"Futures Past Ch. 1-3" by Michelle B. Lackey

Chapter 1 - The Stage

There is a world similar to our own; a world where everything relies on technology and everything must happen for a reason. There is also a world beside of that one where beings of unimaginable power exist and are free to survive in everyday life. The universe of power is known as that, the Land of Power. The one similar to our own is not ours, but isn't so far away either. It is called the Land of Iron and has long since become a place where technology rules. These two lands, however, do not realize that the other exists. Each one continues on as if the other doesn't exist, but there are those who know that both do. There are those who know the pain and suffering in one leaks into the other and that the joy and untouched love in one makes life bearable in the other. Even though all universes are hinged upon the emptiness that is Beyond, these two are the closest and everything eventually touches both. The only thing that hasn't crossed the boundary often is a living, breathing being. There has never been a form that has actually crossed the boundary through the Portal, but that is also about to change.

Time and Silence have been distracted, the worlds twirling and shifting but left to themselves. There is now a new force building in the Land of Iron, a force that cannot be contained forever. However, there is a place in the Land of Power that could help... a place where mirrors are lakes and a place where trees still grow...

"You're telling me that there are such things as trees?" the young one bellowed at her teacher. The mechanical whine beneath her voice severely frightened the older creature, startling her with its intense disgust.

"Well, yes," replied the feminine voice. "Do you not remember the old stories? There used to be great forests where our kind was free to roam and be pure. Do you not remember the pictures that were downloaded into your mind?"

"Oh yes, I remember, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it," came the angry reply.

"But you must remember, Turbo," came the insistent voice. "I am your teacher and you have often asked me to tell you what I thought. Listen carefully. After those memories were given to you by the last white unicorn, the machine was destroyed in the earthquake."

"Highly coincidental. It doesn't mean anything."

"You may wish that that were so, but I am here to tell you different. The prophecy states that a creature of unknown origin with memories that aren't their own will rise and vanquish a hidden enemy. You must realize that you fit this description perfectly. No one knows your dam or sire. We only know that you are of the Northern Clan by your coloring." The voice was growing tight with anxiety as she struggled to see anything in the darkness. Where was her pupil? She could stand here and talk to the wall and never know that the young one was gone. Didn't help that Turbo, her student, had often left her standing there doing just that. She wished that the technology that had given Turbo perfect night-vision hadn't been lost, but there had been a great deal lost in the Land of Iron, more than she, Archival the Rememberer, cared to admit. "Turbo, are you there?"

No answer. Archival was left standing there once more talking to little more than air. Walking away from the choking shadows that Turbo preferred, the large mare moved away from the disgusting alleys and headed for the last retreat that unicorns had in the Land of Iron. It was a small waterfall nearby. There were no trees, no bushes, no furry creatures, nothing but water pouring over a mountain of metal, but at least it was water. Other creatures had started being satisfied with the fabricated stuff and no one was allowed to drink from the last spring of true water, but Archival wasn't worried as she dipped her gray muzzle into the crystalline water. So much had been sacrificed by the unicorns to keep this one little stream alive and fresh... so much to keep the hunters from coming. It had been the deal of the century and one that the unicorns personally mourned for. Raising her head, Archival looked at her reflection in the water. Metal where there should have been unmarred flesh. Scars were there should have been perfection. Dirty gray where there should have been unflawed white. But the worst was the sacrifice that the unicorns had given up. Where there should have been a beautiful spiraling horn, a horn of crystalline beauty and sunshine, there was a steel spike of tempered metal.

-At least I have my eyes,- she thought sadly. -Unicorns such as Turbo and Eagleye have little more than shadows for eyes or large metal contraptions in their place. Turbo once told me that her eyes were red anyway and Eagleye claims that his eyes were brown and dull in comparison with the glowing blue monstrosities that are there now. What have we fallen to? What have we become?-

"What are you thinking about, Archival?" asked a small voice. Looking up, Archival spotted the young man sitting quietly at the top of the waterfall. She didn't fear him for he was a friend, but she still felt the old scream of terror building in her. She fought it down stubbornly and faced him head on.

"What business is it of yours?" she asked him. "Last I heard, you were long gone from this place."

"Ah, now that is a story for your ears. Something to remember forever, but that wasn't the answer to my question." The figure didn't move from his place and Archival knew that he was waiting for her to speak again. Grit rarely ever let her get away with anything. His robotic limbs flashed in the sunlight and his protective eyewear reflected the beauty of the waterfall. His voice was soft and fleshy like her own since the robotic enhancements stopped well beneath his shoulders, but the overlying flesh still lived and breathed beneath them. He had been one of the first to undergo robotic enhancement, but there was a new trend now. Cybernetics. Turbo had undergone that procedure when she had been captured by the Royals and had never allowed herself to be seen again in full daylight. Such a sad story...

"You are thinking of Turbo yet again," Grit said, breaking her train of thought. Archival looked up at him challengingly.

"How would you know that?"

"When you start saying names out loud amid a forest of tempered steel and wrought iron, you tend to spread news without actually meaning to." Grit smiled down at her, but made no move to join her. She was thankful for that. The Royal that had 'enhanced' him had placed a bomb in his torso that would be set off by any creature other than a human or robotic humanoid, taking both him and the unlucky stranger with him. He had nearly panicked the first time Archival had started to come near him. She eyed his eyewear warily and watched for the small red light that warned of a proximity alert. She still didn't understand the concept between being blown up without knowing it or having a warning ahead of time. It seemed ridiculous to her. If you're going to go flying through the air, why should you know and alert everyone else to the fact that you are getting ready to? Grit had tried to explain, but she still thought it was crazy.

