"Log 58.
Now, division is magic.
We are required to turn to each other, leaving behind those who are different from us. It is the only way for us to survive. Since this creature was finally confined thousands of years ago, we have had to scatter the unity to prevent the war from continuing. Strange, indeed. That's why, we, the unicorns, ended up living in this underground city.
This is a secret voice note, no one knows this story, except me.
In the past, the friendship between differences produced a world full of good wonders. Every creature is truly connected to that magic. The magic lives together with them like an intimate relationship.
However, then this entity I mentioned above came and turned everything upside down. Magic then behaves aggressively towards friendship, or unity that involves differences. The origin of this thing is still unknown.
Magic is broken and no one can solve it.
An unknown leader, who lived 5000 years ago, ruler of a region whose population was all living creatures. The leader seems to be responsible for the foundations of harmony. Yes, in the past they adhered to harmony, because harmony is the basis of all magic.
The leader, along with her friends, tried to stop the curse of the entity. But they can't, because to produce even the strongest magic, they must have friendship. Compactness. And unity. But what else can they do? They also won't be strong enough to be divided, right?
But they had a way to lock this creature, by sacrificing themselves, causing them to lay down their lives and allowing their citizens to adapt to their new situation on their own.
As a result, if there are differences in species or types in a reunion, they will magically harm each other in it. And also, if a community of different species or kinds live together, everything they do will cause conflict. Because their emotions are closely related to magic itself. There was no one to rule the region, and there were no tools to support unity or friendship, they experienced long conflicts and wars for 5-10 years. There were so many casualties too, and it is said that it was one of the deadliest wars in history. So the best thing for all types of equines and other intelligent creatures to do is to separate each other based on their respective types and species. Including separation from those they love. They had to forcibly migrate to areas further outside the territories they had built over the centuries. Since that day, magic has returned to normal, good as usual, but the problem of harmony between types and species still cannot be solved. Because the law has been changed.
What a powerful figure who can change the laws of magic. The first law, the foundation of all magical teachings, harmony. Laws that were born shortly before this universe began.
5000 years later, today, all types of equine creatures and all sentient species have spread throughout the world, spreading from that region. Several other intelligent creatures still exist but unfortunately, some are already extinct. Equines, like us, appear to be the largest population in the world. And the world seems to be ours. Now almost every place has a completely state-of-the-art building,
And they are all built by us.
Heh, my hard work all night really didn't betray the results. Finally I can make my own conclusions.
Ah-!? Oh my, bhahah! It's already 2 in the morning. I have to go to bed for now, if I don't wanna get hit by my father again like last week... Um,
End of the log, 3rd of January, year 5038."
So that is Geode's routine in every middle of the night.
Geode removed the cassette from the recording device, turned it off unplugged it from the switch, and put that cassette in her drawer. She had a large study table in her bedroom, so she could place many of the artifacts she found. Geode then stored the artifacts she found in her secret room, aka, her cupboard. Until she considered that it only looked like an ordinary workspace.
Geode Luminary, a young mare who devotes her life to magic research and history. Her interest in why her current living conditions are still shrouded in mystery drives her determination to continue studying the artifacts she finds in an area that is kept untouched by everyone but her. Every free time, her father allowed her to go out of the house, and she took advantage of that opportunity to find out everything that was covered below the floor of the cave where she lived, where she stood.
When everything was finished, Geode immediately lay on her bed. Exhausted, in less than 5 minutes she was fast asleep. Something that will continue to repeat in her everyday life. Certainly every night, she had time to continue her research, which she kept secret from her father.
One more recording is saved, and she will record more.
______________________________________
"Somewhere in the above worlds, there was a country floating there between the white clouds. A region that voyages everywhere, immensely covering those below it with its shadow. Welcome, to the land of Megatha, The Immortal Cloud.
Here, you can find many breathtaking destinations, filled with wonders of its nature. You can also take a look at its cities, crowded with their golden buildings, beautifully and well made. The glimmering reflection of the sun on its surface will make your eyes pleased to gaze!"
Yeah, thank you, random... tourism advertiser displayed in some random electronic billboard in the edge of the city.
But with all that, Megatha is a wonderful, futuristic city, mainly impacting almost all the world's weather system.
Centered by their most standing of all headquarters, the International Weather Monitor and Regulator.
"Nice to meet you, Firm," the chief meteorologist opened his interview conversation. One by one, his footsteps hit the entrance of the room and echoed sharply against the marble floor.
