A collection of ideas and scenes I've started but failed to continue because I started another story idea.
So, this is a collection of a bunch of scenes and story ideas that I have both started and moved on from, stuff that I'm unlikely to pick back up... Why am I posting this? Well, my friends have told me to! Why? just to showcase that I have, in fact, been writing. And, more importantly, to stroke my own fire and ego. I hope this can get me back into the habit of sitting down and writing fimfics, while also building the confidence I need to not keep on deleting everything I write.
All of these, for the most part, are un-edited. Some of them are very old as well. And some of them are even ancient (that pre-date Sunset!). I won't be submitting everything though at once though. Gotta have some leeway, right? Anyway, for some, there are chapters that have rewrites on top, below, and even within the same paragraph, of scenes which won't get posted in here. While others are just too graphic for the T tag.
However, there are a few stories I'll leave out completely such as; Party Hearty, Midnight's Sunset, Re;Collection, A Dashingly Sunny Journey, and Lost.
All five of those I do plan on trying to write and publish, additionally Midnight's Sunset is also a collab with a close friend. Lost is very close to being ready to submit- well, close for me. Just needs to be polished and the ending needs to be written.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy these ideas. If enough readers like them, I may try and pick them back up!
Edit: My apologies for the occasional giant spacing between words that takes up entire lines... I actually don't know why it does that. I've tried rewriting the sentences, but it still just does it anyway.
I'll be publishing a few chapters of ideas throughout this week, and hopefully more in the coming weeks. I really need to organize my story section on here...
The first thing the girl noticed was the soft leather she was resting on. She curled up tightly into the velvety blankets she was wrapped around and released a deep breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She smiled. It was much more comfortable compare to the leather jacket she usually used for a pseudo blanket. In fact she hasn't slept this peaceful since before the month began, when she could stay over at one of her friends', former friends', houses.
Her eyes shot open. Sunlight shined through the sky-blue curtains on a large window. She held a hand up to block the light and get a better look around the room. In front of the couch she lay on, there was a small table with two cups of steaming tea. For a brief moment, the floral patterns on the cup flashed a violet light.
"Ah, the tea is done." A young man said. black suit with a navy vest. Adjusting his tie, he leaned forward off the leather chair he was seated on and picked up the tea. "You were in a rough shape the other night, I hope you don't mind that I took you in. You were... unruly. And your place was on fire."
The girl cringed and sat up. "Yeah," her voice trailed off as she looked around. The room itself was fairly plan, the walls were a soft blue, the floor was simple tile, a few more windows with semi closed curtains were spread out along the wall behind her. She honed in onto to the man who leaned back into his chair, taking random sips from his tea. He folded and sat the newspaper he had been reading back onto the table and offered a smile. "I'm gonna need you to tell me who you are, and where I am."
"That is... quite complicated." He set his tea onto the empty saucer. "Let me just state that I know who, and more importantly what, you are. And I have an offer to give you."
The girl moved her hair away from her face and undid the bandage covering her cheek. She ran her finger around the indentation that crossed from under her right eye to near her lip. She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Why should I trust you, or even listen to you? What's stopping me from busting out of the window right now."
"You have no where to go, no money, no food and water. And no friends to help you out. You're all-"
"That didn't stop me before. I've made a life for myself here once. And I can do it again." She set the blankets to the side and stood up. The tea looked delicious and she could feel the dryness in her throat. But she didn't trust this man, and why should she? If there is one thing her friendships taught her, it's to never trust anyone. She walked toward the door, ignoring the gaze the man looked at her with, and the coldness in her feet. She wrapped her hand around the bronze handle and pulled it downward.
"You'd be without your journal." That got her attention. How did he know about the journal? How did he know about her. She walked back to the couch in silence and sat cross-legged.
"Start talking, now."
Alone. Several lights bore into her from atop the hardwood stage. Her cyan eyes focused downward, on the sole blemish across the floor. Just me and my shadow, she thought to herself trying to ignore the several conversations about their previous purchases or their hope on making the final one. Or is it my shadow and I?. The girl inwardly chuckled. Grammar didn't matter. She didn't matter. Not anymore.
A gavel slammed onto a wooden podium. "Ladies and gentlemen," the voice was from a young male; raspy but clear, rehearsed, "let us begin with the final auction." The voices in the audience went silence, with the exception of a stray whisper here or there. "What we have for you now is a rare, one-of-a-kind, prize even for this venerable auction house!"
Hundreds of excited or intrigued eyes bore into her. She flinched. The silence, and their attention, was deafening. The yellow-skinned teenage girl wished her steal collar or locks of golden and crimson hair would cover the scar lined across her neck. She wished the white robes and hood would hide her bruised face. She wished... was this the right idea? Would it have been better if I... she paused and looked up. Back at everyone who looked down on her from their cushioned seats with their faceless masked. From left to right, she scanned the crowd then she shook her head and laughed. From prized pupil to prized goods, oh how the mighty have fallen.
"Opening bids start at five million pounds." the voice bellowed into the auditorium.
"Five point six!"
"Six point one!"
"Six and a quarter!"
In the back of the auditorium, old wooden doors located underneath a stylized depiction of the North Star slowly creaked open. A tall, burly man wearing a three-piece suit stepped forward. The girl watched as he walked past aisle and aisle, ignoring the increasing amount of attention and light. The man put his gloved hands onto the stage and lept upwards until he stood face to face with the yellow girl. She tried to ignore him when he grabbed her chin with a soft velvety care, and moved it from side to side. She tried to ignore the cloth that was tied to his long tapered horns that covered his face but not his examining gaze.
