*Fade in from black to a lush Forest. Sounds of Timberwolves are heard. A team of Earth Ponies with shadowed eyes make their way down a path*
Doctor Cogs: August sixth. Today my colleagues will reach the site where an ancient civilization may have created a shrine to Murea. The most powerful creature to have ever existed, now believed to be extinct. Black Canvas is financing the expedition. When she learned of my work in the field of cloning, she agreed to fund my research. But only if I would try to create for her an advanced living replica of Murea. I had to agree. For all she wants is to control the most powerful force Equestria has ever known. I, of course want something more. Much more…
*Murea flits behind the researchers, just out of sight. They reach the ruins of an ancient temple. On the wall is a carving of Murea.*
Researcher 2: Murea…
*Murea's shadow is cast across the wall*
All: Huh?
Doctor Cogs: Our team is bringing back what we believe to be a Murea fossil. I pray it is authentic. If so I may finally have the DNA I need to create a creature powerful enough to survive the cloning process…perhaps then I can unlock the secret of restoring life…itself..
*Murea peeps into the tent they are working in, and then flies away to the mountains*
*cut to lab scene. Computer screens flash by, screen goes dark*
Child's Voice: Where am I? Who am I? What am I? (echo)
Researcher 1: It's just like all the other clones, Doctor. He doesn't gain consciousness.
Doctor Cogs: I just don't understand it. Its other vital signs are strong. We're measuring brain activity.
*We see the origin of the child's voice. It is Abraxus, a small, purple-and blue Bird-like animal curled in a ball, suspended inside of a liquid-filled tube, covered in wires and tubes*
Abraxus: I sense others near me…what are those strange sounds they make?
*A flash of amber light forms next to Abraxus, now floating in darkness. He opens his eyes and uncurls. The light takes the form of a little Filly*
Little Filly (Amber): Those are words! They're talking!
Abraxus: *surprised gasp* Uhh? What are you?
Little Filly: *giggles* what do you mean? I'm a Filly! A Pony!
Abraxus: Pony? Am I a Pony?
Little Filly: well, you look like a Bird, but you talk! I didn't know a Bird could talk like a Pony!
Abraxus: Bird? Pony? What are those? Which one am I?
Little Filly : maybe it makes a difference to you whether you're a Bird or a Pony, but not to me. *giggles* If you're in this place, I guess you must be the same as all of us are.
*A baby Dragon and Griffon appear*
Baby Griffon: Squawk!
Baby Dragon: Rar!
*Cut to laboratory*
Researcher 1: What's that?
Researcher 2: I'm not sure. But Abraxus and Amber seem to be communicating with the other clones.
Researcher 1: But how?!
Researcher 2: they could be using telepathy…
*Camera closes in on Doctor Cogs, who is running his Hoof across a tank containing a blinding glow of light*
Doctor Cogs: So…
*Back in the darkness…Amber, Abraxus, Baby Dragon and Baby Griffon spin in a circle, suspended in the air*
Baby Griffon: Squawk!
Baby Dragon:*sneezes fire* Rar!
Amber: *laughs at Baby Dragon*
*Close up of Doctor Cogs*
Doctor Cogs: Please…Please let my theories be true. I must see her little smile again…
*Flashback, a darkened basement. A Mare stands at the top of the stairs*
Mare: Dear?
Doctor Cogs: I've reawakened her consciousness! Here, in this chamber! I just need to keep it viable long enough to complete the process!
Mare: *shouting* Why are you doing this?! You can't bring Amber back.
Doctor Cogs: You're wrong! Look! She lives within this light! Her energy is undeniable! If my cloning theories are correct, we'll have Amber back with us one day soon.
*A note, lying on the table with a wedding ring and a house-key lying on it*
Mare's Voice (reciting note): I loved our daughter as much as you did. But she's gone. No Pony can bring her back. And I cant go on watching you try. I'm sorry. Goodbye.
*Camera moves to the picture above the note. A photograph of Amber with her mother and father*
*end flashback*
Doctor Cogs: I'll do anything *heavy pause*to see you again.
*fade to black*
Doctor Cogs walking down a hallway with another scientist*
Doctor Cogs: So. How are they doing today?
Scientist 1: You should be very pleased, doctor. The clones are in stable condition and Abraxus is getting stronger everyday. One of them is bound to survive. It looks like all our hard work is finally paying off.
Doctor Cogs: *Sighs* Yes, Black Canvas will be very happy, I'm sure. She may soon have the most powerful creature at her command…But I'll get something much more precious. Knowledge. Of how to recreate life….Then...I'll use it to bring her… back.
