when Twilight recreates an unfinished experiment in StarSwirl's journal, she awakens in a strange, eerie world in an unfamiliar form. Unbeknownst to her, she's opened up dark secrets about Equestria, as well as one of it's princesses.
Thousands of years ago, StarSwirl the bearded and a young princess Luna tried to crack the secrets of dark magic, only for Equestria to be put in danger. Their adventure ended only in death and corruption, and the incident was wiped from history. Unfortunately, Twilight discovered a single remnant of this past, and recreated an experiment described within.
She awakens in a mysterious world, where all that waits you is death and insanity. Without a means to replicate the experiment, how far will she go to get home?
Meanwhile, Equestria finds itself stuck with two, new occupants, and has been opened up to a monster unlike any other it has ever encountered.
Twilight lay motionless on the grassy ground. Every function in her body began to kick up again. Her heart beat roughly and uneven, she choked on the fast, large breaths she struggled to hold, the very blood in her veins struggled to kickstart, everything was cold. The pain was worse. Anything that wasn't numb stabbed and bit, as though she had been torn apart and hastily stitched back together. The world around her was black.
The air smelled of nature and cigar smoke, making the princess sick to her groaning stomach.
"Say pal, you don't look so good." The voice was masculine, and it had a cold nip to it. Swirling in the air was a sense of corruption, similar to what she'd felt around King Sombra. "Didn't expect to see your kind lurking about here. Nonetheless, night's coming. You'd better find something to eat before it sets in." The figure leaned in. "Perhaps a word of advice, from king to princess. Stay dapper, this world isn't like yours."
The sound of running followed his voice. "Chöke upön my spear, demön king!" This voice was feminine, and held the overemphasis of someone acting in a bad movie.
The male voice grumbled. "My cue to leave." There was a loud noise, and Twilight no longer felt his presence. What she didn't expect was a loud THUNK!, and a dribble of frosty blood trickling down her ear.
A light gasp sounded, and the steps came closer, until they were right around her. "Congratulations, valkyrie, you succeeded in almost tearing this girl a new one." Her voice was different, sarcastic.
"If he had remained where he stööd a secönd lönger, I wöuld've stricken him döwn!" The "valkyrie" grumbled.
"I think its been made pretty clear that we can't kill Maxwell."
The girls bickered back and forth. However, Twilight felt they were here to help, and she wouldn't turn that down. She was hungry, hurt, probably dying. She coughed, it was the only noise she could make. The girls broke their anger away from each other.
Warm hands rubbed her frozen limbs, and circulation begun flowing. It felt as though heated screws were being driven into her , and a stream of tears fell from here eye. "Well, this warriör is quite the öddity, is she nöt?"
"If you think she's weird, you haven't met with the other campers enough."
The origin of that voice brushed away the tears. "She's so cold. Like death. Let's get her back to camp, somewhere near a fire."
"I shall carry this new player, if yöu carry the supplies."
A blackness engulfed Twilight, pulling her into slumber as the two females hoisted her up.
Pinkie Pie skipped down the dirt path, a basket of baking and party supplies in her mouth.
It was such a warm, sunny day. Birds sung their songs with felicity. The air was fragrant, filled with the smells of nature and cooling pastries, set to air out on the windowsill. A grassy meadow lay before her, filled to the brim with daisies.
Those were Twi's favorite flowers, Pinkie knew that. It was good she knew that, because her first ever Alicorn Anniversary party was coming up! And the element of laughter wanted nothing but her friend's favorite things in the celebration.
Of course, Twilight never said she wanted a party for it, but that made it better 'cause then it would be a surprise! And every pony knew that surprise parties were the best parties!
Pinkie had so many festivities planned, but there was one thing missing, the very guest of honor! Twilight had been missing for TWO DAYS now! That was unnatural even for her. What was so important that she was isolating herself?
The bright pink mare set her groceries onto the grass, speeding here n' there n' everywhere, picking just about a third of the glorious white flowers within a couple tiny minutes. And then, a sudden bout of her pinkie sense flared up!
Her back just suddenly got REALLY itchy, no matter how hard she scratched it, the itch didn't go away. When the prickly feeling (at last) went away, her knees buckled and squealed with pain. Pinkie yipped, sitting onto the soft grass until that pain faded away.
The mare stood right back up, with her signature grin gracing the world. Itchy back, pinch knees, something surprising was coming up!
She turned, instantly noticing a perfect patch of the white flowers that brushed up against the tree-line. Pinkie completely blanked out, forgetting her combo and the event she knew would. She had to focus on her party-planning!
As Pinkie plucked each delicate blossom, she heard the tiniest whimper just beyond a berry-bush. She froze, what -or who- made the noise? Pinkie lifted her ear towards its origin, listening for any other noise like it. Sure enough, there it was again. A quiet cry.
A kitten-like curiosity overwhelmed her. Pinkie set her basket down and crept over to the bush, pushing its foliage down just enough to see where the fearful noises were coming from. She gasped, Pinkie Sense had come true once again. Behind the foliage of the bush was a pegasus filly. Splayed out just beyond her, was a unicorn stallion.
The filly had a yellow mane, with two enormous pigtails held in place by pink flowers. Her coat was white like a ghost. She wore a tulip shirt with tattered sleeves, and a long, mauve skirt that reached close to the ground. However, a piece was cut-away to free her jagged tail, revealing her cutiemark; a mauve flower. Dark circles surrounded her eyes, which painfully fluttered open, revealing a crystal-blue color filled with immense pain.
The stallion had pointy, black hair that Pinkie Pie personally found a little silly-looking, and his coat-color mirrored his daughter's. He had a red vest with black stripes over a white-longsleeve, which had been folded into cuffs. His mark was a beaker filled with a green chemical. A science talent, Twilight would've liked him, if she was here.
Pinkie jabbed the stallion's head, his skin was gelid, and he did not stir like his filly did beside him. A little worm of fear bit into her heart like it was an apple. "Say pal, you don't look so good." She sighed, something was wrong. A twinge of Sombra-like corruption swirled in the air. "Let's get you two somewhere nice and toasty before night comes!"
She couldn't carry them both, but the boutique was a few blocks away. Pinkie sped off in its direction. "RARITYYYYY!"
When Twilight woke again, the immense pain in her bones she'd felt such a small time ago had been reduced to a slight ache. She could breathe easy, and her heartbeat had quieted. Her body no longer felt cold or numb, and she was surrounded by the comforting warmth of a mass of blankets. Twilight sighed into the soft layers of coziness, tightening her grasp and shoving her nose into them. And then a realization hit her like an anvil.
She sat right up with a gasp. Clenching her eyes shut, she lifted a shaky hoof to eye level, praying that she wasn't what she thought she was. A daring eye peeked open, expecting to see a fuzzy, lavender hoof. Nope.
In place of her hoof was a long, black arm.
Twilight squeaked, she was human, but she was different from the Canterlot High students. Opening both eyes, she examined her surroundings. She was in a large tent, a lantern providing an eerie, but sufficient lighting. Besides the bedding she rested on, the tent had a tiny, crude desk, notes pinned everywhere, a clunky lighter, and...a hoof-er-handmirror.
Still weak, Twilight futilely reached for the mirror, and a very familiar spark of energy ensnared it for a moment. Relief overwhelmed the girl, happy she at least had some magical control over her situation. Curiously, she reached behind her back, feeling the comforting touch of her feathery wings.
Turning her attention back to the mirror, Twi focused every bit of energy in her body on grabbing it. Her horn sparked up, slowly levitating the mirror towards her. As soon as it was within reach, she desperately gripped it in her strange, thin fingers, eager to reveal her face.
It was so much more different than what she had seen in the school.
Her skin wasn't purple, rather a shade of white that mirrored the color of bleached bones. Her eyes were more rounded, and filled with white and a faint gray dot that would make her seem blind anywhere but here. Her horn and wings retained their color, but it was much more pale than it was in Equestria. Her ma-hair was darker, to the point where it was nearly black, and her highlights were the only real color on her body.
With a trembling hand, she tenderly touched each facial detail, feeling the different curves and shapes of the skull underneath.
Throwing off several layers of blankets, Twi looked down at her new body. It was tall and sylphlike, like at Canterlot High, but the clothing was much different.