"Sir, you can't be-"
"Fifteen million," the man said. His voice was deep, strong. He lifted the vale off the girl and ran a finger along her cheek. Leaning in, "yes, you'll do quite nicely," he whispered into her ear, "you'll make an excellent apprentice, familiar even, for the sleigh buggy."
"Sold! Fifteen million pounds!" The loud banging of the gavel went ignored to the girl. She couldn't help but smile. Finally, she thought to herself I have a home.
"Thank you kindly for your payment." The girl watched as a young man wearing a black suit and an ivory vest grab the piece of paper. She lifted her arms and scratched around the burn mark along her cheek, ignoring the rattling of her chains. "Even though the girl appears to be a sixteen-year-old girl, our research shows she's actually twenty-two. And while she has a history of pride and aggression, she is known to be extraordinarily malleable after traumatic experiences. Such as the one she experienced over this previous Christmas. Hopefully she isn't too hard to train."
The girl snorted and brushed a lock of her crimson and yellow hair to the side. "Things change and that was weeks ago." Cyan eyes glanced at the piece of paper. "Fifteen million pounds, huh? That's quite an investment in little ol' me."
"And I intend to make back said investment." A deep voice bellowed. The girl looked at the leather sofa where a tall man sat. Along with his immaculate suit with fitting gloves, he wore a white cloth, tied to his long tapered horns, that covered his elongated, and inhuman, face.
"Yes, well," the young man continued, "while I was pleasantly surprised to see you today Mr. Ainsworth, I must remind you to please refrain from stepping on the stage during an auction. This is the second time."
Ainsworth grunted, stood up, "I require neither a lecture nor small talk, thank you." and walked towards the girl. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned back, or tried too. With a strong yank on the chain attached to her steel collar, she fell forward. Her white hood falling off the top of her hair. "You, with me."
When I woke up this morning, I did not think my day would end with my arms cuffed behind my back while being dragged across the parking lot by the bloody collar of my shirt while one of my legs dangled aimlessly behind. It's just not one of those normal thoughts people have when they awake. But then again, I suppose I was never normal.
The morning was standard; peel the purple bedsheets off my sweat soaked body, drudge my way through the darkened and empty hallways, sit under the torrent of frozen water, scrounge up something edible from the fridge, miss the bus to school, and show up halfway into second period.
Honestly, I don't even know what my first period class is- or the teacher. It's the only class I don't have a hundred in. Really doesn't stop me from being idolized by everyone. The students aspire to be me, their parents wish their children were as hardworking and dedicated as I am, and the teachers were just proud someone took them seriously. Public schools, am I right?
I'd like to say everything fell apart in those nine and a half seconds in fifth period lunch that I spent in the library. The cafeteria is always an animal house filled with lowlifes talking about silly movies and games, sports or their missed homework, and I always managed to dodge the torrent of adulation of the student body. And that was no different today. But that'd be a lie.
I think it all came back when I visited my birth city a few years back. It was before my parents died and we were visiting my childhood friend, Cadence. Or were supposed to anyway. I had gotten lost while exploring the city and found myself walking along the empty sidewalks of a local high school. It was raining that day. Windy too. The watch was so small I almost missed it but thanks to the sporadic flash of lightning that reflected across the silver backing, I found it shining like a beacon in a dreary landscape next to an animalistic statue.
It looked like an old antique pocket-watch that rich snobs would wear about a hundred years ago. The silver backing was polished to perfection- no random scuff marks or dents, just a simple engraving of an infinite pattern of repeating numbers: 85, over and over again. A perfect loop.
The front was also silver, but with a large 'X' scratched into the casing. I remember trying to open the thing; clicking the top didn't work so when I got back to the hotel, I remember going into the kitchen and grabbing a sharp knife. I kept on trying to jam the blade between the center. I lost my eye that day.
The blade had managed to lodge itself in the middle but the more I pushed and pried, the more the blade bent until it eventually snapped and lodged itself into my eye. I remember the screams and the blood that gushed from the wound. But not the pain. I even think I tried to yank metal out and pulled out my eye. Instead the next thing I remember was whimpering in my bed with the pocket watch in my clutches, and the X was red.
I think I was ten at that time. I was so delirious when I awoke- frazzled hair, tear stained cheeks, non-sensical wailing, that kind of delirious. The entire time that pocket watch sat in silence, watching everything with a stoic smile like every fashionable accessory always does when beside its owner.
About two years later, my older brother died. My parents would always tell me it wasn't my fault. But they were liars. If only I knew what I do now, maybe I'd have actually... it doesn't matter.
It was an early snowfall that year. My brother, who managed to get out of school an hour before me, had decided to meet me at the entrance of the middle school I was going to at the time. The snow was light, but the rain from earlier had frozen along the sidewalks and road.
It was about four in the afternoon and I remember twirling the pocket watch in my hand, laughing to some incredulous joke about something someone had done in the middle of class. I looked back at him, he wore this goofy smile while is blue rimmed glasses hung from his nose, a stubble just beginning to grow under his chin. His sky-blue eyes were focused on me, and my laughter. He ruffled my hair and had given me a playful warning about something.
It was a playful shove. That's all it was. We were laughing, I was laughing. Our chuckles had filled that chilled air that hung on the side streets of the metropolis. He slipped. He slid down the tiny hill along the side of the street- off the sidewalk. I remember he tried to laugh it off, waving his hand as he stumbled forwards and backwards along the thin black ice. I screamed so loud he didn't hear the bus.
