Edge of Reality

by Crossfade

First published 26th of January, 2012

A story of two very different worlds brought together by strange coincidence.

This story focuses mainly on the discovery of Equestria by a highly advanced civilization and the various encounters that ensue. A story filled with discovery, adventure, conflict, drama, suspense, romance, and much, much more.

Chapter 1: Distant Encounters

Authors Note: Well, here goes nothing, I guess. I've been working on this for a few days now, and I hope that whoever does read this will be able to enjoy it. This story has a very Sci-Fi tone to it in some places, especially in the beginning. I have not defined the particular species of the non-pony characters simply because I wish to let the readers imaginations decide what they are. I stuck a crossover tag on here because it sort of is, between my own created universe and the MLP universe. Mature with /possibility/ of sex and certainty of gore. Anyways, on with the first chapter!

Space... an infinite expanse of unknown wonders. Home to countless mysterious celestial bodies... stars and planets, wormholes, asteroids, black holes and many, many unexplainable mysteries that may forever remain such. Not a single sentient species in existence could help but gaze up into it at some point and simply wonder... how much? How much was out there? Where does it begin, and where does it end?

To this, there may be no answer... however, this could not hinder the dreams of the many forms of life it contained... dreams of knowledge and understanding, dreams of... more. Dreams of an existence beyond existence itself, far transcending reality... for reality itself was nonexistent pseudo-limitation that lesser unenlightened beings placed upon themselves. To challenge it would be the greatest and most rewarding endeavor one could ever set forth to accomplish...

...In space, however... reality had its own way of challenging them in ways they could never prepare themselves for. It was there, within this seemingly serene ocean of stars, that everything they once knew would mean nothing. All logical perceptions of “reality" would be challenged, and sometimes even shattered. To hold dearly to any true perception of reality whilst traversing the endless depths of space was a death sentence to ones sanity. It is a place where impossibility is in itself impossible.

Bridge to Captain Draelin...

"I've been out here for so long now... I wonder how my mother is doing... she was so worried about me when she found out I was being sent out on an exploration mission into deep space..."

A young, female captain sat reclining within her quarters, pondering silently. She had just been assigned her own ship several weeks ago, something which at her age was almost unheard of. She was only nineteen years old, and yet her mind had the intelligence and maturity of someone twice her age.

There were, however, no visible indications of it. She looked her age, and perhaps even a slight bit younger. This, of course, had earned her the resentment of some of the more senior officers.

Bridge to Captain Draelin!

Captain Venara Draelin nearly fell from her seat as the comms system operator boomed at her.

"Yes?"

She sighed, wondering what boring bit of information, unworthy of her attention, would drift through the comms now.

"We have encountered a very strange... field, or barrier, of some sort."

She arched a brow, now a bit curious. "Is it naturally generated?"

"We do not believe it to be natural. It is surrounding an entire solar system."

Venara came even closer to falling out of her seat. She really needed to get the back of the thing extended. "I'm... sorry... could you repeat that?"

Obviously she could not have heard what she had just heard.

"The field or barrier in question is surrounding an entire solar system. Our scanners have not been able to penetrate into it... however, we are able to establish a visual beyond it."

Venara stood up and stretched a bit. "I'm on my way."

"Acknowledged."

Venara walked out of her quarters, making her way quickly down the corridors, wincing a bit as the floor had been perhaps a bit too well polished, the lights on the ceiling glaring off their surface, right into her sensitive eyes. "Oh, yeah, make the damn floor a mirror why don't they..." she said to herself with slight frustration, entering one of the teleport hubs.

With a bright flash, Venara appeared on the bridge, noticing everyone was already standing and gazing at the image on the viewscreen in awe. She froze in place as she saw something she believed to be absolutely impossible. The solar system's sun was... moving.

"Is this display working correctly?"

One of the officers nodded. "Yes, Captain. It is functioning correctly."

Venara couldn't help but feel a tinge of excitement shoot through her. This was an unprecedented discovery; a solar system that defies the very laws of reality itself. She wasn't entirely sure what to think, as she was far too busy trying to analyze what she was seeing from a scientific viewpoint. Despite her efforts, she could not for the life of her understand how a solar system where the sun revolved around a single planet could work.

Wait a minute... it stopped! Dead in its tracks! It was all Venara could do to prevent herself from gasping. "Incredible... simply incredible..." she said quietly.

"Should we attempt to send a probe inside?" one of the crew asked nervously.

Venara pondered a moment. She knew that disturbing an unknown anomaly in such a way could have an unforeseen, possibly disastrous outcome. However, for this instance, she decided that there was no other possible course of action that would further their knowledge of a system they were otherwise shut out from.

"Do it," she said simply, hoping for the best. Her instincts were usually right... usually.

With a few simple moments of tapping away at a projected computer interface, the crewman launched a small probe from one of the bays. Venara watched it with interest as it collided with the barrier and winced a bit as she saw it explode violently.

Moments later, a strange, wide beam projected itself from the barrier, swiping over the ship. Venara took a few steps back, almost panicking, but quickly getting a grip on herself. "What... was that?"

Something was wrong. Was that energy field... alive? Perhaps connected to some sentient AI system? There was no damage to the ship. However, this event was unsettling to say the least.

Something was different about today. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, but there was definitely a sort of disturbance... something small, but most definitely a disturbance; some interruption in the cosmic flow.

"Is something wrong, sister?" a soft, somber voice came from behind Celestia.

"I am not sure. Something seems a bit... off," she said, turning to face Luna with an unreadably blank expression. "Did you feel it as well?"

Luna nodded lightly, looking up to the sky above. "It was an odd sensation. A shift of sorts... a strange pull from the heavens. I am uncertain of what it means."

Celestia stepped back inside from the balcony, walking past Luna, deep in thought. "I will have to look into this. You should get some rest, dear sister," she said plainly.

It was obvious to Luna that her sister was at least somewhat concerned about this... disturbance. However, she had no intention to pursue the matter further for the time being. The sun had just been raised, and she was ready for a good day's slumber. She retired to her royal chambers, leaving her sister to her thoughts.

Celestia took a seat on her throne. She had very little time to contemplate the disturbance, as she would soon begin receiving her morning audiences. It was Friday, her busiest day of the week. Still, try as she might, she could not force herself to ignore it. The sensation she felt from the disturbance confused her. She could not tell if it was a good or bad thing. Of course, random disturbances rarely meant anything good. Naturally, she had always forced herself to always be as optimistic as possible whenever she could.

With a sigh she resigned her thoughts to her daily duties, even with the strange disturbance lurking on the edge of her mind. She made a note to herself to inform her student, Twilight Sparkle, of this strange occurrence. Certainly a being with such a fine attunement to magic would have felt it as well. It would have to wait for the time being, as ponies were already lining up outside for audiences.

It had been several hours since the strange beam had flashed across the ship. Everything seemed normal, and the ship's chief engineer had concluded that it had been some form of scanner. Venara was still heavily concerned about this event, and had sent an interdimensional message to headquarters. She had pondered attempting to probe the distant planet using her psionic abilities, however, considering what had happened to their probe, she quickly dismissed this as an unwise course of action.

Many thoughts raced through the young captain's mind as she awaited a reply from headquarters. Her report had been as detailed as she could possibly have made it.

Could it be... them? No... no, it couldn't be. The great war ended many, many years ago. If there were any remnants of those vile beings, certainly they would have surfaced by now. Still... I cannot imagine any other species capable of such advanced technology. To shield an entire solar system, and certainly, this barrier must have been in place for a very, very long time. Ugh, stop jumping to conclusions, Venara! They must be friendly... they detected our presence and our ship is intact.

Venara's thoughts were interrupted as one of the crewmen, in charge of sensors and outgoing communications, began to panic. "Captain! There is a ship emerging from dimensional warp, it's.." he did not even have time to finish his sentence. A massive ship phased into reality near the much, much smaller vessel... no, it only looked close due to the size of it.

Venara wanted to faint, but couldn't. She knew this ship. Her heart skipped a beat, knowing what it meant.

"...The Valkarion II..." she said shakily.

Even her strong resolve was shaken by the fact that the Empire's flagship itself had responded, and with such swiftness. She gulped, knowing full well what was about to happen, doing her best to brace herself.

Without warning, the ship's viewscreen was filled with the frightening visage of the most feared and revered sovereign they served. Her face was shrouded, covered by a seemingly broken mask that was held together loosely as if by magic, a flowing blue flame slowly pulsing around it, and a single, white glowing eye peering out through a single large gap, obviously intended for that specific purpose.

The crew of the small ship all moved from their seats and bowed, as well did Venara, still shaking slightly. "E... Empress Krysallus..." she stammered, finding a low, respectful tone.

"Rise, my dear Venara,” said the Empress. “This is no time for such worthless formality." Her voice was seemingly twisted with multiple tones, which made her sound as intimidating as she looked. She did not speak as roughly as one would expect, however. She seemed quite pleased.

"Y... Your Imperial Majesty, I apologize. Might I ask, what is the significance of my discovery, to have brought you so far from the capital?" Venara asked as she stood slowly, doing her best to look directly back at the Empress, despite the obvious fear she had of this being.

The Empress did something Venara had never seen her do before. She smiled... warmly, even. That couldn't mean anything good.

"My dear Venara... I have been searching for many, many ages for such a system, as had been described to me many millennia ago by my mother before me. Very few artifacts are capable of such incredible power, to be able to envelope an entire system in such a strong, protective barrier. It may very well be the single most important discovery made in the history of the Empire."

Venara could hardly believe what she was hearing. Had SHE really been responsible for such an important discovery? The fact that her Empress was smiling so sincerely told her it had to be. She wasn't entirely sure how to respond at first, as it was all so overwhelming. Finally she responded, a bit clumsily, but sincerely. "I am... honored that I have been able to serve you so well, my Empress. How do we proceed?"

The Empress's expression grew serious. "If the artifact that I believe to be here is actually here... this system may be in grave danger in the foreseeable future. I must personally proceed in my search for it on my own. There is no other being capable of passing through the barrier undetected. Your job is to remain here and ensure that no foreign entities attempt to penetrate the barrier. Use any means to stop such intruders. Use the Valkarion's overdrive cannon if you must. Do not allow anyone or anything to attempt entry."

Venara was taken aback. Not only did the Empress just say she was going to enter the system alone, but had authorized the most destructive weapon ever conceived to prevent foreign entry. The Valkarion's overdrive cannon was designed to lay waste to an entire solar system with a single shot by firing directly into a system's sun, causing it to supernova... something that had been used for that purpose only three times in history. Whatever threat the Empress perceived would have to be dire beyond belief to warrant use of such force.

"M... My Empress... I understand and obey." she said a bit hesitantly, bowing low.

The Empress could detect the deep concern in Venara, despite her best attempts to hide it.

"Do not worry for me, dear Venara,” she said with a light chuckle, which sounded absolutely terrifying with her voice. “I can most certainly look after myself." With that, she vanished, and the screen went back to displaying the planet which the system's sun had been orbiting.

Venara sat back in her seat uneasily. This did not help her at all. The river of thoughts that was once flowing through her formed into a violent maelstrom which she could barely contain. She had so many questions which she knew she had no authority to ask.

This is all just too strange... How can the Empress... why did she... how does this... what is this artifact?

Venara's thoughts were broken by the chatter among the crewmen on the bridge. She grumbled a bit, before focusing herself, slamming her fist down upon the armrest of her seat with a loud thud.

The crew stopped their chatter immediately and stood to salute their captain nervously.

"Well,” Venara sighed. “I don't know what the hell is going on, but you all heard her Imperial Majesty's orders. Full combat alert status and standby," she ordered sternly. It seemed foolish to put the tiny ship on full combat alert with the near infinitely more massive solar destroyer so close to them. However, she had her guidelines to follow, and she wasn't the type to take a direct order from the Empress anything but seriously.

Krysallus sat calmly in her seat within her chambers, staring at her reflection in the mirror as she was assaulted with a barrage of concern from her Lord General. She didn't seem to pay him any mind as she was lost in deep thought.

Curse this wretched mask that binds me... curse the title that controls me... curse the status which directs me... curse it all. If only I could be free from this... this meaningless existence. Thousands of years I have lived, and yet I never truly have. Why?

