Prologue
The soft scribbling of pen to paper sounded throughout the cabin. An ivory white hand elegantly moved as the feathered quill in its grasp danced across the surface, beautifully crafted calligraphy following in its wake. Clear blue eyes gazed down at the written work as a small, warm smile tugged at their lips.
A bright golden aura shined above her, and the pouring sound of liquid. Reaching with their free hand, they picked up the filled teacup and brought it to their lips. Without pausing in writing, their eyes closed, and a sigh escaped their lips as the liquid went down their throat.
Opening them, they glanced down and giggled, a small blush gracing their cheeks. The brief embrace of lavender mint tea had them write off the paper and onto the wooden desk.
You should know better, ol’ girl. Luckily, it’s just the first draft. Her inner thoughts playfully chided her. Giggling to herself again, a golden aura enveloped the poorly placed, runaway words and lifted them up. The words floated away and deposited themselves into a nearby inkwell. Dipping the quill into the ink, the soft tinking of the tip against the glass, she brought the quill back to the paper…
…only for a faint purple glow to flicker on the table.
Blinking, the being turned her head in the direction of the glow. In the center of the cabin, sat atop a simple yet ornate crafted pedestal and a hand stitched pillow, was a purple crystal ball softly pulsating a glow. Pushing the chair back, she stood up, straightening out her sweater sleeves and long skirt, and walked over to the pedestal. Looking down at the orb, her reflection looked back, her horn parted her long red hair while her wings hugged her back.
Placing a gentle hand atop the sphere, her horn glowed once more. The smoke within gained a golden hue and began to swirl around at leisurely pace. Slowly, it dissipated, and an image began to show itself.
The small smile blossomed into a large one as the being beheld a certain studious alicorn, alongside her dearest friends, addressing a large gathering outside a beautifully built mountainside building.
“A school of friendship. You should be proud, Tia. The little filly you’ve taught and dotted over has grown into an extraordinary mare. Mending and building relations while also spreading the values of friendship to all corners and every species on Equus.” She chuckled as she glanced at the royal sisters and the glint in the eldest’s eyes. “I know that look, little sun. Do give dear Twilight time though, running a school is a far cry to running an entire nation.”
As the image moved about, the being’s smile dipped as she saw a unicorn stallion and a small pegasus filly being led away by guards, one being quite large and hairier than the others.
“Oh, Neighsay. So concerned with outside threats yet blinded to those that come from within. Pure intentions twisted by intolerance can lead to even greater misfortunes.” She looked on as the former chancellor, head down in shame, stopped and glanced back at the gathered races with sad eyes, yet there was a flicker of hope in them. “Here’s hoping this experience, as well as the words of the next generation, can open him up to newer, more cooperative ideals. As for his accomplice…”
In stark contrast, the filly had a look of pure contempt and defiance. Her hooves stomped the ground while a little sneer graced her young face.
“…How a filly acquired such a mindset and outlook on life, it saddens me that the young are capable of such acts, or I hope, corrupted into them.” Sadness flashed across her face. “All the best efforts to the one that can break open the shell she has around her.”
The scene began to fade, and the crystal ball returned to its previous state. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. Opening them, a small smile returned to her lips.
“Unfortunate it may be, I’m glad the best possible outcome has occurred. Many things remain unseen for the foreseeable future, but the foundation they have laid remains strong. Well done, my little ponies.” Turning, she made her way back to her desk. “Food for thought later, now, let’s see if can’t finish this dra-”
BOOM
The sudden, loud bang caused her to yelp and jump in shock. Glancing about, the soft tinking of something against glass caused her to look at the window above her desk. The once peaceful evening sky had been replaced with dark, furious clouds. Rain that once came down gently now began hitting with increased ferocity, all while thunder rumbled aggressively and lightning split the sky. The being looked in shock as she saw this happening in disbelief.
…As something like this was not possible here.
“…What in th-”
For the second time that day, something impossible happened. It started slowly, the ground beneath her hooves shook and the cabin began to shake with her. Items rattled while some were being knocked over. The intensity began to increase as she struggled to maintain her balance. As this happened, a brilliant white light shined behind her. The crystal ball shook as numerous lights flickered in rapid succession, the smoke within swirling around like a tempest.
The stand tipped over, taking the crystal with it. Using significant effort, the mare moved and reached out, barely catching the artifact. Hugging it close, she had to close her eyes as the light intensified to where even she couldn’t stand it. Onward, the shaking grew, the crashing of numerous items hitting the ground was soon overshadowed.