"So, what do you want me to say?" she asked lazily. "I cannot fear what you will do to me unless you come hopping down here." She smiled as he grinned back at her. Few could actually joke about their implants. Most just accepted the metal attachments as part of everyday life. Those that were actually ashamed of them, like Turbo, were in the extreme minority. The new generations knew nothing but mechanical limbs and enhanced vision or power. It was something that was just... commonplace. There really was no word for it.

"Why do your thoughts continually flit back to Turbo? I have heard of the strange mare, but never actually seen her. She seems to have a second nature for sensing cameras and I had heard that she had sensors installed in some sort of eyepiece for complete three-sixty range."

"Grit, there is something about her that has been bugging me, but it has nothing to do with her implants. It's what she was like before she was taken away for cybernetic rehaul. Could it be possible, in a hypothetical sense, you know, other worldly possible, that she may have been completely flesh and blood with all the correct parts and everything? I understand that most that are taken away for mechanical remodeling were like myself with missing limbs or with severe deformations from all the chemicals that we inhale, but could it be possible that she was from so far away that she was normal?" Archival asked, but then flinched as Grit fixed her with a penetrating stare.

"You know you speak of olden times, times when there were actually beasts that had no mechanical attributes?"

"Yes, that is my job, Grit. I am supposed to remember those times and tell of them to others. It's only recently that everyone has stopped listening. Turbo doubts that there were ever trees or meadows." Archival froze. She suddenly remembered the way Turbo had acted upon hearing those words. "Could she remember seeing trees and meadows, Grit? Could that be why she is so shamed by the cybernetic implants that others don't even see?"

"Your guess is as good as mine on that, Archival," Grit answered, but his voice was heavy with thought. "Come to think of it, a friend of mine recently acquired a list of all Royal test subjects by ways that you probably would rather not hear about. We could look through there and discover a little more about her. The Royals are lazy, but they do keep everything on record."

"Can we go right now?" she asked.

"Sure, just keep a safe distance from me," he warned before launching himself into the air only to catch himself on one of the overhanging wires. "I'll take the high road. Try to keep up, little unicorn!"

"Watch yourself and try to outrun me!" Archival shouted, running off after him. Soon after, Archival felt the instinctive fear fly through her. Humans. Lots of them were nearby. "Grit?" she asked the empty buildings above her.

"Yep, my friend is coming. Whatever you do, don't move, pretty lady," came the response as the humanoid form dropped down into the beams of an overhead light, the metal arms glinting brilliantly. They were standing in a dark part of an abandoned city, far from unicorn territory and Archival felt her lungs heaving with the effort to keep from running. It was an instinct buried in all unicorns to avoid humans, but with more than Grit around, she found it hard to avoid the need to flee in absolute terror. "Archival?" Grit sounded worried, but she knew that it was concern for her.

"I'm... uh... fine, just hurry," she answered. He reached out as if to touch her, but stopped before he took a step forward. The warning light in his eyewear was glowing a steady yellow. If he came any closer, they would be blown to pieces. "Don't worry about me. Remember, 'primitive instinct has no place in a mechanical mind and no place in those with a heart of steel'."

"I remember, but, last time I checked, you still had a brain of flesh and a heart that pumped real blood. Turbo..." he stopped. Now he was starting to refer to the blame unicorn mare!

"Grit?" asked a voice from behind the door.

"Surgo? Get out here or at least send that list of test subjects beneath the door. I have a friend that wants to look up a certain person." Archival smiled inwardly at Grit's slick remark. He hadn't lied, but he hadn't told of her being there either. Many humans still wanted to catch unicorns even though they no longer had their horns. She fought down that surge of grief. She was just in time as a thin metal book slid out from under the door. "Please remember to return. I had a hard time getting a hold of this," Grit said as he read the note attached to it. "Gosh, you'd think I was going to cart it off around the world. Quickly opening it and turning so that Archival had a clear view of the screen, he started up the small machine. Pressing a few buttons as the thing purred with life, Grit's face became hard as the screen flashed a picture upon the screen.

"What is it?" Archival asked, her mind flying with anxiety.

"Let me move a few feet away and you can see for yourself." Moving as close as she could without actually driving him away, Archival looked down at the screen and felt her heart sink.

'NO RECORD: TURBO - FILE NONEXISTENT - PLEASE RELOAD SEARCH' the screen said.

"Tell me how to search for subjects from a certain time period," Archival demanded. Her mind flew with frustration as Grit told her what to do step by step. It was hard going with her having to touch each key with the tip of her horn, but she wouldn't allow him to help. She wanted to see the end result so bad that she could barely stand it!

'FILE FOUND - FILE COUNT: 10 - PLEASE SELECT'

"Now, we're getting somewhere!" she nearly cheered. "How do I look through each file? There are only ten."

"Press enter and then use the arrow keys to scroll it should list them." Doing so, Archival began to scroll through the names. She stopped on the first one. "What's wrong?"

"Grit, I hadn't realized that a year ago, some of my closest friends were the ones that had undergone mechanical enhancement. The very first one is Eagleye."

"Keep scrolling, Archival. Turbo must be in there somewhere." Anxious, Archival started scrolling again. She saw all of Eagleye's information laid out before her as she continued all the way down to his picture of how he appeared before the change. He was hideous! His face was misshapen, but his eyes were what tore at her heart. They were only brown and dull because he had been blind! The great stallion that could see over two miles away with startling clarity had been born blind! Grit saw her freeze and he encouraged her to continue. "You can cry for him later, keep scrolling." So, she did. Through eight more names and hideous pictures, she kept moving through friends that she recognized. Finally, she reached the last name.

"Grit, I don't recognize the name."

"Who is it?" She turned the screen around to where he could see it.