I must find this artifact... it is my only hope to save myself... to save my people from myself. It all must end sometime.

Krysallus turned to her Lord General with a half-hearted smile. She spoke again, though not in the terrifying voice she had used when addressing Venara, but with an incredibly soft and gentle one. "This is something I must do... alone. You know how powerful I am. You have no need to worry," she reassured him.

The Lord General sighed and shook his head. "I still cannot believe you are going to do this. You have no ide-"

Krysallus stopped him. "Yes, I do. I have a lot of ideas what could happen. If it happens, it happens. You cannot avoid your fate forever. I am confident, however, in my own ability, as you should also be."

The Lord General stopped and went silent. He shook his head again before departing. Once the Empress's mind was made up, there was no will strong enough to deter her from whatever purpose she had set for herself. She knew she had an able heir to her throne, despite the dear being so incredibly kind-hearted. She was old enough to understand the weight of her responsibility, should any unfortunate event occur.

Krysallus was ancient, and indeed powerful, but even she was not entirely certain of exactly what would happen once she slipped past that barrier. She would be venturing into a realm where all of her power might mean even nothing. The possibility of its contents, however, made the risk well worth the potential reward.

It was time. Krysallus stood and gave a deep sigh before vanishing from her chambers, reappearing in space with a flash of light. Any normal being would have been killed instantly by the raw exposure to space. To Krysallus, it was as if she were on her own home planet, only without any gravity. She smiled as she felt the weave of existence around her, circling a hand around in front of her as if to touch something.

I have always felt so peaceful in space. Everything is enveloped in such a blissful silence, and yet... the cold, dead and empty space mortals believe this to be is so full of life... the raw essence of the universe... but how could they ever understand?

She stopped herself lingering too long, reaching forward to lightly touch the unseen barrier before her. A strange tear formed, an odd rip of sorts, closely resembling a deep wound from a jagged blade or shard of glass. Instead of blood, however, a bright light poured from this tear. Krysallus felt herself become enveloped within it, closing her eyes as her form was pulled helplessly inside, the tear shutting as quickly as it appeared.

There was a wave of strange sensations pouring through her as she passed through the strange portal she had created. Her form had ceased to exist and there was but the raw essence of her being in the form of pure energy. Her thoughts still flooded through her, flashing inconceivable memories through her faster than even she could perceive a single example of. Some of these memories, she noticed, were not even her own. The thoughts soon became fuzzy, and finally faded, before a brilliant flash of colors swept through her... and then, blackness.

Silence.

I knew you would come...

Someday you would find me...

Now you have... almost. Almost...

A sharp, painful sensation shot through Celestia, causing her to twitch and wince slightly. It was all she could do to keep herself from crying out in pain. This was far more than a disturbance. This was serious.

The tall pegasus stallion before her looked frightfully confused. "P... Princess Celestia? Are you al-" his words were cut off by a commotion outside, which he quickly turned to investigate. Realising his rudeness, he turned back around to apologize, however, Celestia had vanished.

The sight outside was incredible. A bright, smoldering object flying down towards the ground below. It was followed by a bright glowing streak of red flame. This was unusual. The trail of a comet doesn't glow in that manner. Whatever this was, it was magic. Powerful magic. It shone so brightly that most of the citizens in Canterlot were forced to shield their eyes from this blazing bright object that fell from the heavens.

Moments later, somewhere in the plains below Canterlot, the object crashed with not a sound, but a flash and violent shaking of the ground. It was extremely unusual for it not to produce a sound, however there was soon an extremely powerful gush of wind that shot in all directions before vacuuming back into itself and disappearing, converging upon the very large crater which now adorned the earth below.

Most ponies were terrified, but even through the fear, curiosity drove many to flock to this crater despite the incredible distance. Nothing like this had ever occurred before. At least, not to their knowledge.

Celestia carefully approached the center of the crater, a look of utter shock enveloping her visage as she beheld the sight before her. Even she, of all ponies, could not believe what lay before her.

Luna had been awakened by the commotion and soon appeared not far behind her sister. She approached with a look of deep concern. "Sister... what has happened he-... W... WHAT?!" she exclaimed, wide-eyed, as she finally gazed down to see what had her sister in such utter shock.

At the center of the crater, fast asleep, lay a very, very young filly. She could not have been more than three years old. Her coat was a deep, blood red color, and her mane and tail were a darker shade still. Crimson, with the slightest hint of violet accentuating them in jagged streaks. Her eyes were the most beautiful silver, seeming to glow ever so slightly as she looked up to Celestia with a soft smile, strangely unafraid.

None of this was what surprised Celestia, for this little filly was of none of the three primary pony races. Despite the seeming impossibility, she was an Alicorn.

"S... Sister.... What sh-" Luna was cut off by Celestia's hoof to her mouth.

Celestia closed her eyes briefly, contemplating this. "What else can we do? I am... particularly concerned at this extremely unlikely event, however... this little one is still... despite where she may have come from..."

Celestia was finding it increasingly difficult to speak as the little Alicorn moved to hug her front-left leg tightly. She was unusually affectionate, and seemed to understand that she was... like them.

Celestia regained her composure quickly. "...She is one of us. This universe is full of mysteries. Whoever... or whatever she is, there is some purpose for her here. What that purpose is... I do not know."

Luna still looked quite alarmed, but knew her sister would be able to handle this. Still, she had never seen Celestia as shocked as she had been just then. It scared her.

She finally relaxed a bit and sighed, unable to avert her gaze from the little Alicorn filly, whom was firmly nuzzling against Celestias leg. Even she had to smile at such an adorable sight. She wasn't sure why but the presence of this new little mystery suddenly made her feel somewhat... content. The few bits of shock and fear faded away as if they were never there.

Celestia could sense other ponies approaching. They were still far enough away not to realize the Princess was there. Without a thought, she vanished in a flash of light, along with the little filly Alicorn. Luna followed a moment later, following her sister's lead.

Chapter 2: The Alicorn Phoenix

Authors Note: Okay. There is going to be a very dramatic transition between very cute and very dark in this chapter. You'll know its coming when Venara pops up again. Also no, the little Alicorn is not literally a phoenix. Chapter: Engage!

Twilight Sparkle crouched low, slowly making her way towards a solitary book which lay innocently upon the floor before her. It was a thick and heavy tome, but seemingly quite normal. She attempted to pounce upon the ancient book, only to have the blasted thing emit a most annoying giggle and fly magically away from her, flapping its covers as if using them for wings.

"Hi-yah!" Fluttershy exclaimed, or rather attempted to exclaim as she flew towards the book like some sort of martial artist; back legs positioned for a flying kick.

The living tome dodged her assault as she squeaked helplessly, instead kicking the lower portion of an already unstable bookcase which began to wobble before her threateningly as she fell in front of it.

Fluttershy emitted a frightened whimper as she knew the bookcase would fall on her... until, that was, Rainbow Dash flew up to it and steadied it. The book would NOT. ESCAPE. HER.

Rainbow Dash took on an expression of renewed purpose and determination. That freaking book almost caused one of her best friends to hurt herself! GO TIME! She began to fly about Twilight's home at reckless speeds in an attempt to catch the enchanted tome. Finally, after a minute or so of this, she managed to wrap her front legs around the book, crashing to the floor below as she wrestled it. "Got it!"

Much to Rainbow Dash's dismay, Twilight had an expression of deep anger, borderlining rage. At first she couldn't figure out why, but then she noticed what damage she had done in the process of capturing that accursed tome.

"Eh heh... sorry, Twilight..." said Rainbow Dash apologetically.

All of the bookcases had been toppled over. Fluttershy had just managed to somehow hide herself against a wall to protect herself from harm, curled up in a pathetically adorable ball of fear. Books covered the entire first floor of Twilight's abode, and she was none too happy.

Twilight's eye twitched as she began to speak. "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF..."

One could almost see the steam shooting from Twilight's ears, and even Rainbow Dash was slightly nervous at what horrible tangent the purple unicorn was about to unleash.

"...FFFFFFFF-FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE, RAINBOW DASH, MUST YOU DESTROY EVERYTHING TO ACCOMPLISH EVEN THE SIMPLEST OF TASKS?!"

Rainbow Dash cringed a bit, but did not loosen her hold on the struggling book. "Well, uh... There really was no other way to capture this thing... unless you used your magic. Wait, why didn't you just use your magic?"

Twilight sighed, unable to remain angry. She had been under a tremendous amount of stress, but despite that, she did her best to remain calm. She felt guilty for her outburst and immediately began to apologize.

"I'm so sorry I yelled like that, Dash... I wouldn't have asked for your help if I didn't need it. I tried using my magic to capture the book, but it didn't work! It just reflected my magic right back at me."

Twilight sighed, lowering her head. She was ashamed of herself. Never had she gotten that angry towards a friend.

Surprisingly enough, Fluttershy came up from behind Twilight to place a hoof on her back reassuringly. "It's okay,” she said in a low, comforting tone. “We all have our moments...”

Twilight gave a warm smile as she immediately began to cheer up. "Thanks, Fluttershy," she said, starting to regain her lost composure.

Rainbow Dash gave a happy grin. "It's fine, Twilight! I'm actually pretty surprised! I never knew you could be so tough!" She chuckled a bit.

Twilight blushed lightly and shook her head. "It's nothing to be proud of, really, but thank you, regardless, Dash. At any rate, we need to secure that book somehow."

She pondered a bit at this for a moment before Spike interrupted, emerging from a large pile of books.

"Augh! Why don't we just, you know, tie a rope or something around it? Keep the thing from flying around like that?" he suggested, slightly annoyed at this point.

Twilight smiled widely, jumping forward to embrace Spike with both of her front legs.

"Oh, Spike! You're a genius! That's a great idea!" she said before releasing him. "I'm going to go find Applejack. She'll have something strong enough!"

"That's a wonderful idea, Spike," Fluttershy added with a shy smile. “You're pretty smart for such a young dragon.”

Spike blushed a bit, taking a proud stance. "Aw, it was nothing really, I just..."

He was interrupted as he belched up a wrapped parchment which levitated in midair and immediately floated over to Twilight. It was, as usual, marked with Celestia's royal crest upon its seal. The manner in which it had immediately forced itself to her implied its urgency.

"Aw, always the worst timing!" Spike snorted.

Twilight unfurled the parchment and began to read, a bit surprised that it lacked the usual formal introduction.

Twilight... I would ask that you keep this only between you, myself, and your close friends. There is a matter of dire importance, and while I regret that I must force such a burden upon you at this time, I have little choice. I am sure you have felt the strange disturbances within the flow of magic that surrounds this world. If you were concerned or even worried about this, it was fully warranted.

I am placing a very special young filly in your care. You will be very surprised, and I ask you not to panic. You are the only other individual with the power to care for her. I only regret that I cannot do so myself. Ask me only what you must in regards to her, and report anything strange or unusual to me immediately upon discovery. I trust you fully with this matter. Do not allow this young filly to be exposed to the public. It may cause a needless commotion.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

No sooner had Twilight finished reading the letter that a very young Alicorn filly appeared before her in a flash of light.

"S... Sweet Celestia..." Twilight stammered, falling back on her flank as she gazed upon the new arrival.

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and even Spike all sat there with their mouths agape. Rainbow Dash, in the moment of surprise, loosened her hold on the book, which broke free and began to furiously flutter about Twilight's home once again.

The little Alicorn filly noticed this and looked up at the book with a giggle, before a bright bolt of energy shot forth from her horn, zapping the book and causing it to fall harmlessly to the floor, among the already massive piles that littered it. The once living tome now remained perfectly still, in submission to the little one's power.

The little Alicorn looked back to Twilight with a smile, emitting an irresistibly cute squeal before pouncing Twilight, nuzzling into her affectionately.

Twilight's heart melted, the feeling of shock that had once filled her fading away, now replaced with a feeling of warmth. Her eyes began to tear up. She wrapped her front legs around the little filly in a soft hug.

Fluttershy also melted at the scene, unable to resist emitting a soft "awwwww..." at the sight.

Rainbow Dash, as confused as she was, also succumbed to the cuteness. Even with her stubborn, strong will, she couldn't help but give a warm smile.

"For cryin' out loud,” she exclaimed. “How can anything be so... so... cute? Ugh..." She planted a hoof into her face in an attempt to regain herself.

