The Journey REDUX (Private with annosrules)

[waaaaaaah]

"O-Okay, I'm ready," Star announced after checking and rechecking his calculations one final time, then maneuvered himself to the edge of the shed. He hadn't tried to use his special power this way in a long while; in fact, not since the first days. The unicorn inhaled and exhaled slowly, then began to concentrate on the description that he had been provided with, attempting to open a gateway. Nothing happened at first, though Star had been expecting that to happen. He circulated more of his mana, and after a minute of intense concentration, felt a small pull towards the space in front of him.

A slight smile tugged at Star's lips; he gradually began to increase his output. The mana building up started to fluctuate, so he gently moved it into the calculated patterns. A minute passed, and it began to settle into overlapping waves.

'The hard part is mostly over,' he thought. 'Time to began the final phase.'

Internally preparing himself, Star connected his mana pool to Match's mana well, and steadily increased the output.

@annosrules

[annosrules]

Match concentrates on regulating the flow of magic: tensing his effect over the metaphysical energies, and leaking off what he can't stop as elemental fire. Slowly, silent flames envelop Match's horn, and then his body. Match growing warmer and brighter, but he felt colder and darker. Visions of ice as black as the scorching wood beneath his hearth fill his mind. Heat and light billowing from Match in increasing measure as he stands frozen in the corner of the shack (Though not even the driest Tinder would lite from these flames).  The flames grew brighter, his teeth grit harder, and in an instance of brilliance; Match falls unconscious, Star feels the singeing flood of mana, and the pair vanish.
 

[waaaaaaah]

All the stars crowded Star's mind at once. Shining, burning cold, near and far, now and then, here and there. He wanted to scream, but he had no mouth. He wanted to think, but he had no brain. Stretching and compressing, big as the universe, tiny as an atom.

And then.

Just.

Darkness.



The feeling of grass on his muzzle, and the warm sun upon his face, gradually brought Star back towards awareness. His head was pounding, and his body felt heavy, like he had had to little sleep. Blinking his eyes open, he pulled himself into a sitting position, and took in his surroundings. A wide, green field dotted with trees here and there surrounded him as far as he could see, punctuated by smog rising in the distance. A light breeze swept over him, and he realized just where he was since the first time he had woken up.

"T-This isn't the shed," he muttered, stunned with the realization. "I-I'm not even sure if this is Equestria anymore."

@annosrules

[annosrules]

The charcoal form of the guard lay beneath a tree not far away from Star, motionless aside the faintest of breaths, and serving as a stark contrast to the lively grasslands around him. If he were awake, he'd have appreciated the dew coated grass, cooling is body and soothing it from the trauma he had just endured.

@waaaaaaah

[waaaaaaah]

Star slowly stood up, wincing at his sore limbs. He stretched until he felt slightly less sore, then wandered around, looking for Match. Within a minute of eye squinting and getting used to the light, he spotted the charcoal unicorn laying still beneath a distant tree. He trotted to the guard, hesitated, then began shaking him gently.

"M-Mistern Match," Star called out to the guard. "Y-You need to wake up, my portal b-blew up, and we're in this strange p-place, and I don't know what we're go to d-do!"

@annosrules

[annosrules]

Match rolls over onto his belly, his front hooves rubbing his temples in small circles. "Are you sure their was only one explosion," he winces his rhetorical question. Shaking his mind back into place before standing up.

"Are you sure you don't have any idea where me are? No memories of places you might have though of under stress to misalign the portal?"

[waaaaaaah]

"N-No way!" Star protested. "E-Even if that had been the case, there s-shouldn't have been enough power to take us all the way h-here."

He frowned. "W-Well anyways, I can open a new portal back home right away. It s-shouldn't take too much out of me, at least I think s-so."

The cyan unicorn concentrated, and started to glow for a short while, before he stopped, sweating shining off his brow.

"I-I don't believe it!" he ranted in shock. "I-It won't - it won't open! That's impossible! There's n-no way that I shouldn't be able to do it! Something is v-very wrong here!"

