
Something was definitely amiss because the moment they reached a heavily populated hallway everypony froze. Whatever caused this reaction must have had something to do with him. The once lively atmosphere was brought to a standstill the second he arrived; and sure enough, ponies were acting strangely the moment they laid eyes on him. This was made evident as some passed out while others trembled in fear. His mere presence was causing all of this?
Now he had fans and ponies that couldn’t contain themselves from meeting a pony of his stature before. But never had they had this strong of a reaction. It was as if he was the spawn of Discord himself by the way they were reacting. This wasn’t a time for theatrics it was a time of celebration. Just what the buck was going on?
They finally arrived at his office only to witness something that confused him even more. Guards were patrolling his office denying access to all unauthorized visitors. This was already strange enough as it is but then he noticed a few of his aides walking out from inside his office looking crestfallen, devastated even. When one decided to finally look up, he visibly blanked, face reminiscent of that of a ghost. He then quickly retreated to an adjacent room. Noticing his actions, this caused the others to look up as well repeat similar facial conditions and scurry away as well.
Confounded with this odd behavior, he turned to his escort to ask if she knew the situation, only to see her nowhere to be found. The telltale sounds of hooves thundering down the hall were his only indication of what occurred.
This was absurd. What the devil were these ponies doing? There was work to be done, files needed to be sorted, equipment prepped for transport and of course the creature properly taken care of.
“I’ve had enough of this sporadic behavior. Somepony is going to explain to me just what in Celestia’s name is going on!” he said with fury in his voice. This was completely ridiculous he wasn’t going to allow another pony to escape his questioning, on that he swore. With that thought in mind, he proceeded to walk towards his office intent on getting answers. The guards seeing his approach calmly stepped in front of his door blocking entry into the study.
“Just what do you think you are doing?” he asked with an incredulous voice.
“Nopony is allowed entry beyond this point besides the authorized ponies,” he stated in a gruff voice that gave no room for further discussion.
“What do you mean? This is MY office and who are you to deny me access?” He asked.
“I’ll say it again, slower, so you can understand,” he started. “You and anypony else are not allowed to enter,” he finished blandly.
Professor Oat was stunned. These guards had the audacity to deny Him access of all ponies. Surely they jest. This must be a misunderstanding of sorts; nopony in their right mind would deny him.
“My fine fellows,” he began slowly. “If I, Professor Grand Oat, the leading scientist in this entire facility nay this region of Equestia am not permitted to enter MY own office, them whom may I ask is?” he asked clearly steamed at the disrespect shown by these incompetent stallions.
This time it was the other guard who spoke, “The one who issued the orders has the final word in who can gain access. He alone has the authority to grant you your request otherwise we will maintain his instructions as dictated.”
“Then pray tell who exactly should I be speaking to? I want this matter over with as quickly as possible.”
“The one who issued the orders was a stallion going by the name of ‘Big Red’ whom took control of the situation and then notified us of his wishes.”
Big Red? Was that an alias for his name; the coward. I guess that means I’m dealing with a red stallion. But there wasn’t anypony like that in the school’s staff, at least nopony with the power to issue a directive like that. Who could possibly be foolish enough to gain temporary command? They would have to, at the bare minimum, receive special permission to have any hope of accomplishing this. Even then it was farfetched to conceivable maintain the role as any appropriate authority would soon replace him. But that issue could be solved later, who was the mysterious leader? The only red pony I know of is…
“HEEEAAAAATWAAAAAVEEEEE!!!!!!”
The call of a beast could be heard from outside the room signaling the coming terror.
Heatwave really didn’t want to be himself at that moment.
Earlier this morning he had a pony come and bang frantically on his dorm room door. Scared out of his sheets, he got out of bed and went to open his door. Immediately the pony behind the door grabbed and yanked him out of his room. Somepony was speaking but he couldn’t understand any of it. He was still a bit disorientated from his colt-handling. After a moment to clear his head, he tried to calm down the pony.
“Wait a minute, slow down and tell me what’s wrong,“ he commanded to the obviously upset pony.
“Heatwave, its just..awful!” she exclaimed. “One of our new recruits has been found in the creature’s cage.” she cried tears streaming down her face.
What was a nurse doing in the creature’s cage? There was frankly no reason to do anything like that. Vera knows exactly just how dangerous the creature could be. Why would she send a new recruit to deal with it?
Heatwave was confused.
He didn’t want to hurt himself in his confusion so he decided to get more information on the matter.
“Where’s Vera shouldn’t she be the one you notify about this?” He asked.
“That’s just it. Vera’s been on sick leave the last few days and nopony else could figure out their assignments.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. Vera is far too organized to not have made a schedule or some type of plan for situations like these.”
“Yes, but our duties changed with the upcoming preparations for the exhibition.” She explained. “She was supposed to reassign us but got too sick to come in the last few days.”
“Okay, I can understand that but it still doesn’t explain what a newbie was doing anywhere near the creature,” Heatwave stated. It just didn’t add up. Botched plans aside, what could possibly have occurred to not have a more experienced nurse take over? It’s common sense to have a chain of command. The professor lectured him thoroughly on the subject.
“Vera was teaching her about proper sedation with patients and was using the creature as an example.” Seeing the look of alarm on Heatwave’s face she quickly added, “But she was always there supervising the injections to make sure she did everything right.”
Heatwave calmed down and nodded his head. Vera was always one for a ‘hooves on approach’ to learning. That much was certain.
“Is she okay?” he asked concerned for the young mare.
“Yes, she was just knocked out thankfully and didn’t receive any other injuries.”
“Thank Luna for that! Glad she’s okay,” he said releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Well if that’s the case everything should be fine. There wasn’t really any reason to notify me since it didn’t involve anything with the creature,” he said. “Unless you couldn’t wait until morning to come talk to yours truly,” he added with a smirk on his face.
“Um…about the creature…” she said nervously.
“What? You had to drop him to save her? Don’t worry I’ll handle the old fossil. He won’t be a bother to you.”
“It’s not that. It’s just….how should I say this?” She was conflicted with herself, thinking of the best way to break the news to him.
“Go on, you can tell me. There is nothing you can tell me that will shake me. So go ahead and let me have it. I can take, I’m a stallion.”
“The creature’s gone.”
“Huh?"
“The creature has escaped and is running free somewhere!” She all but yelled in his face.
For a minute, Heatwave did nothing. He just sat there on his haunches staring off into space contemplating what he just heard. The nurse just told him that ancient creature of mystery had escaped and was running wild. On top of that the trip was scheduled for tomorrow. The professor would be here to oversee the operations, too. With all that in mind, Heatwave only had one response to the new information.
“Whaaaa……”
Sigh. Guess I have no choice but to face my impending doom.
“Let him in,” he commanded from inside the Professor’s study. Sooner than he had hoped, the professor barged in and quickly spotted me.
“Heatwave, I demand an explanation," he started with his voice low before gradually increasing his volume. “I’ve been dragged around campus, have been avoided by all ponies, and then denied access to My study so tell me what is going on here, NOW!!” he bellowed.
Oh great. The professor has already resorted to using his angry voice. This was going to be far more difficult to explain than previously conceived.I will have to try and calm him down a bit before I break the news to him, else I’m toast.
“Ok Professor, it goes something like this. You see the creature somehow found a way to-“
He was about to explain the situation before the door slammed open. There in the doorway stood Trippy Lights making his unwelcomed appearance to the scene.