It wasn't a loud crunch or splat, their weren't any blaring horns or squealing tires. Just a muffled thump that left the side of the bus coated red, my screams, and the faint clang of the glowing pocket watch that had slipped from my fingers and bounced along the frozen ground.
The next few months after that went in a blur. My parents and I had moved across country, I had routine meetings with a therapist where I simply sat stoic and mute, and I poured myself into my work.
"Sunny, I need you to do as I say!" The voice was loud, and brash, and fought against the sirens that blared all around. Everything was dark an--
"But Aria, I--"
"Go, food and water first, then medical supplies, then weapons and everything else. Fill as many bags as you can!" There was a moment silence until footsteps thundered away. Everything was dark and I could hear the heavy breathing from someone next to me. A gentle hand covered in a synthetic glove pressed itself on my forehead.
"Sunset,” the voice was soft and stern, “we will get you out of here. I promise." Something rustled next to me, next to where the voice came from. I tried to look, but I couldn’t move. The hand was still pushing down on my forehead. Why was everything still so dark? “You’ll be okay.”
“Water has now flooded fifty-percent of the cargo hold.” The metallic voice coincided with something tearing beside me. “Aria, if you wait much longer, I will not be able to launch the satellites.” Aria, that name sounded familiar. Why did that name sound so familiar? And that voice...
“I know, but I’m not going to leave her to die!” Aria screamed. Something was lifted across my body. Silky hands caressed my stomach as the carefully moved upward. “Out of all the selfless things Sunset…” she groped my hip and pressed downward on my hips. I winced. I cried. I screamed. I wanted all that, yet I could only lie there under incoherent mumblings as hands moved across my body. Why couldn't I move? Why was everything so dark?
"Okay Aria," my jaw was opened, "you can do this." Something cold and metallic was slid into my mouth. "I don't know if you're there,” she said as she closed it, “but if you are, this is going to hurt. A lot."
Something was yanked out of my sides and I felt like I had sprung a leak all over the cold floor. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, but the only thing I could do was writhe motionlessly while the echoes rattling metal filled the room. "One down, two more to go." The voice trembled.
The soft hands swiftly moved up a few more inches on my side, just underneath one of my breasts. "Here we go," she whispered. Tears pooled on the corners of my eyes but the way they burned didn't take from the agony as another object was yanked out of me. I was leaking even more.
"You need to move faster, Aria." A feminine robotic voice said next to me. "She will bleed out if you do not hurry." It said.
"I know," her hands drifted up close to my shoulder blade. "Believe me," she yanked, "I know."
I felt myself slide downwards into a set of colder, metallic, hands with thin and sharp fingers that pricked and pinched the areas that I was leaking from. There was an oozing sound as a cold and gooey liquid slid into the openings across my skin. It was a weird feeling; the slight movements that drifted me upwards then finally onto the cold metallic floor.
“Aria,” more goo seeped into my skin, “you need to launch the satellites.”
“I can’t just leave her!”
“If you do not launch the satellites, no one will leave.”
Aria screamed and kicked something that rattled across the room. “I--”
“Warning, water level at 65%, internal pressure destabilizing. Please evacuate the ship.”
As I lay motionless on the floor, I could feel the vibrations from Aria’s boots as she stormed out of the room. It wasn’t much, but it gave me something else to focus on besides the pain that had started to subside. The metallic hands whirred as the moved around my body. I could smell small pockets of smoke from below me, or below my nose at any rate. The putrid smell only lasted momentarily as did the pain and heat.
“I will release the paralysis momentarily, Sunset, but I need you to move slowly and open your eyes even slower.” The whirring stopped. There was some small shuffling nearby before a surge of static erupted above my chest. “I will need you to follow my instructions, Sunset, without question. You will be confused, and disoriented, but time is not on your side. Remember, slow and steady.”
When her hands touched my chest, just above my heart, the electricity surged through my body. Everything writhed and shook and it felt like a million new stars erupted inside my body, my fingers clawed at the metal while my feet kicked the air. My eyes and skull flooded with power then exploded in a gory mess along the walls and ceiling. Then it stopped.
I couldn’t tell if seconds past or millennia past, it was just all silent. A vast emptiness that permeated my mind while everything simply shut down. First it was my heart, then the lungs. No more creaking from the compressing hauls of the ship, no more cold metal rubbing against my bloody back, no more beating in my chest or ringing in my ears and tingling in my limbs. Just nothing.
“Oh man, you have no idea how jealous I am!” Rainbow clamped her hands down on my shoulders with a frown.
“Yeah, but on the plus side, you won’t have to worry about discovering any bugs with the game.” I said while I slid out from under her grip. I walked over to where the two Twilights stood as they looked over the three pairs of helmets that sat on the table.
“Oh come on! Watching the bugs are half the fun.”
Twilight, the human one, looked wistfully at one of the helmets then up at me. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait? I mean--”
“Twi, you fully scanned the device multiple times; Princess Twilight, Princess Luna, Adagio, and even myself went over the spell matrixes for the crystals; and the help Sunny hired went through the game’s coding as much as they could. If something is going to go wrong, the only way we’ll find it is if we try it.” I said with a soft smile. I picked up the closest helmet and held it within my hands.
It was less a helmet and more of a large thick beanie with an accompanying mask that covered the face and ears. Several thin mana crystals flowed across the mask that swirled around where the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears would be located when someone wore it. The top of the helmet had a very large mana crystal that was housed in the center with several more thin crystal pathways cross the top of the cap. “Ya know,” I said while I sat the helmet back down on the table, “I’m honestly surprised that Rarity didn’t demand to redesign the gear. These definitely aren’t the most … aesthetically pleasing to look at.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, “believe me, she wouldn’t stop pestering me the first few months. I’m just glad Sonata convinced her sister to let Rarity work on the clothing designs. Never would have thought her fashionable sensibilities went outside of clothes though.”
