//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Daybreak // Story: The Pale Tower // by Accurate Balance //------------------------------// 　 X-4077: Her Oubliette of Eternal Night 　 Chapter 1: Daybreak 　 　Time Unspecified 　Location Unspecified, Worldline X-4077 With a crisp chime, the portal closed and disappeared behind Fuse, inciting a shiver down her spine. We are alone in a strange world now. The thought came out of nowhere, but once Fuse had had it, she couldn’t get rid of it. Damp and icy air drifted across her back as she inspected the sky above. Half of the dome was painted in a veil of violet darkness, while a dimly lit amber bled into the far end. [Everypony, do you copy me?] came Timelight’s voice through Fuse’s earphones, reminding her of a line from the portal chapter in the orientation booklet: To prevent unexpected trespassing of DoFC, the portal will remain closed to matters and information during normal operations with the exception of special wavelengths for communication. That gave her much relief. With the knowledge that an experienced mare was on the other side, overseeing their safety, the unknown land in front of her seemed less intimidating. Fuse turned her eyes to the town not far away. The town was surprisingly familiar, only fast asleep. The sun’s climb up was slow, made visible only with the motley collection of long shadows it cast onto the plains. “Loud and clear,” replied Crepusca into her earphone. “We arrived near an unidentified settlement. Now moving to enter.” It wasn’t long before the six arrived on the dusty streets, overgrown and blurred. Aside from hoofsteps, no sound was around. The entire town appeared gloomy. As the squad slowed down entering the vicinity, Speaker took her time to look around. Fuse found the diplomat/linguist pausing at the few signboards hanging from walls and roofs, all covered in a layer of dust. “The language in use mostly lines up with the Baseline Equestrian,” confirmed Speaker after a moment, with a courtesy cough, “and the building conforms to equine bodies as well.” Crepusca nodded at the observation, but decided to move on silently. A few more minutes were spent in silence before they came to a pause in front of a fountain. Judging by the looks of it, they probably reached the town’s centre. Speaker squeezed between Kick-ass and Prism to read from the brass plaque screwed into stone. “Aside from how they write a couple of letters and spell ‘by’, I can read the inscriptions perfectly fine,” she stated and turned around, raising her head to look over the thatched houses when, suddenly, something else seemed to catch her eyes. From what Fuse saw on the others’ faces, apparently everypony except Kick-ass noticed Speaker’s reaction. “Over there, what do you see?” Speaker asked as she lifted a hoof to point at somewhere above ground. Following her direction, Fuse turned to find a mountain stretching tall towards the heaven, enshrouded with clouds and mists. From behind the veil of vapour, a mountainside city showed its glory: castles and spires, lavender and golden, adorned by the sunlight and shadows into a pointless artwork. She couldn’t help but spurt out, “I see Canterlot!” “Yes, Canterlot, or at least what we know as Canterlot,” Speaker confirmed, then gestured at the town surrounding them. “Combining that with the architectural style here, we can place ourselves at…” “Ponyville,” continued Crepusca, spreading her wings to take over. “There’s something obviously wrong in this version of Ponyville, though. Could you tell me what it is, Fuse?” Fuse snapped her head to Crepusca and found herself eye-to-eye with the captain’s violet eyes. Something? I’d say there’s nothing right here… [Crepusca, I don’t think now’s a good time for orientation quizzes,] urged Timelight. [Please just tell us if you notice something anomalous.] Crepusca, still staring into Fuse’s eyes, was starting to unnerve her. “I don’t think we’re at immediate risks, so I’d like her to take a guess.” Fuse averted her burning gaze, choosing to look around instead. With the day just beginning, everything was pale in colour in this still drowsy town. Even straining her ear, she couldn’t hear a thing beyond the ponies around her. A quiet and calm daybreak, just like what she remembered of her Ponyville. In autumn days, the brother and sisters would pull a cart full of freshly-picked apples to the marketplace just in time for the waking daylight and fill the neighbourhood with the sweet taste of harvest. In the springs, she would run and frolic with her family, early in the