“Hey Heatwave!” he called to his friend, head hanging down; trying to catch his breath from the long sprint. “Is it true the creature escaped? Dude, Teach is going to blow his top when he finds out,” he laughed. Not hearing a response from his bud, Trippy finally looked up only to see the professor standing right there next to him.
Heatwave facehoofed. This was the last thing he needed to have happen.
“Trippy, have I ever told you that you have terrible timing?" Heatwave asked through his hoof.
“Escaped?” the professor said slowly, almost testing out the word. “What do you mean escaped?”
“Look behind you Professor, the creature is no longer in his cage. He escaped sometime last night, where he is now I don’t know,” Heatwave explained cautiously.
The professor did as told and observed the cage. Sure enough, the creature was no longer there; gone without a trace. The professor slowly turned back around with an unreadable expression on his face.
The silence was suffocating as nothing was said in the room.
The professor then started growling angrily which was a sign of things to come.
“Trippy, evacuate the premises we can’t stay here any longer!” Heatwave yelled desperately. He quickly got to his hooves and made a beeline towards the door. Along the way he grabbed Trippy’s tail and pulled him out the door with him.
“He’s gonna blow!” Trippy exclaimed.
For a moment, there was silence. . .. … And then he exploded.
After his meltdown, the professor was able to calm himself enough to be approachable by his students.
“Okay, please tell me how this happened exactly,” he forced the words out as calmly as possible.
“Professor, it seems that one of the nurses wasn’t giving the correct dosages to the creature. That said its no wonder that it didn’t escape sooner.” Heatwave replied.
“So it was one of the nurses, eh?” he asked a glint in his eye. “Where is she?”
“She’s in the infirmary. Why do you ask?”
…
“Professor, where are you going?"
“To the infirmary of course, where else am I going to find information?”
“What are you going to do?” Heatwave asked cautiously.
“I was going to ask her a few questions, nothing more.”
“You’re going to interrogate her?!” Heatwave asked incredibly. “She’s the victim in this! She’s had a rough time as it is and now you’re going to do something like this?!”
”I need answers and she was the only one there at the scene of the incident.”
“Professor, if you would just calm down I can tell you exactly what happened,” Heatwave said hoping his teacher would listen to reason.
“You were there as well?” he asked.
“No, I wasn’t, but I have her report statement right here and it lists everything that occurred last night.”
“Well don’t just stand there lad, speak.”
“I already told you about the dosage issue, so you don’t need a repeat of that.” Heatwave said turning the page with his hoof before finding what he was looking for. “It says right here that she had to enter the creature’s cage to administer the drug correctly or fear possibly harming the creature,” he stated. “It also says that the creature had laid a trap for her and injected her with the sedative, knocking her out cold, before exiting the cage,” he added. “She was then found tied up in his cage so he had to have had the thought process to meticulously cover up his tracks by tying up the nurse; insuring his successful escape,” he finished.
Placing the report back down, Heatwave turned to his stunned teacher. “Professor, I know this may sound ridiculous but the facts are the facts. This creature is far more intelligent than we gave him credit for.”
…
“Professor, you’re not saying anything.”
…
“Professor?”
…
“Would this be a bad time to say ‘I told you so’?” Heatwave asked innocently.
If looks could kill somepony would be six feet under. Teeth gritted the professor was struggling to hold himself in check but was failing miserably.
Seeing this, Heatwave reacted quickly. He didn’t know it yet but it was one of the best made decisions of his life. He fled for cover hoping to survive the inevitable conclusion to the situation and not a moment too soon either. For just as Heatwave made a dash for safety, the professor let loose all his anger.
. .. ...
And then he exploded…….
Again.
Let it be known that one of Equestria’s greatest mysteries was solved this day. The mystery in actuality was really a myth; a myth on the possibility of combustion and its inherent properties. A question was then spawned from this interesting phenomenon. This single question has stumped many a pony and one dragon of its validity. Even scholar’s had no answer to this intriguing problem. But worry not young ones, for today marks a time for celebration as the answer was made apparent for all to enjoy. Finally after years of speculation, the truth is revealed. Rejoice as the question that was posed so long ago has been answered. The age old myth was no longer a mystery as it was proven that you can indeed explode...
“This place just keeps getting stranger and stranger.”
I was continuing my journey through the forest; being mindful not to disturb the environment too much. I didn’t want to clue in my would-be pursuers to my direction of travel, nor did I want any more potential predators on my tail. It was a couple hours after my discovery the cloud factory, that I had noticed something peculiar about the forest. It wasn’t my current location that was the issue; rather it was the area up ahead that was the concern.
The area in question was interesting to say the least. The forest slowly becomes more condensed the further you progress. Tall, slender, healthy looking trees soon became twisted, decrepit pieces of forestry commonly found in horror stories. Firm, fertile land gave way to spongy ground barely able to handle the weight of the trees; let alone passing creatures. A faint but distinct scent of decay wafts in the air; most likely that of decomposing plant matter. The canopy was so dense that it almost completely blocked out the sun. What little light that made it through was further filtered by the sheer number of intersecting branches; casting a depressing gloom upon the ground. This was quite honestly surprising; seeing as the appearance and very nature of decay would suggest otherwise. Trees on the verge of death, yet alive enough to produce healthy living leaves?
But that was not all to this rather dreary place; oh no. The complete lack of sound was as big a warning signal as anything else. I couldn’t hear anything coming from it all. It was far too quiet to be natural as most normal places would have some manner of sound. It was as if it was devoid of life, which was in stark contrast to the obviously alive trees it held.
To test my theory, I looked around on the ground in front of me for a stone. Finding one quickly, I tossed it at a large bush. To my dismay, the results of this experiment confirmed my suspicions. The tell-tale sound of leaves rustling was absent as the stone made contact with the leaves. This meant that if I were to continue on through my sense of hearing will be lost. Not something I would be happy to give up. I will need all five senses and maybe a few more if I want to make it back home alive. Being handicapped in this fashion would only increase the level of danger that is already quite high to begin with. To put it simply, this place was bad. I don’t like bad.
I was not very fond of risky endeavors and decided to pursue a different direction of travel. But which way should I go? I could go left, but that leads to an open prairie. I had already nearly made the mistake of leaving the cover of the forest once so that was out of the question. To my right, a good twenty minutes walk away, was a large, fast moving river that quickly became intense rapids further down. Again it was open for all to see, something I didn’t need. Fast moving river plus no swimming ability plus sharp, pointy rocks equals one dead Carl. Well I could always go back the way I came. Back into the safety and loving arms of my very best friends; the ponies.
…
Yeah. Not happening.
So what do I do now? I don’t have all the time in the world to sit and think. I’m hungry, tired and the sun will be setting soon. Even if all the paths are undesirable, a decision must be made. Easier said than done as no matter which way I go, I was liable to have something catastrophic happen to me. But what was the correct action to take? What?
I didn’t have to wait long for an answer. A loud roar blasted through the trees, steadily getting closer with each passing second. I thought I had lost my hunter ages ago; but apparently the thing actual tracked me down! My choice was made rather quickly; courtesy of my friendly neighborhood predator. I ran directly into the ‘dead’ forest (as I decided to name it) and hid behind a tree. Peering over from behind the trunk, I could see a large beast covered in vegetation. I wasn’t able to discern its species, but I did know was that it was fairly large; nearly double my size. And to rub salt into the wound, the blasted thing was patrolling the perimeter of the ‘dead’ zone locking me inside. I couldn’t escape and the beast seemed to understand that by keeping a watchful eye toward my hiding place.
