The two children started their journey into the unknown. Ice walked slowly so Celestia could keep up, without overlooking that they would be ulterly lost once they ran out of strength.
Their goal was to find other people who could help them and maybe explain what was going on, hoping that something didn't find them first.
Ice walked in contemplative silence, marveling at everything around him. The landscape was surreal, as intriguing as it was frightening. The two gigantic moons dominated the sky with their light, yet seemed so distant from the surface.
And then there was that unknown tower in the distance, as if it had stolen all the light for itself like an overly greedy firefly.
However, even though he seemed a little spaced out lost in the scenery, his mind was still racing. Ice was struggling inside, trying to piece together every single fragment of information he had.
'I don't remember anything except waking up here not long ago. But that can't be right. I am speaking a language, the same as Celestia, and I am obviously not a newborn. And then there's my name.'
No matter how hard he tried, he could not understand how his mind could be so empty and yet still hold some basic knowledge.
'I do not even have any idea what I look like. So how was I so sure this girl looked like me the moment I saw her?'
"Ouch."
Lost in thought, he felt a sharp pain on his wrist bringing him back from his fleeting thought.
He looked down and saw Celestia frowning at him.
"I repeat, do you have any idea how we are connected? Like I said, my memory is pretty fuzzy…" she said scrutinizing him "And we do look strangely alike."
He stared at her back, sighed, then said,
"I guess we are siblings then."
She giggled.
"Fine, I'll call you 'big brother'. That sounds better. I just wonder what kind of parents would name their kid Ice." He raised his eyebrows.
"Hey. Not even counting that we likely have the same ,you're not really in a position to judge with yours"
They fell silent for a second, then both let out a small laugh,which gave them a brief relief, pulling them slightly awy from their nearly hopeless situation.
They might not have known each other just moments ago, but oddly, already it felt like they could face the world side by side. As if they had been acquainted for ages.
They grew quiet again and kept walking in a darkness that no longer seemed absolute until Ice asked,
"Don't you think it's getting less dark?"
"Yes, I thought so too. But I figured maybe it was just our eyes adjusting."
He looked around before answering,
"Not just that—"
Celestia suddenly stopped, frozen like a statue. And just he was about to ask the reason for her halt, he froze too.
Footsteps echoed nearby, silencing him with his own words.
They turned toward the sound, and when they did, they saw a strange silhouette wandering in the darkness like a lost child.
It was a creature, several metres tall, slightly hunched over, with long teeth hanging down to its chin.
Ice did not need any special knowledge to know that this thing would be ulterly hostile to them .
'So that's fear,' Ice thought.
Seeing the beast, he realised fear was far from an abstract concept to him. Perhaps when he just awoke, his emotion were still asleep.
He could feel it completely now, and it could cloud his judgment like any other emotion could ever.
His trembling hands and his heart threatening to burst in his chest were proof enough.
'Do not come this way.' he pleaded.
As if mocking his silent prayer, the creature turned toward them and began moving slowly in their direction. Each step more threatening than the last.
Celestia's hand trembled so much in his own that he could barely feel his tremble any more. She seemed in complete shock, barely able to put one foot in front of the other to escape.
'I guess that's how a normal person would react.'
She recovered quickly, however, and tried to flee, the wisest choice, but Ice grabbed her arm firmly to stop her. And when she turned toward him, she saw him press a finger to his lips, telling her to stay silent.
She did not understand why he wanted her to stay still, but she obeyed anyway.
Even if he seemed a little strange and detached, Ice did not strike her as suicidal, nor as someone who would give up without a fight.
Maybe someone who would give up on her… that she did not yet know.
Ice forced himself to stay calm and appear as little panicked as possible.
"I don't think it can see us," he whispered. She shot him a doubtful look and whispered back, "Why do you think that?" He leaned closer. "If it could see us, it wouldn't be moving like that. I think it just heard our voices."
"All the more reason to run away," she whispered, still unconvinced.
"Think about it, if it heard us talking from that far, imagine the noise if we start running," he pointed out.
"So we wait. If it keeps going, maybe we will stay out of sight. With a little luck it is even blind. That would explain why we are the only ones who see it clearly."
She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. She stayed quiet, staring at the beast as it got closer. When it was close enough, they both held their breath and froze. It was as if the slightest movement could be the one that doomed them.
The creature passed right by, unaware. But then Celestia's stomach slightly rumbled. A sound as physiological as it was ridiculous, yet one that might very well get them killed.
They looked at each other for a brief instant before running as if their lives depended on it—because it did.
They did not need to check the beast to know it had noticed them. They could hear its sharp, piercing cries.
They bolted.
The beast lunged after them, its long legs carrying it forward in awkward strides. It was slower than Ice had expected, but it still kept up and showed no sign of tiring, while they were already almost out of breath.
Ice racked his brain for an idea, but the creature was gaining on them and they were slowing down.
No solution seemed possible.
We could split up. Maybe at least one of them would survive.
But he could not bring himself to this.
Even if it meant half a chance for both, he could not trust luck to protect her. He did not even want to be the one the beast would ignore. Not in the slightest. And it was not because he did not value his own life.
In fact, his desire to live was so intense it could almost burn their pursuer if he could manifest it. It was just that the girl he had just met had already become that important to him.
Besides, if he fell here, Celestia's already slim chances would drop to almost zero. She did not seem ready to face whatever might be lurking in this place.
Then again, who would be… Just as the beast was about to reach them, Celestia tripped and fell, unable to keep up with Ice's pace as he pulled her along.
Ice stopped immediately and threw himself over her without even thinking, shielding her with his body. The beast's claw struck his back, sending them flying several metres away before it resumed its charge toward them.
Ice lunged toward Celestia, who still had not gotten up, holding her tightly as they hit the ground and rolled to a stop. He hugged her closer, hiding his shaking arm while she cried, the creature almost upon them, waiting for what would surely be their death.
Then they heard a high-pitched sound, like glass shattering. It seemed almost insignificant, yet the beast slowed, took a step toward them, then another, and stopped completely.
It turned toward the noise and, miraculously, forgot about them. It moved away slowly until it vanished into the darkness, out of sight.
They stayed frozen in shock, barely believing they were still alive. But they were. Ice was scratched up, his back burning with pain, but considering what had just happened, they were quite lucky.
'Who was that?' he wondered, helping Celestia up.
"You okay?" he asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice. "Yeah… my foot just hurts a bit. I'm sorry I'm such a burden," she said with teary eyes.
He managed a small smile and patted her head. "Don't worry. It was my choice. I don't know how, but I promise we will get through this."
"Of course we will." A voice answered from the darkness, approaching slowly. They turned to see someone step into the light—a boy about their age, carrying a torch in one hand and a sword in the other. He was pale, with blond hair and sharp red eyes.
"Who are you?" Ice eyes narrowed. Saviour or not, he could not let his guard down, not when he knew so little about this place.
"I'm Ray," the boy said.
"You two don't seem to have any idea where you are, do you?"
"Yeah, absolutely no idea," Ice replied.
Ray smirked "To sum it up, we are in a place for the worst criminals… No, that's not quite right. This is where brave men end up when their bravery finally runs out," declared Ray.
Then he smiled slightly.
"Welcome to the Prison of Time."