Chapter 1
Space. Space is an awfully big place. Even from what we know, and even what we don’t, it is so much bigger than one could ever imagine.
Endless upon endless universes are just next to your own, divided only by the unseen void space. Void space is the in-between. The cracks between the cushions where the remote falls into, only much more difficult to squeeze anything into to dig around.
In the void space, time does not occur, never changing, never ending. Always the same exact moment. For most, it is a trap, a prison, of which no one could ever escape. While for some... determination and drive are powerful enough to conquer anything...
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Alarms rang loudly through the stars, a long, metal, cylinder-shaped ship spinning along at high speeds. Red lights flash all around inside, a bipedal creature in a black hoodie desperately attempting to regain control.
"No, no! Come on we're almost there! Almost out, you stupid piece of ju-gah!?" The creature lost its grip, slinging across the console room. "Grr! You will listen to me! I am the pilot, and you are just a blasted, defective-urk!"
The creature held itself, bending over nearly vomiting from the apparent pain in its face. Its skin started glowing with a bright golden light, the force of it damaging many parts of the ship.
"N... no! I will not die here! Never dying, I will never die!!" It shouted defiantly as if to prove the universe itself that it was too good to die. It began to yowl with pain, as energy shot from every inch of its body. "Aaaaaaaaaaaugh!!!!!"
Then suddenly, it was gone. The creature. The ship. Not even a trace either had ever existed.
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It was a calm, cool night, just on the edge of Equestria and Grifftonia, where two young love birds lay in the tall grass and watch the sky. A dark grey unicorn stallion, with a spiked up, gray and red mane, and a bright blue mare with large griffon wings.
"So..." The mare broke the silence between them. "All packed up for Canterlot then?"
It was obvious in her facial expression that she was disappointed with this fact, but was still happy for her special somepony.
"Yeah. I don't leave until next week, but you can't be too prepared right?" The stallion gave a soft smile. His kindness did not quite match the gruff voice he had. "I'm... definitely excited."
"You should be! You've worked so hard for this, now you're finally so close to your dream!" She beamed, her wings instinctively flexing outward with the enthusiasm. "To join Equestria's Royal Guard is... is... just awesome!"
"It's... only training, Victory."
"And training is just the first stage! Soon, you'll be guarding the Princess' very side!" Victory gently folded her wings back into resting position and rubbed her muzzle into the back of the stallion's mane. "I know you'll make it, Cloud Shade. You're just... the best! No pony else compares."
"… No pony, maybe. But you. You are my other half, so of course, you compare." The cheekiness was prominent in his tone, as his head turned up toward the sky and he gave a smirk.
"You are so sappy. I love you." Her forelegs shifted, leather boots squeaking, as she brought herself to a more comfortable position in the grass. She unfolded her wing closest to him and used it to pull him even closer.
"I love you too Victory." They lay there in one another's gentle embrace, once again enjoying the silence of nature. Up until Cloud Shade felt the need to say something on his mind. "Victory I-"
BOOM!!! His sentence was interrupted by the sound of a loud explosion above them.
"What in the name of Luna was that?!" Victory quickly stood up, attempting to find the source of the noise. "Did somepony just do that sonic rainboom thing??"
"I don’t know. Can't only that one Pegasus in Ponyville do that?" He raised a brow at her conclusion.
"Well, whoever just attempted obviously knows a thing or two." She half mumbled.
The wind began picking up at their hooves, growing faster and faster. Victory shielded her and the stallion's faces with her large wing, gritting her teeth as she tried not to be blown away.
"What's happening??" shouted Cloud Shade.
"I don't know?! I can't even see past my feathers!" Most likely not the best time to show her sass, but still.
Had she not been concentrating, the two would have easily been lifted and thrown about into the air, as the large object whooshed past them. Victory, digging herself into the dirt, used every muscle in her wing just to hold on to her Cloud Shade. The heat the object gave off as it went was almost painful.
Luckily for them, it had gone a bit farther, before crashing into the nearby hillside. The wind subsided, and the two could finally make sense of the situation again.
"Bleh?! What... what was that?" The mare ruffled her feathers clear of the distressed sticking up. The two looked on toward the crash site, dark smoke pillaring up into the air like a growing city.
"I don't know. Wait here, I'll check it out." Cloud Shade got only a few hoofsteps ahead before Victory snuffed with disbelief.
"Like Tartarus, I will. C'mon, I'll race ya!" She whinnied playfully, bursting forward into a gallop.
"V-Victory!? Wait!!" The unicorn nearly stumbled trying to go after her. "Oh, for Luna's sake."
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Fire spread around the area, animals fled from the scene. Luckily no woodland critters were harmed in the incident. The ground, however, was trashed. Only a crater in the ground, dragged along like a screaming child in a toy store unable to get the toy they want. Grass all around, burning to a crisp, far past the edible limit.
The smoke plume soon lessened, but still tailed from the large metal cylinder, now embedded in the ground. Victory fluttered up toward the strange object, flapping away more smoke with her wings. It was clear now that there was an opening in which the smoke was coming from.
“Hello? Is anyone in there?” Victory perched on the edge, peering inside. Her ears lowered as coughing began. “Are you alright? Do you need help?? Eip!?”