Well that settles it, this place sucks.
“Sister, art thou prepared for departure?” Luna asked, turning her attention towards the entrance of the royal flight deck.
“We’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the festivities. There is no need to rush, Luna,” Celestia replied, before exiting out onto the deck.
“We- I know that but it is hard for me to be patient. You know that I hardly get to attend most special events,” Luna responded.
Celestia sighed to herself as she looked at her sister, “I know Luna. I’ve seen how hard it’s been for you having to adjust so quickly to modern times. “
“Not to mention most of said events occur during the day,” she pouted.
“Come now Luna, don’t fret. There are plenty of interesting things that happen at night.”
“Oh? What do you suggest sister?” Luna looked squarely into her sister’s eyes. “Besides Nightmare Night and the occasional party, what other nightly activities can a pony attend?” She asked challenging her sister for an answer.
Celestia was at a loss of what to do. She didn’t have anything on hoof to placate her sister. There were other activities available for the night hours but most were just extension from the day. This wasn’t a position she thought she’d find herself in so quickly. An answer must be found or she’d risk possibly hurting Luna.
Seeing Celestia a bit slow to respond, probably thinking of an answer, Luna decided to simply drop the subject. “Let us not concern ourselves with that, we have time to discuss those matters later,” Luna said as she hopped into the chariot. She moved over onto her side leaving room for Celestia to get in. “Shall we go and attend this viewing?”
“Yes, lets.”
Following her lead, Celestia also climbed into the chariot, taking a seat beside her. After all initial safety checks were completed by the guards, they were ready to depart. They were just about to take off when the flight deck’s doors flew open. A nearly out of breath, Earth pony stood at its opening; eyes determined to accomplish his goal. He was one of Celestia’s fastest messenger ponies used to send messages from long distances.
“Your Majesties, We have an urgent situation that needs your attention!” He called out to them, before quickly closing the distance between them.
Surprised at sudden interruption, the sisters quickly leapt out of the chariot and met the messenger. Whatever the situation was, they would handle it as they always have; calm and thoughtful, befitting that of benevolent rulers.
“What happened, Nitrus?”
“Your highness, a code four emergency was issued from the southern region. “
The sisters were somewhat alarmed at this new information. Years ago, with the help of some of their most trusted advisors, they developed a system of indicating a situations threat level. The scale was measured in numerical units, one being the lowest and six being the highest. A code four emergency was nothing to take lightly and needed to be handled with care. Celestia was the first to speak, “Where exactly was this message received from?”
“Arvaud.”
“What!? Explain.”
“They had just started final preparations for departure when an accident occurred. Or rather an accident had occurred.”
“What exactly do you mean?” Luna asked speaking for the first time.
The Pegasus looked a little uncomfortable before finally answering, “The creature they were meant to showcase escaped capture sometime last night. Nopony was hurt but one nurse was rendered unconscious as a result.”
The sisters were shocked at the recent turn of events. The creature had escaped and was running wild in Equestria. There was no telling the untold amount of havoc it could cause. While it didn’t harm a single pony, there was still a chance it could lash out violently if left alone. That was a rather unsettling possibility to have happen.
“Your highness,” Nitrus interrupted. “Arvaud is requesting immediate assistance in re-capturing the creature and await your response,” he finished looking expectantly to his rulers.
After a moment of consideration, Celestia made her decision. If the safety of ponies were in question she would do what is best for her subjects.
“Tell them that their request is granted.”
I take back what I said this place doesn’t suck; it really sucks.
The sun was setting and my way out was blocked by that creature. I had to keep an eye on it; lest it sneak up on me due to my decreased senses. I couldn’t stay there as night would eventually come and give it the advantage. So it was time for a change of pace. Against common sense, I decided to venture deeper into the forest hoping to find an alternate way out. I was doing alright by my standards until I walked across a patch of ground and fell into a pit.
Thankfully, it was made of the same soft, spongy material the forest floor was made out of. The only difference is that the dirt was dry instead of moist. Roots were jutting out the walls seeking a place to grab hold to. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a way to climb up out of here by using the roots. I was just about to get started when I noticed something.
What's this?
In the dirt nestled in between the exposed roots, was a barely recognizable metallic object. Curious as to what it was, I decided to further inspect. Wiping away the dirt, I was surprised to find it to be a container of some kind. It had a handle on it, so I began to try and pull it out. It wasn’t easy trying to free it but after a few minutes of tugging and pulling it came loose and fell to the ground. It wasn’t all that heavy but had enough weight to sink into the ground a bit. I took a moment to take a look at my discovery.
The outer shell of the box wasn’t all that impressive a sight. It was riddled with holes and rust stains which were expected given its resting place. The condition of it was so poor that I could see that another smaller box was held inside. I pulled apart the brittle shell case to examine the new container.
It was a black case made of a synthetic plastic with two latches inside of two holes keeping it closed. It was made in such a way that you needed to use your fingers in order to open it. The plastic the case was made out of wasn’t biodegradable seeing as it hadn’t become part of the soil. I was curious about the case’s contents so I stuck my fingers inside the holes and pulled on both latches. Because the forest disabled sound, I didn’t have much warning as the case let lose a cloud of vapor in my face startling me.
Once the case was finished venting, I was able to get a good look inside. The inside was padded with spongy material typically used for holding delicate valuables. However, the ‘valuables’ turned out to be nothing but a stack of newspapers sealed in clear plastic and a scroll of some kind with a ribbon tied around it. I ignored the stack of newspapers and decided to check out the scroll. What could be inside it? Secrets to using telekinesis? Ancient Fighting techniques? Or maybe, if I’m lucky, a way back home?
Excited by the possibilities, I quickly removed the ribbon and unfurled the scroll ready to absorb its knowledge. Surprisingly, it wasn’t written in a foreign language; which I found to be a little strange but didn’t care enough to question it. I quickly read the scroll only to become disappointed soon thereafter. It was a scroll of techniques alright. Massage techniques. ‘Great, just what I needed the ability to bring pleasure to another’s muscles. This is a great find, ‘I thought sarcastically. I was ready to toss the scroll away but my eye caught something written near the bottom; a phrase that read, ‘In darkness, knowledge shines brightest.’
What did that mean? Does it want me to put it in total darkness? Intrigued by the riddle, I grabbed the scroll and placed it in the hole the box came out of. What happened next was interesting, the scroll slowly grew darker and lines started appearing over the text. There was a diagram of the human body along with notes written beside specific points visible on the scroll. The title of this secret diagram was labeled ‘Hidden pressure points and muscle control.’
Well this was an interesting development. I had in my hands information that could prove very useful to me. It had clear instructions on techniques and their effects on the applicant. I could use these to make sure my muscles are in top physical condition. Or I might be able to modify it to be used against my captors. These ponies’ bodies, while obviously different, were somewhat similar enough in construction to mimic a human body’s movements so that might be a possibility.
Sitting the scroll down for now, I turned to read the newspapers that were lying there curious to find more information. I just skimmed a few topics not really giving any all that much attention.
The New York Times is happy to report that North Korea has joined the UEA as the last member. This is a glorious day in history as we enter a new era of peace the world has never seen before. See page 4 for more details.
North Korea is in good relations with us? When did that happen? UEA? I’ve never heard of such a thing. I continued to skim through the paper before setting it down and picking up a new one.