She wore a white button-up shirt, with sleeves that opened up at the elbow. Tied around her waist was a black ribbon, which was done into a bow in the back. Below it, Twilight had been dressed in a sapphire skirt that reached just beyond her knees. Her legs were covered by viridian tights embellished with white stripes. Next to the bedding, she noticed that a pair of white slippers with short, tapered heels was set next to her bedding.
The princess felt a wave of nausea rush over her. What happened? How was she here? All she remembered was that she was in her castle, with her notes and-
Wait a Second...
Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight noticed that the lantern on the desk was unlit.
She nervously looked around the area, and behind her was a most peculiar sight.
A ghost, just about half Twilight's size, had been the source of the strange glow. It watched her with wide, unblinking eyes. It had the appearance of the bed sheet ghosts Spike would dress as to scare people. He always failed, but this one succeeded in that area. On its head was a dead, drooping rose. Fitting.
The princess shrieked at the top of her lungs, panicked at the spirit.
A woman burst into the tent, a rough-hewn spear in her dark hands. "What? What? What?"
The woman's voice, she was one of the two who found her.
Her build was a little more wiry than Twi's, almost anemic. Her hair was black, and jutted out from the sides of her head. The woman wore a shirt was like Twilight's, but it was as red as an apple. She had black tights and a rigid, black skirt.
Unthinking, Twilight pointed at the undead creature. "GHOST!" she screamed.
The woman dropped the spear, her lips curving into a smile. She snickered and covered her mouth, stifling her laughter.
The ghost glided over to the woman, but it kept its staring eyes focused on Twilight.
"Hello, Abigail," She said.
The woman approached Twilight. "You don't need to be scared of Abby. She's friendly."
"Abigail?"
The ghost waved her wispy tail in greeting. "Yeah, she's a friend. She won't touch you unless you harm her sister. I will say, something about you caught her attention."
Twilight wanted to ask more questions about the ghost, about everything. Then she noticed the woman's eyes piercing through her, as though she was looking right through her. "You've been out since we found you three days ago. We were scared you weren't gonna wake up. I'm glad to see you did. When it comes to this place, the more the merrier. I'm Willow, and you are?"
Twilight bit her lip. "T-Twilight."
"Well met. You good to stand?"
Her bones creaked with weakness. "I don't know."
Willow offered Twilight her hand. "C'mon, I'll help you. If need be, I think we can have a walking cane."
She took her hand, her wobbly legs whimpered from disuse and her knees kept buckling beneath her, and Willow practically had to carry the girl to keep her from falling.
"We..." Twi grunted.
Willow smiled. "I know, right? I remember seeing Wendy for the first time. Thought...thought I was alone a long time before her. Others just...trickled in. We found each other, made a camp."
Outside, Twi was grateful for a fresh breath of air. It was the middle of the night, a fire blazed in the center of a circle of tents. Different people were scattered about, each doing different things.
Willow set the princess down on a log near the flame. "I'll find a cane, get some food in you. Look around if you can. You've got a day or so to rest up, acquaint yourself with the others. Then we'll get you doing...survival stuff."
The former mare sighed as Willow and Abigail ran off. She hadn't even been conscious for a half-hour, and she already missed her home.
She'd kill to go home.
And she'd still be there if it weren't for that experiment...
It hurt her head to think of it right now.
"Hiya, miss!" The voice was tiny. Like a little colt's, but mixed with a noise comparable to crumpling paper.
Twilight turned and squealed. Eight, yellow eyes peered at her. The creature was the size of Abigail, maybe a bit taller. It was fuzzy and black, with a head like a spider. With its color blending it into the background, she didn't even notice it was there.
"What are you!?" Twilight squeaked.
The creature tilted his head, as if confused by her question. "8 and a half." he replied. A child.
"What's your name? Mine is Webber. Why do you have wings? What is that thingie on your head?" It was question after question. Twilight smiled. His appearance may have scared her half to death, but his demeanor reminded her too much of the crusaders.
The second their little faces popped up in her head, she felt sad again. What if she couldn't replicate the experiment's results? If she could, what if it led somewhere worse? This place, it was unlikely to have any portal to Equestria as the school did. What if she couldn't ever get home?
What if she never saw any of her friends again?
Twilight's attention was swayed towards a mauve flower beside Webber. It was similar to Abigail's, but in full bloom and...floating.
"What's that flower for, little one?" Twilight asked, interrupting Webber's barrage of queries.
He lifted it up. "It's Wendy's. It makes Abby come and protect us. She always said she'd "cut me" if we touched it, but she went missing just before we found you. So did Mr. Wilson. We don't want her to lose it, so We're watching it until we find her. Abby seems fine with it, though. She likes us, and always protects us along with Wendy."
Willow came back with a fancy, gold walking cane and a bowl of something hot and fragrant. Twi's stomach groaned with hunger, and her mouth welled with saliva.
"Run along, kid. She's probably tired, so maybe save the questions for later. Okay?"
"Yes, Miss Willow." and Webber ran off with his flower.
"What happened to him? Why does he have a spider for a head?" Twi gagged.
The woman sat down next to her, passing the bowl of stew onto Twi's lap. "He was eaten by a spider, and he...well, he died. Wigfrid found his skull, buried it with the rest of him after some searching. She thought it would put him to rest, but..." She glanced at the child, who played with a yoyo some yards away. "The kid's a miracle, or freak if you want to say it that way. I'm not sure whether I should call it science, magic, or both, but his grave was struck by lightning. Just like that, he was up and about."
"Tha...That's sad." Twilight scooped some of the warm goo up in her hand and ate it. Her mouth filled with a savory, coppery taste that she's never tasted before. "So, you didn't start out here? None of you?"
"We're just like you, from another world. Tricked by Maxwell, and thrown in here for his amusement."
Was he the man that warned her? The princess was about to ask about him, only to catch herself. They'd think she was crazy if she told them all about Equestria, even with her embellishments. She needed to prove she was capable. Maybe find some things out about these people, and the world they hailed from. Not to mention get used to her new form.
Then she'd say everything.
Everything about Equestria,
and who she really was,
and about the experiment...
Twilight sipped away the last few drops of the stew, glad she had something to fill her belly.
"Hope you savored that meal, hunting all the different creatures here isn't easy. Gonna have to live off berries and carrots, for the most part."
Meat. Twilight gagged. "Th-that was-"
"Honestly, I'm not sure what was in it. Rabbit, maybe."
The mare leaned over and vomited.
Nevermind, Willow should know now. Like, right now!
Wilson groaned, beginning to stir from his deep sleep. What was making that racket?
He buried his face into the mass of blankets he was cocooned in, but it didn't feel...right. Where he was..., it wasn't in a straw or fur roll. No, this bedding felt far more...artificial. Refined, really.
How did he even get here?
He remembered...he remembered the rift.
Yes, he was with Wendy, and...maybe Abigail. They were collecting charcoal for the fire pits, which came from a grove of trees Willow had burned down the night before. Then, there was the corruption. The darkness he'd felt just before he was...trapped, it twisted and swirled in the area. Abigail went ballistic, trying to guide them away from the area. There were evil flowers everywhere, and there it was. It was black, with shades of purple and green spewing from it.
Just a giant...split in the world.
Immense pain ripped through his head, and he winced. What happened?
Did they find them? No. No, they couldn't have.
He was hurt. The dull aches in his joints were proof of that, and it felt like his hands had been jammed into his wrists. However, he couldn't be in Wisteria's tent. In there, it always smelled strongly of the herbs and flowers she used to heal everyone. Here, there was none of that. It was too clean, not even the scent of nature lingered.
"OUCH! You little brat!"
"DON'T TOUCH ME AGAIN, WITCH!"
The first voice was unfamiliar, but the latter was unmistakable.
Though weak, Wilson managed to bring himself to a sitting position.
"Wendy?" he called, then his eyes registered the new, colorful world he was in.
He was in a room, far larger than the tents back at the camp. Heck, this place was bigger than his old cabin. The walls were a light violet color, and all along them were ocean-blue crystals, which branched out like jagged trees. All sorts of furniture and rugs decorated it, yet it still felt empty. The bed he was set in had a crystalline, blue frame, with white blankets. This bedroom was fit for royalty!
"What?" He sighed, burying his face into his hands, then immediately pulling himself away from them. He stared, horrified, at the white hooves that had replaced his fingers.