Twilight was filled with mixed emotions of warmth, confusion and worry. Who was this strange little filly whom Celestia had sent her? Was she.... was she Celestia's child? No... that couldn't be right. Celestia was far too busy to pursue such... and yet...

Suddenly, she realized something. Celestia had not specified the little filly's name. Did she not have one? This was certainly a lot to take in at once.

Only after this had Twilight begun to sense the power of the little filly, and started to grow slightly fearful. The magical energy resonating within the little Alicorn was... tremendous. It far exceeded anything she had ever felt from even Celestia herself. She immediately began to analyze this within her mind.

This power... from such a little filly... how is it possible? Perhaps she is unable to mask her power, as she is not yet old enough to do so? She is... she is an Alicorn, like Celestia and Luna... Maybe they are simply stronger than they allow others to know? So much magical power... this little filly could have taken care of Discord, even without the need of the Elements of Harmony... but that means... is she truly more powerful than Celestia herself? No, Twilight, no... It cant be.. It must be an illusion. Perhaps Celestia used her magic to create this illusion to protect her from harm...

"TWILIGHT! HELLO?! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Spike's voice thundered into Twilight's ear with nearly enough volume to deafen her. This, however, seemed to do the trick, as she barely managed to prevent herself from falling over onto her back.

"Sorry, Spike..." Twilight responded, her voice filled with a mixture of worry and doubt.

She realized her solemn tone, and quickly shook her head and smiled. "Sorry, everyone! I didn't mean to worry you. I was simply deep in thought. Celestia wrote me with instructions to care for this little filly, and I can understand why. I hope you guys will be willing to help. This is a surprise, to say the least."

The others looked at her with expressions of clear confusion and concern, which only made Twilight worry for a few moments, until Fluttershy stepped up to her slowly with a smile.

"Of course I will help... she's so... cute."

Rainbow Dash smiled widely and stepped forward next. "Yeah! Me too! So who is she? Is she Princess Celestia's daughter? What's her name?!" She blushed a bit, realizing the implications of the little filly being Celestia's own daughter. She soon shook off the thought, however, knowing it was beyond improper.

Twilight looked down at the little filly, who returned her gaze with wide, happy eyes. "I... don't know her name. It wasn't mentioned," she said plainly. "What is your name?" she asked the little filly before realizing.

Of course... she can't talk, can she?

What came next was a shock to everyone in the room. The little Alicorn filly opened her mouth and began to spurt out... words. Unfamiliar words in a language beyond foreign to them. Twilight could almost imagine a little speech bubble above the little filly's head, filled with strange squares and zigzags to represent the gibberish she spoke.

Rainbow Dash covered her ears with her front hooves. The strange language gave her a headache to say the least.

"Ugh... Twilight, what is she saying? Do you have any idea?"

“No...” Twilight shook her head negatively. "I have never heard this language before. It's... certainly complex,” she added, now extremely confused and once again worried, until the little filly finally spoke something she could understand which made her heart melt yet again.

"Twi... wight," the little filly said, beaming up at Twilight happily.

Twilight lost it. She burst into full tears as she held the little filly tightly.

"She said... my... name.... she..." Twilight sniffled. A sudden feeling began to overwhelm her; something she had never once felt before. She felt almost like a mother to this little filly, and yet she had only been there for a few minutes. The sheer gravity of something so simple... so innocent, and so beautiful at the same time... words simply could not convey.

The others, Spike included, came closer to Twilight and enveloped her in a group hug. Fluttershy was crying from how adorable it was. None of them even cared anymore about how strange this entire development was. There was a little filly that needed their love and care, and that was all that mattered to them at this moment.

Venara lay silently in her bed. She could not sleep, even if she wanted. Too many questions remained within her mind... questions that she was desperately trying to find logical answers to within herself.

It had been a good eight hours since the Empress's departure. It was the single most incredible thing she had ever witnessed. She knew no mortal being could possibly have survived that, but still, she knew the Empress was no mere mortal being. The Empress was a goddess, who had lived for thousands of years. Still, she felt worried. This worry was more than a simple concern sparked by loyalty to one's monarch. This worry carried real emotion within.

Were it not for the kindness of the Empress, I would never have gotten this opportunity... I hope she is alright. No, I must have faith! She is alright. She must be. She is too strong, too powerful to be killed by something like that.

She continued to reassure herself silently, eventually succumbing to her body's fatigue and falling asleep, having managed to comfort herself in the end with warm thoughts of home. Despite all of this, her dreams were far from pleasant. Terrible nightmares would fill her unconscious world as she slept. Hopefully she would not remember them.

Wait... where am I? No.... no no no no no, NO! This cannot be! This has all ended! It is all over! Why, why am I seeing this again?!

Venara stood amidst a familiar field. A field strewn with countless corpses. While most of them were covered by their power armor still, even after their demise, some were torn open, their innards strewn disgustingly across the scorched, bloodstained ground around them. Ripped apart gruesomely by... them.

Venara struggled to prevent herself from vomiting at the sight and the smell... that horrible smell... was she really there? Was this a nightmare, or had the pleasant reality she had previously experienced a dream?

She picked up a beam rifle from near one of the fallen soldiers and sat in the eerie silence of the field of dead, cradling the weapon as she shook violently, doing her best not to erupt into tears as she remembered the horrors of war.

It was then that she looked up at the cloudy sky and saw a bright green flash of light, followed by a wide green beam of energy, which parted the clouds above, plowing down into the ground in the distance. Her eyes widened for a fragment of time. "NO!!!" she made to cry, but it was too late. The last image she held within her mind before awakening was the barren planet breaking off into pieces, glowing with a bright green hue, before exploding violently in a blinding flash.

Venara quickly sat up in her bed, eyes shooting open as her expression was filled with terror. She panted heavily, her body covered in sweat. Slowly, she managed to calm down as she realized it was just another nightmare. Then, the flashbacks came in a torrent. She cried out in pain as horrible images flooded her mind.

She was a soldier. Flashes of light were flying by, all around her. She was charging forwards, bringing her kinetic blade down upon one of her enemies. His body was tearing open violently. as he emitted a sickening gurgle of terror. Blood was spewing everywhere. Her foe's guts fell out of him as he collapsed to one side, landing in a mangled heap on the ground.

NO NO NO! MAKE IT STOP!

It didn't stop. She continued, drawing her sidearm and firing bolts of plasma into several more hostile infantry as her comrades surged past her, many of them suddenly ripped apart by the enemy's energy weapons. One of her allies, standing much taller than the rest in wicked black power armor, readied his weapon, which shot a stream of bright-glowing, superheated liquid metal, melting several enemy soldiers and causing their twisted remains to burn on long after death.

Venara fell to her knees as she stepped out of bed, her hands grasping at the sides of her head as her beautiful golden hair fell over her face. She was crying like she had never cried before. This was the worst flashback she had experienced yet. She had avoided seeking help, as she felt a certain pride being one of the few chosen for psionic enhancement.

But the time for counseling was now. This was simply too much for her to handle.

She gasped for air, and slowly began to calm herself once again, before standing. She knew what she had to do. She exited her room and began down the corridors in the direction of the medical bay, her body weak and still trembling. The horrors she had experienced... the horrors...

Twilight had a warm smile plastered on her face as she slept peacefully in her bed, holding the little Alicorn filly closely in her embrace. She had explained to both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy that Celestia had instructed her to keep the little one's existence a secret to all but her closest friends. It had been growing late, and they all agreed to reconvene the following day with the rest of the group.

The little Alicorn filly twitched a bit in her sleep, as if she too had her share of nightmares flowing through her unconscious mind as she slept. Her expression, however, remained eerily serene. Her movements eventually ceased and, still asleep, she released a soft sigh of happiness.

Chapter 3: My Little Prodigy

Twilight awoke the following morning to find the little Alicorn missing from her side. Immediately she began to panic, a number of terrified thoughts racing through her mind as she stood straight up in her bed and lept down, racing downstairs. She sighed in relief and gave a smile as she saw the little Alicorn sitting in front of an open book. Wait a minute... was she reading it?

"Good morning, Twilight." the little Alicorn said, having felt Twilight's presence. She seemed somewhat occupied as she studied the book before her, flipping a page with magic as she continued to read.

Twilight gasped, her eyes widening with surprise.

She spoke... In a complete sentence... A short sentence but still... This is incredible, I must report this-

"... To Princess Celestia?" the little Alicorn turned to Twilight with an innocent smile. "I understand you were instructed to report to her on my progress. You certainly should."

Twilight took a few steps back. She found herself filled with a renewed feeling of fear as she struggled to shut out her mind, having come to the realization that the little Alicorn could most definitely hear her thoughts. "I... I'm sorry.. I.. I'm not used to..." she struggled to find words, but could not. Just who was this little Alicorn?

To Twilight's surprise, the little Alicorn frowned and lowered her head. "I... I'm sorry, Twilight... I shouldn't pry.. I'll cut myself off from your mind.." she said, starting to sniffle as if she was going to cry.

Twilight smiled softly. Sure, the abilities of this mysterious little filly were scaring her, but she realized that she still was but a child. "Oh, it's alright... I was just very shocked."

The little Alicorn seemed to cheer up at that, looking up to Twilight with a smile.

Twilight approached her slowly, taking a seat beside the little filly. "What are you reading?" she asked out of genuine curiosity.

"Oh, I'm just reading about the worlds geography, and a bit about its history." she replied, looking back down at the book. She was reading a chapter about the construction of Canterlot, which was a part of the foundation of modern Equestria.

Twilight tried not to be surprised, or at least not convey it. It made her squee a bit on the inside, knowing that the little filly she was raising in a sense was following scholarly pursuits. "Oh! I know this book. I've read it several times. It really is fascinating, isn't it?"

The little filly nodded happily. "Oh... By the way.. You wanted to know my name?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes... You have a name? I would really like to hear it."

"Krys. I don't know why, but Krys keeps repeating itself in my mind. So my name must be Krys... I think." she said, looking as if she were trying desperately to remember.

Twilight nodded softly. "Mind if I call you... Kryssie?" she asked. The name was certainly more adorable than the simple four letter alternative.

"Not at all, Twilight! It's... kind of cute... I like it," Krys said with a warm smile.

Twilight had no idea about the development of Alicorns. She dismissed much of her confusion and fear as a simple lack of knowledge on the subject of Alicorn growth, as really there were no books that covered it. "Alright, Kryssie... Um... You haven't gone outside, have you?" she asked, now seeming a bit more concerned.

"Of course not... I.. I knew you didn't want me to. I wouldn't want to make you angry." she said with a tone of sadness. It was clear that she really did want to go out and explore the world more.

Twilight sighed in relief, but at the same time was filled with regret. She would have to ask Celestia in her letter if there were some way Krys could go outside without being noticed. It would be extremely difficult for her to remain hidden for any long period of time, and Celestia had to know this. "You really want to, don't you?"

Krys nodded sadly. "I do... but.. I also want to read more of the books you have here. Especially that one that was flying around the room yesterday! I'm sure whatever is written inside must be very interesting!"

Twilight's eyes widened, realizing that in the confusion of Krys' appearance, she had forgotten completely about that mysterious living tome she had acquired. She was even going to report it to Celestia. How could she have forgotten? She tried her best to come up with excuses to not allow Krys to attempt to read it, however these thoughts were quickly replaced by what should have been her priority. "I, uh... I don't think you should right now. I just got it, and i've never seen anything like it. I need to tell Princess Celestia about it and see what she thinks."

Krys nodded, not thinking much of it. "Oh, that's fine. I just hope I get a chance to read it eventually." she said, sporting an innocent smile.

Spike was coming down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. He twitched a bit as the sight below hit him. "Oh no! We never cleaned up the mess! UGH!"

Twilight noticed this and planted a hoof to her face. Once again she was distracted from the massive mess that Rainbow Dash had created the night before. "We can clean it up a bit later, Spike. Right now I just want to know where that flying book went."

Spike gave her a suspicious look, but chose not to press the matter. It was too early to be starting in on an interrogation. He grumbled a bit as he began to search through the piles of books. It wouldn't be too hard to find. After all, it was at least the second thickest book he had ever seen! He soon found it and simply pointed to it. "Here it is. I'm not touching it! We don't need the stupid thing taking off again!"

