In a world far from Equestria...

A world beyond the ley lines...

Where corruption rules over poverty, despair, and death...

A lonely bluebird flaps its wings...

... Desperate for the truth.

-Asura (Year: 1005)-

Cold.

The citizens had been evacuated and everything was still. Barren. I doubted this place could've known happiness before it learned to be so... empty. It used to be a sort-of pseudo-peace that swallowed everything in a vacuum of fear, and even after its destruction, that didn't change. How many times had I been here? That burnt doll under hoof looked back at me like I were the one out of place, the living among the dead. That is, if you'd consider me alive.

There were no signs of life among the rubble and concrete, crunching beneath my weight - my barding wasn't light, after all. The sun punctured the grey mist and cast shadows over a ruined cityscape I found familiar, but it didn't bother me. Nothing could after all this time since I'd begun my search a lifetime ago, and that mission helped to drown out the symphony of wailing metal and broken echoes.

I searched for the truth, and heard it. Sung by a bird high above me, seemingly ignorant of the urban graveyard it oversaw. Its blue form broke the monotony of the grey ceiling that hid the sky it was meant to fly. Its eyes bearing the truth that of which I had sought.

And now... It flies away.

I walked onwards, further nearing my objective, my mission, no, my goal. Amidst the smog of fires long gone was my destination; the place where I shall rest the key I was entrusted, the structure that loomed before me. Glass and gravel I trudged on crackled beneath me more as I entered the ruin of the central dome. Steel bars that once held the thick panels of glass in place lay scattered on the ground. Most of them were far larger than me. As I passed by the trashed cityscape of the former bourgeois, I began to recall everything I had done, everything that had happened in my life. Everything I had gone through. Sometimes, it doesn't really take a life threatening situation for your life to flash before your eyes.

CRACK!

My gaze instantly shot down to examine what I had stepped on to make such a sound. Bones... Or rather the ribcage of a deceased pony left to dry in the rubble. The bones had obviously grown brittle over time but at least the stench rotting flesh was gone. There was nothing left of this corpse. I'd wager that the brain within the skull had turned to dust... had it not been smashed open with a falling beam that is. Didn't even stand a chance. All I could do was wish it had been a quick death.

I suddenly chuckled at myself realizing how soft I had become. Maybe I should keep better tabs on myself. I don't want a weakness like that which I can't really cover.

I checked my HUD which, in my view, floated around my eyes like translucent green frames. It softly displayed my armor which was cast under an invisibility spell to only show my body beneath it. Of course, just because you don't see it doesn't mean I don't have any protection. The armor gave me complete protection from the outside and provided storage for everything I needed: weapons, supplies, and defence. But to anyone who saw me, all they'd see would be a white mare with blonde hair and brown eyes. The cutiemark though, now that's a different story. With my reputation around the continent of Asura, I wouldn't be surprised if this mark showered anypony in either terror or the idea of riches beyond their wildest comprehension. Well, I am hunted after all; being the one who threatens the world with the truth. One of which that I hold and the rest I hunt for... And one now sits within the ruins that I now seek.

Grandiose houses sat crumbled around me with once impressive gardens now turned to patches of weed and decay. Survival truly shows its nature here despite the artificial sun, now rendered inoperable. But beyond the ruins and the decayed... and the dead... lay the one I had sought for. Before me lay...

"...The ruins of Thoth." I whispered ever so softly as I gazed up at the tall structure. The stone pillars seemed more yellow than grey, quite a contrasting difference than the others. Come to think of it, aside from the museum which I had passed by earlier, this structure might have been the last one standing and the only structure that possessed this architectural design.

I slowly stepped forward, eyes locked in awe at the captivating site of a temple long forgotten then protected by the founding communities that united to form the city that now lays wasted in rubble. I guess I can say this has become forgotten again then lest the survivors of the attack knew about this temple's existence.