The GSP have succeeded in making space travel more affordable for countries to invest in. Innovations in spacecraft and engine designs have considerable reduce complications slowing development. One day soon, most likely within the decade, commercial space travel will be a real possibility ushering in new wonders for us to enjoy.
They started up the space program again? That’s a little odd, but not impossible. I’m assuming the U.N. most of decided to make a global consortium to make space exploration more of a focus. Having had enough of that, I grabbed the last newspaper to finish off the reading material.
It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that the end is upon us. Scientists have confirmed that an (SGR) or soft gamma repeater was detected in our galaxy. A magnetar has already flared and sadly, after thousands of years of good luck, the Earth's good fortune is gone. We are unfortunately directly in the path of the beam from a (GRB) Gamma-ray burst. The Earth should survive this encounter but all life will be destroyed and the atmosphere contaminated; eventually being lost to space. This will make the Earth uninhabitable for millions of years as the effects that the gamma rays will have on the planet are numerous and partially unknown.
This should also be the end of our planet, but advancements in technology have given us more accurate instruments and projection models that may suggest otherwise. A high c-fractional neutron star is approaching in from below the solar plane, and will smash into the sun ramming it out of the way. Two large brown dwarves have been detected from opposite ends of the galaxy approaching the center of our solar system at an incredible velocity. The initial collision should cause stellar ignition; forming a new sun. The blast from this violent event will scour the Earth razing the planets surface.
This particular process would take millions if not billions of years to happen which is time we don’t have. We have already lost contact with satellites Erim and Xeyh due to the high levels of radiation and by the time this paper is issued all other space transmissions will be impossible. Spend as much time as you can with your families and loved ones; for the year 2346 marks humanity end. I bid you all farewell…
Huh? What the heck is this?! This is something I only hear from in Science fiction. Why is it in a newspaper? It can’t be real because it’s only 2015. When was this newspaper issued? Better yet, why was it on this planet in the first place? It doesn’t make sense.
I decided to look at the paper more closely to see if I could find any details to help answer my questions. I couldn’t really find anything out of the ordinary. I grabbed each newspaper and checked its issue date. To my annoyance, each one had a future date posted plainly on its surface. This was stupid, why would anyone place eventful newspapers and an ancient scroll in a highly protective case? Then go through the trouble of burying it. I guess you say they wanted to save or protect it but that’s silly. The case wasn’t even truly locked so anyone could have opened it. It’s almost as if they want someone to eventually find it. The only reason I could think of is………
Wait.
This wasn’t some sort of secret treasure. It was a time capsule; something meant to preserve information for others in the future to discover. But if that’s the case why would this be on the alien planet? What on Earth is it doing here? Wait. What.. on… Earth?
Oh no.
The harsh truth was made disturbingly clear to me. This entire time I believed that I was abducted from my home, whisked away onto some unknown planet for whatever purpose. But that wasn’t the case at all. The truth was I never left. I was on Earth; home. As hard as it was to believe my species is extinct. They no longer exist after centuries of living and incredible accomplishments.
I dropped to my knees in despair as the horrifying realization set in.
They’re gone… Everyone….Just gone……
Tears were percolating in my eyes; threatening to fall for the first time in years.
I’m the only one left.
The pain of truth was too much as I let loose a scream of pure anguish for the world to hear. There was no response; nothing at all to vent or bring some level of comfort. My voice taken from me by a forest that was unrelenting and cruel. For it did not cater nor acquiesce to a being’s distress. It simply did as it always had and silenced the voice; just as it had others. Silence the one…Silence the many…. It did not discriminate. I was all there ever was and all that will ever be. I was destined to be the only survivor of a race lost in the throes of history; forever alone to be.
“Come on, Twilight will you give it a rest? You’ve been at this for hours.” Spike was annoyed. He and Twilight were supposed to meet up with their friends today for a picnic. Or at least that was the plan until more information from an Arvaud brochure took the forefront of her mind. She picked up the brochure nearly a week ago while shopping. It contained a set of show dates for the unveiling of the unknown prehistoric creature and Twilight the ever studious mare couldn’t resist learning more.
This lead to the current scenario of piles of books stacked twelve high, pamphlets of theories placed haphazardly on tables, clipboards suspended by magic, and one purple pony in the middle of it all.
This was a bad situation for Spike and he knew it. Trying to pry Twilight from her studies was like solving the mystery of the Pinkie sense. A lost cause. Sighing to himself, he continued to watch as the purple mare zipped from place to place reading books, writing notes, and checking off lists.
Briefly stopping at a pile of opened books Twilight finally responded. “I can’t stop now, Spike. There are far too many theories and hypothesis’ to go through.” She then continued to rummage through the piles of books before eventually deciding to move on.
“I understand that but do you have to do this today? Is it really that important that you have to obsess over it?” he asked. Not even bothering to look up she answered. “To the first question: Why not today? To the second: What exactly do you mean obsessed?”
“Twilight, as I’ve said before you have been at this for almost a month now. You’ve done nothing but study ever since you heard of ‘The Creature.” Spike made quotations in the air to signify his point. “And we have things we have to do today.”
“What could we possibly have to do that’s more important than preparing a basic informative expedition?” She asked.
Feeling exasperated Spike decided to clue her in. “Well Twilight, in case you have forgotten we are supposed to meet up with the others today.”
Twilight finally looked up. “I haven’t forgotten, its just that we don’t know the nature of the creature’s health. It may not actually be able to survive in our current environment. It could simply be at the end of its life or something else that nopony can predict could happen to it,” she explained. “That’s why I’m focused on getting together a system for proper analysis incase the Arvaud researchers miss something.” She finished but then added, “Besides the others know I like to be thorough with my work; everything will be fine.
Groaning in frustration Spike tried to reason with her. “Twi, part of the reason we are having a get together in the first place was to get you out of the library. The girls were a little concerned about you being cooped up in here so long that they decided to do something about it.”
Twilight shook her head; Spike didn’t understand the situation at all. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more of Equestria’s past. The chances of actually having a live, fully developed specimen were astronomically slim. You’d have a better chance of doing something impossible like creating a global, information sharing system that anypony could have access to.
“Spike, I appreciate the concern but you guys don’t really understand the gravity of the situation. I’ll try to explain it better to you, see the reason-“
A sudden knock at the door interrupted the conversation. Before either had a chance to answer, the door was slammed open revealing Rainbow Dash. “Hey guys what’s the big deal holding us up?”
She flew into the room and was going to say more but the condition of the room caught her attention. “Jeeze, what happened here? Decided to give up the stuffy, student life and become a mare of action, Twilight?” she smirked.
Rolling her eyes Twilight responded. “No Rainbow Dash, I was just pulling out some books for reference material.”
Spike hearing this had to interject. “Some? Some?! Twilight you basically dropped the entire collection on to the floor” he said in disbelief, placing his hand on his cheek.
Thinking Spike was just overreacting she brushed off his claim. “Don’t make this such a big deal, Spike. We’ll put the books back as we always have. Besides, we do an inventory check every month or so anyway."
“We’ll put them back she says, more like I will have to put them back,” he muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?”
“Hm? Me? I didn’t say anything, I ..uh.. was just deciding what to pack is all,” he answered nervously. “I’ll go start on that now.” He then slowly eased away before quickly making his way upstairs.
Glaring slightly at the retreating dragon, she ignored the quip and addressed her guest. “Anyway what’s up? I didn’t expect to see you over here this early?”
