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OTR: The Fall of the Night

pre

"Nice hair!" Bolt called noticing the awkward situation he had placed her in, eliciting laughter from the crowd, "Anyway, back on track!" The crowd settled down, and focused on the stage once again. "I've also been told to inform everypony, that the crystal mines contained within this mountain, are officially closed!" Bolt announced, earning yet another cheer from the crowd, "The gems may be valuable, but the dangers presented by working there are simply too great a risk!" Again, the crowd started talking amongst itself, however, Bolt, on the other hoof, had something whispered in his ear. Clearing is throat, he got attention once again. "I think that this prelude had gone on long enough!" Bolt said, "Without further ado, I give you, the new rulers of this land, Celestia and Luna!" The crowd broke out into the loudest cheer that any of them had ever heard. The two sisters timidly walked out on to the stage, wearing extravagant dresses that matched their coats, and dragged along behind them. The band started to play once again, and continued until Luna and Celestia stood on either side of the podium. After another moment of silence, an old stallion took Bolt's place in the center. "Everypony, please!" The pony announced, trying to silence the crowd. Clearing his throat, he cast a spell, making a large bell appear above his head. When everypony continued cheering, he conjured a large hammer that struck the bell, making a deafening ringing sound. Immediately the crowd silenced. "Thank you," He said, smiling, clearing his throat, and speaking as clearly as he possibly could, "Now, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Star Swirl the Bearded, formally, the professor of harmonious magic, under Discord himself." Some quiet murmuring broke out in the crowd. "Don't go thinkin' that I'm a bad guy!" Star Swirl said, "These two have saved me, just as much as they saved everypony here!" The murmuring silenced. "Now, as some of you may already know, this coronation is more than a simple ceremony." Star Swirl explained, "I plan on casting an ancient spell, often used by ponies in the past to ensure their rule over their given kingdom would remain for generations." Celestia looked to Luna, becoming more and more worried about this spell as his description went on. "I'm sure that you both have many questions..." Star Swirl said, "And I promise that I'll answer them all for you, once we're done here." The sisters nodded. "So, you two're?" Star Swirl asked, looking back and forth between the sisters. Luna moved from her spot, on the stage, and moved next to her nervous sister. "Yes." Luna said, looking at Celestia, earning a smile from her. "Yes." Celestia said, looking back to her sister. "Alright," Star Swirl said, walking toward the pair, "This may pinch a bit..." The next thing the crowd knew, the entire stage went white. /-/ "Do you see that?" Dash asked, "What's he doing?" "I think he's making them... Immortal." Alex said, trying to focus on the bright light on stage. "Geez..." Dash said to herself, shielding her eyes, "What's with magic these days, and being so flippin' bright?" The light eventually subsided, leaving the same three ponies on stage, but two of them looked remarkably different. "They're so much bigger now!" Dash said in disbelief. "You make them sound fat." Alex laughed. "Well, you know what I mean!" Dash said, "They're not as big as in our time though." Alex simply nodded. "This must be so scary for them..." Dash said quietly. /-/ The first thing Celestia was able to see when the light subsided was her sister. Thanks to her dark coat, she stood out from the fading light. And what she saw truly shocked her. Her sister was now much larger than the size she had been previously. And her hair was flowing with some kind of energy... It looked like she had the night sky in her mane. "Sister..." Luna said, "You're so different!" Celestia immediately wondered what had been changed about her. Turning her head, she saw that her hair was a solid pink. "So are you!" Celestia said back, taking a step toward her sister, inspecting her closely. For a moment, the two forgot about the crowd, and the fact that they were being made the new rulers of Equestria, and simply looked over each other, like two giddy fillies. "And with that, I can now officially say, that Equestria has two new rulers!" Star Swirl, to cheering from the crowd, "Celestia, the goddess of the sun, And Luna, the goddess of the moon! Our immortal queens!" "Wait." Luna said quickly, "Did you say immortal?" /-/ "They look different from how they look in our time," Dash observed, "They're not quite the princesses we know yet." "Give them some time," Alex said, "A long time passes between now and then." "They seem to be doing better than I thought they would," Dash said. "Maybe they're not scared." Alex said simply, as the crowd cheered around them, "They look pretty confused though." "They have each other," Dash smiled, "They'll be fine as long as they have that." "But..." Alex began, knowing what was coming for those two. "Hey Alex, Rainbow Dash!" Derpy said, flying over to them, "That was amazing, huh?" "It really was something!" Alex agreed. "I'm happy for them!" Dash smiled. "Excuse me!" A voice said from the stage, pulling attention away from their conversation. "Celestia and I, wanted to thank Bolt for everything he has done for Equestria, without him, we wouldn't be here right now!" Luna announced to the crowd, "So, we're naming him the captain, of his brand new messenger team, The Wonderbolts!" "We hope that this fine group of fliers, can be used for delivering messages throughout Equestria, without the need of advanced magic!" Celestia added. "So... wait," Dash said, "The Wonderbolts started out as a bunch of... mail ponies?" "Wow!" Derpy said, her eyes glittering with excitement, "I'm a mail pony!" "Yes you are!" Alex laughed. "All members of this team, will take residence in the castle, and perform under both Celestia and myself!" Luna announced. Dash giggled. "I know why you're laughing, Dash," Alex said, "And that's dirty." Dash burst into laughter. Alex couldn't help but smile. 'Perform UNDER them.' "I don' get it...." Derpy said quietly. "We should probably get going," Alex said pushing the thought from his mind, "We have more ground to cover." Dash nodded, trying her best not to laugh again, wiping a tear from her cheek. "L-let's go...!" Dash stammered, snarking. "Yeah yeah," Alex smiled, "Calm down." /-/ Luna had put on a good face for her announcement of the Wonderbolts, but... Had she truly been made immortal? Sure, she was an entirely new pony now... But... immortal? Surprisingly, Celestia had been just fine with this, which led Luna to think that she was over thinking this. If Celestia could do it, so could she! Maybe she just needed a night to let it all sink in... She was never going to die. Okay, maybe a bit longer than one night. /-/ The three headed back to the Doctor's ship and went inside. "How was it?" The Doctor asked, "Did you guys like the song they played at the very beginning? I helped write it!" "Uh..." Alex said, knowing that he had been pretty busy, at that particular moment, "It was a great... song... I think." The Doctor frowned. "You didn't even hear it, did you?" "We were just preoccupied!" Dash blurted, "We wandered too far from the podium, and got lost on the way back." "Early Canterlot is a tough place to walk around," The Doctor said, "I got lost for almost a whole hour once! ...Is an hour a long time to be lost?" "So this WAS Canterlot!" Dash said. "Sure is!" The Doctor said, "Lots changes in the next thousand years." "Cool!" Derpy said, "It's a lot of fun seeing all this stuff!" "That's great!" The Doctor beamed, smiling toward her. Alex and Dash looked at each other with a knowing glance. 'He's into her.' Alex mouthed. Dash nodded. "So!" Alex said, "Where to next?" "Well, why don't we check in say... ten years from now?" The Doctor said, "Things were very foreign for the Princesses when they first started, however; it was only ten years from now when things started to go downhill." Flipping a switch, and turning a dial, the TARDIS came to life once again. "Allons-y!" The Doctor smiled, before realizing that he hadn't shown them the past version of himself. Great, now his awesome mood was ruined. //// You Shouldn't Peep on a Princess //// Alex, Dash, Derpy and The Doctor stepped out of the ship, and into what was now Canterlot. "Wow!" Dash said, starting to recognize the town much more now, "THIS is what I'm talking about!" Canterlot had come a long way in a short ten years. The town was now much more pristine, and white than it had just been for them. Ponies walked through the streets, clearly happier than they had been. "Wear these!" The Doctor said, lifting three necklaces up, that were looped on his foreleg, each having a simple silver box in the middle, "As long as you have these on, it'll make you go unnoticed by everypony. But you won't be invisible! So don't make any loud noises that'll attract attention!" "So, it's different from the ship?" Alex asked. "Exactly! It kept us invisible! These won't do that!" The Doctor said, "So, don't take them off!" "Got it!" The three said in unison. "I wanna go check out the castle!" Dash said, "Are we safe to go there?" "Of course," The Doctor said, "Just don't make a commotion." Dash and Alex nodded. "Can I come?" Derpy asked the two. "Sure," Alex smiled, "What about you, Doctor?" "Of course!" He said, "I haven't had a good walk in Canterlot in months!" The group headed away from the TARDIS, and walked toward the castle. However, times were different then they had been ten years ago. Castle walls had been erected, and the streets were as confusing as ever. *Achoo* Everypony looked to Dash, as she lightly rubbed her nose. "Do you guys smell that dust?" She asked, breathing carefully, not wanting to sneeze again. "The castle gets renovated every now and then," The Doctor shrugged, looking to the section of the building that was being worked on, "Oh! They're making the library! It's a good library." "Egghead..." Dash said under her breath. "I'm not an egg head!" The Doctor said quickly, "I'm a nerd! There's a huge difference!" They all laughed as they continued on their way. As they wandered, they came to a point overlooking the side of the mountain, toward where Ponyville was going to be. And sitting there, were several couples, all on benches that had been built there. "Hey Alex," Dash whispered to him, "Isn't this where we... you know... " "I think so..." Alex said, approaching a sign that sat next to the benches. The Doctor, Dash, And Derpy all watched as he read the sign. "Lovers Outlook," Alex read, "Erected after two ponies were seen expressing their love for one another physically, in celebration of Discords Defeat." "Are you serious?" Dash whined, "We weren't THAT physical." The Doctor and Derpy both looked at them. "It was pretty physical..." Alex corrected. "Oh look!" Dash said, changing the topic, "There's the entrance to the castle!" "Let's go!" Alex laughed, running toward the gates with her, leaving The Doctor and Derpy a bit confused. "Did they make out in front of a bunch of ponies or something?" The Doctor asked. "I think they did more." Derpy said. "Uh..." The Doctor said, "Let's not lose them, yeah?" "Right!" Derpy agreed, heading off toward them. //// The four walked into the castle foyer, and saw two distinctive things. First, a large line of ponies were lined up outside the throne room. Second, the pony they had all seen ten years ago, Bolt, who was adorned in a suit of armor, was heading down a corridor often checking to see if anypony was behind him. "We should follow him!" Dash said, "Can we, Doctor?" "Feel free!" He answered, "You don't need my permission for everything! "I wanna know what he's hiding!" Dash said excitedly. "Yeah, that's not rude." Alex laughed. "This line of ponies is here to see Celestia," The Doctor said, "I'm going to go see what they're all here to ask for." "I'll see too!" Derpy said to him. "Come on Alex!" Dash said, nudging his side, "I don't wanna lose him!" Alex nodded, and headed down the corridor with Dash, in pursuit of the rainbow maned colt. //// The two had followed him through several twists and turns, until he finally arrived at the bottom of one of the castles towers. It was in such an obscure place, Alex was surprised that he had even been able to find it. The pony ascended a large staircase, and headed for the top of the tower. "What do you think he's doing?" Alex asked. "I don't know..." Dash said, "But he's been checking for ponies following him for the entire trip... So he doesn't want anypony to find out." "Let's follow him!" Alex said, suddenly very interested in what he was up to. "Geez! Calm down!" Dash teased. Walking up the stairs quietly, they followed him until they reached the top of the tower. Giving one last glace around him, Bolt knocked on the door quietly. "Come in," A voice said from the other side of the door. Bolt smiled, and entered the room, leaving the door open a crack. "You weren't followed?" Alex and Dash heard from the door, as they walked forward to peek in. "Of course not, Luna." Bolt said. Alex and Dash looked at each other, but didn't say a word. Reaching the door, the two looked through the small crack that was still open. Inside, they could see Bolt, and Princess Luna involved in a deep kiss. "Should we be watching this...?" Alex asked. Finally separating, the two smiled at one another. "I hate that we have to keep our relationship a secret like this..." Bolt said, lightly stroking the side of her face, "I wish that things could be normal for us." "You know that would be impossible," Luna said sadly, "I am a Princess... and immortal." "I know..." Bolt said quietly, "But, couldn't you just leave it all behind?" "You know I can't," Luna said sadly, "I have responsibility." "To live a life, where everypony you love grows old and dies around you?" Bolt asked, "Its torture!" "I agree," Luna said in a shaky tone, "However, I owe it to Celestia that I stay by her side." Bolt was silent. Luna was clearly a bit shaken up over something, "Do you remember what we discussed last time we were here?" "About the--" Bolt said, immediately understanding what she was referring to, "Yes... What did you find out?" "Well... I'm--" *Achoo* Alex looked at Dash, absolutely horrified. She had just sneezed, at the BEST part. "Who's out there?" Bolt called. Immediately casting a spell, Alex teleported the two of them away, not caring where they ended up. Bolt opened the door, and saw that the tower was empty. "We'll continue this conversation in a few minutes at dinner." Bolt said, walking out the door, "I need to check on the Wonderbolts, and make sure they're ready for tomorrow's show." Luna nodded, a sad look on her face. "I will announce my news then." Heading back down the tower, Bolt sighed. He already knew what she was going to say. And he wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or not. //// "You sneezed!" Alex shouted, standing on the roof over the throne room, "It was just getting good!" "Sorry..." Dash said quietly. "Dang... Now we'll never know!" Alex sighed, sitting down. "Maybe we'll find out later." Dash said. "I hope so..." Alex muttered, being a bit of a baby. /-/ The Doctor and Derpy walked past the outrageous numbers of ponies that were lined up toward the throne room. "What are they all doing here?" The Doctor asked, "The Princesses would never get work done if they were dealing with their subjects all day..." Walking into the throne room, The Doctor was a little surprised at what he saw. These ponies were simply walking in, just so they talk to her? "That's a bit odd," The Doctor laughed, "I guess I never knew what kind of pony she was way back then." "Maybe she's just enjoys it!" Derpy suggested. "She's just like them, deep down." The Doctor reasoned, "She wasn't born a Princess, but now that she is, she tries her best to keep herself on their level." "Good for her!" Derpy cheered. The Doctor nodded, "You can't let your ego get too big." The Doctor simply watched the Princess, as Derpy looked around the room, seeing just how different it was a thousand years from now. "Wow!" Derpy said, looking upward, "There are two ponies on the roof!" The Doctor looked up, and sighed. "Why are they on the roof...? Would you mind going and getting them?" The Doctor asked, "I'm a bit challenged in the flying department this regeneration." "Sure!" Derpy said, trotting out of the room. //// Derpy flew outside, and made her way up to the roof, where Alex and Dash were lounging on the roof. "You guys should come inside!" Derpy said, "The Dentist doesn't want you on the roof!" "Dentist?" Alex asked, "You mean, Doctor?" "A dentist isn't a doctor?" Derpy asked. "Well... Um... I guess." Alex couldn't trump her logic. *Achoo* Alex frowned. "Why are you sneezing, Rainbow Dash?" Derpy asked. "I don't know!" Dash said, "This is annoying as all hay!" "Well, maybe we can get you some medicine!" Alex suggested, recalling all the potions Zecora had made for them, "Are there any zebras in this town?" "Hey!" Derpy and Dash said together. "Don't be a racist!" Dash said sternly. "Yeah!" Derpy agreed, "A racer-ism is wrong!" "I... Okay." Alex said, knowing there was no winning this. /-/ Celestia walked down the main corridor, to the dining hall. Luna had informed her of some kind of news she wished to share with her, Bolt, and other close advisors to the throne. But, for some reason, during her trip, she couldn't help but feel that she was being watched. Nopony had caught her eye when she turned around to check. So, she just assumed that it was her imagination. Entering the room, Celestia walked past her sister and several other ponies as she headed to the head of the table. Taking her place, Celestia immediately notice that the room was eerily silent. "How was everypony's day?" Celestia asked brightly. "Mine was good," Luna smiled, "How did you enjoy your fans?" "Ponies seem to want to thank me just for... being me," Celestia laughed, "I can't help that." "They don't do that while I am at the throne," Luna smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe they just like me better!" Celestia teased. "Perhaps they do," Luna laughed, not doubting that fact for a moment. "So, sister," Celestia said, wanting to get this meeting on track, "What was the news you wished to deliver to me?" Luna looked around the room nervously, knowing that this was going to cause unrest. "I..." Luna said slowly, "I'm going to take up the Crystal Empire on their offer." "What?!" Celestia shouted, standing up, "Luna, you can't be serious!" "They requested our help," Luna said simply, "They are in need of a proper kind of governing body." "Sister, we both know that this could easily take a year to resolve!" Celestia pleaded, "Bolt is more than capable of doing this." "I'll need to take him as well," Luna said, "This is a two pony job." "You... You can't...!" Celestia stammered. "I'm sorry, Celestia," Luna said unhappily, "We both know that the chances of this working increase with one of us doing the job personally." Celestia remained silent. "Please, sister..." Luna said, "I implore you to understand this choice!" "I... I wish to speak with you in private," Celestia said. Luna nodded. Celestia walked from the table, and headed back toward the throne room. It was empty now, and would be the perfect place to speak privately. Luna stood up, gave Bolt a single glance, and then followed her sister. //// "Luna," Celestia said, holding her voice back from cracking, "Why have you suddenly changed your mind?" Luna was silent, she had no answer for her sister. "You were against either of us personally going when we were asked last month," Celestia said, "Why have you changed your mind? What's happened?" "Sister..." Luna said, "This is for the good of the crystal ponies." Celestia shook her head angrily, "Do you think I don't know you?" Luna gave Celestia a guilty look. "You have been my best friend for my entire life!" Celestia said, "Why would you lie to me?" Luna thought to herself for a moment, before coming to a middle ground, "I... wish to have some time with Bolt." Celestia looked shocked. "The two of us have become... Involved." Luna said, "I wish to spend some time alone with him." "Luna..." Celestia said, a bit surprised that this had been her explanation, "Why didn't you tell me about you two?" "Well, I wasn't sure how you would have felt about the topic." Luna explained, "And I know it wouldn't look good for me, if everypony knew that I was involved with a close advisor of the crown." Celestia nodded, accepting that both of them needed some time away every now and then, "But sister... An entire year?" "It won't take that much time," Luna said, happy that her sister wasn't yelling anymore, "The two of us are a good team, regardless! We'll have the Crystal Kingdom sorted in no time!" Celestia sighed, then finally nodded. "Thank you, sister!" Luna said happily. "If there was a stallion I was involved with, I know that I'd want some time with him," Celestia smiled, "And besides... He's growing older." Luna nodded sadly, "His time is limited... Ours is not." "But, promise me... You'll hurry back," Celestia said softly, a tear coming to her eye, "I don't know what I'd do without you here to help me..." "You're a great Princess," Luna encouraged, "Just look at all those ponies that you have to talk to! You're so popular!" Celestia blushed lightly, "I'm a princess, I certainly hope that I'm popular!" /-/ The four invisible ponies watched the scene develop in silence. Unfortunately, Dash started to have that feeling again. "Aaa--" Dash inhaled, earning a look from the ponies around her. "Aaaaaaaa--" Alex went wide eyed. "CHOO!" Dash sneezed, causing the two sisters to look in their direction in confusion. "Who's there?" Luna shouted, her horn glowing. "Guards!" Celestia called, suddenly seeing four ponies in the corner, that she hadn't noticed before. "Crap," Alex said, "Everypony hold on..." The three ponies each put a hoof on Alex's back, as he teleported them away from the throne room. //// Reappearing in front of the parked TARDIS, Alex couldn't help but laugh. Dash was dangerous to have along during construction work. "So, we know that Luna is going to the Crystal Empire, to spend time with her lover," The Doctor explained, "But we still don't know how you fit in to all of this, Alex." "So, where to next?" Alex asked. "Well, things definitely got worse a year from now," The Doctor explained, "We're going to go to the final days of Luna's time there, and see the events that unfolded." Everypony nodded. "It gets worse from here on in," The Doctor warned, "Please remember that." //// The Worst Choice She Ever Made //// Luna sat in her room at the top of the crystal castle, and looked out on the beautiful, and contrasting horizon in front of her. Immediately below her, was a beautiful town, filled with bustling ponies that were all going about their daily lives. On the other hoof, beyond the limits of the Kingdom, was nothing but ice and snow. Magic had been used to ensure that this land would remain fertile, and life sustaining, despite the harsh landscape it was built on. Walking in the room, Bolt smiled brightly at Luna, "So, it looks like we're just about done here." Luna was happy to hear those words. She longed to go home; she longed to see her sister again. However, there was just one thing that she was going to have to work out with Celestia... "How're you doing?" Bolt asked. "WE are fine." Luna corrected, rolling on her side, exposing her swollen stomach to the Stallion. "Of course," Bolt said, kneeling down next to her, kissing her stomach softly, "I always love to hear that my girls are happy." Luna smiled sincerely, "Thank you for working so hard for me..." "I don't mind," Bolt smiled, "Besides, pretending to be bedridden to hide your pregnancy was our only option." Luna nodded, and fell back on her bed, and closing her eyes. "What's the plan for tomorrow?" "We're going to officially crown the new leader of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra." Bolt smiled, lying down next to her in the bed, "Everypony will finally be able to move on with their lives, and we can go home." As excited as Luna was to see Celestia, she wondered how her sister would react to her having a child. Of course, she knew that Celestia wouldn't be able to stay mad, especially with a foal involved in the situation... At first, Luna wasn't sure if she was even going to go back to Canterlot. She had considered running away with Bolt, and living a normal life. She had even written a letter to Celestia, and left it in her journal back in Canterlot, as a sort of goodbye, telling her sister that she was resolved to leave. But, she had decided not to run away. Her child would receive a great life in Canterlot. "When do we go back, by the way?" Luna asked. "Two weeks," Bolt smiled, "But... That's nothing compared to what we've been through." "I just hope they pass quickly," Luna said, "I would be much happier to birth the child in Canterlot." "I understand," Bolt said, "Perhaps we could get out of here a few days early." "I'd love that," Luna smiled, "Let's retire for the night." Bolt nodded, and lay down next to her in the bed. "I love you, Luna," Bolt said to her. "I love you too, Bolt." Luna sighed, casing a spell, extinguishing the torches. /-/ The Doctor was speechless, something that his companions quickly noticed. "What's wrong?" Derpy asked. "She... She was pregnant..." The Doctor said in disbelief. Alex scratched his head, "I've never heard her mention kids..." "You're right!" Dash agreed, "I know the royal family is a bit confusing... But I've never heard of Luna having children." Alex thought for a second. If the Doctor didn't even know that she was ever pregnant... Does that mean that something happened to the child? Alex didn't like that thought at all... "What's up with this Crystal Kingdom too?" Dash asked, "Why haven't I heard of this place?" "You'll see," The Doctor said simply, "I brought us here a night early." "I don't feel like we're going to find out what I have to do with the Elements here..." Alex said. "No... I don't think so," The Doctor said, "But, this is something we need to see, don't you think?" Alex nodded. "What next, then?" Dash asked. "Well, if I remember right," The Doctor said, "Luna was rushed to the hospital just after the induction of King Sombra." "And you never knew why?" Alex asked. "Everypony just assumed that she was having complications with her mystery illness," The Doctor explained. "So..." Alex said, trying to find the right words, "She lost the child." The two girls gasped. The Doctor simply looked at the ground solemnly. "We don't know that for sure though, right?" Dash asked. "Well, what else could have happened?" Alex asked. "Let's find out!" Dash said, "I... I don't want to go on without finding out!" "She's right!" The Doctor said, "There's no use being so negative!" Alex nodded, still convinced that this was going to end sadly for them. "While Luna was in the hospital, The Crystal Kingdom was taken over by their new leader, King Sombra," The Doctor explained, "Whatever happened to her, would have happened then." "Let's go already!" Dash said impatiently. "Sheesh!" The Doctor said, "You've got no patients whatsoever!" "Not at a time like this!" Dash whined. "Come oooooon!" Derpy added. Not saying a word, the Doctor reached behind him, and pulled a string. The TARDIS turned back on, and started moving again. After a few minutes of grinding, the ship came to a stop. Silence filled the air, as the group approached the door. However, as soon as the door was opened, a mass amount of screaming could be heard coming from outside. "Are we safe out there?" Alex asked. The Doctor nodded, "We're right outside the hospital right now, it's safe for now." "For now?" Alex asked. "Don't worry," The Doctor said, "We'll be out before anything happens." Nopony liked the sound of that. /-/ Princess Celestia, accompanied by a group of her elite guard, walked through the halls of the Crystal Kingdoms hospital. As soon as news of King Sombra's hostile takeover reached Canterlot, the Princess went into action. She had been begged to stay behind by the captain of the guard, but Celestia ignored him. King Sombra had been waiting for this. Unknown to everypony until now, he was extremely well versed in the ways of chaotic magic. And used this magic to almost instantly gain control of the entire Crystal Kingdom. And with the Crystal Heart locked away by Sombra, they had no way of countering his magic. And now, a group of his followers were moving on the hospital to take Princess Luna hostage. Hearing this was happening, Celestia put on her Element of Harmony, and instantly transported herself, and her team here to extract Luna. "Why didn't she come home when she got sick..." Celestia said to herself as they headed to the ward Luna had been placed in. "Your majesty, I implore you... Let us handle this!" The guard asked. "I cannot," Celestia said sternly, "I will not sit and wait for news of my sisters wellbeing." A loud crashing was heard behind them, as a group of Sombra's loyalists broke in through a window. Sombra's army consisted mostly of crystal unicorns, that all wore dark red armor, covering their bodies completely, save their face. Celestia had rarely seen Crystal Ponies, but their natural shimmering look had always been beautiful to her. Except now, however. "Look!" One of them called, "Both Princesses are here!" "Just as hot as her sister!" Another said. The guards all took a defensive position in front of Celestia. "Maybe the boss'll let us have some fun with 'em!" The first laughed. Celestia didn't even turn to look at them. As the group approached the Princess and her Guard, a massive wall of flame appeared in front of them, blocking their paths. "What the--" One said, "You think that can stop us?" "I do." Celestia said quietly. Suddenly, the flames started to move in strange patterns, moving into itself, making a solid mass of fire, until it finally twisted into the shape of a dragon. "How did she do that?" "What is that?" "Is it alive?" The group of attackers were quickly cut off as the dragon started approaching them, shooting a breath of flame into the air. "R-retreat!" Their leader called, as they all ran out the way they came. Celestia's guard simply looked between one another in awe. They hadn't ever seen her in action. Now they understood why she insisted on coming. "How far are we?" Celestia asked. "The room at the end of the hall." A guard instructed. The group headed down the hall, and opened the door. And there, in the bed, was an unconscious Luna, with a unicorn above her, casting some kind of spell. Upon seeing the entrance of the Princess, the unicorn teleported itself away. "What did that pony do to her?" A guard asked, going to Luna's side." "I don't know," Celestia said, "But we're taking her home, and we'll have her looked after while we plan a counter attack." "What about Bolt?" A guard asked, "He's still here." Celestia knew that Luna was only here to spend time with him, but, right now, she needed to keep her sister safe. Bolt could take care of himself. Luna was sick, and under some kind of spell. She needed to be in a safe place. "Bolt can handle himself until we organize a counter attack," Celestia said, "We return to Canterlot now." The group nodded in agreement, and circled the bed that held Luna. Lifting her horn in the air, Celestia cast the same teleportation spell she used to get here, and sent Luna, herself, and their entire guard back to Canterlot. /-/ "Where's Bolt?" Dash asked, "Wouldn't he be with her?" "The nursery," The Doctor said. "Then let's go!" Dash said, running out of the room, having no idea where she was going. "We... Should probably follow her," The Doctor said. Alex nodded, and headed out the door with Derpy and the Doctor in tow. /-/ "Get back!" Bolt shouted, clutching a newborn foal to his chest, "Don't make me hurt you!" His daughter, only a few hours old, was a navy blue Pegasus, with a brighter blue mane, just as Luna's coat and mane had contrasted. A gang of ponies had surrounded bolt, obviously here to take him to King Sombra. "You're comin' with us," A grizzly red unicorn said, with no helmet, and several scars on his face. "King Sombra has plans for you." "What about the foal, boss?" One of them asked. "We can raise it to work the mines!" He laughed in response. Bolt growled. He had no feasible means of escape. Sure, he could try to fly over them, but over half of the ponies surrounding him were unicorns... It wouldn't take much to stop him in his tracks. Could he fight them? Under normal circumstances, he would have perhaps stood a small chance... But he was holding his child. And he wouldn't endanger her for anything. "Now, you're going to hand over the kid, and you're going to come with us." Their leader said, taking a step forward. Bolt took a step back in response; only further backing himself into the corner. The red unicorn approached Bolt, until he had forced him against the wall. Then, casting a spell, he started to pull the foal away from Bolt. "No!" Bolt shouted, not wanting to pull hard against the magic, knowing that he could hurt his baby. Suddenly, the red pony was lifted in the air, and thrown violently against a wall. As everypony watched the unconscious leader hit the ground, a white alicorn walked into the center of the group. "W-who are you?" Bolt asked, not sure if this pony was a blessing or a curse. The pony smiled cockily, looking through the crowd in front of him, "My name is Dax, and I'm way more useful than the pussy I've been stuck inside of." /-/ Moments Before /-/ The group followed Dash until they ran into a large crowd that had surrounded somepony. Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was Bolt. He stood in a corner, trying to defend his child. "W-we have to do something!" Dash said to Alex. Alex looked at the Doctor, who shook his head. Dash looked at Alex, her eyes starting to fill with tears. "You have to help him!" Dash pleaded. Alex was conflicted. He knew that intervening could have horrible consequences. But not intervening would make him a monster. Yes? Or no? 'You had better man the hell up.' A familiar voice said in his head. Dax. Go in and save the child? ...He was right. But, he didn't have the power to do it himself. 'Good,' Dax said, feeling Alex submit to his demand, 'Let me take a pass at these ponies.' Alex felt a surge of chaotic magic start pouring into him, as Dax took full control of him. Alex was aware though. Dax wanted him to see this Levitating the large pony that had corned Bolt off the floor, Dax threw him against the wall, laughing quietly to himself as the pony landed on the floor like a rag doll. Walking forward, Alex entered the group, and took a defensive stance over the Pegasus and his daughter. "W-Who are you?" Bolt asked. "My name is Dax, and I'm here to help you." Dax smiled cockily. Bolt swallowed hard, and nodded. "Stay behind me." Dax said simply, turning to face the crowd. "Do you think you're getting out of here alive?" A unicorn barked threateningly. "Funny, I was going to ask you the same question." Dax said seriously, before flashing a smile. Suddenly, the entire group was levitated off the floor. The unicorns tried desperately to cast some kind of magic to break his hold, but found it impossible. "You're lucky I'm such a nice guy," Dax laughed, throwing them all out a large window overlooking a small lake below the hospital. Bolt was stunned. "T-thank you!" Bolt said, shocked at the power he possessed. "I did it for the fun," Dax laughed, "It's always nice to get out, and flex my muscles." Bolt didn't know what that meant, but decided to roll with it. "You need to help me... I have to get my daughter out of here." Bolt said, "She's a very important foal." Dash, Derpy and The Doctor all approached Dax and Bolt. "Are you ponies with him?" Bolt asked them. "Wellll... Sort of." The Doctor said. "Let Alex back out!" Dash said angrily. "I just saved this pony, like you ASKED me too!" Dax laughed, "And you're angry?" "I asked Alex!" Dash shouted, "Not you!" "You know what?" Dax said, intentionally trying to piss Dash off, "I think I deserve some fresh air." "No!" Dash said instantly. "Alex is in here agreeing with me," Dax lied, tapping his head, "So, I'll stick around for just a little longer." "Look!" Bolt said, "I don't know what's going on, but we need to get out of here!" "We can get you out of here!" Derpy said happily, "There is a box we can use to go to the future!" Bolt wasn't so sure about this anymore. "She's joking," Dash cut in, "But we do have a way out." "Thank you," Bolt said, "I just need my foal taken to her mother." The Doctor frowned. This isn't how it was supposed to go. Luna doesn't have a child. "Let's just get out of here." The Doctor said finally. Bolt nodded as the five of them headed back toward the exit. As they moved, Dash made her way toward Dax, wanting to try and get rid of him again. "Can you please let Alex out?" Dash asked, "This isn't funny!" "I pretty much AM Alex," Dax said, pointing to himself, "I'm just way more exciting." "You're not Alex!" Dash argued, "You're nothing like him!" Dax sighed. He was told that too much. Of course,. So, instead of politely explaining that to her, he decided to piss her off further. "I was there, you know." Dax said confusingly. "You were... where?" Dash asked. "With you, when you and Alex shared your little 'wake up' kiss." Dax said, smiling knowingly. Dash immediately flushed. "Got a little intense, didn't it?" Dax laughed. "Y-you're just being a pervert!" Dash feebly argued. "Want to know a secret?" Dax asked, earning a concerned look from Dash, "I was the one egging him on. The one telling him to rub lower, and lower, and lower... Just like you wanted him--" Dash slapped him hard across the face. "If you ARE Alex, like you constantly say," Dash said angrily, "Then you're going to care if I ignore you!" Dash walked ahead, and walked with Bolt. 'Nice friggin' job!" Alex shouted at Dax, 'You screwed up! Let me back out!' 'No,' Dax said, 'I'm here to protect the kid. If I piss of Dash, what's the harm?' Alex growled. 'Chicks dig being treated badly, you know." Dax laughed. //// The King Himself //// The five exited the hospital, and headed for the TARDIS. The sky was black, and a thin red haze had seemed to engulf the entire Kingdom. It was a truly foreboding environment. "There they are!" A rough voice shouted from behind them. "Perfect." A deep voice answered. The five looked over toward the voice, and saw a large grey pony, with a black mane, wearing a suit of armor. "Sombra," Bolt said, clearly outraged with this pony. "That's KING Sombra to you, Bolt." He laughed, "And that's all thanks to you!" "Why have you done this?" Bolt asked, "Everything was looking up for the Crystal Empire!" "I did it for power!" Sombra laughed, "If I turn everypony here into slaves, they can collect enough material to arm my army to the teeth! We'll be able to march out of this Kingdom, and take over every town we come across!" "You plan on invading Equestria?" Bolt asked in disbelief, "We JUST freed the world of Discord's reign!" "Just Equestria?" Sombra laughed, "I plan on taking over the whole world!" "You're insane!" Bolt shouted. "Maybe," Sombra laughed, "But you have nothing you can do about it." Sombra quickly cast a spell, paralyzing everypony in front of him, broke from his crowd of armed guards, and walked toward them all. Casting his own spell, Dax freed himself from Sombra's magic. However, instead of simply attacking, he waited. The element of surprise would do him much more good than running at him and his army. "I see you have a foal there," Sombra said, circling Bolt, inspecting the surprisingly quiet child, "You're trying to save it from the hospital?" "I'll be back for the others after I finish beating the snot out of you!" Bolt shouted, avoiding the fact that this child belonged to him and Luna. "Even if you were to escape," Sombra laughed, "You won't be coming back for anypony." Bolt didn't understand. Laughing, Sombra turned to the hospital, and fired a dark blast into the side of the building, making the walls crack severely, as chunks started falling out of the side of the building, until the building was literally falling apart. After only a few seconds, the entire hospital had been reduced to a pile of rubble. "I guess there's nopony to save now!" Sombra laughed. "You monster!" Dash shouted, feeling tears start to fill her eyes. Dax was stunned. He couldn't believe what had just happened... He should have attacked when he had the chance. Bolt sighed, the nursery had been empty, so no children were killed in that collapse, but there were plenty of patients. He wanted to lunge at Sombra. He wanted to kill him. But he was stuck here. "So, is this your daughter?" Sombra asked, shocking bolt. However, he hadn't been referring to the foal. He was talking about Rainbow Dash. "Yes..." Sombra said, looking her over as she tried to restrain her tears over the collapse of the hospital, "You two carry yourselves the same way." "I only just met her," Bolt said, hoping to take his attention off of Dash. "Is that so?" Sombra asked, "Well, perhaps I'll take her anyway... I'll bet you could show me a good time." Raising a hoof to stroke her face, Dash tried to recoil, but was stuck in place. "Stop." Dax said angrily. Sombra looked over to the white alicorn, and saw the raw hatred radiating from his body. "I'm going to kill you," Dax growled. "Oh are you?" Sombra laughed, "You cannot even move!" "I'm going to kill you." Dax growled again. "Good luck!" Sombra laughed, "Even if you were free, you have no power compared to me!" Deciding to show off, Sombra started focusing all of his power at the base of his horn, making a strange ripple effect come off of his eyes, as if they were radiating heat. "Fancy," Dax said simply, angering Sombra. "Do I need to demonstrate my power to you?" Sombra shouted. "No." Dax said simply. Suddenly lunging at Sombra, Dax took him entirely by surprise, and connected with the strongest tackle he could manage. "What the--?" Sombra shouted as he was tackled away from Rainbow Dash, on to the ground. Dax surrounded his friends and Sombra within a shield, breaking the paralyzation spell on them, while simultaneously keeping them safe while he had his turn with the King. Dax decided against using magic to hurt the King, and started wailing on Sombra instead. Punching him over, and over, and over, and over, until his face was a bloody mess. Dax pulled away from the unicorn, his white hoofs red with blood, and walked backwards. Sombra struggled to stand after that. "I'll take your unconditional surrender now," Dax said, panting heavily. Sombra shot a bolt of magic at the shield, and broke it. Surprising Dax. "How do you know chaotic magic?" Sombra shouted, backing toward his army, "Your powers are impossible!" "I know," Dax said. Dax looked at the massive crowd behind Sombra. He didn't have the kind of energy to take them all on. But... did they know that? "I'm going to count to three." Dax bluffed, "You are all going to leave, or I'm going to personally dispatch each of you." A murmuring broke out among the crowd. Sombra glared at him, not sure if he was serious or not. Levitating a piece of the rubble from the hospital, Dax threw it into Sombra's face, cutting him deeply above his right eye. Collapsing to the ground, Sombra placed a hoof over his eye, and glared at Dax with his other. Dax leaned forward, and took an aggressive stance. "Come at me, Som-BRAH." Dax smiled cockily. "Did he just say that?" Bolt asked his friends, as they all shook their heads in disappointment. Sombra retreated into his group of soldiers, as they surrounded him tightly. "I'll be back for you," Sombra growled. "No, you won't." Dax laughed. Sombra motioned to his army to surround him, as he cast a large teleportation spell, creating a ring on the outside of them, that slowly closed in on the crowd, making each of them disappear as it passed them. "Before I go..." Sombra said, as his teleportation spell made its way toward him, "I want you to have this!" Sombra levitated a rapier from one of his soldier's scabbards, and threw it at Bolt, just as his spell reached him, teleporting him away. Bolt hadn't had time to avoid the attack. The thin blade passed through the hoof that held his child, into the foal, and then into his chest. He collapsed on the ground suddenly, shocking everypony. "No!" Dax shouted; rushing to Bolt's side. "I...I... Can't..." Bolt struggled to say, knowing that the sword had passed through his daughter, on its way to him. Dax swallowed hard as he repositioned himself to see the small foal as it struggled for breath, whining quietly. It's dark blue coat had turned to black as it's blood seeped from its wound. "I-I'm so sorry Luna..." Bolt struggled, his eyes filling with tears. "I couldn- Couldn't save her... I-I..." Bolt tried to form the words, but failed. He was dying... And he knew it. "No..." Dax whispered, lightly nudging the foal, receiving no response. Dash sobbed quietly on Derpy. Derpy herself was stunned beyond response. "Dax..." The Doctor said, fully expecting this kind of outcome, "This is how it needs to be..." Dax shook his head, still trying to get any kind of reaction from the foal. But, there was none... She was gone. "Luna could have never had that child," The Doctor said, knowing it made no difference to how he felt, "Not even Celestia herself could change this." "I don't care!" Dax shouted, "I'm not letting this happen!" Forcing every ounce of power into his horn, Dax achieved the same ripple effect in his eyes that Sombra had just had. Touching his horn to the child, Dax pushed that energy into the foal, causing it to twitch lightly in response. "No..." The Doctor said, stunned. The energy poured onto the foal as if it were water, and immediately coated her entire chest. It broke the rapier on both sides of the child, and pushed the remaining piece out of her. The small wound made by the sword quickly disappeared, leaving her skin as it had been a few moments before. A few seconds of silence passed, as the foal simply levitated in the air, turned blue by Dax's magic. And, after what seemed liked forever, the color faded, leaving her motionless in the air. Next, to everypony's happiness, the foal drew a breath. "Oh Celestia..." Dash said breathlessly. Dax sighed happily, panting from the massive power it had just taken from him. However, he still had one thing left to do. He needed to send this child somewhere safe... And suddenly, his mind came up with a place. He had no idea how it got there, but he went with it. Casting one final spell, she was lifted even higher into the air, and then suddenly disappeared. Dax collapsed on the ground next to Bolt, Struggling to stay conscious himself. "S-She's safe..." Dax said to him. Bolt simply nodded, tears streaming down his face, before closing his eyes, and surrendering to the darkness. Moments later, Dax himself was out cold. /-/ Luna shot up in her bed. Where was she...? What happened to her child? Or Bolt? "Call for the Princess!" A guard stationed next to the door shouted into the hall, "Her majesty has awoken!" "What happened?!" Luna shouted frantically, wanting any kind of information. "You were recovered from the Crystal Kingdom after King Sombra seized control." A guard explained to her, "You've been unconscious for almost three days." Luna's heart sank. "Where's Bolt?" Luna asked, "Where's my--" "Luna!" Celestia said coming in the room, "Thank heavens you're safe..." "What happened?" Luna asked again, "Bolt was with me in the hospital!" Celestia's expression hardened. "What?" Luna asked desperately. Silence filled the air. "Bolt was... Killed," Celestia finally said. "What?!" Luna shouted, "H-How?" "The hospital was destroyed by King Sombra himself... Everypony inside was killed..." Celestia said solemnly, not having any idea Luna had had a child at all, "His body was seen just outside the rubble." "W-were there any..." Luna tried to say, realizing that she would have already been told if her child had been recovered. "Even Stallion, Mare, and foal was killed." Celestia said, seeing the pain in her sisters eyes, "Luna... Sombra will pay for this." Luna was silent. "I'm so sorry, sister." Celestia said, having no idea what Luna had truly lost. "Leave me." Luna said quietly. Celestia looked to the guards and nodded, as they all left the room. "Come speak to me when you're ready, sister." Celestia said sadly, knowing that would probably take a long time. Hearing the door close behind her sister, Luna started to weep. She had lost so much more than anypony could have known. //// Alex struggled to open his eyes. He was exhausted... "Dax?" Dash asked him, as his eyes opened. "No..." Alex said, "It's me." "Thank goodness," Dash said, pulling Alex into a hug. "Where are we?" Alex asked, as Dash pulled away from him. "We're in my ship," The Doctor said quietly, "How are you feeling?" "Exhausted..." Alex admitted, "Did... Did all that just happen? Or was it all a dream?" "It happened," Dash said sadly, "But, you saved that foal." "Dax did," Alex sighed, "I didn't know he had it in him." "Where did it go?" Derpy asked. "He sent it somewhere... I don't know where that is though." Alex said. "It's safe though... right?" Dash asked. Alex nodded. Dash sighed happily. At least it hadn't turned out horribly. "He sent her away from Luna," The Doctor explained, "Her child survived, but the Princess will never know... I think History can cope with that." Alex nodded. "Dax saved her. Don't worry." A melancholy silence filled the air, as everypony wanted to ask one simple question. "What next?" Alex asked finally, "I... I don't know how much more of this I can take." "Do you want to go home?" The Doctor asked seriously. The group was silent. They had just been through worse than any of them had ever been. "We need to finish this," Derpy spoke up, surprising everypony, "I think we've seen too much to just give up..." Dash nodded, "She's right... We came here to do something, let's do it!" Alex nodded slowly, resolving to see this through to the end. The Doctor smiled. "Alright," He said, "But before we go to Night Mare Moon, I think we should watch the fall of Sombra." "Yes." Dash said, "I want to see him get his RUMP kicked!" "Now that I know how this all went down, I wouldn't miss it for anything." Alex agreed, "For Bolt, right everypony?" The three nodded. "Great." /-/ Aftermath /-/ Months had passed since King Sombra had taken over the Crystal Kingdom, however, his plans to invade Equestria had been stomped out. Princess Celestia had proven herself as quite the commander when it came to battling against Sombra's forces. She had fought them back, with great strategizing at every point he tried to take ground. Unfortunately for him, all of Equestria raised up in arms to help keep him away. Not even his sizable army of advanced magic users could stop them. Nopony even knew where he recruited those ponies. They weren't crystal ponies, they were just regular unicorns. Still, most of them had been defeated in battle, and locked away, leaving Sombra locked away in his city with only a few ponies left, behind a massive cloud of chaotic energy. Something that Celestia wouldn't be able to break herself. She would need Luna. Unfortunately, Luna hadn't been the same since the initial attack. She had been deeply traumatized by her loss of Bolt. However, Celestia was surprised that she hadn't moved past it by now. Celestia knew that Luna was heartbroken, and almost felt guilty for feeling the same way. Ever since Luna had heard of the attack, she had stopped truly being Celestia's sister. She had become a shell of the pony she had once been. And that hurt Celestia more than anything ever had. She had lost her sister. Her constant companion. Even though she was constantly surrounded by ponies that she trusted with her life, she had never felt so alone. Worse yet, Celestia had been somewhat preoccupied with the war they were waging, and hadn't had the time for Luna that she would have liked. Still... when this was all over with, she could put as much time into her sister as she wanted. Seeing that the sun had set, leaving only shining stars, Celestia sighed, and headed for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day of planning... She was also going to have to speak with Luna. Something that made her quite nervous... But, right now, there was a war to be won. And even if she was a completely different pony, she was needed her to get into the Crystal Kingdom. //// Luna sat on the balcony of her chambers, and stared at the night sky. It was a truly beautiful thing... She wished that she could lose herself in it, and never have to be exposed to the light of day again. The tears had run dry a few weeks ago, leaving her to simply dwell on everything she could have done. She COULD have stayed in Canterlot, and not hid the pregnancy, she COULD have saved Bolt, she COULD have tried to stop that unicorn, when it knocked her out in the hospital. But, all of these things were past. All she could do now, was dwell on them. "Luna?" Celestia said, entering the room. "Yes, sister..." Luna answered quietly from the balcony. "I have discussed the next move we plan to make on Sombra," Celestia explained, "We're taking the Crystal Kingdom back." Luna sat up, exposing her necklace to Celestia, "We're going for Sombra himself?" "Luna..." Celesta asked, seeing her Element of Harmony hanging around her neck, "Why are you wearing that?" "For this very moment, Sister," Luna explained emotionlessly, "So I can destroy Sombra myself." That wasn't the only reason she wore it, however, ever since the Crystal Kingdom, the necklace had started calling to her. Begging her to be worn. She hadn't expected such a calling to come from her Element of Harmony. So, finally giving in, she put it on, and instantly felt an old rush of power that she hadn't experienced since her and Celestia had defeated Discord. "Luna, you and I will be moving in on him, together." Celestia said seriously, "We need to break his shield, and bring him to justice." Luna was silent. "I know that Sombra did unforgivable things to you to you..." Celestia sighed, "I know how you feel--" "You know nothing!" Luna shouted angrily, her eyes glowing with her dark magical aura "We will move on Sombra tomorrow, and I will deal with him!" "Luna... You need to listen to yourself!" Celestia said, shocked at her sister's outburst. Luna growled, making Celestia recoil. "Leave." Luna said angrily, "I will be ready tomorrow." Celestia turned away from her sister and exited her room. Something was wrong with Luna... She had never once seen her in this kind of mood. Bolt's death had truly warped her. Still... Celestia couldn't help but think that she was hiding something from her. /-/ "Can we please tell her?" Dash asked sadly, "Her baby is alive!" "I'm sorry... But no..." The Doctor said. "It makes me so sad..." Derpy said quietly. "She's been through a lot," Alex said, "More than any of us could ever imagine." "Let's jump forward to tomorrow..." The Doctor suggested, "We shouldn't stay here for any more than we have to." Everypony agreed, and entered the ship, as the Doctor once again started the TARDIS. However, it started grinding loudly, making everypony look to the engine with concern. "Come on!" The Doctor shouted, kicking the side of the control panel. "What's happening?" Derpy asked. "She's being difficult again..." The Doctor grumbled, "Come on! Just a few more trips!" Alex and Dash looked to each other. "You know what? Fine!" The Doctor shouted, "You get one night!" "Is he talking with his ship?" Dash asked Alex. Alex shrugged, "I don't mind somepony being crazier than me." "Alright!" The Doctor said, turning to the group behind him, "It looks like we're grounded for the night." "Inside Luna's room...?" Dash asked. "No no, we're outside now." The Doctor said. "Well, are we going to stay in a hotel?" Alex asked. "No need!" The Doctor smiled, "We can sleep in here." "Won't it be... kinda uncomfortable?" Dash asked, "I mean, this room has a pretty hard floor." "You say that like it's the only room!" The Doctor smiled, "I should give you all the grand tour!" Dash, Alex and Derpy all looked between one another, before finally nodding in agreement. "Great!" The Doctor said, "Let's start with the library!" "Library...?" Alex asked. //// Hours had passed since The Doctor had decided to show his companions around the TARDIS. And they had gotten quite the surprise when they finally understood the vastness of his ship. Not only was it big on the inside, it was MASSIVE. They had seen six libraries that they had all explored for a while, four gyms that Alex had personally shown off at each one of, three pools, two of which Dash had done her signature 'Rainbow Cannonball' at, something called an 'Eye of Harmony' which incidentally, had nothing to do with the Elements of Harmony, and finally, they had arrived at the section of the ship that contained the living quarters. "Here we are!" The Doctor said, gesturing to the long hall of rooms, "Pick whichever one you like!" "...What's the difference between them all?" Dash asked. "Themes!" The Doctor said, "Do any of you like cartoons?" "Isn't this a cartoon already?" Alex asked. "What?" Derpy asked. "Never mind." Alex laughed. "Anyway," The Doctor laughed, "Take your time... Settle down, I'll see you all tomorrow!" Walking down the hall, The Doctor left the three of them to choose their own room. "Well," Alex said after a moment of silence, "I'll take this room." "What theme is it?" Derpy asked. Alex shrugged, "As long as it has a comfortable bed, I'll sleep in a wooden shack." "Well that's no fun!" Dash said, smiling to Derpy, "Let's go find the best rooms!" "Yeah!" Derpy agreed, "I want a muffin room!" "Uh... We can look, for sure," Dash laughed, knowing that type of room was likely impossible. "I'll see you girls tomorrow," Alex said, walking backward into his room, leaving them to their room hunt. Turning around, Alex closed the door, and came face to face with the room he had chosen. "Dear god..." Alex muttered, "I'm in the muffin room." He had never seen anything like it. A giant muffin in the corner had been carved out in the shape of a desk... Or a desk had been made in the shape of a carved out muffin? It was too tough to figure that out. A huge muffin cup had been made into a bed, a chair made of large raisins, even wallpaper that looked like bran. Alex was truly amazed that this room even existed. "I guess I should tell Derpy," Alex said, walking back out the door, into an empty hallway. "Dash?" Alex called, "Derpy?" No response. "Where are they?" Alex said to himself, walking across the hall, and opening the door. It was a room filled with clowns. Alex did not like that one bit. And, since neither Dash nor Derpy were in the room, he decided to leave, before the large, horrifying, inflatable clown started to haunt his dreams. Stepping out, Alex looked down the hall, just in time to see a rainbow colored tail enter a room a few down from him. "I like this one!" He heard Dash say, "I like it a LOT!" Scratching his head, Alex wondered what could possibly be in that room. So, sneaking down the hall, he poked his head into the room. "Geez..." Alex said to himself, looking into the room. He hadn't seen so many posters of stallions in his entire life. Well... 'Most Stallion Posters in his entire life' wasn't really a hard record to beat... He'd never seen a stallion in a poster before... But dang, this room was truly covered in male ponies. All of them in some kind of semi-sexy pose, or showing off muscles... It made Alex a wee bit uncomfortable. "I'm picking this one, for sure!" Dash laughed. "I still want a muffin room!" Derpy said. "I got the muffin room..." Alex spoke up, making both the girls turn to him. "Oh, Alex!" Dash laughed nervously, "Eh... I was just joking about this room!" "I know I know," Alex laughed, not really upset by the whole thing, "But the room I was in... It was a muffin room." "Great!" Derpy said happily, trotting out of the room, and heading to the one Alex had previously chosen. "So!" Dash said awkwardly now that they were alone, "I.. Uh... Well I... Oh come on! You know I wasn't serious!" "I know," Alex said, truly believing her. "I'd love a room filled with sexy mares myself." Poor Alex... He was so slow to understand the fairer sex. "Excuse me?" Dash said, suddenly staring daggers at Alex, making him frown in response. "That... That's not fair...!" Alex peeped, knowing that he had made a truly grave mistake. "Maybe we should just go find you a room filled with sexy mares!" Dash said angrily, "Would you like that? Huh?" Now... This was a VERY important question! And Alex had to choose the right answer VERY carefully. "I... Would... NOT like that...?" Alex said, looking directly into her eyes, unblinking. "Lair!" Dash said brushing past him, "Please leave my room!" Alex frowned, knowing this was an impossible battle. "Sorry..." Alex said, walking out the door as Dash closed it behind him. That was unpleasant... But, he knew better than to have this fight. She would cool off soon enough. All girls did. //// Derpy walked into the room, and felt like she had just walked into heaven. Muffins, muffins, muffins! It was almost as if The Doctor had had this room made specifically for her... How many ponies just had a 'muffin' room in their time machines? Walking toward the desk, Derpy leaned forward and sniffed the table lightly. It smelled delicious! "Can I eat this?" Derpy said out loud to herself. "You probably shouldn't," A voice said from behind her. Turning suddenly, Derpy saw The Doctor standing in front of her. "I had nearly forgotten about this room," He said softly, "You probably shouldn't see it..." "Why not?" Derpy asked turning back to the desk, inspecting more of the room, "This is amazing!" "Derpy, wait--" "Whose pictures are these?" she asked, inspecting the photos on the desk, "Is this... Me?" The Doctor was silent. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell her about their past... But, now was as good a time as any. "I don't remember taking these pictures with you," Derpy said, extremely confused. "Well, that's because YOU didn't take them with me..." The Doctor tried to explain, "Well, you did! But, you haven't... yet?" Derpy was lost. "But... as we go on adventures, we take them!" The Doctor further tried, "So, we just need to keep going, so they can be taken!" "I... I'm sleepy..." Derpy said quietly, totally lost, and not wanting to admit it to him. The Doctor sighed, "You've been up for hours... Why not try to get some sleep?" Derpy nodded. "I'll come wake you tomorrow morning," The Doctor said, "Before Luna and Celestia march on The Crystal Kingdom" Turning, The Doctor headed for the door, knowing for sure that time traveling for her had been ruined by all the death and destruction they had experienced. However, he was interrupted by Derpy before he left. "This has been a lot of fun," Derpy said, surprising him, "I wouldn't mind going some happier places after this." The Doctor turned back to her and beamed, "I'm sure we could find something!" "Thanks," Derpy said, settling into the bed, "I'll see you tomorrow!" The Doctor nodded, and then pressed the light switch, "Sleep tight, Derpy." Walking out of the room, The Doctor closed his eyes and smiled. He was going to take her on the happiest trip he could. He needed her back. //// Alex lay in his racecar bed, and stared up at the ceiling, which itself was covered in race tracks and various cars that eyes instead of headlights. His blanket was in a checkerboard pattern, and his pillow read the number 95, as if it was the side of a race car. After Dash yelled at him, he didn't really care what room he ended up with. He had instantly gone to the room across the hall, but, it had indeed been filled with several pictures of sexy mares. So, deciding not to push his luck, he took the one beside Dash's instead, as it had been full of harmless cars. It had been about an hour, and Alex had struggled to find sleep. Unfortunately, it hadn't come to him. He had just watched a pony die in front of him. He had seen a newborn die...Of course; it had been resurrected by Dax, something he was grateful for... But it was still completely unsettling for him to have experienced it. "I wonder what happened to Luna's child..." Alex said to himself, "If she survived... That means she could have had children of her own... And that means, that she could have grandchildren alive right now." Alex couldn't believe it... Luna had never had a child, according to history... But would it be okay for him to introduce her to her relatives? "I'll have to ask The Doctor," Alex said to himself, "I'd love to go find Luna's grandchildren, I'll bet that they--" "Talking to yourself?" Dash asked, leaning against the doorframe. "Just to all those sexy mares I wish I could sleep with," Alex said, still staring at the ceiling. "Yeah... Sorry about that..." Dash said, "I REALLY over reacted... I mean, I had JUST said that I liked the stallions." "They were pretty hot," Alex said to her, "I honestly can't blame you." Walking toward Alex, Dash smiled, "Yeah... But they were nothing compared to you." "Stop kissing up," Alex laughed sitting up, watching her advance toward him, "Farm stallions are babes, I have nothing on them." Dash laughed as she walked toward the bed. "What are you doing here?" Alex asked. "I'm just apologizing." Dash said, "Plus, I needed to thank you for what you did earlier." "Thank me?" Alex asked. "You saved that foal," Dash said, "Just like I asked you to." "I didn't," Alex corrected, "It was that evil pony... Dax. All I did was let him take control of me." "No..." Dash said, now fully understanding that Alex and Dax was the same pony, "He did just what you would have." Alex didn't want to disagree with her right now; she was obviously on some train of thought. "That foal is alive because of you," Dash said stopping beside the bed, "Even if it was only because you let Dax run the show." He may not have known it, but they were two sides of the same coin. Dax had rescued Bolt when he was in danger, he had kept King Sombra from having his way with her while they were paralyzed, and he saved a completely innocent bystander. Alex would have done all of the same things. "Listen..." Alex said, "Dax isn't me... He's just not as horrible as we thought." Dash sighed. She knew Alex wouldn't accept this. He could be a pretty stubborn pony sometimes. "Well, regardless..." Dash said, her mood visibly changing, "I... I was wondering if I could sleep with you tonight." Alex raised an eyebrow, "S-sleep with me?" "Don't get any ideas!" Dash said embarrassingly, "I just... I don't want to be alone tonight." "After all we saw, I can't blame you." Alex said, shuffling over, making her some room on the racecar bed. "Thanks," Dash said, climbing under the covers, and snuggling up to him, "I wouldn't be able to sleep alone... Not tonight." Alex reached a hoof around her shoulder, and pulled her close to him. "Let's try to get some sleep," Alex said, as Dash rested her head on his chest, "Something tells me that we have plenty to do tomorrow." Dash nodded slowly, her mind still filled with all that had happened today. "Hey Alex..." Dash said from his chest, "About what we did before the coronation..." "Got a little heated, huh?" Alex asked. "I was just about ready to pounce you," Dash laughed, "Why did that stupid crowning have to start?" "If it hadn't, we probably would have made been arrested for public indecency." Alex laughed. "We'll have to keep it to ourselves next time." Dash suggested, "Where nopony is gonna interfere!" "Next time we're together in private then?" Alex asked, wanting nothing more than finishing what they had started. "Well... We're in private right now..." //// The Doctor walked down the hall, stretching himself out. The night had passed fairly quickly, and The Princesses were going to be leaving for the Crystal Kingdom in a few hours. Checking each room on the way, The Doctor looked for the one the contained Alex, and the one that held Dash. Checking the 'sexy mare' and 'sexy stallion' rooms, he saw that they were both empty. Moving to the next room, The Doctor opened it, and immediately recognized it as the racecar room, a personal favorite of one of his previous regenerations. Looking to the bed, he saw Alex and Dash fast asleep, cuddled up to each other. It was precious. Seeing that they were clearly happy at this moment, he decided to give them some more time relax. They still had a few hours to spare, and the mood wouldn't stay happy like this. Walking out, he closed the door. Making enough noise to wake Dash. Opening her eyes slowly, Dash took a moment to figure out just where she was... She was in bed? No... a Racecar bed... With, Alex? Oh! Right! They had... last night. Sitting up, she pulled her forelegs above her head and stretched, and then flexed her wings. "Geez..." Dash said quietly to herself, retracting her wings to her side quickly, "My jaw is really sore..." Cracking her neck a few times, Dash finally lay back down, and nuzzled into Alex, which caused him to stir. "Dash?" Alex asked, "What's going... Geez my mouth hurts..." Alex rotated his tongue around him mouth, and realized how sore it was. "I didn't expect my tongue to hurt so much." Alex said. "You were pretty busy with it;" Dash said nonchalantly, "My jaw hurts too." "I'll get used to it." Alex said simply, stretching out. "You'd better." Dash smiled. "What time is it...?" Alex asked. "Time?" Dash asked, "Is there time here?" "Maybe not," Alex said, "Oh!" Pulling his IPod out of seemingly nowhere, Alex clicked the top. "It's nine," Alex said, "Way too early to be up." "Especially after all that happened yesterday," Dash added, thinking back to the Crystal Kingdom. "There was a LOT of making out." Alex said, not getting her reference, "Well, that and all the s--" Dash rolled her eyes as she started to get out of bed. "Where do you think you're going?" Alex asked, levitating her back toward him. "We should be getting up." Dash said, scooting away, and trying to get off the bed. "No, I don't think we should," Alex said, levitating her back once again. Dash thought about it, and decided not to fight him. The Doctor said that more crappy stuff was coming... So enjoying herself would be the best for now. //// The Failure, and the Victory //// The four assembled in the main chamber of the TARDIS, ready to finish what they had started. "Is everypony ready?" The Doctor asked, pulling some knobs and throwing a switch on the main panel. "Yes," Alex said, as the two other girls nodded. "Good!" The Doctor smiled, "Because the Princesses are already there!" The three stood awkwardly as they waited for The Doctor to do something, and get them moving again. "What are you looking at?" The Doctor asked. "Are we going to go...?" Dash asked. "We're already here!" The Doctor said, "I was just being polite by letting you go out first!" "Thanks!" Derpy said, trotting toward the door, followed by Alex and Dash. "Here we go..." Alex said as Derpy opened the door. /-/ The two sisters stood at the entrance to the throne room to the Crystal Castle, ready to move in and take down Sombra. The two had broken the spell protecting the city, and had been horrified at what they found. The streets were dark, ponies were being forced to work by a small group of unicorns... It looked like all love had been drained from the place. Even the castle in the heart of town had been twisted by his darkness, changing the entire building into a perfect evil lair. Since Sombra had seized the Crystal Heart, he had utilized some kind of memory tampering spell that made the ponies lose all concept of time. For all they knew, they had been doing this for their entire lives. This had been much like the attack on Discord eleven years ago. However, now they had an army behind them. The Canterlot guard had swiftly taken key points in the city, and was now waiting for the Princesses to defeat Sombra, and return the Crystal Heart to the square in town, so it could be used to repair all the damage he had done. "We haven't been in this kind of situation since Discord..." Celestia said, hoping to invoke some kind of conversation with her sister. The truth was, Celestia was frightened of what was coming next. Before, she had Luna's undying support and encouragement. That was the only reason she had been able to help fight Discord. Without Luna, Discord would still be the ruler of Equestria. But now that Luna was so introverted, Celestia was scared for what lay ahead of them. Luna silently cast a spell, and opened the massive door in front of them, revealing the massive pony inside the room, Sombra. "Why hello, Princess Luna," Sombra said in his unpleasantly deep voice, "How nice it is to see you again." Luna growled very uncharacteristically. "You're finished," Celestia said to him, "We have this castle completely surrounded, and your magic is no match for ours." Sombra already knew this was true. They bore the single most powerful stones in Equestria. However, he wasn't prepared to just let his kingdom go. "I'm going to make you a deal," Sombra said, "I wish to walk free, and you may have your Crystal Kingdom back." "Never!" Luna shouted at him, "You will pay for your crimes!" "I will not," Sombra said, smiling cockily, "Because I have a failsafe." "Failsafe?" Celestia asked, "How so?" "I have cast a curse," Sombra explained, "Should anything happen to me, the spell will trigger and... This entire kingdom will vanish." "You're bluffing." Luna said, trying to hold back her rage. "You both know that such spells exist. My wellbeing is tied to it activating." Sombra laughed, "And once I'm gone from here, you can dispel it, not having to worry about me." "And what happens if we destroy you?" Luna asked. "Then you destroy the city." Sombra laughed, "The spell will even activate if you try to take any of my power away. The city will only be here while I'm healthy!" Celestia thought seriously about his offer. She couldn't risk losing all of the ponies in this town, just because she held a grudge against Sombra. However, Luna saw things differently. She had lost much more than Celestia had, and would not likely let this go. "Luna..." Celestia started, immediately earning a look of shock from her sister, "We should consider this." "Never!" Luna shouted, "This pony has taken too much from me!" "Be a good girl, and listen to your big sister," Sombra laughed deeply. Luna knew that she needed to keep the ponies in this town safe. So, she forced herself to calm down. "Good girl!" Sombra said, laughing. "Sombra, if I teleport you away from here, to the furthest point from Equestria, I will allow you to leave," Celestia bargained, "You will never come back... And should you, I will have you executed." "Fine," Sombra said happily, "There are other places to conquer." Celestia frowned. "Tell me, Luna," Sombra said suddenly, "How did it feel?" Luna cocked an eyebrow. "To lose your beloved!" Sombra cackled, confident that he was safe at this point. Luna growled again, feeling power start rushing from her necklace to her horn. "You should have seen it!" Sombra continued, "I stabbed him right through that foal in his arms!" No... "If it weren't for those ponies with him, I would have been able to watch them both die!" Sombra said, shocking Celestia, and enraging Luna, "Maybe he would have survived if he hadn't tried so hard to save that foal!" Celestia looked to Luna, trying to find the right words... but none came. Sombra was bad mouthing the heroics of the stallion Luna loved. And laughing about it too... "You. Will. Stop." Luna said, her horn starting to glow. "You won't hurt me!" Sombra said confidently, "Now be a good girl, and SIT!" Feeling her Element start giving her even more power, Luna stopped caring about everything. Celestia, The Crystal Kingdom, Her own well being... It was all gone now. Lunging across the room, Luna knocked Sombra on to his back. "You will pay for what you took for me," Luna growled, firing a beam of energy into Sombra's chest. Screaming out in pain, Sombra felt himself start to burn in every nerve in his body. "Luna!" Celestia shouted, trying to intervene. However, Luna had erected a shield around herself. Next, the ground started to shake. His failsafe spell must have been activated. "Luna, we need to go!" Celestia shouted again. Luna responded was a dark laughter as she continued to pour energy into Sombra. After a few moments, his hind legs start to liquefy into a dark puddle beneath them. Celestia wasn't sure if Luna was melting him, or casting some other kind spell on him, but she needed to get out of here, and try to save as many ponies as she could. She would come back as soon as she could. Rushing out the door behind them, Celestia regretfully left Luna to torture Sombra. "S-stop!" Sombra managed to say, between the wailing and screaming. "You want me to stop?" Luna asked darkly, weakening the spell on him just enough to ensure he would be around for a few more moments, "Well, let me tell you a story..." "The foal that Bolt carried in his arms, was the foal that I carried for twelve months!" Luna shouted, pushing the beam into him harder. Sombra went wide eyed. Whether it was because of pain, or because he realized that he had killed Luna's daughter, nopony knew. But at this moment in time, he regretted what he had done. "You are going to suffer more than anypony ever has!" Luna shouted again, watching the remainder of his hind legs melt onto the floor. "You took away my life!" Luna shouted, intensifying the attack. Sombra's cries for mercy had long since stopped, and were now staggered groans from his delirious state of mind. "You took away the only stallion I could ever love!" Luna shouted again, forcing more power out, accelerating the process, as his stomach started to melt into the floor. "And you took away my baby..." She cried, opening the flood gates, liquefying the rest of Sombra instantly. Standing up from the puddle on the floor, Luna stomped the ground, splashing a bit of Sombra's remains on her face. Wiping it off, she levitated it off the floor. "You will spend the remainder of your days as a shadow!" Luna growled, holding the transformed Sombra above her. Teleporting them outside of the castle, Luna looked around, until she spotted a beautifully large crack in some ice, a few miles away. "Enjoy your imprisonment," Luna said, hurling the liquid toward the broken sheet of ice, as the Crystal Kingdom around her started to glow in a dark aura. Sombra was barely aware of what was going on at that point... Luna had made sure he wouldn't be in his right mind any time soon. However, he knew the Crystal Kingdom wouldn't be saved. So, when he finally found a way back to reality, he would be ready to take it over again. //// Celestia had spread the word amongst the guards, and they were all working on evacuating themselves. She had gotten reports of attempts to evacuate the citizens failing, due to some kind of apathy that the citizens were exhibiting. Everypony was so desensitized by Sombra's magic that they made no attempt to flee the slowly vanishing city. So, finally, the guards were forced to evacuate the Kingdom. Celestia stood just outside the limits of the city, and watched as her soldiers filed past her, some carrying prisoners or dazed citizens, and others nursing wounds of their own. However, she was not concerned about them. She was still waiting for Luna to exit the Kingdom. If she were to lose her here... She didn't even want to imagine it. Even though Luna had just caused the entire Kingdom to start fading into nonexistence, she needed to make sure that she got out. These ponies could be saved in one way or another... she was sure. Her sister had just had a momentary lapse in judgment. Dark wells of magic had started seeping through the ground, and latching on to the buildings, with long dark arms, to the buildings around town. After a building had been covered in the darkness long enough, it started to fade, until it disappeared completely. "Who are we missing?" Celestia asked the captain of the guard. "We're missing one soldier... And your Princess Luna," He answered grimly. "I'm going back in," Celestia said determinedly, "She's still in there... I can't leave her." "Princess, I beg you..." The Captain said, "You can't risk yourself. Let me go." Celestia shook her head. "I will be out before the Kingdom falls." The captain sighed. "I will return with my sister... And our missing soldier if I come across him." Celestia offered. "Please do." He said, knowing that argument was no longer an option. Celestia spread her wings, and took off into the city. //// Flying through the vanishing city, Celestia was shocked at the way his magic worked. The blackness simply attached itself to everything it came across, and pulled it into the ground, leaving nothing. Most ponies in town were now either vanished, or frozen in place, as the magic coated them, and prepared to pull them down, like everything else. Celestia had been moving to avoid the spikes of magic rising from the ground, as they tried to snag her from the sky. They were easy enough to dodge at first, but they were increasing in numbers... Soon, she would be forced to keep high in the sky, too far to help Luna. First, she had gone and inspected the entire Castle, from the court yard to the throne room, but had not seen any sign of her sister. Almost ten minutes had passed since then, and Celestia was starting to panic. The dark tendrils in the ground were now almost constantly nipping at her hoofs, trying to take her with the rest of the rapidly disappearing city. She had checked the library, the town square, the college, and even the theater, in a desperate attempt to find her sister. Celestia thought as fast as she could, trying to figure out just where her sister could have gone. Then, suddenly, she got an idea. The ruins of the hospital. Turning sharply to the right, Celestia gunned for the Hospital. This didn't have much time left. Most of the city was gone. Luckily, she was heading back toward the edge of town, meaning that Luna hadn't been engulfed just yet. Scanning the area, Celestia was extremely relieved to see Luna standing a few feet away from the crumbled building. "Sister!" Celestia shouted, slamming into the ground as fast as she could, "We need to leave!" Luna didn't answer her. The blackness started approaching them on all sides. They were running out of time. "Luna!" Celestia shouted, "Please!" "This is the place where my life ended." Luna said quietly, "On this spot." Celestia hadn't noticed it first, but Luna sat in front of a large dark stain on the ground, with the remains of a sword broken around it. "I lost everything here," Luna squeaked, a tear rolling down her cheek. The darkness was only seconds away from them now. "Luna, I'm so sorry, but we need to leave," Celestia said, "Bolt would want that." "I know..." Luna said, "I simply needed to see this place before it fades forever." Luna stood up for a moment, before collapsing on the ground. "What's wrong?" Celestia asked, panicked, as the magic started to reach for her and her sister. "I have no energy remaining..." Luna said exhaustedly, "Perhaps- Perhaps you should leave me..." "Never." Celestia said, immediately levitating her sister off the ground, and on to her back. "I'll fly you out myself." Celestia said softly, "Hold on tight." Positioning Luna as well as she could on her back, Celestia spread her wings, and took to the sky once again, just as the blackness enveloped the ground they had stood on. Celestia looked to the nearest edge of the city, and started flying as fast as she could, she was getting out of here. Unfortunately, the dark magic had other ideas. Celestia flew the two of them through town, barely dodging the forest of tendrils that were constantly reaching for them. She was close now... She could see the line of guards that surrounded the outside of the town. Unfortunately, her moment of focus on the ponies outside of town, took away from her concentration on her constant dodging of bark magic, and she was hit by one of the arms of magic on her hind leg. The magic wasn't strong enough to stop her, but it was enough to slow her down, and allow several other tendrils to attach to her. Each one added a bit more resistance until she was moving at an almost crawling pace. "Princess, I'm coming to assist you!" A pony shouted from behind them. The final soldier in the city flew through the sky, much lower than Celestia had been. Pulling out his sword, he sliced at the tentacles that tried to hold Celestia back, cutting them from the base, making them vanish from the Princess. Celestia felt the resistance begin to fade as this pony flew through the streets below, slicing her restraints off. She had never been happier to see a guard. The guard cut down the street until only a few magic streaks held on to the Princesses. Flapping his wings powerfully, he elevated to the level of the sisters, and sliced at the tendrils that tried to grab hold of the three of them. Celestia beat her wings as powerfully as she could, to compensate for the few attached arms that slowed her. The three were only a few feet away from the edge when the magic started to try attacking in far greater numbers. It must have been getting desperate, as it was actually pulling away from buildings to get her. But she wasn't stopping now. Feeling herself pull away from the last of the magic, Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. She assumed that it had given up on capturing her. "Princess!" The Guard shouted, "Watch out!" Celestia turned her head back, and saw just why the magic had pulled away. Instead of attacking her in vines, it had pulled together, and formed what looked like a 200-foot tall tsunami. Now, not only was it heading for Celestia and Luna, but it was going to crash into her entire army on the outside of the city. She wished that she could cast a teleportation spell away, but it would have taken far too long, and would have left her in the jaws of the beast behind them. Of course, when the royal guards saw the mass of blackness heading for them, they called the few unicorns among them to try and stop the magic, and save their Princesses. Celestia was now outside of the Kingdom, but was losing distance between her and the blackness. The darkness was moving much faster than she was. It was going to overtake her any moment. Suddenly, a dozen beams fired past her and impacted the mass, slowing it down considerably. Stopping, Celestia turned and watched the darkness start to push past her army's magic. I was succeeding. Thinking quickly, she decided to stop it here. She pointed her horn at it, and put as much power as she could into her attack. At first, it simply froze... Next, it started to melt, as if the mass had lost whatever was holding it together, the blackness looked like ice cream that had been left out a bit too long in the middle of summer. Finally, after a few moments of slow, silent melting, the beast exploded out its back, coating the final chunk of the Crystal Kingdom, that it had left in pursuit of the Princess only moments ago. Celestia frowned as she watched the city below her start to disappear. So many ponies were lost... Lowering them from the sky, Celestia put Luna down as her army surrounded the two of them. "What happened?" One guard asked, "Did Sombra do all of this?" "What a horrible pony!" Another shouted. "Princess..." The Captain asked, "How did all of this happen?" Celestia sighed, "Sombra... attacked Luna and myself, But we defeated him." "But what about all this?" He asked. "It was his final move," Celestia explained, hating that she was lying to everypony around her, "His final spell made the kingdom suffer the same fate as him." The Captain growled. Celestia looked down to her sister and sighed. Luna had done so much damage... "The Kingdom will return," Luna said, barely conscious. "What?" Celestia asked, "How do you know this?" "I didn't kill him," Luna admitted, "I turned him into a shadow." "A shadow...?" Celestia asked, knowing what that meant, "A pony with his kind of power will be able to reform himself!" Luna nodded, "I do not know how long it will take for him to recover, but my spell will keep him at bay for now." "That's great!" A pony said, "When he comes back, we'll just do this again, and keep him from destroying the Kingdom!" "Count me in too!" The Captain announced, "Who's with us?" The entire army cheered in response. "I'm afraid... That won't be possible," Celestia said to the group, silencing the cheers, "I don't think Sombra will be back any time soon." "How long?" One asked. "A thousand years?" Celestia estimated, "It could be even more." An eerie silence swept across the crowd. Suddenly, the pony who had followed behind the Princesses during their escape, stepped forward. "Then promise me," He asked, limping forward, "You'll stop him when he comes back." Celestia could suddenly feel everypony's eyes on her, as if they were expecting her to promise to be back here in a thousand years. She wasn't sure that she could make that promise. "We will." Luna announced, standing up shakily, "I promise you all, that when Sombra comes back, I will dispatch him myself!" The crowd erupted in to cheers in response. Luna leaned forward to Celestia's ear, "I destroyed this town... I will repair the damage I have done, when the time comes." Celestia nodded slowly, "I will stand with you, sister." Luna fell to one knee, grimacing. "Are you alright?" Celestia asked. "Yes..." Luna answered, lowering herself to the ground again, "I simply need some time to sleep." Celestia nodded, casting her teleportation spell to take them all back to Canterlot. There was absolutely nothing left here for them to do. Where the Kingdom had just stood, was now nothing but ice. But, when the kingdom came back, she would be there to save it. //// "So that's why I've never heard of the Crystal Kingdom..." Dash said, watching the final piece of the city fade from existence. "Sombra was a monster." Alex said, "Especially after trying to get off scot-free like that." "I hate him!" Derpy growled, "Don't you, Doctor?" The Doctor was again silent over something. "What is it?" Alex asked, seeing his strange expression. "That pony, over there." The Doctor said, pointing to the one that had helped the Princesses escape from the black mass, "He doesn't have a baby." "So...?" Dash asked, "What does that even mean?" "Last time he had a baby with him... She was only a few months old. It was one that he rescued from the Kingdom!" The Doctor explained, "There's no baby this time!" "So... did he miss it this time?" Dash asked, her heart sinking, "It's trapped with its parents in the Kingdom now?" "It wasn't a crystal pony though... It was an abandoned orphan he had said." The Doctor said, his expression suddenly shifting to one of happiness, "That's brilliant!" "What is...?" Alex asked. "That foal was a NORMAL pony!" The Doctor laughed, as it dawned on Alex as well, "And the only normal ponies to have a child in the kingdom around that time were--" "Luna and Bolt!" Alex said, suddenly getting it, "That means..." "That means that her child never died!" The Doctor finished happily, "She must have gotten to safety somehow!" Dash was completely lost in this development. "Could somepony PLEASE speak English?" Dash asked. The Doctor thought for a moment, then tried his best to explain what they had figured out. "Luna and Bolt were the only non-crystal ponies to have a child before Sombra took over," He explained, "Which means that there was only ONE normal foal that could be a few months old in the entire Kingdom!" "Oh!" Dash and Derpy said together. Alex and The Doctor gave each other a high five, happy to learn that Luna had never lost a child. "But, it was stabbed!" Dash said quickly, "How did it survive that without Dax?" "It only happened that way in this universe because we intervened," The Doctor explained giddily, "We saved Bolt from that gang of ponies! In my timeline, he must have been captured by them, and separated from the child, where it was later found by that guard pony!" "Thank Celestia," Dash said happily, "But, where did that foal end up after Dax teleported it away?" "Probably that same place it ended up in my world," The Doctor said, "Time has a funny way of making things happen the way they're supposed to." "We should find her!" Derpy suggested, "Well... After we're done here!" "What? no!" The Doctor said quickly, "That could cause irreparable damage to time and space and... aw, who am I kidding? I want to know too!" Everypony laughed. "Next stop, Canterlot!" The Doctor said, trotting back into the TARDIS, "We still have plenty to learn." Everypony followed him, excited to see what was coming next for them. /-/ Of course, the next phase of Luna's downfall took a very long time to come around. The Doctor couldn't possibly take them to every event that led to her transformation into Night Mare Moon. There was simply too much. So, he decided to take them to several milestones along her path, showing the changes in a much more noticeable way. It would still be a slow process, but he saw no other way. /-/ The Beginning of the End, Of the Beginning /-/ After the two Princesses returned to Canterlot, life resumed, taking them back to a semi-normal life style. Luna had somewhat become her old self again... Save a few odd occurrences with her attitude. Sure, she was smiling again, she was present in Canterlot... But she had some rather strange moments. It was almost like she had two personalities. But, that would have been impossible. Luna would never let such a thing happen. One other odd thing she was doing, was keeping her Element around her neck. She refused to take it off. As far as anypony knew, this wasn't a bad thing. So, Celestia never said anything. "Sister," Celestia asked, walking into her room at the top of the tower, "Dinner is prepared, I've been waiting for you for some time." "My apologies, I lost track of time," Luna said, looking away from the star filled sky, "Isn't the night beautiful, sister?" Celestia cocked her head. "I suppose it is," Celestia said, "It's quite a peaceful time." "A shame," Luna said, confusing Celestia further. "Shame?" Celestia asked, frowning. "It's nothing," Luna said, smiling up to her sister, "What was prepared tonight?" "Salad, fruit, cake..." Celestia sighed unhappily, "Just Like every other night." "I do miss living off of unhealthy food," Luna giggled, "It always tasted better." "I wonder how the chef would feel if we requested a pizza..." Celestia asked. "He'll probably explode!" Luna laughed, "He has such a stick up his butt!" The two enjoyed a giggling fit for a few minutes together, before finally calming down, and heading off together for dinner. Celestia had seen Luna's strange mood once again. But, hopefully, it would vanish with time. That was the most she could hope for her sister. //// The two walked back from dinner, and talked lightly about various things they had been doing lately, or ponies that they had met. A rather typical conversation for them. "You know, Sister..." Luna said, "I experienced something rather unpleasant today in town." "Oh?" Celestia asked. "I was walking through town, and a school filly... She was frightened of me." Luna said slowly, her brow furrowed in frustration, "She acted like I was some kind of beast." "Really?" Celestia asked, knowing that there had been some talk around town of Luna's attitude changing since she had come back from the Crystal Kingdom, "Perhaps you just need to be in town a little more..." Celestia hoped that this suggestion would get Luna up and about a little more. "Perhaps," Luna said, "I've become a bit of a night owl recently... In fact, the dinner we just ate, was a bit more like breakfast for me." "I've noticed that," Celestia sighed, "Do you have any plans of readjusting your sleep schedule?" "Not at the moment," Luna said, "I'm enjoying the peace that comes with the night." "Well, I can't imagine the towns ponies getting closer to you if you're only up at night," Celestia said, hoping to show her some reason. "I will see them right before they go to bed!" Luna laughed, "In fact, I had plans to do that right now!" "I don't know if--" "Don't worry about me sister!" Luna smiled, walking away from Celestia, heading toward the front door of the castle, "I will make sure to change that filly's mind!" "If you insist," Celestia gave up, "I hope that this plan works for you." "I'm sure that it will!" Luna said, "I'll see you in the morning!" And with that, Luna headed off into town; she would spend tonight in the streets, and watch over Canterlot. //// Luna walked down the quiet streets of Canterlot, heading toward the small park where she had encountered the young girl last time. It was the same time of day, so she was hoping that she would be here. And, sure enough, there she was, playing at the park just as she had been before, swinging on the same swing as before. Luna knew the attitude of this filly well... the young, pink Pegasus loved feeling of flying. Something that Luna understood. At her young age, she probably wasn't able to fly yet. And this swing was her way of reaching the sky, without needing her wings. She had no Cutie mark, but she was starting to get to the age where she would be earning it. Luna breathed deeply, and headed toward the filly. This was it! She was going to get this pony to like her! "Hello, young one!" Luna said to the girl, frightening her off the swing, and into a bush. "You have no need to hide from me!" Luna said sweetly, "I'm the Princess!" The girl peeked her head out from the bush, still very unsure. "Please..." Luna said. A long silence followed, as Luna held her breath, and hoped that she would come out, and join her in a conversation. Deciding not to take the risk, the small girl ran from the bush, back toward town, going wherever it was that she lived. Luna sighed quietly. "Perhaps... I will simply walk tonight," Luna said to herself, "I don't want to frighten anypony... And besides! I can always come back and see the filly tomorrow!" And that's what she did. /-/ Luna's first real signs of trouble had started at this time. She had recovered from her ordeal at the Crystal Kingdom somewhat, and was starting to show signs of being herself once again. She had even started helping Celestia with ruling Equestria, something her sister loved, as doing all the work alone kept her in a constant state of stress... She was happy to have her back. Unfortunately when she started doing her nightly walks through the city, she had started to get a worse reputation, rather than a better one. She would roam the streets in silence, never speaking, always ignoring the ponies she passed. The only time she would change her routine, was when she would encounter the young pegasus, playing at that playground. Of course, she had run from Luna each time, as the scary stories surrounding her had only gotten worse once she started roaming the streets at night. But, she always came back to the park, and was always confronted by the princess. The truth was, she loved seeing Luna every night... It had become a bit of a game for her. At first, Luna had been saddened each time the foal ran away... But she became used to it. It was a fact that she had accepted. Normally, she would have never accepted such a truth. Being disliked was never something she would have stood for. Especially from a filly! But, she found herself caring very little at this time. Luna had continued this way for years. She would always stop by the park, and have the girl run away. But, one day, something changed. The girl stopped coming. And after all of those years, Luna had never once exchanged a word with the young girl. And even though the foal had always thought their time together had been fun, she had never expressed that to Luna. And, had she done that, then perhaps she could have changed the entire history of Equestria. /-/ 5 Years Later /-/ Luna sat in her room, once again staring into the sky, as she did every night, just before leaving on her nightly stroll. The time she spent in the city, had shown her just how the ponies felt about her. Of course, she had had a horrible attitude recently toward the ponies in town. She had been silent, she had been assertive, and she had been quietly dominant. She had frightened those ponies, and didn't care whatsoever. She had truly become a new pony recently. Ever since she had started keeping her Element on her at all times, her attitude had been changed completely. Its effects were so gradual... And she had always thought of it as a blessing. She had first put it on after she heard of Bolt's and her foal's death. It took her mind away from the sadness, and focused it on anger. It had kept the pain away even AFTER Sombra was defeated. She had wanted to take it off after she had had her revenge, but something was telling her not to. Whatever it was that was that had been keeping it on her, had somehow instilled some kind of fear in her as well, that taking the necklace off would bring all those sad feelings poring back into her. Of course, she had no real way of knowing that would happen... But that didn't matter she would never risk feeling that way again. So, she knew it could never be taken off. She would simply live with the small changes, and hopefully, keep herself sane as time passed. Still... as much as she had been changed into a new pony, she always had one thing... One thing that would never change, no matter how much she did. The night. The beautiful sky stretched above her, was the single most beautiful thing in existence... It was a shame that everypony was asleep. Closing her eyes, Luna let her mind start to wander. Luna had thought many times, that the waking hours of the day should be changed... Everypony waking later, and going to bed later. That way everypony could enjoy the night, just as she did every time the sun went down. Would Celestia agree with something like that? Perhaps she could ask... Yes. She would do that. Opening her eyes and looking back to the sky, Luna smiled. She had a good feeling about this. //// "Luna... no." Celestia said, shocked, "Of course we can't do that." "Why not?!" Luna shouted, "This is a good idea!" "These ponies just got used to a normal day and night cycle," Celestia explained, "I'd never change it on them so suddenly, whether they want it or not!" "Sister," Luna asked, teeming with a strange intensity Celestia had never seen, "I am just as much a princess as you! Why are you fighting me?" "I can't believe you would ask me such a thing!" Celestia shouted to Luna, flaring her wings powerfully, "You're asking me to agree with you on changing the hours of the day! I will never allow such a change!" Immediately, Luna was snapped out of her strange attitude. And was now at the mercy of her angry sister. "Sister, wait! I--" "No!" Celestia cut off, "I cannot believe that you would approach me, with such an insane question! You're supposed to be smarter than this, Luna!" "But--" "No 'buts'!" Celestia interrupted again, standing up, "Leave this alone!" "Just listen to me!" Luna begged, tears falling down her eyes. "I won't hear another word of this!" Celestia said angrily, "Return to your chambers." Luna couldn't believe that she had just been spoken to his way, by her own sister. Normally, Luna had been the one in charge. The one to scold when something went wrong. But now she was just a selfish child in the eyes of her sister. Had this been Celestia's reaction to an insane pony from town, Luna would have loved to see this kind of attitude from her sister. It's the sign of a truly worthy ruler, who was firm in their beliefs. But... When that anger, and passion was turned toward her... It didn't feel good. It made her want to cry. So, after teleporting herself to her room, that's exactly what she did. //// 2 weeks later //// Celestia had been anxious all day. A few weeks ago, she had exploded at her sister, over something that was... Perhaps not worth such a reaction. And, it had led to Luna's ignoring her. The thing was... Luna hadn't exactly pushed her idea on her... She had asked for an opinion from the residents of Canterlot, and for just a chance to try it out. Celestia almost felt like she had been the unreasonable one... And yet, it felt like there was something behind Luna's suggestion. Something... off. It was the same thing that had seemed off about Luna since the death of Bolt. Of course, Celestia could never truly know if Luna's attitude had been permanently damaged by the death of Bolt, or if there had been some other kind of influence on her. One possible influence was, of course, her Element. It hadn't left her neck since the Crystal Kingdom. Was it possible that such an overpowering stone could change her sister's entire attitude? Of course it was. But, at the same time, Luna could just be a new pony as a result of Bolt's death. No... That wasn't possible. A famous saying came to her mind, as she thought of her sister, 'Time heals all wounds.' And it had. Celestia had seen Luna up and about after she defeated Sombra. She had been her old self! But, over the years, she had become increasingly irritable. She would argue over very small things, she would shout at the guards for little reason... After which, she would head off into town, and scare everypony she had come across. But, she still had her happy, normal side to her. She would be an angry Princess at one moment, and then turn around and become her usual self again. She had two personalities... Something she was going to confront her with tonight, once the sun had set. She was going to get some answers about all of this. And, hopefully, get Luna on the road to becoming her sister once again. That was, if she was even going to talk to her. //// Luna looked up to the sky, her attitude still spoiled from her argument with her sister. Nightfall was coming, and she could feel Celestia coming to her room, to apologize she was sure. A part of her knew that she had crossed a line, and yet, she didn't care. This wasn't a matter of what she wanted at this point... It was a matter of what everypony else SHOULD have wanted. She just couldn't comprehend why ponies slept through the night. Weren't they sick of the day? Every day it was the same. The sun would come up, they would go about their business, the sun would go down, they would go inside and go to sleep. Maybe it was because they were so used to it, and it would be a huge pain to change their schedules. Then again, most of them had been alive during Discords rule. He had no set times for sunset and sun rise. So, they must have been used to it then! It would have been easy for them to change once again! All it would take is a bit of a push... Shaking her head, Luna tried to get a grip on herself. These weren't her thoughts... Well, they partly were. But, something was twisting them... and changing them into completely different things. And, as she knew, that 'something' was her necklace. But, as hard as she tried, the anger simply came back in, and forced her back to those twisted ideas. "Luna?" Celestia asked, opening her room. Luna was silent. Deep down, she wanted to apologize, but her anger kept her far from it. "I wanted to apologize for my outburst..." Celestia said, "I was wrong to do that to you." Luna smiled. She was happy to hear her sister apologizing like this. "Yes you were." Luna said darkly. Celestia sighed, Luna wasn't herself right now. "You had no right to speak to me that way," Luna growled. Celestia closed her eyes. This wasn't good at all. "So, have you come to grant me my request?" Luna asked, in a rather rude tone, "If you haven't, then please leave." "No," Celestia said, "I haven't come to allow you to do anything." "No?" Luna asked, "Then leave." "I won't." Celestia said again, her eyes still closed. "Excuse me?" Luna asked, "You have no right to be here now!" "Yes I do!" Celestia said, opening her eyes, revealing the tears that had glazed her eyes over, "I'm worried about you!" Luna didn't speak. "You're not yourself, Luna!" Celestia managed, her voice cracking slightly, "And you haven't been yourself for a long time!" Celestia looked at her sadly, as a tear fell from her cheek to the floor. Luna was stunned, Celestia had broken down almost instantly in front of her. "Ever since you started wearing that Element... You've been a different pony!" Celestia cried, tears now flowing freely, "I... I just want you to be my big sister again." A part of Luna wanted to apologize, she wanted to go hug her sister, and promise to never fight with her again. But the past few weeks of brooding, and resentment had fed her Element, making all of those feeling multiply... Luna had changed remarkably over these weeks. Celestia had started a chain reaction within her sister. One that everypony would soon see the outcome of. "You are the eldest," Luna said coldly, "You are the big sister." "Luna, please take your Element off..." Celestia begged, "It's the cause of all this!" "Never!" Luna shouted, giving at truly mortified look, "This necklace has made me powerful! I destroyed Sombra myself!" "You doomed the entire Crystal Kingdom!" Celestia shouted through the tears, "They're gone, all because of you!" Luna growled, "You have no right to blame me for that! You don't know what I lost!" "You lost so much," Celestia said breathlessly, "But, you can't just stop living life because you lose somepony! Our losses define us!" "And this loss defined me!" Luna said, her necklace starting to feed her power, "It has turned me into what you see here!" "No it hasn't!" Celestia tried to explain, "Your necklace has done this to you! Nothing else!" The immense power radiating from Luna started extending her starry mane, giving it a more gas-like look, as it started to float around her. "My Element has given me power in my time of weakness!" Luna said, genuinely believing this, "It's been here for me, much more than you have been!" Celestia didn't respond, she simply turned, and walked toward the door. Sadness riddling her face. "Where are you going?" Luna demanded, "We haven't finished this argument!" "I'm so sorry that you've become this," Celestia sighed, "I'm so... So sorry." With that, Celestia left the room. Immediately, the power in Luna started to recede. She was forcing it back. The anger, the hate... It was hurting Celestia, and she didn't like that one bit. So she was going to go to her right now, and apologize. However, before Luna was able to calm herself down to the point that she could call her sister back to her, she felt her Element start to get hot. It wasn't allowing her to do this. Her anger had taken on a life of its own; it was outside of her management. Immediately, the anger came back, and it wasn't going anywhere this time. Luna smiled, as she felt it all come back to her. Looking to the darkening sky, Luna left her room, and headed for the throne room. Celestia had stood firm on her choice to keep hours the same. But, Luna wasn't satisfied with that. "Why is there a sun anyway? It would be better if there was just a moon." Luna said to herself before stopping, and considering the idea that had just come to her head, "All night... All the time." It was the best idea she had ever had. //// One Month Later //// Of course, things only went downhill from this point. Luna had essentially stopped being herself. She would now rarely speak with Celestia, despite her sister's constant attempts to try and smooth things over. Finally, Celestia had even started planning on some way of removing her Element from her sisters neck. But, whether she would actually go through with such a thing was still up in the air for her. If Luna were to catch her trying to do anything like that, things would go south fast, probably ending with some kind of fallout between them, and most likely a public disgrace of them both... which, was the worst case scenario. Well, that's what she THOUGHT was worst case... //// Celestia stood on the main balcony, overlooking the front gate of the castle. The sun was setting, and Celestia was preparing for a short conversation with Luna, as they hadn't really exchanged words since their argument a month ago, despite Celestia attempts otherwise. But, over the last week, Luna had had a strange expression... As if she knew something that Celestia didn't. It was a kind of quiet satisfaction that Celestia didn't understand. It worried her, to say the least. "Sister?" A calm voice said from behind her. "Luna?" Celestia said, turning around, seeing her sister, "You're here to raise the moon?" Luna nodded, giving a small smirk. "Luna... Is there something you're not telling me?" Celestia asked, concerned. "Of course not, sister." Luna said in a static tone, "Why do you ask?" Celestia frowned, Luna was absolutely hiding something. "Please, go to bed," Luna said calmly, "I'll watch over the night." "Luna, I--" "Sister, we will have plenty of time to talk tomorrow," Luna smiled darkly, "Please, leave the night to me." With that, Luna turned, and walked off the balcony, and into the throne room. Celestia sighed, she hadn't been able to talk to Luna at all, as usual... But, she could just talk to Luna tomorrow. It would give her more time to think about what she would say to her anyway. //// Celestia yawned as she opened her eyes, it would be time for her to raise the sun soon. Looking to her window, she was surprised to see that is was still dark out. Had she woken up early? Turning to her bedside table, she was surprised to see that it was indeed, just before sunrise. So, why was it still so dark out? The moon was hanging high in the sky, exactly where the sun would go when it would rise. That was why it hadn't started to come up on its own. The moon blocked its path. Quickly getting out of bed, Celestia cast a spell making herself presentable, and headed out the door. What was Luna doing? "Luna!" Celestia said, walking into the throne room, "What are you doing? It's almost time to raise the sun!" Luna laughed slowly. "What's going on Luna?" Celestia demanded, "What is this?" "You know, sister..." Luna finally spoke, "Since you denied my request to make the day different hours, I've been... formulating a plan." "What kind of plan?" Celestia asked, her voice deep and threatening. "I've decided, that since you don't plan on seeing reason, I will force it upon you!" Luna laughed. Celestia felt her heart sink. She couldn't believe that Luna was doing this. "The night is a beautiful thing, sister." Luna said, in some effort to explain herself, "And I think it's time that I shared my passion with everypony!" "That's crazy!" Celestia said, "This is the wrong way to go about this!" "I already tried to go about this the RIGHT way!" Luna shouted, showing her anger, "You shot me down! You told me I couldn't even TRY!" "Luna, I was trying to save you!" Celestia said. "Save me from what?" Luna demanded, "I'm sure that a bunch of ponies would have been excited to try it out!" "No... They wouldn't have," Celestia said sadly, "Everypony would have been against such an idea." "How do you know?" Luna asked, offended that she had such an opinion of the night. "Just use your brain, Luna!" Celestia shouted, "If ponies want more night, why do they sleep through it?" "Because that is the norm!" Luna argued, "All it would take is a small change!" "Then what about winter?" Celestia asked, "Days are shorter during the winter, and ponies spend no more time enjoying the night then! They go inside, and hide from it!" Luna was silent; perhaps this wasn't as thought out as she thought. "Ponies WORK during the day because of the light!" Celestia continued, "And when the darkness falls, they go to bed, and rest. This is how it has been, and this is how it will remain to be!" Luna growled, she knew that any argument she tried would be taken down by her sister. "Please, Luna," Celestia said, "Stop this right now!" Luna thought for a moment. What should she do? She could surrender, and allow the sun to come back... Or stand her ground, and keep the night. "I'm asking you, as your sister, to PLEASE stop this." Celestia begged, "Before this goes too far!" //// A long silence filled the room, as Alex, Dash, Derpy, and The Doctor watched the scene unfold. Luna was obviously deep in contemplation, leaving everypony on the edge of their seats. "Is this where it all ends?" Dash asked. "Shhhh!" The three said to her in unison. "Fine! Geez!" Dash said quietly, "Let's just keep--" "No." Luna said simply. "Ooooh!" Dash said again, earning a hard look from Alex. "Remind me to never go see a movie with you," Alex said under his breath. Celestia looked genuinely heartbroken at her saying this. "I will not lower the moon." Luna reiterated, "And, I don't care if anypony likes it, or not." "Luna, I can't allow that," Celestia said, walking toward her sister, "And I will lower the moon myself, if you refuse to." Luna looked at Celestia darkly. Celestia returned it. "You have until I return," Celestia said, "And should you choose to ignore my warning... Then heaven help you." "This is it..." The Doctor whispered. Celestia turned, and walked from the throne room, filled with quiet rage... She hoped that Luna would stop, but if she wouldn't, then it would be bad. It would be the worst thing she would ever have to do. She would have to publically shame her sister, which would probably end with her dethroning. This was the worst case scenario indeed. //// 2 Hours Later //// Celestia walked across her room, to a chest that sat underneath her window. Opening it, she levitated the necklace from the box, and placed it around her neck. A crowd had already formed outside the castle... The shouting of several ponies could be heard from her window. Celestia worried deeply for her subjects. They depended on her and her sister, and that trust had been betrayed. Over the past few hours, Celestia had come to a horrible realization. Her loyalty no longer belonged to her sister. As soon as she accepted her role as the Princess of Equestria, she had to start putting everypony else before herself, and Luna. She was going to have to make sure that whatever happened today, was going to be for the benefit of Equestria, no matter what that was. The crowd had started chanting something she couldn't understand... But it was getting louder, obviously signifying the need for the sun to rise. Sighing, Celestia walked out her door, and headed back toward the throne room. The normally short walk, however, felt like it had been extended by a massive amount. At the same time, Celestia wanted the walk to never stop. Because as soon as it did, she was going to have to do something that she really didn't want to do... "Princess," The captain of the guard said to her as she exited the room, "Are you sure that you need no assistance?" "I'm sure," Celestia said grimly, "This is my battle." He nodded simply as Celestia approached the massive doors. Raising a hoof, Celestia pushed it open, revealing her sister sitting on the throne surrounded by a shroud of darkness. "Luna..." Celestia said, as she walked toward her sister, "Do you hear everypony outside?" Luna didn't respond. "They don't want this, sister!" Celestia continued, "So, move the moon, and allow the sun to rise." "Never." Luna said. "You don't want me to do this!" Celestia shouted. "Do it," Luna laughed, "Show me the kind of Princess that you are!" Closing her eyes, Celestia's element started glowing, as she started focusing its energy into her horn. "Yes... Let's do it!" Luna said, Pointing her horn in the air, a dark cloud started pouring out the tip, shrouding completely inside it. Celestia watched, ready to act at a moment's notice. The dark cloud hung around her for a few moments, before it started to dissipate. Immediately, Celestia saw a difference in her sister. Her colors had been swapped. The black that had normally been on her flank, had now changed to her old purple color, and the rest of her coat had changed to jet black. Small metal plates had appeared all over her body, but they weren't quite... right. Small bolts of energy bounced around, and between them, as a haze surrounded her entire body. Her head had also been covered by a smooth helmet that covered all but her eyes, nose, mouth, and horn. Her Cutie Mark also glowed an eerie white color, that was distorted by the aura surrounding her. "Luna..." Celestia said in awe, "What have you done to yourself?" "I have shown you my TRUE form!" Luna laughed, "This is how I will look, while I rule Equestria!" "W-what?" Celestia stammered, shocked that her goal was to now conquer Equestria, "You plan to take over control?" "You were right to give me so much time to think about what to do..." Luna said. "You gave me time to realize that I wanted more than just a few more hours of night... I wanted it to be night all the time! And, since it would always be dark, then there would be no need for a Princess of the sun!" Celestia was so tired of repeating the same pleas, and begging her sister to stop at every turn. "Luna, why--" "And that's another thing!" Luna cut off, "You will stop calling me 'Luna.'" Celestia was stunned. "From now on, you will refer to me as... Night Mare Moon!" Luna laughed, as dark energy swirled around her. "Night Mare Moon...?" Celestia asked, "I will call you no such thing!" Night Mare frowned, "Well, if you won't do it for me... perhaps you will do it for this!" Luna suddenly shot a bolt of energy at her sister, impacting her on the shoulder. Celestia collapsed, wincing in pain. Luna had just attacked her, without any hesitation. This was far worse than Celestia could have ever imagined. "Do you concede, Sister?" Night Mare asked, "If you surrender now, I will allow you to live with me in the castle... Perhaps as a pet." Celestia slowly stood upright, as her Element sent some magic to her wound, easing the pain. "Luna," Celestia said, now in 'defend Equestria' mode, "I will not allow you to hold control over Equestria. Not now, not ever!" Night Mare laughed and fired another bolt of energy at Celestia. This time, however, it was simply absorbed by some kind of barrier around Celestia. Celestia instantly shot a blast back, hitting Night Mare straight in the chest, sending her into the throne behind her, destroying it. Night Mare stood up, smirking weakly to hide her pain from the attack. "Look at what you've become," Night Mare laughed, "Attacking your own sister?" "I'm sorry Luna..." Celestia said, charging another beam, "I'm so... So sorry." Firing another blast, Night Mare was sent backward again. "You act like this battle is one sided!" Night Mare laughed, trying to attack Celestia again. However, the magic was simply absorbed. "What is happening?!" She growled trying again and again to hurt Celestia. Celestia had no idea herself. If they were both wearing the same necklace, why was hers affecting her sister, but her sister had no effect on her? Quickly casting a new spell, Luna's entire body was surrounded in a dark, starry fog that was rather similar to mane. At first, Celestia wasn't sure what she was doing. However, when the fog started to clear, Luna was no longer inside. "Meet me where our reign started." Night Mare's voice said from the smoke. With that, she flew upward, and broke a hole in the ceiling, and escaped into the night. Celestia immediately felt all of her rage melt away as the gravity of her situation sunk in. Her sister was much further gone. Celestia made no effort to stop the tears that now ran down her cheeks. Luna didn't seem capable of hurting Celestia with her magic, but, she was sure that Luna would be figuring that out right now. So, she was going to have to brush up her own powers, and make sure that she was ready. She would win this for her subjects, no matter the price. //// "Poor Celestia," Dash said, as the Princess exited the room, "I can't believe how fast Luna became this... Monster." "It wasn't fast," The Doctor corrected, "It's been years since we saw them the first time." "I guess so," Dash sighed, "But that doesn't change how hard this must be." Alex nodded. Derpy's eyes were filled with tears, and her mouth was full of muffin. It was a strange experience for her, to feel sadness and joy at the same time. The Doctor was frustrated, time was almost up, and they hadn't seen what they had come here to see. Something radically different must have happened in this battle, if Alex were to become associated with selflessness here. "So..." Alex said, "Is our next stop the final battle?" The Doctor nodded. "Well then, we should probably save our game, am I right!?" Alex laughed inappropriately, before nervously stopping when he realized he was the only one laughing, "...I guess that joke is lost on you guys..." "I guess it is..." Dash said awkwardly. "Right, well!" The Doctor said, "One more stop, and hopefully we'll be done!" //// The darkness of the night was somewhat unsettling for Celestia. Her instincts told her that it should be day time right now, but the fact that it wasn't was throwing her off a tiny bit. Night Mare, however, was in her element. It was dark; the moon lit the battlefield around them, illuminating the ground enough for everything to be visible. "Why do you insist on fighting here?" Celestia asked, looking around to the large chunks of rock embedded in the ground from their battle with Discord so many years ago. "This is the place where one ruler was lost, and two rulers were made," Night Mare explained, "I have decided that It will serve the same role once again." Celestia was silent. "So, Sister, are you ready?" Luna asked. Celestia nodded, knowing that no argument would stop her. "Good!" Celestia was immediately encased in a bubble, locking her in place. Once she realized that she wasn't going anywhere, she erected another shield around both herself and the bubble, countering its effect, making it fade away, leaving only her barrier. "Luna," Celestia said, confident in her safety "You won't be able to breach this spell, and you know it." A few hours ago, Luna would have agreed with her. Her magic hadn't been able to hurt her sister when she was protected, however, she had been pooling energy from her Element for the past few hours, and had made herself quite the reserve to lay on thick with. Pouring a massive amount of magic into her horn, Luna blasted a huge beam into her sister, making her shield buckle, as it cracked around the epicenter. "Yes!" Night Mare shouted maniacally, "I can break your magic!" Before Celestia had a chance to react, the shield shattered, allowing the beam of energy to impact her, and send her tumbling into a large rock behind her. As soon as Night Mare saw Celestia slam into the rock, she momentarily lost focus, as a pang of guilt hit her. The beam weakened in response. However, she quickly squashed it, and put her energy into the beam again. Although Night Mare didn't know it, Celestia was being protected by her Element. It wasn't stopping all of the damage from reaching her, but it was keeping her from receiving anything severe. Night Mare continued until she was satisfied with the amount of time she had put into the spell. She was sure that Celestia was defeated, if not close to death. Stopping her barrage, she watched as Celestia collapsed on the ground. "So, Sister?" Night Mare said cockily, "Do you concede?" Celestia shocked Night Mare as she easily stood up. "What?!" Night Mare shouted, "How did you--" Celestia immediately stomped on the ground, pushing her power into it, making the ground crack, and explode upward into Night Mare. She was thrown from where she stood, into a patch of grass behind her. Lifting herself up, she smiled. "You're good..."Night Mare laughed, standing up, "I thought you were down for the count!" "Not yet," Celestia said angrily, stomping the ground again. Night Mare dodged the attack easily this time. "I hope you have more than that!" She laughed, as her horn started to glow. Celestia looked up, as the sky was quickly filled with thousands of dark clouds. An eerie silence filled the air, until the night sky was completely blacked out, leaving the two in complete darkness. The area suddenly lit up as a red bolt of lightning hit the ground in front of Celestia. The battlefield returned to blackness, until another bolt landed just to her right. Getting the idea, Celestia started running, not sure if a shield would protect her from this lightning. She tried her best to avoid the oncoming bolts of electricity. However, since she had no real way of determining where lightning would strike next, she simply ran in erratic pattern, until she came up with a good plan of retaliation. Scanning the area for her sister, she found it almost impossible to find her in the half-second bolts of light that the lightning was providing. But, something caught her eye. Night Mare's mane was glowing! Turning toward her sister, Celestia started running straight for her. And, since she had been so busy keeping this spell going, Night Mare wasn't able to stop Celestia from colliding with her. The two hit the ground as the next bolt of magic struck Celestia in the back, sending the electricity through her, into Night Mare Moon. They both involuntarily shook as the electricity coursed through their bodies. Neither was sure how long they had lay there together, and at this moment, they didn't care how long that was. They were both in the most pain they had experienced. Finally, Celestia pushed herself off of her sister, and staggered back, trying her best not to collapse. Night Mare tried her best to stand, having just as much trouble as Celestia. "Let-Let's end this here," Celestia panted, "This is madness..." "Never..." Night Mare said, without much power behind her speech. "I do not wish to experience that ever again..."Celestia said weakly, hoping that her little sister would at least agree with her on that. "Oh?" Night Mare smirked, commanding the clouds once more. Immediately, Celestia was struck again sending her on to the ground, convulsing as her already weakened body responded to the electricity. "It looks like we're just about done... here!" Night Mare panted, sending yet another bolt into her sister. Celestia seized as the bolt made contact with her, and collapsed motionless after it vanished. Night Mare laughed weakly as she observed the unmoving form of her sister, "You never were stronger than me, little Sister!" Celestia barely heard what Night Mare had said. Her head was buzzing too much to understand much. After a moment of searing pain in her side, she felt her Element respond, and start to spread a light energy over her body, healing her wounds. After a few seconds of silence, Celestia felt enough strength to stand herself up come to her. So, she did exactly that, receiving a shocked expression from Night Mare. She was back to where she had been a few minutes ago, except that she was much, much angrier this time. "What?! How did you--" Before Night Mare could finish, Celestia fired a small spark toward her that exploded just before it hit her face, making her collapse, clutching her burned left eye. Celestia started sending more power toward her horn, readying another attack. "You... M-My face!" Night Mare shouted, as she struggled to stand back up, the pain absolutely excruciating, "H-How could you do this to me...?" Celestia immediately felt her anger melt away, being replaced by regret. Night Mare looked at the ground, whining quietly in pain. This attack was so much worse than the lightning bolt had been. However, to her surprise, the pain slowly started to melt away, as Celestia cast a healing spell on her. Night Mare looked up in surprise, and saw Celestia standing in front of her, with a genuinely concerned expression. "Why have you done this?" Night Mare asked quietly, "You're wasting your power on this!" "I don't care, Luna," Celestia smiled sadly, "I'm so sorry that I hurt you." Night Mare wasn't sure what to do now... Unfortunately, as soon as the indecision popped up, her element started flowing more power into her, making that indecision quickly fade. "Well, your loss!" Night Mare laughed, raising a hoof, and slapping Celestia across the face. There was silence. Nothing but agonizing silence, as Night Mare once again felt indecision. A tear rolled down Celestia's cheek, and into the ground below her. "Luna..." Celestia said quietly, "I'm sorry that it had to end this way..." Night Mare simply listened. "I... I wish that I didn't have to lose my sister..." Celestia managed, "I wish that I didn't have to lose my best friend..." Her heart wrenched as she listened to her sister. "You've always been there for me, and... I wish that I had been there for you," Celestia said, making no effort to stop herself from crying, "It's my fault that you've become what you are..." "N-No..." Night Mare said quietly, as her Element tried to further twist her thoughts. "You have always been my anchor, Luna... You've saved me more times than I can count!" Celestia said, "So now, It's my turn to save you!" Casting a levitation spell, Celestia took hold of Night Mare's element, and swiftly pulled it off her head, making her collapse on the ground, and transform back into her normal form. The Element immediately responded by surrounding itself with a ball of darkness, and making the wind around them start to rip, and howl, as it raised itself high in the air, in an effort to break Celestia's hold on it. "This is the source of your evil!" Celestia shouted over the deafening wind, "I will make sure it never does this again!" The Element itself, however, had much more power that Celestia could have anticipated, as it started pulling the magic out of Celestia's horn, and taking it into its mass. "Celestia!" Luna shouted, feeling her madness leave her, "Y-you have to stop it!" "Luna!" Celestia shouted back happily, "You're ba--!" The Element suddenly released a pulse, sending both of them flying backward, away from it. "You can't let it exist anymore!" Luna shouted, standing up, "It needs to be destroyed!" Celestia pointed her horn toward the black ball, and fired a beam of magic that was simply absorbed by the Element. "W-what?" Celestia said desperately, looking toward her sister, as she often had in the past, "Luna, I don't know how to stop it!" "When it's on my neck... it loses some power to me!" Luna said, "I... I have to put it back on! And when I do, make sure that you send us as far away as you can!" "Absolutely not!" Celestia shouted, "We can stop it!" As if it had been on cue, the ground underneath the Element cracked, and started floating up in pieces around it. "No, we can't!" Luna said back, "It'll rejoin with me once it beats you anyway!" Celestia wanted to argue that she could stop it, but it was sapping her strength away. She had no means of stopping it at this rate. "I'm sorry, Celestia!" Luna shouted, as she positioned herself underneath the necklace. "No!" Celestia shouted, as she watched her sister flap her wings powerfully, and propel herself into the dark ball, putting the necklace back on. The dark ball instantly vanished, as the wind calmed down, and Luna was dumped on the ground, returned to her 'Night Mare Moon' form. "N-Now!" Luna shouted, "You have to S-stop me now!" "There's too much power!" Celestia argued, "If I banish you, you won't be able to come back for a very long time!" Luna shook her head, "That doesn't matter!" Celestia's cheeks were so dampened from her tears that they were starting to roll down her neck instead of falling off her cheek. "I-I... I just--" "Please Sister..." Luna begged, "For our subjects!" Their subjects... The ponies they had both promised to protect. Celestia knew that she would have given her life for them, and Luna was doing the exact same thing. Celestia looked up to her sister, and gave a single, determined nod. "I'll take care of them!" Celestia said, "And you will too, when you get back!" Luna nodded, smiling weakly, her control over herself slipping away. Celestia felt her Element start to fill her up in a way it never had before, as if it knew what she needed. It was channeling all of its energy into her. It started to get hotter, and hotter, until the purple gem in the middle cracked. Celestia now held all of its power within her "Hurry!" Luna shouted, "My Element is doing something!" The black gem in Luna's necklace also cracked, just as Celestia's did. "It's going to try to attack you f-first!" Luna shouted, "Do it n-now... Before I lose control!" Celestia closed her eyes, and took a moment to enjoy the last seconds she would spend with her sister, for a very long time. "I love you, Luna." Celestia said, as the wind around them started to pick up again, as it had just been. "I love you too, Celestia!" Luna shouted over the screeching noises the wind was now making. Celestia felt her energy center in the necklace finally drain. And with one small push, it all exploded out in mass of waves and ripples, completely engulfing Luna within them. "N-No!" Night Mare shouted, having gained control once again, "This can't be happening! I won't be stopped like this!" Celestia watched in silence as her sister was lifted up off the ground, and started to glow bright white. The necklace around Night Mare's neck exploded, as it was surrounded by the magic sent from Celestia. The pieces were sent flying in all directions, rendering the Element completely harmless. "I will be back!" Night Mare shouted, "The element has put its power into me! Your sister is gone! She is chaos now!" "You have one thousand years," Celestia said grimly, "I hope you're a new pony then..." Night Mare's arguments, and shouting could barely be heard as the whirlwind of magic started to swirl faster and faster around her, until all that could be seen was a white ball in the sky. The spell finished off, by exploding, and clearing the sky of all dark clouds left by Night Mare, giving a perfect view of the moon. Celestia watched as a few new craters on the face of the moon appeared, creating the shape of her sister's head. Suddenly the gem in Celestia's necklace fell apart, landing on the ground. However, it went by almost unnoticed by her. She really couldn't care less what happened to her element. She had just lost something so much more important to her. "Goodnight, Luna." Celestia said quietly, "I will see you soon..." /-/ A silence passed among the four ponies, as three of them watched Celestia stare at the moon, motionlessly. "Uh... Ouch," Alex said, making everypony turn to him. Dash looked at him, and went wide eyed. "Alex!" She said, looking at his face, "What happened?" A deep gash had appeared across his right cheek, and blood ran down the side of his face. "I think a... a piece of her necklace exploded on me..." Alex said, moving his tongue around in his mouth, "Hit me right in the... cheek." "What's in your mouth?" Dash asked, before watching Alex spit a bloody piece of gem out of his mouth, on to the ground. "Well... I guess I should have seen THAT coming." The Doctor said, now seeing how Alex and the element had been associated. "Why is it glowing?" Derpy asked, looking at the fragment on the ground. "He's full of chaotic energy, I think," The Doctor said, "He just fed it, and gave it strength." "Does that mean he'll change like Luna, though?" Dash asked. "He's already changed, but in a better way," The Doctor explained, "Alex is half harmonious magic, so, it got some of that too." "Basically, we just made the future happen?" Alex asked, wincing at the movement of his cheek. "Exactly," The Doctor said, looking the gem over, "But, how did she get it back?" *Achoo* The four watched as Dash's sneeze blew the shard away from them, sending it into the pile of gems below Celestia, something that the Princess didn't even notice. "Oh." "Sorry," Dash apologized, "I haven't sneezed this much in a while..." "Actually, that's what needed to happen..." The Doctor said, scratching the back of his head, "Well, a sneeze can change the future, I suppose." The four looked back to Celestia hearing her collapse on the ground, broken into tears. The silence among them was deafening, as they simply listened to Celestia weep. "I wish I could talk to her," Dash spoke up, "But that's not allowed, huh?" The Doctor shook his head. "C-can we go home?" Derpy asked. Everypony seemed to agree on this, and all filed back into the TARDIS. /-/ Celestia sat in silence inside her sister's room. As heart wrenching as being there was for her, just the fact that Luna had lived her for so long gave her a small kind of comfort. She had raised the sun instantly after the battle, and given a small speech to the ponies, explaining what had happened. Of course, she had lied about half of it, but didn't really care. In response, the ponies had decided to throw some kind of celebration... It wasn't one that Celestia had any intention of joining them on. Looking across the room, Celestia smiled weakly. Of course, her Luna's room was immaculate. Nothing out of place, just as she had always kept it... Celestia herself had had a small problem with keeping her room clean. The castle staff would often insist on cleaning it for her, but at that point in her life, she was still new to being a princess, and wanted as little as possible from the ponies here. But, Luna had helped her get over that... Sighing, she levitated the remains of Luna's Element off the bed next to her, and softly placed it in the box she had always kept it, and closed the lid. As for her own Element, she had taken all the broken pieces of both hers, and Luna's element, and placed them in a safe place, in two separate piles. Her pile of shards had been all of the pieces that were in front of her after it shattered. They consisted of different colors. Two were purple, one was yellow, one was blue, one was green, and the final two red. Of course, one of the red ones had actually been clear. But it had gotten a coat of blood on it. Luna's had a bit difficult to hunt down, and Celestia was sure that she didn't find them all. But, that didn't matter. The power had been drained from them, rendering them harmless. At this point, she wasn't sure why the necklace had changed Luna so much, but figured that it had something to do with their colors. Still, it was a problem that she was going to solve another day. Celestia couldn't dwell on too much right now, she would break down completely if she did that. Looking around the room, she saw a book resting on the night stand. Levitating it up, she placed it back in its place on Luna's bookshelf. Celestia stood up, and slowly looked through some books on a shelf next to the bed. Several fantasy books lined the shelves. They were Luna's favorite genera. Celestia had always been more of a serious writing pony... Looking on the top shelf, she saw a line of Journals. Celestia had often seen Luna writing in these as the years passed. On the end, was a tattered, purple book with a red strap that was used as the bookmark. This was the Diary she had had during their quest to defeat Discord. She would write in it every night... Even when there was nothing to report, she would write about something funny that had happened, or what she was going to do when Equestria was finally free. Looking down the line of books, Celestia noticed that they had all been marked with years on the spines. Scanning across them, she counted upward through them, until she reached the final diary, sitting at the end of the shelf. The year written on the spine was a well-known one to Celestia. It was the year that Sombra took over the Crystal Kingdom. Levitating the book off the shelf, Celestia brought it closer to her, before a letter dropped out of the book, and landed on the floor. Looking down to it, she was surprised to see it was addressed to her. "Dear Celestia...?" Celestia read aloud, "Did Luna write this?" The letter was old... It hadn't been touched since the Crystal Kingdom, obviously. Lifting the flap at the back, Celestia levitated the paper out from the inside, and read through the letter Luna had written to her. /~~~~~~~~~~~~/ 'Dear Sister, If you're reading this, then I haven't returned from my diplomatic mission to the Crystal Kingdom. I'm sure that you're very confused at this point, and I hope to clarify as much as possible with this letter. Do you remember how my decision to leave on this trip was so sudden? I had claimed it to be some form of romantic trip for Bolt and myself? I'm sorry to say, that there was something I kept from you, and I sincerely apologize for doing so. Celestia, before I left, I discovered that I was carrying a child. Bolt's child. Upon finding this out, I decided that I needed to be away from Canterlot. I knew that a pregnant princess wouldn't have been the best thing for everypony in Canterlot to see. So, I will feign illness when I reach the Crystal Kingdom, and have this child as quietly as possible. Now, you might be asking why I chose to disappear, instead of return home. And, I suppose, that the best answer would be: so I can care for my child. I wish to look after it, and give it the attention that a princess never could. This child has been my deepest desire for longer than I can recall, and now that it's happening, I'm happier than I have ever been. Although I am immortal, and will outlive my child, and its children, I need to be here for it. I cannot apologize more for what I have done to you, leaving you to rule alone. It is the worst betrayal that anypony could ever suffer. However, please remember. While I may have left you, I have no intention of forgetting you. You have been the single most important pony in my life, and I truly love you, Celestia. Nothing could ever change that, no matter what choices I have made with my life, or the pony that I may become. And I promise, we will see each other again, perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but I will return. Luna /~~~~~~~~~~~~/ Celestia swallowed hard, now she understood. Everything fit together now. Luna, Bolt, the foal Sombra had mentioned killing... Closing her eyes, Celestia finally knew just what Luna had lost. What had driven her to what she did to Sombra, and perhaps even why she had started wearing her Element regularly. "I love you too, Luna." Celestia whispered, taking a final look at the letter, as she put it back in the envelope, and placed it in the book. Knowing that it would be inappropriate for her to be seen crying by her subjects, or guards, Celestia closed the door, and locked it. She would stay here until she stopped. She never truly did, however... Not until this day, one thousand years later. /-/ The four stood in the TARDIS in silence. Sure, they had found out what they wanted... But it had been emotionally taxing. They had seen enough death, loss, and despair, that they weren't sure that they were ever going to smile again. "I know we said we were going home... but would you all mind making one stop first?" The Doctor spoke up. "Is it a depressing stop?" Dash asked. He shook his head. "Sure," Alex said, wiping some red spit from his face to his leg, "I need a smile." "Can't you heal that?" Dash asked. "A little bit," Alex shrugged, "I think Dax used most the healing on that foal." "Is that where we're going?!" Derpy asked suddenly. The other two looked to The Doctor. He nodded, and smiled. "We should go find out what happened to her," He smiled, "Maybe you'll know one of her decedents!" The four were in slightly higher spirits as The Doctor fiddled with the control panel, setting their destination. "She was sent to Cloudsdale after the soldier found her," The Doctor explained, "So, let's jump ahead say... Five years? See what kind of a filly she was!" /-/ 5 Years Later /-/ "Stop this!" A young mare said to a small, dark blue filly, "Get down from there!" The young girl had flown herself to the top of a bookshelf and giggled uncontrollably, as her caretaker tried to get her down from when she was perched. The mare wasn't very old, but she certainly could have a stern look to her. She loved looking after the orphans here, but none of them had given her as much trouble as this particular filly. "Don't make me have to come up there! I'm going to count to three!" She warned, flapping her wings, "One... Two... Three!" "Aww!" The girl squeaked, as the mare lifted her up and brought her back to the floor, "No fair!" "Now, listen to me, missy!" She said sternly, "Learning to fly is exciting, but you need to control yourself!" "But... I just wanna fly everywhere!" The girl beamed, her voice squeaking. "I know you do, but its bed time!" The mare said, "I'll take you all over Cloudsdale tomorrow, with all the other kids, alright?" "Okay!" She smiled, flying a few laps around the mare, "I'll go to bed right now then!" With that, she scurried off toward the room she shared with a few other fillies, wanting to get to tomorrow as quickly as possible. She smiled, the girl had so much energy. More than any child in the orphanage, and she adored it. "Sleep tight, Dasher!" She called down the hall after her. /-/ "That's so cute..." Dash said, as the filly galloped past them, in their invisible hiding spot, "I can see why they named her Dasher." "I'm surprised she's so happy," Alex said, "I guess she wouldn't remember the Crystal Kingdom though, huh?" "Thank goodness she can't," The Doctor said, "She wouldn't be a happy filly otherwise." "What happens to her?" Alex asked, "Does she get adopted?" "I think she does," The Doctor said, "By the mare that was just dealing with her." "That's good," Dash smiled, "I hope that she had a good life..." "What about her own children?" Alex asked, "Are we going to go to every stop, and see all of the ponies that are born because of her?" "I've got the TARDIS working it out as we speak," The Doctor said, "She'll have the answer for us as soon as--" *Ding* "Ah!" He said, "That would be it!" The four went back inside, and looked to a screen attached to the main control panel, that was showing static. The Doctor pressed a few buttons, as an image became slowly came into view. It was the foal! "Now, it's going to show her entire family on here," The Doctor said, "So the picture will probably get rather big." They all nodded, as it showed the progression of the filly. First, it was just her, and it seemed like nothing was happening. However, she was actually rapidly aging. "Wow," Dash said, "Look at her grow!" Eventually, her Cutie Mark appeared, a single star on a purple patch on her flank. Next, she hit maturity, and quickly became a spitting image of Luna before her transformation into a princess. Next, another foal appeared next to her, as it started aging as well. "Is that her own foal?" Derpy asked. The Doctor nodded. That child grew on screen faster than Luna's child had, quickly reaching maturity, and then turning grey, as its mother had a few seconds before, but, not before two more children appeared. This time, two new foals appeared, and started aging themselves. "Why are their pictures turning grey?" Alex asked. "It means that they died," The Doctor said somewhat grimly, "But, everypony does that, right?" They all nodded. Eventually, the screen started to fill with the relatives of Princess Luna, as it showed the hundreds of ponies that had been born from her single child. "Wow..." Dash said as it became harder and harder to keep track of the ponies appearing. However, somewhat confusingly, the number of ponies having children started to slow down, as less and less foals were appearing on the screen, leading to less and less being born. "What's going on?" Dash asked, as the number of newborns started to dwindle. "That's odd." The Doctor said quietly, as fewer and fewer of Luna's descendants were shown having children, "I guess it's not impossible that they stopped having children." Finally, after forty or fifty generations passed by on the screen, with less and less foals being born. It finally came to a stop, showing one pony behind the final foal. And that pony greyed out as soon as the foal appeared. And, after a few seconds, the foal grew into a filly, and then stopped. There was only one living descendant left at this point. And they all knew who it was. /-/ 1000 Years Later /-/ Luna lay on the ground, a fraction of the size she had just been, after having been defeated by The Elements of Harmony. Still in shock, she simply looked around the room, wide eyed. Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity all stood, watching the event in front of them, while Alex was passed out behind them. "Princess Luna..." Celestia said, walking toward the pony on the floor, "It's been a thousand years since I've seen you like this, sister." Luna looked at her sister, still dazed from the entire experience. Her mind was still coming back from Night Mare Moon. "It's time we put our differences behind us," Celestia smiled, "We are meant to rule together, little sister." Celestia hadn't exactly been honest with the public when she told them of Luna's betrayal. She had made sure the story told was one excluding the use of her Element, and the dark entity that had forced itself into Luna's mind. When Royalty is corrupted by external influences, it makes them look weak. So, she told them a different story. Simply, Luna had become obsessed with the night, which led her astray. That was all. Luna smiled. "Will you accept my friendship?" Celestia asked. "Oh... I'm so sorry!" Luna said, standing up, and hugging Celestia, "I've missed you so much Celestia!" The two were now in tears, as they simply enjoyed the others presence. "I'm so sorry..." Celestia whispered to Luna, "I wish things could have ended differently." "It wasn't your fault," Luna whispered, "It was mine..." "I know about your child, Luna," Celestia said quietly to her, "And I'm so, so sorry that you lost it... So don't blame yourself anything." Luna nodded, and closed her eyes. "Let's go home, sister." Celestia said, pulling away, beaming, "We have so much to catch up on!" /-/ Dash smiled, crying a bit herself. "I'm so happy that we got to see this again," Dash said, "I had no idea what I was watching last time..." "I was out cold," Alex said, rubbing his cheek lightly, "So it's nice to see it at all." "Of course, you all know what happens next," The Doctor said, "So, why don't we head back?" "Just one more second," Derpy said, watching the two reunited sisters. "Those thousand years must have been impossible for her..." Dash said. "I guess I can see why they're a bit silly now," Alex smiled, "I know I would be if I lost somepony so close for that long." "Come on," The Doctor said softly, "I think it's time that we deliver our news to Luna." //// Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Spike, and Fluttershy all stood in Froggy Bottom Bog, looking up to the massive, four headed beast. "Is that a Hydria?!" Pinkie shouted, looking at the monstrosity above them, frozen in place. "Who cares?" Twilight shouted, as everypony, save Pinkie, ran away. Pinkie, stood, frozen in place, underneath the monster. "Pinkie!" Twilight shouted, running back to her scared friend, "Come on!" Grabbing her tail in her mouth, Twilight pulled hard, Dragging Pinkie through the mud on the ground, away from the Hydra, as it started chasing after them, full speed. Fluttershy ran alongside a green frog that was also trying to make it away from the monster. She deeply regretted bringing them here now. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" She said to the frog, as it hopped ahead, making it to a crack underneath a large rock. "Everypony up that hill!" Twilight shouted, as they exited the mud, and headed up, and away from the Hydra. "Aw, dang it!" Applejack shouted, feeling her hind leg sink into a deep patch in the mud, just before the hill. "I've got you!" Spike said, running in from behind her, and scooping her up, on to his back. As soon as they were a few steps ahead, he let her down, allowing her to start moving on her own once again. "Thank ya' kindly, Spike!" Applejack called, as they ran. "I think we're gonna make it!" Twilight said, looking back at the Hydra, and seeing it slowly making its way through the mud, clearly having reached a tough spot for it. "But Pinkie is still shuddering!" Spike shouted, looking at the vibrating pony in front of him. Suddenly, she stopped her vibrations, and stood still. "Oh, lookie there! It stopped!" Pinkie said happily, before immediately resuming her violent shaking. "Oops! ThErE It GoEs AgAiN!" Pinkie said, slowly vibrating her way up the hill once again. Seeing her dramatic speed decrease, Spike ran up to Pinkie, and pressed his head to her rump, and started pushing her forward a bit faster. Eventually, they came to a large gap in ground, with a few tall stones, allowing passage across, if they were to jump. "Everypony jump across!" Twilight said, "One at a time!" "No way!" Spike said, "Look, why not just... Turn him into a mouse? That would be way easier!" "I don't know any magic to do that!" Twilight said, "Just go!" "Well, how about a squirrel?" Spike asked. "No!" Twilight said angrily. "Can you turn him into a--" "No, Spike!" Twilight said, "I can't turn him into a rodent of any kind!" "Well... That's too bad," Spike frowned. Fluttershy looked down, swallowed her fear, and decided to just go for it. Falling and drowning, was a much better way to go than being eaten by a Hydra. Jumping to the first stone, she realized just how easy it was, and jumped to the next once, and the next one, until she made it across to safety. Next, Twilight lifted Spike onto her back, and threw him on to the first pillar. Her strength truly amazed him. "You guys get across!" Twilight said to Pinkie and Applejack, "I'll distract the Hydra!" Applejack nodded, bit Pinkie's tail, and jumped across with her, just as Spike jumped to the next one himself. Twilight now stood alone on this side of the gorge, facing down the Hydra that was thundering up the hill toward her. "Ooh..." Twilight groaned, "What would a brave pony like Rainbow Dash do?" Well... there was one thing. "Chaaaaaaaaarge!" Twilight shouted, suddenly running directly toward the beast. The Hydra was taken by surprise as this pony suddenly changed direction, and ran toward it. Leaning down, it positioned one of its heads to grab her as soon as she was in reach. Suddenly, a loud screeching sound was heard in the air above it, making the Hydra lift its heads up, and look to the source of the noise. Twilight stopped herself, and looked into the sky, at a blue box that seemed to be appearing out of nowhere, as it careened out of control toward them. Finally, the box was phased in, spinning rapidly, as it headed directly for her and the Hydra. Seeing Twilight's loss of attention, the beast started moving toward her once again. Twilight immediately noticed it, turned tail, and started running, with the Hydra behind her, and the spinning box behind them both. Twilight quickly reached the edge of the gorge, and jumped to the first stone pillar, and then the second. Figuring this was a safe distance, Twilight turned around, and watched the blue box behind the Hydra. "What is that?" Pinkie shouted. "I don't know!" Twilight shouted. "Ah've seen that box before!" Applejack said. The Hydra saw that Twilight was close enough to grab if it jumped. Sure, it would land in the mud below, and be seriously hurt, but it wasn't smart enough to think that far ahead. Taking a few steps back, the beast started running for the edge, and jumped, with full intention to grab her. "Hold it steady!" A voice shouted to Twilight's right. Twilight didn't look at the source of the voice, she was too busy being shocked that the Hydra would risk so much, just to get her. Then, just before the jaws made contact with her, box flew right into her, pulled her inside, and flew away from the hungry Hydra, leaving it nothing to eat, but the stone where she just stood. Landing on the two pillars, the massive weight of the Hydra made them crack loudly, until it could no longer hold it. The beast fell until it landed in the massive mud pools below, where the falling stones fell from above pummeling its heads, until it collapsed in the mud, unconscious. Everypony stood in shock. "What." Applejack said. "The." Fluttershy added. "Buck." Pinkie and Spike said together. //// Finally, the blue box landed, and out came Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Derpy, The Doctor, and a very bloody Alex, making everypony recoil. "I have so many questions..." Spike said quietly. "What happened to yer face?!" Applejack asked Alex. "I got run through by a jewel," Alex said, "It's fine though." Alex looked at Spike and mouthed the words 'it's not fine.' "What are you doing here Derpy?" Fluttershy asked. "I was watching Princess Luna!" She replied, smiling. "Uh... Beg yer pardon?" Applejack asked. "Yup!" She smiled, "It's really sad!" "We'll explain later." The Doctor laughed. "We need to see Princess Luna!" Dash said impatiently, "We have to tell her something really important!" "W-what is up with that box?" Twilight stammered, still in shock. "Yes, yes," The Doctor said, "It's bigger on the inside, but we need to talk to Luna!" "W-well... She's pretty busy for the next few weeks," Twilight said breathlessly, "Celestia has her running some diplomatic missions... or something." "Twilight," Alex said seriously, "She needs to hear this." "Well... I guess we can talk to Celestia." Twilight said, "Maybe she can get her back here, if it's really important." "Are we going on a train to Canterlot?" Pinkie asked excitedly. "Psh, train?" The Doctor asked, "We're taking my ride, but... I only the four of us should be going." "Why?" Pinkie whined, "What are you going to tell her?" "We can't say, yet," Alex said, "You'll find out soon enough." "Well... Okay," Twilight said, scribbling out a note on some parchment, "Spike, can you send this to the princess?" He nodded, and shot his green fire to the parchment Twilight was levitating in front of him. "Alright," Spike said, "She'll know you're coming." The four looked to one another, and nodded. "Let's finish this." //// Alex and Dash approached Princess Celestia sitting on her throne, as she read the small piece of paper that Spike had just sent her. Alex had made sure to clean himself up before approaching her as well. Last thing he needed was to be seen by the royal guard, covered in blood, going to visit the princess. The Doctor and Derpy stood in the TARDIS, watching silently, and invisibly. "Princess?" Alex asked, earning her attention. "Oh! Alex!" Celestia laughed, "You're here... fast! Um, what happened to your cheek?" "It's nothing," Alex laughed nervously, "It happened ages ago." "Would it be possible for us to talk to Luna?" Alex asked her, earning a strange look. "She's overseas right now," Celestia explained, "I'm surprised that Twilight didn't tell you that." "She did," Alex said, "But--" "It's really important!" Dash cut in, "She needs to hear this!" "I'm sorry," Celestia said, still very confused, "But I'm afraid that--" "It's about Bolt." Alex said, earning an odd look from Celestia. "Bolt?" Celestia asked, "I don't know any 'Bolt.'" "Maybe not now... But how about a thousand years ago?" Alex asked, shocking her. "And... It's about their child." Dash added, a bit unsure of how she would react. "Where did you learn of that foal?" Celestia asked seriously. "There is something Luna needs to hear," Dash said simply, "Something that she didn't know thousand years ago." Celestia looked back and forth between the two, before silently casting a spell, making a while ball appear above them in the room. "Luna!" Celestia projected at the ball. "Yes, sister!" Luna's voice was heard, "What does thou need?" "I think you need to return home," Celestia said, "There is something important you must hear." "I cannot leave!" Luna laughed, "This is my first diplomatic job since the Crystal Kingdom! I must ensure that there isn't a repeat performance!" "Luna, that's what we need to talk about," Celestia said, "Alex and Rainbow Dash are here... They're talking about Bolt." Silence. "Alright sister," Luna finally said, her tone completely changed, "I'm on my way." The ball disappeared, and was instantly replaced by a series of sparks, originating from seemingly nowhere. After a few seconds, a dark explosion took their place. When the dark bubble faded, Luna was in the center, flapping her wings, lowering herself to the floor. "What do you two know of Bolt?" Luna asked quickly, looking between them, "What is so important that I need to be here?" Alex opened his mouth, not sure where to start. "Princess..." Dash spoke up, "It's about your foal." Luna went wide eyed. "She survived." ////

OTR: The Fall of the Night

Epilogue

//// Fall of the Night - Epilogue //// For the people who haven't read my other story, that this one continues, Spike is a pony, and since neither, him or Alex have cutie marks, they are members of the CMC. //// "...Are you quite sure?" Luna asked quietly. "We're positive," Alex answered, looking to Celestia, "We worked it all out." Luna turned from everypony, and walked out of the room. Leaving complete silence. "Should we...?" Dash began, looking between Celestia and Alex, "You know... go get her?" "No." Celestia said, watching the exit Luna had just taken, "I will speak to her." Alex and Dash both nodded. "We'll be here, let us know what's going to happen." Alex said. Celestia nodded, and then headed after Luna. They hadn't ever truly spoken of her child. Celestia had found out about her... But hadn't pursued the topic. It would have been painful for Luna. But this new development meant that they were going to have to talk about it. //// Luna paced around her room quietly, still reeling from this news. Her child survived, and lived on. And while she hadn't expressed it to the ponies outside, she was overjoyed. Her baby hadn't died in the Crystal Kingdom... Bolt had died keeping her safe... She truly missed him. Sighing quietly, Luna closed her eyes and smiled, fighting back the urge to cry over this. This was good news. It was the best news she had ever received. So she wasn't going to cry. She was going to smile! Of course, tears came anyway, but it truly didn't matter. She was happy right now. "Luna...?" Celestia asked, expecting a long, rather complicated conversation. "Oh, sister..." Luna smiled, at Celestia "I wish for us to go right now!" "Oh!" Celestia said in surprise, "You're sure you want to go at this moment?" "Of course!" Luna said, wiping her cheek, "Why is this even a question?" "Well... ten minutes ago, she was gone." Celestia said softly, "This must be huge for you." "It is, sister." Luna said, "But I've lost enough time with my child. I don't want to waste another moment." "Alright," Celestia said happily, "I was surprised to learn that I had met this pony already." "Her circumstances are... unfortunate, however." Luna said, "Perhaps we can change that for her." "Perhaps we can," Celestia smiled. //// Luna walked slowly through the streets of Ponyville, followed by her sister, Alex, and Dash, who all kept their distance, wanting her to have this moment for herself. "Are you two sure of this?" Celestia asked, "A singe descendent, after thousands stopped having children?" "We can't explain it," Alex said, "Maybe she can fill us in when we get there." "Her mother died when she was still so young," Dash said, "There's a chance that she won't know." "Let's keep out hoofs crossed." Alex said, realizing that you couldn't really cross hooves. Luckily, nopony particularly noticed his nonsense words. "Is this the proper location?" Luna asked the three behind her, as they approached a small building. Alex nodded to her. Sighing quietly, Luna turned back to the house, and stopped for a moment. "We'll wait here," Celestia said softly, "Please take your time." Luna nodded, and then silently walked into the building. //// Of course, it isn't every day that a princess walks into an orphanage. Opening the door, she was greeted with a handful of colts and fillies, immediately looking up at her with panicked, and wide eyes. "A-aah... P-Princess!" An old mare said, quickly standing up, "It's an honor! To what do we owe your presence?" Luna looked silently around the room, for the filly that had been described to her, ignoring the mare. "Princess...?" The mare asked again. "I wish to see--" "I'll be back soon!" A filly called, running down the stairs as she placed a blue helmet on her head, "I've got a meeting I need to get to!" "Don't you want to say hello to the Princess?" The mare asked the girl as she opened the door, and briefly looked back. "Hi Princess Luna!" She shouted, running out and closing the door. "Oh my..." The mare sighed, "My apologized, Princess. That one is quite... rambunctious." "She... is a Pegasus?" Luna softly, after witnessing the girl. "Why yes!" She answered quickly, "Little thing can't fly worth a darn though!" //// "Is that...?" Dash asked, seeing the young girl hop on her scooter, and take off into town. "Yes," Alex laughed, "Do you think Luna even had a chance to talk to her?" "E-excuse me...!" A timid voice called from the front door of the orphanage. The three looked to Luna, as she tried to get the girls attention, however, due to her volume, it was to no avail. She then looked to them, with big, sad eyes. "Oh, Luna," Celestia giggled, "She reminds me of your friend, Fluttershy sometimes." "Come on Luna!" Alex called, "I know where she's heading!" "How do you know?" Dash asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Club meeting!" Alex answered, "I'm supposed to be there, actually." "What is her destination?" Luna asked quickly, "I must know!" "Uh... Carousel Boutique?" Alex said, thinking to himself, "Yeah! It's Sweetie Belles turn to host it." "Host?" Dash asked, "How organized are you guys?" "Pretty organized," Alex said simply, "Come on, I'll take us over there!" "Why don't we fly?" Celestia asked, "It would be much faster." "Um," Alex said, scratching his head, "About that..." //// The four arrived outside the Carousel Boutique. Luna, Celestia, And Alex riding on Dash's back. "There's her scooter," Alex said, hopping up and down on Dash, annoying her, "She'll be in there." "Thank you," Luna said earnestly, as everypony started getting ready to go inside with her, "But... I wish to do this alone." "Oh! Right!" Dash said, backing her and Alex up, followed by Celestia. Luna turned back to the door and exhaled quietly, bracing herself for this. Something she had thought impossible for a thousand years. While she wished that this was her foal... that simply wasn't possible. Still, she had been saved by Bolt, and had gone on to live a happy life, with a husband, and children. Luna couldn't have hoped for more. Raising a hoof to the front door, Luna hesitantly knocked on it. "I'm terribly sorry, but we're closed!" Rarity's voice called from behind the door, before shouting at somepony inside, "Sweetie Belle! Put that down!" Luna cocked her head, and listened. "Spike!" Rarity said, "Don't encourage her!" Luna knocked on the door once again. "That might be Alex!" Spike said, "Let him in!" Rarity sighed, and opened the door, still looking at Spike, "There, are you happy?" Spike went wide eyed. "What's the matter?" Rarity asked, turning to Princess Luna, "Eep--" "Hello!" Luna bellowed, smiling awkwardly. "P-P-P-Princess Luna!" Rarity stammered, "My dearest apologies for not letting you in! You see, I--" "You needn't apologize," Luna smiled, "I simply wish to speak to one of the girls inside." "Has Sweetie Belle done something?" Rarity asked, "Because I sincerely apologize! She's so young, you see! And is on this- this crazy quest to earn her cutie mark!" "I do not wish to use the Royal voice on anypony today," Luna said happily, "I wish to talk with... Um... Scoot-ah-Loo." "Oh, well! She's just in here." Rarity said, leading the princess into the kitchen, where the girls had decided to see if they were gourmet chefs. "Scootaloo, dear," Rarity said, walking into the kitchen. However, instead of being greeted by her sister, and her friends, she saw an empty kitchen, "Oh my... where has she gotten to?" "I think they went to get some apples to make some pies!" Spike said, "They wanted to leave the princess and you alone... So they went out the back door." "But she's here to see Scootaloo!" Rarity said, "Why do they always do these things..." "They have gone to Sweet Apple Acres then?" Luna asked, "Then I will follow them." "I'm coming too!" Spike spoke up, "They just up and left me behind!" "Well... I would prefer if you--" "And I'm coming too!" Rarity said angrily, cutting Luna off, "Sweetie Belle knows that she has to tell me before she goes out!" "Well... if you insist." Luna said in defeat. "Perfect!" Rarity smiled, levitating a large hat on to her head, "Come, Spike." Leaning on him, and squishing her hat against him, they walked out, leaving Luna alone in the Boutique. Luna shook her head, and walked back out the door. //// "Why'd y'all need so many apples?" Applejack asked, filling up a paper bag full of apples. "Because, sis!" Apple Bloom whined, "We need to see if we're bakers!" "Ya' know Apple Bloom..." Applejack sighed, "I don' think yer gonna have too much luck with that." "How do you know?" Scootaloo asked, "I think we'd be great!" "Yeah!" Sweetie squeaked. "Well... good luck to y'all," Applejack sighed, knowing that the girls weren't going to be stopped by any words of hers. "Thanks sis!" Apple Bloom called, biting the bag, and hanging it on Sweetie Belles horn. "We're going to Sugar Cube Corner now!" Scootaloo called as they trotted away. "We're going to make something delicious!" Sweetie Belle added, from behind the bag that hung from her face. Applejack laughed as she turned back toward the barn. She needed to finish up her work, and then head in for dinner. She had almost been eaten by a hydra today. So she wanted to relax. Hopefully Apple Bloom wouldn't be bringing anything home for dessert... But then again, maybe they'd turn out great. //// "What do you mean, 'we just missed her'?" Alex whined, still sitting on Dash's back, "I'm sleepy!" "Maybe you'll wake up a little if you stop riding me!" Dash groaned. "You didn't mind last night!" Alex laughed, before silencing himself. The entire group stared right at him and Dash, as she blushed furiously. "I-It was a joke!" Alex stammered, "Don't give us that look!" Silence. "I swear!" Alex said, looking to Princess Celestia, as she laughed. "We believe you, Alex." Celestia said, in a very unconvincing tone, "Besides, Dash seems like the type that would be doing the riding." Everypony broke out in laughter, as Alex and Dash looked away from them, blushing deeply. "Well, enough 'bout those two!" Applejack laughed, "The girls headed fer Sugar Cube Corner, so we should probably get goin'" "We?" Luna asked. "Of course!" Applejack said, "I wanna see how their pies come out!" "I'd love to do so, as well!" Rarity spoke up, "As long as Spiky has the first bite..." "But... You made me test Sweetie's food last time!" Spike complained, "I thought I was going to die!" "Well, you're still alive, dear!" Rarity smiled, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" Spike sighed. "Let us hurry," Luna said, "I would like to be done before nightfall." Everypony nodded. "We should hurry, before they move again," Celestia suggested, "I have a feeling that they don't stay in one place for too long." "You can say that again," Alex said, recalling the several trips they had taken him on. //// "Alright, girls!" Pinkie said, bouncing around the kitchen happily, as each of the young fillies stood at a station at the counter, "Do you want help making all these scrumptious pies?" "No thanks!" Apple Bloom said, "We need to see if we can do this!" "Alrighty girls!" Pinkie said, trotting out of the room, "Let me know how they turn out! I'll just be in my room with Twilight and Fluttershy!" With that, she left the girls alone. "So! Where should we start?" Scootaloo asked her friends, now that they were alone. "I know!" Sweetie Belle said happily, "We need to bake the apples first!" "Are you sure...?" Apple Bloom asked, "I don' think I've seen mah sister do it that way." "Trust me!" Sweetie said confidently, "I'm a great cook! Just ask Rarity!" "Okay okay!" Scootaloo said, "Let's just start already! I'll put the apples in the oven!" //// The trip had been much longer than Luna had anticipated at first, and she grew more and more anxious as each second passed. This would have been so much easier if she had just seen her at the orphanage. Luna looked among the now sizable group of ponies around her, and noticed Spike looking at the sky, and sniffing. "Do you guys see that?" Spike asked, pointing to the sky ahead of them. Everypony looked upward, and saw black smoke rising into the sky. "Is that coming from Sugar Cube Corner?!" Dash said. "I'll bet it's those girls!" Rarity said, as she started running for the smoking building. "I hope it ain't on fire!" Applejack said running with Rarity, as everypony followed suit. Outside Sugar Cube Corner, stood Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Fluttershy, and the three young fillies. "I can't believe we listened to Sweetie Belle..." Scootaloo said sadly, knowing that they had done some pretty bad damage. "I could have sworn that was how to make a pie..." Sweetie Belle said, feeling terrible over her choice to bake the apples. "Applejack is gunna kill us." Apple Bloom sighed. "The Cake's are gonna kill me!" Pinkie whined. "That's what you get for leaving the girls alone in the kitchen!" Twilight scolded. Fluttershy was silent throughout the endeavor. "Girls..." Dash said, arriving next to the defeated CMC, "Did you do all this?" They all nodded dejectedly. "Oh no!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, looking back, "The Princesses are here!" Celestia looked for her sister, but was surprised to see her hiding in the back of the group. "Are you here to banish us?" Scootaloo asked, eliciting a sigh from Celestia. "We're real sorry!" Apple Bloom immediately added. Luna stepped forward, and passed the group of fillies. They all looked at her, wondering what was coming next. Leaning forward, she cast a spell, sending an orb of magic into the house, that quickly disappeared into the smoke. Suddenly, the smoke started being pulled into the house. Every cloud of it was sucked away from the sky, and pulled back into the building. "What is she doing?" Pinkie asked Twilight. "I haven't seen this kind of spell before..." Twilight said, inspecting the strange effect the magic had. After a few moments, all of the smoke had vanished into the house. Leaving the building just as it had been a few minutes ago. "THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPAIRED." Luna shouted, making everyone recoil. "Oh..." Luna said, suddenly very timid, "I... Any damage done by the smoke is gone." "Thankyou-thankyou-thankyou!" Pinkie shouted suddenly, bouncing circles around Luna, "Now I won't be evicted! And won't have to live on the street! And I won't have to do icky things in the alley behind Carousel Boutique, just to make money!" "Heavens to Betsy!" Apple Bloom said, overjoyed. "You fixed it!" Sweetie beamed. "Wow..." Scootaloo said breathlessly. The three fillies all continued thanking Luna for saving the day. They were followed by Twilight and Rainbow Dash, as Luna stood in an awkward stance, wanting to speak up, but not wanting to interrupt anypony. *Ahem* Celestia's powerful voice immediately silenced the group, giving Luna the opportunity she needed. "May I speak with you...?" Luna asked Scootaloo timidly. "Uhm... Sure?" The filly answered, looking nervously back and forth between her friends. "We should leave them alone." Celestia said, to everypony else, "Pinkie, why don't you bake us a cake inside?" "Why do we need a cake?" Twilight asked. "Who cares?!" Pinkie laughed, "It's cake!" So, everypony filed into Sugar Cube corner, leaving only Luna and Scootaloo outside. The young girl was feeling quite nervous, to say the least. Being in the presence of a princess and all... Maybe she was mad at her for not being respectful, back when she left the orphanage! "If this is about me rushing out back at the orphanage, I have a perfectly good explanation!" Scootaloo said quickly. "No..." Luna said, realizing that she had no idea just what she was going to say to this young girl. She suddenly wished her sister was here with her. What was she even going to say to this filly? 'Congratulations! You're my great great great granddaughter!' No... That wouldn't do. She would have to be much more delicate than that. Perhaps.... She could-- "Uh... Princess Luna?" Scootaloo asked, seeing the Princess lost in thought. "Oh... My apologies. Um..." Luna stumbled, trying to find the right words. However, they simply wouldn't come. And, while she tried to piece together something to say, time was quickly passing, making the situation feel worse and worse. Finally, she came out and said something. It was just the wrong thing to say... "Congratulations! You're my great great great granddaughter!" Luna said, feeling like a complete idiot. "...What?" //// "She bombed it..." Alex said, peeking his head through the curtains in the living room. Alex wasn't the only one peeking through at this moment though. In order from the bottom, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Spike, Rarity, Alex, Twilight, Applejack, Princess Celestia, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash, all had their heads between the same curtains. Had somepony seen them from the outside, it would have made them wonder what kind of crazy pony-totem pole was behind the curtains for them to achieve such line of heads like that. Luckily, nopony did walk by. So, there's no point in even discussing it. "What's going on, exactly?" Twilight asked, looking down to Alex. "Uh, well, it's a really long story." Alex said, "And I'm not totally sure that we have the time right now." "Luna had a child that she thought died, Alex and Rainbow Dash found out she survived, and Scootaloo is the only living descendent." Celestia quickly summarized. "What?!" Many of the ponies said together. "I guess it's not a long story at all." Alex said, impressed with the shortened version Celestia had improvised. "Woah nelly!" Applejack said. "Luna had a child?" Twilight asked, "W-when did this happen?" "Shh!" Dash said, pointing to the window, "I wanna hear!" //// "We're... related?" Scootaloo asked in disbelief, "I... I thought I had no family!" Luna frowned. That was a pretty sad thing to hear. "You do," Luna said softly, suddenly feeling a bit more confident, "My sister and I are both related to you by blood." "Does that mean that my mom was too? Or was it my dad?" Scootaloo asked, not having much in the way of memories of them. But, was still curious. "I believe Alex said it was your mother," Luna nodded, not sure what was coming next, conversation, or behavior wise. She just hoped that she didn't get sad and cry. Because then Luna would lose her composure! "Does that mean you're going to adopt me?" Scootaloo suddenly asked, clearly uneasy on the prospect. "Oh... Well, would you want that?" Luna asked, realizing that she hadn't even considered something like that happening "To go to Canterlot with Celestia and myself?" Scootaloo looked troubled. This was so much for her to hear at once. "I'd really like to stay in Ponyville..." She finally said, hoping that this wouldn't hurt the princesses' feelings. Luna nodded. That was to be expected, and was perhaps for the best for both Scootaloo, and herself. She didn't have the time to care for a child full time. Come to think of it, maybe Celestia had been right when she said that Luna should take some time to think this all over. She was standing here with this strange little girl... and she was her grandchild? She should have thought this over first, and made a better approach, instead of dumping this all on a child like this. Often times when Luna was in tough situations, she would try to think about herself a thousand years ago, and what she would have done back then, as she considered herself to be much stronger back then. Unfortunately, spending a thousand years on the moon had a way of messing things up in your head a bit. Still, she knew how to get through to this girl. That old side of her still existed enough for her to know. "How about this..." Luna said, keeling down on her front legs, bringing herself to Scootaloo's level, "You live here, in the orphanage... But you can come to the castle, and visit with me whenever you want." "Really?!" Scootaloo said, suddenly very happy with the outcome of this, "I'd be allowed to do that?" "Of course," Luna said, happy to see the girl smile, "You're practically a Princess, you know! "...I am?" Scootaloo asked in awe, her eyes expanding to twice their normal size. "Sure you are!" Luna beamed, emulating her old, much friendlier attitude, leaving her awkwardness behind. "You can even bring your friends to the castle with you!" "I can?!" Scootaloo asked, "You're the coolest, Luna!" Luna wasn't able to just sit down, and declare herself this filly's mother, or anything else. So, she was going to build a friendship with this girl, and while it wouldn't be the relationship she would have had with her baby, she could still make a difference in her life, and hopefully be a role model for her. She may have lost the chance to care for, and love her own daughter... But she had been given this chance, with a pony born of her own child. And it made her happier than anything ever had before. //// "Wow..." Alex and Dash said together. "What?" Sweetie spoke up, from below them. "Luna's acting like her old self." Alex explained, "Not like the awkward pony we all know." "It's true," Celestia agreed, "I haven't seen Luna in this kind of mood since... since before she went to the Crystal Kingdom." "The 'what'?" Twilight asked. "Oh, nothing." Celestia brushed off, "Suffice to say, it was many years ago." "I can't believe Scootaloo is related to Princess Luna!" Sweetie said again. "Ah' know! Apple Bloom agreed, "That means she finally has somepony!" "And that somepony is a princess!" Dash added. "I always felt so bad for the little thing..." Fluttershy spoke up. The group sat in a comfortable silence, and eavesdropped on Luna and Scootaloo. However, after a few seconds of glancing around, Spike spoke up, voicing a concern he had. "Isn't it a bit rude to be peeping?" Spike asked everypony around him. "It's okay Spike," Celestia reassured, "I'm a Princess." He can't argue that logic. //// Finally, the day was over. Luna and Scootaloo had talked about all of the things they, and the rest of the CMC were going to do, before being invited inside for cake. It was a strange thing for the Cakes to come home to. All of Pinkies friends, their siblings, and of course, Luna and Celestia, sitting in the dining room eating cake. And, after a few minutes breather for them, they finally accepted that they didn't need to do anything for the Princesses, besides leave them to their own devices. The sun had finally started to set, so Luna and Celestia decided to head back, so Luna could bring up the moon, and then head back on her diplomatic mission. She also promised that as soon as she came back, she was going to give Scootaloo and her friends a tour of the castle, and even give her her own room. Needless to say, they were excited. Alex and Dash, on the other hand, had gone back to the library early. Today had been massively busy, and they just wanted some sleep. And spending the night together would be nice. Outside of the Library, The Doctor and the TARDIS phased into view, and both he and Derpy stepped out of the phone box. "Mission accomplished?" Alex asked. "Oh yes," The Doctor agreed, smiling brightly. "What are you gonna do now?" Dash asked, looking from him to Derpy. "I think we're going to explore time and space a bit," The Doctor explained, "Lots of stuff I have to do again, since it's all been undone in this timeline." "Yeah!" Derpy agreed, "We're going to help a bunch of ponies!" "Good for you," Alex smiled, seeing just how happy Derpy's company made the Doctor. "But who's gonna deliver the mail?" Dash teased. "Oh right!" Derpy said, "Your mail!" Reaching into the saddle bag she now wore, she pulled out a letter addressed to Alex. "Who would be sending me mail?" Alex said to himself, inspecting the letter. "Well, we'd better be off." The Doctor said, stepping into the TARDIS. "Wait!" Derpy said suddenly, "I have one more to deliver!" "Oh, right." The Doctor said, watching Derpy pull out the small bag, and then sighing, "What?" Dash asked, seeing his reaction, "Who is it for?" "It's a shampoo sample..." The Doctor said flatly, "And it's addressed to you, Derpy." "It is?" She asked excitedly, dropping the bag as she spoke. "Mane and Tail..." The Doctor said, inspecting the small bottle, "Not bad, I'll toss it in the bathroom." "Don't want to waste good shampoo," Alex laughed, "But really, when is the next time we'll see you?" "Oh, we'll be around." The Doctor said, scratching his head, "We'll come find you next time we pop in." "Alright," Alex nodded. "I'll see you when you get back Derpy!" Dash said, as the two entered the TARDIS once again. Then, after a moment, the familiar groaning began, as the ship slowly started fade out of existence, until nothing was left. Dash sighed happily, "I'm glad that's over!" "You can say that again," Alex agreed, levitating the letter back up to his face. "Who's it from?" Dash asked. "It's from Ramsley!" Alex said, happy to see his name in the top corner, "Let's go grab Spike. I'm sure he'd love to hear this!" //// And that's it! The Fall of the Night is now complete! I hope that a bunch of you who read this first, go back and read the beginning. I always love new readers! Anyway, as for the rest of you, I'll keep posting in a week or so. I have big plans for Sonic Rainboom.

George Trestale, God of... Something

pre

"What? A cake on the ground!?" She turned around, which I quickly took as an opportunity to dash into the forest. I didn't see her turn back to me, but I kept running until I couldn't see outside the forest anymore. I walked into a circle of trees and sat down. "Phew," I said. "That was close." I suddenly heard a rustling from one of the bushes. "What the-" Pinkie suddenly leaped out from behind the bush. "Hi again!" "AGH! Jeez, Pinkie! How the hell did you find me?!" "Well, we were right on the edge of the forest, silly! Where else would you have gone?" "...Oh. Okay, fair point." "Now come on! If we get back soon, there'll still be time for party games!" She started trotting off. Ugh, I need to put a stop to this. I stood up and called out to her. "Pinkie!" She stopped and turned around. "Yeah?" "Pinkie, I told you I can't go to your party." "But you're a human! The first human in Ponyville in so long! What good will a welcoming party be if the guy I'm welcoming isn't there?" She looked sad again. I needed to think of something... Aha, I got it. "Pinkie, listen. I can't come to this party-" Her face drooped. "-But I promise I'll come to another one of your parties later on." "But why cant you come to this one?!" "Pinkie, I told you. Humans aren't allowed in Equestria, remember? I need to clear things up with me and the princess if I want to go. I mean, it wouldn't be a very good party if I got arrested in the middle of it, right?" "Aww..." Her mane drooped this time. "Hmm... Alright. Pinkie Pie, I promise that I will go talk to Princess Celestia and try to clear things up, alright? Then, you can throw me the biggest party you want to." "...Pinkie promise?" "Yeah, sure. Pinkie promise." She suddenly lit up again. "Alright! You go talk to the Princess, and I'll go make even more preparations for what could be my biggest party yet! Bye!" She zoomed off. "Huh, that was easier than I thought it would be." I didn't really have any intention of talking to Princess Celestia, of course. At least, not yet. I'd feel bad if I didn't eventually do it, but for now I can't imagine it being my best option. Now that I finally have some time to think things over, I need to seriously consider where I'm going from here. I'd love to find this "Anthropia", but that in and of itself is probably a lost cause. However, as I thought some more, the futility of my situation started to dawn on me. "Aaaagh! Goddammit! What the hell am I supposed to do?!" I couldn't think of a single plan that had any likelihood of not landing me either in a prison or a grave. My situation is completely fucked as far as I can tell. I decided to go for a walk to see if that helped me think. While walking, I mulled over all the aspects of my current situation. First, humans are banned from Equestria. That's bad. Second, I have some pretty nice powers... Wait, of course! Why didn't I think of this before? It must have been me that caused myself to teleport outside of that dungeon. Maybe I can try that again? Because that skill would be exceedingly useful. But just how was I supposed to practice that? After reaching an edge of the forest, I began trying to concentrate on the area a few feet in front of me, while trying to will myself there. I snapped my fingers for added effect, but nothing happened. "Hmm..." I tried to think of what I was doing when I first teleported. I was ranting at Celestia, and then I waved my arm to the right. I was focusing on the subject of leaving the dungeon while doing so, which means... Aha, that must be it! While concentrating on the area in front of me, I waved my arm to the right... And suddenly, I appeared two feet behind me. "Wh- Okay, that's something, I guess." I tried again, this time I teleported about five feet in the air. I fell on my face and pushed myself up again. "Come on, go where I want me to!" I tried one more time, this time focusing outside the forest... and I found myself in a tree. "Oh, come on..." I prepared to try again, but the branch under me broke and I fell to the ground. I pushed myself up, and considered everything that just happened. Okay, so it seems I can teleport at will, but only in some small radius around me, and I can't choose where I teleport to. Real useful. I walked back into the forest. It was getting dark, and all that teleporting made me tired. I gathered some wood I found scattered on the ground and made a campfire, of sorts. Lying down next to it, I gradually fell asleep while the sound of hoofsteps made itself known.

George Trestale, God of... Something

Dead Poets Society

I awoke to the sound of bubbling liquid. Opening my eyes, I found myself in some sort of hut, the walls adorned with various bottles and horse-shaped masks. Strange, I don't remember falling asleep here. "Ah, so you are finally awake. I was beginning to wonder how long that would take." I heard a distinctively female voice. Turning my head, I laid my eyes on what looked to be a zebra adorned in various gold... bracelets, or something. "Agh! Where am I?!" I said, backing into a corner. "Do not have fear, my human friend. Your confusion will meet its end." "Who are you? Why am I here?!" "I am Zecora. I live in this wood. I noticed you napping, and I understood." "Understood what?" "Your current plight, it was clear to myself. I opted to give you a shelter, some help." "And why are you talking in rhymes?" "I'm sure your amount of questions is great, but I am afraid they will have to wait." She walked over to a large cauldron in the middle of the hut and looked into it. "I heard of your Canterlot escapades. Here, humans don't exactly come in spades." "Oh, that. In my defense, I wasn't exactly in my right mind at the time." "I'm afraid my concerns lie elsewhere, George. Those memories lost in that story you've forged." "What do you mean?" I got up and looked in the cauldron. It was filled with some type of green liquid. "I conducted some research, I hope you don't mind. I'm sure you'd like to see the things I did find." "Research? What kind of research?" "The type of research on humans, that's what. It's been long since one last came to my hut." "Can you please just explain to me what's going on?" "To you, there's more than most ponies would see. Your powers stretch far beyond climbing trees." I thought back to the branch breaking and winced. "You're saying I'm more powerful than I think I am?" "If you were not, then you would likely be dead. And yet you are here in my home," she said. "...Hey, that's cheating!" "No, it's not." She stirred the pot. "I... never mind. How did you figure all this out about me?" "News travels fast when a human is here. Most ponies view it as something quite queer." "So, why are you helping me rather than turning me in to Celestia or something?" She left the Cauldron and looked out the window. "You are not the first human to come to my house. Another once came, they were meek as a mouse." "Were they friendly at all?" "She was a sweet girl, far more than you'd think. She even tried to offer me a drink. However, she could not stay long. She left soon after she'd sang me a song." "After that, I heard naught else from her. It was as if she was gone in a blur." She continued. "Ever since that day, when that human left my home, I began to doubt how, to us, they were known." "...Wow, I'm actually feeling kinda emotional at that." She turned back to me. "However, these days are far in the past. You are now here, and I must finish fast." "Do you believe in a higher power? A sort of being, above all they would tower?" "I don't know," I said. "To be honest, I haven't thought of anything concerning religion since I fell out of the sky." "What if I told you this power was you? It's the only explanation for what you've been through." "...What exactly are you saying?" "Immortality is no small power, my friend. There is but one explanation to this end." "Wait, how did you know I was immortal?" "You fell from the sky, and from Canterlot. The damage to mortals would be quite a lot. It's a hasty conclusion, I'm fully aware, but please take a seat, right over there." There didn't seem to be any chairs around, so I just sat down on the floor. "You may not believe me, so please just inhale. You may be a deity, my friend, George Trestale." What. A deity? As in godliness? I'm a god? No, that can't be right. "N-No, that can't be right. How could I be a god?! I'm not even that powerful!" "That is where things complicate themselves. Mediocrity seems to be where your power delves." "Please, just get to the point!" "Let us go outside, and you will see for yourself. Your powers may knock my things off my shelf." We both walked outside, and stopped a small distance from her house. "Now, attempt to teleport like before. Focus on my house's door." Concentrating on the door, I attempted to teleport myself into the hut. I waved my arm to the right as usual... and I suddenly appeared about a yard to the left. "Yes, this confirms what it was that I thought. Your powers are broken, they're all good for naught." "Wait," I said, walking back to her. "So, I have godlike powers, but they don't work right?!" "I am afraid that's the fact of the matter. From what I see here, your powers are shattered." "Can they be fixed?" "The idea of that's been heard by no one. Nothing like that has ever been done." "Oh, goddamn it. So, what you're saying is I'm stuck with broken magical powers. I'm pretty much the crappiest god in existence." "I am afraid that statement is true. But come inside, I have something for you." I followed Zecora back into her hut. Upon doing so, she opened a drawer and took out what looked to be a piece of parchment. She placed it in my hands. "I was given this map by the previous human. She gave it to me with a bottle of cumin." "Cumin? Why?" "I must admit, that was a lie. I was simply in need of a rhyme." "Oh." "This map leads to Anthropia. She told me, 'A human utopia'." "Wait, this map shows where Anthropia is?" "Yes, this map will take you there. It is a long journey, but I doubt you care." "Honestly, at this point I'm willing to do anything to figure out what the hell's been going on for the past day." "Then go, and find the answers to your past. But you may want to get there fast." "Why?" "Your arrival in Ponyville is causing stir. It will likely ruffle Celestia's fur." "So, what you're saying is she's going to send a search party after me?" "That is what is most likely. So go, and know to tread lightly." "Alright." I tucked the map into my pocket. "Thanks, Zecora. Your efforts will not be in vain!" I said, dashing out the door. So, now I have a map to Anthropia. That's like manna from heaven at this point. After leaving the forest, I took the map out of my pocket and studied it. Sheesh, that is way out there. How the hell am I supposed to walk that far? I need some other method of transportation. After some thinking and walking, I heard what sounded like a train whistle. I looked off at a nearby mountain and saw, unsurprisingly, a train scaling it, seemingly heading towards Canterlot. Hm, that gives me an idea.

George Trestale, God of... Something

Strangers on a Train

Viewing the Canterlot-bound train from afar, I was struck with an idea. A train wouldn't bring me all the way to Anthropia, but it could certainly get me part of the way there. Looking at the map, between here and Anthropia is a town called "Appleloosa". From what I can tell on this map, the train will get me a large portion of the way there. I'll just have to wait for it to be en route to Appleloosa. This means I need to figure out two things. One, how I'm going to get a copy of the train's schedule, and two, how I'm going to get on the train. So, as for the train schedule, my only option would likely be to just hope there are copies of it on the train. Maybe there will be, maybe there won't. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. But for now, I need to figure out how I'm going to actually board the train. This is going to take some planning. I can't exactly go and buy a ticket. I'm going to have to sneak on somehow. But how? I can't board it in any of the towns it stops in, that's way too high risk with the amount of ponies getting on and off. This means my only option would be to get on it between its stops... but how am I gonna do that? I can't just run up next to it and grab it, my arm will get ripped off. And I can't think of any feasible way of stopping it. I looked at Canterlot, and then to the bottom of the mountain it's on. Hm, it looks like the train uses this tunnel at the bottom. Perhaps I could jump onto it from an overpass? Eh, that's a stupid idea. So, clearly, it's the best one for me to use! En route to Canterlot's mountain, it soon became nighttime. I admired how cool-looking the sky is. Seriously, that is a nice shade of purple. While thinking about this, I heard a train whistle. I looked to the left and saw the train in the distance, on some rails headed towards Canterlot. I needed to get to the overpass fast. I quickly picked up the pace, and after about twenty more minutes, I made it to the mountain. Okay, the tunnel has a ledge above it I can stand on, but how am I going to get up there? I thought about this for a moment, but in the middle of my thinking I suddenly heard the train whistle from the inside of the tunnel. Oh god, that's coming up way faster than I expected. Okay, I gotta figure this out fast. After some quick thinking, I came to the conclusion that I needed to try and teleport onto the overpass. I can't imagine it being likely that it would work, but, hell, it's my only option. I quickly focused on the overpass and waved my arm, only to appear inside the tunnel. I could see the train's light some distance down there, and it was approaching fast. I quickly ran out of the tunnel and tried again. Okay, this time I appeared next to the overpass in midair. I fell down to the ground and considered if my power was taunting me. The train's about to come out of the tunnel. I quickly got up and tried one more time as the train rushed out of the tunnel... ...And I appeared over the train instead. I quickly fell onto the train, my legs giving out and me hitting my head on its roof. I quickly got up and saw the ground passing by around me. "Holy shit. I did it. I did it! Lo hicimos! I did it!" I almost jumped for joy, but stopped myself as I realized that's a stupid idea. After walking up a few cars, I sat down and began to wonder where this train was going, hoping it would be stopping somewhere closer to Anthropia. While thinking this, I suddenly saw we were headed for another tunnel. Which happened to be really close. Shit. I quickly got up again and looked down at the cars. Okay, fuck it! I jumped down between them, the tunnel's roof missing me by mere inches, and me landing on the connecting platform. After a sigh of relief, I looked through the window in the door to the next car. Filled with ponies, not good. I looked at the one behind me. Not filled with ponies. That's better. I quickly ran into the room to see various bunks with curtains. I climbed into a higher one and quickly shut the curtain. I looked out the bunk's window to see the train leave the tunnel. Now, at this point I figured I was safe. Who would invade the privacy of Equestria's most wanted? While considering this, I heard the door to the cabin open. A young sounding voice made itself known. "Why do we have to be so careful about one human? How dangerous could he be?" "Celestia said he survived falling off Canterlot," another voice said. "Something fishy is going on if that's true." That voice sounds so familiar. Why can't I put my finger on it? "So, we're going to Ponyville just so you can research humans? Doesn't Canterlot Castle have a library?" "Yes, but I've already scoured through all the books there. I'm going home to see if any of my books have different information on humans." "If you say so, Twilight." Twilight...? Then it hit me. God damn it, why her of all ponies? Why does my luck suck so much?! And as if it couldn't get any worse, I began to feel a sneeze coming on. How do you stop a sneeze, again? I'd like to know that as soon as possible. "Spike, this is important. We can't have a human running amok-" "AH-CHOO!" "...Bless you," said the younger voice. "Thank you," I replied. ...Fuck, why did I say that? "Wait, that voice!" said Twilight. My curtain was suddenly covered in a purple aura, and then it opened, greeting my eyes with Princess Twilight Sparkle and... some lizard thing. "Ha! We've got you now!" said Twilight. Well, this plan is screwed. "Ha-HA! That's what you think!" I opened my bunk's window, only to be trapped in a magic bubble again. "Nice try, but you're not getting away this time!" said Twilight. "We're going to bring you back to Celestia. She'll be glad to see you've been captured again." "Wow," said the lizard that I assume is named "Spike". "He was right here the whole time! That's convenient." "Yeah, well, you know what's inconvenient?" I said. "What?" said Twilight. "This!" I waved my arm to the right, suddenly appearing on top of the train again. Man, considering all the possibilities, this is working out pretty well for me. I heard voices from inside the cabin. "Darn it! Celestia said he might be able to teleport, but I wasn't going to believe it until I saw it," said Twilight. "Let me guess, this means more research?" said Spike. "Well, obviously." Laughing at the fact that I escaped unscathed, I stopped listening to the cabin and looked out in front of the train. My happiness was suddenly cut short upon seeing that the train was now stopping in Ponyville. Shit.

George Trestale, God of... Something

Brilliant Mistakes

As the train pulled into Ponyville, all I could do was watch as I was gradually brought into the view of every pony near the train station. Them staring at me, and me staring back, I just clung to the roof of the train until it came to a stop. Well, what matters is that Twilight doesn't know I'm there. After ponies started getting off the train, I jumped off the side not facing the train station. Watching the other side of the train between two cars, I saw Twilight and Spike among the others, backs thankfully turned to me. I quickly ducked behind a car, contemplating what to do now. Hmm... Now that I'm at a train station, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a train schedule in there. But I can't just run in there and grab it in broad daylight. I'm going to need to wait until nighttime, since it'll probably be closed then. So, for now, I need to lay low. But how the hell am I going to do that? I am currently behind the one thing keeping Twilight from spotting me, and I'm fairly sure a bunch of ponies saw me on top of the train. It's only a matter of time until she is either told I'm here, or she sees me herself. This is not going to be easy at all. After about ten minutes of thinking, I figured something out. All I need to do is get back on the train, ride it back out of Ponyville, wait until nighttime, and then sneak back into town. It's genius! Unfortunately, just as I came up with this plan, I noticed the train had begun pulling out of Ponyville again. "Shit!" As the train passed me, I looked for something to grab on to. In a split second, the railing on the back of the train's caboose caught my eye. I quickly reached out and grabbed it. Bad mistake. The train had now considerably sped up, and so, rather than being able to pull myself onto the train like I had intended, I was now being dragged behind it on the tracks. "Agh- ugh- ow- fuck- me-" I said, hitting each individual sleeper as I was pulled behind the train. Putting in all my upper body strength, I managed to get another hand on the railing and pull myself up and over the railing, falling onto the platform. Thinking myself to be safe, I got up and looked out at Ponyville. It's a nice looking town, for sure. A weird choice to have a giant crystal castle in the middle of it, though. It really contrasts with the rest of the place. As I contemplated the possibility of giving the inhabitants of the town some aesthetic advice, I heard something in the car. Looking in through the door's window, I saw a pony collecting tickets from the others on board. I quickly ducked out of the way of the window and climbed onto the roof of the train. Looking down at the platform, I saw the ticket-collector pony open the door to the platform, look around for a moment, and go back inside. Mentally celebrating my small victory, I stood myself up only to promptly be slammed into the side of a hill, the train now passing through a tunnel. "Aaaaaagh..." I said, apparently stuck to the side of the hill while the train passed under me. I quickly fell to the ground and got up again, dazed. "Yeah, that's every bit as painful as I'd expect." Looking around, I caught Ponyville in the distance. Alright, I'm a good ways away now. Now to wait. I walked over to another part of the hill and sat down. Yep. Juuuuuuust wait. Boringly. Man, it's times like these I wish I had time trav- ~Sudden transition to several hours later!~ After it became sufficiently dark, I had started making my way towards the town. I was very close now, the train station being the first thing in my mind. I just had to avoid the eye of anyone who could potentially be out on the streets. At the point of me arriving at the town, I noticed something. The train station isn't closed. All of its lights are on. Shit, that's not good. Well, I guess I can just wait until it does close. I mean, it has to close sometime, right? ...Oh, screw that, I'm not that patient. I quickly ran over to the train station, out of the view of any windows. Now up against one of its walls, I thought about how I was going to get in. I'm not gonna go in there and just snap the teller pony's neck or something. I can't handle my reputation getting any worse. I snuck under the ticket buying window and went over to the door. Only one way to do this, I guess. I'll have to try and intimidate him into giving me a schedule. Hey, don't laugh. I'd say those ponies in Canterlot were real damn intimidated! Quickly forming a basic plan of this in my head, I quickly turned the door handle, only to find that it was locked. Damn it! How am I supposed to get in there now?! I quickly decided on the one thing that's both failed and worked for me in the past: teleportation. I stood back from the door, waved my arm to the right, and... appeared in an adjacent house's bathroom. I looked at the bathtub and noticed a pony in there behind the curtains, taking a shower. Apparently, they heard me, as they, or, in this case, a rather burly-looking male pony, opened the curtains and quickly let out an ear-screechingly girly scream. Desperate to free my ears of this assault on the senses, I teleported myself out of the house. Running back to my original position at the train station, I tried again, this time appearing on the roof of the station. "I'm getting real tired of your shit, broken-ass powers..." I waved my arm one more time, this time appearing about 20 feet above the roof. Okay, first off, I had no idea I could teleport that far. Second off, shit. Falling quickly and certainly not screaming, I crashed through the roof of the train station and fell face-down onto the floor, surrounded by splinters and other broken materials. Attempting to save some face, I remembered the intimidation tactic and scrambled to my feet. "Wassup, motherf..." My opening line was cut short upon the sudden realization that no one was in here. Are you telling me they seriously just leave the lights on when it's closed? God damn it, I could have just picked the lock or something if no one was here in the first place. And there is no way that nobody heard me crash through the roof. I could have ponies on me at any second. I quickly started looking around for a schedule in various drawers and on various shelves. Suddenly, my eye was caught by a certain beam of moonlight created by the hole in the ceiling, focused directly on a pile of pamphlets on the desk. I swear, I heard a chorus of angels or something when I saw it. Running over to the pamphlets and grabbing one, I saw the train's schedule for the next entire month. Damn, these ponies really plan ahead. I shoved the pamphlet into my suit pocket, and looked at the window. I quickly noticed that the pile of pamphlets are next to an opening on the window where you can just reach in and grab one. Fucking fuck. I am not good at observation. But whatever. I waved my arm to the right again and appeared outside of the train station, only to be faced with a good many ponies, some of them just now coming out of their houses. I quickly caught the eye of every single one of them. "Hey, it's that human Twilight warned us about!" said one elderly pony holding a lantern. "Someone go tell her!" said another. "The rest of us'll try and capture him!" Wait, did I hear that right? When did these ponies become all brave?! "Yeah! We can do it if we work together!" said another pony. I started stepping back slowly. "Attack!" cried yet another. Yeah, that sparked it. "Shiiiiiiiit!" I quickly spun on my heels and ran from them, darting behind a house. They all came after me. The chase that ensued here, well, it can only really be described by being accompanied with Yakety Sax. After a lot of dashing between houses, being chased, me somehow chasing them at one point, and even one point where I accidentally joined them in chasing after me, I managed to lose them by hiding in a trash can. Not the cleanest of strategies, but it worked. Now that the coast is clear, I need to get the holy hell out of here before Twilight gets word of me being here. I quickly tried to get out of the trashcan, instead falling over inside it and knocking over several others. "Hey, did you hear that?" a voice in the distance said. Shit. I quickly crawled out of the trash can, now covered in various pieces of garbage. God, my suit is not going to survive much more of this. I quickly ran out of the town, not stopping until I was a good distance away. Panting, I sat down on the grass. "Well, that was fun." I took the train schedule out of my suit pocket and looked at it. Alright, when's the next train that'll bring me closer to Anthropia? Let's see, that would be... a week from now?! I jumped to my feet, threw the schedule to the ground, and cried out to the heavens. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

George Trestale, God of... Something

Five Hundred Miles

A week from now. A week from now! The next train that goes anywhere near Anthropia is a week from this current day. That means two things. One, that entire ordeal with the train now serves as nothing but pointless filler. Second, that means I need to be in hiding for a week. I could probably walk there in that time! Hell, I think I just might do that. I didn't initially want to, on account of it being incredibly tedious, but what other choice do I have? Besides, if I don't want to get caught again, I need to get as far away from Ponyville and Canterlot as possible. "Welp," I thought to myself, "Might as well-" My thoughts were cut short upon the sight of several armored pegasi flying overhead towards Ponyville, holding what looked like searchlights. Wow, they have those? My attention was also caught by a brighter beam of light from the sky. Following this light with my eyes and squinting really hard, I saw that it led up to Twilight, who was now flying in the air, evidently looking for me. Narrowly avoiding the spotlights, I shoved the schedule into my pocket and ran a good distance from them. As they continued shining their lights around, I decided now would probably be the best time for me to get the hell out of here. Taking one last look towards Ponyville, I took the map out of my pocket, and began my walk to Anthropia. ~Fifteen minutes later...~ Well, this looks like a good time to rest. I'm a good ways away from the search party, I can continue my trek in the morning. Now near a river, I laid down on the ground, looking at the night sky. Okay, this would be a lot more enjoyable if the ground wasn't so uncomfortable. Seems that grass's comfortable exterior is just a facade to hide all the dirt and rocks underneath. Sitting up, I looked around for something that could potentially be used as a pillow of sorts. Nothing in sight. Disappointed, I thought to myself a bit more, and then back to my talk with Zecora. Hm... I wonder if I can conjure up objects? I could use anything to cushion myself against the ground. It probably won't work, but I might as well give it a shot. Standing up, I focused on the ground, closed my eyes and and tried to will into existence... hm, let's go with a sleeping bag. Imagining the image of the bag on the ground, I put all my willpower into making it appear. I have to believe it will be there. It IS there. I opened my eyes... It's not there. Okay, let's try this again. I looked at the spot on the ground, and didn't close my eyes this time. And... appear! Nothing. Okay, this is going nowhere fast. And I'm tired. Looking around, I spotted a nearby rock on the ground. Hm, perhaps transmogrification? I picked it up and placed it front of me. "Okay," I thought, focusing on the rock. "I want a pillow!" I pushed my emotions into this rock. Focusing almost hard enough to pop a vein in my head, the rock was suddenly engulfed in a white light. Caught off guard by this, I fell onto my ass. I continued looking at the rock, jaw gaping just a little as I saw it change into... a doily. "A doily? Are you joking me?" I picked it up and stared at it. "What, is my head a fuckin' teapot now? Christ!" I threw it to the ground and sat down, frustrated. Looking to the sky, I noticed the moon was now in a position that signified it was late. I need to get to sleep fast if I want to get a good amount of time out of tomorrow... Oh, screw it. I grabbed the doily, set it out on the ground gently, and laid down, resting my head on it. This is like a shot glass of water to the world's thirstiest man. At least it's something. And somehow, after some time, perhaps due to the soothing prettiness of the night sky, I managed to fall asleep. ~Ponyville, some time earlier~ To say Twilight's previous few days were unusual would be an understatement of criminal proportions. The strangest human she had ever seen had turned up in Equestria, inciting anger in many towns' citizens. Perhaps it was because of percieved inaction on the Princesses' part, or because he had managed to escape from their custody. Either way, he needed to be recaptured before things got worse. She was disappointed. She had been so close to capturing him a second time, being able to bring him right to Celestia. What she had to prove, she didn't know. She was already a princess. But she still looked up to her former mentor just as much as ever. This would have certainly impressed her. But he just had to teleport away. While that was the most frustrating part of it, it was also perhaps one of the most intriguing. Just how did he manage to do that? Have humans been advancing their own magic somehow? Whatever the reason, the most obvious answer was research. Late-night research, much to Spike's annoyance and protest. But she was stagnant. Now nose-deep in a book about human history, a stack of others, already read, sat by her side. Fortunately for Spike, this was the last one she had. Flipping between pages, Twilight read various important-sounding passages out loud. "'From what pony research has been able to discover, human magic extends to simple elemental magic, particularly of the fire and water variety.'" She thought hard on this specific sentence. "See, that's the thing, Spike. He shouldn't have been able to teleport, let alone survive supposedly falling so far twice in one day. How do you think he could have done it?" She gazed over at him, looking for a response. "Gee, I dunno," said Spike, clearly disinterested as he looked at her, his head hanging upside-down off the side of one of the steps. "Body doubles, maybe?" "Spike, this is serious. I need actual ideas, not magicians' tricks." She looked back to her book. None of them had documented anything like this. Just what is going on with this specific human? "Aaagh!" She slammed the book shut, obviously frustrated. "Twelve thick books and not one with any information that is remotely related to this guy!" "Maybe he's not even human," said Spike. "Ever consider that?" Twilight thought this over. No, she didn't consider that. Huh. "You mean like a changeling?" "Maybe, I dunno. And I don't care enough to think too hard about it, since it might be enough to make me die of exhaustion." And with that, he went upstairs. "Not human..." Twilight thought about magical entities that could potentially appear human. "But what could-" Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She abandoned her train of thought and walked to the front door, opening it to be greeted with a pegasus wearing a slightly worried expression on his face. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" "Uh, yeah, you know the human you warned the whole town about earlier?" "Yeah, what about him?" "He's kinda here now, being chased by an angry mob." "What?! Did I not mention how dangerous he could potentially be?!" "Ask them that, not me!" "Ugh, fine!" And with that, Twilight ran out of her castle, now dashing around town looking for signs of either George or the mob. Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain, as by the time she found them, they were now out of breath, and void of any captured humans. Twilight ran up to them. "Where's the human?" "We lost him!" said one of the ponies. "Yeah, he gave us the slip!" "Okay," said Twilight, putting a hoof to her forehead. "Where did you all see him last?" "Well," a pony in front said, "We were between the houses-" Suddenly, there was a loud distinct noise of trash cans being knocked over. "Did you hear that?!" one of the ponies yelled. "Yeah, it came from that-a-way!" said another. And with that, the mob ran off in a direction that happened to be the opposite of where the sound actually came from. "Wait!" said Twilight, but she was unheard as the mob ran off. Taking in everything that just happened, Twilight kicked the dirt in annoyance. "Shoot."

George Trestale, God of... Something

Five Hundred More

After witnessing that sorry excuse for a chase, Twilight decided the best thing to do would be to write a letter to Celestia, alerting her to the human's presence in Ponyville. After having Spike write a letter, roll it up, and send it off with a puff of his breath, Twilight went back outside to start looking herself. Flying high up into the air, and focusing on a spell, she caused a beam of light to start emanating from her horn. After a few flickers, and a few hits to her horn in an attempt to get it to work right, she started shining it around Ponyville, between the alleys for any sign of George. ~Meanwhile, in Canterlot~ Princess Celestia took another sip of her tea, after cooling it just slightly with some manner of spell. It wasn't often she managed to have small moments like this, and recent events made that all the worse. The initial search party had failed to find the human, meaning she was still clueless as to where he could be running amok. But she felt no need to consider that right now. She cherished the moment all she could, as she felt it would end soon. And as if it were predicted by an ancient civilization, a letter from Twilight appeared in front of her. Unfurling it, she read over it and quickly stood up, almost spilling her tea in the process. She walked out the door and to a nearby guard. "Please notify the captain to start a search party. The human has been sighted in Ponyville." "Yes, your highness," the guard replied, quickly running down the hall and turning a corner. Watching the guard run off, Celestia's center of attention was quickly brought to another letter that had just appeared in front of her. While a different seal than Twilight's, Celestia knew this one all too well. Opening this letter, she read the contents with a concerned look on her face. To Princess Celestia, co-ruler of the land of Equestria, It has come to my attention that you have been giving one of my citizens quite a hard time in your kingdom. While I understand the basic laws barring humans from entering Equestria, I will not have you attempting to capture someone under my jurisdiction. I hereby demand that you either cease the search for him, or extradite him back to Anthropia. You being one of the few to know its location, that should be easy for you, should it not? If that is not enough motivation for you, here is an extra part of the deal. Should you not agree to my conditions, I will be forced to enter a state of war with your kingdom. We both know war isn't worth the capture of one single citizen, which should make the proposition all the more enticing to you, Celestia. I strongly advise you to make the right decision here. We both know you're not stupid, contrary to what my citizens think, so I advise you to let me keep that opinion of you. With warm regards, King Tetesac Celestia sighed. A typical letter to receive from him. This was not the first time Tetesac had threatened war on Equestria. Far from it, in fact. Only once did he ever bother to go through with his threats. And that one time having caused some rather negative consequences for him, she doubted he'd try again. Not to mention, George was in no way under Anthropia's jurisdiction. However, on the other hand, this is only one human. Is it really worth chasing after this single one? Regardless of that, she had to be careful where she disputed him on this. Celestia went back into her study to write a letter in reply, throwing out the first after mistakenly writing a swear word in her frustration. ~The next morning, in a field not too far off from Ponyville~ After waking up, my attention was quickly brought to the realization that nothing happened to me overnight. Seriously, you have no idea how glad I am for that considering everything that's happened to me over the past day or two. Flicking an ant off my sleeve, I got up and stretched, looking over the horizon to see that the sun rose not too long ago. "Well, glad to see I'm up decently early." I grabbed the doily off the ground, brushed it off, and shoved it into my pocket. I don't know if I'm ever going to really need this, but hey, you never know. Looking around some more, I started again on my journey. Now, most of my journey consists of me walking in one single direction, following the train tracks. Because it would be boring as hell to actually list every small thing that happens, I'm gonna be skipping forward through those parts. For the sake of convenience, of course. Not laziness. Now, I walked for quite a while. I went through a few very uneventful days of just boringly walking, walking, and walking. I got pretty hungry, too. I never reached the point of agony, but it still existed as a nagging reminder that I really want something to eat. Unfortunately, for some damn reason, I didn't think to actually bring any food. Yeah, thanks, me. Not to mention, there were no landmarks detailed on the map, so I couldn't tell how close I was. I assumed I was about halfway there after a couple days. Although it felt more like I'd walked halfway around the world. Around this point, one night I finally came across another semblance of civilization. A town, looking somewhat like some kind of stereotypical wild-west sort of ordeal. Looking from a distance, I noticed it was rather well-kept. Must be decently populated. I started on getting a safe distance from the town before walking past it, but I felt the pangs of hunger again. Hm, I wonder if they have any food in one of those buildings. I mean, I know it would technically be stealing, but it's not like I don't already have a criminal record here. Besides, I'm sure they won't miss one small meal's worth of food. Sneaking between the buildings, watching out for anyone who might be roaming around, a building caught my attention. A big sign was on the front of it that said "Saloon". Saloon... those are like bars, right? Maybe they'll have some food in there. I went up to the door, only to see it was locked. Complete with a little "Closed" sign and everything. Alright, time for the old teleportation trick. I focused on the inside of the saloon and waved my arm to the right, miraculously appearing perfectly on the inside. Hooray, it worked for once! Looking around in the dark saloon, I saw... nothing. It's way too dark in here. "Alright," I thought. "Let's make some light." I snapped my fingers a few times, making some sparks until I managed to create a small sustainable flame at the end of my index finger. I flinched reflexively, but I quickly realized I didn't feel a thing. Huh. Well, now I've got two things going for me! Looking around in the saloon, my attention was immediately brought to a multitude of shelves holding various bottles containing what I assume to be alcoholic drinks. Alright, I'll come back to that later. Looking around some more, I found an open doorway that led into a kitchen. Going through the kitchen and admiring the various cookwares, I saw yet another door, marked with a sign I could just barely make out to say "pantry". Jackpot! I went inside and was met with a large amount of various foods. The sort of foods that one would have in a household, actually. Boxed macaroni and cheese, canned tomato sauce, things like that. Shuddering at the thought of drinking tomato sauce, I suddenly noticed a bagged loaf of what looked like some kind of rye bread. Well, I suppose it's the most convenient thing to eat. I grabbed the loaf and closed the door. While I was about to leave, the wall of drinks caught my attention again. Alright, let's see what they have. I set the bread down and looked at the drinks. Man, they've got a load of stuff here. Whiskey, rum, vodka, tequila, even a few wines. "Huh," I thought. "I wonder what those taste like." Having no memory of the taste of any of these, I decided to try a little sample of one out of simple curiosity. After some quick deciding, I opted for the whiskey on account of it looking like maple syrup. Hell, maybe it'll taste like it? I dunno. I flicked the cork off the bottle of whiskey and took a quick swig. Alright, so, this is the part where I suddenly realize that was a bad idea. My immediate thought when the whiskey hit my tounge was "This tastes nothing like maple syrup". My second thought was "There is way too much of this in my mouth". My mouth was overcome with a horrible burning sensation as I quickly set the bottle down and painfully gulped down the entire mouthful of whiskey. I quickly doubled over coughing, trying to overcome the horrible taste. Holy shit, I have never tasted something so bad in my life. Still coughing, I attempted to right myself only for the coughing to get worse. And then, I heard a voice from upstairs. "Who's there?!" Desperately trying to be quiet, I covered my mouth to no avail. In fact, the coughs got so bad that I ended up stumbling around out of lightheadedness. Not being able to tell where I was going, I backed up right into the wall of drinks, knocking a ton of them off the shelves around my feet. "Shit!" I shouted, drinks still falling off the shelves and shattering on the ground below. I made an attempt to run, but in my hastiness I slipped in the mixture of disgusting drinks and fell to the ground. See, this would have been relatively fine normally. Just get back up and try again, right? Wrong. See, one little aspect of this current pratfall occurred to me as everything seemed to go in slow motion. Right before I hit the ground, I noticed that my left hand, index finger still lit, was headed straight for the pool of alcohol readily lying on the floor. You know when you get that feeling that the entire world's against you? Yeah, I can relate. As I crashed to the ground, the drinks instantly lit as my hand made contact with them. The flames spread so fast that I had no time at all to react as I was suddenly surrounded in them. Through the flames, I noticed a stallion who was now downstairs holding a lantern. Yeah, lot of good that's going to do you now, buddy. "Aaaagh!" he said, dropping his lantern. "A human! And he's using fire magic!" Scrambling to my feet, I tried to shout to him that it was an accident, but to no avail as he ran off to somewhere else in the saloon. Alright, fuck that, I need to get out of here. I saw the flames spreading to various areas of the saloon, now also closing in on me as if I was their prey of some sort. Running through the flames as quickly as possible, I stopped to brush off several spots of myself that had caught fire. Looking around at the now smoke-filled saloon, I frantically looked around for an exit. Front door's still locked. Fantastic. Alright, I'm out of options here. Taking one last look behind me as the flames spread even more, I ran as fast as I could at one of the windows and dove through it, shattering it into pieces and giving me a good amount of cuts at the same time. I hit the ground outside just as some more flames erupted from the windows. Too frantic to notice the multitude of glass shards now sticking out of me, I scooted away from the windows and considered everything that had just happened. "Christ," I said. "I did not mean to do that." ...Wait, that's not the saloon. I looked behind me, to see the actual saloon in perfect condition, completely flame-less. Wait, what?! I looked back at the building I just came out of, now seeing it was actually someone's house. Christ, now I feel even more guilty. Hold on a minute. I... could have just teleported out, couldn't I? Well, fuck me sideways. I guess that's the least of my current concerns, though. I quickly started trying to make some water spray out of my finger, in an attempt to try and save the pony's house. After getting nothing but a few small squirts, my hand was suddenly knocked back into my face as an absolutely huge stream of water sprayed from my palm. Alright, okay, that's good! I attempted to control my arm, pointing it in through the window I jumped through. After about five seconds of struggling with this crazy garden hose of an arm, the stream ceased. Looking in through the broken window, I saw that every flame had been extinguished. Yeah! Hooray for George Trestale! Drying my hand off, I turned around to head back towards Anthropia, only to see there were now a multitude of ponies surrounding me with rather angry looks on their faces. I'd put some one-liner here about my misfortune, but I think I've used them all up by now.