The sad truth was ponies who lived in cities just like this never get to enter four out of the nine domes that house the residents who have power. Y'see, the structure of the city goes like this. In every city are five domes which surround another three which surround the central dome. The rich and powerful get to live in the outer five domes, blessed with food, water, and artificial sun. Yes, artificial. After what the nation of Asura had done in order to further advance their... Science and magic... the sky had slowly begun to deteriorate until one day, it was all filled with nothing but grey clouds, leaving the whole of the Asuran continent engulfed in a permanently cold weather. Snow was still occasional but cold was something we go through everyday. And it's what everyone else who lives outside the domes, those who have nothing but their shadow for an asset, live with for the rest of their miserable lives. And if you want to live, you have to queue outside a ration distribution booth to claim your food. And if you're unlucky enough, maybe the RDC would run out and leave you hungry for that day.

Everyone had a place to call home though; little rooms in structures growing and reaching for the sky known as skyscrapers. These structures litter all over the city and become the barrier for these domes from the dangerous gusts that constantly thrash the outside. These cities are all different; some sporting taller skyscrapers while others have lower ones but a wider area. But among all these cities, they all share one common feature: they were all circular in shape and thus are called circ-cities.

I pushed the heavy temple doors open, loud creaks echoing out into the darkness. The darkness seemed to go on forever, deeper into the structure. With a jolt of my will, the torches built in to my helmet lit the dark corridor.

The sound of running water reached my ears as I went deeper. Then the light noise of... whispers? I had to suppress myself from asking if there was anyone there. Last time I did that, the outcome wasn't as pleasant. That thought stopped me from repeating such an idea again.

Hearing the voices grow louder as I seemed to near the source, I turned my lights off and switched my HUD to nightvision, giving my visible eyes a light green tint. I'll admit hating this mode though. If anyone suddenly came out with a torch, pray you didn't look at it long enough for you to permanently lose your vision. But no matter what, you'll be blind for a good while. But hey, for times like these when you need to keep hidden in the dark, you'd really prefer these over stumbling at something you didn't see.

"...atarh 'elyakam alkas, Thoth."

The strange language was unfamiliar to me. Never had I heard of such language spoken before but more of it came as I walked closer to the source of the whispers, a large chamber filled with something like hieroglyphs. Light poured into the corridor but it wasn't blinding... Yet. Before I proceeded any further, I turned my nightvision off.

In the center of the room was a large statue of some sort of figure and before the statue were several ponies, all on their knees, bowing before the figure. The statue stood about twenty hooves tall and bore the head of an ibis while the rest of its body was that of a pony, looking down on its faithful subjects. Light poured down from the ceiling through a hole, beaming straight down at the ibis-headed statue.

"...What is this?" I asked to myself silently. Whoever those ponies are, I didn't want their attention just yet.

A chirp echoed in the chamber as a bluebird flew in through the hole. Everypony looked up as if captivated to it, following it with their gaze while it circled above then finally landing on the ibis head. Its gaze came upon pony after pony then it looked up... Straight to me.

Everypony followed its gaze and found myself gazed upon by the ponies I've wanted to avoid then. Slowly, one of the ponies started to approach me, finally saying the first few words I understood from him.

"The bluebird has chosen."

A/N: A fic based off the idea of MLP:FiM by me, Alexandre LeClerk(houka-hearts-kinzoku). ((YOU DON'T SAY!)) The reason for this fic though is purely to pass time as I wait for hlissner, my story partner in Friendship is Adventure ( s/7413690/1/bFriendship_b_is_bAdventure_b), to update his own story. Sadly, it's taking him far longer due to work and stuff so... Here I am, working on my own in-universe story. Hope you enjoy it as I prolly will be updating this a bit more often than FIA.

Also, the usual, I don't own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or any other copyrighted material in this fic. This fic was done for entertainment purposes only and should not be paid for to view. If anyone asks you to pay for it, I'll personally slap them with a trout while I sleep.