'FILE #10025992: Akria - CYBERNETIC RESEARCH TEST SUBJECT #1 - FAILURE - SUBJECT ESCAPED - CONSIDERED DANGEROUS'

"That's Turbo?" Grit exclaimed. He had never known that a unicorn could be considered 'dangerous'. Excitable, yes, but never dangerous.

"I don't know, I don't know anyone by the name of Akria. That name is reserved for members of the Western Clan. The Northern Clan contains no such name."

"How do you know that Turbo is of the Northern Clan?" Grit asked pointedly.

"She is colored as we are. We are all either steel gray or muddy brown. She is a mixture of chestnut and gray, a perfect specimen of Northern coloring."

"Scroll on down and see if it mentions anything else interesting about this Akria. You might be surprised to learn a few things about Turbo," Grit said, his eyes watching with a sad inner knowing. Confused, Archival did as she was told.

"It says that this 'Akria' unicorn was a perfect specimen with wonderful proportion and that the Royal who found her was greatly rewarded. Grit..." she paused, "the first test they ran changed her color to exactly how I described Turbo. The second made her legs twist and bend to the point of shattering so they replaced the damaged parts with cybernetic implants, the first that were ever used on an inhuman being. Oh no..." she paused again, but Grit waited patiently. "It is her, oh, Grit, it is her!"

"How can you tell?"

"They implanted her with a downloadable memory chip and then created a systems malfunction that made Akria halfway insane. It had nearly destroyed her before it was removed, but the reactions were already permanent. Turbo is known to lose her composure very often and just go berserk."

"I take it that this is unusual?" Grit asked. He didn't really know all that much about unicorns.

"Unicorns are supposed to be perfect pictures of harmony except when the imbedded instincts take over. The only instinct that hasn't been completely wiped out is the fear of humans. There is no reason for why Turbo should become so unsettled for no reason."

"Read on."

"Well, they used the downloadable chip to equip with her with all the knowledge of her robotic parts and equipped her with a hoard of nanites, small robotic repair devices, to keep her from falling into disrepair. They were the first step toward perfecting cybernetics. This Akria became a true cyborg with reinforced leg joints for extra speed and eye implants that allowed her to register everything about her in half the time. This allows her to run at great speeds without running over something or bumping into someone else." Archival gulped as she looked at the picture before her. "Grit, my worst fear has come true."

"What?" he asked, but then he felt tears well up in his eyes. There, on the screen in full fancy, was a beautiful white unicorn. A delicate head stared at them, wondrous legs held the beast, fine bones, and a delicate frame, all of pure flesh and blood. The flowing mane and tail that would have had to have been given up in order to retain the cybernetic implants would have been the envy of all who had seen it. Glistening pale hooves, a long spiraling horn of rose quartz, and eyes of blue sapphires stared at him, a small smile playing on the lips of the exquisite mare in the picture. "She's... beautiful!"

"Look closer," Archival said, placing her horn on the picture beside of the white mare. Now, Grit knew he would cry. The muddy chestnut with a blackened mane and tail stared back at him. On one side, both the rear leg and the foreleg had been completely detached and replaced by mechanical monstrosities, bits and pieces of the other two had been put back together, the once pale hooves blackened with soot and grime. Bits of hide were missing all over the beast, mechanical joints and under-skin apparent through the holes. Heavy steel joints and connectors were obvious through the tortured hide; eyes gone bloodshot were hidden behind other mechanical attachments, one behind the three-sixty sensor and the other behind a night vision screen. The unicorn no longer stood tall with an arrogant air, but had a head held high in anger and defiance. "I have seen Turbo in full light only once. That's her."

"I'm sorry," Grit said sadly. "Was she the last white unicorn?"

"No, but she carries those memories. She was one of the last though. With this knowledge, she wasn't from any Clan; she was the product of something else altogether. I can't imagine what has been happening in her mind. It is hard making mechanics work like flesh and blood, hard to make the drugs leave your system entirely... hard to feel alive again."

"I know," Grit answered. "Welcome to the Land of Iron, little Akria." The picture on the screen flickered while the two stared at it. Only when the batteries died and the picture faded away did Grit slip it back under the door to his friend. Only when it began to rain and mechanical limbs threatened to rust did Grit finally leave. Only then did Archival sum up the courage to walk away, her own mechanical legs groaning and clinking as tears rolled down her cheeks, one made of fur and one made of tempered steel.

As those in the Land of Iron were discovering Turbo's frightening secret, something rather similar was happening in the Land of Power though on a much larger scale. In this land, Man existed in small numbers in villages that dotted the landscape, but neither Unicorn nor Winged One had ever made an actual visit to one, the very idea bordering insanity to some. Why would anyone ever want to visit those villages and come so close to those who would kill them? Well, one little Unicorn had finally dared to do so and now the elders of the Northern Clan had been told. She was in more trouble than she could possibly guess...

"The Humans never even knew I was there, good Alphas. I was careful to remain away from them and I covered my scent in the pines to keep the dogs from following me. They couldn't have followed me if they wanted to," she was saying to those who led the herds.

"Whether they knew or not isn't the problem, young one. The idea remains that you could have placed our herds in grave danger. The Winged Ones are having problems now with the Humans finding their aeries. The Kikinaa Aerie was discovered only a little while ago. Only one family of gryphons survived. We won't allow you to place the Unicorns in that kind of danger!" one of the mares said angrily.

"The Winged Ones have the advantage of being able to fly. What do you think would have happened to us if it would have been a Unicorn herd?" one of the stallions asked. The young mare didn't have to answer, her frightened eyes answered for her. The Winged Ones consisted of gryphons, Pegasus breeds, and the great dragons. Somehow, all three of the races managed to live together in relative peace, but a few of their aeries, like Kikinaa, were huge! There had been hundreds of families from each breed there. In order for them to be destroyed... no, if they had been Unicorns, they would have all perished. She had been told that wings were hindrances by a dragon, but she still believed that the ability to leap into the air to escape was a gift to be favored. Unicorns could only run and use their horn powers for disguise. None of them were fighters and none of them had the aggressive ability to fight well. No, she had placed the Northern Clan in danger, which was obvious.