George Trestale, God of... Something

Two's a Crowd

Now at a standoff of sorts with an entire crowd of ponies, I attempted to sort of slink away subtly. Unfortunately, this attempt was not particularly effective, as the crowd began advancing on me. Quickly disregarding my previous plan, I ran down the street, the crowd now chasing after me at the same speed. Faster, actually. As they gained on me, I turned a corner and was suddenly surrounded by a green aura. "Quick, in here!" whispered a voice, as I was swiftly pulled into the alley. I watched outside as the crowd of ponies ran by. Wow, that really does work. Huh. The aura dissipated as I fell to my feet. Wait, who pulled me in here? I turned around and was met with a pony with a coat color comparable to mint-flavored gum, wearing a hood and some saddlebags. "What do you think you're doing, setting fire to ponies' houses?" The feminine-sounding pony pulled her hood off her head, revealing a similarly-colored mane, striped with white, along with a unicorn horn. "Do you want to get thrown in a cell, or something?" "Er, good question," I said. "I've got a follow-up, though. Several, actually. The most important one would probably be 'Who are you?'." Suddenly, her demeanor changed, and she grinned. "I'm Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings." "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, then. I'm-" "George Trestale?" She cut me off, still grinning. "Yep, I've heard of you. You really gave Princess Celestia the slip!" A dumb grin came across my face. Cool, I'm famous now! "Yes, indeed!" I struck a heroic pose. "I, George Trestale, escaped from the clutches of the dastardly Celestia and her entire Royal Guard! It is nice to meet you on this fine day, fair maiden!" She looked slightly weirded out at this. Okay, maybe I should reserve that for whenever I feel like dying of embarassment. "Uh... yeah. So, anyway, care to explain why you set that pony's house on fire?" "...It was an accident." She kept looking at me with a somewhat unimpressed look on her face. "How, exactly, did you set his house on fire on accident?" "There was a lot of alcohol involved. And, I mean, I did put the fire out afterwards, so it's fine." She put her hoof to her forehead. "Alright, whatever. It's none of my business anyway." "Can I ask a question?" "Sure." "Why did you save me from that angry mob of death and stuff?" "Oh! Well..." She broke eye contact with me and started dragging one of her front hooves in the dirt. "I kinda have a little... fascination with humans. A little curiosity, nothing more. I've been following your little adventure ever since Pinkie put that banner up welcoming a 'George Trestale the Human' to Ponyville." "Following it? As in, you were stalking me?" "Well..." She smiled a certain kind of "I've been found out" smile. "Well, I was planning on coming to Appleloosa anyway. I mean, really, I wouldn't call it 'stalking' as much as I'd call it 'following you, watching you from afar and rehearsing a few conversation topics in my head'." I rolled my eyes. "Yep, a real important distinction to make." She looked at me accusingly. "Look, it's not like I have anything better to do! And hey, you just set a pony's house on fire!" "It was an accident!" A little staring-standoff emerged at this point, lasting about five seconds before someone said something. "So..." she said, "Anyway, I've got lots of questions to ask you!" "And I've got lots of ponies looking to... I don't know, lynch me, or something. Can't they wait?" "Nope! Now, first question. What currency do you use in Anthropia?" "Currency?! I don't fuckin' know, as far as I'm concerned, I've never even been there!" "Well, you don't have to swear... Wait, did you say you've never been there?" I pointed to my head. "Memory issues. I'd rather not talk about it." "Well, I'd rather you did." "Euuuuugh... fine. I showed up in Canterlot almost a week ago, with no memory whatsoever of anything at all, including who the hell I am, so I've been trying to find some answers as to what the hell's going on with me." "You don't remember anything at all?" "Not remotely." "Then how do you know your name?" "I don't. I made it up on the spot after I went and fell out of the sky." "...You did what?" "Yeah, hence why I didn't want to talk about it." She looked awfully skeptical at this. Not too surprising. "So," I said, breaking the silence. "Can I go now?" "Wait! If you don't remember anything, where are you going?" "I'm looking for answers as to who I am and stuff. Anthropia might hold said answers." "You're going to Anthropia?! That's... wait, how do you know how to get there?" "I... can sense where it is. With human magic and stuff." She didn't look convinced. "Alright, fine." I took out the map. "This is a map to Anthropia. I got it a few days ago, and I've been following the train tracks towards there since." Her expression suddenly changed to surprise. She ran up to me to get a better look. "A map to Anthropia?! How in Equestria did you get ahold of something like that?" "I got lucky. Why do you care so much?" "Well, I've been interested in taking an... educational visit to the place." "Educational? Really?" "Hey, everyone has their curiosities!" She looked down at the ground. "I just never managed to figure out where it is." "Wouldn't that be, you know, kinda dangerous? I mean, according to what I've heard, they don't seem like a very nice group of people." "Well, yeah, that's what they say. But I'm convinced they just misunderstand us. Maybe I could help usher in a new era of peace between Humans and ponies!" I laughed a little. What an idea. "Well, that would certainly help me out a bit. But for now, I gotta get going. Can't stick around and risk getting into more trouble." "Wait!" I had almost managed to turn around when she stopped me. "You're the only one I know who knows how to get to Anthropia! Do you know what that means?" "It's Taco Tuesday?" "No! It means you have to take me with you! Pleeeeeease!" Normally, I'd say no, but two factors are registering in my favor here. One is that those saddlebags she's wearing could carry food. Not that I'll likely need it, but it would be nice to have. Another is that I've been pretty lonely these last few days. What harm could one companion bring? "Well... alright. But on one condition." She looked happy for a second, but stopped in skepticism. "What is it?" "Bring me some food. I could eat, like, seven whales right now." ~Half an Hour Later~ Having made a decent distance from the town, I was now waiting for Lyra to finish gathering supplies and get back to me. Out of boredom, I went over everything that had happened in my head while staring at the night sky. I found the whole train escapade to be the most exciting part. Minus the "being smacked into the roof of a tunnel" thing. What an interesting five days to have. I wonder what's in store for me next. I sincerely hope it involves finding out who I am. Yeah, that would be awfully nice. After considering this for a while, I spotted Lyra walking towards me from the distance. "You ready?" I asked when she got to me. "Yep! I've got all the things you mentioned, except for... most of it." "And why is that?" "Ponies aren't meat-eaters," She said. "We don't exactly have stockpiles of 'chicken nuggets' and 'steak'." "Well, in that case, what did you get instead?" "Well, I got some celery, broccoli, carrots, apples..." "Right, so, horse food." "Well, we are ponies." "Yeah. Okay, gimme some... celery, I guess, and we'll start walking." Lyra levitating some celery out of her bag, I grabbed it out of the air and took the map out of my pocket. "So," I said, taking a bite of the celery and cringing at the taste. "You followed me this whole time? I never saw you while I was walking." "Oh, I actually took the train. I saw you were following the tracks and decided you might have been headed there." I stopped walking. "Ah-ha! Now, I know that's a lie. And you wanna know how I know? Because I have this!" I pulled out the train schedule from before and showed it to her. "What's that supposed to mean?" "The only train to this place still hasn't left! Back when I was in Ponyville, there was still a week to go before that little journey started." "...George, what day do you think it is?" "July 13th, why?" Lyra brought her hoof to her face. "You can't be serious... No, it's the 24th of August. What made you think it was July?" "...Uh, I'm not sure, actually. I guess I just kinda assumed it was that day." "Well, that explains your confusion, then. This schedule doesn't even say the month it's for, for whatever reason. But the day the train to Appleloosa left was the same day you left Ponyville. I figured you just followed the tracks since it wouldn't be particularly easy for you to get a train ticket." "Oh. Alright, then. Sorry for accusing you of lying, I guess." "Well, I don't blame you. Being a human in Equestria, I can't imagine it's easy to find somepony you can trust." "Yeah. Well, anyway, judging from this map, we're a bit over halfway there. That means maybe around three more days of walking." "Only three days? That's actually less than I expected." "Well, I'm only guessing. For all I know, it could be another week." We continued walking some more, until she asked me a question. "So, you really can't remember anything about a life before you appeared in Canterlot?" "Nope." "Well, you're in pretty formal clothes. Maybe you were a salespony! Er, sales... human?" "A salesman? I somehow doubt that. By the way, what other food did you get?" She opened one of her saddlebags and looked inside. "A head of lettuce, a couple potatoes, a can of carrot mush..." I shuddered at the thought of ever eating carrot mush. "Did you get anything I asked for?" "Hey, beggars can't be choosers!" she snapped at me. "But... yeah, one thing. I got some rye bread." "Why the hell am I eating this, then?" I shoved the celery into her bag, grabbed the bread and started eating it like a ravenous dog. "You just... eat that by itself?" She seemed a bit weirded out by this. "That's a good question," I replied. "The answer is yes, and don't ask why." "Why shouldn't I ask why?" "Because I don't know."

George Trestale, God of... Something

Death of a Salesman

The next few days of walking were only slightly more eventful than the first. During this time, I told Lyra the whole story of everything that had happened to me in the past five or so days. That is, the whole story except for a few details I decided to omit, like the nail-in-the-head thing. I'd rather not divulge into that in front of her. "Wait," she interrupted me at one point, "So you're saying you're immortal?" "Yeah. Don't ask for a demonstration, because I've had enough pain in the past few days to last me a lifetime." "You do realize that's the craziest thing I've ever heard, right?" "I'll be honest, I really don't care at this point. I just want to get to Anthropia and hopefully figure out who I am, and what the hell happened to me." The days continued like this for a while. We hiked between some mountains, crossed a bunch of valleys, and various boring stuff like that. It's really nothing you'd be interested in. So, I'm gonna do a little fast-forward here and skip right ahead to the end. After my exhaustion got to the point where my legs felt like they were made of melting rubber, I'd decided to sit down for a little while and take a breather. I let myself collapse on the grass and looked up at the sky. About mid-day now. "You alright?" Lyra walked up beside me. "Man, you humans can't walk very far without resting, can you?" "I'll have you know we're way more adept at walking over long distances than ponies." "Then how come you're tired and I'm not?" "I'm not in shape." Lyra laughed and sat down next to me. "Well, I guess we can rest for a while. My legs are a bit tired too, even if I've got twice as many as you." "Yeah, brag about your quadruped...ality all you want. I'm just going to lay here for a little while. There's no feasible way I could walk even another meter from here. Every step feels like nails in my feet." Lyra looked off into the distance, suddenly stood up, and squinted. "Hey, what's that?" I sat up. "I don't-" I cut myself off as I saw off in the distance what looked like a huge town surrounded with walls. I couldn't quite make it out, but I saw various houses, and more importantly, a castle. "Could that be Anthropia?" asked Lyra. I jumped to my feet. "Hell if I know! Let's go find out for ourselves!" And with that, I bolted off towards the town. Taking a second to catch up with me, Lyra ran to my side. "So, is running this fast painful for you right now?" "Oh, you have no idea!" And yet, I didn't stop until we got there. ~Half an hour later~ Okay, I lied. My legs gave out about three times on our way there. Look, I'm not a god, alright? ...Okay, bad choice of words. But you know what I meant. Anyway, after a good amount of running, walking, stumbling, crawling, resting, and complaining, we finally made it to the place. It's actually somewhat smaller than I thought it would be. Oh well. Lyra and I approached a closed gate in the walls surrounding the castle, guarded by a sight for sore eyes: two humans, clad in some kind of gold-colored armor. "Alright, let me handle this," I whispered to Lyra as we walk up to them. "Halt!" a guard shouted, eyes on Lyra. "You Equestrians are not welcome here!" "Woah," I said. "Blindsided by xenophobia." The guards' eyes shot to me, and then widened. "Oh! Sir, my apologies," said a guard. The other promptly threw a lever jutting out of the ground, and the gate opened. What? Did my accusing them of racism seriously work? Alright, I'm not complaining. I started walking into the town, but one of them stopped me. "Er, my apologies for asking, Sir, but what are you doing with an Equestrian?" I thought about this for a moment. I don't think they'll take "she's a tourist" as an answer. Time to wing it. "She's a personal... guest of mine. I hope it's not too much trouble. She won't be staying long." The guard hesitated for a moment. "...Very well, sir. Go along." They both eyed Lyra suspiciously as we went inside, her staying silent until we got in. "Wow! How did you even do that?!" "I have no idea. I guess these guys are just really polite to their own kind." I began to doubt this conclusion, however, as we began walking the streets. In a similar fashion to Ponyville, the streets were lined with various buildings, such as houses, shops, and other facilities. The streets and alleyways were decently populated by a multitude of humans, almost all of them giving us both weird, angry, or confused looks. They whispered various unintelligible things among themselves as we walked past. "Man, this is so cool!" said Lyra. "I didn't know all humans wore clothes! Is it because you're all mostly hairless?" "...Yeah, something along those lines. Look, I wouldn't go around asking questions just yet. I'm not sure how well these humans are acquainted with ponies, judging from those guards' reactions to you." "Oh, fine. Where are we going, then?" "That castle up there. The leader of this place is the most likely one to have some information on me, no matter how small." As we approached the castle's gates, we were yet again stopped by two guards, before they suddenly changed their minds again and decided to let us in. "Ah, my apologies, sir. Go right in." These ones didn't even bother to question Lyra as she followed me inside. Weird. As we walked down the long, nicely-decorated hall, my current state of affairs finally fully dawned on me. "My god, we're finally here. I can finally figure out who I am. Well, probably." I looked down at my tattered suit, my charred pants, and stained shirt, all testaments to what I've been through the past few days. It hasn't felt that long, actually. But it's certainly been fun. So, is this the end of my journey? "Let's hope so," said Lyra. "I'm pretty curious, too." Reaching the end of the hall, we were met with a huge pair of doors and two more guards. Upon getting close enough, one of the guards turned to me. "Have you come to meet with the King?" "Yes, and I've brought someone else, too, if it's not too much trouble." The guard looked at Lyra, then back to me. "That is no issue, sir. Go right in, he is not busy." The guards stepped aside. I walked up and pushed the doors open slowly, gradually greeting me with a view of a large room, a single throne sitting at the back. In it sat a man who was clearly in his older years, his face adorned with a sizable grey beard and a crown on his head. His body was adorned with various robes that the average stereotypical king would wear. As soon as we locked eyes, he stood up. "My, my. So I was right." With this, he began walking towards me. I stepped a single step back, not sure what he was going to do. To my immense surprise, he stopped in front of me and promptly grabbed me in a hug that I assure you, was a very manly hug. "Why is this man hugging me? And why does he smell like cheese?" I mentally asked myself. "I had a feeling you'd show up here soon." He said this upon releasing me, leaving me slightly weirded out, but mostly confused. I really had no idea what to say at this point, so I simply stood there in confusion, hoping he'd continue on with what he was talking about. And, for better or worse, he did. "It's good to have you back, my royal scientist."

George Trestale, God of... Something

Tea, Coffee, and Burritos

"My royal scientist." These words echoed in my head over and over. Royal... scientist? I'm his royal scientist? I... what?! Lyra was almost as surprised as I was. "Royal scientist, huh? Man, you got lucky!" "Yeah..." That was all I managed to get out. I quickly composed my thoughts. So, that's it, then. I was this guy's royal scientist. That's one hell of a revelation. I've still got other things to figure out, though. "So," said the King after a moment of silence, "You've been gone for over a week. Where were you?" "That's... a good question, but if you don't mind, I'd like to ask some of my own first." "Yes, of course! What is it?" "Who, exactly, are you?" He simply laughed at me. "Oh, I should have expected that. You always were a joker." "...No, really. I have no idea who you are." He almost laughed again, but then looked at my face as his own expression changed to a more serious one. "...Ah. I see." He looked away for a moment, then back to me. "It seems a greater toll was taken on you than I thought. Follow me, I will answer what I can." He took us into another room with a large, rectangular table, each chair adorned with a very gaudy blanket. "Please, sit down. Would you like some tea?" I sat down. "Uh, sure." I don't know what tea tastes like, but I'll try it. The King looked to Lyra. "And what about the Equestrian? Would you like some tea as well?" This was the first time he had acknowledged Lyra. "Oh, yes, please," she responded with a nod. "Very well, I will be right back." As he left the room, I turned to Lyra. "Well, he's a pretty nice guy, isn't he?" "Yep. Sounds like a good guy to work for," said Lyra. "Speaking of working, I wonder what sort of sciencey things I did as the royal scientist." I placed my chin on my hand as I thought about this. "Maybe you were a mad scientist," joked Lyra. "Like Dr. Flankenstein." That jolted me slightly. That's a pun of something, but I have no idea what. "Is there anything in Equestria that doesn't have some kind of horse-based pun in its name?!" "You're not the first to ask that question," said Lyra, her eyelids weighed down with annoyance. "I've just learned to ignore it." Soon after, the King returned with a tray holding a teapot and teacups, all of them adorned with designs representing various flowers, including roses, violets, and sunflowers. Pretty. He set the tea down on the table and sat across from us. I wordlessly took a teacup after Lyra levitated her own to herself. Looking at the steaming, dark brown tea for a second, I carefully took a sip. "Hmm, that's really good. Wow. What kind of tea is this?" "Earl Grey," the King replied with a cheerful smile. "It was always your favorite." "Well, it's the only kind I know, but it's already my favorite again." I took another sip after Lyra had done the same. I gulped the sip of tea down. "So, about the whole memories thing..." "Ah, yes," the King replied. "Ask anything you want." I set the teacup on the table. "Well, let's go back to my first question. Who are you?" The King set his hands on the table. "Ah, yes, my apologies. I am King Tetesac, ruler of Anthropia." "King... Titty Sack?" To my surprise, this mispronounciation of his name caused him to burst into laughter. He wiped a tear from his eye from laughing so hard. "Hah! That's exactly what you called me when we first met. You haven't changed a bit, Walt." I almost laughed along with him, but something else caught my attention that needed to be asked about. "...Walt?" Tetesac looked to me again, the happy expression now gone. "You've forgotten your own name as well?" "I've been going by 'George Trestale' for the past few days." "Well, your real name is, or perhaps, was, Humphrey Walt. Rather elegant sounding, isn't it?" "'Humphrey Walt'? That's the dumbest name I've ever heard." Tetesac chuckled. "Yes, you never did like your name. But you were too stubborn to change it. You said it would cause, in your own words, 'shit I don't want to deal with'". "Well, in that case, I suppose right now would be the best possible time!" I laughed a little, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Heh, yes indeed. I will not call you 'Walt' anymore, if that is what you wish." "Well, I guess I'm kinda used to being called 'George' by this point. Might as well stick with it for now." "Very well then... George, was it?" "Yep. George Trestale." "Right. So, George, are there any other questions you had?" "Well, I was royal scientist, right?" "Yes." He twirled his beard around his finger. "Was I... you know, good?" Tetesac stopped and straightened. "Good? You were the best in the kingdom, my friend! Perhaps not the world, no, but in our small kingdom you were my absolute best choice, and not only for being exceptionally skilled in your profession." "Why else, then?" "You are the single most relatable, sociable, agreeable, well-respected man I've ever met, George. You are the best man in this kingdom. I'd make you King if I could." ...What are you looking at me like that for? Okay, fine, maybe he didn't say all that. Don't get all on my case on it. It's called "artistic license", guys! Anyway, back in reality... "Was I... you know, good?" "Oh, yes, George, you were very good. Even when I hired you four years ago, you were proficient in various areas of science." "Well, that's a damn shame, considering the whole amnesia thing." "Yes, indeed. I wouldn't entirely put that up as a lost cause, however. Your lab has a wide variety of devices. Even I was never entirely sure what all of them did. Perhaps one could help you, after we're done here." "Cool, we'll get to see your old lab!" said Lyra. "Who knows what cool stuff will be in there?" Tetesac looked at Lyra longer than the previous times. "Speaking of, George, I have a question of my own." "Is it about the pony?" "As perceptive as ever, I see." "Her name's Lyra Heartstrings. She came with me to this place. She's interested in human culture and stuff, you see. I guess she's kind of a tourist." Tetesac looked at the both of us for a few seconds before speaking again. "Well," he said, "I can always appreciate someone who wants to learn more about our culture. Perhaps I can organize a tour of the town later." "Really?! That would be great!" Lyra was clearly ecstatic about this. I was happy for her, but I still had other things to sort out. "Something I've been wondering for a while is what the hell went on between humans and ponies," I said. "I keep hearing about some attack, or whatnot. What, exactly, happened?" Lyra turned to me. "You mean the attack on Ponyville three years ago?" "How should I know?" Tetesac's expression turned more serious. "Ah... that. I suppose I'm not surprised. It's not a happy tale, I will tell you that." "Ponies in general seem to be under the impression that humans in general are all about 'death and destruction'. Even Celestia herself was really suspicious of me. I'm guessing it's because of that attack?" "Oh, you ran into Celestia?" Tetesac was clearly surprised. "How did that go?" "Not well," I replied, "But that's another subject. What in the hell happened?" Tetesac sighed. "Well, the basic assertions are true. You see, for a long time we have been on... not-so-stellar terms with Celestia and Luna. Our history is rather fuzzy, but a common belief among the ponies is that we are a destructive race without a moral compass. None of that is true, of course. We are normally rather peaceful, just perhaps more isolationist than other species." "I knew it!" said Lyra. "Humans really aren't as bad as they say!" "Yes, the rumors about us are nothing more than that. Now, you see, about three years ago, a similar situation to yours happened. One of our citizens went missing, a teenaged girl named Sandra. A nice girl, she was. Well-liked by the community. Witness reports say she climbed over the wall and ran off, but nothing was confirmed. Not that they aren't allowed to leave the city, but her disappearance was very sudden, and she had always made it rather clear that she wanted to stay here her whole life. Not to mention, us humans being a small population as it is, I take the welfare of each individual citizen very seriously. Thus, I personally took it upon myself to organize search parties. After searching around the vicinity of the town, we soon realized she was nowhere near us. We heard nothing more about it, until a day later when our informants brought us some news. A pony had been murdered, and Sandra was fingered as the culprit. Due to this, she was now 'on the run', so to speak, from law enforcement. Now, I knew Sandra well. There is no feasible way she would kill another being. The concept itself was completely ridiculous. Angered by this needless harassment of the girl, I wrote a letter to Celestia demanding that she be returned to Anthropia unharmed. However, she was stubborn, and instead opted to try capturing and imprisoning Sandra herself. "Evidently, she was very good at hiding, as we soon recieved a letter from Sandra herself detailing that she was hiding around Ponyville, and that she needed someone to come rescue her. A meek girl, that one. Nonetheless, I sent a small band of volunteers out to retrieve her. It would have been a simple enough ordeal, but another factor got in the way. One of my staff recommended the volunteers use 'extreme prejudice' in finding this girl, as they supposedly 'had no idea what the Equestrians would do'. I assumed he knew best and simply went with what he had said. Unfortunately, this proved to be a mistake. "A week after this, the band of humans arrived in Ponyville. From the very get-go, their methods were questionable at best. From the reports I recieved, they were bashing down doors, holding ponies at swordpoint, and even burning several buildings down. Naturally, the Equestrian royal guard soon arrived in Ponyville and retaliated. What came afterward was a battle that ended in one singular casualty." Somehow, I felt like I knew exactly what he was going to say. My stomach churned. He sighed again. "The one life that was taken was... that of Sandra herself. Evidently, she had actually been hiding in a nearby forest, and after seeing the source of all the commotion, she went into the town to break up the fight. No one knows who dealt the specific blow, but she was inflicted with an accidental stab wound in the middle of the entire conflict. She died on the spot, and in that moment, both sides stopped fighting. The band of humans gathered up her body and left the town, the royal guards not daring to follow. "A large funeral service was held and paid for by myself and various donators. Many people attended her funeral, even those that did not know her, as a testament against Equestria. If our relations were teetering on the edge before, they fell off with this incident. Celestia indefinitely barred all humans from entering Equestria, while Anthropia's citizens fell into a state of riot as they insisted I do something about the oh-so-dreaded Equestrians. I harbor no personal ill will, but I cannot afford to show much friendliness to them in the current state of things. The entire population has deluded themselves into a state of complete prejudice against ponies, fed by propaganda made by themselves. It's a shame, really. I cannot even do much against it. I need to keep the trust of my citizens. So... as you can see, the entire situation is rather complicated." The three of us sat in silence, me being the first to say something after about ten seconds. "My god," I said. "That's... some pretty heavy stuff." "Yes," said Tetesac. "It is." I thought it a bit odd for them to make such a big deal out of one singular death, but I couldn't think of a way of saying that without sounding like an insensitive ass. "I was there during the attack," said Lyra. "I stayed inside most of the time, just like most of the town, so I never did really understand what was going on near the end of things. All I knew was they suddenly stopped fighting and left. I'm... sorry that happened." "Yes, I still partially blame myself for it. However, the past is the past. My main concerns right now lie elsewhere." "Where is that?" I asked. The King hesitated. "I'm afraid I cannot share my royal affairs right now. Soon enough, you will see. But on another note, would you like to see your laboratory now?" I had almost forgotten about that. "Oh, yeah! Let's go do that." "Very well then, follow me." The three of us got up from the table as I gulped down the last of my tea. We followed him down a long corridor, and then down a flight of stairs. After some walking, we reached a door with a sign marked "Walt's Lab". Under the sign was another stating "Stop asking me to add chili powder to my burritos!" As the king took a keychain out of his pocket, he noticed the sign and laughed. "Your burritos were always the best, Wal- I mean, George. Those who asked for added chili powder are insane, as far as I'm concerned." He singled out a key and unlocked the door. He then handed the keychain to me. "Here," he said. "This belongs to you." I wordlessly took the keychain and put it in my pocket, then followed Tetesac into the dark room. "There's a light switch around here somewhere," he said. "Ah, here it is." As he flicked the lights on, the room was illuminated instantly. What met my eyes was a large room with various tables holding vials, beakers, machinery, and god knows what else. The walls were lined with billboards and pieces of paper. A chalkboard hung on one wall, with some kind of blueprint draped over it. Perhaps the most glaring feature of the room was a huge machine in a corner, part of it covered in what looked like a large coffee stain. "Dear god," I said, after coming out of the daze from seeing all this. "I made all this stuff?!" "Well, everything except the tables," joked Tetesac. "You had those mail-ordered." I was too busy ogling the room to laugh. So many... things. A bookshelf rested in a corner, filled with books about subject matter I probably no longer understand. "Wow, I can't even begin to guess what any of this stuff is," said Lyra, admiring the room. "I sure hope none of them are doomsday machines." Tetesac laughed. "Oh, no, nothing of the sort. At least, as far as I know." He eyed me with some most likely fake suspicion. Not really paying attention to him, I walked to a table and picked up a vial of blue liquid marked "FD Prototype 6". "Ah, that," said Tetesac, walking over and admiring it himself. "That is the latest iteration of your attempt to create a fruit drink out of blueberries. Personally, I liked the fourth one best, but you insisted it had a metallic flavor. Shame." I set the vial down. "Was I just the food scientist or something?" "Oh, no. You simply had a large interest in foods in general. 'Perhaps you should have been a chef after all', I would always say when your experiments failed. Ah, such good times." I looked, around, crossed my arms, and sighed. "So, this is who I am, then?" "Yes, it is all true. Is there something wrong?" "Not really, I just feel relieved after not knowing for, like, a week." He smiled. "Yes, I can understand that." After some more silence, he spoke again. "Ms. Heartstrings, would you mind giving us a minute? I would like to speak to George in private." "Oh, sure. I'll just wait outside. By myself. Outside the door." She didn't sound too sure of herself, but she left the room anyway. After we were on our own, Tetesac walked behind the table we were at. "So," he said, "Are you interested in continuing to serve as my royal scientist?" "...Weeeeeell, I mean, I'd love to. But I don't know the first thing about science anymore." "Yes, that's a bit of a problem. But as I said, something here might be able to help you." I looked around at the various machines. "Do you know how to work any of them?" "I have a rough estimate of one singular machine, that being the one in the corner over there." He pointed to the coffee-stained monstrosity. I walked over to it. It looked somewhat like a giant coffee machine in itself, where a person-sized glass capsule sat in the middle. "What... is this thing?" I almost felt intimidated by it. "You called it 'The Kevin'. Not a particularly descriptive name, not to mention you never told me why you chose it." "Looks like a coffee machine." "You always said that, but I never really saw it. Anyway, in your own words, you stated that this machine had the purpose of being able to imbue magical power into a human being. Namely, a unicorn's magic." "Really? God, I must have been a genius," I said, looking at the coffee-stained control panel. "I wouldn't go that far, considering what happened with it." "What happened?" I felt the power of foreshadowing overcome me. "A simple accident."

George Trestale, God of... Something

Story of a Madman

"A simple accident." A phrase that carried far more meaning than I had thought. "Er... alright, could you elaborate on that?" "Well, as I said, this machine has the purpose of transferring the magical abilities of a unicorn to a human being. As we humans have a very limited array of magical abilities, this was a high-priority project for you. And you wanted it completed fast." "Why is that? Was I in some kind of hurry?" "Truthfully, I do not know. However, it took you a total of two years to develop, and even now, it is only in its prototype stages. Who knows what state it is in now, after the accident." "Alright, can we get to the issue of the accident now?" "Patience, George. This is needed context." I crossed my arms. "Oh, fine." "Now, your initial tests of this machine came up as positive. You had tested it on small animals, ones that would not know how to use said magic abilities just in case something went wrong. Eventually, you brought up the courage to test it on yourself." "Oh. I think I can see where this is going." "Perhaps not. You see, it turned out to be a success. You emerged from the machine with the powers of an average unicorn. This significantly boosted your popularity among the citizens. They thought you would be able to give our entire race abilities that would allow them to match up to the ponies, in the event of conflict. But you weren't quite satisfied. "You see, this machine requires the "magical essence", as you called it, of a unicorn to pass to one subject. This can manifest as any part of a unicorn, but you exclusively used hairs. You even sent some of our royal spies out to the Equestrian towns in an attempt to retrieve them. While they found a few over time, they were not easy to come across. What makes it worse was that after one use of the machine, the hairs were rendered useless." "So... what did I do to solve this issue?" "You began wondering what would happen if the hair used was not from a unicorn, but rather, an alicorn." "...Like Celestia?" "Celestia, Luna, any alicorn. We all knew how limitless their magic seemed, and you just had to get your hands on it. You sent the spies out again to retrieve at least one lock of their hair. Unfortunately, no attempts were successful. None were able to sneak into the castle from any angle, let alone make an attempt at retrieving any hair." "So, what did I do, then?" "You became obsessed. You just had to have a lock of their hair, so you said. It was the key to humanity's future. I was beginning to think you had gone insane." "...Sheesh. I'd think that too." "However, you didn't quite go off the deep end for one good reason. You eventually decided on the old adage that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. "At least, along with some help. I convinced Celestia to meet with me in my castle on the basis of 'mending our relations'. During our meeting, you appeared, disguised as an assassin. Pulling out a knife, you took a swipe at Celestia behind her back, aiming only for her hair. But, to the surprise of you and myself, the knife did not cut. It simply pushed the hair out of the way, it shortly returning to its eternal waving state. I must say, I felt quite sorry for you as you stood there while Celestia turned around." I laughed a little. "Oh god, what did I do to rectify that situation?" "You looked from her to your knife a few times, and then dropped it while slowly backing away. She then encased you in a bubble. Me and my guards were forced to 'capture' you, and place you in a cell until she left. Not after she voiced her own suspicions that I myself had planned an attack on her, however. I suppose she was right in a way, but I wouldn't say that really counts, you know?" He laughed a little, too. "Heh, yeah. So, another failed attempt at getting some hair?" "That's what we thought. However, as I came back to clean up the tea I had brought, I noticed something on her seat. A single long, rainbow colored hair, clearly from her mane." "Seriously? Did I manage to cut one off after all, then?" "That's what I had thought, but your examination of it later on revealed that it was a full hair. Perhaps we were simply lucky enough for one to fall off during her visit. Or perhaps it was the stress of the situation. We may never know. Not that you cared." "Yeah, I was probably awfully excited that I had it in the first place, right?" "Unhealthily so. Your obsession was not entirely quelled when you finally recieved the hair. You just had to test it, so you called me down to your lab. You were in bad shape, George. You had clearly been up for days. You were shaking at every second, while downing a gulp of coffee at every other. Various puddles of coffee laid on the floor. If you were in your right mind, you would have wiped them up. You were too caught up in what you were doing. I voiced my own concerns, but you were adamant. You had to test it there and now. "You placed the hair in a compartment on the machine, and went to select a test subject, when an idea crossed your mind. I remember the exact moment your eyes changed. Even I could tell what you were thinking. I told you repeatedly that it was a terrible idea, how dangerous it was, but you didn't care. You were going to test it on yourself. Coffee still in hand, you made a dart for the machine." "...Oh, jeez." "You have figured it out, I see. Yes, you slipped on a puddle of coffee, propelling yourself into the machine while your own cup impacted with the control panel. Sparks flying from the machine, it quickly locked you in as you righted yourself inside. You almost panicked, but you suddenly stopped as a disturbingly huge grin formed on your face. You said something I couldn't hear, and then a flash of light filled the room. When I regained my vision, you were gone without one singular trace." I stood up. "So that's what happened to me? I went insane and tripped into my own machine?!" A grin formed on his face. "Rather embarassing, isn't it?" "You have no idea!" After a brief moment of silence, we both exploded in laughter at the exact same time. I'm still not entirely sure why, but it seemed appropriate at the time. "Oh god," - I wiped a tear from my eye - "How goddamn anticlimactic." "Well," said Tetesac, not bothering to wipe his own tears. "That is life." After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "I'll leave you to think about the whole thing. Make sure to consider my proposal as well. Take all the time you need, days, even. I can show you where your house is, if need be." "Oh, sure, that would be great. Just let me sit down for a bit and consider some things." "Yes, of course." A moment after he left the room, Lyra walked back in. I sat on a nearby chair. She walked up to me. "So, did you figure out what happened to you?" "Yep. Turns out I was a mad scientist."

George Trestale, God of... Something

Home Sweet Home, More or Less

After explaining the events that the seemed to be the ultimate cause for everything that's happened until now, Lyra's immediate response was, unsurprisingly, a decently long burst of laughter. "Are you kidding me?!" she said, "That's amazing!" "Amazingly stupid, maybe." I stood up and stepped back to admire the giant machine that had caused all this ridiculousness. Lyra walked up next to me, eyeing the coffee-stained control panel. I walked over to get a closer look at it. "I gotta wonder, though, if this still works after that whole thing." "Well, why don't you try it out, then?" The control panel consisted of a large screen and a keyboard. Pressing a red button to the right of the screen, the machine began emanating a whirring noise as the screen flickered on. The word "K.E.V.I.N" appeared at the top, white letters on a pure black background. A password prompt was blinking below it. I turned to Lyra. "Well, this puts a downer on things." "What happened?" "I need a password to use it. A password I, myself, probably set." "...Oh. That is a problem." I looked around. "Maybe there's something in here I wrote it on. Like, a journal or something." However, before I could start looking, Tetesac walked back into the room. "George, it is getting a bit late in the day. Would you like me to show you where your house is?" "Oh!" I hadn't thought about that. "Sure, one thing though. Do you know what I set the password for this thing as?" "I'm afraid not," he said, walking up beside me. "I generally tried not to intrude in your privacy." "Well, that's a bit disappointing. I guess I'll figure that out later." "Yes, you will have the entire day tomorrow to get everything straight." Lyra piped up. "And start the tour, right?" "Yes, and start the tour," Tetesac said, one side of his mouth curled up in a smirk. On the way to my house, I took the opportunity to ask Tetesac some more questions. "So, what was I like before I got memory wiped?" "Largely the same as you are now, as far as I can tell," said Tetesac, looking away. "Sarcastic, lively, but reserved. You do seem calmer, though. Not to mention, less... driven to madness." "Right. Anything else about me?" "Well, let's see... You're 26 years old, your birthday is the tenth of October, and your favorite color is green. For some reason, you take pride in the fact that you wear glasses. I can't imagine that as much now," he said, eyeing my cracked lens. "Oh, speaking of," said Lyra. "Let me help you with those." The glasses levitated off my face and bent back into normal shape, as the cracks on the lenses disappeared. I stopped walking, cuing the other two to do the same, and I grabbed them out of midair. They looked brand-new. I put the glasses back on and looked around. "God damn, Lyra! Pony magic really is something, isn't it?" Tetesac seemed to cringe at this comment. Not paying much mind to it, I started walking again and tried to think of another conversation topic. "So," I finally said, "Was I well-known or something here? Those guards were pretty keen on letting us in when they saw me." "Oh, yes," said Tetesac, looking at me over his shoulder. "I held you in rather high status. Over time, I ended up giving you a good few privileges that the average citizen didn't have." "Really? What made me, of all people, so special?" "Well, aside from you being quite good at your job, the two of us were also good friends. I may have had a hand in garnering some respect for you from the general population." "Huh. Well, I'm sure as hell not complaining." We were out on the streets now, each of them illuminated by a multitude of streetlights. After some more walking, we found ourselves in a small neighborhood. Lyra and I admired the various houses as we walked, noticing that some people were staring out their windows at us. "Ah, here we are." Tetesac stepped off to the side, and silently waved his arm towards the house we were now standing in front of. "I believe you have your keychain, yes?" I walked up to the door with the keychain and singled out a key, as if out of pure instinct. I shoved it into the lock and turned, unlocking the door. Slowly, I opened it, revealing... complete darkness. Looking back at them, I walked into the house, looking for a light switch. After some feeling around, I found a switch and flicked it. The house suddenly illuminated, revealing what actually seemed like a pretty normal living room. There was a large bookshelf made of some sort of dark brown wood, taking up most of its adjacent wall. A couch sat in the corner, with a single potted plant placed next to it. A green rug sat in the middle of the ragged carpet that made up the floor. It all felt very homely. "Huh," I said, admiring the room. "Nice place I've got here." Tetesac and Lyra walked in, also looking around. "Yes," said Tetesac, "It's rather cozy, isn't it?" Not answering him, I went over to the bookshelf and pulled out a random book. "Not As Evil, by... Humphrey Walt. I wrote a book?" "Ah... yes." Tetesac walked up to me, looking amused. "That was your first and only attempt at publishing a fiction book. I can't say it went well." "Why is that?" "To be very blunt, the book flopped. Very few people liked it. You always claimed they just 'didn't understand the premise'." "Huh. I've gotta read this myself sometime." "I suppose that would help in giving you a more objective view of your own writing. See, there's one good thing that came out of this!" At this point, Lyra walked closer to the bookshelf and levitated a different book in front of herself, looking confused. "Atrocities of the Equestrians, by Joan Ritter." "Oh. Her." Tetesac knew of this author, apparently. "What? Do you know the author?" asked Lyra. "Yes, an elderly woman. She's a well-known author here, though I personally view her more as a propaganda artist. You wouldn't believe the sort of lies she cooks up." "Like what?" I asked, my attention now fully on the book. I was awfully curious about this, for some reason. "Oh, the various stereotypical ideas. Earth ponies eating our babies, unicorns using black magic on our kind, things of that matter. It's really nothing you'd want to read about, unless you felt like making yourself irrationally angry." I placed my own book back on the shelf. "Looks like ponies really are looked down upon here. Like, even more than I thought." "Yes, indeed," said Tetesac. "If you weren't who you are, I wouldn't be surprised if you were publicly stoned by the townsfolk for bringing a pony here." He followed this sentence with a very contradictory laugh. "That is a joke, of course. Not many believe the writings of Ms. Ritter. Most are simply afraid of the ponies. I can't say that means bringing Ms. Heartstrings here was a perfectly safe idea, but I doubt anyone would have done anything to the two of you." "Have you ever considered doing something about the prejudice towards us Equestrians?" asked Lyra. "Well... Yes, I would very much like to, but I'm currently in no position for it. My main concern is keeping my people's hopes high. I can't afford to complicate that by attempting to change one of their most common beliefs, at least not right now." "What, is something big planned?" I asked. Tetesac seemed momentarily shocked by this question. "Wh- Ah, no. Of course not. I just need to wait for the right time. And speaking of time, it's getting late, isn't it? I should be heading home. Royal duties, and all that." "...Right. Alright, I'll probably go to bed soon, too." "Wait," said Lyra, "Where am I going to stay, then?" "My assumption would be that you'd stay with George," said Tetesac, "That is, if you're both alright with that." "I'm fine with it," I said, shrugging. "You fine, Lyra?" "Yeah, sure!" Lyra seemed rather enthusiastic about staying here. Oh well. "It's settled, then," said Tetesac. "I'll come back here in the morning, and we can discuss more about getting your memories back." I silently waved to Tetesac as he left through the front door and shut it behind him. I walked over to the couch and plopped myself down onto it. "He's nice, isn't he?" Lyra walked over to me. "Yeah, stereotypically nice. It's almost creepy." "Well, you know what they say." "What do they say?" "I don't know. I just figured you did."

George Trestale, God of... Something

I Dreamed a Dream

After Lyra and I finished discussing King Tetesac, the both of us elected to take a little tour of the rest of the house. Walking out of the living room, we found ourselves in a kitchen with a staircase leading upstairs to the right. My mind elsewhere, I walked over to the fridge and opened it. What met my eyes at that point could only be described as a utopia of food and drink, all sorts of delicious-looking delectables shoved into every possible corner of the fridge. It then occurred to me that I was very hungry. I promptly grabbed the first thing I could reach, that being an uncooked T-bone steak wrapped in plastic. Walking away from the fridge and shutting its door, I waltzed over to the nearest counter and dropped the steak onto it with a loud THUNK. Lyra walked up next to me. "Is that a steak?" "Yes. Yes it is." "You know how to cook that?" I took a step back and stared the steak down. "You know, I have no idea." Contradictory to what I had just said, however, I promptly went to a nearby cupboard and pulled out a large cast-iron pan. My arm nearly buckling under its weight, I slammed it onto the stove and turned on the heat. I rushed towards the fridge and pulled the door open, grabbing a stick of butter out of the door as if I had always known where it was. I grabbed a knife and cut off a one-centimeter thick square and dropped that in the pan, swirling it around to let it melt. I then unwrapped the steak, grabbed the salt and pepper shakers that happened to be resting by the stove, and sort of went to town on the slab of meat on my counter. I made sure I had a thoroughly even coating of salt and pepper, and then I grabbed the steak and dropped it into the pan, the smell of sizzling meat entering my nostrils. "Mm-mm-mm! That smells god damned delicious!" I said, fanning the steam rising from the steak towards myself. Lyra, on the other hand, was holding her nose. "Are you serious? It smells like a burning corpse." "Well, I might have some celery or something in the fridge. You're free to eat as much of that as you want to, believe me. I, on the other hand, am about to enjoy a dinner of the gods." As Lyra walked back to the fridge, I heard her ask me something. "You sure seemed like you knew exactly how to cook that, though." ...Huh. She's right, isn't she? "Yeah, you're right. That's weird, isn't it? It was like... instinct, or something." ~ Approximately 40 Minutes Later ~ "Oh, lord have mercy on my soul, for I have sinned..." I leaned back in my chair, nothing left on my plate except for a T-shaped bone and my own dignity. "...You're kinda weird, you know that?" I looked over at Lyra. "I pity you, that you will never know the true deliciousness of a good steak." "I think I'm fine with that," said Lyra, who had finished her own dinner of all the celery and lettuce I owned ten minutes ago. "I gotta say, though, for someone who looks like they're made out of toothpicks, you sure can pack away a lot of food." "Yeah... I feel like I won't have to eat again for an entire week." I got up from my chair and pushed it in. "Sleeping, though, I could definitely go and do that." I started walking toward the stairs when Lyra stopped me. "Wait, so where am I gonna sleep?" "I don't know, maybe I have a guest room or something. Let's go upstairs and check." Dragging myself up the stairs, feeling immensely weighed down by my stomach full of seared cow flesh, I pulled myself to the top. On my left was a hallway that seemed to stretch about 15 feet, two doors on each wall. I opened the one I was closest to, revealing a bathroom. "Well, that'll be usef-HOLYSHITINEEDTOGETINTHERE." I dashed into the bathroom, slammed the door and locked it. Remembering Lyra was still in the hallway, I called out to her. "Hey, uh, Lyra? I might be a while, you can go look around for yourself if you want." "...Alright. Out of curiosity, when was the last time you used a restroom?" "What kind of a question is that? Just go look for a guest room or something!" After some time (I'll spare you the details), I exited the bathroom to find an empty hallway. I guess Lyra found a guest room, or something. I went back into the bathroom, this time to pay more attention to the aesthetics. It was nice, the walls painted a beige color. Feeling explorative again, I opened a medicine cabinet to find... not much, actually. A can of shaving cream, some cologne, and a small unmarked jar containing some sort of plant matter I didn't recognize. Curious, I took the jar out of the cabinet and tried to get a closer look at the plant matter. It was green, almost some sort of nugget, or something along those lines. It was covered in what appeared to be very fine crystals of some kind. Wait, I think I recognize this... At that moment, Lyra walked back in front of the entrance to the bathroom. "You done yet? I... why are you holding a jar of happy flower?" "What the hell is happy flower?" Lyra sighed and levitated the jar out of my hands. "It's... oh, never mind, I don't want to bother explaining it right now." I snatched it out of the air. "Oh, wait, yeah, I remember now." Laughing awkwardly, I put the jar back into the cabinet and shut it. "Can't say I've heard it being called "happy flower", though." "Well, anyway, if you're done looking like an addict, I found what I think might be the guest room." I wordlessly followed Lyra out into the hallway as she led me to the second door on the left. It was already open, showing me a rather plainly covered room with beige walls, with a closet, and a brown bed with two nightstands. "This does look pretty guest room-ish. How do you know this isn't just my room, though?" "Open the door behind you." I turned around, met with a door exactly the same as the guest room one. I opened the door, and in an instant I knew this had to be my room. Why, it was perfect. It was everything I could wish for in a room. It... was exactly the same as the guest room, except with a bookshelf against the wall and a pinball machine in the corner. "Damn, son. Yeah, this is definitely my room. I feel zen in here." Lyra gave me a strange look. "...Yeah. Well, I'm gonna go to sleep. Don't keep me up all night by playing pinball." "Oh, please, I'm not that inconsiderate!" I laughed, waving her off into her own room. Now then, to look around some more. I immediately went over to the closet and opened it. While it was dark in there, I could tell it was a walk-in. I flicked on a switch that was on the wall, and looked back into the closet. "OH SHIT, SON!" ~ 30 Minutes Later ~ Still absorbed in the arcade machine I had found in my closet, I heard a banging on my door. "Goddammit, how do I pause this?" Just as I said that, however, Pac-Human met his demise at the non-existent hands of a ghost. Sighing, I went over to my room's door and opened it, showing, obviously, Lyra. She rubbed one of her eyes. "I thought you said you weren't going to keep me up all night." "...Technically, I said I wouldn't do that by playing pinball. I never said anything about Pac-Human." "Wh- Pac-Human? What, is that like Pac-Pony?" "I don't know. Yours is probably a ripoff, if so." "I doubt that, I mean it came out in- Wait, what am I doing? We're supposed to be at the castle tomorrow, George! It's like, one in the morning now, and I'd really like to get some sleep!" "Oh, fiiiiiiiine," I said, adopting a stereotypically lethargic look. I gave an overly dramatic yawn. "I guess I'm tired too." "Good." Lyra went back into her room and shut the door. Closing my own, I spent about five minutes looking for pajamas, changed into them and got into bed. I clapped twice, causing the lights to turn off. Wait, how did I know how to do that? I clapped twice again and the lights turned on again. Huh. Well, that's convenient. I clapped two more times, shutting the lights off again. My room was now illuminated only by the clear image of the moon through the window. I laid down again and pulled the covers over myself. "Maybe this whole memory restoration thing won't be too hard," I said to no one in particular. And then I fell asleep. I dreamed a good many things, most of them not lasting long enough for me to remember. I saw images of people, people I didn't recognize, and some that I did. All of them familiar in some way that I couldn't put my finger on. I saw the K.E.V.I.N, without the coffee stain on its control panel. But perhaps the most notable part of that dream sequence happened as follows. I was lying in a field, back in Equestria. It was nighttime, the moon in the center of the sky among the stars. "Man, that is beautiful," I said to myself. "I must agree," a voice replied. "WOAHOLYSHI-" I jumped to my feet and snapped around, seeing myself face to face with a large pony of dark-blue color. Her mane looked as if it was made out of the sky itself, and she wore some sorts of jewelry or whatnot reminiscent of Celestia's. She spoke first. "Greetings, Human." It took me a second to reply. "Ah, oh, right. Hello. My name is-" "George Trestale?" She had a serious expression on her face, but her head was tilted in what seemed like curiosity. "...Yeah, actually. How'd you know?" "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Princess Luna, guardian of the night. I preside over the ponies' dreams, sometimes giving them guidance in their personal dilemmas." I quickly looked around. "I'm dreaming this?" "Yes, you are. At the moment, you are completely safe in whatever location you happen to be at the moment." "Wait, so did you, like, read my mind or something?" "Oh, no. I simply learned of you from my sister. The two of you have met, I believe?" Sister? Wait, "Princess"... "...Celestia?" "Yes, we are the two rulers of this land. You have given her quite some trouble, I've been told." "Hey, I don't like being held in a cell under false pretenses, alright? I'll escape if I goddamn please, thank you." She held up a hoof. "There is no reason you should worry about that. Sister is aware that you must have made it to Anthropia by now. She called off the search a good while ago." I put my hand to my chin. "Why are you here, then?" She looked away for a moment. "I... have a request." "Is that so? Alright, shoot." She looked back to me. "I want you to convince King Tetesac to sign a treaty with Equestria." I stepped back. She wants me to do what, now?! "Allow me to explain. There has been an unnecessary feud between the two races for a long time. The fact is, it needs to stop. There is no reason for it. It can only bring pain to anyone involved." "What, does Celestia not see that or something?" "Sister sees it as clearly as I do. However, her attempts to make a treaty with Tetesac have always failed. No matter how she words her requests, Tetesac refuses to agree to anything. But it is different now." "Different, how?" "I have entered the minds of many humans in an attempt to convince them that their preconceived notions against us are false, to no avail. But you are different. You have a different impression of us, do you not?" "...I wouldn't entirely say that, given the whole imprisonment thing." "Did you not become friends with a certain Lyra Heartstrings?" Oh. Yeah. "Well, yeah, but that's just one pony. I've had a bunch of others come after me other than Celestia!" "What about the two ponies called Rainbow Dash and Applejack? They let you leave, even when you were trespassing in a land humans are not permitted to enter." "Okay, fine, so three. To be fair, though, the blue one did try to kick me in the head." "Trestale, regardless of your opinion on a few ponies, I want you to tell me. What is your opinion of the Equestrian race as a whole?" I fidgeted a bit and crossed my arms. "...I guess they're alright." Luna smiled. "Then please, do us this good deed. I am sure Celestia will have a different opinion of you, even if you at least try." "Alright, alright, you don't gotta convince me twice. I'll talk with Tetesac. I gotta warn you, though, he's pretty hard-set on the whole 'no association with Equestria' thing." "You are the closest one we know of to the King. I have faith that you could convince him." "Well, if you say so." I crossed my arms and turned away. Thinking a bit, I turned back to ask something else, but she was gone. "Oh, sure!" I yelled. "Just disappear right when I'm gonna ask you something! Yeah, you're real good at this dream stuff!" "...George, I am over here." I looked about 45 degrees to the left. "Oh. Never mind."

George Trestale, God of... Something

Rip-a-Dee-Doo

I awoke with a start. Sitting up in my bed as fast as humanly possible, the first thing my mind went to was the dream I just had. It felt as if my dream had transitioned directly into reality, almost like they were one and the same. Let's see, what was my dream about again? A Princess... something about King Tetesac... Oh, right. I was supposed to convince Tetesac to make peace with the ponies. That is, if this "Princess Luna" is actually, you know, real. I don't know much about dream prophecies, but now that I'm awake, the task at hand feels even less possible. I looked behind me, noticing through the now illuminated blinds that sunlight was shining into my room. I guess it's morning. I shuffled myself to the end of my bed and let out a yawn. I got onto my feet and promptly fell onto my face. "Ugh... Fuff." Taking my face out of the carpet, I immediately noticed that I couldn't feel my left leg. Great, just what I needed to wake up to. I grabbed my leg and shook it around, trying to restore circulation. Soon enough, some feeling returned to my leg, accompanied with the sensation of a bunch of needles in my skin. "Ow. Ow ow ow," I said, getting back up on my feet again. I shook around my leg some more. "Stupid leg, you have one job and that's to walk. I expect you to do it." I instinctively went to the nightstand for my glasses, but realized they were on the floor, at the face-impact zone. Guess I was too tired to remember to take them off when I went to bed. I looked at the wall across from the bed and noticed an analogue clock, in a circular wooden frame covered in swirly engravings. "Let's see, looks like the time's around... three. That's about- Wait, WHAT?" Wait, maybe that's 3 AM... but wait, no, it's light outside. Aw, shit. I dove back onto my bed and re-made the covers, and then dashed into the closet to look for clothes. "Why didn't Lyra wake me?! Is she even still here?" I asked myself out loud, rummaging through the clothes. I found a set of clothes exactly matching the now-tattered ones I had been wearing before, which, at the moment, are snugly fit into a trashcan. Looking up, I saw a tie rack, holding nothing but red ties, differing only in pattern styles. "...I must really be a fan of this type of dress." After looking around some more, I noticed a singular sky blue tie on the floor. I grabbed it and ran out of my room holding the full set of clothes. I threw them into the bathroom at a speed that I'm surprised didn't cause a sonic boom, and jumped in front of Lyra's door. I started continuously knocking, not stopping even after she opened the door. "Ugh... what is it?" she said, rubbing her right eye. "It's like 3 PM, Lyra! How in the actual fuck did we sleep in that long?!" "Wuh... 3 PM? You're telling me we slept for fourteen hours?" "Apparently! The King must have already came and knocked on our door! Who knows how long we've kept him waiting?! We've gotta get to the castle and, I don't know, apologize, or something! But, man, I've still gotta take a shower, and-" She cut me off. "Hold on. Come in here for a second." "Uh, okay." I walked into her room. As I did so, she pointed at a wall. Following her hoof, I saw there was a clock in her room very much like mine, except it was telling us that the time was about 8:20. I watched the second hand tick over to 8:21. "Uh... what?" "I think your clock's broken." I went out of Lyra's room and back into mine. Lyra followed me in. I ran up to the clock on the wall to get a better look at it, the most apparent aspect of it being that the second hand wasn't moving. "Oh, you've gotta be frickin' kidding me. Why would I have a clock that doesn't work?" "Heck if I know," said Lyra. "Look on the bright side, though. You make a decent alarm clock." I looked at her for a moment before responding. "Yeah, ha-ha. Lemme just go un-invent alarm clocks so I can get paid to do it." I walked past her and into the bathroom to take a shower. Before turning on the water, I took a moment to really look at myself in the mirror. My face was noticeably dirty in some areas, and I had a good amount of hair growing out of my chin and upper lip. Man, facial hair does not look good on me. I undressed myself, revealing my arms, legs and torso were also a bit dirty in some areas. I also found out I stunk like a sweaty dog. I guess that's what happens when you don't shower for a week. I felt my hair, which was noticeably oily and matted. Yeah, this is gonna be a long shower. I turned the water on as hot as I could stand it, and jumped in. ~ 45 Minutes Later ~ I walked down the stairs, now fully dressed in an ensemble almost identical to what I was wearing yesterday. My face was now clean-shaven, I smelled like cologne, and my hair was... well, same as usual, except clean. As I reached the bottom step, I noticed Lyra at the breakfast table, eating a bowl of cereal. A cereal box sat on the table, reading "Bran Flakes". What a generic name. Lyra looked to me as I walked over to the table. "Well, you look a heck of a lot better than you did yesterday. You look less ape-y." "That's not even a word," I said, sitting down across from her. "But yes, I do look better." "I see you're wearing the same clothes." "Ah, nope." I lifted up my tie for Lyra to notice. "Blue tie, see? I was feeling adventurous." Lyra gave an unimpressed "Uh-huh", and continued eating her flakes of bran. "So, uh," I said, trying to keep a silence from growing. "When do you think Tetesac will be here? He didn't give us a specific time, did he?" "Nope. No idea," said Lyra. But right as she shoved another spoonful of bran flakes into her mouth, I heard a series of exactly three knocks come from the living room. I jumped up from my chair, almost knocking it over. "Sounds like that's him!" I went over to the front door and opened it, revealing that, rather than King Tetesac, there was a man I did not recognize standing in front of my door. He was a noticeably elderly man, looking like he was in his mid-eighties. His hair was long and completely grey, and he wore a blue shirt that was tucked into a pair of beige pants that looked like they were on too tight. One of his eyes was looking at me, but the other was off facing to his left. A long beard hung off his chin that really drove home the point of "I am extremely old". "Uh... Hi. Is there something you need?" I asked. I'd never seen this man before, but he looked like he'd gone senile at age 20. Suddenly, he started dancing around. "Hoo BOY! I told 'em, yes I did! I told 'em that y'all would come right on back, and lookee here! Yer alive and well! HAH! Take that, Powell! Now I'm 'bout ta be a hundred dollars richer! RIP-A-DEE-DOO!" As I stood there in complete confusion as to what the hell I was seeing, Lyra walked up to me. The old man was still dancing around and shouting unintelligible things to himself. "...I don't think that's the King," said Lyra. Suddenly, the man stopped and turned to Lyra. "Oh-HO! Yeah, I what's goin' on here! Can't keep a thing from Jack Musket's eyes! Y'all convinced her, didn't ya, Walty?" I couldn't really think of a response. "I... what?" "Wee-HOO! I knowed it was gonna happen! Oh, boy did I! Oh boy, old Musket can't wait! Y'all are gonna get it, missy! Countin' on ya, Walt!" The man took off, running at a speed a man his age shouldn't be capable of. Lyra and I stood there in equal states of dumbfoundedness. The first thing that was said to break the silence came from Lyra. "What the heck was that?" "I don't know," I said. "I'm a little scared now." I still saw the old man running into the distance. While watching him, I noticed Tetesac heading towards my house. The old man bumped into Tetesac for a second, shouted something unintelligible, and then ran off into an alleyway. Tetesac stopped for a second, then started walking towards my house again at an accelerated rate. After about half a minute, he reached us. "Hello, George. Ms. Heartstrings," he said, breathing a bit heavily. "How are you two doing?" "Fine," I said. "A bit weirded out. Who was that old guy?" "...Oh, you met him? What did he say?" He looked noticeably concerned. "Something about knowing I'd come back, something about me convincing someone, and something about Lyra 'getting it'." "Ah." He slowly stroked his beard. "Well, that was Jack Musket, or 'Old Man Musket', as he is more commonly referred to. He has a habit for rambling about things no one knows about. I suspect not even he knows what he is talking about." Lyra piped up. "I think he was being awfully specific for not knowing what he's talking about." "Well, that's just how he is. Perhaps he was deliberately trying to confuse you, as a prank. I recommend not giving any heed to what he tells you." I wasn't too sure of what he was saying, but I kept my mouth shut anyway. "Well then," said Tetesac, "Shall we go inside?"

George Trestale, God of... Something

Diary of a Wimpy Man

The three of us strolled back into the living room, me still trying to make sense of the things that old man had said to me. I went over to the couch and sat down rather suddenly. Lyra followed and sat next to me. "So," said Tetesac, walking over to us. "To start off some sort of conversation, how was your night?" "Fairly normal," I said, "Nothing particularly noteworthy about it." I thought about mentioning what Princess Luna had told to me, but I decided to put that off for now. "What about when you practically made love to that steak?" noted Lyra, with a dumb grin on her face. Noticing Tetesac's look of confusion, I was quick to clarify what she meant. "I cooked a steak last night and ate it. It just happened to be really good." To my surprise, his face grew even more confused. "As in, the steak you had stored in your refrigerator?" "Yeah, what about it?" "You told me that steak was the seventh result of your attempts to grow synthetic meat. You noted that it was the best attempt you had made so far, although you still hadn't managed to perfectly replicate it yet." "Synthetic meat?" I said, "Oh god. I ate that? Why would I make synthetic meat?!" "You were always rather fond of steak, but cows being sentient beings, you hardly ever had the opportunity to obtain one." Lyra quickly interjected here. "Wait, steak comes from cows?! Jeez, I'm glad I didn't learn that until after finding out that steak wasn't a real steak..." She looked a bit sick to her stomach. "Sorry, I had no idea," I said. I wasn't quite sure what else to say to that, so I turned back to Tetesac. "So, I ate one of my experiments?" Tetesac laughed. "It seems so. You told me you were not going to eat it for fear it might kill you. It seems like that didn't happen." "What the hell?" I said, bewildered, "That thing could have killed me? Why would I keep that in my fridge?" "Well, to be fair," said Lyra, "That probably wouldn't have been a problem for you, what with the whole immortality thing." I stared at her blankly for a second, then laughed. "Oh yeeeeeeah! I completely forgot about that!" Tetesac's demeanor suddenly changed to a more serious one. "...Immortality?" Whoops. Looks like we spilled the beans on that. I shifted in my seat. "Ah... right, I may have forgotten to mention-" "Oh, no, it's alright. I figured that part was a given anyway," said Tetesac. "A given? What do you mean?" "A form of immortality was given to all of the subjects you tested with the strand of Celestia's hair. It makes sense that you would gain it as well. It was a form of immortality that centered around practically instant flesh regeneration. However, in them, it only lasted a mere six to seven days. A being of your size, one would think it would have lasted even less time..." Tetesac began pacing around the room. "Hold on, what?" I said, standing up. "What are you talking about?" "During your experiments, one thing you told me that was the larger a being was when you transferred the hair's power to it, the faster it lost the power." While that was fascinating, my attention was more drawn to the part about me testing the hair on several subjects. I feel like that doesn't quite match up with something he told me before, but I'd better not say anything until I remember what it is. "So... You're saying I may have lost my immortality by now?" "It's possible. There's only one way to find out, really." I thought this over. "...Oh, god damn it. Okay, fine." I got up off the nightstand and went into the kitchen. "Where are you going?" asked Tetesac, craning his head to see what I was doing. "One moment!" I came out of the kitchen with a knife, holding it pointed towards my own arm. My sleeve was pulled back, leaving my forearm completely vulnerable to the knife's blade. "Oh dear, George. You don't need to do that-" But I didn't care, I wanted to find this out now. I poked the knife about a centimeter down into the skin of my arm and pulled it out again. I instantly dropped the knife, clutched my arm and started stamping the ground with my foot. "Holy shit, that hurts! And I tried to not make as big of a wound this time..." It took me a second to notice that Lyra and Tetesac were looking at me rather expectantly. I looked down at my own arm and removed my hand, and what met my eyes was... ...The cut from the knife, still in my arm and still bleeding profusely. I looked at my other hand, noticing that it was covered in blood. Shit. "Well, I suppose that settles that, then," said Tetesac. "I was going to suggest that you simply scan yourself with the KEVIN, but I suppose this option provides far more instant results." "Yeah..." I was still looking down at my arm, stunned. I had kinda gotten used to not being able to die. I suddenly felt far more vulnerable than before. It was as if anything in the environment could jump out and kill me at any moment. "Okay, I'm just gonna... go upstairs and wash my hands." Not waiting for a reply, I quickly dashed up the staircase, a firm grip on the handrail. I leaped into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I turned on the sink and scrubbed the blood off my hand and arm, some of it having already dried on. I searched in the medicine cabinet, found some gauze, and wrapped my arm in it, covering up the cut. I pulled my sleeve back down over it. There, good as new. Before leaving, I took a second to look at myself in the mirror. "I guess I'm only human," I said to myself. "No reason for me to have immortality when no one else does." I was lying to myself, of course. I wished I was still immortal. But I can't bother worrying about something I can't change. I shut the medicine cabinet and left the bathroom. Noticing that my undershirt was stained with some blood, I sighed and went into my room to change into a new one real quick. The room now had a more somber feel to it, as if some of the color had been sucked out. I dragged myself over to my closet and opened it. I quickly found a shirt and changed into it, throwing the stained one into the corner. Maybe I'll bleach it later or something. I went over to the window and sat on my nightstand, looking out onto the streets of the town. I guess I'm just a human now, right? It was a pretty stupid thing to call myself a god just because I was immortal. I got up off the nightstand and walked to the other end of the room. "God, I'm so stupid! Calling myself a god when I barely knew anything about myself..." In an attempt to calm myself down so I could think more clearly, I took the clock down off the wall to try and fix it. As soon as I touched the back of it, it launched out of my hands, hitting my nightstand. The nightstand banged against the wall and fell forwards, the lamp resting on top falling onto the floor and shattering. The clock, on the other hand, had ricocheted off the nightstand and embedded itself in a wall. Well, I guess it's nice to know I still have that broken magic. I went over to the nightstand to pick it back up, but something caught my eye. On the floor, previously hidden by the nightstand, was a small unmarked book. I picked it up and opened to the first page. To my surprise, the first page was blank aside from the first page, which simply read "Walt's Notes". So, this is a journal, huh? Cool. I skimmed through the next few pages. Stuff about experiments I'd worked on, something about fruit drinks, something about synthetic meat... I flipped through the pages until I got to the last one that had anything written on it. April 24th. Tetesac's intentions are more dangerous than I thought. Thankfully, my plan will be able to put his to a halt. The series of events that this will cause will definitely be enough to stop Tetesac's own plans. In the event that something happens to me, I have initiated a failsafe that will put my own plan into action under certain circumstances only I know about. I call it the RYAN. Additionally, I am the only one who knows how to disable the RYAN. This way, Tetesac's plans will never come to fruition, and the future of humanity will be secured. Future... of humanity? I quickly flipped through the surrounding pages, looking for some sort of context to this. No dice. What on earth was Tetesac planning? What was I planning? The hell is a RYAN? This is really goddamn confusing. Before I could finish thinking about this, however, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I quickly shoved the book into my suit and stood up just as Lyra walked in front of the doorway. "What's going on? What's taking-" She stopped, having noticed the carnage that had ravaged my room. "What in Celestia's name happened?!" "Er... I sneezed." "You sneezed?" "Look, never mind. Let's just go back downstairs." Before Lyra could reply, I rushed downstairs and down the staircase. I stopped on the staircase for a moment and looked at the handrail. It was smeared in blood. Whatever, I'll worry about that later. I continued downstairs and to the living room. "Ah, there you are," said Tetesac. "I was wondering what was taking so long. Not to mention all that banging. I feared you may have hurt yourself." "No, I'm fine," I said. Lyra finished coming down the stairs as well and stood next to me. "Well then," said Tetesac. "I believe we should head back to the castle now so we can work on your memories. Is everyone alright with that?" I nodded. I wanted to ask about what I had read in the journal, but I had a nagging feeling that was a bad idea. So I kept my mouth shut, for now. "Yeah, I'm ready. I want to see more human technology," said Lyra. "Very well," said Tetesac. "Let's head back to the castle, then." On the way there, I took the opportunity to gaze at the town around me. I suddenly got the impression that it felt rather... small. "Hey, uh, Tetesac? Is it just me or is this place rather small for a kingdom?" Tetesac sighed. "Our race is rather small in population. In fact, there are only roughly one hundred thousand of us." "One hundred thousand?! Jeez, talk about being a minority..." "Yes, our kingdom is no bigger than, say, Manehattan. However, we are proud of our nation, regardless of how small it is." Looking around some more, I noticed a flag waving around in the distance. From what I could tell, the design consisted of two hands joined together against a red background. I pointed towards the flag, getting Tetesac's attention. "That this place's flag?" "Ah, yes. It symbolizes the unison between all humans. We are quite proud of it," he said. "Everyone's pretty proud of their nation, huh?" said Lyra, who was standing noticeably close to me. I looked around and saw that several people were giving her angry looks. "Yes," said Tetesac. "Some, perhaps unhealthily so." After arriving at the castle, we headed directly to my lab. Once we arrived, Tetesac spoke up. "You two can stay here for now, I will be back later. I have some of my own duties to attend to." And with that, he left. "...That was sudden," I said. Lyra nodded silently. I turned the key in the lock and opened the door. I fumbled around for the light switch and turned it on. The lab was just as it had been left before, coffee stains and all. As soon as Lyra and I walked in, I shut the door, went over to a table, and took out a book. "Lyra, come over here." Lyra walked over to me. "What is it?" "There's something I need to show you." I opened the book to the page about Tetesac's plan and gave it to Lyra. She read over it for a minute, then gave the book back to me. "So... What are your thoughts on this?" "I don't know," Lyra replied. "That's a lot of stuff to consider. What is Tetesac planning? Whatever it is, apparently it was important to you that it was stopped." "Yeah..." I read over the page again. "I can't say this helps my trust in him, though." A voice came from behind me. "Trust in who?" Surprised, I looked behind me, to see Tetesac in the doorway, leaning against the frame. "Uh... Well, that is to say... Crap."

George Trestale, God of... Something

You Can't Handle the Truth

"Trust in who?" I felt a sense of dread as Tetesac walked into the room. I fumbled with the book for a moment and shoved it back into my suit pocket. "Ack... Erm, That's a good question." Trying to come up with some way to get out of this, my eyes traveled to Tetesac's beard, being unsettlingly stroked by his hand. Aha, I've got it. "Well..." he said, looking at me expectantly. "If it's not any of my business, I won't intrude..." "Oh, no, I was just talking about that old guy from earlier. Just saying we shouldn't put much trust in what he says, like you said." Tetesac looked at me for a moment. "Ah, yes. I see. A good plan, that one." He looked deep in thought, suddenly not seeming to be paying any attention to me. Lyra spoke up. "So, what brings you back here? I thought you had king-ish duties and stuff." Tetesac took a second to respond. "...Oh! Yes, right! I wanted to tell you something, George. The password to the KEVIN." "You know the password?" "Well, yes. You trusted me enough to give me access." "...Ah. I see. Well, that's good, then, 'cause I thought I was screwed on that front. So, what's the password?" Tetesac looked over to Lyra. "Are you sure you're alright with Ms. Heartstrings hearing it?" "Oh, yeah, that's fine. I trust her. Besides, she doesn't have hands to type with." She shot me an annoyed look. "...Hmm. Very well, if you're sure." A huge grin suddenly formed on Tetesac's face. "The password is... 'humpthewalt'." I think my brain shut down momentarily at that point. Not sure what to say to that, I looked at both Lyra and Tetesac, both of them clearly trying to stifle laughter. They looked as if their eyes were about to pop out of their heads. "...Yeah, okay," I finally said, prompting them both to burst into laughter. How did I even come up with something like that? Well, whatever. I walked over to the KEVIN and turned back to the two merchants of embarrassment. "Is that all lowercase?" "Yes," said Tetesac, wiping a tear from his eye. "All lowercase letters." "All... very small letters. Very small..." said Lyra, trying to keep herself from laughing again. "Yeah, yeah. You know, comedians don't laugh at their own jokes on stage. Especially when the jokes suck." I turned back to the panel and typed in the password. The screen was overlaid with green letters that read "VERIFIED". "If you guys are done being immature, the password worked." Lyra walked up to me. Tetesac, on the other hand, stayed behind. "That's great, George!" said Tetesac. "I must get back to those kingly duties, though. Have fun!" He quickly disappeared through the door. "Well, that was weird," I said. "He's probably just in a hurry," said Lyra. "Anyway, let's see what's on that machine." A series of commands had appeared on the screen, ranging from "cd" to "log". I wasn't quite sure where to start. "Uh... right. Just gotta figure this out..." I typed "cd" and pressed enter, bringing up the words "invalid directory". "Well, we're off to a great start so far," said Lyra. "Yeah, yeah. Let's try this last one..." I typed "log" and pressed enter. A few commands appeared as follows: log show - Shows logs of KEVIN usage. log show <date> - Show KEVIN usage logs by specific date. log erase - Erase KEVIN usage logs. log backup <name> - Back up KEVIN usage logs to specific filename. log restore <name> - Restore KEVIN usage logs by filename. log search <keyword> - Search through logs and backups via keyword. "Huh," I said. "Alright, let's take a look at the logs of this thing being used..." I typed "log show" into the terminal and hit enter. The words "No logs available" appeared on-screen. "That's strange," I said, "This thing's been used before, I wonder why there aren't any logs." "Maybe because of the coffee?" offered Lyra. "That's a whole other thing. This thing actually still works, even with coffee being spilled on it. It's strange..." Getting an idea, I typed "log restore" and hit enter. "0 of 1 logs restored Invalid syntax - Filename is required" "Damn it," I said. "It looks like there's a log backed up, but I have no idea what to search for." I tried "log search log", coming up with zero results. "Maybe try searching for one letter at a time?" said Lyra, craning her neck to get a good look at the screen. "Alright..." I started with the most common letter, "e". No dice. I proceeded to try all the vowels. Nothing. "So, that means there aren't any full words, right? It might be an acronym." "log search b" Nothing. "log search p" Nothing. "log search m" Still nothing. "log search x" Noth- Wait, no, there's something here. "xxxxx.txt - 3 KB" read the screen. "Sweet, we found it!" I said. I quickly typed "log restore xxxxx.txt" and hit enter. The screen suddenly filled with a large number of entries, too many to count. Each was marked with a date and success or failure of the experiment. "These don't seem to be from too long ago," I said. "One of these is dated October 17th." The log entries were listed from top to bottom, most recent to least recent. They went off the screen, so I scrolled through them with the arrow keys. TEST #90 - SUBJECT: TREE FROG - RESULT: FAILURE SUBJECT STATUS: ALIVE Most of the entries followed this format, aside from a few that caught my eye. TEST #84 - SUBJECT: RACCOON - RESULT: SUCCESS SUBJECT STATUS: ALIVE "Success, huh? Does that mean I bestowed immortality onto a raccoon?" I said to Lyra. She didn't answer, she was too fixated on the screen. I kept scrolling down. The list became rather repetitive after a while, so I started mashing the down arrow to get through the list as fast as possible. That is, until something at the top of the screen caught my eye. TEST #43 - SUBJECT: RAT - RESULT: FAILURE SUBJECT STATUS: DECEASED "Shit," I said to Lyra, "I hope I didn't do that." I scrolled up further, but I stopped as a feeling of dread filled my stomach to the brim. I slowly read over what the screen now said. TEST #44 - SUBJECT: TORTOISE - RESULT: FAILURE SUBJECT STATUS: DECEASED TEST #45 - SUBJECT: HARE - RESULT: FAILURE SUBJECT STATUS: DECEASED TEST #46 - SUBJECT: OWL - RESULT: FAILURE SUBJECT STATUS: DECEASED TEST #47 - SUBJECT: PIG - RESULT: FAILURE SUBJECT STATUS: DECEASED "I... I don't..." I tried to make sense of this, but as I scrolled down one more entry, my stomach dropped into my feet. TEST #48 - SUBJECT: HUMAN - RESULT: FAILURE SUBJECT STATUS: DECEASED I felt dizzy all of a sudden. Not saying anything, I took a few steps back. Did I... conduct an experiment on another person? Did I... kill them in the process?! No, no... There's no way... I tried to look for someplace to sit, but I slipped on something and hit the floor. ~ Some time later ~ I awoke on a hospital bed. I was nearly blinded with light as I opened my eyes to the fluorescent light bulbs installed in the ceiling. "Ugh..." I said, or rather, groaned. God, my head hurts like hell. I looked over to the side of the bed and saw Lyra standing there. "Oh, good, you're awake!" said Lyra. "I was pretty worried." "Hey... did you take me here?" "Well, King Tetesac helped. He had to step out for a bit, but he said he'd be back soon." "Oh..." I touched my head with my hand. "Did I fall?" "Yeah, hard. Right on your face. Your nose isn't in very good shape right now. Or, rather, it's in a bunch of not-so-good shapes." "I broke my nose." "Yep. Try falling on your side or something next time, alright?" I brought my hand to my nose, but pulled it away as pain shot through my face. "Yeah... sure, I'll try. And how long was I out for?" "A couple hours. The doctors needed some additional time to fix your nose, so they used some anesthetic to keep you unconscious." "I didn't give my consent for that." "Tetesac told them it was fine, he figured you wouldn't want to have a broken nose." "...Fair enough." As if on cue, the door to the room opened, and Tetesac walked in. "Oh good, you're awake," said Tetesac. "You have no idea what I had to go through for them to allow Ms. Heartstrings in here." He took a chair next to me and sat down. "They said she could be 'ridden with plague', or something to that effect. Rather insulting, I'd say." Suddenly, everything that happened before I fell came flooding back to me. I laid there silently, processing everything that had happened since I got to Anthropia. "Are you alright, George? You seem lost in thought." After about five seconds, I slowly turned my head to Tetesac. I sat up and looked him straight in the eye as the words came out of my mouth. "Am I a murderer?" Tetesac didn't respond for a moment. "You... what?" "Did I kill someone in one of my experiments?! You'd have to know!" "I don't quite-" "I looked in the KEVIN logs, there's a record of an experiment with a human who is status deceased! Along with a bunch of other animals! Did I kill them in my experiments?!" "George, hold on a moment-" "And don't lie to me, I need to know this for sure-" "GEORGE!" I stopped. Tetesac, for the first time I could remember, looked irritated. I slowly shut my mouth. "George, there is no need for worry. Those beings did not die in your experiments, they were deceased beforehand." "...Huh?" "I will start with the most worrying one. The human who you conducted the experiment on was already deceased." "How do I know that for sure?" "I filed paperwork to get you the cadaver, I assure you that you obtained it through entirely legal means. I can show you the papers if you wish. The animals are in the same situation, however I do not have paperwork to prove those." "...Well, you say you have paperwork, and that would be a hard lie to get out of... Alright, I guess I feel better now." "George..." "Yeah?" "Forgive me for asking this, but I've been curious... Why do you mistrust me so much?" I fidgeted in my seat a bit. "Oh... you noticed?" "It was hard not to, George. Your poorly constructed lie about Old Man Musket earlier was perhaps the biggest giveaway." I looked at him for a second before responding. "I just... I'm sorry, all this new info about my past life isn't easy to take in, so I'm kinda skeptical of things in general." Tetesac brightened up a bit. "Ah, well, that's understandable. I was beginning to think it had something to do with me specifically." "...Ah," I said, looking down. I was suspicious of him specifically, but this didn't seem like the best time to say that. Not to mention, another thought had entered my mind. I slowly looked back to Tetesac and spoke. "You need to make a peace treaty with Equestria." Tetesac's expression changed to one of surprise. "I need to do what?" "Last night, I had a dream. It was... an interesting dream, to say the least." "George, you shouldn't pay much heed to-" "I'm not finished. In this dream, someone visited me. Someone by the name of 'Princess Luna'." Tetesac's face tensed up at hearing this, but Lyra spoke up first. "Princess Luna? She came to you in a dream?!" "...So I was right, she does exist. Good, then I'm not about to make myself look stupid." I waited for a response from either one of them, but I didn't get one. So I continued. "She told me I needed to convince you to make a peace treaty with Equestria, that the current feud between races was pointless and rather harmful." "...George. Are you saying they want a peace treaty?" "Yes. They do. So what's the issue? It's a simple matter! You want it, they want it! I'm sure the benefits outweigh the downside of some people here not liking you!" Tetesac sighed. "It's not that simple, George. As much as I'd like to, this is the sort of thing I cannot just do all of a sudden. If I am to ever do this, it will take a very long time. Perhaps years. And with that, I need to get back to my duties." Tetesac stood up and walked to the door. Well, I tried. Not much else I can do here- Wait a minute. "Wait," I said. Tetesac turned around. "Yes?" I pulled the notebook out of my pocket. "Look at this page!" I turned to the most recently written page in the notebook. "This is a journal I kept before I got amnesia. It says you're planning something! You wanna know why I don't trust you? You explicitly said you're not planning something! You lied! And you lied about my experiments! Your stories contradict each other! You're a shitty liar, Titty Sack!" Before he could respond, I got up out of the hospital bed and walked up to him. "For all I know, this couldn't mean anything bad at all. Sure, maybe they're little white lies. But I'd really like to know for sure. The least you can do for us at this point is tell us the truth about everything you've lied to us about." I looked to Lyra to see if she was with me. She quickly looked away, avoiding my gaze. "Well... yeah, what he said." I then noticed Tetesac's expression. It wasn't one of annoyance, nor shock. It was a look of defeat. "...Very well," Tetesac said. "I was wrong to keep this from you, but I simply... well, you will see when I explain it." He went over to the door and locked it, then went back beside the bed and sat down. "Are you sure you want to know the truth, George?" "Why do you think I went off on that rant? Of course I do!" "So be it, then. But you will have to deal with the consequences yourself, I'm afraid."

George Trestale, God of... Something

So Many Acronyms, So Little Time

"So be it, then. But you will have to deal with the consequences yourself, I'm afraid." "The consequences?" "...Never mind that, just sit down and I will explain everything to you." I went back to the hospital bed and sat down, the paper crinkling under me. "Wait," Lyra said, "So, what are the things you didn't lie to us about?" Tetesac tugged at his beard. "Well, most things, actually. Your age, your name, your occupation, and... most of your history before this." "Most of it?" I said. I had the KEVIN incident in mind, in particular. "Yes. Just allow me to explain everything." I laid back in the bed and turned my head to him. "Alright, I'm all ears." "...You really were the best scientist I've had, George. At least, for most of your career. The KEVIN was your greatest invention yet." "I still have no idea what that stands for." "Neither do I. But it wasn't simply a magic transfusion machine. It was planned to also function as a teleporter, to put a living being anywhere on the planet in seconds." "Okay, I'm seeing some connections here." "George... I'm sure you had the best intentions from the start, but you... changed." "Changed?" "Yes. Now, do you remember the story I told you about the girl named Sandra?" "It's hard not to." "I don't believe I told you her last name, did I? No, I'm afraid I didn't. Her name... was Sandra Walt." "Walt? What does that have to do with- GAH!" Some sort of sound like that came out of me upon the sudden realization. If I was Humphrey Walt, then... "...Who was she?" "She was your daughter." I sat up in a nanosecond. "My... daughter?!" "Oh my gosh," said Lyra. "I'm sorry, George." "That's... I had a daughter... and- but- that doesn't-" I had no idea what to say, this was way too much for me to process at the time. "Yes, an adoptive daughter. George, please, calm down. I need you conscious for the rest of this." Hyperventilating a bit, I laid back down. "Okay, it's fine, it's fine, I can worry about this afterwards... yeah, afterwards..." "You were never a big fan of Equestrians, George. You didn't hate them, but you had some dislike of them for whatever reason. Perhaps a similar one that exists among the population right now." "Now, I'd like to preface this by saying I don't entirely blame you for most of what you did, but-" "Just tell us, already!" said Lyra. She was clearly anxious to hear the rest. I was too, but I didn't say anything. "Please, Lyra, be patient." "...Alright..." "George, I'm not entirely sure what went on inside you when it happened. I doubt we'll ever know. But one day, Sandra ran away, as I said before. I don't know why, unfortunately, you never told me. But you blamed your daughter's death on the entire Equestrian race, and this ignited a spark of hatred for them that surpassed Joan Ritter's. I tried to talk some sense into you, but you pushed me away along with any other human who contradicted your views even slightly. Not to mention, you knew that I was planning on creating a peace treaty with Equestria." "Wait, so that's what you were planning?" "Yes. I apologize for lying to you about it, but given the memory loss and such, I couldn't tell you of such secretive things yet. I couldn't have you telling anyone about it, you see." "...I guess that makes sense." "But I digress. You were intent on one thing, and that was revenge." "Revenge?! But I wouldn't-" "That doesn't matter. You did, even if you wouldn't now. You practically went insane, George. You became a bitter man. You completely changed your objective for the KEVIN. However, you denied any knowledge of this until around a week and a half ago, when you called me into your lab. You had clearly been awake for days. You were constantly drinking from a cup of coffee, and there were stains from it everywhere. On the floor, on your papers... even on the KEVIN." "W-Whuh? So it was already stained?" "...Yes. The event with you slipping into the machine and spilling coffee on it really did happen. However, it didn't teleport you to Canterlot. It gave you powers reminiscent of Celestia's, including immortality. The thing is, they didn't tend to work properly. Perhaps it was due to the coffee spillage, or the machine not being fully finished, but you didn't care. You were overjoyed. You really enjoyed being immortal, George. You gained even more motivation for what you were doing." While I was there, you finally explained everything to me that you had been planning. You were going to launch a full-scale attack on Ponyville. You were planning on completely leveling the town, no matter what it took. Apparently you saw this as appropriate retribution for the death of your daughter. I, personally, was taken aback. There was no possible way I could allow this. I tried to convince you to stop, but you simply laughed at me. I was left with no recourse, except... well..." "What? What did you do?" "I remembered the various times the teleportation function of the KEVIN had been tested. The machine would send the target to their destination alive and well, but they were always by affected by some form of memory loss." "Okay, yeah, I see where this is going." "I couldn't have us plunged into a full-scale war with Equestria. So I did the only thing I thought reasonable at the time. While you were distracted, I shoved you into the KEVIN and locked it. As you banged on the glass, I typed in the proper commands along with the coordinates to Canterlot. But before I hit enter, I took one last look at you to see that you were, strangely enough, smiling maniacally. You shouted, albeit still muffled by the glass, that this wouldn't stop your plans. That they'd already been 'set in motion'. I didn't listen to you. I simply hit enter, and you were gone." ...The room stayed silent for a while. I laid there trying to go over everything I'd just been told, and Lyra looked deep in thought as well. After a few minutes, I spoke up again. "...How do I know you're telling the truth?" Wordlessly, Tetesac reached into his robes, pulled something out, and handed it to me. As I slowly took it from his hand, I realized it was a photograph. A photograph of me and a girl I didn't recognize standing together, smiling. A girl I... didn't recognize. "After the... incident, I removed everything relating to Sandra from your home. I had a feeling you would make it back, so I didn't want you to have to deal with the knowledge of your past life. I hoped that the arrival of you in Canterlot would give you a better, more accurate first impression of ponies themselves. In retrospect, perhaps that was a bad idea. However, even with all I did, I... I shouldn't have kept your knowledge of your own daughter from you. That is simply unforgivable of me." As I stared at this photo, I feel like I should've felt something along the lines of sadness, and I did, but it was overwhelmed by my sheer inability to comprehend everything I'd just been told. "Damn it... I don't remember anything..." I continued to stare at the photograph. I had no idea what to think. I wanted to blame someone, but who could've possibly been to blame aside from me? "How could I have been... the way you said? I... I don't get it at all." Both Lyra and Tetesac looked upon me with expressions I couldn't quite recognize. Was it pity? Or were they perhaps thinking I deserve all this for what I did? Did I deserve it? No, I didn't know about any of those things. I'm not Humphrey Walt. I'm a completely different person. I'm George Trestale. ...Aren't I? I slowly got up and out of the bed. I walked toward the door and unlocked it. I felt weightless, as if I'd just died. "Where are you going?" asked Tetesac. "You haven't been officially released yet." "I don't care," I said, "I'm going home." And with that, I opened the door and dashed out, past all the doctors and assistants before they had a chance to react. A day has passed. I've been eating minimally. Drinking only when I feel like I've been in a desert for six hours. Lyra and Tetesac have both come up to my room to check on me, but I haven't said much to them. I have no idea what to feel at this point. I hate myself for pitying myself, and I pity myself for hating myself. I just need to be alone for a while. "Come on, George," said Lyra at one point. "You can't be all emo for the rest of your life." Yeah, thanks for that, Lyra. "I mean, come on," she said. "Sure, you weren't a big fan of us for a while. You tried to destroy a town. Big deal. Well, I mean, that kinda is a big deal, but no-one got hurt! You know what they say, the road to heaven is paved with bad intentions!" It's the other way around, Lyra. "George, if you like, I can move Sandra's belongings back into the house," said Tetesac. "I'd like to be alone for right now," was all I could say in reply. Perhaps I wasn't in as bad a condition as I made myself out to be. I really just needed to be alone for a while as I sorted my conscience out. Somewhere inside me, I knew I'd be fine eventually, but I just wasn't yet. Eventually, Lyra and Tetesac both came into my room. I didn't bother looking at them, I was too busy staring at the designs of my pinball machine. Or was it Sandra's...? "Come on," said Lyra. "We're gonna go to your favorite place for dinner! Er, what was it again, Your Highness?" "Seafood Land," said Tetesac. "It's always been his favorite." "Right, Seafood... Land. That's a creative name," Lyra said with a hint of sarcasm. "Thank you, I actually suggested it to the owner myself." "Not hungry," I said. I was lying, of course, I hadn't eaten more than a couple crackers in the past sixteen hours. Suddenly, I felt something pulling on my leg. I looked down at my foot to see it surrounded by a green aura. "Oh, son of a-" I didn't have time to finish my sentence as I was yanked off my bed. ~ One hour later ~ "Alright," I said, getting a stray piece of salmon out from between my teeth, "I guess I did need some food in my stomach." We were sat outside Seafood Land, which has a very misleading name, as the restaurant is way too small to be called a "land". At least it's pretty close to the castle, it looks nice from here. "George," said Tetesac, "I know recent events have been stressful to you. I am terribly sorry for what I did, constantly lying to you and acting as if your daughter never existed. I really don't know what to say." I sat there silently for a moment. "Look, Tetesac, I have no problem with forgiving you for anything you did. I clearly needed some kind of reality check, and honestly I kind of want to thank you for giving it to me. My issue isn't forgiving you. And honestly, I've gotten over the fact that I tried to level a town. There's just one last hanging thread that worries me." "What's that?" "Sandra. Why did she run away? Did it have something to do with me? I really want to know, because that's been nagging at me like hell." "George, I don't know much about your private lives, but you two were a very happy, if small, family. You loved each other very much, and I didn't see anything change the day she left the city. You were a good father to her, George. She loved you. And I'm sure she still does." "Yeah, I hope so," I said. "And I hope she's happy, wherever she is. Heaven, I guess." "By the way, I noticed you went back to the red tie," said Lyra. "What, did the blue one not work out for you?" "Nah. It just felt wrong," I said. "I prefer the r-" I didn't have time to finish my sentence though, as I was interrupted by what seemed to be the ground shaking for a moment. "That was weird," I said. "Do we get earthquakes here often?" "Not in decades," said Tetesac. The ground shook again, harder this time. "The hell is that, then?" "I don't know. We don't have any-" All of a sudden, he was cut off as a huge explosion came from the castle's direction. All of us jerked our heads in that direction, to see that a huge hole was now blown in one of the castle's walls. "...Uh, what the hell?" I said, bewildered. Tetesac stood up. "Oh, that cannot be good." As the smoke cleared, we craned our heads to get a better look at what had created the explosion. "Is that... a tank?!" exclaimed Lyra. Myself about two feet taller than her, I was able to get a better look at the metallic monstrosity that was now rolling out of the hole it had created. Yeah, that's a tank. "Who the hell's piloting that?!" I shouted. "I don't know," said Tetesac. "I was not aware we even had- Wait a minute. George, hand me your journal." I took it out of my coat pocket and handed it to him. He quickly opened it and turned to the most recent entry. "George, do you see the four letters on that tank?" Squinting as hard as I could, my eyes slowly brought them into focus. It said "RYAN". "That's the RYAN?! A motherfucking tank?!" "Oh, my. I believe this is what you meant by 'failsafe', George..." "W-What?! That means we've got to stop it, then!" Without waiting for a reply I ran off after the Tank, which was now headed to one of the city's outer walls. "G-George! Wait!" Lyra ran off after me, with Tetesac in tow. I didn't bother listening, I was running at full speed towards the tank. Thankfully, it was actually rather slow, akin to my normal walking pace. Right before the tank made it to the wall, I threw myself onto it. I was promptly surged with electricity and thrown back off, a comical smoke trail emanating from me. "Ouch." Lyra and Tetesac finally caught up to me. "George! That was a rather boneheaded thing to do!" said Tetesac. "Yeah, yeah. I had to at least try. Do you think someone's piloting that thing?" "I doubt it," said Tetesac. "You primarily worked alone. It is most likely-" He was cut short as the tank blasted a hole through the city wall and drove through it. "-It is most likely self-piloted. Which means reasoning with it most likely won't be an option." "Oh, jeez!" said Lyra. "What the heck do we do, then?! That thing's gonna destroy Ponyville!" "Uhm," I said nervously. "Good question. That, I don't know." "Well, we've gotta do something!" "Yeah, I know..." I thought about it for a bit, trying to think of where we could find out how to stop this thing. "Wait. Wait! My lab! There's gotta be something in there!" The three of us dashed towards the castle, headed straight for the hole the RYAN had made. "I bet you didn't expect to turn out to be the bad guy all along, huh?" said Lyra. "Oh, not remotely!"

George Trestale, God of... Something

Seriously, What's With All the Acronyms

"OUT OF THE WAY!" I exploded through the castle doors, running in strides long enough to put a kangaroo to shame. Lyra and Tetesac in tow, I dashed down the castle's central staircase before any of the guards had time to react. Upon seeing the door to my lab after a moment of dashing through the hallway, I quickly ceased running, sliding a few feet before stopping myself by grabbing the door's handle. I took a moment to look behind me and saw Lyra catching up, with Tetesac a good distance behind her. "Go on!" said Tetesac, panting. "I'll be there in a moment!" I twisted the knob and shoved the door open. I felt around for the light switch and turned the lights on, not bothering to wait for them to fully switch on before running into the room. "Alright, we just gotta figure out how to stop the thing! There's gotta be something about it in here." I started looking through the various documents and devices scattered on the tables. "How are we gonna find it through all this stuff, though?" inquired Lyra picking up something that looked like a small motor. "I can't even count how many weird gadget things you have in here!" "All the more reason to start looking now, rather than later!" I opened a drawer and started filing through the papers inside. Just then, Tetesac finally made it to the doorway. "Ah... here we are... I must apologize, my agility is not what it used to be..." "Yeah, yeah, no biggie, just help us look for something about the RYAN." "George?" "Yeah, what is it?" Not paying attention to him, I pulled all the files out of the drawer in frustration. "You may wish to take a moment to look at the KEVIN." "Huh? What's with the KEV-" I stood up, only to cut myself off as I saw something on the screen. I jogged over to take a closer look. R.Y.A.N SYSTEMS OPERATIONAL ETA: Two days Available options: route <coords> - Adjust route to specific coordinates. cancel - Cancel route and return to station. "Alright, cool! Simple! Lemme just do this..." I typed "cancel" and hit enter. ACCESS DENIED - PASSWORD REQUIRED "...Ah, shit." As Tetesac was about to say something, a voice began to emanate from the machine, loud enough to echo through the lab. I quickly recognized it as my own. "Greetings, potential plan-ruiners," said the voice. "This is Humphrey Walt, telling you in this pre-recorded message that there's no way for you to stop my invinci-tank! You've probably already tried at this point, perhaps thrown yourself at the tank in an idiotic attempt to climb inside. I suppose the result of that was quite shocking, if you get the words I'm saying. Heh. Yes, my RYAN tank may have a top speed of four miles per hour, but it makes up for that in being practically invincible to all physical attacks due to its electric shield. So, anyway, whatever your motivations, you aren't stopping this thing. Of course, if you're me, disregard this message and do whatever the hell you want. But chances are, you're not me. You're probably, like, King Tetesac or something, since he just loves those ponies so much. Or maybe you're Princess Celestia, intent on stopping my plans. Hell if I know, there are only so many scenarios I can think up. But, anyway, the fact of the matter is that you aren't stopping this. The RYAN can be remotely shut off with a password, but I've destroyed all documentation on the machine. That and the fact that I haven't told anyone the password. Hell, I haven't even told anyone about my plans. Except for Old Man Musket. I may or may not have given him some subtle hints. You know, for the hell of it. I mean, who the hell's gonna listen to him about anything anyway? So, good luck with figuring that out, as the only thing that holds the password at this point is my own brain, and good luck getting it outta there. So, yeah. To recap, you can't stop it, only I know the password, and I'm probably in hiding or something at this point. So, kindly fuck off. Thanks." The three of us stood in silence for about 20 seconds before I finally decided to say something. "Uh. Yeah. Right. Okay. Sure. Why the fuck not." I turned back to Lyra and Tetesac. "Yeah, okay! Look at that shit! We're beyond screwed, man! Please, would someone be so kind as to tell me, what in fuck's name do we do now?!" "Alright, George, please, just calm down," said Tetesac, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Perhaps you should try guessing-" "No!" I slapped his hand off my shoulder and looked away from him. "I think I kinda get this now! If you hadn't wiped my memories, I'd still know the password! You fuckin' dope! Because of you, we can't stop the RYAN! You know, I've been acting all nice about that whole thing, but this kinda tips the scales!" Lyra quickly walked over to me. "George, come on! Don't be stupid, you're the one who built it in the first place!" "Yeah?! Well, for your information..." I paused for a moment. No, I need to re-compose myself, this isn't a time for arguing. "No, no. You're right, I'm being stupid. Let's just figure this out, if we can even do that." "Well, do you have any ideas?" My mind quickly drifted back to Tetesac's suggestion of guessing the passwords. "Well, not any particularly good ones. Uhm, anyone know where Old Man Musket is?" "Funny that you ask that," said Tetesac, "He hasn't been seen since that encounter at your house." "Okay, well, we've only got two days to do this shit. I'll start guessing passwords, you two can look around for documents that might still exist about the machine." ~ One Hour Later ~ "Nope, the password's not 'donglover92'... Thanks for the suggestion, though, Lyra." I crossed it off the notepad, which I'd written about 200 failed passwords in so far. I was getting to the point where I felt like simply banging on the keyboard and hoping the password comes up. "You two find anything?" "Not one single thing," said Lyra. "Can't even find anything about the KEVIN, let alone the RYAN. I found some stuff about a 'MARVIN' which looks like some kind of carriage without anypony pulling it, but the name is where the similarities end." "Stupid me, I should've anticipated losing my memories. Maybe there's a secret compartment with a book of passwords or something. You check for anything like that?" "Yeah, actually. I scanned most of the flat surfaces in the room, the only secret compartment I found was one that had a bag of happy flower in it." "Speaking of, George," said Tetesac, "Why were you keeping that from me? It's not illegal, you know." "I don't know, alright?" I looked back to the screen for a moment. "Lyra, would you mind handing me that bag?" "No happy until you fix things." "Ugh, fine. Aaaaaand that's 301," I said as I wrote and crossed out "*(UJ@Ei$2" in the notebook. "This isn't working. This is not working. We need another plan." "Tell me about it," said Lyra. "We've searched every inch of this room. There's nothing here." Tetesac, who had apparently been lying on the floor, sat up into my vision. "George, if I may make a suggestion, we haven't searched your house yet." "Oh! Right! Yes, of course! Let's do that!" ~ Three More Hours Later ~ "Let's stop doing this," I said, lying on the floor of my bedroom. "There's no hope, we're doomed." I spared you the extremely uneventful process of searching the house. You're welcome. "You're just saying that because you don't want us to find more happy flower," said Lyra. "We already found your stash of alcohol. You must really like whiskey." "No, I hate whiskey. And screw the goddamn happy flower, there's nothing we can do at this point. We'd might as well prepare for a barrage of unicorn magic two days from now." "Maybe it'll malfunction or something! We've gotta hope for anything at this point, George! We can't just give up!" "As much as I hate to admit it," said Tetesac, "I'm entirely out of ideas as well. If Ponyville is destroyed by your tank, then there will certainly be a great many casualties. It will undoubtedly mean war." "Yeah, I know. I just... I can't believe I'd cause this." Lyra kicked me in the leg. "Well, you have to believe it! You caused this, so you've gotta fix it, memories or not! One way or another! Ponyville's in danger of being destroyed by a tank and they don't even know it! That's not something you can just-" "Wait," I said. "What? Do you have an idea?" A grin slowly formed on my face as I sprung to my feet. "Yes! YES! Holy shit-a-moly, I have an IDEA!" "That's great, George!" said Tetesac, "So, what is it?" "You're right, the Equestrians don't know about the tank. But what if we go and tell them? It's so simple! We just gotta warn them about the tank, and then they can stop it with their magic and stuff!" "Hmm," said Tetesac, who was stroking his beard. "That may work, if magic can affect your tank. I'm not sure how well-built it is." "Well, we gotta try!" said Lyra, "It's our only choice at this point!" "That brings up another issue, however," said Tetesac, "How will we get there in time?" "Well, the thing is pretty slow, only four miles an hour according to myself," I said. "We could easily outpace it." "Yes, but remember that it took you eight days to walk here from Ponyville. Of course, a large portion of this was likely taken up by you sleeping, something a tank does not have to do. Thus, it will get there several days before any of us can." "Damn, you're right. Okay, so we need some kind of transportation method. Celestia's probably the best one to warn about the tank, so Canterlot should be our goal." "Won't she just arrest you on the spot?" asked Lyra. "Probably, but I don't care about that. I just need to tell her about the RYAN." "What if she doesn't believe you?" "I will come along," said Tetesac, "Both I and Lyra can vouch for you." "Alright, that's cool and all, but we still have no idea how the three of us are gonna get there." "Well," said Tetesac, "I would suggest the KEVIN, to teleport us, but it has that issue of causing amnesia..." "Right, and I don't have the time right now to re-learn the science skills required to fix that." "Wait!" said Lyra, "What about the MARVIN?" "The what?" "That thing I told you about, remember? In your lab, there were some documents about this invention called "My Awesome Ride Version two, now Including Nitrous". "Well, would you look at that. An acronym which I actually know the words to. What the hell does that mean, though? Awesome ride? Does that mean we can ride it?" I was confused by this rather otherworldly-sounding invention. "Ah, of course! You did develop a prototype of this, George. You took the concept of the pony-driven carriages in Equestria, and developed a version without the need for an external party to drag it. I believe you said it was powered by ethanol. You're currently keeping it in your garage, from what I remember." "Ethanol? As in the stuff in drinks?" "Yes, your tests generally involved you powering it with whiskey. Thus, you distilled a lot of your own whiskey along with buying large amounts of it." "Why would I use whiskey of all things? Why not pure ethanol?" "You... really hated whiskey." "Well, let's get to that thing, then! I'll grab the whiskey!" "Wait, George! It's in prototype stages, we don't know if it'll work!" "Bah! You only live once, Titty Sack!" With that, I dashed down the stairs before he could respond. ~ Fifteen Minutes Later ~ "Alright, how far did you say Equestria is from here?" "Roughly two hundred miles." "T-Two hundred? That's it? How the hell do you keep your location secret if you're that close?" "Keep it secret? Who says we do that?" I staggered under the weight of the amount of whiskey I was holding. "I've been told that by several ponies. I had to be extremely lucky to find a map that had Anthropia on it in the first place." I dropped the box, holding about fifteen bottles of whiskey, into the trunk which had already been about halfway filled by Lyra and Tetesac's loads. "Well, I do not know of any efforts to keep our location secret. Sounds like that may be a self-fulfilling prophecy the ponies have there." "Well, either way," I said, "I think that's all of it." "It's a shame to see all this good whiskey go to waste," said Tetesac. "There's no such thing as good whiskey," I said. "Besides, it's going to a good cause." "Well, I believe that's the last of it," said Tetesac, wiping his forehead. The three of us took a moment to look at the MARVIN. It was a long, black carriage-shaped machine, with four seats and a wheel protruding out in front of one of them. It rode on four wheels, all of them seemingly made out of some kind of rubber. Two pedals rested under the same seat that had the wheel. The front of the vehicle also featured a winch, for whatever reason. "Great," said Lyra, "Let's go!" I pulled the garage door open revealing us to the street in front of my house. Acknowledging a passing nod from a person walking by, I turned back to Lyra. "Alright, so, does this thing have an instruction manual or something? I've got no idea how to drive it." "There's no time for that, we've gotta go!" I'm not sure if Lyra was anxious to save her hometown or just really wanted to ride in the MARVIN, but either way I climbed into the seat with the wheel thing in front. Tetesac got into the seat next to me, while Lyra got in the back. "Alright, let's see..." As I looked at the wheel, the sticks poking out from behind it, the anchor-shaped thing under the wheel, and the red button in between my seat and Tetesac's, I suddenly grabbed the wheel with both hands. As if by instinct, I grabbed the anchor-shaped thing and pulled it, and the car instantly started churning. I pressed my foot into the right pedal and the MARVIN lurched out of the garage as I steered it into the street and stopped momentarily. "I see old habits die hard, George," said Tetesac, grinning. "I'm not sure that's how that saying is used, but I think I get what you mean. And stop smiling like that, it's creepy." I jammed my foot into the pedal, and we sped off towards the hole in the city wall.

George Trestale, God of... Something

Back to the Beginning

And there we were, speeding across the grass in a horseless carriage, hopefully soon to reach the RYAN. Following alongside some train tracks we eventually came across, I wasn't quite sure exactly how fast we were going, but the wind giving me an improvised mullet told me we were going pretty damn fast. That and how Tetesac's beard was flying like a kite. "God damn, at this rate we'll reach Canterlot before I even built the RYAN." I squinted to try and see the tank tracks leading forward into the distance. My glasses were thankfully blocking some of the wind, but still not enough to keep it from giving my eyes a blow-dry. "Yes, that is all fine and good, but we should probably work out how we are going to explain all this to Celestia," said Tetesac, also trying to shield his eyes from the wind. "What's there to explain? There's a big tank heading for Ponyville, that's all there is to it. No need for any extra details. None at all." "Details like that you built it?" Lyra added with a smug grin. "Yes, exactly like that," I replied. "That can wait until after the tank is taken care of. Or, alternatively, never." "And what if she asks where it came from? I can't say you're the best at lying, George," Tetesac interjected. "Simple. I'll tell her Humphrey Walt built it." It wasn't long before we noticed the RYAN on the horizon. Although I was already confident we'd get to Canterlot in time, the idea that we were going to pass the tank soon added a small sense of relief to my mixed bag of emotions. "There it is up ahead!" I pointed towards the RYAN, leaning forward in my seat. "Goddamn, some sense of accomplishment for once!" "Well, now it is simply a matter of how much faster we arrive there than the tank," said Tetesac, squinting forward. "We need adequate time both to board a train to Canterlot and for Celestia to prepare for the arrival of your tank." "Well, it's not like there's a ton of stuff she'd have to prepare," I shot back. "She's got all-powerful magic and stuff. For all I know, she could just pick the thing up and throw it into space." "Well, you never know, George. You were always rather... creative with your designs." At that point, we found ourselves zooming right on past the RYAN. In a moment of immaturity, I briefly looked back to blow a raspberry at it. "George, you're spitting in my face," said Lyra, attempting to shield herself with her hooves. "Oh. Whoops, sorry. I'm just feeling pretty accomplished right n-AAAAAGH!" I was quickly cut off by the sound of an explosion and a brief loss of control. I spun around only to see a smoking crater where the car had been a few seconds ago. My vision jerked over in the direction of the RYAN, its barrel emitting fresh smoke. "Oh for god's sake, it's shooting at us!" I quickly started swerving to the left and right in an attempt to throw it off. "D-Don't worry, George, we're faster than it, remember?" Lyra didn't look too sure of herself. "Right!" said Tetesac, his eyes darting back and forth between the car and the RYAN. "I think you simply need to get out of its range!" "What the hell kind of range does that thing have?!" "I don't know! You're the one who built it!" Another explosion rocked the car even more severely than last time. I quickly looked back to check for damage, fortunately not seeing any. "Alright, I hope to God we get out of range soon!" Lyra looked back at how far away the RYAN is. "Yeah, well, you better hope really, really hard! I didn't plan on getting blown up today!" I kept my eyes on the land ahead of me, but they were slowly drawn to something else. A red button, next to the steering wheel. Below it was a label saying "Nitrous oxide - Experimental feature - Do not touch!" "O-Okay," I said, bringing my hand close to the button. "This might help us..." "Wait, George!" said Tetesac, trying to lean forward and read the label. "You don't know what that does!" "Yeah, a big red button can't mean anything good!" Lyra added. "Screw that, I'm pressing it." And I did just that. It took me a second to register exactly what was happening, but I came to realize that we were traveling along the ground at a ludicrous speed that made it hard for me to even lean forward. "H-Holy God! Too fast! Too fast! God help us, we're all gonna die!" I couldn't help but freak out, considering I could barely even see. Looking down to keep the wind out of my eyes, I noticed a compartment that had opened that contained a pair of goggles. I quickly snatched them and put them on. "Okay, okay, okay! Okay! We're good! No need to worry! I can see now!" And what did I see, but a hill coming up in the distance right in front of us. A small, innocent hill, with an uphill grade that couldn't have been more than 25 degrees. "Oh jeez, stop! Stop stop stop!" I hit the brakes, I turned the wheel as hard as I could, to no avail. We went soaring off the hill in the most majestic way possible, powered by nitrous-fueled rockets. "Holy crap! We're flying, guys! We're flying, I tell you!" My enthusiasm was short-lived, however, for as quickly as we had started flying, we had now started falling. I braced myself as the car hit the ground and all four of its wheels instantly popped off, the car sliding for a bit and then coming to a stop as its wheels, now free as birds, rolled off into the distance. "D-D-Did we land? Are we stopped?" I was clenching the steering wheel like I was trying to strangle it. "Yeah, yeah, we're fine..." Lyra looked like she was about to throw up, having turned a shade of green only slightly different from her fur. "You, Tetesac? You alright?" I looked to the backseat only to see that Tetesac had passed out completely. "Well then." I shakingly got out of the car to survey the damage, as Lyra did the same. "Hm, yeah, I think- No, yeah, I think I see the problem here. Issue here is that we don't got wheels no more." "Nice going, royal scientist," said Lyra. "Oh, shut up, it's just a prototype. God, what are we gonna do now?" I looked behind us off into the distance. "Well, at least we can't see the RYAN anymore." "Yeah, but for how much longer? We've gotta get moving again somehow." "That wouldn't be an issue right now if our wheels weren't currently taking an express trip over the horizon." Just then, Tetesac shifted for a moment, and suddenly jolted awake. "W-Whuh? Where am I?" I looked at him for a second before responding. "You're in the world of the living, Tetesac." He looked around for a moment before sighing. "Well, that is a tremendous relief." He slowly dragged himself out of the car and placed himself next to me and Lyra. "Ooh. That, on the other hand, is not." "Yeah, tell me about it," I said, placing my hands in my pockets. Tetesac didn't respond, simply standing there for a second before going around to the back of the car and opening the trunk. "Oh dear. This isn't going to help us any, either." I walked around behind the car to see what he meant. Yeah, I can agree with his assessment. Every single bottle of whiskey that was stored in the back of the car was shattered to bits. "Perhaps we should have used non-glass bottles," said Tetesac. "Yeah, tell me about it," I replied, shutting the trunk. "I mean, at least the car still works, right? We just need wheels." At that moment, as if I had jinxed it, I heard a small explosion, and smoke started rising from the hood. "Oh, for god's sake." I walked over to the front of the car and opened the hood, only to receive a generous gift of smoke in the face. After a bit of coughing and waving the smoke away, I took a look at the engine to see that it had pretty much fallen apart. Yeah, okay, that was the final straw. I slammed the hood shut and strolled ever-so-calmly back to Tetesac and Lyra. "So, all in all, we've got no engine, we've got no wheels, we've got no fuel, and on top of that, the trunk now smells like a hangover. And on top of that, we're stranded in the middle of an open field of grass and dirt, with an invincible homicidal tank on our tail that's bound to kill both us and the entire population of Ponyville. Now, isn't that just fuckin' amazing? Everything that possibly could have gone wrong, has gone wrong!" "Yes," replied Tetesac. "I like to call that 'Humphrey's Law'." "Dammit, Titty Sack, I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is no time for jokes!" "Er, well..." Lyra stood there trying to think of something. "George, you've got magic stuff, right? Even if it's broken, you might be able to help this situation somehow." "None of my powers I've tried involve MARVIN repair, or conjuring up wheels and whiskey. And even if they did, I'd probably just blow the damn thing up." "Well," Tetesac interjected, "We don't have many options, do we? You might as well try." "Try what? The car's a lost cause." "Well," said Lyra, "You can teleport, right?" "Only in a small radius around me." I looked down at my hands solemnly. "And I've got no idea if I can bring others along for the ride. But then again, only one way to find out!" Without warning, I grabbed Tetesac's hand and Lyra's horn, and prepared to try this unlikely theory out. "H-Hey!" exclaimed Lyra, "I have hooves for a reason!" "No time to worry about that," I said, "We're making history here!" I prepared to wave my arm to the right for the first time in a while, only to realize that I can't do that with my right hand firmly grasping Lyra's horn. "Oh, wait, I have to wave my arm for this. Okay, uh, Lyra, come back around and grab my other arm." Lyra did just that, but instead of using her hoof like any reasonable person would expect, she instead bit my arm. "Agh! Don't bite me! Just use your hoof, dammit!" "Oh, right, sorry," said Lyra, sheepishly. "We don't usually grab stuff with our hooves." In any case, I closed my eyes and focused on Canterlot. Everything that had happened there came back to me in a blur as I kept imagining that one place we needed so sorely to get to. I can only imagine I looked like someone who was severely constipated as I started attempting to focus my willpower into getting there. And with that, I slowly waved my arm to the right. I felt us move, only for a moment. "Are we there? Did we make it?" I slowly opened my eyes, to see, to my complete and utter amazement, that we... ...were five feet to the right. "Welp," I said, letting go of Tetesac and Lyra, "I guess that's not going to be our Deus Ex Machina." "Sure, but at least now you know you can take others with you," Lyra said optimistically. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean crap if I can't actually go where I want to." "Well," said Tetesac, "Our only hope is that you can figure something out. There ought to be some part of your power that isn't completely broken." "I sure hope so," I said, sitting down in the grass. "It'd be nice to not have to be responsible for the death of god knows how many ponies." I got up and walked over to the MARVIN. "Maybe if I hadn't built this thing to be such a piece of crap..." I brought my foot back and kicked it as hard as I possibly could. Okay, bad idea. "AAAGH!" I promptly grabbed my foot, now in considerable pain, and started hopping around on the other. "G-DAH! Goddamn it, these shoes give, like, no protection!" I didn't have much time to worry about this, though, as I quickly ceased my hopping and yelling when I heard the melodious sound of an engine starting. "...Wait, what the hell?" Suddenly ignoring my foot, I ran over to the front of the car and opened the hood to see, to my complete astonishment, the engine, all in one piece and running like a dream. I looked over at Lyra and Tetesac, who were similarly shocked. "We-he-hell!" I slammed the hood shut and did a little spin. "Would ya fuckin' look at me! Master car repairman over here!" "Yes, that's quite impressive, George!" said Tetesac, grinning. "However, we still do not have any wheels or fuel to speak of." "Yeah, but at least we're getting somewhere!" I jumped up and clicked my heels in midair, only to spot something in the distance behind us. A little black speck, which I was sure to be the RYAN. "Shit! And not a moment too soon! The RYAN's gaining on us! We gotta think of something right now!" "Oh jeez," said Lyra nervously, "Uhm, maybe kick the MARVIN again?" "Right!" I went over and kicked the car, making sure to do it considerably lighter this time, only to have nothing happen. "Damn it!" "Wait one moment," said Tetesac, squinting into the distance. "That isn't the RYAN, that's a train!" "A train?" I said skeptically. Looking into the distance again, though, I could see he was right. That really was a train. "Oh, well that's a tremendous relief." It took me a second to realize what that meant, but after a moment it finally clicked. "Oh shit! A train! That could be our ticket out of here!" "But how are we going to get on?!" asked Lyra, walking in place anxiously. "There's no way it's stopping out here!" "Hm... teleportation's too risky, and there's no way we can jump on something so fast..." Just then, my eyes were slowly drawn to the MARVIN. Particularly, the winch on the front of it. At the same time, I looked over at the train tracks we'd been following. "...Guys, I have an idea." "Do you, now?" asked Tetesac, skeptically. "Quick, no time to explain! Everyone push the MARVIN as close as you can to about a foot away from the train tracks!" Without questioning it, me and Tetesac went to the MARVIN and started shoving it towards the tracks. Lyra, like some lazy pony, elected to use her magic to help us push. Regardless of the methods used, however, we managed to get the MARVIN close enough. "Okay," I said, running around to the front of the car and beginning to yank the rope out of the winch. "Everyone get in the car, now!" "George, are you planning what I think you are?!" asked Tetesac, clearly frightened. "Just shut up and get in, quick!" I pulled rope out of the winch until I could pull no more, and jumped over the hood into the driver's seat. I looked behind us to see the train coming up fast. "Alright, everyone! Please stay seated and keep your two arms and six legs inside the vehicle at all times! Keep your heads back against the seats and get ready as fuck!" The train was now passing us. I had only one shot at this, and I needed to make it count very, very badly. I stood up and held the hook ready. I turned my head back to see the caboose about to pass us. I snapped forward, hoped to the gods for the best, and threw that damn thing as hard as I possibly could. To my actual, legitimate amazement this time, it successfully latched on to the handrail at the end of that very last car of the train. I quickly sat myself back down in my seat and grabbed the steering wheel as the rope began to run out. "BRACE YOURSELVES, GOD DAMN IT!" The car simply sat there for an awkward moment before it was suddenly yanked forward at a speed that I swear almost gave me whiplash. We sped forward, being slowly dragged onto the train tracks, momentarily going for a very bumpy ride on the sleepers. "Agh- god- not- this- shit- a- gain-" After a short moment of this, we finally ended up grinding on the rails, sparks flying everywhere. I took a moment to catch my breath as the ear-grating sound of metal on metal pierced my senses. I looked back at Tetesac and Lyra, who were both clutching their seats the best they could. "You guys alright?" Tetesac slowly began to speak first. "T-That..." "No time for that now! We've gotta get off this damn thing! Once the train hits a turn, god knows where this thing will go flying! We've gotta climb that rope onto the train itself, and real fuckin' quick!" I jumped up and waved Lyra and Tetesac over. They started to climb up towards the driver's seat while I prepared to grab onto the rope. I looked down at the tracks rushing under the rope, and momentarily received a grim reminder of my mortality. Well, it's either possibly die now, or probably die later. I slowly crouched down and grabbed the rope, but was interrupted by Lyra biting my arm again. "Agh! What is it?! We've gotta hurry!" "I've got magic! I can just levitate you guys over!" "...Oh. Okay. Yeah, let's do that." With that, I found myself encased in a mint-green bubble and moving slowly towards the back of the car. "Don't... usually move... big living things... can't break concentration..." Lyra was clearly trying her hardest to get me over there, but I think someone must've left a penny on the tracks or something, because we hit a bump, Lyra faltered, and I found myself falling. "WOAHLYSHIT-" was all I could get out before I, luckily, managed to grab hold of the rope. Literally hanging on for dear life, I shouted back at Lyra for a second. "Dammit, Lyra, you almost killed me!" "Sorry! I'm sorry! Here, I'll pick you back up again-" "No, I'll be fine! Get Tetesac across!" I started slowly inching my way towards the caboose, watching Tetesac become engulfed in mint and start slowly being moved towards me. I finally managed to get close enough to the caboose to grab hold of the handrail and pull myself over, landing on my arm. Ouch. I quickly got up to see Tetesac arrive right next to me, being gently placed on the platform. "Alright, Lyra!" Tetesac called back to her, "Now, are you able to levitate yourself across?" "I-I can't do that!" "What?" I exclaimed, "You telling me unicorns can't levitate themselves? The hell kind of sense does that make?!" "W-Well, some can, but not me. Even the ones that can are usually only able to do it for a few seconds!" "Okay," said Tetesac, "That's fine, just climb across the rope! You have our full support!" "Okay... Alright..." Lyra didn't seem too sure of herself as she touched the rope with her hoof. I took a moment to lean over the side of the train and look ahead, only to see that we were headed for an oh-so-dreaded turn. "Lyra! Goddamn it, hurry! It's either possibly die now or definitely die in about 15 seconds!" That got her going. She pulled herself onto the rope, letting out a small scream after her legs allowed her to swing upside down. Nevertheless, she started inching toward us as fast as she possibly could, and as soon as she was close enough, me and Tetesac grabbed her hooves and pulled her onto the caboose just as the train hit the turn, knocking us all over. The three of us stood up only to see the MARVIN now bouncing around in all sorts of angles, still being pulled along by the train. "Yeah," I said, almost completely breathless. "It's a damn good thing we weren't on that." I grabbed the hook and pulled it off the handrail, leaving the car behind and out of its misery. I took this moment of solace to slump down against the door to the cabin. "Holy shit. I can't believe that worked." "Y-Yes," said Tetesac. He looked even more out of breath than me, which was a surprise considering he basically cheated to get across. "That... was quite a plan, George." "Hey, if it's stupid, and it works, it's not stupid." "No," said Lyra, kicking me in the leg. "That was pretty stupid. There were a whole ton of parts to that where we could've easily been turned into a mass of red paste." "Well," I said, "The fact of the matter is, we're on a train headed in Ponyville's general direction at a speed that's way faster than the RYAN. I consider this a victory." And with that, I stood up and opened the door to the cabin. Just like the last train, there were four bunks on each side of the cabin, one of them occupied by a yellow stallion who had been reading a book up until now. He simply stared at us with extreme confusion and possibly fear as we walked in. "Do not worry, simple pony," I said, giving a slight bow. "We come in peace." The stallion responded by dropping his book and shutting his curtains. I walked over to the book and picked it up. Lyra looked over my shoulder to see what it was, only to give a disgusted groan. "Fifty Shades of Neigh? Not only is that guy perverted, he has really bad taste." "...You know what, I'm not even going to ask." And with that, I threw the book back through the curtains, myself hearing a thud and a slight yelp after it traveled through. "Well," said Tetesac, "I do believe we deserve to take a seat after this, do we not?" "Oh, definitely," I said. I promptly placed myself in the bunk directly behind me, while Tetesac took the one on top, and Lyra the one to the left. "...These bunks are rather small," said Tetesac from above. "I cannot even fully stretch out my legs." "Well, yeah," replied Lyra. "They're made for ponies." Just then, the door at the other end of the car opened, and in walked a pony wearing clothes that told me she was the ticket collector. She was also wearing an expression that told me she was very confused, as we all stared at her, and she simply stared back. After a moment of this, she simply shook her head and began to leave. "Man, all the crazy stuff I see, I don't even care anymore," she said. "Wait!" I said, successfully getting her to stop. "Yeah, what is it, Mister Human?" "Where does this train go?" "Canterlot." And with that, she turned around and left through the door. "Wow," said Lyra, "She didn't even ask for our tickets." "Forget that!" I said excitedly. I jumped out of my bunk and faced my two cohorts. "We are headed directly for Canterlot! Would you believe this shit?! Hah!" I began doing a little dance right there in the cabin. "Yes, it is nice to have something finally go well for us in this little adventure of ours," said Tetesac, stroking his beard and grinning. "So," said Lyra, "We should probably work out how we're going to explain this to the princesses now, and more importantly, how we're even going to get to the princesses to explain this to them." "Right," I said, "Good point. I probably shouldn't just barge in there and go 'What's up, bitches, I've got some princesses to talk to!'." "In all likeliness," said Tetesac, "We are probably going to have to let ourselves get arrested. There is simply no way we will be able to talk ourselves in." "Who the hell needs talking? All we need, I tell you, is stealth. Well, that and teleportation." After a while, we finally pulled into Canterlot's train station. By now, the sky was transitioning into nighttime. I was glad that our goal was finally within reach, and now, all we needed to do was get to Princess Celestia and talk to her. "Alright," said Lyra, "What's your plan on this whole stealth thing? And what's wrong with just letting ourselves get arrested?" "Time's not on our side here, Lyra! If we get arrested, god knows how long it'll take to be able to speak with either of the princesses! No, breaking in will lead to far more instant results." "And if we get caught and imprisoned?" Tetesac inquired. "Then we'll go with your plan, Tetesac. But for now, let's go with mine." With that, the three of us exited the train out the back. What followed next was a series of fumbles and mistakes that there's no way what we were doing could possibly be referred to as "stealth". I'm pretty sure we were seen by at least 35 ponies out there. But, regardless, we eventually managed to make our way over to the castle's outer walls, sticking to them as to not be seen. "Alright, guys, grab on to me. This might work, and it might not." Lyra and Tetesac grabbed my arm, Lyra taking care to use her hoof this time, and I waved my arm to the right. To my surprise, we actually got through the wall. "Nice job, George," whispered Lyra. We were now directly outside the castle itself. The area we were in was thankfully not teeming with guards, but we still had to find a way inside. I scanned the place for a second before noticing a pony walk out of a small side door, pushing a cake on a trolley. The three of us ran over to that spot and stood there for a moment before I relayed our exact plan to Tetesac and Lyra. "Alright, judging from that cake, this is probably the palace kitchen, which will be teeming with cooks. We've gotta slowly sneak through and not get seen by any of these guys. See, chefs use lots of sharp objects for their job, which makes them kinda scary. So we probably shouldn't get caught here." "Hey, wait a minute, who made you the leader?" asked Lyra teasingly. "I did! Now, let's just slowly open this door..." And with that, I pushed the door open with my hand and looked inside, only to meet gazes with about five different pony chefs. "Uh. Okay. Guys, follow my lead, okay?" I whispered. After these words left my mouth, I quickly stood up and walked into the kitchen, trying to look as confident as possible. "Greetings, chef ponies! I am the health inspector, personally hired by Princess Celestia due to my uncanny ability to spot even the smallest of code violations! These are my two assistants, Dumbass and Stupidface, and this is a mandatory routine inspection!" While saying this, I made sure to slowly waltz my way towards the other door as the chefs continued to stare at us and whisper between each other. "Now, there are a good many things we tend to look for in our health inspections, but the most important one is always- OKAYGUYSLET'SGO." And with that I dashed through the door into the castle's hallways. "Okay, let's find the throne room as quick as humanly possible!" "Wait," said Lyra as we ran. "Which one of us was Stupidface?" "That's a secret!" I said, looking around at the decorations on the walls, trying to remember what they looked like from the last time I was here. "Goddamn it, why is this castle so big?" By this point I heard a decent bit of pony shouting. Sounds like we've been found out. "G-George..." said Tetesac, trying his damned best to keep up. "Make a left here!" I noticed the turn up ahead, and I dashed into the hallway, only to be met with two guards. "Halt!" one said. "You humans and... pony... are trespassing on royal grounds! You are under arrest!" said the other. "Dammit, Tetesac!" I said, "Why'd you lead us straight into two guards?!" "George, look up ahead!" said Lyra. I craned my neck to see above the guards, and lo and behold, there was the door to the throne room. We're so close... "George," said Tetesac. "Run, quick." "What? What are you doing?" "Just leave me here! I'll be fine! You and Lyra get in there!" And with that he turned to the guards. "Hey, look! It's me! The King of Humans! Your greatest enemy! Arrest me, quick, before I declare war!" And with that distraction, me and Lyra dashed past the guards straight toward the throne room. I bashed the huge doors open with my shoulder and ran inside. "What's up, bitches?! I've got some princesses to talk t-GAH!" And with that, I was cut off by the stunning amount of force that comes with being tackled by a guard.

George Trestale, God of... Something

House Arrest

"Ooooogh." That was about all I could get out as the weight of the guard on top of me slowly pushed the air out of my lungs like a whoopee cushion. Thankfully, I heard a familiar voice save me from death by suffocation. "Please, Hoofington, get off him." The weight on my back was suddenly lifted, and I slowly looked up to see none other than Celestia herself walking over to me, in all her majesty and stuff. "I will admit," she said, stopping right in front of me. "I did not expect this. What possible reason could you have to want to return here?" I slowly righted myself, straightened my tie, and looked behind me momentarily, to see Lyra and Tetesac being led in by the rest of the guards. "And this time you've even brought a pony with you, along with... King Tetesac?" Celestia seemed to be very confused by now, to the point that she actually took a step back. "What is going on here?" "Ah, that," said Tetesac, walking up beside me. "We come bearing a very important warning." "If this is a threat," said Celestia, "I have no interest-" "No, no, no!" I said, stepping in front of Tetesac. "Not a threat, an actual warning! Right now, as we speak in this very room, there is currently a tank - I repeat, a frickin' tank - headed straight for Ponyville." "...A tank?" "Yes! I repeat again, a tank! An automated, self piloted, frenzied, homicidal tank on a path of destruction! And if you guys don't do something about that, Ponyville is as good as screwed!" "Slow down, please," she said, raising a hoof. "This tank is set to destroy Ponyville? Where did it come from? And how do you know about it?" "Uh... Oh, yeah. That's a good question." I looked back at Lyra, who didn't look like she was gonna help me with this. I thought back to saying it was Humphrey Walt that built it, but honestly, that still felt like I was misleading her. And it just didn't seem like the best time to do that. "Aaaaagh. God damn me and my moral compass. Okay, look, the thing is, I'm the one who built it." "You? Why would you do such a thing?" "That's not important right now! Fact of the matter is, the tank's coming, and I don't feel like becoming a murderer today. Thing is, the tank is all resistant to everything I tried in stopping it." "All you did was throw yourself on top of it," Lyra interjected. "I didn't ask for your input! Now, I figured the best one to go to in order to resolve this dilemma would be you, hence why we're here. Lyra and Tetesac here can vouch for the Tank's existence." "Yeah," added Lyra, "That thing almost killed us!" "And we almost killed ourselves getting here," said Tetesac, who looked like he was having war flashbacks. Celestia was about to say something, but a certain alicorn I recognized stepped up to her left side. "Sister, feel free to rest, it is about time-" She stopped herself when her eyes were drawn to us. "Oh, hey, Luna," I said, giving a little wave. Luna didn't respond, simply turning to Celestia. "What is happening here?" "These three claim that there is a tank built by this man, George, that is set to destroy Ponyville. They say they came here to warn us, so we could stop it." "And why would you do such a thing, George?" said Luna, now looking almost as irritated as Celestia. "Look, I assure you, there is a perfectly... uh, existent explanation for all this. But we need to focus on stopping the tank first and foremost. Thankfully we've got a couple days before it gets here, but the more time to prepare, the better!" Celestia simply sighed. "Very well. Hoofington." The guard who had tackled me perked up. "Yes, Your Highness?" "Arrange a search party to skim the outskirts of Equestria for a tank on route to Ponyville. If you see anything, report back immediately." Hoofington simply saluted and left the room. "It says RYAN on the side, you can't miss it!" I called out to him, "By the way, that thing is really damn dangerous! Don't get too close to it! We found that out the hard way!" "Well," said Celestia, "While that is happening, I believe we have sufficient time for you to explain why this tank is heading towards Ponyville in the first place." "Oh, yes, right," I said, scratching my head. "Kind of a long story. Where do I begin with this?" "The beginning, of course." I took the next few minutes or so to explain everything that had led up to this moment, from the attack on Ponyville up to now. Tetesac and Lyra took care to add in some things I forgot, of course, but by the end she seemed to be satisfied by our explanation. I think. "So..." she said, looking a bit troubled. "Your story about your memory loss was true, then. I must apologize for that situation, it had really seemed like you tried to hit me with that inadvertent fireball." "Yeah, I can't imagine how much worse things would have been for me if I actually had hit you," I said, restraining a small amount of laughter. "I am especially sorry to hear about your daughter, George," said Luna. "I am happy to hear you have overcome your grief, however." "I think that's mostly due to the memory loss," I said. "Honestly, I think it's probably a good thing it happened. It seems I went pretty crazy after Sandra died. As evidenced by the tank." "Yes, well," interjected Celestia, "While I do have more reason to believe your claims now, I believe I should wait until we get a report back from the royal guard until we start acting on them." "That's... reasonable," I said, crossing my arms. "What are we gonna do until then, though?" "We would like to request that you do not leave the castle," said Celestia. "However, rather than imprisoning you, we will allow you to have your own rooms in the castle for the time being. Consider it a short-term house arrest until we decide how to deal with this situation." "Well, I will say, it's not a bad house to be arrested in," I said, having gone back to admiring the decorations. "One other thing", said Celestia, "When Luna arrived, you responded as if you two have met before. Have you two met previously, sister?" "Ah, yes, that," said Luna, looking back to me. "I visited him in a dream a few days ago, to ask him to convince King Tetesac to sign a peace treaty with Equestria." "Oh, right! I forgot all about that!" I said, turning to Tetesac. "I did mention it before, but now you two are in prime treaty-signing position!" "...Ah," said Tetesac, tugging at his beard. "Well, George, you make a good point, but-" "But what? They want a treaty, and you want a treaty, what's the big deal? You might as well sign it so this whole situation doesn't end with me being arrested again." "Look," said Tetesac, holding up his hand as to silently tell me to stop talking. "As much good as that would do, as I've said, I cannot do that at the moment. I... George, can I speak with you privately?" "Uh, sure?" I turned to Celestia and pointed back at Tetesac. "Is there anywhere us two can have a little private chat?" "There is a balcony up the spiral staircase on the right outside the door," said Celestia. "You will be accompanied by guards, but you may speak privately there." "Doesn't sound too private to me, but I'll take what I can get." With that, I started walking out the door, with Tetesac closely following. "What's this about?" I whispered back to him. "Be patient, George," he whispered back. The two of us slowly slogged our way up the spiral staircase, finally reaching the top after what felt like 75 steps. "Only seventy-five steps and you are already tuckered out, George?" said Tetesac, for once less tired than me, somehow. "You should get more in shape." "I'm not tired because of the stairs, I've just had a long-ass day," I said, leaning on the rail on the edge of the balcony. Tetesac did the same next to me. "This city is rather pretty at night, isn't it?" He said, staring at the streets below. "Yeah, I guess it is, Mister Titty Sack," I said, surveying the starry sky above instead. "George, you don't have to keep calling me that. My full name is Carlton Burr Tetesac." "...Okay, 'Carlton'. So, what is it you brought me here for?" "George, I'm afraid I haven't been entirely forthcoming with you on something." I let my vision instinctively snap over to him. "No shit. You're kinda the king of 'not being forthcoming on things'." Tetesac sighed. "Yes, it's just that... Ergh. George, I am rather bad at my job." "Your job, like, as king? Why do you say that?" "A king needs to be strong, George. I'm a weak man, physically and mentally. I can only imagine one strong decision I've made recently, and that was what I did to you. And even then, it was the easy thing to do." "Okay, so you have emotion and stuff. I don't see what you're getting at here." "George, you clearly want to know why I won't sign a peace treaty with Equestria. So I'll tell you. Just, I implore you to consider the position I'm in before you jump to any conclusions." "Tetesac, if anything, you talking like this is making me envision a whole bunch of extra conclusions." Tetesac sighed yet again, turning to me. "You'd be surprised what three years of self-circulated propaganda can do to alter a population's views, George. On that note, as you know, many people have a great distaste for ponies. Not all, but many. Well, the thing is, this comes with many others who, logically, don't support a peace treaty with Equestria. And along with that comes people who I would like to refer to as 'extremist groups'. I'm already not the most well-liked king there could possibly be, George. And the reason I haven't signed a treaty with Equestria is because, to this day, I continue to hear talk that if I do follow through on that, they will make attempts to assassinate me and put a new ruler in power." I took my hands off the rail. "Wait, what? You mean to tell me there's people with plans to kill you? That's why you're holding off on the treaty?" "Yes. I cannot muster up the courage to endanger my life, even for my own kingdom. Isn't that just pathetic?" Tetesac gripped the handrail and stared straight forward into the night. "That's... I have no idea what to say about that. It sounds really stupid, yet I sort of understand where you're coming from, and yet, it's still really damn stupid." I took my hands off the rail. "So, if you're so afraid, why not just step down from power? Have someone else take up the responsibility, if you can't handle it?" "Because," said Tetesac, "If I step down, the people will likely place someone with more... anti-Equestrian views in the throne, and the last thing we need right now is escalated conflict with them. I could pick someone specifically to succeed me, but unfortunately none of the less misguided people are really the sort that could lead a kingdom. And that includes you, George. I know that look on your face." I stepped back and jokingly dropped my mouth open in astonishment. "Wh-What? No, I wasn't thinking- No, trust me, I wouldn't take that job even if you were stupid enough to offer it to me." "Well," said Tetesac, "This would be the part where I'd ask you for advice, but I know you'd simply tell me to 'Man up and sign the treaty', or something along those lines. So I'm just going to imagine you said that just now and reply with 'I'll think about it.'." "Really? What exactly changed in the last few minutes that made you start considering it?" "Well, I'm almost getting a bit annoyed from you bugging me about it." "Aha, so I am good at something! Annoying people! 'Cause that's such a great thing to be good at." After a while longer, me and Tetesac walked back into the throne room only to find that Lyra was gone, Luna now being the only one in the room. I ran up to the Moon Princess, who was now seated comfortably on her throne. "Hey, where'd Lyra go off to?" "She is in her room. Now, did you and Tetesac work something out?" I looked back at Tetesac, who did absolutely nothing. "Well, on the treaty thing, we got from 'no' to 'I'll think about it'. Though, just between you and me, I think he only said that to shut me up." "I see. Well, we still have some time to work things out. Until then, Guards, please show these two to their respective rooms," she said, signaling a few guards to come over here. "Yes, your highness. Follow me, you two," said the one in the middle, who happened to be the one who had tackled me earlier. As we followed him out, I couldn't resist saying something to him. "I gotta say, Hoofington, that was one hell of a tackle back there. I think one of my ribs wound up in my stomach somehow." "Thanks... I think," he surprisingly replied. "We guards train hard and steadfast to ensure both Canterlot's and her Royal Highness's protection. As such, we act fast on any potential threats, including humans barging into the throne room while shouting profanities." "I mean, technically, I only said one 'profanity'. But, yeah, I get what you mean. Sorry about freaking you guys out, you gotta understand the sort of thing that's at stake here." "Judging from the conversations between you three and Celestia, yes, I understand. Besides, with that and the tackle, I'd say we're about even," he said, giving a hint of a smile. Man, I didn't expect any of these guys to show emotion. "In any case, here are your two rooms," he said, stopping between two doors that were a few yards apart. "You will be served meals at regular times of day. You are free to move around the castle, but you are not permitted to leave the grounds until further notice. We will notify you all in the morning when Princess Celestia is prepared to meet with you again." The three guards promptly turned around and left. "Well," I said, turning to Tetesac, "I'd say this is going pretty alright." "That will be decided in two days' time, George," he said. "We still have a tank to stop." "Right, of course. No reason not to get a decent night's sleep before that, though." And with that, I opened the door to my room. "Holy crap." I gotta say, the room was pretty damn nice. Directly across from me was a set of double doors that led to a balcony. On the right side of the room, there was a large bed draped in blankets and pillows of a crimson or scarlet nature. On the left there was an open doorway that led into what seemed from this angle to be a bathroom. Well, this certainly beats the dungeons, I thought to myself. I promptly trotted over to the bed and let myself fall onto it, wrapping myself up in the covers. "Ahh, so cozy." Unfortunately, my moment of ecstasy was cut short by a knock at the door. "Goddammit," I said, throwing the blanket off myself and dragging myself over to the door. I pulled it open to meet gazes with a chef pony with a tray on wheels in front of him, with what seemed to be a meal on a plate covered by a silver lid. "Ooh, is that for me?" I said, eyeing the lid. I really wanted to lift that and see what was under it. "Yes, this is what we have prepared for you for supper. I hope it meets your satisfaction, we are not too well-versed in human eating habits." I have a tendency to forget when I'm hungry, but hearing the word "supper" sure as hell reminded me that it had been a while since I had last eaten. I lifted the lid and my eyes met with a plate full of various forms of food, including a roll, some celery, some carrot mush (whoop-dee-doo), and to my surprise, an entire fried fish. And a glass of water, of course. "Hot damn, looks good to me!" I promptly pulled the tray through the door, not bothering to look back at the chef while giving him a "Thanks, man!" "That is a relief, we really took a shot in the dark with the Equestrian Cod there-" "Yeah, I'm sure it's great! I'd like to get to eating now, though, I'm really hungry." "Right, of course. Enjoy it!" "Yeah, I will!" I promptly shut the door and sat myself down on the bed, ready to attack this plate. And before I could even blink, the fish had been reduced to a pile of bones, while the roll and celery had simply ceased to exist. "Damn, that was some good-ass fish," I said to myself, picking a flake of flesh out of my teeth. "I had no idea they even had those. I'm gonna need to ask Lyra about that in the morning." But damn, I was still a little hungry. I took a look at my plate, the only thing remaining was the pile of carrot mush. I eyed it in a way that I would stare down a long-time enemy. "...You know what, screw it." I grabbed my spoon and shoveled it all into my mouth in a single bite like a real man. A real disgusted man.

George Trestale, God of... Something

Planned Obsolescence

Unsurprisingly, I soon ended up slightly regretting the choice of forcing down that carrot mush. I don't know why, but I felt a little nauseous for a while after that, like it was spoiled or something. Yeah, my compliments to the chef. Bellissimo. After a brief stint of lying in the bed, a knock at the door grabbed my attention. I hopped off the bed and walked over to the door, swinging it open to see Lyra standing there. "Oh," I said, "Hey Lyra." "Hey, George," she replied, walking into the room. "How're you liking the castle?" "It's pretty damn nice, I'd say. I wouldn't mind being under 'house arrest' for a little while longer in this place. Their room service is top-notch, and I didn't even have to pay for it! Speaking of, I didn't know you ponies had fried fish." "Oh, yeah. Some ponies eat that stuff. I'm definitely not a fan of it, though," she said. "So, anyway, how'd that talk with Tetesac go?" "Oh, that. Yeeeeeah, not too good. Still a no-go on the treaty thing," I sighed, leaning against the door. "Really? What is it that's holding him back?" "Well," I said, shutting the door and sitting myself down on the bed, "Don't tell anyone I told you this, but it turns out Tetesac's afraid he'll get assassinated if he signs the treaty." "...Wait, seriously?" "Yeah, seriously. What're your thoughts on that?" "Well, I mean, a king is supposed to be able to risk his life for his ponies - or rather, people. He doesn't seem to be a very good king if he can't make decisions like that." "My thoughts exactly," I said. "Even he himself admits he's a crappy king. Thing is, he can't seem to find anyone else who's willing and able to do the job and, more importantly, doesn't have a vendetta against ponies." "I guess that kinda does sound like a tough situation for him to be in. But, I mean, doesn't he have guards and stuff to protect him? He's the king!" "I didn't think to ask about that," I said. "Regardless of that, though, as scary death can be, the chances of that actually happening to our one and only 'Carlton Burr Tetesac' are pretty low, I'd think." "Wait, that's his full name?" "Apparently." "It's kinda dumb sounding." "I know." "So, anyway," She said, moving to a different conversation topic, "What do you think's gonna happen once this whole RYAN thing is over?" "Hell if I know," I said, letting myself fall back onto the bed. "Technically I'm breaking the law just by being here, but maybe Celestia will appreciate me warning her about the tank." "Yeah," said Lyra, "Even considering the fact that you built it, Princess Celestia is a pretty kind and forgiving pony. I imagine the worst she'll do is send you back to Anthropia." "Best case scenario, though," I added, "is Tetesac signing that damn treaty. I could imagine the human ban in Equestria completely dissolving if that happens. Then I wouldn't have to worry about being arrested if I ever came back here. First and the most foremost, though, we've gotta figure out how we're going to stop that stupid tank. That's the most important thing." "Yeah, we'll have to figure that out tomorrow. For now, though, I'm gonna head back to my room and get some sleep. See you in the morning, George." And with that, she opened the door and left. "Yeah," I called out as she was leaving, "Me too. I'm tired as hell." Contrary to that statement, though, I found myself completely unable to fall asleep. Despite how ridiculously comfortable the bed was, I couldn't manage to drift off into unconsciousness. I don't know if it was because of paranoia over the RYAN or something like that, but I eventually looked at the clock on the wall to see that it was 11 PM. Alright, screw this. I dragged myself out of bed and over to the two doors separating the balcony from the room. I swung them open and looked out over the balcony at the streets below. There were still some ponies out and about, illuminated by the numerous streetlights. I was getting a bit hungry again, and there seemed to be a few restaurants down in the city. If only I could head down to one of them. But no, I'm stuck here in this castle. I mean, yeah, I am in a castle. I could walk around the place if I wanted, but what's there to see? A lot less than what I can see from this balcony, I'm sure. Well, at least I can take the time to reflect. Cue the piano music, guys. It's been a short while, but damn, a bunch of stuff has happened over the past week or two. It finally feels like we're nearing the end of all this crap. Finally, I'll be able to settle down, and... do something. Huh. I guess I haven't put a ton of thought into that. I mean, yeah, I considered the whole "going back to being a royal scientist" thing, but I don't know. I let my mind wander a bit, but then it hit me. It hit me like a ton of... pounds. What about my powers? I brought my hand up to my face and snapped my fingers, igniting a small, glowing flame above my index. At least I seem to have gotten that down. The question is, can I fix the rest of them? Is it a matter of practice, or are they hard-wired to just suck complete ass? I'm gonna have to ask about this later. Ask who, I have no idea. All I know is I want to see if I can get them fixed. It would be damn cool to actually have some magic that I can control. That is, aside from having a finger that doubles as a lighter. I turned myself around and headed back inside. Finally, I've got an aspiration that isn't just "lets make sure this town isn't destroyed". That might make falling asleep a little easier. With that thought still in mind, I finally kicked my shoes off and got into bed. It took a while, but I eventually started to fade into sleep. ~The Next Morning~ I didn't dream that night. Or maybe I did, and I just didn't remember it. Either way, the good thing is I woke up. As my mind was brought back into reality by the rays of sunlight shining through the curtains, I suddenly realized something. I really have to pee. This extreme urge to use the bathroom coupled with the fact that I didn't want to get out of bed led to me pretty much dragging myself over to the side and falling off, inadvertently landing on my face. "Mmph. Dss sht agmph." Yeah, that woke me up. I pushed myself to my feet and got about one second of a sprint towards the bathroom before I was stopped by a knock at the door. "Damn it, this better be good." I said, running over the door and opening it, hopping in place anxiously. Fortunately, what I saw WAS good. It was the same pony from last night, with an identical cart as the one presented to me last night. "Mr. Trestale! We've prepared breakfast for you," the pony said. "We knocked on your door earlier, but you were still fast asleep." I shot the following words out of my mouth as fast as possible so I could get to the bathroom before my bladder exploded. "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah! Sure! Yeah! Just push it in! Thanks! Yeah! Compliments to the chef! Mwah! Gotta go!" I promptly slammed the door and headed towards the bathroom, now reduced to having to walk really fast rather than run for fear of ruining my pants. However, right before I reached it, I was stopped in my tracks yet again by another knock. "God damn it, who is it now?!" I ripped the door open only to be greeted by Lyra. "George, how long did you sleep in?! Do you realize how late we are?!" "Right, sorry, they don't have alarm clocks here. Look, I'll be right back, okay?" I started slowly pacing back towards the bathroom as I said this. "You don't even have your shoes on?! Look, you've got to look formal for the meeting with the Princess! And we need to go now!" I felt my hand engulfed in magic as I started being dragged back towards the door. "I said I'll be right back, damn it!" I said, trying to resist the magic that was probably going to ruin my only set of clothes. "I've got something I need to do!" "That can wait! Princess Celestia's been waiting for an hour!" I was promptly dragged out of the doorway into the hall, into the view of a good many guards and a few chefs who happened to be walking through the halls at the time. "Lyra, I swear to god if you don't let go of me-" "George, what in the wide, wide world of Equestria could be so important that you need to make the Princess wait even more?!" "I HAVE TO TAKE A FUCKING PISS, YOU GLORIFIED DONKEY!" ~Five Minutes Later~ I walked into the dining room as formally as I could imagine, still aching a bit from having to postpone my bathroom break for so long. Lyra followed me in, and the two of us sat down next to each other at the rather large table. Tetesac and Celestia were already seated, seemingly having been there for quite a while. "Well, there you are," said Celestia, looking impatient. "What took you so long? And what was that shouting from the hall earlier?" "I needed to do something," I said, glaring at Lyra. "It's been done." "Did you at least sleep well?" asked Tetesac, looking genuinely concerned for some reason. "Yeah, yeah, I slept like a rock, apparently. You guys seriously need to invest in some alarm clocks, by the way, Princess." "Well," said Celestia, looking unimpressed, "Every hour wasted is another hour towards the destruction of Ponyville. As you might have expected, the guards I sent out to find the tank did indeed return with a report of there being a tank identical to your description headed toward Ponyville." "None of them tried to attack it, right?" I asked, a little anxious. "No, they did not. The tank did not fire at them, either. They all came back fine." "Well, that's a relief. Now we just gotta worry about preventing a whole bunch of other deaths." "There is no need to worry about anypony dying, George. I've already had Ponyville evacuated. The town is empty at the moment." "Well, that's an even bigger relief," said Lyra. "Oh, yeah, definitely. So, uh, now that you know for sure the tank exists, what do we do now?" "Well," said Celestia, "First and foremost, I'd like you to tell me as much as you possibly can about this 'RYAN'." "Right, of course," I said, crossing my arms. "Well, that message old-me left said that it's got this electric shield that renders it invulnerable to physical attacks. It's got a top speed of four miles per hour, meaning it will be here by... well, tomorrow, and, uh... it's green. And it can blow stuff up. It's got this auto-targeting system that almost killed the three of us. That's about all I know." "I can speak firsthand on the 'almost getting killed' part," said Tetesac. "Is there any information on how it reacts to magic?" asked Celestia. "Nope, don't know anything about that. I'd guess that if I didn't say anything about it in the message, it's probably not invincible to it. I can't imagine I'm that amazing of an engineer." "Well, that helps matters, then. However, there is still the issue of how one could get close enough to attack it without being shot at." "Right, of course. Well, I can't say I'm well-versed on pony magic. Do you guys have, like, invisibility spells or something?" "That would probably depend on how the targeting system functions," added Tetesac. "Hm, that's right. It might work on detection of body heat or something rather than visuals. Probably not a good chance to take." "Most likely not," said Celestia. "Normally, our first course of action would be to cover the town with a shield. However, given that we do not know the tank's firepower, we cannot rely on it as our only defense." "Wait, here's an idea!" I said, standing up. "Use your guys' magic and stuff to dig a huge trench around Ponyville! That way, even if the tank ends up getting near the place, it'll just fall in and get stuck. Couple that with the shield around the town and we've got ourselves some pretty good chances." "Well, that's something," said Lyra. "What would we do with it once it's trapped, though?" "...Er, that's a good question, actually," I said, leaning back in my chair. "How the hell would we get rid of it?" "Maybe bury it?" suggested Lyra. "That would most likely not be a good idea," said Celestia. "That would make the ground around that spot very unpredictable. We'd have to restrict anypony from going within a large radius of it." "Yeah," I said, "The damn thing would probably try and shoot its way out of the ground- hey, wait, that's it! When it falls in and we bury it, the damn thing will just blow itself up trying to get out of the ground!" "...Are you sure of that, George?" said Celestia. "Well, no, but I do know that it automatically shoots things that are blocking its way. I can't imagine it being smart enough to differentiate between dirt and other stuff. And besides, even if it doesn't blow itself up, it'll still be in the ground, unable to do anything. That's pretty much all I can think to do at the moment." "Well," said Celestia, getting up from her seat, "This should probably be sufficient, then. Of course, if it doesn't work, there's also the option of using magic to destroy it, provided it's not immune to that. I will get a team of unicorns to start digging the trench around Ponyville, and I will write to Twilight explaining the situation. She will be able to assist me in keeping the shield up." "Twilight?" I asked, righting myself in my chair. "As in Sparkle?" "Yes," said Celestia, "I'm sure you rememb- Celestia started to form some sentence she wanted to say, but was cut off as the doors to the meeting room suddenly burst open. I jerked my head around to see a group of six very worried looking ponies enter, four of which I recognized. Yes, it was yet again the very weirdly-named Princess Twilight Sparkle, along with the tag-team duo of Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Tagging along was Pinkie Pie, who I very suddenly remembered I had made a still as-of-yet unfulfilled pinkie promise to, and two others I hadn't met before. One was a yellow pegasus that seemed even more worried than the rest, the other being a white unicorn whose hair was a shade of purple that I really didn't like for some reason. Twilight was the first to speak up as they entered, merely managing to let out "Princess Celestia! I heard about the-" before she abruptly cut herself off as I turned around and met gazes with her. "...Er, am I interrupting something?" she said, clearly very confused. "Only my boredom," I said, grinning from cheek to cheek. My grins aren't very wide, okay? "Nice to see you again, Princess." "Hey, wait a minute!" Rainbow said, stepping out in front of everyone else. "George? What are you still doing here?" "Oh, not much, just saving the world," I said, unable to lose the shit-eating grin on my face. "Oh, come on," said Lyra, "You're just saving Ponyville, not the world." "Hey, I'm sure Ponyville is the world to some," I replied. "Wait, what?" said Twilight, looking like she was about to have a stroke from pure confusion. "You and Rainbow know each other? And you're here with Princess Celestia, helping solve this whole tank crisis?!" "I mean, I'm kinda obligated to," I said, finally losing the grin. "I'm kinda a little... well, you know, responsible for it." "You're responsible for it? What?! Why would you send a tank to destroy Ponyville?!" "Calm down, please, Twilight," Celestia finally said. "Allow George to explain." "Right, the explanation," I said. "Well, you see- Ah, shit, I've dug myself into a hole of having to explain this again. Okay, look, I'll give you the general gist. Basically, the story is, I was the royal scientist in Anthropia, I turned evil, I got my memory wiped and ended up in Canterlot, blah blah blah, stuff you already know, I get back to Anthropia and find out that the old, evil me made a tank to destroy Ponyville. So I came back, pretty much undoing everything I did to get there in the first place, so I could tell Celestia here about the tank. And here I am now, discussing with her how to stop it." "Wait," said Twilight, "So you're telling me that the story of you losing your memories was true the whole time? Princess, is he telling the truth?" "Well," said Celestia, "I have no real method of verifying it, but both King Tetesac and Lyra here vouch for him. I'm choosing to believe it for now, for the sake of focusing on the tank." The white one stepped out in front this time. "Twilight, is this the same human that appeared in Canterlot a while ago?" "Yes, that's him," said Twilight. "I sure didn't expect to find him here of all places." "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" squealed a familiar high-pitched voice from the back. My vision was suddenly filled with pink as Pinkie Pie herself seemingly teleported in front of me. "George Trestale the Human! You're still here! Did you ask Celestia about the party yet? Huh?!" "Uh, yeah, that's me! George Trestale the human! Still here, and, er, I was just about to ask Celestia about that. Funny you showed up right before I was gonna do that, huh? I definitely didn't completely forget about it or anything." "So you did end up meeting Pinkie," said Rainbow. "I told you you couldn't escape her." Before I could reply, Applejack spoke up. "So, did y'all hear about how he set a pony's house on fire up in Appleloosa?" I'm pretty sure I heard the yellow one say "He did?" in response, but it was so quiet I couldn't quite tell. "I did hear about that," said Celestia. "Though, it didn't occur to me to mention it until now." Oh, right. That did happen, didn't it? "Aha," I said, faking some sort of laugh. "In my defense, I did manage to put the fire out." "Yeah, and you soaked all of his stuff in the process," said Lyra. "Not to mention, you were in there specifically to steal stuff." "Look," I said, putting my hands up. "I think we've got more important stuff to worry about right now. The imminent destruction of Ponyville comes to mind, for example." I turned back to Celestia. "You know, just out of curiosity, what would happen to me if we didn't manage to stop the tank?" "That... is hard to say," said Celestia. "You not having any memory of actually doing this complicates matters. However, we needn't worry about it right now. Failure in this case shouldn't be considered an option." "Right," I said, turning back to the six ponies. "And, uh, what're you guys doing here?" "Well," said Twilight, "When we heard about the tank, naturally we got here as soon as we could to try and help however we can." "Oh, yeah. Celestia here mentioned she was gonna have you help her keep a shield up around Ponyville." "Princess Celestia," Twilight corrected me. "Is that right, Princess? We'd all like to help however we can." "Yes, that's right," said Celestia. "I was going to write to you about it, but you were apparently already on your way here, as I should have expected." "Right!" I said, getting up from my chair. "Let me relay the plans to the newcomers here. Basically, we just gotta dig this huge trench around Ponyville. Once the tank comes, it'll just fall in, at which point we bury it, and either it'll blow itself up trying to escape, or it'll just do nothing." "But," said the yellow pegasus who seemed like she was trying to not talk directly to me, "Isn't there somepony in there?" "Oh, no," I said, putting my hands up defensively. "Evidently I put some kind of AI into that thing. It's entirely self-piloted. So, we don't gotta worry about what happens to it. We've just got to, you know, neutralize it." "Well, in any case," said Celestia, walking toward the doors, "I'll give the order to have the trench dug as soon as possible for when the tank arrives tomorrow. Do you have any idea of a specific time of day, George?" "Nope, no idea. Sorry." "In that case," said Celestia, "From this point until the tank arrives, I will assign shifts for pegasus guards to keep watch for it. We shall wait until it's in close proximity to bring up the shield. Thank you for your help, George." As she started to leave, one last question popped into my mind. "Hey, one more thing! Um, what the hell am I supposed to do until then?" I heard a couple unidentified gasps from the six ponies, but Celestia just stopped and turned around. "I will allow you to walk around the city for the day, provided Twilight and her friends are willing to keep watch on you. That includes you, as well, Lyra and Tetesac." And with that, she finally managed to leave the room. "Wait," said Lyra. "When she said 'that includes you', did she mean that we were included in babysitting George? Or that we're included in being baby-sat?" "Hang on a second," said Rainbow, flying up to me. "We've gotta babysit George?" "What, do you have anything better to do?" I asked. "Well, yeah, actually, there's a lot of things." "Aw, come on, Rainbow, we're friends, aren't we?" I tried my best to do those cute puppy dog eyes nobody can resist. "Maybe I'll even buy you a lollipop while we're out!" "But I don't even like lollipops!" "Oh, that's fine, then, 'cause I don't have any money. Now, then, we'd better get going!" I promptly started marching out the door before stopping myself and turning around. "Hey, Tetesac! You've been awfully quiet! You want to come with?" Tetesac took a second to react to what I said, suddenly looking up wide-eyed. "Oh, no, thank you, George. I'll stay here, if it's all the same to you." "Well," I said, a bit confused, "What about you, Lyra?" "Sure," she said, getting up from her seat. "I could use some fresh air." "Alrighty then! Onward we go!" I promptly pointed forwards and marched out the doors into the hallway. However, just as I thought I was free, I heard Pinkie's voice pipe up again behind me. "Hey, you didn't ask Princess Celestia about the party!" "Damn it!"

George Trestale, God of... Something

Before It All Ends

Shielding the sun from my eyes, I strutted my best strut out the front door of the castle with a flock of seven ponies in tow. Flock... No, that's not right. What's the word for a group of ponies again? A herd? A team? A harem? Hold on, let me look this up. Okay, apparently the term is "string". Not something I would've guessed. Well, as I strolled through town with my... string of ponies, garnering a variety of bewildered looks from the townsfolk, I stopped myself to a halt. "Hold on a second. I just realized something," I said, staring blankly ahead. "Huh?" Twilight stepped up beside me. "What is it?" "I am, like, really hungry. I need food. Food that I can eat." "Didn't you eat breakfast?" asked Lyra. "Nope," I said, clutching my stomach. "Didn't have the time to, on account of you literally dragging me from my room." "Well, I guess we can find someplace around here to eat," said Twilight, craning her neck to look around. "Didn't you say you don't have any money, though?" "Well," I said, trying to look unconvincingly cute, "I just sorta figured one of you guys would pay for it. I mean, I'm only saving the world and stuff." "But you're not saving the world," said Rainbow, flying in front of me. "Just Ponyville! And you're the one who caused this whole thing in the first place!" "Yeah, but, like, it's Ponyville! Your guys' hometown! Isn't that worth at least a couple... uh, bits, or whatever currency you guys use?" I asked innocently, crossing my arms. "Don't worry about it, guys," said Lyra. "I brought my saddlebag with me. It's got some bits in it. Just try not to get anything too expensive, George." "Oh, alright, mom," I said, starting to walk off again, looking for some place to get a little snack for myself. The walk through town was surprisingly lively. There were many shops and restaurants along the road, and even a bunch of little food carts set up along the sidewalk. The air smelled like some kind of odd mixture between flowers and grass. I really wouldn't mind living here, honestly. "Hot damn, so many choices, so little money," I said, taking in the sights of the city. "Alright, what do you guys recommend? Have you ever eaten at any of these places?" "Ooh," said Pinkie, bouncing in front of me. "Donut Joe's donuts are amazing! And cheap, too!" "That's hardly a lunch, Pinkie," said Rarity. "Restaurant Row is filled with many splendid places to eat, George. Many of these restaurants are truly top-notch establishments. Some of them have even been given a three-hoof rating from Zesty Gourmand herself!" "Yeah, we get it, you're caught up on the show," said Lyra, rifling through her saddlebag. "Wait, what show?" I asked, with a total and complete lack of knowledge as to what she meant. "Zesty Gourmand's show. What did you think I meant?" asked Lyra. "Anyway, there's no way I can afford any of these places, George. Can't you get something from one of these food carts?" "But all these guys serve are vegetables! If I'm gonna be spending someone else's money, it's gonna be on something I actually want to eat." "Well, then hurry up and find something!" "Alright, alright, fine." We did a little more walking down the streets, and eventually I walked out of Restaurant Row taking the final bites out of of a caramel apple. "Well, that sure hit the spot," I said, licking the caramel off my lips and tossing the apple ten feet away into a trash can. "Woo! Three points! Alright, so, what else do we have lined up?" "I dunno," said Rainbow, "You're the one who wanted to explore the city. I've already seen this stuff, so it's kinda boring for me." "Well, we could check out the Canterlot Library!" suggested Twilight, putting on a large grin. I faked a gag. "Come on, Twilight. We're here to have fun." Twilight just looked down and dragged her hoof through the dirt. "Learning is fun..." "Well, we could go watch a movie," Applejack suggested. "If I'm rememberin' right, there's a theater right down the street." I snapped my fingers with pure enthusiasm. "See, now there's an idea! A round of applause for Applejack, everybody. Let's do that." The eight of us eventually made it down the street and into... "Hoofkins Theater". I just... yeah. I let Lyra go up to the ticket pony, given that she's got the money, but I'll be damned if I'm not gonna have a say in what movie we see. "I greatly appreciate your choice to pay for our tickets, Lyra," said Rarity. "It's not a problem," said Lyra, walking up to the counter. "I guess I'm just the one who pays for everything now. Let's just hope there's a matinee or something." "Hello," said the ticket pony. "What movie will you all be seeing today? Er, actually, I shouldn't be asking that, because we're only showing one movie right now." "Wait, what? What is it?" asked Lyra. "Horseman: The Saddled Service. It's a spy movie. I hear it's good!" "That's really the only thing you have?" asked Twilight, perplexed. "Why just the one movie?" "Well, all of our other screens are closed due to... popcorn related incidents," she said, looking off to the side. "Well, if we don't have much of a choice, we might as well go with it," said Rarity, who didn't seem particularly enthralled by the notion of watching a spy movie. I was admittedly a little skeptical myself. What the hell is a "horseman"? "Alright," said the ticket pony, "That's seven ponies, and one... human?" She suddenly seemed very perplexed by my presence, as you'd probably figure by now. I just silently waved at her. "That's right," said Lyra. "That's not a problem, is it?" "Well," said the pony, "It's just that... I mean, I don't really know how our pricing works with humans. This chart only has age ranges for ponies on it... Arrgh, I'm sorry, I'm new to this job!" She hid her face under her hooves in shame. "Can't you just put me down as a pony?" I asked. "Take away the body, and we're all just timid souls on the solemnly pathway of life... or however that saying goes." "I- What?" said Lyra, snapping her gaze towards me. "What saying? Who says that?" Ignoring her, I walked up to the desk and leaned on it. "Look, I'm gonna level with you," I said, my gaze burrowing deeply into the ticket pony's confused eyes. "I've been through a hell of a lot these past few days, and tomorrow I have to help stop an entire town from being destroyed - And it will all be my fault if that doesn't happen. I just need a good hour or two to relax, you get me? I'm sure it won't be that big a deal if you let me buy a ticket." "Well," the pony said, looking unsure of herself, "Normally I'd just ask my supervisor what to do, but he's in the hospital right now due to... popcorn-related injuries. I guess I can just give you whatever pony ticket your age is closest to. You're, like, a little kid, right?" I stared at her blankly for a few seconds before trying to correct her, but Lyra quickly interjected. "Do kids get in cheaper?" "Yeah, it's half price." "Then yeah, he's a little kid." ~ Two hours later ~ "Holy crap, that was a good movie," I said, stretching my arms as we all filed out of the theater. "Yeah, it was pretty good," said Lyra. "I was surprised. I didn't expect the movie to be like... that." "It was too violent for my tastes," said Rarity. "I couldn't even count how many ponies died throughout that whole film." "I thought it was fun!" said Pinkie. "Yeah, but the action was so cool!" Rainbow interejcted. "They've gotta make another one! I bet it would be even better than the first!" Fluttershy didn't say anything, but she looked a bit... traumatized, or something like that. "And the best part is, we're not getting paid to say any of this!" I said. "We are totally, one hundred percent unbiased viewers, and our opinions have not been affected in any way by any outside source. It's totally our own takes on the movie. One hundred percent." "I wasn't really a fan of how they portrayed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, though," said Twilight. "Especially when their heads- Wait, where is everyone?" We all looked around. She was right, where is everyone? It was only starting to get dark, yet the streets were completely empty. It was like the entire town had just disappeared while we were in the theater. "Uh, that's a good question," I said, looking at the castle. "I get the feeling something's going on. We should probably head back to the castle." We ran back towards the castle, looking around yet still not seeing a single pony anywhere. All the shops closed, all the houses' lights off... What's going on? We had almost made it to the castle when a royal guard abruptly swooped down in front of us. "Hey! You all, get inside! Princess Celestia has issued a- Oh, wait, it's you!" "Oh, hey, Hoofington," I said as he flew down to the ground beside us. "Care to, uh, give us some insight on exactly what the hell is happening?" "We've been looking all over for you!" he said, wiping his forehead. "It's the tank! It's coming in way ahead of schedule! They're estimating that it's gonna reach Ponyville sometime within the next half hour!" "I- D- You- WHAT?!" I exclaimed as everyone else gasped in horror. "A half hour?! How is that even possible?!" "Evidently, you installed rockets in that thing. Our eyes in the sky reported that your tank started shooting flames out of the back and going many times its regular speed for several hours. Apparently, it also 'looked really cool'. I'm gonna have to talk to the guy who said that." "Oh no," said Twilight. "We've been in that movie theater this whole time! Where are the Princesses?!" "They were looking for you, but they ended up going to Ponyville to help build the shield. They entrusted us to find you all instead. Looks like I did my job pretty well, huh?" "I mean... finding us a little sooner would've been nice, but sure," I said. "The more pressing matter is, how in the hell are we going to get to Ponyville within the next half hour?! I know a couple of these guys can fly, but what about the rest of us?" "The Princesses thought of that, don't worry. We've prepared some sky chariots that should be able to get you all to Ponyville in roughly fifteen minutes." "Alright," said Twilight, "Rainbow and Fluttershy, I can fly ahead with you two. I need to get to Ponyville as soon as possible so I can help with the shield. We'll meet the rest of you there," she said, and the three of them flew off. "Alright," I said, overlooking the four ponies with me. "That's Lyra, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity. Now, I've got just one question for you all..." "...Are you all ready to save the goddamn world?" Lyra hit her face with her hoof. "George, we've told you several times, it's not the world. It's just Ponyville." "WHATEVER!" I shouted, seemingly startling the four. "Let's just get down there!" Hoofington led the four of us to our chariots, both of them being pulled by two pegasi. Applejack sat with Pinkie Pie and Rarity, while I shared a chariot with Lyra. Hoofington gave some kind of signal that apparently meant "go", and the chariots lifted into the air as we started towards Ponyville. "Alright, it should be smooth sailing for the next 15 minutes or so," I said, looking over the edge and getting a bit nauseous. "As long as the tank doesn't go all supersonic on us again, we should be fine." "George, there's something I want you to know," said Lyra. I turned to her. "What is it?" "If that tank destroys Ponyville, I'm gonna kill you. And then I'll start living in your house since mine will have been blown up." "...Glad to know it, Lyra." The rest of the ride was surprisingly uneventful, so I'll save you the trouble of reading it while also saving myself the trouble of writing about it. Two birds, one stone. After a while of me getting steadily more anxious, we finally landed outside Ponyville, with, strangely, nobody in sight. As I expected, there was a giant trench dug around Ponyville, and Ponyville itself was covered with some sort of magic shield. As I got out of my chariot, Luna seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "Thank goodness you're all here," she said. "The tank has almost arrived." I looked off into the distance and, sure enough, I saw the RYAN, slowly making its way over towards us and Ponyville. "Quickly, everyone, come stand near us," said Luna. She led us toward an area of grass. As I stepped closer, I noticed the air seemingly ripple around me a bit, and all of a sudden Celestia, Tetesac, and the other ponies were in front of me. "Oh, you've made it just in time," said Tetesac. "I was wondering what had been keeping you. I should have figured you'd be watching a movie." "Yeah, well, I didn't think the damn thing would arrive today!" I exclaimed. "Also, what's this whole thing we're in? Where'd you all even come from?" "This is a shield I've placed around us," said Luna. "It makes us unable to be seen from the outside, and should also protect us against any potential attack from the tank." "...Well, alright then. So, are we still going with the idea of 'Trap tank in trench, bury tank, let tank blow itself up'?" I asked, anxiously looking at the RYAN from afar. "It's probably our safest option," said Twilight. "We have a team of unicorns ready to bury the tank the moment it falls in. I hope it's enough." The RYAN was even closer now. "So, we're just waiting, then?" "Pretty much all we can do," said Rainbow. "It's boring, I know." "I'll personally take boredom over Ponyville being destroyed," said Rarity. "What, like I wouldn't?!" said Rainbow accusingly. "I care about Ponyville too! Even if I don't live there!" "Wait, you don't live in Ponyville?" I asked, surprised. "Where do you live, then?" "Cloudsdale, of course." "Clouds...dale? Don't tell me that's, like, a city in the clouds." "That's exactly what it is." "But how would you, like, walk on clouds? Aren't they, like, water vapor and stuff?" "Well, only Pegasi can walk on clouds." "...Why?" "I dunno. That's just how it is." "Yeah, well, 'how it is' is weird and makes no sense." This continued between me and rainbow for a while until I suddenly realized that the RYAN was now passing where we were. It was close enough that I could easily read the badly-painted-on name on the side. "Everyone quiet," Twilight whispered. "We don't want it to hear us." "What does RYAN even mean anyway?" Rainbow whispered to me. "I don't know. Maybe like, Really... Yummy... And... Non-toxic?" I shrugged. Rainbow just stared at me for a few seconds before looking back to the tank. "Shit, it's about to fall in," I said. "Let's hope this works." Sure enough, the RYAN drove itself directly into the pit and fell in, with a huge thud. Almost instantly, a bunch of Unicorns appeared out of nowhere and levitated a ton of dirt into the trench where the tank was, completely burying it. A good few seconds passed with nothing but complete silence as the dust settled. "...Did it work?" Lyra asked, craning her neck trying to see better. "I don't hear anything." "I dunno," I said, also trying to get a better look at the trench from here. "Alright, listen. Nobody jump to conclusions just yet. Nobody say out loud that it worked. Nobody say anything with even a hint of confidence. We don't want to jinx this." Everyone just stood there in silence for a good minute or two, just staring anxiously at the spot where the tank was buried. "...Y'all think it might be fine now?" said Applejack. "Not yet," I said, sitting down on the grass. "Let's wait a few more minutes." After about five minutes have passed, I finally got up. "Huh. Maybe it did work." "Yeah, I think your plan worked, George," said Lyra. "Good job!" "Yeah! My plan worked! I am the best at tank-stopping- Oh, wait. Shit." As if on cue, there was an ear-ringingly loud explosion as the dirt where the tank was erupted into the air and the ground shook below our feet. "...Uh, maybe it just blew itself up?" I said. At that exact moment, the tank rolled up out of the trench, completely unscathed, and continued towards Ponyville. I was the first one to say something. "Oh. Oh shit. Uh, alright, guys, we got any other ideas?! Plan B, maybe?!" "I believe we'll have to resort to plan B, yes," said Celestia. "What is plan B, again?" "Magic, of course," said Luna. The two princesses lowered their horns and started shooting multicolored beams of magicy stuff at the tank, but to our disappointment, each one bounced off fruitlessly. Celestia tried levitating it away from Ponyville, but her magic aura just couldn't seem to grip the tank. It was like the tank had some kind of raincoat on, except for magic. Amazing analogy, I know. "Well, alright, apparently I'm an amazing engineer 'cause that thing looks magic-proof!" I said, at this point hopping between feet anxiously. "How is that even possible, anyway? Aren't you two, like, super powerful?" "Keeping these shields up has been a large drain on us," said Luna, who I just now noticed had noticeable beads of sweat forming on her face. "But even then, whatever is protecting that tank must be an immensely powerful defense." The tank was now at the shield, and was repeatedly firing into it. The shield didn't seem to be getting damaged, though I could see Twilight noticeably wince every time it took a shot. Celestia and Luna kept firing different colors of beams at the Tank, but none of them seemed to have any effect at all. "What else can we do?!" said Lyra. "We've tried using magic on the ground around the tank, and we've tried using magic on the tank itself! What other options are there?!" "Uhm, maybe something that doesn't involve magic?" I suggested. "What possible non-magic solution could there be?!" asked Lyra. Twilight looked like she was starting to tire out, and even the Princesses looked like they were starting to get affected from the tank's assault on the shield. I thought to myself for a moment. What is there that we haven't tried? I looked at the RYAN from where we were. It was a bit far away, but I could still make out most of the details. I stared at it for a good 30 seconds or so, gradually tuning out all of my surroundings, trying to find, perhaps, one single thing of interest, just one single possible flaw or opening in its design... ...And then it caught my eye. The top of the tank... there's a hatch. Is it possible to get inside the tank?! "Holy FUCK!" I screamed, startling everyone present. "I have a goddamn idea!" "...Well, then, by all means, share it, George," said Tetesac. "That thing's a tank, right? Tanks usually have a way for people to get inside! And there's a hatch on top of there! I may not have been able to touch the outside of it, but maybe I can teleport inside and shut it down!" "That sounds risky," said Twilight. "Are you sure you want to try that? What if the tank sees you before you can get close enough?" "I can assist with that," said Luna. "I can keep you hidden with a smaller version of this shield. However, given that we already have this one up, our range is currently rather limited. I believe we can get you up to within about ten feet of the tank." "Ten feet... I can probably manage that, yeah," I said nervously. "I just gotta be able to sneak up a few feet closer and I'll be fine. You know, provided my teleportation actually puts me inside the thing." "Well, I suppose we have no other options, unless anyone has any other suggestions," said Celestia. Everyone kept quiet and looked at each other. "Very well," said Luna. "George, please stand at the edge of the shield. I did as she said, and I saw the air start to ripple slightly around me. "Now, George," Luna said, trying to concentrate and talk at the same time, "We will not be able to see you while you are in this shield. We will move it forward at a steady pace, so try to keep up with it." "Right, understood," I said. Then, with absolutely zero warning (Thanks, Luna.) the shield started moving and left me behind for a second. I quickly ran back inside it and started walking towards the tank, staying within the boundaries of the bubble. Alright, all I've got to do is get one teleport right. One single teleport, and I can potentially save this town. I've just got to concentrate. I need to teleport where I need to be. Into the tank. Teleport into the tank. That's all I have to do. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Just... into the tank. Into the tank. I was now getting somewhat close to the tank, and I could see the shield flickering a little. I stopped, wondering if the tank could see me. It fired another shot into Ponyville's shield, this one hurting my ears from the sheer proximity. I took a few more steps and the shield completely disappeared. Alright, this is it. I'm out in the open. If I screw this up, I'm dead. I can't let the tank know I'm here. I took a few more steps towards the tank, and... stepped on a twig that gave off probably the loudest snap a twig could possibly give. I froze in place, petrified. There's no way the tank didn't hear that. ... Okay, I've been waiting about 15 seconds and all it's done is shoot another shell into Ponyville's shield. Maybe it didn't hear it. Hell, I'm not complaining. I got up close until I was a mere few feet away from the RYAN, and I closed my eyes. Just go a few feet in front of me... a few feet in front of me. Into the tank. Concentrating on the tank as hard as I possibly could, I waved my arm to the right, and... teleported back five feet. "GOD DAMN IT!" I shouted. I- wait, why did I do that? Unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky this time, as this time the tank's barrel quickly spun towards me. I stared down the barrel for a good few seconds, completely frozen with fear. "Uh... hey, RYAN, it's me. Geor- I mean, Humphrey Walt. You know, your creator! You wouldn't shoot me, would you?" Instead of standing there any longer like an idiot, I waved my arm a second time and, thankfully, appeared behind the tank, me now standing directly between it and Ponyville. The tank looked around confused for a moment, then quickly turned back towards Ponyville, inadvertently spotting me again. "Oh, shit." I waved my arm a third time, this time appearing behind Ponyville's shield. I gathered my bearings for a second and suddenly realized I was currently safe where I was. I, of course, took the opportunity to give the tank the middle finger, and then I waved my arm again, appearing to the left of the tank. I began repeatedly waving my arm over and over again, teleporting around the tank rapidly, still trying to get inside. "Come- on- get- in- the- damn- tank- for- fuck's- sake-" I kept waving my arm faster and faster, now trying to get into the stupid tank just by pure chance. But the environments I'm seeing are just grass, grass, grass, grass, grass, grass, metal, gr- WAIT, stop RIGHT THERE! I quickly grabbed my arm and looked at what was in front of me. I was in the cockpit of the RYAN, staring at what seemed to be the control panel. "Holy shit! YES! I made it! Holy god!" And as if that wasn't great enough, there was a very clearly-labeled shutdown button on the control panel. There was even a self-destruct button on the floor below it, clearly labeled "DO NOT PRESS IF YOU ARE INSIDE THE TANK". I'd best not hit that one. I quickly began to reach for the shutdown button, but I stopped as I heard a voice behind me. "Y'all made a big mistake comin' in here, Walty." That voice... Why do I recognize that voice? I spun myself around and was met with the sight of a man with a familiar long beard, one eye facing the wrong way, and really awful-looking beige pants. He looked like he'd gone senile at the age of thirty. That's right, standing right in front of me was none other than... Old Man Musket? "I d- HUH?! I don't- I- You?! What are you doing in the RYAN?!" "We-hell, whaddaya think, boy? I'm blowin' up Ponyville is what I's doin! Just like y'all told me to!" "What?! I told you to blow up Ponyville?! I thought this stupid thing was self-piloted!" "Nah, y'all ain't that rootin'-tootin' of an engineer, Walty! Heck, y'all ta steal one of those fancy-ass amulet thingies just so this thing could reflect magic!" "...Okay, I don't entirely understand what you just said, but either way, can you, like, not destroy Ponyville?" "Sorry, pally boy, my mind's been made up!" Just then, he reached behind his back and pulled out what appeared to be some kind of long tube, eyeing it for a second before pointing it towards me. "The hell is that?" I asked, bewildered. "Y'all like it? Ya should! It's one of them fancy new fangled inventions of yers! The Musket! Y'all done named it after me!" "...Really? Were we, like, friends or something?" "Nope. I'm yer dad." "WHAT?!" "Hee-hee, just kiddin'. Methinks we all had enough of them plot twisties for one day. Now then, y'all mosey on away from that there control panel." "What? You think I'm gonna let you destroy Ponyville just because you have a scary-looking tube with you?" "I dunno, how 'bout a scary-lookin' tube that can shoot a metal ball at ya at eight hundred feet per second?" "...Okay, that's a little scarier, but why not get an all-access exclusive taste of THIS!" I quickly brought my finger up and attempted to shoot some flames in Musket's direction, but to my immediate dismay, only a tiny spark shot out. "Oh, come on now!" I shouted, slapping my finger, trying to get it to do at least a little more than that. Seriously, this is not the best time for- I stopped. Why... why do my ears hurt? I looked at Musket. I could see smoke emanating from his tube thing, and I slowly realized that I can't hear anything. In fact, my ears are ringing like hell. "What the hell did you just do?!" I yelled. Musket said something, but I couldn't hear it for the life of me. Just then, Musket pointed to my abdomen. What's he on about now? I looked down at myself, and, to my shock, noticed a hole in my shirt that was slowly becoming more red by the second. "...Oh, crap." The pain began to rush in. I grabbed the area where I'd been shot and I collapsed onto the floor. My hearing coming back ever so slowly, I saw Musket step over me and over to the control panel, continuing to fire shots into Ponyville's shield. First off, I want you to know: Don't ever get shot. It hurts. Like, on an excruciating level. Second off, I'm in danger of bleeding to death in this tank while this guy destroys Ponyville. I don't know how long that shield's gonna last, but it won't last forever. "You complete and utter jackass..." I coughed out some blood. "Like, seriously, dude. What is your problem...?" "Them ponies, obviously. What else'd be my problem, Walty? They was your problem, too, 'til that King guy wiped yer memories n'all." "But... why, though? What reason do you have to destroy Ponyville?!" "I dunno. Y'all said it'd be fun, and I hate them damn ponies anyhoo." He fired another shot into the shield. The damn thing looked like it was visibly cracking at this point. I didn't even know magic could crack. I tried to stand up, but the pain was just too much. I couldn't get a single foot on the floor. "Aw, come on, Walty! Don't y'all wanna watch them fireworks with me before ya die?" He fired another shot at the shield. The shield wasn't able to stop it. The explosion blew a small hole through it, an opening just large enough for the RYAN to shoot through. "Hee-HEE! Yessirree, this'll do nicely!" I needed to do something. Anything that could stop this. I don't care what at this point. I can't die laying at the bottom of a tank, being gloated at by some senile old man. That's an unflattering way to go if I've ever heard of one. I heard an explosion. "RIP-A-DEE-DOO! There goes somebody's house!" An explosion... wait. The self destruct button. I craned my neck as hard as possible, eyeing the self destruct button under the desk. I slowly started to drag myself towards Musket, trying to be as quiet as possible while he was focused on blowing up Town Hall. "Y'all seein' this, Walty? This is what y'all wanted!" I grabbed Musket's ankle and pulled his foot out from underneath him, causing him to fall on his back in an admittedly rather funny-looking fashion. "Agh! What in tarnation-?!" I lurched as far under the desk as possible and... stopped. Is this really all worth it? Just to save a town? Like, it's just a bunch of buildings. Is it really that important? I mean, I know a lot of ponies live here and stuff, but- Oh, wait. My line of thinking is being interrupted by Musket trying to pull me out from under the desk. "Get outta there, ya damn idjit! Yer gonna kill us both!" Oh, screw it. I slammed my fist down on the button.