OOOOOOHHHHHHOOOOOOHHHHH
The clarion sound shook her to her very core, her ears pinning themselves against her skull, trying and failing to block it. The orb still shined even brighter, so much so that heat started to come from it and her arms started to sting through her sweater.
What’s happening?! This shouldn’t be possible!!! She dropped to her knees as the shaking and the noise was taking its toll on her. Something was happening beyond her control, and it was disorienting and debilitating! She clenched her teeth hard as she tried to withstand the onslaught.
…
…
…
…Until she noticed the noise and shaking had stopped.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. The entirety of her cabin was wrecked: items lay broken on the ground, books and papers were scattered about, smoke billowed from the now extinguished fireplace, and many other things. Glancing at the window, the once violent storm had not downgraded to light rain.
Cautiously, she stood back up on her hooves. Assessing the damage to her home, she looked down at the crystal ball, now completely clear with no trace of the smoke that usually swirled within it. Closing her eyes, the mare’s horn glowed the soft golden hue. Taking a breath, the glow enveloped the whole room before a bright flash followed. Slowly, items began rising off the ground, some repairing themselves in midair, and returning to where they were prior.
Soon enough, the room was back to its previous state. The crystal ball’s pedestal was the last to stand back up, pillow and all, to which she promptly and gently placed the artifact back to its place. Carefully rubbing it, she watched the smoke slowly reform in it as her mind tried to process whatever just happened. A maelstrom of thoughts raged in her as multiple questions came into existence. Her brow scrunched as she was deep in concentration.
That was no minor disturbance…something had forced itself into this realm. That shouldn’t be possible. Only one other has been able to breach the barrier and the worst that happened was the occasional cotton candy cloud and chocolate milk rain. No, no, this is something else. Something…foreign.
So lost was she in her on thoughts that she just barely registered the following sound.
THUD THUD THUD
Slowly, her head turns to the front door of the cabin.
And the presence behind it.
[~]
The piercing whistle of the teapot soon stopped as the flame went out. Placing her favorite tea bag into the pot, lazily stirring it, she placed the lid back into place. The alicorn mare had a neutral look upon her face as she placed the ceramic teapot on a tray she levitated a small sugar bowl on it as well, with tongs. Gripping the handles, she took a deep breath before releasing it. Reforming a small smile, she picked up the tray, turned and left her small kitchen and back into the main room.
“Forgive the wait, I had to find my favorite tea pack.” She spoke as she walked to the fireplace. The room was rearranged minorly so that two chairs were placed in front of the soft crackling of the fireplace with a table separating them. sitting in one of them, the mare placed the tray on the table and started pouring tea into two cups. “I don’t normally have unexpected guests, but I try to be accommodating nonetheless.”
She craned her neck up to address her visitor. Sitting across from her, barely fitting within the confines of the furniture, the…entity sat motionless. Upon welcoming them in, the being had to duck down and turn slightly to get through the doorway. Gauging them at standing 2ft taller than her, she could tell that it wasn’t their true height, merely a glamour to appear less hostile. A ragged brown cloak covered them from top to bottom, with only the bottom half of their face being seen. No, that wasn’t accurate, something else was noticeable.
The piercing, glowing white eyes staring at her.
The alicorn had to fight down the shudder that went up her spine when she first saw them. Their mere presence felt overwhelming, foreboding, and ancient in every sense. Questions abound, she erred on the side of caution, and sought to approach this friendly and carefully.
Lightly clearing her throat, she picked up the teapot and gently poured the soothing liquid into both cups. “I hope you don’t mind Lavender Mint; I find it helps calm the nerves and relax the body.” Setting the pot down, her hand hovered over the sugar bowl and glanced up. “Would like some sugar in your tea?”
The being, neutral expression still present, gave the briefest shake of his head and reached out. An equally large hand encompassed the small cup, brought it up and took the barest hint of a sip. A small but audible grunt was all she gained.
Well, at least I know he likes tea. She pondered. Placing two sugar cubes in her cup, she swirled the liquid with a small spoon before setting it down. Bringing her own cup up, she breathed in the calming scent before taking her own sip. Though she said it, her nerves were still standing on end, still not gleaning anything from her guest. Taking another sip, she placed her cup down and folded her hands over her lap.
“I must apologize, all these events have caused me to slip. I’ve yet to introduce myself.” She looked up at gave a warm, friendly smile.
“My name is Faust. And may I ask, what your name is?”