"Nice to meet you too, sir." The sound of his horseshoes could be heard in every corner of the room, making the new meteorologist's tension increase. The interviewer tried to calm him down. He's nervous.
"Ah, take it easy, okay? Please, sit down,"
Taking a deep breath, Firm sat down in the chair provided. This time he felt more confident. Hearing the interviewer's voice, this time he heard it as pleasant, rather than his appearance looking more like a stern kind of boss.
"Yes sir."
"Now, you can start with your introduction and, a little about what motivates you to become a meteorologist."
He cleared his throat and put his academic portfolio which had been held between the flap of his wings on the table, "Good morning, thank you for having me. Firmament Clouds, and I hold a degree in Meteorology from Megatha University. Well uh, this has been my dream since I was little, I have been very fascinated by things related to weather. This was also driven by my desire to inherit from my father who once worked here too. Yeah... even though I have never had any work experience, I am fully passionate about starting my job."
Question after question was asked by the interviewer, and they were all answered. While the interview was taking place behind closed doors, his friend, who had experience of work, heard everything he said. He pressed his ear to the entrance of the interview room, hearing every word. And from the opaque window embedded in the door, peeked at the movements of his old friend.
Ignoring several other candidates who were sitting in the corridor waiting their turn, staring cynically at his behavior.
As soon as Firm got up from the interview chair, and walked back towards the entrance, her friend stepped aside from the door, making a way for him. He even flapped his wings until he was almost flying.
"So how, how is it? Did it go well?" His friend embraced him with his wings, excited, while Firm wasn't really that full of beans. More quiet.
"Nah, I don't know, man. Last-minute rehearsal at midnight doesn't really work that much I guess," He relieved his mind after moments of total control over his appearance and facial expression.
The two of them walked through the corridor towards the exit.
Just as they moved from the last step of the exit door, and began to step on the clouds, lightning suddenly struck in the sky, right above their heads.
It glinted in their mind again about something inauspicious, as usual on others. Until they have to blow a sigh, tilting their heads up. As flashes continue towards the front after the strike.
"After that project fails,"
"Yeah, kinda dumb. Taking the jobs of the flyers," Firm continued, "Oh, yes, Ferv, you said you wanted to show me to the central monitoring area, then uh, why are we walking to the cafe?"
"You might want to look around this place while drinking some coffee," Fervour replied casually, "which one do you want, don't worry, it's on me,"
"Whatever, cappuccino's fine,"
One mouthful after another, they conversed in a large room, equipped with a large screen encircling the entire wall of the circular room, and filled with tables with many advanced computers and controllers. It looked like a lot of equines were working inside, but it was also pretty quiet.
"Well, technically we are confused right now, lots of strange things are happening in the sky. The flyers are also having trouble. This, too, is affecting our farming system, and... The farming system under the clouds where we stand, on the surface of the earth, for the earth equines. Felt sorry for that. Sometimes it's really hot, then suddenly it rains heavily..." Fervour explained.
There they sat in front of Fervour's desk. A photo of their friendship since childhood was displayed on a wooden sitting frame, next to a small nameplate. Which read his name in gold ink, Fervour Emitter. They've been good friends since little.
"That massive project... now it stopped developing. The workers are just, leaving it like nothing happens. The IWMR is also having trouble communicating with the ClimaTech Inc. I don't know why they're just, unresponsive.."
"Then they are hiding something. When the news came in, suspicions came to mind in all people. All people in the country. That, they denied it with words that they had actually 'prepared' in the beginning to calm the public... It seems that this is not an actual failed plan, they planned this,"
In the middle of their chattering, they overheard the orders given by several conductors via voice telephone. Currently managing the Cloud Sweepers, who were assigned to fly and "sweep" the clouds above the city.
"Status of strike probability 0.07%, safe to fly," said one conductor, concentrating on setting up the monitoring screen.
They ensured that the flyers were responsive and ready in their respective positions.
Firm and Fervour's voices became silent, now focusing on watching the entire mission.
The flyers all took off, recorded live and were visible on one part of the big screen. Their wings spread out and their hoofs slipped out of the runaway. The Cloud Sweepers scattered, removing the clouds in the sky.
Everything is perfect.
Until a blast of an emergency alarm pierced the silence.