"This is enough. Your fear is giving you a strange yellow color. Go now, wash in the river and then return to us. We will talk more simply of your desire to see Humans in person. There may be a few kind ones that I know of who would be happier than pie to meet someone as nice as you," said a lightly dappled mare. This was their Archive, Noreen. She was the oldest mare alive and one of the nicest creatures the young mare had ever met. She also seemed to be content constantly, a trait which seemed odd among the others. Why would someone relish running from a hungry predator just as others enjoy a delicious desert? Oddness, however, and her ability to remember everything infallibly had caused her to gain the position of Archive. She would definitely be interested in hearing a story such as the mare's.

"State your name for us," an older stallion said calmly. "We aren't all acquainted with you." The young mare was the only one watching Noreen's face so she was the only one to see the flicker of pain.

"Akria, your highness. My name is Akria. My father was of the Western Clan and my mother asked him to name me," the small white mare answered truthfully. "We live on the border between the Northern and Western Clans so that my parents can be together. My mother is Ariay and my father is Crane, a dappled stallion."

"I see you state yourself in the way of the Westerns," Noreen said with composure.

"My mother thought I should be able to prove I am who I say without having to argue over it. This was the only solution that my father could come up with." Dismissed, Akria left and headed for her home with the river beside it.

"Akria..." Noreen thought out loud as the other Alphas drifted away. "Oh Turbo..." Just as Archival's tears rolled down her cheeks, Noreen sprang out of the meadow where the Alphas had met and tore off through the pine forests, her aching neigh turning into a violent shriek of pain. A few Unicorns saw her go by, but they knew not what to do, her grief causing them so much fear and sadness that they watched her go, their own tears flowing in her wake.

Chapter 2 - Nightmare

Eagleye stood very still. The only thing that showed he was alive to an outsider was his skin shuddering slightly, what skin he had left anyway. The large eyepiece that gave him vision had seen the intruder coming toward him long ago, but as yet couldn't identify it. Whether it was Human or Unicorn didn't matter. His only concern was whether it was dangerous towards him. Some Unicorns despised him and some Humans liked him, but his nervousness caused him to remain still instead of leaping into the back alleys to hide. He was waiting for someone; someone that had said they wanted him where someone without eye implants could easily see him.

It had been a strange message. The person who had sent it hadn't signed it, but they were acquainted with him well enough to know him and contact him easily. He had thought that only Archival had known how to do that. Now he was stuck with a weird letter, a mysterious meeting, and being stuck in an open parking lot! He had never understood how Unicorns from the past had supposedly grazed in the open fields. The feeling of being in the open was driving his nerves and sensors awry, making him jumpy. The cloudy sky stretched out above him, thunder rumbling a few miles off. Rain would hit the city in a few days, his sensors told him the storm was moving slowly.

Finally, the small sensor light brightened. The oncoming traveler had been identified. He stared silently. It was a Unicorn, but it was one such as he had never seen before. It appeared... almost perfect. There was no way to see what mechanized monstrosities lay beneath the skin. There was only the limp of the right hind leg to show that something was wrong. When the figure came closer, he decided, he was going to scan it more thoroughly.

By the time Noreen had reached Eagleye, the stallion was standing with his mouth hanging open. Her flesh and blood nose didn't sense the chemical odors that were so heavy in the air and her natural eyes missed the slight changes in his stature, so she stated the obvious.

"You've never seen a true, natural, flesh and blood, never-been-tampered-with Unicorn, have you?" She was grinning from ear to ear as Eagleye shook himself and regained his composure.

"So, you are the one who wished to speak with me?" he asked, Noreen shuddering as the mechanical whine of gears and machinery flowed beneath his deep voice. "What's wrong?"

"I had forgotten the sound of mechanical voices. I have been away too long I suppose, but, yes, I sent for you. I'm surprised that you agreed to meet with me. I seem to remember that Futures hate being in the open," she answered slowly. Her voice rang in Eagleye's ears. It was full, round and he seemed to float away on it.

"Yes, I have never figured out how Unicorns once grazed in open fields. If you don't want to be inside the city, let's just move to where I have my back to a wall. There's a small empty area where a building once stood and there's nothing but junk there now. Then you can explain what's going on."

"Very well." They moved to the small area, Eagleye standing halfway in the shadows and completely at ease. Noreen made herself at home in the open area where she was able to see around her without feeling cramped within the city walls. After a moment, they looked each other in the eyes, the old ritual of learning your guest. Many claimed that you would understand one another for doing so, but Eagleye had read in the note that he was to do this. The way he had read it, it sounded like some sort of password. He knew he was right when Noreen visibly relaxed. "I asked you here because I only knew that frequency. It has been a long time since I have met the Futures and I'm afraid that that was the only wavelength I knew and could generate to ask for help. A long time ago, I met a Future in my time and helped her return here. She gave me the frequency and the location for whenever a problem arose that I might need her for. Tell me, why are you here instead of her?"

"Well," Eagleye said casually, "I cannot tell you if I have no idea who you speak of and I would like to know your name."

"I am Noreen and her name was Crea. I remember that she was a muddy looking mare with the 'primitive' dorsal stripe," Noreen answered honestly, looking Eagleye over. He looked a male version of her old friend. Fleetingly, she wondered if the two were brother and sister.