Twilight left Krys to her reading and stood up, walking over to the book and gazing down upon it, remembering what had happened when she attempted to open it to read it. "I don't think handling it will make it go berserk. It only started doing that when I tried to open it."

Spike gave a dismissing wave as he headed for the kitchen. "Whatever... You're the expert! I'm gonna get something to eat. You want anything?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, thank you. I have too much on my mind right now to have an appetite." she said in a rather neutral tone. "Maybe later."

Spike shrugged, understanding that a lot had happened. Her loss. Twilight would certainly regret skipping breakfast later.

Twilight levitated the book in front of her and proceeded to head upstairs, looking back at little Kryssie for a moment with a warm smile before proceeding. She set the book on her desk as she brought out a parchment and quill. She didn't want spike to write this one for her. This was far too important to risk any mistakes. She had written a few letters herself before. She certainly wasn't incapable of it. She had gotten much better at controlling the quill with her magic and keeping it perfectly steady. Of course spike would have to be the one to send it. She began to write, focusing her thoughts on the letter.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am happy to take care of this young filly for you. I am somewhat worried about her magical ability. I have never felt so much power from any one pony before, but I trust in your judgement. I am very surprised by her development, and thought it best to report this immediately to you. She seems to have developed the ability to speak our language fluently, as well as read our literature without much effort. This, however, is the least of my worries. When I had awoken this morning, I had noticed this development and contemplated writing to you about it and she actually finished a sentence that I had only been thinking. She has the ability to hear thoughts, but has told me she would refrain from doing so.

She also informed me that her name is Krys. I have taken to calling her Kryssie. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were both present when you sent her, and have agreed to keep this matter secret. I am hesitant to ask you where this little filly came from, and even moreso to ask why, or how she is, well, what she is. I will admit, it has been weighing heavily on my mind since she arrived. If you can provide me any information at all, it would help put my mind at ease. Also, I have a feeling that she will want to explore the outside world soon, and considering how powerful her magic is, I am unsure if I could prevent her from leaving if she wanted to leave badly enough. If you have any suggestions on how I might be able to allow her to venture outdoors, I would be grateful.

In addition to this, I have something else to report to you. I have taken into my possession a certain book. This book seemed like most any other book, however when I attempted to read it, the book itself came to life and began flying about my home in an attempt to evade myself and my friends. If you could provide any insight into this matter as well, I would be most appreciative. I don't mean to bother you, but you are the only one I know that would have any knowledge of such a thing. I know you are extremely busy, but please get back to me when you can on this.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

Twilight set the letter down, wrapping it up neatly and sealing it with a sigh. She hoped that her teacher would be able to provide her with some answers. She had a strange feeling that she would receive very few on the issue of Krys, but she disregarded this thought as she brought the letter downstairs.

Krys had finished her previous book and was already reading through another, beaming happily as she read. She had only a few memories, and most of them were very confusing. Some were even scary, but she had been determined to ignore them and simply enjoy her time there with Twilight. She didn't know why at the time, but Twilight felt so much like a mother to her, even though she knew she wasn't. Twilight was taking care of her, and this made little Kryssie very happy.

Still, it was difficult to ignore the allure of the mysterious book from the night before. The very one she had to shoot down with her magic. Something about it beckoned to her, like a thunderous voice calling her forth. She tried to ignore it, but it would prove increasingly difficult. She was a very curious young filly, something that was quite typical of youth. She felt much older than she seemingly was, however. Much, much older, for some reason.

Twilight ignored her for the time being, heading into the kitchen to find Spike. He was munching on a sandwich, which was about the only food he could stand to eat. Twilight knew he craved gemstones, and would occasionally allow him to scavenge some while she accompanied him. He had run out for now, though, and there were more important matters.

Spike stopped and looked to Twilight, noticing the letter she was levitating in front of her. He set the sandwich down and stood up, wordlessly taking the letter and sending it off to Celestia with a burp. "Anything else?" he asked in a slightly grumpy tone.

"Nothing more, Spike. I'm sorry for interrupting your breakfast." she said with a slight smile, turning to return to check on Krys.

Spike gave a shrug and returned to his food, which lacked the rich mineral flavor he desired. He knew whatever it was had to have been important, considering she wrote the letter herself this time. He didn't mind as much, knowing it had to have been related to the little Alicorn filly in some way.

Twilight sat down beside Krys and looked down at the book she had been reading. She immediately recognized it as one of her more advanced volumes which held theories on potential worlds beyond their own, as well as space and the various strange occurrences that the author had witnessed whilst gazing into the stars through his telescope. It was actually one of her favorite books, and she was rather surprised that Krys was reading something so advanced and with such deep theory.

Krys looked up at Twilight with a smile. "You like this book? It's very neat. Lots of information and lots of ideas. It's very... insightful."

Twilight smiled brightly at the little filly's words. At this point she had come to dismiss any confusion and worries aside, as she understood that this little filly was very special. "Oh! Yes, this is one of my favorites in fact. I love anything that pertains to subjects beyond our own world and beyond our understanding. So many possibilities." she said, addressing Krys as if she were an adult and her scholarly equal without realizing it.

Krys nodded. "Yep. Space goes on pretty much forever. There's a lot out there just waiting to be discovered!" she said.

Twilight couldn't help but feel confused towards the first few words the filly spoke. "Space goes on forever..?" she asked, trying her best not to sound too confused or worried.

Krys blinked and looked up to Twilight. "Oh, well, yes... I don't know how I knew that... but... you didn't?" she asked.

Twilight shook her head. "It's hard for me to imagine something like that... Then again, we are accustomed to the finite." It seemed as if there were more and more things that this young filly were doing and saying that would quickly give her material to write to Celestia about. She wondered just how much Krys knew, and how much more she might come to know as time passed. She would have dismissed the little filly's words as childish babble had she not known just how special she was. It actually made her start to think deeply on the matter.

The two would soon engage in a very long discussion concerning many interesting things. Krys could not recall much, but some of the things she did were surprising, shocking, and even some were simply... scary. Twilight knew that pressing too deeply was likely a bad idea, but she could not deny her curiosity. She only hoped that Celestia would not be too upset with her for pursuing this knowledge from the little Alicorn, who was obviously rather vulnerable.

Venara took her place at the meeting table as several officers, including Lord General Xhar, did the same. She had been called to the meeting whilst in the middle of her inspection by the doctor on her ship. The doctor had expressed great concern towards her mental health, and had ordered her to return to him at the soonest possible time.

"We have somewhat of a situation," Xhar spoke with his usual serious but emotionless tone. The officers all turned their attention to him with mixed expressions of concern and curiosity.

"As you are aware, we have sent several scout ships from the Valkarion II to inspect nearby systems. All but one has reported back." he said as a holographic image appeared on the table, displaying one of these solar systems. Solar systems were typically very far apart from eachother, however, any civilization with a particularly advanced level of technology would consider the distance between solar systems minuscule at best.

Voices began to fill the room as the officers began to speak amongst themselves with concern. This was quickly silenced as Xhar once again began to speak. "Silence yourselves." he said. At his command the voices immediately stopped as all of the officers focused their complete attention upon the Lord General.

"Now then..." Xhar continued, gathering himself once again. "... The scout we sent into this system, which we shall refer to as X-229-4F, had maintained hourly contact up until the point they had entered the system itself. We received a distress call shortly before losing contact. I will ask that everyone remain as calm as possible as I play this recorded message back. It is somewhat scrambled, but there is some understandable parts through the static."

The message began to play, and as it did, the expressions of concern turned quickly into ones of horror.

"HELP..... US... WE.......... THEM..... VIRAL....... ATTACK...... UNABLE TO..... REINFORCEMENTS.... PLEASE...."

The message cut out. One particular word had immediately caused the others visible distress. Viral.

Venara was starting to shake as the word had sent chills down her spine. She knew what they were referring to, and also knew that if they really were nearby, it would not be long before they discovered their location. The greatest enemy the Empire had ever faced, a threat which they had once believed to have been eradicated completely, was still out there. Worse still; they knew they were there.

"Why are we just sitting here? We must contact the Fleet for reinforce-"

The panicking officer was cut off once again by Xhar. "Calm yourself!" he demanded. The officers in the room looked uneasy but they did not dare to challenge the highest ranking commander within the entire Imperial Military.

Xhar continued, this time with an obvious tone of concern. "I have already sent a message to Fleet to send reinforcements. However, they will be on standby for dimensional warp until we absolutely need them. Gathering too many large vessels in a single location would only serve to draw more attention to ourselves. For now, the enemy does not know our specific location, but... they will eventually. The best we can do at this time is to maintain as much stealth as possible. We must all prepare for the inevitable encounter. The Empress is somewhere out there in that system, and none of us can enter. We must not endanger her further."

The officers at the table still held expressions of dire concern, but remained silent. Venara herself was flooded with thoughts, memories from conflicts involving this particular enemy. They were powerful beyond belief, and being forced to face them again was a fate she was far from prepared to accept.

The meeting when on for nearly an hour as the Lord General discussed different scenarios and various tactics to apply with each one. All of this was but mere static to Venara, however, as she could barely focus on it. Her mind was already maelstrom of chaos, and this development was the last thing it needed.

She was flooded with feelings of fear, which developed soon into pure hatred. She knew the enemy was coming, and was now preparing herself. She would destroy them by any means. After what they had done, there was no doubt in her mind. She wished to be a tool of their destruction.

The meeting concluded with the other officers rising from their seats and exiting the room to return to their duties. Venara, however, remained seated. Xhar noticed, and also remained seated, looking over to the young captain with a concerned expression. "Captain Venara... I understand that you have had some unpleasant experiences in the past. I cannot even begin to convey my condolences for your loss, but we must remain vigilant and steadfast; unwavering in our duty."

Venara nodded slowly. "Yes, sir... I understand." she said before standing. "How long to you think we have?" she asked.

Xhar stood also, shaking his head. "It could be as little as two weeks, or as much as three months, depending on what resources they have access to. This is only an educated calculation. It could even be sooner. Be prepared."

Venara simply nodded before exiting the room, leaving the Lord General to his own duties.

Why is this happening...? Why are they here? Dear goddess... Please give me the strength to endure... I... I do not know if I can handle this without you.. I do not know if any of us can.. Please, be safe... Please return soon...

Venara prayed silently before teleporting back to her ship, back into the corridors leading to the living quarters. She couldn't possibly handle the doctor right now. She instead chose to return to her own living quarters to sit and contemplate this for a while. She would need all of the strength and resolve she could muster for what was to come.

Chapter 4: If Only I Could...

Authors Note: Finally, a chapter focusing entirely on the ponies! I have to say, my spellcheck had conniptions when it got to Pinkie Pie's speech. Anyways, enjoy! Some much more serious and deep chapters will be coming soon.

It was the typical morning routine for Celestia. Wake up. Get up. Raise the sun. Her sleep was far from peaceful, as she could not stop thinking about that sweet little Alicorn filly. Her mind was filled with worry; not just for the mysterious little filly, but also for Equestria itself. She had lived a very long time, and knew most of how her own world worked. Outside of that, however, there was very little she knew. The very fact that she was unable to explain the little ones appearance in itself worried her.

There would be no audiences this Saturday. No, all of this was far too much. She had a feeling she would hear from her student soon, and until then she would try her best to relax. She had not had a day off in a very long time, and decided that, in light of these events, it would be justified. She focused on the image of the little Alicorn filly in her mind, smiling to herself. She was indeed very cute, and also very affectionate. She was also terrifyingly powerful, and that brought back the feelings of worry.

Celestia sat upon her large, luxurious bed, staring idly out of her window as she pondered in silence.

A light knock came at her door.

"Come in," Celestia beckoned with a soft tone.

The door opened slowly as Luna walked in. "Sister... Are you alright?" she asked.

Celestia nodded slowly. "I am well, dear sister."

Luna approached her sister, climbing up onto her bed and settling herself beside her. "You are not well. I can feel it in your voice. What is wrong, sister? Are you worried about the little one?"

Celestia sighed softly, closing her eyes. "I do not know... For the first time I feel somewhat... lost. This is a mystery that I cannot solve, and that worries me. Before the little one arrived, I felt the sharpest pain. It was as if I had been shocked by lightning, but only for a very small fragment of time. Less than a second, even."