“I’m just surprised the Sirens wanted to help us and not, you know, kill us.” Rainbow frowned. “Not like they’d be able to beat me anyway.” She added.
“Oh please,” Adagio called out from the kitchen, “I may not have much magic anymore but that doesn’t mean I can’t just take off my shirt! And I know I don’t need my gems to at least hypnotize some of you.”
Twilight blushed and looked away while I couldn't help but snicker at Rainbow who sputtered for a response. “She’s got you there,” I smirked, “assuming you could see anything behind all her hair.”
Before Adagio could come up with a response, Princess Twilight set the final helmet down. “We should decide on the three to test these out.” She said. The Princess turned to face the four of us and smiled. “Everything looked good to me, but I will need to stay behind. As will Princess Luna and you, Twilight. Adagio, you could go if you’d like, but I’d prefer it if you stayed with me here too…”
Adagio sauntered over and placed a finger under the Princess’s chin. “My, my, I didn’t know you liked me that much.” She smirked at the Princess’s blush. “But if you must have me at your side, I know Aria or Sonata would love to do this.”
A female griffon with grey fur and navy feathers and tuft stood outside near the door to the bar. She tugged at her satchel's clipped on watch, “8:17”. She frowned and looked up towards the sky. Gray clouds had already gathered around the low-hanging moon. A soft chilled breeze kicked up snowdrifts around the bar. She sneezed and tightened her bright pink scarf wrapped around her neck. A laughter erupted from inside the building. “Better late than never,” she mumbled into her scarf as she opened the wooden door.
"To our first year!" A bulky crystal pony held a frothy mug of cider in the air. He stood behind a crystal counter-top that circled around the liquor lined walls of the bar. There were about a dozen patrons gathered near around the counter. A majority of them were crystal ponies who celebrated with various unicorns, pegasi, and griffons. The griffon slid the door shut behind her and sat at a small table near the stairs. Two small crystal ponies ran along the top of the bar, filling various empty crystal mugs with bubbling cider.
The griffon unhitched her satchel and set it on the table. One of the crystal filly’s waved and hopped of the counter. She mouthed something to the barkeep who smiled and pointed towards a tray with a small bowl and two glasses of water. The purple maned filly picked the tray up with her muzzle and scampered through the crowd.
"Hello Amethyst," the griffon grabbed the tray and set it on the table next to her bag. “I’m surprised your father is letting you two help out so late.”
“Yeah, but, tonight’s special and school’s already been cancelled for the next week!”
The griffon waved her paw around then grabbed one of the glasses of water. “That doesn’t change the fact that you need to practice good habits. Even if school’s closed, should still prepare like normal.”
“Ugh, you’re so bland sometimes.”
“And you’re still a filly.” The griffon used her other paw and messed with the filly’s crystal mane before she puffed her lips and stomped away.
The griffon looked down at the tray. Inside the bowl was shredded lettuce with small chunks of cooked fish mixed in with carrots and tomatoes. She stared at the food with a frown then grabbed her fork and stabbed at lettuce near the side of the bowl.
“Lucidia,” a deep voice said. She stabbed the mushed lettuce again. “Lucidia,” the voice was louder this time. A hoof touched her shoulder. The griffon shrieked and flung her arm, and the fork, at the pony.
The pony ducked and took a few steps back. “Whoa, Lucidia,” he said, “are you all right?”
Lucidia blinked once, twice, then jumped out of her chair. “Oh Celestia,” she dropped the fork, “I’m so sorry Beryl!”
The tanish crystal pony faked a smile and placed the fork back onto the table. He sat in the chair on the opposite side of her. “Are you-”
“Where is everyone?” She took a bite of her salad.
Beryl tilted his head. “What do you mean?” he said.
“Everyone’s gone now, it wasn’t like this five minutes ago.” She took another bite of her salad.
“Uh, Lucidia?”
“Yes?” She said with her mouth full of fish.
“It’s two in the morning.”
“Oh…” she mouthed. Lucidia tossed her fork onto the food and stretched her wings. “Do you care if I sleep on the couch tonight? I don’t feel like messing up my sheets or showering tonight.”
Beryl coughed with a mouth full of water. “You’re working tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” she picked up her bowl and walked towards the counter. “The Princess wants me to deliver a full rundown of who’s staying through the storm and help create a schedule for supply runs during it. I should be back before the storm gets too rough.” She set the bowl on the counter and grabbed one of the half filled bottles of liquor. “You care if I take this with me?” Lucidia held the bottle up while taking another bite of the salad.
“I- uh- sure. Yeah, that works. But you know that it’s a terrible idea.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “The liquor? You know my rules with it. Only for emergencies.”
“No, tomorrow’s jo-”
“I know. I plan on leaving two hours early. What the Princess wants is what gets done. She just to make sure everypony is accounted for.”
“No need to be so-”
“I also plan on checking in with Sapphire, I’m sure she’ll want an update on Amber and Amethyst.”
“Oh… I guess I’ll just go shower then.”
“Yeah,” she said between bites, “you go do that.”
Beryl crept up the stairs next to the bar. A few minutes later, Lucidia could hear the water running from the bathroom. She tossed the fork into the bowl and slid off the stool. All but two of the wooden chairs had been flipped onto their respective tables. The soft red glow of ceiling crystals hung in the room dark room while the moon’s reflection created patches of light along the walls. Each strong gust of wind howled as it blew past the windows and side of the building. She walked towards one of the windows and pushed aside one of the curtains. The crystal lamps were faint in the heavy snowfall. “Clucking Tartarus,” she grumbled, “I can’t wait can I?”