*In Amber's dream world, blackness fades away. It is a sunny day, Amber, Abraxus and the other clones float in mid-air above a town. The black and white world becomes color.*
Amber: I call this my "Remember Place"! This is were I used to live!
Abraxus: *covering his eyes* What is that?
Amber: That's the sun!
Abraxus: What is it for?
Amber: It makes the whole world bright and it keeps us warm all day.
Abraxus: ohh… *Abraxus is caught by a gust of wind* Uhh?
Amber: *holding her Mane out of her eyes* That's called wind.
Abraxus: Wind?
Amber: *flying, leading the others on. Sun starts to set.* The wind helps us along! Sometimes it's soft, and sometimes it's very strong.
Amber: And that's the sunset. That's when the sun says "Goodnight! See you tomorrow!"
Abraxus: Is that a sun?
Amber: *laughing* No! that's the moon. And the stars are the little lights that twinkle all night, just so we wont feel alone in the dark.
Baby Dragon: Rar…
*Baby Dragon's body begins to give off light. The others all turn and stare. Baby Dragon becomes transparent, and starts to disintegrate into tiny points of light.*
Researcher 2: We're losing all readings from Baby Dragon.
Researcher 1: Oh no! Not again!
*In Amber's dream world, Baby Dragon, with a frightened expression on its face, disappears entirely*
Baby Griffon: Squawk!
*Baby Griffon began to fade as well, disappearing quickly*
Researcher 2: Baby Griffon is fading the same way!
Researcher 3: It looks like another failure.
*Abraxus dives past Amber, and begins spinning about looking for the other clones. In confusion he turns back to Amber*
Abraxus: Where did they go?
*Abraxus' expression changes to horror as Amber smiles sadly and points of light begin to drift from her as well*
*In the lab, Doctor Cogs stares dully at the fading light within the tube where Amber is*
Scientist 2: Doctor, we're…losing her, too.
Doctor Cogs: Amber…
*Meanwhile, Amber's dreamworld is also beginning to fade*
Abraxus: What's wrong, Amber? What's happening?
Amber: It feels like it's time to say goodbye.
Abraxus: *startled* Goodbye?
Abraxus: I feel…something… *wipes his eyes* huh? *Stares at his wings, which he has wiped his tears onto* What are these?
Amber: *steadily growing fainter* They're tears. You're crying.
Abraxus: crying?
Amber: My daddy used to tell me a bedtime story, that when you're sad, and you cry, your tears are filled with life.
Abraxus: I'm so…sad. *Abraxus blinks, and tears spill down his face*
Amber: I have to go.
Abraxus: Why?
Amber: I don't know. But it's alright. Thank you for caring about me…And don't cry, Abraxus. You should be happy! You're alive, and life is wonderful (echoes)
*Amber fades away, leaving only a glitter of light by the moon*
Abraxus: *despairingly* Ohh…
*The city below begins to fade as well, Abraxus' face contorts*
Abraxus: *Whispering, growing slowly more agitated* These tears…What good are they?!
Abraxus: *shouting* Please Amber! Come back! *In the lab, we see Abraxus' actual body, curled in a ball within a test tube. An aura of energy surrounds him, and he begins to emit a pulsing light.*
Abraxus: *Shouting* Don't go! Please! Amber?!
Scientist 2: Doctor! Abraxus' brainwaves are out of control!
Doctor Cogs: It's getting too upset! It musn't remember this! Administer the serum! Do it immediately!
Scientist 2: I'll try one hundred units. *types at her keyboard* ten… twenty… thirty… forty… fifty… sixty… seventy… eighty… ninety… one hundred!
Doctor Cogs: What's happening?! Is it working?!
*Abraxus's body, which has been glowing with a psychic aura starts to fade back to normal*
Scientist 2: its brainwaves are going back to normal. Everything seems OK, Doctor.
Doctor Cogs: Nothing is OK! My Amber is gone forever!
*darkly* Only Abraxus survives…
*Blackness, Abraxus' empty dreamworld. We see the chalk white shape of Abraxus appear, curled into a ball, the camera closes in slowly*
Abraxus: (echo) I have slept for so long…It seems like… forever… but I remember… something… someone…
*Abraxus' voice begins to change. The image of a child Abraxus slowly turns to that of an adolescent, and finally an adult*
Abraxus: Life is wonderful… but…*with mature voice* why…?