Luna seemed very concerned by this. "W... what? What does this mean?"

Celestia pondered a moment. "I can only theorize that there is some sort of protective magical barrier around our world. When the little filly hit it, she passed through and damaged it. Suppose this magical barrier was somehow linked to me. Naturally, it would have been painful if the force transferred to me. Since the pain only lasted under a second, I would guess that it repaired itself."

"I suppose that makes sense. That still doesn't explain..." Luna trailed off for a moment.

"That still doesn't explain where the little Alicorn came from, nor does it explain how she managed to get here. The sheer amount of questions that spring forth from these unexplained occurrences is staggering. Are there others like us in some far away world? How did they get there? Is our world the first of our kind? If so, how did..." Celestia stopped herself. There were far too many questions, many of which lead only to more questions; none of which she could answer.

Suddenly, a letter poofed into existence in front of Celestia, whom was very quick to unfurl it and begin to read.

Luna could not help but lean in slightly and read it as well out of curiosity. Celestia would not mind. After all, she was her sister.

After having read the entire letter, Celestia looked rather surprised, as did Luna.

"She was unable to utter a single word when she arrived here... and to have such profound telepathic ability at such a young age... this is very, very strange," Celestia said, her expression shifting to one implying deep contemplation.

"What about that flying book?" Luna asked.

Celestia thought for a moment. "She couldn't open it, and when she attempted to do so it took flight, most likely to avoid being read. To place such a powerful enchantment on a book... it must be ancient and filled with some sort of dark, forbidden knowledge. A book written before our time. I am aware that such things exist, but I have never been able to examine one for myself."

Luna looked down as she processed this. "Dark, forbidden knowledge... I am not sure I even wish to know."

Celestia shakes her head. "In all likelihood, nopony does. This world has a very, very dark past. To pursue such things would only serve as a catalyst to repeat it. I must tell Twilight not to attempt to open it and hide it somewhere safe until I can have it retrieved."

Luna nodded again. "And what shall we do about the little Alicorn?"

Celestia brought up a parchment and quill. "The only thing we can at the moment; allow Twilight to care for Krys." she said, acknowledging the little ones name before beginning to write.

My dearest student,

I am grateful for your assistance. I would take care of young Krys myself, but as you have pointed out, I am very busy. Keep her out of harms way. If you can find a way to hide either her horn or her wings, you may take her out into the world, so long as she is accompanied by you at all times. I know she will want some level of freedom, as all young ones do, and I do not want her to run away like she is. Continue to report any further developments to me as soon as you possibly can.

On the matter of the book, I must ask that you hide it away, and hide it well. It is an ancient artifact and likely filled with powerful forbidden knowledge that, in the wrong hooves, could likely be used to wreak unimaginable havoc upon this world. I will send someone to retrieve it from you and bring it here, where it can be locked away and protected.

I am deeply sorry for having placed such a heavy burden upon you, and I hope that I will be able to make it up to you someday. Your assistance is deeply appreciated, and I cannot stress that fact enough. You are a good student, and I am very proud of you.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Celestia sealed the letter and sent it on its way with a sigh.

Luna yawned softly, obviously tired. It was about the typical time she would go to sleep.

"You should go and get some rest... I think you need it," Celestia said with a smile.

"Sister?" Luna asked.

"Yes?"

Luna leaned against her sister slightly, resting her head against her. "Since you are taking the day off... Would you mind if I stayed with you?" she asked, closing her eyes.

Celestia smiled. "Of course I don't mind, little sister. Nothing would make me happier. I doubt i'll be moving from this spot for a while." she responded.

Luna yawned once again and smiled happily. "Thank you, sister. I... miss being close to you... I love you."

This was not something Celestia was accustomed to hearing on a regular basis, but it made her feel much better. "I know, little sister. I love you, too."

With that, Luna nuzzled into her sister and began to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep; a happy smile upon her face.

Little Kryssie sat by the window, staring outside. She had done enough reading, and was starting to get a bit bored. She really wanted to get out of the house, but knew Twilight would be upset if she tried to leave. She felt a strange connection to Twilight; a sort of bond between them. She knew that Twilight was not her mother, but still, she came closer to anyone else at this point to being so.

Every moment that passed seemed to bring new information flowing through the little Alicorns mind. Mostly unimportant things, though some of the images were undesirable, and thusly she blocked any information she didn't like out and banished it to the back of her mind. She found herself once again thinking about that silly flying book from the night before.

Twilight had just finished cleaning up the room and placing all the bookshelves and books back where they were supposed to be. "Phew... I almost feel like I should ban Dash from the library for a week for that one." she said to herself jokingly, giggling slightly before noticing Krys.

It was a sad sight to behold for Twilight. She knew she wasn't supposed to allow Krys to venture outside, but she had the strongest urge to let her... and yet, she couldn't. It broke her heart to watch that little filly stare out the window with those longing eyes. She walked over to Krys and wrapped her front legs around her in a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry, Kryssie... I wish I could let you go outside, I really do."

Krys simply smiled and leaned back into Twilight's hug. "It's fine. At least i'm not alone, right?" she said on a positive note.

Twilight nodded. "Right... and pretty soon, more of my friends will be here to meet you! I know they'll all just love you."

Krys seemed to cheer up a bit at that. "I can't wait to meet them! I hope those other two will be will be amongst them. I never was able to introduce myself properly."

"What was that strange language you were speaking in last night anyways?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Oh. Well... I don't remember exactly what its called, but for some reason it was the only thing I could speak in, at least, until I drew the knowledge of your own language from you." she said, smiling.

Twilight sighed. "Kryssie... It's not nice to extract something from somepony's mind without asking them... but I forgive you. After all, how else would you have been able to communicate with us?"

Krys looked down and sighed. "I know... I promise not to do it without asking again."

Twilight was beginning to hope that she would be able to care for little Kryssie for a very long time. This little filly, although strange, confusing and somewhat scary, filled her with a joy she had never before known. She couldn't believe just how attached she was becoming to her. After all, she had only been there for a day at most! Still... Twilight had never cared for a filly like her; a little filly who shared her love of reading and her intelligence, as well as her magical prowess.

"I know you won't, Kryssie." she said, releasing Kryssie from the hug. "Say... aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten since you've gotten here, after all!"

Krys shook her head negatively. "No. Not at all. I feel perfectly fine."

"You're not thirsty either?" Twilight asked.

Again Krys shook her head. "Nope. Not one bit."

Twilight knew that Krys was far from your typical pony, but even the immortal Celestia required nourishment. At least, that is what she had assumed based upon the fact that Celestia did, in fact, eat and drink like any normal pony. This wasn't something she should dwell upon. However, if the little Alicorn continued to lack hunger and thirst much longer, she knew it would be yet another thing to report to Celestia.

Twilight's thoughts were cut short abruptly as little Krys collapsed into her, falling unconscious. This caused Twilight to panic as she tried to nudge the little Alicorn awake. "Kryssie....? Kryssie! Wake up!" she cried, now shaking Krys a bit to try and revive her.

Where am I? What is this place...? Am I dreaming?

Krys found herself standing in the middle of an endless white void. In the distance was some form of square object that she could not make out. The "ground" beneath her was pure white, like everything else in this space, with the exception of whatever that square-shaped object in the distance in front of her was. It felt hard and cold, and as Krys began to walk towards the object, the sound of her hooves against the floor produced a sound like thick glass or marble.

She was frightened and confused, but something about that object drew her closer to it. As she walked up to it, she noticed it was a mirror. This mirror, however, did not return the reflection of her current self. Krys trembled a bit as she gazed into the mirror. A levitating, broken mask stared back at her, surrounded by a blue, pulsating flame. The mask moved in unison with her as she tilted her head to one side or the other.

Is this... really me? No... it cant be, I don't look like that.

She raised a hoof to touch the mirror, making contact with some sort of ghostly... hand. A powerful sensation shot through Krys like a bolt of lightning as she recoiled; falling back from the mirror onto her flank. Her eyes were wide as many images flooded through her. Horrible, graphic images of death and destruction. For some reason, she was unable to do what she did before and simply push them to the back of her mind.

What is this?! I don't want to be here anymore! Let me leave!

She stood up quickly and slammed a hoof into the mirror, causing it to shatter. As it did, the white void around her began to tear away in fragments, leaving an infinite blackness in its place. The ground gave way beneath her and she screamed as she began to fell into the endless void below.

kryssie...

Kryssie...!

KRYSSIE!

Krys awakened with a loud scream of terror. She panted heavily for several moments before collapsing onto the floor, tears flowing from her eyes in rivers as she sobbed.

Twilight scooped the little filly up in her front legs, pulling her close as she sat on the floor. They were both shaking at this point, and Twilight began to cry as well, though much lighter than the little filly. "Kryssie... Oh, Kryssie... You had me so worried... I... I thought something terrible had happened."

Krys sobbed as she nuzzled into Twilight's neck. "I don't know what happened.... I was here... then I was... in some horrible place... and I broke the mirror and the world fell apart and I fell..."

Twilight frowned. It was one thing to have nightmares while you slept, but to have them while awake? How terrible! "Shhh... It's alright, sweetie... I'm here." she said, not entirely certain what else she could say. Whatever just happened, she sincerely hope it would not happen to the poor little filly again. Hopefully Spike would return soon with Rarity. She was a lot more experienced with children than her, and she knew she would need all of the support she could get.

A knock came at Twilight's door. She hated to break her embrace on Krys, but she knew it had to be one or several of her friends. After what she had just been through, she definitely wanted additional company. She stood up and walked to the door, answering it.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were both standing at the door.

Pinkie Pie had a massive smile. She was probably told about Krys by Rainbow Dash, and had come to see this little miracle filly herself.

Rainbow Dash had a slightly nervous expression. She obviously was still thinking about how badly she messed the house up the night before. "Hey Twilight... I told Pinkie Pie about the little filly Celestia sent you, and she's just dying to meet her!"

Twilight smiled and gave a nod. "Of course! Come on in." she said, walking back over to Krys who had managed to calm down and smile.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie both headed inside; Pinkie Pie bouncing in her typical happy-go-lucky manner. This drew the attention of little Krys, who looked at her a bit funny for this.

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened at the sight of Krys. Not in shock, but in excitement. "Oooooo! Omigoshomigoshomigoshomigoshomigosh! Eeeeee!" she exclaimed, bouncing over to Krys happily. "She's so cuuuuute, Twilight! What's her name, what's her name?! I bet its as adorable as she is!"

Twilight chuckled softly. "Her name is Krys, though, I call her Kryssie." she said, looking to Krys who was giving Pinkie Pie an odd look. "Kryssie, this is Pinkie Pie. She's one of my close friends."

"Ooooo! Kryssie! That is so cuuuute!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Krys stared at Pinkie Pie for a moment. ".... Have you been snorting caffeine or something?" she asked plainly.

Rainbow Dash lost it. She fall over onto her back, kicking her legs as she laughed hysterically. "Bahahahaha! Snorting caffeine! She just summed Pinkie Pie up in two words!" she exclaimed, not even realizing that Krys just spoke.

Twilight couldn't help but laugh a bit herself. It was pretty funny.

Pinkie Pie giggled. "No, silly! I'm just so super super happy to meet you! I'm so happy to meet you I could burst!"

Krys frowned a bit. "Oh, please don't do that. That would make such a terrible mess!"

Rainbow Dash finally had stopped laughing and came to the realization that little Kryssie had spoken. "Waaaaaait. She can TALK now? When did this happen?"

Twilight shook her head. "This morning, actually. She can read, too. She sure is a quick learner."

Pinkie Pie grinned widely. "Ooooo, she's such a smartie-wartie! Just like Twilight! Hehehehehehe! Oh! Oh! Oh! We must go outside and play!"

Twilight frowned with a sigh. "She can't go outside... Celestia instructed me not to let her go outside, which makes sense because she's an Alicorn. If other ponies saw that, who knows what would happen?"

Pinkie Pie looked shocked. "What?! But she's a little filly-willy! She has to be able to play outside and make friends and have all sorts of fun! Cant you just put a hat on her or something?!"

"Yeah! And I want to be the one to teach this little filly to fly!" Rainbow Dash added.