@annosrules

[annosrules]

Match lays a hoof on Star's shoulder, looking him in the eyes as he says, "Now is not the time to panic, that last portal was a real dozy, so we both probably need some time to recover."

Leaving with a confident nod and a smirk, Match takes a few paces away from star and gazes about the horizon to see if anything stood out.

"I've been a lot of places, but no place quite like this."

@waaaaaaah

[waaaaaaah]

"I-I suppose so," Star muttered, not at all confident that he'd be able to do it. Nevertheless, he nodded in assent to Match's declaration; they'd probably ended up halfway across Equestria, or something of the sort.

"Oi! What are you lot doin' here!" a voice called out to the pair. Star turned towards its direction, and a fair distance away a dark grey Earth pony wearing a blackened flat cap was running towards them.

"Blimey, how in Tartarus did you get here?" he demanded as he arrived, sizing up both guard and civilian. "There's guards and such at Lord Sunset's estate, and lots o'fancy teleport wards guarding it. Don't see how you could 'ave gotten past all that."

Star nervously hid behind Match. Right now he was feeling out of his depth, and preferred to let the guard handle the situation.

@annosrules

[annosrules]

Match fixes his posture to possess his trained front as part of Her Magesties Finest. he speaks through a toothy smile with relaxed and calm features, "While I do not know the exact means of our apperation, I can assure you that we mean you no harm. I am Match Stick of the Royal Guard, and this is Star Diver who I am escorting. Please inform us of where we are such that we may be on our way."

@waaaaaaah

[waaaaaaah]

"Where you are?" the earth pony echoed Match quizzically. "Are you touched in the head? This is Lord Sunset's estate! Mind you, 'tis somewhat grander than what you'll see among the other Nobles, so I can understand why you would be a mite confused."

The pony looked closer at the pair before continuing. "I ain't heard of the term 'RoyaIl Guard' before, nor seen that style o'armour, but maybe it could be part of those secret military projects I've heard about before. Is that how you got here?

"Y-Yes," Star immediately bobbed his head rapidly from behind Match. "I-It's very top secret stuff indeed."

@annosrules

[annosrules]

"Sorry, I think you misunderstand my question. What country, province, and county are we in," Match rephrases with a huff as his patience dwindles from the stress of recent events.

@waaaaaaah

[waaaaaaah]

The dark grey pony looked at Match in even more confusion. "What in Tartarus...? How do you not know that we dwell in the Equestrian Empire? 'Tis the grandest empire to grace our world!"

He continued, "I don't know what's goin' on, but apparently there's something wrong with' your memory, so good ol' Green Hoof will fill you in. Right now, we're in the glorious capital of the empire, called Pneuham. Lord Sunset's estate is in the Inner District, where all the rich and noble ponies live. Ring any o'your bells?"

@annosrules

[annosrules]

"My duties required the memorization of the lands of all nations known to Equestria and I have never heard of your empire," Match responds with ponder to the stranger pony. "And yet you know of Tartarus. Perhaps you can point us in that direction and we can find out way from there," he continues, thinking aloud to a request. "But in any case I should think it appropriate to meet with your ruler, this Lord Sunset, as we do represent a foreign power."

[waaaaaaah]

Green Hoof pawed the ground nervously. "Not jus' anypony can meet with Lord Sunset, not if you're part of the regular citizenry, not even if you're a foreign power," he said anxiously to Match. "'Sides, he's more likely t'lock you up than listen to what you have t'say. And then lock me up and do 'orrible stuff t'me in case I'm one o'those darn rebels. He's one o'the more notorious nobles, that one is. Why don't we just get you out o'here, eh?"

"W-What do you think we should do?" Star whispered to the guard. He just wanted to go home, but he didn't want to get locked up either. Maybe there was a chance that they could escape using his special power, but it might not work, or worse, it might work and leave them stranded somewhere else.

@annosrules

[annosrules]

"Well in that case we would prefer to avoid any ongoing hostilities then," Match states, his eyes dimming as his mind searches for better answers.

"You offer to guide us out, but where is it you intend to bring us exactly," Match questions Green Hoof to try and see how far he can trust the supposed rebel.