"What in blazes!?" His confusion mounted. What was all this? Some freakish nightmare? Or...was he dead?
He rushed off the bed, humorously tripping over new appendages and a mass of sheets before falling face-first onto the crystal floor. He cried out, pain flaring up everywhere. It made him realize this was all too real.
The doorknob clicked, and Wilson froze. Who were these people? Where did they take him?
Confusion overwhelmed him when a rather curious, but innocent-looking being came through.
It looked like an equine, but far more simplified and colorful than the horses he'd gotten used to seeing in his old world. The equine was the color of candy-floss, with an outrageously fluffy mane and tail akin to raspberries. It stared at him with big eyes that were a vivid blue.
"Oh, wow!" the voice was feminine. "You finally woke up!"
Wilson was too shocked by this new creature to provide any response. It was...talking. TALKING.
The mare's wide grin faded as she got a look at him. "Um, are you alright?"
"I," he grunted and tried shifting his position, only to give himself more discomfort, "am in a lot of pain right now."
The mare snickered at his situation. She skipped over to him with felicity. "Let me lend you a hoof, friend!" With a few moves that seemed physically impossible with hooves, the buoyant mare untangled him from the bedding and eased him into a far more comfortable position. "There you are. My name's Pinkie Pie!" She offered her hoof.
Hesitantly, he reached up and grabbed it. Pinkie lifted the shaky man to his hooves. He bit his lip, "I'm Wilson."
"Oh, I know!"
"Why did you ask, then?"
"I didn't ask, you just told me!" Pinkie giggled again.
Wilson opened his mouth with a (not-so)clever retort, but realized she was was right.
"Wendy told us everything!"
So Wendy was here! He wouldn't be alone in this strange world, and that relieved him a little more. "Wendy, could you clarify? When did she-"
Pinkie cleared her throat, beginning a barrage of chatter that would never end without something to interrupt her. "She woke up two days ago. I found both of you while preparing for my favorite-est princess's first alicorn anniversary party! That was THREE days ago. I got my friend, Rarity, and we brought you and your filly to her castle. The other three of our friends are lodging here too. 'Cause, we think you may have something to do with Twilight's disappearance! At least according to Wendy."
"T-Twilight? Rarity?" He groaned and struggled with his shaky form. "Urk...others? Others like...you?"
"And you!" Pinkie leaned in and tapped something on his head, something new and solid.
She twisted him around, pointing at a blue-framed mirror in the corner. "Before you freak out, wanna get a good look at yourself? Wendy FLIPPED when she first saw herself!"
"I...nnng...yes, yes I'd like to see." Gently, Pinkie grabbed his hoof to guide him over, continuing to talk about what happened.
"Twilight is one of the four princesses in Equestria. This is her home and where all of us meet if there's something wrong. She got her wings a year ago next week. Rarity's what you are! So right now, we have me, you, Wendy, Rarity, AppleJack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Spike, Sweetie Belle, AppleBloom, and Scootaloo all here. Wendy's told us a lot. She's been really irritable. And, also a bit hide-y," Clangs and clashes thumped in the room above, "Looks like Rarity finally got her, though. She'll fill you in when you see her. 'Cause I have NO idea what's going on!"
This horse was incredibly annoying, more so than mandrakes. He couldn't be rude, these beings may have saved his life. And Wendy's.
Dang it, how many times would his hide need to be saved, anyway?
She shoved him in front of the mirror. "There you are. I need to go help AJ with dinner now, BYEEEEE!"
"I-I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to let me walk on my own."
"Psshhhh! Wendy was up n' about in a half-hour. I'm sure an adult stallion would be fine even sooner!" And with that, Pinkie was gone.
Wilson sighed and turned his face to the mirror. With a single glance, he was paralyzed by his alien appearance.
He found bright, azure eyes staring back at him. He was covered with a white, fuzzy coat, only slightly hidden by his red vest and white shirt. His muzzle (he never thought he'd use a muzzle to describe a part of himself!) was longer and more...boxlike than Pinkie's. His hair was nearly identical to his old self, but now he had a tail to go with it. Then he saw something that made him sure that everything he believed in was dead here.
Right in the center of his head...was a horn.
Wilson whimpered. He. Was. A. UNICORN.
It was several minutes before he broke away from his shock.
He slowly trudged out of the room, wondering if he should have just stayed in bed.
"OOWWW!"
"LET. ME. GO!"
What was happening up there?
Wilson, cautiously and slowly, wandered up a shining staircase, leading to a labyrinth of doors. He crept down the hallway, calling for the filly he knew was here. Suddenly, the door he was just passing by burst open. He jumped to the other side of the hall and dove to ground as a white blur fled from the room, twisted around, and shut it. The thing proceeded to crash itself against the door.
It was a mare, a unicorn like Wilson. She had blue eyes and a pure, white coat. Her mane and tail was curled, and was colored like a nightmare amulet. Despite the fur, she somehow managed to neatly apply makeup, sky-blue eyeshadow. Curiously, she had a mark on her flank, three diamonds.
She was slightly unkempt, however. Her mane and tail had stray hairs sticking out in all directions. One of her eyes was dark and swollen shut. Upon closer inspection, something had bitten her front ankle.
The doorknob jiggled, followed by pounding. "LET ME OUT!" It was Wendy.
The mare sighed before screaming, "I'LL LET YOU OUT WHEN YOU'RE CLEANED UP! DON'T MAKE ME COME IN THERE AND DUMP YOU IN!"
"YOU WOULDN'T DARE TOUCH ME AGAIN!"
The unicorn mare sighed, and surprisingly, her horn lit up with a blue glow. A shriek came from within the room, quickly followed by a sploosh!.
There was a pause.
"You win this round..." Her voice was quiet and irritated, "Well played."
A filthy pink shirt and mauve skirt slid under the door, encased in the mare's glow.
"Pardon me, Darling. If you excuse me, I need to go wash, scrub, and sew up this atrocious ensemble. It looks like it hasn't been cleaned in ages!"
"Erm...w-what was going on in there?"
She turned her head to look at him. "Oh! I thought you were Fluttershy by the way you were on that floor! I'm sorry, Wilson. Wendy will be pleased to know you're finally awake."
"You kn-know my name?"
"Oh, we all do. Your little filly, however...troublesome she may be, has been providing us some info about you and herself. She didn't want to say much until you were okay, though." She took his hoof and gave it a slight shake. "My name is Rarity, town seamstress and the element of Generosity. I helped Pinkie Pie get you here."
"Um, what was happening in there?"
Rarity scowled. "Trying to get that filly into a bath. She was utterly filthy! All covered in grass stains and mud," she shuddered, "She refused to do so when she first awoke, and has evaded me until just recently." She sighed, "I think it went well."
He glanced at her injuries, "It doesn't look like it..."
"You haven't met my sister yet. Three words, dear; punch, kick, AND bite. Try to make her touch water and she'll be out for your blood. I mean that literally."
She turned to walk away.
"Rarity?"
"Oh, yes?"
"Thanks for helping us."
The mare grinned. "Tell Wendy that we'll serve dinner when she's out. You should join us, meet everyone."
Wilson nodded, unsure if he was ready to be in that size of a group.
Twilight finished empying her stomach, sickened by the fact that she just ate the meat of another living creature. She felt sick as she quivered at the thick stew she regurgitated onto the ground, with Willow avoiding the spill.
"Are you alright?" Willow asked. "Was that spoiled?"
"No, it was fine," Twilight responded. "I have to tell you something."
"No kidding," Willow said as she moved away from the now wasted stew in disgust.
"Look, Willow, I'm not exactly what you think I am."
"You've got a crown, wings, and a horn, I seriously doubt you're what anyone thinks you are."
"That's because I'm actually...from another world."
Willow gave a confused look. "I don't understand."
"I'm actually from another world called Equestria where I'm a...pony...princess. I did an experiment and it sent me here and I don't know how to get back."
Willow looked at her as if she grew a second head. "Wait, what?"
"Look, all I know is that I tried some kind of experiment with dark magic, then a rift opened up, now I'm here."
"A black rift that opened up and sucked you in?" Willow asked.
Twilight nodded. "Yes, you have to believe me, I have to get home."
"And you weren't trapped here by two black hands from the ground."
"No, why? Do you believe me?"