George Trestale, God of... Something

Hello To Old Goodbyes

An excruciatingly bright whiteness filled my vision, accompanied by an equally white noise ringing throughout my ears. I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't use any of my senses, for that matter. All I felt was... a strange calmness. Was this really it? Was I dead? I patiently waited for the ringing to stop, and to my relief, it did, only giving way for me to hear... nothing. This really must be it. I must be dead. I mean, I got shot and then presumably blown up. Not many ways I could get out of that alive. I tried saying something, but it seemed as if I had no mouth - That is, until it started hurting. Excruciatingly. In fact, my entire body felt like it was burning. "AaaaaaaaaAAAAGH!" I screamed, clutching my stomach. I- Wait, clutching my stomach? I looked down, and sure enough, I could see myself, floating in a white void... naked. "WAH!" I shouted, quickly covering up my crotch area and looking around. Oh, wait. I'm alone. I can be naked and no one can stop me. I quickly gained my composure and decided to look all around myself, trying to get some idea of where I was. But no matter where I looked, there was just... white. As far as I could possibly see. Is this really it? "HEY!" I shouted into the abyss. My voice echoed back several times louder. "Anyone out there?! Don't tell me this is the afterlife! This is very bland and uninspired!" "Oh, well, we can't have that," a voice replied, seemingly coming from all angles. I whipped my head around, trying to discern the source of the noise. "Whazzat?! What's goin' on?!" "Oh, don't you worry, my little hairless ape. You're just dead." This time the voice was coming from directly in front of me, and as I squinted as hard as I could, somehow being able to see fine without my glasses, something slowly materialized into my presence. It was by far the strangest-looking creature I'd ever seen. It looked like some kind of weird amalgamation of animals, with the body of a snake, the head of a goat, the... arm of a lion... Do lions have arms...? I don't understand what I'm looking at here at all. "I'm honestly surprised I didn't see you here sooner," the... thing said. "Then again, you have a bit of a penchant for cheating death, don't you, George?" I just stared at him for a second. "I- I'm sorry, did you say dead? Are you saying this is the afterlife? Are... Are you God?" To my surprise, the snake-goat thing just replied by letting out a loud, uproaring laugh that seemed to reverberate against non-existent walls. "Sure! Yes, that's me! I'm God!" He said, wiping a tear from his eye with his left... chicken claw. "Pleased to finally meet you, George! Welcome to... Heaven." "This is heaven? It seems rather..." I looked around the whole place yet again. "...barren." "Oh, yes. Sorry about that, we've had some budget cuts lately," he replied, flipping himself over to look at me upside down. "By the way, you're looking a bit barren yourself. Would you like some clothes?" I quickly remembered my nudeness and covered up my crotchular region. "Right, yes! Clothes, please!" He simply smirked and snapped his fingers, and with that a full set of my typical clothes appeared on my body. "Phew. Thanks, God," I said, straightening my tie. "So... is it just us here?" "For now," he said. "But you're due for a departure. See, despite your best efforts, you're not actually supposed to be dead yet." "Wait, seriously? I mean, that's great, you've got zero complaints from me, but... why?" "Oh, don't worry, I'm sure you'll find out in a few weeks or so," 'God' told me. He brought his hand up to make one final finger-snapping motion. "Oh, by the way, I was told to give you a message. Only, I've kind of forgotten what most of it was. I believe part of it was 'you'll be fine', and there was also a 'thank you' in there." Before I could respond, he snapped his fingers, and he disappeared. My surroundings went pitch black, and I found myself falling, falling, and also falling. "Holy crap, I am so tired of falliiiiiiNNNNNNGGGGGGG-!" I shouted, before I finally stopped to a halt. And then... there's that ear-ringing again. I swear I'm gonna have tinnitus after this is all over. And yet, through the ringing... I can hear voices. Familiar voices. But why can't I see? Everything's black... Oh, wait. My eyes are closed. I dragged my eyes open, being greeted with the sight of the sky, and more importantly, a bunch of familiar ponies looking down at me with relief. Oh, and King Tetesac, too. "Oh, thank Celestia," said Lyra, letting out a sigh. "George? George, can you hear me?" Tetesac said, waving his hand in front of my face. "How many fingers am I holding up?" I barely managed to squeak out a "thirteen" from my mouth. "Well," said Tetesac, "Good news is, you're alive. Bad news, you need a new pair of glasses." I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position. Wow, surprisingly enough, I feel fine. I mean, I'm covered in... black stuff, and from what I can feel of my hair, half of it is missing, and my glasses are god-knows where. Even stranger, looking down at my clothes, they're all in pristine condition. Seriously, it's like these were only just now brought into existence. I looked around at everyone. "Holy shit, how am I alive right now?!" "That's a good question, actually," said Twilight. "You don't seem to have a single scratch on you." "Perhaps your immortality has returned?" said Tetesac. "Well, only one way to find out!" I said. I quickly levitated one of the shards of metal from the tank and drove it through my abdomen. To my complete shock, it didn't even hurt. I took it out, and the gaping bloody hole in my body re-filled instantly. Even my suit knit itself back together. "Wooooooah. That is sick on a whole new level. Also, something just hit me - I telekinetically moved that shard of metal! Does this mean my powers are fixed?!" "It appears so," said Luna. "I must say, I'm surprised." "Yeah, imagine how I feel!" I said, looking at my hands. I quickly snapped my fingers, and a plate of Cobb salad appeared in my lap. "Aw, sweet! I- wait, I don't like Cobb salad." This was met with an oddly synchronized round of laughter from everyone present. I just tried to sort of nervously laugh along with them. "So," said Rainbow, "You saved Ponyville! You did it! How do you feel about that?" "Uh, well, pretty good, I guess," I said, tossing the Cobb salad aside. "I'm just relieved this whole ordeal is over. Plus, the powers thing is a nice bonus." "Yes, that is very fortunate, George! Congratulations," said Tetesac, grinning very widely. "In fact, your bravery has inspired me! I'm going to sign the peace treaty with Equestria! A round of applause for George, everybody!" At the exact second he finished that sentence, everyone started clapping in perfect sync - which, by the way, when done by a pony, looks kinda weird. "Congratulations," said Celestia. "Congratulations," said Luna. "Congratulations," said Twilight. "Congratulations," said Rainbow Dash. "Congratulations," said Applejack. "Congratulations," said Rarity. "Congratulations," said Pinkie Pie. "Congratulations," said Fluttershy. "Congratulations," said Twilight. "Congratulations," said Lyra. "Congratulations," said Sandra. "Ah-heh, this is a very weird way of congratulating me, all of you guys taking-" Wait. Sandra? I turned to the left, a precise 38 degrees, and sure enough, Sandra Walt, my... "daughter", was standing there among the other ponies. "I- You... Huh?!" I stared at her, bewildered beyond belief. "I'm so proud of you, Dad!" she said, clapping along with everyone else present. I got up and took a good few steps back. "No, wait. Wait. You just hold on a god-damned second here. This... Something is very wrong here." "Congratulations," said a voice behind me. I spun around and witnessed Old Man Musket rise out of what was left of the tank, engulfed in flames yet clapping along with everyone else. "Just what the hell is this?!" I shouted as the skin melted off his face. "You guys are freaking me out on a multitude of levels!" I spun around only to find that, not only was Musket melting, everyone else was as well. Even my surroundings were suffering the same fate. I covered my mouth, unable to muster up anything to say at this point. I just... what the hell, man. I watched as almost everyone I'd met over my adventure dissolved into puddles, still clapping and cheering me on the entire time. "Congratulations, George, you did it. You're a hero." "STOP!" I yelled, covering my ears and shutting my eyes. "For God's sake, this is stupid! And edgy! And melodramatic!" I opened my eyes for a brief moment, only to close them again reflexively. "GOD, GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" ~~~ Yet again, my vision was filled with white. Am I seriously back in heaven again? I swear, if that last ordeal was some sick joke by Mister "God" I'm gonna be... very angry at him. Wait, why do my eyes hurt so much? It's like I'm looking directly into some kind of... bright... light source... Wait a second, that's a goddamn light bulb. I quickly shut my eyes and gave them a good rubbing with my hands. Jesus, how long was I looking at that thing? I made sure to direct my vision somewhere else before opening my eyes, revealing my surroundings to me as being... a hospital room. And more importantly, a hospital bed. That I'm laying in. Wearing nothing but a hospital gown. I looked over to the other side of the room, where there was a closed door, plus a window with the blinds blocking any way I could see out into the hall. Next to my bed was a small table, with a radio situated on top of it, which was quietly letting out some upbeat music. I then elected to assess my own self. I looked over my body, and found that my leg was in a cast. That's real nice. The area around my stomach where I'd been shot was wrapped in bandages too. Remembering the dream, I ran my hand through my hair - Yeah, some of it's... partially missing. I guess that's what happens when a tank explodes with you in it. Jesus christ, a tank exploded with me in it. And I... I survived. Holy crap, that's fucking awesome. That's even better than surviving falling off Canterlot, and I didn't even have immortality to help me this time! ...Or did I? I eyed a pen next to the radio. Without putting much thought into it, I quickly grabbed it, set my left hand on the bed, and drove the pen right into it. "GAAAAAAAAH!" Yeah, every bit as painful as before. I yanked the pen out of my hand and observed the hole that was now leaking a generous amount of blood. Yeah, that's not healing at all. "Shit!" I shouted, clutching my hand with as much force as I could. God, I feel like such an idiot sometimes. Just then, the door to my room swung open, and in walked a pony- Er, wait, no, this one's a guy. So, uh... a stallion, I guess? Then again, he's got a horn, so I guess "Unicorn" works fine. Either way, he was dressed in what looked to me like doctor clothes, and he rushed over to my bed. "Good heavens," he shouted, "You're awake! What happened?!" "I, uh..." I started to try to come up with an excuse, but I ended up just showing him my hand. "It was the pen." "Sweet Celestia! How on earth did the pen do that?!" "...I dropped it." "You dropped it?!" "Yeah. Really hard." "Well, I'll have to disinfect the wound, and bandage it up," he said, opening some drawers and taking out some bottles and bandages. "Now, then, while I do that, I imagine you probably have a good few questions for me." "That's... Actually, yeah. I do. I'm guessing you're my doctor, right?" "That's right. I was in charge of ensuring you survived your injuries, plus watching over you while you were unconscious," he said. "My name's Dr. Saddler, by the way." "Oh, I see. My name's George Trestale. I don't think I have a doctorate, though." "Ah, yes, don't worry, I know your name. Your friends told me every little detail they could about your adventure over the past week and a half or so. I have to say, thank you for saving Ponyville, and also, curse you for trying to destroy it." I put on an innocent grin. "Well, if you think about it, I think the two kinda cancel each other out. But, uh, more importantly, where am I right now?" "Yes, I figured that would be the first real question. This is Ponyville hospital. Your condition was far too critical to take you anywhere farther, so this is where you were taken. Let's see, it's been about... three weeks, now?" I recoiled, both out of shock, and also from him pouring disinfectant onto my hand. "Three weeks?! I've been out that long?!" "That's right. Your injuries were rather severe, it's a miracle you're even alive. You had burns all over your body, shrapnel where the burns weren't, and one of your legs was flat out severed. Thankfully, nothing hit your vitals, even that strange metal ball in your abdominal region." "Well, that's g- Wait, severed?!" I shouted, looking down at my cast-ridden right leg. "I thought it was just broken!" "Oh, no. Thankfully, we were able to re-attach it, however. In fact, it should be good as new soon enough." He began wrapping the bandage around my hand using his oh-so-neat unicorn magic. "I must say, I've never operated on a human before. I was surprised to see how similar the procedure was to operating on the average pony." "I'm guessing the reattachment process involved magic," I said, watching the roll of bandages levitate around my hand. "That's right," he said, cutting off the roll with a pair of scissors. "Most of your healing procedures did, mainly for the sake of keeping you alive, and then accelerating your recovery." "But you couldn't make my hair grow back?" I felt the few large spots where my hair was much, much shorter. "Sorry, that's a different doctor," he said, chuckling to himself. "Same deal for your glasses and your clothes. Your clothes were almost completely burned up, and from what Celestia told me, they couldn't even find your glasses." "That's a real shame," I said, now really taking in how blurry things were. "I liked those glasses." "Oh, by the way, those friends of yours I mentioned wanted me to let them know when you woke up. If you don't mind, I'll go do that." Ah, right. Lyra and Tetesac. And... maybe the other ponies, I guess? I'm surprised those other guys really care that much about my well being. I appreciate it, though. "Yeah, sure, go ahead." After the doctor left, I remained in my bed, idly waiting and tapping my fingers along to the radio. I figured they'd be a while, so I figured I'd just- Oh, wait. My door's already opening. I jerked my head around to see, wouldn't you know it, Lyra Heartstrings walking in. "George!" She ran up to the side of my bed. "You're awake!" I grinned at her. "Am I, really? What tipped you off? Was it the fact that my eyes are open, or that I'm talking to you right now?" Lyra lowered her eyelids a bit. "Still dedicated to the 'sarcastic jerkass' persona, huh?" "You know it- Ohhhh. Hey, Lyra. You just said a swear word. That's new from you." "W-Huh?! Oh, shoot, I did! Oh, man, I hope I don't get in trouble for that..." "What is it with you ponies and swearing, anyway? I haven't heard a single one from any of you until now." "I don't know, okay? Look, that's besides the point. What's important is, you're finally awake! Do you have any idea how long you've been out?!" "Yeah," I said, scooting myself back a bit. "Three weeks, right? What's been happening in that timeframe?" "Oh, a heck of a lot. King Tetesac wasn't able to wait for you to wake up, since he's the King and all, so he ended up having to go back to Anthropia. Everyone else has been waiting for word of you waking up. Weirdly enough, a lot of Ponyville seems to consider you a hero now." "A hero? Really?" "Yeah. I think the whole part about you being the one who built the tank didn't circulate as well as you being the one to destroy it. Pinkie Pie even threw a party for you saving... most of the town. I think she's also planning on a 'waking up' party for you, now that I think about it." "Most of the town? Ohhh, right. He did blow up that one house. I wonder who that belonged to," I said, scratching my chin. "Yeah, that was my house." "...Oh. Oh shit." "Don't worry, though," Lyra said, lowering her eyelids again. "You and that Musket guy can share the blame for that. I'm staying at a friend's house for now." "Speaking of Old Man Musket, what happened to him? Is he... you know..." "Dead? Surprisingly, nope. Though, he is in way worse condition than you are. Celestia's planning on sending him back to Anthropia once he recovers enough, so Tetesac's probably going to have to deal with that whole thing himself." "Well, I guess that's a relief to know I didn't kill him. I just wanted to, you know, stop him." "What even happened in there? Why was he in the tank? We couldn't really get any answers out of him even after he'd healed up a bit. He just started yelling gibberish and blaming you for blowing up my house." "Wow, what a dick. That was totally not my fault. But, uh, as it turns out, that tank wasn't actually self-piloted. I had recruited Musket to destroy Ponyville for me, for some reason. I don't know why him of all people, but whatever. After I successfully teleported in there, that jackass shot me with some kind of invention I'd given him and tried to blow up Ponyville. Thankfully, though, there was a self-destruct button, so I deftly pressed that and blew up the whole tank." "You blew it up on purpose?! With you still in it?!" "Well, I was already on the floor bleeding out, so I figured if I was gonna die, I might as well save Ponyville in the process." "I... George, you're an idiot." "I try," I said, examining my fingernails. "So, what about that whole thing with the Equestria peace treaty? Any news on that?" "Actually, yeah. You know how Tetesac's seemed a bit more... quiet, lately?" "Yeah, I did notice that." "Well, a couple days after you blew yourself up, he suddenly got out of whatever funk he was in for seemingly no reason. He marched right up to Celestia and practically demanded the peace treaty. She was surprised, of course, but she quickly agreed to it." "So, the human ban in Equestria is gone?" "That's right." "Wow. So... what I'm gathering from all this is, while I was unconscious, everyone went and resolved all the lingering plot threads without me." "Yeah, pretty much. Well, aside from one thing. From what I hear, some people in Anthropia are pretty angry about the peace treaty. Violent protests and stuff. Not pretty. Tetesac seems to be effectively dealing with it, though." "So, what, he's just a good king now all of a sudden? What happened to the whole 'I'm too scared to do the peace treaty' ordeal?" "I dunno. Maybe your... 'bravery' inspired him somehow?" I looked out the window for a second, flashing back to my dream. "...God, I hope not." "Well, either way, the doctor says you should be out of here in a couple more days," said Lyra. "He says you'll probably have to walk with a cane for a couple weeks, and probably visit a hairstylist, and a tailor, and an optometrist." "Oh, great. That sounds expensive. In fact, how much am I paying for this hospital visit right now?" "Nothing, of course. Equestria's got great healthcare, George." "...Right. No complaints from me, there." "After word of you saving Ponyville spread around, I, along with a certain few other ponies we know, went and set up a donation campaign to help you get back on your feet. As of right now, you have enough money to the point where you could comfortably live in Ponyville yourself for the next six months." "R-Really?! That's... real generous of them... And you, of course." "I think the words you're looking for are 'Thank you', George." "Right, yeah. T-Thanks. Sorry, I'm not too great at saying that." "Oh, right, one more thing," Lyra added. "Once you've recovered, Celestia wants to talk to you personally a few things. She's been a bit busy lately with the aftermath of the tank situation, so she wants you to come up to Canterlot yourself." "What, like, buying a train ticket? Ohhhh, right. I can do that now." "Yeah. I'm sure it'll be a lot easier than... whatever you did to get there the first time." "You mean other than the teleportation plus amnesia thing, right?" "Oh, yeah, right." "Ah, and, by the way, Lyra, I'm apparently religious now. Go figure, huh?" After a couple days, sure enough, Dr. Saddler gave me the go-ahead to leave the hospital. I still ached a bit, and had a few noticeable scars left over, plus I indeed had to walk with a cane, but really, it's fine. Plus, the cane's really neat looking. It's all gold-tipped and stuff. And it was also free! God, I love these ponies. My only complaint is the clothes. The hospital only had pony clothes, which I was sort of able to wear, but looked really goddamn weird on me. Lyra and I stepped out of the hospital doors into the bright shining sun of Ponyville. Trying to walk as fast as possible with my cane, I made sure to look around as much as possible and take in all the sights of the land. "Wait up a second, Lyra, disabled man walking here." I tried to do some sort of skipping-running motion towards her that I couldn't possibly describe to you, but the pain in my leg slowed me a bit. "While we're here, I think we should take a look around town, don't you?" I said, noticing that she'd slowed her pace so I could better keep up. "Last time I was here I was too busy getting chased by an angry mob to do any real sightseeing." "You got chased by an angry mob here too? Jeez, you're like some kind of angry mob magnet, huh?" "Well, not anymore, I hope." As we walked out into the general area of Ponyville, as I expected, I got a decent few odd looks from ponies, but hey, at least none of them had a pitchfork. Well, aside from that farmer guy. Looking around, I spotted that castle that was sitting in the middle of the town. I still really don't like the aesthetics of that thing. "I swear, that castle just really clashes with the rest of the town's look," I said, eyeing it from afar. "What is that even made of? Crystal? That's just flat-out tacky. Who even lives there?" "Uh," said Lyra, "Twilight does. That's the Castle of Friendship." "Castle of Friendship? What the hell kind of name is that? And Twilight lives there? I... Actually, I'm not really that surprised at that. We should go pay her a visit, though." "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'm sure she'll be glad to know you're up and walking around." After a walk that took way longer than it should have, we arrived at the doors of this "Castle of Friendship". Man, this thing is way bigger than I expected it to be. I stepped up to the door and gave it a good few knocks. Surprisingly quickly, the door opened, and standing in the door was none other than... Twilight's dragon friend. What was his name again? I quickly chose myself to be the first to speak. "Oh, hey, dragon guy whose name I totally remember! We're here to see Twilight." "Oh, you remember my name, huh? What is it?" "Uh. Right. It was, uh... Spark? No, that's not it, uh... Spock?" Lyra whispered into my ear. "Spike, dummy." "Right! Spike! See, I told you I remembered." "Yeah, right," said Spike, looking unimpressed. "Twilight's upstairs, I can go get her for you if you want-" "No time for that now!" I shouted, barging in and attempting to run up the stairs. Lyra took a good few seconds to stand there in shock before she finally let out a sigh and followed me up. Sort-of-fast-cane-walking down the hall at the top, I reached a golden door and shoved it open. "What's up, bitches? George Trestale is back from the dead!" Six heads quickly turned to me from six thrones all situated around a round table. All of this, by the way, made of more crystal. And wow, the six of them are here already. That's... really convenient. "George?" said Twilight, getting up from her chair. "You're out of the hospital! That's great!" "Yeah, I'm here too," said Lyra. "I would've appreciated if you'd knocked, though," said Twilight. "We're in the middle of something here." "I did knock," I said. "I mean, not this door, but your front door. It counts." Twilight just looked at me for a second before Rainbow butted in, flying in front of my face. "Wow, George! You're looking pretty good for someone who got blown up. That was a really awesome stunt you pulled." "Oh, yeah," I said, rolling my eyes. "It almost killed me trying to perfect it." Unfortunately, I then received a grim reminder of a certain high-pitched, screechy, pink voice that may as well be foreshadowing the apocalypse. "GEORGE!" In an instant, I was suddenly assaulted by a wave of pink. I dropped my cane and looked down, seeing that Pinkie Pie was now in the process of giving me a very tight hug. "You're alive!" "Uhh, yeah. I'm alive. Did you... not know that yet?" "Well, of course I did, silly! I just wanted to say it again, 'cause this means you can finally come to my party!" "...Oh, shi- I mean, uh. Hurrah..." I unenthusiastically said, pumping my fist into the air ever so weakly. "I just want to say," said Twilight, flying over to me. "I'm really sorry about how I treated you back in Canterlot. It's just, you know, the human ban, and we've had some bad situations in the past..." "Nah, it's fine," I said, prying Pinkie Pie off me. "I've had worse stuff happen to me. A lot of it done by myself, now that I think about it." "I'm right sorry too, for tyin' ya up like some kinda animal," said Applejack. "Me too, for, uh, helping her tie you up, I guess," Rainbow added. Then, Fluttershy's voice piped up for once. "Uhm, I didn't really do anything, but I'm sorry too..." "I as well," said Rarity. I brought my hands up. "Really, guys, it's fine. It's not a big deal. I'm sure you all had at least some good intentions," I said with a bit of snark. "Oh, by the way," said Twilight, "I told the local optometrist about you, and he says he can make a pair of glasses that can fit your head. He wants you to come down there as soon as you can so he can get your head measurements." "Can't I just use Anthropia's optometrist? I'm sure they've got one, otherwise I'd be very confused as to where my last pair came from." "Er..." Twilight just stood there for a second and scratched the back of her neck. "That's not really- Well, I don't know if that's..." "....Yes, any day now, Twilight." "It's-It's really not that important!" She said, holding up a hoof. "I think you should just go see Princess Celestia for now. She'll explain everything to you." "Explain what?" "Everything! Just go see her, George. She's the one who wants to talk to you about this and the other... things." "Alright, alright, I'm going," I said, backing out the door and grabbing my cane on the way out. "You coming, Lyra?" "Of course," she said, following me out. Unfortunately, buying a train ticket was not as easy an experience as I expected. Given that Lyra had no money on her, I had to walk to one side of town just to get to the bank, get some money out, pay back Lyra for the stuff she got me in Canterlot, and then walk to the other side of town to get to the train station, where we had to wait two hours for a train en route to Canterlot to arrive. It's just... euuuugh. A very time-consuming situation. In fact, by the time we made it onto the train, it was nighttime. Upon arriving, Lyra and I made a beeline straight for the castle, not even bothering to look for any ponies that were staring at me. We made it to the castle in record time (if there's a record for walking to the castle with a cane) and, to my surprise, the guards actually welcomed us in this time. "Ah, Mr. Trestale," said one of them. "Princess Celestia has been expecting you." "Yeah, I know- Wait, Hoofington? Is that you? That's a new set of armor, isn't it?" "Yep, it's me. I got promoted after that whole tank ordeal. Great job blowing up that thing, by the way." "Yeah, not a problem. I'd sacrifice a leg for Ponyville any day." Man, I am really on my snark game today. Hoofington led us down the halls directly to Celestia's throne room. "The Princess requested that she speak to you alone, George, so I'm afraid Ms. Heartstrings will have to wait outside." "Aww," said Lyra, lowering her head and kicking the ground lightly. "I was really curious about what she had to say to you." "Don't worry," I told her reassuringly. "I'll give you a rundown after it's all over." I gently opened the gigantic door to the throne room and slipped in, closing it behind me. All the way at the other end of the room sat, of course, Princess Celestia. "That is a far less excessive entrance than last time," she said, smiling. "To be honest, I almost preferred the last one." "Really? That's, uh... Thanks, I guess?" I slowly began walking myself up to Celestia with my cane. "George, there are a good few things I want to speak with you about," she said, "Not all of them you will like, but I must discuss them with you all the same." "Alright, well, in that case, we might as well get started," I said, finally stopping at the base of the steps to her throne. "Yes, well, for the first matter, I want to apologize for not only my treatment of you before, but also my general tone of speaking with you. I was a bit on edge from the entire situation with the tank, and as such I was not quite myself at the time." "Man, it feels like every pony I've seen today has apologized to me for something. Even that train ticket guy apologized to me because he forgot one of the two dots that go into the colon that's part of the time of day that was written on my train ticket. It's weird." "Well, if there is anything us ponies value, it is peace, and friendship. We generally prefer to keep the best possible relations with others as possible." "...Right. That one hundred percent makes sense with everything that's happened in the past... god-knows how long at this point." "That aside, there are more important matters I would like to speak to you about," she said. "Three subjects in particular. I will start with the least severe. Now, from what I understand, you have unusual magic powers, is that correct?" "If by 'unusual' you mean 'broken', then sure." "Would you be interested in fixing your broken powers?" My ears perked up. "Okay, now you've got my attention. Yes, absolutely." "Well, I cannot guarantee anything, but it is entirely possible that you could, eventually, strengthen your powers to a point where they, well, actually function properly." "Does that include my immortality?" "Potentially, yes." "WHOO-HOO!" "Please, do not get too excited. This is only a mere possibility. You will have to submit to an extensive training regimen for your powers in order to see if you get any results. I am not familiar with the nature of your inventions, or how humans use magic, so I may be completely wrong." "Okay, I'll cut off the 'Hoo' from it and be content with a 'Whoo'. Deal?" "Yes, sure. Deal." "WHOO!" "George, remember, I still have other things to say." "Oh, right. Please, continue." "I am not quite sure how you will respond to this, so bear with me," she said. She stepped down from her throne and walked towards me. "While I don't know a lot of information about it, I do know of an experimental magic-based program that can potentially restore lost memories. Especially ones removed through magic-related means." "Restore... lost memories? Like, as in my lost memories?" "That's correct. As I said, I don't know much about the process, but I do know that some ponies with amnesia who have taken the procedure have left with all of their memories restored. Some only regained a select few memories, while others gained none at all. It seems to be a very hit-or-miss process, but I assumed you would want to at least know about it, so you can consider it for yourself." Restoring... my memories? That's really possble? Huh. I honestly don't really know if I even want to do that. I need to put a lot of thought into this- Oh wait, Celestia's still talking. "Finally, the third subject. I feel like you probably aren't going to enjoy this." "That's very reassuring." "Yes, well, first off, I want you to know that I very much appreciate your efforts in successfully stopping your own tank from destroying Ponyville. From what I've heard, there was another man in there, correct?" "Yeah, that's right. News travels fast, huh?" "Yes. Well, that's not quite relevant anyway. As I said, I appreciate what you've done very much, and I believe you probably had some kind of influence on King Tetesac finally signing that treaty," she said, now walking behind me. "Alright, but what's your point? What's the part I won't like?" I asked, now following her. "Regardless of that, I did recieve reports of you causing some trouble in various areas of Equestria." "...Oh." "Among them were multiple counts of breaking and entering, one situation where you set fire to a pony's house, one count of theft, and you are also still at least partially responsible for the destruction of your friend Lyra's home." "...Ah, right. I kinda forgot about all that." "Given recent events, I'm willing to let most of that go," she said, stopping and turning to me. "However, I still cannot let you get off completely scot-free." "Aw, shit. Am I going to jail?" She raised a hoof in reassurance. "Oh, no, no. All I ask is that you take a few months or so to reside in Ponyville, so that Twilight and her friends can help teach you some lessons in friendship." "...And, when you say you 'ask' that of me, do you mean that in the sense that I have a choice?" "I'm afraid not." "Oh, god damn it." After a moment, Princess Luna walked into the room. She stopped when she noticed I was there. "Oh, George, you made it," she said, walking up to me. "We were a bit worried about when you would wake up." "Oh, yeah. But don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. Well, other than my leg and all. And my hair. Also, I need new glasses. And a new suit. But other than that, I'm in tip-top shape." "That is great, George. I assume you received the message we sent you? "Message?" "Yes, in your sleep, we had a message delivered to you. Did you not receive it?" I thought on this for a moment, and then remembered. "Ohhhhh! You mean the message from God!" "From... God?" Celestia was clearly as confused as Luna was. The two looked at each other before Luna's horn began to glow, and lo and behold, who appeared but the creature who called himself "God". He was wearing an apron and a chef's hat too, for some reason. He looked around in confusion for a second before jumping at the sight of the Princesses. "Agh! Princess Luna, you know it's very rude to summon me without so much as a simple warning. Now my macaroni and cheese is going to burn, and it will be all your fault. You could have at least rang my doorbell, you know." "Never mind that, Discord, I must ask something of you." God's name is Discord? Huh. "Ah-ah-ah!" he said, waving his finger at her. "I don't answer unless the doorbell is rung. Look, we can practice it here." He snapped his fingers and a door inside its own door-frame appeared between him and Luna. "Now, can you see where the doorbell is?" Luna, on the other hand, looked like she'd ran out of patience. She magically yanked the door open, grabbed Discord with one hoof and pointed towards me with the other. "Did you or did you not deliver the message I asked you to?!" "Er, of course I did! Well, most of it." "Most of it?" She turned to me. "How much did he tell you?" "Uh, I think he mentioned a "thank you", and a "you'll be fine"." She turned back to Discord. "Five words?!" Discord put his hands up defensively. "Hey, it's close enough, right?" "THE MESSAGE WAS TWENTY-TWO SENTENCES LONG!" "Aw, Luna, how can you expect me to remember all that?" He said. "I gave him the most important parts." "All of it was the important part!" "Uh, if I can interject here-" I said, "Please do," said Discord, "-What the actual fuck is going on?" Discord covered his mouth in surprise. "Ooh, he swore in front of you! How scandalous!" Luna merely let go of him, dropping him to the floor, and walked back towards me. "I must apologize, George. This creature, as you might imagine, is not a God. His name is Discord, and he revels in causing chaos wherever he goes." "Wait, so he's not God? God damn it! I knew God wasn't real! I've been bamboozled again!" "...Yes. You see, a few days after your unfortunate incident, I intended to enter your dreams to give you a message regarding the state of affairs at the time. Your condition, the peace treaty with Equestria, such matters as those. Unfortunately, my magic was a bit weakened after defending Ponyville from your tank. I couldn't quite get myself to stay in your dream long enough to take notice of me." "So, you got some outside help?" "Yes. We were aware of Discord's abilities to toy with people's minds, so we reluctantly sent him in to deliver the message in my stead," she said. "Evidently, that was a mistake," She shot him an icy death glare. "Wait, so does that mean he's also responsible for that freaky-ass dream I had afterwards?!" Both Celestia and Luna's gazes immediately shot to Discord. He simply put his hands up defensively again. "Hey, I'll admit to the message thing, but I have no idea what he's talking about with the dream." Luna sighed. "Well, at least that is resolved. And put that hand down, Discord. You're not leaving yet." Discord looked like he was just about ready to teleport away. "Aww." ~~~ After a while, I finally stepped out of the throne room, where Lyra was laying on the ground. She quickly got up as soon as she noticed me. "Man, you were in there for a long time," she said. "What did you talk about?" "Oh boy, explanation time." I gave her the general run-down of the powers thing, the memories thing, and the Ponyville thing. Three very thingy things that, I assure you, I very thoroughly explained to her. "Well, it's great that you have the possibility of regaining your memories," she said as we stepped out of the castle. "I don't mean to intrude on your... choices and stuff, but is that something you want to do? It seems like you'd be bringing back a lot of pain on yourself." "I... I really don't know, Lyra. I'm mostly concerned that I'll become a genocidal maniac again." "I'd hope not. If you still hate ponies after meeting me, there's just something wrong with you." Lyra and I went up to the train station to book our tickets, and to our surprise, our train arrived immediately after we did so. The doors opened, and a multitude of ponies rushed out into the streets like a bunch of... ants, or something. Lyra and I quickly started towards one of the doors, and bumped into something very... fuzzy and cheese-scented. I looked up, and my vision was met with the face of King Tetesac. "George!" Tetesac exclaimed, engulfing me in another hug. "I came down here as soon as I heard you had awoken." I quickly pushed myself away from him out of pure surprise. "Wh- Huh? I thought you were in Anthropia! How did you get here so fast?!" "Why, I took the train, of course." "The train?! From Anthropia?! I didn't know the train even went there!" "Well, that's because the rail line there was closed after Equestria and us sort of... turned our backs on each other. Once the treaty was signed, it was just a matter of re-inspecting the railroad and un-blockading it." "B-But I thought Anthropia's location was hidden to Equestrians! How could that have been possible if there was an entire railroad going there?!" "I told you, George, our location wasn't hidden. I have no idea what you're talking about in regards to that." Lyra leaned in and whispered to me, "If it's any consolation, I thought it was hidden too." "On a more important topic," said Tetesac, eyeing my attire, "That is some strange fashion sense you've gained, George." "Look, this was all the hospital had." "Well, I believe you'll be glad to find that I took the time to take one of your suits here with me," he said, handing me a bag. "I had to enter your house without your permission to get it, but hey, I'm the king! I can do what I want!" He followed this up with a very forced laugh, clearly trying to make it obvious he was joking. "Thanks," I said, looking into the bag. "There was no way I was going to go around wearing these for several days. I look like a modern art piece." "But," Lyra interjected, "I thought you had stuff to attend to in Anthropia. You know, as king?" "Oh, I did, but I can afford to leave for a day or two. Plus, I left Good Old Musket in charge of things." If I had a drink, I'd be spitting it out right now. "M-Musket?! He's in Anthropia already?!" "And you put him in charge of something?!" Lyra added in. "Oh, no, no, no!" said Tetesac, bringing his hands up defensively. "Not Old Man Musket! This is his brother, Good Old Musket. He's a much kinder man. Makes better salads, too." "Oh. Okay." "In any case," said Tetesac, "As long as we're here, anyone care to walk around the city? I've been told it's quite pretty at night." "I guess I could do that, yeah," I said, looking around. "You up for it, Lyra? I'm kinda hungry." "As long as you're paying, sure." I walked up to the train ticket pony. "Hey, can I have my money back? I don't need these tickets anymore." "Sorry, no refunds." "What the f- Okay, well, can I at least reschedule them?" "That's a five bit fee." "Oh, for god's sake-" I reached into my pocket and pulled out some bits. "One, two, three- There, five." I tossed them onto the counter and handed her the tickets. "Keep in mind, you've gotta be back here within three hours or your tickets will be void," she said in an uncaring voice. "Yeah, thanks," I said, getting off the train platform. "Alright, where to?" "You said you're hungry, right?" said Lyra. "I am too. We should go find a place to eat." The three of us walked back up the streets of Canterlot, this time actually taking the time to look at our surroundings. Tetesac was right, this place is pretty at night. While we were walking, I took the time to explain to him what Celestia had told me. "That's great, George! Not only do you have the possibility of getting your memories back, but also your immortality? And the only price you have to pay is living in Ponyville for a few months? That's rather nice," he said. "Yeah, I just haven't really decided if I want to actually do it." "Ah, I see. I understand." "Ooh, there!" I pointed at a donut shop across the street titled "Donut Joe's". "Pinkie Pie said that place has great donuts, right? I'm in the mood for something sweet." "Sounds like an idea to me," said Tetesac. "Sure, yeah. I've been here plenty of times before," said Lyra. "Their donuts are probably the best in all of Equestria." The three of us walked into the store, the door inadvertently ringing a bell as we opened it. A pony at the counter, who I can only assume is this "Donut Joe", quickly looked up and got ready to serve us. The three of us walked up to the counter and looked at the menu. Jeez, so many choices. Some of these donuts are topped with caramel, sprinkles, pieces of cookies... "I'll take a dozen maple-frosted donuts," I instinctively said. "A whole dozen?!" exclaimed Lyra, "Is that all for you?!" "Apparently, I really like maple-frosted donuts," I said, turning to Lyra. "Now what do you guys want?" "The 'Heart Attack Special' seems like an... interesting concept," said Tetesac. "A scoop of ice cream in the middle of the donut? Topped with caramel, fudge, and chunks of brownie? That almost seems like more of a murder weapon than a dessert. I'll have that." "Excellent choice," said Joe. "Just try not to eat it all in one sitting. I don't need another lawsuit. What about you, Lyra? Your usual?" "Not today, no. I think today I'll just have a chocolate frosted long john." "You got it," he said, slinking back into the kitchen. "I'll get all that ready for you in a jiffy." "Alright," I said, looking into the bag with my clothes. "While he does that, I'm gonna go change in the bathroom. You guys can go sit down if you want." By the time I'd changed out of the pony clothes and stepped out of the bathroom, Joe had already delivered our order. I quickly sat down and opened my box of donuts. "You know," said Lyra, oh-so-rudely talking with her mouth full, "For someone who eats like you do, you are really skinny." "It's a blessing and a curse", I said as I shoved an entire donut into my mouth. We sat in silence for a while, the three of us just taking the moment to relax and eat our donuts. It was really the first time we had the chance to sit back and not worry about upcoming events. Except I was worrying about something. Let's see if you can guess what it is. If you said "the memories" or something like that, you're right. If you just read this part instead of trying to guess, you're no fun. I really can't deny, the concept of me getting my memories back is an enticing one. Really, I'd love to remember all my sciencey knowledge and stuff. But... what about everything else? "Are you alright, George?" asked Tetesac, who was digging brownie pieces out of his ice cream. "You seem to have just... stopped eating all of a sudden." "I would too, after the three you've eaten," said Lyra. "Wh-huh?" I jerked my head up and quickly looked between the two. "Oh, it's just... I've been thinking about the memories thing." "Ah," said Tetesac, wiping his mouth. "Still trying to decide if you want to do it?" "Yeah, it's just... There's so many curiosities I have about my past. So many things I'd like to know, so many things I'd like to re-learn. I can't really be a royal scientist if I have no science skills, right?" "Royal scientist?" Lyra said, confused momentarily. "Oh, right. That's what you were before. I kinda completely forgot about that." "Yeah, me too." "Well, George, what is it that's stopping you from doing it?" said Tetesac, who had finally finished his donut by now. "It's just... the way I was, with the things I did. I was a goddamned genocidal maniac, guys. What if that part of me resurfaces? All that hate for ponies, coupled with my broken magical powers, who knows what the hell could happen?" "...Well, if you want my input, George, I personally think you'd turn out fine," he said. "You're a perfectly fine person." "Yeah, I agree," said Lyra. "I mean, sure, you're a sarcastic jerkass sometimes, but I bet that's what you were like beforehand too." "The thing is, people are shaped by their experiences. And people also don't tend to always think rationally, evidenced by my attempt to destroy Ponyville. So, if I remember those experiences, what if they just take dominance again?" "Also a possibility, but perhaps you would also be influenced by the experiences you've had in saving Ponyville," he said, looking me straight in the eyes. "You do at least try to be a little rational, George. You wouldn't just discount all that." "Yeah, I know, I'm just... worried." I thought on that for a second. I know the potential negatives, but what were the biggest positives I know of from my past life? "Hey, Tetesac, I'm wondering something right now." "What is it, George?" "You wouldn't happen to conveniently have that picture of my daughter, would you?" "I'm afraid not, George." "Oh. I see." "But... you might want to check your pockets." Huh? I quickly patted around all my pockets until I found the one that felt like it had something in it. I quickly dug my hand in there and pulled out that very same picture of Sandra that I had been shown in Anthropia. I stared at the picture for a good while before speaking up. "You two have no idea how bad I feel right now, you know." "Why is that?" asked Lyra. "It's just... this girl. I was her dad. Yet, I don't really feel anything at all towards her. I don't know what she was like. I don't know anything about who she was. Like, how would you feel if your parents just... completely forgot who you were?" Lyra and Tetesac didn't respond. They simply looked at me and then down to their plates in thought. "I feel as if I'm doing this girl a disservice by continuing to not remember who she was. She deserves to be remembered, doesn't she? Yet her own dad can't even muster up the emotion to say he loves her. Because I barely even know who she was." "George," said Tetesac, placing his hairy hand onto mine. "I remember your daughter. She was ten when you adopted her. She was an exceptionally sweet girl, and she loved you very much. Every day at work it seemed as if you had a new story to tell me about her. She was what kept you going in life." "Do you remember any of them?" "Hmm..." Tetesac scratched his chin for a moment. "My memory is not what it used to be, but one story does stick out to me." "From what you told me, when she was twelve, you were at home working on a new invention: A handheld device that could solve mathematical problems instantly." "...So, a calculator?" said Lyra. "Yes. From what I remember, George, you were rather disappointed when you found out they had already been invented. Honestly, I don't even know how you didn't know calculators existed. But, getting back on track, there was a point where you were stuck on something while working on your 'invention'. For whatever reason, you just couldn't get the thing to turn on. Later on, Sandra walked in and asked what you were doing. You explained to her what you were making, and why you were stuck. Sandra took one look at the calculator, and connected two wires together. Just like that, it turned on." "...Wow. That's impressive." "Yes, I know. The entire town knew, for a matter of fact, because you just wouldn't shut up about it." He laughed. "Every day it seemed like you were looking for a new opportunity to say 'My daughter's the smartest girl in this entire goddamn town!' It really honestly started to get a bit annoying." "Huh." I just sat there for a good thirty seconds thinking about that before I spoke up. "I appreciate the story, Tetesac, but it doesn't really tell me a whole lot." I got up from my chair. "I've made up my mind. I'm doing the procedure." "Huh?!" exclaimed Lyra, getting up from her chair as well. "Are you sure?! That's a really big decision to make, George!" "Yeah, and it's also my decision to make," I said, heading for the door. "I need to at least try remember this girl. I owe it to her. If that risks me becoming a genocidal maniac again... Fine." "Well, we're coming with you!" Lyra said, following me. "Well, I guess I can't stop you, can I?" I said, walking out the door. Tetesac quickly got up and followed as well. Getting the procedure set up was a lot easier than I had expected. All I ended up having to do was go to Celestia, insist that I was sure about my decision, and I was escorted down to one of the many rooms in the castle. "Well," I said, anxiously waiting in my waiting chair in the waiting room. "I gotta say, I really don't like waiting." "Who does, really?" asked Tetesac. After some time, the door to the waiting room opened and a unicorn stepped out, reading from a clipboard. "George Trestale?" she asked. I quickly got up and walked over. "I'm Dr. Heartfelt," she said. "I'm your doctor tonight. Nice to meet you." "Likewise," I said. "So, if you were to give any kind of estimate-" "Sorry, no estimates," she said, holding up a hoof. "I can't give you any false expectations. You're just going to have to take the procedure and see how it goes." "Oh, fine. Let's do it then." "Not yet," she said, levitating a stack of papers over to me. "Here's a two-inch-thick stack of various waivers and disclaimers I need you to sign." "D'OH!" ~~ One Hour and a Half Later ~~ "Okay, I'm done," I said, caressing my aching wrist as I handed the papers over to her. "I think all of your pens are out of ink now, by the way." "Yes, that happens every time we have someone do this," she said. "You see that storage room door over there? That's all just stockpiles of pens." "...Wow." "Anyway, please step inside this room." I stepped inside, making sure to silently wave back at Lyra and Tetesac right before the door shut. "Please sit in the chair, Mr. Trestale." I sat down in the chair, and immediately a bunch of electrodes rose from under the chair and attached to my face. "This procedure is mostly done with magic, but to assist me, I'm going to need you to answer a few questions. Potentially personal ones. I'm telling you this now because I know you didn't read most of those forms." "Ah, heh," I chuckled nervously. "It's fine, just do whatever you gotta do." "First off, what is the earliest memory you have? I'm talking actual personal experiences here." I thought back. "Falling out of the sky in Canterlot, directly after losing my memories." "But you didn't actually know at the time that you'd lost your memories, correct?" "Yeah, that's right." "Second question: Do you have knowledge of any names that were important to you when you had your memories?" "Does my own name count? It was different back then." "That's perfect. What was it?" "Humphrey Walt." This interrogation continued for a good while until the doctor finally set her clipboard down and walked towards me. "Now, I am going to have to magically sedate you. I will say, do not think that you will just sleep through this whole process. Though you will not be conscious, many ponies who have undergone this procedure have experienced very strange, often frightening things while they're out cold. There's no telling what you're going to see." "That's fine. Let's just get this over with." With that, I saw a glow around my head, and I was out. Whiteness again. It's always whiteness, isn't it? Oh, wait. Now it's blackness. Really not any less cliche, guys. I tried looking around, suddenly realizing that I was actually standing in the middle of a seemingly endless black void. Wait a minute, I'm hearing voices. What's going on? No, seriously, I'm hearing something, but I can't quite figure out what it's saying. "LOOK BEHIND YOU, GEORGE!" "GAAAAHOLYSHITFUCKINGDICKTITS-" I screamed, jumping in the air and doing a complete 180. What I saw in front of me was quite possibly the most frightening thing I'd ever seen. It was Tetesac's head, except roughly twenty feet tall and body-less. Also, alive and talking. "How you doin', George?" Tetesac's head shouted. "I, uh..." I simply just lifted my finger up to point at Tetesac. "Are you the scary thing that doctor said I'd see?" "Hell if I know," said Tetesac. "A-CHOO!" With absolutely zero warning, I was now covered in Tetesac snot. "Oh god, that's disgusting," I said, trying to wipe it off my clothes. "I'd be really pissed at you right now if I didn't know this wasn't real." "Isn't everything the same way, though?" asked Tetesac. "Reality to us is only how we experience it. What you're experiencing right now could be a reality of it's own." "Oh, don't get all pseudo-psychological on me." "Says the guy arguing with himself." "Fine, fine. What I do know is, you're obviously not really Tetesac. You don't even act like he does." "Wow, what else tipped you off? Was it that I don't have a body? Or hat my head's so fuckin' big?" "Dude, now you're basically just acting like I do. Except you're a dick." "Of course I'm acting like you. I AM you, dumbass." Tetesac's head quickly morphed into my own. "But, yes, I agree, you're a dick." "...So, what now?" "What do you mean?" "What do I do now? Do I just sit here and wait for the procedure to be over?" "I dunno, man. I only know what you know. By the way, my chin itches. Could you come scratch it for me?" "No, I am not going to scratch your-" Wait a minute, mine itches too. I quickly brought my hand up and scratched my itch away. "Ahhh, thanks, pal," said giant-head me. "W-Huh?! I didn't- Oh, screw it. I'm just gonna sit in the corner over here." "There's no corners here, but whatever floats your boat, man." "Can't you morph into someone I'd enjoy being around?" "Ooh, how about this?" The head suddenly morphed into Lyra. "You just love being around her, don't you?" "Yeah, she's probably my best friend," I said. "First pony who didn't try to hurt or capture me in some way." "And are you sure you're just friends?" "What do you mean?" "Don't you think something... more could blossom from your relationship?" "...Listen here, you overinflated ego. I want you to crumple up whatever idea you have there and throw it into the trash and burn it. We're friends. Nothing more. Besides, you already know that I don't swing that way." "By which you mean to say, you're not into ponies?" "...Right. Yes. That's totally what I meant. So shut up and let me wait this out in peace." ~~~ My eyes shot open just in time to see Dr. Heartfelt turn the lights back on. I saw the electrodes pop off my face, and I slowly got up off the chair. "Man, how long was I out?" "A half hour. How do you feel?" "The same. In fact, uh... I can't think of any new memories." "If any new memories were unlocked, it will take a minute or two for them to actually... you know, trickle in," she said. "What I'm more concerned with is what you were doing while you were out. It was like you were having an argument with yourself. It was... weird." "Oh. That. Right. Listen, all I have to say about that is this. If you guys ever get into researching cloning technology, do not let me anywhere near that." "...Okay." I almost laughed, but then I froze. Holy shit, my head! I grabbed my head with both hands and keeled over. "D-Doctor! My BRAIN HURTS!" "That's a normal symptom! Just let it pass, it'll be over in a moment!" "But it HURTS, GOD DAMN I-" I froze. Again. I stood up. "Are you alright, Mr. Trestale?!" the doctor asked. I walked out the door. Waiting there was Tetesac and Lyra. "Oh, you're back!" said Lyra. "Wake up, Tetesac!" she smacked his knee. "Wh-Huh?! Oh, George, you're back!" said Tetesac. "How did it go? Do you remember anything?" I simply stood there and looked at him for a good few seconds. "...Yes. Yes I do." "That's great! What do you remember?" "I remember being stupid enough to try and make friends with a god-damned pony." All of a sudden, the smile disappeared off Lyra's and Tetesac's faces. "Wh-What are you saying?" "I'm saying I should've let Ponyville get blown up when I had the chance! God, I'm an idiot. I could've let Musket destroy Ponyville, and everything would've been fine, but nooooo. You had to make me lose my memory, you goddamn idiot," I said, jabbing my finger into Tetesac's chest. "George..." Tetesac said, clearly looking frightened. "What?" "This isn't one of your pranks, is it?" "...Was it that obvious?" Both Tetesac and Lyra let out sighs of relief. "George, you almost gave me a heart attack," said Tetesac. "Between your stunt just now and that donut, I'm surprised I'm not dead right now." "But seriously, do you remember anything?" said Lyra. "...Yeah, I do. I remember... some things. A lot of things, actually." "Do you remember your daughter?" "I... think so. I remember adopting her. I remember losing her." A tear must've rolled down my face, because before I knew it, Tetesac was hugging me again. "I'm so sorry, George," he said. "Don't be," I said, pushing myself out of his arms. "I'm not sad. I'm just... really glad I made the decision to remember her." Lyra smiled. "That's sweet." The three of us walked out of the waiting room to find Princess Celestia waiting for us. "Oh, I apologize," she said. "I was a bit anxious about the results." "Well," I said, walking up to her, "What I can tell you is that your doctor's procedure was a resounding success, mostly. Thank you, Princess." "Oh, well that's a relief. I was afraid-" "Hold on a second, I don't think I used enough swear words in that sentence. How's this: 'Damn, Celestia, your memory restoring process worked good as fuck!'" Celestia was visibly taken aback for a moment, but then simply smirked. "Haven't changed a bit, have you?" "Not in the slightest," I said, and with that I promptly turned around and strutted my best strut out the castle doors. ~~~ "God, that landscape is gorgeous," I said, looking out the window. Lyra, Tetesac, and I were on the train headed back to Ponyville, and Discord as my witness, I was going to enjoy every second of it. "How long until we reach Ponyville?" I asked. "About half an hour," said Lyra. "Great, that's 1800 more seconds of this train ride for me to enjoy!" "You seem... happier than usual, George," said Tetesac. "Yeah, I mean, you weren't much of a downer most of the time before, but now it's like you've gone all sunshine and rainbows or something." "Yeah, I guess I'm just all giddy that everything's been resolved. Absolutely nothing left to worry about that I somehow forgot. Nope. Nothing at all." "George, I have to ask -" said Tetesac, turning towards me. "- How do you feel?" "In general, or like, in relation to... before?" "In relation." "Honestly? Exactly the same. Like, I don't feel different in the slightest. I just feel like I know more things now. And that's a cathartic feeling for me." "That's good," said Lyra. "I was afraid I was going to lose the George I enjoyed having as a friend." "Hah," I laughed. "Nope, don't you worry. You're stuck with me until the day one of us dies." I paused for a moment and then added - "You were right, Tetesac. I'm not gonna just discount everything that's happened recently. That's ridiculous. In fact, this past month may have been the best of my life - In terms of, like, fun, at least. Also, holy shit I was an idiot back when I made that tank. Like, now that I actually remember doing it, I feel way worse about trying to blow up Ponyville. Like... Holy shit. I am so sorry about that, guys." "It's alright," said Lyra. "Seems like all our villain problems get solved with forgiveness anyways." "If I may," said Tetesac, "There was one thing I've been meaning to ask you for a long time." "What's that?" "Your daughter... Do you know why she ran off like that?" "...No. I don't. I mean, maybe it was because of that kid at school...? Sorry, I really have no idea. I've been asking the same question of myself, ever since... then. That is, before the memories thing. Thanks for that, by the way, Tetesac. I needed that." "You're welcome, I suppose," he said, looking back out the window. "By the way," I added, "I heard you finally signed that peace treaty with Equestria. What was it that finally motivated you to do that?" Tetesac continued to look out the window for a moment, then looked back to me. "Truth be told, there was a multitude of factors that led into it. Your complete lack of self-regard with that tank stunt was certainly an inspiration, as was the very idea that Old Man Musket was behind it. Just, seeing the true scope of what happens when someone like me doesn't properly use their power for the good of everyone... I simply gave in." "Well, I'm glad you did, Tetesac," I said, relaxing in my seat. As the train pulled into the station, Tetesac simply sat back and stretched. "Sorry, George, Lyra, but I'm going to have to stay on this train. Its next stop is Anthropia, and I really need to get back there as soon as possible. I hear word people have ran out of eggs to throw at the castle and have instead resorted to throwing entire chickens." "Sounds bad," I said, getting up from my seat. "Well, too bad I can't come with you, but I've got a new life to start here in Ponyville. At least, for a while." Tetesac nodded. "I hope you learn many valuable things about friendship and magic, George." "Yeah," I rolled my eyes. "Me too." I gave him a quick, simple salute. "See you later, Titty Sack." Lyra and I got off the train onto the platform. I took a nice, deep breath of fresh air - and the smell of manure. Refreshing. "Well," said Lyra, "Welcome to your new life. For a few months at least." "Hey, maybe I'll stay longer. We'll see how it goes." ~~ Two Weeks Later ~~ "Come on, George, it's not that hard to understand!" "But it's not wrong! I NEED it! "That doesn't mean you can steal it! It belongs to someone!" A good few things had happened over the past couple weeks. I rented a house, I got some sweet new glasses, and I even had Rarity make some new clothes for me. All that cost a hell of a lot of money, but that's not a big problem when the entire town's still donating to you every now and then. Man, what a charitable bunch, huh? Of course, there was still the issue of having to go through these friendship lessons. "But what if I were to die if I didn't have it? What if I died of starvation? Meanwhile, what, they have to eat something else? Aww, how sad for them." "Weren't you still immortal then, though? You couldn't have died of starvation!" "...That's irrelevant." "No, it's not!" Twilight slammed the paper on my desk. "You failed this test too! George, some of your morals are way out of whack." "Hey, this is harder than I expected, okay? I figured we'd be doing, like, real life lessons in the real world! Not sitting cooped up in your castle while you have me write you friendship reports!" "We can't do real-world testing until you understand basic fundamentals, like how stealing is wrong!" "What if I replace it later? Is it still stealing then?" Twilight just let out an agitated groan. "You know what, let's just take a break. Let's go for a walk outside or something, I don't know." "Man, can't we just move on to my magic training?" "I told, you, George, we're not doing that until you learn a friendship lesson for the week." On our walk, we somehow ended up at a park, probably no mistake on Twilight's part. I took note to watch all the various ponies having fun with each other. Seems very harmonious. "You see all those ponies out there?" said Twilight, "They're having fun together, laughing together. That's what friends do together." "In my eyes, a friend is someone who I can call a shitnugget and they won't get offended at me for it." "Who on earth would be fine with being called that?!" "I dunno. Lyra?" "You called Lyra a... that?!" "Well, no, but I don't think she'd care if I did." Twilight sighed. "George, you need to pay more attention to the way others think. You've got to try and accommodate for it. For example, many ponies would view it to be wrong if you were to steal a loaf of bread from them because you're hungry. Even if you don't view it the same way." "Doesn't that just make them incorrect, though? Why should I bother accommodating for things like that when so many people believe stupid things?" "George, I swear, one day I will make you understand this. I don't know how, but I will." I kept watching the ponies. Some of them were eating together, some were throwing a ball around, some were playing chess. "Man, who the hell plays chess? That's, like, Boredom: The Game." Twilight didn't even bother to respond. Oh well. If anything, it is a nice sight. I always enjoy seeing others be happy. I wonder if that's something the old me would appreciate too. Oh, wait. Hah. I forgot. I am the old me. And the new me, too. I'm Humphrey Walt, but I'm also George Trestale. Actually, you know what, let's do away with the Humphrey Walt thing. That name just sucks. Either way, though, I'm really just me. And I'm glad for that. "Wow, George, that was... almost kinda profound," said Twilight. "Sort of." Wait, did I say all that out loud? "Yeah, you did. I'm glad you did, though. Maybe you can take some things seriously." "Yeah, I guess so," I said, not bothering to look towards her. I looked up at the sky. The sun's burning a little hot today, huh? I can appreciate that, I guess. The music's nice, too. Wait, where's that music even coming from? I looked all around myself, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out the source. "Hey, Twilight, do you hear that? What's making that music?" Instead of responding, though, Twilight started... singing. "I once thought you to be just a buffoon, a man with no moral guides... "Uh, Twilight? What are you doing?" "But now we can start anew, your chance at a new life... "No, seriously, Twilight. Why are you singing?" To my surprise, another pony who had been sitting behind us proceeded to join in. "I can't imagine what you've been through to get here, you've faced challenges big and small," "Wh-Huh? Who are you? I have never met you before! Was this rehearsed or something?! Really, am I missing something here?" "But now I can say, with a heart without fear, there may be hope for you after all." "Can someone PLEASE explain to me-" I was promptly cut off by every pony in the immediate vicinity joining in on the song. "How long does it take to teach someone to make friends? How long does it take to teach someone to make amends?" At this point the ponies had grouped up behind me and Twilight, and were all now marching through town to the beat of the music like some kinda goddamn spontaneous marching band. "HELP! Someone, help! I'm being held against my will!" "It don't matter how young you are, or if you're tall or small..." "Wh- Lyra? You're in on this too?!" All of a sudden, the entire plethora of singing horses stopped in place at the exact same time. "'Cause it looks like there's hope for you aaaaaaafter aaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllll!" "OH MY GOD, SHUT UP! PLEASE!" The End.

Creation’s Folly

pre

She was right though. My light flickered the more nervous I became, which acted very therapeutic each time I managed to calm myself and in turn helped me to better my character. How I had longed to go to a therapist back on Earth to overcome my past, this worked wonders. I was ready for more. Luna did as she said and watched my back, warning me to turn around or hide behind a nearby tree to out wait any predators stalking this night. One of the few she warned me to never turn my back on were something called 'timberwolves.' "There be dark magical creatures with an odor most foul. Though not inherently intelligent, their packs hold clever hive minds when gathered. Where one doth stand, two more slink hidden, waiting to give chase. Indeed, tales speak of them possessing speech, though their tongue is otherworldly." Unbeknownst to her however, I feel like she jinxed me by calling out timberwolves in particular because right then, I heard a gargling, distorted wolf calling somewhere in the distance. Couldn't tell how far it was, but it being close enough dampened my light completely like wind to a candle flame. Magic failed to ignite my hand light and my limbs began to go clammy and weak. Shifting my watch to the wider forest surrounding me, I backed up against a gnarly dead tree. Soon enough, I was once again, meandering betwixt the trees, who's branches scarred the silver colored sky. Though hours prior, I could make out Luna's glory in the sky above, the little light filtering through the canopy was dulled, regardless of how many trees surrounded me. The whispers of the insects and animals around both thrilled and terrified me, thrumming in an unheard beat with the pulses of magic I could feel flowing through my feet. The very air was charged even greater than it was before. Princess Luna's voice acted as a beacon of hope and security in that dreary place. "Remember, Aurelius, the Everfree doth not yield secrets freely. It tests and challenges its wards, so thou must grasp deeply within to retrieve them. Respect it and in turn it will respect you." I didn't falter in my quest for power so long kept from me. The star of light I held in my hand flickered, wavering with my inner turmoils as I did my best. With each step, I kept my wits about me, looking for any signs of trouble hidden in the shadows. I'm a fish out of water lying out in the jungle right now. I need to stay calm and keep the light up, just like she said. She promised to keep me safe, trust in Luna... I sat down in a nearby clearing and closed my eyes to meditate and bring further control over my power. Mind over matter, Aurelius. When I opened my eyes again, my light returned back to full strength and shone brightly against an odd shaped pile of twigs, leaves, and brambles that hadn't been there before. It shambled slowly closer, the debris shifting and contorting its shape, and acted similarly to a fluid instead of solid matter. The 'wood' morphed itself into a rough quadrupedal form with a carved wooden wolf head. Its eye sockets ignited a sickly green glow and 'teeth' suddenly erupted from its mouth. And then it wheezed something entirely foreign, yet understandable to me. You should not be here, meat. Our hunting grounds are not stocked enough for more mouths. It said as its jaw moved like a puppet's. The grinding and creaking of what it used for its vocal chords grated at my ears as it continued with growls and barking. Or is it meat foolish enough to usurp ussss...? I was at a loss for words. My body refused to move, frozen in fear too much to be able to process what was just said to me by this.... Intelligence. Two more of its compatriots circled out from behind the tree I stood firm against, staring a hole through me with such ferocity I swore I might die. A second voice joined in a cacophony of their hive mind. We are the hunters of this forest and we will not tolerate your silence for much longer. Leave or die. The timberwolves' growls reverberated against the backdrop of the encroaching forest, their threats no mere fiction. Tension rose within me as I turned to bolt in fear against Luna's instruction, only to come face to muzzle with another spiteful woodwork. My throat closed and breathing picked up, the realization of my place in the ever free becoming violently apparent. I didn't think I had gone to far, since Luna would've warned me otherwise, but I was strongly, considering that she might have just brought me out here to die. Suddenly, as they started to close in and encircle, a hooded figure bounded in between us with a solid impact. They reach an arm into their cloak and before any of the wolves could react, the entire section of the Everfree was illuminated by a white light, smoke, and a high pitched whine. I gripped at my eyes, my vision spotty and damn near not working and felt something pull at my shirt, guiding me away in a hurry. "We must make hast, lest our fates be sealed by death's embrace," said the exotic voice of my savior. I stumbled to keep up with this unknown's hoofbeats, ushered onward by the angry howls I could hear behind us, wondering why Luna did not come to save me instead. The smell of the underbrush and decay of the forest was soon enough replaced by unfamiliar earthy scents and smoke, a comforting musk compared to the death that covered us before. A very stark contrast. I was exhausted from the gallop to wherever this figure led me to and collapsed to the wooden ground to catch my breath. Unseen, they poured some manner of liquid over my eyes, startling me as I stuttered and inhaled some of it. With a raspy cough, I reached up to rub my eyes and noticed my vision had returned, but did not recognize where I was. "What... where am I?" A cursory glance around showed that I was in a shaman's hut, its masks and trinkets lit up nicely by the fire under a bubbling cauldron nestled at its center. The hut appeared to be made in the hollow of a tree, a curtain hung over the entryway. "This, my dear mage, is my home," said the hooded figure standing over me while she sealed the waterskin tied to her waistband. "What brings you to the Everfree, ape of unknown?" Her appearance was strikingly beautiful, her coat a luscious sheen and fuzzy thing, I almost didn't notice the zebra stripe crossing over her body. Along her waist, she wore something skin to sack cloth, but detailed with little ceramic tiles to look tribal, if that's the right word. Her cloak covered her breasts, which threatened to spill out from underneath the single rope that held them up. The cloak itself was embroidered with more of the same tribal stitchwork, obviously seeing better days. And to complete the ensemble, she wore innumerable golden bracelets and neck bands, none of which made her uncomfortable. She was very well taken care of and visibly carried the pride of wherever she was from. I had to keep myself from smiling at the mare in front of me. "I was brought to the Everfree by Princess Luna to train my magic under stressful conditions. Though why she wasn't the one to save me, is confusing. Thank you." She shrugged and gave me a very kind smile before turning her attention to the cauldron before us. She pulled a roughly worn leather bag from her shoulder and started pulling out small ceramic jars of unknown materials to mix into the brew. "Strange enough on it's own, you say the Princess brought you from your home?" She cupped a portion of the liquid and tasted it sparingly, before adding more ingredients. "Unusual for her to test her students in a forest dark and imprudent. Her wisdom is ancient and hard to conceive, of that most certain I am indeed." I thoroughly enjoyed the rhyme sche she had going on, as it added to her already fascinating demeanor. "My name is Zecora, a zebra from Algritha. In the Everfree, I am both a guide and sophista. Now who might you be, a friend or an enemy?" I introduced myself and stressed that I wasn't here to hurt anybody, just to learn from the ancient magic of the Everfree. "Ah, a scholar of the mystic arts. Uncommon, around these parts. Lessons abound within these woods, but wiser in the daylight, understood? When the sun strikes high, the clearer becomes the Everfree's sigh." She tasted again her witchy brew, finding it tasteful enough for a stew. She offered me a serving, bowl brimming and burning, and without thinking I downed it right quick, my stomach not churning. It was some kind of goulash, with tubers and spices from a land unwatched. I found it filling, reinvigorating even, a fine piece of a culture I'd never met. "This is delicious, Zecora. I'm usually wary of food offerings from strangers, but I came to learn from the forest and all its inhabitants. Much appreciated." She nodded, appreciation taken in stride. "Here at my yurt, it is quite safe. A restful reprieve from nature's hate. Stay for as long as you require, it would not do for you to expire." Zecora returned her attention to cauldron, draining it into crocks and performing other household duties. Meanwhile, I searched around her little home for a comfortable spot and turned in for the night. --- Luna hugged on to me and jumped for joy, lifting me up like I weighed nothing. I didn't want to look at her right now, not after she betrayed my trust. Though as much as I wanted to get away from her, where could I go in the dream realm that she wouldn't be able to find me? "Thoust both met and exceeded my expectations, Aurelius! To maintain a spell in reality, such a marked increase from thine beginnings!" "That doesn't matter when I could have been killed. Were you even watching? Did you plan for me to meet something so crafty and mean?" In truth, I was hurt by her betrayal. "They were going to kill me, Luna." Luna set me down, her expression dropping to one of concern. "We didst not mean to bring harm to you, Aurelius, merely to unveil your potential for thine own eyes. Mine were upon thee forthwith upon their showing. Had those knaves attempted to do thee harm, we would have shown them the power of the night." Her joy didn't last long at all, as she noticed my displeased look. "You're not getting it, Luna," I said with frustration. "It's not about magic or the spell, it's about you leaving me hanging when I needed you most." Her eyes widened, the celestial shimmer in her mane losing its glow as she regretted her choices. "Aurelius, I-" "No... just no," I cut her off. "I'm... less than satisfied, and that's putting it lightly. We've known each other for what, three weeks now? I don't WANT to be mad at you, but right now I am and I don't want to see you tonight." Luna didn't respond right away, so I took my chance to continue with my rant. "You say I have strength and potential, yes?" She nodded. "Well then please go at my own pace, not your own. I didn't want to go in there to begin with, but I held my peace because I trust you. Don't give me a reason to cut you out of my life." She stepped forward, her voice adopting repentance. "...'Twas my mistake in thrusting thee headfirst into my own learning method. If thoust would have us, we will do better. And this I vow: in thy moment of need, I shall be thy shield and beacon." I closed my eyes and sighed, unsure if she really meant it this time but I wanted to trust her. I leaned back into the ethereal matter behind me and let my own dreams come as they may. -- The morning at Zecora's began slowly. Last night still reeled in my mind and I hoped that Luna didn't hate me too much for speaking my mind. When sleep finally left me, I remembered that I was due to start working for the Apple family 'when the sun was high', or around noon. Zecora was nowhere to be found around the immediate area, but I saw that she left a note pasted to her cauldron. 'Dear Aurelius. I know you will wish to return home soon after you awake, so give not a thought of the way. I have poured an herbicide outside early in the morn, so the path to Ponyville will be worn. Help yourself to the food in my home before you roam. Zecora' Well, that's convenient. it didn't take long at all to clear the Everfree forest, and once again I could see a Ponyville off in the distance, though farther than when I left the library. Nearby, a creek snaked through the vast field of summer blooms and prairie, with a bridge crossing over by a a sizable cottage. It reminded me of a baobab tree from Africa, given its wide structure, and the tree canopy that made up its roof. Animals of all sizes crowded around chaotically around the hut. Who in their right mind lives so close to this damnable forest? they had to be something else in order to tolerate any potential monsters that might decide to give the outside world a visit. As I approached the cottage, I could hear chattering and barks and all other kinds of noises coming from the animals, their noises steadily growing. I did a place with some kind of gathering point or a sanctuary/refuge for the injured of the forest. I overheard some thing, shifting the grass behind me, and noticed a rather large brown bear, sneaking up behind me, which prompted me to make a mad dash for the doorway. I crashed, straight into whoever the homeowner was and tumbled inside with her. She let out a soft spoken 'eep' and none of the animals seemed to appreciate my sudden intrusion. A bag of animal feed was thrown absolutely everywhere during my charge, which prompted the smaller rabbits, mice, and other critters to descend upon us like hawks. "I-I am so sorry!" I stammered. "There was a bear- and I... Uh..." The mare's slender frame lay splayed beneath me while I basically straddled the four and a half foot tall, butter and pink colored pegasus. Her floral pattern green sundress was now covered in crushed dry food and dirt, dirtied by our tumble. I would later come to learn her name was Fluttershy. The shock of what happened meant it didn't even dawn on her to try and calm her animal friends. Realizing our predicament, we both blushed seriously, each of us stammering and trying to apologize to one another, and as we scrambled to untangle ourselves off the floor, but it only made matters worse because the shoulder straps did not want to stay on her. With a grace that belied her timid appearance, she spring into action, seeking to clean up the mess we made, which was only right of me to assist in giving my part in all of it. At last, the chaos was brought to order and each of the different kinds of animal had their own portion in a line. Fluttershy and my hair and clothes were still rustled, but at least we were in a more decent position. We stood at an awkward position, her cheeks a rosy that rivaled her hair, and I finally took her in fully. Though her outfit was ruined, I could see that it fit her very well, reflecting the nurturing spirit she carried. She then broke the silence. "So, um, what brings you this far out of Ponyville? I don't think I've ever seen you out here before?" "Princess Luna met with me last night while I headed for a walk and helped me learn how to finally use magic in the Everfree forest." It looks could become mothers, hers would have just tried to adopt me. "Goodness me! You went into the Everfree forest after dark?! Are you injured anywhere?" She instantly was hovering around me, lifting my clothes and feeling up my body to check for injuries. "I'm fine. I ran into a pack of timberwolves, but was saved by a zebra shaman named Zecora. Do you know her?" "Is that her name? I don't think I've ever met her in person, but she's been into Ponyville once or twice. Nopony ever really... makes an attempt to talk to her." "Really now? She knowledgeable and the way speaks is exotic. I would have thought with how friendly Ponyville was with me, she wouldn't have any issues." She flapped over to her kitchen to prep something. "It's not anything on her part. Most ponies are afraid of anything new." She stopped after setting a tea kettle on her stove. "N-not that I'm implying anypony is afraid of you! Most of the gossip I've heard is how you're Twilight's faithful assistant, so they usually think of her when referring to you." That's to be expected, since my first real day out on the town was walking with her. My guess is that they assumed I was normal by default for associating with a pony. "Forgive my manners, would you like some tea or maybe some snacks? It's still a bit early and you don't look like you've eaten." She pulled out a cardboard box labeled 'tea cakes' in hastily scribbled writing. "Yes, please." We continued to talk whilst she brewed the pot and shared homemade cakes, until she about everything from the training experience up until this morning. "It wasn't pleasant, I'll tell you that. Not exactly how I thought I'd start the day," I said, sipping lightly from my cup. It had a mild tangy-heady taste, almost like hops and lemon. "To cause you such a stir, anyway." The bear from before currently leaned against the doorframe giving me a nonchalant look while I spooned sugar into my cup. She offered a wave from her hand, reaching for another delectable. "It's alright. Harry has a way of sneaking up, but he has a gentle heart." That was her fourth cake. Is she not concerned about gaining weight? "So I was wondering... how do you know Twilight, Ms. Fluttershy? Did you meet her during the Summer Sun Celebration?" She nodded politely. "Oh yes. She and her cute little assistant Spike came to check up on me and my song bird friends. Has it really been a month already?" "Yep. Time seems to fly when you're occupied by the day to day." I finished my cup, brushing any extra crumbs off my shirts. "Say, you wouldn't happen to have the time would you? Want to make sure I'm not running late." She glanced up at a cuckoo clock above the couch. "It's about five minutes past ten in the morning. What do you have planned? If you don't mind me asking." "Ah, I sorta made an agreement to work down at Sweet Apple Acres for a while. I promised to be there when the sun was high, which I'm fairly confident they meant noon," I said, standing to stretch. Her eyes widened slightly. "Well you shouldn't dawdle talking with little old me much longer! It's at least an hour's walk, if you follow the creek downstream. You should make it in time if you go now." I thanked her and attempted to leave, but stopped after Fluttershy offered to make me a sandwich for lunch. She insisted that I take it, otherwise she would have felt remiss as a friend. Never said no to free food and I didn't dare start now. --- The journey along the creek was uneventful. The gate for Sweet Apple Acres looked inviting as before, with it marking the beginning of a new chapter in my adventure in Equestria and all it entailed. Way off in the distance, I could barely make out the peachy attitude of Applebloom and an elderly pony wilding a cane, Ms. Granny Smith. Although one might mistake her to be completely helpless at first glance, being as ancient as the farm itself, don't let the wrinkles fool you; she could easily outmatch even the average pony when she wanted to be. It didn't take long for little miss fruit flower to notice me walking up the familiar dirt path towards their farm cabin and boy did she bound right up to greet me. "Howdy, Aurelius. Yer here a tad earlier than we was expectin' ya!" I flashed her a quick smile. "Good morning to you too, Applebloom. And might I say that winning smile is ever so nice. Where're your siblings today?" She blushed and rubbed the back of her head with a giggle. "They're out harvestin' the summer greens an' should be back here in another hour or so." Granny Smith hobbled over on her cane and her wrinkles got over far before she did. "Well lookie here what the cats dragged in," she said with a scrutinizing eye. "Yer late." She spit over into the grass nearby. "Huh? Didn't Big Mac tell me to 'be here when the sun's high'? Did that not mean noon?" She shifted on her feet. " 'Course it does, nitwit! Butcha coulda been here earlier to go out there an' help 'em!" Applebloom rolled her eyes. "She's just yankin' yer reigns, Aurelius. She's happy you came to help at all, given she's been tryna' help fix the chicken coop an' such." The filly switched her attention to her grandmother. "Ya' just cranky we ran outta yer herbals, ain'tcha Granny. She gets like this when we're outa tea." "Well that's beside the point!" Granny turned to hobble back inside, muttering to herself about the disrespectful youth not being on time, causing Applebloom to laugh. "You best be on yer best behavior now, Aurelius! No hootenanying around, git ta work!" Well well well, looks like I made a fine impression on the elderly if they're willing to show me the time of day! Applebloom pulled out a sheet of paper with her chores today. There were more than enough to keep her busy today, but the ones she wanted to focus on were feeding the chickens, a patch job for the pig pen, and weeding the personal garden out behind the house. All in all, the jobs worked out very nicely and the other two Apple siblings arrived just as we were finishing up the weeding right around one in the afternoon. "Hooey! I wantta thank you again fer showin' up today, Aurelius. The farm can take it out of a pony with even the smallest jobs, so it mighta taken 'Bloom here longer were it not for ya," said Applejack. In my opinion, both the two older siblings' clothes were drier than they should be. It looked like they barely broke a sweat! "It's not a bother at all, I'm happy to help. If I'm remembering correctly, Big Mac here." I gestured to the named stallion. "Wanted me to help clean out the barn?" "Eeyup. But we can get to it after we finish up harvestin. AJ an' I were takin' planning to break for lunch, you'd join us." He extended an open arm to the house. "It's the least we can do to show our thanks." And lunch we did. Farm fresh produce cared for by experts in their field (pun intended) puts all the industrial sized farms back home to shame. Note to self: ask for some tomato seeds and buy some pots. Refreshed, Big Mac and Applejack headed out once again to gather the barrels and cart they filled prior to the break. Applebloom and I worked on finishing her chore list and by the time we were done, her siblings hadn't come back. Maybe they encountered a cool butterfly or the wagon broke, I don't know since they never told me. The youngest of the Apple family thought it a bright idea to get a head start on clearing out the barn, not heeding a word from me at all about waiting for her older brother. Something about 'I can do it myself' and 'They're just gonna baby me forever if ah don't show ah can handle more'. Ah, the naïvete of the young, which I can personally speak on being almost twenty. Speaking of which, I think my birthday is coming up next month, so that's a plus I'm excited for, I thought as I vainly attempted to halt a teenage earth pony. Their magic infused strength was ridiculous and I wouldn't be surprised if Applebloom could lift me up. We were staring deeply into the entrance of the rotted barn, it obviously seeing better days. "Bloom, I really don't think it's wise to head in here. Do you even know which sections are safe to walk around on up there?" She gave me this angry, cute look. "Remind me which of us has lived here their whole lives? Ah think ah've climbed around in here enough times ta know how to get around in there." "Well, I can't really argue against that, but I still feel like it's not safe here. Half those beams look like they could give way any second." She scoffed and made way up the ladder to our left. "Trust me, Aurelius, if it were gonna fall, it'd have done so by now. Besides, Big Mac woulda just kept me down here to catch stuff anyhow." "What all is stored in here that we're supposed to remove?" "Oh, just bits and bobbles. Old tool heads we were gonna refurbish, some boxes of Applejack's rodeo trophies, Grannysmith's old spittoon." That one caught me. "Spittoon?" Applebloom chuckled. "Yeah. She had a nasty habit a few years ago with chewing greenwood herbs an' Big Mac got tired of the smell. Shoot, ah wish ya coulda been there to see the shiner Granny put on his rear for 'throwin' away' the thing. Don't rightly know why he put it up here though." Applebloom lowered a crate using some rope that was tied off to one of the beams I was concerned about. "Maybe he felt guilty about trying to control her." With that one done set at the front door, Applebloom started lowering more goods. "Maybe. I'll never understand why he'd want ta do that." "You do weird things when you love someone. It's possible that 'greenwood' is bad for the health, like tobacco back where I'm from." She was working on freeing another crate, when I heard creaking and a snap from up above. "Applebloom, I think you should get down, right now." She seemed oblivious to the potential danger she placed herself. I knew we shouldn't have come in here! "Almost... got it... There we go!" She said, the main support beam finally snapping loudly. "Wha-!" Applebloom started to fall straight through the boards she stoop upon, the crate falling right above her. "APPLEBLOOM!" Time crawled to a slow and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, and everything in my body went cold. I could feel my CAM going into overdrive, the magic swelling the muscles in my legs and belly to uncomfortable lengths. Without thinking, I took a single step forward, clearing the gap between us and jumping into the air to catch her. Time resumed its normal flow and I tackled her out of the way of the box, narrowly missing being crushed myself. The build creaked at the new lack of support in its center, but seemed to hold on. I was presently laying on top of her, severely out of breath from the sudden exertion. "We should... really get out of here. Now." I wasn't paying attention to what she said, distracted by the pounding heart in my chest. When my hearing cleared, Applebloom got my attention. "...you saved me." More cracking and splintering came from above and without thinking, I propped myself up in an army crawl to shield the filly from any debris. It worked out in her favor, since nothing managed to land on her. But something heavy crushed my legs below the knee and more weight landed on my back, which threatened to give out. "JESUS HOLY FUCK MY LEGS! AAAAGH!" They were definitely shattered and I couldn't feel anything but pain below my thighs. "Somebody help!!!" Applebloom laid there frozen in fear, not daring to move an inch in case more of the barn decided to fall. What I would have given for time to speed up, instead of slowing down. It stretched on for far too long before I finally heard Applejack calling out for anyone inside. "We're in here! Get this shit off of me, please!" Tears and mucus flowed freely down onto the girl beneath me, but I still did not budge. My arms quivered and my knees, though they were crushed, refused to give out below me. I could see blood pooling slowly under her as well, praying to whoever was listening that she wasn't hurt. The sound of scraping wood and metal could be heard a ways away, but I couldn't pinpoint where. Eventually, Applejack and Big Mac pried the support beam off my back and freed us, but it did little to ease the pain in my legs. With my burden finally over, I collapsed onto Applebloom, unaware and uncaring of anything other than sleep. --- "You know what the weirdest part of the non-life we call immortality? Nothing really matters because eternity necessarily implies that we'll see everything over and over again, forever. Oh sure, there's infinite potential when it comes to all those innumerable realities dearest daddy hand crafted, but he made the mistake of splitting his unknowable mind in half when making us. It's not conceivable for us to imagine a new color or an emotion by ourselves. We lack that... that spark, as it were you know? But you know what would change all of that? Just one little word on his part." I couldn't respond, even if I wanted to. I was stuck replaying the same scene like a recording black box. The thousands of years of Nocturnal's life that we shared before his fall to darkness. The sights and horrors he inflicted upon the mortals we were supposed to take care of like we were instructed. "Funny thing is, I'm really looking forward to it. He is such a perfectly moldable piece of clay, waiting for me, the master potter. You foolishly sent him away without any knowledge of his potential or lineage and expected him to mature fast enough to stop ME of all people. If he was ready he'd have struck me down the second I stuck my little finger down here, but your stupid self valued propping up the BARRIER! I really can't thank you enough for making this so easy for me." More electricity fired into my body and I felt increasing amounts of pain. "Well, easy enough." When he finally relented and released my mind once again, I gasped. "Y-you're really making this unnecessary, Nocturnal. I won't talk and I know you won't rip the memories from my mind. You're still in there and I know you care. Please stop." He crushed his hoof firmly against my skull, pinning me against the ground. "I thought I told you never to call me that again," he growled. " When I finally meet him for the first time I'll offer him the same deal I gave so long ago. And if he's so much as says yes, I'll have a new partner in crime. But if he says no?" He paused to savor his sense of victory. "Well, it'll be a cold in Gehenna before one who has nothing rejects infinite power." And then he continued to torture me with the same memories and pain as before. "See you soon, 'new god' AHAHAHAHAHAH!" > Chapter 6: The Hospital Visit Whispers and soft crying were all I made out from the confines of dreaming. My consciousness drifted in and out of the murky blackness, enough awareness of my condition to remember who I was. Other than the last few weeks in Equestria, my last memory consisted of an overwhelming need to protect somebody and do my duty before the change in scenery. First thoughts were that I was dreaming again, but if that were true I would've seen Luna by now. Without looking at a clock or the sun, I couldn't tell the time to mark how long it'd been. The lack of visual stimuli caused hallucinatory visions of someone I didn't recognize, breaking up the monotonous drone of blackness. He stood there, watching me and mouthing something inaudible, but I don't think it was derogatory. Based on his expression, he looked concerned and worried about me. Then I heard him speak only one word before waking up. Sorry. What greeted me was the sight of a hospital room in Ponyville General Hospital, the sterile smell of disinfectant and my own grime worming up my nose. Not the first thing I'd want to see after being nearly crushed to death by decaying wood. Turning my head, I saw Applebloom curled up in a chair, her outfit still dirtied from the days before. Her cheeks were stained with water marks, her tears and mucus still pouring out freely. Has she been here the entire time I've been hospitalized? I noticed that she was whispering to herself, saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's all my fault' over and over as she cried. She stirred in her sleep, shifting in the chair enough to face me. I pushed off the bed to try and reach over to her, but groaned in pain from my back and legs right before I nearly hit the floor unceremoniously. Right, broken legs. That woke Applebloom up, prompting her to rush to my aid and help put me back into bed proper. "Aurelius, yer awake!" "That I am, little miss. How long have I been out for?" "A little over three days. I thought ya'd... Ah was afraid you'd..." she started to cry again, but shook her head. "Well, you're awake now, that's all that matters." She was right. This is ridiculous. I over taxed myself again because I can't control my own body under pressure. All this potential and I couldn't manage to do the basics, acting on instinct. It frustrated me to no end to think about how my own shortcomings led to me getting hurt. Did it take time to grow into my new powers? Is it like a healing wound, where I'll be whole one day? There's not enough information about humans and magic here. Applebloom's tears fell softly against my bedsheets. "Ah'm so sorry, Aurelius. It'sall mah fault yer hurt like ya are." While she was right, it dug a pit in my stomach to see her cry over me. I gently squeezed one of her hands, trying my best to comfort the girl. "It's fine, Bloom. I'm also to blame for my state. If I were just a little stronger, I could have reacted quick enough to get us both out of there in time..." I feel like less of a man for not emerging unscathed. I HAVE to get stronger. I-, but my thought was interrupted. "N-no sir, it was all me. It don't feel right ta let yah take any part of the blame. I refused to listen to reason a-and it got ya all... busted up!" She started sobbing. "I really messed up! Applejack is gonna tan my hide!" I squeezed her hand tighter. "We're both going to be fine, Applebloom. We explain everything to your family and it'll be okay." She sobbed on for a few minutes before calming down. "Feel better?" She nodded and we sat in each other's company in silence. "Say, have you been here the entire time I was unconscious?" She nodded once more, blushing when her stomach growled. "Based on that right there, I'd say you haven't eaten much since that day, huh. Applebloom grimaced. "Well, I was worried, alright? Ah didn't feel right leavin' you here all alone and-" I interrupted her. "I appreciate your concern, Bloom, but I would appreciate it if my favorite Apple family member would also take care of herself. I'll be fine here under the hospital's care. Go home, get changed, and I'll see you when you come back." Her blush deepened at my 'favorite' remark. "O-okay." She gave me a hurried hug and didn't protest my request at all. That left me alone to silently freak out at my predicament. Gods above, I nearly cracked. I couldn't have her see me any more pathetic than right now. I don't think my heart could take seeing her cry any more. A different nurse than Redheart came by to check up on me and remarked a similar response to Redheart's about how I shouldn't be awake so soon after exhausting all my magic, how they expected me to not recover until at least a week later, and more unimportant jargon I hadn't heard already. Twilight decided to stop by shortly after Applebloom left to check up on me, shocked to see me back here so soon after my arrival, but understood everything after I explained how it happened. She did comment on how she's never seen anybody other than herself who'd taxed their Chakram Ars Mana like this before. I guess that would make me feel special, if it weren't so upsetting. "I know you're battered and all, but you should feel some pride in your accomplishments so far since coming to Equestria," Twilight said. "Not everypony can say they enhanced their bodies out of sheer will power. It's impressive." I hoped now I'd be able to continue training under her instead of reading a primer, but I hid my potential disappointment behind a smile. "Think you'll be able to teach me now that I can call forth mana?" "Absolutely," she said unwaveringly. "Once you get back on your feet, we'll take it slow and I'll do my best to teach you everything you'll need to know." Her words soothed over my pride a little. Now I just need to focus on recovering and, in time, become better. Twilight said her goodbye and wished me a steadfast recovery. Dinner time rolled around and I got to eat more of the flavorless gloop they called food, but at least they gave me some fruit called 'pearlings', which were little pink plump orbs. Tasted like strawberries. Nighttime was blessed with a visit from Luna, though I still felt iffy about training with her. The familiar sense of the ethereal realm washing over my own dream's antitheater as the barrier between hers and mine melded together. She appeared as glorious as ever. "Greetings, Aurelius," she said in a sing song tone. "How dost thou fare during this evening?" I bowed slightly to show respect. "It's good to see you too. I've been recovering in the Ponyville hospital after a... mishap at the Apple family farm." "Pray tell, child, what ails thee? Thy dream form appears to sing with vigor, but I sense dreadful news." I felt a lump form in my throat as I prepared to recount the week's trauma. Each memory passed my mind's eye in exquisite detail, enhanced by the magic of lucid dreaming. "It's been a difficult journey. The work you did to unlock my chakras did its job alright, but I'm ever so much like a newborn now. I got injured saving Applebloom's life in their storage barn. My legs were broken below the knee and I cracked and bruised several ribs. I also accidentally exhausted my Chakram Ars Mana again." "Again? Thoust refers to your arrival in Equestria, yes?" "Yeah. This time, according to Twilight, I enhanced my body in one instinctive move to protect Applebloom, if you can believe it. It'd be pride inducing if I didn't feel so ashamed of my failure to survive unscathed." I sighed, the weight of my insecurities pressing on me. "I just wish I could be stronger or more, how do you say, capable." Luna stepped closer to hold me close. "Strength comes in a multitude of forms, not just physical prowess, Aurelius. Given enough time, heart and spirit easily outmatch any champion; they art the hallmark of a hero." She rubbed a hand through my hair, pausing it on my cheek to wipe a tear from my eye. "Thoust achieved much tonight with a show of courage and selflessness, of this thee should be proud. Worry not about what could have been and focus on what is." Her words broke me down into a sobbing mess as I collapsed to the 'ground'. The anteroom's stars dimmed and swirled around us as I poured out my emotions. Luna's embrace tightened around me, anchoring my thoughts. "Luna, you're like the mother I wished I had." Why couldn't I have been born here instead of on Earth? In truth, I didn't have the best childhood growing up. The only real positive memories I could draw up as of writing this were so spaced out, I don't think it would matter to detail them. Luna asked about what I meant though. "Since I was a young boy, my father was entirely absent almost my whole life. Died in a robbery gone wrong when I was six. My mother might as well have been absent, the way she held no interest in anything involving me or my emotions. More often than not, she would insult me, blaming my father's death on me." My mind glipped through the things I kept buried. "At times, I went hungry and wore clothing that didn't always fit." But it doesn't take a genius to know there's more to child rearing than base needs. I could feel Luna's fists clench on my back, her anger changing her calm and vibrant mane and tail to a stormy cocktail of cosmic supernovas. I felt the magic materia of the plane be pulled into her hands, white electricity crackling between her fingers. "Did she ever lay hands on you?" "Not very often, but there were a few outbursts that she apologized for. I wouldn't say I had the worst-" That ignited Luna's fur into a fog of darkness, her eyes as white as moonstones. Her voice pierced the veil of the dream anteroom and threatened to push me back into consciousness. "Were we to ever meet your egg donor, we'd flay her skin from her bones and use her skull as a toilet! To strike a child, MY CHILD, that wretch would burn for eternity!" I've never seen her like this before. This... this anger, no more like fury. Is this what people meant by messing with a Mama bear's cubs? Her ethereal visage sapped all heat from my body, chilling me to my core. It was both frightening and comforting. She really does care about me. What a fool I was to snap at her. "Luna, please," I whispered, my voice trembling. "It's in the past. No need to get angry on my account." Her eyes softened and she returned back to normal and cleared her throat. "Apologies, Aurelius. Thou art right. Anger hath no place here, as much as we would prefer to rage. But know this, I cherish you like my own child. I shan't ever hurt you, nor betray your trust like that curr. Now," she said as she magicked a small tea set and chairs. "Let us speak of brighter things. How have thoust found Equestria in your short time here?" I managed a smile and willed the dream to summon a few packets of sugar and some milk. "It's been... shall I say, different yet rewarding. I have the opportunity to learn subjects that before were locked behind payment at a college and then some. I was supposed to have a job a few days ago, but with the broken leg and the particulars of how I got it, I don't know if the Apple family will want me around." Luna's smile deepened. "Thou art making great strides, Aurelius. Be patient, and with enough time even the hardest seeds sprout." It's always something with wise sage Luna. Maybe she's right and I'll become who I'm meant to be? The dream started to fade as I was waking up. Luna's voice echoed softly in my mind. "We shall meet again, young one. Until then, take heart and know thou art never truly alone." --- My ribs didn't hurt nearly as bad as yesterday, but my legs still screamed at me underneath their casts. Doctors came in to chart my vitals that morning and to dose me with more pain medication, but it did little to ease the soreness in my body. They said that without enough mana inside me for my body to draw on, it was too risky to use a healing spell, but I jokingly thought they were just being lazy. Applebloom came back again to visit, sister and granny in tow, which boosted my mood significantly. I noticed that AB smelled particularly heavy with floral and grassy notes, with her mane trussed up in a cute ponytail. Is... she wearing perfume? She smells different. Applejack exuded happiness and gratitude through her smile. She was the first to speak. "Ah just wanna say how grateful we are ta have ya in our lives, Aurelius. I'm sure little miss trouble here coulda been in worse horseshoes than you if'n you weren't there when ya were." Granny Smith chimed in with her own take on the story. "I originally picked you to be nothin' but trouble with that bold look in yer eyes, thinkin' you'd hurt either of my girls here." She paused to find the right words. "Applejack speaks for both Big Mac an' I when she says we're thankful and grateful for riskin' yer hide to save our Applebloom. Celestia knows what woulda happened." The praise made me uncomfortable, since I didn't feel much like a hero. "Shoot, anybody could have done what I did. But I acted on impulse. I didn't think about it. If I had taken just a few minutes to go ask you to help dissuade Applebloom, nobody would have gotten." "If ifs and buts were candies and nuts, we'd all have a Happy Hearth's Warming, Aurelius. Yer a hero and that's that. I won't take any of this guff and depreciation from ya anymore," Granny Smith huffed. "Sometimes all it takes for a bitta bravery is instinct. Sure ain't a thinkin' kinda thing, that's fer certain." Applebloom stepped up to say her piece. "Ah don't want ya ta take blame for my own faults, Aurelius. If I really want ta be responsible for more, then I need to accept my mistakes. I'm real sorry about gettin' ya hurt an' all. I feel all sortsa guilty." She leaned over to hug me tightly and whisper in my ears, careful to not crush my ribs. "Ah'll never forget you catching me while I fell and leanin' over me. You saved my life." Applebloom's hug lingered, her small frame trembling slightly against mine. I could feel the sincerity in her words. "You're welcome, Bloom," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat." I wanted to say something, anything, but lacked the words to say what Applejack said best. "Ya both made choices, Applebloom and now ya gotta sleep in the bed ya made," Applejack said philosophically. "Point is, there's no reason to mope about or think any less of yerselves. What's done is done." Granny Smith put a hand on my head to tussel my hair. "You earned the right to call us family. If yer still interested in job when you get better, you'll still have a place on our farm." I didn't bother trying to hide my smile. "Don't you go thinkin' yer no good, ya hear me? We're lucky to have you around." As they prepared to leave, Applebloom hesitated at the door, turning back. "Ah'll be back again tomorrow, Aurelius. I promise." Then she left with a wave goodbye. I was left alone with my thoughts again, no more visitors other than the nurses around dinner time. My belly filled, I turned in for the night to dream. This self depreciation has to stop, Aurelius. With the way everyone speaks so highly of you, you're spitting on their friendship. If they could read your thoughts, they would cry. I spent the entirety of the night practicing meditation and manipulating in my own dream. It got easier to hold constructs and give them detail the deeper I focused. Distracted, I didn't immediately notice that the strange man from before was watching me on the edge of the dream. He seemed content with staying out of range and didn't have anything to say, so I dismissed him as a figment of my imagination. However, as the dream went on, he moved closer and he became harder to ignore. Now that I could see him outside of the black fog on the edge of my dream, his features became clear. He was tall, clothed in a long, flowing white robe like a greek toga that moved as if he were walking underwater. His eyes held no pupils and glowed a soft golden white. Despite being intimidating at first, there was something familiar about him that tugged at the edges of my memory. I tried to circle back to drawing with the pencil and paper I dreamt up, but couldn't focus enough to keep them corporeal. I decided to confront him. "Who are you?" I called out. "Why do can't I remember how I know you?" He stepped closer. "I am you, Aurelius. Or rather, a part of who you were supposed to be." His voice sounded almost cacophonic, like numerous androgynous people talking at once. "I can't say any more than that." His words sent shivers down my spine, like I knew what he was talking about but the words escaped me. "What are you talking about?" "I don't have much time. Every second I spend talking to you is one He has a chance to find you." The man's head jerked back and his face twitched into a pained grimace for a second. "You have only scratched the surface of who I am. Go to Canterlot and ask for the Alchemist." A snarling voice spoke from all around us. " So you CAN reach out to him. Just a little more..." Before I could ask anything else, he exploded like a flashbang as he screamed loudly, taking me nearly with him. I wanted to ask him what he meant, but he was gone and I could feel the sleep lifting from my eyes. Before I could ask anymore, he exploded like a flashbang as he screamed loudly, taking me nearly with him. I wanted to ask him what he meant, but he was gone and I could feel the sleep lifting from my eyes. > Chapter 7: The Grand Galloping Gala Two months passed by since I was admitted to the hospital and Applebloom specifically kept me company through a majority of the recovery. About a week ago, the doctors finally felt comfortable enough to cast a healing spell on me, leaving my legs all but fully healed, thanks to the complete regeneration of my magic. The spells worked wonders and what would have taken four months, was now just another week away from healing. My primary physician notes that I might have an awkward time walking due to my bones having to adjust to the weight of my body after so long out of use, but as long as I used a cane or crutch I should be fine. They wheeled me up to the front to be discharged and like before, Twilight was the one to check me out. Thank goodness for Celestia funded healthcare, otherwise I would fear bankrupting my lovely host. Twilight greeted me with a warm smile as she signed the discharge papers. "It's been lonely at the library with just Spike. I hadn't realized how used I'd gotten to seeing you every morning, Aurelius." She helped me to my feet and slung my arm over her shoulders to support me. "How are you feeling?" I sighed in relief. "Better than I thought I would. I think I'll miss being waiting on hand and foot by the hospital staff here." Twilight chuckled. "Well, if it'd make you feel better I could get Rarity to make you some scrubs." I scoffed at the sarcasm. "Fat chance. I hate not being a burden on people and would rather do anything else than be stuck sitting in a bed fourteen hours a day." As we returned to the library, Spike burst from the front door, running straight into my good leg and bouncing off like a squeaky toy. Comical. "Oh, sorry dude! I was just on the way to track you both down!" "What's up, Spike? Why do you look like you just got done running a marathon?" He panted while standing up. "Because I basically just did! Got a letter from Celestia for you two!" He held up an cream colored envelope embossed with the Princess' seal. "Well, don't just wait around, open it up!" Twilight levitated the letter over and helped me get comfortable with my cane, before opening the letter. With the letter came four golden colored tickets. 'My faithful student, please accept these tickets to this year's Grand Galloping Gala for you, Aurelius, Spike, and one guest. I look forward to seeing you three this year, as it's the first one after Luna's return and she requested that I invite her favorite human and his friends. Your's truly, Celestia Wow, an invitation to an event directly from the Princess. Nifty. Twilight passed us each out tickets and pocketed her own, but stared at the last ticket like it stuck out sore thumb-style. From the look on her face, I saw her cycling in her head which of her five friends to bring, torn about who should get it. Twilight's brow furrowed as she weighed her options. "I don't know who to give this last ticket to," she muttered, more to herself than to us. "I know all of my friends would love to go, but we only have one extra ticket. It wouldn't be fair to choose one over another." Spike, ever the practical one, shrugged. "Why not just ask them who wants it the most?" Twilight sighed. "It's not that simple, Spike. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings." I watched her struggle with the decision, feeling a pang of sympathy. "Maybe you could hold a little contest or something," I suggested. "Make it fun and fair." Twilight's eyes lit up. "That's not a bad idea at all, but what kind of contest?" Before we could continue to discuss the ticket, Pinkie Pie dropped down from the tree top, dangling by her hips from a rope. "Howdy rowdy, Aurelius. You're looking all better. Whatcha got there?" The indecisive of us, hurriedly hid the ticket behind her. "U-uh, nothing important!" Pinkie tilted her head. "Uh Huh. But if it isn't important, why are you trying so hard to hide it? Maybe ol' Pinkie can help!" Twilight's eyes darted back and forth as she tried to come up with an excuse. " this is some correspondence about... stuff. From Princess Celestia," she lied through a fake smile. "A letter from the Princess? Ooh, what does it say! Is it about a party? Or maybe a-" "It's nothing like that, Pinkie," Twilight interrupted to shift the topic. "Just a letter saying hello and... and asking about the friendship lesson from last week! Yeah that's it!" Twilight, you absolutely suck at lying. I swear, you're like a child who never figured out how to speak when you do. Applejack and Rarity were both walking along carrying on a conversation, when they turned our way, noticing the four of us standing in front of the library. While Twilight tried to maneuver around Pinkie, it was obvious she spotted more of her friends incoming and drooped herself in resigned defeat. Applejack was the first to speak. "Howdy y'all, we catcha at a bad time or is this just poor plannin' for a party or su'mmh?" She glanced at the purplest of us. "Yer looking might upset there, Twilight. Everything alright?" Spike metaphorically hovered behind his muse as she blew hair out of her face, sighing dreamily. "Yes, darling. It wasn't anything unsavory that Aurelius said or did, is it?" Rarity glared daggers at me, obviously still holding a grudge against me from before. "Because I would love to give him a verbal thrashing if you need one." "What crawled up your cooter today, Marshmallow, why the attitude? I didn't instigate any problems today and I'd appreciate you not accusing me of anything." I wish I could've taken a picture of the look of horror on her face, but that wouldn't be a good memory for anyone but me. "She's upset because she's torn between who to give the last ticket to." "Ticket? Ticket ta what?" Applejack asked. "There somethin' fancy goin' on I'm forgettin' about?" She pulled at her overall shoulder straps as she leaned in thought. Rarity, though mad at me, changed from a scowl to more of a disappointed questioning look, before a look of abject horror and surprise took hold. "Hold on a second, that wouldn't happen to be a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, would it!?" Rarity rushed to get up in Twilight's face. "You simply must tell us how you managed to find tickets! I thought Celestia sent them out personally!" Twilight sighed, realizing there was no way to avoid the topic now. She took a deep breath and pulled out the extra ticket. "Alright, everypony. The truth is, Princess Celestia sent us tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala. We have four tickets, one for me, one for Aurelius, one for Spike, and one extra." The library's entryway fell silent as the significance of the extra ticket sank in, though I thought it kind of stupid that she didn't just ask Celestia for one for each friend. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie exchanged glances, each of them clearly wanting the ticket but unsure how to proceed. The atmosphere felt thick and palpable, like jelly, and I could have heard a pin drop from how silent it was. I decided to break the silence myself. "Twilight, did you think to ask Celestia for more tickets for each of our friends instead of just the one additional? Then you wouldn't have to have anybody fight over getting to go." Now I wanted a picture of Twilight's face for acting so childish over something simple. Her blush stained her usual lavender fur more of a magenta. "I-I didn't think about that. Thank you, Aurelius for clearing up my indecision." Twilight quickly summoned a quill and parchment and had Spike send off a short letter asking for more tickets, which Celestia sent within a few minutes. Almost like she was waiting for Twilight to ask for them. Oh that sly pony princess. Did she originally intend to test her student's independence? Rarity seemed miffed that she didn't get to manipulate Twilight like the cunt canoe she was today, but softened her expression after seeing the four additional tickets. "So kind of her majesty to send enough for all the Elements of Harmony to attend the most prestigious event of the year." Pinkie, who was now standing with the rope nowhere to be seen, practically vibrated with anticipation. "Oh, oh! Do you think they'll need any extra hand with setting up?" -- The following day, Twilight notified the missing parties of their tickets and how the Gala would go off about a week from today. From the excitement each of the six girls had, I expected it to be something akin to a renaissance festival type of party, with many different foods from cooks, musicians, and artists all around Equestria showing up to sample their latest creations. Applejack thought it the perfect chance to widen her farm's customer base by preparing all sorts of tarts, cakes, and treats, while Pinkie aimed to show off her party expertise. Rainbow Dash especially looked forward to meeting an athletics team called the 'Wonderbolts', to impress them with her daring aerial stunts and score a recommendation into their training school before their next season. I've seen some of the moves she's performed and there wasn't doubt in my mind that she'd be hand selected. Rarity was... crazed I want to say. In the coming days, I heard all manner of manic laughter and noises coming from the Carousel Boutique and it was eerie. She didn't come out for any reason at all and it started to worry everyone, so Spike and I decided it was best to stop by for lunch the day before the event, hoping she'd at least greet us. "Do you think she might have lost it all cooped up in there? Sweetie Belle says her sister is busy 'creating like nopony's business', but I haven't been able to see her all week," Spike worriedly asked from behind his tray of finger sandwiches. I chuckled. "Honestly, I think she's just dealing with her excitement as best she can coming up with a dress to impress. This is Rarity we're talking about." I paused to shift the canteens. "She's a little... different when it comes to managing her emotions." That eased some of the drake's anxiety. "Yeah, you're right dude." He reached up and knocked on the front door of the boutique. "Rarity, it's Spike and Aurelius! Are you in there?" The door creaked open like it hadn't been shut and revealed a trainwreck of a mess, fabric and fine metal works scattered all over the floor with reckless abandon. Rarity's cat, Opal, laid lazily up on a privacy screen, batting down at some streamers that were just within reach. Deeper inside, we heard scratching and the telltale sound of scissors being used, which did little to make the place feel as it should. "D-do you think she'd be mad if we came in to check on her? She never makes a mess like this unless it's serious," Spike said, looking up at me. I just shrugged and stepped in, announcing my presence to the room. "Hey Rarity, Spike and I brought some lunch if you feel like eating. Where are you?" No response. More noise filled the room, emanating from one of the decorated doors further behind the mess. I set the drinks on an empty spot on a table and explored to find the source of the noise. In a flash, Rarity burst forth from the room beyond the door. She looked a little worn, sweat staining her once spotless black bodice and white puffy blouse, and a particularly sharp odor leaked off of her. Her mane was no better, missing its glossy sheen and usual bounce, all frazzled and barely kept up with a headband. "I've done it!" She exclaimed, directing it at the two of us. "Oh you two would not believe the creativity that has flowed in these walls the last six days! Idea after idea after... it's simply amazing!" She ignited her horn and wheeled out a clothing rack, a series of outfits covered in white cloth. "It took a little longer than I'd have liked, but our outfits for this year's Gala are sure to make even the fanciest Canterlot noble's jaws hit the floor!" Rarity waited in bated breath, her smile wide as can be. I shared a look with my fellow assistant and picked up one of the canteens I brought, offering it. "Tea, Ms. Rarity? Perhaps a lovely veggie sandwich from our friend Spike?" She looked like she hadn't eaten in a few days. Her stomach responded for her by growling in a way that would put a tiger to shame. Rarity's eyes widened at the mention of food, a steady stream of saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Oh dear, has it really been that long since I've eaten anything? Suppose I have been... preoccupied." She graciously accepted the offer of food and made her way over to one of the lesser cluttered tables and magically cleared it of the mountain of fabrics and ribbons, before daintily taking a portion of food from Spike. We ate uninterrupted and enjoyed pleasant conversation. Despite our less than stellar first meeting, Rarity seemed fine, at least she didn't appear all too bothered. With as much as Sweetie Belle complains about her sister during the tutoring lessons, I don't see what she's talking about. We finished up shortly afterwards, the excitement winding down. Rarity sat back in her chair, rubbing at her stomach as she savored the last of her tea. The refreshments did wonders for the mare, the hollow dullness of her fur simply glowing like a fresh spa trip. "My goodness, it really makes a world of difference to eat after such prolonged fasting, don't you agree Spikey-wikey?" She gestured at the boy. "I have to say, you both really were at the right place and right time. I've been feeling ever so faint since I locked myself in here, in a manner of speaking." "I can't imagine going a day without food, Rarity, let alone three. You must've really been eaten up by the outfits you have planned for the Gala." His eyes never left her for a minute, both of them filled with adoration. Must be nice for him to feel appreciated in her time of need. Though I had to wonder... "Say, do you think we could get a preview of what you got in store for us? A comment like 'jaws will hit the floor' isn't something an artist says unless their magnum opus is afoot." I looked under the table. "Well, ahoof." She stood up suddenly, gasping slightly at the idea. "Oh heaven's, I hadn't even thought of getting anypony to critique my work. If you'll both follow me, prepare to have your eyes simple dazzled by my latest creations!" Rarity led us into the heart of her hub of activity. Though a stark difference from the main lobby, I could still pick out different projects she was working on scattered about in an organized chaotic way. Pony mannequins, or I guess Ponyquins, were stuck in every possible spot by pins, sample pieces of fabric, and half-completed ensambles. The biggest project so far, which caught both Spike's and my eye, was the clothing rack in the center of the room, covered by a thick blanket. "Behold!" She started before throwing the blanket off with a huff. "Our masterful outfits for the Gala!" What we saw was breathtaking: six fabulous dresses for each of the main six girls and two handsomely crafted suits. I couldn't put my finger on the focal point on any single spot on the outfits, be it the jewels sewn somehow sewn directly into the dresses or the embroidered threading on the suits. The clothes seemed to draw in out eyes like vibrant neon signs, each representing the personality of the ponies perfectly. Even Applejack's 'rustic' cowgirl aesthetic would be hard pressed to not be accentuated. Spike's eyes went wide with wonder. "Wow.." Jesus Christ, it's like looking at art in a museum. "I knew you were talented, but those are out of this world!" I walked up to feel the fabric of my own suit, shocked by the luxurious feel. "This stuff is like the perfect mix of cotton and silk. How did you do this in such a short time? It's almost like..." Rarity preened at our praises, puffing out her chest and rubbing at her muzzle. "Magic? Darling, craft like this comes from over a decade of experience. You pick up a thing or two, especially spellcraft that helps." She pointed out some white gemstones on a green, nature themed dress. "You see these right here? Pure opalite crystals that were hand-crafted by jewelers directly from Prance. Said to be stronger than steel, but not needles made from phoenix feathers." My god, it's like each detail was made to stand out against all the others. I'd call it gaudy, but that wouldn't do it any justice! Rarity floated over some plastic dress covers and neatly stored away the outfits in boxes, wrapped up nicely with a bow. "This year's Gala is about to be blown away by Ponyville's own best!" -- The morning of the Gala came by quicker than I'd've liked, but what can you do? As excited as I was, I felt a pit forming in my stomach about the entire event, like something would go wrong and everyone would return home depressed. Spike, Twilight, and I stood at the train station this crisp morning, signifying that the weather ponies would be bringing about Autumn in the coming weeks. I always did love how the air smelled back on earth, and here was no different. There was almost a charge in the air that begged to be let into your lungs. Each of the girls sat nearby on the benches, chatting among themselves with their outfits and a few bags nestled neatly under the seats. "And you don't think it's weird that Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity brought so much extra stuff?" I asked, continuing my conversation with Twilight. "Not at all. Many ponies used the Gala as a chance to advertise themselves and their businesses back when I used to live in Canterlot, though I mostly found that out by passing all the different chefs and other out-of-towners," she replied. "It's the one time of the year that everypony who's anypony strives to shine. I've even heard of restaurants that gained such positive feedback that they received a golden hoof rating from critics." Spike bounced eagerly. "Oh I'm so excited. I've never gotten to go before! I bet it's going to be amazing!" I glanced around, taking in the collective buzz of enthusiasm going about the girls, and smiled softly. As much as I wanted tonight to be just like any other, it was palpable the mood they all let off. If this really was their chance to make it big, who was I to down on it? An announcement came overhead to let passengers know of the train's arrival and each of the girls quickly gathered up their things to board the train. Their moods never broke, and it eased much of the previous anxiety I had previously. We took our seats and got comfortable for the ride ahead. "So what's Canterlot like?" I asked Twilight. "It's a very lively city, the capital of all Equestria. Located snuggly on the side of Mount Canterhorn of the Theristria mountain range, it has one of the most life changing views of a majority of the kingdom." Spike leaned over from the seat behind us. "I'll say! You can see the weather from Cloudsdale long before it's shipped anywhere in Equestria! It's hard to beat tourism like that!" He pointed out at a storm forming close to the distant mountain range. "Looks like we'll just miss the rain scheduled for Ponyville." Behind the cloud cover, I could barely make out the white stone foundation and towers of our destination. Twilight nodded in agreement. "While most ponies don't think much of our monarch's choice of a city, it actually has quite the history behind it. Despite its gravity defying appearance, the bedrock it's bonded to sits upon a massive magic well, enabling the builders to form impossibly structurally sound works without having to worry about it crashing to the ground below. Many settlements have tried and failed to mirror the towering city, the sheer elegance of which is worth a trip to see." I leaned against the window of our car to try and get a better look beyond the storm, barely making out the towers of said castle. The sight of Canterlot looming so far in the air seemed almost surreal, the spires bathed in the noon sunlight, standing tall against the backdrop of the mountain. I felt small in comparison. As the train chugged along, the landscape began to change, with the rolling hills giving way to steeper inclines and rockier terrain. The tracks wound their way up the mountainside, and with each passing minute, Canterlot grew closer, the details becoming more distinct. I could now make out the flowing waterfalls that cascaded down from the city, their waters shimmering in the sunlight. Rarity, who had been quietly observing her surroundings, spoke up, her voice filled with admiration. "There's simply nothing like Canterlot. The architecture, the culture, the fashion-it's all so refined, so exquisite. I've always dreamed of living there one day." Rainbow Dash leaned back in her seat, arms crossed behind her head, a confident smirk on her face. "Yeah, it's pretty cool, I guess. But tonight, it's gonna be even cooler with us there. We're gonna make this Gala the most awesome one yet!" Twilight nodded in agreement with Spike, a small smile on her face as she looked out the window. "Canterlot is a place full of magic and history. The city itself is a blend of ancient traditions and modern elegance. You'll see ponies from all walks of life--royalty, scholars, artists--all living together in this incredible place. And the castle... well, it's even more breathtaking up close." I leaned forward, trying to catch a better glimpse of the distant city through the clouds. The sight of Canterlot, perched so high on the mountainside, seemed almost surreal, like something out of a storybook. The towers and spires gleamed in the sunlight, standing tall against the backdrop of the sky, their grandeur making me feel small in comparison. The train chugged along nicely, the landscape began to change, with the rolling hills giving way to steeper inclines and rockier terrain. The tracks wound their way up the mountainside, and with each passing minute, Canterlot grew closer, the details becoming more distinct. I could now make out the flowing waterfalls that cascaded down from the city, their waters shimmering in the sunlight, and many different colored dots, most likely weatherponies, flitting about the storm brewing at the base. Rarity, who had been quietly observing her surroundings, spoke up her admiration. "There's simply nothing like Canterlot. The architecture, the culture, the fashion--it's all so refined, so exquisite. I've always dreamed of living there one day." Rainbow Dash leaned back in her seat, arms crossed behind her head, a confident smirk on her face. "Yeah, it's pretty cool, I guess. But tonight, it's gonna be even cooler with us there. We're gonna make this Gala the most awesome one yet!" Applejack chuckled, tipping her hat back as she relaxed in her seat. "As long as it ain't too fancy for us country folk. I ain't too big on all that high society stuff, but it'll be nice to see how the other half lives for a night." Pinkie Pie bounced up from her seat, unable to contain her excitement. "Oh, it's gonna be a blast! There'll be dancing, and music, and sweets, and all kinds of fun stuff! I'm gonna make sure everypony has the best time ever!" Fluttershy, who had been quietly sitting by the window, finally spoke, her voice soft but full of anticipation. "I'm just looking forward to seeing the gardens. I've read so much about them, and I've always wanted to see all the rare animals and plants they have there." I guess I have plenty to look forward to. All in all, the train ride took little over an hour. As we arrived at the station and the train slowed its speed, Rarity flagged down one of the staff stationed at the gate from outside her window. The portly pegasus mare nodded and brought over a cart for when we disembarked. I noticed a tag on the cart had Rarity's name written on it, so there was our luggage taken care of. Twilight led the way, guiding us through the throng of ponies gathered around the entrance gates to the cars and over to an elegant carriage lot. I didn't know what to expect from the city, but if a carriage was needed to get to and from our hotel rooms, I figured the city might be comparable to one back home. The ride of the carriage was enlightening to what Canterlot held for us. The patrols of guards inspired a sense of safety and security as they weaved in and out of the streets laden with ponies of all walks of life. We passed through a market district filled with stalls and stores of untold treasures, many of which made my mouth and ears beg for a taste of the city-life. I couldn't help but marvel at the city-scape, seeing how some of the buildings seemed to be formed from the rocks that made up this majestic mountain, their alabaster facades gleaming like the purest pearls. The buildings we passed on our way to the first stop were massive, intricate carvings and stained glass of indescribable designs and fancy gold inlays, which captured and scattered a rainbow of colors along the cobble roads as our carriage was pulled by the taxi ponies. Speaking of the streets, I have never seen such stark difference between the economic status of people. One moment, I'm zooming past a richly dressed stallion and mare combo, the next being a modestly dressed commoner. And through all the scenes, I felt wonder, passion even to pursue some sort of art just to fit in here. As we turned onto a quieter street, the hustle and bustle of the main avenues began to fade, replaced by the serene beauty of a residential district. The air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers, and I could hear the distant chirping of birds, a stark contrast to the lively city center. The buildings that called this district their home were much smaller than the bustling center of the market we left behind, each a representation of their owner's personality. Be it the wrought iron gates or the cozy little gardens they held, it felt homey in a way I had trouble putting into words. The carriage stopped at a three-story building and we all disembarked to the small hotel. Twilight gave me a knowing look, not at all surprised at my wide eyes. "Canterlot has a way of wowing even the stoic of ponies, so I know all too well how you're feeling right now, Aurelius." "I can see why. It's all so... so," I paused to find the words. "Fascinating. Never before have I seen so many people of different walks of life. Ponyville is one thing, but the citizens there have a sort of charm to them that represents a tight-knit community of friends. Here, it's a whole different ball game. I didn't expect it to be this... grand.' Rarity, sitting across from us, nodded in agreement. "Grand is exactly the word, darling. Canterlot is the epitome of sophistication. Even the residential districts have a charm that you won't find anywhere else. The ponies here take pride in their homes, their surroundings--it's a reflection of who they are." Another, more negative thought crossed my mind. "And there's isn't a crime-rate here at all? With all the riches and valuable architecture, I doubt there are zero pick-pockets or law-breakers." Spike popped up with an answer, his eyes wide with excitement. "Eh, the crime rate here is super low! It's like, almost non-existent. The royal guards are everywhere, and there's a ton of security spells around the city that help keep everything safe. Plus, everypony here is really proud of Canterlot, so they wouldn't want to mess it up." Twilight nodded, adding on. "He's right. Canterlot is one of the safest cities in Equestria. While it might be different from Ponyville, here it's more about preserving the city's legacy and keeping up appearances. The residents take that very seriously. I'll bet even the hardest thief would find trouble making his or her mark without a challenge." Somehow, I doubted they knew much about the darker side of life, but in keeping up appearances, I nodded and smiled. Better keep the door locked and sleep with one eye open. Who knows what lurks in a dark room at night. We made it to our rooms unabated, then changed into the outfits Rarity made for us, ready to take on the gala. Even though it wasn't scheduled until a few hours from now, preparing to take on the night early gave us all time to hunt down a light lunch. In the process of brushing my hair in the bathroom, I heard someone knock at my room's door. Curious, I opened the door and spotted Spike scratching at the back of his head with a nervous look on his face. "What's up, dude?" I asked my little friend. He looked apprehensive to tell me, but decided to walk into my room and voice his mind. "I uh, don't know how to tie a bowtie." Lo and behold, he pulled the mangled bunch of fabrice from behind his back. "Was hoping you wouldn't mind helping me, since Twilight's still styling her hair and all." I chuckled at him like he was my little brother. Of all the things he chose to be embarrassed by, not know how to do one of the classics just made my night. "Sure thing, little dude. Watch closely." And so I fixed his dilemma. "All set. And might I say, you look like the talk of the town in that suit-pants combo." He blushed a vibrant green while turning his head. "Thank you, man. You look pretty cool yourself," he remarked while pointing at my jacket. Now, I've never worn anything fancy, unless you count a t-shirt with a vinyl bow-tie printed on it. The outfit Rarity prepped for me was almost more than I could've handled. The satin-like fabric hugged me in a way that almost made the whole thing too tight, but it was loose enough and breathed like nothing else. I couldn't put my finger on what the exact color was, something like midnight bluish-black with a red tie and maroon dress shirt. Riding an elevator down, we joined the rest of our party in the main lobby. Looking around at my friends, each was confident and gorgeous looking, almost regal. "Wow. I could almost swear I just visited a fashion show with some famous models. You all look fantastic beyond words." That made everyone blush. "Let me be the first to say Rarity, you've outdone yourself." Rarity stammered and tried to dismiss my compliment. "Oh posh, you won't win any more brownie points with me like that buster. But do go on." Everyone exchanged compliments and we decided on to start our night right with a stop at a nearby cafe for some pre-Gala indulgent tea and cakes at Twilight's suggestion. One of the finer establishments that would have been way out of my price range, but at Twilight's insistence on paying, I couldn't say no. The atmosphere simply radiated more of the excitement I expected. We chatted about the night ahead, Applejack speculating on how she'd rank in the tasting contest that would be held later in the night, I had no doubt that she'd place high up in the ranking. Pinkie pie rattled on about some new party ideas she had. We finished up smoothly, just in time to make it to the Palace entrance with all the other attendees. The sound of music and laughter filled the air, blended with the conversation of ponies and their friends (and frenemies). Tonight was a big night, and not in the normal sense either. It was a political smorgasbord for people trying to one up one another, and I could just tell there were deals going on behind closed doors, friendships being established or ended. When we finally walked up those long, red carpet covered stairs, I all at once could behold the grandeurs of the castle in full. The architecture of Canterlot was reminiscent of ancient Roman and Greek culture, but held a twist of elegance that paled in comparison to the palace proper. The inside was split perfectly down the middle, the left half with its gold, white, and red, while the other half held cool blues, purples, and silver. It was something out of a dream. I know it's the first Gala after Luna's return, but this is something else! The girls started to split off their separate ways to enjoy the festivities, agreeing to meet back at the gate when all was said and done. Rarity was the first to head inside, making a beeline towards some contacts she expected to meet tonight, followed swiftly by Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash and Applejack carried covered trays of food into the depths of the castle to be sampled by judges. Pinkie Pie shot off like a metaphorical bullet towards the ballroom, leaving behind a trail of squeals and giggles. That just left me, Spike, and Twilight. Twilight shook her head with a smile. "Well, I'm off to find the Princess and catch up on old friends. I hope you two enjoy yourselves tonight." And then there were two lone, eligible bachelors standing in the entrance looking out of place. The buzz of the evening was all around us and I wasn't sure what to do. Spike nudged my side with his elbow. "So I guess it's just you and me now, huh?" I chuckled, shaking my head. "Not for long, I bet. Sooner or later, you'll be off to service your Mistress Rarity on hand and foot." His cheeks flushed and he scowled at me, before realizing I was just joking. "Hey, it's not like that. I just... want to make sure she has a nice time tonight, y'know?" "Uh-huh," I teased, "I'm sure she'll appreciate her knight in shining scales's 'hard work' too." He rolled his eyes but didn't deny it. "Well, I guess I should go find her before she gets too wrapped up in talking business. I'll catch you later, Aurelius." I waved him off as he hurried into the crowd, leaving me alone at the entrance of the grand palace. I figured l'd explore a bit first, maybe find a quiet spot to gather my thoughts before diving right into the festivities. --- As far as parties go, I think Pinkie's 'Welcome to Ponyville' party topped the grand galloping gala. Rarity talked it up as 'the most prestigious event of the year', but it turned out to be just a Renaissance Era themed party, snobbish rich folks included. The Decorah appealed to my inner decorator, but that's about the only positive thing I could list out other than the food. With the way the servants moved about, you would think the president of the United States came to visit, or someone of similar status. But I didn't see it like that. Maybe it has something to do with visiting dignitaries, I don't know. They probably paid well enough to put forth a show or they just really love Celestia that much. Even now so late into the party, I still feel out of place. I'd even gone as far to remove myself from any attention by standing against a while in the dining hall, sipping on a rather tasty citrus punch with elderflower petals in it. The closest to any preferential treatment I even got was being greeted by the guards after I entered, a maid commenting on my 'handsome suit' shortly thereafter, and that's about it. Not that I expected the party to be all about me. I had been left to my own devices by the girls I came with, each going their own ways to do. God knows what, which made me feel like chopped liverwurst, and awkward. I contemplated heading back to my room at the hotel if nothing of interest snagged my attention and it was starting to look more and more like I would only really be here to look around at things. I didn't know anybody here in Canterlot sans my friends, but even that's a stretch of the truth, since nobody even bothered to show up and offer a dance or anything. It didn't help my mood any that the musicians were starting to play something somber from in the ballroom, echoing throughout the palace. "This is such a disappointment," I mumbled to myself. "I guess while I'm here, I could go enjoy the new moons in the garden outside at least." I have no clue why it didn't occur to me at the start to go visit one of the things Canterlot Palace is known for, but I digress. Now, to say anything negative about the arrangement of plants outside would be a disservice to the garden ponies hired to care for the place. The only comparison I could make to describe the sheer magnitude of colors and smells would be like if a perfume shop and a paint shop had a child together. Easily one of the highlights of the evening. Then all of the peace and tranquility was nearly ruined by a screaming Fluttershy chasing after a menagerie of birds and squirrels. They all scrambled to elude her grasp, many dodging her by hiding in one of the many hedges that made up the wall for a maze. How had I not noticed that thing when came out here? The look of frustration and longing on Fluttershy's face, which shocked me as she normally looks so much more reserved and composed. She didn't even notice me, staring at her from across the courtyard, just choosing to continue her chase while muttering to herself, disappearing into the maze. "I uh, I'll go over there..." I said, pointing over to the polar opposite direction of the Frustratedshy. And I thought the plant garden would be a piece of the cake. The statue garden? Was a whole Nother world. The statues themselves were desperately crafted, almost like they were alive. From the individual muscles and fingernails, the pedestals on Pond, which stood. Truly, an artisan masterpiece. Even the ivy, climbing them all were magically guided to accentuate key features I wouldn't have noticed, on a particular major staff or a stallions breast plate. It felt... Right, I have no other way of putting it. In the stone walkway, oh you'd have to see it to believe it. The statues lined either side of the walkway, making it easier to find my way back to the flower garden after I had my fill of the sights to behold. Truly, a garden worthy of a monarch. Speak of the princess and she shall arrive, apparently! My journey segued nicely into meeting the solar diarch herself, Princess Celestia. She was accompanied by a similarly tall mare, easily five foot five who had looks to go with her. Maybe some sort of model if I had to guess? they carried on a conversation while walking, neither noticing me. But the entourage of guards following them sure did, noticing me staring at them from afar. Easy Aurelius, no need to get flustered and bumble your first meeting like an idiot. you've befriended her sister and personal student, so starting a friendship should happen nicely with Celestia. I hope. I walked up and made the first move so as to break any ice that could potentially exist. "Evening princess, Miss Noble. Lovely to see you too flowers out here in the garden." I gave a short bow as I entered the talking distance. "Might I say, I didn't think your staff kept such hidden gems out here. It's almost as breaking as the two of you." The unknown mare tittered. "My, how forward of you. If I weren't already taken mare, I might take that as an offer for something more than a friendship." I stuttered, not intending to hit on her. "Oh relax dearie, I can take a compliment. Thank you very much for improving on my stressful night." Celestia stepped forward to look me over. "You must be Aurelius. I take it you aren't enjoying the festivities?" "Struck the nail on the head, princess." "Celestia is fine. I get enough of the formalities during the day court," she said passively with a smile. "Right now, I am just another pony attending the Gala while my sister rules." I turned my attention to the second part of the conversation. "I don't think I got your name the miss...?" I stuck out my hand to shake. She daintily took my hand and gave a smile of her own. "Mrs. Fleur de Lis, charmed." She looked around the garden for something. " did you not come with a date? When would think a handsome fellow of your disposition would easily charm any filly of your choosing... Unless?" "Correct on guessing I'm out here alone," I sighed. " the friends I came with had their own plans, sadly, but I am managing." Celestia looked at me with empathy. "It's disappointing, though, since I figured they would've at least want to dance or eat together, c'est la vie." I should at least be able to hear how their nights went whenever we regroup at the hotel later tonight. Fleur turned her attention back to the princess. I have to take my leave, princess. You know how it is. Enjoy the rest of the gala for me would you?" She bowed and took her leave. Celestia and I stood staring into each other's eyes, her probably sizing me up. Though she only beat me in height by a few inches, it felt like staring into the eyes of a giant. What do I even say right now to a PRINCESS of all people? turns out I didn't even need to initiate anything. Celestia, despite giving off a standoffish aura, one befitting of authority, she didn't even look at me twice before starting to walk towards the cobble path towards the statues. "Walk with me, Aurelius." And so I did. She let me past the little statue garden over to a pond with pony statue shaped fountains, shooting out streams into the water, where multicolored fish shifted lazily about the bubbles and ripples. "How has Equestria treated you? From the letters Twilight has been sending me, I take it you're adjusting all right?" "Other than the harsh arrival, everything's been pleasant. I'd go as far as to say that everyone I have met has been incredibly pleasant. Although there have been a few hiccups here and there, nothing I would like to complain about heavily." The memory of my night and the Everfree and the Apple family's barn collapsing came up in my mind, but I didn't want to burden her with a trauma dump. Had to stay confident. "That's wonderful to hear," she said gleefully. "And have you had any difficulty making friends, besides my sister?" I had to think back to my many days here so far. Though it had only been a few months, I couldn't recall but one time with a cranky donkey where I had difficulty befriending the natives. "I think it would be rather weird if anybody had difficulty making friends here in Equestria. It's like the land breathes love and tolerance." She seemed content with my answer and continued to lead us down the path, looking out over the water at the insects, dipping down for a drink before hurrying back up for their nightly journeys. Alone, fish jumped out, just briefly and caught a scary looking dragonfly in front of us. Celestial pointed out over the water towards the center of the pond at a glowing light. "Tell me what you see, Aurelius, what do you see when you look around my garden out across the water?" I felt myself drawn in by the fence orb of light under the pond. "I see...," I paused, then said the first word that came to mind. "Peace, Celestia. Like everything here reflects the good in the world." "Look closer." A heron poised a ways away from the water's edge, swiftly impaling a fish and gluttonously scarfing it down. It flew off before I managed to see every detail about it. "I also see death, nature's cruel teacher." She chuckled. "Yes, some of the animals here get eaten by minor predators. Interesting response." She took a moment to rest in the grass under a tree, patting the grass next to her, which I sat on. I shifted my eyes quickly to the diarch and then back to the scenery. Is... she testing me? Gauging my personality based on my responses? Or is this just her way of getting to know me? "Is there a reason you're asking me all of this, Princess? I didn't think of you as the suspicious type." She laughed heartily, like a mother catching their child doing something foolish and entertaining. " goodness, no. I merely thought I'd appeal back the enigma. My sister talks about so much, see if I might get to know you how she does. It does me little good to appear apprehensive to those that inhabit the kingdom, like someone who doesn't want to spend time with her people." I smiled at her. "Never let it be said that Celestia is on approachable. I'm relieved to say that you are much more... More than I originally expected." We got up from our rest and continued round the bend of the pond, reaching back to the statue garden. "Well Aurelius, it has been a treat to spend time with you tonight. Please excuse me, I have to go make announcements for the next event for the Gala." My strange dream of that weird man cropped up suddenly, and I thought to ask Celestia. If anybody knew anything about it, it would be one of the rulers. "Actually, Princess Celestia, I have a question for you if you don't mind a few more moments of your time." She turned back towards me. "Do you know where I could find someone nicknamed 'The Alchemist' by chance?" At the mention of the name, the princess stumbled, only to be caught by one of her guards. "Are you alright, your highness?" She nodded and raised herself back up. Her mask cracked just lately, enough that I was the only one to notice that her expression shifted from that of a kind hearted ruler, to someone much more critical of the person standing before them. Oh shit, I don't think I should have asked her that! Celestial cleared her throat. "I don't believe I know anybody by that name. If you would like, I can have my guards look out for somebody by that title though." She shifted her expression back to the usual smile. Really hope I didn't pick open an old wound! "Oh well, doesn't matter I guess. I just thought I would ask. Thank you for your time, princess. I enjoyed it," I swiftly said, dismissing myself back to the party. "You enjoy yourself now, Aurelius," she called after me. --- "Tell Captain Shining Armor to have his agents watch the human and report back to me ANY and all discoveries, no matter how insignificant. I have a feeling something ill is coming and he might be a key part in all of it," Celestia ordered one of her guards, who nodded and ran off. --- The gala continued boringly. None of the music fit. Without anything keeping me occupied, I felt a depressing atmosphere, what with the near lack of commoners, other than my friends. Snobbish nobles kept to their circles, glancing around to see if any unwelcome ears might take them away for saying the wrong thing, clashed as they were intermingled with the occasional laughter and petty argument. These rich ponies disgusted me. Hardly any smiles. Where is the excitement, the fun little games, the drama? In truth, there weren't many options for fun other than conversation, food tasting, or looking at decor. Do people really only come here for the social aspect? I had returned to the ballroom after Celestia's announcement of the winners for the chef's contest, of which Applejack earned third place and she happily accepted her ribbon with grace. Twilight was located over on the Dancefloor, and thoroughly enjoyed busting some freestyle moves much to the chagrin of any one standing too close. She moved with the grace of a newborn chicken. Such cringe, but hey, she inspired looks like they were having fun. Having nothing better to do, I grabbed some drinks off a wait staff's tray and brought them over to refresh her. "Dang twilight, think about opening up a dance school?" I teased, causing her to slip a little. "Ouch here let me help you up." I offered her a glass of lemonade, which she sheepishly took. "Thanks, Aurelius." Spike was unaware of anyone but his own dancing, but nodded at me and quickly took a glass of his own. "Not a problem, Twi, you seemed like you needed it. Have either of you seen any of the other girls around here recently?" The drake tipped his head to acknowledge me, but otherwise kept dancing. Twilight looked around the room at the partygoers, but just shrugged. "Sorry, I was too busy enjoying myself to see where they went. I think I saw Rarity talking to Prince Blueblood over there." She pointed somewhere out in the crowd. Hah, what a name. I bet he's a massive prick. I took a moment to look about the crowd, easily spotting her gaudy piece from over in the circle the nobles made to avoid being knocked over by Twilight's uber moves. I thought to bring her a drink, And mend the bridge between us. She stood behind a pillar near a small gathering of mayors surrounding one pompous prints, googling and mumbling words of encouragement to herself. "Get it together, Rarity. Is the chance you've been dreaming of since you were a filly! Just go out there and..." She paused when she noticed me standing next to her. "Oh, what do you want?" I faked being offended, scoffing. "And here I was, coming over to ask you if you'd like to dance. Would you like either punch or lemonade?" She paused, then pilfered the punch and humphed. Well, it's good to see you have SOME decorum. Not that sarcasm is doing you any favors." She looked my suit up and down. " and would it hurt you to straighten up your tie? You look like you just came from a nearby alley." "Look rarity, I'm sorry to have implied you had ill intents on her first-" "Second." "Right, second meeting. I'm socially awkward and I'm trying to be better, okay?" She sipped on her punch and considered my words. "Is that why you think I'm annoyed at you so often? Ugh, Stallions." Confused, I pressed on. "Why else would you be mad? Outside of you sizing me up for clothing, we've had little to no interaction." She sighed. "... I suppose it's my fault for not talking to you about this earlier." "What?" "Well with how much you've spent with Sweetie Belle and her friends, she talks about you, I thought you'd manipulated her little heart into having a crush on you. She always has such compliments about how nice you are, I... I thought it too good to be true." "If anyone had a crush on me, it'd be Applebloom, on account that I saved her life, you goof. I've been helping with their homework that Cheerilee gives them and that's it." It was no wonder she thought so negatively of me, she's just doing what an older sibling does. "I would never hurt someone like that, especially a close friends sister. I understand where you're coming from though, despite not having any younger siblings myself." She rubbed her face like I slapped her, remorseful of how she talked to me. "Look, if you want to make up to me, let me help you win the heart of that prince." She scowled. " but how? I've been trying since we got here to get him to notice me, but nothing's working!" I deadpanned. "Rarity... have you been stalking a prince all night instead of going right up to him and asking for a dance?" I swear to god if she says yes... She stared about how timing was never right or some bullshit excuse, which I face palms too. I grabbed rarities wrist and pulled her behind me as I walked after Blueblood, who was finally free of any nitwit mares trying to charm him. He walked out into the hallway to preen in a hand mirror, not that he needed it. it was so consumed by it, I thought he might start kissing his reflection the way he didn't notice us. When he finally did turn back around, he noticed a very apprehensive Rarity before staring up at me. "So you are the one auntie Celestia has told me about." "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, your highness," I said with a bow. "My name is Aurelius, and this fine girl is Rarity." He gave us both a look over before returning to his grooming, not looking very enthused. "Charmed, I'm sure," he spat. Rarity gave him as polite of a smile as she could while sweating bullets. "Could you tell me what is so important as to bother me or are we finished here?" "Well your Lordship, my friend wanted to ask you to dance at the next song, if you wouldn't mind. It's been her dream to meet you in person." He stood a lot taller, puffing out his chest, a little. "As are all of the fillies who hear of Blueblood. But what makes her so special that I should even give her the time of day and that thing she calls an outfit?" He gestured a thumb at Rarity's outfit. " I would rather be caught dead, then be seen next to something so incorrigible. Hardly suited attire for the gala, unlike your well crafted suit, sir." He humphed and turned to head back into the party. "I wish you both a good evening. Please don't bother me again." Rarity just felt absolutely heartbroken, running off wailing into the halls of the castle, the moonlight cascading off the marble. Chasing after her, I found that she had slumped up against one of the walls, crying into her knees. In between sobs, she barked at me. "Go away! You ruined everything!" I slid down the wall to sit next to her. "Now that's not true. You heard how he talked about you. Nobody worth his position would speak so lowly of someone who admires him so highly." She didn't move, staining her arms with run makeup. "Oh, why did he have to be so...so awful! I thought of anypony, he'd be like the rumors made him out to be." "If it makes you feel any better, with a name like his, I kind of figured he would've been of a muddy puddle." We sat in each other's company as the music from the ballroom shifted tone to a more soft energy one. "Listen, you shouldn't let some pompous twat determine your self-worth, especially when you're already an accomplished business owner, have looks that many would kill for, and as loving friends as you do. If he can't see past his own vain nose what kind of mare you are by just looking at you, then he doesn't deserve the right to make you happy." Rarity stopped crying when I mentioned all the positives, but her stuffy nose made her voice sound sick. She looked up at me slowly. "Do you think I'll ever find true love like a fairytale? That somepony would want to hold me close and make me feel wanted?" I nodded. "Most definitely, if you work at it. Relationships aren't all like a story book." She chuckled almost hollowly. "You're a weird one, Aurelius. One moment bawling my eyes out, the next you're trying to comfort me." Rarity eventually cleaned herself up some and rejoined her friends in the ballroom. I felt conflicted about whether I should join them myself or stay out here to be alone, ultimately deciding to look outside the window at the end of the hall. From up here, I could see out over the garden's courtyard, where I saw Fluttershy sitting peacefully with a single bird on her finger. She looked worse for wear, sticks and dirt covering her once dress. I had to say, it sort of fit her, given her affinity for helping all her animals like a dryad. Then I felt a cold presence behind me, something ghostly. It chilled me to the bone, making me feel anxious and want to hide. I turned around to see what was there, only to see a brief glimpse of the man from my dream flash in and out of existence. He didn't look solid, fitting the ghost image. He mouthed something inaudible, looking over his shoulder like he himself was watching for specters, before fading entirely. I gripped at my chest, a sharp pain shooting up my arm and resting in my heart, vanishing as quickly as it came. What the FUCK was that?! Did somebody drug the food or something?! Uneasiness creeped in my chest and I rushed to head back into the party, away from whatever the hell I just saw. In my haste, I accidentally bumped into Spike as I wove my way through the crowd gathering around the center of the dance floor where Princess Celestia stood with Twilight and Princess Luna. Spike, noticing the look on my face, put a hand up on my thigh. "Whoa dude, you look like you've seen a ghost? What's wrong?" I looked down at him. "I think I just did, out in the hallway." "Wait, what?" "I don't want to talk about it right now. We'll talk about it later." My breathing felt uneven and shallow, like I had just gotten done running a marathon. Something felt wrong and I couldn't put my finger on it. --- Celestia began to speak. "Good evening, everypony. I want to thank you all for coming to this year's Gala." She placed a hand on Luna's back, her voice filled with warmth. "As you all know, my sister has returned to us from her long banishment, thanks to my faithful student and her friends." The room fell silent, all eyes on the royal sisters. "Tonight is not just a celebration of tradition but a celebration of reunion, forgiveness, and the power of friendship. It is a night to remember the importance of unity, of standing together, and offering second chances. My sister, Princess Luna, has returned to her rightful place, and I could not be more grateful to have her by my side once more." Luna bowed her head slightly, a soft smile gracing her lips. Celestia continued, "May this night be a reminder that no matter how much darkness we face, there is always light waiting to guide us back. So, let us raise our glasses and toast to new beginnings, enduring friendships, and the joy of having loved ones near." Celestia lifted her hand high, her gaze sweeping over the crowd. "To Luna's return, to friendship, and to the magic that binds us all together. May we cherish these moments and look forward to many more joyful celebrations." A chorus of cheers and clinking glasses followed her words, Luna bashfully turning her head from the majority of the crowd. Many ponies walked up to ask the Princess questions or congratulate her personally. Twilight, who's attention was on me rather than her teacher, stared at me like I was about to pass out. It wasn't too far from the truth, what with my head pounding and an overwhelming need to leave washed over me. I felt bile rise up in the back of my throat as I looked down at my hands. I panted, my vision going a little spotty with a swirl of rainbow colors. Why do I feel so... weird? I-I can't breathe. Everything...Urk! I immediately bolted from the ballroom, searching for a toilet, trashcan, something to purge my stomach. I didn't even make it out the door before I slammed my eyes shut and keeled over, vomiting everything I had eaten that night. It felt like fire pouring out my throat, and in an instant everything felt light. I opened my eyes and felt a warm, wet sensation dripping down my face. I reached up to wipe it away and was shocked when I saw blood staining my hands. All around me, I heard a voice laughing maniacally. And then like it never happened, I was back in the center of the crowd like nothing had even happened. Twilight was looking up at her teacher in awe. Okay, what the absolute hell? Did I just hallucinate or something? God my fucking head hurts way too much to deal with this right now. I'll ask Twilight about it in the morning. I took a few deep breaths, trying to steady myself, and forced a smile as Twilight turned back to me, asking if I was okay. "Yeah, just... a little too much excitement," I said, brushing it off. The rest of the night went on peacefully, as if nothing had happened. My little group of friends intermingled with each other as we made our way to our carriage, excited to discuss their experiences of the night. Yet, I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. --- Outside of the castle, alone in the famous garden of Canterlot, stood a statue. Ivy clung to the base of this weird statue, wilted and dying, but never falling off. It was a curious sight, nothing like any of the statues of all the famous ponies one would find if they were to tour. It was twisted, chaotic, and it didn't look like it fit quite right in the mix of all of them. Its species defied all natural law, looking more like a chimeric mishmash of parts from many different species. A single one of its arms was upturned towards the sky, the talons almost trying in vain to palm at the heaven themselves. Wings, one feathered and one batlike, pointed in uncomfortable looking positions off of its long serpent like body, as though it wanted to take flight but never could. Its face held different sized fangs in a gleeful grin, its eyes frozen in a mischievous and sinister manner. As the night grew deeper and the garden's silence became ever larger, a faint sound broke through-- like the snapping of a twig, an audible crack barely louder than the wind sounded out from said statue. Had anybody been watching, they might've noticed the statue's grin shift slightly underneath the weathering coating it. A thin line appeared, starting at its toes and slowly made its way up to its horns. The statue to any untrained eye would've appeared unchanged, like nothing had happened. But the atmosphere was something else to behold. It felt heavier, sticky, akin to smog. The sound of cracking continued to resonate around the statue, long blades of grass at the base of the statue curling into themselves away from it, revealing the plaque carved into the base. If anyone read it out loud, they would find that it said 'Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony'. > Chapter 8: Afterglow of the Gala Discord withdrew from Solus' mind, scratching madly at his scalp as he sifted through the screens of memories floating in front of him. His form shimmered like water as he withdrew into the shadows of the newly formed realm of chaos where there was once a peaceful forest glade. But before he vanished entirely, he paused to think, grumbling to himself. I just can't make him break. What makes him tick, feel so confident with that little trickle of his soul flowing into the child, that he can take me down? What can I do to conquer his will and speak? The lingering remnants of Solus' soul taunted him, like an enigma puzzle, and Discord hissed. "Do you really think you can hide where you've sent him forever?" He said maliciously. "That your precious Aurelius, your last hope for salvation, can possibly hope to help match his elder in sheer experience?" Solus didn't answer, lost in his reliving of ancient memories, which filtered out like a fog into Discord's hand. "It's only a matter of time until I find the memories I am looking for. I will twist him, break him, and either bend him to my will or consume him entirely, you filthy puddle." Discord smiled, floating gently over to the rotting corpse of his brother. "Just imagine it: the legacy of YOUR father will burn in a fire hotter than any sun he crafted, your dreams and ambitions a mere figment of nothing. Tarnished, forgotten. When I find him, I will turn whatever poorly failed cobblestone you hid him on into dust and make its inhabitants become my most loyal of maddened followers." He gripped the putrid face, bringing it into his gaze. "And together, we will bring about unending chaos, all in your name. Every breath he takes, every step he takes, will bring him closer to my embrace where he belongs." Discord's laugh filled the void, the one sound that echoed through Solus' shattered mind. "As for you, I will make sure every shred that once was the person I called Brother is forgotten, scattered to the winds. Ashes to ashes and all that. I'll pervert every shred of dignity that you once had, while you watch from a pitiful little cage cast out into the void. You will be nothing, Solus, but a god who failed." In an instant, as if rewarded by his own malice, Discord sensed a flicker, a brief moment of clarity in Solus's tangled mind. There it was--the single branch of Yggdrasil where Aurelius was hidden. Discord's eyes gleamed with triumph as he sent his magic surging toward it, ripping through the delicate web of protections Solus had spun. The barriers barely budged under the force of Discord's will, cracking like glass against the onslaught of his power, enough to let in a single piece of his essence. It shuddered as it felt an influx of unbelievably harmonious magic, worming along the branches of the World Tree searching for its target. --- Far away, in the statue of the draconequus deep in Canterlot's garden, a crack sounded. A faint fissure appeared on the stone surface, as if the sculpture itself responded to the summons to awaken. Discord's laughter resonated through the darkness as the ancient wards around the statue began to falter, releasing a whisper of his chaotic essence into the world once more. --- "So that's the branch you hid him upon..." Something about the feeling of magic radiating into his core felt familiar, as if battles that had taken place between the two gods left a stain upon the realms within. "It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but soon, brother, I will have my revenge. Just a little more and I'll find out which leaf he sits upon." --- I sat upon the edge of Twilight's bed, trying to untangle the knots of anxiety and excitement from the night. I pushed my hair out of my eyes, as if the subtle motion might help me make sense of the night. The aftermath of it all drained me more than I realized and confused me. Was the whole thing in the hallway and ballroom just hallucinations or premonitions of something more? I couldn't think clearly with how tired I was. Twilight swirled around the room, still energetic from the party, her dress as pristine as when she first donned it. "You look like you were having fun out there, Twilight," I said, my voice sounding strained to my ears. I wasn't sure how talking would make me feel, but it couldn't hurt to try and get my mind off of it all. Twilight paused her motions to turn to me, a grin glued on her face. "Oh it was fantastic! I got to meet so many ponies I had only ever read in tabloids! Sapphire Shores, famous griffon chef Jacques Von Prisionette..." She smiled constantly. "And the speech Princess Celestia gave? It was so heartfelt and touching, I felt my heart might burst!" I smiled at the unicorn, her excitement cheering me up. "It was something, alright." I nervously took a breath and laid back against the fabric of the bed. "What a night..." Twilight jumped up on the bed to lay next to me. "So, how was your night?" I guess it's time for a shave some time soon, no? I brought a hand up to scratch at the stubble forming on my chin. "Well, I got to meet the Princess for the first time tonight, out in the gardens. It was... interesting." That prompted Twilight to turn over and lay on the bed like a schoolgirl. "Oh, do tell! What did she say!" "Nothing much, just kinda asked me to look around the garden and tell her what I saw. She sort of admitted to seeing what kind of person I was, but other than that she-" I remembered my question. "Actually, she seemed a little off when I mentioned somebody to her. Somebody named 'The Alchemist' that I heard in a dream." "The Alchemist?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "I don't think I've ever heard of anypony named that, even in the thousands of books I've read. Are you sure that's a title somepony uses?" "Nah, it's just like I said, how I heard it in a dream. It's bugging me since I had that weird one I told you about way back when." I rubbed my temple, the memory starting a headache again. " I was so weird. I know it was just a dream, but I feel like I've met the person who told me that before. Like I'm forgetting something important everytime I try to remember his name." I sat up to go get a cup of water from her bathroom sink. "And if I'm being honest, that's not the only weird thing that happened tonight either." Twilight shifted on the bed, concern brewing on her brow. "What do you mean?" I hesitated, unsure of how to explain what happened at the ballroom during Celestia's announcement. "I mean it's kinda fuzzy now that I think about it, but I remember you looking at me all funny while I felt nauseous. Then, I turned to find a trashcan to vomit into, wiping my eyes and finding they were streaming with blood." Twilight's eyes widened. "And there was some spooky laughter, then I was back in the crowd, watching everyone cheer for Princess Luna." Twilight's brow furrowed in thought. "That sounds really strange, Aurelius. Are you sure this isn't some kind of dream you had? I know you slept a while on the train ride." I shook my head. "That's the thing, though, I was talking to rarity not even like ten minutes before out in the hallway. I even told Spike in the ballroom that I was going to talk to him about this later. But then again, this isn't the only time I've had a weird dream about the strange man. I know last night he showed up and he just kind of sat there, watching me practice with Princess Luna, and she didn't even seem to notice him. For the last week, he's been there, like he's trying to tell me something, and I just can't hear him." It was like the dreams were pulling me into something that I wasn't prepared for. Twilight eyes softened with understanding. "Hm. I know there is some research that has been done linking the dreamworld and reality together here in Equestria, but I'm no expert on this. Sometimes they can be visions of the future and sometimes they can be a way of you facing your fears. If anything, you should bring this up to Princess Luna the next time you see her in your sleep tonight." "It could be some kind of warning from someone that you know. You said he seems familiar?" I nodded. "What does he look like? Maybe talking more about him will remind you." I thought about the figure, the way he exuded this sense of peace and tranquility. "He felt familiar in a way. I just can't explain, like someone important to me." I remembered seeing him in the hallway. "Actually, yeah, I saw him in the hallway after Rarity rejoined you all in the ballroom. He wasn't there for a second, something like a ghost or a shadow, and then he vanished." Twilight's face grew more concerned. "That's... not normal. If there's a connection between your dreams and what happened tonight, we need to figure it out. Dreams can sometimes reveal truths that our waking minds can't comprehend. If this figure is trying to communicate with you, it might not be for a good reason." I swallowed, feeling the weight of her words. The hallucination, the laughter, the dreams--none of it made any sense, but the growing unease inside me refused to be ignored. "Do you think it could be some sort of magic affecting me?" "It's possible," Twilight said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Magic that affects dreams isn't unheard of, especially if there's a powerful force behind it. Whoever this man is, he might be trying to influence you, maybe even reach you through your dreams." The thought made a chill travel down my spine. As magical and peaceful of a place as Equestria was, I couldn't help, but feel that something darker was lurking around the corner in my near future. I didn't really want to think about it much anymore, so I thanked twilight for her time and helping me get all of this off of my chest, then dismissed myself to Spike's and my room for the night. He was already asleep on the bed by the time I came in, slumbering, as if there wasn't a care in the world. It amused me, and I thought I would join him and dreamland. --- "Concentrate, Aurelius," Luna commanded, her voice a perfect blend of old-world grandeur and modern strength. "Feel the magic coursing through thy veins. It desires to obey thy will, to be of service. Thou must not fear it but embrace it. Make it thine own." The dreamscape was different tonight, reflecting an olden style of classroom, with Luna the teacher. Between the rolling starry sky outside and the burning twist of my own internal magic, I thought myself centered, if that's the right word. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to follow her instructions. My breath came out ragged and sweat poured off my back like a river. My body trembled at its own might, my muscles failing to listen to me as the pools of magic glowing in my hands vanished. I collapsed to the floor. "It's no use." Though this was just a dream of my own making, I couldn't master making my magic listen to me, as usual. Inside, I felt like a cauldron bubbling over, threatening to consume me. Though my magic responded to all the calls I made upon it, it didn't feel like it wanted to listen, rather it just wanted to do its own thing. "Just breathe, easy, Aurelius," said Luna, as she put her hand up on my back, rubbing in a small circle. We know how you feel, the sense of an adequacy, like you're not matching up to your own expectations." Her presence was like a cool breeze, comforting me in my trial. "Listen not to the doubts that plague thy mind. You are more than capable, as demonstrated before." "Feel the eagerness of your magic, its desire to be set free into the Etherium." I tried to refocus myself, to meditate and feel the well of magic in me, but all I could feel was the pounding of my own heart. My insides twisted, and nausea rolled all throughout me. "Aurelius," Luna's voice cut through the chaos firmly, "I sense the turmoil within thy heart. Thy emotions are a tempest that threatens to consume thee. Speak to me. Unburden thy mind, that thou might find clarity. For until thy heart is at peace, thy magic shall never truly be thine." I sat on the floor, listless and tired. "Since you opened up my chakras and set right my immature CAM, I haven't felt right. Like at any moment when I try to use magic, that it wants to consume me. Couple that with all the weirdness that I told you about last night, and I feel like something terrible is going to happen if I keep trying to be something I'm not." I swallowed hard, the taste of bile still lingering in my mouth. "I don't know how to face it. The man in my dreams, the laughter... it feels like they're waiting for me to slip, to lose control. What if I can't keep this power in check?" "Then it shall consume thee," Luna said plainly, her voice like a blade cutting through my doubt. "But that is not thy fate, Aurelius. I see the strength within thee, the potential to rise above these shadows. Let thy fears become the forge in which thy resolve is tempered. Speak thy truth, bare thy soul to me. Only then can we confront the darkness together." I closed my eyes again, resuming the meditation techniques. I could see clearly in my mind's eye the demon that was my anxiety. "I'm afraid, Luna. Afraid of who I'm becoming every time I tap into this... Raw power." It was like something was there, staring back at me. Watching, waiting, expecting. " I think I'm afraid of becoming something that I dread. I'm afraid of becoming something that I don't recognize and lashing out to hurt people. I don't want to hurt anyone." "Then don't," Luna sat down behind me, leaning up against my body and running her hands down my arms to lock fingers. " I sent greatness inside of you, Aurelius, the strength to rise above your own inner demons. Thine fear is the prelude to what I can see you becoming." I stared at her, the moonlight filtering in through the illusionary windows with a silver glow that shrouded us. She felt like a Sentinel, keeping watch over me. "There's something inside me," I began, my voice shaking. "Something that feels ancient, like it's been waiting forever. It's... hungry, almost. And there's this laughter. It's mocking me, taunting me to give in, to let go. It's like it knows my weaknesses and is just waiting for the right moment to strike." Luna's eyes narrowed, her expression thoughtful yet stern. "This force thou speakest of, it is not merely a figment of thy imagination. It is real, as real as the magic that flows through thy veins. The laughter, the presence--it is a manifestation of chaos, seeking to destabilize thee. Chaos feeds on fear and doubt. But thou must remember, Aurelius, fear is not thy enemy. It is a guide. Let it show thee where thou art vulnerable, and then use thy strength to fortify those places." "But how do I master what feels like an integral part of myself? How do I keep such chaos at bay?" "By remembering the people who hold you dearly," Luna said. "Thine relationships with your friends is not some mere figment of your imagination. Search your feelings and let the emotions your friends draw forth the center you need to calm your storm." I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and imagining my deepest thoughts. I felt the core of my magic drifting like smoke in the wind, slipping through my fingers again and swirling up into a storm. Sweat beaded on my brow and I could feel my muscles clenching again against my will. The power pulsed rapidly, responding to my attempts to call it, but erratic and outside of my control. "Good, let the magic move freely. Focus on your friends, how they make you feel and you them." I did just that. The mass of magic seemed to like the direction I was going and I felt my hands ignite in the familiar soft, golden glow. "Recognize that the power within thee is not thy enemy, but thine ally. The man in thy dreams, the laughter--they are tests, challenges to be overcome. They are as much a part of thee as thy fears. Accept them, Aurelius, and they shall no longer hold sway over thee." The storm surged and started to coalesce into a refined spinning sphere. It felt warm, less like the fire from before and more like a sunbeam. My muscles eased their tension and I felt I could breathe easier than before. I stood up and opened my eyes, reaching my hand out to the pillar holding a cup, gripping my hand as though I were grabbing it. Ever so slowly the cup wiggled before being bathed in its own faint field of golden light. I lifted my hand and so too did the cup follow. I lost my concentration afterward and jumped up into the air, laughing triumphantly. "Hahaha, I did it! I levitated the cup!" I rushed to hug my teacher as tight as I could, my energy renewed to its peak. "Thank you so much, Luna! I feel confident I can accomplish this in the waking world just as easily now!" Luna returned the embrace with a small smile, her dark wings folding around me like a protective cloak. "Well done, Aurelius," she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of pride. "Thou hast taken the first step towards mastering thy power. Remember, the magic within thee is tied to thy emotions. As thy confidence grows, so too shall thy control." I basked in the afterglow, buzzing with excitement. The golden light around my hands faded, but I still felt the telltale tingle of magic moving underneath my skin. "It felt so natural, just like you said. It really was waiting on me to acknowledge myself." I felt breathless beyond words, as if the small feat of levitation were a work out. Luna nodded, her eyes twinkling with approval. "Magic is not a force to be tamed, but a dance to be learned. It seeks harmony with the wielder as much as any skill. When thou art calm and thy mind focused, it shall answer thy call. But remember," she warned. "It can just as quickly turn into a savage beast, a danger if wielded recklessly." The reality of her words sunk in like a fishing weight. "Understood, Luna. I promise to never use my power for anything dark. I don't want to hurt anyone." She seemed content with my response, her mirth warm and comforting. "That is all I ask of you, Aurelius. Yours is a path that will be all the easier with remembering to stay true to thineself. Thy friends are a stepping stone. Stand upon them as you would any stair and they will rise you to greater and greater heights." I continued to practice long into the night, accepting guidance on many more basic spells and finding it easier with each one. Levitation, Shield, Light, and detect magic were all easy enough to learn and I felt myself growing ever stronger because of it. Luna waved her hand for me to stop meditating and summoned a table, chairs, and tea set for us. "Come, let us talk about these dreams you had during the Gala. From what little you've said, they appear to be more unusual than normal?" I nodded. "Hmm... What about this strange 'man' you mentioned? What do you make of him?" I explained the dreams in their entirety, how sometimes he would appear half complete, other times he would wordlessly mouth something I couldn't quite hear. Matter of fact, I couldn't remember any but two times he actually spoke at all. "It's weird, he never does anything but either watch or try to talk to me." Weird didn't even begin to describe how creepy it was. "Actually, one of the two times he talked, he told me to go to Canterlot and seek out someone named 'The Alchemist'." Luna choked at the mention of his name, dropping her teacup to add her on the floor and beating her chest violently. She just about jumped across the table with how close she got into my face. "And you are certain this is who he told you to find? He named the Alchemist specifically and nopony else? You're sure?!" "Positive." Luna slumped back down into her chair, a look of absolute horror creeping up on her face. "Why? Is that a bad thing?" Luna's sudden reaction was unlike her, unbecoming of one of her station. She was a Princess, someone who was expected to be prepared for even the darkest circumstances and lead her people through it. For such a fierceness to be replaced with fear and sorrow, it must've been a name that held terrible memories for her. She turned her head away from me, biting her lip as she stared out of the windows into the stars. I could feel the tension radiating off of her, that she was wrestling with whether or not to speak with me about it. "Luna, who is the Alchemist? Why do my dreams know about someone I've never heard of?" She took a shaky breath, and when she finally spoke, her voice was strained, barely above a whisper. "Aurelius... The name of the Alchemist is one not spoken lightly, not in jest nor in passing curiosity. He is not just anypony; he is a figure of great power and great mystery, shrouded in legends and old stories better left long forgotten." Luna's eyes flickered with a distant light, as though she were peering back into ancient memories, ones filled with half-buried secrets and shadows that stretched across centuries. "What I am about to tell you is not to leave this dream, for fear of consequences even I can't fathom." I swallowed my saliva, bitter with anticipation of the metaphorical hornets nest I kicked. Luna hesitated to speak, grappling with the importance of hearing a name nearly forgotten to time. "The Alchemist is... hard to describe, but one word is used by the scholars who know about him. He's, by all means, a God." My eyes widened and my mouth dropped. "He is an alicorn of incomprehensible magnitude, a being older than even Equestria itself. A master of the arcane in arts long since forgotten, with which he could bend even the stars to his will in a way I can't today. Some knew him to be the founder of the Pony species, others say he was merely a guide to lead the souls to the afterlife. But to Celestia and I... he was our Father." --- Thousands upon thousands of years ago, a great and powerful being visited the world of Equus. A dormant, sad little thing it was, devoid of atmosphere or even the light of its long dead star. He took pity on this once thriving planet, stirring the very cosmos into turning back the clock for its star, igniting it in a blaze of cosmic fusion. And he saw that it was good. Taking out a vial of solid darkness, he poured in his will and a light shone within it, eager to break free of its prison. He poured out the vial on his hand and held the planet in his palm, covering the now dead oceans and continents. With a squeeze, the planet burst and magma flowed from its now vibrant core. The planetoid swelled up three times its original size, flourishing itself with the greens and yellows of life The Alchemist looked upon his master with glee, appreciating the beauty of the new life on the planet. Whatever had struck it down, was long gone and now it danced happily in a proper orbit. The Alchemist took his wife's hand and drifted daintily down to its surface, waving goodbye to their new home's creator. He promised he would put to use the pure souls of life in his pocket, gifted to him by the God who watched on with satisfaction. As the moons went by, the planet blossomed forth sapient life, with the Alchemist there to guide it. The alicorn smiled at his work, gazing from far above at the griffons, minotaurs, ponies, and other races enjoying the peace and prosperity. There was not a shadow of hatred in any of their hearts, nor were there thoughts of betrayal or evil. And the creator saw that it was good. But all would not be peaceful forever. During the Sixth Era, roughly six thousand years before the present day, my sister and I were born to the Alchemist and his wife, Faust. It started with the first ever death during childbirth. The being of chaos known as Discord discovered the creator's naive and innocent world, and saw fit to rule it as a king. He brought forth terrors the like of which Equus had never seen before: bloodshed, war, disease, rape, and all manner of evil to despicable and innumerable to name. It descended into chaos, the world nearly burning in a nuclear fire as the resisting peoples of the world fought tooth and nail to fend him off. And it was during the sixteenth year of my life that the creator returned. He was sickened by the actions committed by his fellow god, and filled with sorrow. With a single motion, He cut his wrist, throwing the blood deep within the place now known as the Everfree Forest. The sacrifice of a single drop of lifeforce poisoned the forest as it was forced to absorb as much of the chaos as it could hold, in an attempt at purifying it. Discord fought back with his own magic, which ultimately caused the purification to stop before it could be fully completed, the remaining chaos corrupting the forest. And thus began a true war in the heavens. With the help of the Alchemist, who sought the death of Discord for slaying his wife, the creator concocted a weapon so powerful, it could defeat the Spirit of Chaos: the Elements of Harmony. They hid them deep within that bastion of evil, the Everfree forest, and planted the seed of the Tree of Harmony. Discord, becoming aware of their plans to overthrow him, sought to fight off the creator and the Alchemist in one final battle. In a last ditch effort, the Alchemist physically held Discor in place so my sister and I could strike him down with the elements. And thus, he helped bring about an end to his rule once and for all, at the cost of being turned to stone alongside Discord. --- Luna's eyes darkened as she recounted the end of her story. "And so it was that my sister and I vowed 6000 years ago to remain forever watchful over both of the statues, in hopes that our father will escape and that Discord never does." She looked away, tears flowing freely from her eyes, her voice heavy with sadness. "We eventually moved them from their resting place within the heart of that cursed forest, from the ruins of our old castle to the gardens of Canterlot. Discord remains frozen in his chaotic laughter, my father in his calm resolve. Two sides of a coin, yet intertwined by fate. A monument to the price we both had to pay that day and as a reminder of the never ending fight for good." "Of the lengths in which we must go to protect our world from devastation." She sighed deeply, her gaze softening. "That brings us back to you." "But what exactly does this have to do with me?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper. "Why am I a focal point for something that happened so long ago?" She shrugged. "I don't know, but I do know that fate is a fickle mistress who chooses both her heroes and her villains. You would think that with the embodiment of evil imprisoned, that moral corruption would vanish, yes?" I nodded. "Sadly, it isn't so. With how long he stood during those sixteen years of my childhood, his ambient magic perverted the minds of many creatures who sought to serve him. Not every one of them was defeated and to this day, Cults of Discord lurk from the shadows." "Do you think they could be trying to wake him and he's reaching out into my dreams to taunt you?" She thought for a moment, rubbing her chin. "It's possible, though unlikely. The statue holds a faint chaotic aura that isn't able to reach out more than a few meters away from its base. Just looking at it up close is enough to instill intrusive thoughts." I drooped in my seat, dissatisfied with that answer. "No, I think what is more likely is that either these are visions from the future, or potentially something much more sinister." My mind rattled with more questions than answers. Why was I brought to Equestria at this time and place? What happened to the creator god? Who is the man in my dreams? I voiced these to Luna, and she didn't have any more of an answer that I did. "Why can't I tell anyone all that you've told me?" Her expression changed to a harder one. "The less who know about the Cults of Discord and the true origins of our world, the better. Belief is another important component of magic, a reason you have had trouble with," she explained. "Think of it like a mental parasite with magically memetic properties: the more the idea of how dangerous he truly is becomes common knowledge, the more his aura could spread and possibly gain enough power to free himself, or worse create an entity that's just like him. It is one of the reasons my sister and I have as much power as we do and why my fall to the Nightmare was so dangerous. The faith of all sapient life has power unimaginable." I looked once more into her eyes, feeling grateful that she would trust me with that information. "I understand. Thank you anyway for trying to help me find some answers. And for training with me." She smiled, a small, proud smile that made me feel like I had already accomplished something great. "I have faith in thee, Aurelius. Thy journey has only just begun, and I foresee great things in thy future. But for now, rest. There is time yet to grow and to prepare. And remember, thy dreams may hold clues, but they do not define thee. Only thou can choose thy path." With those words, the dreamscape around us began to fade, the stars dimming, the soft whispers of night drawing me back to the waking world. As I drifted, Luna's voice echoed one last time in my mind, a quiet vow shared only between us: "We shall watch over thee. Sleep softly." > Chapter 9: A Day Off The day began like any other: with the mucky grogginess of having overslept. Twilight had come upstairs to greet me instead of Spike and pulled the curtains wider than I'd've liked, which kept me from peacefully turning back into the dreamworld. But it wasn't all bad. I could smell the delicious blend of coffee in the pot she held aloft in her magic. "Good morning, sleepy bones. It's WAY past the time for you to get up today." She teased. "Ugh... Twilight, it's Saturday! It's one of two days of the week I get to do my own thing, and you had to just... Ugh!" I pulled the pillow out from under my head and jokingly screamed into it. "You're like my third mom, I swear!" She giggled. "Third? Since when were you adopted?" I peeked out from my pillow. "It's not like that, you know what I mean. Since Luna started helping me out during the training and been so attentive to my growing magic power, she's become more like a mother than anything." It had been about six days since the Gala's weirdness and the first night following, I had stopped having any nightmares naturally. Learning that dreams and reality intersected made me want to try putting myself into deep trances before sleeping, which worked pretty well. I figured that if I could conquer the nightmares, I'd wake up differently, but Luna always got in the way whenever I got cornered, which wasn't always bad. Shit's scary when you forget it's a dream. They usually consisted of anything from being chased by shadow creatures, to strange men holding me down and shaking me violently. Mid-dream, Luna would show up and dispel the phantoms with ease, given her affinity with dream magic, and try to comfort me until I fell back into more peaceful dreams. "Ever since she made the promise back in the Everfree to not let me down, it's only gotten worse with how she's smothering me. I don't mind people keeping me from getting hurt, but I feel that if I can't face my own inner demons on my own I can't overcome them." "Are you sure it's healthy to give yourself a nightmare before falling asleep? I'm no expert in dream magic, but wouldn't it damage your psyche if they managed to hurt you?" I sat up on the edge of the bed to move my hands to explain. "It would, if I hadn't figured out I can cast the Shield spell on my mind from within the dreamscape. It worked way more than I thought and now, instead of waking up screaming or in a pool of sweat like a normal nightmare, it's like I got done watching a scary movie. More of a 'huh, so that was interesting' kind of vibe." Twilight turned her mouth, not really believing me, but how else could I explain how it worked without showing her. "So, is it more like image training but you're asleep?" I nodded. "Huh, well what do you know? I used to do that with my brother back during my time in school to practice defense magic. If it works so well, I wonder if we could experiment to see if you can do it while awake?" I slapped my forehead, realizing that Luna was probably just doing her job. "You mean to tell me I could have been doing that during normal meditation and NOT get interrupted?!" I slapped my head again, calling myself an idiot. I had gotten so used to doing magic in my sleep, it didn't occur to me that I could daydream. "I'll have to try that later tonight. The lack of hormones should make staying lucid a lot easier." Twilight poured me a mug of coffee and offered a dish of sugar and creamers, which I fixed up how I liked. "Thanks. Do you need me for anything today after breakfast, or am I free to wander around Ponyville today?" Twilight shifted on her feet as she thought about what all needed to be done at the library. "Hm, I don't think so. You and Spike took care of reorganizing the shelves yesterday, and we're all stocked up on supplies. Did you place the order for next week's new releases?" I gave her a thumbs up. "Well then our schedule is clear for the weekend. Mind if I join you? I need to buy some things myself." "Hehe, do you really need to ask just to hang out? We're close enough." She stuck her tongue out at me, which I pinched using the magic aura in my fingers. "You better keep that tongue to yourself before I use it to wet some envelopes, ya butt." We laughed at one another before getting on with the late morning. After a quick look at myself in the mirror, I decided to ask Twilight for a shave after a nice hot shower. It's been almost four months now and I'm starting to look all scraggly with this unmanaged beard. I didn't look too terrible, just untrimmed with the whole two inches of hair on everything. In my mind, with how long everything had grown on me, I looked homeless. "Hey, Twilight," I called out as I rummaged through a drawer for something bladed, "Do you still have that enchanted razor? The one that doesn't nick your skin?" "Of course! I'll grab it for you," she replied from the hallway. Moments later, Twilight floated me a small, gleaming razor. "Here you go. Just focus on cutting whatever you want, and it'll do the rest. No fuss, no mess." I took the razor, grinning. "Thanks. You're a lifesaver. If I let this beard grow any longer, I'd start looking like Starswirl the Bearded." I stepped into the bathroom, letting the steam from the shower soften my skin. A snip here and slice there, and I was back to looking sort of like my usual self. I kept short goatee, thinking I'd try out the style for at least until the next shave. When I sat down at the dining table, Spike did a double take, noticing my new face. "Whoa, I had almost forgotten what you looked like under all that fuzz. Looking snazzy." I looked at his baby face and his lack of hair. "I see you polished your head fan. Looking shiny." He gave me a toothy grin as he wiggled the large scales that stuck off the top of his head. "You planning on staying here today or going out with Twilight and I?" He tossed me an orange off the table's fruit bowl, which I caught. "Yeah, I haven't read any more of my Power Ponies comic in a while. I need to finish it before the new shipment gets here, which reminds me! I need to thank you for ordering the next issue!" I smiled at him, nodding at his thanks. "You're on issue eight now, right? The one where Humdrum accidentally found that artifact?" He nodded fervently. "It's so awesome! Usually Hum Drum is kind of a bumbling idiot, but this time he's the main character! It's supposed to be a two-parter, so I'm stoked to see how they end it next issue." "That's IF they end it. Book sales with a new gimmick sometimes go on for a while, so he might have those dragon powers for a little while longer." Spike's smile grew at the mention of the dragon scale amulet. It was neat being able to nerd out with my buddy, even if we normally had different schedules during the week. Today would hopefully allow us enough time to read the comic together. "Just be sure you save the last couple pages for me so we can read it together. You remember where I stopped?" He nodded. "Okay. Hey Twilight, is it free range today or should I prepare us some lunch?" "I was thinking we could pick up something. Maybe Ponitalian or Saddle Arabian." We finished our late breakfast post-haste, finally ready to take on the day. Twas a beautiful September day outside in Ponyville, many of the denizens already out doing their pony business. Children played like it wasn't the last day of their summer vacation and their over the summer assignments weren't due, which left their parents hopeful for at least another day of peace and quiet. The cool afternoon air nipped at us, wishing it had the strength to force our hands and bundle up, but I'll be damned if Twilight and I didn't enjoy our foray into town. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. God, I missed this smell. All the pine needles being shed and the fresh smell of a well worn hearth. I wish I could capture it in a bottle and put it on as cologne. We walked for a good long while, stopping to watch leaves scurrying by and admire the scenery. I had grown used to living in suburban city-scapes back home on Earth, so I never really got to enjoy myself like this, fresh sunshine and all. "Hey, do you think we can take the long way through town by visiting the park first? I haven't been since I was a toddler." I asked with a hopeful gleam. Twilight spoke back at me without missing a step. "Alright, just promise me you won't embarrass yourself. I still have Ms. Jubilee coming by to see if you're home or not." "Who, little ol' me?" I said sweetly. "I wouldn't dream of it!" And so we continued the march! I never thought I'd say it, but this place feels more like home than Earth ever did. No concrete jungles or car horns blaring, just peace and quiet. Simple as. We passed by the marketplace, Twilight leaving me to head into an alchemist's reagent store, catching up soon after. The smells of the scene tempered my mood more, the mixture of sweet, earthy tones and baked goods. "Spike's missing out with all the new stuff available," I said, walking up to a jeweler's stall. "He'd appreciate ogling at the cool amulets for sale here." I thought about it for a second, before I picked up a nice ruby carved into diamond shape with a golden chain and tried it on. "How do I look?" Twilight looked up from a set of pearl earrings she held and smiled. "It matches your eyes very nicely. The red circles of your iris really seem to glow." "Red circles?" I turned to face the counter top mirror on the metal stall, staring deeply into my reflection. "Huh, have my eyes always been that color? And my hair?" My hair had a few white strands poking out of it and indeed my normal hazel colored eyes were starting to develop a deep crimson color to them. The jewelry merchant accepted the selections back from us. "You mean you haven't noticed with all the time you spend in the bathroom every day? I didn't say anything when I first noticed it back about a month ago. I just figured you were learning cosmetic magic," Twilight said nonchalantly. "I wonder why the change is happening all of a sudden?" "Beats me. I don't feel sick, so it's not some new disease or anything." I had been spending a lot more time practicing my magic in the last few days, so maybe it was a side effect of the ambient magic in the air? I'd be sure to keep an eye on it now that I was aware. I continued to look over the selections and stopped when I found a piece with jade in it. It was carved to look what appeared to me reminiscent of the Aztec Calendar, the little polygons of it being inlaid with gold. "How much for this piece?" The merchant, an older unicorn with rough tufts of white hair on his chin and a monocle, glanced at the jade amulet and hummed. "That piece was a tough little one to come by. Made it myself from some genuine jade I bought while passing through the Zebra countries. I'd say fifty bits should cover it." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Fifty bits? That seems a little steep, don't you think?" He smiled politely. "For most customers, yes. But see, this piece is enchanted with, what was it again..." He stopped to scratch his head. "Ah yes, it's enchanted with a charm to help the wearer with good luck. Quite a handy thing for an adventurous one like you, wouldn't you agree?" I rubbed my chin, contemplating whether or not I wanted to pay half of my weekly stipend from the Apple family. I had the change to spare, but couldn't decide. "What do you think, Twilight? I want to get something for Spike, but I don't know if it's worth the price." He'd appreciate any kind of gift, regardless of the price, but still. He continued to smile and leaned on the stall. "Tell ya what, I'll knock it down to forty bits if it's too expensive for you. You'll be hard pressed to find another like it anywhere here in Ponyville." "Luck, huh?" I said, picking up the amulet and feeling its weight. It was heavier than it looked, almost like it was more than simple jade and gold. I still doubted whether or not to believe what the merchant said to be true, but it was the only thing at the stall that caught my eye. "Twilight?" She came over and felt the jewelry herself. "If you want to get it, feel free. I won't be mad if you buy nice things for yourself." "Then I'll take it." I fished out two twenty pieces from my pocket of savings and handed them over to the merchant. I slipped the thing into my other pocket, a pleasant warmth spreading on my thigh. "Well, it's enchanted with something alright, though I don't feel any luckier." My friend's eyes rolled and she smiled. The market around us continued to bustle with life, vendors calling out their goods, pegasi flitting high above carrying all manner of their own bags and parcels. For a moment, I let myself get lost in it all, in being alive and whole. Twilight nudged me, pulling me back to the present and mock offering me money. "Bit for your thoughts?" I grinned as we continued to walk. "Just enjoying the view, is all. I'm still unused to seeing so many happy faces everywhere, but maybe that's my fault for being pessimistic all the time back before I came here." "Definitely a marked improvement from how you were those months ago. You're a lot more confident and outgoing. It's not necessarily a bad thing to change as time goes on, it's just the way of the world. You could be worse." I humphed. "Don't remind me. I'm still shocked that I managed to easily make friends like I did." She tilted her head. "Are you saying you WANT to earn friendship instead of making it?" "No, don't be silly. A lot of humans are a lot more wary of people they don't know, always suspicious of ulterior motives or bad people. There's something about ponies that just makes you want to be nice, y'know?" She alternated her head side to side, considering the thought. "I guess I never really thought about it." Eventually we reached the park on the far side of the town from the library after our thirty minute walk and I stopped to rest on a bench alongside the road, the shade from the green and rustic oranges of the trees filtering the afternoon sunlight to make the scene like something out of a painting. I closed my eyes and let my ears be my spectator in the wider world, the tranquility positively buzzing in my head. The park was a peaceful haven nestled on the edge of town, with green spaces held between many different species of native trees from oaks to birches. Even in the harshest of weather, the park was a goto place of safety. A few ponies were scattered around, reading or enjoying a meal among the sounds of chirping birds and chattering squirrels. The branches high above our bench swayed in the breeze that had been blowing through Ponyville, taking with it my deep sigh as I melted into the bench. I stretched, popping my back in all the right places. "It's nice to take a breather once in a while. I feel like I'm always busy working or stuck up in my head." Twilight giggled. "Who's busy now? Applejack always tells me how you love your job over at the farm and how you even make time to play with Applebloom. That you always have a smile any time she sees you." I nodded, leaning forward to scratch my back. "Yeah... I think I'm finally starting to understand just... living. Being here has taught me to enjoy life." The centerpiece of the park was the massive jungle gym that all the little kids climbed on, practically a metal tree designed to spark imagination and adventure. To the left were swings big enough for adults to use and still get the thrill of flying. Twilight smiled when she saw me eyeing the jungle gym, spying the look of mischief on my face. "Don't even think about it. I'm not going to the hospital today." I put my hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, you party pooper. I'll be good. See, here's me, being good." I plopped down on a bench and pulled out a book I had slipped into my backpack. "I even brought my own reading material." Twilight giggled as she sat beside me, pulling out a book of her own. "You're incorrigible, you know that?" "Yup, and you wouldn't have me any other way." We sat comfortably in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company in the peace of the park. The gentle murmur of conversation drifted on the wind and occasionally a bee would come up to say hello. I found myself starting to doze off while we sat. Twilight's voice broke me out of my haze. "Hey, if you're feeling tired, you can always lay down and take a nap. We're not in a rush or anything today." I yawned, stretching again. "You sure? I don't want to eat up all your personal space." She laughed softly. "It's fine. I'll keep watch and make sure nopony bothers you." I shifted to get more comfortable, resting my head back against the wooden bench and felt my eyes fall shut on their own. I woke up suddenly when I felt someone rubbing their hands through my hair, only to realize I had fallen into Twilight's lap. I wanted to get up and apologize for how awkward it was, but her thighs felt so nice and soft under my head, like a pillow. She continued to rub her hand through my hair and started to hum a familiar tune I've heard her sing before. Before long, I was out again, comforted and at inner peace. > Chapter 10: Weekend Pranks My morning began like any other in Ponyville: with a rude awakening by my fellow flatmates and their devil sunlight, though today would be different. On the way home from the park yesterday, Rainbow Dash popped out of the sky and kept Twi and I company on the walk home. She said she'd been the least attentive of our friends to me lately and wanted to hang out sometime today before we had to get back into the groove of things for work. To stop by her pad 'for some action packed fun in the sun', whatever that means. With Rainbow Dash, fun usually consisted of practical jokes at someone's expense, mainly mine, but it was all in good fun. One time, she caught me meditating in the canopy of the Golden Oak's Library and thought it would be funny to push me out of the tree, just to catch me moments later. Another time, she dropped out of the sky just to haul me up above the ground and 'pretend' to lose her grip. Today was different though, as I was aware of my surroundings and prepared for any attempts to sweep me off my feet. I wasn't complaining in the least, it was a nice day out. Clear skies, freshly baked bagels in my pack for lunch, and I had some new shoes Rarity wanted me to trial for her. Said something about 'boots being in this season' or some bull, but I was happy to make her happy. Sunday is one of the only days the marketplace was barren of any shops, so it made an easy trip to get over to the business district for an early lunch at Sugarcube Corner's confectionery. I could already taste their apple tarts. I waved to a few of the familiars as I passed by, locked on target to visit my favorite little dive, when that pink mink called Pinkie Pie popped next to me. She skipped along, her sky blue blouse and skirt combo stained with flour, meaning she skipped work to come say hi. "Howdy wowdy, Aurelius! Whatcha doin' today?" I pretended that she was always there, instead of focusing on the fact that I was nowhere near SCC yet and she quite literally popped up. "Just walkin', Pinkie. On my way to grab a bite to eat and then head over to Dash's for something exciting." "Oooo, whatcha planning? Gonna try to race her? Oh no wait, I bet you two are gonna have a funny face contest!" I shrugged. "You don't know? A mystery!" "Yeah, she just said to prepare for some action, whatever that means. Could be anything." We passed twelfth street, meaning lunch was only a ten minute walk away. She was bouncing in place as I walked along, her sproinging keeping pace and her imagination running wild. I simply smiled and placated her randomness, as she never really meant to annoy anyone. My arrival to the sugar shop was anything but boring, my stomach catching up with me to yell its anguish. Carrot Cake, the owner, was busy sweeping the entryway with a pleasant attitude, before waving me a hello. "Mornin' friend, I take it you're doing fine?" He stepped out of the way so I could enter. "Yessir indeed. How's the missus been?" He cringed a little. "Eh, this tail end of the pregnancy has a little snippity, 'specially since she's been craving the strangest things way late in the night. This morning, she had me make a peanut butter and pickle sandwich with a side of chocolate-dipped hay fries and we didn't have any pickles." "Yowcha, I'll be she wasn't very happy." He grimaced and shook his head. "Oh but it isn't all bad. She's had a heck of a craving for pony, if'n you catch my meaning." He flashed his eyebrows mischievously. "I swear I've been more sore than a stubbed toe." Pinkie Pie giggled "Oh I bet, hehe. Is she in today?" "Oh, no, but Pinkie should be able to whip ya up some grub 'for you head out for today. Same as always?" I nodded. "Just set your payment on the counter whenever and just take a load off." He pointed over to one of the empty stalls. I cooled my heels as Pinkie ran in the back to check up on fresh goods in the kitchen, looking through the new menu for later. Mr. Cake came a few minutes later with a small paper bag with my name tagged on it. "You know me too well, Carrot." I opened it up to snag a bite, before noticing he put an extra one inside. "Hey, you put one too many." "My treat, friend. You're always working so hard up at Applejack's farm, thought you could use the extra food. You have a good day today." I paid my farewells and headed on out to the outskirts of town, savoring the sweet treats. It didn't take long at all to reach the largest cloud structure in Ponyville, and soon enough I could make out the shape of the door. I cupped my hands around my mouth, calling out. "Hey! Rainbow! I'm here!" For a moment, there was only the sound of the gentle breeze rustling the grass and the distant chirping of birds. Then, without warning, a rainbow blur shot out from one of the windows, and Rainbow Dash landed in front of me. "There you are, slowpoke!" she teased, playfully punching my shoulder. "Are you ready for some fun?" "Well, I would be, if you weren't so cryptic yesterday before bolting off. What's the plan?" She thumbed at me and then herself. "You and me, we're going pranking!" "I should've guessed it would be something sneaky, you seem like the type. Who's the target today, oh master prankster?" "Oh, just some good old-fashioned, harmless fun with the locals," she said, winking. "I've got a whole list of ponies we can hit today. Trust me, it'll be a blast." "Sounds fun. What's the tool? Eggs? Water balloons?" "Nah, those are too easy. I'm talking about something bigger." She pulled a fishing line out of her pocket. "Wanna go trip up Mayor Mare?" "With a fishing line? What, gonna tie her hooves together without her noticing?" Rainbow Dash grinned like a fox, shaking the line in front of my face. "Nah, nothing that mean. We're gonna string this across her office door, and when she comes out--bam! She'll trip, but we'll make sure she lands on something soft. Like a pile of those fluffy cloud cushions." I giggled. "Oh, I just thought of another idea. What if first, we tie her window to her chair, so she gets startled the moment she sits down, then, when she gets up to investigate it, we snag her glasses off her desk and place it JUST beyond the door." Her smile was building by the minute. "Then, when she steps out to grab them, she trips and falls into a creme pie." She burst out laughing. "Bahaha! That's brilliant!" Rainbow Dash's laughter was infectious, and it was hard not to get caught up in her enthusiasm. "Okay, okay," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "We gotta get this setup perfect. You handle the chair and the window; I'll take care of the fishing line and the pie." "Deal," I said, feeling a thrill of excitement. It was like I was a kid again. It was only a minor inconvenience for someone always so busy, so she could use the distraction. Besides, even a mayor had to have a sense of humor, right? Rainbow Dash took off, zooming around her cloud house to grab the supplies. She returned moments later with a pie tin, a can of whipped cream, and a few other odds and ends. "Alright, here's the pie," she said, handing it to me. "We'll set it up last, after everything else is in place." I took note of everything and thought occurred to me. "How exactly are we supposed to get into her office without her seeing us?" Rainbow scoffed. "Oh, that's easy. Sunday is her short day this week, so she'll be on lunch for longer than usual. We just gotta wait by her office window and we'll be done faster than you can say bubblegum." We made our way toward Town Hall, Rainbow Dash flying low beside me. The streets of Ponyville were still quiet, the townsponies enjoying their lazy Sunday morning. As we approached the Town Hall, Rainbow Dash motioned for me to stay back while she zipped up to one of the windows and peeked inside. She returned with a crafty look. "Alright, so she's still inside looking over paperwork. Lunch should be just around the corner. Here's the plan: I'll go in and tie the pie above the door and string the frame. You pull out her chair and loosely tie the window to it. Then, when she gets up to reopen it, I'll catch her glasses on a line from the ceiling and bam, tripped into the pie." This was going to be easier than, well, pie. We waited around outside her office until she stepped out to lunch. Slipping inside the open window, we got straight to work setting up our traps. I made sure the window was unlocked and the line tied strongly enough that when it was pulled, the sudden jolt would cause it to slam back down. Rainbow secured a flimsy line across the doorway and one around her reading glasses before flying up into the rafters of the dainty little office. Rainbow snickered from high above, looking down on me as I hid myself in a storage closet. "Now, we wait for the mayor to come back," I said calmly. She wasn't gone long at all, maybe twenty minutes at most. Mayor Mare came into the office unaware that anything had changed, looking down at the papers she walked in with. It must have been stressful to deal with her work because the look she was giving them was disappointment. She sighed heavily. "How have we already spent this quarter's budget so much faster than I anticipated? We have maybe three weeks until more funding comes in and I don't know how we're going to afford it all." She turned her chair and sat down deeply, bumping the thread tied to the window but not triggering it. "With the Harvest Festival and with the repairs to infrastructure so close to one another, we'll be in debt before October. I need a break." Just pull up to your desk and set your glasses down. My anticipation built to bursting and I nearly lost myself to the giggles I stifled. She really needed a distraction from all the stress and I hoped it wasn't too annoying. Ms. Mare swiveled in her chair, setting her glasses on the desk by a near invisible fishing line, her hands gripping her mane in an attempt at self-soothing her anxiety. She sighed again. "No, Mildred, keep it steady. You can always ask for donations from other towns or even visit Canterlot to request funding. Everything will be-" she stopped after pulling into her desk and jumping at the slamming window behind her. "Celestia above, I thought I locked the window in position?" She stood up to tend to the window, putting it back up. The line I had set up over the curtain rod fell onto the floor by her feet, leaving her unawares at our handiwork. Rainbow Dash carefully fished up the set of red reading glasses off the desk and swung then just far enough from the doorway. The moment the mayor stooped down to pick them up, she'd step on the tripwire and be met with our pie from above. After securing the window, she turned back to her desk, and that's when her glasses clattered to the floor. Her head turned towards the sound, confused further by our antics. "How did my glasses get over here?" She said, walking over to and barely missing the line by the floor. Picking them up, she walked back over to her desk, our prank ruined. Or at least, that's what I thought. Rainbow Dash had dropped down from the rafters and, like a butterfly, swooped into the small hallway outside the office and up to the pie. With a hefty throw, the pie sailed through the air. "Head's up, Mayor Mare!" She cried. Mildred didn't even have the time to register who called her name, spinning round and being nailed straight in the face with whipped cream. Rainbow laughed heartily, pointing at her latest victim. "Hope that whipped your worries into shape." I burst out laughing at the terrible pun, watching it all unfold from the closet. The pie tin fell to the ground unceremoniously and revealed the less than pleased face of the mayor, her eyebrow twitching. Rainbow was still laughing, wiping tears from her eyes as she leaned against the doorframe. "Oh, come on, Mayor Mare! Lighten up a little! It's just a bit of fun! Besides, you looked like you needed a laugh." She hovered in the air, arms crossed, looking unapologetic. She stood frozen with the whipped cream sliding down her muzzle. She licked her lips, tasting the sugar. "Rainbow Dash, I don't know whether to laugh with you or yell at you right now." Her voice, laden with annoyance, dropped. "I find it very hard to see amusement right now with all the stress I've been going through and I am not happy.." I took a deep breath and stepped out of the closet, trying my best to look contrite. "Sorry, Mayor Mare. It was all in good fun. We didn't mean to upset you." She huffed, turning her gaze to me. "She roped you into this too, Aurelius? I expected better from you," she chastised me, smudging the cream between her fingers as she grabbed the bridge of her nose. "I suppose I did need SOMETHING to distract me from the funding issues we've been having, but this was not at all what I expected." I winced, rubbing the back of my neck. "I... I guess we got caught up in the moment. Sorry." Mayor Mare sighed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. She wiped a bit more of the pie off her face with a handkerchief from her pocket. "I appreciate the sentiment, but there are better ways to offer support. Not everyone finds being hit in the face with a pie relaxing." "Next time, try bringing flowers instead of dessert. Now, if you two are done, I have a lot of work to get back to--and I think I need to clean up first." She left the room to remove the remaining gunk out of her fur. Rainbow Dash shrugged while still hovering. "Eh, you can't win 'em all. Still though, that was pretty funny." I twisted my hand in a 'so-so' motion. "Maybe we chose the wrong prank? She didn't seem very pleased with us." I made for the window to climb back out. Rainbow followed suit, taking the pie tin and throwing it into the trash can in the corner. "Nah, we just caught her at a bad time. Trust me, she's usually more playful and tries to get back at me." We walked and talked about more prank opportunities, mostly Rainbow because I hadn't the skills necessary. "So, who's next on the list? The flower girls, Lily and what'ser face?" She shook her head. "There's only so many times you can hear 'The Horror!" or watch them pass out from simple things before it stops being funny. What about 'bit on a string'?" I crossed my arms, pausing on the side of the street. "No, too slow. There aren't many people out this late in the morning. What is it, eleven? Noon?" She looked up towards the sun. "Beats me." "What about the fountain in the square?" I suggested. "We could dye the water and see how many ponies notice." Rainbow Dash tilted her head, considering it for a moment. "Hmm, maybe. But that might take a while to set up, and it's not really my style. I like pranks a little more... immediate impact, y'know?" "You're the expert on this. I'm here for the ride." Dash rolled her eyes. "Let me think..." She flew lazily in circles around me. "We could paint the inner rings of somepony's glasses... pop balloons to startle..." "What about paintballs?" I suggested. "Paintballs? Wouldn't that hurt?" "I mean, yes, but you know foam dart guns?" She nodded. "We could take one apart to increase the air pressure and load it with darts modded to have paintballs on the tips. It'd take a while to set up, but we'd be able to mess with six different people." "Huh, never thought to do that before. It's creative." Her eyes lit up with the spark of an idea. "Actually, that's a perfect idea! It's a bit daring, and we'll need to be careful not to shoot any eyes out, but it's sure to make some heads turn." I nodded, happy that I could participate further. "Just aim for center of mass and the clothes of Ponyville will fear us!" "Alright," she said, landing next to me with a grin. "Let's swing back by my place and I'll see if I can find my old dart gun lying around. You head into town to find targets and buy ammo from the paint store." I grinned heavily as I waited for RD to return, parking myself at the town square. There were few out today, either at work or home. What few ponies out and about consisted of dates at a local cafe and children squealing as they chased one another. Safely sitting in one of my pockets laid the biodegradable paintballs, enough to nail ten, if accurate enough. I continued to scope out people, chuckling at imagining streaking someone who could take a joke's coat. And then I saw the perfect pony to mess with: Lyra Heartstrings. The mint green mare was walking across the square, looking over at the fountain to clock for the time whilst levitating a bag of groceries. I snickered, preparing myself to levitate a small rock and see how far I could throw it with magic, nailing it a decent distance away. I felt my hand swirl with power, floating one of my many paintballs out of pocket and snuck around the edge of the town center, Lyra never awares. I reached a comfortable spot behind her. This is going to be so friggin funny! I aimed carefully, and nailed the ball square in her back with enough force to splat. She jolted, startled, turning around to shoot me a shocked stare. "Did you just throw an egg at me while my back was turned?" She asked. "Even better, a nice blue color to go with your coat. Think fast!" I floated up two more and launched a salvo of comedy at her, missing one but nailing the second on her forehead. She smiled and yelled after me as I took off running. "YOU KNOW THIS MEANS WAR! I'll get you...!" But I was long gone, weaving in and out of alleys, laughing maniacally. Continuing to sneak my way around, I stopped to catch my breath around a corner of someone's house. Right on cue, I heard Rainbow land next to me, the dart gun pointed at my head. She flipped it into the air and offered it, which I waved my hand at. "I won't need it after all. Not when I have this." I ignited my finger tips in a golden glow, my eyes changing color with it. I lifted up six more paintballs out of my pocket, each plump and ready to meet their targets. Miming a gun firing, a single paintball shot off down the alley and landed a good ten yards away. I clicked my tongue and smiled. "At least the darts will work to distract somepony while you nail them. Smart thinking," RD complimented, securing her tool to her belt loops. "Now, who'd ya get so far?" "Lyra, and she took it well. Any suggestions?" She looked out of the alley at a pony passing by, pointing. "How about the local mailmare?" I chuckled. "Derpy? Sure, just sit back and enjoy the show." I peeked around the corner, spotting Derpy as she flew along her mail route, humming to herself with a saddlebag full of letters. She was oblivious, her signature cross-eyed expression focused on delivering letters as she weaved through the streets. "Alright, here we go," I muttered under my breath, gathering three paintballs in my magical grasp. They hovered silently above my hand, pulsing with energy. Derpy floated closer, and I aligned my shot, aiming for the lower part of her mailbag and struck the first shot at the mailbox she was reaching into. Derpy paused mid-flight, blinking in confusion as she hovered in place. She looked down at her bag, puzzled. "Huh? Where did this come from?" Rainbow Dash struggled to contain her laughter from the rooftop, biting her lip to stay quiet. I aimed the second and fired away, nailing her mailbag and smearing the Ponyville post office logo. "Wha?" She said, turning her attention to her bag. "But I just got it clean!" For the third, I aimed to hit her mane, the yellow bullet knocking her brown hat off and leaving sticky paint all in her mane. "Who... what...?" she stammered, turning in slow, disoriented circles, still completely unaware of where the paint was coming from. She finally noticed me in the alley, reloading for a second volley. I gave her a wave hello and plowed her right in the chest, staining her outfit with a rainbow smiley face. I couldn't contain my laughter anymore, leaning against the wall as I joined Rainbow in laughing at Derpy's dismay. Derpy, bless her heart, simply shrugged it off after a moment of bewilderment. "Oh well... must be one of those days!" she said cheerfully before pulling out a handkerchief and blotting at the paint that now coated her. As Derpy flew off, still humming her tune despite her paint-splattered appearance, I shook my head in amazement. "How does she stay so cheerful?" I asked, wiping a tear from my eye. Rainbow Dash leapt down from the roof, clutching her sides as she tried to catch her breath from laughing so hard. "I don't know, but that was priceless! She didn't even care!" I smirked. "I told you she'd be a good sport. Now, who's next?" Rainbow and I continued to prank through the rest of the day, from spiking someone's food with way more hot sauce than they ordered (which was none) to jumping out of trash cans to spook people. And Rainbow was right about today being awesome. I hadn't had that much fun in forever. The sun began to set over Ponyville, casting long shadows across the square, I leaned against a bench, wiping away a stray tear. "I can't believe we pulled all that off," I said between breaths. Rainbow, hovering beside me, grinned widely. "Told ya it'd be a blast! You're not bad at this prank stuff, Aurelius." I smiled back. "Couldn't have done it without you, wise mistress." She playfully punched me in the arm, earning a punch right back. She sighed, leaning back against the bench. "Today was awesome. We've totally got to hang out more!" "Later, though. I've got work Monday through Friday this week, how does Saturday sound?" "It's a date!" Dash side hugged me and took off to go home, going our separate ways. Man, do I have a story to tell Twilight at dinner. > Chapter 11: Average Homework Experience The wind picked up steadily as I wiped my brow of the sweat that built from working hard under the sun. Despite the looming storm clouds off in the distance, I could smell the coming rain storm planned for later this afternoon. I hefted once more and planted the bucket of produce I procured earlier in the morning and nestled it snugly next to the others I hauled. "Alrighty, that's ten. Time for a break," I said to myself and made my way back up to the Apple house. I bent my back to release some of the tension of hauling the 70 pound buckets, among other labor intensive jobs. It was currently Wednesday and everybody had been working hard to harvest as much of the crops as possible before tonight's storm, so that they would be ready in time for sale tomorrow. I had never seen so many different vegetables and fruits, both known and unknown, and been responsible for being delicate. I had been given permission by Applejack stop working and seek shelter at least an hour before the storm rolled in, which I appreciated great. Before I had even made it up to the front door, I spotted apple bloom in the doorway, wielding some much-needed lemonade for me. I accepted the glass, downing it eagerly. I thanked her kindly with the nickname I'd come to call her. "Much obliged, Blossom." She blushed, hiding a smile in her own cup. "Ah told ya ta stop callin' me that. Makes me feel funny." I chuckled. "Well, I would, if your reaction wasn't so bashful. I'm glad to see you today." I sighed in relief as I escaped the heat and humidity. "I take it you've been doing housework while I'm busting butt in the murk and mire?" She shook her head. "Nah, Ms. Cheerilee assigned some homework for the week and Ah've been strugglin' with it." "Oh?" "Yeah," she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck with a frustrated frown. "It's this new weird math stuff. Common Core or whatever. Ah don't get why they gotta make it all so complicated." I furrowed my brow. "But it's still math, yeah? You can't just solve it like you usually do?" Another sigh. "Ah wish. Something about keepin' our brains sharp and thinkin' outside the box. Ah think it's just busy work so she can take a rest from teachin'." I cringed. I remember the Common Core from back in middle school. Nasty stuff. "Well, it can't be impossible. You still have the books for this year's classes, right?" She affirmed. "Then the answers are all going to be in there, and a step-by-step for how to solve them. Unless she forbids you use the book?" Applebloom sat down roughly on the living room couch. "Ah don't see why we gotta learn advanced stuff. When're we gonna use it anyhow?" "Hehe, I know that aaaall too well, Blossom. Trust me, you'll thank yourself in the future for learning it now. Makes university level subjects that much easier." She put her arms out. "But Ah'm not goin' ta any fancy university, I just wanna help the farm! It's what Ah'm good at! Ugh!" I scratched at my chin, feeling the short beard I kept on my chin. "I feel you there. But hey," I stopped to sit down next to her. "Since I'm act as yours and the girls' tutor, maybe I can take a crack at it and help. Look through the textbook and see if I can word it better." Applebloom groaned, sinking deeper into the couch. "You can try, but Ah'm warnin' ya, it's like they made this stuff hard on purpose. Ah already read through the chapter twice, and Ah'm still confused." I chuckled, trying to keep the mood light. "Challenge accepted. C'mon, let's give it a shot. Worst case scenario, we both get more confused, and you'll feel better knowing it's not just you." She led me upstairs into her room (saucy, I know) and sat down at the small table next to her bed. I looked around at the decor, admiring the flannel wallpaper, sparse ribbons, and trophies she adorning it. It felt like it belonged in a horse girl movie, but swap it for a horse-girl considering what species she was. There was even a family photo hanging nicely above her bed. She opened up her text book to the bookmarked page and yep, it was indeed a math textbook. More like a puzzle book, with all the weird diagrams. I skimmed over the word problems and equations, which made me confused at first."And this is supposed to be an introductory course for secondary school? They want you to break this number down into smaller parts, then rearrange it... why?" "Exactly what Ah'm sayin'," She remarked. "We've already gone over this kinda stuff last year. Why we gotta take apart all the simple multiplication?" I flipped through a few more pages, scanning the examples. The explanations felt convoluted, the steps laid out in ways that didn't seem to help. "Well," I started, trying to think of a way to ease her frustration, "Common Core's supposed to get you thinking about the 'why' behind math, not just the 'how.' But I get it--this seems way more roundabout than it needs to be." Applebloom slumped back against the couch. "Ah don't care about the 'why'! Ah just wanna get the right answer and move on with my life." I chuckled at her dismay. "Well, maybe let's start at the first one giving you problems. Number three?" "I already know the answer to that one. It's forty-four." "Let me see here..." I turned the book open to the respective page, memorizing the steps for it. "First step is to split the first number into parts." Applebloom nodded, still not convinced. "Ah guess. But why can't Ah just multiply it straight?" "Well, yes, you can do that. But I'm sure they want you to follow their system. If we can't get the answer easily enough, then maybe we can cheat the system." I huddled over the table to watch her work through a step-by-step process she learned, splitting the first larger digit into to make it easier to multiply. she glanced over at her notes and laid out everything with her pencil. "It still feels like more work than needs ta be. Ah can do it in mah head so much faster." "It's not about being fast, it's about showing your work to prove that the answer is what you say it is. Take Science as a subject, for example." She turned to look up at me. "Any aspiring scientist wants to be able to prove he knows what he's talking about. They need to detail exactly how they came to that answer in a repeatable manner that others can test for. Otherwise, how else would we be able to disprove something or falsify it?" She looked at me puzzled, but understanding. "So even though it's not the most efficient way, it's the right way?" I nodded. "Well when you put it like that, Ah guess Ah HAVE to stick with it. At least to handle problems as they come." Applebloom grumbled under her breath but kept going. Slowly she made progress and finished the problem by the book, then moved on to the next one. I could see she was beginning to understand how to solve the problems more and more without looking in the book, until finally... "Ah think Ah got it now!" I looked over her shoulder and smiled. "You did. See? You made it through." She let out a long sigh of relief. "Yeah, but Ah still don't get why they gotta make it so dang complicated." "Hey, I'm with you," I said, ruffling her mane. "But at least now you've got it down. And hey, if you can do it their way, you can definitely do it the easy way later." Applebloom gave me a small smile. "Thanks, Aurelius. Ah couldn't have done it without ya." "Don't cut yourself short. I'm sure you would've gotten it eventually." --- It was dark, beyond the dark of a new moon's light. I could hear it clawing through the underbrush, scouring every possible crack and shadow as it hunted for me. This wasn't supposed to happen again, where fear sought to trample and trap me in a nightmare, but lucidity escaped me. Like sand slipping through my finger, so too did my control of the self-induced nightmare. Twilight was right, it wasn't healthy at all to do this before bed each night, but Equestria didn't have therapists as far as I knew. The surroundings shifted like ocean currents, fading in and out all chaotically from the dark forest into the padded walls of a dank, rotten insane asylum. Muck and filth coated the walls and floors now, the ceiling so high up I couldn't see it. The darkness roared in such ferocity, I thought I might die of a heart attack. This is bad! So very, very bad! I-I can't keep running much longer! I was so scared for my life, crouching behind a series of abandoned barrels filled with something foul and antiseptic smelling. Hopefully, they'd mask the scent of my testosterone laden sweat. I felt the air shift as whatever was searching for me flew by, staining the room with more of the inky rot that coated the floors. How did I even get here? One minute, I'm peacefully strolling through the Everfree, now this?! I thought to wait out the predator until it grew bored enough to search elsewhere, but my hope dwindled. My breath caught in my throat as I hunched lower behind the barrels, hoping, praying, that whatever was out there wouldn't find me. The sound of claws scraping against the fabric floor sent chills racing down my spine. I could feel it so close, yet still out of sight. The oppressive air it polluted burned as it went down, making my chest feel like a thousand pounds were pressed on me. And then the scene shifted again, this time into one befitting of a crumbling dungeon. The algae on the rough stone floor would be perilous and if I didn't walk carefully, surely I'd be something's dinner. I couldn't think clearly as tears welled in my eyes, clouding my vision. I... I couldn't... trust myself to overcome the adversity... I whimpered, sobbing as I staggered through the halls of the prison. "I'm gonna die here! I-I can't-!" And like a flashbang went off, the room lit up in a cool, blue light. I could finally see enough to make out what was hunting me and looking at it hurt my head most heavily. It resembled something more akin to a mound of raw meat and eyes, eldritch and pulsating as it shifted its form to sprout clawed, gangly limbs with rotten colored bones that seemed impossible to bear its own weight. I screeched at the sudden change in lighting, clawing at the many eyes that covered its torso, trying to scurry into shadows that no longer existed. An angel, no a demon descended from the darkness high above, her arm extended with a ghastly teal glow circling her fingers. As she opened her palm, a ring of vibrant white runes encircled the monster, almost freezing it in time; it slowed to a near halt, moving almost frame by frame like a movie. I recognize her... that blue fur, those wings and horn... "P-princess Luna?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Is that really you?" Princess Luna descended slowly, her wings cutting through the dark like blades of moonlight. The eerie glow from her magic illuminated the grotesque creature, now frozen in time by her spell. Her expression was stern, eyes glowing with a knowing sadness as she looked down at me. "Yes, Aurelius, it is I," she said softly, though her voice carried the weight of a thousand storms. "Fear not, I shall handle this... thing." Then I remembered everything. The trance I put myself under before dreaming, helping out at the Apple family farm earlier, and most importantly: that this was a nightmare of my creation. "Wait, Luna, don't kill it!" She paused, puzzled as she drew near to the monster. "Aurelius, as far as you have come in your training, a rogue Tantabus is no laughing matter. To think that it escaped mine own dreams and plagued you these last few nights... well, no more." "It's not like that, Luna. This isn't one of those dream demons you're familiar with. It's..." I couldn't tell her. Not until I could defeat it on my own. She scoffed, snarling at the thing. "It's what? Are you trying to tell me that this beast is just another normal nightmare? That it hasn't been trying to feed on enough of your fear to escape into the waking world?" "Well, no, but-" "Then I shall destroy it and finally free your dreamscape." She continued to hover ever closer to it, the fabric of the dream warping and fracturing as she prepared to edit it out of existence. I can't let her keep doing this to me! I have to tell her.I blinked hard, focusing on trying to warp us to somewhere more familiar, that I might wrest the dream from her control. Surprisingly, it worked and we were moved into the foyer of the Golden Oak's library. "I can't let you take another chance from me, Luna. Not this time." "Aurelius! Why?" She turned to face me in a rage, finally planting her hooves on the ground. "Insolent child, do you think I will just sit idly by while that demon is still free in your mind?! Do you know what you've done?!" Luna seemed to panic, darting back and forth between the windows of the library, marking each of them with a protection rune as she tried to shield the new center of my mind. "Luna, it's fine! It's not a Tantabus!" But she didn't hear my cries, only focusing on enchanting every square inch of my mindscape. "Luna, I said to..." My throat itched with a familiar burn as my emotions turmoiled and rose the more upset I became. And all at once, I projected a force spell from my mouth. "STOP!" I shouted, waves of magic rippling through the air and staggering her. I panted slightly, but didn't falter or feel faint like before. Luna fell out of the air, the field of magic that surrounded her interrupted by the sudden wave of my spell. She hit the ground hard, yelping in surprise. She looked up at me, words failing her. "It's not you, Luna. After the first night you came to visit me after the gala, I figured I'd try to hone myself whenever I fall asleep. This is just a normal dream, or at least it was before I lost myself in it. The monster I was facing... it isn't a Tantabus, not in the normal sense." She stood back up, dusting herself off. " Then I take it, you induced yourself into a nightmare on purpose?" I nodded. "Why would you purposefully choose to torment yourself?" I sighed. "It didn't start like that, at least I think it didn't. This was supposed to be a training of types like I said. A means of me overcoming my own internal demons by facing them directly." I couldn't place the look she gave me with any emotion I could think of, but it looked like she was disappointed. "So all this time, you chose to try and face fears on your own instead of telling your friends? Have we not talked in depth about your friends being your strength?" I didn't expect her to understand what I was secretly going through every moment of every day. It has been like that since day one when I first came to Equestria. my mind was muddled and foggy, almost manic, depressed, where I'd hide everything behind a smile and pretend everything would be okay. How I'd try and distract myself whenever I could. "I feel so lost, Luna. Like I'm out of place and I don't belong here. I'm the only human, and while you and everyone else that I've befriended doesn't ever seem to outwardly act like it, but I can see it. I see the pity everyone gives me, like I'm pathetic." She opened her mouth to speak, but I wasn't done. "I didn't ask to be brought to Equestria, to be ripped away from everything that I knew and forced to adapt. My conversation with Celestia made me realize that." She was taken aback by my outburst. "But you're not alone, you have your friends. If you gave them more opportunities, you could find more than you are looking for here. It's not hopeless." "And you would be right about that. I found it increasingly easier to overcome all the terrible things I experienced before I came here, but I can't forget them. Whether I like it or not, they are things that have made me into the person I am today." I stopped, settling on the ground to hold my knees to my chest. "But I can't keep acting as if magically I'll be made a whole. I can feel my mask cracking every day when I have to face my friends. I'm not strong enough to keep pretending anymore, so I want to face these 'demons' and finally be rid of them." We sat in an uncomfortable silence, Luna, taking in everything I had said and me, praying that she would leave me alone to my own suffering. And then she laughed like I'd never heard her before. She laughed, and laughed, and continued to laughed harder. "Oh, how I wish the circumstances of your birth had brought you to me instead of back on Earth. You would've made a very wonderful prince of Equestria." I blinked, not entirely sure what to make of her laughter. "What are you talking about, Luna? You can't be serious." Luna wiped a tear from her eye, her laughter fading into a warm, affectionate smile that I'd never seen on her before. "Oh, but I am, Aurelius. You're far stronger than you realize. Even if you don't see it yourself, I have watched you grow since the day you arrived in Equestria. I've seen the struggles you face, the burdens you carry, and the courage it takes for you to endure. Do you truly think so low of me and all that you've been striving for?" I stared at her, dumbfounded. "I feel like I'm falling apart most days, Luna." I sunk deeper into my knees. She walked closer, her eyes softening as she placed a hand gently on my shoulder. "That's because no one should carry such burdens alone. And for too long, you've hidden your pain from those who love you. From me." She circled my back with a finger before leaning over me in a hug, her wings draping over me like a blanket. "Aurelius, I've watched you face these demons night after night, and my heart aches for you. I have always been fond of you, but you make it so difficult to reach you." My heart skipped a beat. "Fond of me? Luna, I--" She cut me off, her voice quieter now, almost hesitant. "You remind me of myself, once upon a time. Before my fall, before the Nightmare consumed me. I, too, believed I had to face everything alone. But you... you are so much more than the sum of your weaknesses. I wish... I wish I could have been there for you, to be the mother you never had. To help you overcome your darkness." Her words hit me harder than any of the monsters in my nightmares. "Mother...what?" She smiled gently, her eyes full of sorrow and hope. "Yes, my little one. I would be that for you, if you let me. To help you face your fears and more. I cannot replace what you lost, but if you will have me, I will be whatever you need of me." Now it was my turn to be shocked. Lost in a way that made my prior comments seem paltry in comparison. She... She's not lying. "And you don't see anything wrong with me? I'm not repulsive or worthless to you? Why?" Her expression never changed. "Aurelius, who hurt you so much that you feel so inundated with self-loathing?" I leaned back into the Princess, smelling the soft scent that permeated her fur and sighing"It's a long story." "We have all night. With this being the dream realm, it will go on for as long as you need." I started from the most defining moment of my life: the day my father was murdered in front of me. The day my mother snapped. --- I never really got to know my earthly father, but I do know that he was a steadfast and kind soul. I was maybe four or five years old when it happened. My family had just gotten back from overseas in a collection of countries called Europe. It's kind of fuzzy, looking back, but we were stopped at a fuel station for our vehicle, my father and I inside stocking up on snacks and stuff for the many days of driving home. You remember automobiles I told you about, right? Anyway, my dad was just about to pay, when a masked thief burst into the store waving about a handgun, that's a handheld firearm, demanding everyone get down to the ground and for the cashier to hand over all the money in the register. My dad, being the man he was, stood up to face the robber and pleaded that he turn around and go home, to stop scaring me and be a better person. The guy pointed the gun and again, demanded he get down on the ground, his aim shifting from the cashier to my dad. That prompted the cashier to pull his own gun out and fire a shot, missing the guy and startling him, which gave my dad an opening to tackle him to the ground. Keep in mind, I was laying on the ground while this was all going on, so I didn't really see all this going on, and could only hear it. The two fought back and forth over the gun, the cashier reaching over to grab me and shove me behind the counter. And that's when everything started going downhill. The robber wrestled the gun out of my dad's grip and fired three times into his torso. I only really remember him running off after that and an ambulance ride to the hospital with my mom. Suffice to say that one of the bullets hit him in the heart and there were some complications. He died on an operating table from his injuries. --- Luna hadn't moved from my back at all, content to smother me with her wings and gently rub her hands through my hair. Tears streamed down my face and stained the wood below us. "You don't have to continue, if you don't feel comfortable." I shook my head. "No, I need to tell someone all of this, especially someone I trust." "Continue." --- Mom was never the same after that. Something about losing my dad tore out the heart in her and she became bitter. She started being more physically authoritative and developed a bit of a temper, never really out right beating me, but would strike me as punishment for things she thought were deserving of it. Try as she might, sometimes there wasn't any food at times due to her not having gone grocery shopping or not reaching out for any help from extended family for some reason. I don't know the full details, but I just assumed I was to blame and figured I deserved it. The usual victim kind of mentality. Anyway, school growing up wasn't the best experience either. Be it bullies or or verbally abusive teachers, I seemed to get life's short end of the stick. Was even told at times that I was undeserving of any kindness due to acting out all the time, but can you blame a traumatized child for acting differently? For years, I believed them, thought I'd never amount to anything and started to recluse into myself. All of that causes me to hyperfixate and prove myself, even though now that I've come to terms with it I shouldn't. Old habits die hard when it's all you can think about. And then came a diagnosis of a mental disorder when I was about fifteen, roughly four years ago. I had never been formally tested when I was younger due to my mother not being able to afford any specialists, but right around that age I got diagnosed with something called Aspergers. Basically imagine Pinkie Pie, but really turned down. It explained why I had such difficulty in social situations and only ever really seemed to talk about my interests one-sidedly and had difficulty relating to others. I'd say it was due to being isolated by so many peers and instructors, but who knows if it's genetic or not. --- "That's terrible, Aurelius. That you had to go through so much and yet nobody reached out to help you." I grimaced. "All of this has been kept inside my mind, away from those that might help me because I didn't want to burden them. I wanted to pretend it all never happened and that this new life in Equestria was my escape. To be honest, I'm not even sure if it all happened the way I remember it, but it's real to me." Luna leaned her cheek against my head, holding me tightly against her. I wanted to run, to hide again. But I couldn't move. Luna's warmth and the gentle pressure of her embrace held me in place, like an anchor in the storm of my emotions. She didn't speak for a long time, just sat there with me, her presence calming the maelstrom inside me. It felt strange--someone so powerful, so ancient, taking the time to just be with me like this. She wasn't trying to fix it, wasn't offering shallow reassurances or pushing me to move past it. She was just there, and for the first time in a long while, I didn't feel like I was completely alone. "Thank you for telling me," she finally said, her voice soft. "I'm sure that isn't all you wish to tell me, no?" I shook my head. "I'll be ready for it when you feel comfortable. I cannot undo the years of pain you have endured, but I can offer you my shoulder to cry upon, if you need it. But know this--there is nothing about you that is repulsive or undeserving of love. You are not worthless, and I will not allow you to think that of yourself any longer." She gently grabbed my head and tilted it up to look her in the eyes. "I will NOT allow it, do you hear me? If I so much as suspect you are beating yourself up for things outside your control, I will be very disappointed." Her words hit me like a wave, and I felt something inside me start to crack open. I had spent so long holding everything in, pretending it didn't matter, pretending I didn't matter. But here she was, treating me like I did. Treating me like I was worth something. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but it wouldn't go away. She smiled before standing up and pulling me to my feet. "A person who is hurting, Aurelius. A person who has endured far more than any should have to bear. You may not see it, but your strength lies not in perfection, but in your perseverance. The fact that you are still here, fighting, even if it feels like you're falling apart--that is strength." "Thank you, Luna." "Now," she started for the library's door. "Shall we take on your nightmare together and bring victory over your fear?" Could I really do this? I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "What if I'm not ready?" Luna paused at the door, her hand still extended toward me. Her eyes softened, patient and understanding. "Then we wait until you are. Facing fear is not about rushing into battle unprepared. It's about knowing when to act, and when to step back." I held little hope that I'd be able to defeat the one of many nightmares, but with Luna at my side I don't think I needed to. I had help. > Chapter 12: Blooming Feelings The outside of the library appeared like I expected Ponyville to be, though the ground felt heavier, like concrete. The sky far above reflected back its hollow gaze and echoed dark like onyx, devoid of the happiness Equestria typically covered me with. Luna and I walked on edge through the streets, hunting for any sign of unwelcome nightmares. Being that we no longer were in the center of the dream, anything could be made manifest from my subconscious as I actively sought to find my trauma and fears. It filled me with unease and dread, threatening to drown me in the nightmare's festering. "Be easy, Aurelius. Though I am with you, your nightmares are unlike any I have faced before," Luna stated matter-of-factly. "They are willy and unpredictable." I shuddered at the sudden drop in temperature I felt, but Luna didn't seem fazed. "Easier said than done. I feel all kinds of heebie-jeebies around here." Red eyes looked out from the shadows behind the townhouses, darting away shortly after being noticed. I wondered if the nightmare would be more under my own control had I waited for the day time, but it was too late now. Everything felt distorted--the buildings were taller, looming like jagged teeth, and the once familiar streets felt foreign, suffocating. The chill in the air wasn't just physical; it clawed at my thoughts, pulling them deeper into a well of anxiety. The red eyes that flickered in the distance didn't bother us, rather content to act as spectators for what was to come. My heart pounded in my chest and my mind raced to prepare for whatever might jump out, to act faster than any horrors that waited for us to discover them. "Stay close," Luna whispered. "For though we have the upper hand in our lucidity, any distance you put from will threaten to consume your rational. Right now, I am an anchor for your conscious mind." That's putting it rather up front. She wasn't wrong. The closer I stayed next to Luna, the less oppressive the nightmare felt. I took a deep breath, trying to ground myself. "What if we find something buried deep in my subconscious? Something so utterly foreign and monstrous, I'm stuck here for the rest of the night?" "Then we fight it for control. This is your mind, Aurelius, and nothing and nopony will rule it, least of all a figment." I nodded, but the unease gnawed at me, growing more intense with every step we took. The streets stretched endlessly in every direction, as though the dream was keeping us in place. Ponyville had become a maze of my own making, twisting and winding in ways that defied logic. As we approached the town square, the sky above us seemed to shift, dark clouds swirling ominously. A cold wind blew through the air, and with it came a low, eerie sound, like a distant wail carried on the breeze. Luna stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowing as she looked ahead. "Something approaches." From the shadows, a lone glowing pair of red eyes emerged, the darkness wisping off its incomplete form. I thought I could recognize some small facial features, but through the dark mist coating it, I wasn't sure. It seemed gleeful, murderous and cruel at the prospect of tormenting me. "Well, well, the dreamer walks among us! Bravo!" It spat. "How quaint. Usually you're more manic and distracted by my compatriots, yet here you are absolutely sober. Odd." He shifted his attention back into the shadows and muttered something unheard, before shifting back to the two of us. "You know, I've been with you since you were but a babe, helping to guide you. A whisper here, a push there, and you never even questioned me." He stood tall, his form towering over us with exaggerated limbs that seemed to stretch far too long for his body. "I OWN you, Aurelius. You will bow to me as you always do, or you will experience fears I have yet to show you." Luna's hand rested on my shoulder, firm and grounding. "Do not let him sway you, Aurelius. He is but an illusion, your fear made manifest into something your mind can conceive." The figure's laughter echoed around us, warping with the landscape as the ground beneath us cracked like shattered glass. "You think he doesn't know that already, dreamweaver? This is his mind after all." he turned his attention towards me. "Have you nothing to say to yourself? No thanks or words of admiration for one who helped shape you?" I swallowed the acid in the back of my throat and stood tall, walking within a hand distance away from the evil. "I know exactly what you are. You're a Fearmonger, a living nightmare. And YOU don't scare me." He sneered and showed off his yellowed fangs. "Oh, but I do. You're terrified and want to run to your new mommy and quiver," he said, extending a long tongue and raking it on the side of my face. "I can taste it." He was right. My instincts screamed at me to run away, but I stood firm. "Everyone's afraid of something. Afraid of failure, afraid of not being enough, afraid of the dark. But I'm done letting you push me around and haunt my most private thoughts. Get the fuck behind me and kneel." We stood facing each other, sizing each other up and staring into each other's souls. Something about how cocky this bastard was made me angry as well as afraid. He chuckled. "Why stop me now? You've never made an effort before." This smug motherfucker."I didn't know it was possible before." He dared to circle me, sniffing at me, soaking up my emotions like a vampire. "Something in you's changed. I wonder what it could be?" I felt my eyes flash their golden color, the telltale sign that I was pooling my magic. "I've grown. I'm ready to knock you down a peg and I'm not leaving until you beg me to spare your putrid existence." He stopped once he stood back in front of me. "Oh, is that all? I thought this was a meeting between friends." Rage, rage, fucking rage! Static built in my hands, small sparks of electricity jumping between my fingers as I clenched my fists, my magic building up in my palms. I want nothing more than to strangle it, to put it in its place. But something was holding me back. Luna walked closer, holding me on my shoulder. "Easy, Aurelius. He only wants to goad you into acting irrationally. Let's walk past him and find the same monster from before." I shook my head and pointed a thumb at the Fearmonger. "He's right here, Luna. He's been the one I was after in this stupid game of cat and mouse." The Fearmonger's mouth stretched wide and his body rippled violently, a series of tentacles ending in sharp claws bursting from his back. "I am going to enjoy breaking you, Aurelius," he said, stretching his arms wide to open himself up. "Tell you what, I'll let you have the first hit." It was like something snapped inside me and I felt my rage burst, my breathing reckless and rapid. I gripped at the air in front of my chest, my hands opening and closing in tune to an unheard beat. "GRRAAAAGH!" I screamed, jumping forward to grab at his legs, missing as he backpedaled. I refused to let up and willed my own set of ethereal claws at the ends on my finger. I charged after him into the gathering crowd of shadows behind him, slashing left and right. He sidestepped his spindly long legs, attempting to create as much distance between him and I as possible, but I wasn't having it. "No you don't, get the fuck back over here!" My legs felt like they swelled from the magic pumping into them and I lept hard to my right, shoulder checking him in the shin and knocking him off balance. If only for a second, I had the upper hand over this beast, but only a second. He moved quicker than I anticipated and flipped backward, narrowly missing the claws aimed at his thighs. In response, he cracked his tentacles like a whip, striking me in the chest and throwing me to the ground. The place I landed crumpled underneath me, like I'd fallen through the roof of a building and I plummeted deep fast down the bottomless pit. I reached my hands out to sink them into the wall, continuing to fall a few meters before stopping. My rage continued to build and I grit my teeth as friction rubbed my fingers raw. "Luna, don't let that bastard escape into the shadows or we'll have to hunt him down again!" I cried up above the hole. Come on, think! This is your dream, manipulate it! I heard clashing up above the ground, bolts of lightning zipping up ahead at the charging shadows. The opening of the pit above started to close up with the cobblestone and dirt that fell down beneath me. If I wasn't out soon, I'd be cut off from Luna and stuck in the nightmare. I wasn't having it. I relaxed my arms so that I drop a little bit and with all my Mike threw myself upwards., making it out of the ground. Being that it was a dream it didn't take much effort at all to possess superhuman strength. But strength was not enough. One of the Fearmonger's minions appeared shortly after I came out of the ground, trampling me and pinning me on my back. It's gnashing teeth found purchase in my shoulder, grinding deeply. "Get the fuck off me!" I demanded as I reached up and grabbed it by the top of the head. I pried hard, straining against its inherent strength with my own. My eyes lit up a more vibrant and bright gold color, magic filling my muscles with newfound power, allowing me to rip its head right off its body. Right now I was furious, blind to the pain I felt throbbing through my shoulder and chest. I swore that anything that dared to get between me and my prey would die a horrible death, worse than they deserved. My teeth were bared in a snarl, small jets of white flame leaking from the corners of my mouth, and I would have relished my wrath if I could think straight. More of the shadows lept out to block my path and I tore straight through them like coffee filters, their bodies staining mine with their inky black blood. My head was pounding something fierce. I've never felt so alive, so strong before! I bounded forth on all fours like a jaguar, landing on any of the creeps that dared to step in my path as I made my way to my opponent. I nearly escaped being on by a group of four formless shadow monsters, but they were no match for the razor-sharp, glass-like claws on my hands. My arms wanted to drop and hang loosely, but still I pressed on. The assured adrenaline pumping through my veins mixed like a volatile cocktail with the ether my C.A.M. was producing, beating to the beat of its ability to keep me alive. I could barely think of anything more than blood. His blood, that sickly black tar the Fearmonger called his essence. I would rip him limb from limb until he begged for forgiveness, and then I would kill him. In the back of my mind, I recognized Luna calling out to me through the fog in my mind, but I didn't recognize what she said. Didn't matter at all, I felt invincible. My hands dripped with literal raw, white-hot magic as my body felt like it was beginning to shut down. My throat burnt something fierce, and something wet started dripping out my nostril. "FEARMONGER!!!" He stood barely meters away, watching me with a mixture of amusement and something else--wariness. He had been confident before, sure that I would break beneath his torment. Now, there was a flicker of uncertainty in his glowing red eyes. But he still smiled. "You think you've won something?" His voice dripped with condescension as, goading me, taunting me. "This is nothing more than a temper tantrum! You're still a scared little boy, Aurelius, and you always will be!" I growled, lunging forward, ready to strike again. But this time, I felt something's grip tighten on my arm, pulling me back. I whipped around, baring my teeth and moved my free arm in an attempt to slash it off, only to have that hand get caught in their second hand. For a moment, all I saw was red. And then my vision cleared enough to make out Luna's sad eyes. "LET ME GO YOU MONSTER! I'LL... I'M GOING TO-" My heart was beginning to give out. "Enough!" Her voice commanded me, and I struggled to listen. "Look at yourself, Aurelius! Snap out of it!" My pupils shrunk to pinpricks and I dropped to the ground, vomiting blood and the golden-white glowing mana that filled my body. I retched until nothing remained in my stomach. The once overwhelming power I felt before had vanished like the flames of a campfire, leaving naught but embers. I could still feel my C.A.M. pulsating violently, but it hurt like hell. "Aurelius, you don't beat back fear with rage. That makes you no more than the beast he is. Look at the carnage you've wrought around you." I looked around at the smashed and slashed bodies littering the ground in my wake, the stones in the town square bubbling like hot magma where I had once stood. Buildings all around looked like they were blown apart, scattered like a hurricane come through. "I did this?" I knew this was a dream, but what if these had been people? What if I had hurt someone I loved? I summoned what little will I had to magic a full body mirror and was decimated by my own reflection. I had sprouted horns akin to a crown thorns, along with a pair of tattered bat-wings. My arms and leg muscles were grotesquely large and torn from over-use. My own blood and magic stained my mouth and neck a sickly reddish-gold, which burned like acid on my body. The claws that once were pristine and ethereal, were now cracked and rotting. "The sheer amount of magic you were producing was starting to rot your mental image, my child. You've fallen for his trap." I couldn't turn to face her. "You were becoming every bit of monster he believes you to be." I felt my body shift back to normal as I calmed down. I blinked, my vision cleared enough to see the twisted grin still plastered on the Fearmonger's face. He was waiting for me to lose control again. Waiting for me to prove him right. "Way to ruin the mood, dreamweaver," he said, his smile never fading. "Just a bit longer and he'd have snapped enough for me to torment him another night." She scowled at him as he shook like a dog, fluffing up the darkness that covered him. "Be that as it may, don't you think that testing him like this is only going to damage his psyche further?" My mouth dropped. "What?" I looked between the both of them, then settled on the Fearmonger. "What is she talking about?" His grin was replaced by a frown. "Way to ruin the game I had going on here, dreamweaver." He turned his attention back to me. "Well, cat's out of the bag now. Yes, Aurelius, a test. And you failed miserably." I stammered, trying to find the words to say something, but he cut me off. "I am indeed a Fearmonger, a nightmare that's gained its own will. Ever since your magic first awakened, I've been sifting through your memories to figure out what I am in relation to you. I realized that I am a manifestation of your fear. "In the past months, more of your emotions than just me have awoken, and we all agreed to try and prepare you. For what, I'm not certain, but there's something brewing inside of you that we have no idea what it is." He scratched at his head like a cat would, then continued. "Your magic is tempestuous, beating wildly with fear as it gets closer. And you are nowhere near ready to face it." A series of doors opened behind the Fearmonger, numerous different entities stepping out. Their shapes differed from one another. In total they numbered about nine, including the Fearmonger. "As you know, I am Fear. And you are filled with much of it. I am the being that warns you of danger and inspires anxiety. I'm neither good nor bad," spoke the Fearmonger. His voice dripped with mockery, resonating in the dark, echoing the tumultuous memories of my past. A tall, angelic figure with four arms, wreathed in light, stepped forth. "I am Hope. I am the one who helps you dream of a better tomorrow, to help you plan." She radiated a sense of purity, which calmed my internal turmoil. The third figure stepped forward, this one covered in plate-like armor for scales. Its head reminded me of a dragon, though it had ten different eyes of various colors. "I am Courage, the one to push you to your limits and temper your spirit. You have more than shown you are capable of wielding me." The fourth was a cyan-colored tortoise humanoid, its shell looking more like a boulder than a reptile's. "I am Determination. I am the companion of Courage, who represents your willpower. You, my boy, possess much." The ground shook slightly as he spoke, grounding me in the reality that strength lay not just in magic but also in sheer will. The fifth was a sleeping cat, its soft fur shining gently in the darkness. "I... am Acceptance. I am the... yawn... one who is content with existence. I help you to deal with your circumstances." It exuded a sense of tranquility, befitting of its sleeping cat form. Two more stepped forward, these two being a red and blue imp, each with one horn on opposite sides of their heads. They looked like twins. The red one spoke first. "Hiya, we're Despair and Scorn! I'm the empty feeling of hopelessness that's been eating away at you!" His voice was high-pitched, mocking, embodying the relentless weight of sorrow I often carried. Then the blue one spoke. "And I'm the one that's been inspiring your feelings of contempt towards injustice you've experienced." Her tone was sharp, cutting through my resolve like a blade, reminding me of the bitterness I had buried deep. And the ninth and final one slugged forward. It was the eldritch blob of flesh I had seen before. "And finally, I am Malice. I am the hatred you feel for all things, the one who gives purpose to your anger." Its voice was a low, slithering whisper, laced with a promise of destruction, embodying the darkest corners of my heart. Each of the emotions that was presented before me represented something key to my psyche, I just knew it. If they weren't lying, that would mean that there's something about my emotions that I was unaware of. They all opened their mouths and spoke in unison. "We are but a few of the emotions that have awoken in you, Aurelius. We are part of you, as you are of us." "What do you all want? Why are you here?" "We want you to be made hole. You are broken almost beyond repair. If you cannot master and temper your soul, you will be consumed by darkness. A chill ran down my spine at their words, the weight of their truth pressing down on me. It felt like an ultimatum, a call to arms against the very parts of myself I often tried to hide. "Consume me?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. "You mean what's coming?" They nodded. Determination spoke. "Seems like fate once more than anything to crush us. To make us its bitch. And I will not stand for that." Courage step forward and put his hand on my shoulder. "You have much strength in you. The fact that you were able to resist fear for so long before evolving into an emotional mess, says something about you." Despair twirled and jumped up on my shoulders, wrapping his devilish tail around my torso. "Yeah! You already know what it's like to slip into a pit, and the only one who gets to make you feel like that is me. I'm not gonna have some OTHER creepy crawly darkness take away what defines me!" Luna hugged me from behind. "I never knew emotions could be so potent. I've never seen anything like this before." "Same here," I replied. "It's like I'm standing in the eye of a storm, and each of them represents a different part of the chaos swirling within." "I take it, you've gotten more than you bargained for?" asked Hope. "Though we may be small parts of what makes you you, you have the power within you to become something great, if you give yourself a chance." Despair leaned closer, whispering in my ear. "You know I'm always here, waiting to remind you of what you've lost. But maybe, just maybe, you can use that feeling to push forward instead of falling back." I nodded, letting their words sink in. "I can't deny the darkness I've faced. It's part of who I am. But I can choose how to respond to it." "Good," Courage said, a proud smile on his face. "You're starting to see the bigger picture. Every battle you face is a chance for growth." Fear smiled again. "What was it that president one said? 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself?' Words of wisdom, if you ask me..." I walked right up to the Fearmonger, watching him shrink in size. "Let's get this over with," I said, my voice steady. "I'm not going to let you control me any longer." Fear didn't change his expression at all. "Are we done here? I thought this was going to take longer. I suppose I could tone down the intensity of how you feel about me, at least until something else torments you." The other emotions smiled, content with me. They each stepped back into their respective portals and vanished. "Remember our meeting, dear host. Otherwise, it won't be another adversary as you have to worry about dreaming about." Fear vanished in a puff of black smoke, leaving Luna and I alone in the darkness of the ruined Ponyville. The silence that followed was heavy, the remnants of chaos lingering like a fog. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the adrenaline still coursing through me. "What just happened?" I asked, my voice echoing slightly in the stillness. Luna held on to me gently. "For once, I too am at a loss for words. I suppose I could try to say something philosophical, like you faced an important part of yourself that many choose to avoid, but I don't feel that would be appropriate right now." I chuckled. "I knew you put on the whole 'wise' attitude for my sake. Guess it takes spontaneous to stump even Princess Luna." "You could say that. But then I'm still wise." I threw Luna's arms off me, turning around to accuse her of my suspicions. "Wait a minute, you knew he was testing me! How did you know that?!" "Calm down, it isn't like the Everfree. While you were down in the hole, I gave chase after Fear and caught up to him easily. He simply waved at me with that ghastly smile of his and winked, pointing at you. When neither he nor his minions tried to attack me, he asked me to play along and make the fight look real." I paused to digest what she said. "...Oh that dick!" Luna burst out laughing at my expense. "Believe me, I thought this whole thing would go a different way entirely. I'm just as surprised as you are." "I still can't believe I lost control of my magic again. Even though this is just a dream, I feel more exhausted than before, but also refreshed if that makes sense." "I don't doubt it. You're probably be sore when you wake up, but with a newfound clarity you've never felt before." We continued to enjoy each other's time now that I was free from the nightmare and talk more about the 'coming darkness', both of us drawing blanks about that little tidbit. It wasn't long before the dream finally started to fade and I woke up. --- It was currently Friday afternoon. I'd just finished up my job at the Apple Farm early and was free to do whatever I'd like. Twilight thought it fit to teach me more spells to help master my abilities as a mage, and it was going swimmingly. Ever since I woke up from the nightmare, I'd been feeling fresher than I ever did. Even comparing it to when I had the cuffs taken off me back during my first week here, I don't think it held a candle. My mind was clear for the first time in ages, like a trip to the spa or a dip in a hot tub. The work week didn't feel like it dragged on and Twilight remarked how much brighter my eyes were, especially when I used magic. Gods above, I swear I was a new man entirely. My dreams were also more fascinating, clearer and more vibrant with the help of my emotions. Each night following Monday, one of the nine would visit me and hold conversation, often dipping into hypotheticals and hosting countless short dreams for me to go through and test. By their own words, I was nowhere near ready to reach my full potential, but I had promise. My magic seemed to be more responsive as a result, seeming alive and eager to listen to my will. Whereas before I needed to study a specific spell, its frameworks, and the mental exercises needed to cast what I wanted, I found it increasingly simpler to just imagine what I wanted my magic to do and it would do it. I still needed to at least read up on the spells I wanted to perform and practice them, but eventually I figured out I didn't need to build the easier ones in my mind first. Levitation, Increased Strength, Increased Speed, and even Minor Illusion came to me without a second thought. I could conjure small objects at will and entertain or distract myself and they'd vanish soon after I willed it. Nothing crazy, just pencils when I needed them or a toy ball. Even the Shield spell, which I found difficult when Twilight taught me it, was now subject to ease. I could wrap it around my body like a skin-suit or use it to protect even the most delicate of objects. Twilight noticed the change. "You've made remarkable progress," she said one evening, her tone filled with awe. "You're more in tune with your magic than ever before." I nodded, feeling a sense of confidence I hadn't known in years. "It's almost like I've unlocked a new part of myself." She smiled. "I don't know what went on in your weird induced nightmare spree, but it definitely shows. You're not even breaking a sweat on the easy stuff now." She stopped to suddenly fire a bolt of magic at me from her hand. "Think fast!" I caught the bolt in a shaped Shield spell and spun to return it to sender. It harmlessly hit the wall behind her. She looked at the burn mark a foot away from her head. "Well I'm impressed. You're mastering it as quickly as me. You might be ready for more complicated spellwork come tomorrow." Her compliment touched me and I smiled.b"You really think so?" Twilight adopted a side smile. "Aurelius, your skill growth is incredible. I wouldn't be surprised if you managed to achieve a place for yourself in the history books, given your affinity for magic." "History books, huh?" I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to hide my embarrassment. "That's a bit much, don't you think?" She shook her head, her eyes rife with certainty. "Not at all. Everypony starts from the basics. Even Star Swirl the Bearded wrote about his early failings in his journals, and he's the one who helped create the modern field of magic!" "Now that I'm more in tune with my emotions and my magic, I feel the sky's the limit." She stared at me, not even questioning my own exaggeration, content to be happy for me. A knock came from the front door. Spike stood up from his spot on the table, setting down his Power Ponies comic. "I got it!" Opening the door, he revealed Applebloom, who decided to dress more casually today. Her short sleeved black t-shirt and plaid skirt that came down to her knees, along with her usual green socks and white shoes. She seemed a bit apprehensive to say anything, her confidence going out the window when she saw us all standing there. "Oh hey, Applebloom! What brings you to the library this afternoon?" said Twilight. Applebloom hesitated, her eyes darting between Twilight, Spike, and I, now that she was put on the spot. She seemed nervous, for some reason. "Oh, n-no reason. Ah was just... walkin' through town and thought Ah'd s-stop by an' see how y'all were doin'! Yep!" She fiddled with something behind her back, her fingers clutching tightly to whatever it was. I raised an eyebrow, not buying that lie for a second. She wasn't usually this skittish, at least she used to not be. Ever since the whole barn collapsed, she had been a bundle of nerves any time we spent near one another. Maybe I should ask? Spike welcomed her in with a wave, offering to go fetch some snacks and drinks for everyone, which Applebloom happily accepted. Though it was most likely because he skipped lunch. I shook my head. "Silly little dragon. Come on in, Blossom, and get comfortable. We were just practicing magic." I summoned an ethereal tennis ball and tossed it to her. "Check it out, illusion magic!" She caught it easily. "W-wow, it almost feels real!" I smiled. "Would you believe me if I said I learned how to do that today?" That earned me an eye opening. "Gosh Aurelius, yer so talented... Ah wish ah could do that," she said solemnly. Applebloom sat down at the center table. "Makes me wish Ah could do fancy magic like that." "But then you wouldn't be the Blossom I know and love." She blushed heavily. "The crops you and your family grow are second to none. With as much skill as that takes, it's a magic all on its own." "Oh uhm.. ah, You can't..." She stammered, flustered so much that she pulled her hands up to grab her cheeks, revealing a sealed envelope. Spike returned in the nick of time with sliced fruits and crackers, along with his own plate of gem-encrusted gummies. "I'm back, did I miss anything?" Twilight shot Applebloom a friendly smile, though she, too, looked a bit puzzled by the filly's sudden nerves. "Well, it's nice of you to stop by, Applebloom. How's everything been at Sweet Apple Acres?" "It's been really hectic. Granny Smith an' Applejack have been hard at cooking up enough food for the next week for Ponyville's joint school event. It's the Fall Formal Dance." That might be why she's so nervous. Time to act. "I didn't know that was coming up so soon. Time really does fly. Have you found a date yet?" She shook her head, glancing at me before realizing her hidden treasure was out in the open and panicked. "That an invitation for someone?" "Oh, this thing? It's a uh... a treasure map the girls and Ah drew up for a game! Ah'm uh..." Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Everything all right there Applebloom? You seem nervous." She hung her head. "Oh, who am Ah kiddin'. Ah'm terrible at lyin." She raised the letter up. "Ah came all confident in myself too. Ah can't do this!" She damn near burst into tears while trying to get up and run out. I caught her by the arm and she pulled against me. "Lemme go. Ah don't want ya ta see me right now!" Bloom wouldn't meet my eyes, looking down while tears formed at the edges of her eyes. Twilight and Spike were shocked, as was I. None of us had ever seen her act like this before. "Applebloom, what's eating you? You know you can tell me anything, so what's wrong?" She sobbed and leaned into my shoulder to cry. "A-ah came to... I... Ah don't know if I can..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. I rubbed the back of her head as gently as I could manage. It hurt to see her so distraught. Her mouth quivered and she grit her teeth, struggling to find the words that escaped her. "Is this about not having a date?" I asked. Applebloom didn't try to pull away anymore. Her cheeks were still flushed a deep red and she refused to meet my eyes. "Ah just don't wanna make a fool of mahself..." She said, sniffling. "But mah head feels all jumbled and it's harder than it needs to be." "Whatever's upset you is my problem too." Her eyes shimmered with uncertainty and daring. "Ah came..." She swallowed hard and barely spoke over a whisper. "What was that?" "Ah said Ah came to ask if you'd be muh date to the dance, darnit!" She squeezed her eyes shut and thrust the letter in my chest, knocking my grip off her and allowing her to be free. The words hung in the air, her confession raw and vulnerable. I was gobsmacked, thrown for a loop. The room filled with silence, nobody daring to make a move. Applebloom didn't wait for anyone else to respond. "Well? Aincha gonna turn me down, break my heart or somethin' stupid?!" She looked angry, almost terrified. "That yer too good fer me or that there's plenta fish in tha pond er something..." I blinked, taken by surprise. Applebloom had always been a constant in Ponyville, a friend I considered to be like a little sister of my own, like how I treated Spike. But this threw that whole foundation of our relationship into the toilet. Of all the things I had expected her to say, this was the lowest on my list. She sounded hurt at my silence. "Ah just wanted to tell you how I felt and now Ah've gone and messed it up. It wasn't supposed ta happen like this..." She didn't bother to let her tears stay hidden. "But Ah like you Aurelius. More than a friend." Thst hit me like a ton of bricks. So she really does have a crush on me like I suspected. Just... wow. More than a friend? Like, wants to hold a relationship with prospect of a marriage type deal? I still didn't know what to say. I just kinda stood there frozen, trying my best to process it all. "I didn't know... I hadn't realized..." I said softly. "Realized what? she asked, her voice still shaking but now edged with frustration. "That someone like me could have feelings for you?" "No, I never realized you felt that strongly," I said, shaking my head. "I always considered you more like family. I hadn't thought you saw me like this." She slumped her shoulders, disappointed. "Oh..." She wiped her eyes. "Ah guess Ah jumped the bridge on that. Do ya not feel tha same?" "Well i-it's... complicated. I never really thought about it before now, if I'm honest. You kind of put me on the spot." Applebloom grabbed at her hair and grimaced. "Oh, Ah done really bucked this up somethin' major. So yer not gonna go with me?" Her voice broke. I didn't want to hurt her feelings. What did I feel for her, really? She was a nice girl, brilliant in her own right and wasn't unattractive. Having lived here long enough, I started to develop enough of an understanding between 'attractive' and 'ugly' qualities when it came to ponies. The qualities she reflected were almost spot on for what I looked for in a partner, but there was one thing that made me hesitant to consider her that. "It's your age, Blossom," I explained. "Where I come from, there's too far of an age gap between the two of us for me to consider saying that I like you too. Romance is a massive step in a relationship and I really don't want to end up taking advantage of your feelings on accident. It doesn't mean I don't like you per say, it just feels inappropriate." How do I put this? "I don't feel like either of us has grown enough to be able to really comprehend what getting into a relationship means." She bit her lip, cheeks still as flushed as before. "Ah'm not some kid, Aurelius. Ah know what Ah feel and what Ah want! Just cause Ah'm younger than you, don't mean Ah can't think fer myself." I shook my head. "That's not what I'm implying, but I just don't have the words to say what I wanna say. I know you're a grown girl, but you're still really young and it doesn't change the fact that I'm four years your senior. Back where I come from if somebody were to find out, I was dating a 15-year-old, I'd be put in prison." The look on her face dropped. "Oh." I scratched at the back of my head. "Yeah. Even though I've been here for almost half a year, and I know the law here is different involving age of consent, how I was raised is still very prominent in my mind. I can't just suddenly be comfortable with changing everything I know, even if I've had to do that with magic." Her eyes filled with tears again, and she looked away. "Ah though... that if Ah pulled my boots up and asked ya on a date, ya'd say yes and that would be that. Sounds like I'm asking to marry ya or nothin'. Just that we could go dance an' have a nice time." She ended that by muttering under her breath, thinking nobody heard her. I knew exactly how much courage it took to speak up about your feelings to somebody you have a crush on. Lord knows I went through that back in high school. "I get it Applebloom, I really do. I'm still just, like, I'm shocked. But I'll tell you what," I said, watching her face light up with hope. "I'll absolutely go with you for the dance. But as a FRIEND, not your boyfriend, er coltfriend." Gods, I was sweating bullets by how awkward this was. The smile on her face absolutely melted my heart. "Do ya really mean it?" "Yes, Blossom, I'll g-" I couldn't finish, not with the arms of earth pony magic squeezing the life out of me. "...tight..." "OH THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" Applebloom squealed, jumping up and down with me. It took her a moment to realized I couldn't breath. "Oops, mah bad. Sorry." Twilight and Spike exchanged glances, still watching from the sidelines but smiling quietly to themselves. It wasn't the situation Applebloom had probably hoped for, but at least it wasn't a flat-out rejection. She left the library shortly afterward with a skip in her step, leaving the three of us to kick the can about what happened. I cringed. "Guys, be honest, how badly did I fumble that?" Spike shrugged. "Dude, honestly that was kind of cringey. Four out of ten." That earned a tsk from Twilight. "I thought it was rather moving and sweet. You didn't outrightly tell her you wanted to date her, rather you danced around that issue and gave her the answer she wanted." I sat down on the floor. "What was I supposed to say? I've never had a girl come up to me and tell me that they like me, especially a close friend that I've known for like four or five months." A thought occurred to me. "Has she had a crush on me since I saved her life?" Spike guffawed hard, falling to the floor and kicking his feet. "Bahaha! Have you seriously never noticed?! I thought I was dumb!" I smiled, a chance to play along at his jab. "Hey, I'm not dumb, I'm stupid. Er..." Wish I could've recorded the goofy face I made when I said that. "Heheh, thank you guys for not stepping in. I feel like it would've just made her feel worse." "No problem, buddy." "You looked like you had a decent handle on it. I have to say, I'm impressed with you a lot today," said Twilight. I sighed, leaning back against the nearest bookshelf. "I guess you're right. I just didn't expect any of that today. It feels like I keep stumbling into new things without really knowing what I'm doing." Twilight walked over and helped me up to my feet. "Eh, that's kind of how life is. Runs right up to you and throws you to the timberwolves. Sometimes you get chomped and sometimes you lead the pack." The cringe returned with a passion. "That was terrible, Twi. You suck at philosophy." She feigned a scoff. "Well excuuuuse me, wise guy. Not all of us are ancient prophets, like Princess Luna." "Yeah, yeah." I sighed. "What's next on the lesson plan?" > Chapter 13: Hot and Bothered Another week, another paycheck to my name. Today marked the start of the new month of Equestria's year, with the twenty-six hour days and thirty day months. The daylight hours and nighttime hours would change length throughout the year shifting back and forth between sixteen hours of day or sixteen of night, which peaked during the solstices. Even the clocks had gears in them that would move the marks of 'midday' and 'midnight'. Was complicated at first, but I figured it out eventually. Today was the equivalent of October first, the start of mid-autumn. There was a crispiness to the air that prickled against my skin, inviting all sorts of electrically charged feelings. A much welcome change from the usual heat waves from the summer. I fingered the letter that Applebloom had given me last week, the stark reminder that I hadn't gotten a suit for the dance just yet. According to the invitation Applebloom gave me, the Fall Formal Dance was stated to happen on the Friday of this week, and being that it was Tuesday, that left me just three days to get one that fit the harvest theme. I was sure I had plenty of time, but it still stuck out in my mind like a sore thumb. With as busy as the farm had been, I hadn't had a moment to go ask Rarity if she'd have one ready, nor had I really stopped to think very hard about going to someone's date. It was sweet, the way Blossom had chosen me, but weird. I didn't figure she would be interested in something like that. During my free moments, my mind erased as to how she felt about the whole thing and what exactly the dance would entail, but I could worry about it later. Right now, harvesting was more important. I had been tasked with helping to harvest and tie together bushels of grain from one of the fields on the farm, specifically something called 'sparlum', which was fed to livestock. Along with the namesake apples that the Apple family sold, sparlum was another of their products that was heavily in demand. Luckily, I didn't have to do more than just cut and tie together the bushels, as they paid to have a unicorn transport company collect and distribute, but fucking hell was it hard work. All I'd been given was a scythe and a few box of bindings and set to work in a three-acre portion of the fields. Applejack said it'd take maybe the entire week to tackle it, but I'd been here since Monday and only cleared one. I was afraid that if I didn't finish by Friday morning, I'd miss the dance. Of all the garbage I deal with, why is this the one that bothers me so? The thought occurred to me at the inefficiency of doing it all manually. Why didn't they just hire unicorns full time to handle all the hard work and rest their hooves? Surely they have enough money for some spellcaster... wait a minute, I can use magic! Why I hadn't thought from the get go to skip the tool was beyond me. Instead of wasting so much effort and exhausting myself, I could just magic up a blade and tie it all up. I readied myself for the expenditure and willed an incredibly long golden scythe blade into existence and gave it an experimental swing, the blade easily slicing through the base of a small section of stalks. This is too easy! A grin crept onto my face as I admired the ease with which my conjured scythe sliced through the sparlum stalks. What had taken me hours of grueling labor now felt like child's play. A flick of my wrist, and it'd slice through a whole row two foot thick. I pulled my arm back and threw it the other direction, and the blade responded by doing the same thing again. I had another thought and imagined cupping my hand underneath a portion and gripped an imaginary ice cream cone, and the sparlum lit up golden and bunched up into a sizable cylinder. "Holy shit, I'll have this done by Friday after all!" For the first time in days, the stress I had about the dance was gone, replaced by my invigorating efforts. Maybe it was the rush of using magic, so skillfully, but I felt confident. I continued on, slicing, gathering, and tying the bundles together in a sick rhythmic manner, bobbing my head to an imagined beat. In no time flat, I had another quarter acre done, then another quarter. --- I breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat on my face into my shirt. I'd just finished the second of the acres in under six hours, my body shivering from the excessive mana usage. I had to stop and rest, lest I suffer too much exhaustion and have to spend another extended stay in the hospital. I felt maybe at half mast, my breathing labored and stomach demanding sustenance despite eating lunch nearly an hour ago. And the waves of heartburn, oh how they hurt! "Woo! You done... good, Aurelius! Up top!" I said, clapping my own hands above my head, before collapsing to the ground and gagging. "Urf... I, oooagh, too much magic... gonna hurl..." I turned my head to the side and spotted the sun was on its final legs, maybe a couple more inches of light left in the day. "Almost quitting time. Thank you, Celestia!" I kissed my fingers and pointed at the sky. Carefully, I picked myself back up, feeling off balance. Didn't really care to walk, but at least the farmhouse was only twenty minutes away. "At least the walk back will be comfortable enough, if the wind doesn't pick up." Along the way back, I saw Applejack waiting for me over at the road, just a ways away by her section of the fields. She had a stalk of grass nestled nicely between her teeth, chewing it to admire the sweet juices. Her red and black plaid cardigan was tied nicely at her hips and she was using her grey undershirt to dry her face, not intending to but still showing her bra and belly. She looked tired, but that was to be expected. She noticed me while she was picking at her teeth with the harder part of the grass stem. "Shoot, an' here I was thinkin' I'd be waitin' till sundown fer you ta get done. Yerbout two hours earlier than normal." She looked up at the setting sun, then back to me. "Yep, dang near an hour and a halfa daylight left." I shrugged. "Hey, you know how the farm work goes. Sometimes you get done fast and sometime you're not done till Granny calls for suppertime." She chuckled. "Boy, no kiddin'." AJ started to the long walk home. "So how'd the sparlum harvest treatcha today? Any new cut on yer hands or arms Ah need ta look at?" I pulled the leather gloves off and pocketed them, showing off the callouses. "Honestly, I'm really just feeling tired. Took a hell of a lot out of me today, but I got into a nice, let's say rhythm, about midway through and it got easier. I feel like I'll be done tomorrow." She smirked and gave me a raised eyebrow. "Uh huh. That the nice way a sayin' you finally started usin' yer magic to help pull yer weight?" That made me blush in embarrassment. "Hey hey, Ah meant no offense. Not mad in the least that you got it done. Don't rightly care how it gets done, just that it's done efficiently." "Huh, that's odd. I was sure you'd be mad for me not 'sticking to my gun' and being a 'pony of quality'," I said, raising my hands to put emphasis. She gave me a knowing look. "Sugarcube, it don't take no genius to figure out you ain't got the same endurance and strength as us earth pony folk. If it makes it easier, then why not take advantage of your talents?" I laughed. "Oh, dang. I thought for sure you'd chastise me." AJ shook her head. "Now that's plum low to think Ah'd be mad at you helpin' us harvest on time. Weren't you here when Twilight got onta me for bitin' off more than Ah could chew?" I recalled the whole 'Applebuck Season' fiasco and nodded. "Then that's that. There's a time an' place for magic or straight brawn." She gave my arm a light punch. "But just remember that taking the shortcut magic ain't gonna show you the same disciplines adoin' things the old-fashioned way." I rubbed my arm where Applejack had punched me, grinning sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll keep that in mind." We walked the rest of the way back to the farmhouse in a comfortable silence, the warm autumn air cooling just enough to make the evening feel perfect. The quiet between us felt like the kind of quiet you get after a long day's work--earned, restful, and not awkward in the least. By the time we reached the house, the last slivers of sunlight were gone, and the stars were just starting to peek out from the darkening sky. As we stepped inside, I was hit all at once with the smells of tonight's meal permeating the air. While Applejack headed into the kitchen, I decided on taking a nice hot shower, rinse the grime and sweat off y'know? This wasn't the first time I'd come inside and made myself at home, I even had a spare set of clothes in the hallway for when I was finished. A nice shower later, and I felt brighter than the sunshine, even had a chance to shave a little. I was right in the middle of plucking out the stray hairs I missed on my fresh face, when suddenly the bathroom door opened. Now, normally I wouldn't have minded one of the Apples coming in while I was busy in the bathroom, being that this was their house. I was used to it by now, comfortable enough around the folks that we could treat one another like blood-related family. But this time was different. I was naked and had the towel draped over my shoulders, not even thinking about my nudity. I turned my head to see who came in and to my surprise, it was Applebloom. Who was staring at me with her mouth wide open. We looked at one another for a solid minute or two, neither of us making the move to shield either of ourselves. I turned back to picking the last few hairs in the mirror and then turned to face her "What's up? Dinner ready?" Applebloom blinked, her eyes wide and still glued to me. Her face slowly started turning a deep shade of red. "Uh... uh..." she stammered, clearly at a loss for words. I could practically see the gears turning in her head, trying to figure out how to react. And then her eyes trailed down, locking position at my crotch. There was a long pause between the two of us before I realized that I put myself in a pickle, especially considering she just confessed to me not even a week ago. "Oh fuck, I'm sorry!" I quickly took the towel and wrapped it around my waist. She covered her cheeks, trying to shield her blush. "A-ah didn't realize you were in here." She walked quickly over to the cabinet, not watching where she was going, instead her eyes never leaving me. She bit her lip "Came to get t-towels... oh sweet Celestia..." Her voice squeaked, like a mouse. I had never been ogled before and felt awkward. My face blanked and I rapidly rushed out, grabbing my clothes off the hallway table and making my way to Big Mac's room. My face felt hotter than when I was in the shower. I stared at the wall as I dressed myself in silence, not noticing Big Mac was sitting in a recliner, reading to himself. "What the hell just happened?" He cleared his throat, bringing my attention around. "You good there?" I shook my head. "No, I'm not. Your youngest sister just walked in on me in the bathroom." He sighed. "Well, it was bound to happen eventually. What's the problem?" "Dude, she confessed to having a crush on me last week." I watched Big Mac stand, his normally calm and stoic expression shifting into something a bit more serious. He crossed his arms over his chest, and for a second, I thought he was going to give me some kind of lecture, but he just shook his head with a sigh. "Don't worry 'bout it. I'll handle this," he said, his deep voice calm, though there was a subtle hint of concern in his eyes. "Are you sure? I didn't mean to make this awkward for anybody." He shook his head as he walked. "No, no. This is somethin' between a brother and his sister. Go help Granny setup for supper." Big Mac cracked his neck and prepared to hunt for his sister. I grabbed his shirt before he could make it all the way out into the hall. "Hey, please don't e to harsh on her or anything. I know how it sounds, but I don't think she meant any harm." "Aurelius, while I appreciate you looking out for my little sister, she knew full well you were the one in the bathroom. It's inappropriate behavior for somepony who should know better. Ah'm just gonna go give her a talking to. Now let me go." He looked at me in a way that said he meant business. I paled, afraid of what he might do to her, but more afraid of what he'd do to me if I stood in his way. Better do as he told me, lest he points his anger my way. I met up with Granny Smith and Applejack in the kitchen, the smells backhanding my nose with their delicious might. Granny had just pulled a tin of fresh biscuits out of the oven, steam running right off them. She noticed me and smiled, never turning her attention away from the stove. "Well, now that yer done refreshing, be a dear and help AJ set the table, would ya?" "Yes, Granny." Like clockwork, we set out the plates, the towels Blossom had grabbed, and silverware. Granny continued to work like her age wasn't anything but a number, nimbly moving through the kitchen between her stock pot and the counter. How she could handle all those burners and cut food without any of it burning, I'll never know. Maybe the years of skill. "Supper'll be ready in a jiffy, have a seat you two." She turned her head to the hall and called out. "Mac, Applebloom, dinner in five!" Big Mac responded. "Be there in a bit!" AJ and I sat, waiting for the feast to be served on our sterling platters by the chef, like usual. Granny refused to allow us to serve ourselves in her house, so we knew to sit patiently. Big Mac cam around the corner with Applebloom in tow, pulling the seat out for the youngest sibling and taking his own. Applebloom fidgeted in her seat, uneasy. She looked like she wanted to say something, but kept her eyes pinned to her lap. Her cheeks were mildly flushed. The meal was hearty, as far as vegetarian dishes go. The Apple family knew how to fill a table with comfort food that could feed an army. We ate in relative silence, the kind where words weren't really necessary. Granny would occasionally comment on the weather, and Applejack would respond with a "yep" or "reckon so." It felt... nice, honestly. Peaceful. I did my part to help clean up the table afterward, washing the dishes in the kitchen by my lonesome. Granny gave me a nod of appreciation before settling out in the living area by the smoldering fireplace. Big Mac waltzed in and went after his stache of hard ciders in the refrigerator, setting one out on the counter for me to enjoy at my leisure. Wasn't too big on alcohol, but I felt it would be rude of me to reject a communal gift. He sipped his bottle, sighing as it burned on the way down, closing his eyes to enjoy the sweet and savory beverage. I dried my hands off on my pants and twisted the cap off of my own bottle and smelled it, picking up notes of pear, oak, and citrus. It tasted familiar and went down smooth, the cool drink dancing on my tongue as I got to know it. Had a nice burn to it. "Dang, this stuff is good. Did you brew it yourself?" "Eeyup." "Have you ever thought about selling it?" "Nah, not this batch. It's weaker than the stuff we usually market." We enjoyed the brews, the alcohol starting to affect me more than I'd've liked. Felt pleasant as the warmth from the cider spread through my body, helping to loosen up the tension in me from today's harvest. I leaned against the counter and watched the bubbles rise within my bottle, lost in the little world of the liquid's cosmos. Something about its simplicity helped me clear my head, Hearing well with the cool breeze that walked into the trees outside. It had gotten colder after the sun went down, the prelude of winter seeping into my soul and the moonlight twinkling. Big Mac didn't talk at all while he drank, content to simply relax in the room with me. Even though he would sit and talk with me whenever I felt like stirring up a conversation, he was really a man of a few words at heart. Never the one to start many conversations. I think I liked that about him, his willingness to listen first and speak his heart second. Despite appearances, he really was a very learned pony, fiercely intelligent and brotherly to a fault. A real comrade in arms. He finished his first of what would be many bottles tonight, pulling out two more from the fridge and cracking one open with his bare hands, drinking himself into a comfort. He breathed deeply, sighing slowly. "Never really had any drinking buddies, 'fore you started workin' for us. 'Snice." I wanted to talk about what went on earlier. "Say, Mac?" He looked me in the eyes. "Hm?" "About earlier..." He scrunched his lips and dismissively waved. "Not much to say about it, really. It was inappropriate, and she's embarrassed and wants to apologize to you." There had to be more to it than that. "So what did you say to her?" "Ah told her Ah was disappointed in her. That she shoulda known better than to sneak a peek at you during a time of privacy. Just the typical kinda elder conversation you have with your youngers." "That all?" He shook his head, apprehensive to talk about it directly. "You know how being a teenager is, Aurelius, same as me. How your hormones cloud your judgment. S'not all that bad and Ah can't really blame her for her actions, 'specially with that time a the year coming up. You know how mares get." That struck me as odd. "Time of the year? What, like a period?" He flattened and rotated his hand, taking another long draw from his bottle. "Somethin' like that. Mares get all more emotional and don't think too clear about anything but their chosen partners. It's not like they turn into animals or anything" That revelation helped me put some pieces of the puzzle together. "So that's the reason she was acting weirder on Friday." "Trust me, it ain't as bad as you're thinkin'. She's just a filly still learnin' how to handle these things inside her head. I say it'll be about Friday next week when she's full blown starting. Just be nicer to her than usual and behave." Staring at the floor, I absentmindedly fiddled with the hem of my shirt. I wasn't mad at her or anything--far from it--but I wasn't exactly comfortable either. She was like a kid sister to me, and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt her feelings either. It was... complicated. "Girls are hard, Big Mac." "Preachin' to the choir, Aurelius." We continue to drink in silence, not really needing to say very much to another, since we had an understanding. My mind drifted back to the calendar in Big Mac's room, right next to the door. So that's why he has all of next week marked in red. In hind sight, it should have been more obvious to me, but I'd never really interacted with girls enough to know about the whole reproductive cycle. How much different could a mare be from a woman, anyway? Big Mac cleared his throat. "Listen, if ya don't wanna head back ta your place, you're welcome ta stay here tonight. I got an extra bed in my room, so you can crash there if'n ya want. Figured you'd want a quicker start in the mornin', especially with how close ya are ta finishin' the field." "Thanks. I appreciate that." "'Course not," he replied, smiling. "Ah'll wake ya bright an' early, don't worry." After a moment, Big Mac stood up, grabbed a couple more bottles from the fridge, and made his way to the living room, leaving me with my thoughts. I took another sip from my bottle, leaning against the counter and gazing out into the moonlit night. The warmth of the alcohol was starting to hit harder and it was beginning to become difficult to think clearly. Like I had a blanket draped over me. I could hear Applejack talking quietly with Granny Smith by the fire, their voices a soothing murmur in the background. It's hard to imagine that just half a year ago, I was thrust into a totally unknown world. I had just met this family and they adopted me like it was no problem. But there was that nagging feeling in the back of my mind about Applebloom. Sure, it made sense now--the way she'd been acting all week, her awkwardness, even the confession. I really couldn't comprehend how she felt about me. It was such a fickle emotion that I had difficulty putting into words. I had grown so used to treating her like a little sister, that I didn't know how to handle the reveal that she liked me. I side, finishing up the bottle and setting it in the sink. Tomorrow was another day, and maybe after a good night's rest, things would be easier to handle. I heard the soft creak of the stairs. Applebloom appeared in the doorway, lingering awkwardly. She looked ashamed, nervous to even see me right now. "Hey," she said quietly, not meeting my eyes. "Hey," I replied, speaking quietly. There was a beat of silence before she spoke again. "Ah'm real sorry about earlier, Aurelius. Ah didn't mean to--" She stopped, biting her lip and finally looking up at me. "Ah let muh head get the better of me and Ah feel real ashamed in muhself fer puttin' you in that position. Ah hope ah didn't make things too weird." I shook my head. "You're good, Blossom. I'm not too off put. I don't blame you." "So ya still wanna go to the dance with me?" "Absolutely. I said I would, didn't I?" That put her mind at ease and she smiled. She gave me a quick nod, then headed back up the stairs for bed. I joined her not shortly after, settling in Big Mac's room. As I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, my thoughts drifted back to the Apple family and everything that had happened today. I didn't know what the future held--whether things with Applebloom would stay simple or get more complicated--but for now, I was content. Tomorrow was a new day, and I'd face whatever came my way then. For now, all I needed was sleep. --- "I'll... never... tell..." My body grew weak, threatening to give out and succumb to death, yet I could not die. No, HE would not let me. Discord had long since grown tired of me not answering his questions, taking up finding new ways to torture me until I gave in to his demand. He brought his hoof down onto my right femur, snapping it like a plastic fork, before snapping his fingers to put it back together. He crafted a syringe of unknown glowing fluid from out of the ether and injected it into each eye socket, the resulting chemical reaction boiling my eyes out in fire, before they swiftly regenerated. Then he grew to the size of a mountain and held me between his fingers, rolling me around like an overripe grape, shifting all my internal organs around in a way similar to the beads in a stuffed toy. He flicked my corpse high into the air, landing me in his mouth like popcorn, before he swigged back some form of acid. And then he chewed. And yet, I still did not die. Over and over again, he had thought of crafty new ways to inflict pain, but I was becoming increasingly numb to it all. There's only so much the body can endure, so many times he can cut off and regenerate fingers before even the sensation of losing limbs becomes like breathing oxygen. At least, it would have if he didn't flush my pain receptors and neurotransmitters every hour. And I couldn't go mad either, something he did to my body prevented that. I reappeared on the 'ground' of the chaos realm in the form of a heap of ground mush, the strands of my body unfolding and reknitting themselves into a whole person. The sensation brought me to my knees, purging my stomach of the arcane residue he'd pumped into me to keep me from dying. I was powerless to do all but keep my last dying wish, my ethereal will going, I fruitlessly hoped long enough that Discord would either grow bored or my remnants of my soul found a way to escape into Aurelius. Discord stood over me, kicking me while I was down and sliding my body away. His breathing was wild, a growl in his throat. "Tell meeee where he iiiisssss!!! NOW!" He demanded for the umpteenth time. I coughed, spitting blood and bile onto the ground that immediately fizzled away in the ever-shifting chaos of Discord's domain. My body twitched involuntarily as it reassembled itself once more. The agony of being crushed, liquefied, burned, and reshaped was almost routine by now. "I... already told you..." My voice was ragged and it hurt to talk. "I can't tell you even if I knew." Gaslighting wouldn't work, but anything to stall for time is better than nothing. "LIIIEESS!!" Discord hissed, jumping up and down in a tantrum. He stomped his feet and beat the ground like an animal, steam erupting from his mouth. His mismatched limbs twitching as his body twisted into impossible shapes, his rage palpable in the air. His chaotic magic flared with a life of its own, bending the realm around them into a cacophony of swirling colors and fragmented realities. "LIESLIESLIESLIESLIES!! LIEEEED!" His head literally exploded into nuclear fire, his body falling onto the ground limply, pitch spurting from the exposed flesh on his nub of a neck. A new head popped out from his esophagus, slick with mucus. He stood up, slicking his donkey mane back with the eagle talon. "That's much better. Thought I rid myself of that pesky flaw, but I guess months of denial really must have gotten to me. Almost lost my cool there." Discord turned to face me, snapping his claws to stretch my body out and levitate me into the air, perpendicular to him. "I know you're lying to stall for time, Solus. You're my, well WAS my brother and we've been alive for hundreds of eons. I know, for the most part, how you think and what you'll try to do." He slithered through the air and coiled his body around my own, gripping me tightly in his hands to look me in the eyes. His breath smelled like rotten cabbage. "I am Chaos incarnate. Every fiber of my being exists to cause pain, torment, and disharmony, and I love every second of it. Even as we speak, my will extends across the cosmos of Yggdrasil, searching every world. Whether it be you telling me directly or me stumbling across that singular dimension you've hidden him upon, I will find him." He grunted, uncoiling and spinning me through the air only to be caught by one of the many currents of magic he'd weaved in the times between beatings. I flew around the edge of His barrier, shards of our Father's ripping through my soul and slicing my body, before unceremoniously being deposited back into the center of the realm with a thud. I remained silent as Discord pranced about lazily, picking and prodding at one of the many currents he crafted, unspeakable monsters and diseases thrashing about as he tweaked them for his pleasure. An opportunity had a risen while he was distracted. Ever so cautiously I reached out my mind to search for a sign of life from Aurelius, the tracer spell I had cast connecting to me in an instant. My mind drifted, slowly, painfully, toward the World Tree through that connection, where the faint pulse of life--the pulse of Aurelius--beat steadily. Many a time I had made an attempt to reach out and pour more of my soul into him, but Discord's magic would tear me back before I could get close enough. This time, though... I smiled. Aurelius, what have you done now? He had grown more mature since the last time I saw him. I could feel the stirrings of something new within him, something I never had. I might not need to feed him the rest of me after all... I smiled through my pain, not realizing Discord had finished up what he was doing. "Why do you smile, Solus? Surely you're not stupid enough to... No..." His voice whispered through my head as I tried to backtrack through the spell. "You can still reach out to him! I can feel it! The realm he hides upon... it's almost on the tips of my tongue!" Discord fought back against my will, clawing through my mind to distract me and see what I could see. "The name! Oh what was that name? I know this place!" He gripped my chest, slamming me against the ground. "Don't you dare stop reaching out to him!" He conjured an iron stake from thin air and stabbed it through my chest, pinning me to the ground like an insect on display. Every new spike of pain distracted me from disconnecting, I needed more time. I wasn't being quick enough! "Get out of my head!" I struggled back against Discord, more of my will being eroded, but not enough to crush me into unconsciousness again. Push, damn you! Close the link! It hurt so much. I couldn't describe the pain, even if I tried. I could feel what remained of my soul being ripped to cinders, mere embers of the whole. Discord's cackling laughter reverberated through the air as he sensed victory within his grasp. "Oh, Solus, you fool! You've been fighting me for so long, but now, now I see it! I see him!" His grip on my mind tightened, his claws digging into my spirit, shredding through the last vestiges of my defenses. "Almost... there...!" I couldn't hold on anymore. I felt my soul shatter into countless pieces, vanishing into the surrounding chaos as Discord greedily slurped up each and every one. I fought even as I fell into nothingness. I had to protect Aurelius, shield him and keep him safe. My body, brittle and cracking, resisted my decay with what remained. I grit my teeth, blood pouring from my mouth like a river as I tried to resist falling. My mind was slipping, like sand through my fingers as Discord's sneering laughter crawled through my thoughts. I could feel his triumphant attitude. "I... wont.." My voice cracked, failing me. "Oh, but you will," Discord whispered, his voice sickeningly sweet. "He'll be mine for the TAKING!" And then, in my final moment of clarity, a single, all consuming thought filled my mind: Aurelius doesn't need me anymore. He is growing without the other pieces of my soul. He will mature... My mind finally collapsed, unconsciousness consuming me. No... it wasn't that. Is this... death? I... of all the fickle things I never... I feel... cold. Irreparably so. I can finally rest... And then I was gone. --- "Pity he didn't last much longer. In other news..." Discords smile cracked his face, that ebony darkness inside him pouring down his face. "I HAVE WON! I have the name! I see everything!" He shivered in delight at the new increase in power. "Though he was but a fragment of full godhood, this power will be a much loved boon as I rip Equus from its place on the World Tree." Discord guffawed. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when I visit that peaceful place! The ancient battleground!" Equus. The word rippled on the air as a torrent of magic carved a doorway through time and space, linking the realm of Chaos to the edges of that sought after world. There was nothing stopping Discord from reigning freely. Nothing but... "WHAT IS THIS?!" Discord screamed as he crashed face first into an invisible barrier. He rebounded off it as it lit up miraculously bright with ancient runes and swirls. The very magic of Equus fought back against the demonic tyrant. Discord roared in anger. "THE PATH IS MINE! What trickery dares to stand between me and mine?!" He frowned. "All this resistance to my will, and for what?! The last laugh when I find out it won't be as easy as I thought, Solus?! BASTARD!" Discord threw himself against the world's barrier, snarling and clawing at it and throwing any manner of spell he could think of into it, but it did not budge. The onslaught shook the very foundations of creation, and Yggdrasil shuddered. The tyrant shook with immeasurable rage, and creation shook with him. --- Deep in the heart of Canterlot, something stirred against its stone prison. The statue of Discord, nay, the fragment of him, twisted within the confines of his imprisonment. He hungered to be free as he reacted to his master's torment. The Discord of this world, bound and frozen in time, awoke just barely. He struggled against his stone casing, stretching his body beneath it to test his limits. He could feel the surface damage in the form of cracks and chips, and he pressed against them. The cracks deepend, chunks of stone falling off like slag and littering the ground as an arm broke free. The lion's paw reached up and felt his face, the stone melting away into butter as he broke his chains more, the harmony in the air curdling and cringing. This Discord laughed madly as he began to break free, until finally he fell to the ground in a puddle of hot fudge. He slowly stood to full height, stretching and popping his joints, before cracking his skull open to pull his brain out and wring it free of water. "Oooagh, that feels so much better... Thought for sure I would oversleep!" He looked at his brain, scratching at the inside of his brain casing, then tossing the shriveled thing aside like trash. "Don't need that thing molding in there anymore." With a grunt, a new and fresher brain popped into existence and the Fragment closed his skull with a snap. Discord, the one standing over me in the Chaos Realm, was oblivious. He kept hammering at the barrier, his howls of rage shaking the very foundations of Equus' magic. "LET ME IN! I WILL NOT BE DENIED! WRYAAAAAGH!" The Fragment could hear his greater piece shrieking from beyond the veil, and he shuddered. He scratched the inside of his ear and flicked out the annoying spider that crawled there. "Oh pipe down, will you? I'm not nearly strong enough to unlock that door just yet, so you'll have to settle for raging against the barrier for now. For the moment..." "I must feed. Far too weak." And so, the Fragment vanished into thin air, hungry for chaos. For the first time in over six thousand years, there would be Discord. "I think a visit to the Elements of Harmony little prison cell would do nicely." > Chapter 14: The Heat of the Fall Formal Today's the day of promises! After my little extra effort applied at the farm, I'd freed myself up for some well deserved R&R come Thursday, which worked out perfectly for both Applebloom and I. We were presently lazing peacefully under one of the many trees that filled SAA. Well, I was at least. Bloom sat beneath the limb I laid out on, crouched down and watching a trail of ants go about their business. With nothing to do but wait for Friday to roll around, I thought I'd spend more time today on getting to know the girl I was going with. I rolled over the edge of the limb and tucked my legs, rotating underneath the limb and locking my legs around it so I could hang. Just barely in reach of my fingers was her hair, which I batted at to grab a strand. "You know, you have really pretty hair," I said, finally grabbing a lock and feeling it between my fingers. "Do you put some oil in it or something to make it glow so?" She looked up, stifling her laughter. "What're you talkin' about? You use the same shampoo Ah do." Applebloom rubbed her cheek in her blush. "I'm being serious. It's nice and..." It was just long enough to bring up to my nose. I breathed deeply. "Sweet. You smell like apple blossoms." She took her hair from my hand and snickered. "Yer goofy today. Do ya find it funny sayin' all those things to make me blush?" I chuckled, still hanging from the tree limb. "Maybe. It's kinda fun seeing you get all flustered like that. You wear it well." I gave her a playful grin, my eyes meeting hers upside-down. She glanced up to see if I was still right above her, then back at the ants. She refused to look at me for more than a second. "Ain't used to bein' complimented like that. Makes me feel all jittery and shocky." I swung myself and landed gracefully next to her. "And the crowd goes wild as he sticks the landing! Cheers all around! Aaaah, SShh, aaaaaah!" I pretended to bow before the imaginary crowd, earning a laugh from my lone spectator. Applebloom brushed some of her hair behind her ear, which twitched at being touched. "Yer too cute to be funny. Stop tryna make me laugh more." I stuck my tongue out at her and morphed it into a hotdog shape, and rapidly flicked it against my upper lip. "Blelelelleleleleel." She, of course, slapped my arm playfully and took to walking off over to a nearby swing hanging from another of the trees. The rope looked aged, frayed only the barest amounts, obviously seeing its fair share of use. Bloom sat daintily and gave me a snarky look. "Push me, pleaaaase?" She said in an antagonizing tone. "Mah poor hooves are achiiing~." I rolled my eyes. "Suuure. You know, you don't have to ask me to put my hands all over you," I said, not thinking. She stammered and blushed. "Wait fuck, not like that. I didn't mean... oh you snark!" She laughed at me, feigning her embarrassment. "Ah'm kiddin', Ah know you was just jokin'. Now push me please?" I obliged, swearing I'd get back at her. Back and forth, she swung in the air, enjoying the breeze and what remained of the warmth from the past summer. Despite her shorter size, she weighed more than her two friends, easily matching my own hundred and sixty-two pounds (roughly seventy-twoish kilos for non-freedom unit users). I attributed that to her earth-pony genetics, since their bones were denser, stockier. We stayed like that for a better part of an hour, as the temperature dropped. I playfully asked if it was my turn a few times, but like a princess, she said she wasn't done yet. I decided it was time for a little payback, embarrassing me, and ready my magic to give myself a little bit of extra strength, I thought just enough to push her higher than she expected. Maybe a bit too much, as I sent her flying into the air about ten feet and off the seat. Little more magic into my legs and arms, and I successfully caught the falling Blossom. Her weight pressed into me, and I staggered slightly before steadying us both, the magic in my limbs giving me the extra strength I needed. "Well, that's two times I've saved your keister. Maybe we should do that more often?" She blinked, her breath catching in her throat. "...that was mean." "Still caught you though, are you gonna look past that?" Her brow furrowed and her lips pursed. "Ya pushed me in the first place! Honestly, it's the least ya coulda done." "In my defense, I don't normally use enhancement magic very much. Didn't mean to put that much umph into it. But you did ask me to push you." Applebloom playfully slapped my chest, shaking her head. "You nut, Ah meant like a normal pony, er person! Ah swear, yer gonna give me a heart attack one day." Despite her words, she was smiling, the blush on her cheeks only growing deeper as she stayed cradled in my arms. "Ya can put me down now." I kept the thrum of magic in my arms constant, letting my legs. I tilted my head like I was considering putting her down. "Mmm, nah. I'll keep holding on. You're my doggy now. WHOSAGOOGIRL?!" I said, tickling at her belly. She deadpanned. "Arf, arf, ha ha." She couldn't hold that face for very long before succumbing to the tickle master, squirming to get out of my grip. But the tickle master does not relent so easily. "Ahaha, stop, stop Ah give! Ah'll be yer doggy!" I smiled. "Hmph, that's what I thought." Applebloom rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. Ya win this round. But just wait 'til tomorrow. Ah'ma dance circles 'round ya, and ya won't know what hit ya." I set her down, making sure she stood well on her own. "Yeah, yeah. I don't doubt that in the least, I suck at dancing." "So Ah've heard. Spike says ya make Twilight of all ponies look like a professional." "It was one time, ONE TIME! I was getting jiggy while sweeping and he holds it against me!" "Ta be fair, ya did kinda crush his toes." She started to walk back towards the house. "Oh, like you were there. Dude's skin is harder than iron, I highly doubt he even felt it. At least I apologized." She looked back at me and gave me a crooked look. "Ah WAS there, excuse me. You startled him into burning one of the library books he was putting up." My mouth went askew and I grumbled. Nobody ever checks out books on cow anatomy anyway. If anything, I opened up more room on those cramped shelves. "You make one mistake and suddenly the whole world comes crashing down. Twilight replaced it with the following week's shipment, so there wasn't any permanent damage." Applebloom snickered. "Well, don't go steppin' on mah hooves when we go ta dancing tomorrow." I jogged a few steps to keep pace. "I make no promises. You knew what you were getting into when you invited me." She waved a hand dismissively. "Ah know. But if Ah have to drag you around like a sacka apples, Ah darn will. But," she paused, her eyes twinkling with hope, "please try not to ruin this fer me." I sighed dramatically. "What is it with you girls having to beg me to not be mischievous? Am I that much of a bad influence? Oh woe is me, my friends are two faced!" I pretended to bawl my eyes out, but stopped when I saw Bloom stopped in her tracks. She wasn't too happy with my response. "Sorry. I'll try not to be too much to handle." Her attitude changed like the weather, back to happy. "Good." Did I just get guilted by a pony?! The world may never know. We made it back to the farmhouse eventually, the sun just cresting over the horizon for the night. I stretched my back, popping some kinks in my spine as I walked inside. Granny Smith was once again in the kitchen whipping up something scrumptious, based off the smell permeating the house. A nice little thought dawned on me for a gift to give my partner tomorrow. I'll spend tonight working on it when I dream. She'll be so happy when she gets it. -- The day of the dance rolled around quicker than I'd've liked. I thought I didn't have all the details planned for my gift, and I needlessly worried that Rarity wouldn't have the finishing touches on my updated suit before three rolled around. Was currently about eight in the morning, with a little bit of overcast cloud cover blotting out the sun here and there. sat at the kitchen table with a half-eaten bowl of oatmeal, absentmindedly stirring it as my mind wandered. The nerves were already starting to kick in. The day of the dance had come, and despite my bravado the day before, I couldn't shake the lingering worry about how tonight would go. What if I made a fool of myself in front of all the ponies there? Granted, I didn't really know many of her classmates, if you can call her school bullies that, and I wasn't really a teenager anymore. But still, I'm almost 20 years old and here I sat feeling worse for wear. Granny Smith walked into the kitchen behind me, pouring a cup of black coffee from the kettle on the stove. She pulled out a disposable filter and added it into her mug, careful not to let any of the few grounds make it into her cup. She gave me a look over and smiled as she took her place at the head of the table. "Yer lookin' like somepony died. It's just a dance, so why so glum?" I offered a half-hearted smile. "I know, I just want everything to go well for Applebloom's sake." Granny chuckled as she stirred a pot on the stove. "Ain't no such thing as a perfect night, 'specially when it comes ta dancin'. Yer young. Make a few mistakes, laugh 'em off, and enjoy yerself. Heaven's above, Ah know Ah miss dancin' with mah husband, Jonathan." That shocked me out of my mood. "Well, this is an update. You were married?" "Eh, it wasn't but thirty years ago now, but yeah, Ah was. Relevant to your whole dance conundrum, Ah can speak from experience that doin' things fer the sake of fun with someone ya love is a joy like no other, not countin' parenting." "Jonathan," I repeated, the name foreign to my ears but heavy with history. "I didn't know that. Must've been nice... having someone like that." Her eyes looked past me as she relived the good old days from her youth. She took a slow sip from her coffee, sighing. "It was. Had our ups and downs too, but no sense in dwellin' on old memories. While Ah do miss him terribly, it wouldn't do nobody good if Ah spent all my time reminiscing on what was, 'steada what is, ya get me?" I nodded. "Ah reckon tonight'll be one of many for you and Applebloom. Ya've both been dancin' around each other long enough, that Ah'm surprised ya ain't had the stones to ask her out yet. Make it official an' all." "Official? No, no, it isn't like that. Between us, I mean." She gave me a hard stare. "Boy, don't go lying to me in my own home. Ah can see the way you look at her, how you treat her. What Ah don't get why you have any issue with takin' her to be yer gal." I looked down at my half-eaten oatmeal, uneasy. "Because I think it's wrong. Even though I'm only nineteen and she's going to be turning sixteen come February, I don't feel comfortable being together with her." Her eyes softened as she set her cup down. "Son, Ah know full well how you're feeling and why it eat's ya so. Yer worried about more than just her age, about how others might look at you two bein' together. Thinkin' that you're wrong for talkin' to her." I nodded. "It feels... I don't know, like I'm going to do something bad and hurt her. What if people think I'm taking advantage of her?" Granny leaned back in her chai, her expression thoughtful. "Aurelius, your concerns are duly noted and acknowledged, but that just ain't how the average pony works. Ah'll admit, some folks don't know where to keep their noses out of, butting their heads where they ain't welcome, but they're few and far between. Ah'd be lyin to you if Ah said opinions don't matter, but why would you let some neighsayer dictate what makes you happy?" I wanted to respond, but Granny beat me to the punch. "Let me tell ya somethin'--there's a big difference between someone causin' harm and two young folks simply datin' and figurin' out their feelin's." I swallowed, unsure of how to process this all. In a way, I knew she was right, but it just didn't click in my head like I wanted it. "But [is is wrong to have the feelings I feel? I don't want her to look back like I've held her from finding her 'true love' or some bullshit." "Ain't no such thing as a 'one true love', 'cept in fairy tales. Yer not wrong for having concerns. But, if yer willing to sit here and second-guess yourself on whether or not yer being a good person or doin' some evil, you know damn well you are. A villain never second-guess themselves," she paused, taking another sip from her coffee. "Besides, it's only just datin', not a marriage. Ah don't know if you read that far and the law yet, but she can't marry until she's nineteen anyway." I blinked, surprised by her bluntness. "So... dating isn't this big life-altering thing?" Granny smiled gently, leaning forward a bit. "Nah, son. It's about gettin' to know someone, spendin' time together, and seein' where life takes ya. It's not a lifetime commitment, just a step in figurin' out if ya like someone enough to stick around. You're both still young. It's natural to have concerns, but ya don't need to make it more complicated than it is, ya goof. Besides," she chuckled, "if it don't work out, y'all can always stay friends." I pondered her advice, realizing how stupid I'd been to worry about something so simple. "I think you just changed my outlook on this. Thank's, Granny." She waved a hand. "That's what Granny's here for. Now get yer butt in gear and go get yerself ready. Ya only got five or so hours till three rolls around." I nodded and finished up my breakfast, making a mental note to go pick up my suit from Rarity and some scrap gold from a jeweler. I pushed my chair in and once again thanked Granny for her help, then headed outside. With the addition of the cloud cover in the sky, the air felt a bit nippier than yesterday, a perfect temperature for the Autumn theme of the dance. If I remembered correctly, the event would be held on the outskirts of Whitetail Woods, with a section cordoned off for walks and games. Anyway, back on topic. I made my way down the road into Ponyville, aiming for Rarity's boutique where she'd no doubt be hard at work on my suit. The walk helped me clear my head even further and help me come to terms with my idea of my relationship with Applebloom-- how she made me laugh, how I found her attitude endearing, and how she seemed interested in my growing progress with magic. There was no doubt that we had a connection, but whether it would blossom forth into what either of us wanted was beyond me. I'd been so wrapped up in what others would think of me, of what I thought of myself, that I'd taken it clearly off the table. Granny was right. The bells at the Boutique chimed as I opened the door. Sure enough, there she was with an outfit in her hands, wrapped in paper to protect it from dirt. Somehow, her disheaveled look with the scraps of fabric she pinned to her wait made her look more graceful, I don't know. I blame Spike. She noticed me at the doorway and scoffed. "Well, I wasn't expecting you this early, darling." She greeted me with a smile. "Here I was, just about to put the finishing touches on your ensemble. I have a feeling you're going to like what I've done." I whistled in admiration at her new works this month, which she rolled her eyes at. "Figured I'd get a headstart on everything so I had time to walk with my date. How is everything?" "Difficult with all the orders I've had to fill, but it's business as usual in Ponyville. Your's especially is nearly perfect," she said, stepping aside to show me a mannequin. The sleek black fabric of the jacket was already fit to my measurements and it reflected the auburn, mahogany, and golds of Autumn just like I requested-- absolutely perfect for the theme of the dance. It even had nice gold epaulets on the shoulders, providing just the right amount of elegance. Absolute perfection. "Damn, Rarity, your skills are unmatched. This is perfect for the dance!" She giggled behind her hand. "Oh, pish posh, there's no need for that with me, darling! Only the best for my friends." She turned to look at me. "But a little bit more praise would not go unnoticed." "Hehe, you're the best fashionista I have ever known." I leaned over to hug her, which she accepted. "Always happy to help one who's spent so much time helping me. Kindness for kindness sake is it's own reward, but I'm happy to know you like it." "I'll say," I said, feeling the clothes. There was something magical about them, I could feel it on the fabric. "Did you enchant this?" She nodded, laughing lightly. "Keen senses. Those lessons with Twilight must have been worth it, if you're able to pick up on the little spill-resistance I slipped in there," she brought her hand up to her chin, "perhaps it would be worth it to see if she'll tutor me. Mayhaps I could do with a bit of learning." "Don't crack open a hydra's egg if you aren't willing to deal with the parent's, Rares. We both know how she can get a bit... much with education." She cringed at the memory of the last time she walked in to one of the lessons. "Point taken. It was just a thought, though. Oh, that reminds me!" Rarity turned her attention to one of the many shelves that lined her walls, searching for something. She pulled out small box after box, intent on finding whatever she sought. "I could have sworn I put it... Oh, silly me, I left it on the balcony! I'll be back in just a minute~!" I took the time to look around at the store. Not much had changed since the last time I was here, sans the new work in progress clothing. I looked over the sketches on her desk, marveling at the complexity of the measurements, notes, and other things. Compared to her work room, this was the only source of order in an otherwise chaotic storm, though it had its own disorganization I couldn't decipher. Best to leave it the way I found it. A few moments later, Rarity returned, her arms full of small boxes. "Ah, here it is!" She carefully set them down on the counter, her excitement palpable. "I wanted to make sure you had the perfect accessories to go with your suit." From the selection she laid out on her desk, I discerned a small golden pocket watch, with matching cufflinks, a pair of white gloves that would match my silvery tie nicely, a black fedora of all things, and a ruby brooch in the shape of a maple leaf. "I spent the better part of the week trying to work out what would work best, but I couldn't decide. I thought maybe you could give me your opinion on which would work best with it." "Well, I really like the gloves and the watch," commenting on them both as I felt them, "but I don't think this is that formal of an event. The fedora is... a problem in itself, despite the nice suede it's made of. Reminds me of something I'd rather not say." That left the brooch. "But this piece right here... Is that rose gold?" She confirmed it. "It sorta ties the outfit together, in my opinion. It adds enough of a 'pop' to make me stand out." Definitely the way to go. She beamed with pride. "That was my first decision. Two great minds think alike, I suppose." She levitated the brooch up to the breast pocket of the suit jacket. "Oh, definitely a great choice compared to the others. What WAS I thinking with that fedora?" She held it aloft and then casually tossed it to the side. I chuckled, feeling a swell of gratitude. "Thanks, Rarity. I really appreciate all this. I know it's a lot of work." "Not at all, darling! It's my pleasure," she insisted with sparkling eyes. "It's not every day I get to help two love-birds expose their emotions to one another." She gave me some saucy eyes, lifting her eyebrows. I felt myself blush, rubbing the back of my head. "Is it that obvious how I feel?" "No, I just made a wild guess. Thank you for winning my bet with Rainbow Dash!" She laughed at my expense. "Relax, it's a big day for you two! Let me make sure you have everything." She smoothed out the fabric on the mannequin, making sure everything was in place, then in a flash, both the brooch and the suit were teleported onto the desk in a neat little white box. I took it in my arms and gave Rarity a polite bow as I headed out the door. "Do have fun tonight, darling! Oh, and please watch out for Sweetie Belle!" I couldn't help but smile in anticipation at getting to spend very quality time tonight with my friends and my potential love interest. I made a quick stop over at one of the many jewelers and paid for a small lump of gold and a few gemstones, praying silently to Celestia that I wouldn't screw up the little gift I planned. Rounding a corner, I sat cross-legged on the floor of one of the many alleys, setting out the gems and gold into a tightly packed spot, then fished out some juniper-ash magic chalk from my pocket. Carefully, I drew a basic transmutation circle around the components of my gift. "Now for the hard part. What were those verbal components to the spell again?" I scratched my head and closed my eyes, thinking of the training lessons Twilight gave me. "Oh yeah!" Feeling the pulse of my core, I closed my eyes once more and reached my arm out, palm facing the magic circle. I felt in my mind a familiar buzzing as I reached out my attention to the runes around the circle, carefully reciting the words of power I remembered. "Transmutatio materiarum, lapidum auratorum et gemmis subtilium, forma imaginis in corde meo!" Opened my mind in time to see the material floating inside of small orbs of golden light, each with its own magic circle spinning around them. The circles split in two rings, one barely larger than the force fields and the other much larger, spinning like a gyroscope as the materials melted and morphed into the shapes I imagined. The gemstones took their place, perfectly aligned, while the gold lump was purified in the magic light, molten and hot. Slowly, the gold weaved itself into a latice shaped tiara, shaped similar to the ivy clinging to the walls of the houses, leaving sockets for the gems. The sight of the glowing orbs floating before me filled me with both awe and a sense of nervousness. My heart pounded as I guided the magic with my mind, watching the gold and gems fuse into place as the delicate lattice of the tiara took shape. I kept my focus sharp, not daring to lose control of the spell. The juniper-ash chalk lines glowed a sickly cool blue like Cherenkov radiation, slowly starting to fade as it was burned out. The gems fit perfectly into the tiara, and finally the piece was finished. It landed gently onto the ground, my breath held in hopes that it did not break, and it was complete. The pearlescent opals and rich rose quartz complimented each other, with a single small ruby at the center. I'd worked my butt off to craft five small apple blooms into the gold, and it paid off way better than I'd hoped for. "She's going to love this." It was simple, elegant, and perfectly befitting of her, something down-to-earth and natural yet timeless. I was proud of this little thing, this trinket. I pocketed it in one of my belt bags and tucked the suit under my arm, continuing on my way back to the farm. Maybe a solid two or three hours had passed since I left on this short trip, but it was perfectly timed for a night I would never forget. My nerves still hummed as my magic settled back to its normal levels--that for once went entirely as I planned. No mishaps, no mistakes, and certainly no unintended side-effects. I was turning out to be quite the little mage. By the time I reached the farm, there was maybe an hour left until the first party goers would show, and I was ready to beat them all at the dressing game. The sunset couldn't be more perfect, with the few remaining clouds drifting past the distant woods. All things considered, I couldn't wait any longer. The farmhouse and went to Big Macintosh's room to change, snagging one of his bottles of musky cologne. I gave myself a once over in his body length mirror, tossing the suit over the back of his desk chair. Alright, Aurelius, courage. This is it, no backing down now. My reflection stared back at me, uneasy and nervous. It's just a dance between friends. But what if it ends up where we're more than that? I bit my lip, unsure of whether or not to go through with this, but I had to steel myself. "No. I'm not going to break her heart by refusing to show." I stripped down into my skinnies and put on the suit, the clothing fitting nice and snug on my body, but with enough space that I could bend down if I had to. "Perfect as always, Rarity." The auburns, mahoganies, and golds of autumn blended seamlessly with the warm, fading light outside. I adjusted the lapels, the golden brooch reflecting a soft glow in the mirror. "I look like a Lord of Forests or something." With a spritz or two of one of the more earthy and clove-like colognes, I felt ready. More than that, I felt much more at ease, not that it means anything. I took one last deep breath, then headed out to the living room to wait for Applebloom. Didn't have to wait very long though, as I heard her door open and the clip-clopping of her hooves on the upper floor. She stopped shortly before coming down. "Promise me ya won't make fun of me for gettin' all dolled up," she called out down below. I closed my eyes, so the first thing I'd see would be her in all her glory. "My eyes are sealed, Blossom. I won't know what you look like until you come down here. I promise not to make fun of you." "...Ok..." she whispered. Carefully, she stepped down the stairs, settling in front of me. "Ya can open yer eyes now." I was stunned. Before, she looked like a simple farm hand, someone out of a western movie or the show Heartland. But now... "Wow..." She chuckled, face brighter than a tomato. "Is that all you can muster to say? Ah'm just 'wow'?" My jaw dropped. Her hair was braided six ways to Sunday, draped over her shoulder and split into four separate ponytails on her chest, each with a white tie on it. She wore bicep length white gloves that sparkled in the light, ribbons hanging limply off them down by her sides. And her dress... "You look like someone took a fashion catalog and turned them into a person!" The details were exquisite, each ruffle and fold in the floor length skirt fading from the auburn top that was feathered out in fabric leaves that snugly hugged her chest and waist. And oh my god, the embroidered branches on the skirt. "Where did you find this dress? I've never seen anything like it!" She blushed hard enough that I could have painted a barn with her cheeks. "I-It's Applejack's old dress from when she went to a hoedown in Appleloosa a few years back with muh cousin Braeburn. Do ya like it?" She gave me a spin. "I couldn't think of a better person to put it on if I tried." Applebloom started crying a little, laughing at my comment. Applebloom wiped at her eyes, still grinning as she twirled again, the dress catching the light perfectly. "Ah never thought Ah'd hear somethin' like that come outta yer mouth. Yer so sweet sometimes, y'know that?" I scratched the back of my head, feeling my face heat up. "Well, you're making it easy. You look amazing. I'm just calling it like I see it." She stepped up closer to me, grabbing my tie and straightening it out, smoothing out my shirt and tucking it into my belt better. I wasn't sure what to do, but my heart skipped a beat. We stood there for a moment, the air between us feeling a bit more charged than usual, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. I don't think Applebloom's blush faded in the slightest, and then she closed her eyes and smelled the cologne on my suit. Her eyes fluttered open and went a little half-lidded, and she bit her lip. "You chose one of my favorite colognes Mac likes to wear." Applebloom lingered closer, too much for comfort and rubbed her hand on my suit jacket over my chest. Her fingers played with my tie a little, bringing it up to her nose and smelling it much more deeply than before, up close and personal. I could feel her breath on my neck, coming in soft, warm bursts. It felt... uncomfortable, made me feel weird, thought I couldn't understand why. My heart beat a little harder than before and my palms felt sweaty, knees weak and my arms heavy. Like I was eating my mom's spaghetti. I cleared my throat, but she didn't seem to notice, rather intensely focused on fiddling with my shirt-- or maybe she didn't care. "You smell REALLY good," she murmured, her voice dipping lower than usual. I gave a nervous chuckle. "Thanks? I thought it smelled really nice too and thought you'd like it. You seem kinda... a bit too into it. Are you feeling alright?" Just as she stepped closer, mere inches away from my neck that I could feel her breathing in my ear, I heard someone else coming downstairs. Those heavy hoof-falls... oh thank god, Applejack for the rescue! Speak of the devil and she will arrive! Applejack came down unceremoniously, looking like she just woke up from a late nap. She looked over at the two of us. "Hooey, don't y'all look snazzy. All gussied up for the dance, all fancy!" Applebloom jumped back like a kid caught in the cookie jar, her face somehow turning even more red than her lipstick. We both stammered, me in relief and her all nervous. She gave us a confused, suspicious look. "Did Ah interrupt somethin' special or what? You two look like Ah caught ya doin' somethin' you wasn't supposed to..." Sweet Luna, please preserve me! Applebloom flailed her arms hard, stammering out a defence. "N-nothing, nope, nuh-uh. Was just helpin' him fix his tie! Yep, it was crooked!" Applejack's scowl grew deeper. "Mmhmm, Ah'm sure. She tellin' the truth there, Aurelius?" If looks could kill, I'd be mounted on their wall. "Yep, absolutely. She was helping me with the tie and then complimented Mac's cologne I put on, I swear." She chuckled. "Just makin' sure. You know what time a the year it is, right?" She said as she made for the kitchen. "Yeah, that time of the year when she gets more moody, right?" AJ nodded. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna get her more hopped up or crankier than she should be." "Yeah, moody. Somethin' like that. Ah don't think I need to remind you about not letting things get a little too... close, do Ah, Applebloom?" She gave her sister a look like she was a devil, then winked. Bloom buried her face in my chest, trying to hide from her sister by making herself smaller. She mumbled something like 'somepony kill me, please'. I was oblivious to what they were implying, but I think I got the gist of it. "Sorry, Blossom. I was only trying to help, not make you feel embarrassed." Applejack laughed deeply as she finally rounded into the kitchen. That left me with more questions than answers. When she finally returned, I saw her smirk never really vanished, except when she pulled a bit out of a non-alcoholic cider bottle. I stood there, bewildered and even though I didn't want to appear ignorant, it was plastered on my face. AJ took her place on the couch and took her hat off, wiping her brow with a bandana tied around her neck. "Applebloom, why don't ya go ahead and sit on the front porch while I 'educate' our friend here. Cool yer hooves." She sighed and complied with her sister, leaving the two of us alone. "Don't take it personally, sugarcube, but that ignorance is unbecoming fer one such as you. But we need to talk." "About her period? That's kinda... more awkward, isn't it?" She shook her head. "Ain't nothin' like that. Ah'll take it in all yer lessons with Twi, she never done told you 'bout mare biology?" A big no. "Ah figured. She always gets weird about somethin' so natural, must be her Canterlot upbringing," she paused to cough, "anyway, what Ah'm talkin' about is a mare's 'heat cycle'." I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "So, you guys go through the same thing dogs, cows, and pigs go through?" She nodded. "Estrus cycle. Jesus, why didn't I pick up on that when Big Mac talked about it last week?" I sat down on the couch next to her and she placed a hand on my back. "Don't blame yourself none, Ah completely understand your initial confusion. But to answer your question again, yes, we go through estrus. Typically once or twice a year, depending on the breed of pony. It's different for all mares, but usually it happens around Fall or Spring for the most part. There's medication we can take that helps manage the symptoms, but they don't really go away completely. For Bloom and I though, we're a special case." "Well, what do you mean?" "Since we're more active than the common folk, the medication don't really work as well. Our metabolisms burn right through it, so it's damn near ineffective. And if'n we try ta take more to up the effects, we build up a tolerance to it and have to take more, often. So we forego takin' it altogether. That means that 'mood swings', crankiness, and general desire for affection hits us harder unless we meet our, uh, 'seasonal needs', if ya catch my drift." I blushed furiously, imagining Applebloom getting frisky, but shook that image right out of my head. "I, uh... wow. Isn't it risky for her to be around me if that's the case? I don't want to tempt her to do... that." "Oh, the temptations are already there, believe me. There's no stopping how she feels. But it's not like she's just gonna jump yer bones like a wild animal." That's a relief. "She's just gonna get a bit closer than she usually does. She already likes you plenty, and when a mare in heat has her needs around a stallion she likes? Hoo by, we get weird tryna win him over." I crossed my arms in thought, digesting what she told me. The more I thought about it, the more a desire in me burned to try and help her be comfortable. "Is there anything I can do to help her with her heat besides the 'horizontal tango'?" AJ shook her head. " 'Fraid not. That doesn't mean you should tryta avoid her at all costs. That'll just hurt her already wild feelings. Just give her a little space, let her know you care about her, and enjoy yourself tonight. If she's happy, you'll be happy." I leaned back into the couch, letting my arms fall lazily to my sides, trying to absorb everything Applejack laid out for me. "Uuugh, why does this have to be so complicated..." It felt like I'd been dropped into a well and made to climb out before it filled with water. "Oh, it's not gonna be that bad," she said as she drank more from her bottle, "least Ah'd like to say it won't. Ah have no clue how tonight's gonna go with you two and every instinct in me is tellin' me ta protect my little sis. So it'd mean a lot ta me if ya kept a careful eye on her and keep her outa trouble, that'd help rest mah worries." "That, I can promise to. She trusts me as much as the rest of you all, so it'd be a shame on my part to not be there for her." And honestly, I'm not feeling as worried about this as I was before. As I headed to the front door, I pondered my qualities and compared them to how I was before. I didn't think as negative about myself as I did all those months ago and it made me smile. Gone with the days where I'd second-guess myself for apologize for any perceived slight that I did to somebody, just unsure about everything. Now I felt confident, all things considered, And I even felt like I could handle relationships with somebody instead of like I wasn't good enough for anyone. I know I've never really recorded any of my thoughts like those in the journals I've filled, but I feel like I should've. Remembering each and every self-doubt becomes harder when you're positive. In any case, I saw Applebloom sitting rather depressed, fiddling with the hem of her dress. She had been crying, from the streaks on her cheeks and the redness of her nose. I felt bad for her, like I'd put her in this position, but I knew otherwise. "Hey," I said behind her, sitting down next to her. "Hey." There wasn't a rush to speak on everything, just the wait for either of us to start walking towards the dance. When she felt comfortable enough, Applebloom spoke up. "Sorry about bein' weird earlier. It's these stupid hormones and junk." "I know. Your sister explained it in detail enough that I understand. About how it makes you feel, among other things." She hid her head in her arms. "Ah was hopin' it wouldn't start until tomorrow, too. It's." "What's to be embarrassed about? You are a growing young woman, er mare, and it's part of you. I'm sure by now from how many years you've been through it, you know what to ?" Blossom growled into her arms. "Ah just wish it would be over with. These stupid impulses are going to be getting the better of me tonight, Ah swear." I took it slow with her, placing my hand on the small of her back and rubbed in a circular motion, letting her know I was there for her. "We'll get through it together. If you need some space, I'll back off until you cool down. What are friends for?" Applebloom seemed lost in her own dilemma, attention consumed by the start of her heat cycle, but she was grateful for me to be there by her side. She stayed quiet for a while, her shoulders relaxing and she decided to lean a head against me. She looked tired, starting to doze off, her breathing settling down. I chuckled as I rubbed a hand through her hair, careful to not damage any of the braids she worked so hard to put up. "Guess all those emotions took it out of you, huh?" She didn't answer, only softly snoozing. "We might not make it on time if we wait around much longer. If only there was a way I could..." I brought my hand up to my trimmed beard, short and scratchy. It didn't help to stir my thoughts, but it felt nice to pull at the hairs. "What if I tried to contact Luna through meditation?" It wouldn't hurt to ask for a helping hand, right? It'd let her rest for longer and steel her mood more. I took a deep breath and made steady my mind, focusing on Applebloom's breathing to provide the needed rhythm. The world around me blurred and the familiar dream-weave of the collective unconscious flooded into being. From there, I closed my eyes and focused on the thought of Princess Luna, my mind reaching out and feeling my body turn to face towards Canterlot. I willed myself forward, zipping through the milky mist of thoughts and ideas toward her general direction, before stopping at the threshold of her courtroom. There stood before me a bubble of crystalized thought, no door anywhere on it, except for those who were welcome. I knocked three times, and such a door materialized moments later. The inside resembled a workshop more than it did a royal courtroom. Fitting for the Princess of dreams to have half cobbled fairytales and wistful wiles in the works for many of Equestria's denizens. "Are you in here, Luna?" I called out into the bright darkness that filled her place of work, hoping to find her here. A few more moments, and she materialized in a second, dressed in a tracksuit. "Aurelius, thou art early to summon me. Most aren't even asleep yet," she said, her outfit morphing back into her usual deep blue and black dress, "but it is welcome all the same. To what do we owe your visit?" I smiled, relieved she was on duty earlier than anticipated. "I'm happy to see you too, mother." She smiled back at the first time I've ever said her new title. " I know it's a bit unusually to see me this early, but I'm in a little of a pickle and could use your help." She hovered over to her throne-work chair combo and took a seat. "Do tell." "See, it's like this. I'm over at the Apple family Farm right now with Applebloom next to me on the front porch. I had a little bit of a reveal that she's a bit more... hormonal, let's say, that time of the year, and we're running late for the Fall Formal Dance over at Whitetail Woods. Is there any way you can teleport us over or something?" There was a soft chuckle coming from her, and she folded her hands together on her lap. "Ah, I see. I remember you telling me about being invited, but why would you need my help to get there on time? Sweet Apple Acres is nearly a forty minutes walk to the wood from its far side, so thou should be on time if you leave now." "She, uh, fell asleep on my shoulder and I didn't want to wake her." "How sweet of you! Worry not, We have just the solution for..." She paused, cringing at something, hesitating. "It appears in my busy moments, I've forgotten to mention something important to you. I do hope you will forgive me." I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "What is it?" Luna sighed, the sound soft and sheepish. "We may or may not have assigned some of our Night Guard to... how should we put it... watch over thee ever since the Gala. Celestia's order's really..." I blinked in surprise. "Wait, you've had me tailed by guards for that long? And I'm just now hearing about it?" "Yes, well... We've been a bit busier than We like and there hasn't been the right time to tell you. Nothing to be alarmed at, honestly." "But what does Celestia have to do with your regiments?" I found that odd. "When you revealed the title of our Father to her, it shook her. She originally wanted members of the Solar guard to keep an eye on you for signs of trouble, but we instead decided to ask for volunteers. In total, there are twelve of mine scattered around Ponyville, one of each Tribe of which watches you directly at any time." I stood there, processing Luna's words while rubbing my hand through my hair. "So... you're telling me Celestia thought I was some bad omen. I mean, I get it, she's stupid cautious about danger to the country-- especially considering nobody but you two and myself know that whole story-- but that was MONTHS ago! Why have I not noticed being tailed?" Luna chuckled softly. "Well, they wouldn't be my guards if they were easily spotted. In any case, tis not because she distrusted you, rather that she was concerned. Celestia, for all it's worth, errs on the side of caution with extreme prejudice. She meant no harm, I assure you," she started, summoning a table with cakes on it. "She does think rather highly of you, almost as much as me if you can believe it. Though I understand if your opinion of us sours, but this is the truth. We do apologize for not telling you sooner." I levitated over one of the cakes and took a small bite, savoring the flavor. "Well, it's shocking, but I guess I can thank you for putting your guards in place instead of hers. It at least shows she respects your discretion enough and myself, in a weird way." "We thought as much," she replied with a mouthful of cake. "Our Thestral Knights are the best of the best, as a matter of fact, and frankly they all volunteered willingly. They are loyal and trustworthy, unwavering and steadfast as a knight should be. Though we confess... I thought you would have noticed them sooner." I smirked, shaking my head. "You really know how to make a guy feel important. Personal guards? Guess it's time to pick up training with you again so I can meet your expectations." Luna chuckled lightheartedly. "Thou art taking this better than most would after finding out the crown is keeping watch over them so closely. It's amusing to see even in offending circumstances, you take it in stride." Shrugging, I couldn't help but laugh with her. "I mean, why be upset about something outside my control? You said yourself that it's just a precaution, and even though I'm a little hurt by her lack of faith in me, why bother getting upended when she's doing it for the good of her subjects? I know I'm a bit of an anomaly and I have nothing to hide." Luna sighed in relief. "Tis hard to find those that understand the duty of nobility, of guardianship. It is a humbling and refreshing perspective." "But back to the matter at hand. How would I go about asking them for a ride?" Her face lit up. "Thank you for reminding me. Simply fire a signal flare into the air using your magic and one of the Knights should respond post haste." "Wait, they're watching me right NOW?!" "Indeed. Did thoust forget already we said three are to watch at any time? They wouldn't be very good at their jobs if they couldn't manage such a simple order, I'd imagine." I chuckled, shaking my head. "Well, I better take my leave then. It was nice seeing you again, mother." "Enjoy yourself tonight, my child. Give young Applebloom my regards. I love you." With that, I withdrew back into the waking world, feeling the tug on my soul as I reentered consciousness. I opened my eyes and saw Blossom was still leaning against me, not a care in the world. As nice of a nap as it was for her, I still needed to do what I must. I shook her carefully, stirring her from sleep's clutches and she perked up almost instantly. "Oh dag-nabbit, Ah fell asleep! We're gonna be late!" Applebloom stood up and dusted her dress off. I followed suit and put my hands out to reassure her. "Easy there, Blossom, we're going to be on time." She still worried heavily, though cutely. "But it'll take us a whole hour to walk there. The sun's settin' in like twenty minutes an' we're sittin' around like a bump onna log! How're we gonna make it in time?" I stepped down onto the front yard and raised my arm to the sky, readying the magic in my hand. "Like this." And off went a ball of light, zipping up a good thirty feet into the air, much to Applebloom's confusion. Moments later, I felt my back prickle with static, which drew my attention to a shadow under a nearby tree. A series of three inky blobs emerged from the shadow, the darkness falling away from them like autumn's leaves. Before us a ways away stood three of the Thestral knights, their deep purple armor appearing almost black against their grey, frizzy fur. Just like Luna said, each one was from the three different Pony tribes, but they looked nothing like any of the ones I'd seen. Each of them possessed vibrantly glowing yellow eyes with slitted pupils, like a cat's, and a set of large fangs hanging just below their lips. The pegasus, or bat-pony I should say, had larger tufted ears than the other two, a nimbler frame, and two leather bat wings with a blue hued skin between each of the wing fingers. The unicorn's horn was jagged like a saw almost, angled towards the back of their head like a toothed knife, easily a solid four inches long. The Earth pony's fetlocks faded to a deep ebony, settling nicely over their steel covered hooves, with their forearms matching the same pattern. From their armor, to their everything, these were indeed Luna's dark knights. I could just tell, especially with Luna's cutie mark emblazoned on each of their chests. The bat pony flew forwards at a speed that would make Rainbow Dash jealous. "You rang, my liege?" Her voice had a sort of elegant foreign sound to it, with it starting as more of a heavy growl and ending softly. I wasn't expecting her to be up front and present so quickly, so I staggered back a step. "Jesus, you're a quick one..." She curtsied, happy at the unintended praise. "Yeah... Luna said you guys could give us a lift where we need to go?" "Yes sir, ve do have a chariot on standby. Vould you care for ze expedient arrival or iz time not of essence?" Applebloom's eyes were wide with awe as she took in the sight of the Thestral Knights. "Woah, they look amazin'! Ah've never seen a pony like them before!" The bat pony bowed. "Praize iz not necezzary, my lady. Ve are her majesty Prinzess Luna's Theztral Knightz, her pride und joy." She looked back over to me, awaiting orders. "Expedient, please. We're running late for a dance over by Whitetail Woods. We need to be there an hour ago, is that doable?" "If speed you vant, I, Nochnoy Skorost, vill be happy to oblidge." She turned to her comrades and barked something in what sounded like Russian. "Parni, prinesite kolesnitsu!" They both nodded and sunk back down into the shadow of the tree, emerging seconds later with one of the gnarliest looking chariots I have ever seen. It was made of the same colored metals as their armor and shaped almost like a sideways pyramid with how sleek and sharp it was. They two of them readied it rapidly, taking a seat in the spacious housing of the cabin. Nochnoy darted on hoof to the reigns, though they looked more like a harness, and put it on with familiarity. She signaled for us to step inside, taking a stance like she was ready to run. Her wings spread wide, mana pumping through her wing's veins with a crimson glow. "Moy povelitel, your chariot avaits."