For a solid moment, the giant stared at her, or rather passed her. She could see the minute contemplations within those solid white orbs as he gathered thoughts. Drinking from the cup again, he lowered it from his lips and spoke.
“I have gone by many names, many titles. All of which will be unknown to you and your kind.” A deep, booming voice emerged from his throat. Every word and syllable saturated in power. “For now…you may call me Revelations.”
The shiver returned in force this time. The power in that voice, this was no random intruder. Not at all. She watched as he lowered his arm and showed the empty cup in his hand. A golden aura surrounded the teapot as it rose up and refilled it. Revelations watched the action with a calculating gaze, watching the movements as the pot was set back down and the aura vanished.
“Well…Revelations. I would take a guess that you were the cause of the spontaneous weather we just had?” Faust inquired, reaching for her cup again.
He responded with a slight nod.
“My apologies. Passing through the dimensional sea proved the easier of the two. Entering this universe brought forth expected, but unfortunate complications.”
“For good reasons.” She remarked. “Only very few entities can just casually enter another’s universe. And those that don’t, must first gain permission from the one in charge to be allowed entry. Lest they incur direct retribution.”
She crossed her arms under her chest, gaze firm and strict. “So, forgive me for being a tad miffed. But you tend to be when a completely unknown has breached the barrier, causes a heavy storm to appear out of nowhere, initiates a short but intense earthquake, all of which is being heralded by what is, by all accounts, an apocalyptic bellow. So, I must ask?”
Faust leaned forward a bit, delicately raising an eyebrow.
“Was it really too much to not just knock first?”
A pregnant pause passed between the two, the crackling fireplace the only sound present. Revelations looked down at the alicorn, face still locked in its monotone position but now, a small frown formed on his lips.
“…My apologies.” He spoke. “It has been…quite some time since I last performed preferred social interactions.”
She kept her stare for a few more moments before sighing and leaning back into her chair. Picking up her cup, she drank what was left before refilling it. Taking another large sip, she placed her cup back down.
“Well, you certainly know how to introduce yourself if nothing else.” She quietly replied. “Now then, I can assume you didn’t just break all manner of fundamental laws to just come to my little corner of creation to say hello. So, what brought about this little visit.”
Revelations stared at her with an intense gaze. Faust fought back the shudder this time, not wanting to lose her regained composure after the initial shock. The gaze softened and, very briefly, vulnerability took its place before vanishing under the neutral mask.
“I have need of a…boon to ask of you, Lady Faust.” He said, voice slightly lower this time.
The alicorn blinked, surprise and confusion on her face.
“I have perceived many different realms, from a multitude of different perspectives. Of the many that I have seen, I believe yours to be the most peaceful. Though hindered by malcontent and unknowns, they are far and few from the norm. The residents have even found ways to find…innocence and redemption in those others would condemn without hesitation.”
The giant placed his long empty teacup down on the tray, laced his fingers and placed them in his lap as he continued his explanation. “It is these reasons, and few others, that I have determined that your realm and its inhabitants, can grant the boon that I seek.”
Faust absorbed this information, combing every word in her mind. She could sense no falsehoods in his words, no hidden agenda weaved into them. Yet there was one question yet to answer.
“Why me?” She finally asked. “You speak of these things, concluded that my home and my little ponies to be perfect, out of the vastness of multiple other realms. And yet, I can’t help but ponder: Out of all the realms and beings to approach, why come to me?”
Revelations looked upon Faust, glowing eyes slightly turning downcast. Taking a deep breath, his head faintly turned right and looked downward. The alicorn followed his gaze and sight landed on it. When he first arrived, the being carried one thing with him: it resembled a large, steel suitcase with intricate designs. He kept it close to him and, for some reason, kept one side always hidden from her.
Reaching down, he grasped the handle and pulled it up. Placing it in his lap, his hands gently traced the edges of it. Though blinding, Faut could glean multiple emotions that were slipping through the: pain, loss, failure, …regret.
“I believe that, out of all beings…it is you alone, that will hear me out.”
Faust’s magic covered the tea tray and, in a poof of golden particles, disappeared. The soft clinking signaled the tray’s arrival on the kitchen counter. Revelations soon placed the suitcase on the table, its size easily covering it. With care, he placed it on its featureless side and turned it around, so it faced her. Intrigued, Faust leaned forward and looked.
A cold wind blew through the entire building, the temperature dropping significantly. Revelations watched as the alicorns mouth, which normally held a warm and caring half-smile, vanished. Carefully, he looked on as she raised a single, delicate hand and placed upon the case. With grace, a lone finger slowly traced the inlaid, golden image.