morning, their laughter rousing townsponies, who would then yell at the Apples. Beautiful mornings, just like this one… But something was missing. What could that be? Fuse felt her eye widen as realisation struck. She turned to Crepusca. “I get it. There’s no pony here.” Her answer was in a murmur. “No what now?” Kick-ass drew closer, a disbelieving frown on her face. “When the cap asks you a question, you’ve gotta answer loud and clear, got it, gal?” “Fine, I said” — Fuse raised both her head and voice — " that we haven’t seen a soul here. It’s strange enough, not having farmers roaming the market, but no weather ponies doing the morning shift? Not even one of them early risers? Something must be very wrong for Ponyville to be like this.” Kick-ass got off Fuse, rubbing her chin with one wing. “Now that you mentioned it…” “It’s exactly what I had in mind.” Crepusca nodded her approval. “Good catch, Fuse. As early as the day is, an empty town is definitely an anomaly.” She turned around to point her hoof at the surroundings. “Do we notice how most buildings are out of maintenance and how the roads are more like a meadow? This town isn’t just quiet. It’s silent.” Speaker immediately followed through. “Which means this town is long deserted.” At that, she fell into a speechless contemplation. That doesn’t sound right… Fuse frowned. “That doesn’t sound right,” said Prism, lighting her horn just in case. “How many deserted Ponyvilles have we encountered so far?” [This is the first one,] supplied Timelight, also sounding confused. [Most worldlines see their anchor events involving Ponyville. Chronological studies show high relevance in anchor events and stability across the history grid, so Ponyville is rarely left empty.] “Not to mention earth ponies aren’t known to give up their homeland easily.” Speaker began pacing in a circle on the gravelled street, a solemn look on her face. “It takes a major, life-changing scenario to depopulate a settlement as important as Ponyville. Would that be a technological breakthrough, or a natural disaster?” Kick-ass, though, didn’t seem to be worried. She took off into mid-air, scanning around without a care. “Not too fast, I’d say. It still could just be the locals are lazy, right?” She drew a deep breath and held her head up. “Wait —” tried Speaker but she was too late. “HELLO! ANYPONY HOME?” Doctor scowled and covered her ears, sighing. The shout threatened to pierce Fuse’s eardrum, prompting her to cover her own, too. Crepusca put a silencing bubble around the wayward pegasus and pulled her down by the tail. “Cut it, Kick-ass. I’m having a bad feeling about this worldline, so I don’t want any of us to draw unwanted attention.” She then addressed the console mare. “Timelight, please report a caution for risk assessment and request further computation from the Dots. We need to learn when X-Forty-Seventy-seven first deviated from Baseline History.” [Roger that.] After a moment, Timelight added, [Result coming out in ten to twenty minutes. The Dots advises you to stay alert and collect more intel at your discretion.] Everything seemed to have become darker since Speaker’s reasoning. Crepusca kept her horn as a flashlight. Looking at the fountain they’re staying by, Fuse suddenly realised that it was empty of water. If she felt any comfort from recognising her hometown, it was long gone, now that Timelight and Speaker painted an unnerving picture of what might have happened. She pulled on the controller on her flight engine, coaxing an audible humming of mana out of it as her hooves left the ground. Only when flying under her own power, could she find some confidence to brave the alien world. “Seeing as we’re not in immediate danger, I propose a split-up,” ordered Crepusca. “We’ll investigate nearby homes in trios, centred on the fountain. Kick-ass and Speaker, you’re on my team; we sweep away from where we came. Doctor, I’m putting you in charge of the two Rainbows and sweep towards the portal site. Timelight, keep our teams communicated.” “Got it.” Doctor nodded, pulled out a pack of facial masks from her bag, and distributed it among the squad. “It doesn’t seem likely, but I can’t rule out a plague yet. If that was what wiped this town off, we’ll need to be prepared against the residue pathogen.” She turned around to look at Prism and Fuse. “Ladies, follow me.” Fuse took her mask and fumbled to put it on. When she was finished, she saw Doctor and Prism waiting for her down the street. Swallowing hard, she breathed in and turned up the propeller. With doctor taking the lead and two