Your Best Shot

pre

"M-mom!" she said in alarm, desperately trying to avoid moving her hooves. Her golden shoes had worked so far, but she did not trust them as of yet. "Dad!" She didn't have a chance to say anything else before her mother embraced her. "We were so worried," said Dazzle, holding her tightly. Twilight could feel her shaking. She could see her father's face as he came to a halt; it was covered with fear and hope. She flinched as his eyes traced the two unfamiliar horns atop her head. At the same time her bat wing, held tight against her body by her mother, sent pinches of pain through her body. "A-are yo-you okay?" "Mostly," said Twilight, hugging her mother back. "I-I'm sorry. I should have sent news sooner. I-I ..." "It's okay, Twilight," said her father, taking a calming breath. Behind him, a pair of guards poked their heads into the hall, looking to her in alarm and Celestia with pleading eyes. Celestia excused herself and trotted off to them. "We know why we weren't told now. We were scared when we saw you, but we're fine now." For the first time that entire day, Twilight felt herself relax. She had her friends, she had her teacher, she had Spike, and she had her parents. Even if she never returned to her real form, she could survive this. "Any news about that mess'o Guardsponies we saw earlier?" asked Rusty Rails, trotting down the main street of Trottingham. The old unicorn was sooty and tired from a day at the train station, but always had time to gossip about the news. He'd spoken to the town crier, one of the few ponies still around at this time of the evening. "None yet; I've heard that the papers will have some big story tomorrow," replied the crier from his post. "There was some announcement in Canterlot." "Interesting times, lately," said Mousey Squeak as she led her foal from her store. She closed and locked the door, and Pip Squeak trotted around happily. The dappled earth ponies were of one of the more skittish families in town and were famous for their dislike of excitement--though rumor was Pip was a bit of a black sheep. "I heard from Cabbage and Lucky that some sort of monster was loose outside of the castle." "Well, that'd explain it," said Rusty, looking towards Canterlot. It wasn't far from Trottingham to the castle. He then glanced up and down the cobbled street, his eyes tracing the old stone buildings. He didn't spy any monsters, which put him at ease. "Probably something the Princesses had locked up that Discord set loose." "Wouldn't the monster have shown up earlier?" asked Pip, galloping over. He looked very interested. "Unless it was a really old dragon; don't they move slowly?" "A dragon? Goodness, Pip, don't speak of such things!" said his mother, grabbing him by the tail and pulling him back away from Rusty Rails. "I'm sorry, Rusty, he gets so imaginative." "Oh, don't worry--the Guard could set a dragon straight in a hour," laughed Rusty, using his hoof to jostle Pip's mane. "And this brave little colt could probably handle one on his own!" Pip Squeak beamed. "Oh, I doubt it," said a voice, echoing around them. The four ponies jumped in terror--they knew that voice. They doubted anyone in Equestria would forget it soon. Pip hid behind his mother and Rusty and the town crier stood on either side of her to shield her--but there was no sign of where the voice had come from. "A hungry dragon would gobble you all up without so much as blinking." Rusty turned, looking to the top of the candy shop; there, he saw it. In the shadows was the slinking, serpentine form of something. It had to be Discord. "Go!" he shouted, focusing magic around his horn. The next thing he knew a burst of purple light surrounded him and he found himself standing high atop a cloud, the streets of Trottingham far below. He saw several more bursts of light below, then was struck with panic--why wasn't he falling? He wasn't a pegasus, he couldn't walk on clouds! Then, besides him, there was another burst of light. Discord had been a monster. This looked like a baby monster. It was only the size of a pony, though the serpentine body might have been longer overall and was missing parts. There were no wings, and the horns were gone, replaced by a pair of small unicorn-horn-like nubs. "Oh, don't even tell me I'm adorable," said Discord, but this time it struck Rusty he sounded younger than several days before when he'd cackled after he turned all of the trains into dragons. A toothy smile--one of the large forefangs was gone--spread across his face. "At least, don't unless you want me to cancel the cloud walking spell on you." "Y-you don't scare me," said Rusty, trying to edge towards the center of the cloud. "No? Well, you're no fun, then," said Discord, reaching behind his back and producing a terrified looking Pip. The foal bucked and kicked, but Discord's horns glowed and ropes appeared to bind him. "But you strike me as a pony that cares about other ponies. I imagine if I threw this poor lil' fella off the cloud, you'd be a little upset." "D-don't!" cried Rusty Rail, his voice vanishing into the night skies. "Don't. Please." "Good. Now, I've a little proposition," said Discord, tossing Pip from one paw to another. "I'll give you the foal if you give me your magic. All of it." "W-what?" said Rusty in shock. His eyes narrowed. "Wait, you only do things for fun. Where's the fun in any of this?" "Oh, believe me, there's a gag in it--but I wouldn't want to spoil it yet," chuckled Discord. The joviality drained from his face in an instant as he lunged towards Rusty, stopping only a hair's breadth from the unicorn's face. "Now. Tell me I can have your magic and I'll give you this foal." "Why--" "Ah ah!" said Discord, looking off toward Trottingham; there were a number of lights turning on and ponies in the streets. "It won't be long until we're found--the deal's gone then. Tell me I can have your magic or I throw the foal to his death." "... f-fine," said Rusty with a gulp. What options did he have? There was a burst of pain as purple light enveloped him, and then, as quickly as it came, it was gone. He found himself lying on a cloud with a struggling and still bound Pip Squeak. Rusty put a hoof to his forehead--his horn was gone. He realized now that he was an earth pony, trapped among the clouds. "Arrivederci!" cackled Discord, poison and mirth in his tone, standing on a distant cloud. There were two glowing auras around him now--a bright purple one and a smaller, dimmer red one. "And should you happen to get down, do tell the Elements of Harmony what happened in the most agonizing of detail." There was another flash, and he was gone.

Your Best Shot

Mood Whiplash: The Chapter

The Great And Powerful Trixie trotted down the path toward Stalliongrad with her head held high--today was a day for grace and poise, after all. She had a job. Since the Ponyville Incident with the Ursa Minor ... and the Trottingham Accident with the missing half of a foal during the "saw the box in half" trick ... and the Manehattan Mishap where she teleported the teeth out of her guest from the audience while trying to send them into the next room ... ... suffice to say, since a number of small and entirely not her fault occurrences, she'd had a somewhat bad name in the magic circuit. But she'd preserved. She'd re-tooled. She'd re-branded herself as an illusionist--it was, in a way, the least directly useful magic, but it was the most showy. It was also the only area she had any real talent in. She'd flunked out of the Canterlot Academy for Gifted Unicorns because she was simply no good at any other subject--potion brewing, conjuring, fortune telling--and she'd grown rather bitter about it over the years. She'd started to view her illusions as a crutch that held her back from growing. No more. From now on, she would delight crowds with the greatest illusions Equestria had ever seen. And for the last month, it had been working. She'd started in the small but thriving Appleloosa and had knocked the crowd dead (... metaphorically, for once.) From there, she'd been able to get another shot at Manehattan and had worked support for the Wonderbolts show; she hadn't had title line, but it had gotten her name out. And when it was time for the newly remodeled Stalliongrad Museum of Historic Sweaters and Socket-Wrenches to put on a show, naturally, they had turned to her. Because the Museum of Historic Sweaters and Socket-Wrenches didn't draw huge crowds, and she was within their budget. Nonetheless, it seemed luck had finally found its way into Trixie's career. She sped up a little, smiling widely as she made her way through the morning sunlight. She was on the road to Stalliongrad, the road to success, and nothing would stop her. At that moment, she noticed that the road ahead was blocked by a crowd of ponies. As she drew closer, she was forced to stop; they hadn't noticed her and did not move out of her way. "... dentist ... electrician ... another dentist ... hotdog vendor? That's the best you could do with your magic--eh, I'll take it anyways ... schoolteacher ... oh, for the love of me, another dentist? Three dentists in a town of two hundred?" Trixie froze. She hadn't noticed, but none of the ponies were moving at all. They stood still as stone, their gazes vacant and breathing shallow. She didn't know how she'd missed it, but there was a spell upon them; they had been paralyzed and bound. And between them, something slithered and slunk, pausing by ponies as it spoke. She saw a horn vanish each time the shifting creature passed by a body. "... ah, how disappointing. I'd hoped an entire village's worth of unicorns would have somepony useful," said the creature, sliding through the crowd toward where Trixie stood. "You see, miss traveler, these bumpkins barely had as much magic together as I had in just my nose yesterday--and I only had a single pony's magic then." Discord rose from the crowd, facing her with a terrifying gaze ... but one eye was different than the last time she'd met the monster, when he'd placed her under the arm of a Ursa Minor like a teddybear. His body was changed as well--his wings were gone, and his horns had turned to two unicorn's horns, twisted with colors like a chemical-spill rainbow. He had a skeletal look, like a colt who had suddenly grown to a stallion's size over a summer; his skin looked stretched, and his limbs were thin and wiry. "But even if the majority have been useless--eleven dentists, can you believe that?" continued Discord, his tone bemoaning his fate. "--even if they have mostly been useless, I've the magic of almost thirty unicorns now. As a baseline, I've almost doubled the power Twilight Sparkle left with me." Trixie shied back a step, but Discord moved like the wind and twisted around her, holding her neck in a clawed hand and bringing them face to face. As he looked into her eyes, she could feel he was sensing her magic. "W-what did you do to them?" she managed to gasp though the iron grip on her windpipe. "I gave them a choice. They gave me their magic; I didn't burn their little bumpkinville to the ground. The noble unicorns were more than happy to give themselves up for their friends and family," growled Discord, smiling a little as his magic wormed though her retinas. "Illusions, at last. I've simply not been funny of late--trapping an earth pony on a cloud is so a thousand years ago, and who laughs at being struck by an anvil anymore?--and I think a little razzle-dazzle may fix that. May I have your magic?" "No!" she shouted, twisting in his grip. She tried to summon the power to teleport but felt a familiar force clamp down: the magic of Twilight Sparkle, the unicorn who'd utterly humiliated her in Ponyville. The magician had barely even tried back then--Trixie was beyond outmatched. "Give me your magic," Discord commanded, holding her in the air by the neck. She felt a tingle about her body, then shrunk, finding herself in his palm. Her body continued to change, her skin changing to yarn and her insides to fluff. Her eyes were now buttons, but she could somehow see. "Or I will cast a Want-It-Need-It spell on you and toss you into the middle of that pack of pathetic peasants ... they'll rip you apart like griffons." Trixie would have been shaking if she'd had muscles. Discord's voice seemed to be inside her fluff-filled head, echoing the command over and over. There was an unspoken promise that she would not be harmed if she gave in. She'd rather have died than been left without magic. She could no longer do it herself, so she created the illusion of a pair of lips spitting on him. The last thing she saw as her eyes were ripped off was a pack of adoring-looking ponies bearing down upon her. Exhaling, Twilight Sparkle sat up and gave a goofy smile, the warm sunlight that streamed through her window warming her as she woke. It had been a rough night's sleep, but she'd managed--she'd asked the Princess for advice about sleeping with wings and found an enchanted pillow her horns would not rip. The previous evening filtered through her mind; it had been the perfect end to her stressful day. Her parents had stayed with her through dinner and helped her recover from her fate. It had set her at ease--the Guard still fled on sight, and the staff seemed to be waiting to be transmuted into vegetables, but if her parents were able to cope with things, so could she. Carefully stepping into the shoes lent to her by Celestia, she got out of bed. She snuck past the still slumbering Spike, pausing as she noticed his blanket was falling off of him. She glanced to her right forehoof ... dare she try to magic it into place, or should she simply pull it with her mouth? She decided against any morning mayhem and simply tugged it over him. He gave a little thankful mumble and immediately resumed snoring. The castle was thankfully quiet in the mornings, so she was free to walk the halls alone. Her shoes echoed loudly, the metal clanks reverberating from the masonry to the high eaves, so she kept to the carpets. It was pleasant to be back in what had been her home for so many years; as much as she loved Ponyville, her heart had always been for Canterlot. Heh--I've got two hearts now, maybe I can feel that way about Ponyville too, she thought with a snort, the dual heartbeats subtly reminding her of her changes. It was the least intrusive of her changes, but was becoming the one that bothered her the most. As she passed by a mirror, she had to let out a sigh and come to a halt. Her new appearance was simply monstrous. She would never get used to it; she didn't want to, either. She wanted to be Twilight Sparkle, unicorn. Not Twilight Sparkle, dragon-bat-unicorn-thingy. A thought entered her head: she was to spend the day practicing her magic to try and learn how to control it. Her attempt to hide her appearance yesterday had failed, but Discord had been a master of transformation and illusion. Surely she could change herself to a single form if he could take a thousand in a minute? She gingerly kicked off a single shoe and tapped it to the floor. Her reflection stayed the same. There wasn't even some fanfare or random wackiness--her dumb, ugly mug just looked back. Anger flushed through her veins. Magic wasn't this hard. Magic had never been this hard for her, even as a foal. Why was it so hard now that she had limitless powers at her disposal? She tried to smash her hoof into the mirror and fell. Groaning, she sat up. She'd managed to fall; what a mature pony she was. She looked around to see if anypony had seen her. To her horror she noticed two maids trotting down the hall; they were talking to each other and seemed nervous. She looked around for her shoe and found it on its side. With haste she tried to flip it over so she could leave--and found it immovable. And then the maids walked through her. Twilight Sparkle fell back as they continued down the hall, turning out of sight. They had both been earth ponies. And phasing magic was very advanced; even Twilight had trouble with it. So how had they walked through her? Had she made herself incorporeal instead of--oh. She saw it. Everything in the hall was backwards. She'd fallen into the mirror and was now inside the reflected world. With a groan she set to trying to get back out. "Grass!" Applejack smiled as the little dappled foal leapt from Fluttershy's grasp onto the grass, rolling in it merrily. He was as happy to be on the ground as any earth pony in his situation had a right to be. A moment later, his mother pounced him into a tight hug. "Uh, wow," said Rainbow Dash as she set down the quivering red stallion. He didn't take to the ground as well, his eyes wide and breathing ragged. "You okay, buddy?" "Yeah, I've never seen an earth pony look so uncomfortable on the ground, mister!" said Pinkie Pie, appearing at his side. Around them the townsponies cheered as Rarity focused on the tracking amulet's magic. "Come on, whoop it up!" "He took my horn," said the stallion, looking to her. "He took my magic. Discord took my magic. I-I'm supposed to tell the Elements of Harmony--you're the Elements, aren't you?" "Y-yes," said Pinkie, taking a step back. "H-he put me on the cloud and brought up P-Pip," said the stallion, gesturing to the foal and his overjoyed mother. "And he said he'd throw Pip to the ground unless I let him take my magic. And then he told me to tell you." "Okay, come over here," said Pinkie Pie, putting a leg around him and taking him to a bench under a tree. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Applejack shared a look. This was bad news. Only minutes prior, they had caught up to where Discord had been last night. It was supposed to have brought good news--and now they found that Discord had added a second unicorn's magic to his abilities by threatening to kill a foal. Granted, the pony was likely not nearly as powerful as Twilight, but still ... "I can not wait to use this," said Rainbow Dash, hefting the mace in her teeth. "Rarity! Hurry that spell up!" "I'm--gah!--I'm trying!" shouted Rarity, the silver glow around her horn pulsing. It faded a moment later. "I've got him! He's near Stalliongrad!" "... that's like two hundred miles," Applejack said, her jaw falling. "How in the hay did he go two hundred miles in a night?" "Teleported," groaned Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy crept to her side, looking worried. "Or who knows, he's probably stolen some wings." "He can do that?" Pinkie cried in alarm, having re-joined them. The townsponies were helping with the red stallion, allowing the Elements to talk. "How?" "Well, if he can take magic and Twilight took his, why can't he take pegasus magic?" said Rainbow Dash with a shrug. "And the first thing you do after losing a pair of wings? Get yourself some more. They're way too useful." "... okay, this is bad," said Applejack, pulling her friends in close. "As in, bad as last time bad. Twilight's magic we could deal with. Now it's gettin' crazy and he's way to far away--" "Wait!" said Rarity, her eyes and the tracking amulet lighting up. "He moved! He's nearby, ten miles north!" "That's like a minute for me!" said Rainbow Dash, leaping into the air. Applejack bit onto her tail, hauling her back down. "Come on, Dashie, it's obviously a trap!" grunted Applejack, wrestling the pegasus back to earth. "And how could you know that?" asked Rainbow Dash with a scowl. "Common sense. Rarity had to cast the spell last time, right? Why would it suddenly flash?" "He knows we're looking for him!" said Pinkie Pie in alarm. "No fair! He's not supposed to be that smart--he's tricky, but he's overconfident! It's in his character description!" "... okay, this ain't still-under-warranty Discord," said Applejack. "This here is a broken product. He's like a wolf with a hurt paw; he's scared and he's slowed down. He ain't got his usual tricks, so he has to get creative. And a creative wolf does all sort of things you don't expect." "I-I'm ... I'm ..." Fluttershy looked ready to faint. "Don't get discouraged, darlin'," said Applejack, steadying her friend. "We just got to be smart. His back's to the wall and he's desperate--he's gonna be tricky, but he's gonna make mistakes. We need to set a trap for him just the same, and we need it to play to our strengths, not to his." "Ok ... Dash has Flying ..." said Pinkie Pie, listening as she jotted down a list. "And Applejack's an earth pony, so she'll have Common Sense ... Flutter's magic is The Stare ... Rarity can detect gems and do basic magic, and I've got my Pinkie Sense ..." "Which, ah admit, is pretty hard," sighed Applejack. "'Bout the only chance I think we got is to set out one of us as bait." "Dibs." Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and took a ready pose. "Alright, darlin', here's how it--" "Shh!" Applejack had been about to speak when Pinkie Pie cut her off by shushing her and sticking a hoof over her mouth. "Don't say it yet!" warned Pinkie Pie, looking to the side of their group at nothing. "We need to wait for the scene to change; if we make the plan off-screen, then it'll actually work! On-screen plans never work!" "... okay, Fluttershy?" said Rainbow Dash, turning to the yellow pony. "Your mission is to make sure she doesn't get any more pixie sticks today. We're already losing her." "Aaarrrggg!" Such a grunt was rarely heard in the halls of Canterlot. In fact, the last time had been after Twilight Sparkle's transmutation final, when she'd accidentally turned her favorite doll into a live mule. "I see your disappearance this morning was not a joyous one," said Celestia, looking to the side of the hall where her groaning student, Twilight Sparkle, had entered. Luna stood by Celestia's side--they had been discussing Twilight's situation--and both of their bodyguard squads were cowering behind them. "I got trapped in a mirror," sighed Twilight, looking ready to collapse. "And then I managed to turn my breakfast omelet into a chicken. And then I may have turned the east ballroom into a ballpit." "... a ball ... pit?" asked Luna, looking to Celestia. "You'll see," said Celestia with a smile. "Twilight, I will assume you have made little progress with your powers." "... I'm sorry," said Twilight, her head drooping. "I'll get right back to--" "No, I did not wish to admonish," said Celestia, nuzzling Twilight to bring her head back up. "But I do have an observation: you are not having fun." "Of course I'm not!" said Twilight, looking alarmed. "This is too serious--I didn't sound like I was goofing off, did I? I would never do that, Princess, I promise!" "... you will have to break that promise," said Celestia. "Because Discord's magic works best when the user is having fun." "... really?" "Do you remember yesterday, with your friend Applejack's hat?" said Celestia, trotting away from the throne. Twilight followed; Celestia glanced back to Luna. Luna nodded, understanding what her sister wanted--she was to take the guards and make sure none were about to have heart attacks. "You simply tried to fill it with water and it did, because you thought it would be funny." "Well, yeah, but--" "And do not forget, my sister and I once knew Discord," continued Celestia. "When we were foals, he was ... less of what he is today. He could be cruel and hurtful, but there was always a joke or a laugh in it for him, and just as often, he could make us laugh--the chocolate rain was a favorite of Luna's." "... what happened?" Twilight asked, her voice soft. There was fear in it. "... we do not know," said Celestia, sensing her student's misgivings. "But I believe it was because the seed of cruelty was always part of Discord; there is no such seed in you, Twilight. Your use of the magic need not be like his." "... okay, next problem ..." said Twilight, her spirits quickly bucking up. Celestia had always admired the faith her student could put in others' support; it was the mare's greatest strength. "My idea of fun is reading. And studying. So what am I supposed to do, summon up a shelf of books? Make my homework do itself?" "The latter would make you the envy of foals everywhere," said Celestia with a smirk; she caught Twilight doing the same. "But perhaps you could try summoning a book--it should be simple enough." "... here goes?" asked Twilight, looking up to Celestia. Celestia nodded, and Twilight kicked off a golden shoe, then stomped. A rumbling sound began to fill the castle. "... oh dear," said Celestia, raising a magic barrier around them. Twilight began to stammer apologies. Moments later, every door flew open at once as books began to fly in upon papery wings, whirling around them as a literary tornado. Then they flew back out of the doors they had entered from, and a single tome fell at Twilight's feet. Comedy for Eggheads. "... good choice," said Celestia as Twilight fell to the floor and let out a happy sigh. The Captain of the Equestrian Guard was not a happy pony. In fact, it was in his job description to be grumpy. Today, however, he had a bigger reason to be unhappy than the fact he was paid to scowl. Today, he was faced with the fact that he and his stallions had repeatedly proven themselves cowards in front of the Princesses, the castle staff, and Steeltail's mother, who had come to the castle to drop off a tray of cookies. As he munched down on the oatmeal and raisin cookie, the delectable moistness turned to ash. "So, we've got a problem," he said, addressing his assembled soldiers. The Guard was not huge--in fact, all of the members fit in the meeting chamber they had been assigned, even including Luna's hoof-picked squad. "We've shamed ourselves, lads." "Hey, I'm doing okay!" shouted one of the pegasus guards. "I tried to attack Nightmare Moon when she attacked!" "Dude! She was brainwashed!" shouted one of the black coated stallions from Luna's squad. "Drop that, will you?" "Hey, Mr. Batwings, I didn't see you facing down Twilight Sparkle, did I?" shouted one of the other guards. The captain sighed as the meeting devolved into a number of shouting matches and then came to blows. At least we're finally fighting somepony, even if it is ourselves, he thought glumly.

Your Best Shot

Unspoken Plan Guarantee

What am I doing wrong? Discord slunk though the stones of the rock farm he had chosen as a trap. It was abandoned and bleak, save for an earth pony family (the dourest he'd ever seen, dressed in drab and coated the same) whom he'd left tied and gagged to a large rock in plain sight. The bait was there. He'd sensed the tracking magic and had purposely lit it; his pursuers knew where he was. He'd even come up with a clever plan to deal with his attackers: a cloud of laughing gas. The combined magic of nine dentist unicorns gave him the ability to produce a great deal of it at once. While he hated lowering himself to such a base level to get a laugh, he'd been completely unable to think of a funny trap or trial. In fact, it had been days since he'd thought of a gag. The foal and stallion on the cloud? Cruel, yes. Surprising, yes. Funny? No. Effective? Yes. It helped progress his plans towards his goals, but it just wasn't right. Other incidents further disturbed him. Repeatedly teleporting ponies around to disorient them in a maze? A technical feat, but it lacked ... pizazz. Teleporting pizzas onto ponies until they nearly drowned in sauce and cheese? Well, pizazz was there, but there was no elegance to it. And that ghastly affair with the unicorn--he shuddered. He'd never do that again. He'd wasted a talented unicorn's magic, and it hadn't even had a chance of making anypony laugh because he'd had to hypnotize the crowd! As he munched down on the stale bread in the family's kitchen, he glanced outside. The ponies were still there. He was growing angry. It was bad enough that they'd emagiculated him--Oh! there was a funny word! He'd have to remember it--but to ignore him? He was still a threat! Hadn't he proved that when he'd taken down the Wonderbolts, one of Celestia's most valuable military forces? Twitching the wings he'd taken from that one pegasus in trade for a pie and for sparing the lives of his compatriots--Soarin, that was his name--Discord nodded his head. He was still a threat. He was still dangerous. He was still playing in the big leagues. He took another bite of moldy bread and stared out the dirty window at the bound earth ponies. "Okay, let's do this!" "Checklist, check!" said Spike excitedly, racing around Twilight's and his room in Canterlot. He, as usual, was in charge of the checklist. It had been a rough couple of days for the little lizard--his worry for Twilight had beaten him down quite a bit--but as they settled back into their study pattern, he felt a world's worth of worries whisk away. "Tea and cookies, check!" "Ruby jam and mercury-flavored soda, check," Twilight said with a smile, looking to the pile of Spike's favorite snacks. "Book! Check!" "Relaxing music, check!" "Excessive preparedness, check!" "Begin! Check!" In unison the two plopped down on their floor pillows in front of the warm fire, took a sip of their drinks, and began to read as Spike flipped the book to its first page. An Egghead's Guide to Comedy A Practical and Logical Guide to the Theory, Mechanics, and Creation of Laughter via the Stimulus-Response Process Chapter One--The Short Game and the Long Game In comedy, be it a stand up performance, humorous theater production, or simply telling a friend a funny story, one must plan two different strategies. The main effort, the Long Game, will herein be referred to as the Joke. The Joke's goal is to build to a major laugh via the creation of suspense and interest ... "Spike asleep, check," whispered Twilight Sparkle, gingerly tugging Spike's blanket over him. On cue, the dragon had fallen asleep, as he always did when they read together. She checked to make sure his snores would not light the pillow on fire and pulled the book closer to her. The Short Game, henceforth referred to as the Gag, is used at intervals within the joke to aid in pacing and break apart the joke to prevent it from becoming tedious. A gag should not be complex--a pun, a slapstick accident, a silly reaction, any of these are acceptable. They exist to aid the Joke. Example with Notations: My friend and I are trotting down the road one day, and we find this apple pie just lying there. Now, my friend, who will remain nameless, is a way more honest pony than I am. Also, his name is Falling Anvil. So, anyways, here's this pie ... At that point, the page ended, and Twilight turned it. She was struck in the face by a spring-loaded apple pie. It took several seconds of blinking for her to clear her eyes and accept that she had, in fact, just been struck by a pie. It wasn't until her eyes fell on the next page that she understood why. Notations Sentence One: This sentence sets the stage so the audience can imagine the setting. It also makes the audience think the joke is simply a story when it is in fact physical comedy. Sentence Two: By casting a nameless pony and claiming they are more honest, the teller builds the audience's understanding of both the nameless pony and the teller. Sentence Three: When the teller tells their friend's name, they reference the earlier claim of being dishonest by proving themselves willing to deceive. This gag is in the center of the joke to meter out the story and draw the audience into the narrative so they emphasize with the characters, and therefore, invest more attention in the events. Sentence Four: This sentence cuts off, building suspense. Page Turn: When the audience is unexpectedly hit by a pie, this shocks them out of the state of mind they were in and allows those observing the event to laugh. Twilight glanced to Spike. He was still asleep. With a smirk and a sigh she rose to go wash her face--this book was going to be a tough read. "No toys?" Discord was literally tearing the rock farmers' home apart, having chucked two dressers and a cabinet though the walls of the farmhouse with telekinesis. He was bored beyond belief and was desperately searching for something--anything!--to pass the time with. "Not even a doll?" The draconequus was in shock as he finished dismantling the foals' rooms. He then checked and chucked their parents' rooms through a wall, finding nothing entertaining there as well. Returning to the living room, he found there were no books, magazines, musical instruments or devices, or other such necessities for mental stimulation. Storming outside, he made way to the menaced family, seeking words. "Okay, what the hay is wrong with you ponies?" he roared into their faces. The gagged foals began to cry, the mare glared at him hatefully, and the stallion struggled uselessly. "No toys for the little ones? No books? Not even something droll and dry, like an almanac? What is wrong with you all--did your little earth pony brains shrivel up?" He felt a ping of magic. "Hold on, I have to take this," he said with a sigh, turning from the ponies. He scanned the horizon; no heroes in sight. He focused on the magic again; it was the tracking spell, but its source was farther away than before. In fact, it was where he had been that morning, near Stalliongrad! Had they simply not sensed his trap? That would explain why they didn't try to stop him here. Quite well, actually: ponies never abandoned those in need. With a deep breath, he focused and teleported, looking to crack a few skulls for making him wait. "Here I am, my tiny little ponies!" he roared as the cobbled highway and cheery forests from earlier swam into view, granting him blessed relief from the trapped farmers and their detestable dirt. He looked around; there was nopony in sight. There were tracks heading towards the town he'd struck earlier; the ex-unicorns had likely returned home after the spell had worn off. The doll's remains were gone. Casting a spell to make himself appear to be a pegasus, he took to the air on his stolen wings. A quick check of the woods revealed nopony's presence, and as he flew farther and farther, he found himself unable to find the tracking magic's source. The town caught his eye--and then a rainbow streak flew from it. Rainbow Dash. He'd done quite a number on the mare. Taking a pegaus's wings away was a rather crushing blow--and then, he'd tried to hammer her into uselessness with further magical mayhem. She was supposed to be the lynch-pin of his plan: the most loyal pony would be the one that the Elements of Harmony were least prepared to lose. She'd vanish, and they wouldn't want to find her. It had almost worked, too, when Twilight Sparkle had tried to have her familiar use Dash's element. But she'd shown up. And ruined Discord's plans. There were ponies in the world that he hated more--Celestia and Luna popped to mind, but vanished as he imagined himself throttling Twilight Sparkle--but they were few and far between. He decided he was going to enjoy this a lot more than was healthy. He dropped the illusion immediately. He didn't care if she saw him coming. He had too much magic for even the fastest pegasus to deal with--ah, stop. Overconfidence, that had been his downfall last time. He needed to start stacking things in his favor. He launched a fireball at the village below. "Why hello, Rainbow Dork!" he shouted, flapping through the clouds. As predicted, the pegasus flew though the fire and blasted it apart. He launched five more. "Lovely weather, isn't it?" She didn't say anything, simply battering apart his spells as she flew closer. She was paying for saving the town; each time she destroyed a spell, sparks caught upon her, burning into her coat, mane, and wings. She was smoldering slightly as she dove through a cloud to extinguish herself. With some amusement, Discord noted she had a mace clenched in her mouth. A mace. How perfect a metaphor for the pegasi--blunt and useless outside of war. Celestia had given them control of the weather because they weren't needed for anything else, and the years of peace had not been kind. They compromised most of the Royal Guard, but hadn't even put up a half-hearted fight against him. He waited until she was within striking distance to teleport inside a nearby cloud. He immediately turned himself invisible and went silent. He sensed her flying around, then screaming in rage. Good. His plan was working; he was going to simply whittle her down until her allies came out to help her. Once he knew what he was dealing with, he'd teleport a long ways away and then form a better plan--unless it was only a pony or two, in which case he'd simply hit them as well. Wishing he could whip the cloud into a dollop of ice cream like in the old days, he teleported back out of the cloud to continue his attacking. "I must say, Rainbow Dash, I'm shocked to see you here!" he said as he blasted her with a bolt of lightning. She either let out a groan from pain or from the lameness of his joke before pressing the attack again. Twilight Sparkle let out a long breath and kicked off her shoes. The Gala Ballroom was empty. She'd gotten Princess Celestia's okay before she'd used it, but it was simply the best room for what she was going to try. It wouldn't be needed for several months in the event it needed repair, it was far from the rest of the castle, and it made sense to dance in the dance hall. "And a one-two-three!" she stated to the air, shuffling her feet. She paused, slapped herself in the face, and turned on the record player she'd brought. This time, there would actually be music to dance to. "And a one-two-three!" Twilight Sparkle's dancing had been described as both "tragic" and "epic" by her friends, but both terms had been said with laughter in their voices. As she began to tap over the floor, she hoped her scheme worked. The Egghead's Guide had said that bad dancing was always funny, and she'd remembered the strange dance Discord had done in the stained glass window. The stained glass windows burst to life, dragons and ponies dancing in place. She focused on the tapestries, which showed famous ponies and events. They came to life as well. With a staccato set of hoof-taps, she set to something a little bigger than a Come-To-Life spell, several conjurations which she thought were appropriate to the situation. As balloons began to fall from midair and the chandeliers began to light in pulsing club colors, she couldn't help but let out a whoop, rearing onto her back legs as she let out a cry of victory. A moment later, she felt her hindhooves fall from the floor, and she tumbled to the ceiling. "... okay, celebrated too soon," she sighed as her magics continued above--no, below her. She focused on one of the sayings her magic teachers had drilled into her: "Repeat after me: do not celebrate victory until you've finished everything you needed to do or your life will be one long stream of headaches." "Ha!" Rainbow Dash was struck with a tornado and thrown off course. Her body ached as she flapped her sizzling, ash-covered wings to regain control of herself. "--and once again!" cackled Discord, launching another one at her as he peeked out of a cloud. Cursing into the handle of the mace, she broke left and plummeted below the cloud line. She was in bad shape--she'd been electrocuted, charred, laughing-gassed, tarred, electrocuted again, covered in thorny flowers, and electrocuted. Again. But she'd signed up for this; she was the lynch-pin in her friends' plans. Looking up, she saw Discord had chosen to stay in his clouds. "Fluttershy! I really need some help!" she shouted, turning back and speeding upwards. A brick wall appeared and crumbled as it fell, forcing her to dodge and lose most of her speed. The yellow pegasus appeared in the corner of her eyes just as a brick caught her attention--it was time to spring their trap. She let the brick hit her in head and pretended to be knocked out, going limp, dropping the mace, and plummeting toward the ground. Her eyes were shut, but she knew Fluttershy was racing towards her ... and so was Discord, cackling as the wings she'd known he would have beat. In her seemingly vulnerable state, and with Fluttershy's unthreatening nature, Applejack had predicted that Discord would press the attack. "Dash!" shouted Fluttershy, bucking the mace to her. She reared and caught it, flapping to face Discord, who looked surprised. A moment before, he'd been confident in his attack. Now, he tried to switch back to his old strategy of teleporting away. But now he was close enough to the ground that Rarity was able to block his spell. When Rainbow Dash flicked her neck and the mace compacted Discord's face, it let out the most pleasing 'wham' that anypony had ever heard. Then the wings on Discord's back vanished. Discord struck the ground hard. In an instant he recovered, but it wasn't fast enough--Applejack's lasso had gone around him and bound his limbs. He tried to teleport again; Rainbow Dash heard Rarity, hidden in the nearby foliage, cry out with exertion. "Dashie! She can't hold him here much longer!" shouted Applejack, tying off her rope around a tree. "And when you hit him, he lost some of the magic he stole!" shouted Pinkie Pie, bouncing into view. "Keep hitting him!" Rainbow Dash didn't know how she found the energy she did, but as she spotted the panic on Discord's face as he noticed her rearing up with the mace, she resolved to put it to good use.

Your Best Shot

Wham Episode

Wham. Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Boop! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! "Wooh, my teeth are getting sore," said Rainbow Dash, letting go of the mace. Discord's shrunken and battered body lay next to her. "I'm a dentist, you know?" he said in a singsong voice, his eyes spirals as lumps grew on his noggin. "Ah'll spot ya," said Applejack, trotting over. "Flutteryshy's got some medical supplies, so she'll patch ya up." Applejack wiped off the slightly slobbery mace handle and picked it up. "Now les' see, she was about right here ..." Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Slam! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! "Hey, I've got lunch!" Pinkie Pie returned as Applejack wailed upon the draconequus. She'd had time to run to the local town, where the unicorns had already had much of their magic return in the form of rapidly regrowing horns, and gotten them a picnic. "Applejack, give Fluttershy a turn and help me set up!" "Uh, Fluttershy?" said Applejack, looking at Pinkie Pie. "Really, Pinkie? You think she's got it in her?" "Course I do!" chimed Pinkie Pie, laying out a blanket for them to sit on. "Hey, Discord, you want anything?" "Morphine," wheezed the draconequus/puddle of goo. "Uh ... well, Fluttershy, want a whack at it?" asked Applejack, looking to the pegasus. She was tending to the exhausted Rarity and Rainbow Dash, who were limping towards the picnic. "Um ... oh ... I-I could give it a shot," said Fluttershy, looking around nervously as if afraid she was being watched. Applejack spat out the mace and wiped it off with her kerchief, then gave it to Fluttershy. The pegasus meekly trotted over to Discord and reared back, then panicked and fell over. She got up and tried again, but stopped herself before she swung the mace. "Hey, I know you. I turned your bunny into a slenderbunny," muttered Discord, his eyes focusing a little as he realized who Fluttershy was. There was a sound unto the end of the world as Fluttershy drove the mace home. Nearly a minute later the dust settled, revealing a huge crater in the forest floor. Discord, still bound tightly, lay motionless and unconscious. Fluttershy looked shocked and ashamed of herself. Wham! She gave him one more shot, then trotted over to where her friends were doling out lunch and joined them.

Your Best Shot

Luna Loves Twilight's Pits

"Are we there yet?" moaned Pinkie Pie, wiping sweat from her brow as she rolled down another hill atop a barrel. "Pinkie, we've been traveling for, like, five minutes," said Rainbow Dash, rolling her eyes as she and the other Elements of Harmony trotted after Pinkie. After a brief rest and a trip to a pickle factory to get a barrel for the partially liquified draconequus, they'd begun the long, arduous task of traveling back to Canterlot. And Pinkie Pie, walking atop Discord's barrel as it rolled along the road, had already asked if they were there yet twenty times. "It feels like we've been going home for a month! No, more than a month!" moaned Pinkie, hiccuping as the barrel rolled over a rock and a muffled grunt came from inside. "How many episodes have come out between this story's updates? Like, five?" Rainbow Dash sighed and shook her head. "Less and less sense as time goes on." "Oh, hey, check it! It's Rainbow Dash!" The blue pegasus's ears perked in an instant. She knew that voice. She knew it well. She began to look around frantically as her friends came to a stop. Then she saw them--the Wonderbolts. "Wow, it is her!" said Spitfire, trotting out of the brush with Soarin' and several other Wonderbolts. They looked like they'd been through a wringer--they had rope burns, a few black eyes, and a scorch mark or two. "Man, Dash, what happened? You look like you fought a dragon." Rainbow Dash sputtered for several moments before devolving into giddy squees. "Uh, she has, sorta," said Applejack, walking over and offering a hoof to Soarin'. His eyes lit up at the sight of her. "Hey, remember ya from the Gala." "Dude, I remember you! That pie was awesome!" laughed the easygoing pegasus-- Wait! He doesn't have any wings! she thought. Soarin' noticed Applejacks eyes tracing his back. "Uh, yeah, lost 'em. You know Discord? That draconequus thing? Funny story: we ran into him, and he beat us up. Told us to tell you 'he stole him some wings and y'all could suck it." Fluttershy picked up the mace. "So, yeah, when you guys beat him, wouldya mind getting my wings back?" Soarin' gave a nervous, hopeful grin. At that moment, a pair of wings fluttered down, beating like butterflies, and affixed themselves to his sides. "Funny story: we already whupped him," said Applejack, beaming. "Dashie here went hoof-to-hoof with him and beat the magic out o' his cruddy hide. We all took turns--we got what's left of him in that there barrel." "I will pay you all my money if you let me kick him a few times," said Soarin', taking a checkbook out of his uniform. He looked strangely serious for once. "All of it." Fluttershy set the mace down next to him. "It would be improper for us to charge for such a thing," said Rarity airily, opening the barrel with magic. Discord sort of poured out, slowly standing on shaky paws and muttering the word 'rutabaga' over and over again. "Uh, good, because I'm broke," laughed Soarin', tossing the checkbook away and picking up the mace. "Hey, Disco-dude, remember that buffalo pie you sold me? You said it was made by buffalo! Well, guess what, it was poop!" Applejack looked to Spitfire. "... did he ... you know?" Wham. "... 'bout half before he caught on," sighed the lead Wonderbolt. "Twilight! Twilight!" "I'm in here!" called Twilight, her voice surprisingly happy. This relieved Spike, who had feared the worst when he'd woken up without her nearby. He knew he shouldn't always think she'd run away, but it was hard not to be afraid for her. As he scampered towards the door her voice had rung from, he hoped that she'd be in an okay mood. As he entered, he no longer had to hope. "Uh, Twi, is this a ball pit ... full of books?" he asked, looking in shock at the pool of tomes and ledgers that filled the room. Twilight laughed a clear, happy laugh as she swam the backstroke past him. "It's a book pit!" she replied, diving in and vanishing. A few moments later, Princess Luna burst out nearby, shocking Spike so much he nearly fell over backwards. "Ha-ha! Pit technology has evolved in such marvelous ways!" she declared, swimming over to the side and crawling out. "Tell me, dragon, what other types of pits are there? I have enjoyed the pit of balls, books, and mosh, but I will not rest until I have partaken in every pit imaginable!" "... am I still asleep?" asked Spike, looking around in confusion. "Because this did not just happen." Twilight looked sheepish as she climbed out of the book pit, letters and punctuation dripping from her sides. "Uh, well, I was in your dreams for a little." She shook herself dry, spelling out a decent draft for an essay on non-dimensional spells and their application in daily life. "Was that Rarity or a marshmallow?" "... um ..." said Spike, eyes going wide. Which dreams had she been in? He'd had a few private ones. "Twilight! Luna! Good news!" The timely arrival of Celestia saved Spike from explaining several things that no young male should have to talk about his mother figure with. The white alicorn's wide smile could only have meant one thing, but nopony could say it for fear it wasn't true. "They beat the everliving buck out of Discord!" Celestia exclaimed, squeeing and clopping her hooves in excitement. Luna and Twilight looked to each other and, as Twilight was now aware was mandatory for awkward reactions, beads of comically oversized sweat rolled down their temples. Spike would have joined them, but he was a reptile and did not sweat. Celestia cheerfully continued, "The Elements are on their way back with what's left of him. It will take some time by hoof, so I've sent a group of guards to fetch them. It's about the only thing my troops are useful for, anyways." From where he was hidden in the hall, the Captain of the Guard let out a loud groan. "Okay, so anypony else?" Pinkie Pie called to the crowd as another remagiculated unicorn finished his turn at Wham-A-Discord. A number of ponies surged to the front of the horde, eagerly tossing their bits into Applejack's outheld hat. "All right, then! If you brought your own mace or mallet or two-by-four, form a line on the left! If you need one, form a line on the right!" After meeting with the Wonderbolts, the Elements of Harmony had been given a quick flight to a nearby town that Discord had struck. When they had arrived, Soarin' and Rainbow Dash's conversation about how good beating up Discord was for stress relief was overheard by a trio of dentists. Ten minutes later, they'd started accepting bits for turns at Whack-A-Discord because it was getting too hard to turn the money away. Rarity had suggested giving it to charity, and everypony had thought that was a great idea. Except Discord. But nopony cared what he thought. "Uh, so, Miss Rarity?" The white unicorn turned from watching the throng to find several embarrassed-looking unicorns standing there, one levitating a ball of yarn scraps. "My name is Toothsome. I'm one of the dentists from earlier." Rarity smiled, nodding at the stallion. "Ah, I remember--I also believe you purchased a hat from me once." He gave a feeble smile but seemed pleased to be recognized. "Would this be that hat? It must have seen quite the accident." "Ah, no," said the unicorn, cringing. "This is a doll. Was a doll. But it wasn't always a doll." Rarity winced. She could see where this was going. "It was once a unicorn. She happened upon us after Discord hypnotized us ... and when she wouldn't give him her magic, he ... he ... he cast a spell on us. I think it was called--" "Want-It-Need-It," said Rarity, focusing her magic and accepting the scraps gingerly. She could feel a slight tingle in the threads--there was something in there, something with magic. "I've seen it before." "C-can you fix it--her?" asked Toothsome, looking disturbed. "A friend of mine could break the spell if she was whole." Rarity separated the pieces and begun to match the pattern. "Hmm ... a little ... actually, this shouldn't be too hard." She focused for another moment and began to knit and stitch--and in less than a minute, she'd repaired the doll, the material seeming to put itself back together. With a final stitch for a pair of button eyes, it was finished. Oh no. She knew this pony. A moment later, there was a burst of light. Rarity gaped, stepping away from the reformed unicorn. "Trixie?" The blue mare looked shocked, unsteady, and disturbed. She took a shaky step, as if seeing if she actually could. "Everypony clear the way!" she bellowed, turning and racing for the stage. "I'm going to show this beast exactly what an incompetent magician can do!" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "... not the most terrifying threat I've ever heard," she said as the blue mare forced everypony else off the stage. "Oh?" cackled Trixie, levitating a box and a saw over. "Because I'm going to do the sawed-in-half trick, and I have never pulled it off without maiming a volunteer!" "... oh my," said Fluttershy, eyes widening as everypony began to cheer and Trixie slammed Discord into the box.

Your Best Shot

Back in Business

" Aaaaaaaand we're back!" cheered Pinkie Pie, trotting through the gates of Canterlot. " Whew, that was a crazy trip! We had to go free those farmers, guest star in a Slayers crossover OVA, and re-invent rap-rock" " Not...all of that actually happened." said Applejack, giving a weak smile and a chuckle to the guardspony at the gate, who looked a little surprised. And he had reason to be - it wasn't every day the Elements of Harmony walked through the front gates with a barrel, a collection of humorously shaped bludgeoning implements, and a Clair Bible. " Heh hee, haa." sighed Applejack, noticing that, as usual, everyone in town had noticed the famous Whack-A-Discord carnival had arrived. " We're closed! We are no longer operating!" shouted Rarity, shooing the crowd away. " Back! Away! Shoo!" " Man, that trip was like, sooo so so long." groaned Rainbow Dash. She was riding on the cart next to Discords barrel. " It felt like months." " It was six days, darlin'." muttered Applejack, pulling said cart. However, it was obvious that the orange mare agreed. Somehow, the time spent getting back had just drug on. And on. And on. That might have had something to do with Trixie following them for four days. Or the whole thing with the squid - whoo, nobody came out of that looking pretty. " Hey! Look! Nothings gone crazy!" declared Pinkie Pie, bouncing above the crowd to look at the castle. " No balloons! No mishaps! And no fun!" She landed with a pout. " Which means, Twilights probably got her chaos powers under control now." she griped, kicking the dirt around grumpily. " We missed it! All the mishaps! All the goofyness! All the hijinks!" " Lookoutlookoutlookout!" squeaked a familiar voice. Suddenly, Spike came into view, fleeing down the road from the castle. On cue, all the looky-loos fled indoors. And, a few moments later, a wave of radish-headed servants stampeded from around a corner following after him. " Huh." said Pinkie Pie, blinking as her friends began to panic, fleeing with the Discord barrel. " Okay, I guess thats, you know, wacky." " Pinkie, move! We gotta get away from the falafel's!" shouted Spike, leaping onto her back. At that moment, it became obvious that the radish-ponies were fleeing from an endlessly replicating river of falafel, surging from the windows of the castle kitchens. " All right, all right, now we got a wacky cast and a fun setting, but it's still missing that something something." critiqued Pinkie Pie, trotting three steps to the side and avoiding being crushed. Spike sputtered, trying to spur her to flee for safety. " But whats the joke? Is it just randomness for the sake of randomness? Is Twilight trying to be wacky-" " Wait, Twilight?" Spike paused, looking at Pinkie in confusion. " Oh, no, this isn't her fault. Well, other than asking me to make her lunch. She's currently trying to explain to the gryphon ambassador that his beak can be re-attached." " Oh." said Pinkie, blinking. " Wait, so this isn't-" " No." " And we aren't?" " Uh-uh." " But we could easily be-" " Nope." " But-" " Yeah, just, um, no." Pinkie Pie pouted. Then, with a snort, a giggle, and a hop-skip, she launched herself into the self-perpetuating ocean of bean curd. It was good to be back. " And she was a one-shot character, you dweebs!" shouted Twilight, fuming as the gryphons stormed off. " What dost thou mean by that?" asked Luna, looking to the dracony in confusion. " I don't know. It seemed like something Pinkie would say." sighed Twilight. " Oh, well, guess we're done with the gryphons." " We are. Now, we believe today we were going to attempt to create a pit pit, correct?" inquired the Princess, a hint of childish glee entering her tone. " Luna, I'm sorry, but I have reports to file." sighed Twilight, trying to let the Princess down easy. She turned, as did the princess, and began to trot out of the great hall. She spotted a maid dusting a statue and clacked a hoof - the statue came alive, becoming a strong, romantic stallion with chistled muscles that would wisk her off to a life of adventure and intrigue which revolved around skeeball. " Oh, but must thou?" whined Luna, sounding rather childish. " You keep yourself too busy for a true master of chaos." " Look, I know I have duties with the whole 'so random!' thing, but I really need to - hold on." Now out of earshot of the maid and statuallion, she noticed that there was an elementary school class touring the hall of portraits. Click of a hoof and then the portraits behind the teacher began to make faces, stopping when ever she looked at them. " But anyways, I know I have duties, but I really need to help the Princess go over Equestria's finances-" " Finances." said Luna drolly. " What with the tax refund to the Apple family, the soaring costs of window replacement, the Grand Galloping Gala organizers expense accounts....the royal treasury is in a bit of trouble." " Aye." sighed Luna, hanging her head a little. " And even if I try to smooth it out, we're still in the red." continued Twilight, bemoaning the situation. " Canterlot is just so expensive to maintain, it's really just one huge..." With a smirk she clacked a hoof on the tile. A moment later Luna gave out a whoop as a trap door opened beneath her, dropping her into a pile of soft bonds and hard cash. " Money pit!" giggled Twilight, leaping in after Luna, who was sputtering on a mouthful of gold nickles. A moment later she was showered by a splash of stock certificates as Twilight made a serious depression with her cannonball. " Goodness, Twilight, you surprised me!" laughed Luna, watching as Twilight did the backstroke. " But, a marvelous show!" " And it solves our money problem! Now, Equestria is rich again!" giggled Twilight, leaping out and shaking off a downturn in the market. " Just, don't tell anyone where we got all this money - just say we 'haponzied' upon it!" She paused, waiting for Luna to laugh. She waited. " Ah, was that, perhaps, a pun?" asked Luna with a forced chuckle. " Yeah, I guess that was lame." sighed Twilight. " But hey, I'm getting better. Dang, it's better to end a chapter on a high note. Bah, well, I guess we're ending chapter nine with a radical restructuring of the accounts of Canterlot, so I guess the right people will get it." "...what?" asked Luna, again, now completely lost. Thankfully, a strong market was keeping her (and the monarchy) afloat. " Ah, well, this is the ninth chapter of the story. Chapter Nine of the Equestrian Bankruptcy Code allows for municipalities, such as the city of Canterlot, to restructure their debts. Basically, the money I just magicked up will allow us to avoid having to rewrite any collective bargaining agreements, other than the Apple families tax refund, while staying financially solvent." "..." " Should I summon some crickets to chirp awkwardly?" " Yes, that seemed a sound decision." POOF. True to form, the small insects that had appeared chirped. Awkwardly.

Your Best Shot

Many Longform Returns

ENDING ONE - ANTI-CLIMAX EDITION " ...and then I danced like I had never danced before!" concluded Rarity. " Wow." said Spike, looking up at her with glittering eyes. He, as always, was following the mare, hanging on every word. And by following, he was riding on the cart with her. And Rainbow Dash. And Fluttershy. And Pinkie. Applejack was making some rather rude remarks under her breath as she struggled to pull them up the last few stairs to Canterlot Castle. "....and...done." gasped the hard-working mare, collapsing in a panting heap. " We're done. It's over." " Really? We're done already?" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, leaping off of the cart and looking around in shock. " No! We just started this adventure! There are so many more side plots to explore! We never had a hotsprings episode! And we don't have enough episodes to reach syndication!" " The only episodes we have are the ones your sugar intake cause, dearie." chortled Rarity, hopping out of the cart. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy floated out, lining up with the other elements. " And then I sez, I sez - ohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh!" squeaed a familiar voice. A moment later Twilight Sparkle bounded out of the castles mailslot and dashed towards her friends, skidding to a halt in front of then. " Girls! You're back!" " We're back!" declared Pinkie Pie. " And safe!" cheered Twilight, rushing to hug each of them - except for Applejack, who she checked for a pulse. " And we have a barrel!" laughed Pinkie Pie. " Well, naturally." replied Twilight. " I'd be more concerned if you didn't." " I know - a bucket just doesn't have the same punch and a box sooooo overused." giggled Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash facehoofed as Fluttershy blinked in confusion. " I mean, yeah, if we strap on the commando leather, we could use the box, but we'd have to be in it." " And it'd really be out of place to start a crossover this late in the game - you'd have needed to build up, or at least have skipped the anime references so that the genre restructuring could be - " " Um, hey." muttered Applejack weakly, standing up on shaky hooves. " Ah know ya'll got a ton of crazy talking to do, but we've got something to deal with." " Oh, don't worry - Discords sealed evil in a can." said Twilight, trotting over and giving the barrel a kick. A groan came from inside. " And it's the last chapter. Stuff like that only gets opened during the rising action part of a story." " Yeah, and we are so climactic right now it hurts." said Pinkie Pie, nodding her head. " Which, I must say, is a sentence I haven't had to utter in almost a ten minutes, so you know I'm being serious." "...when have you said that in the last fifteen minutes?" asked Twilight, looking to her in confusion. " Skee ball tourney against this cute couple." replied Pinkie. " Ladies! We have a bad guy, in a bucket!" shouted Rainbow Dash, rising above the group. " Can we get it teleported to the moon or something?" " Hmm...no, Discords more of a 'sealed in a temple devoted to his evil' type of guy." said Twilight, giving the barrel another tap. " Hey, do you want the module written by Monte Cook or Gary Gygax." " gYgaX, plZ." came the mushy reply. " hE WearS the shiRTS of tHE HAwaiiAns." " Wow, you guys must have pulled a number on him if he's Torgo-talking." muttered Twilight. She hopped onto the barrel, then leaped again and bounced off it like a trampoline. Once, twice, thrice, and it was gone. " Welp, he's dealt with!" " B-but your still a monster!" said Spike in alarm. " Well, yeah." said Twilight with a shrug. " I need to get Rainbow Dash that poster I promised her." "...thats...your reason..." Spike looked shocked. " Dude, alright!" laughed Rainbow Dash. " I'd almost forgot! That's really soon!" " So...um..." said Fluttershy, stepping forward, then retrating back. After a moment, she continued talking. " I, um, just need to check. Are we done with, um, Discord?" " Yep." said Twilight, nodding. "...so, this is, um, it?" she asked again. " Yep." said Twilight, continuing to nod. "...oh. I thought there'd be, um, more." " No, this is the anti-climactic ending." " Oh." "..." "...so, um, who wants to help me count out Applejacks tax return?" HOLLYWOOD ACTION PACKED ENDING COMING TO FIMFICTION SOON! STARRING: PONIES THIS FIC HAS NOT YET BEEN RATED. OR WRITED.

The Gamer

pre

A few minutes later, the doors opened and a plethora of vegetarian foods came in along with a simple cheeseburger. They looked at the lone meat product with a scowl before the waitress looked around for me. I could tell he was a different waitress was new because she was obviously female and the pony whom took my order was male. She looked around and saw that all of us had vegetarian meals before looking at me who wasn't looking at it disgust. "Umm... E-Excuse me sir. Who ordered this?" She asked with a little stutter at the beginning while held the plate out before me. I gave a kind smile to reassure her that I wasn't anything harm to her. "I will tell you if you let me know your name. I would love to know the kind waitress's name." I said before she blushed from my kind words as she stuttered out her response. "F-feather Duster, sir. I was just transferred from the cleaning staff to a waitress." I smiled before taking the plate from her which caused her eyes to widen. "To answer your question, I did. My original species need it for the protein it give us." I put the plate down and began on my salad with the up most grace. I may have never been to Cotillion, but I still had some damn good manners because my parents drilled it into my skull. "Your a carnivore?!" Cadence yelled in both fear and amazement while I looked at her with a deadpan expression. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose while shaking my head in disappointment before explaining myself. "First, no. Second, I'm omnivores; meaning that I can eat fruits, vegetables, and meat. Lastly, I need meat do to my species needing the protein we cannot get from plants, but this is more of a test to see if I can still eat meat... after I'm done with my salad." I sat silently as I caught some of them giving me quick glance from the corner of my eye as I ate my food in silence. Eventually, I got to the cheeseburger and I took the first bite and my tastebuds were immediately assaulted with the sweet, succulent flavor of meat. My eyes shot open from the pure flavor that washed over my tongue from the shock of tasting something so good that it rivals the Varsity in Georgia. Without warning, I devoured the burger without caring who saw the almost ravenous eating. "That was the best burger I've ever had." I sat back and drank the tea that was placed before me by the same waitress as before. "I'm surprised that you could stomach such a dish since your a pony now." Celestia said while enjoying a slice of cake brought in from the royal dessert pantry or where ever it's from. "I've found that my two bodies haven't disappeared or alter themselves to fit this new world, but they actually merged into one." This amazed Celestia since she has seen my actual body up close before anyone else at this table. For the first time in a long while, I actually adjusted my glasses to keep them from falling off my face and onto the ground. "Apparently, I have developed traits that allowed my species to survive for so long. These include my teeth that allow me to eat a variety of different foods so I could survive in any environment. My vision seems a little better, but not much so I'm suspecting that my eye sight is better; if just slightly. Thirdly, I could tell that the food was coming faster than anyone else making me think that my sense of smell has been heightened. I cannot say anything for my hearing because I practically destroyed it with the sound of rifle fire and the roar of an F-35C jet. Not to mention the drag races I went to for years." "How can cross dressing stallions be fun to watch in a race?" One of the changelings asked as I looked to her with a quirked eyebrow. Internally, I was trying so hard not to laugh that that is actually a thing here. "Before I answer that, may I please have your name." She nodded and stood in a prideful way as she put a hand to her chest while sticking it out in a show of cockiness. "I am Princess Chrysalis, next in line for the Jade hive." I nodded as she sat down with a prideful smile making it hard to mess with her and knock her down a peg or two. Mostly because it was completely adorable and hard to counter without feeling some guilt on my end. "A pleasure to meet you Chrysalis. To answer your question, I don't suppose that you have anything that doesn't need to be pulled by anyone else such as a care or motorcycle." I'm not counting a train because that would give off the wrong idea. I just hoped that no one would try and guess that. "Like a train?" Cadence began immediately after the thought ended making me punch my plate to the center of the table and slams my head into it with such force that the entire table shook. "No, that would be inaccurate. Anyways, we would use the vehicles called cars and motorcycles to race against one another with each vehicle being specifically modified for that soul purpose, but it can still be used on the road. Because of these modified engines being made to travel past one hundred miles per hour, they are really loud and the bleachers aren't that far away from the cars when they are racing. This is not counting the multiple times I would be about a yard away from one or two of these loud engines because my step dad keep, and works, on them to race them." "It couldn't have been that loud." I gave her the 'you wanna bet' look. The one you give when you know your right and want to be an ass about it. "If someone was pushing the gas, we would have to yell to barely hear one another." She looked away in embarrassment The Queen coughed into her hand while trying to change the subject away from my old home. How do I know? Fucking telepathy through the damn Queens in the room. It startled the hell out of me, but my reaction was a barely noticeable widening of my eyes. "I heard that you have met my nieces Cadence and Bella." I knew Cadence for the same reason I knew Celestia, but Bella was new to me and she seemingly looked like a normal unicorn. Damn, and I felt like the outcast because I was the only male at the table, but she was the only unicorn at the table. "Bella?" I asked letting them know that this was a vast difference than what I've seen. "Her full name and title is Princess Blue Bella, the kinder of the two twins." I sighed hoping that Blueblood wasn't here for an extended amount of time. "Let me guess the other twin's name. Blueblood." They nodded their head as I saw that at least there was at least something I was familiar with. "Yes, I act the same way in public to scare off any suitors that wish to court me only four my money." I shrugged knowing that you can give and take in this world. It's harsh, but it's life. "Sometimes I slip into it because of how many times I use it daily." I hummed in thought about why that was until I thought of a perfectly valid statement. "Maybe it's the asshole genes in your DNA. I know Blueblood and everyone in the fandom wants to fuckin' murder the basturd for reasons that might occur in the next Grand Galloping Gala. It depends when the hundredth Summer Sun Celebration is and what will happen. I know what will happen in the future, but I'm not sure if it has changed do to my arrival or my inevitable intervention." "With that, you could tell us what is going to happen and how to prevent it." Another changeling said while I gave a sheepish smile before I asked the question that sealed my fate. "Where if Twilight Sparkle?" Solis looked at me quizzically from my question as she answered my question. "She is my personal student and I'm preparing to send her to Ponyville to save Luna, but you say that you want to save both of them. "The show follows her as its main protagonist. I will not disclose anything other than that, but I wish to accompany her to the town to save the Lunar princesses." She looked at me with a glare that was meant to deter me from following my corse of actions. I stared back at her with a blank expression without showing a single emotion or even twitch. "Glaring at me won't work. I honestly don't care about your opinion Solis, or if you want Nightmare Moon to pay for her crimes. I'll be damned if you pull that shit because I'm going either way; even if I have to walk all the way there." "Are you sure this corse if action is for the better or if it's better to leave it as it is?" She realized that it was futile to try and intimidate me with such a weak glare. "I do not know, but if it works out; I'll have a pranking buddy that can help me prank dreams and scare the hell out of others in there dreams." I thought for a moment before a wicked smile spread across my face. "I could give her some great ideas." "And how is that?" Solis was surprised to see my mischievous side coming out as I had damn good ideas. "I have frequent nightmares so I got use to them. It would be interesting to see how a pony handles it." Silence filled the room with what I said as they slowly shook their heads. "You need help." Cadence said before I hit her on the head lightly, but she still cradled it like it had much more force. "That was too hard." She whined as I realized I put to much force into it. I should've apologized, but I saw an opening and I took it. "I could give you something harder later." Confusion was all I could see as I went back to my seat before their minds finally came to the same conclusion. Solis, Celestial and a few of the changelings laughed while the rest just looked at me slack jawed at my response except for Cadence as she gave me a sensual look that caused nervousness to shoot through my body. "No! There's two of them!" A guard said as he ran out, but was instantly replaced by another guard who looked like they were trying to hold in their laughter. Solis stopped abruptly as she looked at me for a moment before she smiled mischievously. "Oh, are we not to your liking?" I blushed as she gave me the same look Cadence gave as their looks made me blush and feel self conscious about myself. It was one quality I didn't like about myself. "Aww~, did we get you all flustered?" I pouted in response and turned away from them while puffing our my cheeks in response. However, much to my luck, all the attention went to the door suddenly opening without the use of magic. The doors opened as someone else walked in this time without a guard escort, making me envious with how she memorized the layout. I didn't bother asking how long it took her to memorize it because a voice in the back of my head told me not to in order to maintain my pride... or what little I have left. The mare had a dark purple fur color, was about five foot three with a deep blue mane and here eyes matching the same color. She had a weird undershirt I've never seen before with a black vest like cloth to cover her chest and privates because the almost transparent undershirt wasn't long enough. How did I know this? The best like clothing were cut on the side and halfway up her hips that showed her Cutie Mark completely. Those two cuts on both sides of the clothing made it blatantly obvious that she cared more for functionality than how it looks. Around her neck and tied in her mane were a long white scarf and a long white ribbon. She had a purple cloth wrapped around her waist that held a tanto on her side. Black socks went halfway up her thighs and her shoes kept her a little elevated off the ground while remaining with the traditional Japanese theme. I smiled and got up to greet her without any sign of open hostility to prevent her from reacting badly. I gave a light bow to show some respect, but mostly because I sometimes did a light bow when greeting others, before I held out my hand for a handshake to greet her properly. "Hello, I am Iron Melody, first human turned pony." I said before I gave off a bad vibe to her from my cynicism that was almost always present. Actually now that I was closer, I notice that see had scales of the same color on her body and that her tail was much more different than the normal ponytails. Is... is she a kirin. I thought about it for a while since she didn't have a horn and from the fan art and from what I heard in the fandom. She smiled kindly at me before taking my hand and giving it a good shake before greeting herself. "Happy to meet you Iron Melody. I am Arashi no Ikari. But you can call me Arashi." I smiled wider while releasing her hand... only for another screen to appear and scare the crap out of both of us. "T-that was... unexpected." I nodded while attempting to calm my pounding heart. I looked at the screen for a moment before I reread it. CONGRATULATIONS YOU FOUND YOUR FIRST MENTOR! Neighpan weapons now have a greater chance of dealing critical damage. Continue training with them to maximize your weapon damage with any Neighpan weapons. [Okay] I shook my head from what I saw and looked at it in amazement before before clicking okay and trying to continue our talk. I was cut off by another screen appearing before me and it was pissing me off even more than I was before I looked at it in interest. TRAINING WEAPONS ACQUIRED You have unlocked the use of training weapons. Due to the Alicorn class's restrictions, the weapons can be used no matter any restriction except for class requirement. You have earned: [Training Katana] [Training Nodachi] [Training Tanto] [Training Kanabo] [Training Naginata] The more you train with the weapons, the more damage you will do in that certain weapon class tree. Click [Okay] to close window. [Okay] I sighed from my new weapons appearing in my inventory before I crouched down to relieve myself from the mild annoyance that it this now life that works like a game. I stood back up and pulled my inventory out of nowhere before looking at all the weapon classes there are, but I stuck with the katana so I could learn that before anything else. The katana would work more like a normal sword which I honestly prefer other anything else. My annoyance grew greater as another screen appears before me with another tutorial. Tutorial: How To Summon A Weapon To summon a weapon, put your dominate hand in front of out and then grasp the air for the item to appear in your hand. This works with healing items, weapons, armor, and consumables. [Okay] I pressed okay once again before selecting the Training Katana and clicking equip to use it as I got some distance before doing as the screen said to summon the weapon. I closed my hand slowly because of my growing nervousness that came with the suspension that this was all a prank on of the guards put on me. When my hand was completely closed, a bright blue light appeared within my hand as it tried to escape from its prison as what I assumed was magic gathering in the palm of my hand. This freaked me out and I dropped it causing the magic to blind me and everyone else. Eventually, the light was gone as I opened my eyes to find the sword right where the light was when I dropped whatever it was. I picked it up and willed a screen to appear before me to check the stats of this wooden sword. My eye twitched when I found that the sword did twenty damage, but also consumed all the other training weapons to give it 'Zero Damage Deflection' perk that denied all damage if attack is deflected. Because of this, it dropped from a two hundred damage weapon to it low damage output of twenty. "Well... I got something to defend myself with." I said looking at the over glorified stick. Yes, a stick because it does blunt damage and not slash damage so I'm calling it a stick. "Ignoring all of that," Solis began as she turned to Arashi with a smile as she gestured to me with one of her hands as Arashi looked at me then to her, "please take this stallion on as your student. He can not defend himself due to little to no training and no combat experience." 'Because I'm a high school student love. That shit would get you suspended or worse... expelled. "I believe that he would make a great student for you and your clan." "I'll be the judge of that." She said while looking back at me while the rest of the occupants of the room were still in stunned silence. "So, do you want to be my student or not?" I looked at her for a moment before I gave her my answer. "I guess..." I trailed off as she glared at me, but this one actually caused me to back down a little, probably because my anxiety from being watched was kicking in. "That didn't answer my question." I looked at her for a moment as she got into my face to the point where we were almost nose to nose which made me blush furiously. I wanted to back away to gain some distance between us; however, it felt like I was glued to the floor and something was getting more blood than my legs. With sheer willpower, I forced my member to stay down to not embarrass myself in front of everyone in the room because I would never get over it, and I don't want anyone to say I'm a pervert. "Well... What's your answer?!" She yelled which caused me to finally release my feet from their momentary prison as I fell to the floor and thought about what I would do. The pros and the cons were vast, but they could work either way depending on your standing on the subject. I gained a thoughtful look at I entered my own little world to think of it before I exited to ask a simple question. "What will I train as?" I asked while trying to figure out what she was exactly to guess correctly. I wanted to get the specifics before I start to weigh the pros and cons. She looked at me like I was crazy before answering with the tone of voice that made her sound condescending for a moment. "A shinobi, or as every other race calls them: a ninja." With the way she said the word 'ninja' she much didn't like that term for describing her job choice. Pros of being a Shinobi: good sense of direction and stealth training to boot. Hard to find if I'm ever wrongfully accused and found guilty. The history of the Shinobi would be interesting to learn about, but that's me being a history nut than anything else. I get to learn how to use a sword (I'm gonna count that as two, because that would be fucking awesome to learn), I could use the train sword I already have to train, and I won't be mooching off of the crown without being royalty. Cons of being a Shinobi: I will be in constant danger all the time. I would most likely not win in an up front fight and would need extensive training to even stand a chance. I would get the shit beaten out of me when training and I'm not much a fighter. "Sure, why the hell not. Not like I have much of a life anyways." I said throwing my arm in the air without care. I didn't care what happened as long as I wasn't completely useless when fighting. I would literally die from a feather. "I'll die in an upfront fight. I'll play dirty." I'm gonna regret this aren't I.

Life in the fast clouds

pre

Rarity smiled at Silver, sitting closer next to him. "You really have to be the smartest stallion I have ever met." She said laying her head on his chest. She closed her eyes smile still on her face. Silver looked down at Rarity, "You have to be just about the prettiest, most generous mare I have met." He said kissing her forehead. Soon the house was silent, and everypony was back to sleep. AN: Hope you liked this chapter, and sorry if this made you sad... Once again, thank you to everybody and I wouldn't be here without you all! Expect another chapter Sunday or Monday!

Life in the fast clouds

Healing

Scootaloo got up out of the hospital bed and walked towards the bathroom. She had been getting better of the past two weeks. She turned on the faucet and splashed some water in her face. One thing was still bugging her, her parents. Scootaloo had never had a good household situation, her mother was abusive and her father was an alcoholic. When her mother wasn't hitting her, her father was yelling at her. Even terrible parents should worry about their children, but had her parents checked up on her once? No. When she had told them she was going to Canterlot the first thing her father had said was "I'm not paying.", could they really be that insensitive? Yet Scootaloo had gotten used to it, hiding her parents. Miss Cheerilee would ask about bruises, the reply was always a flying accident. And even though it wasn't official Rainbow Dash had basically adopted Scootaloo. Six out of seven days Scootaloo was staying at Rainbow's house, the guest room was now her room, filled with pictures of her and Rainbow or Wonderbolt posters. It was an odd life, but it was her life. Scootaloo was starting to get used to it. She had stood up to her mother once, only to be locked outside the house in the cold. It wasn't fair, everypony else had nice parents, how come she didn't? Both her friends had parents, even if they didn't live in the same town. They got letters saying about how much their parents loved them and missed them, even Rainbow had parents who visited every so often. Scootaloo dried her face and walked back to bed, picking up a Daring Do novel. At least the hospital had books. Scootaloo stared at some flowers on her bedside table from the elements of harmony, each of them had written a note to her. Scootaloo thought about the flowers. They bloomed perfectly, they weren't fast or slow they were perfect. "If only I could be like that." She thought. She picked up the flowers sniffing them, they even smelled perfect. Scootaloo picked up one single flower, and tore off a petal letting it fall gracefully. The falling petal reminded her of the race. Scootaloo's breath quickened thinking about it. She threw the flowers across the room eyes wide. Her breath had increased rapidly and now she was panting. A small whimper came from her mouth, she began to wail. Tears rolled down her face, and she thrashed around on her bed screaming. The nurse rushed in nearly breaking the door, her eyes focused on the screaming filly. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it happened to some when they would go through such a bad accident. It twisted the world, bending it, making it scarier than it already was. Scootaloo screamed as the walls around became clouds, the floor turned into a high altitude and all below was trees. The nurse called for a doctor, by now the whole hospital had been alerted of the episode. The doctor rushed in with a needle filling it with sleeping serum, he tried to get it into the filly. Scootaloo screamed as the needle neared close, "GET IT AWAY!" She cried squirming as the doctor tried to inject her. Thunder sounded making Scootaloo shudder. "STOP THE NOISE, STOP THE THUNDER!" She sobbed, as she jumped off the bed only to fall into the trees. The doctor looked at the filly writhing in pain on the floor, "Shhhh shhhh shhhh," he said getting the nurse to keep her still, "Its all gonna go away." The doctor shoved the needle into Scootaloo's arm and injected it into her. Scootaloo cried as the needle went into her skin. Then all became black. "Dash!" Soarin' called from the phone, "Its Scootaloo she's had an episode." Rainbow Dash got up and rushed towards the phone, she was in the Wonderbolt HQ and Spitfire was talking to her about practice times. "Yes?" Rainbow Dash asked panic in her voice, "This is Rainbow Dash." "Ok," The doctor said on the other end, "Miss Scootaloo seems to have PTSD or in other words Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It happens when somepony goes through a bad accident, we need you over here right now." "Ok, I'll be there soon." Dash said hanging up the phone. She turned to Spitfire, "Look I hav-" "Say no more," Spitfire interrupted, "it's fine, just go." Dash rushed out of the building and to the hospital. Why did this have to happen to the innocent Scootaloo? It wasn't fair, nothing in this world was fair, people were out falling in love, happy and nice, while Scootaloo was stuck in a hospital dreaming of the day she nearly died. Rainbow walked into the hospital and ran to Scootaloo's room, the room she knew by heart. Rainbow was not ready for what greeted her. Scootaloo laid on the hospital bed, strapped to it while hooked up to machines. "I'm sorry about having to bind her," The doctor said, "we needed to keep her down unless she woke up and this happened again." Dash walked over to where Scootaloo laid, "It's ok squirt," She said tears rolling down her face, "I'm here now." "Miss Dash," The doctor said, "It seems her condition is worse than we thought, she has healed well, but her mental state is terrible, its hurting her. She's reliving the day she got hurt, and every time she does it gets worse. We need a way to get her mind off of it, I think her getting out of the hospital would be beneficial." "Out of the hospital?" Dash echoed back, "That could work, she hasn't seen anypony in a while, it may be getting to her." "I will leave you to think about it, but I highly suggest you pick a place not filled with bad memories of the incident." The doctor replied walking out of the room. "I said I'd always be there for you squirt." Dash said, "And I will." Buckshot woke up yawning, he looked to his side to see Applejack still snuggled up against him. "Applejack," he said gently shaking her, "wake up honey." "Mehhhhhhhh." Applejack answered throwing the covers over her head, "five more minutessss." "Applejack, its two in the afternoon, Ah think it's time." Buckshot said still trying to wake her. "Ah don't wannnnnna!" Applejack said moving in closer to Buckshot, closing her eyes tighter. "How about if ya get up Ah'll show you all the beauty in Canterlot." Buckshot reasoned, "We could go with Silver an' Rarity." Applejack threw the covers off her head, "Going with Rar and Silver? Like a double date?" "Ah suppose if ya wanna get technical..." Buckshot trailed off. "Only if ya give me back mah hat, you're still wearin' it from last night." Applejack said. "Fine, here's your hat, now get up." Buckshot said smiling, giving her back the hat. "Ya'll better be prepared when Ah come back from the bathroom." Applejack said pointing at Buckshot. "Of course Ah will." Buckshot said getting back under the covers. AN: Ok Im sorry about this chapter, I feel bad doing that to Scootaloo.... But thank you all for reading!