“Shining! Hurry up!” The griffon’s voice was hoarse. Cups of steaming honeyed tea did little to mask the salty smell of sweat that dripped off her brow and onto the chilled marble floor. She turned away from the cluttered oak table and trotted to the sole window of the room. The wind howled. Thick powdery snow battered the window. Snow my flank. Small veins of melted snow had frozen along the ridges, while more piled up along the base. She coughed into her bright amethyst colored scarf then wiped away some of the moisture that clung to her beak.
"Shining! Hurry your-" the wooden door swung open and slammed against the walls. The griffon turned around. A white unicorn stallion marched into the room, flanked by a light turquoise and bright rose pegasus.
Two ponies walked through the doorway; Shining Armor, who was wearing his golden trimmed regalia, and an orange pegasus and whose dark blue mane was combed upwards and backwards. The pegasus wore a similar styled regalia that weaved around his body and held two satchels, one on each side, in place.
“This,” Shining pointed at the pegasus, “is Flash Sentry. He’s currently our guard’s most capable flier. He’ll accompany you and assist you throughout the remainder of the storm. It was… foolish of us to not get you assistance sooner. I deeply apolo-”
The griffon scowled, threw her chair aside, and marched toward Shining. “You don’t believe me,” she said forcing a talon on under his chin. “That’s what you're saying, right? You don’t think what I saw was real.”
“Well, the snow does tend to play tricks on-”
“I don’t care about the snow! Are you telling me that what I saw- the blood splatters, the chunks of crystal fur, and even the,” her breath became short and raspy as she stumbled backwards into the table, “even the,” she looked down onto the rug and felt her breakfast slowly rising in her stomach. She shook her head and rubbed her temples for a few brief seconds. She looked back to Shining Armor and the pegasus who stood in a stoic posture and hadn’t budged from the doorway. “You can’t expect me to believe what I saw was fake.”
“Then you needed to provide some proof that it-.”
“I’m not going to carry a frozen eyeball in my clucking satchel!”
Shining Armor cringed then motioned for Flash. Flash stepped towards the table and unrolled a piece of parchment kept in one of the bags. “You said that you tallied those staying in Crystapolis before coming here and that everyone who is staying was accounted for, correct?”
The griffon nodded.
“And while I talked with Flash, Cadence tallied the those who are staying here for the storm. The entire registrar of Crystapolis is accounted for. No one is missing.”
“Then what about somepony from here then, or maybe a family from Equestria who decided accepted the colonization choice?”
“Lucidia,” Shining gently put a hoof on her shoulder. “It was just the snow playing tricks on you.”
Lucidia’s swatted his hoof away and her hind legs felt weak. She fell backwards onto the floor. “I, I,” she clutched the sides of her head and screamed into her scarf. “I know what I saw! It was real! I know it!”
When she ran out of breath, she stood up and mumbled to herself while pacing around the table. After her tenth circle, she stopped and took a deep breath in, and out. She wiped the sweat and saliva off her face and beak. “Alright, fine.” Her voice was soft and raspy. “We don’t have time, for now, let’s just say it was the snow then. Is there a plan in place to transport food and wood?”
Flash Sentry stepped forward. “Based off the weather pegasi’s estimates, the storm should last around two weeks. There will be very few breaks in the storm but based off what we understand from Windigos, those breaks won’t last long and they’ll mostly be at night.”
“Great…” Lucidia groaned and rubbed her temple. “How long will they last?” she asked.
“Anywhere between thirty minutes or four hours, it’s hard to tell what the Windigos are up to.”
“In the current weather, it took me three hours to fly here. Beryl tallied all the resources stocked up, we have enough for everyone for a week. Each trip, with the two of us, should let us carry food and wood for two families that can last the rest of the storm. That’s-”
“Six to ten hours of straight flying at random times throughout the week.” Shining said in a flat tone.
“And why can’t the same pegasi who scouted the storm help with transporting goods? They’re obviously good enough fliers to deal with the mess once enough.”
“Most were weather pegasi from Equestria. They aren’t trained enough to fly long distance in storms like this, let alone transporting stuff. And those who are, are the Wonderbolts.”
“Uhm, I’m going to go gather the goods.” Flash said. His meek voice was drawn out by Shinning’s and Lucidia’s. With a sigh, Flash trotted out the room.
“So? What, just because they’re special fliers means that don’t have to help out?”
“They’re military.”
“And I’m a griffon, what’s your point. Are they too good to help a neighboring country?”
“No, they simply have their own jobs to do.”
Lucidia stood face to face with Shining. “And those jobs are more important than keeping a fledgling city alive?” She shoved a talon into his plated armor and kept pushing with each word she spoke. “You should know we can’t do this alone and, no offense to your guard member, but if I’m going to struggle heavily in this weather, which I am used to, there is no way in Tartarus will he be fine. We. Need. Help. It’s as simple as that. And unless somepony, or griffon, can help us, either myself or your guard member will get injured, if not worse.”
“I’ll do my best to find somepony who can help.” Shining looked at the fireplace.
“Best? You better do better.” Lucidia spat.
“Look, I can’t make any promises okay?”
“I don’t need promises Shining, I need fliers or someone may die. And if that happens, it’s on you!” She hit the armor with a closed fist.
The opened door banged against the wall. Flash sat two bags of chopped would down onto the floor. “The food should be finished prepared in a few minutes.” Flash walked back out of the room.
