The Crossing

The After Life

A/N

The last chapter has been adjusted to this, I suggest you go read that. It'll have a large effect on the rest of the book.

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     Twilight woke up to droplets of water falling onto her face. She was in a cavern and there was a brown cloak draped around her. It was much like the one she wore in the Hearths Warming Eve play back in Canterlot. To the right was a warm fire Twilight looked up to see salag-tites dripping water with a few bats hanging here and there. Around her were salag-mites circling her.

    She jumped up on all four hooves after seeing this, her horn ready to fire. "You're not a prisoner." A mare's voice quickly cried out of the shadows in a hushed tone. "Before you ask, I put you there so none of the creatures things here as you slept. The salag-mites and salag-tites are too close together for anything to get to you. Oh and don't yell. These bats can.... complain." She raced to get that out as quickly as she could, given what had happened in her past. Twilight took everything this pony had said to her in a surprising stride. She allowed her magic to wind down and, for lack of a better term, turned her magic 'off'.

     "I'll teleport you out." The mystery mare said.

    Twilight tried to say that the was no need but she was out in a spring green flash. "Who are you?" Twilight asked in a quiet voice. She just couldn't resist the question.

    The mare chuckled, "All in good time child." She sighed heavily. "As for now, the only thing you need to know is that you are dead. No mistake, and no I'm not crazy. I'm clever." the mare spoke as if she had rehearsed it. "I only ask for two things.

    "What?"

    "For your trust and not to scream or yell if you ever see me." She answered.

    Twilight hesitated before answering. "I can't trust you if I don't know you, but I can promise the second thing."

    "You're a very bright unicorn aren't you?" She said.

    "Unic..." Twilight stopped herself, but did glance to where her wings would be, but hidden by the cloak. She didn't know this mare and it might be better if the mare didn't know she was an alicorn. "Why thank you, but I wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for my friends," Twilight said quickly.

    "It's great that you had friends to help you. Here though, friendships are broken and destroyed. 'Friends' will just tear your heart out and hurt you." Her voice raised a bit as it grew hard and cold.

    Twilight noticed the bats were beginning to stir. "Calm down, the bats." Twilight said as loudly as she dared, before lifting the hood over her head.

The mare silenced herself. She exited the shadows her hood was blood splattered and covering her face. Giving a stern huff turned around and teleported where Twilight had found herself earlier, before asking, "Do you know the enhanced heating spell?"

"Yes," Twilight said hesitantly. It was more or less a laser. She had used when she had to defend herself from things like the hydra, the tatzlwurm, and Tirek. Unless you were given the princesses permission, you weren't permitted to learn it, much less use it.

    "You're taking the first shift. Use your laser on anything that comes in through the mouth of the cavern. Especially, if they're a pony." Her voice cut like a burning blade into Twilight's soul.

    Twilight had questions to ask, things to learn and ponies to find. That, however, could wait till morning. First, she had to earn the trust of this mare.

    Eleven hours had passed. When the mare woke up. Twilight stood still alert and in the same spot with watchful eyes. "Don't have to watch anymore." Twilight's gaze loosened and her body relaxed as she turned to the mare. The mare, with an uneasy voice, spoke to Twilight saying, "You can sleep now."

    "I'm fine." She replied. "Besides I would really like some answers." There was a rather long pause before she firmly said, "Now."

    The mare still had her hood on when she huffed, then nodded. "Fine, but I will not answer specific questions, no matter the phrasing. When you ask me these questions, I will only respond with a diagonal motion of the head." Twilight nodded, but before she could ask her first question the mare interrupted, "Oh and you may call me Seal, not my real name, an alias. Begin your questions miss....."

    "Um...." Twilight pondered to find an alias for herself. T.S.... Those were her initials, what could she make of them. "Whisper, it's not my real name but it'll do."

    Seal gave a snort, "You catch on quickly. Fair enough."

    Twilight nodded, "Seal, you told me to shoot anything that came in here including ponies. Why not me?"

    "Because you're a rookie, you'll need to learn about this place before you find your own way. Once you learn, you're out. No other reason." She paused, "Don't get too comfortable, you aren't staying long term."

    "I'm assuming you're not telling me everything. But I guess I shouldn't really expect you to tell me the truth to all my questions. Please don't blame me for trying."

    "An intelligent one you are. That's good." Seal said. "My turn, what was your occupation in life?"

    "Oh... um..." Twilight said hesitantly. "It's complicated."

    Seal, however, kept pushing, "How so?" Twilight just nodded her head diagonally. "Okay then, what's your favorite activity?"

    "Oh, reading and spending time with friends. How about you?"

    "Learning and surviving." Seal looked over her shoulder as if checking to see something. "Why  are being so friendly when you know I'm gonna throw you out?"

    "Because that sounds like something I would've done before I met my friends." Twilight said. "How long have you been here?"

    "Nineteen thousand seven hundred forty-three years and two hundred fifty-eight days."

    "Wait! That would mean you lived in Equestria when the princesses ascended to the throne. Maybe even in during the three tribal period!"

    "Yes, I did. Both actually." Seal shook her head as if shaking away a memory. "What about you Whisper, where did you live?"

    "In Ponyville actually."

    "Wait, so you lived in the same town as the elements of harmony and that new princess? That princess of friendship? I personally don't think that any of them could stay alive here for long. They are all petty and weak." Seal said coldly. "Especially that yellow one."

    Twilight lost the awed look she had been wearing since she learned that Seal might have known Celestia as a filly. Instead, there was a growing anger after Seal had begun to say that. Twilight had a hard time trying to restrain herself after the comment on Fluttershy. "I'm gonna go to sleep." she said coldly and sharply. Her voice was at a decently louder volume as she stood up.

    The bats had begun to stir. Seal, seeing this, stage whispered, "Whisper be quiet! I do not want to have another-"

    Twilight had cut her off though. "Look, I measured the normal sound waves my voice has at it's colder tone. Then I moved my mouth to have the sound waves bounce off of the walls at twenty-three and six-tenth degrees so they would reverberate off the walls in a descending eleven degrees. Creating the loudest voice possible without disturbing the bats.

     Twilight's harsh tone signaled to Seal that she wasn't to be trifled with. Seal stood there still, her emotions hidden by the hood of her cloak. So Twilight continued her rant in more hushed tones. "The elements of harmony would lean on each other as friends. The yellow one would comfort and heal. The pink one would lighten their loads. The orange one would provide logic. The white one would put in all she had to make this world seem better. The blue one would bring hope with her wild ego. The princess would do all she could to protect them and see them through." Twilight teleported into the 'room' before adding. "You take the second shift, please wake me up in two hours. I wouldn't enjoy our trade of questions and answers at this moment of time." With that Twilight settled down on the ground and fell fast asleep.