"Twilight, I believe you. It's just, you... hold on a second," Willow reached into her pocket and pulled out a lighter before turning it on, just holding it in front of her face, staring at the dancing flame.
"Uh..." Willow held up her hand to stop Twilight as she just continued to stare into the flame, then she sighed, blowing out the flame as she did and putting the lighter back into her pocket.
Willow sat down. "So let me get this straight, you're a...pony princess. From another world,"
Twilight nodded.
Willow rubbed her temples. "Twilight, I don't know why you are telling me this, but I can't tell you that I have the slightest idea how to leave this place, even if I did none of us would still be here."
"I... I understand..." Twilight responded, beginning to worry that she may never return home ever again.
"So, what can you eat without throwing it up?"
"Just anything that's not meat, thanks."
"Alrighty then," Willow said as she left once again.
Using the time she was alone, Twilight tried to remember what she did that got her trapped here. Her head started to hurt again but some memories were coming back, albeit they were extremely foggy. It seems she'll have to try later before she can get a glimpse of what happened. A mechanical voice from behind startled her. "NEW INDIVIDUAL, YOU HAVE BIOLOGICAL ARIAL LIFT DEVICES, WHY DO YOU REFUSE TO OPERATE THEM?"
Twilight turned to see a bronze clockwork-like robot, looking at her wings with curiosity.
"Oh, you mean my wings? I don't know, I guess I'm too hungry to fly, I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"THIS UNIT'S NAME IS WX-78," he replied with a voice of a crazy processed synth. "ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT MESS?" WX-78 pointed to the thrown up pile of stew.
"Oh yeah, I'm sorry. I'll clean it up, don't worry." WX-78 just laughed with a monotone.
"HA, HA, HA, HA, IT FIGURES FOR YOU FLESHLINGS TO BE UNABLE TO PROCESS SUCH A MEAL, YOU ARE ALL THE SAME."
"What does that mean?"
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE, YOUR CHEMICAL VAULT HAS FAILED TO PROCESS A SIMPLE BEEF STEW, AND I ASSUMED FLESHINGS COULD NOT GET MORE PATHETIC."
"That's not nice!" Twilight scolded.
"SO, WHAT? EMPATHY MODUEL NOT RESPONDING. HUMANS CONTINUE TO PROVE THEIR WORTHLESSNESS. YOU WILL BE THE VICTIM OF THE NIGHT CREATURE WITHIN THE PROCEEDING NIGHT."
Twilight didn't know whether she should be insulted or angry, he didn't care one bit about anyone else, he was very rude. Twilight was about to say something until she heard Willow return.
"Hey, Tin Man, this sentence is false!"
WX-78 stopped talking, twitched a little, then started running away clutching his head and shouting, "ERROR, ERROR!" as Willow sat down next to Twilight, holding a large tray with an assortment of vegetables in it.
"Sorry about that," Willow said, giving Twilight the food. "WX-78 sometimes gets a little pushy, but you'll get used to him. Anyway, hope you like this, it's a little stale but it's all we got that doesn't belong to Wisteria."
Twilight took a bite of the dish. True, it was a little stale, but right now she was too hungry to care. "It's fine, Willow. So, why was that thing so mean?"
"Not sure, we found him in a field, then Wilson fixed him up and he started attacking us, saying that 'LIFE IS INSUFFISCIENT' or something like that. Then after Wilson somehow calmed him down, WX-78 agreed to help us, but we mostly just use him as a trash can for spoiled food."
"Who's Wilson?"
"He's a scientist, apparently he knows a lot about surviving, so some of us look at him as our 'leader', but we mostly just do our own thing alongside our survival chores. I haven't seen him since I found you, I sent Woodie and Wes to look for him but they haven't found him yet."
Twilight continued eating, thinking about if she was the reason for Wilson's disappearance, then something WX-78 said came into her mind. "Also, Willow, what's the night monster?"
Willow stayed silent for a good while, looking like Twilight just asked her to kill someone. Willow sighed. "I guess I better tell you before you find out the hard way," she said. "The night monster is this creature who lurks in the darkness at night," she pointed to the outside perimiter of the campsite, where nothing but pure darkness could be seen past the fire's glow, "and I don't know how dark nights get in "Equestria", but in here, you can't see the hand in front of your face. Once you're in the darkness, the night monster will try to get you, and it won't stop until you're dead, so word of advice: stay out of the darkness."
Twilight gulped, she wasn't scared of the dark before, but if what Willow says is true, she just got a reason to.
"So, with that aside, you think you can stand?"
"Y-yeah, I think so," Twilight said as she got up on her feet with a little help from Willow.
"Alright, now we don't have a lot of rules, but there are a few things you need to know: you can have whatever you want from the ice chest, but if it's almost empty, refill it or let someone know, same if most of it is rotten. Except for WX-78, he won't care."
"That's it?"
"Pretty much other than the obvious 'don't kill anyone' or 'be back here by sunset' that's pretty much it."
"I see, thank you, Willow."
"Anytime," Willow started to leave before Twilight stopped her.
"Wait! Where will I sleep?"
Willow took a second to think. "We'll make you a tent just next to Webber's over there," she pointed to one of the tents that was covered in webbing. "In the meantime, you can just sleep in Wilson's if you want, but most of us don't really need to sleep for some reason.
"Alright, thank you."
Willow gave a nod before heading off in the tents' direction to start on Twilight's shelter.
Twilight on the other hand was trying to figure out what she should do at the moment other than worry about getting home. Perhaps getting to know the other people here would be a good idea.
After trudging around a bit, Twilight decided to head over to a large man first who seemed to be weight lifting a tree trunk, he was very muscular with a large handlebar moustache and a striped red-and-white sweatshirt that seemed like it would break at any moment from the size of his muscles.
"Hey there," Twilight greeted the strongman. He looked at her and put down his trunk to talk.
"Hello, new companion!" he replied with a cheerful and deep voice. "You is new survivor, yes? You look funny, why you look like bird crossed with unicorn crossed with human?"
"Well, I'm actually a...pony where I come from."
That got the strongman's attention. "You are pony!?" he seemed to almost squeal with glee before becoming confused. "Why you not look like pony? You got no hooves or pretty pretty pony hair, just weird wings and horn like bird-uni-man."
"It's hard to explain, but I don't normally look like this, honestly my wings were different last time I was human. Didn't even have my horn."
"You confuse me."
Twilight chuckled. "Don't worry about it."
The strongman shrugged. "Very well, Pony."
"What's your name?"
"I am Wolfgang, I am mighty!"
"I'm Twilight Sparkle."
Wolfgang chuckled a little. "Hah! You got funny name, I like you, Twilight Sparkle, we going to be good friends."
"Well, you're friendly."
"You too, and worry not, Wolfgang is not scared of anything."
Webber jumped up from behind Wolfgang shouting, "Boo!"
Afterwards, Wolfgang let out one of the most high-pitched, feminine screams Twilight has ever heard as he ran behind Twilight.
Twilight couldn't help but laugh, the so-called 'strongman' was a big softie on the inside.
Wolfgang seemed to calm down after seeing it was only Webber, albeit slightly annoyed and embarrased. "Webber, you know I don't like when you jump out and scare Wolfgang like creepy person, you make my mightiness look like wimpy puppy dog by making Wolfgang scream like little girl."
"Sorry, Mister Wolfgang," Webber apologized. "It's just so much fun!"
"Hm, nice talking to you, pony Twilight Sparkle, but Wolfgang must make mightiness mightier-er by lifting stuff he sees," Wolfgang said as he left in his own direction.
"Wolfgang's really strong," Webber said, "but he isn't smart and he is really scared of our brothers and sisters."
"I can tell," that was when she caught what was his sentence. "What, what's this about your brothers and sisters?"
Before Webber could answer, a familiar voice came from behind Twilight. "I see yöu've already met Wölfgang."
Twilight turned around to see a red haired woman wearing a very detailed battle helmet and carrying a large spear in her hand.
"Öf cöurse, the new actress tö the scene, it's gööd tö see yöu öutside öf yöur uncönsciöus state."
"Uh..." Twilight looked at Webber, hoping he had an explanation, he just shrugged Twilight decided to play along. "Right, yep. That's who I am, the new actress."