Twilight pondered this. "It would make her look too strange... and it could easily just blow right off with a good breeze or while running."

"I can hide my horn... It's no big deal," Krys said with a smile.

Twilight looked to Krys. This little filly never ceased to amaze her. "But how?" she asked, a bit confused.

Krys' horn began to glow for a few moments before seeming to fade from existence. It was some form of invisibility spell that was focused on just her horn. No trace of it could be seen. Even Twilight, with her exceedingly strong magical ability, could not see through the illusion.

"Wow! That's awesome! You look just like a regular Pegasus pony now!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly.

Pinkie Pie bounced up and down in excitement. "Oh this is gonna be so so so much fun! What are we gonna do first?!"

"Now hold on, girls," Twilight interrupted, raising a hoof. "I still cannot let her outside until Celestia informs me that it's alright. There may be other reasons besides just her appearance."

"Oh come on! She's just a little filly, you can't keep her locked up in this place forever!" Rainbow Dash protested with a slight glare.

"I didn't say forever. I'm sure Celestia will let her. I just need to get her approval first. Besides, the others should be here at some point today. Kryssie should be here to meet them." she responded. Twilight made a strong and valid point, a point which neither of them could argue with.

"Oh! Well, that's okay for now! There's still plenty of fun things we can do inside! Hey, we could have a party!" Pinkie Pie said with growing excitement.

Surprisingly, both Rainbow Dash and Twilight responded in unison. "NO!"

They looked at eachother with confused expressions. "I mean... I just cleaned this place up, and I don't want to have to do it again," Twilight said.

"Yeah, and i'm the one that messed it up. Don't get me wrong, here; I DO think we should have a party to welcome little Kryssie, but after Princess Celestia says she can go outside. Then we can have everypony at the party and have it at your place!" Rainbow Dash explained.

"Well I guess that makes sense! Okay then, so what else can we do? Oooo! Oooo! I got some ideas!" With that, Pinkie Pie lit up again with excitement.

Krys simply sat there looking dumbfounded. "I, um... Well, i'd really just like to read some more books." she said, forcing a smile.

Rainbow Dash grinned and started to laugh a bit. "Oh, Celestia, no! She really needs to get out now! She's becoming Twilight!"

Twilight gave a rather unamused expression. "There is nothing wrong with reading books! You should really try it yourself sometime, Dash!"

"Heeeeey! Yes, we should read some books! Cookbooks! Lets make something sweet and yummy!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Krys giggled a bit, seeming to have cheered up quite a lot. Her face lit up with such happiness it could melt through even the gloomiest of souls and force a smile upon their face.

Twilight planted a hoof in her face. She didn't much like the idea of her neat and tidy kitchen getting covered in flour and sugar. She sighed and shook her head, smiling as she noticed little Kryssie's expression.

One thing was for sure; this was going to be a very interesting day.

Chapter 5: Ancient Secrets

"Goodness, Twilight!” remarked Rarity. “She certainly is smart for such a little filly!"

Spike had returned with Rarity not long after Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash's arrival. Twilight, however, was far too busy perusing a letter from Celestia that Spike had also brought her. She simply raised a hoof. "Just a moment."

After she finished reading, she looked up at her friend. "Sorry, Rarity... I had to read that letter right away."

"Oh, it's quite alright,” said Rarity with a smile. “I understand completely. I apologize for having interrupted you."

Twilight smiled and shook her head. "It's alright,” she said, “but... if you would excuse me for a moment, there is something I must do quickly."

She turned towards the stairs. Celestia had confirmed to her that the book she had taken into her possession was dangerous. She couldn't simply leave it on show like she had. She headed upstairs and levitated the book from her desk.

Hmm... where should I hide it? There aren't many good hiding spots here...

She sighed and decided to slide the book under her pillow for now; the most horribly obvious place to hide something. She shook her head and concluded that finding a proper place to hide the book would have to wait until her guests had departed.

Twilight sniffed the air, having detected the scent of something burning. "Oh for the love of..." she performed a firm facehoof before rushing downstairs again to find smoke billowing from the kitchen.

"This dumb oven gets too hot!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed through a coughing fit. “How could anypony bake anything with this?!"

She had attempted to make cupcakes with the few ingredients that had been available to her. Twilight's oven, however, had proven to be a bit too much. Little did Pinkie Pie know, the temperature dial had been broken for some time.

Rainbow Dash covered her mouth with a hoof as she coughed, rushing about the house and opening windows to vent the smoke.

"It's probably enchanted with magic or somethin'! Shoulda known better than to try to cook anything at Twilight's house!"

Little Kryssie was on her back, laughing hard at the whole fiasco.

"Well at least somepony can find humor in this!” Rarity exclaimed, keeping her distance from the source of the smoke as she coughed. “Oh, this is simply awful! I'll have to wash my mane at least five times over to get that dreadful smell out! Pinkie Pie, what were you thinking?"

"How I was I supposed to know this dumb thing was busted? Ohhhh, my cupcakes are ruined!" complained Pinkie, before noticing the little laughing filly nearby. She immediately cheered up and smiled widely.

"Awww! At least it made Kryssie happy! I guess its not so so bad now."

Twilight shook her head before addressing the others. "Alright. If you're all finished destroying my kitchen, I have some very good news to share!"

Everypony looked to Twilight with interest. Satisfied that she had their attention, she continued.

"Celestia has informed me that as long as Kryssie can hide either her wings or horn, and remains under my supervision, she may go outside. I was thinking we could all go to Sweet Apple Acres and introduce Kryssie to Applejack! It would give the place some time to air out, and Kryssie a chance to finally experience the outside world as she should."

Pinkie Pie began to jump up and down with the typical excitement one would expect from her. "Omigosh, Twilight, that's great news! We should go now! Come on, everypony!" She squealed excitedly, already bolting for the door.

"Can I... can I really go outside, now?" Krys asked as she stood herself up, looking up at Twilight with an expression of joy and excitement.

Twilight nodded and smiled. "Yes... so let's go! There is a lot to see out there, Kryssie!"

"Yeah, c'mon! Let's go!" Dash exclaimed with a wide grin before running out through the door.

"Oh, I wish I could come along as well... but I have ever so much work to do... and I am in bad need of a shower now, on top of everything else!" Rarity pouted, looking rather regretful that she couldn't come along. However, business had picked up tremendously as of late, and she had only just found the time to make a brief visit.

"Oh, it's alright," Twilight said with a smile. "I understand perfectly, Rarity. I hope we'll see you again soon."

Rarity nodded. "Good luck with the little one, dear. I'm sure you'll need it... after all, taking care of a little Unicorn is a hoofful in itself. I cannot imagine trying to care for a little Alicorn!" She chuckled.

"Thanks again, Rarity. I think I can handle it,” Twilight said. “The Princess entrusted the care of this little filly to me, and I will do everything in my power to make sure she is safe and taken care of."

She was about to leave with Krys when she turned back to face Rarity again. "Oh, good luck with your work as well... I understand you have quite the workload."

Rarity sighed. "Yes... and i'm constantly running out of supplies. Would you mind if Spike helped me a bit longer? He's been helping me quite a lot."

Twilight nodded. "Of course... i'm sure he's very eager to help." She gave a knowing chuckle.

Spike zipped to Rarity's side, his eyes gleaming with joy. "Oh, it's my pleasure to be of assistance to you, Rarity!"

"Why thank you, Spike... we certainly have our work cut out for us today," she said, trotting off in the direction of her boutique. Spike followed closely, undeterred by the prospect of the workload.

"Hey! Come on, slowpokes!” Dash called back to Twilight and Krys tauntingly. “Last one to Sweet Apple Acres is a rotten egg!"

Krys seemed to perk up upon hearing this, taking off after Dash and Pinkie Pie like a little red bolt of lightning.

Twilight coughed from the dust cloud little Krys had kicked up, twitching a bit before taking off after them.

"Hey, wait up!" she called. She found herself wondering how Krys could run so fast, but quickly dismissed it. The little Alicorn had already demonstrated far more impressive feats.

"What the?!" Dash stared at Krys wide-eyed as she covered the distance between them in a mere moment. "Wow, Kryssie! You're a speedy little thing! I can't wait til you're flyin'!"

"Hehehe! She might even be able to outfly you someday, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

Twilight was panting as she finally caught up with them. She was far from an athletic pony, and preferred to take things at her own pace. However, for Kryssie's sake, she resolved to stay within fifty hooves of the little filly. After all, it was her job to make sure she was safe, no matter what.

Venara sat at her computer in her quarters, playing some mundane puzzle game to try and focus her mind on something other than what had been going on. First those flashbacks, and now... the looming threat of an enemy that could pose a serious threat to them. She had to escape for a while. Even though the game was able to adequately distract her for a while, it wasn't enough to quell the lingering storm of dread in her mind.

"YOU LOSE!" a robotic voice boomed through the integrated speakers on either side of the screen.

She sighed and shook her head, shutting the thing off. "I just cant focus on this right now..."

Bridge to Captain Draelin!

Venara felt a sensation of worry and fear shoot through her as she heard the comms system call for her.

“...Yes? What is it?"

Something... strange is happening with the central planet's moon. You should come and take a look at this.

Venara sighed in relief. At least it wasn't them yet.

"I'll be right there," she responded, standing. She left her room and once again headed for the teleport hub on her deck. She stepped into it, and moments later was standing in the bridge.

She tilted her head to look at the viewscreen. "Now what in Krysallus' name is that?"

One of the officers looked to her. "We're... not sure. It seems to be some form of energy resonance."

Venara stared for a moment at the bright blue glowing spot on the moon, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Perhaps... it is simply the empress signaling to tell us that she arrived safely?"

The officer shook his head. "There isn't much we can do from this side of the barrier. Let us hope that's all it is."

Venara sighed and sat heavily into her chair, staring for a while at the anomaly. She instructed the officer to magnify the image as much as possible. He did so, though it proved futile. There was no magical runic writing or anything within the brightly glowing spot. It was just... a brightly glowing spot.

Venara knew there was little else she could do. So, she simply waited, wondering what might happen next.

It had been a long day for little Kryssie. She had done so many things, and met several new interesting ponies. Applejack had at first seemed a bit nervous in her presence, having assumed she was Celestia or Luna's offspring, but soon warmed up to her after she had displayed some affection.

Kryssie sighed softly as she nuzzled into Twilight's side, her eyes closed as she tried to get to sleep.

Twilight had already fallen asleep, and had the most peaceful smile on her face. Kryssie, however, had things on her mind... or rather one thing in specific. That strange book had been the subject of her thoughts for quite a while. She didn't know why, but it had been calling to her somehow. She felt somewhat bad, since Twilight didn't want her to read it, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

She felt the book under Twilight's pillow. She had completely forgotten it was there. Kryssie sighed softly and used her magic to gently pull the book from underneath the pillow, slowly pulling away from Twilight and sliding off of the bed, as quietly as she could.

Twilight rolled over, but didn't awaken. Kryssie finally headed downstairs, passing Spike on her way, also fast asleep.

Setting the book down on the floor, Kryssie created a little sphere of light above it and opened it, turning to the first page.

The book was written in some odd, ancient form of runes that, for some strange reason, she found herself able to read. She read page after page, slowly making her way through the book. Her eyes widened at several of the pages, and before she knew it she had read through the entire thing. By the time she had finished, it was around midnight.

Her eyes still wide with shock, she closed the book and left it. She turned and headed for Twilight's front door, opening it slowly and sidling outside. She spread her wings, expertly taking flight as if she had done so a million times before, and headed straight for the very place almost everypony feared to tread and hardly ever dared venture near, let alone at night.

The Everfree Forest.

Twilight awakened sometime around two in the morning. She sighed and headed down to the bathroom.

"I knew I shouldn't have drunk all that applejuice before bed..." she muttered below her breath, closing the door behind her.

After completing her 'business,' she exited the bathroom, returning to her room and yawning. Finally, it hit her.

"...Kryssie?"

She was gone! How could she not have noticed this sooner?!

Twilight was overcome with a powerful wave of fear as she galloped downstairs and began searching. She noticed the book on the floor and began to tremble.

"Oh no... no no no..." She crept over to the ominous volume.

The book lay quietly on the floor, cover-side down. Twilight knew what had happened, and yet, she could hardly bring herself to acknowledge the reality of it.