Taking that as her cue, Rainbow Dash landed and walked up to her. “Well we were waiting for you guys by the fountain, but you never showed up. So I came to see what was making you late.”
“Late? Rainbow I’m not late the picnic doesn’t start for another two hours.”
Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head unsurely. This wasn’t going to be easy. “Yeaaah. Twilight when was the last time you checked the time?”
“As a matter of fact I checked it this morning like I always do.”
“Was that before or after a manticore threw a party in here?”
“Now hold on-“
“Rainbow, honestly, must you go barging into pony’s home like that?” A voice called out from outside Twilight’s open door. Both mares looked into the opening to see Rarity entering with an annoyed look on her face.
“Rarity? What are you doing here?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, I was- Good Heavens! What happened to this place!” she said noticing the utter mess the lobby was in. She then realized that her friend still needed an explanation.
“Oh forgive me, Twilight, I was simply trying to understand the brashness of our friend here,” she said indicating to Rainbow Dash. “But seeing as she made it here before us, I’m sure she told you why we are here?”
Rainbow spoke up. “Hey, I said that I’ll check up on her and be back before you know it. You didn’t need to bring everypony.”
“Us? We? Everypony?” Twilight asked not quite understanding the conversation.
“Didn’t she tell you?” Rarity asked.
“I was going to before you interrupted me,” she stated and then grew a mischievous smile. “Pretty rude of you Rarity and pony’s say I’m bad.”
Rarity was taken aback by this and was about to offer a retort before yet another voice spoke up. “Leave it alone Rarity, that one is a mighty heap of trouble ta deal with.”
Yet another friend showed up through the door. This time it was Applejack followed by Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. They each quickly took notice of the library floor and had their own comments.
“Land sakes! What in tarnation happened in here?” Applejack wondered, confusion clear on her face.
“Why isn’t it obvious, Applejack? Twilight’s told me many times that she likes to dive into her books when reading and now she can swim in it!” Pinkie said cheerily. “Talk about taking the plunge, I didn’t think you had it in you.” She finished bouncing in place.
“Uh… Pinkie I don’t think that’s the case.” Fluttershy finally spoke. “I think she may be cleaning her shelves again or alphabetizing her books.”
Tired of the constant interruptions Twilight made herself known. “Guys what are you all doing here?! I thought we were going to meet at the fountain in a couple of hours?”
Stopping whatever discussions they were having, the girls looked to one another before Applejack stepped forth. “Uh… Twi? I hate to break it to ya, but you were late so we came to get ya.”
“Late? Applejack I still have two hours left we meet at 10:30.”
“Its 12:45 right now, Twi,” Applejack deadpanned.
“What?” Twilight was shocked at this. She turned to look up towards the clock hanging on the wall to check the time. Sure enough it was indeed 12:45 over two hours passed the meeting date. She couldn’t believe it. She was tardy, again. She dropped on to her haunches and sulked at her lack of diligence.
“Aw don’t be a grumpy grump, Twilight. You simply forgot is all. I forget things all the time like where I put the streamers or the balloons or the sugar or the-“
Pinkie Pie was cut off by a hoof in the mouth courteously of Rainbow Dash. “I think she means to not worry about it. You know now, so it isn’t a problem. We’ll just have to decide on something else.”
“Any suggestions?” Fluttershy asked.
The ponies conversed amongst themselves for several minutes. Ideas were brought up only to be shot back down. Places mentioned, forgotten the next. After getting nowhere for a while, they decided to simply chat until a certain dragon interrupted the conversation.
“Can we please just go?!” Everypony stopped talking only to turn their gaze to the top of the steps were Spike resided. Blushing at having all the attention directed upon himself, he tried to steer the focus back by rephrasing. “I mean… we can still go out right? So let’s not waste the rest of the day sitting around here."
“Excellent idea! We’ll simply improvise and do something in town.” Rarity said getting the others nod of approval save for Twilight. Plan set they all proceeded to file out of the library with Applejack dragging twilight with her.
“But… but… the research….” Twilight whimpered while being dragged by her tail out the library.
“Not today, Twilight.” Applejack mumbled through her mouth, pulling the purple mare along.
The group, with some protest from Twilight, set out for their day out. Ponyville was alive with activity as ponies went about their business. Shops were open to the public for selling merchandise. Restaurants served their patrons with quality entrée’s and friendly service. Vendors of all sorts were busy selling their products in the market. The weather was bright and sunny with a gentle breeze billowing through the streets every so often.
The group walked through the streets trying to come up with things to do with their time. The picnic was out so possible a quick snack was in order. A suggestion made by their ever energetic pink friend had them heading in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. Along the way they spotted Lyra , a friend of theirs and former classmate of Twilight, walking in their same direction and decided to greet her.
“Hi Lyra!” the seven friends greeted enthusiastically.
“Hi everypony! What’s crackin’?” she returned the greeting.
Twilight was the first to speak up. “Did you hear about the discovery Arvaud made, Lyra?”
“I have its probably nothing more than the usual great discovery.”
“Well that’s certainly a negative way to think about it,” Twilight said. “I figured you would have at least given it some thought espscially since it isn’t dead?”
“Huh?” Lyra asked confused. Alive? What was she talking about?
The others were now curious as to what Twilight was referring to.
“Whatever do you mean, Twilight?” Rarity asked intrigued.
“It’s the thing that has been keeping me busy the last couple of weeks. Arvaud, the institute of science and magic, had discovered a prehistoric creature somewhere and are hosting an exhibition.”
“Big deal.” Rainbow said not at all impressed. “So these smart guys found an old creature, what’s so great about that?”
"Maybe the fact that they actually, somehow, brought a prehistoric creature back to life." Twilight answered non-chalantly.
“What!”
“Oh my.”
“Really?”
“Ooh.”
"Whoa!"
“I know that’s what I thought as well. There’s no telling what all we can learn from it. Who knows what species it might be, perhaps something interesting like the polar bear, jaguars, or-“
“Or a human!” Lyra said excitedly.
“Sigh. Are you still on about that fairy tale, Lyra? Humans are nothing more than a Myth; legend something to tell little kids.” Twilight shook her head disbelievingly.
“But there is a chance it could be one. You can’t deny the possibility that they could exist, after all Myths are based on some manner of truth,” Lyra answered with conviction.
Not at all convinced Twilight responded. “Whatever you say, I have my doubts just as most others do.”
Lyra was going to say something else about the subject only to hear shouts of panic and worry come from behind her.
Turning around, they saw a crowd of ponies huddled around a message board. Curious to what the commotion was about they went to investigate. It was difficult trying to squeeze in between the tightly packed crowd but eventually they made it to the board.
To their shock, a royal notice was posted on the board. Royal notices weren’t all that rare, but it was the message printed on it. An alert status was issued for Equestria. Something must be a decent level threat to have caused the princesses to be this wary. That something was a warning to all that a creature escaped captivity. Where did it escape from? Arvaud.
The shocking news was something that threw the group for a loop. Ponies could be heard mumbling and whispering to each other worriedly. Their faces easily portrayed their nervousness and uncertainty. While the townsfolk didn’t panic and run, the atmosphere surrounding the group was filled with a nearly palpable level of anticipation. It was almost as if they were waiting for a signal to set off the potential chaotic frenzy.
Not wanting a possible and rather likely breakout of hysteria, Twilight quickly looked around and spotted a nearby park bench. She quickly leapt up on it before calling out to the crowd of ponies.