"Öf cöurse," Wigfrid replied, getting the obvious hint that Twilight had no clue what she was talking about. "Sö, did yöu see anyöne öther than Wölfgang ör Webber?"
"I did meet WX-78 and Willow," Twilight answered.
"That explains why he's trying tö fix his head, that anti-herö deserved his punishment för the amöunt öf tröuble he's caused."
"You really don't like him, do you?"
Wigfrid shook her head. "We're nöt even sure if he's male, we just hall him that because it's easier than using 'it' all the time."
"He called me a disgusting monster and Wendy an 'emo freak'," Webber said, "what even is that, Miss Twilight?"
Twilight looked at Wigfrid, who shook her head telling her to not explain it at all to him.
"Why is he so mean?"
Wigfrid shrugged. "We tried tö reprögram him önce, but he wön't let us anywhere near his hardrive."
"Maybe I can turn him around."
Wigfrid laughed. "That's what Wilsön said, and Wickerböttöm, and Wöödy. Try all yöu can, but WX-78 is nöthing but a static character until the days öf Ragnörök."
"WX is a big bully!" Webber said.
Twilight thought about what they said, trying to come up with some way that she could turn WX-78 around, but that was when something caught her eye. Something she almost thought she'd never see again because of this island: a book. A red book was being held in the arms of an elderly woman with gray hair tied into a bun, she wore small, rectangle glasses that were just perched at the peak of her nose, her eyes were gray and Twilight could've sworn that they seemed to be always closed. Nevertheless, she just had to ask her for the book. "I'll talk to WX later," she said to them, "right now there's more important things to get to," she tried all she can to get her over to the woman as quickly as she can, but since she was still sore and had to use a cane, she ended up stumbling a bit and almost falling. Fortunately, she made it over to her and was excited to finally get something on her level.
"Hey," Twilight greeted.
The woman looked at her, obviously confused by her wings and horn. "Well, this is certainly unique, I didn't know Maxwell was giving abilities such as these to newcomers."
"Oh, well, "Maxwell" didn't give them to me, I had them before coming here."
"Interesting, so perhaps you are some kind of interdimensional or extraterrestrial species?"
"I should think so. I'm from Equestria."
"So you're an anthropomorphic version of a winged, horned horse. I assume that you just have some experience with magic, am I correct?"
"Actually, yes! I'm a princess where I come from, and from what I can tell from you is that you are a librarian."
"Indeed. Please, call me Ms. Wickerbottom."
"Twilight Sparkle, I'm a librarian, too," they gave a formal handshake. "Hey, once you're done with that book, may I read it?"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Sparkle, but this book is my priority only, I made it to have mystical properties that only I can use for instance, this one summons flocks of birds to come down from the skies."
Twilight was feeling dissapointed, she really thought she was going to be reading something while stuck on this island.
"However," Wickerbottom continued, "there is something that you might be interested in, if you would like."
Twilight was filled with excitement as she nodded.
Wickerbottom lead her into her tent, inside there was a large desk instead of a bed. Wickerbottom pulled out a large, slightly dusty book from the desk and handed it to Twilight.
"Here's a basic guide on everything you need to know about surviving here and all the creatures that live here, you may keep it if you'd like, just please return it when you're done please place it back in my desk. Furthermore, please do not lose it or let it be destroyed, last thing Wilson and I want to do is write that whole thing all over again. I figured since you'll be staying with us for a while, you might as well know what you're dealing with."
"Thank you, Ms. Wickerbottom," Twilight said. Wickerbottom smiled and left with a nod.
"It's not 'Daring Do', but it's the best thing I got around here," Twilight said to herself. "Let's see what lives on this island." Twilight opened to book to find a picture of what seemed to be a spider, much like the one that was Webber's head. "Part 1: Spiders..." Twilight said as she began reading.
Meanwhile, Maxwell watched over them, mostly Twilight.
"I must say, I've never seen anything quite like her, I think she actually made someone leave the island, I'll have to keep whatching her, seeing what else I can do with her. In the meantime... looks like it's game on, Twilight Sparkle, and it's your turn to move."
The night was young, yet the castle breathed empty. Even Celestia slumbered.
Somewhere in the halls, a black, cloaked blur sped passed the few night-guards.
Luna made her silent, swift way throughout the castle, stopping briefly at her sister's room.
She creaked the door open, finding Celestia dead asleep on her bed. Luna sighed, she trotted over to her and stroked her mane. "Oh sister, I hope you will understand. I hope more that you will forgive me, but this is for your safety as much as Twilight's. The magic in the air is dark, it isn't your jurisdiction. Your finding out could complicate things. Don't fear too much, I will still handle the moon, and have the drake update you on my wellbeing. That...is a promise."
She concealed her face with the hood, and turned to take her leave.
"Luna?" Celestia's voice was tired, but concerned.
Once again, the smaller mare approached her.
"Sister, is everything alright? Oh, your eyes..."
"I'm simply checking in on your dreams, Tia."
Her horn sparked up, and Celestia soon slumbered again.
Luna sighed. She would be subdued until she needed to raise her sun. A splicing pain jolted through Luna's head, and she bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming out.
I'm doing this to myself, she thought, I can't keep this up forever. The moon, dealing with the fuel, it'll overwhelm me eventually. I can only pray that I have enough expendable energy to get me to the rift. Perhaps they will have answers.
"No. Nope. Nuh-uh. Almost got i-blast."
The mares and dragon stared at Wilson as he struggled to pick up his fork in his hoof.
"Uh, Rarity, can you lend him a hoof? Tell him how to get that horn of his to spark?" Pinkie, despite finding the situation rather fun, also found it sad.
"I got this! If you can defy logic to do it, so can I." He loosely grasped the utensil, only for it to slip away from him. "Darn it."
"Darling, it's easier than you think to cast a simple levitation spell. Just focus on it, and it should lift..." Rarity finally said.
Though he didn't want to, Wilson followed the mare's instruction. His horn sparked up a little, much to his delight. A bit more pushing, and yes! A sustainable, green glow surrounded his horn, and the fork lifted with it.
He smiled, satisfied.
It was a little unorthodox, a slice of apple pie for a slightly late dinner, but Wilson hadn't seen such filling food in almost a year. Besides, he'd have to be really desperate to accept eating flowers that the others partook in.
He was about to shovel the first forkful in his mouth, when a tiny, barely stifled squeak sounded behind him.
Glancing over his shoulder, a scrawny, pegasus filly stared at him in shock.
"Wendy?" Without her signature outfit, it felt alien to call this filly by that name.
The ghost of a smile appeared on her muzzle. "You made me worry. You actually made me worry."
Wilson awkwardly slipped off the dining chair, and he hugged her, much to her chagrin.
"Hey, Sweetpea. I barely recognized you."
"Few would. Everything about this place is new." For once in a long while, her broken, tired eyes seemed to spark up with a childish brightness, only for it to revert back to the deadpan look she became known for. "We have spectators."
Every one of the table's occupants was staring at them with wide smiles.
Wilson took back his seat, nauseous from hunger.
Wendy clamored up to the chair next to him.
"Hungry, sugar?" An orange mare asked, almost concerned, "You've barely eaten today."
"I'm fine," Wendy replied, "I've eaten well enough."
"Well, alright. Wilson, ah'd like a chance tah speak with ya' in a while. Ah think we may have a lot to talk about."
The mare left.
"That was Applejack. Bit friendly sometimes, but otherwise one of the more normal mares around here." Wendy whispered. "Who've you met so far?"
"Erm, Pinkie and Rarity."
The filly nodded and gestured to two pegasi. "Those two are Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow's brash, a bit too much. Kind of arrogant. You'll either catch her eating or sleeping all the time, it's a wonder that she's so skinny. Fluttershy, kind, almost overbearing. Pleasant company, though I hate to admit it. She's a listener."
Wendy then pointed to three fillies chattering amongst themselves. "That's Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. They're the younger sisters of the mares here."
"They look about your age, ha-"
"I hate them."
Clearing her throat she gestured to a strange, purple creature. "That's Spike. He's a dragon, underwhelming he may look. He was Twilight's assistant. I almost like him, but still..."
"Is that everyone?"
"Everyone that you need to know, yes," She sighed. "Will you keep AppleJack waiting? It isn't a good idea."
"B-but...food!"
She stared at him with a dead gaze in response.