Kryssie had read the book that she herself could not even bring herself to open... the book that Celestia had told her to keep hidden away... the book that supposedly contained dark secrets of devastating power... all of which had been read by such a young little filly.

She began to panic, hurrying to the door, throwing it open to look outside. Not a single pony was there. She slammed the door shut and ran to one of the many bookshelves, scanning it hurriedly.

She finally found what she was after and, using her magic, yanked the book violently from the shelf, lowered it to hover in front of her, and illuminated it, frantically searching through it.

"Come on, come on,” she grumbled, “I know it's here..."

Finally, she found the spell she needed. She took a gulp, turned, and approached the tome of forbidden knowledge.

She stooped and touched it with her horn. The book glowed brightly for a moment, before a trail of light shot from it along the floor, a trail which only Twilight was able to see. It led out through the door.

She headed outside and looked up; her mouth agape as it left the ground to disappear high into the air. She was barely able to make it out, but she could follow it, and she did so hastily, galloping beneath the faint slither of light, before coming to a sudden halt.

She panted heavily and looked ahead of her; an expression of sheer horror upon her visage as she realized where Kryssie had gone.

"Oh no...” she panted. “Anywhere but there..."

She gazed into the darkness of the forest in front of her. Her first thought was to go back and get her friends for help, but there was no time. Little Kryssie could be in serious danger. She took a gulp and slunk beyond the treeline, doing her best to ward away her fears with her determination to find Kryssie.

There was no danger she wouldn't face for Kryssie's sake. Even if it meant facing a Hydra again, she didn't care. All that mattered to her was the safety of the little filly.

She followed the trail hastily as it weaved around the trees within the forest, moving as quickly and quietly as she could, so as not to draw too much attention to herself.

After about an hour of trotting, she had delved deeper into the forest than she had ever been before. She could see the piercing gazes of yellow and red eyes around her, leering down upon her silently. She ignored them, pressing on, until she found herself before the enormous, gaping mouth of a deep, dark cave entrance.

"Oh... oh, dear Celestia..." she whimpered in horror as her gaze fell upon the savagely dismembered corpses of several beasts. Manticores, from what she could tell, though the mangled remains were difficult to identify with any certainty.

The silvery trail she had been following went straight past them and disappeared down into the vast blackness of the tunnel.

Could Kryssie have done that to those massive beasts? Or perhaps... something else... something worse that had been after her?

There was no turning back now. Swallowing hard, Twilight forced herself onwards into the cave, shaking off the fear that had been causing her to tremble. Screwing her eyes shut to concentrate for a moment, she created a small, magical ball of light that hovered in front of her, illuminating her path.

The tunnel was a long one, descending steeply for a considerable distance. She must already have been several hundred metres beneath the surface. As she hurried down the gently winding passage, it slowly widened, opening into dank, eerie chambers, thin stalactites and stalagmites hanging and rising either side of her, the light of her magic causing spindly shadows to dance behind them as she passed, before the trail disappeared once more into narrow tunnels.

Eventually, the tunnel opened once more, and she emerged into the largest underground chamber she had ever seen, illuminated by glowing gypsum crystals that hung from the roof of the cavern like vast, spiked chandeliers. Slithery rays of light fell what must have been dozens feet onto a massive ruin. It looked to be an ancient, subterranean city of stone, carved from the living rock itself.

Twilight gazed in awe at the scene before her, having never once before come across anything quite like this. She crept carefully underneath a massive stone arch as she ventured into the ruined stone city, suddenly stumbling on something. She looked down and had to stifle a scream. It was unmistakably the ancient skeleton of a pony, but it had been there for thousands of years at least, parts of it crumbling to dust where her front leg had hit it. Gingerly, she stepped around it.

In the center of the ruins stood a large building. It looked to be a temple of some sort, a soft blue glow emanating from the massive doorway cut into its front. She approached it with caution, making sure not to trip over any more skeletons... there certainly were a lot of them.

She stepped inside and made her way along a tight, high-ceilinged passageway which, not unlike the natural cave outside, opened into a huge, circular, central chamber.

She stopped dead in her tracks. Little Kryssie was right there ahead of her, standing before a large, blue glowing orb at the center of the chamber. White veins glowed across its surface, as did the same cryptic runes as were written in the tome. Though Twilight, of course, had never opened the book, and had never seen the runes before.

She wanted to call out to Kryssie, and yet she feared to. What if the sound of her voice resonated with the chamber and caused it to topple in on top of them?

She began to approach little Kryssie, but stopped once again as a bright blue beam of light shot upwards from the glowing orb, up into a large hole in the center of the ceiling within the chamber. As this happened, Twilight could feel the magical power resonating from the orb. It was... tremendous. Far beyond anything she had felt before.

"Fehta Vudoz Ix Oreth Ei'Vas!" Kryssie shouted, though not in a young Filly's voice... no, her voice resounded in a much deeper tone, with all the volume and power of Luna's own Royal Canterlot voice.

Twilight took a few steps back, terrified, before a blinding flash of light engulfed the room.

Chapter 6: The Past Relived

What is this light? Why can't I see? What's happening? I...

The light that had blinded Twilight began to fade as the chamber around her came into view once again. Something was different... very different. What had once been ancient, crumbling ruins now sparkled with renewed beauty. The walls of the chamber gleamed with their former polished white splendor, the once-cracked floors now unblemished, without a trace of dust or dirt.

Twilight was attempting to ascertain just what had happened, when suddenly she spotted a tall white Alicorn standing not far from where Kryssie had been. Her mind immediately registered the newcomer as Celestia... however, after a few moments she realized it was not. This Alicorn had a bright silvery mane of only a single tone, and a Cutie Mark in the shape of a strange, ancient-looking symbol that Twilight could not decipher.

She wasn't entirely certain what to do at this point. The shock from the sudden transition had left her barely able to do anything but attempt to analyze the situation she was now in. As she collected herself, she remembered that Kryssie had just been standing in front of her, and realized that she had vanished. Suddenly, the strangeness of the situation seemed unimportant. She knew that the first thing she had to do was locate little Kryssie, and to locate her quickly.

This strange Alicorn would certainly notice her soon anyway, so she decided to take initiative and approach them.

"Hey... uh... have you seen-"

Twilight's question was cut off as Kryssie approached her from behind. "They won't hear you, Twilight,” she stated. “They are merely an illusion." Her voice was now back to its normal, younger tone.

Twilight gave a small jump of surprise, before turning around, breathing a deep sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Celestia you're alright!" she exclaimed. Despite the mixture of thoughts and emotions flooding through her, she immediately moved forward to wrap her front legs around Kryssie, giving her a tight hug.

"You worried me so much... why did you read that book? Why did you come here? How did you know to find this place? More importantly... what did you do?" Twilight asked a barrage of questions that she had been processing in her mind at a rather rapid pace.

Kryssie sighed softly. "I am sorry I worried you, Twilight... but... I had to read that book. I don't know why... I guess there was just some sort of magical pull it had. But that isn't important right now. Twilight, do you know what this place is?"

Twilight released Kryssie from her embrace, shaking her head. "N-no... I do not. Do you?"

Kryssie turned around, gazing up at the high, lavishly-decorated ceiling of the massive chamber. "This is the ancient city of Izarethis. It was one of the very first major cities within the nation of Eirinia. This was long long ago, many thousands of years in fact, when the Alicorns were the most prominent race inhabiting this planet."

Twilight was taken aback. She had absolutely no knowledge of any history predating Equestria. At least, not that far back. She assumed that all recorded history of such a civilization must have been long lost.

"There... there were more Alicorns? I know that more than Celestia and Luna had lived, but I had no idea the race had formed entire cultures. Was this in the book?"

Kryssie nodded slowly. "Yes. As for what I have done... I have cast a spell that tapped into the very memories of the city itself, which were all contained within that orb. What we are seeing right now is one of those memories, unfolding before our eyes."

Twilight had remembered a long discussion with Kryssie, remembering her explaining that all objects that had been touched by anypony at any point in time had stored memories; knowledge that could be drawn out from these objects with the use of magic. She had heard of such a thing before, but had never considered the extent of its potential.

"That is incredible... I never imagined you could be capable of such a thing,” she said, before a thought piqued her curiosity once more. “What about the outside world? If we were to go back up now, would we see the Everfree Forest as it was thousands of years ago?”

Kryssie smiled. "Outside, everything is still within its own time frame and normal. Only this city is affected. However, it would be unwise to attempt to cross the boundaries of this illusion and pass back into the unaffected area, as it could cause... complications.” Her brow lowered to form a small frown of consideration. “We should take this time to do some research... I am most curious to discover what exactly happened to this civilization."

Twilight seemed unsure, but her curiosity was now outgrowing her caution. Her inner-scholar had long driven her to pursue knowledge of the unknown. If she were to pass up such an opportunity, she would never forgive herself.

"Is there any danger within the effected area?" she asked.

"No... but we should start immediately,” said Kryssie, shaking her head, before turning to leave the chamber. “We have precious little time to discover as much as we can.”

Twilight trotted beside her. She had not gotten nearly enough sleep, but the promise of knowledge fueled her enthusiasm, keeping her as awake and alert.

"Right,” she said, smiling. “Do you know where we should start?"

Kryssie nodded. "There is a royal palace within this city. It would be a good place to start. Perhaps we can witness some important events unfolding there," she suggested, starting off down the passage from the chamber at a brisk trot.

Twilight followed as closely as she could, but stopped abruptly as they emerged. She gazed in awe at the now brightly lit city around them, her mouth agape. There were hundreds, if not thousands of Alicorns, each going about their respective business. There were also strange, magically-powered brass mechanisms scattered about the city, powering many of the lights and feeding life into a myriad other, smaller machines, their purposes a mystery to Twilight. This civilization was advanced indeed.

"I... wow," was all Twilight could muster to say.

Kryssie stopped and turned her head to look back at her companion. "Come on, Twilight! I know this must be very new to you, but try to keep up!” she called, looking ahead once more to hurry on. “We don't have all the time in the world, you know!"

Twilight shook her head vigorously, snapping herself out of her awed stupor. "Sorry!" she cried, rushing to catch up with Kryssie, dodging past several trotting Alicorns until she drew up alongside her.

"You can just run through them, you know,” said Kryssie with a smile, passing straight through a stallion's legs as he walked the opposite way. “They are only illusions.”

"Oh, I didn't know... it's odd. They seem so real,” Twilight said simply.

Before long they found themselves at the start of a large stairway of pearl-white stone, at least a thousand steps high, leading up to a colossal palace that towered up the wall to the very ceiling of the massive chamber. It was an incredibly beautiful structure, its walls and columns covered with finely detailed carvings of intertwining animals, plants, and ponies, some depicted in unfathomable historical scenes, with precious stones – rubies, sapphires, and even diamonds, all at least the size of a pony's hoof – inlaid seamlessly into the never-repeating patterns.

"Rarity would love this..." breathed Twilight, thinking aloud.

Kryssie shook her head and began up the massive stairs. "Come on,” she said. “Carefully, though. You can still trip and hurt yourself," she added, somewhat teasingly.

Twilight simply nodded and began up the stairs behind Kryssie. She could feel the magic in the air; the city was literally teeming with its energy. Or perhaps it was from the spell Kryssie had cast? Regardless of its source, it was making Twilight feel a bit uneasy, but she forced herself to ignore it. There so was much to see, and from what Kryssie had told her, little time to see it.

After what seemed like forever, they finally reached the top. The entrance of the palace even more massive than it had appeared from the bottom of the stairs. A tall Alicorn guard stood either side of the massive golden doorway, which for some reason lacked a door. The guards were outfitted with a sort of prismatic silver armor and very intimidating facemasks. They made Twilight slightly nervous for a moment before she remembered that they were merely illusions.

They headed inside together, entering a large chamber which must have been the audience room. It was lit with massive gypsum crystals like the ones in the cavern ceiling outside, shining with a bright, light blue glow. They protruded from the walls and ceiling as if they had been magically fused into their surfaces.

How much time do we have?

I am not certain. It could be a few hours, or a few days.

Are you sure it's them?

There is no doubt, Your Majesty.