“Good!” Shining and Lucidia said in unison. Lucidia walked over to one of the brown bags and lifted it up over her neck and wing then grabbed the other bag and put it over her other wing.
“Ugh.” She walked around the room, stopping occasionally to readjust the bags on her back. “I better get a medal for this.”
Shining chuckled. “I’m sure we can work something out.”
“So…” Lucidia gathered the scrolls of parchments and slid them into her satchel. She set her scarf on the table then picked up her crystal-light necklace. She locked the necklace around her neck then took her pink scarf and wrapped it both underneath and on top of the chain. “What should we do if we,” she looked at the snowfall. “What should we do if we find a body?”
Shining frowned. “Honestly?” There is nothing you’ll be able to do. It’d be the first recorded murder here, not to mention it would be impossible to investigate the scene with the weather outside. Best thing you could do is try and mark the location down.”
“Understood.”
Flash entered the room with his saddle bags of fruit and vegetables attached to his armor. “You ready to fly?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Lucidia followed Flash Sentry out the warm and cozy room. The white marble halls the duo walked through had large crystal windows that were frozen shut. Dim yellow and pink crystals hung from small chandeliers and illuminated the otherwise hollow hallways.
The two stopped in front of a stairwell near the exit of one of the empty hallways. “Would you like to dive launch or take off like normal?”
“In this weather? Let’s dive.” She said.
The duo walked a few flights up the narrow stairwell. At the top, there was a thick door with a wooden lever. Lucidia grabbed the crystals on her necklace and gently bit down on them. A bright pink light began to pulse once every few seconds. Flash pushed the orange crystals shaped like wings in the center of his regalia, which gave off a similar bright orange light. Lucidia wrapped her tightened her scarf and nodded.
I honestly have no idea how to start this storyautobiographymemoir... I don't even know how to classify this. Everything is true, that much I can say. It is a weird, fantastical even, tale that involves things that just don't quite make sense. They're close, oh-so-very close to the norms of the realities I grew up with, but they just don't quite make it there. Make sense.
But still, where do I start? Do I start with the magic that we used to fight and kill the demon lord before he could escape on his space ship? Do I start with the time I lost my virginity for the third time? Do I start with the first time I killed someone? There were a lot of firsts, a lot of beginnings, and strangely only one ending that I can recall.
Maybe I should start with my name, right? I mean, you're reading this, learning about my life, and yet I haven't even introduced myself. Granted, you did pick up my book which means you already know who I am thus I don't need an introduction. But still, manners, right? I've learned them so many times yet each reality is slightly different, like I said, so maybe-
That's it! That's how I'll start this off. My name is Sunset Shimmer, and let me tell you how I first met my wife.
"I'm the hero?"
That was the first thing I remember saying. There were a lot of things said and even more that were done in such a small amount of that that, if I'm being honest, just kind of blurred together. So much was happening so quickly I just had no idea what to do. How to function.
The night before, I had written to Twilight, the princess, through our book about how excited I was for her to visit. We hadn't had the ability to talk much, and even less time to hang out. She was busy being the supreme ruler of our home reality while I was doing my best AK Yearling / Daring Do impression by scouting out the (original) new one I had been living in, in search of magical artifacts that could have slipped through the dimensional cracks. Of course, making bank was just a nice side affect.
Anyway, it was one of the few nights I actually got to sleep in my own bed, in my own room, in the flat I've owned since my school days. It was nice, comfy, and still close to home- well, close to my original home. So imagine my surprise when the first thing I felt when I slowly gained consciousness was the lush texture of moist grass underneath my silk robes. The grass was nice and cool, against the fabric and I couldn't help but instinctively try to roll over.
The keyword being 'try'.
It took another moment for me to realize there was pressure resting above my waist- soft and smooth, smoother than the silk fabric that was not covering my front. Then the pressure inched slightly forward and I felt gentle prods along my stomach. Prods that moved upward.
I know at this point, I still refused to open my eyes. My name is Sunset Shimmer, not Sunrise. I have always hated the mornings and I absolutely despise those who ruin my sleep in said mornings. Knowing everything that I know about all my friends, Rainbow must have somehow convinced Fluttershy to borrow the key to my building in order to pull off this prank. Thus, it is my duty to ignore her as much as possible and continue my not-so-quite blissful sleep.
And then she pinched my nipple.
I bolted upwards. Heads met, and the next thing I could hear was the groaning of someone else that was distinctively not Rainbow Dash, nor any of my friends either. I rubbed my nose and forehead before giving off the meanest sneer I could. And the moment I opened my eyes, I froze.
If you've ever had a sensory overload, you'll know what it's like. Everything is just too much, your heart races faster than you ever thought possible, every little flicker of light feels like you're staring into the sun, the hairs on your skin instantly rise to pair with those bumps on the back of your neck, and you can just hear the world around you as if you jammed your head into a pair of Vinyl's headphones. Of course, and this is the most important part, your mind eventually shuts down while screaming, "Abort! Abort! It's too much!" thus you end up simply standing there with this dumbfounded expression as drool begins to seep from the corner of your lips.
I'd like to think I was made of sturdier stuff, I had revolted against the princess who raised the sun, only to be reformed with the regular job of taking down the random monthly magical mishap. And yet it was the sheer lace fabric on the girl beside me broke me.