"Crea of the Southern Clan?" Noreen nodded. "I'm sorry, I thought all her friends had been present for the ceremony. Crea died almost three months ago. She was my mother." Noreen openly gaped. "Why are you surprised? You don't look like a brand new coat of paint yourself."

"I'm sorry, it's just hard to think of a spry young filly as becoming old enough to die, much less have a full grown son."

"Well, she did and does. She gave me her SOS frequency, for an 'unwarranted' emergency, or so she said. I assume that this is what she meant."

"Probably." Noreen waited a moment and let the information sink in before continuing. "Crea warned me that what happened in this world could easily happen in mine and told me to keep Humans and Unicorns separated. There has now become a problem between the Winged Ones and us that has created a problem with territory. As Humans have moved in my land, they have devoured Unicorn territory. Recently, the Winged Ones consulted one of their maps and announced that the land Unicorns are currently on belongs to them. We need help to convince them that we must share the land equally. Otherwise, Unicorns and Humans will be forced to live together. That cannot happen or this world will grow in ours. We have no desire to be mechanical."

Eagleye stared at her long and hard before answering, his mechanical eyes seeming to penetrate her very being. "Crea hated being mechanical in any way. I do not hate myself or any part of it. You have asked the wrong one to fight for you."

"Listen to me," Noreen said in a hissing tone. "I was once given the chance to come here and live for a few days. I remained with Crea for that short time so that she might protect me. I know how you Futures live and I believe that you cannot live. You have lost all the simple pleasures of life. You seem to think that being alive and in one place is enough, but I do not."

"You forget, that is all there is here. What we have to keep us alive is what you might call 'little things', but there are things that we enjoy that a flesh and blood creature like you will never understand. You have never smelled joy or love or can distinguish between the two. When emotions change, the entire perception of someone changes. To us 'Futures', as you call me, everyone changes color as their emotions, thoughts, and personalities move, change, or shift. At this moment, to me, you are not an old broken down mare. You look like a flood of red with pink tints. You think of pain and have a growing anger. I am certain when you see me I look pathetic, but to another Future, I might well be more beautiful than you."

Noreen clamped her mouth shut and dulled her anger. Could it be true? Could what her old friend have hated so much be so different from what she had thought it to be? Could Unicorns possibly like being metal monstrosities? How could it be a lie when the Unicorn before her told her straight on that there were things he knew and understood that she would never be able to see? It was like a balance for everything that she could see and do that he could not.

"For changing times, a change of pace," she said.

Eagleye nodded. "Mother's favorite saying." Suddenly, his head went upright and he looked behind him. With any other Unicorn, she would have watched his nostrils flare to catch scent and his eyes grow wide to spot a predator. This couldn't be done, so she waited anxiously for him to remember that she was there. "Stop screaming at me!" he said harshly. "With you shouting, I cannot hear!" Noreen froze in fear, but her mind worked quickly. She wasn't uttering a sound. Pain... anger... the color of red... smell joy and love... That was it! If she were having intense emotions, she must be overloading his 'senses'! Quickly, she grabbed her emotions and reined them in, calming herself and looking in the direction he was. Something within the stallion relaxed. She had been right, but he was still worried.

"What is it?" she asked quietly, careful to keep her emotions in check.

"We must leave, now." He turned and motioned for her to follow him deeper into the city. She hesitated for only a moment before following. She was relieved when he didn't go more than a few feet into the dark shadows. "Stand beside me, Noreen. Do not move; do not attract any attention to yourself. If I move, remain perfectly still. Only if one of the dogs lunge at you should you move. Then you should run, but not out into open areas. Go deeper into the city. Someone will find you and help you, but, whatever you do, stay away from open areas." Noreen froze beside him as her heart began to race, but Eagleye only nudged her to remember her emotions clogged his senses. She tried to regain her composure, but she could tell that he was also becoming nervous.

Slowly, a group of beings emerged from the city. To her, they were hideous creatures, but she recognized the dogs and men for what they were. Just as Eagleye was changed but still a unicorn, these beings were the same. Clutching at the need to run, she allowed herself to tense but still kept a wary vigil. They were coming closer, the dogs' panting becoming clearer in the stale air. There were about fifteen dogs and three men, but only the dogs seemed aware that there was game about. They ran about the clearing where she had just been standing, their noses working quickly. Suddenly, one dog raised its head and looked intently toward where Eagleye sheltered her. Noreen waited, one eye on her protector and one eye on the dog.

Warily, Eagleye slowly raised his head to where he could see the dog perfectly. He stood stone still, a statue of granite for all that he moved. Only his mane and tail were stirred by the faint wind. The dog bared its teeth and the men noticed that something was in the shadows. Other dogs began to notice their pack member's strange action and followed his gaze. Before long, there was a humming growl coming from before them and the men's shouts were all too clear in Noreen's ears.

"Remember what I said about clearings," Eagleye said barely above a whisper. "Just forget what I said about running. These are Royals and they hunt for sport. As soon as I leap, run into the city, but stay in the alleys. I have sent a distress signal, the others will find you and help you."

"The others?" she asked dumbly. For some reason, she couldn't understand how more than one unicorn could live in a place like this.

"No time, get ready." Beside her, she heard his gears and muscles tensing for a leap. She looked at him and then at the hunters before her.

"You're going to take out eighteen?"

"No, I'm going to distract them and you are going to run. Despite what you might think, no unicorn would ever kill another being intentionally. It is something imbedded in us that we cannot overcome." Noreen nodded slightly in agreement for this was also true in the Land of Power.