An image depicting a double-headed eagle, wings stretched out and talons raised and ready.
“I…see…” Faust spoke, any sense of warmth gone. The cold, raw feelings in those words caused even Revelations’ face to twitch in response of it. Pulling her hand back, she placed it in her lap as she looked up and straight at him. “A moment please.”
Closing her eyes, magic gathered around her horn. However, instead of the soft, gentle golden aura his seen so far, a dark, crimson aura enveloped it. The flame in the fireplace grew and crackled loudly, as if responding to her shift in character. The magical energy continued to build up, sparks came off her horn as red mist began escaping from underneath her closed eyes. Revelations shifted slightly in his chair, watching on at this function as he both understood and prepared himself for whatever the response would be.
Soon, a loud SNAP occurred as a pulse erupted from her horn, waves of energy flowed from it. Not long after, a second pulse followed along with it. Each one caused the flame to flicker and grow. Revelations braced himself in the chair as unimaginable levels of raw energy washed over him. Glancing toward the window, the once open sky darkened as a red hue covered everything. No different than when he arrived but this time, the world responded to their ruler’s will.
For untold minutes, this continued. Wave after wave from the white alicorn erupted from her. Soon though, the pulses began to occur slower, the strength of them waning slightly. It lasted for a minute before they finally ceased entirely. A moment later, the alicorn’s eyes finally opened. Revelations looked on as the white sclera was replaced by the same color as the wisps of magic that escaped them, and the once calming blue irises were changed to a piercing yellow.
Gone was the warm and welcoming Faust. Now sat the creator of this realm’s existence.
“Excuse my brief lapse into silence, I needed to check on a few things.” The glow from the roaring fireplace cast an orange hue on the two and, in one’s case, only added to the stark contrast to their former behavior. “I had to ensure that the barrier was not weakened and that any other UNINVITED guests had not entered as well. Particularly the ones that hail from your realm. I already deal with one enigma of chaos.”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she leaned forward, looking him dead in the eyes. “I HAVE ILL NEED OF FOUR MORE.”
So, this is the fury that hides behind the mask. He wasn’t intimidated, he expected such a response. Who wouldn’t be, they all knew the Damocles blade that appeared the second they realized who he was and where he hailed from. And yet, despite his efforts, his own eyes narrowed dangerously. The glow they gave off increased as he matched the glare.
“You need not concern yourself with that ILK.” The growl that escaped his throat carried the weight of every created beast in existence. “I made sure I dealt with them and their kind…PERMENATLY.”
“So, you say.” Her head tilted slightly. “But on a certain level, we both know that nothing is ever truly gone. Diminished. Repealed. Mayhaps even reborn. But never truly gone. A bit of advice: Keep your senses and perspectives fully open, lest you repeat past mistakes.”
The two powerful beings kept their focus on each other, the auras of their very presence clashed, neither one backing down. Finally, though reluctantly, it was Revalations who backed down, not wanting to strain tensions any further as his eyes dimmed back down. For her part, Faust glared for another second before closing her eyes and leaning back into her chair.
Taking a deep breath, she brought one hand up and touched her forehead. Upon releasing it, the hand lowered until it reached her chest, stopping with its breath. A calming technique she had; she repeated the motions a couple of times. The flames matched the calming method, receding back to their original state. Faust soon stopped and reopened her eyes, they and her previous demeanor, sans her smile, had returned.
“Putting aside my immediate feelings for the moment, tell me: what exactly is in this case?” she asked, her gaze drifting back down to the item.
Reaching out, Revelations placed a large hand upon the case, covering the image. Pressing down lightly, a distinctive Click came from the action. Faust flinched as pressurized air escaped the released seal. Drawing the hand back, the two watched as the top potion slowly split apart down the middle and split open. The two halves then rotated 180 degrees before connecting to the sides of the case. Defying its relative size, two trays rose up and moved above the upper halves while came up to take their place. When Faust looked at what was revealed, a sharp gasp escaped her lips.
Neatly aligned across the four trays were multiple-colored orbs, each one numbered with a roman numeral: I – XX, the last one being distinct, it having a secondary orb placed under the first (or was it the other way around?). It only took her a second to realize what these items were, the life signatures she gleaned notwithstanding. These were souls.
“It took less time to find them all, some had to be reforged from nothing. No, the true task came from undoing and healing what was done. Broken psyches, defiled spirits, haunting memories, and others. And I…pray I have done enough.”