See, I could handle the fact that the four foot being had soft purple percaline skin with six arms that supported her as she pushed herself off the ground. I could handle that her nose-less face contained two eyes, placed like a normal human, along with three others that arched across her forehead, all of which were simply straight black. And I even enjoyed the massive fangs that hung out of her mouth that contained a lengthy orange tongue when it was opened. And I don't even have to mention two bright green orbs the hung in the red sky that illuminated the luscious blue grass that we were both on.
Yeah, I could handle all of that. Like I said, I was made of sturdier stuff. Which is why seeing her lift herself onto her knees in a fairly seductive pose while wearing a nightgown made of nearly see-through lace that coiled into a pattern similar to my cutiemark along both her breasts broke me.
"Jeez," she mumbled, "you're awful violent for being a hero." She rose to her knees, two of them (she was still a biped), and gently placed two of her hands onto the fabric that covered her groin. Another pair adjusted the golden trimmed ribbons that kept her violet hair tied in a somewhat childish pigtail style, while her final pair of hands simply massaged a pair of eyes on her forehead.
"If the magical spell read you correctly," her voice reminded me of a younger Sweetie Belle, back in the days where my friends, which included her sister, and I were back in high school, "your name should be Sunset Shimmer, correct?" I nodded. "Yay," she gently took one of her hands and guided me before of her. "I know you're confused," a blank stare was my only response, "but my name is--"
"Your highness!" A masculine voice rang out throughout the meadow, and I instinctively looked back behind me. Sure, I wasn't royalty, but I was pretty damn close. A creature, similar to the girl next to me, was running towards us. Orange skin, covered in some type of plated armor that covered his torso yet morphed into something similar to dragon scales the closer it got to his arms. He held two staffs pointed behind him that fired different colored beams into the distance, while also managing to carry a sword and various other things. "It's a class N monster, your highness!"
I don't think this world wants me to come home. I feel like I have been searching the same city ruins for a month now, and I still can't find the portal. Maybe I'm in the wrong city, but it doesn't feel like it... the same toppled ginormous building lay toppled across the myriad of smaller ones and I just...
I am scared. I am scared that I won't be able to find my way home. I'm scared that I won't be able to see your loving smile again, apologize to Cadence and you (in pony), or even just have a delicious hayburger again. I'm probably going to go revisit the other city again soon, maybe I just misremembered where I was dumped out originally?
Anyway, tell--
I think I hear something, love you.
Despite the sore joints, I still managed to silently roll out of the makeshift bed inside the elevator shaft. I put on the torn leather jacket and grabbed the gun I cuddled with in my sleep last night. Once my backpack was slung across my shoulders, and the weapon was fully loaded, I slipped my fingers within the crease of the elevator doors and propped them open.
Light filtered through the broken windows and doors of the nearby rooms. The salty ocean breeze hung in the air as I crept along the the tattered remains of the building I was in- a husk, really. Howls went off in the distance and I couldn't help but raise the rifle a little higher. I stepped into one of the rooms and looked into the outside, the ocean looked to be in its hightide today as it swallowed dozens of abandoned buildings and streets in the distance.
Sunset stared at the man who's sweat dripped from his shaggy blue hair, and more importantly, a detective who tightly gripped his pistol aimed at her head. "I like him," she whispered towards the pony-tailed girl that stood beside her. "I like you," she parroted. She rose a soft amber hand and instinctively caressed the reddish gem hanging above her chest as she took a step toward the man. The man cocked the revolver.
"We're a very friendly family," he said.
Sunset looked around, there were several pictures of him, along with his younger sister, fiancee, and parents, who held up various awards. Some of them his, probably from nabbing some know-nothing criminal while others were likely scientific awards from his sister. "Nah, that's not it." She said with a smile. She took another step forward, "pretty nosey, actually." She bent down and grabbed her bag that contained her magical journal and slung it over her shoulder. Her left shoulder. "But it's the way you're nosey," she motioned to Sonata who slowly lowered her sawed off shotgun, "how you're so polite about it!" Sunset took another step forward then frowned. "Like you're doing me a favor..."
Sunset ignored the detective as she walked toward the entrance of the house while Sonata quietly followed with her shotgun still pointed at him. Sunset paused, then turned around. "Peace, with honor," she said with two fingers raised on each hand, "well, I think that's what they? Human history was never my strong suit..." she trailed off then gave a soft shrug and a brief smile. "Anyway, tell your sister, whenever she wakes up from her extended hospital vacation, to stay the fuck away from me," she motioned at her bag, "and my things. Otherwise, well, I still have some pent up anger from before. And I'm sure my sister here would love some fun."
Sunset turned on her heel and opened the door, "oh!-" she snapped her fingers, "now I remember," she spared a quick glance at the detective and with a grin, "I am not a crook."
"So, you want me to open the story with a line of dialouge that doesn't make a lick of sense?" Sunset watched the young rainbow-haired girl nod. "Any particular reason why?" The girl shrugged and took a gulp from the sippy cup she held.
"Uh," Sunset looked around at the near-empty room before a soft shake of her head and a soft pat on the child's shoulders. "Okay, then..." she scratched her head. "Okay then."
"So," Sunset fixed her glasses, "contrary to popular belief, getting shot in the eye at point-blank doesn't really hurt... doesn't even make much of mess either, now that I think about it."
Sunset spared a quick glance towards the open door welcomed a silent dimly lit hallway. Several photos of the future hung across the walls and ceiling that reflected the lights that rose from the tiled floor.
"It's just kinda a nuisance, really. A loud one." Tiny cyan fingers tugged at the leather jacket as the girl looked up with a slightly tilted face. Sunset frowned. "Erm, annoyance?" The girl smiled and took another slurp from her cup. Sunset matched the girl's smile, "so, this was about three-and-a-half centuries ago my time which is..." Sunset snickered at the girl who was finger counting in her lap. "It'll be in about two hands worth of years for you, Rainbow.