He whimpered, his stomach moaning. "Fine..."
Wilson found the mare on a balcony. Her eyes watching a bright, full moon.
"It ain't right."
"Sorry?"
"The moon isn't right."
He trotted up beside her.
"Looks normal."
"It does. What isn't normal is the fact that it's been full for five days. When Twilight disappeared. It's brightest like this, all other nights in Equestria are darker."
"O-oh."
"You know anything about it?"
He shook his head. "Afraid I don't. What did happen with your "Twilight"? When did you last see her?"
"At a picnic the day before she disappeared. She looked real happy about something, but she wouldn't tell any of us."
"That's...suspicious..."
After a moment of silence, AJ finally asked, "Does someone...wait for you?"
"What?"
"That world, from what Wendy tells us, is full of monsters, and it does nightmare inducing things to yer' mind. If Ah was stuck there for a near year, and Ah was left high n' dry somewhere nice like here, would Ah want to go back? Even if it wasn't mah home? No, Ah wouldn't. But, if mah Applebloom was there, I'd never leave. To stay with her."
"Makes sense, I guess. No, with Wendy here, no one waits for me."
The mare playfully nudged him with her elbow, "Ya' sure? Someone like you has to have a pretty girl waiting for you to get back to her."
His face went red. "Er..." he squirmed uncomfortably. "I would hope so, but no. She wouldn't-"
"She? Ah knew it, you do wanna get back to someone!"
He swallowed thickly.
"What's her name?" she asked, a wide grin stretching across her muzzle.
"Well, uh-"
Rainbow Dash zoomed in. "Uh, guys? We have a guest."
Wilson nearly melted in relief.
"What kind of guest?" She asked.
"A royal guest."
When the three returned, a hole was blasted in the top of the castle ceiling. On the floor, a mound of dark-blue feathers lay bruised and slightly bloodied.
"It's Luna!" Fluttershy gasped.
"Who?" Wilson turned to AJ.
"She raises the moon. Another princess."
Wendy stared at Luna, curious. "Is she even alive?"
As though the alicorn mare heard her, she weakly gathered herself and struggled to her hooves. Her eyes were an eerie shade of blue, a snake-like slit staring at them. She winced, clenching her eyes shut and pressing her hoof against her head. When they opened again, they were normal.
Her face shifted into surprise as she saw Wilson. "You!" She lurched towards him, only to faint and collapse.
"That was...unexpected..." Wendy muttered.
"Will she be okay?" Rainbow Asked Rarity.
With effort, the mares had set her in Twilight's bed.
"She'll be fine. She was exhausted is all. Wilson, darling, she looked at you, tried to get to you. Do you know anything?"
"As a scientist, I hate to admit it, but I literally don't know what is going on anymore..."
"I believe you. I imagine she's better rested by now, it's been a few hours. The foals are all due for bed. Wendy, that means you too."
The filly looked like she was ready to run. "You're not going to make me."
She was swiftly encased in a blue glow, much to her annoyance. "I'm done being nice. I will freeze you in your place if it comes to it. Wilson, would you be a dear and check on Luna?"
"Will she kill me?"
Rarity almost seemed to ponder this question. "Unlikely."
"That's comforting..."
After some hesitation, he crept into the room and up to the bed. "Hello?"
She didn't even stir.
He jabbed her with the tip of his hoof. Immediately, the mare woke up and sat up. Wilson panicked, falling over onto the floor.
Luna's eyes were filled with fear, they were back to the creepy snake eyes she displayed. She panted, although she'd been running for hours. Her horn immediately burst with energy, and the darkness in her eyes drained, reverting them back to normal.
"You. You're not from here." she sighed. "B-but, that's good. You're good. Were you accompanied?"
He stared at the mare, confused. His mouth agape.
"Please, this information is important, were you accompanied?"
"A-a-a little g-girl. She's off to bed."
The mare sighed in relief. "That's better news than you know. That means there's only one..."
"Y-your majesty?"
"Call me Luna. Please."
"Very well. Erm...one of what?"
She avoided eye contact. "Bring the others, the filly as well. You should all hear this."
He did as she told him, bringing the castle inhabitants all to her.
"How long has Twilight been known to be missing?" Luna asked.
"'Bout five days, princess." AJ responded.
"Perhaps it isn't too late, if those two are here."
"Uh, excuse me, but can you stop with the mystery and tell us what's going on? Like, maybe why the moon hasn't changed it's phase in a while?" Rainbow piped.
Luna bobbed her head. "It's too dark without it. The rift, the one you two arrived in. I-it's dormant. Unfortunately, it...did something... Long story short, something came through. There is another entity in Equestria. One with...darker motives. You may know her."
Within the circle of tents, Willow worked on Twilight's tent on the side while the transformed pony princess continued to read next to the fire. She tried gaining every bit of knowledge she can find on whatever is on this island. Most seemed dangerous, however a couple of them seemed so innocent that Fluttershy would've wanted to keep it.
There it is again, Twilight was reminded of home and she began to think about how she is going to get home, fortunately by now she's at least able to try remembering the experiment without getting a headache. Unfortunately it's still all just a foggy blur, all she could do now was think. She tried to think about what she would do with this new world in mind. With a confused sigh she returned to the book
Twilight read up to the page on ghosts, which simply said, "nothing important, just walk away from it and keep your distance and you'll be fine" when she put the book aside to stretch for a moment and find a more familiar form of what she was just reading about looking down in a meloncholy way.
"Oh hi, Abigail," Twilight said
Abigail gave a slight whisp as a greeting, still looking down.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling alright?"
Abigail just continued to look down in sadness
Willow answered for her from the side. "She misses her sister."
Abigail nodded to confirm.
"What happened?"
"Wendy vanished some time ago with Wilson," Willow explained. "In fact, it was just a day before you arrived when she never came back. We knew something was wrong when Abigail came back without Wendy, now she mostly just floats around camp waiting for her sister to come back."
"I can understand, I have a brother back home. I wonder if he noticed that I'm gone. Though, even if he did I don't know how he could find me," once again, Twilight choked on the thought of not returning home again. She shook her head to clear her mind. "I'm sorry, it's just kind of hard accepting that I'll be here for a while, maybe even longer. I'm not exactly used to surviving."
"Don't worry, Twilight," Willow said. "We were all like that once, it just takes some getting used to.
Abigail nodded in understanding.
Twilight was about to respond when her stomach spoke up first. "I guess I'm still hungry, where are those ice chests you mentioned earlier?"
"Alright, Abigail, could you show her?" Willow asked the ghost.
Abigail nodded and floated in another direction. Twilight followed her as best as she could with one hand using the walking cane and the other holding the book.
After a short walk, Twilight found herself at a large field of farm plots being illuminated by several lanterns, with a few ice boxes near the lower left plot, which was being tended to by a woman with black hair wearing a red shirt and what seemed to be a white apron turned beige from dirt. She looked like a professional gardener.
The woman was humming a tune as she worked, inturrupted by Abigail's appearance.
"Oh, hello, Abigail," she said politely. "What brings you here?" her tone reminded Twilight of Fluttershy.
Abigail gestured toward Twilight with her ghost tail, the woman gasped lightly from surprise at the sight of the pony princess.
"Oh, you're awake! I was beginning to wonder if you died already. You look a little odd. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll fit right in."
"Thanks, I'm Twilight Sparkle," Twilight said.
"My name is Wisteria."
"You don't mind if I take a few things from the ice chest, do you?"
Wisteria shook her head. "Not at all, help yourself. I just finished restocking it."
"Thank you," Twilight placed the book on top of the ice chest as she searched through the compartment. She tried to find something that wasn't made of meat. She managed to find a couple of roasted carrots, which she took out as she sat down to rest her still sore legs. Wisteria sat in front of her to talk.
"So," Wisteria said as Twilight enjoyed the carrots. "Have you met everyone yet?"
Twilight swallowed to answer. "I think I did, but there might be a few I haven't seen yet."
"Hm, I see. So, what are things like where you come from?"
"It's a wonderful place," Twilight answered. "Plenty of space, friendly ponies, beautiful views and..." she started to trail off.
"Twilight? Are you alright?"
"Hm? Yeah, just a little homesick I guess."
Wisteria nodded in empathy. "I understand, each of us went through the same thing."
"Even WX-78?"