"MAYDAY, MAYDAY- MAYDAY!" A flyer shouted at the microphone, and unfortunately, his current position was outside the territory of Megatha. He will fall to the surface of the earth if he is not rescued immediately. "IWMR, Flyer 09, FREE-FALLE-ed d-due to W-WING DAMAGE-" His flight altitude dropped drastically.
"Flyer 09, roger, spread your wings as wide as you can. Prepare for help from three flyers."
"Wilc-" The sound that came out was interrupted by the strong wind.
"Flyer 16, 19 and 25, immediately follow up with Flyer 09, heading southwest, I repeat, Flyer 16, 19 and 25, immediately follow up with Flyer 09,"
"Flyer 04, 13 and 17, immediately assume a position for backup rescuers,"
"Flyer 19, descend and maintain an altitude of 10,000 feet until further orders,"
Many orders were directly conveyed. Quickly said word for word.
"Flyer 16, was Flyer 09 visible to you?"
Alert and spry. Trained well for every situation.
"Flyer 09, Affirmative,"
"Flyer 16, increase speed and maintain 200 knots or more. Position yourself 1100 feet below Flyer 09 for the next 30 seconds,"
Only a few seconds later, the three flyers were ready in their respective positions. Flyer 19 and 25 extended their front legs, preparing to catch. Meanwhile, Flyer 16 was far below the two of them, flying around in place quickly, as an "artificial fan" to maintain balance, so that the two flyers did not fall too.
"Flyer 19, in position,"
"Flyer 25, in position,"
"Perform the action in 10, 9, 8, 7..."
The duration must match the time of the injured flyer's fall, up to the time of arrest.
"...4, 3, 2, 1,"
And after that, silence fell over the entire monitoring room. No response from all the flyers involved, until Flyer 09 said;
"Everything is safe,"
His voice sounded weak, but even the slightest sound still indicated that everything was fine.
Reliefs filled the air. Some were clapping their hooves, conveyed words of appreciation and thanked each other.
"Flyer 25, all under control, thank you for your service."
"Dang, lucky he got some near for help," Firm sighed.
"Hitting The Barrier would be fatal," continued Fervour.
______________________________________
Another exhausting day.
The small door creaked, followed by the crisp of horseshoes touching the wooden floor. His rental room was filled with shambles of random stuff, filled his thoughts that nothing's actually... new.
Particles of dust floating within those blue moonbeams, all spotlighting the red sofa he used to sit on.
Turned on his small TV, checking if there's another something interesting. Planning to stay up until midnight.
Ah, another soap opera. Nice.
The only sources of light were only from the TV, and also the moonlight, glaring through the small window. Not bright enough to fill the entire room.
Leftover pizzas by his side, panda eyes, and a picture of his long gone parents. He slammed himself down onto his old sofa.
Blatherings, and some background music. He groaned hushfully. Somehow he didn't know what else to do in life. Boredom weighed heavier than his old golden memories, since his true happy days were only to be remembered in his childhood, and then he let the rest pass by like it was nothing.
He lost his smile since the day he graduated high school and had to live alone.
A replay of his monotonous journey in his head made the vibe turn gray. He didn't even pay attention to the opera's plot.
The show then stopped abruptly, leaving the screen pitch black. Confounded, he tried to turn it on. Pressing the power button on the remote multiple times, then the power button on the TV, and even banging the TV, he did everything.
Until he seethed. It's already an old TV, anyway. What could he do.
Just before he even turned his head away, the screen glowed up again.
It was only solid blue. Showed nothing but solid, electric blue.
Along with a blare of a distress signal.
His phone also beeped loudly, and an emergency notification showed up.
His tired eyes widened. His slow heartbeat became rapid. Slowly approaching back.
A female announcer spoke;
"Attention to the emergency broadcast. This is not a test nor a drill. I repeat, this is not a test nor a drill. Please stand by for important information."
Her unnatural voice, crawled through the stale air, crept through his heart and tying it up. Lifting up an eerie sensation. His joints wavered. It is so smooth and tranquil that it brings terror to him.
The texts with its pixelated font showed up, deliberately made to give unpleasantness.
"A strange decrease of density in the foundation clouds has spread continuously in a short amount of time. Happening to start in these following regions: Otardo, Veantus, Hodrupel.
For citizens who are right now in the said regions, please take your flight immediately and protect your loved ones. Evacuation airships and hot air balloons will be available for children, mares, elderly and disabled citizens in each region.
For citizens outside the region, please evacuate as soon as possible and protect your loved ones. Take flight and find the nearest evacuation airships and hot air balloons immediately.