“Everypony listen,” she addressed the crowd of ponies, gaining their immediate attention. “Don’t panic there is no cause for alarm. I’m sure the Princess has the situation under control.” She continued, hoping to calm them down and avoid panic.
“What do you mean don’t panic?!” a voice cried out from the crowd. “There’s a monster somewhere out there running loose!”
“Yeah,” another voice spoke up agreeing, “That thing escaped from Arvaud and nopony can find it. Who knows where it might show up next.”
The crowd began chattering amongst itself in discussion, casting worried glances and whispers to each other. This continued on for several moments before ponies began throwing questions in Twilight’s direction.
“What should we do to prepare?”
“How strong is it?”
“Is it diseased?”
“Are my foals safe?”
The purple mare was swamped with questions as ponies crowded around her. She attempted to answer some only to have more thrown her way. She looked around nervously as the crowd was quickly degenerating into a more aggravating demeanor.
“Hey!” A disgruntled stallion called to the mare. “Aren’t you supposed to be a hero or something? Why don’t you go out there and take care of it?”
“I’m not a hero, but I…,” Twilight words died in her mouth as the ponies were murmuring to each other. They all looked at her suddenly waiting for her response expectantly.
An annoyed burgundy-colored mare saw Twilight’s hesitancy and called her on it. “I thought you were the Princess’s protégé, wouldn’t that mean you’d know about this or perhaps that title doesn’t mean much at all.” She remarked rather snidely, getting a few others to look pointedly at her.
Getting fed up with the unfair treatment of her friend, Rainbow Dash quickly spread her wings and took flight; quickly reaching the bench Twilight was standing on. She then positioned herself between the advancing crowd and Twilight; hovering in their faces before letting them have it.
“Hey! Knock it off you jerks!” Rainbow Dash yelled above the crowd her voiced filled with conviction. She began glaring at some of the instigators fiercely before finishing her point. “Twilight already told you the Princess would take care of it, so there isn’t any reason to gang up on her so back off!”
“While not the way I would have gone about it, I must agree with Rainbow Dash.”
Rarity decided to enter the conversation; moving through the crowd to stand by Twilight. “You all are acting like a bunch miscreants and should be ashamed of yourselves,” she said tossing her head back making her mane follow the same motion before bringing her eyes back to the crowd. “Honestly, we all have dealt with far worse circumstances than this and a little patience will go a long way.”
A few members of the crowd were listening and visibly seemed to calm. Ponies nodding their heads agreeing with the premise being logically sound. Their Princesses have always looked out and protected them from any threat and it will be the same as well for this situation. Unfortunately a few of the same troublesome ponies decided to not let the issue drop so easily.
The same burgundy-colored mare from earlier looked to the trio with barely veiled irritation. “Well you all seem quite confident about handling this threat,” she began with sarcasm dripping from her mouth. Looking at the three, her grey eyes narrowed. “What do you know, Sparkle?”
“Hey leave her alone you meanie!” Pinkie said as she rushed to her friend’s side. “She’s just trying to help,” the pink pony frowned disapprovingly. She was going to say more when Fluttershy joined in.
“Um, please don’t be mad at Twilight. She’s doing the best she can and only wants us to calm down and not panic. So, uh can we please stop this?” she added hopefully. Seeing even more of the crowd calming brought a swell of hope within her. A relieved smile appeared on her face until her eyes locked with the disgruntle mare causing her to retreat to the rear of the group.
The mare watched as the yellow Pegasus scurried behind her friends and was going to offer a retort but yet another voice beat her out.
“Ah would listen to mah friends here if I were you.” Applejack made her way to Twilight’s left side; an annoyed frown on her face. “Now simmer down. “ The apple farmer raised her hat. “Otherwise I can give ya’ll a lesson in manners; Apple style,” she grinned challenging them.
With that statement left in the air, the last problem ponies decided to bow out. Dealing with a mare wanting to fight was one thing. Dealing with a mare that happened to be an ‘Apple’ and wanting to fight their way was another. Ponies began separating and returning to their homes or businesses; leaving behind a few stragglers. One of which happened to be the burgundy mare who noticed the weakening crowd. She gave one final glare at the group before turning her nose up and skulked away.
After most of the crowd dispersed, a thankful Twilight let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and dropped to her haunches in relief. She took a moment to reflect on what just happened before turning to her friends as they rushed to her side with worried looks on their faces.
“Thanks everypony for sticking up for me,” she looked at each of them with a relieved smile. “I don’t know what I would of done if they kept coming like that.”
Rarity walked up to Twilight and gave her a friendly nuzzle. “Think nothing of it, dear. Those rude ponies needed to be reminded on how to act properly in public.” She glanced around at the few remaining ponies lingering behind, gaining eye contact with them; watching them freeze before looking away nonchalantly.
“Yep, all ya need to do is throw out invitation to an Apple family class on manners and ponies change their tune real quick,” Applejack chuckled, a smile framing her face. Both Rainbow Dash and Pinky Pie also nodded their heads in agreement.
Fluttershy slowly made her way to Twilight’s side and nudged her gently with her nose. “Are you really okay, Twilight?” she asked, looking closely at her. “That mare was pretty forceful with her questioning… and… um I want to make sure you didn’t let her get to you.” Blue eyes looked intently at the purple pony.
Twilight rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, I’ve dealt with some jerks in the past but I never encountered any that upfront before.” She paused for a moment to stop and think before smiling in the pegasus direction. “Thanks for the concern and I won’t let what she said affect me.”
Twilight and the girls turned their heads to see Lyra and Spike walking to them.
“What the heck happened? One minute we’re looking at the sign the next we get tossed aside like yesterday’s trend magazine!” The little dragon looked confused, unnerved, and a little concerned with the recent turn of events. It didn’t help that the group of ponies almost turned into mob. He’d seen ponies act crazy and panic quite a bit in his relatively early life but never to this extent.
“Yeah what was all that about?” Lyra asked, her face mirroring Spike’s confusion. She too wished to understand the vitriol that some of the ponies were speaking with. She didn’t hear everything that was said because of the volume of the crowd but she got the gist of it.
They looked over to their studious friend whom was contemplating something before she spoke. “Okay, let’s go over what we know,” Twilight wanted to start but was stopped by Lyra.
“Wait a minute Twilight. Maybe we should take this conversation someplace else.” She looked around the area still noticing a few straggling ponies taking sneaking glances towards their group. “After that whole spiel, I would rather avoid starting rumors based on the gossip of a few eavesdropping ponies,” she said the last part out loud causing the eavesdroppers to turn their heads whistling nonchalantly.
“I do agree we would best be served discussing this at the library.” Rarity chimed in. “Will that be okay with you, Twilight?”
Twilight got up off her haunches and nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine. I needed to write a letter to the Princess anyway.” She turned in the direction of the Library. “The sooner we sort this out; the faster things will hopefully return to normal.”
After gathering themselves, the eight friends made their way towards the library. While on their journey they passed by ponies that were frantically purchasing items and materials. It wasn't too difficult to guess that they most likely were stocking up. Even though the townsfolk were calm, there was still a lingering worry in the air. It was enough to cause them to take action and prepare for what they thought might possibly happen.
The group made it back to the library relatively quick. Twilight opened the door and stepping in; her friends following behind. She paused looking around the messy lobby before turning to them. “Sorry about the mess I got a little wrapped up in my studies,” she blushed slightly in embarrassment.
“Phht. Please, we were here this morning trying to get you to leave in case you forgot,” Rainbow said picking up a book; looking at its cover before setting it back down.