"Well, I don't know. But he came here before I did. But I certainly was worried about how things are back home or at least if Maxwell followed his side of the deal."
Twilight nodded in agreement as she finished up the carrots. "It was nice talking to you, Wisteria," she said as she stood up.
"Likewise, Twilight." she picked up the book to trudge her way back to the campfire.
Once she got there, Willow was gone, probably to take a break or something. Twilight sat down on one of the log benches and returned to the book,
After what felt like thirty minutes, Twilight saw a creature in the book that looked like a strange black serpent.
"What is that?" she asked out loud.
"What is what, eh?" asked a deep voice behind her. She gasped from surprise as she turned around, finding two men behind her. The first was a clear lumberjack, having a thick beard, gloves and a plaid, rolled up shirt and holding a red axe by his side. The second was tall and thin. He wore face paint, like a mime, maybe?
"Oop, sorry I scared you," said the lumberjack.
"It's fine, I've been snuck up on a lot recently," Twilight replied.
"Alright then. So, what were you asking about, eh?"
"Oh, nothing, just talking about what's in this book. Who are you?"
"My name's Woodie, this is Wes, what's yours?"
"I'm Twilight Sparkle."
A voice squeaked from Woodie's side. "Well, that's an interesting name."
"Uh... Wes, was that you?"
Wes shook his head and ran his fingers over his mouth as though zipping it shut.
"Nope, Wes doesn't talk," Woodie said. "That was Lucy."
"Lucy?"
"Yep, Lucy." Woodie held out the axe he was holding.
"Hello," the axe squeaked.
Twilight stared at the axe in shock and confusion. "It... can talk? How is an axe able to talk? That is not possible by both science and magic," she turned to Wes. "How is it talking?"
Wes gave a nervous shrug while Lucy gasped. "It?" she chimed, "How rude. Woodie, why is it that everyone when they first meet me call me 'it'?"
"Sorry, Lucy," Woodie said. "She's new here. She just needs to know you more."
"Oh okay, fine. I'll forgive her this time."
Twilight looked at Wes. Wes shrugged, made swinging motions with his arms, then talking motions with his hand, then shrugged again.
"Well... it's nice to meet you two. Er... three..."
"Nice to meet you too, Twilight," Woodie said as he and Wes sat next to her. "Sorry for being nosy, but eh... what's with the wings? You're not part bird are you?"
"No, actually I'm a pony princess from another world."
Wes rose an eyebrow in curiosity while Woodie seemed to relax a little. "As long as you aren't related to birds, I'm fine."
"What do you have against birds?"
Wes facepalmed out of frustration while Woodie said, "Oh, don't get me started. I mean first you chop down a few birds' nests, then next thing you know you're banned for life from a forest. This one time I..." as Woodie talked, Wes looked at Twilight frustrated, made talking motions with one hand, then made circle motions with his finger on the other.
Lucy spoke up during Woodie's story. "Woodie, Woodie, Woodie!"
"And there were hippies everywhere- eh?" Finally Woodie stopped talking and faced his axe. "What'cha need, Lucy?"
"Woodie, you got caught up in your story, again."
"Oh, really? Sorry, Twilight, sometimes I get carried away. So, long story short I don't like birds."
"I can tell."
Afterwards, the three simply sat there, the only noise was the crackling of the fire as they waited for time to pass.
"So... do you know where Willow went?" Twilight asked. "She was just working on my tent."
"Probably in her tent, sometimes she goes there but no one really knows why."
"Right, so how long do these nights last anyway?"
"Shouldn't be too long," Woodie said, "it's midspring so it's not that far away. In fact, the sun should rise any moment now."
Light began to cover the area as the sun rose from the horizon, taking the moon's place in the sky. Finally Twilight was able to see past the perimiters of the camp. "I guess I should get used to this." She said to herself. "Because I'm going to be here for a while."
______________________________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile, Maxwell was taking care of a few small problems of his own.
"Something's wrong," he said to no one in particular. "It's been days and I still can't seem to feel her prescence, it's been four days and she's still not here, isn't she the slightest worried that she could get caught? No, there has to be a reason. Perhaps underground?"
A crack and a poof later, and Maxwell found himself in the dark caves of the underground. Yet no matter how close to the darkness he was, he couldn't find her.
"How is it that she's here at night but not during the day? I must find out what's the cause of this quickly, Before Charlie's rampage grows too much for even me to handle."
Maxwell put his fingers to his mouth, blowing a quick whistle that summoned a black, snake-like creature to him.
"Mr. Skitts," he said. "Get more shadow creatures, do a wide search on the island. Find something, anything that could let Charlie escape. And if you do, tell me immediately!"
Mr. Skitts nodded and dove into the ground to fulfil his command.
"It looks like I either underestimated or overestimated you, Twilight Sparkle. Once I figure this out I will know that if your move, whatever that was, has something to do with Charlie's disappearance, then it's either your greatest achievement, or your biggest mistake. Either way, I don't like where this is going."
Wilson paced around the room, hyperventilating and his eyes wide. He stopped for a moment in front of Luna. "The Night Beast...!? Here?" He sat down, pressing his hoof against his head.
Wendy glanced at him, "Welp, you broke him. Got any taffy?"
Pinkie tilted her head, "Of course we do! Whenever I'm here, I hide a bunch of sweets everywhere! But, why do you need some now?"
"Nevermind, he just needs to snap out of it." She shook her head, "Wait...you mentioned the beast as a female."
Luna nodded, "Yes."
"How do you figure?"
"Once she was as you formerly were. Human." The way she said it was strange, as though she was trying the word in her mouth, and was unsure it it felt right. "The king, I forget his name...he mentions her a lot. He favored her company prior to her fate."
At the mention of Maxwell, Wilson broke his stupor. "It's difficult to imagine Maxwell caring for anyone."
Luna gave him a mild glare. "I don't believe you understand, Higgsbury. In the game of chess, even a king is bound to the board. He is not wholly responsible for his actions."
"He trapped children, let them die. He tricked people who had already lost everything in the world just to watch them suffer." Wilson's eyes burned brightly as they glowered into the princess's, his hatred clouding his fear for her, "And you call him innocent? Even after the horrors he's inflicted upon people?"
Luna huffed, "I am not condoning his actions, nor am I calling him innocent." She sighed, turning her gaze towards the window and to her moon. "Perhaps, in due time, you shall see. I already...sympathize with him."
"Excuse me," Wendy rose her hoof to break their chatter, "The night beast was human? How would someone like you even know that, as well as its gender? Not to mention you have unnatural knowledge, or at least you seem to, of Maxwell. I'd like a proper explanation." She sat down, hooves crossed, her eyes looking right into the princess.
Fluttershy stepped up, "Um...I would like to know how you even know that the beast is...er...here."
The other mares nodded.
Though a bit wobbly, Luna gathered herself and stood, her magic too depleted for her mane to even flow. She shut her eyes for but a moment, then opened them to reveal their demonic form. "I know because I was there for the first rift."
"The first? I assumed this Twilight's was the only one." Wilson tossed the idea around in his head.
"The first not to end in death. At least,...not yet."
Wendy sat up a little, "I'm guessing it's time for a story?"
Luna looked down, as though pondering whether she should come clean. At last, she turned to the crowd of mares. "You've all seen the castle in the Everfree Forest, not just when the elements cleansed me."
They nodded.
"Terrible, unspeakable things very nearly happened. Things I'm ashamed of. The only reason they didn't was because of a stallion I dare call my friend." She took a breath, remorse threatening to spill down her cheeks. "Starswirl the Bearded."
Everyone present blinked cluelessly.
"Uh, who?" Aj asked.
Luna groaned, "Do you remember the previous Nightmare Night? Miss Sparkle's costume perfectly mirrored his appearance prior to his death. She even got the bells right!"
"Oooooh, you mean her crazy clown suit?" Pinkie piped.
The princess twitched, unamused. "He was there for me and my sister's coronation, back when we were fillies. Rose the sun and moon prior to us. And, as it just so happens, had extensive knowledge of inter-dimensional magic. He made a mirror long ago, and he and my sister traveled to them for generations. Making both memorable adventures and disastrous mistakes," Remembering the thought of Hydelestia sent a chill down her spine, "He sealed this mirror upon the discovery that Celestia was abusing its power. However, he had a great desire to continue studying these dimensions without seeming hypocritical."