Take caution for buildings and other structures that may fall and cause damages.
Stay tuned for further information. I repeat, please evacuate immediately."
He galloped through the stairs, with only a small waist bag girdling his flank. With only two valuables stored securely inside; a phone and a wallet. He left his room scattered with his past college theses and documents. Dashed through the narrow corridor, throwing yelps to wake up others. Spreading more perturbance, his stomping pace was a sudden anguish in everyone's ears and a gasp in everyone's breath.
As he goes out, he realizes the ground starts to perish, leading him to a minor fall just in front of the rental building's front door. As the elevation of his position gets lower, The building starts to tilt downward, facing down to him. Its shadow covered him leisurely from the tip of his back hooves to his last strand of his mane. Running away will only cause the ground to dig more deeply.
One rule of evacuation; the cloud is lava. He flew away along with others from the building. Almost all didn't bring anything but themselves.
It's raining feathers. Pegasuses looked like dust in the sky, covering the full moon. The enormous roar of screams trembled every building.
He flew away. Going downwards would lead into perishment. "The Barrier" was created by the ancient creature after The Great War, to avoid them to blend in differences between kinds.
A dangerous kind of worldwide barrier. Going through it would cost lives. No way for an adventurous guy or a curious one to wander the world below.
But wait, something pulls his attention.
A colt, constantly descending. It seemed that he had his intention to do that, visualized clearly by his brave emotion. Whatever he wanted to do, Firm wouldn't let that happen. So he managed to chase and catch him before it was too late.
He zoomed the fullest speed he could have towards the falling boy. His hooves spontaneously seized around the colt's body, so fast that he almost slipped off.
And due to chaos below, it's like a bunch of storms creating a thick layer, swirling like hurricanes being put next to each other. Lightnings are like fingers trying to grip anything that's going to fall through it. One flashes after a building's collapse, its streaks slathered all over the whirlwinds. It bursts upwards, some are enormously tall that it almost hits them two. He's having a hard time putting him back in a higher place, somehow because the barrier sucked everything up whenever they are near like it has its own gravity, as if black holes. It's hell down there.
"What?! I was about to catch up with her, let me- go!" the boy's trying to get out of Firm's grasp. He even bit his forearm.
"Too dangerous, kid, come with me,"
"Who are you?! Let me do what I wanna do,"
"No! I assume you want to save someone else, right? Well it's better for the grown-ups to do that, we have no time-"
"NO, OF COURSE I KNOW NO ONE'S GONNA EVEN SURVIVE THE DAMN BARRIER! I'M NOT SAVING ANYONE HERE! JUST-" He pushed Firm's shoulder, to give himself some space to open his wings, "Look. Look at this, do you even realize from the start that I can't fly? Maybe some random imaginational kid like me would think of themselves as a superhero or, uhh stuff, and you think I'm one of them? Oh you BET!"
He looks mad.
is "imaginational" a word, though? idk.
Turns out the colt's wings are part deformed at birth, part damaged. "... Okay, so, what were you planning to do down there?"
He won't answer. He's still, with his whole power, trying to get off him and fall.
He turned his head to see if he still could catch up with the falling building he seemed to follow, and he missed the boat. A powerful, burning blast appeared just below them two, rising up into a pillar of light in a blink of an eye. Fortunately, his awareness moved him and the colt aside, making this as their near-death experience.
Soon as the flash went off, the colt couldn't hold back his tears anymore. Frustrating, mourning so much over this. However, his strength isn't even comparable to Firm's. There is no way he could escape.
"... Hey," He tried to calm him down, yet he still had no idea what was happening.
"How... DARE YOU!" He kicked him, punched him, it hurts physically but still, it's nothing more than Firm's forcible clutch. "YOU TOOK MY OPPORTUNITY, MY PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT GIFT!"
... Well, guess that would be an everlasting impact on him.
He doesn't have any words to reply to him. A silent gesture he gave that he loosened his strong hold, and furrowed his eyebrows.
"We have so little time-" He sobs, and stopped to think for a while.
"... We?"
"... I mean-" He suppressed his emotions, "There's a thing down there, and I have to get that-"
"What's a thing more precious than your life?"
"A piece of gemstone that would protect me from everything bad, even believed one of them is... death."
It quietened Firm once more.
He still has that crying boy between his arms. He had nothing he can do besides comforting him by caressing his back, that is covered with his broken wings.