"See, it all started with a robbery. A well thought out and perfectly execu--"
"WE HAVE NOT TALKED ABOUT THIS ALREADY!" a raspy voice called from behind. "I'm sick of the same damn food! If we can't get back, can we at least start fu--"
A loud slap permeated the room. The waves of noise rode along the walls that rippled like a freshly tossed stone in a pond. "There are children, here, Miss Blaze." The woman's white hand motioned towards Sunset's direction.
The pigtailed teen gave a snort. "All I see is a skeleton sitting on the back of a fiery bird."
Sunset paused her story and turned around to look at the two new comers. One, a very pale white skinned woman with cerise colored hair who was busy shaking one hand while using the other to straighten the silken ball gown she was wearing. The other turned and faced a new hallway that had appeared. The khaki colored fabric on her back was torn, but the soft purple coloration of her skin still managed to clash the the olive green and soft tan of her clothes.
"And if you hit me again, I'll be eating you in all the ways you don't want," the teen sneered.
"Oooo~," the girl sitting on her lap stared at the two figures behind. "It's a MILF and her giant pet fish!" She pointed at the duo. "Did I use that word correctly? Dad uses it a lot when talking about mom..."
"I think it is about time I came out and said the truth..." I trailed off. Talking was easy, I had learned from the best in my years as Celestia's student. But now? Now that I stand here, in front of flashing cameras and lights– talk is cheap. I shook my head and gave a soft smile. "No, maybe it is better that I show you."
I stood there with my eyes closed while I thought on what to do. I could show a lot of things, but what would be the best? I could smell, taste the restlessness in the crowd. And rightfully so, it took every little connection that Principle Celestia, Luna, and Dean Cadence, had just to get any semblance of press here. Some sitting, some standing, all filled in the courtyard.
I smiled again when I heard the whirr of my girlfriend's— no, fiancé's bike. I opened my eyes and raised a hand, and with a smirk that'd make Trixie proud, I snapped my fingers.
There was a flash of light and she appeared, slightly confused and stuttering with her helmet still held within her grip. She was facing me, and I was enjoying the sight of her, while the crowd gasped at the sight of the pink-haired goddess who's spaded tail was swishing back-and-fourth like a silent puppy happy her owner was home.
I smirked at her, and their, shock and gently gave my fiance a quick kiss and lick on her cheek. "You ready for this?" I whispered into her pointed ears hidden behind her hair. She smiled, blushed, and gripped my hand.
We stood there, in front of the flashing lights of amateur journalists, for a few brief moments. Then her grip tightened, and with a seductive smile, she whispered, "you know I hate when you do that." I didn't even have time to respond before she lifted me off the ground, and threw me throughout the entire courtyard. One handed. She chuckled at my groans, or maybe I groaned at her chuckles, but she smiled and called out, "Darling, you know I love you, and more importantly you know I hate when you do that!" Her tail still swished as she glared across the courtyard towards me.
I hate waking up. The feeling of cold stone worms its way into my mind whenever I open my eyes. The privilege of sight only further reminded me that the raggedy blankets did nothing to protect me from the sleep before, which provided neither warmth or comfort.
The only thing that was nice about where I slept was the view. If I were lucky enough to have one. But, at least there was the novelty of the whole thing. I mean, how many get to sleep in an abandoned castle? Sure, there was no readily made food, water, or technology to keep me company. But it was novel, and that had to count for something. Plus I was getting paid too, and that's always a bonus. It took a few moments, but I did pick myself off the cracked and chilly stone. I grabbed my gear and left the room.
The journey into the innermost sections of the castle were fairly straight forward, and a little boring. Which is what it should be. The only thing I wanted to worry about was being crushed under millennia-aged stone; not sudden pitfalls, giant rolling crusher balls, and hidden poisoned darts. So imagine my relief when the ancient map and blueprint's that cost an impossible fortune actually had the right details on it. I found that hidden pathway on my very first try.
And imagine my despair when a voice called out from below. The feminine voice carried itself through the narrow passage with clarity and precision that the best phones could only dream to replicate. My heart skipped a beat, too. I leaned into the stone walls and trudged downward into the darkness, doing my best to ignore the voice's sweet calls. There were risks, sure, what if the voice was real? But it couldn't have been. Right?
"Hello?" It called out again, the voice tickling my ears.
Hello, me, I am writing this letter to inform you that I would like my life back. I have let you run afoul these past few years – ever since you arrived from the portal – and while I have found some enjoyment in watching your magical malpractices from afar, I would like to reclaim my life and my divine right.
That isn't to say I am not flexible in outlining prospective pathways to solve this issue while you are currently residing in my life, with a toe in my world. In fact, I am quite surprised that your appearance is only just now beginning to get noticed from divinity and those sought to-be. But I digress.
You have two options to chose from. One, the easy way, you can pack up everything spawned from your silly little mirror, magic and all, then head home permanently while I sever the link between our two realities. Or two, you can stay and we can do this the fun way: for me.
If you decide to chose option one, I would be glad to assist you. All you simply have to do is state your intentions with ink on the back of this letter, while signing with my name, before lighting it ablaze. If you decide on option two, I must iterate that there is no future anywhere for you. And while I would enjoy it, you (and those whom have any type of relationship with you) will not. Furthermore, hiding beyond the portal will not help you.
If you do not respond within 48 hours of opening this letter, I will assume you have chosen option two.
I hope you decide to see me soon, however, I will certainly be seeing you.