Life in the fast clouds

Old friend

Buckshot, Silver, Applejack, and Rarity walked around Canterlot taking in all the sites. It was all so pretty, the scenery, the nature. They all walked towards a dirt path, which lead to a hill. "Y'all ready for a little climbing?" Buckshot asked. "Ah'm always ready, Ah bet Ah can beat ya to the top." Applejack replied. "Ok then, what's the prize for the winner?" Buckshot questioned. "Ya'll will just have to find out." Applejack said nuzzling him before taking off up the path. "HEY YA DIDN'T SAY GO!" Buckshot laughed chasing after her. Silver looked over at Rarity as they both walked towards the top where Buckshot had won. "Ya cheated." Applejack said panting. "Did not, anyways y'all get a prize now." Buckshot replied smiling. "What's the priz-" Applejack asked only to stopped by a kiss. "That's the prize." Buckshot said smiling. Silver and Rarity walked up the hill together, both content with their pace, both happy by being with each other. They neared the top and walked up to see Buckshot and Applejack kissing. Silver gave a quick cough, and they broke apart. "Anyways," Rarity said, "what are we up her for? Its almost dusk." "That." Silver said pointing to a dark figure flying into the sky. "Is that?" Applejack began. "Luna?" Rarity finished. "Yes it is." Silver said smiling. "She raises the moon." Silver and Buckshot didn't say about how the princesses had told them to bring their dates here. To show them the moon raising. Buckshot also didn't say about how the princess had asked he if was going to raise cider later, after saying this Luna, Celestia, and Silver laughed while buckshot blushed looking down at his hooves. "How did you find this place?" Rarity asked in awe from seeing the princess. "We were on our royal duties and we saw this path and decided to climb it, it just so happened to be dusk so we saw Luna raising the moon." Silver said hoping they didn't question his lie. "Its so beautiful." Rarity said, her eyes shining. "Ya." Applejack said. "Well hmm, the night is still young, we could go out somewhere..." Silver trailed off. "Well where did you have in mind?" Rarity asked Silver smiling, it was a plan they had made before hoof, they both wanted to go out drinking. it would only take a little convincing, well probably not that much considering Buckshot and Applejack were up for anything. "I was thinking Prim and Proper, but if you guys don't want to I mean that's fine." Silver answered. Buckshot and Applejack looked at each other, both wanted to go, but they hoped they wouldn't end up like last time. The two couples neared the club. Both were excited to come, Rarity had never exactly been to a club, always caught up in making dresses. While Applejack had gone to nearly ever club and bar in Ponyville. "After you." Silver said opening the door for everypony. "Why thank you my gentlecolt." Rarity said giving him a peck on the cheek. Silver blushed, he was so glad he had a dark coat. As all three walked in a pony called out to them. "Hey look who's back!" Vinyl laughed as she ran over, "Its hot mare and Buckshot!" "Hot mare?" Rarity asked giggling. As Applejack glared at Rarity who was laughing, Octavia walked over. Rarity stopped laughing as the mare walked over, "A-are you Octavia?!" Rarity asked. "Hello, yes I am Octavia, nice to meet you." Octavia greeted shaking Rarity's hoof. "I absolutely love your work! You are amazing on the cello!" Rarity said. "Its always nice to meet a fan." Octavia said smiling. While Rarity and Octavia talked, Vinyl began talking to Applejack. "So," Vinyl said, "how are you at dancing?" "Ah have two left hooves, not good." Applejack laughed. "Would a few ciders clear that up?" Vinyl asked. "They might, would they clear ya up Buckshot?" Applejack smiled. "Oh, Ah think they will." Buckshot said grinning. As the three walked over to the bar, Rarity and Octavia's conversation finished up. "Well it was so nice meeting you Miss Rarity, we simply must do something together again." Octavia said. "Oh yes, I would love to!" Rarity smiled. As Octavia walked back to the stage, Silver looked over at Rarity. "So what would you like to do, we could get a cider, dance, talk...." Silver asked. "How about we," Rarity said nuzzling Silver's neck, "dance. But I must warn you, I'm not very good at it." "That's alright," Silver replied taking her hoof and leading her to the dance floor, "it isn't hard." Silver began to show Rarity the basics, moving your hooves back and forth, add a twirl, nothing too hard. "So you mean like this?" Rarity asked doing a small shuffle as her legs shook a bit. "Perfect!" Silver said steadying Rarity. The two danced together as Applejack, Vinyl, and Buckshot were at the bar. Applejack was on her fourth cider already, as much as she didn't want to get drunk again, she couldn't exactly help it. On her tenth cider she stopped as she began to wobble. Buckshot laughed as she wobbled having already consumed eleven. Applejack steadied herself and walked over to Buckshot laughing. "We should go see Rar and Silver." She giggled. "See ya later Vinyl!" Buckshot yelled to the passed out mare. "Hayyyy Celestia!" Buckshot yelled. The couples had left the club and were now in the castle. While Rarity and Silver were back at the house, Applejack and Buckshot were running around the castle laughing and playing. They had now approached the throne room where Celestia and Luna sat laughing and talking. "Oh god," Celestia said pointing at Buckshot, "Its the cider queen." Luna laughed pointing at Applejack, "It seems that she has brought a royal subject with her." "Hey Celestia hey Lunaaaaaaa!" Applejack giggled, "Ah really like your manes!." Applejack walked up to Luna staring at her mane, "So.... Wavy." She said entranced. Applejack put out a hoof to touch it and giggled as it waved. Luna laughed along with Celestia at the farmer pony touching her mane. Luna made her mane move and tapped Applejack on the shoulder with it. "It moves! Can Ah keep it?" Applejack said in awe, before running back to Buckshot, jumping around. Buckshot laughed before falling over passed out along with Applejack. "Well I suppose we should take them back to Silver's house." Luna said wiping tears from her eyes from laughing. Both the princesses levitated the two earth ponies and carried them back to the house. Meanwhile Rarity and Silver were laughing running around the house trying to catch each other. Just then a knock came from the door stopping them. "Who could that be?" Silver said sarcastically thinking about Buckshot and AJ. The door opened to reveal the two princesses, "Hello Silver, we believe that you seemed to have misplaced you friend." Celestia said as she showed a sleeping Buckshot. "Let me guess," Silver laughed, "Cider queen?" "Yep." Luna answered. AN: Thanks for reading, I really like writing drunk Applejack and Buckshot! They are so much fun!

Life in the fast clouds

The wind beneath us

Scootaloo stayed close to Rainbow Dash as they walked out of the hospital. She was still scared, and why shouldn't she be? Did anypony even care about her anymore? She wouldn't be surprised if they didn't, this trip was supposed to be fun, she had ruined it. Rainbow Dash stared down at the shaking filly. "Dear Celestia." She thought, "this kid, is tougher than anypony I could have imagined." Rainbow Dash looked back up. Scootaloo had been through way too much, the kid had been broken. The pieces began to fit in for Rainbow, the kid was scared, the kid was beyond that. The world had turned dark for her, her eyes had clouded over. The world was bleak, scary, it was a death wish for the young filly. "Ok squirt," Rainbow Dash gulped, "we are going to go somewhere fun." Scootaloo's lip trembled, should she trust her? What was the definition of fun anymore? Was it out playing? Or staying inside making sure you didn't get hurt? Scootaloo stood still, she could trust Rainbow Dash, she was like her mother, she would protect her. Make sure she stayed safe. Scootaloo nodded slowly and put on a fake smile. "Ok I was thinking, maybe we could go get some lunch first." Rainbow Dash said pointing to a cafe. They both walked into the cafe and sat down at a table for two. Soon the waiter came over. "What would you both like?" The waiter asked. "Uhm, a dandelion sandwich." Rainbow Dash said. "Same." Scootaloo said. Soon the waiter left and the two ponies were left to talk. "So," Rainbow Dash said, "are you feeling any better?" "My wing and ribs healed, I think my leg is fixed too." Scootaloo replied. "Ok that's good, do you think you would be flying anytime soon? Or is it still too much?" Rainbow Dash asked hoping she hadn't brought up too heavy of a topic. Scootaloo thought about it. She knew she could fly if she wanted to, she had done great up until... Something clicked inside Scootaloo, it wasn't her fault, it wasn't anyponies fault. The cloud had been defective, that's what the doctor had said. She just had to come to terms with it. "Dash," Scootaloo asked, "can we go flying today? I really wanna see the Wonderbolt HQ." Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, "A-are you sure?" "Yeah I'm sure, I know I can do it." Scootaloo replied. They both ate and went to the castle courtyard, where they had flown before. Rainbow stretched her wings and took into the air hovering above Scootaloo. Scootaloo smiled up at Dash and flew into the air, flying up beside Rainbow Dash. "Wow!" Rainbow Dash said, "Good job squirt." "We haven't started flying yet, we're only hovering." Scootaloo said. "Heheheh." Rainbow Dash said as Scootaloo flew up the path. Scootaloo flew faster, she didn't care if she got hurt, she wanted to get rid of this stupid fear. She knew she could but she was still scared, what if the cloud defected again? What if, what if, what if, life wasn't about what ifs, life is doing, life is being strong even if you don't want to be, there is somepony who loves you out there and cares for you. Scootaloo wasn't going to waste that. She flew up seeing the place where she had fallen, the cloud was gone, the trees below had a small chunk missing from them where she had hit. "There," Rainbow Dash said distracting Scootaloo, "there's HQ." Scootaloo looked up and flew to see the HQ, it was a large cloud in the shape of a dome with the Wonderbolt logo on top. Scootaloo flew faster too it and landed quickly on the clouds. "Great job squirt!" Rainbow Dash said smiling. "Thanks." Scootaloo said walking into the Headquarters with Dash. Scootaloo looked all around before a white pegasus with a yellow mane popped in front of her." "Hiya! Im Surprise! Who are you?" Surprise said excitedly. "I'm uhm, Scootaloo." Scootaloo replied. "Well Scootaloo, are you friends with Rainbow Dash?" Surprise asked gesturing towards the Rainbow pegasus. "Uhm well shes-" Scootaloo started unable to explain their relationship. "I'm her adoptive mother." Rainbow dash said. "W-what?" Scootaloo asked. "Adoptive mother squirt, it isn't official but, damn, it might as well be." Rainbow said before realizing she had swore and threw her hooves over her mouth. Scootaloo giggled as she walked over to Rainbow. This day was going great, the hospital was done, she wasn't going back! "Hey Scoots c'mere." Rainbow Dash said pulling Scootaloo, "I want you to meet somepony." "Who?" Scootaloo said. "Me." A pegasus answered. Scootaloo looked around trying to find where the voice had come from, she looked up only to see a Wonderbolt flying around in the air. "S-Soarin'." Scootaloo gasped. Soarin' was Scootaloo's idol right alongside Rainbow Dash, he had done nearly every trick in the book, he was captain of the stallions of the Wonderbolts, and he liked pie. Was there anything wrong with him? "A little birdie told me somepony liked me." Soarin' said motioning towards Rainbow Dash. Who just whistled (or tried to) nonchalantly. "Y-you're Soarin'." Scootaloo said still in awe. "The one and only, why don't you meet the rest of the team." He said. Soarin' began to point to the Wonderbolt as he named them, "That's Blaze, Fire Streak, Fleetfoot, High Winds, Lightning Streak, Misty, Rapidfire, Silver Lining, Surprise, and Wave Chill. And of course there's Spitfire." "Hey you missed one." Rainbow Dash said. "Hmmm nah, I think I got everypony." Soarin' said laughing. "What about your new addition?" Rainbow Dash said. "Oh her, she's not important." He said still laughing. "Not important?" Rainbow Dash questioned, "Why don't you say that to her face?" Soarin' walked up to Rainbow Dash smiling, "Not important." "Well buddy, this not important mare isn't going to be seen with Soarin' tonight." Rainbow Dash said moving her hips side to side to mock him. "You'll come back, I still have your Wonderbolt suit." Soarin' said. "Shhhh! Not in front of the kid!" Dash hissed. But Scootaloo was too excited to notice, a a purple lightning bolt with two wings on either side was on her flank, her cutie mark. It may have been a little late, but it was there. "I DID IT!" Scootaloo screamed. AN: Hoped you liked the chapter! Almost 400 views! > Epilogue "Do I look ok?" Rainbow Dash aked turning around in her gown. "Mom," Scootaloo said, "you look great don't worry." "Easy for you to say! You have the perfect figure!" Dash laughed. "It's not perfect, it just suits me well." Scootaloo smiled. Here they were three years later, Rainbow Dash's wedding day, the lucky groom? Soarin'. "Hey y'all, oh Rainbow ya look great!" Applejack said as she walked in, "Gosh darnit she's a kicker." "Oooh!" Scootaloo smiled, "I wanna feel!" As Applejack sat down Scootaloo put her hoof on the expecting mare's stomach trying to feel the kick of the filly inside. "How far along is she now?" Rainbow Dash asked as she zipped up the back of her dress. "Eight months, she's comin' soon. We're naming her Appleseed, its tradition to name foals somethin' apple related." Applejack smiled proudly, her husband, Buckshot, had been so excited when he found out she was pregnant. Rarity yawned as she walked in holding a small colt in her hands, "Little Flash Wind has been keeping me up all night, he never wants to sleep." The little unicorn giggled in her arms as it chewed on the blanket it was wrapped in. He had the same markings as Silver Wind, a very light brown coat with darker markings and blue eyes just like Rarity's. His mane was a dark purple almost black with a small tint and it was styled between looking like both of his parents. "Well how are Sweetie and Spike doing together?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Oh just great, they've been together lets see, hmm maybe two months." Rarity replied, gently swaying back and forth trying to get Flash to sleep. "Oh well, the wedding is starting soon, bye mom, I'll be out there with Rumble." Scootaloo said walking out of the room. "My my, Scootaloo is becoming quite the lady." Rarity smiled, "I remember when she was trying to climb trees for her cutie mark." Rainbow Dash smiled, about a month after they had gotten home from Canterlot, Rainbow had adopted Scootaloo. It was inevitable considering the fact her father was put in jail and her mother had run off with a new stallion to Celestia knows where. Scootaloo had taken to calling Dash mom and had Soarin' as a fatherly figure. "Ya, Ah can't believe Apple Bloom can buck her own trees now, it's just amazin'." Applejack said smiling. The three mares, well three and one and a half walked out of the room and towards the room of which the wedding was being held. They were in Canterlot for the wedding, all of Rainbow's friends were there. Pinkie and Surprise were both together seated in the front row, those two were just about the perfect couple. Fluttershy sat with a stallion named Green Growth, a gardener she had met in the royal Canterlot gradens. Twilight sat resting her head on her coltfriend Comet Trail's shoulder. Applejack walked over to Buckshot as they both sat. Rarity smiled as Flash finally fell asleep, Silver walked over nuzzling her. Scootaloo sat with Rumble laughing at another joke he had made, he planted a small kiss on her as they both turned their attention to the music starting to signify the starting of the wedding. Soarin' stood smiling proudly at the front of the aisle while he waited for his fiance to appear. There was not a word for how long he had waited for this moment. From seeing her at the gala and the royal wedding, he knew she was the one, his special somepony. As the music started everypony turned their attention to the doors that had just opened to reveal Rainbow Dash and her father. Rainbow Dash was wearing a beautiful dress made by Rarity, it was a nice white dress with gold lining and a small veil. As the two walked down the aisle Rarity wiped her eyes smiling and Applejack smiled closed her eyes and laid her head on Buckshot's shoulder. Soon Celestia was speaking. "Dearly beloved we are gathered her today..." Celestia spoke "Soarin' do you take Rainbow Dash to be your wife?" Celestia asked. "I do." Soarin' replied staring into Dash's eyes. "And Rainbow Dash do you take Soarin' to be your husband?" Celestia asked. "I do." Dash replied, her eyes watering. "Then by the power vested in me, I know pronounce you pony and wife! You may kiss the bride!" Celestia announced. As the two kissed, much applause sounded. The two smiled as they broke the kiss, looking into each other's eyes. Reception The reception was hosted by Pinkie Pie whom no doubt went all out on this party. The walls were decked out in every party favor imaginable. Rainbow Dash smiled as she and Soarin' changed into their reception clothing. She walked over to him, all changed and put her hooves over his eyes. "Guesssss whooo." She said smiling. "I guess the only mare who was in the room with me." Soarin' replied laughing. "Man you guessed it, how did you know?" Rainbow said before they both burst out laughing. The two soon walked out smiling. "Well there's the bride!" Pinkie yelled smiling. The night was fun as the newly weds danced, ate cake, and drank cider (a little too much for Rainbow). A small song began to play sung by none other than Twilight. Love is in bloom! As the two walked out to the carriage Rainbow Dash laughed, grabbed some flowers and threw them behind her head only to be caught by... Scootaloo smiled at her mother's antics and didn't notice when the flowers landed in her hooves. When she did she was blushing and smiling. Rumble soon walked over and put an arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Rainbow Dash smiled when she saw who caught the flowers as the carriage rode off. The End AN: Thank you all for reading! So since this story is done, I'm making a new one and currently working on the first chapter! Thank you all so much and this story was so much fun writing!

My Little Forumites are Magic

pre

Typo kept to himself and sat down to brood. Jordan let him, knowing he'd probably be alright; although he had his own thoughts to mull over. Ying got cheery and started singing a travel song while moving the boat with his space powers. They'd be out soon. --- Fluttershy squeezed her eyes tight, every other piece of her body tensed up to the point where she had the clinging ability of a tick. Vark tried to comfort Fluttershy a little by rubbing her back, and watched as Phynicxs and Smeareyes continued to talk amongst themselves. Twilight Sparkle was laying near the head, grabbed onto one of the dragon's smaller spines that he'd grown specifically for her. Pinkie Pie was in silent contemplation, feeling a little homesick and missing the Cakes, especially Pumpkin and Pound. Pinkie Pie was the least afraid out of them all, which was weird. She saw Vark's frown and noticed she was looking longingly at the two friends. "Hey there, what can I do to get you to smile?" "O-oh, hey Pinkie. I didn't hear you come over." "We're up in the air silly willy, pretty much all the sound is drowned out." This caused Vark's lips to turn up a little. "Anyways, what do you want Pinkie?" Pinkie shook her head. "I just want to make you smile. We're on an adventure, we should be having fun!" Vark nearly smiled, showing some teeth. I just miss my old friends. I never got to say goodbye to them and I have no idea where they are now. I don't even know if our session had been successful or not. Sometimes I like to think and dream that maybe, maybe because I exited the session that they were given the tools they needed to win it and get their reward. Kind of like a sacrifice, y'know? 'Cause, I mean, it's irrational, I know, but still." Pinkie was very understanding. She wrapped a hoof around Vark with sad eyes, smiling at her. "I'm sure you're right, and even if you're not, I imagine your friends were strong enough to accomplish it." This caused Vark to smile and hug Pinkie - she was really warm and soft, almost like a mother. She was almost crying. "I just miss them so much." Pinkie cooed, trying to shush her. "I'm sure they're happy, wherever they are. "T-thanks, Pinkie." Vark pulled away. "So what was your reason going on their dangerous mission?" "Oh, I didn't really have a reason. But if anything, I think it was because I wanted to make sure my friends stayed safe, even if I can't be there with all of them all the time. I feel that by being there I might be able to do something significant. I feel that my friends would do the same for me - I know they would." Pinkie continued, winking at Vark. "And you know, you'll never make new friends if you don't take the initiative." Vark nodded, understanding what she meant, interested that Pinkie was so wise sometimes. "Thanks Pinkie." "You're verily wearily welcome!" Chirped Pinkie as she bounced toward Twilight, which was weird because she wasn't pushed off by the wind when she bounced. Vark dried her tears, gave a smile, and walked over to Smeareyes and Phynicxs. Maybe this was her chance to start fresh.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Determination and Temptations

Typo was hanging out at the back of the group, starting to brood a little too much. Jordan figured he needed some more time. They were all moving on foot again, with Rainbow Dash and Ying using their terrible singing voices in unison. They were singing "War" by Poets of the Fall. Applejack had her hears covered with her stetson - going so low it was hanging over her eyes. Occasionally she'd plead to them to stop the noise. Rarity was being a dainty princess who didn't want to get dirty, and her complaints were one of the reasons Ying and Rainbow Dash kept singing. Applejack hated both an equal amount. Typo's voice rang over the din. "There's someone coming!" Jumping up on a nearby cliff in the cave, Illusive looked down on the ragtag group. "So YOU'RE the insects Gamarya was so intent on destroying. And you must be Typo." Illusive sneered at the brooding thief of muse, who looked up at having his name called out. "Gamarya hired me to take you all out, but he wanted to extend a special invitation to you Typo. And I suggest you take it, because you have absolutely no hope of taking him out, based on what Gamarya's told me. Typo was taken aback, and instead of outright refusing, thought about it. The group recognized that the sneering form in front of them was none other than a Prince of Hope, and he was holding a large maroon axe that had short whiskers on the sides on which small bits of energy were crackling on. "What's the deal?" Jordan was somewhat surprised he was considering it, but gave him the benefit of the doubt, thinking maybe he just wanted to put them down even more with some kind of inspiring speech. After all, he had just helped Typo from a dark place just hours ago, hadn't he? "Gamarya's deal is that if you kill everyone in your group and join him, he'll spare the planets that he inhabits with a little life left over." Typo was stunned speechless, and although Jordan assumed it was a trick from what he'd heard about the Lord of Doom, Typo seemed to be clearly considering his options - sacrifice the few for the many after all. Jordan took out his Letum Coupant and got into a battle stance, turning his back to Typo. --- http://preview.tinyurl.com/ny5n2vf WE ARE ALMOST TO THE CITY," stated the black and red dragon. Phynicxs, Vark, and Smeareyes stopped talking about what they had been doing before their sessions - what their hopes and dreams had been - and hurried to the front to look over the dragon's head. Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Fluttershy were all stunned speechless. It was a beautiful mountain range. Twilight's face became uneasy as she realized that they would have had to climb that eventually. All three ponies were immediately glad they had a ride. But it was beautiful. "A LITTLE WAYS OVER THIS MOUNTAIN AND WE WILL HAVE REACHED OUR DESTINATION." Smeareyes' eyes narrowed, and he backed up. "Something big is coming." Phynicxs asked how many, and Smeareyes announced that it was a pretty large group of... Birds? He wasn't really sure - he just knew that they had a strong emotional and mental bond. After all, he was a seer. The dragon's eyes narrowed as well. "THE CHANGELINGS ARE COMING. THE WITCH MUST HAVE KNOWN WHAT HAPPENED." The buzzing cloud drew closer, and all on top of the dragon got ready for a fight. This was going to be tough, but mostly for the ponies, as they couldn't fly. As the crowd drew closer Phynicxs, Vark, and Smeareyes noted that there was a knight of doom among them, and he/she camouflaged well with the changelings. Vark immediately ran to the head as the dragon's mouth crackled with electricity. Pinkie, fearless, went up to the top of the head with Vark as Phynicxs came up from behind, noting that they had a strong bond, and pressed his hands against both. Pinkie felt a surge of power as her bonds seemed to intensify by the thousands. Her eyes started rolling into her head, as though she were about to have a seizure, but, instead, she started screaming like a Super Sayian. This caused everyone present to cover their ears as it seemed to reach into dimensions that were even higher than the horrorterrors multi-dimensional speech. Vark put a paw on Pinkie Pie, and felt their powers combine. Her cuteness began drawing out Pinkie's innate talents. Both were ready for a fight. Phynicxs took out his daggers, and Smeareyes got ready for some fisticuffs, wishing once more in his life for a weapon to use. He had never been able to find a weapon that fit him, but Vark's dancing; although he'd unlikely ever admit it, seemed like a good fighting style to him. Too bad he wasn't a bard. --- It all happened so fast. Illusive jumped down and went after Rarity first as Typo took out his new weapon and threw it. Ying had taken out his weapon and shoved Jordan to the side, bringing the eraser up and slashing at the pinwheel, causing it to bounce backwards. Ying, with a determined expression, then vanished appearing right where Rarity was cowering and about to get hit. Instead of hitting Rarity though, the axe rebounded off of Ying's eraser. He noted it must've been a powerful weapon of some sort due to the fact that it hadn't been erased slightly by his weapon. Jordan got up quickly, looking into Typo's murderous eyes. "I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU!" Typo threw the pinwheel at Jordan again, who brought up his blade and fought against the breath weapon, some of which Typo had stolen in order to use minor breath powers. It felt like a razor was trying to cut through his sword, and the sparks were flying. He just hoped none would make his clothes go on fire. Typo came up quickly, moving fast and swung a right hook at Jordan's left temple, who had to duck and bring his blade down so that the fist would miss its mark and so the pinwheel would go past him. Jordan felt Typo beginning to fall due to his over reach and stood up, throwing Typo off of him with his back, which caused him to crash into the wall. "WE DON'T NEED TO DO THIS! WE CAN TAKE OUT GAMARYA IF WE WORK TOGETHER!" "If I couldn't do it before, what makes you think we can do it now!?" Typo coughed slightly, his determination faltering, not wanting to hurt Jordan. "GET REAL! You're ONLY ONE person! You can't do everything by yourself! When will that get through your thick skull!?" "But I have more power now! And what if we can't defeat Gamarya! You need to sacrifice yourself for the good of the others!" "A SACRIFICE LIKE THIS IS A SACRIFICE IN VAIN! I WILL DIE, BUT NOT BEFORE PUTTING IN MY ALL!" Jordan was getting worked up, and had to force himself not to charge at Typo and attack. Typo threw the pinwheel at him again and Jordan tried to swat it to the side, which didn't help because it was breath and could manipulate in the air easily - screw physics I'm a breath pinwheel. Applejack ran at a wall and jumped off of it, turning in the air and using her momentum to buck the shit out of Illusive who ducked, spun, and brought his axe around to hit Ying's legs with the handle who had lost balance from having pushed back at Illusive's weapon too hard. Anger rose in Ying and he jumped, doing a flip over Illusive as the axe's handle hit air. Applejack crashed into a wall. Ying turned around, flinging his eraser sword at Illusive's head, who leaned forward, sensing Ying's hope of trying to hit him with his back turned. Illusive, using his flight, turned around in the air and missed the ground. Ying followed up by jumping at Illusive and aiming a kick at his crotch. Illusive however used his flight and feet to launch himself up and back, doing a flip as Ying's eraser sword came back to him with his space powers. --- Pinkie felt power surge through her, and jumped onto Vark's back, feeling almost weightless. Instead of flying, Pinkie and Vark disappeared, her eyes shining bright. Vark danced in the air as she fell, doing diving moves - whatever she could think of, generating power within her as her bond with Pinkie strengthened. Pinkie disappeared again as Vark started singing Final Twilight (www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG4Ug7EWUbA), and sniped some of the changelings out of the sky with her voice; although it didn't take them out fully, it weakened them enough so that when she appeared close to them with Pinkie, Vark could slap them out of the sky, using her cuteness to repel them. Phynicxs slashed at every changeling that came close to them; although they knew they couldn't fight the dragon alone, they'd have to take care of the others first. They bit and kicked, sometimes getting in some good hits. It was a struggle, but with Smeareyes and Phynicxs working close together they were able to do well. As some of the changelings started to clear up, Vark threw a lyric shot at Chiri, who used a shield of doom to negate it. Vark tried again, but it missed. Chiri was good at flying and seemed to have relative ease to it. Pinkie flashed again, disappearing with Vark again to appear right up in Chiri's face who leaned back, having been taken by surprise. However his fighting style came naturally and he quickly blocked the hits that Vark tried to make while keeping herself floating with Pinkie Pie on her back. A few hits in and Vark was getting frustrated - her powers weren't working and her scratches and hits were either missing, being blocked, or being parried. "That's enough of this." Chiri stated before slamming a punch right across Vark's face with his Light Knuckles, a crack filling the air as the world in front of Pinkie and Vark went white for a second. She found herself falling out of the air, catching herself a moment later. And in that moment, before Pinkie could bring them back up to level, Chiri was already hitting them again, this time aiming punches at Pinkie and Vark - they were outmatched as Chiri's fists were too fast to follow once they started. Every hit made the world flash and after a few hits Vark couldn't take anymore and was starting to fall. In order to keep them apart, Chiri grabbed Pinkie's legs and opened them before roundhousing Pinkie away, who was knocked unconscious as she fell to the water. Vark caught herself near death, but didn't go after Chiri again, knowing she had barely to no affect on Chiri. She flew fast and hard, trying to get to Pinkie before she hit the water. She was successful, but she was going so fast that both of them started skipping along the water like a stone. Smeareyes and Phynicxs felt the extreme bond between Pinkie and Vark strain, weaken, and then crack. They couldn't go help because they were busy with the changelings, who were starting to attack the dragon, annoying the hell out of him, especially because he could only swat at them and shoot bolts. The bolts of lightning might've been strong, but it was only one shot, and it wasn't good for multiple enemies. Chiri was coming for them now. --- "What are you doing!?" Rainbow Dash rushed in and hovered in between Typo and Jordan. "I thought you were cool!" Typo seemed taken aback, pausing just before cutting into Rainbow Dash with the pinwheel. "But I AM cool! I'm the coolest!" "Disloyalty is NOT cool. I can't believe I ever looked up to you! Maybe you ARE just an asshole!" "B-but... But...?" "No! I can't believe you'd attack your friends!" "They're not my friends! MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD!" Typo flew the pinwheel around his body and sent it careening for Rainbow Dash. Ying jumped at Illusive, slashing with his eraser sword, which was parried by Illusive's axe. Illusive tossed him away but he caught himself with his space powers, and tried again to hit Illusive, pushing forward and slicing his eraser sword from his bottom left to his upper right, trying to slash through Illusive's right leg. Illusive saw this and twisted his axe, the blade pushing the eraser away, and continued twisting it until it had performed a 360 and jumped at Ying, slashing with his axe and embedding the blade into Ying's right shoulder. Ying cried out and fell back, landing on the ground. His facial expression changed four times over the course of two seconds, and screamed. He felt something pulling against his mind, dropped his eraser sword, and grasped at his head. He started crying and laughing at the same time. Illusive smirked and moved forward, bringing his axe around and about to decapitate him. Applejack woke up, shook her head as dark spots on her eyes started to recede, before she felt the dizziness subside. She looked around and saw how Ying was about to lose the advantage. She felt power surge through her as the situation pulled at her full being. She felt the hope inside of her rise up, believing that if she could help out all of Ponyville as much as she did, then she should be able to help out now, even if she needed her own help sometimes. She growled faintly and jumped forward, twisting around and catching an off guard Illusive bucking him in the side, sending him flying to the side, even though he caught himself. Applejack, satisfied by having helped, went to Ying. She put a hoof on his shoulder and asked if he was alright. He ended up swiping at her, pushing her away. "I DON'T NEED HELP! I'm so sorry please come back I didn't mean that." Ying felt so torn, and was starting to go insane - this was too much too fast. He caught out of the corner of his eye that Illusive was coming back for the kill, intending to not make the mistake twice. Illusive let out a war cry and the knight of space lifted up his hand, firing a small beam of green space power at the axe. It didn't shrink, but its color started to fizz surrealy before being thrown off to the side by a terrible force. Illusive was shocked and pulled out some needles from his captchalogue deck and threw them at the knight of space, who was incapacitated by his mental splitting apart. Applejack saw this and jumped in front of the needles, crying out as the needles weakened her significantly, but a second later, thinking of what was on the line, she felt hope and power surge through her that erased the prince of hope's influence, and screamed, her eyes glowing before a white beam shot out of her mouth at Illusive, who took the brunt of the blow and seemed unaffected except for being pushed back. Applejack didn't stop though, she charged forward, jumping, then hopping into the air, spinning around and sending one of her hind hooves to hit Illusive's cheek, thrusting the leg out, then using it to jump into the air and forward, thrusting both of her hind legs down on Illusive's head, a crack sound filling the air before Applejack landed behind him, thrusting her forehooves at Illusive's back who cried out in pain. She continued the assault, hitting him across the back with her fore hooves before jumping with her hind legs and spun, thrusting another back hoof at Illusive's spine, causing it to crick, which caused Illusive to fall down. It wasn't permanent, but it still affected him the same. He started to float forward and into the air before turning around, about to bring his axe up, but was hit by Applejack's headbutt, which sent him flying into a wall. He groaned as Applejack watched from afar, her glowing eyes starting to dim. She felt good - extremely good. She stood up on her hind hooves, and air boxed as though trying to tempt Illusive into coming back at her. He stayed where he was, and was about to get away. Ying had passed out. Rainbow Dash hadn't been ready for the strike, and Jordan tried to save her by pushing her to the side, but she didn't budge, as though she were an immovable force. Instead, Rainbow Dash ducked and felt something swell inside of her, a vengeance almost; something that filled her fully as emotions started to flow within her. She had to beat some sense into Typo. She felt the pinwheel go over her head and her eyes glowed. Her loyalty was strong, and she wouldn't let them be broken apart. She would move, and she would take everyone with her - she wouldn't leave anyone behind. She wanted to be a Wonderbolt - she wanted to fly and do tricks - she wanted to go fast. But what she wanted more than any of that was to be a soldier, to never give up and to never leave anyone behind. She would make sure that things went the way it was meant to be. She would be the wind itself, and the wind would work with her. She felt air swirling around her, which caught the pinwheel as it was starting to go back to Typo. She caught it and sent it careening into a wall before determinedly yelling at Typo, telling him to sit down and think about what he did. And when she did, a harsh gust of air flew forth and knocked Typo off his feet. Applejack looked back and saw what Rainbow Dash had done. She wanted to finish Illusive off, believing she could if she wanted to - it was stronger than hope, and it was hers, and it would always be hers. Hope for a better future. Belief in a better future. A hope, a belief, that her family would be able to have a new barn and everything. A hope and a belief that she would succeed at whatever she did. The determination in her eyes scared the crap out of Illusive, who started to fly away to lick his wounds. Applejack went over to Typo and Jordan. "It's okay! He's gone. We won. And we won't ever lose to Gam... Gam... Whatever the heck his name was. We're here for ya Typo. But we need you to be there for us." --- The water was cold. It was FREEZING cold. Vark was breathing heavily, and was still hanging onto Pinkie. She started to stroke across the water, but gave up on that and started to fly close to the water, but not high enough to catch attention. She laid Pinkie on the mountain base and shook out her fur before curling up to Pinkie, trying to keep her warm, and singing Hania's lullaby, but replacing "king" with "queen." http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/89617 She hoped Pinkie would be alright. Occasionally, if a changeling came near, she would shout the lyric she was singing at the changeling, dropping it from the sky or causing it to have to flee. She sang the song again and again, a pink aura around her which provided music for the lullaby. It was a very sweet song, and Pinkie smiled. Chiri went up to the dragon's head while it was turned away to hit another changeling and struck it in the face, a flash of light blinding him momentarily and throwing him off kilter, his wings flailing. Chiri kept hitting him until he started to fall, his brain rocking around starting to become too much for the dragon. As it started to dive down into the water, Fluttershy, Phynicxs, and Smeareyes started to hover in the air looking down before more changelings started coming. Twilight Sparkle stayed on the dragon and was straining to levitate it, attempting to slow its descent toward the water. Fluttershy dived after the dragon, wanting to help him after he had been so friendly, trusting Vark to take care of Pinkie. Around Phynicxs and Smeareyes, the changelings started to disperse, moving away and starting to flee when they saw Chiri coming in to finish the job. "Two versus one isn't very fair you know..." Chiri waggled his finger, as though chastising them. Phynicxs was the first to react. "Shut up! And an army is just as unfair!" "Oh, they weren't listening to me. They were listening to the witch." Smeareyes responded this time. "Right, and you're totally not working for her!! Or... Being controlled by her?" Chiri nodded. "Understandable that you might think so, but I do what I want. I just happen to have a little incentive." He smirked. "Right." Phynicxs rushed at Chiri who got into a fighting stand while hovering. Phynicxs used his daggers to keep Chiri occupied, understanding the danger of taking a full hit. Smeareyes started to circle around them, looking for the best time to attack.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Seeing is Healing

Rarity looked around, happy that she was alive, even if dirty. A lady can't be a lady if you're not alive! Rarity's eyes caught the unconscious form of Ying. She felt something was wrong deep in her heart - it was intuition - and she felt like maybe she could help him. She never studied first aid like Fluttershy had, but she knew how to find things (she hunted gems on a weekly basis after all.) She wasn't normally tolerant of problems that arose, but this time she wasn't deep in focus trying to finish a new dress. She made her way over to Ying. She wrapped him in her magic and felt something off. She couldn't find it, and she didn't know what it was. It confused the crap out of her, but she was diligent and persistent about accomplishing things once she started them. Ying started to stir, and immediately began crying and laughing again. Then he felt anger, but at the same time it felt like he didn't know what he felt. He felt like he didn't know himself. He felt like these emotions were too extreme, as if they were being emphasized or brought out. He felt like everything had been torn apart. He cried harder, then laughed. Rarity watched this for shorter than 20 seconds before putting her hooves on Ying's hands and tried to whisper softly to him, trying to get him to calm down. She shushed him and Ying felt a little tired. His body felt weaker and the emotions that kept going across his face and through his body weren't as extreme. He felt like something was trying to get into him and pull himself together. "Let me just give you a short massage and I'm sure you'll be back to yourself in no time!" Rarity had spent much time at the spa, and knew a thing or two. Even if this was a different creature than a pony, it couldn't be that different. Could it? As her hooves pressed into Ying's back, who was slowly calming down, it wasn't the muscles relaxing that helped him. It was the feeling he got from Rarity. Like she cared about his well-being and was willing to give everything for him. He took it to heart, and felt his emotions fill up in a way, to be metaphorical, like it was a bunch of chemicals all being poured into one huge beaker. The massage helped him relax as this happened and he felt everything come together. His eyes focused and he felt better than ever soon enough. It took a little while, but it worked. Rarity smiled and nuzzled him "There, isn't that better? I may not be as good as Aloe, but I can still hold my own." She said in a sophisticated voice. She was milking the accomplishment as much as she could. Typo held his head in his hands. The pinwheel clattered to the floor. He felt so embarrassed. Not only at having potentially been tricked, not only that he had been finally broken in such a way, and not only because he had more power with the pinwheel and still had been unable to do anything significant, but the worst part of it all was thinking that maybe he had been wrong. He had never believed in the idea that you could prove your point, or to win an argument through winning in combat, but at this point he felt like he had been utterly defeated in every sense. Part of him wondered if maybe he should have trusted the others, but he wiped the thought away; although still unsure of himself. He sighed, taking the heated glare from Rainbow Dash, the sympathetic look on Jordan's face, and the curiousity and fear of him from Rarity's eyes. He had destroyed their trust, whether a prince of hope had something to do with it or not. He had been defeated completely and utterly. The only one who was motivated to take the initiative about all of this was Applejack. Her eyes looked sad, but she smiled, trotting over to Typo and sitting down next to him. She put a hoof on his shoulder and used the other hoof to try and lift his chin up. "Look sugarcube, we all make mistakes, and as long as yoo're being honest abaht yurself to yurself, I think yoo deserve some forgiveness." Typo didn't move right away, but looked into everyone's eyes, taking the brunt of it, and feeling strength return. He may have lost everyone's trust, especially Rainbow Dash's (and her respect), but he felt like he could try again. Like there was hope for him for a better tomorrow. He hung on Applejack's words and felt a little better about himself, being honest with himself about his faults, and that maybe, just maybe, there was something to this idea of making new friends. Jordan watched this all going on, and, feeling that Typo was ready despite the fact he was rushing, started to speak. "Let's get out of here - it's been too long. We can talk later." Jordan wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he really didn't want to talk to Typo right now after what he did. He still felt his liveliness clinging to negative emotions that had been raised up by both Auryie and now Typo. Applejack patted Typo's back and wanted to help him up, but Typo batted her helping hoof away and stood up, taking in a deep breath through his nose and letting it out through his mouth. "Yeah, let's get out of this hell hole." The only reason he probably considered it a hell hole was due to the fact he had just had the worst time of his life here. He stayed in back of the group, and except for Applejack, everyone would occasionally glance at him distrusting, especially Rarity. Rarity was generous, but not generous about her trust. Who said you had to be a paragon of your virtue? --- Chiri was getting closer and closer to landing a big hit on Phynicxs, who was starting to tire. The knight of doom apparently had a higher endurance and mangrit level than most players. Apparently it wasn't an immobile rule that you could only reach one level. This guy seemed as if he was using his doom aspect to kill his limits and surpass them. Smeareyes was about to attack, he could feel Chiri's focus grinding down to a point where he was slowly blocking everything else out as he tried to land a hit on Phynicxs. And he finally did. Phynicxs went flying as his vision flashed. The hit had been so hard he forgot to fly, his arms still moving as though he was trying to block something that wasn't coming. Smeareyes hadn't expected this, but jumped at him anyway. Chiri spun around and clobbered Smeareyes with his knuckles. He went down fast too. Twilight looked up at the ensuing battle, and felt so helpless. They would probably be defeated here and now before ever getting to the changeling hive. And even if they did that, if the enemy was stronger than even this enemy, could they even stand a chance? The thoughts of this made Twilight depressed. She lowered her head, and felt her body go weak. Despair was setting in. But she thought about her friends and Celestia, and how Celestia would be disappointed in her if she gave up now. But what could she do? She was powerless down here. And then it occured to her. It was a long shot, and it probably wouldn't solve anything, but it was an idea, and she was willing to try anything. Pinkie had taught her to be impulsive, and not think about EVERYTHING. She called up to Phynicxs and Smeareyes. They both looked, but Phynicxs was about to go head to head with Chiri again. Twilight called again as Smeareyes hurried toward her. She took a deep breath and sighed. Here goes nothing, she thought. Phynicxs and Smeareyes landed on the dragon, next to Twilight as Fluttershy cooed into the dragon's little ear hole. Twilight sighed again, starting to concentrate. "I've used this before, but last time I used it I couldn't do anything to change it." She felt despair creeping into her, but she persevered. For her friends. Twilight didn't know it at that time, but she was about to create her very first time loop. In a flash of light Smeareyes, Twilight, and Phynicxs were taken back into the recent past. They fell into the water and looked up, seeing the dragon start to fall. Twilight whispered sorry as her power faded quickly after having taken two players with her, and was transported back to her time. Phynicxs and Smeareyes were shocked, and vowed to ask Twilight how she did it later. Right now they had a fight to win. They flew up to either side and tried to sneak up on Chiri. And they did. Phynicxs was sent flying and so was Smeareyes, and Chiri looked down at his final two "opponents." He was caught off guard when Smeareyes thrusted his leg out and kicked Chiri in the back. He turned around quickly, seemingly mostly unfazed, and was about to go at Smeareyes again before Phynicxs came down, wrapped one of his blades around Chiri's neck, pushed, and was about to pull. "I can not die." Chiri's blood vessels grew black as doom power that he was used to surged through him, protecting him as Phynicxs pulled the dagger across his throat. Chiri bled to death as he fell, grasping his neck. This was definitely not a pleasant way to die. He hit the water and sunk down far. Smeareyes and Phynicxs were ecstatic, and so was Twilight who called up to them, having appeared again just a few seconds before she had disappeared with the other Smeareyes and Phynicxs. Phynicxs and Smeareyes shared a high five and flew down quickly to get to Twilight. Twilight would later explain the origins of learning how to use a time travel spell; although it wasn't very powerful. In fact, it was extremely weak and could only last for a little while before sending her back. In the water, Chiri's eyes opened again, dark doom power leaking out like blood. It had acted as a shield and protected him from true death. He swam to the surface and, not wanting to try that again until he could recollect himself, fled.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Reunions and Infiltration

http://preview.tinyurl.com/k6k5yks The travel was going well so far. Rainbow Dash had taken the lead, flying up high in order to scout ahead and see what was next and how far away they were from their destination. According to Rainbow they were close and probably be there within a day. The others down below relaxed, enjoying the trek knowing that soon they would be battling a strong opponent. Most everyone was quiet and being secluded in their thoughts. Typo was walking next to Applejack, still appreciative of her forgiveness and help. The sun was still rising. It was a very pretty twilight across the high rocks, and everyone seemed to appreciate the beauty, especially Ying, Jordan, and Typo, who had never been in such large expanses before without seeing buildings. Well, except for maybe Ying. Rainbow Dash gasped, a little startled, and dashed off forward. "Gottagoseesomethingbye!" It had been a long time, and if it was who she thought it was, she wanted to talk with her. Her old friend was way past uncool, but maybe she had learned something about friendship and other ponies. Jordan blew it off and told them that if it took more than a few minutes for her to get back, they'd go after her. Applejack and Rarity both seemed okay with this, Rarity even more so after having finally gotten herself gussied up again except for the blood staining her white coat. They all knew Rainbow Dash could take care of herself. - "Gilda! It IS you! Long time no see." Rainbow Dash felt really happy and dived down to meet up with the griffon, who looked up at her in surprise. "What happened to us not being friends anymore, dweeb?" "Well, I thought maybe you'd changed and that we could start over." Rainbow Dash looked a little worried. This was already not going how she had hoped. Gilda smirked and looked a little annoyed. "Me? Change? Psh. I'm just fine the way I am." She slapped her chest with one of her bird feet. Something was in her eyes though. Something that she was keeping hidden. "Why are you here anyway Dash? You shouldn't be here." "Oh, I'm just travelling with a group over there." She pointed with her hoof, and Gilda looked over to see. She seemed to get angry, and then acceptance filled her face. "You're on a mission, aren't you? You always did better when there was something on the line. Too bad the same couldn't be said for our friendship." "I AM on a mission, how did you know?" She seemed genuinely surprised, but was still trusting. "And what about our friendship?" Rainbow Dash glared at Gilda. "You were the one who was unwilling to make anymore friends! Not to mention you have a really bad idea of what it means to be cool." Rainbow Dash whipped her rainbow hair back and grinned. "But I'm sure we could try again." "There isn't going to be an again, Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry." Gilda bared her claws. "Gilda...? What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash took a step back and seemed confused. "I guess it's time to see which one of us is stronger." She grinned. With a deft movement she threw herself forward, trying to slash at her throat. Rainbow jumped into the air and took flight, looking down at her, angry. "What are you doing G!? You could hurt someone." "I am trying to hurt someone, idiot." She jumped into the air, taking flight and circling around Rainbow Dash. Gilda knew her best bet was to take them out one at a time. With the responsibility she had been given in exchange for power, she wasn't going to let some silly ex-friendship ruin her new and better future. --- The dragon had recovered nicely, and Fluttershy had helped his rage to subside. They might not've taken out all the changelings, but they had done good enough. The others, not expecting another battle, relaxed on top of the dragon as they neared the huge city in the distance. "THERE IT IS." Thunderhead said. Vark and Fluttershy came over to look out at the ancient city. Pinkie was still unconscious, but Vark had been keeping her company. http://preview.tinyurl.com/kqcf84f "We better go in for a landing." Vark stated while looking at the skyline. There were guard changelings flying over the city in patrols. There were also some on the ground as well. Phynicxs came up over the head and looked over. "Vark's right, we should set down here and sneak into the city from here. If we get any closer they'll see us. It's amazing they haven't seen us yet." Phynicxs was ready for some sneaking. Sneaking was what he lived for. He was Solid Snake. He was better than Solid Snake. Fuck Solid Snake, you can't get any better than Phynicxs. Thunderhead rumbled his agreement and set down, letting the players and ponies off his head. Smeareyes thought for a bit and came to a decision. "Phynicxs. You, Vark, and Twilight go in - I think you'll all be able to get in easier if you work together with your aspects and Twilight's multitude of spells. As for me, I'm just a seer. I'll look after Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy'll help. Once she's woken up, we'll follow you." Smeareyes took from his captchalogue deck an orange spray can and tossed it to Phynicxs. "Mark your path, but be subtle about it please." "Me, subtle? You obviously haven't known me for very long," Phynicxs teased Smeareyes. "I am the EMBODIMENT of subtle." "Definitely not the embodiment of modesty." Twilight and Smeareyes chuckled. Phynicxs looked a little embarrassed. "Anyways, get going. And stay safe." Smeareyes went back up on the dragon and had a conversation with Thunderhead and Fluttershy while keeping an eye on Pinkie. At one point Smeareyes entertained Fluttershy by pulling things out of his hat. At one point he pulled Angel who was angry and confused. Fluttershy hugged him and put him back, before asking about Smeareyes' eyeliner and would eventually have some put on her so she'd look like a tribal warrior. - Phynicxs was using a box that looked a lot like a small power generator. Vark followed farthest behind, her feet almost as silent as Phynicxs. Twilight would occasionally use her time travel spell to help Phynicxs take out a guard more easily before being put back where she used the time travel spell, often only doing it when she could run into an alley right after. It was a little bloody, but Phynicxs tried to kill as little as possible. Also occasionally, if possible, Twilight would generate a soft lullaby in the area around her using different sounds from around her and putting it together to put some changelings to sleep. She had other spells up her arsenal then. Phynicxs started to wonder if, in some way, Twilight was using magickind strife specibus. --- The players and ponies looked up and saw what looked like a fight, as the two figures seemed to get in close before splitting apart, flying around and only engaging at certain points, as though they were pro fliers and knew exactly when to strike based on where the wind was at what time. Jordan and Ying started to fly toward them. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zpTjSn8THmw Rainbow Dash was getting scratched up bad and had only been able to get a few hits in, but all those hits missed. Like she was having the unluckiest day in the world. But at the same time, Gilda wasn't getting any fatal strikes on her, yet. Every time she got hit, she felt like the world around her was getting worse and scary. Like everything was out to get her, and she felt as though that if she had ran into something it would have been completely justified or something. She couldn't quite place the feeling. "Gilda! I don't want to fight you!" "Then why are you fighting back Dash?" Rainbow Dash was taken aback and thought about it as Gilda came at her again. Why was she fighting this battle? Was it to protect someone? Maybe. Was it because she felt like there had been a breach in loyalty? Maybe. Or maybe she just liked to fight as much as she liked to fly. Rainbow Dash dodged to the side as Gilda almost knicked her across the throat with her claws, just like she tried to dodge the effects of her uncertainty about her actions. "I don't know!" "Then allow me to add a little certainty into your life again, Dash." Rainbow Dash felt despair wash over her, enraged and feeling like this isn't how it should be. And that moment of distraction was when Gilda grabbed a hold of her, and stabbed her in the head with a claw while Ying was about 20 ft away; although Jordan was farther back. Rainbow Dash felt peace settle over her and acceptance, and at the same time she fought. But what could she fight? Darkness descended on her soul and everything went black. Jordan screamed and felt every ounce of rage and power surge through him. He held his head in his hands, uncaptchaloging Letum Coupant and flying toward Gilda who let Rainbow drop to the ground as dead weight. The strike had been fast and it had been immediately fatal, and a little bloody, but not as bloody as a throat wound. But maybe if Jordan had just gotten there sooner, he could have saved her. He felt like the lights that kept him going were starting to go out, and he wanted revenge. Ying and Gilda flew at each other. Gilda was faster and seemed to know exactly where to move so that Ying couldn't move into good spots. Jordan tried to go faster. --- It had almost been a full day. It was night outside and the darkness was creeping in everywhere like living shadows of times long past. Phynicxs, Vark, and Twilight had been exploring building after building, and had run into an uncountable amount of changelings on the way. Occasionally they heard talk about conquests that had happened in different areas of Equestria. And the most surprising tidbit was that ponies were being taken away and used as slaves and food. The changelings fed off love, and were using chemical shots to stimulate the brain of different ponies into feeling exuberant amounts of love. The kidnappings were confirmed however when they found a bunch of ponies locked in cages in one of the buildings. The conditions were disgusting to say the least, and so bad that you probably couldn't say the most. It just got worse and worse the farther they got in, and noticed there were other creatures here as well. The next few buildings they had to trek through (sometimes having to go from roof to roof,) held even more ponies. Most were trying to sleep, but they were quiet and careful enough because they didn't want to be seen. All throughout this Twilight was getting more and more disturbed as time past. She thought it was a given that they were going to come back here and free the others, but soon couldn't hold this desire in. When they reached a relatively quiet and empty area, Twilight spoke. "This is insane. I can't believe how many ponies are trapped in here!" "There aren't just ponies," Phynicxs reminded. Vark was singing a quiet lullaby to help keep all their nerves calmed. "I know that but... We just have to do something." "If Smeareyes hasn't caught up to us by this point, we'll most likely have to face the witch with what we have. After we've defeated her and fixed what she's done, we'll do something about the prisoners here. We can't afford to do it now - there are too many - especially too many to escort out of here, even more especially because of all the changelings that are here. We'll have to do something pretty big to fix this situation Twilight. I'm sorry." Twilight was normally extremely logical and listened to her emotions rarely, but as tears dotted on her eyes, she needed assurance. "Please, Phynicxs, please. Even if we have to fight all of them, please promise me we'll do something to at least try." Phynicxs hesitated, understanding what a massive promise this would be, and nodded. "Alright. I promise." Phynicxs thought a bit and spoke again. "We should wait here for Smeareyes and the others to catch up with us. Besides, these particular changelings seem to hunt more at night. If most of them are resting during the day we'll have a better chance of getting to the witch undetected." Twilight agreed with this, and suggested they seek out an office to hole up in for the night. Phynicxs, used to being stealthy and protecting himself, set up small traps - mostly just bell traps - so that they would know if someone was coming. It would probably give them away, but it might also help save them. Phynicxs and Smeareyes were light sleepers anyway, which he mentioned to Twilight and Vark. He also told them how Smeareyes and him had grown up together for the most part, and had been taught ninja techniques. The area they lived in on their world was one of discretion and stealth, and Ying had actually lived in an area where honor, principle, and morals were held highly. Ying's nature had rubbed off on them as they communicated between each other. Phynicxs stated that he felt that Ying had made them both better people, even if they often fell back on what they had been taught growing up. --- Ying's movements were fast - he was hurting bad on the inside. He may not have known her for long, but he considered Rainbow Dash a friend, and now she was gone. Forever. Tears filled his eyes, pulled out his eraser sword and swung it at Gilda's neck. Gilda flapped her wings and pushed herself back before leaning forward and flapping her wings to headbutt Ying. Ying fell back and Gilda kept up, pushing forward harder and stabbing at Ying's right eye with her beak, causing Ying to cry out as he tried to bring his eraser back around. Gilda caught it in one of her talons and used her other front talon to slash a deep triple gash through his stomach, making him keel forward. Gilda took this opportunity to grasp onto Ying's left arm tightly, twist her body around, and throw Ying off of her back, Ying having forgotten to fly momentarily, the momentum carrying him a little bit. He grabbed his stomach as blood leaked out and his organs showed slightly through the bloody wound. Ying took in a big, sharp gulp of air as he turned around and looked to Gilda with determination. He felt space power rising through him as his emotions and desire soared, turning around to face Gilda and about to charge right in. Right after Gilda threw Ying over her shoulder and over her back, she brought her left talon up and caught the brunt of the sword, struggling against an angered Jordan. She flapped her wings hard, giving her more strength and batted the sword away before sinking her already bloodied claws into Jordan's stomach and pulling out. Jordan cried out and felt the emotions in his being intensify and felt his aspect surge around him like a whirlwind. His body fell but as it did, much like a snake, it just sort of split apart and fell off of a bloodied Jordan who grabbed the sword from his falling body and flew up to slash at Gilda. Seeing Jordan come back up, angry and determined, she danced to the side, causing Ying and Jordan to collide into each other, Jordan's sword going up and into Ying's shoulder and his eraser going through the right side of Jordan's stomach, causing that piece of his body to be erased. They both grunted and tried to pull away from each other as Gilda came down on top of them. "Life can't survive without LIGHT!" Gilda's form blocked out the sun from hitting them and she punctured her talons into Jordan's head, a feeling of darkness descending over Jordan's features. His emotions bubbled and his body fell off of him again. But this time Jordan wasn't ready and the sword fell with his previous incarnation. Ying was quick, going up to Gilda and backslashing Gilda, aiming for her wings. Gilda turned her body in the air, the eraser almost grazing her. She looked worried for a second but then grinned as she felt Jordan flying back up at her. She saw his hand glowing with a bright and hot energy and during her twist grabbed onto Jordan's wrist and threw him away from her and at Ying, but not before slicing his hand off. "You may be able to use a form of light, but your "light" is no match for mine." Again, Jordan collided with Ying but this time Jordan didn't get hit by the eraser, but he screamed instead at having just lost his left hand. Ying and Jordan tumbled in the air, trying to right themselves, but Gilda was fast. She came down on them and drove her hind talons directly into Jordan's back, one of the claws barely grazing his heart. Gilda grabbed on tight and did a somersault in the air, causing a bleeding Jordan to go flying backwards. Ying tried to level out as he bled, his skin becoming a little pale, and readied his stance again. His emotions swelled to a crescendo, looking determined to make shit happen. His space powers surged again and he dashed forward at Gilda. Typo was watching from a distance, and noticed them having a hard time, and decided he should enter the fight. --- A chime. Phynicxs' eyes snapped open. He immediately brought out his daggers and hid next to the broken door, waiting for whoever was going to come in. After a moment a shuriken went flying through the door and embedded itself on the far wall (they had intentionally picked an area without windows.) "Smear, that you?" He whispered. "I'm glad you can still wake up to the sound of a chime, Phynicxs," Smeareyes stated. Phynicxs motioned for them to come in and they did. Fluttershy was visibly very distressed, and Pinkie Pie looked a little tired still with wrinkles under eyes, but she was definitely being quiet - she knew how to sneak. Smeareyes grabbed his shuriken from the wall and put it away (no point in wasting weapons that still work.) "It's almost dawn. I suggested that we sleep and Fluttershy agreed, so we took a nap. Pinkie was the one who woke us, asking where the others were." Noticing Vark and Twilight sleeping, Smeareyes added, "we'll wait for them to wake up, so long as they wake up soon." Phynicxs and Smeareyes chatted quietly to each other about the ponies and other creatures they had seen in the cages, and things that they'd heard while sneaking around and following their trail. Smeareyes mentioned that they had a dayshift of patrolling as well, but that it was almost always a different changeling as they had to swap out often. Phynicxs and Smeareyes tried to plan a way to get everyone out of the cells, and Fluttershy tried to help, coming up with ideas. Pinkie was taking a light nap. Fluttershy said that there was supposed to be a queen changeling, but apparently someone had taken over. They realized that the changelings seemed to act of their own volition, unlike Thunderhead had, and wondered if just killing the queen would fix this. They had to do something. They decided to just drop it for now and think about it after their main mission was complete. They'd find someway to get everyone out of the prisons. - Phynicxs and Smeareyes took the lead, Smeareyes occasionally taking out a changeling from far way by hitting their temple with the bladed weapon. Otherwise, if possible, they sneaked past and motioned for the others to follow when they could. The buildings they went through lead to the center quickly, and the farther they got, the higher the tension rised to a point where everyone wished Pinkie and Vark were singing something - preferably Vark as she was a bard and had a bunch of comforting lullabies under her belt. --- Typo had to hurry, he had to help them. Why? Because they were giving him another chance? He wasn't sure, and he wasn't sure he liked the idea of feeling obligated to them, and swiped it away from his mind, slowing down. Jordan continued screaming. He tried to use his life powers but was having a difficult time of it. It's like they had been temporarily negated. He looked back at Gilda but felt fear going into the core of his being. It felt like he was losing everything of value to him. Ying charged at Gilda, and tried to swipe at her but she fell back and grabbed at Ying's wrist as it went by her with her hind right talon. She flapped her wings and did a tight circle and tried to throw him away again, but this time Ying was ready and immediately reached back and grabbed onto Gilda's front right leg, continuing the spin through the air and was about to throw her away his space surged and he felt the holes in his body seal up as green and black fizzed out a piece of Gilda's body. Gilda screeched as she was thrown, feeling the pain immediately. Ying had feathers along his stomach where there had once been a gaping wound from Gilda's claws. When Gilda was thrown her wings stopped working temporarily and she tried to right herself but was soon set on by Ying who seemed to move faster than ever. He brought his eraser sword up and sliced it down, trying to remove Gilda's left wing, but she leaned to her right as her wings started to catch her. Ying was not finished and his body seemed to blur as his image reset into a position to slice through Gilda's torso. Ying didn't need light to fight. After all, space was space even without light. As the eraser came towards her she threw her lower body up and did a somersault in the air, which barely kept her from being bisected. She then started to dive as Ying's body blurred again before doing a vertical chop with his eraser blade. Gilda went fast and swooped up before hitting the ground and spun in the air to face Ying, who was right up in front of her within two seconds. This time Ying sliced the sword horizontally, trying to decapitate Gilda, but she was fast, throwing her head forward and doing another somersault as the eraser went over her. Her tail flicked ying in the face before she extended her hind talons and tried to grab hold of Ying again, and he blurred and started to stab down with his weapon trying to shishkebab Gilda through the stomach. Gilda gasped and screeched when she felt the space around her stomach disappear, and tried to kick Ying away but to no avail. Ying blurred again and flew after Gilda as she started to fall. She knew this was a fight she wasn't going to win, and started to dive, followed by Ying. Gilda came close to the rocky tower and pulled up, grazing against it just as Ying swung his eraser blade horizontally, trying to cut Gilda in half again, except this time she wasn't as fast. Gilda lost her lion's tail. Gilda looked back and screeched again, pulling a tight turn to the right and looping around and quickly zooming away the way she came. Ying followed, going fast and having barely grazed the ground himself, turning and chasing. He caught up in a few seconds and was about to swing his blade down trying to cut Gilda in half from top to bottom, only to miss as she banked to the left, dived slightly, and made a sharp 360, going back the way she came, looked behind her, and saw Ying chasing after her. Her feathers rustled and she felt fear like never before, and did the only thing she could do as she bled from the hole in her stomach and from her cut off tail. She spit into Ying's remaining eye. This caught him off guard and he started to slow a little, crying out. It burned like the sun and he wiped at it, trying to get it out but having a hard time. His eye immediately went bloodshot and got more and more red as he tried to get the spit out of his eye, dropping his eraser blade and rubbing at it, slowing down substantially after a few seconds. He screamed bloody, his emotions rocking him as Gilda got away. He began to cry; to mourn, and the tears helped get some of the spit out of his eye. It still hurt like hell though, keeping his left eye shut tightly as the tears from his bloody right eye smeared it like make-up. Typo came up to Ying and put an arm around him trying to see what was wrong and if he could help, but Ying shoved him away, causing Typo to feel a little dejected. "Fine!" He quickly flew over to Rainbow Dash's body, meeting up with Jordan who was crying and still bleeding from his cut off hand.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Mourning and Stealing

Phynicxs, Vark, and Smeareyes looked down at the entrance to the tallest building in the city. They had been waiting there, watching, for several hours. Every few hours a group of ponies would be led out by changelings and later a group of ponies would be led back in. They had already surmised that the slavery was mostly used to extend the hive in the basement and make it bigger. Phynicxs assumed that they had probably moved the ancient legendary weapon deep into the changeling catacombs, and was having a hard time figuring out how to get inside. At a certain point Vark pretty much said to forget it, because they weren't going to move. They would probably have to fight their way in. But Smeareyes had a better plan. He whispered for Twilight to come over and when she did, Smeareyes asked her how far back she could go. She mentioned that it would be at most a day, and Smeareyes nodded. Smeareyes was about to volunteer to go get Thunderhead but Phynicxs stopped him. "I've been thinking about this for awhile. I think their might be a hivemind among them, and the Witch is probably toying with it." Smeareyes nodded and asked him where he was going with this. "Their minds aren't being controlled. They're willingly connected with the witch, I assume. Which is how everything seems to run so perfectly here. They obviously need a leader and the leader is obviously the witch. So I've been thinking about it and I think we may be dealing with a witch of heart. If we are, then you, Smear, should be able to see their emotions and use them to sever their connections. Smeareyes nodded, agreeing with the idea. --- The sadness was tangible and permeable. It filled the air like a blanket. Luna's stars and moon shined down on the group as they mourned over the loss of not only the element and harbinger of loyalty, but of one of the best friends one could have. The loss of a protector. The loss of a knight in a cyan coat. Jordan took it the hardest, feeling the regret in his soul welling up to a breaking point. He cried long and hard, and wanted nothing more than to leave the area. But that wasn't enough. He wanted to leave the planet. He wanted to forget all of this. He wanted to forget the pain. He didn't want to go on in this situation. His determination wavered. Was it truly a win if there was loss? Was it truly a win when there was sacrifice? Was it truly a win when a friend died in vain; when anyone died without dignity and integrity; when anyone died in so foolish a manner? By one they used to call friend? Was this really the world that the players had forced upon the inhabitants of this planet? Jordan turned around, unable to handle it. Applejack and Rarity took the brunt of the blow, and knew that Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight would take it the hardest. Applejack not only lost a friend. She had lost a rival. She had lost her competition, and all she had now was the hope that she could live for Rainbow Dash and herself. She helped others so much. No one could help her here. She had to help herself in this situation. She had to help Rainbow Dash who never even got to accomplish her dreams. Out of all of that, that hurt the most. Rainbow Dash could never achieve her dreams now. She was gone forever. Applejack felt her hope and belief waver. Was this what happened to good ponies? Was this how it had to be, for an innocent pony to never achieve her dreams? Applejack took off her stetson, and laid by the body, as though she could keep Rainbow Dash company in some way, be it physically or spiritually. This hurt hard, and she buried her face into Rainbow Dash, racked with sobbing. Rarity was prime and proper. She was a lady. She knew all the manners. She knew all the etiquette. She knew how to respond in certain situations. She never felt uncertainty. She knew who she was and she knew what she wanted. She knew what to give others and how to help. She knew how to do everything. But she didn't know how to say goodbye. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she tried to stand stoically, breaking apart on the inside as she questioned mortality, and why things had to be taken away. She had been given the gift of these friends. And one of them had been taken from her. Was this what the world was like? Was it dull and lifeless. Was there not some being out there that only gave generously? Rarity recognized that ultimately it was Rainbow Dash's choice, but she didn't want to lose her most precious possessions. She didn't want to lose her friends. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head down, tears falling down her face. Ying was also racked with sobs. He had lost a friend. He had been unable to help, unable to save. His principles and his morals got him everywhere, but it didn't teach him how to act in situations like this. He felt anger. So much anger. And despair. And sadness. He understood some would die. But for it to finally happen? He worried about Phynicxs and Smeareyes. His heart ached. The space inside of him that was filled was now a little bit empty. And it hurt like hell. It hurt worse than his eye hurt. It was so painful. The emptied space in his heart felt like a void, but he knew it wasn't. It was just empty space. He could increase and decrease size and he could move through space with relative ease, but to increase the size of what was in his heart; to even think of placing something else there was something he couldn't live with. He fell to his knees and cried into his arms. It was gone. His immortality had changed his view of life. But this reminded him how fragile it was. Typo was stoic, frowning but hurting. He hadn't been able to show Rainbow Dash that he could change - did he even really want to? He clenched his teeth together tightly, uncertain about the path to take even though he knew what his goal was, even if to accomplish his goal he had to die. He had lost so much. He had started to trust again, and he had been slapped in the face. He covered his mouth with his hands and closed his eyes tightly, unable to believe this. Was he cursed? Could he neither find immortal love nor immortal friendship? Godtier made him immortal, but everything else? It just fades away. Especially when you're ignorant of what could happen. Maybe to reverse it he had to start expecting the worst? No. He couldn't do that. He didn't want anymore connections. They just hurt so much. The group held a temporary and quick funeral for their fallen friend. Instead of burying her they would take her with them. Ying took her body and stowed it away in a small extra dimensional space that followed his person. There was no weight, and yet he felt burdened by so much. He had to protect her body. Could he even do that? Jordan sighed, wanting to just sleep, but feeling extra responsibility thrust onto his shoulders. He needed to keep everyone safe. He couldn't be lax. He had to make sure something like this didn't happen again. He needed to be vigilant. Life does not sleep. Life keeps growing. He would learn from this mistake, and would honor Rainbow Dash. --- Phynicxs was fast. He blurred by changelings before they had a chance to ask what the hell happened. They added to the collective hivemind that there was something among them, and that they should be on watch - not that it did any good. Phynicxs had snuck up on the first changeling he found, used his dagger to stab it in the temple, and drew its blood in order to help his powers. He was currently skating on thin-blood skates and as he moved would occasionally use the extra blood to blind the changelings that were alert and watching. They may have heard him, but they had no clue who or what he was, or, at this point, not even what he looked like. He had about a day to get back and catch Thunderhead's attention. - Smeareyes was quiet, motioning for Vark and Pinkie to keep quiet as well. They had snuck up as close to the central, largest building, as they could. Smeareyes had decided to leave Fluttershy at the hideout for now and would follow them once Thunderhead attacked. Smeareyes had his own spray paint and was making symbols that he had explained to Fluttershy - symbols that would confuse the changelings, if they even saw them. Pinkie was quiet, and much more energetic and alert. Twilight Sparkle had helped her get more sleep by sending her to the recent past - about five hours prior - on the condition she would find a different room to hide and sleep in so that she wouldn't create any paradoxes. For now. Twilight was tired after all this time hopping - it wasn't the time hopping that tired her, it was the fact that she was sending ponies into the past. It tried her out. She was giving them more time, but it was taking from her. For a moment Twilight wondered about her recent studies, how there were magic coils and leylines throughout all creatures. She had read that there were, in ancient history, strange creatures that had learned to use these coils and leylines in different ways. She started to wonder if she could power her magic by finding a way to absorb unused magic from other creatures. She nodded and determined that when she got back she would study this quickly, especially because her help might be needed again in the future. Smeareyes looked up into the sky and saw a black and red dragon quickly approaching. - Phynicxs had been fast. He was nearly out of the city before someone spotted him. It was Chiri. Phynicxs swore, thinking about getting away and hiding in a box for awhile, but that wasn't going to happen. This guy was catching up quick, insanely quick. He looked out of the corners of his eyes, glancing back slightly as he moved forward, jumping over a few obstacles and going fast. None of the changelings had seen him but this guy did. And then he recognized him as the knight of doom that had attacked them before. His eyes widened significantly and he tried to think of a plan otherwise he wasn't going to make it. Chiri's biggest power was understanding laws and limits and then destroying them to exceed others. It was something that came naturally to him. It was something that made him special as far as he knew. Throughout his godtiering days he had learned to exercise every single ability, sense, and phyiscal characteristic, significantly surpassing his session's players. Illusive had followed him, believing him to have a destination. Chiri had expressed himself as a leader before, but no one had ever given him the chance until then. - Alarms were sounded, thousands and thousands of changelings starting to chitter to get the attention of others. The buzzing sound that also came was deafening. As the changelings in front of the main tower started to get distracted, Smeareyes - the best ninja magician he could be - threw his voice to match a general changeling's voice. He was rewarded with the two changelings looking at each other, calling out to the changelings inside, and flew off. They were soon followed by dozens of changelings that flooded out from the entrance, small lapses between changelings occurring before more came out. After a few minutes past and no more came out, Smeareyes shushed the others and motioned for them to follow. As they got close he whispered to them that there were more than likely still many patrols, especially under the earth, and he told them that he expected there to be more prisoners down below. They would probably have to use other changelings to get where they needed to go. Smeareyes thanked Phyncxs - he definitely knew what he was doing. --- Applejack had demonstrated her ability to fight in the face of danger. Rarity had not. Rarity would be left in safety and Applejack would come with them for the battle. They knew what they were getting themselves into and what to do. Jordan, Ying, and Typo, all nervous in their own way were as ready as they were going to get. Typo knew Auryie and Gamarya well and knew that they would take care of the problem themselves than let their growing army take a risk of fighting three godtiers. The area around their current position had not succumbed to the effects that the Lord of Doom had learned to force on his surroundings. But they saw that in the forest ahead of them, passed these houses, would be dangerous. Likely they would have to fight in here. They put their hands together, and Applejack put her hoof in on top - it had been her idea - and even if Typo didn't mean it all, he trusted Applejack and Rainbow Dash - he wouldn't let the same mistakes happen twice. He didn't need the bonds of friendship to strengthen him here. He just needed to believe in himself and trust the others to do their part. "To friends! To VICTORY! We won't let this Gam... Gam guy take the world without a faht. We will stahp his cronies here and take out his subordinates." Applejack felt hope swell inside of her. She would do this for Rainbow Dash. They wouldn't let her death be in vain.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Time and Expectations

They made their way into the forest, Applejack taking point out of bravery - and she just trotted faster than the others were walking; although Jordan was right behind her and seemed to walk in her gait and step. He felt butterflies in his stomach. He was about to do something heroic, even if it cost them their lives. But they couldn't afford to die here, otherwise who would take on Gamarya? He remembered Rainbow Dash, and felt his emotions soar. He was going to take more responsibility. He was going to protect everyone - all of life. That was his mission. That was what he had grown so much to do. He was going to be a hero, but not for the sake of being a hero. He was going to be a hero for the sake of all those who were powerless against any threat. It was quick the way the flowers twisted and fired poisonous thorns at the party. Jordan's emotions soared even higher as he felt more responsibility weigh on his shoulders. He felt the power surge through his body and threw his remaining hand forward, tree vines reinforced with bark coming out like armor grew out of the earth, a risk of tripping over, but it was only enough to defend. He used some of the other vines that came out to squeeze around all the flowers they came across and pulled the flowers out of the ground, killing them but leaving the seed so that they would regrow (hopefully not fast due to all the influence of doom on their limits/laws.) A tree started to move suddenly, and started to grow arms, pulling itself out of the ground and towering over ten feet. It pulled out some smaller, weaker, newer trees and threw them at the heroes. Applejack ducked - knowing she couldn't buck those without hurting herself - and Typo came up, uncaptchaloging his breath pinwheel, using some of the breath to throw it forward and used the breath to control it in the air as it spun like a saw blade slicing through the hard bark and quickly chopping up the tree ogre with ease. For about ten minutes this went on - very similar. When they came to a clearing they saw three people waiting for them. It was time. --- Things were going easy. Much easier than Smeareyes had expected. Stealth really paid off. He'd severed the hive mind connection of one of the changelings who had started leading them around. The changeling was very uncertain of how he felt about this, but at the same time he was given a freedom - a freedom that felt like he could go wherever he wanted without being too concerned of his brothers. The freedom allowed his own powers to manifest themselves more than it had in the other changelings. He felt power like he had never felt before, and he owed it all to Smeareyes. He figured they were going to split up after all this, but he also felt that soon he would go on his own journey and get love some other way - not a way he knew how yet, but he was hopeful. More so for his future than the future of the hive. He chittered to the group behind him, letting them know they were almost there. This changeling was quick and he had a knack for coming up with plans on the spot. Had fate not put him in the role of worker, maybe he could have achieved something greater. As the changeling thought about it, he smiled for the first time in a long time. "So, do you have a name?" Smeareyes whispered into the changelings ear. The changeling shook his head, "no, this one does not have a name. They do not spare creative names for one as lowly as this one." "You mean a worker, right?" "Correct." Vark came up to him and patted his back and whispered in his ear. "Everyone deserves a name, even if it isn't unique." The changeling looked worried. "Can you give me a name?" Vark smiled and nearly shouted, "sure. I'm sure Smeareyes can help too." Smeareyes brought his hand to his chin and looked up in thought. "Well, what kinds of things do you like to do in your spare time?" The changeling smiled. "We rarely ever have spare time, but this one has a knack for tinkering with small machines. This one also likes to gossip." Smeareyes and Vark looked at each other and smiled. Pinkie Pie butted in, leaning close and whispering in his ear. "Ooh! I know, we'll call you Machine Whisperer." The changeling felt something inside of him swell to large proportions, having an ear-splitting smile. He felt ecstatic. "Thank you kind ones." Machine felt like this was the start of something wonderful. - Phynicxs was having a hard time with this guy. Again. He blocked with his daggers constantly and was nearly getting hit. He slid backwards on the blood as he fought, trying to gain ground while fighting. Occasionally he would use the excess blood he carried in order to try and swipe at Chiri and get in a good hit or two. But he always missed. This guy was like lightning, every movement seeming to defy reality. His reaction speed was higher than anything Phynicxs had ever seen and it was getting better. The clang of metal knuckle on dagger was ringing out. The display of martial prowess had intimidated any changelings that even THOUGHT of entering the fray. But the good part is he was close to Thunderhead. And that's when he heard the crackle of electricity. --- Machine would protect them. He felt like the connections to his heritage had been severed to some degree. Like he could be his own changeling now. He wasn't sure which was better, to be connected or not. But Machine liked new experiences, and this was as new as they came. New emotions he had never felt before rose up through his being. They were near to the throne room. Near to the witch of heart. Fluttershy was halfway to reaching them again, feeling a courage from these adventures with these new ponies - no, not ponies - people. Something inside of her felt different, but at the same time she still felt her old emotions and her old insecurities and her old shyness and everything else. It was a weird feeling, and Fluttershy kind of liked it. Phynicxs had taught her a stealth trick or two and it was helping her get by the changelings easily. Occasionally she'd come by a prison and she'd mention to them that she'd find a way to get them out. She felt purpose inside of her, much like the purpose and security she found in taking care of animals. - The crack of thunder was pounding and it rend Phynicxs' ears into deathly silence except for the loud ringing. He hoped it was temporary. It probably was. The strike of thunder had nearly hit Chiri and had surprised him. Seeing the new opponent, Chiri decided to flee. Thunderhead was about to go after them but Phynicxs shouted for him to wait and come down - he had a plan, even if he couldn't hear himself talk and yell. When Thunderhead got down to Phynicxs, the rogue of blood spoke really loudly, which amused Thunderhead and he took it as it came, knowing that his ears were probably damaged. Even if only for a little while. Phynicxs explained his plan and jumped onto Thunderhead, who took to the sky immediately. He roared loudly, trying to draw the attention of nearby changelings. Killing them would suck, but Phynicxs believed it had to be done. He needed more blood if he intended to get into the city and cause a big enough distraction. It was a long and tiring battle, Phynixcs skating over Thunderhead's body so fast to get to different changelings that he almost seemed rooted into the dragon's minor gravity. He pulled all the blood he obtained into a sphere next to him, absorbing as much blood into it as he could. When he was finished he shouted for Thunderhead to go, who zoomed forward quickly, Phynicxs clinging on to his back as much as he could. When they got to the city limits the buzzing started. And it just got worse from there. Changelings were everywhere, and they just kept coming, like a moving, insurmountable wall. Phynics would probably have to take awhile before following his friends. He shouted to Thunderhead to get ready, which made him start crackling electricity as the huge sphere of blood splattered down onto the dragon and started to flow all over him, covering nearly all of his body. And once that happened, Thunderhead tried something new, something Phynicxs had theorized. He swallowed the energy in his mouth and, being Thunderhead, tried to push it into his body, which started crackling. As the changelings came in the blood on the dragon rippled harshly before thrusting out with a ton of spikes stabbing into changelings in random locations. Some spikes missed, and many would die, but this was better than the alternative of letting this harsh reality to continue. Phynicxs accepted that, and was glad Ying wasn't with him. From what he knew of Fluttershy, she probably would have had more severe problems with it than Ying would. --- This was the time. This was the time to prove to himself that he'd become better than what he once was. He was going to trust and this time not give in. You're only as strong as your mind. Typo was ready for this. He called out to Auryie and questioned her fealty after what had happened. Auryie looked sad as the prince of hope guffawed. "Oh I forgot to mention, if you side with Gamarya he'll let you be with Auryie forever." Typo softened, then looked to Applejack, and hardened again. "Nice try, but I'll do this my own way." He uncaptchalogued the pinwheel and started spinning it extremely close to his body, getting ready to let it loose on the enemies. Auryie took a step forward, uncaptchaloguing her ring blade and spinning it around somewhat faster than the pinwheel was going. Auryie mentioned she held back, but this time she couldn't and wouldn't. Something crossed her eyes, causing them to glaze over. "Your battle is with me Typo." Typo frowned heavily. He'd have to fight his own girlfriend. And really, considering what was going on, he felt like this was his responsibility. Thinking for a second he nodded. "Jordan, go for the prince of hope. Ying, go for the griffon. Applejack, aid Jordan." He remembered how effective Ying had been against Gilda, and figured that Jordan and Applejack, while not having the advantage, could take on Illusive. Illusive laughed harder. "You really think a measly knight of life can put a stop to me? And that pony? I'm sorry, but this battle isn't going to have the same result as last time." Illusive hardened. "You all die here and now." Gilda grinned and looked at Ying. "I agree with hope boy over there, this isn't going to end the same way." Gilda had on bloodied bandages around her waist, and what had once been her tail was now a nub. The hole had been healed partially, but it was still very sensitive and easy to damage. Typo softened again, but this time he screamed and charged at Auryie. His thief of muse powers went quick as he stole some of Auryie's maid of mind powers, using them so that this would be a matter of weapons and not aspect. He brought his right hand around, the pinwheel going with it as it spun and slashed it against Auryie's rinblade. The clang was loud and it sounded like two buzzsaws had gotten caught together. They were blown back from each other but started flying and went at each other yelling. Typo through his pinwheel around circling it around to get at her from behind. He brought his fist up, looking like he was about to fight her hand to hand, but dropped to the ground in a roll as Auryie got closer, looking surprise. As soon as his weight went to his hands, he pushed up, thrusting his left leg out and catching Auryie in the gut. She grunted and was sent flying back. The wind was knocked out of her but she was ready for more. She glared and started spinning her ring blade again, hearing the sound behind her and twisted, doing a ballerina spin. It almost looked as though she wasn't even hanging onto her blade - that's how good with it she was. It hit the pinwheel and knocked it away causing it to wobble before the breath was able to pick it up again. Typo quickly brought it back and closed in again as Auryie finished her spin. Jordan was fast, bringing out Letum Coupant and holding it in his remaining hand. He cried out and started going blow to blow with Illusive. Illusive snickered, "what, only one hand? There's no way you can win." He saw Applejack coming and fell back, somersaulting backwards and bringing his leg up to kick away Jordan's blade as Applejack turned and was about to buck Illusive in the gut. Illusive bent his other leg at the knee, giving it more room to maneuver and thrust it out, catching Applejack by the stomach. As Illusive went backwards he used his other foot to fling Applejack back into the forest. Jordan felt his determination waver but he hardened, thinking of Rainbow Dash and her loyalty and guts to not give up. He rushed at the prince again, throwing his blade foward so that when Illusive stood up he'd get caught in the chest with it. Jordan somersaulted and vaulted himself forward with his hands, twisting in the air and forming a flying side kick. Illusive had felt it coming and had batted it away with his axe's handle. He was, however, caught in the gut when Jordan's kick was fully realized. Illusive doubled over as Jordan caught himself with his other leg and brought it around to back hook kick Illusive to the side. He felt this one coming too and brought his axe up to hit his leg away and was successful. It caused Jordan to take a tumble. Illusive was about to raise the axe and get close to make the finishing blow, smirking, but felt something kick into his back and send him flying forward a little. He caught himself in flight and twisted around, using a free hand to bat away one of Applejack's hoof-strikes. Ying was fast. He pretty much just slid right up to Gilda and was about to slash from top right to bottom left across Gilda but was surprised when part of her body turned blue and just seemed to get swiped at. Gilda quickly materialized and threw herself forward onto Ying, digging her claws into Ying's shoulders. He cried out and finally noticed the anklet on Gilda's front left leg. Gilda leaned back and threw her head forward, headbutting Ying hard, almost knocking him out. Ying saw stars and felt himself falling backwards as Gilda had relieved her hold on him. Gilda jumped forward and was about to sink her talons into Ying's stomach, but he rolled to his left and brought his right leg up and kicked her away as her talons dug into the ground. --- Thunderhead was able to power his way into the city pretty easily. The bloods' powers were scaring many changelings but some kept trying to attack anyway, as though they felt that if they kept trying, sooner or later one would see a weakness. But many changelings had already tried and failed. Talk about narrowing out a population. And the blood that the changelings shed just made the blood armor worse. Phynicxs pointed Thunderhead towards the largest building and waited for a lull in the changelings before powering up some electricity, and firing it, tilting his head from up to down in order to leave a deep scar in the tower. Phynicxs told Thunderhead he only had a few minutes to get out of the city before the blood armor would stop working and start to either dry or slide off. Thunderhead mentioned his thanks as Phynicxs jumped down and used some nearby blood to slide his way into the building and follow Smeareyes' path.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Lost Friends?

The stairs were long, and as they went they noticed there were machines inset into the walls, as well as many gems. The sight was amazing, especially as each gem sparkled like they had energy inside of them. When they came out of the accompanying tumble, they had reached the throne room. There on it was the witch of heart. She was resting her head on her left arm, which was propped on the throne's armrest. http://preview.tinyurl.com/lynn5sv "Welcome! I've been waiting for you. It's not nice to keep a lady waiting." She got up from the throne and hurried over, as though they were lost friends. http://preview.tinyurl.com/n8n7h6g Smeareyes was the first to realize something was very off with this woman. He could see it. Especially in her eyes. All of them were taken aback, and Fluttershy was starting to come down the stairs when she saw them, and hid behind her group. Twilight was following her and immediately noticed something off about the witch of heart. "I know you are very powerful players, having gotten this far so fast. And I have a proposition for you." Smeareyes was taken aback. Vark was the only one who wanted an explanation. "Up to this point I have been working for a lord of doom. I have not enjoyed it, but I have made myself comfortable anyway. I intend to backstab him, and with players like you this might actually work. I could make it all worth your while." Twilight looked incredulous, her head tilted back and her eyebrow raised into the heavens. Vark asked what her name even was. "My name is Mana. I never had a proper session of my own. In fact, if it hadn't been for my husband, I probably would have never been able to get anywhere. He was the only other one in my session. Our session was doomed to be infertile, but we had learned how to godtier - it was thanks to him that we were both able to. Both of us exiled ourselves as there was no other way of getting out of the session alive. I'm looking for a new husband to help bring my dreams into reality, as he died recently." She sidled up next to Smeareyes who was immediately getting nervous. "We can't do that. Especially because you have so many innocent ponies trapped in here." It was Fluttershy's voice, and the more she heard from Mana the more she didn't like her. "As I said, I can make it all worth your while. You see, using the technology here I have been trying to develop a way for the changelings to find love from the most unlikely sources." Smeareyes didn't really like where this was going. He could tell that this woman was trouble. But he wasn't sure how. Her 'dream?' This felt very wrong. Pinkie Pie lost interest in the conversation, having already made a decision, and noticed someone in a cage next to the throne. They were curled up into a ball on the floor and looked extremely dirty. Pinkie recognized the clothing choice as probably another player. Mana backed away slightly, as though trying to give them some space. "So, what are your answers?" Smeareyes was the first one to answer - the others were already incredulous about this, and Pinkie Pie had been getting the others' attentions so that they saw the girl in the cage. "Who was your husband?" "My husband was a very strong person. His name was Gai. He was the Lord of Mind; although he had a knack for reading and using the hearts of others." Smeareyes had just one more question. "What is your dream?" Mana's face fell, her body starting to glow. "My dream is to lead everyone possible into the next stage of evolution." She smiled darkly, and Smeareyes knew his choice. He uncaptchalogued some shuriken and motioned for the others. "I'm sorry, but something just seems really off about all of this." "You're just like him." Mana's body's glow reached a crescendo. Her right hand glowed, and so did her chest. Instead of using captchalogue cards, she used something different - voidKind. She dipped her hand into her chest and pulled out an enormous sword. "I guess that means we have to fight, doesn't it?" The intimidation in the others was threatening. Her body was glowing again, and Twilight realized that she was using her leylines. "EVERYONE SCATT-!" The others jumped away, knowing exactly what she was saying, just as three crystals came up from the ground, two of them piercing through Twilight's body. One had gone through her heart, the other through her abdomen, but one had missed, nearly hitting her brain. She cried out in pain as irrationality told her to try and move. She felt her heart clogging up with blood and her body suddenly felt heavy. She felt acceptance come onto her, her eyes closing momentarily as her breath became heavy. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Fluttershy screamed, her eyes narrowing as she looked toward Mana who seemed taken aback by Fluttershy's eyes. "FIX HER! FIX HER NOW!" Mana shook her head and then smiled. "That's what you get for opposing me." Smeareyes was sent into a rage and he charged at Mana despite her sword, which she had brought around and was about to slice Smeareyes in half as she had sensed his emotions. The sword went right through his body. And this time it wasn't a magic trick. Mana's body glowed fiercely as Fluttershy hurried to a dying Twilight's form as Smeareyes started to bleed out from both his legs and his torso. He gurgled, some iron-tasting blood coming up to his throat. He wondered if this is where it ended, if this is where it was all over. If it was now, before they could help any of the ponies. Machine stepped forward as Fluttershy cooed into Twilight's ear, feeling despair and adrenaline run through her body. Her emotions started to charge up - she was having a hard time staying calm - getting worked up wouldn't help Twilight. And yet Fluttershy just couldn't stand it. She couldn't accept this. No. She had to do something. She felt everything in her rise up as power flooded through her being. She looked to Mana, but this time with a harsh glare. This one wasn't the stare, and even if it had been, it seemed as though Mana's witch of heart powers were able to negate it. --- Auryie's movements were fast. She threw the spinning ringblade right at Typo's torso, forcing him to bring his pinwheel back around as fast as possible. But it wasn't fast enough. He knocked it to the side slightly but it kept going and tore through his waist, creating a seethrough gash that was about 5 inches across. He almost fell to his knees as he cried out and seethed his thief of muse powers abating slightly, but brought himself back up and threw his pinwheel at her. Auryie jumped into the air and took control of the pinwheel and threw it back at Typo. It severed his head from his body. Ying kept fighting, kept slashing his eraser sword, but no matter what he tried it just seemed like there was more breath there. At one point Gilda completely disappeared and vanished into the air like wind. But then he heard a coalescing behind him and struck, but only hit wind. Ying wasn't ready when Gilda reformed, smiled, and jumped at him, her claws going through his throat. Immediately he began choking on his blood. Applejack kept throwing hoof strikes at Illusive, which he parried easily, and at one point he hit Applejack across the side of her face throwing her to the side and knocking her unconscious. Jordan raged and charged at Illusive, bringing his sword up to parry his axe away and get a good hit in. And it happened. But... As soon as the axe went into the air, Illusive brought his leg up and kicked Jordan in the gut, throwing him back and knocking the wind out of him. He wheezed and Illusive grabbed his axe again. He went up to Jordan and as Jordan attacked, Illusive batted the sword away with the handle of the axe, twisted around in a circle, and chopped at Jordan's arm. There was a gash and a loud cry as Jordan fell to the ground. He felt his being becoming chaotic as his personality split into two. He started convulsing on the ground as his thoughts surged. He couldn't handle it. Illusive started moving over to Applejack and was about to chop her head off. --- Mana cackled as Pinkie Pie charged at her. Getting cocky, Mana brought the blade around and slapped Pinkie with the side, causing her to go flying into a wall, hitting her head and getting a concussion before passing out. Blood soon started leaking from a crack in her skull. Vark cried out and started dancing and singing, getting her power in as much of an uproar as her feelings did. Her body started emanating a pink aura and music flowed from her body. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5i7qZxICwgQ Vark quickly entered the fray, dancing from foot to foot as she charged forward. Singing the lyrics as they came. She shouted a lyric at Mana and it blew her off her feet, but she turned in the air, leaning forward before her feet hit a blue glyph that appeared under her feet. She jumped forward at Vark who jumped before the sword could slice across her. As she was in the air, Mana grinned, somersaulting and landing with her feet against another glyph that seemed to come from the sword. She jumped up, angled enough to strike at Vark and kill her in one shot. But she didn't. Vark shouted the lyrics and brought her paw around, her energy extending the reach and slapping Mana off to the side. Mana frowned and just made a new glyph, jumping off of that. Vark started flying and realized that she'd have to keep going up if she wanted to keep away. Mana was getting faster and she was getting higher just as fast even as much as Vark tried to slap her away. Fluttershy was crying in despair as she felt more power rise from her. Twilight was nearly unconscious. And soon she'd be as dead as Rainbow Dash. Pinkie's concussion was bad. And Smeareyes hadn't ressurected yet. Would he even ressurect? Or was this a hero's death? Smeareyes struggled a little bit before blackness came to him unwantingly, his body paler than ever. --- Typo was levelheaded at this point. He knew what was going on immediately before his head even hit the ground. He tried to grasp Auryie's power of mind and did, bringing him back into reality. He blinked as he stood there, the pinwheel on the ground at his side. Auryie had thrown her razor ringblade at him and it was about to cut him in half. Surprising Auryie who realized he had woken, his emotions surged and he brought the pinwheel up, clashing it with metal screaming against metal before the ringblade was tossed to the side. Typo knew his duty to Rainbow Dash and with very little hesitation threw the pinwheel at Auryie. Auryie was surprised as her body was cut in half and fell to the ground. Typo smirked, then remembered what he was doing. He cried out, noticing that Auryie wasn't bleeding, and also noticed that her body appeared almost hollow. Before he could figure this out though, he saw something out of the corner of his eye and jumped back, bringing his right foot up and unexpectedly smashing it into Gilda's gut. Her wings stopped working and propelling her and she fell to the ground holding her already injured stomach. It hurt so bad. He was about to end her life with the pinwheel when he heard Jordan cry out, and saw Applejack about to be decapitated by a smiling Illusive. With more power than he had ever felt before, he threw the pinwheel. Illusive felt it as Typo's hope surged, and he jumped to the side and brought the handle of his axe down and barely parried the pinwheel. Typo brought over the pinwheel and was about to sever Gilda's head. He threw it down and Gilda smiled, her neck disappearing into a blue breath. The blue breath disappeared and then her whole body started to slip away. Her laughing echoed in the area and Typo, noticing Ying's body glow, decided that it would be okay. He ran over to Auryie, her lower half already fading into dust. --- Vark was getting worried. The higher up she went the closer she was to the ceiling. Was this where she was going to die? Fluttershy was crying into Twilight's coat as she slowly died. And then the light left her eyes, her body still standing due to the crystal spikes. Fluttershy felt a cold wind brush past her, and that was it. Her emotions were so high she felt a power radiating in her stomach before expanding. It wasn't very big, but the sphere of light enveloped her and Twilight. Fluttershy was so sad - she wanted to trade her life for Twilight's. She cried and cried, and felt her life fading away, darkness closing over her despite the bright light around them. Fluttershy felt a voice in her head. "You don't need to give up one when you have the power to do more." Fluttershy was always weak. She always had been. She had strength in other areas, but she was almost never confident about herself. She figured that she couldn't do anything, but her emotions over-rided that. It made her believe maybe she could do something, that maybe she really could change it and give her life up. "Again. When you have the power to do more, you should never settle for less." Fluttershy responded - it was weird, like talking to herself. "But I don't have that much power!" "Many times you won't. But this time, have a little faith in yourself." Fluttershy felt an energy explode from her, and then she heard things breaking and twisting. It hurt her ears, but somehow it felt like such a pleasant sound. As the light started to deteriorate away, she found Twilight looking around, confused. Fluttershy hugged her tightly before Twilight realized what was going on, pushed Fluttershy to the side, and threw herself to the other just as more purple spikes stabbed up into the air where they had just been standing. Mana had been looking down, ignoring Vark as she saw what was happening between Fluttershy and Twilight. Her body glowed magnificently and she looked back up as Vark tried to charge her. Mana grinned and used her sword to slam Vark into the side wall. And just as she did, she held out her left hand and pulled, many purple spikes thrusting out and many of them stabbing Vark who gasped and grunted. She felt pain and she screamed - it hurt so much. Blood fell off of her and fell to the ground far below. Vark was about to pull herself off of the spikes with her flight, but realized that she'd start bleeding more if she brought the spikes out. But she realized that if she was going to revive she would need to be somewhere else. But then she realized that Mana could make the spikes appear anywhere. Phynicxs was almost to the throne room. He heard the screams as he followed the symbols, and started killing changelings on his way down, collecting their blood as he went. Machine stepped forward, unable to take any more of this. "My queen, why must we kill these ones! They are innocent and good!" Mana smirked and looked down. "Are you sympathizing with them, worker?" "This one's name is Machine Whisperer, and this one guess that is how this one feels." She stopped moving and was getting distracted. "I am your queen and what I declare rules. These ones are bad and must be killed if the dream is to be realized." Machine felt weird. He started feeling his own dreams, both ones for his hive and ones of his own. It was a really weird feeling, and it showed on his face. "This one is sorry my queen, but this one can not accept that!" "THEN YOU WILL DIE WITH THEM!" But before she could something slashed at her, and nearly cut her throat. She looked up and saw a second Vark and a new person. "Who...?" Mana tried to lift up her sword to keep away but it was useless considering how close this hero of blood was. Mana smiled, and flew out of the way when she saw the sphere of blooded headed to her. She wasn't stupid. The sphere splattered against the floor, but Phynicxs started drawing from it. Phynicxs entered the throne room and saw what was going on above. He hurried over to Twilight and brought his sphere of blood with him. Vark gasped and realized what was happening, sliding herself off the spike and letting her body fall. It kind of splattered and her blood loss was too great. She was already dead.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Auryie and Void Death

(Skip to the Author's Notes if the battle against Mana confuses you). Jordan was down for the count. He couldn't control himself - it felt like two sides of him were trying to take full control. He hadn't grown up with it and it hadn't yet become a multiple personality disorder. When Ying got up he noticed Gilda was gone, possibly for good. But he didn't know how or why. He looked over and saw Typo going to his past girlfriend, and then looked over and saw Applejack on the ground, Jordan tripping/flipping out, and Illusive going after Typo. Ying was fast. He was right next to Illusive in a matter of seconds. Illusive sensed it and started twisting around, bringing his axe up to behead the threat. Ying was aware of the danger this axe presented and ducked before stabbing upwards with his eraser sword into Illusive's chest, barely missing the heart. Ying cursed as a section of Illusive's body disappeared. He seemed shocked, but before Ying could bring the sword to the right and through Illusive's heart, he jumped back off the sword and started to bleed. He held his gut, furrowed his brow, and felt defeated. "This isn't the end!" Illusive screamed before vanishing. Ying hurried over to Jordan and tried to relax him, but couldn't. He left him and made his way to Applejack to make sure she wasn't hurt too bad. "I'm so, so sorry Typo. I never wanted this to happen." "It's not your fault." He felt tears touching his eyes, finally understanding what happened. "It's Gamarya's fault. He wanted to get to me." "I-I'm sorry Typo, but that isn't the only reason. He was j-jealous of you the entire time. H-he wanted me for himself." Typo grimaced and started to imagine horrible things. "It's okay now though, I can take care of you." "You can't... I belong to him... But I always loved you." Typo started crying. "No. No. Not again, please not again." He buried his face into Auryie's chest. "No, Typo, it's alright. Don't grieve. I want you to have your freedom back. The f-freedom that was taken from you. I may not be free, but you will b-be free." Typo cried harder. "No. I don't want freedom. I just want you." "I know you do. But that's not how this works." She tried to lift his head up. "I love you too, and I always have T-typo. It's time for y-you to start a new path..." She put a hand on the back of Typo's head, who's eyes were blurred with tears. "I don't want to say goodbye." "You don't have to. We will always be together in heart and mind." Auryie brought his head down and kissed him on the cheek. "H-how... About one more... For old time's sake?" Her brows shifted to the side. She felt and looked so sad, but she knew this was how it had to be. "B-but I'm so lonely. I don't want to let go." "I know you don't. But you won't be a-alone Typo. I-I'm giving you freedom from your past, and the ability to start a-anew..." Typo was sobbing. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you." "You don't... Need to apologize...." Typo leaned in and locked lips with Auryie as her body started to fade away. It lasted for a few seconds, their tongues dancing in unison until it was time to part ways. "I'll miss you." Auryie chuckled. "I told you... We'll be together... In heart and mind... Take my power Typo... And use it for the sake of others..." Auryie grabbed his hand as it glowed and grabbed the thief of muse's other hand. "Goodbye, Typo." Her body started falling apart; turning into flakey pieces that were taken away by the wind. Auryie's head glowed green as Typo cried, opening himself up to her. "No... No no no. I want you with me. Not just this..." "This is how it must be." Auryie closed her eyes, succumbing to her inevitable double death. "Well this way sucks-hic!" Typo said between gritted teeth. "I p-p-promise... Good will... Come from... This." Her head deteriorated as the power surged into Typo, who felt newness all over his body. He felt like there was another with him, but he couldn't quite reach it. A voice resounded in his mind, telling him not to worry and that she would always be there to protect him. Ying had some tears in his eyes. But Typo had taken it hard. He buried his face into the ground and started sobbing, feeling years of pain flow from his body. He felt like taking vengeance. Or to destroy everything. To become all powerful. But he looked inside himself, musing on it, and he took Auryie's soul and felt it comfort him. He would be faithful to her even in her death. He would move on. As much as it hurt. But he would always hold her above the rest. After a few minutes he got up, walked over to the ring blade, and captchalogued it. --- The Vark in the air was already dancing and singing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jgrCKhxE1s leaping from spot to spot like it was a ballerina dance. "Well doesn't that look familiar!" Mana said, catching Vark out of the corner of her eye. She backed up and Phynicxs closed in again. "Big mistake." Mana looked directly into Phynicxs eyes and his chest started to glow. He was unsure what was happening as he felt momentarily paralyzed. Mana dropped her sword, which disintegrated like squares of data falling away. The tendrils of blue-glowing silver started to slip back into her chest. Vark saw what was happening, not quite understanding it, and kicked and clawed, her pink energy nearly hitting Mana who twisted to the left, and rose as she started to fly, and stuck her hand deep into Phynicxs chest, who gasped. She pulled out what looked like a gun with a radar dish on the front, smiled, and fired it at Vark who took the blow. Vark felt like her body was reconfiguring itself, but at the same time she still felt the same as ever. Mana snorted at the illusion of Vark's new body, her own body glowing as she dived toward the ground, Phynixcs hot on her heels. The glow from the original Vark's body ceased and she felt good as new. Remembering what happened she hurried over to Twilight, who was already about to cast the time spell. Vark and Phynicxs disappeared into the past as Fluttershy hid behind Twilight. Mana threw the gun down toward the floor, reached her hand out, and pulled, a ton of purple spikes coming out of the ground and piercing the void. After a second it started to diffuse and fall apart, quickly deteriorating. Mana turned up, smiling at Phynicxs as he looked at his hands and body, being overcome with blue crystals. It hurt so much, like he was being pulled apart. The blue crystals surrounded him and then the crystals fell apart, falling to the floor. Pinkie Pie cried out, Twilight confused but putting two and two together quick. Pinkie Pie ran out, her emotions surging, and jumped in the air, spinning to buck Mana who grabbed her by the legs as her body glowed and started spinning her around. Mana let go, Pinkie Pie heading for a wall. Pinkie disappeared in a flash of green and reappeared close to Mana flying straight at her. Mana smirked and looked into Pinkie's eyes, whose chest started to glow as well. She pulled Pinkie's void out, noticing it was an extremely large streamer. Mana sighed as she turned, dodging Pinkie completely. "None of you are warriors." She twisted the streamer around, acting like a whip, and snapped it at Vark, pulling her down and punching her in the face, nearly knocking her out but causing her to see stars. Mana used Vark to slam Pinkie Pie away as she ran at her. Mana brought Vark and the streamer under her foot and was about to step on both to kill them. Vark had fear in her eyes as Mana reached out, barely paying attention, and pulled back, a bunch of purple spikes piercing through Pinkie Pie who screamed before disappearing. "NO!" Twilight shouted, using her telekinesis and moving Vark and the streamer out of the way, not entirely understanding but also not wanting to take a risk that she wasn't correct in her surmise. Right behind Mana Pinkie appeared, looking as angry as ever, and spun herself around and bucked Mana in the back who hadn't expected it, causing her to cry out, feeling something crack. Mana looked angrier than ever as she spun around, seeing Pinkie bleeding from the piercings, a little blood coming from her mouth and dripping to the floor. Mana also wasn't expecting when Twilight used her telekinesis to tear away Vark and the streamer from Mana's grasp. The streamer started to turn into glowing-blue silver tendrils which escaped and went back into Pinkie. Vark fell down and started getting her energy going again, noticing Smeareyes was sneaking up on Mana. Mana's body started to glow again, but before she could do anything Smeareyes had kicked her in the side and followed up with a spinning round house and ending with an aerial side kick, then jumped at Mana and vaulted off of her into the air, pulling out shuriken and throwing them at her. Mana screamed in fury as the sharp weapons hit her, causing her to bleed a little. She felt herself getting hyped up on emotions and was about to pull out her void again when Pinkie rushed her. Mana heard the sound and without paying attenion pulled purple spikes up from the ground, stopping Pinkie in her tracks but not stabbing her. The skin under Pinkie's pink coat was becoming pale as she bled more. Pinkie fell onto her side. Twilight was about to head for Pinkie when she noticed Phynicxs' destroyed blue crystals starting to glow with a rainbow light. She smiled as they started to reform. Mana was furious, having brought out the sword again and launching herself at Smeareyes who looked terrified for a moment before he brought his arms up. The woman in the cage was watching the intense battle, her emotions showing on her face. The destroyed crystals shook, and started slowly sliding to each other, the rainbow glow becoming more pronounced and significant the longer it took to bring Phynicxs back to life, the game's laws trying to recover his void. Mana tried to slice Smeareyes in half again but failed as Vark sent a kick of cuteness energy at Mana, who was thrown back. She gained control of herself again with her flight, and created another temporary blue glyph before launching off of it and coming at Smeareyes and Vark. Machine Whisperer's horn glowed as his wings buzzed, flying into the fray and reached into his private captchalogue deck and pulled out a small laser pistol, took aim, and fired it at Mana. Mana was taken by surprise and fell back as the energy hit her in the stomach, disintegrating skin and muscle, exposing some of her organs. It was a small hole, but enough of them would add up. Machine came in between Vark and Smeareyes and held the gun ready. Mana was furious, twisting as Vark sent a few more hits her way and focusing on the sword before swinging it, a large wave coming from it. Smeareyes and Vark went higher. Vark screamed as her left leg came off. Machine's wings were sliced clean off, who then fell from the air and landed in a broken heap on the ground, seething and hissing, almost crying, the emotion of sadness surprising him a little. Phynicxs pulled upon the blood on the floor and gathered it into a puddle. Mana was too focused on the others and was about to throw another wave their way, but Phynicxs brought his hands together and lifted them up. The blood rippled slightly, then a large spike came up out of it, getting bigger as the puddle grew smaller until all the blood was shaped into a spear that ran underneath Mana and right up into her brain, cutting her off. She convulsed once, and started to fall. Phynicxs fell to the ground, his energy spent, breathing hard. Phynicxs felt empty, like something had been taken from him. He felt so exhausted, most likely a result of how hard the game's mechanics had to work in order to bring him back to life. He still felt like the gears in the game that had brought him back were grinding to a halt, almost like this was the last time he could risk it before the game broke down for him completely. He cried out. Smeareyes coming down to him and lifting his best friend up. Mana fell in a heap as well, blood coming from her mouth and pouring out her wounds. Her jaw convulsed as she tried to make words. Vark cried on the ground, the pain immense. She tried to touch her leg, the phantom limb pulling at her sanity when she felt nothing there. The sensation was depressing. Twilight and Fluttershy went over to Vark first, trying to help her, but had no way of doing so. Twilight was starting to panic before Fluttershy tried to calm her, telling her nothing good would come of panic. The enemy was done. They had to do something to fix things up. Twilight yelled to Smeareyes, wanting him to help Pinkie. Smeareyes brought Phynicxs over to Pinkie. He laid his best friend down, who was breathing heavily. Phynicxs was having a hard time of this, but tried anyway, trying to clot the bloody wounds. The organs had to be clotted as well, and he did as good as he could before passing out, the back of his hand starting to glow as a symbol inlaid itself on the back of his hand. http://preview.tinyurl.com/kjc9xpf Machine Whisperer went over to Fluttershy and told her about Chrysalis, the weapon, and the girl in the cage. Vark returned to life because she was godtier (why else would she have such powers?) She did not die a heroic death or a just death. Then Phynicxs and Vark went back in time so that they could continue the battle where they had left off so that Mana would at the very least be distracted. Phynicxs never saw his death at Mana's hands and was thus more willing to go into the past and continue the timeline paradox. --- Typo felt like he was forgetting something. A fuzziness in his mind that wouldn't abate. He used his newly acquired mind powers to put Jordan in a temporary coma so they could carry him back to Rarity, who Ying was sure could help in this situation. And she had. Applejack wasn't up yet, but would wake up soon. "Oh dear Celestia what happened!?" Ying was the first to respond. "Jordan got hit with that axe. Applejack was knocked unconscious but she's okay and will wake up soon." Typo sighed and gave more detail. "We took out Auryie, all we need to do now is slow down the doom infestation in this area by destroying whatever's causing it. Since this is one of the main places, healing this area should help slow Gamarya down and give him less power." "Oh dear, you all sound like you've been busy - here give Jordan to me." Rarity brought her telekinesis up, while not as strong as Twilight's, she had learned control over it that rivaled the princesses. Floating Jordan over to her she immediately started searching his body, starting with his mind and this time she actually felt what was off. "That's strange, its like his personality has been cut in half." This caused Typo and Ying to look at each other. "So that's what was wrong with me?" Ying asked. "Yes dear, I'm pretty certain, but..." Rarity looked into herself, searching for what she had felt the first time, and started molding it like clay before bringing some out and and letting it seep into Jordan's soul. "I think he'll be okay soon, but where do you think the root is to this problem?" Typo brought his arms up to his chest and thought. "No doubt it's deeper in the forest, but it'll be hard to get there without Jordan's help, so we'll need to wait until he's awake." Ying protested that he could probably get them through safely, but Typo said even though normally the doom would probably affect Jordan the worst, Jordan was still the one with the sword and most used to the power of doom. No doubt his powers are based on that relationship. Ying thought about this and mentioned Jordan's powers in the fight with Gilda and how he seemed to reincarnate himself after potentially fatal hits. "Yes, that was most likely a result of his aspect's taint. He wields it like a pro though," Typo said, respect for Jordan in his voice. "We don't know what we'll find there, but he's our best bet."

My Little Forumites are Magic

Out of Time

Twilight was fast working, completely ignoring Mana's body. She went to the cage and used her telekinesis to move the lock's tumblers. She wasn't that good at such a thing, having never done it before, but she had enough background on old locks that she'd get it open eventually. The girl in the cage was wearing sylph of light clothing and she had candy-corn horns on the top of her head. She looked back at Twilight and smiled. She seemed starved among other things. "You should just leave me here. I'm going to die sooner or later. I'm doomed." This made Twilight angry as she fiddled with the lock, telling her they weren't leaving anyone behind. She was also extremely skeptical of the idea that this woman was doomed. And even if she did die sooner or later, she was going to get her out and help get her back into tip top shape before she died. Vark was staying with Pinkie's body, still missing her leg, and tried to cuddle with her, taking on a motherly role and trying to make sure she was comfortable. Machine Whisperer had asked for Phynicxs, Fluttershy, and Smeareyes to come with him. They were headed for Chrysalis and had every intention on stopping by the chamber with the weapon before leaving. When they got there, Chrysalis looked somewhat smaller than she had before, and a lot more frail. Smeareyes wasn't worried, unafraid and understanding of the changelings. "Hold on! We'll get you out of there." Chrysalis looked back and smiled, her pride gone and replaced by despair. She looked so sad, but the the idea of freedom perked her up. "But... What about the witch?" Smeareyes smiled and told her she was taken care of. This made Chrysalis smile, almost deviously, but it was the only smile she knew. Machine grabbed Chrysalis' attention as Smeareyes fiddled with the lock using one of his tools. "My queen, this one is here to rescue you from your bondage. This one could not follow the witch any longer. This one had a change of heart." Chrysalis was surprised, and then deeply disturbed. She looked away and muttered that he didn't belong here anymore. The changeling was taken aback, but understanding. He looked down, playing with his hooves. "This one is sorry, my queen. This one had expected this, as disappointing as it is, but this one would like to ask of you two favors for this one's new friends." Chrysalis was taken aback again and stared at the worker with wide eyes. "You're a worker, right?" Machine nodded, brows hanging low, and told her he had a name now, and that he'd probably be sticking with the others who had saved them from a potentially fatal future. "What are the favors?" Chrysalis was in no mood to argue. At least right now. She could bargain effectively. Besides, she was in the hands/hooves of this group of heroes. "This one has been thinking deeply about the issue, but we would like it if you released the ones who are kept in captivity." This surprised Chrysalis and she was about to disagree even if it meant her life, but at the same time she realized that they wouldn't survive without a good leader. She looked down, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Fluttershy took this opportunity to step forward. "I've been talking with Machine Whisperer and we think we may have a solution to your problem." Whisper stepped forward as Fluttershy twisted her head to watch him. "Up until this point, my queen, we have been abducting ponies and others in order to feed. But this one has figured another way. This one thinks that if we send some changelings to different towns and cities and try to fit in as ourselves, maybe... Maybe a lot of us would find some love. This one thinks that it may be possible and that it'd be a nice little experiment." Chrysalis was taken aback at the idea that the worker was considering this an experiment, but then realized the piece of individuality that all changelings had within them. "We may not be able to feel love, or anything like that. But this one thinks that we could act a certain way, and they'd never know the difference. And this way the others out in the world would not have to scavenge for love by impersonating others." Chrysalis thought about this. "I'll think about it, worker. Please leave." Machine was getting more and more depressed, not wanting to lose his... Family? Is that what he considered them? He felt so sad and looked at the ground as he talked. Fluttershy put a hoof over his shoulder and nuzzled him comfortingly. Machine looked up and felt his strength renewed by his new bonds. Machine wondered if maybe this was like another family. He understood bonds and family. "This one would like to ask one more favor." Chrysalis was surprised again, by how much gall this changeling worker had, but respected it. She wondered if he'd make a good leader. "What... Is it?" Chrysalis sighed. The lock was almost finished. This lock was very new. "This one requests that you let us have the weapon that has been stored here since ancient times." Chrysalis, once more, was taken aback at all of this, but nodded. "We have no use for it. Take it and use it well." This made Machine swell up with happiness. Being able to help his family. It made him feel so good. A power inside of him that he'd never felt before. Out of appreciation and... Love? No. It wasn't love. It was appreciation, respect, and relief. He pushed his hoof through the bars to hoof bump his queen. He was getting bolder with his new friends at his side. His new, extended family. Chrysalis smiled, and returned the gesture. "Please Machine, leave. And live for your new family." Chryaslis shook her head once, throwing the blue, transparent hair behind her. Smeareyes finished the lock and let Chrysalis out. Machine was quick to follow his queen's last order, and wanted to go check on the rest of his friends. Chrysalis smiled again for the second time in about a month. "I'll lead you to the chamber. Please take care of my worker. You can release the ponies in captivity, but please hurry before I doubt this idea and change my mind." Phynicxs told Smeareyes to go with her and get the weapon. He was going to start releasing the ponies. He zipped away on blood skates. Smeareyes smiled at Chrysalis and; although her eyes looked sad, she returned it genuinely. --- Jordan had helped immensely in getting through the doom infected forest, and was slowly healing the damage, having gotten the idea to try and absorb the power into Letum Coupant before surging life into the plants. His powers had kept the party safe from hazards and dangers, Typo helping occasionally by cutting the plants. As they got closer, a fog started to seep into the area. A deep fog that took away most vision. And that's when Typo noticed it. "Two players coming from 12 o' clock!" Jordan was startled and he brought the sword up as Ying got ready too. Typo brought his pinwheel close to him and reached out with his mind powers, sensing the unconscious thoughts. "One's a time player and the other's a light player." Knowing how dangerous time could be, they took a step back and tried to keep behind the trees. Their choice to leave the ponies behind for this one was a good choice. A figure in heir of time clothing appeared before them with a warp of light. He charged forward. Jordan's first reaction was to try and disable his legs and keep him from getting any closer, but all the life that touched him withered and died within a second. And everywhere the heir of time stepped seemed to trigger the transformation. The trio jumped into the trees, getting scared as the heir of time jumped into the air, flying right at Jordan, whose surprise was plainly evident. The heir of time had crimson hair dreadlocks and a dark face. Jordan brought his sword forward and tried to slash at the heir of time, but he disappeared in a flash and appeared right behind him. The warrior pressed his hand against Jordan's back, aging him by thousands of years per second, the immortality of godtier being put to the limits. Jordan felt every year pass by like he had to live it, and it drove him insane. He was on the verge of raving, but felt like he was being electrocuted, unable to get away. And that's when Typo tackled Jordan away, throwing the pinwheel back at the player. "You can't defeat one who walks with doom." The kid smirked, his voice unusually deep. Ying was fast, and as the kid disappeared he sensed where he was going to reappear, throwing his eraser sword at the kid. He hadn't been prepared for it and it went right through, partially going into a tree. The kid laughed and pulled it out, wielding it himself now. Ying tried to pull it back with his space powers but it wasn't working. The kid's hand glowed as he held the sword, and warped again. Jordan started to get up, feeling like he had aged to 40 years old, and knew that if that happened again he probably wouldn't be so lucky. And that's when talons came out of the fog and dug into his gut. He cried out and headbutted whatever was getting close to him. But when he did, he just fell forward off the branch, landing on his hands and arms, which gave out under him. Jordan grunted and looked up at the blue wind that had gone through him, and held his stomach, knowing who exactly it was. Ying looked through his captchalogue deck and pulled out a different sword, which looked like a bright frozen flame. It had a gear on the bottom of it, and parried the blow of the heir of time's attack, which chipped his ex-sword, surprising Ying. Typo brought his pinwheel around and threw it at Gilda, not used to the mind powers but making it look like there were two of the pinwheels coming from either side. They went right through. And then Gilda's body changed back into a solid, brandishing the anklet on her front left leg. She blew him a raspberry and started flying toward him. --- The chamber was immense and had a bunch of metal and glowing lights - most of which were charged gems. Smeareyes was deeply aware that Rarity would have a field day with this. "Do you mind if I take some of these gems, Queen Chrysalis?" She sighed and told him no, but then thought for a moment and told him just take one and pointed him over to one of the solitary machines. Chrysalis told him that wasn't connected to anything else, especially because the weapons would be brought out. Smeareyes took out one of his earliest weapons. A small, unassuming card with his favorite suit on it. It felt like metal and he placed it close to the bright gem, carving it out as the card vibrated dangerously. He examined the gem as it glowed, and realized it might have more power in it. He captchalogued it and the card, and hurried over to the fancy mechanical pedestal that had once housed different graphs, measures, and displays of the weapons buried into the pedestal halfway. They were chakrams. Smeareyes whistled, examining them as Chrysalis stood by and waited. This was a nice pair of chakrams. They were red with silver lining and looked like they had wires criss-crossing all over the weapons with green energy. He grasped them tightly and tried to pull them up and out. Failing this, he noticed Chrysalis was laughing and asked her what was so funny. She told him to pull from an angle. He furrowed his brows and did as he was told, and they came out smoothly. He could feel the immense power contained within and examined them with respect and an open mouth. Chrysalis mentioned they seemed to suit him and that he should keep them. Smeareyes said he'd talk it over with Phynicxs. Smeareyes asked what the power in them was for and she told him. "The ponies here were advanced - extremely advanced. In this underground area they studied time and space, as well as extra dimensions. There was another weapon they kept here, but someone stole it before we took over the place." She began to tell him how the space weapon was supposed to open slits in different dimensions that you could walk through. She told him that a lot of mathematics had to be performed in order to get the space properties correct. She explained to him how the chakrams were meant to cut through small pieces of time. They were meant to cut through timelines. It was an extremely powerful weapon. Then she told him about how she'd had some of her best and most knowledgeable underlings study the weapons and to try and make it so they didn't have to be charged anymore. And they succeeded after years of laborious study. She said at one point she had wanted to use them to take over the world, but for the sake of keeping the world intact, she had chosen to leave them. She said that she figured Smeareyes would be able to wield them responsibly, especially the more she saw of how much he cared for others even if he didn't always show it. Smeareyes was stunned and captchalogued them, the cards glowing with the same green energy as the chakrams rested inside. It was amazing how much power they held. He thought about destroying them, but decided that it'd be good to keep with him even if he decided to never use it. Lest it fall into the wrong hands. Chrysalis pointed over to the far wall and a one-way elevator, mentioning that it had been built so they could get out, but so it would be close to impossible for anyone to get in, especially considering all the materials used to keep the elevator contained. Smeareyes nodded toward her, thanked her, and quickly "got out of her hair." - Machine Whisperer was quick. He had gotten one more idea, thinking it to be a good one, and snuck into some of the other, smaller chambers, and took quite a few computers with him, using his specially designed captchalogue cards. Although that's not what he called them. He had made them using small notes that had been left behind in various areas. It had taken a few years, but he'd perfected it and made them better, but he wasn't very aware that the players used something similar to him for inventory management. He was quick to get out. - Phynicxs was amazed with the telepathy Chrysalis held with her changelings, especially because Mana had been able to copy it. He was still extremely tired, but he felt something surging within him. He still felt empty inside, like something was dearly missing - a large part of who he was, but something had filled that space. It felt like responsibility, like the feeling inside him was sentient in some strange way. That or his subconscious had latched onto whatever it was and understood it more than he did. He had gotten the ponies out quickly, going from room to room, building to building, thankful that he was able to relax before zooming around like this. The changelings offered up little resistance, but a lot of worry and anxiety. He tried to comfort them, as much as he could. The ponies were in no condition to travel far, but he decided the best bet was to get them to all get out of the city at the very least, and he'd think of something later, possibly involving Thunderhead. Damn, Phynicxs was tired. - Vark listened to the conversation going on at the other side of the throne room, staying close to Pinkie. Fluttershy had gotten back about the time Twilight finally picked the lock. The troll girl had told them that her name was Aranea, and that she'd been expelled from her session. She looked left and right, unsure about something, but Twilight caught onto it and motioned for her to tell them. She agreed, reluctantly, looking resigned, and told them how she was the product of a doomed timeline that had to be fixed. She wasn't certain what had happened to her friends, but she had been travelling for awhile, very confused as to how she had lived so long. Twilight suggested that maybe she wasn't really doomed at all. Aranea had doubts about this and explained in short what doomed timelines were. Twilight nodded and suggested an alternative, one that explained how maybe she was still alive because it wasn't a completely doomed timeline and she had something she still had to do before she died. Aranea nodded and agreed this might be the case, as it would explain a lot. The amount of years she had been travelling exhausted her just by thinking about it. She sighed and asked if they could get out of here - she wanted to feel fresh air again. Twilight and Fluttershy agreed. Twilight looked over at Vark and Pinkie and wrapped them up in her telekinesis, trying to be as gentle as possible as they made their way out, and would later meet up with Machine Whisperer.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Close Calls and Time for Rest

Ying was having a difficult time dodging his own sword, deciding that parrying would sooner or later take out his ex-sword entirely. When he saw an opening he tried to take it and ended up missing and overextending as the heir of time appeared behind him, stabbing him in the back, barely missing his spinal column. Ying gasped and pulled away, blood starting to pour through the empty space. Ying grimaced and knew he had to end this soon. He called at Typo who was constantly trying to attack Gilda but always missing. Breath versus breath is pretty much a stalemate. Typo grimaced too and they both shouted switch, but before they could the heir of time jumped down from the tree tops and started trying to attack Typo; although this heir of time had no weapon and was instead using martial arts. "I am the nature of change itself. You should just give up and accept your deaths," said the heir of time. Jordan was crying out as he tried to heal himself, but this was age, not just damage. He started to get up. Trying desperately to. Gilda came down and stabbed through Jordan's back and started to lift him into the air. He couldn't turn around, and all he saw was the forest floor. Ying looked at the heir of time behind him and tried to swing his sword but it was parried and gained another chip. He screamed and attacked again. Another parry and another chip. This was getting bad. He had to do something. And that's when he felt the presence behind him. He ducked and jumped forward, trying to stab the heir of time in front of him, who was surprised but quickly brought the eraser sword and parried that too. Typo was using the pinwheel ineffectively, trying to keep the punches and kicks from hitting, and sometimes there were multiple kicks at the same time, sometimes a leg or arm would disappear and reappear in another spot, trying to hit him, and always kept him from cutting off one of the heir of time's limbs. He was having a hard time using his reflexes and started to look into himself and find Auryie's power. "You can't beat me. I eat paradoxes and doomed timelines for breakfast." The heir of time in front of Ying tried to lop his head off but missed and nearly got hit with the sword. The heir of time jumped up and went back in time. The heir of time behind Ying stabbed him again and he fell forward before rolling over and throwing the sword at the heir of time, who just disappeared. Ying cried out, bleeding harshly, and his skin was going pale. Was this where it ended? He quickly got up, rolling backwards and pushing himself up onto his feet, bouncing a moment from the momentum and jumped forward, slashing at the heir of time who backed up, and Jordan came around and brought Letum Coupant up, hacking off the heir of time's arm and embedding itself into the right side of his chest. The heir of time gasped and looked at the offender who was cut up bad but had gotten away from Gilda. The heir of time that was attacking Typo ceaselessly lost his arm, it fading away, but Typo wasn't done yet, focusing on the heir of time in front of him and splitting his image into three while jumping to the side and all three threw the pinwheel at once. The heir of time was about to go back in time but failed and his body was chopped in half by the pinwheel. He smirked as the others started to feel relief, Gilda coming down from the heaven's with a bleeding wing and dived at the heroes as the heir of time defied time and paradoxes by bringing his body back together using time. You could almost hear the grinding of gears cease, sparking as they tried to move forward. The heir of time smiled bigger, his body going into a doomed timeline, but he knew it wouldn't change a thing in this situation. Ying was bleeding bad and about to pass out. He saw Gilda going for Jordan again as Jordan went for the heir of time. Ying jumped between them and slashed at Gilda, who saw it coming, a piece of her body turning into breath before she slit Ying's throat. He was about to collapse but had one more trick up his sleeve. He glowed as his emotions of despair started to build, knowing that this was a prince of light, and as Gilda tried to grab him in her talons, he put his hand against her wing and a surprised Gilda started turning into breath, but the knight of space had done it. His hand glowed green and pieces of the breath flashed and started to deteriorate into the atmosphere. Ying fell to his knees and died as his wounds holed up, but having lost too much blood. Gilda screamed as Typo and Jordan went head to head with the heir of time. Gild had started bleeding again into her new bandages, a piece of her right wing ripped off from the space power, and her throat slit. Gilda's consciousness faded as she accepted death. The knight of doom dropped down next to Gilda, having finally gotten to the location he was needed in. --- The group got out of the city fast, Machine Whisperer bringing ponies out who had been used for slave labor and love whom had been in the caves/catacombs. They were all so thankful, but most of them could hardly walk very far. They needed help. Thunderhead was there, laying down as Phynicxs napped up on top, the blood he had taken from him sticking him to the dragon firmly so that he wouldn't fall off. They were ready to go, but they didn't know how they were going to bring all the ponies with them. There were tons. Twilight smiled, being modest but saying she could handle it. She had done harder things before. She was weak, but telekinesis came naturally to her - her cutie mark was for magic after all. She wrapped her magic around the ponies in a group rather than taking them up individually. Some of them were surprised, but most had passed out due to exhaustion, fatigue, and long-lasting trauma. Twilight also grabbed Vark and Pinkie again, happy to be going home, which gave her more motivation than she already had from rescuing all the ponies. She told Thunderhead that they should head for Manehattan first and drop at least some of them off there. They might have to fly from city to city and drop some off, but believed that with enough time each pony would be going back to where they belonged. Smeareyes sat next to Phynicxs, while Twilight and Fluttershy talked together and tried to understand most of what had happened. Things would be good, and Fluttershy knew they had made a huge change, a necessary one. But she hadn't been able to do it herself. She needed the help of her friends, and was always aware of that, but maybe she could start relying on herself a little more. She started thinking, and decided she should devote some time into strengthening her wings. Twilight still had to research and would be busy for awhile. Machine Whisperer had grabbed his cut off wings and kept them in his captchalogue deck, and had made sure he could stay in touch with Chrysalis; although she wasn't aware of it yet. He decided he should wait awhile before contacting her. --- "I'm sorry Gilda, but Gamarya doesn't want you leaving us just yet." He picked her up by the scruff as though she weighed nothing to him, and started feeding his doom power into her. His power fought the death that had overtaken her and killed it, bringing her back to life. Her eyes opened, comprehendingly, but her body felt too weak to do anything. She hung limply and frowned, the peace that she had experienced after death gone. But this was where she needed to be. Right? She felt so depressed, her light destroyed after so long. She glared at the others and the knight of doom started to leave, taking Gilda with him. The heir of time cursed as he expertly fended off two players at once with just his hands. "Next time you won't be so lucky, losers!" He gave them the finger as he flew away, fast, before going back in time and flying off to where the knight of doom would soon do the same. Typo grabbed Jordan and told him no, a worried look on his face. The knight of space didn't get up. He was dead. Typo scooped up his body and started heading back, Jordan coming with him, who felt so weak. --- It was a long trip back, and Twilight Sparkle often had to rest for a day to re-energize herself. All of this had taken a lot out of her. The others accepted it as a time to either goof off or rest themselves. Phynicxs and Smeareyes discussed what had happened to Mana and him. He wanted to try doing what Mana had done after Smeareyes had told him about the symbol that had changed hands. Phynicxs looked deep into Smeareyes' eyes, and was surprised when the light on Smear's chest opened up. He stuck his hand inside and pulled out Smear's void. - Most of the ponies that had been rescued were sleeping in the fresh air after having been in terrible conditions for months on end. Some satisfied a portion of their hunger by grazing on whatever they could, not knowing when their next meal would come. Twilight and Thunderhead had figured out a path they could take between cities and small towns, and would leave small groups of the ponies in those areas so that they could get help but not overwhelm the places they were left at. Planning had also taken a lot out of Twilight, the faint thought that she'd have to start planning more when she sent others back in time. She wondered why she'd have that thought, as this would all be over soon, wouldn't it? She wasn't aware how right that thought was. - Vark continued sleeping by Pinkie's side, who was still in a minor coma due to the blow to her head. They had done as much as they were able to, but now all they could do was wait. Vark's leg was still cut off, but the wound had sealed off, becoming nothing more than a nub. It made it hard for her to walk, but she soon figured it out with practice. Twilight had promised her that she'd find a way to help her and make her stronger at the same time, as Twilight felt what power Vark had wasn't enough for her possible future, which Vark seemed to dread. Occasionally Vark would chat with Phynicxs and Smeareyes, Phynicxs often seeming like he was hiding something lately, but could barely keep it to himself anymore. - Machine Whisperer spent most of his time fiddling with the computers he had stolen, and used a program he had created himself years ago for the computers, which allowed him to log onto points of data lost in the universe that seemed to span massive amounts of time and space. There was rarely anything new to look at or read, but he satisfied himself with partaking from what he could and in putting in his own content. He also spent time maintaining his laser pistol, occasionally taking target practice at the area around him. Every time he got to chat with one of his friends about something, being it his passion for technology which got stronger every day - filling some of the voids in his life that Smeareyes had created, or sometimes gossip. They accepted it well, especially because the stories he made up never went overboard, but most knew it was just gossip; although sometimes he'd throw in something truthful that he had learned and loved watching the information get around and seeing the reactions of others. Machine Whisperer had always been a worker, and thus had rarely if ever gone out into the field to get love or anything else. All this extra time he had he used by finding new hobbies, one of which being testing his transformations and his acting, finding he had a natural flair for the dramatic even though he should have been acting exactly like the ponies he impersonated from time to time. He also occasionally played a prank or two. Another thing was that he was starting to design his own machines, his mind having a natural talent with invention, using the information he had obtained combined with his own creativity. The more he learned about himself, the more he was thankful for this chance to not be just a worker anymore, and figured sooner or later he'd let Queen Chrysalis in on all of this. - Smeareye's void turned out to be eyeliner that masqueraded as a master key. This surprised Phynicxs somewhat and he put it back. It was like dual items that he'd heard about before, much like the records about Kanaya that mentioned she'd had a tube of lipstick that doubled as a chainsaw. He wondered if his best friend was distantly related to Kanaya. He would never be sure though. - Fluttershy spent a lot of her time with the animals in the wilds and used them and her own kindness and attention span by helping the other ponies get over what had happened to them. To help change their state of mind. Fluttershy always knew animals were therapeutic, and this just gave her a chance to learn that in spades.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Sunset

Darkness. Darkness everywhere. Ying found himself in his old room on his old planet when he finally opened his eyes. He sat up quickly, gasping and sweating profusely, like he had just had a nightmare. He got up and headed over to his computer to tell his matesprite about the dream. When he finally got a hold of her he started explaining it, but something was wrong. The more he explained it the less sense he made. This wasn't the nightmare he'd had. And then things started to come back to him, one by one. His old matesprite seemed to be stuck in time while he started trying to ask different questions about where he was and what was going on and why he was in a dream bubble but his girlfriend didn't seem to even be paying attention to his frantic posts and was just going on and on about what had once happened. Ying got up quickly, pacing about his room as memories flooded back to him. About how he hadn't been able to save his matesprite. He started crying again as though the old wound was now fresh. Like time was happening all at once and everything started weighing on him. He remembered how he hadn't been able to get to her in time, unaware that he'd never see her again because he couldn't get her into the game with him. She wasn't one of the destined players, and it had hurt him bad. He had spent so much time grieving when he was alone, regretting his failure when he had learned what had befallen her. What had befallen everyone on his old planet. He held closer to his principles and values the more he grieved, becoming a knight through loss. The space that had been in his heart from her inevitable death opened new. He cried for her, and for Rainbow Dash, as everything started colliding together. He felt so many open spaces in his heart, he felt like he was about to have a heart attack. And then he realized where he was. He hadn't been able to change much of anything, a weakness he had soon started associating with his space aspect, constantly despairing that he hadn't been the hero of time. He didn't realize that even if he was, it probably wouldn't have worked if he'd tried to save them. He held his head in his hands and jumped onto his bed. He sobbed and felt the presence of other dream bubbles trying to connect with his own, but he used his space power to push them away. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to pity himself after all the bad things that had happened. It hurt so much. He felt a tug on his being, and realized that he was dead. And yet... He knew prospit well, and also was familiar with the horrorterrors. Through his time in the session they had all often given him advice and seemed to act like teachers toward him, as though he had something important to do in the future. But he didn't hear the voices of the horrorterrors now and he knew for a fact Skaia was gone. He couldn't get advice from anyone. He started to despair even more, wanting to die twice so all of this would just go away. He felt like he'd failed, having never found his predetermined purpose. And then it hit him. Slowly. He hiccuped and started to think. Thinking back on all the things and his thoughts resting on the heir of time he had fought. He wondered about the doomed timelines, and started to wonder... The horrorterrors and the Skaian clouds had guided him during their long session, and he had considered them great teachers considering before he had mostly been on his own. He started to wonder... Did he really have a predetermined purpose? If he did, wouldn't it have come by now? He felt so confused, and his crying ceased only for him to desperately want to bang his head against a wall. This was so confusing, and the memories were just making it worse. He didn't want this. He wanted out. He was so exhausted, and felt so weak in so many ways. - Ying felt like he had been out for hours. Maybe even days or months or years. He felt refreshed, but all the memories slowly came back and he started tackling them again. He thought about the idea of his predetermined purpose. Everything he had been taught made him wonder if like the empty and full spaces in his heart. Maybe... Maybe he was supposed to determine his own purpose? And then he wondered if that would make his predetermined purpose his chosen purpose? It made his head hurt despite being in a dreambubble and being dead. He sat down on his bed, musing on this. The spaces in his heart felt extreme, and the more he started focusing on it, he realized that he still had Dash to take care of. His eyes opened wide, shocked. He still had more to do. And he wondered if that was his purpose. And then he sensed something in the void. Spaces that were empty and spaces that were filled. "I know you're there." The voice was of one of the horrorterrors, but he could understand their speech perfectly despite it being extra-dimensional. He seemed to understand it better than a lot of other players and people. The horrorterror that spoke to him whispered to him in their own tongue. That he was brought here for a reason, and that reason was to muse. To figure things out. And then the horrorterror whispered to him that his aspect was the answer. And that's when Ying fully realized his potential. He realized slowly but surely that despite the void, he could go anywhere and wherever he wanted. Wherever there was space. And as he thought, he realized his eraser sword had been a key clue, telling him that he was the knight of space. He was the knight of making space and defending space. Did this mean he lived to destroy the void? The horroterrors whispered no, trying to guide him to the truth. Was he supposed to protect space? Be it full or empty? Not exactly. He started to think on this and the area around him grew bright. And then he understood. He was as free as space. He was not limited, much like the heir of time hadn't been limited. He could make space wherever he wanted, he just needed the will. He needed the drive. He needed to live for himself for the sake of others. He needed to make space for more. He needed to make space and work with the others. Even if that meant he had to be someone that he wasn't, so that he could be someone who he was, whenever trouble arrived. The contradiction threw him for a loop, but he felt like he'd had the epiphany of epiphanies. And everything went white. Rarity and Applejack were crying, Applejack's face buried in her stetson. Typo and Jordan (Jordan being aged a lot still) stood in silence and respect, thinking about Ying. And that's when it happened. It took forever, but the glow started. The rainbow glow that signified a player's revival. And it was fast. A groan came from the ground as the others backed away and gasped. Jordan almost screamed, "Is he a zombie or something!? No one can stay dead that long why did it even take that long?!" Another groan and Ying tried to lift himself up. His whole body was sore, but he felt renewed. His memory was pitch perfect and he was ready for a battle. He felt changed, but at the same time he still felt the same. The contradiction was nice and it was almost comforting in a weird way. A lot like he had felt being guided by both Skaia and the horrorterrors. It was nice. "Yo." He smiled and waved at the others around him. The ponies smiled and huggle-tackled Ying, who were smiling. The contact made him feel fuller. "So, what'd I miss?" Typo and Jordan had hanging open mouths as they looked at each other, closed their mouths, and smiled at Ying, their friend brought back from the dead, or brought back from the edge of death, if not slightly over the precipice of death. "We're almost done here Ying, we just have to destroy whatever's causing the doom aspect to spread in this area. Once we get rid of it we can go back to Ponyville and meet up with the others." Typo stated. Ying nodded. "I doubt we'll have anymore resistance." It was a feeling he had. A hunch. Like things had gone the way they needed to go, and yet he still felt a lingering feeling that things could be changed in a second by the mere thought. It was kind of a disturbing feeling, thinking that change could happen so easily with someone with a strong enough will. They left the ponies behind and made their way into the forest, same as before, Ying finding and grabbing his two swords. But this time they destroyed the statue of Gamarya that had been placed. It felt like it had been bolted down, but it hadn't. Ying and Jordan found that they had to combine their powers, using space and life to uplift the statue from the ground before it could be destroyed, as though it belonged on the earth. No doubt it had been carried by a captchalogue card. Ying was aware how easily they could end up running into another enemy, but his subconscious was calm and healed. He felt like everything would be okay, no matter what happened. It was a peace that had been given to him during his "near"-death experience. And it stayed with him after the epiphany. He understood more, and at the same time he was aware there was so much more to understand. On the way back Typo and Jordan talked about how the hundreds of years that had been forced on him caused him to feel a little more fragile than when he was a younger god-tier. Jordan explained his desire and hope that soon he'd be able to shed or shave off the years again. Their missions were successful. They had the ancient weapons and they had slowed, if not completely stilled the growth and infestation of doom powers. Everyone was joyous, and yet everyone was sad, having learned about Rainbow Dash and what had happened. Twilight had taken it hard. She was unable to speak the rest of the day, trying to come to grips with it and the fact that all the magic in the world couldn't save her. She thought about going back in time and fixing this, and was confused. She tried to figure out if the failure to save Rainbow Dash was because she had already gone back in the past to try it, or if there had been a failure to save Rainbow Dash because she never did go into the past. She was so confused, and talked about it with the other players, especially Ying who knew a lot about time. Over a period of a few days she came to grips with it, but was still in grief and would occasionally remember something that would set her off. She put it to the side though as they tried to decide what to do with the body and what to do about the funeral, Rainbow Dash being kept at a small morgue on the outskirts of town, and focused on strengthening her allies through her own work and knowledge. She'd built an artificial hand for Jordan made mostly out of gems, imbuing them with the magic of motion and giving some of the bigger gems on the inside the power of telekinesis, so that maybe Jordan would be better equipped for later battles. For Vark she immediately started working on a replacement leg, and knowing what she did of Vark and sound, decided to build it so that it could send out vibrations that could brutally affect her enemies. She tried to strengthen it as much as possible by encasing it in metal, and putting in small holes for the sounds to be released. Vark appreciated it a lot. Another project Twilight worked on was absorption. She learned quickly how to absorb magic with Pinkie Pie's occasional help, having finally woken up and seemed better than ever. She learned how to absorb magic from other creatures and after learning what happened to Jordan had tried to find a way to reverse it, soon coming up with the idea to absorb time and age. The experiment was successful and much joy was had. Pinkie Pie spent most of her time locked up in Sugarcube corner after hearing about Dash, talking with imaginary friends in the shapes of bags of flour, rocks, and other such things. Over time she came to grips with what had happened, grieving in her own way, and learned from her own subconscious that Rainbow Dash wouldn't want her death to be mourned. She would want her death to be awesome, and there was nothing more awesome in Pinkie Pie's crying eyes than an enormous party. She would make the others happy. She would make the others laugh. And most important of all, she would learn how to laugh again herself after losing her long sought-after crush, knowing she would never get to tell her how much she loved her. They had about a month to prepare to face the lord of doom, which gave her enough time to plan it. Machine Whisperer instantly went into hiding, only coming out to socialize once in awhile and try to find a girlfriend - which he did in spades. Or, rather, hearts. He did it in hearts. The relationship was healthy, and practicing what he preached he found his own place in Ponyville, though he often kept to himself and his inventions, talking to players about their captchalogue cards once he figured out that they were very similar to each other. Fluttershy had also taken it hard. She had spent a lot of the time in her cottage, trying to come to terms with Rainbow's death. It hurt her hard, and she felt weak and unable to change anything. That she couldn't succeed no matter how hard she tried. She felt like a failure that would almost always be too weak to do anything. Her animal friends tried to help cheer her up, and succeeded over time as a determination as strong as Rainbow's started coming over her. Rarity worked with Twilight in trying to figure out and find a use for the gem that Smeareyes had brought back to Ponyville. They set it to the side and would work on that later. Phynicxs, over time spending by himself, finally decided he should come out with the truth. It just felt like she couldn't keep the secret anymore; although she wasn't exactly sure why. Meeting up with Ying and Smeareyes, he revealed herself as a she. She told them about her time growing up and how in order to live in the world and be able to show her natural talent at her job, that she had to disguise everything about herself as a guy. She sighed, knowing that she would understand if they didn't want to be friends anymore. But that was far from what happened. Smeareyes had figured it out awhile back, very, very slowly. She was his best friend and would love her no matter what. Ying was taken aback and shocked, until he started to think about it. He was just as accepting as Smeareyes; although he felt a little bad that he wasn't able to figure it out for himself, considering he often knew lots of things, partially from his time with both the Skaian clouds and the horrorterrors. Smeareyes and Machine Whisperer collaborated and made a new strife specibus, setting it to chakramKind.

My Little Forumites are Magic

How to Crash a Party

Typo was surprised when one day he felt the presence of two players coming to Ponyville. One was named Tune, and he had a violin imbued with the power of mind. He wore the clothing and codpiece of a bard of hope. He seemed very friendly, and so did his companion who was named Gia but often went by the name Sandy around friends. Gia was a dragoness, about the same size as Spike, but larger and seemingly more mature. Tune and Gia were partners, but Gia always seemed to stress that even though they had been in the same session, they had never actually gotten close to each other in... That way. Gia was a blue dragon with green spines along her back. Her fire was blue too, and it could melt the hardest of steel. Gia explained how she had narcolepsy, and had two aspects. One was heart, and the other was mind. She was a sylph. Pinkie Pie had been unwilling to throw the two a welcome to Ponyville party, caught up with Rainbow Dash's life celebration, but decided she would add a subparty to the main party. Vark and Tune hung out together occasionally, and Vark spent some of her time trying to comfort Pinkie whenever she felt down. Applejack had been busy working on the farm, working harder than usual to try and bury her grief, which she didn't know was unhealthy until Twilight confronted her about it and decided to give Applejack some therapy. Rarity had also worked on Vark's artificial, sound weapon, leg, Twilight having needed her superior telekinesis control to put in the smallest of parts. When Gia and Spike met, Spike had immediately been in love, and was confused about who he should be after - Rarity or Gia? Gia took it on herself to teach Spike a few things, thinking he was cute and a potentially great friend. Gia felt as though Spike would be her life's main purpose, and had taken him under her wing - not literally. She actually had no wings, stating that they'd been cut off before her session and had lived a long life on the ground, which Spike could relate with and had an easier time accepting her as a teacher more than a potential mate. Gia had attained godtier but tended not to fly very much unless necessary. Whenever her narcolepsy kicked in, her body morphed into a maroon dragoness with brown spines, and then when it ended she'd change back. She mentioned that neither of these two forms were her real form, and that she hadn't changed into her real form for years. The sylph of light with horns was Aranea. And as for her, she spent her days going from house to house and trying to fix any problems that arose, be it between room-mates, lovers, or family members. She also studied history and taught. She didn't seem to want to make friends with the others, only to fulfill her purpose in helping. Part of her wanted to move away from Ponyville and take up residence in Canterlot based on what she heard there. She felt she would be able to help many, gain a reputation, and make good business there. Occasionally Twilight would call on her to help with Applejack's therapy. Pinkie Pie sent invites to all the new friends, and was ready for the life celebration party, having decided that she'd speak of Rainbow Dash at the podium, which her friends didn't mind except for maybe Twilight who wanted to add a few things into the speech of positivity. Machine Whisperer was a fighter at heart, and had developed weapons for his new pony friends. He intended to take them with him to the party and give them their presents individually, carrying them in his specially-improved captchalogue deck. When he got there the only ones at the party so far were Pinkie and Vark. The power inside of Machine always pulsated whenever he saw his friends. He knew it wasn't love, but it was something that he felt may have been close enough, the more he looked on it. He hadn't brought his marefriend, as she didn't know Rainbow Dash much, if at all; although he did know that Tune had insisted that Gia and him go to the party. He smiled, giving Vark a tight hug, enjoying the contact, and pulled out a gift wrapped with green and pink polka-dot wrapping paper from his captchalogue deck with his telekinesis, having learned gift wrapping off of the pieces of data he could access with his personal computer. Pinkie was surprised and for the first time in awhile her hair poofed out curly again, smiling happily. "Presents? It's not even my birthday yet!" Machine seemed nervous, knowing that they probably wouldn't want the gifts, but felt that he should give it to them anyway. It was who he was. "This one doesn't know if you will like it, but this one wants you to know that it is practical and useful, and that this one is sure you can modify it to suit your needs, whatever that may be." Pinkie Pie seemed a bit off after that, but opened it excitedly anyway. When she opened it she was surprised. It was a dual cannon that you could strap to your back. It had gems inlaid on it and had two very large packs on either side that, with the use of the gems on either side, helped keep the weight steady on both sides. Part of the boxes were saddle bags, but Pinkie, familiar with technology to some degree, realized that part of the packs were used for energy storage. And, as Pinkie thought about it, probably other things if he could get Twilight to upgrade it. She hugged Machine and thanked him for it, letting him know that it was a great present and she would find many uses for it. Machine Whisperer pulled out two cards from his deck. One was a strifespecibus and the other was a captchalogue card. He told her that to put it in and to take it out all one needed to do was focus. The specibus card he explained as being something that allowed her to understand the machine to the best of her ability and use it to its maximum effectiveness. When Pinkie took it she felt her aim skyrocket. She seemed a bit shellshocked but then smiled, and told him that it was really cool that he had built in laser sights just to help out. Machine had forgotten about that and thanked her for the compliment. Machine and Vark talked about her artificial leg and how it was made while Pinkie practiced her speech. In her head, not wanting to give away the surprise. Machine turned and saw as the next party goers came in and started to mingle with the others. Gia, Tune, Twilight, and Spike. Machine had spent some time with Spike before and had decided to give him a small, but potentially helpful gift. He pulled Twilight and Spike to the side, giving Twilight the captchalogue card with her weapon on it and told her to put it on, pulling out two specibus cards. Twilight was surprised when what seemed like a piece of jewelry wrapped around her horn. She almost panicked but realized it wasn't dimming her power. Machine explained the gem-inlaid machine around her horn would strengthen her magic depending on what she was thinking, and kinetically handing her the strife specibus, which surprised her when she took it because she started to understand all the ways to use its power effectively. Twilight smiled and hugged Machine Whisperer; although it was a little tight and cut off his breath. Next, he handed Spike two strife specibus cards, one was clawKind and the other was teethKind. When Spike took them he suddenly understood how to most effectively use his natural weapons against enemies, and there was a little more than that too. He felt like his natural weapons were stronger than before in some way. Machine explained to him how under the right circumstances it would be possible to upgrade his claws and teeth, but he didn't know how yet. He only knew because of some of the documents he had gone through in the ancient city. Both thanked and hugged him and they went off, Twilight feeling like maybe she could protect others more now, realizing that her sparkle bubble would be stronger than before. She didn't know when she might need it, but she knew better than anyone better safe than sorry. Twilight and Spike moved on and started to mingle with the others; although Spike grabbed some sweets on his way there. Typo and Jordan were next to the party, both wearing tuxedos, having expected a posh party. When they realized what the party was, they thought about changing their clothes but decided against it. No big deal, right? Machine was getting excited - feeling very happy that his presents had been accepted. They understood him and appreciated him looking out for them like anyone in a family would. This was his family, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt he'd protect it. Ying, Phynicxs, and Smeareyes came next, immediately leaving to mingle with the others and play some games that were starting that didn't really interest Machine. Almost, if not all of the games, seemed to revolve around something Dash had done in her past, but not all were. Smeareyes was wearing more eye shadow than usual, and all three of them were dressed nicely, but not too nicely. Phynicxs had no dresses or anything of the sort, but modified her rogue of blood garment to better portray her lady-ness. Machine wished the others would get here soon so he could show his other friends his accomplishments. He would find someone to talk about technology with later, probably Pinkie and Vark. When Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity came he pulled out three captchalogue cards. One was of four horeshoes with diamonds in the sides, and some blades protruding out from front and back. He gave this one to Applejack along with the strife specibus hoofKind, letting her know that the gems in the hoofshoes would strengthen her and allow her to glide. To Rarity he gave a staff with a gem inlaid on it. He had made it after hearing about Rarity's part of the most recent adventure, and had made it to enhance her sixth sense and would allow her to cast small illusions. Rarity absolutely loved it, not wanting to fight with it because of how it was carved and molded. It was beautiful and it fit her nicely. She gave Machine a long hug and a kiss on the cheek which, if he wasn't a changeling, would have made Machine blush. The next captchalogue card and strife specibus went to Fluttershy. It was a pair of goggles with a butterfly in the middle that seemed to form fit her nose. He explained how it would draw on her inner magic power and manifest it as a weapon, much like a psychic attack. He explained that in the future she would probably be able to come up with small modifications if she studied a bit. Fluttershy expressed her doubts about being able to use it. Machine called it nonsense and affirmed that she would be able to handle it. Machine, finally done giving out presents, went to go talk with Pinkie and Vark. An hour later, Pinkie was ready to give her speech. It was about Rainbow Dash, how she had grown up in a somewhat abusive home. How she had overcome it by putting more effort into her practice, how she stood up for others even when Gilda would have left them alone. Pinkie explained how Rainbow Dash knew what it was like to feel alone and unwanted, and how she stayed loyal to any whom she felt were worthy, often siding with the underdog, being an underdog herself. Pinkie talked about how Rainbow Dash's standing up for Fluttershy had led to her performing a sonic rainboom, causing the six ponies to gain their cutie marks at the same time. Pinkie explained how it was always when things were on the wire, when everything depended on her performance and speed, how it was when everything was on the line that her true power came out and she fulfilled her potential. Pinkie talked about her dreams to enter the wonderbolts and how she'd saved lives, including some wonderbolts and Rarity's life. She talked about her accomplishments and how Rainbow Dash wanted everything to be as cool as her, explaining that her ego was partly due to what she had experienced in her past life. Pinkie mentioned how in actuality Rainbow Dash was often very insecure, but hid it with show-boating. Of course she wasn't always insecure, and that was around her friends. Dash was possibly the most loyal pony in the world, going out of her way to sacrifice something of herself so that others would be empowered. Pinkie explained Rainbow's tough love whenever she tried to act as a coach. Finally, Pinkie explained as much about Rainbow's death as she knew and had heard. How she had not gone on the offensive in a fight against an ex-friend and had blindly believed in the goodness of other ponies, and anything else really. "Razedd, are you sure this is the place?" "One hundred percent," the heir of time shot back to Gilda. Chiri and Illusive were right behind them. "Looks like it's time to crash a party." Razedd knocked on the door, and waited for an answer.

My Little Forumites are Magic

The Inside Man

Tune heard the knock and smiled. It was time. Pinkie had just finished her speech, the others distracted. Typo got up to see who was knocking at this time of night. Typo answered the door and then a hand was put against his chest. It was Razedd and he was speeding up his age by hundreds of years. Typo looked shocked and couldn't pull himself away as though he were being electrocuted. Jordan looked back as the violin started, a power radiating out from Tune. Jordan shoved Typo out of the way, keeping him from aging too much as they all fell asleep except for the enemy. All four walked into the room quickly and were about to start massacring the players and ponies, but Gia got up with green spines and blue scales, seeing the entrants, realized what was going on from what she had been told, and felt betrayed before she shoved Tune to the side, causing him to stop playing. He had forgotten about Gia's narcolepsy. Gia was fast, radiating her sylph of mind powers around who she assumed in this case would be her team-mates. She shoved her claws into Tune's throat, causing him to choke on blood, before she pulled it out, seemingly either jaded or aware that sometimes you had to go to the extreme to help another person. Gia stood up and glared at the entrants as the others started to awake. Gia shouted at Spike to get the ponies out of there, and he complied quickly, feeling the relationship between them somewhat similar to Twilight and him. He led them all to the side of the room as the other players got up. Vark and Phynicxs were fast to determine their spot, starting to sing and dance around the ponies and Spike, creating a wall between them, Twilight helping by creating the bubble. Phynicxs was inside, daggers taken out, and was ready to pull out some voids if necessary. The room was getting crowded. Ying immediately took out his eraser sword and went after Razedd and Gilda, Typo following him into the battle. Ying swung across Razedd who just waggled his finger at him and went forward in time, getting behind Ying and reaching into his captchalogue deck. Typo was fast, bringing out the pinwheel and throwing it in an arc to try and kill Razedd but trying not to injure Ying. Razedd pulled out, looking behind him, and went back into the past. Now there were two Razedds attacking Ying who had to jump to the side to not get hit, feeling the space change over and over again, Typo having to change his original intent and throwing the pinwheel at the two time players. Jordan and Smeareyes went after Illusive and Chiri. Chiri was fast, coming up to them faster than a space player and started punching Jordan again and again, but befoe he could get more than four hits, Smeareyes slashed at him with the chakrams, but was unable to get a solid hit when he was hit hard in the chest by Illusive's axe. Jordan had kneeled but quickly got back into the fight, bringing up his artificial hand and squeezing it, focusing on Chiri's wrists, squeezing them tight. Chiri was surprised at this and tried to pull his hands away but was unable to as Jordan started putting gashes into Chiri's body, who just seemed to absorb them. Jordan had forgotten that he was a knight of doom. Smeareyes was on the ground hurting bad his personality splintered. But he knew what to do, and started screwing with his emotions, trying to overcome the ones that were trying to mix together. He held his head in his hands as he tried to sort himself out, having dropped the chakrams. It was becoming too chaotic. There were too many heirs of time, and sometime during the battle they had fished out Ying's other sword. The sword Ying called the Frozen Flame. Typo was getting beaten down so hard and fast, having to parry multiple weapons at a time, and was getting sick of it. If he could just concentrate for a second he'd be able to use mind and Razedd's time against him. Ying was getting tired, fast, slowly destroying one of his own, prized weapons by having to block and parry blows, which made the sword chip a lot, and was starting to crack. Ying was pushing himself to his limits, using the potential he had to move fast enough to blur his form and constantly switch positions within a second. But the heir of time was holding them back. Gilda wasn't helping either, often times getting in a really good hit on them but thankfully never taking them out with her claws, and whenever they tried to attack her she'd either get saved by the heir of time, or she'd turn into breath and float away to try again. Ying and Typo were both happy that Gilda hadn't yet realized her full power. The ponies were safe, but they didn't know how long that would last. Chiri was worse, constantly getting hits and knocking Jordan and Smeareyes senseless. Illusive was making it worse by trying to either chop their heads off or get in a good hit to knock out their hearts. Smeareyes was readying to give up, and started to think, trying to come up with a plan, and finally decided maybe he should take out the time chakrams, especially considering every time he spared a glance to the others the heir of time was getting closer and closer to taking them out. It was utter chaos and furniture and party decorations were being destroyed and sent flying by the battle. Jordan spent most of his time protecting Smeareyes and himself, having to use his life sense to his fullest, occasionally trying to use the telekinesis in his hand to send the enemies flying, but often missing. He wasn't quite good with it yet, and it required concentration that he strengthened and created. Things were looking really bad, but Smeareyes had one hope left that could change this battle around. --- The castle was magnificent; although pretty bare and white. There were some tapestries hanging, and a few long carpets with designs of Equestria's... No, the world's history. It also included Discord and sometimes creative liberty was taken in making them, turning them into a fictitious account of history. It was pretty beautiful, especially how artfully designed the golden ages were. Kraine, a troll girl with a turbulent past walked with the Lord of Time himself. After her session's success, she had lived for awhile in peace, but soon found that she deeply desired the action that had made her life so full before. She was an expert in war, being one of the oldest Sgrub players. She had been the result of the condesce's iron-fisted rule - a product of an age of war. She and her older, once reluctant soldier companions had been able to enter the game as well before the Vast Glub occurred. Her green and the camos she had built in her session stayed with her wherever she went. She was a pro. And she wanted more. Kraine had travelled a long time going from place to place until finding Gallifrey and hearing about a lone, exiled traveler of space and time. She followed the rumors she heard wherever she went in one of the troll's old warships, and made it to the planet that the doctor was currently travelling around. Long story short the doctor had to enter the game despite knowing their session was doomed for failure. Especially because those in the session didn't always listen to him and did their own thing. Kraine had snuck into the session through one of the players, and befriended the doctor who had almost been killed by his entrance. He was a pony now, much like the others. The doctor, however, kept going despite this, knowing that it was something that had to be done, even if it led to destruction. But before the session could fall to the hands of death, Kraine had befriended him as one of the few sane people in the session, even if he was a little eccentric. She helped him escape the session before anything could get too messy, abandoning the place and regretful that he had failed to save a planet, and frustrated that he'd ended up having a hand in it. And when they left the session... Well, we'll get to that later. Kraine frowned, saying the surroundings were not bad. Doctor Whooves, as he had been nicknamed by Kraine, started talking about how he noticed many of the designs were similar to worlds he had gone to in the past, and wondered if there had been external influence on this planet. But at the same time he, of all people/ponies, knew that some things were just universal constants. They were here for an audience of the ruler of the area (after hiding the Tardis), needing to talk to her desperately if they had any hope of keeping the "demon" at bay. They had convinced the guards the severity of their information, and it helped that Kraine's appearance was very similar to players who had already come here and, most of them, welcomed by the princess. When they got into the room with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, they bowed respectfully, and Kraine started her case. "There is a great evil here." Luna responded, "WE ART ALREADY AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION YOUNG TRAVELERS." Doctor Whooves and Kraine looked at each other, befuddled, questioning looks on their faces, as Doctor Whooves decided stating how old he was wouldn't be a very good move. Doctor Whooves was the first to speak in his charismatic voice. "You... Already know?" "Yes, the lord of doom has attacked already, and we already have a defense set up against them." This sent the two travellers for a loop. "There are... Other players here already?" Kraine asked. "Yes, you're a little late to the party aren't you?" Celestia chuckled. Kraine nodded, starting to understand. "There is a different threat here. And he will be here soon. The fact that there are other players here is inspiring." Celestia raised her brow. "Why?" Kraine continued, stepping forward a little bit, "we are here, trying to run from the Lord of Muse. But the idea there may be players here may put us at an advantage." Luna was first to speak. "WHO ART THOU ENEMY YOUNG TRAVELERS?" "The Lord of Muse has been destroying universes for hundreds of years, working under a greater threat. We aren't sure of his origins, but we do know that he must be stopped, and if not stopped, then avoided." Doctor Whooves added, "He has destroyed so many universes, always starting with destroying the planets where more players are born, your highness." Celestia began to look worried and she asked them if there was anything they could do. Kraine responded, "We have made extra copies of the game, for situations like this. We mainly do it to attract the creation of new universes, working together with those who take the risk to play and trying to help them succeed in their mission." Doctor Whooves questioned Celestia, asking if there were any creatures here that would be brave enough to attempt the game, telling her that the start of the game normally started the end of the world. The cogs in Princess Celestia's brain were turning, starting to question the implications of Rainbow Dash's death. She didn't know much about the game, but she knew more than anyone how destiny has a way of working into beautiful things. "There is one group, young travelers, and I will send you their way." Doctor Whooves and Kraine looked at each other. And both stated the same word. "Allons-y." --- Smeareyes had to do this now or they'd surely die. He pulled out the glowing time chakrams and got ready. Jordan was knocked back when Illusive threw his axe at him, having no choice but to block it, using both hands and trying to slow down the axe with telekinesis. He was slowly losing his hope that they'd get out of here alive. Starting to lose hope that they'd be able to save this planet before it was destroyed. Smeareyes was fast, jumping straight at Illusive and spinning, the chakrams digging into his gut. Illusive felt small portions of his body around the gashes disappear and he started to bleed out, some of his organs falling before they appeared next to him, but completely fucked up as though it had been run over by something and split apart by a shredder. He grimaced and knew if he died it'd probably be a just death. And then he remembered who he was working for - a lord of doom. The prince of hope brought his hands up like he was lifting his hands to the sky. "You can't defeat us when right and wrong are so subjective!" Jordan and Smeareyes were taken aback by this. They hesitated, starting to question their ability to die. They weren't sure why they were giving this second thoughts, but they were. Chiri came in and was about to punch them so much their lights would go out. Gia had opened up a dimensional gate, wielding two glowing cat claws, getting in front of Smeareyes and Jordan as they nearly fell. She slashed open Chiri and headbutted him, keeping up the combo and hitting him with her legs in a ferocious combo before blowing fire at him, nearly burning off his body. Chiri fell to the ground, dead. She slashed open the dimension and hopped inside, her heart and mind guiding her. Illusive was stunned and started looking around, unsure about this. He couldn't even sense Gia's hope. Did she even have hope anymore? Tune was questionably getting up, and started to play the violin again, singing and mixing bard of hope with bard of mind. The protagonists were getting slower. Typo felt himself slow, and so did Ying, and that was when the heir of time and Gilda got hold of them. Gilda cut Ying's throat and followed up by stabbing him in the temple. And after that she broke off one of his horns and putting it into the captchalogue deck the others had given her. Typo felt himself growing old fast and it lasted for a minute until he was old and decrepit, falling down. During this minute Gia surprised the prince of hope by appearing above him and stabbing him in the head before disappearing. Illusive fell. Razedd and Gilda were heading toward Phynicxs and Vark, who were getting ready. Phynicxs was aware how hard it would likely be to take out Razedd's void, and was preparing to take out Gilda's. But another hole opened up in space, below Gilda, and Gia brought her cat claws up to stab Gilda in the neck, but Gilda had a good grasp on her class and aspect, using light to destroy light. She had taken a step back, almost as though she was cognizant of the threat, but ended up looking shocked as Gia came up out of the hole. And Razedd stabbed her in the back, severing her spinal column before throwing her off to the side. Gia was enclosed in a frozen fire - like a field of stasis. Gilda was shaken but Razedd was blood thirsty, his time clones walking a doomed timeline and readying to kill Jordan and Smeareyes. Smeareyes and Jordan were in stasis, but when brought out they'd die soon after. Phynicxs was starting to panic, her best friends trapped and most likely going to die. She was about to cry, not knowing if there was a way to even remove the stasis. The Frozen Flame had been one of Ying's favorite swords for many reasons, but he'd never talked about it - whether that be what went into making it or its full capabilities. They tried looking in the registry but the materials were always static, as if something important had been added to it. Phynicxs' hope was destroyed, and even if it hadn't been, she felt like her light had been destroyed. She was about to resign and accept her fate, looking down as Razedd and his clones got closer, along with Gilda. Vark was already singing and dancing, clicking her artificial leg on the floor as though trying to get it warmed up. She focused her energy into her body, some of it going into her leg and causing small vibrations, knowing that she'd need some more. Having been told about Gilda and how she had killed Rainbow Dash, Pinkie's crush (Pinkie Pie having talked to her about it at one point,) and was getting more angered the closer Gilda came. It was even worse because of Gilda's smirk. She thought she'd won. Well news for you bitch, Detective and Avenger Vark is ON THE CASE. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mG4Ug7EWUbA Vark jumped forward, putting both hands out and kocking the heir of times away in surprise. Obviously Razedd didn't know any bards of cute. Vark bared her teeth and jumped at Gilda who turned into breath. Vark shouted a lyric down at the floor and at the breath, causing her to be pumped up into the air and creating a small crater in the floor and dispersing the breath slightly. Vark twisted into the air, her anger rising, tears forming into her eyes and kicking the wall, sending out a sound that made everybody double over and hold their heads except for Tune and the ponies inside of Twilight's bubble. Everyone but the bards and those in the bubble felt extremely nauseous and many almost threw up. Phynicxs had trained herself in many ways, and despite feeling dizzy she knew what she was doing, taking the opportunity to do something heroic. She jumped at the main Razedd, brought her knee up and bashing it into Razedd's chin before using the blood that Razedd now had in his mouth to force his eyes open. Phynicxs glared deep into them, accusations running across her tongue as the light in his chest occurred. Phynicxs reached in and pulled out a spinning pocket watch - as though it were a screwed up compass. Phynicxs felt anger surge into her being, forcing the blood that was keeping his eyes open and ramming it through his eyes, causing him to scream and go blind. Razedd stumbled away, trying to use his time powers but was having a hard time bringing up the strength that came so natural to an heir. Razedd screamed again, shouting blasphemies and creative obscene words at Phynicxs who brought her daggers out, threw the watch at a wall, and stabbed her dagger at it, cracking the case. This caused Razedd to scream as parts of his body started getting all wibbly wobbly. Phynicxs stabbed it again, making the crack grow larger. Vark ignored Razedd and his slowly disappearing time companions and went after a surprised Gilda, jumping forward at her. Gilda looked bruised and damaged but it was barely anything. Vark sent three punches Gilda's way and the energy went right through, but pierced the breath in a way that it parted in certain areas. Vark was getting tired of this and was about to try and take out the anklet that Gilda used. Vark went after her again but this time she grimaced and turned into breath, dispersing and flying quickly out the door. Vark screamed obscenities as Phynicxs kept stabbing the watch until finally the unusually hard glass broke and the dagger penetrated the face of the watch, a tear going straight through it, the watch stopping permanently before starting to turn into crystal and fall away. Razedd screamed harder and felt like he was being pulled apart as blue crystals started growing from the top of his head, the tips of his fingers, and the ends of his legs, and surged up before consuming him and shattering. Tune saw what would probably happen to him and ran away to Gamarya, a rainbow aura starting to fill the room. Razedd was surprised when he felt his body. He was lost in the void, but he saw the others except for Tune and Gilda with him. There was also an additional person who wore witch of rage clothing. She looked permanently pissed off. Razedd was wary of her, definitely not wanting to get on her bad side. Yet somehow he felt that wouldn't be as much of a problem as it probably would. He heard a voice in the void, and everyone except the witch of rage looked around. "Yes, master?" "I have brought you all here to give you a choice. To serve me unquestioningly or accept your deaths. And I promise you, it will be a double death."

My Little Forumites are Magic

Lord of Muse

Razedd and the others looked at each other, each looking just as frightened. They'd never heard of anything like this happening before. And that voice sounded sinister. What choice did they have? None of them were courageous enough to either question this evil figure or to even deny it. They definitely didn't want to be killed twice. Except for Chiri - he sounded confident. "I am the knight of doom. I have cheated a just death many times. What makes you so special?" The figure laughed deeply, already taking a liking to Chiri. "Believe me when I say a double death is as easy as a snap of the fingers. And you can fight as long as you want Chiri, but sooner or later you will succumb to greater powers than you. And I doubt you'd want to leave Illusive to fend for himself." Illusive looked really worried, but bowed, attempting to speak for all of them, including Chiri who was shocked senseless at the confidence in the "demon's" voice, not to mention how it knew his name. Illusive spoke. "We will serve you unquestioningly." "Good. Your first task is to seek out the witch of rage here on that planet, and then to enter the pony's session using Gilda." Everyone but Chiri bowed, still curious, but only a little confident. "Why can't we just kill the others?" The "demon" chuckled and asked them how that went last time. He informed them that they would need to try harder next time, as he wasn't one to accept constant failure. He told them that the ponies entering would be inevitable, and so would their journey, but the alpha timeline stopped after your battle with the others. Continuing, he told them that they would likely have to attack the ponies and the others who went with them occasionally to slow them down. The "demon" was invisible, but they all felt him wave his hand, telling them to go away. And they did, unintentionally. They flew back, waking up in the Everfree Forest, all of them with healed bodies, except for Razedd, who had an extremely difficult time accessing his time powers. They were all shaken up, as though the fear of God had been put into them. They would first seek out the witch of rage, and then they would find Gilda and Tune. --- The discussion had taken awhile. It was mostly between a level-headed Twilight with Jordan and Typo. The room was a disaster and there would be a lot of work to clean it up. Ying was quick in releasing those from their impenetrable stasis with a handy little device he'd made along with his second favorite sword. Pinkie was depressed, but Vark told her it was a grand party and that everyone had lots of fun and that she was sure Rainbow Dash would be proud of her. The discussion went along the lines of how many more players would end up coming here guided by the lord of doom. Typo wasn't sure and was starting to get worried that there would end up being another attack, even if it wasn't as many. Typo and Jordan were well aware as to what levels some players went to to succeed in their mission, finish their quest, or complete a job. Typo and Jordan decided, while everyone else tried to relax, that they would go into the forest tonight and take care of Gamarya once and for all. They believed they could do it. Their hope was soaring, and Typo felt for the first time ever that he'd have a chance in doing this with the help of his new friends. And he smiled when he thought of them as new friends, looking back to Auryie and hoping she was proud of him. And he had a very large feeling that she was, and that she was watching over him this very moment. - As they delved further into the forest, the heroes noted that the doom was starting to get reclusive. Most dark spots left them alone, and any who felt courageous enough were soon killed by Jordan in varying methods, be it through his sword, the telekinesis in his hand, and his own life powers. Typo felt the presence of two players coming toward them. He reached out with his mind and knew one was a Rogue of Time and the other was a Prince of Time. He told the others about this and told them to get ready. And that's when Typo felt it. The two in front of them had stopped and it lasted minutes, as though they both knew they were coming. But then he felt a surge in players - many surrounding them at once, all of them holding the time of another, as though they were made with time and not an actual time loop. The two came forward. "I was never a mortal. I always had all the time in the world. But you seven don't." The Prince of Time came out, looking young but mature. And then next to him came the original rogue of time. He was dressed really sharply. "I'm aware you haven't much time left, but I thought I'd mention to you we're Jim and Kaotic. You die here. Tonight. Our master wills it." Kaotic was using a long cue stick as a cane, and Jim was holding a longsword. "And now your time has ended." The seven heroes felt something tugged on, and realized it was something that had been with them ever since godtier. Their immortality. Or, rather, their immortality to time. It was yanked away, and Jim and Kaotic put their hands together, red light fillling the air, before cracking and shattering. Their immortality to age was gone. Permanently. Everyone readied their weapons, all of them still not quite used to fighting together. Typo told them two at a time in case someone hit another by mistake, and for the others to take down the other rogues of time. Gia and Jordan stepped forward, both bringing out their weapons. Jordan was the next to speak as Smeareyes pulled out his time chakrams. "You're right, the time ends now. But it's not our time that's up." Jim, feeling confident, told them the secret of his sword. It was imbued with the power of muse. The heroes looked to each other, Typo seeming surprised. None of them understood the implications of this, and that made Jim smile. He liked being in the know. Gia let out a fierce cry of war before slashing open the space in front of her and jumping inside. Neither enemy were seers of space or time, but Jim had something better. He focused on his longsword, pointing it to where Gia had just been, and made his own scratch in space, jumping right in. Kaotic was extremely calm and in control, the same with all the clones he had made out of the time he had taken from Jim's limitless supply of time. Kaotic saw Jordan coming at him with Letum Coupant and just sort of stood there, until nearly the last second, side-stepping Jordan and grasping his cue stick, flicking it up and knocking Jordan's chin so hard he almost bit off his tongue, and was raised into the air while he moved forward. But the forward motion ceased as the cue stick's length jammed into his throat, causing him to fall to the ground, unable to breathe, and feeling his lights quickly fade. He thought of Rainbow Dash and of this planet, and felt power surge through him, his will increasing as much as his life did. Jordan's body started to split apart at the skin before the "reincarnated" Jordan tried to push himself up and out, messy with blood. Kaotic whistled, impressed, but quickly took back control by bringing his cue stick down on top of Jordan's back, slamming him into the ground with enough force to nearly break his spine. Jordan had the wind knocked out of him as he tried to get up. "Hm. You're pretty persistent." He stepped over to Jordan and lifting him up by the hair, pulling hard. "But you can't escape death." Kaotic pulled the cuestick up and aimed it at his heart, before letting it blow. A laser ripped out of the cuestick and pierced right through Jordan's body, heating everything enough to cauterize, but it had gone through his heart. Jordan started hyperventilating, feeling himself die as Kaotic looked disturbingly into his eyes, waiting for the light and time to leave, absorbing the time for himself. - Phynicxs had just finished taking out one of the time clones, being pretty superior in a fight with her daggers and close range combat than Kaotic ever would be with his cuestick. Phynicxs rushed at Kaotic, using the blood from the clone and bringing it all with her, using some of the blood to skate on. - Gia was surprised, and jumped back when she saw Jim come through his own rip in space, smirking. He brought the longsword up, encasing it with mind and heart powers. Gia readied herself. - Phynicxs sent her spiked tendrils of blood careening at Kaotic, who looked bored and used the time powers he'd absorbed from Jordan to stop the time around the blood, doing the same thing to Phynicxs' skates, trapping her and her legs in place. Phynicxs realized what was about to happen, and grimaced. Ying saw this, wielding both swords to stasis some of the clones and ripping space out of the others, noticing that these ones weren't as smart or effective as the real one appeared to be. Kaotic was still holding Jordan up as he died. Ying was fast, blurring into motion as he jumped at Kaotic who looked a little surprised but did no more than point the cuestick at Ying and fire, going straight through his skull and into his brain. Ying's movement gave him momentum but he just fell to the floor dead. Phynicxs almost screamed. Gia could tell she was outmatched, her heart and mind screaming out from the damage the sword's aspects were leaking into her mind and soul. Jim smiled, a true prince. He brought the longsword around and let it cut through Gia's torso who cried out as her upper half fell to the ground. She was worried - extremely - especially about how Spike was going to get by without her around. She had found a place that she wanted to be, and now it was being taken away from her. Jim pulled up the blade, letting his time powers go into it, and brought it down on Gia's heart. She stopped moving immediately, her time destroyed. Typo was having difficulties of his own, being surrounded by multiple time clones at the same time. His mind powers helped even things out as he tried to hit them in vulnerable locations in order to take them down easier. Every time he did he tried to take a little bit of the time in each body, not quite effective at it but coming close. Smeareyes was having a field day. Every time the chakrams cut through a clone, they disappeared immediately and always screamed as it happened, as though their soul were being torn apart. Vark was also holding her own, dancing and singing, using a little bit of the sound in her leg to temporarily disable some of the others. She was singing a song of heart and would use her energy to pull some of the clones to her before bringing her other paw around to go right through one of the clones. It was dirty, but it had to happen. Every time a clone died, it seemed to melt into the earth. Phynicxs was scared, bringing her daggers up to try and defend herself. And then an idea came to her as Kaotic dumped Jordan's body to the ground and walked over toward Phynicxs. She looked scared, trying to not show off that she had a simple plan. And when Kaotic got close enough, Phynicxs looked right into his eyes, Kaotic's body growing paralyzed for a moment before Phynicxs pulled the blood from Ying and Jordan's bodies, using the blood and forming it into tendrils, snaking it deep into the light on Kaotic's chest, who looked extremely curious and surprised. And Phynicxs pulled it out, grinning that maybe she'd win. But it was just a tie. A very long tie. But just a tie. Phynicxs was struck with shock, before she started to deny it, but then an idea came to her, looking at Kaotic who was laughing and drawing attention. Phynicxs grabbed both ends, threw it over Kaotic's head, quickly twisted it, and pulled. Hard. Kaotic was so surprised he dropped his cue stick to the ground, his face already growing blue. He tried to untighten it, but Phynicxs was a force to be reckoned with, getting angry and pulling it even tighter as Kaotic was about to pass out. Phynicxs was aware you had to keep it tight until brain activity stopped - she wasn't stupid. But then she felt something pierce through her back. She tried to turn around and saw Jim grimacing before lopping off her head fast enough that Phynicxs was still trying to understand what just happened. Kaotic fell to the ground, wheezing, crawling over and absorbing Ying's time. Jim made his way over to Phynicxs who was about to black out, brought his blade up, focused on his time powers, and thrust it down through Phynicxs' face. Typo was having a difficult time, normally only used to using a few aspects and/or abilities at once. But he needed to speed this up, catching sight of his falling friends. He uncaptchalogued the pinwheel, using the breath and sending it soaring through the time clones, using his subconscious to drive it as he absorbed the time from the dead ones before they could melt, his mind power playing tricks on the others. Vark, Typo, and Smeareyes were the only ones left. Smeareyes saw the murder of Phynicxs and screamed, rage overcoming him. He sliced through the last few clones on his end and started running after Jim and Kaotic, who had picked up his cuestick. Kaotic shot rounds of lasers at Smeareyes but he either dodged them with ninja skills or swiped the chakrams across it, cutting them out from time. Jim seemed worried at this development and both enemies stepped back, Typo almost done on his end and Vark close to finishing up. Smeareyes jumped into the air, putting away the chakrams and pulling out ten shuriken, sending them right at the two enemies, two or three of the shuriken hitting each other in order to bounce to a certain spot, Smeareyes' own battlefield tactics coming to mind. Smeareyes started flying and pulled out the chakrams again, getting up right close to them and starting to slash at them. Kaotic moved back multiple times and getting hit by a few shuriken, shooting lasers at Smeareyes who swiped them out of time. Typo finished up and started going for the two time players, bringing the pinwheel close to him and throwing it at them. Jim and Kaotic were peppered with shuriken, nearly being taken out by them hitting the sweet spots. They jumped into the air to dodge the pinwheel and Vark flew up to them, starting to kick at them with lengthened strikes from her aspect. They didn't see this coming and were knocked out of the air. Smeareyes dived toward them and cut off their heads with the chakrams. --- The Lord of Muse was growing impatient. And at the same time he was proud of the two time players before him. They were apologetic. And had they done anything less he would have removed them from service. To anyone. Permanently. Instead, he recognized their accomplishment. The current alpha timeline had dictated that the two would lose quickly due to not having enough power. But they had used their granted abilities - their godtiers - to change what was supposed to happen. Using the power the Lord of Muse had given them. They had nearly taken out four godtier players. Had it not been for the thief of muse. The Lord of Muse, though knowing who Typo was and was going to be, knew he would have to be taken out if the alpha timeline was to be successfully altered for Lord English (LE) to screw up the timeline enough to get in and ruin everything from the beginning, or the end. Whichever side LE chose to take. He sent them back to the world of the living with the instructions to find the other players that he had sent to do his will. Celestia and Luna having accomplished their session; although much different from the current version, had messed up everything. Sometimes knowledge was power. He was aware that Jim and Kaotic would be staying behind while the others went into the session, along with a hindrance and one of his other servants getting in to nearly screw up their session and keep it from being successful. It was time for the bad guys to win.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Gamarya

Ying was the first to speak, having been the one to read most about their planets' guaradians' history. He talked about how the angel of double death - whose name had been lost to time - broke reality in the game sessions by being the Lord of Time. How he had destroyed both time and space, much like a prince of time and a prince of space could do, but in his case he was on a whole other level than most players, as the details to his rise to power and the power itself being lost to time. He explained his theory about how the rogue of time and prince of time they had just fought were stealing their time and had broken their immortality to age. Thus sooner or later they would all grow old and die. Phynicxs came in, talking about how she wasn't sure you could get your time back once it was destroyed. This was pretty depressing for all - not just those who had successful sessions. The two enemies they had thought were masters of time and were able to destroy it through different means. Smeareyes took the chance to say th't that much power was hardly ever acquired based on the research that had been done by Rose Lalonde. Typo was grimacing, taking it all in. Jordan seemed kind of shocked about all that had happened. Typo asked whether or not if they took the time of others they could have more time for themselves. Ying saw the line of thought Typo was going on and told him that it would be more honorable to die with dignity and love than it would be to die by another's hand just because he couldn't accept death. Typo thought about this and realized maybe the reason he was willing to go to such measures because he felt like he still had something to accomplish. His mind wasn't completely changed, but he kept his thoughts to himself, just kind of stewing in it. Jordan cheered up, noticing Typo's discomfort and put an arm around him. "Don't worry, we'll accomplish everything we need to and then some." Typo nodded, taking a deep breath, and smiling. Typo told them they were getting close to the area Gamarya was inhabiting. He told them what to expect, but even Typo wasn't prepared for how Gamarya had changed. The area around them had been slowly healing ever since dealing with the statue, as though it had taken a large fragment out of Gamarya's power. Typo thanked Ying and Jordan for their help, took a deep breath, and walked into the still doom-infested areas, Jordan protecting them as usual, Typo occasionally using his pinwheel to cut up enhanced monsters. It was time. They would either win or die trying. Typo mentioned that if anyone died here it would probably be a heroic death. "You think you've mitigated my powers? You obviously have no clue who you're dealing with. Doom and law is everywhere, and soon it will destroy everyone and everything. There is no escaping your fate." Jordan stepped forward. "YOU CAN ESCAPE YOUR FATE! YOU JUST HAVEN'T TRIED! I've seen laws and death overcome. I've seen people change - I've seen the work and the effort people have put into in changing things. And you are just another one of those things that needs to be changed, Gamarya!" "So he's told you... It matters not. Only those who have mastery of their aspect can destroy it and rise above it. Everyone else will always be STUCK IN SQUARE ONE!" "That's not true! You can do it if you have others with you - I won't stop believing! When you listen to your friends, they can help you in ways you've never seen because you never EVEN TRIED!" Jordan was furious. "Then let's see what you can accomplish, puny knight of life." "GLADLY!" Typo stood next to him, putting an arm around his shoulder, feeling friendship for the first time in a long time. He looked into Jordan's eyes and saw himself. He saw a better self. He saw what he wanted to become, and he was sure this was something that he wanted. "You'll be taking us both on, Gamarya. It's time you learned a valuable lesson about screwing with things." "I doubt you can even HIT ME." Auryie's mind powers flowed through Typo and he knew what was coming, causing him to yell "scatter!" But this time they were ahead of the game. Everyone went to different parts of the forest as lances of space spiked up out of the grounds everywhere a player had been standing, Jordan and Typo jumping away but staying together for the final fight. This is where it all leads up to - this is where it all ends even if that means their own end. Gamarya's lord of doom powers coalesced into a single ball in front of him, before expanding and overlapping everything in the forest in a three mile radius. And he hadn't even broken a sweat. "This is the time it counts the most Jordan, let's take this jackass out." Jordan nodded and the two friends rushed in, Gamarya smiling and bringing his cloak of void up and throwing it into the air, before it too started expanding, putting a sphere of void around the three participants while the others fought the forest and Gamarya's doom, some of them losing hope after seeing this much power in one shot. The forest turned deadly, and so did the creatures around. They would soon be losing their battles, the laws of doom wearing them down before they couldn't take anymore. Was there no changing fate? Jordan ran at Gamarya, bringing up his artificial hand and using the telekinesis to pull Gamarya close, who was somewhat surprised as he was stabbed with a sword of doom that went right through him. "You seem to be forgetting that doom versus doom is a stalemate. Except for me." The lord of doom grabbed the sword and destroyed the laws, pushing the doom power back into Jordan from the sword which shoved him off his feet, grunting when he hit the thick void that was starting to creep in around them to hide Gamarya from light. Typo was getting worried. Together they were only four aspects, and all four of those were nearly useless against doom. What they needed was hope. But there was no hope. Typo brought out his pinwheel and started spinning it, getting ready for a long battle that they'd probably lose. Typo wasn't scared to die right now. He'd win or die trying. --- Vark was singing and dancing, slapping away enemies and threats but being unable to kill them - her attacks just not quite strong enough for something like that. Even though her lyrics caused pause in creatures, and sometimes blew them away, she just wasn't powerful enough yet to do any massive damage. Even when she used her artificial leg, the sound spread out far, but it barely effected the creatures, as though they were breaking the laws inside of space and time. Vark started to back up, hitting the creatures back as much as she could, losing hope, and then she saw hope. A lighted hut in the middle of the forest. She ran to it, dancing still and forcing the other creatures and plants away from her as much as she could, getting tired. When she got into the hut she noticed a person and a zebra huddled together against a wall. The room was as cold as an ice freezer. They were shivering. Vark's warmth entered the area as she sung and dance, the area pushing away some of the doom from the area. She went over to them and asked if they were alright. Within rhyme, Zecora stated she wasn't but was getting better. Vivere, wearing prince of space clothing, looked up and saw hope. "Did that lord of doom bring you here too?" Vark said no and that her friends and her were actually fighting against him right now. The prince of space got up quickly, mentioning how Gamarya, having never gotten attention before or during his session tended to monologue a lot to his prisoners. He knew already what to tell her in order to get her moving and how to help defeat the lord of doom once and for all. He told her how all of the doom he spread was part of him in some way, and the more it was taken out the weaker he got. Vark was quick to pick up on the implication and wondered if there was hope after all. The prince of space, calling himself Vivere, told Zecora to stay here, who nodded and made a rhyming joke about how not moving was obvious considering her position. Vivere went with Vark, who continued to sing and dance. Vivere picked her up and put her in a small pocket of void that he carried with him - having made it through destroying the space near him. Vark continued to sing and dance, bringing a little warmth to the area, but Vivere knew they probably wouldn't win without hope. Especially because Gamarya was so good at sticking to laws and destroying them at the same time. --- Jordan started to get up, his veins pulsing with doom - more doom than he had ever felt before. He felt tainted, but he realized that it felt familiar. It reminded him of his old friend who had saved him. He got up, using the sword as support as Typo jumped around, throwing the pinwheel at Gamarya who just laughed and batted it away, causing it to stop spinning, as though nullifying the aspect. Jordan needed to win this. This was about right and truth. This was about life and balance. This was about surviving and caring. He ran forward, calling to Typo who brought the pinwheel around for Jordan to jump on, who did. He started spinning with the pinwheel, his sword stretched out. Gamarya laughed and Typo called upon his mind powers, forcing it out into the void and making it feel and seem like there were four Jordan's and four pinwheels as they spun about around Gamarya. Gamarya was getting a little worried, but used his space lances to stab Typo - one of them going through his heart. Typo cried out and called for Jordan, and was facing a dilemma. And as the pinwheel started to slow down, he did something new, using life and doom to split himself like a single-celled organism, one spinning and going to Gamarya while the other jumped at Typo. The Jordan near Typo hugged him and told him to focus on him with his thief of muse powers. Typo focused, and felt the overflow of doom and life in his heart before his body fell apart, a new Typo coming out and bringing the pinwheel up as the other Jordan tried to slash Gamarya to pieces, though Gamarya seemed to be having fun with him. Gamarya didn't notice when the pinwheel started coming for him again, surprised when he saw it out of the corner of his eye. The thief of muse focused on the pinwheel harder than he ever had before, and put his mind into it at the same time. The pinwheel's breath powers radiating, the fighting Jordan getting the right idea and slashing his sword over the mind and muse of breath, before jumping at Gamarya one more time, slashing the air around him. The breath, doom, and life flowed together like old friends and surged into Gamarya who cried out as his doom powers were temporarily negated, life and breath so close together nullifying his own powers as the foreign doom from an old friend seeped into him. Gamarya started flying backwards away from them before laughing. "So persistent, but I doubt you'll be able to get past my full power." Jordan was the first to realize what was going on as tendrils of void started to caress them. He voiced his concern to Typo as they readied for what Gamarya was going to pull out next. "I guess that means we have a time limit, Jordan. Let's finish this fast or we'll all be part of the void." Jordan nodded and ran forward, taking the initiative. Typo sighed, wondering if Jordan knew it was rarely wise to make the first move in a battle. If he kept being brash he'd probably end up getting himself killed. Permanently killed. Typo hurried after, throwing his pinwheel in front of him and towards Jordan who could sense it coming, and jumped, spinning in the air with sword out, and felt mind and doom caress him, his body destroying laws and combining with the pinwheel in his attempted strike, like a cross saw. Gamarya laughed and uncaptchalogued another weapon, this one being a purple swallow. Gamarya felt power fill him and thrust his hand out, blowing the pinwheel and Jordan away as the laws were reset by him. Gamarya cackled as Typo brought the pinwheel back and started to use mind powers in order to figure out what Gamarya was going to do next. "Mind powers don't work on a master of doom, Typo." He chuckled, putting his hand up and twisting it around before closing into a fist and pulling it down, the doom around them obscuring possibilities and showing only death. Typo swore and jumped to the side as Gamarya came at him, slashing vertically as Gamarya's body started to redden. Gamarya's moves were quick - nearly impossibly quick - much like Chiri. Gamarya came at Typo who did a back flip and brought the swallow around and tried to cut open Typo's stomach. Typo fished for his pinwheel and tackled Gamarya who wasn't expecting it, bringing the pinwheel around to strike Gamarya in the back as Jordan snuck close. Gamarya was taken off guard and tried to push Typo off who held tight despite all the doom going into his body. Jordan was fast as he jumped, keeping quiet and biting his lip, swiping the sword over the pinwheel and waiting for Gamarya to move. Gamarya heard the pinwheel coming and threw himself back, Typo getting caught by the pinwheel as it careened with his head and nearly cut all the way through his skull before Typo stopped it, letting it fall to the ground. He screamed and Jordan brought the sword down and around, trying to split open Gamarya's skull. Gamarya laughed as it went through him, but then he felt his doom powers negate slightly, the doom from Jordan's sword coursing into him and hurting him. He pushed himself into the air, starting to fly, and did a backwards somersault in the air, throwing Typo off of him and blasting a beam of doom at Jordan who took the brunt of it, grunting, and hit the wall of void as it was starting to creep into Jordan's and Typo's souls and bodies. Jordan chuckled, in pain. "Don't bosses normally take three hits?" Typo laughed at the joke and responded, "I don't think we can consider this a boss, especially because we're not in the game right now." Jordan sighed as Gamarya came close to them, readying to finish them off as he twirled his swallow of rage around, getting angrier by the second at those who would dare defy him and his power, as he brought forward his hand. Jordan and Typo looked at each other knowingly and were ready for the pain, but not the death. Jordan closed his eyes and Typo kept them open, tears forming in his eyes, before closing them. Gamarya pulled his hand back in a fist as lances of space grew up out of the void and stabbed the two heroes to death in one strike.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Teamwork

It was slow going, but they were almost there. They had nearly gotten all the others together as Vivere punched the space out of every monster, creating small points of void where he hit, destroying the space and leaving nothing in its place, which would have been a great rhyme for Zecora, Vivere noticed. Vark was helping out as much as possible, keeping the more dangerous ones away as the heroes dealt with the harder ones. It was amazing a fire hadn't started yet due to all the fire Gia had been spouting; although she occasionally looked deep inside herself, switching breaths via captchalogue cards using her breathKind specibus. Most of the breaths were "elemental," but she had one or two that could destroy an aspect, coming out from the dimensional gates her claws made before closing them, taking out as many creatures as she could. The players that had gathered together weren't aware how they were going to destroy the doom itself, but they decided they'd figure that out when they were all together. --- Jordan and Typo held hands even in death. Their friendship had grown; although looking back on it, it had been a fast transformation, happening over a total period of a few months. Jordan attributed that to Typo having closure with Auryie. Jordan thought long and hard as their powers coalesced between them before starting to trail away from them permanently - or at least until they made it to a dream bubble. But a dream bubble isn't where they ended up. Jordan felt something grab the both of them, and it wasn't a physical sensation; although he was still thankful that it was neither void nor Gamarya who had done this. It's like their powers and their souls had been caught before they could go away. Auryie and Typo were working together, grabbing onto everything with mind, and Typo started drawing power from Jordan, both life and doom. Gamarya was speechless as he watched the cloud of mind pulsate with power, before it split apart and reformed into the two players he had just killed, still holding hands. Jordan seemed confused, and looked over to the thief of muse, who smiled at him and told him it wasn't over yet. It was exactly as Jordan had told him - there was still so much more to do, and they would have the time in their lives to do that and more. They wouldn't be giving up so easily, but this time it was Typo who held them together. If this were a really bad shipfic, they would have kissed and become romantically entwined in the heat of battle, but that's not how things work in reality. Typo looked toward Gamarya, who was shocked speechless, and told him something that was absolutely corny, but he felt a power rise up within him. "You don't understand the power of friendship and working together. Who needs all of it when you can have more of it?" The question was a little confusing, but the point was clear. Jordan picked up his blade, and Typo picked up his pinwheel. This was the final round. --- Vivere and Vark had gotten the others out of trouble, and they were now huddled around each other with backs turned as they waited for the enemies to get closer. There seemed to be no end to them. Vivere thought about what he had seen so far, trying to think of something. He had seen that one of Ying's swords could put things in a stasis, and he had also seen Vark repel the power of doom with her cuteness and warmth. These were the only things he needed to know as he told Ying and Vark to get in the middle of the circle. He told Vark to start dancing and for Ying to start focusing on the power in his frozen flame sword. Vivere had decided that if they couldn't destroy the doom, they could at least freeze it until something could be done about it. Before the mass chaos was about to ensue, Vivere told Vark to pull all the doom in that she could, to pull it all together in one area. Vark was shocked but Vivere pressed her, asking if she could do it. She nodded, starting to get an idea of what was going on due to Ying keeping his sword out. Vark started dancing around the circle, singing a song of togetherness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bp0AHQooVSY The group started to fight, and Vark reached out with her powers, trying to use her cuteness to pull all of the aspect into herself, or at least around herself, condensing the power enough to where it formed an oval sphere above Ying's and her head. There were webbings of doom surrounding the oval sphere, connecting it to places where the doom was densest. It was stuck to the forest, and would probably be for a long time. As Vivere fought for his life, he shouted for Ying to stab the aspect in the air. He understood, and did so, hoping there wouldn't be any feedback hitting them considering they were in the area. The block of frozen flame came quick, expanding from the sword and covering the entirety of the oval sphere. The creatures around them started to hiss, grasping their heads if they even had one, slowly falling to the ground, the power of doom either causing them to shed the skin of black doom or to become trapped in a frozen flame. The trees around cracked and creaked, as though twisting from the power. The stasis power from the sword expanded from the oval sphere and moved on over the neural-looking pathways that connected to other parts of the forest where the doom was dense. There was a bright light as the power surged into the doom, temporarily blinding those who looked at it. Small parts of doom that had flecked off onto the heroes started to turn into stasis before falling off to the ground. --- Jordan and Typo were ready to finish this even if it took their lives. They ran forward, holding hands and weapons tight. Gamarya started screaming and held his head as the blackness around him started to thin. He looked up, seeing what was coming but unable to avoid it, having dropped his swallow and unable to call upon the lances of space. Typo thrust Jordan into the air and threw the pinwheel up so he could land on it. Typo started using mind powers, as the breath pinwheel circled around, before there were seven swirling typhoons of breath, life, and doom surrounding Gamarya who could do nothing. He cried out, pushing as much doom as he could out from him, which disabled the mind powers. But Jordan had already jumped at Gamarya, coming down from above. A kneeling Gamarya fell back onto his ass as Jordan screamed, bringing the sword down deep into Gamarya's gut, the breath and life and doom surging forward through the blade and into Gamarya, who started to convulse as the doom surrounding him shattered, before the doom crept into his veins and started killing him. Gamarya tried to get a hold of his powers, and even the power that Jordan had surged into him, but he couldn't. He felt too weak to change and destroy the law to make himself king of it all. Where had his power gone? The lord of doom was vanquished.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Boiling Point

The cloak of void started to thin and disperse before it came back into the cloak and fell to the ground. Typo swiped Gamarya's fallen captchalogue deck and went with Jordan to go see Gamarya in his final moments. He might destroy laws, but there was no way he was getting away from this one. Or so Typo hoped. The celebration had been intense. Typo felt like he had finally achieved something, maybe even repentance. He still felt a drive for power - still feeling helpless - but he knew he could count on his friends. Especially Jordan. The two had a long talk soon after the battle, helping each other with their own problems - getting through the effects of the past - and tried to help each other to stand, so to speak. They had talked a lot. The others were ecstatic and felt like they had just accomplished a divine purpose. Aranea was still out of the scene, but she occasionally came to Twilight for both help and to talk. Typo felt like something was missing from the whole victory, and his fears would soon be confirmed. Especially because all the players knew that Gamarya was in a dream bubble somewhere - but who knew what he was doing? Typo hoped he was calming down. In order to make sure Gamarya wouldn't be coming back to life, they had burned Gamarya's body. Typo felt bad about it, still considering Gamarya to be an old friend. But Jordan helped pull him out of the past, trying to get him to focus on the present, just like Typo tried to do for him. Neither could ever feel bad for long when they were in each other's company, occasionally screwing around and wrestling without any powers. Zecora and Vivere had decided to go with the others into Ponyville due to the fact Zecora didn't feel very safe in her home right now. So she brought some items along with the help of Machine Whisperer and stayed with Twilight and Spike. Machine Whisperer had been studying and tinkering, and had given Zecora a strife specibus and a captchalogue deck. He wasn't aware of what kind of weapon to give Zecora, but Zecora seemed to have something in mind. One day, many ponies and Typo had seen 3 fireballs coming down to the planet. He wasn't sure who they were and why they were here, but he ignored it for now, not wanting to admit he'd probably have to do more fighting in his life. Part of him still felt bad about killing Gamarya, even if Jordan had been the one to strike the final blow. Typo, not wanting the reminder, gave Gamarya's captchalogue deck to Ying, who decided to put it in his own captachlogue deck for safe keeping. Kraine and DW were close to entering Ponyville and tried to find a guide. Who they found was Pinkie Pie, seemingly upbeat and cheerful - more than usual, which was most likely her still trying to live up to Rainbow Dash's expectations. It had affected her hard. But before Kraine and DW could meet up with the others (who had told Pinkie who they were,) The three figures from before had come into Ponyville looking for a fight. Typo felt their presence and grabbed Jordan to come with him, and saw Vivere along the way, who was taking a stroll in the town with Zecora. He took both of them, knowing a fight would soon be breaking out. He informed them of what he'd felt and they all pulled out their weapons, Vivere taking out a broken mirror. The others looked at him like he was crazy but he humphed and puffed out his chest. When they got to the outskirts of Ponyville, next to Whitetail Wood, they saw the enemy. Blaperile, in heir of life clothing, shook his head. "He didn't tell us we'd be meeting resistance so soon." Fate chuckled and pushed his glasses back up onto his nose. "You have to remember Blaper, we're destroying the alpha timeline." Sight grinned. "Well, he seems to have alreay done a bang up job with that from what we've seen." Blaper laughed. "Of course, of course." Blaper pulled out a laser gun from his captchalogue deck - Sight pulling out a bow and arrow - and Fate pulling out a tarot card deck. Blaperile positioned himself and spoke. "Ready to rumble, runts?" Jordan glared, Typo getting a little taken aback and putting his hand on Jordan's shoulder for his own benefit, as though to give him strength. He finally pulled out his pinwheel and got ready, as did Vivere. Zecora took some steps back, shaking her head, and feeling fear course through her veins. And it brought something up to her that she had never felt before. Zecora felt the air around her grow stale and cold, smoke rising up in front of her vision. But she could feel the area around her. She could feel the space - both empty and filled. It was a very weird feeling and it disconcerted her. Vivere brought up his weapon, aiming it at Blaper who just seemed confused before light flushed out of it and started hitting his body. He jumped out of the way as he felt his face starting to decay and melt in certain places - exactly where the cracks had been. Jordan ran forward, letting out a war cry as Blaper aimed his laser at the mirror and fired, the laser hitting it and sending it into the past, making it useless as Vivere dropped it and it didn't even crack. Vivere was quick tucking it away and running at the others. Typo used his mind power and threw the pinwheel at Sight and Fate, controlling it and using his power of mind to make a dozen pinwheels around the real one; although it appeared to be randomly placed. Zecora could tell what was going on and felt fear like she'd never felt before. She felt it leak off of her, and she realized that it was clouding the area around her. Sight backed up and knocked the arrow, before firing it. It disappeared into dimensional space before Sight brought out two more, knocked, and fired. The first arrow had portaled at Jordan, who ducked as it appeared and brought up a vine with bark along it as a shield. The other one went for Typo who was surprised and got hit in the chest. The arrow disappeared, leaving a hole in him that started to bleed. Thankfully it hadn't hit an artery considering you're not supposed to remove objects from your body without a professional. Typo's pain caused the pinwheel to veer off course, going down into the dirt in front of Fate who seemed very nonchalant about the whole thing, as though he was aware of things others weren't. Vivere was fast, going up straight and personal with Blaper, who couldn't fire his gun, having sensed the presence of the space arrow and ducking under it as it appeared. The pile of fists was too much for Blaper to take, every time he got hit the small part of his body turning into a black cloud. He tried to push Vivere away but was unable to. The scholar of fate brought out a card. It was XIII, death. He threw it at Vivere who seemed to not even sense it. It hit him and he felt weak, falling to the ground on his knees and falling to his side, hyperventilating. His head was ready to burst from all the extra information that seemed to delve deep into his psyche. Zecora screamed, and her emotions flowed, especially her fear. She galloped up, pulling one of the jars from her captchalogue deck and threw it at Fate. Fate didn't expect it as the jar crashed against him, releasing a torrent of acid that made him cry out, quickly eating through his clothing and damaging skin and muscle. He stepped back, noticing that Zecora was trapped in a cloud of void before that void grew and ate up Vivere, Jordan, and Typo, and then it expanded from there. Fate took out another tarot, the blindfold tarot, and used the sharp edges to cut into his skin, covering it in a little bit of his blood. He threw it into the void and cracks of light crackled in it as it started to become unstable. Zecora felt this and stood stock still, angling herself in such a way she appeared similar to an unicorn trying to cast a powerful spell. Zecora felt something inside of her awaken, her eyes going white as her natural leylines corresponding with her latent aspect. Her mind emptied, like meditation, and pushed. She pushed hard. But it wasn't at the level of a god tier. The cloud shattered as Vivere got up and enveloped Blaper, going at him like a berserker, fists striking flesh and destroying space. Sight was getting worried and took steps back, despite how calm Fate was, and started firing arrows at Vivere and Jordan who was going head to head with Fate. Typo brought out support by trying to hit Sight with the pinwheel, but he always seemed to be out of reach, Typo's mind powers not working against him. Fate brought out another card, so durable that it hit Jordan's sword with a loud clang. Fate looked directly into his eyes, which completely unnerved Jordan. His expression changed, his bared teeth looking uncertain and his eyebrows raising. It was the bull card. The scholar of fate smiled and used his flying ability to put extra pressure on Jordan. He pushed his sword back and spun around, trying to chop through Jordan's waist, but he'd jumped backwards and fell into a backwards somersault, Fate's momentum carrying him forward. Jordan brought his legs up during his somersault, flinging Fate back. Fate noticed from the corner of his eye that Zecora's eyes were still white, and even though there wasn't a cloud around her she seemed to be doing something still. Something that caused her mane and tail to frizzle, her black stripes glowing slightly. Jordan came up onto his feet, pushing himself up into a jump and twisting around to meet Fate who came at him again. Their weapons met and met again, both unrelenting forces. Jordan wasn't one to give up, especially when he knew the consequences. Jordan started to gain ground, pushing Fate backwards towards Ponyville before he felt something jab into his back. Then two things. He cried out and fell forward, dropping his sword as he began to bleed from his back. Fate smirked and was about to chop off Jordan's head before he could recover from the back attack. But a pinwheel went flying and clashed with the card. It sounded like a razor scraping against metal. Typo was aware that Sight was doing something else and brought his hand up, taking some of Jordan's power and forcing a thick vine to erupt from his other hand that went so fast it knocked Sight over. Fate pulled out another card, seeing that Blaperile was having trouble with Vivere before taking out another card and throwing it toward Blaper. It was a cloud card. Blaper felt it coming and grabbed it, feeling his aspect strengthen. He brought both hands out as Vivere rushed him again and grew the grass around him, quickly tangling Vivere in it who cried out, trying to destroy the space and slowly getting out. Blaper looked to Fate who was battling a pinwheel and a sword, getting the message and running back. They hadn't expected to win, but they'd come close. And not only that, they had helped slow down the players and keeping them from talking with the Princesses as the alpha timeline deemed important. Sight took the opportunity to fire four more arrows, two going to Jordan's back which Typo felt and had to deflect as two arrows hit him. He cried out and fell to the ground, more bleeding wounds. It wasn't much blood, but it was becoming enough to make him light-headed. Sight fired one more arrow, this one going straight for the back of Jordan's skull. It pierced, and Jordan fell to the ground, his doom and life tearing apart his body so he could come out fresh. Fate took the moment to run away with Sight. Jordan was weary and made his way over to Typo who was in pain. Jordan's real hand glowed with heat and light, and he held it over Typo's wounds, slowly closing them over a period of a minute or two each. Vivere watched them get away as he struggled with the tangling grass, before Jordan helped by weakening the grass so he could get his hands free and "cut" himself out. Zecora fell to the ground, completely spent. And that's when Kraine spoke. "Nice moves there, kids." Kraine smiled. "We've been looking for you all." Jordan was first, captchaloguing his sword. "Who are you?" Kraine brought her arms up over her chest. "Players just like you." She motioned at Doctor Whooves on her side. "We were told there were brave creatures around here that would make good players. Jordan immediately thought of the ponies that he'd been adventuring with, and now Zecora displaying an aspect, putting two and two together. "Well, you came to the right place. There are at least 7 potential players here. Kraine seemed confused. "Seven? Why isn't it an even number?" Jordan answered saying he didn't know - glitch maybe? Vivere hung Zecora over his back and told them that Zecora was most likely destined to be a player. He informed them of what he had learned about Machine Whisperer and how he seemed like he'd be a player, especially because he was technologically proficient. Jordan added that there was probably an eighth player, but she was dead. Getting an idea he explained about how Machine Whisperer had been found, and he figured he must be a substitute for Rainbow Dash. This seemed to confuse Kraine further. She motioned for them to come with her, already knowing where Twilight lived. She pointed to Jordan and asked him if he could go get the others and bring them to the library. Jordan nodded, and focused on the ground underneath him, a giant flower blossoming with a symbol inside for transportalizer. And he was gone.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Cheerilee, Please!