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah no."
"Okay, what do you want, I am very sure there is a way for me to help you,"
He came to the airship with the boy, considered as a part of the last people they can accept, since airships and hot air balloons available wouldn't hold the whole population. The rest are, well, good luck flapping your wings non-stop for hours.
Finally reaching the airship entrance, its enormous door leaf opened downwards forming a wide landing platform for citizens. Exhausted, they weakly walked inside as the door enclosure warning was being declared.
He can barely pass through the crowds just for him to get closer to the window. The barrier shines repeatedly, each indicating a falling object. Buildings crash and smoke from fires billowing high. His pupils dilate.
He can't believe all of this happened all of a sudden.
Well, that's it for today. At least this is something new, right?
Oh, Megatha, the immortal cloud.
He went to the very corner of the entire flying ship, then fell asleep there. Along with others, at the bare floor. Due to the limited amount of resting places available.
Slowly drifting to sleep. Gathering some peace to cover up his restlessness. Until a crack spreads underneath people's hooves and ceilings start to crumble.
Wha-what the actual, heck?
A literal giant, shining orb shone outside. He had no idea what that is but, the thing is that he still has some power to get out and save himself.
So the moment the ship was torn in two, he took that precious chance to escape.
He flew away, leaving everything including the boy.
His path went straight, not going anywhere right or left. He flew as far as he could, doesn't matter if he reached the uninhabitable layer of the atmosphere, suffocating in the outer space. He left it all behind.
The orb emits strings of light, like branches of flashes trying to strike those who are near.
But Firm seemed to be the furthest, be in the safest zone. But he kept flying no matter what. He never really know why, maybe he tried to forget it all and thought he would find out all of this was a dream. He tried to get back to his ordinary, boring life, rather than being in this chaos.
The truth he would knew later on that it is, indeed, a dream. Well, some of it, to be precise. All of this brain-made scene playing in his sleeping head, still felt so real.
He flew so far, that he escaped from his dream, and eventually entering the halls of the Dream Realm. The realm of all dreams of all creatures in the world, where the halls are only accessible by the Dream Guardians, a type of unicorns that are classified in those who plays their part in being Magic Supervisors.
Everything fell silent, inside a space full of mixtures of abstract colors. Orbs of every individual's dream float everywhere. All bright, except one, being as transparent as a glass ball, because the owner of the dream escaped.
He was shocked by the lights surrounded him that he thought he was already dead. He flew in uncertain directions, orb to orb, avoiding them, and finding a way to get out from the realm. The realm has no edge, so doing that would only make him stuck forever, unless it's time to wake up. Another way is to get help from the Dream Guardians, which they were not present in the meantime in the area Firm was in.
He didn't see an active orb coming in front of him. Hitting it, he traversed into someone else's dream. No one knew two dreaming subjects inside one orb of a dream could possibly happen.
It's not someone he knew. It's not someone any citizen of Megatha knew. It's someone, who lives far away, deep down in the below world.
He stood on a green-colored ground, surrounded with large, triangle-ish shaped rocks on the corners, with some trees and semi-translucent colorful stones around, and a weird looking ... sky. Even the clouds looked like some sort of white swirly lollipops.
In the center, a purple mare sat down, simply watching the view. She had no wings, but a cone-shaped object on top of her head. At first, he saw her as a mythical creature told in little foals' tales, before she turned around, kept her eyes on Firm's wings and stared at them for seconds, she said; "This must be what pegasuses look like!"
"Excuse me, ma'am?" stammered the stallion, bending his right foreleg on his chest, as his defense system.
She trotted to him, her face full of curiosity. Firm, also, looked at her in awe yet confused, and scared if what they said is true; the danger between the interaction of different kinds. After making a complete circle observing Firm's appearance, she put her right prosthetic hoof on her left. Stuttered, she introduced herself "I-I'm, Geode. Geode Luminary."
He stepped a hoof further from her, he tilted his head while squinting his eyes, as she allow his turn for saying his name, "Firmament Clouds."
"It's ... nice, to meet you,"
"you're a ... ?"
"I've never seen a winged one like you before."
"Same," he fluffed his feathers, his muzzle pointing Geode's horn, "I haven't seen one like you ... too."
Little did they know, they will meet each other in their next dreams from now on. They are actually meeting someone real, not those randoms that popped up in their dreams out of their imagination. None of both appearances came from their imagination.
"You're ... unexpected."