The passage of time means little to Drasta. She stands in her cave, alone but for the
large snake that lies coiled on her back. None ever venture very far into the
destroyed Msitu, so visitors to her home are few and very far between. For the past
1,500 years she has stood like this, wondering where she went wrong. The Alicorns
that she placed over the other species took it upon themselves to wage war and
destroyed Arraspel.
Drasta had created the land of Arraspel, including the equines that lived there. She
had given Alicorns powers to manipulate the world around them, hoping they would
use them to benefit everyone. She had taken her own element, Omnia, and had
given different individuals pieces of it. While some could control fire, or gravity, or
chaos, she could control them all. She was them all. But they had mistreated her
gift and had turned it against their fellow equines.
For the first time in many thousands of years, Drasta left her cave. She made her
way slowly to the edge of the forest, feeling the environment through her hooves
and seeing it through her familiar’s eyes. The trees had not regrown. The land had
not healed. She already knew that, though. Of course, she did. She rose into the
air and looked out over the dead land. She searched for the life forces of the
others. So few remained… Anger boiled up inside of her at the thought of so many
lives being destroyed needlessly. Helpless lives, even foals. For what?
Her outline began to blur has her anger built into rage. She flew up to the center
point of Arraspel, higher than the tallest mountain of Thrylos. Her familiar coiled
tightly around her legs as she raised higher and higher.
“Enough!” she cried aloud. She had not heard her own voice for many centuries, as
she always spoke directly into the minds of others. Her word travelled over every
inch of Arraspel, and everywhere it touched, the land and creatures froze. Time
stood still as the shockwave flowed over the land like a tsunami. As the final areas
of Arraspel were frozen in time, Drasta threw up her head and a bright light flashed
out from her horn. A huge dome spread out from her and encased the land in a
protective barrier that none could cross except for Drasta herself.
As the dome touched down on the ground, she flew through the shield and soared
upwards and to the North. She would create a new land. A land where she could
study and experiment with equines and their personalities. Was it possible to have
sentient beings live in harmony with one another forever? Or would it always be
doomed to fail?
As she flew over a green valley between two large mountain ranges far from
Arraspel, she felt a warm updraft that helped calm her mind. She pulled up and
hovered there, considering the area. There were green plants everywhere. She had
missed the sight of such lush growth. The trees in the area were large and healthy.
There were no belligerent Alicorns around to burn it to the ground either.
Now she must make a choice. Would she make the new land here? Should she risk
the beauty of this place with the chance that her new creations would behave as
the old had? No. She would not doom another land. She looked through her snake
friend’s eyes at the sky instead. She could make a new land. She flew higher until
the clouds were level with her and the ground was dimmed by fog. This place
would work for her needs.
She stopped flapping her wings and landed on… well, on the air. She stood as if
perched on solid ground, with clouds passing all around her. She closed her white
eyes and conjured up an image of what she wanted to achieve. A beautiful paradise,
one that cares for itself. No need of selfish Alicorns to tend it and keep it in cycle.
In front of her, the land began to form. Rock and dirt appeared from nothing and
formed themselves into her vision. A great island in the sky, massive enough to
block the sun from the ground beneath. This would not do, as the life beneath
would perish without the sun. She bent the light of the sun around the island, not
only giving the life-sustaining energy back to the world beneath, but also rendering
her own island invisible to those on the outside. She did not bend the light entirely,
leaving the top of the island free to feel the sun’s warmth. Satisfied, she flew
inside of the light barrier.
She looked around, feeling the warm, fresh soil under her hooves. Healthy land was
something that would never be taken for granted again. She would make sure of
that. But first, the island needed greenery. She raised her head and light shone
from her horn and her eyes. Grass spread out from her, covering every inch of soil
over the entire island. As the grass spread, she created mountains rimming the
Western edge of the floating world. A river careened down the side of one of the
mountains, crashing in a huge waterfall over a cliff to the valley below, where the
growth of the grass stopped as a riverbed was formed. A great lakebed appeared
and the mighty river filled it and then continued on its way. It tumbled over rocks
and crashed around bends until it came to the edge of the land. It rushed out over
the empty air, as if willing itself to fly. The water fell for a hundred paces or so,
then vanished into a misty silence.
Drasta placed a barrier at the mouth of the river that would allow nothing through
but the water, preventing fish, driftwood, or horses from falling to their deaths or
the deaths of those on the world below.
A large variety of trees began to seed and grow. They came up from the ground as if
in a time lapse. Their trunks grew taller and thicker and their branches reached
upward. Leaves sprouted from the branch tips and bark grew and hardened on the
trunks. There were birch trees, oaks, and pines. Willows dipped their long, delicate
fingers into the lake. Fruit trees grew in the meadows and redwoods grew near the
edge of the Eastern tip of the mountains. There were fields of tall, lush grasses,
sections of which were entirely made up of wild oats and barley. There was clover
and sweetgrass among the many types of grasses that were still flowing out over
the land. Fish appeared in the lake and river, birds flew in the sky. She adjusted
the atmosphere to better support life, as she had noticed that the air had been
thin and cold. It was now easy to breath and fly in, and a gentle warmth touched
her hide. A pleasant breeze drifted through the trees now and then, giving the
island a wonderful sense of something about to happen.
Then Drasta caused wildflowers to bloom everywhere. Beautiful splashes of color
and wonderful scents to fill the air with their loveliness. She bent her head and
sniffed at a tulip that formed at her feet. She sighed happily. It had been so long
since she had smelled a flower.
Finally, she whispered a few words and deer bounded out of the hearts of the trees,
rabbits formed from the soul of the grass, and a myriad of other peaceful creatures
formed and blossomed into life. No carnivores were added to this world of hers;
She wanted no pain and death here. None of these creatures would ever die unless
they left this place. If that was their choice, then their life cycle would take on
that of the land below. She would not force anyone to stay here, but she could not
let anyone in that might damage her precious world. She added a measure of safety
to her world, so that whoever wishes to leave would do so by asking her. She would
wipe their memory of this place and then grant their wish. They would not ever be
able to return.
There was no barrier preventing anyone from coming or going, but her island was so
high up that none would be able to reach it, and the fall would kill anyone who
tried to jump. Only Birds, Pegasi, and Alicorns could come and go as they pleased,
although even most birds would not be able to fly this high.
Drasta stood, experiencing this land with all five of her senses. She smelled the
flowers, water, and air. She felt the breeze and the grass beneath her hooves. She
could taste the sweet scent of the honey that her bees were already busily making.
She could hear their buzzing and the songs of the birds. The only thing lacking was
her sight, but that was made up for with the help of her dear friend, and she was
able to see through the snake’s eyes. It was all beautiful.
And now she would make the one creation that could destroy it. She would create
horses and hope that this time, they were decent creatures who loved and
protected the land. She would create The Omniborn.