Suddenly, Eagleye burst from the protective shadows, throwing himself in the midst of the dogs! He bucked and kicked, knocking several of them unconscious. Noreen's last sight of him was just as he twisted to dodge a leaping attacker. No sooner were his feet on the ground than he was plunging into the city except headed for another alley far from where she stood. Noticing a few dogs looking back, she threw caution to the wind and plunged into the city's darkness. For the first few moments, she was conscious in what she was thinking, avoiding open clearings and any area where she would be obvious, but there were two dogs on her heels now. Their growling and snarling put her fear in control and she was soon bursting through the city in a straight line. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought fleetingly that it was strange that she saw no other living being anywhere. She assumed that Eagleye had met her on the outskirts where the city would have been virtually deserted. Before long, she was conscious only of running and how her legs were growing tired. Fleeing into an open clearing, she collapsed in its center, dusty light surrounding her as she struggled to stand again. The two dogs appeared at the light's edge, their green-lit eyes glowing with the thrill of the hunt.

Then, there was a shadow over her. There had been no sound, so she assumed that there had been another flesh and blood creature like herself standing guard, but when she looked up, she saw another Future. This one appeared in far worse shaped than Eagleye, the hide tattered and torn while most of its legs were missing. She strained to see the eyes, hoping that it would be Eagleye, but that was when she glimpsed the eye. It was one eye, a large metal contraption covered the other, but that one eye froze her to her core. It glowed an angry red, fury burning in its depths. That was when she noticed that the dogs were moving restlessly, but had stopped growling. She scented the air delicately, but there was only one scent coming from the mutts. Pure and unrestrained fear was thick in the air.

"Why don't you puppies go back to your masters? They'll be looking for you," the unicorn said flatly. There was no pity in her voice, only the terrible hum of the mechanized jaws and artificial vocal chords. The dogs paused for a moment, but then the Future took a menacing step forward. Before Noreen could understand what was happening, the dogs had bolted into the city back the way that they had come with their tails tucked tightly between their legs.

"Thank you," Noreen said as she stood. "They would have killed me for sure."

"I thought Eagleye warned you to remain in the shadows," the unicorn said in an acid tone. "He knows better than to leave a filly running loose."

"Filly?" Noreen asked in shock. "I'm actually very old, thank you."

"You are new to these parts or you would have seen the signs that the others had left for you to find them. The unicorns around here are more liberal with their signs and hints as to where to find them since the Royals abandoned this part of the city. If you were experienced in such things, you would have found a small herd to the west." The unicorn eyed her critically. Something in the mare's manner made Noreen freeze involuntarily. "Thought so. Follow me. Eagleye will have finished running those pups ragged and be waiting for someone to bring you to him. I'll lead you there, but stay close." Without arguing, Noreen fell into step with the strange mare. There was something familiar about her that she couldn't place and something about her that created instant fear. Somehow she knew that it had nothing to do with her mechanical implants.

She followed the mare through the city, careful to remain just behind her even though most equines would have panicked with the thought of something in their blind spot. This also struck Noreen as strange, but she shrugged it off and dismissed it as an oddity of the Land of Iron. She was a stranger here after all and knew nothing of its ways. After nearly an hour, the mare stopped.

"Continue straight on for about another minute," she said in a more understanding tone. "Eagleye will be there with Archival. She is our Rememberer. I have the feeling that you and her will have a great deal in common."

"Everything must be remembered," Noreen agreed. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, just remember to listen to a Future's advice before you plunge through the city. Many open clearings are filled with automated weapons that will fire on any moving target."

"What happened in those clearings where I ran?" she asked as the mare disappeared into the shadows.

"You were in my territory," came the mocking answer. "Only what I wish happens there." Noreen knew the mare was gone, but she regretted missing her name. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward. After the minute the mare had proclaimed, she emerged within a similar clearing to the one where she had met Eagleye. As the mare had also said, there were two waiting for her. Eagleye and a mare, but she decided to act this time.

"Archival?" she asked before anyone said a word. The mare nodded, but Eagleye seemed to glare at her.

"Where did you learn that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Another mare told me. A few of the dogs chased me and she frightened them away before leading me back here." When neither seemed to believe her she sighed. "She told about how automated weapons were in these clearings that shoot at moving objects. I'm not sure what she meant, but I am a moving object and would prefer to not get shot. When I asked her why I didn't get shot before, she told me that this was her territory and nothing happens here without her knowing." Now Eagleye was gaping again and Archival was clearly shocked.

"Describe her to me," the mare said. Noreen started from seeing her above her and described her in extreme detail. The way she acted, the way she let her walk directly behind her, every detail was retold and recounted. "Noreen, I believe that you have met one of the most illusive unicorns to have ever have existed in either our land or yours."

"What was her name?" she asked hopefully.

"Turbo," Eagleye said with a peculiar longing that Noreen couldn't identify. "There is little known of her, but Archival has been telling me about her since we were waiting for you. I received word that you were being led to us so I did not worry. Archival has discovered a great deal about Turbo recently and was telling me of it to pass the time. You seem to be a very fast runner to have covered so much ground so quickly even with the limp." Noreen nodded and smiled with pride.

"I think that Turbo may be the perfect person to help you in defending your territory and keeping yourself from becoming a machine," Archival said smoothly, her voice full and warm without the wear and tear of machinery behind it. "Eagleye has informed me that you need help in the Land of Power and I think that you offer the kind of help that Turbo needs." Noreen regarded her as if she were speaking another language. "Turbo was my student, still is a bit, but there are many things that she has learned to hate. Her mechanic attachments are only part of the problem. There are things in her memory that she will not share and things that we cannot understand. She is different from us in many ways and there is no hope for us to learn to understand her." Noreen nodded. Eagleye's mother had told her the tales surrounding Turbo, but she still knew very little about her.

"She needs someone who was once born as a normal unicorn to be with her and teach her that mechanical enhancements are not things to hate or despise," Eagleye said slowly. "Archival has requested that we keep some things secret from you. She believes that if you could gain Turbo's trust, she would tell you herself. There is one thing that she wishes you to know."