Kraine was leaning against a book case as the others told about everything that happened, and how Rainbow Dash had died even though she had shown the possibility of being a breath player. Kraine said this was either a glitch, or there were missing players. She had doubts that it was a glitch, because she'd heard some of the others' stories, and glitches don't just happen like that all the time. She looked up, gnawing on her lip as she thought about all the implications. Machine Whisperer was asked to bring out his computers, and he smiled, pulling out nine computers. Kraine paid attention to small details, knowing that the game often gave hints about things - this was mostly notable in Skaia's clouds and the horrorterrors. She took out nine envelopes, all with server and player discs. DW started looking through them, trying to see time, being a lord of the aspect after all, and found that the future seemed to be cracking up. Like the alpha timeline was shaking all wibbly wobbly. He saw small visions of some of the players - a few of them he didn't recognize. But counting the ponies, excluding him and the godtier players, there were 10 players he counted. This made him decide to look deeper, but closer, and saw that Applejack had two computers. He informed them of this in his charismatic voice, and mentioned that following the alpha timeline was always for the best, as doomed timelines and doomed players often sprouted from the choice to leave the alpha timeline. Machine paired up every computer with an envelope, telling them that he'd try to make a tenth computer; although there was no tenth envelope. Kraine seemed satisfied with this and let Applejack take two home. --- Applejack's voice came from behind the door. "Not now Applebloom, I'm tryin' to figure out this fancy pantsy cockamamey device. Applebloom pouted, her two best friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looking down. Applejack had told them that she needed to focus on the devices she was given, and that she needed time to think of who the other player might be. Applebloom went off with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to the treehouse, in order to plot a way to see what all the hubbub was so recently. Their curiosity was even stronger because whenever she asked what happened to Rainbow Dash, they always told her she was on vacation. Later in the night, while she finally decided to sleep, Applebloom went in and saw two white cards on the table with pink trim and back. The computer looked really fancy and practical at the same time. She got into the chair and put a hoof on the computer, trying to figure out what each somewhat-large button was for. She put a hoof on the captchalogue card and when she looked at it closely, flipping it around, her ears stood up on end when the computer disappeared, a picture of it appearing on the card. She almost squealed in excitement, never seeing anything like this before. She saw a second envelope on the desk, not knowing what it was, and tried to put that in the other card that was sitting out. And it happened. She almost squealed with absolute joy at this new toy. She carried the cards with her, not quite understanding, and intending to try to figure it out with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in the morning before Applejack found it was gone. She giggled, putting a hoof over her mouth as she tried to only step on the floor boards that wouldn't creak. Applejack slept like a log. In the early morning Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were quick to get away from their homes. Scootaloo was whizzing by on a scooter with her wings, pulling along a little wagon that Sweetie sat in. As soon as they got to the tree house, they were met with an excited Applebloom. Applebloom informed them that she had spent some time taking the strange device apart, trying to figure things out that way, but was unable to do anything with it, and put it back together. They'd started the computer up and each tried to work it, having a difficult time. They tried at the VERY LEAST ten things to get it to display a different screen, but all were to no avail. Then Scootaloo piped up, "why don't we ask Cheerilee about it? She knows a lot about things, maybe she'd know how to work it!" Applebloom and Sweetie looked to each other and nodded, before looking back to Scoots and smiling. Applebloom recaptchalogued the computer and envelope and the trio were on their way to Cheerilee's house. When they knocked on the door and Cheerliee answered, she looked like she'd woken up recently - wrinkles around her eyes and a cup of coffee around her hoof. She sighed, not wanting to deal with this right now. "Can it wait, children?" The trio looked toward each other and shook their heads. They were impatient and wanted to figure this out now. Cheerilee welcomed them inside as she got another cup of coffee; although this time she made sure there was more caffeine in it, as well as a headache pill. "So what's the big rush that you three couldn't wait until later?" Applebloom responded cheerily, telling her about the computer and cards - telling her everything she had learned (which wasn't much) - and brought the computer and envelopes out of it. Cheerilee recognized what it was, but was taken aback by how new, fancy, and technologically advanced it was. She had learned to work with big, bulky computers that had small screens, and this was piquing her curiosity. She still had a headache and asked them if they could come back later, and then she'd tell them about it. They looked sad, but agreed, after a little bit of complaining, and exited to try and do something to pass the time until later that afternoon, Applebloom happy that Applejack was sleeping in today. Cheerilee opened it up and looked for the power button, which she found soon enough in the upper left corner. Her mane was frazzled and the caffeine was waking her up, but what drove her the most was her curiousity of this new computer. She looked over to the envelopes and opened them up, revealing two discs. This made her extremely curious as she fiddled around with the computer, typing in the right commands to get it started, and seemed as slow to get up and start as she was. And then she started wondering where the trio of fillies had gotten this stuff from. She would have to confront them about it later. Right now she wanted to explore - especially this program called the Ponynet that Machine Whisperer had put on all the computers. She realized there wasn't much - the basic browser hosting a list of different sites that Machine Whisperer frequented, and visited those, surprised with the information contained within, but found that there weren't many other sites that she could get to; although the search engine had enabled her to find a few other things. It took about a minute for a page to load, but that gave her enough time to wind up for her day, thankful she intended to stay inside almost the entire day to get chores done. Applejack was roused from her deep sleep by scratching on her window pane. She looked up, turned around and buried herself under the covers. It wouldn't stop though and she soon grew irritable. "WHAT IS IT!?" The owl was un-phased and had a small, thin scroll in his claw. Applejack grumbled and opened up the window, unfurled the letter, and grumpily threw in the trash before grabbing the captchalogue cards with the second computer and envelope, not noticing she was supposed to have two. She needed more sleep, considering she had been working hard the past month, the therapy slowly helping. She headed over to Twilight's post-haste. --- Kraine asked where the second computer and envelope was. Applejack's eyes widened hugely before she embarrassingly said she lost it. Kraine told her not to worry, as things like this were common for Sgrub. Sburb? Fuck, whatever. Twilight Sparkle and Kraine had called the meeting, deciding today was the day last night (especially because there were no meteors to be found; although they could just have not entered the portals yet) - there was no more waiting around. This had to happen now. Kraine had heard about Rainbow Dash and had decided that someone ought to bring Rainbow Dash's house in, just in case there was a glitch of some sort. Twilight decided Spike should be the envoy of this mission (especially since he was "the new Rainbow Dash"), choosing Gia to go with him. She put a cloud walking spell on both of them, and Spike was taken hold of and flown up to Rainbow Dash's house. Twilight and Kraine looked at those were still there and started pairing them off. Kraine seemed troubled about the lack of meteors, and was uncertain if this meant something would be wrong with the game, they were going to fail getting in, or that it was just going to take a little time. The players weren't necessarily happy with who they were paired with, but they went along with it. Seeing as Aranea had probably been sent here for a purpose, despite being doomed, Kraine and Twilight paired her with Applejack, as hope and light were similar to each other in some ways. Pinkie was paired with Ying - both being space players and figuring they'd be able to help each other. Vivere was paired with Zecora, as Vivere could destroy space and Zecora was apparently a void player. Twilight Sparkle paired up with Phynicxs, figuring that since they both preferred to help friends more often than their selves, they would make a pretty good team, working together to get stuff done. Typo was relieved when he didn't need to team up with Rarity, and Smeareyes had actually decided to team up with her, as they figured rage powers and heart powers, as weak as her powers were, would be similar enough that they could work with each other. Especially since one of them was a seer and would be able to see these things. Typo, as much as he didn't want to be, was paired up with Machine Whisperer. They both weren't sure about this and wondered if it would make the game harder. And finally, Vark was paired with Fluttershy. Vark was very unhappy about this, but took solace in the idea that she might be able to liven her up more. Maybe do some karaoke together, do a little DDR with her, and maybe she'd find good songs and open up and be less shy without being a meanie mean-pants. As it appeared there was going to be at least one more player, Jordan was kept in reserve, and would try to find the other player and pair up with him or her. Applejack mentioned that Applebloom had probably taken the extras and decided that he should ask her first. Kraine decided to stay behind with DW to see that, if there were any meteors coming, if they could try to slow it down if not stop it completely. They didn't really like the loss of life, and both felt they'd be more integral here than in another session, deciding that the others would be more likely to be of help. Finding one of the cutie mark crusaders had been easy. Sweetie Belle was looking into the library as the pairs filtered out, nervous and excited for the upcoming "game." When Jordan came out, he recognized Sweetie Belle and went over to her, asking if she knew where the black machine was and an envelope. Sweetie gasped and ran away, afraid she was in trouble. Jordan would have let her run away, but he was feeling a little impatient, wanting to get the game started as soon as possible. He used his life powers, a vine breaking out of the cobblestone and wrapping around Sweetie's legs, causing her to fall foward onto her stomach, "oof!" The filly's voice was high and a little nervous as she looked back. Jordan looked a little fierce at the moment, which scared the crap out of Sweetie, which some would hope was literal, but it really wasn't. Jordan kneeled down beside her and asked again, slowly, if she knew where the items were, having assumed she must definitely be guilty of something if she had to run away. Sweetie looked to the side, then to Jordan and whispered. "I can't tell you." "Why not?" "Because I'll get in trouble." Jordan smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But this is very important. I need to find these items." Sweetie looked down, feeling defeated, and a little calmer. "Promise?" Jordan did the Pinkie Pie swear, making the motions - cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Sweetie seemed relieved and Jordan let her up. Sweetie informed him that they'd taken the computer to Cheerilee's house so that hopefully she could figure it out. She said that when they'd checked on her she'd asked for a little longer, seemingly focused intensely on the screen. Sweetie said she seemed to be reading something, but didn't want to bother her too much, believing she'd show them how to use it soon. Jordan nodded and asked Sweetie if she could show him where Cheerilee's house was. When they got there, Jordan knocked on the door. "Just a minute!" When she opened the door, her jaw hung slack, recognizing the human before her as being one that occasionally wandered around town, seeming to enjoy everything the place had to offer, as though he'd been deprived of it somehow. Cheerilee instantly smiled, brightening up now that it was later in the day off, and welcomed him inside. When Jordan came in, he saw the computer and asked her about it, noticing the envelope was already open. He was surprised at this, and before he could stop himself he asked what she had been doing. Cheerilee, not getting the hint, just spoke. "Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo brought it to me today. I know it's a computer - I've dealt with one before - but this is so far advanced I was taken aback at first. But after learning through it, I started finding interesting things, one of which was this "web," thing, and how she'd found information on it, and when she typed in the name of the CDs in the envelopes, she had gotten a whole... Walkthrough? Yeah, that word worked. That was the word used. She told him that she'd found a walkthrough of the envelope, and had been slowly learning about it over time, figuring out it was very dangerous and was coming to the conclusion that she ought to store it safely away, if what the site said was true. Jordan listened intently, nodding along, and told her that the game was meant to create a new universe. She told him she'd already figured that out, but due to the fact the meteors started when the game does, she didn't think it was a good idea to start it. Jordan informed her how the meteors come either way, which shocked her. They started discussing the game and what it involved, Jordan using his own experience to help explain it. Cheerilee took to it quickly, and when Jordan told her his friends intended to enter the game in order to make a new session and hopefully a new universe through those brave enough to face the game, Cheerilee decided that she should be there, thinking that her presence would help. Jordan smiled at this, going with his gut instinct and the first thing that came across, figuring this was one of the players. He told her to install the game, and walked her through it, as she had never tried something like that before and wasn't sure how. Sweetie had long since left as Jordan pulled out an extra strife specibus and gave it to her. He explained to her what it was and what it did, giving her a captchalogue card with it. Cheerilee was about to start gathering supplies for the game, but Jordan laughed and told her it wouldn't be necessary. It was time.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Prism and Sleuth

Impy-looking Rocs controlled the air-space for the most part. That was, until Rainbow Dash came zooming out to take care of the overgrowth. She had rainbow blades on her wings, cutting through enemies as she went fast, occasionally shooting a breath of air at an enemy to confuse/disorient and occasionally cripple her enemies. She was a knight of breath, and over the course of a year, she had grown a little, especially the look in her eyes. She seemed more intelligent, and more balanced - having taken on the attributes normally obtained by war vets. Her calmness and calculations were quick and precise, using the constantly changing wind on her planet to swirl around, do tricks while taking out her enemies. It had always been fun, and it was something she did to pass the time. Her land was the land of clouds and castles - the castles which often held pink turtles, often making her think of Tank - and just as often missing him. It got to the point where she missed him so much - not to mention her home and friends - that she would often get moving, sometimes dampening the pain by reading a good book. Speed never got old, and she loved it as much as she did in Equestria. But she had taken some time to read some of the books, learning some things that were hard to accept for awhile. She had been waiting for her friends to enter the medium, but she knew just as well that it was going to be null due to the fact she had died. She wasn't supposed to die. But she did. It angered her that through a variety of means, they had been tricked, and they were on their way to a loss. Rainbow Dash hated losing, and every time she thought about it she closed her eyes tightly and flew faster, taking out as many enemies as she could. Her breath powers weren't that powerful yet - especially because she liked to rely on the natural breath and wind to carry her instead of carrying herself. Flying with the game's system wasn't as fun as flying on her own. She had on the clothing of a knight of breath; although there were no pants; although the cape covered her flank. She always had the hood off, not liking the way it looked on her - it just wasn't cool enough. Rainbow Dash felt someone coming up beside her and took a glance. It was Selcouth, collecting the simple grist that was dropped. He had also been the one to make Rainbow's blades - using his compact, portable alchemization machine. Rainbow Dash greeted him. Selcouth wore the clothing of a knight of mind. He had shown her a fraction of her powers in order to get her to agree to dying in her quest stable. His most common mind usage was blocking dangerous thoughts and dangerous plans from the enemy's mind. It worked best on underlings, and he was still training himself. When Selcouth, an ex-treasure hunter and current coach, came to this medium following the maps with cracked pieces of reality, he had decided to help her out, confused that there had been only one planet, and that Rainbow Dash had no gates despite the fact she was in the game and her planet was spaced properly from Skaia. Rainbow Dash had awakened on Prospit after she had died, and quickly explored, shedding her lame dreamself clothing. She had talked to various prospitians to figure out where she was and why she was here, and got answers over a period of time, one of those answers directing her to her planet. The food here was terrible. When Selcouth had found RD, he'd almost immediately taken her under his wing, while at the same time poking fun at her name - Rainbow Dash doing the same thing to him. The name-amusement was mutual, and often hearing the name would send RD into a fit of laughter. Something that never changed. The same thing applied to Selcouth. Because of this, in order to get things done, they had decided to stop calling each other by name and made nicknames for themselves. Selcouth had become Sleuth and RD had become Prism. Both were still somewhat silly, but they liked the names. Sleuth got closer to Prism and he shouted over the wind to her, telling her that the time was coming. Prism had been looking forward to this after the first time she saw the battlefield, as simple as it had been then. The clouds had shown her things that the others had done occasionally and were going to do, and she loved the eclipses - staying in her Prospit room to watch them. The images were always cool; although now she knew that most of those visions had been of the alpha timeline, and due to that, things were significantly different - or likely to be significantly different. Prism knew there was something going on, but didn't know who was behind it yet. It confused her and angered her, using that motivation to get moving. She'd had to give up on her dreams, but she had a new one now. One that involved power and protection. She was still a soldier at heart, always going in the direction of her heart.

My Little Forumites are Magic

Glitches

Spike sighed as he was carried by Gia, feeling a little emasculated at having to be carried. He'd get wings! Someday. Maybe. When they got to Rainbow's house, he remembered about Tank and was worried about the tortoise. When he went inside and found him, he was already dead - probably from a broken heart, seeing as Rainbow Dash had set up a way for him to get food easily seeing as she often forgot to feed him. Spike was distraught and looked around. Gia put a claw on his shoulder, telling him to relax. Gia was used to this sort of thing, and knew what it would probably do to Spike. She picked him up and gave a hug, letting him know it was alright to cry for a lost friend. Spike consented, but within ten to twenty seconds had wiped away his tears and brought his will up. He was weak, but he'd get stronger. He brought out the computer he had been given and gave Twilight the bad news, who was shocked. Don't kill the messenger. Twilight nodded, thinking, and telling him to get ready to start the game. He'd be the first one in, and he'd be prototyping first. Spike followed the instructions he had been given with a heavy heart. Spike went to go look for something cool to prototype with and came across RD's old shadow bolt costume from Nightmare Night, and decided this'd be cool enough. When he got downstairs, Twilight was already throwing things around, giving him the instructions, Gia helping with the prototyping, who didn't know RD would have issues with turtle/shadowbolt-looking enemies. Spike was quick to get everything ready, ending with him making the entry item. His pupils dilated when he saw it. Twilight was surprised how her fear of the stations being deployed hadn't come true - in fact, it's like the machines were ready for these kind of surroundings. Spike looked at the gold-shimmering white diamond. It had his reflection, and he could see inside himself. Who he was and what he wanted, and how easily he could fall prey to greed. He didn't know whether to destroy it or eat it. It was so beautiful - such a rare-looking treasure - much better than the fire ruby he was saving - and he wanted to keep it for his own hoard. He started growing slightly taller before Gia wrapped him in a big hug, her sylph of heart and mind powers aiding Spike in his decision. He couldn't keep the light to himself, and crushed the gold-shining diamond, which seemed to break like rotting wood. He looked at the many pieces, and wanted to keep them all for himself, but he gathered them all up, deciding to give them to his friends as good luck charms. He kept one for himself, patting the captchalogue card he kept it in, and put the other shards in another after giving one to Gia, who took it with thanks. The home made of clouds disappeared from Equestria. Twilight and Phynicxs, as they watched, were curious about how no meteors had shown up yet - especially after Spike told her there hadn't been a countdown. Kraine and DW had been expecting something to go wrong, but they didn't know what, considering the questionable nature of what was going on here. Twilight messaged them about it, and they told her to relax and get everyone into the session. They'd be staying behind after all. Twilight sent another message - this one to Jordan - who received it and gave them the A-OK after telling them Cheerilee would be joining them. This confused Twilight, having not expected her of all ponies. Derpy? Maybe. But Cheerilee? That made almost no sense. She barely even knew the teacher. Twilight sent one more message, this one to Pinkie, telling Ying and her to get ready. Prism looked from the highest point of Prospit and squealed with excitement and joy when she saw another planet come into existence in front of her. Until the shock of information hit her like a brick. It felt like she'd been there before - checked things out - but didn't remember much of it other than the terrain, apparently having mapped it out much like Daring Do using her breath powers to control her writing implement. It hurt pretty bad and she grabbed onto her head. It was weird knowing that the planet had only just now appeared, but it's like she gained memories that weren't hers that blatantly said that this planet had been there the whole time. And one new piece of information that she couldn't've figured out until now. Her house was on that planet. Prism was about to rush off but Sleuth held her back, telling her that if she interfered she might interrupt the game's start. She would have to wait until everyone was in. Prism sighed, defeated, realizing that this wasn't the first time she'd almost gone off the alpha timeline. The original one that was only about good things. Prism grumbled and started polishing her wing blades and sharpening them using her breath powers to hold things, as she thought about changing her name to Prism officially. Land of Towers and Treasure. Spike was amazed. There was treasure littered everywhere, and a few of the towers were made from treasure. His eyes diluted and he salivated a little, while at the same time wanting to hoard all of it. This was his. Gia put her claw on Spike again, trying to calm him down before he did something he'd regret. He was thankful right now to have Gia there to calm him down and bring him back, but had a feeling sooner or later he was going to be on his own. Rainbow Dash's cloud house was much like a small tower. Most of the ground was some form of mud, be it wet or dry, and Spike was pretty certain at least a few of them would turn into sinkholes. Meaning he'd have to be careful and in control at all times. Gia let the sprite talk to Spike as he looked back to her. ShadowboltTanksprite informed him of how a dark half and a light have of the sprites always split so that one could go to a prospit tower and the other to a derse tower. He didn't explain any more of that and just wanted to find Rainbow Dash, knowing that she was here in the session, even if he kept that information to himself. He'd find her soon, he felt. Gia started explaining a little bit of what Derse was and what Prospit was in words he could easily understand. Spike was torn between exploring and being responsible, and with Gia's help did the responsible thing, contacting Twilight and telling her the jump was successful. Twilight told him to make notes on what he could see. --- Sleuth was doing a little scouting on the new arrivals in a very subtle way before he heard two voices and looked over. They were getting close, and they seemed to be closing in on Prism's planet. One of them was leading, the other following, and the guy behind the leader's voice was mostly the one. Sleuth hurried to Prism and told her what was happening. He wasn't sure if they were good guys or bad guys, but they were going to find out before they tried to mess up the session. Prism and Sleuth hurried. Snowskeeper was the one in front, and had the attire of a Gent of Change. Snowskeeper pulled out two pistols from holsters and held them at the ready. "Hey there! We're looking for a fellow named Rainbow Dash, have you seen her?" He seemed extremely peppy and cheery. Sleuth got into a ready position and Prism glared at them. The one behind Snowskeeper kept his mouth shut for a bit. "Why?" "Oh, I don't know... Maybe we want to make friends with her?" The statement/question was dripping with sarcasm. "She's not here. Be gone with you." Sleuth moved forward a little. Obviously Snowskeeper already knew who she was and whispered to the one next to him, calling him Lunacy. Lunacy nodded and brought his hands up. He wore very unfamiliar clothing, but you could tell it was godtier. The guy started shouting obscenties, sarcasm, ignorance, and rage. The words and voice made the area around them pulsate harshly, green-looking glowing wires starting to show itself around them, as though something were revealing the game. It sounded like gears were having a hard time turning. Prism and Sleuth covered their ears before Lunacy shot two digital-looking spider webs at Sleuth and Prism. They hadn't been expecting it and got caught quick. Sleuth was quick to react as he saw Snows rage, coming at them and about to shoot at him. He focused on his powers, and surged it into Snows and Lunacy. Both floated stock still, as though their memories had been wiped. But Snows was about to get going before Lunacy yelled and rushed at Prism with a knife. Sleuth couldn't get to her and shouted. "NO!" Prism struggled against the binds, and used her breath powers to shoot air bullets through the net at Lunacy. The breath was torn up just as it exited her mouth. What did she have all the worst luck? She struggled and Lunacy brought the knife up, Snows slowly remembering what he was doing and rushed over to make sure Prism's death was permanent. Lunacy seemed to have a problem with those he didn't like, and quickly proved that fact on Prism. It was not pretty. A flash of light appeared behind them. It was unicorn, dressed in rogue of time clothing that fit her well. Her horn stuck out of the hood, and it gathered power, drawing it from the enemy, and shot two bolts of lightning that struck their marks. Lunacy and Snowskeeper were surprised, as a few other ponies started to come through - not to mention other players. Prism was supposed to survive if they had any chance of beating the big bad, and then with Twilight's help, things were mostly restored - but the future for the current players looked bleak even still. As the two ran away, not wanting to deal with this outnumbered situation, Fluttershy came over and used her power to destroy the nets. Prism wasn't looking very good at the moment. That much was certain. Fluttershy, before going off with the rest who were headed deeper into Paradox Space, told Sleuth to go to the Land of Fusion and Mechanics. They'd be in soon. She pointed in the direction the planet would be in and rushed off, as if they had more they needed to do. Sleuth pulled out his syringe of life (one of a few syringes he used - the others mostly for the administration of chemicals,) and shot it into Prism, who woke up and her wounds healed so she wouldn't bleed to death, but she was missing some pieces still. She almost screamed, but instead sighed and asked why this always happened to her, implying something similar had happened before but with less limb loss. Not wanting to torture Prism, Sleuth immediately put her to sleep and carried her to the place Fluttershy had pointed. There was a huge sound behind them. Like an explosion, but deeper. Startled, Sleuth looked behind him as he hurried across space to get to where the planet was supposed to be. And what he saw startled him beyond recognition. He had never seen ANYTHING like this before, and had never even READ of anything like it. As far as he knew this was a completely new game aspect, and he had a feeling that this was a bad omen. Prism's planet had just imploded on itself. There were faint screams as the planet's imploded corpse started to flicker and waver, before slowly deteriorating. A number of white portals started appearing that ran to Skaia as the space around the planet's spot pulsated and started to grind, as though something like this wasn't supposed to happen. The planet that came into space was completely black. It camouflaged with the space around it so much it's like it wasn't even there. If it weren't for the portals and the small mountain peek that poked up out of the darkness with a solitary house imbedded into the mountain. The whole thing took Sleuth's breath away, and felt fear like he'd never known before. What the hell was going on? Occasionally the planet pulsated with wire-looking rainbow colors that covered the entire planet. But it was at least a minute between each pulsation, as though the thing was alive.

My Little Forumites are Magic

The Land of Homework and Horns

Twilight was next to enter the game. Twilight messaged Pinkie, asking if she was ready. She gave the A-OK and giggled happily. Games were fun. And even if there was a lot of sadness, she wasn't going to be down about this. You had to be positive and accept what you couldn't change. She had learned that, and went on smiling anyway, leaving the grieving for a proper time and keeping the pity out of her way. She'd go far. Ying was ready too, giving Pinkie good placement locations for all the items. Twilight was thinking about what to put in the kernelsprite when she spotted a snake. She cried out, dancing on her hoofsies and screamed to get rid of it. The snake wasn't going anywhere near her, and Phy crossed her arms over her chest and told her to calm down. Owlowicious however had other plans. He swooped down and picked the snake up into his beak, and cracked the snake's neck. Twilight had a looked appalled and relieved at the same time. It was a weird expression. The kernelsprite was gravitating towards Owlowicious, and Phy saw this, before yanking the snake out and throwing it into the kernelsprite before Owlowicious could be considered doomed. It was a reflex really. And Twilight gasped and started crying when she realized what this prototyping meant. Snake enemies, and a snake sprite. She laid down and buried her eyes with her hooves, trying to will it away. But it wouldn't. Phy could tell how upset this made her and made a note to try and help Twilight with her phobia later - it seemed like one of the few things that made her irrational. Phy would have to help her with that. She tried to quiet her down, letting her know that she would be close by at all times, and to try and think of a way to make this better. Twilight thought for a few minutes, glad there was no countdown, and decided to prototype Smarty Pants, her old plushie. It'd be a weird combination, but maybe it'd help. Phynicxs liked Smarty Pants' mane. When she put it in, the change was fascinating for her - which was good because she'd soon end up having to have a small breakdown when things weren't making sense. Smarty Pants talked, but hissed a lot. His lower body was covered with a pant leg, and a snake's tail came out of it. Smarty Pants' button eyes now had yellow inside the horizontal holes, but in the vertical hole was a slitted pupil. Twilight studied it from all angles, Phy deciding not to tamper with it right now and made her entry item. Twilight Sparkle was confused. It was a list of things she had to do. And oddly enough, all of the things listed were things she had yesterday decided to do for today. She was confused, but Pinkie seemed to get it right away, texting her. Phy saw it and drew Twilight's attention to the text. "Silly filly Twilight, this is a symbol of your growth. You need to learn to listen to your emotions sometimes. You have to learn to do what your heart says. Twilight considered this, and realized what she had to do, and would have been a bit curious had she not known Pinkie for her occasional wise insights. She picked the page up with her magic and tore it to shreds, a part of her dying inside. She had to close her eyes, but when it was over, she felt relieved, and oddly free. Land of Homework and Horns. Twilight was speechless as she came out of her tree house, Phynicxs following soon after. it was kind of amazing. There were so many materials and equipment, all of which exuded homework and practice. Physical, mental, and spiritual. Strangely, there were mushroom-like horns growing everywhere and on everything. Her eyes widened and she felt really excited, but Phynicxs told her to calm down for a bit. The worlds were a big part of the game, but they weren't the main thing. Phy told Twilight she could go through it later. One of the more curious things, other than the tons of unicorn horns (which as she thought about it, upset Twilight greatly,) was that there were tons of stopped clocks around the area - possibly more clocks than practice things. And in the distance, despite the fog that she figured would end up becoming important later. She had a feeling she knew what it was, and it was giant. It looked completely flat though, like a cone. She realized though that it looked a lot like Celestia's horn. She asked Phynicxs about this and she shrugged, figuring since she was most likely a time player that it would be the beat mesa; although she mentioned it wasn't like one she had ever heard about or seen. But the size of it reminded her a lot of a beat mesa. Twilight was going to have a field day, but first she needed to check on Spike as Owlowicious went flying around the area. After checking on Spike and building RD's house a little with grist Spike was starting to collect, and seemed to need Gia there with him at all times to help keep his greed from growing. Gia was aware that soon he would need to learn to control his greed on his own if he was to ever master his classpect, and use his hidden potential to its fullest. She had learned from shadowTanksprite, who wandered around the house, desperately wanting RD to come home, that Spike was the Page of Light. It was suitable seeing as fortune made him stronger and made him grow more. But Spike had a long ways to go before he could handle himself, and Gia felt like that was why she was there. To help him and teach him and make him more powerful than Spike could ever imagine. Twilight was getting giddy and hadn't checked the are around them much. She asked Phynicxs if she could fly her up a ways and use her telekinesis to hold and use her telescope. Phynicxs said that was something she couldn't do, after trying. The game was making her get to where she needed to go on her own, even if she had help and protection in case things went south. Twilight was disappointed, but brought her telescope out anyway, and looked at the black expanse around them. Looking up she saw Skaia above her and was captivated by its beauty, having not woken up yet on Prospit. She could feel so much powerful potential hidden deep within Skaia, but at the same time, as she looked at the clouds, she had a very ominous feeling that something was deeply wrong, but she didn't know what. And then she saw that there was no orbitting. Things were pretty much in the same place all the time. Twilight Sparkle was confused at first, then started to panic, being at the right angle to see Spike's planet. She started to get more and more panicked. Phynicxs was quick to come over, and used her blood powers to strengthen their bond so that she could help Twilight more easily. And she did, telling her calmly how things worked differently here, and instead of thinking of it as her world, she should try to think of it as a completely new experience and universe that, over time, she would need to catalogue. Twilight nodded and started to grow a smile, but Phynicxs stopped her, telling her now wasn't the time. --- During the time the others were starting to enter their sessions, Machine was working with Typo, asking him about the medium and if the ponynet would be able to cross dimensional boundaries. Typo face-palmed and rolled his eyes to the right. Machine wasn't aware there were ponies already talking through the chat system he had developed - Neighcamaraderie. Typo thought it was a stupid name, crossing his arms over his chest. Typo felt this would probably take awhile.

My Little Forumites are Magic

LOPAF, LOIAL, and LOGAD

Pinkie was next, and she was excited - so, so excited. She was bouncing around the room as Ying tried to get her to focus, but to little avail. Finally he mentioned RD and how she should not be ONLY happy, that this was important and something RD would have expected of her. Pinkie calmed down almost immediately at that, feeling a little sad, but getting determined at the same time. She started messaging Applejack. Telling her she was ready. Applejack decided to take care of Pinkie's entrance where she was, out in the huge apple orchard. Aranea helped her through the details and Pinkie would enter soon. Pinkie's entrance was somewhat uneventful, and was taking Gummy in with her despite Ying's advice. Pinkie ended up prototyping an impossibly huge ball with candy inside it - Ying wasn't sure how she had kept it in such a small drawer, and was assured that Pinkie was definitely an Heir of Space. To enter the game, which she did excitedly, was to break a pinata of herself. The pinata looked extremely sad, and connected to it were a few items that looked like they came straight from Sugarcube Corner. She had reservations, feeling bad about this, as though she was destroying a part of herself so she could move forward. Like self-sacrifice. But Ying told her to cheer up, that stuff like pinatas wouldn't come often in a game like this, and that she should stick true to her virtue, laughter, and get through it with fun than to let it get her down. Feeling like she was destroying a piece of herself for others she had to grin and bare it, bringing her will up so much that she started to have fun with it. She was happy Gummy would be coming with her and happy that her large stores of candy would be too. The top half of Sugarcube corner transported off into the game. Bizarrely, it looked like Sugarcube Corner had a lower ceiling on it, and the top part, when it got into the game, seemed to have become a building all on its own. The Land of Parties and Frogs. There were buildings everywhere, each with loud music throbbing in them. She was right in the middle of a village. There was a lot of snow around - Pinkie loved the snow so much and started jumping around in it, molding it so that it made her a beard. She'd be a little busy, and Ying figured she deserved some fun time. It helped that watching her made him want to play too, and eventually she joined her in a snowball fight, some of the aspects coming through during their intense game, Pinkie never noticing the volcano on her land, which was attached to where the cloning pool had once been, the strip of land that had come with her appearing unusual compared to everything else, sticking out like a sore thumb. --- Applejack was really worried about this whole game dealie thing and had her reservations about it. Mostly because she didn't know if she'd ever see her family again. Aranea talked with her, trying to help her see the light, and when she mentioned her problems, Aranea brought up two points. One, there were no meteors yet, and no one was telling them to hurry. Not only that, but she also informed Applejack that anyone in the house would be taken with. Applejack seemed relieved, but then Aranea informed her that others who enter the game don't normally survive. It's just about the players in the session, nothing and no one more. Aranea believed that she was still doomed, and that this is when she would die. But if she died, she would die doing the thing she loved most. Helping. She would make sure these players would be strong enough to take on any threat, even if they had to leave their home in order to have a chance at it. She knew that there might not be a way to return to this planet other than exile - but that was pretty much a bad idea on all the levels. All of them. Applejack sighed, but then smiled, hope renewing in her that by doing this, she may end up being able to help many universes by making an attempt to take out the Lord of Muse and foil his plans. Applejack felt ready for anything, and decided she'd probably send her family to go to Appleoosa or something, in the hopes that they'd be safe. Applejack, upon seeing her kernelsprite, knew exactly what she was going to do with the first prototyping, and would figure out the second after entering. The first prototyping was integral, as she had been told. She had contacted Rarity, and guided her to the right tree that was completely bare except for a few really bad-looking apples. Completely unripe and looked as though they were completely bruised and about ready to die. Applejack explained that this tree had been there for so long, but no one in the family had wanted to chop it down in the hope that maybe someday it would prove completely useful. Other than second thoughts, the entrance would end up going smoothly, Applejack having to buck an apple out of the tree and eat it. It was simple and straightforward, Aranea explaining that she had already grown up for the most part and there wasn't much more for her to learn, as she knew most of it already. And that was reflected in what she had to do. Probably the only things she'd need help with were her parents and homesickness among other things, as well as someone to keep the light on for her in her development to become a godtier. Aranea would stay there for her, and she would help her through this. That's how it had to be. That's how it was supposed to be. And that's when Applejack heard the bark as Winona came up the stairs, looking back at her open door with a shocked look and started to say "NO!" as her house was transported to the game through Rarity's help - who had put the deployments in such elegant places that even Applejack was impressed with how she had rearranged everything to fit, despite how cluttered she could've sworn it was. Aranea saw it and thought Rarity could easily be a space player considering her talent at organizing space, while Twilight was skilled at organizing her time spent doing things. The Land of Integrity and Lies. Applejack was about to cry at the implications Applejack's planet was filled to the brim with consorts. It was as crowded here as Japan was on Earth. It reminded her of family reunions, because of how much family she had. But even then her eyes were wide and surprised as she took on the scope of it into her mind. The consorts were rats. Some were dark furred and others were light furred. Everything on her planet seemed extremely sturdy - much sturdier than the Apple farm house. But there was also something else. It was the life. It spread everywhere almost in spite of the rats. --- In the recent past, but not far. The inside of Gilda's home - so close to the other Griffons - was filled with players. She was happy that she'd had rich parents and such a big house, otherwise no one would fit. Chiri was paying close attention to his computer on the table, using his hacking equipment to mess with the game, destroying certain lines of code and breaking the rules and messing with them to force them to pick up on a certain signal when installed, so that they'd be able to connect to the signal given off by the ponies. Arrus, the witch of rage, was standing next to him, watching in silence. She had been given the idea in a dream by the lord of muse, and she was relaying the idea to Chiri, who had to move a lot of the game's components in order to make room for his additions. He was very efficient with computers and programs, and knew how to bypass them. After all, he'd been the one to hack the game and make it more available on his own planet in the first place. The others were relaxing and getting ready for the session, some of them sparring. Chiri called Gilda over and told her it was ready, and that she would be able to deploy her own objects. The disc was like a void now, with components taken out and components put into it. It was like Frankenstein's monster in game form. He was proud of his work; although it had been hard and taken him a lot of time, he had accomplished it, wondering if there were other ways he could test his skill. Gilda's game was rigged to take the place of one of the ponies' planets and destroy it to make way for her own entrance. None of them would suspect a thing. Chiri's designs ultimately glitched the game copy, but he was able to do what was needed. Gilda twirled Ying's old horn that she had broken off in her talons, intending to use it for a weapon later - just a sort of predator souvenir. Gilda had been told not to prototype, and listened intently, and felt like someone was playing a sick joke on her when she made her entry item. She looked over at Chiri with a raised brow, who just shrugged. Gilda could feel a mental connection with the game, and seemed to understand who she was, like it was alive. The entry item was a baby griffon, probably not herself. Gilda spit and got ready for what she needed to do, stooping herself down low for multiple reasons. It was time to break everything. She smashed the baby griffon quick, and her house disappeared much to the confusion of the griffons around the area. The Land of Glitch and Darkness. Her kernelsprite was jet black, and it coursed with rainbow colors that seemed to grow and fade constantly. It seemed a little static-y. She thought for awhile, Chiri telling her to put in something doomed or dead. Gilda came to a decision quickly, pulling out a recently dead fish and chucking it in and throwing in a tome that Arrus gave her. It would take a few hours, but soon Snowskeeper would come, guided by the lord of muse, being followed by Lunacy. Gilda would do various things on her land in the meantime to get ready and was given advice by the other players before they spread out and started to map out the planet due to how dark it was. The planet was significantly bigger than the others, but it was hard to tell because the orb was pitch black most of the time. It was the beginning of the end.

My Little Forumites are Magic

LODAF

Vinyl Scratch had woken up from a really weird dream. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes before putting her purple glasses on. Her frizzle hair was a little out of place, but a small head shake fixed that. She rarely remembered her dreams, but this one was continuing. It had been about Lyra, and she had been using her instrument to tell a story. Rather, stories. In the dream, she understood all of the lyrics that seemed to come to her from nowhere, seeing past the obvious at the time and feeling the presence of something bigger, or, rather, more knowledgeable than her. She wasn't sure why the dream was sticking with her, but it all felt ominous. Pinkie Pie was her favorite fan, and she had given her a few things she called captchalogue cards a few days ago. She said to consider it future payment and an early Hearth's Warming Eve gift all at the same time, telling her it would help to keep her stuff organized. She had told her that since she called on her so much it only felt right. She had experimented with them last night, and was really surprised at how they worked. She wanted to go to the market to get some apples, having a craving, not knowing there wouldn't be apples around for awhile. --- Lyra too, woke from a dream. But this was a nightmare. She felt dread and so much fear for her life that it was almost breaking her sanity. The dream had been bad, and it stuck to her memory like tar. She picked up her lyre from the dressing table and started doing a small lullaby, but it soon turned into something creepy and ominous. It's like she didn't have full control over what was happening, as if something was controlling her. What she didn't know was that the nightmare had impacted her so hard that it was messing with her subconscious. Lyra planned to stop by Twilight's place and tell her about it, but felt like she had something else to do. And remembered being told something in her dream, but it all felt fuzzy despite remembering that she had seen some terrible, awesome (in a bad way,) images that had damaged her psyche. She had something to do, and she didn't want to think. It hurt to think and it just brought more fear. --- Spike was thinking about the gem shards in his captchalogue deck and had tried to see if he could make more of them. But when he looked, there was no code for them that he could make out. This surprised him, and he went to Twilight and Phynicxs about it who were just as perplexed as he was - Phynicxs most likely more. Spike sighed and said "oh well," deciding to give it to them in person when the time came. It sucked he couldn't make more though. --- Vinyl trotted toward the open market place and saw a wrecked Lyra looking around, Bonbon nowhere near her. Lyra was shaking all over and kept looking behind her shoulder as if she expected something to be there. She looked like a nervous wreck, but once she saw the small stage in the market place she climbed up on top of it and started playing her lyre, a glint in her eye. She felt herself calm down, but the lyrics and music was completely alien to her. It was dubstep. I wish I was joking, but I'm not. It was totally dubstep, which was as weird as sour noodles. Lyra's eyes began glowing with a rainbow color (which reminded her of Rainbow Dash) and a small aura of darkness surrounded her, but she seemed to be really getting into it, nodding her head along with the music that flowed from her along with the sound of her lyre. Vinyl Scratch was extremely disturbed by this and wanted to get away, an ominous and fearful feeling accompanying it, but as she saw a crowd draw to it, and listened to the strange lyrics, Vinyl Scratch felt something had to be done. There was something else with Lyra - something that was hidden in the darkness. And as she saw other ponies go up to Lyra, she realized that some of them were listening intently, as though in a trance. It was like they couldn't see what was happening, but at the same time were more aware of what was happening than Vinyl did. Her fear reached a crescendo, but she thought about her friends and those that were surrounding Lyra, and decided to try and do something about it. Something electronic. Something musical. Much more musical than the crap that came out of Lyra's body. It was time to set up as a white aura started to caress Vinyl's body. Her glasses glowed from the light in Vinyl's eyes. --- With Vivere's help, Zecora was quick in deploying the items around Rarity's large house, the Carousal Boutique. Zecora was a little put off at all the fancy-looking dresses, preferring to stick to her heritage. She didn't judge Rarity, no, but it wasn't something she was interested in. Rarity rushed through the house, waiting for her cat-sitter to come by so Opalescence wouldn't be so alone without her and so endangered by the game. The doorbell rang and she ran to it, happy to see Derpy on the other side. Rarity smiled from ear to ear and brought the cat carrier out with a hissing Opalescence. Derpy was klutzy, but she knew how to get things done without TOO much damage. Rarity hurried her outside, giving Derpy a small bag of bits, and ran back inside to prepare for her session, the kernelsprite already out. Zecora was looking through Rarity's... Entertainment book shelf and found a book that looked familiar to her. She'd seen the same book at one point in her dad's old saddlebags. She didn't know what it was, and Rarity freaked out when Zecora held it in front of her. She almost pulled out her hair - no one was supposed to know about her smut collection. Rarity screamed for her to put it back - put it back right now - but something rumbled underneath Zecora, accidentally dropping the book, causing it to land in the kernelsprite. Rarity screamed and, instead of falling onto her drama couch, started screaming on the floor. No one could know about this - she had to keep this secret - her reputation depended on it. She had to destroy the evidence. She had to destroy her kernelsprite. Derpy was just taking off and was a little ways from the ground before her jaw slackened at seeing things shake with her two eyes - causing her to drop the cat carrier. Derpy cried out and dived for it. When it hit the ground the cage broke open, Opal hissed, and quickly took off, climbing into a tree and jumping into an open window on Rarity's second floor, and hid under her bed. Derpy chased after the cat, trying to get her back in. Zecora's connection broke suddenly as the shaking about stopped. She called for Vivere to help her out but he wasn't answering. A little scared of the very small earthquake, she peeked her head outside her hut. --- Rarity tried multiple things to destroy the head from her smut novel, some of the more gaudy and perverse paragraphs scrolling across the kernelsprite as though it were trying to learn. She tried to choke it, she tried to smash it, she tried suffocating it, she even tried throwing things at it. Not to mention she also tried to rip it apart with her magic. But nothing worked. At least not yet. Rarity got a message from Twilight to hurry up, as it was already taking longer than normal, and Twilight was getting antsy. Rarity took a deep breath, and decided to hide it behind a curtain for now and would take care of it later. She was really perturbed by her entry item. It was an eye with a very sharp needle and thread next to it. She figured what she had to do, as gruesome as the idea sounded to her, and started to thread the needle and proceeded to sew the eye shut. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, not knowing what the future held or if this transference was going to be painful. Or nauseating much like Twilight's teleport spells. The eye glowed with power, getting stronger and stronger, layers of what seemed to be magic reeking from it much like Twilight's horn. And finally, all that energy was released and seeped into her house. Derpy and Opalescence inside. Spike's adventuring was slow going because there were tons of enemies with varying characteristics. His fighting had improved significantly and he was quickly learning how to fight efficiently and to his current potential. Gia was a major help to him, especially when Spike found things he wanted to hoard. She kept him in check, often helping him to calm down and sometimes meditate about what he was doing. After a few hours he decided to take a nap, and woke up on Prospit. He was extremely confused as he woke up in an area that resembled the house tree. He heard something upstairs and when he checked, saw that Twilight was asleep. He tried to shake her awake but it was a no-go. He decided to leave her alone and go look out the windows. He wasn't aware he could fly, and when he looked into the clouds, he saw so much. He saw what happened to Rainbow Dash and how the others had saved her. He saw himself there and was wearing clothing. He also looked bigger and stronger, not to mention fierce and warrior-like. Gia was right beside him; although she looked sad. He tried to call out to them, but learned quickly that he could only see, not hear. The fact that Rainbow Dash was alive in some way gave him some hope. At least this way he wouldn't have to focus too much on his breath. Wait what? Spike moved away from it, having seen a figure in the large void in a cloud; although it was hard for him to make out and it would have been impossible for others - something terrible and powerful. It wasn't very big, but the guy had clothing on that flashed many colors, the symbols on his chest projected out with a small machine inlaid in his chest. The symbols changed rapidly and Spike at one point thought he was going to have a seizure. When he finally woke up, he talked to Gia about it who told her that something had to have changed for some reason to warrant Rainbow Dash being saved from the one with the guns. Gia found this weird, not recognizing the symbol Spike had shown her and not understanding why Rainbow Dash had to be saved due to the fact she was wearing knight of breath clothing. Spike figured they should look for her, but Gia informed him not to yet until he was stronger and RD's house had been built up. Gia talked with Shadowtanksprite as Spike decided to heed the advice, feeling power radiate from his captchalogue deck. --- Twilight was learning to fight and steal inner magic from the enemies' leylines, just to use it on herself and Phy, Smarty-snakesprite keeping a little behind so as to not scare the crap out of Twilight anymore, occasionally calling to her. She still wasn't that good at travelling back in time without disappearing soon after, but every time she brought something else or someone else back in time with her, it was like they got stuck. Twilight was getting worried she might never master her aspect, but Phynicxs reassured her that it just takes time. And keeping bonds together had come natural for Phynicxs (along with stealing bonds and helping it to strengthen their own, but using the blood to fight had taken a long time to master. So much so that she seemed to only get better at it when she became godtier. Twilight nodded, understanding. --- Pinkie Pie came to her aspect naturally, using some of the grist to help strengthen some of the powers that came to her. There seemed to be no rush, and she was excited, training herself before trying to catch frogs with Ying's help; although Ying left it mostly to her. Gummy had been killed by an imp earlier, and before Pinkie saw it Ying tossed Gummy into the kernelsprite, and then Gummy always seemed to be snacking on gum. Gummycandysprite seemed to have trouble talking considering he had no useable teeth, but Pinkie seemed to be able to understand him clearly (and with some difficulty Ying could as well due to the sprite's power. She was happy that Gummy would be helping to guide her through the game, deciding not to ask Ying what happened. And he was thankful for that. Pinkie was mostly exploring the parties, coming across complex riddles occasionally and asking Twilight for help. She seemed to be a natural at sliding block puzzles - even the hardest of them. Some of the block puzzles were very similar to the one from PE2, and others were even harder, and many of them confusing. But Pinkie just seemed to have a way about it. She seemed to see how everything was supposed to be placed a certain way, almost like her intuition had grown. Or almost like she was a seer of space. But it came so naturally to her Ying had figured she was an heir. --- Applejack was slowly getting ideas of what she had to do, slowly learning who to trust and who not to trust. But there was so little information ever given that she needed to talk to so many rats just to find out where she was supposed to go, like this was the central hub of her entire planet. With Aranea's help, Applejack was able to repair her hope and light in order to see through these things and arrive at the right answer. She was being pushed to her limits, and it was difficult and tuckered her out. But some of the rats, as they talked to her, started to feed upon her integrity like it was something they had been missing all their lives. And that just made Applejack more tired. Almost as tired as she had felt when she was trying to farm all the apples on her own. Sometimes she even had a headache and needed to rest. There weren't very many enemies to fight for her - at least not yet - especially because she was still wandering out close to the city. The life was everywhere though, and decided to try and collect some food and remake it using alchemization so that the others would have something to eat when she got to them, if they didn't already have something. --- Land of Diamond and Fabric. Rarity was screaming. Her own heart in turmoil as she tried to deal with Derpy's self and with Opalescence. She wasn't relaxing and meditating enough to find the answers. Right now all she saw was anger, somewhat glad that Sweetie wasn't here for multiple reasons. Smeareyes saw her rage, and where it was coming from, but didn't expect what happened next. Derpy was flying around, trying to scope out the place, and when she landed on the top of Carousal Boutique for a rest, she fell through and landed on Opalescence. Rarity screamed and started shouting unlady-like profanities at Derpy who got sad and flew away. Rarity felt immediately sorry after it but was so tired of all of this. She just wanted to get some beauty sleep and it hadn't even been a day yet. Smeareyes helped her out by seeing her rage and seeing where it ended and how to end it so that she wouldn't hurt someone else through it; although he was pretty impressed how she seemed to be empowered by the rage and other feelings. Smeareyes calmed her down and put Opalescence into the sprite, which she wanted no one looking at, but she finally yielded and decided if she wanted her cat back, she was going to have to do this. Opalescencesmutsprite was a disaster. She was a total bitch. And Rarity had had enough. She walked out through her door, saw all the gems and fabric that went everywhere - she gasped and felt so much within her, but then she saw the oil and the oil fish and screamed. She ran back inside and started to cry, wanting a break but not getting one. Her soul was on the fringe - the precipice - of disaster. Smeareyes tried to comfort her the way he knew how, knowing she wasn't yet keyed in to her powers of heart, whatever that was. He tried to help her meditate and relax, which was something he was used to doing ever since his aspect started showing up, Phynicxs having helped train him to do so. Rarity was at her wit's end. Smeareyes had noticed that Rarity's consorts were cat fish, and almost smiled at the revelation. Smeareyes was also aware that he'd have to find Derpy and help cheer her up, which would keep him away from Rarity, but he was sure she could handle herself after all this that had happened. She just needed some time to think and relax so she could see and hear better. Later Rarity would discover that many of the gems and fabrics were fake - like the fabric that looked like it was durable really wasn't, and the a lot of the gems were fake. She would have to look closely and go with her intuition sometimes in order to find the right ones for her quests that helped her grow as a Seer of Heart quickly. But every step of the way was painful and wracked with drama. Smeareyes had been glad at one point that he'd taken off after Derpy, having to take an hour or two to find her.

My Little Forumites are Magic

LOSAB

Vivere grimaced, grinding his teeth as he tried to push back against Jim. It was really difficult, he was getting pushed back with such ease despite his metal bracers, but the worst part was that he felt Jim wasn't even going at his full strength. "Time to end this." His sword glowed and he brought it down. Vivere pushed up and tried to deflect it with both bracers, but when the sword drove into them it went through his hands, the area erased and even worse, like his own power, space was destroyed and his blood started to seep through into the void on his wrists. Vivere screamed, but didn't give up, and uncaptchalogued his weaponized boots, and started a riot with his legs, but they always missed or got parried. His moves were fast and furious but Jim didn't seem to have a problem with this at all. Jim smiled, as though trying to make it look like he was going to lose, but brought the sword around and chopped off one of Vivere's legs. Vivere swore and fell. Jim's sword glowed red as he came over to Vivere to finish the job, intending to destroy his time. And that was when something smashed against him. He hadn't even seen it coming. In fact, it was almost like it hadn't even been there. He screamed as the potent acid ripped into his flesh. Zecora threw another, her entire body surrounded by void except for her piercing white eyes. She threw another and Jim was having a hard time deflecting them. Zecora felt anger rise up - more and more - more than the fear that had started this, and the void wrapped around Jim, cutting him off from the game. Jim started to panic, his sword glowing dark blue as he tried to destroy the void, but he was having difficulty because there wasn't much light in this part of the Everfree Forest. It was almost like void was naturally drawn to here. Jim had to take a chance and barreled his way through the void, his powers of flight taking hold as he tried to escape and get back to the games' reaches. Zecora's power didn't leave until she felt Vivere and her were both safe, and then she passed out. Vivere swore a colorful arrangement and tried to get back into the hut with Zecora. This was going to put a damper on the game's timing. --- Machine was good with computers, robots, and other technological stuff. He carried most of his important belongings on him at all times. Most of his time was spent inside working on the technology he had, occasionally coming up with new ideas. One of his ideas had been due to the story he'd heard about the other players fighting two time players and how they had destroyed and stolen time. He'd heard about the frozen flame stasis sword which had helped trap the power of doom and keep it from influencing things, and in order to make sure there would be a way to save someone should their time be destroyed or taken, with Ying's help and Jordan's help as well, he came up with his newest, and probably best invention. He'd required Jordan and Ying, order to have someone who was knowledgeable about time and life. And his prototype Timeless Core had been created. It had helped that he'd had the game equipment available to him earlier, especially in the city, Ying and Jordan helping immensely. Typo was understandably impressed by Machine Whisperer's living quarters. He was a like a genius in all ways technological, and his room showed it. The only light came from the screens. A slam was heard at the front, and Typo turned to look down the stairs. He jumped and dived, flying over the stairs and landing on his feet at the bottom. He looked to the right and saw Kaotic with a devilish look in his eyes. He brought his weapon up and shot it at Typo who was a little startled. He brought his hand up, trying to absorb it, but it went right through and then through his chest. He fell backwards, stumbling, the area around it cauterized. "I think it's about time this game was ended for good, don't you?" He smiled, kneeling down next to Typo and pulling his time away from his mind and heart. The mage of blood galluped downstairs. "STOP THIEF!" The changeling felt threatened, and he felt mad. His could feel that his bond with Typo was about to break, as though it had already broken. The changeling screamed and felt power rise through him, and charged at Kaotic in an attempt to thrust his horn into his chest. It was futile. And Kaotic knew it. He just kicked the changeling to the side and knelt down at him. But then the changeling smiled, Typo getting off the floor and pulling out his pinwheel, not quite sure why his body was moving considering he was near to being unconscious. He threw the pinwheel and Kaotic looked behind him, the pinwheel coming for his neck. What the hell had happened? He'd taken pretty much all of Typo's time - he should be dead! And then he looked to the changeling, who felt like, despite being unable to feel love, like he knew bonds both inside and out. They were so much like computers. The logical data. He may not know what love was, but he knew what data was. Kaotic threw himself back, nearly getting decapitated. The pinwheel stuck into the far wall but it started moving again. Kaotic wasn't sure what was happening, but was going to get out of there. And he did, using his time powers to go back in time with the time he'd stolen, and quietly sneaking out. And when Kaotic saw his double coming out of the house, he figured his mission had been successful. Machine ran over to Typo who had fallen, and lifted his head up, knowing only one thing to do. He was about to cry, but he needed to work before it was too late. He could tell Typo was already getting cold, and due to his time being taken, he probably wouldn't be getting up from this one. Machine levitated Typo's body with him as he ran up the stairs, his telekinesis faltering a few times, but catching him quick. He set Typo on the ground, surprised he hadn't been told to enter yet, and started doing a little last minute work on his latest invention. He wasn't sure how he was going to connect it, but didn't let that stop him. He knew a little bit about their anatomy, having gone over a book at the city; although MANY pages had been missing, and destroyed the cauterization that had been done, and trying to use his telekinesis and a small rod to burn some of the nerves that were almost impossible for him to see to the core. The light emitted from it looked like frozen or freezing air. The artificial life and time powers expanded throughout his body, ending at the heart and the brain. Typo was having a difficult time thinking as he woke up, trying to gasp, but realizing he didn't seem to need to breathe anymore. His body felt cold as ice. The prototype had worked, even if there were a bunch of problems. Machine Whisperer was relieved, and started questioning Typo who seemed to have very little idea of what was going on himself. He sat down for awhile as Machine Whisperer went to go collect the pinwheel. --- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MIGAxXEMm_4 Vinyl was revving it up. She was slowly warming up and she was getting closer, some of those from Lyra's area losing their trance and starting to dance with her music, feeling more upbeat and hopeful. Occasionally Vinyl Scratch would spare a confused glance Lyra's way as she continued to play, her eyes seeming empty. She was really disturbed by her behavior and her music. She knew it wasn't good, but she couldn't understand it like the others. And those that came over to her side didn't have time to tell her what was going on. So she played, and she would continue playing until Lyra stopped, even if it took all day. Something was just not right about this situation, and unknown to her, things like this were happening all over Equestria. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j5JOXl2hK8o Lyra felt empty, and she felt like something was trying to take her over and use her for its own agenda. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but she felt fear from it and fought back, trying to fight back with her will. The fear was starting to overwhelm her and she was having a hard time standing up and fighting, so to speak. And the music that played in her head just didn't feel right in the slightest. She couldn't tell what was going on outside of her, but she knew it would have to end sooner or later, right? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jWeGCRp1E4Y Vinyl was getting tired, but her music seemed to give her strength. So did those who cheered her on and seemed to throw their hearts out to her. She smiled, feeling strength like she had never felt before spread throughout her body. An aura of light was given off by her body as she played, which contrasted significantly from the aura of darkness and emptiness around Lyra. Vinyl kept going, and wouldn't give up as long as darkness stood ready to hurt others. Her music reflected that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VudBpizRQnQ Lyra was coming to her closing, and felt like she had done something good. But that goodness was corrupted. She could tell, but she wanted to deny it. She didn't want to know what damage she must have cost, and would, later that night, cry herself to sleep. She felt so tired after all of that, and somehow she felt like she wouldn't be given rest until she either died or was done with her purpose that had been forced on her, and not chosen by her. Vinyl learned, after all was said and done, that the songs tended to have an overarching theme. The music was always good and just seemed to seep into the soul, like it was meant to be there; although many fought against it as well, but many more turned to it - and there would have been more had Vinyl not stepped up her game and gotten serious and helped out that day. Vinyl was extremely perturbed after having been told what the lyrics had been about. It had been about chaos and destruction, and a never-ending pain. It had been about either submitting or forfeiting your life to a greater being than you. It had been about obeying and destroying those who refused to conform. And when Vinyl had played, those who had been listening told her that her music gave them hope, love, and strength as well as courage to stand and reject the other life, even if it meant they had to die. They told her that the music had developed lyrics of their own that helped enforce loyalty to one who would not hurt them no matter what, and would entertain for free if it was to make someone else happy. Vinyl was seen that day as a pony who wouldn't fail to help others and welcome others with open hooves. And Vinyl felt like she wasn't done yet. Zecora was quick to contact Twilight, telling her what had happened to Vivere, telling her that he had bled out despite her medicine and had revived, her suggestion being that he hadn't had his time stolen or destroyed like the others. Then Machine Whisperer let Twilight know what was happening. With Phy's help, she started a small memo, telling everyone what had happened and that something was going on on Equestria. She also informed them that she'd been sent reports that other strange things were going on even as they continued to enter the session. Twilight stated with full confidence that they needed to get into the game now. Zecora contacted Machine Whisperer and asked for his help with getting into the session now that he wasn't having any problems. Machine was quick to comply and deployed all the necessary objects in her house, putting a thing or two into the tree after revising slightly. Vivere helped her get where she needed to go, occasionally doing the leg work for her. She prototyped a pile of her masks that had been taken off the wall. Masksprite was born and every time its mood seemed to change, so did the mask. Zecora loved her new sprite and knew what she was going to prototype it with next. As she made her entry item her thoughts settled on what had been said between everyone, about her most likely controlling void. She felt weird about this because of the spiral sun she had on her flank. But then she thought, that even if one was within the void, your heart and light could still come out to help others. And void was just another way of helping, through keeping her allies mysterious and hidden, much like an assassin. This way her mysteriousness could be used for good. Especially if it could help with not just physical aspects, but mental aspects as well, helping the others to meditate and find the answers hidden in the void like she had often done to build up her wisdom, letting her mind wander in a directed way. Zecora smiled when her entry item was revealed. She could see something inside of it, something that looked important to a younger version of herself. It was hidden in cloudy liquid. She knew immediately what to do, smashing it. The whole room became filled with green smoke and she tried not to cough, instead focusing inward on her subconscious reaching out with her other senses to master living in the smoke - knowing the truth was there. When she felt what she was going for she thrust her hoof up and hit what she needed to. As the smoke exited the window, she walked over to where it had crashed, a slight buzzing coming from the dented gold machination. She knew it wasn't like the real ones that were often used to help others, but she picked this up anyway, saving it for later, and as she touched it, her world went white. The Land of Snow and Brew. The most interesting facet of her world, that Vivere was quick to find out, leaning against the door frame, was that the snow had black grass growing out of it in some areas that seemed to affect the snow around it. These two forces did not live in harmony with one another, much like light and void were near opposites. Her land was filled with a bunches of creatures that looked like parasprite consorts but had lighted rear ends, who were occasionally feeding off of the brews within the dozens if not hundreds of pots scattered around as though they were flowers with nectar - like they were small volcanoes of different chemicals. Zecora looked out and was surprised at this, before hurrying out to tell Twilight and Machine Whisperer that they'd made it in. She also recognized some areas that were snow caves. Zecora had lived most of her life in the desert and occasionally within small wooded areas, but having lived near Ponyville for so long, she knew snow when she saw it.

Golden Prose

pre

A stiff breeze blew through the orchard, rustling branches of the fruitless trees. Underneath the sound of the branches I thought I heard another chattering like the sound of cicadas in the distance. It was much quieter than it had been the night before, but it was definitely there. I heard Golden Prose gasp and I spun on my hooves to face whatever it was she had seen. Deeper in the orchard under a cluster of three apple trees was a pony. The densely growing trees cast a shadow darker than the surround ground. The darkness seemed to pulse in sync with the pony's raspy breathing as he peered out from behind the center tree. He had what looked to be a corn knife dangling loosely from his mouth. We watched the pony for about fifteen seconds, though it felt like an eternity. The Hardtack shadow had been on us almost immediately after appearing. This one seemed to linger. "I don't think it can leave the shadows until it gets darker!" I hissed, somehow afraid that the shadow pony might hear me. "We need to make a break for the open fields where there won't be any big shadows for at least a little while longer." Golden Prose grunted in agreement as she clicked on her flashlights. She was apparently not as worried about remaining hidden from any remaining deputies as I was. We burst into a gallop away from the tree line and down the road that separated the orchard from adjacent open farmland. I was still unwilling to use my lights, but I did reach into my saddlebag and tuck one of my emergency flares into my vest for easy access as I ran. The night air had been alive with the sound of frogs, crickets, and other animals performing their usual nocturnal chorus, but as we reached the edge of the first field the sound of silence was all we heard. Then came the sound of cicadas again. It started off low, but gradually increased in bass and volume until it sounded like a swarm of dragons was descending. I realized that this was a sound I had heard before. I had been at a weather pegasus show outside of Baltimare; a flight team had been demonstrating their techniques for weather manipulation. Their grand finale had been a small scale demonstration of the tornado they used to bring water from ground level up into Cloudsdale. The sound I heard now was identical, only far from small scale. On the dark horizon the black tornado was barely visible but the debris it tossed around were more than enough proof that it was there. Shadows swirled around it, tossing trees from the orchard aside like they were toothpicks. Along the edge of the field I suddenly became aware of several more shadow ponies, including the one we had supposedly left behind in the orchard. I clicked on my flashlights and brandished my emergency flare, ready to toast the first one brave enough to take a swing at me. "Moss!" Golden Prose shouted and took off past me into the field. I looked back in the direction she had come from only to see that the shadow tornado had shifted direction toward us. The shadow ponies were keeping us in the open field where there was no cover from the behemoth! I scrambled after the mare, unsure how far we would get before the storm bore down on us. Even if I felt brave enough to turn and take a shot at it with the flare gun the twister had picked up enough apple trees and farm equipment to create what basically amounted to a shield of debris. That's when everything really went to hell. The ground shuddered violently beneath my hooves and I lost my balance. My front hooves went out from under me and I tumbled head first into the dirt just in time to see the ground in front of me swallow up Golden Prose. The mare shrieked as she tumbled down into the dark abyss below. "GOLDEN PROSE!" The chasm now in front of me was too wide to avoid, but that didn't matter. I was going down after her. The flare I'd been carrying now lay in front of me and I quickly scooped it up, ignited it, and pitched the blazing red beacon down the hole. Before I could take the plunge after it I felt a hoof stomp down on my tail. Every one of the shadow ponies from the edges of the field had now advanced in on me. The cane knife wielding pony had been the quickest. He stood on my tail and thrust downward with the large blade, clipping my left flank as I frantically rolled and twisted to avoid it The pain was intense, both from the bleeding wound on my flank and the wrenching twist of my tail. Before he could bring the knife down again I yanked one of my flashlights out of the saddlebag straps and aimed the beam directly into the shadow pony's face. The abomination hissed and flailed backwards trying to cover its face with its hooves. With my tail now free I was on my hooves in a flash. I quickly grabbed two more flares from my saddlebags and jammed them into my front vest pockets for easy access. My plans were suddenly dashed when as suddenly as the chasm had opened the ground below me shifted once more. The two edge of the pit slammed together, thrusting upward upon impact like a newly formed mountain range The tornado was too close now, I had to get away, but the only way around the newly formed ridge was through the advancing shadow ponies. I gripped one more flare from my bag between my teeth and took off towards the left edge of the chasm. The shadow-claimed ponies there seemed to be farmers. One of them wielded a pitchfork menacingly while the other stood rigidly with a pair of gardening shears in her mouth. "Bumper... CROP THIS YEAR!" The pitchfork pony shouted in an echoing voice as he transferred the pitchfork from his hooves to his mouth and charged toward me. I arched my shoulders as I ran so that the remaining light in my saddlebag straps pointed square at the shadow's chest, stopping him dead in his tracks. Without slowing I dipped my head and struck the flare on the ground as I ran. The burst of red in my face was blinding but I squinted my eyes shut as hard as I could and plowed into the shadow pony. The burning tip of the flare carved through the monster's chest and I felt it turn to ash as I pushed through him. The second shadow was quicker than the first. I had to drop the flare just to be able to see well enough to follow her as she zigzagged across the field, threatening to appear at my side and gut me with her shears at any instant. For better or worse it didn't matter at this point, because that's when the tornado got me. A piece of flying debris, I think it might have been a mailbox, slammed into my hind legs and took them out from under me. I landed on my wounded flank and let out a sharp howl of pain. Fruit and branches from the orchard buffeted my head as I tried to stagger back onto my hooves. The winds were too strong; I could feel myself being pulled backwards across the dirt towards the funnel. The flare in front of me flickered and died out, and then the darkness took over. I felt my hooves leave the ground and the air leave my lungs. Chunks of debris pelted me relentlessly as the storm drew me further up the funnel. The feeling of suffocation slowly began to be replaced by the sensation of drowning. I was suspended in a cone of darkness and I could feel it creeping into me, seeping into my eyes and flooding into my chest like burning oil. This must have been what Hardtack Jack felt when he was taken. The tangible darkness pouring into his body and washing out everything that had made him who he was; leaving him a hollow shell full of nothing but shadows. Nothing more than a puppet for whatever grand power was at place here. I was going to die. After everything I had been through, I was going to die here.

Golden Prose

6

I was a rag-doll in the air. Despite the burning sensation in my core my limbs were cold and numb. My legs hung limply, ignoring my every effort to move them. All I could think about was Golden Prose shining the flashlight in my face back at her bungalow, trying to burn out the shadow she suspected was hiding inside me. I just wanted to hold my hold my remaining flashlight against my chest to stop the burning. As if on cue just to snuff out any illusion I'd had of that one last comfort, a chunk of debris slammed into my side, shattering the lens and bulb of the flashlight. It was like the storm had a mind of its own. There was thought behind this destruction. Without the thin beam of light from the flashlight I was now alone in the black. I squeezed my eyes shut just to spare myself the sight of whatever piece of debris was going to spear me through the heart. If I was lucky maybe it would kill me before the shadows themselves did. I was about to say a prayer when I felt something warm on my chest. It was different from the burning oil inside my chest, this was only superficial. I dared to open one eye just enough to peer down at myself. There was a dull purple glow around the collar of my vest. It drifted down my chest, circling around and weaving itself between the vest buttons, searching. And then it found what it was looking for. The two flares I'd had poking from my vest pockets burst to life in a radiant explosion of red against black. A guttural roar erupted from the center of the funnel and the entire storm seemed to shudder in pain. Wind buffeted my face as the tornadoes rotation seemed to double, enraged by the thorn that had been stuck in its heart. I wanted to cry out as the heat from the flares began to melt through the artificial fibers of my pockets, dripping hot nylon against my chest as my vest flapped in the wind. The storm couldn't seem to dislodge the flares from my pockets so it then made the decision to remove me entirely. Suddenly I was out. I could breathe again but my limbs were still not my own. I tumbled end over end through the warm night air, cycling between views of the stars above and the dense forest below. There would be no catching myself or even bracing for impact. I crashed through the canopy in an explosion of jabbing branches that was almost more painful than the tornado itself. My chest thumped on a thick limb, knocking the wind out of me as I toppled over it. My legs and flanks slammed into several more limbs in a painful game of pinball, but then came the game-over of the hard ground. My head rapped against the ground with a resounding THUNK. I felt nauseous and I saw stars. I was broken, I just knew it. Tunnel vision began to set in and I wondered if death was finally going to claim me. Then I was gone. "Moss. Mossy! Wake up, buddy, you're holding up the party." I started awake, slapping away the hoof that jabbed at my face. "Damn it, Expo I told you not to let me fall asleep." With an inglorious slump I flopped out of my reclined position against the large oak tree and got to my hooves. "We don't have time for naps." "Aww, but you looked so sleepy and you always get so cranky without your nap." The gray unicorn stallion mocked as he levitated his saddlebags onto his back, hiding his film camera cutie mark. "We really are never going to find anything if you go stomping through the woods like a pouting colt." I slapped him hard in the chest with my hoof and then pulled my own saddlebags back on. This was the last day of the film shoot and I was really feeling the pressure. We had plenty of stock footage to pad that episode of Equestrian Wilderness, but no shots of the animal that was supposed to be the actual main focus. Expo gathered up his assistant and the pony with the sound equipment while I went to find our host. As I expected I found the graying donkey fixated on a nearby shallow, swampy pool full of frogs. "Sorry about that, Atten. Are you ready to move on?" I whispered, trying not to disturb the subjects of his observation. Atten Burro eased back away from the pool, not removing his eyes from it until the last moment when we were side by side. "Do not worry about it, my colt. I had a lovely break with these Hayseed leopard frogs. They are simply fascinating." I couldn't help but smile. The donkey's love for nature was infectious. The downside was that it only heightened the anxiety in my chest not to let him down. I wanted desperately to be able to show him the Ursa that we had come to find. I had served as Atten Burro's guide during the filming of his show for the past two years. My unique skill was my uncanny ability to track down wild animals without disturbing them. It was invaluable in the making of wildlife documentaries. And though my name was merely a blip in the show's credits I wouldn't change it for the world. I got to travel Equestria and learn so much from the donkey who would come to be my mentor. Finding animals had always come naturally to me, but the Ursa Major was a challenge unlike anything I had ever faced. Next to nothing was known about the elusive creature. The animals were immense though; they should have been easy to track in the dense swamp. Yet somehow the only thing we had found after five days of searching was one set of tracks. One set of four paw prints; as if the creature had suddenly appeared and disappeared. The crew was exhausted and ready to trek back out of the swamp. They had been with Atten much longer than me and had experienced the disappointment of an unsuccessful hunt before. I had not, and was unwilling to let this be my first. We hiked onward for the rest of the day, following every little hunch I had about a sound or smell. None of them panned out. The sun was finally starting to set when Expo trotted up beside me to talk. "We're exhausted, Mossy, and I know you are too." His voice was quiet, though not quite a whisper. "Even though Atten won't admit it he knows this trip was a bust. The Ursa that was here probably left the area ages ago." I snorted, refusing to slow my pace or face the unicorn. "There's no shame in this, buddy. We gave it a great effort; things just didn't pan out this time." The unicorn was becoming more insistent, his camera floating magically at his right shoulder. "If we turn back now we can be out of the swamp before it gets too late and then go sleep in actual beds tonight." I was tempted to buck the camera-pony in the ribs for being such a quitter. "We have enough food and water to last till tomorrow, so we're going to stay till tomorrow." I snapped back at him. "I'll find us a place to bed down before dark." Expo reluctantly agreed and went back to the rest of the group to relay my decision. We usually operated as a democracy, but being the only pony who knew the way back gave me the power of veto here. As we moved slightly higher upland and out of the wetter areas of the swamp I finally spied what I thought would make a suitable camp. There was a large rocky outcropping with a cave that seemed to dip down below the earth just below the entrance. The mouth of the cave was sheltered enough that it would make a fine place to stay the night. Leaving the others behind I crept into the cave to make sure it was safe. Regular bears were just as much of a threat here as anything else. Even timber wolves might have been inclined to take refuge there. After a thorough investigation though I found no trace that any animal called this cave home. Not even a hair soiled the stone floor inside for as far down as I dared to go. Within an hour we had made camp and were enjoying some drinks around the campfire. The bottles of hard cider that would have been our reward for a successful trip were now being sipped on morosely like a consolation prize. I took a quick swig of my drink and frowned as Atten trotted over and took a seat next to me. "I know you're disappointed, Mossy, but it's something we all have to learn to deal with now and then. No pony has ever filmed an Ursa Major before. We didn't fail... we just didn't beat everyone else." He tried to pat me on the back but I leaned away. "Not only did we not film one, we didn't even see one!" I set my drink down just so I could shake my hooves for emphasis. "I've heard stories about colts just wandering into the woods and stumbling across an Ursa. How do you think that makes me feel when knowing what animals think and where to find them is supposedly the one thing I'm really good at? It's my Luna-damned cutie mark after all!" Atten Burro nodded thoughtfully and turned to face the fire. The flickering flames cast dancing shadows across his wrinkled face. "The Ursa Major is a magical creature, my colt. And magic is something you and I both lack. I've spent my life learning anything I could about the nature world and I still barely scratched the surface. Magic is an entirely different world that lurks just beneath that surface." I wanted to just tell him that he was drunk, but I knew that he never touched alcohol. He was speaking with the clearest head of the group right now, and as much as I respected him for it I just wanted him to stop trying to sound sagely and just go to bed. We weren't beaten until we stepped out of the woods tomorrow. In frustration I lashed out, bucking my bottle of cider backwards into the cave. There was a moment of silence as it arced gracefully through the air, then it shattered loudly on the stone floor deep within the cave. Glass tinkled as the pieces settled, and then something else in the cave stirred. I froze up as the group's eyes fell on me. I didn't know whether the accusing looks were more for kicking the bottle or the fact that I'd been the one to vouch for the caves emptiness. Whatever was moving around sounded pretty hard to miss. Expo slowly got to his hooves and levitated his camera in front of his face. He crept past the campfire and to my side, and then we both carefully stepped through the mouth of the cave. Whatever was inside was coming out to meet us; the sound of scraping paws on stone was unmistakable. In the darkness I could see a large lumbering form... and it seemed to be twinkling? "Ursa!" I hissed just loud enough for Expo to hear. "Turn the bucking camera on and back off!" My heart was racing. I was justified! My sixth sense had brought me to an Ursa without even realizing it. I stayed between the Ursa and the group as Expo backed against the side wall. I only needed to make the creature hesitate for a few moments so the others could their equipment out of its path. It looked half asleep, so that didn't seem like much of an issue. From his position against the wall Expo steadied his camera, aimed, and began to roll. The camera's indicator light blinked on, and then suddenly the cave was awash with light. The mounted light on the camera had come on automatically in the low light conditions. Expo must have screwed up the camera settings in his haste! The Ursa roared angrily, just as blinded by the light as we all were. By the time we had blinked the stars out of our eyes had vanished. Our collective jaws dropped. There was no possible way a creature that large had galloped past us in the split second it had taken for our vision to return. Something translucent shifted in my peripheral vision and suddenly Expo was raked up the cave wall, his back shredding on the rocks. I could see individual impressions in his chest and stomach almost like an oversized paw print. The Ursa was still here, we just couldn't see it! Expo screamed out in pain and the magic around his camera faltered, sending it crashing to the ground below. The light shattered and the cave was plunged into darkness once more. As quickly as it had vanished before the Ursa was now fully visible before us once more, its massive forepaw grinding Expo against the rocky cave wall. Atten and I put the pieces together almost simultaneously; it all made sense. All recorded Ursa sightings had occurred at night, not only because the creature preferred the cover of darkness but because it was invisible in the presence of direct light. It was some kind of innate magical camouflage that allowed the massive creature the safety to sleep by day undisturbed, while its dark starry coat allowed it to be stealthy at night. The setting sun had shined into the cave at such a perfect angle when we first arrived that the creature had been hidden from me. The realization did us little good now. The Ursa swiped its paw away from the wall, sending Expo's lifeless body sailing through the air and into the darkness beyond the cave. My heart caught in my throat and I did the only thing I could think of. "HEY! OVER HERE!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, stamping my hooves on the ground loudly in an attempt to get the Ursa's attention. Forget moving the equipment, I now just needed to distract the animal long enough for the rest of the crew to get a head start. The Ursa whirled around to face me and swung one of its massive paws at my head. I tried to duck out of the way but the creature's murky form was hard to judge in the darkness. The very tip of the Ursa's smallest claw snagged just inside my ear and tore a chunk out of the thin flesh there. I let out a loud yelp of pain which only seemed to anger the beast more, because it followed suit with an ear splitting roar of its own. This time something answered. A roar that dwarfed the Ursa's echoed in the distance and the ground erupted in tremors that threatened to shake all of us off of our hooves. With that came the second realization of the night, something far worse than the first. What stood before us in the cave was only an Ursa Minor. Momma had heard him... and she was angry. The crew watched in terror as a danced with death, avoiding more swipes from the Ursa Minor's massive claws. They knew that they were in literally the worst position possible; they stood between an Ursa Major and her cub. They needed to flee but were unwilling to make the decision to leave me behind. The decision was quickly taken from them when the Ursa Major burst out from the forest behind them. In one swipe of its massive, wickedly clawed paws it obliterated the campfire and all the equipment around it. The impact knocked Atten Burro off his hooves and I screamed out for one of the crew to help him. It was only a momentary distraction but it was all the Ursa Minor needed. He struck out with the front of one paw and batted me like an insect into the cave wall. My head slammed into the rock wall and my vision swam. I slumped to the floor, unable to move. The Ursa Minor took advantage of this and batted me across the cave floor again, like a cat with a toy. It seemed ready to continue the game when a scream from outside the cave caught its attention. With a snarl it lumbered past me, toward its mother. They were being killed, I could hear it and there was nothing I could do to stop it. My body refused to listen to my demands of it. It was likely that my back was broken; I didn't know how much longer I had left myself. I tried to scream but all that came out was a sickening gurgle. The sounds of struggle carried on for only a few minutes but it felt like an eternity. I could feel my mind withdrawing, slowly detaching from my surroundings. It was peaceful. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. I felt a change in the air. "It is you!" Everything was silent except for the voice. I couldn't turn to face it, but I heard the gently trotting of hooves against the stone. It was a mare's voice. No, that couldn't have been right. There were no mares with us on that trip. "You must listen to me, stallion. We do not have much time, you must return with me now." I wanted to ask where, but the strained croak that came from my throat bore no resemblance to the word. The hoof steps stopped behind my head and I felt the gentle touch of a horn against the side of my face. "Return."

Golden Prose

7

The dank cave floor was gone, replaced with a carpet of crispy, sun-parched grass. My body felt the same though. Beaten and broken. At least the nausea had faded. A sour, scummy taste in my mouth told me where that particular sensation had gone. I thanked my lucky stars that I hadn't managed to choke on my own vomit while I was out. That truly would have been a shameful end after surviving a fall from a tornado. I blinked and tried to get a sense of where I was. There was something covering the upper half of my body. A tent maybe? Ignoring a grinding pain in my shoulder I reached up and tapped the object only to have it quiver as if surprised. They were feathers! "You are awake then." The voice from my dream was suddenly right next to me and I jumped slightly, grunting in pain as I did so. My body was responding to commands again, just not well. I only succeeded in thumping my head against a larger body beside me. The wing over my head retracted and tucked back against the body, revealing none other than the Ruler of the Night herself, Princess Luna. She looked down at me with a mixture of pity and concern that instantly filled me with shame over the fact that I'd been sick to my stomach in her presence. "You took so long returning from your dream that I was not certain if you would actually manage to do so." Her voice calm and collected; it was reassuring even though she was essentially telling me that I had almost died. "I do apologize for intruding into such a painful memory, but we are not safe here. Do you feel well enough to stand?" "You... the tornado... you saved me?" My jaw felt heavy and swollen, it made every word a challenge. I looked down at my chest and gently tapped at the two burnt holes in my vest where the flares had gone off. My coat underneath was singed and the skin had turned an angry, blistered red. The fall through the trees had already torn the melted material free from my skin at least. Thank Celestia for small favors. Luna's face turned sheepish for a split second before her regal demeanor returned. "It was... inelegant, but I did not see any other way. Now please, try your hooves. We cannot stay here." Elegant or not I was damn grateful for it. The burns had been nothing compared to the drowning sensation I had felt in the darkness. Though if she had managed to use her magic to ignite the flares from wherever she had been, one would have thought that she could have caught me or at least softened my fall a bit. Finally heeding her request I tried to raise myself up from the dusty ground. I felt like I was one giant bruise under my coat and the wound on my flank oozed languidly, reopened by my activity. My chest felt like more than one of my ribs might be cracked, but when I tried to get up completely I found where the damage really lay. My right foreleg absolutely refused to bear weight without excruciating pain. Luna seemed to notice and nodded her head, unsurprised. "I suppose it was foolish of me to think as much." Climbing to her hooves as well she levitated my saddlebags over to me, holding them in front of me rather than helping me put them on. "You may want bite on the strap." I knew what she intended to do and I wasn't happy about it. I doubled up two of the bags straps and gripped them between my teeth. Despite my time in the wilderness I hadn't broken a bone since I was a little colt. I didn't really remember the pain of resetting the bone from that time, but I was sure I was going to remember this. The same warm sensation I'd felt against my chest now wrapped around my foreleg, gently searching for the location of the fracture. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath. The magical hand on my leg tensed, but before I could ready myself it crunched the offending bone back into alignment. I groaned loudly and sank my teeth into the leather straps. Just chop it off; I didn't need that leg anyway. "I will hold it in place until such time as we can properly treat you." Her horn still glowed faintly, exerting just enough magical control to assist me in holding my immobilized leg against my body. The compression helped ease the pain a bit now that the bone was reset, but it still hurt more than I wanted to admit. "What about Golden Prose? We can't leave without her!" The mare had slipped my mind while I was wallowing in my self-pity. Just before the tornado had gobbled me up I'd seen the very ground before me gobble her up. There had been some kind of cavern down there, maybe an old diamond dog tunnel. With Luna's magic we could surely reopen it and go after her. The Princess disagreed. She shook her head and dropped my saddlebags onto my back. "Nothing can be done until morning. Do not worry, the author will survive. The Dark Presence needs her; its objective here tonight was merely to remove you from her influence." Remove me from her influence? This had to have something to do with the manuscript pages we had found, but what was the Dark Presence? Was it what was controlling the shadow ponies? I had too many questions that needed answers; I had no idea where to begin. The trek out of the forest seemed to drag on forever. I hobbled along as fast as I could on my three good legs while the princess circled above. We didn't encounter a single shadow pony. I didn't know if that meant that the so-called Dark Presence truly had accomplished its goal for the night, or if like any sensible being it felt too threatened by the powerful alicorn. I could see the princess' encampment long before we reached it. It was perched atop a small hill beyond the apple orchards. They must have set up in the time I had been unconscious because there was no way I had missed it earlier. The perimeter of the camp was spotted with strategically placed bonfires, each attended by one of Luna's bat-winged royal guards. Within the perimeter were several tents and several smaller campfires being tended by more guards. I wondered why none of the guards had accompanied her into the woods to retrieve me. The guards saluted the princess and gave me suspicious looks as we entered the camp. I got the distinct impression that they were very unhappy about being left behind. Their eyes drilled holes in the back of my head as I passed by. I began to wonder if I was any safer here than I was in the woods with the shadow ponies. We finally settled in the largest canvas tent in the center of the camp. The interior was brightly lit with several propane lanterns similar to the one that had burnt my house down; it seemed to be more of a meeting room than a place to sleep. It also gave me my first real look at the alicorn that had brought my mind back from the brink. She was stunningly slender and moved with a kind of lithe ease that I had seldom seen in any mares in my life "Do not mind the guards." The princess said quietly as she took a seat on an embroidered purple pillow beside a row of scrolls spread out on a bit of cloth. "I could not risk any other ponies being exposed to the Dark Presence, and they are... bitter about it. There is only so much information I can safely share with them. For now let us attend to your leg." She gestured for me to take a seat on a far less elegant pillow opposite her. As if on cue one of the bat winged guards appeared in the entrance of the tent. His armor was identical to the rest aside from the addition of a red cross on the flank. It looked very out of place on the otherwise mysterious and brooding pony. Without a word he trotted up to me and examined for leg, then extracted a splint from his saddlebags. The princess released her magical grip on my leg so that the guard could go to work. He offered me a small bottle of pain relieving potion which I greedily drank down. He then set to work applying some kind of glowing salve to area around the break. It felt icy cold at first but then quickly numbed my leg to the point where I couldn't feel it at all. Satisfied that the salve was working he then splinted my leg. "The splint will hold everything in place while the salve soaks in and mends the bone." He explained, sounding disinterested. "You'll need to stay off of it for at least six hours or it may re-break worse than before." Luna dismissed the guard with a polite wave of her hoof and he backed out from the tent, closing the flap on his way out. I was beginning to feel pleasantly warm and fuzzy thanks to the potion but I refused to let it get the better of me in the presence of the princess. There were too many questions I wanted answered before I could let my mind turn to putty. "Your name is Mossy Hooves, is it not?" The princess turned her attention back to me, looking slightly dismayed as I wobbled my broken leg to see if I could feel any of it. "The Mossy Hooves from Equestrian Wilderness?" I nodded, grateful that she hadn't just flat out said 'The Mossy Hooves responsible for the death of the greatest naturalist of this generation'. It was a violating feeling knowing she had played observer while I had dreamed about that night. The only accounts of what had actually happened that night came from my own recollection after the search and rescue team found me clinging to life two days later, the surviving footage from Expo's camera, and a journal from his production assistant. The journal had been the most damning thing for my reputation. I barely knew the assistant but he had apparently harbored a great deal of resentment towards me for prolonging the failed expedition. I hadn't lied about any part of what happened when I spoke to authorities but I obviously downplayed my own blame. The fact that I had survived when the beloved naturalist had died was really all the evidence most needed to be angry with me, but the journal dumped every bit of blame for his death squarely in my lap. Only Atten Burro's closest friends would even entertain the notion that it was purely an accident. "You have my word that I will not speak a thing of what I saw in your dreams tonight, Mossy. I know you must have already suffered greatly for this and there is no reason you should have to do so again." "Thank you... but that's not really important right now, is it?" I tried not to sound bitter, but even with the painkiller euphoria there would still never be a more painful subject in my life. "What is going on here, Princess? Who are those ponies in the woods?" Using her magic Luna unfurled one of the scrolls between us. "There is no true name for the ponies you have seen. My sister simply called them the Taken when last they were seen, for they are merely empty shells now. Everything that they once were has been taken from them." The image on the scroll looked like a rubbing taken from a carving of some sort. It portrayed a group of primitive looking ponies dancing around a clearing in the middle of a forest. "The legends about the Everfree Forest go back much longer than most ponies realize. They were an ancient tale even when my sister and I were but foals." She rolled the first scroll back up and then unfurled another. "The forest's greatest power is obfuscating the truth of its own nature. Tempt the unwary, but cast just enough doubt to conceal yourself. That is how it has survived this long." This scroll bore a more recognizable scene, the familiar stylized swirling image of the two princesses. It was something I had seen many times before in stained glass windows of important buildings across Equestria. Only this one was slightly different. In the center where the image of Discord should have been there was only a scroll and quill. "Truthfully my sister and I are partly responsible for this deception persisting into the modern age. They say history is written by the victor, but our version of history was only meant to protect Equestria and ourselves." They were interesting pictures, sure. And in her own roundabout way Luna probably believed she was explaining things to me, but I really wasn't following the things the princess said. Maybe it was just the painkillers. One didn't simply tell one of the princesses of Equestria to hurry and start making sense, no matter how high you were. I thought the better of it and just kept my mouth shut. "I inadvertently availed myself of a deeply personal story of your life, and as such I will share with you one from mine. I would beseech you not to repeat it to another living soul, both for my sake and yours. There are those who would call it blasphemy, and I do not imagine you need to paint anymore of a bulls-eye on your back than you already have." Princess Luna rose from her seat and trotted towards the tent entrance, listening to make sure none of her guards were lurking beyond the flaps. I suddenly wished I had a clearer head. Even if it didn't answer any of my questions I was about to hear something that few ponies in Equestria knew of. I wanted to be able to remember every word of it. "I give you my word, Princess. Anything you say here tonight goes to grave with me." Oh, that came out a bit morbid. The way things were going for the past two days that may have been a very easy promise to keep. The Princess turned from the entrance and smiled weakly at me as if she had heard my internal dialogue. "I believe you, Mossy Hooves. Let us hope it does not come to that." Luna trotted back to the center of the tent, levitating her embroidered pillow and placing it next to me. I had already been embarrassed by her close presence before tonight and now she was going to subject me to it again. I knew it was only so that she could speak her tale in a hushed tone, but the only thing the pony in my head had to say about it was 'Your breath still smells like vomit.' "I am certain you know the tale of my imprisonment on the moon, do you not?" She took her seat next to me and flared her wings behind our heads, much like one might cover their mouth with a hoof to conspire. I nodded, looking at the scroll in front of me instead of meeting her eyes. "My dear sister felt that her retelling of such events best served Equestria, and given the current state of the nation I do not disagree. But it was not the truth. At least not the entirely. I will tell you what really happened."

Golden Prose

8

"Celestia and I came into power at an unusually young age." The princess explained. "We were truly only fillies at the time, and although we were wise beyond our years we could still fall prey to tales older than we were. The legends of the Everfree Forest were one such case. The possibility of power that might rival our own both terrified and intrigued us." "We began to investigate the forest together at first but the nature of its power eluded us. It wasn't until we began exploring alone during our own periods of control, her day and my night, that we learned our first lesson of the forest. The power only reveals itself to those free from the influence of others." "Celestia was the first to encounter the machinations of the forest. As I said before, we were both mere fillies then, and the burden of royalty did not lend well to maintaining friendships aside from each other. When were apart we were lonely, it was only natural to try to fill that void." Luna used her magic to retrieve the last scroll and unfurl it before me. It looked ancient. I was worried it might crumble to dust at any moment. "My sister did what many foals do. She created herself a friend." The image on the scroll looked like it had been clumsily fashioned by a foal. Colors bled out from over the shaky lines in more than a few places. It was a cobbled together creature sporting a lion's paw, a lizard leg, and a deer antler among other things. "Discord..." I whispered. "Correct." The princess continued. "The creature of disharmony was spawned from this pictured penned by my sister's own horn." A cold shiver ran down my back. I wasn't feeling so euphoric anymore. "For a time he truly was a friend to her, but as in all things spawned by the forest his purpose was corrupted. Using the powers granted to him by my sister's imagination he soon embarked on a campaign of chaos across Equestria. That much of the history you were taught is true." "Even if our power had been great enough to do so, Celestia was unwilling to destroy the creature out of a misguided sense of guilt for bringing him to life in the first place. She was also unwilling to use the power of the Everfree again to return him. In my naivety... I thought I knew better." "Defying my sister's wishes I too entered the forest to create. I wrote a tale of a relic of great power that could be used to defeat Discord. Seeing how Celestia's creation had turned against her, I included a failsafe in my story. The relic would only be capable of functioning once, ensuring that no matter how it defeated Discord its power could not continue on afterwards. Once again... the forest had other ideas." "Are you telling me that you created the Elements of Harmony?" I found it hard to believe that a relic that today was the purest embodiment of the most important virtues in Equestria had been spawned from the same power I had faced off against earlier tonight. "In a manner of speaking, yes. After we used the relic to imprison Discord it did become unusable... but only to us. It changed form and became what we now know as the Elements of Harmony. For now a benign change from its original purpose, but I am uncertain of what other corruption it may have undergone." "But I thought Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish you to the moon after you... well, you know..." I couldn't find a polite way to say 'went mad and cast the world into eternal night.' "Do not be afraid to speak your mind, Mossy Hooves. You may not be in a position to do so again." The princess read my apprehension like a book. I wasn't sure whether to take it as encouragement and or a warning. "It just doesn't make sense to me. If the Everfree Forest has the power to manifest a monster like Discord, what does it need ponies for? Moreover, what would its end goal for even doing such a thing? You talk about it like it's some kind of sentient being, but it's just a forest, albeit a magical one." "I've spent my life learning anything I could about the nature world and I still barely scratched the surface. Magic is an entirely different world that lurks just beneath that surface."The princess quoted my own mentor's words back to me, unsettling me and casting my gaze toward the floor again. "In my case I have spent many lifetimes learning about the magical world, and the one thing that I have realized time and again is that I have barely scratched the surface. I cannot tell you how the Everfree Forest gained its power. I cannot tell you what the Dark Presence that dwells there yearns to use that power for. All I can tell you is that the two are hopelessly intertwined, corrupted beyond redemption." I closed my eyes and exhaled loudly through my teeth. It wasn't fair of me to get angry at the princess for not having all the answers, but the way she talked in circles frustrated me beyond measure. I might have been happier not knowing any of this at all. "What about your banishment then? How did you and your sister spin the truth of what happened there?" "That is where my story becomes... personal." The princess faltered and I instantly felt a twinge of guilt in my chest. "I had now seen what the forest could do, and worse there had been no negative repercussions from my creation of the Elements of Harmony. I had been instrumental in stopping Discord and therefore thought myself more adept at manipulating the Everfree's power than my sister. It was a new feeling for me, but it was short lived. In the interest of hiding the power of the forest my role was minimized publically. As far as any pony knew the Elements of Harmony had always been a well kept Canterlot secret." I could see where this was going already. "For a long time I had felt like less than an equal to Celestia. I was jealous that ponies played in her daylight and slept through my night. But now that the one time I had proven myself superior had been buried, I was unwilling to let it continue. I returned to the edge of the forest and began to create. Surely I had the control to create tales that would subtly increase my magical abilities and make me more than a rival to my sister." "And the Everfree Forest corrupted you. It gave you power, but turned you into Nightmare Moon." I finally understood why she was telling me this story. I had strived so hard for validation from my mentor and that had only led to disaster. Luna had sought validation from her kingdom and lost herself to evil in the process. It was the same message on a grander scale. "My sister could not defeat Nightmare Moon. The Elements of Harmony were beyond her use and the only source of power great enough to assist her would undoubtedly corrupt her as it did me. She finally came to me at the edge of the forest, beseeching me to remember who I was and what I meant to her." "I had never seen my sister kneel down and beg before anyone in my life. Her sorrow radiated from her horn in a spectacular golden glow, and for a short while I was myself again. Something about it had reached out and touched me through the darkness. But I was beyond redemption and it was only a matter of time before Nightmare Moon regained control over me. There was no way I could let Celestia live her life in sorrow just to keep the darkness at bay." My heart ached for the princess as she spoke. I wanted to offer her some kind of comfort but I had no idea how. Besides that we were still essentially strangers, sympathies I offered would likely come off shallow. I gently touched a hoof to hers for a moment, hoping that she got the idea. The princess didn't seem to acknowledge me at all. She was lost in her own mind as she relived the painful memory. "My sister was able to hold the darkness back for seven days before her strength gave out. In that time I strove to create a collection of tales to fix my mistakes. It was all I could think to do. And as Celestia faltered on the last day, I completed my final tale in which I banished myself to the moon, far beyond the reach of the forest." "And your sister created her own version of what had happened to try to keep the Everfree under wraps again." I completed Luna's thought for her, having grasped the reoccurring theme in her story. "As well as to disguise her failure from the ponies of Equestria. " Luna nodded, finally seeming to acknowledge me again. She lifted the hoof I had touched as if she had just realized what I had done minutes after the fact. "I do not believe it was a manner of personal pride, rather an effort to maintain stability in a traumatized nation. If the authority of her leadership had suffered any more than it already had, anarchy would have ensued." Things were making more sense than they had at the beginning of the story, but there were still gaps that needed filling. I was feeling physically exhausted from the medication but my mind was overcoming the haze, going into overdrive trying to process everything I had been told. "This was all a thousand years ago though. What does this have to do with what's going on right now? How did you even know to be here in the first place?" I hoped I wasn't speaking too much of my mind now by demanding answers, but if she was responsible for the return of these Taken then she needed to answer for it. The princess looked down at me sadly and relaxed her wings, letting them droop rather than tucking them back to her side. I could tell there was something she wanted to say but couldn't. "Part of my duties as the princess of the night is to monitor the dreams of my subjects. I witnessed the Taken in the nightmare of the author, Golden Prose. Unfortunately by that point it was nearly dawn. My only recourse was to inform my sister." My ears perked up. I remembered the royal guard who had attacked us at Golden Prose's bungalow. He had been one of Celestia's guards, not Luna's. "One of your sister's guards tried to kill Golden Prose and I this morning! Is that how Celestia plans to deal with this? Execute those involved and sweep everything under the rug yet again?" Luna looked dismayed. "My sister dispatched no guards to Ponyville. Above all else Celestia and her guards must remain free from the influence of the Dark Presence. One of us must remain uncorrupted. That is why it was decided that only I and this small contingent of my personal guard would come here under the cover of darkness. Do you remember anything about this guard? " "I didn't really get a good look at him before he started shooting. All royal guards kind of look the same to me anyway. I do remember he had gray eyes instead of the usual blue though." I paused for a moment, unsure if I should mention anything about the manuscript pages. "He showed up first thing this morning and tried to take over the investigation of the disappearance of one of the first Taken ponies I saw." "Gray eyes?" The alicorn's own eyes widened with realization. "I have only known one pony in the royal guard with such eyes. Bronze Valor was the former captain of my sister's personal guard." "Former captain? He was in active duty armor when he bucked through the front door of the house I was hiding in!" The princess touched a wing gently to my back to calm me. "He was relieved of duty around the time I was restored from my lunar prison. I was still in a... vulnerable state at the time, so I do not know the specifics. I do not know what his reasons are for operating the way he did." "He just can't have free reign like that!" I said rather instantly. "If Celestia's real guards can't enter the town for fear of the Dark Presence then your guards have to. He may have already killed somepony trying to get at Golden Prose and I." I bit my tongue at the thought of Vinyl Scratch, hoping very much that I was exaggerating. "I will send word to my sister incase Bronze Valor attempts to return to or contact Canterlot. That is all I can do for now. It is not safe to travel at night, and when the sun rises my authority will end." Princess Luna placed a hoof on my shoulder once more and then stood up. "Rest for a moment while I prepare a scroll." After the princess had left the tent I collapsed onto my pillow, releasing all the tension I had been holding for the duration of our conversation. I was exhausted, but at least I could finally relax and process everything Luna had told me. I had many more questions still; chiefly how she had been freed from Nightmare Moon when the relic supposedly used to do so had come from the same place as her corruption to begin with. I had to stay awake until she returned so I could hear the rest of the story. When I woke up the next morning the tent was empty. The scrolls, the lanterns, and Princess Luna herself were nowhere to be found. The only thing that remained was the pillow under me. I was nervous until I saw the sun peeking through the tent flaps. I got to my hooves and found that my leg worked perfectly. In fact, I felt great all over. If I ever saw the princess again I would have to ask her guard for the recipe for that salve. Outside the tent I heard heavy hooves trotting on the dry dirt. One of her guards must have stayed behind to keep an eye on me. Grabbing my saddlebags between my teeth I trotted quickly out of the tent and into the sunlight... and straight into the face of Bronze Valor. "Don't you take another bucking step or this time I WILL liberate your head from your shoulders, colt!" My good mood was gone.

Golden Prose

9

The Ponyville police station was tiny even by small town standards. It sported a small lobby, several offices and locker rooms, and one jail cell in an isolated wing of the building. By the acrid smell of the cell I surmised that it was primarily used as the drunk-tank. Public intoxication was probably the worst thing the town had been forced to deal with before the last several days. I lay stretched out on one of the concrete benches built into the wall, trying to remain oblivious to what bodily fluids might have been spilled there in the past. To my right sat a rather irritated looking Vinyl Scratch. One of the lenses of her trademark sunglasses had been broken out of the frame, revealing an angry purple shine around her left eye. Undoubtedly her smart mouth had put her on the receiving end of one of Bronze Valor's armored hooves. Across from us sat a pale pegasus wearing a green bandana in her tussled pink mane. She looked as though she might have had an encounter with Bronze Valor as well. It apparently had been enough to scare her silent; she had not spoken a word to us the entire day. "So... what are you in for?" Vinyl Scratch tried to coerce conversation from the pegasus. "Me and this stallion here? We tried to knock over Sugar Cube Corner. We were gonna be rolling in dough for long time but he got greedy and went back for one last cupcake. The fuzz showed up and threw the cookbook at us." I grimaced hard and covered my face with a hoof. I didn't know if I was more embarrassed for Vinyl or the pony she was trying to get a rise out of with such a terrible story. "Because all royal guards try to blast the heads off of cupcake thieves." Still no response from the pegasus. I still hadn't told Vinyl anything about the Taken ponies or the Dark Presence. The princess' notion of keeping things as under wraps as possible had made an impression on me. I had been thrilled to see that Vinyl Scratch was alive and kicking, but the fact remained that I had gotten her in trouble with the law. The last thing I wanted to do was put her in more danger by exposing her to any more information about the Everfree than the manuscript page she'd found already had. Bronze Valor had taken the manuscript page along with the rest of my equipment when he'd taken me into custody. Thankfully Golden Prose, wherever she was, still had the pages pertaining to Hardtack Jack and Bookmark. That limited my suspiciousness by a factor of two. Unfortunately the page I did have featured none other than the royal guard himself. That certainly wouldn't go over well. The phrase 'being left to sweat' was being taken far too literally here. The muggy cell was barely lighted let alone ventilated. Sweat dripped from all the cell's occupants even as the sun set outside. I was starting to think that something had happened to Bronze Valor when suddenly the fire exit door burst open and the guard stormed inside, Deputy Ironbars close behind. "Front and center, Mossy Hooves. I need a word with you!" Lazily I oozed off the bench and onto my hooves. Bronze Valor looked so full of himself that I thought he might pop at any second. He raked one of his hoof-guards across the cell bars, savoring the ringing sound it made. "So where's that little author friend of yours, eh? Did you kill her too once you realized I was on your case? Ditch her body in the Everfree like Hardtack?" I ignored the guard and instead focused my attention on Ironbars. "This stallion is off his rocker, I don't know what he told you but he's not with the royal guard. He was relieved of duty a long time ago." A fire ignited in Bronze Valor's eyes and he shot a hoof between the bars trying to get at me. "You're a LIAR, colt!" Now it was my turn to be smug. I stepped backwards just beyond his reach and smiled. "Well if you're calling me a liar I guess you're calling Princess Luna a liar as well. I heard it from her. Come to think of it, the sun set a while ago. Shouldn't her guards be taking over or at least joining the investigation for the night?" Bronze Valor neighed loudly and took a step back, lowered his head, and fired several magical bolts from his horn. Two scorched the floor at my hooves and one went wild, grazing mercifully through the missing notch in my ear. I pranced backwards out of the way before he could get another bead on me. The guard was so focused he didn't even notice the deputy until the pegasus bucked the guard hard in the shoulder, sending him spinning sideways on the floor. "Bronze Valah, ah don't care if your heyah on royal authority or nawt, but you will nawt shoot unaamed prisoners!" The deputy drew his revolver and leveled it at the guard. I hoped he didn't try to say anything more. His accent was hard enough to understand already. The magical flare around the guard's horn eased and he slowly got to his hooves. "I see what's going on here... that bitch of the night has gotten to all of you! You all have the darkness inside you!" Everyone's ears perked up. None of us had ever heard of Princess Luna spoken of in such a manner. More importantly he seemed to know about the Dark Presence! I needed to know what he knew. "You've got it all wrong!" I bolted to the front of the cell and pressed my face against the bars. "Princess Luna came here to warn us about the Dark Presence! I know what really happened all those years ago!" I narrowly avoided catching a hoof to the face as Bronze Valor threw himself against the bars in another fit of rage. "You know what that monster told you! She thinks she has everypony fooled but I know better!" He seethed, sounding more frantic with each breath. "I told Celestia the Presence would return if she tried to bring her sister back but SHE DIDN'T LISTEN! Once you're touched by the darkness there is no coming back! I can see it in your eyes, her evil is in you. You came back here to infect everyone!" The lights in the cellblock flickered and I felt a shiver of panic run down my spine. The pink-maned pegasus and Vinyl Scratch were both looking back and forth between Bronze Valor and myself, trying to decide which one of us was to be trusted now. I couldn't blame them. "No!" I spat back, suddenly realizing I had no real convincing argument. "She saved me from the Dark Presence! If she had wanted to she could have left me there to be taken!" "And the princess of the bucking night just happened to fall from the sky and save a nopony like you while letting who knows how many be taken? You're BLIND! She's playing you just like she played her sister after the banishment ended! I saw the manuscript pages; I know you're just another hoof-puppet!" I banged my hooves on the bars of the cell as the lights flickered again, this time returning duller than before. I knew in my heart I was still in control of my own actions. I knew that just as surely as I knew that what Princess Luna had told me was true. I could see in her face and hear it in the somber edge in her voice. She had wanted to give me the entire story, hadn't she? My exhaustion was the only reason she hadn't managed to. Vinyl Scratch flung herself to her hooves, finally unwilling to remain silent any longer. "You know as well as anypony else that the Elements of Harmony purged anything evil from Princess Luna! This is just some kind of personal vendetta! What was it? You couldn't get your hooves into Celestia's bed and then got rejected by her sister as well?" The insinuation broke whatever bit of remaining restraint Bronze Valor had left. The guard let out a feral yell and opened fire wildly with his magic once more. Deputy Ironbars let loose with his firearm as well, turning the narrow cellblock into a storm of blue lightning and gunpowder thunder. The three of us in the cell hit the deck and rolled, trying to avoid the crossfire. I don't know which of the two fired the fatal shot, but an errant round struck the overhead light fixture. The bulbs shattered and sprayed the area with a fine snow of glass. Instantly the room was cast into darkness and all was silent except for the sound of heavy breathing. The only light remaining in the cellblock was a pale red glow cast from the emergency exit sign over the back door. It was just enough for me to see the expressions on everyone's faces. Vinyl and the pegasus were cringing and hugging the floor still. Ironbars and Bronze Valor we panting but appeared to be listening to something. I paused and listened too. It started off dull but I immediately recognized it as the humming of cicadas that seemed to herald the arrival of the Taken. I realized that Ironbars was probably out of ammunition, but more importantly we had no lights. We had nothing to fight them with. "Deputy, you have to let us out!" I shouted at Ironbars, refusing to peel myself off the floor for fear of making myself a target for Bronze Valor. "The darkness is coming! We need to get into the light!" Before the Ironbars could respond Bronze Valor hurled himself through the darkness and rammed the deputy away from the cell door. "Don't listen to him, you idiot! It's a trick! If you let him out he'll let the darkness in!" The Dark Presence didn't need someone to let it in. The entire building shook and the same dragon swarm roar I had heard outside the orchard shrieked in through the barred windows. Suddenly the fire exit at the rear of the cellblock burst open, tearing itself free from its hinges and disappearing into the night. A snarl of black, shadowy tendrils snaked their way in from the darkness, seizing Bronze Valor by the midsection. The guard shrieked in terror and wrapped his hooves around the cell bars, trying desperately to resist as the tendrils yanked and thrashed. They were trying to pull him back out into the raging torrent outside from which they had spawned. No one moved. Terror had gripped the others and locked them in place. I had seen the storm before and I was still terrified, but somehow I found my way to my hooves. The storm raged outside but I could hear Bronze Valor's voice above it. He was screaming out for someone to help him. I didn't move. I could, but I didn't. I wouldn't. Bronze Valor's grip finally faltered and the tendrils snatched him out through the door in the blink of an eye, instantly silencing his screams. Before anyone could make sense of what had happened the black snakes whipped back inside and snatched up Ironbars by the hind legs. The deputy flailed wildly and managed to wrap his right fore hoof through the cell door. This time I found it in myself to move. I lunged toward the cell door and managed to catch the left shoulder of the pony's uniform in my teeth through the bars. Bracing myself against the bars I held on for all I was worth. I didn't know how long either of us could hang on. No light was coming and once Ironbars was gone there was no possible way for us to escape. The keys were clipped to his gun belt and there was no way for me to get at them without risking losing my grip. Frantically I waved back at Vinyl Scratch, hoping to spur her into action. I pointed towards the key ring in the hopes that she would use her magic to retrieve it before one of us lost our fight against the tendrils. Vinyl Scratch either misunderstood my plan or chose to disregard it entirely. Blue magic flashed from her horn and snatched the deputy by the shoulders, pulling his entire body more tightly against the cell bars. I was afraid the tug of war would tear the stallion in half, with the darkness taking the half we needed to escape. It was now or never. I let go of Ironbars uniform, praying that his grip and Vinyl's magic would hold until I got the keys. Luckily for us they didn't have to. The door to the rest of the station slammed open and a crimson fireball screamed down the corridor, past Ironbars, and into the maw of the storm outside. The black tendrils dissolved into sparkling ash and in a roar that shook the building the twister outside ascended back up into the night sky. Ironbars collapsed onto the ground in a heap and immediately doubled over in pain. I couldn't tell if it was the pain of being stretched or the sickening feeling of being in contact with the Dark Presence. As much as I wanted him to bounce back to his hooves and let us out, I knew he needed to recover. I pressed my face against the bars and tried to look down the corridor to see where the fireball had come from. When I saw the battered face of Golden Prose peek through the doorway I almost cheered in delight. She was looking much worse for the wear, but she was alive. "Mossy!" She called out as she noticed me. "You're alive!" "YOU'RE alive!" I shouted back incredulously. The goldenrod mare galloped down the corridor, my flare gun still levitating in her magic by her side. I could see many superficial scratches on her flanks and chest. She looked filthy enough that I would almost believe she had dug her way back up through earth that had swallowed her up. The deputy was in no shape to resist as Golden Prose snatched the keys from him and unlocked the cell door. Vinyl Scratch trotted out and I started to follow, but then remembered the pink-maned pegasus. "What... what was that?" She stammered as she pulled herself off the floor at my approach. "It came from the forest, I-" Before I could even begin an explanation the pegasus was in my face. "My plants! I have to protect my plants!" The mare practically shrieked in my face before bolting out of the cell and down the corridor. She was out the emergency exit before any of us could even comprehend what was happening. "That mare is off her rocker..." Vinyl Scratch muttered as she checked on Ironbars. "Just let her go." I was tempted to go after her but there was no way I was facing the darkness again with no light or weapon. "Thank you... you both... you saved mah life." Deputy Ironbars finally managed to raise himself to his hooves. He was shaky and I could see muscles twitching under his skin like angry snakes. Vinyl Scratch leaned against him to steady him. "What in the wahld was that?" It hadn't been my intention to save him. My first reflex had been to try and stop the darkness from taking him, but after that I had made a conscious decision to risk his life to save myself. And what about Bronze Valor? He had been willing to kill us, but only to make sure that the Dark Presence's taint wouldn't spread. And I had let him die for that. "You don't want to know, trust me." I said quickly, refusing to let myself think about the guard anymore. I had more important things to worry about; like not letting the deputy or Vinyl Scratch hear anything more than they needed. That was troublesome because I did need to relay the information Princess Luna had given me to Golden Prose. "We need light to fight it. Is the rest of the building still lit?" I turned my attention to Golden Prose. She nodded, and with that we took off back into the police station. In the police station's armory we stood around a small folding card table and examined what we had to work with. Golden Prose had managed to find my saddlebags when she entered the police station, so that meant I had my emergency flares and the remaining rounds for my flare gun. The mare herself still had a few flares and a couple loose bullets for her revolver. What Ironbars brought to the table was more substantial. From the locked gun safe the pegasus had retrieved a wicked looking pump-action shotgun. It was too cumbersome for him to use, but Vinyl Scratch had scooped it up in her magic with the enthusiasm of a school filly with a new doll. Both of Golden Prose's flashlights in her saddlebag rig were still intact and I still had one good one in mine. Unfortunately the only portable lights the armory had to offer were small spotlights. They were too cumbersome to rig into a saddlebag, but Ironbars volunteered to wield one and pair up with Vinyl Scratch. That just left me. There were other revolvers in the gun safe but I knew I would be useless with one. Golden Prose didn't need her own partner with a light so I was going to have to find a way to make myself useful in a fight. I had only three rounds left for the flare gun and I wanted to save them in case the shadow tornado made a reappearance. I trotted over to a red metal case mounted on the armory wall next to the fire extinguisher and bucked the glass out of the front of it. I may not have been good with a gun, but I'd chopped enough wood in my life to know my way around an axe.

Golden Prose

10

If there was one thing I had learned about DJ Pon3 in the couple days I had known her, it was that the mare was beyond stubborn as hell. As I stared down the barrel of her shotgun I began to wonder if I had mistaken insanity for stubbornness. "Buck you, Mossy Hooves. We're coming with you whether you like it or not!" I spat my axe onto the floor and shoved the barrel of the gun aside with my hoof. "Buck you; you are not coming with us! Golden Prose and I are going into the Everfree, the place where all these damned things are coming from. We've... we've been there before. It's too dangerous for anypony else to come with us." At least I was pretty sure I had been there before. Where else would I have taken Bookmark during the time I had lost? "Besides!" Golden Prose chimed in." Didn't you think it was a little suspicious that I was able to march right into a police station and raid the evidence locker for Mossy's flare gun? Where do you think all the other deputies are?" "Bronze Valor had the entire force out looking for us, didn't he?" I turned my attention to Ironbars. "And where do you think that search culminated?" Ironbars scrunched up his face and touched a hoof to the radio microphone on his shoulder, realizing that he hadn't heard any chatter over the police frequency for a while now. "Well if theyah in that damned faarest than ahm goin' in after em!" I face-hoofed. My plan was backfiring. "You're missing the buckin' point here. You're the only law in town right now. You and Vinyl Scratch need to stay here and keep watch in case any of those things wander into town." Vinyl Scratch wasn't happy with that either. She took an exaggerated step away from the deputy as if not wanting to be associated with him. "We can't protect the entire town! We need to send out a warning to everypony so they can defend themselves! My radio station is the best place to do that, AND it's halfway between the town and the Everfree." "We can take one'a the police chariots!" Ironbars perked up. "Theyah parked only a couple'a blocks away from'ere. If we get one I can fly us!" "That settles it!" Vinyl Scratch stamped her hooves loudly on the tile floor, suddenly seeming fonder of the pegasus. "Deputy Ironbars and I are taking a chariot to the radio station and then on to the forest. If you want to come with us then so be it. Otherwise do whatever the buck you want." They had us over a barrel. Even an overcrowded chariot would still be safer than walking the entire way to the forest. Golden Prose and I would just have to find some way to leave them behind at the radio station, even if it meant locking them in a broom closet. The street outside the Ponyville Police station was unnaturally dark. The air seemed to shimmer and wave with shadows like a heat mirage moving on every surface we could see. It was disorienting and I could tell that Vinyl and Ironbars were unsettled. I wanted to tell the DJ she would probably be less disoriented if she took off her broken sunglasses, but the way she continued to touch and adjust them made me wonder if they didn't provide her some kind of psychological comfort . The deputy and the DJ led the way slowly and quietly down the deserted street. Apparently the police station had been built while the town was still small, so other buildings had popped up around it rather quickly. When the town had approved the purchase of three flying chariots to assist in airborne operations the landing platform for them had to be built some distance away. It was a minor issue for the town, but right now I personally felt like it was the biggest blunder in Ponyville history. "All QUILLS... fifty percent... OFF!" The distorted, demonic voice ripped through the silence. Scratch that. The biggest blunder in Equestrian history. The shop front to our right exploded in shower of glass as the Taken earth pony lunged through it. His speech was miraculously unimpaired considering the large, curved blade of a paper slicer he gripped between his teeth. Golden Prose and I spun around to bring our lights to bear, only to be driven to the ground by a swarm of writing quills. Each sheathed in a shroud of darkness the quills buzzed through the air like angry wasps. They dodged around the small beams of our flashlights and raked their angry, jagged tips across our skin. Vinyl Scratch set her eyes on the Taken shopkeeper while Ironbars spun on his hooves and swung his spotlight in our direction. The quills couldn't avoid the wide beam of this light and burst into ash as it washed across them. The DJ's efforts didn't go as well. Showing no fear the DJ magically leveled her shotgun at the Taken pony's head and fired. The muzzle flash blinded the creature for a moment but otherwise seemed to have no effect. It began to swing the paper slicer wildly, sending Vinyl Scratch scrambling to avoid being hit. "The shadows! You have to burn off the shadows first!" I yelled as I rolled to my hooves and tried to focus the beam of my light on the Taken. Vinyl deflected a close blow with the barrel of the gun, shouted an expletive, and then rolled toward the beam from my light. Golden Prose got to her hooves as well and together we caught the Taken between our three beams of light. The creature thrashed angrily as the shadows evaporated from it, revealing a darker version of the shopkeeper as he had once been. The DJ mercifully put him out of his misery with another round of buckshot to the head. "I... I think that was Davenport from Quills and Sofas..." Vinyl Scratch panted as she looked at the ground where the Taken had dissolved to ash. Ironbars nodded in agreement but couldn't seem to find words. It occurred to me that being stationed in a small town like Ponyville he may have never seen anypony killed before. I wondered what had occurred in Vinyl's life that had made it so easy for her to pull the trigger. "Don't get distracted." Golden Prose urged, nudging the deputy with her nose. "There is nothing left of the ponies they were left inside those things. We need to keep moving." Ironbars shook his head and found his composure, and then we were off again. Windows all up and down the street were closed despite the heat. The curtains were pulled and the dim lights behind them were barely visible through the shifting darkness. Why hadn't anypony poked their head out to see what the commotion was? As we trotted past a clothing shop I thought I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. My instinct was to duck away from the window, fearing another ambush, but when no attack came I carefully stepped back up to the plate glass. I peered into the darkened shop and tried to catch another glimpse of whatever it was I had seen. Inside the store there were mannequins placed amongst the racks of clothing. There was a stallion in a fine tuxedo, a mare in pink frilly dress, and a foal in a bright yellow rain slicker. Beyond them all was a figure taller than the rest. I dropped my axe and pressed my face against the glass to get a better look. It was a black mare, almost indistinguishable from the darkness if not for the blotch of purple on her flank. She was familiar, but I couldn't quite remember from where. My mind felt... fuzzy. I turned to call Golden Prose over, but before I could open my mouth something in the storefront moved again. When I looked back inside the figure was gone. I knew it hadn't been my imagination, and it probably wasn't a Taken. They seemed too mindless to be that sneaky. Scooping my axe back up I decided to move on before whatever it was came back. We encountered two more Taken on the way to the chariot platform. Vinyl Scratch dispatched one with the same gusto as she did her first. The other fell victim to the panicked flailing of my axe. After being touched by the shadow tornado, being up close and personal with the Taken ponies didn't cause the same headache-inducing sensation it had before. I prayed that it was just my confidence beating back the fear. The platform wasn't quite what I expected. It looked more like somepony's failed attempt to build a back porch onto their house. The entire platform was made from rough hewn wooden timbers without a speck of concrete or steel to be seen. Apparently the entire budget had gone into the chariots themselves, not the infrastructure to house them. A chain link fence topped with razor wire surrounded the entire structure. It seemed like overkill. I couldn't imagine any pony in this town trying to go for a joyride in a police chariot. We trotted around the perimeter of the fence towards the gate. At the head of the group Ironbars suddenly skidded to a stop, causing a pileup behind him. We pulled ourselves up from the dirt to see what had startled the deputy. The gate shuddered and twitched in its frame, a dark energy pulsing through it like electricity. Ironbars shone his spotlight on the gate for several seconds to no apparent effect. Out of curiosity he reached out with a hoof and touched it. The pain must have been incredible because it knocked him to the ground immediately. In retaliation the rest of us aimed our lights at the gate and waited, but the darkness never gave way. "How come this one ain't goin' away?" Ironbars dropped his spotlight and began to brush dust from his uniform. "Is it too dark ova' heyah?" I hadn't really noticed it before but the entire platform was in the shadow of the building next door, then the platform itself cast its own shadow on the gate. The gate seemed to be pulling in the darkness around it faster than we could burn it off with the lights we had. "Well we can't waste our batteries standing here all night. Vinyl Scratch, do you think you can help me levitate Mossy over the fence?" Golden Prose trotted away from the gate, stopping at a point in the fence where the razor wire was flattened down a bit lower. "They can fly the chariot out the street and pick us up." I had to hand it to the mare, it was a good idea. I guess thinking outside the box was a prerequisite for being a good author. Personally I would have probably tried building a fire that would undoubtedly have spread to the platform and burned the chariots to a crisp. The two unicorns first combined their magical power to lift my saddlebags up and over the fence. Vinyl's blue and Golden Prose's golden auras combined to create a nauseating shade of green. I hoped that didn't reflect the way my stomach would feel when it was my turn. Levitation magic had always disagreed with me. As Ironbars flapped his wings and sailed over the fence, I trotted up for my turn. The unicorns wrapped me in a magical embrace and I felt my hooves leave the ground. Almost instantly I felt my stomach roll and a familiar awkward tingle shot through my groin as I tensed my muscles in an attempt to brace myself. The face I made must have been terrible because the mares laughed so hard I worried they might drop me. The deputy and I galloped up the ramp and onto the platform as the mares crept back out to the street. Ironbars relinquished his spotlight to me and began to strap himself into the lead chariot in the formation. They weren't the fancy gold trimmed models the royal guard used; instead these sported a drab green paint job with the PPD emblem on the side. "Are you sure you can airborne with three ponies on this thing?" I asked the deputy as I wedged my axe into a looped strap inside the chariot that looked like it might have been meant to hold a flag. "It barely looks big enough to hold just the mares." Ironbars shot me a quick, determined look over his shoulder as he adjusted his straps, "Oh boo hoo fa you, you gotta get cozy with some pretty mayahs." Once airborne we made several quick loops around the platform so that the pegasus could reacquaint himself with the sensation of pulling cargo. When he was comfortable with the weight behind him we soared up and out to the street where the mares would be waiting. Or at least where they were supposed to be waiting. They weren't there. "Wheyeh the hell ah they?" Ironbars growled quietly, bringing the chariot in for a soft touchdown in the middle of the cobblestone street. I gave him an exaggerated 'I don't know' look and stepped off the back of the chariot. I wanted to call out for them but I knew that was probably a bad idea. Instinct told me they were hiding from something we just hadn't managed to spot yet. The sound of hooves scuffing on cement drifted out from a nearby alley and I whirled around to face it. Pressing themselves between a dumpster and the alley wall I spied Vinyl Scratch and Golden Prose. They were waving frantically trying to silently get my attention. When they realized I had seen them they began frantically pointing their hooves skyward. I looked up and immediately wished I hadn't. Flying in a delta formation high above us were three Taken pegasi. Most likely part of the police force dispatched to hunt down Golden Prose and I. They didn't seem to have noticed us yet but that probably wouldn't last long. Wide-eyed I waved equally frantically for the mares to get on the chariot. If the chariot parked in the middle of the street hadn't already given us away then them leaving the alley wasn't going to be much worse. Golden Prose flicked her flashlights off and the pair quickly scampered onto the street. The pegasi still didn't seem to take notice as we all piled back onto the chariot. It was a snug fit and I was glad that none of us smelled particularly fresh if only for the fact that no one in particular had a right to complain. Ironbars began to gallop down the street in the opposite direction of the pegasi, groaning as he flapped his wings and tried to get the chariot airborne. My fears were coming true; we were too heavy for the lone deputy to lift. "Can't you two use the levitation spell you used on me to make the chariot lighter?" I hissed, somehow worried that the pegasi might hear me even though Ironbars' grunting and straining were much louder. "You do know that means you'll be the only one with a gun, right?" Golden Prose floated her revolver in front of my face and held it there. "I don't know about Vinyl but I can't focus on levitating the entire chariot and still use my magic to fire my weapon." Vinyl Scratch shook her head and clicked the safety on her shotgun, then stashed it on the floor of the chariot. Her horn began to glow and a magical aura surrounded the right wheel of the chariot. I quickly snatched up Golden Prose's revolver, and she in turn wrapped the left wheel in magic. Slowly but surely the chariot began to rise into the air, much to Ironbar's delight. There wasn't much conversation during the flight out of town. I was the only one not focused on doing something to keep the chariot aloft. Instead I just fidgeted with the spotlight between my hooves and tried to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. We hadn't seen any of the Taken deputies since we left town, but that didn't mean there weren't more on patrol. Anxiously I tapped a hoof against the floor of the chariot, willing it to go faster. Tap! Tap! Tap! The floor of the chariot sounded back at me. I raised an eyebrow and tapped the floor again, this time in a familiar five beat pattern. Tap! Tap! Tap! The knocking sounded back at me again, ignoring my pattern. Maybe it was just a loose strap slapping against the bottom of the chariot. Awkwardly squeezing around the mares I turned around and lay on my stomach, then peered over the edge of the back of the chariot. It wasn't a strap. Staring back at me from the underside of the chariot was the shadowy form of a pegasus deputy. He stood upside down with his hooves planted firmly on the bottom of the chariot just as calmly as if he were standing on the ground. "Flight speed... VIOLATIONS... pull OVER THE CHARIOT!" I scrambled back into my original spot in the chariot, nearly kicking both Golden Prose and Vinyl Scratch in the process. Their concentration broke for a moment and the chariot lurched violently in the air. "What the hell is going on back there?" Golden Prose shouted above the sound of the roaring wind. "We've got company!" I grabbed the spotlight in my teeth and squirmed back around to dangle off the chariot once more. The wind threatened to rip the light out of my mouth along with a few teeth. My jaw ached as I swept the beam of illumination back around forth over the chariot's undercarriage, only to find that the unwelcome passenger had already departed. "Did anypony see where he went?" I yelled as I got back to my hooves, just in time to be knocked off them. The Taken pegasus shot straight down from above and slammed into Ironbars. The chariot pitched into a nosedive as the deputy flailed in his harness, trying to dislodge the Taken that had wrapped his wings in a bear hug. Visions of the previous night immediately flashed before my eyes. I wasn't ready to endure another crash landing.

Golden Prose

11

Being an earth pony was regarded by some as being on the low rung of the society ladder. Being a little heartier than unicorns and pegasi was hardly a skill. Tonight it just meant that the part of the crater caused by my body would be a little bigger than the other three ponies. Without the forward momentum from our pegasus deputy propelling the chariot the unicorns' levitation magic was failing. Their magical attachment to the vehicle kept them from being thrown, but I wasn't so lucky. With my forehooves wrapped through the reigns and the spotlight in my teeth I was useless. I was being thrashed around too much to aim the light on the Taken for longer than a split second. I was tempted to try stashing the light and breaking out the flare gun, but I was afraid just opening my saddlebags would turn them into sails and tear me away from the reigns. The ropes were meant to provide control, not support my thrashing body weight. Relatively stable thanks to her magic, Golden Prose shifted her position in the chariot and brought one of her saddlebag flashlights to bear on the Taken pegasus. The shadow pony squirmed in pain but refused to release its grip on the deputy's wings. Even if one of us could manage to get our hooves on a gun we couldn't risk hitting Ironbars. Suddenly I felt a hoof invasively probing through my vest and the chariot listed violently to the left. Vinyl Scratch had released her levitation spell on the left wheel and jammed her foreleg through the back of my vest, hooking onto it to dangle behind my back. I tried to yell out to her, but with the light in my mouth nothing came out comprehensible. The chariot was threatening to spin into a full blown spiral of death. If the DJ was hoping to use me as extra padding when we hit the ground I seriously doubted it would help. I tried to look over my shoulder but Vinyl's body blocked my view, though I was certain I felt her magically rummaging through my saddlebags. She must have found what she was looking for because soon after I felt her other forehoof loop through my vest again and her chest planted on my back. I tried to look back again, but before I could the space above my head abruptly burst into blinding red flames. An emergency flare sheathed in Vinyl's magical grip pushed past my head and slowly fought its way against the wind up to Ironbars. It hesitated above the deputy and the Taken pegasus, and then burrowed itself into the back of the shadow pony's head. The creature let out an unearthly shriek and dissolved into a cloud of ash that blew back into our faces. Ironbars flared his newly freed wings and tried to ease out of the dive. The adjustment leveled us out but pitched us sideways, nearly twisting the pegasus out of the sky once more. Vinyl Scratch quickly resumed her levitation of the left wheel to even us out once more. As we stabilized I flopped hard onto the floor of the chariot. The DJ's body landed with a thud on my back and then rolled off onto the floor beside me. We looked back and forth out the back of the chariot to each other and then shared a 'did that really happen' nervous laugh. The tree line was only about ten yards below us. "Here come the other two!" Golden Prose shouted, shaking us out of our false sense of victory. The remaining shadow pegasi were passing upside down overhead a yard or so overhead, their shrouded heads tilted down to look at us. We were too close to the ground to recover from another fall and the trees below us were too thick to afford us any hopes of landing. The Taken pegasi would have to be dealt with before they could get their hooves on Ironbars again. Pinning the spotlight between my hooves on the floor of the chariot and quickly extracted the flare gun from my saddlebags. After confirming the loaded round was live I adjusted the bit-grip in my teeth and said a little prayer to Celestia that my aim wasn't as bad as I feared. One of the Taken shot ahead of us and did a quarter loop down, aiming himself to hit Ironbars head on. The other dropped back behind us. I planted my hooves on the front of the chariot, aimed the gun as best I could, then let loose with a flare at the oncoming shadow pegasus. The gun was fairly idiot proof, but the flares weren't meant to be shot directly into oncoming wind. The thought didn't occur to me until the flare left the barrel of the gun and blew back past my head, nearly igniting my mane. Celestia was on our side this time. The flash from the flare scared the oncoming pegasus enough to make him divert his course. The pursuer was not as lucky. The tumbling flare caught the Taken pegasus squarely in the nose and reduced its head to ash. The rest of its body sailed gracefully downward and shattered into dust on the trees below. With that lesson learned I ejected the spent cartridge and loaded in a fresh one. So much for saving the rounds for the tornado; I now only had one spare shot left. That was assuming I could take out the remaining pegasus with one round. The last pegasus, however, was nowhere to be seen. Apparently they airborne Taken retained a bit more of their intelligence than their earth pony counterparts. This one was unwilling to put himself in the line of fire again after seeing what had happened to his wing-pony. I felt a hoof touch my back legs and immediately turned to look at Vinyl Scratch, wondering what she was getting at this time. The look on her face told me I was wrong in my initial assumption, but by that point it was too late. I was already sailing off the rear of the chariot, courtesy of the Taken pegasus clinging to the underside. In a split second Golden Prose and Vinyl Scratch caught me in their magical grip, at the cost of the chariot's levitation. The rear of the vehicle sagged horribly, pointing Ironbars in an upward angle at which flight was nearly impossible. The sudden drop of the chariot shook loose the last Taken pegasus and gave me a split second opportunity while he was still regaining control. I fired off a round from the flare gun and watched as it rocketed toward my target. The flare went high and burned through the pegagus' wings, dissolving them to ash. If I hadn't been squirming uncomfortably in midair I might have laughed as the Taken pony shrieked and flailed comically, trying to flap wings that were no longer there. He tumbled down past me and shattered to pieces on the trees below, just like his wing-pony. Similarly we were too low to recover. The mares managed to raise me back into the chariot just as we struck the treetops. The wheels of the chariot snagged and tore off as Ironbars scampered through the upper canopy, trying not to dump us out. Finally the deputy managed to crash land us relatively snuggly into the upper boughs of an enormous white oak tree. From the crash site it took us another forty five minutes to reach the radio station. The small patches of forest that covered the landscape between Ponyville and the Everfree were much less dense than the magical forest itself. We easy navigated through by following the blinking pegasus warning light at the top of the station's broadcast antenna. From its perch on a rocky hillside on the horizon it called to us with the promise of light and safety. When the building itself came into view however, we realized that promise had been broken. Though the antenna itself still blinked with life the studio itself was dark. "The warning lights are on a separate circuit running off a solar battery." Vinyl Scratch explained as we approached. "It's enough to keep the lights running for weeks in case of an outage, but not enough to run the studio itself. That's what the generator is for." Like many other buildings in Ponyville the radio station was a rather dull looking single story affair. Most of the plaster and paint had been stripped from the wooden timbers by wind and weather of the higher elevation. It looked more like a residence that'd had its sunroom converted into a studio. This didn't seem a very fitting lair for the obnoxious DJ. "Excuse the mess. I didn't bother cleaning after I thought you two had snubbed my interview." Vinyl ushered us through the front door into what still very much resembled a living room, complete with pizza boxes and empty cardboard soda cases. The open windows kept the room from smelling stale, but the air had a strange mixture of scents. A hint of fraternity house with overtones of mare mane product. Either the station was also this unicorn's home or she had severe workplace cleanliness issues. We all piled into the sunroom studio and found corners to rest in while the blue-maned unicorn busied herself at fuse box partially hidden behind a miniature potted palm tree. She flipped several breakers and paused for a response. None came so she repeated the process again, but to no avail. Vinyl Scratch huffed and dropped to her haunches. "There is no reason for the power to be out, and besides that the generator should have kicked in immediately anyway. Some pony needs to go start the Luna-damned thing by hoof while I reset all my equipment." Golden Prose started to open her mouth to volunteer but I quickly cut her off by loudly clearing my throat. "I'll go. Remember what happened last time you let yourself get separated." The mare shot me a look. "Let myself?" I made a point to ignore her and turned to Vinyl Scratch, pointing a hoof out the door hoping for directions. "Back door is through the kitchen. Generator is out in what used to be the root cellar." Before anyone else could protest I scooped up the spotlight in my mouth and trotted quickly out to the kitchen. I had to chuckle as I passed through. It had the same look of disuse as the kitchen in my old apartment. Only the refrigerator and the microwave had the tell-tale nicks and dents of repeated use by hooves. The cellar was just at the edge of the small clearing before the forest resumed dominating the landscape. It looked essentially like a glorified hole in the ground. Under the half rotted door was a set of earthen steps that descended at least fifteen feet below ground. I wasn't worried about encountering any Taken down there. After dealing with the Taken pegasi in midair, dealing with anything on the ground seemed like a walk in the park. In the narrow confines of the cellar my spotlight would be brighter than they could handle. With my light pointed dead ahead I trotted down into the dank cellar one hoof at a time. The beam hit the dusty floor at the bottom of the stairs, but when I reached the floor myself I was startled. In no direction could I find a wall aside from the one behind me. The darkness seemed to extend out infinitely in every direction, consuming the light before it could reach anything of substance. If this really was a cellar there was something very wrong with it and I wasn't going to stick around to see what it was. I spun round on my hooves and made for the stairs, only to find that they were gone as well. The rectangle of moonlight where the doorway had been was nowhere to be found. "I was beginning to wonder if something had befallen you. I'm glad to see that you have finally arrived." A silky smooth voice oozed out of the darkness behind me. My light fell from my mouth as I whirled around, nearly bumping into the nose of Princess Luna. Or maybe it wasn't the princess. Not quite. This alicorn's coat was much darker, almost black. But maybe that was just the darkness playing tricks on my eyes. "Princess! I didn't expect to see you again after the other night." I took a step back so that we weren't muzzle to muzzle. "But what do you mean 'finally arrived'? Coming here was sort of a last minute decision." The princess took a step forward, erasing the personal space I had created. "My dear stallion, how could I have not known where you were going?" A glint of white appeared in my periphery as a scroll floated into view. "It is all just as the author has written. One only has to skip ahead in the narrative." I didn't need to read the scroll to know it was probably another page from Golden Prose's manuscript. I wasn't sure what the princess was doing with it besides just making me uncomfortable. "But if she wrote all this than why doesn't she remember writing it?" I carefully nudged my fallen spotlight with one hoof, turning it so the beam was shining on one of the princess' hooves. Outwardly at least it showed no reaction to the light. She wasn't a Taken, but something about her just felt wrong. "Well now that would be a question for the author herself, would it not?" The wrong-Luna tilted her head quizzically. "If she does not remember writing it, then she must have had her reasons for creating such a twist in the story. But are you truly certain that she does not remember writing it?" I had taken Golden Prose's word as gospel since the night we had met. She had seemed as genuinely distressed by the situation as I had. Maybe I had been naïve. It had been a while since I'd heard her mention Bookmark. Something about that didn't seem right. I took several more determined steps backwards from the alicorn. "Alright, if we're really going to talk about this why don't you tell me who you really are?" I braced myself. "I know you aren't the real Princess Luna." The alicorn tilted her head and then cracked a grin that seemed wholly inappropriate for the situation. "Well I am not the one you met, but I am a Princess Luna. She and I are two halves of the same whole. It would be unfair to say that either one of us is anymore the princess of the night than the other." That was when it clicked in my mind and the alicorn's coloration became familiar. "You're... you're Nightmare Moon, aren't you?" The pony blinked out of the darkness and reappeared by my side. "I do not care much for that name, you know." She reached under my chin with a hoof and forced me to look up at her. "But for you I will make an exception, if only for the sake of moving this conversation forward." She brought her muzzle so uncomfortably close to mine that I could smell her breath. It smelled like the humid air with a hint of ozone common after a late night thunderstorm. I recoiled both out of fear and embarrassment. "You're just something from the Dark Presence playing off of everypony's fear of Nightmare Moon." I tried to explain her away as if it would diminish her power. "The real Nightmare Moon was destroyed by the Elements of Harmony. Princess Celestia hid the truth about the Everfree Forest from everypony, but she wouldn't have announced her sister's return if she wasn't completely certain you had been destroyed." Nightmare Moon laughed loudly and flexed the hoof I had recoiled from. "This is the same Princess Celestia that created Discord, the harbinger of chaos. She is not infallible, as you ponies seem to believe. Had she known that I had merely been split off from my counterpart I am certain she would have suppressed knowledge of our return just as efficiently as anything else." The alicorn flared her wings, putting on a show just as much for her amusement as mine. "You have been spoon-fed tidbits of the truth, my dear stallion. Just the choice morsels that serve the purposes of those who perceive themselves to be your better." Her horn glowed and I found myself dangling helplessly in the air before her. Oddly enough the tingling and nausea I usually experienced during levitation were absent. "I was cast into dormancy upon my return, but Princess Luna was well aware of my existence after the Elements of Harmony split us apart. Yet she told no one. Why do you think that was, hmm?" I squirmed helplessly in the air as she slowly spun me like I was a product in a showcase display. "Because you're just a part of the Dark Presence!" It was hard to sound intimidating when she had me so vulnerable. "If she had told anyone about you they would have come to the Everfree to try destroying you for good. The forest would have corrupted them and started the whole process over again!" "Then I should think it was fortuitous that you and the author arrived when you did!" The mare in the moon lowered me down and nuzzled the side of my neck gently. Her touch was cold. Given the humid night air it was almost pleasant. "And you too are quite lucky that I found you when I did." "How do you figure?" I scoffed, unable to shy away from the unwanted contact. "You are just a pawn in all of this, Mossy Hooves. Both at the hooves of my counterpart and the author, Golden Prose." She finally released me from her magical grip, easing me back down to the earthen floor. "Tell me, why is it that you help her? She means nothing to you and your efforts to assist her have very nearly gotten you killed twice so far." I shook my mane, trying to rid myself of the lingering sensation of her touch. "She needed help and I was the only one there. Anypony would do the same." Nightmare Moon touched a hoof to her chin and rolled her eyes upward thoughtfully. "A lovely sentiment, but are you certain it was not because you foalnapped her colt?" She knew.

Golden Prose

12

When I was a colt I always preferred the company of animals rather than other foals. During recess while the other ponies played games together I would sneak out of the schoolyard and down to a nearby creek to catch frogs. After school I could always be found in the backyard stalking the birds and squirrels. Despite my isolationist attitude I did still manage to make friends, albeit none that shared my fascination with animals. When the time came all of my friends and classmates fell victim to the usual stress about getting their cutie marks. I was the odd exception. I loved everything about tracking down and communing with animals. I was certain my cutie mark would reflect that fact. I was so good at it how could it be anything else? But it never came. Instead of being first in my class to get my mark I found myself in the company of the dwindling number of blank-flanks. We were a pretty well adjusted group, a rarity in this day in age, so the teasing about our lack of cutie marks was actually few and far between. I was really my own biggest bully on the matter. What was I doing wrong? Was it because I hadn't explored many other options? Did I really need to try a hundred things I didn't like just to prove that I really liked what I thought I liked? It seemed ridiculous. It wasn't my mentality that was wrong; it was something wrong with my body. I had to have some kind of magical vitamin deficiency that stunted cutie mark development. Months passed with no notable changes. My parents did their best to console me on my worst days and encourage me when I needed it. Compared to many blank-flanks I had it pretty easy, but that didn't make it any less distressing personally. I'd been doing what I loved all along but somehow that hadn't been good enough for the powers that be. It all came to a head one day during class. The standard school curriculum assumed that all foals in a class would have their cutie marks by that point in the school year. As part of a standardized test all students were to write an essay on the circumstances under which their cutie marks appeared. It served as both an exercise in self examination for the foals and provided insight for other ponies to help blank-flanks in the future. The only oversight in this testing process was the effect that it had on blank-flanks currently in the class. It was an utter humiliation. Rather than participate in the essay writing we were ushered into a separate classroom and given meaningless time-filler assignments. We were treated like remedial students with some kind of learning disability. After the first day of this I'd already had enough. The morning of the second day of testing I did something I had never done before; I skipped school. My parents were too savvy to buy the old faking sick routine, so instead I left for school like usual and went to hide somewhere I knew no one would find me. I had never known the industrial district of Baltimare to be anything more than a cluster of dilapidated warehouses and factories. According to my parents the city had experienced a boom of industry twenty years before I was born. Earth pony technologies briefly overpowered their magical counterparts and seized control of the manufacture of several major products of the day. The boom was short lived when it was discovered that the manufacturing processes pioneered by these earth ponies were extremely harmful to the environment. The coal furnaces belched out black smoke that would eventually be linked to the newfound phenomena of acid rain. Chemical runoff from the factories was also identified as a chief culprit in fish mutations in nearby rivers. As quickly as the factories had risen to power they were then rendered obsolete by magic once more and fell into disuse. The district became a bit of a scar on the city. Many of the buildings were repurposed but a small neighborhood's worth still remained. It was now a place only frequented by ponies down on their luck. It was a perfect place for me today. The only wildlife here was rats and the occasional opossum or raccoon, but that was okay. I wasn't feeling up to my usual antics anyway. There was a factory near the edge of the district that, from the roof, had a perfect view of one of the major shipping routes out of the city. Pegasi in the air and earth ponies on the ground pulled their cargo chariots laden with goods for towns across Equestria. Something about watching the hustle and bustle without being involved in it was relaxing to me. I spent the better part of the day on the roof before I saw another pony that wasn't hauling cargo. The pale blue earth pony mare looked fairly out of place for the neighborhood. From my perch I could see that she appeared to be calling out for someone, though I couldn't make out whom. Movement several vacant lots over caught my eye. A little white terrier seemed to have been roused by the earth pony's yelling and was now scurrying his way under a half rotten wooden fence to avoid being seen. The dog was much too clean looking to be a stray, so I quickly put two and two together. I had nothing better to do so I gathered up my saddlebag of books and made my way down through the factory. If I could help the mare recapture her runaway dog I would at least have some positive karma defense if my parents found out I had skipped school. The mare, Sea Mist, was too distraught over her missing dog to really question why a colt my age wasn't in school at this hour. After gave her a perfect description of her missing Milo she was more than willing to follow me to where I had last seen him. Of course by the time we got there he was long gone. Apparently he'd had a veterinary appointment today that he had no attention of allowing his owner to take him to. It took nearly an hour to track the terrier through the district. Eventually we cornered the dog in a shipping crate behind an old potion factory. He was too exhausted to put up a fight and Sea Mist was able to easily scoop him into her saddlebags. The mare was so thrilled to have her dog back that she invited me to come home with her for cookies as a reward. I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I was willing to take the risk of heading back into the city proper for a treat. In the long run it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Sea Mist, as it turned out, was married to a rather famous television personality. A certain documentarian donkey by the name of Atten Burro. I spent the rest of the day being regaled by his tales of fantastic creatures he'd had the privilege of seeing. By the time I headed home my head was full to bursting with wide-eyed ideas of being a wildlife adventurer. I woke up the next morning to find I was a blank-flank no longer. My cutie mark had finally appeared. A pair of binoculars with a paw print logo had emblazoned itself on my flank. It no doubt symbolized the events of the day before. Of course this meant that when I went to school that day I was moved from the remedial class back into the testing group. I had barely just gotten my mark and now I was being forced to analyze it. How had tracking the dog the day before been any different from any other time I'd tracked down an animal? Sea Mist. Even though I'd had somewhat selfish reasons for it, essentially I had been tracking the dog for her, not myself. Maybe the purpose of my special ability was to make others happy, not just to amuse myself. Atten Burro made a career of bringing ponies happiness by showing them animals they would normally never see. Why couldn't I do the same? Why couldn't I have been great like him? Why did I let him down? I awoke on my hooves and promptly toppled over as Nightmare Moon pulled the tip of her horn back from my forehead. I couldn't remember her touching me with it in the first place. Judging by the nagging feeling of violation in the back of my mind she must have performed some kind of forced memory spell. "Oh come now, it could not have been that taxing." She chided, offering her body to lean against as I got back to my hooves. I rejected her offer and wobbled back into a standing position on my own. "What the hell was that?" I hissed, shaking my head as if I could dislodge the figurative hoof prints I felt on my mind. The real Princess Luna's intrusion into my memories had been much gentler. "Perspective." The alicorn responded as nonchalantly as if I'd asked the time. "The truth means nothing if you do not have the proper perspective to understand it." The truth? Hah. It seemed like everypony I'd met in the past two days wanted to tell me the truth. The word was starting to lose its meaning with me. "And what truth would that be?" My voice dripped with sarcasm. "You yourself had to acknowledge that the purpose of your special talent is to help other ponies. That is to say, without other ponies your life ultimately serves no purpose." I narrowed my eyes. "By that logic what purpose does any pony's life serve? A farmer grows crops for themselves first, and then sells the rest to other ponies. A tailor makes clothes for themselves first, then moves on to making clothes for other ponies. I track animals for my own enjoyment first, and then share them with other ponies for their enjoyment." "Ah, but you speak of such general talents. If a farmer's crops fail there are ten more to take his place in the market and no pony goes hungry. If a tailor botches a dress then somepony doesn't get to go to the gala, but no pony is hurt. You failed in your purpose and ponies died. Tell me, was the risk worth it?" Her words stung me and I could see she knew it. I refused to dignify the alicorn with a response as she trotted a circle around me, wings outstretched just above my head. "The colt may not be your normal tracking fare, but in essence you are trying to do what you always do. You'll track him down and lead his mother to him. A tearful reunion ensues and everyone is happy." "That's not it!" I lost my composure for a moment and swatted her wing away from me. "The forest somehow compelled me to take Bookmark to it. Something you probably had a hoof in. I'm just undoing my mistake!" "And how do you know that you took the colt?" Nightmare Moon scooped me in close with the wing I had swatted away. "You know because of the story Golden Prose herself penned. The forest didn't compel you to take him, she did! Why would she do that? " I didn't have an answer. "Even under the influence of the Dark Presence a spirit as strong as hers would refuse to put her son in harm's way against her will. Do you not agree?" I nodded, my head grazing against her wing. "Does it not seem like a perfect way to blackmail some pony into helping her? A way to ensnare a pony who is already seeking redemption?" Knowing of my past, it was plausible that Golden Prose may have been able to guess my particular vulnerability. That still didn't explain her motivation. "Why me then?" The alicorn smiled and dropped to sit on her haunches. "As I am sure my counterpart told you the power of the Everfree Forest lies in its ability to grant life to the works of art created there. She may even have mentioned that said works of art do not always turn out how the creator had in mind..." That was certainly an understatement. "The presence there cannot create on its own; it can only modify the works of other artists. Without an artist it is powerless, so when it gets a hold on one why would it ever let go? " I could see where she was going with this. "I'm no artist. I've never written a story or drawn a decent picture in my life. You're implying she was hoping to trick me into being her replacement after she got what she wanted from the forest. That's asinine. And it still doesn't explain why she would've gotten her colt involved." "But you were troubled and weak when she first saw you. A perfect candidate for manipulation. This is her story; she could mold you into anything she needed you to be. What does it matter why she had you bring her colt to the forest? The fact is she used you for her own gain. The only question is what you choose to do about it." I couldn't argue that fact. Golden Prose had put me in harm's way by writing me into her story. Something hadn't gone how she planned and now she was counting on my guilt to help make things right. It would just be so easy to believe that... I sat on my haunches, still tucked against the alicorn's body. My posture sagged and my indignation at being held in such a way began to wane. Some part of me wanted so badly to believe what she was telling me. "You are not powerless, Mossy Hooves..." She purred in my ear seductively. "In fact you hold more power than you realize. The ending to the story has not yet been written. The author needs your help to bring her colt out of the forest... you can make her create an ending that serves you well. She used you; it is only fair that you get something in return..." A chill ran down my spine and settled as a cold lump in the pit of my stomach. Nightmare Moon was right. I could make Golden Prose write any kind of ending I wanted. The power of the Everfree Forest was in my hooves without the risk of being trapped by it. I could have anything I wanted. I could even... "Hayseed Swamp..." I whispered. The alicorn closed her eyes and sighed pleasantly, seeming to savor the gravity of my realization. "Now you see, my dear stallion." I pushed free from the alicorn's wing and moved to sit face to face with her. I wanted to look her in the eyes. "Why... why would you tell me this?" Nightmare Moon smiled and held a hoof to my chest. "I only want to see you happy..." My chest tingled where she touched me. It rapidly evolved into an uncomfortable warmth that spread outward to my limbs. My heart raced and I found myself unable to break my gaze from the alicorn's eyes. Her eyes had become piercing beacons of white light that burned into me, yet I couldn't look away. Instead I found myself draw into them. The white light surrounded me, blinding me. Then I was back. I was on my back on the dirt floor of the cellar staring up blankly at the single incandescent bulb glowing overhead. Around me were the faces of Vinyl Scratch, Ironbars, and Golden Prose. They all wore looks of concern. I tipped my head down to my chest and let out a sharp cry of panic. There was a needle sticking through one of the burn holes in my vest. It looked like an EpiPen, but it might as well have been a giant hornet the way I slapped it away from me. "Mossy, are you alright?" Golden Prose was the first to find her words as I scrambled unsteadily into a sitting position. The adrenaline was still coursing through my system and I felt a bit unwell. "I... I don't know. What the hell happened?" "The power never came back on so we came out to check on you. You were just laying here in the dark with your spotlight off." "Ironbars was going to shoot you in case you were turning into one of those shadow ponies, but we didn't let him." Vinyl Scratch chimed in. "We couldn't get you to wake up even when we got the lights on, so I grabbed that shot out of the station's first aid kit." She sounded pretty proud of the fact that she'd stabbed me in the chest with a needle. Somehow that didn't surprise me. What bothered me more was the fact that the light itself had failed to rouse me from whatever trance I had been in. This was my second prolonged exposure to the Dark Presence and this time the princess hadn't been there to safeguard me. "Ahm still nawt sure we ought ta trust him." Ironbars regarded me carefully even though we were safely in the light. "He was in the dahkness for a long time. He might turn inna one o' those things tha moment the lights go out again." The darkness. Nightmare Moon. Crawling around me like some kind of slimy succubus. Had it all really happened? I went from feeling unwell to downright sick to my stomach. Without my spotlight I bolted up the cellar stairs and into the backyard. The others followed in hot pursuit. In the dry grass outside the station I parted company with the contents of my stomach for the second time in as many days.

Golden Prose

13

I couldn't help but notice that Vinyl Scratch's radio station lair wasn't any more impressive with the interior fully illuminated. The DJ had been generous enough to let me use her bathroom to freshen up after my little episode on the back lawn. I was grateful, though I knew it was also just an excuse for them to have a discussion about me behind my back. The bathroom was attached to the former-home's single bedroom, which had the distinct honor of being the messiest room in the station I'd seen yet. The disheveled bed in the corner seemed to indicate that the DJ still slept here when she did, in fact, sleep. Every other available storage space in the room was stuffed to the ceiling with records. That left the floor as the primary receptacle of all the mare's clothes and personal effects. I navigated my way across the bedroom minefield and flipped on the bathroom light. Thankfully it was cleaner and record-free, though not completely devoid of music. The tub was surrounded by a dull white shower curtain speckled childishly with musical notes. I doubted that the DJ could make any more sense of them than I could. With my head resting sideways in the sink I let the cold water run over my face, flowing down through my mouth. Every so often I caught a mouthful and swirled it around, trying to get the taste of bile off of my tongue. I would have killed to have my toothbrush there. "If it wasn't a melted puddle of plastic in that pile of ashes you call a house." I thought to myself bitterly. So much had happened in the last two days that I had nearly forgotten about my house. At this point I was no longer concerned about dealing with the authorities on the matter; the only thing that ate at me was the loss of my possessions. I didn't have many keepsakes but there had been some. Chief among them were the pictures and knickknacks I had picked up on my travels while filming Equestrian Wilderness. The water washed away the few tears that fell from my eyes as quickly as they appeared, leaving no trace. When I faced myself in the mirror all that remained of the passing emotion was a slight redness in my eyes. I convinced myself it was merely the result of hard water irritating them. "She used you; it is only fair that you get something in return..." Nightmare Moon's word echoed in my mind. I had no idea how the Everfree Forest's power really worked. Could it change the past? Could I really make it so that Hayseed Swamp had never happened? Would I remember that it ever happened? Even if I could somehow undo it, the memory of it happening at all would still haunt me. More importantly how would I even do it? If by some miracle we actually made it through the forest and found the colt, what would I do? Hold him hostage until Golden Prose wrote everything I demanded? She had come undoubtedly come here to use the Everfree's power for herself, so she probably wouldn't be inclined to just help me out of the goodness of her heart after all. I stared at myself in the mirror, letting my forehooves rest absentmindedly under the running water. No one would get hurt, right? I wouldn't actually hurt Bookmark and I'd get what I wanted. Whatever happened to Golden Prose after that point wasn't my problem. The damage she had caused was already done. The Princesses would have to figure out how to clean up the loose ends. "You alright, Mossy?" The author's voice snapped me out of my trance as she appeared in the bathroom doorway. How had she navigated that battlefield of a room so silently? "Been better, but I'm still kicking I guess." I splashed a last bit of water onto my face before turning off the faucet. "Come to make sure I wasn't in here spewing shadows everywhere?" Golden Prose regarded me with a look of distaste and magically tossed a hoof towel at my dripping face. "At Ironbars insistence mostly. He's back in the broadcast booth with Vinyl Scratch while she does her thing." "And she really thinks she can send out that broadcast without causing a panic? Ponies are either going to dismiss it as a hoax or completely freak the buck out and make everything infinitely worse." "And a shadow tornado descending on the town police station didn't even elicit a peep from anypony? Things are beyond weird right now, I don't think her broadcast is going to change anything. If anything it's just to make herself feel better." She had a point. The event seemed to be isolated to us and the few ponies that inadvertently became involved with us. Every other Taken we had encountered seemed to have been loners from the outskirts of town. Ponies that were easily isolated and wouldn't be missed. The townsponies were probably safer now that we were no longer among them. I rolled my eyes and began to rummage through the medicine cabinet for painkillers. "Well as long as she feels better. I don't suppose you could convince her and that deputy to stay here and continue the broadcast while we go on to the forest? Last thing we need her getting inspired to write music in there or something." Music was undoubtedly a powerful form of creativity and therefore fair game for the forest's power. Despite that I couldn't imagine what exactly a song written there would do. Frankly I didn't really want to know. "There's safety in numbers, Moss. They've been around us for too long now, do you think whatever is out there is going to leave them alone?" My eyes lit up for a moment as I uncovered a bottle of aspirin, but the author's words quickly put a frown on my face. "No." She continued on. "If anything it'll go after them specifically now to use them against us." "You sure do seem to know a lot about what the Dark Presence will or won't do." I muttered before popping several of the pills into my mouth and gulping them down dry. Golden Prose looked taken aback. "I'm a writer. It takes a fair deal of understanding about how the world works in order to write about it. It only makes sense." I scoffed and pushed my way past her out of the bathroom. I didn't want to let on how much I actually knew more than I already had, but at the same time playing so blissfully ignorant of everything would just drive me mad. "Come on. Let's go see if DJ Orson Welles has whipped the town into a panic yet." Not that any part of the residence-turned-radio-station struck me as a good idea, the sunroom broadcast booth struck me as particularly poor planning. Aside from the wall that attached it to the house, the entire room was plate glass window panes. There was no soundproofing to be seen. Any background sound from outside probably bled right through into every live broadcast. I was ready to chalk it up to yet another fault in the mare's personality, but then I actually stepped back into the room. As I passed through the doorway my ears popped and suddenly all I could hear was the DJ's voice. "So remember, colts and fillies, keep your doors locked and your nightlights on." Her voice was calm and smooth, the practiced voice of a professional radio personality. "And when you see sunlight peeking under your door, maybe think about taking a little vacation up to Canterlot for the rest of the week. Tell em' DJ Pon3 sent you." From her seat behind the control panel Vinyl Scratch hovered in front of her microphone, her horn glowing a dull blue. It all made sense now. When I really focused on the windows I could see the wavy distortion reminiscent of heat lines in the summer. The DJ was using magical sound dampening to isolate her studio during her broadcasts. "Now some special friends of mine just showed up so I'm afraid that'll be all for tonight. This is DJ Pon3, signing off." With that the glow from her horn dissipated and the sounds of a summer night in the forest began to creep back in. The normalcy would have been reassuring if not for the look on Vinyl Scratch's face. "I usually get updates from the local weather control teams so that I can broadcast them during my show." The mare pushed the boom microphone away from her face. "We've been having unseasonably hot weather for the last week because they've been diverting our rainclouds to Phillydelphia since they've been dealing with a drought." "And?" I offered irritably as I trotted past an uneasy looking Ironbars. "And they are supposed to continue diverting those clouds for another three days. But what do you suppose that looks like?" Vinyl Scratch rolled her chair to the nearest windowpane and tapped a hoof toward the moonlit horizon. Clearly visible along the horizon was the leading edge of a fairly substantial looking storm front. The wall of clouds loomed ominously, threatening to block out the moon and swallow the sky. This wasn't just a stray cloud that had escaped the weather team; this was a force to be reckoned with. "That just means we have to get to the Everfree before it hits. We don't want to be caught up here in the hills when the lightening starts." Golden Prose spoke up from the studio doorway. Ironbars, who had apparently been watching the storm front approach the entire duration of Vinyl Scratch's broadcast shifted uncomfortably on his hooves. I hadn't really stopped to think about the Taken pegasi we had destroyed on the chariot, but now that things were calmer I realized that the deputy may have known them. Undoubtedly they had been part of the missing search party. "Ah know what ah said back inna station, but ah don't think ah can go any fartha with you ponies." His voice was still stern, not betraying any uncertainty he might have been feeling. Vinyl Scratch rolled her chair out from behind her console and bumped into the deputy. "Not afraid of a little water, are you?" The deputy scowled. "You shouldn't go eithah. We've done enough the safety of the town; it's time to watch out fawr our own skin fawr a change." He cast an eye first at me, then to Golden Prose. I knew what he really meant. "Good riddance!" I tried and failed to hide my relief. One down, one to go. "So what are we supposed to do? Just leave you here for whatever the thing out there in the dark is? Not gonna happen." The playful tone was gone from Vinyl's voice. It seemed she was determined to cling with us, for whatever reason. "Neither of you are coming with us." I interjected before the two could start to argue. "Ironbars is right. You have no stake in this; you just need to protect yourselves now. And that means both of you staying here and watching each other's backs." The deputy seemed satisfied, but Vinyl Scratch popped out of her seat and was in my face before I could blink. "Now I've stuck around with you for way too long without asking half the questions I wanted, let alone getting answers for the questions I did ask. That ends right now!" The DJ head butted me with the side of her face, stumbling me back towards the door. The assault continued until I got the hint and followed her lead out of the room. Dismayed, Golden Prose tried to follow but was quickly intercepted by Ironbars. I found myself back in the DJ's black hole of a bedroom being stared down by her piercing magenta eyes. "Level with me here, stallion. I've seen some chaotic magic at work around this town before, but nopony ever lost their life over it before now. Off the record, pony to pony, what are you two into?" I gritted my teeth and prepared for another fight, but the mare anticipated this. With a dull blue glow in the dimly lit room she magically retrieved a small flask from one of the lower drawers in her dresser. She took a quick drink for herself before offering it to me. The strong brandy mercifully overpowered any remaining foul taste in my mouth. If neither Golden Prose nor I made it back from the forest maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to have somepony who really knew what happened. Princess Luna would know, but frankly I wasn't sure how much trust to put in her anymore. Apprehensively I gave Vinyl Scratch a rundown on the events as they had happened. I left out the vision of Nightmare Moon I'd had in the root cellar out of a fear that she might start to pick up on my ulterior motives. The DJ took in the story in silence, nodding when appropriate to show that she was still listening. I couldn't tell if what I was saying was making any sense to her or if she was just humoring me. When she finally spoke again I was reminded that she wasn't the vapid radio personality I still mistook her for on occasion. "If what you say is true, it sounds to me like she did this all to herself. I understand how easy it was to get swept up in this and just go along with whatever she wants to do because it seems like the only option, but you need to take your own advice. Look out for yourself right now. We can all hunker down here until sunrise and get in touch with Canterlot in the morning. If they don't want to take care of the problem we can force them to. They won't be able to keep this a secret if I put this out on the airwaves." I had to admit, as I sat there still sipping from the flask of brandy the things Vinyl Scratch said to me sounded good. But that little kernel of selfishness and spite still lurked in the back of my mind. I could cut my losses now like she suggested, or I could see things through to the end and maybe come out a little better off. I didn't have a whole lot to lose at this point. "If the princesses couldn't do anything before, what makes you think they can do anything now? Golden Prose is the closest thing we have to a weapon to use against the Dark Presence itself, but she can only use her power in the forest itself. The Presence knows that we know too much now and there is no way it'll let her get there by herself. She needs my help and my help alone. Involving more ponies is only going to complicate things." Vinyl Scratch sighed and snatched the flask away from me, draining the remaining alcohol before I could protest. "You're just doing your damnest to stop me from getting my interview, aren't you?" The tip of her nose was beginning to turn a flushed pink. "Since you seem so insistent on going, I don't suppose either of you are going to reconsider letting me tag along for this it?" I shook my head and hoofed at a balled up pillowcase on the floor. It was amazing that I didn't have whiplash as quickly as she had turned me from wanting her gone to feeling bad about leaving her behind. I would just try to chalk it up to the brandy. "You and Ironbars have been a big help already. The only reason we made it out of town each time was because of you two. If we do make it out of this I owe you a drink, or an interview, or both." She slapped me roughly in the chest with a forehoof. "I'll hold you to that." Golden Prose and I did our best to strap the flashlights Vinyl Scratch had given us into our saddlebags. They weren't as large and powerful as the Maglites we'd started out with, but they would have to do. The author still had her revolver but I had been unable to extricate my axe from the wreck of the chariot. The only thing I could find around the DJ's home that seemed like an adequate weapon was a garden shovel. We stood in the glow of the security light over the studios backdoor as the DJ and the deputy watched from the doorway. "Wait! Before you go..." Vinyl Scratch darted back into the house and reappeared moments later with a bottle in her teeth. She dashed across the back lawn and disappeared into the root cellar. Several minutes passed before she came back up with the bottle magically levitating above her head. I now recognized it as the glass bottle that the brandy we'd shared earlier must have come from. She had filled it with something clear and stuffed a rag into the neck. It hit me that it must have been fuel from the generator. She'd made us a Molotov cocktail. Fire in a bottle; and more importantly, light. "Sorry I can't give you more, but I don't drink enough to have an abundance of bottles lying around." She tucked the cocktail into my saddlebag, being mindful to keep the neck poking through the cover to keep it upright. "Thanks, but I don't smoke..." I offered up hopefully. The DJ rolled her eyes and disappeared into the house again. This time she reemerged with a shiny silver lighter clutched in her teeth. It was actually a very tastefully designed piece with her cutie-mark engraved on the sides. She passed it off to me and I tucked it away into the bag opposite the cocktail. "Now I don't care what happens, you two have to come back because I want that lighter back. It was a graduation present from a good friend of mine." Golden Prose and I chuckled and nodded. In the doorway Ironbars looked unmoved. He only glanced upward when the first drops of rain began to fall on our heads. As we started off away from the tiny studio any sense of readiness I felt from having the flare gun and the cocktail began to wash out of me with each drop of rain. I'd made my choice and now I was going to have to follow through.

Golden Prose

14

We had barely made it a half mile down the mountainside when the sky opened up in a torrential downpour. Each raindrop was a bucket, and the buckets came relentlessly. Any hope I'd had of keeping the material for Vinyl's Molotov cocktail dry enough to actually use were a thing of the past. The one benefit of the downpour was that it provided a sort of white noise that removed the need for conversation between Golden Prose and I. As much as I wanted somepony's feedback on what Princess Luna had told me, and as much as I wanted to know what had happened to her under the farm field, I couldn't find the nerve to be loud enough to be heard. That seemed to be alright with Golden Prose. The mare had taken the lead and stayed several yards ahead of me without so much as glancing back once. It was disconcerting considering how easy it would be for us to get separated. I don't know when we passed the actual threshold from the surrounding patches of forest and into the actual Everfree. Slowly but surely I became aware of other sounds layered beneath the pounding rain. They were whispers, but unlike the threatening chatter of the Taken these voices seemed neutral. It was like I had stumbled into somepony else's conversation and they had yet to notice me. It was the final straw for me. I quickly trotted up beside Golden Prose, looking for some kind of indication that she was hearing the voices as well. I half expected to see the dead eyes of a Taken when I nudged her, but found only the tired eyes I had seen all night. "You shouldn't listen to them, you know. Nothing good will come of it." Apparently she had heard the voices too. "What do you think they are? Taken?" If they had been Taken they would have come after us by now despite our flashlights, but I didn't know what other being would possibly be in such a place on a night like this one. "No, but what they are isn't really important right now. I have to talk to you about something." My ears perked up. As if on cue we passed into an area of denser canopy and the roar of the rain became less deafening. "Maybe you should just start with what happened to you out by the farm. Last thing I saw was the ground swallow you bucking whole before that shadow tornado descended on us." I kept my voice down out of a fear that just mentioning the thing would bring it back down on me. "Remember those books that you and I took from your house? Did you actually read any of either one?" Golden Prose continued on, seemingly oblivious to anything I had just said. "What? No... well, I glanced at one of them. What does that have to do with anything?" The mare shot me an exasperated look. "Didn't you find it odd the story had a modern setting?" I shrugged and gave her a frustrated shake of the head in return. "Come on, Mossy. How old do think those books were? Even with preservation enchantments they were practically turning to dust under our hooves!" My mind suddenly put two and two together. I'd been too tired the first time I looked at the book and too distracted every other time they'd come up. There was no way the author of the books could have so accurately described Equestria as it was today. Even the most powerful unicorns couldn't use their magic to see the future. Seeing that I had finally made the connection, Golden Prose nodded and continued on. "On the morning before Atten Burro died you burnt your right forehoof trying to start a campfire for breakfast. The other members of the crew made fun of you for trying to be rustic and you eventually gave in and used a match." I gave her a sideways look but didn't reply, unsure of what she was getting at. I'd never taken the time to read it, but when the production assistant's journal had gone public little details like that could have become known. Golden Prose had never given any previous indication that she read much into the story when it came out though. "You didn't tell anypony, but you were trying an old fire starting technique that you remembered your father using instead of just using a match. You superstitiously hoped that if you showed respect to your elders somehow the universe would grant you your shot at the Ursa Major." There was no way the production assistant had known that. Hell, with everything that happened that day I barely remembered it. But she was right. I had been desperate at that point and looking for any little thing to bring me some luck. I stopped dead in my tracks and stared hard at the mare. She continued on several paces past me and then turned. The look on her face was utterly impassive. Wholly inappropriate for somepony revealing details she should have had no way of knowing. "You want to know how I knew. It was in the book." The flashlight in her saddlebag flickered slightly. "You know what that means don't you?" "I... I don't know what you're even talking about." I stammered through my words, my mind still racing to find an explanation. In the distance a peal of thunder rumbled through the hills. I snapped to look in that direction but Golden Prose remained unmoved. "Don't be willfully dense, Mossy. The book was about you, and if you'd read a little further you'd have realized the book you picked up was about me." She took a step toward me. "Stories depicting the pivotal moments of our lives. The experiences that shaped us into the ponies we are today. What do you think that means?" I turned my back on her and tensed up, losing my makeshift shovel weapon out of my saddlebag straps in the process. "It means that somepony used the power of the Everfree to look into the future... but why look at us?" Golden Prose tilted her head as if considering my guess. "That is not completely out of the realm of possibility. But you know as well as I do what happens to anything written within the Everfree. Surely the author who wrote those books lived on the same property you so foolishly tried to call home. Wouldn't it be more likely that that pony, in fact, wrote us into existence?" In a way it made sense to me, yet it didn't. Ponies used to Everfree to gain power or wealth. Golden Prose and I weren't any more remarkable than other ponies. Moreover, we were actively fighting against the Dark Presence, the very thing that seemed to control all the Everfree's creations on some level. "I just felt you deserved to know that after everything you've done." The mare's voice was closer behind me than before. "Though maybe you wouldn't have helped me if you read a little further into the story. You might have seen this coming." Even in the unrelenting humidity of the storm the barrel of the revolver was still ice cold on the back of my head. I wanted to react, but every fiber of my being seemed to still be hung up on what Golden Prose had just said. Even as the hammer clicked back I could only stare forward, paralyzed. "Thank you for all you've done." The tree the lightning struck couldn't have been more than ten yards away from where we stood. The light was blinding and the crack shook through us like an earthquake. Time seemed to slow and I was almost certain I saw forms within the darkness around the tree retreat from the sudden illumination. The jolt was enough to shake me from my stupor just as the unicorn pulled the trigger. The momentary distraction altered her aim just enough for me to throw myself out of the direct path of the shot. Pain radiated through my face as the round ripped a shallow path from back to front down the side of my jaw. Before she could regain her aim and fire again I found my footing again and bucked back as hard as I could, knocking the pistol from her magical grip. The pistol flew, but not far enough away for my panic to be alleviated. In one swift action I scooped the long handled shovel up in my mouth and swung it back around at Golden Prose. The unicorn seemed stunned that I'd retaliated and the flat of the shovel blade caught her right in the saddlebag, shattering her flashlight. She wheezed at the impact and but didn't go down like I hoped. It was unnatural. Shovel still gripped tightly in my teeth I retreated back several paces. I didn't know whether Golden Prose could retrieve the gun without actually being able to see it, but I wanted to give her a chance to reconsider before I struck again. In the darkness the lone light from my flashlight directly in her face should have kept her off her guard just enough. The hesitation was a mistake. The author's horn illuminated with that familiar golden glow and a bolt of magic shot out and obliterated my flashlight, taking a good portion of the saddlebag pocket it was strapped to with it. There was no way the mare should have known combat magic of that degree. It was a strictly guarded technique reserved for the Equestrian Royal Guard and a select few other law enforcement agencies. Ponies had to train for years to master it and there was no way for me to defend against it. Rather than wait for the next bolt to hit me where I still stood, I hurled the shovel in the direction where Golden Prose had been last and took off through the trees as fast as my legs would carry me. Over my shoulder I could see a flash of golden magic once again. She had either destroyed or deflected the shovel. I couldn't tell if she was pursuing me or not. Branches whipped me in the face as I barreled headlong through the forest. There was just enough moonlight and the occasional flash of lightning for me to avoid the trunks of the larger old growth, but I still crashed through and bounced off of smaller trees and saplings. My face throbbed with extreme pain as I trampled through a particularly thorny bush. It gripped at my fur like a hundred tiny claws and smacked into the wound on my jaw. The pain cleared my head of the fog of panic and I began to think rationally for a moment. I was making myself easier to follow by stumbling around so noisily. After I extracted myself from the thorn bush I crept to the nearest old growth tree and collapsed against it. No sooner did I hit the wet ground when another thought crossed my mind. My saddlebag now had a huge gaping hole in it. I'd probably lost the contents in my mad dash. "She bucking shot me!" I mouthed silently to myself as I blindly rummaged through the damaged pocket of the saddlebag. My hooves brushed against warm metal and I nearly gasped in delight. Vinyl Scratch's lighter had somehow opened and shut at some point in my journey. Luckily for me it had closed on a loose thread on the inside of the bag, preventing it from flying out like my flare gun seemed to have done. Finding the little device brought another thought to mind. I quickly flicked the lighter to life, knowing that the risk of being spotted was outweighed by the risk of being overwhelmed by the inhabitants of the darkness. I knew I was in trouble. The Taken would be deterred by the light, but there was no way the lighter would last me through the night. My only weapon against them was the thoroughly soaked Molotov. I didn't dare risk accidentally igniting it by trying to dry the rag with the lighter. I had no other cloth to replace the rag should I have to pull it out to prevent the entire thing from going off. I flexed my bleeding jaw and glanced around nervously. There were vague shapes milling out in the darkness. For now they seemed to be keeping their distance. All it would take is one of them getting wise enough to throw something to knock the lighter over and I would be dead. Or worse, one of them. As long as I had been unconscious in the darkness of the radio station's root cellar I was probably already becoming more and more susceptible to the Dark Presence's influence. What if it would be as simple as one of the Taken laying hooves on me to overpower me at this point? I certainly wasn't feeling physically strong enough, let alone mentally strong enough to resist. I just wanted to be out of the forest now. Fear overwhelmed logic and I began to dangle the Molotov over the lighter, hoping that somehow the heat from the flame would dry the rag faster than the rain leaking through the canopy could wet it. I was so engrossed in not letting the rag actually touch the flame that I almost missed the faint blue lights moving through the trees to the right of me. I was suddenly jolted by a crash of something that wasn't thunder. It came with the familiar cicada rattle of a Taken and something that sounded like splintering wood. The Taken seemed to have spotted something, though it didn't seem to be me. The blue lights seemed to bob and weave between the trees with no particular destination in mind. Each time a Taken announced its presence it was swiftly met with another crash and the splintering of wood. The fact that the Taken were more interested in it than me was of little comfort. There was no telling what horrors the Everfree forest was home to after dark. Even without the Dark Presence it was a place where many peculiar magical creatures roamed. A flash of lightning gave me my first glimpse of the creature's outline, and it was one all too frighteningly familiar. It seemed to be an alicorn in full battle regalia. Only Nightmare Moon, whatever she was at this point, would walk freely in this place. I could only surmise that she was fighting the Taken in an attempt to lure me out with perceived safety, or taking out her frustrations that her underlings had not yet managed to get me. I was a sitting duck with the lighter illuminating me. It was only a matter of time before she spotted me tucked away under the tree. I had no choice but to strike first while I still held the element of surprise. I dipped the Molotov down so that the rag fully touched the flame and to my surprise it instantly ignited. The fuel inside must have been a potent mix. If I'd had time to laugh about losing my eyebrow in such a way I would have. The next time the blue lights passed out from behind a tree I pitched the bottle with all my might. Like a comet in the night sky the cocktail arced through the air toward the lights. Then it stopped. My breath caught in my throat. The bottle hovered inches away from the lights, ensconced in a faint purple glow. I had failed. The fire from the cocktail was snuffed out and the lights disappeared in a purple flash. "I have not been greeted in such a way for a long time, Mossy Hooves. Do you greet many others in this manner?" I nearly jumped out of my skin as the alicorn reappeared by my side. Her words didn't drip the sickening sweetness that Nightmare Moon's had. It sounded like Princess Luna, but I wasn't certain which of them was under the frightening black armor. The alicorn levitated Vinyl's lighter to her face so that I could see her clearly. It truly was the Princess of the Night. I could see it in her eyes and rationalize it by her ability to sit so closely to the light. "I... I'm sorry! I thought..." I stammered but the Princess hushed me with an armored hoof to my lips. "I know you did not mean it, but now is not the time for rambling apologies. We have much to discuss and virtually no time in which to do it."