The ponygriff was startled as a hoof shot out of the opening, before pulling up its owner. A rather small looking stallion emerges, coughing up all the smoke that had made its way into his lungs. Victory flutters back down to the ground as Cloud Shade manages to catch up.
“What? is there somepony in there?” he questions as if Victory would know.
“Yeah. Hey! Are you alright? Here, lemme help you down.” With a single push of her wings, she leapt back onto the fallen star and positioned herself to help. She grabbed the black hoodie covering the stranger’s face and fluttered him out of the wreckage.
“Wh-what the hell!! Unhand me!!” the stallion swung himself around violently, giving his rescuer a hard smack to the face, which caused her to drop him onto the hard ground. “Guh!?”
“Ow!” Victory rubbed her muzzle in pain, once again landing on her hooves. Her feathers gave a quick ruffle. “What’d you go and hit me for? I was just trying to help you out of there before your coat burned off.”
“I… I don’t need help from anyone! Get away from me! Urgh…” the stranger struggled to stand on his own, and Cloud Shade quickly went to catch him if he should fall.
“Easy there. You had quite a fall, you may have a head injury.” Cloud Shade eases the other down to rest on his knees. He gives the benefit of the doubt for this strange stallion’s horrid attitude being caused by pain or injury.
“I don’t… I don’t need help!” But his legs betrayed him and gave way, causing him to collapse to his side. “Where… where the hell am I now?”
“Well, you’re near our little village of Falkna, it’s just off the border between Equestria and Grifftonia. Not sure where you were going for though.” Victory explained, getting closer. “I’m gonna move your hood back okay? So I can see if you got any open wounds from that crash?”
Carefully, Victory pulled back the black hood revealing the stranger to be a blood-red unicorn, with more than a few scrapes on his face. She gave a frown at the sight, before reaching into her saddlebag.
“What were you going for anyhow?” Cloud Shade asks in an attempt to keep him focused and awake. “In this… weird airship?”
“Tch… I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” The stranger snuffs in disgust, not enjoying either’s company at the moment. “What are you doing over there?”
“Just getting some anti-biotic salve. You got a couple of cuts here and we wouldn’t want them to get infecte- Hey!?” Victory lets out a startled yelp as the new stallion smacks the tube of ointment away. “What’d you do that for!?”
“Do not touch me with that garbage!! … I don’t need it. I don’t need help, damn it!” He attempted to stand, but his knees buckle immediately. “What… Why can’t I stand… …Where… Where are my hands? Where are my hands!?”
“Calm down Mister. You hit your head, you’re not thinkin’ straight.” Victory attempted to calm the hysterical unicorn. “Why don’t we start with something simple? What’s your name?”
“... Master.” He answered under his breath.
“I’m sorry?” Victory tried to get closer to hear him. “I didn’t quite get that.”
“My name… is the Master.” His face scrunched into a sneer as if he was offended he had to tell her his name.
“… Well, it’s nice to meet you, Master.” She gave a warm smile, going to pick the ointment up again.
“… Odd. People usually question the name.” Suddenly, he seemed unsure but kept his intimidating look.
“Sounds normal to me? Is it short for something? Judging by your cutiemark, does it have something to do with time?” Victory deducted. “Anyway, my name is Digital Victory, but everyone calls me just Victory. This is Cloud Shade, my colt friend.”
The stallion blinked, attempting to focus on his rescuers. He grew concerned when he realized they were not what he had thought them to be.
“What? … Do… do either of you have a reflective surface of some sort? Preferably a mirror?” he turned to the mare as she seemed to be the prepared one. He’s met with a nod, as she raises the cover of her bag and lifts a mirror out with her magic.
The Master stared, dumbfoundedly, at his reflection. This couldn’t be right. He found himself to have a muzzle, large round eyes, and what appeared to be a curved, sharp-pointed bump extruding from his forehead. Had it been from the fall?
“This… I… what?” the stallion began to fumble over his words, his breath quickening.
“Hey now, take it easy, breathe.” Cloud Shade attempted to help. However, it was too late. The strange unicorn once again fell to his side, now passed out from the shock. “Ah geez…”
“Oh dear…” Victory had to agree with her partner, giving a look of concern. She looked to her back, then back to the fallen Master. “… Come on Cloud Shade, help me get him onto my back.”
“What?? You can’t be serious.” A look of flabbergast found its way to the stallion’s face. “Victory, we have no idea what this guy’s deal is. He could be dangerous.”
“Oh, hush. He’s injured and needs help. A Digital never leaves anyone to suffer.” She gave a firm nod, before trying her best to lift him herself.
“… Alright, alright, let me help before you hurt yourself…” reluctantly, Cloud Shade helped Victory get the stranger onto her back and the two began to walk back toward their village. “Your grandmother isn’t going to be happy.”
“Eh, what’s the worst that could happen?” A small nicker of amusement escaped the ponygriff’s throat.
“She could snap his head off with one move of her beak.” A morbid answer, but not unusual for Cloud Shade.
“Okay, what’s the worst that would happen, smart guy.”
And so, the adventure began.