"Have you ever heard the name of Akria?" the Future mare asked. Noreen nearly fell to her knees.

"What has this to do with her? If that crazy filly followed me through the portal, I don't know what I'll do!" she exclaimed.

"I regret to inform you that Turbo once went under the name of Akria. My mother also went beneath the name of Noreen. Good mare of the Land of Power," Archival said sadly, "I think there are connections between our lands that no one has considered. I think we are the Future and you are the Past."

"That's impossible!"

"Describe Akria." Noreen described her just as painstakingly as she had described Turbo; her eyes catching the hurt look in Archival's eyes. "That is thought to be how Turbo looked before she was captured. Noreen, I think that Turbo is the only one who can help you and you are the only one that can help her. For you see, in the Land of Power, you already know her and are going to meet with her."

"You have got to be kidding," Noreen started, but the silent stares soon quieted her. "This is like some non-ending nightmare."

"That," Eagleye said suddenly, "is exactly what Turbo has told us."

Chapter 3 - Simple Flesh

Noreen went back to the Land of Power with a heavy heart. Archival and Eagleye had retraced her steps to try to find Turbo, but the mare had been nowhere in sight. Even when the Futures had sent out a call for her, there had been no response. The mare had remained cloaked in shadow and mystery and just out of her reach. Noreen sighed again as she stood looking at the Portal with a sadness that she had never known that she could feel before. Everything was spinning out of control and she needed their help, but what did the Futures think that she could do?

She turned and walked away. She had known that Turbo had once been named Akria, but she had thought that the two were separate. After seeing Turbo in person, she was even more certain of it, but the Futures seemed just as sure that they were the same. Up until now, the only thought of the two being the same had come from the legends she had been told, but she had always doubted them. If they were true, something had happened to her, something extremely painful. There could be no other cause for the change of a happy creature into an angry beast full of fury. Still, she doubted that the mechanical add-ons were the cause. The Akria she knew was too strong for something that simple to hurt her that deeply. No, there had to be something else, but Noreen had no idea what. If only Turbo had come with her, she could ask.

Still, that was something that couldn't be changed. She had to find Akria and speak to her about her curiosity with Humans. The Rememberer was certain that Akria's curiosity was just a natural part of being young, she had had the same curious nature before she had learned how mean some Humans could be. It was a simple matter of speaking to her and understanding what she wanted to know. If luck held true, Noreen would know what the young filly wanted to understand and they would both be able to avoid another sit in with the Alphas. Noreen couldn't believe how boring the meetings had become in so few years. The new Alphas were boring old crows compared to the hilarious and relaxed Alphas that had come before them. They had had a killer sense of humor, but had somehow remained serious enough to handle just punishment and continue their rule in peace. Somehow, these rulers misunderstood nearly everything said to them and managed to say something incredibly stupid before they said anything right. Still, their predecessors had been experienced. These new Alphas were probably going to relax as time passed and they learned that everything said wasn't a blow to their honor.

"Still that doesn't fix my problem with Akria," Noreen told her reflection in the lake. She had been wandering about as she had been thinking and now she found herself staring at her all too familiar reflection with uncertainty. "She's going to have to meet Humans eventually, but what to do about it." Her mind was so full of thought that she didn't even know where to begin. There were kind Humans, but she needed Akria to be afraid of Humans instead of in the belief that all Humans were kind. The young filly had once thought that because one Winged One was kind that all were that way. After being harassed and teased by a group of older Winged Ones, that idea had been carefully erased. Akria was more wary of the Winged Ones now, but she still believed that after meeting one she had met them all. Noreen knew that this was a habit that would be better off broken, but she had no idea on how to conquer it. She mustn't close Akria's mind to the possibility of good in the world either. The Rememberer sighed and looked at her reflection sadly. "The Futures have no idea how much I need their help."

"Futures?" asked a voice from beside her. Noreen recognized Akria's voice and answered without looking up.

"Just a dream I'm chasing," Noreen said. "Just a dream that's out of reach."

"I know that feeling."

"How so?"

"When I look at the Humans, I feel like they're beings that can be trusted, but when I am around the others, the feeling goes away. There's no way for me to explain it." Noreen looked up at the young filly. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but that's how I feel."

Noreen's split decision was sound, but her memory argued that the Alphas would destroy her for what she was about to do. "How much can they be trusted?"

"Wholly if given the chance. Our instinct to run prevents us from actually meeting them."

"Would you like to meet Unicorns that have met them?"

"Would they talk to me?"

"If you were nice." Akria regarded her teacher thoughtfully.

"Will I have to be silent if asked by the others just as they won't speak to me?"

"Yes for they won't believe you." Noreen concentrated on reading Akria's body language. If the filly became scared, she would run and tell the others. Above all, Noreen wanted to keep the Portal and the Futures a secret. She had no idea how the Alphas would react or how the other equines would for that matter. "There is a way, but, afterwards, you cannot tell another soul."

"I think I can handle it." Akria smiled brightly at Noreen and the mare felt her resolve shiver for a moment. There was no telling how Akria would react either to the desolate wasteland of the Futures home, but if they wouldn't at least see Akria, she was going to bring her to them. There was no other way as far as she could see.

"Good, come with me before I change my mind," the elder mare said quickly. Turning abruptly, she headed for the Portal. She wasn't as far from the cliff wall that concealed it as she had thought, but she didn't care. The quicker this was done, the better. She paused outside of the Portal long enough for the filly to come close to her side. "When we step through, everything will change except us. You mustn't cry out for no one will hear you and no one will answer. I will be beside you so do not worry." Before Akria could answer, Noreen stepped through, pulling her friend's white mane.