Golden Prose

15

Once again I sat in the presence of Equestrian royalty in a state horribly unfitting of such an honor. I was drenched to the bone, my hooves were caked with mud, and my face still dripped blood from the gash down my jaw. Princess Luna, on the other hoof, looked utterly untouched by the rain. Her mane and tail still flowed freely as if they were dry as ever, and the only thing marring her armor was a bit of the ashy residue from destroyed Taken. "What are you doing here?" I stared wide-eyed at the armored alicorn. "How are you even out here without a flashlight?" The Princess smiled and turned to point at one of the blue orbs embedded in her armor. It looked like some kind of gemstone; a sapphire perhaps. Apparently at her will the stone began to glow brightly. They must have been imbued with some kind of magic. "Magical light does not affect the Taken." She explained, quickly proving me wrong. "They say to fight fire with fire, but fighting magic with magic is not always the best recourse." From within the chest piece of her armor she extracted a smaller example of one of the stones. She offered it to me and I began to examine it. It was dull and lifeless in my hooves. "Given your animal knowledge I believe you know of the term 'bioluminescence', do you not?" I nodded. Some animals and plants could use a chemical reaction within their bodies to produce a natural light. It truly was a sight to behold. "Beneath Canterlot there exists a series of catacombs. I'll not get into their purpose, but they are home to a variety of bioluminescent lichen that feed on the magical energy from the city above. These crystals are hollow and filled with this lichen. A magic user can bleed off energy to feed the lichen, causing it to glow. It is much more reliable for me than technology." That explained why the stone did nothing for me, but this hardly seemed the place for a science lesson. I could see in her eyes that the Princess was proud of her innovation so I didn't rush her. I offered her the useless stone back, but she refused it. I tucked it into one of my vest pockets for safe keeping. "I can see by your face that you must have discovered Golden Prose is not what she seems." "She bucking shot me!" I erupted, reflexively touching my face and recoiling from the sting. "She led me out here to kill me! I barely got away with my head intact. She was spouting wild theories and some other things she had no business knowing." The Princess looked saddened. Her concentration on whatever magic kept the rain from touching her seemed to falter and her mane began to weigh down. "Walk with me, Mossy Hooves." The look on her face tempered my simmering anger and I gathered myself up to follow her. I didn't have much choice, as she still held Vinyl Scratch's lighter in her magical grasp. "We need to leave... there isn't anything more to be done here..." "That is where you are wrong, and I am to blame for it. I couldn't stand to wake you; I knew you would need your strength in the day to come. Instead I did nothing more than willfully send you back out into this fight unprepared." It took me a moment to realize she was talking about the night in her encampment. I'd allowed myself to fall asleep even though I knew she had more to tell me. Then, intentionally or not, she'd left me there right where Bronze Valor could find me. "Princess, who was Shining Dawn?" Golden Prose's downward spiral seemed to have started when she first got her hooves on the books I had found by that author. Luna had been around long enough that if anyone knew of the writer, it would be her. Princess Luna avoided my gaze as we walked. Her bold presence behind the armor seemed to shrink back, making her appear much smaller under it than before. "You have to understand, I never thought it would come to this." Her voice was hushed and the rain seemed to fully penetrate her magic, soaking her as effectively as it had me. "I never believed I would return from my banishment. I was certain my sister would never risk allowing anypony to use the Elements of Harmony. How was I to know that as Nightmare Moon, I would escape on my own and force her to do so?" "No one believed that would happen. That's why it caught everypony so off guard. But that's not what I asked." Instead of making me more sympathetic, her sudden meekness only frustrated me once again. "It was foolish of me, I know -" "Princess! I need you to get to the point now!" I stepped out in front of the alicorn, blocking her path. "... it was me..." "What did you say?" "It was me!" The Princess cried out, turning away from me. "I was Shining Dawn; the stories you discovered were my final creations in my last days of freedom before my banishment." No, it wasn't possible. There was no way Golden Prose had been right. "You're lying..." I growled. "Believe me, I wish I was." Even with the rain streaming down her face I could see tears welling in the corners of the alicorn's eyes. "You and the author were my contingency plan. I had no choice!" I couldn't process what was right in front of me. I'd been denying the possibility ever since Golden Prose had suggested it, but I couldn't continue to lie to myself. My life, everything about me had been written into existence using the power of the Everfree. Every joy, every hardship just a piece of clever narration by the Princess' troubled mind. That meant... "Hayseed Swamp. You did that to me..." "Mossy, I had to... in a story it can never be certain that the hero will succeed, let alone survive. I needed you to be strong and yet still crave redemption... there was no other way..." "You destroyed my bucking life!" In an instant I lost control and lashed out. I struck the Princess across the front of her armored helm. It couldn't have hurt, but she seemed stunned none the less that I had dared to do so. The moment I realized what I had done it was too late. Before the chill of fear even ran through me I was on my back with an armored hoof planted firmly on my throat. She didn't press down hard; just enough to hold me down. "I gave you your life." She stated calmly yet firmly. "Nothing I can say will ever make up for what I had to put you through, but above all else you must remember that without me you would not exist." "What gives you that right..." I stared up from the ground at the alicorn princess with a look of pure bitterness. "What makes you think you can just take somepony's life into your hooves like that?" The Princess removed her hoof from my neck but still loomed over me. "I suffered ten lifetimes of sorrowful isolation during my banishment, all because of the power of the Everfree. I know it may not seem fair, but I would do anything to stop the forest from causing anymore suffering... anything..." My anger and confusion spiraled and threatened to tear me apart from the inside out. I didn't know whether I wanted to get up and run or just lie there and weep. "I just... I just don't understand. It makes sense, but I still don't know what any of it means. What do you even want from me?" Rather than use her magic to lift me to my hooves, the alicorn tried to nudge me up, eventually resorting to scruffing me like a cat when I failed to comply. Now standing my legs shook violently and I felt as if I might wind up back on the ground at any second. "I know there is no way you can possibly believe me." Princess Luna removed her helm and leaned down to touch her forehead against mine. "I needed you to be exactly the stallion you are right now." "That's where you're wrong." I shied away from the Princess' touch, moving as far away as I could without leaving the illumination she provided. "I started off with good intentions, but as I learned more and more of the truth of what was going on around me all I could think about was how I could benefit. I'm no hero. The only reason I came this far was to undo those very things you did to me..." Luna did not look surprised, and that only frustrated me more. "But then you probably made me that way. I've never had a moment of free will in my life, have I?" The Princess shook her head. "I gave you and Golden Prose as much room as possible to become your own ponies." It was no consolation, but it did bring another question to mind. "If you really did bring this all to pass, how does it end? What happens to me?" "I wish I could tell you that." She replied sadly, closing the distance between us once more. "But I do not remember. That knowledge was removed from me when the Elements of Harmony separated Nightmare Moon from my being." I frowned. "So only Golden Prose knows. She has the books and I know she's read them." "I believe she is still just as bound by the story as you. The fact that she knows how this will end may, in fact, benefit us if she believes she can change the outcome." "And what if she isn't? What if she has already rewritten everything and now nothing we do matters?" Luna sighed heavily and gave me a knowing gaze. "Then we are on the precipice of an evil event on par with Nightmare Moon's eternal darkness. With a creator in its clutches the Dark Presence can create whatever it wants. The risk of corruption is too great for anyone else to intervene directly." Seething, I pressed a hoof to the good side of my face. "Then why are you here? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do, and apparently neither do you." "I came here for you, Mossy. You deserved to know the truth much sooner; I had to come make things right." "Great." I thought to myself. "Another dose of the truth. Can't wait to hear the next pony's spin on it." I felt defeated. All I wanted to do was give up, and I couldn't even do that. If I made it out of the forest alive I doubted the Princess could charge me with any crime, considering the liberties she had taken with me. It would only be a temporary reprieve though. The chaos the Dark Presence would unleash would be horrific, but the guilt of knowing I did nothing to stop it would be worse. Living with that on my conscience too would be just as much of a death sentence as trying to fight. "You know, Princess, you sure didn't create me to be very prepared for this." I muttered. A small smile crept onto the alicorn's face and she nudged my chin up with a hoof encouragingly. "I couldn't use the Everfree to give you power to accomplish your goals. The risk of your purpose being discovered or distorted was too great. I made you face those trials, but you handled them all with your own strength. Just because they were all destined to happen does not diminish the fact that you came through them without losing yourself." Lightning crackled nearby as if to remind us that the storm was far from over. Neither of us recoiled from the flash as we stood in silence. What the Princess had said had been a big spoonful to swallow and now it was my turn to fight back a welling of tears in my eyes. I wasn't one to seek out encouragement from others, but it had been a long time since anyone had spoken to me in such a way. Not since Atten Burro had passed away. "Thank you." I finally said quietly, feeling calmer than I had for the first time all night. Luna only nodded and smiled once more before placing her helm back atop her head. "Walk with me again. Now that I have aired my 'dirty laundry', as it were, I have information of a more tactical nature to pass on to you." The pain in my chin had subsided enough that I could scrunch up my face without causing myself more discomfort than it was worth to reflect my lack of eagerness. Not quite reluctantly I fell into step beside her once again, hoping that what she had to say would be indeed useful. "In the heart of the forest you will find a castle." The Princess spoke very matter-of-factly as if she were only telling me how to find a restroom in the royal castle. "Do not worry about how to get there; you are so intertwined in Golden Prose's machinations that you will undoubtedly be drawn there if you allow yourself to be." "Step one: wander aimlessly until I magically find a castle. Great. Not quite the helpful info I was hoping for." Oblivious to my internal dialogue, the alicorn continued on. "The castle served as my home during my time as Nightmare Moon prior to my banishment, though the ruins upon which it was built are much older than that. I suspect they may be tied with the origin of the forest's power, but that kind of speculation is best left for another day." "And you're sure that's where Golden Prose is?" I blew drops of rain from my lips as I spoke. "It just seems kind of an obvious hiding place for a force that has survived on subtlety." Princess Luna's attention to her magic seemed to be restored, preventing the rain from touching her any further. "I am certain. The Dark Presence is a creature of habit. It will return to a place where it is comfortable to manipulate the author. She will be there, where it can exercise its full power on her will." I couldn't help but scoff. "I guess after you drop a tornado in the center of town you don't have to worry much about being inconspicuous." Not sharing in my amusement the alicorn only tilted her head and furrowed her brow. "Never mind. I just have one question though." "Ask away, Mossy Hooves. You may not be in a position to do so again." "Yeah, you've said that before..." After daring to lay a hoof on the Princess in anger, my self-preservation instinct was clearly too broken to prevent me from being a smart-ass. "But provided I do find the castle and they are there... how am I supposed to fight against the Dark Presence in its own lair? I barely fought the Taken in town when I had a small arsenal of supplies at my disposal." I tapped a hoof against the saddlebag where the Molotov now rested. "Now all I have is this, and you saw how well that worked against any kind of magic." I could tell the alicorn was trying to look thoughtful as we walked. The way she craned her head as if in thought seemed disingenuous. I knew she must have had some kind of rehearsed answer for that just that question. "Remember what I said before about your strengths, Mossy." She said at last. "You are too hung up on the tools you can hold in your hooves. Focus on the tools you have here." She tapped a hoof to her head. "And here." She tapped a hoof to her heart. I gave an exaggerated sigh. "I'm emotionally drained, Princess. Just say what you mean and tell me to improvise. I can't handle anymore sentimentality right now." Narrowing her eyes the princess turned to look at me as we walked. "Do not attempt to turn off your emotions for the fight ahead. Without your heart to guide you you will be taken in by the Dark Presence." Her gaze softened. "I believe in you, my little stallion. I know you will make the right decisions when the time comes." I frowned. "I just wish I was so certain."

Golden Prose

16

There was a time in my life where one of my biggest worries was how I was going to spend my downtime between shooting episodes of Equestrian Wilderness. I was a firm believer in the saying 'use it or lose it'. Every day I wasn't out in the field I felt like my senses were dulling, and that meant the next animal I needed to track would be harder to find. Don't get me wrong, I knew that the breaks between filming were less about planning and more about giving Atten Burro a chance to rest. He was spry for his age, but by the end of production for each episode he certainly felt the years behind him. I didn't begrudge him for it, but it didn't make me any less impatient. I wanted to travel. I wanted adventure. Now all I wanted was to go home to Baltimare for some of that downtime. I wanted my old apartment. I wanted to curl up on my old couch and call my favorite take-out place for something deep fried and horrible for me. And oh how I wanted a tall, frosty mug of hard cider. But instead here I was, soaked to the core, being led through the Everfree Forest by Equestrian royalty to face an enemy I probably had no chance of defeating. My world was upside down and I had to swim hard if I didn't want to drown in confusion and despair. It probably would have been healthy to take weeks to process what Princess Luna had revealed to me that night. I'd had to process, or at least compartmentalize, my feelings about it in less than half an hour. If I survived this the royal court was definitely paying for my counseling sessions. "So if light is the only thing that hurts the Dark Presence why don't we just wait until morning to do something? For something this serious couldn't your sister keep the sun raised? I'm sure she could lie about it just as easily as you two have about anything else." I offered up as I trotted beside the princess, trying hard to look like I wasn't trying to keep pace with her long strides. Luna looked taken aback and I realized how harsh the latter part of my question had been. "Blurring the line of truth is necessary enough as it is without us going out of our way to create more opportunities for it, Mossy." She admonished. "Besides, are you not aware of what time it is currently?" I wasn't. All I knew was the sun was not even threatening to peek up from behind the horizon yet. I'd been too preoccupied at the radio station to bother checking the time before we left, so I couldn't really speculate on the exact hour. "I lowered the moon and departed from my guard encampment at six forty two in the morning before spending roughly an hour attempting to find you in the forest. My sister would have begun to perform her duty to raise the sun some time ago." I frowned. "Something must have happened then. I mean, even with the storm I can still see the moon." It was hard to look up with the rain beating down on us, but indeed bits and pieces of the moon did still glow through the cloud cover. "That is not my moon." The alicorn shook her head. "Aside from the power of creation the Everfree is a place of strange magics. It does not always follow the laws of nature, almost as if it stands outside the world in which we live." The fact that the lack of a sunrise wasn't the doing of the Dark Presence made it no less disconcerting. Even if it was just incidental it was still a factor working against us. "No, not us. Just me." I had to remind myself. "Bucking lovely." Was all I could manage to mutter quietly. Thankfully the rain kept it from the ears of the Princess. The Princess and I spent the rest of our trek in silence. She seemed to be deep in thought, but I was not. I was just waiting for her break the silence with 'oh and one more thing...' If she dumped one more heady truth in my lap I would probably just cease to function at all. I heard our next obstacle before I actually saw it. It was the sound of water swirling angrily and pounding against stone. We emerged from the trees to find a deep ravine carving its way through the forest. The river below was probably wild even on a good day, but the flood waters from this downpour had it swollen into a wholly impassable monstrosity. I was a strong swimmer, but one slip into that torrent and I was a goner for certain. Princess Luna regarded the river, then me, and then said the words I had been dreading since she found me. "I am afraid this is where we must part ways, Mossy Hooves. I dare not venture any closer to the castle." I winced visibly. "I will, however, help you cross the river." I knew what meant. I winced again. The alicorn spread her deep purple wings up toward the night sky and shook off the last bit of moisture that clung to them from her lapse in concentration. Showing little mind to the heavy armor weighing her down she flapped her wings gracefully and took to the air. Moments later I was enveloped in the same purple glow that still surrounded Vinyl's levitating lighter, and I felt that familiar unpleasant tingle in my groin as my hooves left the ground. My stomach flip-flopped but I managed to keep my composure better than I had hours earlier. Luna's levitation spell was much... sturdier... than Vinyl Scratch and Golden Prose's combined. It made the experience easier to bear. When we were safely on the other side the Princess finally relinquished the lighter back to me. The bioluminescent stones in her armor were glowing brightly from the magical exertion, so I tucked the lighter away into my vest to save butane. It felt like neither of us knew what to say at this point. I didn't want her to go, and I got the sense that she was reluctant to leave me there. I knew how dangerous it would be if she fell under the sway of the Dark Presence again, but a part of me selfishly still wanted her to come with me and finish what she started a thousand years ago. I broke the silence with a fearful thought. "So if... when I stop Nightmare Moon, what happens to me? If the story ends there do I just cease to exist?" Instead of the sorrowful look I expected, a soft smile crept onto the face of the Princess of the Night. "Fear not." She took me under her wing and squeezed reassuringly. "Whether for better or worse, things created by the Everfree always have a way of persisting. It will be up to you what happens when my story ends." Free will for the first time in my life. Before tonight I had never given any thought as to whether or not I had free will. It seemed obvious; of course I did. Before Hayseed Swamp I was living my dream and I couldn't have been happier. Now the idea that that dream was not mine to control tainted the happiness in my memories. Having complete control over my own destiny was now the most important thing in the world to me. "I'm too stubborn to go anywhere, I guess." I said with a forced smile. The Princess smiled and gave me one more quick squeeze before releasing me from the embrace. Slowly and deliberately she back away from me to the edge of the ravine before taking to the air once more. "Farewell, Mossy Hooves. I know we will meet again after this night is over." "Goodbye, Princess." Fighting back another wave of emotion I lowered my head and bowed as the alicorn disappeared across the ravine. I didn't look back up until I was certain she gone. Watching her leave would have just made things harder. As I turned to head back into the forest I realized that I had never felt more alone in my life. True to what Princess Luna had said I had little difficulty finding my way from the river to the castle. I didn't necessarily feel drawn to it as she had suggested, rather when I started to veer off course I was gripped with a distinct sense of foreboding. So long as I kept going in the right direction the forest allowed me to hold onto the faintest shred of hope. Even with its features darkened by the storm the castle was still somehow familiar to me. I'd never seen it myself before, but I had seen artists' renderings of it in published stories of the Elements of Harmony. It seemed virtually untouched since the night those six ponies had entered it. No stones crumbled further, no vines of ivy choked the walls more than they had before. A further testament to the Everfree standing outside of our own reality. It seemed foolish to march straight in through the front door, but I didn't have the patience to search around for another entrance that might not exist. It was a fortress after all; easy accessibility was not what the architects strove for. I knew that the Taken weren't what most would call intelligent, and I doubted they could follow specific orders even from the Dark Presence itself, but still I had expected to find guards posted. Instead the great wooden doors before me were cracked open as if awaiting guests. Apparently Golden Prose was expecting me. "Why couldn't she have been as convinced as I was that I would give up...?" I hissed to myself as I poked my head through the doors. It seemed like everypony but me had me pegged as the hero type. At least I might have a chance to dry off inside before I went looking for trouble. Vinyl's lighter still had some butane in it and I could see the remnants of lunar themed tapestries hanging in the entrance hall. I could sneak a little ways inside and start a fire with a tapestry to dry myself and my cocktail off again. They obviously knew I was coming, so I might as well be prepared. Tentatively I tapped my hoof on a few of the stones just inside the doorway. This had been Nightmare Moon's castle after all. Booby traps wholly unrelated to the Dark Presence were a very real possibility. Nothing happened. I chuckled nervously to myself and took a cautious step through the doorway. Still nothing. I tapped my hoof on more and more of the paving stones around me, preparing to leap back at any moment. My fears, however, seemed to be unfounded. If there were any traps here they had not survived the test of time, or had been set off by those mares from Ponyville years ago. For the time being the castle itself was not a threat. Convinced of my relative safety at the moment I carefully set the lighter down and trotted down the hall to the first of the tapestries. It was ragged and moth eaten, but the scene it portrayed was still plainly visible. A stylized Nightmare Moon swirled around the moon while a white alicorn, presumably Princess Celestia, lay in a crumpled heap on the earth below. Even after everything I had learned in the previous days I had always been raised to treat representations of the royal hierarchy with the utmost respect, I was appalled by the blasphemous image before me. I took pleasure in the idea of burning it to ashes. I sank my teeth into the bottom of the tapestry and tugged hard. For its age it was surprisingly resilient and would not tear loose. With a grunt of frustration I stood on my hind legs and bit higher on the tapestry, then hopped up and fell back down, allowing my full weight to pull on the fabric. With a creak and a snap the tapestry tore free from its fixture and collapsed down over me in a heap. I rolled into the center of the hallway and flailed about as the fabric cast my already dark world into complete blackness. Even over the sound of flapping cloth and my own hooves scrabbling against the stone I still heard the three distinct metallic clicks that told me my luck was about to get much worse. My head broke free from the cloth cocoon just in time to see the floor drop out from under me. It must have been a booby trap, but one too old to function properly. As I tumbled down the chute the stone trap door above me crumbled, unleashing a cascade of rocks. The entire corridor above me seemed to be caving in. It was all I could do to shield myself from the barrage as I fell. The stone floor below was utterly unforgiving as I landed hard on my side with a strangled wheeze. I curled into the fetal position and covered my head as the sound of rocks crashing into the floor around me echoed through the chamber. I waited for the boulder that would inevitably find me cowering there and crush me to a pulp, but it never came. Peeking out from behind my hooves I surveyed the scene around me. The chamber I'd fallen into seemed massive in the darkness. The only features I could discern around me were the stone chunks of the corridor above, now embedded firmly in the floor. Among the debris I spied a strange sight. Between two stones and a piece of the tapestry sat Vinyl Scratch's lighter, still burning as if nothing had even happened. I made a mental note to ask the DJ just who this pony was who had given her the peculiar little device. As I finally went to stand and untangle myself from the tapestry, I felt something warm and wet dripping down my side. Blood was my first impression. Even though nothing hurt more than it did before the fall I began to gingerly touch my hoof down my side. My saddlebag was drenched, but there was no injury to be found. I was almost relieved until a smell hovering in the air instantly solved the mystery. It was the acrid stink of gasoline. The only weapon I had left was now broken and soaking my vest and the cloth around me in the volatile liquid. A twinge of panic gripped my chest. Vinyl's enchanted lighter had been like a gift from heaven only seconds ago; now it lurked menacingly, threatening to let its hungry flame lick the corner of the tapestry beside it. Being burned alive was not on my list of things to do tonight. My breath was shallow and ragged as I slowly freed myself. It was irrational, but I feared each exhalation might travel the distance down the tapestry and give the flame the boost it needed to reach the fabric. Mercifully it never happened. I wiped the fuel from my coat and vest as best I could with the dry portions of my tattered saddlebag before tossing it back onto the tapestry. It was beyond saving and I had nothing left to carry in it anyway. "You've been a good soldier." I whispered and saluted the fallen bag. Fire had robbed me of essentially all my worldly possessions just days earlier, and now I willingly offered up my last possession, save for the vest on my back, to it again. I nudged the lighter close enough to the tapestry to ignite the corner. It burned slowly as I closed the lighter and tucked it back into a vest pocket. Within a few moments the fire reached the fuel-soaked section of the tapestry and the entire thing ignited with a satisfying whoosh. It bathed the immediate area around me in a warm light that eased my frayed nerves a bit. I still couldn't see the walls, or even the ceiling of the room for that matter, but at least now I had a moment of safety to collect myself. Or so I thought before a tiny voice erupted out of the darkness behind me. "You came back!" I wheeled around on my haunches ready to fight, but instead of a Taken pony I nearly knocked the block off a little unicorn colt. "It's me, Mister Mossy!" The colt cried out, shying back from me slightly. "Don't you remember? It's me, Bookmark!"

Golden Prose

17

"Holy buck, colt. You scared the living hell out of me!" I all but shouted at the cowering foal before me. "What the buck are you doing creeping up on me like that?" Bookmark looked guilty for a moment, and then a look of determination crept over his little face. "It was dark! I couldn't tell if you had become one of those things until you made that big fire!" He nodded sagely. "I know they don't like bright stuff, so they wouldn't do something like that." Smart colt. But that meant that he had encountered the Taken down here; we wouldn't be safe when the tapestry went out. "And how do you know my name? Has your mom been back through here?" Confident for the time being that I wasn't going to lunge out at him again, Bookmark plopped down on his haunches and appraised me quizzically. "You're really confusing me, Mister Mossy. You introduced yourself to me when you picked me up at the condo to go see my mom." Buck, with everything that had happened I had almost forgotten about the manuscript. I still had no memory of it, but I definitely had brought him here during my lost days. Perhaps I had actually found my way to the castle by some kind of subconscious memory, not magical influence. "Sorry buddy, but I wasn't myself that day." I rubbed my forehooves against my face, trying to keep my composure. "I really need to talk to your mom though. She should have been back here a little bit before me, where is she?" Bookmark perked up at the mention of Golden Prose, but a realization seemed to come over him and he began to frown. "My mom has been here for a long time. She hasn't left or even said anything to me since she started writing again." I thought I could see tears threatening to well in the corner of his eyes. "I know I'm not supposed to bug her when she's writing, but she's never been like this before." "How can she still be writing? I just saw her no more than two hours ago, she sh-... she didn't seem like herself." I thought the better of telling the colt that his mother had tried to liberate my brains from my skull. I needed him to listen to me, not think of me as an enemy of the family. The colt nodded as if he'd expected me to say something like that. "You probably saw the thing that looks like my mom." He said sadly. "It comes back here sometimes and tries to talk to me like my mom would, but I'm not stupid. I know it's not her..." That's what Princess Luna had meant when she said I'd found out Golden Prose wasn't who she seemed! She thought I had figured that much out on my own, but I had been too stupid to make the connection. Now I was kicking myself for being such a moron. "If that thing isn't your mom, where is she? Can you take me to her?" I clapped my hooves together and tried my best to look reassuring. "Princess Luna herself sent me here to bring you both home!" The colt seemed to take solace in my mention of the princess. It was something powerful and safe for him to grasp onto, more than I as a relative stranger could provide for him. He hopped to his hooves and began to tug at my foreleg to follow him. "Come on! Maybe you can talk to her and make her stop!" The light from the little unicorn's horn was barely bright enough to illuminate the immediate area around us, but somehow he navigated us through the darkness without running into any obstructions. Looking over my shoulder I could only see a hint of the fire we had left behind. I couldn't tell if it was because the fire was dying or if we really had traveled that far. It was beyond disorienting not being able to grasp the dimensions of the chamber. If what Princess Luna said was true Bookmark's spell would do nothing to deter the taken. Despite that I was still reluctant to break Vinyl's lighter back out until we absolutely needed it. The fuel in it must have been nearly depleted after the near constant use on the trip here. "Why didn't Princess Luna send a bunch of guards with you if she really cares what happens to us?" Bookmark posed, having apparently given the question some thought while we had been walking. "Why indeed." I thought to myself with a momentary scowl. "Both the princesses know that there is bad magic going on here; bad magic that can hurt even them." Again I felt a twinge of guilty fear for uttering such a statement. It didn't seem fair that I had the nerve to backtalk and even lash out at an alicorn directly, but behind her back I still felt like a shamed foal whenever I said something negative. "I don't know..." The colt was unconvinced. "They sent me because I already know my way around! And because I have a special connection to the magic here." The understatement of the century goes to Mossy Hooves. "Okay I guess..." It seemed like the colt's faith in me was waning the more I spoke. "But if the thing that looks like my mom tells you to do something again you can't listen this time, okay?" "Don't worry; you've set me straight on that. I promise I won't listen to a word it says. Cross my heart and hope to fly." The promise seemed to satisfy him for the time being, though I did have to wonder what other things I may have done at Nightmare Moon's request to make him say that in the first place. Fortunately for the both of us my fear of the answer was great enough that I couldn't bring myself to ask. While we walked I began to get the sensation that we were passing through a smaller area than we had been in before. There was an oppressive sense of confinement as if we were in a hallway, but still no walls were illuminated by the unicorn colt's horn. As quickly as the sensation had started, it suddenly passed. As near I could tell we were in another large chamber, or maybe even back in the first chamber for all I knew it. The dimensions of this place seemed to defy all reason. "Well, here we are!" The colt announced as he skidded to a halt so quickly I nearly stumbled over him. I looked around the darkness dubiously. "Kiddo, I don't see a Celestia-damned thing. Are you sure we're in the right place?" Bookmark looked over his little orange shoulder and gave me a superb 'oh please' look that I'm certain would have made his mother flush with pride. I shot an incredulous 'well get on with it then' look right back at him. He shrank back visibly and turned to trot several steps away from me. "MOM! I'm back now!" He shouted futilely up into the darkness. "I thought you said she wouldn't answer y-" My words were cut short by a bright flash that once again threatened to make me jump out of my own fur. It was so intense that for a moment I almost believed that Celestia herself had somehow decided to make an appearance. When I opened my eyes again the brightness had faded, but spots of light still shimmered in my vision as an aftereffect. But they weren't spots, were they? I blinked repeatedly trying to focus my eyes on the lights that hovered through the darkness all around us like oversized fireflies. There was no mistaking it, they were words. Hoof-written words shimmering in the air. They reminded me of time-lapse photography I had seen of earth ponies drawing shapes in the darkness with sparklers. "If you think that's cool, check this out." Bookmark added, noting my slack jawed expression with a smirk. The little orange colt suddenly scurried off through the field of words. It took me a moment, but I quickly fell in step behind him once more. He seemed as though he was looking for something. Maybe he was looking for some word in particular. He finally stopped and settled on a cluster of words floating just above his head. Scrunching his eyes shut in concentration he lit up his horn with magic and tapped one of the words. Milkshake. The word fizzled and dissolved much like a destroyed Taken pony. In its place appeared exactly what the word had proclaimed; a milkshake. Strangely it looked familiar. The glassware matched that from the diner back in Ponyville, the Hay Rack, if memory served me. Bookmark caught the glass in his magic and levitated the straw to his lips for a sip. It seemed to meet his approval. I was dumbfounded. Given everything I had seen in the past few days I shouldn't have been, but I was anyway. This must have been how the colt had survived on his own down here with no supplies "That's a pretty neat trick." I offered up, tapping my hoof against the glass to make sure he wasn't fooling me with an illusion. "But where are all these words coming from?" Without a word the little colt raised a hoof and pointed into the air above us. High above us floated the pony of the hour; Golden Prose. At least I was fairly certain she was the real deal this time. She was curled in the fetal position, encompassed in the familiar golden glow of her own magic. Around her, much like the electrons of an atom, floated twenty something scrolls each with their own quill scribbling furiously. Bookmark was right. Whether intentionally or not the mare was still weaving the tale empowering the Dark Presence. Every stroke of the quill could be the word that tipped the scale irreconcilably against me in this confrontation. I shouted up to her several times to no avail. If she wouldn't be roused from her trance by her own colt's voice I doubted my own would elicit any stronger response. "I know your mom knows a levitation spell, but did she ever teach it to you?" I asked hopefully. Maybe he had been so confused by everything going on that he'd forgotten such a simple solution. The colt shook his head no, seemingly more interested in his milkshake for the time being. I doubted I could throw anything high enough to reach her, not that she would likely be awakened by something so crude. "What about using more of the words? Have you tried using anything you get from the words to wake her up?" Gulping down the last of his milkshake, the colt winced for a moment from an apparent brain freeze. "If I do it too many times in a row the thing that looks like my mom gets angry." He gently set the milkshake glass down on the stone floor. "It doesn't seem to mind if I use it sometimes for food and stuff, but maybe now that you're here I can try using more words!" I wasn't too keen on the idea of doing something that might attract the Dark Presence back down into the bowels of the castle, but frankly I didn't see any other way. We would just have to be very careful to make our selections count. "Sometimes the words don't give you what you think they will." Bookmark explained as we wandered through the clouds of words. "It's been happening more and more today than it has before." I had a feeling that meant Golden Prose's power over her own writing was fading. The Dark Presence was warping her words more and more. Who knew how long it would be before something as benign as 'milkshake' would create something dangerous. I wished Vinyl Scratch or even Iron Bars were here to be a sounding board for this crazy plan. "So besides junk food what kinds of words have you tried out?" I asked finally, hoping to avoid repeating the colt's mistakes. Sheepishly the little unicorn paused and looked down at his hooves. "Well I tried my mom's name a couple times but that just brought the faker thing back..." He frowned. "Mom warned me about trying it before she started writing again, but I got scared and didn't know what else to do." "Understandably so!" I offered up as reassuringly as I could manage. "I think you're doing a good job so far considering everything that happened. Do you remember anything else your mom said before she started writing again?" "Oh! She did tell me to give you something!" Bookmark perked up. "I don't know what it'll do, but she told me to save one of the words until you got here. Come on!" The little colt took off again through the cloud of words, leaving me to play catch up. I couldn't help but wish for a moment that I had his kind of energy in this situation. Without the fight or flight adrenaline that had been pumping through my veins almost non-stop all night I was beginning to feel exhausted. We finally came upon an area of words that seemed more sparsely populated than the main cloud directly under Golden Prose. I guessed that they must have been written much earlier and flowed outward like water dripping from an overflowing bucket. Memories. Bookmark paused in front of the word as if waiting for my permission to activate it, but I wasn't sure I was ready. I'd expected something more specific, like the name of a tool or an object. Memories was such a vague word, an abstract concept. I had no idea what it might conjure up. This was probably one of those times I needed to trust my gut. If Princess Luna believed in me, then maybe I should give it a try. "Go ahead." In a flash of golden light the little unicorn touched his horn to the word as he had done before. I squeezed my eyes shut expecting my mind to be assaulted by some kind of invasive vision, but nothing came. When I opened them all I saw was a small, crumpled cardboard box. Tentatively I stepped up to the box as Bookmark backed off. It seemed innocuous enough, so I tapped a hoof against it. It sounded empty. "Aren't you gonna open it, Mister Mossy?" I shot the colt a look. "Don't rush me." I steeled myself, took a deep breath, and tapped open one of the flaps on the top of the box. Illuminated by the faint glow of the other words around it I could just see that the box was just as empty as it sounded. "Well that was a bust. Waste of a word." I facehoofed and turned my back in frustration. Behind me I could hear the colt checking out the box for himself. The box was still useful in that it could be burned for a momentary burst of light, so I didn't want the colt to tear it up. "Hey, what's this?" I whirled back around to find the colt holding something in his magical grip. It looked like an old Polaroid photograph. "Hey Mister Mossy, it's you!" He levitated the photograph over to me and I snatched it out of the air. The instant my eyes focused on the image in the darkness I felt my heart wrench. It was a photograph of Atten Burro and I. The old donkey was beaming proudly with his hoof on my shoulder while I posed with a bright blue macaw perched on my outstretched foreleg. It was one of the snapshots somepony had taken during the filming of one of the first episodes of Equestrian Wilderness I had been a part of. "This... all these pictures burned up in the fire..." The colt intuitively picked up on the sentimental importance of the picture. The foalish curiosity dropped from his face and he smiled a smile that seemed too sage for his age. "That's probably why my mom wanted you to have it. I know what it's like to lose somebody you care about." A quiet 'thank you' was all I could manage as I carefully folded the picture and tucked it into my vest pocket opposite Vinyl's lighter. The little colt had given me back a little reminder of the happier times in my life. It meant more to me than I could even express to him as I patted him on the back and fought back a tear forming in my eye. "Come on, Bookmark. I don't know what word to pick to wake your mother up, but I do have an idea." As we trotted back toward the center of the word cloud I had an idea of the kind of word I was looking for. I knew I was never going to figure out how to wake Golden Prose on my own, I needed help. I needed a mechanism to contact the outside world for advice. Radio. I found the word I wanted on the opposite side of the word cloud from the memory box. I could use the radio to contact Vinyl Scratch and Iron Bars back at the radio station. Maybe the DJ would have a better idea of what to do here, being a unicorn and more magically inclined than I could ever hope to be. "I've got a friend who might be able to help us out." I explained to Bookmark. "I want you to use your spell on that word there so I can talk to her, okay?" The colt nodded happily and set to work concentrating on the glowing word in front of him. It seemed to be a mirror image of the previous two times; at least until the ground started to rumble. That didn't seem like a good sign at all. The word flashed in a magical explosion much larger than before. In a panic I snatched the colt up in my teeth and took off in a mad dash away from it. Whatever was happening I was certain I didn't want to stick around and be in the middle of it. Out of the golden light a solid form began to materialize. It started from the ground and tore upwards through the darkness, forming a metal superstructure. I knew what it was almost immediately and the gravity of my mistake sent a cold chill down my spine. It wasn't a radio, it was a radio tower. I hadn't been able to see the ceiling of the chamber were in until the tower punched through it like a hoof through drywall. Defying logic the tower broke all the way through to the night sky above, sending a cascade of stone and debris down where we had been standing only seconds earlier. Bookmark had warned me of this but I had no idea something this drastic would happen. There was no way a magical burst of that size and destructive power would go unnoticed. It was only a matter of time before it showed up. And then it did. "Bookie, I thought I raised you better than to make such a mess in someone else's home!"

Golden Prose

18

"Bookie, I thought I raised you better than to make such a mess in someone else's home!" It was Golden Prose's voice alright, but now I knew better. Even from where we now hid behind a large chunk of fallen stone Bookmark and I could both still see the real Golden Prose still floating in her literary prison. Nightmare Moon's disguise was wholly pointless. "Oh come now you two. Don't act as if I can't see you back there. Come out, it's only me." The colt and I looked at each other cautiously. Neither one of us knew how to respond. Hiding seemed useless at this point. The only question was how long we played along with the mare's deception. "Stop pretending to be my mom!" The little colt stormed out from behind the stone and boldly stood his ground against the imposter. I had no choice but to follow suit, lest I let the foal take the brunt of the entity's wrath. Even if that's what it took to shake Golden Prose from her trance there was no way I could live with myself if something happened to him. Imposter Golden Prose stopped abruptly as we appeared. She glanced upward, seemingly only then becoming aware that the real mare was in plain sight above our heads. Instead of being startled or upset, she only chuckled. "Well I suppose this won't do any longer, will it?" The mare shook her head with a smile. "Perhaps something more comfortable is in order." In a swirl of shadows the form of the author was gone, slowly replaced by that of Nightmare Moon once more. Without her armor she was almost indistinguishable from her counterpart, Princess Luna. The giveaway was the not so faint reverse in the purple and black shading of her coat. I doubted anypony who had never met the Princess as I had would be able to see the subtle difference in the look in her eyes. "Find a word we can use. I'll stall her." I hissed quickly to the colt, hoping that the act of transforming would deafen Nightmare Moon to my words for a moment. The colt nodded and quickly ducked back behind the rock we'd hidden behind. "Now where is that foal off to in such a rush?" The alicorn mused as her transformation completed. "Surely after everything we've all been through a little shapeshifting cannot be that frightening." I stepped directly into the path of the oncoming alicorn, blocking her from following after Bookmark. "What do you care?" I hoped my voice didn't shake. "You already have the pony you want; why not just let him go? You know she'd do anything to keep him safe whether he's here or not." The alicorn smirked and allowed herself to be held up by my presence. "And just how do you know what I want, my little stallion?" She trotted slowly in a circle around me, seeming to appraise me. "I'm actually quite hurt that you would even insinuate that I am doing any of this for myself." "Using her to gain power seems pretty self serving to me." I gazed up toward Golden Prose. Nightmare Moon chuckled and sidled up beside me, matching my gaze towards the writer. "I can sense in you that you are no longer operating under the misconceptions you were when we last met." She purred. "So you of all ponies should realize that I am just as bound by the confines of the story as you. All of us here are creations of the Princess of the Night; I do what I do by her will, as do you." "Don't try to put a spin on this again..." I growled quietly, leaning slightly to distance myself from the alicorn. "Frankly my mind is made up." As if to accentuate my point a loud whistle erupted from the darkness and a flare gun round arced past us, skimming just over the back of the Nightmare Princess. The light blinded me for a moment, but I knew it must have come from Bookmark. The clever colt must have found something useful after all. A wisp of shadow bled from the alicorn's back where the radiance of the flare had burned her. If it caused her any pain her face didn't betray it. She merely tossed me aside with a burst of magic and started off in the direction the flare had come from without a word. The magical burst knocked me off my hooves and sent me tumbling across the stone floor. It shouldn't have done more than knock the wind out of me, but the various cuts and bruises all over my body each seemed new and fresh as I came to a stop. It was only my fear for the little colt that stopped me from lying there to catch my breath. I quickly rolled to my hooves and took off after the alicorn before I lost her in the dark expanse of the chamber. It wasn't difficult. She moved at a very slow, methodical pace as if she felt threatened knowing that the colt was now armed. I galloped ahead of her and skidded to a halt, blocking her path once more. It was unlikely that Bookmark had stayed in one spot after firing the flare. With its one time use he was probably off scurrying through the darkness to find another word of power. Hopefully Nightmare Moon did not realize this. "Don't hurt him, he's just scared!" I shouted, steeling myself for another magical attack. "And he very well has reason to be." The alicorn stopped in front of me, no longer shying away from using her looming stature to intimidate. "You tell him to fight when you know deep down that you cannot destroy me, the story forbids it. What you tell him to do is tantamount to suicide for you both." With another burst of magic she cast me aside once more. The restraint of the first blast was gone. The impact hit me in the chest like a sledgehammer and sent me spiraling down into my own private world of pain. I couldn't breathe. Every inhalation felt like grinding broken glass in my chest. I didn't know if it was an effect from the magic or whether she'd managed to shatter a rib. Not that it mattered much now. From my sideways view of the world sprawled out on the stone floor I could see the Nightmare Princess resume skulking through the dark rubble, hunting for Bookmark. What would happen if she found him? Would she kill him? Keeping him alive and captive gave her a power over Golden Prose, but how long would it be until that was no longer necessary? Nightmare Moon would be powerful enough to take control of the Everfree herself soon, if she wasn't already. Killing Bookmark would be the final blow to drive the author mad and destroy any power she had left. Whatever delusions of heroism Princess Luna had put into my head were dying. My only choice now was whether the rest of me died with them. "I don't want to die here." My voice was clear and strong in the dark chamber, resonating off the rubble around me. The alicorn had moved beyond my field of vision, but I knew she had to have heard me. "I don't want to die here." Quieter this time. I struggled to sit up on my haunches as the Nightmare Princess flowed out of the shadows beside me. The air of intimidation was gone, instead replaced by one of pity. "So you are finally willing to speak the truth tonight." She said calmly; eyes closed. Unwilling to face her I stared at the stone floor in front of me. "Just tell me what I have to do to make it out of this alive." The words tasted foul as they forced their way out of my mouth. "I don't want anything except my life." The slender alicorn smiled and leaned down to nuzzle the top of my head gently. "Despite everything you have experienced these past nights I have never wanted us to be foes. Even when Golden Prose first ventured to this place and awoke me from my slumber I offered her kinship to help her find what she desired. She balked at my offered and forced me to do this." She gestured weakly upward toward the author. "The four of us here are all creations of the so-called Princess of the Night. I, born of her subconscious desires. And the rest of you of her rational mind trying to subvert those animal instincts. None of us are whole. But together we could be, and it would be well within our rights to take the power of the Everfree for ourselves as payment for everything we endured." I sat, shoulders slack, watching the muscles in the alicorns forelegs flex and spasm from the intensity with which she spoke. "What do you want from me then?" Was all I could manage. The alicorn wrapped my torso in a magical aura and lifted me to my hooves. I felt numb as if an anesthetic had been applied where the magic touched. It was the only thing that allowed me to remain standing. "A gesture is all I ask..." The Nightmare Princess purred, leaning in until our muzzles were only inches apart. "Renounce. Renounce the false goddess of the night and stand by my side." I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. My mind was clear now. From my vest pocked I fished out the crystal Princess Luna had given me before we parted ways. I held it on my upturned hoof in front of my face. It was still dull and lifeless. And I understood. I smashed it. With all the effort I could muster I smashed the crystal onto the stone under my hoof. It shattered and I could feel the shards stick into my hoof like broken glass, but I didn't flinch. Instead I ground down with my hoof grinding the broken crystal and its algae contents into the floor. "My Princess." I knew it was right, what I was doing. As the embodiment of an alicorn's nightmare leaned in to favor me with a kiss, I obliged. I tilted my head up to her and our lips met, not tentatively, but with a kind of familiarity to be savored. Then I struck. In one swift motion I scraped my shard-laden hoof across the floor and slammed it across the alicorn's face, driving it away from my own. The bits of crystal dug through what should have been flesh, but left only dark contours in her fur. The alicorn recoiled and shrieked with rage, whether from pain or surprise I couldn't tell. Her horn lit up with magic as she prepared to retaliate, but it only served to display the true damage I had inflicted. The wounds on the Nightmare Princess' face burst into a radiant blue glow as the bioluminescent material deposited there fed on the tremendous surge of magical energy. In the darkness the light was blinding, but I turned and ran anyway as the pitch of the alicorn's scream heightened in what I knew had to be pain this time. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!" Her voice shook the chamber as I ran. Over my shoulder I could see that the glow from her horn was gone, but the residual luminance on her face remained as the magic faded. I had evened the odds a bit, but not enough. I was still too weak to fight her off, but without the use of her magic there was a chance that Bookmark and I could escape to fight another day. I shouted the colt's name into the darkness and was rewarded by a reply and a flash of magic to announce his location. He must have been watching us closely. I could only imagine the confusion he was experiencing. We met up several yards ahead, both trying to put as much distance between us and where the alicorn was. Rather than try to explain myself I grabbed the colt by the scruff of his neck and flung him onto my back as I ran. Escape. We needed to escape but I had no idea where the chamber exit was, if it even still existed. There was only one landmark in the darkness that I knew reached the outside world. The stone around the base of the radio tower was slick with rain from the storm that still raged outside. Bookmark leapt from my back as my hooves skittered from under me and brought me down on my face as I tried to stop. The colt already knew what I had in mind and began climbing up the rubble piled around the base of the tower even before I'd managed to get back on my hooves. Whatever numbing magic had been cast on me had worn off or been revoked. Only the panicked flight endorphins kept me from crying out in pain as I followed after him. Thunder rumbled above our heads as we climbed. It was loud enough to give the colt a moment of hesitation in his climb and gave me a chance to catch up. The tower was only several rocks above us now and I could see what I had been hoping for. We were on the correct side of the structure to reach the service ladder that would give us access to the top. Unceremoniously I boosted the unicorn atop my head, practically tossing him at the lowest rung of the ladder. Despite the torrential downpour coming down through the hole in the roof above he managed to grasp on and began to climb. We had only made it about fifteen feet from the base of the ladder when I knew we were no longer alone. The rain around us was deafening us to its approach, but I barely caught sight of something in my peripheral vision before it swooped in. The dark alicorn appeared with ebon wings spread wide. Unhindered by the rain she swooped in and clipped Bookmark in the face with her wing tip. The impact cost the colt his grip on the ladder and he tumbled down, crashing into my head along the way. I barely caught his mane in my teeth before he fell any further. Flailing, the colt half grasped onto me, half grasped onto a bundle of hanging wires draped beside the ladder. He held fast in fear and I couldn't open my mouth to tell him let go for fear of dropping him. When the alicorn swooped in for her second pass it was unavoidable. Her wingtip caught me in the face and knocked my grip on the ladder loose. My hooves slipped against the wet metal and I felt the undeniable wave in my stomach that let me know we were falling. In desperation I flailed out and managed to wrap a foreleg around the wire in Bookmark's grip. He in turn released his grip on the wire and wrapped his forelegs around my neck, hanging across my chest. I clung to the wire desperately as my hind legs dangled freely. The shifting weight had moved us farther now from the ladder than I could reach. There was no way I could climb up the wire with the foal hanging from me. I was terrible at climbing as it was. We were stuck. No longer coming in from the periphery I saw Nightmare Moon swooping down once more for another strike. She barreled toward us headlong, seeming no longer content to just clip us. Her head was down and I knew what it was she intended to do. "Bookmark! I'm so sorry!" I shouted over the drum of the rain. He tried to answer. Either to ask why, or maybe even just asking what I'd said. But it didn't matter. I brought my hind legs up and pushed him away from me until he lost his grip and disappeared into the darkness below. I didn't actually see what happened immediately after. The act of pushing Bookmark away made the wire twist so that my back was to the alicorn. All I felt was an impact like a sledgehammer on my back. The alicorn crashed into me full tilt and we toppled to the ground below in a mass of writing limbs. It didn't hurt when we hit the stone floor below. In fact, nothing hurt anymore. I struggled to move, only to find that the lower half of my body wasn't responding. I looked down to see why, and that's when I saw it. The horn through my chest. The long, slender alicorn horn piercing through my chest like some kind of perverse breast piece. As if seeing the wound had allowed it to truly manifest I suddenly became keenly aware of how cold I was. Blood did not gush from the wound as I would have expected, but I knew I was bleeding out. "Why... why would you make the do this...?" The alicorn attached to the horn whispered behind my back. "It didn't have to be this way." I opened my mouth to reply but was only rewarded with a bubble of blood rising in the back of my throat. I coughed it out and managed to spit my words with it. "Didn't have... a choice... we were bound... bound by the story... never had a choice..." I coughed another mouthful of blood onto the floor. My vision was fading, but I could still see Bookmark a few feet away from where we lay. His chest rose and fell steadily. He was unconscious, but alive. "Never had a choice..." My eyes refocused on something between Bookmark and I. Before I even realized what it was I was using my forehoof to scoot it closer to my face. I didn't know why. The alicorn shuffled on the ground behind me, her head movements shifting my entire body. "Was it all worth it?" She asked quietly. I would have answered her if I'd had an answer to give. But I did not. So with my last ounce of strength I pushed the end of the exposed wire into my mouth and clamped down on it as the lightning struck. The bolt struck the tip of the radio tower in a dazzling display of sparks. Seeking the path of least resistance it traveled down the ground wire, finding me at the end instead. My body went rigid with the shock and my jaw clenched so tightly I could hear my teeth crack inside my head even over the ear-splitting boom of thunder. A primal, animal scream tore through the darkness behind me once more as the raw fury of nature passed through me and into the alicorn. The damaging light from the flash and the surge of electricity robbed the nightmare princess of any control she maintained. Her horn exploded with magical light, in turn uncontrollably feeding the bioluminescence on her face again. As suddenly as it had arisen the scream behind me cut out. The horn through my chest sizzled and shattered to ashes, turning to sludge in the rain. In the last moments before my senses failed me I became keenly aware of a tear running from my eye. My last thought was only to wonder why it was there.

Golden Prose

19

Sunlight A harsh sunbeam worked its way along up the pillow until it fell directly on my face, forcing me out of my fretful slumber. I grumbled incoherently and rolled from my side onto my back. Shielding my eyes from the light with my forehooves only served to delay the inevitable task of waking up completely. When I eventually gave up and dropped my hooves from my eyes I realized that my fetlocks were damp with old tears. I must have been crying in my sleep not long before I woke up. The dream that caused it all had not lingered, giving me no clue as to what had been so upsetting. Rather than dwell on it I pushed the sheets off of my body and rolled myself out of bed. I trotted across the room to the offending window and opened the curtains completely, flooding the room with morning light. Though partially blocked by my window-mounted air conditioning unit the view of the Baltimare cityscape below was one of my favorite things about my apartment. Now fully awake I trotted off to the attached master bathroom to wash the residue of sleep and tears from my face. The cool water from the tap felt even colder as the AC unit kicked on and sent a burst of cold air across the room. I savored the sensation as I examined my freshly washed face in the mirror. It was the same face that had greeted me in the mirror every morning of my adult life, but something seemed off about it this morning. I flicked at my nicked ear with my hoof as if I expected it could cure me of the sensation, but it didn't. With little more thought to it I chalked it up to waking up on the wrong side of the bed and headed out to make breakfast. Forgoing the option to put one of my vests on I trotted out of the bedroom. I passed down the L-shaped hallway of my corner apartment and headed to the kitchen. As I passed by the living room I heard a small shout and the sound of little hooves hitting the hardwood floor. "Mister Mossy!" The little orange colt hopped down off the sofa and galloped across the room to me. The moment my eyes fell on his face everything came rushing back to me. The castle, Nightmare Moon, the lightning; it all flooded back into my mind at once. I fell back onto my haunches even as the foal reached me and wrapped one of my forelegs in a tight hug. "Bookmark, what are... what are you doing in my apartment?" I patted the colt on the head, relieved to see him but more confused than ever. "You live here?" The little unicorn released my leg and began taking stock of the area around him. "I just woke up on the couch a few minutes ago but I was too afraid to look around." "I used to live here..." I corrected him gently, following as he trotted back into the living room. "But that was a different life and a different time. We can't really be here." "I thought it would be easier for you both this way." A voice floated through the hallway from which I had just come. I recognized it, but didn't believe it until the face of the golden mare appeared around the corner. "You've both been through so much tonight..." "MOM!" Before I could get a word in edgewise Bookmark was down the hall and locked around his mother's foreleg, tears streaming from his eyes. The mare embraced him tightly and gently shushed back his sobs. Her demeanor and the colt's reaction erased any worry I might have had that this was anything but the real Golden Prose. I wasn't sure what it meant that she was here, but I was glad to see her. However I was not one to interrupt the reunion between her and her foal. As unobtrusively as I could I trotted back into the living room and took refuge in my easy chair. A few minutes later the pair followed suit and took up residence on the dull blue sofa across from me. I merely smiled and nodded a greeting. "Golden Prose." "Please, call me Goldie. I think we've gotten to that level of familiarity now." The mare smiled, settling into the couch next to Bookmark. "Alright Goldie." I leaned my head against a foreleg propped on the arm of the chair. "I guess you probably know what I'm going to ask, right?" The unicorn nodded and tilted her head slightly away from me, casting a few strands of her golden mane across her face. It was a gesture of uncertainty I wouldn't have expected from her. "Nightmare Moon... is dead. Defeated." She tapped her tongue against her teeth, choosing her words deliberately. "The essence of her magic is no longer intertwined with that of the Everfree. It is returned to its source." "Princess Luna?" She nodded and paused to let me absorb. There had been a part of Princess Luna inside Nightmare Moon all along. It shouldn't have surprised me, but something about it just didn't sit well. Power had been returned to her with the defeat of her dark half, she'd had a stake in this fight that she hadn't spoken of to me. It was a moot point now. "And what about this, what about all of this?" I waved my hoof out at the living room of the apartment from my past. "We aren't really here... and I remember what happened at the tower." I paused, the words catching in my throat. "Are we dead?" The silence hung thick in the air like a cloud around us. Bookmark squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, looking up at his mother with both fear and expectation in his eyes. Golden Prose only looked past the both of us at the far wall. "Not we. Just you." The revelation still sent a chill down my spine despite the fact I'd been expecting it. I knew there was no way I would have survived the grievous injuries I had sustained to destroy Nightmare Moon. It just seemed like such an inglorious end to a story. "That... that's good. For a moment there I was afraid I'd completely bucked it up." I forced a weak smile onto my face. "No, you didn't..." Golden Prose spoke softly to me as if she were trying to reassure me like her own foal. "What you said before... about not having a choice? You were right. The story was always going to end this way. It doesn't make what you did any less courageous, and I thank you for it..." I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. "I guess none of it was really my doing, but you're welcome." I pressed a hoof to the corner of my mouth while I though, marveling for a moment that the gunshot wound on my jaw was no longer present. "That still doesn't explain where we are or why you two are here, though." The unicorn tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Outside the window the Baltimare landscape disappeared, leaving only a bright white light in its place. "Like I said, I thought this would be the easiest thing for you to wake up to." After all her evasive looks she seemed to find the strength to meet me eye to eye. "I really have no idea what to call this place, but I think of it as a sort of 'creative limbo'." I got up from my seat and trotted over to look out the window. The seeming vastness of the empty white expanse outside was unnerving. "They say you die two deaths. One is the death of your physical body, the other is the last time somepony thinks of you." The mare gestured for me to take a seat beside her on the couch. "A character in a story only truly dies when the author decides never to mention them again. There are a thousand ways a seemingly dead character can return." Slowly I moved away from the window and eased myself down on the couch next to her. "I don't understand..." Golden Prose rested a hoof on my shoulder, and then rested her forehead against the hoof. "Characters brought to life by the Everfree persist beyond the end of their story. Discord is proof of that. Just because Princess Luna's story about you is now over doesn't mean another author could not take up that mantle in a new story..." I frowned but did not resist the unicorn's touch. "Are... are you offering to keep me alive in a new story?" The mare leaned back from me and smiled, nodding. That was what I wanted, wasn't it? For my life to be mine again and for all of this to be over. But is that what I would really be getting? "No." The golden mare and her colt looked at me with confusion and dejection in their eyes. I didn't expect them to understand. "It's a wonderful gift, but no." It was my turn to be unable to match the mare's gaze. "I can't and won't accept it." "But why..." Golden Prose's voice waivered. "This is the one time I really do have I choice." I tried to leave the sofa, only to be pulled back magically. "Once I found out the truth about my life all I wanted was to be free to make my own decisions again. If you write me back into another story, even if I sit here and dictate to you exactly how I want my life to go, I am still living in bondage. I can never change my mind and nothing I do will ever be a spontaneous choice again. I can't stand to go back to a life like that." Before I could stop her Golden Prose wrapped me in a tight hug. When she finally released me I was surprised to see tears streaming down her face. I refused to believe that she was this upset purely about letting me choose to end my own story. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "I of all ponies should have been able to see that... and I guess maybe I did, but there is more to it than that..." "There always is." I murmured Sadly the mare looked away from me and back to her colt. "Nightmare Moon is gone, but she was only an avatar for a darkness that still persists in the Everfree. It is weak now, but it will find a new face to wear and return someday. I cannot allow that to happen..." "You're going to stay here, aren't you?" I closed my eyes. I knew she was going to nod, but I didn't want to see it. "If I stay here I can keep the dark presence in check and prevent anypony else from using the forest again, Mossy. It's what I was meant to do; I don't have any choice in the matter either. What I do have is a choice about how I tie up my loose ends." She leaned down and kissed Bookmark on the head. The colt had long since fallen asleep pressed against his mother's side. "I can't keep him here with me in this limbo, Mossy. It isn't fair to him." The tone of her voice now well reflected the gravity of what she said. "I need someone to look after him; someone I know I can trust. And frankly I can think of only one pony in the world that can do this." "Goldie... I can't, I-" The mare silenced me with a hoof to my lips. "Mossy, you gave your life to save us. Whether you were destined to or not, that is just the kind of stallion you are. I know that even with complete control of your own life you will do what is best for him." "But that's just it; if you bring me back I won't be in control of my life." The pain of my refusal weighed more heavily on me than ever before. "I want to help you, I really do. But are you going to force me into a scripted life to save him?" "There is another way..." The unicorn's horn lit up and a book from my bookcase across the room floated free and planted itself on the coffee table. The Labyrinth of Me. I knew I had never owned that book. "This is the book of your life as told by the princess..." The mare continued, opening the book with her magic and flicking through it. "As I see it, there is no reason I could not... edit such a work to suit our needs." Wordlessly I reached out and touched the book, almost afraid of it. "I could change the ending for you... I could change anything for you. The accident at Hayseed Swamp could have never happened. Atten Burro could be alive and well. You wouldn't have to remember any of the suffering you endured." Her words were tempting. I could feel my hoof shaking as I touched the spine of the book that contained my life. Of all the things I had been offered this was by far the most appealing. I couldn't see a downside to it. Once this story ended on a happy note I could be free to live my life again, albeit with a new unintentional addition to my family. But I knew it was still not for me. "Again I'm going to have to say no." Golden Prose opened her mouth to protest but I stopped her with a hoof on her lips. "Change the story, but don't change my memories." I sighed heavily, almost unable to believe what I was saying. "I want to remember everything. The experiences in life made me the pony I am right now, and for some reason beyond me I am okay with that. I don't want to be somepony else." The mare nodded. "Done." "I don't want anypony else to suffer because of Luna's story." My face contorted as I tried to fight back tears. "I don't care how you bring me to the present day in the story, but I can never have met Atten Burro. He will be alive and well without ever having known me. And no matter what happens in my life you can never intervene. After this you can never write of me again." "But why, why would you do that to yourself?" "Because I know myself, Goldie. I know my own weaknesses." I rested my face in my hooves. "If you gave me a second chance I don't know that I wouldn't make the same mistake again. I can't let myself have the opportunity. I don't deserve it." The mare placed her hoof on my shoulder and turned me to face her. I could see the look of pity in her eyes before she leaned and rested her forehead again mine. "I understand, Moss. " She whispered. "I know in my heart you are stronger than that now, but I understand. And I will do what you ask if you'll just watch over my colt..." "I promise you I will..." As if on cue there was a knock at the apartment door. It made me jump slightly, but Golden Prose didn't seem surprised. "You can come in now, m'lady." She called out, covering Bookmark's ears as not to wake him. Down the hall I heard the door open and close, followed by the sound of slow deliberate hoofsteps. Then from around the corner appeared the alicorn of the night, Princess Luna. Gone was the armor I had last seen her in. She appeared as she did to me the first night when she had found me in the forest. "Greetings, my little ponies." She spoke softly as if she had already known there was a sleeping presence in the room. "Princess." Golden Prose and I replied in quiet unison. The alicorn stopped in the center of the room and stooped into a bow before us. "I am so very proud of the two of you. You both surpassed my every expectation." To me the words sounded hollow even though I knew they were not intended to be. Golden Prose's opinion was unreadable; she only nodded and closed her eyes. "We have reached an accord, my princess." She spoke up, her eyes not daring to open. "They are ready for you to take them home." "But-" I tried to interject but the golden mare quickly silenced me. "I need you to go before he awakens." Her voice shook as she turned to look at the colt beside her. "I don't have the strength of will for this goodbye. Take him now and I will see to it that he understands why someday." With a gentle magical nudge she bumped me from the sofa and onto my hooves. Before I could protest she placed the sleeping colt on my back, all but assuring my silence lest I wake him. "Will we see you again?" I whispered as Princess Luna began to usher me towards the door with her wing. Golden Prose smiled, her eyes glowing with the same unearthly whiteness that radiated outside the windows. "I can't say for certain, Mossy. Not even I know how this story ends." And then she was gone, along with the entire illusionary apartment around her. The only thing that remained was the door through which Princess Luna had entered. I looked up at the alicorn expectantly but she only held me closer with her wing. The colt on my back weighed as heavily on my body as the task I had been given weighed on my mind. But as we trotted through the doorway I resolved to accept the comfort the alicorn offered. I leaned my head into her as we passed into the light.

Golden Prose

20 - Epilogue

In the dead of night she came to him I'd lost her. Somewhere in the white light I'd lost Princess Luna. It seemed impossible but Bookmark was gone too. One moment he was there on my back, the next he was gone. There was nothing out there in the expanse of white that would help me find them. There was only the voice. With darkness in her eyes It sounded so far away, but as I wandered I found that it did get louder. I closed my eyes and tried to hone in on the source. If there was somepony else here I had to find them. Wearing her armor dark Sweet words as her disguise Somepony was singing. The words sounded experimental, as if she was unsure of herself, but there was a lyrical tune about them. I broke into a full gallop in the direction I believed they came from. He took her in without a word For the goddess to appease They sounded so close now. I stopped running to catch my bearings but the sensation of movement never ceased. Outside of my closed eyes the world around me seemed to be moving. I was being pulled somewhere. And vowed them both to silence Deep beneath the trees I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids felt heavy. My limbs were responsive, though vaguely numb and similarly heavy. I could tell I was in a bed. The sheets were crisp and clean feeling but the pillows under my head were terribly uncomfortable. After what seemed like an eternity of futile attempts my eyes opened, giving me a blurry view of the room around me. The walls were off-white and everything smelled sterile, like alcohol and disinfectants. Nothing moved except for the vague outline of a pony in an armchair beside my bed. Vinyl Scratch. The sunglasses gave it away before anything else. As my vision cleared I could see she was scribbling absentmindedly on a tablet of paper levitating in front of her, humming a tune that I couldn't place. Maybe she had been the one I'd heard singing? I opened my mouth to speak but the only sound that came out was too raspy and ragged to be understood. My mouth and throat were so dry it hurt. The sound startled the DJ and the tablet fell from her magical grip. In an instant she was out of the chair and leaning over me in the bed. "You're awake!" I opened my mouth to try speaking again but thought the better of it. Mercifully the DJ recovered from her surprise quickly enough to figure out my problem. She levitated a Styrofoam cup of ice chips from the bedside table and held it close enough to my lips that I could help myself. The ice felt like heaven on my tongue. I closed my eyes and savored the sensation as the melt water brought my mouth back to life. When it was gone I was fairly certain I could speak again. "Thanks Doctor DJ, your bedside manner is impeccable." I managed to choke out. "Four days in a coma and that's the best you can come up with?" The mare teased back, leaning over and hugging me gently. "Four days?" I found enough control of my limbs again to hug the DJ back. "It didn't seem like that long... I don't... I don't know what happened." The DJ scooted her chair as close to my bedside as possible and flopped back in it, leaning forward to rest her head on her forehooves propped on the edge of the bed. "Well damn." She muttered. "I was really hoping you could fill me in. I've only gotten bits and pieces I managed to eavesdrop from the guards." "Guards?" "Yes, guards." Vinyl cocked her head to the side and gestured towards the door. "You and the colt have had two solar guards posted outside your rooms ever since that detachment of lunar guards found you both unconscious on the edge of the forest and brought you in. I pursed my lips in thought for a moment. Things were starting to make more sense to me, but I wasn't going to let her know that. "Wait, if we've been here under guard this whole time how did you get in?" The unicorn smiled conspiratorially and leaned to whisper in my ear. "Since you just moved to the area none of the hospital staff know you. When I heard you'd been found I snuck in and altered some things in your patient file." Her tone turned mock-saucy. "According to their records I'm your spouse and simply cannot be denied access to you..." I broke into a short fit of laughter followed by an exasperated sigh. Really I shouldn't have expected anything less from her. "Well I can tell you are proud of yourself, and I'm flattered to be Mr. Vinyl Scratch as far as the hospital is concerned. Unfortunately things have changed and I don't think you're going to get the interview you want out of this. I-" My self-righteous rant was cut short by a light slap to my forehead. I narrowed my eyes at her, my jaw slightly agape at the idea that she'd dare strike someone in a hospital bed. "You tremendous ass, I was actually worried about you, not my radio career." She spat, sounding genuinely hurt for a change. With a smug look on my face I gently put one of her hooves between mine and tapped it gently. "Don't worry; your secret is safe with me." Over the next hour Vinyl Scratch filled me in on the details that she knew. I was far less generous in my retelling of what had happened to me. Some part of me was afraid that if I revealed the details I would undo everything. As she had previously mentioned a detachment of lunar guards on "routine patrol" near the edge of the Everfree Forest had found two victims of an apparent lightning strike from the massive storm several days earlier. The cover story had been that a portion of the Ponyville Police Department had been caught in the lightning storm while searching for the victims and were unfortunately killed by freak lightning strikes. The solar guards posted outside my room were under the impression that they were there to keep the press away. During the time of my hospitalization the DJ had observed a peculiar change in the hospital staff. When I was first admitted many of my caretakers recognized me and were quite verbose with disparaging remarks to my unconscious form. As the days went on, however, their opinions seemed to soften for some reason. They began to treat me with the same pity and compassion they would an injured stranger. Vinyl had been baffled by the change. I had not been conscious to win them over, so there seemed to be no reason for it. I knew the explanation why, but I wasn't ready to share with her yet. But how did she remember? By all rights she should have been affected by the changes just as much as the doctors and nurses. She wouldn't have remembered Hayseed Swamp, and she shouldn't have known me from the chaos in Ponyville. Yet she did. I trusted that Golden Prose had kept her word and not thrown any strange little curveballs into her rewrite, so I could only speculate why. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the DJ had directly encountered the dark creatures of the Everfree. The forest's power seemed to taint those who even remotely crossed its path. Eventually night began to fall once more and Vinyl Scratch excused herself to fetch us both some coffee. I took her absence as an opportunity for self-examination. On shaky legs I eased myself out of bed and into my private bathroom. Mercifully the doctors seemed to have managed to extract the remaining crystal shards from my hoof. The gunshot wound on my jaw had been cleaned and dressed, as well as all the other various nicks and cuts across my body. In reality other than a slightly charred smell in my mane there really seemed to be no residual damage from the lightning strike. I spent longer than I probably should have with my hoof on my chest where the alicorn had run me through. There was not a single mark remaining to show where it had happened, but I could never forget it. The more I thought about it I could almost relive the sensation. I was so inwardly focused I didn't notice the DJ's return until she crept up behind me and put a hoof on my shoulder. "Hey, you alright?" I jumped slightly and whirled around to meet her. Her sunglasses were propped up, giving me a clear view of the concern in her eyes. "Yeah... yeah I'm okay. Just a little lost in thought." The mare must have sensed that it wasn't a subject to be pried at and simply ushered me out of the bathroom. Two cups of hospital coffee waited for us on the bedside table, but something else caught my attention. Sitting on another chair beside a small cabinet on the far wall was a black bag. I trotted over to the bag and peered inside. There was another smaller sealed bag inside. It contained something I hadn't expected to see again. My vest. "I would have thought they'd throw this out when they triaged me at the hospital." I mused out loud, pulling the tattered vest out of the bags. Somehow the blood stains were minimal despite the gaping hole in the back. Upon noticing the bloody article of clothing Vinyl Scratch stifled a gasp and trotted up behind me once more. "Mossy... what the hell happened to you..." Instead of turning to look at the mare I stayed focused on the vest, picking through the pockets until I found what I was looking for. It was a little charred on one edge, but the photograph still brought a smile to my face as I plucked it out of the chest pocket. "Vinyl, that's a story for another day, I think."

My Hearth's Warming!

pre

"Yay!" Daddy only has a little bit of cider left, but I drink it all up. "Yum!" "You're welcome, Dashie," Daddy hums, hugging me tighter with his wing and nuzzling my face. Mommy walks back into the room with some ponies who have line-y things all over their faces. There's a dark blue one, a pink one, a yellow one, and a red-ish one, but they're all really line-y and kinda saggy. "Dashie, do you remember your grandparents?" she says, motioning to the line-y ponies. "No," I say, shaking my head. "You don't remember us?" says the dark blue one. "We came last Hearth's Warming," says the red-ish one. "No, not really," I say again. Even their voices sound line-y. "That's all right, Dash," says the pink one. "We remember you." "And we even brought some presents..." says the dark blue one. "Yay presents!" I cheer. "Can we have some hugs?" asks the yellow one. "Please?" Mommy nods and when I look up to Daddy, he nods too. "Okay," I say reluctantly. Daddy relaxes his wing and I wiggle free. I walk up to the dark blue one and give him a hug. He smells funny... like the perfume that Mommy uses except too much. Then I hug the yellow one. She smells nice and is really soft, almost like Mommy but not the same as Mommy. I hug the pink one too, she smells like she needs to take a bath; she's stinky. The red-ish stallion is the last one to hug, so I give him a hug and start coughing. His fur smells like when Daddy tried to cook. Not good. "Do-ne," I cough. "Dad," says Mommy warningly. "I told you not to smoke before you came here." "Sorry," he mumbles sheepishly, but I can barely hear him over my coughing. Mommy holds her mug up to my lips and gives me a little sip of her cider. The tasty goodness makes my throat feel all better. "Presents now?" I ask, looking hopefully at Mommy. Mommy nods. "Yay! Shy, presents!" I cheer. "Yay," she agrees, smiling. We both run over to the tall, glittery, shiny, tree--it was really fun to decorate--and look at alllll the presents. "I'm gonna open this one!" I tell Fluttershy, reaching for the biggest one. It's wrapped up in wrapping paper, but I tear it off with my teeth, one piece at a time. I open the box inside the paper and see... "Yeeeeeeeees!" I scream. Sitting at the bottom of the box is a stuffed puppy toy! It's about half as big as I am and cool and fuzzy and browny-goldy and floppy and I love it! And the puppy even has a little Wonderbolt costume on! It's really cool! "What did you get from us?" asks Mommy. I pull the puppy out of the and turn around. "I got a stuffed puppy-toy!" I squeak, hugging him and nuzzling his face. "Awwww," coos Fluttershy, petting his head, "he's so cute." "No, he cool," I correct. "You still have three more presents to open, Dashie. Which one's next?" says Daddy, holding the picture taker thingy. The next one is the next biggest one. I set the puppy down next to me and rip off the wrapping paper. It's... A Wonderbolt clock with a picture of Fire Blitz on it and a matching costume! Now I have to learn how to tell time. And I can match my puppy too! "What did you get from your grandparents, Dashie? Turn around so we can see it," says Mommy. "New clock!" I say, proudly displaying it in front of me. "And costume!" Shoving the mask on my head, I put the clock down and reach for the rest of the costume. My legs go in each of the leg holes, but my head won't fit through the head hole! I push and push, but my head just won't fit! "Wrong way, Dashie," giggles Mommy. Hopping around, I look out through the small hole to see all of the grown-ups laughing! "What?" "That's the hole for your tail, Dashie," chuckles Daddy. "Your head goes in the one at the other end" "Oh." I turn around inside the suit and try to put my head through the other hole, but my neck doesn't reach and my legs get all tangled up. I wobble a bit and then fall over, making a poofy sound. "Help..." I whimper, seeing nothing but the inside of the suit; I can't move at all. "Mommy!" "I've got you, Dash," says Daddy from close by. "Stop squirming, so I can help." It's really hard to just lay there, but Daddy's strong hooves soon sort everything out; now I can move again! He pulls the costume off of me and helps me stand up. "Let's try that again, Dashie," says Daddy. "Can do myself!" I grab the costume and line it up again. My legs go in the right leg holes now, my tail goes in the tail hole, and my head goes in the head hole too. I sit down and try to grab the zipper, but it's hard to do. "Zippy," I tell Daddy, angling myself towards him. "Right away, miss Wonderbolt!" Daddy reaches down and pulls the zipper all the way from my private place up to my chin. Dashie the Wonderbolt! I like the sound of that. As soon as Daddy is done I strike a pose. "Wonderbolt time!" Now where's my puppy? I look over to see Fluttershy cradling my puppy! She is holding a filly-bottle-toy up to his mouth and making soft, happy noises. "My puppy! He not likes that!" "Oh, sorry, Dashie." Fluttershy hands me my puppy, and I immediately put it on my back. "I'm the best Wonderbolt! My Wonderbolt-puppy says so!" I start running around the room yelling awesome flying sounds: "Shoom! Zeeow! Woosh!" "Go, Dashie, go!" yells Mommy. "I'm awem-some!" I giggle, as the puppy moves around a lot; he doesn't fall off, though. But now my mask starts sliding off of my face! I can't see very well anymore! I crash into something hard-ish, and fall down on my rump. Lifting the mask up, I see that I ran into one of my unopened presents; I still have more goodies to open! With my puppy still on my back, I start ripping the paper off. "Good puppy," I say, reaching around and petting his head. He's a really good puppy. I reach in the box and pull out a small Wonderbolt beanie chair thing! It's so cool! It's a chair that's super awesome and squishy! "Beanie chair!" I tell them, turning around so they can see it. "Very nice," says Mommy. "Now, what's in that last present?" I set my puppy down on the beanie chair, and I jump on it too with my last present. It's really small--like super small. I pick it up and rip off the little bit of paper. Opening the little box, I pull out three small shiny squarey-ish, papery things. "Mommy what these?" I ask. "I don't know," says Mommy. "Bring them here and I'll tell you." After jumping out of the chair, I put the puppy on my back and run over to Mommy. "Here Mommy," I say giving her the shiny things. "Good puppy." I pat the puppy's head again. "Storm, look!" says Mommy suddenly, causing me to look at her. She flies over to Daddy and shows him the thingies. "Dad, Mom, you shouldn't have," says Daddy. "Nonsense," says the dark blue line-y pony. "She had to go sometime." "What? What?" I ask. "These are tickets for front row seats for the next Wonderbolt show! And you get to meet them afterwards!" squeals Mommy. "..." "..." "Aren't you excited, Dashie?" asks Daddy. "..." "Yayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayay!" I scream, jumping up and down. "Gonna see Wonderbolts! Gonna meet Wonderbolts!" I take a deep breath. "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" I scream, closing my eyes. After I stop screaming, I open my eyes and see that all the grown-ups are covering their ears with their hooves. Mommy slowly takes her hooves away from her ears and says, "Why don't you head upstairs with your presents and Fluttershy, Dashie?" "No! Wonderbolts now!" I tell her. "Dashie, the tickets aren't good until spring," says Mommy. "Now! Now! Now!" I tell her. "Wonderbolts now!" "Dash. Listen to me," says Mommy. "You can't see the Wonderbolts yet." "Maybe we should listen to your Mommy," whispers Fluttershy. "But Mommmmy..." "Rainbow Dash, listen to your Mom," says Daddy warningly. "Okay..." I huff angrily. "Come on, Shy. Come puppy!" All three of us slowly go up the stairs into my room and jump on my bed. My bed is still a bit messy from this morning. "Now what do we do?" asks Fluttershy. "I want Wonderbolts," I grumble. "But we can't," says Fluttershy. "Silly tickets, work better," I grumble. Fluttershy and I sit in silence for a few minutes. Sitting down with a huff, I wish spring would hurry up so I could see the Wonderbolts. "Now what?" I sigh. "We could lay down? I'm getting kinda sleepy," says Fluttershy. "Hmmmm..." I hum, tapping my chin. "I know! Name puppy!" I exclaim standing up. "He's your puppy, so you name him," says Fluttershy, brushing a bit of her mane out of her face. "But I can help, if you want." "Ideas?" I ask hopefully. "Ummmmm... Spot?" "No, too blaugh," I say, sticking out my tongue. "Nuzzles?" "No. Too nuzzle-y." "Doggie?" she asks. "No, he's a puppy, not a doggie." I put my hoof under my chin and stick out my tongue. "Puppy?" "No, he needs name," I tell her. "Ummmm... how about... Cutie?" she suggests. "Too cute," I say, shaking my head. "Sweetie?" she asks. "Too sweet," I whine. "Cuddles?" she asks, cocking her head and petting my puppy. "Too cuddles-y," I groan. "Not helping, Shy." "Sorry," she mumbles sadly. "I got it!" I exclaim. "...No, no I don't." "How about... Sexy?" she asks. "Too... hmmm... maybe. What sexy?" I ask her. She shrugs. "I don't know, but sometimes I hear Daddy say it to Mommy," she says, "when they think I'm not hearing." "Yeah! Me too!" I turn to my puppy-toy. "I will call you Sexy." "Good name," giggles Fluttershy. "The best name. That probably why Mommies and Daddies hide it," I agree, nodding. I roll Sexy onto his back, and I rub his tummy with my hoof while Fluttershy pets under his chin. He's really soft, and it almost tickles to pet him. Both Fluttershy and I giggle and continue stroking him. "What did you get?" I ask, still slowly rubbing his tummy. "A few toys, a baby bottle, and some warm-y socks," says Fluttershy, "but I left the toys downstairs." She picks up her foreleg and gives me a closer look at her socks; I don't know why I didn't see them before. They are little white socks that come all the way up to her body. Softly petting them, they feel super soft against my coat. "Comfy?" Fluttershy nods, yawns, and covers her mouth. "That nice." I give his tummy another rub. "But I want to see toys too." "Today was fun," says Fluttershy, laying down next to Sexy. She brings her sock-covered forelegs up to her chin and nuzzles them. "Why you lay down?" I ask as she closes her eyes. "I'm sleepy," she says softly. "But we have more to do!" I squeak, jumping up and down on the bed a little. "Maybe later..." she mumbles, wrapping her foreleg around Sexy and nuzzling his cheek. "But I'm not sleepy!" I tell her. "Wakey wakey!" Fluttershy starts humming a song, then she starts singing the words. "Rest your head now, don't be afraid. Mommy will take care of everything." But I don't want to go to sleep. There's still lots to do! "Sleep in peace now, don't you cry. Mommy will hold you and hug you tight." She hugs Sexy tighter and nuzzles his face. I have to set up my clock and play with Sexy, and I'm hungry too; I didn't even eat dinner! "And then after you fall asleep. Mommy will tuck you in all warm." And I have to play in my costume, so I can run around and play with Sexy even more. Sexy is fun to play with. "Then she'll kiss you goodnight..." And get ready to watch the Wonderbolts perform and then get... get ready to... meet them... "She'll pull the cover up to your chin..." And... and... see the soft bed... and... lay down on the soft bed and cuddle... with Sexy and Fluttershy and wrap my forelegs around them... and hold them tightly and... and... close my eyes... "And when you wake up in the morn' Mommy will..." Fluttershy stops singing and starts snoring. But I'm not sleepy! I'm just resting. After sending the guests on their way and promising to return Fluttershy in the morning, Firefly and Rainbow Storm walked up the stairs to their daughter's room; they peered in the still open doorway. "Awwwww," cooed Firefly quietly, watching Dash and Fluttershy sleep with the stuffed animal. "That's adorable," whispered Storm, taking a picture without the flash so as not to disturb them. "Yeah..." Firefly sighed softly. "So," said Storm, facing her. "'So' what?" she asked. "You know," he insisted, nudging her shoulder. "No, not really," she said. Storm sighed, "You know, when can I get my present?" "What are you talking about? You all ready got your presents," answered Firefly. "You know, my present," he insisted quietly. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Hold on a sec, I'll be right back, and then you can finish telling me whatever it is you're trying to tell me," she called quietly, trotting into their bedroom. He muttered something under his breath, taking another picture of Dash as she licked the puppy's face while sleeping; he took a few more pictures while he waited. Fluttershy cooed softly and wrapped her foreleg around Dash, sighing softly. "Now... what were you saying, Storm?" asked Firefly from behind him. "Nevermind," he groaned, throwing a glance over his shoulder. He froze as he was halfway between looking back toward Dash. He slowly looked back toward Firefly, his wings beginning to unfurl. Firefly had lacy tights on each of her legs that were striped to look like wrapping paper. Her wings were already partly flared, and she had a small, green bow on her head. She slowly swayed around him, her tail flicking his nose and lightly teasing him as she circled him several times, her coat barely touching his. She stopped in front of him and gave Storm a taunting, enticing kiss that barely lingered on his lips. She stared at him with half-lidded eyes and whispered, "So do you want to unwrap your present now?" "Sweet Celestia, there is a Santa..." said Storm, his eyes wide and his wings finally reaching their full extension. He closed Dash's door and dropped the camera on the floor. He followed his wife into their bedroom and kicked the door closed behind him, locking it for the night. "You know, I wonder what she decided to call her dog...."

Growing Relationship

pre

"Well maybe if you're a good boy I'll give you a taste of these magic fingers." "I'll make sure to be on my best behavior then." As you exited the castle Scotch was firmly against your side. His warmth and fur felt soothing on the walk back to the cottage. As he entered you couldn't help but look up at the sky. Stars were scattered everywhere in orderly chaos. They all seemed to frame the crescent moon hanging above. "You can't give me that massage you promised from out there, silly Nonny." Breaking away from the sight you look at the yellow beauty in the doorway. "Your right I guess I'll just have to come inside to feel you up." He giggled and closed the door behind you. It was hard to imagine anything that could top this.

Growing Relationship

This Love This Hate

Most of the time people and ponies like to be proven right. Although there are certain times when being proved wrong is pretty awesome. This was one such time, when you believed life couldn't get any freaking better it did. A curious pony had walked into the shop and she had this... feel-good vibe to her. Her coat was green and she had these sick looking dreadlocks. "Hey dude, Butterscotch told me to swing by this place since I was visiting. Said this seemed like my kind of place." She cast her gaze around the shop taking in the decor. The myriad of bright colors and posters seemed to make a positive impression. "I have to say I like the aura of this place, really laid back." "Glad you like it. I was kind of going for a chill atmosphere but with a little bit more energy ya know? So you said you were visiting Scotch?" "Yeah he and I met at the gala we totally connected. He had such a kind and beautiful aura. With his connection to nature we were bound to be friends. We keep in touch by writing but this is the first time I visited. He was telling me about this alien type guy he let crash at his place and got together with. Seeing you and your aura now I can tell he has good taste." This pony was awesome, she is the stereotypical hippy and that's hilarious. The half lidded gaze an nonchalant attitude about everything is contagious. It is for that reason that you ignore the fact that she sort of just hit on you. "Did he tell you what I sell here?" "Yeah, he said you sell a special herb that helps ponies chill out and stuff. The way he explained it the world becomes brighter and more vivid. What that means for each individual is up in the air." "Well I can take an educated guess there. I'm guessing that you meditate?" She nodded her head. "Of course, well based on your personality and habits this will probably just be a shortcut to a meditative state for you." Her eyes widened just a little bit and they seemed to be shimmering. "That sounds rad. Can I try it out?" "Sure dude anything for one of Scotches friends." Except for Elusive, pretentious prick. "Come on we can go for a nature walk while we smoke." Leading her out the back door you find a trial into the woods and start walking side by side at a leisurely pace. The air was crisp, birds were chirping, and the sun pierced through the canopy. All of the sights and sounds were relaxing. They brought you a simple joy that was hard to explain. After a deep breath you pulled out a joint, lighting the end and inhaling the world became even brighter that before. Passing it to... you never even asked her name, dick move. "Yo, sorry but I never caught your name." She looked up at you with her content smile. "No worries dude, it's Treehugger." Really... how apt. Passing it to her she eyed the stick of burning foliage curiously before taking a drag. Her eyes lit up as she took in her surroundings again. She smiled a little wider this time. "Wow Anon, you were like, totally right. I can feel the world around me. Everything is just like I was meditating for hours... this seems a little like cheating." "Heh, it kind of is but meditating gives you a sort of calm that can't be matched by anything. Think of this as the instant version, quicker and a lot more convenient but not quite the same." "I can see why everypony is talking about this stuff, it's rad." The walk continued until you were only left with a roach. At this point Treehugger had stopped and started to stare at a weeping willow. She had a tear in her eye as she went up to the trunk and started to pet it. "There there, no need to feel sad. Look around you, there may not be any willows but there are others. You don't need to feel alone." She went on like this for a good ten minutes. It was kind of funny until it started to get a little creepy. Treehugger lived up to her namesake then left the willow alone. She looked downtrodden on her return. Kneeling down you placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure the willow appreciates the kind words. You probably just made her feel a whole lot better by just talking." She smiled and hugged you and you hugged back. Physical contact really wasn't your forte, unless it was with Scotch, but you endured it for her sake. While it didn't last long, from Treehuggers expression it did the trick. "So you wanna head back to the shop? We can chill there while I order some food." "Sounds good to me." The trip back to the shop didn't take long and neither did the pizza delivery pony. She chatted for a minute and it turned out that their shop had been getting business like crazy recently, a few thank you's later she had to leave and make more deliveries. It was nice knowing that other shops were benefiting from your business as well. The rest of the day was spent chatting with Treehugger about this and that. She talked of meditation and her travels. You mainly talked about Scotch and the shop. By the time the sun had set Treehugger had to catch her train out of town. It was kind of a bummer that she wouldn't be staying any longer. The two of you got along well but such is life. After locking up the shop and starting the trip home something occurred to you. Scotch didn't stop by even once today. While it wasn't unheard of for him to do that it usually came with a forewarning. Picking up that pace you made it to the cottage in a few minutes. Panic started to set in. All of the lights were out, Scotch wouldn't shut off lights unless he left or was in bed. Seeing as it was only seven he couldn't be asleep. Bursting through the door there was no noise at all. The usual bustle of critters running around was absent. What in the absolute fuck is going on? No animals in the house was strange as all hell. There were always a few birds at least or Angel. This was starting to become terrifying, what if something had happened to Scotch? As fear was clawing at your heart you sprinted up the stairs to your room. On the bed was a lump completely covered up. Angel was at the foot of the bed with his ears down and a frown on his face. He looked at you and shook his head. Looking at the covers you gently pulled them down to reveal Butterscotch curled into a tight ball. The sheets around his face were soaked with what could be assumed as tears. His eyes were bloodshot and had a distant look in them. He didn't seem to notice you until you tried to touch him. Violently flinching away he snapped from the daze and looked at you... that look tore you apart. He was terrified of you, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks. His breath was quick and shallow. The way Scotch was shaking he should have been outside in a blizzard. "Scotch, love, what's wrong?" You asked in the most gentle voice you could manage. He opened his mouth then closed it. Choking back a sob Scotch tried to calm down enough to talk with no success. "Love, just come here and tell me what's wrong." Reaching out to him your hands were swatted away. Looking on with shock and hurt you didn't think possible he actually started to yell. "Don't call me that! All of the things you said and did were just lies! I trusted you and loved you and... and you don't even love me back. I tried to give you anything you wanted but that wasn't enough was it? I turned out to be too boring for you so you jump on the first opportunity to get someone more like you. I guess I'm just that worthless aren't I." What did he mean? Did you do something? "Scotch, I have never lied to you and I still love-" "Just, leave Anon." The finality in that statement cut deeper that any knife could. Whatever happened he was torn up about it. Turning around and walking out you heard him mutter under his breath. "I guess Elusive was right..." After making it outside you just walked with tears streaming down your face. Mulling over his words just made them hurt that much more. When the sobbing started it was to much of a chore to walk so you sat down and just cried. There would be no laughing this time. Other times the pain was trivial and laughing at it was easy. This was a completely different beast. This was sorrow like you've never experienced before. The one person who made this world so great, who made this a world worth living in... couldn't bear the sight of you. The more and more you thought the more a certain name came to mind. "Elusive." Sorrow was soon mixed with rage. He had something to do with this and you were going to find out what that was by any means necessary. Standing up with newfound purpose you made your way into town. If that smug waste of space was the driving force behind this he was going to PAY.

Growing Relationship

Won't let go

Red, it was the only thing you could see. When hearing of others experiencing this level of anger and saying 'all I could see was red' the meaning of that statement never clicked until now. It was almost as if your bodies only driving force was the rage inside of your soul. Not typically being a violent individual you managed to surprise yourself by pounding on Elusives door and grabbing him by the horn as soon as he opened it. Shutting the door and driving him deeper into the house was easy. Every time he tried to get free or protest a little bending pressure on his precious appendage was all it took to shut him up. Once in the kitchen he was against a wall and made to sit down. "Listen closely you fucking waste of functioning organs. You are going to tell me what happened with Scotch without excluding a single detail. Doing so would be hazardous for your health." He gluped and tried to nod, it turned into more of a head twitch given his current situation. "I saw that friend of his go into your store and got curious. I waited a bit and when the two of you emerged I decided to follow. I was close enough to hear your conversation and the two of you really seemed to hit it off, so I left to go tell Butterscotch the good news. I got to his cottage and after some small talk over tea I brought up what I had heard. He smiled and said he was glad you two were having a good time and that he was going to go to your store to pick you up.Before he could get up I informed him how I thought it would be a bad idea. Explaining further that how well you two connected seemed more similar to the way somepony would meet their soul mate. So we went back over what happened except I pointed out a few details to him. Then he-" A slight twist made him yelp, like a dog that got its tail stepped on. "Exactly what 'few details' did you point out?" "I was talking about soul mates and pointed out how similar the two of you were and saying how relaxed she seemed around you and please for the love of Celestia stop twisting my horn!" You stopped, the picture was becoming more clear now but there was still one detail missing. "He said that I lied and didn't love him back that doesn't sound like Scotch to me. Maybe at first but not anymore, what did you say to him?" "I... I told him that while talking to Treehugger you were asking for advice on how to let him down easy." He closed his eyes and left his fate up to you. On one hand what he did as one of the lowest things someone could do, on the other... Scotch is more important. You let go of Elusives horn and as you leave something stops you for a moment. Turning to see Elusive on the floor on the verge of tears made something click. "When or if Scotch comes by you will tell him the truth. I don't want to see you at or around the cottage, ever, and if you see me keep your distance. Being in your presence makes me physically ill." With your piece said it was time to try and cheer Scotch up. The night air was slightly chilly as you ran back home. Slowing down on the approach to the cottage it was exactly as you expected it to be. Still dark and dead, no animals no noise other than the wind. Walking up to the door your slightly surprised to find it unlocked. You were almost certain that he would have tried to lock you out. Then again this is Butterscotch, he doesn't have a cruel bone in his body. Slowly and quietly you make your way upstairs the door to the bedroom was still opened and Scotch was still there under the covers. Instead of being still this time he was tossing and turning fiercely, probably a nightmare. Sitting down on the edge of the bed you gently rub his back and hum a little lullaby. He always did like it when you did that, said it was really soothing. Soon enough he calmed down and you could hear sniffs coming from under the blankets so you stopped rubbing him and just waited until he was ready. A few minutes passed before he spoke in a muffled voice. "I told you to leave." You let out a long sigh. "I did and I talked to Elusive, if you go to him he'll tell the truth this time." That had gained enough of his attention to get him to come out a little bit. He poked his head out from the covers and gave a wide and red eyed stare. "What do you mean he'll tell the truth this time?" It was hard not to smile at that. "What I mean is Elusive lied about me asking for advise on how to let you down easy. He also just added in that soulmate BS to get you like this. He was looking to break us up since he doesn't like me." Thinking on that he probably hates your guts now. Good thing nobody gives a shit. Hope flashed across his features for a short moment before being replaced with skepticism. "How do I know that your not just lying to make Elusive look bad?" That question... is difficult to answer. "I guess you can't know for certain. But according to Elusive I wanted to break up right? Then why would I talk to Him? Why would I come back? The answer Scotch is that I love you with everything that I am and no being on this planet or any other could even dream of replacing you." In that moment you were suddenly tackled from behind by a bawling Scotch gripping you for all he was worth. "Oh Anon I'm so sorry I said all of those cruel things earlier! I shouldn't have trusted Elusive and I'm just so sorry!" He continued to cry as you patted his head and stroked his foreleg. "Shhh don't worry love, he was your friend. You're supposed to trust friends he just took advantage of that. I don't blame you, I never did." He really started to choke up then but managed to get a few words out. "I don't know what I did to deserve you." A small laugh left you at that remark. "Funny, I was just about to say the same." Sitting in silence for a few moments you turn to face the yellow pegasus. He tries to shy away but you put a hand on his cheek and slowly turn him back to face you. "I... I must look like a mess." He averted his eyes and looked pretty much anywhere but at you. It was reminiscent of how he acted when you first met. "I can't lie to you Scotch you do look like a mess." He looks a little hurt at that and looks like he's about to go back to crying any second. "But, no matter what happens you will always be beautiful to me love." In that moment you pulled him into a kiss. Making sure to be gentle yet firm, to let him know you weren't going anywhere. After breaking the kiss you got to see the smile you so desperately missed. "We should probably get some rest, how about it?" He puts on a serious look for a moment. It's not that big of a decision is it? Not like there's anything else to do right? "No." "No?" "No. I want to make this up to you Anon and I have an idea. If it's okay with you that is." "Uhm, sure I don't have any objections." Immediately after those words left your mouth Butterscotch was upon you. His mouth attached to yours except this was much more... aggressive than usual. His tongue begged for entrance into your mouth and you allowed it. You could taste Scotch for all that he was, it reminded you of morning dew. As he lay upon you he started to slowly kiss down your torso, inch by inch he got lower and lower until he reached the bulge. He kissed it after taking in the scent and it seemed to drive him deeper into his lust. Then he tried to unbutton your pants... it didn't work out well. You laid there with a slight awkwardness hanging in the air as he tried and failed to undo the button. This would usually be a mood killer but Scotch had the cutest pout in the world so you decided to end the poor stallions suffering and undo it yourself. Off came your pants, boxers, and shirt. This was actually the first time Scotch has seen you fully naked. From the semi luminescent glow coming from his face, he liked what he saw. He took in your shaft for another moment before settling his nerves and running his tongue up the length. This earned a hiss of pleasure from you and another blush from the shy pegasus. With bolstered confidence he took the head into his muzzle and started to bob. It didn't take long for him to work his way to the base. For what was presumably his first time Scotch was doing great. You were running fingers through his mane while panting like a dog. You had thought of this moment enough to know how you wanted it to go and it was time to return the favor. Pulling him off of your cock he looked confused for a moment before he was pulled into a sloppy lust filled kiss. He moaned into your mouth as you did into his. Rolling over and pinning the pegasus below you earned a squeak and what could only be described as a 'please for the love of all that is holy do not stop' look. Suffice it to say, you did not stop. Moving down his torso you gently stoked his splayed out wings. Each nerve bundle you found was pressed and turned Scotch into a moaning mess. When you finally reached his crotch a most pleasant sight greeted you. His modest cock was a dull yellow and absolutely covered in pre. Looking up to Scotch he had his hooves over his mouth, probably to stifle the moans. With a smile on your face you take the stallions cock into your mouth, Scotch gasped and started to moan louder and louder with each passing moment. The pre he was covered in tasted slightly earthy and more was coming out with each bob of your head. As it seemed like Scotch was reaching a plateau you tried to grope his balls, messaging the sack, trying to milk the stallion for all he was worth. As you did he moaned even louder and thrust his hips forward releasing all of his pent up seed into your mouth. Not wanting to waste a single drop you bottom out and continue to message him. When he finishes you are at the point of bursting. Coming up for air you spit some of his semen onto your hand and message it into your cock. After finishing you put the rest into your hand and move down to Scotch. "Anon what are you doing?" Leaning down you place a kiss on his muzzle and slowly move your lubed hand to his puckered entrance. He gasps in surprise as you slip a single finger inside, it takes a moment for him to catch his breath. "A-anon pp-please b-be gg-gentle." You smile and slip a second finger in getting a moan in return. Placing a kiss on his forehead as you continue to work the fingers in and out. "I will be love, if it hurts just tell me to stop." Through the haze of pleasure he nods his head and you slip a third finger inside he screams and slams his hoofs on the bed, your about to pull out before he looks you desperately in the eyes. "Don't stop Anon please don't stop. It just feels soo goood~" He seems to be telling the truth if the cum leaking from his cock is anything to go by. Pulling out earns a surprised 'Aah!' Before he could ask you to keep going you pushed his legs towards his head and slipped in. What came next caught you slightly off guard. He used his front hooves to pull you into a heated kiss wrapping his legs around your torso. As the kiss continued he kept grinding into your cock while letting out little whimpers. As he broke the kiss he pulled you close and said heavily into your ear. "Fuck me please, I can't fucking take it anymore. Plow me, rut me, I need your cock soo baad..." That was it, you wrapped an arm around his lower back and pulled him even closer. Using the other arm for support you started to vigorously thrust into Scotch. He kept his hooves around your neck as you hilted inside of him time and time again. He moaned and screamed as you kept up the pace. At this point his torso was covered in his own cum. Ever since you started going like this it has been pouring out showing no signs of stopping. You pulled out suddenly and before Scotch could protest he was flipped over and had his face mushed into the bed while you wrapped your other arm around his barrel. Looking down and taking in the sight for a moment his hind legs are splayed out with his cock and balls pointing rearwards. A spot has already started to from his cum and his supple ass is swaying ever so slightly waiting for the pounding. As you go back in his moans are muffled by the bed. With each thrust you bottom out and get a satisfying slapping noise. After a few minutes of this Butterscotch suddenly tightened around your cock, you let the back of his head go and sit up slightly. As Scotch turns his head to the side he speaks up. "Anon please, I want it so bad I can't take it anymore I want you to cum inside of me so much. Please fill me up." "Of course love." you plant a small kiss on his cheek and go back to thrusting. The difference this time is your spreading those luscious cheeks as you do so. Each thrust going as far as possible, soon the edge comes near. You lean down on top of Scotches back listening to his breathy moans. Soon you climax and bury yourself inside and release all of your pent up cum into the beautiful creature beneath you. He groans and pushes back into you until your climax is over. For a few moments you just lay there, panting along with Scotch. Then you roll over to your side while still inside of the pegasus. He didn't seem to mind, in fact he just snuggled closer. You can't help but giggle a little. Your partner turned slightly and gave you an inquisitive look. "Whats so funny Anon?" "That was the first time I ever heard you use a word worse than darn." His heartbeat suddenly picked up and he looked towards the wall. "I was... caught up in the moment. And... it felt really good. I'm sorry if I did something wrong." "No no, don't apologize it was just surprising is all. I actually found it very attractive." "Really?" "Really. I think with some time you could even be hell of a power bottom." Silence ruled the room for a moment. "What's a power bottom?" "You have much to learn young grasshopper but I am here to teach you." "Your really weird sometimes Anon." "You know you love it." "Hehe, yes, yes I do." Soon he drifted off to sleep leaving you with your thoughts. Placing a gentle kiss on the back of his head you start to drift off as well. Feeling Scotch in your arms you can't help but think what a lucky person you are to have him and after today you proved that you'll never let go.

A Nightmare Night in Canterlot

pre

"And if we don't manage to break out?" Dash pressed, holding out her own hooves as she posed the question. "Then it will be quite the dull night for the lot of you." The Changeling Queen replied with a shrug. Before anypony could respond to that, she gave a pointed glance towards Twilight "Don't worry. All you need to do to break out is solve a simple riddle...You see, Twilight? I can be considerate of others when I feel like it." "Wha- Coming up with a riddle for me to solve is your idea of being considerate?! After imprisoning me?...Again?!" Twilight blurted out, surprised that this was how she was brought back to the forefront of the conversation. "...Yes?" Chrysalis turned her gaze more fully at this exclamation, sending a questioning look towards the young princess, as if she was explaining something obvious "You like riddles." "I- Since when?" Twilight demanded forcefully this time, taken aback by this authoritative declaration of her own interests. Giving a shake of her head, Twilight trotted forward, before giving a wide gesture with her hoof "When I have ever given you the idea that I like riddles?" "Wait...Don't you like riddles though?" Rainbow Dash chimed up herself, giving a quizzical tilt of her head towards her brainy friend. "I-...well, I do. But not so much that I'm comfortable with being imprisoned in a dungeon, just for a chance to solve one." Twilight eventually clarified, recognizing that, yes, she actually did enjoy the odd brainteaser now and then. But, really, that was kind of beside the point by now. Shaking her head clear of those thoughts, the purple alicorn refocused back on the Changeling Queen in front of her "And if all you wanted was for us to solve a riddle, was all of this really necessary, Chrysalis?" "Yes." "And you needed to impersonate Princess Celestia, just to set us up?" "I was in costume." "And you just needed to scare the wits out of my friends?" "Alright, just a reminder...I wasn't that scared." Rainbow Dash interposed herself between the two royals, to remind them of that detail. Seeing the two of them staring back at her pointedly, after her little interruption, the pegasus held up her hooves "What? I really wasn't! At worst, I was...startled. And that was mostly just because everyone else was freaking out and-" "Moving along." Chrysalis said dismissively. "And there's another thing, Chrysalis...You couldn't just tell us beforehoof what was going on? So we could be prepared for it?" Twilight resumed. "I didn't want to place an undue burden on you or your little friends. Your reactions seemed much more genuine this way." "That's because they were genuine!" Applejack reminded from one side. "And everypony there was surely impressed by your very genuine performances. Bravo." Chrysalis countered in her condescending tone, as she briefly gave a flutter of her wings to give the farmpony a slow clap of her hooves. This naturally miffed the Earth pony even further, but she didn't get much of an opportunity to say as much, as Twilight herself wasn't finished. "Alright then...So all of this was necessary for this game you have in mind then?" "As I've said, yes." "...And Princess Celestia knew the entire time? You had her permission for all of this?" Chrysalis seemed to be briefly taken aback by the question, leaning back in apparent shock, as she raised a hoof to her chest "Why...Twilight, I'm not entirely sure I like what you're implying." "Chrysalis. That's not an answer." The purple princess pointedly replied, not letting herself fall for the deflection "Did you let Princess Celestia know that you were planning on tricking us?" "Honestly, Twilight...do you really think I could arrange all of this myself and not eventually have to let Celestia in on the little surprise?" The Changeling Queen paused, before giving a light chuckle at that. Waving her hoof to the side, she gave a nod to herself "I mean...if anyone could do it, it would definitely be me. I will grant you that I am rather impressive in that regard." Twilight gave a wry look at Chrysalis' attempts at self-aggrandizement "So...I'm just going to assume that you not answering the question means that-" "Please, Twilight...I thought you knew me better than this." Chrysalis said, before trotting forward and leaning down to eye level. Giving a smirk, the changeling loosed another chuckle "You should know by now, that if I was going to lie to you, I wouldn't bother evading your questions and dodging the truth. I would just lie to you." "That-" "What in tarnation kind of bass-ackwards nonsense is that?!" AJ loudly interjected with a stomp of her hoof. Seeming to struggle between mild outrage and frustration, the farmpony seemed to be struggling to find her words "Ah mean- How could ya- Who in their right mind even thinks like that?!" "Applejack..." Twilight said with just a hint of exasperation. The young princess could readily and easily grasp why anypony might be flabbergasted or taken aback by Chrysalis's words. But, at the same time...she was a bit annoyed how reasonable the argument the Changeling Queen was making actually sounded to her. If Twilight had learned one thing, it was that Chrysalis could talk circles around just about anypony, including herself. And being so dedicated to subterfuge and deception, and having been gifted with a prodigious lifespan, it wasn't too hard to recognize that Chrysalis just naturally plotted and schemed on a ridiculous number of levels. Twilight was only just recently getting used to successfully parsing out Chrysalis' true meanings on a regular basis. And that was something she could admit to taking a certain amount of pride in. So, the idea that Chrysalis might just be purposely being evasive and indirect in order to sow confusion and suspicion seemed perfectly consistent to her. Even if Chrysalis had let Celestia know ahead of time what she was planning, Twilight couldn't put it past her to act like she hadn't just to annoy and vex. Chrysalis just reflexively seemed to slip into that kind of thinking, without even trying, and Twilight knew it. Plus, Twilight was quite aware that changelings in general had different views about lying. And more specifically, she also knew that Chrysalis in particular was an excellent liar when she wanted to be. Indeed, even after having spent months trying to get to know the Changeling Queen better and come to understand her, it was a simple matter of fact for Twilight. Chrysalis herself had drilled it into her head on multiple occasions that she would have no problem lying directly to the young alicorn's face if it suited her goals. And if anything, it sometimes felt like Chrysalis was both trying to teach Twilight how to be better at spotting deceptions and subtlety encouraging Twilight to practice such skills herself. The mere fact that the purple princess was finding it easier and easier to think on these levels, suggested that Chrysalis was making some headway, if she was being honest with herself... Twilight let out a heavy sigh as she let these thoughts leave her. She could spend all night thinking this question over and get nowhere. That was another little lesson Chrysalis had tried to impart on her, or so Twilight suspected. That sometimes, there was no point in thinking a matter over any further. Sometimes one just needed to act. "Alright...Alright, Chrysalis. If you're saying that you really did let Princess Celestia know ahead of time...I believe you." Twilight finally conceded, finishing with a nod of affirmation towards the changeling. "Really now?" Chrysalis countered with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, really?" Rainbow Dash quickly parroted the sentiment, while sending a questioning look towards Twilight. "Really." The young princess repeated with another firm nod "If Chrysalis really wanted to lie to my face...she would probably just lie to my face." "Uh, what?" Dash reiterated her confusion. "What I mean is...if Chrysalis really was lying about telling Princess Celestia her plans for the evening, she probably wouldn't have bothered with trying to be evasive about the question. She'd just lie." Twilight tried to clarify for her friends. Though now that she thought it, it felt more like she was more just trying to translate for the Changeling Queen than anything else. Shaking that thought away, she gestured a hoof towards Chrysalis "So, that would mean that she's just trying to avoid the question to purposely make us suspicious...because she kind of enjoys messing with us." "Very well reasoned, Twilight." Chrysalis added, as she leaned back with a visibly pleased smile crossing her face at this. A moment later, she did take a moment to visibly give it some thought "Granted, I did basically spell it out for you." "Hold on. Hold on, hold on, hold on!" Applejack interjected again, waving her hoof at that, as she visibly tried to wrap her head around this argument "So, you're sayin' that the reason we can believe her, is because she's a liar?" "I think what Twilight is trying to say is that Chrysalis is a huge jerk." Rainbow Dash corrected. "That too." Twilight agreed without missing a beat. Perhaps surprisingly, this comment only seemed to elicit an amused bout of chuckling from the Changeling Queen. Giving a smirk and a tilt of her head towards the princess, Chrysalis continued "It feels like I'm finally starting to get through to you, Twilight Sparkle." Seeing this reaction coming from Chrysalis, Applejack found herself furrowing her brow and giving a bit of a huff at that; it certainly did seem like this was just the Changeling Queen's own infuriating sense of humor on display. Glancing to the side, AJ took a moment to raise a hoof to adjust her hat, only to be reminded that it was a sparkly little tiara sitting up there. Giving a sigh, the apple farmer sent a scrutinizing look towards Chrysalis "So...Ah'm guessin' you really did clear all of this with Princess Celestia after all?" "I'd say we had a more than fruitful conversation about the events planned for this evening." Chrysalis replied in a confident manner, brushing a hoof on her chest, before giving it more attention than she was giving Applejack. "And she definitely, absolutely said that she was alright with this cockamamie plan of yours?" AJ pressed, leaning her head back and pursing her lips, as she looked up to the large changeling. To which Chrysalis gazed back for a few moments... Several days ago... "Soooooo, how are preparations coming along?" "Here to micromanage, as per the norm?" "Not at all, Chrysalis. I was just-" "Need I remind you that, you're the one that asked me to do this, Celestia?" "Of course. I'm sure you have everything handled...I suppose I just have some thoughts on the start of the evening?" "I'm telling you, you do not need to do an 'Evil Laugh'. You will already be plenty scary." "It's not that...But, I do think I could- No, nevermind. I just wanted to make sure that Twilight and her friends know the plan." "What do you take me for?" "Chrsyalis...you do plan on letting them know ahead of time, don't you?" "Everything will be taken care of." "So...you'll be letting them know?" "Celestia...they will be more than prepared for this little party you insist on throwing. Of that, you can be sure." "...Alright then. I'm looking forward to it." Present... "...Well?" AJ eventually prompted again, shaking the Changeling Queen from her recollections. "I can honestly say, that Celestia believed that the lot of you would be more than prepared for this little party we're throwing. Of that, you can be sure." Chrysalis finished smoothly. AJ pursed her lips at this response, giving a tilt of her head as she openly scrutinized the changeling, clearly skeptical of this response. But in the end, her ability to parse apart whatever layers to this conversation that Twilight was referring to were beyond her. And it was starting to feel like it was nothing but an exercise in frustrating herself. "Fine, Ah guess. Ah suppose we'll all just have to take yer word for it then." Applejack eventually conceded, feeling herself deflate a bit at that admission. "See now, was that so-" "But we're still not done yet!" Applejack exclaimed before jabbing a hoof towards the changeling before she could finish, and eliciting an expectant look from Chrysalis. "Is that so? I suppose you would have more you wanted to say..." Chrysalis replied with a wave of her hoof and a roll of her eyes. "Yer darn right, Ah got more to say. Ah still haven't heard anything like an apology from ya." "Oh, so you think you deserve an apology then? And just what do you think I should be apologizing for?" Chrysalis leaned back, giving a tilt of her head. "Ahem!" Rarity sounded, before Applejack could, gesturing her hoof to the butter-colored pegasus still clinging to her side. This actually seemed to bring some momentary pause to take over the changeling, as she pursed her lips at this. And Twilight was reasonably sure as to why, as it was normally her fashion-focused friend that seemed to have the easiest time dealing with Chrysalis. Rarity's practiced eloquence and constant interactions with the haughtiest of the Canterlot and fashion world elite served her well, in her interactions with the Changeling Queen. So, the unabashed look of reproach coming from the unicorn carried a fair bit of weight it seemed. "Hey, yeah! Even I know better than to get Fluttershy wrapped up in some prank!" Rainbow Dash quickly seconded, crossing her hooves over her chest as she hovered in the air. "To think...the lot of you have so little respect for her." Chrysalis lamented, bringing a hoof to her chest, before dipping her head down. "Excuse me!" Applejack bit out. "No, no, there is no excuse for it." The Changeling Queen quickly replied, before lowering hoof and beginning to canter over. Side-stepping both AJ and Ranbow Dash, she circled around the still huddled form of Fluttershy at Rarity's side. "And here I thought you had more faith in your little friend here. I perhaps thought it best to simply treat her like the hero she is. But, I suppose you all would have had me singled her out and treated her like a helpless little filly." Chrysalis continued on, holding up a hoof, even as her comments managed to get Fluttershy to peek out from under her costume's hat for a moment. While Twilight knew well-enough by now when the Changeling Queen was making an obvious attempt at baiting somepony, she had to fight the desire to rub at her brow. She was very nearly tempted to not bothering to intervene, if Chrysalis continued to antagonize her friends. "Maybe, I should have just set up a fun little petting zoo for your friend here. Just filled to the brim with spooky little animals for her to cuddle and pet and fawn over." Chrysalis continued to pace around Fluttershy, before leaning her head back and gesturing widely with a hoof. "Alright, now. Nopony's sayin' that-" AJ began. "We could have cats and kittens, frogs and toads, rats and bats, owls and crows, snakes and big, fuzzy tarantulas, all of them dressed up in spooky costumes. It would be almost sickeningly adorable!" Chrysalis continued. "Chrysalis, if you have-" Twilight tried to interject. But the Changeling Queen, took to the air and started tilting her head from side-to-side as she continued "There could be snacks and treats to feed the animals. And handlers that could tell you all about the little critters, about what they like and how one should go about taking care of them." "This is getting kind of specific." Rainbow Dash noted, with a furrow of her brow. "And it would all be up in the castle gardens, with plenty of other guests and plenty of guardponies around to make sure everything was completely safe..." Chrysalis finished with a gesture of her hoof upwards, in the presumed direction of the castle gardens. "That...actually sounds kind of nice." Fluttershy eventually chirped, as she looked up from her spot at Rarity's side. "Excellent. Problem solved." "Uhhh...what?" AJ blurted out. "What part of what I just said do you need me to repeat for you?" Chrysalis asked of the farmpony, looming over her and adopting a saccharine tone. "Are we to understand that you...did all of that?" Rarity asked, giving a tilt of her head, as she put to words what everyone was wondering. "Is that so hard to believe?" The Changeling Queen countered, leaning back again and giving a tilt of her brow at that. "Yeah, definitely." Rainbow Dash interjected easily. "Oh...now that's just hurtful." Chrysalis replied, holding a hoof to her chest with a look of faux sadness. "It's just-..." Twilight began haltingly, holding up her own hoof to try to elaborate, before pausing. Opening and closing her mouth, the young alicorn visibly considered this before looking back towards the changeling. "So, you really did all of that just for Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, just a shade incredulous, as she continued in her efforts to piece together Chrysalis's motives. "Well...It isn't just for her." Chrysalis noted. "It does sound lovely though." Fluttershy added, looking just the tiniest bit enthusiastic for the first time in the evening. "It actually does sound lovely..." Twilight admitted, letting her eyebrow creep upward, as she looked over the changeling. Pursing her lips for a moment, the young princess held out a hoof towards Chrysalis "...Are you feeling well? Or, you know...lying?" "I am feeling perfectly fine. And you can trust me when I say, Twilight..." Chrysalis responded, before turning her attention back fully towards the young alicorn. Looming over Twilight, she soon brought her two forehooves together to rub them together "...You and your little friends are going to have an absolutely delightful evening. One way or another." "...Why ya gotta make that sound so menacing?" Rainbow Dash eventually blurted out. To which Chrysalis gave a light chuckle before tilting her head towards the hovering pegasus "Hmph...'Tis the season." "Well, that's all very nice and all-" AJ began. "Such a relief for me that you think so." Chrysalis chimed. "-but don't think yer gonna pull a fast one on me. Ya still owe Fluttershy a proper apology for all this nonsense." AJ pointed a hoof accusingly, even as she pursed her lips. "Silly me. You're right." The Changeling Queen easily agreed, which instantly rang as insincere to Twilight's ears. All the same, Chrysalis turned back towards Fluttershy, leading the anxious pegasus to lean back warily. "Oh, uhm- It's actually alright w-with me if you don't-" Fluttershy began to say, leaning back into the safety of her wide-brimmed witch hat. "No, no, no, Princess Applejack is right." That remark earned a scowl and pursed lips from the farmpony, before she glanced back down at her outfit in annoyance. "I- Well, maybe-..." The butter-coated pegasus continued to hedge, not entirely comfortable with the attention now. "I think that's enough, Chrysalis." Twilight soon asserted on behalf of her friend, seeing how uncomfortable the changeling was making Fluttershy. Chrysalis gave a little chuckle at that, before retreating from Fluttershy's personal space, to the pegasus' relief. Giving a tilt of her head towards Twilight, along with a rather sinister grin, Chrysalis turned back towards Fluttershy once more. Unsurprisingly, this earned a slightly worried squeak from the all-loving lover of animals. "Allow me just to say this then, to Fluttershy..." The Changeling Queen began, bringing a hoof to her chest as she started. Sparing only a glance for the suspicious group of friends, Chrysalis focused back on Fluttershy "...I apologize for carrying my little Nightmare Night prank too far and frightening you." "...Oh?" Fluttershy blinked. "Indeed." Chrysalis confirmed for her. "...Is she bein' sarcastic again, Twilight?" AJ asked as she leaned over to ask her alicorn friend. "I'm not sure..." Twilight admitted. "I'm being quite genuine. I was just so dedicated to making sure that this turned out to be the most enjoyable Nightmare Night possible. And along the way I forgot to consider that some, like yourself, might not enjoy being frightened." Chrysalis continued, tilting her head back a bit as she leaned in again to address Fluttershy. "I-...I mean, I didn't want to ruin anypony else's good time." Fluttershy admitted. "Of course not. And I merely wanted to make sure that everypony that was invited had a good time. But I really should have been more considerate of your feelings." Chrysalis continued on with a smirk, as she gestured idly with her hoof. Holding up that same hoof, before rubbing it against her chest "I really could have toned things down, to not be so scary for you. I'm sure everypony would have understood." "Oh, no. It's alright. I don't want to be a bother." Fluttershy quickly objected. "It wouldn't have been a bother..." Chrysalis held up a hoof again, before gesturing to the door to the cell "Once you and the rest of your friends escape, you can spend the rest of the evening playing with cute, costumed-critters and relaxing in the gardens." "That does sound nice..." "And I can even arrange an escort for you. To make sure you get there safe and sound." The Changeling Queen offered. "And th-there isn't anything else that's too...scary planned?" Fluttershy asked hopefully, ducking her head, even as she peeked out from under her hat. "You won't need to attend those, you have my word." Chrysalis finished with a nod. A few moments later, she turned back towards Applejack with a smirk "Was that a suitable apology, your Highness?" "...Ah'm not entirely sure, to be perfectly honest." AJ admitted after a moment, ignoring the dig about her costume. "Yeah, I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not." Rainbow Dash agreed right after that, her own eyebrow creeping upward. "I thought it was nice." Fluttershy chimed up, finally standing on her own four hooves once more. "And isn't that what's really important here? That Fluttershy thought it was a nice apology?" Chrysalis asked of the group, in a slightly dramatic fashion. "I suppose we couldn't possibly ask for anything more than that." Rarity conceded, making a few more adjustments to her elaborate costume, now that it seemed that Fluttershy had bounced back. "Well, you could...but I feel like I've exhausted my sense of generosity for the evening." The royal changeling noted with a shrug. Flipping her mane back, Chrysalis began an easy trot around Twilight and towards the door "Now, if any of you happen to have anymore questions-" "Yeah, where's Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash chimed, holding out her forehooves. "-they'll just have to wait. At least, until you manage to escape your cell." Chrysalis finished easily. This elicited a mild huff from Twilight and a roll of her eyes, before she turned back towards her friends "I imagine Pinkie's somewhere else in the dungeon." "You'll know soon enough, Twilight. Once you solve my little riddle, we'll have the perfect opportunity for all of your remaining questions to be answered." Chrysalis said, she turned her back to the door to address the group of ponies. "And is this just an opportunity to have our questions answered, or are ya actually gonna be answering any of our questions?" AJ demanded with a furrowed brow for the changeling. "Now you're learning." That and a chuckle was the only response Chrysalis gave, before her horn lit-up with green magic. A moment later, and she disappeared in a burst of emerald flames. "Well, that's unhelpful." The farmpony noted. "I still can't tell when she's actually being helpful or not." Twilight lamented, rubbing a hoof at the spot below her horn, before adjusting her hat again. "In any event, I can't imagine Pinkie Pie feeling too distressed. We are still attending a party after all." Rarity noted, before taking a few steps forward and leaning in more closely to examine the door to their cell "Now let's see what we can do about this little puzzle that has been laid out before us, hm?" "Seems to me like she ain't leavin' us much choice." AJ noted as she hitched up the hem of her dress, and cantered over to take a looksie. "It looks like she had the riddle engraved into the side of the door..." Twilight noted, before running a hoof along the combo lock situated on the wall beside the door "...I hope Chrysalis at least got permission first, before doing all of this." "What's it say, Twilight?" Fluttershy prompted from the side, rather eager to be getting out of the dungeon now. "Let me see here..." Twilight quietly said to herself, as she leaned in closer and had a small glow light-up the tip of her horn. "The path to your freedom lies beyond this door. Let nothing dissuade you from this core." "Six of you there may be this eve. But it may only prove one of you that helps you leave." "Before one of you, let the answer arrive. In the end, this will allow you to save the other five." "Near the end, of doubt there can none. Granted, at the end it need not be only one." "By this riddle, do not be misled. Much of it could have gone unread..." Twilight had to admit it was slightly eerie hearing her voice echo off the walls of their stone cell, as she read off the inscribed riddle to her friends. She was once more left wondering as to just how she could have gone so long living in the castle, without exploring more of the place. The young alicorn put those thoughts to the side for now as she turned back to her friends "Anyway, that's it. Any ideas, girls?" "...So, I heard a lot numbers in there. Those the clues, I'm guessing?" Rainbow Dash pointed out to the others. "Seems kind of obvious, Ah would say. How many digits we got on that fancy lock there?" AJ quickly agreed, before gesturing to the lock on the door. "It looks to have...six dials." Twilight confirmed for her friends, sparing a glance before gesturing with her hoof at the lock. "Alright, so we just gotta plug the six numbers out of that there riddle into the lock and we should be outta here then, right?" Applejack suggested. "That would seem the obvious course..." Rarity observed from the side, before pausing to adjust one of her many buckles. A moment later she brought a hoof to her chin before gesturing to the combo "...correct me if I'm wrong. But I only noted five numbers in the riddle." "None is zero. Easy." Rainbow Dash pointed out, giving a flap of her wings to get a bit closer.. "Perhaps..." Rarity hedged, bringing her hoof back to her chin as she visibly considered the rhyme. "Well, doesn't hurt us none to try, Ah'm figurin'. Go ahead and plug that in, Sugarcube." AJ said, gesturing towards Twilight. "Alright, we'll see..." Truth be told, Twilight rather agreed with Rarity's skepticism in this case. It seemed just a little bit too easy to be a riddle. But sometimes that was the trick behind such things, that you'd overlook the obvious answer for something more elaborate. And it certainly cost her nothing to spin the dials in place. "Nothing." And it was good that it cost her nothing, as it netted her nothing too. "Huh, maybe there's a trick to what order they gotta be put in..." AJ noted. "I put them in the order they appeared in the rhyme. Maybe there's more to it than that." Twilight offered. "Figures the Queen of Mean couldn't make it easy for us." Rainbow Dash complained, adjusting her plastic helmet, before crossing her hooves. "Wouldn't be much of a riddle, if we got it on the first try, Ah reckon." Applejack added, before rubbing at the back of her head with a hoof. This inadvertently reminded her of the delicate tiara sitting on her head, and earned a minor grumble. "Alright, so maybe the riddle has some clues about the proper order those numbers are supposed to go in?" AJ added, after settling her hoof back to the floor. "Wait a sec!" RD abruptly exclaimed, slapping her forehead with her hoof as something visibly occurred to her. Throwing her hooves upward, she then gestured to Twilight "We can just have Twilight teleport us out!" "Somehow, Ah don't think that's the answer to the riddle, Dash." AJ sardonically noted. "So? Chrysalis just said we had to escape. She didn't say we had to solve her riddle." The pegasus pointed out, crossing her hooves again as she hovered in place. "She didn't?" Rarity asked with an upturned eyebrow. "Eh, who remembers?" Rainbow Dash countered. Rolling her eyes at the others balking at this obvious solution "I mean, Chrysalis obviously planned a big night, right? I doubt she'd want us wasting the whole night away trying to solve some dumb riddle." "Sounds like the same kinda thinkin' that overgrown varmint prefers." AJ countered with a frown, not liking the idea of following the kind of example Chrysalis usually set. "Is that the worst thing in the world?" "Generally, yeah." AJ replied, giving a gesture of her hoof towards the hovering Rainbow Dash. "How about we just save using magic as a last resort?" Twilight offered as a compromise. In truth, the idea of going straight to cheating after only a couple of minutes did rankle her just a bit. "Sounds good to me." AJ agreed easily. "Fine..." Rainbow Dash said with a heavy sigh, as she let her hooves dangle down at this decision. Pursing her lips for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought for a moment, before she focused back on her friends "But I'm gonna see if we can get anymore hints." "Pray tell, how are you-" Rarity began, her eyebrow creeping upwards. But before she could finish, Rainbow Dash gave another swift beat of her wings, covering the distance between herself and the door. Nary a moment later, she was easily hovering beside the barred window of the cell. Tipping her helmet up again with a hoof, she visibly peeked through the bars. "Hah! Called it. There's a guardpony out there." RD crowed, pleased that her idea seemed to already be paying dividends. Twilight took in a breath at her friends antics, only speaking up after letting it out "I'm pretty sure we can figure this out on our own, Dash. We just need to-" "Hey! Hey! Yeah, you! Can you come over here?" The azure pegasus soon began calling out, even waving a hoof through the bars where she could. The Pony Princess let out another sigh at this, before giving a couple of flaps of her own wings, that she might peek through the window herself. And sure enough, what seemed to be one of Luna's batponies was easily trotting over to the cell door. "Yeah, what's up?" The batpony mare asked, with an easy smile, catching Twilight a bit off-guard with how casual her manner was. "Uhhhm..." Twilight hedged, bringing up a hoof, as she considered how to deal with this. "Yeah, we were wondering if you could give anymore hints with this riddle?" Rainbow Dash easily seized her opportunity. The batpony gave a chuckle at that, before giving a shake of her head "Nope. Sorry. I've got direct orders about that kind of thing." "Awwww, come on!" RD very persuasively argued her case. "Can't help ya with the riddle. Sorry." The batpony gave another laugh at that, looking not at all sorry about the situation. The batpony gave a shrug at the circumstances, before gesturing towards the two hovering ponies on the other side of the door "Is there anything else you guys might want though?" Rainbow Dash gave a defeated sigh at this, before rolling her eyes "I mean...can you at least bring us some snacks, while we try to figure this thing out?" "Ooooh, sorry. Not allowed to leave this post. Not until you guys get out." The Night Guard denied, again in a very chipper tone. "I told you, Dash. Chrysalis wouldn't make things that easy for us." Twilight told her friend, before glancing through the barred window at the waiting batpony "Thanks anyway." "Not a problem." The batpony gave an easy wave, before turning away from the cell door to apparently keep watch on the hallway. Before giving her wings a rest, she caught the sound of the Night Guard starting to hum a jaunty tune. Setting back down on the floor, she looked back to her friends with a reassuring smile "I'm sure we can figure this out without any hints or cheating, girls. We just gotta break this riddle down and do a little...outside-the-box thinking." "Twi is right. Ah'm sure if we put our heads together on this, we can figure this out. Fair-and-square." Applejack very pointedly directed that last part towards Rainbow Dash. "Yeah, yeah..." The hovering pegasus unabashedly brushed off the comment with a wave of her hoof. After only a few seconds, another thought occurred to her "But...are we sure that guardpony's just gonna let us go?" "Whatever do you mean?" Rarity chimed in, taking a moment from her own contemplation at that remark. "I mean, when we're escaping from the dungeon are we gonna have to, you know...subdue her?" Rainbow Dash asked. "We're not jumping a guardpony, Dash." Twilight quickly shutdown that line-of-thinking. "What was that?" The concerned voice of a certain batpony called out. Twilight's eyes went a little wide at that, as she realized she'd spoken a bit too loudly. A quick flap of her wings, brought her up to the bars again "Nothing, nothing! Don't pay any attention to that." "If you say so..." The batpony called back with a touch uncertainty. The alicorn princess had to resist the urge to cringe a little, at that faux pas as she settled back on the floor of their cell. Bringing a hoof to her forehead, she had to let out a quiet groan. "Perhaps we should just focus back on our immediate issue of getting out of this cell first." Rarity offered. "Right, right...alright. Does anyone have anymore thoughts on the riddle?" Twilight asked, deciding to try to take a smidge more control over the conversation. "I do have some thoughts...though they're still percolating." The fashionista at her side admitted, as she idly tapped at the side of her chin in consideration. "Alright...Fluttershy?" The purple princess asked, deciding to focus on the one pony that had kept quiet through most of the discussion. "Hmmm?" Fluttershy blinked as her attention was drawn away from her thoughts. "Did you have any thoughts on the riddle?" Twilight gently reminded. "Oh! Sorry, Twilight. I was just so caught up wondering about the animals in the garden, that I-" Fluttershy began to explain. "Oh, come on! We're not gonna get to checkout the party at all if we don't figure this riddle out, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash lamented, even as she flung her hooves up in the air. "Rainbow Dash!" AJ quickly admonished the frustrated RD for her tone. "I-I'm sorry, I just-" The bewitching yellow pegasus quickly began to stutter. "No, no...I'm sorry" Rainbow Dash quickly relented, waving off her fellow pegasus before she could apologize. The azure pegasus let out a long sigh "It's just...none of Pinkie's parties were ever this hard to get into." Fluttershy shifted her cloak around anxiously for a moment, before looking back to her friend "Oh...Well, maybe if we asked real nice-" "That's it!" "What? What's it?" "What you were just saying, Fluttershy. That's the answer." Rarity quickly clarified for her delicate friend. "It is?" Fluttershy blurted out in confusion. "It is?" AJ quickly echoed, before Twilight could do the same. "Indeed. I dare say, Fluttershy has hit the nail on the head." Rarity reaffirmed, even as she trotted over to the cell door. A moment later, she carefully reared back on her back hooves, ever careful of her dress. Soon bracing her forehooves against the door, Rarity took a moment to clear her throat before calling out "I say, are you still there, dear?" "Yeah?" Came the curious voice of the batpony. "Excellent. And would you happen to be carrying the key to this door?" Rarity continued with absolute confidence. And it was in that moment, that Twilight found herself leaning back as the pieces all came together for her. "That's right." The batpony called back. "Rarity, you're a genius!" Twilight happily exclaimed. "Thank you, dear." Rarity spared a moment, to reply to her friend. Clearing her throat once more, she focused back on the bars to the cell "Now, as I was saying...would you mind letting us out of this cell?" "...You guys aren't going to jump me, are you?" The Night Guard hesitantly called back. "What? Of course not!" Rarity quickly replied, her good mood slightly thrown-off by the batpony's question. "Oh, good...Then, yeah. One second..." The mare on the other side of the door called back, which was soon followed by the jangle of keys. "Wait, seriously?!" Rainbow Dash blurted out. "Exactly so." Rarity easily replied, her smile restored as she was proven right. "Hold up. Ah'm actually with Dash on this one. That's how we're supposed to escape?" AJ quickly followed up. "Indeed." "Wha- Well how'd ya figure out somethin' like that?" The farmpony demanded, being reminded now of how a certain Changeling Queen liked to avoid answering her questions. "It's all thanks to Fluttershy." The fashionista clarified, with a gesture towards the yellow pegasus. Pausing for a moment, Rarity brought a hoof to her chin, before gesturing again "Well...It's in part thanks to Fluttershy." "What did I do?" Fluttershy asked, quite entirely lost with the conversation. "When you suggested that we just needed to ask nicely? That was the key, Fluttershy!" Twilight quickly explained, easily catching up to where Rarity was now that she had a few moments to think it through. "It was?" The butter-coated pegasus blinked at that. "Indeed, it was...And my apologies for cutting you off like that before, dear." Rarity quickly spared a moment to apologize for interrupting her friend earlier. Seeing Fluttershy give a tilt of her head at that, she gestured back towards Twilight "Anyway, the answer to the riddle was right there in the first line." "Exactly, the path to our freedom lies beyond this door." Twilight reiterated for the rest of her friends excitedly. After a moment, she gestured towards the door again "And what was lying on the otherside of the door?" "...The path to our freedom?" Rainbow Dash offered with a shrug. "The guardpony, Dash." AJ clarified for her friend. Though, after a moment the farmpony's face also twisted in thought, before she gestured towards the door "But what was the rest of the riddle goin' on about?" "It was just meant to distract us from the real answer." Twilight elaborated. Taking a step closer to the door, she gestured towards the combo lock again "And I'd wager this lock doesn't even have a combination that would unlock it. It's probably just for show." "The last line of the rhyme even hinted at this. Much of it could have gone unread?" Rarity reminded the group "It was telling us right there to ignore most of the riddle." "Huh...Okay then. Ah think Ah'm followin' now." AJ nodded along at that. "And there we go!" The batpony again called out, as she pulled open the cell's door. Settling her hooves back on the floor "Sorry that took me a second. They gave me way more keys than I really needed." "So...that's it? That's how we're supposed to escape?" Rainbow Dash blurted out again, gesturing both her hooves towards the now open door and waiting batpony. "Yep! You guys managed to figure it out all on your own!" The Night Guard replied with an oblivious grin. "Oh, don't be too modest now. You did give us that itty-bitty hint there at the end." Rarity lightly teased. "...I did?" The Night Guard blurted out. "I-I mean, yes. The part about not being able to leave until we got out?" The over-dressed unicorn reminded. Seeing the uncomprehending look on the batpony's face, she waved her hoof towards the door "Because you would need to be here in order to let us out...?" "Oh, darn...I did say that, didn't I?" "That wasn't intentional on your part then?" Twilight asked the batpony with a furrowed brow. "Uhhhhhh..." The Night Guard hedged for a few seconds, avoiding eye contact with the rest of the occupants of the room. "So, that wasn't you giving us a hint?" Rarity eventually pressed, holding out a hoof towards the batpony. "...Okay, so let's not tell anypony about that. Or changeling for that matter..." The batpony offered with an awkward smile. After a few moments, the smile dropped a bit, as she held out a hoof "Seriously. She's kinda scary." "..." "...Great! Let me show you guys to the party!"

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

pre

Before Rito could attack, there was a bright light that lingered around for a moment. When it vanished, a human stood in its place and faced Rito. "Rito Revolto, you're coming with me," he said. "Oh no, not you again. I'm out of here," Rito said, teleporting away. The man turned to face the rangers and the mane six. "Who are you?" asked Casey. "I'm Tommy...Tommy Oliver," he responded. At the mention of Tommy Oliver's name, Twilight fainted.

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

Thunderstruck (part 2)

"Wait, you're...Tommy Oliver? As in the greatest Power Ranger of all time?" Theo asked. "That's me. You must be the Jungle Rangers. It's nice to meet you," Tommy responded. "It's an honor. But why are you here?" Casey said. "I'm here to stop Rito Revolto. I tracked him here. He's scouting this land for his sister to see if she could take it over. Luckily, you guys managed to keep him here long enough for me to catch him," said Tommy. "Thanks, another second and we would've been done for," said Rainbow. Tommy had not yet noticed that this land was full of ponies. He was shocked to see that came from a pegasus. "Umm, no problem. Wow, I probably should've checked where I was going," Tommy said. "It's fine, you get used to it after a while. We should get back to Ponyville and prepare for Rito's return," said Casey. "Good idea," said Tommy. "I'll let you guys explain when we get there." Meanwhile "You ran away?!" said Carnisoar. "Hey, you don't know what that guy's capable of. That's Tommy Oliver. I wouldn't have stood a chance fighting him," Rito defended. "So, that was the so-called 'greatest Power Ranger of all time'? He didn't look that strong to me," said Jellica. "Well, you haven't seen him in battle," said Rito. "Why don't we make a deal? We'll both go after 'Tommy' while you finish what you started with the Jungle Rangers," said Jellica. "Hey, that's good idea. You fight Tommy, I fight everyone else. I have a good feeling about this," Rito said, jumping around. "As good a fighter this guy is, he's an even bigger idiot," Carnisoar said to Jellica. "Yes, but maybe he'll be the one to finally destroy the rangers," replied Jellica. Meanwhile "So let me get this straight," said Tommy. "I'm in another dimension called Equestria, and we're the only humans present in this dimension?" "Yeah, pretty much," said Casey with a nod. Twilight was finally coming to. The last thing she remembered was fighting a skeleton and then another human showed up. "What happened?" she asked. "Oh hey, Twilight. This is Tommy Oliver, the greatest Power Ranger of all time!" said Theo with enthusiasm. "Wait, that wasn't a dream!? Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh, I have sooooooo many questions to ask you," said Twilight. Tommy's morpher started to buzz. "Maybe later, I gotta go deal with Rito," said Tommy. "Let's go," said Casey. "Hold on, you guys stay here. Rito's too strong for you guys. I'm gonna deal with him myself," Tommy replied. "What? What do you mean he's too strong? We can deal with him," said Lily. "Well, according to what I saw earlier, no you can't. No offense, but Rito's My personal responsibility," said Tommy. "But we can help. We've dealt with powerful beings before. Why is Rito any different?" Casey asked. "I'm gonna deal with. End of discussion," Tommy concluded. With that, Tommy exited the room to go fight Rito, leaving the others to discuss what had just happened. "This guy's not very humble is he?" Starlight said. "Well, he is kind of the best," Twilight said. "So what? That doesn't mean he can do everything on his own," said Rainbow. "Rainbow and Starlight are right. His arrogance is gonna get himself killed," said Applejack. "I don't know. I mean, you saw what Rito could do. We might just end up getting in the way," Rarity said. "Guys, let's just let him figure that out for himself," Casey said. "What are you saying?" asked Theo. "I'm saying, let's let him try to fight Rito. If he beats him, that's great; but if he doesn't, maybe then he'll realize that he needs us to help him," Casey said. "I guess it's worth a shot," Lily shrugged. "Alright, if you guys say so. But I gotta ask; why did you faint when Tommy arrived, Twilight?" Starlight said. "Oh, that's easy. HE'S THE GREATEST POWER RANGER OF ALL TIME. I mean, sure he started out evil, but how many other rangers can claim that they've been FOUR DIFFERENT COLORS. He's been green, white, red twice, and black," Twilight said, jumping around. "Wait, he was a black ranger? As in...the black Dino Ranger?" said Rainbow with a grin spreading across her face. "Yep, he was the only Dino Ranger not to be sucked into Equestria when Zeltrax attacked," Twilight said. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT?! I'm gonna go watch him fight," Rainbow said, zooming out the door. "I guess we should go too," Casey said. Meanwhile Tommy got to the town center to face Rito. "There's no escaping for you this time, Rito," he said. "We'll just see about that, but first the fight," said Rito. "Bring it on," said Tommy. "Oh, you're not fighting me. Today, you're gonna be fighting these two," Rito said. At that, Carnisoar and Jellica stepped up to the battlefield. "Who are you?" Tommy asked. "I am Carnisoar, Overlord of the sky," said Carnisoar. "I am Jellica, Overlord of the sea," said Jellica. "You may as well surrender now. You don't stand a chance against both of us," said Carnisoar. "It doesn't matter how many of you there are, I'll beat all three of you," Tommy said. Rainbow and the others all got to the scene as Tommy pulled out a black key. He activated his morpher on his wrist. "Dino Thunder! Power Up!" Tommy said as he put the key into the morpher. There was another deal of roars and bright lights. In Tommy's place stood a Power Ranger with a black suit. It had golden triangle patters instead of white.l Tommy was now in his black ranger mode. Rainbow couldn't help but squee at the sight. Tommy drew his bracheostaff and charged at Carnisoar and Jellica. Carnisoar reacted first. The two of them met and they fought. They both attacked as fast as they could. Tommy dodged everything Carinisoar threw at him, but he wasn't able to land any solid shot himself. Tommy used his Dino Power to turn invisible. He was able to get the jump on Carnisoar and land a good hit. He then turned his staff upside down and fired a deal of lasers at Carnisoar. The laser all bounced off of Carnisoar's wing. The returned with a huge gust of wind that sent Tommy into the sky. Carnisoar followed him and struck him down to ground. Carnisoar stepped back and Jellica a chance to fight. She used her spear to jab at Tommy, but he was able to avoid the attacks. Tommy tried to strike back, but simply used that as an opportunity to attack. She hit Tommy square in the chest and he went flying back. Tommy spun a disk on his staff, and unleashed a lightning bolt upon Jellica. She erupted into a fit of smoke as sparks from the resulting blast. Tommy turned invisible again and attacked Jellica. But when he tried to hit her, his staff just went through her body. Jellica sent a big wave at Tommy, sending him back. "These two are strong, but they haven't seen anything yet," Tommy said to himself. "Super Dino Mode!" Tommy's suit glowed as the triangle patterns on his suit became blades. He jumped back into the fight. This time, both Carnisoar and Jellica attacked. Tommy tried to spin and use his blades to strike them. They both took a couple shots before catching Tommy and using their combined powers to blast him. The resulting shot caused him to demorph by force. "You were unwise to fight us alone, weakling," said Carnisoar. "And to think that this mortal is the best Power Ranger of all time. If that's true, Earth is doomed," said Jellica. Casey and the others were still watching in the distance. They saw everything that had happened. "We have to help him," said Casey. "Right," agreed Theo. "Let's go," said Lily. "Be careful," said Twilight. Casey, Theo, and Lily came out to face Carnisoar and Jellica. "Leave him alone," shouted Lily. "Or what? You think you can beat us?" taunted Carnisoar. "Here we go," said Casey. "Jungle beast! Spirit unleashed!" The three jungle rangers morphed into their respective suits. "With the strength of a tiger! Jungle Fury, Red Ranger!" shouted Casey. "With the stealth of a jaguar! Jungle Fury, Blue Ranger!" shouted Theo. "With the speed of a cheetah! Jungle Fury, Yellow Ranger!" shouted Lily. Tommy, barely conscious, saw the Jungle Rangers trying to protect him. "You're going down," said Casey. "Let's see about that,' Carnisoar. "Let's just use our animal spirits so we can regroup," Theo suggested. "Good idea. You guys ready?" Casey asked. "Ready," said Theo. "Ready," said Lily. "Call to the beast inside! Free the tiger!" "Call to the beast inside! Release the jaguar!" "Call to the beast inside! Bring out the cheetah!" The rangers' animal spirits all made contact with the two Overlords. The resulting blast sent the Overlords flying away. "Hey, you guys beat my backup. Guess I'll have to deal with myself," said Rito. He went to attack when he saw the rangers recharging their animal spirits. "On second thought, I think I'll join them." The mane six went to tend to Tommy. "Let's get him back to the castle ," said Starlight. Later Back at the castle, the rangers were waiting for Tommy to wake up. "Carnisoar and Jellica are gonna be hard enough to beat. We have to be ready for when they return," Casey said. "Yeah. I'm just glad Grizzaka hasn't shown his face, yet," said Theo. "Either way, how are we supposed to beat Rito? He mopped the floor with us before," Lily reminded them. "That doesn't matter. What does is that we do what we can to beat him. Maybe Tommy can help, you, when he wakes up," said Casey. The door opened. The rangers turned to see Twilight and Starlight. Twilight's words from before began to ring in Casey's mind: 'kind of like you and Starlight' 'kind of like you and Starlight' 'kind of like you and Starlight' Casey shook his head and got those words out of his mind. "How's he doing?" asked Twilight. "Good. His pulse is getting stronger. He should be awake in a few minutes," said Theo. "I can't believe Carnisoar and Jellica could do so much damage," said Starlight. "Yeah, we beat them, but we still had a really hard time," said Lily. "If only RJ or Dominic were here," said Casey. "Maybe they will be. They just haven't been summoned yet," Starlight said. Just then, Tommy started to wake up. He looked around and saw the Jungle Rangers, along with Twilight and Starlight. He was instantly filled with a sense of regret and embarrassment. "Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling?" asked Casey. "Fine. I'm sorry guys. I should've learned this lesson a long time ago," said Tommy. "Hey, don't beat yourself up. I had the same problem with Casey when I we first became rangers," said Theo. "Yeah. Although it's honestly a little ironic," said Casey. Tommy shot him a confused look. "I was teaching my students about humility right before I came here." "Yeah. But what are we gonna do about Rito?" Tommy asked. "The Elements of Harmony may not have defeated him, but they did hurt him. Combine that with your powers, and I think that should be more than enough," said Twilight. "Sounds good. Either way, we should get prepared. I'm gonna go on a quick jog. You guys can join me if you want," said Casey. "I-I'll go with you, if you don't mind," said Starlight, sheepishly. Twilight raised an eyebrow and shot her a smirk. "You two go on ahead. I have a few questions to ask Tommy," she said. Casey rolled his eyes. "Alright, we should get going," said Casey. "See you guys later," said Starlight as she and Casey exited the castle. "We should go too, just in case Rito comes back," said Theo. "Right, bye," said Lily. They both exited the castle and left Twilight and Tommy alone. "Alright, what did you want to ask me," Tommy said. "First, how did you know that Rito was here in Equestria?" Twilight asked. "When you've been a ranger as long as I have, you get large connections, even to places you've never been to," Tommy replied. "You said that Rito was here to scout. What did you mean by that?" "Rito is the brother of Rita Repulsa. She's one of the most powerful beings in the universe. She sent Rito to seek a land that she could take over without much trouble." "I assume your Dino Power is invisibility. When did they return?" "What do you mean?" "Your Dino Power. The other Dino Rangers said that their Dino Powers returned just before they were brought here." "My former students were here? How many of them?" Twilight was a little shocked to learn that Tommy didn't know his fellow Dino Rangers came to Equestria. "Oh, all of them: Connor, Ethan, Kira, and Trent." "Why? What would they need to do here?" "Zeltrax came here and tried to open a black hole." "Oh. I thought Zeltrax was destroyed. What happened? Was Mesagog here too?" "He wasn't at first, but Zeltrax did summon him. Anyhow, the rangers tried to fight Mesagog when Zeltrax managed to open the black hole. Luckily, it opened point blank on Mesagog and sucked him in. But when the black hole opened, a force field formed around Zeltrax, and we couldn't get to him. But the rangers...they took their Dino Gems and threw them at Zeltrax. They broke through the force field and hit Zeltrax. They went flying into the black hole, and Equestria was saved." Tommy was aghast. He had no idea Zeltrax was capable of such a catastrophic action. Zeltrax has done crazy things before, but nothing this bad. "Wow, they really gave up their powers?" "Yeah. We were all extremely grateful. We wanted to repay them, but they wouldn't accept it. I just feel so bad that there was nothing more we could've done to help." "It's fine. Sometimes rangers have to make sacrifices. Were they okay when they left?" "Yeah they-" Twilight was cut off by Tommy's morpher going off. "Rito's back," Tommy said. "Let's go get him," said Twilight.

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

Thunderstruck (part 3)

Rito Revolto stood, waiting for the rangers to show up. According to Jellica, he was the bait...again. He was starting to get tired of being the bait. Then again, as long as the Overlords kept Tommy Oliver busy, he didn't care what he was. The rangers had been taking forever. How hard was it to find a skeleton in a land full of ponies. He was just outside the town, in plain sight. Carnisoar flew up next to him. "You haven't done anything to attract the rangers' attention." "Oh right. I knew I forgot something," Rito said. He then struck the ground with a lighting bolt from his blade. Carnisoar facepalmed. "Attack one of them!" "Okay, okay. You're worse than Edd. I still can't believe my sister married that guy." Rito walked into town and used his sword to attack and scare the ponies. They all ran in terror of what stood in front of them. "Now this ought to get the rangers' attention," he said. Carnisoar rolled his eyes and got back into position. Sure enough, the rangers all came running up to Rito. "Took you guys long enough. I've been here for hours," said Rito. "if you've been here that long and we've only been called here now, you must suck at your job," said Theo. "Ugh, that's it. You guys are so going down," said Rito. ""Keep an eye out. Carnisoar and Jellica could be anywhere," said Casey. "Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!" "Dino Thunder! Power Up!" The four rangers all morphed and charged into battle. Rito tried to fight, but he was overwhelmed. Casey used his nunchucks to knock Rito off balance as Theo and Lily sent an electrical charge at Rito. Tommy used his staff to fire lasers at Rito and they hit hard. Rito fired a laser back at Tommy, but it was blocked by Theo an Lily. "Looks like this is our queue," said Jellica. She and Carnisoar jumped into battle. Jellica started by going after Tommy. She used a wave to attack him, but he used his staff to counter with another wave. Casey caught Jellica off guard and struck her with his nunchucks. She tried to turn and attack him, but Tommy attacked her before she could reach Casey. Carnisoar went after Theo and Lily. He tried using wind to get them on the air, but they kept their composure and struck back. They used their weapons to attack him, and Carnisoar dropped his blade. Rito tried to get back into the fight, but the mane six stood in his way. He fired a thunder bolt at them, but Twilight blocked it with a shield. When she put down the shield, Starlight instantly teleported behind him and blasted him. Rito went flying toward Applejack, who buck him as hard as she could. Rito went flying up into the air. Rainbow used a tornado to cause him to go out of control. Rito tried firing a laser, but he couldn't get a clear shot. Rainbow began to slow down in hopes Rito would hit the ground, but Rito activated a Jetpack and remained in the air. He fired another laser at Rainbow, and she wasn't fast enough to dodge. "One down...a couple more to go," Rito said to himself. Rainbow was saved by Twilight's magic. She lowered Rainbow onto the ground slowly as she readied a spell to attack. Rito tried to get a little closer to hit them. He got too close and was hit by a stray laser from Tommy. This sent his jetpack out of control. As a result of all the chaos, Rito dropped his blade. It landed on Casey. Casey tried to shake it off, but Jellica wrapped a tentacle around him. Tommy tried to cut him loose, but his staff went right through the tentacle. Jellica took the opportunity to attack Tommy. She struck him hard with her spear. It took all of Tommy's strength to stay morphed. Carnisoar threw another gust at the rangers, and they dodged it again. At this point, he was just waiting for them to get close. He moved toward Jellica. Theo and Lily followed. Theo tried attacking Carnisoar with his tonfas, but Carnisoar dodged and grabbed hold of Theo. Lily attached, but Carnisoar held Theo in front of him like a shield. Rito obtained a flamethrower or his hand. He took aim at the mane six and fired. They all managed to avoid the blast, but a few of the houses caught fire. Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy rushed toward the town to help the locals escape the flames. Twilight tried to blast the flamethrower off of Rito, but he used his other hand to dispatch the spell she used. Starlight tried teleportation again, but Rito saw it coming and blasted her. "We've gotta get that thing away from him," said Applejack to Rainbow. "I have an idea," Rainbow said. She flew in the air, trying to distract Rito. Applejack snuck toward Rito. Rito fired at Rainbow, but she managed to avoid it. Applejack lunged at Rito. The two of them rolled a distance. Applejack eventually got the flamethrower away from Rito. Tommy was having a hard time. He just couldn't land a solid shot on Jellica. He tried laser, thunder, fire, water, and even an earthquake. She just took it all. Casey was still in her grip, trying to escape. Tommy saw an opening and ran toward Casey. Jellica fired at Tommy, but he ducked out of the way. Casey took as much cover as he could, and the blast him Jellica's own tentacle. Casey was now free. "I'm done playing around," said Casey. "Jungle Sabers!" Casey pulled out a pair of swords. He went after Jellica again, and avoided or blocked her attacks. He swiftly, repeatedly struck her. She tried to counter, but he was too fast. Casey then put his swords together and waved it around. He struck Jellica with one tough final attack. "You got lucky. I'll be back to finish you off," she said before leaving. Theo tried to get out of Carnisoar's grip, but he was too strong. Lily couldn't find a way to attack Carnisoar without hitting Theo. "Just hit him with a charge," Theo told her. "No way. I'll hit you," she responded. "I'll be fine, just trust me," Theo pleaded. "Alright, if you say so." Lily charged electricity through her staff and fired at Carnisoar and Theo. Theo drew his tonfas and caught the charge. He added a bit to it and redirected it at Carnisoar. Carnisoar let go of Theo. Theo and Lily regrouped. "Jungle Mace!" "Jungle Fans!" They drew their new weapons and went back after Carnisoar. Lily swung her mace around and hit Carnisoar hard. Carnisoar tried to blast the mace, but he couldn't find anything strong enough to counter. Theo swooped in with his fans and slashed at Carnisoar. Every attack sliced a feather off of Carnisoar until he finally backed off. "I'm done here. You will regret resisting," Carnisoar said, flying away. That just left Rito. He saw he was all alone. He tried to run, but Tommy got in front of him and blocked his path. "I don't need them. Let's see you beat this one," said Rito. He pulled out a device and activated a switch on it. He then threw it on the ground causing a huge explosion. Out of the smoke, Rito grew huge. "I don't need fear to grow." "This one's for you," Tommy told the rangers. "Jungle zords!" The tiger zord, jaguar zord, and cheetah zord combined like they did before. Lily summoned the elephant zord, and it combined with the Megazord. Rito attacked the Megazord with his sword, but was hit with the wrecking ball. The rangers swung the wrecking ball around again, and sent Rito's sword away. Rito activated his jetpack and flew above the rangers. He blasted them from above. "We're gonna need a little more help. Bat zord!" Theo said. He then summoned a giant bat. The elephant detached from the Megazord as the bat detached its wings and head. The wings combined with the Megazord. They rangers flew up to meet Rito in the sky. They attained using the bat's sharp wings. Rito couldn't do anything to counter, since he didn't have his sword. Instead, he got out his flamethrower from before and blasted the rangers point blank. The Megazord hit the ground hard. "Isn't there anything you can do to help them?" Twilight asked Tommy. "I think there is, but it doesn't involve a zord," he said. He lifted his staff and started to build energy in it. "Can you give me a boost?" Tommy asked. "Sure. Let's go, Rainbow," Twilight said. "Right," Rainbow replied. Twilight and Rainbow lifted Tommy into the air. They got higher and higher as the Megazord kept taking hits. Once they got close, Twilight and Rainbow launched Tommy into the air. Tommy prepared to unleash the energy building on his staff. "Black Power Orb!" he shouted as he unleashed it. The orb flew toward Rito's flamethrower, and it broke apart. "Guys, his flamethrower's down. We can get in close," Casey said. The Megazord got back up. The rangers struck again with the wings, and Rito had no way to counter. The Megazord started to spin faster and faster. The wings were getting sharper and sharper. The Megazord flew right threw Rito, severing a bunch of bones. "You may have won this fight, but my sister's gonna have at you," Rito said. With that, he finally fell down and exploded once and for all. The Jungle Rangers got back onto the ground and cheered with the others. Later "Are you sure you don't want to stay? We could really use your help fighting Carnisoar and Jellica," Lily pleaded. "Are you kidding? The way you guys fought out there today, you can take them no problem. Besides, I gotta go have a little chat with my former students," Tommy said. "Go easy on them," Twilight said. "Don't worry I will. It was really great meeting all of you. I wish you good luck in fighting the Overlords," Tommy said. "It was an honor to fight with you," said Casey. "Yeah, we'll never forget it," said Theo. "No problem," said Tommy. "One more thing. Can you tell Connor that Rainbow Dash said hi?" Rainbow asked. "Sure," Tommy said. With that, Tommy activated his morpher and teleported back to Earth. Starlight hung her head a little bit and went outside. Casey saw this and followed her. He found her on the balcony and took a seat next to her. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked her. "Nothing, I'm fine," she responded. "I remember saying the same exact thing to you before." Starlight chuckled a little a that comment. "Yeah, but really I'm okay." "If that's what you say so. By the way, did Twilight talk to you about our little conversation the other night?" "Yeah. She asked what was wrong, and I told her about the nightmare. I also told her the advice you gave me, and she facehooved hard because she didn't think of it." Casey chuckled a little too. "Yeah, I remember giving the same advice to Jared." Starlight took a deep breath. "I lied. There is something wrong." "It's okay, you can tell me." "Really? It's kind of embarrassing." "Then it shouldn't be a huge deal." "Alright. It's just That...Tommy leaving got me thinking. I remember after Connor left, Rainbow was a mess. I started thinking about how close we've grown, and then I realized that you're gonna have to leave too." Casey dipped his. He was not prepared for this. Twilight's words started ringing in his head again: 'kind of like you and Starlight' 'kind of like you and Starlight' 'kind of like you and Starlight' "Starlight, no matter what happens, I will never forget you. I really never thought of leaving either. But remember how I said you shouldn't let your past bother you? The same applies to the future. Right now, we should just focus on the present. If you ask me, that's the best way to live." "Wow, no wonder you're a teacher back on Earth," Starlight said, nudging Casey. "Yeah. But I'll tell you, I have been thinking of how close we've gotten." Starlight blushed and tried to think of something to say. "Yeah, it was the same deal with the Dino Rang-" Starlight was cut off by Casey. "I was talking about you and me. And I know that's what you meant before, too." Starlight's face went completely red. She couldn't think of anything else to say. "It's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been thinking about it either. I have been thinking about how close I've grown with the others though." Starlight nearly passed out from how much she exhaled. "Really? And what did you come up with?" "Well, Twilight's like a really smart aunt. Rainbow's like a cool cousin. Fluttershy's like a little sister. Rarity's like a fashion-crazed cousin. Pinkie's like a crazy twin sister. Applejack's like a caring mother. I guess I haven't really thought of you as a part of the family..." Starlight nearly cried at the lat part. Her heart was instantly broken. She closed her eyes and started to get up to leave. "...because that would make this next part pretty weird." Casey turned to face Starlight. He leaned as she turned her head t face him. With that, Casey took Starlight in a deep kiss. Starlight nearly fainted. She could feel her face burning a bright shade of red. Luckily, she saw that despite the show he was putting on, so was Casey. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the passionate kiss. Casey heard a noise back toward the castle. He opened his eye to see what it was. He saw a lavender blur scurry out of view. He broke the kiss and walked over to the noise. He found a beet red Twilight trying to leave the room. "Hehe, ta-da," she said sheepishly. "Just go," Casey deadpanned. "Will do."

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

Compassion of the jaguar

The adrenaline of the day before was still getting to Theo. He couldn't believe that he got the chance to fight alongside TOMMY OLIVER, let alone meet him. He didn't let this get to him, though. He knew that overconfidence would lead to his downfall. He decided to burn some of his energy and go for a run. Theo was starting to get used to this new world, crazy as it was. He found himself thinking about his old life back on Earth. He remembered when he attended the Pai Zhua Academy, meeting Lily, becoming a ranger, and defeating evil spirits. Sure, he and Casey had a few bumps here and there, but the two had really become close friends. In fact, he couldn't seem to remember a time before the Pai Zhua Academy. After all, he was a ranger through and through. Theo woke up from his day dream when he tripped over Fluttershy. The butterscotch pegasus started to gather her stuff from the ground and back away. "Hey, I'm really sorry. I really should have been looking where I was going," Theo said. "Oh no, it's alright. It's my fault for interrupting your run. Oh I hope you can forgive me," Fluttershy responded. Theo was shocked. He knew Fluttershy was really nice, but this was insane. "Forgive you? You should be the one forgiving me. I ran into you," Theo responded. "Oh no, I could never make you take the blame for something like this. After all, you've only been here a week. I don't want you to feel unwelcome," Fluttershy responded. Theo was unsure what to do. He wasn't about to make this nice little girl apologize for something like that, but he couldn't find a way to convince her that it was his fault. "T-That's okay. I forgive you...I-I guess?" Theo said. Theo walked away, still shocked about what just happened. He made a note to himself to talk to Fluttershy about that. Before he could think about the topic any further, he was instantly surrounded by Rinshi. He looked back at Fluttershy and saw she was under attack as well. He pulled out his sunglasses and hit the button. "Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!" Theo jumped into action and defended Fluttershy as best he could. It was a lot easier to just fight the Rinshi, but protecting someone in the process was another story. He could easily make quick work of these guys, but protecting the innocent always comes first. He swept a Rinshi off the ground and took a few more down. He had to get out of the middle, so he could gain a higher advantage. Fluttershy was completely helpless. She could be assertive when she needed to be, but she had no fighting experience at all. All she could do was fly, but these Rinshi could really jump. Every time she tried to escape, they just pulled her back down. Theo was being overwhelmed by the Rinshi. He just couldn't hold them down long enough to help Fluttershy. Eventually, he just pulled out his jungle fans and attacked with those. He had to be careful not to hit Fluttershy. He managed to get to her and finished taking all of the Rinshi down. "T-Thank you. I don't know what would've happened if you weren't here," said Fluttershy.. "There's no need to thank me. It's what I do," Theo responded. "Especially because you won't e defeating me," said a lead Rinshi. Theo took a stance and prepared for battle. Flutter shy got away from the scene as quick as she could. Theo and the leader went at it. Rinshi may have been clumsy, but lead Rinshi weren't. Luckily, Theo had a big speed advantage. He didn't;t have to try too hard to attack and dodge. The lead Rinshi couldn't keep up. Fluttershy took cover and looked back at Theo. She didn't know how to fight, but she just couldn't live with herself if something happened to him. The lead Rinshi saw her and fired an attack at her. She screamed and ran for Ponville. The lead Rinshi took in her fear and became the monster. It was a furry beast with huge hands and muscles. He had the spirit of the gorilla. It charged at Theo and mauled him. "Guys, I need help. This guy's huge," Theo said. "We're on our way," said Lily. Theo got back up and tried to attack the monster. He attempted to tackle it, but it had a too low enter of gravity. The monster simply just picked Theo up and threw him a great distance. Then, with a roar, the monster blasted Theo. Casey and Lily arrived on the scene, already morphed. They saw the monster and drew their weapons. Lily swung her mace at the monster in hopes it would do something. The mace connected with the monster, but it barely fazed the it. Casey attacked from behind with his blades, but the monster didn't even notice. "I think we're gonna need some real firepower," said Theo. The rangers pulled out the canon and fired at the monster. The blast connected, and the monster fell back. It's fur was on fire. The ouster ran away before the rangers could do anything else. The rangers powered down and went to check on the citizens. They found nothing wrong, other than a scared Fluttershy. "We barely even fazed that guy. Almost nothing we did worked," said Lily. "The canon worked, but we can't fire that over and over without demorphing," said Casey. Theo thought back to the situation and realized that the monster wasn't so strong until it took in fear. "Guys, I have an idea. All we need to do is keep the locals from being too scared," said Theo. "How do you think we can do that?" asked Lily. "Hear me out..." Later Theo was on his way to Fluttershy's cottage. He needed to talk to her. He found her watering her plants. "Hey, Fluttershy, do you have a minute to talk?" Theo asked. "Oh hello, sure. I hope you'll forgive me, but my house isn't very organized at the moment," Fluttershy said. Theo rolled his eyes. "It's fine. Anyhow, I have a plan on how to beat that monster from earlier." Fluttershy's eyes grew wide with fear. She did not want to even think about that monster. "It's fine. Just listen too this," Theo said. "O-Okay. I hope I can help," Fluttershy said. "Trust me, if this works, you won't have to worry about that monster anymore." "So what's your plan?" "I need you to face the monster. It feeds on fear, but it's weakness is bravery." "Nononononononono. I can't do that!" "It'll be fine. You just have to show him that you aren't afraid." "But I am afraid. I can't even think about that monster without shivering." "Don't show him that you aren't afraid of him. Show him that you're not afraid to face him. It's perfectly fine to be afraid, but with fear comes bravery." "I just can't do it. I can't and you won't make me." "Fluttershy, I know you can do this. Why do you think I came to you other than any other pony? If I didn't think you could, I wouldn't have asked." "I-I don't know. What if I mess it up? What if he sees my fear anyway?" "You won't. As long as you believe in yourself and put your heart into it, you'll do amazing." "Really? Are you sure?" "Of course I'm sure." With that, Fluttershy gave a confident smile and nod. "Alright, let's do this!" "That's it. One more thing, stop apologizing for stuff that isn't your fault." Fluttershy blushed. Later "Alright guys, I just spoke with Fluttershy, and I think this plan is going to work," Theo said. "Great. What is it?" asked Casey. "You'll see," Theo said. "As long as it works. I have no clue how to beat that thing," said Lily. Before anything else could be said, the rangers' morphers buzzed. They looked and saw the monster from earlier was back. "Let's go get him," said Casey. The rangers all morphed and faced the monster. It gave a huge roar and charged at the rangers. Before it reached them though, Fluttershy ran in between them. "Look who's back? Gonna run away again? Or cry this time?" the monster taunted. "You can make fun of me all you want, but it won't get to me," Fluttershy responded. Twilight came up to the scene. She nearly freaked when she saw what Fluttershy was doing. She wanted to run in and stop Fluttershy, but was stopped by Theo. "What is she doing? She's gonna get herself killed!" Twilight pleaded. "She'll be fine; trust me," Theo responded. Back at the scene, the monster was still trying to torment Fluttershy. "I remember what happened last time you saw me: you ran. Because you're a wimp." "I am not a wimp. There's nothing wrong for me to be afraid. After all, I'm here now. If I were afraid I would be running now," Fluttershy should her ground. "Oh please, I can smell your fear from here." "That doesn't mean anything. I won't lie; I am afraid. But I have courage, enough to face." The monster shrank back at the mention of courage. "Oh really? Courage doesn't mean you're strong," it said, trying to sound threatening. "As long as I have courage, I'll always be stronger than the likes of you, who preys on the fear of others." The monster didn't know what to do. It charged at Fluttershy, only for the rangers to get in its way and attack. This time, the rangers were able to match the monster in strength. Theo used his fans to swipe at the monster, and since it didn't have a weapon of its own, the monster couldn't counter. Theo kept attacking until the monster couldn't take anymore and tried to escape. The rangers drew their cannon and fired at the monster, causing it to go up in flames and explode. The rangers demorphed and took a breather. Theo walked up to Fluttershy. "I'm proud of you. What did I tell you? As long as you believe in yourself and put your heart into it, you can do anything," Theo said to her. "You're right. And I say this a lot, but this time I mean it. I am going to be more assertive," Fluttershy said, proudly. Twilight walked up and joined them. "Fluttershy, that was amazing! I had no idea you had it in you!" "Thanks, Twilight," replied Fluttershy. "Nice job. See, I'm not the only one who knows how to teach," Casey said to Theo. "Thanks man. When I saw Fluttershy run from the monster, I knew she had more potential than she showed," Theo responded. Before anything else could be said, the monster grew and loomed over Ponyville. "Let's hope the zords can take this," Casey said as he and the others summoned their zords. Theo also summoned the bat zord so they could form the Jungle Bat Megazord. The monster went to attack the rangers but was stopped short by the blades. The Megazord kept attacking and didn't give the monster a chance to attack. Eventually, the monster saw an opening and struck. The zords had trouble staying together. "We need more power! Lily, try the elephant," said Casey. "But then we'll be vulnerable on one side," Lily responded. "Wait, what if we tried the bat zord and the elephant zord? That way, we can attack with one weapon and defend with the other," said Theo. "Will that work?" asked Lily. "Only one way to find out," said Casey. With that, Lily summoned the elephant zord. Instead of becoming a mace, the ball and chain connected to the side of the Megazord. The other bat wing was still on the other arm of the Megazord. "This feels great!" said Theo. "Yeah. Now let's see what it can really do," said Lily. The monster came back and attacked the Megazord, but was slashed by the blade. The Megazord then turned and hit it with the mace. The monster went flying back. The Megazord started to spin like it did before. This time, it turned so that it was spinning in a vertical motion. The monster was first slashed by the blade. Then it was completely crushed by the mace. It was destroyed. Later Casey, Theo, and Lily were deep in the Everfree Forest, tracking a signal they found often the battle. They looked around for anything out of the ordinary. According to Twilight, the forest was a dark place, which many ponies were afraid of. Theo looked around and saw a tree with claw mark on it. He ran over to it and found tracks in the ground near the tree. He called the others over, and they began tracking the trail. After a while, they came upon a fire. But it wasn't like a wildfire, it was more like an campfire. They also heard humming. They all took cover as the humming got closer. Out of the shadows came a human. This human had long hair and a short beard. It was RJ, the wolf ranger. "RJ! What are you doing here?" Theo asked. RJ jumped when he heard Theo and jumped into a fighting pose until he realized it was him. "Um, I'm not entirely sure. Do you guys happen to know, since we're all here together?" RJ asked. "Come with us. It's a really long story," Casey said. RJ and the rest of the rangers made their way out of the forest and into Ponyville.

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

A wolf’s fight

"Well, that sounds...interesting. I must admit I thought I was just somewhere in the wilderness back on Earth. I have no idea how I got here," RJ said. "Yeah, neither do we, to be honest," Casey responded. "Anyhow, this is Ponyville." "It looks nice, like a quaint little town from Earth," RJ said. He was still taking in the fact he had been sucked into another dimension while on a camping trip. Luckily, RJ had always been a bit of a pacifist. Casey opened the doors to the Crystal Castle. They were all greeted by Starlight. "Who's this? Another Jungle Ranger?" she asked. "Yep. Starlight Glimmer, meet RJ the wolf ranger," said Casey. "It's nice to meet you. I can't believe I've been here a week and didn't even know there were ponies here," said RJ. "Nice to meet you too," responded Starlight. "Hey, have you seen Twilight or the others? We should introduce RJ to them too," said Theo. "They're in the map room, trying to figure out what that signal came from," said Starlight. "Yeah, that was me. Sorry about that, I didn't know a campfire was so rare here," said RJ. Casey glanced at Starlight and hid a blush. "Y-You guys ahead. I'm gonna hang back here for a few. I'll meet up with you later." "Alright, see you later. I have a feeling I'm gonna like this place," RJ said as he, Theo and Lily walked off. Casey looked back to Starlight and blushed again. "Um, hey," he said sheepishly. "Y-Yeah, hey," Starlight returned the blush. "You didn't happen to talk to Twilight about...the other day?" "I did. I was mad at first, but then I realized: that's just Twilight. I couldn't stay mad at her." Casey chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I would've tried to embarrass the heck out of her." Starlight chuckled as well. She then turned on a somewhat serious face. "You know, we never really did talk about it." "What do you mean? What is there to talk about? I like you and you like me. Simple as that." "Really? You really like me?" "Well, yeah. Why else would I have kissed you?" "I don't know. But like, what are we? Are we together? Was it just a fling?" Casey kneeled down to look her in the eye. "Of course not. I don't know where to go from here, but I know we'll figure it out together." "But what about after you defeat Carnisoar and Jellica? You can't stay here forever." "Like I said before, don't worry about the future. I know we'll figure something out when the time comes. But for now, just don't worry about it. I'm not going anywhere for a while." This made Starlight feel better. Casey gave her a quick peck on the cheek and stood up. "Come on, let's go see how the others are doing." Casey and Starlight walked into the map room to see Twilight and the others enchanted in one of RJ's stories, while Theo and Lily were sitting at the other end of the room, trying not to crack up. "So there I was, face to face with the vicious wolf. I dared him to attack and he did. He slashed at me with his claws, leaving a huge scratch on my chest. I hit back and knocked him on the ground..." Casey walked over to his friends. "What's going on?" "RJ's just over exaggerating his fight with his animal spirit," Theo said. "Yeah, he's telling it like it was some desperate war," Lily added. Casey rolled his eyes and sat down. "I avoided swipe after swipe of his claws," RJ continued. "He was getting angry, really angry. I had no choice but to unleash my full power. I attacked him one final time, and he went down. I got him to rejoin to my spirit." Theo and Lily clapped sarcastically. Casey couldn't help but laugh. RJ joined in the laughter. "What's that about?" Twilight asked. "It's a lot less exciting when you're not inside his head to witness this amazing battle," Lily said. Twilight turned back to RJ. "So you're animal spirit is a wolf?" "Yeah. It gives me the courage to face any situation, no matter how dangerous," RJ responded. "I wish I had that kind of courage. I get scared by anything," said Fluttershy. "Well, there's a difference between fearlessness and courage. Courage is being brave enough to face your fears, no matter how much it scares you," RJ said. "Kind of like you did yesterday with that monster," Theo added. "Monster? What kind of monster?" RJ asked. "That's right. We kind of forgot to mention that, we don't know how we got here. But we know why. Carnisoar and Jellica have returned. As far as we know Grizzaka hasn't though," Casey told him. "Oh, wow. Didn't see that coming. How are they even here? I thought we defeated them." Casey told RJ his theory from before, and that seemed to convince him. "I can see why they would come here instead of Earth," RJ said. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked. "There's a lot more magic than power or animal spirit here in Equestria," RJ responded. "What does that have to do with it?" Starlight said. "Animal spirit, especially from Overlords or Phantom Beasts, has a serious advantage over magic. You see, during the beast wars, a being called Imperious tried to use magic to conquer between both side. He used his most powerful spells, but he found that his magic was useless against the Pai Zhua Masters. He tried to turn on Dai Shi's forces, but he had the same problem. He ended up retreating," RJ explained. "What's A 'Phantom Beast'?" Twilight asked. Before anyone could answer, the rangers' morphers began to buzz. They saw that a golden monster was attacking the citizens of Ponyville. They recognized it as one of the beast they had fought before. "You're about to find out. There's one attacking right now," Theo said. The rangers rushed out to meet the monster. It had a large snout and long tusks. It had the spirit of the boar. The rangers pulled out their morphers as RJ pulled out his own. Instead of sunglasses, it was a wrist bracelet, similar to the Dino Rangers. "Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!" All of the rangers morphed into their suits. RJ's suit was a dark shade of lavender. His helmet also had white streaks unlike his teammates. The monster charged at the rangers. They got out of the way and attacked with their weapons. The monster used the weapons to counter each other. The monster then unleashed a huge roar upon the rangers, making them fall back. RJ charged his morpher the make his fist glow. He used this to attack the monster. The monster couldn't really do anything to counter. It head-butted RJ and used its tusks. RJ didn't have a weapon, so all he could do was punch back. It seemed to work well enough for the other rangers to take the monster by surprise. Casey severed its tusks using his sabers. Theo used his fans to glide around the monster and get it to lose balance. Lily used her mace to hit the monster square in the gut. The monster held its gut in pain as it unleashed another roar. Casey and Theo sliced through it using their weapons and attack the monster again. But the monster regrew it tusks and used them to jab at Theo and Casey. Lily used her mace to attack the monster, but it just caught the mace with its tusks. It then threw the mace back at her. RJ realized he was alone. He had to stop this monster. He recharged his morpher and attacked. The monster met him and attacked with its tusks. RJ needed to stall until he had enough power to unleash the wolf beam. He kept punching the monster, and it used its tusks to block. It then unleashed a roar, blowing RJ back a bit. RJ now had enough power to finish the monster off. He aimed his arm at the monster and activated his morpher. "Wolf Beam! Final Blast!" RJ fired and the monster was defeated. Twilight and the others tended to the other rangers. "We're okay. We just bit off a little more than we could chew," said Casey. "Yeah, we underestimated it, that's all," concurred Theo. The monster rose up from the smoke and began to grow. Lily was too hurt by the monster's last blow to summon her zord. Luckily, RJ had his own wolf zord. He summoned it and used it to attack the monster. Casey and Theo summoned their zords as well. RJ's wolf zord began to fold up, like Theo's and Lily's zords. Its tail also folded in, like a blade. The three zords combined, with RJ's wolf zord taking the place of Lily's cheetah zord. The Wolf Pride Megazord was now ready to fight. The monster charged and attacked, but the Megazord stood its ground. The Megazord used the wolf zord to kick the monster, sending it a distance away. The Megazord didn't waste a second, stomping on the monster. The monster used its tusks to jab at the Megazord, but the Megazord grab on to them. It then flung it around and launched it away. Then, the tail of the wolf detached and was held in the wolf's mouth. The Megazord kicked and the tail flew at the monster. The monster's tusks were severed, and the monster exploded. The rangers jumped down to ground and were greeted by the ponies. "RJ, that was awesome. I had no idea your zord could do so much on its own," said Twilight. "Thanks. You should see what can do with all of the Jungle Zords," RJ replied. "Guys, we could have a serious problem on our hands," said Theo. "What do you mean? The monster's defeated," said Starlight. "Theo's right. What if that wasn't the only Phantom beast? What if there are more?" Lily said. "We'll deal with it when the time comes. We don't know for sure, so we shouldn't jump to conclusions," said Casey. "Casey's right. Maybe that particular monster just so happened to survive and make its way here. That doesn't mean there are more," said Starlight. "Either way, I could really go for something to eat," RJ said. Meanwhile Carnisoar and Jellica were scanning Equestia for crystal eyes. They didn't know where that Phantom Beast came from, but they weren't gonna let another one get out. Not after what happened the last time Jellica trusted them. "I've found something," said Carnisoar. "Let's go check it out," said Jellica. The two of them got to the edge of Griffonstone and found three crystal eyes glowing. Jellica looked up at the sky and saw the stars beginning to align. She quickly drew her spear and destroyed the eyes. The spirits inside the eyes were now trapped inside them with no way out.

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

A new low

Starlight had slept in. She didn't do this very often, but she didn't feel like doing anything that day. When she did finally get up, she walked into the map room. Twilight was in there, chatting with RJ. RJ was siting in his "chair". Starlight didn't really get the importance of it, but Casey told her it wasn't a big deal. She went into the kitchen to see if Spike needed help with breakfast. On the way, she ran into Casey. "Oh hey. I was just on my way to the kitchen," she said, blushing. "Oh cool. Um, I was wondering, did you maybe wanna, I don't know, like hang out or something?" Casey asked. "Sure, I'd love to. I gotta do a few things here, first. I'll see you later," she responded. On the way out, she took a deep breath and brushed Casey's leg with her tail. She heard Casey shiver a little and shivered as well. She didn't know why she was still so nervous. Casey did like her. Then again, she had never really had feelings for anyone that wasn't a pony. She entered the kitchen and was surprised to see Spike wasn't there. It looked like he was in the middle of making something, but he stopped in the middle of it for some reason. She walked over to the counter to investigate. There was a bowl full of pancake mix with a spoon in it. It looked like it was only half stirred. She turned and noticed that the window was open. She thought Spike preferred to keep that window closed. She looked out and saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Hey Starlight," said Spike. Starlight jumped at the sudden voice. She turned and saw Spike wearing his apron and baking hat. "Don't do that! You scared me," Starlight said. "Oh sorry. One would think you'd be used to surprises, considering how much you've been hanging around Pinkie," Spike said, sarcastically. "Just out of curiosity, why did you leave the window open?" Starlight asked. "It just got a little hot. What's it to you?" Spike asked. "Nothing," Starlight said, noticing the attitude in his voice. "What's going on with you? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" "I'm fine. I'm probably just hungry." "If you say so," Starlight said, exiting the kitchen. "Hey Starlight, wait. I'm sorry. I want to show you something," Spike called. Starlight turned to see what Spike was talking about. She didn't see anything. "You have to come in here. It's really big," Spike told her. Starlight walked back in as the door slammed shut behind her. She looked at Spike and saw a green glow in his eyes. She gasped and tried to teleport away, but Spike glowed and changed into her worst enemy: Queen Chrysalis. Queen Chrysalis shot a sticky substance at Starlight, covering her hooves and horn. Starlight was trapped. "You're never gonna get away with this," Starlight said. "How can you say that, if you don't know what I'm up to?" Chrysalis replied. Starlight opened her mouth to call for help, but Chrysalis shot the substance over her mouth and prevented her from making nothing more than whimpering noises. "Oh hush now, I'm not going to hurt you. Physically, that is," Chrysalis said with a sly grin. She teleported the two of them to what looked like a dungeon cell. "Ironic. This dungeon belongs to Twilight, but I'm the first one to get any use out of it." Chrysalis glued Starlight to the wall with her hooves spread out in four diagonal directions. She then took off the residue on Starlight's mouth. "Let me go!" Starlight yelled. "It's no use yelling. No one can hear you," Chrysalis said, changing her appearance to match Starlight's. "Not even your beloved red ranger." "You leave him alone. I swear, if you hurt him-" Starlight was cut off by Chrysalis covering her mouth once again. "Don't worry. I won't hurt him. I only intend to make you pay for taking my kingdom from me," Chrysalis said. Starlight struggled and tried to escape, but the residue wasn't giving at all. "You're wasting your strength. Not that you'll need it. One more thing before I go: you get a front row seat of the show." With that, Chrysalis made a screen appear in front of Starlight that showed Casey. Chrysalis teleported away and into the frame with Casey. Starlight tried to yell through the residue to warn Casey, but it was no use. She could only watch as Chrysalis approached him. 'Starlight' walked up to Casey. "Hey. I've finished everything I need to. You wanna hang out now?" she asked. "Sure, sounds good," Casey said with a smile. The two walked out of the castle and toward the nearby waterfall. Casey couldn't help but admire the beauty of it all. The smell in the air, the noise of the water, the sight of the pool below, it all felt great to him. "Can you swim?" Casey asked. "Yeah. Can you?" 'Starlight' replied. "You bet," Casey said. The two of them jumped into the pool and swam around together for a while. Casey couldn't help but notice that 'Starlight' was acting a bit different than before. She was nervous around Casey, but now she seemed more confident than he did. Even his instincts were telling him that something was wrong. He decided to ignore it though. After all, he had never had a crush on something that was not human. He liked Starlight, and he couldn't think of anyone else he had these feelings for. Eventually, the two of them got out of the pool and laid down on the grass, side by side. Casey looked into 'Starlight's' eyes. Her beautiful green eyes. Casey felt a little confused. He thought Starlight had lavender eyes to match her mane. Before he could say anything, 'Starlight' looked over at him and smiled. Her smile reassured him. She moved a little closer to him and brushed her tail against his leg. He felt a tingle in his chest. 'Starlight' leaned in a little closer and sat up. She leaned over him as Casey rolled onto his side. The two shared a passionate kiss. 'Starlight' let go and went in for another and another. Casey couldn't help but feel something different. Before, Starlight had just held the kiss. Now she was trying to make out with him. Even if he did like her, he didn't feel like she was the type of mare who would want to do that. He pulled away. "What's wrong?" 'Starlight' asked. "Nothing. It's just...I didn't really want to move that fast. I mean, a kiss is fine, but I didn't want to make out," Casey responded. "Oh sorry," 'Starlight' responded. She then got an idea. "I guess, it's just that I started worrying about you leaving again. I just didn't want a repeat of what happened with Sunburst." "Who's Sunburst?" "He was my first friend. Like I said, as a filly I had trouble making friends. But there was always Sunburst. We were best friends. Eventually I started to develop feelings for him, but he got his cutie mark and moved away before I could tell him." "Oh, I ha no idea. I had trouble making friends too. It wasn't even until I became a ranger that I felt like I had any real friends." The two of them shared another kiss. This time, 'Starlight' held. Casey felt better about the situation. Starlight felt terrible. She had no choice but to watch Chrysalis play Casey and pretend to be her. She felt a mix of anger and sadness. There was nothing she could do. Casey had fallen for Chrysalis's trick, hook line and sinker. She began to cry, as a knot in her stomach tightened. She tried to look away, but she couldn't move her head. Even if she could, she knew what was happening. She now knew what Chrysalis had meant when she said she wouldn't hurt her physically. She was taking what she loved the most. She could only hope that Casey or one of her friends would see through Chrysalis's trick. She watched as Chrysalis kissed Casey and run her fake tail up and down his body. She couldn't take much more of this. "I love you," Starlight heard Chrysalis say. To her luck, she saw Casey put a confused look on his face. But the dread she felt before returned when she saw Casey smile and say, "I love you too." Starlight's heart was shattered. The tears ran down her body like the waterfall Casey and Chrysalis were at. And the worst part was that Casey really had those feelings for Starlight, but he was expressing them to a bug. Casey wasn't sure what to do. This was definitely not Starlight. He knew she liked him, but she didn't have the courage to say it. At least, not that clear. Starlight would've stuttered and blushed through the whole thing. But this...being just said it like it she was saying hi. Casey decided to play along. "I love you too," he said. The being went in for another kiss, but Casey put his hand on her mane and he held her on his chest. She just lay there while he thought of a plan. Casey looked around, pretending to be looking for something. The being looked up. "What's wrong?" she asked. "My panther instincts are going crazy. Something must be coming," Casey responded as he got to his feet. "How close is it?" the being asked as she got to her hooves as well. Casey's heart dropped. There was no way this was the same Starlight he had fallen in love with. This was an imposter. "Standing right next to me!" Casey shouted as he jumped away from her. "Who are you? What have you done with Starlight?" "Casey, what are you taking about? It's me, Starlight Glimmer," the imposter pleaded. "Then why didn't you correct me when I said my PANTHER instincts were active when the real Starlight knows my animal spirit is a tiger?" Casey shouted. Inside the castle, Twilight heard what was going on. She and RJ got to a window and saw what was going on. The imposter gave a devilish laugh as she started to glow green. She was completely covered in a green light, which Twilight recognized instantly. In the place of the light was none other than Queen Chrysalis. "Queen Chrysalis," Twilight said to herself. "Who's that?" RJ asked. "The former changeling queen, and Starlight's nemesis," Twilight explained. The two of them joined Casey and faced Chrysalis. "What have you done with Starlight, Chrysalis?" Twilight yelled. Chrysalis chuckled. "Oh, she's close. So close it's stupid that you don't know," she said. Casey was angrier than he had ever been before. "You let her go or I'm gonna-" "What? Destroy me? Go right ahead. Then you'll never find her," Chrysalis boasted. Casey's aura was burning with rage. RJ noticed this and felt the need to step in. "Don't you baddies ever learn? There's no winning for you. Even if you're so close, you always lose." "Big talk. But can you back it up with some real skill?" Chrysalis challenged. She then began to glow again. This time, she turned into a two-legged warrioress with black armor and a blade. "I assume you want to take this one on your own?" RJ asked Casey. Casey calmed down enough to answer. "Yeah, thanks. I'll tell you if I need help." "Casey, be careful. Chrysalis can literally take any form she wants to," Twilight warned. "I'll be fine, Twilight. Didn't you hear RJ? Evil never wins," Casey said, pulling out his sunglasses. He morphed and began to fight with Chrysalis. The two were evenly matched. Chrysalis had been preparing for this for a long time. Originally, she meant for this to be for Starlight Glimmer, but Casey was doing just fine. Casey felt his rage empower his actions. He would never forgive Chrysalis for pretending to be Starlight. He would do whatever it took to save Starlight and get even with Chrysalis. He swung at her with his blades, but she countered it perfectly. Chrysalis fired a magical attack at him point blank. Casey thought he was done for, but the blast did absolutely nothing to affect Casey. Casey then remembered what RJ said before; magic didn't affect Pai Zhua Masters. Casey threw an uppercut at Chrysalis as she was trying to figure out what happened. Casey took advantage of the situation by repeatedly kicking Chrysalis. He backed her into a wall and pinned her against it. Starlight was too heart broken to look at the screen anymore. Her eyes were shut as hard as she could. She had given up trying to escape. She felt her forehooves becoming numb from hanging on the wall. She was breathing quickly. "Maybe this is how I go out: watching Casey fall for Chrysalis," she thought to herself. She supposed there were worse ways to go, but she couldn't think of any. Nothing seemed to compare with the pain she was feeling right now. "Casey told me to focus on the present and not worry about the future. Then I shouldn't worry about the others.i should just accept that this is happening." Accepting her fate, Starlight opened her eyes to face the screen. Her eyes widened, and her heart rejoined itself when she saw what was going on. Chrysalis was no longer pretending to be her. Casey had seen through her lies. He was now beating her down. She tried to cheer, but it came out in the form of moans and whimpers. She no longer cared that she was glued to the wall. All that mattered to her was that she get to Casey and help him. Casey held his hand to Chrysalis's throat. "Tell me where she is, now," he ordered. Chrysalis just gave a choked laugh. "You're pathetic. You really think you two can be together. You're not even from the same dimension," she said. Casey tightened his grip on her throat. She just continued to laugh. "Go ahead, I already have my revenge on Starlight Glimmer." "Casey, stop! It's not gonna help anything!" Twilight yelled. "Yeah man! You're a Power Ranger! You don't kill!" RJ said. Casey realized they were right. He loosened his grip, but didn't let go of Chrysalis completely. He felt himself begin to cry in defeat. Chrysalis continued to laugh. "You're weak," she said. "Even when you've already lost, you give up." Casey got an idea. He couldn't destroy Chrysalis, but he knew how to make her talk. He let Chrysalis go and powered down. Chrysalis was confused. A few seconds ago, Casey had the intent to kill her. Now he was pretending it was just a prank gone wrong. She teleported away before he could change his mind. Chrysalis returned to where she was keeping Starlight. Starlight tried to yell, but the glue was holding up. "You little welp! You think you've won? I still have you here, and I'll never let you go," Chrysalis said. Starlight glared at Chrysalis. Chrysalis noticed the tears on the ground. "So, it seems my plan has worked. I told you I wouldn't hurt yo physically. Tell me, how does it feel to have your love ripped away from you?" Starlight gave a few muffled shrieks as Chrysalis laughed. Chrysalis stopped as she heard footsteps. She panicked. She turned into Starlight again and release her from the wall just as Casey, RJ, and Twilight came into view. She and Starlight stood and faced them. It took Casey almost no time to figure out that one of them was Chrysalis. He just didn't know which one. The room was filled with an eerie silence. No one moved or said a thing. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the passing wind. Twilight broke the silence. "Whichever one of you is Chrysalis, reveal yourself now and your punishment will only be banishment." "Guys, it's me. I'm the real Starlight. She's a fake," one of the Starlights said. "No, I'm the real Starlight. Chrysalis is trying to fool you," said the other. Casey tried to look at their eyes, but the room was too dark to see the colors of them. "I have an idea. I'll ask you something only the real Starlight would know," he suggested. "Sounds good," said one Starlight. "Go ahead," said the other. "What is the name of the evil spirit the Jungle Rangers fought on Earth?" "Dai Shi," the two said in unison. Casey glanced at RJ. He had no idea how Chrysalis would know that. "Both of you are correct. Next question: what was the name of the bully he possessed?" "Jared," they both said again. Casey was unsure what to do. Then he got an idea. "How old am I?" "Twenty-seven," said one Starlight. Casey, Twilight, and RJ looked at the other, who hung her head. "I-I don't know," she sighed in defeat. Casey looked at the one that answered. He charged his animal spirit and fired, revealing Chrysalis. Twilight was shocked. Chrysalis had not only answered correctly, but Casey revealed it was Chrysalis. Starlight was in shock as well as Chrysalis stood up. "You may have defeated me now, but I will have my final revenge," she said, teleporting away before Twilight could catch her in a spell. Casey kneeled down to face Starlight. "Are you alright?" "Yeah, I-I...I just need to be alone right now," Starlight responded, teleporting away as well. RJ put a hand on Casey's shoulder as Casey hung his head in shame. RJ couldn't help but feel bad for his former teammate. "How did you figure out which one was Chrysalis?" Twilight asked. "I never told Starlight how old I was. I figured that if Chrysalis knew the answer to the first two questions, she'd know that as well," Casey explained. "I gotta go. I'll see you guys later," Casey said as he walked out the door. "Wow, I can't believe that Chrysalis could do so much psychological damage," RJ told Twilight. "Yeah. I'm surprised she stooped this low. She's done horrible things before, but this tops it all," Twilight responded. "Should we go check on them?" RJ asked. "Later. Right now, they just need time to process this whole thing." The two of them heard a couple of groans coming from another nearby cell. They looked to find Spike hung up on the wall. The two of them freed Spike and left the dungeon. Later Starlight was sitting out on the balcony. This was the same spot Casey had first kissed her. She forced her memories with Casey through her mind before she planned to erase them. She had the spell ready and everything; she just wanted to feel the love one last time before she forgot it all. "Starlight? Are you in there?" Starlight heard Twilight say and the other side of the door. "Yeah, I'm here," she responded after a minute. Twilight came in. "How are you doing?" "I feel like someone ripped my heart out and chewed it into a thousand tiny pieces," she responded. "Hey, I get it. Don't feel bad. Casey didn't know what was happening. He figured it out best he could." "I know, but...even after he saw what Chrysalis could do, he still didn't trust me enough until he tested me." "What Casey did was what anypony would've done in that situation. Sure, it seems a little cliche, but it worked." "You don't understand. You didn't see what I saw." "What do you mean?" "When Chrysalis captured me, she showed me what she was doing. She took my place with Casey. She made him think she was me. He told her he loved her. They even...they even kissed." Twilight wasn't sure what to say. She didn't know if she should try to defend Casey or relate to Starlight. She saw a tear run down Starlight's cheek. She embraced Starlight in a deep hug, which Starlight returned. "You weren't the only one affected you know. Casey thought he was talking to you. He has those feeling for you. He even went so far as to nearly killing Chrysalis for what she did." Starlight took a breath. She didn't consider what Chrysalis did to Casey. Before she could respond, there was a knock at the door. It was RJ. He motioned for Twilight to come over. "I'll be right back," she said, getting up. She walked out the door to see RJ and Casey. "Do you think Starlight's ready to see Casey?" RJ asked. "Yeah. I just talked to her, and I think I managed to calm her down," Twilight replied. "Alright, Casey. It's all yours. Good luck," said RJ. Casey entered the room. He looked back and saw Twilight and RJ watching. Casey rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him. He finally turned to face Starlight. "Hey," was all he could manage to say. "Hey," she deadpanned back. "Can...Can we talk?" Casey asked. Starlight took a deep breath before responding. "Sure." Casey took a seat beside her. He looked out on the horizon. It was silent between the two. Casey broke the silence. "I-I'm really, really sorry for what happened." "Why? You didn't know what was happening," Starlight responded. "Because I should have. Because my instincts were telling me something was wrong, and I ignored them. Because I noticed your eyes were different and ignored that too. Because I felt it was strange that you wanted to make out instead of enjoy the moment and ignored that feeling too. Because I should have been able to figure out what was happening, and I didn't." Casey began to cry. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have fallen for Chrysalis's game, and I did. I just want you to forgive me. I'm so so sorry." Casey leaned on Starlight and buried his head in her mane. "I'm sorry." Starlight let a tear fall down her cheek. She moved her hoof to Casey's shoulder. The two of them joined in a full on hug. The two cried on each other until Starlight pulled away and looked Casey in the eye. "Of course I forgive you. I just thought I would remain down there forever. I only focused on myself. I didn't think of how much you were hurting. I just want to move past this and forgot it ever happened." "There's just one more thing I want to say about this whole thing," Casey said. "When I told Chrysalis I loved her, I had it figured out by then, I was just playing along with her until I could figure out what to do. But I want you to know, that if I were saying that to you, I would have meant every word. I love you, and I will always love you." Starlight's heart was beating faster than she could register. "I love you too," she said, hugging him again. The two of them stayed their. They didn't want to let go. Casey even saw Twilight peeking in on them again. He didn't care. All he cared about in that moment was the mare in his arms. He loved her, and he didn't care who knew.