rainbow-maned mares tagging her, the three travelled west down two blocks. Every window within sight was closed and shut. “Since we’re operating with caution, it’s best if we don’t make a scene,” explained Doctor just as Fuse was about to ask. “Therefore, we want to enter via an opening. If we come across an opened window above, though, I’ll need your help going up.” “Thanks for the info, Doctor,” Fuse decided to reply with respect. She had been introduced to Doctor Loo first by Prism and learnt how she was both gentle and assertive, not unlike the Fluttershy she knew. I should probably switch my wings off if we want to sneak around. She landed after a few seconds and took a quick glance around. When she knew where to look, it was now obvious to see it; every wall of every house was deteriorated beyond simple negligence could achieve. Even without the dust that blinded the interior, the weeds occupying flowerbeds were screaming “No ponies here.” “Seems it’s been a while since anypony lived in the neighbourhood…” Prism’s voice oozed with tension. She slowed down in her pace and called out to her partners, “Girls, gimme a minute. I’ll put an anti-noise spell on our hooves.” The two pegasi complied and, pretty soon, Fuse could feel a tick from under her hooves. It was a tingle, ice-cold and warm at the same time. The closest analogy would be how her wings felt when she drove Tempulari through her engine. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as a chill ran down her spine. The feeling was getting offsetting, kind of like dipping her hooves into boiling water, just without the burn. Then the feeling was gone, leaving a weirdly vague impression. Fuse lifted a forehoof to look at it. A layer of magenta enchantment encased it from frog to fetlock. She took a tentative hop and found that, indeed, the magic responded like four rubbery boots, absorbing any sound that should come out. “Awesome,” she exclaimed with a hushed voice. “Where did you learn this neat trick, Prism?” “At Celestia’s School, duh.” Prism gave her a compassionate look as if she had asked what the princess’ name was. Fuse facehooved. Of course… Hey, my face feels funny with the spell on… Distracted, she rubbed her hoof against her cheek, trying to get used to her dampened tactility. As the three got back to their search for an entrance, Doctor spoke up. “Can I ask you a personal question, Fuse?” she asked. “What is it?” “What’s my counterpart like in your worldline?” asked Doctor quietly, looking side-to-side. They’d reached the margin of the town, but there hadn’t been a window they could slip through, so they turned back and headed into a narrow alley in the hope for a change. Fuse looked up into the murky depth of clouds, recalling the Scootaloo she knew. “Scoots,” — she smiled fondly — “she’s a daredevil, kind of like me — not just how we do things, though. She lost her parents to the southern jungles and my parents decided to lose me; she’s got PFD and I have dysplasia. Together we make quite the team, so she just stuck around when I was in town. Actually, she’s been a tester in many of my test flights. “She’s definitely younger than me, just past twelve before I joined the Pea-Tea.” Fuse paused her story to focus on a window overhead. It was opened. “Hey, guys, I think I found an entrance.” Once she had Prism’s and Doctor’s attention, she pointed up. “Looks like an attic. Should I fly up?” “We’ll go up together.” Doctor shook her head, turning to the unicorn beside her. “Prism?” Prism nodded knowingly, her horn radiating magic. “Time for our superhero landing.” She used her magic to envelop herself and Doctor, grinned toothily at Fuse, and lifted off the mouldy floor. “More like a superhero take-off,” commented Fuse as she tilted her wings to go straight up. Prism pushed her way in, levitating Doctor outside. She pointed her horn to one side, then to the other. Once she found no imminent threat in the attic, she pulled Doctor in and helped her on the floor with care, her horn still at ready. Fuse came in and landed. Her propeller brought up a twirl in the stale air, raising puffs of dust and shaking the chandelier above. The candles were long dried and decayed, so they gave no resistance as the wind broke them free, splashing into fragments on the floor. As Prism and Doctor walked around gingerly, Fuse found herself drawn to some stacks of bundled newspapers and magazines in a corner. Behind the stacks were a couple of crates, presumably for stashing bits and pieces away, before they had been filled up. They’re even dustier than the