"The rifts," Wilson muttered.
Luna nodded. "At the twilight of his life, he found himself growing more curious of black magic. Not the practice, but how it worked. How it differed from normal charms. He began to research how to open tears in between macrocosms. Windows where he could observe these dark worlds peacefully. In fact, Equestria would come in contact with your prison realm before humanity even endured the black death."
She paced around the room, uneasy.
"What went wrong?" Fluttershy asked.
"Well, he wanted me to be there with him. He'd neglected my company for too long, and he wanted to make it up to me. Besides, he didn't want Celestia to know, and I understood that these studies were to be kept between the two of us. We set up a lab in the basement, secluded from the rest of the castle. Unfortunately, the first time we cracked into a world of black magic, we discovered the rifts didn't keep things from getting through. Um, it's admittedly lucky Equestria wasn't made into a second home for eldritch abominations." She laughed nervously, before clearing her throat and continuing, "After the incident, StarSwirl developed an apparatus that would form an anti-magic field around the tear. It was almost certain to work."
"Let me guess, it didn't." Rainbow guessed.
Luna shook her head, "With the direction of the tale, you'd think so, but I can definitely say it worked more than well. It was a big night, everything in place, prepared to take a look into the darkest depths of magic, and Celestia seemed to be none the wiser. As a little filly, I was excited. He certainly was. The machine was activated, and the rift was opened. We were...underwhelmed to say the least. At first, there was nothing but dust, and the void, but we were pleasantly surprised to find Them. Of course, They tried to get through, but were unable, until...Celestia interjected."
"She knew?" Wendy was completely sucked into Luna's story.
"She knew we were up to something dark, but she didn't understand. Minor hints a filly and a slightly senile stallion neglected to hide tipped her off. Guards burst into the room, my sister at the head. Believing the machine to form the rift, the Guards set to work in its destruction. At both sides of the room, StarSwirl and Celestia argued and bickered ferociously. With this triangle of events, I was terrified, unsure of what I should do. A perfect target for corruption. A perfect target for Them. When the field was destroyed, They set their sights on me. Magic streams of pure darkness spun from the rift, I remember drowning in it, the fear I felt, then the rage. If StarSwirl hadn't interrupted the stream with his own spells..." She trailed off for a moment, before picking up her tale, "They saw him as a threat. Before any of us could stop it, They...killed him, and dragged his body into their world. It went dormant afterwards, we didn't believe danger would be able to seep through anymore as long as we were careful."
" For a world inhabited by colorful equines, this place is...quite a bit more violent than I would've expected." Wilson said, bothered.
Fluttershy nodded, "In the past couple years, I've almost died seven times, more. But, I, uh, don't try to let it bother me."
He whimpered in response.
"Anyways, me and my sister agreed to keep this from the public. We used illness to explain StarSwirl's mysterious death. The castle was abandoned, and thusly Canterlot was built. Leftover shadow magics would influence the Everfree forest and it's chaotic nature. Sadly,...I will never be able to rid myself of what They did to me. Their magics developed as I did, eventually twisting my emotions, my mind. Bastardizing me until I was their puppet. Until I was Nightmare Moon. Even though the five of you cleansed me, I'm still attached to their world. Even the tantabus was forged in part by fuel residue" She turned to Wilson and Wendy, "Even back when I was trapped within the moon, I'd have visions. Starting many years ago, with your puppetmaster and his former assistant coming to the world, and being distorted as They did with me. While they haven't poisoned my dreams for a while, there was a ten year period where I had ten visions. Wilson, you'd be interested to know the last one involved you and the machine you built."
He scowled, avoiding the princess's eyes and staring regretfully into the ground. "I was stupid. Desperate. I would've accepted anything, and his offer seemed heaven sent."
"Ten years? No, that doesn't make sense. I've been there six months at most. No one on the island has been stranded for more than a year." Wendy pondered that for a moment, Luna smiling.
"Well, time moves differently there. Slower. I imagine that aging is also altered, They don't want their playthings to die from growing old, it'd be boring." One could easily see that despite all They had done to her, Luna was, at least partly, still fascinated by their world. "Ahem, StarSwirl's journal was given to Twilight a year ago. He did, however, use invisible ink to write the experiments down. Twilight must've discovered it, it's the only way she could find out about and replicate what happened. Of course, with one rift open, the other one did as well. Without the field around it, the night beast could slip through it. I theorize Twilight was casting a spell on or close by the tear, thus the switch when you came into contact with it. Unfortunately, it went dormant and stranded you all here. I don't know how to resolve all issues at hoof at the moment."
The mare sighed, things were getting complicated, and she still had the issue of her depleted magic. "I have a question for you, what's it like now? If it's habitable by non-magical creatures, I'm curious about how it looks."
Wilson was more than happy to lecture her, it was a passion he had since he was a child. One his family never took to, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. However, he was unsure of how to explain it all when he had barely been able to study a thing without risking his life, "I apologize, princess. Maybe that could wait for later.
"Alright, I'll inquire further tomorrow. I'll try to rest, but you all must be wary of odd happenings in the night, in the dark." The crowd dispersed at Luna's words. The young ones all went to bed, Wendy reluctantly so. Some of the mares retired, others stayed up a little longer.
The tea room was much smaller than most of the other areas of the castle, pretty cozy to be honest. It's why Wilson was there, to get a break from how overwhelmingly tiny he felt within the palace.
He wasn't exactly doing much, thinking about all that he had been told, and whether Maxwell could truly be innocent in any aspect. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Fluttershy in the doorway, a teapot held her mouth.
"Oh! Uh...you...Er, come in. How long have you been there?"
She trudged in, setting the pot, as well as two teacups on a small table in the center of the room. "Ten minutes. I wanted to come in earlier, but you looked busy."
"Doing what, precisely?"
She shrugged, "But, you never know." She lifted the pot, pouring herself a cup of the steaming liquid. "Would you like some?"
He did, tea was one of the things he missed most about home. Then again, he was unsure if this was similar to english tea or some crazy equestrian stuff. "What is it?"
"Chamomile. My favorite."
"Mine too." He salivated over the golden liquid, "Erm, yes, I would like some, miss...Butterfly was it?"
"Fluttershy," she gave him a shy smile, pouring him a cup.
The mare sat herself at the other side of the table, watching Wilson down the contents of the cup. "I understand you have a lot of questions. Wendy did, too. Frankly, we didn't even know if you would ever wake up."
"Well, yes. It's all a bit more than overwhelming. Strange, new creatures, strange, new world...strange, new...look. With honesty, you hold a sense of normalcy I hadn't come to expect here. No offense...if that sounds offensive."
"Oh, the others can just be a bit excited around a possible adventure. I just try to take things a little more mildly."
"I do appreciate that, you even seem to have won Wendy over. She still hasn't completely warmed up to me. Calls you a listener."
She nodded, but shrunk a little. "She's...nice, but scary."
"Sounds like my Wendy," Wilson almost chuckled. He sighed, leaning back and splaying out over the floor. "I've been comatose for three days, is it right to feel so tired? I guess hunger doesn't help."
"A few hours of stress will leave anyone exhausted if you aren't used to it. That room we put you in was kinda set up for you if you did snap out of it. And, you have, so just go there if you need sleep. And, um, the kitchen has a bunch of snacks if you need food."
" I might take you up on both offers. I feel I'll need to be ready to face tomorrow. Seems we'll start planning on restoring everything to its former place." He sloppily poured himself another cup, leaving a gap of silence in the conversation.
"Who do you want to get back to?" she asked.
Wilson choked on his tea, and he spent the next few moments in a coughing fit, "This again!?" He sputtered, blushing.
She coyly shrunk into her shoulders, "Applejack told me."
"Bloody mare..."
"Who is it?"
"No one, just drop it," he grumbled, "I'm going to raid the kitchen then die on my bed."
"I-I'm sorry," She whined.
"You did nothing wrong, but I just might kill that mare if I figure out how to hold a knife. Goodnight, Miss Fluttershy, thank you for looking after my Wendy. She doesn't think so, but she needs someone to help keep her mind in check."
She smiled at him as he left the room. Wilson may be a bit irate, but friendly. He needed a tutor, someone to help him figure things out. Maybe she could be of assistance.