Reaching back out, his hand went towards the one marked with XVI…but stopped, just hovering above it. Closing it into a fist, he pulled it back. Faust looked up, millenniums of sadness and regret radiated off his form. Releasing a deep and audible sigh, Revelations closed his eyes for but a moment before opening them.
“This…is the boon of which I ask of you, Lady Faust. A second chance to the ones…I had failed above all else.”
[~]
POP!
The loud pop was followed by the swishing of liquid as a red substance was poured into a glass. Faust watched as a good amount of it had filled the glass before stopping. Placing the magically held cork back onto the battle, the alicorn brought the glass up to her lips, tipped her head back and drank. The earthy but sweet taste of the 30yr old vintage of Prance wine was needed, tea wouldn’t cut it this time. After that surreal experience, she had fought the urge to down the whole body!
Taking the glass away, she let the last bit swim in her mouth for a moment before swallowing it. Closing her eyes, she sighed loudly as she savored both the taste and the moment of peace.
“Well now, don’t be such a stranger, Fausty~. Pour us all glass and lets really cut loose!”
“Must you constantly take everything as a chance for humor.”
And…the moments over. Opening her eyes, Faust turned on her hoof and left her kitchen, bottle and two more glasses trailing behind her in magic. Once more, returning to the living room, a difference was noticeable. The being known as Revelations was gone, in his place were two, more familiar presences.
Lounging around in mid-air, one mismatched leg crossed over another, a long serpentine creature with a bemused expression on their face waited with arms crossed behind their head.
Sitting in one of the chairs, in stark contrast to the care-free draconequus, sat a being with a small frown. The tall, slender unicorn’s coat was a pale lavender that transitioned into dark lavender near the wrists and hooves, a good contrast to the flowing white dress she wore. Their mane and tail, which had the appearance of leafy foliage with small white flowers sprinkled about, were a light purple with her mane done up in a loose ponytail. As she got closer, crystal blue eyes shifted from the floating spirit of chaos to her, filled with concern.
As soon as Revelations departed and his barrier brought down, Harmony appeared shortly after. Her usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced with a frantic and disheveled worry. She had sensed the pulses and dreaded the worst. It took Faust minutes to calm the spirit of harmony, and basically daughter, down and explain.
Discord responded in the same but more subtle way. While worried, he was more interested in what would have caused her to react in such a way that got Harmony to make such a spectacle of her leaving.
With a sudden poof, Discord disappeared and reappeared next to Harmony, wearing a full doctor’s uniform, holding a clipboard, and adjusting glasses on his face. “Oh, but my dear Harmony, as a wise doctor once said: ‘Laughter is the best medicine’.” He looked down at her with a mischievous glint. “And it was quite a laugh at your reaction.”
“I was worried about what was occurring to her.” She responded defensively.
Discord poofed again and appeared next to Faust, doctor getup and clipboard. “Oh yes, worried so much that the kiddies’ little hangout and the bookworm princess’s castle lit up like a tree on Hearth’s warming eve!” He chuckled. “I must say Harmony, I didn’t realize you were taking notes. If you wanted lessons having lessons on having fun, I’d be more than happy to give a few pointers.”
“Don’t even start with me, Discord! You-”
“Enough. Please. No fighting.” Faust finally spoke, wanting to diffuse this before it grew. Looking left, she eyed the Draconequss. “Discord?”
“Fine.” He sighed. Plucking the bottle out of the air, he stuck a talon in the cork and popped it off. Bringing it close, he gave a small whiff. “Hmm, breaking out the good stuff this time. Ooh, this will be interesting!”
Snapping his talons, one of the glasses appeared upside down over the bottle. The wine then poured upwards into the glass. Once filled, he snapped his talons again and the bottle, plus the other glass, appeared in front of Harmony. She glared at the spirit of chaos before taking the objects in her own crystal blue magic.
“So, I’ve told you heard everything that’s happened. Everything that transpired.” She explained. With her free hand, she gestured to the one thing that reminded her that the earlier visitation occurred: the very case that housed multiple, unique souls. “So, will you help me?”
Harmony sipped a little of her drink. “I don’t appreciate the circumstances nor imposing onto you this decision but…there are innocent souls that have been given the second chance of a new life, one free from the hardships of the old. Of course, I’ll help.”
“Ooh, I can hardly wait! The fun we will have!” Discord exclaimed, giddy with excitement.
Faust gave a small chuckle at his antics while Harmony rolled her eyes.
“Well then, time to see who’s ready to become parents."