The voices of two Alicorns could be heard, originating at the center of the audience chamber. An Alicorn mare, tall and elegant, and with a snowy-white coat a brilliant golden mane, sat upon a grand throne. Before her was an Alicorn stallion dressed in armor forged of plates of embossed gold, bowing respectfully.

"Lets get a little closer," Kryssie suggested.

Twilight was gazing up at the Alicorn that was seated upon the throne, fixated on her eyes. She knew those eyes... those bright violet eyes that had met her own so many times before. Whoever the Alicorn was, Twilight knew that somehow she had to have been somehow related to Princess Celestia. She simply nodded in response to Kryssie and walked slowly towards the two Alicorns.

"Is there time to evacuate the city?" The tall mare asked. Her voice was soft and beautiful, but also carried a tone of seriousness that, again, reminded Twilight very much of Celestia.

"No... It would be impossible without being noticed. A small group might could slip by them unnoticed, but not the entire population of the city," the armored stallion answered in a deep, strong timbre.

"I... I have no choice, then. Please, have my daughters taken from the city and hidden somewhere far, far away from here. I shall remain here to defend the city myself. I do not know who these beings are, or why they have come to this world, but... I know we cannot stop them. We must... ensure the survival of our kind." Her voice was now becoming slightly shaky, tears forming in her eyes.

"Your... Your Majesty, I... I will do as you ask,” the stallion bowed again. “But please... once I have done so... let me return, and fight alongside you one last time.”

"Enius...” she said. “We have been holding this secretly within our hearts for too long now...” She smiled lightly through her tears, in contrast to the grim situation. “I know of the feelings you have for me."

Enius looked up at her, hesistating for a moment. "I... Your Majesty, I don't know wha-"

Before Enius could so much finish, he was drawn into a deep, passionate kiss by the beautiful, golden maned mare. The kiss, however, would not last long. "Go, Enius... and go swiftly. The fate of our race depends on it."

Twilight had watched the entire scene, her face growing increasingly aghast. The thought of the violence that had been alluded to was difficult to register. Sure, Equestria had known war in the very distant past, but never did it threaten to render its entire populace extinct.

"This seems very familiar, somehow," Kryssie stated plainly, obviously deep in thought.

Enius departed the audience chamber, hastening up the staircase leading to the upper floors. Several minutes later, two guards descended staircase, closely escorting two tiny fillies.

Twilight paid careful attention to the young fillies; one had a beautiful golden mane, much like her mother's, and the brilliant white coat to match. The other had the same coat, but her mane was a deep, lustrous red. Both looked equally confused at the situation.

As they reached the foot of the stairs, the little golden-maned filly broke from the procession to hurry over to the mare, still seated upon the throne. "Mother... what's going on?" she asked, a glint of fear in her eyes.

It was perhaps the most difficult thing that she would ever have to do but, swallowing, her mother mustered a warm, reassuring smile, bowing her head to lean down close to her daughter. "I know this is going to be difficult... but I need you to be strong for me and look after your little sister. I... I wish this were not necessary, but please, trust me. You have to leave here."

"But why? Why are you sending us away?! Do you not love us anymore?!" The little filly shrieked, tears forming in her eyes as she began to cry.

"I love you both more than you will ever know... and that is why I am sending you away,” she responded softly. “You will understand someday." It was apparent that she was now fighting to hold back her own tears. It would be far better for them to be angry at her now than to know what was happening. Or rather, to know what was going to happen.

Enius, Twilight noticed, had come partway down the stairs, and was watching in silence.

"You're lying! Whatever we did wrong, we're sorry!” the little filly yelled. “Just please, don't send us away! We want to stay here with you! I don't understand! Why are you doing this to us?!"

The young filly's words cut deep. The mare closed her eyes, turning her head away. The nearest guard trotted over and brought the filly back into ranks, the two of them forcefully escorting both of the young fillies out of the palace and down the steps. The red maned filly did not resist, simply crying as hard as she could. The golden maned filly, however, was kicking and screaming with frustration. One of the guards had to magically levitate her away.

"I hate you! I hate you!" she screeched through streams of tears, crying as hard as her sister.

Enius rushed down the remainder of the staircase once they had gone, rushing to the side of the fillies' distraught mother. "Your Majesty... I'm sorry..."

The mare looked up to Enius, her expression laying bare the pain she was in. "There is no time for regret, my love... our enemy is coming, and we must focus all of our efforts into defending the city... no matter how futile those efforts are."

Enius supported her as she stood, shakily finding her feet.

The stallion looked as though he was on the verge of tears himself. "I just wish we could have-”

The mare placed a hoof to his lips to silence him. "I know, my love... I know."

Kryssie shook her head. "This... this is so sad... so cruel. It is difficult to watch."

Twilight was crying into Kryssie's side. Something about the little golden maned filly shouting that she hated her mother had managed to finally drive her over the edge. It had triggered something within her – she had no chance of stopping the tears.

"Kryssie...” she sniffed. “Let's go back now... please... I don't want to see what happens next." She pleaded, wiping her eyes with a foreleg.

Kryssie shook her head. "Twilight... We cannot leave now. We would be missing a crucial piece of information. We must know what this enemy they referred to was. Without that, this whole excursion will have been for nothing."

Twilight knew Kryssie was right, but she didn't want to acknowledge it. What she had just witnessed had been difficult enough, but having to witness innocent ponies being... killed... the thought made Twilight want to vomit. If it had been recorded within a book, she could have tolerated it. But actually witnessing it first-hand... it was too much for her to handle.

She looked down at Kryssie, frustration welling inside her now. "How are you so calm? Just what are you?" she demanded, perhaps more harshly than she had intended.

"Twilight... if you do not wish to watch, you do not have to,” Krys said quietly, bowing her head regretfully, her gaze falling to the floor. “I know that I now appear as a young child in body, but my mind... my mind is filled with thousands of years of knowledge and memories. I promise I will explain everything to you in detail when this is over, but for now, please, try to be strong."

"You...” Twilight began. “Thousands of years? I knew you were different, Kryssie, but I never would have expected that...” She blinked, considering it. “Then again, I suppose it kind of makes sense... but still... I don't even want to hear what will happen. Can't you just send me back and stay yourself?"

"You chose to follow me,” Krys said, looking back up a Twilight seriously. “It was not my intention to involve you in this. No, I cannot send you back, even if I wanted. Like it or not, you must accept the reality of things and do your best to maintain your composure. What do you think your teacher would do in this very situation?"

Twilight managed to calm down a bit. Again, Kryssie was right. She knew now that there was no point in resisting, and let out a sigh, finally conceding defeat.

"Alright...” she said, nodding nervously. “I will try my best, for Celestia's sake."

"Good. Come on,” Kryssie said, turning to leave the palace. “We should gather as much information as possible before everything shifts to its final phase."

Twilight took a deep breath before following Kryssie out.

What have I gotten myself into?

She took the time to take in the sight of the city now. Everything was so beautiful. She completely ignored the soldiers rushing about the city and the civilians taking shelter in their homes. Who would ever want to destroy such beauty? Who would want to massacre these innocent ponies? Twilight soon found her emotions shifting from remorseful sadness to a deep, bubbling anger. She knew what was coming... and that there was not a single bucking thing she could do to stop it.

Not only that, but Kryssie had been holding so much back from her. Thousands of years of knowledge and memories? Was her mind even older than Celestia's? What if she was secretly an enemy in the form of a young filly? No... Celestia certainly would have been able to tell, wouldn't she?

All of these thoughts were circling through Twilight's mind violently. Finally, she bowed her head and screwed her eyes shut, forcing herself to silence them and think about something else.

"Are you alright, Twilight?"

Twilight looked up. Kryssie was looking at her with concern on her face.

"I'm fine, Kryssie,” Twilight replied seriously. “I'm sorry, this is all just... too much for me to process all at once. I have a lot of questions to ask you once this is over."

"I understand, Twilight,” Kryssie said, nodding. “I promise to tell you anything you wish to know. For now, just try to stay sane, alright?"

"I just need to rest..." Twilight yawned, trotting over to an empty space beside the massive stairs leading up to the palace, laying down on the ground and leaning against the side of the stairs. "...You go on ahead," she muttered. The loss of sleep had finally caught up with her, and after all the emotional turmoil she had been through, what little energy she had left was spent.

Kryssie sighed softly, sidling over to Twilight and laying against her. "We must not become separated, Twilight. I will wait here for you to awaken. I would never leave you here by yourself."

Twilight managed a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. It was obvious to her that Kryssie cared about her, regardless of the facade she had been maintaining. She felt somewhat guilty for having been angry with her, even knowing that it was justified.

"Thank you, Kryssie. Just... when it happens, as soon as you know what they look like, get us out of here, alright? I don't want to be here for the entire... event."

Kryssie nodded, nuzzling Twilight's side. "I promise I will... I will not tax your mind and heart more than is necessary."

Twilight sighed softly, closing her eyes. She was too tired to give any further reply, and managed to completely silence her thoughts long enough to fall asleep.

Kryssie waited patiently for hours, resting her head upon Twilight's right foreleg. She nearly dozed off herself, until she was startled by a loud, thunderous boom near the cave's entrance. Her head shot head up, her eyes widening as she saw them begin to pour into the massive chamber.

They were bipedal, humanoid in shape. Their lithe forms silvery and metallic, green veins glowing eerily through their mercurial skin.

She knew exactly what they were, but still couldn't believe it.

If they were here... how was this entire planet not destroyed?!

Twilight had been jolted awake by the explosion and was now wide awake. "Oh, Celestia, no... it's starting. Kryssie, you've seen them. Now, lets get out of here."

Kryssie stood up and closed her eyes, concentrating for a moment. Nothing happened.

"....Oh no..." she said, opening her eyes again.

"What do you mean, 'oh no?'" Twilight demanded.

Bright green bolts of energy began to shoot around everywhere, originating from the invaders. Bright white flashes of light shot forth from the horns of the soldiers right back at them, but seemed to have no effect.

"We have to get back to the chamber with the orb! Quick!" Kryssie shouted, immediately galloping towards the massive temple as quickly as her little legs could carry her. She came to a screeching halt, however, when she noticed the army's leader. She trembled slightly, her eyes wide, fixed upon the creature.

"Why are you stopping?!" Twilight near screamed at her, looking up in the direction Kryssie was staring.

Behind the main invading force was a tall humanoid, but he looked little like the others. His features were those of a black-furred feline, with dark green hair and glowing yellow eyes. He wore metallic black power armor all the way up to his neck, but remained without a helmet. He hovered menacingly above his soldiers with the use of an anti-gravity pack. A wide, sadistic grin adorned his face, as he seemed to fix his terrible gaze on something... or someone.

Kryssie noticed this and looked back to see the beautiful, golden-maned Alicorn flying through the air, straight for the enemy commander, her horn glowing brightly. She turned back to see him heaving to raise large and very familiar weapon, aiming it straight at her, the maniacal grin on his face growing wider still. Twilight had been following her gaze and Kryssie, knowing what was about to happen, tackled her to the ground. "No! You must not watch!" she cried, obviously terrified.

He squeezed the trigger. A strange, multicolored beam immediately erupted from the weapon, colliding with the speeding mare head on and sending her tumbling to the ground below. She slowly stood, attempting to gather her bearings, but before she could, she froze dead and shuddered grotesquely, her face a mix of terror and agony.

She emitted a terrible shriek of pain as her body began to... mutate. Oddly-colored tendrils of flesh burst from her body, fragments of bone suddenly protruding all over as blood poured from the newly-formed wounds. Kryssie comprehended what was happening. Her very DNA code was being altered, and her body was contorting to the changes. Her shrieks diminished into pathetic, formless gurgles, before she finally collapsed into in unrecognizable mass of blood, flesh and bone.

"Don't look back, just keep going!" Kryssie cried, forcing Twilight forward as quickly as she could.

Twilight knew that whatever had happened, it was bad. She had never heard anypony's voice carry such fear in her entire life. She fixed her gaze on the temple, trying her best to avoid witnessing any more of the massacre until they reached the chamber containing the orb.

"Kethra Vudoz Ix Oreth!" Kryssie yelled as loudly as she could as they approached the orb.

There was a bright flash, and their vision faded abruptly to white, just as before. Kryssie's last thought resonated loudly through her mind before she lost consciousness.

Why... why did it have to be them?!