There was the awful feeling of falling for a second before their hooves collided with the ground of another world. Akria looked about her in shock. Metal buildings sprang from the ground, the metal ground seeming to choke the very air as it kept anything from growing. There were strange flying vehicles over another part of the city, but the thing that frightened the young filly the most was the creature standing right in front of them. It was so obviously a Unicorn, but it was a collage of angry mechanical pieces and broken flesh. She felt herself stagger backwards a step as the cold, unfeeling, mechanical eyes focused on her.

"Noreen, what have you done?" the grinding voice asked, mechanical humming making the voice seem flat and strained.

"Akria, meet Eagleye."

"Akria?" the stallion asked. He seemed to stare at her, his soulless eyes penetrating her.

"Yeah, that'd be me," she answered uncertainly, her throat struggling to make a sound. "Where am I?"

"Eagleye, this is my Akria, from the Land of Power. She wants to meet and understand Humans. I want her to meet Turbo," Noreen said flatly.

"This is a nightmare, right?" Akria asked suspiciously.

"You know that Turbo won't come when called."

"We have to try."

"Any minute I'll wake up by the lake and you'll be laughing at me like a squirrel that fell out of a tree." Eagleye shifted his gaze to the young white filly that was slowly backing away from the two older Unicorns. "This can't be real, there is no way it can be." He noted the shift of her color from fear to defiance. "It can't be, metal can't be touched, and it has to be overcome. There is no way that this can exist." He felt the air tense with the panic that was starting to claw through the filly's being. He took a step forward just as she tumbled backward into the Portal.

"Why did that happen?" he asked Noreen, but the Rememberer was staring at him.

"You didn't see it?"

"See what?"

"The fear was plainly written in her eyes. You honestly don't remember a time when all Unicorns feared metal, machinery, being trapped, and confined? The Land of Iron is farther gone than I had thought. As far as she is concerned, you are trapped in a metal shell without any way of getting out."

"You are wrong," he said without feeling, his enhanced eyes measuring the Portal and calculating where it began and ended. "She wasn't frightened by me. There was something else that she saw, something that neither of us can see."

"Like what?"

"Ghosts," came a voice from behind them. Both turned to see a figure standing just within the shadows, a metal forefoot shining in a ray of artificial light. Turbo looked back at them, a red eye glaring at them with rage and hate as it caught stray light and reflected it back at them.

"You?" Eagleye asked.

"No," came the strict answer. "There are things in each dimension that are the same and those that are different. She doesn't know who I am or who I was. She was only aware that everything she loved was gone. No more trees, no grass, lakes dried up, and rivers gone dry. Everything she cared for was gone and it petrified her." Noreen looked at the shadowed being closely.

"Did something like that happen to you?" she asked slowly. Turbo only glared at her. "I know Akria and have been told that that was once your name as well. Is that why you changed from a happy filly to a battle mare?" There was no other way for Noreen to express the change that she could think of.

"Something happened, but that filly isn't me or ever has been."

"How? I thought-"

"That these two worlds were one and the same? No, they are different. I am Turbo, a cybernetically enhanced Unicorn that has been stripped of flesh and hide. I am not Akria. Not anymore. That being is nothing but simple flesh." Eye glinting with malice, Turbo pulled back further into the shadows before disappearing.

"What's wrong?" Eagleye asked Noreen. He wasn't all that surprised by Turbo's statement, she was known for her bluntness. The shock on Noreen's face actually frightened him.

"We are simple flesh to her, insulting beings," Noreen whispered. "From where she stands, we aren't fit to survive."

"Why would you say that?"

"That's why she wouldn't come when you called her to help me. That's why she stopped long enough to frighten Akria back through the Portal. She doesn't want us here, Eagleye. She thinks that we are weak. She wants us to die."

"How do you know?" he asked, her certainty making him nervous.

"Your metal enhancements missed one thing. Some Unicorns are amazing mind-speakers when they are born and can transmit feelings with their words. While she was speaking, she told me she wanted us gone. That's why Akria was so frightened. Turbo scared her." She looked at Eagleye, her eyes sad with regret and submission. "She hates us and she hates herself for losing what little of her was us. You had better speak to her, Eagleye, she is suffering." Eagleye watched the mare walk back through the Portal before looking back to where Turbo had stood. There was no sign that the mare had ever been there, but he still shuddered. He had used his vision to observe Noreen's physical being as she had spoken. She was telling the truth and it was scaring her. For her to have caught something that he had missed, she had to be frightened and Turbo didn't want anyone to know. What Noreen didn't know was that unstable Futures were disposed of in very frightening and often painful ways. He had to find Archival before anyone else found out. Running, he left the Portal far behind.

On the other side in the Land of Power, Akria was hiding beneath her forelegs, her fright causing her to have curled up beside the Portal in a pathetic position. Noreen nuzzled and cuddled her until the filly stood on shaky feet and headed for the herd, the comfort of friends waiting like a blanket of security that she could wrap herself in. Noreen looked back as she followed the young filly and remembered the sadness that had followed the brief mental link. "Something did happen to you," she whispered back, somehow hoping that Turbo could hear her. "Something made you change. You saw Akria and recognized her as you would a reflection. There is something in you that's burning and cringing in pain, but if you frighten everyone away, who will help you? Why won't you let us help you?" The Rememberer looked at the white filly that was starting to brighten as the sun warmed her pale hide. Akria skipped over the grasses, cantering with newfound joy. "Why won't you help yourself?"

Unknown to Noreen, Turbo did hear her. The mare had never left the vicinity of the Portal and her thoughts fell through the Portal like wisps of mist. Turbo snorted. "You could never understand," she hissed. "You are nothing more than simple flesh."