outside… Does that mean it’s abandoned before the town? Trying to think in Speaker and Crepusca’s mindset, she walked up to the nook, suddenly very thankful for Prism’s spell shielding off dust. She picked up a stack to skim through their titles. The aged pages shuffled and cracked with every move, picking on the three ponies’ nerves. Let’s see… August, 993. January, 994. Whoever collected these must be a hobbyist. It should take a decade to pile up this much. — Huh, Manehattan Technologies, one of my all-time favourites. Good taste. After a quick trip through the near history of publication, she came to the conclusion: “All magazines and newspapers ended near late spring of One-thousand.” “Same for these stamps I found,” agreed Prism as she sniffed audibly. “Is it me, or is there a foul smell in here?” Doctor snapped to attention and inhaled. “Wait… You’re right, Prism, and I know that smell. Brace yourself, please. It’s a stiff.” As soon as Fuse realised what she meant, freezing fear clawed at her chest. “You mean, a body…” Her throat felt dry. “Are y- are ya sure, Doctor?” She couldn’t help staring into the shaded recess of the attic. Somehow, it felt like the darkness was staring back at her. “Not necessarily a pony. Plus, the smell wasn’t strong at all,” Doctor comforted her with a soothing voice. “Trust me, our noses are built to be scared by the smell of death, so it’s more likely to be a tiny creature. Don’t fret yourself; let’s just stay on our hooves.” She paced to the trapdoor at the centre of the floor and tried it. “It won’t budge. Probably locked from the other side. Prism, will you?” Prism walked up to examine it with magic. “Feels like a latch. Easy game.” She closed her eyes and concentrated, before a clang came. “There we go.” She held onto the handle. “Ready?” Fuse felt her heart rate go up. The throbbing of the artery in her neck was almost suffocating. She locked her eyes on the trapdoor, whose white paint was barely visible with all the dust, prepared herself for what disastrous sight might be waiting for them below, and took a deep breath in case the smell became stronger. Prism flipped the door open. Doctor took a glimpse down, her ears flat. No words came from the two in the first second, so Fuse didn’t dare breathe. But as the second prolonged into a minute, she finally had to give up and breathe in — Some stuffy, mouldy air. Fuse blinked. “Gotcha.” Prism chuckled. “There’s nothing down there. The smell’s totally drowned out, even. Not much of an improvement, if you ask me.” She lowered her horn below and inspected the floor. “Still, nothing down there.” Doctor cracked a smile at her marefriend’s idiosyncrasy. “It’s settled then. Probably a dead mouse.” She let go of a held breath. “Think we should go downstairs?” “How about maybe… No?” That came out hoarse. Wait, when did her sweat drench the straps on Falcon MkVI? “I second that. It’s more prudent.” Doctor took a moment to level out her own breath before continuing, “Time for the question: What does the sudden end of all collection mean?” “The date says everything we need.” Prism looked at Fuse, expectation in her heterochromatic eyes. “You should know that date more than Loo, isn’t that right, Fuse?” It was difficult to nod, but Fuse did have a pretty good guess. “I see what you’re getting at…” Her ears drooping, the mechanist bit her lip and played with her chest straps, not really wanting to say the words. Timelight said it for her: [Report from Dots: First known deviation is dated to June, One-thousand, error margin one month. This worldline has been documented as XU-Eight-Thirty-seven, and it’s highly possible that —] She paused mid-sentence. Prism and Doctor paused as well. Fuse had to restart her engine, so that she could find some strength in its idle noise. After an unsettling period of silence, Timelight continued: [Team Doctor, please head back to where you split up and meet Team Crepusca there. They’ve found a local.] Fuse finally could breathe again, so she panted hard. She exchanged a look with Prism and Doctor. The three shared a nod. Fuse took off and blitzed through the window. Prism picked Doctor up and floated her out, before backing off of the window, staring down the shadows. They quickly dropped down into the alley and hurried in the direction they had come from. Time was vital, so Fuse didn’t want to tag behind. Instead, she upshifted herself and soared forwards, with Prism and Doctor running aside. Back in the attic, a strong shaft of wind carried some scattered news and dust around, before slowly settling down.