“Yeah, but still….”
“Aww don’t worry about it Twilight,” Pinkie giggled. “We know how you are when get all science-y and stuff.”
Lyra let loose a whistle as she took in the state of the place. “Wow, I never thought I’d see this many books on the ground,” she commented. “I’m impressed it looks almost like my office on a good day,” she chuckled softly.
“Um excuse me?” Fluttershy asked getting in the conversation. “I thought you work for the orchestra, why do you have an office? Wouldn’t you have a study or sound room instead?” the yellow Pegasus asked confused.
“Well, you would be right about the sound room but that’s for my job,” she explained. “My office is for an entirely different purpose besides music.”
“I hope you don’t mind me asking but what for?”
Lyra smiled slightly, “Do you all want to know?” she looked around the room, seeing everypony nod their head. “Okay, I’ll try to keep this short for time’s sake but it goes like this.” She walked over to a pile of books and started pushing it to the wall to make more room. “As a kid, I enjoyed the stories my dad use to tell me before I went to bed. Stories about adventures, treasures, and secrets greater than anypony could imagine. Stuff of legends that would have the average pony melt in the amazingness of it all.” Her eyes had a far-away look as she got lost in her memories.
“Eh, I don’t see what’s so amazing about fairy tales,” Rainbow said interrupting Lyra’s trip down memory lane.
“Well, there like…,” she tapped the side of her head, “Ooh I know, imagine they are the equivalent to the Daring Do series.”
Rainbow scoffed. “Daring Do is waaaay better than some dusty old fairy tale.”
“Perhaps,” Lyra acknowledged. “But, they still do the job of entertaining and inspiring imagination.”
“Yeah I suppose…” she begrudgingly agreed.
“Well, in my case I was so inspired that it became sort of a hobby of mine,” the unicorn thought for a moment, “Or perhaps a bit of an obsession,” she admitted.
Rarity’s ears perked up. “An obsession?” she asked her mind thinking of implications. “What pray-tale are you obsessed about?” It was after she asked the question that the mare brought her hoof to her mouth. “Oh I’m terribly sorry. How rude of me. I meant to ask what exactly is your hobby; specifically.”
The mint green unicorn giggled. “It’s okay Rarity no harm done and to answer your question, Humans.” A groan came from Twilight as she raised a hoof to her forehead.
“I can already tell where this is going,” the librarian sighed. She looked in the mint-green unicorn’s direction. “You had me interested up until that last part.”
“What’s the matter, Twi?” Applejack asked. “What about humans got you more wound up than a snake chasin’ a rabbit through chicken wire?”
Twilight breathed through her nose taking deep relaxing breaths. “They… Don’t… Exist!” she growled out. “They are fairy tales…fiction…myth! They have no place in science!”
“I disagree, Twilight.” Fluttershy spoke up. “I use to think the same way about some of my animal friends. But they’ve told me that a lot of the creatures that we don’t think exist might have had and simply gone extinct.” Fluttershy shook her head sadly thinking about it. “The poor dears…”
“Even IF they supposedly existed there is no evidence or even proof to help make that claim.”
“And that’s where I come in.” Lyra jumped back in the conversation. “Part of my hobby is to study and seek artifacts of past civilizations. We even have a small group that goes around from place to place; searching for potential leads.” She leaned in closer to the group. “Get this, we actually found some things that are pretty interesting. Weird objects that seem extremely difficult to hold properly, heavily damaged sculptures, and even strange materials.
“What?!” Twilight all but shouted. “Why haven’t I heard of any of this before?”
“Maybe if you didn’t have your nose in books all the time you would of heard about it,” Spike grinned cheekily.
“He’s got you there, Twilight,” Rainbow laughed, while Pinky and Rarity giggled. Twilight thought about what Spike had said before sighing and hanging her head in defeat.
“Hehe, don’t mind us Twi we’re just messin’ with ya.” Applejack patted the unicorn’s back consolingly.
“Hmm, your hobby sounds real interesting Lyra.” Pinkie said. “I wonder why other ponies haven’t gotten in on the fun?” she asked more to herself than to the unicorn.
"Unfortunately, most ponies don’t share our enthusiasm of learning of ancient cultures,” She shrugged, “Much less about something as fantastical an unlikely as a Mythological being.”
“Ah, hope y'all don’t mind me asking but what is so special about these critters anyway?” The farmer was admittedly curious.
“Well, I left my notes at home I could run back and get them if you want the full story. Then again I could just try to explain what makes Humans so fascinating.”
“Actually, I have a book that would help explain the myth of humans,” Spike said as he got to his feet. He walked towards the shelves, navigating his way past the towers of books. His eyes scanned the shelves for the book he was looking for. With so few books remaining on the shelves he quickly spotted it a moment later, grabbing it and returned to the group.
“Oh, you have the same book as I do, nice.” Lyra confirmed with a smile.
“What’s the Title of the book Spike” Pinkie asked excitedly.
“It’s called Myths, Legends, and Everything Fantasy.”
Twilight took a closer look. “I don’t recall ever ordering any books with that title…” She looked curiously at its appearance.
“That’s because I bought it, Twilight?” Spike waved the book in front of her. “You may not like to read about this stuff but I do.” The little dragon opened the book spending a few seconds flipping through pages before stopping on one. “Humans are quite possibly the most intriguing of all Mythological creatures,” Spike read from the page. “While other creatures of Legend have specific abilities or behavior, Humans are probably the most obscure and unknown.” He paused to make sure they were all listening and seeing them nod their heads he continued. “As like all Myths nopony has ever seen a human much less have accurate information on them. Most ponies simply make up tall tales to foals to help them sleep at night. With all the different thoughts and opinions that ponies come up with, it makes it virtually impossible to even have a consensus to what humans are claimed to be. However, there are similarities from every story that don’t seem to waver.”
“Bo-ring. Can we get to the good stuff already? If I wanted a lecture I’d listen to Twilight,” Rainbow blurted out. The Pegasus received glares from the library and the assistant.
“Chill, Rainbow. There’s not much left to begin with,” Spike admonished. “I’m also nowhere near as bad as her.”
“Excuse me?” the lavender mare asked dangerously.
“Moving on…” Spike announced rather quickly, getting the rest of the girls to giggle softly. He cleared his throat before continuing. “There are three main characteristics that generally correlate to every incarnation of the subject. The first characteristic ability is that they are a highly intelligent species. In some circles, they are claimed to be so intelligent, so clever that they would give famous ponies like Star Swirl the Bearded a run for his bits.”
Twilight snorted at that but chose not to interrupt.
“The second characteristic is their adaptability. Legend has it that humans are capable of surviving conditions that would be too hazardous to ponies. What’s even more incredible is even if a situation becomes too much for them they can seem to find a way to succeed when they should logically fail.
“This is the final and probably the most well known of the three and the one must debated about. Humans have two appendages that is unlike any other found on Equis. There are creatures that may have evolved to have similar looking features but don’t be fooled. These creatures cannot possibly hope to match the sure level of mystique and power that these human appendages contain. No pony knows what these parts of their anatomy are called; most simply referring them as magic paws. These ‘paws’ are supposedly capable of things far exceeding anything ever thought of or conceived. It is this specific feature combined with their intelligence and adaptability that makes humans such a popular and widely talked about subject among myths.”