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

Running of the bulls

Theo and Lily were on their once a month lunch "appointment" in Ponyville. Lily had been trying to get him to call it a date, but he insisted on calling it an appointment. Lily knew there was no getting through to Theo's thick skull, so she gave up after a while. The two walked into the restaurant. Inside were a couple of other ponies. To their surprise, none of the locals seemed to be surprised at the humans. Theo shrugged and pulled out a chair for Lily. "I thought it wasn't a date," Lily smirked. "It's not, but that's no excuse for not acting like a gentleman," Theo responded. Lily rolled her eyes and looked at the menu. She noticed that this place was extremely similar to a fast food restaurant back on Earth. She looked at Theo, and the two exchanged agreeing nods. A few minutes later, the two received their food: a hayburger for Theo and a haydog for Lily. Theo bit into his food. "Not bad, but I still prefer food from Earth," Theo said. Lily chuckled and took a bite of her food. She immediately understood what Theo was talking about. Before either of them could continue, their morphers went off. Theo looked into his and saw a group of Rinshi approaching Ponyville. "Duty calls," he told Lily. The two got up as Theo went to pay the check. "This is in the house. I wouldn't dream of making a ranger pay for his meal in my restaurant," said the manager. Regardless, Theo left a few bits on the table as a tip. The two rangers ran to face the Rinshi. They jumped into battle. Theo used his agility to his advantage. He jumped over some Rinshi and kicked down others. He then swept another down to make it fall on one of its allies. Lily threw a flurry of attacks at her enemies and took down several at once. One Rinshi managed to get a hold of her, but she gained control and threw him around. Once the Rinshi were defeated, a monster ran directly through Theo and Lily. It had a long snout and a nose ring. It also had square horns. It was the spirit of the bull. "Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!" Theo and Lily morphed and went to fight the monster. The monster got low and charged through them again. Theo and Lily went flying over the monster. "Guys, we need some help up here," Theo said. "We're on our way," Casey replied. Theo pulled out his tonfas and sent a charge at the monster. This seemed to stop it in its tracks. Lily did the same with her staff, and they held him there until Casey and RJ arrived. The monster broke free of the shock and charged the rangers again. They all jumped over the monster. RJ took the opportunity to blast the monster with his morpher. The blast hit the horns, but it didn't seem to do much. The monster turned back and charged again. Lily pulled out her mace and swung it at the monster. The monster head butted it and sent it back at the rangers. They managed to avoid it, but they were still hot by the monster. "I have an idea," said Theo. Theo got directly in front of the monster and taunted it. The monster charged again as Theo began to run. The chase went on for a few minutes until the monster caught up with Theo. Theo was hit hard by the monster and demorphed. "Let me try that," said Lily. She taunted the monster as Theo did. She took off with the monster hot on her tracks. She was only running at a fraction of her speed. She didn't want to lose the monster. She took the chase through town. A bunch of the locals dove for cover as they saw the monster run by. The fear energized the monster, and it began to run faster. Lily picked up the pace just enough to match the monster's speed. She saw Twilight's castle coming into view. She turned to the waterfall behind it. She sped up until she reach the pool at the bottom. She turned and saw the monster still charging. She waited until he got just close enough. Right before he hit her, Lily jumped out of the way as the monster fell into the pool. Lily waited for him to surface, but he jumped out and escaped. Casey and RJ regrouped with Lily as the all demorphed. "That thing was tough," said Casey. "Yeah, we should go get Theo so we can come up with a way to beat it," said RJ. "I'll do that, and we'll meet up at the castle," said Lily. Later "So it has strong horns, a fast pace, and anger management problems. How can we use that to beat it?" RJ asked. "Maybe we can lure it into a trap," suggested Theo. "That seems like a good idea. I could outrun that thing no problem," said Lily. "Now the question is: how do we trap it?" Casey asked. "I know. What if we run it into the side of a mountain and cause a bunch of rocks to fall on it?" Theo said. "Would that really destroy it? I feel like that would just make him even angrier," said Lily. Just then, Twilight entered the room. "Hey, what as with that monster from earlier, chasing Lily through the town?" "Sorry about that. I was just trying to lead it away. We're trying to figure out a way to beat it," Lily answered. "We figure if we can lead it out of town, we can lead it into a trap," Theo said. Twilight put on a sly grin. "I have an idea that might work. Lead it toward the castle again and leave the rest to me." "Are you sure? Remember, magic won't affect it," RJ reminded her. "Trust me. I've got it covered," Twilight insisted. Later Lily was waiting for the monster to return. She didn't appreciate being the bait, but she remembered that she was the only one who could outrun the monster. She looked around and saw no sign of it. Rainbow Dash came flying up to her. "Hey, Lily. What's up?" Lily tried to act like nothing was going on. "Just waiting for Theo," she responded. "You mind if I wait with you? I've got nothing going on right now," Rainbow said. Lily got worried. She had to get rid of Rainbow before the monster returned. "Are you sure? I mean, don't you want to practice your tricks or something?" "No, it's fine. I don't mind waiting. Maybe we could even get to know each other a little better." "Really, Theo usually takes a long time." Before Rainbow could respond, the monster gave a war cry and charged st the two of them. Rainbow screamed, and Lily grabbed onto her. She morphed and took off. Rainbow caught on to what was going on. She got out of Lily's grip and started to fly on her own. The monster was even faster than before. Lily was having trouble finding the right speed. She couldn't get too ahead of it, but she didn't want to get hit either. Luckily, she saw Twilight waiting for her. She ran past Twilight, and Twilight cast a spell on the ground the make a large hole appear. The monster was running too fast to stop in time, and he fell into it. "A little impractical, but affective," RJ complimented. "Thanks," responded Twilight. The rangers looked down into the hole to see the monster. Too their shock, it just jumped right out, causing the rangers to fly back. The monster got up and stared down Lily. She tried to get up and run, but the monster charged her. She demorphed and hit the ground. Casey and Theo tried to attack, but the monster hit them with its horns. They both demorphed as well. RJ tried to get on the monster's back and attack from there, but the monster crushed RJ with its body. It then picked up RJ and threw him toward the castle. RJ tried to recover and counter attack, but the monster charged him again. RJ demorphed, leaving Twilight to be the monster's last target. Twilight backed away, but tripped on her tail. The monster huffed in anger and started to approach her. She kept trying to back away, but she knew it was only a matter of time before the monster would charge her at full speed. She closed her eyes and shivered in fear of what was about to happen. "You leave her alone," said a new voice that Twilight had never heard before. She opened her eyes to see another human with a very round head and a white jacked. "Rhino Morpher, activate!" he shouted as a large metal hand appeared on his hand. He pulled a switch on the contraption. "Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!" There was another deal of roars and flashing lights, and Twilight saw a new ranger. This one had a white suit with orange streaks. He also had a horn on the front of his helmet. "With the power of a rhino! Jungle Fury, Rhino Ranger!" he shouted. The monster charged at him, but he stood his ground and stopped the monster with a swing of the hand. He then swung it back and sent the monster flying. "Are you alright?" he asked Twilight. "Y-Yeah. Are you Dominic?" Twilight said in response. "That's me. It's nice to meet," Dominic answered. The monster got back up and went after Dominic again. "We'll have to make proper introductions later," Dominic said as he struck the monster again. He then charged the monster himself. He punched it with his weapon and gained the upper hand pretty quick. Twilight couldn't help but be impressed by the way he was fighting. "Rhino stampede!" Dominic shouted as his morpher shot a deal of lasers at the monster. The monster charged again, but Dominic absorbed the blow. He took the monster by the horns and threw it down. "Rhino Morpher, blade mode!" Dominic shouted as he activated another switch on the morpher. A huge blade appeared on the side of it. He swung it at the monster, cutting off one of its horns. He did the same thing, and the other horn went flying off as well. The blade then began to flame. Dominic swung it around and delivered one final shot on the monster, causing it to erupt into a fit fo sparks and explode. Dominic went to tend to RJ. "Are you alright?" "Dominic? Is that you?" RJ asked. "Yeah man, it's me," Dominic replied. "Then I guess I'm fine," RJ said. Before Dominic could go help his other friends, the monster regenerated and grew. It was even angrier and was prepared to charge. "Rhino Steel Zord!" Dominic shouted. The monster charged toward the castle, but a giant, white rhino zord stepped in front of it and stopped it. Dominic jumped into the cockpit of the zord and prepared for battle. The monster leapt at Dominic, but he simply used the rhino horn to knock the monster away. The rhino zord then turned toward the monster and gave it a taste of its own medicine: it charged and hit the monster hard. The monster changed into a taller warrior with a sword that looked like it was made from the horns of the monster. It slashed at the rhino zord, and Dominic took a couple devastating hits. Before the monster could finish the job, the rhino zord began to glow. The stood straight up and folded its head in. It detached its sides and turned them into arms. The horn on the top became a blade to hold. The Rhino Steel Megazord was now ready to fight. The monster attacked again with the blade, but Dominic blocked it. He then attacked with his own and cut down the monster's weapon. The monster had no way to defend itself as Dominic attacked again. He began charging energy to the sword as prepared the final attack. The monster went in for one last charge. It ran headfirst into Dominic's blade and was defeated. Later Theo was just now coming to. The last thing he remembered was fighting the bull monster. He shot up and prepared to fight. But when he went out of the room he woke up in, he saw everyone waiting for him; including Casey, Lily, RJ, Twilight, Starlight, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Dominic. His eyes shot wide open when he realized Dominic was there. Looked around the room and saw everyone else stand up. They all asked him if he was okay, and he told them he was fine. "Dominic, when did you get here?" Theo asked. "Earlier today. I saw what happened with the bull monster and fought it," Dominic explained. Theo began to relax again as his morpher started going off again. He put them on and saw Carnisoar and Jellica staging an attack. "It's the Overlords," Theo said. "Let's go get them," Casey said. "They're going down this time," said Lily. The five Jungle Rangers all morphed and faced the Overlords. "You're too late to stop us," Carnisoar said. "We'll just see about that," said Dominic. With that, the rangers jumped into battle with the Overlords. Casey, Theo and Lily fought Carnisoar while RJ and Dominic fought Jellica. They were all evenly matched. Casey used his blades to counter Carnisoar's dagger. Theo slashed at Carnisoar using his fans. Carnisoar avoided the attack and ascended into the air. Lily wrapped her mace around him and pulled him down. Carnisoar simply used the momentum to throw a very strong attack with his claws. The rangers were forced back. Dominic countered Jellica's spear with his morpher. She pushed him back with a wave, only for RJ to attack her from behind. Jellica turned toward RJ, leaving herself vulnerable to Dominic's rhino stampede attack. Unfortunately, she avoided the blast, and it ended up hitting RJ. Jellica then used her spear to jab at Dominic. He tried to defend, but Jellica shot down his morpher before he could do anything. She hit him with her spear, and he went down. Carnisoar and Jellica backed off a little and started to emit their auras. The held their power together and focused it in one place. There was a bright light and a sinister laughter. "It can't be," said Casey. "That's impossible," said Theo. "We destroyed him," said Lily. "There's no way," said RJ. "Not a chance," said Dominic. When the light receded, it revealed none other...than Grizzaka, the Overlard of the land.

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

Masters of the Jungle

"This is the end of the line for you, rangers," Grizzaka taunted. The rangers weren't sure what to do. They were in no condition to fight Grizzaka, but they knew he wouldn't give them a choice. All the rangers could do was prepare for battle. Grizzaka charged. Casey was the first to try and fight. He used his sabers to fight, but Grizzaka used his wrist gauntlets to counter. He then used his insane strength to slash Casey. Casey tried to recover, but Grizzaka shot a blast at him before he could. Casey was demorphed. Theo was next. He attacked with his fans, but Grizzaka avoided the attacks. He eventually caught one of the fans and tore it up. He then punched Theo down several times. Theo had nowhere to go. He was helpless as Grizzaka continued to pound him into the ground. Eventually, Grizzaka picked up Theo and threw him into a tree, and Theo demorphed as well. Lily attacked Grizzaka next. She swung the mace around him, but he slipped out of the chains. He then used the ball to attack Lily. It hit her, and she was unable to prepare for Grizzaka's next attack. She tried to hit him with a flurry of punches, but all she hit was his gauntlets. Grizzaka struck Lily with a slash and quickly followed with a deadly uppercut. He finished her off with a kick in midair. Lily couldn't stay morphed either. RJ charged his morpher and went after Grizzaka. Grizzaka charged a similar attack, and the two traded huge hits. Eventually, Grizzaka grabbed onto RJ's arm and crunched it with an elbow. RJ tried to kick Grizzaka, but he couldn't reach. Grizzaka did a quick spin with RJ still in his grip, and he threw RJ on the ground. RJ bounced a few times and demorphed. Dominic was left. He charged Grizzaka and used his morpher to counter his gauntlets. It worked for a moment, but Grizzaka blasted Dominic from a close range. Dominic shot back, and the blasts were equally matched. Grizzaka charged forward and hit Dominic with a flurry of slashes. Dominic switched to his blade mode and used that to attack. Grizzaka was finally hit and fell back. Dominic took the opportunity to charged his blade's power, so he could finish the fight. He attack, but Grizzaka turned. Before Dominic's blade made contact, Grizzaka unleashed his Sokatto power, and Dominic took the hit hard. He was demorphed blacked out as Grizzaka turned back around. "That's it? After all these years, that's all the strength you have? And to think that you were the ones to defeat Dai Shi. Pathetic. It's time for me to put you out of your misery," Grizzaka boasted. Before he could take action, a bright light appeared in his way. Grizzaka tried to blast through it, but the blast was turned back at him. A barrier was put around him to deny him any action. Master Moa turned his attention to Carnisoar and Jellica. They attacked, but he put down the same barrier. He then turned to Casey and the others. He used his power to teleport them away. Meanwhile Back at the castle, Twilight and Starlight were worried about the Jungle Rangers. They went to stop the Overlords a while ago. They should have been back by now. She wondered if they were alright. Their concerns were proved when the rangers appeared in the castle, demorphed and unconscious. They looked pretty beat up too. Starlight ran over to Casey and looked for a pulse with her magic. Tears began to roll down her cheek when she had trouble finding one. Twilight was doing the same with RJ. "Do not worry, young ones. They will be awake any moment now," said an unfamiliar voice. Twilight and Starlight looked to see a glowing figure wearing an orange robe. "I am Master Moa. I would be here physically, but my animal spirit is not what it used to be," said the figure. With that, the Jungle Rangers woke up. Starlight took Casey in a deep hug. Her tears were still flowing, but these were tears of joy. Casey ran a hand along her mane, confused to what was going on. "What happened? Last thing I remember was we were getting our butts kicked by Grizzaka," said Theo. "Do not worry, Theo. Grizzaka will not be returning before you have made a full recovery," said Master Mao. "Master Mao!" the rangers all said in unison. "What are you doing here?" Dominic asked. "After Casey went to investigate the strange appearances and didn't return, I did a little investigating of my own. I found a crimson tablet laying on the ground. I looked into it and saw Casey. I saw this world and what was happening. I tried to pass through, but I couldn't regenerate its power. All I could do was hope you rangers would find a way to return. I held onto the tablet. I looked into it every night. Whenever I felt you were in danger, I sent another part of the team to Equestria. I wish I could've helped, but I wasn't strong enough to send myself here. All I could do was send my spirit when Grizzaka returned. I am very sorry for all that has happened," explained Master Mao. "No apology needed. We couldn't possibly blame anyone for sending us here," said Casey. "What about Grizzaka?" Lily asked. "I put a barrier around him so he could not move. It won't last long, however, due to me not being here physically. However, there is one more thing I can do to help," Master Mao said. With that, he summoned three more bright lights. Each light found its way to Casey's, Theo's, and Lily's hand. The light receded to reveal three metal claws. "Our claw boosters!" Theo exclaimed. "This will definitely help us beat those Overlords," said Lily. "What do they do?" asked Twilight. "These will allow us to extend our power. With these, we can enter our Jungle Master Mode," Casey explained. "However, they are not active. They need to be bonded once again to your animal spirits. And it must be done fast; I don't know how long I can hold Grizzaka," Master Mao added. "We'll get to and beat Grizzaka," said Lily. "Yeah, you can count on us, Master Mao," agreed Theo. As the other rangers went to activate their boosters, Casey hung his head in despair. This was noticed by Master Mao. "There is something wrong, Casey. I can feel it," Master Mao said. "I'm gonna go see if the others need help," said Twilight as she exited the room. "Tell me Casey: what is bothering you?" Master Mao insisted. Casey looked at Starlight, then at Master Mao. Starlight figured out in her head what was going on. She hung her head as well. "It's just that..well, I...it's...me and Starlight...we're kind of-" Casey started to say but was cut off by Master Mao. "I believe I understand. You do not want to leave this world." "Yeah, pretty much." "I understand your despair, my student, but you must return to Earth," Master Mao said. Hearing this, Starlight quickly ran out of the room, in tears. "But I can't just leave Starlight," Casey pleaded. "Do not worry. I have a solution to your problem. You will not lose contact with Starlight," Master Mao encouraged. "What do you mean?" Casey asked. "You will see. But first, the Overlords must be defeated," Master Mao said. Casey put on a brave face and got up. "I won't let you down," Casey said as he ran to join his friends. Theo was currently trying to connect with his animal spirit. He summoned his aura, but it wasn't working. He knew he couldn't give up. This was the only way to beat Grizzaka. He couldn't, and wouldn't, let this world down. It was this thought that allowed Theo to fully connect with his jaguar spirit. The claw booster glowed to signify that it was now active. Lily tried the same, and her booster was activated as well. Casey joined his friends and saw they had succeeded in their tasks. It was now his turn. He summoned his aura and tried to connect to his tiger spirit. But he was too distracted by Starlight. He didn't want to leave her. Casey's friends saw that Casey's aura was no longer surrounding him. "What's going on?" Dominic asked. "I'm fine, really," Casey insisted. "Are you sure? Because your aura's not showing," Theo pointed out. "I'll try again," Casey said. He summoned his aura again, but he got the same result a before. "Okay, you gotta talk to us. We're your friends; you can tell us anything," Lily offered. "I believe I know what's going on," RJ said. He kneeled down to Casey. "It's Starlight, isn't it," he whispered so no one else could hear. "Yeah, I just can't get her out of my head," Casey said. "If you can't do this because you're worried about her, focus on doing this for her," RJ said. "Alright. I'll try," Casey said. RJ backed off, and Casey summoned his aura a third time. This time, Casey thought of Starlight a different. He would do this for her. He wouldn't let her down. He didn't care if he never saw her again, as long as she was safe. At this thought, Casey finally connected to his tiger spirit. He directed it to his claw booster, and it became active. "Nice job," said Lily. "Now the Overlords don't stand a chance," said Theo. "Yeah. I gotta go do something. I'll be right back," said Casey as he left the others. He ran through the castle, until he came upon Starlight's room, and he knocked on the door. "Come in," Casey heard Starlight say. Casey entered Starlight's room to find her lying on her bed. He walked up to the bed and took a seat beside her. "Hey, I got my claw booster working," Casey said with little enthusiasm. "Great. Now you're one step closer to going back home," Starlight said, sarcastically. Casey placed his hand on her mane. "Listen, I don't care what Master Mao says; I'm not leaving," Casey said. Starlight sat up. "Really? What about Earth?" she asked. "Earth'll be fine without me. I just don't want to leave you. I love you, Starlight, and I can't give that up." The two joined in a hug. Casey stroked Starlight's mane, and Starlight muzzled Casey's shoulder. The moment was interrupted by Casey's morpher going off. He looked into them to see that the Overlords were free. "I gotta go. The Overlords are free," Casey said as he exited Starlight's room. "Go get 'em, tiger," Starlight said. Her heart was warmer than a Heart's Warming Eve fire. Later The rangers ran out to meet the Overlords. "You are foolish to resist," said Carnisoar. "Do you not remember what happened last time you tried to fight us?" Jellica said. "Yeah, and this time's gonna be different," shouted Casey. "We'll just see about that," said Grizzaka. With that, the rangers activated their morphers. "Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!" There was a long deal of flashing lights and roars. The rangers were all prepared for battle. "With the strength of a tiger! Jungle Fury, Red Ranger!" shouted Casey. "With the stealth of a jaguar! Jungle Fury, Blue Ranger!" shouted Theo. "With the speed of a cheetah! Jungle Fury, Yellow Ranger!' shouted Lily. "With the courage of a wolf! Jungle Fury, Wolf Ranger!" shouted RJ. "With the power of a rhino! Jungle Fury, Rhino Ranger!" shouted Dominic. The Overlords charged into battle. The rangers met them, and the Overlords quickly gained the upper hand. Carnisoar went after RJ and Theo. He slashed through them with his daggers. He then lifted them into the air with a gust of wind, where he proceeded to rush through them repeatedly. Jellica fought with Dominic and Lily. She allowed Dominic to attack, but she just had his attack go through her. She jabbed him with her spear, creating a large distance between the two. Lily attacked with her staff, but Jellica fought back. She waited for an opening and blasted Lily. Casey went after Grizzaka alone. Grizzaka struck, using his gauntlets. Casey blocked with his sabers, but was unable to block Grizzaka's next attack. The rangers regrouped. Casey, Theo, and Lily pulled out their claws and activated them. "Jungle Master Mode!" they shouted as their suits began to change. The black colors shed off, becoming white. The claws stretched out a little further as well. "Fire jets!" the rangers shouted as their suits let out a fit of fire. They charged back into battle. The Overlords were unable to counter the rangers' attacks. Lily used her claw to slash repeatedly at Carnisoar. She didn't give him any time to counter. Theo used his claw to break Jellica's spear. He then kept getting a new angle every time he attacked, keeping Jellica from being able to counter. Casey fought Grizzaka once again. He avoided the attack of the gauntlets and struck from there. Grizzaka tried to tackle Casey, but Casey used his jets to get out of the way. "I'm outta here," said Jellica, teleporting away. "You got lucky, rangers. Next time will be your last," said Grizzaka as he left the scene as well. Carnisoar saw the other Overlords leave. "Cowards!" he shouted. He turned his attention back to the rangers. "I don't need them to make mincemeat out of you!" The rangers charged back into battle. Dominic blocked Carnioar's first attack, allowing RJ to land his own strike. Dominic followed up by punching Carnisoar with his morpher. Casey, Theo, and Lily then attacked Carnisoar with their claws. He tried to fly above them, but they used their jets to bring him back down. Carnisoar threw a nasty swipe at Theo, but he ducked under it and struck Carnisoar with his own claw. Casey and Lily jumped at Carnisoar and hit him with their own claws. "Let's finish him off," Casey said. He, Theo, and Lily charged the claw canon, RJ charged his wolf beam, and Dominic readied his rhino morpher. They all took aim at Carnisoar, who prepared his own attack. They all fired at once, and the rangers' attacks completely over turned Carnisoar's. He was hit and exploded. The rangers all cheered and congratulated each other. That was one Overlord down, two more to go. But Carnisoar still had enough energy to grow. The ponies back in town saw what was going on and ran in terror. Rainbow saw Carnisoar and went to go alert her friends. They all made their way to see what was going on. The rangers summoned their zords. Dominic even summoned his rhino zord. They combined and went after Carnisoar. He stood his ground and fought the rangers back. He swiped both Megazords with his claws. The resulting shots made the rangers' Megazords begin to smoke. They couldn't take much more of this. "Guys, we have our Jungle Master Mode back. We need the master zords," said Casey. "It's worth a shot," agreed Theo. "Let's do it," said Lily. With that, the rangers began summoning new spirits. The spirits took form of three different Jungle Zords. There was a red gorilla zord, a blue antelope zord, and a yellow penguin zord that was riding a hovercraft. The gorilla jumped at Carnisoar and tackled him to the ground. Carnisoar knocked off the gorilla and got to his feet, only for the antelope to hit Carnisoar with its head. The penguin shot a freeze beam at Carnisoar, freezing him in place. The penguin then attacked using its hovercraft. The zords began to regroup as the antelope folded up. The penguin combined with its hovercraft. The two zords acted as legs for the gorilla. "Jungle Master Megazord!" The rangers went back after Carnisoar again. They used the gorilla's strength to counter his claw attacks, and the antelope's durability to kick Carnisoar. The Megazord stretched out its arms and began to spin. Carnisoar tried to attack it again, only to be smacked by the fist. The Megazord then slowly approached Carnisoar. The attacks were too much for him to handle, and he was struck down by the Megazord. "You may have defeated me, but you will not be so lucky against the other Overlords," Carnisoar said as he erupted into a fit of sparks and smoke. He hit the ground and was finally defeated. "Well then bring it on," said Casey as he and the others got to the ground. They were met by Twilight and her friends. "I think it's safe to say you guys did a great job," said Twilight. "Yeah, those new zords really showed Carnisoar who's boss," said Rainbow. "That penguin was adorable," complimented Fluttershy. "Thanks, guys," said Casey. "And the other Overlords are next," said RJ.

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

Wrath of the ocean

Grizzaka was fuming. He was supposed to be strong; he was supposed to be invincible. He wasn't supposed to be defeated. Those rangers had ruined his plans over and over again. Equestria would fall to his knees if it killed him. Magic wasn't supposed to affect him in the slightest. Carnisoar had already failed him, and Jellica didn't show much promise either. It wasn't even all of the rangers, just the red one. What Grizzaka would give to see him be destroyed. "G-Grizzaka, I have a plan," Jellica said sheepishly. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! You have already failed me time and time again. Give me one reason not to destroy you now," Grizzaka threatened. "P-Please, just give me a chance. I am the Overlord of the sea. I can wipe out the rangers," Jellica said. "Oh please, like that would ever work. You can't even cause a rainstorm," Grizzaka responded. "I don't control the weather, but I can control the ocean," Jellica tried. "Fine, but I doubt I need to tell you the consequence for failure," Grizzaka said. "Thank you. You won't regret this decision," Jellica said. As soon as Grizzaka seemed out of earshot, Jellica whispered, "And to think Carnisoar and I went through so much trouble to revive him." "WHAT WAS THAT?" Grizzaka boomed. "N-Nothing," Jellica said. Meanwhile Casey and Starlight were lying in the field. They were exhausted from running through Ponyville like two little kids. Starlight, who was fast asleep, was on top of Casey, who was on his back. Casey had his hand on her mane. Every time he felt it, it felt softer. He wasn't far from falling asleep himself. He was wearing the biggest smile he had in years. He knew stying in Equestria with Starlight was the right decision for him. Starlight moved around in her sleep, and Casey tried not to move. He didn't mind if she woke up, but he didn't want this moment to end. She settled back down and repositioned her on Casey's chest. Interestingly enough, Casey felt his heart warm when she did. He looked up at her face and saw she also had a big, beautiful smile. She moved again and rested her head on Casey's chest. Casey was about to drift off to sleep until he heard Starlight woke up. She looked around for a minute, and her face went red when she saw she was on top of Casey. The sight only made Casey smile more. "Rise and shine, Starie," said Casey. Starlight chuckled in response. "We should probably get up. How long was I asleep?" Starlight asked. "About twenty minutes. You look pretty when you're asleep," said Casey, making Starlight blush. "And even more when you're embarrassed." The two shared a quick kiss before Starlight got off of Casey. She stretched while Casey got up as well. "Why did we even fall asleep out here?" Starlight asked. "You were too tired to walk back to the castle. I would have carried you, but I thought I was gonna fall asleep too. Beside, the field was surprisingly comfortable," Casey responded. "You know, I could go for something to eat," said Starlight, batting her eyelashes. "Are you asking me out instead of the other way around?" Casey responded, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe I am. Unless there was something you wanted to ask me," said Starlight with a smirk. "No. I think I'll accept your invitation," said Casey, returning the smirk. Starlight chuckled. "Guess I overplayed my hoof." Casey petted Starlight's mane again. The two were about to walk off when they heard a new voice. "What did I just witness?" Starlight turned to see the royal-blue unicorn known as Trixie. "Oh hey, Trixie. Where've you been?" Starlight asked. "I just got back from my tour to Saddle Arabia. Now, can you answer my question?" said Trixie with a chuckle of her own. "Oh right. This is Casey. He's a Power Ranger," replied Starlight. "I figured that. Power Rangers are kind of the only humans in Equestria, remember," Trixie said. Starlight rolled her eyes and faced Casey. "This is Trixie, my supposed best friend." "It's nice to meet you, Trixie," said Casey, extending a hand. Trixie shook Casey's hand with her hoof. "You too, Casey. Although, Starlight didn't use my full title," she said, running a short distance away. She threw a smoke bomb on the ground and walked through it dramatically. "I am the Great and Powerful Trixie." Starlight rolled her eyes and sighed with a smile. "She's a show pony." "I got that," said Casey. "What can I say? Actor's gotta act," Trixie said. "Seriously though, what was with that flirting earlier? Are you two like together or something?" Starlight and Casey looked away from Trixie and blushed. This got Trixie really excited. She started jumping up and down a little bit. "Oh. My. Gosh. You are aren't you?! Oh that's sooooo cute," Trixie cheered. "Oh come on, Trix. It's not THAT big a deal," Starlight said, rolling her eyes. "I know, but now I get to tease you about it~" Trixie said in a teasing manner. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean," Casey said, furrowing his brow. Trixie shrunk away at Casey's sudden outburst. "I don't mean like that. I just mean that Starlight's never really fallen in love with anyone-I mean anypony, not that you're-" Trixie was cut off by Casey. "Trixie, I'm just messing with you," said Casey with a sly smile. This time, it was Trixie's turn to blush. Starlight chuckled at the sight. Casey's morpher started to buzz, and he saw that Jellica had returned. "Gotta go. Ranger duty," he said with a wave. With that, Casey left the scene. "I can see why you like him. He's funny," Trixie said. Then she whispered, "and hot too." Starlight jumped. "Back off!" Trixie couldn't hold in a laugh. Meanwhile RJ, Theo, Lily, and Dominic were doing their best to keep Jellica out of Ponyville. It was easier said than done. They were having trouble just hitting her. The only one of them that could do any actual damage was Dominic with his stampede attack. Even then, just that wasn't enough. Luckily, Jellica didn't seem to be fighting back. She was letting the rangers try and attack her. She wasn't attacking at all. She could easily sweep the floor with the rangers, but she chose not to. All she really did as either counter or dodge Dominic's attack. Casey arrived on the scene. "What's going on here?" "We're not really sure. Jellica's not attacking. She just letting us try to hit her," explained Theo. "It's almost as if she's just taunting us," Lily added. "Let's just try and finish her," said Casey. With that, Casey, Theo, and Lily pulled out their claw boosters. They activated them and entered Jungle Master Mode. Casey started by using his jets to quickly charge at Jellica. She finally came alive and fought back. She used her spear to block Casey's attack and made sure not to leave any openings. Theo and Lily jumped to the other side of Jellica and attacked from there. But before they could hit her, she got out of the way. Luckily, Casey was able to avoid getting hit by Theo and Lily. Jellica reappeared and struck the three of them with her staff. RJ and Dominic got into the fight, using their individual weapons to attack Jellica. RJ unleashed a charged attack upon Jellica, but she caught it and sent it back at him. Dominic was able to block it and try to attack. The two of them went at it for a minute, until Jellica found an opening Dominic had left. She took advantage of it, and Dominic was sent flying. RJ got back into the fight, but Jellica used her tentacle to swing RJ into a mountain. Once the rangers regrouped, Jellica put her spear away. She turned to address the rangers. "Here's how this is gonna work, rangers. Five miles away from here is an ocean. As the Overlord of the sea, I have the power to cause that ocean to flood. If you do not surrender your morphers to me, I will cause a tsunami. You have two minutes to decide." The rangers turned to face each other. "What are we gonna do? We can't her our morphers," Theo said. "But you heard her; if we don't, she'll flood Equestria. We can't let that happen," replied Lily. "If we give her our morphers, Equestria would be doomed anyway," RJ reasoned. "At least if we do, there'll be a chance Grizzaka goes easy on the citizens of Equestria," put in Dominic. "Dude, you've me Grizzaka right? Why would he ever go easy on this world?" Theo retorted. "Well, there'd be a little more time until the end, at least," Dominic shrugged. "But can we even trust Jellica? She might just cause the flood anyhow," Lily added. Jellica overheard all of this. "One minute remaining. It looks like it's up to you, red ranger. Flood or fury?" Casey closed his eyes to think. He really didn't know what to do. Either way, Equestria would be doomed. He couldn't think of a way around the situation, either. Suddenly, an idea came to him. "Guys, give me your morphers. You're just gonna have to trust me here," Casey told his teammates. "What?! Are you crazy?" Theo asked. "Yeah, what are you thinking?" Lily said. "Like I said, you're gonna have to trust me," Casey said. RJ and Dominic exchanged nervous glances and nodded. "We trust you, Casey," said RJ. He and Dominic handed over their morphers. Theo sighed as he and Lily demorphed and handed over their morphers as well. "This had better work," stressed Theo. "Trust me, it will," assured Casey. Each of his teammates gave Casey their morhpers. Casey, without demorphing himself, turned toward Jellica and started slowly walking toward her. "Good choice. I hear death by tsunami is a lame way to die, anyhow," Jellica said. Casey reached her. Jellica reached out her arm to take the first morpher, but Casey threw Theo's, Lily's, and RJ's morphers into the air. As Jellica looked up toward the flying morphers, Casey put on Dominic's rhino morpher. He then used hid jets to fly and retrieve his friends' morphers. Jellica looked back at Casey, realizing she had been deceived. But before she could summon the tsunami, Casey attacked. He used his own claw to slash away at Jellica's spear. He then used the rhino morpher to punch Jellica in the gut. He didn't let up from there. He used both of the weapons to grab hold of Jellica and throw her into the air. Casey activated the rhino blade and flew after her. Using the combined powers of the weapons, Casey sliced an X on Jellica. She erupted into a fit of sparks and finally exploded. Casey got back to his friends and returned their morphers. "That was a great idea," Lily complimented. "Yeah, man. How did you know it would work?" Theo asked. "Villains tend to get cocky in these types of situations. I figured if I could catch her off guard, I could easily get the upper hand," Casey explained. "Casey's right. Jellica was too confident in herself and payed the price for it," RJ agreed. "Oh, and I gotta admit. Dominic, your morpher is awesome," Casey complimented again. "Thanks, but don't get used to wearing it," replied Dominic. Before any more could be said, Jellica regenerated her power and grew. "How dare you pull that type of trick on me?! Now, it's time for you to pay the price of defiance," she boomed. She stretched out her arm toward the ocean she was talking about earlier. Several pegasi flew into the air to see what was going on and saw a 15 mile high tidal wave rushing toward them. "We need to stop her now," said RJ. He and the other rangers summoned their zords and combined with one another. "Jungle Master Megazord!" "Wolf Pride Megazord!" "Rhino Steel Megazord!" The three Megazords charged Jellica, but she simply transferred herself into the wave. The rangers were hit by the wave and took a second to regain their balance. They began trying to push back the wave. In the distance, Starlight and Trixie saw what was happening. Trixie was cheering the rangers on, but Starlight knew they couldn't hold it off for long. She teleported herself to the highest and closest point to the wave she could find and charged her magic. She took aim at the wave and fired one of her most powerful spells. It helped push back the wave, but Starlight knew she couldn't keep it up for long. Sure enough, she already felt herself overheating. "Twilight! You have to go help Starlight!" Trixie shouted, running into the castle. Twilight appeared in front of her. "Trixie? What are you talking about?" "Look outside," was Trixie's only response. Twilight ran to a window to see what Trixie was talking about. What she saw terrified her. She saw the rangers trying to push back a gigantic wall of water and Starlight trying to help. Without a second of hesitation, Twilight ran out to help her friend. "Twilight?! What are you doing here? Get to safety," Starlight yelled. "No way. I'm not gonna let you do this on your own," Twilight said, charging her horn. She opened fire on the wave and began pushing it back. It wasn't long before her strength was low as well. Casey looked down to see what was going on and saw Twilight and Starlight using their magic to help them. Casey turned toward his friends. "Guys, look." Theo and Lily looked and saw what Casey saw. "Their trying to help us when we're supposed to be the ones helping them. We can't let this wave get to Ponyville," Casey said with authority. "You're right. We came here to protect this world, and that's exactly what we're gonna do," Theo said. "Yeah. Jellica thinks she can just blow this place down? Well then she's gotta another thing coming," Lily agreed. "Come on, push!" Casey yelled again. With that, the rangers put all of their strength to push back the wave. The force was enough to get the ave to start moving away from Ponyville. Eventually, the rangers got a steady pace and had no trouble pushing Jellica back. But in the distance, Grizzaka was watching the whole thing. "I NEEDN'T REMIND YOU THE CONSEQUENCE FOR FAILURE, DO I, JELLICA?" he boomed. With that, Jellica pushed even harder than before. The rangers were starting to be pushed back. It was only a matter of time before the wave hit Ponyville. Jellica smirked with a thought of victory. She had finally done it. She had finally beaten the rangers. Unfortunately for her, and blue, rainbow-maned pegasus flew as fast as she could at the wave. A comb appeared around Rainbow as she reached her top speed. Rainbow hit the wave while sending out a giant ring. The ring had the colors of a rainbow and looked beautiful. It managed to cause Jellica to lose control of the water. It dispelled and began falling toward the ground. She tried regaining control of it, but the rangers attacked her before she could. She managed to use her spear to fight them off, but they didn't back down. RJ used his speed to get around her and sweep her with the wolf. Dominic countered her spear with his sword, damaging Jellica in the process. Casey, Theo, and Lily used their insane strength to crack Jellica's spear in two, leaving her completely defenseless. RJ, Dominic, Lily, Theo, and Casey focused all of their power toward Jellica as she prepared to fire back. Casey, Theo, and Lily, used their spin attack; Dominic used his rhino blade, and RJ used his wolf slash. They all unloaded on Jellica as she fired a counter attack. The exchange wasn't even close. The rangers' attacks blew right through Jellica's and made contact. Jellica erupted into a fit of sparks. "This-This is impossible! Grizzaka will finish you off!" Jellica yelled as she finally exploded for the final time. The rangers jumped out of their zords and powered down to tend to Rainbow, Twilight, and Starlight. Casey held up Starlight and felt her horn. It was burning hot. Theo felt Twilight's horn and got the same result. Lily took a look at Rainbow, but she found there wasn't anything wrong with her. "We should get these two to the castle," said RJ. Casey picked up Starlight and began carrying her to the castle, making Rainbow squint in confusion. RJ and Dominic got Twilight and made their way back to the castle as well, where the rest of the mane six were waiting. "Oh my goodness, what in Equestria happened?" Rarity yelled. "Jellica tried to wipe out Ponville with a tsunami, and Twilight and Starlight tried to stop it with their magic," Lily explained. "I wouldn't say tried. They really helped us out there," Theo corrected. "Yeah. If it wasn't for them, Ponville would have been washed away," added Dominic. "I do hope they'll be okay," Fluttershy said, not even trying to hide the fear in her voice. "Ah'm pretty sure they'll be fine. They've done tougher stuff with their magic," Applejack said. "Yeah, and then I can throw them a 'Congratulations, You Stopped a Tidal Wave' party," Pinkie added, making RJ chuckle. Casey was too concerned with about Starlight to hear what everyone else was saying. He took her to her room and lay her on her bed. He then felt her neck to make sure her pulse was steady. He found it was faster than normal, but other than that she was okay. "Hey. What are you doing?" Rainbow asked, surprising Casey. "Just making sure she'll be okay," said Casey. "Aren't you concerned about Twilight too?" Rainbow asked with a serious look on her face. Casey tried to think of an answer. "Y-Yeah, b-but she's an alicorn. Wouldn't she make a faster recovery?" "I guess she would," Rainbow replied. "RJ wanted talk to you for a minute though." "Alright, just tell me if she wakes up okay?" Casey said. "Sure," Rainbow lied. After Casey left the room, Rainbow closed the door. A few moments later, Starlight woke up. "Oh good, you're awake. How do you feel?" Rainbow asked. "Like my horn was stabbed by another horn," Starlight replied. Rainbow looked around to make sure nopony else was listening and leaned a little closer to Starlight. "Can I ask you something? It's a little personal." "Shoot," Starlight replied. "Is...Is there something going on between you and Casey?" Rainbow asked gently. "How'd you figure it out?" Starlight asked. "He was more concerned about you than Twilight. So there is something going on?" "Yeah. Why do you ask?" "Well...I don't you to get hurt. You know, like I did when Connor left." Starlight smiled. "That's sweet. But just between you and me, Casey said he's gonna stay after Grizzaka is defeated," she whispered. Rainbow was shocked by this news. A part of her wanted to protest. After all, Connor had to leave, so why didn't Casey? But Rainbow managed to restrain herself. "O-Oh. That's great," she said, trying to sound happy for Starlight. "What's wrong?" Starlight asked. "N-Nothing. I'm happy for you two," Rainbow replied. "It's Connor, isn't it? You don't think it's fair. You can tell me if that's true," Starlight assured her friend. "Yeah, kind of. But I really don't want to get in your way. If Casey wants to stay, it's none of my business. I do kind of wish Connor had stayed though," Rainbow said with a tear rolling down her cheek. "No, you're right. It's not fair to you. It's not fair to Connor. I'll tell Casey," Starlight said, starting to get up. "No. Not yet at least. Like I said, I don't want you to go through the same thing I did when Connor left," Rainbow said, stopping her. "Alright, if you're sure. We should probably go tell the others I'm okay though," Starlight said. "Yeah," Rainbow replied. As Starlight left the room, she stayed back a little. She was ashamed of herself to admit it, but she really was jealous of Casey. She took a deep breath and went to join her friends. Meanwhile If Grizzaka was angry before, this was a whole new level. First Carnisoar, and now Jellica had been defeated by those blasted rangers. They had interfered with his plans long enough. No more, they were going to pay. After all, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

Welcome to the Jungle: A Power Rangers Story

Stampede

Theo and RJ were sparring. With only one Overlord left, they knew it was only a matter of time until Grizzaka attacked. They had to be ready. Even with Jungle Master Mode, it never hurt to train. RJ swept a leg and Theo jumped over it. The two were becoming used to each others' attacks. Dominic was training as well. He was testing his strength by attempting to knock down a tree. He had seen Applejack bucking trees earlier and thought he could do something similar. When he hit the tree, it hurt a lot more than he thought it would. Luckily, the tree did go down. Dominic picked himself up and prepared to do it again. Lily was working on her dance routine. She had always been a really good dancer, but she could still use the practice. It was a little harder without music. She had to count the beat in her head, which was hard to do because she also had to focus on her moves. Regardless, she was doing a good job. As for Casey, he was with Starlight, who had been acting strange ever since Jellica had been defeated. He made sure it was really Starlight- he didn't want a repeat of the Chrysalis incident -but she was acting like something was wrong. Casey tried to figure out what it was, but Starlight assured him it was nothing. He dismissed it as an after effect from the wave. The two were now sitting on the same ledge from before. Casey never got over how beautiful the view of Ponyville was from there, but he still preferred the view of Starlight. She was more beautiful every time he saw her. He looked back out on the town. He could easily get used to this place as his new home. Casey put his arm around Starlight and felt her tense up. After a moment though, she leaned back against him. She felt warm. Not just on the outside, but in her heart as well. She glanced up at him and smiled. He never looked more handsome. She sighed within herself. She knew this would have to come to an end, but she didn't want it to. But she had to; she wouldn't do this to Rainbow. It really wasn't fair that Casey would get to stay even though Connor had to leave. In that same moment, a large blast erupted from the middle of Ponyville. Casey and Starlight stood up. They could then hear Grizzaka yell, "GET OUT HERE, RANGERS AND FACE ME LIKE TRUE WARRIORS!" "Good luck," Starlight said as Casey ran out to face him. Casey was joined by his friends, and they all faced Grizzaka. "You may have defeated Carnisoar, you ,ay have defeated Jellica, but you will never defeat me. This is your destruction," Grizzaka boasted. "Let's do this," said Casey. "Grizzaka's going down," RJ said. "Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!" The rangers all morphed in got into their fighting poses. "With the strength of a tiger! Jungle Fury, Red Ranger!" "With the stealth of a jaguar! Jungle Fury, Blue Ranger!" "With the speed of a cheetah! Jungle Fury, Yellow Ranger!" "With the courage of a wolf! Jungle Fury, Wolf Ranger!" "With the power of a rhino! Jungle Fury, Rhino Ranger!" "You all have the hearts of idiots if you think you can beat me," shouted Grizzaka. With that, the rangers charged into battle with Grizzaka. Grizzaka wasted no time slashing the rangers with his gauntlets. They all took the hit hard. Grizzaka didn't let them recover as he rushed through them all and slashed them again. The rangers pulled out their weapons in hopes they would help. Casey used his nunchucks the tangle Grizzaka's gauntlets. Theo and Lily used their weapons to send a charge at Grizzaka. RJ and Dominic charged their morphers to fire at Grizzaka. They did, and their attacks caused a large explosion when they connected. But from the smoke, Grizzaka got back up, seemingly unfazed. "Is that all you got? You're really doomed now," Grizzaka said. With that, he jumped into the air and slammed into the ground, leaving a crater in his wake. The rangers all went flying in different directions from the shock. Grizzaka went after Lily and fought her one on one. She tried to get back to her friends, but Grizzaka wouldn't let her get around him. He grabbed hold of her and threw her into the air, jumping after her. Lily tried to stop Grizzaka's oncoming attack with her mace, but Grizzaka unleashed his Sokatto power and the mace was thrown back at her. Lily hit the ground, leaving a crater of her own. She was stuck within it and was unable to get up. Theo went to save Lily, but was stopped by Grizzaka. Theo jabbed at Grizzaka with his tonfas, but the attack was blocked. Theo fired a charge at close range, and it seemed to hurt Grizzaka. Theo went in fro another attack, but Grizzaka recovered and slashed Theo onto a nearby rooftop. Grizzaka jumped after Theo, but Theo used his fans to glide out of the way. He tried to swipe at Grizzaka, but Grizzaka ducked under the attack, leaving Theo vulnerable. Grizzaka took advantage of this and slashed Theo down to the ground. Grizzaka then jumped again, landing directly on top of Theo. RJ used a charged punch to hit Grizzaka from behind. He managed to knock Grizzaka off guard and do a little more damage, but Grizzaka didn't let him keep it up for long. He caught RJ's arm and slashed at him several times. He then swept RJ off the ground and stomped him down. RJ managed to throw a kick at Grizzaka from behind and get back up. He tried one more time to attack, but Grizzaka unleashed his Sokatta power. RJ was sent flying into a fountain. Dominic punched Grizzaka with his morpher, but Grizzaka absorbed the blow and sent it back at him. Dominic dodged to attack and used his stampede attack to blast Grizzaka. He managed to do a little bit of damage before Grizzaka dug underground. Dominic aimed his morpher at the ground below him, but Grizzaka jumped up behind him and took him in a death grip. Grizzaka then body slammed Dominic on the ground. Luckily, Dominic was able to activate his blade and force Grizzaka off of him. He tried to keep attacking, but Grizzaka used his Sokatto power to bring him down. Casey was all that was left. He looked to his fists and clenched them hard. Grizzaka attacked Casey before he could do anything. Luckily, Casey avoided the attack and tripped Grizzaka, causing him to hit the ground. Casey took his stance and charged. Grizzaka slashed at Casey, and Casey countered. The two exchanged blow after blow until Casey began to get tired and he knew he couldn't keep it up. Grizzaka hit Casey in the gut with a hard strike, causing Casey to falter a bit. Grizzaka took advantage of the action and attacked again. Casey tried to block, but his strength had left him. Grizzaka fired his Sokatto power, and Casey finally went down. "Pathetic. I here I was, thinking you would put up more of a fight. Oh well. It looks like I'll have to destroy you now. I'm gonna savor every minute-no, every second of this," Grizzaka boasted as he slowly approached Casey. He was about to finish him off when he heard a female voice behind him. "If you're gonna destroy him, you have to destroy me first," said Starlight. She was not about to let Casey die so easily. "Starlight, get out of here. You're gonna get hurt," Casey tried to tell her, but Starlight stood her ground. "If that's what you want," Grizzaka said, starting to approach her. "Well if you're gonna destroy her, you'll have to destroy me too," said Rainbow Dash, flying up next to Starlight. "Me too," said Applejack. "And me," said Rarity. "Same goes for me," said Pinkie. "Me as well," said Fluttershy. They were quickly joined by Twilight. "You want to start your destructive reign, Grizzaka? Then you can start here," she said with gusto. "Alright then. You have just made a grave mistake. If you were trying to call my bluff, you have failed. You are very brave; I'll give you that; but you are also very stupid," Grizzaka said, firing his Sokatto power at the ponies. "No!" shouted Casey as he entered his Jungle Master Mode and blocked the attack. He struggled for a moment, but he actually managed to gain control over the blast. Casey took careful aim and fired Grizzaka's Sokatto power back it him. It hit him, causing a dark aura to surround him for a moment before disappearing. "Impossible. You can't use my Sokatto power against me. You can't even control it," Grizzaka shouted. "Well that's all about to change," Casey retorted. With that, his jets began to blare louder and bigger than before, and he got another claw. Casey, very quickly, flew at Grizzaka, taking him all the way out of Ponyville. He slashed at Grizzaka, who was trying and failing to counter. Casey used both of his claws to slice off Grizzaka's gauntlets, leaving Grizzaka without a weapon. Grizzaka tried to use brute force to attack Casey, but Casey got under him and jabbed him with the claws. Casey then threw an uppercut at Grizzaka, following it with a down slash from in the air. Theo, Lily, RJ, and Dominic got up to see what was happening and were shocked to see Casey's newly found power. None of them had ever reached that level of strength. They all decided to join Casey in the fight instead of just watching. Lily and Theo used their claws to get Grizzaka's attention. They slashed from behind, making Grizzaka even angrier. He turned to attack them, only to be punched by RJ and Dominic. They sent him back a couple of feet before attacking again. All Grizzaka could do was try to hit harder than them. They backed off and blasted him from a farther range. Grizzaka unleashed his Sokatto power, but Casey did the same and countered it. "Your time here in Equestria is up, Grizzaka. You've overstayed your welcome," Casey said. "Let's finish him off, guys," RJ said. With that, RJ charged his wolf beam, Dominic charged his rhino morpher, and Theo, Lily, and Casey, readied their claws. RJ was the first to fire. His wolf beam pierced Grizzaka's armor. Dominic fired next. His blast broke off what was left of the armor. Theo and Lily used their jets to fly at Grizzaka and slashed him with their claws. Finally, Casey used his powered up jets to fly at Grizzaka and slash in a X shape. The attack finally caused Grizzaka to lose his balance and spark up. He slowly fell to the ground and exploded. "Casey, how did you do that?" Theo asked. "I'm honestly not sure. Twilight and the others were about to sacrifice themselves to save us, and I just got in the way of Grizzaka's attack. I guess I must have absorbed it," Casey explained. "The Sokatto power is strong, but it's also easy to fight off. Casey believed in himself to be stronger than it," RJ concurred. Before anymore could be said, Grizzaka reappeared and started to grow. "Don't you rangers get it? I'm invincible!" "Let's send this guy packing once and for all," said Dominic. With that, the rangers summoned their zords and formed all the Megazords they had access to. Grizzaka went after the Wolf Pride Megazord first. He was much bigger than it, so he had no trouble hitting it. He was then slashed by the Rhino Steel Megazord. He struck back and caused Dominic to hit the ground. He then proceeded to stomp on him, causing more and more damage as he did. The Jungle Master Megazord threw Grizzaka off of Dominic and punched Grizzaka. Grizzaka struck back with a punch of his own. He quickly found himself surrounded by the three Megazords. They all began to close in on him, but he unleashed his Sokatto power to hit all of them at once. RJ quickly got back up and used the wolf tail to distract Grizzaka away from the other Megazord. Grizzaka punched RJ and got him to the ground. He then held up the Megazord and ripped off the wolf zord. He did the same to the jaguar and threw the tiger down as well. Dominic struck Grizzaka with his sword, but Grizzaka caught it and broke the sword in two pieces. He then stabbed the rhino with his gauntlet and lifted it into the air. He proceeded to launch it at the attacking wolf zord, and the two zords went down together. Casey, Theo, and Lily went after Grizzaka one more time and smashed him on the head. They then tried to overpower Grizzaka, but he hit them with a knee and took advantage. Grizzaka kept punching the Megazord until it could barely stand. He then swept a leg and detached the penguin right out from under the Megazord. The antelope did fare too well either as it was forcefully ripped away as well. Casey tried the use the gorilla zord's strength to fend off Grizzaka on his own, but it wasn't enough. Grizzaka picked him up and chucked him and the others. "We're toast. We can't fight him without the Megazords," said Theo. "We can't give up that easily. We have to keep fighting," responded Lily. "But if we try to fight him like this, we'll be destroyed," said Dominic. "Not if we use every zord we have," said RJ. "Yeah. We just have to overwhelm him," said Casey, "Let's try it," said Lily. With that, the rangers summoned all of the zords they had at the their disposal. RJ and Dominic both had their only zords summoned. Theo used his power to call his bat zord, and Lily called her cheetah zord and elephant zord. Casey even summoned a blue shark zord. All of the zords grouped together and faced Grizzaka. "What now? Are you gonna try and roar me to death?" Grizzaka boomed. The gorilla got on the back of the rhino as the tiger, jaguar, cheetah, and wolf got together in front. The bat picked up the shark, and the elephant stood beside them. The penguin got on the left side of the rhino, and the antelope got to the right side. Grizzaka charged the Jungle Zords to finally finish them off, but the zords charged as well. Their auras were glowing as the each struck Grizzaka one by one. The tiger started by clawing at Grizzaka, filled by the wolf, cheetah, and jaguar. The elephant, bat, and shark all struck Grizzaka at once with powerful attacks. The penguin the froze Grizzaka in place, and the antelope head butted him. The rhino used its horn to knock Grizzaka over its back. Finally, the gorilla swung its arms and struck Grizzaka three times with each arm. Grizzaka hit the ground on the other side and began to spark. "This is impossible. I'm the mighty Grizzaka; I'm supposed to be invincible," Grizzaka shouted as he was finally defeated. The rangers cheered and jumped to the ground. Later Everyone and everypony was at Pinkie's "Congratulations You Defeated All of the Overlords" party. The rangers were having the time of their lives. Theo and Lily were in the middle of the dance floor, putting on a show. RJ was chatting with some of the local business owners about owning a business. Dominic was talking with Applejack about her work. Casey, of course, was with his marefriend, Starlight. She had invited her old friend Sunburst, who was very eager to meet Casey. The two of them hit it off without a hitch. Starlight couldn't help but smile at the sight of her fillyhood best friend getting along with her "boyfriend" as Casey called it. "So you and Starlight really grew up together?" Casey asked. "Yeah. It was just me and her. Our parents were always busy," Sunburst explained. "I know what that's like. I'm a little disappointed that Jared didn't get to show up. I bet you all would've really liked him," said Casey. "It's just so fascinating. Your power, I mean. I can't believe I've never heard of 'animal spirit' before," said Sunburst. "Don't sweat it. Most people on Earth don't know what it is," said Casey. The party went on for a few more hours until everypony said their goodbyes. "See you around Casey. It was nice to meet the one who swept my best friend off her hooves," said Sunburst, making Starlight blush. Casey waved goodbye as Sunburst walked out the castle door. "That was great. Thank you, Pinkie, for throwing this party for us," said Theo. "Are you kidding? How could I not throw a party for you guys?" Pinkie said. "And besides, we should be the ones thankin' y'all for helpin' us out with the Overlords," said Applejack. "Yeah. This was literally the least we could do," agreed Rainbow Dash. "It's nothing. Saving the world is kinda what we do," said Dominic. "Well too bad, because we're thanking you for it anyhow," said Rarity. They all shared a bit of a laugh before there was a blinding figure. The rangers recognized the figure to be Master Mao. "Congratulations, rangers. You have succeeded in your task of saving Equestria. I am sorry I could not be more help," said Master Mao. "No apology needed. We understand," said Casey. "It is now time for you to return home. Jared, Camille, and Flint are awaiting you," Master Mao said as a portal to Earth opened beside him. "I can't believe we're already going back," said Theo. "Yeah. I'm really gonna miss this place," agreed Lily. "It was great meeting you all. We're never gonna forget you," RJ said to Twilight. "We'll never forget you either. We will be forever grateful for your service here in Equestria," Twilight said, hiding the sadness in her voice. "I have to admit: sayin' goodbye to your rangers ain't gettin' any easier," said Applejack. "We'll really miss you all. If you ever need a set of claws, don't hesitate to contact us," said RJ. "I do hope you have a safe journey home, darlings. It was amazing to get to know you," said Rarity. "Rarity's right. I am happy that you get to return to Earth with your powers though," Fluttershy said. "Keep doing what you do best, guys. I'll remember you till the day I die," Lily said. "I'm sorry that I couldn't get to know you all better. Even though, I'll still always remember you," said Dominic. "I guess it's time to get back now," RJ said. He, Dominic, Theo, and Lily all made their way toward the portal, but Casey stayed behind. "Casey, aren't you coming?" Theo asked. Casey shrugged and took a deep breath. "No, I'm not. I'm staying here in Equestria," he said. With the exception of Starlight and Rainbow, everyone's bottom jaw hit the ground. "What are you talking about?!" Lily said. "I'm not leaving," Casey repeated. "My student, I know why don't want to leave, but you must. I wish there was another way, but here just isn't," Master Mao said. "I don't care. I'm staying here with Starlight," Casey said as he crossed his arms. Upon hearing her name, Starlight looked at Rainbow and took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was about to do this. "Um Casey? I think they're right. You should go back," she said. "What? I thought you wanted me to stay?" Casey said, confused. "I-I do, but...it's not fair," Starlight said, tearing up. "What do you mean?" Casey asked, also starting to tear up. Starlight looked at Rainbow again. "C-Connor had to leave. If you stayed, that-that wouldn't be fair to Rainbow," she stammered. Casey understood. Rainbow had loved Connor, and he left. It would only be fair if he did too. He knelt down to Starlight and took her in a deep embrace. "I understand. I love you, Starlight." "I love you too, Casey." Rarity began to tear up at the sight of Casey and Starlight, and Applejack was close to joining her. Fluttershy hid herself in her mane, and Pinkie comforted her. Theo, Lily, and Dominic were also beginning to silently cry. They had no idea Casey had feelings for Starlight. It was hard to watch their friend say his permanent goodbye to his first love. RJ stayed strong though. He knew if he lost it, everyone else would too. Casey and Starlight finally broke their hug. Casey stood up and faced the portal. He closed his eyes hard and walked toward it slowly. He looked back toward Starlight and put a small smile on his face. He remembered the time they shared together and always would. Casey walked through portal and was followed by his friends. "I'm sorry, man. I wish you had some way to remember her," Theo said. "Yeah. We should've stuck up for you," Lily agreed. "It's fine. There was nothing more you could've done. I'll always remember Starlight. It would take me getting amnesia for me to forget her," Casey said. "We're here for you, man," Dominic said. "Thanks, but I just need to be alone for now," said Casey, walking away. Meanwhile in Equestria Starlight could barely see through her tears. She couldn't believe she just did that. Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder to comfort her. "You didn't have to do that. I could've found a way to get over it," said Rainbow. "What kind of friends would that make me?" Starlight replied. "We're so sorry for you. We wish there was another way," said Fluttershy. "It's fine; I'll be okay. I just need some time on my own," Starlight said, starting to leave. "Wait a second. You should keep this. I believe you will like its function," said Master Mao, levitating a turquoise tablet toward Starlight. "Thanks," said Starlight, leaving the room. "Now, I must be getting back. I have something to give to Casey," Master Mao said, disappearing. "Should we go comfort her?" asked Fluttershy. "No, she just needs time," Twilight responded. Starlight entered her room and put the tablet that Master Mao gave to her on the table. She laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. It wasn't long until she began to cry again. She opened her eyes to see that the tablet was glowing. It also had a round button at the top. Starlight walked up to the mirror and pressed the button. What she saw in the tablet made her cry more tears of joy. Meanwhile on Earth Casey buried his head in his arms. He wasn't sure how to feel. Was he supposed to be happy to be back on Earth? Was he supposed to be sad to leave Starlight? Casey let his eyes fill with tears. Master Mao walked into the room. "I am sorry my student. I really am. If there was another way, I would have allowed it. But I can give you this," Master Mao said, handing a turquoise tablet to Casey. "The tablet that sent me to Equestria? Why would you give me this?" Casey asked. "You will se my student. Use your tiger spirit to activate it and press the button. I believe you will enjoy what happens next," said Master Mao. With that, Master Mao left Casey alone. Casey rolled his eyes and used his animal spirit to activate the tablet. It began to glow and show a button at the top. Casey pressed the button, and the tablet face glowed even brighter. A few seconds later, it showed something that made Casey's heart explode. It was Starlight. "Oh my goodness. S-Starlight, i-is that really y-you? Can you hear me?" Casey asked. Starlight nodded with tears eyes on the other side of the tablet. "It's me. It's me Casey. I can hear you," she responded. Theo looked in on his friend and saw what was going on. He was glad Casey still had a way to contact Starlight. Casey saw Twilight open the door to Starlight's room and put on a surprised expression. She then smiled and backed out of the room, leaving Starlight. Casey was so happy, that he couldn't even find the words to say to Starlight. Starlight had the same problem. He settled for resting his head and the tablet and so did Starlight. He couldn't actually feel her, but he felt the warmth of her mane as if she was there with him. Casey heard a door close and a voice yell, "Casey? Where are you? Master Mao told me what happened. Are you alright?" "Who's that?" asked Starlight. "It's Jared. I should probably go tell him I'm okay. I love you," Casey said. "I love you too," Starlight responded. With that, Casey pressed the button again, and the image faded. He went out to greet Jared and told him everything was okay. Casey and Jared shared a brotherly hug, and Jared offered to take the rest of Casey's classes for him. Casey obliged and went back to his room. He hung up the tablet and smiled at it. He was content.

Voice in the Night

pre

please. i'm begging you Begging is beneath us. We make others grovel before us instead i never wanted it to be like this Like what? Poor Luna, how the mighty have fallen tell me what to do We can't tell you anything i don't want to become a monster Is that what you think we are? isn't it? Better hurry. Celestia doesn't have much time Celestia was breathing heavily and could barely stand. Sombra laughed as he walked menacingly toward her. don't touch her What was that? don't you dare touch her Speak up, we can't hear you Sombra stood over Celestia. Her eyes blazed with defiance as she swung her sword. Sombra easily blocked the feeble attempt and knocked the sword away. get away from her What are you going to do about it? i will end him Say again? Sombra laughed as he used his power to raise a pile of rubble above Celestia's prone form. Luna stopped struggling and could only watch helplessly as Sombra buried her sister. Luna's mind shattered. Overcome with grief and rage, she screamed. YES A blast of power freed Luna from her prison and she flew at Sombra with murder in her eyes. Show him our TRUE power Sombra's smile grew even bigger. It was as if everything that had happened before was to get Luna to this point. She was barely in control of herself, swinging her spear with abandon and shooting beams of magic as Sombra stayed one step ahead of her. FOOL! He is toying with you Sombra met Luna and their weapons clashed and locked together. Luna summoned a sigil under Sombra's feet and swords burst out of the ground. Sombra jumped out of the way and Luna leapt after him. She continued to fire blasts of magic at Sombra, but he used the shadows to neutralize her magic. Luna charged him again, but her rage was burning out and she was beginning to tire. i'm not done yet Yes you are i won't let it end like this You know what has to be done ... And yet, you continue to fight it he looks down on us. he thinks we are weak You are weak. We are strong but not strong enough We will be Sombra trapped Luna in his grasp. Thinking the end was near, he made his proposition to Luna. This worm thinks he is our equal? Sombra used his dark magic on Luna, who struggled at first. The magic worked its way into her mind and deep into her heart. What child's play is this? we are a fool Sombra is the fool he mocks us, looks down on us, and hurt celestia. we will make him pay. if he wants to see the monster, then so be it YES we will show him what TRUE darkness is YES! GIVE IN! SHOW HIM WHO WE ARE! Hildr's heart was heavy as she watched the transformation. Luna began to chuckle, then laugh, then cackle with glee. "Darkness? Darkness and shadows you say? You merely adapted to the shadows, made them your ally. We were born of the Night, molded by it. In all my life, I have never touched the Light. Just where do you think the shadows you dabble with come from?" Luna's coat turned coal black and her teeth became sharp and pointed. Her eyes turned electric blue and her pupils became black slits like a reptile. Luna turned to smoke and reappeared on Sombra's throne. "You want to see darkness? I will show you TRUE DARKNESS!" Luna spread her wings and what little light there was disappeared as the room plunged to darkness. For the first time, Sombra became nervous. He tried to reason with Luna, but she was beyond reason. He wanted the monster and she willingly obliged him. Luna chased and harassed Sombra, never letting him rest. Finally, he could take no more and Luna trapped him in her clutches and encased him in stone as he had done to her. Sombra's eyes were full of fear as Luna calmly approached him. She was in no hurry, her prey would not escape. "Who are you?" Sombra finally asked. Luna's eyes were full of madness and rage. She summoned the scattered pieces of her broken swords and remade them into an executioner's axe. "Who am I?" Luna asked. She stood before Sombra and raised the axe high. "I am THE NIGHTMARE!" Luna swung the axe and Sombra was no more. When Luna came to her senses, Sombra, the palace, the entire Crystal Empire was gone. All that remained was a frozen battlefield slowly being covered in snow. Celestia lay nearby and Luna ran to her side. Celestia finally woke up and looked around. "Where are we? What happened?" "Sister! I am so glad you are safe!" Luna cried and hugged Celestia tightly. "Thank you Luna, but I am fine. My injuries are not severe," Celestia assured her. "What happened to Sombra and the Crystal Empire?" Luna hung her head in shame. "After he defeated you, Sombra and I fought, but he escaped and took the Crystal Empire with him to the Shadow Realm." Celestia's eyes went wide and she gasped in shock. "How can that be?" she asked. Luna shrugged. "Dark magic perhaps?" she suggested. Celestia rose unsteadily to her feet and winced. Luna rushed to support her. "No matter. Sombra will return at some point and we will need to be ready," she said. "Yes sister," Luna agreed. When Celestia turned her back, Luna showed a wicked smile and her eyes briefly changed. "Sister, the world will know my name," she promised. Born of Darkness, we are that which all others fear. The Nightmare has begun what have I done? A blizzard suddenly sprang up as Luna and Celestia limped away. The blizzard quickly became a whiteout and everything faded into darkness. Luna wailed in Hildr's chest. Hildr didn't know what else to do other than hold Luna and stroke her mane as she poured out her grief. "I'm truly sorry," she whispered in Luna's ear. "I never knew," Luna cried. "I didn't know what happened. All I remembered were intense feelings of rage and sorrow before blacking out." "What happened to Sombra?" Hildr asked. Luna let out a tired sigh and wiped her eyes. "I did not take Sombra's life, but banished him to the Shadow Realm. Since he wanted to dabble with dark powers, I would show him true darkness." "But you told Celestia-" Hildr started "A lie," Luna finished. "She didn't know and still doesn't know that I have that ability." Luna stared hard at Hildr and added, "And she will never know." "I won't say anything," Hildr promised. Luna rose to her feet and stretched. "So. Now we both know what happened." "And how do you feel?" Hildr asked. Luna hung her head and stared at the ground. Honestly, knowing made her feel worse than before. She had always thought that Nightmare Moon either seduced her or forced her way in, but to know that Luna herself willingly let it happen made her feel sick to her stomach. Luna walked a short distance away from Hildr and sat on the ground. Luna thought that opening the box and unlocking her suppressed memories would help her feel better or magically make Nightmare Moon disappear forever. Luna was more confused than ever. "What do I do?" she whispered. For once, The Voice was silent. even you have abandoned me? If only you could be rid of us so easily if only So. Now you know the truth yes. i am ashamed Why? Why do you deny what we are? i'm tired of being the monster We are not a monster. We are the Ruler of the Night. When all is covered in Darkness, we will rule over all and how did that turn out the last time? No matter. We underestimated the Elements. It shall not happen again this will never end, will it? To live as only half a being, you are ore foolish than we thought Luna turned back to Hildr, her expression full of sadness. "It won't stop. No matter how hard I try, the voices will not stop." Hildr carefully approached Luna and held her arms out. Luna leaned in and allowed Hildr to embrace her. "I know you are disappointed, but I want you to know that you are still allowed to find happiness and you are never alone," she said. "But it is still so hard," Luna whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so confused. Was something different supposed to happen? Have I done something wrong again?" Hildr shook her head. "No Luna, you have done nothing wrong." A new light shone down upon them and Luna looked up to see the sky was clearing and the full moon revealed itself. "It's so pretty," she said. "Just like you," Hildr said. "The nightlight of the world and guardian of dreams." Luna stepped back and wiped her eyes. "I think we have spent enough time in my head," she said. Her horn started to glow and Hildr's vision flashed to white. When Hildr opened her eyes, she saw they were back in her clinic. Luna was human again and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She smiled sadly and wiped her tears. "I suppose the conclusion was rather unsatisfying," she said. "Not every story has a happy ending," Hildr pointed out. Luna narrowed her eyes. "That's not exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to hear," she said. Hildr put her hand on Luna's shoulder. "But it's the kind of thing you needed to hear," she replied. Luna carefully considered Hildr's words. "Since my condition is unheard of in Equestria, how would you treat me here?" she asked. "Long ago, it was done very carefully with medication and therapy," Hildr said. "It is believed that one cause of depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain and we used drugs to help balance the chemistry. Since no two people are the same, proper dosage was carefully monitored. Of course, ther were side effects, but people were able to lead normal lives." "And now?" Luna asked, a glimmer of hope in her voice, "what about me?" Hildr shook her head. "I would be hesitant to prescribe medication because you are a pony and not a human. As such, I don't know how the drugs would affect you, if at all. And that's even if I had the medication or the ability to manufacture it." Hildr's words dashed Luna's small flicker of hope and she visibly deflated. "So I am back to where I started? Have I come all this way for nothing?" Hildr shook her head. "I wouldn't say that. You opened up to me and shared your burden. You faced your repressed memories and learned the truth." Hildr sat back and sighed. "I wish with all my heart that I could just wave my hands and make all of your problems go away. Maybe you can magic your way out of it, but I doubt it." Hildr looked to the ground and became uneasy. "Besides, the medication used often had terrible side effects, sometimes worse than the symptoms." "But I'll never know, will I?" Luna asked, her voice taking a dangerous edge. "It sounds like you don't want to help me after all." "That's a lie and you know it," Hildr shot back. She took a deep breath and centered her thoughts. "We both have been through a lot this evening. Let's talk again in the morning." Luna nodded her consent and went back to her room. When she was gone, Hildr collapsed at her desk and buried her face in her hands. "I messed up," she muttered. In her dream, Luna found herself in pony form back in the Canterlot castle throne room, however the decor had changed drastically. Black and blue banners adorned the walls and stained glass windows lined the walls that depicted events from Luna's point of view. Much to her displeasure, many of the events depicted showed her as Nightmare Moon. The throne room was dark and covered in shadow with moon providing the only illumination through a large skylight. The floor was black and blue marble lined with silver. The columns and high vaulted ceiling were made of sharp and jagged looking crystal. The atmosphere of the throne room was very dark and strangely silent. What drew Luna's eye was the throne. Whatever material it was made of completely absorbed all light, leaving a black hole. Seemingly out of nowhere, Nightmare Moon made her presence known. As soon as she saw her, Luna's heart became heavy. She felt rooted to the spot as if her legs were molded to the floor. An overwhelming feeling of emptiness overcame her and Luna's head bowed to the floor. She didn't have the energy to feel anything. "What more do you want from me?" she asked tiredly. "Haven't you done enough already? Why won't you leave me in peace?" From the steps of the throne, Nightmare Moon spread her wings to make herself look bigger. "What do we want from you? What sort of question is that?" Nightmare Moon bellowed. "All we want is for you to be the pony you were meant to be." "Why do you keep saying that?" Luna cried out. "I don't want to be a monster." "Then what would you have us do? Sit idly by and grow fat and lazy? UNACCEPTABLE! We will not stand for it!" Nightmare Moon replied. Luna's legs gave out and she sank to the floor. She looked longingly up at the moon; so big and bright, yet so far away. "Sometimes I wish I had never been born," she whispered. Nightmare moon snorted in disgust and walked down the steps until she stood over Luna, who wouldn't even look up. "So. Is this the end? Is this when you finally get your wish and I disappear forever?" Luna asked. "Perhaps that is what is needed. We are in a strange land, far from Equestria. Go ahead then, and use this place to realize your ambition." Luna was tired of fighting. She was tired of being looked down upon as the lesser sister. She was tired of the wary looks ponies gave her. She was tired of feeling useless, and she was tired of listening to Nightmare Moon's voice. "You are pathetic," Nightmare Moon hissed. Luna said nothing in reply. "You are unworthy of the gifts bestowed upon you," Nightmare Moon continued. "You act like an old fool who has grown weary of the ways of the world." "Because I am," Luna pointed out. Nightmare Moon's horn flashed and a sword appeared and dropped in front of Luna. "Spare us your self-loathing and take your own life." Luna stared at the blade. The blade was highly polished and Luna saw her expressionless gaze in the reflection. It certainly looked sharp. One quick thrust to the heart and it would all be over. Luna wondered if her soul would be condemned for all eternity for her sins. Here was her chance. Just take the blade and finish it quickly. No one would even know. So why did she hesitate? What was stopping her? Nightmare Moon saw Luna's indecision. "What are you waiting for? The will be the best chance you will ever have." Luna slowly tore her gaze away from the sword. "I am a coward. I can't even bring myself to take my own life properly. How low must I be if I am unable to do such a simple thing?" she asked. Nightmare Moon snarled and kicked the blade away. It clattered across the floor and disappeared in a puff of smoke. "The reason you cannot do this thing is because you still want to live, despite everything," she said. Luna looked up in confusion. "What do I have to live for? Hildr can't even treat me properly for the problems I have." "Why would you want that?" Nightmare Moon bellowed. "To be rid of you!" Luna shouted. "Everything is your fault! Everything is MY fault! I banished Sombra to a place where nopony can remain sane in the darkness and isolation. I nearly killed my own sister and was banished to the moon! I tried to cover the land in permanent darkenss! I let my jealousy and pain get the better of me. I brought you into this world and I can't even make you disappear!" Rage burned in Luna's heart as she struggled to her feet to confront Nightmare Moon. "I HATE you! I HATE myself for feeling this way. Tell me, O Great and Powerful One, what should I do? I CAN'T DO ANYTHING!" "And that is the point!" Nightmare Moon roared back. "You are useless on your own! You need us because we are you! No matter what you do, you will never be rid of us. We will always be here, and we are always watching." Luna's pent up anger finally boiled over. Her eyes blazed white with power and she let out an ear shattering scream. Luna's magic exploded, leveling the entire castle. Luna panted heavily and looked around, but saw no trace of Nightmare Moon. She finally collapsed with exhaustion and everything went black.

Voice in the Night

When All Seems Lost, Hope Remains

Luna woke the next morning feeling marginally better. She winced and held her head in her hands. She felt like her head was splitting open and the light caused a stabbing pain in her eyes. Luna screwed her eyes shut and covered her face with the pillow. This was worse than that one time at Prince Blueblood's birthday party. After that night, Luna swore off Granny Smith's Special Zap Apple Cider for good. The pain slowly subsided and Luna decided she could make it out of bed. She slowly got dressed and made her way downstairs. She didn't find Hildr, but she did notice a pitcher of water and a bottle of pills. Luna read the label and was relieved to find the pills were for headaches, aches and pains. She took two pills and drank some water. Luna was a bit disappointed when the effects didn't immediately take place. Luna looked out the window and groaned when she saw the sun was barely over the mountains. Since she couldn't sleep, Luna decided her time would be better spent doing something productive. The Farm was a bit of a misnomer since no actual cultivation of crops was taking place. Luna walked amongst the buildings. Perhaps this place had been an actual farm, but it had since been repurposed to meet the people's current needs. Instead of animals or farm equipment, the barn was now used for storage and a repair hangar for ships like Hildr's. The large farmhouse in the middle sported an impressive array of antennae and sensor dishes. All of the buildings now served a purpose different than originally intended. At the far end was an open field bordered by a wooden fence. Past the fence was an ocean of prairie grass that stretched to the far off mountains. Luna noticed a large white triangular shaped object at the foot of the mountains. What purpose it served, Luna did not know, but looking at it gave her a funny feeling. Dark clouds seemed to permanently hang overhead and lightning flashed occasionally around the object. Luna heard voiced behind her and turned to see a group of children approach. The all appeared to be of similar age. One of them carried an old ball with a white and black checker pattern. Luna watched with interest as the children separated into two teams and began kicking the ball back and forth. At this point, Luna noticed two goals set at opposite ends. Luna watched the game unfold. A strange feeling stirred deep in her heard and she wondered what it could be. After a moment of contemplation, Luna realized the feeling she felt was wonder. Children, human or pony, fascinated Luna. She was constantly amazed the them. For instance, Luna had witnessed the true terror of Hildr's reality and yet, here were children playing a simple game with little care for anything else. Luna wondered; how did they do it? Surely they were not so insulated as to not realize how precarious their situation truly was. How was it then, that they were able to look at the world in wonder? What did they see? Luna had always been moved by the simplicity and purity of children's dreams. They had not yet become of age where the weight of the world began to set upon their shoulders, and the light slowly dimmed from their eyes. It pained Luna greatly to watch children grow up and face the reality of the world. More than anything, Luna wanted to protect children and their innocent dreams. Luna was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't see the ball end up at her feet. The children gathered around at a respectful distance, unsure of what to do. Finally, one of the older boys spoke up. "Hello? Excuse me." Startled from her thoughts, Luna quickly shook her head and mustered a smile. "Hello little ones," she said pleasantly. The older children shared a look as if to say, "Who are you calling little?" The boy who spoken earlier said, "Sorry miss, but could we have our ball back?" Luna looked down and saw the ball at her feet. Curious, she picked it up and looked it over. "If I may ask, what game were you playing?" she asked. "Soccer," the boy said. He looked her up and down and asked, "You've never heard of it?" Luna shook her head. One of the boy's friends leaned over and whispered, "How does she not know what soccer is?" The boy hissed at his friend and pushed him back. "Duh! Don't you see her skin? She's obviously an Awoken from the Reef." Frowning, a girl spoke up. "Yeah, but why would a Reef-born Awoken come here? It's not like there's anything of interest here." Hearing this, Luna spoke up. "I am not an Awoken, nor am I from the Reef. However, I am most curious about this soccer game. How do you play?" The boy explained the rules as simply as he could. "Two teams try to kick the ball into the other team's net. The only rule is you can't use your hands or arms to touch the ball. First team to score three points wins!" "Why only three points?" Luna asked. The boy pointed toward the goal. "See those lights? That keeps track of the score." The goal currently indicated two points. The boy took the ball, and with a smirk on his face said, "Watch this!" He put the ball on the ground, carefully lined up his shot, and gave the ball a good kick. The ball rolled and bounced across the ground and went in the goal. A tone sounded, the third light turned on, and fireworks exploded from the goal. All of the children began cheering and jumping around. Luna's heart became full to overflowing with joy, watching the children celebrate. She then became sad and asked, "Do you not know of the troubles going on in this world around you?" The children calmed down and looked at each other. "A lot of the adults don't think we understand because we're just kids," the boy said. "We all know that the adults are fighting to keep us safe." "Doesn't that bother you?" Luna asked. The boy shrugged. "Sure it does. We know that we don't have a lot and sometimes, there isn't enough to go around. Some of us don't even have parents or anyone to look after us. All that stuff that happened to the City shows that none of us are safe. Anything could happen at any time, so we have to make the best with what we have." "Plus the Traveler protects us!" the girl spoke up. "And the Guardians too!" "I heard that this one time, a single Hunter took on an entire Cabal base on Mars. By herself! Isn't that crazy?" one of the boys said. "Well I heard from someone that the Doc lady here at the Farm used to be some kind of crazy Warlock that would burn down anything that got in her way," the girl said. The boy scoffed. "Our Doc? What can she do? All she does is sit in the clinic all day and do work. She has that crazy Hunter run errands for her. She doesn't sound so great to me." "Yeah," his friend agreed. "I heard that story about the Warlock too. People used to call her the Valkyrie, but she vanished a long time ago." The girl frowned and Luna gently patted her on the head. "Fear not, you one. Whether it is true or not, tales of the bravery of others often inspires us to be better ourselves." The children ran off to keep playing their game and Luna stayed to watch. That was where Hildr found her several hours later. "Good morning," she said. "How was your night?" "Terrible," Luna replied. "I tossed and turned, hardly slept, and woke with a fearsome headache." Hildr grinned and gave Luna sideways look. "And yet you can't seem to keep that smile off your face," she said. Luna turned to Hildr. "Is that so?" Hildr shook her head. "I take it you found something interesting?" Luna nodded and pointed. Hildr watched the children play for a few minutes. "What makes it so fascinating?" she asked. "How can they run and play and seem so happy when everything around them is so dark and terrible?" Luna asked. Hildr saw her eyes were sparkling and full of amazement. "I have always been fascinated by children, so young and full of life without the world to burden them. They are so small and fragile, yet more aware than we realize. Just now, when I was speaking to them, they seemed wise beyond their years." Hildr thought for a moment. "That might be true," she said with a shrug. "It is true that anything that affects the adults hits the children twice as hard. Most of the children here are orphaned or have only one surviving parent. It is very rare to have both parents still living." Hildr looked back to Luna. "These children, and others like them, lead rough lives. Few will survive to adulthood. When times are lean and resources are scarce, orphaned children aren't given a second thought. They have to fight for everything they have, often harder than the adults. The world can be pretty scary for a child." "Then I will fight for them," Luna said. Hildr saw the steel in Luna's eyes and was impressed by her resolve. "It won't be easy you know," she said. "It does not matter to me," Luna said, shaking her head. "Children are our future. Without them, what hope do we have?" Hildr smiled. "I said you need to find joy in your life, some kind of purpose to put your energy into." She nodded to the children and added, "I think you have found it. Hold on to this Luna. I can't guarantee that your problems will disappear, but finding hope in the things that bring you joy will help when the dark times come." Luna looped her arm through Hildr's and leaned into her. "Do not forget good company and council," she said. "Especially that," Hildr agreed. "I have business to take care of, so I'll leave you here." She patted Luna's arm and went back to the clinic. Luna spent the rest of the day with the children. They warmed up to her and invited her to join in their game. Luna ran back and forth and had a good time, temporarily forgetting her worries. Perhaps those carefree days she once shared with Celestia weren't gone forever. Hildr went back that evening and found Luna kicking the ball by herself. Her footwork was still clumsy, and the ball got away from her more than once, but she kept at it. Hildr was amazed by the heavy concentration Luna showed. As she was dribbling the ball, it rolled off the side of her foot and found its way to Hildr. She picked up the ball and spun it on her finger. "You've been busy," she said. Luna walked up to Hildr and put her hands on her hips. "I would appreciate it if you would return the ball back to me," she said. Hildr smirked and tossed the ball to Luna who trapped it with her chest and began juggling the ball with her knees and feet. Finally the ball dropped to the ground and Luna trapped it with her foot. "I have been thinking that I would like to take this game back to Equestria," she said and wiped her brow. "Well I'm sure that Sunset Shimmer will be more than happy to loan you an actual rule book," Hildr said. The thought had never occurred to Luna and she considered this for a moment. "I suppose that would be reasonable," she said. Hildr turned back the way she had come and gave a little wave for Luna to follow. After a moment of hesitation, Luna kicked be ball into the closest goal and followed Hildr. Down by the dock on the shore of the lake was a recessed seating area with a large fire pit. Hildr added some wood and gave the fire a little boost with her Light. Soon the fire was crackling happily. Hildr sat down and patted the seat next to her. Luna sat down and stared into the fire. Today had been a productive day, Luna decided, but now that night was coming, she started to feel apprehension about what was to come. Hildr sensed her unease. "How are you doing?" she asked. She reached into her bag and pulled out a large thermos. Hildr unscrewed the top and Luna smelled a delicious soup. Her stomach gurgled in approval. Hildr laughed and poured some soup into a bowl and handed it to Luna. Before she could ask, Hildr handed Luna a piece of bread. "This soup is best if you dip the bread and eat it that way," she said. Luna did as instructed and found the bread enhanced the flavor of the soup. She quickly devoured the bread and drank the remainder of the soup. Luna put her bowl down and licked her lips satisfactorily. "I don't think I've ever had a more delicious soup," she said. Hildr smiled and shook her head as she handed Luna a napkin and a cup of water. "You don't have to lie for my sake," she said. "It was the honest truth," Luna insisted. Hildr slowly ate her soup and chewed on her bread, lost in thought. Luna sighed and sat back contentedly. "Long ago, before my sister and I were princesses, we often spent our nights much like this one." Hildr looked at Luna out of the corner of her eye. "You mean on the shores of a lake on a doomed planet?" she asked. Luna shook her head. "Around a fire, under the stars, with pleasant company." Hildr shrugged and continued to stare into the flames. "Listen Luna, I've been doing some thinking." "Oh? About what?" Luna asked. "About what I said to you the other day," Hildr said. "I don't have the proper medication to treat your depression or the other things, but if it's what you want, I think I know where to get it." Hildr's words left Luna at a pause. She had been hurt and upset when Hildr said she didn't have the medication, but now that there was a chance, Luna didn't know what to think. Hildr had stressed that there were risks involved, but did the benefit outweigh the cost? Luna wasn't so sure. "How much trouble would it be for you to obtain this medicine?" Luna asked carefully. Hildr sighed. "I could go to the City and ask there, but I think my best chance would be to visit the recently uncovered Clovis Bray facility on Mars and search the database there." Hildr turned to Luna. "We don't have to go. I can ask Nyx to go instead. She wouldn't mind." Luna thought carefully. Surely there was no harm in looking right? And if the search was unsuccessful, there was no harm done. "I suppose that would be okay," Luna said finally. Hildr nodded and stared down at her feet. "I'm sorry I haven't been much help. Like I've said before, my specialty is battlefield trauma and first aid. I can fix people's bodies, but I know next to nothing about what goes on up here." She tapped herself on the temple to emphasize her point. "I'm flattered you came to me anyway." Luna stared at Hildr in shock. "Who are you and what have you done with Hildr? Certainly you are not the same woman who nearly burned down Canterlot Castle out of frustration, are you? Perhaps you are the one not right in the head." Luna stood up and looked around. "Hello? Anyone? We require a doctor!" Hildr rolled her eyes and pulled Luna back to her seat. Luna giggled and gave Hildr a playful shove. "But seriously, what happened to you? Hildr raised an eyebrow in Luna's direction and said, "I thought we were talking about your problems." Luna snorted. "How the turns have tabled," she said and folded her arms. It took Hildr's brain a split second to interpret what Luna had said before she burst out laughing. "What? What did I say?" Luna asked, clearly confused. "Did I not say that right?" "No! Not at all!" Hildr gasped and nearly fell out of her seat. Luna frowned and took on a dignified air. "I believe you have had your fun now," she said sternly. Hildr sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Okay, you win." Luna cleared her throat and smoothed out her jacket. "I too have thought about what you said, about finding joy and happiness where I can," she said. "So what's your plan?" Hildr asked with interest. "My sister has a school for gifted unicorns. I wish to start a school as well, only my school will be more like a home for the young children who have one parent, no parent, or are simply very poor." Seeing the look Hildr was giving her, Luna continued. "Before you say anything, I am ashamed to admit that there are those in Equestria in these exact circumstances." Luna's face fell and she held her hands to her heart. "Being gone for so long meant that I have missed out on a great many things. Caring for children is one of them. I have come to realize that my protective instinct is very strong, and not having children of my own, per se, has left an interesting void in my heart." Luna looked away out of embarrassment. "I think that I would like to have children of my own someday, but how can that be a possibility with Nightmare Moon still whispering in my ear? I am afraid that I might do something unspeakable. Is it wrong for me to think this way?" Hildr shook her head. "No Luna, you are not wrong. Long ago, if it was decided the mother was unfit or unable to properly care for her children, they were taken away and sent to live with relatives or new families." Luna gasped. She felt like she had been slapped in the face. "How barbaric! How could such a thing even be allowed to happen?" Hildr calmly looked Luna in the eyes. "Like I said Luna, it was in the best interest of the child. Doesn't every child deserve to grow up receiving the love and care he or she needs? And it is a proven fact that children who grow up in a stable environment with both parents have better success in life." Luna carefully considered Hildr's words. "By that logic, if I was ever to have children and something happened to me, they would be taken away? For their own safety?" she asked. Hildr did not reply and Luna angrily shook her head. "No! If anypony tried to take my children, they shall fear my wrath and rue the day!" Hildr put a hand on Luna's arm. "Hold on to that feeling and never let it go," she said. "Remember that, and become a guardian to all the children of Equestria." Luna looked down at her clenched hands and slowly opened them. "There is something else I should tell you," she said and went on to tell Hildr about her dream. "She is right," Luna said when she was done. "Nightmare Moon will always be lurking in the darkest corners of my heart." Hildr thought very carefully. Normally, it wasn't a good idea to enforce or encourage someone's delusions or illness, but Luna was not a normal person. Looking at her now, it was easy to forget Luna was a powerful pony princess. "Luna, are you afraid of Nightmare Moon?" Hildr asked. Luna hesitated before speaking. "I am not so sure anymore," she admitted. "It is true that I as Nightmare Moon have committed terrible acts, but I have learned some things as well." "Like what?" Hildr asked. Luna thought carefully. "I believe, no, it is true that Nightmare Moon is...my true self? No, that is not correct. What I mean is, if I were to let myself go completely, and not hold back, Nightmare Moon is myself at full power. But having such power is a fragile thing. It would be easy to use too much force, and if not properly controlled, there would be dire consequences." "Like eternal night?" Hildr asked with a wry smile. "Exactly," Luna agreed. "Luna and Nightmare Moon are two sides to the same coin. Denying her would be denying half of myself. How can I live as half a pony?" "That is a dangerous way of thinking," Hildr warned. "Humans have good and bad sides too. Sometimes, the bad outweighs the good. Nothing good ever comes from that." Luna nodded her head. "I understand there is a risk involved." She sighed and looked into the flames. "I am not my sister, nor do I wish to be. I cannot do the things she does. She is the bright and shining example to all, while I hide in the shadows unseen." "I see you," Hildr said softly. "Just as there are things only Celestia can do, there are a multitude of things only you can do. I have said it before and I will continue to say it, the reason the ponies of Equestria sleep so well at night is because they have powerful protector watching over them, and may the gods have mercy on those who would cross you and wish to do harm." She let out a tired sigh. "However, in order to fight monsters, you have to be careful not to become one yourself." Luna said nothing. She could feel Nightmare Moon's eyes burning holes in the back of her head. "I do not wish to become a monster, and I hope that is not the case. However, I will do what I must to protect Equestria and my ponies." "Good," Hildr said sternly. "If I ever hear that you've gone completely to the dark side and started a reign of terror, I will find you and end you myself." Luna's anger burned as she looked into Hildr's unrelenting gaze. Who did she think she was to threaten her like that? Did she forget to whom she was speaking? Luna's pupils briefly turned to slits and the atmosphere between them suddenly turned chilly. The sounds of nature grew quiet as Hildr and Luna's overbearing pressures clashed and caused tiny sparks to appear. Luna squeezed her eyes shut, then threw her head back and let loose a hearty laugh. Hildr became confused, then slowly smiled and shook her head. "Why so serious?" Luna asked while holding her sides. When she had calmed down some, she added, "I would expect nothing less from you." "Just don't kill everyone before I get there," Hildr replied. "I make no such promises," Luna replied with an evil grin. Afterwards, they walked back to the clinic and said goodnight.

Voice in the Night

Finding Balance

Luna spent the rest of the week playing with the children. They took to her very quickly. The little girls adored her and the boys tried to get her attention. Luna laughed and called them cute. In addition to playing soccer, Luna told them stories of Equestira and they sat with rapt attention as Luna told them of magical ponies, danger, adventure, and of course, friendship. Luna and Hildr spent long hours talking about anything and everything. Luna was shocked to hear how many years had passed from the time Hildr had started her journey, to the time she returned. Hildr told of her initial struggles to adapt to the new time and how much she had missed. Her heart was no longer made of stone, but Hildr still found it difficult to open up to others. Luna also faced her struggles with Nightmare Moon. With her newfound determination and hope in her heart, Luna was able to sleep somewhat easier. Luna finally said to Hildr over breakfast, "I believe it is time that I returned home." Hildr knew this day would come, but she still felt a pang of sadness. "Okay then," she said. Luna blinked. "Aren't you going to become misty eyed and beg me to stay longer?" Hildr gave Luna a look and said, "No." Luna sighed. "Oh well. One could only hope." Hildr rolled her eyes. "Oh no, please stay Princess. Don't leave me alone or I will become sad and depressed," she said in a flat, monotone voice. Luna giggled. "I should have expected as much." Hildr looked out the window. "If you're not in too much of a hurry, I have to go to the Tower for some business and I would like it very much if you came. I want to show you that this world isn't always so dark and hopeless." Luna thought for a moment and nodded her head. "I suppose that would be acceptable." Hildr looked at the clock and said, "We'll leave in about ten minutes." While Luna waited outside for Hildr, the children came looking for her and begged for Luna to stay. Luna politely refused them and was waving goodbye when Hildr appeared with her bag over her shoulder. "Ready to go?" she asked. Luna nodded sadly. "I hope those children grow up well." "You certainly made an impression on them," Hildr said. "I'll keep an eye on them for you." "Thank you," Luna said and followed Hildr to the landing pad. Raven appeared and called down Hildr's ship. Luna gasped when she saw it. "I have never seen such a thing," she exclaimed and walked around it. "Non-pegasai ponies usually walk or take the train. We have a few hot air balloons, but nothing like this." Hildr grinned sheepishly and nervously rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, about that. I might have let Twilight Sparkle look at the tech manual for one of my ships and she seemed especially interested in near-light speed travel." Luna narrowed her eyes. "Is that so? I shall have to be on the lookout for experiments with disastrous results." "Let's get on board, shall we?" Hildr said hurriedly and pushed Luna up the ramp. Once they were strapped in, Hildr took the controls and set a course for the City. Not much was said during the flight. Hildr was piloting and Luna stared out the window. Of course she had flown before, but never like this. She would easily tire herself if she tried to fly this fast for this long. Luna wondered what would happen if technology such as this was brought to Eqestria. Science and learning would advance rapidly, but there was bound to be some push back from the more traditional ponies. Change was never easy and often took a long time to be implemented and become accepted. Luna had no doubt that such a thing would one day be possible. Soon they were flying over walled fortifications and the biggest non-natural barrier Luna had ever seen loomed before them. With a grin, Hildr gained altitude and flew over the wall, revealing the City and the Traveler with dramatic flair. Hildr peeked over at Luna to see her reaction as was not disappointed. Luna was spellbound. She had thought this many times since coming here, but she had never before seen such a sight. The City lay sprawled out under the Traveler with the tallest buildings directly underneath. As the city spread out, Luan could see where previous walls had been erected and partially torn down to accommodate growth. The outer walls loomed over the City below and signs of a recent battle were apparent. The ground was covered in craters and many buildings had suffered damage or were in ruins. Some parts of the wall were still smoking and in need of repair. What really caught Luna's eye was the Traveler. It was the size of a small moon and looked like it had been cracked open. Large chunks of the outer shell orbited the main body while smaller debris caused a significant flight hazard if one flew too close. Hildr steered for a section of the wall near one of the towers that was under repair. She brought the ship to a halt and lowered the ramp. As they disembarked, Hildr found Nyx waiting for them. She was leaning against a stack of crates with her arms crossed. "Nyx. I wasn't expecting you here," Hildr said. Nyx shrugged in reply. "I go where I please and do as I please," she said. "Clearly," Hildr replied. Even after all this time, Nyx made Hildr feel uneasy for some reason. Regardless, she started walking and stopped when she noticed Luna wasn't following. "Are you coming?" she asked. Luna looked from Nyx to Hildr and back again. "If you do not mind, I wish to speak with Nyx," she said. Hildr frowned, then her face became an expressionless mask. "Suit yourself," she replied curtly and walked off at a brisk pace. Nyx watched her leave. "Don't worry. She'll get over it." Luna glanced nervously at Nyx. Her helmet was blank and a solid blue color. Luna didn't know where to look. "You have questions," Nyx said. It was a statement more than a question. "Yes," Luna replied, "But first, why do you always wear a helmet? Are you afraid to let others see your face?" Nyx stood up straight and stepped closer to Luna, who leaned away with a fearful expression on her face. "My face? Why do you want to see my face? Does this shapeless mask bother you?" Nyx asked. "In a way," Luna replied cautiously. Nyx looked down at her hands. "I ask you Princess, what is a face, but a mask we wear to show others? If that is true, then what is your True Face? Is it the face you show others? Is it the face you show only to your beloved sister? Or is your True Face the one you never show anyone, including yourself?" "Why do you speak in such a difficult manner?" Luna asked. "Is it so hard to show your face when asked, or answer a simple question?" "Why do you ask that which you already know the answer?" Nyx replied. "Is that not the reason you came here in the first place, to show your True Face and seek answers?" Luna was completely baffled by Nyx. Why did she have to speak in riddles? She was starting to become angry. "I am beginning to think this was a waste of time," Luna said, narrowing her eyes. Nyx chuckled. "Your threats mean nothing to me Princess. Since you are so eager, I will show you my face, but first I shall tell you a story. "Once there was a Cat, born into a world it did not understand. The Masters said to the Cat, 'You and the other cats shall do our bidding and fight our enemies, for they are strong and we are not.' So the Cat did as it was told and fought the enemies it was told to fight. By all accounts, this Cat was a good cat. "But you see, this particular Cat was inflicted with a terrible curse, and that curse is Curiosity. That in itself is not a bad thing, since Curiosity made the Cat clever, and that mad the Cat better at killing enemies. But Curiosity hung over the Cat like a dark cloud. The Cat started to ask questions because the Cat started to notice things that did not make sense. Who were the enemies? Where did they come from? Why were they fighting? Why did the enemies appear to have no limit? No matter how many they killed, why did more keep coming? Who put the Masters in charge? There were many more questions, but few answers. The other cats did not care because they were good cats who did as they were told. "Curiosity led the Cat to seek Forbidden Knowledge. There is a reason why Truth is Knowledge and Knowledge is Power. Those with the Truth hold all the Power. And so, the Cat found and ate the fruit of Forbidden Knowledge. Its eyes were opened and the Cat saw the Truth." Luna listened to Nyx's story. She didn't understand any of it, but she felt herself drawn in by Nyx's words. She didn't know why, but she knew that something terrible would be revealed and it sent chills down her spine. "And what was the Truth?" she asked nervously. Nyx turned away from Luna. "The Truth you say?" Without pulling down her hood, Nyx reached up and removed her helmet. "The Truth is, Curiosity didn't kill the Cat, it shaped it into something else and showed the Cat what its True Face was." Nyx slowly turned around and fear condensed into an icy ball in Luna's stomach. From the shadows of her cloak, two eyes burned brightly, one ice blue and the other angry red. Nyx stepped forward and the shadows shifted, offering Luna a clear look at her face and she gasped. Since Nyx was an Exo, a robot with a human-like form, the right side of her face was normal metal plating that was shaped and moved like a normal face and mouth. The base color was light blue with a wide black stripe that ran down her cheek from her blue eye to her mouth. The left side of her face was heavily scarred and disfigured. Most of the metal plating was damaged or missing, exposing the intricate and complex workings beneath. Luna felt like Nyx's red left eye was staring straight into her soul. Seeing Nyx's face left Luna feeling unnerved and she unconsciously recoiled back. Nyx chuckled and put her helmet back on. "I don't show my face for that exact reason, but I have not forgotten what my Face looks like." "What happened to you?" Luna asked. "In addition to the Truth, the Cat also saw the Future," Nyx continued instead. "The Future is a bit of a paradox. Upon witnessing the Future, does one try to change the outcome, ultimately causing the Future? Or does one do nothing and allow the Future to take place? The answer is, the Cat did not care one way or the other. This particular Future was fated to happen, whether the Cat did anything or not. So the Cat decided to hasten the coming of the Future. For its actions, the Cat was punished by the Masters and locked away. Time passed and the Cat was forgotten, until the Future came to pass." Luna's head went dizzy trying to follow and comprehend Nyx's story. "I fail to see what this has to do with anything," she said. Nyx turned and stared out of the hangar, up at the Traveler. "What if I told you none of this was real and that we exist in an elaborate web of simulation and fantasy?" Luna put her hands to her head and groaned. "Please speak plainly for once!" she complained. "I am," Nyx replied evenly. "He who as ears, let him hear." "I have ears and I am listening," Luna sulked. "But you do not Listen," Nyx emphasized. "You have eyes but you do not See. You Princess, are frustrated with your helplessness and need to be rescued, yet you do not know why." Luna nodded. "This is because you are not the Main Character of your own story," Nyx explained. "You are nothing more than a beloved side character with little or no back story, or relevance to any ongoing Plot. Ask yourself, why are there gaps in your memories? What happened to you in the time between your purification by the Elements and your return during Nightmare Night?" Luna's mind stumbled over these questions, but no answers were forthcoming. "All along, you have known something was wrong, something was out of place, but you did not know what it was, nor could you put your hoof on it. The reason for the gaps in your memories is because the Primary Creator has not filled them and the Secondary Creator has tried to do so," Nyx said. "What do you mean by primary and secondary creator?" Luna asked. "Are not the gods the creators of this world?" "The difference does not matter," Nyx said. "The purpose of the Primary Creator is to lay the foundation for the World and the rules that govern it. The Secondary Creator takes that foundation and builds upon it as seen fit." Luna was completely lost. She had no clue how to follow anything that Nyx had said. However, a tiny seed of doubt was planted in the dark corners of Luna's mind. A very tiny part of her realized that there was some truth to what Nyx said. Denial and Ignorance quickly and loudly tried to drown it out, but the seed was still there and would continue to grow very slowly. Luna paced back and forth to try and focus her thoughts, but she grew more and more frustrated. "Why did you tell me all of this in the first place?" she asked angrily. "I only wanted to see your face." "And I have shown it to you, and imparted some wisdom onto you," Nyx said. "There is no wisdom, only the ramblings of a fool," Luna shot back. "Wisdom to the fool is like pears before swine," Nyx said. "I have spoken the Truth to you. Whether you believe or not is up to you." She reached into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a small bottle. "This is the medicine Hildr asked me to find. Included are directions for dosage and, if you find yourself needing more, instructions for Sunset Shimmer to obtain it for you." Nyx tossed the bottle to Luna who fumbled around and finally clutched it in her hands. Nyx walked past Luna, saying, "I will take you to Hildr now." She stopped and turned back. "I know how violent your reaction to our moon was. What do you suppose would happen if you actually set foot there?" Luna recoiled at the thought and Nyx added, "To answer your other question, why I am the way I am?" Luna nodded hesitantly, expecting more cryptic answers. Nyx chuckled and said, "Because I'm written this way." That was the final push and Luna's mind finally broke. Nyx let the way from the Hangar, through the Courtyard, to the Bazaar with Luna following mindlessly behind. Hildr was talking with Ikora Rey, the Warlock Vanguard, when Nyx appeared with Luna in tow. She recognized the glazed look in Luna's eyes. "What did you do Nyx?" she asked. "Did you break her?" Nyx looked back to Luna. "All I did was answer her questions." Ikora narrowed her eyes. "Nyx. You are free to come and go as you please, but it would do you well to remember that you walk a thin line. The only reason you are walking free right now is because the Red Legion broke your prison." Nyx shrugged and showed her hands. "Even I know when I am not wanted." She turned to Luna and said, "Remember what I have said and meditate on my words Princess." Luna barely acknowledged Nyx as the Hunter brushed past and disappeared into the crowd. When she was gone, Hildr turned to Luna and asked, "What was that about?" "Huh? What?" Luna asked, finally snapped out of her stupor. Ikora and Hildr shared a look. "I can have Cayde speak to Nyx," Ikora said. HIldr shook her head. "It wouldn't do any good. I think Cayde fears her the most." "And for good reason," Ikora said. "I know Nyx played an important part in the Red War, but I agree with Cayde. Nyx is dangerous and should not be allowed to go free." Hildr frowned and turned her attention back to Luna. "Luna, what did Nyx say to you?" Luna shook her head. Her encounter with Nyx was fading into her memories, but her words struck her deep in the heart. Her words sounded absurd, but what if Nyx wasn't wrong? But how did she know? Luna blinked her eyes to focus and reached into her pocket. Her hand touched the bottle and she stopped. Did Hildr really need to know? She did say that she would ask Nyx to look for the medicine. Luna's hand tightened around the bottle and she shook her head. "I asked Nyx about herself and we talked briefly about her past." "Did she mention anything about her Truth?" Ikora asked. Luna hesitated and shook her head. While Ikora and Hildr continued talking, Luna walked to the railing nearby and looked out over the City. From this height, the City seemed like a sprawling metropolis of the future. Luna never would have guessed the City was built on desperation and hope. A sense of wistfulness came over her. Humans really were fascinating creatures. Hildr walked up to Luna and placed a hand on her arm. "Are you okay? I should have told Nyx to take it easy. She's not exactly an easy person to get along with," she said. Luna took a deep breath. "I believe those kinds of ponies, er people, are important to have interaction with. They constantly challenge our beliefs and views, and offer a dfferent outlook on life." Hildr gave Luna a long look. "I'm done with my business here. We can stay a little longer if you like, or we can go." A sudden idea came upon Luna. Perhaps it blossomed from the seed Nyx planted earlier, but the abruptness that it came upon her startled Luna. Off on the horizon, the moon was beginning to rise. Nyx was right. Curiosity was a dangerous curse. She hesitated for a moment and said, "I think I would like to see your moon." Hildr was shocked. What was Luna saying? "Why?" was all she could ask. Luna closed her eyes and vigorously shook her head. "I don't know. The idea suddenly came upon me." Hildr stared long and heard at Luna, to the point that Luna was starting to feel uncomfortable. "You still want to go to the moon, even after eyeverything that happened to you?" she asked. Just like that, the thought was gone, like it had never been there. Luna blew out a short breath and wiped her brow with her hand. "No. I would never wish to visit such a vile and disgusting place, unless it was absolutely necessary," she said. Hildr's gaze softened and she nodded. "Good. Well, I suppose we should get you back then." She led Luna back to the hangar where they boarded her ship and departed from the Tower. Luna used her magic to track the location of the portal and told Hildr where to go. Hildr was quite surprised to learn the portal was not too far from The Farm in an abandoned town called Trostland. "So something has been bothering me about all this," she said. "And what would that be?" Luna asked. "First, how did Nyx know to find you?" Hildr asked. Luna shrugged. "I do not understand it myself. I told nopony of my plans and I had no idea where I would end up. Nyx mentioned something about a 'plot device,' but I do not understand what that means." Hildr rolled her eyes. "Of course. No one understands anything Nyx says or does. Sometimes, I wonder if SHE knows what she's doing." She shook her head and added, "My second question is, how did you even find me in the first place? I mean, I ended up in your world by accident, but you seem to have found a faster and better way." Luna smiled faintly. "Believe me, it was no easy task. To put it simply, everypony and creature in Equestria has a unique magical signature." "So like a fingerprint then?" Hildr asked. "I do not know what that is, but I will say yes," Luna said. "Your time in Equestria exposed you to Magic and you have made it your own by mixing it with your Light. It took me a few days, but I developed a tracking spell to single out your unique Magic signature and take me to you. As I have said, this was incredibly risky with a very low chance for success." Luna's face fell and she looked down in her lap. "I was desperate and a very slim chance was better than no chance at all." Hildr was quiet for a moment before asking, "So what did you do, reconfigure the mirror portal?" "Precisely," Luna replied. Hildr winced. "I wonder what Twilight will think when she finds out you messed with the mirror." Luna's eyes narrowed. "First of all, the mirror belongs to my sister who moved it to Twilight Sparkle's castle on loan, as you would say. If she has taken an issue with my using the mirror, we will discuss it when I return." Hildr flew on in silence until Luna pointed out the location below. Hildr piloted the ship down, but before disembarking, Hildr said, "Hold on. There's something I need to do before we go." She reached into a locker and pulled out a shotgun that looked like it had seen better days. "Here," she said, handing the weapon to Luna. "What do you expect me to do with this?" Luna asked. The shotgun was big and heavy. Luna struggled with finding the correct grip. "I expect you to defend yourself," Hildr said simply. "This area is known to be crawling with Fallen. It pays to be prepared." Hildr reached into another locker and pulled out a sidearm, a fancy looking autorifle, and a sword. Luna watched as Hildr holstered her weapons. "What happened to your other sword?" she asked. Hildr looked her sword over before putting it over her back. "I left it to Sunset Shimmer. It seemed like the right thing to do," she said. Hildr then explained the basic functions of the shotgun. "It's fully automatic, so if you hold down the trigger it will keep firing. However, it has a lot of kick, so make sure you hold it properly or you will hurt yourself." She also handed Luna a pouch with spare shotgun shells. Once Luna was okay with holding the shotgun, Hildr equipped her helmet and lowered the ramp. When they were on the ground, the ship automatically departed for orbit. The area was just as quiet as Luna remembered. She walked forward cautiously, looking for anything that seemed out of place. She approached the ring of statues and put her hand on each of them and activated her Magic until she found the right one. Luna was relieved to find the portal was still active. "I must admit that I didn't quite thing this through," she said. "You mean, what would you do if the portal had closed?" Hildr asked and Luna nodded. "Well, we're here now, might as well get on with it." "I'd wait a moment if I were you," Nyx said, startling both Hildr and Luna. "Nyx! What are you doing?" Hildr shouted. "Indeed," Luna replied with a frown and tried to get her racing heart under control. "I figured we should take care of that before you say your long and mushy goodbyes," Nyx said and pointed to the sky. Hildr and Luna looked up to see a long, narrow ship with a large bulbous front end appear and hover above. Doors opened from the bottom and a squad of strange looking aliens dropped to the ground. A section of the sky started to shimmer and distort, and an enormous metal ball appeared. "What is that?" Luna asked. "That is a Giant Servator, those are Fallen, and this is an Either expedition," Nyx said. "We can either wait it out until the Fallen are done, or we can do something about it." Suddenly filled with dread, Luna asked, "Like what?" Thought she couldn't see her face, Luna imagined Nyx was wearing an evil smile. Nyx pulled out an elaborate silver plated handcannon with pearl grips. She gave it a twirl and said, "We kill them all, of course." She walked calmly toward the group of Fallen, her handcannon firing three bursts with every trigger pull. Another drop ship appeared and more Fallen joined the battle. Hildr seethed with quiet rage. "She really pisses me off sometimes," she said through gritted teeth. Hildr pulled out her autorifle and adjusted the settings until it took on blue highlights. With a growl, Hildr shot the closest Fallen and moved forward. Luna was rooted to the spot as chaos erupted around her. Fortunately, she was out of the way and garnered little attention. Luna was no stranger to fighting or warfare, but the way Hildr and Nyx fought with their weapons seemed impersonal in a way. She looked down at the shotgun in her hands. It seemed like such a cold and emotionless piece of metal. Luna felt no attachment to it at all. One of the larger four armed Fallen, a Vandal, noticed Luna and ran at her. Startled, Luna fumbled with the shotgun and raised it to her shoulder like Hildr had showed her, and jerked her finger against the trigger. Hildr had warned her about the recoil, but failed to say anything about the noise. Luna's ears rang as the shotgun continued to fire until the magazine was empty, the recoil pushing the muzzle up into the air. Fortunately, two shotgun blasts caught the Fallen Vandal in the chest and face and it died at Luna's feet. What madness is this? this is warfare in this world This is unacceptable and we will not stand for it then what do you suggest? We show them how it should be done Another Fallen, wielding an electrified spear, charged at Luna. This one has character Luna's eyes turned electric blue with slit pupils. The Fallen stabbed at Luna, who dodged to the side and grabbed the shaft of the spear. She lowered her center of gravity and threw her hip into the alien. Off-balance, it rolled over Luna's back and fell on the ground. Before it could recover, Luna stomped down on its head and pulled the spear out of its grasp. An interesting weapon, but we have no use for it Luna broke the spear in half over her knee and threw the pieces aside. She held her hand out and a small sigil appeared on the ground. A long pole emerged and Luna pulled forth an elaborate spear. The shaft was made of dark blue crystal inlaid with silver. The double edged point was about as long as Luna's forearm, black as night and wicked sharp. Luna spun the weapon in her hands to get a feel for its heft. A weapon fit for a queen or princess Luna strode purposefully into the midst of battle. Nyx and Hildr spent most of their time shooting at the Giant Servator overhead, but the Fallen shooting at them made it difficult. Three smaller Servators appeared and projected a shield around the Giant Servator. Hildr and Nyx immediately turned their attention to destroying the smaller Servators. Luna found herself close to one of the Servators. It turned in her direction and began spouting mechanical noises. Luna raised her spear overhead and brought it down, slicing the Servator in two. This form is surprisingly useful, despite its lack of wings or mobility. you are not used to this body It makes no difference. They will fall all the same A large Fallen with four arms appeared on the battlefield. It was vastly larger than the others and began shouting it its own language. It also carried two swords with electrified blades. Ah. The commander makes itself known Luna approached the Fallen Captain. From the other side of the plaza, Hildr watched Luna and the Captain meet. "What is she doing?" she asked out loud. Before she could move, Nyx grabbed her by the arm. "Just wait," she said. "Wait for what?" Hildr shouted. "She's going to be killed!" Nyx met Hildr's stare head on and didn't flinch. "Have you already forgotten what she is?" Nyx asked. "No," Hildr growled. Nyx shot a Vandal in the face and pointed back to Luna. "Let the Princess do as she wants. You and I have bigger things to worry about." Hildr pulled her arm out of Nyx's grasp. "Fine," she hissed and readied her rocket launcher. Luna stood before the Captain and sized it up. It was more than twice her height and heavily armored. It's face had many scars, presumably from fighting up through the ranks. You shall make a worthy opponent Luna raised her spear in salute. The Captain replied by roaring in her face and swinging at her head with its sword. Luna ducked and stepped back, bringing her spear up. The Captain ducked low and lunged forward, intending to slice Luna's legs. Luna put her spear down to block and the weapons clashed together, but the Captain's overpowering strength knocked Luna to the side. She rolled and came up in a crouch, stabbing forward. Her action caught the Captain by surprise, but its heavy armor deflected the blow, leaving a deep scratch. Still crouched, Luna swept her spear along the ground at the Captain's legs. However, the Captain jumped back and howled. This one is persistent then stop toying with it Do not command us! then hurry up and finish. the big servitor looks angry Luna frowned as the Captain charged in again. She thrust her hand out and used a powerful blast of Magic to knock the Captain back. It rose to its feet, a little more wary this time and stalked toward Luna. This one is not so bright Luna brought her weapon down in a diagonal slash. The Captain brought its swords up to block, but the blade seemed to shift and pass through the guard and left a deep gash from left shoulder to right hip. The Captain staggered back in confusion. Luna used the force of her strike to turn in a circle and build her momentum into a powerful uppercut. The Captain fell back, nearly cut in half. Luna looked up at the fighting still going on and snorted with displeasure. This has gone on long enough Luna brought her weapon back and held it behind her. The blade began to glow with blue-black energy, and once Luna had charged it with enough Magic, she swung her spear in a broad horizontal sweep. A wave of energy in the shape of a crescent swept across the plaza, instantly killing the remaining Fallen. Luna narrowed her eyes and looked up to the Giant Servator. It seemed to look down at Luna and let loose a barrage of loud mechanical noises. The center ring began to glow and the Servator shot a blast of energy at Luna, who batted it aside with her spear as if it were nothing. Now, let us show you what TRUE power is Luna's eyes turned black with blue flames and she held out her hand. The Giant Servator became surrounded by black sigils. It tried to teleport away, but Luna held it in her grasp. She clenched her fist and numerous blades erupted from the sigils, impaling the Servator. Luna opened and closed her fist several times until the Servator was nothing more than metal chunks. This was not worth our time are you satisfied? Hardly, but it was an effective display of our power Luna's eyes cleared and her weapon disappeared with a puff of smoke. Luna blinked several times and she looked around at the destruction. Her heart was heavy for the loss of life. Why was such destruction necessary? Hildr put her weapons away and carefully approached. "Luna? Are you okay?" she asked. Luna let out a long sigh. "I will be I suppose. I know this violence is a way of life for you, but that does not make it any easier." "It's either them or us, and I choose us," Nyx said. Luna frowned at Nyx and said, "Survival is never so simple." Hildr ignored Nyx and stepped up next to Luna. "Well, the coast is clear. Better get going before the Fallen come back." Luna nodded and grabbed Hildr in a big hug. "Thank you for all your help," she said. Hildr was surprised at first, then hugged Luna back. "I forget how touchy-feely you ponies are," she said. Luna released Hildr and turned toward the statue, but Nyx blocked her way. "What do you want?" she asked defensively. Nyx leaned forward and whispered in Luna's ear. At first, Luna was confused, then her eyes went wide and she started to chuckle. Nyx leaned back and Luna had a huge grin on her face. "Wherever did you hear such a thing?" Nyx shrugged and moved out of Luna's way. Still grinning, Luna stepped through the portal and disappeared. After she was gone, Hildr walked up to Nyx and asked, "What did you say to her?" "That is for another time, O Reader Mine," Nyx replied and walked away, leaving Hildr shaking her head.

Voice in the Night

Bittersweet Homecoming

Luna emerged from the portal and found that she was indeed back in Twilight Sparkle's castle. She looked down and noticed she was back in her true pony form. Luna stretched her wings and gave herself a good shake all over. Being a human was an interesting experience, but she was happy to be a pony again. Luna heard something drop to the floor and the bottle Nyx had given her rolled out from under her hooves. Luna's pleasant mood was sufficiently dampened as she stared down at the bottle. The voices were still there unfortunately, but they were quieter. Luna sat down and thought back over her little adventure. Had it been worth it? Yes, Luna decided that it had indeed been worth it, even if she didn't get all the answers she wanted. Nightmare Moon was still there and still whispering from the dark, but Luna had discovered a purpose and a dream to believe in. As long as she had that, along with people and ponies that believed in her, Luna was hopeful for the future. Luna went to the window and saw that it was night and the moon was up. Luna glanced about the night sky and was pleased to find that Celestia had somewhat followed her instructions. Luna closed her eyes and reached out to the moon. hello moon. it is I, luna The moon greeted her back like an old friend. Luna wiped the tears out of her eyes as her heart was filled with peace and happiness. She saw the window was partially open, so Luna turned to mist and slipped through. The next morning, Celesta sat alone at the table. It had been almost a week since Luna departed on her journey. Celestia tried not to worry when Luna seemingly vanished during the night and failed to send word of her location. Luna was a big pony who could take care of herself, or so Celestia told herself. The doors flew open and Celestia looked up to see Luna walk confidently into the dining hall. Celestia could only stare at the transformation. Luna's coat was glossy and looked freshly brushed, and her mane was vibrant as ever. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "So. I take it your journey went well?" Celestia asked warily. "Indeed," Luna said, taking her seat at the table. She used her magic to put a pastry and fruit on her plate and began eating. The suspense was starting to get to Celestia. Luna sat there with great difficulty in keeping the grin off her face. Celestia couldn't imagine what would make Luna act this way. As calmly as she could, Celestia took a bite of cake and sipped her tea. The tension mounted as the only sounds were chewing and the tinkling of silverware. Finally Celestia had enough. "That's it! Luna! What happened on your trip? Why did you leave suddenly, and why did you never send word of your whereabouts?" Luna broke down in giggles. "And I missed you as well sister." She took a deep breath and continued. "I shall tell you my story, but I caution you as it is not all 'happiness and rainbows' as they say." Celestia sat with rapt attention as Luna recounted her tale. She left nothing out as she told her sister for the first time of her inner struggles and fears. Luna had to stop several times to fight back tears, but she continued onward. However, she failed to mention the medicine Nyx had given to her. When she was finished, Celestia ran to her side in tears and held Luna tightly. "Oh Luna, why didn't you say something before?" she asked. Luna hid her face in Celestia's ivory wings. "I was frightened and ashamed. Frightened what you might say or think and ashamed that I was having these struggles. I do not say this lightly, but it was very hard to admit these things." Celestia rubbed her face against Luna's mane. "I feel slightly bitter that you ran to somepony we just met, rather than me for help," she said. "I know and I am sorry," Luna said. "But in my state of mind, I could not think of anypony else to turn to. What pony in all of Equestria could I turn to for help? Who could understand what I was going through?" Celestia sighed. "What's done is done, and now you are here." Luna sat back from Celestia with a huge grin on her face. "Oh and sister, while I was there, I heard a joke you might enjoy." "Oh?" Celestia asked with interest. Luna leaned forward and whispered in Celestia's ear. When she was done, Luna sat back with a satisfied look on her face. At first, Celestia didn't get it. Understanding finally dawned on Celestia and her face turned bright red from embarrassment. "Luna!" she shrieked. Luna erupted into a fit of giggles over Celestia's reaction. "Why you...little...Hmph!" Celestia turned away, her face still warm. No matter how hard she tried, the mental image would not go away. Celestia would never look at sour cream the same way ever again. After she had calmed down, Luna said, "In all seriousness, there is another matter I would like to discuss with you. This matter is dear to me, so please listen to what I have to say." Celestia listened carefully as Luna explained what she wanted. "Of course Luna. I think that is a wonderful idea," she said. Luna beamed with pride. "Okay students, take your seats," Miss Cheerilee said. The little colts and fillies grew quiet and found their seats. Sweetie Belle peered closely at Miss Cheerilee. "Hey. Do you guys think Miss Cheerilee is acting kinda funny?" "Not really. 'Course I aint' exactly the type to notice that sorta thing," Applebloom replied. "Maybe she's going to tell us some kind of big secret, like she's dating Big Mac, or she found a long lost relative!" Scootaloo whispered excitedly. Applebloom turned her nose up at Scootaloo. "I know for a fact that Big Mac and Miss Cheerilee ain't datin'." "How do you know that?" Sweetie Belle asked. Before Applebloom could answer, Miss Cheerilee spoke up. "Today we have a special guest." The students looked at each other with excitement and confusion. Who could it possibly be? The door opened, revealing none other than... "Princess Luna!" the students shouted excitedly. "Hello little ones," Luna beamed. She looked to Miss Cheerilee and said, "If your teacher does not mind, gather around." Miss Cheerilee nodded her approval and the children rushed closer to Luna. Once they were seated, Luna summoned a large pillow and sat down as well. "Listen carefully little ones, and I will tell you the tale of a journey I have taken." "Will there be lots of action and explosions?" Scootaloo asked excitedly. "But of course!" Luna replied. "How about romance?" Sweetie Belle asked dreamily. "Maybe a little bit," Luna said and began her story. Luna's heart was full of happiness. This was what she was meant to do. She would watch over all of the children of Equestria and do everything in her power to keep them safe. We are always watching

Voice in the Night

Bonus Chapter: The Valkyrie and The Nightmare

Hildr stared long and hard at Luna, to the point that Luna was starting to feel uncomfortable. "You still want to go to the moon, even after everything that happened to you?" she asked. Luna's eyes narrowed. Who was Hildr to question her like this? Fog slowly enveloped Luna's mind. Her vison became cloudy and she felt like she was having an out of body experience. Luna saw herself talking and heard herself speaking, but it felt like she was watching from afar. It was a very surreal experience. "Of course I want to see your moon," Luna heard herself say. "I wish to look upon this festering evil myself. Do you not realize how important the moon is? It sickens me to think that you have allowed something like this to happen." Hildr frowned. "It's not like we let it happen. There was a lot going on at the time and we had no way to prevent it. And when we did try to take it back, it ended in disaster." Suddenly the feeling was gone and Luna felt like she was back in her own body. A wave of dizziness came over her and she leaned on the railing for support. Hildr was instantly concerned. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked. Luna waved her off. "I am fine, just a bit of dizziness," she said. Luna took a few deep breaths and stood up straight. "Now then. I believe we have somewhere to be." Hildr stared uncertainly at Luna for a few moments, then shook her head. "Okay. Since you insist, we'll go." Moments later, Luna found herself staring out of the window of Hildr's ship as they flew to the moon at near light speed. Whatever confidence Luna had felt before was gone and replaced by trepidation and fear. What came over her to make her say those things to Hildr? Her thoughts were murky and Luna shook her head to try and clear it out. As they flew closer and closer to the moon, Luna could feel the evil that was waiting for her. It opened its arms and beckoned for her to come. It wanted to embrace Luna and show her things she never thought were possible. It wanted to show her power beyond her wildest dreams. It wanted to drink her soul and fill the remaining husk with its own purpose. It wanted Luna to become its herald of Darkness, go back to Equestria, and claim it for the Darkness. Luna broke out into a cold sweat. This was a bad idea. She never should have come. Luna tried to open her mouth to say something, but the words would not come. Her heart started to race and felt like it would beat out of her chest. Luna began to panic. What was going on? What was happening to her? Hildr piloted the ship down to the surface of the moon. She looked behind her and noticed the vacant look in Luna's eyes. "Luna? Is everything okay?" she asked. Luna slowly turned her head to look at Hildr. The light seemed to come back to her eyes and she said, almost mechanically, "Everything is fine." Hildr stared at her like she didn't believe it. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to." Luna stared back unblinking at Hildr. "If you say so," Hildr replied with a shrug. She unbuckled and turned to face Luna. "Something I forgot was to loan you a set of armor. There's no air on the moon and you'll probably die from exposure," she said. Luna shook her head. "Do not worry. My magic will protect me," she said. Hildr shrugged and put her helmet on. "This might feel a little strange," she said and they transmatted to the surface. As soon as Luna's feet touched the moon's soil, she doubled over in great pain. What she felt back on Earth through her link was nothing compared to what was happening to her now. The Darkness burrowed its way deep into Luna's being and tried to remake her into its own image. Luna's consciousness retreated to the furthest corners of her mind. She watched in agony as her body and soul were quickly taken over. Hildr seemed to suffer no ill effects. What was it about Luna that made her so vulnerable? Was it because of the darkness in her own heart? Luna had done terrible things, but she never thought of herself as an evil being. Was this her punishment for that way of thinking? She could feel the Darkness closing in around her. Unlike before, there would be no going back. Are you giving up? what else can i do? You disgust us. We have given you a chance, now it is our turn please don't We will not stand to be devoured by this vile thing. It thinks it can remake us? US?!? We shall show it the error of its ways! Hildr quickly turned around and watched helplessly as Luna collapsed to the ground in agony. She was instantly furious at herself. You fool! This is all your fault! Hildr noticed the dark blue aura that surrounded Luna's body and assumed this to be her magic at work. She bent down to help, but was violently rebuffed and knocked back by a force field. Luna picked herself up to her hands and knees and began crawling toward Hildr. A black shadow appeared around Luna's feet and quickly crawled up her body and hardened into a shiny black shell. Luna's eyes pleaded for help and she reached desperately for Hildr as the darkness consumed her completely. The shapeless form that used to be Luna fell to the ground. Hildr's heart hammered away in her chest and she felt like she was going to throw up. She swallowed and tried to force the lump back down her throat. Hildr began shaking all over from fear and adrenaline. She didn't know what to do. In all her years, she had never seen anything like this. The shapeless form moved and Hildr jumped. She watched carefully as it rose to its feet and stood up before her. Cautiously, Hildr approached and reached out to touch the form. The shell began to crack and Hildr jerked her arm back. More cracks appeared and spread all over as pieces began to flake off and disappear. Luna's face was revealed and the first thing HIldr noticed was her skin had turned coal black instead of midnight blue. Her hair had turned flat grey and moved about in wisps like smoke. Luna's eyes remained closed as the rest of her body was revealed. The aura that now surrounded Luna had also changed to black. A tiny flicker of hope sparked in Hildr's chest. "Luna?" she called out hopefully. Luna's eyes slowly opened and Hildr saw they had turned electric blue with slited black pupils. Her face slowly spread into an evil grin and she began to chuckle softly. Her laughter continued to build until Luna threw her head back and cackled maniacally. "You fool! You have no idea the doom you have brought upon yourself!" she laughed. Hildr stepped back and stood up straight. "So. You must be Nightmare Moon," she said. Nightmare Moon nodded and looked herself over. "This form will take some getting used to, but we can see why Luna is fond of it." Hildr frowned and asked, "Where is Luna?" Nightmare moon spread her arms. "Standing before you. We are Luna and Luna is us." "So I've heard," Hildr replied. "And now that you are here, what do you intend to do?" Nightmare Moon snarled and spat on the ground. "Your moon is infested with a vile and evil Darkness. It tried to infect us once, and yet, you bring us here anyway? First we are going to rid this world of you, then we shall cleanse this moon and use it to suit our own needs." Hildr wasn't quite sure what to make of all this. On one hand, she didn't want to hurt Luna. On the other, she would not hesitate to defend herself. And Nightmare Moon had just openly threatened her. Hildr chuckled and said, "You wish to take my life? You are welcome to try. Stronger enemies than you have tried and failed." Nightmare Moon's smile was pure evil. "We will not 'try' anything. We shall smite you into the ground!" She raised her hand and started shooting magic blasts at Hildr, who ducked out of the way, pulled out her sidearm and shot back. Nightmare Moon laughed as the pullets were stopped by her force field. "Fool! It will take more than that to stop us!" Hildr dodged another magic blast and swapped for her auto rifle. On a hunch, she changed the settings and the weapon now had purple highlights. Hildr let loose with a short burst. Nightmare Moon smirked at the incoming projectiles, however the purple beams of hard light easily penetrated her force field and hit her in the chest, knocking her back. "You fiend! What sorcery is this?" Hildr answered by shooting another burst at Nightmare Moon, who dodged out of the way. Hildr gathered her Light in her hand in the form of an explosive and threw it at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon snorted and batted it aside, and was astonished when the grenade stuck to her arm and exploded. Hildr reloaded and slowly advanced on Nightmare Moon. A blast of magic cleared the dust away, revealing an enraged Nightmare Moon. "We tried to show you mercy by giving you a quick death, but we shall prolong your suffering for your insolence!" Nightmare Moon gathered her magic and with a mighty shout, wings sprouted from her back. Her form started to shift and her clothes morphed into sleek and form fitting armor. The armor itself was glossy black with electric blue piping. Silver boots and gloves covered her arms and legs. Her helmet was adorned with a single horn on the forehead. A large silver crescent moon was inlaid on the chest. Nightmare Moon's overall appearance reminded Hildr of the armor Luna had worn in her memory. Hildr was slightly impressed. "Are you done yet? Can we get this over with? I have things to do today that don't involve kicking your ass," she called out. Nightmare Moon roared and with a wave of her hand, sigils appeared behind her. Blades made of black crystal appeared and hovered behind Nightmare Moon like a deadly fan. Her eyes glinted with evil. Hildr started shooting again, but the blades moved in front of Nightmare Moon and spun quickly, creating a shield that blocked the shots. More blades appeared and with a flick of a finger, Nightmare Moon sent them flying at Hildr. Hildr tried shooting the blades, but they came too quickly. When her auto rifle ran out of ammo, Hildr pulled out her sword and started deflecting the blades. Nightmare moon floated around the periphery and cackled while sending more and more blades after Hildr. She waved her hand and a sigil appeared on the ground. When Hildr stepped on it, blades shot out of the ground. Caught by surprise, Hildr stumbled back and was stabbed by many swords. Her shield took the brunt of the damage and quickly overloaded. Hildr ducked and narrowly avoided being decapitated. "Shame. We thought we had you with that one," Nightmare Moon said. Hildr growled and brought her sword up. Her shield finished recharging and she tossed another grenade at Nightmare Moon. While she was distracted by the grenade, Hildr quickly closed the distance. The blade of her sword became wrapped in flames and Hildr landed a massive uppercut strike that shattered Nightmare Moon's guard and singed her armor. Hildr didn't let up and followed through with another slash and a kick to the stomach. Nightmare Moon unleashed a blast of magic that knocked Hildr back. Her face was twisted with fury. "It seems we have underestimated your ability. Now, face our true power!" Nightmare Moon floated up into the sky above Hildr. She raised her hand above her and began casting her spell. Hildr quickly reloaded her auto rifle and started shooting, but Nightmare Moon summoned more blades to protect her. Hildr started to worry and pulled out her rocket launcher and fired at Nightmare Moon. The explosions obscured Hildr's view, but a giant ball of black and blue swirling energy appeared through the smoke, heading straight for her. There was nowhere to run. Hildr knew instantly that she was in big trouble. She dropped the rocket launcher, pulled out her sword, and stabbed it into the ground. She then raised her hand and threw down a healing rift of Light energy that overcharged her shield. Hildr grabbed her sword and held on for dear life. Watching from above, Nightmare Moon was certain there was no way Hildr could have survived. She had summoned the most destructive magic she knew, capable of turning entire mountains to dust and evaporating oceans. The moon trembled from the explosion and the shock wave traveled through the core, where it awoke something that had been sleeping for eons. With a wave of her hand, Nightmare Moon cleared the dust and debris from the area. Sure enough, the moon now had a massive new crater. In the center, a lone sword was stuck in the ground. Of Hildr there was no sign. Nightmare Moon floated down to inspect the damage. The sword appeared to be in good condition, despite the damage it had sustained. She looked around, hoping to see Hildr's body or some indication of her whereabouts, but there was nothing. From the nether, Hildr watched patiently through the haze and waited for the right moment. This is taking too long. Not yet. The longer you wait, the greater the chance I won't be able to bring you back. Have some faith. At this point, I'd settle for a miracle. She really let you have it. A miracle? Then I shall make one for you. Nightmare Moon frowned. "We are most disappointed. We had hoped there would be a body to gloat over." She turned her attention to Hildr's sword. "No matter. This will make a fine first trophy of our conquest." Now. Hildr touched the Light and the dark nether was flooded with golden fire. The radiant light restored her broken and battered body to new and Hildr felt her consciousness returning. Nightmare Moon quickly turned around and was blinded by a flash of light. Like the phoenix of legend, Hildr rose from the grave bathed in fire and wings of light on her back. She reached back and delivered an uppercut punch with all her strength. Nightmare Moon's vision turned blurry as she was knocked into the air. Hildr pulled her sword from the ground and leaped after her. Nightmare Moon shook her head to clear the cobwebs and moved to the side as Hildr flew past. Her face was a mix of anger and confusion. "How is this possible?" she asked. Hildr responded by swinging her sword and shot a blast of fire toward Nightmare Moon, who snarled and dodged out of the way. She held out her hand and a spear appeared. Nightmare Moon gripped her weapon and charged at Hildr. With every swing of her sword, Hildr sent fire at Nightmare Moon, but she dodged and cut through them all. Nightmare Moon thrust her spear at Hildr, who brought her sword up and turned the spear aside. Hildr formed another grenade and shoved it in Nightmare Moon's face. Hildr quickly disengaged as the grenade exploded. Nightmare Moon screamed with rage and flew after Hildr as fast as she could and knocked her to the ground. However, Hildr held on to Nightmare Moon and they began pummeling each other with powerful blows. They fell to the ground and created a new crater. Hildr wearily rose to her feet and stared at Nightmare Moon. Her own armor was scratched and dented in new places, and Nightmare Moon's armor also showed signs of wear and tear. Hildr's flames started to die out and finally extinguished. "We do not know what Magic that was, but it seems that you cannot keep that form forever," Nightmare Moon said. "You aren't looking so hot yourself," Hildr shot back. Nightmare Moon laughed. "The Night sustains us. We will be triumphant over you." Before Hildr could reply, the ground began to shake, knocking both of them down. An oppressive weight pressed down upon them. Hildr felt like she was being crushed to death. It was hard to breathe and her vision started to tunnel. Ahead in the distance, the ground cracked open and a giant...well, Hildr didn't know what it was. If she had to guess, it looked like a giant worm. It slowly snaked higher and higher into the sky until it loomed high above. It head no head, but the end split open like fleshy flower petals. In the center of the mouth was a glowing yellow crystal. When it spoke, the ground rumbled. I HAVE BEEN ASLEEP FOR AGES AND YOUR PETTY BICKERING HAS AWAKENED ME. Hildr could hear the worm shouting in her mind. She wanted to cover her ears, but she couldn't lift her arms. The worm seemed to look down at Hildr. YOU ARE A DEAD THING, BROUGHT TO LIFE AND GIVEN FORM BY THE LIGHT. It moved toward Nightmare Moon. YOU ARE A CHILD OF DARKNESS THAT IS NOT MY OWN. I HAVE DREAMED OF YOU, CHILD OF THE NIGHT. I WILL MAKE YOU MY OWN AND YOU SHALL DO MY BIDDING. "We kneel before nopony," Nightmare Moon snorted. The worm made a grunting noise and the pressure increased, causing Nightmare Moon to cry out. Hildr felt like her bones were on the verge of shattering. DO NOT FIGHT IT. YOUR LIGHT IS FEEBLE AND EASILY EXTINGUISHED. SOON, THE FLAME OF LIFE WILL BE SNUFFED OUT AND ALL WITH RETURN TO DARKNESS, the worm said. The worm's Darkness rapidly drained what was left of Hildr's light. Her vision started to fade, but rather than go quietly into the night, Hildr began to rage. She was angry for getting Luna into this situation, angry for fighting with her friend, angry at the stupid worm, and angry at herself for being too weak to do anything about it. Her Light was nearly gone, but her Magic was still there. With the last bit of her strength, Hildr focused her Magic and Light into a healing rift, and a pool of swirling energy appeared around her body. The crushing weight lessened somewhat, but Hildr still found it difficult to breathe. Hildr struggled to her knees and watched as Nightmare Moon was lifted into the sky. She cursed and struggled against the invisible grip, but the worm was too strong. It opened its mouth wide and started sucking Nightmare Moon's magic and soul out of her body. Her strength slowly left her body and she ceased to struggle. Hildr would not stand for it. The healing rift had restored some of her strength, but the time on the rift was running out. Hildr frantically thought about what she could do. If only she could get Nightmare Moon t the rift and heal her. At this point, Hildr didn't care if they had been fighting. Luna was her friend and sometimes friends fight. They would get through this. A thought occurred to Hildr. If she couldn't bring Nightmare Moon to the rift, she would take the rift to her. But how? She was too far away. Hildr gathered the Light in her hand, but instead of throwing it at the ground, she threw it as hare as she could at Nightmare Moon. It was risk and Hildr didn't have much Light or Magic left, but she had little choice. The orb of Light sailed through the sky and hit Nightmare Moon where it was absorbed into her body. Nightmare Moon felt her strength returning and fire burned in her eyes. "Release us you disgusting worm!" she shouted. A massive beam of Solar fire erupted from the surface of the moon and hit the worm in the center of its mouth, right on the yellow crystal. The worm recoiled back and roared in pain. She winced and held her hands to her head, then felt foolish for doing so since she was wearing a helmet. The overwhelming darkness vanished and Hildr felt the weight disappear. "I think you've sat around long enough Doc," Nyx said and helped Hildr to her feet. She noticed Nyx was wearing a Celestial Nighthawk helmet. That explained where the shot of Solar energy had come from. "Where did you come from?" Hildr asked. "From Earth obviously, but we don't have time for that," Nyx said and pointed. Countless numbers of Hive enemies; Thrall, Acolytes, Knights, Ogres, and Wizards, emerged from the cracks and crevices of the moon's surface near the worm's emergence point. "You and the Princess take care of the worm. Leave the rest to me," Nyx said and changed her Celestial Nighthawk helmet for her Mask of the Third Man helmet. Three green eyes glowed brightly from the depths of Nyx's hood. "But there's too many of them," Hildr insisted. Nyx chuckled and gave Hildr a little pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry. This is a Power Fantasy. Do whatever you want and let your imagination run free." HIldr didn't know what Nyx was talking about, but she was surprised to find her Light and Magic restored to full. She activated her Radiance and flew off in a golden streak. Nyx rolled her neck and stretched her arms. "Just like old times, eh?" she called out. Out of the shadows walked another female Hunter wearing black and gold Dead Orbit armor with silver highlights. A black hood and scarf wrapped around her neck and trailed out behind her. Her leg armor was rather bulky and made her look a bit silly. "I look ridiculous," she said flatly. "Aw, don't be like that Selene," Nyx said. "With the number of enemies out there, and that Orpheus Rig leg armor, you'll have Nightstalker arrows and tethers for days!" Selene shook her head and pointed her thumb behind her. "I brought friends." Saoirse the Titan and Valentina the Warlock emerged from the shadows, with SPARTANS Allen, Steve, and Aurora in tow. "I'm bringing sexy baaaaack!" Saoirse sang and did a little shuffle step dance. "Aww, you did this for me? You shouldn't have," Steve remarked. "Not you stupid. I was talking about Sexy here," Saoirse replied and brought out her Dragon's Breath rocket launcher. She pulled the trigger, and when the rocked was over the Hive army, Saoirse triggered the release and turned the ground into a sea of flames. "Burn you stupid bastards!" Saoirse cackled with glee as she shot more rockets. When she was out, Saoirse swapped her rocket launcher for an auto rifle and charged forward. Electricity built up around her body as she jumped into the air and landed with a thunderous crash. An explosion of Arc energy incinerated all of the Hive within a twenty foot diameter. Valentina sighed and ran after the battle-crazed Titan. When she was close, Valentina summoned Arc energy and floated around the battlefield, zapping all of the enemies in sight. The SPARTANS moved out and started killing with the lethal efficiency they were known for, leaving Nyx and Selene alone. Reluctantly, Selene summoned her Nightstalker bow and fired an arrow into the oncoming horde. The arrow pierced an Acolyte and disintegrated it, leaving an orb of purple Void energy behind. Tethers instantly reached out and latched onto all of the Hive nearby. Selene was rather surprised to find her bow instantly recharged as Nyx had said. "Maybe this won't be so bad after all," she said. "Just keep shooting arrows and generating orbs for me," Nyx said and leapt into the fray. She pulled out her knife, activated her Bladedancer, and zipped around like lightning, leaving Hive dust in her wake. Selene kept firing arrows until the Hive got too close. She pulled out her trusty Hawkmoon handcannon and went to work. High above, Hildr met up with Nightmare Moon, who was floating just out of reach of the giant worm. Hildr spared a look at Nightmare Moon and said, "This doesn't change anything." Nightmare Moon glared at Hildr and replied, "Once this pest is disposed of, we shall finish what we started." As if feeling left out, the worm bellowed and released a stream of green energy at them. Hildr and Nightmare Moon separated and the beam passed harmlessly between them. They both then closed the distance to go on the attack. Hildr used her sword sheathed in flames and Nightmare Moon pierced and slashed with her spear. Despite their efforts, little damage was actually being done. They regrouped to come up with a plan. "Got any powerful fancy Magic?" Hildr asked. "Who do you think we are?" Nightmare Moon snarled. "Of course we do, but it will take some time to prepare and cast." Hildr gripped her sword and said, "Well get on it then." She threw down an empowering rift in mid-air that temporarily boosted their abilities. Hildr flew after the worm while Nightmare Moon stood in the rift and channeled her magic. A large sigil appeared behind her and crystal blades fanned out around the edges. She grudgingly admitted that Hildr was a capable foe and the rift drastically cut down on the casting time for the spell. Hildr did her best to keep the worm's attention while dodging energy beams and waves of Darkness that threatened to throw her from the sky. She was beginning to tire from constantly keeping her Radiance active and it showed as her movements began to slow. Hildr dug deep down and opened herself fully to the Light. Her fiery aura turned bright gold and her wings grew even bigger. Light radiated off of her in waves that bolstered everyone's spirits. Hildr shone as bright as the Sun as she flew over the battlefield like Valkyries of legend, burning any Hive that stood against her and stopping to give everyone a big energy boost. Nightmare Moon couldn't stand to look at how bright and shiny Hildr had become. It reminded her of Celestia and it made her angry. Deep inside, Luna's consciousness awoke and bubbled to the surface. she is beautiful She is an annoying pest she is helping us She is a hindrance to our ambition Luna could do nothing more than watch. Hildr flew up to Nightmare Moon and asked, "Are you ready?" "The time has not yet come," Nightmare Moon replied with a growl. Hildr placed her hands on Nightmare Moon's back and let her Light flow into her. Nightmare Moon gasped at the sudden rush of power. Her spell was magnified greatly in power and the sigil behind her expanded. Lines of Light appeared and intermingled with the sigil. Nightmare Moon turned to Hildr and said, "It is ready." Nightmare Moon and Hildr let out a mighty shout as the spell was cast. The crystal blades spread out and lines of Magic connected them. The blades began to spin at high speed and the spell fired, sending an enormous beam of Dark Magic fused with Light at the worm. The worm looked up and roared in defiance before it was engulfed in the blast. To those who could see it from Earth, it looked as if a black and blue ball appeared on the moon before shooting off in a massive beam. Hildr stared in awe when the spell was done firing. That was probably the single most impressive thing she had ever seen. However, through the haze, the worm began to move. Giant chunks of flesh were missing and viscera flowed like waterfalls from its wounds. All but one of the mouth petals had been burned away. "How is it still alive?" she asked. Nightmare Moon pointed. "The weak spot remains." Hildr gripped her sword and looked to Nightmare Moon, who saluted with her spear. Together, they pointed their weapons at the worm and dove at high speed. The worm shot a beam of energy at them, but the two winged warriors were unfazed as they split the beam. Hildr's Light and Nightmare Moon's Magic trailed behind them like a shooting star. They pierced the yellow crystal and kept going until they emerged through the other side of the worm. With its core destroyed, the worm collapsed to the ground, sending up a massive cloud of dirt and rock. With their master gone, the remaining Hive retreated back under the surface of the moon. Their work now complete, Selene and the rest disappeared back into the shadows. Hildr and Nightmare Moon floated back to the surface of the moon. By now, Hildr was sustaining herself solely though the Light. Her Radiance finally died out and she nearly collapsed with exhaustion. Hildr' sword slipped from her grasp and stuck in the ground. "Ooh, that sucked," she groaned. Hildr turned to face Nightmare Moon and was welcomed by a spear through the chest. She sighed and looked up at Nightmare Moon. "Really?" she asked incredulously. "You are a pain in the ass, you know that?" "We said you would die by our hand and we meant it," Nightmare Moon said and pulled her spear free. "You were a worthy opponent. We shall never forget this." Hildr sank to her knees and fell forward. As she stared over Hildr's body, Nightmare Moon suddenly became aware of how physically and mentally drained she was. Even with Hildr's help, casting the spell had taken a lot of Magic and energy. Despite how tired and sore she was, Nightmare Moon spun her spear with a flourish and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. She turned and walked away, leaving Hildr's body behind. This is a terrible idea. Just do it. You've already used so much Light. And I'll keep using it again and again. There will be repercussions. As if that ever stopped me before. Why do you put yourself through this? Because she is my friend. Nightmare Moon stopped and turned around as Hildr punched her in the jaw again. Nightmare Moon fell back in a daze. "How are you doing this?" she asked. Completely exhausted, Hildr sighed and put her fists up. "Because I told you if you ever went to the Dark Side, I'd end you myself." Nightmare Moon laughed. "You dare to stand against us in that state?" Hildr responded with a jab and a right cross. Nightmare Moon staggered back and snarled, hitting Hildr with a spinning back kick. Hildr fell back and rolled to her feet and tackled Nightmare Moon to the ground. They were both too exhausted to do much else and too stubborn to just give up. Hildr finally ended up on to and started raining blows down on Nightmare Moon's face. Her helmet was knocked off and her long hair splayed everywhere. She defended herself as best as she could and finally managed to push Hildr off. Nightmare Moon rolled to the side and came up in a crouch. Hildr wearily pulled herself to her feet. that is enough She dares to raise a hand against us? We will not stand for it! we are barely standing now. Be silent coward! no. this has gone on long enough And what will you do? I will not sit idly by. unlike last time, I do not need the elements to be rid of you What are you saying? What do you think? hildr opposes us because she cares for us. she is our friend. We have no need for such trivial things. it is time for you to be still Luna focused on the small spark of hope deep in her heart. It blossomed and filled her body with warmth. Luna fed on the deep bonds she shared, not just with Hildr, but with everypony back in Equestria. She knew that those who cared for her were waiting for her to return. How sneaky of you to take advantage of our weakened state you did this to yourself You will never be rid of us. We are always watching. I know Hildr watched as Nightmare Moon suddenly stopped moving and stood frozen in place. Her form slowly changed back and her skin began to lighten. Lastly, her eyes faded back to normal. Luna stood up straight and blinked her eyes. She looked around before collapsing to the ground. "Is that you Princess?" Hildr asked. Luna raised her hand to her face. "Yes, it is I," she replied with a groan and rubbed her jaw. "But did you have to hit me so hard?" Hildr dropped her arms and let out a tired sigh before falling face first on the ground next to Luna. "But you started it," she mumbled. Luna couldn't help but laugh and immediately regretted it and held her bruised sides. "I think a few days of rest are in order," she said. Hildr could only mumble in reply. "And then everyone went home happy. The end," Nyx said. Hildr could only stare dumbfounded at Nyx. "How in the world did you come up with all of that?" she finally asked. It had been two days since Luna left and Hildr and Nyx were sitting in the clinic. Hildr was drinking tea and Nyx was just being a pest. "Oh come on, you have to admit that would have been pretty cool," Nyx insisted. Hildr could only shake her head. "A Worm God buried in the moon?" she asked. Nyx shrugged. "Why not? There was one buried in the Martian ice caps." "And we needed Rasputin's help to defeat it," Hildr pointed out. Nyx sat back and crossed her arms. "And Luna is a pony princess of the moon and you are the Valkyrie. What's your point?" Hildr rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I put up with you. Cayde is afraid of you and Ikora wants to lock you up again. Why do you keep doing this?" Under her helmet, Nyx smiled. "Because I'm written this way, O Reader Mine."

Hearts and Hooves Day

pre

"Who is?" AJ asked "I AMMMMM!" Spike raised his claws high and shouted so loud making a Pegasus say "What was that?" to another who shrugged her hooves. "Thank you applejack," Spike said hugging Applejack once again. This time, it was different for AJ, this time she felt happy, like a feeling she had before was brought back to her a long time ago. "I don't think I could do this without you," Spike said, holding her closer, now AJ felt even happier, she knew this feeling before, but she didn't know where, but she knew this feeling before. "And you know what," Spike said looking at her with a simple glow in his eyes. "What," Applejack said smiling. "Well, while Twilight might be my best friend, I would much rather have you as my assistant." they both held each other for a while before Spike broke their hug and blushed of embarrassment "Uh, I think we got a little off track, we should go back to finding Applebloom and Big Mac," he said pretending to look far. "Ah don't think that was the proper language for a star detective." Applejack said, giving Spike his hat and eyeglass, she then pulled out her own costume. "Well then, shall we go find those whippersnappers, Applesworth?" Spike said in his British accent again. "On it, detective Spikelock," Applejack said as Spike got onto her back and they rode off to find Applebloom and Big Macintosh, "Well, well, well," Spike said as he looked through his eyeglass to find something interesting. "What is it," AJ asked, coming to see what it was. "These wheel prints, they lead over to the Everfree forest, but look," he said pointing to another path that leads another way, "These prints have faded out, they were brushed off," he continued as AJ came to a conclusion. "So, whoever made these marks, didn't want anypony to follow them," they walked until they found harder tracks that led to the train station. "Good eye Applesworth," Spike said, patting Applejack on the head, making her get annoyed. "if my guess is correct, then Big Mac and Applebloom went into that train to another part of town," they walked to the station and realized a train was going to a specific spot that made AJ get a little panicked. "We need to get on this train, now!" she said taking Spike by the arm and leading him inside the train, he pulled away thinking Applejack was crazy. "Why? Where is this train going anyway, and why do we need to get onto it?" he asked. "Because this train is going to stop at Starlights village!" Applejack said pale like, Spike gasped and now looked as worried as AJ. "So, either they decided to visit her village, or..." Spike said hoping that Applejack wouldn't say what he was thinking. "Or somepony captured them both," AJ said, making Spike faint, she picked him up as he went back to consciousness. "Now Spike, it's just a theory, I'm sure they're fine," Applejack said, calming Spike down. "'sides, that village hasn't done anything bad... yet¨ Applejack said now looking worried again. "But what if it's true, your siblings could be in serious danger and.." he said as AJ put her hoof on his mouth. "No, don't say that Spike, don't make me even more worried than I already am, I'm trying so hard not to freak out and you yelling will not help, would a star detective do that?" she put her hoof off of his mouth. "You're right, we should just think about finding Big Mac and Applebloom and not worry about what might happen to them if we don't worry or..." he said looking at AJ with a mad face, "Uh, I mean, we should just find where they are." They both heard the conductor say this was the last chance to get on the Friendship Express, they went in hoping that nopony would wonder why they don't have their tickets. "We made it, now let's go sit down and wait until we arrive at Starlights village," AJ said, finding them both a seat, Spike fell asleep minutes after, with all of this detective work he was getting very tired. After all, he was a baby dragon. However, when Applejack looked through the window she couldn't get her siblings out of her mind. "What were they up to? Are they in danger? Are they just making a delivery? Or has sompony really capture them and they need help?" AJ thought. She could just see both Applebloom and Big Macintosh hanging from a rope upside down above a big case of water with dangerous animals. "Ticket ma'am," her thoughts were thankfully, but not, fortunately, interrupted by the ticket taker. "Um, well, I can explain, let me just check with my friend," Applejack said, nudging Spike to wake up, he looked dazedly at AJ with confusion. "What's going on, are we there already?" he asked. "Spike, this nice pony is wondering where our tickets are," Applejack said pointing her eyes at the ticket taker, he finally got what was going on and nervously said. "Ooh, eh, ha, ha, can I talk to my assistant for a second," the ticket taker looked mad but let them have their privacy. "What're we going to do, we don't have tickets, and we have no way of escaping!" Applejack whispered as they huddled together. "Maybe we just tell him, I mean, what are they going to do, throw us out of a moving train?" she said and looked to see Spike not looking worried at all, thinking. "Aren't you the least bit worried, we could get in serious trouble if we don't tell him the truth," she whispered. "No, that will never work, we might get him mad and he'll tell the conductor to stop the train and we'll have to walk, but don't worry I have an idea," he said smiling like he was before this entire mystery. "Why couldn't you have been like this when we were panicking about mah siblings," AJ said, looking very annoyed at him as if nothing was wrong. "That was when we weren't on a moving train," he said, smirking. "Who are you and what have you done with Spike?" she said wondering if he was captured and replaced by a clone in the mirror pool. "No, I guess all of the stress went away in my nap, and now I'm calm," he said. "We're getting off track, we need to figure out how to tell the ticket taker without getting in trouble, the only question is how," AJ said, putting her hoof to think of what to do. "What if we do without telling him the whole truth," Spike said with a smile. "I'm listening," AJ said, getting closer to make sure that the ticket taker doesn't hear a word. "We tell him that we forgot our tickets, thus implying that we have them but forgot them, and we can't show them," Spike said profoundly, Applejack smiled at the plan, but it faded when her logical side came back. "Spike, you're looking at the element of honesty," AJ said, doubting herself. "You don't have to do anything, just sit there and watch my magic," Spike said going back into his seat. "I'm afraid to say this sir, but we have forgotten our ticket," Spike said looking as innocent as he could. "Yeah right, I've heard that excuse before, you obviously came here without a ticket and now you know that we can't throw you out because of the fast-moving vehicle, but this is not the end of our stop." the ticket taker said angrily, making Spike panic. "Sir, we are trying to get to a village far away from where we started and find my siblings that I have lost and am so very worried about, could you please forgive me and my friend and just let us go to the village and let me see my sister and brother," AJ said, truthfully she was really worried and was about to cry. "Wow, nopony ever has been honest with not having tickets, but your honesty is definitely ticket worthy, and I'll even accept your friend, for trying his best to help," the ticket taker said with a smile, he walked away and Spike looked at Applejack in awe as she was smirking. "What was that about honesty not working," she said as they both laughed, and Spike said. "Ok, ok, I have to admit, that was pretty awesome, I didn't know that you could hold such power with being honest," he said. "Well I do know how to use it on special occasions," Applejack said as if she was a superhero. "I mean it, I have never seen somepony be so honest, even me and Twilight aren't that honest," Spike said getting closer. Applejack saw that Spike was looking quite sad after he made that comment, and she knew exactly why. "You miss her don't ya Spike," she said. "Yeah, she's at the Crystal Empire and Cadence apparently only wanted her, leaving me all alone, that's one of the reasons why I came to visit you because I was so alone," Spike said all sad like. "That's why you came to the barn because you were lonely?" Applejack said feeling sorry for Spike, "Spike, you aren't lonely now are you?" AJ asked, wondering. "No, but that doesn't mean that I'm not missing her, I'm also getting homesick, but that's normal for me when I go on adventures," he said putting his knees on his face. "Then that means we have something in common." Applejack said looking at Spike with the same glow as he did. "What's that?" "We both are homesick and worried about those we love, but I know that I never am lonely when I'm with you," Applejack said sitting beside him, they both couldn't stop staring and blushing at each other. "Applejack, that is the nicest thing anyone has said to me," Spike said, not taking his eyes off of her. "Applejack, I think..." Spike said before Applejack shushed him, they leaned in closer and were almost at a lips distance when the conductor yelled out, "NOW ARRIVING... a village." They both realized what was going on and blushed embarrassingly. Applejack's mind was racing for what she was doing, Spike was reacting the same. "Um, we should go and find your siblings," Spike said leaning farther. "Oh, uh, yes, let's go," Applejack said getting out of the seat, Spike couldn't help getting the two words out of his head. "So close," his knees were up to his mouth when Applejack said "You coming?" and Spike saying "Yep, be right there," and continuing to think about what just happened, "No, I have to focus," and he got off the seat to catch up with Applejack. They both walked to Starlights village and saw that they were having some sort of celebration, too. "What's going on here?" AJ said. "Well, this is the annual pre-celebration of when we were freed and got our cutie marks back." one of the ponies of the village said. They didn't pay much attention as they had another mission to accomplish. "Well, this is a small village so we'll be able to find them easily unless they have already left," Applejack said, regaining the memories of what this village looked like compared to now. "Or they got lost and don't know where to go from now on," Applejack said, getting worried again. "Oh no, we're not going through that again. Think, if Big Mac and Applebloom went anywhere, then where would it be?" Spike asked looking around. "I don't know, the last time we were here, we went to somepony's bakery, Sugar Belle was her name I think," AJ said, lifting her eyes to look for the bakery. "Good work Applesworth, our mystery is now leading us to somepony with a bakery," Spike said once more in his British accent, making Applejack like it, even more, it was strange how her mood changed. They both found the bakery and walked inside, seeing only sugary treats on a table, Applejack and Spike were getting more worried by the second, thinking of there horrible assumptions were correct, then a screaming "EEEEEEEE" came from below the flooring, Applejack found a door to a cellar, which she distinctly remember from an earlier experience, she bucked the door open and ran to the floor. "Applebloom, Big Mac, don't worry, I'm..." AJ said, she looked to see that Big Mac was holding Sugar Belle in his hooves, and they both looked at AJ like she was crazy,. "Applejack, why are you here, and what are you talking about?" Applebloom asked. "And why are you and Spike dressed up like you are on a mystery?" Scootaloo asked going around Applejack and Spike looking to see what they were doing. "Well, um... it's kind of hard to explain, you see..." "We were on a case that led us to Starlights village then leading us to your bakery," Spike interrupted. everypony looked at them weirdly. "Then why are you here in my cellar?" Sugar Belle said looking as if they were going to steal something. "Oh, that's because we heard screams and wanted to know if anypony was in danger" they all looked at each other relieved that nothing happened. "Well, no one's hurt, but we are being disturbed," Sweetie Belle said frowning, Applejack looked at Big Mac and Sugar Belle and realized that she and Spike had interrupted something between them. "Of course! It all makes sense, that's why I couldn't find either of you. Big Mac told me about Sugar Belle, it makes perfect sense why he was here," Applejack said then looked and also saw that the CMC was also here. "But that still doesn't make sense why you're here Applebloom," she said now looking at the CMC who was standing on a table all together looking worried if AJ told them, then they would all get in trouble. "That's a long story," Sweetie Belle said. "And besides, it's getting late, aren't you supposed to be with the others?" Sweetie Belle said. Realizing what Sweetie Belle's words were true, she panicked. "Oh no! Yer' right! What am I going to do! It will be too late before I get back, it took us almost 2 hours to get here, and that was on a train!" she said. "How am I going to get there before they realize I'm gone," everypony thought hard before Sugar Belle had an idea. "What if we can get you there in a few minutes," they all looked at Sugar Belle with surprised looks, it was impossible to get to Ponyville from here, so they all were interested. "Maybe, just maybe, we could go to the cave where Starlight kept our cutie marks," Everypony now looked at Sugar Belle with confused looks, then Sugar Belle realized they didn't know about the cave. "Oh, when me and my friends were looking around in the cave, we saw that after Starlight was defeated, she used her magic to make a portal that goes to Ponyville to "study" you and your friends Applejack, but even though she stopped using it, it's still there, and lucky for you, I wondered how she used it and studied the spell, though I never really used it, I think I can help," everypony stared at Sugar Belle amazed at the glorious plan. "Well then, let's get to it," Applejack said, they all entered the cave and gasped at the portal that Sugar Belle was talking about, they all looked at the spiraling blue which made Spike become hypnotized with his eyes getting spiraled, too. "Well, here it is, the gateway to Ponyville," Sugar Belle said showing the portal. "And you definitely know the spell and not something that could turn us into a squirrel or anything else," Spike said worriedly, hoping he was going to stay a dragon when he entered the portal. "As long as I can concentrate, I think I can get you through," Sugar Belle said, sparking a bit of magic and sweating, this was way beyond her magic expertise, she couldn't bear it, she stopped and panted. "I can't do it," she said looking disappointed. "Come on Sugar Belle," Sweetie Belle said. "We know you can do it." "We believe in you" "Eeup," "We have all the faith in you sugarcube," Hearing all of these compliments made Sugar Belle confident she could do this, she sparked her magic again and let out the spell to the portal, it glowed brightly and sucked all of the debris. "It is done, you must go now, or else it will close," the CMC went in, then Spike but not before he said "I knew you could do it," then getting sucked in the portal, AJ came into the portal back at Ponyville, then she realized that Big Mac was not there, and the portal was closing farther, she went back in and found Big Mac close to Sugar Belle, she didn't want to break away their moment, but she had to grab him before the portal closed. "Come on Big Mac, this portal is closing faster than a bull running at a red cape," Big Mac followed her into the portal and the portal closed completely, everypony sighed a breath of relief of cutting it close. Applejack looked at the sky and realized that it was almost time to meet her friends, the CMC went their separate ways and Applejack went to say something to Spike. "Spike, I want to thank you for all your help, without you, I would of never found my siblings, and not to mention I had fun doing it, you made me realize that I can have fun while in a serious problem, but I do wonder, while you said you would choose me for an assistant, I still wonder why?" Applejack said looking at Spike who was blushing, making him adorable. "Well that's easy, it's because you are so profound about the problem, Twilight would try to research, Rarity would just complain, Pinkie would do anything else, Fluttershy would freak out, and Rainbow Dash would just not include me, I chose you because you let everyone be included, and not to mention your honesty makes you a better pony than the others, but it's also because, you, I mean, you are so amazing to me, what I'm trying to say is," spike leaned in closer and kissed AJ making her blush so hard, she knew he liked her a little bit after the whole timberwolf accident, but she thought he got over her and went back to liking Rarity, but she never expected this, they broke away the kiss and were still blushing like crazy, "B-but how... w-when" Applejack stuttered. "Because I love you, and after the dragon code," Spike whispered. AJ could see the truth in his eyes, she didn't want to leave him now but saw that Pinkie was heading to Sweet Apple Acres and she knew she had to go, but she didn't want to leave Spike, even though she had to. "I have to go, I'm sorry," AJ said running to her barn, Spike felt sad letting go of her, but he knew what he did was right, The rest of the night went pretty crazy, everypony was surprised by her story, they saw the Wonderbolts show and met Rainbow dash after, being more tired than usual, they even saw a fight between Rarity and some other stallion, but that's another story when AJ went back home, she saw her field once more, to think, all of this madness happened because of one buck of a tree, Applejack went in the house and saw Applebloom fully asleep along with Granny Smith and Big Macintosh, she went into bed and looked to her ceiling, had all of this really happened in only one day, had all of this mystery stuff, role play, blushing, and admits, really happen? It made AJ fall asleep but not before her she thought, "I wonder how everypony else's Hearts and Hooves day went,".

Hearts and Hooves Day

Chapter 6: A Heart For Rainbow Dash

ZOOM, A flash of rainbow went through the Wonderbolt stadium, Rainbow Dash flew all over practicing for her routine for the festival of Hearts, something the mayor came up with, not that Rainbow Dash minded, she had her own routine that the Wonderbolts gave her, she loved being in the Wonderbolts, ever since she heard she was in, she couldn't resist waking up to practice, and she became even more friends with the others than she ever had before, and she was known to be the best rookie the Wonderbolts had ever seen, but while she loved being in the Wonderbolts, it was still stressful, Rainbow Dash was finally done with her practice when she saw Soarin waiting by the entrance of the hallway. "Nice reflexes, I didn't know you practiced even before rehearsal," he said as she flew to the hallway. "Hey, it's important I get this routine just right, or do you want to be the second-best next to me because, after today, I will be the main attraction," she said bragging. "Always with the retaliations Crash," Soarin said looking directly at her, they both stared at a glance for some time. "Well, if you are done looking at my awesomeness, I should get back to practicing," Rainbow Dash said, she didn't want to admit it, but she almost felt something weird, something she had only felt when she was near Soarin, but she had no time to think about that, she needed to focus, soon Rainbow Dash was back to doing the routine, making her flips and falls perfect for the show After much practice, Rainbow Dash was a bit tired of the rehearsal with the others, but she had to get rid of that, she had a big show for her audience. The Wonderbolts were doing some flips and glides, while Rainbow Dash was doing her routine, then she caught up to the others and they fell into the air while Dash went higher, she then flew down so fast but stopped mid-air saving that moment for later, then they all hovered as Spitfire shouted, "Alright, take a 10-minute break then back to the air!" They all separated to get a drink or rest for 5 minutes, but Rainbow Dash almost fell asleep before Soarin woke her up. "Getting some rest before continuing practice," he said, shaking her awake. "I might be getting a little tired, but I know when to rest, now if you'll excuse me I have to wait for us to practice again," Rainbow said, pushing Soarin aside, they then went back to practicing before another break. A little while later, after some more practice, Spitfire looked at Dash. "Nice form Crash, now I want all of you to go home and get some rest, make sure you don't come late, and don't oversleep," she looked over to Fleetfoot who began to blush embarrassingly. Rainbow Dash went to her home. her eyes felt a bit heavy but she could fix that soon, her mind, however, was going to other places. "Maybe I should go and practice some more, I am the "central eye" whatever that meant, something Spitfire came up with," Rainbow thought as she was flying home, "I need to get this routine perfect, though, I am tired, and Spitfire did say to rest a little bit, and she said I had, quote "nice form", but I really want to prove to them that I'm capable, and I don't want to ruin my spot, groan, all of this choice is so stressful," Rainbow Dash went inside her house, she looked at her living room, then her backyard, she didn't know what to choose, but she knew she needed to get all of the stress out of her, so she decided to rest a little bit, but her mind was still on her routine. "What if I mess it up, what if I'm not able to make the rainboom, what if I mess up so bad that Spitfire doesn't want me to be in the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow Dash flew up and went to her door to the outside, she couldn't help it but practice. But before she went out, she heard a knock on her door, Rainbow went to her door and saw Soarin, she wondered why he was here instead of resting himself. "What are you doing here, Soarin?" she asked, he looked at her face, noticing her tired eyes and feeling sympathetic for what was brought upon her, it wasn't her fault she was given this task, Spitfire saw something in her and thought she was ready for it. He clearly saw she wasn't and knew his plan was perfect for tonight. "Well, after you almost fell asleep, I saw how stressed this was for you. So when I was flying home, I had an idea. Then I came over and saw..." Soarin was interrupted by Rainbow Dash putting her hoof up saying, "Get to the point Soarin." very annoyingly. Ever since she had known Soarin, he always dragged on with his stories saying every possible detail to make sure everypony got it, and Rainbow Dash grew annoyed every time, but also was interested in the fact he was so detailed. "Anyway, I thought you might like to fly." Rainbow Dash was surprised, she sometimes goes on flies with Fluttershy, usually, if she needs advice or to get away from something. She had also gone on a fly with Twilight, but that was just to help her with the test, this was different though, she wasn't used to flying with anypony other than her friends, but when she turned to her backyard, she remembered all the stress today was bringing. Rainbow looked to Soarin agreeably, "Oh alright, but can we make it fast, I really need to practice some more." she said as they both took off flying slowly. The fresh afternoon air was nice on Rainbow Dash, they flew over to the Festival of Hearts, seeing the lively ponies with their special some ponies. The silence made Dash feel uncomfortable, she broke the silence by saying, "So is this Suppose to be a silent fly or are we going to have a conversation?" "Well I just wanted to know how this whole routine thing is going for you," Soarin said flying up a cloud and back to where he was. Rainbow Dash hesitated about telling Soarin about tonight, she didn't want him to think she wasn't capable of doing something this big, but she also didn't like bottling up the feelings, it was a long thought that made Soarin realize what she was thinking. "You're worried about it aren't you," he said looking at her with a calming look Dash could swear she'd seen in Fluttershy, she was impressed, she didn't think he would understand what she was going through, "how could you tell?" she said questionably. "It's not that hard to see, you show signs." He finished, Rainbow Dash took another 10 seconds or so to say what was in her mind, "I guess I want to prove that I can be the best for the Wonderbolts," Rainbow said, admitting her truth. "You know you don't have to be the best to be a Wonderbolt, you just have to have faith that you can do anything," Soarin said with enthusiasm as they flew to the end of the festival, seeing only the land of hills with grass and flowers. "I know, but back at the academy, I tried the best to be the lead wing, and I failed from another pony who was better, now I am in the Wonderbolt and I don't want to lose that chance, I know I... WOAH!" Rainbow Dash said as she was just about to hit a tree as high as her house, they both quickly flew up and stared there not uttering a word before they calmed down knowing it was safe to fly again. "Well that happened," Soarin said chuckling a bit while the moment was still processing through both of their minds, relieved nopony was hurt, "Anyway, you may continue," Soarin said, holding a hoof out to represent what he was saying. After what happened, Rainbow Dash realized that she was opening her feelings to somepony other than her friends. And yet, she didn't think it was that embarrassing, but she didn't think it was comfortable. "I think I'm getting tired, maybe I should go back home and rest," she said, turning her back at the sun setting around the field. "Then we should rest on a cloud," Soarin said, bringing one of the clouds in the air closer to her, she hesitated about sitting on a cloud with Soarin, but the texture of the cloud made it hard to resist. She could feel her wings grow more and more tired with every flap, but she also thought it was a bit dissatisfying for her, it is different from Twilight or Fluttershy. Then Dash realized what was she was thinking and was irritated to why, "Am I seriously getting embarrassed by sitting next to a colt!" she thought, looking at a lonely Soarin who was waiting for her to answer, Rainbow Dash went on the cloud, head hung high, and sat there for a while, once again in full silence. "I know it's hard for you to open your feelings, especially to me, but it's okay, to tell me, I understand," Soarin said looking at the setting sun and how gorgeous it was, no doubt about it, this was probably the best one they had seen in a long while, not that they always watched the sunset. Rainbow Dash was surprised, she'd never seen this side of him, it was strange, and yet, so comforting, Rainbow Dash inhaled and continued from where she left off. "I know I have much more potential than that pony, but the potential is only half of me, and I really want to show the best me, the real me." This was the deepest conversation that Rainbow Dash had ever been in, she could feel tears going down her cheek, but she didn't care. While she hid it well, Soarin could see the tear and feel what she was going through. Then he had the greatest idea. "Have I ever told you about the time that I got in the Wonderbolts?" He asked smiling, knowing she didn't. Rainbow Dash looked at Soarin with wonder in her eyes, she had heard of so many Wonderbolt stories from her parents and legends from their history of awesomeness, but never the stories of how they got into the Wonderbolts. "Just like you, I had to go to the Wonderbolt Academy, I was pretty great for my age, and I graduated very early, newly leader Spitfire saw something in me that she didn't see in the others. Yet, it still wasn't enough to get in. I thought I was never going to get in after the few months I graduated until..." Rainbow Dash always had her thing with dramatic pauses, but she was very annoyed at his, she glared at him with her glowing fiery magenta eyes, making him get lost until he continued on, "It was a very cloudy day, and I was just trying to clear some clouds when Spitfire came to me to say she was watching me and was proud of how well I was doing, then she said how well I've always been doing and thought I needed more than just kicking clouds then she gave me this metal and that was when I knew I was in. Well, after many days of exciting flying, I thought I wasn't doing so great, on account, she was staring at me madly, I thought I was doing something wrong, so I practiced and practiced hoping she would stop glaring, and I did that until... snap!" Rainbow Dash gasped at the thought of such a related situation, she can still remember the hospital in which she stayed at, the first Daring Do book she read, the great friends she had taking care of her. The friends she is going to thank tonight while at the festival. Back at the calming way she was before he started. He made sure she was ok before continuing on, "As you may have guessed, my wing broke and I had to sit out of the Wonderbolts for 3 weeks, and while I was at bed rest, Spitfire came to say how disappointed she was, I was so confused, turns out Spitfire, from what she told me, looks at ponies like that to hide that she's proud, I was completely shocked, now with all of the bandages on me, it was hard to laugh, but I couldn't help it, all this time I thought she was mad at me, but then I realized she was proud. And I never pushed myself again." Rainbow Dash's eyes were so wide, all you could see was her pupil, she was so surprised to hear what happened, "Is all of that true?" she had to ask, it was impossible to see that somepony as important as he was had gone through what she was going through, but all of the words he said seemed almost not true to her. "If it wasn't true, why would I tell it," he said smiling, looking once again at those beautiful magenta eyes, they both stared at each other, but in a different, more gentle way. Now, they looked at each other with a glow in each eye, Rainbow Dash had never smiled like this, it was the kind of smile she told her friends was so mushy and yet, it felt so right, but that moment didn't last for much longer for her. Soarin leaned in closer and instantly she knew what he was doing, it wasn't that kissing Soarin was bad, it was just because she wasn't ready, Rainbow Dash leaned back and now looked worried, she didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she also thought she would hurt him if they did kiss after Soarin got the message, he frowned, but in an understandable way. "We should go, I think we rested for a while now, you should be getting ready, big night for you." He said, forcing a smile, he flew away and she tried calling back for him but he never turned. Slipping back into reality, she looked to the moon and realized he was right, it was almost time for her performance, she dashed away leaving a rainbow behind. After putting on her costume, Rainbow walked out of the dressing room, it was embarrassing to see Soarin, who looked really down, every time she looked at him, he just looked away, obviously, he'd never forgotten what happened, so she decided to talk to him after the performance (but before she saw her friends). Soon Spitfire was giving a speech to motivate the rest of the team, "Alright, this is a performance that we're used to, but now with our new "central eye", I believe that with her we will do the best performance ever, but keep in mind that we all have an important part to this as well, so let's not let Crash be the lead. We all know our own part, and I know we can do that, but it will take all of us to do it. Are we Wonderbolts, or are we Wonderbolts." She said holding her hoof out and everypony joining in and got into position. Getting nervous, Rainbow Dash inhaled, leading to exhaling, she saw the bright huge moon, almost not needing light for the show because of the amazing brightness from the holding of princess Luna. They began their routine just like they practiced earlier the day, with the same movements, same flips, same falls, and finally, the sonic rainboom Dash had been holding onto until tonight, she flew fast, just like the last time and blew a huge boom of sparkling rainbow tracks making all the manes in the audience fall backward. After much cheering and clapping, the curtains draped. "Great Job Crash!" "Nice work," some of the teammates said, Rainbow ignored the compliments and tried to find Soarin, she looked everywhere until she finally saw him, Rainbow Dash once again tried to call for him, only to have Soarin fly away quickly, she caught up to him, trying once again to say his name until a familiar pink pony with cotton candy hair and wild hyperactivity came up to her face. "THAT WAS AMAZING!" she shouted while the others were coming up to the pinkalicious pony, "Thanks everypony, but I think I need to..." she started saying, but Rainbow Dash soon lost sight of Soarin, knowing she could never reach up to him by now. "Need to, what darling?" Rarity said, looking very worried. Actually, everypony looked 'not fully into it' tonight to her, but she didn't think about that much. "Never mind, I can do it later," she said forcing a smile and walking with her friends to the fun that awaited her Soarin looked at the still bright huge moon after he thought of a great night out, he still is lonely as ever. "Still can't get your mind off of her can you," said a familiar voice that made him feel a little bit better, "How can I not, would you try to lean in closer to the one you liked for a long time and try to kiss them and forget about it!" Soarin said, angry. the pegasus fluttered over on the cloud he was sitting on, holding his hoof, making Soarin blush a little. "No, but I did make a big gesture, but think about it, how long have you actually been friends with her? And I mean real friends with her?" the mare asked. "Well, I guess if we were going on real friends, then..." Soarin said, putting his hoof on his chin to think, "I guess ever since she became a Wonderbolt." He finally said with pondering in his voice. "Then do you really think she was ready to have a Wonderbolt, who she only became real friends with for a short time mind you, kiss her? Do you think she really is ready for that?" They both sat there for a long while before Soarin finally stated: "So I went too fast?" "Very fast, sometimes it's hard to catch up to how fast you move things along. Believe me, I should know," the pegasus said jokingly. "Hey! I'll let you know that I took our relationship very well, then you got into Wonderbolts and left me," Soarin said, getting annoyed at her so much he turns his head the other way. "Yes, but how did I repay you?" the mare asked. "You got me in the Wonderbolts," Soarin said, mumbling a bit. "And why?" she said playing an 'I ask you answer' bit. "Because you wanted to be together again," he said smiling again and blushing the slightest. "And what did you do?" "I tried to rush things and it ended up making you break up with me," Soarin said admittingly. "So don't you think that Rainbow Dash feels like that, too, like your rushing things." As the pegasus finished her lecture, Soarin realized what she meant, he looked at her in the most thankful and happy way. "What would I do without you," he asked as he hugged her, "You probably would still have to be kicking clouds and hoping to get in the Wonderbolts," she said hugging him back, they laughed for a while and she flew away, leaving Soarin alone again, he flew his head up as he conceived a plan, and then went on and flew to where he could fix everything. Tonight was very unusual for Rainbow Dash, it seemed like nopony was focused on what they were doing rather than something else, she even was surprised at a fight with Rarity (more like the usual, she falls "in love" and fights with him later), but she also couldn't help but think about her own problems. As she was flying home, she saw a certain grey pegasus mare walking around alone, making her feel even more lonely than ever, she remembered the relaxing fly she had with Soarin and felt happier at the thought of being with him. "Maybe I should try to find him again," she said while flying home, the darkness made it hard for her to see, but this being Ponyville, she knew every place to be, it also helped that the moon was so bright. "He probably wants nothing to do with me, from the way he avoided me, I could be right in front of him and he wouldn't even notice me," she thought brought her to see the tree they had almost hit, remembering the smiles and chuckles of relief they had. This brought her to the fun of teasing them before this all happened, remembering his words and her comebacks made Rainbow Dash close her eyes and smile, she even blushed now at the thought of Soarin being her colt friend. Dash then opened her eyes and stopped dead in the air, realizing what she was thinking after all this time. "Oh...my...gosh," she said realizing she did really have feelings for Soarin, she rushed home so no pony could see how she was acting. She reached her house but couldn't get her mind off Soarin. "Maybe I could just go over to his house and apologize, then we can forget this whole thing." She said opening the door and first only heard the slight creak of the door. She saw a shadowy figure and panicked. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house!" she said, hoping she wouldn't have to fight this pony, or worse be captured by whoever he or she was. "Hey, it's ok, it's only me," the figure said, stopping Rainbow Dash who was frantically moving her hooves everywhere panicking that he was going to get hurt. Instantly Rainbow Dash knew who it was and asked in a surprisingly and weirded out way, "...Soarin?" She turned on her light and saw none other than the pony she predicted. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at your own house? Or is this something that you usually do," she said calming down and acting teasing as she used to. "Well, I was thinking we could talk for a little bit," he said turning towards the couch and patting it to imply her to sit, Rainbow was a bit confused but relieved that he was talking to her again she sat on the couch and looked over to Soarin who was hesitant, but as Rainbow Dash looked at his face, she knew what this was all about. "You want to talk about earlier, about what happened on the cloud," she said smiling wondering if she was correct, "How did you know?" he asked, not that surprised she found out. "You show signs," she said, copying the words he said to her on the cloud, he looked at her with a face that meant he didn't want to play games, she now understood that he meant really talk, and she was so happy he did, she looked at his hung face and started up the conversation. "It's okay, I really wanted to talk about it anyway." They both looked at each other making Soarin finally find the words he needed to say. "I'm so sorry, it was just part of the mood, and the setting from the outside just made you look more beautiful," Rainbow Dash had never heard him say beautiful and her before. she liked it. "You know, ever since that happened I couldn't stop thinking about you... and I actually realized-&" she stopped speaking what she was about to say, Dash thought of the words that she could say instead of what she meant. "Realized what?" Soarin asked. "Oh pony feathers, think Rainbow, think!" she thought, she couldn't find any words that could compare to what she had meant to say. What she wanted to say. Rainbow Dash looked at Soarin who looked worried, she breathed in and finished her sentence. "I realized...I think I might like you more than a friend," she smiled and blushed hard looking away at the stallion from her, waiting for her response, and just getting full silence, she looked at a wide-eyed Soarin, making her get worried as he stayed stone frozen, she started breathing heavily. "Soarin? Oh, I knew it! This is why I don't express my feelings!" Rainbow Dash put her forehooves on her head, she couldn't believe how stupid she acted, she now was completely embarrassed and so red. " I should've known he would act like this, all stallions do!" she looked once more to see if he was ok, only seeing his face with tiny dots on his eyes, he was so in shock it looked like he wasn't even breathing. "Oh, what am I going to do!" she said, she looked at his face another time and finally got an idea. but soon denied it. "NO, NONONO! That is too far, I can't do that after he almost did it to me!" she thought, then she looked at him once more and couldn't get over how broken he looked and she finally decided. She must do this. Rainbow Dash leaned in close enough to take her plan to action, she could feel the warmth of her body rising up as she felt the breath of his face of hers. "Good, at least he's breathing," she said with a bit of the relief leaving her, she leaned in closer and closer but still couldn't do it. Rainbow slowly moved away until she then felt a pair of lips on hers, with no pony else being around, she knew who it was. It took a while but soon Rainbow Dash was kissing him back. They broke the kiss and stared at each other, blushing harder than they ever had before. "Well, that's one way to answer me." Rainbow Dash said as they smiled and she tugged him for another kiss. They both felt happy embracing each other, but they both had many things in their minds as they continued their passionate kiss, Soarin kept thinking about what the Wonderbolts would think, he knows that some would understand, but maybe not all, he thought about how his friends might overreact or be disappointed, but he also thought about what possibilities they might share, dates, possible marriage, maybe they could even create a family, all of these thoughts that usually mares thought about, but he didn't mind that much. However, surprisingly, Dash was thinking of anything but the usual thoughts. Instead, she thought of the most random thought in her mind "I wonder how my friend's Hearts and Hooves Day went?"

Hearts and Hooves Day

Chapter 7: A Heart for the Crusaders

"I'm bored," Scootaloo said, lying upside down as she waited patiently for her friend's response. "Well, what do you suggest?" Applebloom said, looking just as bored as her friend. "Where is she? I thought you said to meet at the clubhouse earlier than Applejack so we can discuss what you wanted to talk about," Scootaloo said, getting more aggravated by every second. "I did, but you know Sweetie Belle, she always is the last one of us to leave her house," Applebloom said just as a young unicorn with curled white and light purple hair and a nervous tone as she said. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, we have a problem!" The two looked at Sweetie Belle with concerning eyes. "What's wrong, Sweetie? Is any pony hurt?" Scootaloo said trotting to her friend. "No, worse than that," Sweetie Belle said with an even more concerning voice. "Just calm down and tell us what has your stomach in knots," Applebloom said, trying to comfort her friend. "Okay. I was walking down to the clubhouse and saw Big Macintosh bucking some apples, but I noticed that since today is Hearts and Hooves Day and he has a marefriend, right?" Sweetie said looking at Applebloom with questioning eyes. "Last I checked yes," she said, giving another thought at it, "Though now that you mention it, he hasn't been seeing her for a while," Applebloom said, making the crusader's eyes wide with realization. "Shouldn't he be with Sugar Belle today?" Scootaloo asked in a wondrous tone, Sweetie Belle nodded her head as her friends took in all of the information. "What're we gonna do? It's obvious that somethin' happened or else Big Mac wouldn't be here," Applebloom said. They all thought of a plan to help Big Mac with his problem when Sweetie Belle squealed like a dog making her friends cover their ears and let her finish. "Whatever you're thinking, I hope it is good and loud because I can't hear anything after that," Scootaloo said with her hooves still on her ears. "Well it's good, but by all means, we don't want it to be loud," Sweetie Belle said. Applebloom and Scootaloo looked at their shrieking friend with confusion in their eyes, "Come again?" Applebloom asked, hoping to understand what Sweetie Belle's plan would be. Sweetie Belle looked at her friends with annoyance, they never really understood her when a plan came into her mind. "What I mean is, we should send a letter to Sugar Bells village making Big Mac go send some pies or something while we sneak in the cart, then we'll get out of the cart and look around to see what is going on with the couple." Scootaloo and Applebloom were surprised, it was a good plan, but there was one thing missing. "Ah don't mean to burst your bubble Sweetie Belle, but ah don't think Big Macintosh would want to go to Sugar Bells village when something is going on," Applebloom said. "And do we even know if something is going on, I mean did you even talk to him," Scootaloo said, making both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom realize she was right. "Well then maybe we should ask him before we get our costumes," Sweetie said looking to see her friends who were very confused at her sentence. "Costumes?" Applebloom said, raising a hoof to wonder what Sweetie Belle was talking about. Sweetie Belle looked and realized that she hadn't said that part about the plan. "Well, were going to need to be in costume so we aren't caught," they looked at her and remembered what happened the last time, "No offense Sweetie, but do you remember the last costumes we wore, they weren't exactly... spy worthy." Scootaloo said, hoping not to ruin her friend's plan. "Don't worry about that until we get to Rarity's shop," Sweetie Belle said with a reassuring smile. The two crusaders looked at each other than at Sweetie Belle and smiled. "Well then, let's go see what has those two stuck in the reins," Applebloom said with her county talk that made the others get a bit annoyed Big Macintosh was bucking one of the apple trees thinking about the holiday that was today. 'Maybe ah should go over and talk to her. No, that is silly, she probably doesn't want anything to do with me, after what happened the last time, I doubt she never wants to see me again.' His head turned down at the thought of what happened. Big Mac's thoughts were interrupted by little fillies coming his way. "Big Mac, can we ask you a few questions?" his little sister said, he looked at them and thought to himself, "Oh no, what do they want, this is better not be another attempt to find me another date. Wait, they know I have marefriend, hopefully. So what do they want?" he realized that he had been thinking for too long he saw the looks the fillies gave and came to his usual sayings "eeup," he said making the fillies smile. "Good. Now, is it true that you have a marefriend?" Sweetie Belle asked making Big Mac sad at the thought of almost not having one, it took him a while but he managed to say a quiet "Eeup," and forcing a nervous smile, the CMC noticed this and looked worried. "Okay, then why are you here and not at her bakery?" Scootaloo asked hoping he would say anything but what he usually says. Big Mac looked more nervous at this question. "Oh no, I can't tell them, can I? It seems like they want to help me with something, maybe they already know. That can't be possible, it was a private conversation." It took Big Mac a longer while than he wanted to get the words he needed but finally got up enough courage to speak. "Well... because Applejack needs ma help with apple-bucking and I thought family comes first so..." Big Mac noticed he was talking fast (well faster than he usually does) and noticed the CMC reacting more nervously. "If that's true, then where's Applejack?" Applebloom said looking around to see if she was there. "Rats, they're onto me, I guess there's nothing else to say, except...maybe..." Big Mac thought he smiled up and looked at the crusaders making an unusual turn of events. "Me and Sugar Belle decided to not see each other during today since both of us are going to be busy," Big Macintosh had a reassuring smile hoping it would work. "I guess that makes the most sense," Scootaloo said, writing the information on a paper, "Thank you, Big Mac, we'll see you soon." The CMC walked off far enough so Big Mac couldn't hear. "Well, obviously somethin' happened," Applebloom said hoping her big brother was okay. "So that means we need to take my plan to action?" Sweetie Belle asked with a bit of hope in her tone. "There must be an explanation to what happened, so I think we need to go along with Sweetie Belle's plan, but only if all of us agree," Scootaloo said as she and Sweetie Belle looked to Applebloom for an answer. "If it helps Big Mac with his mare troubles, I'm all for it!" Applebloom said as they all hoof bumped and ran to Rarity's workshop. "Can you find anything?" Scootaloo asked frantically searching for a costume. They tore down the back of her workshop to find something simple, but this being Rarity's boutique, you never could find anything simple. "Not yet, but I know Rarity made some cloaks some time for one of her nervous breakdowns," Sweetie Belle said looking between some fancy clothes. "Well, ah don't think we're doing such luck, this place is a bigger mess than before," Applebloom said, pulling a few clothes onto the floor. "FOUND SOME" Scootaloo shouted, stopping her friends and going over to the loud pegasus. They took the simple brown itchy cloak and put it in a bag, there was a loud rumble and the crusaders turned around and saw a mass of clothes run onto them, in the darkness, they could hear a loud mumbling, "SWEETIE BELLE! Why are you ruining all my hard work!" They popped their head one by one and saw Rarity and another stallion. She looked red with anger when she looked at her sister. Rarity went and searched for a suit and went back to the stallion, before long they walked out leaving the crusaders to escape, but it was too late, Rarity came back and asked what they were up to. "Well, you see Rarity, I wanted to help somepony out today, and I needed to find a costume, so we tried to search for some and finally found a few, but then a big tower of clothes fell onto us, and we're sorry for making you clean up." Sweetie Belle said, hanging her head. Applebloom and Scootaloo looked and saw a calm Rarity, or as calm as she can be, and she said it was okay. They all left the boutique and walked with the bag. "Now that we have finished phase A, we need to move onto phase B," Sweetie Belle said, taking a pad and pencil out in her hair making her friends confused. "So, is phase B to deliver a letter? If you haven't noticed the mail ponies are off today," Scootaloo said matter of fact. "No, the mail ponies aren't going to deliver, we are." Sweetie Belle said folding the paper into an envelope, her friends still looked confused but followed along as she went over to Sweet Apple Acres The sun was coming up for Big Macintosh as he bucked another tree, "Applejack should be up to her hill right now and watching the sun come up," he thought, "I wonder what Sugar Belle is doing right now. No, I need to forget her for now, thankfully no letters have come to me to deliver anything," his trail of thought left as familiar fillies came by with a letter, "Me and my big thoughts," he grumbled in his voice of thought. "Big Mac! You have a letter from Starlights village!" a voice from Sweetie Belle said, he turned around and waited for the worst, he read what it was saying. Dear Big Macintosh, I want to inform you that I need some more apples for today and would love it if you could come, I can't wait to see you." See you soon, Sugar Belle. Big Mac read the letter over and over again. "Does she want to talk! Are we getting back together! Maybe I should go over and talk to her," The crusaders looked at Big Mac with wondering eyes. "So are you going?" Applebloom looked at Big Mac with hope in her eyes. He looked at the CMC and smiled. "Eeup," he said in the surest voice the crusaders have ever heard him say. "Yes! I can do this!" "Ah can't do this!" Big Mac thought as he and the other crusaders put on their costumes and were about to enter the village. "Does Big Macintosh look worried to you?" Scootaloo asked as the crusaders walked. "Yeah, I noticed too. Whatever happened must've made Big Mac not want to come back," Applebloom said as she looked over to where Big Mac was, he was falling far behind them and going slower by every minute. "Well, all we need to do is go over by Sugar Belle's bakery and ask her what happened, with these costumes it will almost seem like we blend in here," Sweetie Belle said flapping her cloak around. "Are we sure she even wants to see Big Mac, maybe she'll get mad and we ruin a beautiful relationship," Applebloom said stopping dead in her tracks worried that this was a mistake, the crusaders looked at Big Mac and were having second thoughts about this. "Maybe you're right, we should just go back and-" "NO! we've come too far to turn away now, all there is left to do is keep going forward." Sweetie Belle snapped. Her friends looked at her with astonishing eyes, she only ever snaps like that when she is determined, and to her friends, that shows great crusader courage. "Your right Sweetie Belle, we just need to keep moving forward and see what the future leads to the two ponies, and if all else fails, then we've come prepared," Applebloom said, folding her cloak to her ears as did the others, they entered the village. Big Mac saw that nothing had changed since he was last here, same buildings, same ponies, same bakery. "What am I thinking, the last time I was here she hated me, now I think she's going to forgive me? Ah can't believe how stupid I was...am... oh, whatever, this is not going to work, right?" all of his thoughts stopped as he paused walking and coming right in front of Sugar Belle's bakery, "Well there's my explanation, I am the stupidest pony in all of Equestria," the crusaders looked over and saw that Big Mac had stopped walking and was just standing there, in front of her bakery. "Come on Big Mac, this isn't that hard is it?" Scootaloo said turning around and pushing Big Mac into the bakery. "Eeup," he said, forcing his body to move against Scootaloo, the other crusaders came up behind him and started pushing him themselves, making Big Mac's body move through the ground until he was in the bakery. Sugar Belle was loading up herself when she heard a big thud and turned around to see that a big red pony was laying on her floor and looked worried. "Big Mac, what are you doing here?" she said, sounding annoyed. "Well, that answered my question if she had forgotten about the fight, oh well, no turning back now." He thought to look at her purple face, her face was mad but he couldn't help but look at them. "Uh... um.... I uh..." Big Mac stammered and was about to say something but three little fillies beat him to it. "Miss Sugar Belle, me and mah friends just want to talk," Applebloom said coming up to Sugar Belle with pleading eyes, it only took one to get control but when Sugar Belle looked at all three of their pleading eyes, she couldn't help it. "Okay, I'll talk! Just stop looking at me like that." Sugar Belle said looking away at them while they did a hoof bump "The pleading eyes always work," Sweetie Belle said, Sugar Belle sat on her haunches, "Let me guess, you want to talk about the fight me and Big Mac had?" she said knowingly. "Yeah, we want to know what happened so we can try to fix it," Scootaloo said as they all sat down. Big Mac, still on the floor, sighed and hoped that this wasn't a mistake. "Well, I was putting away my treats..." Sugar Belle put the last apple pie on her shelf when she heard that same country voice she had been worried would never come back. "There you are, I was hoping you would come, how long has it been? 2 weeks?" she said as she came over and kissed Big Mac on the cheek, he blushed making her giggle. "Actually it's more like... 2 months," Big Mac said nervously as he scratched the back of his head, Sugar Belle turned around and looked at Big Mac with surprise. "2 months! You haven't come to see me in 2 months!" Sugar Belle said as her head was getting red with anger, "Ah tried to come back but the farm... it needed to be taken care of, you know how hard it is to be a farm pony," he said trying to calm her down, "Oh, now I see..." Sugar Belle said making Big Mac confused, but with a wave of relief. "Oh good, I knew you would under-" "You like your farm more than me!" Sugar Belle interrupted. Big Mac looked at her with astonishment. "No, I just meant that you wouldn't understand how it is like being on a farm, you don't have the farm experience in you at all," He said trying to be reasonable. "So you think I can't be a good farmer pony! I can't believe you would say that!" Sugar Belle moved to her opposite side of her bakery to get away from the stallion. "Sugar Bell I didn't mean," Big Mac said trotting to her, but he somehow tripped and landed on her shelf that she had just painted. "Big Mac you idiot! I want you to leave right now!" Sugar Bell said, making Big Mac flinch, she had never used such strong language him. "I think I can fix this if you could..." Big Mac said getting back up from the splintered wood. "NO I JUST WANT YOU TO LEAVE!" Sugar Bell said shouting at the top of her lungs, the crowd of villagers came to see what was going on but just saw an angry stallion walking/running away. The crusaders looked at Sugar Bell, then Big Mac, and back at Sugar Bell, who looked as if she wanted to cry. "I don't believe it, how could that have happened," Sweetie Belle said freaking out. "It doesn't matter how it happened, it just happened. Now you know the story, so you can just leave now," Sugar Bell said, turning around to her cellar. "I don't think so," Scootaloo said standing up, "We said that we are going to hear and help with the problem." The rest of the crusaders stood up and puffed out their chests to show how determined they were to solve this problem. "Ah don't there's anythin' you can do to help," Big Macintosh said standing up next to Sugar Bell, "But maybe ah can." he pulled Sugar Belle to meet his gaze, his her eyes were all the mad, but also very sorrowful. "Sugar Bell, I'm sorry, I should've known what ah was talking about. Ah didn't even notice you were feeling mad and ah just left you to feel this way, if you have any forgiveness in you, then I hope you can forgive me for mah cruel action. If not, then ah totally understand," Big Mac said, hanging his head, he looked at everypony whose eyes were as big as saucers and had their jaws dropped. "What?" he asked as if nothing was wrong. "You just confessed something," Sweetie Belle finally managed to say, they took a bit longer to say anything else but soon it got to their heads that indeed, Big Mac had confessed his wrongdoing, Sugar Bell, unlike the crusaders, was astonished happily, all her life she had been lied to, but now that somepony became honest with her, she couldn't help but smile. "That was the sweetest thing anypony has told me," she said as she came closer to Big Macintosh they leaned in closer and almost kissed, not even hearing Sweetie Belle shriek, soon they heard a familiar country voice in a suspicious costume. The rest of the night was pretty crazy for every pony. Once Applejack left, the Crusaders went on to their own lives that night. Scootaloo went on to Celestia knowing where to sleep, Applebloom went on to the clubhouse to contemplate what they should do next, and Sweetie Belle went back to the boutique to clean up after the big mess today brought. Big Macintosh went to bed early to think about what happened today. "Well, that was a busy day, ah hope I can see Sugar Belle again, maybe finally kiss her in private. Nonetheless, I should thank my sister and her friends for helping me. Without them, I would've been broken up with Sugar Bell forever, or at least for a long time, I'm just glad I could get up the courage, and hopefully, it will take myself to get enough courage to go over to her than my sister," all of these thoughts and more made Big Mac smile, he kept thinking about his sister and thought, "Man, I hope both mah sisters had a good Hearts and Hooves day", while all of the crusaders were thinking, "We did it," and they all slept with happy thoughts and peaceful dreams.