Spike finished by closing the book with a snap. He looked and saw the faces of the girls with various expressions. Some were unbelieving while others were generally intrigued. Rarity and Applejack seemed to be imagining what a human may look like. Pinkie was hard to decipher as she had a small smile on her face and was rubbing her chin with her hoof, giggling to herself. Both Twilight and Rainbow weren’t all that impressed but looked to be at least processing what they heard.
“See, now you know why I find the thought of them so irresistible.” Lyra’s eyes lit up in barely held back enthusiasm.
“Land sakes it seems almost impossible think a critter could be that amazing,” the Apple was still thinking about it.
“I must agree it would have been simply delightful to actually meet these creatures.” Her eyes became starry. “Just think of all of the fashion ideas I could learn.”
Fluttershy’s face had a wistful look to it. “Oh yes. That would have been lovely.”
Rainbow simply lay down on her back. “Eh, it doesn’t really matter since its only a myth anyway.” Twilight having enough decided to end this conversation.
“Alright, story time is over. I’m sure this was interesting and everything but can we please get back on topic?” Twilight begged. “We’ve been talking about this for far too long and need to come up with a plan in case that missing creature shows up.”
“Okay, okay. Sheesh, we’ll talk about it later.” Spike acquiesced, waving his claw in the mare’s direction. “Even though it was actually getting interesting,” he added under his breath.
“Thank you. Okay, let’s try this again.” Twilight walked over to her table and using her magic pulled out the necessary items for writing. With a practiced ease, she wrote down the specifics of what they knew thus far. “There is a creature of unknown origin running loose in Equestria.” The sound of the quill scratching feverishly on the parchment could be heard. “Arvaud was the last known location it was seen before it escaped,” she glanced at what was written, “Which means that it possibly could still be somewhere near that area,” she started.
After a long session of questions and scenarios the small group decided to call it a day. There would be more time to develop plans for a potential confrontation. Lyra was the first to leave the group stating that it was nice seeing them again and would get back in touch with them later. Spike was next as the dragon had grown sleepy and decided to get a good night’s rest, seeing as things were going to get a little hectic soon.
This left the six friends alone to have a few friendly conversations before departing their separate ways. But before anypony left, they all looked at one another and nodded. No words needed to be said. Friendship has never let them down and would always prevail. They didn't know what they were going to face but they would face it like all other challenges; they would face it together.
Nothing but the still, quaint, and utterly dreadful silence…
Carl sat there in a trance oblivious to the world around him. He couldn’t move, barely breath from the revelations he unknowingly revealed. His entire fight for freedom, his struggles to make it home…
All of it had been for naught.
His planet wasn’t far off into another galaxy, countless light years away. No, it was right beneath his very feet. In the very back of his mind, he knew from the start that the likely hood of him making it back home was astronomically silly. He was simply fooling himself with false hope in order to not crack-up under the circumstances. However, now that the truth was out; it was all bared before him in a horrifying fashion.
He was alone.
Carl continued to sit and contemplate for what had seemed like hours. Darkness had long since settled in at this point but did little to faze him. He just stared straight ahead; lost in the depths of his mind wanting to wake up from this nightmare.
“Gone…” he whispered breathlessly, “All gone…”
He was so distraught that he didn’t remember that his words were silenced by the forest. His mind currently preoccupied was still struggling to cope with the reality he faced. His entire species was dead as far as he knew. Now if he were of a calmer mind set, he would have taken the time to think a bit more rationally about that point. Humanity was not one to just lay down and die like that. Even facing complete and utter destruction wouldn’t hinder their bid for survival. Before this whole mess had started, there were talks of inhabiting other planets and thus spreading humanity’s reach across the cosmos. Chances are humans still existed but have either forgotten this place due to time’s merciless grasp or are simply too far away to even return.
Even so, that still was of no help to the fractured human sitting in the spongy earth. ‘How does one get over losing everything?’ He thought to himself. ‘Everything.’ Mankind had fought and battled with life and nature for countless centuries only to seemingly have fallen in the end. All the science, math, and technology and none of it mattered in the end. It all just seemed so… pointless…
Never again would he hear the sounds of aircraft, automobiles, or even just people again. Never again shall he see the sights that people have been accustomed to seeing on a daily basis. Never again will he witness and experience the joys and sorrows of life with his fellow man. Never again will he be able to touch another human, speak to another human, or even lo-.
Carl snapped his head up suddenly as he woke himself up from his trance. He was sweating heavily and his breathing was labored. He took deep gulps of air to satisfy his oxygen deprived lungs. He didn’t want to fall down that road again; memories were already beginning to surface and he had to will himself to put them aside. Now was not the time to deal with that.
Carl used his hand to wipe the sweat off his brow only to feel more drip onto his face.
‘What?’ he looked at his hand more closely; seeing a good amount of moisture covering it. He raised his other hand to wipe his forehead once more only to encounter the same thing. This confused him for a bit and thankfully distracted him from his other concerns. Looking around, he noticed that the pit floor was moving a little. He nearly jumped up in alarm but stopped when he felt more moisture dribble down his face. At this point, he knew he couldn’t be sweating at this point; he looked up and found his answer. Droplets of water were slowly falling down to Earth.
It was raining.
It was as if the heavens themselves were also crying for his loss. The sky joined with him in his sorrow of losing his family, his species, and his way of life. Perhaps it was simply weeping for the loss of one of Earth’s many children. Or at least that is what he would have like to believe at this point.
Shaking himself from his fervor, Carl got up from his seated position on the spongy floor, his joints popping in protest from being in that position for so long. It wouldn’t do him any good to stay there as the pit was slowly beginning to fill with water. A pool of muddy water was already forming on one side and was growing larger as time passed. His eyes scanned the walls of the pit and figured that it wouldn’t be too difficult to escape the pit. He’d simply use the exposed roots to climb up out and from there… he didn’t know.
Small plan in mind, Carl moved over to the root system and was about to climb up before remembering the capsule. He turned to see it was still open and getting rained on. A part of his mind didn’t want to have anything to do with the object and simply leave it; as it had brought a horrifying secret to light. But his more rational side knew that it was potentially more beneficial to take it with him and being the person of logic that he was decided to take it with him.
He grabbed the case wiping away some of the percolating water from it. The scroll he had found earlier was safe as he had put it back in its cover. The newspaper article however was a complete loss and he honestly didn’t have it in him to care at the moment. It in a sense took away his innocence and reminded him just how cruel life could be. He’d be better off without the constant reminder.
Snapping the case shut, he made his way back to his original position near the roots. He then tossed the case up out of the pit and began climbing his way out. It took a bit longer than he was expecting, due to him slipping a few times from broken roots, but he made it.
‘Well….. I’m out of one hole,’ Carl thought quietly to himself, remembering the properties of his current location. He took a moment of rest before standing and retrieving the thrown case and looking at his surroundings. It was nearly pitch black if not for the small bits of moonlight slipping through the tree branches. It would be incredible difficult and rather foolish to try to make his way out in this low light. He’d be risking serious injury or even death if get made the wrong mistake.
Carl sneezed breaking him out of his thoughts. He was getting soaked now and needed to find shelter. Getting sick now would be absolutely devastating in his current situation. So his options right now were limited to two bad choices. To stay exposed and risk getting sick or to leave in darkness and risk injuring himself. Neither scenarios were optimal, but after a moment of thought he proceeded to walk forward.
Carl sneezed again, already starting to feel a dull ache in his forehead. He scowled in despondency, ‘And it seems I’ve fallen into another….’
